AS desirous as the wild hart is (in the most burning heat 1 and vehement drouth) to seeke the could fontaine or riuer of water, to refresh his thirst: So desirous should we be (O lord God) to seeke vnto thee, our Creator, & Maker in all our troubles and afflictions, and say with the Proph. Dauid: psal. 41. & 42. Where­fore art thou sad or sorowfull, O thou my soule or sprit, & why troubles thou me: beleeue and hope surely in God, Psal. 76. that is: Confide in his mercy, Psal. 21. & 104. & call to remem­brance the tyme by past, how mercyfull, helply, & propiciāt he hath bene to the [Page 2] fathers, and deliuered them of their trou­bles: Euen so shall hee do to thee if thou beleeuest vnfainedly in him, & seek hym in his worde, not inquiring his name That is, the maner how he will deli­uer., what they call him, nor what similitude, forme or shape, he is of: for that is forbid­den thee in his lawe: hee is that he is, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, and the God of the Fathers, to whome he made the promis of our redemptiō. He would show his name no other waye to Moys. Exo. 3. chap. but cōmanded him to passe to the people of Israel: and say vnto them he which is That is, he, which of him self hath pow­er, and be­ing by whome all had their be­ginning life and mouing., hath send me to you, that is my name frō the beginning, & that is my memorial frō one generatiō to another.

1 BY faith are wee taught to knowe god the father, maker and creator of al, Heauen, Earth, and all creatures, [Page 3] whom we should beleeue to be almigh­tie, of infinite power, mercy, iustice, and goodnes, & that he created in the begin­ning all thing of nought, as the scripture teacheth vs, Psal. 32. Gen. 1. Chap. And that by the word (which is the sone of god) he made all thing which is made: who is equall to the father in deuine nature and substance without beginning in the bosome of the father, which was with god in the begin­ning, and was also god. And at the prefi­ned and preordinate time by god the fa­ther, was send into the world, and made man, taking our manly nature and cloa­thing him with the same, Io. 1. and dwelled a­mong vs. And after long time conuersing amongst vs, teaching and preaching: the realm of heauē being exercised in al tro­bles and calamities, in the which this our mortall body is subiect (except sin only) finaly for our sakes suffered the most vile death, Ro. 4. for our redemption. And rose from the same the 3. day for our iustification. And after 40. daies ascended to the hea­uens, Luc. vltio▪ Act. 1. and sites at the right hand of the fa­ther [Page 4] our aduocat, as testifies the holy scri­ptures of him.

Act. 2.And thereafter send the holie spirit to instruct his Disciples of all veritie, Io. 14.15. & 16. as hee had promised of before, who proceeding from the Father and the Sonne, Gene. 6. Psal. 103. the third person of the Trinitie descended vpon the Disciples in a visible signe of fyrie tounges, by whome all Creatures is viui­ficat, and hath life, is gouerned, ruled, su­stained, and cōforted, without the which all creatures would turne to nought.

2 Of this maner knowe thy God, three Persons distinct in one substance of god­head: Confound not the personnes, nor deuide not the godhead. But beleeue fearmly & indoubtedly as thou art teach­ed in the Symbole of the Apostles, and of the holy man Athanasius, confessed in the holy church of Christ. Ascend no higher in the speculatiō of the Trinitie, thā thou art teached in the scriptures of God. If thou wilt haue knowledge of the father, seek him at the Sone. That is, giue cre­dit to the do­ctrine which Ie­sus the sonne of God hath teached. If thou wilt know the Son, seek him at the Father. For none [Page 5] knoweth the Sone, but the father, & none may com to the knowledge of the father, but by the Sonne. And also Christ being desired of Phillip, one of his Apostles, to show them the Father (answeared:) this long time I am with you, and ye haue not knowen me. (Phillip) he who hath seene me, Io. 14. hath sene the Father That is thogh my father wer present no other workes, should he work then I haue wroght in your pre­sence: nor yet other doctrine should he teach to you nor I haue done. beleeuest thou not that I am in the father, and the father in me. Therefore, whath euer thou desirest 3 which good is, seeke the same at the son: for, the Father hath giuen all thing in his power: Math. 11 for that cause christ cōmāded vs all to come vnto him, & seeing he hath al things giuē to him, and also cōmandeth vs all to come to him: great fooles we are which seeke any other way of the which we are incertaine, either in Heauen or in Earth: as concerning our saluation, wee are sure he loueth vs, & will heare vs, ac­cording to his promise. Greater loue thā this cā no man showe, but that he put his life for his frendes: Yea verily, we being his Enemies, he willingly gaue him selfe to the death, to get vs life, and to recon­cile [Page 6] vs to the Father. Therefore if we will haue our thirst and drouth quenched & refreshed, seeke vnto Christ, who is the fōtain ofliuely water, of the which who soeuer drinketh, Io. 4. shall neuer thirst, but it shalbe to him a fontaine of running wa­ter to euerlasting life.

1 THis vehement drouth and thirst had Dauid the holy Proph. when he said: Psal. 62. O god thou art my God That is, thou a­lone are sufficient to saue thogh all men be enemyes., of most might and power: therefore I seeke thee ear­ly in the morning, with most ardēt desire mysoule thristeth after thee, and my flesh desirs thee: great & feruēt was this desire of the holy man as ye may read the .62. ps. [Page 7] which teacheth vs howe profitable, hole­som & cōmodious the trobles, afflictiōs, and incōmodities of the world, Ro. 8. are to the faithfull and godly men. In so much that the flesh, which euer of the own nature is aduersarie, & enemy to the spirit, draw­ing & entising the same frō the true wor­shipping of god, with frequēt troubles & calamities, is so brokin and debilitat, that it takes peace with the spirit, and altoge­ther most feruētly seeks god (saying) bet­ter is thy goodnes, mercy, & benignitie, the which thou showest to thy faithfull flock, Psal. 62. thē this corporall life: therfore my lippes shall neuer cease to praise thee: O happy is that trouble and afflictiō, which teacheth vs thys way to know our good god, & moues this thirst in our soule, that we may learn to cry vnto our god as the fathers did. O thou my god (as Dauid & s. Paul say in diuers places) I giue thanks 2 (sayth Paule) to my god for you my bre­theren. Rom. 1. Howbeit, Malach. 3. hee be god to all crea­tures by creation: yet to the faithfull he is one speciall and peculiar god, Exod. 3. whose [Page 8] troubles and afflictions he seeth, and shal deliuer them thereof. Exod. 3. Euen as he did his people of Israell, forth of the handes of Pharao, without all our deseruinges or merites. Therfore, let vs not looke vpon our merites, worthines or vnworthines, but only to his mercy and goodnes, put­ting all our trust, hope, and beliefe into him, & into no other thing either in hea­uen or earth, and say with the Prophete Dauid: O Lord my strength, I shall loue thee: Psal. 17.30 & 70. The Lord is my surenes, my refuge, and my deliuerance: and after, be vnto me a God, Defender, and a house of refuge, that thou mayst saue me: for thou art my strength, & for thy names sake, thou shalt lead me and nourish me, that is, I put no cōfidence in my owne strength, wit, nor manly power, but only into thy mercy & goodnes, 1. Pet, 5. by the which I am defended & preserued frō al euils, & lead and keeped in all goodnes: Psal. 61. & 143. for thou takest care vpon me, and art my only refuge, and strength vnwinneable, in all my troubles and ad­uersities.

[Page 9]Therefore my welbeloued bretheren 3 let vs reioice greatly of this our litle trou­ble and afflictions: Iaco. 1. and consider them to be good & not euil: the signs and tokens of the goodwill of God toward vs, & not of Ire nor wrath Note well. Ier. 31. Prou. 3. Heb. 12. Apo. 3. Psal. 118 Esa. 26. & 28. and receaue them forth of his hands, nether of chaunce, accident, nor fortune: but of his permissiō and cer­taine purpose to our weale, as the tryall, and exercysion of our faith. And that hee punisheth vs not, that wee bee lost thereby, Ezech. 18. but to drawe and prouoke vs to repentance, according to that saying. I will not the death of a sinner, &c Quhat Gop re­quires of vs in time of tribula­tion.. In the which he requireth of vs obediēce, faith, and calling vpō his name, as the Prophet Dauid teacheth vs, saying: Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble, & I shal deliuer thee, Psal. 49. and thou shalt honor me, that is: be­leeue me euer present with them which vnfainedly call vpon me, and I shall not abstract my fauor, helpe, and supply from them: but shall so deliuer them that they may therfore giue me great thankes and praise: For I desire no other thing of mā. [Page 10] This maner of trouble bringes Patience, Roma. 5. and Patience, Proufe, and Proufe, hope: which frustrates not, but greatly conforts the faithfull.

4 The world hath another iudgemēt of this trouble, and the wicked man, when the same happeneth to him, hee grudges & murmurs contrarie God (saying) Why hath God punisht me, what haue I done to be punisht of this maner? Thē gathers he in his hart, had I don this thing or that thing, soght this remeady or that remedy these thinges had not happened to me. And so thinkes, that they are come to him, either by chaunce or fortune, or ne­glecting of manly wisdome: thus he fled from god, and turneth to the help of mā, which is vaine. Psal. 59.61 108. In the which finding no remeadie, finally in his wickednesse des­paires, for hee can do no other thing, because al things wherin he put his trust & beliefe hath left him, and so rests no consola­tion.

BVt the godly say, O my good God, 1 thankes and prayse be to thee, who hast visited thy froward child & vn­profitable seruant, & hast not suffe­red me to runne on in my wickednes, but hast called me to repentance. I know my offenses: iustly haue I deserued thys pu­nishmēt, yea, & ten thousand times more for my sins, the which sore repenteth me.

Our wicked nature teacheth vs to fly 2 from thee, to diffide or doubt of thy mer­cy and goodnes. And to excuse in our [Page 12] selfes, our sinne and vice, and obiect the same in another as our forfather Adam did, hauing no respect to person or loue of any creature more then he had: for cō ­trarie, his owne fellow, which was of his owne flesh, he obiected the crime to ex­cuse himselfe: Yea, and also against God thinking that the good work of god, ma­king the woman and geuing her to hym in fellowship, was the cause of his sin and fal as the scriptures saye. Ge. 3. Chap. But faith in the bloud of thy onely begotten sonne christ Iesu, leadeth vs to thy mercy stoole, and hope conforteth vs, that wee are not ouercome in this battell: know­ing perfectly that the fleshe is subiect to these bodyly afflictions: that the dregges of sin may be mortified in vs, the which we haue of our forefather Adam.

Thys corruptiō of nature teacheth vs what we haue of our first Parentes, and what we are of our selfes: which being cōsidered, shal lead vs to the knowledge of god: in whome we shall find goodnes, mercy, and iustice, as we may clearly per­ceaue [Page 13] in our first parent: For, after he had transgressed the law and commandemēt 3 of god, he fled from him, whom god fol­lowed, moued of loue toward his handie work, and called him again, in the which he did shew his goodnes: and whē he ac­cused Adam of his sin, he was not penitēt nor trusted not in the mercy of god, or asked forgeuenesse: But excused hys transgressiō and fault. Neuerthelesse god of his infinite mercy, made the promes of saluatiō, or euer he would prononce the sentence contrarie the man or woman, (saying) to the serpēt: I shall put enymity betweene thee and the woman, and be­tweene thy seed and the womans seede. The seed of the womā shal tread downe thy head, and thou shal sting the same on the heele. Adam, was cōforted with these words, and through faith in thys promis, was of wicked made iust, that is receaued again in fauour, and through faith in the bloud of Christ to be shed, was accepped as iust.

And thereafter god manifested his Ire [Page 14] and wrath contrarie sinne, which of his righteous iudgemēt he can not suffer vn­punished: Nahu. 1. Nu. 14. and pronūced the sentēce first against the woman, Gene. 3. and then against the man: and eiected them forth of para­dise, cloathing them with skinne coates Skinne coates were the signe and remem­brance of their mor­talitie. (saying) behold, Adam is made as it were one of vs, knowing good and euil, that is asmuch to say: O miserable mā, now thou mayest perceaue thy state, and the fruites thou hast gotten for the transgression of my cōmandemēt: what is thy knowledge that thou hast learned nothing but to fly from thy Maker, to passe frō life to death, from great pleasure to all miserie? And so Adam is spoyled of all the noble gifts: he was indued with, in his creation, as here after time & place at more length shalbe showen: read with order the 3. Chapter of Genes. and thou shalt vnderstand this matter clearly.

5 Nowe, yee may see what was our first parents part, in the obteining of this pro­misse of God. Very lie, no more then he had of his creatiō, but rather lesse, for be­yng [Page 15] but dust and clay: hee made no euill cause, but being made man, he disobey­ed his Maker, trangressed his law, vsurp­ing glorie to hym selfe, and knowledge, which became him not to seeke. For the which he deserued nothing but eter­nall dampnation. Abraham, in his fathers house, an Idolater as he was, and the rest 6 of his house, made no good cause to god nor merite to obteyne the promisse, that he should bee the father of all faithfull: but only beleeued in the promis of god, as hereafter shalbe discussed: but euen as thei were accepted as iust through faith, without all their merites or deseruinges: so shall wee bee which are the Sonnes of Abraham, Gene. 11. & 12. Iosu. 24. and heires of the promisse.

No other way shold we seeke, but the order taught vs in the scriptures of God, that is, if wee wilbe sure of our saluation and haue passage to the father, passe vn­to Christ, Io. 14. who sayeth: I am the waye, the trueth, and the life, no man commeth to the father, but by me. If yee had knowledge of me, ye should also haue knowledge of [Page 16] the Father: Therefore, if we will walke right in the way, go with christ, and walk in him, if wee will not bee deceaued, passe vnto him: for he is the veritie who cā nether deceaue, nor be deceaued: & if we wil not die the eternal death, he is the life. These gifts may we haue, of no other but of him, & by him only through faith, in the mercy of God, by the operation of the holie spirit.

1 GReat was the trouble and afflictiō both of body and spirite, which was in Adam, standing trimbling before god, whome hee had so highlye [Page 17] offended, perceauing him self deceaued of the false promis, made by the Serpent, which was that he shuld not die: how be­it hee eat of the aple, but should bee like vnto God, knowe good and euill, being therefore eiected forth of that pleasant gardin of all delite and pleasure, in to the miserable earth, to eat his bred with the sweat of his face. Trust well, he was sore penitēt now: & would haue suffered great torment vpon his body, to haue sa­tisfied for his offences: but that could not be, nor might not stand, with the iustice of god. What was his confort then? no­thing but this promisse, which he appre­hended by faith: and beleeued him to be in the fauour of god, for that promiseth seedes sake. This conforted his spirite, or els of despair he had perished in this sor­row & trouble: for he found no remeady in himself. For his bodily cōsolatiō, god sent him twoo sonnes by naturall pro­pagation 2 to his owne Image and simili­tude. This was no litle consolation and confort to Adam: but this bodilie con­fort [Page 18] Gene. 3. All plea­sure of earthly thinges turnes and ends in sorrow. turned shortly into great displeasure when the one Brother slewe the other of malice, by the which Adam was destitute of all succession. Thus dolorously lead he his life a long time, desiring euer at God succession in place of Abell.

Of whome god had pitie and com­passion, and sende him a Sonne, named Seth, of whome descended the promis­sed seed, that god might be found true in his sayings, for rather would he haue ray­sed Abel frō death to life, then his promis shuld not haue bene fulfilled. By this was the dolor and trouble of Adam conuer­ted into ioy and gladnes. For the which 3 hee gaue thankes and praise vnto God, saying, god hath sēt me another seed: for Abell, Gene. 4. whom Cain hath slain, here he saith not that he hath gottē a sonne in place of Abell: Howbeit by naturall generation he begat him, & Eue bare him of her bo­som, but saith: god hath sent me another seede for Abell, ascriuing the same to the gift of god, and not to the work of man Marke well.. This is a notable exāple to al the faithful, [Page 19] to receaue all thinges forth of the handes of God, giuing him euer thankes therfore as the holy Fathers did: not contemning the work nor helpe of man, whome God maketh the instrument, to do that thing which is his godly will to performe.

Let vs herefor take example of our fore­father, that like as he was subiect to tro­bles and afflictions, all the daies of his life in this miserable world: Euin so are we, & let vs take therefore all thing in patience, thinking vs to haue deserued the same iu­stly, how iust that euer we be or appeer to the world: trust well there is, nor was ne­uer mā which descended of Adam by na­turall propagation iuster, nor he was af­ter his fall: for there is no mention in the scripture of any offense done by Adā, cō ­trarie the lawe of his god, after his expul­sion forth of paradise. And as for his first rebellion and corrupting of hys na­ture, we are all gilty of that as he was: and then also gilty of our sinnes, proceeding of that rebellion: wherefore we may well be worse then he, but no better. Thinke [Page 20] well, he confessed him iustly punished, & thought, he deserued more punishment, than euer was put vpon him. Taking euer consolatiō of the sweet promises of god, in the which he beleeued: and in all his troubles conforted him, with hope to be deliuered of them as all faithfull doe. And to be restored to the glorie hee was eiect frō, for his owin foolishnes, without al merits or deseruings of himself, which ware nothing in him, and muchles in vs.

There hath beene no difference be­tweene the expulsion of ADAM forth of paradise, and Lucifer out of the heauin: if the promisse had not beene made to A­DAM. Through faith in the which promis he euer hoped victory against the deuill This vi­ctorie fall we obtein in the gene­rall resur­rectiō for then both body and soule shalbe glorified. who had deceaued him, & that by pow­er and strength of the promissed seed, & not through any power or might of him self. Euin so should we do, cōfiding in the promisses of god, and the merites of the promissed seed Christ Iesu, to be deliue­red of the tyrannie of the Deuill, the ca­lamities and trubles of thys miserable world.

TO the faithful these bodily afflicti­ons and troubles are marueilous 1 necessarie: 1. Pet. v. for by them, the faith is tryed and made more pretious thē gold, which is purified by the fire: for by many troubles it is needefull to vs to en­ter in the realme of heauen, by firme and constāt perseuering in faith, Act. 14. as sayth S. P. And also it behoued Christ to suffer, & so to enter into his glory that is not for him selfe, Luc. 24. but for vs. Therfore the godly men in theyre troubles and afflictions take great consolation and confort: And an­chors [Page 22] them vpon God alone by faith, to whome they can come no other way, & thinke them no better nor greater then their maister christ: but should take both confort & consolatiō of his word, saying, seeing the world hath persecuted mee, they shal persecute you also. This perse­cution is a communiō with the passions of Christ, Io. 15. in the which wee haue great matter to reioyce, so we suffer not as ho­micides, theefes, or euill doers: but for Christs sake and his word, as S. Pet. sayth in his first Epist. the 4. Chapter.

But in this matter take no care what the world iudge of thee, but to thy owne conscience and the scriptures of god: for the iudgemente of the world pronuncis cōtrarie to the word of god, calling them which professes the same: Heretikes, se­ditious men, and perturbers of common weales. Therfore they thinke they punish iustly in birning, slaying, banishing, and confisking of landes and goodes. And howbeit, the faithfull suffer all patiently, and vndeserued: yet they say they suffer [Page 23] iustly as traitors, heretickes, homicides, perturbers of common weales, and euill doers. Let these sayinges not moue the faithfull brother, but confort thee with thy Maister Christ, Io. 7. Math. 27. who was called by the aduersaires of veritie: a seducer of the people, Mar. 2. Luc, 5. a drūkard, a deuourer, or glutton, an open sinner, conuersant amongest them: & an authorizare of their sins. His Apostles were called heretikes and their doctrine heresie. The Prophets were cal­led perturbers of common weales and traitors to their countrie, prophesing cō ­trary the common weale, and libertie of the realme, as ye may reade of Elias, and Ieremie in diuers places of his prophesie. 3. Reg. 18. Which Scriptures I praye you reade, Iero. 20.21.25.26 & 27. and ye shall perceaue no difference betwene the blasphemations of the Prophetes of Christ himselfe, and his Apostles: and the faithfull in these dayes, for all was and is done by the wicked, vnder colour of ho­lynes.

Herefore, Psal. 90. let vs seek refuge at our god, and sticke fast to his word, who can ne­ther [Page 24] deceaue, nor be deceaued: for the world is full of deceit, & iudgeth euer the wrong part: of the which vniust iudge­ment cōmeth all the diuersity of opiniōs: and sittes ruling this day in the church of Christ, to the dishonoring of the name of god, deminishing of his glory, and no lit­tle perturbation of common weales: the cause hereof is the neglecting of faith, & taking frō the same her due office, which is to iustifie only by her selfe, without the deedes or workes of the law Wherby man is made iust., that is, mā of wicked, is made iust by the mercy of God, through faith in the bloud of Iesu Christ, without the deedes or workes of the law. This I dare affirme, because the scriptures of god testified the same to be true, as herafter shalbe declared at lēgth.

4 Here ryseth the contention, for some brags and boastes them to haue faith, & haue no works: & others reioysing them to haue faith, attribute, and giue the iu­stification to works: others haue workes, and looke nothing to faith, as hipocrites: & others again there are, the which haue [Page 25] nether faith nor works, as the plaine wic­ked & vngodly. My welbeloued brethren let vs auctorise neither of these persons: For all they impung this article of iustifi­cation. Against the first speakes S. Iames, in his Epist. Against, the next Saint Paule speakes in his Epist. to the Roma. Galath. and diuers other places. And against the other two kindes of men, the hole scrip­tures speakes.

By these cōsideratiōs moued, I thought necessarie for my owne eruditiō, & your confort, my welbeloued brethren, to de­clare & forth show my beliefe, cōcerning the article of iustification, as the scrip­tures teache mee, hauing no respect to mās opinion, Rousa. 1. that thereby we may haue consolation through our mutuall faith. 1. Pet. 3. And be more ready to giue coumpt and reakoning to all which aske of vs any question of our faith. Alwayes in this and all other thinges, submitting my selfe to the scriptures of god, and aucthoritie of the faithful church of christ, which is go­uerned, ruled, keeped, and defended from [Page 26] all spot of heresie by the holy spirit who moues this ardent thirst in our soule to seeke Christ, Io. 4. the fontaine of liuing wat­ter: loue & charity in our harts to Christ, our brothers saluation as our owne. The fondatiō and grondstone hereto is faith, and the shielde or buckler to defende vs with, against the firy dartes of Sathan, at the which he euer shoots, 1. Io. 5. Eph. 6. becaus it is our victorie against him, and gets dominion of the world: but if he finde vs destitute, or disarmed of our shield, he shal wound vs so, that hee may safely or lightly take vs captiue to his realme: therfore this our faith shold neuer be idle, but euer work­ing by loue, that is, to bee euer cled with our shield, being vigilant & walkfull, be­cause our said aduersarie Sathan, is euer going about vs, as it were a roaring lion, seking for the pray, to deuour or swolow: Against whom we shold resist stoutly in­to faith, 1. Pet. 5. taking in our hand the sword of the spirit, which is the word of god, with the rest of the armour perteyninge to a christian knight, specified by S. P. Ephe. [Page 27] the 6. Chapter.

The substance of the article of iusti­fication, 5 is to cleaue and stick fast by our God, knowing him our Maker and Crea­tor, and to beleeue firmly, and vndoubt­edly that wee are not righteous, nor iust of our selfs, nor yet by our workes, which are lesse nor wee: but by the helpe of an­other, the onely begotten Sonne of God Christ Iesu, who hath deliuered, and re­deemed vs from Death, the Deuill, and finne. And hath giuen to vs eternall life, as hereafter at length shalbe declared.

Aboue all thing the saide article is to be holden in memorie, recent among the faithfull. And at euery tyme & houre driuen, and inculcat in their eares, as it were a trumpet, without the which faith (which is the fondation of the christian religion, and Church of Christ) is made so darke and mistie that no place shalbe founde where vpon to build the the perfite workes of faith.

1 THe ground stone and sure firme rock, whereupon all godly workes and ver­tues, The per­secution tion of Sathan. are builded: our said aduersarie Sa­than vexed in the paradise, when in the beginning he perswaded & entised, our forefather Adam and Eue, to leaue their faith into God their Maker and Creator: and consent to his false perswasiō, which was that through their owne wisedome, strength, and power, they might be made equall and like vnto god, who gaue them life, & promised the same euer to endure, with all pleasures & commodities in pa­radise.

[Page 29]The Deuill perceauing the woman voide and without faith, That is Sathan after he perceaued the woman doubt of the faith and verity of Gods word, durst affi­rme the contrarie: saying though ye eate of the tree ye shall not die: wher­to the woman gi­uing cre­dit trans­gressed Gods command and so to doubt of Gods promis is rute of all wic­kidnesse.loue and feare of God: said, howbeit ye eat of the fruicts of this trie: ye shall not die the death: ye know not wherefore God hath forbiddē you to eate of the same: but I shall show you the cause. God knoweth that in what soeuer daye, yee shall eate of the fruict of this trie, your eyes shall be ope­ned, and ye shall be like Gods knowing good & euill. This same persuasion hath all the wicked: which perswades man to trust to his owne workes, merites, power, and strength, therby to be made iust, and to get greate rewarde of god, for doing of workes not commanded by God: but inuented by mās vaine conceat, thinking that God shallbe pleased therewith. But surely euen as our forefather was decea­ued, so shall we be, if we consent thairto. Heerefore giue trust to no thing in this case, Gen. 3 or matter, but to God and his word: 2 keeping euer faith pure, and clean, with­out all mixtiō of works, in the making of a wicked mā iust. And then our aduersa­rie [Page 30] shall get no place to enter, to de­ceaue vs.

Ye shall vnderstande that Adam knew good, and euill, before the eating of the aple, for that teached him the law of na­ture: 3 and the other great wisedome hee was cloathed with, as yee may reade in Eccles. the 17. Chap. (saying) god created them with the spirit of knowledge, and with wisedome, and vnderstanding, hee fulfilled the harts of them: and shew vnto them good and euill. His iudgementes & iustice also he shew to thē. What thē, was the knowledge Adā got of the eating of the aple? (onely) that he had offended his good god, trāsgressed his law, the which shew to him his offences, and sin. By this knowledge he vnderstood, that hee was fallen frō the good state, in which he was created, & shuld haue remained (if he had obeyed the law of his god) into the mise­rable estate of sin: for he had neuer know­en what the trangression of the lawe had bene, if he had not sinned. The law before taught him, what he should doo, & leaue [Page 31] vndone, Rom. 3. The of­fice of the law. what was good, & what was e­uill, and after he sinned, the lawe vttered the same to him, & broght him in know­ledge thereof, for it can do no other thing to the sinner, but trouble his minde, and bring vpon him great feare and dread. This proues the sayings of god to ADAM inquiring, Gene. 3. who hath showen vnto thee that thou was naked: but that thou hast eaten of the tree, of the which I com­mauded thou shouldest not eat.

This hatred and enimity is old, which 4 Sathan hath moued cōtrary mankind, & had the beginning at the first creation of man: of malice cōceaued to bring man in the same rebellion he was in. This perse­cution of sathan shal endure to the latter iudgement: therefore, let vs bee walke full and diligent, euer armed with our shield faith, the word of god euer printed in our hartes, taking no care of wordly troubles, 1. Pata. 29 hoping hastely to be deliuered therfrō, cōsidering we haue no permanēt Citie here, but as Pilgrimes, trauailing to and fro, beholding and looking for [Page 32] that heauinly citie, 1. Pet. 2. Heb. 13. and place prepared to vs from the beginning of the world.

