meanes seperated from the vnbeléeuers Or inasmuch as it was with God from eternitie before men were borne Of this Paule speaketh writing to the Galaâ—hians that hée was sette aparte to preach the Gospell from his mothers wombe longe before hée was conuerted And vnto the Ephesians also he sayth that we were predestinate before the foundation of the worlde were layde And to the Romanes of the Twinnes he sayth before they hadde done either good or bad Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated And we at this present speake of this eternall Predestination of God Wherefore the other is nothing but a declaration of this Predestination therefore maye bée taken both commonly and properly But forsomuch as God doth all thinges by an appointed Counsell and nothing by chaunce or fortune vndoubtedly whatsoeuer he createth or doth he appointeth to some ende and vse After this manner neither the wicked nor the Diuell himselfe nor sinners canne be excluded from Predestination for all these things doth God vse according to his will c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 291. Augustine in his booke De Predestinatione sanctorum the 10. Chapter thus defineth Predestination that it is a preperation of grace And in the. 12. Chapter hée sayth it is foreknowledge and a preparation of the gifts of GOD by which they are certeinly deliuered which are deliuered but the rest are left in the masse and lumpe of perdition In an other place he calleth it the purpose of hauing mercye The Maister of the Sentences in the first booke Distinct. 40. defineth it to bée a preparation of grace in this present time and of glorye in time to come These definitions I reiect not Howbeit because they comprehende not the whole matter I will bring in an other definition more full as nigh as I canne I saye therefore that Predestination is the most wise purpose of GOD whereby he hath before all eternitie constantlye decréed to call those whome hée hath loued in Christ to the adoption of his children to iustification by faith and at length to glorye through good workes that they maye bée made lyke to the Image of the sonne of God and that as then should bée declared the glorye and mercye of the creator This definition as I thinke comprehendeth all thinges that perteine vnto the nature of Predestination and all the partes thereof maye be proued by Scripture Pet. Mart. vpon the Rom. fol. 292. Predestination wée call the eternall and immutable decrée of God by the which he hath once determined with himselfe what hée will haue to bée done with euerye man For he hath not created all to bée of one condition Or if we will haue the definition of Predestination more large wée saye that it is the most wise most iust purpose of God by the which before all times hée constantly hath decréed to call those whome hee hath loued in Christ to the knowledge of himselfe and of his sonne Christ Iesus that they maye bée assured of theyr adoption by the iustification of fayth which working in them by charitie maketh their workes to shine before men to the glorie of their Father so that they made conforme to the Image of the same God maye finally receiue the glorye which is prepared for the vessells of mercye These latter partes to wit of vocation iustification of fayth and of the effect of the same I haue added for such as thinke that wée imagine it sufficient that we bée predestinate howe wickedlye soeuer wée liue We constantly affirme the playne contrarye to wit that none liuing wickedly canne haue the assuraunce that he is predestinate to lyfe euerlasting yea though man and Angell woulde beare recorde with him yet will his owne conscience condempne him vnto such time as he vnfeinedly turne from his conuersation Knox. Who hath predestinate vs to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ. ¶ This is the true vnderstanding of Predestination that without anye merites or deseruings of ours yea afore the foundation of the world was laid GOD hath decreed with himselfe to saue through Christ all them that doe beléeue How Predestination was the first worke that God made God before the beâ—inning of the worlde did worke but onelye the worke of Predestination of the which Saint Paule sayth Ephesians 1. GOD hath predestinate and chosen vs to him through Christ our Lord before the foundation of the world was laide So that the work of Predestination was the first worke of God that we doe reade of in the scripture which was perfectly finished before the world began The second worke of God was the worke of creation that is of making all things of nothing Of this worke it is written Qui viuit in eternum creauit omnia semel He that liueth euerlastingly without beginning and without ending made all things at once By all thinges is vnderstoode the matter and substaunce whereof all thinges was afterwarde made which is called of Moses Coelum terram That vndigested and vnshaped and vnfashioned lumpe called of the Poettes Chaos whereof all the Firmament and the foure Elementes were afterwarde made that was made by the woorke of creation Idque semel and that all at once The worke of creation béeing ended God procéeded to the diuiding and setting of things in order which is called Opus distinctionis And in this worke we reade that GOD was occupied sixe daies This worke béeing ended almightie God ceased from making of any mo new things and yet he neuerthelesse worketh continually in the redressing in the preseruing and in the gouerning of the things that he hath made Indéede vpon the sixt day he made man and blessed him with the strength of generation in his posteritie vnto the end of the worlde by vertue of which blessing all men doe increase doe multiplye doe flourish and come into the world And yet notwithstanding that work of the sixt day God stil a pace worketh by his diuine prouidence gouerning of man wonderfully which is called Opus gubernationis for the which his worke we are bound euery man to praise him and to magnifie him according as we be taught by the prophet in the Psalme saieng in the person of Christ O Father Tues qui extraxisti me de ventre c. Thou art he yâ— tookest me out of my Mothers wombe Ric. Turnar No reason can be giuen why God did predestinate this man more then that but onely that it was his pleasure so to doe I aske how came it to passe that the fall of Adam did wrap vs in eternal death so many nations with their children being infants without remedy but because it so pleased God Heare their tongues which are otherwise so pratling must of necessity be dumb It is a terrible decrée I grauÌ„t yet no man shal be able to deny but yâ— God foreknew what end man shuld haue ere hee â—reated him therfore foreknew it because he had so
