A Godlie zealous and profitable Sermon vpon the second Chapter of Saint Iames. Preached at London by Master George Gifford and published at the request of sundry godly and well disposed persons ¶ Imprinted at London for Tobie Cooke dwelling at the Tigers head in Paules Churchyard 1582. ¶ The second Chapter of Saint Iames verse 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23 24. 25. 26. 14 What auaileth it my brethren though a man saith he hath faith when he hath no works can that saith saue him 15 For if a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of daily foode 16 And one of you say vnto them Depart in peace warme your selues fill your bellies notwithstanding yee giue them not those things which are needfull to the body what helpeth it 17 Euen so the faith if it haue no works is dead in it selfe 18 But some man might say Thou hast the faith and I haue works shew me thy faith out of thy workes and I wil shew thee my faith by my works 19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou doest well the diuels also beleeue it and tremble 20 But wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that the faith which is without works is dead 21 Was not Abraham our Father iustified through works when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar 22 Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his works and through the works was the faith made perfect 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse hee was called the friend of God 24 Ye see then how that of works a man is iustified not of faith only 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes when she had receiued the messengers and sent them out another way 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead euen so the faith without works is dead The second Chapter of Saint Iames verse 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. I Haue chosen this portion of Scripture to interpret because there is very great vse and commoditie in the true right vnderstanding thereof and the doctrine therein contained is most necessarye for all Christians to knowe First because it doth directly and fully ouerthrowe and beate downe all carnall profession of the Gospell shewing that the common and dead faith cannot saue a man Secondly because it is the principall pillar which the Papists doe leane vnto the chiefe place of Scripture which they doe peruert and abuse to proue and establish Iustification by workes and the merits of men to ouerthrow the free iustification we haue in our Lord Iesus Christ through faith The holde which they take in this point is vpon the speaches and phrases which the Apostle doth vse as when he saith Abraham our Father was iustified through works Also Rahab the harlot was iustified through works Likewise ye sée y e of workes a man is iustified and not of faith onely Héerein y e two Apostles of Christ S. Paul S. Iames do séeme to be flat contrary y e one to the other for wheras S. Paule saith Abraham was iustified by faith alone and not by workes Saint Iames saith he was iustified by works Saint Paule saith and proueth by sundrie and inuincible reasons that a man is iustified by faith alone without the works of the lawe Saint Iames saith ye sée that a man is iustified by works and not by faith onely This contrarietie is but in appearaunce for they both wrote by one spirite which is alwaies lyke himselfe and alwayes agréeth with himselfe The whole blame therefore is to lyght vppon vs that we are so dim sighted as not to sée how these two seruauntes of GOD doe iumpe agrée together without anye iarre at all I thinke it néedefull for this cause before I come to handle the wordes of the Text as they lye in order first to take awaye this shewe of discord If anye man will demaunde what cause there was which made them to appeare in outwarde shewe so contrarye the one to the other I aunswere that although there be no contrarietie in the matter it selfe which they teach yet the diuersitie of y e schollers which they lyght vppon and the contrarie affection of those whome they instructed caused them to vse a diuers and contrarie order of teaching Saint Paule hauing to deale with such as woulde séeke to bée iustified partlye by Faith in Christ and partlye by theyr owne déedes or the déeds of the Lawe vseth this order first shewing that wée were lost and condempned in our selues then next iustified and saued through the merits of Christ afterward that wée are sanctified in him and must shewe foorth the fruits of our faith in a pure and holy life S. Iames lighting vpon another sort of mē which cōfessed y e frée iustification through faith in Christ yet in this they were deceiued y t they did not consider how al those that are iustified are sanctified how all those that are in Christ Iesus are newe creatures that they are new borne and walke not after the flesh but after the spirite that the true liuely and iustifieng fayth doth bring foorth the fruites of righteousnesse in a holye conuersation Now because this cannot be remooued or separated from the right and liuelye faith Saint Iames goeth as it were backwarde and proueth that where this latter that is to say the fruites of faith are wanting there faith is wanting and so his drift is to shewe that all vngodly and carnall professours of Christ haue but a dead faith which in no respect is able for to helpe or saue them A second cause why they séeme so much to differ is héerein that men doe not marke well howe they handle not the selfe same matter nor haue not the same drifte For Saint Paule laboureth to proue