Moses and the Law of nature But they conclude all together include the workes of the one and the other within faith Call ye me this excluding then to go on with the rest you say when some of the Fathers by onely faith exclude pride infidelitie heresie and curiositie you may as well say verum est without faith yet notwithstanding conioyne them altogether faith and infidelitie faith and pride faith and heresie faith and curiositie making vp as it were a Daniels image of cōtrarie mettals Dan. 2.33 that can not possibly cleaue or hang together But if excluding be including you may say and conclude what you will and distinguish at pleasure and defend with ease and all is well speciallie if you get but fauourable readers that can and will thinke what soeuer cometh from beyond seas must needes go for good Not withstanding that the simple may see the childish fondnesse and the extreame falsitie of this so absurd dealing I will shew it then in the like reason I would haue a garment made onely of cloath meaning by onely cloath to exclude stitching lacing facing with silk shall the Taylor come stitch lace and face my garment face me out that when I willed it to be made of cloth alone that without cloth forsooth I wold not haue it stitcht laced faced but with cloth I would Verily it had need be a very brode cloth that cā couer ouer al this follie it is so brode and a verie cunning not a Taylor but a Rhetorician or rather a Magician that must perswade me so and so bewitch a man against all sense reason in the world As for the theef that was saued by faith alone without externall workes alleadged by the Fathers that doth verie well proue that faith alone in sauing doeth the deede Ambros in Rom. 3 and not workes For the way to heauen is but single and one the same to all The thiefe was saued and entered Paradise by faith onely therefore also must all so do if they will enter For God will not saue some by him selfe in mercie and saue others by them selues partlie in mercie and partlie by their owne workes If the thiefe had liued longer time he should would haue liued well but his beleeuing was the wing that caried him vp and the key that opened the doore of heauen When time wanteth not onely faith excludeth not either workes or the goodnesse of woorkes in earth but the meritoriouse deseruing by workes with God in heauen and hereby both in heauen and in earth the free mercie and grace of God is beleeued embraced and gloriouslie set foorth by this most excellent confession of onely faith whereby we agnize the gift the free gift of God according to his purpose promis fauour grace and mere mercie In the storie of the Gospell in particular by examples thus much is prooued and where onely faith is named exacted and cōmended euen in bodily cares much more in ghostly causes of the soule where our Sauiour doth not so much respect the teares of some or in others their feare and trembling nor their crying calling after him but their faith and the greatnesse of their faith Mat. 9.22 Luc. 7.50 Mat. 15.28 Luc. 8.50 Thy faith hath made the whole Thy faith hath saued thee O woman great is thy faith I haue not found so great faith in Israell And in the eight of Luke and fifte of Mark. Beleeue onlie Onely marke that And withall marke if you will the Papists doubling answer herunto Rhem. not Mar. 5.36 Onelie beleeue that is either especially or only in cases of bodily diseases What I pray you why say you or and or If onely be not only but especially and principally then say so Or if onely be onely then say so and houer not vp and down like the birde that was sent out of the ark Gen. 8.9 and could not find where to set her foote But in deed neither is onely especially neither is onely onely in bodily sicknesse alone as shall plainelie appear And therfore herein ye haue made vs not onely one lye alone but two lowde lyes and those together without taking breath one vpon an anothers head For as for the first was Christ like your Phisitian that biddeth his pacient be of good cheere and onely haue a good heart yet withall a good diet must be kept and potions receiued as thinges more requisite O M. Allen and M. Martin and who euer else had finger in that your late gewgawe translation was there I say not were there other things but was there any one thing not onely more requisite but in equall degree as necessarie as faith Luc. 8.44 For woulde Christ require the lesse and omit the more necessarie or if many things were to be required woulde he say onely beleeue No. when all other helpes fayled then they came to our Sauiour And therefore other helpes being preternecessarie he wel required thē