disputer a brauler a boute wordes and hath no fealinge in his herte Thought thou coÌ„seÌ„te to the lawe that it is good rightuous and holy soroweste and repentest because thou haste broken it mornest because thou hast no strength to fulfyll it yet art not thou there by at one with God Yea thou shouldest shortli despayre and blaspheme God if the promises of forgeuenes and helpe were not there bi and faith in thine herte to beleue them Faith therfore seteth y â— at one with God Fayth praieth alwaye For she hath alwaye hyr infirmites and weaknesses before hir eyes and also Gods promises for whiche she alwaye longeth and in all places But blinde vnbelefe prayeth not alwaye nor in al places but in the church only and that in such a church where it is not lawfull to preach godes promises nether to teach men to trust therin Faith wheÌ„ she prayeth setteth not hyr good dea des before hyr sainge Lorde for my good deades do thys or that Nor bergeneth with God sayinge Lord graunte me this or do thys or that and I wyll do thys or that for the as mumble so much dayli go so ferre or fast thys or that fast enter in thys religion or y t with such other poyntes of infidelite yea rather ydolatry But shee setteth hyr infirmyties and hyr lacke before hyr face and Gods promises sayinge Lorde for thi mercye trueth which thou haste sworne be mercyfull vnto me out of thys pryson out of thys hel And lose the bondes of Satan and gyue me power to gloryfye thy name Fayth therfore iustifieth in y e herte and before God and the deades iustifie outwardly before the world that is testifie onli before men what we are inwardly before God Whosoeuer loketh in the perfect lawe of libertye and continueth ther in Yf he be not a forget full hearer but a doer of the worke he shalbe happye in his deade Iames. i. The lawe of liberte y t is which requireth a fre herte or if thou fulfyl it declareth a free herte lowesed from the bondes of satan The preachinge of the lawe maketh no man free but byndeth For it is the keye that byndeth all consciences vnto eternall damnacion when it is preached as the promyses or Gospel is the keye that lowseth all consciences that repente when they are bouÌ„d thorow preachinge of the lawe He shalbe happye in his deade that is by his deade shall he knowe that he is happye and blessed of God which hath geuen him a good herte and power to fulfyl the law By hearing the lawe thou shalt not knowe that thou art blessed but if thou do it it declareth that thou art happie and blessed WAs not Abraham iustified of his deades wheÌ„ he offered his â—onne â–ª Isaac vpon the altar Iames. iii. his deade iustifyed hym before the worlde that is it declared and vttered the fayth whiche boeth iustifyeth hym before God and wrought that wonderfull worke as Iames also affermeth Was not Raab the harlot iustified wheÌ„ she receyued the messengers and sent theÌ„ out an other waye Iam. iii. that is lyke wise outwardli but before God she was iustified by fayth whyche wrought that outward deade as thou mayst se Iosue ii She had herde what God had done in Egipte in the redd see in the deserte and vnto the two kinges of the Amorreans Sion and Og. And she confessed seynge youre Lord God he is God in heauen a boue and in erth beneth She also beleued that God as he had promised the chil derne of Israel would gâ—ue theÌ„ the lande where in she dwelt and coÌ„sented ther vn to submytted hyr selfe vnto the will of God and holpe God as mouch as in hir was and saued his spies messingers The other feared that which she beleued but resysted â–ª God wyth all there myght and had no power to submitte them selfe vnto the will of God And therfore perished they and she was saued and that tho rowe fayth as we reade Hebre. xi where thou maist se how the holy fathers were saued thorou faith how faith wrought in them Fayth is the goodnes of all the deades that are done with in the lawe of God and maketh theÌ„ good and glorious seme they neuer so vile and vn beleuefe maketh them damnable seme they neuer so gloryous AS pertaninge to that whiche Iames in thys iii. Chapter fayeth What a vayleth thoughe a man say that he hath fayth if he haue no deades can fayth saue him agayne Fayth without deades is dead in it selfe And the deuils beleue and tremble And as the body without the spirite is deade euen so fayth without deades is