vs expressely that the Sonne of God gaue himselfe And hee contenteth not himselfe too say that Christ gaue himselfe for the worlde in common for that had bin but a slender saying but sheweth that euerie of vs must applie too himselfe particularly the vertue of the death and passion of oure Lorde Iesus Christ VVhereas it is sayde that the Sonne of God was crucified we must not onely thinke that the same was done for the Redemption of the worlde but also euerie of vs must on his owne behalfe ioyne himselfe too our Lorde Iesus Christ and conclude It is for me that hee hath suffered Likewise when wee bee baptized as it is not for any one man alone so is not the water sprinckled vppon all men in common but euerie man is baptized seuerally in his owne behalfe too the ende that euerie of vs may applie it particularly too himselfe too saye that wee bee all members of our Lorde Iesus Christ Also when wee receyue the holy Supper euery man taketh his owne portion too shewe vs that oure Lorde Iesus Christ is communicated vntoo vs yea euen to euerie one of vs. S. Paule therefore dooth purposely vse that maner of speech too the ende wee shoulde not haue any colde imagination after the maner of diuerse ignorant persons which take themselues too bee Christians and yet in the meane while are as wretched beastes But when we once knowe that the thing which was done for the redemption of the whole worlde perteyneth to euery of vs seuerally it behoueth euery of vs to say also on his owne behalfe The sonne of God hath loued me so deerly that he hath giuen himself to death for me Furthermore the worde Loue is not superfluous here for Saint Paules intent is too magnifie the gracious goodnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ as if he shoulde say that we be verie wretches if we accept not such a benefite when it is offered vs seeing that God in sending vs his sonne had none other respect but to our miseries which hee intended too relieue Also our Lord Iesus Christ did so neglect himselfe that he spared not his life for our welfare And what was the cause of it The loue that he bare vs. Seeing it is so must wee not needes be worse than out of our wittes if we accept not such a benefite But it is a verie common doctrine in the holy Scripture that God so loued the worlde that hee spared not his onely sonne but gaue him too death for vs and also that our Lorde Iesus Christ at such time as wee were his deadly enimies as sayth Saint Paule did confirme a maruellous loue towardes vs in that he offered himself in sacrifice to make attonement betweene God and vs and too doo away all our sinnes so as they might no more come to account Lo heere a warrant of our saluation so as wee ought to thinke our selues throughly assured of it Howbeit S. Paule ment purposely here too rebuke mens vnthankefulnesse in that they accept not the benefite which God graunteth them so bountifully yea and of hys owne free goodnesse For it behoueth vs too call to minde howe Saint Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle sayeth that we loued not God first as if shoulde saye wee did not preuent him as those thinke they doo which say I haue done him suche seruice and such For alas what is it that wee can do too him but that he loued vs yea euen at such time as we were his deadly enimies and came euen then to seeke vs out in the verie deepest of the bottomlesse Dungeons And therevppon Saint Paule addeth that hee dooth not dispize or shake off the grace of God This is the knitting vppe of the things that wee haue hythertoo seene For heere he ment too shewe that the Diuell must needes possesse those that make none accounte of Gods mercie that is vttered in our Lorde Iesus Christ and dayly offered vs in his Gospell For looke howe oft the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ is preached vntoo vs and the infinite goodnesse of our God talked of so oft is this message renued vntoo vs that our Lorde Iesus Christ calleth vs vntoo hym to the ende we should forsake the worlde and being out of all hope in our selues fasten and settle our whole trust in him Sith it is so it is good reason that we should not reiect the grace of God And S. Paule in saying so ment to call backe suche as had gone astray before and too shewe them the way as if he had sayde whereas the poore ignorant soules that neuer heard worde of the Gospel might be excuzed we must needes be worse than damnable seeing we refuze the grace of God when it is offered vs for it smelleth of such an vnthankefulnesse as can by no meanes be excused Saint Paule therefore dooth heere make mention of those whome our Lorde Iesus Christ calleth too the hope of saluation by his Gospell and yet doo still welter in their owne wretchednesse and become brutishe not knowing whither there bee a better lyfe or no◠or else of suche as are sufficiently tormented wyth inwarde heartbyting and yet seeke no remedie nor cōfort Yet notwithstanding all they too whome our Lorde Iesus Christ hath not preached his Gospell shall not fayle to perishe without mercie They cannot defende themselues by ignorance I say that all the heathen folke and Idolaters that euer were must haue their mouthes stopped And what shal become of vs then which haue had our eares beaten dayly with the message that God sendeth vs which is that hee requireth nothing but that we should be drawne vnto him wherevnto he incourageth yea and beseecheth vs as we haue seene in the second to the Corinthians It is not a great shame for vs that God should so farre abace himselfe in the person of his onely sonne that he should beseech vs Let vs fall to attonement sayth he And what hath he done on hys side VVhat hath hee offended vs Nay contrariwise wee ceasse not to prouoke him dayly agaynst vs and yet he commeth too say vnto vs I will fall too attonement with you whereas notwithstanding there is nothing but spitefulnesse in vs we be like little feends and to be short we bee damned and forlorne and yet commeth he to seeke vnto vs and desireth nothing but too haue th◠attonement made After that maner speaketh Saint Paule woorde for woorde But nowe what will become of vs if wee reiect such grace seing that God offereth it vs so freely This is it which is ment by that saying And therevppon hee concludeth in the ende that if wee seeke rightuousnesse in the Lawe Iesus Chryst dyed in vayne As if hee shoulde say that if wee iutende to inioy the grace that is conteyned in the Gospell wee muste vtterly gyue ouer the fonde opinion of our owne merites For men are deceyued by bearing themselues in hand that there is euer somwhat of value in
and mercifull before we were reconciled to him what will he do now when we haue so sure a warrant and that the Gospell also is preached vnto vs to assure vs that we be knit vntoo our Lord Iesus Christ by fayth as members of his bodie Shall we now doubt of Gods loue towards vs when we haue so good a confirmation of it as Saint Paule fayth in the fift Chapter to the Romaines If so be that Iesus Christ sayth he came to put away all our sinnes at such times as there was yet deadly foad betweene god vs ought not all doubting to be troden vnder foote and we not be afrayde in any wise too call vpon our God but assure our selues of our owne saluation nowe when God hath so confirmed it vnto vs when hee hath admitted vs into his fauour when he calleth and allureth vs as gently as may be and when hee sheweth and certefieth vs that hee doth as it were hold open his armes to imbrace vs whensoeuer we will come vnto him Thus ye see what we haue to beare in minde in this streyne Furthermore let vs marke also the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ how that seeing hee hath giuen himselfe after that sort for our sinnes he will not suffer his death and passion to be vnprofitable nor the sacrifice which he hath once offered to be voyd and of none effect without bringing forth frute in vs. But as hee hath offered himselfe once for all so also will he be our continuall Mediator and Aduocate to the ende we may be partakers of the clennesse which he hath purchased for vs that beeing ridde of all our fowlenesse we may appeare cleane before God and speake vnto him with open mouth Lo how we ought to gather togither all the things that are shewed vs here for the stablishing of our faith that we may freely resort vnto our God not as straungers to him but as his owne children and familiar friendes And herewithall let vs learne also to shake off all the illusions and fancies of Satan who seeketh by all meanes too turne vs away from our Lorde Iesus Christ or else to darken the grace which we shoulde finde in him and when he can not abolish it vtterly he snarleth vs and putteth new meanes into our heades whereby to purchase fauor at Gods hande But let vs cut off all such things and so fasten all our wittes vpon our Lord Iesus Christ as he onely my suffize vs and we vtterly mislyke whatsoeuer shall come in our heade too purchase grace and fauor with assuring our selues that there is not any other thing that may cause God to receyue vs to mercie than the sacryfize whereby all righteousnesse and clennesse was purchased for vs. Furthermore vnder these woordes of Gods will it behoueth vs too comprehende a free goodnesse too exclude all that men are woont too make themselues beleeue of their owne merits for in that sence also are those wordes taken in the holy Scripture so that as I haue tolde you before the thing which is termed heere by the name of Will is termed elsewhere by the name of good pleasure Saint Paule therefore not onely sheweth that the welspring of our Redemption and Saluation consisteth in the ordinance and euerlasting purpose of God the father but also intendeth to beat down all pryde and presumption by shewing that wee must yeelde the whole prayse of our righteousnesse too the free fauour of God which had no regarde at all of our deseruings For let vs examine our selues and what shall God find in vs but vtter wretchednesse And that is the verie cause why God voutsafeth his mercie vpon vs. So then let vs assure our selues that hencefoorth wee may freely lift vp our eyes to heauen and preferre our prayers and supplications vnto God bycause he hath preuented vs according as it as sayd in S. Iohn that he had not tarried till we loued him for that was impossible bicause we be wholy bent vnto euill and are vtterly giuen ouer to it but had loued vs euen though wee were his enimies And so ye see that the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ was too the ende too reconcile vs to God his father as wee haue shewed alreadie That therefore is in effect the thing that wee haue to beare in minde Nowe Saint Paule addeth immediately that it was to deliuer vs from this wicked worlde Heere he sheweth why we bee called too the knowledge of our Lorde Iesus Christ and also why he hath set so great store by vs as to redeeme vs as he hath done namely to the ende we shoulde not abide in our filth and vncleannesse but be withdrawne away from it by him In verie deed that is not the cause of our saluation but the ende and marke wherat God loked in ordeyning vs to saluation The thing therefore which it standeth vs on hand to haue an eie vnto when our redemption is spokē of is that we must begin at the free fauor which God bare vnto vs when he determined in his euerlasting purpose that we should be brought backe againe vnto him by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christ And so that was the principall cause Another cause thereof is Iesus Christ in whome wee finde all that is requisite for our assurance For there we see our sinnes blotted out inasmuch as hee is ordeyned to be our borrow and hath made such amendes for vs as nothing can stop vs from comming too God That is the seconde poynt which wee haue too remember heere Now the meane whereby we be made partakers of our Lorde Iesus Christ is our imbracing of the promises of the Gospel by true faith For the faythlesse haue no profite at all by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ but rather are so much the more damnable bicause they reiect the meane that God had ordeyned and theyr vnthankfulnesse shall be so much the more grieuously punished bicause they haue troden vnder foote the bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ which was the ransome for their soules Therfore it standeth vs on hande to receyue the promises of the Gospell by fayth if we desire that Iesus Christ should communicate himselfe vnto vs and that he should bring vs to the possession and inioyment of the benefites which he hath purchased for vs so as they belong not too any other than such as are members of his bodie and are graffed into him and receyue him by fayth according as it is sayde in the first Chapter of Saint Iohn that God accepteth and auoucheth those for his children which beleeue in his only sonne Thus ye see what we haue to remember in the thirde place when we come too the scanning of our saluation Nowe remayneth that God bee glorified in vs as good reason is that he shoulde be And in that respect also Saint Paule in the thirde to the Romaynes sayth that wheras God hath giuen vs the meanes in our Lorde Iesus Christ
