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work_n	evil_a	good_a	tree_n	33,809	5	11.7409	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02919	The faith of the church militant moste effectualie described in this exposition of the 84. Psalme, by that reuerend pastor, and publike professor of Gods word, in the famous vniuersitie of Hassine in Denmarke, Nicholas Hemmingius. A treatise written as to the instruction of the ignorant in the groundes of religion, so to the confutation of the Iewes, the Turkes, atheists, Papists, heretiks, and al other aduersaries of the trueth whatsoeuer. Translated out of Latine into English, &c. by Thomas Rogers.	Hemmingsen, Niels, 1513-1600.; Rogers, Thomas, d. 1616.	1581 (1581)	STC 13059; ESTC S118432	286,633	582

thing commaunded is done as it should be according to the mind of the commaunder The hypocritical Pharisee giueth almes and the iustified Publican giueth almes in like sorte His that is the Pharisies almes the Papists define to be a good worke whereas before God it is abhominable but we pronounce the Publicane his almes a good worke not onely because it is commanded but specialy because through faith wherby the Publicane was iustified it was done to the glorie of God And therefore it hath the forme of a good worke when the worke commanded of God by a person iustified through faith is done principaly for God his glorie And a worke so done whether it be an inward or an outward work is the spiritual seruice of God Moreouer wheras certain ciuil works done euen of such as are not iustified by faith are profitable and do good to manie and therfore thought good works I grant they are so caled and be such too but in vse not in seruice For whatsoeuer an impure person doth it is vnpure abominable before God And though God sometime doe recompence such workes with rewardes he doth it for the vse sake not because they are the seruice that pleaseth him or be good of themselues The fourth thing wherin we dissent from the Papists in the doctrine of good workes is y e diuersitie of ends For they do appoint other endes of good works than we do which folow the direction of God his worde For they say good works are to be done y t we may deserue fauor be iustified through our works before God But how false absurd this Pharisaical opinion is we haue already in the first order of testimonies declared That no works do merit fauor iustificatiō it is hereby manifest because an euil tree cānot bring forth good fruite Therfore what can a mā not renued seeing he is wicked vnpure without vnderstanding vnprofitable merit by vnpure works Again if a man be iustified by works before God it must needes of necessitie be either because he fulfilleth y e whol law according to y e rule of God his iustice or in respect of particular obseruing som certaine commandement But each is false For as aboue we haue proued no mortal man can fulfil the whole law of God neither before conuersion nor after Secondly it is manifest that none is iustified by a particular fact both because it is not the fulfilling of the law which is required vnto y e righteousnes of the law also for that he which faileth in one commandement as Iames doth say is guiltie of al. Then seeing no man may be iustified neither by the whole law nor by a part of the same in vane doe the Papists contend that the ende of the lawe is that men by their owne workes should be iustified in the sight of God But we do teach that good workes be therfore to be don that being iustified by faith we may giue due obedience to God as children to a most louing father that we may be founde liuely branches and bearing frute in the true vine which is Iesus Christ that men seeing our good workes may glorifie God and be prouoked vnto wel doing by our example that through good works we may be directed vnto y e hauen of blessednes that by good workes as by an vndoubted marke of Gods children we may shew our selues enimies to Satan whō in baptisme we renounced y t we may encrease y e ioy of the angels in heauen which are much delited with the repentance of men aud with holines of life and that by workes we may be knowne and declared to be truly righteous that is that we be not deceaued with a vaine shew of faith as it happeneth vnto hypocrits as Iames in his seconde chapter declareth for whom to be iustified is to be declared and acknowledged righteous before the world Abraham beleeued aud is was imputed vnto him for righteousnes Bu when at the commaundement of God he was readie to kil his onely sonne by his willingnes to obey he declared how he was righteous not onely to others but also to himselfe For liuely faith hath this propertie that it preferreth obedience toward God before al worldly things be they neuer so deere as appeareth in Abraham So that he which is so affected that he desireth nothing so much as to obey God and to preferre obedience to him-ward before al things els he hath a most certaine token of a liuely faith and of the spirit of Christ wherby he is moued dwelling with in him For so many as are led by the spirit of God saith Paule they are the sonnes of God to wit through faith a true note wherof is that motion of the spirite wherby we are moued to yeelde obedience to God with al readines although we continualy do feele a combat of the flesh with the spirit which fight vndoubtedly in this life shal neuer cease The summe of this difference tendeth to this point The papists do make workes to deserue and to procure saluation we with Paul number them among the effectes of faith and fruits of the righteousnes of faith The Papists doe place the perfection of righteousnes in works we define them to be an obedience begon pleasing God because of the persō that is righteous which obedience can no more be separated from free iustification than the natural propertie from the subiect it hath as heate from fire as aboue hath been showen CHAP. 6. 