payment For why if thou haddest euen al the whole Bible by hart in Hebrue Gréek and Latin in thy mother tung Nay which is much more and notable if thou couldest tell the true sense and meaning of all thinges that are written and beléeuedst them to be most true yet shalt thou not thereby be saued For the Deuils vnderstand know the things that are written and which haue béene doone from the beginning of the worlde for the saluation of men and they beleeue them all to be true yea and they are in the knowledge and skill of those things vndoubtedlye aboue vs and yet shall they not for al that be saued as Iames saith héer What is then further required This perhaps will some man say that we beleeue that Christ did not onlye suffer but that euerye one beléeue that he suffred also for him But what if we falsely perswade our selues of this as we are wont to deuise imagine many things of our selues what if I say some lewd wicked man an idolater or manslear would perswade him self that Christ died for him as it is like that many in Europe doo perswade thēselues Wil Christ for this vaine perswasions sake saue him Many saith Christ himselfe in that daye shall cry out after this manner Lord Lord open vnto vs we haue prophesied and cast out Deuils in thy name but they shall receiue this answer from him Departe from me all ye woorkers of iniquitie for I know ye not These men perswaded them-selues that Christ died for thē and they looked to haue had life from him but this did them no good What is it then at the last which is required works saith Iames which if faith haue not it is dead and therefore cannot giue either righteousnes or life eternall Notwithstanding it séemeth that this faith in God and in Christ his Sonne comprised in the Apostles Créede is most perfit absolute and that nothing els can further be required So say I likewise doth a painted man seeme to consist of all his parts and members and yet is he nothing els but a painted man or the picture and shadowe of a man which also in effect is to be said of this faith of thine Or that we may tarry in the exāple of Iames the carkasse of a man hath all the partes and members of a mans body and yet for all that it is not a man because it lacketh a spirit saith he in the last verse of this Chapter So that same faith saith he without woorkes is dead though he vnderstood and beléeued the foresaid Créede of Th'apostles yea and the whole Bible besides But thou wilt say these thinges séeme to be cleane contrarye to the doctrine receiued amongst vs and to the writinges of Paule No verily For why they that iudge rightlye of iustification by faith doo not disagree from Iames neither is Paule contrary to Iames. Yet Paule saith that we are iustified by faith only without the woorkes of the Law Paule indeed hath not the woord Onlye but yet when he saith that we are iustified without the workes of the Law I haue no doubt of it but that it followeth by the true exposition of Paule that a man is iustified by faith onlye But I say that it came neuer into Pauls mind to affirm that faith which is without works doth iustifie for so he should indeed haue been contrary to Iames but he attributeth the power and praise of iustification to a true and liuely faith which is neuer voide of good woorkes and not to the woorks themselues which is spoken by him not onely wittily as euery thing els but also truly and Christianly But Abraham thou wilt saye by the testimony of Moses and Paule in that only that he beleeued God promising him a plentifull posteritie was accounted righteous Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes But wilt thou knowe Ovaine man saith Iames heere that Abraham was not iustified by faith without woorkes Did he not offer vp his sonne Isaac on the altar Abrahams faith then was not that fruitlesse and barren faith which consisteth in the knowledge or in the ignorant beleefe of some certaine points of Diuinitie but that effectuall and woorking faith which frameth a man to the obedience of God for this appeereth plain by the life and déeds of Abraham But yet some obiect that the same cannot be saide of the Theefe that was crucified with Christ For when he had spent his whole life in euill dooing and had said vnto Christ being now at the point of death Remember me whē thou commest into thy kingdome he heard forthwith This daye shalt thou be with me in Paradise and immediatly after he died Yea but say I the faith of this Theefe was very liuely and effectuall For the effectes of a liuely faith are these an ernest feare of God which Salomon the wisest of all other affirmeth to be the beginning of wisdome secondlye the inuocation of Gods name For whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued the acknowledgment and confession of sinnes loue and dutifulnes toward our neighbour And all these things in that little space of time did the liuely faith of that Theefe vtter and bring forth For that he was affected with an earnest