Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	faith_n	live_v	righteousness_n	7,345	5	7.9606	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01175	The restorer of the French estate discouering the true causes of these vvarres in France & other countries, and deliuering the right course of restoring peace and quiet to all Christendome: wherein are handled these principall questions touching religion, policie, and iustice: whether it be lawfull to sweare, and keepe promise to heretikes, to force mens consciences for religion sake, to liue with, and dwell nigh heretikes, to breake the order of succession to the Crowne bycause of religion, or no. Who be schismatikes; and of the chiefe poincts of religion. How we are to iudge of the schisme in Christendome at this day. Lastly, the conclusion conteining notable admonitions to the clergie, nobles, magistrates, people, and King of France. Translated out of French. Ecclesiæ & reipub. D.	Hurault, Michel, d. 1592, attributed name.	1589 (1589)	STC 11289; ESTC S102588	139,883	174

in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy for the Scripture saith to Pharao I haue raysed thee vp to this onely end that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth he therefore hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth thou wilt say then to me why doeth he yet complaine for who is he that can resist his will behold the very same inconuemences which ye alleage he answereth but ô man who art thou which pleadest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus hath not the potter power of the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour what and if God would to show his wrath and to make his power knowen suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and that he might declare the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy which hee hath prepared to glorie Isay alleaging most of these reasons to proue this doctrine stoppeth your mouth much more roughly with wordes that might make them tremble and sinke with ghastly feare and terrour who stand on such nice poincts and quiddities Isay 45. Wo be vnto him saith he that striueth with his maker the pot shard with the potshards of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou Let vs therefore hold for certeine that the faithfull are elect and predestinate of God to saluation that saluation is by election and not by works and let vs consider that this doctrine bringeth most stedfast assurance and comfort to the faithfull against the stormes and perils of this world knowing that their saluation is fastened and grounded on so sure a rocke as is the election of God and not on the sliding sand of good works Iesus Christ saith There is no saluatiō but by Iesus Christ Iohn 14.10.1 1. Ioh 2. 1. Ioh. 1. Tit. 3. I am the way the truth and the life none can come to my Father but by me I am the dore if any entreth by me he shal be saued our Lord Iesus is the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world that is the attonement for our sinnes his bloud cleanseth vs from all sinnes he that hath the sonne of God hath life he that hath not the sonne of God hath not life Also in other places it is written that God saued vs not by the works of righteousnes which we had done but according to his mercy by the washing of the new-birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour that we being iustified by his grace should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life 2. Tim. 1. that the grace of saluation was giuen vs through Iesus Christ before all times Rom. 3. that God hath iustified vs freely by his grace by the redemption which is in Iesus Christ that he died for our sinnes and arose againe for our iustification This is a true saying 1. Tim. 1. saith S. Paul and by all meanes worthy to be receyued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiese Finally to deny that our saluation is not freely and wholy purchased for vs by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus to deny the law prophets and euangelists the old and new testament th'infallible truth of God yea it is so much as in vs lieth to treade vnder foote the sonne of God Heb. 10. and count the bloud of the now Testament wherewith we are sanctified an vnholy thing It is written that Iesus Christ is th' end of the law in righteousnesse to all beleeuers that Meses said We receiue saluation by faith he that shall do these things shall liue by the same but at this day the word of faith is if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus shalt beleeue in thy heart that God raised him vp from the dead thou shalt be saued Gal. 5. for with the heart man beleeueth to righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation againe there is no Circumcision nor incircumcision but faith working by charitie also Rom. 1. the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth further Iesus Christ is our propitiatory sacrifice through faith further more Rom. 4. God iustifieth onely them that are of the faith of Iesus Moreouer to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse also the promise was made to faith againe it is written Ioh. 3. that he which beleeueth in the sonne shall see eternall life he that beleueth not in the sonne of God shall not see eternall life but the wrath of God abideth on him that the inst shall liue by faith Heb. 10. Heb. 11. 