Cap. 1.

THe eternal wis­dome of God hauyng created Adam our first father after the excellē ­cie of his owne Image, adorned naturally with iustice, holines and all perfection to be vnto hym, as it were the beauty and glory of all hys workes, so aduaunced him by his crea­tion aboue the rest of all his earthlye creatures, that vnto him alone he gaue Man one­ly created to gods I­mage, was made Lord of all his o­ther erthly creatures the rule and preheminence in nature to be their Lord and ruler. That is, to whome all they should obey and serue: for the first taste of the which excellent dignitie and prerogatiue he placed thē all before him as before their soueraign [Page] Lord, from his mouth to receiue seue­rally Man as soueraigne and Lorde of all crea­tures, first gaue them their seue­ral names. Eua the [...]omā was geuen vnto man to be his helper. To man was graunted free li­berty to easie of all that was in paradise, sauyng on­ly of the [...] of lyfe. their titles and proper names, according to the whiche they all were called. Then geuing Eua vnto hym for his helper, he placed him in the garden of Eden, the possession of all earthly delightes, appointing vnto him the kéeping therof, with frée libertie for hys reliefe and comfort, to taste & eate of all the excellent fruites therein, the onely trée of knowledge of good and e­uill excepted, of the whiche he forbade hym to eate, affirmyng that what houre soeuer he tasted therof, he shoulde dye the death.

Now forasmuch as the matters here spoken of, namely, the Image of God in man and mans originall, iustice and perfection, do iustly chalenge some ex­plication therof, as well that the excel­lency of Gods first benefites towardes man, might after a certayne maner bée séene, and the glorious estate of his for­mer dignitie, more gréedily thristed for agayne: and also the outrage of his in­gratitude with greater detestation ab­horred, and the filthines and foule cor­ruption [Page 2] of his nature, and miserye of his presente estate by vewe of his for­mer perfection more perfectly paynted out. And finally, that the triumphe of Gods vnspeakeable mercy in Christe, which (notwithstanding so huge trans­gression) hath not onely pardoned him, but also adopted hym into the fellow­ship and libertie of his owne sonne: that all these I say, might be made the more apparaunt, those wordes do iust­ly chalenge some explicatiō. Wherfore, What the i­mage of God in mā is. where it is sayd that man was created after the image of God, it is to bée vn­derstand, that he was created the most Man was the most excellēt erth­ly creature excellent earthly creature, being made partener of the naturall goodnes and vertue of God, namely, holy, wise, iust, pure, good, true, immortall, &c. hauyng both power perfectly to know God, & also power and fréewil constantly to be­leue him, to serue him, to obey him, to loue him, to feare him, and to be shorte, to perfourme such workes as aunswe­red to the image of so excellent a Pa­terne. And therefore doth Tertullian writing agaynst Marcion, moste excel­lently, [Page] and briefly define the Image of of God thus. Haec ergo imago censenda est dei in homine, quod eosdem motus & sen­sus Yer [...] c [...] habeat humanus animus quos & deus, heet non tales qu [...]les deus, pro substantia enim & status & exitus distant: There­fore is this to be accoūted the image of God in man, that the mynde of man must haue the same mouinges & felings which god hath, although not euen suche as God hath, for as touching substance of state and ende they differ. That is to say, that is the i­mage of God, which naturally loueth y ^t which god loueth, & hateth y ^t which god hateth, & which of very nature iudgeth of all things according to y ^e iudgemēt of God: All which thinges were necessa­ry to the duety of mans office, for seyng God had made and created hym as it were his liuetenaunt, or vicegerent o­uer all his earthly creatures, it was ne­cessary that to their gouernement hys nature should participate of the excel­lent properties of God, that thereby in the whole execution of his office, hée might haue power not to swerue from [Page 3] his duty and obedience required in the same. And hereby appeareth what ori­ginall righteousnes was in mā, name­ly, Originall righteous­nes. holines, knowledge, wisedome, iu­stice, purenes, goodnes, truth, immorta­litie, loue, temperance, chastitie, vnlust, fréedome from sinne, naturall and willing obedience to God, hauing power Man is called the i­mage of God for the excel­lency of the nature that he was first crea­ted in. Eph. 4. to do good, not to sinne, not to dye, &c. and that he in respect of this excellente and glorious condicion of this original nature is called the image of God. It is thus out of the Scriptures of God ea­sily gathered. Thus writeth Paul to the Ephesians. Lay from you the olde mā which is corrupt through the decei­uable lustes, and be ye renued in the spirit of your mynde, and put on the new man, which after God is shapen in righteousnes and true holines. And again the same Paul to the Colos. Col. 3. sayth: Lye not one to another, seyng ye haue put of the olde man with his workes, and haue put on the newe, which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that made him. Now, what the putting on of this new [...]

[Page] willingly forgetfull of his creator, from whome he had not onely receyued hys beyng, but also the prerogatiue of so ex­cellent dignity: He I say, missed by de­ceitfull perswation, neglecting the glo­rye of his creator, rather gaue credite to the light perswasion of his wife, then to the reuerend and dreadfull maiesty. For his wife being deceiued by the ser­pent, supposed, the commaundemēt to haue bene geuen, rather of subteltie, to hinder their dignitye, and as it were a scarcrowe to fray them from the tast of that fruite, whereby their excellency might increase, or as though God had rather not vouchsafed them, that fur­ther good happe, which by taste thereof was incident vnto thē then otherwise: Such was the tickling of ambitious desire, such was the horrour of contume­lious ingratitude, that now in stead of homage and duetifull thankes for so ex­cellent an estate, straightway is he tray­ned into suspition of hys louing crea­tor. And now seking in this desire to be the author and builder of his owne so­ueraigntie, willingly he tasteth y ^e fruit. [Page 5] But forth with he felt the errour of his The fall of Adam. stray, and iust scourge of hys fall, behol­dyng his nakednes and shame. Now is he which was before the glory of God, The glori­ous state of man vtter­ly ouer­thrown by disobediēce made through his rebellious contempt so lothsome in hys owne sight, that sha­myng hys owne filthy nakednes, he sée­keth to make aprons of figge leaues, to hyde that which before was naturally That in­necency couered, sinne ab­horred. and most secretly couered with the pure robe of innocency. Now féeleth he the hyre of hys cruell ingratitude, new the bitter tuice of the tasted fruite stingeth hym, the excellent dignity of hys first creation lost, the sower sappe of deser­ued destruction, fully felt in possession, the rigorous reuenge of his ragyng re­bellion, now wofu [...]ly wringeth hym, downe droppeth the glory of hys royall estate. A full dispossession of all the ex­cellent ornamentes of grace, a swalow­yng spoyle of all former glorious gifts. Now sinne hauyng him fully in posses­sion displayeth before his eyes the en­sign of death. Horror and calamity rush The mise­ries of mā that came in on euery side, that which he before in y ^e swellyng of desire forgate to acknow­ledge. [Page] Now the ouerwhelming calami­tie by the trās­gression of Adam the first man. of painefull practise hath forced hym to féele: namely, that God was the on­ly stay, and glory of hys estate, the roote and cause of all hys dignitie. Now fil­thy wretch, hence flieth he from the face of his God, whose presence before, was the beutie of his comfort: the dreadfull vew of deserued destruction, burrieth him into corners to hide himselfe. He y ^t before ioyfully presented him to his maker, yea, he in whom was writen y ^e glo­ry & magnificence of god, now for fear­ful shame shroudeth him from his pre­sence: and (being called in this corrup­tiō) shieldeth his misery vnder the trembling shade of silly defence: & beyng de­maunded why he had tasted of y ^e forbid­dē fruit, the womā saith he, whō thou Gen. 3. gauest vnto me, gaue me of the tree & I did eate. As though he should haue said, although the contempt of thy com­maundemēt displayeth it self in the acte by me cōmitted, yetalas, so measure my cause by the due circumstance, that I be not made faulty aboue my trespas: the breach of thy cōmaundement I cannot [Page 6] hide, seing the vew of my wretched na­kednes bewrayeth the same, in so great a cause, onely this small refuge resieth for my defence. Though I be gilty of y ^e acte, yet as the author I am not culpa­ble, seyng this woman whom thou ga­uest vnto me being deceiued by the ser­pent, supposing a glorious soueraigntie coupled w ^t so beautiful a bayte, sethyng down vnder the hungry desire of high­er dignity, breakyng out of the li [...]es of thy appoynted bo [...]n [...]es, into the maze of persuaded libertie, presented to me a tast ther of as a rare and singuler bene­fie: which alectiue perswasion abusing my affection, caried my will into so vn­aduised consent, y ^t I yelded to the same. Wherfore, though touching the crime I haue no iust defēce, yet as the author I am not culpable. Thus could grace­les error, euen in an instant, shrowd y ^e giltyship of this chylde of destruction, vnder the habite of wrangling defence, to holde tremblyng plea against his cre­ator: Now beganne he to shyne in the right coloures of confusion, so farre was hée failen from acknowledgyng [Page] of offence. Here with God beholding his glorious Image and likenes, vtter­ly cancelled and defaced, the beawtifull grace of all his goodnes, despitefully ra­sed, the stompe or Printe of his deuine nature, most filthily blotted out. God I say, beholding this, (accordyng to mās iust desert) began to hate hym, & refuse hym for his worke, and to lothe that, which before he liked. Now all the for­mer delight which he thoughte to haue reposed in man, was turned into iuste anger, hys likyng into lothing, hys fa­uour into frownes, hys cherefull coun­tenaunce, into destroying displeasure. So that whole man, both thought, lyfe, and action, through the noysome stinke of this hatefull rebellion, became so ab­horfull a creature vnto hys maker, that it not onely repented hym that euer hée made man, but for hys farther plague, Ge. 1. 6. he also cursed the whole earth. Here entred our first foyle and haynous infecti­on, Originall sinne. namely, our originall sinne, the de­priuation and ruine of whole nature, the spoyle and corruptiō of all vertues, both of body and mynde, the swallow­ing [Page 7] sea of all confusion, the cursed cloud of ignoraunce, the déepe darkener of all deuine knowledge: the ruinous roote of all outrage, the mother of al contēpt, the hed and fountayne of all sinne: the banisher of reason, and surrenderer of all the raynes, and gouernment of lyfe into the hands of licentious lustes, and filthy affections: And to be shorte, the whole fountayne of the tragedy of our confusion, & triumphe of Sathan. But now, as from the roote is deriued and sent into euery braunche and sprowte, that naturall sappe from whiche they The gene­ration and issue of mā corrupted. take their substaunce and increase. So thys hatefull impe nothyng vnfruitfull in hys cursed kynde, begate (accordyng to the venemed iuice of his corruption) children of hys owne heare, lyke vnto hymself: namely, wicked, peruerse, cor­rupt and rebellious, swarmyng full of all filthe and wyckednes, naked & bar­rayne of any one spot of goodnes. Here agayn in this place, forasmuch as sinne & the effectes therof haue ben touched, I thinke it not inconuenient for playne vnderstandyng to bestow some labour [Page] about the consideracion therof.

Wherefore, first of all beginning with originall sinne, it maye bée thus defined: Originall sinne is the losse of The definition of ori­ginal sinne. originall righteousnesse and corrupti­on of the whole nature of man: the truth of this definition is thus proued. Thus writeth Paule to the Corinthi­ans: [...]. Cor. 15. The stinge of death is sinne, and the strength of sinne is the lawe: So then the law is the strength of the sting of death: but the law to be the strength of the stinge of deathe, is nothyng els but this: namely, that the stynge of death hath no strengthe but ouer suche Deth hath no power but ouer the vn­righteous. as the lawe declareth to be vnrighte­ous, but the lawe declareth none to bée vnrighteous, but suche as haue lost originall righteousnes. Therefore the sting of death hath no strength but ouer such as haue lost original righteousnes, but the stinge of death hath strength o­uer the whole nature of man, therefore the whole nature of man hath loste ori­ginal righteousnes, which was first to be proued. Agayne the same Paul to the Ephesians affirmeth, That man is by Ephe. 2. [Page 8] nature the child of wrath. And again in an other place he affirmeth: That the Rom. 1. Col. 3. wrath of God commeth in respect of fornication, vncleannes, vnnaturall lustes, euill concupiscense, couetous­nes, &c. And therfore it followeth that man séeing he is by nature the childe of wrathe: that he is naturally defiled with the séede of all these corruptions, wherby the truth of the definition is e­uident. And for further confirmation therof, God in Genesis sayth thus, My Gen. 6. spirite shall not alwayes striue with man, because he is flesh.

Now seing Christ the most wise ex­positor of the scriptures, affirmeth that by the fruite the trée shall be discerned, therefore by the fruites of fleshe decla­red by Saint Paule in the 5. chapter to Gal. 5. the Galathians, it is plainely gathered, that fleshe is nothyng els but a masse of iniquitie and corruption, but the whole man was before concluded vn­der the name of fleshe. Therefore the whole man is a masse of iniquitie and corruption.

Againe in the 8. of Genesis he sayth: [Page] The imagination of mans harte is e­uill Gen. 8. euen from his youth, whereby it appeareth that there is wickednes and corruption cleaning vnto hys nature, which Dauid also vttereth in playne wordes: Behold (sayth he) I was be­gotten Psal. 51. in wickednes, and in sinne hath my mother conceyued me: And Ieremy sayth: That the hart of man Iere. 17. is wicked and peruerse. And of the vncleanes and naturall corruption of mā, thus Iob in playne woordes beareth witnes, Who sayth he, can make him Iob. 14. cleane, that is conceiued of vncleane seede? And Christ himselfe sayth: That that which is borne of flesh, is fleshly. The meaning wherof is plaine by that which is sayd before.

Agayne Paule witnesseth, That tho­rough the offence of one man, sinne hath entred vpon all men. Againe the same Paule to shew the filthy corrupti­on of nature, sheweth the opposition and contrarietie betwene the lawe and sinne: The law sayeth he, is spirituall, I am carnall solde vnder sinne: as Rom. 7. though he had sayd, The lawe is pure, [Page 9] but I am corrupt, which he proueth by Christes owne rule, namelye, by the fruites: For sayth he, that good which I would, that do I not, but that euill Rom. 7 which I hate, that do I: If nowe I doe that I would not, then is it not I that do it, but sinne that dwelleth in mee. Where, this is to be noted, that he affir­meth sinne to dwell in hym, that is, to haue possession of hym, and naturallye to cleaue vnto hym. Agayne the same Paule accuseth the whole worlde, that there is none righteous, that there is none wise, or that seeketh after God. Now I trust the truthe of the definition is sufficiently confirmed, whereunto I will also adde somewhat of the opynion of the fathers, that the agréemente be­twene vs in the truthe thereof may ap­peare. Thus writeth Augustine, Con­tra Psal. 50 vulnus originalis peccati, quo in Adam omnium hominum corrupta. & mortifica­ta est natura, & vnde omnium concupiscen­tiarum morbus moleuit, potens remdium est mors filij Dei Domini nostri Iesu Chri­sti. The death of our Lorde Iesus Christ the sonne of God, is a myghty reme­dye [Page] agaynst the wounde of originall In libro de articulis falso sibi impositis. Arti. 1. sinne, wherewith the nature of al men is (in Adam) corrupt and slayne, and from whence the infection of all con­cupiscence hath sprong. And the same agayne in his booke of nature and grace, Cap. 3. Natura verò ista hominis qua vnusquis (que) ex Adam nascitur, iam medico indiget, quia sana non est: For thys nature of man wherein euerye man is borne of Adam, hath now néede of a Physition, because it is not found. Agayne, vpon the Gos­pel of Iohn, Non natura quae tota fuerat per liberum arbitrium in ipso radice vitia­ta: Tract. 17. not by nature whiche through free will was wholye defiled in the verye In Luchirid. ad Laurentiū cap. 30. roote: And agayne he calleth it, Per­ditionem hominis, & liberi arbitrij. The losse of a man and of free wyll. And a­gayne. Amissionem imaginis dei. The losse of the Image of God. Agayne thus wry­teth Origene, In lege pro illo qui natus fue­rit Origene. iubetur offerri hostia par turturum, aut duo pul­li colūbini, ex quibus vnus pro peccato, et alius in ho Rom. 6. lib. 5 locaustomata: pro quo peccato offertur hic pullus v­nus? nūquid nuper aeditus paruulus peccare potuit? et [Page 10] tunc habet peccatum, pro quo hostia iubetur offerria quo mundus negatur quis esse, etsi vnius diei fuerit vita eius. In the lawe it is commaunded, that for hym that is borne, a payre of turtles or two yong pigeons shoulde bee offered, of the whyche the one shoulde be for a sinne offeryng, and the other for a burnt offeryng: For what synne is thys one pigeon offered? coulde the newe borne chylde sinne? yea euen then We are con­ceyued in originall sinne. hee hath synne, for the which he is com­maunded to offer a synne offeryng, from the whyche there is no man clere, and though hee bee but one daye olde. And a lyttle after in the same place. Sciebant enim illi quibus mysteriorum secreta commissa sunt diuinorum, quia essent in om­nibus genuinae sordes peccati: For they (to whom the secretes of the deuyne my­steries were committed) knew that the naturall filthinesses of sinne were in al Homil. men. And agayne the same Origene vpon Leuit. Quaecun (que) anima in came na­scitur, iniquitatis & peccati sorde poluitur: what soule soeuer is borne in fleshe it is defiled with filthe of wickednesse and [Page] sinne. And Hierome vpon Ezechiell Hierom. cap. 47. A pueritia appositum est cor hominis ad malum, vt ne vnius quidem diei a natiuitatis suae exor­dio, sine peccato sit humana conditio. Mans heart is set vppon euill euen from his child­hood, that the nature of man is not one daye from his birth without sinne. And agayne Ambrose, Omnes homines in Ambrose, de vocatione gē ­tium. Lib. 1. Cap. 3 primo homine sine vitio conditi sumus, et omnes na­turae nostrae incolumitatem eiusdem hominis prae­uaricatione perdidimus, inde tracta mortalitas, inde multiplex corporis animi (que) corruptio, inde ignorantia, et difficultas: All men were All men in the first man were created without sinne, but by transgressi­on he lost all, & pur­chased deth. in the first man created wythout synne, and all by the transgression of the same man haue lost the freedome of our nature, from thence wee toke the ma­nifolde corruption both of body and soule, from thence ignoraunce and dulnes, &c. And Bernard speakyng thereof: A primo homine vs (que) ad nouissi­mum Bernard. Sermone de passione domi ni, feria qua­ta hebdoma­dae poenosae protenditur, & in singulis quo (que) a plan­ta pedis, vs (que) ad verticem diffunditur hoc ve­nenum. It is stretched euen from the first man to the last, and thys poyson spreade abroade in euerye man e­euen [Page 11] from the soole of the foote to the crowne of the hed.

Now I suppose it is sufficiently pro­ued what originall sinne is. Wherefore I wyll now a little touche the common doctrine of the earnest enemies, I meane the Papistes concernyng the same. Their common receyued defini­tion therof amongst their schoolemen is thys: Peccatum originis est reatus tantūm, seu imputatio, qua propter lapsum Adae om­nes The Pa­pistes defi­nition of o­riginal un. homines secundum naturam propagati rei sunt: Originall sinne is onely the giltiship or imputation, whereby all men generate according to nature, are through the fall of Adam giltye. For the vnderstanding of the errour of this definition, it is needefull to marke thys: that in euery sinne there are two thynges to be considered, namely, the Two thynges in euery sinne to be consi­dered. offence it selfe, which is as it were the matter or substaunce of the sinne, and also the giltiship, subiection or bonde to the penalty due to the same. As here in originall sinne, that which is as it were the matter or substaunce thereof, is the corruption which is in nature. Now for [Page] asmuch as death is the penaltie due vn­to the same corruption, therefore that bonde and subiection wherein man standeth tyed vnto this penaltie, is cal­led the giltiship. Now these men in this definition frée and discharge mans na­ture from all the corruption, which is as it were the matter and substaunce of the sinne, affirming that originall sinne is now nothyng els in vs, but a partici­pation of the bonde, or subiection wher­in Adam stoode tyed to the penaltie, and no participation of the corruption of hys nature. The shamefull vntruthe whereof, is by that whiche is sayde before, more then manifest: for as muche as it is there proued, that Ori­ginall synne is not onelye accordyng to theyir saying, an imputation of A­dams giltishippe, or bonde to the pe­naltie due to the offence: but also a full corruption of hys whole nature.

Now forasmuch as the Papistes drawe so néere vnto the Pelagians and Anabaptistes, as well aboute the na­ture of originall sinne, as the propa­gation thereof, therefore although a­boue [Page 12] all thynges I labour to be briefe, yet wyll I stay the ouervewyng of one or two of the principall argumentes vsed herein. How can it be say they, An other o biection. that thys corruption of nature shoulde so be from the fathers conueyed into the chyldren, that theyr nature shoulde equally bée poysoned wyth the same infection? Where vnto it is aun­swered.

That althoughe Adam was crea­ted The aun­swer. after the Image of God, partici­patyng hys naturall goodnes and ver­tue as was shewed before, all whiche séede of originall righteousnes shoulde by hym haue bene conueyed into hys posteritie: yet were all those excel­lent qualities, not so indiuisibly cohe­rent to hys nature, but that to the re­tayning of them there was a certayne condition annexed, the breache where­of shoulde bée hys depriuation from all: namely, vnder the condition of hys God c [...]a­ted the first man hea­uenly lyke himself, but yet added [...] condition of hys ob [...] dience. obedience vnto God. That séeyng God had crowned hym wyth so excellente giftes, fréewill, and power eyther to vse or abuse them, that conditionally [Page] if he by disobedience abused them, hée should lose the dignity of his estate, and possession of them all. Now these orna­mentes beyng lost by his disobedience, and hys nature wholy spoyled of origi­nall right [...]usnes, and wh [...]ly ladē with corruption and vncleannes: it follow­eth that all his children are by hym in­fected with the same, neither could they by hym be generate in any other condi­tion of nature, then that whiche vnto hym was proper▪ for very nature tea­cheth this that in all perfect generation, that is, where generation is betwene creatures of on kynde, the lyke doth e­uer bryng [...]orth the lyke, neither can a sheepe bryng forth a wolfe, nor a wolfe a sheep, but one nature is euer common both to the bréeders and to the broode. Wherefore Adam hauing hys nature vtterly corrupted through his fall, must néedes conuey the same corruption in­to all hys ofspring accordyng to thys saying of Iob: VVho can make hym I [...]. 14. cleane that is conceyued of vncleane seede. And amongst men, euen in ciuill iustice, if a man that is borne free do by [Page 13] some great offence lose the fréedome of hys estate and become bond, all his po­steritie are borne in the same thraldom, we are all through Adam made bonde and thrall vnto sinne. and so remayne likewise bond, neyther can they make title vnto that fréedome which once their father possessed, seing in hym they haue all iustly lost it. But here agayne the aduersaries obiect, that An other obiection. as by the fall of Adam, nature receiued this foyle to the infection of all hys po­steritie: so by his iustification he beyng agayne made righteous, it shoulde fol­low that he should conuey a iustified na­ture into all hys posteritie. Unto thys An answer to the ob­iection. obiection it is thus easily aunswered, that in euery sinne (as hath bene shew­ed before) two thynges are to be consi­dered, namely the acte, and the giltiship. Now Adams iustification did not for the present state restore hys first origi­nall purenes, or clense hys nature from all her corruption: but only this it did, it assured him that the giltiship of hys corrupt nature was not imputed vnto hym, and layd to hys charge, so that hys iustification did not purge hys nature from sinne, but it dyd frée and acquite [Page] hys person from the giltiship and obli­gation, wherein he stoode tyed vnto the penaltie. Wherefore Adam still posses­sed hys corrupt nature, wherin all hys ofspryng by hym were generate, wher­by all theyr natures were laden wyth the same infection.

An other of the aduersaries obie­ctions is thys, that séeyng no acte is In other obiection. sinne vnlesse it bée willinglye done, and that chyldren in theyr infancye haue no wyll, therefore it shoulde fol­low that infantes haue no sinne. For aunswer whereof, it is easily graunted The aun­swer. that as touchyng actuall sinne in them­selues, of theyr owne committyng, they haue none, but touchyng originall sinne, theyr nature therwithall remay­neth defiled, seyng theyr nature can be of no other condition, as is sayd before, then the originall nature where of they be bred. Should not a man séeyng the yong whelpe of a Wolfe, or Tygre call them beastes of a rauenous or cruell nature, because that their weake­nesse thorough tendernes of age can not expresse in action those properties [Page 14] of nature. Yes surely, they wante but tyme and age to make them manifest.

Likewise the Serpent in the harte and colde of the wynter, lyeth in hys The na­ture of the Serpent. shrowde so weake, that he may be tou­ched without daunger of hys bityng, which happeneth by want of strength, and not that he shoulde be iudged ther­fore to haue loste hys venimous na­ture: for so soone as aunswerable tyme furnisheth hym of strengthe, hée be­wrayeth the same. Euen so younge children, thoughe they haue no actu­all synne in them of theyr owne com­mittyng, whiche they call personall sinne: yet are they vtterly defiled by the originall corruption of their whole nature, and want onely tyme, and age to expresse the fruites therof.

