The benefite that Christians receiue by Iesus Christ crucifyed. Translated out of French into English, by A.G. 1573 — Dal beneficio di Christo. English

The benefite that Christians receiue by Iesus Christ crucifyed. Translated out of French into English, by A.G. 1573 — Dal beneficio di Christo. English

Table of contents

Title page

¶To the English Reader.

¶The Translater sendeth greeting to all Christians that are vnder Heauen.

Of the benefyt that christians receyue by Iesus Christ crucifyed. The fyrst Chapter. ¶Of Originall sinne, and of mans vvretchednesse.

The second Chapter. ¶Hovv the Lawe was giuen by God, to the end that we knowing our sinne and hauing not any hope of ability to make our selues righteouse by our own works, should haue recourse to gods mercie, & vnto the ryghtuousenesse of fayth.

The third Chapter. ¶How the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, our iustification, & our saluation depend vppon Iesus Christ.

The fourth Chapter. ¶Of the effectes of liuely faith, and of the vnion of mans Soule with Iesus Christ.

The fyfth Chapter. In what wyse the Christian is clothed with Iesus Christ.

The sixt Chapter. ¶Certein remedies against distrust.

§

§

§

[Page]

THE BENEFITE that Christians receiue by Iesus Christ Crucifyed.

Translated out of French into English, by A. G.

1573. IMPRINTED AT London for Lucas Harison and George Bishop.

¶To the English Reader.

[Page]

THou hast here deliuered to thee good Reader, a litle tretise first writtē in the Italian tonge & printed at Venise, after that translated into the French langage and printed at Lyons, and now translated & printed for thee to reade in the English tounge. Enquire not of the Author, he is vnknowen, and to know him would do thee but litle good. Reade the booke deuowtly, regard the mater of it attentyuely, it may do the much good in theis euill dayes. This may be counted among the greatest euils with which this age is infected, that thei which are called christians are miserably diuided about Christ. And yet in truth as the apostle saith vnto vs, [...] Cor. 8. ther is but one God, which is the father of whom are all things, and we in him, and our lord Iesus Christ by whō are al things, & we by him. To discourse on this diuision and the cause thereof would be to some pleasing, to some it would be displeasing. For what one truth can please myndes so diuersly diuided? wold God it could please all to become one in that one Christ whose name we al do carie. In this litle booke is that benefite which cō mith by Christ crucified to the Christians, truly & comfortably handeled: which benefite if all christians did truly vnderstand and faithfully embrace, this diuision would vanish away, and in Christ the christiās shold become one. To this end reade this booke and much good in Christ may it do to all them which do reade it. Amen.

¶The Translater sendeth greeting to all Christians that are vnder Heauen.

[Page]

I Cannot maruell ynough wherof it commeth that all of vs are more moued by iniuries than by benefyts: and that we take the one so much to hart, imprinting them in our rememberance, and forget the other so suddenly. Truly vve cannot deny, but that among so manie other imperfections vvherwith we are vnhappely defyled, we haue also takē this, of the great corruption and maymednesse of our earthly & transitorie humane nature, vvherin ther cannot be imagined any thing more vnconuenient nor more hurtfull, than reprochefull vnthankfulnesse, vvhich a man myght ryghtly terme the welspring of al vyces. For by it our minds are so drawen away & peruerted, that the more we be beset rownd about and loden with the benefits of GOD our souerein Father, so much the more become we blookish and as it were distraught and out of our wits, ronning after our owne lustes and vanities, where through (as though wee had drunke of the riuer Lethe,) we fouget our selues and mispend our whole time, bwisying our heads like litle children that go seeking of pinnes in [Page] the sand, wherabout they are so wholly occupyed, that although a man cal them, they here him not, or at leastwise make as though they herd him not: frō whence if we did now and thē lift vp our eyes vnto heauē, & inforce our selues to remember the great benefits that we dayly receiue of his right fatherly goodnesse and mercie: it were not to be dowted but we shold be more inclined to loue him & to obei his holy will, than we be: wheras (which worse is) we be not only careles to yeald dew thākes vnto him, but also at all times cease not to offende him: so deepely is the vyce of vnthākfulnes rooted in vs. Ryghtly may he be blamed for vnthankfulnesse, which acknowledgeth not the good that hath bin done to him, at leastwyse by saying gramercie: Vnthankfull is he that forgetteth it: but toto vnthākfull is he that rēdereth euil for good: VVherfore we cā find no lawfull excuse, bicause that which waye soeuer we turne our selues, the bountifulnesse of this great GOD shyneth throughot vppō vs. Let vs a little sturre vp our wits, and let vs looke about vs as farre and wyde as this howge frame of the worlde may extende, so deuynely set togither, and garnished with so great diuersitie of goodly creatures, so well compassed, and in such an order [Page] so vvysely compacted, that there is nothing superfluouse, nothing vnprofitable, nothing wherof ther may not be rēdred a rason. This howge Sonne the fountayne of all lyght and heate, and the cause of all earthly generacion: the Moone which marketh vs out the yeeres the monethes and the seasons: the Sky so trimly azured and richely sette with glistering starres: this howge Sea which beateth vpon al sydes of the earth, the weyght wherof is born vppon his own round counterpeis: the great nomber of liuing creatures that are vppon it, whereof some flye in the ayre, euerywhere dispersed and othersome dwell in the holow caues of it, which nature hath fashioned of set purpose for them: vvhat shal I say more? So many high moūtaines within whose veynes are found innumerable tresures: And others, from whēce issew many a fayre spring spowting out their thinne and cleere water. And othersome wheroutof doo gush violent streams and plesāt riuers, nourishing infinite nombers and kindes of fishes: So many trees and plants yelding most delicate fruites and sweete sauours: Such store of medicinable herbes and rootes: So many plaines and vallyes, most fruitfull: Such store of medowes beawtifyed with their louely flowers: And to [Page] be short, the ful howgenesse of the whole, the power of the Elemēts, and the natural beawtie of the creatures: what are they else but the vtteraunce and open shewing of gods loue & great liberality towards vs: of which eche one in his kinde giueth glory to the Lorde? yea, aske euen the beasts, and they will informe thee: demaund of the fowles of the aire, and they wil tell thee: or else speake to the earth, and she will report vnto thee: and to the fisshes of the Sea, and they wil answer thee: The Lord spake the word,Iob. 12. and we were made: he commaunded, and we were created. For in his hand is the life of euery liuing thing. Aud by him haue al of vs our being, mouing, & continewance. Such is the speech of all creaturs. Onely man, who is made after the image and likenesse of god, indewed with vnderstāding, memorie, and reason, (shewing himselfe in that beehalfe more vnhappie than the brute beasts,) passeth ouer the abundāce of so great benefyes with his eyes shet, betrampling and beraying them with his feete, as a swyne doth precious stones: In somuch that after he hath once wholly buryed remembrance, ther insueth ignorance & vtter blyndnesse. O lamentable state of reasonable man, who can hope for any change in thee, except it be from euil [Page] to worse, seing thou hast no knowledge at all of God, and that, all his benefits are despysed through thyne extreme vnthankfulnesse in this behalfe? If so many creatures wherwith this whole howge worlde is garnished to thy vse: and (to touch thee yit more neerely) if the cunning compacting togither of thyne owne bodie, which may well be called a little world, as wherin a man may behold the souerein wisedom of the workmaister: if thy soule wherin shineth the inuisible image of of the euerlasting God: if thyne owne lyfe: if the consideration of so great abundance of good things whereof he giueth thee the vse euery day, are not sufficiēt ynough to moue the affections of thy hart: at leastwise yit oughtest thou of reason to be inflamed and prouoked by the benefyte of all benefyts, and by that most precious gift which he hath made vnto thee of his owne propre and only Sonne, who is the very image of his substāce, & in whom dwelleth the whole fulnesse of the Godhead, togither with all the treasures of wisedom, & al knowledge: Yea & so much ought it to moue thee the more, bicause that without hauing regard that thou wart his great enemie, he hath layd all thyne infirmities vpon his backe and made him to dye vpō the crosse for thy sake, [Page] punishing thy sinnes in him, for the which thou thy selfe haddest deserued eternall damnatiō. Go now thou vnthankful persone, and deuise all the excuses that thou wilt: and they shall serue thee to no purpose, but to accuse thee and to giue sentence againste thy selfe. The wonderfull creation, order, and gouernmēt of this howge world, can giue thee knowledge of his fatherly loue, wisedome, and infinite power, although not in all poynts to the full. But in Iesus Christ crucifyed, all the bowells of gods mercie are opened vnto thee at large and perfectly. There is no more any veyle that can hinder thee from the knowing of so great loue. Seest thou not how that at his deathe the veyle vvas rent asunder in the myddes? And when he cryed that all was finished, & bowed down his holy head, he gaue a tokē that peace was made betwene God and man. Let vs therfore henceforth learne O my brethren to acknowledge the souerein benefyte which we haue receiued by Iesus Christe crucifyed Let vs behold the perfectnesse of his lyfe, and his most holy Doctrine. Let vs open our eyes at the vnmeasurable bryghtnesse of his euerlasting truth, and let vs withall our force folow the way wherein he hath gone afore vs. Let vs with a cheerful and glad [Page] hart imbrace the crosse which he hath set afore vs: and discharging our shoulders from all burthens and al sinne wherin we are wrapped, let vs ronne with pacience to the combat that is appointed for vs, hauing an eye to the beginner & accōplisher of faith Iesus Christ, vvho in stede of worldly glory susteyned the crosse, and despyzed all the shame therof. Let vs put of the old man with all his vvretched and combersom dooinges and greuous burthens: and cloth our selues with the new man vvhose yoke is sweete and burthen lyght. Let vs by trewe fayth runne betweene the armes of his mercy, and pray him too voutsafe too lyghten vs, and too make vs capable of al his graces, and specially of the great benefite that vve haue receiued of him by his crosse. Concerning the which, forasmuch as ther is lighted into my handes a little treatyze compiled in the Italian toung, wherin he is maruelously vvell and liuely drawen vvith another maner of pensil than peinters vse: I thought it good to put it into French, to the end that my coū trymen also might take profite by it, and receyue lyke comfort as I haue receyued by it: And specially the simple people and such as haue no great depth of knowledge. For it feemeth, that the Author (vvhosoeuer he vvas) [Page] vvas vvholy mynded to apply all things vntoo them, without seeking or affecting anye finenesse of speech, or great darknesse of sentences. But euen as in Sōmertyme we see the Riuer Saon go gently to ioyne himself vvith the Riuer of Rhone, without doing anye domage to any bodye: euen so goeth this man, slyding so smothely into the bosome of hys deere spouse Iesus Chryst, without staying at any other thing: that ouermaliciouse should he bee, which would looke awrye on him, or by any meanes let him of his course. And thus my brethren fareye well in God, who inriche you with his graciouse giftes from day to day. Amen.

Of the benefyt that christians receyue by Iesus Christ crucifyed.
The fyrst Chapter.
¶Of Originall sinne, and of mans vvretchednesse.

[Page]

THe holy Scripture saith,The stat [...] of man before and after that he had [...]. that GOD created man after his owne Image & likenesse, making him, as in respect of his bodie, impossible: and as touching his Soule, rightuouse, true, good, mercifull, and holie. But after that he being ouercome with desyre of knowledge, had eaten of the Apple that God had forbidden him: he lost the sayd image & likenesse of God, and became like the brute beasts, & like the diuel who had abused him. For as touching his Soule, he became vnrightuous, vntrew, cruell, pitilesse, and the enemie of God: and as touching his bodie, he became passible and subiect to a thousand inconueniences and diseases: and not onely like, but also inferiour to brute beasts. And euen as if our forefathers had obeyed God, they should haue left vs their rightuousenes and holines as an heritage: euen so by being [Page] disobedient vnto God, they haue left vs the inheritance of vnrightuousenesse, wickednes, and gods displeasure in such sort as it is vnpossible for vs (through our own strength) to loue God, or to frame our selues vnto his holy will. Nay we be enemies vnto him, as to one yt must punish our sinnes bycause he is a iust iudge, and therfore can we not any more trust wholly to his holy mercie. To be short, our whole nature was corrupted bi Adams sin. And like as erst it had superioritie aboue all creatures, so became it an vnderling to all, y• bōdslaue of satā, sin, & death, & condemned to the miseries of hell. Also he lost his iudgment altogither, & began to saye that good was euil, and euil good: estéeming falfe things to be trew, & trew things to bée false.Psal. 114. Psal. 14. Which thing the prophet considering, saith: that all men are lyers, and that ther is not one that doth good, bicause the diuel like a stout man of armes ruleth his own palace, that is to wit the world wherof he became the prince and Lord. There is no tunge that can expresse the thousandth part of our miserie, in that we being created by gods owne hand, haue lost the said image of god, and are become like the deuil, and too like to him in nature and condicion, willing whatsoeuer [Page] he willeth, & likewise refuzing whatsoeuer he mislyketh. By reason wherof being giuē vp for a prey to that wicked spirit, ther is no sinne so gréeuouse, which euery one of vs would not be redie to doe, if the grace of god stay vs not.Originall s [...]n. And this our depriuaciō of rightuousenes, and this foreward inclination to all vnrightuousnes and naughtines, is called origiall sinne: the which we bring with vs from out of our mother [...] womb, so as we be borne the children of wrath, and it hath had his first spring from our first fathers, & is the cause and fountaine of all the vyces & iniq [...]ities that we commit: wherfrom if we wilbe deliuered & returne again to our first innocencie, to recouer the image of god: first of all it stādeth vs on hand to know our own wretchednes.A verye good compa [...]ison. For like as no man will euer séeke to the Phisicion, except he know himselfe to be diseased: or acknowledge the excellencie of the Phisicion and how much he is bownd vnto him, except he know his own disease to be pestilent and deadly: euen so no man acknowledgeth Iesus Christ the onely Phisicion of our soules, except he first know his own soule to be diseased: neyther can he perceiue y• excellencie of him nor how much he is bound vnto him, except he first enter in [Page] to the knowledge of his owne outrageouse sinnes, & of the incurable infirmitie, which we haue receiued through y• infection of our first fathers.