with great terriblenesse and the old fathers were driuen too feele that they were hilde in awe vnder it and had not yet the libertie that is purchaced vs in these dayes by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ They were as little children who although their fathers trauell for them knowe not what is layd vp for them For although their fathers loue them yet must the rod bee walking now and then and they stand alwayes in awe And bycause they haue no discretion to gouerne themselues they know not how their fathers will deale with them Euen so was it in the tyme of the Lawe There was a kind of fearefulnesse in so much that they which were Gods children were yet vnder the streit bondage afore sayd But Sainct Paule sayeth that we be no more as it were at Mount Sinai where God thundred where the lightenings flashed where trumpets sounded and where the ayre rored in suche wize that all menne were so amazed as they durst not come neere God according as it is sayde let not God speake vntoo vs for then are wee all dead and vndone VVee bee not nowe in that feare sayeth Sainct Paule but God hath giuen vs full libertie bycause our Lord Iesus Christe is come And we know that he is gone into heauen to the intent that the heaueÌ„ly 〈◊〉 one should not thensforth haue such terrible Maiestie as to make vs shrinke backe from it and that we might find fauour grace to talke familiarly with our God Thus ye see in effect what this woord cry importeth Now it is true that the faythfull oftentimes shall not feele so franke free a mind in themselues but that they shall be distressed when they open their mouthes and 〈◊〉 â—artbitings and cast doubtes whither God will heare them or no. Heauinesse wil so ouerpresse vs as we shal hardly know how to dispoze our prayers or whereat to begin This then is a thing that might seeme contrarie to that which S. Paule speaketh heere and to the text which I am about to alledge For it will follow that we be cut off from the aray of the faithfull if we doubte in our selues whither â–ª we may pray vnto God or no and that our hartes be as it were locked vp in those doubtings If wee bee at that poynt in what cace are we then where is the trust that S. Paule speaketh of heere He dischargeth that doubt immediatly saying that Gods spirite supplieth our wantes infirmities For there are certaine vnutterable gronings which God heareth although they be not perceyued of meÌ„ Therfore let vs first marke that if we haue profited in the Gospel we must beleeue assuredly that God taketh vs for his children and that he calleth vs gently vnto him and that we may boldly come vnto him According wherevnto he sayeth in the third to the EphesiaÌ„s that by our beleuing in Iesus Christ we by and by coÌ„ceyue trust boldnesse to offer our selues vnto God Then if we haue not trust and boldnesse it appeereth that wee haue no fayth Howbeit for asmuch as our fayth is neuer perfect but indureth brâ—â—ts wherby it is as good as beaten downe too outward seeming sometimes wee bee so dismayed at it through the ouerpressing of our miseries and afflictions that God seemeth too bee estraunged from vs and wee cannot vtter one woord of prayer vnto God And therefore let vs receiue that which S. Paule sayeth namely that the spirit helpeth our infirmities And so let vs holde out still and pray vnto God without ceassing and if wee bee speechlesse or do stutte and cannot vtter any one peece of our minde to the purpose but bee intangled with many impedimentes well howsoeuer wee fare let Gods spirite thrust vs foreward still and let vs sticke fast to this ground that God is neuerthelesse our faâ—â—â— and let vs flee too him for refuge and though wee do it not so frankly as were requisite but be ouerweyed with the heauinesse of our greefes yet whatsoeuer come of it let vs go on forwarde still and not shet our selues out of the gate through our owne default but holde on still in praying to our God assuring our selues that he will haue pitie vpon vs in the ende Thus ye see what we haue to consider here when mention is made of the spirite of boldenesse or trustfulnesse whereby wee may crie vnto God bicause we bee sure of our adoption Let vs not think that this can bee fully in vs for there are many vyces which we bee not yet ridde of Againe there remayneth vnbeleefe which if it bee not throughly rooted in vs hath notwithstanding many strings too holde vs backe with so as wee must be faine to striue agaynst them But yet in the meane while we must be fully resolued that God is our father and afterwarde according too oure measure and abilitie let vs keepe onwarde to the marke that is set forth here And it is one of the greatest controuersies that we haue with the Papists in these dayes For they say we cannot be sure that God loueth vs and that it is a cace which ought to hang in suspence whether he loue vs or hate vs. But by this meanes they vtterly deface the true maner and fashion of praying For wee knowe howe the Scripture sayeth that we cannot pray without fayth and S. Iames sayeth let not such a man thinke that euer he shall bee heard that is to wit such a one as commeth like a wauering reede that is shaken too and fro wyth euerie winde For we must beleeue that God is faythfull in his promises and that we shall not be disappoynted in comming vnto him bycause he hath bidden vs come VVee must be thus minded in all our prayers and petitions or else all is nothing worth Againe what Christianitie is there in vs if wee haue not Gods spirite as sayeth Saint Paule in the .viij. to the Romanes And for for the same cause also doth he say in the fifth Chapter that wee shall neuer bee ashamed of our hope bycause Gods loue is sheaded into our heartes by the holy Ghost which is giuen vntoo vs. For if wee haue no hope surely then are we banished out of Gods kingdome and cannot bee named Christians And what maner of hope is it It is sayeth Saint Paule that Gods loue is sheaded into our heartes that is too say that we be fully settled and contented bycause we know our selues to be in Gods fauour And howe knowe wee that By the spirite And he setteth downe purposely the worde Sheade too doo vs too wit that Gods making of vs too feele his fatherly goodnesse and loue towardes vs is not with a wette finger and away as they say and then afterwarde too leaue vs hungrie and needie but that hee sheadeth or poureth it out vpon vs that is to say that he giueth vs a sufficient ful warrant that he acknowledgeth and auoweth vs for his owne seeing he hath layde
make theÌ„ selues vnworthy of it for some be ful of wilinesse malice like foxes some are full of pride like lions some are like rauening wolues that seeke nothing but to deuour al and othersome are ful of shrewd turnes and harmefulnesse like Apes All these as much as in theÌ„ is do cut themselues off froÌ„ the aray companie of neibours but in this cace we may obserue Gods order And although men on their side deserue not to be counted taken for neibours yet notwithstanding in bearing them loue wee shewe it is good reason that God should ouerwey our owne naughtinesse VVee see then that suche as are our enimies labour to deuour vs do notwithstanding not cease to be our neibors in respect of the order that God hath set And for the same cause also our Lord Iesus Christ telleth vs that it is no charitie to recoÌ„pence him that hath done vs a good turne or seruice nor to loue those whom we like off or at whose hands wee looke for some profite For the heathen do as much as that comes too but they do it not to obey God his law and when we haue regard of our own profite it is rather a louing of our selues thaÌ„ any poynt of charitie For the marks that chatitie shooteth at are God and the communion or felowship that ought to be among vs as I haue said afore Now then we see it is a true proofe that we be desirous to loue God when we indeuer to doo good euen too them that are vnworthy of it Moreouer the adding of this saying as our selues is not to the intent that euery man should first loue him selfe and then afterwarde loue his neybour nexte But our Lorde ment too rippe vp the sore thâ—â— hindereth vs too liue in charitie whiche is as I haue tolde you alreadie that if men were not so giuen to selfeloue as they be there would be good loue agreement among all men but forasmuch as wee be so much giuen to loue ourselues and the excesse of that affection blindeth vs in such wise that it bereeueth vs of all reason equitie and vprightnesse therfore God saith that we must loue our neighbours as ourselues For were not that sayd expresly we would talke muche of louing our neighbours say they ought to be loued but all would be but dissimulation after the maner of these hypocrites whiche protest that they would their enimies no harme but rather that they wish them good and could find in their hearts to procure theÌ„ good But let vs come to the triall that God setteth downe heere let euery man looke into himself then let him iudge whether he loue him self to much or no or whether the loue that he beareth towards his neybours be not ouerfaynt cold To be short here God ment to remedie the hypocrisie wherwith we be too much blinded Also he ment to waken men that they might learne to leaue their flattering of theÌ„selues when it is sayd it is not inough for you to loue one an other but ye must loue your neibours as your selues And thereby we see how farre we be wide from the perfection of the Lawe and that it standeth vs in hande to fight agaynst our owne nature that we may obey God VVhat is then the true exercise of Christians It is to acknowledge bewayle their own sinfulnesse and infirmitie in discharging their dutie towards God and thervpon to labor and indeuer to winne of them selues from day to day so as their lustes may not ouermaster them but rather that God may haue such superioritie that in stead of louing our selues we may labour to imploy our selues in dooing good whersoeuer he calleth vs. Furthermore S. Paule hauing shewed the perfection of the law the mark that wee muste ame at to rule our life according to Gods worde addeth that if men doo bite and snatche one at another lyke Dogges and Cattes they muste needes bee consumed in the ende And this is too shame them the more whiche are so fleshed in their quarellings and brawlings and doo so close their eyes agaynst all reason that they care not what come of it so they maye satisfie their luste of reuenging And what shall yee â—â—â—ne by it sayth Sainct Paule Naturally yee couet too preserue youre selues for that is common too vs euen with the beasts Yee see that the beast which hath nother reason nor vnderstanding doth notwithstanding labor to preserue himselfe and shunneth harme Much more reason is it that men which discerne betweene good and bad should haue the same indeuer of mainteyning themselues and of continuing safe sound But now let vs see what followeth vpon hatred quareling brawling strife rayling and such other like things It followeth that wee must bee all consumed in the end Needes then must the diuel haue vtterly bereft them of all reason which rage and rushe foorth after that fashion in their excessyue hatred and cannot by any meanes bee moderated Too bee short S. Paule sheweth that although there were no Lawe of God too make vs afrayd too offend him yet if wee were well aduised or had any droppe of discretion in vs wee should haue some stay of ourselues so as wee should not quarell and brawle one with another as wee doo But wee runne wilfully and as it were of set purpose into our destruction and that is ageinst nature Yee see then how diuelish men become wheÌ„ they bee once chafed insomuch that they seeke their owne decay And why do wee hate our enemies It is bicause wee will needes gyue brydle to our affections But marke our excuce O say wee they ment mee harme they procured it and they haue done it Very wel-what for that VVhat shalt thou win by making two diuels of one as the prouerb sayth or by seeking too make the fyre too burne hotter which is kindled ynough and to much alreadie It wyll but dubble his rage and make him feercer than he was before Seing it is so why wilt thou go about to end the matter with the destruction of you both Howbeit if wee should do it in none other respect than that it were not ynough for therin wee should bee too fleshly For if I absteine from all hatred bycause I shoulde receyue harme by it I doo still seeke mine owne profit But God will haue vs to shet our eyes continually in respect of our owneselues and to shake of all ill will and to tread all strife vnder foote And why To the end that he himselfe may haue all maysterhod ouer vs. And although men giue vs cause too hate them for their naughtinesse yet notwithstanding forasmuch a God hath knit vs together let vs abyde in that vnitie Therfore the honour that wee must yeelde vnto God is to renounce ourselues to the end we may loue them that hate vs. And as I haue tolde you alreadie this warning is not superfluous For Sainct Paules intent is too shame