1 SHortly hereafter, the said aduersarie (a man killer and lyer) perswaded & entised the one brother to slaye the other, 1. Io. 3. of malice without any cause: but that the one brother ( Abell) being iust & godly, offered into faith a more pleasant and acceptable sacrifice vnto God, then the other: Cain glo­ried hee was the first be­gotten & thought therefore▪ he wes accepta­ble. But Abel knew him self a sinnar see­king for Gods fa­uor by that pro­mesed seed alone Cain, who was wicked, and an hipocrit, whose sacrifice pleased not god becaus the person was not acceptable to him: Therefore god looked to Abell, and [Page 33] to his workes: vnto Cain and his workes he looked not.

There followed against the saide arti­cle, the perpetuall persecution of Sathan intolerable by the sonnes of Cain, while God wes compelled (prouoked of his ryghteous iudgement) to drowne the whole worlde, Gene. 4. & once to purge the same from sin: reseruing & defending (through 2 his mercy onely) the perauthor of faith and righteousnesse Noe. Gene. 9 Neuerthelesse Sathan keped his seed, in the third sonne of Noe Cham, as testifies the historie.

After this the whole world rysing in a madnes & fury, impugning this article of iustificatiō, finding & inuenting innume­rable Idols, and religions: with the which they pretēded to please God, with their owne works and inuentions, euerie one making to him selfe a particular, or pecu­liare god or gods. The which is no other thing: but to think that without the help of Christ of their owne power, works, & Inuentions they may redeeme them sel­ues, from sin, & all euils: and please god [Page 34] with their free will, and naturall rea­son.

From Noe, vnto Abraham our saide 3 aduersarie Sathan, so couered this article that no outward testimony is foūd ther­of in Scripture. And trust well, the fathers all this time had many pleasant workes, inuented of their own conceat, good in­tention & naturall reason. Hauing some footsteppes of the examples of the holie fathers. The wicked florish in earth. By which they beleeued to please God: but it was not so indeed be­cause they followed the examples of the fathers in the outward workes and Cere­monies but not in faith. Gene. 4. Gene. 3. & so all became Idolaters. And the same Ceremonies, & most shining workes appeare to be most excellent in the ofspring and posteritie of Cham. Because his nephew Nimrode began first to be myghtie in the earth: and vsurped to him the kingdome of Ba­bilon. It is not to presume that the prea­ching of Noe, & the word of God taught to him, and his sonnes by the mouth of god, & his maner of sacrifice was past frō [Page 35] their memory, but man is lyghtly drawn from faith & the word to his owne con­ceat, & vain intentiō, to the exercising of the outward deed: Mark dilligentlie. in the which man wil neuer be sene to do euil, so there appeare any maner of outward holines in his works: the which he defends to be holy, and good, because the holy fathers did so: & haue no respect to faith which maketh the work acceptable and pleasant in the sight of God, without the which al is but Idolatrie, how holy that euer the worke appeare, and so enters Sathan and rules mightiely, as he did amongst the fathers, to the time of Abraham.

[Page 36]GOD of his infinit mercy and good­nes moued of loue which he bears to mankind (seeing our aduersary ruling so mightely) would steir vp this article of iustification in Abraham, that his church should not perish. Comman­ding him in these words: [...] 12 Passe furth of thy fathers house, and from thy freends, and furth of thy own countrie: and cum into the land which I shall showe the: That is asmuch to say as thy father: his household, and the whole countrie in the which now thou mackis dwelling: Thy whole nation, and kinred, ar all Idolaters therefore of my mercie and grace, with­out thy merites or deseruings: I will call the to the faith, and raise vp in the, the groundstone of my church, and make the the father of all faithfull. This exposition ye shall finde in the booke of Iosua. the 24. chap. for the scripture is the best in­terpreter of it selfe.

And so stired vp this article in the person of Abraham, in these words, saying, I shall make the in a great nation, and I [Page 37] shall blesse the, Gene 21. and shall magnifie thy name: and thou shalbe blessed: I shall blis them that blis the: and curse them that curse the: and in the shall all natiōs of the earth be blessed. This is the renewing of the promes, maid to Adam in the paradise That the seed of the woman should tread down the serpents head. Heir shall ye finde the beginning of the faith of Abraham, who past forward as God comman­ded him: to whome he gaue credence, & surelie beleued in his promisse. And left all wordlie affections, committing him wholy into the hands of God: depending only vpon his word: beleeuing the same trew: hoping to obtein all things which were promesed him by the word of god: of the which he had deserued no thing, for the scriptures testifies him to be no other but an Idolater, as his father was. Efter this God dreue, and inculcat this article of iustification in the eares of Abraham saying: Dreid not Abraham, I am thy defender, and rewarde aboue mea­sure. &c. Thou shalt haue him to be thy [Page 38] heire that shall passe forth of thy bosom: Thy seede shalbe as the starres of the heauen. Io. 4. Abraham beleeued God and it was reputed to him for Ryghteousnesse. Gen. 15. &c. Here ye see the proceeding of this article, from faith, to faith, euer cōtinuing in more perfecti­on day by day.

Then begā sathan our aduersary, new­ly to impūg this article, [...]. 5. Eph. 6. euer to annul the promis of god & as he perswaded Cain to pursue Abel, euen so perswaded he Ismael to pursue Isaac: Esau Iacob: & the rest of the brethrē yoūg Ioseph: whom they sold as testifies the historie. Thus still continu­ed the old hatred & enimitie betwen the seed of the serpent, and the seed of the woman. The seede of the serpent, and the seede of the wo­man. That is, the wicked pursue euer the chosen and godlie, which ar the wo­mans seed, that treadeth down the serpē ­tes head. For euen as Christ, the blessed seed hath obteined victory of our aduer­sary: So shall we by faith in him, of whose flesh & bones we are: & he of ours: that is, we ar mēbers of his body, & brethrē to him by two reasons, the one is, that he is [Page 39] man, & of our flesh, the naturall begottē sonne of the glorious virgin Marie. And so of Adam is [...]id our brother. The other reason is that by him, & through him by faith in the mercy of god, Io. 7. Math. 27. we are the sons adoptiue of God, and so his brethren & fellow heires of the heritage with him. Mar. 2. Luc, 5.

The fleshlie man and worldly iudge­ment is deceaued in the knowledge of this seed as our mother Eue was: For she said after she had conceaued and borne Cain. I haue gotten or possessed a man by God, that is according to the promis made by god: I haue gotten the seed that shal tread down the serpēts hed. Here she looked not into faith but tooke the flesh­lie reason of the first begotten sonne. 3. Reg. 18. But when she saw hee slew his brother, Iero. 20.21.25.26 & 27. then she vnderstoode him to be the seede of the Serpent. Therfore whē she bare Seth, she held her peace, because she knewe her selfe deceaued before in the opinion of Cain: And then cleued to faith as Adam did, Psal. 90. saying: God hath giuen to mee an other seede, for▪ Abell whome Cain hath slaine.

[Page 40] Abraham beleued of his fleshly iudg­ment, that Ismaell wes the promesed seed as appeareth by the answear he made to god, when he said to him. Sarai shall bare vnto thee a sonne, whome I am to blis &c. Abraham smiled in his harte, and said: wold to god Ismael might liue befor thee. As he would say sufficient haue I re­ceaued of thy mercy in that thou hast giuē to me a sonne of whom I am con­tent. But hereafter admonished by the mouth of god to obey Sarai and expell Agar & hir sonne, for he should haue no parte of heritage with Isaac, he vnder­stood spirituallie & obeyed the voice of his wyfe.

The seed of the serpent contended with the seede promesed in the bosum of that noble and godlie woman Rebecca: Gen. 17 Gen. 21 Gen. 25. being both of one conception. This contention moued the mother to say better I had remained still barren: then to haue this displeasure. To whome god gaue consolation, saying, there is in thy bosom conceaued two sundry nations & two people shalbe deuided of thy belly. That is, thou knowes not which of them is the seede of the promesse, the yongest [Page 41] haue I chosen, to whome the eldest shall serue. This is conforme to the sayinges of S. Paule. Rom. the 9. Chap. But trust well, she vnderstoode spiritually by faith, that Iacob was the promised seede: when shee procured and laboured so diligently, that he should get the blessing of his father & defrauded the eldest Esaw. This was not knowē to Isaac, for he wold not only that Esawe should succeede to the heritage: but to haue gottē the blessing also, which Iacob obtained by perswasion of his mo­ther. Gene. 27. Neuerthelesse, Esaw remained with the heritage in his fathers house: and cea­sed not still to pursue Iacob, who at last was compelled to fly for feare of his life. And so euer the seede of the serpent, pur­sues the chosing conforme to this begin­ning. Let Abell dye and Cain liue. But fi­nally the seede of Iacob succeeded to the land of promission. And inioyed the heri­tage: Howbeit, they were long troubled and afflicted in Egipt.

1 YE shall vnderstande that the Iewes had a fleshly opiniō of this promi­sed seede: for they vnderstood that the Messias which was promised to them, should rule temporaly as Dauid did: and establish his realme in great quietnes, & rest, withal pleasure, & voluptuousnes, as yee may vnderstand by the desire of the mother of the Sons of Zebedee. Math. 20. Her Sons being with Christ and his Apostles, were [Page 43] of the same opinion, as testified the aun­sweare of Christ, Mar. 10. saying to them: yee knowe not what ye aske: But the spiritu­all knowledge which the Fathers had, was farre different therefrom. Who vn­derstoode in the spirit that the realme of Christ was spirituall, and not temporall, to the which they were led by faith.

By this yee shall vnderstande, not only that the fleshely iudgement is deceaued in knowledge of this seede: but also of the persecution of Sathan: Euer perswa­ding the wicked and vngodly, which are his seede to persecute the womans seede of the promisse: That is, the chosen who according to the promisse of God, ob­taine victorie by faith in the bloud of Christ. For Sathan intending to destroye this article of iustification, may not suffer the preaching thereof (that is) That by grace through faith, and not of our owne rightuousnesse, and workes: We ar made safe, please God, are receaued into fauour with him, and accepted as righteous, and iust, not of our merites or deseruinges, [Page 44] but through the merits of Christ Iesu our 2 Sauiour. By the cōtrary, the wicked trusts in their owne strength, and merites. And will haue their good works, inuented by them selfe, without the commandement of god, a part of their saluation. And who will not authorise the same, they perse­cute of deadly hatred, and must needes dye as Abell did. So let Abell dye and Cain liue, that is our law, sayeth the vngodly.

3 In the Church of the Iewes, our saide aduersarie ceased not to impung this ar­ticle, and perswade the wicked to perse­cute the godly, and kill the prophets, for preaching the same, for defence of the 4 which Ieremie the Prophet resisted the hole Ecclesiastical power & authoritie of the Church of the Iewes: that is, the mul­titude of the wicked, being a few number of the chosen, that assisted to him as yee may reade Ieremie the 26 Chap. Not the les afterward hee was stoned to death for the same cause, which is the reward of mā that is which mā giueth for the true prea­ching of this article. So let Abell dye, and [Page 45] Cain liue.

Finally, the persecution of sathan our 5 aduersary perswaded the death of christ, his Apostles, and martyres, and their true successours, all for this article. But euer Christ got victorie and triumphed by his word only. In so much as he got victorie of the deuill, hell, and death, of the lawe, sinne, the world, and the fleshe, through his death and resurrection, So by faith in his bloud al the Prophets, Apostles, mar­tyres, & confessors, with their bloud haue watered the Church, and haue left a sure testimonie to vs: for confirmation of this article, that in the bloud of christ and not 6 in their owne bloud, workes, or deedes, they are made safe, and haue gotten, the realme of heauen, conquest and purcha­sed to them by Christ, and not by them selfes, nor their merites. The which con­fession is the cause that the godly ar euer persecuted by the wicked. So let Abell dye, and Cain liue, that is our lawe.

1 NOw our aduersary perceauing by the death of Christ that the pro­mise made in Paradise, was ful­filled: and his head troaden down, that is his power & strēgth by the sheding of the bloud of Christ: this article of iustificatiō laid so abroad, & the church of christ is so strongly edged with the same, that all his imaginatiōs with the which he deceaued [Page 47] mankind, had no place to peruert the per­fite faith. Then inuented he a new maner of habite, which hee founde in the same church amongst the slouthfull ministers: whome (by processe of time seeing them idle & not occupied in the reading, teaching, and preaching of the scriptures) hee prouoked to inuent workes of their own conceite. And also to abuse the holy sacramentes, and good workes of God with vaine superstitions: the which they call good workes. And by this meanes he hath so drawen them from faith, that they knowe not what the same is, nor what Christ is: but as it were a Theefe hanged vpon a gallous or gibbit inno­cētly, or like another maner of prophane history of Hector, or of the great Alexan­der. And therefore hath prouoked them to pursue this Article more cruelly then euer it was pursued from the beginning of the worde. Them selfes by worde confessinge the same with their mouth, reading, singing, and of their maner, day­ly teaching, and preaching the same. [Page 48] And yet neuerthelesse dayly burning, kil­ling, & banishing the true faithful preachers of the said article, & confessours ther­of. And so euer shall Abell dye and Cain liue, that is our lawe, say they.

Our said aduersarie that he should not be perceaued, hath transformed him selfe in to an Angell of light Note wel. That is in forme of holynes. He hath entred in the church in wonderfull subteltie: for hee hath cled him with the most honest and shining works, inuented this day by mens wit or reason. (Yea with the same works com­manded also by God) and by them main­taineth, & defended him selfe wholy: yea verylie, he had cled him with the blessed sacramēt of the body and bloud of christ, for hee can well disguise him in workes with pride, Where may Sa­than en­ter and rule. vaine glorie, hipocrisie, diffi­dēce, dispaire, Idle faith, as to beleeue the historie onely, presumption of the owne merites, &c. But in perfite faith, which is the groundstone of this article of iustifi­cation, he can neuer enter. Therefore vn­der colour of holines he hath caused and [Page 49] dayly causeth the prelates of the Church (as they call them,) who should of their vocation, haue (to the shedding of their bloud) defended this Article, pursue the same most cruelly, with all tormentes in­uented by mans wit vnder the false pre­tence of good workes: hauing no respect to faith. And so shall Abell dye, and Cain liue.

Ye shall vnderstand that the oft repea­ting of the death of Abell and the life of Cain is no vaine storie nor purpose, but the true similitude of the Church of christ, which first watered with the bloud of Abel, remaineth example to this houre and shal to the seconde cōming of Christ to the latter iudgemēt. In the which two persons is set forth to vs, the perfite knowledge of the Church, which consistes in the godly and vngodly Which shalbe separate when the Lord shal send forth his angels in his haruest.. And euer the perfite and iust Churche is pursued with the wicked, & neuer pursueth, by which the disciples and seruauntes of Christ are knowen as testifie the holy scriptures.

I exhort you which are aduersaries to [Page 50] this article of iustification: Note wel. consider with your selfe, if euer ye red the history in ca­nonical scriptures, or prophane histories, that euer the true and perfite church frō the beginning of the world to this houre persecuted any: but euer was persecuted and the godly glad thereof. Herefore, the forme & order of this tyrannicall per­secutiō vsed this day by them hauing the ecclesiasticall power in their handes a­gainst the faithfull professours of this ar­ticle: I iudge to be of the deuill, and may say truely to them as Christ saide to the Scribes, & Pharisies, all the bloud which is shed from the bloud of Zacha. whome they slew, betwene the altare & the tem­ple, Luc. 11. shall come vpon these cruell tirantes which impunge this Article, and slaye the faithfull professours thereof. Against these sayings, the aduersaries of faith and veritie crye. The voy­ces of the wicked. The canon Lawe, the aucthoritie of the Church, the long con­suetude, the examples of the Fathers, the Bishop of Romes aucthoritie, the gene­rall Counsels, Heresie, Heresie: So there [Page 51] is no remeady, but let Abel dye, and Cain liue, that is our lawe.

My hartes, yee which haue entered in the Church of Christ, by the bishoppe of Romes law and aucthoritie, with his faire bulles, your shauen crounes, smaring you with oyle or chreame, and cloathing you with all Ceremonies, commanded in your law. If yee thinke you therethrough the successours of the Apostles, and Fa­thers, of the church: ye are greatly decea­ued: for that is but a politike successiō or ceremonial. The successiō of the Church is farre otherwyse, the which requireth you to haue knowledge in the scriptures of God, 1. Tim. 3. to preache, and teache the same, with the other qualities & cōditions cō ­teined in the scriptures, Tit. [...]. as hereafter shal­be showē in the speciall vocations: of the which if ye be expert and your vocation lawefull, according to the worde of god, doubtles ye are the successors of the apo­stles: & haue the same auctority, they had committed to them by Christ. And if ye want the saide conditions, and qualities: [Page 52] Yee are but reauing wolfes, Note wel. clede with shepe skinnes: what authoritie that euer the bishop of Rome giue you. For it is no more in his power to make a Bishop of him which can not preache, nor hath the knowledge to rule the flocke committed to his care, according to the word of god: then it is in his power to make an asse to speake or bee man: or yet cause a blinde man to see. Therefore, I pray you learne the scriptures that ye may walke in your vocation right: for of your succession yee haue no more matter to glorie, then the Iewes had, to glorie against Christ: cal­ling them the sonnes of Abraham, Io. [...]. whom he called the Sonnes of the deuill. They gloried in the carnall succession: and ye glory in the politike or Ceremoniall suc­cession. And all is one thing, God sende you knowledge, and vnderstāding of his worde that yee may cease from your tyrannie, and the true faithfull may liue in rest and quiet­nes.

LEt vs passe forewarde in the discus­sing 1 of this Article of iustification: for knowledge of the which neces­sarie it is to showe what iustice is of man, The en­tres to the article of iustifica­tion. what of the lawe, either of God or man: which being shortly discussed, wee shall the more easily come to the knowledge of our christiā iustificatio: which is a thing farre aboue all law, either of god or man: for it is the iustice by the which a wicked man is made iust, through faith in the bloud of Iesus Christ, without the works of the lawe, Rom 3. Galath. 2. because of the deedes of the law no flesh shalbe made iust before god, The cause that no man is iust by the law. as the apostle saith. This is asmuch to say as because no man fulfilleth the law, nor doth the deedes and workes of the same, in the pure and cleane estate, as the lawe [Page 54] required them to bee done according to the puritie of the same. Therfore the law can pronunce none iust before god.

Iustice in general.This worde iustice or rightuousnesse generally by the philosophers is takē cō ­monly for the obedience and outwarde honesty, according to all vertues of mo­rall maners, the which a man may doo and performe of his owne power and strēgth. This is called an vniuersall or ge­neral Iustice after the philosophicall de­finition: the same S. Pau. called the right­tuousnesse of the law, or workes, because the Transgressours of this iustice are pu­nished as wicked and vnrighteous. For whome the Lawe is made and ordinate, as Saint Paule sayeth, 1. Timoth. the first Chap. for the iust needeth no law. These morall maners and discipline, is the most excellent rayment or habite, wherewith man may bee cled. Neuerthelesse, they can not make a man iust before God, nor is not the Iustice which we speak of here in this treatise.

[Page 55]The Politike or Ciuill Iustice is the obediēce which euery Subiect and Infe­riour estate of mā, giueth to their prince, and Superiour, in all the worlde. The which proceedeth of the lawe of nature, and is a good worke, without the which obedience (to the punishmēt of the wic­ked, and defence of the iust) no common weale might bee conserued and kept in rule and order, but all would run to con­fusion. Therefore are Princes and high­er powers commanded of God to be o­beyed, Rom. 13. as his good worke: for they ar the ministers of God vnto good. Neuerthe­lesse, yee shall neuer finde man so iust in fulfilling this iustice: but the lawe of na­ture shall accuse him that hee hath not done his whole duetie, whiche the same requireth: Neither the Prince to the Sub­iect, nor the Subiect to the Prince, nor equall to equall, that is, Neighbour to Neighboure: The knowledge of this lawe of nature is borne with man, pren­ted in his harte, with the finger of God. And therefore let euery man consider [Page 56] his owne estate: and hee shall perceaue, that if god wil accuse him, with this law, he shall not be found iust, because of the deedes of the law, no flesh shalbe found iust before God. What is to be iust before man. Notwithstanding, hee which doth the deedes of this law and is obedient thereto in doing, and leauing vndone, according to the external works is so reakoned iust before mā, and liueth in the same: and therefore hath the name of iustice.

The Ceremoniall Iustice, is the obe­dience and fulfilling of the Statutes, ordinances, and traditions of man, made by the bishop of Rome, and other bishops, Counsels, Schoolemaisters, and House­holders, for good rule, and order, and ma­ners, to bee kept in the church, schooles, and families. This is a good work and ne­cessarie to be had with these conditions The thinges which should be eschewed in keeping Cere­monies. (that is) that they be made, not repugnāt to the law of god: & that through keping of them: no man thinke him, the holyer before god: nor yet therefore to obteine remission of sinnes, or to bee found right­tuous [Page 57] before god. Nor yet that the same may bind or oblish any mā to the obser­uing of them, vnder the paine of deadly sinne. Neuerthelesse how well that euer ye obserue or keep them, that is, this law Ceremoniall: ye shall not bee found iust there through before God, becaus of the deedes of the lawe, no flesh shalbe found iust before him.

The Iustice of the law morall or Moy. law, which is the law of God, exceedeth & is far aboue the other two iustices. It is the perfite obedience required of mā, ac­cording to all the works and deeds of the same. Not only in externall and outward deed, but also with the inward affections and motions of the hart, Deut. 10. Math. 22. Mar. 12. conforme to the commandement of the same (saying) Thou shalt loue thy lord god with all thy hart, with all thy mind, with all thy pow­er, and strength. And thy neighbour as thy selfe. This is no other thing but the law of nature, prented in the hart of man, in the beginning: nowe made patent by the mouth of god to man, to vtter his sin▪ [Page 58] and make his corrupted nature more pa­tent to him selfe. And so is the lawe of nature, and the lawe of Moyses, ioyned together in a knot, which is a doctrine, teaching all men a perfite rule, to know what he should do: and what he should leaue vndone, both to god and his neigh­bour.

2 The Iustice of the lawe, is to fulfill the law: That is, to doo the perfite workes, of the lawe as they are required from the bottome of the hart. Math. 56. & 7. And as they are de­clared & expounded by Christ: and who soeuer transgresseth the same, shall neuer be pronounced iust of the law. But there was neuer man, that fulfilled this lawe to the vttermost perfection thereof (ex­cept onely Iesus Christ.) Therefore, in the lawe can we not finde our iustice, be­cause of the deedes of the lawe, no fleshe shalbe made iust before God.

For the probation hereof, wee will showe the aucthorities of the Scripture frō the beginning: how the most holy fa­thers were trāsgressours of the law. And [Page 59] therefore could neuer be made righteous by the same: and if they which were most holy, could not be foūd iust by the deeds of the law: much lesse may the wicked be pronounced iust by the same. Therefore, wee must take this conclusion with the Apostle S. Paule. All haue sinned, & haue neede, or are destitute, of the glorye of God That is by origi­nall sinne all man is becom­me blind and is fal­len from that I­mage of God (which was inte­gritie of nature, iu­stice, and righteous­nes) in which mā was first created and now is cled with the contrarie. Rom. 3. Gen. 3.: And are made iust freely by grace through faith, in the bloud of Iesus christ.

Adam, first in the paradise, transgressed the law: and therefore the same accused him, and condempned him, and all his posteritie, as rebels and transgressours of the same, to the death. Neuertheles, the law remaineth still holy, iust, and good, requiring the same holynesse, Iustice, and goodnesse of vs, as testified S. P. 3 Roma. 7, And because wee doo not the same, the lawe euer accused vs, and pro­nounced vs rebelles, and transgressours, as our forefather Adam was. Who might neuer be pronounced iust by the law, be­caus of the deeds of the law, no flesh shal be made iust before god: & seeing all mē [Page 60] gotten by naturall propagatiō hath des­cended of Adam: he is corrupted and re­bel to the law as Adam was. For he might get no better sonnes, nor his nature was. This corruption is so infixt in the nature of man, that hee is neuer cleane purged thereof, so long as this mortall body of sin, & the spirit remaineth together: and this is the cause why wee fulfill not the lawe, in the pure and cleane forme as the same requireth the deedes thereof to be done. For this cause S.P. sayeth: Nowe I worke not this euill, Rom. 7. but the sinne which dwelleth in me: for I know ther dwelleth in me (that is in my flesh) no good: for the good which I would, that doo I not, but the euill which I would not, that doo I, as Paule wold say, so rebellous is my wic­ked nature, to the affections of my spirit, that the very things which I know good, and would doo, for weakenes may I not complete. I would loue, feare, honor, and thanke God, with all my hart, and all my strength, and adheere to his promis: in e­uery houre and all tribulation, but by the [Page 61] wicked fleshe, I am impedite to doo the same. For howbeit, I haue feare, and loue, begun into me, yet are naturall securite, and concupiscence impedimēts, that they be not pure and perfite as the law requi­reth, and albeit I haue faith begun in me: Let euery man iudge if in time of tribula­tion hee finde not this battel within him self. which teacheth that God is true in al his promisses. Yet natural dubitatiō, and im­becillity, causeth me frequently to doubt, if God shall deliuer. And so murmurs sometime the fleshe, and loues not God withall the hart. Here my hartes, ye may learne, at the Apost. to know this corrup­tion of nature. For he giues the example in himselfe, and in no other: teaching e­uery one of vs, to iudge our selfe, and not our neighbour.

This corruptiō of nature, Originall sinne. is called ori­ginall sinne, which is the wanting of ori­ginall iustice, that should haue beene in man, according to his first creation. This corruption of nature followed the fall of Adam, in all men, that the nature of mā may not truely obey the lawe of god, nor fulfill the same for the inherent faultes, [Page 62] and concupiscence in the hart of man: engendred of this corrupted nature, & so can not be pronounced iust by the lawe, because of the deedes of the law, no flesh shalbe made iust before god.

From Adam to Noe, from Noe, to A­braham, and from Abraham to Moyses, in­during the which space and time, we cā finde none of the holy fathers, (which li­ued vnder the law of nature) pronoūced iust by the deeds of the law: but all were sinners, and Transgressours of the lawe as Adam was, as testifieth the whole history of Gen. Therfore, the iustice of a christian man shall we not finde in the law, becaus of the deedes of the law, no flesh shalbee found iust before god.

Moyses, who was mediatour betwene god and his people of Israell, in giuing of the law of the two tables, (which is but a declaration of the lawe of nature right vnderstand) fulfilled not the lawe, as yee may reade in the booke of Num. the 20. chap. The brea­king of the first comman­dement. where Moys. and Aaron ar both re­prehēded of god for their diffidence, and [Page 63] incredulitie, the which is the breaking of the first commandement of god. And a great and weightie sin: howbeit the rea­son of man cannot consider it: yea veriely greater and weightier before God, then either slaughter or adulterie. In the sight of man the crime appeeres but small The sin of Moys. and pu­nishment therof. for God gaue commandement to speake to the stone, or rock in presence of the peo­ple: And charged the same to giue water, but they spak to the people with a doubt (saying) may not god giue you water out of this rocke: & then stroke vpō the stone twise, which gaue water aboūdantly: but god would not pretermit the punishmēt of their vnfaithfulnes (saying) they shold neuer enter in the land, promissed to the people of Israell. And Moys. also testified no mā to be innocent before god, Exod. 34. but by fauour and imputation of grace through faith. Exod. 33. And howbeit Moys. repēted sore the said offence, & prayed feruently that he might enter into the lād of promis: he was not hard: for god would not alter his sen­tence, as yee may collect of the saying [Page 44] of Moyses, Deut. 3. Chap. where god saith to him: speak no more to me of that mat­ter, thou shalt not passe ouer the water of Iordane. Here ye may see that man can finde no iustice in the lawe, which is of value before God.

