Abraham beleeued God and it was reckoned to him for righteousnes And therfore he saith a little before We beleeue that a man is iustified by faith without the deeds of the Law And in another place he saith So then in that time shall the remnant be saued according to the election of grace and if they be saued by grace then is it not by workes for then were grace no grace And to the Galatiaus he saith It is a manifest matter that no man becommeth righteous before God by the Law because the righteous liueth by faith And the Law consisteth not in beliefe but he that performeth the things that the Law commandeth shall liue by that performance And further he saith that a man cannot become righteous by the deeds of the Law but onely by beleeuing in Iesus Christ Againe a little after he saith that if a man can become righteous by the Law Iesus Christ dyed in vaine Moreouer to the Romanes making comparison betweene the righteousnesse of the Law and the righteousnesse of the Gospel he saith that the one consisteth in the doing of workes and the other in beleeuing For if thou confesse our Lord Iesus Christ with thy mouth and beleeue in thy heart that God hath raised him vp from death thou shalt be saued For the beliefe of the heart maketh a man righteous and the confession of the mouth maketh him safe Loe how this good teacher Saint Paul sheweth euidently that faith maketh a man righteous without any workes And not only Saint Paul but also the holy Doctors that came after him haue confirmed and allowed this most holy truth of Iustification by faith among whom Saint Augustine is the chiefe who in his booke of faith and workes and in his booke of the Spirit and the Letter and in his booke of fourescore and three questions and in his booke which he did write to Boniface and in his Treatise vpon the xxxj Psalme and in many other places defendeth this article shewing that we become righteous by faith without any helpe of good workes howbeit that good workes are the effects of righteousnesse and not the cause of it And he sheweth that the words of Saint Iames being soundly vnderstood are nothing contrary to this article Which thing Origen doth also affirme in his fourth booke vpon the Epistle to the Romans saying that Saint Pauls meaning is that faith onely is sufficient to make men righteous insomuch that a man becommeth righteous onely by beleeuing although he haue not done any good worke at all For so it is that the thiefe became righteous without the workes of the Law forasmuch as the Lord sought not what good workes he had done in time past nor waited vntill he had done any after he had beleeued but hauing accepted him for righteous vpon his onely confession tooke him for his companion euen when he should enter into Paradise Likewise that so renowmed a woman in the Gospel of S. Luke while she was at the feete of Iesus Christ heard it said vnto her Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And a little after he saith vnto her Thy faith hath saued thee goe thy way in peace Afterward Origen saith In many places of the Gospel a man may see how our Lord Iesus Christ hath spoken in such wise as he sheweth that faith is the cause of the saluation of the beleeuers Then is a man made righteous by faith and the workes of the Law further him nothing at all On the contrary where faith is not which faith maketh the beleeuer righteous although a man doe the workes which the Law commandeth yet notwithstanding forasmuch as they be not builded vpon the foundation of faith albeit that to outward appearance they seeme good yet can they not iustifie him that doth them because he wanteth faith which is the marke of them that are become righteous before God And who is he that can boast himselfe to be righteous when he heareth God say by his Prophet Esay that all our righteousnesse is as a defiled cloth of a menstruous woman Then can we not iustly glory in our selues but in the onely faith of the crosse of Iesus Christ Saint Basil in his Homily of humility saith that the Christian ought to hold himselfe for righteous through beliefe in Iesus Christ and his words are these The Apostle saith that he which glorieth should glory in the Lord in that God hath made Iesus Christ to be our wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption to the end that he which would glory should glory in the Lord because that the perfect and sound glorying is to glory in the Lord. For in so doing a man presumeth not vpon his owne righteousnesse but acknowledgeth his want of the true righteousnes that he is made righteous onely by beleeuing in Iesus Christ And S. Paul gloryeth of the despising of his owne righteousnesse and of his seeking of Christs righteousnesse by faith which commeth of God Saint Hilary in his ninth Canon vpon the exposition of St. Matthew saith these words The Scribes considering Iesus Christ but onely as man were troubled that a man should forgiue sins and pardon that thing which the Law could not doe because that onely faith iustifieth Saint Ambrose in expounding these words of Saint Paul Vnto him that beleeueth in him which iustifieth the vngodly his faith is accounted for righteousnesse according to the purpose of Gods Grace like as David also saith That the man is blessed whom God accounteth righteous without workes writeth thus Saint Paul saith that vnto him which beleeueth in Iesus Christ that is to wit to the Gentile his faith is imputed for righteousnesse as it was vnto Abraham In what wise then thinke the Iewes to become righteous by the workes of the Law and yet to be righteous as Abraham was seeing that Abraham became not righteous by the deeds of the Law but onely by faith Then is not the Law needfull forasmuch as the sinner becommeth righteous before God through only faith according to Gods gracious purpose as David saith The Apostle confirmeth that which he hath said by the Prophets example saying Blessed is the man whom God accepteth for righteous without workes whereby David meaneth that those men are very happy whom GOD hath determined to accept for righteous before him by onely faith without any paines-taking or obseruation of the Law on their behalfe Thus sheweth he the blessednesse of the time wherein Christ was borne insomuch as the Lord himselfe saith Many righteous men and Prophets haue coueted to see the things that you see and to heare the things that you heare and haue not heard them The selfe-same thing saith St. Ambrose in expounding the first Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians affirming openly that whosoeuer beleeueth in Iesus Christ is become righteous without workes and without any desert and receiueth forgiuenasse of his sinnes by faith alone
to Paradise By this false conclusion thou mayest know my brother in what an errour thou art for thou weenest to haue the faith that maketh men righteous and thou hast it not Thou sayest thou art rich and hast no need of any thing and thou seest not how thou art poore wretched blind and naked I counsell to buy gold of God that is throughly fixed with fire that is to say true faith set on fire with good works to the intent thou mayest become rich and to cloath thy selfe with white rayment that is to wit with Christs innocency to the end that the shame of thy nakednesse which is the great filthinesse of thy sins be not seene to the whole world Then is the iustifying faith as it were a flame of fire which cannot but cast forth brightnesse And like as the flame burneth the wood without the helpe of the light and yet the flame cannot be without the light so is it assuredly true that faith alone consumeth and burneth away sinne without the helpe of workes and yet that the same faith cannot be without good workes Wherefore like as if we see a flame of fire that giueth no light we know by and by that it is but vaine and painted euen so when we see not some light of good workes in a man it is a token that he hath not the true inspired faith which God giueth to his chosen to iustifie and glorifie them withall And hold it for certaine that S. Iames meant so when hee said Shew me thy faith by thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes For his meaning was that he which is plunged in ambitiousnesse and worldly pleasures beleeueth not though he say he beleeue forasmuch as he sheweth not in himselfe the effects of faith Also we may liken this holy faith to the Godhead which is in Iesus Christ who being very man but without sin did wonderfull things healing the sicke giuing sight to the blind walking vpon the water and raising vp the dead vnto life againe and yet these marueilous workes were not the cause that he was God For before he did any of those things he was God and the lawfull and onely begotten Son of God and he need not to worke those miracles to make himselfe God by them but forasmuch as he was God therefore he did them And so the miracles that Christ wrought made him not to be God but shewed openly that he was God In like wise true faith is as it were a Godhead in the soule of a Christian which doth wondrous workes and is neuer weary of well-doing and yet those workes are not the cause that a Christian is a Christian that is to wit that he is righteous good holy and acceptable vnto God neither needeth he to worke all those good workes to become such a one But forasmuch as hee is a Christian by faith like as Iesus Christ being a man was also God by his Godhead he doth all those good workes which make not the Christian to be righteous and good but shew him to bee good righteous and holy So then like as Christs Godhead was the cause that he wrought miracies euen so faith working through loue is the cause of the good workes that a Christian man doth And like as a man may say of Iesus Christ that he hath done this miracle or that and that those miracles besides that they glorified God were also a great honor vnto Iesus Christ as he was man who for his obedience euen vnto death was recompenced at Gods hand in his resurrection and had giuen vnto him all power both in heauen and earth which