them they could haue none lest there were not inogh for them both Wherby wee see that as no man can buy the good workes of another so no man hath inough to saue himselfe The Apostle Peter saith There is no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby man can bee saued but onely Iesus Christ. And if good workes coulde saue vs as the same Apostle reasoneth then had Christ died in vaine For how vaine a thing had it ben for the maiesty of God to haue sent his owne sonne into this miserable worlde to take our nature vpon him to shed his most precious bloud for vs if wee coulde haue iustified our selues or purchased our saluation either through our inherent righteousnes as the papists most blasphemously affirme by our merits or by anie other means whatsoeuer And therefore Paul was bold to conclude that wee are iustified by faith only without the works of the law Being iustified sayth he by faith we haue peace with God thorough Iesus Christ. And to the Galath he sayth further that as many as do relye vpon the works of the lawe are vnder the curse and banished frō grace To which the Prophet Abacuc seemeth to agree saying the iust shall liue by faith But what shall we say then to the Apostle Iames who sayth we are iustified by works and not by faith only I answere There are two maner of iustifications one absolute before GOD the other demonstratiue before the world Paule writing that wee are iustifyed by fayth onely meaneth absolutely before God Iames saying wee are iustifyed by workes meaneth demonstratiuely before the worlde Agayne Paule wrighteth of the efficient cause of our iustification Iames of the effecte Paule had to do with them that contemned faith as the Heathen Iewes and Turks do now and therefore he attributed and that worthely iustification to faith only Iames he had to do with them that contemned good works as things of no value affirming that bare faith alone was sufficiēt to saluation therefore he attributeth the more to works therby to draw them to the practising of them Againe Paule speaketh of such works as goe before iustification Iames of such as followe after Paule meaneth not of a bare and naked faith without good works but of such a faith as can no more be without good workes than the sunne without light or the fire without heate Iames he meaneth of a bare naked and dead faith such as the very deuils haue as the very heathen infidels haue So that in substance matter they both meane and speake one and the same thing For truly as faith is the efficient cause of our iustification before God so our workes are the effects or fruits issuing thereout whereby wee are knowen to bee iustified before the world And therefore let vs brag of our faith as much as we will if it bee but such a faith as bringeth forth no good workes we can neuer be saued by it This is not that iustifieng faith which Paule speaketh of nor which the children of God haue but a dead faith a barren faith an historical faith which the deuills and all reprobates haue But here perchāce some captious sophister wil aske me if we cānot be iustified by good workes to ' what end then shoulde wee doo them To whom I answere We are to do good workes for sixe causes especially first for the loue obedience which wee owe vnto God secondly for the mutuall loue brotherly charity which wee beare one towardes an other thirdly to make our saluation sure certaine vnto vs as the Apostle saith Make your saluation sure by good workes fourthly for the zeale wee haue of the glorie of God fiftly to drawe others from sinne to the practife of godlinesse by our good example and sixtly for the increase of our owne rewarde in the life to come where no good worke such is the bountifull liberalitie and mercifull beneficence of our good GOD towards vs miserable sinners shall bee lefte vnrewarded And albeit that good workes are no causes of our iustification nor that thou canst not be iustified by them yet canst thou neuer be saued without thē And therefore woulde I wish euerie one that hath a care of his saluation to labor studie endeuor night day to do good workes Remember how notably our forefathers haue behaued thē selues heerein what monuments of charity and almes deedes haue they left behinde them to the posterities to come and yet liued in feare and trembling And doe wee thinke to come to heauen and leaue no good works behinde vs at all but rather infinite millions of wicked deedes and vngodly examples which cry for vengeance before the throne of God night and day incessantly Oh let vs remember and neuer forget if it be true which some do hould as I fully perswade my selfe it is that as our wicked deedes and euill examples which wee haue left behinde vs in this life do hurt vnto other and dishonor the Maiestie of God so shall our paine be increased augmented