adde that it is but partely But that glose marreth all For heere it is proued that wee can not bee founde righteous before God but by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christe and by resting vpon the saluation which he hathe purchased for vs. The Papists see this well inough and therefore for fashion sake they say we be iustified by fayth but not by fayth onely they will none of that That is the thing that they fighte agaynst and it is the chiefe poynte that is in controuersie betwixte them and vs. But S. Paule bewrayeth heere their beastlynesse when he sayth but by beleefe For that word betokeneth that all that euer men presume to bring vnto God to winne his fauour with is quite cut off Yee see then that the doore is shut agaynst all deseruing when S. Paule auoucheth that there is none other meane than by fayth VVee shall see more playnly hereafter why fayth is so compared with the law as a thing ful but agaynst it For the lawe presupposeth that if wee haue once fulfilled Gods commaundements we shall be taken for good seruants and that he wil pay vs the wages which he hath promised and faith presupposeth vs to be wretched dāned forlorne folke and that we must be fayne to seeke the things that we wante in Iesus Christ As for example There are two men that desire to bee boorded and lodged whereof the one bringeth money with him and lookes to be wel interteined for his wel paying and both of them require meate drinke howsoeuer the cace standeth but the second man is poore hath neither penny nor pennies worth and he desireth almes Thus do both twayne of them matche iuste in one poynt for they desire foode as the thing whereof they haue bothe neede But the first hath money to content his host and lyke as he shall haue fared well and bin well and curteously interteyned so shall his hoste receyue money of him and holde him selfe contented with it and not thinke his guest beholden or bounde vnto him For why he is recompenced yea and he hathe gayned by him But as for the poore man that craueth almes he thinks him selfe beholden for his life to him that fedde him and lodged him for he bringeth him nothing but a charge So then if wee will bee iustified before God by the Lawe we must deserue it so as he may receyue of vs and we of him and there may be as it were an interchaunge betwixte vs. And is that possible No as wee shall see more at large heereafter Therefore wee must conclude that wee bee excluded from the righteousnesse of the Lawe and that if wee thinke to bring any thing to binde God withall we doo but prouoke his wrath Then is there none other shifte but to go to hym like poore beggers and so to be iustified by fayth not as by a vertue that is of our selues but bicause we confesse with all lowlinesse that we can not obteyne saluation but by his free gifte ▪ Thus yee see howe the lawe is set heere full but agaynst fayth as if S. Paule should tell vs that all they which go about to winne Gods fauour by their owne merites forsake the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ as shall be declared more at length hereafter ▪ But now if any man say that the lawe was giuen of God so as it can not haue any contrarietie agaynst fayth whereof God is the author also the answere therevnto is easie For God made bothe day and nighte fire and water colde and heate Now it is certayne that the day is not contrarie to the night but we see the wonderfull order of Gods goodnesse and wisdome in that men haue the lighte of the sunne to doo then worke in by day and the darknesse as it were a couert to rest in by night So then although the day differ from the night yet is there no contrarietie betwixte them neither is there any betweene fire and water so eche creature bee put to his owne proper vse but wee see that God hathe very well agreed the fire and the water and yet notwithstanding if 〈◊〉 beholde them fighting togither then is there greate contrarietie Euen so is it betweene the lawe and the Gospell And if any bodie will haue a man to be iustified bothe by the lawe and by the Gospell to he doth but turmoyle and mingle things togither and it is all one as if he should set heauen and earth togither by the eares To be short it were much easier too mingle fire and water togither than too say that wee can purchace any grace at Gods hand by our own deseruings and therwithall also haue neede to bee succored by our Lord Iesus Christe But if a man consider what the lawe is and too what purpose it was giuen he shall find that it is not whit at all repugnant too the Gospell nor consequently vntoo fayth but that they agree very well Thus ye see how this difficultie is dispatched so that if it be alledged that fayth commeth of God as well as the Law it is true Neuerthelesse it is to be considered as wee shall say hereafter to what end God gaue as well the one as the other But let vs returne too that which S. Paule sayeth He sayeth that wee bee not iustified but by the fayth of our Lord Iesus Christe VVhen he speaketh of beyng iustified lette vs marke that it is all one with beyng reckened or taken for rightuous before God And that woorde had neede too bee well vnderstoode for the cace standeth vppon knowing after what