And hereby appeareth the grose­nes of thys errour, in that they rea­sonne from A specie to the generall woorde by a Negatiue, then whiche A false ar­gument. kynde of argumente none is falser. For this it is, infants haue no actuall sinne, Ergo, they haue no sinne. And where theyr argument was grounded hereon, [Page] that vnlesse it were willingly done, it were no sinne: thereto it may be truly answered, that euen this sinne where­of they are culpable, was willingly committed, though not in theyr owne per­sōs, yet in their first father of whose cor­rupt séede they were bred. Others there bée that doe more vehemently vrge the matter thus: If say they, there be origi­nall sinne, it must néedes be, y ^t the same An other obiection. cleaueth to the soule, for y ^e fleshe beyng of it self of brute & sēseles nature, is not capable thereof, and the soule we re­ceyue not of our parentes, but of God. How then commeth it, that from our parentes we shoulde receyue this cor­ruption? The which is thus by some The aun­swer. learned fathers answered, that y ^e soule is not by hys creation sinfull, but foras­much as mans disobedience hath vtter­ly spoyled hys whole nature of original righteousnesse, and forasmuch as the soule is in the creation knit vnto a bo­dy subiect vnto that losse, and made a part of y ^e accursed man: Therfore it is forthwith both depriued of the original grace and vertue, wherwith by creatiō [Page 15] it was indued, and wherewith it should haue gouerned the body. And also it hath no meanes to vse it selfe, but by the instrumentes or organes of the body, whiche through the curse are naturally indewed with nothing but filthines, and vtterly vnapte to all spirituall woorkes, wherby it stubburnlye resisteth and im­pugneth the spirit, who beyng now de­pryued of many of those vertues, wher­with it was by creation indued, is vna­ble to encounter the corruption of the fleshe, and specially in her owne organs or instrumentes, and therefore yeldeth vnto the inclinations thereof, so y ^t where it shoulde haue raygned ouer the bodye, now contrarywise the body raygneth ouer it, and suppresseth it, and carieth it away captiue vnto the lusts aunswera­ble to the body. And euen naturall Phi­losophy teacheth this, that betwéene the soule and the body, there is a certaine sympathy or knitting of affection: for who seeth not that in melancholy bodyes the mynde is heauy and solitary, in san­guine bodies mery and lyght, &c. where­by it appeareth, that the mynde beyng [Page] thus inclosed in thys house of corrupti­on, is greatly blinded and drowned in the perfection thereof, and so caryed away vnto the delight thereof. Sure­lye thys curious searche of the propaga­tion of originall sinne, as it is very hard and difficulte, so it is more then vaine, and vnto saluation nothyng at all ne­cessary. Wherefore the aduersaryes ought rather in following the counsell of Saint Augustine, in thys matter to labour and study to finde the way howe they must be drawen out of the danger of this originall filth & corruption, then curiously to stand questioning how they fell into it, he rehearseth a pretye story how a certayne man chauncyng to fall into a déepe pitte, lying there shouting & A proper & mery history crying, an other hearing him, came to the pitte and began very diligently to ē ­quire of him how hée fell in, I pray thée saith he neuer aske me how I fell in, but study diligentlye how thou mayst helpe me out. Hauing thus briefly spoken of originall sinne, I thinke it not conueny­ent because thys deuysion is receaued, to speake now of actuall sinne, whiche in [Page 16] déede is nothyng els but a fruite or effect The defini­tion of actu­all sinne. of the other. Wherefore it may bée thus defined, actuall synne is euery thought, woorde, and déede, or whatsoeuer is con­trary to the lawe and wyll of God, and what soeuer is not of fayth. The truth of this definition is thus gathered, for­asmuch as it is already proued, that the whole nature of man is by original sinne vtterly corrupted: Therefore the same synne triumphyng in his nature, as a cause continually woorkyng, can not but bring forth her effectes or fruites. And by the woordes of Christ, the fruite must bée aunswerable to the trée, therefore all thoughtes, woordes, & déedes, & what so­euer procedeth frō that corrupt nature, is corrupt, & vncleane, & so actuall sinne: and that thoughtes be herein cōprehen­ded, it is playne, for that they bée the ef­fectes of the originall corruption. For Christ himselfe sayeth: Out of the heart goeth euill thoughtes, and if any acte beside be not comprehended vnder these woordes, thought, woorde, or déede, the same is comprehended vnder these ge­nerall wordes of Paule: whatsoeuer is [Page] not of fayth is sinne. Whereby it ap­peareth that not onely euyll thoughtes, wordes and déedes be actuall sinne, but also those thoughtes, wordes, & déedes, which otherwise (morally) of their owne nature be honest and good, yf they bée done out of fayth, that is to say, if they be done by enuy, not through fayth ac­ceptable vnto God in Christ, euen those thoughtes, wordes & déedes (séeme they neuer so holy) bée sinne. Now forasmuch as there is a deuision of actuall synne, which hath bene of long tyme receyued, it is expedient that somewhat bée sayde concerning the same. The deuision is thys, into deadly sinne, and into veniall The defini­tion of actu­all sinne. sinne. About both which partes, not only how triflingly, but also how wickedly the scoolemen do holde, shal partly be shewed. Wherfore, first touching dead­ly sinne in that they bynd them to a cer­tayne number, affirming onely seuen The tea­ching that there is but vii. deadly sinnes is mere papi­stical & false. sinnes to be deadly, they doe not onely geue vnto man securitie, in that hys e­nemy hath but seuen wayes to assaulte hym vnto death, from which if hée can imagine hym free, he thinketh hymselfe [Page 17] in any other offence not to synne dead­ly, whereby all other synnes are extenu­ate, and all wicked inclinations, affec­tions, and thoughtes, excluded from the number of deadly sinnes. And yet sinnes be called deadly for no other cause, but because death is due vnto them. And therefore vnto what sinne soeuer death All sinne for the which death is due is of it selfe deadly un Rmo. 6 is due, that sinne is consequentlye dead­lye, but death is due to all synne. For Paule sayth generally, the rewarde of sinne is death, and therefore all synne is (in respecte of hys owne nature) deadly. And though there bée synnes whyche God imputeth not to man, yet that commeth not through the smalnes and lyghtnes of the synne, but through the mercye of God. And where agayne they affirme that deadly sinne doth not exclude fayth, but that they maye both stande together, they no lesse deceaue you as hereby appeareth, for S. Paule sayth: they that walke after the flesh, Rom. 3. can not please God: wherefore who so pleaseth God walketh not after y ^e fleshe, but whosoeuer walketh in fayth plea­seth God. Therefore whosoeuer wal­keth in fayth walketh not after the [Page] fleshe, but to walke after the fleshe is to Rom. 7 walke in deadly sinne. Therefore they that walke in fayth, walke not in dead­ly Rom. 8 sinne, whereby it followeth that faith, and deadly sinne cā not stande together. Agayne, whosoeuer is dead, hath no lyfe in hym, but whosoeuer hath no life in hym, hath no fayth in hym: For the iuste do liue by fayth. Therefore who­soeuer Abac. 2 Hebr. 10 is dead hath no fayth in him, but they are dead in whom deadly synne raygneth: For hee that synneth is the seruaunt vnto synne. Therefore they in Iohn. 8 whō there is deadly synne, haue no fayth in thē. Let thys for a touch or say of their errours concernyng deadly sinne, suf­fice. Now touching veniall or remissible sinnes, they may thus be defined. Ueni­all synnes are all those synnes whiche The defini­tion of ve­niall sinnes through fayth are forgéeuen. The truth of thys definityon is euident by these woordes of Peter in the .x. of the Actes: To hym geeue all the prophets witnes, that through hys name all that beleeue Act. 10 in hym shall receaue remyssyon of synnes, but whatsoeuer is remytted is veniall, for to bée veniall and remyssible [Page 18] is all one thing, and therfore all sinnes which through fayth are forgeuen are veniall: wherby the truth of the defini­tion appeareth, and hereby it is eui­dent that no sinne can be called veniall in respect of his owne nature, for so it is deadly, but for that through mercy it is remitted, so that one and the selfe same sinne is in diuers respectes both Deadly sinne & ve­niall sinne are in di­uers res­pects but one. deadely and veniall, for in him where sayth is, it is veniall, and where faith is not, it is deadly. Whereby it is also eui­dent that vnto the wycked no synne is denyall, so then the dyfference betwene veniall sinne and deadlye, consisteth not in the nature of the sinne, but in the wil of God, which to the faythfull remitteth The diffe­rence be­twene deadly sinne & venial sinne it, and to the vnbeleuers reteineth it. Now touching the opinion of the schole­men concerning veniall sinne, it is a world to sée how they turmoyle them The opini­on of the scholemen concerning venial sinne selues about it, some of them thinke thē to be called veniall sinnes, because they be light and easily remitted, or els washt away with holy water, as they terme it: others thinke it so called, because af­ter death it should be remissible by the [Page] fire of Purgatorye▪ others thynke them called remissible, or venyall in respect of the sinne agaynst the holy Ghost, which is called irremissible or vn forgeueable. But the better learned amongst them, accompt venyall synnes the dysposition or pronenesse towardes the thoughtes, and affectyons whiche leade vnto deadly synne. Herein is this one thyng worthy The scholemen agree in error▪ the notyng, that howsoeuer they amon­gest them selues disagrée in diuersitie of opinions about the same, yet in this one thyng they all agrée, that none of them all taketh either counsell, witnes, or au­thoritye out of Gods worde concernyng the same. The errour of all whiche, can not be hidden from him that considereth what hath bene sayde before. And vpon these false groundes thy inferre dyuers opinions of corrupt doctrine, whereof I will rehearse one or two. First they The false opinion & doctrine of the papists affirme that some synnes in the wicked be veniall synnes, which is proued false. Agayne that venyall synnes should be light synnes, and not of their owne na­ture damnable. Againe, that they should bée washed away wyth holye water, or [Page 19] clensed by the fire of Purgatory. And yet Iohn Baptist sayd: Beholde the Iohn. 1. Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world. And againe the Angell sayd to Ioseph: He shall saue his people from their sinnes. Neither Math. 1. sayd Iohn nor the Angel, coniured wa­ter or Purgatory shall take away the sinnes of the world, or saue the people from their sinne. These thinges suffice for a faste of their errors herein. Now, forasmuch as it doth plainly appeare both what originall and actuall sinne is, it is therby gathered that the difference betwene them is onely this. That in The diffe­rence be­twene ori­ginall and actuall sin. actuall sinne that which is, as it were the matter or substance of the sinne, re­maineth not after it be committed, but onely the giltiship or bonde to the pe­naltie: As when a man committeth whoredome, murther, theft, or any such like, soe soone as the acte is done, the sinne is ended, so that the whoredome, murther, or theft is past and gone, but the giltiship and bonde to the penaltie remaineth: but in originall sinne both the substance and matter of the sinne [Page] and also the giltiship remaineth still: for the corruption remaineth still whereby euery man féeleth in his nature repi­ning against all goodnes, and a gréedy lust to the contrary. Thus by Adam By Adam sinne en­tred into the world. sinne entred into the world, & death by the meanes of sinne, and all natu­rally are become the children of wrath, and all dead in sinne, so that death and damnation raigne ouer euery man. Thus hauing shewed the excellencie of mans creation, and horror of his trans­gression, whereby all his ofspring are naturally rebells vnto God, and slaues vnto sinne and death, it followeth.

Cap. 2.

NOw man hauing thus throwne him selfe headlong into the do­lorous dūgeon of deadly dispaire, ouer­whelmed [Page 20] with swallowing surges of distroyng distres, being now dedicate vnto the iust conceiued wrath of God, as the coniured foe to his owne former felicitie. Now lyeth his caitife con­science displayed, before the offended Maiestie of his late louing Creator, but now, reuenging Lord: so farre hath his rebellious outrage banished all grace, and stampe of the diuiue nature, that no print, or image therof remaineth perfect within him. In stede of all those glori­ous ornamentes, he hath endued himselfe with peculiar beauties of his own choice (namely) ignorance, enuie, pride, crueltie, carnalitie, and all other sinne, and that so naturally, that y ^e same now lurketh not in him as an accident, which may be remoued from his nature, but all his whole corrupt nature is now no­thing els but sinne it selfe. The whole man, body, minde, thought, worde, and The wic­ked and damnable state that man of himselfe is in. déede, vtterly peruerted into the same, so that the whole endeuour and disposi­tion of his nature, through rauishing sway of insatiable luste vnto sinne, tra­uelleth [Page] (with vnquenchable thirst) the execution of y ^e fruite therof. Whereby it appeareth, that man is now become a most apt subiect, and conuenient mat­ter, wherin the iustice of God, hath to display the magnificence of his power. For he being now nothing els but wic­kednes it selfe (which the iustice of God vtterly abhorreth and hateth) in due punishment of him, all the creatures of God haue to testifie and magnifie the pure, and vnspotted righteousnesse of God, which with holy and iust power punisheth most duely the hatefull and rebellious monster sinne and wicked­nes. But as his iustice hath here an apt subiect wherin to manifest to the whole As God by hys iu­stice con­demneth & [...]steth vs downe, so by hys a­bondant mercy he rayseth vs vp agayne. world, the holy, fearfull, and reuerent Maiestie therof: so hath his other most victorious proprietie, namely hys tri­umphant, and superaboundaunt mer­cy, such a subiect of the same man, wher­in to manifest the glorious conquest therof as the whole world by vewe of the same, shal be enforced to testifie and confesse the infinite largenes of hys The mer­cy of God farre exce­deth hys o­ther works mercy, farre to excede and surmount all [Page 21] the residue of his glorious workes. Wherefore the diuine Maiestie being not onely louing and merciful, but in déede loue and mercy it selfe, willing Iohn. 4. yet of his infinite bountie & incompre­hensible goodnes to loue, that which now by nature was most vnworthy hys loue, pittying the vtter dissolution and deserued destruction of mankinde. God (I say) vewing & beholding with a blincke of vndeserued grace the mi­serable calamitie, of this cursed and iustlye condemned caitife, glaunsed by him with a certain dimme slent of com­fort concerning his restitution, and a­doptiou againe into the glorious liber­tie of the sonnes of God: in promising Rom. 8. that by the séede of the woman the Ser­pentes head should be brused. Thus Gen. 3. being apparant that Adams transgres­sion (bringing in sinne and death) made him and his ofspring rebells to God, and consequently an apte sub­iecte, for the mercy and iu­stice of God to worke vpon It follw­eth.

Cap. 3.

THe infinite mercy of God, hauyng thus geuen to Adam a touche or saie of the foundation of this new worke (concerning mans restitution) séemeth (as it were for a tyme) to forget man, in leauing hym neither rule nor law mani­fested by his worde, wherby to gouerne hymselfe: to proue whether he (any thyng stirred as yet by hys swéete pro­mise) would hunte and séeke after hys God, to the finding of whom he coulde want no store of guides, séeyng all the other creatures of god were indices or pointels, to shew him who he was. For the harmony and whole consent of all other creatures in their seueral kyndes [Page 22] conspired (as it were) together, to lead vnthankefull man to the knowledge, & admiration of his mighty and merue­lous creator, by the contemplation of their obedience, and thanckefulnes in their kyndes, for his glorious workes bestowed vpon them: wherby he might be drawne both to reuerence and glori­fie God, and beholde hys owne misera­ble condition, which amongest all the rest, was founde the onely iarring, and discordant stringe from the swéete con­sent of that harmony: By vewe wher­of, he might also be pricked forward, to shame hys lacke, and séeke recouery of hys loste obedience. For castyng hys All crea­tures vn­der hea­uen reue­rence God in their kindes, sa­uing onely man. eyes vp to heauen, there he myght sée the inuiolable law of their creation most reuerently obserued. The rowling sky (with his rauishing sway measuryng vnto vs the due tymes both of labour, & rest, cariing about with vntyred moti­on in the space of one naturall day, all the rest of the heauenly hoste) paynteth out the glory of God. The Sunne as a The Sunne. glorious bridegrome, expresseth y ^e mag­nificence of God, holding his yearely [Page] circuit aboute the limites of his stately palace: at whose approching all things growing on the earth (apparelling thē ­selues in the beautifull ornamentes of theyr nature) yelde in their kynde glo­rye vnto God, for the cheerefull pre­sence of that comfortable creature.

The chaungeable Moone that by her hasty iorneys in eche monthly trauell, The Moone. dispatcheth one whole viage: in re­pairyng her oft decayed light, sheweth her obedience to her Creator, thereby yelding hym glory: vpon whose moti­on, not onely small moystures and hu­mours, but also the waste and swallow­ing seas, séeme to attend. All the residue Starres. of the starres, both wandring and fixed, obseruing (inuiolably) their motions, tymes, and circuites, declare the great and wonderfull power & glory of God. Then drawyng his eyes néerer home, The Ayre. considering the ayre, there also séeth he nothing but the praise and glory of god, be holding there the continuall trauell of nature, in filling her storehouses with plenty of munition, to execute the will and commaundement of their glo­ryous [Page 23] God: namelye, lightening, thun­der, Lightning Thunder Hayle Snow Rayne Wynde The earth declareth the magni­ficence of God. Beastes Fishes Foules, Birdes in the ayre. Trees Plantes hayle, snow, rayne, wynde, and all other creatures of the place. Thē draw­ing hys eyes home to hys feete, and be­holdyng the earth, there also séeth hée o­penlye dysplayed the magnyficence of God. For the earth her self in bryngyng forth and nourishing her children, be­wrayeth the same. Beastes, Fishes and foules, in crauyng of God their foode, acknowledge hys soueraygntye. The birdes (in yeldyng hym well tuned thankes in their melodious harmonye) declare their reuerence to God. Al trees, plantes, and herbes by their smylyng grace, and glorious ornamentes of their beautie, paynte vnto man the magnyfi­cence of their creator. And to bée shorte, euen from the heygth of heauen, vnto the centre of the earth hath he in all hys creatures as it were wrytten, or ingra­ued the glorious Maiestie, and magnyfi­cence of hys incomprehensible myght, wisdome, bountie and eternitie.

But what needed thys farre trauell to séeke a thyng so néere at hande, had man but looked into hymselfe, hee coulde [Page] not but sée that all hys owne lyfe, in­crease A glasse wherein man may beholde himselfe and conseruation, was nothyng els but the vertue and power of God dwelling in hym, whereby the truth of these sayings of Saint Paule doth well appeare, namelye, That the inuincible Rom. [...] thinges of God, that is to saye, his e­ternall power and Godhed are vnder­stande, and seene by the thynges made from the creation of the worlde, to the intent that they shoulde bee without excuse: because that when they knew God, they gloryfied hym not as God, Act. 14. neither were thankefull. And agayne the Lorde left not him selfe wythout te­stimonye euen towardes them to whom hée sente no knowledge of hys woorde. Surely although these rules and gui­des might haue trained man to the sée­kyng of God, yet God too géeue a more euident vew of hys infinite goodnes and mercy, myndefull of his promise con­cerning mans restitution first made to Adam, but more clearely afterwardes Gen. 3. to Abraham, in promising that in hys séede all the nations of the earth should Gene. 22 be blessed, God I say myndefull of this [Page 24] promise chose oute a peculiar people namely, the children of Israell, indew­ing Psal. 135. them with the name of hys people callyng hymselfe the God of Israell, as Esay. 19. Exod. 6. Leuit. 29. though hée had béene peculyar to them onely, vnto whom he manifestly opened hymselfe both by woorde and miracle, vnto whom hée also declared the condy­tions whereupon he would receyue man to fauor agayne. And writing the same in tables of Stone, delyuered them to Moyses their ruler, as a glasse wherein to vew their miserable fall and corrupti­on. The somme whereof was contai­ned in these two commaundementes, namely, Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God wyth all thy hearte, wyth all thy Deut. 6 soule, wyth all thy mynde, and wyth all thy strength. The seconde: Thou shalt loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe. Leuit. 19 And although thys briefe somme was at the delyueraunce deuided into diuers and sondry braunches, yet all those are from hence deriued, as from their foun­tayne and hed. Nowe hauyng shewed that mans transgression, bryngyng in sinne and death made hym and all hys [Page] séede rebels to God, and thereby an apte subiect for the iustyce and mercy of God, to worke on, and that also for the many­festyng of mans subiection to both those propertyes, a law was needefull where­in the condition of hys estate mighte ap­peare, it followeth.

Cap. 4.

AS the wysedome of God being of it selfe vnsearcheable, offereth vnto vs contynuall cause to haue the same in admiration: so in my iudgement it hath not here offered vnto vs the lest in ad­ding to his puissaunt and imperiall com­maundement, God com­maundeth vs to loue him & lawe, this worde Loue In saying, thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God: why not rather, thou shalt [Page 25] honour, worshyp, serue, or obey the God com­maundeth vs to loue hym. Lord thy God. All which woordes séeme at the first sight to argue in the law ma­ker greater impery, superioritie, & pre­rogatiue, then this word [Loue] whiche séemeth to import too much familiaritie and equalitie: surely the wisedome of God hauyng to deale with the ouer­thwart nature of man, sawe it conueni­ent to vse that worde, of the vnderstan­ding wherof, man him selfe was able to pretend least ignoraunce, and that whose nature by force of the effecte, and propertie was commonly knowen to all, and that whiche in déede wel wayed, includeth more then any of the other re­hearsed. For if he shoulde haue vsed any of the other wordes, namely, honour, worshyp, serue, obey, or such like, it might haue béene that some whose cal­lyng and estate offereth vnto them the vewe of no such reuerence, might at the least haue pretended some ignoraunce of the meanyng thereof. But to méete with all occasions, the God of all wise­dome vsed that worde, whose effecte and propertie trayned euery man to so sen­sible [Page] féeling of the meaning thereof, that no man could pretende ignorance of the same, forasmuche as the whole nature of man trauelleth in continual vse, and practise of loue towardes sinne and wic­kednes. And although mans knowledge concerning the meaning of that woorde, was gathered oute of the fruites of hys corruption, he being as it were sinne it selfe: yet that, neyther hindered his vn­derstandyng of the meanyng therof, nei­ther any whit debased the puritie of the nature thereof. So that whosoeuer by those effectes, or properties of loue, whyche hée felt in him selfe (towardes sinne) had sought the definition thereof, he shoulde forthwith haue séene how en­tire and absolute a ryghteousnesse the law requireth. Wherfore hauyng thus spoken of the nature of loue, it séemeth now conuenient, to vse some definityon thereof, whereby the truth of my asser­tion may be more apparant: wherefore it may be thus defined.

Loue is a naturall affectyon of the minde, inflamyng all the powers of the Definition of loue louer with willing duetie towardes the [Page 26] beloued. By this definition it is playne, that where he saith, thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God, it importeth as much What it is to loue the Lord our God. as if he had sayd, it is required that with willing desire & naturall affectyon both of body and mynde, and all the powers of the whole man, thou performe due obedience to the Lorde thy God. Surely if the holy Ghost had sayd no more, but thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God, the force and efficacye of loue is by the definition euident to bée suche, as it re­quireth a naturall inclination, and wil­ling pronenesse of all the partes of man to the obedyence of God: wherefore most truely it is sayd of y ^e Apostle Paul, that loue is the fulfillyng of the lawe. And to take away all ambiguitie, the ho­ly Rom. 13 Ghost hath added suche other words, as dyscharge hys meanyng herein of doubtfull vnderstanding. For hée ad­deth these wordes: wyth all thy heart, Deut. 6 with all thy soule, with all thy minde, and with all thy strength. Nowe foras­muche as the heart or mynde, which I here take to be one, and yet both termes put in, to expresse the vehemencie of the [Page] law: Forasmuche I say, as the heart or minde is the fountaine, or seate of all willing desire, and naturall inclination of y ^e whole man, it is playne, that where hée sayeth, with all thy heart, and with all thy mynde, it is all one, as if he had sayde: thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God with all willing desire, naturall affec­tion, and inclination, of the whole man. And here this note is not to bée omitted, that hée putteth to this worde [all] in saying, with all thy heart, &c. So that thereby no affection, power, nor dispo­sition of y ^e hart may be wanting: where­by it is euident, that to the fulfilling of the lawe, is required such restitution of mans originall nature, that as now al his desire and affections naturallye lust after wickednesse, so must all the desires and affections of those whom the lawe can iustifie, naturally lust after righte­ousnesse. He addeth moreouer, with all thy soule, to shew that the law is spiri­tuall, and requireth also to the fulfilling thereof, all the powers, and intentyons of the soule, whych is euident in that Christ himselfe, the best expositor of the [Page 27] lawe affirmeth: That who so is angry with his brother vnaduisedly, is in Math. 5 danger of iudgement: and that who so looketh on a woman, and lusteth after her, hath already committed adultrye with her in his heart: where­by the spirituall force of the lawe appea­reth. And last of all he addeth, with all thy strength, which is a proprietie, Deut. 6. common both to body and minde. And by adding thereto this worde [all] it is plaine that it requireth the ful, natural, and absolute obedience, of all y ^e powers of body and soule. And hereby suffici­ently appeareth the meaning of the law, namely, that with all willing de­sire, and naturall affection, both of body and soule, and all the powers and na­ture of the whole man, thou shalt yelde obedience to the Lorde thy God: lesse then the which, the lawe could by no meanes require of man, seing therein is nothing commaūded but that which the condition of his originall estate was created vnto, from the which seing the whole man (that is to say) body and soule, with indeuour and habilitie of [Page] them both is willingly fallen, as is shewed in the first and second chapters. Whereby it appeareth that mans righ­teousnes required in the law, must be in him so naturally, that the same must not lurke in him, as an accident which may be remoued from his nature. But all hys whole nature must be nothing els, but the Image of righteousnesse it selfe: the whole man, body, minde, thought, worde, and déede, perfectly re­solued into the same, so that the whole indeuour and disposition of nature (through rauishing sway of willing de­sire and naturall affection vnto righte­ousnesse) must trauell with vnquencha­ble thirst the execution of the fruite ther­of: such must be the vnquenchable pas­sion and prone desire of very nature therunto, that if no law were geuen to traine man to righteousnes, yet nature her selfe would be vnto him a continu­all & inuiolable law concerning y ^e same, as hauing no power nor habilitie to de­sire the contrary: wherof no such exam­ple can be geuen to make vs féele the truth of this assertion as the contempla­tion [Page 28] of the pleasant sway and willing pronenes of our nature vnto sinne, who néedeth no law to draw her there­unto, nay no lawe can kéepe her from it: which is nothing els in déede, but the very opposite of the other. So that looke with what willing and naturall plea­sure and delight, the whole disposition of man now trauelleth to the execution of vice and sinne: the law requireth of all them that seeke righteousnes by the déedes thereof, that with the same wil­ling and naturall pleasure and delight, the whole disposition of them must tra­uell the execution of the workes of righ­teousnes. So that to be short, as now no lawe is able to holde mans nature from wickednes: so the lawe requireth in man, such a naturall and absolute righteousnes as no lawe (if any such could be made) should be able to holde his nature from righteousnes. Hauing thus shewed by the lawe of the first ta­ble, that all workes required in the law to mans restitution, must procede from a naturall pronenes, and willing desire of the whole mā vnto righteousnes.

[Page] I sée no cause to tary about the lawe of the second table, which concerneth onely mans dutie towardes his neigh­bour, euen as the first concerneth his duetie towardes God. The lawe is this: Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe: vnto the vnderstanding Leuit. 19. whereof, that which is already said con­cerning loue, hath so opened the way, that onely this briefe explication therof may suffice: namely, thou shalt with willing desire and naturall pronenes of all the powers of the whole man, couet thy neighbours felicitie both in body and soule, as much as thine owne. Ha­uing now sufficiently shewed y ^e nature of the law, and what is required to the fulfilling thereof, it is necessary to com­pare with the same, the corrupt na­ture of man, expressed in the first and second chapters.

For the playne vnderstanding wher­of, it is expedient to vse some definitiōs of thē both. The law may thus be defi­ned: The law is y ^e absolute rule of righ­teousnes, which chalengeth to the ful­filling Definitien of the law. therof, the full obedience, willing [Page 29] desire, and naturall pronenesse of the whole man. Contrariwise, the corrupt nature of man gathered out of the se­cond chapter, is a corrupt disposition in­fecting Mans cor­rupt na­ture. the whole man with full obedi­ence, willing desire and lustfull prone­nesse vnto sinne and rebellion: whiche by these wordes of Paule to the Rom. is euident: It is not obedient to the law of God, nether it can be. And to y ^e Corinthes: The natural man percei­ueth not the thinges that be of God, for they are but folishnes vnto hym, neither can he perceiue them, because they are spiritually examined. Thus thorough the comparison of these two together, it euidently appeareth, that in Man can not satisfy the law. the whole corrupt nature of man, there is no iote of abilitie to satisfie y ^e law in any one poynte, theyr natures being as direct contrary as fire and water, heate and cold, light and darkenes.

And here I cānot omit, seing y ^e place doth vrge me, the fearefull shift which in this cause some aduersaries séeke (in hunting for degrées of perfection) to e­stablishe their blinde righteousnesse of [Page] workes, as though the law chalenged not of man the absolute performaunce thereof, but a certaine degrée of perfec­tion proportionall to the condition of his habilitie, in saying there is perfecti­on in children, perfection in men, per­fection A false and corrupt doctrine. in Angelles, and perfection in God, concluding thereby such a perfec­tion onely, to be required in man as is proportionall to y ^e condition of his habi­litie, as though in the lawe of God, there were at the least a certayne winc­king at wickednesse, alowing such per­fection as man can attaine, and winc­king at the rest of his wantes. Surely as this doctrine is vntrue, so is it daun­gerous & fearefull. The vntruth wher­of is hereby manifest, both in that the law was geuen vnto man, and also it doth expressely exact the full and entire obedience of all the principall partes of man. For what creature besides man hath hart, soule, and mynde. The daun­gerousnes and fearefulnes of this doc­trine doth hereby appeare, for no man can be so wicked, but vnder the lée ther­of he may finde safe harborough to de­fend [Page 30] the deserued storme of iust reproofe and punishment: for being reproued for sinne, may he not by this doctrine safe­ly say to hys reprouer? Sir, glory you in the measure of your own perfection. I for my parte expresse the perfection, an­swerable to my habilitie, whiche is as much as the lawe requireth, the lesse I can performe, the more is my good hap, seeyng the law aloweth the sufficiencie of my small habilitie, for that thereby I haue the more libertye to féede my na­ture wyth her daintie delightes. Sure­ly I sée not how this doctrine can haue other meanyng, séeyng they séeme to in­ferre this sense, in y ^t they affirme that God commaundeth vs nothing impos­sible: which by their owne degrées of perfection must néedes haue thys mea­nyng: that where our habilitie is not a­ble to strayne it self to the absolute per­fection of the lawe, there the law slac­keth it selfe to the weake perfection of our habilitie. Truly if this be not their meanyng, it were expedient that some of them made a glose vpon the text, that the reader myght better vnderstand it. [Page] Surely if they were not to déepely lear­ned in errour, they woulde otherwise consider the nature and end of the law, and acknowledge mans imperfection, & whole insufficientie to the fulfillyng thereof, and so séeke for that whiche nowe followeth here to bée required, namely:

Cap. 5.

