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father_n	believe_v	holy_a	son_n	32,892	5	6.1615	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01711	Certaine sermons, vpon diuers textes of Holie Scripture Whereof some haue been seuerally before published, and other some for the greater benefit of the godly reader are here now added. By M. George Giffard, preacher of the worde of God at Mauldon Essex.	Gifford, George, d. 1620.; Gifford, George, d. 1620. A sermon on the parable of the sower. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. Two sermons upon I. Peter 5. vers. 8 and 9. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. Foure sermons uppon the seven chiefe vertues of faith. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. A godlie, zealous, and profitable sermon upon the second chapter of saint James. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the thirtie day of May. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. A sermon on the third chapter of Saint Iames. aut	1597 (1597)	STC 11848.5; ESTC S120470	152,707	288

blood then haue they not the faith remooue that effect and the cause is remooued If they will not abhor so wicked a speech but affirm indeed that the reprobate doe eate the flesh of Christ so many of them as haue the liuely faith then let thē see how they ouerthrow also the whole force of the argumēt of Christ by which he proueth that the Manna was not the bread of life but that he himself is the bread of life Your fathers saith he did eat Māna in the wildernesse and are dead If any man eat of this bread he shal liue for euer How standeth his argument consider of it I pray you Your fathers did eat Manna in the wildernesse and yet are dead in their sinnes they are dead in the spirituall and eternall death for of that death hee speaketh seeing they also which eat the flesh of Christ doe die the naturall death therefore Manna was not the bread of life that commeth downe from heauen For that which some did eat of and yet did die eternallie is not by any meanes the bread of life And how doth hee prooue that hee himselfe is the bread of life I am the breade which came downe from heauen if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer Thus standeth his reason Whosoeuer eateth the flesh of Christ he shal liue for euer therefore the flesh of Christ is the bread of life If they shall now say some of the fathers in the wildernes did eate the Manna and yet died in their sinnes it cannot be denied and thereupon Christ doth affirme that Manna was not the bread of life that commeth downe from heauen and then adde their owne saying which is this some doe eate the flesh of Christ and yet do die in their sinnes what will then followe if this reason do stand in force Your fathers did eat Manna in the wildernes and are dead therefore Manna was not the bread of life Then shall not this also follow Many doe eat the flesh of Christ and yet are damned therefore the flesh of Christ is not the bread of life Thus it is euident that such as do affirme that any of the reprobate haue the liuelie faith doe gainsay Christ and ouerthrow the force of his argument To proceede what can be more firme to proue that the reprobate cannot haue the true liuely and iustifying faith then that which Saint Paul hath written Where this ground is first to bee laide that whosoeuer he is that hath the true iustifying faith he hath the spirite of sanctification the spirite of adoption for thus the Apostle conioyneth them wherein also after that yee beleeued yee were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance vnto the redemption of the purchased possession vnto the praise of his glorie Ephes 1. ver 13.14 Is there any so absurd as to hold that a man is a liuely member of Iesus Christ as euery one is that hath the liuelie iustifying faith and yet hath not that holy spirite of promise that spirite of adoption that seale and that pledge If they will say that the faith which the reprobate doe attaine vnto is without this spirite of adoption or without this seale or pledge then doe wee holde with them and then doth it follow that the faith of the reprobate is not the true iustifying and sanctifying saith which purgeth the heart Act. 15. But if they shall say that the reprobate are for a time partakers of the spirit of sanctification euen of that spirit of adoption then will there diuers right wicked consequences follow which are to be banished far frō christian religiō For first touching the spirit of adoption see what the Apostle saith As manie as are led by the spirit of god they are the sons of God For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bōdage again to fear but ye haue receiued the spirit of Adoption whereby we crie Abba Father That same spirite beareth witnesse vnto our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Rom. 8.14 15 16. If anie of the reprobate be led by the spirit of God or be at anie time sanctified then hath not S. Paule here said true that as manie as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Some of the reprobate indeed doe taste of the heauenly power but they are not led with the spirit of God they be not sanctified they walke not after the spirit Moreouer the spirit of adoption the sanctifying spirit which is in al that haue the true liuely and iustifying faith beareth witnes with and to the spirit of the beleeuers that they be the children of God This is the liuely faith when a man beleeueth that the Lorde God is his father and that he is the sonne of God And this faith is not separated from the spirit of adoption