feare of God it appéereth by this in that reprouing the other Theefe which reuiled Christ he said Fearest thou not God that raylest vpon this man We are indeede heere for our misdeedes and are worthily punished but this man hath doone nothing amisse He called earnestly vpon God Lord saith he remember me when thou commest into thy kingdom He acknowledged and confessed his sinnes we are iustly punished saith he to his fellow wherby also it appereth that he suffered paciently so cruell and shamefull a death He discharged his duty also toward his neighbour when being desirous to doo him good he admonished him that he should not raile vpon Christ but consider earnestly of his own sinnes And therfore his faith was not dead but liuing and affectuall It is no meruaile thē though through it he obteyned life which by a dead faith no man euer obteyned neyther shall at any time obteine But seeing this dead faith knoweth and acknowledgeth God to be almighty maker of Heauen and earth and Christ also his Sonne to be sent of God for our redemption what is required more or what is wanting vnto it Euen the Life or Soule as Iames declareth in the last verse of this Chap. Whereby it might be quickened to well dooing For as a dead carkasse consisteth of all and singular his parts and members and yet for all that neither moneth nor liueth because it wanteth a Soule or Spirit which might giue it power to moue and liue euen so faith though it vnderstand whatsoeuer is necessary to be knowne of God and of Christ our Sauiour yet if it be destitute of a Soule or Spirit it cannot giue life But what is then this
busines As coueting therfore to auoide so many inconueniences as doo seeme heeruppon to followe first some haue presumed to deminish Gods prouidence in saying that God dooth by no meanes regarde these inferior thinges for it were a very vnséemely thing that so great a Maiesty should be entangled with our sinnes and vncleannes For which cause also they haue deuized Chaunce-medley or haphazard wherof we will speake also in fitte place Othersome haue thought this course to be best namely to extol mans will and to make the same most franke and frée dooing and perfourming with full power and authority not only euill things but also good so as it may deserue euen eternall life by it owne proper force and strength And therfore that the causes of all actions ought vnto this most franke and free will to be ascribed But with these men we think it not good to dispute any further seeing we haue sufficiently declared both that all these thinges here belowe are cared for of God and also how farre foorth our will is able to woorke or doo any thing whatsoeuer Now othersome more religious then the former haue sought out other helpes and some of them haue referred all those places wherby it seemeth to be mēt that God dooth woorke together vnto sinne vnto foreknowledge saying that God indeed foresaw and foreknew that men would sinne but prouided not that is to saye disposed by his incomprehensible counsell that such actions should be doone by men And so seeing foreknowledge alone dooth woorke nothing at all to the committing of sinne neither by any meanes enforce it they thinke that God is aboundantlye excused and farre from béeing the cause of any sinne Some liked better to vse a distinction whereby they determine some thinges to be doone simplye by the absolute will of God and some thinges onlye by his permission and wincking at them if it be lawfull so to speake After the opinion of these men when it is saide that God hardened Pharaos hart the Hebrue phrase is so to be expounded as that the sence should be that Pharao was in déed hardened not by the effectuall will of God but only by his permission and sufferance And as permission hath no blame in it selfe especiallye where it is not bound of duety to let euill so that the cause of sinne can by no meanes be laid vpon God And this reason hath preuailed with a great number But if in case we consider well of the matter we shall perceiue that these interpretations as they be farre fetcht so are they neither necessary neither can they very well hang togither for as touching foreknowledge first by this reason the force of prouidence is excluded from many thinges and is pent vp in too narrowe a roome Secondlye there remaineth yet something for which God may by wicked reason be accused and found fault with For if God hath foreseene euill and not letted it sith it was in his power to doo it thē hath he not doone wel insomuch as he preuented not that in time which he foresaw should come to passe And so is God againe made the author of sinne For permission dooth attribut such an inlenes in a maner vnto God as Epicurus dreamed off Certes it would be a thing not very séemelye or commendable in God when a man attempteth to doo any thing by his own naturall inclination to dissemble the matter in such sorte as to suffer him to runne headlong into perdition and destruction