THe glorious and reuerende maiesty of God beholdyng (euen from Adams fall) the miserable captiuitie of mans e­state, and mynding hys promised deli­uerance, that therby the victorious tri­umph of hys mercy might be sounded throughout the worlde, to the iuste ad­uauncement of hys glory. God I say, myndefull hereof, as the wisest builder, beganne the foundation of this newe [Page 31] woorke concernyng mans restitution, v­pon the rocke, whiche was immoueable throughout all eternitie, & that in suche sorte that the whole glory thereof (as of right appertained) might iustly redound to hymselfe beyng the begynner, conti­nuer, and finisher of the same: namely, God freely [...] and of hys purpose procured mans redemption Gene. 3 vpon the immutable determination of hys owne purpose fréely offered by pro­myse: first to Adam, in promising that by the séede of the woman, the serpentes head should be brused, whiche promyse once past hym, thereby was strayght way offred to careles man, iust cause of two principall dueties: First, and chief­lye with thankfull heart to haue layde holde of the promyse of God: that is, constantly to haue beleued that as God had promised, so he was both able, and willyng to performe the same. Second­lye, with continuall admiration to gaze at the incomprehensible wisedome of God, in the maruelous continuation of that woorke. Which thing if we now do diligently marke (vnto whom from the beginning to the finishing thereof the whole course and order is playnely [Page] shewed in the scryptures.) Then shall we easely finde that which in thys chap­ter is required: namely the ende and cause why God gaue the lawe to man though man had no iot of habilitie to performe any part of the same. Where-fore considering wel the ordinary course of Gods doynges in that cause, we shall sée how he (as it were by degrées) tray­ned dull man to the vnderstādyng of his gloryous purpose. First, forasmuch as Adam and the yong worlde immedyat­ly succéeding him, was both so neare the familiaritie (as it were) of God, and the tyme of the gyfte of the promise, and al­so for that the full measure of wicked­nesse (which with the age of the worlde continually taketh increase) was not yet in mans possessiō: therfore vnto him (as then) it might surely haue beene suffici­ent, euen by the instinct of the lawe en­grafted in nature, and by the contem­plation of the obedyēce of all other crea­tures in their kinds, to haue vewed and considered the great lacke in hys owne nature towardes the performaunce of righteousnesse, and therby to haue bene [Page 32] stirred by flyght to séeke the immutable and perdurable free promyse of God cō ­cernyng the womans séede: thankfully, but yet boldely, chalengyng priuilege of the same, séeing the matter now hung not vpon his worthynes, but vppon the truth of Gods promise. That is to say, that euen as God is true, so hath hée bounde himselfe to performe mans deli­ueraunce As God is true, so did he bind him self to per­form mans deliuerance in hys good tyme, by the wo­mans séede: And vppon this fayth ioy­fully to haue reposed hymselfe. But alas foolishe man did not so: which notwyth­standing the lenitie and long sufferyng of God, bare with sinfull man, to sée if yet in any tyme he would haue regarde of hym selfe, and sée from whence he were fallen. But nothing it booted, for on trotted hée in the high way of wic­kednesse, wherein the farther he trauai­led, the smother, larger, and more deli­cate he found it. Wherefore God be­ing not mutable as man, but one and the same for euer, most myndefull of hys promyse, whereof the memory séemed now almost rased out of the heart of careles man. God I say vouchsafed to [Page] renue the same agayne, & that in larger God renued his promyse for the resto ring of mankinde Gene. 22. wordes vnto Abraham in saying: In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth bee blessed. And the same he con­tinued in lyke forme of wordes after­wardes to Isaac. Here was the mat­ter renued agayne, still shooting at one Gene. 28. marke, namely, that by the séede of the Gene. 3 woman the Serpentes head shoulde bée brused. But now hée offereth a playne explication of his meaning, concerning the brusyng of the Serpentes head, namely, that where man by despisyng the commaundement of God, and lea­nyng to the subtill perswasion of the Serpent, was fallen into the cursse of God: Now was it promised that in the séede of Abraham all the nations of the Gene. 22. earth shoulde bée blessed: that is to say, deliuered from that cursse againe. It is also come to a more particularitie, for now the promised séede is limited with­in one stocke: namely, of Abraham. Thus by degrees the purpose of God goeth forward more and more openyng it selfe, labouring styll to prouoke sin­full man to foresée hys great daunger [Page 33] and flye to the promysed séede for re­fuge, whiche notwithstandyng corrupt mā hasteth so fast after wickednes, that litle hée regarded the condition of hys owne miserye: wherefore in the rype­nesse of tyme, God seyng the wicked­nesse of man growen to so monstruous an extremitye, that none of all his for­mer workes, nor frée promyse coulde wake hys sluggishe hart to consider his owne miserye, and so prycked by ne­cessitye to flye to the promysed séede, as to the shoote ancker of hys safetye. God I say séeyng this, neuer vnmyndefull of hys promyse, determyneth now final­ly to set before man such a glasse, wher­in hée coulde no waye flye, nor escape from the most cleare, and euident sight of his owne owgely, and monstruous nature: that lothed with the sight ther­of, he forthwith might bée dryuen to flye to y ^e soueraigne medicine of hys restitu­tion: namely to the frée promise of God, in the séede of Abraham. Wherefore now chusyng out one kynde of people To the chil­dren of Is­raell God first gaue the law. as was sayde before: namelye, the chyl­dren of Israell, to make of them a pat­terne [Page] to the reste of the worlde: that wyth the vewe of their obedyence to­wardes God, all the worlde myght bée prouoked by their example to seeke af­ter hym, vnto them I say he deliuered the lawe: whiche contayned in it two se­uerall offyces, the one exterior or out­warde, the other spirytuall and inward. Two offi­ces of the law. The out­ward office of the law The outward office of the law, leadeth to the maintenaunce of the common soci­etie in thys life: for man according to the letter obseruyng the outwarde shewe of the workes thereof, although in the do­ors thereof, that bée nothyng but synne, yet ciuyll vertue and common order is thereby amongst men conserued: and publyke societie mayntayned, without whiche the lyfe of man, shoulde taste no­thing but confusion. The inwarde and spirituall offyce thereof is thys, that The spiri­tuall office of the law man comparyng hys corrupte nature therewyth, and beholdyng the vtter re­pugnaunce, and contrarietye betwéene them, myght forthwith haue acknow­ledged hys great rebellyon against God, and perfectly vnderstande that the dely­ueraunce of man consisteth in the frée [Page 34] promyse of God, concernyng the séede, namely Chryst: and in no righteousnesse that he in the lawe coulde chalenge, se­yng his nature direct contrary to euery parte of the same: so that the law was not by Moyses declared vnto man to iu­styfie hym. Not that the lawe wanted habilitie thereunto, if man coulde haue performed the ryghteousnesse required in the same, whereunto hée was in hys first creation made able: but by the rea­son of hys dishabilitie through corrupty­on, the lawe was opened vnto hym to be as Saint Paule saeth: The displaier of the strength of synne, a threatner 1. Cor. 15 Rom. 3 2. Cor. 3 Rom. 7 Rom. 4 Rom. 5 of the cursse, a bewrayer of hys wic­kednes, the admynistratyon of death, the increase of synne, the stirrer vp of the motions of synne, the cause of wrath, the increaser of offence. But vnto what ende was the lawe thys vn­to man, to hys destruction? No: but to driue hym by the dreadfull vewe of hys iust condemnation, vtterly to abandon hymselfe, and all hys owne workes and rightcousnesse, and to flye from the sen­tence of the lawe, vnto the sentence of [Page] grace conteyned in the frée promyse of God, concernyng the séede to come, namely, Chryst. Saint Paul to the Ga­lathians propened thys question hymselfe: After hée hath beaten them from the Lawe, to the promise in Christe Gal. 3. TVherefore then serueth the lawe? as thoughe hee had sayde, if no man can be iustyfied by the lawe, to what ende then serueth it? He aunswereth himselfe, it was added because of transgressyons, till the seede came vnto whiche the pro­myse was made, that is, it was added, Rom. 7 that synne myght appeare, and to make sinne out of measure sinfull, and to con­clude all vnder sinne, that al by the fear­full sentence thereof, myght flye to the promise, and waite the time of the séede to come, namely, Christ, vnto whom the promise was made, and by hym receyue their deliuerance. Seyng mans restitu­tion stode now only vpon the promise, & truth of God, and not vpon the lawe, to the fulfylling of any part wherof, he had lost both habilitie and inclination. And therefore S. Paule sayeth: If there had Gal. 3. bene a lawe geuen whiche coulde haue [Page 35] geuen life, then no doubt righteous­nes shoulde haue come by the lawe, that is to say, if such a law had bene geuen, as corrupt man had bene able to haue performed and kept, thē no doubt hee should haue bene iustified by the law. But the law being such, whereun­to he neither had habilitie nor inclina­tion, it had onely force to shewe vnto hym what hee ought to be, and to pro­nounce vpon him the sentence of death, and his iust condemnation, to force him thereby to flye from thence, to séeke his frée reléefe in Christ, y ^e promised séede to come. But hereunto the aduersaries obiect, that if God should commaunde An obiecti­on of the papistes. vs things vnpossible to vs to performe, then should we both be iustly discharged of blame, & God to be accused of cruel­tie in condemning vs, for not doyng that whiche by no meanes is possible vnto vs. Unto the folie and wickednes of which obiection, it is easelie answered, An answer that although vnto our corrupt nature it be nowe vtterly vnpossible to satisfie the law, yet neither is the law therfore vniust or violente, nor God extreme or [Page] cruell in requiryng the performance therof at our handes, for therein is no­thyng by hym required of vs, but that whereunto in our originall nature he had created vs both able, sufficient, & naturally inclined, with ful furniture of free choise and power to haue executed the same: wherof what soeuer nowe is wantyng in the habilitie of our corrupt nature, that cōmeth not either by cruel­tie in God, or faulte in the lawe, but by our owne wicked and wilful transgres­sion, wherby the habilitie therunto is vt­terly lost (as is shewed before) by spoyle of our originall righteousnesse. For the law is not geuen as a measure, or scant­lyng of the habilitie of our purchased corruption, but as the absolute rule of our originall perfection. The law doth teache vs howe holy and excellent we were by God created at the firste, and how fouly by our selues, we be now fal­len from that we ought to be. The law doth painte vnto vs the excellency of the Image of God, wherunto we were created: if a man by disease or extreme sore­nes of his eyes, be vtterly vnable to be­hold [Page 36] the light, is the light therfore to be thought or iudged violente? Nay, is it not for all that the onely obiect, wherin that sense was naturally created, to haue hys whole vse and delight? if now the eyes can not behold it, this argueth neither extremitie nor violence in the light, but contrariwise, great disease and corruption in the eyes. So is the law, the natural obiect wherunto mans nature was created, to haue all her mo­tions and senses directed, with naturall felicitie and delight: which if now it be vnable to abyde, that neither argueth extremitie, violence, or crueltie, either in God, or the law: but contrariwise great disease and corruption, in mans nature. And that the obseruation of the law is vnpossible vnto man, as now his nature is corrupted, the testimony of these Scriptures doe playnely aumuch. Thus writeth Paul to y ^e Rom, for what the lawe could not do, in asmuch as Rom. 8. it was weake, because of the flesh. &c Here as there is an impossibilitie ioy­ned to the law, in that he sayth the law could not do it. So also he declared the [Page] same impossibilite not to consist there­in, by reason of the nature of the lawe, but by reason of the imperfection of the flesh, that is for asmuch as the imperfe­ction of the flesh is so great, that it can not performe any suche worke, as the law is able or hath strēght to alow. And a litle after in the same Chapter: for it is not obedient to the law of God neither it can bee. And a litle after he affirmeth, that wee knowe not what to desire as we ought: Thē much lesse is it possible to do as we ought. And againe to y ^e Co­rinthes: The naturall mā perceiueth not the thinges of the spirite of God, Cor. 2. for they are but foolishnes vnto hym, neither can he perceaue them, because they are spiritually examined. And Christe hym selfe saith: how can you speake good thinges seeing your selues be euill? And againe: an euill tree, can bring forth no good fruite. Hereby sufficiētly appeareth, that the fulfiling of y ^e cōmaundemēts is impossible vnto mā, as hys nature is now corrupt, which by y ^e last Chapter was also euident: & that the fathers agréementes with vs here­in [Page 37] may appeare, thus writeth Augu­stine, concerning the loue towardes De spiritu & lite. Cap. 36. God, and our neighbour. Cum ab hac pe­regrinatione, in qua per fidem nunc ambula­tur, peruentum erit ad speciem, quam (nondum visam) speramus, & per patientiam expecta­mus: proculdubio & ipsa dilectio, non solùm supra quam hic habemus, sed longè supra quam p [...]ti­mus, & supra quam intelligimus, erit: ne­que enim restat in nobis aliquid quod addi possit ad totum, quia si restabit al quid, illud non erit to­tum: proinde de hoc erit primum praeceptum iusti­tiae, quo iubemur diligere Deum extoto corde, ex tota anima, ex tota mente, cui est de proximo dili­gendo alterum consequens, quod in illa vita com­plebimus, [...]um videbimus Deum facie ad faciem sed ideo nobis hoc etiam nunc praeceptum est, vt admoneremur quid fide exposcere, quò spem praemit­tere, & obliuiscendo quae retrō sunt, in quae anteri­ora nos extendere debeamus. VVhen from this pilgrimage (wherin we presently walke through fayth) we shall come to that thyng (which yet vnsene) we hope for, and awayte through pa­tience: without all doubt our loue shall not onely excede that whyche wee [Page] possesse here, but also bee farre aboue that whiche wee desire, or vnder­stand: for there remayneth nothyng in vs, that can be added vnto All, for if any thyng shoulde bee lefte oute, then can it not bee All, therefore concernyng this shall the firste pre­cepte of righteousnesse bee, wherein we are commaunded to loue G G D withall the hearte, withal the soule, and withall the mynde: wherunto folow­eth another concernyng loue towar­des our neighbour, which wee shall fulfill in that lyfe when wee shall see God face to face. But for this cause is it now also commaunded vs, that we should bee admonished what to aske in faith, whether to adresse our hope, and in forgettyng the thynges which are behind vs, vnto what thyngs that be before vs, wee ought to direct our selues. Againe Ambrose. Sacrificabo ho­stiam laudis. Non sacrifico inquit, sed sa­crificabo, significans illud perfectum esse sa­crificium, Lib. de bono mortis. Cap. 3. quando vnusquis (que) Domino cor­poris huius vinculis absolutus, assisteret, & [Page 38] offeret se hostiam laudis: quia ante mor­tem nulla est perfecta laudatio. I shall of­fer the sacrifice of prayse, hee sayth not, I do offer, but I shal offer, signifi­yng that that, is the perfect sacrifice, when euery one losed from the bondes of this body, shalbe present with the Lord, and offer him selfe a sacrifice of prayse, for before death there is no perfect praysing. Agayne Sainte Super can­tica. ser. 50. Bernard: Nec latuit praeceptorem, prae­cepti pondus hominum excedere vires: sed iu­dicauit vtile ex hoc ipso, suae illos sufficien­tiae admoneri, vt & sci [...]ent sane ad quem iustitiae finem niti pro viribus oporteret. Ergo mandando impossibilia, non praeuaricatores ho­mines fecit, sed humiles. vt omne os obstru­atur, & subditus fiat totus mundus deo, quia ex operibus non iust ficabitur omnis caro coram illo, accipientes quippe mandatum, & sentien­tes defectum, clamabimus in coelum, & mi­serenitur nostri deus, & sciemus in illa die, quia non ex operibus iustitiae quae fecimus nos, sed se­cundum suam misericordiam saluos nos fecit. Neither was it hidden from the com­maunder that the weight of the com­maundemente [Page] did exceede the habi­litie of men, but hee iudgeth it for this cause profitable, that it shoulde warne them of his sufficiencie, and that they mighte also knowe vnto what ende of righteousnes they ought to applie their force. VVherfore in commaunding impossible thinges, he made not men transgressors, but humble, that euery mouth might be stopped, and that all the world might be in daunger vnto God, because, by workes no fleshe shall be iustified in his sight. For when we receaue the commaundement & feele our lacke, wee shall crye vnto heauen, and God will haue mercy vpon vs, and we shall know in that daye that he hath saued vs, according to his owne mercy, and not for the righteousnes of workes, which we haue wrought. Againe Augustine: Impossibile est legem im­pleri per ca [...]nem: It is vnpossible that the lawe shoulde be fulfilled by Lib, 3 con­tra duas e­pist. Pelag. cap. 2. fleshe. Now touching mans impossibi­litie towardes the satisfaction of y ^e law, let this suffice. And as touching the fa­thers [Page 39] opinions concernyng the offyce of the lawe, thus wryteth Augustine: Q [...]ui propterea iubet vt nos deficientes, ad il­lum confugiamus: VVho doth therefore De lit. et spi. ad Mar­cellinum. cap. 17. commaund, that we beyng insufficy­ent, myght flye together vnto him. And agayne he sayeth: Haec est igitur vti­litas legis, quia ostendit hominem sibi ipsi, vt sciat infirm tatem suam, & videat quemad­modum per prohibitionem augeatur potiùs car­nalis Asollico e­pist. 200. concupiscentia, quám sanetur. Appe­tuntur enim vehementius quae vetantur, dum id quod spiritualiter iubetur, carnalis obser­uare compellitur: This is therefore the vtilitie of the lawe, that it doth shew man vnto hym selfe, and that hee may see how by the restraint, carnall concupiscence is rather increased then healed. For those thynges that be forbydden are more vehemently de­sired, when a carnall man is com­pelled to obserue that whyche is spiry­tuallye commaunded, And agayne the same Augustine. Per legem cognitio pec­cati, non enim ablatio peccati est: quia per Expo. qua­rundam, e­pist. ad Rom .x. solam gratiam aufe tur peccatum. By the lawe is the knowledge of synne but [Page] not the taking away of synne, because by the grace of God onely synne is ta­ken awaye. And agayne, Iustam scilice [...] legem iniustis hominibus dando, ad demon­stranda eorum peccata, non auferenda. In In lib. expo­sit. epist. Paul [...] ad Galatas. geeuyng the iust law vnto vniust men, to shew theyr synnes, not to take them awaye. And agayne: Omnes ita (que) ho­mines sub lege constitutos reos facit lex, et ad hoc illis super caput est, vt ostendat peccata, non tollat: For the lawe maketh all men gyltye that bee placed vnder the law Super Ioan. tracta. 3 cap. 1. and therefore it is ouer their heads that it maye shewe synne, but not to take awaye synne. It appeareth by all these authorities that the lawe (as now mans nature is corrupted) doth serue hym The law doth shew [...]nne but not take a­way sinne to thys ende: namelye, to paynt vnto hym his miserable nature, cursse, and iuste condemnation, and to dryue him thereby to séeke hys reliefe in Chryst the promised séede to come. Thus hauyng shewed why the law was geuen to man though hée had no iot of habilitie to per­forme any part thereof. It followeth to be enquired.

Cap. 6.

FOrasmuche as mans miserable cor­ruptyon, had so farre caryed hym from the feelyng of the spiryte, and lyfe of all diuyne causes, that now wholly hée wandered as it were in the barke, and in the contemplatyon of the out­warde vewe, neglecting vtterly the ma­rye and pythe: In consideratyon here­of, the incommensurable greatnesse of Gods mercye in the delyueraunce of the lawe, the spirytuall ende and pur­pose whereof, was by the iuste terrour of the same, to scourge and whyp man from trust in hymselfe, to the promised seede. God I saye, in the delyuerance of the same, vsed suche externall cause of terrour to trayne the gresse senses vnto which man wholly obeyed, that if [Page] their dusked and daseled eyes, had not bene more then palpably blynde, they coulde not but haue clerely séene, that in the law was offered vnto them nothyng but fearfulnes, horror, cursse, and con­demination. For the cloudes dyd as it were teare, and rent in sunder ouer their heades, with roaring of the thun­ders. The Element wyth continuall fla­shyng The geuing of the law was horri­ble & feare­full. of lighteninges, séemed vtterly re­solued into flame. The Mountayne by vaporing out fearfull fume, and smothe­ring smoke, myght séeme rather vnto them the mouth of hell, and fornace of consuming reuenge, thē any other spec­tacle. The terrible & hideous sharme of the trumpe, might well offer vnto thē y ^e terror of y ^e host of heauē, as it were ran­ging towardes their iust deserued cōfu­siō. So that all the course and processe of the whole action, séemed to present to them nothing, but horror and feare. Yea and the comfort which Moyses him selfe seemed to geue to the reliefe of their confounded mindes, wyth the viewe of this fearfull pagent was such, as (if they had well considered the same) the ende [Page 41] thereof vanished also into terror and feare. Be not afrayed (sayth he) God is come to prooue you, that hys feare may be in your eyes, that you synne not: As though he had sayde vnto them, stand not in doubt, nor feare that this shoulde be the daye of your destruction, for God doth thys to none other ende, but as it were to paynt vnto your out­ward senses, the horror of hys fearefull iustice, pronounced towards you in the law, whiche now is to be receiued, to a­wake your dull hearts by these external horrours, to flye from the vengeaunce of the same, that the dreadfull regard ther­of, by these outward fearefull spectacles, may so syncke into your myndes, that the burning terror of the same, continu­ally blasing before the eyes of your har­tes, may chase you from your owne righteousnesse, which is nothing but sin, vnto the true ryghteousnesse, freely offe­red in the promised séede. Thus if they had well considered, they myght easely haue séene, that all the whole comfort geuen thē by Moyses; vanished also in­to horror and feare of the lawe, that the [Page] vengeaunce thereof alwayes present in sight, myght ënforce their flight for suc­cour to the promise. If the face of Moy­ses Exo. 34 the bringer of the Law, was of such brightnes, that their fleshlye eyes were vtterly vnable to sustaine the pure, and persing beames thereof. Oh how muche might their dull hartes haue iudged the blered eyes of their corrupt nature, vt­terly vnable to sustayne the sharpe, and terrible beames of the gloryous, and ir­reuocable sentence of the Law, agaynst sinne and wickednes? God hauyng thus deliuered vnto them the law, as a schole­maister Gal. 3. to lead them to the promyse, he sent them dyuers tymes Prophetes a­mongst them, by whom hée renued the same more and more, opening vnto thē, the meanyng of his purpose concernyng the promised seede, namely Christ: inso­much, that he foretold them by Esay, of whom he shoulde be borne, namely of a Esa. 7. virgine: by Micheas, where hée shoulde be borne, namely in Bethléem: both by Mich. 5 Moyses himselfe, and also by Daniel, he Gen. 49. Daniel. 9. declared vnto them the tyme, when he should be borne, & the afflictyons whiche [Page 42] he shoulde suffer for their restitution, he painted at large in Esay, and Zache­ry, the saluation of hys people, glory Esa. 53. Zac. 9. of his resurrection and kingdome: both by Esay, Ieremy, and Zacharye hée Esay. 62. Zac. 9. foretold them, so that from Adams fall he trayned man to take holde of his pro­mise, concerning the séede for their dely­uerance: All which notwithstanding, so farre were they from the true sense, and féeling thereof, that neither themselues were profited, nor by their example the heathen prouoked, to seeke after God. Wherefore God, new for hys truthes sake mynding the consummation of hys promise, determyned the finall establish­ment of thys couenant, in the handes of the promised sede, whereunto both Iew, and Gentile shoulde be inuited, that he as the sole mediator betweene God and mā, might make the full reconcilement. Wherefore the tyme beyng nowe come of hys long promised determination, hée sent his sole and onelye begotten some our Lorde and Sauyour Iesus Chryst, who of the virgine takyng fleshe, was made man, lyke vnto vs in all things, [Page] sinne excepted: who after many afflicty­ons in publishing, & declaryng Gods full purpose, concernyng the consummation of hys couenaunt, sealed vp the same with his owne giltlesse death, and bloud­shed. And after hys risyng agayne from death, sent his disciples abrode into all the partes of the earth, to publishe that glad tidinges of mans reconcilement to God, and deliueraunce from death, and sinne, by the merites and iust desert of Iesus Chryst. Thus hauyng shewed how man regarded the Law, and how in Christ the promised séede, the coue­nant was consummate: it followeth.

Cap. 7.

Forasmuch as Adams rebellious dys­obediēce, had so swalowed vp y ^e whole nature of man into sinne and wycked­nes, [Page 43] as is shewed before, that hys whole nature is nothing els, but a full obedy­ence, wylling desire, and naturall pro­nesse, of the whole man vnto sinne and rebellion. And contrarywise, the law of God, is the absolute rule of ryghteous­nesse, which challengeth to the fulfilling thereof, the full obedience, willing de­sire, and naturall pronesse of the whole man vnto righteousnesse. These two be­ing thus direct contrary, which notwith­standing the God of all compassion (for the triumphant glory of hys victiorious mercy, by the mediation of Chryst, the appoynted séede) had bound himselfe by promise to reconcile. In consideration whereof, it was expedient, that to thys reconcilement suche a medyator in the promysed séede shoulde be sent, as parti­cipating in some poynt with both the ex­tremes (namely God and man) myght haue an omnisufficient habilitie in hym selfe to consummate the absolute recon­cilement: wherefore Christ the eternall sonne and wisedome of the father, com­myng downe from heauen, beyng very righteousnesse it selfe, indewing the si­militude [Page] of sinnefull flesh, became per­fect man like vnto vs in all thinges, ex­cept sinne. And so of his diuine nature, and of naturall man (sinne excepted) became one perfect Christ, namely that perfect and onely meane, which in hym selfe had absolute habilitie, to consum­mate the recencilement, in asmuch as he was fully possessed of the natures of both the extremes, namely perfect god, and perfect man (sinne excepted) who hauing in himselfe full obedience, wil­ling desire, and naturall pronesse of the whole man vnto the law, he being righ­te ousnes it selfe, passing through many troubles & afflictions, in proclaiming to stubbern man his nature, office, & cause of his comming, & the nature of the new [...]ouenaunt, wher of he was y ^e mediator, finally offered vp him self vnto the iustice of God hys father, the absolute end, con­summation, and sacrifice of thys recon­cilement. As he vnto whom all the for­mer promyses, law and prophetes, had respect and relation, who now appea­ring before the sentence of the law and iustice of God, presenteth hymselfe the [Page 44] full raunseme and reconcilement of Christ is the full raunsome, and recon­cilement [...]or mans trangressi­on. 1. Cor. 15. mans transgression, by the iust desert of hys innocent and giltles sufferyng: that as by the rebellious acte of one gil­ty man, namely, Adam, sinne and eter­nall death was engendered: euen so by the obedient acte, and giltles death of one gilteles man, namely, Iesus Christ, sinne and eternal death is iustly againe destroyed, and eternall lyfe, the crowne of righteousnesse absolutely, and most truely purchased for mā. So that as the first Adam by corrupting nature made man the slaue of sinne, so Christ the last▪ Adam by adoption hath restored Adam the first man made vs bond to [...], And Christ the second man, hath made vs free from sinne. Ozee. 13. hyni agayne to be childe of righteous­nesse. Thys is he in whose person it is sayde by the Prophet Oseas, O death I will be thy death, O hell I will be thy sting, so that by hym death is swa­lowed vp into victory: hys lyfe hath de­uoured our death: hys righteousnes hath subdued our sinne: hys saluation hath vanquished our damnation: he hath put out the hand writing of the Col. 2. ordinaunces which were against vs: he hath taken it out of the way and [Page] fastned it vpon his crosse. Thus all the promisses as Sainct Paule saith be­ing in him accomplished, hee nowe re­maineth an aduocate at the right hande Christ is our Aduo­cate to the father. of his father, making intercession for vs, beyng our peace, our hope and conso­lation, our wisedome, iustice, sancti­fication, and redemption: our light, our waye and our life, the accomplishe­ment and end of the lawe: vnto whom euen from the creation of Adam, vntill his comming, all the doing of God hadde respecte and relation. Thus the sonne of God became man, to make men by adoption the sonnes of God: the glo­rious became abiecte, to make the ab­iects glorious, The blessed became cursed, to make the cursed blessed: The rich became poore, to make the poore rich: The righteous became condem­ned, to make the condemned ryghte­ous: The frée became bonde to make the bonde free: greate was the sore of sinne that neded such a salue, as neither [...]riarke nor Prophet, power nor Potentate, Aungell nor Archangell nor any other, but onelye the sonne of [Page 45] God was able to make: And hée not otherwise, then by hys death and inno­cēt bloudshed. Great I say was the sore of sinne. Thus hauyng shewed that Christ is the ende of the lawe, and hys death the omuisufficient redemption of man, it followeth.

Cap. 8.

ALthough in the first couenantmade betwene God & man, concernyng mans restitution, namely, in the lawe, God offered vnto man very much, vnto whom in dede he ought nothing: yet not­withstanding, the offer being vnder such conditions, as mans corrupte nature coulde no waye (neyther by action nor consent satisfie) as is shewed before, surely the hope of that offer vanquished [Page] into iust feare, and horror of the sen­tence: and although y ^e people to whom the lawe was geuen, namely, the Iewes, fantised vnto them selues a cer­tayne foolishe satisfaction, by outwarde shewe of holynes, which grew through their negligence, in not serching dili­gently the spirituall nature of the law, which requireth (as is shewed) the en­tire inclination, and naturall obedience of the whole man. Although the Iewes I say fantised by thys occasion such a sa­tisfaction, yet that nothyng hindered the purpose of God, (who saw their blynde presumption) from establishyng thys new couenaunt, which for hys truth sake he promysed, shoulde be a perfecte reconcilement betwene hym & man. The which couenaunt in déede is nothyng els, but the accomplishment, or ende of [...]ld couenaunt, and yet cal­led new in respect of the olde promise, and for that the same is now deliuered a new and consummat by the mediatot hymselfe. To the which couenaunt he séeketh no other conditions, then that which from all eternity he had appoyn­ted: [Page 46] And that whereunto the whole drift of all hys trauell both before the lawe, and in the lawe, and new vnder grace, had the onely respecte, as vnto the appoynted ende, that the glory (as of ryght apperteyned) myght be onely hys: namely vppon the condition of hys owne truth, that is to say, that as God is true, so can he not but accept the satisfaction of Christ, the promised séede, for the full and omnisufficient raunsome of all them that take holde of the same, vnto whom of his free fauour he had bound hymselfe by promise con­cernyng the same, in promising that he should iustifie the multitude and beare away theyr sins. And Paule declaryng Esa. 53. the order of the performaunce of that promyse, affirmeth that thys iustificati­on is the frée gyft of God, in respect of Christ, apprehended by fayth. For thus he writeth to the Ephesians: By grace are you saued through faith, and not Eph. 2. of your selues: it is the gift of God, and not of workes, least any man should boast hym. Now forasmuch, as it is here declared to be the frée, or liberall [Page] gift of God, in that hée sayth. By grace or fauour, which argueth the fredome By Grace we are sa­ued, tho­rough faith and not of our selues. of the gift. Therefore hath the expecta­tion of man (for the attainement there­of) onelye to awayte vppon the frée bountye or liberalitie of God, and from thence onelye to acknowledge the same receiued without all desert, seeing it is geuen of grace or fauour. The meanes also whereby it is receaued, or applyed vnto man, is euidentlye declared, in that hee saith, through faith, whereby fayth appeareth to bée the instrument which vnto man is geuen of God, to take holde of the promises wythall. And because ambitious man shoulde haue no colour, to thinke him selfe anye furtherer, or fellowe worker in this worke, he addeth this playne exception, and not of your selues, to exclud all opi­nion of mans helpe touching the same. Whereunto also for greater euidence of his meanyng, he addeth as it were a repetition of the same sentence in other forme of wordes. In saying, it is the gift of God not of workes: whereun­to finally he addeth the reason, or cause [Page 47] why God so fréely geueth it, and why he so earnestlye excepteth man with all his workes, from helping towardes the same: namely, least any man should boast hym, that is, that vnto man should not be left so muche as the Image, or co­lour of any cause to pretend title, to any part of the glory of that worke, that the same may be wholy reserued to God a­lone. Now forasmuche as fayth is here expressely taught, to be y ^e meanes which apprehendeth the promyse, therefore Only fayth apprehen­deth the promises of God. Sola fides it is, by necessary consequence gathe­red, that onely fayth apprehendeth the promyses of God, and so onely fayth iustyfieth. And now because the waight of thys whole matter dependeth great­ly vpon the true vnderstanding of these woordes, grace, fayth, iustification, or ryghteousnesse, and woorkes, therefore Grace. Fayth. Iustificati­on, Righte­ousnesse & workes. I thynke it expedient, to bestow some trauell, in seuerall declaration of euery of them. And first, touching Grace, for­asmuch as in the Scripture, it is taken in three senses at the least, therefore it is expedient that all be declared, to the end it may be more apparant, in what [Page] sense it is vsed in this place: wherefore, in this first and principall sense, it may thus be defined.