1. Pet. 1. but if any with draw him selfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him that without faith it is impossible to please God that we are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation which is prepared to be shewed in the last time 1. Pet. 2. that Iesus Christ is pretious to them that beleeue and a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence to them that stumble at the word Ioh. 14. In summe this is that which the Lord doth principally yea singularly require at their hands who ensue him and sue for his grace and succour this is that which he said to his Apostles after his resurrection Mar. 16. goe ye into all the world and preach the Gospell to euery crenture he that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued but he that will not beleeue shal be damued Luc. 23. th' one theef which belecued at the poinct of death he receiued into Paradise th' other which beleeued not he refused this is the Gospell to beleeue in God in him Ioh. 20. whō he hath sent for our saluation The Gospell is written that we might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the sonne of God and that in belecuing we might haue life through his name Before S. Philip baptised th'Eunuch of Queene Candace he said it is lawfull to baptize thee if thou beleeuest with all thy heart It is written els where That faith commeth of God that none can say Iesus Christ is the Lord but by the holy Ghost that God hath giue vs vnderstanding that we might know him which is true that faith is not of our selues 1. Cor. 2. 1. Iohn 5. Mat. 16. Iohn 3. Tit. 3. Act. 16. but is the gift of God that the faithfull are borne of God that S. Peter receiued his faith of God and not of flesh bloud that men must be regenerat of the holy Ghost to become faithfull So it is writte that the Lord opened the heart of Lydia the

which sayd they needed not keepe themselues frō sinning Rom. 6. since they were vnder grace and not vnder the law proceedeth thus farre that he saith beyng made free from sinne ye are made seruaunts to righteousnes now to auouch these wordes that workes instifie vs is to make the spirit contrary to it selfe the Gospell to the Gospell S. Paul to S. Paul S. Iames to S. Iames which were no better then blasphemy against the spirit For as often as the purpose is to lay the ground-worke of the Gospell then the spirit saith specially and namely that it is by grace not by merit at all it is hard to reckē how oft this is affirmed in the gospel in S. Paul chiefly There is no likelihood that two or three places forced racked should balance or weigh downe infinit others specially considering the caueats aboue written least we mistake the meaning of those words and not forgetting that S. Paul hauing vsed those termes saith I speak after the maner of men for the infirmitle of your flesh S. Iames who in th' end cōcludeth that faith is perfected by works expresly teacheth vs that we cā not be saued by works saying in the same chapter that whosoeuer shall keep all the law shal faile in one poinct he shal be guil●y of all Now there i● no mā so holy that faileth not in some poinct of the law which cōsequently is not guilty of all And thus no hope of saluation may be built on works Conclude we then that works of thēselues 〈◊〉 nothing to saluation but do strēgthē accōplish witnes faith by which we receiue saluatiō Whether the body of Iesus Christ be really in the bread of the holy supper The Pope commaundeth to beleeue that the body bloud of Iesus Christ are really and in deed in the bread and wine of the supper He commaundeth that the bread of the supper be adored as God I maruéile that he makes not the wine be likewise adored for the reason of both is all one He hath ordeined a daily sacrifice of this body for to commend this sacrifice the more he hath prouided it a seruice of the church altar sacrificers priests and other officers priestly omaments oeremonies superstitions in words gestures in water fire otherthings being in-deed a mingle mangle of all religions that euer were He groūdeth his opiniō of the reall corporall presence of the body bloud and of the substantiall turning or chaunge of the truth of the bread wine into the substance truth of the body bloud of the Lord Math. 26. vpō these words of S. Matthew saying Iesus tooke bread after he had giuē thāks he brake it gaue it to his disciples and said take eat this is my body hauing taken the cup giuen thanks he gaue it them saying drinke ye all of it for this is my bloud of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Now they may easely iudge who peruse the holy scripture wholy