ALthough Mistris KATHARINE, from the houre I first vnderstood how pitti­fully you were miscaried in matter of Religion, how erroneouslie misled in your manner of doing seruice to the Al­mighty; I euer held (and not ignorant of the diuine prohibition of rash iudgment) the state of your better part to be dangerous: yet hauing (more then cursori­lie) pervsed that worthie peece of work (as you take it) the little booke you sent me, I conceiued a stronger ground for my opinion, and might discern methoght, more cleerlie, euen a lamentablenes in your condition; to haue your soule (after such sort) to be fed, or rather feasted and not fed, or rather filled, and not feasted: but to speake most properly, neither fed, nor feasted, nor filled, but flatly poisoned with such Italian drugs, with such superstitious and Antichristian confections, as in the said booke, and diuers other your irreligious Pamphlets of like subiect are compounded; while that [Page]bread of life, which onely should feed, it is not hungred after, that vncorruptible Manna, wherewith onely it ought to be feasted, is not gathered, that eternall food, which onely hath power to fill it, is not set by: I meane while the true wholsome receit [indeed] is reiected, the pure and heauen and earth-out lasting worde of God, neither reade nor regarded. I haue felt my heart out of the generall loue of a christian, and my more particu­lar affection towardes you, almost melt into sorrowe and compassion, to think how youly slabbering in these corrupted puddles of mans erronious inuentions, yet neuer the more clensed, when you might with asmuch ease, and much better welcome, enter that liuesome Bath of Gods owne founding, his sacred scriptures, whose waters are of admirable operation, and [by the hand of his blessed spirite] woulde be sure to wash, not onely your feete [as Iob speaketh] but your handes and your head also [as Peter prayed, Iob. 29, 6] yea euen your soule likewise, Iohn 13, 9 Psal. 19, 7 as Dauid affirmeth, and make you all ouer as white as snow in Salmon. You may not alledge, that the booke of God is lost or cast into a corner [as it was in the daies of Iosias] or that his sacred writings, 2 chr. 34, 14 Iere. 36, 23 are cut in peeces, and throwne into the fire, as they were by the handes of Iehoiachim.

You cannot pleade any famine of the worde of God [which of all other inflictions, the Lord for his mercye sake euermore auert from our nation] that shoulde in­force you to feede so eagerly vpon such grosse, and vn­wholsome garbadge, for a greater plenty, and freer passage thereof, the King of heauen haue the glorye, as we haue the gaine, neuer any kingdome of the earth [I thinke] inioyed. The truth is, neither you, nor the [Page]greatest clark that euer breathd superstition vpon you, can bring a substantiall reason to excuse your vnac­quaintance with the scriptures, considering you may read them, and heare them truely read, and expoun­ded [if you please] and that it is our sauiours owne precept, Search the scriptures, Iohn 5, 39 Mar. 12, 29 and a conclusion of his owne framing, Erre not knowing the Scrip­tures.

If an ordinarie friende should counsell you to doe a thing within your power, that would be neither charga­ble nor trouble some vnto you, and withall annex vnto his aduise a forcible reason, importing some singular benefit, that should redound in doing it, woulde you not with all readinesse vndertake it, and most willinglie embrace his counsell? I know you would: and there­fore cannot chuse but woonder, when that extraordi­narie friend of yours Christ Iesus, who held you [I cha­ritablie include you amongst the chosen] as precious as his owne heart blood, and whome you shoulde re­esteeme more deere then your owne soule, shall offer you his owne booke to read, commaund you to read it, and withall assertaine you, that you goe astraie, and wander out of the right waie that leadeth to felicitie, be­cause you want that direction, which the same woulde affoorde you: To see you notwithstanding shut your eies, and eares, and all your sences to be delighted and euen rauished with such harsh sounding, and vnmelo­dious harmonie; such absurd, and hereticall doctrine, as this booke which I receiued from you, and other of the like stampe [to frequent amongest you] are stuffed with; Wherein I graunt, some part of Goddes worde [to countenaunce forth all the rest] is heere and there [Page]inter-wouen, but that either not it selfe through cor­rupt translation, or at least not like it selfe, it is so vio­lentlie wrested, and by misapplication so pittifully dis­figured. When I had read your booke, entituled; A quartern of reasons of catholicke Religion, with as manie briefe reasons of refusall, collected and composed by T. Hill, Doctor of Diuinity, and hadde weighed the subiect, the stile, and the method, I adiudged the answering of it to be a matter of no great difficultie, and [methought] no taske of impossibilitie for my selfe: though [as you know] no professed Diuine, no noted student, and in­deed not worthie the name of a Scholler; Howsoeuer, yet I vndertook it, till in my return frō you out of Glo­stershire, at the Stationers in Worster I light vpon a booke bearing this title, A quartern of reasons composed by D. Hill vnquartered and proued a quartern of follies, by Francis Dillingham Batcheler of Diuinity.

Hereupon seeing the Doctor so substantiallie dealt with by M. Dillingham, a degree behind him one waie, though manie degrees before him another waie, and to haue receiued from him a more sufficient answer thē my pouertie could haue affoorded, I willing lie surcea­sed, and so let fall my former resolution: yet being vn­der saile, seeing the wind faire, and feeling my selfe to brook pretilie wel the Ocean I was entred into, I thoght to make a voyage of it [though a contrarie waie] before I returned; I meane, hauing taken pen in hand, to haue answered [in my vnlearned fashion, and therefore the more suteable] the foresaide Treatise, and perceiuing my selfe so happilie preuented, I determined notwith­standing to write something vnto you, that should concerne you, and whereby [if God were so pleased] that [Page]more then Egyptian darknesse wherwith yoursoule is so benighted, might in a timely houre bee expelled.

For two chiefe reasons haue I made religion the ar­gument of this my letter; the first, for that [there is no­thing vnder the glory of God] that so highlie impor­teth you, as the good estate of your soule, which depen deth vpon the religion you professe in the daies of this your pilgrimage vpon earth. The other reason is, be­cause the difference of your religion & mine [our con­trarie opinion therein] hath bin the principall impedi­ment that interrupted our loues proceeding, & brake the marriage betwixt vs, which the worlde so long ex­pected, and we [but for that] mutually desired. For as I, vpon sure ground was euer resolued one way, so you [though without ground] were as resolut another way; and still would intimate your desire of my reconcile­ment to your Catholicke Religion (as you call it.] In­deed for a Gentlewoman that is a catholike, to ponder aforehand that irreligion, though it cannot lawfullie breake that indissoluble band, yet ought to be helde of sufficient force to restraine [at first] the making there­of, is a prudent consideration.

For her to weigh with her selfe that this word coniu­gium, or wedlocke, importeth a vniting of two mindes and that if she match with one contrarily affected in re­ligion, the only true tempred stuffe that soldreth harts togither, they, can neuer rightly accord, because they cannot agree in loue, that disagree in faith. This is like wise an ingenious and religious caution.

And then if she in true zeale and vpon the forsaid con­siderations, conuert that hereticke [whom she loueth] to the profession of the catholike faith, before she dain [Page]him the title of her husband, Questionlesse she doth a worke that pleaseth God, profiteth his church, and mi­nistreth matter of reioycing to the Angels of heauen. But standeth the cause thus betwixt vs two, I dare sweare [for I had rather think you any thing then a dis­sembler] you thinke it doth: you thinke your elfe a ca­tholicke, and mean heretick; you thinke the custome of our young gentlewomen of your old religion, in tur­ning their husbands hearts, to the imbracing of their opinions, a laudable custome; and ought by you like­wise as strictlie to be obserued: But alasse that such blindnesse [were it otherwise, pleasing to our great God, whose wisedome best knoweth what is good for his Church] should get such possession of your vn­derstanding, and Ignorance, so ouercloude your iudg­ment, as to make you deeme your selfe to be otherwise then you are, and others to be euen as the vncharita­blest of your constructions can make them. Alasse I saie, vnder the foresaid reseruation, that it should be so, howbeit I maruaile not, that it is so, since it hath bin proper to the heriticks of old, preiudicatlie, to arrogate vnto themselues that acceptable appellation of catho­licks, and to intitle the catholiks indeed, by this odious attribute of hereticks. But now (methinks) you begin to distast my phrase, because it begins to deale round­lie with you, in retorting (thoughe couertlie) the he­retick thus vpon you: be patient a while, and because no man that iudgeth himselfe sound is easilie wonne to accept the Phisitians helpe, hovv full of vertue soeuer the Medicine be, which is tendred him: giue me leaue I praie you, first to make you knovv your selfe to be imperfected, & then I doubt not, but the receipt, [Page]which the small measure of my skill shal compound, for the expelling of your infirmitie, will not onely be plea­sing vnto your tast, but powerfull [through his working that giueth power to euery good work] for your reco­uery. It hath bin held a profitable method, in the discription of any vice to anotamize that vertue which is pro­perlie the opposite; for the hard fauored gentlewoman is neuer so disaduantaged, as whē she goes hand in hand with her beutiful neighbor; each thing [indeed] being best deciphered by his contrarie. I will therefore [the question being which of vs is the catholicks] first disco­uer mine own faith, which you hold to be no better then heresie, & the verie contrarie vnto yours; that thereby the beutie of your profession, if mine be so deformed, may the more bee admired, or rather [as I hope] and [if iudiciall eies impartially discerne berwixt vs assure my selfe] that the impuritie, and blemishes thereof, by such opposition of mine, so substantially warrantable may the sooner be reuealed, and by yourselfe whom it so neerelie concernes the better discerned: and the ra­ther do I begin with disclosing the substance of mine owne profession, because we are bound to sind the true faith of christ in our selues, before we examine the want therof in others, and ought readilie to giue a reckoning of the same, if either authority [that is sufficient] in­ioyne, or causes [that are substantial] as in this case shal induce vs therunto.

MY religion [vnderstand me I praie you] Is the true worship of the euerliuing God, 2. Sect. I know it is the true worship of God because it is that manner and forme of worship, which is agreeable to his blessed wil; I know it is agreeable to his wil, because it is framed acording to [Page]the prescription of his holy word: And I know it to be fra­med according to his word, because I learne the same out of his owne booke, which containeth nothing but his word; deliuered first by his owne voice to our fore fathers, after indighted by his owne al-sufficient wis­dome, penned downe by his owne chosen seruants the prophets and Apostles, sealed and confirmed with the precious bloud of his owne deere sonne, and from age to age, through persecution, through captiuitie, tho­rough the most powerfull occurrents that euer Sathan deuised, for impugning the same, by his owne woon­derfull prouidence so mercifully preserued, to be food for the soules, and direction for the liues of his elect here on earth, while the world endureth, which booke we therefore intitle the sacred scriptures, & common­ly the Bible: so that my Religion is, a worshipping of god after his owne will, reuealed by his owne word comprized in his owne booke: and therfore as I first said, a true wor­ship of the euerliuing God. And, is it not [iudge you] the wisest course we can take for the vnderstanding the wil of our God, without which we are no better then the beasts that perish, and which necessarilie wee must at­taine vnto before we can do it, as we must doe it; before we receiue that which you call the wages of wel-doing. To read diligentlie this book, to search reuerently these scriptures, and to haue continuall recourse vnto this word, which may be called the trusty Embassador that faithfullie deliuereth the reuealed councels of God, the holy mouth that truely vttereth the oracles of his blessed sanctuarie, which is the word of life, the worde of truth, as true as himselfe, his owne word, and there­fore the best reuealer of his will, and most absolute de­scriber [Page]of that platforme, after which hee delighteth to be worshipped.

