the woorkes of such accompanie them as dye in the Lorde For the true faith purifieth the hearte Actes 15.9 and it is of that nature that it worketh by loue Galat. 5.6 And therefore as though a man haue neuer so charitable and curteous woordes yet if hee haue no deedes aunswering thereunto his charitye is vaine Iam. 2.15 16 â—0◠〈◊〉 if it haue no woorkes is deade in it selfe and cannot not saue a man verse 17. c. Howbeit this I say and thus I teach with Iames not that I woulde haue you to thinke that faith saueth or iustifieth any for the worthines of these works that followe it and accompanye it For so far off am I and wee all ought to bee from that that we may not once imagine that fayth it selfe saueth or iustifieth any for the worthinesse of it selfe but onely for and through the worthines of Christ the obiect thereof whom it apprehendeth and applieth withall his merites to her owner and so thereby hee is iustified But this I say and constantly afferme that that fayth that iustifieth a man indeede is two wayes liuely and effectuall namely in heauen before GOD about her obiect Christ first in apprehending and applying lit to the iustification of the owner and then in earth amongst men in puryfâ—yng her subiect that is the person in whome it is to bring foorth fruites beseeming a iustified person So that alwayes hee that hath the iustifiyng faith hath therewith the sanctifying spirite whereby hee is able according to Saint Peters counsaile to ioyne vertue to his faith 2. Peter 1.5 and according to Saint Iames request to shewe his faith by his woorkes Chapter 2.18 for the â—ounde and right fayth in Iesus 〈…〉 into the hearte of the owner by the operation of the spirite such abundance of loue to wardes GOD for and in consideration of his infinite loue and goodnesse found out and apprehended thereby that it replenisheth the hearte wherein it is withall thankefulnesse and duetifulnesse towardes him in obeying his commaundementes with all his power chearefully and willingly in somuch that as it is impossible to seperate fire and heat sunne and light so is it to finde a iustiflyng fayth without good woorkes And therefore though wee take the office of iustifiyng from good woorkes generally without distinction and leaue it soly and wholy to faith as Paul doeth Romanes 3.28 where he sayeth Therefore wee conclude that a manne is iustified by faith without the woorkes of the lawe yet wee say and holde also with Sainte Iames that a man is iustified of woorkes and not of faith onelye Iames 2.24 For though by warrant from Paul wee holde that onlye faith iustifieth before GOD because the woorkes of the Iawe that is woorkes commaunded by the Lawe which if any other thing might bee ioyned with faith in this office are most woorthy are shut out quite from intermedling therein yet wee holde also that this fayth which is sola that is alone in doing this office yet is not solitaria that is alone in her owner when she doth performe it Faith therefore alone with Paul iustifieth before God and workes proceeding from faith iustifie that is declare who is iustified with Iames. For that appeareth to be his sense by his saying She we me thy faith out of thy woorkes Neither is his phrase straunge in saying that works doe iustifie which doe but declare who is iustified For we say coÌ„monly white haires make in olde man and yet our meaning onely is that they declare him to be an olde man And for further proofe yet of this point that it is not a faith in the sippes but in the heart not a woroy but a worthy faith that knitteth vs vnto Christ wee are to call to our remembraunce that Christ expresly Iohn 15.5 saith He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth foorth much fruit And that as Saint Paul saith there is no condemnation to those that bee in Christ to he addeth which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 yea that he saith that they that are Christes haue crucified the flesh with the lustes thereof Galat. 5.24 and that with with olde thinges are past away and all thinges are become newe 2. Cor. 5.17 Either therefore neuer pretende that thou hast a sound are a right faith or else set thy life and conuersation be such as God may be glorified in iustifiing such an one Dauid coulde say seeing Christ but a far off in respect of that purgation and clen sing that hee hoped for by him Psa 51.7 Purge me with hysope and I shall bee cleane washe mee and I shall be whiter than snow And therfore said Iohn very flacly 1. epist 1.6.7 If we say wee haue fellowshippe with him and walke in darckenesse wee lie and doe not truely but if wee walke in the light as hee is in the light we haue fellowshippe one with another and the bloode of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from al our sinnes Wherefore let vs assure our selues either that wee are not purged at all by Christes death or washed by his bloode or else chat we are cleane and white For no doubte of it where God for his sake pardoneth sinne there he purgeth it and where he couereth it there he cureth it and therefore to all that beleeue in him the spirite is promised Iohn 7.38 to bee in that measure that it shal be as riuers of water of life flowing ouer the bankes for the force it shall haue in all such effectually to wash them to soften them to make them fruitfull and to quench in them the flames and heate of sinne Vnlesse therefore wee finde the spirite in vs to haue this operation wee are without warrant in our selues to prooue that we haue a sound and right faith in Christ By this then you mate see dearely beloued in Iesus Christ seeing this is the generall doctrine of vs all that professe the Gospel with knowledge how much we are wroÌ„ged by our aduersaries the papists who this not withstaÌ„ding charge our doctrine to be a doctrin of liberty and licentiousnesse For heereby euidently you may see wee shut out all those from the number of them that dye in the Lorde which be carnal and worldly minded men whatsoeuer they say and al carnal and prophane Gospellers which turne the grace of God into wantonnesse what faire shew soeuer they can make of faith in wordes And therefore here is no comfort at all for any that yet remaine in their sins hauing theÌ„ raigning in their mortall bodyes for Epicures Libertines or for any leude lycentious wretch whatsoeuer he be For such doe not liue in the Lord and therefore are not slkely to dye in the Lord. For commonly qualis vita finis ita such life such death in the iust iudgment of God it so falleth out For he that lyuing and in health wil not remember God it is but right that God shoulde forget him sicke and dying
