of God not to this end that they shoulde be ydell and vnprofitable but too the ende that they shuld be profitable and good so did he make and create man not for to be ydell here Why mā was created or for to be an vnprofitable burden of the earth but to this ende that euery one of vs shoulde accordinge to his vocation and callinge worke those thynges that be good and profitable The deuyll in dede by bringing in synne The deuill did peruert the end of our creation which Christ restored agayne did peruert this end of oure creation but Christ did restore it agayne beinge sente in too the worlde for to destroye the workes of Sathan By him we are regenerated or borne of newe that beynge made newe creatures we shoulde be profitable and full of good workes And therefore the Apostel in the epistel to the Ephesians writeth on this maner Ephe. 2. we are the workemanshippe of God created in Christ Iesus vnto those good workes that God hath prepared for vs for to walke in And in the epistell to Titus Who sayeth he gaue him selfe for vs that he mighte redeme vs from all iniquitye Titus 2. and make vs a peculyar people vnto him selfe being earnestlye geuen vntoo good workes Math. 5. Hereunto belonge the exhortations of Christ and of the Apostels Such as these are let your light so shyne before men Gala. 6. that they maye see your good woorks and glorify your father whiche is in heauen And in the epistel to the Galathians these are the Apostels wordes 1 Timo. 3. Let vs not ceasse to do good vnto al mē but most specialli to them that are of the housholde of faith Are not the scriptures geuen vntoo vs for the same purpose and vse The whole scripture saith Paull is geuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improue to correct and to instructe in righteousnesse that the man of God maye be absolute or sound beinge made perfect vnto all good woorkes It is euydent then that we be not so iustified by fayeth that after iustyfication we should remayn vnprofitable bareyne and vnfrutefull but rather the geuing our selues without ceassing intermission to good works we shoulde aduaunce and farther the glorye of the grace of God and set before all mennes eyes as it were a cetayn light of a new creature Similitude Who doeth plant or set a tree or doeth dygge aboute the roote of it to the ende that it shoulde only be a tre and not rather to this end that it should be a good tree and bring foorthe good frutes So are we regenerated in Christ Why we be regenerated in Christ iustified not to this end that we shuld be only Christians in name but that of euyll trees we shoulde be made good and expresse that same goodnesse that wee haue receaued of Christe by good workes When we teache these thinges we doo neyther geue occasion to the ennemyes to condempne iustelye the doctrine of iustification as enemy of good workes nor yet ought we to be blamed although false gospelers doe rather liue like Epicures than true Christian men DYDI. Who hauinge a crome or droppe of godlinesse can be offended at this doctrine EVTRA. Who thei be that are offended at the doctrine of the iustification of faith They onelye are offended at this mooste true and wholsome doctrine which partely do rather seeke theyr own gaynes and lucre than the saluation of the people And partlye beinge erecated or blynded wyth vayne superstition do embrace and set foorthe vnto other mens dyuelish inuentions for good workes For vnto them The good works of the papistes to heare euerye daye masse deuoutely to lye prostrate before dead images and to mummell oute a number of prayers vnto certayne Soyntes to go on pilgrimages to buyld vp chanteries and to cause Trentalles of Masses with diriges and other tromperye to be sayed for the deade Item to geue largelye of theyr substaunce and gooddes vntoo ydell priestes mounkes friers and nonnes too saye oure ladyes psalter to praye on beades too vse obserue and kepe pharisaicall fastinges wyth theyr popishe holye dayes and solempne feastes are the best works that can eyther be deuised or done and whosoeuer do speake againste those workes They that are enemies of the papystes good workes are enemies of sin and of most detestable abhomination Rom. 14. they are by and by taken for vtter ennemies of good workes wheras if the thinge wer indifferentlye weyghed in the eauen balaunce of Gods word they ought rather to be coumpted