I will not by way of inference as I go along, roue at any marks of your profession, til I haue in som perfecter sort measured out mine owne, else could I [me thinks] with an arrow drawne out of this quyuer, pierce euen the quickest vaine of those vnwarranted Decretals, and humaine Traditions of yours. But let your thoughtes a while be bestowed in consideration of what I say touch­ing mine owne religion, which earst I desined to be, The true worshipe of the euerliuing God. Wherein least you should mistake, in thinking I deale Pharasaically, or at­tribute perfection of impossibility vnto my selfe, who being but flesh, am therefore full of sinne, and thereby disabled for that righteous cariage, and the perfour­mance of those holy offices, which properly belong to the seruice of him, who is all righteousnesse, and true holines it selfe: conceiue I pray you, how I vnderstand my selfe, and desire to be vnderstood therein. I confesse that all men are sinners, and my selfe as sinfull as any man, I might saie more sinful, for I must iudge my selfe seuerely, and of others charitably: besides, I knowe mine owne wickednesse, and my sinne is euer before me. The Angels of heauen, that excell in strength may keep (o happy, happie are they that while) the command­ments of the Lord, but the inhabitants of the earth, that are composed of weakenesse, doe nothing but breake them; In a word, I am one of Adams crooked brats, My workes are impure, and all my righteousnesse as a polluted cloute. So that to doe true worship to that Euerliuing God (as I professed) of my selfe, I am not able, for a sinfull lumpe of fleshe, I finde it impossible. Who am I [Page](said Moyses in a timerous distrust of his owne abilitie,) Exod. 3, xi that I shold go vnto Pharo. Thē what am I, maie I better expostulate from the certaine knowledge of my disabi­litie, to worship the Euarlasting God? What am I, that am a thousand times inserior to that Moses, to worship him truelie, who is ten thousand, nay innumerable and vnimaginarie millions of degrees superior to that Pharo. But the same God, who [in respect of his owne desert, being the perfection of all thinges, and all per­fection before thinges had being] requireth such exact seruice from me, knowes whereof I am made, for I am, a worke of his owne handes, and remembreth that, I am but dust the substance of my forefathers, vnskilfull how [for I am no better then a beast in my owne know­ledge, and vnapt if I were skillfull, so to serue him, My hearte by nature being continually so misdisposed. And out of the great storehouse therefore of his vnualua­ble compassion, hath he sent me a full supplie to all my desects, and plainelie directed me how to adresse my selfe for the manner of seruice, which must purchase his acceptation: for as he gaue encouragement to Mo­ses, and taught him with his owne word what to saie vnto, and howe to carrie himselfe before Pharo. It hath pleased him in like sort to imbolden mee in my greatest seare, and by the perfect rule of the same powerfull word, to instruct me after what sorte to ap­peare before him, and how to demeane my selfe in the presence of his Maiestie, his sacred word [I saie still] the spirit of truth expounding the same vnto me, is my instruction.

Hence I learne [which is the lesson that all christi­ans should be perfect in] the knowledge of Iesus [Page]christ, and him crucified, to know him to be perfect God and perfect Man, my maker, my sauiour, my me­diator. My maker as he is God, my Sauiour and media­tor, as he is God and man: this is all I desire to knowe, and may be wel enough, for that learned Apostle of his, notwithstanding his miraculous conuersion, a­boundant inspiration, and heauenly vision, [by his own testimonie, knew no more, as he needed not, the doc­ctrine thereof being [indeede] the verie summe, and scope of the whole scriptures. This knowledge whoso­euer hath, though he knowe nothing else, knoweth all thinges: as who so wanteth the same, though hee knowe all thinges else, maye bee saide to knovve no­thing.

This is that christall sountain from whence the pure Waters of life do flovv, and they that drinke soundlie thereof shall neuer thirst. This is that fixed Helice which if we truelie obserue, pointeth out our land of promise, and directeth vs the right waie thither; Nay, this is the waie it selfe that leades vs vnto truth; and the truth it selfe that leades vnto life; and the life it selfe that vve so long after, euen eternall selicitie, I am the way, Iohn 14, 6. the truth and the life: Novv, from this knowledge of my sa­uior, I learn to renounce my selfe and relie vpon him, to cast off mine own beggerlie rags patched together with abhomination, and by the hand of faith to put on his princely robe, the glorious robe of his righteousnes. In this attire I appeare before my god, & become accepta­ble in his presence, for this garment he frely giueth me, and as freely teacheth me how to weare it: I meane this righteousnesse of Christ, which is the true consor­mitie with the law of GOD, and an absolute ful­filling [Page]thereof: God, out of his meere grace and mercy impureth vnto me, and withall woo [...]keth in me faith, whereby I apply the same vnto my selfe, so that in this sence, I may presume to say the righteousnes of Christ is mine, and that therein I serue my God truely, as he that laboured so much euen to anotamize the worke of iustification, hath for an eternall Maxime set downe, that Christ is made vnto vs righteousnes, wisedome, 1 cor. 1, 30 san­ctification, and redemption, and else where, That in him we are compleat. Col. 2, 10 The fraile wit of man hath deuised a law, whereby an act doue by one is remitted from him that did it, to him that gaue consent and commission for the doing of it. But the vnsearchable wisedome of our God, from the deepe reach of his mercy, and compas­sion, without so much as our knowledge (for he knew vs from euerlasting, and before the foundation of the worlde, contriued this meanes for our deliuery]hath more then admirably conueyed vnto vs the memora­ble act of Christes humiliation and satisfaction, and by his imputation, and our aprehension (which is like­wise his guifte) freelye made it ours. The worke it selfe which is Iustice, not altred by the exchange of the subiect, but onely inattribute. It being I egall in Christ, in vs Euangelicall: If then the righteousnesse of Christ thus be made ours, if his obedience and satisfaction be thus freely bestowed vppon vs: What should hinder vs (it may be meruailed) from affording due entertain­ment to so vnspeakeable a benefit, and that we make not true vse of so great aduantage. Is not this the de­lectablest food that euer any hungry stomacke longed after? Is it not the softest couch that the wearied soule can find to repose vpon? Questionlesse it is, and there­fore [Page]whosoeuer resolueth to fare well, shoulde frame himselfe to this diet, and he that loueth to lie soft, must become his owne Harbinger, and make sure in time to take vp this lodging: For this is the food of eternall life, this is the bed of euerlasting rest. Peter not him­self, but being then, (and not only then) out of his pro­per Element [for he knew not what he said] brake with christ about building of tabernacles on the mount Thabar. But hee that vppon this foundation which is christ him­selfe shall aduisedly erect the fortresse of his hope, and Tabernacle of his felicity, may be truely said to be his owne man, though scarcely as the apprehension of men goeth now a daies, and that he is in the right, For he knowes what he doth, and that his building, though all those wordely, fleshly, and diuellish aduersaries, combino in oppugnation, can neuer be subuerted. In more propper sence therefore then Peter spake it, I may boldely say, Heere is good being, good for the King, good for the Begger, good for all, heere is good be­ing indeed, and heere am I constantly resolued, let ne­uer so many millions of misbeleeuers rest vppon what other rotten dependance they list, to set downe my rest for euer.

This stay I know to be sure and neuer shrincking: this supportation I am sure is strong and neuer shaketh. This, this is our soules most firme, and neuer­failing anchorage: yea this righteousnes of our sweete, and louing sauiour, is not onely a sure strong and neuer failing foundation, but it is the onely sure stronge and neuer failing foundation, whereupon we must resolue to build all our happines for euer, if euer we resolue to [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]for to relie vpon ought besides, that the earth, or the heauens themselues can afford, in the great and weightie cause of our iustification, is to trust vnto that which shall neuer stedde vs, and most vndoubtedlie to become most vnhappie. Now, this righteousnesse of our mercifull redeemer, so aduantageable to all those that constantly depend thereuppon, I consider in his perfect obeying to the law of God, which we had trans­gressed, and coulde neuer of our selues haue fulfilled, and his painefull vndergoing the punishment pro­per to such our transgressions, euen the wrath of his fa­ther, which was incensed, & by no satisfaction of man, or Angel could euer haue bin appeased. O sweet, vnef­fable and incomprehensible mercie of our God, who out of his owne bosome hath distilled a balme to cure all our wounds, though neuer so mortall, and albeit so deseruedlie receiued in the traiterous breach of his sa­cred ordinaunces, and not spared euen his owne heart bloud, to wash awaie our vncleannesse, and to purge vs that were his enemies, from all our corruption. The meanes that conueieth vnto us this mercie of God the father in this merite of God the sonne, is [as I former­touched] a liuelie iustifieng faith, begotten in our harts by God the Holi-ghost, who must needes be thefficient cause of the said Faith, as the true knowledge and trust in Christ is the formall, the gospell the instrumentall, and the finall gods glorie. By which faith, it being The ground of thinges which are hoped for, Hebr. 11, 1 and the euidence of things which are not seene, or a stedfast supernaturall knowledge and firme apprehension of Gods kindnes in Christ Iesus towards vs. Many celestiall indowmentes and good workes are kindled in the mind and hart, and [Page]flame forth of the life and conuersation of euerie true beleeuer; as repentance, hope, loue, inuocation, obe­dience, iustification, adoption, patience, consolation, mortification, peace of consciēce, ioy in the holighost, and regeneration with the fruits therof: All of them to­gither with diuers other such like heauenlie infused qua­lities, though not distinguishable in time but in nature, though essentially being Gods gifts, and immediatelie proceeding from his grace, yet properlie either begot­ten, wrought or apprehended by the saide Faith, it be­ing in vs a cause, & they the necessarie effects, the root, and they the inseperable braunches: So that when I af­firme my religion to be, The true seruice of God and that seruice to be performed truelie by vs, in the righteous­nes of Christ, I do not herein exclude our workes as impertinent or vnnecessarie thereunto, or deny but that good workes are Gods seruices, and that therein it pleaseth him to be glorified: But because our workes when they are at the best are of themselues imper­fect, and when they finde the happiest passage, not for themselues, but in and for Christs righteousnes are ac­cepted, I iudge it a more proper speech to say, that in the righteousnes of Christ which is absolutely perfect, which is freely bestowed vpon vs, and really made ours by faith, and from which as from the fountaine of all Gods graces, all our owne good workes are properlie saide to spring, that therein we serue God truely [it be­ing of it self as it wel deserueth merritorious, and ma­king our poor endeuours, which of themselues deserue nothing, most gratiously to be regarded.

Indeede it is all in all vnto vs, reconciling vs to the fa­uour of our God, and inablinge vs to doe that which [Page]is acceptable both before God and man: for where this righteousnesse is faithfully receiued; This righte­ousnesse, through which only we enioy all the blessings of the earth, by which onely (as I said) our best deedes must purchase acceptation, and for which only we con­fidently hope, at the last daie to be saued: where I saie this righteousnesse is truely apprehended by faith, by vertue of the same the heart, and all the powers of the whole man, are instantly prest (so much as in him lies) for al godly designs, and eagerly bent (so far as by grace he is inabled) to the execution of any religious office, that may tend to the seruice of his Lord and sauiour, and to the manifestation of his obedience, loue, and thankefulnesse to his maiestie, for such his vnspeakable mercy towardes him: for looke how proper light is to the sunne or heate to fire, so proper, and so inseparable are good workes vnto that faithe which is so surely founded vpon the mercie of God, in this righteous­nesse of Christ Iesus: No I am so far from renouncing or disclaiming from good works, that I will acompany any true, or stiled catholick, protestant or papist in the world, in commendation, estimation, and approbati­on of them, till they come to be so intollerably prized, as to be set in the roome of christes righteousnesse, to fulfill the eternall law of God, which was Christs office, to be held meritorious of saluation, which is the due of christs obedience; and consequently to be made pro­portionable with Gods iustice, which is onely proper to christs righteousnesse; In this degree of magnifieng them I hold it security to leaue them, acknoledging my pouerty one waie, [acording to that rate] not able to reach them: and knowing my riches another way (after [Page]such a reckoning not to stand in neede of them, for We are poore in our selues but rich in Christ, I confesse that to glorifie God by doing good workes, is a principall end both of our election, creation, redemption, and sancti­fication: I confesse that workes are necessary, for great and waightie respects, as besides the honnouring of God, which is the chiefe end of all, and to be preferred before any respect whatsoeuer, to manifest our faith, to credit our vocation, to expresse our thankefulnesse, to benefite our neighbour, and to acertaine vs, that wee are in the right waie, that leadeth to euerlasting happi­nesse; yea so farre fourth necessarie, that without them, I meane without the workes of the second, or at least of the first Table, we shall neuer attain vnto salua­tion: Howbeit, I dare not thence conclude, that those workes are the cause of our saluation, but the effects of the cause, which is faith in the righteousnesse of christ.