and that therefore wee shal bee saued for his sake onely and not for our workes at all Let vs now therefore heare what the Scripture sayth to the determination of this question That saying of Christ to his Luke 17.10 is directly contrary to their position where hee sayth when ye haue doone all those thinges that are commanded you say wee are vnprofitable seruantes wee haue doone that which was our duetie to doe For heereby not in way of curtesie as some of them haue sayde but in sadnesse we are taught that if wee kept the whole lawe in euery pointe which neuer man did but Christ that yet we are to account our selues so farre from hauing merited any thing thereby at Gods handes that we are to thinke we haue but payde him that which we ought him and therefore merited no more at his handes than an olde ill better may say he hath merited at his creditours handes when he payeth him but his hare owne How much more stronglye then doeth this place bynde vs from hauing that conceite of our woorkes when wee haue doone them that thereby we are iustified and merite heauen Seeing that the very best woorkers of vs al when wee haue doone what we canne yet finde our selues scarce able where wee owe God golde to paye him leade where wee owe him thousandes to pay him hundredes yea to aunswere him one of a thousande Iob. 9.3 in so much that the righteousnesse of the righteous is but as a steyned cloath Isa 64.6 And therefore Paul though hee wrote the Epistle to the Phillippians a litle before his death when hee was full of sufferinges for CHRIST and of all kinde of good woorkes yet he in the 3. Chapter therof protesteth not onelye in the preter tense that hee counted all his pharisaicall righteousnesse before his conuersion but all then in the present tense but doung that hee might winne Christ and might be founde in him not haning his owne righteousnesse which is of the Lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of GOD through fayth verse 8.9 Wherefore hee boldlye concludeth Titus 3.5 thus Not by the woorkes of righteousnesse which no doubt are woorkes doone in fayth for otherwyse they were not to be called woorkes of righteousnesse but rather woorkes of vnrighteousnesse which wee haue doone but according to his mercy he saued vs. Now to make it cleare that by this righteousnesse of GOD whereby Paule through faith in Christ woulde bee righteous before GOD is ment not an inherent righteousnesse in mans owne selfe Paul opposeth it to that righteousnesse in himselfe And besides Romanes 10.1.2.3 they are seuered in that the one is called the righteousnesse of God the other mans owne righteousnesse But most cleare is that Romains 1.17 where hee affirmeth that that righteousnesse which is called the righteousnesse of GOD is reuealed by the Gospell from faith to faith For it is written The iust shall liue by fayth Whereby it is most euident that this inherent righteousnes which they would haue to make theÌ„ righteous by is reuealed by the morall law And therefore you shall finde that Paul Rom. 10.5.6 7.8.9 distinguisheth the righteousnes of the lawe from the righteousnes that commeth by faith And Rom. 3.21 that hee in plaine tearmes thus determineth this matter Now is the righteousnes of God made manifest without the law hauing witnesse of the Law and the Prophetes to witte the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vppon all that beleeue Which coulde not bee if the righteousnes of God were the good workes that are in men for we come to the knowledge of theÌ„ by the Lawe This is called the righteousnesse of God in an excellencye because the righteousnesse of Christ is the righteousnesse of one that is God and is indeede a righteousnesse absolute before God for the which he cannot but account them righteous to whom it is imputed by fayth In an inferiour sort the godlynesse in Gods children maye be called a righteousnesse of God because it is wrought in them by his spirite but yet as appeareth by these places it is not that righteousnesse whereby we may dare perswade one selues that wee are made righteous before hym but onely a fruite proceeding from that applyed first vnto vs and then testifiyng thereof Further howe could it be sayde truely that life euerlastyng is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the free gift of God Ro. 6.23 if it come at all by meryte To imagyne that it may come of grace and also of workes it is flat agaynst Paul Rom. 11.6 where he sayth If it be of grace it is no more of works or else were grace no more grace but if it be of works it is no more grace or else were work no more woorke In which woordes he deâ—ermineth saluation to come by merite of workes and by grace to bee so contrarye the one to the other as if it come the one way it cannot come at al by â—he other It cannot bee sayde to the shifting off of this place with any reason that here by works are meant workes onely done before faith for he speaketh generally heere of woorkes without distinction And therefore very well saide August contra Pelag. Caelest lib. 2. cap. 24. Gods grace shal be grace no way vnlesse it be free euery way and the drift of the Epistle to the Galath is flatly and directly against such as would be saued partly by grace through faith in Christ and partly by their workes following faith For they were neuer taught by the false Apostles neithee did they then holde iustification by workes done before faith or by workes alone And yet Paul speaking to the purpose to confute them saith If righteousnes come by the