that the true fayth doth ioyne vs to Christ and thereby saue vs. Saint Iames héere beateth vppon this pointe that the dead faith which is but a bare Image of the right Faith cannot profite a man this shall appeare in the wordes of the Text and also a thirde cause is that they doe not take this worde iustified in the same sence but diuerselye as it shall be prooued afterwarde Now will I come vnto the Text. What auaileth it my bretheren though a man sayth hée hath Faith when hée hath no woorkes canne the Faith saue him This is his proposition and the matter which hée will dispute vppon in the whole Text following thus much it is in effect that it doth not auaile a man to saye hée hath Faith nor it doth not profite him to boast and bragge and to make profession thereof when hee hath no good woorkes the reason is this because it cannot saue him marke and obserue this well for héere at the first enteraunce the blindnesse of the Papistes and their folly doth manifestly bewraie it selfe when as they doe
is w tout good workes is dead and those are Infidels which like brute beasts care not but for the things of this worlde and make no conscience of committing all kinde of euill workes Doe ye suppose that if the Sonne of man shoulde now come that he shoulde finde anye great store of faith Alas alas how many are the sinfull déedes of the most men which shew that they haue no faith How fewe are the good workes and how weake euen in the small remnaunt of the godlye which doth declare how poore and slender their faith is But we must yet procéede further in this matter and as it were strike it a lyttle déeper As men are wily to deceiue themselues so they will héere yet finde a hole to créepe out at although they be neuer so wicked for thus they will saye It is true Gods word saith that faith is shewed foorth by good workes well I thanke God though I haue many vices in mée and am full of infirmities yet I am not altogether without good workes I am not so gracelesse but at some times I remember God by praier I doe according to my abilitie giue to the poore I am ready to pleasure my friend doe not these things sufficientlye shewe that I haue faith Déerely beloued take héed for héere you may soone be deceiued it is not the meaning of the Apostle when he saith shew me thy faith by thy works that a few scattered scraps of good déeds among great heapes of sinfull workes and as it were a few graines of Corne in a great heape of Chaffe should be a true witnesse of the same For it must be showed both in forsaking renouncing all euill wayes and also in following after all goodnes for it is without al controuersie y t those which séeme to be good works before men are not so before God in the man which is giuen ouer to commit sin can y t which is good come out of the same heart in which vngodlinesse raigneth either make the trée good saith Christ and the fruite good or els make the trée euill and the fruite euill A good trée cannot bring forth euil fruit neither can an euill Trée bring foorth good fruite Can the same Trée bring forth both good fruite and euill fruite Doth a fountaine at the same place saith S. Iames send forth both swéet and bitter water Be not deceiued saith Saint Iohn he that worketh righteousnesse is righteous he that committeth sin is of the Diuell Some man will say doth not the most godly man that liueth commit sin doth not y e good the bad come together frō him The godly are loden w t the corruptions of y e flesh but yet they doe not commit sin y t is to say they are not giuen ouer as vngodly men are to the obedience of sin they are spotted with imperfections but they do not take plesure therein as the wicked do although they féele a lumpishnesse in them vnto good workes yet their whole race is applied vnto good works they would very faine obey their God on both sides that is to say in forsaking all that is euill doing all y t which he commaundeth thē Contrariwise the fleshly Infidell doeth with all his heart giue vp himselfe in the whole race of his life to that which is filthy if he doe any thing which is good it is but in shew being not done sincerely nor comming from a good roote but of selfe loue vaine glorie or such like Hée doth not any thing for the Lords sake but for his own For loue him ye shal finde him ready to do ye good cease that his goodnesse doth dye Praise him he will praise you againe discommend him although he deserue it neuer so much ye shall not come in his books be ye neuer so good Forget not this then I praye ye good bretheren when God hath set down so plain a rule to trie our selues by whether we be faithfull or Infidells If we finde our selues ful of good workes our heart doth beare vs witnes that we do them euen for loue towards God well are we this doth declare our faith But if our euill déedes abound our hart be vncleane it is time to looke about vs we are in a most miserable case I wish of God that we might often thinke vppon this and be carefull to shewe our faith to the world by our good and pure lyfe Be not afrayde to applye this to our selues and also to deale against the vngodlye with it For in this dissolute age wherein iniquitie hath almost gotten the vpper hande it is most necessary that we vse this instrument which GOD hath put into our hands Thou saist thou beléeuest shew thy faith by thy workes Now followeth another reason Thou beléeuest ther is one God thou dost well the Diuells also beléeue and tremble Way this argument well and ye shall plainlye perceiue that it doth nothing at all helpe a man to saye he hath faith when he hath no good