for it is vpon his testimonie that they do beleeue and by him they crie Abba Father Is not this spirit a true spirit and is not his witnes most firme and true If it be as those men say that the reprobate are partakers of the spirit of adoption then is not his testimonie firme and true For then that spirit of adoption teacheth some man to call God Father and witnesseth to his spirit that he is the sonne of God when as he is the childe of the diuell for hauing that faith and that testimonie of the spirit in him to day to morrow he doth by their saying vtterly and finally lose that faith and that spirit What an opinion is this to say that a man hath the true faith that is to say beleeueth by the testimony of the holy Ghost that God is his father and yet he is indeed the child of the diuell And moreouer doth not the Apostle say that after they beleeued they were sealed with the holie spirit of promise This is more then the bare testimonie of the spirit if I may so speake that hee sealeth Can this seale be disanulled or broken or made frustrate Is this seale vntrue If it bee euer set vpon the reprobate it is deceiueable If their opinion be true no man can then say thus God hath sealed me with his spirit therfore I doe belong to God For a reprobate hath that seale and it faileth him then who can say that it is a seale which is true and infallible Saint Iohn shewing vpon what testimonies faith in Christ is grounded saith There be three that bear record in heauen the Father the Word and the holie Spirit and these three are one And there bee three that bear record in earth the spirit water blood and these three agree in one If we receiue the testimony of men the testimonie of God is greater For this is the witnes which hee testifieth of his sonne Hee that beleeueth in the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe 1. Ioh. 5. vers 7.8.9.10 Why are all these witnesses but to giue asrance of faith

naked and destitute of daily foode 16 And one of you say vnto them Depart in peace warme your selues and fill your bellies notwithstanding ye giue them not those things which are needfull to the bodie what helpeth it 17 Euen so the faith if it haue no workes is dead in it selfe 18 But some man might say Thou hast the faith and I haue workes shew me thy faith out of thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes 19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou doest well the diuels also beleeue it tremble 20 But wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that the faith which is without works is dead 21 Was not Abraham our Father iustified through workes when hee offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar 22 Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his workes and through the workes was the faith made perfect 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which sayth Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God 24 Ye see then how that of workes a man is iustified and not of faith only 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes when she had receiued the messengers and sent them out another way 26 For as the bodie without the spirit is dead euen so the faith without workes is dead I Haue chosen this portion of scripture to interpret because there is very great vse and commoditie in the true and right vnderstanding thereof and the doctrine therein contained is most necessarie for all Christians to know First because it doth directly and fully ouerthrow beat downe all carnall profession of the Gospell shewing that the common and dead faith cannot saue a man Secondly because it is the principall piller which the Papists doe leane vnto and the chiefe place of Scripture which they doe peruert and abuse to prooue and establish Iustification by workes and the merits of men and to ouerthrow the free Iustification wee haue in our Lord Iesus Christ through faith The hold which they take in this point is vpon the speeches and phrases which the Apostle doth vse as when he saith Abraham our father was iustified through workes Also Rahab the Harlot was iustified through workes Likewise ye see that of workes a man is iustified and not of faith onely Herein the two Apostles of Christ Saint Paul and Saint Iames do seeme to be flat contrarie the one to the other for whereas Saint Paul saith Abraham was iustified by faith alone and not by workes Saint Iames saith he was iustified by workes Saint Paul saith and prooueth by sundrie and inuincible reasons that a man is iustified by faith alone without the workes of the law Saint Iames saith ye see that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith only This contrarietie is but in appearance for they both wrote by one spirite which is alwaies like himselfe and alwaies agreeth with himselfe The whole blame thereof is to light vpon vs that wee are so dimme sighted as not to see how these two seruants of GOD doe iumpe and agree together without any iarre at all I thinke it needefull for this cause before I come to handle the words of the Text as they lye in order first to take away this shewe of discorde If any man will demaund what cause there was which made them to appeare in outward shew so contrarie the one to the other I answere that although there be no contrarietie in the matter it selfe which they teach yet the diuersitie of the schollers which they lighted vpon the contrary affection of those whom they instructed caused them to vse a diuers and contrarie order of teaching Saint Paul hauing to deale with such as would seeke to be iustified partly by faith in Christ and partly by