in hell for euermore world without end And againe as our good deeds and good examples which we haue left behind vs in this life do good to the Saints of God vppon earth and increase his glory so shall our glory and our ioy be increased from day to day to the end of the world in the kingdome of heauen Let either the feare of the one therfore deare christian or the loue of the other moue thee now at the last to this resolution of good works Let not the vayne-glory and deceiptfull honor of this world beguile thee let not couetousnes blinde thee nor any priuate affection else moue thee to do euill or to deceiue any more in bargaining selling or otherwise howsoeuer for the Lord as the Apostle witnesseth is the reuenger of all such wickednes and though thou escapest for a time the lawes of men yet canst thou not escape the iudgements of God but in his good time he wyll finde thee out and recompence thee according to thy deserts Remember that Salomon was rich and had as plenty of gould siluer as of stones iewells and ornaments great store with fish-pondes orchards gardens forrests parkes men-singers women singers musicke and all pleasures else vnder the Sunne and of them all he pronounced this sentence Vanitas vanitatis omnia vanitas Vanitie of vanities and all is but vanitie Consider with thy selfe and often reuolue in thy minde the wordes of our sauiour Heauen and earth shal passe but the word of God indureth for euer And againe in another place No mans life standeth in the abundance of those thinges which he possesseth And againe What will it preuaile a man to win the whole world loose his owne soule Remember the rich glutton though he fared dilitiouslie and ruffeled in his silkes and veluets euerie daie yet in one moment his soule was taken from him he lodged in hell Take example by the rich man in the gospell who flowed with such abundance of all things that he was forced to pull downe his olde barnes and to build new ones was it not saide to him Thou foole this night shall they fetch awaie thy soul and then whose shall those things be which thou hast gathered Oh what a vaine thing is it therfore for a man to rake into his handes fiue hundred or one thousand mens liuinges to leaue it to his children who for the the most parte spend it either in hauking hunting dicing carding or else in whooring gourmandizing and infinite the lyke vices for Malè parta malè dilabuntur Ill got ill spent whereas in the meane time thou must goe to the barre to aunswere for the getting of them peraduenture to euerlasting damnation both of bodie and soule Therefore haue a care whatsoeuer thou be that thou get thy goods in the feare of God with a good conscience so shall they prosper with thy children after thee and thou blessed eternally And when thou hast thus got them be carefull how thou bestowest them and to whome thou geuest them For it is not inough for thee to say I gaue so much and so much to my carnall kindred friends and aliance but if thou hast geuen so much and so much to the poore so much and so much to this good end and to that good end to this good worke and that good worke to remayne to the posterities after thee to the end of the world oh then well is thee and happy shalt thou be yea then shalt thou be sure to attayne to the end of thy hope that is euerlasting life To the which hee bring vs all that apperteyne to his kingdome that dyed for vs to whom with the Father the holy Ghost be all glory and prayse for euer Amen FINIS Heb. 1.14 Gen. 19.22 1. Reg. 19. Gen. 21. Gen. 16. Gen. 21. Dan. 3. 2. Reg. 5 Tobit 5 Dan. 6 Exo. 1◠2. Sam. 24 2. Chr. 12.21 Luke 1.26 27 28 Iude vers 6 Gen. 6. Psal. 51.5 Math. 5.28 Math. 15.18 19.20 Gen. 1 ◠Gen. 1 ◠Gen. 6. Esa. 1 Gen. 47 9◠Gen. 3. Reuel 22 Iudic. 20.35.46 Nu. 25.8 Gen. 18.1.2 Gen. 19.1.2 3. 1. Timot. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1. Cor. 14. Psal. 1.1.2 Deut. 6. Matth. 4. Rom. 13.8 3. 4. 6. 7. Tit. 3 Timoth. 2. Rom. 14◠1. Cor 13 Esay ◠Tim. 4◠Math. 5.33 34. 35. Iacob v. 12. 1. Cor. 13. 1. Pet. 4.8 1. Ioh. 4.16 Iob. 14. Luke 1.74.75 Matth. 25. Galath 5.
A MOTIVE TO GOOD WORKES Or rather To true Christianitie indeede WHEREIN BY THE waie is shewed how farre wee are behinde not onely our fore-fathers in good workes but also many other creatures in the endes of our creation with the difference betwixt the pretenced good workes of the Antichristian Papist and the good workes of the Christian Protestant By Phillip Stubbes Gentleman MATHEW .5 verse 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen LONDON Printed for Thomas Man dwelling in Pater Noster rowe at the signe of the Talbot 1593. To the Right Honorable Cutbert Buckle Lord Maior of the Citie of London P. S. wisheth all prosperity in this life and in the life to come euerlasting saluation by Iesus Christ. HAuing