Grace is a frée beneuolence of the will Definition of grace. of God, iustifiyng y ^e elect thorough fayth in Christ. Now forasmuche as I know, the aduersaries will neuer admitte thys definition, because it is the ouerthrowe of their rotten building: Therfore, some­what to arme the willing reader, against the charmes of their wrangling shiftes, I will séeke by the scriptures, to prous the truth of the same, by the parts ther­of, whiche are these: first, that it is a frée beneuolence of the will of God secondly, that it iustifieth the elect through fayth in Christ. Now for the first part, name­lye, that grace is a frée beneuolence of the will of God, it is thus proued. Saint Paule to Timothy sayth thus: VVho saued vs, and called vs wyth an holy 2. Tim. 1. calling, not accordyng to our deedes, but accordyng to hys owne purpose, and grace. And agayne the same Paule to the Ephesians sayeth thus: VVho hath predestynate vs to bee adopted thorough Iesus Chryst vnto him selfe Eph. 1. [Page 48] accordyng to the beneuolence of hys wyll. Note that in the former place, hs affirmeth our saluation to bée geuen ac­cordyng to hys grace or fauour: And now in thys place, he affirmeth the same to bée geuen accordyng to the beneuo­lence of hys wyll: whereby it is eui­dent that his grace or fauour, and the beneuolence of his will is all one thyng. And Paule to the Romanes affirmeth it to bee freelye done, for he sayeth: All Rom. 3. haue sinned, and are destitute of the glory of God; and are iustyfied freelye by hys grace: And therefore grace is ryghtlye sayde to bée a frée beneuolence of the wyll of God, whiche was first to bée proued. Now touchyng the second parte, namely, that grace iustifieth the electe through fayth in Chryst, it is thus proued by these woordes of the Apostle. That wee beyng iustyfied by grace, Titus. 3 shoulde bee made heyres according to the hope of eternall lyfe. Note here, that hee sayth, we are iustified by grace. And in the second to the Ephesians hée sayth thus: For by grace are you sa­ued Eph. 2. thorough fayth. Wherby it is eui­dent [Page] that by grace through fayth we are iustified, which was secondly to be pro­ued. Now I suppose y ^e truth of this de­finition is sufficiently confirmed, which being the first, and principall significa­tion of grace, namely, that whereby ryghteousnesse is geuen vnto man tho­rough faith: the rest do require the lesse trauell. Of the which, the second gro­weth from this: first thus: Forasmuch as all they whyche are iustified by grace through fayth, are by the free spirite of God, regenerate into a new lyfe: which bréedeth suche disposition or ha­bite as bryngeth forth good-workes, and holy cenuersation in them. Therefore those good gyftes of God are also some­times called grace. Finally that fauour which Christ hath with God hys father, and in respect of which wée are beloued of the father, is also called grace: for Iohn sayth: we haue receaued grace for grace: that is, we are receaued in­to the grace of God the father, for that grace or fauour whiche he beareth vnto Christ his sonne. And this is the thyrd, and last signification of grace; which be­ing [Page 49] shewed, it séemeth not inconuenyent to note somwhat agayne, of the pestilent doctryne of your abusing deceauers con­cernyng grace, séeing their errour about the same is the mother, and nursse of that presumptuous traytor, and ambiti­ous rebell, I meane the doctrine [...]fiu­stification of woorkes, whiche to fill the pursses of the wicked, spoyleth the Ma­iestie of God of the finall end of hys la­bour, namelye, of the triumph and glory of hys free and bountifull fauour, and maketh the treasure of the death of Chryst, of vyle and contemned price. Wherefore to the hatchyng of their hai­nous errours about the effectes thereof, necessytie constrayned them to deuise false, and counterfayte matter or sub­staunce, or the ground of the same, ac­cordyng whereunto they thus define it: Gratia est habitus a deo in animam infusus, Grace de­fined by the papistes. bonitatis et charitatis eius similis, quo illum habens, gratus deo redditur, et facit opera illigrata, et meritoria: Grace is an ha­byte lyke vnto the goodnesse and loue of God by hym infused into the miride, wherewyth hee that doth possesse it, is [Page] made acceptable to God, and woor­keth workes both merytorious, and acceptable vnto hym. For the vnder­standyng of the whiche definytion, it is necessary first to shew what they meane by thys woorde habyte, wherefore any Definition of habit. propertye or qualytye whyche by infusi­on, education, exercise, custome, or any other way is perfectly attayned, is called habyte, whereby this definition euen at the first taste sauoureth of the soyle that bred it, for in the whole Scriptures of God there remayneth not so muche as the cooloure of proofe hereof, that the genus or generall woorde, vnto that grace (wherby wée are saued) should be an ha­bite of y ^e mynde, that is to say, a qualitye by education, exercyse, or infusion made perfect in mynde: Thys diuinitie is pyc­ked out of Aristotles Ethickes, where it is taught, that the habilityes & powers of the mynde, are strengthened by habit, that is to say, by a perfection therein at­tayned through exercise made easye and ready to be performed, whyche wythout the same were very difficulte, or not to be done. Whiche beyng considered, I [Page 50] thynke it not amysse, somewhat to note the treacherye of thys their heythenesse definityon, wyth shewes beautified to the sale, beyng in déede nothyng els but a paynted sepulchre, conteyning onely a stynckyng caryon of Pelagius filthy and corrupt heresie, thoughe aboue all thynges they must séeme to dissent from hym, and hys doctrine. And therefore at the first, in that they affirme grace to be an habite infused into the mynde, they thereby thinke with a pleasaunt profer, in the begynnyng to dasell the eyes of the worlde from suspition of their ioy­nyng handes with hym: the substaunce of whose heresye beyng well weyed, is neuerthelesse one, and the same wyth this doctrine: wherefore great connyng was to be vsed in this matter, seing hys hatefull errour remayned, with great detestatyon condemned of the fathers, and therfore they must seme (at the least in some superficiall tryfle) as stout ene­mies to dissent from hym. Wherefore, where his cunning was by Saint Augu­stine detected, that though hée vsed the name of grace, yet hée ment nothyng [Page] therby but onely nature. Now these mē to auoide this open vew of vnitie, wyth his condemned heresie. At the first gate, or entrie séeke such colerable passage, as dissenting from the shew of his woordes, maye neuerthelesse embrace the sub­staunce of hys heresie, wherefore not to seme that they accoumpt grace to be na­ture, they terme it an infused habite, thinkyng thereby to make it apparaunt, that they meane not any naturall pow­er or habilitye. And yet agayne, in that they affirme it to bée lyke vnto the good­nesse and loue of God, they thynke themselues to haue géeuen a substauntyall shew, why all they that be therewyth a­dorned, shoulde be acceptable vnto God: Namely by reason of that lykenes, and similitude to the goodnesse & loue of God. And this forsooth they terme. Gratia gra­tum faciens. That is grace whyche ma­keth man acceptable, by whiche reason it must folow, that the loue wherewyth God accepteth vs must come after thys grace, and come in respect thereof. And yet S. Iohn sayth hée loued vs first. And Saint Paul affirmeth that our accepta­tiō [Page 51] with God commeth in respect of his owne mercy, And this is here to be no­ted, that in man hym selfe, they place this theyr grace, wherby he is made ac­ceptable vnto God, makyng hym ther­by a cause of his owne saluation: which errour Pelagius held, the falshode wher Pelagians hereby. of appeareth partely, by that whiche is sayd before in the profe of the first part of the true definition of grace, where it is euident, that, that grace whereby we be iustified, is a frée beneuolence of the will of God. Wherby it is manifest how falsly it is sayd y ^e we are iustified by any habit powred into our myndes, seyng it is by the fauour or grace whiche is in God (and not in our selues) wherby he receiueth vs into his mercy. But this definition of theirs is (as I sayd before) grounded vppon Aristotles Diuinitie. Now for further profe of their ioynyng with Pelagius in the substaunce of hys heresie herein: it is nedefull to compare the conclusion, of both the doctrines to­gether in this point. Pelagius affirmed, that the begynnyng of all good workes proceded from our selues, namely, from [Page] the frée will and election of man, and that grace dyd onely helpe the possibilitie of nature, that these workes might more easely be performed. Now the Papists and Scholemen bycause (as I sayd be­fore) they must seme to dissent from him in somethyng, affirme that the begyn­nyng of good workes, procedeth not frō nature, as he affirmed, but from grace. Mary this soueraigntie they attributed to nature, that in the will consisteth frée power & choyse, eitther by geuyng place vnto grace, to bryng forth good workes, or els by resistyng the same, to omit thē. And I praye you from whēce commeth this will, seing they cal it frée? could they haue erred more if they had with Pela­gius affirmed the firste cause of good workes, to come from nature? no assu­redly: for they place the principall cause in frée wil, whiche they place in nature, and vnto grace (though in wordes they geue it the first place) yet alowe they it no further power, but onelye to offer it vnto the mynde, leauyng the whole so­ueraignty vnto nature. Namely fre wil and choyse to admit, or not admitte the [Page 52] same, so that in this matter they differre from Pelagius onely herein, in that hee affirmeth the first cause of good workes to consiste in nature, and the Papistes affirme it to consiste in grace: But yet vnto that grace they geue no further power but onelye to offer it vnto the mynde, which Pelagius neuer denyed, but not to conuert or renew the same, wherby grace hath at their handes such straight alowance, that vnlesse frée will geue it leaue, it is Iacke out of office, and can do nothyng: so that with them both, frée wil is he, that ruleth the roste, whereby they differre a litle in childishe shewe of wordes, but nothyng in the substaunce of the heresie.

This grace which the Papistes haue hunted out is lyke a sleuelesse Iacket hangyng in the ayre, which euery man may at hys owne choyse either slyp on, or leaue vntouched. And yet Paule in playne wordes affirmeth, that it is nei­ther in hym that willeth, nor in hym that runneth, but in God that pitieth, wherby it is euident that grace doth not only (as they imagine) inuite the mynde [Page] vnto Christ, neither as they dreame is it a certaine generall grace common vnto all men, whiche euery one that ly­sieth hath free will, & power to recaue or refuse. But it is in déede that frée fa­uour of God in respect of Christ, which not onely moueth the minde, but also by his spirite doth clearely turne, renewe, and regenerate the same accordyng to these sayinges of the Prophetes. Thus saith Elia, heare me O Lord, that this 3 Reg. 18. people may knowe that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their hartes agayne nowe at the last. And agayne Ieremy sayth, O Lord Lament. 5. turne vs vnto thee, and so shal we be turned. Agayn God by Ezechiell sayth, Ezech. 11. I will plant a new spirite within your bowels, that stony hart wil I take out of your bodye, and geue you a fleshy hart, And agayn by Zacharie he sayth, I will turne them also, for I pitie them. Here is both taught that God turneth the hart, & also the cause therof, namely, his mercy, For I pity them, saith he: ac­cording wherunto, Dauid cryeth, make Psa. 51. me a cleane hart O God, and renue a [Page 53] right spirit within me. And agayne, Inclyne my hart vnto thy testimo­nies. And Salomon crieth, Incline O Lord the hearte of thys people, that they may obey thy commaunde­ments. Hereby appeareth, that the frée fauour or grace of God is such, as first moueth the mind, & then renueth & tur­neth the same, and draweth it to consent thereunto, according to thys saying of Christ, no man commeth vnto me vnlesse my heauenly father draw him. Ioh. 6. Surely the Papistes shew themselues the naturall heyres of Pelagius, in this theyr definition of grace: As by thys which Augustine writeth vnto Inno­cent the Byshop of Rome, is euident: Pelagius (sayth he) fearyng to be ac­cursed in the Palestine counsell, dyd a­forehand accurse all such as sayde they coulde lyue vprightly wythout grace: But by grace he vnderstoode nothyng els, but the giftes which he imagined was bestowed vppon vs in creation, as frée choyce, reason, will. &c. by which subtility the Palestine Byshoppes be­yng decaued, dyd absolne hym: in [Page] which déede Saint Augustine doth ex­cuse then for theyr vpright, and simple dealyng, for when they heard hym con­fesse the grace of God, they could there­by vnderstand no other grace, then that which the Scripture acknowledgeth, namely, the fauour of God, whereby we be regenerate and grafted into Christ. By which wordes of Saint Au­gustine it appeareth, that all other sig­nifications of grace hereunto applyed, are but subtill and false shiftes to dar­ken the truth withall. And is not thys the very shift of the Papistes? For how much soeuer they séeme to accompt of grace, they meane nothyng lesse there­by, then the frée beneuolence of the wil of God in respect of Christ: but in déede they meane theyr Philosophicall grace, their infused habit, which must helpe nature to hatch her broode of good workes, whereby to be iustified, if frée wyll be so curteous, as to geue her leaue. Neyther do they onely erre a­bout the matter or substaunce of grace, as appeareth, but also about all the ef­fectes thereof. For all those, which are [Page 54] but in déede diuers effectes, or proprie­ties of the fauour or grace of God, they accompt for seuerall graces, as where the grace of God preuenting vs, doth stirre and moue the mynde vnto good­nes, that accompt they for one seuerall grace, after the which first motion, and (as it were) iogging of the mynde, to a­wake the same from the deadly sleepe of rebellious contempt, there worketh a­nother effect of the same grace which performeth the same thyng, whereunto the other prouoketh, for it turneth and altereth the vnwillyng mynde, and ge­ueth lyfe agayne vnto the dead séede of originall obedience: so that the mynde which before dispised to obey any of the heauenly motions, of the first prouo­king effect of grace, is now by thys o­ther effect, so chainged and clearely alte­red, that it beginneth to hate the fleshe whereunto onely before, it wholy and willingly obeyed, so that now it hunge­reth, thirsteth, and gredely desireth the full repayre of the lost obedience which before it could not but vtterly abhorre: and in respecte of thys effecte of grace [Page] which thus chaungeth and turneth the mynde, is grace it selfe called workyng grace, which is not so called as though thys effect were a seuerall grace onely furnished wyth that qualitie: but it is so called to put a difference betwene thys effect of grace, and another, which im­mediatly followeth the same. Because that thys effect of grace worketh euer in such a subiecte, as neuer willyngly con­senteth to the worke of the same, for vntill it hath chaunged the mynde, the mynde can consent to no godlynes, and so soone as it hath turned the mynde, then is the worke of thys effect finished, which once performed, then forth wyth appeareth that other effecte of grace, wherof I spake, namely, that as (in the conuerted mynde) grace willeth & wor­keth the workes of true godlynes, so doth the regenerate mynde, both wyll & worke the same, and thys effect of grace is called cooperant, grace or grace wor­king together. And wyth the first of these two effectes of grace, doth the mynde méete onely passiuely, because it is by it vnwillyngly subdued to suffer [Page 55] the workyng of the same, and is sayde in the passiue voyce to bée renued or to be turned But with the second of these two effectes the mynde doth meete both passiuely and actiuely: pasiuely in that it is drawen to wyll and woorke ryghte­ousnesse, and actiuely in that beyng dra­wen, it willingly wylleth and worketh the same. And all these seuerall effects of grace, doe the Papystes (to builde vp their baggage) accompt for seuerall graces, and not for the seuerall effect of one, and the same frée, and vndeserued fauour or grace of God, whereby in re­spect of Christ, we are reconciled. They also accompt grace making acceptable, and grace fréelye geuen for two seuerall graces, and yet Saint Paule affirmeth that if it bée not frée, it is no grace. But it is good reason to géeue them leaue to erre, that séeke for no truthe: for so they may mysse that, they care not what they finde, for that once founde, farwell their market and sale of all their trashe. It appeareth by that whiche haue bene sayde, that in their definition, the name of grace is not applyed vnto the true [Page] genus, or generall woorde, vnder which all the dyuers propertyes thereof, bée comprehended: but onely vnto one effect thereof, namely that, whereby wée are prouoked vnto good woorkes. Let thys touchyng the true vnderstandyng of grace, and their errors about the same, suffice.

Thys beyng declared, next com­meth fayth to bée consydered: Namely, in what signyfication it is to bée taken, where it is sayde to iustifye, or what that fayth is, thorough whiche wée bée iustyfied. For declaratyon whereof, it is also necessarie to note, howe dyuersely Fayth di­uersly taken in the scrip­tures. the woorde is taken. It is sometyme taken for the matter or thynge which wee do beleue, as the Créede or beléefe is called the Chrystian fayth. It is al­so taken for that wherewith we beléeue, and that is that fayth, whereof we haue to entreat. There bée also other distyn­ctions, as a liuely fayth, and a dead fayth: whiche dead faith is onely fayth in name, and not in déede: euen as a dead man is called a man, though hée be no man in déede: and of thys fayth doth S. Iames [Page 56] remember.

There is also fayth to do miracles, whereof Chryst him selfe speaketh, say­yng: Verely I say vnto you, that who­soeuer shall saye vnto thys mountayne, take thy selfe awaye, and cast thy selfe into the sea, and shall not wauer in hys heart, but shall beleeue, those thinges whyche hee sayeth shall come to passe, whatsoeuer he sayeth shall bee done vn­to hym And thys fayth is common as well to the reprobate, as to the elect: as by these woordes of Chryst appeareth. Many (sayth hée) will say to mee in that daye, Lorde Lorde, haue we not by thy name prophesied; and by thy name cast out deuils? and by thy name done many great woorkes? and then wyll I professe to them, I neuer knewe you. Depart from mee ye that woorke ini­quite. There is also momentany fayth, or fayth for a time, whereof Christ spea­keth in the parable of the séede, where he affirmeth, that some falling in the sto­ny Math. 13 grounde, springeth vp for a tyme, vn­till the heat of the sonne, or rage of per­secution commeth, but then it withe­reth [Page] away, because it hath no roote. But now omittyng all the rest of the signifi­cations of fayth, it is in thys place, on­ly that firme, and constant assentyng of the mynde, vnto the truth of Gods pro­mises in Chryst, whiche bringeth with it hope, charitie, sure confidence, and all o­ther good woorkes. Whiche for more The defini­tion of faith playne vnderstanding, may thus be defi­ned. Fayth is a full assentyng of the minde, vnto the truth of Gods promyses in Christ, puryfiyng the hartes of the re­ceyuers. The trueth of thys definityon is gathered out of the Scriptures in thys sort. First that it is a full assenting of the mynde vnto the trueth of Gods promi­ses in Christ, it is thus proued: Paule to the Hebrues sayth thus: Let vs drawe neare in a true harte, with assuraunce of Ebr. 10. fayth: And agayne, Let vs keepe the profession of our hope, wythout wa­uering. And Saint Iohn in the first of his canonicall epistles sayth thus: He that beleueth not God, hath made hym a lyer: More haynous synne (then the [...]. Ioh. 5 which) none can be committed. Where-fore fayth is so full an assuraunce (of the [Page 57] truth of Gods promyse in Chryst) as can admit no whit of suspition or doubt, for looke how muche it wanteth of full assu­rance, so muche suspition (by these wor­des of Saynt Iohn) it admytteth of Gods vntrueth: any iot whereof, were more thē horrible to be suspected, where­by it followeth, that fayth is a full as­senting of the minde, to the trueth of Gods promyse in Christ: whiche was first to be prooued. And hereunto well agréeeth these woordes of Hillarius: Ergo regnum coelorum, quod Prophetae nun­ciauerunt, In Mat. 5. Iohannes praedicabat, Dominus no­ster in se esse positum, est professus, vult sine aliqua incerta voluntatis ambiguitate sperari: ali­oquin iustificatio ex fide nulla est, si fides ipsa fiat ambigua. Therefore the kingdome of heauen whyche the prophetes fore­tolde, Iohn preached, and our Lorde professed to bée placed in hymselfe, hée will haue it hoped for, wythout all wa­ueryng doubte of mynde: otherwise if fayth it selfe bée made incertayne, then is there no iustyfication of fayth. And Augustine sayeth: Quid est enim crede­re: nisi consentire verum esse quod dicitur. De spirit. et litera. cap. 3 [Page] For what signifieth thys to beleeue, but to consent that that thing which is sayd, is true?

Nowe touchyng the seconde parte, namely, that it puryfieth the hearts of the receyuers. Peter in the Actes of the Apostles affirmeth it in playne woordes, for thus he sayeth: He put no difference Act. 15. betweene vs and them, after that hee had by fayth puryfyed their hartes. Thus the definition beyng by euident wordes of the scrypture confirmed, the truth thereof is manyfest, and that this definition doth agrée with that which S. Paule geueth to the Hebrues, it is ma­nifest, if we note the matter wherabout fayth hath his vse, whiche is the word, & promise of God: hys definition is this: Fayth is the grounde of thinges hoped for, a certaynty of thynges whyche are not seene: In that, he calleth fayth, the grounde of thynges hoped for, and that the thyng hoped for, is the promised fa­uour of God in Chryst. Therefore is fayth the grounde of the promised fauor of God in Chryst. And what he meaneth by calling it the ground thereof, he pre­sentlye [Page 58] declareth, in that hée termed it a certainty of thynges that are not sene, whereby it is euident, that by hyposta­sis or ground, hee meaneth a certayntye, or full assuraunce. And vnto fayth, as it were a present possession of that promi­sed fauour of God in Christ, whyche is yet neuertheles but hoped for, and in ex­pectation, and not present vnto the sen­ses, whereby appeareth the truth of that definition whyche I haue put. And by this definition of S. Paule it also appea­reth, how much they erre, that accompt fayth wythin the predicament of qua­litye, wher in déede it is a relatiue, in the predicament of relation, for fayth is not but in respect of hys obiecte, namely the promise of God perfourmed in Chryste: so that if no promise were, there coulde be no fayth at all touching iustyficatyon.

Now hauing shewed a true definiti­on of fayth, I thinke it not amysse some­what to note, what the scholemen and The opini­on of the Schoiemen and Pa­pistes, of Fayth. papistes hold concerning the same: that thereby their error may partly be appa­rant. The maister of the sentences ge­ueth out of S. Augustine thys definiti­on [Page] thereof: Fides est virtus. qua credun­tur, Sent lib. 3 distinct. 23. Cap, 1 quae non videntur. Fayth is a vertue, wherewyth thinges are beléeued, that are not séene. The generalitie of whyche definition, by a certaine contraction hée presently streyghtneth thus: Whyche (sayth he) is not to be vnderstand of all thynges that are not séene, but onely of suche thynges as appertaine to religion. In this definition, as the scholemen haue handled the matter, lurketh a great and venomous subtletye, whyche is, in that vertue is made the genus or gene­rall woorde vnto fayth, whereby fayth should séeme to bée contayned in the pre­dicament of qualitie, whiche before is shewed false: and therefore he had af­firmed before in the. 27. distinction of the seconde booke, that no qualitye in the mynde can be a vertue, vnlesse by cha­ritie it be there formed, for thus he wri­teth there, Charitas est spiritus sanctus, quae animae qualitates informat, & sanctificat, vt eis anima informetur, & sanctificetur, sine qua animae qua'it as non dicitur virtus: Chari­tye is the holy Ghost, whyche charytie doth forme and sanctifie the qualytyes [Page 59] of the minde, that by them the minde may be formed and sanctified, with­out which charitie, no qualitie of the minde is called a vertue. Here shineth the cause of his former foundation in that they make vertue the genus, or ge­nerall worde vnto fayth: namely, be­cause he woulde expresse fayth to be a qualitie by charitie formed in the mind. And forasmuch as all qualities of the minde be actions or workes, therefore in that, he imagineth the same charitie to forme fayth, he thinketh him selfe to haue geuen a substantiall cause, why fayth (in our iustification) should be con­sidered as it is a worke, and not other­wise. So that all his course herein, is runne onely to this end: namely, to teach that iustification consisteth in workes, and that fayth iustifieth in re­specte that it is a worke, and not other­wise. And that this is his meaning it is plaine by that question, out of the aun­swere whereof his forenamed authori­tie was alledged, which is this: Cur ergo dicitur fides mereri iustificationem, & vitam aeternam? ex ea ratione dictum acci­pitur, [Page] quia per actum fidei meretur illa: VVhy sayth he, is fayth said to deserue iustification and eternall life? it is vn­derstand to be said for this cause, be­cause by the acte of beleuing, it de­serueth those thinges. Now doth it euidently appeare, why vnto fayth he applied that definition out of the dis­course: about the subtiltie wherof this one thing is gathered worthy the no­ting, namely, the ouerthrow of y ^e schole­mens owne smoky distinction of for­med, and vnformed fayth, wherewith so greatly they please them selues, for by thys definition, it is euident, that there is no other fayth, but onely for­ined fayth. But to know what hereby is ment, it is necessary to note, that, that qualitie of the minde which by charita­ble workes expresseth it selfe outwardly to beleue, they call formed fayth. And againe, that qualitie of y ^e minde, which likewise beleuing, though by charitable workes it declare it not, they call vnfor­med fayth, which by the doctrine of this deceauer, is euident to be no fayth at all. For if it be fayth, by hys definition [Page 60] it must be a vertue, and if it be a vertue, it must by hys forenamed authoritie be formed in the minde by charitie, or els he affirmeth it to be no vertue: Wher­fore seing thys their qualitie is vnfor­med, therefore by hym it is no vertue, and being no vertue by hys definition of fayth, it is no fayth: and that thys is that, which out of hys owne doctrine is to be gathered, it also appeareth by this question, which he afterwardes in the 5. question of the 23. distinction of the 3. booke putteth An illa informis quali­tas mentis, quae in malo Christiano est, fiat virtus cum sit bonus? VVhether the same vnformed qualitie of the minde, which is in an euill Christian be made a vertue, when the man is a good Christian? Here you plainly see that he flyeth the name of fayth, and calleth it an vnfor­med qualitie, and not vnformed fayth, knowing that, that vnto hys own de­finition, had ben a flat antithesis.

Thus is it euident, both how their doctrine is at warre within it selfe, and also that as the same is vtterly strange frō y ^e true doctrine of Christ, so are they [Page] driuen to forge termes of arte accor­dingly for the same, such as the Scrip­ture can not acknowledge: the cause whereof may séeme to haue bene thys, that for asmuch as the matter of iustifi­cation of workes, which is the prowler for all theyr prouision is by the whole course of the Scriptures ouerthrowen, and y ^e office therof attributed to fayth: Therfore sought they such blynd defini­tions of fayth, as in reteinyng the name of fayth for fashions sake, myght neuer­thelesse reserue vnto workes the soue­raignitie still. Which beyng imagined there remayned this one thing behynd, that for asmuche as their ende was, to seke a generall gayne of all men aswell of the bad as the good, by this their deui­sed Religiō, it was of necessitie that this their fayth beyng one of the pillers ther­of, should conteyne in it some such plau­sible proprieties, as with pleasaunt allu­rementes and shewes, myght minister matter both to good and bad, to feede thē selues with opinion of the possession of true fayth, vnder the couloure thereof. For the doyng wherof it was necessary [Page 61] that it should conteyne in it two diuers kynds, proportionall to the condition of the two diuers subiectes, which should possesse the same, namely the good and the bad. And hence semeth their subtile distinction of formed, & vnformed fayth to haue growen. Their formed fayth The vnformed fayth of the Pa­pistes. was onely perculiar to theyr good men, such as by theyr charitable workes had formed the same, and geuen it the true nature and forme. Namely, by offeryng at pilgrimages, buyldyng chauntreis, bying of pardons, and such other stuffe. And their vnformed fayth is a medicine for all hell houndes, and rake helles, for The for­med fayth of the Pa­pistes. none cā be so wicked, but if he acknow­ledge theyr Churche, they will thus far comfort him, that he may persuade hym selfe that notwithstandyng all hys vila­nies, yet hath he in him all good and true fayth, necessary vnto saluation. Mary they say yet it is vnformed. Surely it is lyke to that which hath bene fayned of y ^e Beares whelpe, namely that it should bee whelped a rude lumppe without shape, which the dame with the lickyng of her toung doth perfectly forme: So [Page] the possessours of this theyr vnformed fayth by the lickyng the same, not with theyr tunges, but with the charitable workes of theyr pursse taught in the ru­les of their holy Churche, may forme it at their owne pleasure, yea if they lyst after the best fashion, the more cost, the more perfection. Truly this semeth to to haue bene the grounde of theyr doc­trine herein, for what soeuer they say of fayth, they meane thereby no other thyng, but that a superstitious humble­nes, and blynde obedience to the penny prowlyng doctrine of their counterfeyte Churche, is true and Christian fayth, though the possessor therereof know nei­ther how GOD wilbe worshypped in Christ, nor how by hym he is made gra­tious, and mercyfull vnto hym. This is theyr fayth, to beleue nothyng determi­nately, nor with assuraunce of know­ledge, but alwayes vnder this condition, if the iudgement of their Churche so al­low of it. This call they a fayth sufficiēt vnto saluation: is not this a pestilent and wicked doctrine, that such as haue no touch of godly feare, nor any féelyng [Page 62] of true godlynes, should be sayd to pos­sesse all true faith necessary to saluatiō? where it is proued before in the proffe of the true definition of fayth, that one of the properties of true fayth is, to pu­rifie the hartes of all thē that possesse it. Let this both touchyng the description of true fayth, and the counterfaite faith of the Papistes suffice, and let vs pro­cede to shew in what sense y ^e righteous­nes, or iustification is to be taken, which fayth by grace apprehendeth.

For the doyng whereof, it is necessa­ry to shew how diuersly the word righ­teousnes Righteous­nes how it is taken in the Scrip­tures, and also Iusti­fication. is vsed. Sometyme it is vsed, for that common righteousnes whiche naturally cleaueth vnto man, wherby, euen in the heathen the opposition of ge­nerall vertues and generall vices, was vnderstand, and the contrary estimation of both, therby generat. And this righte­ousnes is common to all men. In ano­ther sense, it is vsed for that outward righteousnes, which by the good fruites or workes, of suche as bee already iusti­fied, is apparaunt in the eyes of men. Therefore in neither of these senses is [Page] the worde righteousnes or iustification taken in this place, wherfore that which here is ment, may thus be defined. Iu­stification, is a frée remission of sinne & Definition of iustifica­tion. imputation of righteousnes, vnto man, through fayth in Christ. The truth of this definition is proued, by these words of Paul, Abraham beleued God, and that was imputed to hym for righte­ousnes: To him that worketh, the re­ward Rom. 4. is not counted of fauor, but of duty, but to hym that worketh not, but beleueth on hym that iustifieth the vngodly, hys faith is counted to him for righteousnes, euen as Dauid describeth the blessefulnes of the man vnto whom God ascribeth ryghteous­nes, without deedes, saying, Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes are forge­uen, and whose sins are couered: Bles­sed is the man to whom the Lord impu­teth no sinne, by these wordes of Paul it is plaine that God iustifieth y ^e vngod­ly whiche beleueth, by forgeuyng hys vnrighteousnes, and couering his sins, and imputation of righteousnes vnto hym without deedes, and that it is fréely [Page 63] done Saint Paule also declareth for all (sayth hée) haue synned, and are de­stitute of the glory of GOD, and are iustyfied freely by hys grace, therefore is iustyfication ryghtly saide to bée a frée remyssyon of sinnes, and imputation of ryghteousnesse vnto man, through faith in Chryst. Thus hauing declared what iustification or ryghteousnesse is truely gathered out of the scryptures of God: I wyll also briefly note what the Pa­pistes and Scholemen accompt it to be, wherein you shall perceaue the building thereof, to be wholy raysed from their deuysed grace, whereof is sufficyentlye spoken: Thus wryteth the mayster of the sentences. Mors ergo Christi nos iustifi­cat, Iustificati­on taught by the Pa­pistes. dum per eam charitas excitatur in cordi­bus nostris. For the death of Chryst doth iustifie vs, when as by it, charitye is stirred vp in our heartes. By whiche woordes it appeareth, that hée affirmeth the death of Chryst no otherwyse to iu­stifie vs, but by excitation or styrring of the mynde vnto good woorkes by them to bée iustyfied, so that in déede they ac­compt iustificatyon to signifie nothing [Page] else, but a certayne qualitie or vertue, or infusion of a certayne habit into the mynde, inclyning or mouyng the same to goodnes, that by the workes thereby produced, righteousnes may be attay­ned. Whyche assertion of theirs, affir­meth ryghteousnesse to come of oure selues, through our owne woorkes: one­lye addyng thys exception, that first through the merite of Chryst, a certaine habyt or preuentyng grace doth in­clyne the minde to the execution of those workes: whereby iustification is attay­ned: whiche is (both by the true definy­tion of iustification) false and also by the manifest woordes of Saynt Paule, whiche so many tymes affirmeth iustifi­cation to consist in the free imputation of righteousnesse, vnto man through faith. Abraham sayeth he, beleued God, and that was imputed vnto him for ryghte­ousnesse. It appeareth that these men accompt y ^e generall power or vertue of God, whereby hée produceth and con­serueth hys creatures, and whereby (euen in the heathen) certaine morall or ciuill good woorkes are wrought, to fur­ther [Page 64] the doers thereof vnto iustificaty­on. Thus are some of them not asha­med to dreame, that suche as bée not re­generate, may do suche good woorkes as maye merite the first grace (as they call it) whereby the mynde beyng styrred hath by their doctryne, frée wyll to ad­mit the same, whichebeyng once admit­ted, certayne woorkes of suche perfection are thereby produced, as in a sort bée ac­ceptable to God, and do meryte the fa­uour of Chryst, and in a sort do iustyfie: though not by full and exact worthinesse, yet by a certayne conuenyencye or con­gruencye (ay they call it) accordyng whereunto, they name these woorkes congruent merites. That is to say, suche merites as in equitie deserue fauour, though they satisfie not the extremitie of the lawe. And these first works they call preparing workes, meanyng that suche prepare the doers vnto regeneratyon. Thys their diuinitie séemeth to bée ga­thered oute of thys sentence in the ciuyll law: Summum ius, Summa iniuria, extreme ryght, is extreme wrong. And therfore they wyll scan wyth God the equitie of [Page] the lawe, inferryng thereupon, that by the power of nature, man is able to ful­fill the commaundement, in asmuch as appertayneth to the substaunce of the worke required therein, though not ful­ly in suche sort as the intent of the com­maunder requireth, that is, though the doyng thereof procéedeth not from loue and the spiryte, they bée able to satisfie the equitie (as it were) of the commaun­demēt, though not the rigor or extremi­tie thereof, and hereby appeareth howe fully agayne they haue wallowed them­selues from euill to worsse, till at length they be perfectly tumbled agayne into a Pellagian heresie: for by what soeuer good worke nature hath power and frée wyll before iustificatyon, to meryte the first grace wythall, seeyng by that first grace once obtayned, iustification doth by their congruence follow, it is of ne­cessity that that first meritorious work, is the cause of thys their iustificatyon, and so nature hath of it selfe in equitie, power to iustifye.

