Lorde The blessed state of them that dy in the lord is permanēt they may hereby learne that not onely immediatly after their death they shal rest from their labours and enter vppon their rewarde and so bee blessed but that also this their state is certaine without any falling backe from it and therefore still their reward is called life euerlasting in the scriptures And surely if this be their state immediatly thenceforth without euer any dāger of falling backe to worse then of the contrary it must needs follow that quite contrary immediatly after their death shal be the state and condition of al that die not in the Lord and that there is no hope for euer for them to attaine vnto a better What neede there then a general iudgement will some say I answere for two causes that the bodies thē may be restored to their soules againe that both the ioies of the faithful paines of the faithles to the ful manifestatiō both of gods mercy iustice may be cōsummate and ful that so god thē may outwardly solemnly iustify before al the world his former particular iudgemēt which imediatly before at euery mās death he had laid vpon them Lastly we are not to passe ouer or forget how our aduersaries the Papistes abuse this last clause of the text For they hearing that workes follow such thereupon inferre that works merit eternal blisse The abuse of this place therby to prooue that workes merite confuted Indeed hereupon it followeth as I haue noted before that none haue a right faith in Christ but those that haue also good works to accompany them whensoeuer they dye in the Lord which I would not haue forgotten But hereupon to gather that our workes merite heauen we may not For then they should go before our being in the Lord be a cause therof whereas here it is only sayde that they follow and accompany such Which it should seeme that Augustine had obserued li. de Fide operibus ca. 14. when he said that good workes goe not before iustification but they follow a man iustified Let them therefore followe in Gods name as a fruit of a man in the Lorde but let them not step before as a cause of his being in the fauor of the Lord. And vnderstād that this argument is stark naught good workes shal be rewarded with heauēly blisse therefore they merite it Is no man rewarded but he which hath merited and deserued it first The heire when he commeth to his fathers lands is then wel rewarded for his paines he took in his fathers time yet hee hath not his inheritance for those his paines for then rather some seruant oftentimes should haue the inheritance but for that he was his fathers son heire before Euen so it is in this case we are born the sons of God by faith in Christ Ioh. 1.12 13. so coheires with him of heauen Rom. 8.17 thereby first and then follow good workes in vs not as a cause why we shal haue this inheritance but as a fruit effect flowing frō our thankful mindes to our heauenly father for this notable inheritance thus freely prepared for vs. And yet when we come to the inheritance because it cōmeth after these our works after a sort we may say that euē there by our paines in working are rewarded yet we haue not that reward for our workes but for that we working so were the sons heires of God But for the better loosing of al such popish knots vnderstād that it is not al one to say good works shal be rewarded and to say good works haue merited that rewarde For there are rewards giuen of mercy and so is this as well as of debt and duty Rom. 4.4 Againe there is great ods betwixt these two questions who shal bee saued and why man shal bee saued To the former we answere the well worker to the latter only for Christs sake apprehended by faith And therfore take this for the conclusion we shal be iudged Secundū operum indicium non propter operum meritū according to the testimony y our workes giue of vs not for the merit of our workes For it is writen Ephe. 2.8.9 We are saued by grace through faith that not of our selues it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast himself And yet this doctrine neither letteth nor staieth at al frō good works but is y◠only fountain indeed from whēce al true works do spring flow And therfore y◠Apo. Paul as you may obserue throughout al his epistles first laboreth to set down this doctrine then thereupon after buildeth exhortation to godlines of life the like course tooke Peter as you may see in his first epistle And yet these knewe how to prouoke to good works and in no case may be counted teachers of a doctrine enemy to good works Yea there is none indeed that hath grace to imbrace this doctrine effectually but therby he feeleth by experience his hart so enflamed with loue towardes God for his infinite mercy hereby displaied vnto him both in sauing him frō perishing and in thus freely preparing heauē for him that frō that loue of his there floweth riuers flouds of al thankfulnes in al true obedience to his God wherin he walketh chearfully cōfortably But the Papists being bastards no lawful children of the Lorde beeing not assured of this full and free fauor of his towards thē of a slauish feare with a seruile mind to earn heauē at his hands doe the good which they do Which indeed in matter maner of doing is such that though it carrye the shew of godlines yet it