with an open heart the eyes of whose vnderstanding are not dym that this doctrine of the Pope tooke his beginning being in the phantasie of man rather then in the Scripture For if we gather and compare together whatsoeuer the Scripture doth conteine touching the Lordes supper we shall finde that the body is not in the bread but is at the right hand of God and yet the faithfull do eate and drinke spiritually and by faith the body and bloud of our Sauiour receiuing therewith the merite of his death and passiō and are nourished spiritually by his grace and that the bread and wine are set forth for signes of the Sacrament to signifie to vs that as bread and wine nourish vs for our temporall life so the body bloud of the Lord do nourish vs for the life euerlasting and as there is an vnion meeting together of many bodies in the bread in the wine euē so should there be an vnion and agreement among the faithfull in communicating of the body and bloud of the Lord. Whē Iesus Chirst had said this is my body Math. 16. Mar. 14. this is my bloud of the new testament he addeth I say vnto you I will not drinke hence-forth of this fruict of the vine I will not drinke more of the fruict of the vine vntill that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my fathers kingdome These wordes taken either spiritually or after the letter do sufficiently declare that the wine is not turned into the bloud of our Sauiour for he calleth it still the fruict of the vine And in Saint Luke to discouer vnto vs more clearely that this Luke 22. speach is figuratiue he saith this is my body do this in remembrance of me this cup is the new testament in my bloud which is shed for you he saith not the cup is my bloud but it is the new testament in my bloud that is to say it is a representation a signe of my bloud a testament a title and contract of new alliance in my bloud This sense and vnderstanding is not beside the purpose for he celebrated that same day with his disciples th' ancient Sacrament of the passe-ouer lambe which represented the lambe of God that should come to make vs through his death passiō to passe out of this trāsitory world full of miseries bōdage into th' other would full of surpassing ioy and libertie And for that this auncient Sacrament of the passe-ouer lambe was to take an end forthwith by his death he instituted the new sacrament of the new testament of the new league or alliance be gaue them bread and wine for signes of the spirituall nourishment which they were necessarily to receiue in the body and bloud of our Sauiour And as in the old alliance or testament the lambe was not Christ but onely represented the Christ so the bread and wine of the new testament are not the body and bloud but signifie and represent the body and bloud of Christ This interpretation is confirmed moreouer by these wordes do this in remembraunce of me it is ordinary to commend by signes and resemblances the memory of things absent and not of things present on th' other side if we are to take the words in S. Luke literally without admitting any expositiō beside the letter the wine is no more the bloud it is now the cup it must then be cōfessed that these words are figuratiue and subiect to another interpretation then the naturall fignification of the letter will bearens there be any figure in S. Luke there may be also the like in S. Matthew It is written in S. Paul the cup of blessing which we blesse 1. Cor. 10. is it not the communion of the body of Christ the bread which we breaked is it not the communion of the body of Christ for we th●t are many

Estate and common wealth for from this quarter comes the tempest on that little which is left them they are inquisitiue and heare speach of kings more commonly then Gouernours of Prouinces did in ancient time Finally on what side soeuer I turne mine eyes I see nothing but deformitie Alas I hoped during the last peace that my children after they knew the vanitie of their conceipts and desires the difficultie of their enterprises the small fruite and that same euill of their actions of their paines and trauaile consequently the curse of God vpon them after they had by so long continuance of yeeres endured and felt the troubles horror and wearisome toyles of warre after they had not got one iote of another but the ruine alone of their publike weale of mee that am their mother and yet moreouer each one his owne particular ruine and confusion I dare assure my selfe said I that they will hold themselues to this last peace I supposed that lacke of bloud and sinewes would not suffer them to continue their furious stirres that faintnes would enforce them to remaine peaceable would yeeld and betake them to repose and sleepe And so hoped I to repose my selfe to recouer by meanes of a peaceable sleepe my first naturall beauty and disposition I hoped in short time to recouer my first estate to recall settle againe and contayne my children each one in his true vocation to render them the contentment they were wont to