enemyes of synne and of moste detestable abhomination For what soeuer is not of faythe is synne But how cā these their gai painted workes be of faythe sith that they haue no grounde at all in Goddes worde What gaye titles so euer then they geue vnto them it can not be denyed but that they are most detestable synnes in the sight of God who wyll alowe none other kinde of religion worshippinge and seruyce than he him selfe hath prescribed and appointed in his holye scriptures DYDI. Obiect 7 What wil ye saye then of our good intentes Wyl ye condempne them all For manye do those works that ye spake of euen now of a good intente thinkinge that they do high seruice vnto god Shall thys theyr good intente be imputed vnto them for synne EV. As concerning good intents we haue this lesson geuen vnto vs in the boke of God Aunswer ye shall not do euery mā that which semeth vnto youe best Good intentes I am the Lord thy God that thinge onlye that I cōmaund the see that thou doest it Ad nothing vnto it take nothinge away from it We must not do then what soeuer semeth vnto vs best but what soeuer the lord our God doth commaund and wylleth vs to doo so that by this one place of Deuteronomye Deu. 12. all good intentes that be not ruled by Gods word are quite ouerthrowen PHI. It doeth well appeare by manye histories of the Bible how well God doeth lyke oure good intentes Terrible and dreadfull historyes In the .ix. and .x. chapters of Leuiticus ye shall fynde thys wrytten And there came a fyre oute frome the Lorde and consumed vppon the altare the burnte offering and the fat Which when all the people sawe they gaue thankes and felle on theyr faces But Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron tooke eyther of them his censor and put fire therin and put incens thereuppon and offered straunge fyre before the Lorde whiche he had not commaunded them How our good intents whiche haue no waraunt in Goddes word are rewarded Therefore a fyre wente from the Lorde and deuoured them so they dyed before the Lord. Without all peraduenture they dyd this of a good intent For onlesse they had thoughte that God woulde haue bene pleased with it they woulde in no wyse haue done it yet ye see howe they were rewarded
hys second Epistell to the Corinthians sayeth 2. Cor. 9. youre zeale speakinge of almes hath prouoked very many And in the epistel to the Hebreues Let vs sayeth he Heb. 10. consider one an other to prouoke vnto loue and vnto good workes EV. If this had ben obserued and kepte amonge Christians by this time both the Turks the Iewes with al the paynims in the world would haue ben wonne to Christ But as long as we vse our selues after this same sorte we shall rather become Turks and Painims than they Christians What causeth the Turkes and paynims to abhor Christes religion Suche fylthinesse of life suche vntrue dealinge deceate fraude and periurye such ydolatrye and superstition they do see dayly to raygne amonge vs that it is no maruayle if they do abhorre altogether oure religion We go about to conquere them by force of armes but we see that through our synnes they are growen so mighty that they be able if God doeth not set his healpinge hand to ouer renne all the whole worlde PHILA This that ye saye is most true And vntyll a true reformation be hadde and better amendmente of lyfe be seene in vs thei wil neuer embrace Christ nor his Gospell But to our purpose this is the fift vse of good workes that by them Christ is releaued in his poore and nedy members yea the cōmon societi and felowship of men is mayntained For haue we not al nede one of an other Therfore they be not menne but vayne shadowes of men Vain shadowes of men which through oute all their life time are found to be ydell so that they seme to be borne for nothinge elles but for to consume the frutes of the earth ALBION I woulde gladly learne Whether our good works be acceptable vnto God or not whether these oure good workes do please God or not and why they be acceptable vnto him syth that the profyt of them doeth redounde vnto vs altogether PHILA That our good workes do please God it is euydente and playn by the wordes of the Apostell where he sayeth Colosse That ye might walke worthy of the Lord and please him in all thinges The causes why our good works do please God beinge frutefull in all good workes They therefore that be frutefull in all kynde