THe holie scripture say­eth, The state of man before and after that he had sinned. that God created man after his owne I­mage & likenes, making him, as in respect of his body, impassible: and as touching his soule, righteous, true, good, merciful and holy. But after that he being ouer com with desire of knowledge, had ea­ten of the Apple that God had forbidd [...] him, he lost the saide image and likenes of God, & became like the brute beasts, & like the diuel who had abused him. For as tou­ching his soule, hee became vnrighteous, vntrue, cruell, p [...]lesse, and the enimy of God and as touching his body, he became passible and subiect to a thousand inconueniences and diseases: and not onely like, but also inferiour to brute beasts. And euē [Page] as if our forefathers had obeyed God, they shoulde haue left vs theyr righteousnesse and holynesse as an heritage: euen so by being disobedient vnto God, they haue left vs the inheritance of vnrighteousnes, wic­kednesse, and Gods displeasure, in such sort as it is vnpossible for vs (through our own strength) to loue GOD, or to frame ourselues vnto his holy will. May wee bee enimies vnto him, as to o [...]e that must pu­nish our sinnes, because hee is a iust iudge, and therefore can wee not any more trust wholy to his holy mercy. To be short, our whole nature was corrupted by Adams sinne. And like as erst it had superiorite a­boue all creatures: so became it an vnder­ling to all, the bondslaue of Satan, sinne, & death, & condemned to the miseries of hell. [...] he lost his iudgement altogeather, and began to say that good was euill, and euill g [...]d; estéeming false things to be true, and true things to be false. Which thing the Prophet considering, Psalm. 114 Psalm. 14. saith [...] that all men are lyers [...] that there is not one that doeth good▪ because the Deuill like a stout man of armes ruleth his owne pallace▪ that is too [...] ▪ the world, wherof he became a prince and Lord. Ther [...] is no tongue that can expresse [Page] the thousandth part of our mise rie, in that wee beeing created by Gods owne hand, haue lost the saide image of God, and are become like the Deuill, and too like to him in nature and cōdition, willing what­soeuer he willeth, and likewise refusing what soeuer he misliketh. By reason wher of being giuen vp for a pray to that wicked spirite, there is no sinne so greevous, which euery one of vs would not be ready to doe, if the grace of God stay vs not. Originall sinne. And this our depriuation of righteousnesse, and this forward inclination to all vnrighteousnes and naughtinesse, is called original sinne: the which wée bring with vs from out of our mothers wombe, so as we be borne the children of wrath: and it hath had his first spring from our first fathers, and is the cause and fountaine of al the vices and ini­quities that we commit: wherfrom if we wilbe deliuered, & return again to our first innocency to recouer the image of god: first of all it standeth vs on hand so knowe our own wretchednes. A very good comparison For like as no mā will euer séeke to the phisition, except he know himselfe to be diseased, or acknowledge the excellency of the Phisition, and how much hée is bound [...] vnto him, except hée knowe [Page] his own disease to be pestilent and deadly: euē so no mā acknowledgeth Iesus Christ the onely Phisition of our soules, except he first know his owne soule to bee diseased: neither can he perceiue the excellēcy of him nor how much he is boūd vnto him, except hee first enter intoo the knowledge of his owne outrageous sinnes, and of the incu­rable infirmity, which wee haue receyued through the infection of our first fathers.

OUR God therfore minding of his in­finite goodnesse and mercy to send his onely Sonne to set free the wretched chil­dren of Adam: & knowing that first of all it behoued him to make them vnderstād their owne misery, chose Abraham, (in whose seede he promised to blesse al nations,) and accepted his ofspring for his peculiar peo­ple, vnto whom, (after their departure out of Aegypt, & deliuerance from the bondage of Pharao,) hee by the meanes of Moyses, [Page] gaue the Lawe, which forbiddeth all lu­sting, and commandeth vs to loue GOD with al our heart, with al our soule, and with all our strength, in suche wise as our whole trust be reposed in him, and we rea­dy to leaue our life for his sake, to suffer al tormentes in our members, and to be be­refte of all our goodes, dignities, and ho­nours for the loue of our God, choosing too die, rather then to doe any thing that may mislike him, bee it neuer so little: and do­yng all thinges in that behalfe with a me­ry heart, and with all forwardnesse and cheerefulnesse. Moreouer the Lawe com­mandeth vs to loue our neighbour as our selfe, meaning by the Neighbor, Who is our neigh­bour. all maner of men, as well friends as foes and it wil­leth us to doe to euery man as we woulde be done vnto, & to loue other mens cases as our owne. And so by looking in this ho­ly Law, as in a cléere lookingglasse, man doeth out of hand espy his owne great im­perfection and vnablenesse too obey Gods commandementes, and to render him the honour and loue which he ought to yeelde to his maker. The first office of the Law then, The first of­fice or duety of the Law. is to make sinne knowen, as Saint Paule affirmeth. And in another place hée [Page] sayth, Rom. 3. & 7. The second office of the law. I had not known what sinne is, but by the lawe. The second office of the law, is to make sinne increase, for asmuche as we being quite gone from the obeying of God, and become bondslaues to the Deuil, being full of wicked works and inordinate affections, cannot abide that God shoulde forbid vs to lust, which increaseth so much the more, as it is the more prohibited: by reason whereof S. Paule saith, that sinne was dead, but the law came and raysed it vp againe, and so it became out of measure great. The thirde office of the law. The thirde office of the Lawe, is to shewe the wrath and iudgemente of God, who threatneth death and euerlasting pu­nishment, to suche as kéepe not the Lawe throughout in al points. For the holy scrip­ture saith, Deut. 27. Curfed is hée that perfourmeth not throughly al the things that are writ­ten in the booke of the law. And therefore S. Paul saith, 2. Cor. 3. that the Law is a ministe­rie, and that it bringeth foorth wrath. The lawe then hauing discouered sinne and increased it, and shewed foorth the wrath and in [...]ig [...]ation of GOD who threat­neth death, The fourth office of the lawe. executeth his fourthe of­fice, which is too put a man in feare, who there vppon falleth [...]too sorrowe­fulnesse, [Page] and would faine satisfie the law: but forasmuch as he séeth clearely, that he is not able: he wareth angry against God, and would with all his heart y ^• there were no God, because he feareth too bée sore cha­stized & punished by him, according as S. Paul saith, Rom. 4. That the wisdome of the flesh is the enimie of God, because it neither is nor can be subiect to the law of God. The fifth office of the law. The fifth office of the law (which is the princi­pall end and the most excellent and neces­sary office of it) is to constraine a man too goe vnto Iesus Christ, in like wise as the Hebrewes, being dismaied, were constray­ned to appeale vnto Moses, saying: Exod. 2 [...] Let not the Lord speake vnto vs, least we dye, but speake thou vnto vs, and we wil obey thée in all thinges. And the Lorde answered: v [...]rily they haue spoke excéeding well. Yea they were not praysed for any other thing, than for theyr desiring of a Mediator be­twixt God and them, which was Moyses, who represented Iesus Christ, that should be the Aduocate and Mediator betwéene God and man: in respect whereof God said vnto Moyses, I will rayse vp a Prophet a­mong their brethren like vnto thée, and I will put my worde in his mouth, and hée [Page] shall speake vnto them all the things that I shall commande him, and I will punish all those that wil not obey my word, which he shall speake in my name.

WHen as our God thē had sent the said great Prophet which he had promised vs, (who is his only sonne) to the end that he should set vs frée from the curse of the law, Collo. 3. and reconcile vs vnto our God: that he should make our will fitte for good workes, healing our fréewil, and repayring in vs the foresaid Image of God which we had lost through the fault of our first pa­rentes: Actes. 4. for asmuch as we know that vnder heauen there is none other name giuen vn­to men whereby we may be saued, but the name of Iesus Christ: Let vs run vnto him with y ^• feete of liuely faith, & east our selues betwéene his armes: Matth. 11. sith hée allureth vs so graciously▪ crying: Come vnto me all you that labour and are heauy load, and I wil refresh you: What comfort or what ioy in this life can bee comparable to this his say­ing there, when as a man f [...]eling himselfe [Page] oppressed with the intollerable waight of his sinnes, vnderstandeth so swéete and a­miable wordes of the sonne of God, who promiseth so graciously to refreshe and ryd him of his great paynes? But all the mat­ter lieth in acknowledging our owne weakenesse & miserie in good earnest. For he shall neuer know what is swéete, who hath not tasted of the sowre. And therefore Iesus Christe sayth: If any man thirst, Iohn. [...] let him come to me and drinke: as if hee had ment to say, if a man know not himself to be a sinner, nor thirst after righteousnesse, hée cannot tast of the swéetnesse of Iesus Christe, how swéete it is to talke of him, to thinke of him, and to follow his most holy life. But when we once throughly knowe our owne infirmity by meanes of the law, let vs hearken too S. Iohn Baptist, who poynteth vs too the soueraigne Phisition with his Finger, Iohn. [...]. saying: Beholde the Lambe of GOD which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde. For hée it is that deliuereth vs from the heauie yoke of the Lawe, [...] abrogating and disanulling the curses and sharpe threatninges of the same: healing all our infirmities: refor­myng our free will, returning vs too our [Page] ancient innocency, Iohn. 8. and repairing in vs the image of our God: insomuch that (accor­ding to S. Paules saying) like as by Adam we bée all dead: 1. Cor. 15. so by Iesus Christ we are al quickened. And it is not to beléeued that the sinne of Adam, which we haue by inhe­ritance from him, shoulde be of more force than the righteousnesse of Christe, that which we also inherite by faith. It séemeth that man hath great cause to complayne, that (without any reason why) hée is con­ceaued and borne in sinne, Psalm. 50. and in the wic­kednes of his parents, by meanes of whō, death reigneth ouer all men. But nowe is all our sorow taken away, in as muche as by a like meane (without any occasion ge­uen on our behalfe) righteousnes and euer­lasting life are come by Iesus Christe, and by him death is s [...]aine, whereof Saint Paul maketh a very godly discourse, which I purpose too set downe héere following. Wherfore (faith he) like as by one man, Rom 3 [...] sin entred into the world, & death by sinne: e­uen so death went ouer al men, forasmuch as al men haue sinned. For vntil the law, sinne was in the worlde: but sinne was not regarded as long as there was no law. Neuer the latter death reigned from Adam [Page] vnto Moyses, euen ouer them also that sin­ned not after the like manner of the trans­gression of Adam, who was a figure of him that was to come. But yet the gift is not so as is the offence: for if through the offence of one, many be dead: much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace which is by one man Iesus Christe, hath abounded vn­to many. Neither is y ^• gift so as that which entred in by one that sinned. For the fault came of one offence vnto condemnation, but y ^• gift is of many offences to iustificati­on. For if by the offēce of one, death reigned through one: much more shall they which receiue the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse, reigne in life through one, that is, Iesus Christ. Likewise then, as by the offence of one, that fault came on al men to condēnation, so by the righteous­nesse of one, the benefite abounded toward all men to the iustification of life. For as by one mans disobediēce many were made sinners: so by the obedience of one shal ma­ny also bée made righteous. Moreouer the lawe entred thereupon, that the offence should abound: neuerthelesse where sinne abounded, there grace abounded muche more, that as sin hath reigned vnto death, [Page] so might grace also reigne by righteous­nesse vntoo eternall life through Iesus Christe our Lord. By these wordes of S. Paul, wée manifestly perceiue the thing to be true, which we haue said héereto fore: that is to wit, that the law was geuen too make sinne knowne: which sinne wée doe also knowe, not to be of greater force than Christes righteousnesse, wherethrough we be iustified before God. For euen as Iesus Christ is stronger than Adam was: so is his righteonsnesse more mightie than the sinne of Adam. And if the sinne of Adam was sufficient enough to make al men sin­ners and children of wrath without any misdéedes of our owne: muche more shall Christes righteousnesse be of greater force to make vs all righteous and the children of grace, without any of our owne good workes: which cannot be good, vnlesse that before we doe them, we our selues be made good, The great­nes of sinne ought not [...]o cause de­spayre. as Augustine also affirmeth. Hereby a man may know in what errour they bée who by reason of some great offence, de­spaire of Gods good wil, imagining that he is not willing to forgeue, couer, and par­don al sinne, hauing already punished and chastized all our [...]es and iniquities in [Page] his owne onely begotten and dearly belo­ued sonne, and consequently graunted a generall pardon to all mankinde, which e­uery body enioyeth that beléeueth the go­spel, that is to say, which beléeueth the hap­py tidings of the Apostles haue published through the whole world, saying: [...]or. 5. We be­séeche you for Iesus Christes sake, bée yée reconciled vnto GOD: for he that neuer knew sinne, was made a sacrifice for our sinne, that we might become righteous in him. The prophet Esay for seeing this great goodnesse of God, writeth these heauenly wordes, which doe so well paint out the passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ, and the cause thereof, as it is not to be founde bet­ter described, evē in the writings of the A­postles. Who (saith he) wil beléeue our re­port, and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed? But hée shall growe vpp before him as a branch, and as a roote out of a dry grounde, hée hath neither forme nor beau­tie: when wée shall sée him, there shalbe no fourme that wée should desire hym: Hée is despised a [...]d reiected of men, he is a man full of sorrowes, and hath experience of infirmitie, wee hidde as it were our fa­ces from him: hée was despised and wee [Page] estéemed him not. Surely hée hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes, yet we did iudge him as plagued and smit­ten of God, & humbled: but he was woun­ded for our transgressions: he was broken for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was vpon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like shéepe haue gone astray: wee haue turned euery one to his owne way, and the Lorde hath laide vpon him the iniquitie of vs all: he was oppres­sed and he was afflicted, yet did he not open his mouth. He is brought as a shéepe to the slaughter, & as a shéepe before the shearer is dumme, so he openeth not his mouth. O great vnkindnesse! O thing abhominable! that we, which professe our selues Christi­ans, and heare that the sonne of God hath taken all our sinnes vpon him, and washed them out with his precious blood, suffering himselfe to bee fastened too the Crosse for our sakes; shoulde neuerthelesse make as though we woulde iustifie our selues, and purchase forgeuenesse of our sinnes by our owne woorkes: as who woulde say, that the desertes, righteousnesse and bloodshed of Iesus Christe were not enough too doe it, vnlesse we came to put too our workes [Page] and righteousnesse which are altogether de [...]iled and spotted with selfe loue, selfcli­king, selfprofite, and a thousande other va­nities, for which wee haue neede to craue pardon at Gods hand, rather then reward. Neither doe we thinke of the threatnings, which S. Paule vseth to the Galathians, Galat. 