The second Chapter.
¶Hovv the Lawe was giuen by God, to the end that we knowing our sinne and hauing not any hope of ability to make our selues righteouse by our own works, should haue recourse to gods mercie, & vnto the ryghtuousenesse of fayth.

OUR God therfore mynding of his infinite goodnesse & merc [...]e to send his only Sonne to sette frée y• wretched children of Adam: & knowing that first of all it behoued him to make thē vnderstand their own miserie: chose Abraham, (in whose séed he promised to blisse al nacions,) & accepted his ofspring for his peculiar people, vnto whō, (after their departure out of Aegypt & deliuerance from the bondage of Pharao,) he by the meanes of Moyses, gaue the Lawe, which forbiddeth all iusting, and commaundeth vs to loue GOD with all our hart, with all our soule, and with al our strength, [Page] in such wise as our whole trust be reposed in him, & we redy to leaue our life for his sake, to suffer all torments in our members, and to be bere [...]t of all our goods, dignities, & honours for the loue of our god: choosing to dye, rather than to do any thing that may mislike him, be it neuer so little: and doing al things in that behalfe with a merie hart, and with all forewardnes and cherefulnes. Moreouer the Lawe cōmaundeth vs to loue our neighbour as our selfe,Who is our neybour mening, hy the Neyghbour, all maner of men as well frends as foes: & it willeth vs to do to euery man as we wold be done vnto, and to loue other menns caces as our owne. And so by looking in this holye Lawe as in a cléere lookingglasse, man doth out of hand espye his own great imperfectiō & vnablenes to obey gods commaūdements, and to rēder him the honour and loue which he ought to yéeld to his maker.The [...] office or dewtie of the lawe. The first office of the Lawe then, is to make sinne knowen, as sainct Paule affirmeth. And in another place he saith, I had not knowen what sinne is, but by the Lawe.Rom. 3. and 7. The second office of the Lawe, is to make sinne increace, forasmuch as we being quyte g [...]ne from the obeying of God,The second office of the lawe. and become bōdslaues to the diuell, being full of wicked works and inordinate [Page] affectiōs, cannot abyde that god shold forbid vs to lust, which increaseth so much ye more, as it is the more prohibited: by reason wherof S. Paule sayth, that sinne was dead, but the Lawe came and raysed it vp againe, and so it became out of measure great. The third office of the Lawe,The third office of the lawe. is to shew ye wrath and iudgment of God, who threatneth death and euerlasting punishme [...]t to such as kéepe not the Lawe throughout in all points. For the holy Scripture saith,Deu. 27. Cursed is he y• performeth not throughly al the things that are written in the booke of the Lawe. And therfore sainct Paule saith,2. Cor. 3. y• the Law is a ministerie and that it bringeth foorth wrath. The Lawe then hauing discouered sinne and increaced it, and shewed foorth the wrath & indignation of God who threatneth death,The forth office of the Lowe. executeth his fourth office, which is to put a man in feare, who there vppō falleth into sorowfulnes, & would fayre satisfie the Law: but forasmuch as he séeth clerely, that he is not able: he wexeth angry against God, and wold with all his hart, that ther wer no god, bicause he feareth to be sore chastized & punished by him,Rom. 4 according as sainct Paule saith, that the wisedome of the flesh is the enemie of God, bicause it neyther is nor can be subiect [Page] to the Lawe of God.The fifth office of the lawe. The fifth office of the Lawe, (which is the principal ende and the most excellent and necessarie office of it) is to constraine a man to goo vnto Iesus Christ, in lyke wyse as the Hebrues being dismayed, were constrained to appeale vnto Moyses, saying:Exod. 20 Let not the Lord speake vnto vs, least we dye, but speake thou vnto vs & we will obey thée in al things. And the Lord answered: verely they haue spokē exceding well. Yea they were not praysed for any other thing, than for thēyr desyring of a Mediator betwixt GOD and them, which was Moyses, who represented Iesus Christ, that should be the aduocate & Mediator betwene God and man. In respect whereof God sayd vnto Moyses, I will rayse vp a Prophet among theyr brethren like vnto thée, & I will put my word in his mouth, & he shall speake vnto them all the thinges that I shall commaund him, and I will punish all those that wyll not obey my word which he shal speake in my name.

The third Chapter.
¶How the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, our iustification, & our saluation depend vppon Iesus Christ.

