whatsoeuer is not of faith is nothing but saying it is sin declareth that whatsoeuer thinges are not of faith they are not to be decided as good things but as vices rather which iustify not the doers of them but rather do condemne them When the scripture therefore saythe in this place Euerye man shall receaue according to that which he hath done in other places that euery man shalbe rewarded accordinge to that whiche hee hath doone that manner of speaking is not ment of the merite of oure dooinges for that wee shoulde all be rewarded with euerlasting damnation and hell fier but that we shall receiue and be euerie man rewarded according to the testimonye of that which hee hath done bearing witnesse of our faith with vs or of want of sayth against vs. If that which we haue done proceede of faith then doth God accept it and impute it to vs for a good woorlie not in respect of the woorke it selfe or for our sakes or for oure faythe sake but for Iesus Christes sake in whome he is well pleased and in whose name we do it and he doth accept it and in mercie reward it Now we are to consider that the Apostle saith Euery inan shall receiue according to his well doing so likewise Euery man that hath doone euil shall receiue according to his doing ill whiche must not be 〈◊〉 conâ—â—ued of vs as though man at the laÌ„tter iudgement shoulde receiue onely according to that ill whiche hee hath done and not aunswere at all nor receiue anye punishnent for that ill whiche hee hath spoaken For I tell you saith our sauioure Christ a man shall giue accompte for euerye euell woorde Quid ost in omni vit a nostra cutus nos minus rationis habeamus quam verborum what is there in the whole course of our life whereof we haue lesse regard then of oure wordes and therefore in what daunger stand we before God if we shal aunswere euery idell woorde wherein we haue offended before men Or if we shall aunswere euery idle worde Alas how shall we answere euery idell word If we must answere euery idell woorde how shall we answer euery lying word euery blasphemous word euery flandorous worde Or if wee cannot answere our idell words how shall we answere of one idell deedes and time mispent Or if we caÌ„not answere our idel deedes how shal we be able to susteine the punishment which we must receiue for our il deedes Heere we may all crye out and appeale from God his iustice and oure deseruings to his mercie Enter not into iudgement with thy seruants O lorde for no flesh is righteus in thy sight and haue mercie vppon me O God not according to my merites but according to the mercie doe awaye my offences c. For otherwise we must all prepare our selues to taste of the reward of sinne which be our sinne neuer so light or littell committed in thought woorde or deede is death of bodye and death of soule to euery one according to that which he hath done Vppon the vngodlye shall come snares fier brimstone stormie tempest this shalbe their portion to drinke The Prophet vseth many words wher of euery one may seeme more greeuous then other to teache vs that the greater shalbe the punishment which the sinner shal receiue according to that which he saith in the second chapter to the Romaines that the impenitent presumptious sinner doth heap vp wrath to himself c. as who should saye God will heape damnation vpon his head in life to come as he hath heaped one sinne vppon an other in this life not that there are many helles or many siers in bell but that the iustice of God re quireth to measure out y â— grieuousnes of their punishment accor to the grieuousnes of their sines vt et ignem non dissimilem habeant tamen eosdem singulos exurat that not hauing a diuerse fire yet euery one to be tormented the same w t fire euen as we feel in our do dies wheras many stand together in the sun the sun hath like power of them all alike yet doe they not all feele the like heat but some feele it hotter then other some euery man according to the complexion and constitution of his body Euen so according to the quality of his sinne shall euerye man receaue his punishment And therefore in the daye of iudgement it shall hee easie for Sodome and Gomortha then for those Cities Townes and persons which haue hard remission of sinnes preached in the name of Iesus yet haue not repented For the seruant that knew his maisters wil and did it not shalbe beaten with many stripes If that reuerend and childish feare of God therefore cannot win vs to eschue euill and do good yet let this seruile and slauishe feare the feare of punishement staie vs and make vs a fraide to perseuer in our ill least accordinge to the greeuousnes of the same in oure soules at last we reseaue double damnation in our bodyes For although euery man so sone as the soule and body are parted by death hath his particular iudgement and receiueth in his soul which presently mounteth either to heauen