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love_n	child_n	good_a	love_v	6,316	5	6.3785	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00888	The Christian manuell, or of the life and maners of true Christians. A treatise, wherein is plentifully declared, how needefull it is for the seruaunts of God to manifest and declare to the world: their faith by their deedes, their words by their works, and their profession by their conuersation. VVritten by Ihon VVoolton minister of the Gospel, in the Cathedral church of Excetor.	Woolton, John, 1535?-1594.	1576 (1576)	STC 25976; Interim Tract Supplement Guide G.1999[2]	81,916	210

aunswering sent him vnto the law wherof this is the summe Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with al thy minde This is the first and great commandement The seconde is lyke vnto this thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe for in these two commaundements consist the whole lawe and the Prophetes I repeated once or twyse before that the tenne commaundementes are the most certaine most absolute platforme of good workes Which thing that it maye more euydently appeare I wyll by a briefe enumeration as it were in a table noate and poynt out the same Vnto the fyrst commaundement wée maye referre the feare of God fayth loue and assured hope in aduersitye togeather with patience and constancie The second commaūdement containeth all true worshypping of God and the auoyding of al superstition and Idolatry The third commaūdement comprehendeth the reuerence of Gods name together with inuocation confession of the same And the fowrth commaundement calleth for the preaching of Gods word publique prayers and for external worshypping and seruing of God allowing also séemely and moderate ceremonies and especially such as maye tende to edifying in the church of god Vnto the fyfth we may referre pittie towarde our Parents countrey kynsfolkes lawful obedience vnto the Magistrate and all superiours and the offices in cyuile life The sirte commaundeth iustyce and iudgement the defending of the fatherlesse widdowes and the delyueraunce of those that be oppressed benefycencie innocencie The seuenth comprehendeth faith and trouth betwéene maryed persons and dueties of matrymonie honest and godly education of chyldren the loue of chastitie and sobrietie Wée maye referre vnto the eyghth iustice in contracts and bargaynes munifycencie lyberalytie and hospytalyty Vnto the nynth we may referre the loue studye of trouth throughout all our lyfe fayth in worde and déede learned honesty and profitable communication And vnder the tenth are conteyned good and godlye affections togeather with all holy and honest cogitations And this is a verye briefe and compendious fourme rule of good workes Which if you woulde haue more contract and short you maye consider the spéeche of Christ deuyding the same into two generall parts Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength and thy neighbour as thy selfe And whatsoeuer you would that men should do vnto you euen so do you vnto them Wherein this is principally to be obserued that the dyuine lawe the sum or effect whereof is the loue of God and our neighbour doth not requyre of those that be iustified onely externall workes and dyscipline but also the interiour and spyrituall motions of the hart consonant to the holy wyll of almighty God as our sauiour Christe him selfe beareth wytnesse saying You shall be perfect euen as your heauenlie father is perfect For praue and corrupt affections and cogytations of the inner man are rebuked and infourmed by the lawe of god And therewithall externall dyscipline is plāted in so muche that by the rule of the tenne commaundementes all men and all orders and vocations of men are informed and instructed in theyr duety in all tymes and places All estates sexes and ages as Princes Prelates Husbandes Wyues Maisters seruauntes fathers chyldren men women bonde and free are dyrected and guyded by the lawe of the tenne commaundementes The last parte of the discription of good workes remayneth touching theyr ende For I sayd that all the good works of the regenerate ought to respecte the glory of God the ornament of our liues the commodity of our euen Christian The faithfull doo not good workes to be iustifyed thereby or to obtaine remyssion of theyr sinnes or to procure vnto them selues and others eternall lyfe they doo them not to be séene of menne But rather that God might be gloryfied amongst men that they might shewe theyr obedience in walking worthy of theyr vocation to the comfort and profit of their brethren The Lorde and sauiour Christ sayth thus in the gospell Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes maie glorifie your Father who is in heauen He speaketh signifycantly That they may see your good works and glorifie your heauenlie father not that they maye worshippe and gloryfie you For touching those that do