lawe Christ died in vaine Gal. 2.21 Chap. 5.4 ye are albolished froÌ„ Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the lawe ye are fallen from grace Vpon which ground said Augustine in his preface vppon the 31. Psal If thou wilt haue nothing to doe with grace boast thy merits and Chrysostome 3. ad Gal. saith thus â—hey saide accursed is hee that leaneth onely to faith Paul sheweth that hee that so doeth is blessed And Ambrose also vpon the same warrant 1. Cor. 1. affirmeth that it is appointed of GOD that he that beleeueth in Christ shal be saued without woorkes onele by faith freely receiuing remission of his sinnes And least they should cauill and say as they are not ashamed to doe that by workes of the lawe are vnderstoode onely workes done before faith by the direction of the Lawe without the infusion of the speciall grace of GOD through Christ marke how notably to preuent that popish shift chap. 2.15.16 he saieth Wee that are Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles know that a man is not iustified by the workes of the Lawe but by the faith of Iesus Christ Euen we I say haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we
might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the woorkes of the lawe because that by the workes of the Lawe no fleshe shal be iustified In which words he excludeth from the office of iustifying not onely the workes of vnbeleeuers but also of them that beleeue saying that he and such as he was which beleeued in Christ did so beleeue not that they might bee enabled thorowe their owne woorkes to iustifie vp themselues but the plaine contradictorie that is that they beleeued in him that they might still bee iustified by their faith in him and not by their woorkes which were woorkes done after their faith though he calleth them the workes of the Lawe because therein they were prescribed Againe where haue they any grounde for this pointe of diuinitie that CHRIST merited that their workes or the woorkes of any shoulde bee meritorious Doe they not see that this were in effect to say that CHRIST communicateth his owne glorious office of beeing a Sauiour to those workes and so remaineth not a full and a perfect Sauiour in him-selfe and by himselfe Whereas we reade flatly to the contrary Isai 43.11 where hee sayth vnto vs thus I euen I am the Lorde and beside me there is no sauiour To conclude therefore this point if the righteousnesse that GOD hath prouided for vs in CHRIST were not the righteousnesse that should make vs righteous why is it that wee reade that the faithfull shall say Isai 45.24 In the Lorde haue I righteousnesse and strength and that his name shall be our righteousnesse Ierem. 23.6 33.16 And that the Messias shall bring with him an euerlasting righteousnesse Dan. 9.24 Who seeth not that it is seeing God hath appointed that we shoulde be so iustified as that the whole glorie may bee his and none ours which cannot be if it come by any woorkes at all done by vs Rom. 3.27 4.4 to make vs conclude with Paul that he is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redeÌ„ption that he that reioyceth may reioice in him 1. Cor. 1.30.31 If yet they wil say that this caÌ„not be that we shoulde bee termed or accounted righteous by a righteousnesse that is not in our selues but in Christ I aske them why they holde so They must answere because it is a principle in Philosophie that the accident must bee in the subiect whereof it hath denomination To whom fiest I answere that it is not in vaine that Saint Paul hath giuen vs this warning be wâ—â—e least there be any that spoile you through vaine Philosophie Colos 2.8 Secondly I say that howsoeuer this be a sounde principle in Philosophie yet it is false in diuinitie which I prooue thus Christ was one in whom there was no sin Isai 53.8 and yet we read that the Lorde laide vpon him the iniquities of vs all verse 6. In so much that he was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities and the chastisement of our peace was laide vpon him and with his stripes we are healed ver 5. Whereby I see that our vnrighteousnesse was imputed vnto him though there were no vnrighteousnesse at all inherent in him Where-uppon it must needes followe that as well may his righteousnesse bee imputed vnto vs which beleeue that of our selues are vnrighteous Yea no doubt of it that change hath GOD made with vs in him to impute vnto him our vnrighteousnesse that his righteousnesse might bee imputed vnto vs. For we reade that hee was made sinne for vs which knewe no sinne that we should be made the righteousnesse of GOD in him 2. Cor. 5.12 By Iohn therefore hee willeth the Laodiceans Apoc. 3. to come to him to buy of him but freely Isai 55. 1. long white garmentes to couer their nakednes vers 18. That is to haue at his hands by faith perfect righteousnesse whereby they may bee made righteous And what peeuishnes is this to deny the imputation of Christes righteousnesse to the beleeuer in him and to holde that the righteousnesse of Saints may bee imputed vnto him that buyeth a pardon which they all holde And how can it bee otherwise but that his righteousnesse shoulde bee the righteousnes of all theÌ„ that beleeue in him For it being as it is an infinite and absolute righteousnesse and they that beleeue in him thereby being as you haue heard in him and one with him how can it be I say any otherwise but that those thinges that bee in him should so farre bee communicated vnto them as is meet and necessarie for them Whereupon it commeth that we reade Apoc. 3.21 he saith that he will grant to them that ouercome to sitte with him in his throne as he ouercomining sitteth with the father in his But to passe from this point to the last particular branch of their faith wherein they plainely confesse that their faith breedeth not in them assuraunce and confidence of their saluation but such a hope onely as may be ioyned with doubtfulnesse whether it shal be so in the ende or no. I will easily grant them that as long as they builde beside the onely foundation Christ as they doe vpon the