Iob, who was cōmended by the mouth of god, the most iust in earth, could finde no iustice in the law: for howbeit he was innocent in the sight of man: hee might not enter in iudgement with god, becaus the iustice of man, is nothing before god, as ye may reade in his booke, Io. 6. & 15 & alledges the starres of Heauen, not to bee pure in the sight of god: muchlesse, are men to, stande in iudgement with his law, to bee pronounced iust. Therefore, the holy mā Iob concluded his booke, with confession and repentance, graunting him to be a foolish sinner. Iob. vltio. And so by faith in the pro­mised seed was receaued in the fauour of God, & accepted as righteous, the which is the iustice, that is of value before god.

Dauid, the figure of Christ, of whome god speaketh (saying) I haue found a mā [Page 65] according to my hartes desire, 1. Reg. 13. & 16. sayth: en­ter not in iudgement with thy Seruant (O Lorde) for in thy sight no man liuing shalbee made iust, Psal. 124. or righteous: that is asmuch to say, after the mind of the pro­phete. If ye wilbe iustified by the law, ye must enter in iudgement with God: who is he that liueth so godly, and holy in the earth, which may or cā defend his cause, being called to the iustice seate of God, to giue accompt and reakoninge of all thinges which hee aught to God, and by his lawe iustly hee may require: there is not one as the Prophete saith: There­fore (O lord) if thou shalt call vs to iudge­ment: and aske question of oure life and maners, according to the rigour of thy lawe: there shalbee to vs no hope of sal­uation. S. August. expounding the said verse, saith: There is no man liuing vpon earth, Augustine concluded all man to haue sinned. excepted in this cause, no not the Apost. and concluded with these words, let the Apostles say and praye: O father of heauen forgiue vs our debtes, as wee forgiue our debtours, and if any would [Page 66] say vnto them: why saye yee so, what is your debt: They would aunsweare (say­ing) because no liuing creature shalbee founde iust in thy sight. And in another place expounding the said wordes: Enter not in iudgement with thy Seruant (O Lorde) that is, stande not in iudgement with mee, asking from mee all thinges which thou hast commanded, and giuen me charge to doo, and leaue vndone: for thou shalt finde me giltie, if thou enter in iudgement with me. Therefore saith hee, I haue neede of thy mercy, rather then to enter with thee in iudgement.

And S. Bernard, in the sermō which he maketh & writs in the day of all Saintes, Marke the wordes of S. Bernard. speaketh after this maner: but what may all our iustice be before god: shal it not be reputed or esteemed, like vnto the men­strous cloth of a womā, according to the saying of the prophete: and if it be sharp­ly accused, all our iustice shalbe foūd vn­righteousnes: what then shalbe our sins, when our iustice may not answere for the selfe. Therefore, let vs cry with the pro­phete: [Page 67] enter not in iudgement with thy seruant (O lord) and with all humility run to the mercy of God: which onely may saue our soules. Here ye may clearely vn­derstand, by the holy fathers, saying that they vnderstoode the scriptures, and ar­ticle of iustification, as we do, finding no righteousnes in the law: but only through faith in the mercy of god.

The saide Prophete saith, if thou (O lord) shall keepe our iniquities, and laye vp our sins in store, O Lord, who shall su­staine or abide. Psal. 139. S. Aug. expounding these words, saith: the prophete said not: I shall not susteine: But who may susteine or a­byde thy iudgement, if thou wilt accuse. He saw the whole life of man, Note. circumuol­ued with sinnes, all consciences to be ac­cused with their owne thoughts. And no cleane, pure, & chast hart, to be foūd pre­suming in his own righteousnes. There­fore if a cleane or chaste hart cannot bee foūd presuming in his owne iustice: let all mē with the hart in faith vnfainedly pre­sume in the mercy of god, & say vnto him: [Page 68] If thou (O Lord) shall keepe or laye vp in store our iniquities: O Lord, who shall or may abyde it: where then is the hope of our saluation, with thee (O Lord) for the helpe and satisfaction or sacrifice for our sinnes is with thee, as it followeth in the next verse, Sacrifice for our sinnes. Esay. 5 3. Heb. 9. Galath. 3. & 4. Ephe. 1. Tit. 2. Apo. 5. of the same Psal. What is this sacrifice, but the innocent bloud of christ shedd, which hath deleted, and put away our sinnes, the onely price giuen, to re­deeme all Prisoners and captiues forth of the Enemies handes. Herefore help & satisfaction is with thee (O lorde) for if it were not with thee, but that thou woldst bee a iust iudge, and not merciefull: and wouldest obserue and keepe all our ini­quities, and seeke them of vs, who might abyde it. Who should stand in thy iudge­ment, and say, I am innocent. Therefore, our onely hope is, that helpe, mercy, and fauour is with thee. O ye which are ad­uersaries to faith, prent these wordes in your hartes, which yee reade with your mouthes, but take no care of them, and then yee shall not impung this Article of [Page 69] iustification: but saye with vs the wordes of the prophete: enter not into iudgemēt with thy seruant, O Lorde: for in thy sight no liuing creature shalbe found iust.

NOw sithēs our forefathers, which 1 liued most iust, could not be made iust in the deedes of the lawe, or in no law could finde this iustice, by the which a wicked man is made iust: of ne­cessitie we are compelled to seeke the iu­stice of a christian man, without all lawe or workes of the lawe: And of another then our self, which is iust, and innocent, that no law may or cā accuse: & through his iustice we must be maid iust: for of our selfes, we are not iust. Nor no man as the prophet saith, the 13. Psalme. And the [Page 70] Apost. Ro. 3. cha. All mē haue left god, and altogether are becom vnprofitable: none of them is found good, except one, which is the man Christ Iesu, the only begotten sonne of god: by whom and by his merits through faith in his bloud, we are all re­ceaued into the fauour, grace, and mercy, of God the father, accepted as righteous and iust, without all our merites or deser­uinges, to the euerlasting life. This is the iustice of a christian which at length shal be declared (with gods grace) hereafter.

Here the aduersaries will moue three questions, to se if they may impung the trueth. The first is: wherfore gaue god the law to mā, The ob­iections of the wicked. or what auailed the giuing of the same: if man of his owne power, and strength, may not fulfill the lawe. The se­cond questiō is, if man may not be made iust through the deedes and works of the law: wherefore should man do any good works. The third is, how were the fathers made iust, & by what meanes. To the first question concerning the giuing of the lawe: the cause wherefore it was giuen: [Page 71] and why we fulfill not the same: I will answere vnto it presently. And the other two questions shalbee discussed with the Article of iustification. That is, with the discussing of the iustice, pertaining to a Christian man. And in the forthsetting of good workes: which followed faith, as the true fruites thereof.

But first yee shall note and keepe well in memorie, The na­ture of the wic­ked. that the wicked euer obiects questions and causes, vnto god: on this maner when any thing occurres, which transcendeth their fleshely wit, and rea­son: then say they, wherefore did god this or that thing: the which sayinges decla­reth thē to be the serpents seed, of whom they learned that lesson. For it was his 3 first proposition, made vnto our mother Eue, in Paradise, saying. Wherefore hath god commanded you that ye should not eat of all the trees in the paradise▪ thus he perswaded the woman to giue him an­swere, of the cause not perteining her to know: & so brought her to cōfusion: Euē so doth the vngodly, & sonns of the deuil [Page 72] inquiring at God the causes of his secret iudgements, as wherefore hath god cho­sen one: and reiected another, with other such vnprofitable questions, of the pre­destination, and forescience of God. But in all such matters which are aboue, our capacitie and reason: let vs saye with the Apost. O highnes, o deepenes, o profoūd­nes, of the riches, Rom. 2. of the knowledge, and of the wisedome of God. How in com­prehensible are the iudgements of him: and vnsearchable are the wayes of him: for who hath knowen the minde of the lord, or who hath beene his Counsellour, or who hath first giuen to him that hee should giue againe to them: for of him, and by him, and in him, are all thinges. To whome be honour, praise, and glorie for euer.

Herefore my well beloued bretheren, inquire ye nothing of the workes of god: Note wel. and of his secret iudgementes: but as his worde teacheth you, and seeke no cause of his workes, more then of his diuinitie. But be content to knowe those thinges, [Page 73] which are in your capacitie, and vnder iudgement of the reason of man. For as Iob sayth in his booke, Iob. 9. if God hastely in­quire vs, who shall answeare vnto him, or who may say vnto him: wherefore doest thou so: He is god, whose Ire no mā may resist. Read the whole 10. chap. for con­firmatiō of this matter. And I exhort you by the mercy of god, to reade the Scrip­tures not as they were a prophane histo­rie of Hector, Alexander, or other gentill histories. Nor yet as the manly science of Plato, Aristotle, the bishop of Romes lawe, or others, which are but the science of men, and may be iudged by the reason of man: but with an humble hart, submit you to god and his holy spirit, who is Schoolemaister of his scriptures: and will teache you all veritie necessarie for your saluation, according to the promisse of Iesus Christ. Io. 14.16. For the vnderstanding of the scriptures is not of manly wisedome, or knoweledge, but the Godly men moued by the holy spirite, haue spoken and forth showen the perfite knowledge [Page 74] of the scripture, Whome to the scriptures are difficil as Saint Peter saith in his second Epist. the 1. chap. Therefore think the scriptures not difficil: but to the flesh­ly man, which shal get no vnderstanding thereof. They deceaue you which say, the scriptures ar difficil, no man cā vnderstād them: but great clearkes. Verily, whome they call their clearkes, knowe not what the scriptures meane: feare, nor dread not to reade the scriptures, as yee are taught here before. And seeke nothing in them but your own saluation: and that which is necessarie for you to knowe. And so the holy spirit your teacher shall not suf­fer you to erre, nor go beside the right waye: but lead you in all veritie. And so will we passe forward to the question before rehearsed. Wherefore god gaue the law as we are taught by his scriptures.

THere can nothing be perfitly vnder­stand 1 without the groūd, and foūda­tion be sought & knowē. So for the true knowledge of this question, ye must be­gin at god, and know him, as he hath cō ­manded in his scriptures: and seeke him no other wayes, and by him yee shall get knowledge of your selfe.

God being without beginning, as he is without ending: in the beginning made all creatures perfite, right, and good: and last of all men, to his owne image and si­militude, male, & female, hee made them: whom he indued and cled, with most ex­cellent gifts of nature, and godly vertues, with originall iustice, full integritie, the law of nature imprented in his hart, with power to do the same of his own freewil. And put him in the paradise of pleasure, that he should labour, & kepe the same, [Page 76] with cōmandement to eate of the fruites of al the trees of paradise: and forbad him to eate of the fruites of the trie of know­ledge of good and euill, standing in the middes of the Paradise: Adioyning the paine if he transgressed this commande­ment, Gene. 1. &. 2. saying, whatsoeuer day thou eatest of the same, thou shalt dye the death.

2 Not only gaue god a lawe to man, but also to beast, Sunne, Moone, Elementes, and all his Creatures in their kindes, the which they should not transgresse nor o­uerpasse. That in his creatures hee might be glorified, and haue obediēce of them: to that effect hee made them, and gaue them the lawe. This exposition yee shall finde in the 148. psal. Where the prophet exhorts all creatures animate, and inani­mate, to preach and forth show, the glorie of god, because he said the word, & they were made and gaue commandement, & they were created. So the law was giuen to man, to the effect he should knowe his Maker, glorifie him, and obeye him: for obedience is the fulfilling of the law The cause why God gaue the law to man.. To [Page 77] obeye god, is to loue God, with all thy hart, What it is to obey God. with all thy mind, power, & strēgth, and thy neighbour as thy selfe. This lawe was prented pure, and cleane in the hart of Adam, who had free will, and power, of himself to do the same. For God made man in the beginning, and left him in the power of his owne counsell, hee gaue to him his preceptes, and commandements (saying) if thou wilt keepe the comman­dementes, they will keepe thee, &c. Hee put before him fire and water, that hee might put his hand, Eccle. 15. to which of them he liked. He layd before him life and death, good and euill (saying) what euer shall please him, shalbe giuen to him, &c.

The perfection of Adam, and know­ledge 3 of the law, the rightuousnesse, and integritie of him, in his creation, with the excellent gifts and godly vertues he was indued with, are vnspeakeable as saith Ecclesiasticus, the 17. Chapter God crea­ted man of the earth, and made him after his owne Image, and similitude, turned and conuerted him againe in the same. [Page 78] And cled him with vertues according to himself, &c. Read the whole Chap. which will instruct you of these noble vertues, and qualities of Adam. What might hee want, being perticipant in vertues to the godly nature: nothing at all: and so all the workes of god were made perfite: All crea­tures of god were perfite in their first creation. the which he neuer altered nor changed: No more did he his lawe, but after the fall of mā, by his prophetes and holy Preachers hee set forth and vttered his lawe in the same forme & pure estate, as it was crea­ted: That man thereby might the more perfitly knowe his weakenes and imper­fection. Therefore the Apost. saith: Ro. 3. & 7. by the law is the knowledge of sinne. The lawe is not sinne, Rom. 4. but sinne is not knowen, but by the law. That is the cause why the law workes anger and hatred.

The law of Moyses of the two Tables was but a vttering and declaration of the law of nature. And that proues the say­inges of Christ: For when he had made a long sermon, teaching his disciples, and the people, the perfection of the lawe of [Page 79] Moys. as ye may read the 5.6. & 7. Chap. of S. Math. concludes on this maner. All things whatsoeuer ye wil men do to you, doo ye the same to them: For this is the law and prophetes. Here ye see the law and all the preaching of the Prophetes ioyned in a knot to the Lawe of nature, which teacheth vs what we should doo, and what we should leaue vndone. This lawe was perfitly prented in the hart of Adam, who wanted no perfection to ful­fill, obserue, and keepe the same, to the vttermost perfection thereof.

For transgression of the cōmandemēt of god, our forefather Adam was exiled, & banished forth of paradise: and spoiled of the integritie, perfection, and all the excellent qualities, dignities, and godlie vertues, with the which he was indued by his creation, made rebell, and disobediēt to God in his owne default Why mā may not fulfill the lawe.. And there­fore hee might not fulfill the law to the perfection as the same required. For the lawe remaining in the owne perfecti­on, Iust, holye, and good, requireth▪ [Page 80] and asketh the same of mā, to be in deed fulfilled. But all men proceeding from Adam, by naturall propagation, haue the same imperfection, that hee had. The which corruption of nature resisteth the will and goodnes of the law, which is the cause that wee fulfill not the same, nor may not of our power & strēgth, through the infirmitie and weakenes of our flesh: which is enemie to the spirit, Rom. 7. & 8. as the A­postle saith.

O miserable man accuse not God, but thy selfe, because thou fulfillest not the lawe: For howbeit (thou) in thy default fell from thy goodnes, and perfection of nature (by the which of thy own friewill and power, thou might haue fulfilled the law) into euilnes and imperfection: and hath corrupted thy nature: Neuertheles, God remained iust, good, true, and vn­changeable, and his lawe also, which re­quireth of thee her duty, not according to the fragilitie of thy nature, but to the pu­ritie of her nature, according to the good will of God. Therefore impute no fault [Page 81] to god, nor yet to his lawe, that thou ful­fillest not the same, but to thy selfe, and thy corrupted nature, which obeyed the will of the Deuill, and resisted the good­will of god.

NOtwithstanding after the fall of man remained with our first pa­rents 1 some rest, and footsteppes, of this lawe, knowledge, and vertues, in the which hee was created: And of him descended in vs Men may work out­warde workes of the law. by the which of our free will and power, we may do the outward deedes of the law, as is before written. [Page 82] This knowledge deceaued and beguiled the Philosophers: for they looke but to the reason and iudgement of man: and could not perceaue the inward corruptiō 2 of nature: but euer supponed man to bee cleane, The opi­nion of Philoso­phers. and pure of nature: And might of his own free wil and naturall reason, ful­fill all perfection. And when they per­ceaued the wickednes of man from his birth: they iudged that to be, by reason of the planete vnder whome he was borne, or through euill nourishing, vpbringing, or other accidents: and could neuer con­sider the corrupted nature of man, which is the cause of all our wickednes. And therefore they erred, and were deceaued in their opinions & iudgements: but the perfite christian mā should looke first in his corruption of nature, & consider what the law requireth of him: in the which he finding his imperfection and sinnes accu­sed: for that is the office of the law, to vt­ter 3 sinne to mā, and giueth him no reme­dy, then of necessitie is he cōpelled either to dspaire, or seeke Christ: by whome [Page 83] hee shall get the iustice, that is of value before God: which can not begotten by any law, or works, because by the deedes of the lawe, no fleshe shalbe iustified be­fore God.

Yee shall not meruell of the oft re­hearsinge of these wordes, that of the deedes of the law, no fleshe shalbe made iust: that is declared, reputed, foūd, or pronounced iust before god: for they are re­hearsed before the forthsetting of the ar­ticle of iustification, that it may seeme the more cleare, and to that effect the same wordes were spoken by the Apo­stle Rom. the third Chapter. Of this ma­ner, we know what euer the lawe speak­eth: to them it speaketh, whiche are in the lawe, that all mouthes may bee stop­ped, and all the worlde made subiect vn­to god, because by the deedes of the law, no fleshe shalbee made iust before him. And therefore I haue repeated them so oft, because they lead all men to the per­fite knowledge of their iustificatiō which is in Christ.

[Page 84]This proposition of the holy spirite is so perfite, that it excludeth (if ye will vn­derstande the same right) all the vaine foolish arguments of sophistrie, made by the iustifiers of them selfes, which per­uerte the wordes of S. Paule (as they doo the other scriptures of god) to their per­uersed sence and mind (saying) that the Apostle excludeth by these wordes the workes of the law Ceremoniall: and not the deeds of the law of nature, & morall law of Moyses. The which shameles say­ings, are expresly euacuat by the wordes of the Apost. Insomuch that no man of righteous iudgement can denye: but shall feele the same as it were in their hands: by this probatiō, the law speaketh to all, that is accuseth all men, that are vnder the law. Argu­mente against Sophistes. All men are vnder the law of nature, or the law of Moys. Therefore the Apost. speaketh of the law of nature & Moy. and of all men which he compre­hendeth vnder Iewe & gentill, as he pro­ueth by his argumētes in the first and se­cond Chap. to the Roma. And concludeth [Page 85] in the third Cha. all men are sinners. If all men bee sinners: none is iust. If none bee iust, none fulfill the lawe. If none fulfill the lawe, the lawe can pronounce none iust. Therefore concludeth he that of the deedes of the law, no flesh shalbe founde iust before God. The same is proued by Dauid in the 13. Psalme.

Here ye see by the words of the Apo­stle, he intendes to proue and declare, Argu­ment. all men Sinners. That is, to stoppe all mens mouths: and to dryue them to Christ, by the accusation of the law. No law may 2 make or declare all men sinners: and sub­due the whole world to God: but the law of nature and Moyses. Therefore, vnder that word (law) the Apost. comprehēded the law morall, and not the law Ceremo­nial only. Becaus it followeth in the text. The knowledge of sinne, is by the lawe. And also I knewe not sinne (sayth S.P.) but by the lawe: Rom. 3. Nor I had not knowen that lust or cōcupiscence had bene sinne, were not the law said: Thou shal not lust: Therefore ye cānot eschew: but confesse [Page 86] that the Apostle speaketh of the law mo­rall: yea, and of all lawes, and all men, because hee excepts none. Therefore let vs conclude with the Apost. and the holy spirite, Rom. 3. that the iustice of god is without the law made patent and forthshowē by the lawe and prophetes. And then shall we come to our Iustice, which is Christ, as S. P. saith the 1. Epist. the first chap. to the Corinth.

If yee will saye of your vaine conceate (as ye which are aduersaries to faith euer obiects vanities) that the Apostle in his conclusion comprehendeth not all men, proceeding from Adam by naturall pro­pagation: but that some iust men are ex­cepted. Ye shall not finde that exception in scripture, of any man (except) Christ. Who beeing both God and man, is ex­presly excepted, Esa. 53. 1. Pet. 2. 1. Io. 3. because hee neuer con­tracted sinne: Fraude, nor deceat was ne­uer found in his mouth, by this exceptiō all other are excluded, because there is no other (who can be found iust) but he. For that cause, he only fulfilled the law, [Page 87] and satisfied the same. By whome all which beleeue, are accepted as iust, without the deedes of the lawe, through faith in the bloude of Iesu Christ. Let vs passe forward therefore, in the scriptures, for to finde the Iustice of a christian man, which can not be founde in the lawe, nor deedes thereof.

THe iustice whereof we haue made 1 mentiō in the beginning: and that is so cruelly and tyranously perse­cuted by our aduersarie Sathan, The iu­stice of a christi­an men hath di­uers names. is called the iustice of God: the iustice of faith: and the Iustice of a Christian man: The whiche is all one thinge, glued and ioyned together, that by the same, wee are in Christ: and hee in vs: [Page 88] by the mercy of god, purchased by christ through faith in his bloude, without all our deseruings, either proceeding or fol­lowing the same. And it is so farre diffe­rent from the other iustice of the law, as darkenesse from light: and heauen from earth: becaus it wilbe alone, and not par­ticipant with any other thing, that Christ may haue his due honour. Who obtained this iustice frō the father, and is the price thereof,

And first it is called the iustice of god, because it proceedeth only of the mercy of God, Secondly, the iustice of faith, because faith is the instrument whereby in Christ we obteine the mercy of God, freely giuen to vs for Christes sake. And thirdly, it is called ours, because by faith in Christ without all our deseruinges, wee receaue the same: and are made, re­puted, and compted iust, and accepted in to the fauour of god. And all three ar one Iustice, deuided by sundrie names, as is before saide, which is this article of iusti­fication. As by example: almes deede [Page 89] is but one name. And yet after the com­mon maner of speaking it is appropriat truely to three: that is to the Giuer, to God, and to the Receauer. In almes, the poore, and indigent, haue no part but on­ly to receaue, and giue thankes. The gi­uer freely giueth of his liberalitie & sub­stance, and for gods sake. So it is properly called the almes of the giuer, and iust­ly attribute vnto god, becaus for his sake it is giuē. And also to the receauer becaus he is made rich therewith. In the like ma­ner this iustice of God proceedeth of his aboundant mercy and grace, fauour, and goodnes, which hee beareth toward man kind, that is poore (yea) aboue all pouer­tie, laden with sinne, hauing neede of the grace and mercy of God: destitute of all confort and consolation. And therefore is called his iustice, by reason of the gi­uing. And it is called the iustice of faith, or the iustice of Christ: because faith is the instrument, and Christ the Purchaser of the same. And it is called ours by rea­son of participation of all christes merits: [Page 90] which we haue through faith in his blud without our merites or deseruinges.

Therefore euen as the sickman recea­ueth his health: An apt si­militude. The poore his almes: and the drye earth the raine, without all their merites or deseruings: So receauest thou of God this iustice, which is of value be­fore him, by such instrumēts as god pro­uideth mediatly thereto: he being the immediate cause. The phisition giueth thee his counsel in thy sickenes, exerciseth his labours vpō thee, by the creatures of god according to his vocatiō: thou doest no­thing but suffer to worke in thee, til thou be healed. And then at commandement of the good Phisition thou keepest good dyet, not to get thy health: but that thou fall not againe in sicknesse. The poore man receauing his almes, hath no parte thereunto, onely but to receaue. The man that giueth, beeing the instrument whome God hath made the stewarde of that his gift. The Earth receaued the raine, and hath no part thereinto, but to receaue. The Labourer or Plowman, [Page 91] beeing the instrument to open the pores of the earth that the raine may descend into it, and then it bringeth foorth fruite in due time: Euen so it is with man.

It is called the iustice of God and not of man or of free wil: but of God, not that Iustice by the which God is iust: but the Iustice with the which man is cledd, and by the mercy of God, of wicked made iust, as Saint Augustine saith, in his booke of the spirite, and the Letter the 20. Chap. in obteining of the which we nei­ther worke nor giue anything to god: but receaueth, and suffers god to worke in vs. Therefore, it is farre aboue all iustice of the law, which mā doth, and worketh, the which are also the works of god, both, be­caus they are of the law: and man may do them of his own free will, & power, as to the externall work. And also they are the gift of god. But alwayes they may haue no place in this Article of iustification before god, except yee will exclude the merites of Christ (whiche GOD for­bid.)

[Page 92]This Iustice was couered in the olde testament vnder Ceremonies, and sacri­fices, but is made knowen and patent vn­to vs now, by the Euangell of Iesu christ from faith to faith: Rom. 1. That is not from one faith to another faith: but from that faith by the which wee receaue the Euangell of god, through hearing of his word, and with gladnesse accepte the same: in con­tinuall perseuerance growing dayly in perfiter knowledge of god through faith in Christ, til we giue vp the spirit, into the handes of the Father of heauen. Neuer doubting for whatsoeuer tentation or trouble, in aduersitie: but receauing all thinges from God, and of his handes, as our forefather Abraham did, and iudge all for the best. Then followeth the for­mall 3 cōclusion. The iust shal liue in faith: that is euer continue in sure trust, hoping to obtain the thing, he looketh for, which is remission of sinnes, the gift of the holy spirite, and euerlasting life, all purchaste by Christ without our merites or deser­uinges.

[Page 93]This is the faith of the which the Pro­phete Habac. speaketh, the Iust shall liue by his faith. The iust man and faithfull hath neuer respect to any thing, but only to faith in christ: And what euer he work or do, referreth all to Christ: & so remai­neth he in Christ, and Christ in him con­forme to the saying of S. P. I liue now (no not I) but Christ liueth in me: Galath. 2. for so much as I liue in the fleshe, I liue in the faith of the sonne of God, who hath loued mee, and giuen himselfe for mee. What is to liue in faith. Here ye may see to liue in the faith, is to beleeue in Christ: ioyned vnto him continually by faith: then liue wee in Christ, and Christ in vs, frō faith to faith, hauing no respect to workes or merites: but onely to the merites of Christ. And so the iust liueth by his faith.

THe Apostle defineth and declareth, 1 what faith is (saying) faith is the sub­stance of thinges hoped or looked for: The Argument or matter of thinges not seene, Heb. 2. without the which it is impossible to please god. That is, faith is the true and perfite thought of the hart: The defi­nition of faith. truelie thinking and beleeuing god, the which a man doth whē he beleeueth his word, and putteth his sure trust in the mercy of god: which is to beleeue that his sinns are forgiuen him for Christes sake only: The wrath of the Father pacified, & he recea­ued in fauour, & accepted as iust: & firme­ly and vndoubtedly beleeueth the father of heauen, to bee euer merciefull, gentle, helpefull, and fauourable vnto him, for [Page 95] Christes sake, without all deseruinges of his deedes or merites, either preceeding faith, or following the same. This is the Iustice of god, which is made patent and reuealed by the sonne of god Christ Ie­su in his euangell, as said is before.

