is no quaestion but al were sinners and that very often they daily offended Besides al which their good deeds also but few to speak of were so imperfect for want of tru sinceritie and zeal which never are found since the fal of Adam in any of the children of men that if God should deal in his justice only and not in the depth of his mercie withal not one of those works could ever be accepted of him Hence is it that the children of God acknowledge their uncleannes in al their wais not only in such things as commonly go under the name of sin but in al their holines and righteousnes besides too high a point for the children of the world to attain unto In Christ we finde most absolute righteousnes perfectly wrought insomuch that there was never found any il in him either proceeding foorth by his deeds or words or at any time lurking in his secret thoughts and whatsoever he did or said was ever most godly wherunto the inward disposition of his hart and al his thoughts did ever accord And so must it needs be for that he was both God and man For so commeth it to passe that the infinit excellencies of his Godhead could not have sufficient issu in his manhood to shew foorth themselves to the ful but after they had thoroughly filled al his manhood with al perfection and al the organs and powers therof needs must there be immeasurable abundance left besides al which doth witnes his manhood first to be thoroughly filled So not only it might be but also of necessitie it must be and can be no other but that he loved God with al his hart with al his soul with al his strength and his neighbor as himselfe that al his deeds words and thoughts were ever good and the same in most absolute maner to the uttermost pitch that the capacitie of manhood was able to bear How to procure righteousnes to our selves to make it ours is now to be seen Where first if we come to that righteousnes that is of man either of our selves or others we shal never be able to do any good For first as touching our selves wheras we are not able to fulfil the law there is not in us any righteousnes at al to be had If we could fulfil the whole law never offending in deed word nor thought but ever having al our deeds words and thoughts fully answering to that holines and righteousnes that God requireth then might we stand in the favor of God by our own good works without any help at al by Christ and that by the vertu of the former covenant commonly called the old Testament But if we misse any point of this though we do our best indevor yet are we nothing holpen therby in this matter bicause that God hath not covenanted to accept us as righteous for doing our indevor therin but only by fulfilling the whole law in every point to the uttermost jot Neither can he in his justice accept of any other righteousnes but that which is perfect no more than the law wil adjudge any sum a just paiment be it never so much though infinit thousands so long as there wanteth any one penie of that which is covenant Then if we seek unto others those that now are saints in heaven to have the help of their righteousnes to make us righteous neither have they any such as the law requireth but are for that matter as short as we neither did God at any time make any such covenant with any of us that their righteousnes should stand us in any such steed Now therfore to come unto Christ in him only is that righteousnes to be had that can serve our turn and we have it in him by none other means but only by faith For wheras God hath made his other covenant in him which he calleth the new and the last bicause he never meaneth to make any mo besides that wheras we cannot be justified before him by any righteousnes of our own unlesse we were able to fulfil the law and he therfore hath taken this order that his Son should do it for us to the end that al that take hold therof or rest upon him should have his holines and righteousnes theirs hence commeth it both that such as rest in him by the vertu of his latter covenant have his righteousnes theirs and that they are not other wais justified but only by taking hold on him by faith For neither hath God made this righteousnes of Christ so common to al that unbeleevers may have the benefit of it as wel as the faithful neither hath he by this latter covenant declared himselfe to be of purpose to justifie us by the good works or merits of any but only of Christ. In other things without al quaestion there is a special use of our own good works of the good examples that the blessed saints have given us but in this our justification with God there is no use of them at al. Now therfore concerning the place of Saint Iames that seemeth to attribute our justification partly to our own works and not only to faith in Christ it is evident that he doth not treat of this our first justification but only exhorteth to holines of life and so consequently whatsoever he saith there it is not to be heerunto applied Wheras therfore the apostle Saint Paul concludeth his disputation of that matter that We are iustified by faith without the deeds of the law And Saint Iames in like maner concludeth his that Of works a man is iustified and not of faith only Although it may seem at the first sight that these two are directly contrarie one to the other yet the circumstances