where faith is wanting The papist will say that we must beleeue in Christ and that faith is the foundation of our saluatiō but it iustifieth not except it bee furnished with charity and good works but faith of it selfe is Gods gift and Gods worke in our heartes which therefore iustifieth because it apprehendeth Christ Mans reason can not comprehend this but thinketh of charity and of workes what I haue done and what I haue not done but faith hath no other obiect then Iesus Christ the Son of God deliuered to death for the sinnes of the whole world saith looketh neyther to charitie nor to workes it saith not what haue I done or what haue I deserued but what hath Christ done what hath hee deserued the gospell then truely answereth that hee hath deliuered me from eternall death and damnation therefore a true and a stedfast faith must lay hold vppon nothing else but vpon Christ alone When I can feele and confesse my selfe to be a sinner through Adams transgression without my deseruings why shoulde I not thinke my selfe to bee made righteous againe through the righteousnesse of Christ without my deseruinges And therefore he that apprehendeth Christ truely by faith although he be neuer so much pressed downe with the waight of his sinnes may yet take comfort and accoūt himselfe to be righteous by that onely meanes that he possesseth Christ by faith if this faith faile and that it must giue place to workes or charity or to another helpe besides then it is but a fable that Christ is the Sauiour of the world and God also founde to bee but a lier that hath not performed what he hath so confidētly promised Let vs now acknowledge the lawe to be as it is diuine and holy and let vs learne of it both how wee ought to loue God and to demeane our selues towards our neighbour to aske counsaile how wee should be deliuered from sinne the power of the Deuill and eternall damnation Let vs haue nothing to do with the lawe which in that poynt doth rather terrifie then minister comfort heere let vs flie to the gospell which teacheth vs that Iesus Christ the sonne of God hath payde the ransome with his precious bloud and redeemed vs from our sinnes and here faith alone willeth vs to receiue this and to beleeue it and therefore when the lawe accuseth and sinne terrifieth let vs looke vppon Christ laying holde on him by fayth wee haue then present with vs the conquerour of the lawe sinne death and the deuill himselfe Whosoeuer will diligently consider of the whole argument of that booke called the Actes of the Apostles shall finde that it teacheth nothing else but that the holy Ghost is not giuen by the Lawe but by the hearing of the gospell for when Peter preached the holy Ghost forthwith fell vppon all that heard him in one day three thousand that were present at the preaching of Peter beleeued and receiued the holy Ghost Cornelius receiued the holy Ghost but not by his almes giuing but Peter preaching the gospell of Christ the holy Ghost fell vppon him and of all the rest that were present with him so that the whole summe and argument of that Booke is that wee are iustified by fayth onely in Christ without our workes and that the holy Ghost is giuen by the onely hearing of fayth at the preaching of the gospell and not at the preaching or worke of the Lawe Well sayth the papist if the holy Ghost may be obteyned but by hearing of fayth and the gospell preached and that there is nothing else required of vs alas this is but an easie matter soone performed but the giuing of the holy Ghost the forgiuenesse of sinnes the deliuerance from death are matters of greater moment then to be so easily attayned vnto And therefore if thou wilt obteyne these inestimable benefits there belongs more to it then eyther hearing or beleeuing Thus argueth the papist and this seemeth conformable to a mans owne reason and this opinion is well liked and the Pope and the deuill himselfe will approue it Thus the inestimable greatnesse of the gift is the cause that wee cannot beleeue it and because this incomparable treasure is freely offered therefore wee despise it but lette Christians learne that the forgiuenesse of sinnes Christ and the holy Ghost are freely giuen vs by hearing of faith and the gospell preached And that wee must not so much thinke of the greatnes of the thing that is giuen nor of our vnworthines that are to receiue it as of the greatnes gratiousnes of the giuer we must thinke that it pleaseth God freely to giue vnto vs that vnspeakeable gift as Christ hath sayd Luke 12. Feare not litle flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue vnto you a kingdome Let foolish reason now be offended let the papist neuer spare to rage and raile against vs let them say we teach men to doe nothing at all for the obtaininge of so inestimable a gift but to heare the gospel preached let them therfore refraine themselues frō going to church that they might not partake with vs of this heauenly treasure but for those that will exercyse themselues in righteousnes indeede let them first exercise themselues in the hearing of the gospell hauinge once receiued that let them giue thanks vnto God and afterwardes let them exercise themselues in those good workes whiche are commaunded in the lawe so that the lawe and workes may followe the hearing of fayth but to seeke any iustification by the lawe or by workes we leaue the one to the Iewes the other to papistes the papist teacheth that no man can haue any certayne knowledge whither hee bee the child of God or no but he that doubteth of Gods good will towardes him that man cannot beleeue that he hath forgiuenes of sinnes but imagineth the tenth article of the Christian fayth and maketh doubt of his own saluation the papist indeede hath not this feeling for it belongeth to none but to him that hath the spirit of God Knowe ye not your selues that Christ is in you except ye be reprobate persons sayth Saint Paule 2. Corin. 