For what father could abide to sée his little childe neere vnto some certaine danger and would not by and by helpe him and pluck him from it Further it is an absurd thing that God should permit any thing which he would not haue to be doon as who should say that any thing could come to passe without his knowledge or against his will And how shall we knowe that God permitteth a thing but because he willeth it How much more truely thē may we say that God dooth simplye will a thing thē permit or suffer it I know there be some that defend this interpretation of permission by bringing forth certain places of Scripture as namely these Act. 14. God in times past suffred al the Gentils to walk in their own waies Againe Psal 81. My people would not hear my voyce and Israell would none of me Therfore I gaue them vp into the hardnes of their hart that they might walke in their own counsels 1. Corinth 10. God is faithfull which will not suffer you to be tēpted aboue your strength But héereby it is not meant that God dooth generally giue ouer vnto themselues all that are about to fall into sinne but rather that he dooth then in déede sometimes forsake the wicked and suffer them to perrish with their own deuises when after sundry and often admonitions they will not be brought to repent or that he doth now then leaue euen the godly also to the deuill for a time to be tryed with diuers troubles and temptations Which thing that it commeth to passe by the singular prouidence of God and by his iust iudgement it is in it selfe cléere and manifest And these thinges are so farre off from béeing doon without the determination of Gods wisdom that euen the singular prouidence of God doth shine shew foorth it self in them Moreouer sith these places are very fewe in comparison which seeme to allowe permission it were a very vnméete thing to wrest innumerable other places wherin is cleerelye and without ambiguitie ascribed vnto God his woorke in the hartes and willes of men and in steed of discouering the natiue sence and meaning to drawe them with violence into the compasse of those places Wherfore we must stick fast to the plaine and simple meaninge of the holy Scriptures and holde fast the true and naturall signification of the woordes auouching for a certaintie that God dooth all in all not by permission or sufferance but by his ordinary dispensation and prouidence that is to say that he dooth truly and by his determinate purpose harden make blinde giue vp into a reprobate sence leade into temptation and euery other thinge like vnto these Such phrases of spéeche are more oftner found in the Scriptures then that any other way of expounding them is rashly to be deuised which thinge Augustine also noted in his fifth booke and third Chapter against Iulianus And yet for all this it followeth not héer by that the sinnes of men so by God hardned blinded c are to be imputed vnto him Which poynte wée by certaine substauntiall reasones will make plaine and manifest First Although it be God that dooth moue and incline the hart either vnto good or euill yet there remaineth in man as we haue before specified a will which is no doubt the sin guler gift of God bestowed vpon man Now wheras man dooth shamefully abuse this will of his doutles he dooth it by his owns default For whilest by his owne will he adicteth
walke in the waye that is heere prescribed of Dauid But what shall we saye of the Sacrifices and Ceremonies that in the time of Dauid were in their full force and strength why doth Dauid make no mention of them because the godly man knew well inough that the woorship of God consisted not in them neither Faith but the outward exercise of faith and Gods worship therfore Psal 15. he saith That these outward Sacrifices and burnt offrings doo not please God to wit of themselues but the Sacrifice acceptable to God is a troubled spirit and a broken or contrite hart Notwithstanding thou wilt say he that taketh vpon him to describe the waye of saluation vnto others ought not to omit the Ceremonies ordeyned of God wherin faith and religion doo exercise themselues But religiousnes faith is much better and more holilye exercised in the morall duties or actions of the second Table that is in helping and releeuing of our neighbours then in any ceremonies as witnesseth Christ Math. 25. And this shall appéere most plainely in the latter day For men occupied in Ceremonies doo commonly mock God and woorke disceit counterfetting themselues to be other then they be Which if it were not so they did very ill that set forth vnto vs the articles of our faith where there is no mention made of Baptisme no mention of the Lords Supper nor of the exercising of any other Ceremony But those holye men whither they were the Apostles or other that next succeeded them knew right well that those things were vsed aswell of the bad as of the good and therefore that the true and spirituall woorship of God standeth not in them whereby the