of the places and the intent and meaning of either of the Apostles being considered it is found very plainly that they are not contrarie but only divers that is one of them doth not denie that which is affirmed by the other both speaking of one thing but having two several or divers matters in hand ech of them holdeth on his own several way For Saint Paul is in hand with a point of doctrine to shew wherin our first justification consisteth before God and Saint Iames is in hand with a point of exhortation to godlines of life and to that end sheweth that our faith is but vain unlesse that it be in some good measure fruitful by works Wheras therfore although they both speak of faith and justification yet the one doth not mean either that faith or that justification that the other meaneth hence may it sufficiently appeer without any further discourse of the matter that the one of them is not against the other If Saint Iames had been of purpose to have shewed how we are justified before God he would have shewed no other way but only by faith in Christ Iesus as in the chapter before he ascribeth the estate that we have in Christ not unto
man that come life come death come health come siknes come wealth come povertie come prosperitie come adversitie come never so tempestuous storms of persecution he sitteth down quietly and saith calmly with the prophet My trust is in God and therfore I fear not what flesh can do unto me Nay further with holie Iob amidst al his miseries he saith Si occiderit me in ipso sperabo If God should kil me yet would I trust in him And this is as the scripture said before to be as confident as a lion Whose propertie is to shew most courage when he is in greatest peril and neerest his death 20 But now as the holie Ghost saith Non sic impij non sic The wicked cannot say this they have no part in this confidence no interest in this consolation Quia spes impiorum peribit Saith the scripture The hope of wicked men is vain and shal perish And again Praestolatio impiorum furor The expectation of wicked men is furie And yet further Spes impiorum abhominatio animae The hope of wicked men is abhomination and not a comfort unto their soul. And the reason heerof is double First for that in verie deed though they say the contrarie in words wicked men do not put their hope and confidence in God but in the world and in their riches in their strength frinds and authority and finally in the Deceaving arm of man Even as the prophet expresseth in their person when he saith We have put a lie for our hope That is we have put our hope in things transitorie which have deceived us this is yet more expressed by the scripture saieng The hope of wicked men is as chaf which the wind bloweth away and as a bubble of water which a storm disperseth as a smoke which the wind bloweth abroad and as the remembrance of a ghest that staieth but one day in his In. By al which metaphors the holie Ghost expresseth unto us both the vanity of the things wherin indeed the wicked do put their trust and how the same faileth them after a little time upon every smal occasion of adversitie that falleth out 21 This is that also which God meaneth when he so stormeth and thundereth against those which go into Egypt for help and do put their confidence in the strength of Pharao accursing them for the same and promising that it shal turn to their own confusion which is properly to be understood of al those which put their cheefe cōfidence in worldly helps as al wicked men do whatsoever they dissemble in words to the contrarie For which cause also of dissimulation they are called hypocrites by Iob for wheras the wise man saith The hope of wicked men shal perish Iob saith The hope of hypocrites shal perish Calling wicked men hypocrites for that they say they put their hope in God wheras indeed they put it in the world Which thing beside scripture is evident also by experience For with whom doth the wicked man consult in his affairs and dowts With God principally or with the world Whom doth he seeke to in his afflictions Whom doth he cal upon in his siknes From whom hopeth he comfort in his adversities To whom yeeldeth he thanks in his prosperities When a worldly man taketh in hand any work of importance doth he first consult with God about the event therof Doth he fal down of his knees and aske his aid Doth he refer it wholy and principally to his honor If he do not how can he hope for aid therin at his hands How can he repaire to him for assistance in the dangers and lets that fal out about the same How can he have any confidence in him which hath no part at al in that work It is hypocrisie then as Iob truly saith for this man to affirm that his confidence is in God wheras indeed it is in the world it is in Pharao it is in Egypt it is in the arm of man it is in a lie He buildeth not his house with the wise man upon a rok but with the foole upon the sands and therfore as Christ wel assureth him When the rain shal come and fluds descend and winds blow and al togither shal rush upon the house which shal be at the hour of death then shal this house fal and the fal of it shal be great Great for the change that he shal see great for the great horror which he shal conceive great for the great miserie which he shal suffer great for the unspeakable