13. And in the sixt to the Rom. Hee that hath not the spirit of God is none of his Now the spirit of God is the onely marke that is giuen to those that are elect now the Papist that hath not this feeling if Saint Paules woordes bee true is a reprobate for he hath not the marke If any man feele in himselfe a loue towardes the word of God and willingly heareth talketh and thinketh of Christ lette that man know that it is not the worke of mans wil or reason but the gift of the holy Ghost So agayne where the loue of the word and gospel is comtemned dispised and vtterly set at naught as we see at this day but especially heere in Ireland let them assure themselues that it is the worke of the deuill that so blindeth their eyes and
we call naturall reason The wisedome of the flesh saith Saint Paule is enmitie with God And therefore when God speaketh reason iudgeth his words to be heresie The papist doth attribute the merit of grace and the remissiof sinnes to the worke wrought for they say that a good worke before grace is auaileable to obteyne grace of congruence beecause it is meete and conuenient that GOD shoulde rewarde such a worke but when grace by this meanes is once obteyned then the good workes following doe deserue euerlasting life as a due debt For the first worke before grace God is no debter but beecause he is iust and good it therefore behoueth him to approue such a worke and to giue grace for such a piece of seruice but when grace is obtayned God is become a debtor and is constreyned of right and dutie to giue eternall life for now it is a worke don in grace and therefore it maketh gratious Now if a man of his own abilitie may performe a worke which is not onely acceptable in Gods sight but is also able to deserue grace of congruence get of right and duty eternall life what neede is there then of the grace of God of the forgiuenes of sins or of Christ himselfe he might well haue spared his bloude and bitter passion we are able to craue for our selues and to worke our owne saluation by our owne deseruinges But if the Pope with all his religious rable were not both blind and malicious they could not choose but see and would not let to confesse it to bee a most horrible blasphemy to thinke that there is any worke whereby to pacifie God when wee see there is nothing that could appease him but that inestimable price euen the death of his Sonne away then with these Popish satisfactions of workes of merits of vowes of ceremonies both before grace after grace throw them altogether with their first founders into the bottomeles pit of hell Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne sayeth the Apostle Rom. 14. and therefore he that would deserue grace by workes going beefore faith goeth about to please God with sinnes by heaping one vppon an other and therefore thou canst not deserue grace by thy workes The Pelagians doe grant asmuch of grace as the papistes do for they say that menne may haue a good purpose and a loue of grace of their owne naturall strength for say they God hath giuen good Lawes and a manne may keepe them of his owne naturall strength or else the commandements were giuen in vayne And may not infidelles and misbeleeuers attayne to this merite of congruence for the Papistes doe grant that it commeth of naturall strength and yet it should not follow of congruence that they shall receiue grace nor yet attayne to the remission of sinnes for howe should a man without a speciall grace abhor his sinnes for if men may doe good before grace then we may gather grapes of thornes and figges of thistles we see now that the first parte of Christianitie dooth consist in the knowledge of our selues and of our owne vnworthinesse The seconde part if thou wilt be saued thou must not seeke thy saluation in thy workes but in Christ that was crucified and dyed for thee for God hath reuealed vnto vs that hee will bee vnto vs a mercifull father and without our desertes seeing wee are able to deserue nothing will freely giue vnto vs remission of sinnes righteousnesse and life euerlasting for his sonne Christes sake This is our beliefe touching Christian righteousnesse against these horrible and monstrous blasphemies of papistes concerning their merite of congruence and worthines of works Christian righteousnesse is Christ apprehended by faith and dwelling in the hearte but to giue a true rule of Christianitie first wee are to consider that a man must be taught by the Lawe to know himselfe and to vnderstande that all haue sinned and haue need of the glory of God Rom. 3 and that There is not one righteous no not one Psal 14. when a man is thus humbled by the lawe and brought to the knowledge of himselfe then followeth true re entance and heere hee beeginneth to sigh and to seeke out for succour and vtterly dispayring of his owne