I confesse that all our good workes shal be rewarded euen to a cup of cold Water, yet will not thereby en­ferre, that such reward is extended for the merit either of the person that doth the worke, or of the worke how wel done soeuer, but frō the meere bounty of our god, who dealeth with vs (in all things) better then (of our selues) we deserue; and for manifestation of his truth, who hath gaged his word to that effect, and will euer be as good as his promise. In a worde I approue good workes, I honour the doers of them, and admire that grace which by faith enableth men to do them: but stil vnderstand them to be the fruites and consequents of faith, and in vs to receiue their life and being from the same; for I cannot thinke that repentance or charity themselues, though both of them steed vs so much in [Page]this world, & the one of them stay with vs in the world to come, are sent by the blessed spirit, into the heartes or mindes of the faithfull, till faith formerly planted there by the same spirit, be ready to receiue them. For I know they are diuine vertues, and no sinnes: Howbe­it had they being before faith, I durst not thinke them so, Ro, 14, 23 because I am commaunded to hold the necessity of this consequent whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne, to be inuincible. A legall contrition [indeede] and hu­maine effection may goe before, but when that contrition becommeth true repentance, and that af­fection is refined into perfect charity: Questionlesse, it is faith, it being the receiuer of the spirit and purifier of the hart, by which vnder God is wrought that happy and heauenly metamorphosis.

BVt to wade no deeper in this bottomlesse Ocean, where the pilate himselfe if he take not good heed, may quickly sinck ouer head and eares, 3. Sect. so infinite are the misteries of our redemption, and so many degrees more then infinite the mercies of God in our redemer: And because I stand in feare, least for the difficulty, you conceite not, or for the strangenes therof affect not this description, which I haue already made of my Religi­on; I will after a plainer sort for your vnderstanding, and in a fashion more sutable for our liking, draw forth in a word or two that pattern which in the profession of my faith and action of my life, till the daies of my pil­gramage, in this vaile of affliction bee determined, I am resolued by the ayde of the blessed spirit precise­ly to follow; and whence as touching the discharge of my duty both towardes God, and man, I fetch my di­rection. [Page]I formerly implyed, that this patterne was the written word, and so I doe still for the worde of God is a Lanthorne vnto our feete, and a light vnto our pathes, Psa, 119 a Lanthorne to keepe our feete from falling, in the race that we are to runne for so greate a Wager, and a light to make our pathes though they be narrow, and otherwise impossible to be hit, yet plain & passable vnto vs: but an Epitomy onely of this word I wil now propose vnto you, which consisteth of the creede, the comman­dements, and the lords praier; the creed indited by the holy ghost, and (frō probability) penned by the apostles, howsoeuer yet composed of their doctrine, & therfore not vnworthily called their creed The commaunde­ments indited [and penned to for ought we knowe by god himselfe] and deliuered to his chosen seruant Moses on the Mount Synay: and the Lords prayer indicted, by christ our sauior, and afterwards penned down, by those heauenly inspired actuaries of his, the holy Euange­lists; the creed comprizing the substance of the gospel, which is a ioyfull message of saluation, bestowed vpon vs vnder a condition of faithfull beleeuing: The com­mandements comprehēding the sum of the law, which is an assurance of eternal life vnto vs, but vnder a cōdi­tion of a harder nature, namely the exact performance of our dutye towardes God, and our neighbour, ex­pressed in these commaundementes; And the Lordes prayer contayning an absolute Method of inuoca­tion, or a perfect rule how to offer the sacryfice of prayse and praier vnto our God, wherewith he confes­seth himselfe to be honored, and wherin our seruice vn­to his maiesty [especially frō our inward man] is most ef­fectually performed the creed, which is our law of be­leeuing. [Page]The commaundements which are our lawes of liuing, and the Lords prayer which is our law of praising and praying, and long since for the dignity of it intituled e­uen the Law likewise of liuing, and beleeuing: Now, the creed, the commaundements, and the Lords pray­er, being thus in effect, a compendious breuiarie of the whole Bible, which containeth the sacred worde of the euerliuing God, whereby his blessed will, for our maner of seruing him is manifestly reuealed vnto vs; and the definition of my religion being a true seruice of the euer­liuing God, according to his will reuealed in his worde, I am warranted (not anye way impugning the same) to affirm, that my religion is, to beleeue according to the creed, to liue according to the commaundements, and to inuocate the name of God according to the Lordes praier. Howbeit, I vnderstand not heere this word (ac­cording) in sence of absolute corospondence, with the creede, the commaundements and the Lordes prayer; But vnder this humble and necessary reseruation, namely that I beleeue according to the creede, as sted­fastly, and assuredly, that I liue according to the com­mandements, as vprightly and conformably, and that I inuocate the name of God, according to the Lordes prayer as zealously and effectually, as the measure of faith, grace, and the spirit do enable me: For these are al Gods giftes, and he freely bestoweth them vppon his needy followers, in proportion that is best pleasing to his vnchaungeable will, and most agreeable to his vn­searchable wisedome: For I dare not thinke better of my selfe in the ability of beleeuing, liuing and praying, then my betters haue formerly done of themselues: [O that I were so gratiously qualified, wherby I might iust­ly [Page]be occasioned to thinke so wel] my betters, I meane the best of Gods seruants, some of them hauing cryed vnto the Lord for helpe to their vnbeleefe, and to haue theyr fayth increased: Some hauing agnized that the godlyest seuen times a day, shew what house they are come of, whose loynes they proceed from, that Adam the ringleader of man-sinners, was their ancestor: and some auerring that we of our selues know not, what to praye as wee ought, and therefore [to helpe vs out] that the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed. Wherefore [as in effect I saide before] I beleeue as the measure of faith doth en­lighten me acording to the creed: I liue as the measure of grace doth enable me, according to the commaun­dements: and I pray as the measure of the spirit doeth informe me, according to the Lordes prayer. Thus I beleeue, thus I liue, thus I pray, this is my religion, and [as I take it] The true seruice of the euerliuing God, accor­ding to his will reuealed in his word. Nowe, hauing [as I promised] after that little glimpse of vnderstanding, by the mercy of my God, reserued in me, giuen you a view of my profession, which through the subtilitie of Sathan, playing vpon your simplicity, you are smooth­ly borne in hand, is so erronious, absurd, and Hereti­call; I would gladly know wherein such heresie, absur­ditie or error can be found: but it was my promise, and is still my purpose [if God, that disposeth of all thinges howsoeuer mā purposeth be pleased therwith] to make you see the vnseemelines of your owne mishapen opi­nions, and to feele the daungerousnesse of your owne souls disease, by vnderstanding the errour, absurditie, and heresie of your owne religion. Which I knowe not [Page]how better or in plainer sort to perform, then by lay­ing before your view the doctrin of your Romā church, in opposition to the doctrin of our church of England, touching these principall heads of a christians professi­on, which I haue already, [though briefly, and but in part] runne ouer, that so comparing the one with the other, and trying them both by the touchstone, that discouereth truth from falshood, you may more iudi­cially descerne the currant from the counterfeit, and more powerfully be induced (hauing once found so in­estimable a Iewell) to long after the ful fruition there­of, which [although you sell all you haue to gaine it] wil not prooue deere vnto you, for it wil make you rich vnto eternall saluation.

AND first against my religion, 4. Sect. which I defined, and proued to be The true seruice of the euerliuing God, according to his wil reuealed in his word, I must be so bold with yours, as to call it, a forged seruice of God according to the will of man, reuealed in traditians, decretals, and counsels: I may tearme it, a forged seruice of God, because it is according to the will of man only, and not of God; and I dare say, it is according to the will of man onely, because it is onely reuealed in these Traditions, meerely humaine, vnwarrantable Decretals, and Counsels not lawfully called: and are you not in a hard case already, euen vppon this entraunce into consideratior. of your religion? Doe you not thinke it a miserable condition, whereunto with their plausible perswasions, they whom you deeme your ghostly fathers, [but by the Holighost himselfe, are described by creeping into houses and lea­ding captiue silly Women, such as your self] haue done their best to tie you? Is it not [and be your own iudge] a dan­gerous case, and a condition most disaduantagable so to be traduced, to fasten your soules dependance vpon [Page]a course of seruing God, which neither by God him­selfe, nor Christ Iesus his sonne, nor by his faithfull ser­uants the prophets, or Apostles, was euer commaun­ded; no nor by the general consent of the fathers of the primitiue church for 5. C. years at least after Christs in­carnation, euer prescribed, or practised. For your ado­ration & inuocation of Sa. your praiers for the souls of your friends departed, your superstitious pilgrimages, your communion vnder one kind only, your calling vp on God for you know not what, in a tongue you vnder­stand not, your sacrifice of the masse, your meriting by your works, and diuers other such like grosse & absurd opinions, wherupon your religion is composed, as they can find no substantiall warrant, in the sacred canonical scriptures, which are Gods pure truth, and containe all things necessary for our saluation. So had they not their birth immediately vpon the Apostles death, but some of them sprang vp two hundred, some three hundred, some fiue hundred years after, some sooner, some later, and were not al til within this very age, euen the memo­ry of men now liuing, by your selus consented vnto, nor absolutely by your owne vsurped authority concluded vpon. Hence may you easily gather [your religion be­ing neither sufficiently waranted by authority of Gods word, nor generally approued by the ancient fathers of the church] how woorthily or vnworthily you stile the same with such confidence, the old and catholicke reli­gion: I cannot go on with particular examination of e­uery part of your profession, your patience, and my lei­sure, being I fear proportionable wil not permit me, but do beg your attētion to the consideration of one prin­cipal point of doctrine, generally taught by your grea­test clarks, & as generally beleeued euen to the simplest [Page]amongst you, whose stomackes indeed are the best di­gesters of such misdiet because at the hands of ignorance, errour euer findeth her securest entertainment, I former­lye, in discourse of our Religion affirmed, that our whole dependance for our saluation was vpon the free mercy of God through christ Iesus: And the righte­ousnesse of christ without any worke or merit of our owne applyed truely by faith, was before God our on­ly iustification: contrary to this doctrin, you are taught and do beleeue that you shall be saued by your workes, or at least that your workes must concur, and stand vp with faith in the act of your iustification before God. Now to make you see and acknowledge the absurdity and preiudice of this opinion: first you shall heare what the Apostle himselfe inspired with the holy spirit, and the fathers of the church hauing the same diuine schol­maister, though instructed in farre different measure, haue thought and deliuered touching the same; and then som principal inconueniences that necessarily fol­low that doctrine, pregnant and aparant enough [I hope] vtterly to deterre you from euer lending a liste­ning eare againe thereunto. Titus. 3, 5 Paule that writ more tou­ching the manner of our iustification then all the rest of the Apostles, to make his Scholler Titus, and others by him to abandon all hope of being saued by their works, telleth him plainely, We are saued not by workes of righte­ousnesse which we haue done, but acording to his mercy he saued vs: Heere he excludeth workes, though they be works of righteousnes, though they be our best works, and ascribeth all the matter of our saluation meerely to the mercy of God through Iesus christ; I am sure, there is no worke that you or the holiest of your church [Page]whatsoeuer can do, that is a better worke more merito­rious, a worke of purer righteousnesse then the workes of Paule were. No, they hold in no comparison with his, for his workes (as yours doe not) sprang from a liuely faith, which made them so good as they were, notwith­standing, you see he vtterly renounceth them all how good soeuer, and dare you in any sort rest vpon yours in this important matter of iustification? The said A­postle laboring to win the Romaines to the same faith, readeth them this lecture to the same effect. Ro. 6, 23 The wages of sinne is death, but the guift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our sauiour: Heere you are plainly told what are the causes of going to hell, and comming to hea­uen. The desert of man the cause of damnation, but the mercy of God the cause of saluation; our sinne doth incur the one, for the reward of sinne is death: but our best deserts merit not the other, for, eternal life is meer­ly the guift of God through Iesus Christ: had Paule that learned Apostle, in this point approued the doctrine of your church thus [questionlesse] or to this effect, he would haue concluded, the reward of sinne is death, and the reward of good workes is eternall life: but you see hee quite ouerthroweth that opinion, leauing vs of our selues to deserue the one, but ascribing the o­ther to Gods free guifte in Christ beyond our de­sert.