he had not afore as in respect of his manhood but deserued it by the vnion which is betwixt the Word of God and the manhood of Christ So doth faith in a Christian which faith by reason of the vnion that it hath with the soule attributeth that thing to the one which is proper to the other whereupon it commeth that the holy Scripture promiseth the Christian euerlasting life for his good works because good works are the fruits and testimonies of liuely faith and proceed of it as light proceedeth from a flame of fire according as I haue said heretofore And by this holy faith which imbraceth Iesus Christ it comes to passe that our soule is ioyned with Christ and is so vnited and knit to him that whatsoeuer Christ hath merited and deserued the same is imputed vnto the soule as though it had merited and deserued it And therefore S. Austin saith that God crowneth his owne gifts in vs. Of this vnion of the soule with Iesus Christ Christ himselfe beareth good record where hee prayeth to his Father for his Apostles and for such as should beleeue in him by their preaching I pray not saith he for them onely but also for all those that shall beleeue in me through their word to the end they may be all one thing that like as thou my Father art in me and I in thee so they also may be one in vs and that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me and that I haue giuen them the glory which thou hast giuen me so as they should be one selfe-fame thing like as thou and I are one Whereby it appeareth euidently that if we beleeue the word of the Apostles who preached that Iesus Christ dyed for our sins rose againe for our iustification we become all one thing with him and forasmuch as he is all one with God we also become all one with God by the meane of Iesus Christ O wonderfull glory of the Christian to whom it is granted through faith to possesse the vnspeakeable benefits which the Angels long to behold By this present discourse a man may plainely perceiue the difference that is betwixt vs them that defend the iustification by faith and workes together Herein we agree with thē that we stablish works affirming that the faith which iustifieth cannot be without good workes and that those which are become righteous are they that doe the good workes that may rightly be called good workes But we differ from them in this that we say that faith maketh men righteous without the helpe of workes And the reason is ready namely because that by faith we put on Christ make his holinesse and righteousnesse to be ours And seeing the case so standeth that Christs righteousnesse is giuen vs by faith We cannot be so thanklesse blind and vnhappy as not to beleeue that he is of sufficient ability to make vs acceptable and right before God Let vs say with the Apostle If the bloud of Oxen and Goats and the Ashes of a Cow sprinkled cleanseth the vncleane as touching the cleansing of the flesh how much more shall that bloud of Iesus Christ who by the euerlasting spirit offered himselfe vndefiled vnto God to cleanse our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God
righteousnesse and euerlasting life are come by Iesus Christ and by him death is slaine whereof Saint Paul maketh a very godly discourse which I purpose to set downe here following Wherefore saith he like as by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne euen so death went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned For vntill the Law sinne was in the world but sinne was not regarded as long as there was no Law Neuerthelesse death reigned from Adam vnto Moses euen ouer them also that sinned not after the like manner of the transgression of Adam who was a figure of him that was to come But yet the gift is not so as is the offence for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vnto many Neither is the gift so as that which entred in by one that sinned For the fault came of one offence vnto condemnation but the gift is of many offences to iustification For if by the offence of one death reigned through one much more shall they which receiue the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse reigne in life through one that is Iesus Christ Likewise then as by the offence of one that fault came on all men to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of one the benefit abounded toward all men to the iustification of life For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be also made righteous Moreouer the Law entred thereupon that the offence should abound neuerthelesse where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had reigned vnto death so might grace also reigne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. By these words of St. Paul we manifestly perceiue the thing to be true which we haue said heretofore that is to wit that the Law was giuen to make sinne knowne which sin we doe also know not to be of greater force then Christs righteousnesse where-through we be iustified before God For euen as Iesus Christ is stronger then Adam was so is his righteousnesse more mightie then the sinne of Adam And if the sinne of Adam was sufficient inough to make all men sinners and children of wrath without any misdeed of our owne much more shall Christs righteousnesse be of greater force to make vs all righteous and the children of grace without any of our owne good works which cannot be good vnlesse that before we doe them wee our selues be made good as Augustine also affirmeth Hereby a man may know in what errour they be who by reason of some great offence despaire of Gods good will imagining that he is not willing to forgiue couer and pardon all sinne hauing already punished and chastised all our sinnes and iniquities in his owne onely begotten and dearely beloued Sonne and consequently granted a generall pardon to all mankinde which euery body enioyeth that beleeueth the Gospell that is to say which beleeueth the happy tydings that the Apostles haue published through the whole world saying We beseech you for Iesus Christs sake Be ye reconciled vnto God for he that neuer knew sinne was made a sacrifice for our sinne that we might become righteous in him The Prophet Esay foreseeing this great goodnesse of God writeth these heauenly words which doe so well paint out the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and the cause thereof as it is not to be found better described euen in the writings of the Apostles Who saith he will beleeue our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed But he shall grow vp before him as a branch and as a root out of a dry ground he hath neither forme nor beautie when we shall see him there shall be no forme that wee should desire him Hee is despised and reiected of men he is a man full of sorrowes and hath experience of infirmities we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and wee esteemed him not Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes yet we did iudge him as plagued and smitten of God and humbled but he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities The chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed All wee like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquity of vs all he was oppressed and hee was afflicted yet did hee not open his mouth He is brought as a sheep to the slaughter and as a sheepe before the shearer is dumme so hee openeth not his mouth O great vnkindnesse O thing abominable that wee which professe our selues Christians and heare that the Sonne of God hath taken all our sins vpon him and washed them out with his precious blood suffering himselfe to be fastened to the Crosse for our sakes should neuerthelesse make as though we would iustifie our selues and purchase forgiuenesse of our sins by our owne works as who would say that the deserts righteousnesse and bloodshed of Iesus Christ were not enough to doe it vnlesse we came to put to our workes and righteousnesse which are altogether defiled and spotted with self-loue selfe-liking selfe-profit and a thousand other vanities for which we haue neede to craue pardon at Gods hand rather than reward Neither doe we thinke of the threatnings which S. Paul vseth to the Galatians who hauing beene deceiued by false Preachers beleeued not that the Iustification by Faith was sufficient of it selfe but went about still to be made righteous by the Law Vnto whom Saint Paul saith Iesus Christ shall nothing profit you that iustifie your selues by the Law for you be falne from Grace because that wee through the Spirit of faith waite for the hope of righteousnesse Now if the seeking of righteousnesse and forgiuenesse of sinnes by the keeping of the Law which God gaue vpon Mount Sinai with so great glory and maiesty be the denying of Christ and of his Grace what shall wee say to those that will needes iustifie themselues afore God by their owne lawes and obseruances I would wish that such folkes should a little compare the one with the other and afterward giue Iudgement themselues God mindeth not to doe that honour not to giue that glory to his owne Law and yet they will haue him to giue it to mens lawes and ordinances But that honour is giuen onely to his onely begotten Sonne who alone by the sacrifice of his death and passion hath made full amends for all our sinnes past present and to come as S. Paul and S. Iohn declare Wherefore as often as wee apply this satisfaction of Iesus Christ vnto our soules by faith out of all doubt we obtaine forgiuenesse of our sinnes and become good and righteous before God through his righteousnesse