that his body was slaine and his bloud shed for thy sins beléeuest it so art thou saued iustified therby if not so helpeth it thée not though thou herest a thousand Masses in a day or though thou dost nothing els al thy life long then eat his body drink his bloud no more then it shuld help thée in a dead thirst to behold a bush at a Tauerne dore if thou knewest not therby the ther wer wine wtin to be solde Tin This word sacrament did not signifie the same with the olde Writers as it doth now in the Church for they call a sacrament the oth or religious bond which was of the strength of an oth So they called yâ— souldiers oth wherby they sware when they shuld go a warfare for the Common wealth that they would serue faithfully The souldiers sacrament as we may perceiue by Seruius and Vigetius in their bookes of warre matters Augustine defineth a sacrament in this sort The visible sacrifice saith he is the sacrament of the inuisible sacrifice that is to say the holy signe And againe A sacrament saith he is a visible forme of an inuisible grace c. Musc. fol. 272. S. Austen describeth a sacrament thus The word of God comming to the Element maketh the sacrament And againe in another place he saith A sacrament is a thing wherin the power of God vnder the forme of visible things doth worke secret saluation And the Master of the sentences doeth describe a sacrament none otherwise A Sacrament saith he is an inuisible grace and hath a visible forme and by this inuisible grace saith he I meane remission of sinnes In the b. of Mar. fo 1352. What the Sacrament doth signifie The signification and substaunce of the Sacrament is to shewe how we are fed with the body of Christ that is that like as materiall bread feedeth the body so the body of Christ nailed vpon the Crosse embraced and eaten by faith féedeth the soule The like representation is also made in the Sacrament of Baptime that as our bodies is washed cleane with water so is our soules cleane with Christs bloud How the sacrament is called the body of Christ. It is called the body of Christ that is to say it signifieth the body of Christ. Glosa de consecra dist 2. Hoc est The right consecrating of the sacrament The same Christ that did adorne and beautifie the Table is now present and he doth consecrate the same also For it is not men that doth make these things that be set before vs of the consecration of yâ— Lords table to be yâ— body bloud of Christ but the same Christ which was crucified for vs. The words are pronounced by the mouth of the Priest but the things are consecrated by the power grace of God This is saith he my body by this word are the things yâ— are set before vs consecrated And euen as yâ— voice which saith grow be multiplied replenish yâ— earth was but once spoken but yet doth at all times by the work of nature féele effect to generation so that voice also was but once spoken yet it giueth sure staye to the sacrifice throughout al yâ— tables of the Church euen to this daye from henceforth til his comming ¶ Chrisostome doth héere compare yâ— words yâ— Christ spake at yâ— insitution of his supper to the words yâ— God spake when he appointed man to be multiplied by generation affirmeth yâ— the same power yâ— worketh stil in the one doth stil work in the other also Not to charm out the substance of breadâ— to charme in yâ— substance of Christ vnder the accideÌ„ts of bread as you do teach meaning Watson But yâ— as by naturall order yâ— generation of mankind is continued according to the first voice so the inuisible graces yâ— wer promised by the death bloudshedding of our Sauiour Christ are by yâ— sacramentall vse of these creatures according to his commaundement continually preached to our senses and by â—aith receiued into our soules Crowley How the sacrament is a memoriall or signe of Christs death If Iesus haue not dyed whose memoriall and signe is this Sacrifice Thou seest what diligence he gaue that we shuld continually keepe in memory that he dyed for vs c. ¶ Héere Chrisostome calleth the Sacrament a memoriall or signe of Christ and that it was instituted to kéepe his death in perpetuall remembraunce And where he calleth it a Sacrifice he meaneth it to be a remembraunce of that holy sacrifice that Christ made vpon the Câ—osse once for all for he can be sacrificed no more seeing he is immortall I. Frith How the sacrament is receiued with our mouth Rabanus Maurus saith The sacrament is receiued with the mouth of our body but the body of Christ is receiued into the inner man and that with the spirituall mouth of our soule How the sacrament is more then bare bread or wine Our Bread and Cup be not of the common sort as in stéede of Christ bound togethers in eares of corne and twigs as they that is the Maniches do foolishly imagine but by vndoubted consecration it is made vnto vs mystical or sacramental bread it doth not growe such wherefore that foode that is not so made although it be bread and wine it is a nourishment of refection but not a sacrament of religion otherwise then that we blesse and giue thankes to God in all his gifts not onely spirituall but corporall also How the sacrament is made of two natures Ireneus saith that the Sacrament is made of two natures of an heauenly nature of a terrenall earthly nature now take away the substaunce of bread what earthly nature or substaunce remaineth in this holy Sacrament How sacraments are no cause of grace In Sacraments the onely promise of God by Christ both by word and signe are exhibited vnto vs which promises if we apprehende by faith then is the grace increased in vs and the gifte of God by faith receiued is by the Sacrament â—ealed in vs. What ought to be considered in sacraments S. Augustine saith in Sacraments we must consider not they be indéede but what they signifie All misteries or sacraments must be considered with inward eyes that is to say spiritually How the sacraments are holie whether the minister or receiuer be good or bad S. Augustin in this place against the Donatists shooteth not at this But whether Christs verye naturall bodie be receiued with our mouths but whether the Sacraments in generall bee receiued both of good and bad And he declareth that it is all one water whether Symon Peter or Symon Magus be christened in it all one Table of the Lord and one Cup whether Peter sup thereat or Iudas all one Oyle whether Dauid or Saule were annoynted therewith Wherefore he concludeth thus Memento ergo sacramentis Dei c. Remember