5. who hauing béene deceiued by false Prea­chers, beleeued not that the Iustification by fayth was sufficient of it selfe, but went about stil to be made righteous by thelaw. Unto whom S. Paule saith: Iesus Christ shall nothing profite you that iustifie your selues by the law: for you bee falne from grace, because that we through the spirit of sayth wayt for the hope of righteousnesse. Now if the seeking of righteousnesse & for­giuenesse of An excellent comparison of the vnabi­lity of our own works. sinnes by the keeping of the law which GOD gaue vpon mount Si­nai with so greate glorie and maiestie, bée the denying of Christe and of his Grace: what shall wée say to those that will néeds iustifie themselues afore God, by theyr owne lawes and obseruances? I woulde wishe that suche folkes shoulde a little compare the one with the other, and af­terwarde geue Iudgement themselues. God myndeth not too doe that honour, nor [Page] to geue that glory to his owne lawe, & yet they will haue him too geue it too mens lawes and ordinances. But that honour is geuen onely to his onely begotten sonne, who alone by the sacrifice of his death and passion, hath made full amendes for al our sinnes past, present, and to come, as Saint Paule and Saint Iohn declare. Wherfore as often as we apply this satisfaction of Ie­sus [...]eb. 7. Iohn, 12. Christs, vnto our soules by fayth: out of all doubt we obteine forgeuenesse of our sinnes, and become good and righteous be­fore God, through his righteousnesse. And therfore after that Saint Paule hath said, Phil. 3. that as touching the righteousnesse of the law, he had liued vnblameable: he addeth, and yet whatsoeuer I haue gained by it, I haue accompted in all respectes too bée but losse, for the loue of Christe. And special­ly I esteeme all thinges to bée losse, for the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christe my Lord, for whom I haue compted all things too bée losse, and déeme them but as doung, so may I winne Christ, and be founde in him, not hauing mine owne righteousnes which is of the lawe, but the righteousnes which is by the fayth of Iesus Christe, w ^t righteousnes is giuen by God, I meane [Page] the righteousnes of faith that I may come to the knowledge of Iesus Christ. O most notable words, which al Christians ought to haue engrauen in their hearts, praying God to make them to fast it perfectly! L [...]e howe Saint Paule sheweth plainely, that whosoeuer knoweth Christe aright, estée­meth al the woorks of the lawe to be hurt­full, for somuch as they make vs too swarue from our trust in Iesus Christ, too whom euery man ought to impute his saluation, and too trust onely vnto him alone. And to inforce this sentence the more, he addeth further, that he estéemeth all things but as doung, so he may gayne Christ & he found incorporated in him: declaring therby, that whosoeuer trusteth in his owne workes, & pretendeth not iustifie himselfe by them, getteth not Iesus Christ, nother is engraf­fed into him. And forasmuch as the whole mystery of our faith consisteth in the truth hereof: to the end we might the better vn­derstand what he meant to say: he addeth and repeteth oftentunes, that he had no­thing to do with all the outward iustifica­tion & all y ^• righteousnes that is grounded vpon the keping of the law, but y ^• he would cloth himself with the righteousnes which [Page] God geueth by sayth to all them that be­léeue that all our sinnes are fully chastised and punished in Iesu Christ: and that Ie­sus Christ (as Saint Paule saith) is made our wisedom, 1. Cor. 1. righteousnesse, holinesse, and redemption to the end (as it is writtē) that he which wil glory, should glory in y ^• Lord, and not in his owne woorks. Uery true it is, that in the holy Scriptures there are some textes to be found, which beyng mis­vnderstood, séeme to gainesay this holy do­ctrine of Saint Paules, & to attribute iusti­fication & remission of sinnes vnto works, and to charity. But those authorities haue already byn well expounded by some who haue shewed plainly that such as haue vn­derstood them in the sense aforesaid, vnder­stood them not aright. Wherefore my déere beloued brethren, let vs not folow the fond opinions of the bewitched Galathians, but rather let vs followe the trueth which S. Paule teacheth vs, and let vs geue the whole glory of our iustification vnto Gods mercie, and to the merites of his Sonne, who by his owne bloodshed hath set vs frée from the soueraintie of the law, and from [...] [Page] geue vs life and endlesse felicitie. I say yet further, that he hath deliuered vs from the dominion of the lawe insomuch as he hath geuen vs his holy spirit, who teacheth vs al truth, & that he hath satisfied the law to the ful, & giuen the same satisfactiō vnto al his members, (that is to wit, to al true Chri­stians) so as they may safely appeare at Gods throne, because they be clothed w ^t the righteousnes of his Christ, & by him deliue­red from the curse of the lawe. How man is deliuered & set free from the curse of the law. Galat. 3. Rom. 8. Colos. 2. Then can not the law any more accuse vs or cōndenm vs, nor moue our affections or appetites, nor increase sinne in vs. And therefore S. Paule saith, that the obligation which was against vs is cancelled by Iesus Christ, & discharged vpon the trée of the crosse, inso­much as he hath set vs frée frō the subiectiō of the law, & consequently from the tyran­ny of sinne and death, which can no more holde vs oppressed, because it is ouercome by Iesus Christ in his resurrection, & so cō ­sequently by vs which are his members, in such maner, that we may say with Saynte Paule, 1. Cor. 15. and with the Prophet Osée▪ Death is quite vanquished and destroied: O death where is thy sting? O Hel, where is thy [...] [Page] strength of sinne is the law. But God bée praised, who hath granted vs victory by our Lorde Iesus Christ. He is the blessed séede that hath crushed the head of the venomous Serpent, that is to wit, of the Diuel, inso­muche that al those which beleue in Iesus Christe, reposing their whole trust in his grace, doe ouercome sinne, death, the diuel, & hel, as Christ hath done. He is that bles­sed séed of Abraham, in the which God hath promised blessednesse to al nations, It be­hooueth euery particular person too fighte with the sayd horrible serpent, & to deliuer himselfe frō that curse. But that enterprise was so great, that all the force of the whole world knit together, was not able too goe through with it. Wherfore our God the fa­ther of mercy, being moued with compassi­on of our miseries, hath geuen vs his onely begotten sonne, who hath deliuered vs frō the venim of the serpent, and is himself be­come our blessednesse and righteousnesse, condicionally that we accept the same, re­nouncing all our owne outwarde iustifi­cations. Then my déere brethren let vs im­brace the righteousnesse of our Lord Iesus Christ, and let vs make it ours by meanes of fayth: let vs assure our selues, that [Page] we be righteous, not for our own work [...], but through the merites of Iesus Christe, and let vs liue merily and assured, that the righteousnes of Iesus Christ hath vtterly done away all our vnrighteousnes, & made vs good, righteous, & holy before God, who beholding vs ingrafted into his sonne by fayth, estéemeth vs not nowe any more as the children of Adam, but as his own chil­dren, and hath made vs heyres of all his ri­ches, with his owne begotten sonne.

THis holy faith woorketh after suche a sorte in vs, How we re­ceiue the likenesse of God. that hée which beléeueth that Iesus Christ hath taken all his sinnes vppon him, becommeth like vnto Christ, and ouercommeth sinne, the diuel, death & hell. And the reason thereof is this: name­ly that the Churche (that is to witte euery faithfull soule) is Christes wyfe, A very good similitude expressing the manner how our sinnes are taken away by Christ. & Christ is her husbād. For we know how the law of marriage is, that of two, they become one selfsame thing, being two in one flesh, & that the goods and substance of eyther of them become common too them both: by [Page] meanes wherof the husband saith, that th [...] dowry of the wife is his, and likewise the wife sayeth that her husbands house and al his riches are hers:& of a truth so they are: for other wise they should not be one flesh, as the Scripture saith. After the same ma­ner hath God married his onely begotten & déere beloued sonne to the faithfull soule, which hath not any other thing peculiar of her owne, saue onely sinne, & yet the sonne of God hath not disdayned to take her for his wel beloued spouse together with her peculiar dowry, which is sinne. And nowe by reason of the vnion which is in this holy mariage, look what the one hath, is also the others, Iesus Christ therfore saith thus: y ^• dowry of mans soule my déere wife, (that is to wit, her sinnes & trāsgressings of the law, Gods wrath agaynst her, the boldnes of the diuel ouer her, the prison of hell, and al other her euils) are become mine, & are in my power to do what I list with them. Wherfore it is at my choyce to deale with them at my pleasure, & therfore I will put out the hand writing which is agaynst the soule my wife, I wil take it out of y ^• way, I will fasten it to my crosse in mine owne body, & in the same will I spoyle principa­lities [Page] and powers, & make a shew of them openly & triumph ouer them, and consum [...] them vtterly vnto nothing.

Now when God sawe his sonne, who knew no sinne, neither had any sinne in him, thus willingly taking on him, the foulenesse of our iniquity, he made him to be sinne for vs, euē the very sacrifice for our sinne: & did sharply punish our sinne in him, putting him to death, euen the death of the Crosse. Math. 28 [...] Philip. 2. Howebeit for asmuche as hee was his welbeloued & obedient Sonne, he woulde not leaue him in death, nor suffer his holy one to sée corruptiō: but raised him vp from death to life, geuing him all pow­er in heauen and earth, and set him at his right hande in glory. Nowe then the wise likewise with excéeding great ioy doth say: the Realmes and Kingdomes of my most déere husband & sauiour are mine, by him I am an heyre of heauē, my husbāds riches (that is to wit, his holines, his innocencie, his righteousnes and his godhead, together with al his vertue & might) are mine and for me: & therfore in him I am holy, inno­cent, righteous, & godly, and there is not a­ny spotte in me, I am wel [...]auoured & faire, inasmuch as my lawful husband hath not [Page] any blemish in him, but is altogether good­ly & fayre. And sith that he is wholy mine, & so consequently al that he hath is mine, & all that he hath is pure and holy: it follow­ [...]th that I also am pure and holy. Therfore to begin at his most innocēt birth, he hath thereby sanctified the birth of his spouse cō ­ [...]ued in sin. The godly childhood & youth of the bridegrom, hath iustified the childish and youthfull life of his déerely beloued bride. For the loue & vniō that is betwixt the soule of a true Christiā and the Brides­grome Iesus Christ, maketh all the works of either of them, to be cōmō to them both. By reason wherof, when a man saith, Ie­sus Christ hath fasted, Iesus Christ hath prayed, Iesus Christ was heard of the fa­ther, raised y ^• dead, draue diuels out of men, healed the sicke, dyed, rose again, and ascen­ded into heauen: Like wise a man may say, that a christen mā hath done all y ^• selfsame works, forsomuch as y ^• works of Christ are the works of the Christiā, bicause he hath done them for him. Uerily a man may say that the Christian hath béene nailed to the crosse, buried, raised again, is gone vp into heauen, become the childe of God, & mad [...] partaker of the godhead. On the other side▪ [Page] all the works that a Christian man doeth, are Christes works, because it is his will to take thē for his. And forasmuch as they be vnperfect, & he throughly perfect, and ca­not away with any vnperfect thing: he hath made them perfect with his vertues, to the end that his wife should be alwayes ioyfull & well contented and not be afraide of any thing, assuring herself, that although there be yet still some defalte in her works, yet notwithstāding they be acceptable to God in respect of his sonne, vpō whō he hath his eyes alwayes fastened. O that vnmeasu­rable goodnes of God [...] how greately is the christiā bound vnto God? there is no loue of mā, be it neuer so great, that may be cō ­pared w ^t the loue that God beareth too the soule of euery faithfull Christian, whereof Christ is the bridegrome. Ephe. [...] Where vpon S. Paul saith, that Iesus Christ hath so loued his wife the church, which is builded of li­uing stones (that is of the soules of the be­léeuing Christians) that for to sanctifie her, he hath offered himselfe to the death of the crosse, cleansing her with the washing of water, by his word, to ioyne her to himself a glorious church without spot or wrincle or other like thing: but that the shoulde be [Page] holy and vnblameable (that is to wit, like vnto him in holinesse and innocency) and also be the true & lawful daughter of God, who hath loued the world so well, that as Iesus Christ himselfe saith) he hath geuen his onely begotten sonne, Iohn. 3. to the ende that e­uery one which beléeued in him should not perish, but haue life euerlasting. For God sent not his sonne into the worlde too con­demne the world: but too the ende that the world might be saued by him, insomuche that he which beléeueth in him shal not be damned. Some man might demand after what maner the vniō of this holy mariage is made, Howe the [...]aithfull mans soule is assured of [...] being ma­ [...]ed vn [...]o Christe. & how the soule, which is y ^• bride, and her bridegrome Iesus Christ, are knit together. What assurance can I haue, that my Soule is vnited vntoo Iesus Christ, and become his spouse? Howe can I assuredly glory that I am Quéene and Mistres of his great riches, as a wife may? I can easily beléeue that other folkes shall receiue this honour and glory: but I can­not perswade my selfe that I am one of those same too whome God hath geuen so greate grace: For I knowe mine owne wretchednesse & imperfection. My déerebe loued brother, I answeare thée, that thyne [Page] assurāce consisteth in true and liuely faith, wherewith (as S. Peter saith) God clean­seth mens hearts: Acts. 5. and this faith is groun­ded in the beléeuing of the gospel, that is to say, in the beléeuing of the gladde tidinges which haue béene published on Gods bée­halfe through the whole world: which con­teineth in effect, y ^• God hath vsed the rigo­rousnes of his iustice agaynst Iesus Christ chastizing and punishing all our sinnes in him. Mat. 3. And whosoeuer receiueth this good ti­dings, and beléeues it stedfastly, hath the true faith and doth enioy the forgiuenes of his sinnes, and is also recōciled vnto God: and of the child of wrath, is becom the child of grace: and recouering the image of God, entreth into the kingdome of God, 2. Cor. 3. and is made the tēple of God, who marieth mans soule to his onely Sonne, by the meane of this sayth, which faith is a worke of God, and the gift of God, as S. Paule saieth of­tentimes. And God geueth it vntoo those whom he calleth to him, of purpose to iu­stifie thē and to glorify thē, and to geue thē euerlasting life, according as our Lord Ie­sus Christ witnesseth saying: Iohn. 6. This is the will of him that sent mée, euen that euery one which séeth the sonne and beléeueth in [Page] him should haue euerlasting life, and I will rayse him vp agayne at the latter day. Iohn. 3. And like as Moyses lifted vp the serpent in the wildernesse: so must the sonne of man bée lifted vp, to the ende that euery one which beleueth in him might not perish, but haue life euerlasting. Also he saith too Martha: He that beleueth in me shal liue, Iohn. 11. although he were dead, & euery one that liueth & bele ueth in me, shall not die for euer. And to a company of the Iewes he saith: I. Iohn. 12. I am come a light into the world, to the end that eue­ry man which beléeueth in me, shoulde not abide in darknesse. And S. Iohn in his E­pistle saith: Heere in appeared the loue of God towards vs, 1. Iohn. 4. for that God is loue, and sent his onely begotten Sonne intoo this worlde, that we might liue through him. And herein is loue known, not in that wée loued God, but in that he loued vs, and sent his Sonne too make attonement for our sins. And moreouer he sent him to destroy our enimies. For the bringing whereof too passe, he made him partaker of our fleshe, & of our bloode, as sayeth Sainte Paule: too the end that by his death, [...]. 