is not so indeede For the matter of good works they wil not fetch warrāt only frō gods reuealed wil in his word but matter good inough with thē For a good worke is any thing for the which they can alleage a traditiō of the elders or their own good intent Which kinde of works the Lord reiecteth as stincking in his sight Isa 29.13 Mat. 15.9 Co. 2.20 c. And as for their maner of doing it is like the Pharises ioyned with a conceit that therefore they may despise others trust to be heard at Gods hands for the merite of their works Which kinde of doing Christ hath cōdēned Mat. 6.1 Luk. 18.9 c. in forbidding vs to do our workes as the Pharisees did in sending home the proude Pharisee vniustified And therfore in very deed as they are without all true christian faith so are they without al true good works And therefore whosoeuer hath any thing to comfort himself by this place it is none of thē No doubt of it this noble mā whose body lieth here amongst vs to be encōbed though euen in outwarde shew of almes giuing other good works he ouermatched most merit mongers yet seeing he trusted only to the meries of Christ and neuer to his owne workes but did them only of loue and thankefulnesse towas his God is among those of whome it is here said Their workes accompany them and therfore now is in ioyful fruition of the reward thereof Whose example as wee that bee of the same faith are to followe that so with him we may bee in euerlasting remembrance both with God and good men as no doubt hee shall so it is an example to stoppe the mouths of the aduersaries that lyingly crye out that they that bee of our religion haue no good woorkes following them The secōd conclusiō Thus at last right honorable and dearely beloued we haue runne thorow this portiō of scrpture and considered both the generall and particular vse thereof And so first we haue heard how strongly it is warranted to conteine nothing but soūd truth namely that not whosoeuer knoweth or cōmeth ny but whosoeuer is by a true a liuely faith vnited vnto Christ dieth in him which is neither a miraculous historicall temporarie dead or popish faith but a faith seeking and apprehending saluation onely in Christ Iesus shal thēceforth be blessed immediatly in resting from all woe in body and soule and in entring vppon possession of their euerlasting rewarde and then thereby more particularly we haue obserued that therefore the body riseth againe and that the soule is neither mortall nor sleepeth that there is no popish purgatory nor any thing that can be done by others for soules departed that can doe them any good to ease or better their estate and finally that though here bee offered vs great encouragement to good workes yet here is nothing to proue that woorkes merite any thing at Gods hand All which doctrine and lessons our honourable friend here departed as I haue from point to point shewed you hath already found true by experience God of his mercy giue vs all grace so to set his example before vs that wee may so followe him that we may euery one of vs one day also to Gods glory and our own euerlasting comfort feele and finde the trueth thereof in our selues This O Lorde we beseech thee to grant vs all for thy onely sonne Iesus Christes sake to whome with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one euerliuing God be all power honour might and maiestie nowe and for euer Amen September 22. An. Do. 1594. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the Father and the most comfortable fellowship of the holy Ghost be with vs all now and euer to direct sanctifie and gouerne vs in all our waies works thoughts Amen FINIS
and that therefore wee shal bee saued for his sake onely and not for our workes at all Let vs now therefore heare what the Scripture sayth to the determination of this question That saying of Christ to his Luke 17.10 is directly contrary to their position where hee sayth when ye haue doone all those thinges that are commanded you say wee are vnprofitable seruantes wee haue doone that which was our duetie to doe For heereby not in way of curtesie as some of them haue sayde but in sadnesse we are taught that if wee kept the whole lawe in euery pointe which neuer man did but Christ that yet we are to account our selues so farre from hauing merited any thing thereby at Gods handes that we are to thinke we haue but payde him that which we ought him and therefore merited no more at his handes than an olde ill better may say he hath merited at his creditours handes when he payeth him but his hare owne How much more stronglye then doeth this place bynde vs from hauing that conceite of our woorkes when wee haue doone them that thereby we are iustified and merite heauen Seeing that the very best woorkers of vs al when wee haue doone what we canne yet finde our selues scarce able where wee owe God golde to paye him leade where wee owe him thousandes to pay him hundredes yea to aunswere him one of a thousande Iob. 9.3 in so much that the righteousnesse of the righteous is but as a steyned cloath Isa 64.6 And therefore Paul though hee wrote the Epistle to the Phillippians a litle before his death when hee was full of sufferinges for CHRIST and of all kinde of good woorkes yet he in the 3. Chapter therof protesteth not onelye