receyue of me to reestablish and repayre for them my ruines and wastes to multiplie weede and trimme for them my fruites to moderate by the same meane their concupiscences to qualifie their cholers o rule their desires to refine their willes to renew accomplish and confirme their amities to vnite them together The purgations which I ministred in the mean season towards Picardie on the one side and towardes Guien for Portugall on the other strengthened my hope very much the effect it selfe and forwardnes of my reparations confirmed me farre more and kindled my naturall heate and diligent heed vpon promise of a full enioyment I saw mine olde skin pill fall of and vanish away I perceiued mens spirites did cleere I perceiued that out of their willes dreined hate enuie pride ambition and other like workers of enmitie and discord charitie began to warme the hearts of my children and to moue their bowels diuersitie of religion was made no more a different marke for persons houses and townes religion was no longer the obiect of good wil and amitie of grudge and enmitie But good God behold all my hopes dashed the rash zeale of religion was in deede mortified but the other cause of my ciuil warres to wit ambition was not Behold me now fallen into a relapse worse than the former I know now my children were not werie but in body they reposed but their bodies during the peace For it appeareth at this day to me that while peace lasted their trauell euer lasted by giftes and promises by honors and gratifyings to seeke them partakers amities intelligences fauours and succours not in this Realme alone but throughout all the dominions of Europe also I see on the one fide the more part of my children in armes and vprore vpon shew of hope offered that Fraunce shal be like those fortunate Isles for the Clergie that no Gentleman so simple but shal be glutted with honour and riches but shal be created incontinent a Gouernor Earle Vicount or Baron that all my Iusticers shal be Chancelers or Counsellers of estate all my Townes shal be free peaceable priuiledged as those of the Empire or of the Cantons But this sufficed not they haue distrusted their owne force as vnable to ruine me they haue thought their owne armes too faint and feeble to slay themselues to foile and pull me downe on themselues they must therefore wage strangers On this their partie I spie the Pope who vnder assurance of reestablishing his credite first here and thenelswhere drawes out both his blades and makes a lustie flourish I see there the Spanish Tyrant who gaping for a good share and speciallie thinking to hasten the sale of me which I perceiue hath bene made him as also to auoide the ransacking of his vsurpations and to weaken his neighbors vnladeth his ships freighted with treasures within my hauens I see there the Loraine and Sauoyen who allot to thēselues alreadie the Countries lying most commodious for them Yet was not that partie or side strong inough it sufficed them not to passe the mountaines they must trauerse Italie ouer and the sea or els all along the gulfe of Venice to bring hither Albanians and so to reenforce this partie Aboue three yeeres are past since the auctors of this partie appeared in armes in the middest of me hauing for their cheefe Standard for their white Cornet the League the conspiracie well signed of all these partakers of all these Potentates The king forsooth must enter into this league that is in good phrase and bad French he himselfe with all his power must rely on them he must aduaunce them aloft that they with more ease may take his crowne off his head or at least that they may first seize on it after his death be it naturall or procured or els he must determine to runne the race of poore Childeric he must take this Aquafortis this Aqua vitae this confection of Alkermes or els he must see his owne speedie death he must see his owne limmes fall of and forsake him His Lieutenants Gouernors and Townes awayted not said they but his refusall to declare his minde the Pope had an infinite sort of men in ambush amid the mountaines readie to ouerrun him presently vpon his refusall the sea was couered with Spanish ships redy to inuade and fill all the hauens of France presently vpon the signall geuen there were also Almaines and Switzers It seemed that all people and Nations had forsaken their owne businesse and homes for to come force her or runne to her ruine to her fall Behold my king surprised and forced in the heart of his Realme in the greatest of his Cities in the greatest aboundance of his Subiects by his owne foster children by them that had no good nor honor but through his fauour and his predecessors behold him forced to violate his faith to sweare and signe his owne death his owne ende and the ende of me and of all his brothers my children the ruine and wracke of his Realme to plucke asunder the foundations and the lawes whereon it is grounded behold him forced to dispose his crowne to the behoofe of strangers Behold me presently more tumultuous then cuer before no speech but of banishments publications proscriptions of outlawrie of troubles and turmoiles Ye may see many housholders oppressed with yeeres and sorowes laden with children on their shoulders and at their sides their wiues folowing at their heeles blubbered with teares hauing their little infants lugging at