[Page]WHen as our God then had sent the said great Prophet which he had promised vs, (who is his onely sonne,) to the end that he shold set vs frée frō the curse of the Law,Coloss. 3 and recon [...]yle vs vnto our God: that he shold make our will fit for good woorkes, healing our frée will, and repayring in vs the foresaid image of god which we had lost through the fault of our first parentes:Act. 4. forasmuch as we knowe that vnder heauen there is non [...] other name giuē vnto men wherby we may be saued, but the name of Iesus Christ: Let vs ronne vnto him with the feete of lyuely fayth,Mat. 11. & cast our selues betwē his armes, sith he allureth vs so gracious [...]i, crying: come vnto mée all you that labour and are heauy loden, and I wyll refresh you: What comfort or what ioy in this lyfe can be comparable to this his saying there, when as a man feling himselfe oppressed with the intollerable wayght of his sinnes, vnders [...]andeth so swéete and amyable words of the Sonne of God, who promiseth so graciously to refresh & rid him of his great peyns? But al the matter lyeth in acknowledging our owne weaknesse & miserie in good earnest. For he shall neuer knowe what is swéete, who hathe not tasted of ye sowre. And therfore Iesus Christ [Page] sayth: If any man thirst,Iohn. 7. let him come to me and drink: as if he had ment to say, if a man know not himselfe to be a sinner, nor thirst after rightuousenesse, he cannot taste of the swéetnesse of Iesus Christ, how swéete it is to talke of him, to thinke of him, and to follow his most holy lyfe. But when we once throughlye knowe our owne infirmitie by meane of the Lawe: let vs herken to sainct Iohn Baptist, Iohn. [...]. who poynteth vs to ye souerein Phisicion with his fingar, saying: Beholde y• Lamb of God which taketh away y• sinnes of the world. For he it is that deliuereth vs from the heauie yoke of the law,Gal. 3. abrogating and disanulling the curses and sharp threatnings of the same: healing all our infirmities: reforming our frée will, returning vs to our auncient innocencie, and repayringe in vs the image of our God:Iohn. 8. insomuch that (according to sainct Paules saying) lyke as by Adam we be all dead:1. Cor. 15. so by Iesus Christ we are all quickened. And it is not to be beléeued y• the sinne of Adam, which we haue by inheritance from him, should be of more force then the ryghtuousnes of Christe, the which also we inherit by fayth. It séemeth that m [...]n hath great cause to complayn, that (without any reason why,) he is conceiued & [Page] borne in sinne,Psal. 50 and in the wickednesse of his parents, by meanes of whom death reigneth ouer all men. But now is all our sorow taken awaye, inasmuch as by a lyke meane (without anye occasiō giuen on our behalf,) rightuousenesse & euerlasting lyfe are come by Iesus Christ, and by him death is s [...]ayne, whereof sainct Paule maketh a verie goodly discourse, which I purpose to set downe here folowing.Rom. 5 Wherefore (sayth he) lyke as by one man sinne entred into the world, and death by sin: euen so death went ouer al mē, [...]orasmuch as all men haue sinned. For vntill the Lawe, sinne was in the worlde: but sin was not regarded as long as ther was no law. Neuerthelater, death reigned frō Adā vnto Moses, euen ouer thē also y• sinned not after y• like maner of y• trāsgressiō of Adam, who was a figur of him y• was to come. But yit the gift is not so as is the offence: For if through the offence of one, manie be dead: much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Iesus Christe, hath abounded vnto many. Neyther is the gift so as that which entred in by one ye sinned. For the fault came of one offence vnto condemnation, but the gifte is of many offē ces to iustification. For if by the offence of [Page] one, death reigned through one: much more shall they which receiue ye abōdance of grace and of the gift of rightuousnes, reigne in life through one, that is Iesus Christ. Likewise then, as by the offence of one, the fault came on all men to condemnation, so by y• ryghtuousenes of one, ye benefyte abounded toward all men to the iustification of life. For as by one mans disobedience many wer made sinners, so by the obediēce of one shall many also be made righteous. Moreouer the law entred ther vppon, that the offence shold aboūd: neuertheles where sinne aboūded ther grace abounded much more, that as sinne had reigned vnto death, so might grace also reigne by rightuousenes vnto eternal lyfe through Iesus Christ our lord. By theis words of saint Paule we manife [...]tlye perceiue the thing to be trew which we haue said heretofore: that is to wit, that the lawe was giuen to make sinne knowē: which sinne we do also know, no to be of greater force thā Chris [...]es rightuousenes, wherthrough we be iustifyed before God. For euen as Iesus Christ is strōger than Adam was: so is his ryghtuousenes more mightie than the sinne of Adam. And if the sinne of Adam was sufficient ynough to make al men sinners & children of wrath [Page] without ani misdéed of our own: much more shall Christes ryghtuousnes be of greater force to make vs all rightuouse and the children of grace, without any of our owne good workes: which cannot be good, vnlesse that before we do them, we our selues be made good,The greatne [...]e of sin [...] not to cause despayre. as Awstin also affirmeth. Hereby a mā may know in what an errour they bée, who by reason of some great offence, despayre of gods good wil, imagining that he is not willing to forgiue, couer, and pardon all sinne, hauing alredie punished and chastized al our sinnes and iniquities in his owne onely begotten and déerebeloued sonne, and consequently graunted a generall pardon to all mankinde, which euery bodye inioyeth that beleueth the Gospell, that is to say, which beléeueth the happie tydings that the Apostles haue published through the whole worlde, [...]. Cor. 5. saying: We beséeche you for Iesus Christes sake, be yée recon [...]yled vnto God: for he that neuer knew sinne, was made a sacrifyze for our sinne, that we might become rightuouse in him. The Prophet Esay foreséeing this great goodnes of God, writeth these heauēly words, which do so well peynt out the passiō of our Lord Iesus Christ, and the cause ther of: as it is not to be found better descrybed, [Page] euen in the writings of the Apostles. Who (sayth he) will beleue our report, & to whom is the arme of the Lord reueled. But hée shall grow vp before him as a braunche and as a roote out of a drye gdound, he hath neyther forme nor beautie: when we shall sée him, ther shalbe no forme that we should desire him: He is despized and reiected of men, he is a man full of sorowes, and hath experience of infirmities, wée hidd as it were our faces from him: he was despized & we estemed him not. Surely he hathe borne our infirmities and caried our sorowes, yit we did iudge him as plaged and smitten of god, and humbled: but he was wounded for our trāsgressions: he was broken for our iniquities. The chasismēt of our peace was vppō him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like shéepe haue gone astraie: we haue turned euery one to his owne waye, and ye Lord hath layde vppon him the iniquitie of vs all: he was oppressed & he was afflicted, yit dyd he not open his mouth. He is brought as a shéepe to the slaughter and as a shéepe before the shearer is dumme so he openeth not his mouth. O great vnkindnes. O thing abhominable? that we which professe our selues Christians, and here that the sonne of God [Page] hath taken al our sinnes vppō him, & washed them out with his preciouse blud, suffering himselfe to bée fastened to the crosse for our sakes: should neuertheles make as though we would iustifie our selues & purchace forgiuenes of our sinnes by our our owne workes: as who would say, that the deserts, ryghtuousenes and bludshed of Iesus Christ were not ynough to do it, vnlesse we came to put to our workes & ryghtuousnes which are altogither defiled and spotted with selfeloue, seflyking, selfeprofit, and a thousande other vanities, for which we haue néede to craue pardon at GODS hande, rather than reward. Neyther do we thinke of the threatnings which saint Paule vseth to the Galathians: who hauing bin deceiued by falseprechers, beleued not that the iustification by fayth was sufficient of it selfe, but went about stil to be made rightuous by the Law. Unto whom S. Paule saieth:Gala [...] Iesus Christe shall nothing profyt you that iustifie your selues by the Lawe: for you be falne from grace, bicause that we thorough the spirit of fayth wayte for the hope of rightuousnesse.An excellent comparison of the [...] bilitie of our owne woorks. Now if the séeking of rightuousnesse & forgiuenes of sinnes by the kéeping of the lawe which God gaue vppon mount Sinai with so [Page] great glorie and maiestie, be the denying of Christ and of his grace: what shal we say to those that will néedes iustifie themselues afore God by their owne lawes and obseruā ces? I would wish that such folkes should a little compare the one with the other, and afterward giue iudgment themselues. God myndeth not to doe that honour, nor to giue that glorie to his owne lawe, and yit they will haue him to giue it to mennes lawes & ordinances. But that honour is giuen onely to his onely begotten sonne, who alone by y• sacrifice of his death and passion, hath made full amends for all our sinnes, past, present,Hebr. 7. and to come, as sainct Paule and sainct Iohn declare.Iohn. 12. Wherfore as oftē as we apply this satisfactiō of Iesus Christs, vnto our soules by fayth: out of all dout we obteyne forgiuenes of our sinnes, and become good & rightuouse before God, through his ryghtuousnes.Phil. 3 And therefore after that sainct Paule hathe said, that as touching the ryghtuousenes of y• lawe, he had liued vnblameable: he addeth, & yit whatsoeuer I haue gayned by it I haue accounted it in al respects to be but losse, for the loue of Christ. And specially I esteme al things to be losse, for the excellēt knowledge of Iesus Christ my Lord, for whome I haue [Page] counted all thinges to be losse, & déeme them but as dung, so I may win Christ, & bée foūd in him, not hauing myne owne rightuousenesse which is of the lawe, but the righteousnesse which is by the fayth of Iesus Christ, which rightuousnes is giuen of god, I mene the rightuousnes of faith, that I may come to the knowledge of Iesus Christ. O most notable wordes, which all Christians ought to haue ingrauen in their hartes, praying God to make them to tast it perfectly. Lo, how S. Paule sheweth plainly, that whosoeuer knoweth Christ aright estéemeth all the works of the law to bée hurtful, for so much as they make vs to swarue from our trust in Iesus Christ, to whom euery man ought to impute his saluation, & to trust only vnto him alone. And to inforce this sentence the more, he addeth further, that he estéemeth all things but as dung, so he may gayne Christ and be foūd incorporated in him: declaring thereby that whosoeuer trusteth in his own workes, and pretendeth to iustifie him selfe by them, getteth not Iesus Christ nother is ingreffed into him▪ And forasmuch as the whole mistery of our faith consisteth in the truth hereof: [...]o the end we might ye better vnderstand what he ment to say: he addeth and repeteth oftentimes, [Page] y• he had nothing to doo with al ye outward iustification & al the rightuousnes that is groūded vppon ye keping of ye law, but that he wold cloth him selfe with y• rightuousnes which God giueth by faith, to al thē y• beleue that all our sinnes are fully chastized & punished in Iesus Christ: [...]. Cor. 1. & that Iesus Christ (as S. Paule saieth) is made our wisdome, rightuousnes, holines, & redemption to ye end, (as it is written) y• he which will glorie should glorie in the lord & not in his own workes. Uery true it is, that in ye holy scriptures ther are some texts to be found, which being misvnderstode, séeme to gaynsay this holy doctrine of S. Paules, & to attribute iustification & remission of sinnes vnto works, & to charitie. But those authorities haue alredy bin wel expounded by somme who haue shewed playnly, y• such as haue vnderstode thē in ye sence aforesaid, vnderstode them not aright. Wherfore my déerebeloued brethren, let vs not folow ye fond opinion of y• bewitched Galathiās, but rather let vs folow y• truth which s. Paul teacheth vs, & let vs giue ye whol glorie of our iustification vnto Gods mercy & to y• merits of his sonne, who by his own bludshed hath set vs frée frō y• souereintie of the law, & from y• tyrannie of sin & death: & hath [Page] brought vs into y• kingdom of god, to giue vs life and endlesse felicitie. I say yet further, y• he hath deliuered vs from y• dominion of the lawe, insomuch as he hath giuen vs his holy spirit, who teacheth vs all truth, and that he hath satisfied the lawe to the full, & giuen the same satisfaction vnto al his members, (that is to wit to all true Christians,) so as they may safely appéere at Gods throne, bicause they be clothed with ye rightuousnesse of hys Christ,How man is deliuered and set free from the curse of the lawe. and by him deliuered from the curse of the lawe. Then cannot y• lawe any more accuse vs or condemne vs, nor moue our affections or appetites, nor increase sin in vs. And therefore Sainct Paule saieth, that the Obligacion which was against vs is cancelledGal. 3. by Iesus Christ & discharged vppon the trée of the crosse,Rom. 8. insomuch as he hath set vs fr [...]e from the subiection of the lawe,Colost. 2 and cō sequently from the tyrannie of sin & death, which can no more hereafter hold vs oppressed bicause it is ouercome by Iesus christ in his resurrectiō, & so cōsequently by vs which are his members, in such maner y• wée may say with Saincte Paule, and with the Prophet Osee, 1. Cor. 15 Death is quyt [...] vanquished & destroyed. O Death, wher is thy [...]? O Hel, wher is thy victorie? The sting of Death is [Page] [...]in, and the strength of sin is the lawe. But God bée praysed who hath graunted vs vic [...]orie by our Lord Iesus Christ.Gen. 3 He is ye bles [...]ed séede that hathe crusshed the head of y• ve [...]emous Serpent, that is to wit of ye Diuell, insomuch that all those which beléeue in Ie [...]us Christ, reposing their whole trust in his grace, doo ouercome sin, death, the Diuel and Hell, as Christ hath done. Hée is that blessed séede of Abraham, in the which god hath promised blissednesse to all Naciōs. It behoued euery particuler person to fight with ye sayd horrible Serpent, and too deliuer hym selfe from that curse. But that enterprise was so great, that all the force of the whole world knitte together was not able too go through with it. Wherfore our God y• father of mercie, being moued with compassion of our miseries, hath giuē vs his only begottē sonne, who hath deliuered vs from y• veni [...] of the Serpent, & is him selfe become our blissednesse & rightuousnes, condicionally y• we accept the same, renoūcing al our own otward iustifications. Then my déere bréethren let vs imbrace the rightuousnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ, and lette vs make it ours by means of fayth: let vs assure our selues that we bée rightuouse, not for our owne works, [Page] but through the merites of Iesus Christ, & let vs liue merily & assured that the rightuousnes of Iesus Christe hath vtterly done away all our vnrightuosnes, & made vs good, rightuouse, and holie before God, who beholding vs ingreffed into his sonne by fayth, estéemeth vs not now any more as the childrē of Adam, but as his owne children, and hath made vs heirs of al his riches, with his own begotten sonne.

The fourth Chapter.
¶Of the effectes of liuely faith, and of the vnion of mans Soule with Iesus Christ.

THis holie faith worketh after such a sort in vs,How we [...] the likenesse of God. y• he which beleueth y• Iesus Christ hath taken all his sins vppon him, becōmeth like vnto Christ, & ouercōmeth sin, the diuel, death, & Hell. And the reason thereof is this: namely that the church (that is to wit euery faithfull Sowle) is Christes wyfe,A very good s [...]militude expressing the maner how our [...] are taken away by Christ. & Christ is hir husband. For we know how the lawe of mariage is, that of two, they become one selfesame thing, being two in one flesh, and that the goods & substance of either of them become comon to thē both: by means wherof the husband saieth, that the dowrie of his wyfe is his, & likewise the wyfe sayeth that [Page] hir husbands house & all his riches are hirs: and of a truth so they are: for otherwise they should not be one flesh, as the scripture saith. After the same maner hath God maryed his onlibegottē & déerbeloued sonne to the faythful soule, which hath not any other thing peculiar of hir own, saue only sin, & yit the sōne of God hath not disdeyned to take hir for his welbeloued spowse, togither wt hir peculiar dowrie, which is sin. And now by reason of y• vnion which is in this holie mariage, looke what y• on hath, is also y• others. Iesus christ therefore saieth thus: The dowrie of mans soule my déere wife, (that is to wit hir sins and transgressings of the lawe, Gods wrath ageinst hir, the boldnes of the diuill ouer hir, the prison of Hell, and all other hir euils) are become myne & are in my power to do what I list with thē. Wherfore it is at my choyse to deale with them at my pleasure, and therfore I will put out the hand writing which is agaynst the soule [...]y wyfe, I will take it oute of the waye, I wyll fasten it too my crosse in myne owne bodie, and in the same wyll I spoile principalities and powers and make a shew of thē openlye & triumphe ouer them and consume thē vtterly vnto nothing.