theyr workes that they maye be séene of men our sauiour speaketh in the same gospell Take heede that you do not your almes before men that you maye be seene of them For if you doo so you haue no rewarde with your heauenlie father In the which he teacheth vs excellently that to doo good workes in secréete is to doo them with a minde voyde of vaineglory séeking only to please god And as God is gloryfied in good workes so is he dishonored with euyll workes as Saint Paul alleageth out of the Prophete The name of God is euyll spoken of through you amongst the Gentyles Moreouer the godlye are alwayes thankful to God for his benefyts which thing is plainly declared in that worthy example of the Samaritane● who as soone as he sawe that he had recouered health returned immedyatly and falling down at the Lordes féete with a lowde voyce gloryfyed god Which thing all those also doo that are purged with Christes blood and shewe them selues gratefull in worde and deede to so bountyfull a Lorde and sauiour And Christe him selfe declareth howe odyous ingratefull menne are vnto him in that spéeche of his vnto the Samaritane VVere there not tenne cleansed and where bee those nyne There are none founde that returned to glorifye GOD but onelie this straunger And Saint Paul Doo you not knowe that to vvhome you geue your selues seruauntes to obeye his seruauntes you are vvhome you obeye eyther of sinne to death or of obedience to Iustyce The faythfull therefore being nowe made the seruauntes of Iesus Christe applye them selues to obedyence doo ryghteousnesse departe from iniquitye and Sathan from whose tyranny they are delyuered by the obedience of Christ Besydes these thinges the godlye doo good workes to confyrme theyr fayth and to assure and certyfye theyr consciences of theyr Election ●ndeuour my brethren sayeth Sayncte Peter to make your vocation and election certayne And Saincte Paule counsayleth his scholler Tymothie to styre vp and as it were to kyndle the gyfte of GOD in him for as fyre increaseth and burneth whotter by the adding of woodde euen so is pyttye and fayth augmented and confyrmed by the exercyse of good woorkes GOD hath not called vs vnto vncleannes but to holynes neyther into darknesse but out of darknesse into the holye lyght wherevnto those wordes of the Apostle séeme to serue VVe ceasse not to praie for you that you woulde walke worthie of the Lorde that you maie please him in all thinges fructifying in all good workes increasing in the knowledge of GOD confirmed with

that hath done vvrong Housekeepers Masters of familyes are taught That possession gotten vvith iniquitie fleeteth awaye Of Charitie it is wrytten That loue couereth the multitude of sinnes Of Magistrates it is written Geue vnto Caesar those thinges vvhich belong to Caesar and to God those things that are Gods. Of othes and remembring of iniuries Haue I commaunded your fathers comming out of the lande of Aegipt that they shoulde offer sacrifice and burntofferinges but I commaunded this rather That euerie one thould forget iniuries and offences and to loue no vntrue oath Lyers prowde men heare this threatning VVoo vnto those that call sweete bytter and bytter sweete and againe VVoo be vnto them that are vvyse in their owne conceytes And he that humbleth himself shal be exalted and he that exalteth him selfe shal be brought lowe Those that shewe pittie and mercy are pronounced blessed Because they shal obtaine mercie Enuie and displeasure is accoumpted a hurtfull thing Because it destroyeth those that be wyse And as for enemyes we are commaunded To loue them to blesse those that curse vs And vnto him that smyteth thee vpon the one cheeke offer vnto him the other Our seruauntes are to be vsed gently for they are men as we be and there is no respect of personnes before god Vainglory is also beaten downe VVoo be vnto you Pharisees because you loue the highest seates in the Synagoges and salutations in the market places Of almes deedes it is wrytten Come ye blessed children of my father receyue the kingdome prepared for you from the begynning of the vvorlde for I vvas hungrie aad you gaue mee meate I vvas thirstie and you gaue me drinke Fayth trouth in word déed are highly commended VVherfore laying asyde lyes let euery one speake truth vnto his neighbour for vve are members one of another let not the Sūne set vpon our vvrath neyther let vs geue place to the Deuyll He that stole let him steale no more but rather let him labour vvith his handes that he may be able to geue vnto the needy Let all bytternes and vvrath and fiercenes and cursed speaking be remoued from amongst you vvith all that vvhich is euyll Be gentle and mercyful one toward another doing good one to another as Christ hath done good vnto you Be you vvyse and follovvers of God as deare children and vvalke in loue as Christ hath loued you You vvyues be subiect to your ovvne husbandes as vnto the lord And you