In this faith only in Christ were all the 2 Fathers to the comming of Christ in the fleshe made iust without the deeds of the lawe. Ier. 23. & 33. Esa. 4. & 45. Ezech. 34. The faith of the fa­thers be­fore the incarna­tion of Christ. And therefore all the promisses of the cōming of Christ, are to bee referred to that promise made in Gen. the 3. Chap. that the seede of the woman shall treade downe the serpents head, &c. And so the faith of the Fathers in the old testament, and our faith in the newe testament, was and is one thing: howbeit, they had other externall rites, obiectes, ceremonies, and signes, then we haue. And they beleeued in the cōming of Christ, to fulfill all pro­misses and prophesies spokē of him. And we beleeue he is come already, and hath fulfilled al which was spokē of him, in the law and Prophets. And hath ascended to the heauines, & sitteth, at the right hande [Page 96] of the father, our aduocate. And as the Fathers beleeued the first comming of Christ, euer desiring and looking for the same by faith: Euen so now wee beleeue, and looke for his second comming. And most feruently desire the same, to bee deliuered of this mortall bodye of sinne, that wee may rule eternally with him in glory. Act. 15. That the Fathers were safe by faith without the deeds of the law. Marke the wordes of S. Peter. S. Pet. testi­fieth (saying) wherfore now tēpt ye god, to put a yoke vpon the neckes of the dis­ciples the which neither wee, nor our Fa­thers might beare: but by the mercy of Iesus Christ, we beleeue to be made safe, as they were. And S. August. in the 157. Epist. saith: Therefore if the fathers (be­ing vnable to beare the yoke of the old lawe) beleeued them to be made safe, by the mercy of our lord Iesu Christ: It is manifest that the same mercy, or grace, made the old fathers to liue iust by faith. Now ye may see clearely that the old fa­thers were all made safe, through the mercy of God, without all the deedes of [Page 97] the law. Then how will you make your selfe safe with workes: which neuer did so good workes, as the fathers. So there can bee no better conclusion to exclude your workes, in the article of iustificatiō: then S. P. maketh (saying) that a man is made iust by faith, Rom. [...]. without the deedes of the law. Therefore faith onely iustifieth before god. Ye shall vnderstand that it is all one thing to say: faith onely iustifieth. And to saye faith without workes iustifi­eth. As by example, if one saye, the good­man is in the house alone, or he is in the house without anybody with him. This is all one maner of speaking: The scrip­ture saith, mā is made iust by faith, with­out the workes of the law: Therefore we may well say, that faith onely iustifieth. For confirmation hereof, yee shall reade the 2. Chapter, to the Hebre. before re­hearsed, in the which yee shall finde the histories briefly repeated by the Apost. testifiing the fathers to bee made safe by faith, referring nothing to workes, except 3 onely, that the workes beare a outwarde [Page 98] testimonie of the faith. Abell, by faith or in faith offered to god a more acceptable sacrifice, then Cain did, by the which hee obteined witnesse that hee was iust: god bearing witnesse of the offerings: Heb. 2. and by the same hitherto speaketh, being dead. God looketh first to the hart of man: be­fore hee looke to his workes, Gen. 3. as testifieth the voyce of God (saying) I iudge not after the sight of man: For hee seeth the thing whiche appeareth outwardly: 1. Reg. 19. But I beholde the hart The man is first iust before the workes be good.: That is, the man is first made iust by faith: And accepted in the fauour of God (as Abell was) And then his workes are acceptable and please God, because they are wrought in faith. That it is the mind of the Apost. S. P. to exclude all workes (either going before or following faith) to bee of the substance of the Article of iustification: proued clearely the arguments and mat­ters of his Epist. Specially to the Rom. Galath. Hebre. In the which he laboureth so diligently, that all the Sophistes and workers, that are Iustifiers of themselfes, [Page 99] may not get a corner to hyde them into, from his conclusions, without they deny Christ and his office. At the least in effect (as they doo after their maner.) But the wisedome of god and his holy spirite de­ceaueth them: for when they wrest and throwe the scriptures, to their minde in one place, they are compelled in another place of the same Scripture to confesse them selfes Lyers. In the Epistle▪ to the Rom. from the beginning to the 12. chap. and in the Epistle to the Galath. to the 5. Chap. The pur­pose of Paule, in his Epist. to Rom. & Galath. with all laboure and diligence, he setteth forth the iustice of god to bee through faith in Iesu Christ, without all workes of the lawe. And when he hath established the same Article of iustifica­tion: Then setteth he forth the workes of righteousnes, in the which a christian mā shal liue becaus the iust shal liue in faith. This order ye may see in the saide Epist­les: and in the Epist. to the Hebre. hee de­clareth the office of Christ, his priesthood and sacrifice, and giueth faith her place the 11. Chap. All his laboure was to ex­clude [Page 100] the mixtion which now these fain­ed workers would haue ioyned in with faith and the benefite of Christ, which is no other thing but the worke of the deuil our aduersary, to make the death of christ in vaine, Galath. 2. as the Apost. sayth: Therefore if iustice be of the law, or by the law, christs death is in vaine.

But thinke not that I intende through these assertions to exclude good works: No, god forbid, for good workes are the gift of god, and his good creatures. And ought and should be done of a christian, as shalbe showen hereafter at length in their place. But in this article of iustifica­tion, yee must either exclude all workes, or els exclude Christ from you, and make your selfes iust: the which is impossible to do, because we are wicked and can do no good at all, which can be of value be­fore God, or pacifie his wrath, except Christ first make our peace. For that is his office The office of Iesu Christ is: to pacifie the wrath of God, which our workes may not doo. Cor. 6. for the which he came in the world and suffered death: So if yee will not ex­clude Christ, exclude your workes. For in [Page 101] this case there is no concurrence, more then there is betweene darknes & light: For what participation hath righteous­nesse with iniquitie, or what fellowship hath light with darknesse. The definition of this Iustice is made plaine by S. P. Ro. the 3. Chap. which I exhort you to reade: consider worde by worde, conceaue, and prent them well in your harts, then shall ye be able to contend and fight valiātly against sathā, 1. Io. 5. and his sophistes: of whom yee shall haue victorie by faith, which is our victorie that ouercōmeth the world.

The iustice of god is, by the faith of Ie­su Christ, In all, and vpon all, which be­leeue in him, there is no distinctiō or ex­ception. All haue sinned, and haue need (or are destitute) of the glorie of god: But they are made iust, by his mercy, freely without the workes, by the redemption which is in Christ Iesu: whome god hath proponed or layd before a sacrifice or sa­tisfactiō by faith in his bloud: to the forth­showing of his iustice, for remissiō of the sinnes by past: the which god hath suffe­red [Page 102] to the forthshowing of his righteousnes at this time, that hee may be iust, and iustifie him, which is of the faith of Ie­su Christ. Where thē is thy glorie or van­ting? it is excluded by what law of works? No, but by the law of faith: Therfore we beleeue surely a man to be made iust, by faith without the deedes of the law.

Now, I pray you tell me what plainer words may be spokē, or termes inuēted to exclude all our works, merites, or power, to be participant with god in this article of iustification. They are as plaine and cleare as the sonne in midday. Neuerthe­lesse because the wordes are so pretious, and necessarie aboue all things to be im­prented, and continually keeped, in the hart of man: I will make some declara­tion of euery part, and particle of this de­finition. And proue by authoritie of scrip­ture, this iustice of god (by the which a man is made iust) to be without all works or power of mā, only by faith in the mer­cy of god.

Of this Iustice, Dau. speaketh (saying) [Page 103] lead me in thy iustice, Psal. 5. O lord, because of my enemies: direct my way in thy sight. That is, O Lorde my god, for thy greate goodnes, singuler kindnes, and naturall loue, thou wast euer wont to show vnto sinners and mankind: bee to me a gouer­nour, guider, and conuoyer, in all perilles, and daungers: suffer neuer my minde to decline from the right waye, for any maner of strength or feare of my enimies. And also in thy iustice (O Lorde) deliuer me: Psal. 30. that is, for thy goodnesse and mercy: And after, iudge thou me (O Lorde) and discusse my cause: that is, take my defēce vpon thee: Psal. 43. for I am not able of my self to resist. Therfore in thy iustice deliuer me: and be vnto me a strength inuincible. Psal. 70. So shall ye finde in diuers and sundrye Psal. & other places of scripture, as Daniell 9. Chap. Iustice and righteousnes vnto thee (O lord) but vnto vs confusiō, and shame of face. In the which Chap. ye may read what iustice or holynesse, that holy Pro­phete ascriueth vnto him, or to the most holy of the people: Amongest whome, [Page 104] assuredly there was many good punish­ed with the wicked: but none which might ascribe righteousnes to themself.

6 Sometime, yee shall finde in Scripture this worde iustice, ascribed vnto man, as Dau. saith: Psal. 4. heare me, who called on thee (O Lorde) of my iustice, &c. That is, god the Author, Giuer, and keeper, of my in­nocēcie, hath looked vpō me. And iudge me, lord, after my iustice, and according to my innocency, which is in me. Here he forthshoweth not his vertues or his righ­eousnes, Psal. 7. whiche are in him with these words, because he saith in another place: Enter not in iudgement with thy seruant (O lorde) for in thy sight no liuing thing shalbe found iust. Psal. 142. The holy ghost is neuer cō ­trarie to himselfe. And the holy ghoste is neuer cōtrarie to himself. But here he called the iustice of God his, by imputation. And also hee was innocent of the thinge which was layde to his charge, by King Saule, who euer accused him of treason: and vsurping of the crowne of Israell, in the 16. Psal. hee saith: Heare my iustice, O Lorde, and giue attendance to my desire and [Page 105] prayers. Here hee calleth his iustice, his petition. And in innumerable places of scripture, yee shall finde this word iu­stice sometime ascribed to god: & some­time to man, Why iu­stice is as­cribed to man. because of the receauing of the same from god: but euer the scripture makes the selfe plaine, by the sentence that goeth before, or els followeth, or in some other place. Therefore, take good heede vpon the reading of the scriptures, that ye deceaue not your selfes, ascribing any deede or power of yours to the Ar­ticle of iustificatiō: for it may suffer none, but only Christs merits, because the me­rites of man, are impure and imperfite, & may not abyde the iustice of God: nor stand in his sight.

It followeth in the definition of this iustice: By the faith of Iesu Christ in all, and vpon all which beleeueth in him. Here ye may see our faith, that we beleue in Iesu Christ, called his faith, as it is in deede. And the faith also of god, and by the same reasō, as the iustice is called be­fore, because it is the gift of God, as S. P. [Page 106] saith. Ephe. the 2. Chap. and is the instru­ment by the which we obteine the mer­cy of god, remission of our sinnes The faith of Iesus Christ & what wee receaue thereby., the gift of the holy spirite, and euerlasting life: all for Christes sake, without our de­seruings by the which wee are ioyned in Christ, and Christ in vs, as the pretious stone is ioyned in the gold ring. So let all our delite and pleasure bee to imbrace Christ in our hart by faith in his bloude. For, faith is the thing which Christ desi­reth of a sinner. Beleeue sonne thy sinnes are forgiuē thee. Math. 9. Io. 11. Rom. 10. And also, all which be­leeue in mee (saith Christ) shall not dye eternally. And to the woman in the 7. Chapter of S. Luc. thy faith hath made thee safe.

It followeth in the definition: there is no distinction nor exception, all hath sin­ned, and hath neede of the glorie of god: that is, 3. Reg. 8. 2. Par. 6. 1. Io. 1. Eccle. 7. all wanteth that iustice which god approued or iudged to be glorie. And so, all mē are sinners, and reiected from god, and can not be made iust by the lawe, be­cause the same accused sinne, The law is a mir­rour. and is like [Page 107] a mirrour in thy hād to cōsider the forme of thy face: which can do no other thing but show thee thy deformitie. God hath concluded all vnder sin that he may haue mercy vpon all. The scripture hath con­cluded all vnder sin, Rom. 2. Galath. 3. that the promis may be giuen through the faith of Iesus christ to all which beleeue.

It followeth in the definition, but they are made iust, freely, by the grace of god, through the redemption which is in Iesu Christ. Here ye see the Apost. purposeth to exclude all your merites in deseruing of this iustice. To the effect he may (as in all his Epist. and labours he intended) set foorth the glorie of god: and the benefite of christ, the which cā no wise be highlier setforth, then in the making of a wicked man, iust, and freely: that is, for nothing: and without deseruing: For that cause Christ is made to vs, from god, wisdome, iustice, holynes, and redemption: that he which reioyseth, may reioyse in the lord. And that meaneth the Apo. Pau. and the prophet Ieremie, 1. Cor. 1. Iere. 9. which will haue all out [Page 108] vertues giuen vnto God, as wisedome, strength, & riches, which are in our pow­er, to vse and exercise, as the gifts of God: much more iustice, which is not in our power. Note. For we are made, & make not our selues: the which we do, if we deserue it, either for workes preceeding or follow­ing the iustification, to haue any part of the substance thereof. And so would ye drawe the glorie of God to you in one part, the which God will not suffer, as the Prophete Esay saith: Esa. 42. & 48. My glorie will I giue to no other, either must yee make your selues iust, or els bee made iust by god: if yee make your selues iust, ye are not allowed of god. So the glorie re­doundeth to your selfe of your owne worke. This, the holy spirite will neuer approue nor consent vnto, as ye read the second Epist. to the Corinth. the 10. chap. Coloss. 3. Phillip 3. Galath. 6.

That wee are made iust, freely, by the mercy of god, declareth S.P. for cōfirma­tion of this his assertiō: by grace (saith he) ye are made safe, through faith: and that [Page 109] not of your selfes: It is the gift of god, not of workes, Ephe. [...]. that none haue matter to glo­rie or reioyse. This same he affirmeth in his Epistle, to Titus the third Chap. and Rom. the 11. Chap. where hee saith, if it bee of grace, then it is not of workes: Otherwise, grace were no grace. That is remission of sinnes were not freely gi­uen. Here ye may see, this iustice is of mercy freely without all oure merites or deseruinges.

Yee are made iust by the redemption which is in Christ Iesu: and not in your selues. For Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe: and is made for vs accursed. That is, hee suffered the paine which the curse of the lawe inioyned to vs by sinne: in whome wee haue redemp­tion by his bloude, remission of our sinnes, Galath. 3. according to the riches of his mercy and grace. Ehe 1. What wordes may bee more plaine, to proue this iustice onely by faith in Christ, excluding our merites. Yee haue the same assertion in the Epi­stle to Titus, the second Chapter, Galath. the fourth, and Apocalypsis, the fifth chap­ter: Where it is written. Thou art [Page 110] worthie (O Lord) to take the booke, and open the seales of it: for thou art slaine & hast redeemed vs to god in thy bloud, hee saith not in our workes, but in thy bloud. The wrath of God against sinne. Here ye may see and consider our sinnes were no light thinges. Cōsidering there was no other thing whiche might pacifie the wrath of the Father: but the bloud, and death, of his onely begotten sonne Christ Iesu, to bee made man for that cause, And now for vaine inuen­ted Imaginations, of ignorant Sophistes, (which will not onely be their owne re­demers: but also redeme others) this pre­tious bloud is repute in vaine, or a light thing.

It followeth whome God hath layde before a sacrifice or satisfaction through faith in his bloud, to the forthshowing of his iustice, for remission of the sinnes by­past, the which god hath suffered (or in the suffering of god) to the forthshowing of his Iustice, at this time, that he may be iust: and iustifie him which is of the faith of Iesu Christ. Here the apostle aboun­deth [Page 111] in wordes: to exclude all sophistrie and vaine conceate of workes, which mē intende, and would intende to make sa­tisfaction for sinne. For hee setteth forth Christ here, the full sacrifice, and satisfac­tion, for sinne. And therefore, he called him the mediatour of the new testament, by intercession of his death. Heb. 9. And also Christ offered a sacrifice for sinnes: Heb. 10. and for euer sitteth at the right hand of God, beholding till his enemies bee made his foote stoole. And S. Iohn saith, if any shall sinne, we haue an aduocate before the fa­ther (Iesus Christ) who is iust, 1. Io. [...]. and he is sa­tisfaction, for our sinns: not only for ours, but for the whole worlds: & that through faith in his bloude. For there is nothing may bring vs thereto but faith only, And no satisfactiō may be, but Christes death, who hath ones dyed therefore, Rom. 6. and shall not dye againe, death shall haue no more dominion of him. In the which hee hath declared him iust, in fulfilling the promis made of him in the lawe and prophetes. That is that he was to make vs iust, which [Page 112] could not make our selues iust.

And where hee saith, for remission of sinnes bypast, the which God hath suffe­red, &c. Vnderstand not that of the sinns bypast before the cōming of Christ one­ly: but also of all sinnes committed to the worldes end. For these words are spoken foorth of the mouth of god, with whome all things is present, as yee may consider by the wordes of Christ, speaking to the Iewes on this maner: Before Abrahā was, I am. Io. 8. Howbeit, Abrahā was dead a thou­sand yeares before his incarnation. So to the penitent, all sinnes are bypast: There­fore the remission of sinnes by past in Christes bloude, indured to the end of the worlde.

Heb. 6.This is necessary to know for two cau­ses principally. The one is, for confound­ing of the heresie of the Nouatiās, The here­sie of the Nouatiās. which peruert the sayings of the Apost. where­vpon they would inferre that man once beeing iustified: and thereafter falling in sinne, may haue no place of repentance, whiche were the peruerting of all the [Page 113] scriptures of God: Io 1. and his promisse in the bloud of Christ, 1. Io. 2. who is the lambe of god, that taketh away the sinnes of the world. And our aduocate, sacrifice, and satisfac­tion. Howbeit, the Apost. speaketh plain­ly that it is impossible to be renewed to repentance through renewing of baptis­me: for that were to crucifie christ againe, not in his fleshe: but in thy fleshe which would be new baptised.

The other cause is to exclude their o­pinion which think that Christ satisfied, but for originall sinne onely: The false opinion of So­phistes. & that bap­tisme giueth or hath purchaste grace to man, after the baptisme that he may sa­tisfie for his owne sinnes by recompensa­tion, as god were a marchant to chop & change with man: That if Christ was the first marchant, they shalbe the next. And this is as great a heresie as the other, by the which they would make the death of Christ but a vaine trifle: and chaunge faith into workes of mans making: The which is the work of the deuill, that euer intended to impung this Article of iusti­fication, [Page 114] by the mixtion of workes. This opinion S.I. confoundeth in his 1. Epistle the first and 2. chap. where he declareth: first, if a man say he hath no sinne, hee de­ceaueth himselfe. And then if man sin­ne (as doubtlesse all men dooth) he sayth wee haue an Aduocate Christ Iesu, who is iust: and is a satisfaction for our sinnes. Moreouer, Note all men, howe iust that e­uer they bee, neede dayly to praye: for­giue vs our debts, as we do our debtours: the which prayer were not necessarie, nor Christ had neuer taught the same: If we might haue satisfied for our owne sinnes, at any time. So Christ is euer our satisfac­tion, and we dayly sinners. Therefore we ought euer to pray, forgiue vs our debts, as we forgiue our debtours.

It followeth in the definition where is thy glorie? by what lawe is it excluded? of works: No, but by the law of faith: and concludeth man to be made iust by faith without the deeds of the law: What is glorie. ye shall vn­derstand that glorie in this place is taken for the sure trust and beleefe which men [Page 115] putte in their owne workes and merites, the which the apost. wil haue cleanly ex­cluded forth of this article: & giuē wholy to christ, who deserueth the same, becaus he is obteiner thereof, to vs through faith in his bloud. The which faith wil haue no thinge participant with it in this case, more then the sight of the eye, will haue or suffer the finger in it, to help the sight. No, it can not suffer a mote, but euer waters, being hurt till the mote be taken foorth. Euen so faith, foorthshoweth all thing to the glorie of God, and me­rites of Christ, without all workes or me­rites of man.

If Abraham had beene made iust of works, Rom. 4. thē had he wherein to reioyse, but not before god. And also hee had not ob­teined that name to be called the father of the faithfull, Gene. 15. but the father of workers. Therfore the scripture saith, Abra. belee­ued god, Rom. 4. and it was reakoned to him for righteousnesse. Galath. 3. In the which scriptures yee shall not onely finde this iustice whiche is of value before god: Heb. 2. attribute [Page 116] and giuen whole to faith, in the mercy of God: but also the workes expresly ex­cluded: For either wee must be made iust by faith only, or by workes only: because they may not bee mixt without Christes death be in vain: for to him that worketh saith (Paule) The rewarde is not impute according to grace, or mercy, but accor­ding to debt. But to him which worketh not: that is, confideth not in his own me­rites: but beleeueth in him which iustifi­eth the wicked: his faith is compted to him for righteousnesse, according to the purpose of the mercy of God: And that without workes. For the probation and sure vnderstanding of this assertion, yee shall reade the whole 4. Chap. Rom. the 15. of Gene. the 2.3. and 4. Galath. and 2. to the Ephe. which wordes shalbe showen in this subsequent Chapter.

BY grace yee are made safe (by faith) 1 and not of your selues. It is the gift of God: not of workes, that no man reioyse, we are his handywork, created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes, the which god hath prepared that we should walke in them.

Verily, these wordes are worthy to be written in letters of golde: and euer im­prented in the hart of man, because they cōteine the whole somme of the Euāgell of Christ. And also exclude all the vaine sophisticall argumentes made contrarie this article of iustification, because in this Epistle there is no question of the law (as in the Epist, to the Rom. and Galath) But it is written to the gentiles being confir­med in the faith: And also perseuering thereunto, whome the Apostle certifieth of their iustificatiō in the first thre Chap. [Page 118] And then setteth forth to the end of the Epist. the workes of righteousnes, in the which true Christians should liue, accor­ding to their vocation, vpon the which wordes I will make some short declara­tion, according to the scriptures.

1 By grace ye are made safe: That is, by the grace, & mercy of God, and aboun­dant loue he hath to mankinde, because hee hath made vs, Wherfore God lo­ueth vs. hee would not, wee should perishe. For hee loueth his owne worke. Ezech. 18. & 33. Hee saith, I will not the death of a Sinner, but that hee conuert and liue: hee made vs that hee should loue vs: for no mā hateth or inuyeth his own worke. This grace we get by faith in Iesus christ, Ephe. 2. the which is not our worke, but the gift of God. For wee are not of our selues able or sufficient (as of our selues) to thinke a good thought: but all our abi­litie is of god, as the Apostle saith the seconde Epistle to the Corinth, the thirde Chapter, and Galath. the third Chapter: if the heritage bee of the lawe, then it is not of the promisse: but by the promisse [Page 119] god gaue it to Abraham, Ismaell, and Esaw, which were the eldest Sonnes, who succeeded not to the heritage: but Isaac, and Iacob, whiche were heires of the pro­misse, succeeded.

Wee are not made safe through wor­kes, that none should glorie, because god will not haue vs reioysing in our selues in any parte of his giftes, as the Apostle saith: What hast thou that thou hast not receaued? 1. Cor. 4. And if thou hast receaued it: why reioysest thou, more then thou had­dest not receaued it? Ye see works exclu­ded forth of this Article, that man hath no matter to glorie, but to referre all the glorie vnto god, To bee crucified with Christ. as is before rehearsed. And that man hath nothing to glorie in­to, but in the crosse of Iesu Christ, by whome wee should crucifie the worlde to vs. That is, wee should esteeme all, that is in the worlde wicked, as the A­postle sayth, to the Galathians, the sixt Chapter.

Yee shall not meruell, that our salua­tioun is ascribed, and attribute to the [Page 120] mercy of God, through faith, excluding all workes, because the reasoun is here showen by the Apostle, in these wordes: For we are the handyworke of God created in Iesus Christ, vnto good workes: That is, forsomuch as we liue, haue life, and vn­derstanding, and beleeue, Act. 17. Psal. 99. it is of God: and not of our selues, Esa. 45. Iere. 18. Rom. 9. because hee is our maker, & Creator: why should the earth­en or clay pot, extoll the self against the potter: of whom it hath all which it hath, or the branche against the tree: of which it hath all the substāce, to bring forth the fruite, as Christ giueth the parable in the Euangell of Saint Iohn, the 15. chap­ter, the which yee shall reade that yee may vnderstande the wordes of Christ: and similitude in the whiche the Father is declared, to bee the Husbandman, or the Labourer: and Christ the wine tree, & vs christians to be the branches: or the Bearers The offi­ce of the branche. for the branche hath two offices (the one is) if it remaine with the tree fresh and greene, it bringeth forth good fruite of the substance of the tree, and [Page 121] not of thee self. The other is, if it wither & bring forth no fruite, it must be cut of & brint. Therfore if thou wilbe a christi­an, and remaine in Christ, by faith euer ioyned to him: thou shalt bring forth good fruite of his substance, and not of thyne: of the which the glory perteineth to him, and not to thee. And if thou will be the withered branche, that is, wicked & bring furth no fruite, thou art prepa­red for the fire, there to serue with the Deuill, Who re­maineth in Christ. and his Angels. And this is sure if thou wilt either glorie in thy works, or yet that thou art thy own Sauiour, or any part thereof: as concerning this article of iustification. But to remaine in Christ by faith, and suffer him to worke in thee which thou doest, whē thou workest the workes commanded in the Scriptures of God: and attributs them to Christ, to be his workes working in thee. Wherfore the Law nor sathan may not cōdemne the works of the faithfull. Then shall he make thy imperfection, perfite, that nether the deuil, nor the law, dare accuse them, because they are the workes of Christ, and for his sake receaued of the [Page 122] father by faith. 1 Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 10. Iere. 9. So their is heir no thing to the to glory of, but to say with the Ap. He that wil glorie, let him glorie in the lord &c.

This glory of works is excluded by the law of faith: of the which law the Apost. maketh mention (saying) The law of the spirite of life in Christ Iesu, Rom. 8. hath delyuered me frō the law of sinne & death. That is, the mercy of god, the gift of the holy spirit, remission of sinnes, & euerlasting life pur­chased to vs through faith in Christ▪ by the which we liue in ryghteousnes, free frō sinne, & death: & so it is caled the law of faith which excludeth all glory of works: because we receaue and giue no thing but glory and honour vnto god which is the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing. In this we should liue in righteousnes & worke the workes of god, & not become thrall again to sin, & death: frō the which we ar freed freely without our merits, Rom. 6. or deseruings through faith in the bloud of Christ our Sauiour and aduocate.

Therefore let vs cōclud with the Apost. & establish for an infallible cōclusion mā [Page 123] to be made iust by faith, The con­clusion of Paule. without the deds of the law: as proue the Scriptures before rehearsed, and by the example of Abra. who had no mix tiō of works in his iusti­fication. The which we must affirme to be trew, because the Scriptures affirme the same, and testifie him to be iustified by imputation through faith: because hee beleeued god: and gaue sure trust to his promis: howbeit the same appeared not possible (as indeed it was to the iudg­ment of man.) Neuertheles hee doubted not in his faith: but beleeued hope against hope That is he beleeued the pro­mis of god albeit the same ap­peared im­possible to nature or manlie power.: & therefore it was cōpted to him for righteousnes: not onely to him, but of the same maner to vs, which beleeue and are sonnes to Abrahā by faith. And trust wel Abraham did many noble and heroi­call works of the law of nature: but none of these works were participāt of his iusti­ficatiō before god: Gene. 15. Rom. 4. but only beare witnes to his faith, and obedience to god in his righteousnes, as shalbe showē hereafter.