a desire right Honorable to see the state of this our noble Ilande in the bowels wherof as in the womb of my mother I was both bread and borne and wherein I haue liued euen to this present day I tooke my gelding about the Annunciation of S. Mary last past and so trauayling from place to place within one quarter of a yere or a little more I performed by Gods good prouidence and his blessed protection as much as I purposed compassing the whole realme in effect round about Which long and wearysome iorney albeit to my great charges and paynes I vndertooke partly for my priuate pleasure and recreation partly for the auoydance if it might please God of this generall infection of the plague which now raigneth and rageth not only in this honorable City but also almost throughout the whole realme vniuersally and partly to acquaint my selfe with the maners and dispositions of the people and finally to see and viewe all such monuments edifices and memorable deedes as our good Ancestors haue left behinde them In all which my progresse right honorable obseruing euery little circumstance as neerely as I could I found if not all yet very many things out of order and farre from that perfection which I hoped and loked for For as concerning the people I founde them in most places dissolute prowde enuious malicious disdaynefull couetous ambicious carelesse of good workes and almost altogether irreligious For the Cuntreys themselues I found them both pleasant and delectable and abounding with all kinde of commodities and store so as nothing seemed to be wanting that mans hart could desire vnder the sunne saue only good people and the same thankfull to God for his so great so inestimable and so infinite blessings bestowed vppon them And as for the ancient monuments which our good forefathers lefte vs as namely Hospitalls Spittles Almes houses Churches Chappels Schooles of learning Bridges high wayes pauements causies and the lyke I founde them some quite dissolued so as scarse any small remembrance thereof is in many places to bee seene and othersome so ruinate and decayed as if the first founders thereof were nowe liuing and shoulde see them they would not take them for their owne but rather for some disproportioned miscreants foysted in in their places Which generall decay of all good workes or rather playne defection and falling away from God right honorable when I considered returning to London from my long and paynefull iourney and hauing reposed my selfe there a little I was moued I protest before God euen in conscience to write this little treatise to the end that eyther by example exhortation or one meanes or other I might stirre vp the mindes of men at least of those whose hearts God hath touched if not to doe good workes themselues yet to maynteyne those which our predecessors haue left behinde them The want whereof as it is a blemish to our profession so is it a cause that maketh the enemy to barke against vs as if our Religion were nothing else but playne talking and not walking nay playne Atheisme and Libertinisme for so they falsely beare the world in hand And therefore I pray God we may if not for conscience sake yet for feare or if not for feare yet for very shame now at the last indeuour our selues to do good works and to leaue some monuments and testimonies of our christian zeale and charitie behinde vs. For else I am afrayde least not onely our good forefathers but also those which we accoumpt prophane and wicked persons as Christ speaketh shall goe before vs into the kingdome of heauen But of these matters we shall haue occasion to say more in the further discourse of this booke and therefore to bend my stile towards your honor After that I had in some sort penned this little treatise I considered with my selfe to whome I might dedicate the same and so after many ratiocinations pro contra I was at the last resolued to consecrate the same rather to your Honor than to any other and that for two causes First for that it hath pleased God to call you and that most worthely to the regiment of this so famous and populous a City to this end no doubt that by the sword of authoritye you might suppresse vice and by the scepter of wise gouernment you might commaund and enioyne men to the practising of good workes And secondly for that the same God hath made you not onely zealous of religion but also of good workes all which heereafter Christ willing shall be registred in theyr due tyme and place to your immortall fame honor and renowne Accept therefore my very good Lord according to your pristine affabilitie this little Treatise published in your Honors name and admit both it and the Author thereof into your patronage and protection so shall I thinke my selfe sufficiently remunerate and the Church of God being edified