husbandes loue your vviues as Christ loued his church You sonnes obey your Parents Fathers prouooke not your children to vvrath but bring them vp in the nurtour and admonicion of the lord You seruaunts obey your Maisters after the flesh vvith trembling and feare in symplicity of your harts as it vvere seruing Christ from your hartes vvith good vvyll And you Masters do vvell vnto your seruaunts remitting threates knovving that both their Maister and yours is in heauen and is no accepter of persons If vve lyue in the spirite let vs vvalke in the spirite Let vs not be desirous of vainglory enuying one another and prouoking one another Let vs beare one anothers hurthen Let vs not deceaue our selues for God is not deceyued And againe VVe beseeche you brethren vvarne them that are vnruly comfort the feble minded lyft vp the vveake be patient toward all men See that none recompence euyll for euyl vnto any man but euer follovve that vvhich is good both among your selues and vnto all men Reioyce euer pray continually In all things geue thanks for it is the vvyll of GOD in Christ Iesus tovvard you Quenche not the spiritte despise not Prophesyings Examine all thinges hold fast that vvhich is good abstaine from all appearaunce of euyll Let your speache be alvvayes in grace powdred vvith salt to knovve hovve you ought to answere euerie man And againe Godlynes is profitable to all thinges hauing promises of the lyfe that is nowe and of that vvhich is to come And of serrauntes it is wrytten And they vvhich haue beleeuing Maisters let them not despise them because they are brethren but rather let them doo seruice for asmuch as they are beleeuing and beloued and partakers of the benefyte And that generall exhortation is worthy remembraunce Seeing that vve haue diuerse giftes according to the grace that is geuen vnto vs eyther prophesie after the measure of faith eyther offyce in administration or he that teacheth in teaching or hee that exhorteth in exhorting he that geueth in singlenesse he that ruleth in dilligence he that is mercifull in cheerefulnesse Loue vvithout dissimulation hating euyll cleaning to good Affectioned one to another vvith brotherly loue in geuing honor goe one before another Not lyther in busines feruent in spirite seruing the Lorde Reioycing in hope patient in trouble instant in prayer distributing to the necessitie of Sainctes geuen to hospitalitie Blesse them vvhich persecute you blesse and curse not Reioyce with them that reioyce weepe vvith them that vveepe Being of lyke affectioned one towardes another be not high mynded but making your selues equall to them of the lower sort not vvise in your owne opinions Recompence to no man euyll for euyll prouiding aforehande thinges honest not onely before God but also in the sight of all men If it be possible asmuch as lyeth in you haue peace vvith all men These fewe things I haue chosen from amongst many out of the holye scripture which I thought good to offer vnto my schollers that they might learne to plucke vp sinne and iniquitie by the rootes The body of the holy scripture conteyneth a plentyfull stoore of many other preceptes meete for an kyndes and callinges of men for the Cleargie and for the layetie for Princes for Priestes for gouernours and for subiectes of the which occasion may peraduenture be geuen to speake more aptly in another place Our heauenly father hath lefte his wyll vnto vs in his holye worde And whereas the horse is broken with the bytte and brydle the Ore with the yoake the wylde beast is caught with the nette the fishe with the hooke he hath ordeyned his word to alter and transformer resonable men Let vs most humblye beseeche him to gyue vs his grace that we may obey his word and followe his preceptes and commaundementes that we maye wade through the floodes of sinne and come into the quyet hauen of eternall peace there to be thankfull and alwayes to extoll the heauenly Father with his onely sonne together with the holy ghost world without ende Amen A Philosophecall posy Two principall partes of wisedom The Philosophers ignorante in the practise of their precepte Esai 29. 33. 1. Cor. 1. True wisdome is only in Gods. church 1. Cor. 1. Psa 36. Iohn 8. Christe is a perfecte example for vs to folowe in faythe and lyffe Christe an example in our liffe Iohn 13. 2 Tim. 3. Rom. 2. 1. The. 4