1 The fourth order of testimonies 2. The rewardes promised vnto good workes THe fourth order as we proposed is touching the rewarde of good workes according to the promises of god which the godly without iustification do lawfully behold and through faith expect the things promised as Moses is written by faith to haue had respect vnto the recompence of the reward Moreouer the rewarde is promised to good works somtime simply to euery man sometime specialy to this or that man for a particular worke which is obediēce in some certain thing And that rightly without error we may iudge of such cōmon and special promises this principle is to be kept in minde namely that al promises without Christ be to none effecte For if as Paul saith al the promises of God are in Christ yea and Amen that is firme and ratified it foloweth that no promises without Christ can take effect be firme Whereof this also is gathered that none obedience without Christ doth merit reward Now this foundation being cast let vs entreate of the promises of rewarde according vnto the difference which we haue proposed Therefore when reward is promised simply or in general to euery man for good workes as when both in the Psalmes and also in Paul it is said He wil reward euery one according to his workes the promise must be applied by a distinction For such a promise hath a double respect Because it is to be referred

he we do finde such places in the Scriptures as do seeme to attribute righteousnesse to workes special regarde must be had vnto the foundation from which they do spring And when they proceede from faith they are to be ascribed vnto the roote For example Blessed is he that iudgeth wisely of the poore the Lorde shal deliuer him in the time of trouble Here mercie toward the needie and poore is not set for a cause of blessednesse For mercie is a particular worke whereby the law of God is not satisfied But such manner of speech Dauid vseth because the effecte is a most certaine argument of the cause it hath So that the man which hath mercie on the poore is blessed because he beleeueth Now then through faith he pleaseth the worke also pleaseth not for the perfectnes thereof but for that God accepteth it because the person is not vnder the lawe but vnder grace And that it is necessarie that the workes which God accepteth of must proceede from faith it is manifest For whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne And without faith it is impossible to please God The Lorde himselfe doth saie Without me ye can doe nothing As the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the vine No more can man doe anie thing vnlesse he abide in Christ through faith For before we be regenerate we are euil trees Which cannot but bring foorth euill fruite wee are the children of wrath and dead in sinne we are flesh Whose wisedome is enmitie against God we are natural mē which perceiue not the things of the spirit of God And therefore whatsoeuer God promiseth to such as do good works that must not be promised indifferentlie to al but onelie to such as obeie through faith For seeing the iust doe please by faith theie doe necessarilie bring foorth the fruites of righteousnesse of faith namelie good workes which no more can be separated from the righteousnes of faith than the natural propertie from the subiect Wherefore as the argument is alwaie good from the subsistence of anie subiect vnto the natural propertie of the same and contrariwise the propertie being set the subiect of necessitie must be seene so faith which iustifieth man being set good workes which are y e properties of y e spirit of faith are necessarilie set And againe good works being set faith frō which theie do spring must needs be set So whersoeuer faith is not good workes are not wher good works be not ther is not faith the cause of good works Therfore saith Paul Fight à good sight hauing faith and à good conscience which some haue put awaie and as concerning faith haue made shipwracke So often then as promises doe seeme to be annexed to good workes we are to make recourse vnto the roote and ground namelie faith For as there be two beginnings of thinges one is that theie be the other that they be known so faith as the beginning of being worketh so that thou art righteous and good workes as the beginning of knowledge bring it to passe that thou art knowne to be righteous Hence the Lorde at the last daie wil propose the beginning of knowledge