moste part of the world is at that poynt There are othersome which seeme too take a better way and rule but yet doo they also peruert all They desire God too send them the things which he knoweth too bee good profitable for them but in the meane whyle they looke not to the fountayne wherout of they should draw their first water that is to wit too bee reconciled to God For all is one with them so God spare them and execute not his rigour towardes them As for his loue or hatred they passe not greatly for it so he handle them after the desire and appetite of their fleshe Now although such maner of men do seeke vnto God yet doo they set the Cart before the horse For they ought to set Gods loue in the first chiefest place and then to come downe to the great number of benefites which he bestoweth vpon vs wherby he witnesseth his goodnesse towards vs. Albeit then that many men holde not themselues within the sayd measure but make more vnruly requestes vnto God than one man would doo to another so as one man craueth Riches another Honour and none is contented with that whiche God sendeth yet notwithstanding though men were well aduized in their wishes precize in desiring nothing but that which they haue neede of yet if they forget Gods fauour therein they shew themselues not to haue profited at all VVherfore let vs marke how it is not without cause that S. Paule hath heere set downe twoo things ioyntly togither that is too witte that God muste firste receyue vs into his fauour so as we also may feele him to be truely our father and to accept vs as his children and he thervppon afterward make vs too prosper Now such maner of prosperitie may as I haue sayd already be well wished for but yet in the meane while the only goodnesse of God must be our solace and when we be put too the suffering of many miseries in this world so as things fall not out as wee woulde haue them yet must we be contented with this that God accepteth vs. And therewithall he setteth downe the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ bicause it is not possible that God should fauour vs but for his owne sonnes sake in whom is his whole delight according as it is sayd as well in the. xvi chapter of S. Mathew as in the firste too the Ephesians Then if we had nothing else to set before our eyes but the maiestie of God it would make vs afrayd and we could not haue any accesse vnto him bicause we be frayle creatures yea and altogither sinfull creeping here vppon the earth and deseruing too be swallowed into the bottom of Hell Therfore it is very requisite that Christ should shew himself vnto vs and that wee should looke vpon him to taste what Gods loue is and to inioy all the benefites which he bestoweth vpon vs for they belong not to any other than to his owne onely Sonne who is the heyre of all things as the Apostle speaketh of him in the first chapter to the Hebrewes Seing then that all the good turnes whiche God doeth vs belong peculiarly too our Lord Iesus Christe it behoueth vs too communicate with him and to be made parttakers of them by his meanes Therfore it is not without chuse that S. Paule sayeth heere from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. Yea and too the intent too giue vs the greater assurance that God will take vs into his fauour if we seeke him truely and vnfaynedly howbeit by the meanes of his only Sonne he sayeth that Iesus Christ gaue himselfe for our sinnes Now it is certaine that nothing putteth vs out of Gods fauour but our owne sinfulnesse For we see that his mercy extendeth it self euen to the Sparowes that flie in the ayre and vnto the brute beasts For when as God bringeth forth grasse in the mountaynes and maketh other fodder too grow for cattell it is a token that he hath a care of them And truly they be markes of his goodnesse as it is said in the Psalmes How then should he not loue those whom he hath created after his owne image and which approche much neerer too him to his nature that is to say men God therfore in respect of his creating of vs receiueth auoweth vs for his owne But for somuch as we be corrupted and our nature is become sinful it causeth God too hate vs and too take vs for his enemies so as there is as it were a deadly foade betweene him and vs till he haue taken vs again into his fauour for our Lord Iesus Christes sake VVherfore to the end we may nor haue any cause to doubt of Gods loue S. Paule doth here set downe before vs the Sacrifize whereby the rememberance of our transgressions is blotted out so that God hauing now forgotten all our wretchednesse beholdeth vs as his owne and as those on whom he hath set his marke to be short as those whom he hath created too be his children and heyres And hereby wee be warned that there is none other meanes to pacifie our consciences and to make vs able to call vpon God in full libertie but by applying too our selues the sacrifize offered by our Lorde Iesus Christ wherein he hath made full satisfaction for vs so that henceforth God receyueth vs as his owne children And here first of all we see the force of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ how that therin we find attonement betwene God and vs so that whereas we were erst at oddes with him and he must needes haue as ye would say abhorred vs now he voutchsafeth too take vs into his fauour â–ª And why Bicause our Lord Iesus Christ hath made amendes for all our faultes misdeedes by the obedience which he yeelded in his death passion in somuch that the sacrifize which he offered was a full satisfaction for all our sinnes his bloudshed became likewise our clenzing and hath washed vs cleane from all the spottes of our sinnes Thus ye see how we may be sure that God receiueth vs. And how may we haue the boldnesse to call vpon him and to resort vnto him Euen by fastening our eyes vpon the Sacrifize which our Lord Iesus Christ hath offered For if we haue not that it is certayne that we shal alwayes be afrayd when we think vpon the maiestie of God For seyng we be wretched offenders how should we not be afrayd of our iudge who is armed to execute the vengeance that we deserue Neuerthelesse for asmuch as our Lorde Iesus Christ hath buried our faults we may come vnto God boldly and without any stop Howbeit it behoueth vs to marke therewithal that the sacrifize wherby our Lord Iesus Christ hath reconciled vs to God his father is so sufficient that it behoueth vs to lay â–ª vp all our trust therein not to seeke any other
meanes according also as S. Paules intent heere is to bring backe the Galathians to the pure truthe from the which they had bin led away seduced not that they had vtterly renounced Iesus Christ but that they had intermingled the ceremonies of the Lawe thereby to obtayne forgiuenesse of sinnes as who should say there needed other helpes therevnto according as in papistrie it wil well ynough be graunted that Iesus Christ is the redeemer of the world but yet therwithal euery man seeketh to cōpound with God to make amends by himself Now the Galathians had already bin imbured with the like errour For this cause Sainct Paule sheweth the that sinnes are none otherwize wiped out than by the sacrifize of our Lord Iesus Christ to thintent that our fayth may rest wholly there Therfore if we wil be parttakers of so great a benefite we must giue ouer al our vaine hopes all the illusiōs that the Diuell putteth in our minde when he turneth vs aside frō our Lord Iesus Christ frō his only grace by making vs to beleeue that we can come vnto God if we bring some amends with vs. To be short vntill such time as we be sure that there is none other washing wherewith to skoure out the spottes of our iniquities but the bloud which our Lord Iesus Christ hath shed wherwith we be rinced through the holy ghost it is certain that we cā neuer come freely vnto God nor rest vpon his fauour loue but shall euer be wandering in our own imaginacions that shal be a due payment for our misbelefe in that we haue not yeelded our Lord Iesus Christ the honor that he deserued Thus ye see in effect what we haue to beare in mind here where S. Paule setteth the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ before vs telling vs that that is the thing wherein we shall finde the amends of all our faultes do as they shal not be called any more too account before God And he sayeth purposely that Iesus Christ gaue himselfe too the end wee should the more boldly take holde of his Loue. For wee see heere that when our Lord Iesus Christ did put foorth himself too make attonement betweene God and vs he spared not his owne body soule in somuch that he indured extreme anguish in his foule as he that was our borrow in the same and bare the wrath of God in our behalfe And in his body also he indured all reproch and shame and therewithall also the horriblest tormentes that could be deuized and al this as I sayd afore sheweth right wel that the loue which he bare vs was inestimable sith he forgate himself after that sort for our sakes But yet notwithstanding herewithall S. Paule bringeth vs alwayes backe too the will of God too shew that when our Lord Iesus Christ did in that wyze performe all that belonged too our saluation it was no let but that God in the meane whyle vttered his mercy in the same according as it is sayd in another text that God so loued the world that he spared not his onely sonne but deliuered him to death for vs. To the intent therfore that we should not think that the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ too pacifie God his father was after such a sort that he persuaded him to alter his purpose as men are inclined to such grosse earthly imaginacions S. Paule to shew vs that God was not reconcyled vnto vs after the maner of men telleth vs expresly that the cause why Iesus Christ was deliuered for our sinnes was for that God had so ordeyned it For if a man be angry with his childe some other man may steppe in too appease his wrath and such a one shall supply the roome of a third partie But the cace stoode not so with our Lord Iesus Christ when he offered himself in Sacrifize too do away all our sinnes to make vs way vnto God from whom we were shet out before He came not as one that stepped in of his owne head and as though God had not meddled with the matter How then God as hath bin touched not long since did both hate vs and loue vs before the reconciliation was made And why loued he vs Bicause we be his creatures And again although he saw we were so wretched and vtterly forlorne damned folke by reason of sin yet notwithstanding he had pitie vpon vs would