of good workes doe please God in all thinges The causes are manifest enough It is so in dede that the dyuine maiesty of God hathe no neede neyther of oure good wordes nor yet of oure good workes yet those thynges that are well done of vs do please him Fyrste because they be the frutes of fayth He that aloweth the fayeth of his people shoulde not hee also alowe the fruytes of their fayth As he doeth reproue all workes that be done without fayth so doeth he alowe all maner of works that do procede of a sincere fayeth and true beliefe Secondly our good workes do please hym because they bee done and wrought by hys spirite Phi. 2. For as the holy Apostell doeth testifye he worketh in vs both the will and the dede accordinge to hys good wyl And therfore saint Augustine saieth ryghte well Augu. that God doeth croune in vs hys owne workes We canne not denye but that the works that we do by the spiryt of god are bi reason of our imperfection vnperfectely good yet for as muche as they come of hym it canne not be but that they must please hym as beynge the righte author of them Thyrdely that whiche the Godlye do they do it for Gods sake beynge desirous to gratifye him in all thinges Wyll not he thinke ye accept this their good wyll and desyre or mynde that they haue to please him We do not here speake of those Note that neyther of a pure fayeth nor by the sprytte of God but of mere superstition and of a generall custome do woorke manye thinges thynkinge thereby to please God whereas they do hyghly displease him This saying of Christ is not vnknowen They worshippe me in vayne teachinge the doctrynes and preceptes of men Math. 15. Herein bothe the Iewes and false Christyans doe mooste shamefullye erre Fourthelye God oure heauenlye father doethe accordynge to his ryghteousnesse loue al works that be good righteouse and iuste as on the contrary side he doeth not onely detest and abhorre the vngodlynesse and vnrighteousenesse of a wicked hart but also all the frutes of vngodlynesse and of vnrighteousesse vnder what tytelles so euer they be aduaunced and set foorthe Thou doest hate Psal 5. saieth Dauid all that worke iniquitye thou shalt destroy them all that speake leasinge And in the Actes of the Apostelles thus doeth Peter saye Act. 10. Emonge all nations whosoeuer doeth feare God is acceptable vnto him Fyftely because that God is most true yea rather the truthe it selfe our good dedes do therefore please him be cause that they proceade of true godlynesse and of an vnfaygned sayth which aboue all thinges God is wonte to regarde and accepte For as all hipocrites are detestable bothe before God and before men so contrarywise God loueth truthe not onely in those thinges that are well done of the faithfull but also in them that do truely and without al dissimulation confesse and acknowledge theyr synnes EVTRA. Truely syth that it is so manifest How earnestly the causes aboue rehersed oughte to moue vs to do good workes that the good works of the faythfull do please God we oughte with all oure whole endeuour to geue our selues vnto good workes for as muche as they be not onely many and sondrye wayes profitable vnto the whole misticall bodye of Christ which is his church but are also for the causes aboue rehersed most pleasaunt and acceptable vnto the lyuinge Lord oure heauenlye father For that man hath but small Godlynesse in him selfe whom these two causes can not moue to do wel Agayn he that gapeth onely in doynge of good workes after a recompence or rewarde or reckeneth for a merite whatsoeuer he doeth thinkinge that God is therefore bound vnto him hathe but a mercenaries hart DYDIMVS Whether our good workes shall be rewarded or not And shal our good workes be neuer a whytte rewarded PHILA I wyll not saye so For althoughe the liuing God be debtoure vnto no man yet of his goodnesse he doeth promysse and geue a reward vnto the good workes of the faythfull And therefore we haue these sayings in the scriptures Math. 5.10 Reioyce and be glad for youre rewarde is great in heauen agayne he that geueth to one of these my lytle ones a cup of coulde water in my name Verely I say vnto you he shall not lose his reward Heb. 6. And in the Epistel to the Hebrewes God sayeth he is not vnrighteouse that he should forgette our laboure Nowe we must not thinke that this reward is promised vnto our good workes because of the dignitye and worthinesse of them for are not these