The horrible error of which doctrine is more then euident, by that whiche [Page 65] hath bene shewed before, aswell by the true definition of iustification, as by the fourth and fifth chapters, where the fil­thynes of corrupt nature is euidently declared. Let thys touching the true sig­nification of righteousnes, or iustificati­on, and the errors of the Papistes a­bout the meaning therof, suffice.

Now resteth somwhat to be said concerning workes. Wherefore in one signifi­cation, workes are those thynges which by practice of arte are done, and appa­rantly remayne, as all thyngs wrought by any handy craft, are called y ^e workes of the doer. In another signification, workes are the actions of men, produ­ced Definition of workes. by the willyng motion of the mind, which also admit another deuision. For Inward workes. some of them be onely inward workes, or workes of the mynde, as to beleue, to hope, to feare, to loue, and such like. And some other are from the mynde Outward workes. produced into external, or outward acte, to geue geue almes, to succor, to preach, to teach, and such lyke. All which be cal­led outwarde workes. And workes in both these latter significations, be those [Page] whereof in thys matter is spoken: but for so much, as some of them be good and some euill, therefore, that the diffe­rence may appeare, good workes may thus be defined. Good workes are one­ly Definition of good workes. such workes as in the commaunde­mentes of God be required, or in any other place of Scriptures (for the fur­ther explication of them) expressed: which tend to the true worship of God, and outward witnessing of mans electi­on in Christ. The truth of thys definiti­on, is thus proued: for the firste parte: Namely, that all the workes be good, whiche in the commaundementes, or any other place of the Scriptures for theyr further explication be appointed: It is euident, for so muche as hereby we know them to be good workes, for that by God, the doyng of them is com­maunded.

Secondly, that they tende to the true worshippyng of GOD, it is thus proued by Christ hymselfe, where he sayth: Let your lyght so shyne before Math. 5. men, (he telleth the ende wherefore it should shine, namely) that others see­ing [Page 66] your good woorkes, may glorifie your father which is in heauen. Here is the ende of good workes, namely, the glory and worship of God. And for as­much as God is not worshipped, vnles he be truely worshipped, for he is wor­shipped in spirite and truth: therefore they onely be good workes, which tende to the true worship of God, which se­condly was to be proued. Nowe tou­ching Works are a testimony of mans election. the last part, that they be a testi­mony of mans election in Christ, it is e­uident by these wordes of Peter: Bre­thren 2. Peter. 1. (sayth he) be more diligent by good woorkes to make your election sure. whereby it appeareth: that good works are a testimony of the assurance of his election in Christ, whereby the truth of the definition appereth, and by this definition it is plaine, that all su­perstitious workes of mans inuention, be no good woorkes, forasmuch as they tende not to the true worship of God. Here resteth againe somewhat to bee The er­rors of the Pa [...]s abo [...] workes. opened of the erroures of the papistes aboute woorkes, whereof they haue for their purpose deuised diuers strange [Page] distinctions as theyr preparing workes of congruent merite, their Opus operan­tis, or worke of the woorker, their Opus operatum. or acte of outward execution, and their vndue woorkes or woorkes of supererogation. Wherefore, first tou­ching their preparing worke of congru­ent Preparing worke of congruent merite. merite (wherof somwhat hath bene sayd before in the discourse about iusti­fication) first, what they feigne them, it appeareth, namely, the fruites of that theyr preuenting grace, which they i­magine to reduce a man into such a traunce as they faygne him therin (as a man might say) neyther dead in sinne, nor aliue in Christ, whereby all morall, or ciuill woorks wrought, though of na­ture they be not absolutely worthy wor­kes to merite full righteousnes, yet by a certayne conueniency (as they terme it) in equity they deserue fauour, and so prepare toward the full attaynment of iustification, and these be all the morall workes, which be wrought by such as be not regenerate.

The error of which drowsie dreame is more then palpable, for the scripture [Page 67] of God, can acknowledge no middle e­state, There is no middle estate be­twene God and the Deuill. betwene God, and the deuill. He that is not against him, is directly with him: he y ^t gathereth not together, letteth not thinges lye vntouched, but he scat­tereth abrode. He that is not aliue in Christ is dead in sinne. S. Paule could paynt out no meane estate betwéene both, he consessed all eyther quicke in Christ, or dead in sinne. The rewarde (saith he) of sinne is death. And again, Eph. 2. You hath he made aliue that were dead in trespasses, and sinne And a­gayne to the Colossians, And ye which Coll. 2. were dead in sinne, and in the vncir­cumcision of your flesh, hath he quic­kened with him: so that there is no meane estate. Eyther the woorkers of theyr preparing woorkes be aliue in Christ, or dead in sinne: But a liue in Christ they cannot be by these woordes of Paule, for all before regeneration are dead: wherefore, euen as a dead man hath in him selfe no power at al to prepare himselfe towardes life againe: so al (being before regeneration dead in sinne) haue no power at all to woorke a­ny [Page] worke that may prepare them vnto lyfe or regeneration: And for that cause doth Paule call them dead in sinne, that they might know themselues as vtterly vnable, to helpe towardes their own re­generation, as a dead carcas is, to helpe it selfe to the attaynment of life agayne. Whereby the vilenes of this presump­tuous inuention of preparing woorkes appeareth.

Now touching their workes called, O­pus operantis, or worke of the worker, af­ter theyr meaning it is thys: namely, The work of the wor­ker. the acte and holy purpose of the minde, wherewith the worker goeth about a­ny worke which they counte holy, and theyr Opus operatum, or acte executed, is y ^e outward execution of the same woork. Now touching theyr vndue workes, or workes of superogation, it is necessary workes of Superero­gation. for playne vnderstanding, what they meane to rehearse the inuention of the forged fable thereof. For the grounde wherof, they begin wyth a goodly and bewtifull shewe of aduauncemente of Gods vnspeakable sauour towardes vs. God (say they) who might haue pre­scribed [Page 68] vs such straight, and seuere precepts to haue bene obserued, as had ben vtterly to vs impossible, hath notwith­standing delt more fauourably with vs, and commaunded vs nothing, but that which (if we list) we be able to perform, and a great deale more. And yet notw ^t ­standing he demaundeth no farther of vs but to performe the same, by the do­ing whereof we shall deserue saluation, though we do no more. But if any be towardes God so liberally minded that Blasphe­my to Christes death and passiō. he will of hys francke disposition do more: neyther shall he lose the prayse nor reward of the same. And this ouer­plus aboue the fulfilling of the cōmaun­dementes, is that they call theyr vndew workes or workes of supererogation, superabhominatiō I should say. Who e­uer heard a more presūptuous blasphe­my? Doth not y ^e commaūdemēt require a full obediēce, willing desire, & natural pronenes of the whole man, as in the 4. chapter is euidently shewed. Now then if the whole indeuour of all the parts of man, be thus tyed by iust bond of dutie, vnto the cōmaundement, from whence [Page] then commeth theyr ouerplus of vndue woorkes? Nay, is it not both there and in the v. chapter euidently proued, that man is vtterly vnable to fulfill the com­maundement? and that the Lawe was not by Moyses deliuered vnto man, to the ende he should enable him selfe to the fulfilling thereof: but contrariwise by vew of his insufficiency, to driue him to Christ. But will ye know why these men inuented this fable? Forsoothe, not without prouident consideration, because if that bee taken a waye, fare­well Penaunce. all the fruites of penance, which is one of the most profitable engines that their church hath, and principall bailife, vnder shirife, their high Stuard, for the Christ. marie and pith of theyr penaunce stan­deth in theyr satisfaction, which is the last and golden part thereof, and hath Satisfac­tion. prouided for the building of many an Abbey. Wherefore aboue all thinges theyr woorkes of supererogation was to be deuised, for els coulde theyr satis­faction haue bene woorthe nothing vn­to them, which by this politicke proui­so, hath made kinges fellowes of such, [Page 69] as wythout the same, coulde neuer haue bene able to haue maintained two beggers in an hospitall: for before any man be able to make satisfaction of the olde debt to hys creditor, it is of necessi­tie that first he be able, to satisfie the du­tie of y ^e tyme present with an ouerplus, out of the which excesse, must be raised a sufficient superplussage, to discharge the former daunger. The wicked hor­ror of all which theyr deuise of workes shal (besides that which hath bene sayd already) be also iustlye ouerthrowen hereafter, where it shall appeare that no workes (no not the workes of the iu­stified) be able to satisfie the commaun­dement, any other way then vnder the shield of mercy: by not hauyng their insufficientie imputed vnto them, but contrarywyse hidden by Christes inno­centie, from the sight of Gods iustice. Let thys both touching the description of good workes, and also the counterfeit workes of the Papists, suffice. Hauyng thus euidently shewed, what these wordes grace, righteousnes, or iustifi­cation, fayth, and workes, doe meane in [Page] thys matter, I will now returne to speake of the nature of thys new coue­naunt, which (as was sayd before) iu­stifieth man fréely by grace through faith in Christ, the explication, or plain mea­ning whereof, is by these definitions cuident to be this.

The new couenant doth assure man that hys sinne [...] are fréely forgeuen, and Rightcousnes is un­ [...] unto vs, by the f [...] [...]o sence and good will of God. that righteousnes is imputed vnto hym, by the frée beneuolence of the will of God, through the ful assurance of the truth of Gods promises in Christ, which vnto hym is geuen of God, by the inspiration of the holy Gost: wher­by hys hart is purified and ciensed vnto good workes; which righteousnes, is imputed vnto hym without all respecte of hys worthynes or workes: onely for the prayse, and glory of the grace, or fa­uour of God. Wherby it is playne that vnto the attainement therof, on the be­halse of man: thys onely thyng is re­quired: that he constantly beleue (both seuerally touching him selfe, and gene­rally touchyng all the elect) that euen as God hath fréely promised, to accept the [Page 70] satisfaction of hys sonne Jesus Christ, in full recompence for all theyr sinnes: so assuredly he will performe the same. Who soeuer (I say) hath thys vndoub­ted fayth, he hath the true apprehension of Christ in the promise: so that by fayth onely (as is proued before) iustification Onely fayth, attey neth [...] ­cation. is attayned in the promise: which fayth is the onely meane, which by beleuing God, may assure man of the frée fauour of God in Christ: without suspition of incroching vpon any part of the glory of the same: Which God hath reserued to hym selfe, as the onely end, for which he hath bestowed vppon man so riche a benefite: wherunto (as to the appoin­ted marke or end) all the Scriptures are directed, whereof these authorities for the further confirmation of thys truth, may séeme not vnseasonably re­hearsed. Beginning first with y ^e wordes of our Sauiour Christ hym selfe: he sayth thus: And as Moyses lift vp the Ioh. 4. Serpent in the wildernes, euē so must the sonne of man be lifted vppe, that none that beleue in him perishe, but haue euerlasting life: for god so loued [Page] the world, that he hath geuē his one­ly begotten sonne, that none that be­leue in him should perishe, but haue Only fayth euerlasting life. Againe in the same place: He that beleueth in him, shall not be condemned. And agayne: He that beleueth, the sonne hath euerla­sting John. 6. life. And in an other place: The Capernaites said vnto him, what shal we doe that we might worke the workes of God? Iesus answered and sayd vnto them, this is the worke of God, that ye beleue on him, whom he hath sent. And againe in the same Fayth. chapter: This is the will of him that sent me, that euery man which seeth the sonne, and beleueth in him, haue Fayth. euerlasting life: and I will raise hym vp at the last day. Agayne in the same chapter: Verely, verely, I say vnto you, he that beleueth on me hath euerla­sting life. And in an other place: I am the resurrection and the life, he that Fayth. Ioh. 11. beleueth on me, yea though he were dead, yet shal he liue: and who soeuer liueth and beleueth in me, shall neuer Fayth. dye. And in an other place: I am come Ioh. 12. [Page 71] a light into the world, that who soe­uer Fayth. beleueth on me, should not bide in darkenes. Agayne Peter in y ^e Actes of the Apostles: To hym also geue all Act. 10. the Prophets witnes, that through his name all that beleue in him, shall Only fayth receaue remission of sinnes. Agayne the Gayler sayd to Paule and Barna­bas: Act. 16. Fayth. Syrs, what must I do to be saued? and they sayd, beleue on the Lorde Iesus Christ, and thou shalt be saued, and thy housholde. Againe Paule to the Romanes: Therefore by the dedes Rom. 3. of the law, shall no flesh be iustified in his sight; for by the law cōmeth the knowledge of sinne: but nowe is the righteousnes of God declared, with­out the law: hauing witnes of the law & the Prophets, to wit, the righteous­nes of God by fayth of Iesus Christ vnto all & vpō al that beleue, for there is no difference, for all haue sinned & are destitute of the glory of God, and are iustified freely by hys grace, throughe the redemption that is in Christ Iesus: whō God hath set forth to be a pacification through fayth in [Page] his bloud, to declare hys righteous­nes, in that hee forgeueth the sinnes that be passed, which God dyd suffer to shew at his tyme his righteousnes: that he might bee counted iust, and a iustifier of hym that beleueth one Ie­sus. Where is then the boastyng? it is excluded, by what lawe? of workes? nay, but by the law of faith. Therfore we gather, that man is iustified by Fayth iustifieth, without the vewes of the law. fayth without the deedes of the law, and a litle after: For it is one GOD which shall iustifie Circūcision which is of fayth, and vncircūcisiō through fayth. Agayne in the next Chapter, for Rom. 4. if Abraham were iustified by dedes, then hath he wherein to boast: but not with GOD: for what sayeth the scriptures? Abraham beleued God & that was coūted to him for righteousnes: to him that worketh, the reward is not reckened of fauor but of duty: but to him that worketh not, but be­leueth on him that iustifieth the vn­godly Fayth. his faythe is counted for righ­teousnes: Euen as Dauid describeth the blissefulnes of the mā, vnto whom [Page 72] God ascribeth righteousnes without dedes: saying, Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes are forgeuen: and whose sinnes are couered: blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne. And a litle after: We say that fayth was imputed to Abraham for righteousnes. And a litle after, for the promise that hee should be the heyre of the world, was not geuen to Abra­ham, or to his sede through the lawe, but throughe the righteousnesse of fayth. For if they (whiche be of the law) be heyres: thē is faith but vaine: and the promise of no effect. And a­gayne, Therfore by fayth is the inhe­ritaunce Fayth. geuen: that it might come of grace: and the promise might bee sure to all the sede: not to them one­ly whiche are of the lawe: but also to them which are of the fayth of Abra­ham, which is the father of vs all. And agayn, then (beyng iustified by faith) Fayth iustefieth. we haue peace with GOD throughe our Lord Iesus Christe by whom we haue accesse through fayth, vnto this grace wherein we stand, and reioyce [Page] in the hope of the glory of God. And agayne, what shall wee saye then? the Gentiles whiche folowed not righteousnesse haue ouertaken righ­teousnes, I meane the righteousnes whiche commeth by faythe: but Israell whiche folowed the lawe of righteousnes, could not atteyne the law of righteousnes, wherefore? be­cause they sought it not by fayth, but as it were by the workes of the lawe. Fayth iustefyeth without workes of the law. And agayne, for they beyng ignorant of the righteousnes of God, and go­yng aboute to establishe their owne righteousnes, haue not bene obediēt vnto the righteousnes of God, for Christ is the end of the law to iustifie all that beleue: For Moyses descri­beth the righteousnes whiche com­meth of the law in these wordes, that the man whiche doth these thynges, shall lyue therby. But the righteous­nes whiche commeth of fayth, spea­keth on this wise: say not in thy hart, who shall ascend into heauen? that is euen to fetche Christ downe from a­boue, or who shall discend into the [Page 73] depe? that is euen to bryng Chryst from death: but what sayeth the Scripture? the word is nye thee, euen in thy mouth, and in thy heart. This is that woorde of fayth whyche wee preache: for if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus: and shall beleeue in thy heart that God raised hym vp from the dead: thou Faith saueth. shalt besaued. For the belefe of thy heart iustifieth, & to confesse with the mouth saueth a man. For the Scripture sayeth, Fayth iustiūeth. who soeuer beleueth on him shall not be ashamed. And agayne, euen so at thys tyme, is there a remnant left thorough Rom. 11. the election of grace: if it bee of grace, then is it not of works: or els were grace, no more grace: but if it bee of woorkes, then is it no more grace, or els were wor­kes no lenger woorkes. And in another place, wee whyche are Iewes by nature Gala. 2. and not synners of the Gentiles, knowe that a man is not iustyfied by the deedes of the lawe, but by the fayth of Iesus Chryst: euen wee (I saye) haue beleued in Iesus Christ, that we might bee iustified by the fayth of Iesus Chryst: and not by the deedes of the law: because that by the [Page] deedes of the lawe, no flesh shalbe iusti­fied. Gal. 3. Agayne, for the Scripture saw afore hande, that GOD woulde iustifie the Gentyles through fayth, and therefore preached before hande the Gospell vnto Abraham: saying, in thee shall all the Gentiles be blessed. So then, they which bee of fayth, are blessed wyth faythfull Abraham: for as many as are vnder the deedes of the law, ar vnder the cursse: sor it is writtē: cursed is euery mā that cōti­nueth not in all thinges which are writ­ten in the booke of the law to fulfill thē. And that no man is iustified by the law in the sight of God, it is euident: for the iust shall lyue by fayth: and the lawe is Abac. 2 not of fayth: but the man that shall ful­fill these thynges shall lyue in them.

Now Chryst hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe, when he was made accurssed for vs: for it is written, cursed is euerye one that hangeth on tree, that the blessing of Abraham myghte come on the Gentiles through Chryst Iesus: and that we might receiue the promyse of the spirite thorough fayth. And a li­tle after: but the Scrypture hath con­cluded Gal. 3 [Page 74] all thynges vnder sinne, that the promyse by the fayth of Iesus Chryst, shoulde be geeuen to them that beleue. But before fayth came, we were shut vp vnder the lawe vnto the fayth whyche shoulde afterward be reueled: wherefore the lawe was our Scholemaster, to bring vs to Chryst, that wee myght bee made ryghteous by fayth: but after that fayth is come, nowe are wee no lenger vnder the Scholemaster: for wee are all the sonnes of God by fayth in Chryst Ie­sus. Gal. 5. And agayne, yee are all gone quite from Chryst, as many as are iustyfied by the lawe, and are fallen from grace: wee wayte for by the spirite thoroughe fayth, the hope of ryghte­ousnesse. Agayne: For by grace are Fayth and not workes iustiūeth vs yee saued thorough fayth, and not of your selues: it is the gift of GOD, and not of woorkes, least anye man shoulde boast hym. Agayne: VVho saued vs, and called vs wyth a holy callyng, not accordyng to our deedes, but accor­dyng to hys owne purpose and grace: whiche grace was geuen to vs thorough Chryst Iesus, before the worlde was. [Page] And in an other place: That wee beyng Titus. 3. iustified by grace, should be made heires accordyng to the hope of eternall lyfe. These authorityes I thought good, to re­hearse out of the Scriptures: out of the whiche it is euidently gathered, whyche hath béene sayde before, touchyng the iustification of fayth: And to the ende it may be apparant, that the auneyent fa­thers gathered the same meanyng, I will now reherse of their authorities cō ­cerning the same. First Augustine sayth thus: Credidit Abraham deo, & reputatum estil­li ad iustitiam: ecce sine opere, iustificatur exfide, Augustide tempore serm. 61 Solafides. & quicquid illi legali posset obseruatione conferri, totum credulitas sola donauit: Abraham bele­ued God, and that was imputed vnto hym for righteousnesse. Marke this, that wythout workes, he is iustified by fayth, & that whatsoeuer he mought haue gai­ned by obseruyng the lawe, all that hath fayth alone geuen hym. Agayne Origen Faith alone sayeth: Dicit sufficere solius fidei iustificationem, it a vt credens quis tantummodo iustificetur, etiam Exclusa est gloriatio. Solafides. Rom. 3. Only fayth. si nihil ab eo operis fuerit expletum: Hee afir­meth the onely iustification of fayth to suffice to iustifie a man, that onely bele­ueth, [Page 75] although he haue done no good worke. And by and by after he as­keth thys question: Quis sine operibus iusti­ficatus est? VVho is iustified without workes? Whereunto he aunswereth: Quantum igitur ad exemplum pertinet, sufficere arbitror illum latronē qui cū Christo crucifixus, cla­mabat ei de cruce: Domine Iesu memento mei, cum veneris in regnum tuum. Nec aliud quicquā descri­bitur boni operis eius in euangelijs, sed pro hac sola fide, ait Iesus. Amen dico tibi bodie eris mecumin Paradiso: As touching the example, I think the theefmay suffice which being crucified with Christ, cryed frō the cros­se: Lord Iesu remember me, when thou commest into thy kingdome. There is no other good worke of his expressed in the Gospel, but for this fayth only Christ saith vnto him: verely I say vnto thée thou shalt be with me this day in Para­dise. And a litle after: Sola confessione iusti­ficatum, comitem (que) sibi paradisum ingressus, assumpsit: By this onely confession, he going into paradise, toke him with him both iustified, and his companion. And a litle after concerning the wo­mans washing Christes feete with [Page] her teares, he sayth: Et ex nullo legis opere, sed pro sola fide ait ad eam, remittuntur tibi peccata Sola fides. tua, & iterum fides tua te saluam fecit? And by no deedes of the law but for fayth only he sayth vnto her, thy sinnes are forgeuē thee, and againe thy fayth hath Fayth noly made thee whole. And Chrysostome vppon the third chapter to the Roma­nes, writeth thus: In hoc demonstratur vir­tus & potentia dei, quòd seruauerit, iustificaue­rit, Sermon. 7. et gloriationem induxerit, sola fide, abs (que) operibus: Herein is the vertue, & power of Sola fides. God declared, in that he hath saued, iustified, and glorified, by fayth onely without workes. And the same vpon the Fayth only fourth chapter: Quòd aliquis destitutus ope­ribus, iustificetur per fidem: fortasse videri potest Serm. 8. benè habere. Quòd autem aliquis ornatus virtu­tibus, et bonis operibus, non tamen illis iustificetur, Sola fides. fed sola fide, hoc certè est admirabile: That a man destitute of workes should be iusti­fied by fayth, that peraduenture maye seeme to be well: but that a man beu­tified with vertue, and good workes should neuerthelesse by them not be iustified, but by fayth onely: Truely this is wonderfull. Agayne the same [Page 76] Chrysostome in hys fourth homily, vp­on the first chapter of the first epistle to Chrisostom in priore. ad Timoth. Cap. 1. Homel. 4: Sola fides. Timothy: Cui difficilis habebatur fides, quod inimici, quod peccatores, quod hi qui in lege non iustificabantur, neque per opera, hi continuo ex fide sola, primas partes meritorum consecuti sunt: VVho could hardly beleue that ene­mies, that sinners, that such as were not iustified in the law, nor by workes, that they by and by haue by fayth onely Fayth only obteined the cheefe merite. And a litle after: Incredibile eum esse videbatur, siquidem bomo qui omnem priorem vitam, frustrà at (que) ina­niter consumpsisset, duxisset (que) per mala opera, post­modùm ex fide sola saluandus diceretur: It see­med Sola fides. to the Iewes an incredible thing, that a man which had spent al his for­mer life vainely, & disorderly hauing passed the same in wicked workes, that afterward he should be said to be saued by faith only. The same agayne concer­ning fayth and the law writeth thus: Ante Fayth only opera, fides primū inducēdaest: eū qui operatur opera iustitiae sine fide nō possum probareviuū fuisse, fide­lem autē, abs (que) operibus possum monstrare, & vixis­se Serm de fi­de et lege. & regnum caelorum assecutum. Nullus sine fide vitā habuit, latro autē credidit duntaxat, & iustifi­catus Sola fide [Page] est a misericordissimo deo. Atque hîc ne mihi dixeris defuisse ei tempus, quo iustè viueret, & ho­nesta faceret opera, neque enim de hoc contenderim ego, sed illud vnum asseuerauerim quòd sola fides per se saluum fecerit: Fayth is to be alledged before workes: I can not proue him to haue bēe aliue which worketh the works of righteousnes without fayth, but I can shew the faythfull without workes to haue both bene aliue, and attained the kingdome of heauen. No man hath had life without fayth, but the theefe did o­nely beleue, & he by the most mercifull God is iustified. And say not vnto me here, that he wanted time wherin to liue righteously, and doe good workes. I will not contend thereabout, but this one thing I affirme, that fayth onely alone did saue him. And agayne Nam ea de­nium perfecta, & omnimoda gloriatio est in deo, Basilius ho­milia de humilitate. quando ne (que) propter suam ipsius quis iusti­am extollitur, sed agnoscit se quidem vera destitui iustitia, verùm sola in Christo fide, iustificatum esse: For that in deede is the perfect, & full reioycing in God, when no man glorieth in his own righte­ousnes, but acknowledgeth him selfe [Page 77] in deede to be destitute of true righte­ousnes, and that he is iustified through fayth in Christonely. Ambrose vpon this place of Paule Iustificantur gratîs per gratiam illius, writeth thus: Iust ficati sunt gratîs, quia nihil operantes, ne (que) vicem reddentes, sola fide iustificati sunt: Both Iewe & Greke are iustified freely, because that without worke, or recompence, by fayth only they are iustified. And agayne: Quomodo ergo Iudaei per opera legis iustificari se putant iusti­ficatione Ambrosu [...] Roma. 4. Abrahae, cum videant Abraham non ex o­peribus legis, sed yola fide iustificatum? non ergo o­pus est lege quādo impius per solam fidem iustifica­tur apud deum. How thē do the Iewes thin­ke them selues to be iustified by the dee­des Sola fides. of the lawe, with the iustification of Abraham, when they see that Abraham was not iustified by deedes of the lawe, but by fayth onely? there is then no neede of the lawe, seing the wicked is iustified with God by fayth onely. And a litle after: Sic decretum Fayth only dicit a deo, vt cessante lege, solam fidem gra­tiae dei posceret ad salutem: He sayth that Sola fides. it is thus by God decreed, that the law ceassing, he requireth vnto salua­tion [Page] only faith in the fauour of God. And agayne: Manifestè beati sunt, quibus sine Fayth only Rom 4. labore, vel opere aliquo remittuntur iniquitatds, et peccata teguntur, nulla ah his requisit a panitentiae opera, nisi tantum vt credant: They be ma­nifestly blessed whose iniquities are co­uered, Sola fides. without either labour, or worke no worke of repentaunce being (to that purpose) of them required but onely that they beleue. And agayne y ^e same: Conuenit vt in solo nomine domini, & conditoris Only fayth. Rom. 9. consequatur salutem creatura: hoc est, per fidem, quia sublatis omnibus neomenijs et sabbato, et cir­cumcisione et lege escarum, et oblationibus pecorum, sala fides posita est ad salutem: It is mecte that Sola fides. man attaine saluation onely in the name of the Lord the creator, name­ly, by fayth, because that fayth onely is the meane to saluation, all new Only fayth Moones, Sabboth, Circumcision, dif­ference of meates, offering of beastes set a part. Agayne the same: Quo­niam versutia aduersarij cumulare peceata Rom. 11. caeperunt, vt per interdictum magis homo reus constitueretur, deus clementia bonita­tis suae, semper homini procurans, vt et quod sine lege peccatum erat, et in lege possit deleri, [Page 78] hoc decreuit, vt solam fidem poneret, per quam onmium peccata aboleret, vt quia nulla spes per Solaf ides. legem omnibus hominibus erat, dei misericordia saluarentur: Because sin began to be increa­sed by the craft of the aduersary that man through the restraint mought bee found more giltie, God of hys mercifull Only fayth goodnes alwayes carefull for man, that that which without law was transgres­sed, might in the lawe be blotted out, de­creed this. Namely, to appoint fayth Fayth only onely to be the meane, whereby he would extinguish the sinne of all men, that seing no hope was left to any man in the lawe, they might by the mercy of God be saued. Agayne the same Ambrose. In Christo Iesu data est grati­a, 1. Cap. 1. epi ad Corinth. Sola fides. quia hoc constitutum est, vt qui credit in Christum saluus sit sine opere, sola fide, gratîs accipiens remissionem peccatorum. In Christ Iesu is grace geuen, forasmuch as this with God is decreed, that who so be­leueth in Christ, is saued by fayth on­ly without worke, receauing freely for­geuenes Fayth only of sinnes. Agayne Hillarius vpon the 8. of Mathew hath these wordes: Sola fides iustisicat, onely fayth doth iustifie.

[Page] Notwithstandyng these authorities of Scriptures and fathers, yet do the Sola fides. aduersaries kéepe styll theyr brasen fa­ces, and stoutly sweare it & stare it out that none but heretickes and schisma­tickes affirme that onely faith iustifieth. Truely, gentle reader, if thou béest not setled in error, thou cāst not but see their wicked and shameles facing, in crying out that we corrupt the scriptures, and that none of the fathers gathered out any such sense, or meanyng of them, con­cerning which matter, thou hast heard diuers of them, tell theyr owne tales. Now it is here principally to be noted, that wher mans iustification is a free remission of sinnes, and imputation of righteousnes vnto hym, through fayth in Christ: it may be, that because the phrase of the Scriptures, & of these aucthorityes attribute the same so many tymes to fayth, that therefore some myght gather thereby, that fayth is the efficiēt cause of Fayth is not the effi­cient cause of our iustification but God only. mans iustification which is not so, for the efficient cause is onely God: euē as sinful mā destitute of Gods grace, is the mate­riall cause, and as the declaratiō of Gods [Page 79] iustice & righteousnesse in performaunce of hys free promyse, to the encrease of the glory of hys grace, is the finall cause. And forasmuch as vnto this worke two instrumentes were requisite: the one to be vsed by God, whiche was Chryst: of whom hée made the sacrifice and offe­ryng, the other to be vsed by man whiche is fayth. Therefore that fayth beyng (as I saide) the instrument, whiche taketh holde of the promyse, hath relation vn­to the obiecte of fayth: Namely, vnto Chryst, and the promyse: and so hath the title of iustification imputed vnto it, for so sayth the Scripture. Abraham be­leeued God, and God imputed that to him for righteousnesse. Whyche Paule dyuers tymes rehearseth, to shewe that fayth is not the efficient cause of iustifi­catyon: but the obiecte of fayth: Name­lye Chryst, and the promyse. And that fayth receyueth the tytle thereof, onelye by imputation: and not by proprietie of nature. Namely, because it is that wherewith man taketh holde of Christ, and the promise: whiche I thought wor­thy the notyng. Thus hauyng shewed [Page] the nature of the newe couenaunt, tou­chyng mans iustification, and that fayth is the onely meane, required in man to the attaynement thereof, it followeth.