wholy to put their trust in him not that he could not cure yea reuiue without their beleeuing that he could but that dutie would he haue at their hands and only that in such respects Wherefore when this former shift serued not the turne you added though onely fayth be requisite and nothing else yet that concerned the healing of the body not the sauing of the soule Of healing the bodie I graunt but withall of sauing the soule that these words are not spoken is not so easilie proued For Christ Iesus the Sauiour both of bodie soule most principally saueth the most principall part therefore to shew what how alone he worketh specially in recuring their soules diseased with sinne view those miraculous cures done so euidently vpon their bodies Wherfore by conuenient reason it followeth if faith alone be required in thē much rather in the other wherein consisteth the greater cure in vs and whence ariseth the greater glorie to him selfe that cureth Contrarie to this in the example of Mary Magdalen somewhat is brought foorth as who therfore had her sinnes forgiuen Rhem. not Luc. 7.50 because she loued much So that loue also was required not faith alone Consider we the story a litle for our better vnderstāding wherin it is said to her Thy faith hath saued thee go in peace a litle before both of to her Many sinnes are forgiuē because she loued much Our of which I obserue 4. notes remission of sinns peace of cōscience faith embracing saluation due loue ensuing therupō Peace of mind cometh after ward in place to be spoken of The sole mean of receiuing remissiō is faith the only cause of remitting is mercy For otherwise remission were no remissiō And were not faith the only meane but her loue also as the Rhemish note is Christ whē he said Thy faith hath saued the he shold haue said nay thy loue thy faith or thy faith thy loue haue saued thee especially
were loue so noble so cōpendious so effectuall a dispositiō therūto Lib. 8. c. 30. as M. Stapletō beareth vs in hand it is in her was Many sins were for giuen her because she loued The Greeke word doth signify therfor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aswel as because But they vrge the word because as a precedent cause But se the like euen in the same word we say this apple tree is a good tree why because it beareth good frute Yet is not the frute cause of the tré nor the goodnes of the apple cause of the good tree but indeed because the tré is good therefore it bringeth fruit according to his kind this is the proper natural cause but we in cōmō speech say it is a good tree because we tast the goodnesse in the frute But this kinde of cause is an after cause a cause in reasoning but no making cause as nether was Maries loue of her sins remitted But therefore she loued not that the dignity of her loue was precedēt to the pardon of her sins but hauing receiued fauour pardō cōsequētly her dutiful loue ensued therupō This appereth by that saying inserted to whō lesse is forgiuen he loueth lesse to whō more he loueth more Mary had many sinnes forgiuē her therfore she loued accordingly therfore Christ said i. cōcluded many sins wer forgiuē because she loued much This obiectiō hath bin answerd more thē 1000. times In a word I will shew that nether did she nor could she loue loue so entirly before her sins wer remitted For beig not in the state of grace what could her loue be but lust and no loue fancy and no true dilection a notorious sinner shee was and therefore verie farre from louing and nothing neare louing much aright They that loue God keepe his commaundementes so do not sinners then did not she Calleth M. Stapleton this a noble disposition God be mercifull vnto vs as he was to Marie that we may shew tokens of a true loue as she did not before but after the multitude of all our sinnes pardoned and done away in Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour The fairest argument of all other to the shewe is a conclusiō that S. Iames maketh and at the first sight woulde make a man thinke greatly making against the doctrin of onely faith where he sayth ye see then how a man is iustified of workes not of faith onely wheras notwithstanding S. Paule euerie where inculcateth nothing more then faith without workes Doubtles these noble Apostles are not contrarie the one to the other neither are the Scripturs as a house deuided in it selfe God forbid they should S. Paule teaching that we are saued by grace and therefore not by workes yet for that there were certaine vaine persons crept in among them he exhorteth withal that they should not receaue the grace of God in vaine Likwise when he had shewed