in the preter tense that hee counted all his pharisaicall righteousnesse before his conuersion but all then in the present tense but doung that hee might winne Christ and might be founde in him not haning his owne righteousnesse which is of the Lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of GOD through fayth verse 8.9 Wherefore hee boldlye concludeth Titus 3.5 thus Not by the woorkes of righteousnesse which no doubt are woorkes doone in fayth for otherwyse they were not to be called woorkes of righteousnesse but rather woorkes of vnrighteousnesse which wee haue doone but according to his mercy he saued vs. Now to make it cleare that by this righteousnesse of GOD whereby Paule through faith in Christ woulde bee righteous before GOD is ment not an inherent righteousnesse in mans owne selfe Paul opposeth it to that righteousnesse in himselfe And besides Romanes 10.1.2.3 they are seuered in that the one is called the righteousnesse of God the other mans owne righteousnesse But most cleare is that Romains 1.17 where hee affirmeth that that righteousnesse which is called the righteousnesse of GOD is reuealed by the Gospell from faith to faith For it is written The iust shall liue by fayth Whereby it is most euident that this inherent righteousnes which they would haue to make theÌ„ righteous by is reuealed by the morall law And therefore you shall finde that Paul Rom. 10.5.6 7.8.9 distinguisheth the righteousnes of the lawe from the righteousnes that commeth by faith And Rom. 3.21 that hee in plaine tearmes thus determineth this matter Now is the righteousnes of God made manifest without the law hauing witnesse of the Law and the Prophetes to witte the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vppon all that beleeue Which coulde not bee if the righteousnes of God were the good workes that are in men for we come to the knowledge of theÌ„ by the Lawe This is called the righteousnesse of God in an excellencye because the righteousnesse of Christ is the righteousnesse of one that is God and is indeede a righteousnesse absolute before God for the which he cannot but account them righteous to whom it is imputed by fayth In an inferiour sort the godlynesse in Gods children maye be called a righteousnesse of God because it is wrought in them by his spirite but yet as appeareth by these places it is not that righteousnesse whereby we may dare perswade one selues that wee are made righteous before hym but onely a fruite proceeding from that applyed first vnto vs and then testifiyng thereof Further howe could it be sayde truely that life euerlastyng is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the free gift of God Ro. 6.23 if it come at all by meryte To imagyne that it may come of grace and also of workes it is flat agaynst Paul Rom. 11.6 where he sayth If it be of grace it is no more of works or else were grace no more grace but if it be of works it is no more grace or else were work no more woorke In which woordes he deâ—ermineth saluation to come by merite of workes and by grace to bee so contrarye the one to the other as if it come the one way it cannot come at al by â—he other It cannot bee sayde to the shifting off of this place with any reason that here by works are meant workes onely done before faith for he speaketh generally heere of woorkes without distinction And therefore very well saide August contra Pelag. Caelest lib. 2. cap. 24. Gods grace shal be grace no way vnlesse it be free euery way and the drift of the Epistle to the Galath is flatly and directly against such as would be saued partly by grace through faith in Christ and partly by their workes following faith For they were neuer taught by the false Apostles neithee did they then holde iustification by workes done before faith or by workes alone And yet Paul speaking to the purpose to confute them saith If righteousnes come by the lawe Christ died in vaine Gal. 2.21 Chap. 5.4 ye are albolished froÌ„ Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the lawe ye are fallen from grace Vpon which ground said Augustine in his preface vppon the 31. Psal If thou wilt haue nothing to doe with grace boast thy merits and Chrysostome 3. ad Gal. saith thus â—hey saide accursed is hee that leaneth onely to faith Paul sheweth that hee that so doeth is blessed And Ambrose also vpon the same warrant 1. Cor. 1. affirmeth that it is appointed of GOD that he that beleeueth in Christ shal be saued without woorkes onele by faith freely receiuing remission of his sinnes And least they should cauill and say as they are not ashamed to doe that by workes of the lawe are vnderstoode onely workes done before faith by the direction of the Lawe without the infusion of the speciall grace of GOD through Christ marke how notably to preuent that popish shift chap. 2.15.16 he saieth Wee that are Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles know that a man is not iustified by the workes of the Lawe but by the faith of Iesus Christ Euen we I say haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we