good might be discerned from the euill but in this rather that thou by a true and liuely faith apprehending the infinite mercy of God offred vnto thée in Christ maist so immitate and follow him that thou maist become a newe man and so seruently loue God that for his sake thou maist bring thy self to nothing to the end thou maist serue him and thy neighbour as he commaundeth For in this pointe standeth shall stand and alwaies hath stood true and sincere religion which afterward notwithstanding in diuers and sundrye cerimontes brought in for our weaknes is exercised and put in vre But if these things be thus it is so far off that this sentence touching the waye to eternall life should be maymed and vnperfit that contrari-wise it is to be thought most perfit and absolute which in so few woordes setteth downe those things that being set down and simplye as euerye man may vnderstand all thinges must of necessitie be well and as they should be insomuch that there is none that dooth these thinges but he shall also be partaker of the blessed life to come or els Dauid is a false Prophet which no man in his right minde will saye And if this be so indéede why doo men striue so much about this matter and one so cruelly rage against another verily because such is the curiositie of mans braine and desire of knowledge that omitting that which was especially to be regarded they all for the most part intangle themselues in many and most difficult questions and will enforce others to be of like minde with them in euery thing and such also is the blockishnes of many that being giuen to a number of Ceremonies they will driue and compell others to vse and frequent the same And in the mean season that Wedding garment is neglected which notwithstanding if so be we will feaste with God and his Angels and with al the holy Saintes in heauen is especiallye requisite And therfore all men haue héere wherin they may safely rest if they will and willing they ought to be if they thinke meete to stand to Dauids testimony they haue wherby hatreds contencions persecutions fire and sword both betwéene Kings and armed Souldiers and among learned men may easilye be quenched But if neither Kinges by the authoritie of King Dauid nor Learned men by th'authorite of the Prophet Dauid can be kept within compasse of their duties yet haue all the godly in this Psalm where in this so great a discorde of religion they may repose themselues that so they may neuer whatsoeuer encombrance they suffer of any be discouraged in their mindes but constantlye proceed and perseuer in the way prescribed them héere which is the Kingly and Propheticall way certaine and assured to that most happy and heauenly life Goo too therefore my déere brethren what complots soeuer bloody men deuise among thēselues to destroy vs whatsoeuer contentious persons and common branglers dispute and reason among themselues let vs holde this waye to life described vnto vs by Dauid and Christ the Sonne of God and let vs continue in it persisting in the steppes of Christ that being at length made like vnto God through Christ our Sauiour we may with him enioy euerlasting life Which that he may graunt vs for this is not in our power we will againe most humbly beséche him Oeternall God and our heauenly Father c. Sermon III. Epistle of Iames chap. 2. 14 What auaileth it my brethren though a man saith he hath faith and yet haue no works can that faith saue him 15 For if a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of dayly food 16 And one of you say vnto them departe in peace warme your selues and fill your bellies notwithstanding ye giue them not those things which are needful to the body what helpeth it 17 Euen so faith if it haue no woorks is dead in it selfe THe place touching Faith is most large and profitable among Diuines and very requisite of euery man to be knowen for it seemeth that the true and naturall knowledge and vse thereof alone may be sufficient to the atteinement of life But the same hath beene whither through the ignorance of some men or wickednes I cannot tell but vndoubtedly through the craft and subtilty of Sathan so enwrapped with many hard and difficult questions that the same which was plaine and simple is now become difficult and obscure We hauing regarde of this place and time and omitting the questions which perhaps may be handled more fitlye in the Schooles will alleadge onelye those thinges that shall séeme most profitable to the better information of life and framing of our manners to the will of God Iames in the first of the sower verses which we haue read propoundeth a question the which immediatly repeating he setteth forth by the adiuncts and beeing thus propounded and set forth he in the thrée other verses by an argument drawne from a Sinulitude declareth and determineth it The Question is this What auaileth it brethren saith he If a man saith he hath faith and haue no woorkes that is to say Though a man saith that he beléeueth in God the Father almighty or also in Iesus Christ his Sonne and dooth exercise this religion in rites and ceremonies and yet hath
