man that there is lesse hope of an hypocrite than of an open sinner first because he sinneth against the light of his conscience secondly because by his outward shewes he bleareth the eyes of men wherby he escapeth those admonitions and reproofes whereby the open sinner many times is reclaimed And lastly because in his pride and selfe-loue hee posteth ouer all publick reprehensions and exhortations to the open sinners because he is assured that in the opinion of others they belong not vnto him And this is that which our Sauiour Christ sayth to the hypocriticall Scribes and Pharisies That Publicans and harlots should goe into the kingdome of God befâ—re them Seeing therefore vprightnesse is a grace so excellent that it goeth vnder the name of perfection and is esteemed as the beautie of Christs spouse wherewith hee is especially delighted so profitable that to them which walke vprightly the Lord denieth nothing that is good but giueth them Grace in this life and Glory in the life to come and not onely maketh them blessed but their posteritie also after them so necessarie as that without it our best graces are counterfeits and our best worship of God hypocrisie and our selues hypocrits who shall neuer see God but shall haue our portion with hypocrits where is weeping and gnashing of teeth how doth it behooue vs to labour for this grace which is so excellent in it selfe so pleasing vnto God so profitable and necessarie vnto vs and contrariwise to auoid the contrary sinne of hypocrisie which is so odious vnto God so foolish in it selfe and so pernicious vnto vs And to this purpose that wee may come to the fifth and last thing let vs obserue these few rules first let vs according to the example of Dauid learne to set God alwayes before our eyes and our selues in the sight and presence of God And to this end let vs meditate euermore both of his omnipresence remembring that he is alwayes present with vs in all places neither can we possibly auoid his presence as the Psalmist teacheth as also of his omniscience remembring That the eyes of the Lord are in euery place beholding the euil and the good and not only looking vnto the outward actions and speeches but also beholding the inward affections of the heart and cogitations of the mind euen before wee conceiue them that so we may learn to walke with our God approouing our selues vnto him and so behauing our selues as those which haue their conuersation in the sight and presence of God Who knoweth not how decently and reuerently we carry our selues whiles wee are in the sight and presence of our superiours especially of our prince Therefore Senec a admonisheth his friend Lucilius that he would set before him Cato or Laelius or some other graue and reuerend man that he might liue as in his sight for as he sayth Magna pars peccatorum tollitur si peccaturis testis assistat a great part of our sinnes is taken away if when wee are about to sinne there bee a witnesse by vs. How much more would the presence of almightie God strike a reuerence into vs if we had the eyes of Moses the eyes of faith whereby he saw him that is inuisible and is alwayes present with vs especially if wee considered that the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh vnto the outward appearance but the Lord beholdeth the heart and that not onely the bodies of men but the soules also are manifest before him Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the sonnes of men By this argument Dauid exhorteth Salomon his sonne to vprightnesse 1. Chron. 28. And thou my sonne Salomon saith he Know thou the God of thy father serue him with an vpright heart with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of thoughts Secondly to the meditation of his omnipresence and omniscience let vs adde the consideration of his omnisufficiencie remembring as the Prophet Hanani said to Asa That the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth to shew himselfe strong with them that are of an vpright heart towards him and that as Salomon saith He is a shield to them that walke vprightly and not that onely but as Dauid sayth He is the Sunne that is author of all comfortable blessings and a shield that is a preseruer and protectour from euill the Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walke vprightly And this is the argument which the Lord vseth to moue Abraham to integritie Gen. 17. I am God all-sufficient walke before me and be vpright For assuredly if we did effectually call to mind Gods all-sufficiencie we would neuer be so foolish as to play the hypocrits approouing our selues to men rather than to God seeing he is all-sufficient to crowne vs with blessings to shield vs from euill Whereas men can neither doe vs good vnlesse God bee pleased to vse them as his instruments whereby hee will conuey his blessings vnto vs neither can they do vs harm vnlesse God doe vse them as his rods whereby to correct vs. Thirdly to the former let vs joyne a serious meditation of the last judgement namely that God all-sufficient who is euery where present and is acquainted with al our secrets shall one day iudge the secrets of men and will bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secret thing whether it bee good or euill Let vs therefore set God before our eyes sitting in judgement remembring that we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ that â—uery man may receiue according to those things which he hath done in the body whether good or euil whether open or secret whether alone or with others whether