satisfactions and merites of man it cannot be otherwise Nay I say further that forasmuch as there is no couenant betwixt God and man of any saluation but onely in Christ Iesus the promised seede for all the promises runne in the singular number In one which is Christ Gal. 3.16 and they are all yea amen in him 2. Cor. 1.20 it is horrible presumption so farre off it is from being humility for theÌ„ once to hope or to call in question whether they may or shal be saued seeking for any part thereof for any thing that is not be For it is to looke after some fort to bee saued after a meere fancy and deuise of man full of robberie and blasphemy against Iesus Christ which howe absurd it is let any man iudge And as long as their owne consciences enforce them to confesse that they haue no better faith than this let them be assured that though they we are their tongues to the stumpes and their knees till there grow bornes on thrm in praying to GOD for their saluation they shall neuer be heard For it is written Iam. 1.6.7 Let him aske in faith wauer not for he that wauereth is like the waue of the Sea tost and caried awaie neither let that man thinke that he shall receaue any thing of the Lord. And whereas an assured confidence of saluation in Christ is counted of them presumption I say they may be ashamed but once to thinke so For vnto the right beleeuer God hath first giuen his generall promise that such a one whatsoeuer hee be shall not perish but haue eternall life Iohn 3.16 And this woorde is in writing in the place before named and else where very often in GODS booke and in the vse of the Sacramentes it is particularly applyed to euery one that so beleeueth Roman 4.
Lorde The blessed state of them that dy in the lord is permanēt they may hereby learne that not onely immediatly after their death they shal rest from their labours and enter vppon their rewarde and so bee blessed but that also this their state is certaine without any falling backe from it and therefore still their reward is called life euerlasting in the scriptures And surely if this be their state immediatly thenceforth without euer any dāger of falling backe to worse then of the contrary it must needs follow that quite contrary immediatly after their death shal be the state and condition of al that die not in the Lord and that there is no hope for euer for them to attaine vnto a better What neede there then a general iudgement will some say I answere for two causes that the bodies thē may be restored to their soules againe that both the ioies of the faithful paines of the faithles to the ful manifestatiō both of gods mercy iustice may be cōsummate and ful that so god thē may outwardly solemnly iustify before al the world his former particular iudgemēt which imediatly before at euery mās death he had laid vpon them Lastly we are not to passe ouer or forget how our aduersaries the Papistes abuse this last clause of the text For they hearing that workes follow such thereupon inferre that works merit eternal blisse The abuse of this place therby to prooue that workes merite confuted Indeed hereupon it followeth as I haue noted before that none haue a right faith in Christ but those that haue also good works to accompany them whensoeuer they dye in the Lord which I would not haue forgotten But hereupon to gather that our workes merite heauen we may not For then they should go before our being in the Lord be a cause therof whereas here it is only sayde that they follow and accompany such Which it should seeme that Augustine had obserued li. de Fide operibus ca. 14. when he said that good workes goe not before iustification but they follow a man iustified Let them therefore followe in Gods name as a fruit of a man in the Lorde but let them not step before as a cause of his being in the fauor of the Lord. And vnderstād that this argument is stark naught good workes shal be rewarded with heauēly blisse therefore they merite it Is no man rewarded but he which hath merited and deserued it first The heire when he commeth to his fathers lands is then wel rewarded for his paines he took in his fathers time yet hee hath not his inheritance for those his paines for then rather some seruant oftentimes should haue the inheritance but for that he was his fathers son heire before Euen so it is in this case we are born the sons of God by faith in Christ Ioh. 1.12 13. so coheires with him of heauen Rom. 8.17 thereby first and then follow good workes in vs not as a cause why we shal haue this inheritance but as a fruit effect flowing frō our thankful mindes to our heauenly father for this notable inheritance thus freely prepared for vs. And yet when we come to the inheritance because it cōmeth after these our works after a sort we may say that euē there by our paines in working are rewarded yet we haue not that reward for our workes but for that we working so were the sons heires of God But for the better loosing of al such popish knots vnderstād that it is not al one to say good works shal be rewarded and to say good works haue merited that rewarde For there are rewards giuen of mercy and so is this as well as of debt and duty Rom. 4.4 Againe there is great ods betwixt these two questions who shal bee saued and why man shal bee saued To the former we answere the well worker to the latter only for Christs sake apprehended by faith And therfore take this for the conclusion we shal be iudged Secundū operum indicium non propter operum meritū according to the testimony y our workes giue of vs not for the merit of our workes For it is writen Ephe. 2.8.9 We are saued by grace through faith that not of our selues it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast himself And yet this doctrine neither letteth nor staieth at al frō good works but is y◠only fountain indeed from whēce al true works do spring flow And therfore y◠Apo. Paul as you may obserue throughout al his epistles first laboreth to set down this doctrine then thereupon after buildeth exhortation to godlines of life the like course tooke Peter as you may see in his