no woorkes prescribed in the Lawe that is neither loueth God aboue all thinges nor other men as himselfe what good saith he shall such a faith doo wherwith he that is endued shall neither loue God as becommeth him nor yet men But for somuch as there are many profitable vses of Faith wherof also we receiue some in this life th'apostle repeateth and enlargeth the Question Can such a faith saith he saue a man to the intent it might appeere that he demaundeth not the question heer touching euery vtilitie of faith but of this expressely Whither such a faith can saue a man And heere is propounded and set forth the principall and most excellent fruite of Faith to witte the saluation of our soules which except Faith doo minister vnto vs it is vnprofitable For the other vses thereof if this be taken awaye shall be of no accompt and therfore all that woorship God doo woorship him in manner with this hope that they may obtaine of him a blessed and euerlasting life For albeit the truest and rightest way of woorshipping him is that we maye loue and woorship him for his owne sake because he is best and not for any benefit or commoditie of our owne accordingly as we loue the things that are faire because they are faire although we reape no fruit at all by them yet God applying himselfe to our capacitie dooth euerye where in the holye Scriptures and in his diuine promises and threatninges make mention of life and death euerlasting to the end be might allure vs vnto him and fraye vs from sinne and iniquitie Inasmuch therfore as all men which serue and woorship God doo from him looke for the most blessed life eternall that is such a life as wherin all euils being vtterly abandoned there is store and plenty of all good things and the only entrie thereunto and way that leadeth to it is the way of righteousnes which is perfectly comprised and declared in the Law of God and this righteousnes no man can attain vnto by his own strength for by nature we are all sinners it remaineth that faith alone doth giue bestowe the same vpon man or els that all men should vtterly and vniuersally perish Wherupon also it plainlye appéereth that it is only faith that deliuereth wretched men from all euill and bringeth them to the fruition of that high and soueraigne good so greatly wished for of all For why faith alone giueth vnto man perfit righteousnes and therefore also eternall life If so be then faith minister not this profit vnto vs it is verily vnprofitable sith men as I saide beléeue in God to the end they might be saued by him And therfore if their faith cannot perfourme thus much vnto them they beleeue in vaine Th'apostle therfore by repeating the question propounded dooth profitably and to very good purpose demaund whither that faith that is without woorkes be of such force as that it may saue men For if this be true we ought to be contented with it but if it be not either we must seeke another way to life or else we must perish And therfore how profitable yea how necessarye the true explication of this question is to be knowne to all that are desirous of eternall life there is no man that séeth not Now this dooth Iames himselfe declare vnto vs in the three short verses following Yea the very interrogations wherby he propoundeth the question séeme to conteine a secret answer vnto it and to tell vs what we ought to iudge of this question For this the common course of questioning dooth proue For why if I should saye to some lewde and desperate knaue professing Christian Religion with vs in the vse of the Sacraments publike prayers and sermons in this manner thinkest thou that this outward profession of Christian Religion will doo thée any good when as thou hast a filthy and vncleane hart art thou of an opinion that it will saue thée it is euen as much as if I denied it and said Doubtlesse thou art not to looke that this outward profession of thy mouth shall make thée become acceptable to God So whē Iames saith What profiteth it a man to say he hath faith when he hath no workes that is liueth not by Faith can this Faith saue him that so beleeueth it is all one as if he flatly denyed it And if we take it thus then by the testimonye and authoritie of Iames himself the question shal in this wise be determined and we are to holde that by faith without woorks no man can attain vnto saluation And we must vndoubtedly stand to the iudgemente of Iames as to that which procéedeth not from man but from God For albeit he was a man yet because he was the Apostle of Christ and enspired with the Holy-ghost that spake this which also is agreeable with the rest of the diuine Oracles who but an vncleane person will call this matter into question Notwithstanding least he might séeme willing to conuince and enforce vs by his sole authoritie to beléeue it he addeth a reason by way