in light or darkenesse by day or by night For darkenesse hideth not from God but the night shineth as the day the darkenesse and light are both alike Let vs not therfore content our selues with an externall profession of religion and outward shew of vertue when as our hearts be not vpright within vs but are possessed with hypocrisie and abound with secret sinnes For an externall profession seuered from vprightnesse of heart shall no whit auaile thee at the day of judgement for God shall judge the secrets of men but it shall be very prejudiciall vnto thee increasing thine horrour and confusion For how shalt thou be confounded thinkest thou who hast made a profession of religion when the bookes being opened and thy secret sinnes laid open before all the world thou shalt be conuicted of hypocrisie condemned of many foule sinnes vnrepented of which thou hadst laboured to conceale from the world And with what horrour shalt thou be striken supposest thou when thy portion shall be assigned thee with the hypocrits where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Remember that many
person or by a more ciuill honest man who is void of faith of religion of the loue and feare of God although materially they be good yet are they euill as they proceed from him For whiles the tree is euill the fruit cannot be good whiles the person is not accepted as just in Christ as none but the faithfull are his actions cannot be acceptable for without faith it is impossible to please God And this is that which the Apostle saith that the end and consummation of the commandement is loue out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith vnsained In respect of the manner our good workes must be performed vprightly not in hypocrisie and dissimulation otherwise it is vnfained and counterfeit For though we doe that which is right yet if we doe it not with an vpright heart we doe it not rightly neither can we be sayd to worke righteousnesse In respect of the end we are to perfome good workes that by the discharge of our duty God may be glorified But if our end be to be seene of men if to win praise and glorie to our selues if to merit of God and as it were to bridle him by our good deed all our workes though neuer so glorious in the eyes of the world yet are they splendida peccata that is to say glorious sinnes To this purpose we are to remember that we are to worship God not onely in holinesse but in righteousnesse also and we worship him in righteousnesse when as in a sincere obedience to God we seeke by performing the duties of righteousnesse to our brother to glorifie God From this note therefore of Gods children we distinguish the seeming good workes first of infidels without the Church or of more naturall men within because there can be no true righteousnesse or loue of men without faith pietie and loue of God Secondly of hypocrâ—tes and dissemblers who do no good but for sinister and by-respects and therefore their righteousnesse being hypocrisie is double injustice Lastly of all Pharisaicall and Popish justiciaries who by their good workes thinke such is their Satanicall pride to make God beholding vnto them and to merit heauen to themselues most sacrilegiously injuriously vnto Christ our Sauiour placing the matter of their justification and the merit of their saluation in themselues In a word that is no true righteousnesse which is seuered from holinesse neither is that a worke of righteousnesse which is not a righteous worke rightly done as that is not which is done in hypocrisie or to an ill end He therefore vndoubtedly is the sonne and heire of God who professing the true faith laboureth to demonstrat his faith by good works his faith working by loue and his loue proceeding from faith vnfained who in vpright obedience towards God seeketh by the exercise of righteousnesse and discharge of his dutie towards his neighbour to glorifie God The third note of the child God is Truth which the holy ghost expresseth in these words and speaketh the truth in his heart Which words sayth Augustine are not thus to be vnderstood as though keeping the truth in the heart we should vtter vntruth with our mouth But the holy ghost vseth this phrase of speech because a man may with his mouth vtter the truth which will nothing auaile him if he hold not the same in his heart Wherefore although this phrase of speaking the truth in his heart seeme somewhat harsh notwithstanding if it be rightly vnderstood it doth more fully expresse the disposition of a man which is addicted to the truth than if it had been said from the heart Thus therefore I read who speaketh the truth which is in his hâ—rt that is who vttereth with his tongue the truth which he hath conceiued in his mind For that we may be vcraces that is speakers of the truth there is a double conformitie or agreement required which is here expressed the one of the speech with the mind namely that we should speak as we thinke the other of the mind with the thing it selfe namely that wee should conceiue in our mind according to the truth of the matter For as the rule and measure of truth in words is the agreement of them with our thoughts so the rule and measure of truth in our thoughts is the agreement thereof with the things themselues It is true indeed that in some sciences either agreement alone sufficeth vnto the truth as in morall philosophy he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speaker of the truth who speaketh as he thinketh although perhaps he thinketh otherwise than the thing it selfe