The most excellent work amongst the Iewes was circumcisiō: which was giuen [Page 124] to Abra. & cōmāded to be vsed in all his posteritie: Circumci­sion after Iustificati­on. for the signe & tokē of the bād and couenant betwene God, and him. The which was long after the iustificati­on of Abraham: as ye may read Gen. the 17. chap. And the Apost. sayeth, Abrahā receaued the signe of Circūcision: Rom. 4. the seale of the Iustice of faith. &c. Therfore this work made him not iust, nor yet had any parte of his iustification. Neuertheles God rea­hearsed to him at that time, the promisse saying, Abraham walke before me, and be perfite: and I shall put my couenant between me and thee: & shall multiplie thy seede ex­ceedinglie, & thou shalbe the father of many nations. Gen. 21. And after this God tempted A­braham: 3 That is, searched or espyed out his faith, commaunding him to take his sonne Isaac whome he loued, and offer him in a sacrifice. &c. Consider this cō ­maund & ye shall perceaue it a great tē ­tation, of the faith of Abraham, and con­ferre the same with the Scriptures going before: where God gaue commaund to him that he should put away his sonne [Page 125] Ismael: For the seed of the promis should be fulfilled in Isaac. The obedience & constancie of Abrahā Neuertheles the faith of Abraham was so firme and constant that he rather hoped, Gen. 21. and surely beleued that god was to raise Isaac from death to life, then that his word should be fals, or of none effecte. And therefore god said vnto him, and confirmed the same with an othe, Gen. 22. saying, Because thou hast done this thing: and hast not spared thy onely begotten sonne: I shall blis thee, and multiply thy seede as the starres of the heauen, and sand of the sea shore: because thou hast obeyed my woice and charge. Heir yee see and find the pro­misse repeated again, which was made to him long before. But it is not saide here, That because Abraham did this worke it was cōpted to him for righteousnes: but that hee was cōmended by the mouth of god, for his obedience and perseuerance in faith, for the faithful shuld liue by faith daylie perseuering, & increasing day by day more & more perfite, which is from faith to faith: giuing euer thanks & praise vnto god: and obeying his command.

[Page 126] No man liuing wickedly, is called iust.Yee shall take this conclusion that no man can be called iust, which liueth wic­kedly, but hee which is godly, and liueth well, is called iust. Neuertheles, his good life or workes haue no participation of this Article. Because they are excluded by the Apostle, in the wordes before re­hearsed for a conclusion: that man is made iust before God by faith, without the deedes of the lawe, vpon the whiche wordes S. Augustine, saith: These wordes are not to bee vnderstande so, that a man receauing the faith, if he liue afterwarde wickedly, shalbe called iust: but hee is made iust without all his workes, that he may liue in righteousnes and work well.

Christ is the end of the law (vnto righ­teousnes) to all that beleeue: that is, christ is the cōsummation and fulfilling of the lawe, and that iustice whiche the lawe re­quireth, and all they which beleeue in him, are iust by imputation through faith. And for his sake are repute and ac­cepted as iust. This is the Iustice of faith, of the which the Apostle speaketh, [Page 127] Rom. the 10. Chapter: Therefore, if yee wilbee iust, seeke Christ, and not the law, nor your inuented workes, whiche are lesse then the lawe. Let him bee the mark whereat ye shoote: and let him ne­uer passe foorth of your harte: whereto seeke yee that thing, which already hath taken an end. Is it not writtē in the euan­gell of S. Luc. the 16. Chap. The law and the Prophetes are vnto the time of Iohne, frō the which time the kingdome of God is preached and foorthshowen, &c. And S. Io. in the 1. chap. of his Euangell, saith: The law is giuen by Moys. but grace and veritie ar giuē by Iesus Christ. These two words are expounded by S.P. Grace Grace. that is the mercy of god, whereby we ar made safe through faith in Christ, Ephe. 2. and not of works. Verity Veritie. is the fulfilling of the pro­misses of god, for the which Christ was made seruant to circumcision, for the ve­ritie of god, to confirme the promisses of the fathers: here ye see, christ will haue no mixtiō with the law, nor works therof: In this article of iustificatiō, because the law is as [Page 128] contrarie to the office of Christ, as dark­nes to light, and is as farre differēt as hea­uen and earth The of­fice of the lawe.: for the office of the law is to accuse the wicked, feare them, and cō ­demne them, as trāsgressours of the same. The office of Christ is to preache mercy, remission of sinnes, freely in his bloude through faith, giue consolation, and to saue sinners: for hee came not in to this world to call them which ar iust, or think them selues iust, Luc. 5. but to call sinners to re­pentance.

The office of Christ, Iohn the baptist declareth, saying, behold the lambe of God, behold him, which taketh away the sinnes of the world. Io 1. It is not I, sayeth Ihon, nor the Law, repentance, or workes of re­pentance, which I preache that taketh away your sinnes: but it is Christ that in­nocent lambe of god to whome I send you. And also Christ sayeth, God send not his sonne into the world: that he shold accuse, Io. 3. Io. 5. condemne, or iudge the world: but that the world should be made safe by him. And after It is not I (sayeth Christ to the Iewes) that [Page 129] iudgeth you, it is Moyses which accuseth you And so the Scriptures testifie that the law accuseth, and Christ saueth. He sendeth none to the law, The Law rightly considered compel­leth us to seek christ but rather the law dri­ueth & compelleth man to seeke Christ, If yee will vnderstande it aright. The wo­man accused of adulterie, he sent her not to the law: Io. 8. but said to her, passe thy waye, and sinne no more. Io. 5. And to the mā which had bene diseased thirtie eight yeres, &c. behold, thou art made whole, now sinne no more, that some worse thinge happen thee not. Christ called all to himself, say­ing, Come vnto me all yee which labour, Math. 1 [...]. and are laden with sinne, and I shall refresh you. And Peter saith, there is no saluation but in Iesu Christ: Act. 4. Nor no other name giuen vnder heauen, by the which mā may ob­teine saluation.

Therfore sithēs no other may saue but he, we should put all our trust, & hope in him, and in his mercy only, and neither in the law, nor works: for to all them which thinke they may bee safe by workes, or made iust, Christes death is in vaine: or if [Page 130] there had beene giuen a lawe, whiche might haue giuen life, then righteousnes surely had beene of the law: but it is ma­nifest that by the law no mā is made iust before god, Galath. 3. because the iust shall liue by faith.

What wordes may bee more plaine then those are, to exclude workes foorth of this article. The fruites which we haue of Christ. Now sithens the scripture teacheth vs so plainely, that Christ is our Iustice, our Sauiour, and Redeamer, satis­faction for our sinnes, the ende and con­sommation of the lawe, and hath freed vs from the lawe, sinne, and death, and from the kingdome of Sathan our aduersarie: and bought vs to the kingdome of right­eousnesse, without our merites or deser­uinges. Why will wee vsurpe his office to our selues, and spoile Christ of his glo­rie, or be come thrall againe to that thing from the which Christ hath freed vs. Who spoyleth Christ of his glorie. The which we do, if we wilbe participāt with Christ in the making of our selues iust, or mixt any workes with the article of iusti­cation.

THis faith which only iustifieth and 1 giueth life, is not idle, nor remai­neth alone. Neuertheles, it alone iustifieth. And then it workes by charitie. For vnfained faith may no more abyde Idle, from working in loue: then the good tree may from bringing foorth her fruite in due time: and yet the fruite is not the cause of the tree, nor maketh the tree good: but the tree is the cause of the fruite: and the good tree bringeth foorth good fruite, by the which it is knowen [Page 132] goode. Euen so it is of the faithfull man, the workes make him not faithfull nor iust: nor yet are the cause thereof. But the faithfull and iust man, bringeth forth and maketh good works: to the honor & glorie of God: & profit of his neighbour. which beare witnesse of his inward faith and testifie him to be iust before man. 4 Therefore yee must be iust and good, or euer yee worke good workes, Mat. 7. for Christ sayeth: may yee gather grapes of thornes, or figges of thrisles: no no, it is contrary theire nature. Euen so it is with man: till hee be made iust by faith: as it is before writtin: Hee may neuer doe a good worke, but what euer hee doeth is sinne, for al which is not of faith is sinne: and christ sayeth to the Pharisies: how can yee speake good while yee ar yet euill. Therefore or euer we speak good, or do good: we must be made good & that by the mercy of god through faith in christ: Rom. 14. Mat. 12. without al our deseruings. Then shal we worke al good works in the kingdome of Christ as his faithfull subiects.

There is two kingdomes, & two kinde [Page 133] of subiects: Diuerse kingdoms which are direct contrary to other because there princes ar as cōtrary as ar light & darkenes: What we haue of our owne nature. That is to say, the kingdome of Christ, and the kingdom of the Deuil. To the kingdom of the Deuil, mā is of his owne nature a perfite subiect & the sonne of ire & wrath. Eph. 2. 1. Pet. 1. To the king­dome of Christ man is made subiect, through his second birth, or regenerati­on, which is by Baptisme in the bloud of Christ. To this kingdome man is bought neither with gold nor siluer: but with the precious bloud of the sonne of God Christ Iesus: and so is made seruaunt to righteousnes to serue vnto life. There­fore who is made iust by faith, through the mercy of god: and merites of Christ Iesus: must (in faith, which is not idle, but euer working in loue) serue Christ, and embrace him in his hart. Then shall he remaine in Christ, & Christ in him: by the which ioyning through faith, sinne shall haue no dominion: nor shall not rule as a prince: howbeit the dregges remaine in vs. They shall not be imputed to vs: if we [Page 134] perseuere in faith, as our forefather Abr. did, euer working by loue, and charitie. And this is the cause why we shuld work good workes, The Cap­taines of the king­dome of Christ. because wee are bought to the kingdome of Christ, in the which rule (as valiant Captaines) faith, hope, & cha­rity, working euer righteousnes vnto life.

The kingdome of the Deuill, hath thre valiant Captaines, which gouerne the same (that is) incredulitie, dispaire, and enuye, euer working sinne, and vnright­eousnes vnto death, The Cap­taines of the king­dome of Sathan. because the reward of sinne is death. In this kingdome, sinne ruleth as a prince, hauing dominiō: there­fore, if ye will serue sinne, and obeye the same, Rom. 6. ye are seruants to that thing which ye obeye: whither it be of sin vnto death, or righteousnes vnto life. But Christ hath redeamed vs, and bought vs from this Realme: that euen as Christ hath risen from death to the glorie of the Father: right so we should liue in a new life: and let not sin haue more dominion ouer vs. There is no mā so foolish, who wil thinke he being deliuered of a vile prisō (by the [Page 135] grace and mercy of a great Prince) and brought to serue in his hall: & so made tē ­der to the prince, that he is made partici­pant of his sonnes heritage, will say: I will passe againe to prison, because he is not a part of his owne deliuerance. Verily, it is euē so of their sayings, which say: I wil do no good, becaus christ hath deliuered me. And being deliuered, I will sin, and follow all libertie of flesh. Wherfore should I do any good workes, sithens Christ hath re­deamed me without my deseruings.

My hartes, ye which obiect these say­inges, reade the scriptures, and yee shall finde another lesson taught you. And at­tend vpon your Schoolemaister, which is the holy spirite, who shall teach you the right waye, that yee passe neither to the right hād, nor to the wrōg: but the right kingly way: That is, The right kingly way. to confesse, and euer haue prented in your hartes: that by faith onely of the mercy and grace of god, yee are made safe. And then followe the ex­ample of our Lorde Iesus Christ, giuing your whole studie, and cure to loue, cha­ritie, [Page 136] and all maner of righteous liuing to the glorie of god, & profit of your neigh­bour: Not that there through ye ar made safe, but that ye may be found thankefull vnto god: whome we knowe to be fauo­rable, gentle, kinde, and mercyfull to the godly, The an­swere to the que­stion why we shuld worke good workes. and to the wicked, wrathfull and angrie. This is the solutiō to the argumēt made in the beginning, which proueth, wherefore should we doo good, if we be free from the law: and freely iustified by the mercy of God, through faith without our deseruinges. Therefore, choose you now, if ye wilbe seruants to sinne, or ser­uantes to righteousnesse: Subiectes of the kingdome of Christ, or of the kingdome of the deuill: for wee are made free, and iust, by grace through faith that we shuld liue in righteousnes to Christ, who hath dyed for all: that they which liue, liue not now to thē selues: 2. Cor. 5. but to him which hath suffered death for them: and hath risen a­gaine from the same. Keeping this order, yee shall neuer cease to doo good works, as occasion requireth.

NOw because there is some Scrip­turs, which our aduersaries wold cause to bee seene, either contra­rie to the scriptures before rehearsed, for probation of this article of iustification, or els with them, they would mixt this ar­ticle: so that faith not only iustifieth with­out works. Therefore, I will rehears some of the most principal of them: And cause you vnderstand by the same scriptures, they are neither contrarie to his article: nor yet haue any entresse with faith, in the making of a wicked man, iust: but fol­lowe faith as the due fruites thereof: In the which the Christian man should liue as said is before.

In the Epistle of S. Iames, the second 1 [Page 138] Chap. It is said Bretheren, what profite is it, if a man say hee hath faith, but hath no works, may his faith saue him. And again (ye see saith hee) that a man is iustified of workes, and not of faith only.

Here the aduersaries of faith make a a great feast, but they vnderstande this saying of the holy Apostle, as they doo the other scriptures: euer working with the Deuill to make the holy spirite con­trarie to himselfe, which is impossible. Note the minde of S. Iames, in his Epist. But will yee vnderstand, take heede, and read the text, ye shal see clearely that the Apostle speaketh of the historicall or idle faith: that is dead without workes, to the confusion of the wicked christians, which haue no faith, but in the mouth, and not of the faith which maketh, a man iust be­fore God: and obteineth remission of sin­nes: By the same examples and wordes that he rehearseth: for he saith Marke diligently. the deuill troweth, beleeueth, and dreadeth: but the deuill can neuer beleeue that christ hath redeamed him: and purchaste to him the mercy of god, remissiō of sinnes, and eter­nall [Page 139] life: whiche is the faith to whome S. Paul ascriueth iustification only. And al­so he reproued the euill Christian (which sayeth) hee hath faith and neglecteth the deedes of charitie, in cloathing of the na­ked, and feeding of the hungrie: whiche deedes are the fruits of faith, of the which S. P. speaketh: Therefore, there is no contrarietie in the Scriptures before re­hearsed, but concurrence.

And also the offering of Isaac, as men­tion is made before, was done aboue thir­tie yeares after the iustification of Abra­ham, to the forthshowing of his obediēce as the text proueth. Gene. the 15. Chap. & 22. Chap. In the which offring the scrip­ture was fulfilled (as saith S. Iames) Abra­ham beleeued God and it was compted to him for righteousnes. Here ye may see clearely, S. Iames speaketh nothing of the iustification before god: but of the iustifi­catiō before thy neighbour, becaus of the examples & authorities of the scriptures alledged by him, which ar of works done in faith by the faithful, long after their iu­stification. [Page 140] For faith onely iustifieth be­fore God as S. P. saieth without works: Workes iustifie be­fore men onely. And workes iustifie before man out­wardly, and declare a man iust before his neighbour, in exercising the deedes of charitie, which are approued before God, and acceptable to him, in them whiche are reconciliate by faith in the mercy of God, and beareth wit­nesse that a man is iust. Heb. 11. Therefore yee who would alledge this authoritie of S. Iames to impung the articlcle of iustifica­tion: which we confesse: vnderstand not the Scripturs: nor haue no foundatiō for you, but ignorance & babling of words.

They alledge an other text, the 10. of the Actes: of Cornelius whose prayers & almes deedes, past vp in the sight & me­mory of god. By the which words they would inferre, his works made him iust or at the least prouoked God to call him to the faith, which is all one thing. For if we by our deedes, may prouoke god to loue vs, or to haue mercy vpon vs, through our merits: by the same reason we may make [Page 141] our selues iust. And so we need no other sauiour: but let Christs death be in vaine. But my welbeloued bretheren, yee shall vnderstād that God first loued vs, & pro­uoked vs to loue him (wee being sinners vnworthie of loue: yea enemies also) as the Scriptures of god teach you, Io. 1. ep. and 4. Chapter, and in his euangell the 3. Chap. and Rom. the 5. Chap. And there­fore god first preueened vs with loue, & all goodnes, and we not him. And so shal ye vnderstād this text following of Corn.

The text saith, there was a man named Cornelius, a captaine, &c. a deuout man, & one that feared god, withall his houshold which gaue great almes to the people, & prayed god continually, &c. To whome the angell sent from god (said) thy almes and prayers are past vp in the sight of God, &c. Here yee see this mā was faith­full, and iust, by the first two proprieties, by the which hee is commended: which can not stand without faith: That is, de­uout and fearing god: Deuout, is to say, a true worshipper of god. No mā truely cā [Page 142] worship God, or please him, but in faith becaus it is impossible to please god, Cornelius had faith and there­by wroght good workes. Heb. 11. with out faith. Cornelius worshipped God truelie: and so pleased him: therefore he was faithfull, he feared and dread god, by loue, for that is the feare whereof the text speaketh. Therefore Cornelius was faith­full because that loue can not be without faith. The works which Cornelius wroght wer the fruites of faith, and pleased god: because god approued the same, which hee had neuer allowed, except they had bene done in faith: For all which is not of faith is sinne. Therefore yee must con­fesse that Cornelius was faithfull, and iust before god: or els ye must deny the scrip­tures (which good forbid).

And then will yee say: to what effect was Peter sent for, to instruct him in the faith, and teach him what he should doo: if he was faithfull, what faith was it he had? To that I shall answer. Cornelius had the same faith that Adam, Noe, and the fathers had, for he beleeued the pro­mised seede, which was Christ: & knew [Page 143] not that he was come: What faith Cornelius had & wherefor was Pe­ter sent vnto him. But beleeued in one god, and that the same god had pro­mised a Saueour to redeame the world. So god looking vpon the faithfull, hūble and simple hart of Cornelius: and the fer­uent desire of his prayers (which desire doubtles was conforme to the sayinges of the Proph. Esay: Esa. 65. O if thou wouldest break a sunder the heauens that thou might come doune) would not haue him deceaued, to looke for him, which was already come Therefore he caused him send for Peter to instruct him in the present faith. And to certifie him that Christ was come whome he looked for so ardentlie. Yee may read the text: thē shall yee perceaue the sermon Peter made vnto him, which was only of the opening of the Scripturs testifieing the comming of Christ in the fleshe: and fulfilling of all the promises, and Prophets sayings, spoken of him be­fore: and that he was risen from deathe: and had giuen Peter, Math. vlt. Mar. 16. Luc. 24. and the rest of his Disciples & Apostles, cōmād to preache repentance and remission of sinnes to all [Page 144] which would beleeue in his name. &c.

To the which words and preaching of S. Peter, Cornelius, & his whole hous­holde gaue firme faith, and receaued by a visible signe the holy spirit. The which is no other thing, but this article of iusti­fication. For hee beleeued the word of god: and by faith in Christ, through the mercy of God receaued the holy spirit, without all working of any deede of the lawe of Moyses: but onely being vn­der the Law of nature: and so was bapti­sed &c. Therefore yee can not proue by this authority of scripture, that either the works preceeding, or following the gift of the holie spirite, was the cause of his iustification, or yet any parte thereof. But first being iust through the faith which the fathers had (who had also the holy spirit) truely worshipped god: and feared him of loue, & so he was iust. And in that righteousnes wrought the fruites of faith, in prayers and almes deeds. And secondly, being taught by Peter, belee­ued that Christ was comme the sure Sa­uiour [Page 145] of the world: and had fulfilled all which was spoken of him by the pro­phetes. By this faith was hee by the mer­cy of God, made iust: and receaued the holy spirite visiblie, without all works or deseruings. And then in the kingdome of Christ and righteousnesse, wrought the fruites of faith vnto life, as all perfite Christians should doo.

They alledge another text. Galath. the 5. Chap. Faith, which worketh by loue, &c. by these wordes they would inferre of their corrupted maner: that faith onely iustifieth not before god: but faith which worketh by loue. By this maner of vnder­standing, Sophistes would make the holy spirit speaking in S.P. contrarie to him selfe. they not only make the Apost. false, but also cast all downe & destroye the same thing, which hee hath builded: for in the fourth Chap. of the same Epist. preceeding, with great laboures and in­uincible arguments, hee setteth forth the article of iustification, prouing faith only to iustifie without all deedes or workes of the law. And then in the 5. chap. he be­ginneth to set foorth the fruites of faith [Page 146] (saying) ye are abolished frō christ, which would be made iust by the lawe. Ye haue left grace: for we by thee spirite of faith, beholde or looke for the hope of righte­ousnes: for into Christ Iesus, neither is cir­cumcision, nor vncircumcision, any thing worth, but faith which worketh by loue.

In these words shortly, & in briefe ter­mes, the Apost. excludeth all workes, and lawes, sacrifices, & worshippings, both of Iew and gentill, to haue any mixtiō with Christ, in the iustificatiō of a christian: for if there had bene any more excellēt work, or greater in estimation among the Iewes (which were the chosen people of god) thē circūcisiō, no doubt but the Ap. would haue excluded the same: & so the princi­pall work cōmanded by god, and giuē by him, as the seale of his promis & couenāt, made to Abrahā, being excluded forth of of this article: how can any other worke of lesse or equall estimation, haue parte thereinto. Therfore, the Apost. cōcluding shortly, & cōprehēding the whole estate of a Christian mā, saith, neither is circum­cision, [Page 147] nor vncircūcision any thing worth in christ, but faith which worketh by loue: he saith not, loue which worketh by faith, but faith whiche worketh by loue: that is, faith inwardly maketh a mā iust before God, Psal. 49. who hath no neede of our workes: for the whole worlde, and all that is therein is his: and loue outwardly testi­fieth of thy inwarde faith towarde thy neighbour, who hath need of thy works: for whose vtilitie and profite, thou art cō ­manded to do good workes. Note. To whome thy faith auaileth nothing. And so this text impungeth not the article of iustifi­cation, but fortifieth the same.

Ye read, loue greatly extolled by S.P. the 1. to the Corinth. the 13. chap. (as it is worthy) but ye find neuer iustificatiō be­fore god attribute to loue: for that is not the office therof. But loue followeth faith in the third degree, The na­ture of loue. whose office the Ap. setteth forth in the said ch. Specially how that loue suffereth all thinges, beleeueth all thinges, hopeth all thinges, and endu­reth all thinges. Yea verily some thinges [Page 148] which faith may not suffer, nor wil on no wayes suffer, as a light superstitiō repūg­ning to the word of god: loue will, or may suffer the same to be in it, for the weake­nes of the infirme brother. But faith may in no maner suffer the same, because it may be preiudiciall to the article of iusti­ficatiō: and induce the mixtion of works. Also Faith, Hope, and Charitie, being rea­koned, the Apost. exalteth Charity, to be the most excellent of the thre: but giueth her none of their offices. But if ye wil vn­derstand the text well, ye shall know the Apostles mind by the cōclusion (saying) now we see through a glas darkly: but thē we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I knowe, euen as I am knowen, and nowe abydeth Faith, Hope, and Charitie, but the chiefest of these, is Charitie Why Charitie is called the chiefest. as he would say: Now we ar im­perfite, but then we shalbe perfite: Faith and Hope, shall both perish, and vanishe awaye, but Charitie, shall remaine in her perfection: for then she is in her perfectiō when the other two haue takē effect, and [Page 149] are vanished away: for in the heauē there is neither faith, nor hope, but Charitie is in her most excellēt degree there, which neuer hath an ende.

The cause wherefore the Apo. extolleth Charitie, yee shall consider in the first to the Corinth. the 12. ch. the which (I pray you) reade. For in that whole Epist. there is no question of the Article of iustifica­tion, nor of the office of faith, Collos. 3. but an in­struction how the Christian man should liue: reprouing hatred, enuy, dissentions, and opinions, amōgst the Corinth. which became not to be amōgst christiās: therefore, he exhorted them aboue all thinges, to Charitie, which is the band of peace, & the most excellēt vertue to be had, & euer kept among the Christians: for by that, men shall know you (saith Christ) to bee my Disciples. Therefore howbeit, Cha­ritie be the most excellēt vertue: Io. 15. and that the whole life of a perfite christiā, is faith & Charitie, or faith working by Charitie: Neuertheles Charity iustifieth not before god, nor yet hath any mixtiō with faith, in [Page 150] the making of the wicked iust: but fol­loweth faith, as the due fruites thereof: conforme to the order of scriptures be­fore rehearsed: and as also hereafter shal­be showen.

To impung this article: they alledge this text, If thou wilt enter into life, keepe the commands. By the which they would inferre, that the keeping of the com­mands, is in our owne power of free wil: and that we fulfilling the same accor­ding to our power and strenght, may thereby obteine the kingdom of heauen by our works. The which is as agreable to the saying of Christ as blacke & white is: as yee shall clearely vnderstande by the Scriptures.

Christ being asked, and inquired by the young man, what he should doe or worke, Math. 19. Luc. 18. that he might haue eternall life, answeared on this maner saying, If thou will enter into life keepe the cōmands: which ar they, sayeth the young mā? Iesus āswe­red, thou shalt not kill: thou shalt not cōmit a­dultery: thou shalt not steale: thou shalt speak [Page 151] no fals witnes: thou shalt honour thy fa­ther and thy mother: and thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe. Here yee see, Christ teacheth the young man, the workes of the second table, which concerne our neighbour onely: and speaketh no thing of the first table: which perteineth pro­perly to God, and consisteth into faith. Therefore by these wordes of Christ it may not be inferred, that he sendeth any to the law, to obtein perfectiō therin: that is to say, iustification, or saluation: but onely to let them know, what the Law requireth of them, and what they wer oblished to doe: that they seing no re­meady thereinto, might seeke Christ: who came in the world, to call all vnto him, and not to sende them to the Law, for that was the office of Moyses. What auailed Christs comming in the fleshe: If hee would haue sent man to the Lawe to get saluation: but Christ declareth plainely hereafter in the same texte, that there was no perfection to be had in the deedes of the Lawe, of mannes [Page 152] doing, as appeareth by the answere made to the young man, and precept giuen to him.

When the young man said, he had obserued all the said deedes of the Law, from his youth &c. Howbeit, hee made a lye, Christ accused him not, because it was not his office: but said vnto him▪ if thou wilt be perfite, go thy waye, and sell all that thou hast, & giue it to the poore: and come and follow me. But when the young man harde that saying, he went a­way sorrowfull, and left Christ, because he had great possessions. The wordes of Christ vt­tered the hipocrisie of the young man. These wordes of Christ are no other thinge, but the de­claration of the fained man, to let his hart be knowen, which beleeued that through fulfilling of the outward deeds of the law, he might be found iust before god. And also to teache vs the duetie, which we are bound to do to our neighbour. For how­beit, Christ hath freed vs from the thral­dome, and malediction of the law, he will that we worke the workes of charitie, to the vtility of our neighbour: and nothing [Page 153] draweth vs so much therefrom as auarice and couetousnes. Therefore Christ ope­ned the young mās couetous hart (which hee would haue hidden, as all hypocrites do) and taught him, if he would bee per­fite, to followe him, in whome is all per­fection. And so this text maketh nothing for them which impunge this article of iustification, but rather against them, be­caus the matter of which christ speaketh, doth concerne the neighbour only, and works to be wrought to his weale & vtili­ty, which of necessitie followe the article of iustification, as the fruits of faith done by the iustified mā, who may or can finde no better workes to doo, nor they which are commanded in the law of God.

The aduersaries of faith reading the scriptures, How the wic­ked doo read the scripturs. where euer they finde mentiō made of works, that part they collect not to the effect, as it is spoken by the holy spirite: but to the intēt they may impung thereby the holy spirit, as cōtrarie to him selfe. This proceedeth of the deuill to em­poyson the article of iustificatiō (that is) [Page 154] to mixt the same with workes, that hee may enter and obteine his place, by the which hee may abolishe faith, or at the least the perfite office thereof, and di­minishe the glorie of God. But for e­shewing of this, yee who will knowe the perfite estate of a Christian man, where euer yee finde mention made of faith in the scripture, without any adiection thereto: ye shall vnderstand it of perfite faith vnfained, which without al workes, either preceeding or following the same, iustifieth. And vpon this faith S.P. groun­deth all his arguments, to proue that faith onely iustifieth before God, without the law or works, which he euer excludeth, as is proued by the scripturs before rehersed.