strength hee findeth this comfortable consolation Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee beleeue in Iesus Christ who hath taken thy sinnes vppon him whose stripes haue made thee whole This is the beginning of health and saluation by these means we are deliuered from sinne iustified and made the inheritors of life euerlasting not for our owne workes and deserts but for our fayth whereby we lay hold vppon Christ When we haue thus laide hold vpon Christ by faith through whom we are made righteous nowe followe good workes and that is to loue God aboue all thinges call vpon him giue thanks vnto him prayse his holy name confesse his goodnesse mercie towardes thee beginne nowe to loue thy neighbour as thy selfe doe vnto him as thou wouldest bee done vnto helpe the needy comfort the afflicted giue almes to the poore These be good workes indeed for this hearing of masses this worshipping and offering to Idols this going on pylgrymage to the holy Crosse to Saint Patrickes Purgatory this giuing to lasciuious priestes leaue this to the Papistes the generation of Antichrist and the rest of that holy rable of the Popes Vermine that dares take those priuiledges to themselues that doe properly belong vnto Christ alone he onely forgiueth sinnes hee onely giueth righteousnesse and euerlasting life Good workes are outwarde signes of true faith which do not iustifie of themselues but are as testimonialles to the worker that he is already iustified so that workes are out the fruites of fayth good workes are all thinges that are done within the limites of the lawes of God in which God is honored and for which thankes are giuen to God That faith that bringeth forth good workes doth iustifie but the works doe not iustifie and this iustifying fayth is the free gift of God without our deseruinges for by this faith giuen vs thus by grace we attayne the benefite of Christes death which onely iustifieth vs so that good workes are the fruites of a good faith Fasting is a good worke but howe not to absteyne from the eating of fleshe and to pamper the panch with all sortes of fish till it be ready to surfeit not to refraine from the eating of an egge and to make no conscience at the killing of a man not to make difference of dayes and to forbeare from butter cheese and milke but neuer to absteyne neyther fasting day nor other to liue in drunkennesse in whordome and in all manner of loath some sinne and wickednes not to fast in the honor of a Saynt and to liue with bread and water one day the next day to glut our selues and to ryot and reuell it out with all excesse And what are these prayers that are deliuered in a strange tongue that are
tallied vpon a payre of Beades that are presensented to Saintes Images and Idoles but the works of darknes of sinne and of damnation All such religion where God is worshipped without his word and commaundement is idolatry and the more holy it seemeth in outward showe so much the more dangerous this abstinency of the Papistes in forbearing of flesh and eating of fishe their praying vpon beades their worshipping of Saints their vowes their pilgrimages are all Idolatry We doe not reiect fasting and other good exercises as things vnnecessary but we say that by these exercises wee doe not obtayne remission of Sinnes and heerevpon the papistes both ignorantly doe iudge and slanderously doe reporte that wee speake against good workes Whether thou eate or not eate thou art neyther better nor worse saith the Apostle now if any man would say if thou eate thou sinnest or if thou abstaine thou art righteous hee should but shewe his ignorance it is a small matter to eate or not to eate but when a man doth beleeue that in abstaining hee meriteth heauen or is thereby the more holy heere God is denied and Christ is reiected and the blessinges of God thereby abused and to thinke that life or saluation or death and damnation dependeth in the obseruation heereof is a deuillish superstition and full of blasphemy It is truth the papistes doe fast they pray they watch they do lay crosses on them selues but by this they thinke to appease the wrath of God to deserue grace to worke their righteousnes to make themselues holy by this they take from God his Maiestie his diuinity his mercy And doe attribute the worke of their saluation to their owne merites and deseruings Our Sauiour in the 6. of Mathew reproued those workes that are not performed by faith but what workes bee those that hee there rebuketh euen such as are commaunded by the scriptures and such as euery true Christian must put in practise namely fasting praying deedes of almes for the Scriptures themselues being once corrupted with glosses as our papistes do accustome and as they haue made manifest in their Remish Testament is no more Gods word so those thinges that are commaunded by the Scriptures being once peruerted and alienated from their true vses are neyther to be accoūted for good workes or godly deeds now what are become of those merits of congruence before faith when fasting praying and almes giuing are reprooued Christe heere destroyeth not fasting praying and almes deedes but hee preacheth against the purpose and intent howe they were peruerted by the Scribes and Pharisees so we that do seeke our saluation in Christ onely doe not seeke to destroy the deeds of good workes as the papistes vntruely doe report