for of iust is deriued Iustice. And to say briefely to be iust is to be cleare sound and vpright according to the degrée condition office person which euery man beareth and to aunswere the same in all pointes without blame Each degrée condition estate and person hath his order and Iustite c. Musc. in his Com. pla fo 421. IVSTIFICATION What is vnderstood by Iustification BY iustifieng vnderstande none other thing then to be reconciled to God and to be restored into his fauour and to haue thy sinnes forgiuen thee As when I say God iustifieth vs vnderstand thereby that God for Christs sake merites and deseruings onely receiueth vs vnto his mercie fauour and grace and forgiuenesse of our sinnes And when I say Christ iustifieth vs vnderstand thereby that Christ onely hath redéemed vs bought vs deliuered vs out of the wrath of God and damnation and hath with his works onely purchased vs the mercie fauour and grace of God and the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And when I say Faith onely iustifieth vnderstand thereby that Faith and trust in the trueth of God and in the mercie promised vs for Christs sake and for his deseruings workes onely doth quiet the conscience and certefie hir that our sinnes be forgiuen and we in the fauour of God Tindale in his Prologue to the Romanes To iustifie is nothing els then to acquite him that was accused from all filthinesse as allowing his innocencie sith therefore God iustifieth vs by the intercession of Christ he doeth acquite vs not by allowaunce of our innocencie but by imputation of righteousnesse that we maye be counted for righteous in Christ which are not righteous in our selues Cal. 3. bo chap. 11. sect 3. This word iustifie in the Latine mens eares is as much to say as to make iust lyke as magnifie to make great and sanctifie to make holy And this sence of this word the Diuine schoolemen like well which they that doe followe them doe yet earnestly stand vnto Augustine also doth in diuers places still expound this word of iustifieng in this sence when he saith Beléeuing in him which iustifieth the wicked that is to say of the wicked doth make godly The Apostle Paule out of whose writings this entraunce of Iustification is principally taken vsed the word of iustifieng not in the sence that the Latine eares doe like but in that sence which the holy Scripture vseth it according to the custome of the holy language in which he was born brought vp and instructed in from his childhood In that language to iustifie is as as much to say as to quite a man of his offence and to pronounce him iust The contrary of it is to condemne a man of naughtinesse and wickednesse c. This word iustifie is not to make one iust which is vniust and wicked but is vsed in euery place for to quite a man of his fault and to pronounce and declare him iust Musc. fol. 222. How we are iustified freely and by Faith onely It is also the cause why Faith is plainly called by S. Paule the Faith of the chosen and for the which Iustification is attributed vnto it that honour is giuen vnto it forsomuch as many doth acknowledge himselfe by the same such as he is of his owne nature to wit a poore and miserable sinner the childe of wrath subiect to death and eternall damnation therefore spoyling himselfe of his owne Iustice and of all trust in his owne workes and merites he doth imbrace Iesus Christ to be cladde with his Iustice to the ende that by it his sinnes may be couered in such sort that they come not to count at the iudgement of God and so that the poore sinner by reputed iust as though he had neuer offended and that because the Iustice of Christ is allowed vnto him Faith as though the same were proper to the man to whom it is allowed Pet. Viret All men are sinners and want the glory of God but they are iustified fréely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ. ¶ Héere Paule saith We are iustified fréely If there bée any deseruing lesse or more then it is not freely He saith also Of grace if it be any part of workes then it is not of grace for as S. Paule saith Then grace were no grace S. Ambrose saith vpon this place of S. Paule All men are sinners c. They are iustified fréely saith S. Ambrose for they doing nothing nor nothing deseruing alonely by Faith are iustified by the gifte of God Héere Saint Ambrose saith Men working nothing nor nothing deseruing are iustified by Faith onely D. Barnes ¶ Origen vpon the same tâ—xt saith That the Iustification of Faith is alonely sufficient so that a man do beleeue onely he is iustified though there be no woâ—â—â—es â—oke of him at al. By Faith was the théefe iustified without yâ— workes of y◠〈…〉 for yâ— Lord did not aske him what he had done nor looke for any works of him but did accept him onely for confessing of Christ. Wherefore saith Origen a man is iustified by Faith vnto whome as concerning Iustification the works of the law help nothing ¶ Héere it is plaine by Origen that workes doe helpe nothing to Iustification but Faith onely D. Barnes What thing doth purchase Iustification The same thing that purchaseth remission of our sinnes doth also purchase Iustification For Iustification is nothing els but remission of sinnes Now Faith purchaseth vs remission of sinnes Ergo by Faith we are iustified Now that Faith purchaseth remission of sinnes is well proued by the Article of our Faith Credo remissionem peccatorum I beléeue remission of sinnes Now if I haue not this remission for Faith then Faith deceiueth me For I doe beleeue onely because I would haue remission of sinnes What néede we to beléeue remission of sinnes if I may deserue it by workes D. Barnes What the true way of Iustification is The very true way of Iustification is this First commeth God for the loue of Christ Iesus alonely of his méere mercie and giueth vs fréely the gifte of Faith whereby we doe beléeue God and his holy word sticke fast vnto the promises of God and beléeue that though heauen and earth and all that is in them should perish and come to naught yet God shall be founde true in his promise For this faith sake be we the children of God This is not such a Faith as men dreame when they beléeue that there is one God and beléeue that he is eternall beléeue also that he made the world of naught yea and beléeue that the Gospell is true and all things that God speaketh must be true and fulfilled with other such things This is not the Faith that we be iustified by for Diuells and Infidells haue this faith and also we may atteine to these things by the strength of reasonâ— But the Faithâ— that shall iustifie vs must be of another manner