man to deserue so great a gift and treasure as Iesus Christ is This treasure is giuen only through the grace fauour and mercifulnesse of God and onely faith is the thing that receiueth such a gift as to make vs inioy the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And therefore when S. Paul and other Doctors say that onely faith maketh men righteous without works they meane that it maketh vs to enioy the generall forgiuenesse of our sinnes and to receiue Iesus Christ who as saith S. Paul dwelleth in our hearts by faith and ouercomming and pacifying the troubles of our consciences satisfieth Gods iustice for our sinnes Furthermore it appeaseth Gods wrath iustly moued against vs quencheth the fire of hell whereinto our naturall corruption did throw vs headlong and cheerefully destroyeth and ouerthroweth the diuell together with all his power and tyranny Which things all the workes that all the men in the world can lay together are not able to deserue nor to bring to passe That glory and that prerogatiue is reserued all onely to the Sonne of God that is to wit to the blessed Iesus Christ who hath power aboue all the powers that are in Heauen in Earth and in Hell and giueth himselfe and his merits to all such as distrusting in themselues doe set their whole hope of being saued in him and in his merits And therefore let no man beguile himselfe when he heareth it said that onely faith iustifieth without workes and thinke as false Christians doe who draw all things to liue fleshly that the true faith consisteth in beleeuing the bare story of Iesus Christ after the same manner as men beleeue the story of Caesar or Alexander Such manner of beleefe is but an historicall beleefe grounded meerely vpon the report of men and vpon their writings and lightly imprinted in our conceit by a certaine custome and is like to the faith of the Turks who for the like reasons beleeue the fables of their Alcoran And such a faith is but an imagination of man which neuer renueth the heart of man nor warmeth it with the loue of God neither do any good workes insue or any change of life which faith should bring forth And therefore they falsly hold opinion against the holy Scripture and against the holy Doctors of the Church that onely faith maketh not men righteous but that they must also haue workes Vnto whom I answer That this historicall and fond beliefe and all the workes that insue thereof are not onely vnable to make a man righteous but also doe cast the parties headlong to the bottome of hell like vnto those that haue no oyle in their lamps that is to say no liuely faith in their hearts The faith that maketh men righteous is a worke of God in vs whereby our old man is crucified and we being transformed in Iesus Christ become new creatures and the deare beloued children of God This heauenly faith is it that graffeth vs into the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ and consequently mortifieth our flesh with the effects and lusts thereof For when we by the operation of faith doe know our selues to be dead with Iesus Christ wee are at a full point with our selues and with the world and are throughly resolued how it is meet that they which are dead with Iesus Christ should mortifie their earthly members that is to wit the sinfull affections of their minde and the lusts of the flesh and forasmuch as wee know wee bee raised againe with Christ we bend our selues to the leading of a spirituall and holy life like vnto that which we shall liue in heauen after the last resurrection This holy faith making vs to inioy the generall pardon that is published by the Gospell bringeth vs into the kingdome of our good God and pacifieth our consciences maintaining vs in continuall ioy and holy and spirituall sweetnesse This selfe-same faith knitteth vs vnto God and maketh him to dwell in our hearts and clotheth our soule with himselfe so as thenceforth the holy Ghost mooueth vs to doe the same things whereunto hee mooued Iesus Christ while he was in the world and was conuersant among men that is to wit vnto lowlinesse meekenesse obedientnesse vnto God louingnesse and other perfections where-through wee recouer the image of God For these selfe-same causes Iesus Christ did rightly attribute blessednesse vnto this inspired faith which blessednesse cannot bee without good workes and holinesse of life And how can it be that a Christian should not become holy seeing that Iesus Christ is become his holinesse through faith Therefore by faith we be iustified and saued and therefore S. Paul doth in a manner alwaies call those Saints whom we call now Christians who if they haue not Christs Spirit are none of Christs and consequently no Christians at all But if they haue the Spirit of Iesus Christ to rule and gouerne them we must not doubt but that although they know well that they bee made righteous through faith onely yet for all that they will become neuer the more slothfull to do good works For Christs Spirit is the Spirit of loue and loue cannot be idle nor cease from the doing of good works But if wee will say the truth a man can doe no good works except he first know himselfe to be become righteous by faith for before he knoweth that his doing of good works is rather to make himselfe righteous then for the loue and glory of God and so he defileth all his works with selfe-loue for the loue of himselfe and for his owne profit But hee that knoweth himselfe to be become righteous by the merits and righteousnesse of Christ which hee maketh his owne by faith laboureth happily and doth good works all only for the loue and glory of Christ and not for loue of himselfe nor to make himselfe righteous And thereupon it commeth that the true Christian that is to wit he that accounteth himselfe righteous by reason of Christs righteousnesse asketh not whether good works be commanded or not but being wholly moued and prouoked with a certaine violence of godly loue he offereth himselfe willingly to doe all the works that are holy and Christian-like and neuer ceaseth to doe well Hee therefore which feeleth not the marueilous effects by his faith which we haue heretofore declared that the inspired faith works in the heart of the Christian Let him assure himselfe that he hath not the Christian faith and let him pray earnestly vnto God to giue it him saying Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe And when he heareth it said that only faith maketh men righteous let him not deceiue himselfe and say What need I to weary my selfe in doing good works faith is inough to send mee to Paradise To such an one I answer that only faith sendeth vs to Paradise but yet let him take good heed for the diuels doe also beleeue and tremble as saith Saint Iames O miserable man wilt thou goe with them
I pray thee now thou good and deuout Christian consider well which of these two opinions is the truest holiest and worthiest to be preached Ours which aduanceth the benefit of Iesus Christ and pulleth downe the pride of man which would exalt his owne works against Christs glory or the other which by affirming that faith of it selfe iustifieth not defaceth the glory and benefit of Iesus Christ and puffeth vp the pride of man who cannot abide to be iustified freely by our Lord Iesus Christ without some merit of his owne But say they it is a great quickning vp to good workes to say that a man maketh himselfe righteous before God by meanes of them I answer that wee also confesse that good workes are acceptable to God and that hee of his meere grace and free liberality recompenseth them in Paradise But we say moreouer that no workes are good sauing those that S. Austin saith are done by those that are become righteous through faith because that if the tree be not good it cannot yeeld good fruit And furthermore we say that such as are become righteous through faith forasmuch as they know themselues to be righteous through Gods righteousnesse purchased by Christ make no bargaining with God for their workes as though they would buy their manner of iustification such as it is with them but being inflamed with the Loue of God and desirous to glorifie Iesus Chiist who hath made them righteous by giuing them his merits and riches they bestow all their whole study and labour to doe Gods will fighting manfully against the loue of themselues and against the world and the Diuell And when they fall through frailty of the flesh they recouer themselues by and by and are so much the more desirous to doe good and so much the more in loue with their God considering that he layeth not their sinnes to their charge because they be ingrafted into Iesus Christ who hath made full amends for all his members vpon the tree of his crosse and maketh continuall intercession for them to the eternall Father who for the loue of his onely begotten Sonne beholdeth them alwayes with a gentle countenance gouerning and defending them as his most deare children and in the end giuing them the heritage of the world making them like fashioned to the glorious Image of Christ These louing motions are the spurres that pricke forward the true Christians to doe good workes who considering that they are become the children of God through faith and made partakers of his diuine nature are stirred vp by the holy Ghost dwelling in them to liue as it becommeth the children of so great a Lord and are greatly ashamed that they maintaine not the beauty of their heanenly Noblenesse and therefore they imploy their whole indeauour to the following of their first borne brother Iesus Christ liuing in great lowlinesse and meekenesse in all things seeking the glory of God giuing their liues for their brethren doing good to their enemies glorying in the sufferance of reproaches and in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ and saying with Zachary We be deliuered out of keth euery of vs to possesse Christ and all that is his as wee possesse our owne garment And therefore to be clothed with Iesus Christ is nothing else but to beleeue for a certainty that Christ is wholly ours and so is he in very deed if we beleeue so and hold our selues assured that by the same heauenly garment we bee receiued into fauour before God For it is most certaine that he as a most deare Father hath giuen vs his Sonne meaning that all his righteousnesse and all that euer he is can or hath done should be in our power and iurisdiction in such wise as it should bee lawfull for vs to make our boast of them as if we had done purchased and deserued them by our owne strength And whosoeuer