That for the manifesting of mans subiection to both those properties the declaration of the lawe was needefull wherin the condition of his estate myght appeare THe infinite mercy of God hauyng thus geuen to Adam a touche or saie of the foundation of this new worke concerning mans restitution séemeth as it were for a tyme to forget man in leauing hym neither rule nor law manifested by his worde wherby to gouerne hymselfe to proue whether he any thyng stirred as yet by hys swéete promise would hunte and séeke after hys God to the finding of whom he coulde want no store of guides séeyng all the other creatures of god were indices or pointels to shew him who he was For the harmony and whole consent of all other creatures in their seueral kyndes conspired as it were together to lead vnthankefull man to the knowledge admiration of his mighty and meruelous creator by the contemplation of their obedience and thanckefulnes in their kyndes for his glorious workes bestowed vpon them wherby he might be drawne both to reuerence and glorifie God and beholde hys owne miserable condition which amongest all the rest was founde the onely iarring and discordant stringe from the swéete consent of that harmony By vewe wherof he might also be pricked forward to shame hys lacke and séeke recouery of hys loste obedience For castyng hys eyes vp to heauen there he myght sée the inuiolable law of their creation most reuerently obserued The rowling sky with his rauishing sway measuryng vnto vs the due tymes both of labour rest cariing about with vntyred motion in the space of one naturall day all the rest of the heauenly hoste paynteth out the glory of god The Sunne as a glorious bridegrome expresseth the magnificence of God holding his yearely circuit aboute the limites of his stately palace at whose approching all things growing on the earth apparelling thēselues in the beautifull ornamentes of theyr nature yelde in their kynde glorye vnto God for the cheerefull presence of that comfortable creature The chaungeable Moone that by her hasty iorneys in eche monthly trauell dispatcheth one whole viage in repairyng her oft decayed light sheweth her obedience to her Creator thereby yelding hym glory vpon whose motion not onely small moystures and humours but also the waste and swallowing seas séeme to attend All the residue of the starres both wandring and fixed obseruing inuiolably their motions tymes and circuites declare the great and wonderfull power glory of god Then drawyng his eyes néerer home considering the ayre there also séeth he nothing but the praise and glory of god be holding there the continuall trauell of nature in filling her storehouses with plenty of munition to execute the will and commaundement of their gloryous God namelye lightening thunder hayle snow rayne wynde and all other creatures of the place Thē drawing hys eyes home to hys feete and beholdyng the earth there also séeth hée openlye dysplayed the magnyficence of god For the earth her self in bryngyng forth and nourishing her children bewrayeth the same Beastes Fishes and foules in crauyng of God their foode acknowledge hys soueraygntye The birdes in yeldyng hym well tuned thankes in their melodious harmonye declare their reuerence to god Al trees plantes and herbes by their smylyng grace and glorious ornamentes of their beautie paynte vnto man the magnyficence of their creator And to bée shorte euen from the heygth of heauen vnto the centre of the earth hath he in all hys creatures as it were wrytten or ingraued the glorious Maiestie and magnyficence of hys incomprehensible myght wisdome bountie and eternitie But what needed thys farre trauell to séeke a thyng so néere at hande had man but looked into hymselfe hee coulde not but sée that all hys owne lyfe increase and conseruation was nothyng els but the vertue and power of God dwelling in hym whereby the truth of these sayings of Saint Paule doth well appeare namelye That the inuincible thinges of God that is to saye his eternall power and Godhed are vnderstande and seene by the thynges made from the creation of the worlde to the intent that they shoulde bee without excuse because that when they knew God they gloryfied hym not as God neither were thankefull And agayne the Lorde left not him selfe wythout testimonye euen towardes them to whom hée sente no knowledge of hys woorde Surely although these rules and guides might haue trained man to the séekyng of God yet God too géeue a more euident vew of hys infinite goodnes and mercy myndefull of his promise concerning mans restitution first made to Adam but more clearely afterwardes to Abraham in promising that in hys séede all the nations of the earth should be blessed God I say myndefull of this promise chose oute a peculiar people namely the children of Israell indewing them with the name of hys people callyng hymselfe the God of Israell as though hée had béene peculyar to them onely vnto whom he manifestly opened hymselfe both by woorde and miracle vnto whom hée also declared the condytions whereupon he would receyue man to fauor agayne And writing the same in tables of Stone delyuered them to Moyses their ruler as a glasse wherein to vew their miserable fall and corruption The somme whereof was contained in these two commaundementes namely Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God wyth all thy hearte wyth all thy soule wyth all thy mynde and wyth all thy strength The seconde Thou shalt loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe And although thys briefe somme was at the delyueraunce deuided into diuers and sondry braunches yet all those are from hence deriued as from their fountayne and hed Nowe hauyng shewed that mans transgression bryngyng in sinne and death made hym and all hys séede rebels to God and thereby an apte subiect for the iustyce and mercy of God to worke on and that also for the manyfestyng of mans subiection to both those propertyes a law was needefull wherein the condition of hys estate mighte appeare it followeth Cap. 4. ¶ That the nature of the lawe is to be knowne and what is requisite to the fulfillyng therof and the contrarietie betwene the same and the corrupt nature of man. AS the wysedome of God being of it selfe vnsearcheable offereth vnto vs contynuall cause to haue the same in admiration so in my iudgement it hath not here offered vnto vs the lest in adding to his puissaunt and imperiall commaundement lawe this worde Loue In saying thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God why not rather thou shalt honour worshyp serue or obey the Lord thy god All which woordes séeme at the first sight to argue in the law maker greater impery superioritie prerogatiue then this word Loue whiche séemeth to import too much familiaritie and equalitie surely the wisedome of God hauyng to deale with the ouerthwart nature of man sawe it conuenient to vse that worde of the vnderstanding
discerne thynges that differ to iudge betwene good works and counterfeite workes betwene true religion hipocrisie that so through that knowledge they might haue iudgement how to lead a pure and Christian life which without the knowledge of the wyll of God is vnpossible And agayne the same Paule to Philemon See that the fellowship sayth he that thou hast in the fayth be fruitfull through knowledge of all good things which are in you by Iesus Christ Hereby it appeareth that without vnderstanding of the will of God no good workes can be wrought But Paul playnely affirmeth that all thei that be not already iustified in Christ haue no vnderstanding The naturall man sayth he perceaueth not the thinges that belong to the spirit of God for they are but folishnes vnto hym Then if he perceaue not nor vnderstand the thynges that please god It appeareth by that is sayd before that he can by no meanes do the worke that shall please god Hereby it both playnely appeareth that the knowledge of the wyll of God is required to good workes and also that none that is not iustified hath that knowledge Now touching that vnto good works there is also required in the doer affection delight towardes the same that is euident by the definition of good workes expressed in the 8. chapter where it appeareth that they be nothyng but an execution of the commaundementes whereunto the whole affection of man both body and soule is required as in the. 4. chapter appeareth which also is confirmed by the example of those of whose good workes the scripture beareth witnes Thus sayth Dauid If my delight were not in thy law I should haue perished in my trouble And agayne my delight was in thy commaundementes And agayne thy testimonies haue I claymed as mine heritage for euer and why they are the very ioy of my hart And agayne Lord what loue haue I vnto thy law al the day long is my studie therein And agayne my delight shal be euer in thy statutes And agayne for I loue thy commaundementes aboue golde precious stone Thys affection of the hart