through the merites of Iesus Christe and let vs liue merily and assured that the righteousnes of Iesus Christ hath vtterly done away all our vnrighteousnes made vs good righteous holy before God who beholding vs ingrafted into his sonne by fayth estéemeth vs not nowe any more as the children of Adam but as his own children and hath made vs heyres of all his riches with his owne begotten sonne The fourth Chapter Of the effectes of liuely faith and of the vnion of mans soule with Iesus Christ. THis holy faith woorketh after suche a sorte in vs that hée which beléeueth that Iesus Christ hath taken all his sinnes vppon him becommeth like vnto Christ and ouercommeth sinne the diuel death hell And the reason thereof is this namely that the Churche that is to witte euery faithfull soule is Christes wyfe Christ is her husbaÌ„d For we know how the law of marriage is that of two they become one selfsame thing being two in one flesh that the goods and substance of eyther of them become common too them both by meanes wherof the husband saith that thâ— dowry of the wife is his and likewise the wife sayeth that her husbands house and al his riches are hers of a truth so they are for other wise they should not be one flesh as the Scripture saith After the same maner hath God married his onely begotten déere beloued sonne to the faithfull soule which hath not any other thing peculiar of her owne saue onely sinne yet the sonne of God hath not disdayned to take her for his wel beloued spouse together with her peculiar dowry which is sinne And nowe by reason of the vnion which is in this holy mariage look what the one hath is also the others Iesus Christ therfore saith thus y â— dowry of mans soule my déere wife that is to wit her sinnes traÌ„sgressings of the law Gods wrath agaynst her the boldnes of the diuel ouer her the prison of hell and al other her euils are become mine are in my power to do what I list with them Wherfore it is at my choyce to deale with them at my pleasure therfore I will put out the hand writing which is agaynst the soule my wife I wil take it out of y â— way I will fasten it to my crosse in mine owne body in the same will I spoyle principalities and powers make a shew of them openly triumph ouer them and consumâ— them vtterly vnto nothing Now when God sawe his sonne who knew no sinne neither had any sinne in him thus willingly taking on him the foulenesse of our iniquity he made him to be sinne for vs eueÌ„ the very sacrifice for our sinne did sharply punish our sinne in him putting him to death euen the death of the Crosse. Howebeit for asmuche as hee was his welbeloued obedient Sonne he woulde not leaue him in death nor suffer his holy one to sée corruptioÌ„ but raised him vp from death to life geuing him all power in heauen and earth and set him at his right hande in glory Nowe then the wise likewise with excéeding great ioy doth say the Realmes and Kingdomes of my most déere husband sauiour are mine by him I am an heyre of heaueÌ„ my husbaÌ„ds riches that is to wit his holines his innocencie his righteousnes and his godhead together with al his vertue might are mine and for me therfore in him I am holy innocent righteous godly and there is not any spotte in me I am welâ—auoured faire inasmuch as my lawful husband hath not any blemish in him but is altogether goodly fayre And sith that he is wholy mine so consequently al that he hath is mine all that he hath is pure and holy it followâ—th that I also am pure and holy Therfore to begin at his most innoceÌ„t birth he hath thereby sanctified the birth of his spouse coÌ„â—â—â—ued in sin The godly childhood youth of the bridegrom hath iustified the childish and youthfull life of his déerely beloued bride For the loue vnioÌ„ that is betwixt the soule of a true ChristiaÌ„ and the Bridesgrome Iesus Christ maketh all the works of either of them to be coÌ„moÌ„ to them both By reason wherof when a man saith Iesus Christ hath fasted Iesus Christ hath prayed Iesus Christ was heard of the father raised y â— dead draue diuels out of men healed the sicke dyed rose again and ascended into heauen Like wise a man may say that a christen maÌ„ hath done all y â— selfsame works forsomuch as y â— works of Christ are the works of the ChristiaÌ„ bicause he hath done them for him Uerily a man may say that the Christian hath béene nailed to the crosse buried raised again is gone vp into heauen become the childe of God madâ— partaker of the godhead On the other side all the works that a Christian man doeth are Christes works because it is his will to take theÌ„ for his And forasmuch as they be vnperfect he throughly perfect and canot away with any vnperfect thing he hath made them perfect with his vertues to the end that his wife should be alwayes ioyfull well contented and not be afraide of any thing assuring herself that although there be yet still some defalte in her works yet notwithstaÌ„ding they be acceptable to God in respect of his sonne vpoÌ„ whoÌ„ he hath his eyes alwayes fastened O that vnmeasurable goodnes of Godâ— how greately is the christiaÌ„ bound vnto God there is no loue of maÌ„ be it neuer so great that may be coÌ„pared w t the loue that God beareth too the soule of euery