first epistle And yet these knewe how to prouoke to good works and in no case may be counted teachers of a doctrine enemy to good works Yea there is none indeed that hath grace to imbrace this doctrine effectually but therby he feeleth by experience his hart so enflamed with loue towardes God for his infinite mercy hereby displaied vnto him both in sauing him frō perishing and in thus freely preparing heauē for him that frō that loue of his there floweth riuers flouds of al thankfulnes in al true obedience to his God wherin he walketh chearfully cōfortably But the Papists being bastards no lawful children of the Lorde beeing not assured of this full and free fauor of his towards thē of a slauish feare with a seruile mind to earn heauē at his hands doe the good which they do Which indeed in matter maner of doing is such that though it carrye the shew of godlines yet it is not so indeede For the matter of good works they wil not fetch warrāt only frō gods reuealed wil in his word but matter good inough with thē For a good worke is any thing for the which they can alleage a traditiō of the elders or their own good intent Which kinde of works the Lord reiecteth as stincking in his sight Isa 29.13 Mat. 15.9 Co. 2.20 c. And as for their maner of doing it is like the Pharises ioyned with a conceit that therefore they may despise others trust to be heard at Gods hands for the merite of their works Which kinde of doing Christ hath cōdēned Mat. 6.1 Luk. 18.9 c. in forbidding vs to do our workes as the Pharisees did in sending home the proude Pharisee vniustified And therfore in very deed as they are without all true christian faith so are they without al true good works And therefore whosoeuer hath any thing to comfort himself by this place it is none of thē No doubt of it this noble mā whose body lieth here amongst vs to be encōbed though euen in outwarde shew of almes giuing other good works he ouermatched most merit mongers yet seeing he trusted only to the meries of Christ and neuer to his owne workes but did them only of loue and thankefulnesse towas his God is among those of whome it is here said Their workes accompany them and therfore now is in ioyful fruition of the reward thereof Whose example as wee that bee of the same faith are to followe that so with him we may bee in euerlasting remembrance both with God and good men as no doubt hee shall so it is an example to stoppe the mouths of the aduersaries that lyingly crye out that they that bee of our religion haue no good woorkes following them The secōd conclusiō Thus at last right honorable and dearely beloued we haue runne thorow this portiō of scrpture and considered both the generall and particular vse thereof And so first we haue heard how strongly it is warranted to conteine nothing but soūd truth namely that not whosoeuer knoweth or cōmeth ny but whosoeuer is by a true a liuely faith vnited vnto Christ dieth in him which is neither a miraculous historicall temporarie dead or popish faith but a faith seeking and apprehending saluation onely in Christ Iesus shal thēceforth be blessed immediatly in resting from all woe in body and soule and in entring vppon possession of their euerlasting rewarde and then thereby more particularly we haue obserued that therefore the body riseth againe and that the soule is neither mortall nor sleepeth that there is no popish purgatory nor any thing that can be done by others for soules departed that can doe them any good to ease or better their estate and finally that though here bee offered vs great encouragement to good workes yet here is nothing to proue that woorkes merite any thing at Gods hand All which doctrine and lessons our honourable friend here departed as I haue from point to point shewed you hath already found true by experience God of his mercy giue vs all grace so to set his example before vs that wee may so followe him that we may euery one of vs one day also to Gods glory and our own euerlasting comfort feele and finde the trueth thereof in our selues This O Lorde we beseech thee to grant vs all for thy onely sonne Iesus Christes sake to whome with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one euerliuing God be all power honour might and maiestie nowe and for euer Amen September 22. An. Do. 1594. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the Father and the most comfortable fellowship of the holy Ghost be with vs all now and euer to direct sanctifie and gouerne vs in all our waies works thoughts Amen FINIS
but to eat the flesh of the son of mā to drink his bloud is nothing else but to eat the bread of life wherupon it directly followeth that therfore it is nothing else to eat the flesh of the sonne of mā to drink his bloud but to beleue in him Which also is euident in that you shall find in that chapter within the compasse of the foresaide verses the same thinges both promised to the eaters and drinkers of Christes fleshe and bloude and to the beleeuers in him and also the same things threatned to the not eaters and drinkers thereof which are to the not beleeuers in him Which argueth that they are both one especially seeing the one is put for the other in the Chapter following verse 37.38 In the former whereof we reade thus Nowe in the last and great day of the feast Iesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come vnto me drinke but in the latter whereas if he had continued the metaphoricall speech wherein he beganne he shoulde haue saide he that commeth vnto me and drinketh of mee changing his phrase and yet retayning his former meaning to shewe vs that to drinke him is nothing else but to beleeue in him hee saieth in the steed thereof Hee that beleeueth in me as saith the Scripture out of his bellie shall flowe riuers of waters of life And therefore not without good ground said Augustine Crede manducasti Beleeue and thou hast eaten Tract 25. vpon Iohn And Tertullian de resurrectione carnis 29. writeth that Christ is auditu deuorandus ruminandus intellectu fide digerendus that is to be deuoured by hearing to be chewed on by