that saieng Cursed is he that abideth not in all things that are written in the lawe Therefore he that teacheth the lawe is a minister of the lawe c. Luth. vpon the Gal. fol. 69. What the lawe of nature is The law of nature is that light and iudgement of reason whereby we doe discerne betwixt good and euill Thomas Aquinus saith that the law of nature is nothing els but the perticipation of the eternall law in a reasonable creature That definition indeede doth expresse vnto vs of whom this iudgement light of reason commeth vnto vs that is to say from the eternal law but what it is it declareth not And that parte in a reasonable creature maye comprise also Angells of whose nature heere is nothing in question Other doe define this lawe more largely in this sort The lawe of nature is the common sentence of iudgement wherevnto all men together assent and furder which God graued in euery mans minde appointed to frame mens manners withall c. Musc. fol. 30. What the lawe written is We call that the lawe written which God gaue to Israel by Moses and which Moses comprehended in his booke of Exodus and Leuiticus Numery and Deuteronomy This was deliuered vnto Moses by Angels and Steuen witnesseth saieng Ye haue receiued the lawe by the order of Angells And the Apostle saith The lawe is giuen by Angells in the hand of a Mediatour The same they doe commonly deuide and well inough for the purpose into the Morall precepts Iudiciall and Ceremoniall or into precepts statutes and iudgements By statutes they vnderstand all that pertaineth vnto rites ceremonies by Morall precepts the Tables by Iudicialls all those lawes which they vse in the matters and controuersies of the policies and for punishment of the offenders Musculus fol. 34. How the Lawe is our schoolemaister The schoolemaster is appointed for the childe to teach him to bring him vp and to kéepe him as it were in prison but to what ende and how long Is it to the ende that this straight sharpe dealing of the schoolmaster should alwaies continue Or that the childe should remaine in continuall bondage Not so but onely for a time that this obedience this prison and correction might tourne to the profite of the childe that in time hée might be heire and Prince For it is not the fathers will that his sonne should alwaies be subiect to the schoolemaister and alwayes beaten with roddes but that by his instruction and discipline he may be made able and meete to be his fathers successour Euen so the lawe saith Paule is nothing els but a schoolmaister not for euer but till it haue brought vs to Christ as in other wordes he said also before The lawe was giuen for transgressions vntill the blessed séede shuld come Also the scripture hath all vnder sinne Againe we were kept vnder shut vp vnto faith which should after be reuealed wherefore the law is not onely a schoolemaister but it is a schoolemaister to bring vs vnto Christ. What a schoolemaister were he which would alwaies torment and beate the childe and teach him nothing at all And yet such schoolemaisters were there in time past when schooles were nothing els but a prison and a very hell the schoolmaisters cruell tyraunts and very butchers The children were alwaies beaten they learned with continuall paine and trauaile and yet fewe of them came to any proofe The Lawe is not such a schoolemaister for it doth not onely terrifie and torment as the foolish schoolmaister beateth his scholers teacheth them nothing but with his rods he driueth vs to Christ like as a good schoolemaister instructeth and exerciseth his scholers in reading and writing to the ende they maye come to the knowledge of good letters and other profitable things that afterward they may haue a delight in dooing of that which before when they were constrained thervnto they did against their wils c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 163. How the lawe first entred The lawe entred first into the world by mans disobedience in Paradise was not so much giuen by Gods owne frée motion as by mans owne séeking wilfull procuring which neuer was nor neuer shall be in his power to perfourme Fox in his sermon of Christ crucified How the lawe was giuen in thunder The lawe was giuen in thunder lightening fire smoke and the voice of a trumpet and terrible sight Exo. 20. 18. So that the people quaked for feare and stood a farre off saieng vnto Moses Speake thou vnto vs and we will heare let not the Lord speake to vs least we dye No eare if it be awaked and vnderstand the meaning is able to abide the voice of the lawe except the promises of mercie be by That thunder except the raine of mercie be ioined therewith destroieth all and buildeth not The law is a witnesse against vs and testifieth that God abhorreth the sins that are in vs and vs for our sinnes sake Tindale fol. 118. ¶ The ceremoniall iudiciall lawes were reuealed of God to Moses by the Angells and by Moses to the people and by Moses at Gods commaundement they were inserted into a written booke But the lawe of the ten commaundements was not reuealed by man or any meanes of man but by God himselfe at the mount Sina and written not by the hand of Moses but with the finger of God in tables not made of matter easie to be dissolued but made of stone to indure for euer Bull. fo 111. Wherefore the lawe was giuen The lawe was giuen saith S. Austen that man might finde himselfe not to make his sicknesse whole but by his preaching the sicknesse increased the Phisition might be sought Wherefore the lawe threatning not fulfilling that thing that he commaundeth maketh a man to be vnderneth him But the law is good if a man vse it wel What is that to vse the law wel By the law to know our selues to séeke Gods help to help our health ¶ Héere we sée by S. Austen that the commandements of God giueth vs no strength nor yet declareth any strengh to be in vs but sheweth vs our dutie and weaknesse and also mooueth vs and causeth vs to séeke further for strength D. Barnes ¶ Of profiting to craue the grace of Gods helpe Augustine speaketh ofte as when he writeth to Hilary The lawe commaundeth that endeuouring to do the things commaunded and being wearied with our weakenesse vnder the lawe we should learne to aske the helpe of grace Againe to Aselius The profit of the lawe is to conuince man of his owne weaknesse compell him to craue the Phisicke of grace which is in Christ. Againe to Innocent of Rome The lawe commaundeth and grace ministreth strength to doe Againe to Valentine God commaundeth these things y◠we cannot doe that we may learne to know what to aske of him Againe The law was giuen