Cap. 9.

FAyth beyng the gift of God (as Paule to the Phillippians affirmeth) for vn­to you (sayth he) it is geuen, not onelye to beleue in Christ, but also to suffer for hym, fayth I say beyng the gyft of God, is accompanyed wyth newnesse of lyfe, which possesseth suche beautyes of Gods Newnes of life. grace, as forthwyth kyndle the soule or mynde wyth desire of true obedyence vnto God: by ingraftyng hym both in­to the similitude of the death of Christ, Rom. 6 whereby he dyeth vnto sinne, and also into the similitude of hys resurrection, whereby hée ryseth vnto a newe lyfe: be­yng sure that the olde man of synne is [Page 80] crucified: that henceforth hée shoulde no more be seruaunt to sinne. So that now Rom. 6. she trayneth hys affection, towardes the thynges aboue, from the thynges on the earth, in that hée is dead to synne, his life béeing hydden in Chryst wyth God: whereby hée laboureth to mortifye the Col. 3. affectiōs of the earthly members: as ha­uing put of the olde man with hys wor­kes, Eph. 4 and put on the new, whiche is renu­ed in knowledge after y ^e Image of God, Col. 3 Eph. 4 shapen vnto righteousnesse, and true ho­lines, laboring not to greue the spirite of God, by whom he is sealed vnto the daye of redemption: but knowing himselfe the temple of y ^e holy ghost, laboreth to clense and purifie the same. Whiche desire is 1. Cor. 6. not now kindled in hym, as in respecte of merite: but as proper, and peculiar vnto y ^e faith, which through grace hath takē y ^e possession of the mind, wherby he is trās­formed into the similitude of Chryst: so that where before he yelded himselfe ser­uant, vnto all the workes of the fleshe: now contrarywise he laboureth to pur­sue all the woorkes proper vnto the spi­rite: Titus. 2. Beyng certayne that the grace of [Page] God whyche bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared, and teacheth hym, that hée shoulde denye vngodlinesse, and worldly lust [...], and that he should liue so­berly, righteously, and godly in this pre­sent lyfe. Séeyng Chryst gaue him selfe for him, to redéeme him from all vnrigh­teousnesse: to purge hym peculiar vnto Col. 1 him selfe, feruently geuen to good wor­kes: that so he might walke worthy of the Lorde, in all thinges that please: be­ing fruitfull in all good woorkes, and in­creasing to the knowledge of God, be­cause hée is hys workemanshyp created in Chryst Iesus vnto good woorkes, Eph. 2. whiche God ordayned, that he shoulde walke in them. Now forasmuch as these be the proprieties, or fruites belongyng to regeneration, whyche entreth wyth true fayth. Therefore presentlye, where soeuer she taketh place, shée maketh her selfe knowne by these effectes: and forth­with vpon her arriuall, begynneth fight with the olde man of sinne, and déedes of the same. And whereas before whi­lèst the strong armed man, namely the Mar. 12. Luke. 11. deuill kept the pallace: that is, possessed [Page 81] the soule or mynde: all thinges were in peace, that is, man slumbred in security, féelyng no fight in conscience. Now, so soone as a stronger commeth in place, namelye, the holy ghost, furnishyng the minde with true faith, whereupon new­nes of lyfe, and true godlinesse atténde: Then foorthwyth entreth man into the christian fight: for presently all the fore­named graces are encountred by the deuyll, and the corruptyon of hys sin­full and rebellious nature, according to these sayinges: Hostis noster (adhuc in hac vita nos positos) quanto magis nos sibi rebel­lare conspicit, tanto amplius expugnare con­tendit: Gre. lib. 24 cap. 12. mo­ralium. eos autem pulsare negligit, quos qui­eto iure possidere se sentit. Our enemy (so long as wee bee in this lyfe) howe muche the more hee seeth vs rebell agaynst hym: so muche the more he stryueth to vanquyshe vs, but hee neglecteth to smyte those whom hee féeleth hym­selfe to possesse wyth quyettytle. So The deuill is a great e­nemy to a vertuous & good life. Rom. 7 that forthwith vpon his entry into new­nesse of lyfe, hée féeleth iust cause to crie with holy Paule: I knowe the lawe is [Page] spirituall, but I am carnall, solde vnder sinne, for I alow not that which I do, what I woulde, that do I not: but what I hate, that do I &c. These con­flictes attende continually vppon true fayth, whiche can no more from her be seperate, then heat from fire, and moy­sture from water. Hereby shée be way­eth her selfe: these propertyes declare where shee dwelleth. Wherfore, whoso­euer findeth in himselfe, an vndoubted perswasion of the frée fauour of God, onely in the merits or deserts of Chryst, hauing that confirmed in hym by the te­stimony of the holy ghost, bréedyng a de­sire of continuall wrestlyng agaynst sin, and the irkesome lothyng of hys often falles, the hunger of well doyng: though (through corruption of nature) he want the abilitie to performe in suche sorte as he wisheth: whosoeuer I saye, hath thys fayth thus confirmed, hée assuredlye is possessed of righteousnesse, and hath the true apprehension of the death of Christ, and the earnest penny or pledge of hys election.

And to thys ende cryeth Peter: Bre­thren, [Page 82] geeue more dyly gence to make your callyng, and election sure by good workes: as though he shoulde haue said, Brethren be diligent and labour conti­nually in good workes, that they may be to you a sure pledge & witnesse, that you are the elect of God in Chryst. For that onely is the true fayth (whereunto righ­teousnes True fayth is knowen by good workes. is imputed) which maketh herself known by good works: w ^tout whyche yée can neyther shewe the obedyence of Gods chyldren, nor yelde testimonye of your fayth, nor outward witnes of your election in Chryst. And againe S. Paule to the same effect vnto Titus: This is Tit. 3. a true saying, and of these thynges I wyll thou shouldest certyfie, that they whyche haue beleeued in GOD, myght bee diligent to mayntayne good works: These thynges are good and profitable vnto men. Surely good woorkes are so profitable (as I sayde before) that wyth­out them, we can neyther shew our obe­dience to God: nor geue certayn testimo­ny, that true fayth, dwelleth in vs, with­out Good wor­kes are the fruites of good fayth. which fayth we can pretende no iust tytle to the kyngdome of God. Where-Fore [Page] aboue all thynges, it behoueth eue­ry man (that maketh claime thereunto) to declare his fayth by these euydente fruites, for vnlesse the same bée wytnes­sed by hys woorkes, and fight agaynst sinne: (if death preuent him not) assured­lye he hath but a vayne opinion, and no fayth in déede. Hereby I trust the indif­ferent reader can not but sée, how wrōg­fully the aduersaries (vsurping the name of catholickes) charge them of our pro­fession, vnder the scorned name of gos­pellers, some wyth the contempt of good woorkes, and some others saye that though wée mayntaine good woorkes, yet wée géeue the people no encouragement thereunto, séeyng we say, they help not to iustification: And therefore wée talke of good woorkes, but (as it were) to no ende. In deede any such end by them, (as a price of our redemptyon) we knowe none, wée leaue the glorye of that tri­umphe to God alone. Seyng hée hath by playne wordes reserued the same for the prayse, and glorye of his grace and Ephes. 1. fauour. But if they will alow thys for an ende: thus muche we constantly af­firme, [Page 83] that what soeuer he be that see­keth not by continuall labour in good workes, and detestation of hys owne former wickednes, (as the true and in­separable frutes of fayth) to declare hys obedience to God, that GOD therby may be glorified: and the truth of hys fayth touchyng hys saluation witnes­sed: assuredly (as I sayd before) he hath True fayth must be wit­nessed by deedes. but a vayne opinion, and no fayth in deede, neither anye sure warrant to make title to the death of Christ. We constantly affirme, that as y ^e Sunne cā be sene by no other light, but by y ^t which he geueth hymself. So can faith by no o­ther means be discerned, but by y ^e fruits or works proceding from her self. We say w ^t Ambrose Proprium hoc habet noua creatura per gratiam, vt qui figmentum Dei sunt, De vocatio­ne genti­um, lib. 1. Cap. 8 et natiuitate coelesti conduntur in Christo, non otio torpeant, nec desidia resoluantur, sed de virtute, in virtutem proficiant, per viam bonorum operum ambulando. This hath the new creature through grace proper vnto him, that they which be the workemanshyp of GOD, and in Good workes. Christe are builded in the heauenly [Page] birth maye not slugge in idlenes, not be resolued in slouthe, but muste goe forwarde from vertue to ver­tue, walkyng by the waye of good workes, and agayn with the same Am­brose. Gratia Dei a timore liberati, acci­pimus spiritum adoptionis filiorum, vt con­siderantes Rom. 8 quid eramus, & quid dono Dei sumus adepti, magna cum diligentia vitam nostram ordinemus, ne [...]nomen Dei patris in nobis iniuriam patiatur, & ea omnia quae euafimus, veluti ingrati incurramns, Be­yng deliuered from feare throughe the fauor of God, we receaue the spi­rite of children of adoption, that con­sideryng Good workes. what we were (and what by the gift of God we haue attayned) we should order our lyfe with great dili­gence, least the name of God the fa­ther, should in vs suffer iniurie, and least as ingratefull we runne into all those mischiefs, which we haue esca­ped. We say also with Cyprian. Igitur Christianus, qui nominis Christi similitu­dinem De 12. abusionibus Cap. 7 tenet, morum quo (que) eius similitudi­nem habere decet. Christianus nemo dici­tur rectè, nisi qui Christo moribus cooequa­tur. [Page 84] Therefore it becommeth a Chri­stian man that holdeth the simili­tude of the name of Christe, to haue also the similitude of his maners. No man is rightly called a Christian, but he that imitateth Christ in his condi­tions. If this be no end of good workes gentle reader iudge indifferently. But now if wee should ioyne handes with our aduersaries, to examine whether the good workes of y ^e faythful, be able to satisfie y ^e rigor of the law: as though we suspected the matter, this cannot be de­nied, that we must way them in the bal­lance agaynst the workes required in the law: to try whether they aswel kepe the inward weight, as the outward fa­shion. And if there they also be found to light, then shall good workes still re­maine for a witnes of our fayth, and o­bedience: that God by them may be glo­rified: and passe for no penny payment in the price of the purchase of righte­ousnes. Wherfore, for the triall of this matter, it is necessary we séeke the defi­nition of faythfull workes, gathered out of the definition of fayth expressed [Page] in the viij. Chapter in this sorte. The Definition of faythfull workes. The good workes of the law. good workes of the faythful, are such workes as proceede from a heart puri­fied through fayth. Now into the o­ther Schole or ballaunce, let vs lay the workes required in the law, whose defi­nition is thus gathered out of the iiij. Chapter. The workes required in the law, are such as proceede from the full obedience, willyng desire, and natu­rall pronesse, of the whole man vnto righteousnes. Thus wayed in the bal­launce, it is euident that euen the very good workes of the faythfull (compared with the workes of righteousnes requi­red in the law) are founde farre to lyght to satisfie the same. For asmuch as the law can alow none but such as procede from a full obedience, willyng desire, and naturall pronesse of the whole man. That is to say, the lawe can alowe no workes, but such as should be wrought by naturall strength, & desire vnto righ­teousnes: But the good workes of the faythfull bee not so, but contrarywise The good workes of the faithfull they are wrought through the frée grace of GOD, purifiyng the heart by fayth, [Page 85] whereupon it foloweth, that the good workes of the faythfull (examined by the iustice of God) are insufficient to sa­tisfie the law, and haue no strength but vnder the shilde of mercy. So imperfect are the best, and most purest workes of the iustified, that being examined by the seueritie of the law, they are vnable to abide the presence thereof. Thus ha­uyng shewed the certayne tokens of that fayth, whereunto righteousnes is imputed, and the difference betwene the workes of the faithful, and the workes required in the law, it foloweth.

Cap. 10.

HOw diuerslie the worde righteous­nes or iustification is taken in the Scriptures is by the viij. chapter decla­red, [Page] where it is euidently proued, that iustification (being taken for the frée im­putation of righteousnes vnto mā, wher­by in the sight of God, he is discharged of giltiship) cōmeth onely through fayth in Christ, without respect of mans wor­thines or workes: by the frée beneuo­lence of the will of God, to the prayse, and glory of his grace. And that the iu­stification or righteousnes of woorkes, is nothing els, but the declaration of the same righteousnes of fayth, by the out­warde fruites thereof: which aunswe­reth that which is first in this chapiter required. Yet notwithstanding, the am­bitious pride of the aduersaries, is nei­ther ashamed, nor afeard to hold plée as it were with God, for a part of the glo­ry of mans iustificatiō, arrogantly chal­lenging the same, as a deserued duetie purchased by theyr workes. The con­trary wherof, as in the viij. chapter it is manifestly proued, so is the feareful er­ror thereof, by the iiij. chapter euidently disproued. For it is there plaine that al the workes of corrupte nature are as di­rect contrary to the law: as death vnto [Page 86] life, darkenes vnto light, or colde vnto heat. And yet out of that hatefull hourd must they of force take their counterfeit store. Séeing they wil néedes haue wor­kes to iustifie, for that enferreth y ^t those workes must goe before iustification, and so be wrought before the man be righteous, which can be nothing but the fruites of a wicked man, for vntill he be righteous, he is wicked, and by their doctrine he can not be righteous, vntill the worke haue made him righ­teous: therefore whilest he is wicked, it must néedes be that he do the worke, which shall make him righteous: which is impossible as by the Scriptures doth euidently appeare. Thus writeth Paul to the Phillippians: That ye may be pure & without offence, vntill the day of Christ, filled with the fruites of righteousnes, which fruites are in you by Iesu Christ, vnto the glory & praise of God. Here in these wordes of Paul we may learne the efficient cause, the formall cause, the materiall cause, and the final cause of good woorks, by which causes it doth euidently appeare that [Page] before iustification, no good workes can be wrought, and that the ende of good woorkes is not to iustifie the doers of them, but onely to the glory and prayse of God. Wherefore let vs consider his woordes, first in that he sayth that ye may be pure and without offence, he sheweth what is the office of a christen man, namely, to labour for such pure and vnspotted conuersation, as no of­fence may iustly be gathered by the same He sayth moreouer, Vntill the day of Christ: to shewe that the ende­uour towardes goodnes must haue con­tinuance, through the whole course of the life. Hauing thus shewed both the office of a christen man, and the terme of his continuance in thexecution there­of: he goeth forward to shew what fur­niture is necessary in him to the perfor­mance of that office: in saying: Filled with the fruits of righteousnes. Here he sheweth wherwith he must be filled, that must be pure and without offence: namely, with the fruit of righteousnes, that is, with good workes. And as he tea­cheth in these wordes y ^t good workes are [Page 87] y ^e furniture of a christen mā: so doth hée also teache in the same woords, both the formal cause, & the material cause of good woorkes: for in that he sayeth, wyth the fruites of righteousnes, he sheweth that righteousnes or iustificatiō is the formal cause of them: which as a good trée bryn­geth forth her good fruite: He also shew­eth that the materyall cause of any good worke is, that it is a fruite of ryghteous­nes, whereby it is clearer then y ^e Sunne, that there can be no fruite of ryghteous­nesse vntill the brynger forth thereof, be transformed into a trée of righteousnes, neither can the material cause haue her being, vntil first the formal cause bée ge­nerate: for the trée must bée before the fruite. And in thys place doth Paule o­pen the wordes of Esay in the. 61. chap­ter where he sayeth, they shall be called trees of ryghteousnesse, whyche cause Paule doth insinuate by expressyng the effect: in that hée sayeth, filled wyth the fruites of ryghteousnesse, which imploy­eth that the bryngers forth of those frui­tes, must néedes bee tréees of ryghteous­nesse: whereby it is euydent that no [Page] woork is good, but that which is brought forth by a righteous man: seeyng that it is the fruite of righteousnesse: but none is a righteous man vntill he be iustified, therefore can none bring forth good wor­kes, but suche as bee alreadye iustyfied. Wherupon it followeth, that before iu­stificatiō no good woork can be wrought. Paule goeth forwarde and sayth: whiche fruites are in you by Iesus Chryst. Here doth he euidentlye declare what is the efficient cause of good woorkes, namely, Iesus Chryst: so that where before hee had taught iustification, or righteousnes to bee the formall cause of good woorkes, and the fruites thereof to be the mate­riall cause, for that hée woulde leaue no doubt concernyng the effycyent cause, therefore he addeth, whiche fruites are in you by Iesu Chryst. Where thys is also to be noted, fully agréeing with that which is sayd already, namelye, y ^t no good woorke can bée wrought, but by him in whom Iesus Christ doth raigne, that is, by y ^t iustified: for hereby it is playne y ^t no good worke can be in man, onles it be by Iesus Chryste: but Iesus Chryst wor­keth [Page 88] onely in the iustified: for his spirit doth certifie their spirites in whom hee dwelleth, that they are the children of God: there is no condemnation to them that are in Chryst Iesu: And in this place doth Paule also go forward in pro­secutyng the woorde of Esay, for where Esaye calleth them trées of ryghte­ousnesse, that is to say the bringers forth of the fruites of ryghteousnes: he addeth a plantyng of the Lordes, to shew that their ryghteousnesse is the Lordes worke, and that doth Paule open here where hée sayeth, that good workes, or fruites of righteousnesse are in vs by Ie­sus Chryst: as though he had sayd, Iesus Chryste hath, made you to bée trees of ryghteousnesse, that you myght bring forth the fruites thereof, namelye, good workes, and so declare your selues to be a plantyng of the Lordes. Thys beyng taught, Paule goeth forward in decla­ryng the finall cause of good workes, in saying, Vnto the glorye and prayse of God, whereby it is playne out of these words of Paules, that Chryst is the effi­ciēt cause of good workes, and that none [Page] can bée wrought, but by hym in whom the spirite of Chryste dwelleth, that is, none can be wrought but by the ryghte­ous, or iustified, in that he saith, whyche fruites are in you by IESVS Chryst. Whereby it is playne, that wythout Ie­sus Chryste they can not bée in them. Where also is declared the materiall cause of good woorkes, Namely, a fruite of ryghteousnesse, so that vnlesse it bée brought forth by a ryghteous tree, it can bée no good worke: hee also declareth that the iustification or ryghteousnesse of the doer of them, is the formall cause of them, in that hée calleth them the fruite of ryghteousnesse, for that declareth the doers of them to bée trées of ryghte­ousnesse as Esay termeth them: wherby also appeareth, that no good worke can bé done, but by a man already iustyfied: hee also telleth the finall cause of them, in that hée sayeth, Vnto the glory and prayse of God, concludyng euen as E­say in the fore named place doth. For after hée had sayde that they myght bée called trées of righteousnesse, a planting of the Lordes, hée addeth for hym to [Page 89] haue glorye in, so that the ende of good woorkes is not to iustifie the doers, but to glorifie God: for vnles the doers had bene iustified, before the woorkes were wrought, they coulde haue bene no frute of righteousnesse. So that thys place of Paule, is an openyng of the forenamed place of Esay, for where Esaye sayeth, that they myght bee called trees of ryghteousnesse, Paule expoundeth that to bée, that they shoulde bryng foorth the fruites of righteousnesse: and where Esaye calleth them a plantyng of the Lordes: that doth Paule open, when he telleth that the fruite of ryghteousnesse must be in them by Iesu Chryst. And where Esay sayeth, for hym to glorye in, Paule sayeth, to the glory and praise of God. Thus by, comparyng toge­ther these woordes of Paule, and Esay, it is more then euident that good workes bée so farre from iustyfiyng the doers, that before iustificatyon no good worke can bée wrought. And Chryst himselfe affirmeth no lesse, when he sayeth, that the tree must bee good before it bryng foorthe good fruite: Euerye good tree [Page] (sayeth he) bryngeth forth good fruite. So that first hée acknowledgeth the trée to bée good, before it bryngeth forth good fruite. And if the tree be euill, he affir­meth in the same place, It bryngeth foorth euill fruite, concludyng playnely that no euyll tree can bryng forth good fruite. Whereby it is euident, that the man muste by fayth bée made good, that is to saye, righteous and iustyfied, before he can bring forth any good woorkes. So Good wor­kes follow iustification & not iusti­fication worke. then the woorke is acknowledged for good, through mercy, which couereth the blemishes thereof, in respect that it is the worke of a man, by fayth already iusti­fied, and clothed in the righteousnesse of Chryste: and not in respecte of it selfe, which compared with the iustice of God, is wickednesse, as in the, 9. Chapter was proued: for wee bee all by nature, the Eph. 2. chyldren of wrath, as Paule beareth witnesse. And thus writeth Augustine. Sequuntur bona opera iust fi atum, non praece­dunt Libro de fide et operibus. cap. 14. iustificandum. Good woorkes fo­lowe hym that is iustified, they goe not before hym that is to bee iustyfied. Agayne the same Augustine. Quid enim [Page 90] est boni operis ante fidem? cum dicat Aposto­lus In euangel. Ioh. trac, 86. quicquidsine fide fit, peccatum est, for what good woorke is there before sayth? se­yng the Apostle sayeth that whatso­euer is not of fayth is synne. And Christ hymselfe sayeth: wythout mee you can do nothyng: whereby it is euydent that vntyll they haue the spiryte of Chryst, they can woorke no good worke: but none haue the spirite of Chryst, but suche as bée the children of God: for the Scrypture sayth, these bee the children of GOD, that bee led by the spyrite of GOD: and none are the children of GOD, tyll they bée iustyfied: for to bée the chyldren of God, and to bée iustyfied is all one thyng: therefore none can woorke good woorkes, but suche as be already iustyfied. Agayne to the wor­kyng of euery good woorke there be two thynges specially required, namely, vn­derstandyng Two thin­ges required to euery good worke and affection: So that the worke that must please God muste both bée ioyned wyth the knowledge of the wyll of God, and also bée done wyth af­fection, pleasure, and delight in the same. Touchyng that it shoulde bee done wyth Ose. 6. [Page] knowledge, thus sayth God by the pro­phet. Ose. 4. God desireth in man more the knowledge of God, then burnt of­frynges. And before in hys fourth chap­ter: where he geueth a reason of the destructyon of hys people, he alleageth onely lacke of knowledge, my people (sayeth he) are destroyed for lacke of knowledge. And Chryst himself sayth: Mat. 12. do yee not therefore erre, because you vnderstand not the scryptures? And Iob affirmeth,: that to depart from e­uill, is vnderstandyng. Whereby it is Iob. 23. playne, that wythout vnderstanding, or knowledge of the wyll of God, no man can depart from euill, and do that which is good. And therefore doth Dauid crye: Geeue mee vnderstanding, and I shall keepe thy lawe, O geeue mee vnderstan­dyng that I maye learne thy commaun­dementes. And that good woorkes are Psal. 119 wrought through knowledge or vnder­standing, it is by the scriptures euident: Paul to the Phillippians writeth thus: And thys I praye, that your loue maye abound yet more and more in know­ledge and vnderstanding, that ye maye [Page 91] discerne things, that differ one from an other, that ye may be pure and without offence, vntill the day of Christ. Here doth Saint Paule not on­ly pray, that theyr loue might abound in knowledge, but he also telleth the cause of hys prayer, namely, that they might be able to discerne thynges that differ: to iudge betwene good works, and coun­terfeite workes: betwene true religion & hipocrisie: that so through that know­ledge, they might haue iudgement, how we cannot leade a pure & christian life, with­out the knowledge of the will of God. Phil. 1. to lead a pure and Christian life: which, without the knowledge of the wyll of God, is vnpossible. And agayne y ^e same Paule to Philemon: See that the fel­lowship (sayth he) that thou hast in the fayth be fruitfull, through know­ledge of all good things which are in you by Iesus Christ. Hereby it appea­reth, that without vnderstanding of the will of God, no good workes can be wrought. But Paul playnely affirmeth, that all thei that be not already iustified in Christ, haue no vnderstanding. The naturall man (sayth he) perceaueth not the thinges, that belong to the 1. Cor. 2. [Page] spirit of God, for they are but folish­nes vnto hym. Then if he perceaue not, nor vnderstand the thynges that please God. It appeareth by that is sayd before, that he can by no meanes do the worke that shall please God. Hereby it both playnely appeareth that the know­ledge of the wyll of God, is required to good workes, and also that none that is not iustified, hath that knowledge.

Now touching that vnto good works, there is also required in y ^e doer affection, & delight, towardes y ^e same, y ^t is euident by the definition of good workes, expres­sed in the 8. chapter: where it appea­reth that they be nothyng but an execu­tion of the commaundementes: where­unto the whole affection of man, both body, and soule is required as in the. 4. chapter appeareth: which also is confir­med by the example of those of whose good workes, the scripture beareth wit­nes. Thus sayth Dauid, If my delight Psal. 119. were not in thy law, I should haue pe­rished in my trouble, And agayne, my delight was in thy commaunde­mentes. And agayne, thy testimo­nies [Page 92] haue I claymed as mine heritage for euer, and why? they are the ve­ry ioy of my hart. And agayne, Lord what loue haue I vnto thy law? al the day long is my studie therein: And a­gayne, my delight shalbe euer in thy statutes: And agayne, for I loue thy commaundementes aboue golde, & precious stone. Thys affection of the hart is required to the performaunce of Affection of the hart, is required to the per­formaunce of good workes. good workes, whereof how greatly they be short that be onely possessed of the na­turall man, and not iustified in Christ, it is more then euident by the playne wordes of God hymselfe. In Genesis he sayth thus, my spirite shall not al­wayes striue in man, because he is fleshe. And a litle after, The Lord sawe that the wickednes of man was great in the earth, and all the imaginati­ons of the thoughtes of his harte were onely euill continually. And a­gayne Man of his owne nature, hath affec­tion to re­bession, and Iust to all wickednes. in the 8. chapter, the imaginati­ons of mans hart is euill, euen from hys youth. Here appeareth, that the affection of the naturall man is onely this, affection to rebellion, desire so con­tempt, [Page] and lust to disobedience. Thus it is euident, that in all those which be not already iustified in Christ, their is nei­ther vnderstanding how to please God, nor affection thereunto. And so conse­quently no good worke, seing it is pro­ued that no worke cā be good, but where both they be ioyned together, which al­so is euident by that which is sayde in the fifth chapter.