is And in Logicke he is said to speake the truth who speaketh as the thing is although perhaps he thinketh otherwise But in diuinitie both as I said is required Neither can we be said if either be wanting to be veraces that is such as speake the truth which is in our heart for he which deliuereth an vntruth supposing it to bee true howsoeuer hee bee free from the vanitie of lying yet he cannot be said to bee a speaker of the truth for in his mouth he vttereth an vntruth though in his heart he be well affected to the truth Contrariwise he that speaketh the truth which he thinketh to be false he is a lyar though he speake the truth because he hath truth in his mouth but not in his heart Such a one therefore because hee speaketh with an heart and an heart may not vnworthily be said to lie For mentâ—ri est contra mentemire to lie is to speake otherwise than a man thinketh Wherefore that a man may bee said to speake the truth which is in heart there is a double agreement required the one of the tongue with the mind the other of the mind with the things themselues And to this double conformitie in speaking the truth there is opposed a double falshood namely when a man speaketh either that which is false or falsely He speaketh that which is false who speaketh otherwise than the thing is whether he thinkes it to be so or otherwise He speaketh falsely who speaketh otherwise than hee thinketh He which speaketh a falshood supposing it to be true is not so much to be blamed for lying as for vnaduifednesse and rashnesse For we ought to be sure of those things which we affirme But he which either speaketh that which hee knoweth to bee false or speaketh that which is true falsely that is animo fallendi with a purpose to deceiue as the diuell sometimes doth he is a lyar neither can you easily determine whether is in the greater fault for as the one hath lesse truth in his mouth so the other hath more deceit in his heart Now that the loue of the truth and likewise the detestation of falshood is to be reckoned among the notes of Gods children it is testified not onely in this place but also elsewhere in the Scriptures Zeph. 3. The remnant of Israell that is
I incurre a losse perhaps by forfeiture of a bond pawne or by taking vp money vpon vsurie to preuent that losse or else hauing necessarie occasion to imploy my mony to my certaine or very likely gaine am hindered of that gaine In this case I may lawfully prouide for mine indemnitie by exacting an equall recompence at thine hands and thou art bound in conscience to make good this losse or hinderance which through thy default I sustaine But here certaine cautions are to bee remembred First that interest be esteemed not according to the gaine or benefit which the borrower hath reaped by the imployment of the money but according to the hinderance or losse which the creditor sustaineth through the borrowers default Secondly that interest is not to be required nisipost moraÌ„ but only after delay defalt coÌ„mitted by the borrower for vntill then the borrower vnlesse he were such a one as could compell the creditor to lend is not the effectuall cause of the creditors losse Thirdly that not alwayes after delay it is to be required but onely then when the creditor hath indeed sustained losse or hinderance by the borrowers delay Fourthly that he do not voluntarily incurre any losse meaning to lay the burthen thereof on the borrower but do his true endeuour to auoid it either in whole or in part Fiftly that when he suspecteth losse or hinderance by the debtors delay he descend not vnto extremities with those who haue broken day not through negligence or vnfaithfulnesse but through want and necessitie which they did not foresee and let him remember that where is no fault there ought to be no punishment Sixtly that the estimation of the interest be not referred to the creditors owne arbitrement for it is not fit that euerie creditor should be his owne caruer but committed to the judgement of some other honest and discreet men And for as much as it is supposed that the creditor might to preuent his losse borrow according to the rate permitted by law therefore Iustiniâ—n stinted recompencing vsurie at six in the hundred Which conditions being obserued it is lawfull for the creditor to require an ouerplus besides his principall which ouerplus notwithstanding is not vsurie For there is great difference betwixt vsurie and interest In vsurie the lender intendeth and seeketh gaine by interest he onely prouideth for his indemnitie Vsurie is intended or perhaps couenanted for in the very contract interest is not intended at the first but happeneth after delay Vsurie is a gaine which from the time of the contract vntill the time of payment accrueth to the lender interest is a recompence of the losse which after the day appointed for payment the creditor sustaineth through the borrowers default When as therefore men pretend the honest name of interest to their gainfull vsurie it is pernicious Sophistrie sayth Melancthon And thus you haue heard what vsurie is Now we are to proceed to a threefold destinction thereof And first that vsurie is either inward and mentall or outward and actuall The mentall is a lending for gaine without couenant that is when the creditor onely intendeth and looketh for gaine by lending and forbearing his money but doth not indent or couenant with the borrower for gaine And this may be called the vsurie of the heart for the Law of God being spirituall doth not onely restraine the hands and outward man but also the intent and purpose of the heart in so much that morall actions though in shew good are to be judged euill if they proceed from an ill intent and tend to an ill end For he that intendeth euill hath the like euill will with him that worketh euill And he which by lending onely intendeth his owne gaine he lendeth for gaine And therefore if actuall vsurie be euill then the intent and purpose thereof is also euill For lending is a worke of charitie and an act of liberalitie wherein if we haue true charitie we respect not our owne profit but the benefit of the borrower Wherefore as Augustine saith If thou lookest to receiue more than thou gauest thou art an vsurer And hereunto the most writers referre the speech of our Sauiour Luk. 6. 