works that I haue they come of thée First of all thou must beléeue that thou canst not haue remission of sinnes but through pardon and forgiuenesse of God And then next that thou canst haue no good worke except hée giue it thée Last of all that euerlasting life cannot be deserued with any workes except it be giuen vnto thee also fréely What worthy thing doe we that we maye be founde in the heauenly spirits The Apostle saith I iudge that the afflictions of this time are not worthy of that glory that shall be reuealed in vs therefore I take him to be the sounder Diuine the faithfuller Catholike and more agréeable to the holy scriptures that vtterly denyeth all such kinde of merits Waldensis in his booke against Wicleffe Meritum meum c. My merite saith Saint Barnard is the mercie of God So long as God is not poore of mercie so long cannnot I be poore of merite If his mercie bee great then am I great in merite This is the whole merite of man if he put his whole affiaunce in the Lord. Forasmuch as all men are shut vp and closed vnder sinne now the saluation of man standeth not in mans merits but in Gods mercie For nothing thou shouldest saue them What is meant by these words For nothing thou shouldest saue them This is the meaning Thou findest nothing in them wherefore thou shouldest saue them and yet thou sauest them Thou findest nothing wherefore thou shouldest saue them but thou findest wherefore thou shouldest saue them but thou findest wherefore thou shouldest condemne them Aug de verbis Apostoli sermo 15. Againe Deserued paine would throwe all men into death vnlesse the vndeserued grace of God deliuered some from it Trust in mens merits leadeth to desperation and therefore S. Cypriane saith They teach vs night in stéede of day destruction in stéede of health desperation vnder the colour of hope infidelitie vnder the pretence of faith Antichrist vnder the name of Christ. Doth he thanke that seruaunt ¶ Christ doth héere with a lyuely example teach vs that nothing is due to our merites or much rather that we deserue nothing at all Our duetie is to walke diligently and with all feare in the commaundements of God and if he rewardeth vs any thing it is of his mercie and goodnesse Sir I. Cheeke How the name of merite ought to be abolished The name of merit if we will speake properly ought to be banished out of our mouths I knowe that the fathers somtimes vsed that word but yet not properly But that worde is not found in all the holy Scriptures For the nature of merite is that there be a iust proportion and equall consideration betwéene that which is giuen and that which is taken But betwéene the good things which we looke for those things which we either suffer or doe there is no proportion or agréement For Saint Paule saith that the passions of this time are not worthy the glory to come which shall be reuealed in vs. Farther merit hath ioyned vnto it debt which thing Paule testifieth when he saith that to him which worketh reward is rendered according vnto debt is not imputed according to grace Which selfe same Paule writeth expresly that the grace of God is eternall life Lastly vnto the nature of merite there is required that that which is giuen pertaineth to the giuer and be not due vnto him which receiueth it but workes are not of our selues for they are called the gifte of God which he worketh in vs. Wherefore Augustine verye wisely saith that God doeth crowne his giftes in vs. Now if our workes be due vnto him which we cannot denie then vndoubtedly the nature of merite is vtterly taken away c. Pet. Mart. vpon the Rom. fol. 39. Saint Austen saith Let merites of men héere holde theyr peace which haue perished by Adam and let the grace of God raigne by Iesus Christ. Againe The Saints giue nothing to their owne merits they will giue all to none but to thy mercie O God In another place When man seeth that whatsoeuer good he hath he hath it not of himselfe but from his God he séeeth that all that is praised in him is not of his owne merites but of the mercie of God You sée how taking from men yâ— power of dooing well he also throweth downe the dignitie of merit And Chrisostome saith Our workes if there be any which followe the frée calling of God are repaiment and debt but the gifts of God and grace and bountifulnesse and the greatnesse of liberall giuing But leauing the name lette vs looke vpon the thing I haue verely before alledged a sentence out of Barnard as it sufficeth to merit not to presume to merite so to want merits sufficeth to iudgment but by adding foorthwith an exposition he sufficiently mitigateth the hardnesse of yâ— word where he saith Therefore care thou to haue merites when thou hast them knowe that they are giuen hope for fruit the mercie of God and so thou hast escaped all daunger of pouertie vnthankfulnesse and presumption Happy is the Church which neither wanteth merites without presumption nor presumption without merites And a little before he had largely shewed how godly a meaning he vsed For of merites saith he why should the Church be carefull which hath a stedfaster and a surer cause to glory of the purpose of God God cannot denye himselfe he will doe that which he hath promised If there be no cause why shouldest aske by what meanes may we hope for good things Specially when thou hearest sayd Not for your sakes but for my sake it sufficeth to merite to know that merites suffice not Caluine in his Inst. 3. b. cha 15. sect 2. S. Barnard saith Non est qua gratia intret c. Where merite hath taken vp the roome ther is no place for grace to enter Bar. super Canti Ser. 17. Saint Augustine saith Hoc est electio gratia c. This is the election of grace because 〈…〉 good merites of manâ—â— are preuented For if it were giuen by any good merites then wer it not giuen frée but rendred as ought And by this means it is not by a true name called grace where reward is As the saine Apostle saith it is not imputed according to grace but according to dutie But if that it be true grace yâ— is to say fréely giuen it findeth nought in man to whom it may be worthely owing August lib. de patientia cap. 2. Of two kindes of meriting There be two kindes of meriting that is to say of good and euill The good kinde of meriting is by Christ through Christ for Christ and in Christ. That is by casting all our care on him onely hauing him continually beaten and crucified before our eyes and crucifieng our selues vnto the world hauing no trust in our selues nor in any worke that we can doe or any other for vs setting