should beleeue that the righteousnesse of Christ should be imputed vnto the beleeuer in Christ for righteousnesse This they count absurde and therefore in their Tridentine Conuenticle accurse it as an heresie In the meane time holding that the workes which they themselues doe after faith is the formall righteousnesse whereby they deserue to bee accompted righteous before God In which point because their owne consciences tell them that their doctrine souÌ„deth greatly to the derogatioÌ„ of Christs glorie to coulour the Antichristianity thereof as well yet as may bee they haue now found out this deuise to say that their owne works are not so of their owne worthinesse absolutenesse but through the worthinesse of the merites of Christ Which in effect in plainer tearms is to say that Christ came not perfectly to saue by himselfe to be a full sauiour in his own person but to merite that meÌ„ might by their own works be their own sauiours as though Christ died to be our sauior to post ouer either part or the whole of that his office to any thing wrought by man And as their doctrine is so is their faith For to take it at the best as now they haue fined it thereby they seek in Christ but their former iustificatioÌ„ which they accouÌ„t nothing els but the first translation from the state of mere naturall men to the state of grace fauor of God And yet eueÌ„ herunto they hold that men may haue workes of preparation of their owne common abilitie left vnto them of nature but as for sinnes done after this former iustification attained they beleeue they must flie to a second refuge which they call the sacrament of Penance for them and so they beleeue they must either in this life by them-selues or after in Purgatorie satisfie for these sinnes partly by their owne sufferinges and partly by deedes done for them by others after they bee dead And for the seconde iustification which is the consummation and perfection of the former they beleeue that that must bee made vppe and finished by their owne merites madeÌ„ able to merice their saluation by the merites of Christ And that this is their faith and their docerine euen nowe I coulde make it euident from point to point out of the Tridentine councell the Censurer of Coled Canisius Catechisme the Romish Catechisme and our of our own counâ—rimens writings which are counted not the meanest of the Iesuites But I need not it â—â—ble you with any further proofe thereof For they themselues will not deny it And yee hereby it cannot d ee but you plaiuely see that Christ is not the onely foundation to them wherupon as vpon their onely foundation they stand and test For you see they trust to stand before the Lorde paâ—tly by his satisfactions paâ—â—y by their owns parâ—ly by his merits and pâ—â—tly â—y their owne and others and therefore they are built but halflings at the most vppon him halflings vpon themselues others For whatsoeuer he hath done for them yet vnlesse their owne satisfactioÌ„s be ful their merits such as for which they may euen in the iustice of God clasme heauen they can be at no rest nor peace in their consciences And therefore because they can neuer but doubt whether their satisfactions bee full their meries perfect they hold that they may neuer haue an assured trust and confidence that they shall be saued but that lawfully they may alwaies be in some doubt thereof O what an vucoÌ„fortable doctrine of desperatioÌ„ is this And yee so far off are they froÌ„ being ashamed of this which is the iust iudgement of God vpon them for leauing to rest vpon Christ the only most stedfast foundation that they are not ashamed that their doctrine be intitiled A doctrine of doubtfulnesse Yea they count that their doubtfulnes humility the assurance that true faith breedeth presumption Euen the bare opening vnto you thus what the popish faith is I hope sufficiently proueth vnto you that they that die in such a faith cannot bee saide to die in the Lorde Iesus because that out of the Lorde Iesus you see in themselues and others they seeke a great part of their saluation Howbeit because it is a point of great importance and weight and wherin as yet great multitudes will not bee so easily resolued let vs see howe from point to point this their faith and religion is opposite and contrarye to Gods reuealed will in his worde The former doctrine and faith confuted first generally They holde as you haue heard generally this that Christ in his own person by that which he hath doone himselfe hath not already done whatsoeuer is necessary for man to be iustifled saued by And therefore they ad thereunto their own satisfactions merits by his doings this togither to make vp their iustificatioÌ„ saluation But the scripture saith Heb. 7.25 he is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto God by him Heb. 10.10 by the will of God we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once made a litle after verse 14. with one offering hath he coÌ„secrated for euer them that are sanctified And Christ himselfe that knew best to giue an infallible note of his owne body the Church telleth vs Matth. 