35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lend looking for nothing that is for no gaine or profit thence For as the Canonists and Schoolemen say Sola spes vsurarium facit hope alone maketh an vsurer But that is thus to be vnderstood 1. When the expectation of gaine is the cause of our lending and when our owne profit is principally intended that is when we so lend for our owne gaine as that were it not for the expectation of gaine we would not lend For if our chiefe regard bee to helpe our neigbour and haue but a secondary respect to our owne profit as if that were not we would notwithstanding lend for charity and humanitie sake this secondarie respect maketh not an vsurer though it something detract from the puritie of our loue and the commendation of our loane 2. When there is expectation and purpose of gaine without any intent of partaking in the losse For when the lender so intendeth his owne gaine in the borrowers gaine as also he purposeth vnfainedly to beare part of his losse this intent is not vsurious For although his outward act bee a contract of loane yet in respect of the purpose and intent of his heart it is partnership when as therefore the lender principally intendeth his own gaine without purpose to beare part of the borrowers losse that intent or expectation of gaine maketh an vsurer An vsurer I say before God but not before man an vsurer in the inward court of conscience but not in the outward and ciuile court which taketh no notice of mentuall vsurie neither can it be punished by the lawes of men who cannot search the heart Outward and actuall vsurie is when the creditor doth not onely intend certaine gaine by lending but also couenanteth for a certaine summe to be allowed him at a certaine time or times This in the Scriptures is called imposing of vsurie Exod. 22. 25 Thou shâ—lt not impose vsurie vpon him wherefore in actuall vsurie a couenant is made for certaine gaine and in that couenant the verie forme of actuall vsury consisteth For which cause some do call such a contract Formall vsurie And this couenant vseth to be confirmed by obligation either verball as bils and bonds or reall as pawnes or morgage or personall as suretiship whereby the creditor is secured for the receit and the debtor bound for the payment both of the principall and also of the vsurie But in this actuall and outward vsurie there is a couenant vsually made for the payment not onely of a certaine summe but also at certaine times The summe is proportionated or rated according to the quantitie of the principall or stocke which is lent and according to the length of the time For by how much the principal is greater the
either of the poore as though it were committed against them alone or of the detaining of a pledge as though vsurie were to be matched therewith for it is matched with murther idolatrie incest and other such abhominations neither that it is in this place so subjected to oppression as a species thereof but generally and simply it is condemned as a grieuous abhomination whereby the vsurer prouoketh the vengeance of God not onely against himselfe but also against the societie wherein he doth liue And thus we see all vsurie or lending for gaine by diuerse testimonies of Scripture to be plainely and manifestly condemned Of which doctrine the couetous worldlings are apt to make this vse If it be so that we may not by the word of God lend vpon vsurie then surely we will not lend at all Answer it is a greater sinne not to lend at all to a man who is in great need than to lend vnto him vpon vsurie Euen as it were a greater offence altogether to denie food to him that is almost famished than to sell it vnto him at an vnreasonable rate And therefore manie commonweales do tollerate such vsurie as is not immoderat for the good both of the borrower and also of the lender Of the borrower because his necessitie manie times is such that it is farre better for him to borrow vpon vsurie than not to borrow at all Of the lender because to lend vpon moderat vsurie to them that must needs borrow is a lesse sinne than not to lend at all But as the afore cited places condemne the negatiue and forbid lending for gain so there are diuerse manifest testimonies of Scripture injoyning the affirmatiue and commaunding vs to lend freely And therefore as we are to abstaine from vsurie because God forbiddeth it so must we practise free loane because God commaundeth it These places because they are so manie euidences against vsurie I will the rather recite And first that in Deut. 15 where the Lord hauing prouided by law that in the seuenth yeare no debt should be demaunded and foreseeing that hereby the couetous would take occasion when the seuenth yeare should draw neere to refuse to lend to them that were in