to the righteousnesse of faith which shalbe apparent in the sight of al creatures For thus he wil saie Come ye blessed of my father inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meat I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke I was à stranger and ye lodged me I was naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came vnto me Here the Lorde wil not haue the workes of mercie toward his members to be merites of the heauenlie kingdome but by certaine tokens he declareth who are the sonnes of God vpon whom the kingdome of God freelie for Christ his sake without anie merites of man shalbe bestowed For so saith Paul The gift of God is eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And although by that which hitherto hath beene spoken it is none harde thing to iudge howe our doctrine concerning good workes differeth from the papistical imaginations Yet that the more distinctlie and particularlie this difference maie be seene I wil adde somewhat more here-vnto and that for two causes the firste to shewe the vanitie of those men who hearing that both we and the Papistes doe require good woorkes doe thinke that we striue not about matters of importance but onelie about words and that of pride onelie to gaine-saie Wherebie theie doe sufficientlie bewraie themselues to know nothing touching this controuersie of so great importance vpon which al our saluation doth depend Secondlie that godlie auditors maie be rightlie instructed in this matter and necessarie doctrine maie haue alwaie in à readines wherwith to answer such as indeuour to ouerthrow our religion and slaunder the same without reason either of meere malice or of grosse ignorance The difference therefore betweene vs and the Papistes touching good workes consisteth in foure thinges to wit in the matter efficient causes in the manner and in the oft doing of good woorkes If we shal proue this thing by euident argumentes I thinke there is none but wil graunt if so be he wil yeelde vnto the truth rather than to the vanitie of his own minde that for iust causes we are prouoked thus to contend The firste difference therefore is taken from the matter of workes For the Papistes doe place their chiefest workes and worship in the traditions of men the which theie preferre before Gods comaundementes which traditions for al that partelie be in their kinde indifferent as appointed fastes and certaine songues but in their vse and ende vtterlie wicked because theie put à confidence in them while theie perswade themselues that by obseruing of them theie doe merite the remission of sinnes partlie theie are superstitious meerelie ethnical as hallowing of water of fire of herbes of candles with infinit such toies wherevnto also theie doe ascribe the power to abolish sinne and driue awaie diuels and partlie theie are apparantlie wicked as such are that are contrarie to the word of God as is the inuocation of saintes the marchandise of masses the worshipping of Images the bearing about adoratiō of bread These and the like traditions the Papistes with fire and sworde doe vphould caring little or nothing at al for the breach of God his commaundements as euidentlie appeareth by the verie punishmentes which theie doe appoint For in the Papacie the contempt of the idolatrous Masse is more sharpelie punished than adulterie or incest A much more heinous offence is it among the Papists to eate flesh vpon à Fridaie than to kil à man vpon anie daie Wherebie it is apparent that the Papistes doe preferre their traditions before the commaundementes of God which thing is the proper note of Antichrist

saie The name of the Lord is a strong towre the righteous runneth vnto it and is exalted CHAP. 21. 1. Of sacrifices in general 2. Of the sacrifices among the Iewes what theie were FVrthermore seing the Psalmist in this verse maketh mentiō of altars where God laieth as yong ones the godlie bringeth them vp and altars be appointed for sacrifices I wil adde here-vnto something concerning sacrifices and that especialie for the Papistes who by this place would maintaine their idolatrous altars for masses which the godlie doe knowe is nothing els but a diuelish prophaning of the onelie sacrifice of Christe who by his onlie sacrifice once offered hath made the saintes perfect for euermore But that the more distinctlie wee maie speake of sacrifices I wil entreate first of the Iewish sacrifices then of the sacrifices of the prophane gentiles after that of the Papistical idol that is of the Masse which theie saie is à sacrifice and last of al of Christian sacrifices The Iewes by the commandement of God had two altars in the holie citie Ierusalem neither was it lawful for them in anie place beside Ierusalem to haue anie altars the one was of burnt offeringes and was caled the altar of burnt offering the other was of incense and thereof was caled the altar of incense both of them were figures of Christ. For as the altar of burnt offering did shadowe Christ as à purger of sinne so the altar of incense did figure Christe as he was an intreator and intercessor for man For incense did signifie praier Or as witnesseth Dauid who in his 141. Psal. doth