déeds if this kinde of faith could saue him then should the Diuells be saued also because they haue the same beléefe but because it is most certaine that the Diuels shall not thereby be saued therefore it is also as manifest that those men who haue no other beléefe but that which they haue cannot be saued Let vs sée then how farre the faith of Diuelles doeth goe Thou beléeuest saith he that there is one God or that God is one and so thou thinkest this a great matter not to beléeue as y e vaine Gentiles which did think there wer diuers Gods and indéede for so farre thou dost well but yet marke what a great matter thou hast attained the Diuells doe beléeue the same and yet haue therby no benefit or reconciliation with God for they tremble when they remember the terrible iudgement seate the euerlasting fire which is prepared for them This faith of the diuils is not to be restrained to some one point but stretcheth vnto the whole doctrine of Faith They doe stedfastly beléeue and knowe that Iesus Christ died for the sinnes of the worlde this is a sure reason that they know the doctrine of God when they séeke to deface and ouerthrow it by contrarie errours When a man therefore is of a sounde iudgement in the Scriptures for matters of Faith and is able to confirme euerye point and to ouerthrowe the contrarie errours though manye will saye hée is a sound◠man he taketh himselfe to be as great a Gospeller as any other yet if he haue no workes if his faith be not a liuelye regenerating faith he maye estéeme of himselfe what he will but the Lorde telleth vs that he is no more forwarde then thē Diuelles they are as sounde in the knowledge of truth as hée And if this common and general faith would serue they should be saued as well as he But it may be héere obiected that there is
workes and that Rahab was iustified by workes c. We must note that this word iustified is taken diuers waies in y e scriptures which is one cause as I noted before why S. Paule and S. Iames séeme to be contrarie S. Paule prouing that we are iustified by faith taketh it as cōtrary to this word condemned for being by our sins guiltie to receiue the sentence of condemnation we are in Christ into whose mysticall body we are incorporate thorough faith acquit and discharged which is called iustification this cannot be by the workes of the law because there is not perfection in the déedes of any but euen the most pure are vncleane spotted Therfore as S. Paule saith they are all vnder the curse which holde of the workes of y e law for it is written Cursed is euery one which cōtinueth not in al things which are written in y e book of the law to do them y e reason of this is to be considered in the most holy and pure nature of God vnto whom no vncleane thing can be coupled no vnpure thing although it be but in part can abide his presence or haue fellowship with him The word iustifie is also taken in this sence as when a man doth declare and shew forth before men y t he is a righteous person also before God that is the meaning of the word in this place that looke how by faith we are iustified before God so by the fruits of our faith we are iustified that is declared to be iust before men For proofe that the Scripture doeth vse the word iustified in this sence look vpon the saieng of Dauid That thou maist be iustified in thy saieng and pure when thou iudgest there it can signifie no more but that God might shew and declare himselfe to be iust In the Gospell of S. Luke chap. 16. ver 15. You are they saith Christ to y e Pharesies which iustifie your selues before men but God doth know your hearts In this saieng it is most apparant that there is a iustifieng before men which the Pharisies in coloured hypocrisie did séeke for but Christ telleth them they were neuer the better because they were not of vpright heart before God The word is also taken in other sense which I omit If any man will now demaund how it can be proued that S. Iames doth vse it in this latter sense rather then in the former I aunswere that the very place it selfe and go no further doth declare this thing for when the Apostle saith thus Some man will say shew me thy faith by thy workes is it not apparant that he speketh of that which is before men or declared vnto men and not of that which is before God In lyke manner when he saith Abraham was iustified by works when he offered his sonne Isaac vpon the Alter Doth not y e scripture shew that before God Abraham was iustified long before by faith If it be obiected againe y t if may also be sayd how he was before y e time iustified before men or that he had shewed by his déedes vnto men y t he did feare and loue God and then what shoulde hinder but that it may be taken for a more full and perfect iustification or an increase therof as well before God as before men I aunswere that before GOD a man being iustified to speake properly there is no increase thereof for he is fully and wholy discharged and acquite or els it is no iustification But because we haue receiued the grace of iustification but in part and not in full measure therefore our iustifieng before men is more and more declared by degrées as good workes doe more and more abound in vs and so Abraham was by this one worke more iustified before men thē by all y e rest of his déeds therfore it may well be set downe in stéed of al y e rest we sée héere then y t because by the scriptures this must néedes be taken for an increase of iustification in our father Abraham y t it must necessarily be vnderstood of that iustification which is before men ye sée now