weepe with them that weepe Being of lyke affection one towardes another being not highe minded but making your selues equall to them of the lower sorte Be not wyse in your owne opinions Recompence to no man euill for euill prouiding aforehand things honest not onlie before God but also in the sight of men If it be possible as much as lyeth in you lyue peaceablie with all men Dearelie beloued auenge not your selues but rather geue place vnto wrath For it is written vengeance is mine and I wyll reward sayth the Lorde Therefore if thine enemie hunger feede him if he be thirstie geue him drinke for in so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire on his head Be not ouercome of euill but ouercome euill with good Howe many notable and excellent vertues hath the Apostle couched in this place as charytie brotherly loue patience perceauerance in prayer benefycense hospytalytie méekenesse or gentlenesse modestie desire of peace and concorde pittie and clemencie with many other of that sort Herevnto you maye adde those things that followe in the next Chapter Owe nothing to no man but to loue one another for he that loueth another hath fulfilled the lawe For this Thou shalt not commit adulterie thou shalt not kyll thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false wytnesse thou shalt not luste and if there be any other commandement it is in few words comprehended namelie thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Charitie worketh not euill to his neighbour therfore the fulfilling of the lawe is Charitie In this texte all the commaundementes of the lawe are referred to the loue of our Neyghbour to wyt in that part that the lawe was geuen to restraine iniuries respecting cyuile societie and fellowshyp of men namely that no man shoulde be so bolde to endammage his neighbour in his body fame goodes or any other waye that might redounde to his annoyaunce For he that loueth another from the bottome of his harte is so farre from doing iniurie and wrong that he wyll endeuor with all his might to be profitable to his neyghbour And whereas we are commaunded to loue our neyghbour euen as our selues in this one worde not onely syncéere loue is dyscerned from hypocrisie but also all dueties of Charitie are epacted and requyred The same Apostle wryteth also to the Galathians in this wyse VValke in the spirite I saie and ye shall not fulfill the lustes of the fleshe for the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit and the spirite contrary to the flesh these are contrarie one to the other so that ye can not doo that which you would The deedes of the flesh are manifest which are these adulterie fornication vncleannes wantonnes vvorshypping of Images witchcraft hatred variaunce emulations wrath stryfe seditions sectes enuyinges murders dronkennes gluttonie and such lyke of the which I tell you as I haue told you in times past that euē they which do such things shal not inheryt the kingdom of god But the fruite of the spirit is loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperancie against such there is no law They truely that are Christes haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lustes If we lyue in the spirit let vs also walke in the spirit Let vs not be desirous of vainglorie prouoking one another enuying one another The wordes of the Apostle are plaine inough and neede not any exposition And his counsel is in sense the very same which he geueth to y Romanes That we should tame the flesh and earnestly resist carnal affections If you liue after the fleshe sayeth he you shall dye but if through the spirite you mortifie the deedes of the flesh you shall liue For those that are led with the spirit of God those are the sōnes of God. And in y same Epistle For I delght in the lawe of God after the inner mā but I see another law in m● members rebelling against the law of ●● mind and subduing me to the law of syn which is in my mēbers And the same Author to the Ephesians I therfore as a prisoner in the Lord exhort you that you vvalk vvorthy of the vocation vvhervvith you are called vvith al lowlines and meekenes vvith long suffering forbearing one another in loue Endeuoring to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bōd of peace And a litle after This I say therfore testifie in the Lord that ye walk not henceforth as other Gentiles walke in vanities of their mind Darkned in cogitation being alienated from the life of God by the ignorance which is in them through the blindnes of their harts VVho being past feeling haue geuen themselues ouer vnto wantōnes to work al vncleannes with greedines But ye haue not so lerned of Christ If so be that you haue heard him haue bene taught in him as the trueth is in Iesus To laye downe according to the former conuersation the olde man which is corrupte according to the lustes of error To be renued in the spirite of your mind And to put on the new man which after God is shapen in righteousnes and holynes of trueth VVherefore putting away lying speake euerie man trueth ●nto his neighbour for asmuch as we are members one of another Be ye angrie and sinne not Let not the Sun go downe vpon your wrath Neither geue place to the Deuyll Let him that stoole steale no more but let him rather labour working with his handes the thing which is good that hee maie geue vnto him which needeth Let no filthie communication proceede out of your mouthes but that which is good to edifie with all as ofte as neede is that it maie minister grace