saie Let my praier be directed in thy sight as incense the lifting-vp of mine hands as an euening sacrifice For when that holie man Dauid being driuen into banishment could not bè at the sacrifices which were made at Ierusalem in place of incense he dedicateth holie praiers vnto the Lord who be therefore signified by incense because praiers be of none effect vnlesse theie be lifted-vp with à godlie affection of the minde But omitting altars speake we nowe of the sacrifices of the Iewes that after this maner First let vs define what a sacrifice is then shewe we the causes after that wil wee note the principal kindes and last of al adde some general thinges of the figuratiue signification of sacrifices The definition maie be this Sacrifices of the Iewes were ceremonies of offering giftes and burnt offeringes ordeined of God that either to pacifie God being offended or to testifie their seruice and religion Which sacrifices pleased not of them selues because theie were done but in respect of y e faith of the offerers and thinking vpon the spiritual signification And that these rites were instituted of God both the manifest commandement of God often repeated not in Exodus onelie but also in Leuiticus and also the testimonies wherebie God did testifie howe he liked wel of such seruice doth proue And although before Moses time there was no expresse commandement touching sacrifices yet that God accepted them being offered by the godlie the examples of good men doe witnesse Wherof it maie verie easilie be gathered how theie were commanded albeit no mention be made thereof in the written worde Againe Gods acceptation doth confirme that he was the auctor of them not onelie in tolerating them but also in cōmanding them to be vsed For at foure seueral times the sacrifices of the saintes with fire from heauen were inflamed which surelie was an apparent token of Gods alowing them And y t these sacrifices pleased not of themselues it maie easelie be gathered For what wise man wil think that God wil be pacified with the slaughter bloud burning of beastes set on fire For the faith therefore of the offerers and cogitation of à spiritual meaning theie liked God which thing manie sentences of the Prophetes doe testifie Dauid doth saie For thou desirest no sacrifice though I would giue it thou delightest not in burnt offering And againe Here O my people and I wil speake heare O Israel and I wil testifie vnto thee for I am God euen thie God I wil not reproue thee for thie sacrifices or thie burnt offeringes that haue not bin continualie before me I wil take no bullock out of thine house nor goates out of thie foldes The prophet Ieremiah doth saie I spake not vnto your fathers nor cōmanded them when I brought them out of the land of Aegypt concerning burnt offeringes and sacrifices And again saith Isaiah Heare the worde of the Lorde O Princes of Sodome hearken vnto the Lawe of our God O people of Gomorrah what haue I to do with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Lorde I am ful of the burnt offerings of rams of the fat of fed beastes I desire not the bloud of Bullocks nor of lambes nor of goates When ye come to appeare before me who required this of your handes to treade in my courts Bring no oblations in vaine incense is an abomination vnto me These sentences do seeme not onlie to be contrarie to y t cōmandement which so often is to be found in Leuiticus but also to condemne the whole Aaronical priesthoode with the altars But for the concilement of these contrarie speeches we wil aleage three testimonies and two examples out of the Scriptures who plainlie shal remoue awaie al doubtfulnes Salomon doth saie The sacrifice of the wicked is abhomination to the Lorde Dauid saith also Vnto the wicked God saide what hast thou to doe to declare mine ordinances that thou shouldest take my couenant in thie mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast caste my wordes behinde thee And Isaiah after he reprehended y e sacrifices of his people addeth Wash you make you cleane Take-awaie the euil of your workes from before mine eies cease to do euil Learne to do wel seeke iudgement relieue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defende the widowe These places doe plainelie shewe howe the sacrifices of this people were reproued because of the vncleanenes of the heart and il dealing toward man or because of their froward confidence and wicked conuersation For as the hypocrites did offer their sacrifices before God for à recompence so the wicked thoght howe by their burnt-offeringes theie were sanctified albeit theie were touched with no feeling of their sinnes Therefore seeing God commanded sacrifices to be offered that theie might be exercises of godlines surelie the offerers ought to bring vnfeigned repentance and faith without which no maruel it is if the sacrifices were caled abhomination Caine Abel did both offer sacrifices notwithstanding God had respect vnto Habel and to his offering that is vnto his sacrifice but vnto Caine and to his offering he had no regarde Whie so Because Habel bought à faith in the Messiah whome his sacrifice did shadowe wherebie also his obedience in