y e meaning of this text and the drift scope of the Apostle is laid open vnto ye but my chiefe purpose is yet behinde and that wherin we are to be wrought vppon yet remaineth which is a more particular application and handling of this doctrine For we must not passe away thus with y e matter vnlesse we minde to take smal fruit therby Ye will confesse these things which I haue handled to be true as of necessity we are forced thervnto we cānot but grant y e the holy ghost hath giuē a perfect touchstone then I am to exhort you in the name of God as ye tender and loue the saluation of your soules to giue attentiue héede a little not to let this thing slip away from ye do ye graunt that the faith which is without works is dead And that it is no better then the faith of diuels And yet wil ye still suppose that idolaters swerers railers adulterers couetous worldlings griping vsurers such like are in good case or continuing such canne hope for mercie Do ye confesse y t ther is but one true faith which was the faith of Abraham and Rahab Doe ye also acknowledge that the same faith in them did shew it selfe by good déeds And wil yée still accept it for a sufficient proofe of a good and sound testimonie of a true beliefe when any man can say I do hurt no man I liue vprightly pay euerye man his owne I haue alwaies ben reputed taken for an honest man what would ye require more of me I liue as my neighbours doe I trust God will hold me excused although he haue no regarde of any obedience to the worde of GOD to consider wherein his glorye doth consist nor yet anye care of men to profit either theyr soules or theyr bodyes but contenteth himselfe with this if hée doe them no good to doe them no harme I will shew you déerelye beloued howe these sortes of people are deceyued by two fowle errours which this text doth most strongly ouerthrowe the first is this that they looke but vnto mē and restraine their duetie vnto them whereas they should chiefly looke vnto that which they owe vnto God then to that which belongeth to their brethren the seconde is that they suppose themselues bound no further but to absteine from hurting without regard of doing the dueties of loue wherein one man is to profit and further another As concerning the first of these both the example of Abraham and also of Rahab do manifestly conuince them because the fruites of their faith or the works whereby they were iustified did not so much respect man as God for in Abraham there appeareth onely a loue towards God for whose sake he was cōtented to forget y e affection of a father
which lasteth but for a daye and not respect that which is eternall I must therfore héere againe admonish ye that such as will haue proofe of their faith by good works must exercise the same as wel to the soules as to the bodies of men and because therein doth stand the greatest loue of all other they are therein to shewe themselues most earnest There is no more excellent note of faith and of the true feare loue of God then when a man is gréeued and mourneth to sée men out of the waye to life running headlong in their sinnes vnto destruction and when as he doth in loue and pitie admonish them and séeke by instruction to draw them out of the snares of the Diuell On the contrary side he can neuer say he hath anye droppe of grace which delighteth and sporteth himselfe at the lewde and wanton behauiour of other men Iudge déere bretheren these Cockbraines which cannot be merrye but at the sinfull and prophane speaches of vaine men doe they shewe the fruites of Faith Those abhominable beasts which delight to make mē dronk to the intent they may laugh are they of God or of the Diuell We must diligently exercise the contrary labouring to draw one another to God and to conuert their soules which go astray which is the speciall and chiefe good work that we can do vnto men To féede the hungrie to cloth the naked to visit y e sick those which are in bōds to opē as it wer the bowells of mercie and compassion to all that are in misery are verye excellent and glorious fruites of faith haue great promises of reward in y e holy Scriptures yet are they not comparable to these when the soule is sicke in prison and in the chaines of Satan to visit and reléeue it When it is pining away for want of heuenly food to minister vnto it when it is full of grieuous sores and deadly wounds to giue wholsōe medicines salues vnto it to mourn with the bowells of pittie compassion for it From hence it ariseth that al true faithfull hearts doe sob and grone with sorrow when they sée men left without instruction and when they behold the desolations and ruines of the Church it doth pinch them euen at the heart it causeth bitter teares to flow out of their eyes when they behold any famine and dearth of the foode of life and when they sée them runne from Sea to Sea and from the one ende of the land to the other to séeke for it When they sée the young man and the beautiful virgin perish for thirst he that shall denie this or stand in doubt thereof neuer knewe as yet what the vse and benefit of the word is nor yet what that loue in the spirite is which the Lord commendeth vnto vs. I might héere stand long in perticulars to shewe the crueltie of those Parents which suffer their children to be without the knowledge of God and to perish in their sins For one of the chiefe fruites of their faith doth stande in this which the Apostle commaundeth Fathers prouoke not your children to wrath but bring them vp in the nourture and instruction of the Lord. For those which haue the riches and wealth of