vnderstanding and to be digested by faith So that by all these proofes laide together wee see that Christ is receiued by faith that wee growe in him by faith yea to a perfect man in Gods sight and lastly that hee is as surely apprehended of vs by faith to our spirituall maintenance in the worde preached and sacramentes ministred which are the dishes wherein one and the selfe-same Christ is offered vnto vs as meate and drinke being set before vs is taken in by eating or drinking thereof to our temporall nourishment Whereof the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud is a most effectuall ratification and particular confirmation to euery right receiuer thereof by faith If it were otherwise that wee coulde not get to be in Christ and hee in vs by faith in him but to accomplishe this it were necessary bodily to take him into vs by the mouth of our bodies then forasmuch as there were neuer any that died that coulde be blessed that died not in him all the good Patriarkes Prophets and other seruantes of GOD that died before hee had an humane body must bee condemned But the contrary thereof is euident in that Abraham is placed in state of saluation by Christ Luk. 16.24 c. Yea and with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Luk. 13.28.29 And therefore Paul is bolde 1. Cor. 10.3.4 to say of them that were before Christ that they all ate one spirituall meate and dranke the same spirituall drinke that we doe Christ which coulde not be otherwise effectually but by beleeuing aright in CHRIST to come Let vs therfore labour by diligent vse of the meanes that GOD hath appointed vs for that purpose to attaine to a right and sounde faith in Christ and to nourishe it still by the vse of the same meanes seeing thereby wee see it commeth to passe that wee put on Christ and be vnited vnto him so that wee may bee saide according to the vsuall phrase of the Scripture to bee in him and consequently alwaies found ready to dye in him Of which number I count as well them that died before Christ in a right faith in him to come as since in him already come But not by euery kind of faith But nowe least wee deceiue our selues in thinking we haue attained vnto this faith and so are in Christ when it is nothing so wee are diligently to consider what manner of faith that is and of what nature it is that worketh this great and glorious effect And the rather are wee diligently to consider hereof because this woorde Faith is not alwaies taken in one and the selfe-same signification in the Scriptures for there are diuers sortes and kindes of faith Not by the miraculous faith Vnderstande therefore Righte Honourable and welbeloued in our Sauiour Iesus Christ that it is not fides miraculosa a faith to woorke miracles by that is a resolution by some extraordinarie meanes of Gods will to worke a wonder and therefore thereupon to attempt it in his name and to bring it to passe that maketh vs haue this fellowshippe with Christ For of such as haue this faith we reade thus Mat. 7.22.23 Many wil say vnto me in that day saith Christ Lorde Lorde haue we not in thy name prophecied And by thy name cast out Diuels And done many great workes And then will I professe to them Not by the historicall faith I neuer knewe you depart from me you workers of iniquitie Neither is it an historicall faith onely whereby wee assent to the trueth of those thinges that are written in the Scripture For no doubt of it the very diuels of hell are enforced to yeeld thus much to their smart and woe And therefore we read Iames. 2.19 The diuels beleeue and tremble Not by the temporarie saith Neither is it a temporary faith fleeting in the conceite of man not firmely setled and rooted in his heart For such as haue that kinde of faith onely are compared by our sauiour Christ Mat. 13. to the thornie and stonie ground wherein though for a time the good seede of the woorde seemed to make faire promise of a plentifull haruest yet ere due time of haruest came either through the cares and pleasures of this life it was so choaked and ouer growen or through the scorching heate of persecution so burnte vppe that it came to no good And therefore you haue hearde that it is sayde heare not without cause Which dye in the Lorde to shewe vs that it must bee a continuing and perseuering faith vnto the ende howsoeuer in the meane time it bee assaulted that must serue the turne in this case to make vs such as of whom the LORDE here speaketh Not by the dead faith I say further that a faith though seeming to be neuer so liuelye in woordes yet if it be fruitlesse in good woorkes it is not the faith that canne make vs to be in Christ For both immediatlye before the woordes of my text and in the ende thereof it is euident that a faith accompanied with good woorkes is heere required For before you reade that Iohn set downe these woordes Heere is the patience of Saintes heere are they that keepe the commaundementes of GOD and the faith of Iesus And my text concludeth that
then whether these be not the greatest and include not the rest They cannot deny but these are punishments due for sinne that the greatest also including all other If therefore the Scripture teach vs that Christ hath freed vs from these then it is euident that he hath freed vs from all Wherefore marke that it is thus written Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnatioÌ„ to those that are in Christ Gal 3.13 Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law when he was made a curse for vs. If it were not thus that they that beleeue in Christ were assured that Christ had freed them both from all their sinnes and also from their penalty due therefore how coulde it be true that we read Rom. 5.1.2 that they that are iustified by faith haue peace with God through Christ accesse to his grace wherin they stand reâ—olce And if there were not yet enough done to satisfie the iustice of God why did Christ say giuing vp the ghost cosummatum est it is finished Ioh. 19.30 And why is the promise to al Gods children vttered in these wordes Ierem. 