But if neither of these places haue power to remoue you from your former opinion, giue me leaue to pro­duce one saying more out of the same authour, which I assure my selfe [so you ponder it rightly] will pierce euen the quickest vayne of your heart, if the same [as I hope in my sauiour it is not] be not vtterly benum­med, [Page] the sufferings [saith he] of this life are not worthy of the glory to come. I conceiue that the workes whereby you hope to merit at Gods hands are the workes of do­ing, and workes of suffering, the former more easie, and lesse deseruing, the latter lesse easie, and therefore (as you are taught] the more meritorious: but Paule that knew what it was both to do & suffer, better then those by whom you are perswaded to place such hie affiance in your workes, preacheth vnto you heere another kind of doctrine, namely that euen the sufferings of this life, your afflictions, your deeds of best desert, are not wor­thy of the glory to come. And you may be assured that no man that euer fought vnder the banner of Christ Iesus suffered more for his sake, or deserued heauen bet­ter for his sufferings then he that teacheth you this les­son. For he testifieth of himselfe that the sufferings of Christ did abound in him. That in labours, he was more aboundant then other in ripes aboue measure, Co. 11, 23 in pryson more plenteously, on death oft, that of the Iewes fiue tymes he receiued forty stripes saue one, that he was thrice beaten with rods, once stoned, thrice suffered shrip­wracke, that he was night and day in the deepe Sea; In iournying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of his owne nation, in perils among the gentiles, in pe­rils in the citty, in perils in the wildernesse, in perils in the Sea, in perils amongst false breathren, In wearinesse and painefulnesse, in watching often, In hunger and thirst, in fasting often; In cold and in nakednesse, and beside the thinges that were outward he was combred daiely, and had the eare of all the Churches. Phi 1, 13 And that his bandes in Christ were famous throughout all the iudgement hall, and in all o­ther places.

These are Paules owne wordes of himselfe, and his sufferings. Now if euer there were such merit in our works, sure heere it was: if euer the desert of sinfull man could iustly haue challenged such a reward as euer­lasting life, doubtlesse, Paule for these his sufferinges would haue put in with the formost: Howbeit you see when he speakes of the glory to come, and the proper cause of our attayning vnto eternall saluation, he then disclaimeth from al his works, from these his sufferings and all; and cherefully runs to another refuge euen the righteousnesse of his sauiour christ Iesus, wherein there is true merit indeede, and wherewith hee knovveth the iustice of God is worthily satisfied, and our eter­nall peace onely procured; thus you see what this holy Apostle of christ Iesus thought touching this poynt of mans meriting; And I pray you marke how firmely the learned Fathers of the church cleaue vnto the same doctrine: My first place out of Paule was that wee are saued not by &c. And Saint Ierom, one whom your church highly reuerenceth, writeth in this man­ner; Hier: lib: 1, ad, Pelag Then are wee iust, when wee confesse our selues to be sinners: And our iustice consisteth not of our owne merit but of Gods mercy: Heere this holy father in the matter of iustification, reiecteth with S. Paule all our owne merit, and referreth the same wholly to Gods mercy. My second place out of the Apostle was, that the Wages of sinne is death, but the guift of GOD is eter­nall life through &c. Origene one of the most aunci­ent Fathers of the church in exposition of these ve­ry words, of Paule saith thus, Origen in ep, ad, Ro: ca, 4, lib, 4 The apostle saith that the wa­ges of sin is death, but he added not & said likewise the wa­ges of iustice is eternall life, but he sayeth eternall life is [Page]the gratious guift of God, to teach vs that wages which is like to debt, and reward is a recompence of pun shment and death, and to assigne eternall life to grace onely. Thus you heare this reuerent father expoundeth Paule, that our wickednes iustly meriteth condemnation, but that the ballaunce wanteth waight the other way, and that our best deedes merite not saluation, which is assigned to grace only; and if only to grace, then are all our workes absolutely excluded in that busines.

My last place out of paule was, The sufferings &c. An­swerable to this, sayeth Saint Barnard on this manner. Now concerning eternal life, we know the sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory to come, Barn. in Anunt Mariae. Serm. 1 no not if one man should suffer all, heere this deuout and religious father remoueth all doubt touching the former doctrine by a forcible supposition on this manner. Admit that the af­flictions and persecutions of Paule, of Peter, of Iames, and all the Apostles, that the paine and torments of the Primitiue Church, and of those fiue and twenty Byshops which successiuely were martyred for the name of Ie­sus. And that all the tortures and sufferings of all the Saints of God in allages from the death of Abell, to the last drop of blood that euer shal be shed vpon the earth for the testimony of the Lords truth were laide vppon one man to beare, and that it were possible for him one­ly to vnder go the paines, torments, and tortures, that they all indured, yet were the glorye of eternall life to rich a guerdon for those his sufferinges, hee coulde not merite heauen thereby, for the infinite iustice of God, must haue a greater satisfaction. This was the holy fathers censure hereupon, No not [saith he] if one man should suffer all.

Now let me reason with you by an inuincible and fa­miliar argument, if the suffrings of Paule, or of anye of these holy martyres, whose continuall persecutions and torments, were insteed of many deaths vnto them. Nay, if all their paines, tortures and deaths, ioyned to­gether, would not make vp a desert answearable to the meed of euerlasting glory: It must needes followe that your deeds and sufferings, which cary no neerer a pro­portion with the other, then your span doth with the spatiousnes of the whole earth, can merit no such mat­ter, and shall neuer for any desert they are of, come home so rewarded No, no you must not look for such an inrichment after such a reckoning, but rather saye with the same Saint Barnard, Serm, 1 anunt. Mar whom your selues confes to be one of the sweetest queresters in the Lords quier, What are all our merits to so great glory?

The gardens of all the Fathers of the Church, are thicke set with these flowers, they all of them teach [if true vnderstood] the selfe same doctrine. Thus you heare then what the Scriptures and Fathers haue deli­uere touching our iustification, how they referre the same wholy to the mercy and grace of God in the righ­teousnesse of Christ Iesus, and shake off our owne me­rits, as hauing no hand in that worke nor worthinesse in that degree to be trusted vnto.

But fearing least you are made beleeue that the Scriptures as we read them are false, and the Fathers as we vse to alledge them but wrested, [as what will not falshood affirme, to discountenance the trueth, or er­ror be ashamed to say for her owne shelter] I will yet at­tempt another meane, which I assure my selfe will cool, and am in good hope vtterly extinguishe that your [Page]conceit of merritting, and it shal be by making knowne vnto you the wonderfull inconuenience you incurre, and the dangerous premunire that your soule runs in­to by holding your workes in such estimation.

There are two principall vertues, whereby our gra­tions God vouchsafeth to manifest himself to the know ledge of his seruants vpon the earth, and wherin it plea­seth his diuine omnipotency to be delighted, and they are his mercy and his Iustice. There are likewise 2. prin­cipall offices, which our mercifull Sauiour daigned to vndertake for our sakes, whereby the fauour of God, which our old notorious pranke had estranged, is re­gaind vnto vs, and thorough the blessed means where­of, we are not onely become gratious with him in this world, but haue assurance of his sight, and the happye fruition of eternall felicity in the worlde to come, and those are his redeemershippe, and mediatorshippe: and I pray you what will you thinke of your Religion, if the same, nay if one branch thereof among twenty, as rotten as it selfe, if this onely point of attributing merit to your workes, in the act of your iustification, doeth impaire and manifestly obscure the dignitie of these excellent proprieties of God his mercie, and his Iustice, and withall disparage, and apparantly de­tract from the Worthynesse of Christ his merite in that his redeemershippe, and mediatourshippe; if your religion [I say] be guilty of such heinous trea­son against the diuine Maiesty, will you not then iudge it your securest course to abandon her daungerous fel­lowship, and embrace [insteed therof] for your com­fort true christianity, of whome you shall be sure to learne nothing but true faith, and true obedience to [Page]your heauenly Soueraigne: In discouery hereof it is behoouefull for you to conceiue, that as the essence of God is infinite and perfect, so these proprieties of God his mercy and Iustice [because they are essentiall in him] must likewise of necessity, be perfect and infi­nite: which being graunted, doeth not euery opinion that shall intimate defect or insufficiency therein, impaire [as I saide,] and manifestly obscure the digni­ty thereof? you cannot denie but it doth, neither shall you euer be able substantially to cleere your doctrine of merites, from this high and perillous imputation. For looke how much you attribute to your owne me­rits in the purchase of saluation: So much you detract away from Gods mercy in Christ, which is the pro­per, and onely price, whereby the same is purchased: God which is rich in mercy [saith Paule] through his great loue wherewith he loued vs, Esphe. 2, 4. euen when we were dead in sinne, hath quickened vs together in Christ, for by grace are ye saued, and hath raised vs vp together, and made vs sit together in heauenly things, through Christ Iesus. And in another place formerly alledged, God hath not saued vs for the deeds of righteousnesse which we haue wrought, but of his mercy hath he saued vs. Heere the mercye of God appeareth like it selfe, Paule giueth it his due, and maketh it the only doer of the matter of saluation: you on the contrary, beleeue that you shal be saued by your works only, or at least by your works & this grace cou­pled togither: heer the mercy of god is shewed forth vnlike it selfe, you rob it of his due, making it either no­thing at all, as when you wil be iustified meerly by your own deeds without it, or at least but a partner with you, when your deeds must draw in the same yoke with it, as coaiutors or fellow workers in that busines.