is required to the performaunce of good workes whereof how greatly they be short that be onely possessed of the naturall man and not iustified in Christ it is more then euident by the playne wordes of God hymselfe In Genesis he sayth thus my spirite shall not alwayes striue in man because he is fleshe And a litle after The Lord sawe that the wickednes of man was great in the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughtes of his harte were onely euill continually And agayne in the 8. chapter the imaginations of mans hart is euill euen from hys youth Here appeareth that the affection of the naturall man is onely this affection to rebellion desire so contempt and lust to disobedience Thus it is euident that in all those which be not already iustified in Christ their is neither vnderstanding how to please God nor affection thereunto And so consequently no good worke seing it is proued that no worke cā be good but where both they be ioyned together which also is euident by that which is sayde in the fifth chapter Surely if these men had bene as carefull searchers of truth herein out of Gods holy worde as they haue bene of mistes and clowdes out of Aristotles schole to darcken shadow the brightnes thereof they woulde neuer haue sought with so many subtil distinctions and false definitions without al ground of Gods worde to haue builded themselues the labirinth of errour maze of their owne confusion But woulde contrariwise haue humbled themselues vnto the spirite of God and haue considered the ende of hys purpose in mans saluation But they not considering that to be the prayse and glory of hys owne grace and enforcing the rigor of the outward sounde of some wordes in the scripture haue gathered workes to be the cause of mās iustification where if they more narrowly cōsidered they should see that faith is the onely meane by which workes are indued wyth the title of goodnes forasmuch as no good worke can be wrought but by a man alredy by faith iustified and appareled wyth the righteousnes of Christ by meanes whereof the blemishes and imperfections thereof are through mercy couered which otherwise if the same workes were wrought by an vnbeleuyng man they woulde appeare in the sight of God most filthy for of mercy it commeth in respecte of Christ that the most perfecte workes are not layde to mans charge for sinne Out of this ground gathered from God truth this rule of Christian religion is concluded that where soeuer righteousnes or iustification is in the Scripture imputed to workes it is not imputed to them as though they were the cause of righteousnes that is to sayas though they going before iustification did procure or purchase the same but farre otherwyse it is imputed vnto them as vnto the fruit of the righteousnes of fayth which after iustification doth witnes and declare that the doer is iustified by fayth by apprehending of Christ in respecte of whom mercy couereth the spottes of that worke from the sight of Gods iustice so that sinne is not imputed to man for the same Hic murus ahaeneus esto Let this to a Christian conscience be a wall of brasse Now this foundation layde let vs séeke by thys rule to vnderstand those Scriptures which the aduersaryes for theyr filpursse doctrine of iustification of workes haue forced into open combat both agaynst theyr owne naturall sense and agaynst the ende and scope of Gods purpose declared in the Scriptures touching mans iustification wherein to séeke to answere to all theyr subtill and shameles wranglings were more tedious then profitable And touching the multitude of wordes more paynefull then possible Though touching matter Gods truth being iudge inough hath bene sayd already where-fore to auoyde all extremities and kéepe my selfe within my power touching wordes and yet not to passe the reste with silence I will ouerlooke a fewe of their principall ragges which they call reasons wherein theyr errour being opened the smaller of them selues will drop a sunder vntouched Wherefore firste of all that playnnes might be ioyned with the breuitie for which I labor let the Scriptures which they make challengers in thys fraye be gathered together into these sortes In the first sort placyng those which promising reward to workes procure men to labour for the same In the second sort such as by the sound of wordes séeme to take iustification from fayth or geueth the same to workes And in the last sorte those Scriptures wherin the righteous thallenge at Gods handes reward of theyr innocency righteousnes Wherfore by examples of euery of these sorts let vs séeke truely to vnderstand them by theyr agréement with thē selues and the rest of the Scriptures that as of God there is but one spirite and one truth so the same truth by the consent
wherof man him selfe was able to pretend least ignoraunce and that whose nature by force of the effecte and propertie was commonly knowen to all and that whiche in déede wel wayed includeth more then any of the other rehearsed For if he shoulde haue vsed any of the other wordes namely honour worshyp serue obey or such like it might haue béene that some whose callyng and estate offereth vnto them the vewe of no such reuerence might at the least haue pretended some ignoraunce of the meanyng thereof But to méete with all occasions the God of all wisedome vsed that worde whose effecte and propertie trayned euery man to so sensible féeling of the meaning thereof that no man could pretende ignorance of the same forasmuche as the whole nature of man trauelleth in continual vse and practise of loue towardes sinne and wickednes And although mans knowledge concerning the meaning of that woorde was gathered oute of the fruites of hys corruption he being as it were sinne it selfe yet that neyther hindered his vnderstandyng of the meanyng therof neither any whit debased the puritie of the nature thereof So that whosoeuer by those effectes or properties of loue whyche hée felt in him selfe towardes sinne had sought the definition thereof he shoulde forthwith haue séene how entire and absolute a ryghteousnesse the law requireth Wherfore hauyng thus spoken of the nature of loue it séemeth now conuenient to vse some definityon thereof whereby the truth of my assertion may be more apparant wherefore it may be thus defined Loue is a naturall affectyon of the minde inflamyng all the powers of the louer with willing duetie towardes the beloued By this definition it is playne that where he saith thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God it importeth as much as if he had sayd it is required that with willing desire naturall affectyon both of body and mynde and all the powers of the whole man thou performe due obedience to the Lorde thy god Surely if the holy Ghost had sayd no more but thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God the force and efficacye of loue is by the definition euident to bée suche as it requireth a naturall inclination and willing pronenesse of all the partes of man to the obedyence of God wherefore most truely it is sayd of the Apostle Paul that loue is the fulfillyng of the lawe And to take away all ambiguitie the holy Ghost hath added suche other words as dyscharge hys meanyng herein of doubtfull vnderstanding For hée addeth these wordes wyth all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy minde and with all thy strength Nowe forasmuche as the heart or mynde which I here take to be one and yet both termes put in to expresse the vehemencie of the law Forasmuche I say as the heart or minde is the fountaine or seate of all willing desire and naturall inclination of the whole man it is playne that where hée sayeth with all thy heart and with all thy mynde it is all one as if he had sayde thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God with all willing desire naturall affection and inclination of the whole man And here this note is not to bée omitted that hée putteth to this worde all in saying with all thy heart c. So that thereby no affection power nor disposition of the hart may be wanting whereby it is euident that to the fulfilling of the lawe is required such restitution of mans originall nature that as now al his desire and affections naturallye lust after wickednesse so must all the desires and affections of those whom the lawe can iustifie naturally lust after righteousnesse He addeth moreouer with all thy soule to shew that the law is spirituall and requireth also to the fulfilling thereof all the powers and intentyons of the soule whych is euident in that Christ himselfe the best expositor of the lawe affirmeth That who so is angry with his brother vnaduisedly is in danger of iudgement and that who so looketh on a woman and lusteth after her hath already committed adultrye with her in his heart whereby the spirituall force of the lawe appeareth And last of all he addeth with all thy strength which is a proprietie common both to body and minde And by adding