their owne deedes or the deedes of the Law vseth this order first shewing that we were lost and condemned in our selues then next iustified and saued through the merites of Christ afterward that we are sanctified in him and must shew foorth the fruites of our faith in a pure and holie life Saint Iames lighting vpon another sort of men which confessed the free iustification through faith in Christ yet in this they were deceiued that they did not consider how all those that are iustified are sanctified how all those that are in christ Iesus are new creatures that they are new borne and walke not after the flesh but after the spirit that the true liuely and iustifying faith doth bring foorth the fruites of righteousnesse in a holie conuersation Now because this cannot be remooued or separated from the right and liuely faith Saint Iames goeth as it were backward and prooueth that where this latter that is to say the fruites of faith are wanting there faith is wanting and so his drift is to shew that all vngodly and carnall professours of Christ haue but a dead faith which in no respect is able for to helpe or saue them A second cause why they seeme so much to differ is herein that men doe not marke well how they handle not the selfe same matter nor haue not the same drift For Saint Paul laboureth to prooue that the true faith doth ioyne vs to Christ and thereby saue vs. Saint Iames here beateth vpon this poynt that the dead faith which is but a bare image of the right faith cannot profite a man this shall appeare in the wordes of the Text and also a third cause is that they doe not take this word iustified in the same sense but diuersly as it shall bee prooued afterward Now will I come vnto the Text. What auaileth it my brethren though a man saith hee hath faith when he hath no workes can the faith saue him This is his proposition and the matter which he will dispute vpon in the whole text following thus much it is in effect that it doth not auaile a man to say he hath faith nor it doth not profit him to boast and bragge and to make profession thereof when he hath no good workes the reason is this because it cannot saue him marke and obserue this well for here at the first enterance the blindnesse of the Papists and their follie doth manifestlie bewray it selfe when as they doe not see nor vnderstand that it is not the purpose of the Apostle in this place to dispute vpon this point whether the true faith doth saue iustifie or not but to shewe that such as haue not good workes haue not the true faith in them and therefore whatsoeuer they professe they cannot bee saued For hee doth not propound his matter thus what auaileth it though a man haue faith and haue not workes but What auaileth it though a man say hee hath faith and hath not workes Whereby it is very manifest that when Saint Iames doth attibute the name of faith vnto this dead image hee doth it not in proper but in abusine speech and after

cause that the Diuels haue no hope and the wicked men thinke they haue hope Is it because they haue lesse faith Nay it is because they are more wise and because they giue credite to that which GOD hath threatned against them They beleeue that hee will powre out his wrath vpon them because hee hath sayd it but the wicked men they are more foolish and where GOD hath pronounced against them for their sinnes eternall fire they doe not beleeue him and so indeede their faith commeth short of the faith of Diuels they should beleeue the Lord when hee telleth them that all those which doe not turne from their vngodlinesse when hee calleth them to repentance shall bee cast into Hell But they blind themselues and will seeme to beleeue quite contrarie vnto that which GOD affirmeth this is not to shut the doore to repentance but to mooue men to seeke for it while GOD doth offer himselfe for they shall not bee able when they will It is GOD which must beget vs to himselfe and giue vs the newe birth and sanctifie vs by his spirite to bring foorth the true fruites of faith and not to haue such a dead beleefe which doeth chaunge vs no more then the faith which the Diuelles haue doth chaunge them For there bee verie manie at this day who being stuffed as full of wickednesse as euer they can hold and their words and deedes doe plainly shew that they are no more changed then diuels which will so brag of their faith and the strength thereof that if there should be but tenne in the whole Countrie saued they hope to be of them they neuer vnderstood the doctrine which the Lord teacheth in this place God giue vs vnderstanding that we be not seduced but that wee may seeke at the hands of Christ to giue vs a faith which may differ from that which the diuels haue Here also shall appeare the ignorance of the Papists They would beare men in hand that Saint Iames doth speak of the same faith which Saint Paul doth and that he plainly affirmeth it doth not alone iustifie But see here as he said before What auaileth it if a man say he hath faith and hath no workes can that faith which is but in words or the dead faith saue him So now hee telleth more plainly what faith it is which he speaketh of which cannot helpe a man euen that which the diuell hath Is not that beleefe which S. Paul saith doth iustifie wrought by the holie Ghost Shall we bee so blasphemous as to say the Diuels are partakers of him You may well perceiue therefore that Saint Iames doeth speake nothing against that which Saint Paul hath prooued how Christ alone is our righteousnesse whom wee take holde of onelie by Faith for hee doeth but shewe that the dead picture of Faith