Assure you selfe therefore, that the perfect and infi­nite mercy of our good and gratious God, doth not a­gree with the imaginary merit of flesh and blood, but is [and that not a little] indignified, by this grosse and presumptuous doctrine; for doe but seriously ponder with your selfe, whether that mercy can be infinit, that hath neede of a supplement, and how it can be perfect, when it must be eeked out with deedes of imperfection: yet is it perfect, and infinite, and shall euer remaine so, let neuer so many millions of your merit founders de­serue thereof as ill as they can, by such their confiden­cy in their owne deseruinges. The same indignity you profer to the iustice of God, which being likewise [as his mercy is] perfect and infinite: you hope neuerthe­lesse will be satisfied with corrupted intigrety, and ap­peased with your poluted righteousnesse: but you are as wide from the truth as the East is from the West, for there is no iustice that can stand against the iustice of God, but that which carrieth proportion answearable therunto. It requireth an entire and ful paiment; And it is not the low-prized drosse of Egypt, our stained & im­pure actions, but the refined gold of Saba, the vnspot­ted, and pure righteousnesse of christ Iesus, that in the great day of our accompt will passe for currant. No no you should be so far from arrogating vnto your selfe, any ability to the answering of that so infinite, and aw­ful iustice of God almighty, as rather firmely, and con­stantly to rest assured, that the vprightnes of al the men on earth, though the same indeede [respectiuely] be pleasing, and acceptable vnto God, nor the integrity of all the Angels of heauen, yet I know they excell in strength, and are now confirmed from euer falling: nor [Page]the holinesse of all the Saintes, both in heauen, and in earth, [albeit I confesse they make vp that church, which christ himselfe calleth faire, and without spot, and ho­noreth beside with the title of his sister, his loue his spouse, his doue, and his vndefiled. That the vprightnes [I say] integrity, and holinesse of all these Angels and saints, nay the power of all their desert ioyned together, cannot calme the tempest of Gods iustice from show­ring downe indignation vpon all the sons of Adam for their originall and actuall transgression, nor so much as qualifie the said iustice towards your selfe in particu­lar, nor make a condigne satisfaction for your sins only, no not for the least sinne though you extenuate and mince it to the least of your veniall sins, that euer you committed; for any sinne is a breach of the whole law, and who knoweth not the transgression of the law is that proper act of rebellion, whereby this infinite iustice is so worthily incensed, as without an infinite satisfaction neuer to be apeased: yet are you bold of your selfe to rush in vpon that displeased maiesty, and hauing no lawfull warrant to present the same with an hollow bird of your owne worthinesse: but you haue often heard that it is ill dallieng with saints, and let me by the way aduise you to beware how you iest any more with such edg-tooles as Gods iustice: Howbeit your doctrine of merites for all these wronges, both to the mercye and Iustice of God, doth not yet finde lymits to bound his outrage in, but breaketh out further to ouerflow euen the obedience, and sufferinges of our mercifull sauior christ Iesus, and as much as lieth in the handes of he­resie to annihilate his blessed righteousnesse the very truth only and al-sufficient act of our redemption.

This righteousnesse of christ, (which none but the rabble of Antichrist will deny) you must vnderstand is perfect: And it is necessary it should be so, for it en­countereth the perfect iustice of god, and is layed in the ballance to waygh against the same for a wonderfull va­lew, a valew of no lesse worth then the welfar, and whole estate of euery christian soule, that euer was, or euer shall be imprisoned in the corrupt tabernacle of flesh and blood. Now, you not contented to set down your whole rest vpon the sufficiency of this righteousnesse, either pull the same quite out of the ballance, and put in steede thereof your own, or at least lay yours vpon his to make vp the waight, as though the other were suffici­ent: wherein what derogation you proffer to the merit of christs obedience, it is most manifest, the same being of it selfe so absolute, and what madnes you shew therin may be wondered at, when al your merits vnto christs, are [for substance] not a drop to the maine Ocean, and [for waight] not so much as a feather, to the whole earth. The spirit of truth that holy charmer himselfe wil quickly resolue you herein, if [Adderlike] you stop not your eares against him, as [methinks] you should not, howsoeuer you be inioyned by man, because he alwaies charmeth most wisely: Esay, 63, 3 In one place Christ alone hath troden down the winepresse neither was there any at al that helped him. God forbid that I should reioyce in any thing but in the crosse, Gala. 6, 14, death and passion, of our Lord Iesus christ. The blood of Iesus christ the son of God clenseth vs from all sinne. 1 Ioh, 1, 7 Now if christ aloue hath troden down that presse that would haue pressed vs to death: If we must reioyce in nothing, but only in the death of christ Iesus: If the precious blood of that sweete sauiour of ours, doth on­ly [Page]clense vs from all our sins, what should we thinke of our selues, and of our works? What haue we to do, that of our selues are but worms of the earth in comparison? What haue our works to do, that of themselues are but meere vnworthines in the sight of the almighty? What [I say] haue we or our works to do in this high, and wor­thy office of our saluation? It is already mercifully vn­dertaken, by him that could performe it for vs: It is al­ready happily performed by him that did vndertake it for vs, and being so vndertaken, and performed to our hands, what remaineth now for vs, but faithfully to be­leeue in him that hath done these wonders for the children of men, and next of all holily to liue in him, because he commaundeth vs to be holy as he is holy; and were it but to expresse our thankefulnes for such his vnspeakeable mercies towards vs. Yet so to beleeue & liue in him, as that we neuer beleue we can do any thing while vve liue that shall vvorthy vs to pertake with him in the memorable act of our saluatiō, or can haue power [though issuing from the greatest perfection of humain ability to merit the reward of eternall glory. For if we cold, then this our blessed redeemer did put on the hea­uy garment of our humanity in vain, did keep the com­maundements in vaine, did sweate water, and blood in vaine, did want the priuiledge euen of little sparrowes for his repose in vaine, and submitted himselfe to all his sufferinges from the Manger, which was his cradle, to the crosse, which was the conclusion of his mi­sery, and all this he vnderwent for our loue in vain, if we be able to merit of our selus, if we haue holines to make our own peace, for so he hath done nothing for vs, but vvhat vve can do of our selues, which were a horrible & [Page]blasphemous conclusion: and yet you see reasonably drawne from this your sacriligious and so derogatory doctrine of merits.

And yet derogatory further, for it leaueth not our Sauiour heere, but secondeth this iniury of his redee­mership with changing the natur of his mediatorship: For what is a mediator amongst men, or christ as he is mediatour betwixt God and man, but a traueller, or one that interposeth himselfe betweene seuerall par­ties to make peace, betweene the offended, and the offendor: The partie heer offended is God, by reason of sinne committed, the partie offender is man, that hath committed this sinne against him. God is per­fectly iust, and will not be put off with shifts, but stan­deth vpon satisfaction. Man is a stark bankerout, clean blown out, and hath nothing wherewith to satisfie. O blessed God that art so righteous in all thy workes, and thrice blessed be thy holy name, euen for being so iust that thou wilt be satisfied; but O cursed man that was so wicked in his waies, as to forsake his gratious God, that had made him so rich, and [when he might haue chosen] to plunge himselfe in such extreame pouerty: Methinkes I see him soeing figge-leaues to couer his shame, and shuddering himselfe behind trees, from the presence of the Almightie: methinks I heare him an­swearing the Lord friuilously, and prating out excuses to no purpose; for God that it is truth it self, and seeth all things cannot be deluded.

And yet methinks, lifting vp my self, I see another arm of mercy extended forth to saue, as wel as that arm of Iustice to destroy: I see the Lord is merciful, and gra­tious, long suffering, and of great goodnes, that he wil [Page]not alway be chiding, nor continue his anger for euer, that he dealeth not with his seruants after their sinnes, nor rewardeth them according to their wickednes. In a word, which is my souls rauishing comfort, methinks I see his mercy without impeachment to his Iustice, to shine aboue al his works, for with this arme of compas­sion he taketh this sinner vp, and euen him himself tho­rough his wisedome, and power deuiseth a means to sa­tisfie himselfe, and restore againe the poore offender to his fauour.

And now my sweet Sauiour, I must returne againe vnto thee, for the needle of my soule truely touched [I hope] with thy grace, wil neuer stand still, till it come directly against thy merit, the fixed point of my salua­tion.

When man by sinne had thus seperated himself from his maker, and the iawes of eternall damnation [but a deserued guerdon] gaped wide to haue swallowed him vp, at this dead lift Christ Iesus, (by whom all thinges formerly were made,) commeth to help out, and draw together againe, his father and this offender, that stood in such opposition; he vndertaketh to pay the debt, set­teth a certaine day, and keepeth it, & requireth nothing of this mā, for whom thus frendly he becam paimaister but before till the day came, to beleeue in him that he would pay it: and after, when the day was past, to be­leeue in him that he had payed it, and before and after to loue him for his labour, and obserue that course for his life [as neere as he could] which he prescribed him. But what is all this [saith the cauiller] to Christes me­diatorship: I might answeare, that it is but a profitable digression at most, but I will answeare it is no digres­sion [Page]at all: For I assure you it is so pertinent, so necessa­rily belonging thereunto, that if you knowe not this you knowe nothing, if you perfectly conceiue not this, you shall neuer thoroughly vnderstande the other: and now I beseech you learne to knit them to­gether.

When christ the second person in the Trinity the very sonne of God, and yet perfect God himselfe, had for the sufficient and more proper discharge of this debt for man, which man by no means could haue dis­charged for himselfe, assumed our humanity, and tho­roughly satisfied the wrath of God as aforesaide: In due time he forsooke the earth, and returned vnto the blessed bosome of his father from whence hee came, and because he knew that man for all this kindnesse she­wed him, would not be fully reclaimed, nor thorough­ly purged during his abode vpon earth of that perniti­ous humor of disobedience that possessed him, but stil be prone to offend, and from time to time prouoking his Lorde and maker to indignation against him: Hee there in heauen seated vppon that glorious throne of Maiesty and power, the right hande of his Father, continually intreateth, presenteth satisfaction, and vndertaketh for him, I meane his Seruaunts that faith­fully beleeue in him, and truely depend vppon his righteousnesse for their saluation, and therein I praye you conceiue that his mediatorshippe (as with God the party offended) doth principally now consist; I say in intreating, presenting satisfaction, and vnder­taking for vs; For he intreateth his father to take pitty of vs, albeit we deserue it not, to loue vs although wee haue not loued him, and to embrace vs for his chil­dren [Page]notwithstanding our disobedience towardes him, and because being God as well as man, in this his of­fice of mediatorshippe, it concerneth him to see the Iustice of God fully satisfied, before his mercy be thus thoroughly extended: In his petition he compriseth effectuall considerations to stirre vppe compassion to­wardes vs, namely in regarde of his obedience and suf­feringes in our steede, for his righteousnes sake, which he continually presenteth vnto his father, as a satisfac­tion for our sinnes, and prayeth that the same may be accepted for vs, and we for the merit thereof become acceptable and gratious in his sight for euer: And last­ly he vndertaketh that at length, we shal leaue our sins, and cease to offend his deuine Maiesty any more, that wee shall truely honour him, and become fit instru­ments to sound forth his praise and glory.

Now I beseech you mark how this doctrin of Christs mediatorship, and your doctrin of merits can stand to­gither. Christ as a mediator intreteth his father in our behalfe, but if we do merit what need this intreaty, for God is iust, and of himself wil reward the wel deseruing of euery man to the ful: Christ as he is a mediator, pre­senteth satisfaction vnto his father for our sinnes, but if we do merit, that satisfaction might be spared, for God is iust, & wil not be paid duble: christ as he is our medi­ator, vndertaketh for our innocency herafter, but if we do merit, then belike we are innocent already, for none can merit at gods hands that is absolute righteousnes, but he that is absolutely righteous, and so that part of christs mediatorship would cease, for God is iust, and will haue no security, for that heerafter which he hath receiued already: but what doctrin cal you this? and yet [Page]such is your doctrine of merits, and so derogating as you see from the holy mediatorship of christ Iesus: If therefore you looke for benifit by that mediatorship [as most miserable is their condition that do not] you must lay by your own merit, which is so thin a clothing, that the least drop of Gods indignation will drench cleane through it; and cloath your selfe with christes merit, which will keepe you warme indeed, and be sure to hold out in all weather: for as christ came from hea­uen into the world, not to call the righteous (they that thinke themselues so) but the sinners [they that ac­knowledge themselues so] to repentance. In like sort he returned not into heauen out of the world to medy­ate for such pharasaicall iusticiaries, as rest vpon their owne integrity, but for the humble deiected publicans, that with repentance acknowledge their owne vnwor­thinesse.