that life euerlasting was the gift of God and therefore no purchase of works yet withall also he warneth them that they beware also howe they tourne the grace of God into wantonnesse As Sainct Paule is vehement in this case so vpō greater occasion S. Iames was most worthelie as earnest as Sainct Paule For whilest some heard that faith without workes did iustifie vnstable and vnlearned minded men as they were peruerting that Scripture as also other Scriptures to their owne damnation they bade adieu to all good deedes saying in theyr foolish hearts if faith without workes can saue we can beleeue that there is a God if onely faith will serue we can beleeue and what neede more And thus contenting thēselues in a generalitie of their profession of faith falslie so called litle reckoning was made how bad soeuer their conuersation were For remedie whereof S. Iames asketh what such a faith could auaile them for either it was no faith and so nothing worth or a deuils faith so worse then nothing Yet lest any imagin that S. Iames plainly simply graunteth a deuils faith to be faith mark further how he doth not For when he speaketh of faith in deede and properly in the first chapter he saith it is no waue that is to say no trembling leafe no shiuering reede fully in S. Paules meaning that it is an euidēt probatiō a certain stable grounded strong thing Wherfore S. Iames whē he likeneth this supposed faith to the quaking faith of deuilles he speaketh not properly but by comparison and meaneth an other matter then either himselfe speaketh of in his first chapter or else S. Paule elsewhere in his Epistles For properly he tearmeth this maner of faith a dead faith that is no faith at al. And this he proueth by asimilitude that as a man may argue that a bodie is not quicke but dead without the spirit that is without all spirituall motions life sence so is faith without works For faith appeareth quicke and liuely in her operations and working Yet not as the Papist dreameth that works are the soule of faith but I say as the spirit and vital breath of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherin it liketh well and greatly deliteth and manifestly sheweth it selfe For if a man be a faithfull man verilie also that man will liue vprightly walk honestly and do workes worthy of his faith not that faith is made of works but that where faith goeth before works euer folow after In so much that a man may well conclude a faithful man ergo fruitfull a fruteles mā ergo faithles Thou wilt say thou hast faith that is a verball faith nothing els Faith is not made of words but shewed in deeds As the Sūne is not without his beames no more is faith without her bright shining woorkes Yet the Sunne is not made of beames no more is faith of workes Yet may I well argue thus If it haue no beams it is no Sunne and so faith if it haue no workes well it may be called faith of vain men in truth it is not For the Christian fayth of saued men worketh euer in time conuenient by charitie Gal. 5.6 can not be idle For as by it and by it alone wee haue accesse to God and trust in his promises without all wauering embracing the benefits of Christs death and passion which is the chiefe dutie of faith so also where it lacketh roote in the good ground of godly hearts it bringeth out breaketh foorth into other frutes And those of sundry sorts to the vse of men according to the diuerse duties of discretion and charitie But still before God in the actiō of iustifying wherof Paul disputeth most faith alone doth al or rather receaueth all of God that doeth all In other respects she neuer is without her traine and as the eye and only the eye in beholding the serpent in the wildernes recouered the children of Israell and yet their eyes were not without the rest of the parts of
being takē down spread abrode and shed into the eares of all the worlde Herein if we make search diligent enquirie for the first cause and end of this so glad a message wherefore and to what ende it was made to vs so sinfull men we shall finde nothing else to be the cause but his loue and the ende to be mans saluation and his owne glorie whereof he is a iealouse God The singuler loue of God In the cause which is his onely grace and fauour if we consider it aright as it is we shall agnize it worthely to be the singuler loue of God Whereby he so loued the world Iohn 3.16 that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euer lasting thus and so he loued as neuer loue was like so stedfast without change so sufficient without want so free without all desert which is the point I now ame at altogeather To loue where a man is loued no