thereto this worde all it is plaine that it requireth the ful natural and absolute obedience of all the powers of body and soule And hereby sufficiently appeareth the meaning of the law namely that with all willing desire and naturall affection both of body and soule and all the powers and nature of the whole man thou shalt yelde obedience to the Lorde thy God lesse then the which the lawe could by no meanes require of man seing therein is nothing commaūded but that which the condition of his originall estate was created vnto from the which seing the whole man that is to say body and soule with indeuour and habilitie of them both is willingly fallen as is shewed in the first and second chapters Whereby it appeareth that mans righteousnes required in the law must be in him so naturally that the same must not lurke in him as an accident which may be remoued from his nature But all hys whole nature must be nothing els but the Image of righteousnesse it selfe the whole man body minde thought worde and déede perfectly resolued into the same so that the whole indeuour and disposition of nature through rauishing sway of willing desire and naturall affection vnto righteousnesse must trauell with vnquenchable thirst the execution of the fruite therof such must be the vnquenchable passion and prone desire of very nature therunto that if no law were geuen to traine man to righteousnes yet nature her selfe would be vnto him a continuall inuiolable law concerning the same as hauing no power nor habilitie to desire the contrary wherof no such example can be geuen to make vs féele the truth of this assertion as the contemplation of the pleasant sway and willing pronenes of our nature vnto sinne who néedeth no law to draw her thereunto nay no lawe can kéepe her from it which is nothing els in déede but the very opposite of the other So that looke with what willing and naturall pleasure and delight the whole disposition of man now trauelleth to the execution of vice and sinne the law requireth of all them that seeke righteousnes by the déedes thereof that with the same willing and naturall pleasure and delight the whole disposition of them must trauell the execution of the workes of righteousnes So that to be short as now no lawe is able to holde mans nature from wickednes so the lawe requireth in man such a naturall and absolute righteousnes as no lawe if any such could be made should be able to holde his nature from righteousnes Hauing thus shewed by the lawe of the first table that all workes required in the law to mans restitution must procede from a naturall pronenes and willing
so by hys abondant mercy he rayseth vs vp agayne The mercy of God farre excedeth hys other works Iohn 4. Rom. 8. Gen. 3. All creatures vnder heauen reuerence God in their kindes sauing onely man. The Sunne The Moone Starres The Ayre Lightning Thunder Hayle Snow Rayne Wynde The earth declareth the magnificence of god Beastes Fishes Foules Birdes in the ayre Trees Plantes A glasse wherein man may beholde himselfe Rom. â— Act. 14. Gen. 3. Gene. 22 Psal 135. Esay 19. Exod. 6. Leuit. 29. Deut. 6 Leuit. 19 God commaundeth vs to loue him God commaundeth vs to loue hym Definition of loue What it is to loue the Lord our God. Rom. 13 Deut. 6 Math. 5 Deut. 6. Leuit. 19. Definitien of the law Mans corrupt nature Man can not satisfy the law A false and corrupt doctrine God freelyâ— and of hys purpose procured mans redemption Gene. 3 As God is true so did he bind him self to perform mans deliuerance God renued his promyse for the resto ring of mankinde Gene. 22. Gene. 28. Gene. 3 Gene. 22. To the children of Israell God first gaue the law Two offices of the law The outward office of the law The spirituall office of the law 1. Cor. 15 Rom. 3 2. Cor. 3 Rom. 7 Rom. 4 Rom. 5 Gal. 3. Rom. 7 Gal. 3. An obiection of the papistes An answer Rom. 8. Cor. 2. De spiritu lite Cap. 36. Lib. de bono mortis Cap. 3. Super cantica ser 50. Lib 3 contra duas epist. Pelag. cap. 2. De lit et spi ad Marcellinum cap. 17. Asollico epist. 200. Expo quarundam epist. ad Rom .x. In lib. exposit epist. Paulâ— ad Galatas Super Ioan. tracta 3 cap. 1. The law doth shew 〈…〉 nne but not take away sinne The geuing of the law was horrible fearefull Exo. 34 Gal. 3. Esa. 7. Mich. 5 Gen. 49. Daniel 9. Esa. 53. Zac. 9. Esay 62. Zac. 9. Christ is the full raunsome and reconcilement â—or mans trangression 1. Cor. 15. Adam the first man made vs bond to 〈◊〉 And Christ the second man hath made vs free from sinne Ozee 13. Col. 2. Christ is our Aduocate to the father Esa. 53. Eph. 2. By Grace we are saued thorough faith and not of our selues Only fayth apprehendeth the promises of god Sola fides Grace Fayth Iustification Righteousnesse workes Definition of grace 2. Tim. 1. Eph. 1. Rom. 3. Titus 3 Eph. 2. Grace defined by the papistes Definition of habit Pelagians hereby 3 Reg. 18. Lament 5. Ezech. 11. Psa 51. Ioh. 6. Fayth diuersly taken in the scriptures Math. 13 The definition of faith Ebr. 10. 〈◊〉 Ioh. 5 In Mat. 5. De spirit et litera cap. 3 Act. 15. The opinion of the Schoiemen and Papistes of Fayth Sent lib. 3 distinct 23. Cap 1 The vnformed fayth of the Papistes The formed fayth of the Papistes Righteousnes how it is taken in the Scriptures and also Iustification Definition of iustification Rom. 4. Iustification taught by the Papistes Definition of workes Inward workes Outward workes Definition of good workes Math. 5. Works are a testimony of mans election 2. Peter 1. The errors of the Pa 〈…〉 s abo 〈…〉 workes Preparing worke of congruent merite There is no middle estate betwene God and the Deuill Eph. 2. Coll. 2. The work of the worker workes of Supererogation Blasphemy to Christes death and passioÌ„ Penaunce Christ Satisfaction Rightcousnes is un 〈◊〉 unto vs by the f 〈…〉 〈…〉 o sence and good will of God. Onely fayth attey neth 〈…〉 cation Ioh. 4. Only fayth John. 6. Fayth Fayth Fayth Ioh. 11. Fayth Ioh. 12. Fayth Act. 10. Only fayth Act. 16. Fayth Rom. 3. Fayth iustifieth without the vewes of the law Rom. 4. Fayth Fayth Fayth iustefieth Fayth iustefyeth without workes of the law Faith saueth Fayth iustiuÌ„eth Rom. 11. Gala. 2. Gal. 3. Abac. 2 Gal. 3 Gal. 5. Fayth and not workes iustiuÌ„eth vs Titus 3. Augustide tempore serm 61 Solafides Faith alone Exclusa est gloriatio Solafides Rom. 3. Only fayth Sola fides Fayth noly Sermon 7. Sola fides Fayth only Serm. 8. Sola fides Chrisostom in priore ad Timoth. Cap. 1. Homel 4 Sola fides Fayth only Sola fides Fayth only Serm de fide et lege Sola fide Basilius homilia de humilitate Ambrosuâ— Roma 4. Sola fides Fayth only Sola fides Fayth only Rom 4. Sola fides Only fayth Rom. 9. Sola fides Only fayth Rom. 11. Solaf ides Only fayth Fayth only 1. Cap. 1. epi ad Corinth Sola fides Fayth only Sola fides Fayth is not the efficient cause of our iustification but God only Newnes of life Rom. 6 Rom. 6. Col. 3. Eph. 4 Col. 3 Eph. 4 1. Cor. 6. Titus 2. Col. 1 Eph. 2. Mar. 12. Luke 11. Gre. lib. 24 cap. 12. moralium The deuill is a great enemy to a vertuous good life Rom. 7 True fayth is knowen by good workes Tit. 3. Good workes are the fruites of good fayth Ephes 1. True fayth must be witnessed by deedes De vocatione gentium lib. 1. Cap. 8 Good workes Rom. 8 Good workes De 12. abusionibus Cap. 7 Definition of faythfull workes The good workes of the law The good workes of the faithfull Good workes follow iustification not iustification worke Eph. 2. Libro de fide et operibus cap. 14. In euangel Ioh. trac 86. Two thinges required to euery good worke Ose 6. Ose 4. Mat. 12. Iob. 23. Psal 119 we cannot leade a pure christian life without the knowledge of the will of god Phil. 1. 1. Cor. 2. Psal 119. Affection of the hart is required to the performaunce of good workes Man of his owne nature hath affection to rebession and Iust to all wickednes The Papistes haue builded a labirinth of error and a maâ—e for their owne confusion Such scriptures as promising reward to workes procure men to laboure for the same are aunswered and expounded An answer to the argument of the papistes Eph. 2. Esay 53 Esay 60. Esa. 61 Esa. 60. 61. Eph. 1. What price and value our workes is accompted of in the scriptures Gen. 8. Iob. 4. Iob. 25. Pro. 20 Psal 143. Iere. 1 Esa. 64. Iob. 15 3. Esor 4. Rom. 7. Rom. 3. Cardinall Caietan If no man can do that he ought I pray you what place leaueth this Cardinall to vndue workes or workes of sunetero gation Thus can God vse his enemies to make them sometimes confesse the truth agaist them selues Morah lib. cap. 28. The opinion of y fa. thes concerning merits Origenes Rom. 4. Augustin in Psal 30 We haue no fayth that can deserue grace for it is freely geuen vs of God. There goeth no merites of man before the grace of God. Dutie or debt hath two senses He that laboureth is worthy of his hire A debt that groweth of loue not of duetie Where this worde debt or duetie is truely vnstand there no desert is looked for De natura gratia Cvp 4.