Furthermore I do not see, how it can be well main­tained, but that it is in some sort repugnant euen to the office of the holy ghost likewise: for if the same be to sanctifie vs to nevvnesse of life, and to giue groweth to our faith from time to time, which taken at the best [as I am taught] standeth in neede of increase: how can any workes we do, which are the fruites of that faith, be truely sayd to merit, considering it is a ground, that the effect must be answerable to the cause, and the cause heer which is our faith, being desectiue, the effect which is our workes cannot bee perfect as necessarily they must be, if they be meritorious: now tel me I pray you, whether any heresie can be compact of grosser absur­dities then this, be more preiudiciall then this, or the author of greater indignity euen to the blessed Trinity, [Page]then proceedeth from this your heresie of merits: and yet which may be wondered at, it findeth professors and patrons more then a good many, and those scon­fesse not vnlearned, but profoundly reade in all know­ledge that humane helpes can puffe vp their vnderstan­ding with: but there is a knowledge that only one schol­maister reueileth; a diuine knowledge, a diuine schol­maister, happy and truely learned is that scholler, which is trained vp in such knowledge, and that is instructed (how vnlearned soeuer he seeme otherwise) by such a scholemaister.

I am not altogether ignorant of the cūning distincti­ons, which your greatest clarkes deuise for maintenance of this your merit, and how they will haue their merit of worke, and merit of the person, the merit of con­gruity, and the merit of condignity, and I knowe they will tell you, that there are diuers places of scripture to vphold the same. But first let me tell you what a bold of­fer, a good-fellow of our church once made to the contrary, he that can shew me [saith he] in any scripture that workes do merit, or be any meanes to our iustifica­tion, for the first scripture, without any further iudge­ment I will loose both mine eares; for the second, my tongue, for the third my neck; but the yssue was, they accepted of his eares, his tongue, and his neck, with­out performing the condition, for no such place in all the whole scripture could be found; and yet was he pit­tifully martyred amongst them, poore soule, nay rich soule rather, for who can be richer then he, by whom euen the house of God is inriched, and it is the say­ing of a learned father, that the blood of the martyr is the seede of the Church: I confesse there are many sayinges [Page]in the booke of god, that at the first sight, and being not throughly waighed, do seeme to import such a matter, as where it is said that euery man shall receiue according to his labour: your reward is great in heanen; he will render to euery man according to his works. From these and such places, your doctors would draw inuincible arguments that good workes, because God hath promised to re­ward them, doe therefore merit that reward so promi­sed, but there is no necessity of that consequent; our good workes indeed shall receiue reward, but not be­cause they merit the same: for the finest hath his staine, & the best worke that man can doe is blemished: but in regard that God of his owne free grace and mercy, without respect to any worthynesse in the worke at all, hath promised to reward them, who being euer faithful, will euer be as good as his promise, and shew himselfe in all thinges to deale with his seruantes that truely depend vpon his mercy, far better then after their best deseruings. And that our workes deserue not this re­ward, christ that is the paymaister himselfe, by his pro­phets, his Apostles, Doni, 9.38 by himselfe telleth vs plainely, We do not [saith the prophet] present or supplications be­fore thee, Rom. 3, 27 for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great ten­der mercies: your reioycing [saith the apostle] is excluded by the law of faith. Luk. 37 10. When ye haue don all (saith christ) say, we are vnprofitable seruants. The reuerent fathers and and learned Doctors of the church are copyous, and doe flow in their obsernations, vpon these and such like places of holy write, to drowne the barren plot of mans merits, & bring in greater estimation, the Aeden soile of christs righteousnes where all true merits grow, and whence the riches euen of heauen it selfe are to be ga­thered: [Page]but because I haue already partly cited them vp­on the same subiect, and my letter begins with prolixity to try the pacience euen of a friendly reader: I will only present you with a litle nosegaie of foure or fiue flowers out of their seuerall Gardens, which [although for hast they be not curiously tyed together] will neuerthelesse I doubt not yeeld your soule, a sweete and delectable sent, if you neglect them not, and with a conceipt of their vnworthinesse cast them not behind you.

This is the onely perfection of men if they know themselues to be vnperfect. Hier, ad­uer, Pelag. Augustine in manua­ly ca, 22

All my hope is in the death of my Lord: His death is my merit, my refuge, saluation life, and resurrection; my me­rit is the compassion of my Lord.

Let vs hope for forgiuenesse of our sinnes as of faith in christ, and not of debt as due for any merit. Ambrose lib. 2. ad Poeniten, c 8

Euery man shall be rewarded according to his works, but not for his workes. Gregorie in Ps [...]. 1, 4, 2 Barnardde liber. arbi­tr,

To speake properly of those workes which we call our me­rits, they are but the seede-plats of hope, the tokens of our predestination, the presagers of our future happinesse, the way to the kingdome, not the cause of raigning there: To conclude whom God hath iustified, not those whom he found iust, he hath glorified.

I will make vp this posie with one flower more out of the Garden of the said S. Bernard which I knowe you will hold deere for her sake whose name is written vpon it, whom you esteeme to be [and while you say no other wise of her I will say with you] the most blessed Virgin that euer bare life. Bar. Scr. 1 Anunt. ma Let them [saith S. Bernard] seeke for merit that list, It is best for vs to study to find grace, then he sheweth this reason, for Mary standeth not vpon her me­rit but seeketh grace.

Now, if the Virgin Mary whome you make no lesse then a Goddesse, whom you cal the Queene of heauen, the Queen of the world, and mother of grace and ver­tue; whome you account a generall aduocate for all Gods seruants vpon the earth, whom you inuocate e­uery day, whose honor you celebrate at eight solemne feasts euery yeare, and to whome you giue power to commaunde Christ her sonne, and to commaund him by the authority of a Mother. For al which [& did you heap as many more glittering titles together, as there are Starres in the firmament] I am perswaded she will neuer giue you thankes, for she loueth her sonne, her Lord, her God, too wel, to take vnto her selfe any thing that is due vnto him, or to smile vpon those that shall rob him of his honour, and giue it to any other, thogh it be to her selfe: If shee [I say] as Saint Bernard affir­meth, pretendeth not her owne merit, but resteth vp­on the grace and mercy of God her Sauiour: What doe you thinke it best for you to do? You acknowledge your selfe I knowe inferiour to her, in workes, in grace, and euery way; yet be not contrary to her in workes, or grace, or any way: forsake not the grace of GOD, which is all in all, to fly ynto your owne merite, which is nothing, for then you are contrarie to her; but for­sake the merit of your owne workes, that hath no soli­dity in it, and fly vnto the grace of God in Christ, that is powerfull to saue your soule, and so you are not con­trary to her, for then she becommeth your happy pre­sident, she is therein vnder the blessed spirit, your gra­tious Schoole mistres.

You little thought [I dare answere for you] that any o­pinion she had helde [at least in such a materiall poynt [Page]of saluation] had bene contrary, or so much as repug­nant to the doctrine, which is established in the church of Rome: For as you haue bone taught, that she was without sin, because she bare the sauior of the worlde, so are you borne in hand, that the said doctrine is with­out errour, because it is established by those that can­not erre. But eronious are they that whisper these things in your eares, and simple are you that lend such listning thereunto, for God hath taught both them and you another lesson, Galat 3, 22 namely that the scripture hath con­cluded all [not excluding the virgin Mary] vnder sinne: And that euery man (not excepting the Pope) is a lyer. Rom. 3, 4 But to touch these points otherwise then by the waye, you might thinke were by the purpose. The matter in hand is merit of workes, and I hope I haue sufficiently indeared the contrary doctrin vnto you. Howbeit, that potent obiection of yours [as you take it] that because God hath promised such a rewarde vnto vs, if we doe good workes, therefore our good workes deserue that reward: I wil auoid another way by discouering the vn­truth thereof by a playne, and familiar example.

Suppose I pray you, that an earthly king should say to one of his ordinary seruants, do such a thinge, and I will giue thee such an Earledome for thy labour: and that this seruant when he hath perfourmed that which was commaunded him (although the same belonged to his place] and that he stoode bounde to doe it before, shoulde [notwithstanding] expect this great rewarde from the King, as being due vnto him for the little pain hee had taken, and as though the very doing of that small matter had deserued it. What would you thinke of such a seruant? woulde you think him well in his wits? [Page]or at least well worthy of such aduancement, I knowe you would not, but rather iudge him an vnthankefull body, and hold it pitty that such preferment shoulde be bestowed vppon one, that would so abuse his mai­sters bounty. Say you so? Why then [although I am no prophet as Nathan was] I may take you as Nathan tooke Dauid in your owne answeare, and say vnto you, Thou art the party. God hath commaunded you to do good workes, and yet no other then belong vnto your calling, and such as by the band of your election, cre­ation, redemption, and adoption, [I hope and iudge the best of you] you are bounde vnto, and for the do­ing thereof, he promiseth you the rewarde of eternall glory. Now admit you do these good workes, as God commaundeth you, and when you haue done them, thinke that for the merit thereof, you may expect your reward proposed, are you not with the aforesaide ser­uant very vnthankefull? Doe you not vtterly mistake the matter, and attribute that vnto your owne merit, which is due vnto Goddes mercy? Questionlesse you do, then how much more are you to be blamed, that hauing not done those workes that the Lord comman­deth you, but being [at the best] an vnprofitable ser­uant, shall [notwithstanding] in lieu [as I may say] of your owne vnworthinesse, and for the merit of that which you left vndone, look for the reward of eternall felicity.

I will accompany this example, [for the con­clusion of the point, and because I would come home, euen to the shallowest capacity] with three natural rea­sons of impossibility, that you, or the godliest that ly­ueth vpon the earth, should merit saluation, as you & [Page]all that liue after the doctrine of the church of Rome haue bin, and are continually misinstructed. The first reason is, the huge and wonderful debt that you alrea­die owe vnto God, at whose hands you thinke to me­rit, and of whom you must confesse commeth all sal­uation. Indeede, were you a cleere ground with him, did you owe him nothing, but had condignly requi­ted him for all the pleasures he hath done you, and sa­tisfied him for all the trepasses you haue done vnto him: Then happily there might be some colour for such an ability in you, then were the grossenes of the opinion not all so palbable. But being so deepely indebted vnto him, I cannot particularize wherein, but would haue you conceyue it thus, for all that you are, for all that you haue receiued, that you haue not deser­ued, and for all that you haue not receiued, that you haue deserued: All this being vpon your score al­ready, amounting [were it truely told] to ten thousand Talents at least, euery minute increasing, and no means in you to cleere the same: how can you think to merit ought of him, to whom you stand thus ingaged? Is not all and more by much then you are able to doe by the considerations aforesaide, due vnto him? How then is it possible, that the vttermost thinge you can doe, [when the vttermost is not so much as you are bound to do] should be merritorious with him, and so merritorious, as to purchase of him euerlasting salua­tion: you may assure your selfe, were there no other reason, but this only of the debt you owe him, and can­not pay him, that it is impossible.