2. he might destroy him that had the dominion of death, that is to wit, the diuel, and set all such at liber­ty, [Page] as were subiect to bōdage all their-lyfe long, for feare of death, Seeing then that we haue recordes of the holy scripture, con­cerning the promises, wherof we haue spo­ken héertofore, and concerning many other promises that are dispersed in diuers pla­ces of the same, we cannot doubt of it. And forsomuch as the holy scripture speaketh to al ingeneral, none of vs ought to distrust in himselfe, that the selfsame thing which the scripture saith, should not belong particu­larly to himselfe. And too the end that this poynt wherin lieth and cōsisteth the whole mystery of our holy fayth, A very goodly similitude and fitte for the ex­pressing of the free forgiue­nes of [...] for Iesus Christes [...]ake. may bee vnder­stood the better: let vs put the cace that som good and holy King, cause the proclamati­on to be made through his whole Realm [...] by the sounde of a Trumpet, that al rebels and banished men shal safely return home to their houses, because that at the suite & deserte of some déere friende of theirs, it hath pleased him to pardon them: certeinly none of those rebels ought too doubt of the obtayning of true pardon of his rebellion, but rather ought assuredly too returne home too his house, to liue vnder the sha­dowe of that holie King. And if he wyll not returne, by shal beare the pen [...]lty of it [Page] because that through his owne vnbelief he dieth in exile and in the displeasure of his Prince. But this good king is the Lorde of heauen and earth, who for the obedience & desert of our good brother Iesus Christe, hath pardoned as all our sinnes, and (as wee haue sayd a [...]ore) hath made open pro­clamation through the whole world, that al of vs may safely returne into his kingdom. Wherefore hee that beléeueth this procla­mation, doth straight wayes returne into Gods kingdome, (whereout we were dri­uen by the offence of our first Parentes,) and blessedly gouerned by gods holy spirit. And he that geueth no credite to the sayde proclamation, shal neuer enioy the said ge­nerall pardon: but for his vnbeleefes sake shal abide in banishment vnder the tyran­ny of the diuel, and liue and die in extréeme misery, liuing and dying in the displeasure of the King of heauen and earth, and that iustly. For me cannot commit a greater offence against this good God, then to ac­compte him as a lyer and deceiuer: which verily we doe, in not giuing credite too his promises. O howe passing heauy is this deadly sinne of vnbeleefe! which so farre foorth as is possible ( [...]ereueth God of his [Page] glory & perfection: besides the great harme that it doeth to a mans selfe, which is his owne damnation & the endlesse torment of his soule, which the miserable [...] fée­leth euen in this life. But on the contrary, he that commeth vnto God with assured­nesse of this faith, beléeuing him without any mistrust or doubt of his promises, and warranting himselfe for a certaintie, that God will performe all that euer hee hath promised him; geueth all the glory vnto God, and liueth continually in rest & end­lesse ioy, euermore praysing and thanking the Lord God, for choozing him to the glory of the eternall life. [...] And héere of they haue an assured earnest penny and gage, that is to wit, the sonne of God, whom they take for their most louing Bridegrome, y ^• blood of whom, hath made their heartes so drun­ken, that through this passing holy beliefe, there is in the christian heart engendred so liuely a hope & so certaine a trust of Gods mercy towardes vs, and such an operatiō is wrought in vs, as wée reste our selues wholy vpon God, leauing the whole care of vs vnto him in suche wise, that béeing throughly assured of Gods good will, wée are not afraid, neither of the Deuil, nor of [Page] his ministers, nor of death. Which holy & stedfast trust of Gods mercy, inlargeth our hearte, chéereth it vp, & with certaine mer­ueilous swéete affections directeth it vntoo GOD, filling it, and setting it on Fyre with an excéeding feruent loue. [...]eb. 4. And there­fore Paul incourageth vs too goe with all boldnesse to the throne of Grace: and hée counselleth vs that we should not shake it off, nor make light of our trust, which hath great recompence and rewarde. But this so holy and diuine affiance is gendred in our heartes by the working of the holy Ghost, who is communicated vnto vs by faith, [...]eb. I0. which neuer goeth without the loue of God. And héere of it commeth, that w [...]e are prouoked too doe good workes with a certaine liuelinesse and effectual chéereful­nesse: whereby wée gather such a strength & inclination to do them, as we be through­ly ready and forwarde, to doe and to suffer all intollerable thinges for the loue and glory of our most gracious and mercifull father, who hath inriched vs with so abun­dant grace through Iesus Christe, & of his enimies made vs his most déere children. This true faith is no sooner giuen a man, but he is by and by indued and imprinted [Page] with a certain violent loue of good works, to yeelde right sweete and amiable fruites both vnto God, & likewise vnto his neigh­bour, as a very good and fruitfull trée. And it is no more possible that he should bée o­therwise, than it is possible that a Faggot should be set on fire, and not cast light im­mediately. This is the holy Faith, Heb. 8. without the which it is vnpossible y ^t any man shuld please God, and whereby all the holy men (as well of the olde Testament as of the new) haue byn saued, according as S. Paul witnesseth of Abraham: Rom. 4. concerning whō, the Scripture saieth, Gen. 15. that Abraham belée­ued God, and it was reckoned to hym for righteousnes. And therefore he saith a litle before: We beléeue that a man is iustified by faith without the déedes of the law. And in an other place he saith: Rom. 2. So then in that time shall the remnant be saued, according to the election of grace: and if they be saued by grace, Galat. 3. then is it not by workes, for then were grace no grace. Abac. 2. And to the Galathiās hée sayth, it is a manyfest matter, that no man becommeth righteous before GOD by the Lawe, because the righteous ly­ueth by Faith. And the Lawe consisteth not in beliefe, but hée that perfourmeth the [Page] things that the law commandeth, shal liue by that performance. And further be saith, that a man cānot become righteous by the déedes of the law, but only by beléeuing in Iesus Christe. Galat 3. Againe, a litle after he saith that if a man can become righteous by the law, Iesus Christe dyed in vaine: Moreo­uer to the Romans, Rom. 10. making comparisō be­twéene the righteousnesse of the law, & the righteousnes of the Gospel, hee saith, that the one consisteth in the doing of workes, and the other in beléeuing. For if thou con­fesse, our Lord Iesus Christ wn [...] thy mouth, and beléue in thy hart that God hath ray­sed him vp from death, thou shalt be saued. For the beliefe of the heart maketh a man righteous, & the confession of y ^• mouth ma­keth him safe. Loe how this good Teacher S. Paul sheweth euidently that faith ma­keth a man righteous without any works. And not only S. Paul, but also [...] holy doc­tors that came after him, haue confirmed and allowed this most holy truth of Iusti­fication by faith: S. Augustin among whom S. Augustin is the chiefe, who in his booke of faith and workes, and in his booke of the Spirit and the Letter, and in his booke of fourescore & thrée questions, and in his booke which hée [Page] did write to Bouiface, and in his treatise vpon the xxxi. Psalme, and in many other places, defendeth this article, shewing that we become righteous by faith without any helpe of good workes: Howebeit that good workes are the effectes of righteousnesse, & not the cause of it. And he sheweth that the wordes of S. Iames being soundly vnder­stoode, are nothing contrary to this article. Which thing Origen doth also affirme in his 4. Origen. booke vpon the Epistle to the Romās saying that S. Paules meaning is, that faith only is sufficient to make men righ­teous in somuche that a man becommeth righteous, only by beléeuing, although hée haue not doone any good worke at all. For so it is, that y ^• Théef became righteous w ^t out the works of the law, forasmuch as the Lord sought not what good workes he had doone in times past, nor waited vntil he had done any after he had beléeued, but hauing accepted him for righteous vpon his onely confession, tooke him for his companion, e­uen he shoulde enter into Paradise. Like­wise, that so renowmed Mary Magdal [...]. Luke. 6. woman in the Gospell of S. Luke, while shée was at the féete of Iesus Christ, heard it said vnto her, thy sinnes are forgi [...]en thée. And a litle af­ter [Page] he saith vnto her, thy faith hath saued thée, goe thy way in peace. Afterward Ori­gen saith, In many places of the Gospell a man may sée how our Lorde Iesus Christe hath spoken in suche wise, as hee sheweth that faith is the cause of the saluation of the beteeuers. Then is a man ma [...]e righte­ous by faith, & the works of the law further him nothing at al. On the contrary, where Faith is not, (which Faith maketh the beléeuer righteous) although a man do the workes which the Law commandeth: yet notwithstanding forasmuch as they be not builded vpon the foundation of faith, albe▪ it that to outward appearance they séeme good, yet can they not iustifie him that doth them, because he wanteth faith, which is the marke of them that are become righ­teous before God. Faith is the marke of those that are iustified And who is he that can boast himself to be righteous, when he hea­reth God say by his Prophet Esay, Esay 64. that all our righteousnesse is as a defiled cloath of a menstruous woman? Then can wée not iustly glory in our selues, but in the onely faith of the crosse of Iesus Christ. S. Basil. S. Bas [...]l in his Homilie of humilitie, sayth that the Christian ought to holde him selfe for righ­teous through beléefe in Iesus Christ: and [Page] his wordes are these. The Apostle sayth, that he which gloryeth, should glory in the Lord, in that God hath made Iesus Christ to be our wisdome, righteousnesse, holynes and redemption, to the end, that hée which would glory, should glory in the Lord, be­cause that [...]he per [...]ite aud sounde gloriyng, is to glory in the Lorde. For in so doing, a man presumeth not vpon his owne righte­ousnesse, but acknowledgeth his want or [...]he true righteousnesse, & that he is made righteous, only by beléeuing in Iesus Christe. And S. Paul glorieth of the despi­ting of his owne righteousnesse, and of his séeking of Christes righteousnesse, by faith, which commeth of God. S. Hyllary in his nienth Canon vppon the exposition of S. Matthewe sayth these woordes: S. [...]i [...]lary. The Scribes considering Iesus Christe but on­ly as man, were troubled that a man shoulde forgeue sinnes, and pardon that thing which the Lawe coulde not doe, be­causs that only faith iustifieth. Saint Ambrose, S. Ambrose Rom. 4. in expounding these word [...]s of S. Paul [ Vnto hym that beleeueth in him which iustifieth the vngodly. his faith is accounted for righteousnesse, according to the purpose of Gods grace.] (Like [Page] as Dauid also saith, that the man is ble [...]ed whom Gōd accompteth righteous with­out good workes) writeth thus. S. Paul sayth, that vnto him which beléeueth in Ie­sus Christ (that is to wit, to the Gentile) his faith is imputed for righteousnesse, as it was vnto Abraham. In what wise thē thinke the Iewes to become righteous by the workes of the law: and yet to be righ­teous as Abraham was, séeing that Abra­ham became not righteous by the déedes of the Lawe, but onely by faith? Then is not the Law needful, forasmuche as the sinner becommeth righteous before God through only faith, according to gods gracious pur­pose, as Dauid sayth. The Apostle confir­meth that which he hath said, by the Pro­phets example, saying: Psalm. 31. Blessed is y ^• man whom God accepteth for righteous with­out workes: Whereby Dauid meaneth that those men are very happy, whō God hath determined to accept for righteous be­fore him, by only faith, without any paines taking or obseruation of the Law on theyr behalfe. Thus sheweth hée the blessednesse of the time wherein Christ was borne, in­somuch as the Lord himselfe saith: Many righteous men & Prophetes haue coueted [Page] to sée the things that you sée, and too heare the things that you heare, & haue not heard them. The selfsame thing saith S. Ambrose in expounding the first cap. of the I. Epistle to ȳ Corinthians, affirming openly y ^• who­soeuer beléeueth in Iesus Christ, is become righteous W ^tout workes & without any de­sert, & receiueth forgiuenesse of his sinnes by faith alone. Also he affirmeth the same thing in an Epistle which he writeth to I­renaeus, saying: let no man boast of his own workes, for no man becommeth righteous by his owne workes: but he that hath righ­teousnesse, hath it of frée gift, forsomuch as he is made righteous by Iesus Christ. Thē is [...] faith that deliuereth by Christs blood: for happy is hée whose sinne is forgeuen & pardoned. S. Bernard And S. Bernard in his thréescore and seuentéene Sermon vppon the Ballet of Ballets, cōfirmeth the same, saying that our owne merites beare no sway at all, in making vs righteous, which thing must be attributed wholy vnto grace, w ^t maketh vs righteous fréely, & likewise dischargeth vs frō the bondage of sinne. And he addeth, that Iesus Christ marrieth the soule and [...]oupleth it vnto himselfe by faith, without that any desert of our works ought or can [Page] come betwéen. But bicause I wil not be too long, I wyll make an end of mine allega­tions, when I haue vttered one very nota­ble and good saiyng of Saint Ambrose in his booke intituled of Iacob concerning the blessed life. G [...]n. 17. The saide holy mansaith, that like as Iacob hauing not on his owne be­halfe deserued the birthright, A very good comparison how we bee clothedwith the righte­ousnes of Ie­sus Christe. shrowded himselfe vnder the apparrell of his brother and cloathed him selfe with his garment, which yéelded a very swéete sente, and in that wise presented him selfe to his father, to receiue the blessing vnder another mās person too his owne behoofe: euen so is it requisite for vs to cloath our selues with the righteousnes of Iesus Christ by faith, and to shrowd our selues vnder the diuine purenesse of our eldest brother, if wée wyll be receiued for righteous afore God. And certainely this is true. For if wée appeare before God vnclothed of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christe, out of all doubt we shal bée iudged worthie of euerlasting damna­tion. But contrariwise, yf GOD sée vs apparelled with the righteousnesse of his sonne Christ: thē wil he surely take vs for righteous, and holy, and worthy of eternal life. And verily it is a great rashnesse in [Page] such as pretende to attaine vnto righteous­nes by y ^• kéeping of Gods cōmandements, which are alcomprehēded in * louing God, with all our heart, with all our soule, and with all our strength, and our neighbour as our selfe. No man can boast of the perfour­mance of Gods lawe. But who is so arrogant or so madde as to presume that he is able to per­fourme those commandements to the full? Or who séeth not that Gods law requireth perfect loue, and condemneth all vnperfect­nesse. Let euery man consider well his owne workes, which partly shall séeme good vnto him, and hée shall finde that they ought rather to be called transgressions of that most holy law, according also as they be altogeather vncleane and vnperfect, so that he must bee faine to vtter this saying of Dauids, Enter not into iudgemente with thy seruant O Lorde, Psalm. 102 for no man li­uing shall bée found righteous in thy sight And Solomon saith, Prou. 20. Iob. 15. who is hée that may say, my hearte is cleane: And Iob cry­eth out, What man is he that can be vnde­filed, and what man borne of woman can shewe him selfe righteous? Beholde hee found no stedfastnesse among his Saints, yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight. Nowe muche more abhominable [Page] and filthie is man, who drinketh iniquitie as it were water? And S. Iohn saith, If we say wée bée without sinne, [...]. Ihon. 2. wée deceiue our selues. And specially our Sauiour Ie­sus Christe teacheth vs to say, as often as wee pray, Forgeue vs all our trespasses, as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Matth 6. And herby may wel be gathered the folly of those y ^• make merchādise of their workes, presuming to saue by them, not onely them selues, but also their neighbors: as though our Lord Iesus Christe had not sayd vnto them, When yée haue doone all that euer is commanded you, Luke. 17. say yée, we be vnprofita­ble seruantes, wee have doone but as wee ought to doe. Ye sée that although wee had perfourmed Gods lawe too the full, yet ne­uerthelesse we shoulde esteeme and cal our selues vnprofitable seruants. Nowe then séeing that men are so farre of from this ful perfourmance: who is he that dareth be so bolde as to glorifie him selfe that hee hath added so great an ouerplus of deseruinges aboue the full measure, as he may haue to deale abroade vnto others? But to returne to our purpose, I woulde that the proude sinner which beareth him selfe in hande that hée maketh himselfe righteous before [Page] God by doeing some workes which are al­lowable to the world, would consider that all the works which procéed out of an vn­cleane and foule hearte, are also vncleane and filthie, and consequently cannot be ac­ceptable vnto God, nor haue any power to make the partie righteous. Therefore wée must first of all cleanse the hearte, if wee minde that our workes should please God. The cleansing of the hearte proceedeth of faith, as the holy Ghost affirmeth by the mouth of S. Peter. Acts. 15. Then must wee not say that the vnrighteous person and the sinner becommeth righteous, good, and ac­ceptable vnto God by his owne workes: But wée must of necessitie conclude, that faith cleanseth our har [...]es, and maketh vs good, righteous and acceptable before God, and furthermore causeth our woorkes too please him, notwithstanding that they bée altogether vnprofitable and vnperfect. For in as much as wée be become the children of God through faith: hee considereth our workes not as a seuere & rigorous iudge, but as a most mercifull father, hauing pit­ty of our frailenesse, and regarding vs as the members of his eldest sonne, whose per [...]ection and righteousnesse doeth supply all [Page] our vncleannesse and imperfection, which arenot layde to our charge, forsomuche as they be couered vnder the purenes and in­nocencie of Iesus Christe, and come not to iudgement before God. And héereupon it co [...]neth too passe, How the woorkes of the faithful, though they be vnperfit, please God. that all our woorkes which proceede of a true faith, (notwith­standing that they be wholy sinful and cor­rupt of themselues) shall neuerthelesse bée praysed and allowed by Iesus Christe in the generall iudgement, because they bee the fruites and Testimonies of our faith whereby wee bée saued. For insomuche as we haue loued y ^• brethren of Iesus Christ, wée shall shew euidently, that wée haue al­so béene faithfull, and brethren of Christe, and therefore by faith, wée shall bee put in full possession of the euerlasting kingdome which our soueraigne Lord God hath pre­pared for vs before y ^• creating of the world: Matth. 25. not for our merites sakes, but through his mercy whereby he hath chosen vs, and cal­led vs to the grace of his Gospel, and made vs righteous, to the intent to glorifie vs e­uerlastingly with his only begotten sonne Iesus Christe, who is the holinesse and righteousnesse of vs, but not of them which wyll not confesse that faith is sufficient of [Page] it selfe too make a man righteous and ac­ceptable to the Lord GOD, who through his fatherly goodnes and louing kindnes, offereth and giueth vs Iesus Christe with his righteousnesse, without any desert of our owne works. What thing can work or cause a man too deserue so great a gyfte and Ireasure as Iesus Christe is? This treasure is geuen only through the grace, fauour, and mercyfulnesse of GOD: In what maner faith iustifiet. and only faith is the thing that receiueth suche a gift, as too make vs inioy the forgiuenesse of our sinnes.