deade It is manifeste cleare that he meaneth not of that fayth wher of Peter Paul speke in their epistles IhoÌ„ in his Gospel and fyrst Epistle Christ in the Gospel when he sayth thy faithe hath made the safe be it to the accordyng to thy fayth or great is thy faith c and of which Iames himselfe speaketh .i. Cha. saying Of hys owne wyl begat he vs wyth y e word of life y t is in beleuing y e promises wher in is lyfe at we made the soÌ„nes of God Whych thinge I also thys wise proue Paule sayeth howe shall or can they beleue wyth out apreacher Now I praye you when was it hearde that God sent any man to preach vnto y e diuyls or that he made theÌ„ any good promes He threat neth them oft but neuer sent embassadours to preach any atonement betewene hym and them Take an ensample that thou mayst vnderstand Let there be two pore men both destitude of raymente in a winter the one stronge that he fealeth no grefe the other greuously mornynge for payne of the colde I then come by and moued wyth pitye and compassyon saye vnto hym that fealeth hys dysease come to suche a place and I will gyue the raymente sufficyente He beleueth cometh and obtayneth that whyche I haue promysed That other seeth al this and knoweth it but is partaker of naught For he hath no faith and y t is because ther is no promise made him So is it of the deuils The deuils haue no fayth For fayeth is but ernest beleuinge of Gods promises Now are ther no promises made vnto y e diuyls but â—ore thretninges The old Phi losophers knewe that ther was one God but yet had no faith for thei had no pow er to seke his wyl nether to worship him The turkes and the saresons know that haue no power to worship God in spirit to seke his pleasure to submit theÌ„ vnto his wyl Thei made an Idoll of God as we do for y e most part worshipped him euery maÌ„ after his own imaginacioÌ„ for a sundry purpose What we wyll haue done that must God do and to do oure wyll worshippe we hym and praye vnto hym but what God wyll haue done that
kynd and good but to testifye and declare the goodnes that is in hym already with the outwarde dede that it maye breake out to the profete of other that other maye fele it whiche haue nede therof After the same maner shalt thou enterprete the scryptures whiche make mencion of workes that God therby wyll that we shewe forth the goodnes whyche wee haue receyued by fayth and let it breake forth and come to the profet of other that the false fayth maye be knowen and weded out by the rotes For God geueth no man hys grace that he shoulde let it lye styll and do no good withall but that he shoulde encreace it and multiplye it with lendynge it to other and with openly declaryng of it with the outwarde workes prouoke draw other to God As Christ saieth in Mathew the fift chapter Let youre lyght so shyne in the syght of men that they maye se your good workes and glorifye youre father whiche is in heauē Or els were it as a treasure dygged in the ground and hid wysdōe in the which is no profete Moreouer therwith the goodnes grace fauoure gyftes of God whiche a◠in the not only shalbe knowen vnto other but also vnto thin owne selfe and thou shallt besure that thy fayth is ryghte and that the true spirite of God is in the and that thou art called and cho sen of God vnto eternall lyfe and loosed from the bondage of Sathan whose presoner thou waste Peter exhorteth in the fyrst of his seconde epistle thorowe good workes to make oure callynge and election where with we are called and chosen of God sure For how darre a man presume to thynke that his fayth is ryghte and that goddes fauoure is on hym and that Goddes spirite is in hym when he fealeth not the working of the spirite ne◠ther hym selfe desposed to anye Godlye thynge Thou canst neuer knowe or be sure of thy fayth but by workes whiche workes must also come of pure loue with out lokynge after any maner rewarde thou mayste be sure that thy fayth is but a dreāe and not ryght and euen the same that Iames calleth in his epistell the secō chapter dead fayth and not iustifyenge Abraham thorowe workes Genesis xxii was sure of his faith to be right and that the true feare of God was in hym ▪ whē he had offered hys sōne as the scrip ture sayeth Now knowe I that thou fearest God that is to saye ▪ Now is it opē and manifest that thou feareste God in as muche as thou haste