discharged of blame God to be accused of crueltie in condemning vs for not doyng that whiche by no meanes is possible vnto vs Unto the folie and wickednes of which obiection it is easelie answered that although vnto our corrupt nature it be nowe vtterly vnpossible to satisfie the law yet neither is the law therfore vniust or violente nor God extreme or cruell in requiryng the performance therof at our handes for therein is nothyng by hym required of vs but that whereunto in our originall nature he had created vs both able sufficient naturally inclined with ful furniture of free choise and power to haue executed the same wherof what soeuer nowe is wantyng in the habilitie of our corrupt nature that coÌ„meth not either by crueltie in God or faulte in the lawe but by our owne wicked and wilful transgression wherby the habilitie therunto is vtterly lost as is shewed before by spoyle of our originall righteousnesse For the law is not geuen as a measure or scantlyng of the habilitie of our purchased corruption but as the absolute rule of our originall perfection The law doth teache vs howe holy and excellent we were by God created at the firste and how fouly by our selues we be now fallen from that we ought to be The law doth painte vnto vs the excellency of the Image of God wherunto we were created if a man by disease or extreme sorenes of his eyes be vtterly vnable to behold the light is the light therfore to be thought or iudged violente Nay is it not for all that the onely obiect wherin that sense was naturally created to haue hys whole vse and delight if now the eyes can not behold it this argueth neither extremitie nor violence in the light but contrariwise great disease and corruption in the eyes So is the law the natural obiect wherunto mans nature was created to haue all her motions and senses directed with naturall felicitie and delight which if now it be vnable to abyde that neither argueth extremitie violence or crueltie either in God or the law but contrariwise great disease and corruption in mans nature And that the obseruation of the law is vnpossible vnto man as now his nature is corrupted the testimony of these Scriptures doe playnely aumuch Thus writeth Paul to the Rom for what the lawe could not do in asmuch as it was weake because of the flesh c Here as there is an impossibilitie ioyned to the law in that he sayth the law could not do it So also he declared the same impossibilite not to consist therein by reason of the nature of the lawe but by reason of the imperfection of the flesh that is for asmuch as the imperfection of the flesh is so great that it can not performe any suche worke as the law is able or hath streÌ„ght to alow And a litle after in the same Chapter for it is not obedient to the law of God neither it can bee And a litle after he affirmeth that wee knowe not what to desire as we ought TheÌ„ much lesse is it possible to do as we ought And againe to the Corinthes The naturall maÌ„ perceiueth not the thinges of the spirite of God for they are but foolishnes vnto hym neither can he perceaue them because they are spiritually examined And Christe hym selfe saith how can you speake good thinges seeing your selues be euill And againe an euill tree can bring forth no good fruite Hereby sufficieÌ„tly appeareth that the fulfiling of the coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts is impossible vnto maÌ„ as hys nature is now corrupt which by the last Chapter was also euident that the fathers agréementes with vs herein may appeare thus writeth Augustine concerning the loue towardes God and our neighbour Cum ab hac peregrinatione in qua per fidem nunc ambulatur peruentum erit ad speciem quam nondum visam speramus per patientiam expectamus proculdubio ipsa dilectio non solùm supra quam hic habemus sed longè supra quam pâ—timus supra quam intelligimus erit neque enim restat in nobis aliquid quod addi possit ad totum quia si restabit al quid illud non erit totum proinde de hoc erit primum praeceptum iustitiae quo iubemur diligere Deum extoto corde ex tota anima ex tota mente cui est de proximo diligendo alterum consequens quod in illa vita complebimus â—um videbimus Deum facie ad faciem sed ideo nobis hoc etiam nunc praeceptum est vt admoneremur quid fide exposcere quò spem praemittere obliuiscendo quae retroÌ„ sunt in quae anteriora nos extendere debeamus VVhen from this pilgrimage wherin we presently walke through fayth we shall come to that thyng which yet vnsene we hope for and awayte through patience without all doubt our loue shall not onely excede that whyche wee possesse here but also bee farre aboue that whiche wee desire or vnderstand for there remayneth nothyng in vs that can be added vnto All for if any thyng shoulde bee lefte oute then can it not bee All therefore concernyng this shall the firste precepte of righteousnesse bee wherein we are commaunded to loue G G D withall the hearte withal the soule and withall the mynde wherunto foloweth another concernyng loue towardes our neighbour which wee shall fulfill in that lyfe when wee shall see God face to face But for this cause is it now also commaunded vs that we should bee admonished what to aske in faith whether to adresse our hope and in forgettyng the thynges which are behind vs vnto what thyngs that be before vs wee ought to direct our selues Againe Ambrose Sacrificabo hostiam laudis Non sacrifico inquit sed sacrificabo significans illud perfectum esse sacrificium quando vnusquisque Domino corporis huius vinculis absolutus assisteret offeret se hostiam laudis quia ante mortem nulla est perfecta laudatio I shall offer the sacrifice of prayse hee sayth not I do offer but I shal offer signifiyng that that is the perfect sacrifice when euery one losed from the bondes of this body shal be present with the Lord and offer him selfe a sacrifice of prayse for before death there is no perfect praysing Agayne Sainte Bernard Nec latuit praeceptorem praecepti pondus hominum excedere vires sed iudicauit vtile ex hoc ipso suae illos sufficientiae admoneri vt sciâ—ent sane ad quem iustitiae finem niti pro viribus oporteret Ergo mandando impossibilia non praeuaricatores homines fecit sed humiles vt omne os obstruatur subditus fiat totus mundus deo quia ex operibus non iust ficabitur omnis caro coram illo accipientes quippe mandatum sentientes defectum clamabimus in coelum miserenitur nostri deus sciemus in illa die quia non ex operibus iustitiae quae
father and in respect of which wée are beloued of the father is also called grace for Iohn sayth we haue receaued grace for grace that is we are receaued into the grace of God the father for that grace or fauour whiche he beareth vnto Christ his sonne And this is the thyrd and last signification of grace which being shewed it séemeth not inconuenyent to note somwhat agayne of the pestilent doctryne of your abusing deceauers concernyng grace séeing their errour about the same is the mother and nursse of that presumptuous traytor and ambitious rebell I meane the doctrine â—fiustification of woorkes whiche to fill the pursses of the wicked spoyleth the Maiestie of God of the finall end of hys labour namelye of the triumph and glory of hys free and bountifull fauour and maketh the treasure of the death of Chryst of vyle and contemned price Wherefore to the hatchyng of their hainous errours about the effectes thereof necessytie constrayned them to deuise false and counterfayte matter or substaunce or the ground of the same accordyng whereunto they thus define it Gratia est habitus a deo in animam infusus bonitatis et charitatis eius similis quo illum habens gratus deo redditur et facit opera illigrata et meritoria Grace is an habyte lyke vnto the goodnesse and loue of God by hym infused into the miride wherewyth hee that doth possesse it is made acceptable to God and woorketh workes both merytorious and acceptable vnto hym For the vnderstandyng of the whiche definytion it is necessary first to shew what they meane by thys woorde habyte wherefore any propertye or qualytye whyche