2 And where euer ye find mention made of works in the scripturs: without any ad­iection, ye shall vnderstand them of per­fite workes wrought into faith: of these workes S.P. maketh mentiō in all his ep. after he hath set forth the article of iusti­fication: therefore the workes are but the witnessing of faith: and the obedience [Page 155] which is required of the iust and faithfull man, to the glorie of god, & profite of his neighbor, by the which the iust obteineth witnessing of his faith, as is proued clear­ly by S.P. to the Heb. the 11. ch. where hee reakoned frō the iust & faithfull Abell, & their works in speciall, till he come to Ge­deō, Barac, Sampson, Iepthe, Dauid, Samuel, & the prophetes in general, declaring thē all to haue done many great, and excellēt workes into faith: and yet ascribeth no­thing to works, but to faith onely, show­wing the workes to be the testimonie & witnessing of their faith outwardly: and no part of their iustification, concluding in this maner: the which by faith haue subdued and ouercome Realmes, haue wrought righteousnesse, obteyned and gotten the promisse, haue stopped the mouthes of Lyons, quenched the vio­lence of fire, and escaped the edge of the sworde, &c.

Here is a cleare solutiō to all the obiec­tiōs 3 of workes, made by the aduersaries of faith: for seing, the ap. saith, it is impossible [Page 156] to please God without faith: where then are the works which preceede faith, and moue god to giue grace & fauour (which ye call de Congruo) And then ye worke of your owne strength, and power (as yee say) the workes which deserue remission of sinnes and euerlasting life, yea, not only sufficient to your selfe, but also su­peraboundant to saue others (which yee call De cōdigno, & opera supererogationis.)

The scriptures are plaine against your false superstitions, and sophisticall argu­mentes, concluding that neither workes preceeding nor following faith, haue en­tres in making of a wicked man iust: nor yet may saue you. It is writtē, all which is not of faith, is sinne. How then can ye do any worke preceeding faith, that it may please God, or prouoke him to loue you: considering all that ye doo out of faith, Rom. 14. Marke diligently. is sinne. Will ye say, that he deliteth in sin: No no, it is a thinge most abominable in his sight: therfore all that euer ye do, how excellēt the work be in your sight, it is sin before God: and yee heape sinne vpon [Page 157] sinne, which is abomination in his sight as sayeth the Prophete Esay. The workes which follow faith, make you not iust: because or euer yee worke good works, yee must be made first iust, and thereafter (in faith) yee worke the works of iustice. Neuerthelesse the saide workes may not saue you: nor merite the kingdome of heauen to you, muchlesse may they me­rite to others: But yee are made safe, by the mercy of God: Tit. 3 and not of workes: as S. P. sayeth: Not of workes of righte­ousnesse, which we haue done, shall we be saued: but according to his mercy, God hath saued vs

Here yee see not onely workes exclu­ded in generall, The workes of Iustice is excluded in the cause of iustificati­on. forth of this article: but also the workes of iustice, which can not be done, but by the iustified man, where are then your workes: which deserue the kingdome of heauen of their wor­thinesse: not onely to your selues, but superaboundant to others? They are ex­cluded by the Scriptures of God. There­fore I exhort you to exclude them also, & [Page 158] cleaue to faith.

1 I Meruell greatlie of your blindnesse which are aduersaries to this article, & would euer mixt it with works (spe­cially of your owne making, that yee may bee a parte of your owne saluation. But I ought not meruell thereat, because yee seek your own glory, & not the glo­ry of god: for euer ye cry the law, the law good works, good works, The wic­ked ad­uance thē of works which they ne­uer doe. the which yee neuer doe: nor yet it is in your power, of your selfe, to complete: according to the [Page 159] perfectiō, that yee may set thē before the iudgement seat of god. And this same thing did your forefathers, the scribes & Pharisies against Christ. Rom. 10. And now yee against his faithfull litle flocke, of the same blindnesse and ignorance. For, to establish your owne iustice, yee neglecte the iustice of god: and will not be subiect thereto as the Apost. sayeth. And Christ sayeth: Yee are they which iustifie your selues before men: but god knoweth your harts: because that which is of great estimation in mens eyes, is abominable before god. [...]ue. 16. Esa. 55, 56 57. & 58. Zach. 1. Euen so it is of your workes not commanded by god: how honest, or shining that euer they be in the sight of of man: God ne­uer was nor wilbe pleased with works of mans inuention. for verily God wilbe pleased with no workes of mans innentioun: but with the workes commanded by him selfe: And the same should be done in faith: according to his will, and not ours for the which we are commanded, and should daylie praye, Thy will, o heauenly father, be fulfilled & not ours. What better works cā mā doe: thē the works cōmāded [Page 160] by god, as praiers, almes deedes, fastings, and keeping of holy dayes, and others, as ye may reade Esay. the first Chap. Workes which of them self are good, done without faith, are abomina­tion be­fore god. Math. 7. The which god by the mouth of the prophet calleth abomination. And Christ called prophecying, preaching, casting forth of Deuils, miracles, wonders, and signes, and many other great and excellent ver­tues, done in his name: The workes of ini­quitie, and the doers of them: the workers of iniquitie (saying) passe away from me all yee which are workers of iniquitie: for not all which say vnto mee (Lord, lord) shall enter in the kingdome of heauen, But they which doo the will of my Father, whiche is in Heauen. These workes are contemned by god, for no other cause, but that they ar wrought by the wicked without faith: or mixt with the article of iustificatiō, thinking there­through to be made iust, or to be a part of their owne iustification. And therefore cannot please God, but greatly displease him, because the good worke is conuer­ted into sinne, through the iniquitie of man. Neuerthelesse, they appeare in the [Page 161] sight of man to be most excellent good, and should haue a great reward after the iudgement of man: but yee see here what rewarde god giueth them.

And seing the workes commaunded by God to be done: Note well are so displeasant in his sight, wrought by the wicked with­out faith. What shalbe of your workes, which are not commanded by God: nor haue no authoritie in his Scriptures, but inuented by your selues, of your good zeale, and intention, to make your selues iust by them: hauing no respect to faith: but to the working of them of the selfe deed: yea verily expresse contrarie the scripture, and plaine Idolatrie. Ne­uerthelesse he that doth them, yee make iust: and he that doth them not, yee con­demne: Is this any other thing, but to make the death of Christ in vaine: and to be iustifiers of your selues: for seing the iustice which is of value before God, is not of the deedes of the law: how can it be of your deeds. Therefore Christ wil say vnto you, Passe from me all ye workers [Page 162] of iniquitie: I know you not. Notwith­standing in other places of the scripture, yee shall finde the same workes, greatly commended by God, where they are done by the iust man, as the fruites of faith: & reward promised to the workers of them. So they confesse them vnpro­fitable Seruantes, when they haue done all that they can: For, Christ saide to his Disciples: Luc. 17. when yee haue done all whiche is commanded you to doe, then say: wee are vnprofitable seruantes: Wee haue done that, which wee were bounde to doe.

And if they, which fulfill all the com­mandements of god, are compted, or re­pute by him, vnprofitable seruants: what haue wee to glorie in, which fulfill not one of his commandements. Now I pray you, lay this text to your assertion (if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commande­ments) and ye shal thinke shame of your sayings: insomuch as yee would impung the article of iustification there with: and mixt workes with faith, to the making of [Page 163] a wicked man, iust.

Now I trust, it be sufficiently prouen by authority of the scripture, as is before rehearsed at length, to the satisfactiō of a Christian, and godly man, that works are excluded forth of this article of iustifica­tiō: & haue no participatiō therewith, but follow faith as the due fruites therof, that all glorie may redound to god: howbeit, the wicked hypocrits and iustifiers of thē selues, will neuer be satisfied, by any au­thoritie of the scripture: for they cannot nor will not be content with god, nor his word: Esay. 48. but euer impung the same, to esta­blish their owne authoritie, and glorie. Hypo­crites are neuer at rest in their con­science. And therfore are neuer at rest, nor quiet­nes, in their conscience, with God, because they reiect the mercy, grace, and peace of god, the which ar the substāce of the estate of a christiā, wherein the iust li­ueth by faith: & ar so necessary, that they should euer be blowen in at the eares of the faithful, by the ministers of the word.

Therefore, where euer the Apost. S. P. writed or preached (howbeit, there was [Page 164] no question of the law, nor workes there­of) hee neuer pretermitted in the begin­ning of his Ep. (as the other Apost. in like maner vsed) to certifie the Christian con­gregation of the substance of this article, A repeti­tion of the article of iustifica­tion and substance thereof. saluting thē with grace, and peace, which is asmuch to say, as, the mercy of god, by the which ye are made iust, and accepted as righteous in the fauour of god the Fa­ther, through faith in Iesus Christ, The salu­tation of the Apost. our on­ly Lord and Sauiour. Rest, & quietnesse, in your cōscience, I desire to be with you, and remaine with you continually, that thereby ye may worke the fruites of faith, by charitie, or loue, in righteousnes, to the glorie of god, and profite of your neigh­bour, through Iesus Christ, Rom. 1. by whome we haue this mercy and grace: and entres to the father, Rom. 5. and the same grace: the which grace is giuē to vs by god in Iesus Christ, 1. Cor. 1. that no fleshe should reioyce in his sight, who hath giuen him selfe for our sinnes, that he might deliuer vs out of this presēt wicked worlde, according to the will of god the father: & according to the riches [Page 165] of his mercy, the which hee hath aboun­dantly shed forth vpon vs, Galath. 1. by whose mer­cy we are made safe. He hath called vs by his holy vocation, Ephe. 1. & 2. not according to oure workes, but according to his purpose and mercy, 2. Timoth. 1. the which hee hath giuen to vs by Iesus Christ.

And S. Peter saith, blessed bee god the father of our lord Iesus christ: who accor­ding to his great mercy, hath begotten vs of newe into a liuely hope, by the ry­sing of our Lorde Iesus Christ from the death. Therefore, if wee bee borne and gotten of new by mercy: 1. Pet. 1. It is not of wor­kes, nor of our deseruinges: but freely gi­uen vs by the grace, and mercy of God, through faith in Iesu Christ. Nor we haue no righteousnesse of the law, nor workes, as is before clearely proued by the scrip­tures at length. Philip. 3. And the same S. P. testi­fieth in his owne body to bee true, Paule wrought many ex­cellent good workes, but repu­teth them nothing. who wrought many excellét works of the law. Neuertheles, he reputeth all, but filthines, that he may winne Christ: and be found in him, not hauing his owne iustice, or [Page 166] righteousnes, which is of the law: but that iustice which is of the faith of Iesu christ.

And seing the holy Ap. the chosen ves­sell of god might not obteine righteous­nes in the law, nor works: but in the mer­cy of God, through faith in the pretious bloud of Iesu Christ: Alace, what blind­nes is in vs wicked and miserable sinners, which will euer glory, & cry good works (which we neuer do) and will haue them mixt with this article of iustificatiō. In so much that Christ (after our iudgement) is not sufficient to saue vs, and make vs iust: howbeit, it be the cause, wherfore he was made man for vs only.

5 Therefore let vs cōclude with the Ap. and the holy scripturs: that by faith only in christ we ar made iust, without the law & workes thereof. And after mā be made iust by faith, and possesseth Christ in his hart: knowing perfitely him to be his iu­stice, and his life: The en­tresse to good workes. thē shall he not be idle, but euē as the good tree shal bring forth good fruite: because a man truely belee­uing, hath the holy spirite: and where he [Page 167] is, hee suffereth not man to bee idle, but doth moue and prouoke him, to all godly exercises, of good workes, as the loue of god, patience in troubles and afflictions, calling vpō the name of god, & thankes­giuing, & to the forthshowing of charity and loue, vnto all. This is the order of a Christians life, and the substance of good workes, as hereafter followeth: and as we haue also touched some thing in the be­ginning, concerning the trouble and pa­tience thereof.

BEcause good workes are the fruites 1 of faith, and necessarie must follow the same, and proceede of the iusti­fied [Page 168] man as the good fruits of the good tree: without the whiche no Christian man may gette witnessing of his faith.

Therefore after the forthsetting of the article of iustification: should euer men­tion be made of good workes, and all faithfull taught to doe the same. The me­thod of S.P. in wreting. Ro. 5. 2. Tim 3. Prou. 3. Heb. 12. Apo. 3. The which methode S. P. vseth in all his ep. but specially in the Epist. to the Romans and Galath. For being iustified by faith, we are at peace with God, by our Lord Iesus Christ. But then hastely riseth the battel and strife with the world, and per­secution, because all which wil liue god­ly in Christ Iesus, shal suffer persecution: Then shalt thou begin to reioyce of thy trouble: knowing surely that thou art the sonne of God, because he chasteneth all sonnes whom he loueth. This affliction whether it be in spirit or body, bringeth pacience to thee, which is the proufe of thy faith. Then conceaue thou hope, whose office is to confort thee, that thou bee not ouercomme in thy affliction, & so then faith and hope, being ioyned to­gether, [Page 169] the loue, Rom. 5. fauour, and grace of god, are by his holy spirite shed abroade in our hartes: by the which we (as valiant knightes) passe to a new battell, against the deuill, 1. Io. 5. the world, and the fleshe, of whome wee obteine victorie by faith: and suffer not sinne to rule ouer vs. This methode to good workes teacheth the Apost. Rom. the .5. and 6. Chapter, exhor­ting vs, that as wee of before, gaue oure members, to bee weapons of vnrighte­ousnes vnto sinne, to the death: that now wee being iustified by faith, giue to god our members, weapons, and armour of righteousnesse vnto life. The re­ward of sinne is death. Ro. 6. For the re­warde of sinne is death, but the grace of god is eternall life, by our lord Iesu christ. Then let vs surely beleeue, hee who hath begunne the good worke in vs, which is god, Philip. 1. The be­ninning of good workes. shall performe the same to the daye of our Lord Iesus Christ. And so to begin good works, is, not to suffer sinne to rule in this mortall body, that we obeye not the lustes & concupiscence of the same.

The whole life of man, Iob. 7. is but a battell [Page 170] vpon the earth: And who soeuer will pas fordward, Whosoe­uer ser­ueth the lord, must prepare him self for trouble. Rom. 7. in the seruice of god, hee must prepare him for tentation and trouble. This battell S. P. had, and as a knight of great experience taught vs the same: how he fand a law in his mēbers, repungning to the law of his mind: which is no other 3 thinge, but the tyrannie of the Deuill, drawing and prouoking man to followe the lusts and concupiscence of the flesh: The re­pungning of the flesh. Not onelie in externall workes, but also in the inwarde affections of the minde, as to doubt or diffide of the goodnesse and mercy of god: or to bee slouthfull, voyde, and emptie of the loue, and feare of god. The lawe of the minde is, the lawe of god prouoking, and calling man to doe all Iustice, and righteousnesse, whiche the faithfull man consenteth to in his minde, to bee good and iust. And yet findeth no power in him selfe to per­forme the same: for the whiche the holy Apost. with an exclamation (saith) O vn­happy man that I am, who shall deliuer mee of this mortall body, which is no other thing [Page 171] but a masse of sinne. These wordes he saith not, as of a doubt in his faith, but of a fer­uent desire to be dissolued and separated from this vile life to bee with Christ, be­cause hee giueth thankes vnto god by Iesus Christ, by whome hee is deliuered of the said battell. Reade the 7. Chapter, of the Epistle to the Rom. where yee shall clearely perceaue this matter at lenght. Therefore, the saintes and holy men ve­hemently lamente these motiones and affections of the fleshe, whiche they feele in their inward wit, reason, & manly wis­dome, repungning against the spirite, and will not bee subiect thereto, nor may not of their own power or strēgth, but by the spirite of god, Ro. 8. which beareth witnes with our spirite, that we are the sonnes of god. There are none which perceaue this bat­tell or valiant fighting, but the iust men, which confide not in their own workes, merits, or deseruings, but only in the mer­cy of god, through faith in Iesu christ, by whom they obtein victory, & thank god.

But because this mortall body of sinne [Page 172] is euer repungning vnto the spirite, Rom. [...]. and our greatest ennemie daylie borne about with vs. The Apostle exhorteth vs most feruently by the mercy of God, to giue & offer the same a quicke, liuely, holy, and pleasant sacrifice vnto God. And that our seruice, and worshipping of God be reasonable: not cōforming our selues to this world: but to be renewed, and re­formed into a new witte, knowledge, and vnderstanding. Rom. 12. That we may haue proufe, how the wil of god is, how good how acceptable, and how perfit, The which is, that we mortifie our bodies, & members, which are vpon earth: not on­ly to abstein from externall, outward and grosse sinnes: as from fornication, incest, vncleanesse, auarice, indignation, wicked lustes, & concupiscence, ire, filthie com­munications, & like vnto these, Colloss. 3. reakoned by S. P. but also to cōceaue in our harts the true and perfite feare of god, which moueth and causeth vs to abhorre sinne: and detest our wicked corrupte nature, which euer resisteth the will of God: and [Page 173] entiseth vs to follow our owne will, wit, reason, and honest appearance of good zeale, and intention, the whiche wee should not obeye, but the will of God, which is to beleeue in him, Io. 6. The will of God. and in Iesus Christ, whome hee hath sent: and also, it is the worke of god, for the which wee should euer pray to god, thy will be ful­filled and not ours.

This doing, the kingdome of heauen, is within vs, as Christ saith, Luc. the 17. Chapter. And the olde man mortified in our bodies, Ro. 6. and crucified with Christ: the body of sinne abolished, and destroy­ed, that wee serue no more to sinne: the which is no other thing, but to cast off all our affections of the fleshly mā: and sub­mit vs wholely to Christ: and as hee hath risen frō death, To bee crucified with Christ. that we likewise rise with him from sinne, and liue a new life, in the kingdome of righteousnes: no more be­ing vnder the lawe, nor sinne, but vnder grace. That is, Christ and his worde, the whiche will neuer teache vs to sinne, but to all vertue, in faith. The order hereof [Page 174] S. P. teacheth Romanes. the 12. chap. and so forth to the ende of the epistle. And S. Peter in his first epist. the 2. chap. teacheth the same.

This quicke, and liuely sacrifice, which God desireth of vs, and is so plea­sant and acceptable in his sight, is a con­trite, and broken harte, The sacri­fice plea­sant to God. a troubled spirit humiliate and subiect vnto God. These the Prophete calleth, Psal. 50. the affections of the minde, or thoghts of the harte, which are broken, afflicted, and cast downe by the knowledge of sinne, & place their whole hope and confidence onely in the mercy of god. The same affections of the hart, hee calleth the sacrifice most accep­table vnto god: And commaunded the same to be offered vnto him: as it is writ­ten: Giue vnto the Lord, the sacrifice of righteousnesse, Psal. 4. and put your whole hope into him. And in the 49. psal. he calleth the same the sacrifice of praise, & thākes­geuing. For we should euer praise god that is, preache and foorthshowe in all thinges, his infinite goodnes. And what [Page 175] euer we think, speake, or doe, direct the same to his glorie. This is a worthy sa­crifice to be done by a Christian: on this maner we are taught by S. P. to the Heb. & diuerse other places of the scripture.

To the fulfilling of this sacrifice is required that we spoyle our selues of the old man, The old man. that is our first conuersation in sinne: which wee haue of naturall pro­pagation of old Adam. And is cledde & beareth the same so long as we liue, after the example of Adam. Collos. 3. Euer rebels to god, and his law: And clothe vs with new Adam: that is Christ, with whom wee are cledde, when we reforme our life to the similitude of him: which restoreth again to vs, the Image and similitude of god, to the which we were created. This is the right and true holinesse, integri­tie and iustice, to the which, in Christ, we are renewed: by the holie Spirit, that we should liue, in all Iustice, and holines of life. In that we wer created by god in the beginning, that we should walke before him That is loue and extoll his magnifi­cence in all kinde of godlie life. Therefore the Apost. [Page 176] commandeth vs to be renewed with the spirit of the minde, and cloth vs with the new man. The minde is the fountaine, & beginning of all thinges: So it must be renewed, if any good works shuld follow: Ephe. 4. Esa. 1 And that teacheth the Prophete Esay in these wordes: Put away the euill of your thoughts from my eyes. &c. And so to doe good workes according to the pleasure of god, & order of the scripture, is to be­ginne to mortifie this sinfull body, as is before rehearsed. Then are we the good tree, whose fruite is sweete, and pleasant in the sight of god, and acceptable to him.

Mat. 16 Marc. 8. Luc. 14. 1. Pet. 2.Therefore lette vs deny our selues take our owne crosse vpon our backes, and followe Christ: as he harh comman­ded vs in his Euangell: for the which he suffered death for vs: leauing to vs an ex­āple that we shuld follow his footstepps, & neither go before Christ, nor yet aside with him, but let vs follow him: Who fol­loweth Christ. the which we doe, whē we cast frō vs, all our wisedome, righteousnesse, holines, and [Page 177] redemption, and receaue them frō Christ, who is made to vs by god, our wisdome, iustice, holynesse, and redemption: And confesse vs to haue nothing of our selues, 1. Cor. 1. but euill: and all our goodnes to be from god, as S. Iames saith in his Ep. the 1. Ch. This our crosse is no other thing, The cros of the faithfull. but the troubles and afflictions, both spirituall & corporall, that we haue in this presēt life: the which are the probatiōs, & exercises of our faith, whereby the same is tryed & searched by our heauenly father, to our weale. Heb 1. [...]. And testifie vs to be the sonnes of god, and not bastardes. And therefore we should gladly accept the same with thankes giuing from the bottome of our hart, thinking them to come to vs for the best, Rom. 8. and that we are the beloued of god, So accepting them.

And then in the greatest troubles and afflictions raise vp our hartes with faith, Psal. 30. & 70. & hope, beleeuing surely our good god, to be so faithfull and true that he wil not suffer vs to be ouercome, or confoūded, & tēpted aboue that we be able, God will not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue that we may su­steine, 1. Cor. 10. but will [Page 178] euen giue the issue with the tentatiō, that we may bee able to beare it, because our weak and fragill nature is knowē to him. He will haue cōpassion vpō vs, for Christs sake, by whome wee are reconciliate to his fauour. So let vs not go astray, but fol­low Christs footesteppes: That is, to suf­fer all thinges patiently, and thinke that we haue deserued more for our sinnes. Also, remembring that Christ our sauiour hath suffered ten thousand times more for vs. Esay. 53. On this maner we followe Christs footsteppes, who hath borne our sinnes in his body vpon the crosse: 1. Pet. 2. that being dead frō sinne, we shuld liue in righteous­nes. My harts, ye which are aduersaries to the article of iustificatiō: learn to read the scripturs with effect, to the perfite vnder­standing thereof: and thē ye shal obteine knowledge to begin to do good workes in faith, pleasant and acceptable to god.

Since we haue made mention of three kinde of personnes: that is of them which goe before Christ, of them which goe a­stray from Christ, and of them which fol­low [Page 179] Christs footesteppes. It is necessarie, to let them bee knowen by them selues, that the true and faithfull may be knowē by their deedes: Who goeth before Christ. They which confide in their owne workes, merites, and deser­uings, thinking therethrough to obteine the kingdome of heauen: and satisfie for their owne sinnes: Not onely for them selues, but also of the superaboundāce of their merits, for others: of the which they make marchādise. These are they, which goe before Christ, and are called Anti­christes or contrarie to Christ, because they vsurpe his office, and wilbe Iustifiers of them selues and others. Who goeth astray frō Christ. They which thinke faith not sufficient to iustifie without workes, but will haue their own good deedes ioyned, to helpe Christ, in their iustification. These are they which go astray frō Christ, & wilbe equall with him, in their owne iustification, for none of these hath Christ suffered death.

Therefore, hee shall abstract frō these two kindes, his wisedome, righteousnes, holines, and redemption, and shall suffer [Page 180] them to contend with the law in the lat­ter iudgement, whose workes being ac­cused, and the puritie and cleanes requi­red, according to the perfection of the lawe: all their noble workes and deedes of good zeale, and intention shalbee found abomination in the sight of God: how excellent or shining that euer they be before men, Luc. 16. to whome it shalbe said: Passe your waye from mee, ye workers of ini­quitie. Lucifer, was throwen downe out of the heauen, Math. 7. The pu­nishment of pride. because hee would haue made him equall with god: Adam, forth of paradise, becaus he pretēded to know more, then was giuen him in commande­mēt to know, &c. The Pharisie, of whom Christ maketh mention, Luc. [...]8. pretended no o­ther thinge, but a great rewarde for his good workes: The same thing pretende all they which impūg this article of iusti­ficatiō: for will ye compare their sayings, and doinges, it is the same selfe thing: but of another arrayemēt. Neuertheles, they are as like, as a egge is like another. And so, they are not of Christes little flocke [Page 181] which hee hath chosen, and follow him.

The thrid kind of personnes, are they, which putte all their trust, hope, and con­fidence in Christe: take his crosse vpon their backes, and dayly followe Christ in his footsteppes, To follow Christ.neither declining to the right hande, nor to the left, that is groun­ded in faith, euer working by charitie, ab­steining frō euill, and doing good works, in the which they put no confidence, but thinke when they haue done all, whiche is commanded them to doo, neuertheles they think them selues, but vnprofitable seruants: they lay their sinns vpō Christes backe: and follow him by faith, ascribing all their wisedome, iustice, holynesse, and redemption to Christ: and nothing to them selues, nor their merites, because they are sinners: and through the dregges of sinne, left in them, of the old corrupted man, their workes are not perfite, accor­ding to the perfection which the law re­quireth. Therefore, they may not stande in iudgement with them, of their owne power, and strēgth, but beleeue the same [Page 182] workes, through faith in Christ, to bee accepted as obedience to the lawe: and through Christs merites made perfite. These are they, to whome it shalbee saide: Math. 27. Come vnto mee yee blessed of my Father, and possesse the Kingdome of Hea­uen, prepared vnto you, from the beginning of the Worlde. Against the whiche the Lawe hath no place to accuse, nor con­demne their workes of any imperfection, because they are Christs workes, made by him perfite, through faith in his bloud.

[Page 183]THe blinde reason, witte, and vn­derstanding of man (which is but the desires and appetites of the fleshly man) is the cause why wee misknowe the good and perfite order, to doe good workes, taught vs in the scriptures: All men depēding vpon his own rea­son, is de­ceaued. neglecting the worde of god, & following our own will, which teach­eth vs good zeale, and good intention. This our reason affirmeth good, and thin­keth that God shall approue the same, according to our desire, whiche is but flesh (I meane of the whole man, and all that is in him) But the spirit and word of god teacheth vs to walke in the spirite, & not to performe the desires and lustes of the fleshe. For the flesh euer contendeth against the spirite: and the spirite against the flesh. Therefore we are commanded to fight valiantly against the desires of the fleshe: and to absteine from the lustes and appetites thereof: and to fol­lowe the will of God, which is to walke in the spirite, and clothe vs with Christe Iesus.

[Page 184]This order the Apostle teacheth Galath. the 5. chapter, Romanes the 8. chapter & 13. And S. Pet. in his first epistle the 2. chapter.