22.1 that the sounde and earhand of the true Messengers therein is this All things are already prepared namely in the mariage of the kings son come vnto the mariage Whereby it is most cleare the the word setteth forth Christ vnto vs as one that of himselfe by himselfe hath already done what soeuer we are to looke to be saued by or for Then particularly in three points To leaue now the generall ground of their faith and to come to the particulars thereof first you heare that they hold that Christ hath not clean purged by himselfe and by that which he hath done in his own person those that beleue in him both froÌ„ their sinnes from the penalty due for the same and that therefore God requireth to the satisfying of his iustice fully some further satisfaction at their own handes But we reane to the contrarie in the Scriptures For there it is thus written The bloud of the son of God doth clense vs froÌ„ all sinne Iohn 1.7 and least this should be taken as spoken onely of sinnes before faith Iohn addeth and putteth himselfe in the number and yet long before that be had faith If we say we haue no sin we deceiue our selues the truth is not in vs If we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull iust to forgiue vs our sinnes to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes If they reply that all this proueth but remissionem omnis culpae that is forgiuenesse of the fault or guilt onely of all our sinnes and not also of the punishment I proceede and aske them whether the curse of the lawe and damnation bee not punishmentes due for sinne and
Lorde speaketh of For he was no timeseruer or dissembler none that either in forehead or haÌ„d bare the marke of the beast but that hated theÌ„ least ragge relicke and clour of the Romish harlote euery day more and more vnto his death O you Nobles and others of what calling soeuer learne and seeke to bee like to him liuing that ye may bee like to him dying Assure your selues that hee loued Gods sincere trueth vnfeynedlye thet hee made not his religion a stepping stone to clime vp to promotion by nor his drudge to serue his turne to coÌ„passe his worldly fetches and deuices by No no hee was no vaine and prophane politike that fauoured and countenanced religion for his own turne his vnfeyned loue appeared towardes it in that euen the feete yea the very feet of them that were messengers therof vnto him were alwaies beautifull in his eiâ—â— insomuch yâ— he tooke pleasure to reason coÌ„ferre with them most familiarlye curteously taking it as great honour vnto himselfe to patronise theÌ„ in their good cause â—â—â—â—mes and to further to his vtmost their honest sutes Truly when I consider of the one side how faithful acounseller her maiesty hath lost of him of how trusty â—patron the coÌ„monwealâ— is by this his departure froÌ„ vs hereaâ—ed and of 〈◊〉 and teÌ„der a father this our Church is therby also depriued and when I haue done enter into a consideratioÌ„ on the other side of the blessed and happy change that hee hath made which followeth here in my text I cannot tel whether we haue grater cause to mourne in respect of this threefold losse to vs thaÌ„ to reioyce in respect of the blessed happy state hereby befallen to him Sure I am we may now wel conceiue yâ— in this threefolde respect there is great cause why we sâ—â—â—ly mourn but I â—eare we shal euery day more and more perceiue this threefold misse and losse of him and therfore our mourning is rather likely to bee increased than otherwyse Howbeit to moderate it let vs proceed in yeâ—eâ—t that we may see thereby again what cause there is euen of loue towards him to make vs in his respect to be ioyful again In the handling whereof I wil be the briefer because I haue beene the longer in this Wherfore leauing him most certainly enrolled euen by Gods â—wne hande within the number of those that be vndoubtedly deaâ—â— in the Lord let vs see what is here saiâ— concerning the state of such aâ—d therefore consequently of himsâ—â— The secoÌ„d part of the general diuisioÌ„ wherein first is set down the method true sense of that part of the text with proofes thereof as followeth It followeth Blessed are they immediately thence forth Yea saith the spirite they rest froÌ„ their labours and their works accompany theÌ„ Wherin first their state is fer boâ—â—e by yâ— he â—â—â—â—ly voice what it is and when they enter vpon it and then the same is iterated somwhat explaned by the approbartion assem of the holy Ghost in that forthwith they resto froÌ„ their labours and their works accoÌ„pany them Their state is blessed As for them entraÌ„ce coÌ„tinuance in that state 〈◊〉 pressed in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the etinâ—â—â—logy of the word the vse of the word in the best Greeke authours and the very circumstance of the tâ—â—â— considered cause me to traâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—hâ—s Immediatly thenceforth Which to he the sense that it haâ—h in this place vnderstanding the place of maâ—â—yrs the Rheâ—ists themselues in the notes vpon this place â—ilâ—ingly confesse Yea they vnderstanding the place also generally of al diseased in â—ate of grace confesse it may theÌ„ also though they say it dothâ—â—â— properly so signifie in this place which they 〈◊〉 neuer proue â—efo takeÌ„ here vndersaÌ„ding it only of these that so deceased after Christs asceÌ„sioÌ„ vnles that impedimeÌ„t be in theÌ„selues Wherby it is euident that not the properly of the word but a desire to maintaine first their limbus patrum for those that departed in faith before Christs ascension and their purgatory for some that depart so since maketh theÌ„ vnwilling