31.34 I will forgiue their iniquitie and remember their sinnes no more Yea how can it stand with Gods iustice that hauing for-giuen to the beleeuer all his sinnes hee yet should punish him for them and cause him to satisfie for them Will God punish and driue to satisfaction where the cause is already taken away when he hath been satisfied at once already to the vttermost farthing as it is euident he hath beene in Chryst for al that beleue in him For other wyse Christ hauing taken vpon him to satisfie the iustice of his heauenlye Father shoulde not nor coulde not haue risen agayne ascended into heauen and sit at the right hand of his father Thereby it is euident that by his abasement he hath fully satisfied his father gone through with the work he took in haÌ„d is now able to apply the same to those the be his Yea but all this letteth not wil they say but that we may hold still that by our satisfactions God in part is satisfied seeing we graunt that they are made auailable satisfactions by Christes satisfaction Yea but that were yet to say that Christ purgeth his from their sinnes not by himself but by the helpe and sufferings of others the plaine contrary whereof wee reade Heb. 1.3 in these words He hath by himself purged our sinnes How say you then to manyfold afflictions and in the ende to death laid vppon them that beleeue say they I answeare that these are no satisfactions to God for sinnes already committed but they are his fatherly chastisements to admonish vs to repent vs of sinnes paste and to take heed of sinne hereafter And they are both occasions to them to exercise their vertues and to those that are without instructioÌ„s to take heed of going on in wickednes seeing the Lord so chastiseth his owne house And as for death the stinge thereof is taken away in respect of such soy howsoeuer it be remain the rewarde of sin to the vnbeleeuer yet to theÌ„ the beleeue it is but the last strok of the battel as the dore thorow which they passe froÌ„ this worlde full of misery to the next full of ioy and felicity It is a pitifull thing that of these they cannot tell what to make vnlesse they make them meanes to derogate from the most sufficient and infinite satisfaction made by Christ If the glory of Christ were deare vnto them as it ought they were perswaded as they should that he was both able willing to go thorow with the worke which he tooke in hand that is to be a perfect and a ful Sauiour in himselfe and by himselfe whatsoeuer they thought of theÌ„ they would not once dare to cause theÌ„ to encroch thus vpon his office Alas it is lighter then vanitie it selfe for them to say that by the vertue of Christ there is deserued for them that beleeue in him that eternall punishments due to theÌ„ should be turned into teÌ„porall y for his sake God will coÌ„tent himself with these For first it is a mere deuise of their owne head vtterly without warrant froÌ„ Gods reuealed wil in his word secoÌ„dly howe can it staÌ„d with any reason that he the for Christs sake wil forgiue the greater wil stick at the lesse that he that will forgiue the eternal punishment wil not for-giue the temporary And lastly what a toy is it to imagine that Christ tooke so much paines to satisfie the iustice of his heauenlye father to leaue the accomplishment thereof to the vncertainty of mens satisfactions And truely as you see by this that I haue said their vanity contrariety to the word writren in this particular pointe of their faith concerning remission of sinnes so if you will listen but a while you shall finde their fault as great in the next concerning their iustifying vp or making of themselues righteous by their owne righteousnesse done after faith Concerning which point you are to vnderstand dearly beloned that the quistyon betweene vs and them therein is not as they woulde make the woorlde beleeue whether Chryst be of power in them that beleeue aftertually to cause them to dye to sinne lyue to righteousnes For as you haue before hearde I haue already betermyned that vnlesse it be a faith arcâ—â—panyed with that power it is a deade and 〈◊〉 fayth And therefore wee as earnestlye 〈◊〉 them that beleue to bring forth fruits worthy of forth as they can doe for their lyues But herein lyeth the questyon whether fayth iustifye for the worke it bryngeth foorth or for Chrystes 〈◊〉 whom it apprehendeth and so whether wee may trust to these good fruites when wee haue brought them foorth as that the reby wee may thinke and beleue we are iustyfied before God 〈◊〉 maâ—ited to be saiâ—ed We say wee may not account other wyse of them then as of fruit as and â—â—â—rctes of out full iustification appreâ—â—â—ded in Christ seruing to the glory of God Mit. 5.16 and to testifie both to our seâ—â—â—â— and others that soluation is prâ—pâ—â—â—d for vs in Christ in heauen Iohn 13.35.2 Peâ— 1.5 And in no case â—arâ— we make them any cause eyther of our iustification or saluation But we say with Saint Barnard ser 1 de annâ—â—â—â—â—tione Mariâ— that thou canst not deserâ—e et â—â—â—all life by any woorkes 〈…〉 merites are not such that â—rerâ—all life 〈…〉 as that God shoulde doe man wrong if therefore he shoulde not giueÌ„ it for our good woorkes are Gods giftes and so for them wee are indebted to him and not hee to vs. They accompt of them as of a meritorious cause of their saluation and as of the formall cause of their iustification and therefore to that end they doe them and trust in them Wheras we hold that wee bee in the state of iustification onely for Chrysts sake apprehended by faith