O miserable, blinde, & ignorāt mā why doest thou neglect the good worke of god, to inuēt a good worke of thy owne making: thinking there through to please god: saying, thou doest it of a good zeale and intention, which is asmuch to say as, that thy minde, and intentione are good in the selfe. And because thou thinketh the same good, God after thy iudgement, should approue the same as good. Thou art deceaued, because thou vnderstandest not the Scriptures, or will not vnderstande the same. It is written that the whole thoght of man, and all the cogitations of his hart, The cōfu­tation of good zeale, & good in­tētion. is ready giuen and bent vpon euill, at all time. And also the witte, vnderstanding, and conceat of man, and the thought of his harte, are prone, Gen. 6. Gen. 8. Psal. 43. ready, and inclined to euill from his youth head, and yoūg age. And Dauid sayeth, The Lord knoweth the cogitations [Page 185] of mans hart, that they are vaine. Nowe my hartes, where will yee finde your good zeale, and good intention: either is it euill of thee self, or els God is false, the whiche can not bee: yee may call it good, but God who hath better know­ledge thereof, then ye haue, by his word testifieth all that is in you to bee but e­uill, as he hath declareth by the mouth of Moyses, Deutr. 12. cōmanding that we do not that thing, Ier. 11. which wee thinke good, but that thing which hee hath commanded vs to do: that should we do The cō ­mande­ment of god, con­trarie our good zeale.: and neither adde to his word, nor take therefrō, but walk in the way, the which the lord hath cōman­ded. This showeth thee, that thou should not followe thy good zeale, and inten­tion, thinking therethrough to please god: Psal. 115. or fulfill his will, the which thou can not fulfill, but by his worde. For all man of them selues, are but Lyers, and full of vainitie.

Great is the differēce betwixt the will of god, and the will of man. The thought of god, and the thoughtes of man. The [Page 186] wayes of god, and the wayes of man: as saith the Prophete in the persō of god: Esa. 55. my thoghts, & cogitatiōs ar not yours: nor your ways mine: but as the heauēs ar exalted aboue the earth: euen so ar my wayes & cogitations frō yours. This is no other thing, but to teach vs to follow the will and commande of God, and not ours Mich. 6. All which man shold doe is conteined in the scriptures who hath declared in his scripturs plain­ly, what we should doe, & leaue vndone that we neede to seeke no further. So do­ing we shal procure the blessing of God, if wee take his erudition and teaching: as Dauid sayeth: Blessed is the man, whom thou (O Lord) instructeth, Psal. 93. and of thy Law teacheth him. And if we will fol­lowe our own teaching, Who doth workes not com­māded by God in his scrip­tures in­curris his maledicti­on. Ier. 15. & [...]9. doing workes of our owne intention (the which wee think good) we shal procure the plagues and punishmēts threatned by the Proph Ieremie the 19 chap. because we doe the thing, which he hath not commanded: nor spoken to vs: nor yet hath ascended in his hart. Trust well the people thoght they did a great excellent worke to God [Page 187] and sacrifice to please him, when they spared not their owne children, to kill & offer sacrifice vnto god, 4. Reg. 21 2. Cro. 33. The fruits of good zeale. of their innocēt bloud. This was their good zeale, and good intention. But they had no com­mand of god for them: and verily yee haue lesse for you, to make such sacrifice, as yee doe dayly: to deceaue the poore people, and to purchase to your selues great riches, goods & possessions. There­fore I exhort you by the mercy of God, to cast away that good zeale, & intētion: & follow the word of god, as he hath cō ­māded you in the scripurs, for they beare witnes of him: & show to mā what is his wil: seeke no further, nor confound not the works of God with thy vain thoghts.

Through the vaine cōceate of mā vsed in these words (good zeale & intētiō) haue al the abuses, now ruling in the church of god, risen. That the sayings of the Proph. 3 spokē to the people of Israell, Ier. 2. The wordes of Ieremie ar true this day. are cōplete this day in the Church of Christ: and may be said to vs, as they were said to the Iew­es. Euē as the theef is ashamed whē he is [Page 188] taken: euen so is the house of Israel ashamed: they, & their kinges, their princes, preists & Prophets: saying vnto the tree or stocke, thou art my father: and to the stone, thou hast be gotten me. They haue turned their backe to mee (sayeth the Lord God) and not their face. And in the time of their trouble, and affliction, they shall say: Rise, and deliuer vs, then shall the Lord say vnto them, where are thy gods which thou hast made thee? let them arise and deliuer the, in the time of thy trouble. Thy gods were verily in nomber according to the nomber of thy cities, o Iuda, what? wilt thou con­tend with me in Iudgement? [...] [...]2. & 11. yee haue all left me, sayeth the Lord.

Now I pray you, conferre these words of god, here plainly spoken, with the do­ings of these dayes, now ruling in the church: and then yee shall perceaue the abuse of gods word. We praye cōmonly the Pater noster (that, is our father) to the Image of this, or that saint, made of tree or stone. And specially to this or that [Page 189] altar, wee kneele, which is by our selues, or our predicessours foūded, vpon such a Saintes name, whose picture is well gra­ued in a stocke or stone: And with costly colours painted: and the blessed Sacra­ment of the body and bloud of Christ (after their maner) offered dayly to this or that Saint: and called his messe, for do­ing of the which, Exod. 20. Leuit. 26. Deu. 5. there is not a syllabe in gods word, for you: but the contrarie ex­presly commanded: both that yee should haue no grauen Images, Psal. 80.96. & 113. nor worshippe them: nor yet inuent any maner of wor­shpping of god: But as god hath cōman­ded by his word. And for your defēce, ye haue onely these wordes (good zeale & intention) the which is expresly cōtrarie the first commandement of god: for euen as we are forbidden and inhibite to haue strange gods: So are wee inhibite to haue strange worshippings of god. Strange worship­ping of God, is not con­teined in the scrip­tures.

Blessed be god, the matter is so patent and plainely set forth in these dayes, con­cerning the said vaine workes, inuented by man, to the confusion thereof by the [Page 190] godly men: which laboure day and night in his Scriptures to the edification of Christs chosen litle flocke, that it is not needful, to abide long vpō the discussing of these matters: but onely to remit you to the Scriptures, and the saide godly de­clarations made therevpon: against the superstitious worshipping of Saintes: go­ing in pilgrimage, purgeing in purgato­rie, hallowing of water, or other elemēts foundatioun of masses, to publike or pri­uate idolatrie, offering or sacrifices ma­king, not commāded in the word of god, choise of meats, forbidding of mariage in the church of god, and abominable a­buses of the whole Christian religion, by the shauen, oincted, or smeared preists bishops, monkes, and friers, hauing one­ly there vocation of man, and by man. Therefore we let the specialities of them passe, and referre the same to thy iudge­ment (good reader.) Thankes be to god these abuses, and groundes are not vn­knowen: & we will passe forward to the knowledge of the workes commanded [Page 191] vs to doe, and work by the scriptures of god, as the fruites of faith.

IF any will aske or inquyre, what wor­kes should the faithfull doe: I can finde no perfiter answear to make thereto then the Euangell teacheth vs. Good workes. As S. Luke sayeth the 3. chapter. Iohn the bap­tist preaching repentance in remission of sinnes: the people inquired at him, what they should doe: to whom he answeared saying He that hath two coates, giue to him that hath not one. And he that hath meate, let him doe in like maner. This is no other thing, but to exercise [Page 192] the deedes of mercy, Esa. 58. and charitie to­ward thy neighbour, as the Prophet Esay sayeth, breake thy breade to the hungry, needie, and the poore who ar cast out, bring into thy house: when thou seest the naked clothe him, contemne or des­pise not thy owne flesh. This is the forth-showing of thy faith, which S. Iames desireth of thee in his epistle. Thou art taught the same, with the other works of charity to thy neighbour. Ezech. the 15.

The Publicanes and open sinners in­quired in like maner, what they should doe: to whom he answeared (saying) yee shall doe no further, then that which is commaunded you to doe: as he would say, decline and cease to doe euill, and learne to doe good, as yee ar teached by the Propete Esay. the 1. Chapter. And Dauid teacheth you the perfecton of re­ligione (saying) Come to me my sonnes, and heare mee, and I shall teach you the feare of of the Lord. Ier. 7. & 26 Ezech. 18. Psal 33. 1. Pet. 3. Tac. 1. Who is he who liueth and loueth to see good dayes: let him refraine his toung from euill, and his lippes that they speake no [Page 193] fraude: decline from euill, & doe good: seeke peace, and followe the same. Therefore, passe your waye and sinne no more: for I will not send you to the lawe to get re­meady of your sinnes. But looke in the law, and behold what is ordeined you to do. The which will declare you to be sin­ners, & transgressours. And then ye shall seeke Christ, for remeady, whose forerun­ner I am. It is he, in whome ye shall finde remeady. Io. 1. Therefore, I say vnto you: be­holde the lambe of god, which taketh a­waye the sinnes of the world.

And being inquired of the souldiers, what they should doe: Luc. 3. He answered (say­ing) yee shall strike, The voca­tion and office of men of warre. nor hurt no man: nor yet do wrong or iniurie to any personne: but bee content of your wages, which is asmuch to say, as oppresse none: take no persons geare violently: yee are publicke officers, depute by princes, & magistrats, for keeping of good rule and order a­mongst the people, for rest, and quietnes, of the commō weale: for the which cause ye haue your wages. Your office is honest [Page 194] and the good worke of god: Therefore, looke on your own vocation: and do that iustly which is commanded you, and ex­ceede not your bounds.

Here is a good order taught you which are ministers of the worde, to learne the auditour in generall, or speciall, to doe good works: That is, to show them the works cōmanded by god: the right fruits of repentance, and faith, to the which ye should send them, and not to vaine wor­kes inuented by man, which is no other thing, but to heape sinne vpon sinne.

And Christ being asked by the Iewes: What shall we doe (say they) that we might work the workes of god: Io. 6. answered (saying) This is the worke of God, Faith is the worke of God. that yee beleeue in him, whome hee hath sent. Here, hee sent them not to the law (howbeit, the law be the worke of god) but to faith, which is not the work of mā, but the work of god, which hee worketh in man. Therefore Christ saith to vs: Beleeue, and yee shalbee safe. Io. 6. And so let vs say with S. Peter: Lord, to whome shall we passe, thou hast the words [Page 195] of life: wee will seeke no other, but beleeue in thee. Yee shal consider that Christ, after hee had refreshed the people with their corporall foode. Then he taught them the perfection of a Christian man. And fed them with the spirituall foode. And they which receaue the same, did follow him: the rest left him, which had no faith, but tooke his doctrine carnally, & of ex­ternall and outwarde workes, as did the young man, to whome Christ made the answere, as is before rehearsed. Math. the 19. Chap. There is no per­fection, but in Christ. By the which scriptures we are taught to follow christ, becaus there is no perfection, but in the following of him.

Therefore, as wee haue receaued our Lorde Iesus Christ, let vs walke in him, being rooted and builded in him: and cō ­firmed in the faith as we haue learned, a­boūding in the same with giuing thanks, as the Apost. saith, Coloss. the 2. Chap. for hee is the fountaine of all goodnes, and the head of our felicitie, and let vs haue respect to no other thing, nor laye no o­ther foundation. 1. Cor. 3. For as the Apost. saith: [Page 196] No man Christ is the head and foun­dation of our felici­tie vpon whom we should build good workes. may lay another foundation, nor that which is already layde, the which is Ie­sus Christ. Let vs build vpon this founda­tiō, gold, siluer, and pretious stones, which are the workes of God, commanded in the holy scripture, to bee wrought into faith: euery one according to his vocatiō, in the which we should walke worthely, Coloss. 3. as wee are called with all humilitie, and meeknesse, and patience, supporting one another in loue, and charitie, carefull to keepe the vnitie of the spirite, in the band of peace, as we are taught by the Apost. Ephes. the 4. Chapter.

And Christ saith: Take my yoke on you, and learne of me that I am meeke, and lowly in harte: Math. 11 and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules: For my yoke is easie, and my burden light. The which wordes, Christ would neuer haue spoken, if hee had laden vs with the law. For, that burdē is so weigh­tie that neither we nor our fathers might beare it, as S. Pet. saith, in the Actes of the Apost. the 15. Chapter.

But verily, the yoke of Christe is easie [Page 197] Where­fore Christs yoke is easie, and his burdē light.and his burden is light to the faithfull, & chosen, for they lay all vpon Christs back, and follow him through faith: con­fiding nothing in their owne workes, nor merites: but euer working all good, ac­cording to their vocation, giuing all glo­rie, and honor vnto God: not exceeding the boundes of their vocation, which is the best rule, that the faithfull can haue, to doe good workes: to the knowledge thereof, we will make some short decla­ration, and then make an ende. Of gene­rall and speciall vocations.

Yee shall vnderstande, that there is two kindes of godly vocatiōs. The one is, immediate by god, as the prophetes were called in the old testamēt: Imme­diate vo­cation. yea, and as Da­uid to be a King, and Moys. a gouernour, to the people. And as the Apostles in the new testament. Mediate vocation. The other is mediate by mā (& immediate by god) as Iosue in the old testament, was called by Moys. to bee Gouernour to the people, at the com­mandement of god. And as Timoth. and Titus, were called by S.P. to bee bishops: and as all they, which nowe are called to [Page 198] be bishops, which are lawfully made, ac­cording to the word of god, and authori­tie of the magistrates. Therefore, to the knowledge of euery mans vocation, I re­mit him to the word of god, and his own conscience, which are his inward & most sure iudges.

4 There is a generall vocation, by the which we ar called by Christ, & his word to a christian religion, Vocation generall. through the which wee are made one body, and one spirite: Euen as we are called in one hope of our vocatiō: for that charitie is required of vs by the word of God, which maketh and bringeth vs together in one body, thrugh mutuall coniunction of faith, working by charity: therfore Charity, is called the bād of Peace. Charitie, is the bād of peace. There is but one fellowship of all the faithfull, & one body: That is, one church, whose only head is Christ. In this church is, nor should bee, no diuision: for there is in this vocatiō & christiā religion but one body, one faith, one baptisme, which is the seale of our religion, marked by god, with the bloud of his only begot­ten [Page 199] sonne Christ Iesus our lord: in whose bloud we are baptised: one god, and one father of all, which is vpon all, and by all, and in vs all. 1. Cor. 12. Ephe. 4. & 5. And therefore the Apostle testifieth vs all to be but one body: that is one church in Christ. Why the faithfull are called one body. For in to one spirit, and by one spirite, the whole vniuersall congregation of the faithful, is gouerned, ruled, strengthned, and kept. There is but one marke or ende, to the which all the faithfull cōtend or shoote at, that is eter­nall life. Wee are all the Sonnes of one Father, and participant of one heri­tage, as we are called in one hope of our vocation.

And seing, we haue but one lord, which is Iesus Christ. It is conuenient that his seruantes bee of one minde, and not de­uided through discord, and enuie. There is but one profession of faith, in all this Christian religion, & vocation: for how­beit, wee see in these our dayes many sundry professions, and opinions of faith: There is but one true faith, which is that faith, which the Apost. of our Lorde Ie­sus [Page 200] Christ, 1. Cor 3, Ephe. 2. Act. 9.14. & 20. Rom. 5. 1. Cor. 12. together with the patriarches, and prophets, haue professed, and giuen to all nations through their teaching and preaching, as testifie the holy scriptures. Vpon the which foundation, the whole church of Christ is builded. Therefore by one baptisme, we ar al made clean & pu­rified, and by the which, we ar ingrafted in Christ: and made the people of God, purified from our sinnes, and altogether buried with Christ. There is amongest vs all, but one power or strenght, of bap­tisme: and in one name of the father, Math. 38. sonne, and the holy spirite, we are bap­tised. And so ar we made one body into Christ, being many members, cōpacted and ioyned together into him. For the more perfite vnderstanding of this body yee shal reade the whole 12. chap. of the 1. epistle to the Corinth. The 4. and 5. to the Ephes. In the which yee shall finde this mater declared by the Apostle at lenght.

In this generall vocatione their is no distinction of personnes, for all men are [Page 201] equall before god, of one estate, by one generall promis al are called to the faith, Mar. 16. Iob. 33. vnder one Lord and King Iesus Christ, who hath shedd his bloud, for all which beleeue in him. Therefore all Scriptures which make mention, that there is no ex­ception of persons before god, are refer­red to this general vocatiō in the Christi­an religion, as Romans the 2. chapter: where the Apostle intēding (vnder Iewe and gentill comprehending all men) to proue them sinners, sayeth, before God there is no acception of persons: And Peter sayeth, In veritie I haue found that God is not an accepter of persones: but in all nations and people, hee is accep­ted vnto him, Act. 10. which feareth him and worketh righteousnesse. Ia. 2. And S. Iames sayeth, My brethren haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in res­pect of persons. And S.P. saith, to the cō ­foūding, of the fals apost. which seduced the Gal. through great authoritie: and al­so to show him selfe equal in power with Iames, Gal 2. Peter, and Iohn, That God is not a [Page 202] respecter of the person of man: but in this vocation of Christiā religion by baptism through faith in the bloude of Christ, Galath. 3 all mē ar equall: both Iewe & gētill, seruād, free man, & woman, all are one in Christ Iesus: the sonnes of Abraham by faith: & according to the promis heirs: that is to say: all which beleeue ar the sonns of god therfore ar they fre & heirs of eternal life.

To this generall vocatiō perteineth the sayings of S. Pet. in these words: 1. Pet. [...]. Yee are a chosen generation, a royall priesthoode, a holy natiō, & a people set at liberty, that ye should forthshowe the vertues of him that hath called you forth of darknesse, into a meruelous light, &c. The same is said by Moyses, Ex. the 19. Chapter. Here yee see in this vocation there is no acception of persons We ar all the holy people of God, which beleeue vnfainedly, yea kinges oincted in Baptisme by the holie Spirit: & priests making sacrifice to god dayly, of this our sinful body, Al faithful are kinges and priests mortified from sinne: & offer a holie and acceptable sacrifice after the maner aboue writtin: conforme to the [Page 203] teaching of the Apost. Rom. the 12. cha. But be ware ye call not your selues kings in office, Note well. and dignitie: nor priests in ad­ministration of the word, & holy sacra­mentes, for that perteineth to a speciall vocation, or office by the selfe. Therefore I exhort you which reade the scriptures take heede that yee confound not the works of god, for if yee doe, yee shal not escape error: These speciall vocations shall follow in their owne places.

If we will looke dayly to this christian vocatiō, we shal haue perfite knowledge what works we shuld doe, & what works we should leaue vndone. The neglecting hereof, is the cause of al the enormities, & abuses now ruling in the church of christ through the whole world. For conside­ring wee ar all members of one body: & all mēbers haue not one office, but euery one serueth other in their owne place: as when the eares heare any thing, the eyis casteth the sight what it shuld be: thē the feete & hands prepare them to pursue, or defēd, to stād or flee. And al these mēbers [Page 204] & whole body, Ephe. 5. obey the head: & awaite vpon the direction of the same: Euery member should serue in his owne vocation.Euen so we being all mēbers of one body (which is the Church) whose heade, is Christe: should in our estate and office, according to the gift of god, and grace giuen to vs: differing one from another, serue in our speciall vocation, euery one another, in our owne estate: Not inuying the gift of god in our neighbour: but as the Apostle saith: Rom. 12. Let vs loue brotherly fellowshippe, in going before another, in honour, & reuerēce. In doing hereof, there would be no strife in the body: but if a member were trou­bled, hurt, or had any disease, all the o­ther members would haue compassion of it. And if one mēber were glad or ioy­full, all the other mēbers would reioyce with the same, as the Apost. saith, the 1. to the, Corinth. the 12. Chap. If wee knew this perfitly, none would vsurpe anothers office or dignitie (to the whiche he were not called) but would be cōtēt of his own vocation, & giue to euery mā his duetie: tribute, to whom tribute is due: custome, [Page 205] to whome custome perteineth: feare, to whome feare belongeth: and honour, to whome it perteineth. The which are all compleite by this saying: loue thy neigh­bour as thy self: for the loue of thy neigh­bour, worketh no euill. Therefore, the Apostle saith: Owe nothing to any man, but that ye loue together. Ro. 13. These wordes being obserued, ye fulfil the whole law. Loue is euer debt There fore this loue one to another, is euer debt and should euer bee payde. For will the Prince & Superiour do his duetie to the subiect: and the subiect his duetie to the Superiour, there would bee no disobe­dience. The minister of the word to the auditour, and flocke committed to his care: The auditour to the minister of the worde, there would be no diuision in the Church. The father and mother to the children, and the children to the parents, there would bee no dishonouring. The lord to the seruant, and the seruant to the lord, there would bee no contempt, nor trouble in the common weale. And so would we all looke vpō Christ, our head, [Page 206] and be ruled with his word, and seek no other way beside it, nor mixt the ciuill or politicke estate, with the word of god but euery one to serue in the owne rowm and place: thē should there be no questi­on of politick works: nor no other works of any law, to be mixt with faith: which iustifieth onely before god, as it is before written: but euery faithful person should by the word of god know their own vo­cation, & diligently exercise them ther­intill. And seeke no further knowledge, nor wisedome, but that, that is needfull to them to know. And that with meek­nesse and sobernes, euer working the works of god, which ar the fruits of faith to the honour of god, Men shuld seeke no know­ledge but it which is profitable. and profite of our neighbour.

[Page 207]To the more perfite knowledge and vnderstanding of our speciall vocations: The diui­sion of the estaits of men. in the which we shouid walk, accor­ding to the word of god: and gift of the holy spirite, we will deuide all the estate of man, in four offices dignities, or speci­all vocations: (that is to say) In the office of a prince: vnder whom we comprehēd all kind of man, hauing generall admi­nistration in the comon weale, or iuris­diction of others. In the office of the ad­ministration of the word of god, vnder whom we comprehend all power eccle­siasticall. In the fathet & mother: vnder whom, wee wil cōprehend al houshol­ders, hauing special families. And in the subiect or seruād, vnder whom we wil cō prehēd al estate of men, subiect to other.

If thou be called to the office, estate, or dignitie of a king, prince, or any su­preme power, hauing iurisdiction of people in the ciuil ordinance: Consider thy estate, The office of kinges and ma­gistrates. and know thee perfitely to be the creature of god, equal to the poorest of thy kingdom, or dominiō, his brother [Page 208] by creation and naturall succession of Adam: and of nature a rebell to god: the sonne of wrath, and Ire as hee was, as the Apost. saith, Ephes. the 2. Chap. And the innocent bloud of Christ, shed for thy re­demption, as for him: and thou called by faith, and borne of newe by baptisme in his bloud, the sonne of god by adoption, and made fellow heire with Christ of the kingdome of heauen without respect of persons (the sonne of fauour and grace.) Therefore the poorest & most vile with­in thy iurisdiction, The king should loue his subiects. is thy brother, whome thou shouldst not dispise, nor contemne, but loue him as thy self. This is thy debt, and duetie, because it is the commande­ment of god, whome thou should loue and feare: Pro. 1. Psal. 110. for that is the beginning of wisdome (as Solomon saith) The right way to rule in thy office, is to knowe God: No man may know god, but by his word. of whom thou cā haue no knowledge, but by his word and lawe, whiche teacheth thee, what thou shouldest doe, and leaue vndone, according to thy vocation.

And as to thy princely estate and dig­nitie, [Page 209] and office, thou art Father to all thy kingdome. Their heade in place of god, to rule, gouerne, and keep them, vp­on whome thou shouldest take no lesse care, then the carnall father taketh vpon the best beloued sōne, gottē of his body. For they are giuen by god to thee, in go­uernement: The king should haue know­ledge of gods law. Therefore thou shouldest be­gin to knowe the will of thy god, & take the booke of his law, in thy hād: read vpō it, which teacheth thee, the will of god. It should neuer passe forth of thy harte, nor depart frō thy mouth, day and night hauing thy meditation thereinto, that thou mayest keepe all which is written therein, Deu. 17. Iosu. 1. then shalt thou direct thy waye, and haue knowledge & vnderstāding of the same. This being done, thou shalt get the blessing, Psal. 1. of the which speaketh Dau. (saying) Blessed is the man, which deliteth in the lawe of the Lorde, and hath his medi­tation thereinto, day and night. Then aske at God wisedome, and vnderstandinge (which is the knowledge of his godly will) and a harte that may receaue teach­ing, [Page 210] that thou mayst iudge thy people, & decerne betwixt good & euil, as thou art taught by the example of Solomon: 3. Reg. 3. For if thou lacke wisedome, aske the same at god, who giueth aboūdantly. And doubt not, for he that doubteth in his faith, shall obteine nothing from god. Iaco. 1. Cōfide not in thy own wisdome: For god maketh wise­men, blind: which are wise in their owne conceate: his witnessing is faithful, which giueth wisedome to young babes: That is, Psal. 19. to simple hartes, bearing them selues lowly and humbly before god: not pre­suming in their owne wittes. Sap. 1. 1. Pet. 5. For there is no place to wisedome in the proude brest, as saith Solomon: For god resisteth the proude, but to the meeke and hum­ble, hee giueth grace. The mightie and proude, hee casteth downe of their seate, and exalteth the humble and lowlie in harte, Luc. 1. as testifieth the Song of the glo­rious virgine Marie.

Therefore humblie, and lowly submit thy selfe in the handes of thy God, and take thought of him, being gouerned by [Page 211] his word. Beginne at him, and set forth the true and perfite worshipping of god, in thy Kingdome. The king should set forth the true, and de­stroy the false re­ligion of god in his king­dome. Restore the true, pure, and syncere Christian religion, a­bolish, destroye, and put downe all false worshippinges, and superstitions contra­rie to the worde of god: and not com­manded therein, according to the exam­ple of the noble Kinges of Iuda, Ezechi­as and Iosias, as thou mayest reade the fourth booke of the kinges, the 18. and 23. Chapter. This is thy vocation, in the which thou shouldest walke: and orderly proceed in guiding of thy people as thou art taught by the worde of god: Deut. 17. and de­cline not therefrom, neither to the right hand, nor to the left, but the kingly way, teached thee in the holie scriptures.

To you, which are princes, Iudges, and superiour powers, vpon earth, perteine wisedome, knowledge, vnderstāding, & learning, that ye may iustly & truely ex­ercise the office, and charge cōmitted to your care by God. Therefore, Da­uid exhorteth you (saying) vnderstand, Psal. 2. & [Page 212] know (o ye kings) and be learned, O yee, which iudge the earth: And serue the lord in feare and reuerēce, and reioyce in him with trimbling. Deut. 4. This is your wise­dome and vnderstanding, taught you in the law of god. For the godly man need­eth not to seeke wisedome, but in the scriptures of God, where hee shall finde, how he shall behaue him, both to god & man, in prosperitie, & aduersitie, in peace, and warre: To seeke wisedome other wayes, but in gods scripturs, is foolish­nes. 1. Cor. 1. Therefore, to seeke wisdome any other waye, it is nothing but foolish­nes before god. Sithens yee are the mini­sters of God vnto good: created and or­deined by him, as the Apost. saith. Rom. the 13. Chap. It becommeth you of your office to guide, and rule your subiectes, in all goodnesse, and sweetnes, not seeking from them their landes, or goodes: but seeke righteous iudgement: Zach. 7. & 7. help the op­pressed: iudge righteously the people and widowes cause. Esay. 1. Psal. 81. Iustifie the needfull, hū ­ble, & poore, as teacheth you the scrip­tures of god. Defend them from the iniu­ries and oppressions of the wicked: And [Page 213] being vniustly pursued, in iudgement ab­solue them. Exod. 28. Take from them your duety and no more: haue no respect of persons, nor take no bribes or rewardes, Leuit. 19. Deut. 16. the which blinde the eyes of the wise: and per­uerte the wordes of the iust. These two thinges (that is to say) respect of persons & rewards, peruerte all righteous iudge­ments. The first comprehendeth in it the feare & reuerence of great, mighty & rich mē, loue of frends, fauour of kinne, or affi­nitie, contempt of the poore, humble, & sober persons, mercy of the wicked, & gilty, perill of thy own life, tinsell, or losse of fame, and losse of goodes, or worldly honours. The second (that is rewards) comprehendeth in it, lucre, profite, hope, and all that infinite and insatiable goulfe of auarice. Exod. 18. Therefore, Iethro coūselled Moyses, to prouide (for administration of Iustice, and good order in the Ciuill po­licie) wise men which feared god, & were true, hated & detested auarice, the which is the roote, and beginning of all euill. And so learne, yea aboue all thinges, to [Page 214] detest auarice, vaine glorie, and particu­lar affection of persons, if yee will walke right in the Christiā religion, according to your vocation.