ordeined by his decrée If any man héere inueigh against the foreknowledge of God he rashly vnaduisedly stuÌ„bleth For what matter is there I beséech you why the heauenly Iudge should be accused for yâ— he was not ignoraÌ„t of yâ— which was to come Therfore if there be anie iust or coulourable complaint it toucheth Predestination Neither ought it to serue an absurditie which I say that God foresawe not onley the fall of the first man in him the ruine of his posteritie but also disposed it after his own wil. For as it belongeth to his wisdome to foreknow all things that shall be So it belongeth to his power to rule gouerne all things with his handâ— And this question Augustine very well discusseth as â—e doth other saieng We must wholesomely confesse yâ— which we must rightly beleeue that the God and Lord of all things which created all things very good and foreknew that euill things should spring out of good and knew that it more perteined to his almightie goodnesse euen of euill things to doe well then not to suffer them to be euill That he so ordered the lyfe of Angels men that in it hée might first shew what frée will could doe then yâ— the benefit of his grace and iudgement could doe Cal. in his Insti 3. b. cap. 23. Sect. 7. They aske how it commeth to passe that of two betwéene whom no deseruing putteth any difference God in his election passeth ouer the one and taketh the other I â—on the other side do aske them whether they thinke that in him that is taken there is anie thing that may make the minde of God to encline toward him If they confesse as they néedes must that there is nothing it shall followe that God looketh not vppon man but from his owne goodnesse â—otâ—heth a cause why to do good to him Whereas therefore God chooseth one man refusing another this commeth not of respect of man but of his mercie alone which ought to haue libertie to shew forth and vtter it selfe where and when it pleaseth him For wee haue in an other place also shewed that there were not from the beginning manye called noble or wise or honourable that GOD might humble the pride of the flesh so farre is it off that his fauour was bound vnto persons Cal. in his Insti 3. b. cha 23. Sect. 10. Of Gods mercie and our vndeseruing in Predestination In giuing that vnto some which they doe not deserue he doth shew his frée mercie and grace but in not giuing it to al men hée doth declare what all did deserue He is good in shewing mercye to some he is iust in punishing the rest Places out of S. Austen for Predestination Christs shéepe heare his voice and he calleth his own shéepe by name for he hath their names written in the booke of lyfe he calleth his owne shéepe by name Héereof commeth it that the Apostle sayth The Lord knoweth who they be that be his Augustin his 45. treatise vpon Iohn I haue kept those that thou hast giuen me and no man of them is perished saue onely the childe of perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled He that betraied Christ is called the son of perdition because he was prodestinate vnto destruction according to the Scripture which in the. 109. Psal. chiefely is prophesied of him August in his 107. treatise vpon Iohn Wherefore is that man or that man and wherefore is not that man and that man predestinate Aske not of mée I am a man I turne me to the depth of the Crosse I doe not enter farre in I am afraide I am no seacher in his iudgements are vnsearchable thou art a man I am a man it was a man that sayde O man what art thou that disputest with God Augustine in his Epistle to Paulinus 7. Sermon But thou wilt saye wherefore made hée mée to honour and an other to dishonour What shall I aunswere Wilt thou heare Augustine that wilt not heare the Apostle sayeng O man what art thou that disputest with God There are two lyttle children borne if thou séekest a due or a right both are made of one lumpe of perdition but wherefore the Mother beareth one to grace and the other choketh being asléepe What wilt thou saye vnto me what did he deserue that was â—â—oked vp by his mother in sleeping both of them deserued no good But the Potter hath power ouer the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessell to honour and an other to dishonour wilt thou dispute with me Rather wilt thou wonder and cry out with mée O the great depth of his riches let vs agrée together in feare least we perish in erâ—our Augustin in the same booke and. 12. Sermon The Predestination of God by no meanes doth make that the children of God should bée made the children of the Diuells oâ— of the temple of the holy Ghost the temple of Diuells or of the members of Christ the members of an harlot But rather Predestination doth make that of the children of the Diuell are made the children of God or of theâ— temples of diuells are made the temple of the holy Ghost oâ— of the members of an Harlot are made the members of CHRIST because he hath bounde the strong man and spoiled him of his armour Obiection If God doe finde all men guiltie let him punish them all alike If he finde them vnguiltie let him with-hold the rigour of his iustice from them all Aunswere Sith saith Saint Austen that in the first man all the whole 〈…〉 of mankinde did fall into condempnation the vessellâ— that are made of it vnto hoâ—our are nâ—â— the vessells of their owne righteousnesse but of the mercy of GOD and some are made vessells to dishonour it ought not to bée imputed vnto anye vnrighteousnesse or iniquitie but vnto iudgement Againe that God doth recompense due punishment vnto them whom he doth reproue and giueth vndeserued grace vnto them whome hée doth choose he is deâ—â—uered from all blame by the similitude of a creditour in whose power it lyeth to forgiue some the whole debt and to make the other to paye the vttermost farthing Therefore God maye giue his grace to whom he wil because that he is mercifull not giue it to al men because yâ— he is a righteous Iudge In giuing that vnto some which they do not deserue he 〈…〉 his free mercy and grace and not giuing it to all men he doth declare what we all doe deserue The similitude If a man hath many debters that do all owe vnto him the like summe of money doth it not lye in his power to forgiue some of them the whole debt and to make the other to paye to the vttermost farthing who canne laye anie thing to his charge if he will so doe Then marke we are debters vnto God for we haue all deserued euerlasting dampnation That then hée doth of his frée mercie