but wee say that those that doe seeke their iustification in them as the papist doth teach are most iniurious to the bloud of Christ Turkes and Iewes doe giue almes as plentifully as any Christians doe yet it is abhominable for lacke of faith and knowledg of the true intent In the offeringes that were made by Abell and Caine wee see that though the workes that are performed by vngodly persons doe make as glorious a show as the deedes of the godly yet in the sight of God which looketh on the heart the deede is good because of the man and not the man because of the deede The wrath of God consumeth these holy and faithles workes as it did Nadab and Abihu And here if we did but turne our eies vnto the Pharisees which before the comming of Christ in his flesh had layed the foundatiō of freewill wheron they built their holy workes see what followed vpon feruency and zeale they thrust themselues out of the holy rest of forgiuenes of sinnes by faith in the bloud of Christ Mee thinkes the Pharisees and our papistes doe drawe together in one line for the Pharisees persecuted Christ because hee reprooued their holy workes and our papistes are as angry towards vs because we renounce their superstitious merites and seeke our iustification in the bloode of Christ Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes then Abraham obtained not this righteousnesse before God through the workes of the lawe for at that time there was no law nor in foure hundred and odd yeares after then if there were no law there could be neither worke nor merit what then but the bare promise which Abraham beleeued and it was accounted to him for righteousnes Abell and Caine They offered their oblations vnto the Lord but the Lord had respect to the offering of Abell you see now sayth the papist that God hath respect to offerings and therefore works do iustifie but what blindnes is this that will not suffer them to see that God had first respect to the person of Abell which pleased the Lord because of his faith their workes were both one they both offered oblations what was then the difference Abell was faithfull and Caine an hypocrite presuming on his owne merit as our Papistes doe It is truth faith and good workes are neere neighbours for they still dwell together in a righteous man but as touchinge their office there is a great separation for the lawe can haue no dominion but ouer the fleshe and faith alone must dwell in the conscience and sending Moses away with his lawe there shee planteth Christ with his righteousnes for the bleeuing conscience must know of no law He that hath once receiued Christ by faith and knoweth that hee is his righteousnes and life doubtles he will not be idle but as a good tree he will bring foorth good fruite for the beleeuing man hath the holy Ghost and where the holy Ghost dwelleth it will not suffer a man to be idle but stirreth him vp to all exercises of piety and godlines and of true religion to the loue of God to the patient suffering of afflictions to prayer to thankesgiuing to the exercise of charity towards all men but these good works and this charity following faith doe neither forme nor adorne my faith but my faith both formeth and adorneth them Faith and workes therefore must be so taught as the one hee not confounded by the other for he that teacheth works onely as the papistes are accustomed then saith is lost if faith onely be taught then carnall men by and by begin to dreame that workes are not needefull Faith is the beleeuing of Gods promises and a sure trust and confidence of goodnes and truth and true faith is impossible to be had without the spirit of God for it is aboue all naturall power that a man in the time of affliction when God scourgeth him should then beleeue that God then loueth and prepareth for his good Faith giueth glory onely vnto God which is the greatest seruice man can doe vnto him for without faith God looseth his glory his wisedome his righteousnesse his truth and his mercy And to conclude there is neyther Maiestie nor diuinity remaining vnto God
wisedome righteousnesse and giueth them to God alone to whome they belong the gospell is a doctrine concerning Christ which is neyther law nor worke but our righteousnes sanctification redemption That he might be made an oblation for the sinnes of the whole world that our sinnes might be forgiuen for his sake and not for the workes of the law nor our owne righteousnesse we acknowledge and confesse that there is nothing in vs that is able to deserue grace and the forgiuenesse of sinnes but that at wee obteyne it by the free mercy of God onely for Christes sake whereby we doe not seeke to set forth mans worthinesse but Gods mercy offered vnto vs in Christ For Christ and the Law cannot agree together in the conscience the one must giue place and he that cannot beeleeue that God will forgiue him his sinnes for Christes sake how can he be leeue that his sinnes shall be forgiuen for the workes of the law which no man yet was euer able to performe They that doe mingle the law and the gospell together doe perueit both for either Christ must remayne and the lawe giue place or the law must remayne and Christ must giue place For he that will needes couple the law with the gospell doth not onely blemish and darken the knowledge of grace which Paul so often speaketh of but also he taketh away Christ with