thereby shall prayse God for you to the end And thus I most humbly take my leaue From my lodging by Cheape side this 8. of Nouember 1593. Your Honors in all duty Phillip Stubbes Gentleman To the curteous Reader COnsidering with my selfe gentle Reader the great decaie or rather the plain abolition and extermination of good workes in these our vnhappie daies I was perswaded to publish this little Treatise to the ende I might stirre vp if it bee possible the mindes of men to the exercising and practising of the same The Argument I appeale to thy conscience in the feare of God is good the end and purpose of the Author also commendable and therefore I doubt not but it will be both well liked also no lesse esteemed of al those that feare God and then for the liking or disliking of the other I am so farre off from caring for it that I pray God I may neuer neither say doe nor write anie thing that may be liked or applauded of them For the manner of the handling heereof I haue not desired to be curious neither to affect filed phrases culled or picked sentences nor yet loftie haughtie or farre fetched epithites but a plaine bare and naked stile for I seeke not
vaine-glorie nor worldly prayse which many greene heades make so much account of but profite to the reader and gaine of Christian soules vnto GOD. And for those faultes which haue passed eyther my penne in writing or the presse in printing I pray thee friendly reader either amend them with thy pen or else couer them with the vaile of modestie And if thou reapest anie commoditie by these my labours ascribe the glorie to him whome the heauens doo worship the Angels reuerence and the powers adore And thus I commit thee to God and my booke to the censure of the godly wheresoeuer dispersed vpon the face of the earth Thine in the Lord Phillip Stubbes Gentleman Faults escaped in printing Fol. 89. line 23. for chase reade chastise Fol. 94. line 1. blot out these words Let vs rest contented with whatsoeuer he doth Fol. 95. line 22. for renumeration reade remuneration Fol. 96. last line for in that famous reade to that famous Fol. 102. line 2. for per sanctis reade pro sanctis Fol. 102. for supereminentibas reade supereminentibus Fol. 113. line 2. for chiefest worke reade chiefest marke Fol. 120. line 1. for a moment reade a monument Fol. 122. line 12. for pessessions reade possessions Fol. 154. line 20. for at last reade at least Fol. 159. line 17. for what soeuer reade wheresoeuer Fol. 164. line 1. for willingly reade willinglier Fol. 168. line 22. for defile reade defileth Fol. 188. line 13. for momentary reade momentany Fol. eodem line 21. for holy Iob reade the holy man Iob. A MOTIVE TO GOOD WORKES The first Section Wherein is shewed the end of mans creation in this life how all creatures do serue and obey their creator better than man in their seuerall callings with an exhortation to good workes IF God created the whole world with all things contayned therein of infinit variety to this end that he might be glorified by them and in them as without al controuersie he did than much more created he man to the same end whom he made after his owne similitude and likenesse indued with almost vnspeakable graces and whome also hee constituted Lord and ruler ouer all his other creatures And therefore euen as an earthly prince that shuld promote and aduance the meanest vassal or basest peasant of his realm as it were from the dunghill to great honor and dignitie making him not onely ruler ouer all his iewels and treasure whatsoeuer but also chiefe ruler and gouernor vnder him ouer all his people might in reason looke for greater gratitude loue obedience and loialtie at such a ones handes whome hee shuld so aduance than at the hands of the rest of his subiects whom he hath put in subiectioÌ„ so the heaueÌ„ly king calling vs as it were froÌ„ the dunghil and aduancing vs to great honor and glorie in this world and making vs Lords rulers ouer all things vnder him doth and in all reason may loke for greater thankfulnesse loue and obedience at our handes for it than hee doth or may looke for at the hands of all or anie of his other creaturs whome hee hath put in subiection vnder our feete And yet notwithstanding whether they or we in our seuerall conditions and callings do glorifie him the more it will easily appeare in the further discourse of this booke if we compare their doings and ours a little together And first to beginne with the Angells The Angels which as Paul saith are ministring spirites and most glorious substaunces created for the execution of Gods will for the comfort defence protection of such as be heires of saluation in Christ are so ready and prest to execute accomplish the will and purpose of God that they faile not in the least point And therefore when God sent them not