faithfull Christian whereof Christ is the bridegrome Where vpon S. Paul saith that Iesus Christ hath so loued his wife the church which is builded of liuing stones that is of the soules of the beléeuing Christians that for to sanctifie her he hath offered himselfe to the death of the crosse cleansing her with the washing of water by his word to ioyne her to himself a glorious church without spot or wrincle or other like thing but that the shoulde be holy and vnblameable that is to wit like vnto him in holinesse and innocency and also be the true lawful daughter of God who hath loued the world so well that as Iesus Christ himselfe saith he hath geuen his onely begotten sonne to the ende that euery one which beléeued in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting For God sent not his sonne into the worlde too condemne the world but too the ende that the world might be saued by him insomuche that he which beléeueth in him shal not be damned Some man might demand after what maner the vnioÌ„ of this holy mariage is made how the soule which is y â— bride and her bridegrome Iesus Christ are knit together What assurance can I haue that my Soule is vnited
from eternall death it hath pleased him that his only sonne should suffer death and passion who hath taken vpon himselfe our pouertie to geue vs his riches laid our weakenesse vpon himselfe to stablish vs in his strength become mortall to make vs immortall come down untoo the earth to aduance vs vpp too heauen and become the sonne of man with vs too make vs the children of God with himselfe Who is hee then that shall accuse vs God is he that iustifieth vs and who shall condemne vs Iesus Christe is dead for vs yea and rysen agayne 〈◊〉 vs and sitteth at the right hande of God making intercessioÌ„ for vs. Let vs then D my soule leaue of these teares and sighes THE CIII Psalme 1 MY Soule prayse thou the Lorde and all that is within me praise his holy name 2 My soule prayse thou the Lord forget not all his benefites 3 Which forgiueth al thine iniquitie healeth all thine infirmities 4 Which redéemeth thy life from the graue and crowneth thée with mercy and compassion 5 Which satisfieth thy mouth with good thinges and thy youth is renued like the Eagles 6 The Lorde executeth righteousnessâ— and iudgement to all that are oppressed 7 No made his waies knowne vnto Moses and his workes vntoo the children of Israell 8 The Lord is ful of coÌ„passion and mercy sâ—ow to anger and of great kindnesse 9 We will not alway chide neither kéepâ— his anger for euer 10 He hath not delt with vs after our sins nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities 11 For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie towarde them that feare him 12 As farre as the East is from the West so far hath he remoued our sinnes from vs. 13 As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him 14 For he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but dust 15 The dayes of man are as grasse as a floure of the field so florisheth he 16 For y â— winde goeth ouer it it is gone and the place therof shall know it no more 17 But y â— louing kindnes of y â— Lord endureth for euer euer vpoÌ„ theÌ„ that feare him amp his righteousnes vpon childrens childreÌ„ 18 Unto them y â— keep his couenaÌ„t think vpon his commaundements to doe them 19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in heauen and his kingdome ruleth ouer all 20 Praise the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that doe his commandemeÌ„t in obeying the voyce of his woordâ— 21 Praise the Lord al ye his hostes ye his seruants that do his pleasure 22 Praise the Lord all ye his works in al places of his dominion my soule prayse thou the Lorde So hath he had mercy on vs in giuing vs his onely sonne With this faith w t those thaÌ„ksgeuings with these or such other like thoughts must wee receiue the sacrament of the body and bloode of our Lorde Iesus Christ. After this maner is all fearfulnesse driuen out of the soule of the Christian and charity is increased fayth strengthened the conscience quieted the toung neuer ceasseth to prayse God and to yéeld him infinit thanks for so great a benefite This is the vertue efficacie only trust of our soule This is the rocke wherevpon if the conscience be buylded it feareth nother tempest nor the gates of hel nor Gods wrath nor the law nor sinne nor death nor the diuels nor any other thing And forasmuch as the substance of the Lords supper and table consisteth is this diuine sacrament When the Christian is at it he must hold his eyes fastened continually vppon the passion of our gratious Sauiour beholding him on the one side vppon the crosse loden with all our sinnes and God on the other side punishing chastising and whipping his owne onely begotten and Déerebeloued sonne in steade of vs. O happie is that man that shutteth his eyes from al other sights and will neither heare nor sée any other thing than Iesus Christ crucified in whoÌ„ are layde vp and bestowed al the treasures of Gods wisdome and diuine knowledgeâ— Blessed say I is he that féedeth his minde with so heauenly a foode and maketh himselfe drunken in the loue of God with so sweete and singular a liquor But before I