Surely if these men had bene as care­full searchers of truth herein out of Gods holy worde: as they haue bene of mistes, and clowdes out of Aristotles schole, to darcken & shadow the bright­nes thereof, they woulde neuer haue sought with so many subtil distinctions, and false definitions (without al ground of Gods worde) to haue builded them­selues, The Pa­pistes haue buil­ded a labi­rinth of er­ror and a ma [...]e, for their owne confusion. the labirinth of errour, & maze of their owne confusion: But woulde contrariwise, haue humbled themselues vnto the spirite of God: and haue consi­dered the ende of hys purpose in mans saluation. But they not considering that to be the prayse, and glory of hys owne grace, and enforcing the rigor of [Page 93] the outward sounde of some wordes in the scripture, haue gathered workes to be the cause of mās iustification, where, (if they more narrowly cōsidered) they should see that faith is the onely meane, by which workes are indued wyth the title of goodnes: forasmuch as no good worke can be wrought, but by a man al­redy by faith iustified, and appareled wyth the righteousnes of Christ: by meanes whereof, the blemishes and imperfections thereof, are through mer­cy couered: which otherwise, if the same workes were wrought by an vnbeleuyng man: they woulde ap­peare in the sight of God most filthy, for of mercy it commeth (in respecte of Christ) that the most perfecte workes are not layde to mans charge for sinne. Out of this ground, gathered from God truth, this rule of Christian re­ligion is concluded: that where soeuer righteousnes, or iustification is in the Scripture imputed to workes: it is not imputed to them, as though they were the cause of righteousnes: that is to say­as though they going before iustificati­on, [Page] did procure or purchase the same: but farre otherwyse: it is imputed vnto them, as vnto the fruit of the righteous­nes of fayth, which after iustification doth witnes, and declare that the doer is iustified by fayth, by apprehending of Christ: in respecte of whom, mercy couereth the spottes of that worke, from the sight of Gods iustice, so that sinne is not imputed to man for the same. Hic murus ahaeneus esto: Let this to a Christian conscience be a wall of brasse,

Now this foundation layde, let vs séeke (by thys rule) to vnderstand those Scriptures, which the aduersaryes (for theyr filpursse doctrine of iustification of workes) haue forced into open com­bat both agaynst theyr owne naturall sense, and agaynst the ende and scope of Gods purpose, declared in the Scrip­tures, touching mans iustification: wherein to séeke to answere to all theyr subtill and shameles wranglings, were more tedious then profitable. And (tou­ching the multitude of wordes) more paynefull then possible. Though tou­ching matter (Gods truth being iudge) [Page 94] inough hath bene sayd already, where-fore to auoyde all extremities, and kéepe my selfe within my power touching wordes: (and yet not to passe the reste with silence) I will ouerlooke a fewe of their principall ragges, which they call reasons, wherein theyr errour being o­pened, the smaller, of them selues will drop a sunder vntouched. Wherefore firste of all, that playnnes might be ioy­ned with the breuitie for which I labor: let the Scriptures which they make challengers in thys fraye, be gathered together into these sortes. In the first sort placyng those which promising re­ward to workes, procure men to labour for the same. In the second sort, such as by the sound of wordes, séeme to take iustification from fayth, or geueth the same to workes. And in the last sorte those Scriptures wherin the righteous thallenge at Gods handes reward of theyr innocency & righteousnes. Wher­fore by examples of euery of these sorts, let vs séeke truely to vnderstand them, by theyr agréement with thē selues and the rest of the Scriptures: that as of [Page] God there is but one spirite, and one truth, so the same truth, by the consent of the whole Scripture together may bee acknowledged. For we may not wrest such sense out of the Scripture (by vrging the outward barke of some particular places therein) as shall set them at strife with all the reste of the body of the Scripture: and so imagine the spirite of truth at warre with hym selfe. Wherefore for the first sorte let these authorites serue: Euery man shall enioye good according to the Such scriptures as promising reward to workes, procure men to laboure for the same, are aunswered and expounded. fruites of his mouth: and after the workes of his handes shall he bee re­warded. Agayne: The sonne of man shall come in the glory of hys father, with his angels, and shall reward eue­ry man according to his deedes. And agayne: God is not vnrighteous, that he should forget your worke and la­bour, that proceedeth of loue, which loue ye shewed towardes his name, in that ye haue ministred vnto the Sainctes, and yet minister. These ex­amples may serue for their argument of thys sort: Well say they, seing that [Page 94] mans rewarde is accordyng to hys wor­kes, it appeareth that in workes there is merite: and that to mans iustyfication, woorkes are requyred. Here I myght briefly aunswere that all these woordes, are spoken of woorkes comming after iustyfication, whyche is not the matter in questyon betwene vs, for the question is about woorkes goyng before iustifica­tion, for the purchase thereof. But for An answer to the argu­ment of the papistes. their great ouerthrow: Let it bée ima­gined that these promyses are made to woorkes goyng before iustification, and yet get they nothyng thereby, for we an­swere: they reason from a generall, to a species, which in an affirmatiue conclu­deth fasly, as for example. If one seyng a liuyng creature shoulde reason thus, yonder is a liuyng creator, therefore it is a man. For as of liuyng creatures there be diuers kindes, wherof mā is but one: so of rewardes there bée dyuers kyndes, whereof merite, or desert is but one. For some rewardes, are frely geuē of loue or fauor: some through hope of further be­nefite: and some of merite, desert, or due­tie &c. So y ^t as vntruely thys is conclu­ded, that because it is reward, therfore it [Page] is merite or duety, as the other, namely, because it is a liuing creature, therefore it is a man, for in déede this rewarde is of grace or fauour, and not of merites, or woorkes. As by these oft rehearsed wordes of Paule is euydent: For of fa­uour Eph. 2. (sayeth he) yee are saued thorough fayth, and not of your selues, it is the gift of God, and not of woorkes, least anye man shoulde boast hym. And al­though thys (well considered, wyth the definytion of iustyfication in the. 8. chap­ter) doth fullye expresse what sense in these authorities maye well bee allo­wed: yet shall the same in more larger forme of wordes bee declared thus. For­asmuche as mans iustificatyon is a free remission of sinne and imputatiō of righ­teousnesse vnto man thorough fayth in Chryst: therfore that the ryghteousnesse of the iustyfied, by this free grace might be declared: and the bountifull libera­litye of Gods mercye made manyfest to the prayse and glorye of hys grace, for thys cause is the rewarde declared vp­pon the outwarde worke, as vppon the outwarde wytnesse, of the inward [Page 96] righteousnesse of fayth, to the open de­claration of the truth of Gods promyses concernyng the womans séede, namely, Christ. By the Prophet Esay hée sayth Esay. 53 thus: Hee shall iustifie the multitude, for hee shall beare awaye their synnes. And agayne, the people shall bee all ryghteous, and possesse the lande for e­uer: Esay. 60. The flower of my plantyng, the woorkes of my handes whereof I wyll reioyce. And agayne, that they myght Esa. 61 bee called trees of ryghteousnesse. A plantyng of the Lordes for hym to re­ioyce in. Wherefore for thys cause, namely that the chosen myght bée decla­red to be ryghteous in the eyes of all the worlde, and the triumph of Gods grace, or fauour thereby celebrated, by the o­pen performaunce of these hys promis­ses: that hée might be iustified in his say­inges, and ouercome when he is iudged: In consideration hereof I saye, he openly pronounceth the fauourable rewarde, accordyng to the open, & manifest works or fruites of the righteousnesse of fayth: induyng them with the rewarde of righ­teousnesse, whiche rewarde is of fauour, [Page] in respect of Chryst apprehēded by fayth, and yet pronounced vppon the woorkes, as vppon that outwarde fruite, where­by the inwarde righteousnesse of fayth is declared, whiche hée doth to thys ende, that the elect maye bee declared to be iu­styfied, and the performaunce of his pro­myses in Chryst made apparaunt: so that for thys cause, namelye, to iusty­fie Gods promyse concernyng thys free, and mercifull deliueraunce in the sighte of all men, to the encrease of the glory of hys grace: that as all men heard the pro­mise, so all maye witnesse the perfor­maunce thereof. For thys cause I say is the fauourable rewarde, pronounced ac­cording to the outwarde workes, or frui­tes of the ryghteousnesse of fayth: wher­as if it had beene pronounced accordyng to the fayth, no man coulde haue wit­nessed the true performaunce of the pro­myse. And thys is the cause why the fa­uourable rewarde, is declared vppon the woorkes. And not that the workes, are the cause of the rewarde. For the on­ly end of Gods actiou herein is (as Paule testifieth) the prayse of the glorye of [Page 99] hys grace, whiche is also euydent by this saying of the Phrophet Ezechyell. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall doe good to you for myne owne names sake, and not accordyng to your most wycked offences. By whyche wordes it appeareth, that God wyll not onely be ryghteous in the performance of hys frée, & mercifull promise, but hée wyll haue all the worlde both sée, and wytnesse the same: for hée sayeth in thys promyse you shall knowe that I am the Lorde &c. So that hereby, God hath promysed to declare hys frée fa­uour, in suche an outwarde subiect, as man may bée able to sée and wytnes the fulfilling therof, in that he sayeth, ye shal know, and yet therewyth all he geeueth a determinate caueat, that, that subiecte wherein hys goodnesse shall be declared, shall, not be the cause of his goodnesse: ex­pressyng playnely what shalbe the cause thereof: namely hys owne glory. Affir­ming that it shall be for his owne names sake. Not onely exceptyng workes from being the cause, but also to expresse their great néede of mercye, to couer their [Page] spottes shewed them (touchyng their owne nature) howe foule they bée: in saying, And not accordyng to your most wycked offences: And in both the other places before rehearsed out of E­say, where he promiseth to make all hys Esa. 60. 61. people ryghteous, and that they should be called trees of ryghteousnesse. This is specially to be noted: that in both those places, he affirmeth their righteousnesse shall bée the flower of hys plantyng, the woorkes of hys handes, and not of their owne: addyng thereto the cause thereof: namely, for hym to reioyce in. That is accordyng to Saynt Paules woordes: For the prayse and glorye of hys grace. And to thys ende, are Eph. 1. all the woorkes of GOD done, that hee may reioyce, and haue glorye in them. Whereby it appeareth, that hys glory, and not mans works is the cause of the rewarde: And that workes doe nothyng else, but declare, that that man vppon whom the frée rewarde, and perfor­maunce of the mercifull promyse is be­stowed, is righteous: and hath by fayth attayned the promyse. The rewarde is [Page 98] declared vppon workes, as vppon that onely subiecte, whiche was able to ma­nifest the righteousnesse of fayth: And to make the performaunce of Gods mer­cifull, and frée promyse apparaunt to all men: that hee myght be iustified in his saying, and ouercome when hee is iudged. Hauyng nowe shewed in what sort al places of the scrypture (which at­tribute rewardes vnto woorkes) are to be vnderstand: excludyng vtterly mans merite or desert: according to the true nature of grace and fayth, expressed in the. 8. Chapter, and also agreable vnto y ^e ende of Gods purpose expressed, both by these places before rehearsed oute of the prophets, and also by Paul: namely, reseruyng vnto hys free fauour & grace, the whole prayse & glory of thys woorke, as the final cause thereof: hauing shewed What price and value our workes is accomp­ted of in the scriptures. thys, I wyll returne to shew what price mans woorkes are of, by the scriptures, and how the ancient fathers accompted of them.

First it is sayde in Genesis: the ima­gination Gen. 8. of mans heart is euill euen from hys youth. And it is sayde in Iob. Iob. 4. [Page] beholde hee founde vntruth in hys ser­uauntes: and in hys Angelles there was follye: howe muche more in those that dwell in houses of clay? and whose foundatyon is but duste. And agayne, How may a man compared vnto GOD Iob. 25. bee iustyfied? or how can hee bee cleane that is borne of a woman? beholde the Moone shyneth not in compary­son of hym: and the Starres are vn­cleane in hys sight: then howe muche more man that is but corruption, and the sonne of man that is but a woorme. And agayne: VVho can say, my heart Pro. 20 is cleane: I am pure from sinne? And a­gayne: Enter not into iudgement with Psal. 143. thy seruaunt, for in thy sight shall no man liuyng bee iustyfied. And agayne Though thou washe thee wyth Nitrus, Iere. 1 and take thee muche Sope, yet thyne iniquitie is marked before mee, sayeth the Lorde GOD. Agayne: VVe are Esa. 64. all as an vncleane thyng, & all our righ­teousnesse are as menstruous clothes. A­gayne: All men are liers. Agayne: The Iob. 15 hart of man is wycked & vnsearcheable [Page 100] Agayne: VVhat is man that he should be cleane, and he that is borne of a woman that he shoulde be ruste? be­holde he found no stedfastnes in hys Sainctes, yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight, how much more is man abhominable, & filthy which drinketh iniquitie like water? Agayn: All the children of men are vnrigh­teous: yea all their workes are vn­righteous, and there is no truth in them. Agayne: In my fleshe dwelleth 3. Esor. 4. no good thinges. And agayne: All Rom. 7. haue gone out of the way, & all haue bene made vnprofitable. Agayne: There is none righteous, no not one: Rom. 3. they are all become abhominable: there is none that doth good, no not one. And Christ hym selfe sayth: VVhē you haue done all that is commaun­ded you, say you be vnprofitable ser­uauntes. Upon the which wordes of Christ, it shall not be amisse to note, what one of the Popes owne Cardi­nals Thomas de Vio writeth: Neta parabolam pro memoria, et conclusionem Cardinall Caietan. pro documento: si seruando onmia praecepta [Page] sunnis inutiles, nec habemus vnde superbiamus, quid sentiendum de nobisipsis est, qui non omnia seruamus, qui multorum rei sumus? sed quid de nobis dico quum nullus dicere possit, quod debe­ham feci? nisi qui exemptus est a dicendo, dimitte nobis debita nostra. Quod ergo dicitur quum fe­cer tis omnia, non dicitur, quòd facturi essent omnia, sed quòd si etiam facerent omnia: sed quòd quum merita habuerint facientium omnia praecepta, recognoscant se seruos inutiles: vt a for­tiori recognoscant se minus quàm inutiles: hoc est debiteres, & reos multorum quae debebant, seu debent facere: Note the parable for remem­brance, & the conclusion for your lear­ning: if in keeping all the commaunde­mentes we be vnprofitable, and haue nothing to be proud of, what shall we thinke of our selues which do not keepe all, which be giltie in manie of them? If no man can do that he ought, I pray you, what place leaueth this Cardinall to vndue workes, or workes of sunetero ga­tion. what I say shall we thinke of our selues, when none of vs all can say, I haue done that I ought? vnlesse any be priuiledged from saying, forgeue vs our trespasses. VVherfore, where it is sayd, when ye haue done all thinges, it is not therefore sayd as though they could do all things: but for this cause, that though they [Page 100] could do all thinges, and though they could haue the merites of such, as Thus can God vse his enemies, to make them sometimes confesse the truth agaist them selues. performe all the cōmaundements, they must acknowledge them selues vnprofi­table seruantes: that by a much stronger argument they might acknowledge thē selues lesse then vnprofitable, that is, detters and giltie of many thinges, which they ought, and are bound to do. Which thinges Gregorye well vnder­stood, when he sayd: Humana iustitia diuinae Morah. lib. cap. 28. iustitia comparata, iniustitia est: quia & lucer­na in tenebris fulgere cernitur, sed in Solis radiis posita tenebratur: Mans righteousnes com­pared with the iustice of God, is wic­kednes: for euen a candle is seen to shine in the darke, but being set in the beames of the Sunne it is darkned. Hauing now shewed (by these authorities) what is y ^e worthines of mans workes, it plai­nly appeareth what merite is in them, namely, y ^e merite of damnation. And The opini­on of y fa. thes concer­ning merits touching y ^e opinion of y ^e fathers con­cerning merites. Thus writeth Origen: Sicut hoc quod subsistimus, non potest intelligi, quia ex operis nostri mercede subsistimus, sed eui­denter Origenes. Rom. 4. dei munus est quod simus, & gratia condi­toris [Page] qui nos esse voluit, ita et si haereditatem promissonum dei capiamus, diuina gratia est, non alicuius debiti, aut operis merces: As it can not be vnderstand that we be, that which we now be, for the hire of our owne worke: but that we be, is euidently the gift of God, and the fauour of the creator which would haue vs to be: euen so, although we may receaue the inheri­tance of the promise of God, it com­meth of the fauour of God, not being the hire of any dutie, or worke. And thus saith S. Augustine writing vp­on these wordes of the 30. Psal. Deli­uer me in thy righteousnes. Quis (in­quam) Augustin. in Psal. 30, est qui scruatur gratis? is in quo non inue­nit seruator quod coronet, sed quod damnet, non inuenit merita bonorum, sed inuenit merita sup­pliciorum: VVho is he (I say) that is saued frely? Euen he in whom the Sauiour findeth nothing to crowne, but to condemne, no merite of good thin­ges, but desert of punishment. Againe the same Augustine in his epistle to Pauline: Operibus debitum redditur, gratia gratis datur: vnde & nuncupatur, si quis autem dixerit, quod gratiam bene operādi fides mereatur: [Page 102] negare non possumus. Imo gratis dedisse confite­mur. Si autem ex fide, quomodo gratis? Quod enim fides meretur, cur non potiùs redditur, quàm do­natur? Non dicat hoc homo fidelis: quia cum dix­erit, vt merear iustificationem habeo fidem: respon­detur ei, quid habes quod non accepisti? Cum igi­tur fides impetrat iustificationem (sicut vnicui (que) deus partitus est mensuram & ipsius fidei) non gra­tiam dei aliquid meriti pracedit humani, sed ipsa gratia meretur augeri, vt aucta mereatur perfici: Dutie is rewarded to workes, of fauor it is freely geuen, wherby also it is called grace. But if any say that fayth of well doing may deserue grace, we can not We haue no fayth that can deserue grace, for it is freely geuen vs of God. deny, but we confesse him to haue geuen it frely. But if it be of fayth, how is it freely, that which fayth deserueth, why is it not rather repayed then freely geuen? A faithfull mā may not say this: for if he say, I haue fayth that I may deserue iustification: it shall be answe­red vnto him: what hast thou, that thou hast not receaued. Therfore when faith obtaineth iustificatiō, (according as God hath diuided to euery mā the mea­sure euen of the same fayth) there goeth no merites of man before the grace of [Page] God: but the grace it selfe deserueth to be encreased, that being encreased it There go­eth no me­rites of man before the grace of God. may deserue to be perfected. Now foras­much as S. Augustine doth vse here y ^e word dutye (which is also an vsuall word with many of the Fathers in this matter) therefore I thinke it conuenient to say somwhat concerning y ^e meaning therof: wherfore, y ^e word dutie, or debt, Dutie, or debt, hath two senses. is taken in two senses, or meanings. The one for recompence, or merite of labour or workes: as when an hired seruant hauing finished his appointed labour, doth chalenge his hire. Duty or debt (in that respect) is merite or desert. And in y ^t sense doth S. Paul take y ^e word, where he sayth: To him that worketh, the reward is not counted of He that la­boureth is worthy of his hire. fauor, but of dutie. The other sense or meaning therof, is best declared by an ex­ample thus: Admitte one mā beholding an other in extreme miserie, (through such debt as he by no meanes is able to satisfie) and he seing the penury of this man: moued by compassion, taketh vpon him the debt: promising freely the dis­charge thereof, and for sure confir­mation [Page 102] of his promise herein to the néedy wretch, he geueth him his obliga­tion A debt that groweth of loue, & not of duetie. vnder his hand & seale. This being demaunded by the poore soule at the appoynted time: may be (in a sort) called dutie or debt: though not in respecte of desert or merite: yet in respect of the frée gifte: confirmed by the geuers hande writing: and in this signification the worde dutie, or debt inferreth no desert or merite, but contrariwise the conditi­on being knowne, it doth make appa­raunt, the frée, bountifull, and liberall grace of the geuer: and if the aduersa­ries woulde be content in this sorte to vnderstand the worde duety, or debt in this matter, (as of right they oughte) Where this worde debt or duetie is truely vn­stand. there no desert is looked for. they had long a goe geuen ouer, thys wicked & vaine brag of merite. Where-fore now to returne againe to the auc­thoritie of the Fathers. The foresayd Augustine in his booke concerning na­ture and grace writeth thus: Haec igitur Christi gratia (sine qua nec infantes, nec De natura & gratia. Cvp, 4. oetate grandes salui fieri possunt) non meri­tis redditur, sed gratis datur, propter quod gra­tia nominatur. Therefore this grace of [Page] Christ (without which neither yong, nor olde can be saued) is not recom­penced The grace of Christ commeth freely, and not for me­rues sake. August. de c [...]uitate dei lib. 14. cap. 1 to merites, but it is frely ge­uen, for the which cause, it is called grace and fauour. And againe: Mortis autem regnum in homines vs (que) adeo domi­natum est: vt omnes in secundam quo (que) mor­tem (cuius nullus est finis) poena debita praecipites ageret, nisi inde indebita dei gra­tia aliquos liberaret. For the kingdome of death did so raign ouer all men, that also into the second death (whereof there is no end) deserued punishment would driue all men headlong, if the vndeserued fauour of God, shoulde not deliuer some from thence. Again Augustine: Per ipsam quippe iustificamur grat [...]s [...], id est, nullis nostrorum operum prae­cedent August. de spiritu et litera. cap. 18 bus mertis, alioquin gratia iam non esset gratia. For by grace we are freely iustified, that is without any merites of our woorkes going before, or els grace is not grace. And againe: colli­gimus Ibidem. Cap. 13. non iustificari hominem praeceptis benae vitae, nisi per fidem Iesu Christi: hoc est, non lege operum, sed lege fidei: non litera sed spiritu: non factorum meritis, sed gra­tuita [Page 105] gratia. VVee gather that man is By fayth to Iesus Christ we are iustified. not iustified by precepts of good lyfe, but by fayth of Iesus Chryst, that is, not thorough the lawe of woorkes, but by the lawe of fayth: not by the letter, but by the spirite: not by merites of woorkes, but thoroughe free fauour or grace. And agayne: Nullis nostris Ibidē in Psal. 31. praecedentibus meritis, sed praeueniente nos mise­ricordia Domini Dei nostri, iustificamur. VVee are iustified by no foregone me­rytes of ours, but by the mercye of the No merits but mercy preue [...]ed out iustifi­cation. August in expositione 2. Psal. 31. Ibidē in Psal. 18. lorde our God preuenting vs. And again Et exultate: subaudis in Domino. Quare? Quia iam iusti: Vnde iusti? Non meri­tis vestris, sed gratia illius. And reioyce: namelye in the Lorde. VVherefore? be­cause nowe yee bee ryghteous. By what meanes bee yee righteous? not by your merytes but by his grace. Agayne, Coeli, id est, Apostoli, enarrant gloriam Dei, posi­tam in Christo Iesu, per gratiam in remissionem peccatorum, ōnes enim peccauerunt, & egent gloria dei, iustificati gratîs per sanguinē ipsius: quia gra­tîs, ideo gratia: nō est enim gratia nisi gratuita: quia nihil boni ante feceramus, vnde talia dona merere­mur [Page] magis quia non gratîs inferretur sup­plicium, ideo gratîs praestitum est benefici­um. Nihil praecesserat in meritis nostris, ni­si vnde damnari deberemus, ille autem non propter nostram iustitiam, sed propter suam misericordiam, saluos nos fecit per lauacrum regenerationis. The heauens that is, the Apostles, declare the glorye of GOD placed in Chryst Iesu, for the remis­sion We are fre­ly iustified in the bloud of Christ. of synnes thorough grace: for all haue synned, and stande in neede of the glorye of God, and are iustyfied freelye thorough hys bloud. And be­cause it is freelye done, therefore it is fauour, for it is not fauour vnlesse it bee vndeserued: for no goodnesse wrought wee before, wherewyth to de­serue so excellent gyftes: but rather because punyshment shoulde not bee duelye executed: therefore was the be­nefite franckly geeuen: for in our me­rites there went nothyng before, but that for whyche wee ought to haue ben God of hys owne mer­cy hath sa­ued vs. damned: but hee saued vs not for our owne ryghteousnesse, but for his owne mercye by the fountayne of the newe byrth. And agayne: Sed vt iustificentur Idē in Psal. 5. [Page 104] praecedit vocatio: quia no est meritorum, sed gratiae Dei. But that men should be iusti­fied their callyng goeth before, whyche is not of merite, but of the fauour of God. And agayne, Propter nomen tuum, Idē in Psal. 142. domine viuificabis me, attendite quantum po­testis gratiae commendationem, qua gratîs sal­ui facti estis: propter nomen tuum Domine vi­uificabis me, non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam: propter nomen tuum Do­mine viuificabis me in tua iustitia, non in mea: non quia ego merui, sed quia tu misereris: nam etsi me­um ostenderem meritum, nihil abs te mererer, nisi supplicium, auulsisti merita mea, inseruisti dona tua. Lorde thou shalt quicken mee for God for the glory of hys names. ake doth freelye sane vs by his grace and mercy. thy names sake: Marke diligentlye the commendacion of that grace whereby yee are freelye saued: Lorde for thy names sake shalt thou quicken mee, not vnto vs Lorde not vnto vs, but vn­to thy name geeue the glorye: Lorde for thy name sake shalte thou quic­ken mee in thy ryghteousnesse, not in myne: not because I haue deserued it, but because thou hast mercye on mee: for if I shoulde shewe my meryte I [Page] shoulde deserue nothyng of the pu­nyshment, thou hast weeded oute my merytes, and haste ingraft thy free gyfte. And agayne, Ipsa est perfectio hominis: in­uenisse Idem de tē ­pore sermone 49. se non esse perfectum. That is mans perfection, to knowe himselfe to bee vn­perfect. And agayne, Sicut nulla sunt tam detestanda facinora, quae possunt gratiae arcere donum, Ita nulla possunt tam praeclara opera ex­istere, Ambro. de vocatio. gent. libro. 1. cap. 5. quibus hoc quod gratîs tribuitur: per re­tributionis iudicium debeatur, vilesceret enim re­demptio sanguinis Christi, nec misericerdiae Dei humianorum operum praerogatiua succumberet, si iustificatio qua fit per gratiam, meritis praece­dentibus deberetur, vt non munus largientis, sed merces esset operantis. Lyke as there is none so detestable outrages, as can restraine the free gyft of grace, so can there bee no woorkes so excellent, that this (whyche is freelye geeuen) shoulde bee dewe vnto them by actyon of debte: for then the redemptyon of Chryste shoulde in deede bee nothing woorth, neyther shoulde the worthynes of mans woorkes bee inferyor to the mercye of GOD, if the iustification [Page 105] whiche is geuen of grace, shoulde bee a debt dewe vnto merites, so it shoulde not bee the larges of the geeuer, but the dewe hyer of a laborer. And a­gayne Augustine sayeth. Nec quisquam Ad valent. epist. 46 dicat meritis suorum operum, aut meritis cratio­num suarum, vel meritis fidei suae, traditam Dei gratiam, & putetur verum esse quod illi haeretici dicunt, gratiam Dei secundum merita nostra dari, quod omnium est falsissimum. Let noe man say that for the merites of his workes, or for the merites of his prayers, or for the me­rites of his faith, the grace of God is deliuered vnto hym: And so that whiche those heretyckes saye bee coun­tēd true, namelye, that accordyng to our merites the grace of God is geeuen: then the whiche nothyng can bee more Idem lib. 2. homiliarum homilia. 14 Augustine calleth such heretikes, as ascribe grace to merite. August. Sexto, epist. 105. false. And agayne. Gratias agamus Domino, & saluatori nostro qui nos nullis praecēdentibus meritis vnlneratos curauit. Let vs geeue thankes vnto oure Lorde, and Sauyour whyche healed vs (beyng wounded) wythout any foregone me­rytes of oures. Possunt quidem dicere re­missionem peccatorum esse gratiam, quae nul­lis [Page] praecedentibus meritis datur. They may in deede affirme remission of sinnes, to be grace whiche is geuen to no foregone merytes. Agayne the same Augustine wryteth agaynst the heresie of extollyng mans merytes. Vnde supradictam Episto­lam, Aug. Valen­tino, et fratri­bus epist. 46 ad Sextum Romanae Ecclesiae praesbyteron, co ntra nouos haereticos Pelagianos noueritis esse conscriptam, qui dicunt gratiam Dei, se­cundum merita dari, vt qui gloriatur non in Do­mino, sed in seipso glorietur, hoc est in ho­mine non in Domino. VVhereupon vnder­stād that the forenamed Epistle (to Six­tus an elder of the Churche of Rome,) is wrytten agaynst the Pelagians the newe heretickes, whyche affirme the grace of GOD to bee geeuen accordyng to me­rytes: that hee that gloryeth, shoulde not glory in the Lorde but in hym selfe, that is in man, and not in the Lorde: Woulde not the same Augustine think you, if he now were lyuing attribute the same name of heretickes vnto the Pa­pistes, whiche in this poynt affirme Pela­gians heresie? Yes assuredly, but heare him further. Thus writeth hée in an o­ther place. Sed Pelagianis non immeritò [Page 106] anathema dicimus, qui tam sunt inimici gra­tiae Contra duas epist. pelagio­norum. Lib. 1 Dei (quae venit per Iesum Christum Domi­num nostrum) vt eam dicant non gratîs, sed secun­dum merita nostra dari: ac si gratia non iam sit gra­tia. Neyther do wee vnworthely accurse the Pelagians whyche bee such enemies vnto the grace of God (which commeth by Iesus Chryste oure Lorde) that they affirme the same not to bee frely geuen: but accordyng vnto our merytes: as thoughe grace were nowe no grace. And agayne. Nulla ne ergo sunt merita iustorum? sunt planè, quia iusti sunt: sed vt Idē ad Sex­tum Rom. praesi epist. 105. iusti fierent merita non fecerunt: iusti enim facti sunt sed sicut dicit Apostolus iustificati gratîs per gratiam ipsius. Then are there no merytes of the ryghteous? yes in deede are there: because the doers be rygh­teous, but that they shoulde be made ryghteous, their merytes wrought not that, they in deede bee made ryghteous but (as the Apostle sayeth) they are iustyfied freely by hys grace. And Idem libro. 3. contra pelag. hipognast. cap. 37. agayne hée affirmeth. Deum nullis me­ritis hominum gratiam suam dare. That GOD geeueth hys grace in respect of noe mans merytes. And agayne [Page] Chrisostom saith thus. Et si millies mo­riamur: & si omnes virtutes animae exple­amus [...]: nihil dignum gerimus ad ea, quae ip­si a De com­pu [...]tions cordis. deo percepimus. Although we should dye a thousand tymes: and thoughe we should accomplish all the vertues of the mynde: yet doe we nothing worthy of those things, whiche wee receaue of GOD. Agayne Bernard in his: 53. Sermon: Hoc totum hominis me­ritum, si totam spem ponat in eo, qui totum saluum fecit. This is the whole merite of man: if hee put hys whole trust in him, that hath saued the whole. Un­to this place may be applyed all the au­cthorities rehearsed in the 8. Chapter about the iustification of fayth.

Hauing now shewed what mans merite, or deserte is: I think it now conuenient to procéede to the considera­tion of those authorities, which I put in the seconde sorte: namely, such places of Scripture, as eyther seeme wyth out­ward sounde of wordes, to take iusti­fication from fayth, or attribute the same to woorkes: through coulor, whereof some of the aduersaries rea­son [Page 107] thus. Paule (say they) hath nothing The reaso­ning of the aduersarirs more strongly to proue iustification of fayth: then that the Scripture impu­teth faith vnto Abraham, for righteous­nes: wherefore if now we can shewe, that God also in the Scriptures impu­teth righteousnes vnto workes: haue not we our iustification of fayth and workes, and not yours of faith onely? It is sayde of Phinées in the 106. Psal. that his acte was imputed to him for righteousnes: And likewise in Deutro­nomy of hym that deliuered his neigh­bors pledge, that it shal be righteousnes vnto him, before the Lord his God. And likewise S. Iames saith, was not Abra­ham our father iustified by workes? in offering his sonne Isaac vpon the aul­ter? Whereupon they conclude, that as man is not iustified by workes: so is he not iustified by faith without workes: flatly agaynste S. Paule, who conclu­deth playnely, that man is iustified of fauour through fayth without workes Man is iu­stified tho­row fayth wythout workes. where he telleth both the finall cause of that liberall gifte (namely, the prayse and glory of the grace, or fauor of God) [Page] and also he telleth the reason why he so vehemently excludeth workes, namely, least any man shoulde beast: that is, through blinde presumption should chal­lenge any part of y ^e glory of that worke, which God hath reserued to himselfe for his speciall triumph: Now if the ad­uersaries will néedes vrge that the worde, righteousnes, or iustification, hath the same signification in these pla­ces by thē alleged, that it hath in Paule: Doe they not teare in sunder the spirite of truth, and set him at warre with hym­selfe? forasmuch as by y ^e rigor of wordes they be contrary. Paule sayth fiatly, and affirmeth it by manye discourses that faith without worke iustifieth: and Rom. 3. that by workes no man liuing shall be iustifyed: but these aucthorities affirme Gal. 2. 25y works no man li­uing shalbe iustified. the contrary, that these men by workes were iustifyed.