The second reason is that your works, admit that they sprang from true faith, which must giue them vertue, & [Page]worthy them the title of good workes, are not properly your owne, but Gods, and therefore it is impossible you should deserue your saluation by them: for can you thinke to merit such a matter at the hands of God, for giuing him that which of right belongeth vnto him, and for presenting him but with the fruite of his owne vineyard; you haue no foundation whereon to ground any such an opinion: but Methinkes you take it very strangely, that the good workes you do, should not be your owne, and that without proofe thereof, you will not so easily be perswaded thereunto. The holy apostle, and learned father, S Paule and S. Austin, shall iustifie the same vnto you; Phi, 2, 13 The one telleth you that it is God, [not your selfe] which worketh in you, not the wil one­ly, but both the will and the deede: and in another place saith vnto you, as though he were angry with you for arrogating any goodnesse vnto your selfe, Ro: 4 : 7 Augustine Tract. 3 in Ioh. What hast thou that thou hast not receiued? The other [I meane] S. Austin assures you that god crowneth not you but his own gifts or graces which hehath giuen you, rewardes not your good workes, but his owne good workes in you. See­ing then your workes whereby you hope to merit are not properly your owne but belonging vnto God, to whom you offer the same, you must needs confesse that by this reason likewise, it is impossible you should de­serue ought at the hand of God, much lesse merit ac­cording to the doctrine of your church your owne sal­uation.

My last reason of impossibility is, the disproportion betwixt the vvorke you doe, and the reward you hope to acquire for doing the same; for if you vvill receiue one thing in lieu of another, if your deseruings must [Page]gaine you the blessings of eternall life, It is necessary that those merits of yours which you bring vnto God, be insome sort of equall value, or neere in worth to the benifits which you are to receiue from him; But do you know what comparison there is betwixt gold, & drosse, the difference betwixt light and darknesse, or what pro­portion there can be, betwixt perfection and imper­fection; such a comparison, such difference, such and no nearer a proportion there is betwixt the greatest de­sert of the holyest saint vpon the earth, and the least re­ward, [if there be a difference of rewardes] bestowed vpon the saints in heauen; For the ioyes of heauen are [as I know you will confesse] absolutely perfect, insi­nite, and incomprehensible: and you must vnderstand that the works of the regenerate, such as we call, and do best deserue the title of good workes, although as they yssued from the pure sountaine of gods grace they bee perfectly cleare, & vntainted, yet passing along through the furred pipes of the corrupted wiland vnderstanding of man, they loose some parte of their natiue purity, and proceede from him defiled and poluted. I may therefore conclude it impossible, that the one being so imperfect, should merit the other of such infinite per­fection.

Further sayings I might alleadge to the same effect, and make those that I haue alledged [if neede were] by familiar instance more perspicuously to appeare vnto you. But that which I haue already said to the point, is either sufficient, or all that I can deuise to say, would be to no purpose: I haue proued vnto you that this doctrine of merits taught in your church is against the doctrine established in christes church; And by [Page]no lesse pregnant reasons then because the apostle flatly condemneth it, because the fathers vtterly disclaime frō it, because those excellent, and infinite proprieties of God, his mercy and iustice, are therein obscured, the holy and blessed offices of christ his redeemership, and mediatorship thereby infringed, that catholicke doc­trine of the holy ghost increasing our faith, and renew­ing vs to newnesse of life, through the same (in some sort) impugned, and finally because it is repugnant e­uen to common sence, and reason, and standeth not with any possibility.

I will stirre no further into the errours, nor rip vp a­ny more absurdities of your religion: But for the pre­sent, with my earnest and most instant desire impor­tune you, without preiudicate opinion, without fore­conceipting (after probabilities) my insufficiency, to speake substancially to matters of this nature: that you wold subdue your selfe to a serious and indifferent con­sideration of that which I haue said, against this one on­ly opinion of your religion. Shew your selfe a skilfull ar­tist heerin, and like the exquisite Geometrician, that by the foote of Hercules, was able to deliniate the true shape of his whole body, so by this one point onely of mans merit, I pray learne iudiciously to obserue what the whole substance is like to be of that which you call your catholicke religion. For if this one member [as you see the Apostle, and fathers haue giuen Iudge­ment] be rotten, what soundnesse can you assure your selfe to find in the other parts that make vp the body of your profession: if the doctrine of this point be so pre­iudicial to the mercy and instice of God your maker, so detractory from the redeemership, and mediatorship [Page]of Christ your sauior, so repugnant to the office of the holy ghost your sanctifier, and finally so impossible: What infecting errors, nay what soule-bane heresies, can the doctrine of all the other points of your religion be free from.

There is an answerable proportion betwixt this and the rest: Or if it fayle, it is in this degree, because ma­ny of the other pointes haue not that colour of mainte­nance out of the scriptures, as this pointe of merites is vpheld by: For I confesse, there were sundry places which vpon the first shew, and not well examined, did seeme a supportation for this opinion: but there are diuerse other pointes of your religion, which haue not so much as any literall shew of countenance by the word of God: but are inforced to flye from the same, to crouch vnder the protection of Traditions, & Decre­tals, and beg their defence from the warrant of such hu­maine authority: so that in this regard the doctrine of most of the other points of your religion seemeth to be lesse iustifiable, howsoeuer, yet full as vnsound, and as litle deseruing to be trusted vnto, as this of the merit of your works in the act of your iustification: but I promi­sed [if I had not, I am compelled] to insist vpon no other particular, and I hope it were needlesse, for I doubt not but that which I haue saide touching this one point on­ly, hath made you in some sort to distast the rest, and wrought in you at least, a sensible feeling of your soules insirmity.

NOw it remaineth that after that poore skill I haue I prescribe you some whole some course, 5. Sect. where­by this your dangerous maladye may be cured. For he [Page]may be a cunning, but cannot be a kinde Physitian, that hauing discoursed vnto his patient, [though but in part] the nature of her disease, and layed open vnto her [insome measure] the daungerous estate she is in, shall then presently leaue her to her selfe, and regard­lesse of her recouery, affoord her no further comfort: To auoide therefore that imputation, which I woulde be loth by you, or any else, in this or any other expe­riment should deseruedly be laide vpon me: and to ob­serue the method I prescribed vnto my selfe in the be­ginning, I wil first impart vnto you what the medicine is, that necessarily you must take. Secondly, some part of those infinite and vnspeakeable benefits, which you shall receiue in taking it. Thirdly, the meanes whereby you must take it. And lastly, what little charge it will stand you in, and how cheape the taking of it, will bee vnto you: But because my allowance of time is spent, and your patience I feare to sore pressed, I will huddle vp this which is behind, & rather omit somthing that I could say, then be taxed for containing my self with­in no compasse,

In a word then, this medicine is a true and sincere faith in the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus. This fayth [if you remember) I haue formerly defined, and plainly laid down vnto you al the causes, and some of the ef­fects thereof. It shall suffice in this place onely to tell you that it is, A speciall and perfect assurance that we are partakers of the merit of Christes righteousnesse, and that by the same righteousnesse onely satisfaction is made vnto God for all our offences, and our saluation purchased. This is that wholesome receit, which I would minister vnto you, and this you may be bolde to take, for it will bee [Page]sure to cure your soule, I gage mine owne vpon it, not onely of that pestilent Gangrena, the merit of workes, but of all other imperfections, that now doe, or shall heereafter threaten the ruine thereof. This only might be a sufficient motiue, to stir vp your desire, to the ta­king of it.

But to make you more eager, vnderstand more par­ticularly the benefits that you shall reape by the same, It will make you that which you so long to be, A saued soule in heauen, So Saint Paule assureth you. Ephe, 1, 1 Luke 6.20 It will pro­cure you that which you so faine would haue, Forgiue­nesse of all your sinnes, So Saint Luke assureth you. It wil procure you that wherunto al the brauery and felicity of the earth, is trash and beggery. Praise, honour, and glory at the ioyfull appearing of Christ Iesus. 1 Peter. 1 Chap, 7 And so Saint Peter himselfe, whom I know you will beleeue, assureth you: Through this, you shal haue free accesse to the grace of God, which will make you eternally happye. Through this you shall reioyce in all your tribulations, which otherwise would make you vnhappy, & through this like those doubty souldiors of Christ that haue led you the waie, you shall shew your selfe a valiant cham­pion, and ouercome the world: This will be a Superse­deas vnto you, not onely against the eternall death, [as is already proued] but against the temporall death like­wise, for the beleeuer, (although he seeme to be dead) is aliue, as the vnbeleeuer, [although he seeme to bee aliue is dead: God giueth [saith one] such grace and priuiledge to faith, that death, which of his owne na­ture is the priuation of life, doth thereby become the entrance into life. This is that happy starre which will lead you directly to that house where the king of glory [Page]hath his habitation: Nay what will you say if the virgin Mary, was not more happy for bearing the blessed bo­dy of our Sauior, then you shall be by possessing this faith, whereby, [as by the instrumental cause] you must be saued: you thinke this a hard saying, as the caper­naits thought that of christs, yet Saint Augustine infer­reth no lesse, for these are his wordes, Mary was more blessed in receiuing the faith of Christ, then she was in con­ceiuing the flesh of Christ.

The last benefit of faith that I will propose vnto you, [omitting many which I know, and acknowledging in­finite which I know not] is, that thereby your works wil becom good works, at least accepted for good, & from the least to the greatest, receiue their reward. Whereas, without the said faith, there is no vertue in them, they tast no more in gods mouth, then the white of an Egge doth in mans, they please him not, for without faith it is impossible to please him: and indeed they are no bet­ter then sinnes, for (as I haue saide) whatsoeuer is not of faith, is sin. I know you think your works are good alre­dy, & better by many degrees then mine, and me there­fore an vnfit schoolma. to read a lectur ther of vnto you. I refer that vnto him, who hath the balance in his hand, and humbly throw downe mine, such as they are at the footstool of his mercy, confessing that many of thē are such as I haue cause to be ashamed of, and the best of them not so good as I long they were, and hope they will be: but to make you look with a single and no such indulgent eie vpon your owne, Vnderstand that euery good work must necessarily haue these two ends, Faith, and the glory of God: faith is the end from whence it must proceed, The glory of God is the end wherunto it must [Page]be directed Now if the work want either of these ends, it is not a good worke, yours, want them both, for they cannot proceed from faith, which attributeth saluation wholy to the merit of christs righteousnesse, while you think that they in any degree, are meritorious of them­selues, neither can they be directed to gods glory, when the principall matter, whereat you aime in doing them, is your owne aduantage. Now you must conceiue fur­ther, that these two ends of good works faith and Gods glory are inseperable. So that do your works from faith, and you cannot choose but do them to Gods glory, & you shalbe sure (though you doe them not in hope of reward) to receiue reward for doing them.

The means whereby you must attaine vnto this faith, is earnest praier, according to christes prescription, and attentiue hearing of the word of God. Touching the first, let me tell you that God many times seemeth to defer the giuing of his blessings, euen those blessinges, which from al eternitie he hath determined to giue, vn­til they be sought for, and begged at his hands by prai­er. I vvill instance this only in our father Isaac, to whom vvhen God, to expell his sorrovv, for his deere decea­sed mother, had giuen the comfort of a fair and louing wife, yet he gaue not yssue, [ Rebecka vvas a good while barren] vntil such time as he betooke himself to praier for the same, and then the Lorde was intreated of him, and his wife conceiued: I doubt not but God had euer purposed, that at that verye moment, shee shoulde conceiue, yet to teach vs howe acceptable our praiers are vnto him, and how it pleaseth him by the meanes therof to conuey our necessaries vnto vs, the text saith, The Lord was intreated of him, and Rebecka his wife con­ceiued, Gen, 25.23 as though if Isaac had not praied she shoulde [Page]not haue conceiued, if you please to make vse heereof, you may thus thinke that God for ought you know hath determined that your soule shall not become fruit­ful, nor conceiue and bring fourth this faith, vntill you beg the same of him by earnest prayer, and that then, because he is still the same God he wil be intreated, and your soule shall be conceiued both of this faith and all other needeful graces that acompany the same to your eternall comfort.