Deering And went into the Sinagogue on the sabboth day sat down ¶ The truth neuer feareth the light but commeth forth boldly as it appeareth by Paule Barnabas which entered into the common Sinagogue Also héere we doe learne why the sabboth was instituted not for vaine sports and pastimes but that vpon that day the people should giue themselues to praier to read heare the word of God Sir I. Cheekeâ— How the Priests brake the Sabboth and were blamelesse ¶ That on the Sabboth the Priestes in the Temple brake the Sabboth and are blamelesse ¶ Not that the Priests brake the Sabboth in doing that which was commaunded by the lawe but he speaketh this to conâ—ute the errour of the people who thought the Sabboth broken if any necessary worke were done that day Geneua Sée that ye kéepe my Sabboth ¶ The Sabboth beside that it serued to come heare the word of God to seeke his will to offer and to reconcile themselues vnto God It was a signe vnto them also did put them in remembraunce that it was God that sanctified them with his holy spirit and not they themselues with their holy workes T. M. What is meant by the second Sabboth It came to passe in the second Sabboth ¶ Epiphanius noteth well in his treatise where he confuteth Ebion that the time when the Disciples plucked the eares of corne was in the feast of vnleuened bread now wheras in these feasts which kept many daies together as the feast of tabernacles and the passeouer their first day and the last wer of like solemnitie Leâ—â— 23. Luke fitly calleth the last day the second Sabboth though Thâ—ophilact vnderstand it of any of them that followed the first Beza The feasts which conteined many daies as the passeouer and the feast of tabernacles had two Sabboths the first day of the feast and the last Geneua A sâ—ieng of S. Austen concerning the Sabboth It is lesse euill saith Saint Austen to goe to plough then to play vpon one of those daies meaning the Sabboth daies Why the Machabees fought on the Sabboth Obiection The Machabees fought and defended themselues vpon the Sabboth day notwithstanding God had appointed that day to rest Aunswere The Machabees might lawfully defend themselues vpon the Sabboth day for Christ expoundeth the law man is not made for the Sabboth but the Sabboth for the man And the Iewes did euil saith Dâ—do being besieged vpon the Sabboth day to stand to yéeld them vnto their enimies Yet did not the Machabees proclaime yâ— it shuld be lawfull vpon the sabboth day to go to the field The meaning of this place following And beare no burden on the Sabboth day ¶ By meaning the Sabboth day he comprehendeth the thing the is thereby signified for if they trangressed in the ceremony they must néeds be culpable of the rest Read Exo. 20. 8. And by the breaking of this one coÌ„mandemeÌ„t he maketh them transgressours of yâ— who le law for as much as the first second table are conteined therin Geneua The signification of the Latine word Sabbathum Sabbathum was among the Iewes accompted the seauenth day in the which they fasted in remembrance of the seuen daies in the which they were fatigate going fasting in the desart of Arabia or they came to the mount of Sinai S. Austen vpon the Psalmes writeth the Sabbathum is taken three maÌ„ner of waies for ye. 7. day is called by the name in the which almightie God rested after his worke of 6. daies Sabbathum is also eternall quietnesse Moreouer Sabbathum is the conscience of a quiet minde aduaunced by hope of the time to come not being shakeÌ„ or vexed with stormes of things present Eliote Look Winter SACKCLOTH What the wearing of sackcloth signifieth SAckcloth shéering of mens heads renting of their garments and casting of dust and ashes vpon them were â—okens of repentaunce or els of great sorrow among the people of the East countries in olde time Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 29. SACRAMENT What Sacrament is A Sacrament saith S. Austen is the signe of an holy thing ¶ If it be the signe of an holy thing then it is not the very thing it selfe which it doth signifie I. Frith It séemeth to me that a Sacrament is an outwarde signe wherewith the Lord sealeth to our consciences the promises of his good will towards vs to sustaine the weaknesse of our faith And we againe on our behalfes doe testifie our godlinesse towards him as well before him and the Angells as before men We may also with more briefenesse define it otherwise As to call it a testimonie of Gods fauour towards vs confirmed by an outward signe with a mutuall testifieng of our godlinesse towards him Whether of these definitions it differeth nothing in sense from the definition of S. Augustine which teacheth that a Sacrament is a visible signe of an holy thing or a visible forme of an inuisible grace but it doeth better and more certainely expresse the thing it selfe for whereas in the briefenesse there is some darknesse wherin many of the vnskilfull sort are deceiued I thought good in more wordes to giue a fuller sentence that there should remaine no doubt Cal. in his Instit. 4. b. chap. 14. sect 1. A Sacrament as S. Austen defineth it is a signe of an holy thing But if the Sacrament be Christs body as the Papists say it is then can it not be a Sacrament that is the signe of an holy thing for it is the holy thing it selfe So that they must either deny the sacrament to be the body bloud of Christ either els the Sacrament therof For one thing cannot be both the signe the thing signified because they be in that respect most contrary the one to the other Crowley A Sacrament is a visible signe ordeined of Iesus Christ as a seale to confirme vs the better in the faith of the promises the which God hath made vs of our saluation in him Vnet Sacrament is a signe representing such appointments and promises as the Raine-bow representeth the promise made to Noe that God will no more drowne the world Tindale This word Sacrament is as much to say as an holy signe and representeth alway some promise of God as in the olde Testament God ordeined that the Raine-bow should represent and signifie vnto all men an Oth that God sware to Noe and to all men after him that he would no more drowne the worlde with water so the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ hath a promise annexed which the Priest should declare in the English tongue This is my body that is broken for you This is my bloud that is shed for many vnto the forgiuenesse of sinnes This doe in the remembraunce of mée â—aith Christ. Luke 22. 19. and 1. Cor. 11. 24. If when thou seest the sacrament or eatest his body or drinkest his bloud thou haue this promise fast in thy heart