vnto the hearers And greeue not the holie spirite of God by whome ye are sealed vnto the daie of redemption Let all bitternes and fiercenes and wrath and crying and euill speaking be put awaie from you with all naughtinesse Be ye curteous one to another mercifull forgeuing one another euen as God for Christes sake hath forgeuen you To the same purpose tende those wordes of his in the next Chapter Be you therfore followers of God as deare childrē and walke you in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs and hath geuen him self for vs an offring and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling fauor to god But fornication al vncleanes let it not be once named amongst you as it becōmeth Saints Neitheir fylthines neither foolishe talking neither iesting which are not comely but rather geuing of thanks For this you know that no whoremonger neither vncleane person nor couetous person which is a worshipper of Images hath any inheritaunce in the kingdome of Christ and god Let no man deceaue you with vaine wordes for because of such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience Be ye not therfore companions of them For ye were sometime darknes but no we are you light in the Lord vvalk as childrē of light For the fruite

the Fathers and prophets were inspired which is to be had onely out of the holye scripture and to bee vnderstoode by the ayde of Gods spiryt wherein the saluation of mankinde is conteyned They knewe nothing of God as he reueled him selfe in his word euen from the beginning then the which benefyte none can come or bee more wyshed of mankinde These cheefe and princypall vertues then the true knowledg of God loue feare and reuerence of God togeather with perfyt trust and confydence in God calling vppon him in distresse and necessity was wanting vnto them Besydes this they knewe nothing of originall synne and naturall corruption they knewe nothing of the cause of synne nothing of mannes mysserie nothing of true and effectuall consolations eyther against calamityes or against death it selfe They knewe nothing of the redemption of mankynd by Christe nothing of the tyranny of the Deuyll nothing of the reparration of Gods Image name nothing of the olde man in Adam and newe man in Christe They knewe nothing of the resurrection of the dead nothing of the daye of domme nothing of the eternall blysse and immortallytie with the faythfull shall enioye in boddye and soule in the heauenly kingdome Albeit then the actes and déedes of the Ethnikes geue outwardly a godlye shewe as Aristides and Phocion in iustice and equitie Socrates in pittie Xenocrates in contynencie Lucretia in loue of Chastytie which they pursued let vs graunt so much to some good ende admyt not for any desyre of glorye and renowne but fyrst because the verye face and countenaunce of vertue séemed honourable vnto them secondly to leaue vnto theyr countrey men domysticall examples whiche they might followe lastlye to styrre vp in others an emulation and desyre of vertue if I saye all these good thinges were in them yet we sée howe farre they were from perfection The crowne and garland as it were wanteth in theyr workes to wytte the knowledge of God and an harte puryfied by fayth Wherefore Saint Augustine spake of them after this manner There is no good thing without the chiefe goodnesse and where the true knowledge of the eternall trueth vvanteth there is no true vertue no not in the best manners And another VVithout the relygion of the true God that which seemeth to be vertue is vyce neyther can any man please God without God c. For those that are ignoraunt of the true God can not haue true and perfyte vertue but onely a shewe or shaddowe therof vanishing awaye And whereas Reason and VVyll doo concurre in all honest and good actions the one admonishing what men ought to doo or not to doo the other pursueth and practyseth the same It is most certayne that humaine reason after his fall is oppressed with great ignoraunce and errour and therefore most commonly iudgeth corruptlye and VVyl also to be caryed to the worst in the execucion of all thinges The knowledge of God then puryfying the hart is doubtlesse the orygion and fountayne of all vertues which is pleasaunt and acceptable vnto god It is that which illuminateth and informeth Reason rightly and correcting corrupt vvyll reneweth a man after God in iustyce and true holynesse Moreouer the Ethnikes in their deedes respect not the right ende which make a true and perfyt difference betwéene all actions ▪ for example sake To releeue and geue almes to the poore is acoumpted and in deede is a vertue if it procéede from the loue of God and man but if it proceede of a desire to purchase prayse and commendation of the world it is synne and hipochrysie Wée do not reiect in the meane time theyr Polyticall vertues in humayne society but commende and imbrace them so farre forth as they swarue not