beleeueth this shall find that his beleefe is good and true as we haue shewed heretofore Then must the Christian haue a stedfast faith and beleefe that all the goods all the graces and all the riches of Iesus Christ are his for sith that God hath giuen vs Iesus Christ himselfe how should it be possible that hee hath not giuen vs all things with him Now if this be true as true it is in deed the Christian may rightly say I am the childe of God and Iesus Christ is my brother I am Lord of Heauen and Earth and of hell and of death and of the law in so much as the law cannot accuse me nor lay any curse vpon mee because the righteousnesse of God is become mine And this faith is it alone that maketh a man to be called a Christian and which cloatheth him with Iesus Christ as we haue said afore And boldly may this be called a great mystery whereunder are contained marueilous things and things not heard of concerning that great God which cannot enter into mans heart except God doe first soften it with his holy grace as he hath promised to doe by his holy Prophet saying I will giue you a new heart and I will put a new minde into you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I will giue you a heart of flesh Now then hee that beleeueth not after the said manner that Iesus Christ with all the goods that he possesseth is his cannot call himselfe a true Christian nor euer haue a quiet and ioyfull conscience nor a good and feruent courage to doe good but shall easily faint in doing of good works yea and moreouer hee shall neuer bee able to doe workes that are truely good This onely beleefe and trust that wee haue in the merits of Iesus Christ maketh men true Christians stout cheerefull merry louers of God ready to doe good works possessors of Gods Kingdome and of God himselfe and his right deare-beloued children in whom the holy Ghost doth truely dwell What heart is so cowardly cold and vile which considering the inestimable greatnesse of the gift that God hath bestowed vpon him in giuing him his owne so well-beloued Sonne with all his perfectnesse is not inflamed with an exceeding earnest desire to become like vnto him in good works specially seeing that the Father hath giuen him vnto vs for an example whereon we must continually looke framing our life after such a sort as it may be a true counterpaine of the life of Iesus Christ forasmuch as Christ as saith Saint Peter hath suffered for vs leauing vs an ensample to the end that we should follow his footsteps Out of this consideration issueth another kinde of cloathing of a mans selfe with Christ which we may tearme an example cloathing for so much as the Christian must frame his whole life after the example of Christ fashioning himselfe like vnto him in all his deedes words and thoughts leauing his former wicked life and decking himselfe with the new life that is to wit with the
for righteous and layeth not thy sinne to thy charge because of Christs merits which are giuen vnto thee and become thine by faith Therefore following the counsell of Saint Bernard Beleeue thou not onely the forgiuenesse of sinnes in generall but also apply the same beliefe to thine owne particular person by beleeuing without any doubt that all thy mis-doings are pardoned thee through Iesus Christ And in so doing thou shalt giue the glory vnto God by confessing him to be mercifull and true and shalt become righteous and holy before God forsomuch as by the same confession the holinesse and righteousnesse of Iesus Christ shall be communicated vnto thee But to returne to our purpose of Predestination I say that by the things aboue mentioned a man may euidently perceiue that the how it happeneth that when they bee diseased they say not also I will haue neither Physician nor physicke for looke what God had determined vpon mee cannot but come to passe why eate they why drinke they why till they the ground why plant they Vines and why be they so diligent in doing all things conuenient for to sustaine the body why say they not also that all these turmoilings policies and trauels of ours are superfluous forasmuch as it is not possible but that whatsoeuer God hath fore-seene and determined concerning our life and death must needs come to passe And therefore if Gods prouidence make them not negligent and idle in things pertaining to the body why should it make them more slouthfull and negligent in that which concerneth the Christian perfection which without all comparison is farre nobler then the body But forasmuch as we see that neither Iesus Christ nor Saint Paul for any doubt of offending the reprobates haue forborne to preach the truth which is necessary to the edifying of the chosen for the loue of whom the euerlasting Sonne of God became man and was put to death vpon the Crosse wee also in like wise ought not to forbeare the preaching of Predestination to the true Christians forasmuch as we haue seene that it importeth great edification Now are wee come to the end of our purpose wherein our chiefe intent hath beene according to our small power to magnifie the wonderfull benefit which the Christian man hath receiued by Iesus Christ crucified and to shew that faith of her selfe alone iustifyeth that is to wit that God receiueth and holdeth them for righteous which beleeue stedfastly that Christ hath made full amends for their sinnes howbeit that as light can not be separated from fire which of it selfe burneth and deuoureth all things euen so good workes can not be separated from faith which alone by it selfe iustifieth And this holy doctrine which exalteth Iesus Christ and represseth and abateth the pride of man hath and alwayes shall be reiected and fought against by such Christians as haue Iewish mindes But happy is hee who following the example of Saint Paul spoyleth himselfe of his owne righteousnesse and would haue none other righteousnesse then that which is of Iesus Christ wherewith if he be cloathed and apparelled hee may most assuredly appeare before God and shall receiue his blessing and the heritage of heauen and earth with his only Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord to whom be all honour praise and glory from this time forth for euermore Amen Christ is the end of the Law 1 Cor. 8. 6 The state of man before after that he had sinned Psal 114. Psal 14. Originall sinne A very good comparison Who is our neighbour The first office or duty of the Law Rom. 3. and 7. The second office of the Law The third office of the Law Deut. 27. 2 Cor. 3. The 4th office of the Law Rom. 4. The fifth office of the Law Exod. 20. Coloss 3. Acts 4. Matth. 11. Iohn 7. Iohn 8. Gal. 3. 1 Cor. 15. Psal 50. Rom. 5. The greatnes of sinne ought not to cause despaire 1 Cor. 5. Gal. 5. An excellent comparison of the vnability of our owne workes Hebr. 7. Iohn 12. Philip. 3. 1 Cor. 18. How man is deliuered and set free from the curse of the Law Gal. 3. Rom. 8. Col. 2. 1 Cor. 15. Gen. 8. How wee receiue the likenesse of God A very good similitude expressing the manner how our sins are taken away by Christ Matth. 28. Phil. 2. Ephes 5. Iohn 3. How the faithfull mans soule is assured of his being married vnto Christ Acts 5. Matth. 2. 2 Cor. 3. Iohn 6. Iohn 3. Iohn 11. 1 Ioh. 12. 1 Iohn 4. Heb. 2. A very goodly similitude fit for the expressing of the free forgiuenesse of sinnes for Iesus Christs sake 1 Cor. 1. Heb. 4. Heb. 10. Heb. 8. Rom. 4. Gen. 15. Rom. 2. Gal. 3. Abac. 2. Gal. 3. Rom. 10. S. Augustine Origen * Mary Magdalen Luke 6. Faith is the mark of those that are iustified Esay 64. S. Basil S. Hilary S. Ambr. Rom. 4. Psal 31. S. Bernard Gen. 17. A very good cōparison how we be clothed with the righteousnes of Iesus Christ No man can boast of the performance of Gods Law Psal 143. Prou. 20. Iob 15. 1 Iohn 2. Matth. 6. Luke 17. Acts 15. How the workes of the faithful thogh they bee vnperfect please God Math. 25. In what manner faith iustifieth Ephes 3. Mat. 12. Rom. 6. Saint Paul calleth them Saints whom we call Christians He that beleeueth cannot bee without good works Marke 2. Iames 2. Apoc. 3. A liuely comparison What S. James meant concerning workes Iames 2. A heauenly comparison Ioh. 17. Rom. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 1 Pet. 2. Gal. 3. Heb. 2. Gal. 6. Luke 2. Rom. 8. Iesus Christ the true example of Christians 2 Pet. 2. Ephes 4. Rom. 15. Phil. 2. Luke 9. Iohn 15. Phil. 3. 2 Cor. 12. 2 Cor. 4. Gal. 6. Rom. 5. After what sort patience ingendreth triall Rom 8. 2 Cor. 2. Marke 9. Foure remedies against the temptations of distrust Prayer Matth. 9. 1 Thes 5. True Prayer Baptisme 2 Pet. 3. Mark 16. Gal. 3. Rom. 4. Psal 36. The Supper of the Lord. Luke 22. Mar. 16. Gal. 3. Heb 9. I renaeus lib. 1. Iohn 6. 1 Cor. 11. What is meant by not making a differēce of the Lords Body He that receiueth this Sacrament protesteth himselfe to trust in none other thing then the bloud of Christ Very cōfortable counsell Rom. 4. Rom. 8. Why the holy Sacramēt of thankesgiuing was ordained Christian peace and vnion are betokened by the bread and wine He that offendeth one of his Christian brethren offendeth Christ himselfe A preparation to the receuing of the holy Sacrament He that receiueth the Sacrament bindeth himselfe to all the duties of charitie The true end for which the holy Sacrament is ordained The 4th remedy against distrust Eph. 5. Luke 10. Psal 36. Rom. 8. He that receiueth the Gospell is sure that he is predestinated The effect proceeding of the knowledge of predestination Rom. 8. 1 Iohn 3. Eph. 1. Heb. 3. Heb. 10. Afflictions are no signes of reprobation Prou. 5. A true marke to know Gods children by Eph. 2. Wherefore the Apostle calleth the holy Ghost the Spirit of promise Gal. 3. Rom. 8. Rom. 8. A truemarke of predestination 2 Cor. 2. Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 12. He that gloryeth not that hee hath the holy Ghost is no true Christian Iohn 14. Eccless 6. 1 Cor. 4. A man may know that he is in Gods fauour By the chances of this life no man can iudge whether a man bee in Gods fauour or displeasure Rom. 3. 5. Phil. 3. 2 Tim. 4. Rom. 8. Phil. 1. The two sorts of feare childly slauish 2 Tim. 1. Rom. 14. Eph. 6. Phil. 4. 1 Pet. 1. The slauish feare threateneth the wicked and the childly feare encourageth the chosen The effects of childly feare Eph. 4. The Christian may warrant himselfe the forgiuenesse of his sins S. Hilary Iames 1. S. August S. Bernard Each one must beleeue particularly that his sinnes are released and forgiuen him freely