doeth not saue Remember well then what Faith is here spoken of and the controuersie is soone decided The Apostle now proceedeth to his last reason which because it is wonderfull strong he vseth as it were a certaine Preface vnto it least we should passe lightly ouer it without due consideration But wilt thou vnderstand saith hee O thou vaine man that the faith which is without works is dead See how vehemently hee thundereth here against the carnall professour calling him a vaine man likewise wilt thou vnderstand can not those former reasons satisfie thee are they not strong enough to perswade thee or plaine enough to teach thee I will let thee see such a reason that neither thou norall the world shall be able for to gainsay it is so strong and so manifest that it will stoppe the mouthes of all the cauillers and force them to confesse will they nill they that the faith that is without workes is dead See how marueilously the holy ghost doth labor to driue vs from trusting to this broken staffe and to force vs to seeke after the true and right beleefe if wee haue any care to saue our soules And doubtlesse daily experience doeth teach vs how needefull a thing this is For the greatest number of professours thinke nothing lesse needful then to seek increase of faith they suppose and they will say they beleeue well enough they feele no want at all what should preaching doe they can but beleeue In very deed this dead faith of theirs seemes to them to be verie strong it cannot be shaken neither is it tried or tempted for to what purpose should the Deuill much labour to ouerthrowe it but those which haue any faith indeed do feele what neede there is to vse all meanes to strengthen it But let vs come to the matter hee prooueth now by examples that the true faith is knowen by good workes the first example is of Abraham thus it is to be opened yee know that Abraham was an holy man and a right man indeede hee was highly in fauour with God the couenant was made with him that in his seede all nations of the earth should be blessed ye will then confesse that hee had the right faith there is no doubt at all in that Likewise ye must needs graunt that as there is but one God one mediatour so there is but one faith whereupon it followeth that as many as haue such a faith or the same faith which was in Abraham shall be saued and none els for although euery one of the children of Abraham doe not attaine to the same measure and strength that their father did Ephes 4.5 1. Tim. 2.5 yet they are like him and haue the same beleefe Then I beseech you obserue well the second part wherein is declared how the faith of Abraham was fruitfull and did declare and shewe forth it selfe by good workes Gen. 21. for hee offered his sonne Isaac vpon the Altar Whereupon it doeth also follow that all his children and all the sonnes of God doe declare and shewe forth their faith by their good deeds And whosoeuer they be which doe not so they are degenerates and bastards none of his children nor yet partakers of any blessing with him for their faith is dead and therefore they are not aliue do you not see dearly beloued the marueilous force of this reason and that it is as cleere as the sunne Heere is no starting hole left for a man to hide himselfe in nor to creepe out at but hee is holden fast to this that if hee will be saued he must so beleeue that he declare and shew forth to the worlde by his good workes an holy life how hee walketh in the steps of his faithfull father Abraham But why doth he choose this one worke of Abraham before all the rest For his life did shine with holy workes he was mercifull to the poore he entertained lodged strangers he was peaceable with all men iust and true in all his dealings doubtlesse this did excell all the rest and so farre passe them that it may well enough be mentioned instead of them all it did

minded but feare Rom. 11. ver 20. Also the same Apostle speaketh of some that made shipwrack of the faith 1. Tim. 1. vers 19. Hee that thinketh hee standeth let him take heed least he fall 1. Cor. 10. ver 12. Christ saith to the Angell of the Church of Ephesus Thou hast left thy first loue Reue. 2. ver 4. Take heede least anie man fall away from the grace of God Heb. 12. vers 15. And S. Peter doth speake of such as are like the dog that returneth to his vomite 2. Pet. 2. There be other places of scripture which they doe also alleadge to prooue that men that haue the true liuely faith may wholy loose it I will not stand to answere euery one particularlie but in generall and thus that whatsoeuer the word of God speaketh of falling frō grace of turning from the way of righteousnes or loosing the faith it is not to bee vnderstood of the grace of sanctification or of the true liuely iustifying faith but of that other faith which the holie scriptures doe speake of which the wicked may haue and of those graces which they also are after a sort made partakers of For this is sufficient for me to shewe that whosoeuer is once partaker of the liuelie faith he can neuer loose that faith hee can neuer perish for that being prooued it must needs be confessed that all the scriptures which they alleadge are to bee vnderstood not of that liuely faith or of those that be sanctified I am saith Christ the true vine and my father is an husbandman Euery branch in me that beareth not fruite he taketh away and euery branch in me that beareth fruite he purgeth that it may beare more fruit Ioh. 15. vers 1.2 Christ is the vine they which professe his name be the brāches These branches be of two sortes the one sort beareth no fruit