maner wee bee saued But are wee not wretched caytifes if after wee haue liued long in the world a man aske vs whiche is the meane too bee saued and wee cannot tell him VVee shall see many beastly wretches whiche haue deuoured Gods breade and yet notwithstanding cannot tell howe they shoulde offer themselues before him And therefore it behoueth vs to take so much the better heede to the things which are taught vs here by S. Paule He sayeth that we be iustified and how Is it that wee bee rightuous and that there is nothing amisse in vs No but it is for that God accepteth vs. Then is the woorde Rightuousnesse put for the fauour whiche God sheweth vs in that he voutchsafeth too bee our father and too take vs for his children If a man demaunde why the Scripture vseth the woorde Iustifie sith it seemeth too make nothing to the purpose for it might well be sayd God loueth vs God pitieth vs God vouchsafeth to become our father and Sauiour and therfore why should not men rather vse that maner of speach than say that he vouchsafeth to iustifie vs I answer it is not without cause that the scripture speaketh so For if we take the woord Saluation rawly say no more but that we be saued by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we shall not well perceyue what our owne state is nor how
heereafter For hee is called the earnestpenny and the Seale of the heritage that is promised vs and whyche wee looke for Yee see then that Gods spirit must dwell in vs if wee bee hys children But besides this there are also gracious giftes as for example there was in olde time the gift of Tungs the gyfte of prophesying the gift of healing and suche other lyke And euen still at thys day God sheweth well that hee hath not vtterly forsaken hys Church For although visible gyftes reygne not now as they did then yet notwithstanding we may see still that God doth by some meane or other vtter his operation among vs. Furthermore Sainct Paule speaketh heere to all men And therefore according to the common and ordinarie meening of it wee wil take this word Spirit for the renewmēt which God worketh in his children as it is sayd in the third Chapter of Sainct Iohn For in asmuch as we be borne of flesh there is nothing in vs but vtter corruption and we tend always towards the earth No doubt but men glory in their owne wisdome and moreouer thinke that they haue a free choyce and will of their owne to take the good and leaue the euil but those are but dreames For it is certayne that so long as we bee let alone in our owne nature wee tende euermore vntoo euill and the scripture also condemneth vs of it saying that there is not any thought conceyued in mannes mynde but the same is leawd and all our affections are enemies and rebells against God Therefore let vs not beguile ourselues any more with vayne flatteries but acknowledge ourselues too be vtterly marred in Adam so as there is nothing but sinfulnesse in vs. Notwithstanding God prouideth for that mischeefe when he toucheth vs too the quicke by hys holy spirite and so purgeth our harts as we desire to obey him and although we bee not so perfect as were requisite yet we fight against ourselues and go forward still to goodnesse And surely when Gods spirit is as a bridle to vs to hold vs backe in his obediēce it is a sure token that God dwelleth in vs and gouerneth vs as his flocke and holdeth vs for his children For we cannot bee counted Christians without this record that God warranteth himselfe to bee our father and that his holy spirit is as a seale thereof according as I haue already alledged the record of Sainct Paule out of the first to the Ephesians And now he sayth that the Galathians had receyued the spirite of God by the preaching of the Gospell Then seeing it is so it was for too be concluded that the workes of the law could not iustifye them And why For we must always come backe to thys principle which we haue treated of namely that in the Gospell we be vtterly stripped out of all the goodnesse and vertue whiche we thought ourselues to haue and that God doth vs such shame as we be fayne to come to him as quite confounded For although God set oure cursednesse afore vs in the law yet we perceiue it not so well there as in the Gospell And we see how the hipocrites do always flatter themselues and thinke too performe the thynges that are commaunded them But in the Gospell there are two things For God sheweth that there is nothing in vs but pouertie so as we must bee fayne to come to begge his grace with vtter acknowledgement of our bacenesse how that we haue done amisse and haue not one sparke of vertue in vs woorthy of commendation Now then seeing it is so Sainct Paule doth not without cause tell vs heere that such as receiue Gods spirit by the preaching of the Gospell must be voyd of all trust in their owne merites and acknowledge themselues beholden all wholly to Gods meere and free mercie for their whole saluation And why so For they be thinges that can no more match togither than fyre and water that we should be iustifyed by the Gospell and also iustifyed by the law VVhat then Is the Gospell contrary to the law No for as I haue declared already God is author as well of the one as of the