need therefore vers 7. and 8. the Lord straitly chargeth them not only at other times to lend freely to their needie brother but euen then also when the seuenth yeare was at hand His words are these If any one of thy brethren with thee be poore and needie within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother but thou shalt liberally open thine hand vnto him and thou shalt in lending lend that is freely lend him sufficient for his need which he hath Beware that there be not a wicked thought in thine heart to say the seuenth yeare the yeare of freedome wherein debts were not to be required is at hand nor that thine eie be euill towards thy needie brother so that thou wilt not giue vnto him and so he crie vnto the Lord against thee and it be sinne vnto thee Thou shalt freely giue vnto him and let not thine heart be euill when thou giuest vnto him for because of this the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou puttest thine hand to In which words the Lord not onely commandeth them straightly to lend freely to their brethren being in need not onely at other times but euen immediatly before the yeare of remission wherein no debts were to be demaunded but also vseth two effectuall reasons to persuade them to the voluntary and cheerefull performance of this dutie The former because if they should refuse to lend to their brother in his need it should be a sinne vnto them and good reason for we are not absolut Lords of that which we haue but onely the Lords stewards who must one day giue an account of our stewardship and therefore we are bound in conscience so to imploy those goods which hee hath committed to our trust as he appointeth And therfore seeing the Lord commaundeth those which be of ability as his stewards to lend to them that are in need it is a sinne vnto them if they shall refuse to lend freely vnto them The second reason to persuade men cheerfully to lend to them which are in need is the gracious promise of God For because of this the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes c. Now if this promise with some others in the word of God doe not preuaile with vs in this behalfe we shall bewray notable infidelitie If a poore man bring vnto thee a rich man to be his suretie thou wilt not feare to lend vnto him but when the Lord becommeth a poore mans suretie nay promiseth himselfe to be thy paymaister and to make thee full recompence thou wilt not take his word no not his written word Prou. 19. 17 He that dealeth graciously with the poore whether it bee by free giuing or free lending lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen But lest any should alledge though falsly that this is a judiciall law and therfore bindeth not them I will therfore produce two testimonies out of the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ. The former Mat. 5. 42 Giue to him that asketh and from him that would borrow of thee turne not away What then will you say is euerie one bound to lend to euerie one that asketh I answer respect is to be had of thine abilitie and of his necessitie and also if it be not a case of vrgent and present necessitie of his honestie If his necessitie vrge him to borrow and thine estate enable thee to lend thou art bound to lend vnto him especially if his honestie deserue to be respected The other testimonie is Luke 6. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lend looking for nothing thence which words though they be diuersly read and expounded yet in euerie sence they commaund the dutie of free lending The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 admitteth diuerse significations as first to bring into despaire according to which sence thus much is insinuated that those which refuse to lend vnto men in their need cause them to despaire But this sence is not incident vnto this place vnlesse we read as indeed the Syriacke interpreter doth insteed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lend causing no man to despaire For they that go on borrowing they go on sorrowing and when others will not lend when they must needs borrow they are out of heart and do as it were sinke vnder the burden of their want When as therfore thy brother commeth to borrow of thee for the supply of his want turne not thy face from him neither harden thy hart towards him nor shut thine hand from him but when his hand doth shake stay him and hold him
as being both profitable and necessary forts profitable First because by them we may make sure our calling and our election as Peter teacheth they being so many testimonies vnto vs thereof True indeed it is that we were elected without respect of workes and we are called by grace not according to workes we are justified by faith without workes and by grace we are saued through faith and not by workes But if a man would know whether he be elected called justified and shall be saued as we are bound to giue diligence that we may haue a firme knowledge of these things we are not to pry into the secret counsell of God but we are to examine our selues by our fruits for both we and others are to be discerned by our fruits As our Sauiour saith by their fruits you shall know them do men gather grapes of thornes or â—igges of thistels a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit By the fruits therefore of righteousnes we may euidently discerne our selues to be sanctified And none are sanctified but such as first are justified and whosoeuer are justified are effectually called and none are effectually called but such as