Now when GOD sawe his sonne who [Page] knewe no [...]nne, neither had any sin in him, thus wyllingly taking on him the fowlenes of our iniquitie, he made him to be sinne for vs euen the very sacrifice for our sinne: & did sharply punish our sinne in him, putting him to death, euen the death of the crosse. Howbeit forasmuch as hée was his welbeloued & obedient sonne,Math. 28 hée would not leaue him in death nor suffer his holy one to sée corruption:Phil. 2 but raysed him vp from death to lyfe, giuing him al power in heauen and earth, and set him at his ryght hād in glory. Now then the wyfe likewise with exceding great ioye doth saye: the Realmes and Kingedomes of my most déere husband and sauiour are mine, by him I am an heire of heauen, my husbands riches, (that is to wit his holines his innocencie, his rightuousenes & his godhead, togither wt al his vertue & myght,) are mine and for me: and therfore in him I am holie, innocent, ryghtuouse, and godly, & ther is not any spot in mée. I am well fauored & fayre, inasmuch as my lawful husband hath not any blemishe in him, but is altogither goodly and fayre. And sith that he is wholly myne, and so consequently all that he hath is myne, and all that he hath is pure and holie: it foloweth that I also am pure and holie. [Page] Therfore to begin at his most innocēt birth [...] he hath thereby sanctifyed the birthe of his spouse conceiued in sinne. The godly chyldhod and youth of the brydegroome, hath iustified the childish and youthful lyfe of his déerbeloued bryde. For the loue and vnion that is betwixt the sowle of a trew christian and the bridegroome Iesus Christ, maketh al the woorks of eyther of them, to be comon to thē bothe. By reason wherof when a man saith, Iesus Christ hath fasted, Iesus Christ hath prayed, Iesus Christ was herd of the father, raysed the dead, draue diuells out of men, healed the sicke, dyed, rose again, and ascended into heauen: Likewise a man may say, that a Christen man hath done all the selfesame woorkes, forasmuch as the workes of Christ are the workes of the Christian, bycause he hath doone them for hym. Uerely a man may say y• the Christian hath bin nayled too ye crosse, buried, raysed again, is gone vp into heauen, become the child of God, and made partaker of the Godhead. On the other side, all the workes y• a Christian man doeth are Christes workes, bycause it is his will to take them for his. And forasmuch as they be vnperfect, and he throughly perfect, & cannot away with any vnperfect thing: he hath [Page] made them perfect with his vertues, to the end that his wife should be alwaies ioyful & well cōtentid and not be afraid of any thing assuring hirself, that although ther be yit stil some default in hir workes, yitnotwithstanding they be acceptable to God in respect of his sonne, vppō whō he hath his eyes alwais fastened. O y• vnmeasurable goodnes of god? how greatly is the christiā bound vnto god? Ther is no loue of man, be it neuer so great, that may be compared with y• loue that god beareth to the sowle of euery faythfull christian, wherof Christ is y• bridgrome. Whervppon s. Paule sayeth, that Iesus Christ hath so loued his wif ye church which is builded of liuing stones (that is of the soules of y• beleuing christians) that for to sanctifie hir,Ephe. 5. [...] he hath offered himself to the death of ye crosse, clenzing hir with the washing of water, by his word, to ioyne hir to himself a gloriouse church without spot or wrincle or other like thing: but that she should be holie and vnblamable (that is to wit like vnto him in holinesse & innocencie) and also be the trew and lawfull daughter of god, who hath loued the world so well, that (as Iesus Christ himself saieth) he hath giuē his onlibegotten sonne,Iohn. 3. to the end that euerie one which beleueh in [Page] him should not perish, but haue lyfe euerlasting. For God sent not his sonne into the world to condemne the worlde: but to the ende that the Worlde myght bée saued by him, insomuch that he which beléeueth in him shall not bée damned.How the faithfull mans sowle is assu [...]ed of his being maried vnto Christ. Some man might demaund after what maner the vnion of this holie Mariage is made, and how the Sowle which is the Bryde, and hir Bridegrome Iesus Chryste are knitte togither. What assurance can I haue, that my Sowle ys vnited vntoo Iesus Christe, and become his Spowse? How can I assuredly glorie that I am Quéene and Mistresse of his greate riches, as a wyfe maye? I can easly beléeue that otherfolkes shall receyue this honour and glorie: but I cannot perswade my selfe that I am one of th [...]se same to whome GOD hathe gyuen so greate grace: For I knowe myne owne wretchednesse and imperfection. My der [...]beloued brother, I answer thee that thyne assurance cōsisteth in trew and liuely fayth, wherwith (as Sainct Peter sayeth) God clenzeth mens harts:Act. 5 And this fayeth is grownded in the be leuing of the Gospell that is to saye, in the beleuing of the gladde tydings which hathe bin published on GODS behalf throwgh [Page] the whole world: which tydings conteyneth in effect, that god hath vsed the rigorousenes of his iustis against Iesus Christ, chastizing & punishing all our sinnes in him.Mat. 2 And whosoeuer receiueth this good tydings & beléeues it stedfastly, hath the true fayth and doth inioye the forgiuenes of his sinnes, and is also reconciled vnto GOD: and of the chylde of wrath, is become the chyld of grace: and recouering the image of God, entereth into the kingdome of God, and is made the temple of God,2. Cor. 3. who maryeth mans soule to his onely Sonne, by the meane of this fayth, which fayth is a worke of God and the gift of god, as sainct Paule saieth oftentymes. And God giueth it vnto those whom he calleth to him, of purpose to iustifie them & to glorifie thē, & to giue them euerlasting lyfe, according as our Lorde Iesus Christ witnesseth saying: This is the will of him that sent mée,Iohn. 6 euen that euery one which séeth the sonne and beleueth in him, should haue euerlasting lyfe, and I wyll rayse him vp agein at the latter day.Iohn. 3 And lyke as Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the Wildernesse: so must the sonne of man be lifted vp, to the ende that euery one which beleueth in him might not perish but haue lyfe euerlasting. Also he sayeth to [Page] Martha: Iohn. 11. He that beleueth in me shall liue, although he wer dead, and euery one that liueth & beleueth in me shall not dye for euer. And to a companie of the Iewes he sayeth:Iohn. 12. I am come a lyght into the world, to the ende that euery man which beleueth in me, shold not abide in darknes. And sainct Iohn in his Epistle saieth:1. Iohn. 4 Herein appéered the loue of god towards vs, for that god is loue and sent his only begotten sonne into this world, that we might liue through him. And héere in is loue knowen, not in that we loued God, but in that he loued vs & sent his sonne to make attonement for our sinnes. And moreouer, he sent him to destroy our enemies. For the bringing wherof to passe, he made him parttaker of our fleshe, and of our blud, as sayeth sainct Paule, to the ende that by his death he myght destroy him that had the dominion of death,Hebr. [...]. that is to wit the diuel, and set al such at libertie, as were subiect to bōdage al their lyfe long, for feare of death. Seing then that we haue records of the holy Scripture, concerning the promises, whereof we haue spoken heretofore, and concerning many other promyses that are dispersed in diuers places of the same: we cannot dout of it. And forsomuch as the Scripture speaketh to all [Page] ingenerall, none of vs oughte to distrust in himselfe, that the selfsame thing which the Scripture sayeth, should not belong perticularly to him selfe. And to the ende that this point, wherin lyeth and consisteth the whole misterie of our holie faith, may be vnderstod the better:A very goodly s [...]ilitude & [...]it for the expressing of the free for giuensse of si [...]es for Iesus Christes sake. Let vs put the cace that some good & holie King, cause proclamation to be made through his whole Realme by the sound of a Trumpet, that all Rebels and banished men shall safely returne home to their howses, bicause that at the sewt & desert of some dere fréend of theirs, it hath pleased hym to pardon them: certeinly none of those Rebels ought to dout, of the obteyning of trew pardon of his rebellion, but rather ought assuredly to returne home to his howse, to lyue vnder the shadowe of that holie king. And if he will not returne, he shall beare the penaltie of it, bicause that through his own vnbelefe he dyeth in exyll and in the displeasure of his prince. But this good king is the Lorde of Heauen and Earth, who for the obedience and desert of our good brother Iesus Christe, hath pardoned vs all our siunes, and (as we haue sayd afore) hathe made open proclamaction through the whole world, that all of vs may safely returne into [Page] his kingdome. Wherfore he that beléeueth this proclamaciō, dooth streytwayes return into Gods kingdome (whereoutof we were driuen by the offence of our first parentes,) and is blissedly gouerned by gods holy Spirit. And he that giueth no credit to the sayde proclamacion, shall neuer inioy the sayd geuerall pardon: but for his vnbelefes sake shall abyde in banishment vnder the tyrannie of the diuel, and liue and dye in extreme miserie, liuing and dying in the di [...]pleasure of the king of heauen and earthe: and that iustly. For we cannot commit a greater offence against this good God, that to account him as a lyer and deceiuer: which verely we doo, in not giuing credit to his promises. O how passing heauie is this deadly sinne of vnbelefe? which (so farre foorth as is possible (beréeueth God of his glorie and perfection: besydes the greate harme that it doeth to a mans selfe, which is his owne damnation and the endlesse tormēt of his soule, which the miserable conscience féeleth euen in this lyfe. But on the contrarie, he that commeth vnto GOD with assurednesse of this fayth, beléeuing him without anye mistruste or dowt of his promises, and warranting himselfe for a certeyntie, that [Page] God will performe al that euer he hath promised him: giueth all the glorie vnto God, and liueth cōtinually in rest and endles ioy, euermore praysing and thanking the Lorde God for choozing him to the glorie of the eternall lyfe. [...]. Cor. 1. And hereof they haue an assured earnestpeny and gage, that is to wit the sonne of god, whom they take for their most louing Brydegrome, the blud of whom hath made theyr hartes so drunken: that through this passing holie belefe there is in the christen hart ingendred so lyuely a hope and so certeine a trust of gods [...]ercie towards vs, and such an operation is wrought in vs, as we rest our selues wholly vppon God, leauing the whole care of vs vnto him in suche wyse that being throughly assured of Gods good wil, we are not afraid, nother of ye diuel, uor of his ministers, nor of death. Which holie and stedfast trust of Gods mercie, inlargeth our hart, chéereth it vp, and with certeine marualouse swéete affections dyrecteth it vnto GOD, filling it and setting it on Fyre with an exceding feruent loue.Heb. 4 And therefore Paule incourageth vs to goe with all boldnesse to the throne of grace: & he counselleth vs that wée should not shake it of, nor make lyght of our trust, which [Page] hath great recompence & reward. But thys so holy and diuine affiance is gendred in our harts by the working of the holie ghost, who is cōmunicated vnto vs by fayth,Heb. 10. which neuer goeth without ye loue of God. And hereof it commeth, that wée bée prouoked to dooe good works with a certeine liuelines and effectuall cherefulnes: wherby we gather such a strength and inclinacion to doo thē, as wée be throughly redie and foreward to doo and suffer all intollerable things for the loue and glorie of our moste graciouse and mercyfull father, who hath inryched vs wyth so abundaunt grace through Iesus Christ, and of his enemies made vs hys moste déere children. This treue fayth is no sooner gyuen a man, but he is by and by indewed and imprinted with a certeine violent loue of good works, to yéeld right swéet and amiable frutes both vnto God and likewise to his Neybour, as a verie good & frutefull trée. And it is no more possible that he should bée otherwise, than it is possible that a fagot should be set on fyre & not cast light immediatly.Heb. 8 This is the holye fayth without the which it is vnpossible that anie man should please God, and wherby all the holie men (as well of the old Testamēt as of the new) haue bin saued, according as [Page] Sainct Paule witnesseth of Abraham: Rom. 4. concerning whome the Scripture sayeth,Gen. 1 [...]