by infusion education exercise custome or any other way is perfectly attayned is called habyte whereby this definition euen at the first taste sauoureth of the soyle that bred it for in the whole Scriptures of God there remayneth not so muche as the cooloure of proofe hereof that the genus or generall woorde vnto that grace wherby wée are saued should be an habite of the mynde that is to say a qualitye by education exercyse or infusion made perfect in mynde Thys diuinitie is pycked out of Aristotles Ethickes where it is taught that the habilityes powers of the mynde are strengthened by habit that is to say by a perfection therein attayned through exercise made easye and ready to be performed whyche wythout the same were very difficulte or not to be done Whiche beyng considered I thynke it not amysse somewhat to note the treacherye of thys their heythenesse definityon wyth shewes beautified to the sale beyng in déede nothyng els but a paynted sepulchre conteyning onely a stynckyng caryon of Pelagius filthy and corrupt heresie thoughe aboue all thynges they must séeme to dissent from hym and hys doctrine And therefore at the first in that they affirme grace to be an habite infused into the mynde they thereby thinke with a pleasaunt profer in the begynnyng to dasell the eyes of the worlde from suspition of their ioynyng handes with hym the substaunce of whose heresye beyng well weyed is neuerthelesse one and the same wyth this doctrine wherefore great connyng was to be vsed in this matter seing hys hatefull errour remayned with great detestatyon condemned of the fathers and therfore they must seme at the least in some superficiall tryfle as stout enemies to dissent from hym Wherefore where his cunning was by Saint Augustine detected that though hée vsed the name of grace yet hée ment nothyng therby but onely nature Now these meÌ„ to auoide this open vew of vnitie wyth his condemned heresie At the first gate or entrie séeke such colerable passage as dissenting from the shew of his woordes maye neuerthelesse embrace the substaunce of hys heresie wherefore not to seme that they accoumpt grace to be nature they terme it an infused habite thinkyng thereby to make it apparaunt that they meane not any naturall power or habilitye And yet agayne in that they affirme it to bée lyke vnto the goodnesse and loue of God they thynke themselues to haue géeuen a substauntyall shew why all they that be therewyth adorned shoulde be acceptable vnto God Namely by reason of that lykenes and similitude to the goodnesse loue of god And this forsooth they terme Gratia gratum faciens That is grace whyche maketh man acceptable by whiche reason it must folow that the loue wherewyth God accepteth vs must come after thys grace and come in respect thereof And yet S. Iohn sayth hée loued vs first And Saint Paul affirmeth that our acceptatioÌ„ with God commeth in respect of his owne mercy And this is here to be noted that in man hym selfe they place this theyr grace wherby he is made acceptable vnto God makyng hym therby a cause of his owne saluation which errour Pelagius held the falshode wher of appeareth partely by that whiche is sayd before in the profe of the first part of the true definition of grace where it is euident that that grace whereby we be iustified is a frée beneuolence of the will of god Wherby it is manifest how falsly it is sayd the we are iustified by any habit powred into our myndes seyng it is by the fauour or grace whiche is in God and not in our selues wherby he receiueth vs into his mercy But this definition of theirs is as I sayd before grounded vppon Aristotles Diuinitie Now for further profe of their ioynyng with Pelagius in the substaunce of hys heresie herein it is nedefull to compare the conclusion of both the doctrines together in this point Pelagius affirmed that the begynnyng of all good workes proceded from our selues namely from the frée will and election of man and that grace dyd onely helpe the possibilitie of nature that these workes might more easely be performed Now the Papists and Scholemen bycause as I sayd before they must seme to dissent from him in somethyng affirme that the begynnyng of good workes procedeth not froÌ„ nature as he affirmed but from grace Mary this soueraigntie they attributed to nature that in the will consisteth frée power choyse eitther by geuyng place vnto grace to bryng forth good workes or els by resistyng the same to omit theÌ„ And I praye you from wheÌ„ce commeth this will seing they cal it frée could they haue erred more if they had with Pelagius affirmed the firste cause of good workes to come from nature no assuredly for they place the principall cause in frée wil whiche they place in nature and vnto grace though in wordes they geue it the first place yet alowe they it no further power but onelye to offer it vnto the mynde leauyng the whole soueraignty vnto nature Namely fre wil and choyse to admit or not admitte the same so that in this matter they differre from Pelagius onely herein in that hee affirmeth the first cause of good workes to consiste in nature and the Papistes affirme it to consiste in grace But yet vnto that grace they
of it This call they a fayth sufficiēt vnto saluation is not this a pestilent and wicked doctrine that such as haue no touch of godly feare nor any féelyng of true godlynes should be sayd to possesse all true faith necessary to saluatiō where it is proued before in the proffe of the true definition of fayth that one of the properties of true fayth is to purifie the hartes of all thē that possesse it Let this both touchyng the description of true fayth and the counterfaite faith of the Papistes suffice and let vs procede to shew in what sense the righteousnes or iustification is to be taken which fayth by grace apprehendeth For the doyng whereof it is necessary to shew how diuersly the word righteousnes is vsed Sometyme it is vsed for that common righteousnes whiche naturally cleaueth vnto man wherby euen in the heathen the opposition of generall vertues and generall vices was vnderstand and the contrary estimation of both therby generat And this righteousnes is common to all men In another sense it is vsed for that outward righteousnes which by the good fruites or workes of suche as bee already iustified is apparaunt in the eyes of men Therefore in neither of these senses is the worde righteousnes or iustification taken in this place wherfore that which here is ment may thus be defined Iustification is a frée remission of sinne imputation of righteousnes vnto man through fayth in Christ The truth of this definition is proued by these words of Paul Abraham beleued God and that was imputed to hym for righteousnes To him that worketh the reward is not counted of fauor but of duty but to hym that worketh not but beleueth on hym that iustifieth the vngodly hys faith is counted to him for righteousnes euen as Dauid describeth the blessefulnes of the man vnto whom God ascribeth ryghteousnes without deedes saying Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes are forgeuen and whose sins are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne by these wordes of Paul it is plaine that God iustifieth the vngodly whiche beleueth by forgeuyng hys vnrighteousnes and couering his sins and imputation of righteousnes vnto hym without deedes and that it is fréely done Saint Paule also declareth for all sayth hée haue synned and are destitute of the glory of GOD and are iustyfied freely by hys grace therefore is iustyfication ryghtly saide to bée a frée remyssyon of sinnes and imputation of ryghteousnesse vnto man through faith in Chryst Thus hauing declared what iustification or ryghteousnesse is truely gathered out of the scryptures of God I wyll also briefly note what the Papistes and Scholemen accompt it to be wherein you shall perceaue the building thereof to be wholy raysed from their deuysed grace whereof is sufficyentlye spoken Thus wryteth the mayster of the sentences Mors ergo Christi nos iustificat dum per eam charitas excitatur