and hyrelyngs DYDIMVS And shall the blessed virgyne Mary Question the mother of oure sauiour Iesus Christ with the Apostels and martyres be in no higher glorye than the rest PHILALETHES That I leaue to the vnsercheable iudgementes of God Aunswer who if it had ben necessary for our saluation would haue certified vs of it in his word But in the mean seasoÌ„ this ought to be learned of all men If any do excell other in glory after this lif it is not by â—eoâ—on of theyr merites that 〈◊〉 in the lyfe to come any do excell other in glori it is not by reason of their workes merites or deseruinges but the same doth altogether come of the mere mercye grace and goodnesse of God who doth most lyberallye crowne in them hys owne gyftes as it hath ben sufficientlye proued before ALBION This haue I learned of our talke and communication Fyrst that we are iustified freely The epilogus or conclusioÌ„ that is to saye deliuered from synne frome eternall dampnation and euerlastinge death and pronounced righteouse before the iudgement seate of almighty god throughe fayth onelye in our sauioure Iesus Christe withoute any merites or deseruinges goynge before and that as all the workes that we do afore we be iustified I meane afore we bee graffed in Christe through faieth in him and made liuely members of his body are nothinge elles in the sighte of God but synnes Ioa. 15. so after we be once iustifyed and made through fayth braunches of that true vine we must not remayne bareine and vnfrutefull trees but wee muste bringe foorthe the frutes of oure fayeth Ephe 2. we muste abounde and as it were flowe in all kinde of good workes that God hathe prepared for vs to walke in whereby wyll workes that is works of mannes inuention hauing no sure ground or fundation nor yet any promise in Goddes booke are cleane ouerthrowen Secondly it hath bene declared that not all they that do those works which in them selues are good Three sortes of people which althoughe they do good workes do not deserue the prayse of weldoing doo by and by deserue the prayse and commendation of good worokes or of well doynge for as muche as they do them eyther for to be glorifyed of men or for hope of rewarde or for feare of eternall punyshement and not for the loue only that thei beare to god and to theyr neyghboure or for to shewe theyr obedience towardes Goddes holye comaundementes Where throughe occasion was geuen to shewe the causes that should moue vs to do good works althoughe there were no hope at all of rewarde and also the causes whye the workes of those that be graffed in Christe by fayeth although in them selues they be most vnperfect do please God are acceptable in hys syghte Afterwardes ye spake of merits prouinge moste stronglye that although we were able to do what so euer God hath coÌ„maunded vs yet we ought to coumpte oure selues vnprofitable seruauntes and that we haue done but our duetye and yet notwythstandynge that oure good workes whiche beinge members of Christe we doe accordinge to the prescripte and rule of Goddes worde shall be crowned and rewarded not for their owne dignitye and worthynesse or for anye perfection that is in them but because that the perfecte obedyence of Christe shall be imputed vnto vs for our owne and thereby all thinges that be wantinge and lackinge in vs moste aboundantlye supplied by reason of the felowshippe that wee haue throughe fayeth in the only begotten sonne df God And also because of the promisses wherby God is become debtoure vnto vs. Laste of all ye haue proued by manyfest textes of the scriptures and by answering all obiections that could be made to the contrarye that we shall be al one and receyue al one reward in the resurrection of the righteouse and if there shall be any degrees of glorye whiche thinge can not well be proued by the scriptures that oughte in no wyse too be attributed vnto the merittes and deseruinges of men but to the only mercy goodnesse and grace of God declared vnto vs in his sonne Iesus Christ and taken hold vpon by faith in the merits of his death passion and bloud shedding PHILA This in dede is the summe of our talke that we haue hadde at this presente Ye haue well remembred the pighte of the whole matter Whyche is a token of a pregnaunte wytte and good memorye God of his goodnesse vouchafe to encrease in you these his