as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God 2. Thess 2.4 Of which qualities the two first are notoriously seen in popery in forbidding the mariage of ministers and in the commaÌ„ding as a holy and meritorious thing abstinence from flesh And as for the rest who can consider howe the Popes haue brought kinges and princes vnder to do them most base seruice and what otherwise they haue taken vpon them do stil to make lawes besides and often contrary to the woorde written to binde consciences yet vnder paine of damnation to obey how they cal theÌ„selues heads of the vniuersall Church which is Christs speciall and peculiar title Colos 1. Ephes 1. howe they take vpon them to forgiue sinnes and to conferre vpon beggarly creatures by the halowing of them power to put away sinnes but he must be enforced to coÌ„fesse that al the other qualities are seene and found notoriously in the rase of Popes for a long time Lastly as it is prophecied that by the spirit of Gods mouth 2. Thess 2.8 Antichrist shall consume and after the sound of the Gospell againe that Babylon shall fall Apoc. 14.8 so the Lordes name be praised for it we haue seene by experience papacie fallen into a great consumption and the popes credit and autority very well fallen also in the consciences of men by the preaching of the Gospell againe in these latter daies And to our comfort we may learne out of the 2. to the Thes 2.8 that his consuÌ„ption is so deadly that he shal neuer recouer it vntill he be quite abolished by the brightnes of Christs comming If he therfore win a litlâ— in one place both he and his may learne by this to make their account that they shall loose more in another In steade therefore of hoping againe for their golden day let them seat nâ— for the fall of Babylon which is irreuocable to take vppe weeping and wailing and to cry alas alas for the great citie as it is prophecied that Antichristes friendes shall doe at his fall Apoc. 18.19 Thus you see or at the least may see both that Babylon is Rome and also that Antichristianity is Popery Wherefore the second part of my argument is proued which was this But who so dyeth in the popishe faith dieth bearing the marke of the beast both in forhead and hand and therefore now againe I may conclude therfore so far off is it that he that dieth a papist dieth a christian or in Christ that most certainty he dieth a limme of Antichrist and that consequently all Papistes dying Papistes in this peeuish and Antichristian faith before deseribed confuted are shut out from this number that my text speaketh of 〈…〉 thus also in this short comparison of the prophecies concerning the kingdome of 〈…〉 you seâ— once againe their glory 〈◊〉 to their shame For you know they bragge that their Church must bee the true church because they 〈◊〉 alleage anâ—iquiâ—â— vniuersality vnity visibility whereas al these as you haue heâ—râ— are 〈…〉 christianity For 〈…〉 it waâ—â—â—ginning in Paâ—â—â— times for viâ—â—â—â—â—â—ity and 〈◊〉 â—ll â—â—tions shal be drunke the 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 you haue heard how glittering â—â—sible 〈◊〉 the whore of Babylon shal be Let them 〈◊〉 therefore dazel our eies or deceiue vs by any such false marks to cause vs to â—â—â—e the poore litle persecuted flock of Christ to 〈◊〉 our selues with their garish synagogue 〈◊〉 thus you haue heard what faith wil not 〈◊〉 our 〈…〉 vs vnto Christ that so we may when it pleaseth the Lorde â—e in him euen wher by you may also see 〈◊〉 I doubt not but you do what maner of faith it must be that wil serue Howbeit for your more full satisfying coÌ„cerning that point What faith it is that will vnite vs in deede to Christ vnderstand that that faith the Lorde by the ministery of his word and Sacramenteâ— through the inward working of his spirit neuer yet 〈◊〉 â—ought in any â—â—â—euer will vnles that first by his law he â—erâ— one that was 〈…〉 onely to see and know his sinnes and the punishments therefore due 〈◊〉 him but also to a true sorowe for the fâ—me and an vnfeâ—â—ed loathing therof and conseâ—â—ntly to an earnest huÌ„ger and this 〈◊〉 to be deliâ—ered â—herefrom â—or Christ was not sent to coÌ„fort 〈◊〉 by the Gospell that were not first â—â—comforted by the law to 〈◊〉 vp any by the one that were not first thr◠〈◊〉 down by the other or to heale â—â—y by the one who the other before had not made euen sieke in the foule for the gâ—iefe of sinne And therefore it is writen that he waâ—sent to bind vp the broken haâ—◠〈◊〉 to appoint vnto them that mourne in Sion to giue vnto theÌ„ beautie for a shes the oâ—â—e of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnes for the spirit of heauâ—nes Isai 6.13 And such saith Dauid Psa 5 1â— as are of a contrite and a broken hart are â—ccâ—p table vnto him and he will not despise them and to him euen to him that is poore and of a contritespirit he saith he will looke Isai 66. â— And therefore Isai 55.1 and Iohn 7.37 he â—â—â—leth only the thirsty vnto him and Mat. â—â— 28 the weary and heauy loaden promising comfort to such Which property of our God it seemeth yt he blessed virgin had wel obserued therfore she singeth Lâ—kâ— 1.53 He hath filled the â—â—â—gry with good thinges â—â—â—le â—â—ch he â—â—ath seâ—t eâ—ty away They therfore yâ— by fayth would find Christ 〈◊〉 â—e raised vp must first go to schole with the law â—â—lea to therby effectually the former sessâ—â—â— fâ—â— the law is our schâ—â—eâ—â—â—ster to bring vs to Câ—hrist 〈…〉 4. that so they finding out the depth and grieuâ—usnes of their spirituall sicknes may seek a sit â—â—â—â—cieÌ„t â—layster sâ—lue to heal 〈◊〉 it Vnto with estate wheÌ„ the lord hath brought his knowing that light after darknes helth after sicknes felicity after tast of misery wil be yâ— more â—â—leâ—Ì„â— more thâ—Ì„kfully receiued theÌ„ effectually becauseth theÌ„ so to prâ—fice by the doctrine of the gospel that first therby they attain to a sound and right knowledge of Iesus Christ what hee is in persoÌ„ what he is in office In person that he is the 2 person in Trinity very God and very man also and yet that he is but one person coÌ„sisting of these 2 natures In office king priest prophet the only messias means to be saued by Which saliatioÌ„ therby also they learne he hath dearly fully merited in by his owne abasâ—meÌ„t in that he â—â—â—aÌ„e maÌ„ liued died was buried and desceÌ„ded into â—el therby likewise they learn that by his â—duaÌ„cemeÌ„t that is by his resurrectioÌ„ ascension â—nd siâ—â—ing on yâ— right haÌ„d of his father he is now able to bestowe and apply the same faluation by himself so merited to al that be his Whereupon they take decasioÌ„ stâ—â—fastly