not haue mankind to perish vtterly Thus yee see how God loued vs notwithstanding that in the persone of Adam we were fallen away frō him vtterly corrupted Therwithall he did also hate vs euen bicause he is the welspring of all rightuousnesse Therfore he abhorred the naughtinesse that was in vs by reason wherof there needed an attonemēt to be made in the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ by the sacrifize which he offered But yet must not that benefite bee fathered vppon any other than God Yee see then howe it was Gods dooing too sende his onely sonne and too giue him ouer vnto death for vs. And why To the ende that all hatred betweene him and vs shoulde bee done away This in effect is the thing that ought to be vnderstood of S. Paules woordes when he saith that Iesus Christ gaue himselfe to the death for our sinnes and yet notwithstanding that the same came not too passe without the wil of God who had determined the same aforehande in his owne euerlasting purpose Heere first of all we haue too magnifie the mercie that was shewed vs in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ For if God had but proclaymed a pardon and tolde vs that he woulde take vs to mercie though we were vnworthie of it that had bin verie much yea and it had bin impossible for vs to magnifie such a gracious goodnesse as it deserueth But seeing he hath lent vs such a gage of his loue as his owne sonne and gyueth himselfe to vs in his person thereby shewing himselfe to be our father it so farre passeth all that we haue sayde that if all our wittes were imployed too woondering at suche a goodnesse yet should wee neuer come to the fulnesse thereof Thus ye see what we haue to marke in the first place when Saint Paule speaketh too vs of Gods will Howbeeit let vs vnderstande that euen from the time that God had iust cause to hate vs and to abhorre vs yea and euen from the time that we were his enimies as the Scripture sayth in very deede he neuer ceassed to haue some regarde of vs and to extende his pitie so farre foorth as he would not haue vs to abyde in our destruction in so much that he hath not thought it ynough to declare the same by word of mouth but also hath giuen vs such a pledge as wee see that is to wit that his owne sonne hath answered for it Now seeing it is so that God hath shewed himselfe so gracious
openeth vs the gate of Heauen too shewe vs that he holdeth vs all for his children and that he is our father and when our Lord Iesus Christ is so knit vnto vs that by his meanes wee bee already made sure of the endlesse lyfe Can we say that we haue any thing of our owne when God maketh vs parttakers of suche a treasure Yee see then that the thing which wee haue too gather vppon this streyne is that God hath so reserued too himselfe the dispozing of mans lyfe that it is his peculiar office to guyde our steppes and he knoweth wherevntoo he hath ordeyned vs. And therefore it becommeth vs too magnifie his mercie in that he hath vouchsafed too inlighten vs by beleeuing his Gospell too the intent wee might knowe him too bee our father and rest vppon him and pray vnto him with full trust Let vs assure our selues that the hauing of this commeth not of our owne freewill but of his touching of vs too the quicke by his holy spirite For our Lord Iesus Christe who hath all wisedome in him cannot bee knowen of vs except he bee reueled according as he himselfe auoucheth that noman commeth vnto him except the father drawe him Beholde Iesus Christ was conuersant in the worlde at that time he preached the Gospell and published it with open mouth and yet notwithstanding he sayeth that noman shall come vnto him that is too say noman shall frame himselfe too his obedience except the father haue wrought in his hart by the power of his holy spirit Now that Iesus Christ is separated from vs as in respect of distance of place and as in respect of humane nature so as wee see him not heere beneath too haue any visible knowledge of him how shall wee come vntoo him if wee bee not drawen by the grace that is spoken of heere And if fayth bee a speciall gifte of God and wee cannot come too our Lorde Iesus Christe except we bee led vnto him by the hande of God his father howe can they that should drawe others doo it of their owne abilitie Needes then muste God vtter yet a second woorking And that is the cause why Sainct Paule setteth downe bothe twayne of them that is too wit firste that he had bin inlightened himself and secondly that he had bin ordeyned and stablished as a Mayster and teacher too drawe othermen to the good way of Saluation wherein God had set him VVherefore let vs assure our selues that God graunteth a singular grace too such as haue charge too preache the Gospell when he voutchsafeth too apply them therevnto And that is not onely too the end that wee which are in that state and office should walke in the feare of God and not chalendge aught too our selues but also too the intent that euery man should in that behalf haue a record of the loue that God beareth too his Churche If men should thrust in theÌ„selues on their owne heads it might be sayd that wee were taught at all aduenture But when as we know that nomaÌ„ is of sufficient abilitie too open his mouth to speake of Iesus Christ as he ought too be spoken of but that it is Gods doyng to send forth those of whom it behoueth vs to be taught thereby wee perceyue the care that he hath of vs finde much better that he is our father and hath not forgotten vs. And moreouer this serueth to ingraue the truth of the Gospell in our hartes to the end wee may know how it is not a doctrine that proceedeth of men but as of Gods sendyng And that although he be serued by his creatures yet notwithstaÌ„ding he maketh them as instruments of his spirit and it is he himself that gouerneth them Yee see in effect how we may make our profite of this doctrine But yet doo wee vnderstand Gods grace the better in that it is sayd that he hath chozen vs and kept vs too himself euen from our moothers wombe And yet is this no let but that he hath also moreouer reserued vs from before the creation of the worlde according as Sainct Paule speaketh in other textes howbeeit it is ynough that in this place he excludeth all that euer commeth of men VVhen a childe commeth out of his moothers wombe what bringeth he with him VVhat woorthinesse hath he Surely he is a poore carkesse full of filth and vncleannesse Now then if God marke vs out at the time when there is nothing in vs woorthie too bee accepted of him or whiche deserueth any loue or lyking wee may perceyue thereby that if he apply vs too any honorable seruis afterwarde it is by reason of his owne mercie accordingly as they whome God gathereth too bee of his flocke are called instruments of his goodnesse Thus yee see that the cause why Sainct Paule speaketh purposely of his birthe is too shewe that there was no preparation on his owne behalfe when God drewe him but that God had respect too his owne eternall election the which he continued in that it was his will that the same creature shoulde come into the worlde and had alwayes guyded it too that ende Then let vs assure our selues that when soeuer God bestoweth any of his benefites vppon vs wee muste alwayes come backe too this principle namely too mount vp too his euerlastyng purpose Not that wee bee able too comprehende howe or why hee hath chozen vs for that passeth all capacitie of man But for that wee muste conclude that Gods preferring of vs before those whom he leaueth as of castes is not for that hee findeth vs woorthie or capable of suche a benefite but bycause hee had so ordeyned before he had created vs and put vs intoo the worlde yea and euen before there was eyther heauen or earth And that is the cause why it is sayd that it behoueth vs to be giuen to our Lord Iesus Christ before we can come vnto him And who is it that maketh that gift It is not euery mans offering of himself of his owne meere motion True it is that wee ought to do so for our fayth importeth obedience sacrifize so as it becoÌ„meth vs to dedicate our selues to God willingly to make a present bothe of our bodies and of our soules vnto our Lord Iesus Christ as to him that hath bought vs. Neuerthelesse this as I sayd is not of our owne meere motion but God must be fayne to bowe vs therevnto And why so Euen bycause wee were his afore And how belong wee too him not by inheritance nor by any title that wee can alledge on our owne behalf but only bycause he choze vs. Now then wee see what this texte importeth But let vs come backe â—oo the cheefe poynt that Sainct Paule treateth of heere For the things that I haue discoursed hithertoo are but too shewe that our adoption serueth not too bereeue God of his glorie whiche thing they doo that bragge of their owne free will vertues and merites
wretched it is nor also the remedie which wee must apply too it For to the intent we may put our trust in our Lord Iesus Christ wee must vnderstand that wee be vtterly forlorne as well by reason of the sinne of Adam as by reason of the infinite number of iniquities wherein we be saped yea and wee must fully beleeue it But we should neuer perceyue that our sinnes condemne vs curse vs before God except wee knew that wee haue neede of rightuousnesse And on the otherside wee should not know Gods rightuousnesse if we should singly say that we be saued by faith and by grace For God cannot once renounce himself bycause he is the soueraine rightuousnesse and there is nothing in him but purenesse and perfection by reason whereof he must needes hate euill Now it is so that wee be full of corruption there is nothing but euill in vs and therefore God must needes hate vs. And if he hate vs wo woorth vs for then are we damned Then standeth it vs on hand to be made rightuous before we can be in Gods fauour That is to say it behoueth vs to be purged of our faults and misdeedes for else as I sayd wee shall neuer be able to conceyue that God intendeth too shewe vs mercie But in acknowledging our selues too be sinners wee perceyue by and by that God muste needes hate sinne and that although he hate sinne yet not withstāding he findeth meanes to saue vs which is by forgetting our offences and by clenzing and purging them with the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ who is our spirituall washing God then purgeth vs in that wize too the ende wee should bee receyued of him and being made parttakers of his loue bee assured of our saluation Thus yee see why the Scripture vseth the woorde Iustifie But the Papistes descant vppon it like blinde buzzardes VVhat say they shoulde wee bee iustified by fayth Fayth is no such vertue as maketh men perfect and how then shall it make vs rightuous They consider not that this rightuousnesse whereof the Scripture speaketh is Gods couering of our sinnes as I declared afore and his taking of them quyte and cleane away for the sake and by the meane of our Lord Iesus Christe and by the vertue of the Sacrifize of his death and Passion How soeuer the cace standeth it is sayd that wee be counted rightuous before God bycause he releaseth and forgiueth our sinnes And after the same maner doth Sainct Paule speake of it in the fourth to the Romanes where he sayeth that Dauid hath well declared in effect howe wee bee iustified by fayth when he sayeth Blissed is the man whose iniquities God hath forgotten and whose sinnes he hath couered And in another place he sayeth that our Lord Iesus Christe who knewe no sinne nor had any spot in him was made sinne for vs that is too say receyued all the condemnation of our faultes too the end that wee should become Gods rightuousnesse in him that is too say too the end that being greffed into his persone and made one body with him wee might be taken for rightuous bycause there was such perfectnesse in his obedience that our sinnes were buried and rid quite and cleane away Thus much concerning the woord Iustifie ▪ Now as touching the woord Fayth or beleefe S. Paule addeth for a declation that they had beleeued in Iesus Christ. If a man aske an vnlearned persone what Fayth is he will perchaunce answere that it is too beleeue but he shall not be able too tell what is ment or imported by any of them both VVill wee then haue