to yeeld that the natural sense of the word here is as I haue rendred it But who so coÌ„sidereth that the scope of the place is to coÌ„fort the godly and sincere seruants of god against the manifold assaults afflictions procured them in this life by Antichrist eueÌ„ with this that if these notwithstanding they perseuere vnto the end they shal presently so forth for euer be blessed shal therby perceiue that it must needs here haue that sense For to take it any otherwise would minister vnto them a colde comfort as for example say vnto them but in their sense which they would faine vtter for the sense if they durst for shame be of good cheare be constant vnto the end and then perhaps presently thou shalt go to blisse and perhaps to purgatory there to feele paines that exceede all the paines of this life at the least vntil thou hast satisfied vp for thy sinnes partely by thine owne bearing of those paines and partly by such other reliefe as good men shall prouide for thee when thou art gone and then thou shalt go to blisse and the comfort that it ministreth is as cold as lead Answereth this the circuÌ„stance of the text Nay tendeth it not rather to the plain contrary that is to their discomfort Well it seemeth they will not striue with vs for this sense of the word so we would be content to vnderstand it of al that die in grace since Christs ascension only and but of so many of those also as before their death haue fully satisfied for their sinnes but we may not graÌ„t them either of these limitations not the first because they that dyed in faith in Christ to come as well as those that dy since in faith in Christ come found their faith auailable to their saluation For Christ hath bin the selfe same slain lamb for euer in the sight of his heauenly father Reuel 13.8 and is one and the selfe same yesterday to day and for euer Heb. 13.8 And he himself to the plain confutatioÌ„ of this grosse opinion that the faithful that died before his ascension went not to ioy blisse placeth AbrahaÌ„ Lazarus with him in ioy blisse before his death Luk. 16.24 c. and promiseth the thiefe that day when he died that he should be with him in paradise Luk. 23.43 And as for the later the vainnes of the addition hath bin laid opeÌ„ already in that we haue learned that there is no other satisfaction for the sins of the faithfull but that which Christ made in his owne person once for al yet they are so loth that this place should be vnderstoode generally of all that depart in a right faith in Christ when where and howsoeuer that mistrusting belike that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would not serue their turns in the
Because no doubt of it there are fooles in the world Psal 14.1 which in their hearts thinke though they dare not for shame with their congues say there is no God and consequeÌ„tly that there is neither Hell nor Heauen resurrection of the body nor immortality of the soule let vs marke The same body shall rise againe in the meane time resteth in peace what doctrine this text teacheth vs to the coÌ„trary to the stopping vp for euer of the mouths of such prophane Atheistes Wherefore to begin with all I say how could it be here said that they that die in the Lord are thenceforth blessed vnlesse in respece of the whole man it were so in some force Euident it is that if either the body were vtterly perished so that it should neuer rise againe or the soul dead that it could feel no ioy they could not at al be sayed to be blessed For blessednes as you haue hard confirmed vnto you eueÌ„ out of my text it selfe consisteth not only in ceasing from labor woe and paine but in a possession and fruition of a most heauenly reward Nay it is most certaine that if either the body in the meane time vntil the resurrection were not at rest and peace or in the end should not rise again the soule coulde not bee said to be blessed to enioy the reward of works done by it in the body For it were a kinde of misery vnto it to haue the body disquieted especially to be without hope of beeing euer restored and ioyned to the body again Wherfore in that they that dy in the Lord are here pronounced blessed first for the bodies of such we learn that they are in rest and as the scripture speaketh as it were a sleepe in the bosome of their mother the earth Acts. 7.1 Thess 4.15 and therefore free from all woe and pain and not to be disquieted by diuels enchanters or witches any manner of way and that most certainely they rest in hope of a blessed resurrection which according to the Scriptures Mat. 25.1 Thess 4.1 Cor. 15. at the last general day of iudgment by the power of the Lord shal be brought to passe Wherof we must needs be perswaded in that otherwise God shuld not be perfectly merciful nor Christ a ful sauior And why should Christ take vnto his godhead vnite therwith in person as wel the body of man as the soul of man vnlesse he ment to be a ful sauior of both He our head rose again in his own body one in substance with that it was before though altered in properties and so shall it be with his members 1. Cor. 15.1 Thess 4. Notable therefore was Iobs faith his time considered I know saith he that my redeemer liueth that I shal see God in my flesh though after this skin the wormes destroy this bodye whom I my selfe shall see mine eies shall behold none other for me Iob. 19.25.26.27 Euen the dying of the corne first in the earth and the after growing vp of the same the reuiuing of diuerse worms and other creatures at the spring towardes suÌ„mer the laye for deade all winter are glasses in nature our God hath set before vs to make vs ashamed of this point of infidelity and Atheisme once to call the truth of the resurrection into question The soule is immortall And as touching the soul that it dieth not but if it depart out of the body in the Lorde that it passeth streight to the Lorde with whome it not only ceaseth from al woe and pain but also enioieth the reward of blisse hereby also we are plainly taught For otherwise how should it bee true that immediatly thenceforth such as die in the Lord are blessed in not only ceasing froÌ„ their labours but also in present receiuing rewarde of their works For hereupon it must needs follow to be most true which wee reade Eccl. 12.7 that the soul returneth to him that gaue it And that also Mat. 10.28 that tyrants cannot kil the soul Wherfore we may with Peter count death but a flitting of the soule out of the tabernacle of the body 2. Pet. 1.14 and with Paul a going from an earthly house to an heauenly It sleepeth not nor is without feeling of ioy assuredly vntil the resurrectioÌ„ 2. Cor. 5. c. and therefore with him vpon good cause desire to be dissolued to be with the Lord Phi. 1.23 and when we dye dying in the Lorde with Christ Luk 23.46 and with StepheÌ„ Act. 7 59. coÌ„meÌ„d our souls into the hands of God Whereupon it followeth that there is a soule and that it dieth not when the body dyeth but is immortal Yea further in yâ— as we perceiue by Christs placing of Lazarus immediatly in present fruition of ioy after his death in Abrahams bosom Luk. 16. the souls of such as die in the Lord are sayd here to haue their works accompany them hereupon it followeth that the reward thereof is not drousie sleepe but a ioyfull feeling of heauenlye blisse and that therefore the soules of such departed sleepe not but are awake and in a liuely feeling of ioy in heauen Which fancy of these sleepers is confuted also in that Ioh. Apo. 6. seeing in visioÌ„ soules in heauen heard them cry a loud vnto the Lord to hasten his second coÌ„ming Herevpon also in that of contraries there is contrary condition may well be gathered in that the state of those that dye in the Lord is blessed that the state of those that dye not in the Lord That is no purgatory for any that dy in the Lord to goe vnto is accrused Now in that it followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immediately thenceforth and their works accompany theÌ„ and they cease from their labours by three most euident reasons it must needes follow that to such as dye in the Lord there is not any meane place or Purgatory and therfore to none other by our aduersaries owne confession For they themselues hold as wel as we that al that dy out of grace and fauor of our God they for their sins in soul go straight to hel and that none go to purgatory but such as dye in the Lord which yet before their death haue not sufficiently satisfied for their sins But here I say this their doctrine is flatly confuted first in that they are imediatly after their death thenceforth without any exceptioÌ„ said to be blessed SecoÌ„dly in that it is said They rest from their labours Thirdly in that it is said Their works accompany theÌ„ None of all which could bee true if any of them went to purgatory And yet our Rhemists vpon this place are not ashamed to write in their notes notwithstanding it be their known and receiued doctrine that the pâ—ines that souls suffer in purgatory be equal to the paines of hel for the time that one principal torment there is the gnawing worme of conscience that soules in purgatory may well be
said to be blessed streight after their death and to rest there in peace Which if it be true then their doctrine of the paines that soules abide there is but a frai-bug and if their doctrine be true then this is false which they write Lo here the popish vnity But howe maye they notwithstanding the pâ—â—â—es there be sayd to be blessed Because say they them notwithstanding they are ceased from the labours of this life and al danger to sin and are put in security of eternall ioy in the ende with vnspeakable peace of conscieÌ„ce in the mean time Then it cannot be say I once againe that the paines of purgatory be so great for the time as the paines of hell For there is no security of ioy there in the end nor in the mean time any coÌ„fort at al in conscience but extreame anguish and horror Againe who seeth not that it is a poore blessednes to go from the afflictions of his life which the faithful with ioy and reioycing suffer Act. 5.41 and that In ful assurance of ioy in the end Ro. 8.33 and so to the end of the chapter coÌ„sequently with great coÌ„fort of conscience indeede to a place where for the space of ten mens liues yea they cannot tell howe long they shall suffer paines tormeÌ„ts the least wherof as they write infinitely exceedeth the greatest of the other And if this were so that it might stand with the Apostles meaning as they in their notes woulde faine make vs beleeue theÌ„ no doubt of it