or is carryed to hell the rewarde of ioye or paine which either thorough sinne he hath deserued or the Lorde in merrye doth freely giue him yet doth he nor receiue the same in body which remayneth in the graue til the generall resurrection and iudgement of all flesh at what time the bodye shall be vnited to the soule and be made partaker of the same euerlasting ioyes in heauen or eternall torments in hell as it was partaker with the bodye in sin vpon earth If any man therfore aske wherefore and what there should neede to be a second iudgement since euerie man hath his iudgement already I answere out of the Apostle that euery man may receaue in his body that which hee hath already receaued in his soule Lâ—â— vs forbeare therefore to iudge of 〈…〉 mens sinnes to looke into other mens liues and either euery man that calleth vpon the name of the Lorde depart from iniquity and learne to amend him selfe For euery man shall receaue accordinge to that which he hath done in his body I shall not receaue accordinge to that which thou haste done in thy bodye nor thou shalt not receaue according to that which I haue done in my bodye but I according to that which I haue done in my bodye and thou according to that which thou 〈◊〉 done in thy body and so forth euery maÌ„ according to that which he hath done in his own bodye That soule that hath sinned that soule shall dye the death Though the father haue eaten sowre grapes the childrens teeth shall not be set on edge The sonne shall not beare the fathers iniquity nor the fathers beare the sonnes The righteousnes of the righteous shall be vppon him the wickednes of the wicked vpon him
haue beene brent and consumed to ashes slayne in fieldes and veuoured of wild beastes or corne in peeces with vermine or which haue miscarried on the seas they thinke it impossible that those bodies should be brought againe But that which is impossible to man is possible with God al is one with him whether the sea hath receaued vs or lande the Church or the Chancel earth or water and as easie it is for him to raise vp our bodies out of the earth sea or land as it was easie for him at the firste of nothing to make vs something and with the breath of his spirite to breath into vs a liuing soule which before were boyde of life Dost â—oe thou see it is possible for thee being but a man and the creatour of God to strike ster out of the harde flint where before thou flindest it it may seeme impossible to haue fier And why shouldest thou thinke it were impossible thy creator and maker which hath giuen that nature to the stone that power to thee himselfe hauing greater power to raise thy body out of y e dust water or cinders seeing at first he gaue thee thy bodye Those that finde not them selues thus satisfied with the consideration of the omnipotent power of God but requyre to be further satisfied with reason the apostle saith there are fooles mad men as thaugh he should say the resurrectioÌ„ of the body is either to be beleeued that it shalbe then to be reasoned vpon how it can be they but fooles madd men that will stand reasoning about it when they are bound simply to beleue it Nay he that will call in question euery kind of doctrine in the scriptures wherof he cannot conceaue or giue a reason maye chaunce to doubt of the highest points of a christian mans faith and religion For what reson in there that there should be one and one three as that the Father shoulde be God the sonne God and the holye Ghoste God yet not three Gods but one God a trinity in vnity and an vnitye in trinitye What reason is there that a Virgine shoulde conceiue with childe beare a childe and yet after her conception and birth remain a pure and vndefiled virgine stil What reason is there that a man deade buried laid in his graue three daies should rise again aliue Or what is he that baring the name of a Christian dare denye or doubt of the truth of these thinges because he seeth not the reason of theÌ„ No God almighty his misteries are hid and inserchable not to be construed by reason but conceiued by faith And we are taught in the scriptures bound to beleeue many things whereof our reason can conceiue but few I come to the lord his table who hath hidden me vnder the signe of bread wine to receiue his bodye and drincke his bloud and I doe nothing doubt but he doth truly offer him selfe to me and I do truely receiue him Howbeit if anye man aske me how hee beeing in heauen shoulde be receiued in earth I aunswere as Maister Caluine De modo si quis me interrogat fateri me non pudebit sublimius esse attamen quam vt vel meo ingenio comprehendi vel enarrari verbis queat atque vt apertius dicam experior magis quam intelligam Itaque veritatem dei in qua acquiescere tuti licet hic sine controuersia amplector That is If anye man aske me of the maner howe Christe is present in the Sacrament I will not