And therfore when S. Paul & other Do­ctors say, that only faith maketh men righ­teous without workes: they meane, y ^• it maketh vs so inioy y ^• general forgeuenesse of our sinnes, and to receiue Iesus Christ, who (as saith S. Paul) dwelleth in our heartes by faith, [...]phe. 3. and ouercomming and pacifiyng the troubles of our consci [...]nces, sa­tisfieth Gods iustice for our sinnes. Fur­thermore it appeaseth Gods wrath iustly mooued against vs, quenetheth the fyre of Hell, whereinto our naturall corrup­tion did throw vs headlong, and chéereful­ly destroyeth and ouerthroweth the Deuil togeather with al his power and tyranny: [Page] Which things, all y ^• works that al y ^• men in the worlde can lay together, are not able to deserue nor to bring to passe. That glo­ry and that prerogatiue is reserued alonly to the sonne of God, that is to wit, too the blessed Iesus Christe, who hath power a­boue all the the powers that are in heauen, in earth, and in Hell, and giueth himselfe and his merites, to al such as distrusting in thē ­selues doe set their whole hope of being sa­ued, in him and in his merites. And there­fore let no man beguile him selfe when hée heareth it saide, that onely fayth iustifieth without workes: and think, as false chri­stians doe (who drawe all thinges to liue fleshly) that the true faith consisteth in be­léeuing the bare s [...]rory of Iesus Christ, after the same manner as men beléeue the story of Caesar, or Alexander. Suche manner of beliefe is but an historicall belief, groun­ded méerely vpon the report of men, & vp­on their writinges, & lightly imprinted in our conceite by a certaine custome, and is like to the faith of the Turkes, who for the like reasons beléeue the fables of their Al­caron. And such a faith is but an imagination of man, which neuer renueth the har [...] of man, nor warmeth it with the loue of [Page] God, neyther doe any good woorkes insue, or any change of life which faith shoulde bring foorth. And therfore they falsty hold o­piniō, against y ^• holy scripture and agaynst the holy Doctors of the church, y ^• only faith maketh not māe righteous, but y ^• they must also haue works, vnto whō I answere that this historical and fond beléefe, and all the workes that insue therof, are not only vn­able to make a man righteous: but also doo cast the parties headlong to the bottome of hel, Mat. 12. like vnto those y ^• haue no oyle in their larpes, that is to say, no liecly [...]aith in their harts. The fayth that maketh men righ­teous, is a work of God in vs, wherby out old man is crucified, & wee being transfor­med in Iesus Christe, become newe crea­tures, & the déere beloued children of God. Rom. 6. This heauenly faith is it that graffeth vs into the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ, & consequently mortifieth our flesh with the affects & lustes therof. For when we by the operation of fayth do knowe our selues to be dead with Iesus Christe: wee are at a full point with our selues & with the world, & are throughly resolued, how it is méete that they which are dead with Ie­sus Christe, shoulde mortifie their earthly [Page] members, that is to wit, the sinfull affecti­ons of they mind, and the lusts of the flesh & forasmuch as we know we bee raysed a­gaine in Christ, we bend our selues to the leading of a spirituall & holy life, like vnto that which we shal liue in heauē, after the last resurrection. This holy fayth making vs to inioy the general pard [...]n that is pub­lished by the Gospel, bringeth vs into the kingdome of our good God, and pacifieth our cōsciences, mainteining vs in cōtinual ioy, & holy & spiritual sweetnes. This self­same faith knitteth vs vnto God, & maketh him to dwell in our heartes, & clotheth our soule with himself, so as thēceforth the ho­ly Ghost moueth vs to doe the same things wherunto he moued Iesus Christ while he was in the world, & was cōuersant among men, that is to wit, vnto lo wlines, meeke­nes, obedientnes vnto God, louingnes, & other perfections, wherthrough we recouer y ^• image of God. For these selfsame causes, Iesus Christ did rightly attribute blessed­nes vnto this inspired faith: which blessed­nes cannot be v ^•out good works & holines of life. And how can it bée that a Christi­an should not beocme holy, seeing that Ie­sus Christ is become his holines through [Page] [...]aith: Therfore by faith we be iustified & sa­ued: S. Paule calleth thē saints whō we call Christians. and therfore S. Paul doth in a maner alwaies call those Saints, whom we call nowe Christians: who, if they haue not Christs spirit are none of Christes, & conse­quētly no Christiās at al. But if they have the spirit of Iesus Christe to rule and go­uerne them, we must not doubte, but that although they knowe well that they bee made righteous through faith onely: He that be­leeueth can­not be with out good workes. yet for al that, they will become neuer the more slouthfull to do good workes. For Christes spirite is the spirit of loue, and loue cannot bee idle, nor cease from the doing of good works. But if we will say the truth, a mā can do no good works, except he first know himselfe to be become righteous by faith: for before he knoweth that, his dooing of good woorkes is rather too make himselfe righteous, than for the loue and glory of God: and so he defileth all his works with selfeloue, for the loue of himselfe and for his own profit. But he that knoweth him­selfe to be become righteous by the merits and righteousnesse of Christe, (which hee maketh his owne by fayth) laboureth hap­pily, & doeth good woorkes, alonely for the loue and glory of Christ, and not for love of [Page] himselfe, nor to make himselfe righteous, And thervpō it cōmeth, that the true Chri­stiā, (that is to wit, he that accounteth him self righteous by reason of Christes righte­ousnes) asketh not whether good works be cōmanded or not: but being wholly moued & prouoked with a certaine violence of god­ly loue, he offereth himselfe willingly to doal the works that are holy & Christianlike, and neuer ceaseth to doe well. He therefore which féeleth not the meruailous effects by his faith, which we haue heretofore decla­red, y ^• the inspired faith worketh in y ^• heart of the christiā: Let him assure himselfe, that he hath not the christiā faith, & let him pray earnestly vnto God to giue it him, saying: Lorde, helpe mine vnbeleefe. And when he heareth it said, Mark. 2. that only faith maketh men righteous, let him not deceiue himself, & say What néede I to weary my selfe in doing good workes? faith is inough to send me to Paradise. To such an one I answeare, that onely fayth sendeth vs to Paradise: but yet let him take good héed: for the diuels doe also beléeue and tremble, Iames 2. as saith S. Iames: O miserable man, wilte thou goe w ^t them too Paradise? By this false cōclusiō thou maist know (my brother) in what an error thou [Page] art: for thou wéenest to haue the faith that maketh men righteous, and thou hast it not. Apoc. 3. Thou sayest thou art rich, and hast no néede of any thing, and thou seest not howe thou art poore, wretched, blind, and naked. I councel thée to buy golde of God, that is throughly fixed w ^t fire, (that is to say, true faith set on fire with good works) to the in­tent thou maist become riche: and to cloth thy self with white raiment (that is to wit with Christes innocencie) to the ende that the shame of thy nakednesse (which is the great filthinesse of thy sinnes) be not séene to the whole world. Then is the iustifying faith as it were a flame of fire, which cānot but cast foorth brightnesse. And like as the flame burneth the wood without the helpe of the light, A liuely cō ­parison. and yet the flame cannot bee without the light: so is it assuredly true, that fayth alone consumeth and burneth away sinne without the helpe of woorkes, and yet that the same fayth cannot be with out good woorkes. Wherefore, like as if we see a flame of fire that giueth no light, we knowe by and by that it is but vayne and painted: euen so when wee see not some light of good woorkes in a man, it is a token that he hath not the true inspired [Page] faith, Ihat S. Iames meant con­cerning works. Iames. 2. which God giueth to his chosen, too iustifie and glorify them withall. And hold it for certayne, that S. Iames meant so, when he sayde, shewe mee thy faith by thy works, & I wil shewe thée my faith by my works. For his meaning was, that he s ^• is plūged in ambitiousnes, and worldly plea­surs, beleueth not (though he say he beleue) forasmuch as he sheweth not in himself the effects of faith. Also we may liken this holy faith too the Godhead which is in Iesus Christ: A heanenly comparison who being very mā (but w ^tout sin) did wonderful thinges, healing the sicke, giuing sight to the blind, walking vpon the water, and raysing vp the dead vnto life a­gain: & yet these merueilous works were not the cause that he was God. For before he did any of those things, he was God and the lawful and only begottē sonne of God, and he néed not to worke those miracles to make himself God by them, but forasmuch as he was God, therfore he did them. And so, the miracles that Christ wrought, made him not to be God, but shewed openly that he was God. In likewise, true fayth is as it were a Godhead in the Soule of a Chri­stian, which doeth wonderous works, & is neuer weary of well doyng, and yet those [Page] works are not the cause that a Christian is a christian, that is to wit, that he is righte­ous, good, holy, and acceptable vntoo God, neither néedeth he to woorke all those good workes to become such a one. But foras­much as he is a christian by fayth, lyke as Iesus Christ being a man was also God by his Godhead; hee dooth all those good woorkes, which make not the christian too be righteous and good, but shewe him to be good, righteous and holy. So then, like as Christes Godhead was the cause that hée wrought miracles: euen so faith working through loue, is the cause of the good works that a christen man doeth. And like as a mā may say of Iesus Christ, that hee hath done this miracle or that, & that those mi­racles, besids that they glorified God, were also a great honor vnto Iesus Christ as he was mā, who for his obedience euen vnto death, was recōpenced at Gods hād in his resurrectiō, & had geuen vnto him al power both in heauen & earth, which he had not a­fore as in respect of his manhood, but deser­ued it by the vnion w ^t is betwixt the worde of God and the māhood of Christ: So doeth faith in a Christian, which faith by reasō of the vnion that it hath with the soule, attri­buteth that thing too the one in is proper [Page] to the other: whervpon it cōmeth, that the holy scripture promiseth the christian euer­lasting life for his good woorks, because good works are the fruites and testimonies of liuely faith, and procéed of it as light procée­deth frō a flame of fire, accōrding as I haue said hertofore. And by this holy faith which imbraceth Iesu Christ, it commeth to passe that our soule is ioyned with Christ, and is so vnited and knit to him, that whatsoeuer Christ hath merited & deserued, the same is imputed vnto the soule, as though it had merited and deserued it. And therefore S. Augustine saith, that God crowneth his owne giftes in vs. Of this vnion of the soule with Iesus Christ, Christ himselfe beareth good recorde, where hee prayeth so his father for his Apostles and for such as should beléeue in him by their preaching: Iohn. 17. I pray not (saith he) for them onely, but also for al those that shal beléeue in me through theyr word, to the end they may be all one thing, that like as thou my father art in me, and I in thee, so they also may b [...]e one in vs, and that the world may beléeue that thou hast sent me, and that I haue geuen them the glory which thou hast geuen me, so as they should be one selfsame thing like [Page] as thou and I are one. Whereby it appea­reth euidently, that if we beléeue the word of the Apostles (who preached that Iesus Christ died for our sinnes, Rom. 4. and rose againe for our iustificatiō) we become al one thing with him: and forasmuch as he is all one with God, we also become al one with god, by the meane of Iesus Christ. 2. Cor. 6. D wōderful glory of the Christiā, to whom it is graun­ted through faith, to possesse the vnspeakea­ble benefits which the Angels long to be­hold! By this present discourse a man may plainly perceiue the difference y ^• is betwixt vs & them that defend the iustification by faith & woorkes together. Herein we agrée with them, that we stablish workes, affir­ming that the [...]aith which iustifieth cannot be without good works, & that those which are become righteous are they that doe the good woorks that may rightly be called good works. But we differ from them in this, that we say, 1. Pet-2. that faith maketh men righte­ous without the help of woorkēs. And the reason is ready: namely, because that by faith we put on Christe, and make his ho­linesse and righteousnesse to be ours. And séeing the case so standeth, that Christes righteousnesse is geuen vs by fayeth: [...] Galat. 3. We [Page] cannot be so thanklesse, blind, and vnhap­py, as not to beléeue that he is of sufficient ability, to make vs acceptable and right be­fore God. Let vs say w ^t the Apostle, [...]. 9. If the blood of Oxen and Goates and the Ashes of a Cow sprinckled, cleanseth the vncleane, as touching the cleansing of the flesh: how much more shal that blood of Iesus Christ, who by the euerlasting spirite offered him­selfe vndefiled vnto God, to cleanse our con­sciences from dead workes to serue the li­uing God? I pray thée now, thou good and deuout christiā, consider wel which of these two opinions is the truest, holiest, and worthiest to be preached: Ours, which aduan­ceth the benefit of Iesus Christ, & pulleth downe the pride of man which would exalt his owne woorkes against Christes glory, or the other, which by affirming that faith of it selfe iustifieth not, defaceth the glory and benefite of Iesus Christe, and puffeth vp the pride of man, who cannot abide to bée iustified fréely by our Lord Iesus Christ without some merit of his owne. But (say they) it is a greate quickening vp to good woorkes to say that a man maketh himself righteous before God by meanes of them. I answeare, that we also confesse that good [Page] workes are acceptable to God, & that he of his méere grace and frée liberalitie recom­penceth them in paradise. But we say more ouer, that no woorkes are good, sauing those that (S. Augustine saith) are done by those that are become righteous through faith, because, that if the tree be not good, it cannot yeelde good fruit. And [...]urthermore we say, that such as are become righteous through fayth, forasmuch as they knowe themselues to be righteous through Gods righteousnesse purchased by Christ, make no bargayning with God for their works, as though they woulde buy their maner of iustification such as it is with them: but béeing inflamed with the loue of God, and desirous to glorifie Iesus Christ who hath made them righteous by geuing them his merites and riches, they bestow all theyr whole studie and labour to doe Gods will, fighting manfully agaynst the loue of thē ­selues, and agaynst the world and the Di­uel. And when they fal through frailty of y ^• flesh, they recouer themselues by and by, & are so much the more desirous to do good, & so much the more in loue with their God, cōsidering that he layeth not their sins to their charge, bicause they be ingrafted into [Page] Iesus Christ, who hath made ful amendes for all his members, vppon the trée of his trosse, and maketh continuall intercession for them to the eternall father, who for the loue of his onely begotten sonne beholdeth them alwaies with a gentle countenance, gouerning and defending them as his most deare children, and in the end geuing them the heritage of the world, making thé like fashioned to the glorious image of Christ. These louing motions are y ^• spurres that pricke forward the true Christians to doe good woorks: who considering that they are become the children of God through faith, & made partakers of his diuine nature, are stirred vp by the holy Ghoste dwelling in them, to liue as it becommeth the children of so great a Lord, & are greately ashamed that they mainteine not the beauty of their heauenly noblenes: and therfore they im­ploy their whole indeuour to the following of their firstborue brother Iesus Christ ly­uing in great lowlines and m [...]eekenes, in al thinges séeking the glory of God, geuing their liues for their brethren, doing good to their enimies, gloriyng in y ^• sufferance of reproches, & in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ, Galat. 6. [...]ke. 2. & saying with Zachary, We be deli­uered [Page] out of hande of our enimies, to serue God w ^tout feare, in holines and righteous­nes all the daies of our life. They say with S. Paul, The grace of the Lord is appea­red, [...] 2. to abolish al wickednes and al world­ly desires in vs, to the end we should liue a sober, holy, and honest life in this worlde, wayting for the blessed hope, and for the glorious appearing of the great God and sa­uiour. These and such other like thoughts, desires, and affections, are wrought by in­spired faith in the soules of them that are become righteous. And as for him that ey­ther wholly or partly feleth not these godly affections and operations in his heart, but is geuen ouer to the flesh and the world; let him assur [...] himselfe, that hee hath not yet the iustifying faith, nor is the member of Christ, because he hath not Christes spirit, and cōsequently is none of his, and he that is none of Christes, is no Christian. Then let mans wisedom cease henceforth to fight Rom. 8. agaynst the righteousnesse of the most ho­ly faith, and let vs geue al the glory of our iustification, Gala. 3. to the merits of Iesus Christ with whom we be clothed through faith.