haue be fallen certeine Lords of our time are so many punishmēts of their desloyaltie We see their misfortunes neither can we be ignorant of their trecherie we know elswhere the wretched ends of the periured as of Lisander Hannibal Siphax Caracalla and of Hebert th' Earle of Vermandois of th'Earles of Charolois Saint Paul and of others innumerable A Iew of this our age hath imputed all the miseries wherein those of his nation are wrapped to their faithlesnes Vnworthy is he the reputation of a faithful Christian that will violate his faith makes no reckning of it vnworthy is he to receiue faith of God or finde faith among men that knowes not how to keepe it They say that sinne is knowen by its trayne that sinne is the penaltie of sinne but chiefly that is verified of faithlesnes To this purpose do the Hebrues aduise men aboue all to beware of this vice for hauing crept once into their acquaintance by and by it growes familiar customary and domesticall We haue obserued that euer since this doctrine was receiued in so great a Synod of Bishops vnfaithfull disloyalty hath borne sway in all that hath byn done or treated among all the Potentats of Christendome among all Christians welnigh the Bishops are the chief heades thereof the euill from thence is descended to the members and so from member to member throughout the whole body I shame to say how since ye haue receiued and practised this goodly distinction ye haue mortgaged or rather forfeicted the honour and commendation of troth and fidelitie purchased so dearely and carefully amōg all nations by your predecessours Ye are at this day among all nations as a vessell wherein is no pleasure commoditie nor assurance Ye reteine the solemnitie of othes by custome ye leaue the truth by malice Shame will not suffer me to pursue this point any further Yet one thing will I add that faithlesnesse iustly bringes the faithlesse person in suspect that he fayles in faith towardes Iesus Christ for as one of the ancientes sayd none loseth his faith saue he that had it not Then my children ye that are Christians by the grace of God geue no place to Paynims in vertuous actes which nature reason law custome necessitie and your soueraigne Lord God do inioyne you so expresly folow the examples propounded by the holy Ghost to fortifie you against the subtil quirks wisedome of the flesh beleeue it not to be permitted which God forbiddeth and with indignation punisheth eschue not his cōmaundementes but eschue his wrath frame not his word to your passions to your reuenges to your ambition but frame your selues to it and by it rule your desires CHAP. II. Whether mens consciences ought to be compelled for Religion and how the Magistrate should be employed agaynst heretikes BVt ye wil tell me perhaps that ye are not moued to begin this warre by disloyaltie nor by desire of reuenge nor by other euill passion but through zele ye beare to the glory of God to th' aduancement of the kingdome of his sonne our Lord to th'edificatiō of his Church through the charitie ye beare towards all men whom ye fayne would haue to be all good Christians whō ye would marshal in the Church vnder th' obedience of God or cut of the refusers to cease all blasphemies and abominations that they commit against his diuine Maiestie and to purchase assured tranquillitie to all the faithfull The holy Ghost foreseing as it seemeth your excuses saith that Saul assaied to destroy the Gabaonits through a zele he bare to the children of Israell and Iuda this his deuotion was deemed sinne against God the Israelites and namely the children of Saul incurred Gods displeasure for this sinne 2. Reg. 21. as hath byn sayd Moreouer the Iewes persecuting the Christians euen then when they crucified the Messias were inflamed with a most ardent affection towards God and their Temple by this their affection th' execution thereof they deserued the wrath estranging curse and punishment of God S. Paule speaking of them and of th' euill they did to the faithfull saith Rom. 10. I will beare th'Israelites witnesse that they haue the zele of God but not after knowledge Ioh. 16. Iesus Christ said to his Apostles the houre commeth that whosoeuer shal put you to death shall thinke he doth God high seruice 〈◊〉 suppose you that this zele did excuse the murtherers of the Apostles 2 Reg. 6. Likewise with very great zele did Oza stretch forth his had to vphold the Ark of the Lord howbeit he was punished Zele then is so sclender an excuse of sinne that it selfe is sinne if it be not directed by sound skill knowledge Man is not licensed to seeke th' execution of whatsoeuer himself conceiueth shall serue the glory of God He must learne