other and there is no contrariworking in hym but the question heere concerneth the cace of our saluation God hath gyuen men hys lawe too shewe them the way too lyue well and thereby intended to bring them to suche condemnation as if hee shoulde preferre an inditement agaynst them and put a halter about theyr neckes For truly in the law we see nothing but ▪ Hell gaping open vppon vs that Gods vengeance is ready afore hand to incounter vs and that he is armed against vs as our enimie Those are the thynges whych the law setteth afore vs. But now is the Gospell gyuen vs for a remedy to the end that when we be so in despaire we should flee to the grace that is offered vs in our Lorde Iesus Christe and vnderstand that there is none other way to do vs good than the forgiuenesse of our sinnes whereby God doth so put away and wype out our offences as they come no more to account before him The thing then wherein our righteousnesse consisteth is that hee burdeneth vs not any more with the euil that is in vs. And althogh we see Gods intent and determination to be such both in the law and in the Gospell yet are we sure that there is no contrarietie in it Besydes this also if we be not iustifyed by the Gospell howe can wee attayne saluation by the lawe It is true that the lawe is a preparatiue too bryng vs to the Gospell for so long as men bee puffed vp wyth pryde Gods grace hath no enterance intoo them If a vessell be full of wind let a man labour to put what liquor hee will into it and he shall not get it in bycause the wynde beateth it backe and hindereth the putting of it in And we may perceyue it euen in mannes body for we must bee fayne too take similitudes of worldly things too leade vs to higher thinges If a man be hungrie and yet notwithstanding haue hys stomacke so puffed vp as it cannot abide any thyng hee may well bee full but what for that All is but wind he hath neuer the more nurrishment within for all that but rather the wind hindereth the entering in of any good sustenance to nurrish and mainteine him Euen so is it with the foolish presumpteousnesse that is in vs. VVe beare ourselues in hand that we be well furnished with all thinges that wee haue neede of howbeit that is but wind howsoeuer we fare and that wynd shetteth out Gods grace frō entering in But by the Gospel our Lord bringeth vs low sheweth vs our wretchednes And therefore it behoueth vs to come to it with a consideratiō that our Lord Iesus Christ is set foorth vnto vs there to the end that we seing that there is not one drop of goodnesse in vs
part we also are ioyned in it and God inlargeth his goodnesse and mercie further which hee had appoynted too one certaine linage by that meanes we become parttakers of saluation And that is the thing which Saint Paule treateth of heere when he telleth vs that the Scripture foreseeing that God not onely iustifieth the Iewes but also vseth the lyke mercie towardes the Gentiles whiche were as good as cut off from the house sayth All Nations shall bee blessed in thee Then is there no speaking here of some handfull of men or of some certaine people but without any exception God openeth the gate to all such as had earst bin quite and cleane past hope And therevpon also Saint Paule concludeth that they which are of fayth shall be blessed with faythfull Abraham As if hee shoulde say when God iustified Abraham he had not respect neither to Circumcision nor to any thing that he had wherewith too winne fauour after the opinion of men but receyued him in another kew that is to wit as a beleeuing man God therefore contented himselfe with Abrahams fayth onely And in that respect also it was his will too make him the father of the whole Church Seeing then that God made none account of any thing else in Abraham but of his fayth let vs conclude that God doth nowe still receyue vs to him in likewise if we haue the like fayth that Abraham had though not in like measure and that God taketh it in good worth though we do but follow him aloofe Then belongeth not this blessing to Abrahams fleshly ofspring onely but also too those that were straungers too him so there bee the like substaunce and fashion of fayth in them Howebeeit too the ende wee take profite by this doctrine let vs remember what I haue touched alreadie that is to wit what it is too be of faith namely that it is a reposing of our selues wholy in Gods mere mercie But Saint Paule setteth down a comparison of things contrarie and which can no more agree than fire and water that is to wit of beeing of the lawe and of beeing of fatyh Yet followeth it not that the lawe commeth not of God insomuch that if we reiect it at whom doth such contempt poynt Is not Gods authoritie impeached thereby But in these wordes of Lawe and Fayth S. Paule respecteth not simplie the doctrine of eyther of them but the hope of saluation that men may conceyue of them For the rightuousnesse of fayth hath his recorde of the lawe and the Prophetes as Saint Paule sayth in the third to the Romanes They be not contrarie things but the diuersitie of them is in this that such as misknowe themselues and are blinded with hypocrisie thinke too purchaze fauour in Gods sight by keeping the Lawe whiche thing