not spared thy onlye sonne for my sake So now by this abyde sure and fast that a man inwardly in the herte and before god is rightuous and good thorow faith only before all workes Notwithstāding yet outwardly and openly before the peo ple yea before him selfe is he rightuous thorowe the worke that is he knoweth and is sure thorowe the outwarde worke that he is a true beleuer and in the fauoure of God and ryghtuous and good thorow the mercy of God ▪ that thou may est call the one an open and an outwarde rightuousnes and the other an inwarde rightuousnes of y e hert so yet that thou vnder stande by the outwarde rightuous nes none other thinge saue the fruit that foloweth as a declaringe of that inwarde iustifiyng and ryghtuousnes of the hert and not that it maketh a man rightuous before God but that he muste fyrste be rightuous before hym in the herte Euen as thou mayste call the fruite of the tre which foloweth and vttereth the inward naturall goodnes of the tre Thus meaneth Iames in his Epystle where he sayth fayth without workes is dead that is yf workes folow not it is a sure and an euidente sygne that ther is no fayth in the hert but a dead ymaginacion and dreāe which they falsly cal faith Of the same wyse is thys sayinge of Christe to bee vnderstande Make you frendes of the vnryghtuous Mammon that is shewe youre fayth openly what ye are within the herte with outwarde geuynge and bestowynge youre goodes on y e poore that ye may obtayne frendes that is that y e poore on whom thou haste shewed mercy may at y e daye of iudgmēt testifie and witnesse of thy good workes That thy fayth and what thou waste within in the herte before God maye ther appeare by thy fruits openly vnto al mē For vnto the ryghte beleueynge shall all thynges be confortable and vnto consolacion at that terryble daye And contrary wyse vnto the vnbeleuynge al thynge shallbe vnto desperacion and confusion and euery man shalbe iudged openly and outwardely in the presence of all men accordynge to ther dedes and workes So that not without a cause thou mayeste call them thy frendes whyche testifie at that daye of the that thou louedest as a true and a ryght christen man and folowedest the steppes of Christ in shewynge mercy as no doute he doth whiche feleth God mercyfull in his herte And by the workes is the faith knoweth that it was ryght and perfecte For the outwarde workes can neuer please God nor make frende excepte they springe of fayth For as muche as Christe hym selfe Matthew in the. vi and. vii Chapter dysaloweth and casteth awaye the workes of the pha rises yea prophesyenge and workynge of miracles castynge out of deuels whiche we counte and esteme for very excellente vertues Yet make they no frendes wyth their workes while their hertes are false and vnpure and theyr eye double Now without fayth is no herte true or eye singel so that wee are conpelled to confesse that the workes make not a man ryghteous or good but that the herte muste fyrst be ryghteous and good before any good worke procede thence SEcondarely all good workes muste be done freli with a single eye with out respecte of any thyng and that no profyte be sought therby That commaundeth Christe where he sayeth Math. x. frely haue ye receyued frely geue agayne For loke as Christe with al his workes dyd not serue heauē for that was hys all redy but dyd vs seruyce therwith nether loked nor sought his owne profyte but oure profyte and the honoure of God the father only euen so wee wyth all oure workes may not seke oure owne profyte neyther in thys worlde nor in heauē but must and ought frely to worke to honour God withall and with out all maner respect seke oure neyghbours profyt and do hym seruice That meaneth Paul Philip. ii saynge Be minded as Christ was which beynge in the shape of God equal vnto God and euen very God layd that a parte that is to say hyd it And toke on hym the forme and fashion of a seruaunt That is as concernynge hym selfe he had ynoughe that he was full and had plentuousnes of the Godhead and in all hys workes sought oure profyte and became our seruaūt The cause is for as much as faith iustifieth and putteth awaye sinne