the vnderstanding of them according too the rawe capacitie of the vnskilfullest sorte VVee must alwayes marke that our Lord Iesus Christe is set too bee the butte of our fayth and beleefe Do wee obtayne saluation by fayth It is asmuche too say as wee beleeue in our Lord Iesus Christe But let vs now cōsider why our Lord Iesus Christ is set before our eyes for our fayth too ame at and too reste wholly vppon It is bycause wee shall finde in him what soeuer belongeth too the making of vs rightuous I haue tolde you already that wee bee taken for rightuous before God when he forgiueth our sinnes and calleth thē not too account any more And how shall wee obtayne that but by the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ which was shed to wash vs withall For in asmuch as he hath made full amendes for vs by his death and passion therefore God is appeazed towardes vs condicionally that we seeke not to pay him with any other thing than with the sacrifize that was offered vp to him by his only sonne our Lord Iesus Christ who is called Gods wel beloued sonne too the ende that wee should be beloued in him and the rightuous to the end we should be made parttakers of his rightuousnesse and the holy too the end we should be made holie in him Thus then yee see why wee muste haue an eye to our Lord Iesus Christ when wee intend too know what the woorde Fayth importeth But the Papistes stande wilfully in their owne conceyt bycause they neuer tasted what it is to beleeue and that do they shew well ynough by their allegacions How is it possible say they that a man should bee iustified by beleeuing seyng that the very Diuels doo beleeue It is true and S. Iames vseth the same reason How beit in that place he mocketh at suche as pretend a vayne and fonde cloke of Christianitie and fayth and in the meane whyle shewe no frutes at all of it But the Papistes beguyle themselues yet much more grosly in saying that Fayth is too beleeue in God and that God is the marke that fayth ameth at so as it seemeth too them that too make vp beleefe there needeth no more but to imagine that there is some one certayne God that made the worlde and which gouerneth all things And so they fall faste a sleepe in their ignorance and yet ceasse not too take themselues for good Christians and Catholikes as they themselues bable although they be altogither dulled in deede But it is no woonder that they fight so agaynst the doctrine of the holy Scripture and with suche vnamendable wilfulnesse denie that a man can bee saued by fayth seyng they haue nother discretion nor vnderstāding for they wote not what the matter meeneth So muche the more therefore doth it stande vs vppon too marke well what Sainct Paule telleth vs heere that is too witte that if wee looke not vntoo Iesus Christe wee knowe not what fayth is And the reason thereof is for that we know not what it is too haue forgiuenesse of sinnes to come vnto God to be able to put our trust in him and to call vpon him nother do we know any more what it is to haue our consciences quiet and to hope for the euerlasting life All these things we want till Iesus
the washing of them away which was done by the deathe and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ Yee see then that our righteousnesse is that God accepteth vs howebeit not in respecte of our owne worthynesse but in respect of the obedience of our Lorde Iesus Christ whereby all our misdooings are wyped out That is the first benefite which wee haue by our Lorde Iesus Christe The seconde is that whereas wee bee frowarde of our owne nature and al that the Papists terme by the name of freewill is but frenzie and that howe great accompte so euer men make of them selues all is but naughtinesse and wee bee full of vyce and corruption in steade of beeing so our Lorde Iesus Christ giueth vs the grace to be sory for our sinnes to labour to do good for so long as we abide in our owne nature euery of vs sootheth and flattereth him selfe in his euill But when we haue once tasted the inestimable loue of our God and perceyued what our Lorde Iesus Christ is then we be so touched by his holy spirite that wee condemne the euill and desire to drawe neere vnto God and too frame our selues to his holy will VVee be sure of that once and although wee go halting yet doo wee continually sigh to see our owne imperfections and infirmities and perceyue full well how it is the spirite of God that moueth vs thervnto when our chiefe desire is to forsake the sinfulnesse that is in vs and commeth of our fleshe so as we wishe nothing else but that God should be glorified in all our lyfe and faythfully obeyed in all things That is the seconde benefite which our Lord Iesus Christ bringeth vs and they be two things knit togither by vnseparable bande so that like as the light of the sunne can not be separated from his heate so these two graces that is to wit our righteousnesse and the remission of our sinnes are vnseparably matched with our renewment which is done by the spirit of sanctification Thus ye see two graces inseparable and like as when we say that the Sunne is whot it ceasseth not to shine also yet notwithstanding the light of the sunne is not heate so when we say that wee be iustified by the remission of our sinnes it is not ment that our Lord Iesus Christ doth thēcefoorth suffer him selfe too bee mocked and despised but that wee haue neede to be throughly clensed so as wee may learne too renounce the world and our selues too the ende to sticke vnto him with true obedience Howsoeuer the worlde go the thing that S. Paule speaketh in this text shall alwayes be founde true namely that he was crucified with Iesus Christ to liue vnto God Then if any man accuse the Gospell that it giueth libertie to doo euill and too sinne wee may alwayes answere howe so By the lawe wee bee alwayes dead for there wee see our owne cursednesse whiche will leaue vs dismayde in dispayre But in the Gospell although wee bee crucified that is too saye althoughe there bee a spice of death in the Gospell yet is that death a quickening deathe and the cause of lyfe For so long as men lyue too them selues they bee dead vnto God they bee wretched carkasses full of rottennesse But when they dye in them selues they lyue vntoo God And for that cause Sainct Paule in the twelfth too the Romanes calleth vs lyuing sacrifices where hee telleth vs that wee muste bee transformed and vtterly gyue ouer our owne reason and our owne wyll too yeelde God suche seruice as is meete for him too haue He saythe Offer vp your selues as lyuing sacrifices So then in the Lawe there muste needes bee a deadly deathe a deathe that leaueth vs vtterly ouerwhelmed and sunken euen downe intoo hell But in the Gospell there is a quickening deathe And why For wee bee crucified wyth Iesus Christ too lyue vnto God that is too saye our olde man as Sainct Paule termeth it in the sixth too the Romanes and that whiche wee haue of our owne nature is doone awaye howebeeit not at the first daye but by little and little But howe soeuer the cace stande wee shall perceyue that our Lorde Iesus Christe mortifieth all that was in vs of our owne or of the worlde so as wee bee not so greatly giuen too nestle heere bylowe bycause wee see it is a myserable state too lyue heere and oure very care is too stycke vntoo God Thus yee see howe wee may bee crucified with our Lorde Iesus Chryste But what is mente by that crucifying Verily it is a certayne kynde of deathe Howebeeit that deathe bryngeth vs too lyfe whiche thing the death whiche the Lawe bringeth dooth not Nowe then wee see the very intente of Sainct Paule and the naturall meanyng of this texte Therefore nowe a dayes when the enimies of the truthe blaspheme the Gospell we haue heere an answere to stoppe their mouthes And if they holde on still let them barke lyke dogges but they shall not bee able too byte doo what they can See heere what the Papistes flushe foorth when wee preache that men are iustified throughe Gods free goodnesse O say they are they so That were the nexte waye to giue euery man the brydle too lyue after his owne lyking and too cause that there mighte be no more remorse nor scruple of conscience so as euery man myghte haue leaue too doo what he lysted That is the common blasphemie of the Papistes Agayne when wee shewe them that they can not bynde vs by their traditions and that it is but a tyrannie whiche they haue vsurped in robbing God of his righte and that the libertie was purchased for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christ to the ende that wee shoulde not bee tyde too the things whiche men woulde lay vpon vs of lawe and necessitie in matters concerning the spirituall gouernment of our soules O saye they see what cōmes of it their desire is nothing else but too wallowe in all pleasure and too leade a loose lyfe Surely wee maye easily answere too all this For the doctrine that wee bring serueth not to stirre vp mens lustes nor to giue them too greate and lawlesse a libertie but too the cleane contrarie But howsoeuer the cace stande it oughte too suffice vs that if wee shoulde abyde in the quamyre of the Papistes surely there woulde bee nothyng but deathe for vs. For were they not too faste asleepe and vtterly dulled vndoubtedly they shoulde bee tossed wyth suche vnquietnesse and hartebytings as they should needes see that that is not the thing wherevpon wee muste reste But beholde they bee so rotted in their ignoraunce that they haue not anye feelyng of Gods iustice at all But as for oure partes for as muche as wee knowe wee haue suche a freedome purchased vs by our Lorde Iesus Christ and are sure of our saluation bicause God dothe freely forgiue all our faultes and doo feele alreadie by the working of Gods holy spirite that he
them and to be short they cannot finde in their heartes to come as poore beggers before God but wyll alwayes bring some present with them And yet notwithstanding all that euer wee thinke our selues too haue is but abhomination Therefore Saint Paule sheweth vs that there is none other meanes for vs too receyue lyfe at our Lorde Iesus Christes hande and too bee made partakers of his death and resurrection and so to attaine too the heritage of heauen by his meanes than to be vtterly voyded of all the foolishe ouerweenings which the children of this world conceyue when they imagin with themselues ô as for mee I haue some vertue in mee I haue some towardnesse and to lay it all downe and cast it quite away For vntill wee haue forgotten our owne desertes surely wee shall neuer be able to conceyue the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ Do wee then come vntoo him Let vs come vtterly emptie For if wee make any countenaunce of hauing aught it is nothing else but winde Truely whensoeuer men are puffed vp with pryde they become so full that they are readie too burst howbeeit all of it is but wynde But yet howe so euer wee fare that wynde holdeth vs backe from receyuing the benefites that are purchaced and brought vntoo vs by the Sonne of God and which he communicateth to vs by his Gospell Thus ye see wherevnto the conclusion tendeth which Saint Paule maketh heere Now the Papistes will graunt well inough that wee bee not able to purchase saluation except we bee helped by our Lorde Iesus Christ howbeeit they imagin that men may halfe saue themselues and that looke what wanteth is supplied by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c so they suppose thēselues to haue a good auailable startinghole But in saying so they shew thēselues deadly enimies of the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and vpholders of the cace and quarell of the false Apostles and deceyuers that had corrupted defloured and falsfied the pure truth in the Church of Galatia For those sort of men coulde well inough confesse that Iesus Christ was the Sauour of the world and they would haue bin ashamed too say that Iesus Christ was nothing nay rather they professed Christianitie And what deemed they of Iesus Christ That he came too help mens infirmities bycause they were not able to discharge the lawe too the full and that for asmuch as they could not haue so great and large perfection as was requisite therefore it behoued them too bee helped by Iesus Christ and euen