is impossible Those therefore are of the lawe whiche holde of the Lawe as though they were able too earne the heritage of the heauenly life at Gods hande On the contrarie part they that are needie yea or rather vtterly emptie of themselues acknowledging that they haue not so muche as one droppe of grace in them they are of fayth For why they forsake themselues and seeke theyr rightuousnesse elsewhere They come and offer them selues lyke poore beggers vnto God to the ende he shoulde fill them whereas they were vtterly emptie before Therfore marke it for a scholepoynt that by the force of fayth we must be quite ridde of all selfe-trust and of all ouerweening of our owne merites and haue oure whole refuge to Gods mere goodnesse But truly we cannot come right forth vnto God without some meane our Lorde Iesus Christ must be faine too make vs way thither and all this is comprehended vnder the worde fayth For fayth is not an imagination of mens owne forging it is an assurednesse which wee conceyue of Gods goodnesse when he commeth to vs and vttereth familiarly the loue that he beareth vs. Then must the promise go before or else there shall be no following of fayth To be short whosoeuer hath not bin trayned in the Gospell can haue no fayth at all For God must first haue told vs that he loueth vs or else we cannot rest vpō his goodnesse nor call vpon him as our father Now let vs see what this promise is God not only saith that he wil haue pitie vpō vs but also telleth vs that although we be wretched sinners yet he will not ceasse to accept vs bycause he buryeth all our sinnes namely by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christ for that sacrifize must needes come forth euery where where any mention is made of the forgiuing of sinnes Neuer can there be any pardon gotten at Gods hand except there be bloudsheding with it for a satisfaction So then the foundation of this promise where God sayth that he wil be merciful to vs is Christes sheading of his bloud to wash away our spots and his offering vp of himselfe for a full amends to pacifie the wrath of God his father Thus ye see how that if we be of fayth we haue our eies fastened vpon Iesus Christ and our rest and quietnesse is altogither in his death and passion which is the onely meane too reconcile vs vnto God Also let vs marke that to bee blessed and to be iustified are al one thing accordingly as S. Paule declareth heere Hardly shal a man finde one among thirtie of such as are called Christians that can skill to define this worde iustifie And surely it is a foule shame that we shoulde haue our eares dayly beaten with the Gospell and yet notwithstanding bee ignorant of the cheefe article of our fayth Then to be iustified is not too haue any rightuousnesse in a mans selfe but to be admitted for rightuous at Gods hande though we be not so And here ye see why I sayd that we haue a good opening of this doctrine in that Saint Paule setteth downe the worde Blesse in stead of the worde Iustifie which he had vsed afore according to the fourth of the Romanes where hee sayeth that the rightuousnesse of fayth is that our sinnes are forgiuen vs. Forsomuch then as God is fauourable and louing to vs and receyueth vs as his children therefore it is sayde that wee bee iustified before him And why iustified Bycause he cannot loue sinners till hee haue forgiuen their sinnes and put them quite away VVe knowe that forasmuch as God is rightuous hee cannot agree with sinne but muste needes alwayes hate it Then sith the cace standeth so if we intend to haue his fauour we must needes be first clenzed of our offences For so long as they come to reckening God must needes hate vs and curse vs. But contrariwize when he wipeth away all our sinnes then receyueth he vs to mercie And by that meanes do we begin to be blessed of him Are wee then blessed that is to say be loued of God Verely we are therewithall iustified also that is to say wheras
from the rightuousnesse of fayth is too shewe that they bee vnmatchable and can no more bee ioyned togither than fyre and water True it is that there is no contrarietie betwixt the Lawe and the Gospell as I haue sayde afore for wee knowe that both twaine of them doo come of God But heere it behoueth vs too take Gods meening in such wise as he declareth it to vs which is that by setting the rightuousnesse of the Law before vs he intendeth to humble vs and to make vs condemne our selues when we come before him which thing wee woulde neuer do if he should not bewray our wretchednesse Therfore when he sayth that wee shall be iustifyed by keeping of the Lawe it is all one as if hee should say wretched wightes what woorthinesse or valure weene you to be in your selues VVey my commaundements and consider what they import and therewithall bethinke your selues how euery of you hath liued and ye shall be as good as drowned in despayre VVhen God hath sayd so he addeth the remedie Come saith he to the doctrine of the Gospell And what a maner a one is that Saint Paule alledgeth heere the saying of Abacucke how that the rightuous shall liue by fayth And in the same place which I haue alledged he openeth himselfe howe that it behoueth to resort wholy to our Lorde