make an ende of this matter I will first aduertise the Christian that Sainte Augustine hath ordinarily béene woont too terme this holy Sacrament the bonde of charity and the mystery of vnity And he saith that whosoeuer receiueth the mystery of vnitie regardeth not the bond of peace receiueth not the Sacrament to his owne behooâ—e but as a witnesse agaynst himselfe Therfore we must vnderstaÌ„d y â— the Lorde hath ordeyned this holy sacrameÌ„t not only to make vs sure of y â— forgiueues of our sins but also to inflame vs to peace vnity brotherly charitie For in this Sacrament the Lord doth after such a maner make vs parlakers of his body as he becommeth al one thing w t vs we with him By reasoÌ„ wherof forasmuch as he hath but one body wherof he maketh vs Partakers it is méetâ— that we also shoulde by such partaking becom al one body together amoÌ„g our selues And this vntoÌ„ is represeÌ„ted by the bread of the sacrament which as it is made of many grains mingled kneaded together in such wise as one of them caÌ„ not be discerned froÌ„ another So also must we be toyned together after such a sort so vnited together into one agréement of mind as no diuision may créep in And this doth S. Paule shew vs when he saith Is not the cup of blessing which we blesse the coÌ„munioÌ„ of the blood of Iesus Christ is not the bread y â— we break the coÌ„munion of the body of Iesus Christe whereas we be many yet are we but one bread and one body forsomuch as we be all Partakers of one bread By these thinges we vnderstand that when we receiue his most holy coÌ„munion we must coÌ„sider that we are al of vs ingraffed into Christ are all become members of one selfsame body that is to wit of Iesus Christ in such wise as we caÌ„not offend defame or despise any of our brethren but we must therewithall offend defame and despise our saide head Iesus Christ neyther caÌ„ we be at variance w t any of our brethren but in likewise we must be at oddes with him Also we cannot loue him excepte wee loue him in our brethren Look how much care we haue of our owne bodie so much must we haue of our Christian brethren who are the meÌ„bers of our body And like as no parte of our body féeleth any griefe which spreadeth not it selfe into al the other parts so ought we to determine w t our selues that our brother feleth not any inconuenience which should not moue vs to coÌ„passioÌ„ With such maner of thoughtes must
vntoo Iesus Christ and become his spouse Howe can I assuredly glory that I am Quéene and Mistres of his great riches as a wife may I can easily beléeue that other folkes shall receiue this honour and glory but I cannot perswade my selfe that I am one of those same too whome God hath geuen so greate grace For I knowe mine owne wretchednesse imperfection My déerebe loued brother I answeare thée that thyne assuraÌ„ce consisteth in true and liuely faith wherewith as S. Peter saith God cleanseth mens hearts and this faith is grounded in the beléeuing of the gospel that is to say in the beléeuing of the gladde tidinges which haue béene published on Gods béehalfe through the whole world which conteineth in effect y â— God hath vsed the rigorousnes of his iustice agaynst Iesus Christ chastizing and punishing all our sinnes in him And whosoeuer receiueth this good tidings and beléeues it stedfastly hath the true faith and doth enioy the forgiuenes of his sinnes and is also recoÌ„ciled vnto God and of the child of wrath is becom the child of grace and recouering the image of God entreth into the kingdome of God and is made the teÌ„ple of God who marieth mans soule to his onely Sonne by the meane of this sayth which faith is a worke of God and the gift of God as S. Paule saieth oftentimes And God geueth it vntoo those whom he calleth to him of purpose to iustifie theÌ„ and to glorify theÌ„ and to geue theÌ„ euerlasting life according as our Lord Iesus Christ witnesseth saying This is the will of him that sent mée euen that euery one which séeth the sonne and beléeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will rayse him vp agayne at the latter day And like as Moyses lifted vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man bée lifted vp to the ende that euery one which beleueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Also he saith too Martha He that beleueth in me shal liue although he were dead euery one that liueth bele ueth in me shall not die for euer And to a company of the Iewes he saith I am come a light into the world to the end that euery man which beléeueth in me shoulde not abide in darknesse And S. Iohn in his Epistle saith Heere in appeared the loue of God towards vs for that God is loue and sent his onely begotten Sonne intoo this worlde that we might liue through him And herein is loue known not in that wée loued God but in that he loued vs and sent his Sonne too make attonement for our sins And moreouer he sent him to destroy our enimies For the bringing whereof too passe he made him partaker of our fleshe of our bloode as sayeth Sainte Paule too the end that by his death he might destroy him that had the dominion of death that is to wit the diuel and set all such at liberty as were subiect to boÌ„dage all their-lyfe long for feare