onely to denounce but also to execute his iudgement and decree ouer Sodome and Gomorrha they were so precise and so exquisite in performing the least circumstaunce of their commission that they tolde Lot they could doe nothing till hee were gone forth of the citie Againe God commanded them not only to comfort but also to feed the good Prophet Eliiah when hee fled from the face of cruel Iezabel who presently obeied as you may read in the sacred historie They were sent to comfort Hagar who fled from the presence of her mistresse Sarah they performed their embassage both feeding and also comforting of her They were sent to accompanie Iacob trauelling from Haran towards his natiue Countrie they obeyed presently without all reluctation or resistance An Angell was sent to deliuer the three children Shadrach Mishach and Abednego from the furie of the raging furnace who without delay accomplished his charge so strictly that the very hairs of their heads were not once touched nor so much as anie smell of fire felt about them although they walked vp downe the firy flame The Angels also were sent to pitch their tents about the good Prophet Elisha and to defend him from the violence of them that were sent to take him they straight waie obeyed compassing him round about with firie chariots as it had beene mightie mountaines not onely defending him from harme but also striking his enimies with palpable blindnesse They were sent to conduct Tobias in his iourney to Rages in Media they straight obeyed guiding him not only thether but also bringing him home againe to the no smal ioy of his olde parents They were sent also to comfort to feede and to deliuer Daniel out of the Lions den they feede him by the Prophet Abacuc comforted him by most sweete wordes of consolation and finally stopping the mouthes of the greedie lions deliuered him by the power of him who worketh whatsoeuer hee will in heauen and in earth They were sent to conduct the Israelites thorough the wildernesse they obeyed going before them in the day time in a pillar of a cloude and in the night time in a pillar of fire shielding them from their enimies on euery side They were sent to strike the hoast of Dauid with the pestylence they obeyed slaying seuaentie thousande before they ceased and beeing commanded to staie their hande they stayed forthwith They were commanded to slaie all the valiant men of Sanâ—â—â—rib king of Asbur who inuaded â—â—dah with a mightie hoast in the daies of Hezechia they presently slew all the princes captains and famous men of the armie according to theyr commission inioyned them by the Lorde To conclude they were sent to salute the virgine Marie and to signifie vnto her the mysterie of the incarnation of our sauiour Christ they presently without all delaye obeyed as you may reade more at large in the Gospel after S. Luke I might heere inferre many moe the lyke examples of the obedience of Angelles towardes GOD who made them but these few least I might seeme tedious at this time shal suffice Nowe who seeth not except he bee
good works and the like it is vnpossible for thee to see the face of God to thy saluacion otherwise than the deuils and the reprobate who shall see the face of God I graunt but to their euerlasting condemnation So thou without good workes mayest see the face of God with thē but to thy vtter cōfusion destruction both of body soule for euer Be zealous therefore good Christian of good workes do good whilest thou hast time for the night of death will come when thou canst not work redeme the time with wel doing as the Apostle speaketh yea withdraw from thy sleepe from thy meate drink and frō thy necessary affaires to do good Remember thy yeres are few vpō earth thou hast but a short time to liue to work in Admit thou attainest to fortie fiftie sixtie or it may be eighty yeres wherto fewe doe come in comparison of those that die before alas that time is nothing neither in regard of the perpetuity eternity of the life to come Haue euer in thy minde that golden sentence of the Apostle He that soweth little shall reape little and he that soweth plentifully shall reape plentifully Let the words of our sauior neuer slip out of thy remembrance Beatius est dare potius quam accipere It is a thing more blessed to giue meaning to the poore than to receiue Giue therefore lend freely to them that haue need loking for nothing again and thy reward shall be great in heauen sayth our sauiour Christ. Consider it is sayde What is giuen to the poore is lent to the Lorde and looke what thou laiest out it shall bee paide thee again Distrust not Gods promises for he is yea and amen in all his sayings and faithfull and true in all his dooings Hee both can for that he is almightie and also will for that hee is mercifull most bountifully remunerate and