of Abraham of whom it is written 30. yeares before he offered his sonne Isaac Abraham beléeued it was reckoned vnto him for righteousnesse Gen. 15. 6. wherby we doe euidently sée that Saint Iames meaning is that Abrahams fayth was no idle fayth but such faith as made him obedient to God which thing he did well declare when he did so willingly offer his sonne at Gods commaundement All that S. Iames goeth about then is to proue that faith cannot be without good works And as by fayth onely we are iustified before God so by good workes procéeding from a liuely fayth wée are iustified before men Heere wée learne also that where no good workes be there is no true iustifieng fayth but a lyght vnprofitable beléeue such as is in diuels and yet we must beware that we ascribe no parte of our iustification before God vnto our good works Sir I. Cheeke Ther can be no good work reckoned to be in any man but in him alone whose sinnes God hath forgiuen Forasmuch as our best déeds are lame and corrupt Therefore they are héere called the doers of good works whom Paule calleth zelous and louers of good works But this estimation and iudgement dependeth vpon the fatherly clemency and acceptation of our God who alloweth that freely for good which deserueth to be reiected as euill and vnperfect c. Marl. fol. 170. Indéede works doe iustifie taking iustifie to be to declare iust Euen as white haires do make a man olde because they be a signe of age But works doe this before men not before God Nor they cannot take hold of forgiuenesse of sins deliuerance from their deserued condemnation For then it should be false that the Apostle saith we be iustified fréely by his grace for to him that worketh the reward is imputed vnto him for a duety and not vpon grace and fauour Wherfore the errours of those men is too grose to deceiue any of them which hath looked ouer the holy Scriptures neuer so slightly Nor it doth not agrée with the sense neither when they will haue iustifie to be as much as to make iust For works doe not go before him that is to bée iustified â—but doe followe him which is alreadye iustified witnesse Augustine and workes doe come of grace and not grace of workes witnesse the same Augustine de fide opere cap. 14. Musculus fol. 227. Of workes done before faith Saint Austen condemneth all our good workes before faith as vaine and nothing worth Read him In probo Psal. 31. That worketh not how it is vnderstood To him that worketh not but beleeueth ¶ That dependeth not on his workes neither thinketh to merit by them Gene. That is which meaneth not to obteine saluation through the worthinesse of his works The Bible note How workes are not the causes of felicitie Works indeed are to be had but not as causes wherfore Christ admonished vs saieng When ye haue done al these things say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done but the thing which we ought to doe Neither passe we any thing vpon their caueling which say yâ— therfore we are vnprofitable seruaÌ„ts because our good works being no coÌ„modity vnto God forasmuch as God néedeth none of our good works but say they it caÌ„not be denied but yâ— we are by good works profitable vnto our selues Wée graunt indéed that it is profitable vnto vs to liue well But that vtilitie is not to be attributed vnto our workes that they should be the causes of our blessednesse to come Wee haue nothing in vs whereby we can make God obstruct or bound vnto vs. For whatsoeuer we doe the same doe we wholy owe vnto God and a great deale more then we are able to performe Wherfore as Christ admonisheth The Lord giueth not thanks vnto his seruant when he hath done his duetie And if the seruant by wel doing cannot binde his Lord to giue him thanks how shal he binde him to render vnto him great rewards Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 29. Of workes loue and faith Works are the outward righteousnesse before the world may be called the righteousnesse of the members and spring of inward loue Loue is the righteousnesse of the hart springeth of faith Faith is the trust in Christs bloud and is the gift of God Ephe. 2. 8. Tindale How our good workes are the workes of God Although it be written that God will render to euery man according to his works yet is yâ— so to be vnderstood yâ— if they be good works they are for none other cause caled any maÌ„s works but for that they are wrought in him namely by the power of the spirit of God whereby they are in very déede the workes of God S. Austen most truely saith that God crowneth in vs his owne gifts for as touching vs we deserue nothing but death Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 367. How we deserue nothing by our good workes Wo be to all our iustice saith S. Austen if it be iudged setting mercy a part Therefore this is a christen sentence worthy to be beaten in al mens heads Let not thy left hand know what the right hand doth Let our right hand worke those things which be good and pleasant vnto God And in the meane season let our heartes depend vpon the grace of Gods goodnesse onely not thy left hand write into thy kalender those things which be somewhat well done by the right hand Let the note of our owne good works be in Gods hand not in our owne Whatsoeuer he doth reward vs either in this life either in the life to come let vs thanke his grace for it and not our deserts Musculus fol. 234. Of the vnablenesse of our workes If the séeking of righteousnesse and forgiuenesse of sinnes by the kéeping of the law which God gaue vpon mount Sinai with so great glory and maiestie by the denyeng of Christ of his grace what shall we say to those yâ— will néeds iustifie themselues afore God by their owne laws and obseruances I wold wish that such folks should a little compare the one with the other and afterward giue iudgement themselues God minded not to do that honour nor to giue that glorye vnto his owne law yet they wil haue him to giue it to mens laws ordinaÌ„ces But that honour is giuen onely to his onely begotten son who alone by the sacrifice of his death passion hath made ful amends for all our sinnes past present and to come as saith S. Paule Heb. 7. 25. The meaning of this place following Work out your own saluatioÌ„ with fere trembling ¶ S. Paul saith we must work out our saluation with feare trembling But this feare riseth in consideration of our weaknesse and vnworthinesse not of any distrust or doubt in Gods mercy but rather the lesse cause we haue to trust in our selues the morâ— cause we haue to trust in God Iewel fol. 76.