Iesus Christ For the worde that ought too bee in our mouth and in our heart to bring vs vnto God and too open vs the kingdome of heauen is not a worde that serueth to holde vs downe heere beneath nor too make men beleeue that God will allowe of our owne desertes nor too puffe vs vp with pryde no but too holde vs fast to our Lorde Iesus Christ Therefore when we knowe that our sinnes are wyped out by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and that by his resurrection suche rightuousnesse is purchased for vs that in stead of beeing damned too the gulfe of hell which is the heritage that belongeth to vs and whereof we be worthie we be made heyres of the kingdome of heauen and when we know that in Iesus Christ we recouer all that we had lost in Adam and the cursednesse wherein we be wrapped is taken from vs and God hathe sette vs free that is Gods iustifying of vs by fayth And in good fayth when wee haue well considered the circumstance of the text that Saint Paule alledgeth out of the Prophete Abacucke wee shall see plainly that that is the thing wherevnto the holy Ghost leadeth vs. For the Prophete had spoken of the chastizements and corrections which God would send vpon the people so as to looke vnto all shoulde seeme too bee confounded Now therevpon hee sayth that the wicked shall but swell more and more in their pride howbeit that they shall haue no sure footing but shal stūble with all their sway bicause they wil nedes exalt themselues they shall the more cast thēselues down with so much the sorer fouler fal That thē is the thing which the prophet vttereth against the wicked And he addeth on the cōtrarie part but the rightuous shal liue by faith Now wheras he saith that the rightuous shal liue it is all one as if he had said that gods children shal not find their life neere at hand in themselues but that euen when they shall haue traueled ouer all the world vp down it shal seme to thē that there is nowhere any thing else thā the very dungeons of death yet notwithstāding that missing of a presēt life they shal find a life to come when they shall haue nurrished it in their harts mindes by fayth VVe see thē that the Prophets intent is to draw Gods chosen both from the world and frō thēselues to the end they may cleaue wholy vnto him and not seke any other meanes to be saued than by his only grace But S. Paule hath spoken more breefly here bycause he was fully resolued of all that I haue declared heretofore and which hee himselfe hath discoursed that is to witte That fayth teacheth vs too seeke all oure welfare in God But the Lawe teacheth vs the contrarie I say it teacheth vs it to the ende too shewe vs that to seeke it throughly wee must acknowledge that there is not so much as one drop of lyfe in vs. The Lawe then sayth vnto vs go to take yee paynes and do yee so much as ye may winne heauen by it And why doth the Lawe say so Not too feede men in their vaine self trust of weening still that they can deserue well at Gods hād it is not for that but to prepare thē to receyue the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ with lowlinesse For as I haue sayd alreadie when we keepe our selues aloof from God and euery man beares himselfe in hand that he is well worthie to be accepted of him our Lorde will surely be aduenged of such presumptuousnesse and sayth Go to let me see what ye haue done come on and let vs fall to reckening and let him that oweth aught to other pay it Ye shal not be disappointed by me I haue your wages in my hande it is readie for you and if ye shall haue done all that I haue commaunded you feare not but you shall be well payde for your labor Therefore hie you apace and let me see how you will serue me But as I sayd our Lord in saying so prepareth and dispozeth vs to know in what plight we be For when we once perceiue our owne neede then will wee seeke our wantes at his hand Thus ye see how the Lawe leadeth vs to fayth but it is a straunge kinde of leading Howsoeuer the cace stand there is alwaies this cōtrarietie which S. Paule setteth down here namely that we cannot be iustified by fayth except we haue first knowne and acknowledged vnfeynedly that we be damned in our selues and that the groūd of our welfare is to know that there is nothing but damnation in vs. Now at the first sight it might be sayd that S. Paule hath stretched this saying of Abacucks too farre seing he spake there but of the afflictions of this transitorie life The rightuous shall liue that is to say he shal holde out and although God afflict him scourge him yet shall he not quayle if he ground himselfe vpon Gods promises And here the cace concerneth not Gods comforting and deliuering of vs from the miseries wherevnto wee bee subiect in this world but it concerneth our euerlasting saluation which farre passeth all the state of this transitorie life It seemeth therefore that S. Paule applyeth not this Text of the Prophete aright Howbeeit let vs marke that if the Prophet had looked no further than too thys worlde that saying of his had bin very vaine seeing that afflictions are common both to good and bad Againe howe is it that we lyue by fayth Seeing we bee continually subiect to fall into the same daunger