great thankes Luc. 6.32 the gentiles and sinners doe so The storke will leaue one of hir yong ones to the owner of the house where she is permitted to make her nest and breede vppe the rest But to loue where pure hatred is rendred for perfite loue that is excessiue loue 1. Ioh. 4.19 He loued vs first and euen then whē we were his enemies And because he knoweth the frowardnes of mans peruerse hart how lightly we esteeme of his mercies and how quickly we presume of supposed merites as if because he loued vs therfore he must needes loue vs for some cause in vs first euery where prouiding for the honour of his owne glorie he maketh continuall mention of his innumerable benefits of the roote wheron they grew which is his loue to the end that the mindfulnes of his graces thankfulnes for the same so often required may bridle presumption represse a naturall pride incident to all flesh Is the father beholding to the sonne or the sonne especially the adopted to the father Rom. 8.16 we are all the sonnes of God not by nature for by nature were we not all the children of wrath Likewise doth the infante tender the nourse or the nourse tende the infante God is he that nurseth vs vp that carieth vs as the eagle her yong ones in his armes from our youth vntill our gray heares as it is in the Prophet Againe is not the prisoner bound to his deliuerer Deut. 32.11 Esai 46.4 and not backwarde the deliuerer to the captiue Who hath deliuered vs from the bodie of sinne but the grace of God through Iesus Christ In all the strong and golden chaine of mans saluation there is not any one linke made or framed by man himselfe Rom. 7.24 Rom. 8.2 whether we consider the Lordes free choise before all worldes our vocation by the preaching of the word iustification in his sonne sanctification by the spirite or our glorification in his kingdom to come Against curiositie in the search of vnsearchable misteries The translatours of the English Testament at Rhemes tell vs that the consideration of the place in S. Paul Curiositie in Gods matters wherein are set furth plainely Gods eternall predestination purpose loue c. both hath bene alwayes in this age is a gulfe wherin many proud persons haue worthely perished Proude persons what then we graunt For pride will haue a fall in the playnest ground and further when they say these misteries of Christian faith ought to be reuerenced of all men with all humilitie not to be sought out or disputed vpō with presumptuouse boldnes verely presumption rashnes and all boldnes we detest as much as they but they in thus saying insinuate an other matter faine would they haue Christian men to tremble and starte backe for feare or else with a light foote to trip ouer that altogeather which the spirite of God doth stande so much vpon Secret things belong vnto the Lord but things reuealed to vs our children for euer in which sentēce of scripture we may see that there are secreats of two sorts either still secret like the round ring 2. Esd 5.42 whose beginning and ending are in it selfe and knowen onely to the maker or there are secretes reuealed to the children of men the meditation and studie whereof appertaineth to vs. According to this the Apostle speaketh the will of the Lord who hath knowen 1. Cor. 2.16 that he might instruct him We haue the minde of Christ the former of these sayinges must be left to God the latter of these do belong to vs. Augustine findeth faulte with curiouse heades and bold mindes In Psal 8. whom he resembleth to fishe that plunge themselues in ouer deepe questions and that walke in the pathes of the bottomlesse seas in matters to excellent for their knowledge And truely who that modest is and hath learned to be wise with sobrietie doth not vtterly mislike and condemne the fact of the Bethshemites prying into the Arke or the like pressing into hidden misteries 1. Sam. 6.19 Is not he an vnwise man that when he may safely vpon the pauement go in and out in the Lordes courtes yet hath a fancie to trie whether he can get vp and trace it vpon the high pinacles of the temple and yet because the pinacles are as ornamentes to set furth the maiestie and the glorie of the building and builder who dare hudwinck mens eyes that they may not veiw the thinges that are therfore set in sight that they may be seene These fiue chiefe pointes which I intende some of them to touch some of thē to treat of more largely and of them all reuerently to speake are they aboue mēcioned our Election Vocation Iustification Sanctification and Glorification These misteries verely are as holy as the mountaine Exo. 19.23 Exod. 3.5 wherein God himselfe appeared and as