ALthough that by the things aforesaid, a man may easily and plainly inough perc [...]iue, how a Christian may clothe him­selfe with Iesus Christ: yet neuerthelesse, I mind to speake a little of it, assuring my selfe, that vnto the good and faithfull Chri­stian, it can séeme neither grieuous nor troublesome to speake therof, although the thing were repeated a thousande tunes. Therfore I say, that the Christian know­eth that Iesus Christ, together with al his righteousnesse, holinesse, and innocen [...]ie, is his owne through faith. And like as when a man purposeth to present himselfe before some great Lorde or Prince, h [...] laboureth to aray himselfe in some faire and rostely apparreli: euen so, when the Christian is decked and arayed with the innocencie of Christ, and with all his perfection, he pre­sēteth himselfe boldly before God the Lord of all, assuring himself, y ^• through Christs merites he is in as good case, as if he had purchased al that which Iesus Christ hath purchased and deserued. And truely, fayth maketh euery of [...] to possesse Christ and [Page] all that is his, as we possesse our own gar­mēt. And therfore to be clothed with Iesus Christ, is nothing else but to beleeue for a certaintie, that Christ is wholy ours: and so is he in very déede, if we beléeue so, and hold our selues assured, that by the same heauenly garment we be recetued into fa­uour before God. For it is moste certaine that he as a most déere father hath geuen vs his sonne: meaning that all his righte­ousnesse, and al that euer he is, can, or hath done, should be in our power and iurisdicti­on, in such wise as it shoulde be lawfull for vs to make our boast of them, as if we had done, purchasen, and deserued them, by our owne strength. And whosoeuer beléeueth this, shal find that his belief is good & true, as we haue shewed heretofore. Then must the Christiā haue a stedfast faith & beliefe, y ^• al the goods, al the graces, & al the riches of Iesus Christ, are his: for sith y ^• God hath geuen vs Iesus Christ himself, how should it be possible that he hath not geuen vs all things w ^t him? Wow if this be true, as true it is in déed: Rom. S. y ^• Christian may rightly say, I am y ^• child of God, & Iesu Christ is my brother, I am Lord of heauē and earth, & of hel & of death, & of the law, insomuch as the [Page] law cannot accuse me nor lay any curse vp­pon me, bicause the righteousnes of God is become mine. And this fayth is it alone y ^• maketh a mā to be called a christī & which clotheth him with Iesus Christ as we haue saide afore. And boldly may this be called a great mystery, wherunder are contamed marueilous things, & things not hearde of, cōcerning y ^• great God, which cānot enter into mās heart, except God do first soften it w ^t his holy grace as he hath promised to do by his holy prophet, saying, I wil giue you a new heart, and I wil put a new mind in­to you, and I wil take away the stony hart out of your bodie, & I wil giue you a heart of flesh. Now then, he that beléeueth not af­ter the said maner, that Iesus Christ with all the goods that he possesseth, is his; can­not call himselfe a true Christian, nor euer haue a quiet and ioyfull conscience, nor a good and feruent courage too doe good: but shal easily faint in doyng of good woorkes, yea and moreouer hee shall neuer bee able to doe woorkes that are truely good. This only beléefe and trust y ^• we haue in the me­rites of Iesus Christ, maketh men true christians, stout, cheereful, mery, louers of God, ready to doe good works, Possessors, [Page] of Gods kingdome and of God himselfe, & his right dearely beloued children, in whō the holy Ghost doeth truely dwell. What heart is so cowardly, cold, & vile, which cō ­sidering the inestimable greatnesse of the gift that God hath bestowed vpon him, in geuing him his owne so welbeloued sonne with all his perfectnesse; Iesus thrist the [...] ex­ample of Christians. is not inflamed with an exéeding earnest desire, to become like vnto him in good works? specially sée­ing that the father hath giuen him vnto vs for an example wheron we must continu­ally loke, framing our life after such a sort, as it may be a true counterpaine of the life of Iesus Christ, forasmuch as Christe (as saith S. Peter) hath suffered for vs, 2. [...]et. 2. lea­ning vs an ensample, to the ende that wée should follow his footesteppes. Out of this consideration issueth another kinde of clo­thing of a mans selfe with Christe, which we may terme an example clothing, for so much as the christiā must frame his whole life after y ^• example of Christe, fashioning himselfe like vntoo him in all his déedes, words, & thoughts, leuing his former wic­ked life, & decking himselfe with the new life, that is to wit, with the life of Christe. By reason whereof S. Paul saith, Ephe 4. Rom. 15. Let vs [Page] cast away the workes of darkenesse, and put on the armour of light, not in feasting, nor in drunkennesse, nor in chambering & wantonnesse, nor in striefe: but put vpon you the Lorde Iesus Christe, and make no preparation for the flesh, nor for the lustes thereof. Héereupon the true Christian be­ing in loue with Iesus Christ, saith in him selfe, Sith that Iesus Christe, not hauing any néede of mée, hath redéemed mee with his owne blood, and is become poore to in­riche mée: I will likewise geue my goodes, yea and my very life, for the loue and wel­fare of my neighbor. And like as I am clo­thed with Iesus Christ for y ^• loue he hath borne to me: so wil I haue my neighbor in Christ, to cloath himself with me and with my goodes likewise, for [...] loue that I beare him for Christes sake. He that doth not so, is no true Christian, for he cannot say, that he loueth Iesus Christe, if he loue not the members & brothers of him: & if we loue not our neighbour, for whose sake Christ hath shed his blood, wée cannot truely say that wée loue Iesus Christe: who being e­qual with God, was obedient to his father euen to the death of the crosse, [...] 2. & hath loued and redéemed vs, geuing himselfe vnto vs, [Page] with al that euer he hath. After the same maner, we being rich & hauing abundance of good things at Christes hande, must also be obedient vnto God, to offer & giue our workes & al that me haue, yea & euen our selues, to our neighbours and brethren in Iesus Christe, seraing them and helping them at theyr néede, and being to them as another Christe. And like as Iesus Christ was lowly and gentle, Marke. 12. and far from all de­bate and strife: so must wee set our whole mind vpon lowlinesse and méekenesse, es­chewing al strife and impacience, as well which consist in wordes and reasoning, as in déedes: And as Iesus Christ hath indu­red all the persecutiōs & spites of the world for y ^• glory of God: so must we with al pa­tientnes chéerefully beare the persecutiōs and reproches that are done by false Chri­stians to all suche as will liue faithfully in Iesus Christ: who gaue his life for his ene­mies, and praied for them vpon the crosse: and so must wée also pray alwayes for our enemies, 2. [...]im. 2. & willingly spēd our life for their welfare. And this is to folow Christs steps according as S. Peter saith. For whē wée know Iesus Christ with al his riches to be our own good, (which thing is to be clothed [Page] with Christ, & too become pure & cleane w ^t ­out spot) ther remaineth nothing more for vs to doe, but to glorifie God by following the life of Iesus Christe, and to doe to our brethren as Christe hath doone to vs: and specially forasmuch as wee bee warranted by his word, that whatsoeuer we do to his brethren & ours, he accepteth it as a benefit doone to himselfe. And doubtles séeing that the true Christiās are members of Christ, we cannot do either good or euil to the true Christians, but wee doe it likewise vntoo Christ, insomche that he reioyceth or suffe­reth in his members. Therfore like as Ie­sus Christe is our clothing by faith, so also must we through loue become the clothing of our brethren, & haue as good care of them as of our owne bodies: for they be mēbers of our body, wherof Christ is the head. And this is the holy godly loue & charity which springeth and procéedeth of the true vnfei­ned faith, Rom. 12. which GOD hath breathed into his elect: which faith (as saieth S. Paul) worketh by loue. Howbeit forasmuche as the life of our Lorde Iesus Christe, where­withal we must be clothed, 1. Tim. 1. Galat 5. was a continu­all crosse, ful of troubles, reproches, & per­secutions: if we wil fashion our selues like [Page] vnto his life, we must cōtinually beare the crosse, as he himself saith: If any man wil come after me, let him forsake himselfe, & take vp his crosse and follow me. Luke. 9. But the chief cause of this crosse is, for that our god purposeth to mortifie the affections of our mind and the lustes of our flesh by that ex­ercise: to the end we may conceaue in our selues the great perfection wherein we bee comprised by our Lorde Iesus Christe, by being grafted into him. Also his wil is, that our faith being [...]ined like gold in a furnace of troubles, Iohn. 15 Phillip. 3. should shine bright too his glo­ry. Moreouer his intent is, that we by our infirmities, should set out his great power, which the world in despite of it, beholdeth in vs, inasmuch as our frailtie becommeth strong by troubles and persecutions, & the more that it was beaten downe and oppres­sed, so much the more it is strong & stedfast. Whereof the Apostle S. Paul saieth, 2. Cor. 12. 2. Cor. 4. wee carry this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellencie of the power might be gods and not ours. On all sides we suffer tribu­lation, but wée are not ouercome: wée bée poore, but not ouercome of pouertie: we suffer persecution, but yet are we not forsakē: we be despised, but yet we perish not: and [Page] so we daily beare about vs the dying of our Lord Iesus Christin our body, that the life of Iesus Christ may also be openly shewed in vs. And séeing the case is so, y ^• our Lorde Iesus Christ and all his deare disciples glo­rified God by tribulations: let vs also im­brace them ioyfully, and say with the Apo­stle S. Paul, Galat. 6. God forbid that I should glo­ry, saue in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christe: and let vs so deale, as the worlde may (whether it wil or no) perceiue and sée with his eyes, the wonderfull effectes that God worketh in such as sincerely imbrace the grace of his Gospell. Let vs so deale I say, as the worldlinges may sée with how great quietnesse of minde the true Christi­ans indure the losse of theyr goodes, w ^t death of their children, slaunders, the diseases of the body, and the persecutions of false chri­stians: and also that they may sée how the only true Christians doe worship God in­spirite and truthe, taking in good woorth at his hand whatsoeuer hapneth, and ho [...] ­ding all that he doeth to be good, righteous, and holy, praysing him alwayes for the same, whether it be inprosperite or aduer­sitie, thanking him as a most gracious and louing father, and acknowledging it [Page] for a right great gift of Gods goodnesse, Rom. 5. too suffer any aduersitie, and chiefly for the go spell, and for following the steps of Christ, specially forasmuch as we know, After what sort paciēce ingendreth tryall. that tri­bulariō ingendreth pacience, and pacience tryall, and trial hope, and hope maketh vs not ashamed. I say y ^• patience engendereth triall, because that whereas God hath pro­mised helpe in trouble to suche as trust in him, we finde it by experience, in that wee continue strong and stedfast all the whyle, and are vpholden by the hād of God: which thing we could not doe withal the powers that wée haue of our owne. So then by pa­tience wée finde that our Lorde geueth vs the helpe that he hath promised vs at our néede, whereby our hope is confirmed. And it were an ouer great vnthankfulnes not to trust to such an aide & fauour for the time to come, as wee haue founde by experi­ence to be so certaine & stedfast h [...]réfore. But what néede wee so many wordes? It ought to suffise vs to knowe, that the true christians are through tribulation clothed with the image of our Lord Iesus Christe crucified: Rom. 8. which if wée beare willingly and with a good hearte, we shall in the ende bée clothed with the image of Iesus Christe [Page] glorified. [...]. Cor. 2. For as the passions of Iesus Christe doe abounde: so through him, shall the consolations ouerabounde: and if wée suffer with him héere below for a tyme, we shall also regine with him there aboue for euer.