most liberally rewarde them for whatsoeuer good thou dost in this life yea so precise is he herein that he hath bound himselfe with a promise that he wil not leaue so much as a cup of colde water giuen to anie in his name vnrewarded at that day The fifth Section Wherein is shewed the ends of good works and of our iustification by faith onely with a conclusion exhortatorie to good workes NOw as thou art to do good workes so thou must take heed that thou dost them not neither for desire of reward nor yet for feare of punishment but for the loue and obedience which thou bearest to thy God And so farre off oughtest thou to bee from thinking to be iustified or to merit any thing by thy workes as the blasphemous papistes doo contend that thou must both think saie as Christ teacheth thee to say When thou hast done all that is commaunded thee to doe thou art yet an vnprofitable seruant and hast done but thy dutie nay nor thy duetie neither no not in anie small measure No although thou were stable to do all the good workes in the world and all the good workes which the worde of God doth command thee yea and in that perfection which GOD doeth require of thee which thing neuer anie was nor euer shall be found able to performe Christ Iesus only excepted yet couldest thou neither bee iustified before God nor yet merite anie thing by them ex opere operato as the Papistes doo dreame But yet they are in deed notable seales and testimonies to thy conscience that thou art the childe of God and coheire with Christ Iesus of the kingdome of heauen And heereof is it that the Apostle biddeth vs make our saluation sure by good works not that good workes are any efficient cause of our saluation but doe assure confirme and seale vp vnto vs our saluation purchased by Christ. They are therefore most excellent fruites of our faith and infallible pledges of our election in Christe but no causes of our iustification before GOD. For euen as no fruit can make the tree good which by nature is naught so no good workes can make a man good before God who before was wicked euill for as the tree must of necessitie bee good before it canne bring foorth anie good fruite at all so a man must bee sanctified and regenerate by the spirit of God before he can doo anie good workes acceptable vnto God which once being accomplished thē follow good works as the effect from the cause And therefore I cannot but wonder at the more than palpable blindnes of these iusticiaries and merit-mongers the papists who beleeue that good workes can iustifie vs before God Our sauiour Christ sayth Without mee yee can doo nothing Whereto the Apostle seemeth to agree when he sayth It is God which geueth both the wil the deed euen of his good will and then alas what place of merit is there left for vs And whereas they obiect that God hath promised to reward our good works True it is hee giueth vs grace first to will then power to performe and put in practise euerie good worke that we doo and hath bound himselfe with a promise to reward these his own gifts in vs. But this reward standeth in the mercie of God not in the merit of the worke Let vs therefore abandoning our owne merits as filthie dong hold the mercies of God in Christ to bee our righteousnes beeing assured that if the Lord shoulde enter into iudgement with vs waying our verie righteousnes in the ballance of his iustice and rewarding vs according to our deserts we should be vtterly condemned and cast awaie for euer This the Prophet Esay confirmeth where hee saith That all our righteousnes is like a menstruous clout than the which there is nothing more filthy stinking or fulsome To which sentence Saint Barnard seemeth to allude saying Ve vniuersae iusticiae nostrae si remota miserecordia iudicetur Woe be to our righteousnesse if we should be iudged with out mercie And yet the papistes are perswaded that they are not onely iustified that is pronounced iust before God freed from sinne and all punishment due for sinne but also that they merite the kingdome of heauen and euerlasting life by their good workes Yea they haue not onely good works inough to saue themselues withall but others also and these they call works of supererogation that is whē they doe moe good workes and in greater perfection than God eyther can or will require of them as I haue noted before and therefore with the ouerplus of these forsooth they will helpe their fellowes if they will paie well for them else get they none for No pennie no Pater noster And is not this a pretie matter that they can not onely saue themselues but also others to by their workes of supererogation What should a man care for doing of good workes himself when for a little monie hee may buy inough of others The fiue foolish virgines would haue bought oile of the wise but it was answered