here is a colde hartning ministred to those the liue in the Lorde to perseuere to their death against all assaultes to the contrary that when they dye they shall streightway make onely this chaÌ„ge No no dearly beloued the scope of the text the nature of the blessednes here spoken of wil not abide this their glose The greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here translated labors signifieth as I haue told you al labors with griefe wearisomnesse or payne generally and cannot be restreyned to the afflicitions only of this life And though they could hold their purgatory by their cauilling for all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet seeing they must needs vnderstand the last clause by a metonymie of the rewarde of works For the works themselues they knowe were either actions or pâ—ssions which are not extant but vanished and gone when the action and passion was finished and seeing also the greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot more properly be englished than their works go with them and seeing in purgatory they wil not for shame say that they haue already the reward of their workes it must needs follow the presently after their death they go thither where forwith they may haue the reward of their workes which they must needes confesse is heauen and therfore that there can be no such purgatory for them to stay in as they imagine before they come there The popish relife for soules in purgatorie despised Yea further the due weying of these words as they clean quench the fire of purgatory so they ouerthrow al the reliefe which the papists haue deuised and yet vse to releeue the soules that be there For we reade here that their own works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accompany them and all these their reliefes consisteth of that which others doe for them when they bee dead and here is no promise that any woorkes shall followe them but their owne And therefore S. Paul 2. Cor. 5.10 writeth that we must be all manifested before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery manne may receiue the thinges done in his owne body according to that which he hath done bee it good or euill Now if when soules shall appeare in iudgement with their bodyes euery one be but to receiue according as he hath done in his owne body is it not most euident that in the meane time what so euer is done for soules departed hence by others it shall neuer benefite them And therfore heere the spirite of God woulde not comfort them that dye in the Lord with that Popish comforte that thinges doone for them by others when they be dead should also follow them onelye he telleth them that their owne workes shall go with them And yet his purpose beeing to comforte them in the best and most effectuall manner without all doubt if hee coulde in truth haue comforted them with that he woulde not haue omitted it But hee hath wee see quite past that kinde of comforte ouer and speaketh onely of our owne woorkes Wherefore let vs not after the manner of the Papistes be slack in good works while we are aliue trusting that by doles Masses dirges trentals pardons made done procured for vs by others wheÌ„ we are gon we shal haue the state of out souls departure relieued but as S. Paul hath commaunded vs. Whiles we haue time let vs doe good vnto all men especially vnto the householde of faith Gal. 6.10 for where the tree falleth there it lieth vntill it bee reared againe Eccle. 11.3 and the dead haue no portion of any thing that is done vnder the Sun Eccle. 9.6 And we see by Christs parable Mat. 25.10 c. that the foolish virgines that lacked oyle in their lampes of their owne sought it at the hands of others could get none though they would neuer so faine haue had some of them whatsoeuer it had cost them and so were shut out from entring in with the bridegrome into his chamber O therefore the spiritual craftines of poperye first in deuysing that there is a thirde place betweene hell and heauen or a meane place called Purgatory for soules departed to go vnto before they goe to heauen and then in inuenting such a reliefe for them when they were gone thither by others For by the first they put soules departing into such feare that they cared not what they gaue depriued their heires wiues and other children of to buy at their handes their praiers masses pardons wherby they wonderfully to the spoile of others inriched themselues by the latter they greatly occasioned men to be slacke in godlines loose in life whiles health lasted vpon hope of this prouision in the end also so led them from the present faith in Christ to a faith in these things and consequently murthered their soules yet marueilously inriched them selues Whereby they haue proued themselues to be the cruellest cunningest and greatest theeves that euer were in the world They may well pretend Scriptures fathers reasons for this their deuise thereby to bleare the eies of the simple it is so passing gainefull vnto them but in deed and truth the very onely roote and fountaine thereof was insatiable couecousnes to inrich themselues they cared not how and intollerable ambition to lift vp themselues into credit among the people in that thus they made theÌ„ beleeue it lay in their hands to ease them