in cordibus nostris For the death of Chryst doth iustifie vs when as by it charitye is stirred vp in our heartes By whiche woordes it appeareth that hée affirmeth the death of Chryst no otherwyse to iustifie vs but by excitation or styrring of the mynde vnto good woorkes by them to bée iustyfied so that in déede they accompt iustificatyon to signifie nothing else but a certayne qualitie or vertue or infusion of a certayne habit into the mynde inclyning or mouyng the same to goodnes that by the workes thereby produced righteousnes may be attayned Whyche assertion of theirs affirmeth ryghteousnesse to come of oure selues through our owne woorkes onelye addyng thys exception that first through the merite of Chryst a certaine habyt or preuentyng grace doth inclyne the minde to the execution of those workes whereby iustification is attayned whiche is both by the true definytion of iustification false and also by the manifest woordes of Saynt Paule whiche so many tymes affirmeth iustification to consist in the free imputation of righteousnesse vnto man through faith Abraham sayeth he beleued God and that was imputed vnto him for ryghteousnesse It appeareth that these men accompt the generall power or vertue of God whereby hée produceth and conserueth hys creatures and whereby euen in the heathen certaine morall or ciuill good woorkes are wrought to further the doers thereof vnto iustificatyon Thus are some of them not ashamed to dreame that suche as bée not regenerate may do suche good woorkes as maye merite the first grace as they call it whereby the mynde beyng styrred hath by their doctryne frée wyll to admit the same whichebeyng once admitted certayne woorkes of suche perfection are thereby produced as in a sort bée acceptable to God and do meryte the fauour of Chryst and in a sort do iustyfie though not by full and exact worthinesse yet by a certayne conuenyencye or congruencye ay they call it accordyng whereunto they name these woorkes congruent merites That is to say suche merites as in equitie deserue fauour though they satisfie not the extremitie of the lawe And these first works they call preparing workes meanyng that suche prepare the doers vnto regeneratyon Thys their diuinitie séemeth to bée gathered oute of thys sentence in the ciuyll law Summum ius Summa iniuria extreme ryght is extreme wrong And therfore they wyll scan wyth God the equitie of the lawe inferryng thereupon that by the power of nature man is able to fulfill the commaundement in asmuch as appertayneth to the substaunce of the worke required therein though not fully in suche sort as the intent of the commaunder requireth that is though the doyng thereof procéedeth not from loue and the spiryte they bée able to satisfie the equitie as it were of the commaundemēt though not the rigor or extremitie thereof and hereby appeareth howe fully agayne they haue wallowed themselues from euill to worsse till at length they be perfectly tumbled agayne into a Pellagian heresie for by what soeuer good worke nature hath power and frée wyll before iustificatyon to meryte the first grace wythall seeyng by that first grace once obtayned iustification doth by their congruence follow it is of necessity that that first meritorious work is the cause of thys their iustificatyon and so nature hath of it selfe in equitie power to iustifye The horrible error of which doctrine is more then euident by that whiche hath bene shewed before aswell by the true definition of iustification as by the fourth and fifth chapters where the filthynes of corrupt nature is euidently declared Let thys touching the true signification of righteousnes or iustification and the errors of the Papistes about the meaning therof suffice Now resteth somwhat to be said concerning workes Wherefore in one signification workes are those thynges which by practice of arte are done and apparantly remayne as all thyngs wrought by any handy craft are called the workes of the doer In another signification workes are the actions of men produced by the willyng motion of the mind which
agréeing with that which is sayd already namelye that no good woorke can bée wrought but by him in whom Iesus Christ doth raigne that is by that iustified for hereby it is playne that no good worke can be in man onles it be by Iesus Chryste but Iesus Chryst worketh onely in the iustified for his spirit doth certifie their spirites in whom hee dwelleth that they are the children of God there is no condemnation to them that are in Chryst Iesu And in this place doth Paule also go forward in prosecutyng the woorde of Esay for where Esaye calleth them trées of ryghteousnesse that is to say the bringers forth of the fruites of ryghteousnes he addeth a plantyng of the Lordes to shew that their ryghteousnesse is the Lordes worke and that doth Paule open here where hée sayeth that good workes or fruites of righteousnesse are in vs by Iesus Chryst as though he had sayd Iesus Chryste hath made you to bée trees of ryghteousnesse that you myght bring forth the fruites thereof namelye good workes and so declare your selues to be a plantyng of the Lordes Thys beyng taught Paule goeth forward in declaryng the finall cause of good workes in saying Vnto the glorye and prayse of God whereby it is playne out of these words of Paules that Chryst is the efficiēt cause of good workes and that none can bée wrought but by hym in whom the spirite of Chryste dwelleth that is none can be wrought but by the ryghteous or iustified in that he saith whyche fruites are in you by IESVS Chryst Whereby it is playne that wythout Iesus Chryste they can not bée in them Where also is declared the materiall cause of good woorkes Namely a fruite of ryghteousnesse so that vnlesse it bée brought forth by a ryghteous tree it can bée no good worke hee also declareth that the iustification or ryghteousnesse of the doer of them is the formall cause of them in that hée calleth them the fruite of ryghteousnesse for that declareth the doers of them to bée trées of ryghteousnesse as Esay termeth them wherby also appeareth that no good worke can bé done but by a man already iustyfied hee also telleth the finall cause of them in that hée sayeth Vnto the glory and prayse of God concludyng euen as Esay in the fore named place doth For after hée had sayde that they myght bée called trées of righteousnesse a planting of the Lordes hée addeth for hym to haue glorye in so that the ende of good woorkes is not to iustifie the doers but to glorifie God for vnles the doers had bene iustified before the woorkes were wrought they coulde haue bene no frute of righteousnesse So that thys place of Paule is an openyng of the forenamed place of Esay for where Esaye sayeth that they myght bee called trees of ryghteousnesse Paule expoundeth that to bée that they shoulde bryng foorth the fruites of righteousnesse and where Esaye calleth them a plantyng of the Lordes that doth Paule open when he telleth that the fruite of ryghteousnesse must be in them by Iesu Chryst And where Esay sayeth for hym to glorye in Paule sayeth to the glory and praise of God. Thus by comparyng together these woordes of Paule and Esay it is more then euident that good workes bée so farre from iustyfiyng the doers that before iustificatyon no good worke can bée wrought And Chryst himselfe affirmeth no lesse when he sayeth that the tree must bee good before it bryng foorthe good fruite Euerye good tree sayeth he bryngeth forth good fruite So that first hée acknowledgeth the trée to bée good before it bryngeth forth good fruite And if the tree be euill he affirmeth in the same place It bryngeth foorth euill fruite concludyng playnely that no euyll tree can bryng forth good fruite Whereby it is euident that the man muste by fayth bée made good that is to saye righteous and iustyfied before he can bring forth any good woorkes So then the woorke is acknowledged for good through mercy which couereth the blemishes thereof in respect that it is the worke of a man by fayth already iustified and clothed in the righteousnesse