the world the Holy ghost saith He that hath this worlds good and séeth his brother stand in néede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him If this be true that the rich men of the world do not loue God when they wil not part with their riches to reléeue y e miserable carcase of their bretheren then doubtlesse it is a more strong argument against them when as so many soules perish for want of good pure instruction which by their wealth they might procure if they did not make more account of their riches then of the saluation of men Gods word pronounceth them blessed which imploye theyr goods to féede the poore then how much more blessed a thing is it when they are imployed to the ministring of spirituall foode which neuer perisheth But let vs come to those which haue the charge of soules what is the principal good work which they are to shew their faith by wherein they are to declare their loue towardes Christ and his Church Simon Ioanna louest thou me Féede my shéepe féede my Lambes féed my shéepe When as therefore the hireling the idle Drone and the Idoll shepheard haue the flocke of the Shéepe Lambes of Christ and doe not féede them or at the least doe so féede them that they are neuer the better where is the faith which they boast of is it anye other then the dead faith and the faith of Diuells Whosoeuer therefore will haue the testimonie of his faith in this callyng he must execute the office as the Scripture bindeth him Is it possible that he can giue credit to the word of God and be of a right beléefe and not regard this The rest of his good déedes whereby some man will say he doth shewe his faith are no good déedes for if he did them of loue towards God and his bretheren would he not then doe that wherein his loue to both should most of all shewe it selfe Can he loue God and hate God Can he loue men and hate men Or can hée loue God and not regard to do his wil Or can he loue men and not care for the saluation of their soules O my bretheren who cannot say to such a man Shew me thy faith by thy works Who will be so blinde as to think such are in good case I will nowe drawe towardes an ende onelye by this place exhorting euerye man while God giueth him time and abilytie to giue himselfe to the exercise of good workes and the seruice of God And déere bretheren what shoulde make vs so slacke considering howe shorte our time is and howe great reasons ther are to perswade vs as first to begin with that which is taught in this place is it not a meruelous blessing to haue the witnesse of our faith Is it not a miserable curse to be without the true peace of conscience and to abide stil in doubt Doeth not GOD promise vs also although we can deserue nothing but when we haue done all that we can we are still vnprofitable seruaunts that all our good workes shal be rewarded euen to a Cup of cold water which is giuen for his sake Make yée bagges which neuer waxe olde or treasure which neuer faileth in heauen c. Shall not the promise of reward mooue vs Go further how déere and precious ought the name of our God to be vnto vs how much ought it to delyght vs to heare it magnified how much ought we to abhorre to sée it stayned and dishonoured Is not his name honoured when those which call vppon him are fruitfull in good workes Héerein saith Christ is my Father glorified that ye goe and bring foorth much fruite Also he saith Let your light so shine before men y t they may sée your good works glorifie your father which is in heauen Is not Gods name dishonoured by the euill conuersation of those which professe his worde Saith not S. Paule The name of God is euill spoken of through you among the heathen Ought not the Gospell to bée déere vnto vs Is it not in the mouth of y e greatest number of worldlings when they sée y e euill déeds of professors Loe these are your Gospellers héere is their holye doctrine these are they which hunt after Sermons ye may sée what they are what their teaching is they haue as fewe good works as other men they are all in wordes O wretches shall not these things moue vs to let the world sée our faith and loue towards God by our good works likewise is ther any greater loue which can be shewed towards men thē when they shall be moued by our good déeds to glorifie God in y e day of their visitation when our godly deling shall cause them to confesse that it is an holy religion which we professe so giue eare ioyne themselues vnto the same Happy man which by his holy life is a meane to drawe others from their euil wayes to bring thē to be schollers in y e same schoole that he is Contrariwise what a woful and miserable wretch is that which slaundereth dishonoureth the holy word by his sinfull life which driueth other from it and so thrusteth them on headlong to destruction O vncharitable man shall not the bloud of such in some sort be layd to thy charge when thou driuest them from the Lord and his truth as much as lyeth in thée and driuest them headlong to destruction I might procéede to many perticulars but then I should be ouer tedious The Lorde plant these things in our hearts and giue vs grace to continue in all goodnesse to our liues ende to his glorie and our eternall comfort Amen FINIS ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East for Tobie Cooke dwelling at the Tigers head in Paules Churchyard 1582. Mat. 12. 33 Luk. 6. 43. Iam. 3. 11. 1. Ioh. 3. 7. Ephe. 4. 5 1. Tim. 2. 5 Gen. 21. Gen 21. 12 Ro. 4. 12. Ioh. 8. 3. Gal. 3. 10. Psa 51. 4 Luk. 16. 15 Ephe. 6. 4. 1. Ioh. 3. 17 Ioh. 21. 15 Ma. 10 42 Luk. 12. 33 Ioh. 15. 8 Mat. 5 16. Rom. 2. 24