from right reason and Iudgment of the mynd and especiallye from the tenne commaundements But we admonysh therewithall that Chrystians ought to haue a farre other respect then the Ethnikes had For they auoyded vice and folowed vertue through desire of praise honour and glory or through desyre of dygnity and aucthoryty or for comon concord and quyetnesse or else through reuerence of men and feare of the lawes or some suche lyke matter Whereas the Christians dyrect all theyr doing to the glory of God and profit of their neighbours They weigh more the feare of God then worldlye glory the loue of Iustyce then deceytful prayse and eternall blysse more then temporall pleasure The Ethnikes if there were any notable thing in them vaunted as of their owne gyfts but the Chrystians acknowledge God to be the geuer and aucthour of all good gyftes The vertue of humilitye then which Christ so earnestly requireth of vs was wanting in the Infydelles The same that hath bene sayd generallye of the Ethnikes may be perticulerly extended to the Iewes and Turks who woulde séeme to acknowledge one God onely to detest all Idols and to excell in holynesse of lyfe yet because they worship not God as he hath reueled and appointed in his word neyther beléeue that Christ is the sonne of the lyuing God al their works must nedes be fowle in Gods sight For without that ther is no true vertue no knowledge of God nor syncéere worshipping of God no pure loue toward God nor towarde our neyghbour They fayne vnto them selues a God or rather an Idoll who is not the Father of our medyatour and redéemer Iesus Christe Therefore they worshyppe not God a ryght for Hee that knoweth not the Sonne honoreth not the Father nor yet calleth vpon his name And because the holy ghost is geuen for the Sonnes sake vnto beléeuers to styrre vp newe motions in theyr hartes it is euident howe farre from all goodnesse Iewes Turkes are whyles they despyse the sonne of God who onelye sendeth the holy ghoste vnto men to bréede in them all perfyte goodnesse Moreouer for that the true loue of God from whence all loue towarde our neyghbour is deryued ryseth in vs vppon that aboundaunt mercie which he hath shewed in geuing his onlye sonne Christ to be crucyfied for our sinnes whome the Iewes Turkes contempne and blaspheme it can not bée that they contempning him shoulde syncerely loue God or theyr neyghbour for Gods sake So then both Iewes and Turkes want the chéefe and principall vertues of Christians the true knowledge and feare of God fayth Charyty hope inuocation of Gods name gyuing of thanks obedience in sorrowes and myseries with others of that sorte And if happely there be any shewes or pyctours of Politicke vertues in them those are so defiled and spotted wyth impure affections that they loose all their bewty We sée in beasts them selues some thing resembling vertue as in the Lyons clemency toward suppliants in the Dogge faythfull toward his Master in Shéepe softnesse and meekenesse and yet these are not true vertues it is euen so almost in the Infidelles whose reason being voyde and destitute of the lyght of Gods spirite

all strength according to the power of his glorie to all suffering and patience with hope And in another place Ye were once darknesse but nowe are you lyghte in the Lorde walke as chyldren of the light for the fruite of the spirite consisteth in al goodnesse iustice and trueth allowing that which is acceptable to God and haue you no fellowshippe with the vnfruitful workes of darknesse but rather rebuke them Therefore as the Apostle commaundeth the faithfull to walke worthy of theyr vocation and sheweth them also howe they maye doo the same euen so the godly alway doo those things which they are commaunded and dyrect theyr workes to this ende that they maye declare them selues to bée the chyldren of the lyght The chyldren of God also in their workes labour to profitte all men and to hurt none Let no man sayeth the Apostle seeke those thinges that bee his owne but that which is anothers as I in all thinges please all men not seeking my owne gaine but the profitte of many that they maie be saued And these workes of Godly men do excéedinglye please the Lorde our God but not of their owne dygnitie and worthynesse if ye weygh them in respect of men or in them selues but because they are done of those that are reconcyled to God in Christ by faith and new obedyence And if nowe and then through the corruption of our nature wée fall into sinne and wickednesse whereby we steyne and pollute the good workes yet God such is his goodnesse wynketh as it were at suche escapes couering our fylthinesse and spots with the garment of his Christ hee washeth and cleanseth the same with his most precious blood wherof the Apostle speaketh thus There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus who walke not after fleshe but after the spirite and who shall laye any thing against the electes