And therefore after that S. Paul hath said that as touching the righteousnesse of the law he had liued vnblameable he addeth And yet whatsoeuer I haue gained by it I haue accounted it in all respects to bee but losse for the loue of Christ And specially I esteeme all things to be losse for the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ my Lord for whom I haue counted all things to be losse and deeme them but as dung so I may win Christ and be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the law but the righteousnes which is by the faith of Iesus Christ which righteousnesse is giuen of God I meane the righteousnesse of faith that I may come to the knowledge of Iesus Christ O most notable words which all Christians ought to haue ingrauen in their hearts praying God to make them to taste it perfectly Loe how S. Paul sheweth plainely that whosoeuer knoweth Christ aright esteemeth all the works of the law to be hurtfull forsomuch as they make vs to swarue from our trust in Iesus Christ to whom euery man ought to impute his saluation and to trust only vnto him alone And to inforce this sentence the more he addeth further that he esteemeth all things but as dung so hee may gaine Christ and be found incorporated in him declaring thereby that whosoeuer trusteth in his owne works and pretendeth to iustifie himselfe by them getteth not Iesus Christ neither is ingrafted into him And forasmuch as the whole mystery of our faith consisteth in the truth hereof to the end we might the better vnderstand what he meant to say he addeth and repeateth oftentimes that he had nothing to doe with all the outward iustification and all the righteousnesse that is grounded vpon the keeping of the law but that he would clothe himselfe with the righteousnesse which God giueth by faith to all them that beleeue that all our sins are fully chastised and punished in Iesus Christ and that Iesus Christ as S. Paul saith is made our wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption to the end as it is written that he which will glory should glory in the Lord and not in his own works Very true it is that in the holy Scriptures there are some texts to be found which being misunderstood seeme to gainesay this holy doctrine of S. Pauls and to attribute iustification and remission of sinnes vnto workes and to charity But those authorities haue already beene well expounded by some who haue shewed plainely that such as haue vnderstood them in the sense aforesaid vnderstood them not aright Wherefore my deare-beloued brethren let vs not follow the fond opinion of the bewitched Galatians but rather let vs follow the truth which St. Paul teacheth vs and let vs giue the whole glory of our iustification vnto Gods mercy and to the merits of his Sonne who by his owne bloodshed hath set vs free from the Soueraignty of the Law and from the tyranny of sinne and death and hath brought vs into the Kingdom of God to giue vs life and endlesse felicity I say yet further that he hath deliuered vs from the dominion of the law insomuch as he hath giuen vs his holy Spirit who teacheth vs all truth and that he hath satisfied the Law to the full and giuen the same satisfaction vnto all his members that is to wit to all true Christians so as they may safely appeare at Gods Throne because they be cloathed with the righteousnesse of his Christ and by him deliuered from the curse of the Law Then can not the law any more accuse vs or condemne vs nor mooue our affections or appetites nor increase sinne in vs. And therefore S. Paul saith that the obligation which was against vs is cancelled by Iesus Christ and discharged vpon the tree of the Crosse insomuch as he hath set vs free from the subiection of the Law and consequently from the tyranny of sinne and death which can no more hold vs oppressed because it is ouercome by Iesus Christ in his resurrection and so consequently by vs which are his members in such manner that wee may say with Saint Paul and with the Prophet Osee Death is quite vanquished and destroyed O death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victory The sting of Death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But God be praised who hath granted vs victory by our Lord Iesus Christ Hee is the blessed Seede that hath crushed the head of the venemous Serpent that is to wit of the diuell insomuch that all those which beleeue in Iesus Christ reposing their whole trust in his grace doe ouercome sinne death the Diuell and hell as Christ hath done He is that blessed Seede of Abraham in the which God hath promised blessednesse to all Nations It behooued euery particular person to fight with the said horrible Serpent and to deliuer himselfe from that curse But that enterprize was so great that all the force of the whole World knit together was not able to goe thorow with it Wherefore our God the Father of mercy being mooued with compassion of our miseries hath giuen vs his onely begotten Sonne who hath deliuered vs from the venime of the Serpent and is himselfe become our Blessednesse and Righteousnesse conditionally that we accept the same renouncing all our owne outward iustifications Then my deare brethren let vs imbrace the righteousnesse of our Lord Iesus Christ and let vs make it ours by meanes of faith let vs assure our selues that we bee righteous not for our owne workes but through the merits of Iesus Christ and let vs liue merrily and assured that the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ hath vtterly done away all our vnrighteousnesse and made vs good righteous and holy before God who beholding vs ingrafted into his Sonne by faith esteemeth vs not now any more as the children of Adam but as his owne children and hath made vs heires of all his riches with his owne begotten Sonne CHAP. IIII. Of the effects of liuely faith and of the vnion of mans Soule with Iesus Christ THis holy faith worketh after such a sort in vs that he which beleeueth that Iesus Christ hath taken all his sinnes vpon him becommeth like vnto Christ and ouercommeth sinne the diuell death and hell And the reason thereof is this namely that the Church that is to wit euery faithfull soule is Christs wife and Christ is her husband For we know how the law of marriage is that of two they become one selfe-same thing being two in one flesh and that the goods substance of either of them become common to them both by means wherof the husband saith that the dowry of the wife is his and likewise the wife saith that her husbands house and all his riches are hers and of a truth so they are for otherwise they should not be one flesh as the Scripture saith After the same manner hath God married
his onely begotten and deare-beloued Son to the faithfull soule which hath not any other thing peculiar of her owne saue onely sinne and yet the Sonne of God hath not disdained to take her for his wel-beloued Spouse together with her peculiar dowry which is sinne And now by reason of the vnion which is in this holy marriage looke what the one hath is also the others Iesus Christ therefore saith thus The dowry of mans soule my deare wife that is to wit her sinnes and transgressings of the Law Gods wrath against her the boldnesse of the diuell ouer her the prison of hell and all other her euils are become mine and are in my power to doe what I list with them Wherefore it is at my choice to deale with them at my pleasure and therefore I will put out the hand-writing which is against the soule my wife I will take it out of the way I will fasten it to my crosse in mine owne body and in the same will I spoile principalities and powers and make a shew of them openly and triumph ouer them and consume them vtterly vnto nothing Now when God saw his Sonne who knew no sinne neither had any sinne in him thus willingly taking on him the foulenesse of our iniquity he made him to be sinne for vs euen the very sacrifice for our sinne and did sharply punish our sinne in him putting him to death euen the death of the Crosse Howbeit forasmuch as he was his wel-beloued and obedient Sonne he would not leaue him to death nor suffer his holy One to see corruption but raised him vp from death to life giuing him all power in heauen and earth and set him at his right hand in glory Now then the wife likewise with exceeding great ioy doth say The Realmes and Kingdomes of my most deare husband and Sauiour are mine by him I am an heire of Heauen my husbands riches that is to wit his holinesse his innocency his righteousnesse and his Godhead together with all his vertue and might are mine and for me and therefore in him I am holy innocent righteous and godly and there is not any spot in me I am well-fauoured and faire inasmuch as my lawfull husband hath not any blemish in him but is altogether goodly faire And sith that he is wholly mine and so consequently all that he hath is mine and all that he hath is pure and holy it followeth that I also am pure and holy Therefore to begin at his most innocent birth he hath thereby sanctified the birth of his Spouse conceiued in sinne The godly child-hood and youth of the Bridegroome hath iustified the childish and youthfull life of his dearely beloued Bride For the loue and vnion that is betwixt the soule of a true Christian and the Bridegroome Iesus Christ maketh all the workes of either of them to be common to them both By reason whereof when a man saith Iesus Christ hath fasted Iesus Christ hath prayed Iesus Christ was heard of the Father raised the dead draue diuels out of men healed the sicke dyed rose againe and ascended into Heauen Likewise a man may say that a Christian