the other sort beareth fruit Now let it bee demanded what are they which beare fruit It must needs be answered they be such as haue the true and liuely faith they be ingrafted into Christ and doe receiue as it were the sap or iuice of life from him Their faith is that which Saint Paule saith worketh by charity and therfore euery one that hath that faith beareth fruite Then who bee those branches that beare not fruite They be Christians in name and in profession otherwise he would not say Euerie branch in me that beareth not fruit They be after a sort grafted also into Christ in as much as they haue been baptized and doe professe to beleeue in him but their faith is but a dead faith otherwise it could not be saide that they beare no fruite By this we see it is euident that there is a difference of faith there is a fruitlesse or a dead faith and there is a faith which is liuely and cannot but worke Then see how we are to argue out of this place Euery branch that beareth fruit that is euery one that hath the true and liuely faith shall be purged that it may beare more fruit therefore not any one of the reprobate haue the liuely faith This consequence is cleere if wee consider that he saith Euerie branch that beareth fruit he purgeth not to take it afterward away but that it may bear more fruit For will they be so bold as to say thus Some branches that beare fruite shall bee taken out of the vine as well as the branches that beare no fruite Or thus Some branches that beare fruite shall be purged that they may beare more fruite but yet in the end they shall also bee taken out of the vine were not that a strange speech What difference or what a vaine difference were that which Christ maketh of the branches touching perseuerance in the vine if the fruitfull branches or any of them could be separated from it as well as the vnfruitfull howe doe they make Christ to speak It may be they wil say that the holy scripture speaketh somtimes vniuersally whē as yet exceptions in particulars are for to be admitted and so his saying doth stand true although some branches that haue born fruit be taken out of the vine and do perish I answere that this cauill is of no force heer because our Sauiour doth so speak vniuersallie that he also speaketh singularly He saith not al the branches that in me bear fruit but euery branch in me that beareth fruit he purgeth that it may beare more fruit So that we may conclude that there are none of the reprobate that haue the true and liuely faith for if they had they shoulde bring forth fruit and so remain for euer in the vine Againe whosoeuer knoweth that hee bringeth foorth fruite hee may be assured that he shal continue in the vine for euer hee shall neuer perish Also Christ saith I am the breade of life hee that commeth to me shall not hunger in any wise and he that beleeueth in mee shall neuer thirst This is the will of him that sent me that euery one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him may haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day I am that bread of life your fathers did eate Manna in the wildernesse and are dead This is that bread that came downe from heauen that if anie man eate thereof he should not die I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen if any man eate of this bread he shall hue for euer He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life This is that bread which came downe from heauen not as your fathers did eate Manna and are dead he that eateth of this bread shall liue for euer Ioh. 6. ver 35.40.48.49.50.51.54.58 From these Scriptures wee may drawe most firme conclusions that not any one of the reprobate euer haue or can haue the true and liuelie faith but that whosoeuer beleeueth he is assured of life eternall Christ teacheth that hee is the bread of life and that whosoeuer eateth of that bread he shall liue for euer It is not possible that any man should eat of that bread and yet not liue for euer Euery one that beleeueth in him I speak of that liuelie faith which as the hand apprehendeth Christ and by which we receiue him and his benefites doth eat his flesh and drinke his blood He that beleeueth in mee saith hee shall neuer thirst for let any mā shew a reason why some that beleeue in Christ doe eate his flesh and drinke his blood other some hauing the same liuely faith doe not What will they say that the reprobate damned so many of them as euercome to haue the true and liuely faith according as they imagine do indeede eat the flesh of Christ drinke his blood and so for a time be made liuely members of Christ euen flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones as the Apostle speaketh Ephes 5. ver 31 If they doe not eat his flesh drink his

declare a wonderfull faith and loue towards God as we may easily see considering all the whole circumstances of the storie God hath called him out of his natiue country and from his fathers house into a strange land hee had promised him a sonne by his wife Sara of whome the blessed seed should come he performed this promise in his old age euen when Sara was by nature past childbearing Gen. 21.12 he had no other child by her the promise was made in none but in him In Isaac shall thy seede be blessed Ech man shall now be driuen to confesse that here was a great triall when God doeth bid him take his onely sonne euen Isaac and goe three daies iourney to the place which he would shew him and to offer him vpon the altar a slaine sacrifice How great a griefe is it for a louing father to loose a sonne which hee loueth dearely especially when hee hath no more