excelente giftes and too heape you wyth all heauenly blessinges that ye maye by embracinge the true religion by aduauncinge and fartheringe of it be an exaÌ„ple vnto al the whole world DYDI. God of hys mercye vouchesafe to graunt it EVTRAPELVS AMEN amen ¶ HERE BEGINneth a Table whereby ye maye fynde spedelye all the principall matters conteyned in this booke ATheistes what they are folio 2. A principall note to whome the Apostell did write fo 8. Althoughe we haue not in the scriptures this word sola only or alone yet haue we many wordes that be of lyke force fo 13. An euasion of the enemies fo 24 A golden sayinge of saynte Bernarde fo 55 Abraham was iustified 30. yeares afore the offeringe of his sonne Isaac foli 7. Aunswer to the 5. of Math. fo 68. Aunswer to the parable of the sede folio eodem Christ onely hathe satisfied to the iustice of God fo 6. Christe is a sufficiente expositour of his owne wordes fo 27 E Euyl works do declare the maliciousnes of oure hartes fo 45. F. From whence this worde iustificare to iustifye hath bene borowed and what it signifyeth fo 4. Faith is not taken of the Apostels in one signification fo 9. Gardiners obiection agaynst doctor Barnes fo 28. Good intentes fo 37. God hathe no profit by anye good worke that we can do fo â–ª 506. H. Howe the scriptures are aleaged by the enemies of the truth fo 27 Howe oure good intentes whiche haue no waraunt in Gods woorde are rewarded fo 39 How earnestlye the causes aboue rehersed oughte to moue vs to doe good woorkes fo 49. I Iustification is taken awaye altogether frome the lawe of Moses and attributed vnto fayth fo 11. If it be an heresy to say that fayth only iustifieth all the auncient fathers be heritikes fo 21. If any do excell other in glorye after this lyfe it is not be reason of theyr merites fo 72. Iustification wherby we are deliuered from sinne is necessarye vnto vs as longe as we liue fo 25. In doynge of good woorkes we muste folow the example of Christ folio 44. M. Mercenaries hierlinges fo 43. O. One text must geue place to many folio 10. P. Peace of conscience doeth exclude wauering or doubtfulnes of mind folio 32. S. Saule standethe in defence of hys disobedience folio 39. Similitude fo 56. T. The maliciousnes of the enemies of the truthe fol. 1. The Popes kingdome is
same sense did the holy Apostell take it as it doeth manifestlye appeare by the cyrcumstaunces of the place But the enemies of the truth care not what they saye How the scriptures are aleaged of the enemies of the truth so that they seme to saye some thinge They aleadge the scryptures as the blinde man casteth his staffe DYDI. Ye teach that afore a mā be iustified through faith in Christ he can do no good works yea that all that he doeth is sinne though it semeth neuer so good Nowe put the case that a Turke or heathen were desirous to heare Obiecti ∣ on 5 the worde of God and to knowe the gospell of oure sauioure Iesu Christe Woulde ye not coumpte thys a good woorke Gardiners obiection against doctoure Barnes And yet ye wyll not saye that he is alreadye iustifyed for as muche as he doethe not yet beleaue in Christe Besydes thys we haue the example of Cornelius of whome afore hee dyd beleeue in Christe Luke wryteth after this manner And the Aungell sayed vnto him Act. 10. Thy prayers and thyne almes are come vp in too remembraunce before God These wordes did the Aungell speake vnto Cornelius afore that he hearde Peter and consequently afore that he beleued in Christ What canne we gather of thys but that a man may do good workes afore he hathe fayth and hether throughe iustified EVTRAPELVS By oure brother Philalethes leaue Aunswer and vnder his correction I wyll take vpon me to aunswer thys obiection that our neyghbour Dydimus hath broughte in nowe I woulde fayne neyghbour Dydimus that ye should aunswer me to this question Can a tree bringe foorthe good frute Math. 7. afore it be made good DYDI. As no good tree canne bringe foorthe euyll frute so can no yll tree brynge foorthe good fruyte EVTRAPE Ephe. 2. Io. 15. And what are we afore we be graffed in Christ DYDI. As the holye Apostell doeth wryte we are by oure owne nature the chyldren of wrath EVTRAPELVS And howe are we graffed in Christ Or how are wee made braunches of the true vyne DYDIMVS I graunte that we are graffed in Christe and made braūches of the true vine by faith EVTRAPE Excepte