BUt forasmuch as the Deuil and man [...] wisdome labour continually to dispos­sesse us of this most holy faith, where­through we beléeue that all our sinnes are chastized & punished in Iesus Christe, and that through his most precious bloodshed, we be reconciled to the maiestie of God: it is very néedefull for a Christiā to haue his weapons alwaies in a readinesse, to defend himselfe from the saide most mischieuous temptation, which séeketh to bereaue the soule of her life. Marke. 9. Among the saide weapons (in my iudgement) the mightiest and best are, Fourereme dies against the tempta­tions of Di­strust. Prayer. Prayer, the often vse of the holy com­munion, the remembring of holie Bap­tisme, and the minding of Predestination. In our prayer, we may well say with the father of the poore Lunatike person, of whō mentiō is made in the Gospel of S. Mark, Lorde Iesus, helpe mine vnbeliefe. Or else [Page] we may say with the Apostles, Lorde en­crease our faith. Math. 9. And if there reigne in vs a continuall desire to growe in faith, hope, & loue: we wil continually pray, 1. Ches. 5. True prai [...] as S. Paul instructeth vs. For prayer is nothing else but a feruent minde setled vpon God. By the remembring of Baptisme, Baptisme we shall as­sure our selues that we are at peace with God. 1. Pet. 3. And forasmuch as S. Peter saith that the Ark of Noe was a figure of Baptisme: therefore, like as Noe was saued from the flood of the Arke, because he beléeued y ^• pro­mises of God: so also are we by faith saued in Baptisme from Gods wrath. Marke. 10. Which faith is grounded vppon the worde of our Lord Iesus Christe, who saith y ^• hee which beléeueth & is baptized, shalbe saued. And good right it is: for in baptisme we put on Iesus Christ as the Apostle S. Paul affir­meth, Galat. 3. & consequētly we be made partakers of his righteousnes, and of all his goodes: & vnder this precious robe, the sinnes y ^• our [...]railtie committeth, lie hidden and couered and are not imputed vnto vs. And so, accor­ding as S. Paul saith, Rom. 4. the blessednes which the Psalmist speaketh of, apperteineth vn­to vs: namely, Ps [...]l [...]. 3. Blessed are they whose mis­doings are forgeuen, and whose sinnes [Page] are couered. Blessed is the man to whom [...], the Lorde imputeth not sinne. But it stan­deth a Christian in hand, to take good héed, that vpon these wordes he take no liberty to sinne: for this doctrine belongeth to none suche as honor themselues with the name of Christians, confessing Christ with their mouth, and yet deny him in theyr déedes. But it cōcerneth the true Christians, who though they fight manfully against the fleshe, the worlde, and the Deuil: doe not­withstanding fall dayly, and are constrey­ned to say, Lorde forgeue vs our offences. These are they to whom we speak to com­fort them and to holde them vp, that they fall not into despayre: as though the blood of Christe washed vs not from all sinne, and that hée were not our aduocate, and the Attonementmaker for his members. And therefore when wée bée prouoked too doubt of the forgeuenesse of our sinnes, and that our owne cōscience beginneth to trou­ble vs: then must wée furnishe our selues with true faith, & out of hād haue recourse to the precious blood of Iesus Christe, The supper of the Lord. shed for vs vpō the altar of the crosse, & distribu­ted to his Apostles at his last Supper, vn­der the veile of a most Holy Sacrament, [Page] which was ordeined by Christ, to the end y ^• wée shoulde celebrate the remembrance of his death, and that by the same visible Sa­crament, our troubled consciences might be assured of our attonement with God. The blessed Iesus Christe made his last Will, when he said, this is my body which is ge­uen for you, Luke. 22. and this is my blood of the new Testament, Marke. 16. which is shed for many for the forgeuenesse of their sinnes. Wée knowe that a Testament (saith S. Paul) although it be but a mans Testament, Ga [...]at. 3. yet neuer the­lesse if it be allowed, no man dispiseth it, or addeth any thing to it: and that no Te­stament is of force til the testator be dead, but hath ful power after y ^• parties decease. Then did Iesus Christe make his Testa­ment, wherin he promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes, and the grace and good fauor of him selfe and of his father togeather with mer­cy and euerlasting life. And to the intent that the saide Testament shoulde be of ful force, he hath confirmed it with his owne precious blood and with his owne death. By reason whereof, Saint Paul sayeth, Heb. [...] that Iesus Christe is the Mediator of the newe Testament, that by his dying for the the redemption of those transgressions which were in the former testament, they [Page] that are called might receiue the promise of the eternal inheritance. For whersoeuer is a Testament, there must also be y ^• death of the Testator: for the Testament is confir­med by the death of the partie, insomuch as it is of no value so long as the maker of it is aliue. Wherefore we be very certaine & assured by the death of Iesus Christe, that his Testament is auaileable, whereby all our misdéedes are pardoned, and we made heyres of eternal life. And for a token and faithfull pledge héereof, [...] lib. 1 in stéed of a Seale, he hath left vs this Diuine Sacramente, which not onely giueth our soules assured hope of their euerlasting Saluation, but also warranteth vnto vs that immortality of our flesh, forasmuch as it is euen nowe quickened by that immortall flesh of his, & in a certaine maner becōmeth partaker of the immortalitie therof, & he that is parta­ker of that diuine flesh by faith, shal not pe­rish for euer. But vnto him that receiueth it without the saide faith, it turneth too a dangerous poyson, Iohn. 6. bicause that like as whē bodily sustenance findeth the stomacke in­cumbred with euill humors, it corrupteth likewise and worketh great anoyance: euē so if this spirituall foode light into a sinfull soule that is full of malice and misbeliefe, [Page] it casteth it headlong intoo some greater ruine, not through it owne default, but be­cause that too the vncleane and vnbeléeuer all thinges are vncleane: notwithstan­ding that the thinges bee sanctified by the Lords blessing. 1. Cor. 11. For (saith S. Paul) be that eateth of that bread & drinketh of that cup unworthily, is What is ment by not making a di [...] ­ferēce of th [...] Lords body. is giltie of the body and blood of the Lord, and hée eateth & drinketh his own damnation, bicause he maketh no dif­ferēce of the Lordes body. For he maketh no difference of the Lords body, which pre­sumeth to the Lords supper without faith, and charity. Hee that re­ceiueth this Sacramen [...] protesteth himselfe too trust in none other thing than the blood of Christe. And forasmuch as he beleueth not that body to be his life and the cleanser of all his sinnes: he maketh Iesus Christe a lyar, and treadeth the sonne of god vnder foote, and estéemeth the blood of the Testa­mente whereby he was sanctified but as a cōmon worldly thing, and doth great wrōg to the spirite of grace, & he shalbe punished very sore at Gods hād, for this his vnbelief and wicked hypocriste. For whereas he re­poseth not that trust of his iustificatiō in the passiō of our Lord & Sauior Iesus Christ: yet neuerthelesse he receiueth this most ho­ly Sacrament, and maketh protestation that he putteth not his trust in any other thing. Wherby he accuseth himselfe, and is [Page] witnesse of his owne iniquitie, and condē ­neth himselfe to euerlasting death, by refu­sing the life which GOD promiseth him in that holy Sacrament. And in this point, when the Christiā féeleth that his enimies are like to ouercome him: that is too wit, when he beginneth too doubt whether hee haue receiued forgiuenesse of his sinnes by Iesu Christe: and that he shall not be able to withstand the Deuill and his temptati­ons: and that the accusation of his owne doubtfull conscience comes too presse him, so as he beginneth too feare least Hell fire should swallow him vp, & death hold him in his euerlasting bands by reason of gods wrath, I say, when the good Christian fée­leth himselfe in suche an agony: Let him get him to his holy Sacrament with a good hearte and stout courage, and receiue it de­uoutly; saying in his heart, and answering his enemies thus: I confesse I haue deser­ued a thousand hels, and euerlasting death by reason of the great sinnes which I haue committed. But this heauenly Sacramēt which I receiue at that preset, assureth me of the forgiuenesse of all my misdoinges, & of mine attonement with God. For if I haue an eye to my works, there is no doubt but I acknowledge my selfe a sinner, & condemne [Page] mine owne self in such wise, as my cōscience should neuer be quiet, if I should thinke that my sinnes are pardoned mée for my workes sake. But when I looke to the promises and couenants of God, who promiseth me forgeuenes of my sinnes by the blood of Iesus Christe, I am as sure I haue obteined it, & that I haue his fauour, as I am sure y ^• he which hath made y ^• pro­mises & couenants, cannot lye nor deceiue: and through this stedfast faith I become righteous by Christes righteousnes, wher­through I am saued, and my conscience quieted. Hath he not geuen his most innocent body into the hands of sinners for our sins? Rom. 4. Hath hee not shed his blood to wash away my iniquities? Why then doest thou vexe thy selfe O my soule? put thy trust in the Lorde, who beareth thée so great loue, that to deliuer thée from eternall death, it hath pleased him that his only sonne should suf­fer death and passion, who hath taken vp­on himselfe our pouertie, to geue vs his ri­ches: laid our weakenesse vpon himselfe, to stablish vs in his strength: become mor­tall, to make vs immortall: come down untoo the earth, to aduance vs vpp too heauen: and become the sonne of man with vs, too make vs the children of God [Page] with himselfe. Who is hee then that shall accuse vs? Rom. 8. God is he that iustifieth vs, and who shall condemne vs? Iesus Christe is dead for vs, yea and rysen agayne [...] vs, and sitteth at the right hande of God▪ ma­king intercessiō for vs. Let vs then D my soule leaue of these teares and sighes.

So hath he had mercy on vs, in giuing vs his onely sonne. With this faith, w ^t those thāksgeuings, with these or such other like thoughts must wee receiue the sacrament of the body and bloode of our Lorde Iesus Christ. After this maner is all fearfulnesse driuen out of the soule of the Christian: and charity is increased, fayth strengthened, the conscience quieted, & the toung neuer ceas­seth to prayse. God, and to yéeld him infinit thanks for so great a benefite. This is the vertue, efficacie, & only trust of our soule. This is the rocke, wherevpon if the consci­ence be buylded, it feareth nother tempest, nor the gates of hel, nor Gods wrath, nor the law, nor sinne, nor death, nor the di­uels, nor any other thing. And forasmuch as the substance of the Lords supper and table consisteth is this diuine sacrament: When the Christian is at it, he must hold his eyes fastened continually vppon the passion of our gratious Sauiour, beholding him on the one side vppon the crosse loden with all our sinnes: and God on the other side pu­nishing, chastising, and whipping his owne onely begotten and Déerebeloued [Page] sonne in steade of vs. O happie is that man that shutteth his eyes from al other sights, and will neither heare nor sée any other thing than Iesus Christ crucified, in whō are layde vp and bestowed al the treasures of Gods wisdome and diuine knowledge [...] Blessed (say I) is he that féedeth his minde with so heauenly a foode, and maketh him­selfe drunken in the loue of God with so sweete and singular a liquor. But before I make an ende of this matter, I will first aduertise the Christian, that Sainte Augustine hath ordinarily béene woont too terme this holy Sacrament, the bonde of charity, and the mystery of vnity. And he saith, that whosoeuer receiueth the mystery of vnitie, & regardeth not the bond of peace, receiueth not the Sacrament to his owne behoo [...]e, but as a witnesse agaynst himselfe. Therfore we must vnderstād, Why the holy sacra­ment of thankesgi­uing was ordain [...]d. y ^• the Lorde hath ordeyned this holy sacramēt not only to make vs sure of y ^• forgiueues of our sins: but also to inflame vs to peace, vnity, & brotherly charitie. For in this Sacrament the Lord doth after such a maner make vs par­lakers of his body, as he becommeth al one thing w ^t vs, & we with him. By reasō wherof, Christen peace and vnion are betokened by the bread and wine. forasmuch as he hath but one body wherof, he maketh vs Partakers: it is méet [...] [Page] that we also shoulde by such partaking be­com al one body together amōg our selues. And this vntō is represēted by the bread of the sacrament: which as it is made of many grains mingled & kneaded together, in such wise as one of them cā not be discerned frō another: So also must we be toyned toge­ther after such a sort, & so vnited together into one agréement of mind, as no diuision may créep in. And this doth S. Paule shew vs, when he saith: Is not the cup of blessing which we blesse, the cōmuniō of the blood of Iesus Christ, is not the bread y ^• we break, the cōmunion of the body of Iesus Christe whereas we be many, yet are we but one bread and one body, forsomuch as we be all Partakers of one bread. By these thinges we vnderstand, [...]e that offē ­eth one of his Christē brethren. offendeth Christ [...] that when we receiue his most holy cōmunion, we must cōsider that we are al of vs ingraffed into Christ, & are all become members of one selfsame body, that is to wit, of Iesus Christ, in such wise as we cānot offend, defame, or despise any of our brethren, but we must therewithall offend, defame, and despise, our saide head Iesus Christ: neyther cā we be at variance w ^t any of our brethren, but in likewise we must be at oddes with him. Also we cannot loue him, excepte wee loue him in our bre­thren. [Page] Look how much care we haue of our owne bodie, so much must we haue of our Christian brethren, who are the mēbers of our body. And like as no parte of our body féeleth any griefe, which spreadeth not it selfe into al the other parts: so ought we to determine w ^t our selues, that our brother feleth not any inconuenience, which should not moue vs to cōpassiō. With such maner of thoughtes must wee prepare our selues to this holy sacrament, quickening vp our spirites with a feruent loue to our neigh­bourward. For what greater spurre cā we haue to prick vs to loue one another, A prepara­tion to the receiuing of the holy Sacramen [...] thā to sée that Iesus Christ, by giuing himself vn too vs, not onely allureth vs too geue our selues one to another, but also by making himselfe common to vs all, maketh vs also to be al one selfesame thing in him? In re­spect wherof, we ought to couet & procure, that in al of vs there may be but one mind, one heart, & one toūg, accorded & vnited to­gether in thought, words, & déeds. And wée must mark wel, He that re­ceiueth the Sacrament bindeth him [...]selfe to all the dueties of charity. that as oft as we receiue this holy and woorthy sacrament, we binde our selues to all the dueties of charity: as not to offende any of our brethren, nor too leaue any thing vndone, that may be profi­table and helpfull in their necessity. But if [Page] ther come any to this heauenly table of the Lord, y ^• are diuided at variāce w ^t their bre­thrē, the same must assure themselues that they eat vnworthily, & are guilty of the bo­dy & blood of the Lorde, & that they eate and drinke their own damnation: for that there wanted nothing on their behalfe, but y ^• the body of Iesus Christ was rent & plucked in péeces again, whilest they by hatred are di­uided frō their brethren, y ^• vs to wit, frō the members of Iesus Christ, & haue not any part w ^t him, and yet neuertheles in recey­uing this holy communion, pretended to be Iéeu [...] that their whole saluation consisteth in the participation and vnion with Ie­sus Christ. Then let vs goe my brethrē The true end for which the holy sacra­ment is or­dained. to the receiuing of this heauenly bread, to ce­lebrate the remembrance of our Lords pas­sion, and to strengthen and fortify the be­lief and assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, with the remembrāce therof, and to quicken vp our minds & toungs to praise & exalt the infinit goodnes of our God, and fi­nally to cherish brotherly loue, and to wit­nes y ^• same one to another by [...] streight v­niō w ^t al of vs haue in the body of our Lord Iesus Christ. The fo [...]rth remedy a­gainst [...]