the ground whereon Moses stood Wherefore aboue all thinges first put we of our showes I meane all prophane cogitations terrene and earthlie thoughtes while we stād vpon these matters while we consider these his graces secreats in his worde reuealed in this behalfe Of Election Vocation and Reprobation THat God electeth some vnto saluation before the beginning of the worlde Election some and therefore not all before the beginning of the worlde and therefore not for the desert of them who then were not which also the verie name of Election doth import is so manifest that the Apostle demaundeth in vehement maner who art thou Rom. 9.20 that wilt dispute hereof and reason to the contrarie and gather absurdities therupō as if the case were not so Wherin also it may be demaūded who art thou that coynest distinctiōs to shift of the freenes of the Lords choise and darest thou auouch that albeit he chooseth before all worlds yet he chooseth not freely but for workes foreseene and likewise refuseth S. Paule is amased at the
part Totum est pro vulnere corpus All is full of boyles and corruption In particular fancie occupieth the head and pride the heart and impudency is seene in the eyes the naturall mans eares are stopt to good itch after euill tidings his throate is an open sepulcher the poyson of Aspes is vnder his deceiptfull lippes stiffe necked is he and obstinate in euerie wicked way his feet are swift to slaughter his hands embrued and bathed in bloud and his right hande an apt instrument of all iniquitie These enormities appeare not euer at all times nor in all persons An easie answer to no hard obiection For certaine men seeme to be and be lesse vnruly then some but those that are ouerruled only by naturs conduction without any secret diuine restraint 1. Ioh. 2.16 haue alwayes ranged out of order without end or stay in any one mēber And what if some did kepe in or rather haue bin kept in frō such so manifest outragiousnes Neuerthelesse God counteth the bodie and the partes therof accessarie to and guilty of all the faultes of the soule as inferiours consenting to their superiours intent Mat. 5.28 And because of their neere coniunction in one person albeit the external act doth not euer follow or outwardly appeare The residence and chiefe throne of sinne in deede The chiefe seat of sinne is in the soule whence it riseth taketh head where it remayneth raigneth most and therfore this part requireth more speciall consideration The chiefest parts of the soule most spoken of among diuines commonly known to Christian people are of the mind and the will The parts of the soule If the mind be wise it is likely the will is better aduised will the rather endeuor to do the better But if the minde be out of her turne the will can neuer be wel in due order Now let vs see a little how it fareth with the naturall man in both these The blindnesse of mans vnderstanding THe natural mā perceiueth not the things that ar of God 1. Cor. 2.14 because they ar spirituall he naturall and therfore in Gods matters he is not onely weake sighted but quite blind Gen. 19.11 The case of the Sodomits that groped as men in the darke and could not find Lots door is one with the cōditiō of the vnregene rat who seeth not the way verily seketh not certainly findeth not the doore that leadeth openeth vnto heauē For in our selues we are not only darkned but darknesse 1. Pet. 2.9 Ioh. 1.5 can darknes cōprehēd the light If the blind lead the blind the one falleth vnder the other vpon but both into the dike If that which shold be thine eye to thine affectiōs be dark how peruerse also is the wilfulnes of all thy lusts But he that beleeueth not but resteth only in the imagined puritie of naturalls as the Pelagians or is in some good liking of natures habilitie as is the Semipelagian the Papist he seeth nothing cōceiueth nothing vnderstandeth nothing as he should Stapl. de vniuer iustif doctr lib. 2 cap. 10 neither is he capable of heauēly thoughts For seme he neuer so mighty potent politik wise discrete honest in all kinde of honestye yet because he hath not faith the true roote of godlinesse those fruites that he can beare things faire in shew yet in truth they are but bastard fruits and vnpleasant to a good tast For without faith and a sure confidence that we do wel Rom. 14.23 Heb. 11.6 which procedeth of a true faith in God Philip. 1.29 it is impossible to please the Lord. And this faith is not of natur but of grace as shall be shewed afterwards For natur being thoroughly poisoned bringeth foorth nothing but poyson who fedeth theron fedeth on poyson eateth drinketh foolishnes and is nourished with folly crawleth vpon his bellie groueleth vpon the earth like the sinfull serpent The wisdom of the world is foolishnes in Gods iudgement who knoweth best what is true wisedome 1. Cor. 1.19 Esay 29.14 Ierem. 