man hath done all the selfe-same workes forsomuch as the workes of Christ are the workes of the Christian because hath done them for him Verily a man may say that the Christian hath bin nailed to the Crosse buried raised againe is gone vp into heauen become the child of God and made partaker of the Godhead On the other side all the works that a Christian man doth are Christs workes because it is his will to take them for his And forasmuch as they be vnperfect and he throughly perfect and cannot away with any vnperfect thing he hath made them perfect with his vertues to the end that his wife should be alwayes ioyfull and well contented and not be afraid of any thing assuring her selfe that although there be yet still some default in her workes yet notwithstanding they be acceptable to God in respect of his Sonne vpon whom he hath his eyes alwayes fastened O that vnmeasurable goodnesse of God! How greatly is the Christian bound vnto God there is no loue of man be it neuer so great that may be compared with the loue that God beareth to the soule of euery faithfull Christian whereof Christ is the Bridegroome Whereupon S. Paul saith that Iesus Christ hath so loued his wife the Church which is builded of liuing stones that is of the soules of the beleeuing Christians that for to sanctifie her he hath offered himselfe to the death of the Crosse cleansing her with the washing of water by his Word to ioyne her to himselfe a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or other like thing but that she should be holy and vnblameable that is to wit like vnto him in holinesse and innocency and also bee the true and lawfull daughter of God who hath loued the world so well that as Iesus Christ himselfe saith hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne to the end that euery one which beleeued in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting For God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world but to the end that the World might be saued by him insomuch that hee which beleeueth in him shall not be damned Some man might demand after what manner the vnion of this holy Marriage is made and how the Soule which is the Bride and her Bridegroome Iesus Christ are knit together What assurance can I haue that my soule is vnited vnto Iesus Christ and become his Spouse How can I assuredly glory that I am Queene and Mistresse of his great riches as a wife may I can easily beleeue that other folkes shall receiue this honour and glory but I cannot perswade my selfe that I am one of those same to whom God hath giuen so great grace For I know mine owne wretchednesse imperfection My deare-beloued brother I answer thee that thine assurance consisteth in true and liuely faith wherewith as S. Peter saith God cleanseth mens hearts And this faith is grounded in the beleeuing of the Gospell that is to say in the beleeuing of the glad tidings which haue bin published on Gods behalfe thorow the whole world which tidings containeth in effect that God hath vsed the rigorousnesse of his iustice against Iesus Christ chastising and punishing all our sinnes in him And whosoeuer receiueth this good tidings and beleeues it stedfastly hath the true faith and doth enioy the forgiuenesse of his sinnes and is also reconciled vnto God and of the child of wrath is become the child of Grace and recouering the Image of God entreth into the Kingdome of God and is made the Temple of God who marrieth mans soule to his onely Sonne by the meane of this faith which faith is a worke of God and the gift of God as S. Paul saith oftentimes And God giueth it vnto those whom he calleth to him
of purpose to iustifie them and to glorifie them and to giue them euerlasting life according as our Lord Iesus Christ witnesseth saying This is the will of him that sent mee euen that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp againe at the latter day And like as Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the Wildernesse so must the Sonne of man bee lifted vp to the end that euery one which beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Also he saith to Martha He that beleeueth in me shall liue although he were dead and euery one that liueth and beleeueth in mee shall not dye for euer And to a company of the Iewes he saith I am come a light into the world to the end that euery man which beleeueth in me should not abide in darkenesse And S. Iohn in his Epistle saith Herein appeared the loue of God towards vs for that God is loue and sent his onely begotten Son into this world that we might liue through him And herein is loue knowne not in that we loued God but in that he loued vs and sent his Son to make atonement for our sinnes And moreouer he sent him to destroy our enemies For the bringing whereof to passe he made him partaker of our flesh and of our blood as saith Saint Paul to the end that by his death hee might destroy him that had the dominion of death that is to wit the diuell and set all such at liberty as were subiect to bondage all their life long for feare of death Seeing then that we haue records of the holy Scripture concerning the promises whereof we haue spoken heretofore and concerning many other promises that are dispersed in diuers places of the same wee cannot doubt of it And forsomuch as the holy Scripture speaketh to all in generall none of vs ought to distrust in himselfe that the selfe-same thing which the Scripture saith should not belong particularly to himselfe And to the end that this point wherein lyeth and consisteth the whole mistery of our holy faith may be vnderstood the better let vs put the case that some good and holy King cause the Proclamation to be made thorow his whole Realme by the sound of a Trumpet that all Rebels and banished men shall safely returne home to their houses because that at the suite and desert of some deare friend of theirs it hath pleased him to pardon them certainly none of those Rebels ought to doubt of the obtaining of true pardon of his rebellion but rather ought assuredly to returne home to his house to liue vnder the shadow of that holy King And if he will not returne he shall beare the penaltie of it because that through his owne vnbeleefe hee dyeth in exile and in the displeasure of his Prince But this good King is the Lord of Heauen and Earth who for the obedience and desert of our good brother Iesus Christ hath pardoned vs all our sins and as we haue said afore hath made open Proclamation thorow the whold world that all of vs may safely returne into his kingdome Wherefore he that beleeueth this proclamation doth straight-wayes returne into Gods kingdome whereout we were driuen by the offence of our first parents and blessedly gouerned by Gods holy Spirit And he that giueth no credit to the said proclamation shall neuer inioy the said generall pardon but for his vnbeliefes fake shall abide in banishment vnder the tyranny of the diuell and liue and dye in extreme misery liuing and dying in the displeasure of the King of heauen and earth and that iustly For we cannot commit a greater offence against this good God then to account him as a lyer and deceiuer which verily wee doe in not giuing credit to his promises O how passing heauy is this deadly sinne of vnbeliefe which so farre forth as is possible bereaueth God of his glory and perfection besides the great harme that it doth to a mans selfe which is his owne damnation and the endlesse torment of his soule which the miserable conscience feeleth euen in this life But on the contrary hee that commeth vnto GOD with assurednesse of this faith beleeuing him without any mistrust or doubt of his promises and warranting himselfe for a certaintie that God will performe all that euer hee hath promised him giueth all the glory vnto God and liueth continually in rest and endlesse ioy euermore praising and thanking the Lord God for choosing him to the glory of the eternall life And hereof they haue an assured earnest penny and gage that is to wit the Sonne of God whom they take for their most louing Bridegroome the blood of whom hath made their hearts so drunken that through this passing holy beliefe there is in the Christian heart ingendred so liuely a hope and so certaine a trust of Gods mercy towards vs and such an operation is wrought in vs as we rest our selues wholly vpon God leauing the whole care of vs vnto him in such wise that being throughly assured of Gods good will wee are not afraid neither of the diuell nor of his ministers nor of death Which holy and stedfast trust of Gods mercy inlargeth our heart cheereth it vp and with certaine marueilous sweet affections directeth it vnto GOD filling it and setting it on fire with an exceeding feruent loue And therefore Paul incourageth vs to go with all boldnesse to the Throne of grace and hee counselleth vs that wee should not shake it off nor make light of our trust which hath great recompence reward But this so holy and diuine affiance is gendred in our hearts by the working of the H. Ghost who is cōmunicated vnto vs by faith which neuer goeth without the loue of God And hereof it cōmeth that we be prouoked to do good works with a certaine liuelinesse effectuall cheerefulnesse whereby we gather such a strength inclination to do them as we be throughly ready forward to do suffer all intolerable things for the loue glory of our most gracious mercifull Father who hath inriched vs with so abundant grace through Iesus Christ and of his enemies made vs his most deare children This true faith is no sooner giuen a man but hee is by and by indued and imprinted with a certaine violent loue of good works to yeeld right sweet and amiable fruits both vnto God likewise to his neighbour as a very good and fruitfull tree And it is no more possible that he should be otherwise then it is possible that a fagot should be set on fire not cast light immediatly This is the holy faith without the which it is vnpossible that any man should please God whereby all the holy men as well of the old Testament as of the New haue bin saued according as S. Paul witnesseth of Abraham concerning whom the Scripture saith That