sonnes then how much griefe might this be not onely to see his sonne slaine but also to slay him with his owne handes and most of all that childe in whome the couenant of eternall life was made because Christ should come of him who beeing dead all hope of saluation did die with him All this did not withhold but the faith of Abraham carried so great a loue in him and feare towardes God that hee neuer grudged at the matter nor neuer made delay but went indeed to haue slain his sonne hauing bound him vpon the wood and hauing taken in his hand the sacrificing knife to kill him Then the Angell of the Lord from heauen did forbid him Before the Lorde it was as if it had been done because Abraham did fully purpose to doe it then wee see plainly by this what the true faith is But if any man should obiect and say this example is not fit euerie man can not be like Abraham nor haue such a faith as hee had hee was a rare man few or none to be compared with him Saint Iames doth answer If ye thinke this example to be too high and that yee are not to be measured by it I will shewe you another as low what say yee to Rahab the harlot was not shee iustified by workes did not her faith declare it selfe by good workes Can ye take any exception against this example Will yee not be ashamed that your faith should not be like hers As the faith of Abrahā did vtter it selfe to the world so did hers whereby she shewed her selfe to be a right daughter of Abraham although shee were not of his posteritie according to the flesh but came of one of those cursed nations which God had commaunded the children of Israel to roote out and destroy yet I say shee was his daughter according as Saint Paul setteth it forth in the Epistle to the Romanes that hee should be the father not onely of them which are of the Circumcision but also of those that walke in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham like as all his children both of the Iewes and Gentiles must doe which will be blessed with their faithfull father Abraham Then wee haue here the example of the father of all the faithfull with the example of one of his daughters which had been a poore harlot what excuse remaineth or what can wee pretend shall wee not blush and be ashamed to say that we beleeue well and take our selues to be the children of Abraham and the children of God when we are no more like him then as the common saying is an apple is like an oister Christ our Sauiour doeth vse this reason against the Pharisies in the Gospell of Saint Iohn If yee were Abrahams children saith he ye would doe the workes of Abraham but now you go about to kill mee a man that hath tolde you the trueth which I haue heard of God this did not Abraham And a little after Ye are of your father the deuill and the lustes of your father yee will doe What would ye haue more plaine than this Euen the verie seed and posteritie of Abraham which tooke themselues to be the children of Abraham and the children of God yet Christ Iesus telleth them plainely they are the children of the deuill and why Because their workes were not like the workes of Abraham their beliefe was not like his but it was dead Shall wee not then as boldly say at this day nay rather doth not Christ speake as plainly as he did and telleth vngodly men to their face howsoeuer yee bragge of your faith it is but dead and howsoeuer yee boast and take your selues to be the children of God yet in verie deede vnlesse yee returne from your vngodly waies and shew forth the fruites of a true liuely faith yee are the children of the deuill trust not vnto your vaine hope and deade faith for it will but deceiue you Dearely beloued let vs not be so mad when God telleth vs this with his own mouth as to beleeue the contrarie and to perswade our selues wee shall doe well enough although we continue in our sinnes This is a most pestilent craft of Sathan and commeth from the roote of Infidelitie as yee may see in our great grandmother Eue God had told her and Adam that what day soeuer they should eate of the tree they should die the death the deuill told her yee shall not die she beleeued him but beleeued not God shee thought euen as the deuill tolde her shee should doe well enough or els shee would neuer haue eate thereof we haue sucked this poison from her breastes when God telleth vs if your faith bring not foorth good workes it is deade it can not helpe yee if yee continue in these wicked deedes yee are the children of the deuill yee must speedily repent for yee can not when yee would No no saith the deuill on the other side that is not true your faith is good enough goe on yee shall doe well God hath mercie in store yee may repent afterward Now the most doeth beleeue the deuill in this and giue no credit at all vnto God and neuer seeke to trie themselues whether they be in good case or not When the Apostle saith here that Abraham was iustified by workes and that Rahab was iustified by workes c. Wee must note that this word Iustified is taken diuers waies in the scriptures which is one cause as I noted before why Saint Paul and Saint Iames seeme to be contrary Saint Paul proouing that we are iustified by faith taketh it as contrarie to this worde condemned for being by our sinnes guiltie and to receiue the sentence of condemnation we are in Christ into whose mysticall body wee are incorporate thorough faith acquit and discharged which is called iustification this cannot be by the workes of the lawe because there is no perfection in the deedes of any but euen the most pure are vncleane and spotted Therefore as Saint Paul saith they are all