. Besides prayer, and the re­membring of Baptisme, and the often re­sorting to the most holy communion, there [Page] is one other very good remedy, against di| strust & fearfulnes▪ which is no lesse friend to Christian charity: namely the remem­brance of our predestination and election to eternal life, grounded vpō the word of God which is the sword of the holy Ghost, wherwith we may beate back our enimies. Re­ioyce ye in this (saith the Lorde) that your names are written in heauen. Ephe. 5. Luke. 10. There is no greater ioy in this life, nor any thing that more comforteth the Christiā that is affli­cted, tempted, or falne into any sinne, than the remembrāce of predestinatiō, & the assu­ring of our selues that we be of the number of them whose names are written in the book of life, & w ^t are chosen to be fashioned like vnto the image of Iesus Christ, O how unspeakeable is the comfort of him y ^• hath this fayth, & museth cōtinually in his heare vppon this excéeding swéet predestination, wherby he knoweth y ^• although he fall of­ten, yet notw ^tstanding, God his father who hath foreordeined him too euerlasting life, Psal. 36. holdeth him vp, & reacheth out his hand vn­to him cōtinually. And he saith continually in himselfe, if God haue chosen me and pre­destinated me to the glory of his children, who can hinder me: If God bee with vs Rom. [...] (sayth S. Paule) who can be against vs? [Page] Nay rather, Be that re­ceiueth the Gospel is sure that he is prede­sinate [...]. The effect proceeding of the know­ledge of pre­destination. to the end that the predestina­tion may be accōplished in vs, he hath sent his déere beloued sonne, who is a most sure earnest penny & pledge vnto vs, that wee which haue receiued: the grace of the Go­spel, are Gods children, chosen to eternall life. This holy Predestinatiō mainteineth the true christiā in a continual spiritual ioy increaseth in him the indeuour of good works, and inflameth him with the loue of God, and maketh him enimy tothe worlde and to sinne. Who is so fierce and hardhar­ted, which knowing that God of his mercy hath made him his child from euerlasting, will not by & by be inflamed to loue God? Who is of so vile & base courage, y ^• he will not estéeme al the pleasures, al the honors, & al the riches of the world as filthy myre, when he knowes that he hath made him a [...]itizen of heauen? yea these are they that worship God rightly in spirit & truthe, re­ceiuing al thinges (as well in prosperity as in aduersity) at the hād of God their father, [...]nd euermore praising and thanking him or all as their good father, who is righte­ [...]us and holy in al his woorks. These being inflamed with the loue of God, and armed with the knowledge of their Predestinati­ [...]n, feare neither death, nor sinne, nor the [Page] diuel, nor hel: neither know they what the wrath of God is: for they sée none other thing in God, but loue and fatherly kinde­nesse towardes them. And if they fall into any troubles, they accept them as tokens of Gods fauour, crying out with S. Paule, Rom. 8. Who is it that shal separate vs from Gods loue? shal tribulations, shall anguish, shall persecution, or hunger, or nakednes, or pe­rill, or sword? as it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long, and counted as shèep appoynted to the slaughter. But in al these things we get y ^• vpper hād through him that hath loued vs. Wherfore, it is not for nought that Saint Iohn saith, how the true Christians know right wel, that they must be saued and glorified, & that by reasō of the same affiance, they make themselues holy as Iesus Christ is holy. And when S. Paul exhorteth his disciples too a good and holy life: he is wont to put them in remem­brance of their election and predestination, as of a thing of very great force to stirre vp the mindes of the true Christians to the lo­uing of God, and too the perfourmance of good woorkes. And for the same cause our good Lord Iesus Christ speaketh openly of this holy predestination, as one that knew of how great importaunce the knowledge [Page] therof is to the edifiyng of his electe. But perchāce thou wilt say to me, I know well that they whose names are written in hea­uen, haue cause to liue in continuall ioy, & glorifie God both in woord and déede: but I know not whether I am of that nūber or no, & therfore I liue in continual feare: spe­cially because I know my selfe to be an ex­céeding weake and frayle sinner, from the violence whereof I am not able to defende my selfe, but that I am ouercome of it dai­ly. And furthermore, forasmuche as I sée my selfe continually afflicted and troubled with diuerse temptations, mée thinks I do as it were behold with mine eyes, y ^• wrath of God scourging me. To answere to these doubts of thine, I say my right déere bro­ther, that thou must assure thy selfe, that al these are but temptations of the diuel, who by al meanes seeketh to rob vs of that faith and confidence that springeth of faith, & as­sureth vs of Gods good will towardes vs. He laboureth to strip our soule out of this precious garmēt: for he knoweth y ^• none is a true Christian, except he beléeue Gods woorde, which promiseth forgeuenesse of all sinnes, and peace too all them, which accept the grace of the Gospel. Uerily I say that he which vpon these promises of God, [Page] perswadeth not himselfe assuredly, that God is a mercifull and louing father vnto him, nor with stedfast confidence looketh to receiue the inheritance of the heauēly king­dome at his hand: is not faithful in déed, & maketh himselfe vtterly vnwoorthy of Gods grace. In respect whereof, Heb. 3. S. Paule saith, that we be the temple of God, so far­foorth as we firmely mainteine the confi­dence and glory of our hope, vnto the ende. And in another place he exhorteth vs that we shoulde not geue ouer our trust, Heb. 10. which hath great reward of recompence. And therfore my brethren, let vs geue our whole in­deuour to doe the will of God, as it becom­meth good children, and beware that wee sinne not, as neere as wee can. And al­though wee fall oftentimes intoo sinne through our owne frailtie, yet let vs not by & by surmise, that we be vessels of wrath, or that we be vtterly forsaken of the holy Ghost: for we haue our Aduocate Iesus Christ before God the father, and he is the attonement maker for our sinnes. Let vs bethinke vs of the opinion of S. Augustine, who saith that none of the Saints is righ­teous and without sinne: and yet notwith­standing that, he ceaseth not to be righte­ous and holy, so farfoorth as he retaine his [Page] holinesse with affection. And therfore if we haue afflictions and tribulations, Afflictions are no signes of reprobati­on let vs not think that God sends thē because he is our enimy, Pro. 5. but bicause he is our most louing father. The Lord (saith Salomon) chastiseth him whome hee loueth, and scourgeth e­uery childe of his whō he receiueth. Wher­fore if we haue receiued the grace of the go­spel, wherby man is receiued of God for his childe, A true mark to knowe God chil­dren by. me must not doubte of Gods grace and good will towardes vs. And when wée perceiue our selues too delight in Gods word, and to haue a desire to folow the life of Iesus Christ: we must stedfastly beleue, that we be the children of God, & the tem­ple of the holy Ghost: For those thinges cā ­not bee done by the power of mans wise­dome, but are the giftes of the holie Ghost, who dwelleth in vs by fayth, and is as it were a seale of authoritie which sealeth vp Gods promises in our heartes, Ephe. 2. Wherefore the Apostle calleth the holy Ghost she spirit of promise. the certain­ly wherof is printed aforehād in our minds and is geuen vs as a pleadge to stablishe & confirme the same. Assoone as you beléeue (saith the Apostle S. Paule) ye be sealed by the holy spirit of promise, who is the ear­nest peny of our inheritance. Beholde how he sheweth vs hereby, that the heartes of the faythfull are marked with the holie [Page] Ghost, as it were with a seale: in respect [...] whereof he calleth the holy Ghost the spirit of promise, forasmuch as he cōfirmeth the promise of the Gospel, the which (as I haue oftentimes tolde you) is a happy tidinges that promiseth forgeuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting life, to all such as beléeue that all their misdoings are blotted out in Iesus Christ. All we that beléeue in Iesus Christ (saith Saint Paule) are become the chil­dren of God: Gala [...]. [...] and because we bee his chil­dren, he hath sent the spirit of his sonne in­to our heart, which crieth, Father, Father. And to the Romaines, those (saith he) that are guided by the spirit of God, are the chil­dren of God: for ye haue not receiued again the spirite of bondage in feare: Rom. [...] but the spirit of adoption, whereby me cry, father, father. For certeinly the same spirite bea­reth our spirite recorde, that we be the chil­dren of God. Now then, if we be children, we be also heires. And we must mark wel, that in these two places, the Apostle Saint Paule speaketh plainly, not of any speciall reuelation, but of a certayne record which the holy Ghost doeth commonly yéelde too all such as receiue the grace of the Gospel. Then if the holy Ghost assure vs that wee bée Gods children and heires: why shoulde [Page] we doubt of our Predestinatiō: Rom 8. The same man saith in the same Epistle, Whome hée hath predestinated, them hath hee also cal­led: and whom he hath called, them hath he also made righteous: and whom he hath made righteous, them also hath he glorifi­ed. What shall wee then say too all these things? if God be on our side, who can bee against vs? And therefore if & plainly per­ceiue, that God hath called mee by geuing me faith and the fruites of fayth, A true mark of Predesti­ [...]n. that is to wit, Peace of conscience, mortificati­on of the flesh, and quickening of the spirit, whether it be in whole or in parte: why shoulde I doubt that I am not predestina­ted? And moreouer we say with Sainte Paule, that all true Christians (that is to wit, all such as beleeue the Gospel) receiue not the spirite of this worlde, 1. Eor. 2. but the spirit that commeth from God: by the inspirati­on whereof they discerne the thinges that God hath geuen them. What maruel then is it, if we know that God hath certeinly geuen vs euerlasting life? But there are some which say, that no man ought to pre­sume so farre, as to boast humselfe to haue the spirit of God. They speake in such wise. as if the Christian should glory of y ^• hauing of it for his owne desertes, and not by the [Page] onely and méere mercy of God: and as though it were a presumptuousnes to pro­fesse himselfe a Christian: or as though a man coulde be a Christian without the ha­uing of Christes spirite: or as though wee coulde without flat hipocrisie say, that Ie­sus Christ is our Lord, or call God our fa­ther, if the holy Ghost moued not our harts and toungs to vtter to sweete wordes. Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 1 [...]. And yet notwithstanding, euen they that count us presūptuous for saying that God hath geuen vs his holy spirite. with faith, for­bid vs not to say euery day Our Father, but rather commaunde vs. But I would haue them to tell me, how it is possible to sepa­rate fayth and the holy Ghost asunder, sée­ing that faith is the peculiar worke of the holy Ghost? If it be presumption to beléeue that the holy Ghost is in vs, He that glo­rieth not that he hath the holy Ghost is no true Chri­stian. why doeth S. Paul bid y ^• Corinthiās try thēselues whe­ther they haue faith or no, affirming them to be reprobates, if they know not y ^• Ie­sus Christ is in thē? But in very déed, it is a great blindnes to accuse the Christiās of presumptuousnes for taking vpon them to glory of the presence of the holy Ghoste. without w ^t glorying, there cannot be any Christianity at al. But Iesus Cherist (who cānot ly) saith, y ^• his spirit is vnknowē to y ^• [Page] world, Iohn. 14. and that they onely doe know him, within whom he dwelleth. Then let them begin to become god Christians, and put a­way their Iewish mindes, and imbrace the grace of the holy Gospel in good earnest: & then shal they know that the good and true Christians both haue the holy Ghost, & also acknowledg ethēselues to haue him. But some one may say to me, that the Christiā cannot by any meanes know that he is in Gods fauour, without some speciall reue­lation: and so consequently, that he cannot know whether he be predestinated or no. And he may specially alledge these wordes of Solomon, Eccle. 6. A man knoweth not whether he be worthy of hatred or of loue: and also these wordes of the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. S. Paul to the Corinthians: A man may know that he is in Gods fa­uoure. I féel not my selfe guilty of any thing, and yet féele I not my selfe iusti­fied for all that. It séemeth to be sufficient­ly declared by the textes of holy scripture, that the sayde opinion is false: and now re­mayneth onely to bee shewed briefly, that these two textes wherevpon the same opi­nion is chiefly grounded, ought not too bee taken in that sense. As touching Solo­mons sentence, although it be scarce wel & faithfully translated in the commontrans­lation: yet is there not any man so dull, [Page] who in reading Solomōs whole discourse, may not plainely perceiue, that by saying so, he ment, that if any man will take vpon him to iudge by the casualties, By the cha [...] ­ces of this life, no ma [...] can iudge whether a man bee in Gods fauor or displea­sure. that happen in this life, who is loued or hated of God: Hée laboureth in vain [...], considering that the selfesame chaunces which light vppon the righteous: light also vpon the vnrighte­ous: vpon him that sacrifizeth, aswell as vpon him that sacrifizeth not: and as soone vppon the good man as vppon the sinner. Whereof it may be gathered, that GOD doeth not alwayes shew his loue towards those whome hée indueth with outwarde prosperities: and contrariwise, that hée sheweth not his displeasure towards those whome hée punisheth. Then my ryght deare brethren in Christe Iesus our Lorde doe you thinke it reason to conclude, that a man cannot bee sure of Gods fauour, be­cause the same surenesse cannot bée percei­ued by the sundry chaunces, that happen e­uery day in these transitory and temporall thinges? A little afore, Solomon saith that a man cannot discerne any difference betwéene the soule of man, and the life of a Beast: for it is séene that both man and Beast dye after one manner. Shall wée then conclude by this outwarde accident, [Page] that the perswasiō which we haue concea­ued of the immortality of y ^• soule, is groun­ded but only vpon coniecture: so surely: and it were a great folly to stande vppon a thing so notably knowne. And as for S. Paules wordes, I say, that forasmuche as he was speaking of the administration of the Gospell, hee ment that his hearte mis­giues him not of any misdealing therein, and yet for all that, that hée is not sure hee hath doone his whole dutie to the full, and therein obteined the prayse of righteousnes to Godward, as if he had done all that per­teyned and was conuenient to be done by a faithful Steward: and therefore in spea­king of his office, like a iust and discrete person, he durst not iustifie himselfe, nor a­uow that he had discharged his dutie to the uttermost, and satisfied his Lords wil, but referred all thinges to the only iudgement of his Lord. And verily, whosoeuer readeth these wordes of the Apostle S. Paul, and considereth the wordes going afore them with some iudgement, and likewise the wordes that folow: wil not doubt, but this is the true sense of them. I know well that some men in expounding these woordes of the Apostle S. Paul, say, that although hée knew himselfe to be without sinne, yet hée [Page] knew not whether hee were righteous to Godward or no, according as Dauid affir­meth, that no man can perfectly know his owne sinnes. Rom. 3. 