of death Seeing then that we haue recordes of the holy scripture concerning the promises wherof we haue spoken héertofore and concerning many other promises that are dispersed in diuers places of the same we cannot doubt of it And forsomuch as the holy scripture speaketh to al ingeneral none of vs ought to distrust in himselfe that the selfsame thing which the scripture saith should not belong particularly to himselfe And too the end that this poynt wherin lieth and coÌ„sisteth the whole mystery of our holy fayth may bee vnderstood the better let vs put the cace that som good and holy King cause the proclamation to be made through his whole Realmâ— by the sounde of a Trumpet that al rebels and banished men shal safely return home to their houses because that at the suite deserte of some déere friende of theirs it hath pleased him to pardon them certeinly none of those rebels ought too doubt of the obtayning of true pardon of his rebellion but rather ought assuredly too returne home too his house to liue vnder the shadowe of that holie King And if he wyll not returne by shal beare the penâ—lty of it because that through his owne vnbelief he dieth in exile and in the displeasure of his Prince But this good king is the Lorde of heauen and earth who for the obedience desert of our good brother Iesus Christe hath pardoned as all our sinnes and as wee haue sayd aâ—ore hath made open proclamation through the whole world that al of vs may safely returne into his kingdom Wherefore hee that beléeueth this proclamation doth straight wayes returne into Gods kingdome whereout we were driuen by the offence of our first Parentes and blessedly gouerned by gods holy spirit And he that geueth no credite to the sayde proclamation shal neuer enioy the said generall pardon but for his vnbeleefes sake shal abide in banishment vnder the tyranny of the diuel and liue and die in extréeme misery liuing and dying in the displeasure of the King of heauen and earth and that iustly For me cannot commit a greater offence against this good God then to accompte him as a lyer and deceiuer which verily we doe in not giuing credite too his promises O howe passing heauy is this deadly sinne of vnbeleefe which so farre foorth as is possible â—ereueth God of his glory perfection besides the great harme that it doeth to a mans selfe which is his owne damnation the endlesse torment of his soule which the miserable 〈◊〉 féeleth euen in this life But on the contrary he that commeth vnto God with assurednesse of this faith beléeuing him without any mistrust or doubt of his promises and warranting himselfe for a certaintie that God will performe all that euer hee hath promised him geueth all the glory vnto God and liueth continually in rest endlesse ioy euermore praysing and thanking the Lord God for choozing him to the glory of the eternall life And héere of they haue an assured earnest penny and gage that is to wit the sonne of God whom they take for their most louing Bridegrome y â— blood of whom hath made their heartes so drunken that through this passing holy beliefe there is in the christian heart engendred so liuely a hope so certaine a trust of Gods mercy towardes vs and such an operatioÌ„ is wrought in vs as wée reste our selues wholy vpon God leauing the whole care of vs vnto him in suche wise that béeing throughly assured of Gods good will wée are not afraid neither of the Deuil nor of his ministers nor of death Which holy stedfast trust of Gods mercy inlargeth our hearte chéereth it vp with certaine merueilous swéete affections directeth it vntoo GOD filling it and setting it on Fyre with an excéeding feruent loue And therefore Paul incourageth vs too goe with all boldnesse to the throne of Grace and hée counselleth vs that
the members of his eldest sonne whose perâ—ection and righteousnesse doeth supply all our vncleannesse and imperfection which arenot layde to our charge forsomuche as they be couered vnder the purenes and innocencie of Iesus Christe and come not to iudgement before God And héereupon it coâ—neth too passe that all our woorkes which proceede of a true faith notwithstanding that they be wholy sinful and corrupt of themselues shall neuerthelesse bée praysed and allowed by Iesus Christe in the generall iudgement because they bee the fruites and Testimonies of our faith whereby wee bée saued For insomuche as we haue loued y â— brethren of Iesus Christ wée shall shew euidently that wée haue also béene faithfull and brethren of Christe and therefore by faith wée shall bee put in full possession of the euerlasting kingdome which our soueraigne Lord God hath prepared for vs before y â— creating of the world not for our merites sakes but through his mercy whereby he hath chosen vs and called vs to the grace of his Gospel and made vs righteous to the intent to glorifie vs euerlastingly with his only begotten sonne Iesus Christe who is the holinesse and righteousnesse of vs but not of them which wyll not confesse that faith is sufficient of it selfe too make a man righteous and acceptable to the Lord GOD who through his fatherly goodnes and louing kindnes offereth and giueth vs Iesus Christe with his righteousnesse without any desert of our owne works