then we haue fayeth we can not be graffed in Christe nor made braunches of the true vyne But onelesse we be graffed in Christe we can not be good trees and if we be not good trees we can bringe foorthe no good fruite Againe are not these the Apostels wordes Quicquid ex fide non est peccatum est Ro. 14. What soeuer is not of faythe is synne And withoute fayth Heb. 11. it is impossible to please God DYDI. What wyll ye say then of this turke or heathen that hath a desire to heare the word of God and to knowe the gospell of oure sauioure Iesu Christ and paraduenture doeth therefore take vpon him a long and parilous iourney EV. I saye that the same Turke or heathen maye of a vaine curiositye haue a desyre to heare Gods worde and the gospell of Christe Act. 17. as the Athenians why the Athenians woulde heare Paulles doctrine and the straungers that were in theyr citye beinge moued with vayne curiosity wer desirous to heare the doctrine of Paule and for the same cause brought him to the strete of Mars Or as we oure selues are desirous to know straūge histories that we neuer redde before We reade in the histories that mani of the aunciente Philophers did take vpon them long and perilous iourneies that they mighte learne the wisedome of the Egiptians and of the Caldees But let vs by waye of reasonninge graunte that he doth it not of a vayne curiositye yet afore he be graffed in Christe he remaineth styll a dampnable tree and therefore his fruite can not be good howe dare ye then call it a good worke These bee the wordes of Saynte Augustyne Li. ad boni fa. 3. cap. 5. Religio nostra iustos ab iniustis non ope rum sed ipsa fidei lege disceruit sine qua etiam que videntur bona opera in peccata conuertuntur Oute religion sayeth he doeth not discerne the ryghteous from the vnrighteouse by the lawe of woorkes but by the verye lawe of faythe wythoute the whyche yea those workes that seme good workes are turned into synnes And in an other place he compareth the studye and endeuoure of those menne that be not in the waye but who is the waye saue he only that sayeth I am the way the truthe and the life Ioa 14. vntoo agoynge a straye For the more earnestlye sayth he a man doeth renne beynge oute of the waye prefa in Psal 31. the farther doeth hee goo frome the scope or marke and so is made more miserable Therefore better it is to halte in the waye than to renne out of the waye DYDIMVS Ye can not saye so of Cornelius For The history of Conelius the Aungell sayeth playnly that his praiers and almes are come vp in too remembraunce before God And this was afore he heard the preachinge of the gospell EVTRAPELVS And I wyll haue no better scriptures for too proue that Cornelius had fayeth For sith that his praiers almes wer acceptable in the sight of God and that withoute faythe it is impossible to please God it is moste sure that Cornelius was not with oute faythe But we wyll heare Saynte Augustine touchinge that matter August de predestinatione sancto rum capi 7 Nec tamen sayeth hee sine fide aliqua donabat et orabat quicquid et antequam in Christum crederet et cum crederet et quum credidisset operatus est Cornelius totum deo dandum est ne quis extollatur That is to saye yet notwithstandynge he neyther gaue nor prayed wythoute some fayethe What soeuer Cornelius did worke afore he beleeued in Christe and when he did beleue and after that he beleued all the whole must be geuen or attributed vnto God lest any man swel or be puft vp what shoulde we requyre any more By the wordes of the Aungell we do learne that Cornelius both praied to God and that his prayers were hearde But how coulde he haue prayed vnto God onelesse he had beleued on him alreadye For thus doeth the Apostle write Rom. 10. Quomodo inuocabunt in quem non crediderunt How sayth he shall they call vpon him in whō they do not beleue ALBION I holde my selfe well satysfyed in this poynte I prayse the liuinge God therefore But I woulde fayne heare of you brother Philalethes which he the frutes of this our iustification whiche we obtayne through faith onely in Christ without any merites or deseruinge going before and before whiche all that we do semethe it neuer so gorgeouse in oure sighte is but mere synne in the sighte of God PHILA The frutes of this oure iustification The frutes of our iustyfication are exceadinge greate Yea they are inestimable For god doeth not