and know by Gods word what he is to desire whereto his indeuors must tend what way he is to take what meanes he must vse It is well done to couet and seeke th' aduancement of Gods kingdome th'accōplishment of his Church it greatly concerneth vs to behold the number of the faithful very soone fulfilled for the glory of God and our owne sanctification glorificatiō but yet let it be done with discretion The holy Ghost is the chief workemaister in building the Church let him controll vs let the meanes that he hath taught conduct vs we can not be ignorant if we but cōsider how he hath proceded euer since the creation of the world to the building of the Church the house of God He would neuer be serued with the violence of men of fire of sword and of the halter to compell men to enter into the Church Adam Seth and Enos enforced not Cain to returne to God after he was plunged in dispayre when he had forsaken God his countrie and consequently the Church by reason of his sinne Noe vsed not weapons to compell the people to turne to God but praiers and preachings in the name of the Lord he laboured to conuert them by words and examples of godlines he manaced them not with his owne wrath or with his owne armes but with the wrath and armes of th' Almighty Abraham longed with all his hart to see th' effect of Gods promises he saw in spirit already the Church filled with nations innumerable he beheld about him great power he fought he ouercame but yet he neuer attempted to bring men to God by armes The children of Israel fought vanquished conquered and destroied many nations yet where can ye finde that they went about to constraine one onely man of so many peoples to suffer their circumcision and become one of their Church if they had propounded to th'Ammonits Moabites Philistins and to the Syrians which would haue yeelded to all conditions of peace for to liue peaceably by them thus wee will leaue you in peace in your houses and families among your wiues and children we will leaue you your goods your

not what sensualitie concupiscence enuie and infidelitie that steyneth our workes So that if all our actions should be examined by the word of God not one of them should be found able to stand before his iustice But if we iudge not nor confesse them now delay of time wil not amend or abolish their guilt the presence of the Lord how late soeuer he commeth will force vs to confesse for he can well discouer and iudge them Herevpon we may conclude that in our nature is no goodnes that the vnderstanding and good we haue descendeth from on high is brought by the holy spirite that the measure of the same spirit which we enioy in this world is as nothing in comparison of that we hope for is but a skantling a glimse a surface or smattring and as it were a smacke to make vs seeke hope and ardently long for that fulnesse of perfection which abideth vs in the world to come It sufficeth not the Pope to teach that man of himselfe may do some good thing Whether a man by his works may merit ought at Gods hand but he will haue vs further to beleeue that man may do good works inow to saue himselfe to satisfie the iustice of God to repaire and wipe away the sins and steines of his soule of his flesh and of his predecessors to merit not only for himself but also for many mo that vnmeafureable blisse and glory euerlasting which the wit of ma is vnable to copreliend Lo here a flatte contrarietic of the Pope to Christ lo here a doctrine bearing the right stampe of Antichrist lo here the diuinitie that brings the traffike of Church-men in request who keepe shop for open sale of mens saluation and make marchandise of their soules through couetousnes by fayned words as S. 2. Pes. 2. Peter hath foreshewed We did sufficiently deface this doctrine when we proued afore that man could doe no good that for the little good which commeth from man it is God that doeth it in him and by him Howbeit the holy Scripture informeth vs how God gaue his law to men not for to geue life iustifie and saue them by the same Gal. 2.3 but to make them know the vnablenes frailtic and corruption of their nature and to force them to acknowledge it impossible for man to performe his obedience to the maiestie of God to satisfie his debt to the iustice of God and to escape eternal death which should compel them with all humblenes to crie and craue forgeuenes grace and mercie Obedience to the law was inioyned vpon paine of death Iac. 2. it is said that whosoeuer shall keepe the whole law and yet fayleth in one poynt he is guilty of all Now there is not one man found be he Prophet or Apostle Gal. 3. which hath not disobeyed many commandements of the law and therefore th'Apostle saith that the Scripture hath shut vp all vnder sin that the promise by faith in Christ Iesus might be geuen to them that beleeue There is none iust no not one all are vnder sin Rom. 3. 