of Chryste and not in respecte of it selfe which compared with the iustice of God is wickednesse as in the 9. Chapter was proued for wee bee all by nature the chyldren of wrath as Paule beareth witnesse And thus writeth Augustine Sequuntur bona opera iust fi atum non praecedunt iustificandum Good woorkes folowe hym that is iustified they goe not before hym that is to bee iustyfied Agayne the same Augustine Quid enim est boni operis ante fidem cum dicat Apostolus quicquidsine fide fit peccatum est for what good woorke is there before sayth seyng the Apostle sayeth that whatsoeuer is not of fayth is synne And Christ hymselfe sayeth wythout mee you can do nothyng whereby it is euydent that vntyll they haue the spiryte of Chryst they can woorke no good worke but none haue the spirite of Chryst but suche as bée the children of God for the Scrypture sayth these bee the children of GOD that bee led by the spyrite of GOD and none are the children of GOD tyll they bée iustyfied for to bée the chyldren of God and to bée iustyfied is all one thyng therefore none can woorke good woorkes but suche as be already iustyfied Agayne to the workyng of euery good woorke there be two thynges specially required namely vnderstandyng and affection So that the worke that must please God muste both bée ioyned wyth the knowledge of the wyll of God and also bée done wyth affection pleasure and delight in the same Touchyng that it shoulde bee done wyth knowledge thus sayth God by the prophet God desireth in man more the knowledge of God then burnt offrynges And before in hys fourth chapter where he geueth a reason of the destructyon of hys people he alleageth onely lacke of knowledge my people sayeth he are destroyed for lacke of knowledge And Chryst himself sayth do yee not therefore erre because you vnderstand not the scryptures And Iob affirmeth that to depart from euill is vnderstandyng Whereby it is playne that wythout vnderstanding or knowledge of the wyll of God no man can depart from euill and do that which is good And therefore doth Dauid crye Geeue mee vnderstanding and I shall keepe thy lawe O geeue mee vnderstandyng that I maye learne thy commaundementes And that good woorkes are wrought through knowledge or vnderstanding it is by the scriptures euident Paul to the Phillippians writeth thus And thys I praye that your loue maye abound yet more and more in knowledge and vnderstanding that ye maye discerne things that differ one from an other that ye may be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ Here doth Saint Paule not only pray that theyr loue might abound in knowledge but he also telleth the cause of hys prayer namely that they might be able to
of the whole Scripture together may bee acknowledged For we may not wrest such sense out of the Scripture by vrging the outward barke of some particular places therein as shall set them at strife with all the reste of the body of the Scripture and so imagine the spirite of truth at warre with hym selfe Wherefore for the first sorte let these authorites serue Euery man shall enioye good according to the fruites of his mouth and after the workes of his handes shall he bee rewarded Agayne The sonne of man shall come in the glory of hys father with his angels and shall reward euery man according to his deedes And agayne God is not vnrighteous that he should forget your worke and labour that proceedeth of loue which loue ye shewed towardes his name in that ye haue ministred vnto the Sainctes and yet minister These examples may serue for their argument of thys sort Well say they seing that mans rewarde is accordyng to hys workes it appeareth that in workes there is merite and that to mans iustyfication woorkes are requyred Here I myght briefly aunswere that all these woordes are spoken of woorkes comming after iustyfication whyche is not the matter in questyon betwene vs for the question is about woorkes goyng before iustification for the purchase thereof But for their great ouerthrow Let it bée imagined that these promyses are made to woorkes goyng before iustification and yet get they nothyng thereby for we answere they reason from a generall to a species which in an affirmatiue concludeth fasly as for example If one seyng a liuyng creature shoulde reason thus yonder is a liuyng creator therefore it is a man For as of liuyng creatures there be diuers kindes wherof mā is but one so of rewardes there bée dyuers kyndes whereof merite or desert is but one For some rewardes are frely geuē of loue or fauor some through hope of further benefite and some of merite desert or duetie c. So that as vntruely thys is concluded that because it is reward therfore it is merite or duety as the other namely because it is a liuing creature therefore it is a man for in déede this rewarde is of grace or fauour and not of merites or woorkes As by these oft rehearsed wordes of Paule is euydent For of fauour sayeth he yee are saued thorough fayth and not of your selues it is the gift of God and not of woorkes least anye man shoulde boast hym And although thys well considered wyth the definytion of iustyfication in the. 8. chapter doth fullye expresse what sense in these authorities maye well bee allowed yet shall the same in more larger forme of wordes bee declared thus Forasmuche as mans iustificatyon is a free remission of sinne and imputatiō of righteousnesse vnto man thorough fayth in Chryst therfore that the ryghteousnesse of the iustyfied by this free grace might be declared and the bountifull liberalitye of Gods mercye made manyfest to the prayse and glorye of hys grace for thys cause is the rewarde declared vppon the outwarde worke as vppon the outwarde wytnesse of the inward righteousnesse of fayth to the open declaration of the truth of Gods promyses concernyng the womans séede namely Christ By the Prophet Esay hée sayth thus Hee shall iustifie the multitude for hee shall beare awaye their synnes And agayne the people shall bee all ryghteous and possesse the lande for euer The flower of my plantyng the woorkes of my handes whereof I wyll reioyce And agayne that they myght bee called trees of ryghteousnesse A plantyng of the Lordes for hym to reioyce in Wherefore for thys cause namely that the chosen myght bée declared to be ryghteous in the eyes of all the worlde and the triumph of Gods grace or fauour thereby celebrated by the open performaunce of these hys promisses that hée might be iustified in his sayinges and ouercome when he is iudged In consideration hereof I saye he openly pronounceth the fauourable rewarde accordyng to the open manifest works or fruites of the righteousnesse of fayth induyng them with the rewarde of righteousnesse whiche rewarde is of fauour in respect of Chryst apprehēded by fayth and yet pronounced vppon the woorkes as vppon that outwarde fruite whereby the inwarde righteousnesse of fayth is declared whiche hée doth to thys ende that the elect maye bee declared to be iustyfied and the performaunce of his promyses in Chryst made apparaunt so that for thys cause namelye to iustyfie Gods promyse concernyng thys free and mercifull deliueraunce in the sighte of all men to the encrease of the glory of hys grace that as all men heard the promise so all maye witnesse the performaunce thereof For thys cause I say is the fauourable rewarde pronounced according to the outwarde workes or fruites of the ryghteousnesse of fayth wheras if it had beene pronounced accordyng to the fayth no man coulde haue witnessed the true performaunce of the promyse And thys is the cause why the fauourable rewarde is declared vppon the woorkes And not that the workes are the cause of the rewarde For the only end of Gods actiou herein is as Paule testifieth the prayse of the glorye of hys grace whiche is also euydent by this saying of the Phrophet Ezechyell And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I shall doe good to you for myne owne names sake and not accordyng to your most wycked offences By whyche wordes it appeareth that God wyll not onely be ryghteous in the