. that Abraham bel [...]ued GOD, and it was reckened too him for rightuousenesse. And therfore hée sayth a little before: We beléeue that a man is iustified by fayth without the déedes of the Lawe.Rom 2. And in another place he saith: Sothen in that time shall the remnant be saued, according to the election of grace: and if they be saued by grace, then is it not by workes, for then were grace no grace. And to the Galathians he sayeth,Gala. 3. it is a manifest matter that no man becommeth rightuouse before God by the Lawe,Abac. 2. bicause the rightuouse liueth by faith. And the lawe consisteth not in beleefe, but he that performeth the thinges that the Lawe commaundeth,Gal. 3. shall liue by that performance. And further hée sayeth that a man cannot become rightuouse by the déedes of the law, but onely by beléeuing in Iesus Christ. Agein, a little after he sayeth, that if a man can become rightuouse by the Lawe, Iesus Christ dyed in vayne. Moreouer,Rom. 10. to the Romaines, making comparison betwene the rightuousnesse of the Lawe, and the rightuousnesse of the Gospell, he sayeth that the one consis [...]eth in the dooing of workes, and [Page] the other in beleuing. For if thou confesse our Lord Iesus Christ with thy mouth, and beleue in thy hart that God hath raysed him vp from death: thou shalt be saued. For the beléef of the hart maketh a man rightuouse, and the confession of the mouth maketh him safe. Lo how this good teacher Sainct Paule sheweth euidently, that faith maketh a man rightuouse without any workes. And not only Sainct Paule, but also the holy Doctors that came after him haue confirmed and allowed this most holy trueth of Iustification by fayth: among whome Sainct Augustin is the chiefe,S. Augustin who in his booke of fayth and workes, and in his booke of the Spirit and the Letter, and in his booke of fourescore and thrée questions, and in his booke which he did write to Boniface, and in his treatise vpon the xxxj. Psalme, and in many other places, defendeth this article, shewing that we become rightuous by faith without any help of good works: howbeit that good works are the effects of rightuousnesse, and not the cause of it. And he sheweth that y• wordes of S. [...]ames being soundly vnderstood, are nothing contrary to this article.Origen Whith thing Origen doth also affirme in his fourth booke vpon the Epistle to the Romanes, saying y• S. [Page]Paules meaning is, that fayth only is sufficiente to make men rightuouse, insomuch that a man becommeth rightuouse, only by beléeuing, although he haue not doone anye good work at all. For so it is, yt the théefe became rightuouse without the workes of the lawe, forasmuch as the Lord sought not what good workes he had done in time past, nor wayted vntill he had done any after he had beléeued, but hauing accepted him for rightuouse vpon his only confession, tooke him for hys companion euen when he should enter into Paradyse. Likewise, that so renowmedMarie magdalen. woman in the gospel of Sainct Luke, Luke. 6. while she was yit at the féete of Iesus Christ, herd it sayd vnto hir, thy sins are forgiuen thée. And a little after he saieth vnto hir, thy faith hath saued thée, goo thy way in peace. Afterward Origen sayth. In many places of the Gospel a man may sée how our Lord Iesus Christ hath spoken in such wise, as he sheweth that fayth is the cause of the saluation of the beleuers. Thē is a mā made rightuouse by faith,Fayth is the mark of those that are iustified and the workes of the lawe further him nothing at all. On the contrarie, where faith is not, (which faith maketh ye beléeuer rightuouse,) although a man doo the workes which the law cōmaundeth: yit notwithstanding, [Page] forasmuch as they be not builded vppon the foūdation of faith, albeit y• to outward appearance they séeme good, yit can they not iustifie him that doeth them, bicause he wanteth fayth, which is the marke of thē that are become rightuouse before God. And who is he that cā boast himselfe to be rightuouse, whē he hereth God say by his Prophet [...]say, Esai. 64. that all our rightuousnesse is as a defiled cloth of a menstruouse woman? Then can wée not iustly glorie in our selues but in y• only faith of the crosse of Iesus Christ. S. Basill in hys Homilie of humilitie,S. Basil. sayeth y• the Christian ought to hold himself for rightuouse through beléefe in Iesus Christ, and his wordes are theis. The Apostle sayeth that he which glorieth should glorie in the Lord, in that God hath made Iesus Christ to be our wisedome, rightuousenes, holinesse, and redemption, to the end y• he which would glorie should glorye in the Lord, bicause that the perfect and sound glorying is to glorye in the Lord. For in so doing, a man presumeth not vppon his owne rightuousenes, but acknowledgeth his want of the true rightuousenes, and that he is made rightuouse, only by beléeuyng in Iesus Christ. And Sainct Paule gloryeth of the despyzyng of hys owne rightuousenesse, [Page] and of his séeking of Christes rightuousnes, by fayth which commeth of GOD. Sainct Hilary in his ninth Canon vppon the exposition of Sainct Matthew sayeth these words:S. Hilary The Scribes considering Iesus Christe but only as mā, were troubled, that a mā should forgiue sinnes, and pardon that thing which the Lawe could not doe, bicause that onely fayth iustifieth.S. Ambrose. Sainct Ambrose in expounding these wordes of Sainct Paule (vnto him that beleeueth in him vvhich iustifieth the vngodly, Rom. 4 his fay the is accounted for rightuousnesse, according to the purpose of Gods grace: like as Dauid also sayeth, that the man is blissed whom God accompteth rightuouse without workes) writeth thus. Saint Paule sayeth, that vnto him which beleueth in Iesus Christ (that is to wit to the Gentile) his fayth is imputed for rightuonsnes, as it was vnto Abraham. In what wise then thinke the Iewes to become rightuous by the woorkes of the Lawe: and yit to be rightuous as Abraham was, séeing that Abraham became not rightuouse by the déedes of the Lawe, but onely by fayth? Then is not the Lawe néedefull, forasmuch as the sinner becommeth rightuouse before God through onely fayth, according to gods graciouse [Page] purpose, as Dauid sayeth. The Apostle coufirmeth that which he hath sayde, by the Prophetes example,Psal. 31 saying: Blissed is the man whome God accepteth for rightuouse without workes: wherby Dauid méeneth, that those men are very happy, whom GOD hath determined to accept for rightuouse before him, by onely fayth without any paynes taking or obseruatiō of the Law on their behalfe. Thus sheweth he the blissednesse of the time wherein Christe was borne, in so much as the Lord himself saith: Many rightuouse men and Prophetes haue coueted to sée the thinges that you sée, and to heare the thinges that you heare, and haue not heard them. The selfesame thing sayeth Sainct Ambrose in expounding the first chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, affirming openly that whosoeuer beléeueth in Iesus Christe, is become rightuous without workes and without any desert, & receiueth forgiuenes of his sinnes by faith alone. Also he affirmeth the same thing in an epistle which he writeth to Ireneus saying: let no man boast of his owne workes, for no mā becōmeth rightuous by his own works: but he y• hath righteousnes, hath it of frée gift [...] [Page] forsomuch as he is made rightuouse by Iesus Christ. Then is it fayth that deliuereth by Christes blud: for happie is he whose sin is forgiuen and pardoned.S. Bernard. And S. Bernard in his thréescore and seuentéenth Sermon vppon the Ballet of Ballets, cōfirmeth y• same, saying that our own merites beare no sway at all in making vs rightuouse, which thyng m [...]st be attributed wholly vnto grace which maketh vs rightuouse fréely, and lykewyse dischargeth vs from the bondage of sin. And he addeth, that Iesus Christ marieth y• soule and cupleth it vnto himselfe by fayth, without that anie desert of our workes oughte or can come betwene. But bicause I will not be to long, I wil make an ende of mine allegations, when I haue vttered one verie notable and good saying of Sainct Ambrosis in his booke intituled of Iacob concerning the blessid life.Gen. 17. The saide holie man saith, y• like as Iacob hauing not on his owne behalfe deserued the birth right,A very good comparisō how we be clothed with the rightuousenesse of Iesus Christ. shrowded himself vnder the apparel of his brother, & clothed himself with his garment which yelded a verie swéete sent, and in that wise presented himself to his father to receiue y• blissing vnder another mans person to his own behoof: euen so is it requisite for vs to clothe our selues [Page] with the rightuousenesse of Iesus Christ by faith and to shrowd our selues vnder the diuine purenes of our eldest brother, if we wil be receyued for rightuouse afore God. And certeinly this is true. For if we appéere before God vnclothed of the rightuousenes of Iesus Christ: but of all dout we shalbe iudged worthy of euerlasting damnation. But contrariwise, if God sée vs appareled with the rightuousenes of his sonne Christ: then wil he surely take vs for rightuouse, & holie, and worthy of eternall lyfe. And verely it is a great rashnesse in such as pretend to attein to rightuousenes by the keping of gods commaundemēts, which are al comprehended in louing God with all our harte, with all our soule, and wyth al our strength, & our Neybour as our self. But who is so arrogāt or so mad,No man [...] boast of the performāce of gods lawe. as to presume y• he is able to performe those commaundements to the ful? Or who séeth not that gods lawe requyreth perfect loue, and condemneth all vnperfectnes? Let euery man consider well his owne workes, which partly shall séeme good vnto him: and he shall fynd that they ought rather to be called transgressions of that most holie Lawe, according also as they be altogither vnclean and vnperfect, so that he must be fayne to vtter [Page] this saying of Dauids, Psal. 102. Enter not into iudgment with thy seruant O Lord, for no man liuing shalbe found ryghtuouse in thy sight. And Salomō sayth who is he that may say,Pro. 20. my hart is cleane? And Iob cryeth out,Iob. 1 [...]. [...]hat man is he that can be vndefyled, and what man borne of woman can shew himselfe rightuouse? Behold he found no stedfastnes among his saincts, yea the heauens are not cleane in his syght. How much more abhominable and filthy is man, who drinketh iniquitie as it were water? And sainct, Iohn sayeth, [...]ohn. 2. if we say we be without sinne, we deceiue our selues.Math. 6. And specially our sauiour Iesus Christ teacheth vs to say, as often as we pray, Forgiue vs all our trespasses as vve forgiue them that trespasse against vs▪ And hereby may well be gathered the folie of those y• make merchādyse of their works, presuming to saue by them, not onely themselues, but also their neibours, as though our Lord Iesus Christ had not sayd vnto them. When ye haue done all y• euer is cōmaunded you,Luke. 17 say ye, we be vnprofitable seruāts: we haue done but as we ought to doe. Ye sée y• although wée had performed gods law to y• full, yit neuertheles we shold esteme & call our selues vnprofitable seruāts, Now then, [Page] seing that men are so farre of from this full performāce: who is he that dareth be so bold as to glorifie himselfe that he hath added so great an ouerplus of deseruings aboue y• ful measure, as he may haue to deale abrode vnto others? But to returne to our purpose, I would that the proude sinner which beareth himself in hand that he maketh himself rightuouse before God by doing some works which are allowable to y• world, wold consider that al y• works which procede out of an vncleane and soule hart, are also vncleane & filthie, and cōsequently cannot be acceptable vnto God, nor haue any power to make the partie rightuouse. Therfore we must first of all clenze y• [...]art, if we mind that our works should please God. The clenzing of the harte procedeth of faith, as the holy gost affirmeth by the mouth of S. Peter? Then must we not say that the vnrightuouse person and the sinner becommeth rightuouse,Acts. 1 [...]. good, and acceptable vnto god by his owne workes: but we muste of necessitie conclude, that fayth clenzeth our hartes, and maketh vs good, ryghtuouse and acceptable before GOD, and furthermore cawseth our workes to please hym, notwithstāding that they be altogither [Page] vnprofitable and vnperfit. For inasmuch as we be become y• childrē of god through faith: he considereth our workes, not as a seuere and rigorouse iudge, but as a most merciful Father, hauing pitie of our fraylenes, & regarding vs as y• mēbers of his eldest sonne, whose perfection & rightuousenes doth supply all our vnclennes & imperfection, which are not laied to our charge forsomuch as thei be couered vnder the pur [...]nes and innocēcie of Iesus Christ, and come not to iudgement before God. And hereuppon it commeth to passe,How the workes of y• faithfull, though thei be vnperfect, please GOD. that all our workes which procede of trew faith, (notwithstanding that they be wholly sinfull and corrupt of themselues,) shall neuertheles be praysed & allowed by Iesus Christ in the generall iudgement, bicause they be the fruites and testimonies of our fayth wherby we be saued. For insomuch as we haue loued y• brethren of Iesus Christ, we shal shewe euidently, y• we haue also bin faithful, and brethrē of Christ, and therefore by fayth we shalbe put in full possession of the euerlasting kingdome, which our souerein Lord god hath prepared for vs before the creating of the world:Math. 2 [...] not for our merits sakes, but through his mercie, wherby he hath chozen vs, & called vs to the grace [Page] of his gospel, and made vs ryghtuouse, to the intent to glorifie vs euerlastingly with his only begottē sonne Iesus Christ, who is the holines and rightuousenes of vs, but not of them which wyll not confesse that faith is sufficiēt of it selfe to make a man rightuouse and acceptable to y• Lord God, who through his fatherly goodnes and louingkindnes offereth & giueth vs Iesus Christ with his rightuousenes, without any desert of our owne workes. What thing can worke or cause a man to deserne so great a gift & treasure as Iesus Christ is? This treasure is giuen only through the grace, fauour,In wha [...] maner faith iustify [...]th. & mercifulnes of god: and only faith is the thing that receiueth such a gift, as to make vs inioy the forgiuenes of our sinnes. And therfore when S. Paule & other doctors say, that on [...]ly [...]ayth maketh men ryghtuouse, without workes: they mene that it maketh vs to inioy the generall forgiuenes of our sinnes, & to [...] receiue Iesus Christe,Ephe. 3. who (as saieth sainct Paule) dwelleth in our hartes by fayth, & ouercomming and pacifying the trubbles of our consci [...] ̄ces, satisfieth gods iustice for our sinnes. Furthermor it appeaseth gods wrath iustlimoued ageinst vs, quencheth the fyre of hell wherin? our natural corruption did throw [Page] vs headlong, & chéerfully destroieth & ouerthroweth y• Diuel, togither wt al his power and tiranny: Which thinges, all the works that all the men in y• world can lay togither, are not able to deserue nor to bring to passe. That glory and that prerogatiue is reserued alonly to the sonne of God, that is to wit to the blissed Iesus Christ, who hath power aboue all the powers that are in Heauen, in Earth, and in Hell, and giueth himself & his merits, to al such as distrusting in thēselues do set their whole hope of being saued, in him and in his merits. And therefore let no mā begwyle himselfe when hée hereth it sayd, that only faith iustifieth without works: and think as fal [...]e christians doe, (who drawe al thinges to liue fleshly) that the trew faith cō sisteth in beleuing the bare storie of Iesus Christ, after the same maner as men beleue y• storie of Caesar or of Alexander. Such maner of beléef is but an historicall beléef, groū ded merely vppon the report of men, and vppon their writinges, & lighly imprinted in our conceyt by a certeint custome, & is like to the faith of the Turkes, who for the lyke reasons beleue y• fables of their Alcorane. And suche a fayth is but an imagination of man, which neuer reneweth the hart of mā nor [Page] warmeth it with the loue of God, neyther do any good works insew or any chaūge of life which faith should bring forth. And therfore they fal [...]y hold opinion, ageinst the holy scripture and ageinst the holy Doctors of the church, that only faith maketh not mē rightuouse, but y• they must also haue works Unto whom I answer, that this historicall and fond beleef, and all the works that insew thereof, are not only vnable to make a man rightuouse:Mat. 12. but also do cast the parties headlong to the bottom of hel, like vnto those that haue none oile in their Lampes, y• is to say, no liuely faith in their harts. The fayth that maketh men rightuouse,Rom. 6. is a work of God in vs wherby our old man is crucified, and wée being transformed in Iesus Christ, become new creatures, and the derebeloued childrē of God. This heauenly fayth is it that graffeth vs into the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ, and consequently mortifieth our flesh with