in the syght of God bryngeth lyfe health and the fauoure of God maketh vs the heyres of God powreth y e spirite of God into our soules and fylleth vs with al godlynes in Christe it were to great a shame rebuke and wronge vnto the fayth yea to Christes bloude yf a maÌ„ would worke any thynge to purchase that wherwith fayth hath endued him already and God hath geuen hym surely Euen as Christe had done a rebuke and shame vnto hym selfe yf he woulde haue done good workes and wrought to haue ben made ther by Gods sonne and heyre ouer all which thynge he was alredy Now doth faith make vs the sonnes or children of God Iohn i. he gaue them myght or power to be the soÌ„nes of God in that they beleued in his name If we be sonnes so are wee also heyres Roma viii and Gala. iiii Howe can or ought wee then to worke for to purches that enherytaunce wyth all where of wee are heyres all redye by fayth What shall we saye then to those scriptures which sodÌ„e as though a man shoulde do good workes and lyue well for heauens sake or eternall rewarde As these are make you frendes of the vnrihgtuous mammon And Math. vii Ga ther you treasure together in heauen Also Math. xix If thou wilt enter in to life kepe the commaundementes and suche lyke This saye I that they which vnder staÌ„de not nether fele in their herts what fayth meaneth talke and thynke of the re warde euen as they do of the worke nether suppose they that a man oughte to worke but in a respecte to the rewarde For they ymagen that it is in the kyng dome of Christe as it is in the worlde amonge men that they must deserue heaueÌ„ with theyr good workes How be it their thoughtes are but dreams and false imaginacions Of these men speaketh Mala. Chap. i. who is it amonge you that shutteth a dore for my pleasure for nought that is wythout respecte of rewarde These are seruauntes that seke gaynes and auauntage hyrelynges and daye labourers which here on earth receyue their rewardes as the pharyses with ther prayers and fastinges Matth. v. But on this wise goeth it with heaueÌ„ with euerlastyng lyfe eternal rewarde lykewyse as good workes naturally folowe faythe as it is aboue rehersed so that thou nedest not to commauÌ„de a true beleuer to worke or to compel hym wyth any lawe for it is impossible y t he should not worke he taryeth but for an occasion he is euer disposed of hym selfe thou needest but to put hym in remembraunce and that to knowe the faulse fayth from the true Euen so naturally doth eternall lyfe folowe fayth and good lyuing with out sekynge for and is impossible that it should not coÌ„e thought no man thought there on Yet is it rehearsed in the scripture alleged and promysed to knowe the difference betwene a false beleuer and a true beleuer and that euery man maye knowe what foloweth good lyuinge naturally and of it selfe wythout takynge thought for it Take agrosse ensampel Hel that is euerlastinge death is threatened vnto synners and yet foloweth it synne naturalli without sekyng for For no man doth euell to be damned therfore but had leuer auoid it Yet the one foloweth the other naturally and thought no man tolde or warned hym of it yet should the synner fynde it and fele it Ne uerthelesse it is therfore threatened that men maye knowe what foloweth euyll lyuynge Now then as after euell lyuing foloweth his rewarde vnsought for eueÌ„ so after good liuing foloweth his rewad naturally vnsoughte for or vnthoughte vpon euen as when thou drynkest wyne be it good or badde the tayst foloweth of it selfe thought thou therfore drinke it not Yet testifieth the scripture and it is true that we are by enheritaunce heires of daÌ„nacion and that before we be borne we are vessels of the wrath of God and full of that poyson whence naturally all synnes sprynge and where with we can not but synne whyche thynge the dedes that folowe when we behold our selues in the glasse of the lawe of God do declare and vtter kyll our consciences and shewe vs what we were and wist not of it and certifie vs that wee are heyres of damnacion For yf we were of God we should cleaue to God and lust after y e wil of God But now oure dedes compared to the lawe declare the contrarye and by oure dedes wee se oure selfe both what we be and what oure ende shalbe So nowe thou seyst that lyfe eternall and all good thynges are promised vnto fayth and belefe so that he that beleueth on Christe shalbe safe Christes bloude hath purchased life for vs and hath made vs the heyres of God so that heauen coÌ„meth by Christes bloude Yf thou wouldest obtayne