Also he affirmeth the same thing in an Epistle which he writeth to Irenaeus saying Let no man boast of his owne workes for no man becommeth righteous by his owne workes but he that hath righteousnesse hath it of free gift forsomuch as he is made righteous by Iesus Christ Then is it faith that deliuereth by Christs blood for happy is he whose sinne is forgiuen and pardoned And S. Bernard in his threescore and seuenteenth Sermon vpon the Ballet of Ballets confirmeth the same saying that our owne merits beare no sway at all in making vs righteous which thing must be attributed wholly vnto grace which maketh vs righteous freely and likewise dischargeth vs from the bondage of sinne And he addeth that Iesus Christ marrieth the soule and coupleth it vnto himselfe by faith without that any desert of our workes ought or can come betweene But because I will not be too long I will make an end of mine allegations when I haue vttered one very notable and good saying of Saint Ambrose in his booke intituled of Iacob concerning the blessed life The said holy man saith that like as Iacoh hauing not on his own behalfe deserued the birth-right shrowded himselfe vnder the apparell of his brother and clothed himselfe with his garment which yeelded a very sweet sent and in that wise presented himselfe to his father to receiue the blessing vnder another mans person to his owne behoofe euen so is it requisit for vs to clothe our selues with the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ by faith and to shrowd ourselues vnder the diuine purenesse of our eldest brother if we will be receiued for righteous afore God And certainely this is true For if we appeare before God vnclothed of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ out of all doubt we shall be iudged worthy of euerlasting damnation But contrariwise if God see vs apparelled with the righteousnesse of his Sonne Christ then will he surely take vs for righteous and holy and worthy of eternall life And verily it is a great rashnesse in such as pretend to attaine to righteousnesse by the keeping of Gods Commandements which are all comprehended in louing God with all our heart with all our soule and with all our strength and our neighbour as our selfe But who is so arrogant or so mad as to presume that he is able to performe those Commandements to the full Or who seeth not that Gods Law requireth perfect loue and condemneth all vnperfectnesse Let euery man consider well his owne workes which partly shall seeme good vnto him and he shall find that they ought rather to be called transgressions of that most holy Law according also as they be altogether vncleane and vnperfit so that he must be faine to vtter this saying of Dauids Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for no man liuing shall be found righteous in thy sight And Salomon saith Who is he that may say My heart is cleane And Iob cryeth out What man is he that can be vndefiled and what man borne of woman can shew himselfe righteous Behold he found no stedfastnesse among his Saints yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight How much more abominable and filthy is man who drinketh iniquity as it were water And Saint Iohn saith If we say we be without sinne wee deceiue our selnes And specially our Sauiour Iesus Christ teacheth vs to say as often as we pray Forgiue vs all our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. And hereby may well be gathered the folly of those that make marchandise of their workes presuming to saue by them not onely themselues but also their neighbours as though our Lord Iesus Christ had not said vnto them When ye haue done all that euer is commanded you say ye We be vnprofitable seruants we haue done but as we ought to doe Ye see that although we had performed Gods Law to the full yet neuerthelesse we should esteeme and call our selues vnprofitable seruants Now then seeing that men are so farre off from this full performance who is he that dareth be so bold as to glorifie himselfe that he hath added so great an ouerplus of deseruings aboue the full measure as he may haue to deale abroad vnto others But to returne to our purpose I would that the proud sinner which beareth himselfe in hand that he maketh himselfe righteous before God by doing some works which are allowable to the world would consider that all the workes which proceed out of an vncleane and foule heart are also vncleane and filthy and consequently cannot be acceptable vnto God nor haue any power to make the party righteous Therefore we must first of all cleanse the heart if we mind that our workes should please God The cleansing of the heart proceedeth of faith as the holy Ghost affirmeth by the mouth of St. Peter Then must we not say that the vnrighteous person and the sinner becommeth righteous good and acceptable vnto God by his owne workes but we must of necessity conclude that faith cleanseth our hearts and maketh vs good righteous and acceptable before God and furthermore causeth our workes to please him notwithstanding that they be altogether vnprofitable and vnperfit For inasmuch as we be become the children of God through faith he considereth our workes not as a seuere and rigorous Iudge but as a most mercifull Father hauing pitty of our frailenesse and regarding vs as the members of his eldest sonne whose perfection and righteousnesse doth supply all our vncleannesse and imperfection which are not layed to our charge forsomuch as they be couered vnder the purenesse and innocency of Iesus Christ and come not to iudgement before God And hereupon it commeth to passe that all our workes which proceed of true faith notwithstanding that they be wholly sinfull and corrupt of themselues shall neuerthelesse be praised and allowed by Iesus Christ in the generall iudgement because they be the fruits and testimonies of our faith whereby we be saued For insomuch as we haue loued the brethren of Iesus Christ we shall shew euidently that we haue also beene faithfull and brethren of Christ and therefore by faith we shall be put in full possession of the euerlasting Kingdome which our Soueraigne Lord God hath prepared for vs before the creating of the world not for our merits sake but through his mercy whereby he hath chosen vs and called vs to the Grace of his Gospell and made vs righteous to the intent to glorifie vs euerlastingly with his onely begotten Son Iesus Christ who is the holinesse and righteousnesse of vs but not of them which will not confesse that faith is sufficient of it selfe to make a man righteous and acceptable to the Lord God who through his Fatherly goodnesse and louing kindnesse offereth and giueth vs Iesus Christ with his righteousnes without any desert of our owne workes What thing can worke or cause a
me To answer to these doubts of thine I say my right deare brother that thou must assure thy selfe that all these are but temptations of the diuell who by all meanes seeketh to rob vs of that faith and confidence that springeth of faith and assureth vs of Gods good will towards vs. He laboureth to strip our soules out of this precious garment for he knoweth that none is a true Christian except he beleeue Gods Word which promiseth forgiuenesse of all sinnes and peace to all them which accept the grace of the Gospel Verily I say that he which vpon these promises of God perswadeth not himselfe assuredly that God is a mercifull and louing Father vnto him nor with stedfast confidence looketh to receiue the inheritance of the heauenly Kingdome at his hand is not faithfull in deed and maketh himselfe vtterly vnworthy of Gods Grace In respect whereof S. Paul saith that we be the Temple of God so far forth as we firmely maintaine the confidence and glory of our hope vnto the end And in another place he exhorteth that we should not giue ouer our trust which hath great reward of recompence And therefore my brethren let vs giue our whole endeauour to do the Will of God as it becommeth good children and beware that we sin not as neere as we can And although we fall oftentimes into sin through our owne frailty yet let vs not by and by surmize that we bee vessels of wrath or that we be vtterly forsaken of the holy Ghost for we haue our Aduocate Iesus Christ before Gud the Father and he is the atonement-maker for our sinnes Let vs bethinke vs of the opinion of S. Austin who saith that none of the Saints is righteous and without sinne and yet notwithstanding that he ceaseth not to be righteous and holy so farreforth as he retaines his holinesse with affection And therefore if we haue afflictions and tribulations let vs not thinke that God sends them because he is our enemy but because he is our most louing Father The Lord saith Salomon chastiseth him whom he loueth and scourgeth euery child of his whom he receiueth Wherefore if we haue receiued the Grace of the Gospell whereby man is receiued of God for his Child we must not doubt of Gods grace and good will towards vs. And when wee perceiue our selues to delight in Gods Word and to haue a desire to follow the life of Iesus Christ we must stedfastly beleeue that we be the children of God and the Temple of the holy Ghost for those things cannot be done by the power of mans wisedome but are the gifts of the holy Ghost who dwelleth in vs by faith and is as it were a seale of authority which sealeth vp Gods promises in our hearts the certainety whereof is printed aforehand in our minds and is giuen vs as a pledge to stablish and confirme the same As soone as you beleeue saith the Apostle S. Paul ye be sealed by the holy Spirit of promise who is the earnest peny of our inheritance Behold how he sheweth vs hereby that the hearts of the faithfull are marked with the holy Ghost as it were with a seale in respect whereof he calleth the holy Ghost The Spirit of promise forsomuch as he confirmeth the promise of the Gospell the which as I haue oftentimes told you is a happy tydings that promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting life to all such as beleeue that all their misdoings are blotted out in Iesus Christ All we that beleeue in Iesus Christ saith Saint Paul are become the children of God and because we be his children he hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our heart which cryeth Father Father And to the Romanes Those saith hee that are guided by the Spirit of God are the children of God for yee haue not receiued againe the spirit of bondage in feare but the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Father Father For certainely the same Spirit beareth our spirit record that we be the children of God Now then if we be children we be also heires And we must marke well that in these two places the Apostle S. Paul speaketh plainely not of any speciall reuelation but of a certaine record which the holy Ghost doth commonly yeeld to all such as receiue the grace of the Gospell Then if the holy Ghost assure vs that we be Gods children and heires why should we doubt of our predestination The same man saith in the same Epistle Whom he hath predestinated them hath he also called and whom he hath called them hath he also made righteous and whom he hath made righteous them also hath he glorified What shall we then say to all these things If God be on our side who can be against vs And therefore if I plainely perceiue that God hath called me by giuing me faith and the fruits of faith that is to wit Peace of conscience mortification of the flesh and quickning of the spirit whether it be in whole or in part why should I doubt that I am not predestinated And moreouer we say with S. Paul that all true Christians that is to wit all such as beleeue the Gospell receiue not the spirit of this world but the Spirit that commeth from God by the inspiration whereof they discerne the things that God hath giuen them What maruell then is it if wee know that God hath certainly giuen vs euerlasting life But there are some which say that no man ought to presume so farre as to boast himselfe to haue the Spirit of God They speake in such wise as if the Christian should glory of the hauing of it for his owne deserts and not by the onely and meere mercy of God and as though it were a presumptuousnesse to professe himselfe a Christian or as though a man could bee a Christian without the hauing of Christs Spirit or as though we could without flat hypocrisie say that Iesus Christ is our Lord or call God our Father if the holy Ghost mooued not our hearts and tongues to vtter so sweet words And yet notwithstanding euen they that count vs presumptuous for saying that God hath giuen vs his holy Spirit with faith forbid vs not to say euery day Our Father but rather command vs. But I would haue them to tell mee how it is possible to separate faith and the holy Ghost asunder seeing that faith is the peculiar worke of the holy Ghost If it be presumption to beleeue that the holy Ghost is in vs why doth Saint Paul bid the Corinthians try themselues whether they haue faith or no affirming them to bee reprobates if they know not that Iesus Christ is in them But in very deed it is a great blindnesse to accuse the Christians of presumptuousnesse for taking vpon them to glory of the presence of the holy Ghost without which glorying there cannot bee any Christianity at all But Iesus Christ
who cannot lye saith that his Spirit is vnknowne to the world and that they onely doe know him within whom hee dwelleth Then let them begin to become good Christians and put away their Iewish minds and imbrace the grace of the holy Gospell in good earnest and then shall they know that the good and true Christians both haue the holy Ghost and also acknowledge themselues to haue him But some may say to mee That the Christian cannot by any meanes know that he is in Gods fauour without some speciall reuelation and so consequently that he cannot know whether he be predestinated or no. And hee may specially alleadge these words of Salomon A man knoweth not whether he be worthy of hatred or of loue and also these words of the Apostle S. Paul to the Corinthians I feele not my selfe guilty of any thing and yet feele I not my selfe iustified for all that It seemeth to bee sufficiently declared by the texts of holy Scripture that the said opinion is false and now remaineth onely to be shewed briefely that these two texts whereupon the same opinion is chiefely grounded ought not to bee taken in that sense As touching Salomons sentence although it bee scarse well and faithfully translated in the common translation yet is there not any man so dull who in reading Salomons whole discourse may not plainely perceiue that by saying so hee meant that if any man will take vpon him to iudge by the casualties that happen in this life who is loued or hated of God hee laboureth in vaine considering that the selfe-same chances which light vpon the righteous light also vpon the vnrighteous vpon him that sacrificeth as well as vpon him that sacrificeth not and as soone vpon the good man as vpon the sinner Whereof it may bee gathered that God doth not alwayes shew his loue towards those whom hee indueth with outward prosperities and contrariwise that hee sheweth not his displeasure towards those whom hee punisheth Then my right deare brethren in Christ Iesus our Lord doe you thinke it reason to conclude that a man cannot be sure of Gods fauour because the same surenesse cannot bee perceiued by the sundry chances that happen euery day in these transitory and temporall things A little afore Salomon saith That a man cannot discerne any difference betweene the soule of man and the life of a beast for it is seene that both man and beast dye after one manner Shall we then conclude by this outward accident that the perswasion which wee haue conceiued of the immortalitie of the soule is grounded but onely vpon coniecture No surely and it were a great folly to stand vpon a thing so notably knowne And as for S. Pauls words I say that forasmuch as hee was speaking of the administration of the Gospell hee meant that his heart mis-giues him not of any mis-dealing therein and yet for all that that hee is not sure hee hath done his whole duty to the full and therein obtained the praise of righteousnesse to Godward as if hee had done all that pertained and was conuenient to be done by a faithfull Steward and therefore in speaking of his office like a iust and discreet person hee durst not iustifie himselfe nor auow that hee had discharged his duty to the vttermost and satisfied his Lords will but referred all things to the only iudgement of his Lord. And verily whosoeuer readeth these words of the Apostle Saint Paul and considereth the words going afore them with some iudgement and likewise the words that follow will not doubt but this is the true sense of them I know well that some men in expounding these words of the Apostle S. Paul say that although he knew himselfe to bee without sinne yet he knew not whether hee were righteous to Godward or no according as Dauid affirmeth that no man can perfectly know his owne sinnes But these men perceiue not that S. Paul groundeth not righteousnesse vpon workes but vpon faith and that he vtterly refuseth his owne righteousnesse to imbrace onely the righteousnesse which God hath giuen vs through our Lord Iesus Christ Also they consider not that he was most certaine to be accepted for righteous in maintaining the soundnesse and purenesse of the Christian faith and that he knew well how the Crowne of that righteousnesse was laid vp for him in Heauen and also that he was fully assured that no creature in heauen earth nor hell was able to separate him from the Loue of God and that he longed to dye because he knew for a truth that after his death he should be with Iesus Christ All which things should be false if he had not beene well assured that he was righteous I meane by faith and not by workes Therefore my deare beloued brethren let vs cease to speake that thing of the Apostle S. Paul which he neuer once thought of himselfe but fiercely fought against it continually in answering such as measured righteousnesse by workes and not by faith in our Lord Iesus Christ But besides these two authorities of Salomon and S. Paul a man might alledge some other places of holy Scripture which whereas they warne and encourage men to feare God seeme to be contrary to the assurance of this our predestination And if I would declare them all particularly I should be ouer-long But I say generally that the feare of punishment was proper to the Old Testament and childly loue to the New Testament according as S. Paul witnesseth when he saith to the Romanes Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare but yee haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Father Father And likewise vnto Timothy he saith that God hath not giuen vs the spirit of fearefulnesse but rather of power and loue which spirit Iesus Christ hath giuen vs according to the promise made by the mouth of the holy Prophets and brought to passe that we being deliuered out of our enemies hands may serue him without feare before his holy presence in all holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life By these and many other places of the holy Scripture a man may plainely gather that the painefull and slauish fearefulnesse agreeth not with a Christian and this is already confirmed by this that such manner of fearefulnesse is vtterly contrary to the spirituall cheerefulnesse and ioy which is peculiar to the Christian as the Apostle S. Paul sheweth openly to the Romanes saying that the Kingdome of God is righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost that is to say that euery man which entereth into the Kingdome of the grace of the Gospell is become righteous through faith and afterward addeth peace of conscience which consequently breedeth such a spirituall and holy rest and gladnesse in respect whereof the same S. Paul doth oftentimes incourage the Christians to liue merrily And S. Peter saith that all they which beleeue in