are elected and none are elected but such as shall be saued To this purpose Iames sheweth that the faith whereby we are justified must be demonstrated by good workes And Iohn affirmeth that by the the loue of our brethren which is all one in effect with righteousnesse we know that we are translated from death vnto life Againe good workes are profitable because they haue the promises both of this life and of that which is to come They are also necessary not as the causes of our justification and saluation as though we were either justified by them or saued for them but as necessary fruits of faith and testimonies of our justification according whereunto the sentence of saluation shall be pronounced for although vnto the act of justification good workes do not concurre as any causes thereof yet in the subject that is the partie justified they concurre as fruits of our faith and consequents of our justification For as breathing is such a fruit or consequent of life as where that is we judge the body to liue where that is not we judge it to be dead so is the exercise of righteousnesse and performance of good workes such a consequent of faith as that where good workes are the faith is liuely where they are not at all the faith is dead They are necessary also in respect of saluation not as the causes thereof but partly as the way for we are his vvorkmanship created vnto good workes which he hath prepared for vs to walke in them and therefore they are fitly sayd to be Vni regum non causa regnandi The way to the kingdome not the cause of reigning and partly as the euidence according vnto which the Lord proceedeth in judgement to the sentence of saluation Come you blessed of my father sayth Christ the judge inherit you the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world For I was an hungrie and you gaue me meat I thirsted and you gaue me drinke c. It is most certaine that Christ our Sauiour by his obedience hath merited and purchased eternall life for all those that beleeue in him according to the maine promise of the Gospell that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall be saued By that righteousnes and obedience of Christ apprehended by faith not by or for any righteousnes inherent in vs or obedience performed by vs are we made sonnes heires of God entituled vnto the kingdome of heauen acquitted from our sinnes and accepted vnto eternall life Notwithstanding seeing all that be in the Church professe themselues to beleeue whereof many deceiue either themselues with an opinion or others with a profession of faith therefore the Lord proceedeth vnto judgement according to the fruits either of faith or infidelity taking for granted that in those who are members of the true visible Church where good workes are there is faith and where are no good workes there is no faith And therefore it behoueth vs as we desire either to haue assurance of our saluation whiles we liue here or to heare the comfortable sentence of saluation pronounced to vs in the day of judgement so to be carefull to demonstrat our faith by good workes And hereby it appeareth against the malicious slaunder of the Papists that although we deny good workes to be meritorious of euerlasting life yet we do not teach men to cast off all care and well doing Now for the auoiding of errour Whereas the workes of righteousnesse are made a proper note of the sons and heires of God we are first to restraine this part of the Lords answer to that subject whereof Dauids question is propounded namely to those who liue in the true visible Church and professe the name and religion of God Of these because there be many hypocrites and vnsound professors among them Dauid desireth to be informed who are the true professors The Lord answereth He that worketh righteousnesse and so by his good workes doth demonstrat his faith There are many workes materially good to be found not onely among heretickes and idolatours as the Papists but also among Turkes and Pagans But we speake not of those that are without for they are not within the compasse either of Dauids question or Gods answer And secondly we are to know that all works in respect of the matter or the thing done seeme to be good workes are not straightwayes the workes of righteousnesse neither doth he which performeth them alwayes worke righteousnesse For it is not a good and a true worke of righteousnesse indeed vnlesse it proceed from the right fountaine vnlesse it be done in a right maner and to a right end As touching the fountaine it is a good rule of Gregory That the streames of righteousnes towards our brother must be deriued from the fountaine of pietie towards God For we loue not our brother aright vnlesse we loue him in and for the Lord and we cannot loue him in and for the Lord vnlesse we loue the Lord much more and we loue the Lord because we are by faith persuaded that he loueth vs first his loue being shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost and we cannot beleeue in God and Christ our Sauiour vnlesse we know God aright and vnderstand the mysterie of our saluation by Christ. If therefore we be ignorant persons we haue no faith if we be vnfaithfull persons we haue no true loue or feare of God nor any other sanctifying grace If we haue no true loue of God we haue no true loue of our brother For euen as the loue of God seuered from the loue of our neighbour is hypocrisie so is the loue of our neighbor seuered from the loue of God counterfeit The good workes therefore that are done either by an ignorant