performance of hys frée mercifull promise but hée wyll haue all the worlde both sée and wytnesse the same for hée sayeth in thys promyse you shall knowe that I am the Lorde c. So that hereby God hath promysed to declare hys frée fauour in suche an outwarde subiect as man may bée able to sée and wytnes the fulfilling therof in that he sayeth ye shal know and yet therewyth all he geeueth a determinate caueat that that subiecte wherein hys goodnesse shall be declared shall not be the cause of his goodnesse expressyng playnely what shal be the cause thereof namely hys owne glory Affirming that it shall be for his owne names sake Not onely exceptyng workes from being the cause but also to expresse their great néede of mercye to couer their spottes shewed them touchyng their owne nature howe foule they bée in saying And not accordyng to your most wycked offences And in both the other places before rehearsed out of Esay where he promiseth to make all hys people ryghteous and that they should be called trees of ryghteousnesse This is specially to be noted that in both those places he affirmeth their righteousnesse shall bée the flower of hys plantyng the woorkes of hys handes and not of their owne addyng thereto the cause thereof namely for hym to reioyce in That is accordyng to Saynt Paules woordes For the prayse and glorye of hys grace And to thys ende are all the woorkes of GOD done that hee may
the shiftes which these busie hunters to robbe God of his honoure haue found out is this fayth say they doth iustifye but fayth is a worke therefore woorkes do iustifye To whome wee aunswere that faith in respect that it is our worke expressed by our will or vnderstanding iustifyeth not because it is feeble and weake for no man beléeueth so assuredly as hee is bounde nor doth so earnestly assent vnto the truth of Gods promises as he ought to do Wherefore whersoeuer fayth is sayde to iustifye fayth is there taken for the obiecte of faythe Namely for Christ and the mercye of God in the promise And for asmuche as it is the instrument which taketh holde thereof therefore is iustifycation imputed vnto it According to Saynt Paules sayinge Abraham beleeued God and that was imputed vnto him for ryghteousnesse so that fayth is sayde to iustify because it taketh holde of Chryst in the promise who doth iustifye and not in respect that fayth is a woorke of ours Wherefore examining thys argument of the aduersaries you shall sée how finely at the first they foist in a fallax called of the logitians fallacia accidentis That is the deceipt of the accident Inferring that in the conclusion wherunto that worde whereuppon it is inferred did not stretch it selfe in the second proposition for where it is sayde faith is a worke to be a worke of ours is but an accident vnto faith in respect of iustification for iustification commeth not because fayth is a worke of ours but because the mercie of God doth in the promise fréely geue it to al beleuers So that faith in the first proposition is referred and hath relation vnto the obiect of faith namely Christ and the mercy of God in the promise And in the second proposition fayth is there otherwise taken namely as it is a worke of ours Wherefore fayth not béeing one in bothe propositions the conclusion is falselye inferred Or more briefely it is aunswered thus Faith in the firste proposition is a relatiue in the predicament of relation as in the 8. chapter is declared and in the seconde proposition where it is considered as a worke it falleth in the predicament of qualitie wherby the argument hauing fower termes the conclusion must needes bée false An other of the aduersaries argumentes is thys Saint Paule affirmeth that of fayth hope and loue loue is the greatest or most excellent and in that the fulfillyng of the lawe consisteth and therefore iustification is rather to be imputed to the more excellent then to the inferior That loue is most excellent of the three it is euydent for fayth and hope haue only continuaunce vntill the thinges that bée beléeued and hoped for bée fully in mannes possessyon At whyche tyme they both shall ende but loue doth continue and florishe through all eternity and that it is the fulfilling of the law is in the. 4. chapter euydent For who so loued God and his neighbour so muche as he ought to doe shoulde surely fulfill the lawe But now touching their argument that because it is more excellēt therfore it must iustify that is more then childishe The eare is a farre more excellent instrument or organ of the bodye then is eyther the hand or mouth for thereby we receaue the glad promyses of God touchyng our whole felycytie Shoulde wee therefore inferre because the eare is the more excellent Organ or instrument that therefore we shoulde receaue oure meate wyth oure eares and not rather with the hand and mouth whiche though they be meaner yet are they instrumentes appoynted to that vse And so fayth though it bee the meaner yet is it the instrumēt appointed to that vse An other of the aduersaries shifts is this works say they iustified not in respect that they be our workes but in respect that they be the workes of God in vs Here is the shew of a goodlye substaunce but launch it a litle and you shall finde it nothing else but an emptye bladder puffed with wind onlye Marke whose be the woorkes whiche here they alledge are they not the workes of God in vs Doe they not imagine God to worke in vs but as hath bene before euidently shewed God woorketh vnto saluation in none but in those that bée hys children that is to say iustified for they that are led by the spirite of God they are the children of God that is iustified Why if they be his children alreadye the questyon is ended for those workes that come after they be his children can not be the purchaser of that estate whereof the doer was possessed before they were wrought wherefore those woorkes doe not iustifie him that was iustified before euer hee wrought them for he was the childe of God before he wrought them for they confesse God to dwell in hym and woorke in hym but God dwelleth and worketh in none vnto saluation but in hys children that is in the iustifyed as it is sayde before Wherefore gentle reader that thou mayest bee hable to vnfolde all the subtyll shyftes of the deceytfull aduersaryes intricate snares of thys kynde kéepe thys for a generall and sure rule whiche can neuer fayle thee Marke diligently whether in that worke wherby they wil haue iustification obtayned they auouche God to be anye worker or no. If they auouche hym to be no worker then by the. 4. and 5. chapters thou euidently séest that the work is abhominable vnto him If they auouch him to bée a woorker as in thys argument which I am sure they must néedes do thē say vnto them séeing God woorketh in them to saluation they are before hand the childrē of God that is iustified already for the Scripture affirmeth that they that are led by the spirite of God are the children of God but none bée hys children tyll they be iustified and therefore these workes whiche they auouch are the woorkes of such as be alredyiustified which is not in question for those woorkes can bée no helpe to obtayne hym that estate whereof hée was possessed before they were wrought and wythout the possessyon whereof they coulde neuer haue béene wrought Wherefore if they will haue woorkes to iustifie they must alledge such woorkes as God is no woorker in for God worketh in none vnto saluatyon but in such as be already iustified for whosoeuer is led by the spirite of God he is already iustified for he is the childe of God as I sayd before Nowe touchyng these Scriptures whiche I put in the last sort namelye where the righteous challēge and craue of god the reward of their innocencye and righteousnesse and as it were offer the same to be examined before hys iustice of whiche examples there be principally in the Psalmes whereof I will rehearse one or two Fyrst Dauyd in the. 7. Psalme Iudge me O Lord accordyng to my innocency and according to the cleanenes of my handes in thy sight And