Your estate and office is great, & not to bee contemned: but of all men to bee praised, Io. 10. and commended, of your sub­iectes feared, reuerenced, and also lo­ued Iudges should be honoured because they are partici­pant in power with god.because yee are as it were gods: and so called in the scripture, by reasō of par­ticipation of the power of god commit­ted vnto you, whose iudgements ye exer­cise: and called the sonnes of God, as Dauid saith, Deut. 1 Psal. 11. I haue saide, yee are gods, and sonnes of the most highest: that is, for the excellent dignity of your office, I haue called you my sonns. Neuertheles know your selues to be but men: and for to suffer death, as other men doth: and in like maner as princes of earthly king­domes, or tyrants, which haue the ruling of commō weales, as ye haue. Therefore, be iust, & righteous, exercising your selfe in all godlynes, according to your voca­tion: being sure, yee shall shortly die, and [Page 215] giue accompt and reakoning of your ad­ministration. For ye are but flesh, and all flesh is but grasse, and all the glory of the same, Esay. 40. 1. Pet. 1. Iac. 1. as it were the floure of the field: the grasse is withered, and the floure falleth, but the word of god remaineth for euer: Therefore, know Christ to be your king, ruler, guider, & gouernour, who shall rule you with an Iron rod, and breake you a­sunder, as it were a clay pot, or vessell of fragill earth. If ye wil not vnderstand the will and cōmandement of god, his Ire & wrath shall rule aboue your heade, at all times. These sharpe threatninges, are showen you in the scriptures, Esaye the first, Ieremie the fifth Chap: Dauid in the 2. and 81. Psal. And Zacharie the 7. chap. where yee are taught the chiefe pointes of your office, and workes which yee are bound to do: Whereof shall iud­ges be accused, & where­of not. for neglecting of the which vndoone, yee shalbee accused before god. But neuer for neglecting of pilgri­mages, offering to Images, praying to Saintes, founding of masses, and abbayes of monkes and friers, making of Images, [Page 216] belles, Copes, and other such vaine su­perstitions, because the same are not cō ­manded you to do, but rather the contra­rie. This dare I affirme, becaus gods word affirmeth the same.

Yee should be pure, and cleane of life, without crime, because ye are depute by god, and ordeined to the punishment of crimes. A iudge of corrup­ted life, cā neuer minister iustice e­quallie. Howe can yee iudge iustly, being corrupted. A theef shall neuer pu­nish theft. An oppressour, māslayer, adul­terer, a false Lyer, a dishonourer of father and mother, a disobeyer of his superiour, a couetous or auaritious man, a blasphe­mer of the name of God, shall neuer pu­nish these crimes in others: Therfore, the scriptures of God teache you to absteine from all such vices and crimes. For in you which ar great mē, & haue the care of o­thers, Subiects follow the vices of their superiour magistra­tes. your crimes and sinnes are not so much to be lamented in you, as the euill example your subiects take thereof. And therethrough follow you in the same and other crimes, heaping sin vpō sinne: euer till god of his righteous iudgement take [Page 217] vengeance (yea) and cause another as wicked as yee are, punish you, as yee may reade of the punishment of the people of Israell, by the opē ennemies of god God cō ­monly punished the wic­ked by them which are more wicked. and manifest Idolaters, because they neglec­ted the lawe of God as testifie the whole histories of the kings, & Iudges of Israell, and Iuda.

And the greatest punishmēt, is sent by god, for doing of the most excellēt work after the iudgement of mā, becaus it was not commanded by god Ier. 7.for no thing frō the beginning of the worlde hath euer bene so displeasant in the sight of god, Marke diligently. as to inuent any maner of worshipping of him, 1. Reg. 15 which he hath not commanded. For this cause king Saull was eiected, and all his posteritie lost, and fell from the king­dome. In the which example, yee shall consider that the workes wrought by King Saull, were right excellent in the sight of man, and also done by him of a good intent, and for a good cause hee offered sacrifice, for feare that the peo­ple should not passe from him, hee being [Page 218] then prepared for battell against the en­nemies of god. He did show the deede of mercy, in sauing of the life of an aged and impotent King: 1. Reg. 15. And for the loue hee had to the worshipping of god, assented to the people, and keept the fattest be­stiall, most pretious cloathing, and iewels of gold & siluer, to offer the same to god in a sacrifice. Was this not a goodzeale, and intention? but ye may read the great punishment which god laide vpon him, which shal remaine for an example in all ages to come.

IF thou bee called, to the office of a bi­shop, 1 or minister of the worde of god, preach the pure and syncere worde, to the flocke committed to thy charge: Counsell, and confort the weake and fee­ble: Minister the sacramentes in their due forme, according to the word of god. Exceede not the boundes of thy voca­tion, but walke thereinto, conforme to the ordinance of the holy spirite, taught thee in the two Epistles of Saint Paull, written to the first bishop, that he made, called Timotheus: And to another, called Titus. There, thou shalt finde the workes, which thou art bound to doe: and what is thy office, specially, in the first to Tim. the 3. Chapter: and to Titus the 1. Chap. There is nothing left vnexpressed, that is necessary to thee to work, in the scripturs of god. Thou art commanded to be a mirrour, or example to thy flocke, in [Page 220] teaching of the word, in good life, and honest conuersation: in loue and charitie in faith, and chastitie: euer exercising thy selfe in reading, exhorting, and teaching the which if thou doe, 2. Tim. 4. thou shall saue thy selfe and others.

2 Thou should not meddle thee, with secular affares, 2. Tim. 2. or busines, for that is not thy vocation: follow the example of the Apostles in all ryghteousnesse and godly liuing: 1. Tim 6. in faith, loue, pacience, meeknes & sweetnes, as thou art taught. If yee wil remember dayly, vpon the office yee are called to which are bishops: yee shal find you to haue a great charge and worke to doe: and not a great dignitie or Lorde­shippe. But alace, now yee take thought of the lordshippe, dignitie, rent, and pro­fite: and looke neuer to the worke yee should doe: the cause thereof, is the ne­glecting of your vocation. The which if yee will vnderstand perfitely, yee would not omit the charge, and comandement giuen to you by god, and inuent vaine superstitious workes not commanded. [Page 221] The principall work yee should doe, is to preach & teach: which yee neuer doe, because ye can not, and to excuse you, ye haue as (yee say) others to whom yee commit the cause and charge. Yee are blinde & know no thing: They to whom yee commit the charge, know as litle or lesse. So perish the poore people, in igno­rance, for yee are blinde, and leaders of the blinde: and therefore both fall in the myre. The bloud of the flocke perished for fault of spiritu­al food, shalbe re­quired at the bi­shope. Neuerthelesse the bloud of thē shalbe required at your hands, as the Prophete Ieremie sayeth the 23 chapter And Ezech. the 34, chapter, the which I pray you reade: for there yee shall see 3 clearely your deeds laid before you, with sore threatnings.

Yee should not onely your selues, cō ­tinuallie reade, and teache the scripturs, but also yee should cōmād the flocke in your charge to seeke their spiritual food in the same. This was the order in the church of Christ in the beginning. Ezech. 3. & The minister of the worde, to teache, and 4 preache, and the auditors to reade. That [Page 222] therby they might take the teaching the better, as the Thessalonians did at the pre­ching of the Apost. as ye may reade and cōsider in the Actes of the Apost. the 17. chapter. And Christ teacheth vs to search the scriptures, for they beare witnesse of him. And S. P. sayeth: All thinges which are written: they ar written to our lear­ning, that through patience, and conso­lation of Scriptures, we may haue hope (that is) of eternall life. The which is the marke whereat shoote al the faithfull: for in the Scriptures of God, all things are conteined necessarie for our saluation. Alace, thinke yee not shame (which ar bound & oblished, vnder the paine of e­ternall damnation, to teache your flocke this maner of doctrine) to inhibit and forbid them to looke vpon the scripture, ei­ther to heare, or reade them. This is farre differēt from the order of the apost. yea, and of the holy fathers of the church lōg time after: as appeareth clearly by the teaching of Chrisost. writting vpō the 1. chap. of S. Math. the 2. & 5. hom. where [Page 123] he with a great lamētatiō, The cō ­plaint of Chrisostom reproueth the secular mē, & housholders, which alled­ged the reading & teaching of scripturs perteined not to thē. Exhorting them to giue attēdance to the scripturs, that they might instruct there families, and house­hold, how they should liue, according to the order of the scripture, & as becōmeth christians: but by the cōtrarie, yee would that none of your flocke, or auditors should know thē, lest your misdeeds wer espyed.

The feeding of your flocke the attēdāce and care yee should take therevpon is so necessary, Without a bishope preache truelie he can do no good worke before god. that without the doing there­of, yee can doe no good works at all ac­cording to your vocation, which can please god, because in neglecting of this yee neglect faith: out of the which all good workes should spring. So should all your good workes, follow faith. And this principal point of your vocatiō is the cause that S. P. departing from Ephe. to Ieru. called befor him the ministers of the word in the cōgregatiō: certifieing thē he [Page 422] would not returne againe in bodily pre­sence: and therefore hee left to them this legacie, saying: Attend, and take heede vnto your selues, and to the whole flock, in the which the holy spirit hath put you, bishoppes to guide, and rule the Church of god: the which he hath redeamed with his bloud. For I knowe after my depar­ting, there shall enter in amongst you, ra­uening wolues, which shall not spare the flocke. And of your selues, there shall rise men, speaking wickednes, that they may leade disciples to follow them. The le­gacie Paull vnto bi­shops. There­fore bee diligent and vigilant, keeping in memorie, that by the space of thre years, I ceased not day and night, with teares, and weeping, warning and admonishing euery one of you, &c.

If the Apostle had knowen any better work or more excellent, to haue bene left in memorie or legacie to the ministers of the word, he would (no doubt) haue ex­pressed the same: And euē so, S. P. in his 1. Ep. the 5. Chap. exhorteth you to feed the flocke of Christ, cōmitted to your charge: [Page 225] Euen as Christ said to him thrise: feede my sheep. So sayeth he to you, feede the flocke cōmitted to you, euery one within his boundes, according to your vocation This foode is the word of god, and wo be to you, That is sorrow & eterne dā ­nation a­bideth you. which doe not the same, because it is your vocation. For the Apost. saith, Wo be to me if I preach not the Euangel &c. for the neglecting of this good work vndone, 1. Cor. 3. yee shalbe accused before god: but not for the neglecting of the other vaine superstitious workes, inuented by man: but rather yee wilbe accused for the doing of them. And it wilbe said vnto you, Wherefore haue yee left the com­mand of god vndone, for your statuts and traditions.

Yee should teache euerie estate of man, how they should behaue them in their conuersation. The poore to the rich & the riche to the poore: the seruaunt to the maister, and the maister to his ser­uaund. And giue your selues forth, for an example, in deed, to be followed, as yee are teached by the Apost. and play not [Page 226] the tyrant, 1. Timoth 6 Tit. 2. or the lord, vpon the inferiour ministers and estates of the Church: But from the bottome of your harte, bee as it were a forme, or rule to the flocke, as S. Pet. teached you in the first Epistle, the 5. Chap. Labour continually in your voca­tion, as the good knights of Christ, being ready (if neede require) to suffer death, 2. Timoth. 2 for the flocke: resisting the vnfaithfull, and eshewing prophane and worldly triffles, as yee are taught by the Apost. If ye will attend vpon these workes, which are good, taught and commanded you to doe, as the fruits of faith: ye should finde your selues so wel occupyed in the scrip­ture, that there shalbe no place found, to your vaine superstitions aboue written, which are not commanded by God nor his word. For in the vsing of them, ye do that, which is not commanded you, and leaue that vndone, which is cōmaunded.

Malach. 2.For this cause god suffereth you to be contemned and cast off, because ye haue left him, he hath left you: and will punish you after the same maner, Sap. 11. as ye haue sin­ned. [Page 227] For the cōtempt of god, 1. Reg. 2 3. Reg. 2. & neglec­ting of his worde, Hely the chiefe Priest was deposed, and all his posteritie of the priesthood. His sonnes killed in battell, the arke of god put in the handes of his ennemies: 1. Reg. 2. And the people also heauely tormented, as testifieth the historie.

The holy King Dauid, for the slaugh­ter of Vrias, and adultery of Bath-sheba: the sonne of his owne body, defiled his daughter. The one sonne slew the other, and also defiled his wiues, and concubins in publike presence of the people, and v­surped the crowne of his realme, as yee may read the second booke of the kings, the 13.15.16. and 18. Chapter. The pu­nishment of Dauid pertei­neth to bishops aswell as to prin­ces. This example of Dauid perteineth aswell to you, as to princes, and to all estates of the world, that they may learne not to sinne. And if they fall in sinne, that they dis­paire not, but turne to repentance, and come vnto god, whose will is that all bee safe, and come to the know­ledge of the veritie.

1 IF thou bee an housholder, rule, and guide thy familie, and houshold, bring vp thy childern in all godlynesse, and honestie, exercising thy selfe in thy occu­pation faithfully, and truely, without de­ceate or fraude to thy neighbour, either in word or deede: loue thy wife, euen as Christ hath loued the Church. For thou art debt bounde to loue thy wife, Ephe. 5 Collos. 3. euen as thy owne body. There is no man which hated or detested his own body, but nou­risheth & feedeth the same, as Christ the Church, for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and his bones: for that cause, man shall leaue father and mother, and cleaue vnto his wife, & they shalbe two in one flesh. 1. Pet. 3. And in like maner▪ thou womā, be subiect to thy husband, as if it were to [Page 229] the lord: for the man is thy head, euen as Christ is the head of the congregation. And as the church is subiect to christ, euē so be thou subiect to thy husband, in all lawfull things. This is your vocatiō in the which ye should walke, according to the commandement giuen to you, by the Ap. Ephes. the 5. Chap. and Colos. the third. In these wordes: Let euery man loue his wife, as himself: And let the woman feare and dread the husband, this is the com­mandement of god.

If ye (mē and women) wold take care vpon your vocation, how honourable the estate of the same is, and what yee ought euery one vnto another, there were none of you, who would commit adulterie, or defile your owne bodies, nor defraude one another, of their duety and right. For thou man, hast not power of thy owne body, but the woman: Nor thou woman hast not power of thy owne bodie, but the mā. Therefore, there is neither of you, that should giue your bodies to other mē or womē, 1. Cor. 7. nor abstract one from another, [Page 230] that mutuall loue which yee are commā ­ded to haue together. This doing, ye ex­ercise the good work of god. Be not out­rageous nor thraward vpon the woman, but teach her with meekenes, Coloss. 3. 1. Pet. 3. 1. Tim. and sweet­nesse, forbearing her somewhat, as the weakest vessell. And thou woman, pre­tend no dominion vpon thy Husbande, but obey him as thy lord, taking example of the obedience, of that noble woman Sarai. If ye wold keep this order, and rule in your own vocation, there would be no strife betwixt you, but all godlines and loue. No mā would cōtemne or disdaine his wife: nor no woman her husband: but euery one loue other, as their own body, & take care one for another, in all things.

Thou mā should dayly & hourely ex­ercise the, according to thy vocatiō. And labour diligently, for sustentation of thy wife, children, & familie. That thou mayst minister vnto them their necessaries: for if a man take no thought of his owne, and specially of his houshold and familie, hee hath denyed the faith, 1. Tim. 5. and is worse thē an [Page 213] infidele. Suffer not thy children, nor ser­uants to be idle: but se euer that they bee occupied in some good & vertueous oc­cupatiō. For that is the right way to keep them from vice and sinne, because idle­nes is the beginning of all euill. Psal. 77. Deut. 6. Teach thē the law of god: vse all things with discre­tion, and prouoke not your childrē to an­ger, but bring them vp in good teaching, discipline, and correction, & in the eru­dition of the Lorde. Coloss. 3.4. Ephe. 6. Giue vnto your ser­uants that thing which is iust and right. What yee promisse, paye them: know­ing well, that ye haue a Lord in heauen.

And thou womā, exercise thee in nou­rishing, and vp bringing of thy children in ruling all thinges within thy house, as thou hast cōmandement of thy husband, take care vpon his direction, as thy head, and transgresse not his commandement: for that is the will of God. I meane not of euill, but of all goodnesse: because I speake of the fruites of faith, and wor­kes of righteousnesse: yee are all bound to doo the workes, whiche God hath [Page 232] commanded you to do, in his holy scrip­ture, of mercy, loue, and charitie: by rea­son of your vocation in the christian re­ligion: And these other workes in your speciall vocation. In doing of the which, thinke that ye do the good work of god: and please him, if yee worke them in faith (albeit, Hypocrites commend not the same) Beeing occupied on this ma­ner daylie, there shall bee no place to vice, for your minde is occupied vpon o­ther busines.

It is but Idlenes to you, to passe in pil­grimage, to this or that Sainte, to sit the halfe of the daye in the Church, babling vpon a pare of beades, speaking to stocks or stones, the thing which neither thou, nor they knowe. And neglecteth the good worke of God, the which thou art bound to doe. Right Prayer. If thou wilt praye right, learne the Lordes prayer, in the toung, thou vnderstandeth. Thy Creede, that is the articles of thy beleeue: the ten Com­mandements of god. And dayly at thy ry­sing, and downlying at night, haue some [Page 233] space, to thy contemplatiō thereinto: and teache thy housholde the same maner. And occupie the rest, as is before saide, according to thy vocation: not exceeding the bounds there of, nor seeking no other workes, but them which are comman­ded in the holy scriptures. And are ne­cessarie to be done, as is written to Titus the 3. Chap. Let the faithfull which are of our nomber, bee euer ready, and learne to doe good workes to all necessary vses, that they bee not vnfruitefull. For the faithfull can neuer bee idle, because vn­fained faith, worketh euer by Charitie. The vn­faithles worke no good workes. Ro. 14. But they which knowe not their owne vocation, can neuer bee faithfull. There­fore they can neuer worke good workes, but all is euill, whatsoeuer thing, they do or worke, without faith becaus all which is not of faith, is sinne. Therefore, if thou wilt worke well, be faithfull, and looke e­uer to thy vocation. And thou shalt finde thy conscience, teaching thee (both) to do good, and eschew euill, at all times.

Ye should be pure and cleane in your [Page 234] conuersation, for good example giuing to your Children and familie. For as they see you doe, so shall they learne: And are euer rather inclined to do euill, thē good, by reason of this corrupted nature of mā: The life of the fa­thers should be cleane be­cause it is a mirrour to the sonnes.Therefore teach them to loue and feare God, to know his lawe, being euer your selues an example to them: And as it were a mirrour to looke into, in all godly life and conuersation. For if they behold you liuing together (in great loue and chari­tie, chastitie, and temperance, being mer­cifull to the poore, supporting the indi­gent, after the quantitie of your riches, at loue, & charitie, with your neighbour, e­uer speaking good of all creaturs, detrac­ting none) they shall followe the same doings, by the which ye shalbe called the the faithfull fellowship of Iesus Christ: & true subiects of his realme. Your vocatiō is good & holy, and it becommeth you to know the scriptures: For in the primatiue church, * the bishops were chosē cōmon­ly forth of your nōber. A godly & honest housholder, who liued in chast matrimo­nie, [Page 235] ruled, and guided, his houshold well: brought vp his children in subiection, & reuerēce, in all maner of godly teachings. Hee hauing this outward witnessing, is commanded by the Apost. to be chosen to the office of a bishop. 1. Tim. 3. When this or­der was kept in the church of Christ, the worde of god flourished.

Therefore, woe be to you, which saye that laickes, or secular men, and houshol­ders, should not know the scripturs, read them, or teach their houshold the same: yee impung the holy spirite: and disho­nour the olde Fathers of the Church, which taught the contrarie, as by exam­ple of Chrisostome, Marke diligently. before rehearsed: it is euen alike to you to say: temporall or se­cular men, should not heare the worde of god: Deut. 8. Math. 4. read & teach their families the same, as to say: they haue not a soule, for the word of god, is the foode of the soule: & if yee will abstract the foode, without the which the soule must perish: yee shall make man as a brutishe beaste. And if yee will admit them to heare the word, [Page 236] yee should admit them to read the same, and talke therevpon: for what auaileth the hearing, if a man should not con­ceaue, and keepe in memorie that thing, which he heareth: and liue thereafter. For Christ sayeth, Blessed are they which heare the word of god, and keepe the same. * The oft reading of the word, and cōmunication thereof, keepeth the same euer recent in memorie, and digesteth in thy hart, by continuall meditation, some confort and consolation: and abstracteth thee from vice, and sinne, leadeth and conuoyeth thee to all godlie liuing. Therefore Dauid calleth that man bles­sed, which deliteth in the lawe of God, and hath his meditation therein day and night.

Wo, wo, be vnto you therefore, which would abstract this blessing from any man or woman, the which God pro­nounceth with his mouth. These doings of yours beare witnesse of you: that ye ar not the ministers of the word of God, or true successors of the Apostles, but false [Page 237] teachers, fubuerters of the word, and very Antichrists. Wherfore, I exhort you whiche are the faithfull, whatsoeuer estate or vocation yee be called to, that yee both gladly heare the word of God. reade it, teache your children, family, & subiects the same, & confor me your life thereto▪ euer working the deedes of cha­ritie, and mercy, in all godlinesse, accor­ding to your vocation, and giue no credit to them, which teacheth you the con­trarie, for they are false teachers, and members of the Deuil, which withdraw you from that thing, which is your sal­uation.

[Page 214]If thou be a subiect, seruaunt, sonne or daughter, be obediēt to thy superiour: first vnto thy prince, as the supreame power: and to euery one hauing power from him, for they are the ministers of God, whom thou shouldest obey, & not resist: ordeined by god to the reuenge of euill doers, and louing of the good doers which is the will of god, as yee ar taught Romanes the 13. chapter. And the first of Peter the 2. chapter. Your duetie is to honour al men, loue brotherly fellowship feare god, & honour the king: be obedi­ent to him, not onely for feare and dreadour of his ire: but also for hurting of your conscience, because it is the will of God, in all thinges not repungning to his command. Giue to thy prince and superiour his duetie: or what euer he chargeth thee with, concerning tem­porall riches: inquire not the cause, for that perteineth not to thy vocation. Hee is thy head, whom thou shouldst obey. Trangresse not his Lawes. Be not a reuenger of thy owne cause. For that is [Page 239] asmuch as to vsurpe his office. So thou walkest not aright in thy vocation. Looke not to his faultes, or vices, but to thy owne: disobey him not, howbeit he bee euill, and doe the wrong (which be­cōmeth him not of his office) grudge not thereat, but pray for him, and commit thy cause to god. Be not a perturber of the common weale, but liue with thy neighbour at rest, and quietnesse, euery one supporting others, as members of one body: forgiuing gladly and freely, one an other: If there be any complaint amongest you, euen as the Lorde hath forgiuen you: Be sweete, meeke, bening humble, and patient, one with another: as it becommeth the saintes, and wel­beloued of god: hauing compassion one of another. Aboue all these haue loue, and charitie, which is the bond of per­fection. For charitie coupleth toge­gether many members in one body. This are yee taught by the Apostle Coloss. the 3. chap. and in other places before rehearsed.

[Page 240]Here yee finde aboundance of works, commanded you to doe by God: & nee­de to seeke no others. There is none which can work these good workes but the faithfull. From doing of the which, the faithfull and iustified man can not cease: but euer worketh as he findeth occasion, according to his vocation: hee looketh euer to his owne faults, and sinns, & not to his neighbours. The faith­full lamēt the faults of others. But if he perceaue any fault or vice in his neigh­bour hee lamenteth the same, and con­sidered, greater vices, to be in him selfe. And therefore hath compassion of his neighbour: and neither blasphemeth bak biteth, or dishonoreth him, but counsel­leth and conforteth him, as his owne bo­dy of brotherly loue and affection.

Yee children, obey your parents, with great humilitie, loue, feare, and honour them, for that is the command of God: & the first which hath promis (as concer­ning thy neighbour) that it may be well to the, & that thou liue long vpon earth. This obediēce, & honour consisteth not [Page 241] in wordes onely, nor in salutations: but also in ministring all thinges necessarie vnto them. Remembring as they minis­tred vnto you, in your tender, feeble, and poore youthheade. Euen so do yee to them: in their feeble, impotent, & poore age.*Neglecting this good work vndone yee can doe no good worke, that can please God. There is no colour of godli­nes may excuse you frō this good worke. Howbeit your wicked and vngodly pa­stors, haue taught you to found a soule masse: with your substance, and suffer father and mother to begge their breade This is a deuilish doctrine to conuert the good worke of god into Idolatry. The Scribes and Pharisies their forefathers taught the same, as testifie the wordes of Christ.

Yee seruauntes obey, your carnall Lords, and maisters, with feare and trim­bling, with simplenesse of hart, as it were vnto Christ, not in eyes seruice, as it wer to please men: but as seruants of Christ: doing the will of God, not onely to them [Page 242] which are good, and well instructed in maners, but also to the wicked and euill. What euer yee doe worke the same with your harte, as it were to the lord, and not to man: knowing surely ye shall receaue from the lord the reward of the heritage. Therefore serue the Lord Iesus Christ. Be not flatterers, nor lyers, backbiters, nor detracters: serue not your maisters onely in their presence, but also in their absence: without deceat or dissimulatiō. Take thought of the thinges giuen you in charge, and obey their will, euen as to God, who looketh vpon your inward mindes. Pretend not to be equall with your Lord, or maister, because yee are both of one Christian religion: but serue him the better: haue loue, and charitie, with your equall fellowe seruantes, as all members of one body: exercising you in all good workes, according to your vo­cation in the Christian religion.

Now yee see that we which professe the true faith of Iesus Christ, and ascri­beth the iustification of man before god, [Page 243] onely to faith, without all workes merits or deseruinges, on our parte: that we are not the destroyeres of good workes: but the mainteiners, defenders, and foorthsetters of the same: as the fruites of faith: as I haue before at lenght showed.

Therefore I exhort you (which blas­pheme vs, saying, we would destroy all good workes, because we affirme with the scriptures of god, faith onely to iusti­fie before god) to remord your consci­ence, and reade the Scriptures with an humble hart and spirit, which shall teach you the right way, by the grace of the holy spirit, who will lead you in all ve­ritie. And then I doubt not, but yee shall aggrie with vs, and contemne, and despise, the vaine superstitious workes, not commaunded in the Scripture: but inuented of mans vaine cōceate (as we doe). And altogether as it becommeth the faithfull members of Iesus Christ: worke the workes of God which are [Page 244] commanded vs in his holy scriptures: Euery one according to his vocation, proceeding of loue, furth of a cleane & pure hart, of a good conscience, and of faith vnfained, which worketh by chari­tie, to the profite of thy neighbour and glorie of god. To whom be all praise, honour and glory for euer and euer.

Amen.