of comparison whereby he so plainely and manifestlye proueth the thing to be so that now he leadeth vs not only by his authoritie but also by force of reason whereunto they willingly submit themselues that are partakers of reason as it were by the hand to the vnderstanding of the question propounded And his reason is this If some poore wretched man were heere present destitute of all thinges necessarye naked and hungrye to whome some riche and wealthye person would say with all gentlenes Goe thy waye hence I pray thee and take meate and warme thy selfe and yet giueth him nothing for to eate or wherby to warme himselfe though to outward appearance this speech of the rich man seem to be honest and kinde to the poore yet what good doth it to the poor creature that is like to sterue for hunger and colde Nay doubtlesse it is rather iniurious and reprochefull against him Thou seest a man destitute of all thinges naked and hunger starued and thou saiste vnto him Goe home take thy meate and warme thy selfe and yet thou knowest him to want all thinges necessary as neither hauing house to goe to nor meat to eate nor clothing to put on nor any thing to warme himselfe withall Doost thou not mock and deride his pouertie doost thou not alike as if thou vpbraidest him with his poore estate and miserie Euen after the same manner saith Iames standes the case when a man professeth himselfe to beleeue in God the Father almightye and in Iesus Christ his Sonne For the speeche is honest and good and in shewe godlye But vnlesse such a man loue God with all his hart and serue him as his Father and for his sake men also created after his owne image and similitude so as he may labour to profit all and tohurt none this mans externall and outward confession of mouth shal neither be accepted nor accounted off
of God but rather be iniurious contumelious against him He may cry as loud and as long as he will O God the father almightye I beléeue in thee and O Christ Iesu the Sonne of the liuing God I beléene in thee whē as yet he neither loueth God in good earnest nor men for Gods cause this beléefe as I may so call it shall profit him nothing at al saith Iames. For this faith that wanteth works is dead saith he For heereupon hangeth the force of Iames his argument That which is dead cannot giue life But faith without workes is dead Therfore It cannot giue life neither is it acceptable to God but rather reprochefull vnto him because it maketh a shew as though it gaue honour vnto God and yet giueth none but will haue him to be contented with the smoke of vaine talke and profession when as he requireth the hart of man and not woordes This is if I be not deceiued the true and proper exposition of this place whereby it appeereth as by many other also that there is a double or two folde faith of men the one which wanteth and is without good woorkes the other which floweth and aboundeth with them The former is said of Iames to be dead because it is barren and vnprofitable but this for that it is effectuall and painefull is commonly called quick or liuelye The one consisteth either in a certaine knowledge of God and in the only skill and contemplation of his diuine misteries or els in some certaine credulous and ignorant opinion whereby a man supposeth himselfe to beléeue that which he vnderstandeth not and the other resting it selfe as ye would say contented in a simple and sound knowledge of God in Christ is wholy conuersant in action and occupied in well dooing The difference which is betwéen both all or the greatest number are for the most parte ignorant of neither doo they passe much whither they knew it or no because forsooth they couet to liue to themselues rather then vnto God And yet this difference not being knowne nor regarded it commeth to passe that very many in stead of the chéefe and soueraigne good which they desire doo fall into extreme miserie and all because they thinke themselues to be endued with such a faith as wherby they may be saued and so flatter thēselues in it liuing in pleasure delight where in very deed it is only a vaine shadowe of true faith and nothing els in regarde whereof we are ernestly to endeuer at this time that both we maye vnderstand this diuersitie and also imbrace the true and liuelye faith if so be we desire to be saued But thou wilte saye who would thinke that euer there were any or there were some such in times past yet that there should be any at this daye so foolishe and brutish to beleeue that he shal be saued by such a faith Yes verily say I there both were some when the Apostle wrote these thinges for otherwise why should he purposelye haue handled this argumēt throughout this whole Chapter yea throughout the whole Epistle wherin he so greatly vrgeth workes and also that there are many in our time and perhaps also among vs not a few the saying of Christ being as yet conuersant on earth and speking of his last comming to iudgement may séeme to be a proof When