as much doo the Papistes say at this day But S. Paule concludeth on the contrarie part that then Iesus Christ had died in vayne If any man replie no not so for there should come some frute of his death and passion by helping vs too the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and although we haue meanes to satisfie God withall yet would not the same suffyze vnlesse Iesus Christ should worke therewith I say if any man make such replie let vs marke that S. Paule hild this for a certaine and vndeceyuable principle that doo the best we can there is nothing but cursednesse in vs till God haue receyued vs of his meere grace Lo wherein the Papists beguile themselues and not they onely for it hath bin a common errour among the Turkes and among all the Heathen men that euer were The Turkes can confesse well ynough that they haue neede of Gods mercie that hath alwayes bin an opinion through the whole world but they haue intermingled their own satisfactions with Gods grace as if they should say although God be pitifull towardes vs yet muste we procure fauour in his sight by our owne deseruings After that maner were the Heathen folke woont too speake And what say the Papistes now adayes All one thing For after they haue once graunted themselues too be wretched sinners and to haue neede to be succored by our Lord Iesus Christ and that his death and passion are auayleable to make them way vnto God they interlace their owne freewill and their preparations and thervnto say that they deserue on their side and that although Iesus Christ help them yet he dooth not all himselfe And in very deede that is the flat doctrine of the Papistes woord for woord For they say wee cannot deserue aught except Iesus Christ go before vs and shewe vs the way for they say that he hath purchaced vs the firste grace and that it lieth in vs to follow on and too attayne to the second And if a man aske them what is ment by that first grace they say it is the occasiō of meriting or deseruing for that is their terming of it and their maner of speache And this occasion of meriting is nothing else with them but that men are able of themselues too binde God too them by their owne satisfactions But S. Paule telleth vs that it is to outrageous yea and too Diuelish a trayterousnesse too haue such pride and therefore he cōcludeth that Iesus Christ should haue died in vayne if wee should seeke rightuousnesse in the lawe VVill wee then possesse our Lord Iesus Christ It behoueth vs too know wherefore wee come vnto him namely bycause that by the Lawe we are already condemned cursed of God cut off from hope of life and full of all corruption so as God must be fayne too clenze vs by his holy spirit and for asmuch as there are many infirmities in vs we must alwayes come to our Lord Iesus Christe and to confesse that there is nothing in vs but all cursednesse and miserie wee must needes come too this conclusion of S. Paules that Christ had died in vaine if it behoued vs to obtayne rightuousnesse by the law whither it were wholly or partly VVee must needes confesse that and the veriest idiotes are able to perceyue it in so much that if we receyue not Iesus Christ with that condition it is certayne that his comming shall profite vs nothing at all It will be but as a winde to blow vs away together so as wee shall be no more able to take hold of Gods mercie that is offered vs in Iesus Christ Now seyng it is so let vs learne to leaue such maner of mingling and acknowledge our selues beholden too our Lord Iesus Christe for all things for when we go about too interlace our owne merites with the free remission of our sinnes it is but a falsifying of Gods truth Besides this when we haue learned to rest our selues after that maner vppon him let vs bee taken in loue with the spirituall benefites which he bringeth vs and let not the afflictions and aduersities of this world hinder vs from holding on our course and from the ouer comming of all temptations and distresses but that we may haue full ioy in the middes of all our sorrowes and troubles assuring our selues that al that euer wee can suffer in this world is nothing in comparison of that which is prepared
there is none of vs but he shall finde that he prouoketh God too vse suche sharpenesse towardes him as if a father bee as kinde harted as is possible to be wished yet if he haue vnruly children so as they be â—eude and froward he shall bee prouoked after suche a fashion that he shall as it were chaunge his nature bycause he knoweth not at what end too begin with them and is fayne after a sort too transforme himselfe Euen so is it with vs. For we haue a father which in goodnesse surmounteth all that can bee seene among men but we on our side as I sayd afore in steede of yeelding obediently vnto him as we ought to do and in steede of offering our selues redily to walke as he commaundeth so soone as he doth but speake the woord do nothing but stray VVe haue our lustes alwayes inordinate and boyling wee haue our replies alwayes readie coyned and although our mouth speake not yet it appeereth that there is no such calmnesse in our hartes as too be contented to submit our selues to God as we ought to do Seyng then that we be conuicted to our faces by experience that God had neede to be so rough and sharp towardes vs let vs suffer him to do whatsoeuer he knoweth too be for our welfare And no doubt but the Galathians were as nyce as wee and had as itching eares as wee haue and yet were they fayne too be rebuked so sharply by reason of their vnthankfulnesse As for S. Paule we know he indeuered by all humilitie and meeldnesse too drawe all such to the obedience of our Lord Iesus Christ as were committed and appoynted too his Apostleship He likeneth himself and not without cause too a nurce which will beare with hir nurse childe and not spare any thing too shew the loue that shee beareth it VVee shall see hereafter that he will say Be yee as I am for I am as you bee I seeke nothing but too fashion my selfe vnto you and to bring to passe that wee may agree in one And yet notwithstanding necessitie hath constreyned him too crie out as you heare now Yee vnwize yee fooles yee vndiscreete or witlesse as beasts who hath bewitched you after that sorte must you not needes bee possessed with the Diuell Here are very harde woordes and no doubt but the Galathians were greeued at them at the firste sight Yet neuerthelesse it was meete for them to feele that S. Paule vsed not that maner of speach and language without cause Therefore whensoeuer we bee rebuked let vs blame our owne faultes for it and yeeld our selues giltie for wee shall gayne nothing by checking againe VVhen we haue disputed what we can wee may peraduenture iustifie our cace afore men but wee shall alwayes be giltie before God Moreouer it behoueth vs too marke well the reason that is added heere by S. Paule when he sayeth yee muste needes bee bewitched if yee obey not the truth seyng that our Lorde Iesus Christe hath bin as it were peynted out liuely before you yea and euen crucified among you In speaking after that fashion S. Paule sheweth with what force and effectualnesse he had preached the Gospell Therfore he likneth the doctrine which he had brought vnto a picture therevnto inlargeth it yet better saying that the matter which hee had preached among the Galathians ought too auayle asmuch as if they had seene the Sonne of God crucified among them and his bloud sheaded out for the spirituall washing of their soules For so much then as they had bin taught so faythfully they could no more excuse themselues of their backesliding But first of all we see here whiche is the true maner of preaching the Gospell namely to giue knowledge of Gods loue towardes vs in that he spared not his onely Sonne but gaue him too the death for vs according as in very deede all the treasures of wisedome and vnderstanding are layed vp in our Lord Iesus Christ as it is sayd in another place too the Colossians Sith it is so if we bee desirous to profite well in the Gospell lette vs learne too acknowledge the grace that is purchaced for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christe for without that all that wee haue is nothing Many will brag that they bee well learned in Gods word but the true triall too knowe whither it bee so or no is if wee perceyue howe greate neede wee haue that God shoulde poure out his mercie vpon vs too succour vs by drawing vs out of the gulf of Hell and therevpon coÌ„clude that wee cannot be clenzed and washed from any of all our spottes but by the bloud of Gods sonne nor obtayne rightuousnesse but by the obedience that he hath yeelded nor haue any satisfaction for vs but by the sacrifize that he hath offered nor come in Gods fauour but by his meanes nor open our mouthes too call vppon him but by his intercession Therefore when wee bee throughly persuaded of the gracious benefites that are brought vs by the sonne of God then may wee say wee haue some vnderstanding in the Gospell but without that wee haue nothing but imagination and follie Marke that for one poynt And therewith let vs marke that it is not ynough for vs too know slightly that our Lord Iesus Christ hath bought vs so deerely but that we must continue still in the doctrine of the Gospell till it bee throughly printed in our hartes as though his bloud gushed downe too apply the frute that commeth of it too our vse and that is too the end to waken vs out of our drowsinesse For we shal see many that take themselues too bee very great Clerkes if they vnderstande but three or foure woordes of the Gospell at a glaunce And yet the same shall soone bee defaced and put out of rememberance bycause that whereas wee ought too seeke too bee filled with the benefites that our Lord Iesus Christ hath brought vs they holde themselues contented with a tast of them God then punisheth the vnthankfulnesse of such folke and their despizing of his goodnesse And therfore it standeth vs so much the more on hand to put forth apply all our indeuer to be well settled in the foresayd doctrine that is too wit of knowing whervnto the death and passioÌ„ of Gods sonne and the inestimable benefites which we haue receyued do auayle vs. Again on the other side we be warned that our sins are the heynouser before God if after wee haue bin taught his will wee turne head backe againe and sin not through ignoraÌ„ce but through contempt and wilfulnesse For if we shake off his yoke it is a sure proofe that wee bee loth to be subiect to him and play the wilde beasts True it is that euen the ignorantest folk in the world are reproued by their own sinfulnesse for asmuch as hypocrisie reigneth in all men but yet if coÌ„parison bee made betweene those that neuer heard one woord of the truth and vs