the effectes and lustes therof. For when we by the operation of fayth do know our selues to be dead with Iesus Christ: we are at a full point with our selues and with the world, and are throughly resolued how it is méet that they which are dead with Iesus Christe, should mortifie their earthly [...] [Page] members, that is to wit the sinfull affectiōs of their mynd, and the lustes of the flesh: and forasmuch as we know we be raysed again which Christ, we bend our selues to the leading of a spirituall and holie lyfe, like vnto that which we shall liue in heauen, after the last resurrection. This holie faith making vs to inoy the generall pardon that is published by the gospel, bringeth vs into the kingdome of our good god, and pacifyeth our consciences, mainteyning vs in continewal ioy and holie and spiritual swéetnes. This selfe same faith knitteth vs vnto god, and maketh him to dwell in our harts, and clotheth our sowle with himself, so as thenseforth the holie Ghost moueth vs to doo the same thinges wherunto he moued Iesus Christ whyle he was in this world & was conuersant among men: that is to wit, vnto lowlines, mekenes, obedientnes vnto God, louingnes, and other perfections, wherthrough we recouer the image of god. For this selfesame causes Iesus Christ did rightly attribute blissednes vnto this inspyred fayth: which blissednes cannot be without good works & holines of lyfe. And how can it be that a christian shold not become holie, seing y• Iesus Christ is become his holines through fayth? Therfore [Page] by fayth we be iustified and saued,Sainct Paule calleth them Sainctes whom we call Christians. and therfore S. Paule doth in a maner alwaies call those Saincts, whom we call now christians: who, if they haue not Christes spirit, are none of Christes, and consequently no christians at all. But if they haue the spirit of Iesus Christ to rule and gouerne them: we must not dowt,He that beleueth cannot be with out good workes. but that although they know well y• they be made rightuouse thorough fayth onely: yit for all that they will become neuer the more slouthfull to do good workes. For Christes spirit is the spirit of loue: and loue cannot be ydle, nor cease from the dooing of good workes. But if we will say the truth, a man can do no good workes, except he first know himselfe to be become ryghtuouse by fayth: for before he knoweth that, his doing of good workes is rather to make himselfe ryghtuouse than for the loue and glorie of God: and so he defyleth al his works with selfeloue for the loue of himself & for his own profite. But he that knoweth himselfe to bée become ryghtuouse by the merites & rightuousenesse of Christ, (which he maketh his owne by fayth) laboreth happily, and doeth good works alonly for ye loue and glorie of Christ, and not for loue of himselfe, nor to make himselfe rightuouse. And [Page] theruppon it commeth, that y• true christian, (that is to wit, he that accounteth himself rightuouse by reason of Christes rightuousenesse) asketh not whither good works be cō maunded or not: but being wholly moued & prouoked with a certeine violence of Godly loue, he offereth himselfe willingly to do all the workes that are holy and christianlyke, and neuer ceaseth to do well. He therefore which féeleth not the meruelous [...] by his fayth which we haue heretofore [...]eclared that the inspired faith worketh in the hart of the christian. Let him assure himself, that he hath not the christian faith, and let him pray earnestly vnto God to giue it hym, saying: Lord,Mark [...] 9. help myne vnbeléef. And whē he herereth it said y• only faith maketh men rightuonse: let him not deceiue himself & say, what nede I to wery my self in doing good works, faith is inough to send me to Paradyse? to such a one I answere, y• only fayth sendeth vs to Paradise: but yit let him take good hede for y• diuels do also beleue & tr [...]ble, as saieth sainct Iames. Iames. 2. O miserable man wilte thou go with them to Paradise? By this false conclusion t [...]ou maiest know, (my brother,) in what an errour thou art, for thou wéenest to haue the fayth that maketh men rightuouse, and [Page] thou haste it not.Apoc. 3. Thou sayest thou art ryche and hast no nede of any thing:: and thou séest not how thou art pore, wretched, blynd, and naked. I counsell thée to bwy gold of GOD, that is throughly fired with fyre, (that is to say, trew faith set on fyre with good works,) to the intent thou mayest become riche: and to clothe thy self with white ramēt, (that is to wit with Christes innocencie,) to the end that the shame of thy nakednesse, (which is the greate filthinesse of thy sinnes) be not séene to the whole world. Then is the iustifying fayth as it were a flame of fyre, which cannot but cast forth brightnes.A liuely cōparison And lyke as the flame burneth the wood without the help of the light, and yit the flame cannot be with out the light: so is it assuredly trew, y• fayth alone consumeth & burneth away sinne with out the helpe of works, and yit that the same fayth cannot be without good works. Wherfore, like as if we sée a flame of fyre that giueth no light, we knowe biandby y• it is but vayne and painted: euen so when we sée not some light of good works in a man,Wh [...]t S. Iames ment concerning workes. it is a tokē y• he hath not y• true inspired fayth, which god giueth to his chozen, to iustifie and glorifie them withall. And hold it for certeyne, that Saincte Iames ment so when hée sayd,Iames. 2. [Page] shewe me thy fayth by thy works, and I wil shewe thée my fayth by my workes. For his mening was, y• he which is plundged in ambitionsenes, and worldly pleasures, beleueth not, though he say he beleue) forasmuch as he sheweth not in himself the effects of faith. [...] heauenly [...]. Also we may likē this holy faith to the godhead which is in Iesus Christ: who being very man (but withoute sin) dyd wonderfull thinges, healing the sicke, giuing sight to the blind, walking vppon the water, and raising vp the dead, vnto lifte agein: & yit theis maruelouse workes were not the cause that hée was GOD. For before he did anie of those things, he was God and the lawfull and onlibegotten sonne of God, and he neded not to work those miracles to make himself god bi them, but forasmuch as he was god, therfore he did thē. And so, the miracles that Christ wrought made him not to be god, but shewed openly that he was God. In likewise, trewe faith is as it were a godhead in the sowle of a christian, which doeth wonderouse works and is neuer weary of well doing: and yit those works are not y• cause y• a christiā is a christian, (y• is to wit, that he is rightuouse good, holy, and acceptable vnto God, neither néedeth he to worke all those good workes to [Page] become such a one. But forasmuch as he is a Christian by fayth, like as Iesus Christ being a man was also God by his Godhead: he doeth all those good workes, which make not the christian to be rightuouse and good, but shewe him to be good rightuouse & holie. So then, like as Christes Godhead was y• cause that he wrought miracls: euen so faith working through loue, is y• cause of y• good works that a chzisten mā doeth. And like as a man may say of Iesus Christ, y• he hath done this miracle or that, and that those miracles, besides y• they glorified God, were also a great honor vnto Iesus Christ as he was mā, who for his obedience euen vnto death, was recompenced at gods hand in his resurrection, and had gyuen vnto him all power but in heauen and earth, which he had not afore as in respect of his manhod, but deserued it by the vnion which is betwixt the word of God and the manhod of Christ: So doth faith in a christian, which faith by reason of the vnion that it hath with y• soule, attributeth y• thing to the one which is proper to y• other: whervppon it commeth, that y• holy scripture promiseth the christian euerlasting life for hys good works bicause good works are y• frutes and testimonies of liuely fayth, & procede of [Page] it as light procedeth from a flame of fyre, according as I haue sayd heretofore. And by this holy faith which imbraseth Iesus christ it commeth to passe that our sowle is ioyned with Christ and is so vnited and knit to him, that whatsoeuer Christ hath merited & deserued, the same is imputed vnto the soule as though it had merited & deserued it. And therfore S. Austin sayth that God crowneth his owne giftes in vs.Iohn. 17. Of thys vnion of the soule with Iesus Christ, Christ himself beareth good record wher he prayeth to his Father for his Apostles, and for suche as should beleue in him by their preaching. I pray not (sayeth he) for thē only: but also for all those that shall beleue in me through their word, to the end they may be al one thing, that like as thou my Father arte in me & I in thée, so they also may be one in vs, & that the world may beleue that thou hast sent mée, and that I haue giuen thē the glorie which thou haste giuen mée, so as they should be one selfsame thing like as thou and I are one. Wherby it appereth euidently, that if we beleue y• word of the Apostles,Rom. 4. (who preached that Iesus Christ died for our sinnes and rose agein for our iustification) we become all one thyng with him: and forasmuch as he is all one [Page] with Go [...]. we also become all one with God by the meane of Iesus Christ.2. Cor. 6. O wonderfull glorie of the christian, to whom it is graunted through fayth, to possesse the vnspeakable benefites which the Angels long to beholde. By this present discourse a man may playnly perceiue the difference, that is betwixt vs and them that defend y• iustification by fayth and work [...]s togither Herein we agrée with them, that we stablish works, affirming that the fayth which iustifieth cannot be without good works, and that those which are become rightuouse are they that doo the good workes that may rightly be called good workes.1. Peter. 2 But we differ from thē in this, that we say, that faith maketh men rightuouse withoute the helpe of workes. And the reason is redy: namely bycawse that by fayth wée putte on Christ,Gala. 3. and make hys holyness and rightuousenesse to bée ours. And seyng the cace so standeth, that Christes rightuousenesse is gyuen vs by faith: Wée cannot be so thanklesse, blynde, and vnhappye as not to beleue that he is of suffycient abilitie, to make vs (acceptable and ryghtuouse before GOD. Lette vs saye with the Apostle,Hebr. 9. if the blud of Oxen and Gotes and the asshes of a Cow sprincled, clenzeth the vncleane, as touching [Page] y• clenzing of y• flesh: how much more shal the blud of Iesus Christ who by the euerlasting spirit offered himselfe vndefiled vnto God, clenze our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God? I prey thée now, thou good & deuout christian, consider well which of theis two opinions is the trewest, holyest, and worthiest to be preached: Ours, which aduaunceth the benefyte of Iesus Christ, & pulleth down the pride of man which would exalt his owne works ageinst Christes glorie: or the other which by affirming that fayth of it self iusti [...]ieth not, defaceth the glorie and benefyte of Iesus Christ and puffeth vp the pryde of man, who cannot abyde to be iustified fréely by our Lorde Iesus Christ, without some merit of his owne. But (saye they) it is a gret quickning vp to good works, to say that a mā maketh himself rightuouse before good by means of them. I answer, that we also confesse that good workes are acceptable to god, & that he of his mere grace and frée liberalitie recompenseth them in Paradise. But we say moreouer, that no workes are good, sauing those y• as (S. Austin saieth) are done by thē that are become rightuouse through fayth, bicause that if the trée be not good, it cannot yeld good frute. And furthermore [Page] we saye that such as are become ryghtuouse through faythe, forasmuch as they knowe themselues to be ryghtuouse through Gods rightuousnesse purchased by Christe: make no bargayning with GOD for their workes, as though they would bwy their maner of iustification suche as it is, with them: but being inflamed with the loue [...] GOD, and desirouse to glorifie Iesus christ who hath made them rightuouse by giuing them his merites and riches, they bestow [...] their whole study and labor to doe gods wil, fighting manfully against the loue of thēselues, and against the world and the Diuell. And when they fall throughe frayltie of the flesh, thei recouer themselues by and by, and are so much the more desirous to doe good, & so much the more in loue with their God, considering that he layeth not their sinn [...] to their charge, bicause they be ingraffed [...] Iesus Christe, who hath made full [...] for all his members vppon the tree of his crosse, and maketh continuall interce [...] for them to the eternal Father, who for the loue of his onely begotten sonne, beholdeth them alwayes with a gentle countenance, gouerning and defending them as his most deare children, and in the end giuing them the h [...] ritage [Page] of the world, making them like fashioned to the glorious Image of Christ. These louing motions are the spurs that prick forward y• true christiās to do good works: who considering y• they are become the childrē of god through faith, & made partakers of his diuine nature, are sturred vp by the holy ghost dwelling in thē, to liue as it becōmeth y• children of so great a lord, and are greatly ashamed y• they maintein not the beauty of their heauēli noblesse: & therfore they imploy their whole indeuer to the folowing of their firstborn brother Iesus christ, liuing in gret low lines & méeknesse, in al things séeking y• glory of God, giuing their liues for their brethren, dooing good to their enemies, glorying in y• sufferance of reproches,Gala. 6. & in the crosse of our Lord Iesus christ,Luke. 2. & saying wt Zacharie: We be deliuered out of the hand of our enimies, to serue god without feare, in holines and rightuousenesse all the dayes of our life. They say with Sainct Paule: The grace of the Lord is appeared to abolishe all wickednesse and all worldly desires in vs,Tit. 2. to the end we should liue a sobre, holy and honest lyfe in this world, wayting for the blissed hope, and for the gloriouse appearing of the great God and Sauiour. There & such other [Page] like thoughtes, desires and affections are wrought by inspired fayth in the soules of them that are become right [...]use. And as for him that either wholly or partly féeleth not these godly affections and operations in his hart, but is gyuen ouer to the fleshe and the world: let him assure himselfe that hée hath not yit the iustifying faith, nor is the member of Christ, bicause hée hath not Christes spirit,Rom. 8. and consequently is none of his, and he that is none of Christs, is no christian. Then let mans wisdome cease henceforth to fight agaynst the rightuousenesse of the most holy faith, and let vs giue all the glorie of our iustification, to the merits of IESUS Christ,Gala. 3. with whom we bée clothed thorough faith.