Now if they will néedes affirme that both in Paul, and in these places which they alledge the worde righteousnes, or iustifycation hath one sense: is not this a doctrine that eyther must accuse Paule of ignorance of the sense of the auncient [Page 108] scriptures, or of error in his owne, and robbe God of his finall triumph, name­ly, of his glorie, and vtter spoylinge man of the assuraunce of Gods fauour in Christ: for if his assuraunce therof bee once ioyned with the condition of hys owne desert or workes: surely he fal­leth by and by into one of our Phisiti­ons new found Agewes: A triple terti­an quotidian: he can neuer know when he is without a fitte. Surely it were to hard for Peter Lumbard him selfe, with Peter Lom bard. both his foundations of hope, to spy out a time to finde him selfe cleare from a fitte: if for one masse whyle, on the Sunday, his imagination coulde mocke him that he were créeping to godward: The true testimony of his conscience might assure him, that all the rest of the wéeke after, he were gallopping to the deuilward. The Lord hath blessed hys elect from such assuraunce. Wherefore let vs now reuerently with Paule haue respect vnto the finall ende of Gods woorke in this cause. Namely, to hym onely to yelde all the glorie, and to man assuraunce and vndoubted possession of [Page] his fauour in Christ. And we shall ease­ly sée in these places no contrarictie, but most swéete consent. Let vs follow the rule of the auncient fathers in serching the truth of doubtfull sentences. Thus sayth Hillarius. Intelligentia dictorum, ex causis est assumenda dicendi, quia non ser­moni Hilla. lib. 4. de trinitate. res, sed reiest sermo subiectus. The meaning of wordes is to be gathered by the causes of the speaking, for the matter is not subiecte to the worde: but the worde to the matter. Agayne Ierome vppon the Epistile to the Gala­thians saith thus. Nec putemus in verbis Scripturarum esse Euangelium, sed in sensu: Hier. in e­pist. ad Gal. Cap. 1. non in superficie, sed non medulla: non in fer­monum folus, sed in radice rationis. Neither let vs thincke that the gospel, consisteth in the wordes of the Scripture but in The [...]e of the scrip­ture consi­steth not in the wordes, but in the meaning of the same. the meaning: not in the barck, but in the pith: not in the leaues of wordes but in the roote of the meanyng. Wherfore let vs (in folowing the Coū ­fell of these auncient fathers) séeke such meanynges, and sense of these Scriptu­res as may expresse their consent with the rest of the Scriptures. And haue re­spect [Page 109] vnto the finall cause of Gods pur­pose. Namely (as I haue often said) that vnto hys fauour, and grace for this so frée a benifite, all prayse and glory may redoūde. That al workes wrought by man before iustification, be nothing els but the euill fruite of an euill tree, it is before euidently proued: And so vt­terly vnable to abide the presence of gods iustice. Wherby it foloweth of ne­cessitie, that the woorkes alleged (in these their authorities) were not there meant, for works going before iustifica­tion; as causes therof, but in déede, for such workes as folowyng the same, de­clared Workes fo­low iustifi­cation. manefestly the righteousnesse which (to the doers of them) was offrée fauour through fayth imputed. For that the workes of a man (by fayth) already iustified, be in the sight of God allowed for ryghteous, by not hauing sinne im­puted vnto them: it is not onely not de­nyed, but most constantly affirmed. For how can it be otherwise, but that God in beholdyng in them hys owne moste glorious Image, wherewith throughe grace in respect of fayth they be clothed. [Page] He muste both acknowledge it, and de­light therin. But that their spottes and blemishes are nowe couered wyth the righteousnes of Christe, this com­meth not to them either by them selues, or in respect of them selues, but onely by grace or fauour through fayth: as is shewed before. For they beinge the workes of a man, already by fayth iusti­fied and clothed in the righteousnes of Christ: Therfore they (thereby clothed in the same righteousnes, hauing theyr spottes and blemishes through mercye therewith couered) are acknowledged for righteous. They are accepted for good fruite, because they were brought forth by a good frée. So that fayth by apprehendyng of Christ, and his righte­ousnes in the promise, through grace and fauour, attayneth mans iustificati­on: Fayth ap­prehendeth righteous­nes, and workes de­clare the ap­prehension. So the workes or fruites of the righ­teousnes of y ^e same faith, do manyfestly declare and witnes, the doer of them to be righteous. That is, as fayth appre­hēdeth righteousnes in the frée promise for man: so the workes or fruites of that righteousnes of fayth, doe declare and [Page 110] testifie that hee is iustifyed. Wherefore, whersoeuer in the Scriptures man is sayd to be iustifyed by workes: the mea­ning is, that he is by workes declared and knowen to bée a righteous man. And not that the workes were the cause of his righteousnes. This being thus considered, ther appeareth betwene Paule, and the aucthorities by them al­ledged, no strife, but most swéete agrée­ment. For as Paule telleth the meanes howe a man is iustifyed: so the other shew and declare howe man is open­ly knowne to bee righteous or iustifyed. Now marke gentle reader, how this doctrine tendeth fully to that end, where unto Saint Paule directeth hys course: Namely, that the whole glorie may re­dound to GOD alone: and that man may haue a sure possession of Gods fauour in Christ.

Firste, in that by iustifycation of workes, this onely is to be vnderstand, that man by workes is declared to bée righteous: it concludeth (euen as in the aunswere to theyr former aucthorities) that all the world may acknowledge the [Page] performaunce of Gods mercyful pro­mise in Christ, towardes the electe. Who by their workes are euidently de­clared Good wor­kes declare vs to bee righteous. to bée righteous. And besides that it reserueth the whole glorye of that worke to GOD alone, forasmuch as workes doe onely declare, and witnes mans righteousnesse, and challenge to bee no cause of the same. Thus vnto God is his prerogatiue reserued vnble­mished: Namely all the glorie.

Nowe touching man, in that they declare the certaine possession of the righteousnesse of fayth, they witnesse in him the estate of a moste quiete, and ioyfull conscience, and that hée is through faith, assured of the fauour of God in Christ. Nowe it is apparant, what righteousnes of the Scripture at­tributeth to faith, and what to workes. Namely, that by faith man apprehen­deth Christ in the promise, by whome he Fayth ap­prehendeth Christ, by whom we are made righteous. is made righteous: and by workes or frutes of the righteousnes of faith, mā is declared and knowne to bee righte­ous: and hath his conscience therby re­posed in the sure possession of Gods fa­uour [Page 111] in Christ.

Thus hauyng shewed what iustifi­cation the Scriptures attribute vnto workes, I thincke it also conuenient to shew what fayth it is, which Iames di­sableth to iustification. His wordes be these, what auayleth it my brethren though a man say he hath fayth, whē The mea­ning of S. Iames wordes. he hath no deedes? can faith saue him? Here euen at the first it is euident, that S. Iames in this place inueyeth not a­gaynst faith in dede: but against y ^e bare name or title of fayth: in such certayne licentious Iewes Christened as (onely by the same) séemed to challenge iusti­fication. For he sayeth not, thoughe a man haue fayth without deedes: But he saith, though a man say he hath faith. Whereby it is euident that hee onely enueyeth agaynst the name, or title of faith, which by them was applyed vnto them selues vnworthely, and therefore in vayne. And doubting that some men myght applye hys wordes agaynst fayth in déede, hee maketh hys entrye warely, not against fayth, but agynste a vayne name, or title of [Page] fayth: in saying: Thoughe a man saye hee hath fayth, and not thoughe a Note here the maner of spea­king of S. Iames. man haue fayth: whiche he might think sufficyent warnyng to all men that hée ment not to inueigh agaynst true fayth, and therefore hée goeth forward labou­ryng agaynst that their vayne opinion, vnder the same name or title which they attributed vnto it, callyng it fayth as they dyd: thynkyng that (his former warnyng) in the beginnyng (in saying, thoughe a man sayeth hee hath fayth) and not, though he haue fayth in deede, had béene a suffycient warnyng, that he ment not true fayth, but onely a vaine opinion, termed of them by the name of fayth: and that now hée myght at hys owne libertie (wythout suspicion of en­ueyghing against true fayth) beat down that wycked opinion vnder the same name or title by whyche they termed it: namely vnder the name of fayth, and thereupon hée addeth: can fayth saue hym? meaning onely such fayth as they make their challenge by, or as hée at his entrance enueighed against: that is the bare name or tytle of fayth, and that [Page 112] thys was hys meanyng, it is playne by that whyche followeth, in that he goeth about to open their errour as it were by comparison: in shewyng how farre, their vayne opinion (whiche they called fayth) dyffered from true fayth in déede, in saying: If a brother or sister be na­ked or destytute of dayly foode, and one of you saye vnto hym, depart in peace, warme your selues, and fill your bellies: notwythstandyng ye geeue not them those thynges whyche are neede­full to the body: what helpeth it? euen so fayth if it haue no deedes, is dead Fayth with out workes is a dead fayth. in it selfe, as though hée had saide vnto them. Brethren what do you thynk of fayth? do ye thynke that onely the bare name, or title thereof, is sufficient to iu­stification? or doe ye thynke that true fayth can see the necessitie of their néedy brother or sister vnrelieued? no, no, de­ceaue not your selues: for loue, charity, and all good woorkes, can no more be ab­sent True fayth cannot be without good fruites. from fayth in déede, then heate from fire: and that faith which lacketh those fruites, is no more fayth, then a dead man is a man: but is in déede dead and [Page] no fayth at all, but onely a bare name, or title of faith, with the vaine cloke wher­of, ye beguyle your selues. Do ye thinke thys vayne braggyng of fayth amongest your selues can iustifie you? or doe ye thinke that because ye beléeue God, is, that ye therfore shal be saued? nay bre­thren be not so vainely caryed away, yf that might serue the tourne, the deuils woulde be saued aswell as you, for they haue that fayth common with you: for they both beléeue that God is, and trem­ble at him. But shall I by example paint vnto you your vanitie, whereby you may see that your bragging title of faith, which hath no fruites, nor workes to [...] y ^e same, is but dead, and no faith in deede? Then compare it with the true fayth, which in oure father Abraham was manifest, whom the apparaunt fruites, or woorkes of ryghteousnesse Abrahams fayth had fruites. thereof, euidently declared, to bée a righ­teous man. Hys fayth lay not lurkyng in him in idle name, without fruite or woorkes: no, no, his fayth had lyfe, which by the fruite was made manifest, in of­feryng hys sonne Isaac, beyng certayne, [Page 113] that the death, or sacrifice of hys sonne, could nothing at all hinder the promyse of God: but that notwithstanding God both coulde, & woulde performe his pro­mise and worde. Thus was hys faythe witnessed by hys woorkes. And the per­fectnes thereof made apparant, so that the truth of the Scripture (which sayde: Abraham beleeued God, and that was imputed to hym for ryghteousnesse) was by hys woorkes made so euydent: that hée was indued wyth the name of ryghteous, and was called the frend of God. Whereby it is euydent vnto you, that by déedes, as the fruites of the righ­teousnesse of his faith, his righteousnesse was declared: and hée knowen for a ryghteous man: and not by the idle name of fayth onelye, without workes, which (as I sayde before) is dead, and no faythe at all. And likewyse Kahab the harlotte (in lodginge the messengers of Gods people) was declared to bée rygh­teous. Wherefore to conclude, laye a­way your vayne bragges of your idle, and bare name of fayth: for as the bodye that wanteth spirite is dead: so assured­ly [Page] thys whiche you terme fayth, hauyng no workes to witnes the same vnto you is dead, and no fayth at all, but a vaine or lyght opinion. Thus to hym (that with a single eye, consydereth both the end of S. Iames hys purpose, and also throughly the order of hys woordes) it appeareth playnly, that hée enueigheth S. Iames enueigheth not agaynst a true fayth but against a fayned & false fayth not against fayth, in déede: but against a lose, and licentious opinion, which those Iewes vnto whom he writte, had coue­red vnder the name, or title of fayth.

Now touching their argument groū ­ded vpon the .xix. of Mathew: VVhere a certayne ruler came to Christ, and asked of him, what good thyng hee shoulde Math. 19 doe, that hee might haue eternall lyfe, Christ aunswered, if thou wilt enter into lyfe, keepe my commaundementes: here say they, it appeareth, that kéeping The keping of the com­maunde­mentes of God were hable to iu­stify vs, if we were ha­ble to ob­serue them Leuit. 18 of the commaundementes (whiche is but woorkes) do iustifie. That the kéeping of the commaundementes is able to iu­stify him, that were able to obserue thē, it was neuer doubted of. For Moyses witnesseth, that he that doth them, shall liue thereby: but that no man hath po­wer [Page 114] to kéepe thē, it is euidently proued already, neyther by nature, as now it is No man hath nor can keepe the lawes as God re­quireth them to be kept A questyon moued by a lawyer vn­to Christ. corrupt, nor by grace, in the .iiij. and .ix. chapters. Wherefore (gentle reader) marke the circumstaunce: first who as­keth the question. A ruler or Lawier, who dreamed of nothyng, but the out­ward obseruaunce of the lawe. Second­ly, what is the question: namely, What good thing hée might doe, to haue euerla­sting lyfe? Marke, that this hys whole question was not otherwise to learne the waye to euerlastyng life, then by déedes or workes: in asking what thing he should do. Wherefore what directer aunswer could be geuē, then that which Christ vsed, séeing the question was one­ly of woorkes? namely, kéepe the com­maundementes: séeing no other works Christes aunswer to the lawiers question could serue that turne. But peraduen­ture some of them will say, If Christ had not knowne him able to kéepe the commaundementes, hée surely woulde haue taught him the way possyble to him. Surely these be tender hartes, that will teach the holy ghost to bée pitifull: but Christ him selfe sayde, he came not [Page] to call the righteous, but sinners to re­pentaunce, that is, hée came not to call suche fellowes as woulde iustifie them­selues: Luk. 5. but such as would humble them­selues to hys iustyfication. Wherefore Christ (seing the filthy pride of his heart) euen in the due aunswer of hys questy­on, offered hym the glasse of the Lawe, (whereof he bragged in hys heart) to see his owne filthinesse therein: that by the fight thereof, he might haue trained him to haue framed a more humble questi­on, concerning the waye to heauen. But what aunswer maketh he? goeth he not on in the iustification of himselfe, in say­ing? Al this haue I kept from my youth vpward: what lack I yet? Then Chryste to open to his eyes the packe of hys cor­ruption, applieth to his verie heart a cor­siue, to teache him that the law is spiry­tual, and challengeth the entire obediēce of the heart. If thou wilt be perfect (say­eth he) sell that thou hast, and geue it to This is a hard speeche to the lo­uers of the worlde. the poore, & thou shalt haue treasure in heauen, and come and follow me: which when hee hearde, hee went hys waye mourning, because hee had great pos­sessions. [Page 115] So that it appereth by y ^e whole course of the action, that Christ enabled him not to the satisfying of the lawe: but contrariwise (by example of hys owne wickednes compared with the lawe) he sought to teache him, beyng a teacher of others, how farre he him selfe was short from the vnderstandyng of the Lawe, in supposing it to consist onely in outwarde action. And to conclude, Christ offered the law to this proude ruler, to no other ende, then before generally it was gée­uen to all the Iewes, namely to sée hys owne filthinesse, thereby to be driuen to seeke reliefe in Christe: and it was also the very direct aunswer to hys questy­on. Other of the aduersaryes cauyll thus: In déed (say they) there bee two iu­stifications, the one in regeneration or An other argument of the Pa­pistes. baptisme, and that is fréelye bestowed vpon vs, neyther is it needefull that any good woorkes shoulde goe before this iu­stification. But nowe fallinge after thys regeneratiō, it is needefull (say they) that (to the iustification of vs agayne) satys­faction by good woorkes must bee made. The error and impietie of this doctryne [Page] is not onely manifest (by that whiche is sayd before) where it is proued that no workes, but onely the woorkes of the iu­stified by fayth, can appeare in the pre­sence of God: but also for that it fayneth Christ in respect of diuers tymes, to bée a mediator of diuers power, or abilitie. For they confesse him sufficyent, to re­store man vnto Gods fauour, and to iu­stifie him that is not yet conuerted: but to restore him that after regeneration, The Pa­pistes ac­compte Christ to be very weake, that beyng able to iustif [...] a man before he was con­uerted, were not also a­ble to re­store him if he fell after he was re­generate. by filthinesse is fallen from God, they make his power to weake: and that por­cion of power whiche in this case they take from Christ, they attribute the same vnto that man, which (of all other) may séeme most hatefull vnto God, namely, vnto him that by cruell ingrati­tude, and wycked contempte, is fallen from the grace bestowed vpon hym: pre­ferring his condicion before the condy­cion of them, that neuer were conuer­ted, in geuing him power to woorke his owne iustification: which they playnly confesse the other to want: and yet is the condicion of the other (in reason) to bée preferred before theirs, who by [Page 116] theyr cruell ingratitude, deserue iustly the most abhorfull estate: as the holy ghost beareth witnesse: For it is not possible (saith he) that they which were Hebr. 6. once lightened, & haue tasted of the heauenly gift, and were become par­takers of the holy ghoste, and haue ta­sted of the good worde of God, & of the power of the worlde to come (if they fall away) shold be againe renued vnto repentance, forasmuch as they haue) as concerning thē selues (cruci­fied the Son of God a fresh, making a mocke of him: And againe. If we sinne willingly, after that we haue receiued Hebr. 10 the knowledge of the truth, there re­maineth no more sacrifice for sinnes, but a fearefull loking for iudgemēt, & violent fire, which shall deuour the ad­uersaries. And againe, Christ himselfe saieth, The seruaunt that knoweth his masters will, and doth it not, shall be Luk. 12. beaten with many stripes. This is the horrible estate of them, that are fallen frō Christ. And yet are the aduersari­es nothing ashamed, to robbe Christ of a péece of his power, or honor or his of­fice, [Page] to painte vp thys their Isops crowe withall: making the power of hys offyce or mediation in respecte of diuers times, and subiectes greater, or lesser. But wel hath the holy ghost in the first Epistle of S. Ihon, mette wyth thys wranglyng 1. Iho. 2 shift thus, My lytle chyldren (sayth hee) these thinges I write vnto you, that yee sinne not: but if we do sinne, wee haue an aduocate with the father, euen Ie­sus Christe the ryghteous. And hee it is, that obtayneth grace for our sinnes. By which words it playnely appeareth, that when we fal after regeneration, or baptisme, Christ is our iustification, e­uen as he was at the first, and not our Christ is our iustifi­cation, both before Bap­tisme and after. owne workes: so that our fyrst iustifica­tion in regeneratyon, and our latter with repentaunce, come both by one meanes: namely by the free gyft of God through faythe in Christe. Howbeit in déede thys dystinction of theirs is more then wicked, for whosoeuer is by rege­neration once iustifyed, hée can neuer a­gayne be vniustifyed, for whomsoeuer God once loueth, hee loueth hym to the ende, for God is not mutable as man, [Page 117] neyther can he deny himselfe. Another An other obiection. of the shiftes, which these busie hunters to robbe God of his honoure haue found out, is this: fayth (say they) doth iustifye: but fayth is a worke: therefore woorkes do iustifye. To whome wee aunswere, The aun­swere. that faith in respect that it is our worke expressed by our will, or vnderstanding, iustifyeth not: because it is feeble and weake, for no man beléeueth so assured­ly as hee is bounde: nor doth so earnest­ly assent vnto the truth of Gods promi­ses as he ought to do. Wherefore, wher­soeuer fayth is sayde to iustifye: fayth is there taken for the obiecte of faythe: Namely, for Christ, and the mercye of God in the promise. And for asmuche as it is the instrument which taketh holde thereof: therefore is iustifycation impu­ted vnto it: According to Saynt Paules sayinge, Abraham beleeued God, and Rom. 4. that was imputed vnto him for ryghte­ousnesse: so that fayth is sayde to iustify because it taketh holde of Chryst, in Fayth doth iustify, be­cause it ap­prehendeth Christes iu­stification. the promise who doth iustifye: and not in respect that fayth is a woorke of ours. Wherefore examining thys argument [Page] of the aduersaries: you shall sée how finely at the first, they foist in a fallax, called of the logitians fallacia accidentis That is, the deceipt of the accident. Inferring that in the conclusion, wher­unto that worde (whereuppon it is in­ferred) did not stretch it selfe, in the se­cond proposition, for where it is sayde faith is a worke, to be a worke of ours, is but an accident vnto faith, in respect of iustification: for iustification com­meth not, because fayth is a worke of ours, but because the mercie of God, doth in the promise fréely geue it, to al beleuers: So that faith in the first pro­position is referred, and hath relation, vnto the obiect of faith: namely, Christ, and the mercy of God, in the promise. And in the second proposition, fayth is there otherwise taken, namely, as it is a worke of ours. Wherefore, fayth not béeing one in bothe propositions, the conclusion is falselye inferred. Or more briefely, it is aunswered thus: Faith in the firste proposition is a rela­tiue, in the predicament of relation, as in the 8. chapter is declared, and in the seconde proposition: where it is conside­red, [Page 118] as a worke it falleth in the predica­ment of qualitie: wherby the argument hauing fower termes, the conclusion must needes bée false. An other of the ad­uersaries 1. Cor. 13. argumentes is thys, Saint Paule affirmeth that of fayth, hope, and Fayth, hope, and loue. Obiection loue, loue is the greatest, or most excel­lent: and in that the fulfillyng of the lawe consisteth: and therefore iustifica­tion is rather to be imputed to the more excellent: then to the inferior. That loue is most excellent of the three, it Aunswere. is euydent: for fayth and hope haue on­ly continuaunce, vntill the thinges that bée beléeued, and hoped for, bée fully in mannes possessyon. At whyche tyme they both shall ende: but loue doth con­tinue and florishe through all eternity, and that it is the fulfilling of the law, is in the. 4. chapter euydent. For who so loued God, and his neighbour, so muche Loue ful­filleth the law. as he ought to doe, shoulde surely fulfill the lawe. But now touching their ar­gument, that because it is more excel­lēt, therfore it must iustify: that is more then childishe. The eare is a farre more excellent instrument, or organ of the bo­dye, [Page] then is eyther the hand or mouth, for thereby we receaue the glad promy­ses of God, touchyng our whole felycy­tie: Shoulde wee therefore inferre, be­cause the eare is the more excellent Or­gan or instrument, that therefore we shoulde receaue oure meate wyth oure eares, and not rather with the hand and Fayth is the instru­ment, wher­by we re­ceaue our iustification by Christ. mouth? whiche though they be meaner, yet are they instrumentes appoynted to that vse: And so fayth, though it bee the meaner, yet is it the instrumēt appoin­ted to that vse. An other of the aduersa­ries shifts is this, works (say they) iusti­fied not in respect y ^t they be our workes: An other obiection but in respect that they be the workes of God in vs. Here is the shew of a goodlye substaunce, but launch it a litle, and you shall finde it nothing else but an emptye bladder, puffed with wind onlye. Marke whose be the woorkes whiche here they Aunswere. alledge, are they not the workes of God in vs? Doe they not imagine God to worke in vs? but (as hath bene before e­uidently shewed) God woorketh vnto saluation in none, but in those that bée hys children, that is to say, iustified, for [Page 119] they that are led by the spirite of God they are the children of God, that is, iustified. Why if they be his children al­readye, the questyon is ended, for those workes that come after they be his chil­dren, can not be the purchaser of that e­state, whereof the doer was possessed before they were wrought: wherefore those woorkes doe not iustifie him that Our iustifi­cation is done by Christ, be­fore our workes was iustified before euer hee wrought them: for he was the childe of God be­fore he wrought them, for they confesse God to dwell in hym, and woorke in hym: but God dwelleth, and worketh God wor­keth to sal­uation only in his chil­dren, that is in the iusti­fied. in none vnto saluation but in hys chil­dren: that is, in the iustifyed (as it is sayde before). Wherefore gentle rea­der, that thou mayest bee hable to vn­folde, all the subtyll shyftes of the de­ceytfull aduersaryes intricate snares of thys kynde, kéepe thys for a gene­rall, and sure rule, whiche can neuer fayle thee. Marke diligently whether in that worke wherby they wil haue iusti­fication obtayned, they auouche God to be anye worker or no. If they auouche hym to be no worker, then by the. 4. and [Page] 5. chapters thou euidently séest, that the work is abhominable vnto him. If they auouch him to bée a woorker (as in thys argument) which I am sure they must néedes do: thē say vnto them, séeing God woorketh in them to saluation, they are God by his owne wor­king and not be ours, maketh vs his children before hand the childrē of God, that is, iustified already: for the Scripture af­firmeth, that they that are led by the spirite of God, are the children of God: but none bée hys children tyll they be iustified, and therefore these workes whiche they auouch, are the woorkes of such as be alredyiustified: which is not in question, for those woorkes can bée no helpe to obtayne hym that estate where­of hée was possessed, before they were wrought: and wythout the possessyon whereof, they coulde neuer haue béene wrought. Wherefore if they will haue woorkes to iustifie they must alledge such woorkes as God is no woorker in: for God worketh in none vnto saluaty­on All good workes are wrought by God, in them that are iustified by fayth but in such as be already iustified: for whosoeuer is led by the spirite of God, he is already iustified, for he is the childe of God (as I sayd before.)

Nowe touchyng these Scriptures [Page 120] whiche I put in the last sort, namelye, where the righteous challēge and craue of god, the reward of their innocencye, and righteousnesse: and as it were offer the same to be examined before hys iu­stice: of whiche examples there be prin­cipally in the Psalmes: whereof I will Psal. 7. rehearse one or two. Fyrst Dauyd in the. 7. Psalme: Iudge me O Lord ac­cordyng to my innocency, and accor­ding to the cleanenes of my handes, in thy sight. And agayne in the. 18. Psalme:: God hath rewarded mee ac­cordyng Psal. 18 to my innocency, and accor­ding to the cleanenesse of my handes hath he recompenced mee, for I obser­ued the commaundements of the Lord, and was not wicked against my God, but I had al his lawes before me: neither cast I his commaundements from me: I was pure before him, & abstained mine owne wickednes: therefore God hath re­warded me according to my innocēcy, and according to the cleanenes of my handes in hys sight. Who so conside­reth in the Scriptures the cause, and the manner of the exclamatyon of the [Page] righteous in theire lamētable calamitie; vnder the cruell, vniuste, and mercilesse The righ­teous being vnder the mercilesse persecution lament and [...]e. persecutions, and afflictions of the wic­ked & tyrannous oppressors, shall foorth­with see y ^e solution of these arguments, namely, that the righteous therein iu­stifie not themselues, neyther auouche their innocencie in respecte of the iustyce of God, but in respecte of the false, vn­iuste, and tyrannous wickednesse of the oppressor: in respecte of theire most hor­ryble iniurye and crueltye, they maye wel auouch their righteousnesse and in­nocencye: and therefore they flye for suc­cour vnto the iustice of God, who know­eth howe giltlesse they are touchyng the false accusation of theire bloud thirstye enemyes, requirynge of God in that cause to be defended frō their enemies, euen as he, who knoweth theire conscy­ence, could testify that they had not com­mitted The righ­teous cry out, that they are no such offen­dours as the wicked report them to be. those euils, for the whiche theire enemyes most cruelly pursued them, as here in the. 7. Psal, Dauid (being falsely accused by Chus, one of Saules kyns­men) challengeth the iustice of God, for the defence of hys innocencye in that [Page 121] case toward Saul, desiring of God hys deliuerance according as he knew hym giltlesse toward Saul, seing hys consci­ence could accuse him of no conspiracie, or treason towardes hym. In thys sort do the righteous (somtymes) in y ^e scrip­tures offer the innocēcy of their causes, before the iudgement seate of God: not alledging innocency in respect of Gods The righ­teous offer the inno­cency of their causes to the iudge ment seat of god. iustice: but in respecte of the false and wicked vntruthes, wherwith theyr ene­myes charged them. Wherefore in the 18. Psalme Dauid being by the mercy of God setled in the seate of hys Kyng­dome, geueth thankes vnto God, for y ^t (euen according to the innocency of his hart, & cleanenes of hys hands towards Saul) he had rewarded hym in deliue­ryng hym, from the dāger of so mighty, and cruell an enemye, reioysing in that [...]he hauyng the lawe of God before hys Dauid re­ioiceth that he held hys hand, and hart from committing of wicked­nes against Saul. eyes, had withholden his hart, & handes from committing wickednes agaynst hys annointed Lord and king. For such was hys innocency and righteousnes [...]n respect of Saules wickednes, that he [...]ould nothing accuse hym self towardes [Page] Saule. For in makyng hys mone to Ionathas Saules sonne, thus he auou­cheth hys innocencye: What haue I 1. Sam. 20. done, sayth he? wherein am I faultie? what is the sinne that I haue committed agaynst thy father, that he seketh my life? And anone after he sayth vn­to hym: If there be in me any tres­passe, thē slay me thy selfe. Hereby ye may see, the innocency, and righteous­nes The innocē cy of Dauid in respect of Saules crueltie. which Dauid aueucheth in hymselfe was in respecte of Saules wicked and vniust crueltie: and not in respecte of the iustice of God. For where soeuer he handleth the cause betwene y ^e iustice of God and hym selfe, there he singeth another songe. Then cryeth he: Be mercifull vnto me O Lord, be merci­full Psal. 51. vnto me, accordyng to thy great mercyes: and according to the mul­titude of thy mercies doe away mine offences. Then cryeth he: Lorde re [...] Psal. 38. 130. proue me not in thine anger, neithe [...] chastise me in thy heauie displeasure If thou Lord wilt watch what is don [...] amisse, Lorde who shall be able to [...] bide it. Lord clense me from my [...] Psal. 19. [Page 122] crete sinnes, and such lyke. Then nei­ther talketh he of hys owne innocencye or righteousnes: he beasteth then of no righteousnes: but of mercy: Blessed are Psal. 32. they, sayth he, whose wickednes are forgeuen, and whose sinnes are coue­red. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne. Here is all the righteousneshe knoweth of hym [...] when he hath to deale with the iusti­ce of God. Thus hauing briefly shewed by a fewe examples, the true aunsweres of the principall obiections of the ene­mye, God must haue the whole ho­nor of mās saluation. of iustification of fayth: and the sweete agreement thereby of the Scrip­tures, in geuing to God y ^e whole ho­nour of mans saluation: and vnto man a sure possession of Gods fauour in Iustificatiō why it is imputed to fayth, and not to workes. Christ: I will now shewe why iustifi­cation is imputed to fayth, and not to workes, and so make an end.

Touching thys question there ap­peare two iuste causes thereof: first for that fayth is the onely meane betwene mā, and the promise: and that which ap­prehendeth righteousnes: and worl [...] are nothyng els, but as it were an effect [Page] or fruit of the righteousnes of the same fayth. Therfore iustification is to be im­puted to that which apprehended the righteousnes, and not to the fruit there­of. Secondly and principally, that for­asmuch as the end of all Gods works is to purchase to hym selfe (as of right is due) all prayse, honour, and glory in the performance of his promise (as hath often bene sayd) as the greatest prero­gatiue he challengeth frō his creatures. Therfore it is of necessitie, that no part of mans iustification should be imputed to workes, as vnto any part of the cause thereof. For that ambitious mā, should haue no colour of title to any proportio­nal part of the glory of y ^e worke: that no fleshe might boast in hys presence. And thys is the cause which Paule him selfe sheweth to the Ephesians concerning the same: For by grace, sayth he, ye are saued through fayth and not of your selues: it is the gift of God, and Eph. 2. not of workes, lest any man shoulde boast him, that all the glory might re­dounde to God alone: who as he saueth vs for hys owne sake, so by him selfe [Page 123] onely, hath he begonne, continued, and ended the whole worke, concerning our saluation. To whom through Iesus Christ our only and omnisufficient Sa­uiour, be therfore all glory, honour, and maiestie, kingdome, power, and domi­nion, through all eternitie, Amen.