all the faithfull to all his children But yet doth he graunt vs other speciall graces besides as when he giueth vs men that teach vs his woord faythfully or that gouerne the common welth wisely or whiche haue other giftes for in so doing he giueth vs certayne tokens that he dwelleth among vs and thereby also he bindeth vs so much the more vntoo him Let vs marke the reason that S. Paule setteth downe heere He blameth the vnthankfulnesse of the Galathians for that they considered not how it came vnto them by the preachyng of the Gospell And he sayeth it purposely bicause men will alwayes make fayre protestations ynow that they meene not to reiect Gods grace and yet doo shew the cleane contrarie in their dooyngs As howe They that are loth too suffer themselues too be taught and would driue away all the ministers of Gods woord if they could they which through enuie spitefulnesse could find in their harts to abolish the remeÌ„brance of al those whom God hath stablished too maynteyne the welfare of his people they say I doo shew well ynough that they would haue God too holde himselfe a farre off from them and that they bee loth to come at him For he setteth before them the meanes to come too him and they voutchsafe not too take it but do thrust it from them So then whereas S. Paule findeth fault with the GalathiaÌ„s it was not for that they protested openly with full mouth that they woulde none of Gods spirit or that they hild skorne of his giftes but too shewe them that they had very ill regarded Gods vttering of the giftes of his spirite in their Churche VVhat ought wee then too gather vppon this Text. That if God giue vs meanes too come vntoo him wee must take them awoorth euen by fashioning of our selues vnto them For if the Gospell bee preached among vs and wee wilfully forget what is told vs it is all one as if wee reiected God and turned our backe vppon him of purpose too stray away from him VVherefore if wee intend that God should continue his grace towardes vs let vs hold vs too the meanes that he hath ordeyned for vs that is to say let vs suffer our selues to be taught by such as he sendeth vnto vs let euery of vs exercyze himself alone also in reading the holy scripture let such as haue done good in edifying the Church haue roome place among vs and let vs not shet the gate against the holy Ghost This in effect is the thing that wee haue to beare in minde Furthermore for asmuch as S. Paules intent here is to bring backe the faithfull to the Gospell let vs assure our selues that if we swarue neuer so litle from it we be streyght in the high way to destruction And so there is none other knitting of God vnto meÌ„ than by meanes of the Gospell which must go as a chayne that cannot bee broken betwixt theÌ„ And Paule doth purposely once againe call it the preaching of faith to shewe vs how great neede wee haue that God should preuent vs. For vntil such time as he haue reached vs his hand in our Lord Iesus Christe and drawne vs out of the gulfe of confusion wherein wee bee by nature what are wee Moreouer wee see howe bountifull he sheweth himselfe towardes vs in that he giueth himselfe fully to vs in the persone of his only Sonne surely it is much more than if he gaue vs heauen and earth and all the goodes that are in them For what are all other things in coÌ„parison of our Lord Iesus Christ VVherfore let vs marke that seing that God hauing declared vntoo vs that wee bee vtterly vnfurnished of all goodnesse addeth that he will not keepe backe any thing from vs nor shew himselfe a nigard towards vs if wee seeke too him for all things that wee want wee must be contented with it and if wee swarue neuer so little one way or other we deserue well to bee vtterly bereft and dispossessed euen of that which wee haue receyued alreadie And therevppon S. Paule bringeth vs backe too the example of Abraham bycause he is the father of all the faythfull and moreouer bycause that in his person it pleazed god to shew how we may become rightuous to be saued for there is none other way to bring vs to the kingdome of heauen than the same that he went There is but onely one way and that is set foorth too vs in the example of Abraham S. Paule therefore sayeth that Abraham beleeued God and the same was reckened too him for rightuousnesse and therefore that if we will be Abrahams children wee must beleeue Heere we haue too call too rememberance the thing that hath bin declared alreadie heretofore that is too say what this woorde fayth or beâ—eefe importeth It is not a single beleeuing that there is but one God which gouerneth the worlde but an assuring of our selues that he taketh vs for his children and that wee may fully and freely call vppon him as our father bycause he accepteth vs for our Lord Iesus Christes sake Then if wee bee sure of the fauour and fatherly loue of our God and take suche warrantize of it by his promises that wee haue our looke wholly fastened vppon our Lord Iesus Christe in whom wee finde meanes too come vnto God and too go freely vntoo him that is the very thing whiche S. Paule ment by that woord Fayth And so when he sayeth that too bee Ahrahams children wee must bee faythfull it is all one as if he sayd that wee cannot bee faythfull Christians nor members of the Church but by fayth that is to say except we be bereft of all opinioÌ„ of our owne deseruings moreouer so beaten downe and dismayed in our selues as we may not wote where too become nor seeke any other meanes of saluatioÌ„ than in the free goodnesse which God offereth vs when he telleth vs that wee be fordone damned in our sinnes and yet notwithstanding that we must not ceasse to haue full hope and trust of saluation in Iesus Christ Thus yee see what it is for a man to bee a Christian that is too wit to be vtterly out of hart in himself in coÌ„sideration that he bringeth nothing with him but sin and cursednesse and yet vpon the feeling of himself to be so vtterly voyde of all well deseruing to come vnto God to be clothed with the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ For it is not ynough for vs to be out of hart in our selues as we see that Cain was who beyng as it were vpon the racke confesseth his fault howbeit that was but through despayre and so consequently there was nothing in him but murmuring and blasphemie against God in like cace is it with all reprobates or cast awayes but wee must so taste of the loue of our God as wee may be able to settle our selues vpon it and be out of all doubt that he will
part we also are ioyned in it and God inlargeth his goodnesse and mercie further which hee had appoynted too one certaine linage by that meanes we become parttakers of saluation And that is the thing which Saint Paule treateth of heere when he telleth vs that the Scripture foreseeing that God not onely iustifieth the Iewes but also vseth the lyke mercie towardes the Gentiles whiche were as good as cut off from the house sayth All Nations shall bee blessed in thee Then is there no speaking here of some handfull of men or of some certaine people but without any exception God openeth the gate to all such as had earst bin quite and cleane past hope And therevpon also Saint Paule concludeth that they which are of fayth shall be blessed with faythfull Abraham As if hee shoulde say when God iustified Abraham he had not respect neither to Circumcision nor to any thing that he had wherewith too winne fauour after the opinion of men but receyued him in another kew that is to wit as a beleeuing man God therefore contented himselfe with Abrahams fayth onely And in that respect also it was his will too make him the father of the whole Church Seeing then that God made none account of any thing else in Abraham but of his fayth let vs conclude that God doth nowe still receyue vs to him in likewise if we haue the like fayth that Abraham had though not in like measure and that God taketh it in good worth though we do but follow him aloofe Then belongeth not this blessing to Abrahams fleshly ofspring onely but also too those that were straungers too him so there bee the like substaunce and fashion of fayth in them Howebeeit too the ende wee take profite by this doctrine let vs remember what I haue touched alreadie that is to wit what it is too be of faith namely that it is a reposing of our selues wholy in Gods mere mercie But Saint Paule setteth down a comparison of things contrarie and which can no more agree than fire and water that is to wit of beeing of the lawe and of beeing of fatyh Yet followeth it not that the lawe commeth not of God insomuch that if we reiect it at whom doth such contempt poynt Is not Gods authoritie impeached thereby But in these wordes of Lawe and Fayth S. Paule respecteth not simplie the doctrine of eyther of them but the hope of saluation that men may conceyue of them For the rightuousnesse of fayth hath his recorde of the lawe and the Prophetes as Saint Paule sayth in the third to the Romanes They be not contrarie things but the diuersitie of them is in this that such as misknowe themselues and are blinded with hypocrisie thinke too purchaze fauour in Gods sight by keeping the Lawe whiche thing is impossible Those therefore are of the lawe whiche holde of the Lawe as though they were able too earne the heritage of the heauenly life at Gods hande On the contrarie part they that are needie yea or rather vtterly emptie of themselues acknowledging that they haue not so muche as one droppe of grace in them they are of fayth For why they forsake themselues and seeke theyr rightuousnesse elsewhere They come and offer them selues lyke poore beggers vnto God to the ende he shoulde fill them whereas they were vtterly emptie before Therfore marke it for a scholepoynt that by the force of fayth we must be quite ridde of all selfe-trust and of all ouerweening of our owne merites and haue oure whole refuge to Gods mere goodnesse But truly we cannot come right forth vnto God without some meane our Lorde Iesus Christ must be faine too make vs way thither and all this is comprehended vnder the worde fayth For fayth is not an imagination of mens owne forging it is an assurednesse which wee conceyue of Gods goodnesse when he commeth to vs and vttereth familiarly the loue that he beareth vs. Then must the promise go before or else there shall be no following of fayth To be short whosoeuer hath not bin trayned in the Gospell can haue no fayth at all For God must first haue told vs that he loueth vs or else we cannot rest vpō his goodnesse nor call vpon him as our father Now let vs see what this promise is God not only saith that he wil haue pitie vpō vs but also telleth vs that although we be wretched sinners yet he will not ceasse to accept vs bycause he buryeth all our sinnes namely by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christ for that sacrifize must needes come forth euery where where any mention is made of the forgiuing of sinnes Neuer can there be any pardon gotten at Gods hand except there be bloudsheding with it for a satisfaction So then the foundation of this promise where God sayth that he wil be merciful to vs is Christes sheading of his bloud to wash away our spots and his offering vp of himselfe for a full amends to pacifie the wrath of God his father Thus ye see how that if we be of fayth we haue our eies fastened vpon Iesus Christ and our rest and quietnesse is altogither in his death and passion which is the onely meane too reconcile vs vnto God Also let vs marke that to bee blessed and to be iustified are al one thing accordingly as S. Paule declareth heere Hardly shal a man finde one among thirtie of such as are called Christians that can skill to define this worde iustifie And surely it is a foule shame that we shoulde haue our eares dayly beaten with the Gospell and yet notwithstanding bee ignorant of the cheefe article of our fayth Then to be iustified is not too haue any rightuousnesse in a mans selfe but to be admitted for rightuous at Gods hande though we be not so And here ye see why I sayd that we haue a good opening of this doctrine in that Saint Paule setteth downe the worde Blesse in stead of the worde Iustifie which he had vsed afore according to the fourth of the Romanes where hee sayeth that the rightuousnesse of fayth is that our sinnes are forgiuen vs. Forsomuch then as God is fauourable and louing to vs and receyueth vs as his children therefore it is sayde that wee bee iustified before him And why iustified Bycause he cannot loue sinners till hee haue forgiuen their sinnes and put them quite away VVe knowe that forasmuch as God is rightuous hee cannot agree with sinne but muste needes alwayes hate it Then sith the cace standeth so if we intend to haue his fauour we must needes be first clenzed of our offences For so long as they come to reckening God must needes hate vs and curse vs. But contrariwize when he wipeth away all our sinnes then receyueth he vs to mercie And by that meanes do we begin to be blessed of him Are wee then blessed that is to say be loued of God Verely we are therewithall iustified also that is to say wheras