5. But these men perceiued not that S. Paul groundeth not righteousnes vppon woorkes but vppon faith, and that he vtterly refuseth his owne righteousnes to imbrace onely the righteousnesse which God hath geuen vs, through our Lord Ie­sus Christ. Phillip. 3. Also they cōsider not, y ^• he was most certaine to be accepted for righteous, in mainteining the soundnesse & purenes of the Christian faith, and that hee knewe well how the crowne of that righteousnes was laide vp for him in heauen: and also, that he was fully assured, 2. Tim. 4. that no creature in heauen, earth, nor hel, was able to sepa­rate him from the loue of God, and that he longed to die because he knew for a trueth, that after his death, Rom. 8. he should bée with Ie­sus Christ. All which things should be false if he had not béen well assured that he was righteous, Ph [...]. 1. (I meane) by faith, and not by works. therefore my dearely beloued bre­thren, let vs ceasse to speake y ^• thing of the Apostle S. Paul, w ^t he neuer once thought of himself, but fircely fought against it con­tinually, in answering suche as measured righteousnesse by workes, and not by faith [Page] in our Lorde Iesus Christe. But beside [...] these two authorities of Solomon and S. Paul, a man myght alledge some other places of Holy Scripture, which wheras they warne and encourage men to feare GOD séeme too bée contrary too the assurance of this our Predestination. The two sortes of feare, child­ly & [...]uish. And if I would declare them all particularly, I shoulde be ouerlong. But I say generally, that the feare of punishment was proper to the old Testament, and childly loue too the newe Testamente: according as Saint Paul witnesseth, when hée saith to the Romans, yée haue not receiued the spirite of bondage too feare: but yée haue receiued the spirite of adoption, whereby wée crie, father, fa­ther. [...]. Tim. 1 And likewise vnto Timothie he saith, that GOD hath not geuen vs the spirite of fearefullnes, but rather of power and loue: which spirite Iesus Christe hath ge­uen vs according too the promise made by the mouth of the Holy Prophetes, and brought to passe, that wèe being deliuered out of our enimies handes, may serue him without feare before his holy presence, in all holynesse & righteousnesse all the dayes of our life. By these and many other places of the holy Scripture, a man may playnly gather, that the paineful and slauish feare­fulnesse [Page] agréeth not with a Christian: and this is already confirmed by this, that such manner of fearefulnesse is vtterly contra­ry to the spirituall chéerefulnesse and ioy, which is peculiar to the Christian, as the Apostle Saint Paul sheweth openly to the Romanes, Rom. 14▪ saying that the kingdome of God is righteousnesse, and peace, and ioy in the holy Ghost: that is to say, that euery man which entereth into the kingdome of the grace of the Gospell, is become righte­ous through faith: and afterwarde addeth peace of conscience, which consequently bréedeth such a spirituall and holy rest and gladnes, Ephe. 6. Phillip. 4. in respect wherof, the same Saint Paul doth oftentimes incourage the Chri­stians to liue meryly. And Saint Peter sayth, 1. Pet. 1. that all they which beléeue in Iesus Christe, doe continually reioyce with an unspeakeable and glorious ioy, notwith­standing that they be afflicted with diuerse temptations. The slauish feare threa­teneth the wicked, and th [...] childly feare encou­rageth the chosen. And therefore when the holy Scripture threatneth and frayeth the chri­stians, they must vnderstande, that it spea­keth to such as are so licencious, that for so­muche as they kéepe not the thankfulnesse & honesty that belōng to Gods children, they must be handled as seruantes, and hilde in awe, vntill they come to taste and féele [Page] how swéete and pleasant the Lord is, and untill such time as faith worke his affectes in them, and that they haue so much child­ly loue, as may suffice to kéepe and main­teine them in honestie of Christian conuer­sation, and in folowing the example of our Lorde Iesus Christe. And when the selfe same scripture exhorteth Christians to the true feare: it meaneth not that they should feare the iudgement and wrath of God, as though it were presently ready to condēne thē: for as I haue saide already) by the re­cord which the holy Ghost geueth to theyr spirite, they knowe that God hath chosen them and called them, of his owne méere mercy, and not for their deserts. By reason whereof, they doubt not at all, but y ^• by the selfesame goodnesse & mercy, he will main­teine them in the happy state wherein hee hath placed them. And after suche manner scripture exhorteth them, The effects of childly feare. not to slauish feare but to childishe, that is to wit, that like good children they shoulde bee loath too offend against the Christian religion, Ephe. 4. or to commit any thing against the duty and honestie of Gods true children, and likewise too gréeue the holy Ghost that dwelleth in them: to the ende that knowing the cor­ruptednesse of our nature, wée shoulde al­wayes [Page] be héedefull and diligent, and neuer haue any trust in our selues: for in our flesh and in our mindes do the appetites and af­fections continually dwell: which, as dead­ly enimies of the soule, lay a thousande snares and baytes for vs, incessantly la­bouring too make vs prowde, ambicious, lecherous, and couetous. This is the feare wherevnto the whole Scripture exhorteth the Christiaes that haue once tasted howe swèete the Lorde is, and which bestowe all their indeuour in following Christes foote­steppes, who cast not from them this holy feare, because they labour to put of the old man. And the good Christians must neuer bereaue themselues quite & cleane of this childly feare, which is the singular friende of Christian charitie, like as the slauishe feare is such an enemie vnto it, as they can by no meanes dwell togeather. And by the the foresaide thinges, The Christian may warrant himself the forgeue­nesse of his sinnes. a man may plainely perceiue, that the good Christian ought neuer too doubt of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes, nor of Gods fauour. Neuerthelesse, for the better satisfiyng of the Reader, I purpose too set downe héere vnder, cer­tayne authorities of the holy. Doctours, which comfirme this foresaid trueth. Saint Hyllary in his fifth Canon vpon Matthew [Page] sayth, it is Gods wyll, that we should hope without any doubting of his vnknowne wil. For if the beliefe bée doubtfull, there can bée no righteousnesse obteined by be­léeuing. And thus wée sée, that according to S. Hyllary, S. Hillary. a man obteineth not forgeue­nesse of his sinnes at Gods hande, except hèe belèeue vndoubtedly to obteine it. And good right it is that it shoulde bée so. Iames. 1. For he that doubteth, is like a waue of the sea, which is tossed and turmoyled with the winde. And therefore let not such a one thinke to obteine any thing at Gods hand. But let vs heare Saint Augustine, who in his Manuell counselleth vs too driue a­way the saide foolish imagination, S. Augu [...]t. which intendeth to dispossesse vs of the foresaide good and sage assurednesse. Let such foolish imagination (sayth hee) murmure as much as it lifteth, saying, who art thou? Hows great is that glory? By what desertes ho­pest thou too obteine it? I answere assu­redly: I knowe in whome I haue beléeued and I know that hée (of his great loue) hath made mée his sonne: I knowe hée is true of his promise, and able too perfourme his worde: For hée can doe what hée will. And when I thinke vpon the Lords death, the multitude of my sinnes cannot dismay [Page] mée, for in his death doe I put all my trust. His death is my whole desert, it is my refuge, it is my saluation, my life and resurrection, and the mer [...]y of the Lorde is my desert, I am not poore of desert, so long as the Lord of mercy sayleth me not. And sith the mercies of y ^• Lord are many: many also are my deseruinges. The more y ^• hée is of power to saue, the more am I sure to bée saued. The same S. Augustin talking with GOD in another place, sayth that hée had despayred by reason of his great sinnes and infinite negligences, if the woorde of GOD had not become flesh. And a [...]one after, hée sayth these wordes: All my hops all the assurance of my trust is setled in his precious blood, which was shed for vs and for our saluation. In him my poore heart taketh breath: and putting my whole trust in him, I long to come vnto thée O Father, not hauing mine owne righteous­nesse, but that righteousnesse of thy sonne Iusus Christe. In these two places Saint Augustine sheweth plainely, that the Chri­stian must not be afraide, but assure him selfe of righteousnesse, by grounding him­selfe, not vpon his owne workes, but vpon the precious blood of Iesus Christe, which [Page] cleanseth vs from all our sinnes, and maketh our peace with GOD. Saint Bernarde S. Bernard in his first Sermon vppon the Annunciation saueth moste euidently, that it is enough to beléeue that a man can haue forgiuenesse of our sinnes, but by Gods mercy: nor any one good desire or a­bilitie too doe so muche as one good worke, except GOD geue it him: no nor that a man cannot deserue eternall life by his workes, but if GOD geue him the gifte so to beléeue: But besides all these things (sayth Saint Bernard) which ought rather too bée counted a certaine entraunce and foundation of our faith,) it is néedeful that thou beléeue also, that thy sinnes are for­geuen thée for the loue of Iesus Christe. Eche one must beleue particularly his sinnes are released & forgeuen him freely. Sée howe this holy man confesseth that it is not enough too beléeue generally the for­geuenesse of sinnes: but hée must also be­léeue particularly that his owne sinnes are forgeuen him by Iesus Christe, and the reason is ready at hande: namely, that for­asmuche as GOD hath promised thée to accept thée for righteous through the me­rites of Iesus Christe, if thou beléeue not that thou art become righteous through him, thou makest GOD a lyer, and conse­quently [Page] thou makest thy selfe vnworthie of thy grace and liberality. But thou wilt say to me, and I beléeue wel the forgeuenesse of sinnes, and I knowe that GOD is true: but I am afraide that I am not worthie to haue so great a gift. I answere, that the forgiuenes of thy sinnes shall not be a gift of free grace, but a wages, if God woulde geue it thée for the worthinesse of thy workes. But I reply vpon thée, that God accepteth thée for righteous, and laieth not thy sinne to thy charge, because of Christs merits, which are geuen vnto thée, and be­come thine by faith. Therefore, following the Counsell of Saint Bernard, beléeue thou not onely the forgeuenesse of sinnes in generall, but also apply the same beliefe to thine owne particular person, by belée­uing without any doubt, that all thy mis­doinges are pardoned thée through Iesus Christ. And in so doing thou shalt geue the glory vnto GOD, by confessing hym too bée mercifull and true, and shalt become righteous and holy before GOD, forso­muche as by the same confession, the holy­nesse & righteousnesse of Iesus Christ, shal­bée communicated vntoo thée. But to re­turne to our purpose of Predestination: I [Page] say, that by the thinges aboue mencioned, a man may euidently perceiue, that the as­surance of Predestination doeth the hurt, but rather greatly profite the true Christi­ans. And I thinke not that it can hurt the false Christians and reprobates. For albe­it that such manner of folke woulde beare themselues in hande, and pretende too the worldewarde too bée of the number of the predestmate: yet can they neuer perswade theyr owne consciences, which will euer bée gnawing and crying out to the contra­ry. But yet it séemeth greatly, that the do­ctrine of Predestination may hurt them. For they bée woonts to say: If I bée of the number of the reprobates, what shall it a­uayle mée too doe good workes? And if I bée of the number of the predestinate, I shal be saued without any labouring of mine too doe good workes. I answere thée at few [...] wordes, that by suche diuelishe arguments they increase Gods wrath against them­selues, who hath disclosed the knowledge of Predestination too the Christians, too make them whot, and not colde in the loue of God: and to set them forwarde and not backeward vnto good workes. And there­fore the true Christian, on the one side hol­deth [Page] himselfe assuredly predestinated vnto euerlasting lyfe, and to be saued, not at all by his owne merits, but by Gods election, who hath predestinated vs not for our owne works sakes, but to shew the great­nesse of his mercie: And on the other side endeuoureth himselfe to doe good woorkes after the example of Iesus Christ asmuch as if his saluation depended vpon his own pollicy and paines taking. As for him that ceasseth to do good because of the doctrine of Predestination, saying: If I be predestina­ted, I shall be saued without strayning of my selfe to doe good woorkes: he sheweth e­uidently, that his trauelling is not for the loue of God, but for the loue of himselfe. By reason whereof, the woorkes that he doeth, may perhaps be good and holy too the sight of men, but they bee wicked and abhominable before the Lorde God, who hath an eye to the intent. And herevppon it may be gathered, that the doctrine of Pre­destinatiō worketh rather good than harm to the false Christians. For it discouereth their hypocris [...]e, which cannot cure it selfe so long as it lieth hidden vnder the mantle of outward workes. But I woulde hau [...] them that say, I will not streine my selfe [Page] to doe wel, for if I be predestinated: I shal be saued without tiring of my self so much: I say, I woulde haue them tell me, howe it happeneth, that when they be diseased, they say not also I will haue neither Phi­sition nor phisicke: for looke what God had determined vpon me, cannot but come too passe? why eate they? why drinke they? why till they the ground? why plant they Uines? & why be they so diligent in doing all thinges conuenient for to sustaine y ^• bo­die? why say they not also, that all these turmoylings, pollicies, & trauailes of ours are superfluous, forasmuch as it is not pos­sible, but that whatsoeuer God hath fore­séene and determined concerning our life & death, must néeds come to passe? And ther­fore if Gods prouidēce make thē not negli­gent and idle in thinges pertayning to the bodie: why should it make thē more slouth­full and negligent in that which concer­neth the Christian perfection, which with­out all comparison is farre nobler then the body? But forasmuche as we sée that ney­ther Iesus Christ, nor Saynte Paule, for any doubt of offending the reprobats haue forborne to preache the trueth, which is ne­cessary to the edifying of the chosen, for the [Page] loue of whom the euerlasting sonne of God became man, and was put to death vpō the Crosse: we also in likewise ought not to forbeare the preaching of Predestination to the true Christians, forasmuche as wee haue séene▪ that it importeth greate edifi­cation.

Now are we come to the end of our pur­pose, wherein our thiefe intent hath béene (according to our small power) to magnify the wonderful benefit which the Christen man hath receiued by Iesus Christ crusifi­ed, & to shewe that faith of her selfe alone iustifieth, that is to wit, that God receiueth & holdeth them for righteous, which beleue stedfastly, y ^• Christ hath made full amends for their sinnes: howbeit, that as light can not be separated from fire, which of it selfe burneth and deuoureth al thinges: euen so good woorkes cannot bee separated from saith, which alone by it selfe iustifieth.

And this holy doctrine (which exalteth Iesus Christ, and represseth & abateth the pride of man) hath and alwayes shalbe re­iected, and fought agaynst, by such Christi­ans as haue Iewish myndes. But happie is hée, who following the example of Saint Paule, spoyleth himselfe of his owne righ­teousness, [Page] and would haue none other righ­teousnesse, than that which is of Iesus Christ, wherewith if he be clothed and ap­pareled, he may most assuredly appeare be­fore God, and shal receiue his blessing and the heritage of heauen and earth, with his onely sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde: too whom be al honor, praise and glorie, from this time foorth for e­uermore.

Amen.