The fyfth Chapter.
In what wyse the Christian is clothed with Iesus Christ.

ALthough that by the things aforesayd, a man may easely and plainly inough perceiue, howe a Christian maye cloth himselfe with Iesus Christe: yit neuerthelesse, I mynde to speake a little of it, assuring myselfe, that vntoo the good and faythefull [Page] Christian, it can séeme nether grenouse nor troublesome to speake thereof, although the thing were repeted a thousand times. Therfore I say that the Christian knoweth that Iesus Christ togither with al his righteousnesse, holinesse and innocencie, is his owne through faith. And like as when a man purposeth to present himselfe before some great Lord or Prince, he laboreth to aray himself in some fayre and costly apparell: euen so, when the christian is decked and arayed wt the innocencie of Christ, & with all his perfection, he presenteth himself boldely before God the Lord of all, assuring him selfe, that through christes merits, he is in as good cace as if he had purchaced all that which Iesus Christ hath purchaced and deserued. And truely, faith maketh euery of vs to possesse Christ and all that is his, as we possesse our own garment. And therefore to be clothed with Iesus christ, is nothing else but to beleue for a certaintie, that Christe is wholly ours: and so is he in very déed, if we beleue so, and hold our selues assured, that by the same heauenly garmēt we be receiued into fauor before god. For it is most certain that he as a most déere father hath giuen vs his sonne: meaning that al his rightuousnes, & [Page] all that euer he is, can, or hath done, shold be in our power & inrisdictiō, in such wise as it should be lawful for vs to make our boast of thē, as if we had done, purchaced & des [...]rued them by our own strength. And whosoeuer beleueth this, shal find that his beléef is good and tru, as we haue shewed heretofore. Thē must the christian haue a stedfast faith & beleef that all the goods, all the graces, & all the riches of Iesus christ, are his: for sith y• God hath giuen vs Iesus christ himself, how shold it be possible that he hath not giuen vs all things wt him?Rom. 8. Now if this be true, as tru it is in déed: the christiā may rightly say, I am y• child of god, & Iesus christ is my brother. I am Lord of heauē & earth, & of hell and of death, & of the law, in so much as the law cā not accuse me nor lay any curse vpō me, bicause the righteousnes of god is becom myn. And this faith is it alone y• maketh a man to be called a christian, & which clotheth him wt Iesus christ as we haue said afore. And boldly may this be called a great mistery, whervnder are cōteined maruelous things, and things not herd of cōcerning the great God, which cannot enter into mans hart, except god do first softē it with his holy grace, as he hath promised to do by his holy prophet saying, [Page] I will giue you a new hart, and I will put a new mynde into you, and I wyll take away the stony hart out of your bodie, and I will giue you a hart of fleshe. Now then, he that beleueth not after the sayde maner, that Iesus Christe with all the goods that he possesseth, is his: cannot call himself a trew christian, nor euer haue a quiet and ioyfull conscience, nor a good and feruent corage to doo good: but shall easly faint in doing of good works, yea and moreouer he shall neuer be able to do works that are truly good. This only beléef and trust that we haue in the merits of Iesus Christ, maketh men trew christians, stowt, cherful, merrie, louers of God, readie to doo good workes, possessers of gods kingdome and of god himselfe, and his right derebeloued children, in whome the holie Ghoste dooth truly dwell. What hart is so cowardly, cold, and vyle, which considering the inestimable greatnes of the gift that god hath bestowed vppon him in giuing him hisIesus Christ y• trew exā ple of chri [...]ans. owne so welbeloued sonne with all his perfectnes: is not inflamed with an exceding carnest desyre, to become like vnto him in good workes? specially seing that the Father hath giuen him vnto vs for an example whereon we must continewally looke, framing [Page] our lyfe after such a sort, as it maye be a trew counterpaine of the lyfe of Iesus Christe,1. Peter. 2 forasmuch as Christe (as sayeth Sainct Peter) hathe fuffered for vs, leauing vs an insample, to the ende that we shoulde folowe his footesteppes. Out of this consideracion iss [...]weth another kind of clothing of a manes selfe with Christ, which we may terme An example clothinge, for so much as the christian must frame his whole lyfe after the example of Christ, fashyoning himself like vnto him in all his dedes words and thowghtes, leauing his former wicked lyfe, and decking himself with the new lyfe, that is to wit with the lyfe of Christe.Ephe. 4. By reason wherof sainct Paule sayeth:Rom. 15. Let vs cast away the works of darknesse, and put on the a [...]mour of lyght, not in feasting, nor in drunkennesse, nor in chambering and wantonnesse, nor in stryfe: but put vpon you the Lorde Iesus Christ, and make no preparation for the flesh, nor for the lustes therof. Héeruppon the trew Christian being in loue with Iesus Christ, sayeth in himself. Sith that Iesus Christe, not hauing anye néede of me, hathe redemed me with his own blud, and is become poore to inrich me: I wil likewise giue my g [...]ds y [...] & my very [Page] lyfe for the loue & welfare of my neighbour. And like as I am clothed with Iesus christ for the loue he hath borne to me: so will I haue my neighbor in Christ to cloth himself with me & with my goods likewise, for the loue that I beare him for christes sake. He y• doth not so, is no true christian, for he cānot say that he loueth Iesus christ, if he loue not the mēbers & brothers of him: and if we loue not our neighbour for whose sake christ hath shed his blud, we cannot truely say that we loue Iesus christ: who being equall wt God, was obedient to his father, euen to y• death of the crosse,Phil. 2. & hath loued & redéemed vs, giuing himselfe vnto vs, with all that euer he hath. After the same maner, we being rich & hauing abundance of good things at Christes hand, must also be obedient vnto god, to offer & giue our works & al that we haue, yea and euen our selues to our neighbours and brethren in Iesus Christ, seruing them & helping them at their néed, and being to thē as another Christ. And like as Iesus Christ was lowly and gentle, and far from all debate and stryfe:Math. 1 [...]. so must wée set our whole mynde vpon lowelinesse & méeknesse, eschewing all stryfe and impatiēce, as wel which consist in words and reasoning, as in déeds. [Page] And as in Iesus Christe hath indured al the persecutions and spytes of the world for the glorie of God: so must wée with all patientnesse chéerfully beare the persecutions and reproches that are doone by false christians2. Tim. 2 too all suche as will liue faythfully in Iesus Christe: who gaue his life for his enemyes, and prayed for them vppon the crosse: and so must we also pray always for our enemies, and willingly spend our lyfe for their welfare. And this is too folowe Christs steppes, according as sainct Peter sayeth. For when we knowe Iesus Christ with all his riches to be our owne good, (which thing, is to bée clothed with Christ, and to become pure and cleane without spot): there remayneth nothing more for vs to do, but to glorifye God by folowing the lyfe of Iesus Christe, and to do to our brethren as Christe hathe doone to vs: and specially for somuch as we bée warranted by his word, that whatsoeuer we do to his brethren and ours, he accepteth it as a benefyte done to himself. And dowtlesse seing that the trewe christians are the members of Christ: we cannot do eyther good or euill too the trew Christians, but wée d [...] it likewyse vnto Christ, in so much that he reioyceth or suffereth in his members. Th [...]reTherefore [Page] like as Iesus Christ is our clothing by faith: so also must we through loue become the clothing of our brethren, & haue as good care of them as of our owne bodies: for they be members of our bodie, whereof Christe is the heade. And this is the godly loue and charitie which springeth and procéedeth of the true vnfeyned faith, which god hath breathed into his electe: which faith (as sayeth Saint Paule) worketh by loue. Howbeit,Rom. 12. for asmuch as the lyfe of our Lorde Iesus Christ, wherewithall wée must bée clothed,1. Tim 1 was a continuall crosse, full of troubles,Gala. 5 reproches, and persecutions: if wee will fashion our selues like vnto his life, we must continually beare the crosse, as hée him selfe sayeth:Luke. 9. If any man will come after mée, let him forsake him selfe and take vp his crosse and followe mée. But the chief cause of this crosse is, for that our GOD purposeth to mortifie the affections of our minde and the luftes of our fleshe by that exercise: to the end wée may conceyue in our selues the great perfection wherein wée bée comprised by our Lord IESUS Christ, by being graffed into him. Also his will is,Iohn. 15. that our fayth béeing fyned like golde in the fornace of troubles,Phil. 3. should shine bright to [Page] his glorie. Moreouer, his intent is, that we by our infirmities should set out his great power, which the worlde in dispite of it, beholdeth in vs, in asmuch as our frayeltie becommeth strong by troubles and persecutions, and the more that it is beaten downe and oppressed, so much the more is it strong and stedfast. Whereof the Apostle Sainct Paule sayeth,2. Cor. 12 we carrie this treasure in earthen vesselles,2. Cor. 4. that the excellencie of the power might bée Gods and not ours. On all sides wée suffer tribulation, but we are not ouercomme: wée be poore, but not ouercomme of pouertie: wée suffer persecution, but yit are we not forsaken: we be dispised, but yit we perish not: and so we dayly beare about vs the dying of our Lord Iesus Christ in our bodie, that the life of Iesus Christe may also be openly shewed in vs. And séeing the case is so, that our Lord Iesus christ and all his deare Disciples glorified God by tribulations: let vs also imbrace them ioyefully, and saye with the Apostle Saincte Paule, Gala. 6. GOD forbid that I should glory saue in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ: and let vs so deale, as the world may (whither it will or no) perceiue & see wt his eies, ye wōderful effects yt god worketh in such as sincerely [Page] imbrace the grace of his gospell. Let vs so deale I say, as the worldlings may sée with how great quietnes of mynd the trew christians indure the losse of their goods, y• death of their children, flaunders, the diseases of y• bodie, & the persecutions of false christians: and also that they may sée how the only true christians do worship God in spirit & truth, taking in good worth at his hand whatsoeuer happeneth, & holding al that he doth to be good rightfull & holie, praising him alwaies for the same, whither it be in prosperitie or aduersitie, thāking him as a most graciouse and louing father, and acknowledging it for a right great gift of gods goodnes, to suffer any aduersitie,Rom. 5. and che [...]y for the gospell & for folowing the steps of Christ: specially forasmuch as we know,After what sort patience ingendereth triall that tribulation ingendreth patience, and patience triall, and trial hope, and hope maketh vs not ashamed. I say that patience ingendreth triall, bicause that wheras God hath promised help in truble to such as trust in him, we find it by experiēce, in that we continew strong and stedfast all the while, and are vpholden by the hand of God, which thing we could not doo with all the powers that we haue of our owne. So then by patience we fynd that our Lord gyueth [Page] vs the help that he hath promised vs at our néede, whereby our hope is confirmed. And it were an ouergreat vnthankfulnesse not to trust to such an ayd and fauour for the tyme to come, as we haue found by experience to be so certein and stedfast heretofore. But what néede we so manie wordes? It ought to suffyze vs to knowe,Rom. [...]. that the trew christians are through tribulation clothed with the image of our lord Iesus christ crucifyed: which if we beare willingly & with a good hart, we shall in the ende be clothed with the image of Iesus Christ glorifyed.2. Cor. 2. For as the passions of Iesus Christe doe abound: so through him shal the consolations ouerabound: & if we suffer with him here bylowe for a tyme, we shal also reigne with him there aboue for euer.