1. Iohn 1. Isay 43. we deceiue our selues we make God a lyer if we say we haue no sinne Let vs be iudged together saith the Lord in Isay count thou that thou mayst be iustified thy first father hath sinned and thy teachers haue transgressed against me or bettayed my cause The Prophets and Apostles haue all frankly acknowledged themselues sinners they could neither accomplish the law nor be saued thereby This acknowledgement of himselfe his corruption sinne weakenes hath prouoked and enforced man to cry for mercie to the Lord and say with Dauid and Paul Psal 32. Rom. 4. blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and wose sinnes are couered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne Againe haue mercy on me haue mercy on me Psalm 52. for my soul trusteth in thee with Esdras there is no man among them that be borne but he hath done wickedly 4. Esd 8. nor any that doeth confesse thee which hath not done amisse for in this ô Lord thy righteousnes and thy goodnes shal be praysed if thou be mercifull vntothem which haue not the substance of good workes 4. Esd 7. and elswhere if God were not aboundant in his mercies the world could not contime nor they that haue the possession thereof No man can humble himselfe enough before God no man can too basely esteeme himselfe before his most glorious maiestie pride did put the Pharifee farre from God humilitie brought the Publican neere him pride caried our first Father out of the most honourable subiection of the Lord. Pride is the originall and cause of Antichrist and of backsliding as saith Esdras 6. Esd 8. Our Lord God hath fought so openly and with so great care against this opinion of merite by workes that I am astonied with wonder that men who say they are Christians durst thinke decree publish and receiue the same He hath aduertised vs that if we should accomplish the whole law yet could we not merit any thing at his hand After he had declared in S. Luke Luc. 17. that the master will not thanke that seruant nor thinke himselfe beholding to him because he did that which was commaunded him he addeth so likewise ye when ye haue done all those things which are commaunded you say we are vnprofitable scruants wee haue done that which was our ductie to doe Luc. 18. What made the Pharisie reiected but the confidence he had in his workes The most praise-worthie and allowable works are martyrdomes and sufferings Rom. 8. now th'Apostle teacheth vs that those sufferings are not worthie of the glorie to come Gal. 2. Gal. 5. agayne that no flesh shal be iustified by the works of the law that whosoeuer will be iustified by the law are abolished from Christ and are fallen from grace that they despise the spirite of grace Heb. 10. that if righteousnes is by the law Iesus Christ died in vaine Gal. 2. Hee seemeth angry with a most vehement zele against the Galatians who busied their mindes about merits of workes he calleth them foolish in that they would leaue the spirit to walke after the flesh he vrgeth them he threateneth them by infinite arguments he concludeth that no man is iustified towards God by workes This is the doctrine published also with so great earnestnes in all th'epistle to the Hebrewes Then let vs condemne this doctrine of the Pope it exalteth the flesh it placeth the power of flesh and bloud in place where God should be it disanulleth and maketh voyde the loue the comming the word the death and passion and merite thereof the grace mercie of Christ Iesus It is scornefully to abase spitefully to defie the election and councels the iustice and mercie of the Lord it is to despise the spirite of grace it is to goe about to assaile

seller of purple to attend to the things which S. Paul spake They then that haue eares to heare vnderstand can not but acknowledge without doubting that faith is the mouth of the soule by which we receiue faluatiō the merit of the Lords death and passion that faith is the onely gift of God and therefore whofocuer glorifieth himself Psal 27. let him glorifie in the Lord and say with Dauid the Lord is my light and my saluation But some do argue against the word of God in these termes Faith doth not abolis● workes Seing that grace abolisheth merit works are abolished likewise and so the Gospell abolisheth workes and the law by faith S. Paul did fore-see this obiection and aunswered thereto so carefully that none except the ignoraunt or enemies of the Gospell can make accompt thereof Neuerthelesse the Pope stands on it so stifly and esteemes it so highly that in consideration and vnder colour of it and his auarice together he hath brought in this goodly doctrine of the merite of workes contrary to the Gospell as by the premisses here-aboue appeareth Rom. 3.4 After Saint Paul had set downe this obiection he proueth more manifestly than afore that by faith we are saueck and stayeth firmely on this argument that Abraham receiued the promise of saluation by faith before the circumcision and long time yer the law was geuen so that the promise saith he belongeth to the faithfull and not to the workers of the law which law was geuen onely to the successors of Abraham after faith and