What thing can work or cause a man too deserue so great a gyfte and Ireasure as Iesus Christe is This treasure is geuen only through the grace fauour and mercyfulnesse of GOD and only faith is the thing that receiueth suche a gift as too make vs inioy the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And therfore when S. Paul other Doctors say that only faith maketh men righteous without workes they meane y â— it maketh vs so inioy y â— general forgeuenesse of our sinnes and to receiue Iesus Christ who as saith S. Paul dwelleth in our heartes by faith and ouercomming and pacifiyng the troubles of our consciâ—nces satisfieth Gods iustice for our sinnes Furthermore it appeaseth Gods wrath iustly mooued against vs quenetheth the fyre of Hell whereinto our naturall corruption did throw vs headlong and chéerefully destroyeth and ouerthroweth the Deuil togeather with al his power and tyranny Which things all y â— works that al y â— men in the worlde can lay together are not able to deserue nor to bring to passe That glory and that prerogatiue is reserued alonly to the sonne of God that is to wit too the blessed Iesus Christe who hath power aboue all the the powers that are in heauen in earth and in Hell and giueth himselfe and his merites to al such as distrusting in theÌ„selues doe set their whole hope of being saued in him and in his merites And therefore let no man beguile him selfe when hée heareth it saide that onely fayth iustifieth without workes and think as false christians doe who drawe all thinges to liue fleshly that the true faith consisteth in beléeuing the bare sâ—rory of Iesus Christ after the same manner as men beléeue the story of Caesar or Alexander Suche manner of beliefe is but an historicall belief grounded méerely vpon the report of men vpon their writinges lightly imprinted in our conceite by a certaine custome and is like to the faith of the Turkes who for the like reasons beléeue the fables of their Alcaron And such a faith is but an imagination of man which neuer renueth the harâ— of man nor warmeth it with the loue of God neyther doe any good woorkes insue or any change of life which faith shoulde bring foorth And therfore they falsty hold opinioÌ„ against y â— holy scripture and agaynst the holy Doctors of the church y â— only faith maketh not maÌ„e righteous but y â— they must also haue works vnto whoÌ„ I answere that this historical and fond beléefe and all the workes that insue therof are not only vnable to make a man righteous but also doo cast the parties headlong to the bottome of hel like vnto those y â— haue no oyle in their larpes that is to say no liecly â—aith in their harts The fayth that maketh men righteous is a work of God in vs wherby out old man is crucified wee being transformed in Iesus Christe become newe creatures the déere beloued children of God This heauenly faith is it that graffeth vs into the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ consequently mortifieth our flesh with the affects lustes therof For when we by the operation of fayth do knowe our selues to be dead with Iesus Christe wee are at a full point with our selues with the world are throughly resolued how it is méete that they which are dead with Iesus Christe shoulde mortifie their earthly members that is to wit the sinfull affections of they mind and the lusts of the flesh forasmuch as we know we bee raysed againe in Christ we bend our selues to the leading of a spirituall holy life like vnto that which we shal liue in heaueÌ„ after the last resurrection This holy fayth making vs to inioy the general pardâ—n that is published by the Gospel bringeth vs into the kingdome of our good God and pacifieth our coÌ„sciences mainteining vs in coÌ„tinual ioy holy spiritual sweetnes This self-same faith knitteth vs vnto God maketh him to dwell in our heartes clotheth our soule with himself so as theÌ„ceforth the holy Ghost moueth vs to doe the same things wherunto he moued Iesus Christ while he was in the world was coÌ„uersant among men that is to wit vnto lo wlines meekenes obedientnes vnto God louingnes other perfections wherthrough we recouer y â— image of God For these selfsame causes Iesus Christ did rightly attribute blessednes vnto this inspired faith which blessednes cannot be v â—out good works holines of life And how can it bée that a Christian should not beocme holy seeing that Iesus Christ is become his holines through â—aith Therfore by faith we be iustified saued and therfore S. Paul doth in a maner alwaies call those Saints whom we call nowe Christians who if they haue not Christs spirit are none of Christes consequeÌ„tly no ChristiaÌ„s at al. But if they have the spirit of Iesus Christe to rule and gouerne them we must not doubte but that although they knowe well that they bee made righteous through faith onely yet for al that they will become neuer the more slouthfull to do good workes For Christes spirite is the spirit of loue and loue cannot bee idle nor cease from the doing of good works But if we will say the truth a maÌ„ can do no good works except he first know himselfe to be become righteous by faith for before he knoweth that his dooing of good woorkes is rather too make himselfe righteous