joies of heaven lost great for the eternal pains of hel fallen into great every way assure thy selfe deer brother or else the mouth of God would never have used this word great and this is sufficient for the first reason why the hope of wicked men is vain for that indeed they put it not in God but in the world 22 The second reason is for that albeit they should put their hope in God yet living wickedly it is vain and rather to be called presumption than hope For understanding wherof it is to be noted that as there are two kinds of faith recounted in scripture the one a dead faith without good works that is which beleeveth al you say of Christ but yet observeth not his commandements the other a lively a justifieng faith which beleeveth not only but also worketh by charitie as Saint Pauls words are So are there two hopes following these two faiths the one of the good proceeding of a good conscience wherof I have spoken before the other of the wicked resting in a guiltie conscience which is indeed no tru hope but rather presumption This Saint Iohn prooveth plainly when he saith Brethren if our hart reprehend us not then have we confidence with God That is if our hart be not guiltie of wicked life And the words immediately folowing do more expresse the same which are these Whensoever we aske we shal receive of him for that we keep his cōmandements do those things which are pleasing in his sight The same confirmeth Saint Paul when he saith that The end of Gods commandements is charity from a pure hart and a good conscience Which words Saint Austen expounding in divers words and in divers places of his works prooveth at large that without a good conscience there is no tru hope that can be conceaved Saint Paul saith he addeth from a good conscience Bicause of hope for he which hath the scruple of an evil conscience despaireth to attain that which he beleeveth And again Every mans hope is in his own cōscience according as he feeleth him selfe to love God And again in another book the apostle putteth a good cōscience for hope for he only hopeth which hath a good conscience and he whom the guilt of an evil conscience doth prik retireth bak from hope hopeth nothing but his own damnation I might heer
14 That other hinderance that is of more special force with them al generally is that they have a certain persuasion that they can not join with us in our profession but that so they should depart from the catholik church Which thing indeed is of such importance that if it were tru it were not for any that loved his own salvation or the glorie of God to join with us in our religion For there is but one church as also there is but one faith and whosoever they are that depart from either of both they cannot be of sound religion whatsoever it is they do professe Therfore to examin this matter a little first we may do wel to search out what it is that maketh them to think that if they should reform their profession so far foorth as we have done they should then depart from the catholik church and so consequently deprive themselves of aeternal life then how the same opinion of theirs may be amended Concerning the former me think that the principal cause of this their persuasion is for that they do not rightly gather neither what the church it selfe is nor yet what it is to depart from the same And then if the groundwork it selfe be wrong it is no marvel if the building that be set therupon be awrie likewise The former of them is that in the aestimation of the church they take not unto them a right trial to teach them which is the church indeed For the levels that they commonly use are especially two one taken out of the first foundation of it the other the successe that since it hath had to this praesent time wherin we live Out of the foundation of their church they go about to establish the certaintie of it by two conveiances one from Christ unto Peter the other from Peter unto them For first they imagin that Christ made Peter the cheefe of al and his general substitute heer on earth that he should be under him the head of his church and have the feeding of al that are his Out of this they gather that those onlie are the church that acknowledge Peter next under Christ to be their cheefe principal head Then do they conceive that Peter was disposed to leave this primacy with the church of Rome and to those that should be the bishops therof and that for that cause he left other places and came unto Rome and was bishop there five and twentie yeers And therupon they think they may safely gather that whosoever is not under the church of Rome he also is none of the church of God These conveiances do we take to be of very little force and so consequently no matter of substance to assure us of the truth of this matter For first that Peter had any such praerogative or primacie we find it not set down by Christ himselfe or by any of his Apostles which notwithstanding must needs have been done without quaestion if it had been tru being as it was of such importance Then as touching any assigment over from him to the church of Rome and to those that should be the bishops therof neither do we find by undowted authoritie that he ever did it nor if he had at any time done it yet that he had libertie so to do and that God would ratifie his