the Son of man shall come suppose ye that he shal finde faith on the earth Wherby he declareth that in the latter daies faith wil be very rare and hard to finde but if all that say they beleeue in God or in Christ and professe it outwardlye in Religion beleeued trulye and in déede then were there no small number of beleeuers but a very great companye It appéereth then that to the outward profession of Faith something is required that it may be true and iustifying Notwithstanding that this may the more cléerelye appeere we will endeuer to declare it more at large The Iewes and Turkes doo say that they beléeue in almighty God maker of heauen and earth gouernour and perseuer of all thinges Yea all Nations in a manner doo beleeue and confesse as much For a man shall finde fewe that beleeue not in one God through those impressions of knowledge which God hath engrauen in mens mindes And this faith is true as touching the sense and meanig of the woordes For God is in very déede almighty maker and preseruer of all thinges There faith then is in this respect not false no neither is their faith feigned or counterfet for because they beléeue euen so as they speak neither doo their minde disagree from their talke Therefore their faith is not feigned as though they spake one thing and beléeued an other or as though their tung and hart agreed not togither Naye their confession which they make of God is our confession For we confesse in the Apostles créed that We beleeue in God the Father almightye maker of heauen and earth How falleth it out then that if our Faith be true theirs should be false and feigned Shal not then this faith of theirs in God the Father saue them No saith Iames For euen the Deuils also beleeue and acknowledge that there is one God almightye maker of heauen and earth and yet for al that they are not iustified neither are they apt to eternall life No more thē also can our faith in God the Father saue vs. But thou wilt say we are to think otherwise touching faith in the Sonne of God in whome they beléeue not For he that confesseth Christ shal be saued But all Christians in what place or of what sort soeuer they be whither they be Romanistes or other for I dare not deny the name of Christians to the Romanistes sith the learneder writers doo confesse the Church of Rome to be the Church of God but yet a straying Church all I say do with one mouth confesse that they beléeue in Christ the Sonne of God who for the sinnes of men hauing taken our nature vpon him suffered died and rose againe from the dead ascended into the heauens from whence also he shal come in the latter daye to iudge both the quick and dead And this faith touching Christ is true neither is it feigned in them For they doo euen so think of Christ as they say they beléeue Shall this faith therefore saue all that doo thus beleeue if it want woorkes No it shall not saith Iames. Beléeuest thou that Christ took mans nature vpon him and therein both wrought and suffred what soeuer was necessarye for mens saluation thou doost well neither beleeuest thou amisse but the Deuils know all these things and they do no lesse stedfastly beleeue them then thou What is then required more Not that thou shouldest knowe or beleeue any more of Christ as the things which he said or did and yet were not committed to writing the which as Iohn saith were almost innumerable Neither shall this stand or goe for
beleene In my name they shal cast out deuils they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recouer they shall speake with new tunges and if they drinke any deadlye thing it shall not hurt them Now if I should ask you whither you beleeued in Christ or no the question would seeme verye absurd For ther is no man that maketh any doubt of that matter For why there is none that will not say he beléeueth in Christ But if I shall demaund of any whither doo the signes that are heere mencioned of Christ followe thy faith doost thou heale the sick doost thou speake with new tunges what answer will he make héer For the woordes of Christ are plaine These signes saith he shall follow them that beleeue neither dooth Christ lye neither will he be found false If thou beleuest truely and indéed these must followe thy faith but if not thou supposest thou beléeuest in Christ and yet doost not beléeue Heere then thou seest that vertue or power of faith which is the life or spirit of faith to be wanting in thee and therefore thy faith is dead But miracles are ceassed neither are they required any more Thou saist wel those corporall miracles are ceassed either for mens vnbeleefe or for that they were appointed onlye to those first times of the Church Notwithstanding thy faith must not want vertue for if it do it is dead There are then euen at this time also other miracles in the woorking whereof our faith must exercise her power if it be true and liuely There are many deuils still in vs which are to be cast out if we will haue Christ to