5.5 and hath pronounced that the prudency of the prudent worldly wise men he will reproue because they and he agree not in any one part neither in the entrance end or midway of any one action Our wayes are not his wayes Esay 55.8 Psal 99.8 Our inuentiōs prouoke him to wrath our deuises are diuers and contrarie and therfore not for him The peruersnes frowardnes of mans will NOw if the mind be ignorant vnskilfull in that that is to be wished for how can the wil which taketh all her instructiō thēce rightly desire she can not tell what Doth any man ame at the marke he neuer sawe or desire the thing he neuer heard of Christ our Sauiour told the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4.10 if she knew with whom she talked she would craue the waters of life of him but therfore she begged thē not because she knew him not and could not tell neither what nor of whō to ask The very philosopher could tech his scholers and common experience doth testifie the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no man loueth or longeth for the thing he neuer loked vpon And howe litle insight or rather how perfectlie blind by nature we are is alreadie shewed Farther no man naturally wisheth for any thing but he hath not only an insight but also a delight therin and it is gratefull to his nature pleasant in his eyes or at the least so supposed either in comparison of somewhat else or in som sort or other so reputed Herupon I will suppose an impossibilitie that man hath a cleare eye in that great misterie of godlines 1. Tim. 3.16 which the Apostle describeth and which is the ground of all knowledge But I aske how is he pleased how is he delighted therwith Be wee Greekes reckoned the wisest of the Gentils or Iewes once the people peculiar chosen of God The mistery of Christ crucified to either of these is either maruelous folly or wonderfull offensiue to both of them alike if God in iustice leaue them to them selues the preaching of the Gospell 1. Cor. 1.23 which shold be the odor of life if they could beleeue loue and embrace it is becom a sauour that they cānot brook a sauor of death to death euerlasting in fine they perish in their sinnes wherin their faithles natur toke such delight Wherfore if a naturall man an vnbeleuer would beare good men in hand that naturs case is not so hard Orth. expl lib. 3 if Andradius the cōmentator of the Coūcell of Trent as being priuy to their secret meaning herein speake neuer so honourablie of the state of heathen men to be saued without Christ if Pigghius or the schole of Colen Contro Ratisb 1 Dial. 2 Sarc in dist Schol. Doct or all the scholemen in the world wold qualify or alay the strēgth
they were hereticks withall we must not refuse the good they haue because in other respects they be not good For then belike I will vse an easie example but one when the Philistines tooke away the Lordes arke had it in their keeping because the Philistins haue it Israel shoulde not long to haue it againe or when it was brought home receue with ioy But in very deed vnbeleuers perfect heretiks in capital pointes as they haue no faith so haue they not the good perswasion of the end of faith 1. Pet. 1.9 which is saluatioÌ„ of their soules For they shall neuer be able either to take froÌ„ vs or to kepe in theÌ„ selues the arke of a quiet coÌ„scieÌ„ce And albeit they be suffred somtimes to reioyce in the light for a season and to grow greene in the filde yet all this is but a glimse and in the ende to their greater sorrow as it were by a slender tast to let them know what perfit ioyes the faithfull man feeleth in him selfe and feedeth on in his soule to euerlasting life But now if your saying concerning the perswasion of heretickes were true yet were your reason naught but your saying being false your reason is to to bad 2. Secondly you say that this persuasioÌ„ is contrarie to the feare of God verily we teach and no men more either with better words in speaking or in more due manner in thinking rightly of the fear of God that it is the roote of all wisedom and wheÌ„ we woulde expresse the enormities of any place or persons we speake with the scripture and as Abraham and Dauid did and as we take it with the wordes of greatest dispraise Gen 20.11 Psal 36.1 The feare of God is not in this place or the feare of God is not before their eyes Wherfore we exhort them to stand in aw and sinne not The feare of God expelleth sinne Mater timidi