charge It is God that iustifyeth who is he that wyll condempne c. And that these good workes of Christians are acceptable to God and please him it appeareth by that that God rewardeth and crowneth the same with great honors and rewardes both in this life and in the lyfe to come Obserue and heare sayeth the Lord all those thinges which I commaund thee that it maie be wel with thee and thy children after thee when thou shalt doo that thing which is good and acceptable in the sight of the Lord thy God. The Prophet also speaking beforehand of the Christians I wil bring them saith he into my holie moūtaine and I wyl cheare them in the house of praier their offeringes and oblations shall please mee vpon my aulter Whervnto the Apostle no doubte had respect saying I beseeche you brethren by the mercifulnes of God that you woulde offer your bodies a quick holie and acceptable sacrifice to God which is your reasonable seruing of God. And the promise made by God vnto Abraham in all the faithful in him is most comfortable in that he sayth He wyl be their defence plentiful reward And the Apostle sayth That godlynes hath promise both in this life and in the lyfe to come And againe The iuste iudgement of God shall be declared which wyll rewarde euerie man according to his deedes To them which by continewing in well doing seeke for glorie and honour and immortalytie But vnto them that are contritious and doo not obeye the trueth but obeye vnrighteousnesse shall come indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish vppon euerie soule of man that doth euyll Wherefore wée see it moste euydent that GOD hath prepared most plentyfull and lyberall rewardes aswell in this lyfe as in the lyfe to come to all those that hate synne and worke ryghteousnesse and the Apostle approoueth Gods Iustyce by the same whyles that hée sayeth God is not vniuste that hee vvyll forgette your vvorke These and many other such places of scripture do sufficiētly declare that God rewardeth the good works of godly men And yet it is not to bee inferred or collected that they maye truste to be iustified and saued thereby For the godly do freely and willingly confesse that theyr workes are rewarded of grace and not of theyr owne meryt especially for that they euer doo féele and perceyue that throughe humayne infyrmitye theyr workes are neuer so perfyt but that they haue néede of Gods mercy to mytigate the rigor of his Iustice and examining theyr good workes Therefore in consyderation of theyr hyre or reward the godly ertoll Gods grace and mercy who geueth to the vndeseruinges as though they had deserued and perceyuing imbecillytye and wickednesse in them selues are humbled in myndes and crye with the Prophet If thou O Lord marke our iniquities whoo is able to abide it Almightye Gods dooing in this and many other matters maye bée resembled to carnall parentes who hauing sonnes to be theyr heires by lawe of nature and byrthright yet they inflame and kyndle dertue setting before their eyes gyfts and rewards Whose gracious vertuous children acknowledge themselues to owe al euen of duty to their Parents without rewards and therefore they referre all such benefyts and rewardes to the meere bounty and lyberalytye of their Parents They looke not for hyre and rewardes as seruaunts and hirelings but onely for the fauor and loue of their heauenly father And as the sonnes of the frée woman and not the sonnes of the bondwoman are heyres euen so the kingdom of God is not the stipend of seruauntes but the rewarde and heritage of children To conclude this matter of meryt and reward the mercifull and gratious Lord rewardeth his louing chyldren for their good workes not for the perfection and dignity of the sayd workes but because the doers of those good workes are sōnes and chyldren They are made sonnes heyres by adoption in Christ therefore their workes are acceptable to God not in respecte of them selues but for Christes sake in whom they are ingraffed and of whose moysture as it were of heauenly dew they are partakers so that all their rewards are of necessity referred to the grace and mercy of god And although we graunt renumeration and rewarde of good workes yet meryts or Desertes cannot be inferred thereof that by our workes wee are able to procure eternall lyfe For the scripture seemeth of purpose in all places to auoyde the word merit The stypend of sinne is death but eternall lyfe is the gift of God through Iesus Christ and therefore Sainte Augustine wryt very excellently VVilt thou fall from grace then boast thy owne merites And agayne VVhen a man seeth that all his goodnesse commeth not of him selfe but of God he easely acknowledgeth all that which is prayseworthy in him not to be of his owne merites but of the mercy of God. Neyther yet is the earnest and ardent desire of working righteousnesse extinguyshed and quenched by this doctrine as our aduersaries slanderously lay vnto