dwell in vs the deuils I say of couetousnes ambition enuie euill speaking reuengement and such other lustes of the flesh which fight against the soule from the which if thou be once free thou shalt afterward laye thy hands vpon other and they shal be whole that is thou shalt teach them the true knowledge of God and of Christ and they shall be fréed from the errors vanitie of this worlde They shall speake also with new tunges that is to say where before they were blasphemers and all their woordes vaine and vnprofitable nay hurtfull and pestilēt now as though they were endued with a new tung they shal speak nothing which shal not be referred to the glory of God and the profit and saluation of men and this is to speake with newe tunges And thus if we be disposed and affected although we shall drinke any deadly thing yet shall we not be hurt by it For why neither shall the world nor the flesh with the lustes therof no nor Sathan himselfe rising vp against vs be euer able to thrust vs downe from this good and happye estate and all because we shall cleaue fast vnto God by this true and liuelye faith yea we shall be one with him through Christ Now may euerye one proue himselfe and weigh and consider with himselfe whither he hath a liuing faith that is to say whither he casteth these deuils first out of himself and secondly out of others For except we doo this we deceiue our selues and haue not that faith indeed which might ioyne and couple vs with Christ For why this power or vertue is of the nature and substance of true faith for with out this it is dead So that like as if the soule or spirit should return again into a dead body that were going to the graue the same would immediatly waxe hot stirre moue and doo all other humane actions and men would meruaile at so great a miracle euen so likewise if that dead faith whereby a man professeth himselfe to knowe God and Christ haue this new vertue adioyned to it the man shall begin forthwith to flame with a diuine loue and that so feruently that he shall frame him selfe wholy to the obedience of God and shall choose rather that his will may be doon in him and by him then his owne he shall trust in him and stay wholy vpon him and if it be so that he must suffer euen extreame tormentes paines for his glories sake that is either losse of goods or honour or credit yea or life it self he shal willingly and gladly doo it And as touching his neighbours by the name of neighbour all men are vnderstood he shal loue them no lesse then himselfe and that not with a humane affection only but with a heauenlye for Gods cause whome he knoweth to require it at his handes And therefore thou shalt neuer couet to hurt anye but to profit all thou shalt be readye to take wrong rather then to doo wrong to be beguiled then to beguile because that other men are also the sonnes of God that is to say of thy heauenlye Father For albeit there be some reprobates and too too many yet canst not thou discearne them from Gods elect nether is it thy part so to doo but séeing al doo beare the image of God thou oughtest to loue al but especially the godly with a sincere affection all I say yea euen those of whō thou hast been hurt or iniuried any kinde of way and shalt pray also for them that curse thee for they are blinde wot not what they do It is thy part duty therfore to pray that they may haue a newe hart and the eyes of their minde purged by faith yea to further thē also with all manner of dutifulnes gentlenes and deserts and to allure them if it be possible to repentance This is that same true and liuelye faith which differeth much from that idle and vnprofitable faith whereupon it followeth that this séeing it is dead is the cause also of most lamentable death and mourning vnto men and that liuely faith iustifieth and saueth man because it is not dead but endued with excéeding great force not such onely as wherby it remoueth mountaines or woorketh some miracles but whereby it loueth God sincerelye and his neighbour also for his sake Wherof Paule to conclude speaketh thus 1. Corinth 13 Though thou couldest speak saith he not only the Latin Greek and Hebrue tung but with all the tunges of men yea and of Angells also though thou haddest the gift of prophesie and knewest all secrets al knowledg yea if thou haddest so great faith that thou couldest remoue mountaines from one place to an other and yet haddest not loue that is to saye Conscience and Dutie both towardes God and men thy faith were nothing but as a sounding brasse and a tinkling Cymball By these things I suppose it appéereth sufficientlye what the true faith is and how far foorth it differeth from the dead It remaineth therefore onlye that we labour and endeuer that not béeing contented nor deciued with this we may imbrace and holde fast that and vse and exercise it as long as we liue that when Christ in the latter daye shall giue sentence of all men and of their faith and woorks we may heare him saying