al his benefites The law indeed was giuen to vtter sinne death and damnation whereby to driue vs to Christ The Law is our schoolmaster to bring vs to Christ saith the Apostle Gala. 3. and our Sauiour himselfe in the sixt of Iohn Do not thinke that I will accuse you to my father there is another that accuseth you euen Moses in whome you trust One place of Scripture conteyning some threatening of the law beateth downe all consolations besides and so shaketh all our inward powers that it maketh vs to forget iustification grace the gospell and Christ himselfe The law no doubt is holy righteous and good consequently the workes of the law are holy righteous and good yet notwithstanding a man is not therby iustified before God but made the rather subiect to the curse And although there be nothing more necessary then the lawe and the workes thereof yet by the same a man may be brought to the deniall of Christ for of the lawe many times commeth a trust and affiance in workes and where that is there can bee no affiance in Christ the righteousnesse of the lawe is to fulfill the law according to this saying of the Apostle He that shall doe these thinges shall liue in them but the righteousnesse of sayth is to beeleeue according to this saying The righteous manne dooth lyue by fayth Now the Papistes that doe so much indeuour to establish the righteousnesse of workes doe thereby tread downe the righteousnesse of Christ for although it be true that workes must followe faith yet in the worke of our saluation there must bee no medly we must relye in the one or in the other now faith worketh not but beleeueth in Christ who is our propytion and remission of sinnes but the effect of the law is not to make righteous and to giue life but to shewe forth sinne and to destroy and although the lawe sayeth Hee that shall doe these thinges shall liue in them yet I would but see a Papist that could poynt me out but one man that had so performed the workes of the law to merite eternall life by his owne deseruings who so euer seeketh to make himselfe holy by the lawe what canne he imagine but that God beeing angry must needes be pacified with good works what workes can he now performe wherin he findeth not some imperfections his fasting his praying his worshipping his sacrificing he thinketh still that he hath omitted somewhat or that he haâ—h not done them as hee ought they cannot therefore quiet his conscience If our reward should be according to our workes there should no man be saued when our best deedes compared to the law are damnable sinnes neither by it is any flesh iustified as it appeareth in the 3. to the Rom. for the fulfilling of the law is onely to beleeue in Christ neyther is it written in the gospell hee that worketh but he that beleeueth shall be saued and therfore they that doe seeke heauen by works are such as doe not vnderstand the treasures that are layd vp for them in Christ There is no man so foolish to condemne good workes as the Papist most slaunderously reporteth but wee condemne confidence in good workes that should eyther iustifie or make righteous whereby the precious bloud of Christ should be made altogether vnprofitable for those that doe seeke their iustification by Lawe or workes what is it else but a flat deniall of Christ But here commeth reason now to debate the matter who hearing of iustification by fayth beginneth to storme what sayth it are all my good workes then nothing worth haue I fasted haue I prayed haue I bin charitable in bestowing my money to build chappels to builde chanteryes to giue perpetuities to massing priestes to buy Coopes vestments Crosses and chalyces are all these nothing worth haue I laboured in vaine In any case therefore when wee come to debate of these matters away with reason which is an vtter enemie to fayth and leaneth not to the righteousnesse of fayth but to it owne righteousnesse or at the least to the righteousnesse of the lawe now wher Law and reason are once linkt together there fayth looseth her virginitie for mans reason taketh more pleasure in measuring of God by her owne imagination then by his worde and doth those with better will and greater zeale that shee her selfe hath chosen then those that God hath commaunded And therefore if with the papist we should goe about to measure the thinges appertaining to fayth and saluation but according to the rule of reason wee should finde both great absurditie and many impossibilities for who can beleeue the articles of the Christian fayth that Christ the sonne of God was conceiued and borne in the wombe of the virgine Mary that he was borne and suffered the most reprochfull death of the Crosse that the dead shall rise at the last day and howe absurde and foolish dooth it seeme to reason that in the Lordes Supper the body bloude of Christ should spiritually be offered vnto vs or that the Sacrament of baptisme should be the receiuing of the holy Ghost or if we had no better speculation then to looke with the eyes of reason how could we see or beleeue the blessed trinitie but how foolish and impossible did it seeme in the iudgement of reason when God sayde vnto Abraham that he should haue a son of the withered and barren body of his wife Sara we may therfore conclude and that vndoubtedly that in the searching out of thinges that are diuine there is nothing more vnreasonable then that which