assigment But I mean not to enter into that discourse sufficiently handled by many others neither is it needful when as our adversaries themselves do of late so much mislike that part of their groundwork that none of them al of any account can finde in their harts to build so much as their own credit theron The other which standeth in the successe that their church hath had is indeed of greater force to such a purpose but yet notwithstanding such as being rightly considered yeeldeth no assurance to the matter that we have in hand The successe which the church of Rome hath had resteth in two principal points in continuance and consent of others By continuance I mean that it hath not fallen bak again to Paganism or heathenish vanitie neither yet stept aside to the sect of Mahomet as the Turks and manie others have done but ever continued after a sort in the profession of the faith since the time that by the Apostles it was delivered unto them Which surely is a very special blessing of God an evident work of the holie Ghost and a very good cause why al those that wish wel to the Gospel of Christ should have the ancient church of Rome so much the more in reverence for it So commeth it to passe that they have not onlie had after a sort a continual succession of bishops teachers but also have in some maner praeserved and hitherto maintained both the word and the sacraments that Christ himself did leave unto us The consent also that they have had hath been verie great yet not ever alike but somtime more than at some other So long as it kept the faith undefiled and was earnestly bent to advance the kingdom of Christ and would in no wise break but carefully maintained the unitie of the church so long they had the consent of al that dwelt about them or by any means could have any dealing with them And that not altogither for the antiquitie and dignitie of the citie bicause it had been of great continuance in a florishing estate and was now the imperial seat but also even for the sinceritie of the faith and for divers excellent gifts that God had powred upon that church in plentiful maner But after that the former zeal being abated it began to fal in love with earthly things and to break the peace of the church to advance it selfe then began manie to let down their former good liking of it al the East churches generally and manie of the better sort in the West likewise Nevertheles even then also the greatest part of al Europe and some others else-where besides did cleave unto it partly of themselves for the former dignitie of the place or for that they perceived not how they began to slide away from the sinceritie of their profession but especially bicause of the great power that the church of Rome did after obtain from which they saw not how to withdraw themselves without some praesent displeasure or danger Hence commeth it that they have had their doings allowed and their opinions confirmed not onlie by manie several persons of best account but also by Provincials abroad and by general Councels at home themselves or their frinds in these latter ages ever bearing the sway in them both So that indeed the church of Rome hath had such successe in these parts of the world among us that to our knowledge there hath not been the like for earthlie pomp any where else Yet notwithstanding this also is over weak wherupon to set that building of theirs needs must it have a faster ground else can it never be able to
Mat. 10. Mat. 13. Pag. 34. and 46. Of hardnes of hart Two degrees of hardnes of hart Mat. 27. * * It seemed to be of weaknes rather thā of such obduration as was in Pharao or is spoken of heer Exo. 6.7.8 Acts. 26.27 * * In these two also it seemeth rather to have been ignorance than obduration But the example is notably found in the Preests Scribes and Pharisies who ever opposed themselves against the preaching of Christ and at the length put him to death Persecutors A second degree of obduration Iob. 21. Psal. 57. Sap. 4. Zach. 7. The hard harted Iews Acts. 7. Mat. 5. Luc. 11.13 Iere. 5. Iere. 8. Eze. 18. Iob. 21. Esai 28. The description of an hard hart Psal. 75. Esai 48. Lib. 1. de consid ad Eug. c. 2. The explication of S. Barnards words The danger of an hard hart Eccl. 23. Eccl. 3. Li. 1. de consul c. 1. Eze. 36. Two kinds of harts in men with their properties Exo. 4.7.14 Au. 1.18 super Exod. serm 88. de temp Eze. 36. Heb. 6. Heb. 6. Ephes. 4. 1. The. 5. Heb. 3. Psal. 94. 3. Reg. 3. Esai 66. The conclusion of this whole booke Pag. 12. * * As may appeer in my preface to the reader * * Which was for that either time or health or libertie did not permit Phil. 2. The effect of that which hath been said in this booke In the first part In the second part Luc. 15. A notable saieng of S. Ierom. Luc. 15. The principal parts of this Treatise Why we may not ioin with them What is the benefit that we might seem to get by their profession What benefit we should have towards our salvation What benefit we should have in matters concerning this praesent life First of inward comfort Then of outward government What inconvenience might come in therby Inconveniences in matters of religion How it were dangerous in the work of our redemption to be of that profession with them How in the doctrine of Gods providence How in performance