shame to confesse that it is a higher mistery than can either bee conceiued with my wit or expressed with my tongue and to speake more plainely I rather feele it then vnderstande it And therefore in this poynt I doe willinglye embrace God his truth wherein I doe safely rest stay So for the resurrection of the dead though I see no reason in it or that the reason is hid from me yet I doe acknowledge it to be an article of my Christian faith and therefore do vndoubtedly beleeue that the spirit of him that raysed Iesus from the dead shall raise my mortall and corruptible bodye and that my bodie and all mens bodies throughe his omnipotente power and myght being so raised Must appeare before the iudgement seate of Christe c. But heere now leaste anye man shoulde thinke that among such a multitude as must then appeare it were possible for some to hide themselues from the presence of their iudge and so escape the seueritie of his sentence therefore the Apostle saith we shal not onely be summoned by the trumpe of the Lorde and so dismissed agayne but of necessitye We must ad appeare before him and can no waye hide our selues from him The worde Apparere that is appeare is very emphaticall in this place notinge vnto vs the appearaunce of the soule as the bodye the inwarde heart and conscience as well as the outward man And because the nature of the wicked is to promise themselues perpetuall impunitie of those simes before God whereof they can not bee detected before the world to confute and confound that vain hope of theirs the Apostle telleth them plainly they must then appeare Which importeth so much as if he should saye whereas we haue heere played the Hipocrites dissembled our selues and oure sinnes before men with a counterfaite show of vprightnes not beeing the same men before God in our consciences now we must haue the vizardes pulled of froÌ„ our faces and be vncased laid wide open to the whole world Euen as though our bodyes were ript in peeces for euerye man to view vs to looke ouer vs vnder vs round about vs and into vs. Naie either the verye heartes in our bodyes which now we 〈◊〉 count the most feereat partes of vs shal be so 〈◊〉 sought and searched into as if they were 〈◊〉 in smell peeres for euerye 〈…〉 and discerne the secreates thereof which now are onelye knowne to oure selues Let vs take herd therefore we be no bescher incouraged to bee 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 of our 〈◊〉 or the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of the place wherein we doe 〈◊〉 For how 〈…〉 we be in our selues or how 〈…〉 yet will our wickednesse one daye appeâ—â—â— when nothing can hide it Nothing so secreat but it shall 〈◊〉 Sayth Christ it is not alwayes reuealed as it is done but it shall be The wicked presumptuous sinner who 〈…〉 â—he world with his glosing speech and â—ocketh God with his abhominable lyfe thinking that his hipocrisie shall neuer be found out because it is not alwayes piâ—nished and detected of God But God by the Prophet telleth him an other caâ—e When thou sawest a theife thou diddest consent to him and haste bene partaker with the adulterers Thou hast let thy mouth speake wickednesse and with thy tongue thou hast set foorth deceit Thou sattest and spakest againste thy brother yea thou hast slaundered thy owne mothers sonne these thinge haste thou
they haue done not according to that whiche they haue professed and spoken Manye shall saye vnto mee in that daye saith Christ Lorde wee prophecyed in thy name caste out diuels and done many greate woorkes in thy name and yet for all their so saying Christe sayth he will tearme them workers of inniquitie and bid them depart from him For not euery one that saith Lord Lord shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that dothe the will of my father shall enter into the kingdome of heauen so that many good wordes shall bee found in hell but good workes goe all to heauen I speake not this as houlding that wee are iustified by our woorkes No we are saued by grace through faith and that not of our selues it is the gift of god But if thou braggest of faith shews me that saythe of this harte by the sruictes of thy life for true christianitye consisteth of owo parts profession practice or to vse the phrase of the scripture of fayth and good woorkes and to the perfection of a christian man both are necessarye and each doth mutually accompanye other as the shadowe goeth with the bodie And as the bodye is knowne to haue lyfe by it mouing so is the lyfe of faythe perceiued by working The life of the bodye is the soule and the life of faith is loue and as the bodie is dead withoute the soule so is fayth withoute loue and as circumcision profited the Iewes nothing without the lawe so neither doth faith profit vs without charitye Whatsoeuer wee professe howe muth soeuer we knowe our Sauioure Christ pronounceth vs so farfoorth blessed as we doe that wee professe and followe that we knowe They that profes the fayth of christians and doe not confirme it with a Christian lyfe are like belles in the steeple whiche call others to churthe with their sounde but neuer come into it them selues lyke fayre paynted sepulchers whiche are full of gaye golden pictures and immages without but ful of dead carcases and filthie corruption within like salte which hath his colour but lost his sauour like a candell whiche is lighte but hidden vnder a bushell But let youre lighte saith Christ speaking to Christians so shine beefore men that they maye see your woorkes c. If you be the sonnes of Abraham doe the workes of Abraham If ye call mee Lorde Lorde dooe the woorkes that I commaunde you The tree is not coÌ„mended for bearing leaues but fruites euen so the commendation of a Christian consisteth not in speaking but in dooinge They shall leaue their woordes beehinde them but theire woorkes shall followe them and they receaue according to that whiche they haue doone Dooing is double and of two sortes 1 Well dooing 2 Ill dooing And boeth shall bee rewarded accordinglye Hee that hathe doone well shall receaue accordinge to his well doing not that any man doth wel of him selfe For all fleshe hath corrupted his way and all the immaginations of oure hartes is euill euerie daye There is not one that doth good no not one our lips are full of cursing and bitternesse not apt or abell to vtter a good word much lesse are we able to doe a good worke Men doe not gather grapes of thornes nor figges of thistles we beinge shapen in wickednes conceiued in sinne are as vnapt as vnable to bring foorth good fruites as thornes are to bring foorth grapes or thistles figges But yet as the stocke of a sower crabbe may bring foorth a sweete apple if the graffe bee good so we being the children of wrath by nature may bring foorth good fruits by grace if Christe bee ingraffed into our hartes by faith For withoute mee sayth hee you can do nothing I am the vine you are the braunches he that abideth in me and in whom I bide he bringeth forth much fruit But as the braunch cannor bring forth fruit of it self except it abide in the vine so neither can you except you abide in me To make our workes good therefore it is necessarie to obserue these foure circumstaunces that we doe them in loue with a pure hart a good conscience and faith vnfayned Howe glorious a shewe of godlinesse or good intention soeuer our woorkes doe carrye before men if these foure conditions bee not obserued in doing them wee that are the doers of them as saythe the Apostle are but vaine ianglers and no frutifull workers To make the woorke good sayth Augustine It is not onelye requisite vt aliquid fiat quod in suo genere bonum sit sed prâ—cipue vt bene fiat 1. that the thinge whiche is donne bee in his owne nature good but especiallye that it is well done For many things being of their own nature good may be done they notwithstanding not doeing them wel of whom they are done It is good to helpe anye man in necessitie but he that seeketh the glory of men therby rather then of God bonum facit non bene saith Augustine he doth that which is good but he doth it not well because hee doth it not with a good minde and conscience Hence it is that Christe condenmeth the prayers fasting and almes of the scribes and pharisees who sought not to please God therin but rather to procure themselues a name and credit before men Many excellent morall vertues were in the heathen philosophers which notwithstanding bicause they referred them not to God were no hetter then sinnes before him Sine cultu veri dei etiam quod virius videtur esse peccatuÌ„ est nec placere vllus deo si deo non potest that is without the worship of the true God that which seemeth a vertue is a sinne neyther can any man please God without god Omnis vita infidelium peccatorum est nihil bonum sine summo hono The whole lyfe of infidels is sinne and nothing good without him that is the perfection of all that is good And to say all in one word without faith it is impossible to please God why saith Iulianus to Augustine if a Pagan should cloth a naked christian bicause it is not of faith were it sinne yea indeede were it saith Augustine Ipsa miserico dia per se opus est bonum at hoc bonum malefacit qui infideliter facit i. non fideli sed infideli 〈◊〉 Mercy it selfe is a good work but this good work doth he euilly which doth as infidels that is not with a faithfull but an vnbeleeuing hart And whatsoeuer is not of faythe is sinne Whereuppon Prosper de vita contemplatina lib. 30. cap. 10. Apostl non dicat quicquid non est ex fide nihil est sed dicendâ— peccatum est declarauit quod si non fuerint ex fide non sunt aliqua bona credenda sed vitia que non iuuant suos operarios sed eadem mane that is the Apostle saide not