heaueÌ„ with the merytes and deseruynges of thyne owne workes thaÌ„ dyddest thou wronge ye and shamedest the bloude of Christe and vnto the were Christ deade in vayne Nowe is the true beleuer heyre of God by Christes deseruinge ye and in Christe was predestinate and ordened vnto eternal lyfe before the worlde beganne And when the Gospell is preached vnto vs we beleue the mercye of God and in beleuynge we receyue the spirite of God whiche is the arneste of eternal lyfe and we ar in eternal lyfe already and fele al ready in oure hertes the swetnes therof and are ouercome wyth the kindnes of God and Christ and therfore loue the wyl of God and of loue are ready to worke ferly and not to optayne that whiche is geuen vs frely and wherof we are heyres alredy Now when Christe sayeth Make you frendes of vnryghtuous Mammon Ga ther you treasure together in heauen and such lyke Thou seyst that the meanynge and entent is none other but that thou shouldes do good and so wyll it folowe of it selfe naturally without sekyng and takinge of thought that thou shalt fynde frendes treasure in heauen and receyue a rewarde So let thyne eye be syngle and loke vnto good lyuynge onely take no thought for the rewarde But be content For as muche as thou knoweste and arte sure that the rewarde and all thynge contayned in Goddes promyses folowe good lyuinge naturally thy good workes do but testifye onely and certifye the that the spirite of God is in the whoÌ„ thou hast receiued for an ernest of gods trueth and that thou art heyre of all the goodnesse of God and that all good thynges are thyne all ready purchased by Christe bloude and layed vp in stoare agaynste that day when euery man shal receyue accordyng to hys dedes that is accordynge as his dedes declare and testifye what he is or was For they that loke vnto the rewarde are slow false subtel and crafty workers and loue the rewarde more then the worke yea hate the laboure â–ª yea hate God whyche commaundeth the laboure and are wâ—ry both of the commaundement and also of the coÌ„maunder worke wyth tedyousnes But he
that worketh of pure loue without sekinge of rewarde worketh truly Thyrdly that not y t sayntes but God only receyueth vs in to eter nall tarbernacles is so playne and euideÌ„t y t I nede not to declare or proue it Howe shall the sayntes receyue vs in to heaueÌ„ whan euery man hath nede for him selfe that God onely â–ª recyue hym to heauen and euery man hath skâ—ce for hym selfe As it appeareth by the fiue wise virgins Mat. xxvi which woulde not geue of the oyle vnto the vnwyse virgyns And S. Peter sayth in the iiii of his fyrst epistle that the ryghtuous is wyth difficultye saued So â–ª seest thou that the sayenge of Christe make you frendes of the. c. That theye maye receyue youe into the euerlastynge tabernacles pertayneth not vnto the saynâ—tes whiche are in heauen but is spoken of y e poore and nedy which are here preseÌ„t w t vs on earth as thought he woulde saye What byldest thou chur ches foundest abbayes chauntryes and colleges in the honour of sayntes to my mother saynt Peter Paul and sayntes that be deade to make of theÌ„ thy freÌ„des Thei nede it not yea thei are not thy freÌ„des but theyrs whyche lyued then when thei lyued of whoÌ„â— they were holyeÌ„ â–ª Tâ—â— frendes are the poore whiche are now 〈◊〉 thy tyme and a lyue with the thy poorâ— neighbours which nede of thy healp and succoure Them make thy frendes with thy vnryghtuous mammon y t they maye testifye of thy fayth and thou mayste knowe fele that thy fayth is ryght and not fayned UNto y e seconde suche receyuinge into y e euerlastinge habitacions is not to be vnderstaÌ„de that men shal do it For mani to whom we shew mercy and do good shall not comme ther nether skylleth it yf we mekely and louyngly do oure dutye yea it is a sygne of stronge fayth and feruent loue and stronge fayth and feruent loue if we doâ— well to the euyll and studye to drawe theÌ„ to Chryste in all that lyeth in vs. But the pore geue vs an occasion to exercyce oure fayth and the deades make vs feale oure fayth and certyfye vs and make vs sure that we are safe and are escaped and translated froÌ„ death vnto lyfe and that we are delyuered and redemed from the captyuyte and boundage of Satan and brought in to the lybertye of the sonnes of God in that we fele lust and strength in our herte to