of our dutie to God How others might be corrupted by us What burdens heerby are laid on the consciences of men Traditions Auricular confession Poenance Rules of their observants What inconveniences would come in therby as touching our civile estate Abuse of their authoritie against soveraign magistrates Abuse of their authoritie with others At home Abroad Over his frinds Against those that withdraw themselves from his government Trailing them foorth into chargeable dangerous iourneies Greevous exactions Outlandish pastors Vpon what ground they do these things What benefite they should have by our profession The use of scripture We keepe more praecisely to the written word than our adversaries do In the work of our redemption In the doctrine of Gods providence In the worship of God Safer from giving offence to others Freer from those burdens Their confession Their poenance Their observances and forced chastitie What benefit they might have by our profession as touching their civile estate Which they may see in their own experience Then also by divers good reasons First of the goodnes of God Then of the nature of our maner of government For that we are governed by one of our own nation For that we are governed at home in our own countrie What is the inconvenience that they should have by our profession No such variety of helps with us as they have among themselves in matters of religion What inconvenience they should have in their civile estate No one head over al. No such credit to themselves with the common sort That those aforesaid inconveniences are verie little or none at al. No inconvenience to be excluded al other helps No disgrace to the honor of saints to set them by in the work of our redemption The comfort they have in those other helps little or none No great want that we have not one general head How far their credit and profit should be impaired Of iustification by faith only without works no inconvenience at al to hold it The effect of the doctrine it selfe How the place of S. Iames may be answered Of such things as hinder Discredit especially to those that have otherwise professed Discredit to those that have otherwise taught Discredit with some more specially The hard dealing that they suppose is used against them What it is that is used towards them What it is that they used towards us That our translations seem so corrupt unto them as that they cannot think that we have the word of God among us What it is that they lay to our charge therin How little cause they have to find such fault with our translations That these are not so cleer on their parts that for their sakes only we are to be denied to have the word among us Lymbus patrum Christs descending into hel Real praesence Their other sacraments Freedome of wil and merit of works Traditions Their preesthood and sacrifice Purgatorie Worshipping of saints and images Marriage of preests Inhaerent putative iustice only faith Of departing from the church What it is that maketh thē to think that we are departed from the church What they imagin to be the church How they ground upon the successe that they have had That they conceive amisse of us when they imagin that we are departed from the church How this kind of persuasion groweth What inconvenience commeth therby A surer way how to find out who are of the church A way that wil not serve our turn sufficiently The other way that wil plainly shew foorth what the church is How to find out what it is to depart from the church How we may therin be deceived How we may be able soundly to iudge in this matter Catholik Who they are that depart from the church not we but they rather so far as there is any such thing betwixt us No departing from the church in either of us But in sinceritie of religion a manifest departure is found in them Why in them Why not in us The conclusion The example of others What hurt it is if they do it not First in this world Then also in the world to come A praier for them Our weaknes acknowledged A way made unto petition The petition it selfe
works but to the free mercie of God So on the other side if Saint Paul had purposed to exhort to newnes of life he would there have told us as else-where he did that though we had al faith and had not love yet al were nothing So for the doctrine of justification likewise I trust there is no such absurditie held by us that any may have any just cause to fear to join with us therin 9 Those things that hinder are some of them of lesse importance and lightly hinder not but those that are of the weaker sort and one other there is of more special force with them that I take to be the greatest stay that hindereth those that take it to be a matter of conscience indeed Those lesser hinderances likewise are divers For some respect their persons especially and one other there is that somwhat respecteth the cause likewise Those that do most properly respect their persons are especially two one that proceedeth from regard of their credit which was somwhat touched before as one of the inconveniences that heerby they should have the other that concerneth certain hardnes that by bodily punishment they suppose themselves to be put unto untouched as yet And the discredit that they dowt would fal upon them is partly with al generally but especially