The other meanes to get faith is the hearing of Gods word, for faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The Samaritans vpon the report of a woman partly beleeued in christ, and thought that it might be hee whom they expected; but when they had heard him themselues then they throughly belee­ued, and knew that he was that sauiour which was pro­mised. You haue beene tolde much of christ whoe is the foundation of faith by those that haue conferred most with you about spirituall affaires, and somthing in this my letter you haue heard of him. But did you heare him your selfe speake, I meane, did you read the scrip­tures which are his owne wordes, and hard them read and expounded, by those which are his faithfull mini­sters; O then you would [I hope] not almost, but alto­gether become a christian; then would you not partly but wholy beleeue in him that dyed for you; then wold your faith be no longer wauering, but throughly con­firmed.

For how could you chuse but be strengthned in your beliefe of him, when you should be acquainted withall the things he did, and indured for your sake? how could you chuse but be rauished in affection, and with the [Page]true church be sicke of loue, when you should heare him call you (notwithstanding all your vnkind dealing towards him) his Sister, his loue, his spouse, his doue, Solo, song ch, 4, 9. ver 9.1.9, ch, 6, 8. ch, 6.8 and his vndefiled. It maketh my heart bleede to thinke how you and many thousands, [such seely seduced inno­cents] are depriued of these, and infinite other such like heauenly and vnexpressable consolations. And all for the want of this worde of God, which you suffer to belocked vp from you, and wherewith [though it must import you] you are least acquainted, christes caueat shal be the conclusion of this point, He that hath eares to heare let him heare.

Lastly vnderstand how cheape this faith will be vnto you. In a word, it will neither cost you trauell nor mo­ney, It will cost you no trauell, for you neede but heare the voice of christ, when he cryeth vnto you, and open the doore of your heart vnto him when he knocketh thereupon by his word, and you shall receiue it, Reuel. 3.20 behold [saith christ] I stand at the doore and knock, if any man heare my voice, and open the doore, I will come in vnto him and will sup with him, and he with me: It will cost you no money, for you neede but doe as the King of heauens proclamtion directeth you, and it shall be giuen you freely: Esai, 55.2 Ho euery one [saith the prophet [ that thirsteth come ye to the waters, (which are the sacred scriptures, containing Gods reueiled counsell) and ye that haue no Siluer come buy and eate, come I say and buy wine and milke without siluer, and without mony; And these are nothing but faith, and the holy graces that acompany the same, which are as necessary, for the nourishment of the soule as Wine and Milke and such like meate is, for the re­fection of the body.

THus, hauing [as I haue bin compelled] poasted through these later parts; 6. Sect. namely what the medi­cine is that you must take, faith: the benifits you shall receiue thereby felicity in this world, and in the world to come: After what sort you must get the same, By prayer and hearing Gods word: And lastly, how little this inesti­mable Iewell will cost you, Neither traueil nor money: & being circulerly now returned to the word of god, these waters of comfort which at first be sprinckled the front of my letter, let me intreat you, & by no lesse important regardes, then for the loue you beare to your owne soule, which must needes be deare vnto you, and for the loue and zeale you carrye to the glorye of God, which should be dearer vnto you; that your euer ent­ly vnclaspe his holy booke, diligently peruse the same, and daye and night euen continually, make the con­tentes thereof, [with holy Dauid] your sweete and pro­fitable Meditation: if you wil not reade it at my request, yet let me request you to obserue that wonderfull de­scription wherby the Apostle, euen to inflame you with the loue thereof commendeth the same vnto you, The word of God [saith he] is liuely and mighty in operation, Hebr, 4, 12 and sharper then any two edged sword, and entreth through euen vnto the diuiding asunder of the spirit and the iontes, and the marow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. To this cōmendation of the apostle, I will adioyne the commaundement that God himselfe giueth you touching the same, Deut. xi, 18 19 20 in these very wordes, Therefore ye shall lay vp these my wordes in your heart, and in your soule, and bind them for a signe vpon your hand, that they may bee as a frontlet beeweene your eies, and [Page]you shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the waie, and when thou liest downe, and when thou risest vp, and thou shalt write them vpon the postes of thine house, and vpon thy gates.

This is the commaundement of Gods owne mouth vnto you; But alasse, how do you performe the same? How can you laye his wordes vp in your heart? How can you make such a Iewell of them, when you neither reade them, nor heare them reade vnto you? Surely that is the cause of all, for as an ancient father saide of the Hereticks valentiniani, Ireneus cont, valentianos, that their ignorance in the Scriptures, had brought them to that passe. So question­lesse may I conclude, that your neglect of the worde which would be a Lanthorne vnto your feete and a light vnto your pathes, is the reason that you are thus missed in blindenesse, and so seduced with error and supersti­tion.

And this your ghostly aduersarie is well acquainted with, for he knowes that vnlesse you reade or heare the word of God, you can neuer as the blessed mother of christ did, treasure vp the same in your hart to your eternal inrich ment: he knoweth you can hardly beleeue a right with those honest women of Boeriae vnlesse as they did, you first receiue the word with readinesse, whereby true reliefe is begottē: yea he knowes by his long expe­rience, that where the word is not preached, the people for the most part perish, and therfore where it is neither preached, nor reade, nor regarded, his kingdome must nedes florish, which maketh him so to bestir him­selfe by his vnhallowed ministers amongst you; so to discountnance the word vnto you and so with their false [Page]suggestions to discourage you from the reading of it, in calling it with their blasphemous mouthes, imper­fect, doubtfull, insufficient, but a dead letter, and euen like a nose of waxe, subiect to any impression: and in telling you that by the reading thereof diuers haue be­come Heretickes, howsoeuer, yet that it is impossible by such as your selfe to be conceiued: But beleeue them not, no more then you would beleeue their mai­ster the father of lyes, euen falshood it selfe if you saw it vnmasked: For you may be assured that the word of God is perfect, pure, & vndefiled, and that albeit some places in the scripturs be obscure, yet [generally] they giue vnderstanding to the simple, and are [as Iraeneus saith] Plaine without doubtfulnesse, Iraeneus lib. 1. cap, 31 Gregorius [...]epist, id Leand [...]ū. and may be heard in­differently of all men. Therein is milke and proper nutriment, euen for the tendrest babe that euer lay in the lap of the church, It is a water [saith Gregory] wher­in the little lambe [such as your selfe] may wade, and the mighty Elephant [meaning the learned ones] may swim, which Saint Augustine likewise affirmed, saying that al­mighty God in the scriptures speaketh as a familiar friende without dissimulation, Augustine Epist 3. ad Volusianū not to the learned only, but both to the learned and vnlearned. And with these holy fathers of the church, the rest generally accorde herein, inui­ting by their strongest perswasions, all sorts of people, the ignorant with the wise, the learned and vnlearned, together to repaire hether for their instruction, and from hence, as touching the discharge of their christi­an Office, both towardes God and manto fetch theyr absolute direction. This may giue you occasion to woonder what your Priestes meane so perimptorily to interdict you the vse of the holy scriptures, when the [Page]learned Fathers, [whom notwithstanding they will im­pudently challenge to be wholly theirs,] were neuer heard in that tune, but euer taught the contrary: the reason heereof is easily gathered, they know that the worde of God being absolutely trueth, must needes, were you acquainted with it, discouer their falshoode vnto you. They knowe that the nature of it being to giue light, it would quickly expell that Caemerian darke­nes, wherewith your sence is so inveloped, and by meanes whereof they lead you blindfolded into their denne of I dolatrie, and abhomination at their pleasure, they know that then you woulde soone perceiue their Iuggling, and that thereby you would plainly discerne them in their propper colours: Let them pretende therefore what they will, but this chiefely is the cause, Tertullian in libro, de Trinit. chrisostom in opere imperfec­tio, Ho, 14 for as Tertullian saith. The sacred scriptures doe conuince and discouer the guiles of Haeretickes, which Chrisostome likewise obserued when he saide, Hereticke priestes shut fast the gates of the truth, meaning they conceale the worde of God from the people: Because they knowe that if the trueth appeare, they must of necessity forsake their church, I aduise therefore to forsake their Counsell herein, and will propose vnto you, for an excellent pa­terne of imitation, those godly Sisters in christ which accompanied that Religious Paule at Bethlem, Hierom in Epitaph, Paulae who by the testimony of Hierome, accounted it vnlawfull to to be ignorant in the Psalmes, and spent not one day without learning something out of the Scriptures. And that vertuous Gorgonia; whome her brother the good Nazianze in his Funerall oration ouer her, commen­deth for being expert both in the olde and new testa­ment, let these holy virgins, and blessed handmaids of [Page]Christ be your president, go hand in hand with them, as will best become you, and most redound to your aduantage, vnto this sacred Fountaine of Gods word, this holy well indeed, insteed of your extraordinarie vnsanctified Sai. Winifreds: For hereof you may drink your sill, and haue your thirst quenched, heerewith you may wash your selfe, and haue your leprosie clen­sed, herin your soul [for that is the proper vertue of it] may find an heauenly solace, and be conuerted. For­sake I say their doctrine, herein, Nay forsake and a­bandon both thē & their doctrin, them as no ministers of christ, their doctrine as meere Antichristian: For­the Ministers of christ deliuer with Paule no other do­ctrine saue that which they haue receiued of christ: but they teach you the quite contrary, as in forbid­ding you to read the scriptures, when christ commaun­deth you to reade them. Search the scriptures sayeth christ, Io. 5, 3, 9 serch them not say they. They tel you that the reading of them would driue you into errour: Mar. xii. 29 But christ telleth you, that your error groweth because you read them not. Is not heere a plain opposition betwixt christ and them, his doctrine and theirs? What recko­ning then should you make of them: The Apostle tel­eth you, that if a very Angell should come from hea­uen, and preach vnto you such doctrin as this, so dif­ferent from that which he and the other apostles haue preached, you should be so far from beleeuing him, as rather to hold him accursed.

Surely these fellows are such, as our carefull and lo­uing shephearde giueth vs that friendly caueat to take heed of. [...], 7.15, 16 Beware [saith he] of false prophets, which come to you in sheepes cloathing, [vnder the colour of holines and [Page]innocency, but this is the outward man onely, For in­wardly they are rauening Wolues. And the means wher­by you may distinguish them from the true Ministers of christ is this: Ye shall know them by their fruits. And here I might take occasion, to giue you a further tast of the fruits of your religion, namely of the doctrine, and conuersation which your Popes, cardinals, Priests, Iesu­its, and others generally of your church, from theyr instruction and tolleration, haue taught and practised, wherby after the rule of our sauiour in knowing the tree by the fruit, you might the more plainly perceine your church, which you are so confidently perswaded, is the true church of christ, to be no other then the very Sy­nagogue of Satan. But it is too spatious a field for mee to pace through, it were the taske rather of a mans life, a subiect for a mighty volume. To omit therefore their doctrine and life in generall, I will lay before you one onely instaunce hereof, which by the argument of our Sauiour, being fruit so rotten and ilsauery, must of ne­cessity, [you may be assured] spring from a roote as bitter and corrupted.