worke the wyl of God And at that daye shall oure deades appere and comfort oure hertes witnese oure fayth and trust whiche we now haue in Christ which fayth shall then kepe vs from shaÌ„e as it is writteÌ„ None that beleueth in him shallbe a shamed Rom. ix So that good workes healpe oure fayth and make vs sure in our coÌ„sciences and make vs feale the merci of God Not withstandinge heaueÌ„ euerlasting lyfe Ioâ—e eternal faith the fauoure of God the spyryte of God lust and strength vnto y e wil of God are geueÌ„ vs frely of the bouÌ„tuous and pleteous ryches of God purchased by Christ with out oure deseruinges that no man shoulde reioyse but in the Lorde onely FOr a forder vnderstaÌ„ding of this Gospell maye here be made iii. questions What mamoÌ„n is whâ— it is called vnrighteous and after what maner Christ byddeth vs counterfet and folowe the vniust wicked stuard which with his Lordes damage prouyded for hys owne profit and vantage whyche thing no doute is vnrighteous and syne Fyrst Mammon is an Ebrewe worde and signifyeth ryches or teÌ„poral goodes and namelye all superfluitie and all that is aboue necessary y t whyche is not reputed vnto our necessari vsees where with a man maye healpe an other with out vn doinge or hurtinge him selfe For hamon in the Ebrewe speach signifieth a multitude or a bundaunce or many And therehence commeth mahamon or mammon aboundaunce or plenteousnes of goodes or riches SecuÌ„darili it is called vnrighteous mammon not because it is goteÌ„ vnrightuousli or with vsuri For of vnrighteous goten goodes can no maÌ„ do good workes but ought to restore theÌ„ whom agayne As it is sayd Isaias lxi I am a God that hateth offeringe that commeth of robbery And Salo. pro. iii. sayeth honoure the Lorde of thyne owne good But therfore is it called vnrighteous because it is in vnryghteous vse As Paule speaketh vnto the Ephesians v. how that the dayes are euil thoughe that God hath made theÌ„ and they are a good worke of Goddes makynge Howe be it they are yet called euill because that euill men vse them a mysse and moche synne occacions of euill perrell of soulis are wroughte in them Euen so is riches called euill because that euill men bestowe them amisse misuse them For where riches is ther goeth it after the coÌ„men prouerâ—e He that hath money hath what him lysteth And they cause fyghtinge ste linge leynge a wayte lyinge flatteringe and al vnhappines against a mans neigh boure For all men holde on ryches parte But singularly before God is it called vnrightuous mammon because it is not bestowed and mynistred vnto oure neybours neade For if my neyboure neade and I geue him not nether depart liberal ly with hym of that whiche I haue than with hold I froÌ„ him vnrightuously that whiche is hys owne For as muche as I am bownden to healpe hym by the lawe of nature whyche is what soeuer thou woldest that another dyd to the that do thou also to him And Christ Mathey v. Geue to euery man that desireth the. And John in his fyrste pystle yf a man haue this worldes good se his brother neade how is the loue of God in hym And this vnryghtuousnes in our mammon se vert fewe men because it is sprituall and in those goodes whiche at goten most truly and iustly are meÌ„ muche begyled For they suppose they do no man wronge in kepinge theim in that thei got theÌ„ not with stelinge Robbinge oppressioÌ„ and vsury nether hurt any man now with them Thrydly many haue busyed theÌ„ selfes in studyenge what or who thys vnryghteous steward is because that Christe so praiseth hym But shortely and playnely thys is the answere That Christe prayseth not the vnryghteous stuard nether setteth hym forth to vs to counterfet because of his vnrighteousnes but because of his wisdome only in that he with vnright so wisely prouldid for him selfe As if I woulde prouoke another to praye or studie saiyng The theues watche all nighte to robbe and stele why canst not thou watche to praye and to studie Here prayse not I the thefe and murderer for there euil doinge but for ther wysdome â–ª that they so wisely and diligently waite on ther vnrighteousnes Like wise when I saye mysse women tyer thiem selfes with golde sylke to please ther louers What wylt not thou garnysh thy soule with fayth to please Christe here prayse I not whordome but the diligence which the whore mysuseth Of this wise Paule