vnlesse our Lorde Iesus doo dwell in vs and reygne in vs and that wee bee inflamed with the loue of hym too gyue ourselues wholly vntoo him The Papists therfore neuer wist what faith meaneth notwithstanding that they chatter of it not altogither so well as Pyes in a Cage which doo yet vnderstande some woordes heere and there but they shewe so shamefull a beastlinesse as they may bee gazingstockes of Gods horrible vengeance in that they haue so forgotten the whole Phrase of the holy Ghost and haue no more skill of the holy scripture than a Paynim or a Turke that hath bin alwayes in â—â—â—athennesse and neuer herde of God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe Lo in what taking the Papists are Now then let vs marke well that S. Paule hath not here imagined a shapelesse or vnfashioned fayth as they doe nor ment too set downe charitie as the cause of our righteousnesse but onely intended to shew that we haue inough to serue God with without snarling of our selues in a sort of pelting trifles Howbeit that wee may fare the better by this texte for wee must nowe come too an ende and the tyme wyll not suffer vs too proceede any further if the Papistes nowe adayes doo make their bragges that they haue a more apparant seruice of God than wee and a seruice that hath a gayer glosse let vs on our side bee well aduised that we despyse euerywhit of it For why God will not bee serued after meÌ„â— lykings Marke that for one poynt Besydes this the things which the Papistes call Gods seruice are pelting trifles imagined and forged in their owne brayne so that it is all reiected notwithstanding that men doo greatly delight in them and lyke well of them And therefore let vs haue an eye too serue God as he commaundeth VVherin wil he haue vs to be occupyed Not in needelesse things but he will haue a true tryall of vs which deceyueth not And what shall that bee To walke vprightly and faithfully with our neyghbors euery of vs to helpe where neede is according to his abilitie that no man be giuen wholly to himselfe that wee be trustie that we deale soundly and faithfully that wee liue peasably and that if wee see any man destitute of succor and too stand in neede of our helpe wee in that case doe as it were offer a sacrifice vntoo God knowing that he calleth vs too it to shew what loue we beare towardes him For if we loue not our neybours which are as it were visible groundes too worke kyndnesse vpon howe shall wee loue God sayth S. Iohn in his Epistle whom wee see not and which is absent from vs and hath no neede of any thing Therefore if wee wyll serue God well let vs learne too yeelde him such obedience as he lyketh of that is too saye let vs walke in suche faythfulnesse and freendlinesse as none of vs beguyle fleece or ouerreach hys neyghbour and moreouer that wee not onely absteyne from all wrongfull or wicked dealing but also that all suche as are called Christians do well bethinke them of our Lord Iesus Christs saying which is Cursed bee you that haue your seuerall deuotions alone by your selues and occupy your heads about small trifles making conscience of euery thing and yet in the meane whyle leaue the principall poynts of the lawe vndone that is too wit faithfulnesse Iustice rightuousnesse and mercie As if he should say Is it not a straunge thing that meÌ„ should so mocke with God making a countenance to honour him as though they tooke him but for a babe God wil haue meÌ„ to walk faithfully and vprightly he wil haue euery maÌ„ to pitie to succor the needie he wil haue no man to do his brother wrong and behold they on the contrary part will needes buzie themselues about Mooneshine in the water and things of no valew They will bee full of crueltie craft and maliciousnesse and yet thinke to pacifie God with things of nothing Therefore let vs learne to serue God with charitie that is to say let vs learne to giue ourselues to the things that he calleth vs to to hold ourselues as it were at a stay too the rule which he giueth vs by his woord Furthermore wheÌ„ we walk vprightly after that fashion we must not for mens sakes forget God For as I said afore that is the thing wherin he trieth our charitie and by that meanes we shew the reuerence loue that we beare towards him And therfore we ceasse not to call vpon God when we loue our neyghbors nother intend we to displease God vnder colour of doyng them seruice but he is alwayes our marke on whom we haue our eyes fastened Neuerthelesse too conclude like as wee indeuer to liue as God commaundeth by his word and passe not for the gawdies gewgawes and Ceremonies of the hypocrites but walke rightly in purenesse of life and in al faithfulnesse and vpright dealing as I said erst knowing neuerthelesse that when we haue done all it serueth not to iustifie vs or too purchace vs fauor in his sight and that although wee be sure that he taketh in good worth the willingnesse which we haue to honor hym yet his so dooing is but bicause he accepteth vs in our Lord Iesus Christ as I haue declared heretofore bicause we repose the trust of our saluatioÌ„ in him Euen so also shal we walk in charitie labor to discharge our duetie knowing that by reason of our feeblenesse we be not able to come neere that which God pointeth vs to but yet that we be in the way thitherward that he must be faine too take vs to mercy wherupon we doubt not but that all our workes do like him wel when they be so dedicated too him by the blud of our Lord Iesus Christ for he is the true preest that offereth vp our oblations maketh theÌ„ acceptable to God he must be faine to step in to make our works pleasant to God his father specially seing that eueÌ„ our prayers the very prayses which we yeeld vntoo him should be but filthinesse if they were not purified by our Lord Iesus Christ according also as the Apostle sayth that it is he by whoÌ„ we offer vp vnto God the Calues of our lippes that is to say the sacrifices of praise wherby he is glorified But now let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgment of our faultes praying him to make vs perceiue theÌ„ more and more that we may be so touched with theÌ„ as it may bring vs to true repentance and that wee may seeke all our wants in our Lord Iesus Christ that there may be such humilitie in vs that being vtterly brought downe hauing put away al false presumptuousnesse wherewith wee may bee deceiued wee may not tend to any other end than to be receiued through the mere mercie of our God so as we may come
Yet notwithstanding we doo cleane contrarie For what else is the coÌ„mon practise than to stoupe and stryke sayle when God is misdeltwith And yet in the meane while euery man will follow his owne right to the vttermost As for example There is a man that hath committed a very haynous crime he deserueth to be punished and if he be not corrected there is an euill gap opened to bring in corruption There is some maÌ„ of authoritie and to go no further they that ought to shew the way of saluation they that preach the worde of God euen they I say are seene to liue wickedly they be ribauds and lewd folke that serue to no purpose but to make confusion and debate And yet for all this they must not be cut off they must not be handled roughly will some say A drunkard a whoremonger a varlet shall be maynteyned To be short there shall be nothing but contempt of God the Gospell shall be vnregarded euery where and yet must all of it be suffered vnder colour that there must some clemeÌ„cie be vsed yea mary and in the meane while Gods honor must bee lefte at randon But if ye doo neuer so little touche these men that are so gentle or at leastwise pretende to be so by and by they fall out into deadly defiance saying why not suche a man hathe doone mee suche a wrong They fight it out to the vttermost VVell then they indure all things that can be at the harâ— of Satans vnderlings yea euen too bee buffeted and boxed about the eares by them with shame inough as Sainct Paule sayth in the seconde to the Corinthians and yet in the meane while they can not abide that God should be auenged of the dishonour that is doone vnto him Nowe then wee see that S. Paules zele was well ruled and if any man had doone him wrong in his owne person wee knowe he woulde haue beene pacient in that behalfe But now that he seeth Gods Gospell comming to suche an afterdeele he can not abyde that but setteth him selfe agaynst it wishing that suche men were damned Yea verily for he had no regarde of him selfe but as I sayde afore preferred Gods honor before all the whole worlde Thus ye see how we may be safe froÌ„ straying namely if we looke simply vnto God and giue not heede to our owne affections but bee gouerned by the spirite of vprightnesse and discretion so as God make vs too discerne how farre foorth wee must fight and how farre foorth we must resist Then if wee once haue such discretion and bee gouerned by the holy Ghost we may with S. Paule with Dauid with the residue of the holy Prophets defie men when they go about to turne vs away from the purenesse of the knowen doctrine yea and wee might curse the very Angels if neede were according as Sainct Paule hath sayde heeretofore where he defyed the Angels of heauen if they shoulde set them selues agaynst the doctrine of the Gospell that he had preached Not that the Angels doo euer set them selues agaynst it but that if it were possible for them to doo so As if he should say put the cace that an Angell shoulde go about to ouerthrow your fayth yet should ye rather sende him to hell and holde him for a feende and curse him than be turned aside from the right way by him Yee see then that wee must in all respects rest wholly vpon God and moreouer let vs bee afrayde of that saying as though we heard it thunder from heauen agaynst all suche as trouble the Churche For thoughe it bee but Paule that hath spoken it yet dyd the holy Ghost guyde and gouerne hys tung For asmuche then as he was the instrument of God to vtter the sayd sentence it is as much as if vnrepealable iudgement were alreadie giuen agaynst all suche as go about to breake the vnion of fayth and the agreement of brotherhood that ought to be among all Gods children and to sowe errours and heresies to falsifie the pure truthe Furthermore God sheweth how deerely he loueth vs as hath bin declared this morning wherein he giueth vs a warrant of the fatherly care which he hath of our saluation in that he taketh suche vengeance on all suche as would disappoynt the same And finally he sayth Brethren yee bee called too freedome onely make it not an occasion of fleshlynesse but serue yee one another in loue bicause it is the true fulfilling of the Lawe and the very squire also whereby wee must rule all our works Heere Sainct Paule sheweth first that his striuing is not too bring too passe that men might lyue at their owne ease and euery body sport as they list themselues but that wee might bee free before God And that is well woorth the marking For as soone as this worde freedome or libertie is spoken of euery of vs is so inclined to his fleshly lustes that by and by wee thinke with our selues very well then may I do what I list I am no more restrayned I neede not any more to thinke my selfe so much bounde nor to make so great scruple of conscience as I haue done Thus yee see howe that vnder the pretence of libertie euery of vs makes him selfe thrall to his owne affections For it is a pollicie of the Diuels to deceyue and beguyle vs in the things that seeme to bee good yea and to turne them to the cleane contrarie For as I haue declared heeretofore it is certayne that al such as couet to liue after their owne liking become wretched bondslaues and are hild in strayter bondage than such as are set in the stocks or manacles And why Let vs consider a little what tyrannie there is in our lusts passions If a man follow his owne lusts surely he must needes shake off al shame forget himself become a very beast Lo here the goodly libertie that all men seeke coÌ„monly by nature But I haue tolde you that the libertie whervnto S. Paule exhorteth vs is another maner of thing It is not that we should runne aâ— rouers and haue no bridle to holde vs in awe but that we shoulde consider what God requireth of vs and be ruled by his holy word none of vs become so lordly as to say this or that must be done For when men take vpon them to rule vs by lawes and ordinances of their owne making it is certayne that they doo but as yee woulde say make infinite corâ—â—s to strangle poore soules withall S. Paule then sheweth that the libertie which he preached for the mayntenance wherof he stoode so stoutly agaynst the deceiuers is not that men should ouershote theÌ„selues take leaue to do what they list but that they might freely serue god be no more racked and tormented with vnquietnesse as we see poore ignorant soules to be who beeing hild fast in superstition are euermore in doubte and grudge of conscience making questions of