nunquam plorat the timerouse childe is warie in all his wayes loth to venter further then is behoouefull and therefore seldom causeth the carefull mother to wet her eye for him But we speake of the feare of God in his children The diuers acception of the word Feare Mal. 1.6 his feare in them is twofold either a reuerence of the worthinesse of his omnipotent maiestie If I be your father where is my loue If I be your Lord where is my feare or else the feare of God is taken for the dreading of his iustice against sinne iniquitie Prou. 3.7 Feare God depart from euill But these the like feares which are lawful profitable are required certes the certainty of faith doth establish them and they it There are other feares of other sortes a feare of the enemy a feare of mans power 〈◊〉 feare of death hell damnation c. in regard wherof we teach on this wise Fear â—our owne captaine feare not thine and his enemy I will not feare what man can do to me Haue a confidence Ioh. 16.33 1. Ioh. 5.4 I haue conquered the world saith Christ This is your victorie euen your faith which ouercommeth not in one or two skirmishes or coÌ„quereth some one part but getteth the vpper haÌ„d of the whole worlde Wherefore quite your selues like meÌ„ trust in the Lord. O death where is thy sting Hell gates shal not preuaile against you There is no condeÌ„natioÌ„ to theÌ„ that are in Christ Iesus If God be with vs what can be against vs why should we feare any thing but him yet not him otherwise then before I shewed not as the dog the whip the slaue his maister or the thiefe the gallowes but as an honorable Lord a reuereÌ„d father a iust but a good God withall Whom we must serue as Zacharies song is in al respects in holynes righteousnes al the dayes of our life without seruile feare nothing distrusting least happily he shoulde not keepe promises where he once promiseth For this kinde of feare of all others directly oppugneth hope hope it is flat against faith faith against it If you meane such a feare we graunt faith is coÌ„trarie to it and laboreth still more more to root it out This we graunt Faine woulde we heare what you or any of yours caÌ„ say herein without dallying in the diuerse acceptioÌ„s of the word feare directly to the contrarie 3. In the third place you say the assuraÌ„ce of faith ouerthroweth the vse of praying For what need maÌ„ pray that he be not lead into temptation if his faith be assured that he shall be saued notwithstanding temptation O M. Stapleton wil you teÌ„pt God The Lordes determination coÌ„cerning the endes in thinges doth not take away meanes and duties in the mid way of perfourming all that is commaunded to man My life is fixt and the boundes limits therof certaine Shall I therfore in reson therof refuse ordinary meat drink and dayly food or physick in time of sicnes what a folly were it beside an extream fault conteÌ„ning the Lords ordinaÌ„ce Likewise God suffreth no man to be tempted aboue measure 1. Cor. 10.13 Therefore because there is a measure set shall no man power furth his prayers in that respect Paul teacheth a better way Pray alwaies Christ willeth Watch pray that ye enter not into temptation And yet none can not be tempted neither with inward nor outward temptation aboue his measure how theÌ„ doth the certainty of Gods defence therin abolish maÌ„s duty that he should not pray therfor Iam. 1.6 I pray shew vs more at large or rather briefly in plainer maner if you caÌ„ We teach no prayer is good but that which is made in faith why theÌ„ doth the certainty of faith take away the office of praying 4. In the last fourth place you say the certainty of faith peruerteth the doctrine of the SacrameÌ„ts Well I see either you do not see which is grosse ignoraÌ„ce or of a frowardnes you wil not vnderstand what we mean by the assuraÌ„ce of faith We tell you our saluatioÌ„ is built vpon a sure grouÌ„d the Lord doth know who are his they who are the Lords they know they are his This is a firme foundation the scripture writing of the house of Israel that the faithful are registred in the booke of life this assuredly we doe beleeue But that there be no other helps to assure our faith we neuer denied For herein as the word is a known writing to vs so the sacrameÌ„ts are the seals to double our assuraÌ„ce as Pharao saw two dreames to ascertaine him one thing Gen. 51.25 neither doth the assuraÌ„ce that must be by faith destroy the helps that farther that assuraÌ„ce in faith nay the assuraÌ„ce that shold be therin is proued the rather by the helps therto But now as we haue hard your tale M. Stapl. so giue vs a litle leasure to shew our own euideÌ„ces for our own