the promises and so he leaueth vs to conclude that as the law was geuen to the successors of Abraham after the promises made to Abraham because of his faith euen so the faithfull ought to receiue the law not making it the cause of the promises and hand-fast of their saluation but shewing by their obedience thereto that the promises belong to them as being successors of them to whom the promises were made as being successors of Abraham yea children of the heauenly father whose voice they ought to know and vnderstand yelding them selues willingly to be guyded and gouerned by his holy spirite to the obedience of his commandements The sonne is a sonne afore he obeyeth his father but he sheweth by his obedience that he is the truesonne so the faithfull and elect afore workes afore their obedience appeareth be the children of God Works cannot bring them this title or qualitie it is the gift of God and commeth not of works saith S. Paul Ephesa but by workes they shewe themselues to be faithfull in deede and by the obedience they yeeld to God when he hath certified them of his wil they shew themselues to be the true and faithfull children of God S. Rom. 6. Paul is not content herewith but pursueth yet more euidently the ouerthrow of this obiection For hauing proued afore that wee are saued by grace and not by works it followeth what shal we say then shall we continue stil in sinne that grace may abound God forbid how shall we that are dead to sinne liue yet therein know ye not that all we which haue bene baptized into Iesus Christ haue bene baptized into his death wee are buried then with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raysed vp from the dead by the glory of the father so we also should walke in newnesse of life and in the same Chapter what then shall we sinne because we are not vnder the law but vnder grace God forbid know ye not that to whomsother ye geue your selues as seruants to obey his seruants ye are to whoth ye obey and a little after but now being freed from sinue and made seruants vnto God ye haue your fruite in holmes and th' end euerlasting life Thus yee see that faith destroyeth not workes Contrariwise the Scripture commandeth vs that we oboy God to shew foorth the glory and holines of his house to shew and confirme our owne and our neighbors faith to shew that we feare loue and honor God that we belong to him are regenerated by him are his children seruants and this ought we to seeke in works and not our saluation Workes goe not afore election they follow it they follow adoption they follow faith they follow the sure trust of saluation The commaundemēts of God are directed to them that are of his house not to strangers so that we must be of his house before we may vnderstand or do them The commaundements are not they that make the children but they are the children that doo the commandements of their father But now behold how we learne what is th' end of good works 1 Pes. 2. It is written that it is the will of God that by wel doing we may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free and not as hauing the libertie for a cloke of maliciousnes but as the seruants of God 2. Pet. 1. Againe geue euen all diligence thereunto ioyne more ouer vertue with your faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlines with godlines brotherly kindnes and with brotherly kindnes charitie Saint Iohn saith hereby we are sure that we know him if we keepe his commandements he that saith I know him and keepeth not his commaundements is a lier and the truth is not in him he that saith he remaineth in him ought euen so to walk as he hath walked 1. Ioh. 4. 1. Ioh. 5. If any man say I loue God and hate his brother he is a lyer Wee know that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe the faithfull should liue no more after the concupiscences of men 1. Pet. 2. but according to the will of God They must haue their conuersation honest that they which speake euill of them as of euill doers may by their good works which they shall see glorifie God in the day of the visitation True it is that the scripture seemeth in some places to ascribe saluation to works for the holy Ghost sometimes vseth indifferently all these termes election grace faith works and accepteth th' one for th' other expresly to shew vs that th' election grace faith and works are inseparable and as it is written that works done without faith auaile nothing so true works bring with them faith cōsequently th' election and grace purchased by the passion of our Sauiour Sometimes also the holy Ghost speaketh in this maner to rebuke them that abuse faith running after a bastard vaine and idle faith leauing the lawfull true and working faith At other times hespeaketh so applying himselfe to nouices and children in the faith For so S. Iames highly extolled workes Iac. 2. but that was vpon occasion to confound them that abused faith and thought they should continue vnprofitable and idle in faith As also S. Paul opposing himselfe against them