with those with whom they have so long held togither For with al generally it is like to be some disgrace unto them for that they have al so professed and some of them besides have accordingly taught but yet no such as of right may hold them stil in the course that now they are in For as touching their profession it is very incident to the nature of man to be deceived especially in the truth of religion Howsoever we have a reasonable good sight in other things yet in this the best of us al are far to seeke for any thing that we have in our selves to help us withal Neither are we only to seeke heerin but also prone to conceive best liking of that which is wrong But besides their own natural weaknes and inclination they may wel remember that the former dais were such and their own proper education withal that whosoever is of any reasonable consideration wil easily pardon for the former time such wanderings unto them For both those things are verie forcible to lead us away with them whersoever there is not the special grace of Gods holie spirit both for to teach us a better course and to lead us therin So with men who are al of the selfe-same mould and have al had our parts of that other infection besides it is a very pardonable matter in religion to have held that course that they did pardonable I say in respect of our own natural impotencie and inclination and of those dais of ignorance that were before togither with our education then framed according to that praesent time But if we come to these dais of ours then is the case altered much For now it hath pleased the goodnes of God both to give them a more plentiful knowledge of his wil and pleasure and to offer unto them a readier direction by his holie spirit that so they may both see and walk the way to his kingdome so much the better Which diversitie of times and graces considered they may easily resolve themselves that it is no discredit unto them to alter the course of their former ignorance when as now their eies being opened they have found a better In the night it is no shame at al to go awry in the day time it is a fowl and stark shame indeed to hold on that course and not to break it off with speed Concerning those that besides their own profession have also taught the same unto others it cannot be denied but that they have done so much the more hurt and that their auditorie and disciples before may charge them with great alteration now if so they should alter their former course Nevertheles neither were their former doings to be denied their reasonable excuse with al those that are indifferent neither can they now continu on their course but that needs they must therwithal impeach their credit much more than if they had altered with al that have attained unto the knowledge of the truth For their former labors are the rather to be born withal for that being then persuaded that they were right it was their parts indeed to commend unto others that which themselves did think to be needful But that now it is rather for their credit to alter their course besides that other before recited which they have common with the rest hence also may they gather for that finding now that they have done much hurt before it standeth them upon for to amend the same so soone as they can The wound they have made it were meet that themselves should heal again Which if they should forsake to do howsoever it would stand with their credit or not it were verie like for to procure them an heavie judgement in the end For the errors that they should so leave uncorrected could not but infect manie others and likely inough so to grow on to the end of the world by which time it is not to say what heaps of iniquitie might come therby For al which they must needs stand chargeable before the judgement seat of God unlesse while they live heer among us they seek to amend al their errors delivered before In which respect Augustine hath left them in his own example a point of great wisdome diligently retracting or calling bak again whatsoever points of doctrine he found that he had unadvisedly delivered before and yet notwithstanding as it seemeth and himselfe in the praeface confesseth thought no shame with it at al as indeed it was a very good testimonie of his inward sinceritie and so consequently as much to his tru and just commendation as any thing else that ever he did If it be said that in him there was some further cause for to retract much of that which he wrote before both bicause he wrote very yoong and before he was baptised in the faith of Christ tru it is indeed that so he wrote but not so with al as leaveth to them any such advantage For the quaestion is not whether Saint Augustine or they had more need to retract some of their opinions but whether it be meete that those should do it that have taught unto others that which now they finde to be wrong And thogh it were yet I dowt much whether upon sufficient advisement any of them would so far urge the ods betwixt them either his youth to their yeers or his imperfection before his baptism to their ripenes now but that they would with good wil acknowledge rather that it were their parts if they have taught any erronious points of doctrine with him to retract them than to make any such allegation that they need not do it