The sixt Chapter.
¶Certein remedies against distrust.

BUt forasmuch as the diuell & mans wisedome labour continually to dispossesse vs of this most holy fayth, wherthrough we beleue that all our sinnes are chastized & punished in Iesus christ, & that [...] [Page] preciouse bludshed we be reconcyled to the maiestie of god: it is verie néedful for a christiā to haue his weapons alwaies in a redines, to defend himself from y• sayd most mischeuouse temptation,Mark. 9. which séeketh to beréeue the sowle of hir lyfe. Among the sayd weapons (in my iudgment) y• mightiest and best are,Foure remedies against the tēptaciōs of distrust Prayer the often vse of the holie Communion, the rememberinge of holie Baptim, and the minding of predestination. In our Prayer,Prayer. wée may well say with the father of the poore Lunatik person of whom mencion is made in the Gospell of Saynct Mark: Lord Iesus,Math. 9. help myne vnbeléef. Or else we may say with the Apostles, Lorde increace our fayth. And if there reigne in vs a continewall desyre to grow in fayth,1. Thes. 5 hope, and Loue: we will continewally pray, as sainct Paule instructeth vs.Tru prayer. For Prayer is nothing else but a feruent mynd settled vpō God. By the remembering of Baptim, we shall assure our selues that we are at peace with God.Baptisme. And forsomuch as [...]. Peter sayeth that y• Ark of Noe was a figure of Baptim: therefore,1. Pet. 3. like as Noe was saued from the flud by the Arke, bycause hée beléeued the promises of GOD: so also are we by fayth saued in baptym from Gods wrath. Which [Page] faith is greunded vppon the woord of our Lord Iesus Christ, who saieth that he which beléeueth and is baptized,Mark. 16 shalbe saued. And good right it is: for in baptisme wée put on Iesus Christ as the Apostle Sainct Paule affirmeth,Gala. 3. and consequently we bée made partakers of his rightuousenesse, and of all hys goods: and vnder this preciouse robe, the sinnes that our frayelty committeth, lye hieden and couered, and are not imputed vnto vs. And so, according as Saint Paule sayeth,Rom. 4. the blissednesse which the Psalmist speaketh of, apperteineth to vs: namely,Psal. 36. Blissed are they whose misdooinges are forgiuen, and whose sinnes are couered. Blissed is the mā to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne. But it standeth a christian in hande, to take good héede, that vpon these wordes he take not libertie to sinne: for this doctrine belongeth to none such as honor them selues with the name of Christians confessing Christe with their mouth, and yit denie him in their déedes. But it concerneth the true Christians, who though they fight manfully agaynst the fleshe, the worlde, and the diuill: doe notwithstanding fall darly, and are constreyned to say, Lord forgiue vs our offēces. [Page] Theis are they to whom we speake to comfort them and to hold them vp, that they fall not into despayre as though the blud of christ washed vs not from all sin, and that he were not our aduocate, and the attonementmaker for his members. And therfore when we be prouoked to dowt of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, & that our own conscience beginneth to trubble vs:The supper of the Lord. Then must we furnish our selues with trew fayth, and out of hand haue recourse to y• preciowse blud of Iesus Christ shed for vs vppon the alter of the Crosse, and distributed to his Apostles at his last supper, vnder the veyle of a most holie Sacrament, which was ordeyned by Christ to the end y• we should celebrate the remembrance of his death, & that by the same visible Sacrament our trubbled consciences myght be assured of our attonement with God. The blissed Iesus christ made his last wil when he said, This is my bodie which is giuen for yow,Luke. 22 and this is my blud of the new Testament which is shed for manie to the forgiuenes of their sinnes.Mark. 16 We knowe that a Testament (sayeth Sainct Paule) although it be but a mans Testament,Gala. 3. yet neuertheles if it be allowed, no man despyzeth it or addeth anie thing to it: and that no testament is of force [Page] till the testator be dead, but hathe full poure after the parties decease. Then did Iesus Christ make his Testament, wherin he promisethe forgiuenesse of sinnes, and the grace and good fauour of himselfe and his father, togither with mercie and euerlasting lyfe. And to the intent that the sayd Testamente should be of full force, he hathe confirmed it with his owne preciowse blud and with his owne death.Hebr. 9. By reason wherof, sainct Paule sayeth, that Iesus Christe is the mediator of the new Testamēt that by his dying for the redemption of those transgressions which were in the former testament, they that are called might receyue the promis of the eternall inheritance. For whersoeuer is a Testament, there must also be the death of the Testator, for the Testament is confirmed by the deathe of the partie, insomuch as it is of no valu so long as the maker of it is aliue. Wherfore we be verye certein and assured by the death of Iesus Christ, that his Testament is auaylable, wherby all our misdéeds are pardoned,Ireneus Lib. 1. and we made heyres of eternall life. And for a token and faythful pledge hereof, in sted of a Seale, he hathe left vs this diuine Sacrament, which not onely giueth our sowles assured hope of their euerlasting [Page] Saluation, but also warrant [...]th vnto vs ye immortalitie of our flesh, forasmuch as it is euen now quickned by that immortall flesh of his, and in a certein maner becōmeth parttaker of the immortalitie therof, and he that is parttaker of that diuine flesh by faith, shall not perish for euer.Iohn. 6. But vnto him that receyueth it withowt the sayd fayth, it turneth to a daungerouse poyson, becawse that like as when bodily sustenance fyndeth the stomacke incumbred with euill humors, it corrupteth likewyse and woorketh greate anoyance: euen so if this spirituall féede lyght into a sinfull sowle that is full of malice and misbelef, it casteth it headlong into some greater ruine, not through it owne default, but bycause that to the vncleane and vnbeleuer al things are vncleane: notwithstanding that the things be sanctified by the Lordes blissing. For (as sayeth Sainct Paule (he that eateth of that bread and drinketh of that cup vnworthely,1 Cor. 11. is giltie of the bodie and blud of the Lord,What is ment by not making a difference of the lords bodie. and he eateth and drinketh his owne damnation, bycause he maketh no difference of the Lordes bodie. For he maketh no difference of the Lords bodie, which presumeth to the Lords supper without fayth & charitie. And forasmuch as he beleueth not [Page] that bodie to be his lyfe and the clenzer of al his sinnes:He y• receiueth this Sacrament protesteth himself to trust in none other thing than the blud of Christ. he maketh Iesus Christe a lyer, and treadeth the sonne of God vnder foote, & estemeth the blud of the Testament wherby he was fāctified but as a comon or worldly thing, & doeth greate wrong to the spirit of grace, and he shalbe punished verye sore at Gods hand for this his vnbéelef and wicked hipocrisie. For wheras he reposeth not y• trust of his iustificatiō in the passiō of our lord & sauiour Iesus christ: yit neuerthelesse he receyueth this moste holie Sacrament, & maketh protestation that he putteth not his trust in anie other thing. Wherby he accuseth himself, and is a witnesse of his owne iniquitie, and condemneth himself to euerlasting death, by refuzing the lyfe which god promiseth him in that holie Sacramēt.Uery cō fortable counsel. And in this poynt, when the Christian féeleth that his enemies are lyke to ouercome him: ye is to wit, when he beginneth to dout whether he haue receiued forgiuenes of his sinns by Iesus Christ: & that he shal not be able to withstand the diuel and his tēptatiōs: & that the accusation of his owne dowtfull conscience comes to presse him, so as he beginneth to feare least helfyre shold swallow him vp, [Page] and death hold him in his euerlasting bands by reason of Gods wrath: I saye, when the good christian féeleth himself in such agonie: Let him get him to this holie Sacrament wt a good hart and stowt courage, and receiue it deuoutly, saying in his hart and answering his enemies thus: I cōfesse I haue deserued a thousand hells, & euerlasting death by reason of the great sinnes which I haue committed. But this heauenly sacrament which I receyue at this present, assureth me of the forguiuenes of all my misdoings, & of myne attonement with God. For if I haue an eye to my works: ther is no dowt but I acknowledge my self a sinner, and condemne myne owne selfe in suche wise, as my conscience should neuer be quiet, if I should think that my sinnes are pardoned me for my workes sake. But when I looke to the promises and couenantes of God, who promiseth me forgiuenes of my sinnes by the blud of Iesus Christ, I am as sure that I haue obteyned it, and that I haue his fauour, as I am sure that he which hath made the promises and couenants, cannot lye nor deceiue: and through this stedfast fayth I become ryghtuouse by Christes rightuousenes,Rom. 4. wher through I am saued and my conscience quieted. Hath he [Page] not giuen his most innocent bodie into the handes of sinners for our sinnes? Hath he not shed his blud to wash away my iniquities? Why thē doost thou vex thy self O my soule? put thy trust in the Lord, who beareth thée so great loue, that to deliuer thée from eternal death, it hath pleased him that his only sonne should suffer death and passion, who hath taken vppon himselfe our pouertie, to giue vs his riches: layd our weakenesse vppon himself, to stablish vs in his strength: become mortal, to make vs immortall: come downe vnto the earth to aduaunce vs vp to heauen: and become the sonne of man with vs, to make vs the children of God with himself. Who is he then that shal accuse vs? God is he that iustifieth vs,Rom. 8. & who shall condemne vs? Iesus Christ is dead for vs, yea & rizen agein for vs, and he sitteth at the right hand of God, making intercession for vs. Let vs then O my Sowle leaue of these teares and sighes.

¶THE. C. III. PSALME.

1 MY soule, praise thou the LORD, and all that is within me, praise his holie Name.

[Page]2 My soule, praise thou the Lord, and forget not all his benefites.

3 Which forgiueth al thine iniquitie, and healeth all thine infirmities.

4 Which redemeth thy life from ye graue, & crowneth thée with mercie & compassion.

5 Which satisfieth thy mouth with good things: & thy youth is renued like y• Egles.

6 The Lord executeth righteousenes and iudgement to al that are oppressed.

7 He made his waies knowen vnto Moses, & his workes vnto the children of Israel.

8 The Lord is ful of compassion and mercie, slow to angre and of great kindnes.

9 He will not alwaye chide, nether kepe his angre for euer.

10 He hath not dealt with vs after our sinz, nor rewarded vs accordīg to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth, so great is his mercie towarde them that feare him.

12 As farre as the East is from the West: so far hath he remoued our sinnes from vs.

13 As a father hath cōpassiō on his childrē, so hath y• Lord compassiō on thē y• fear him.

14 For he knoweth whereof we be made: he remembreth that we are but dust.

15 The dayes of man are as grasse: as a [Page] floure of the field, so florisheth he.

16 For the winde goeth ouer it, & it is gone, and the place therof shal know it no more.

17 But y• louing kindenes of y• Lord endureth for euer & euer vpon thē that fear him, & his righteousenes vpon childrens children.

18 Unto thē that kepe his ceuenāt, & think vpon his commandements to do them.

19 The Lorde hath prepared his throne in heauen, and his kingdome ruleth ouer all.

20 Praise the Lord, ye his Angels, that exrel in strength, that do his commandement in obeying the voice of his word.

21 Praise the Lord, all ye his hostes, ye his seruants that do his pleasure.

22 Praise the Lord, all ye his workes, in al places of his dominion: my soule praise thou the Lord.

So hath he had mercie on vs, in giuing vs his only sonne. With this faith, with theis thanksgiuings, with theis or such other like thoughts must we receiue ye sacramēt of the bodie & blud of our Lord Iesus Christ. After this maner is al fearfulnes driuen out of the soule of y• christiā: & charitie is incresed, faith strēgthened, y• conscience quieted, & the tung neuer ceasseth to prayse God and to yéelde him infinite thanks for so great a benefyte. [Page] This is the vertue efficacie, and onely trust of our sowle. This is the Rocke wher vppō if the conscience be bwilded, it feareth nother tempest, nor the gates of hell, nor gods wrath, nor the Lawe, nor sinne, nor death, nor the diuels, nor any other thing. And forasmuch as the substance of the Lords Supper and table consisteth in this diuine Sacrament: When ye christian is at it, he must hold his eyes fastened continewally vppon the passion of our graciouse Sauiour, beholding him on the one syde vppon the crosse loden with all our sinnes: and GOD on the othersyde punishing, chastizing, and whipping his owne only begottē and derbeloued sonne in stede of vs. O happie is that man that shetteth his eyes from all other syghts, and will nother héere nor sée any other thing than Iesus Christ crucifyed, in whome are layd vp & bestowed all the treasures of Gods wisdome & deuine knowledge. Blessed (say I) is he that fedeth his mind with so heauenly a foode, & maketh himselfe drunken in the loue of God with so swéete and singular a liquor. But before I make an end of this matter, I will first aduertise the christian, that Sainct Austin hath ordinarily bin woont to terme this holy sacrament the bond of charitie, [Page] and the misterie of vnitie. And he saieth, that whosoeuer receiueth ye misterie of vnitie and regardeth not the bond of peace, receiueth not the Sacrament to his owne behoof, but as a witnesse ageinst himself. Therfore we must vnderstand,Why the holy Sacramēt of thankesgiu [...]ng was ordey [...]ed. that the Lord hath ordeyned this holy Sacrament, not only to make vs sure of the forgiuenes of our sins: but also to inflame vs to peace, vnitie, & brotherly charitie. For in this Sacrament the lord doth after such a maner make vs partakers of his body, as he becōmeth al one thing with vs, and we with him. By reason wher of forasmuch as he hath but one bodie wherof he maketh vs partakers:Christen peace and vnyo [...] are betokened by the bread and Wyne. it is méete that we also should by such partaking become all one body togither amōg our selues. And this vnion is represented by the bread of the Sacramēt: which as it is made of many grayns mingled and kneaded togither in such wyse as one of them cannot be discerned from another: So also must we be ioyned togither after such a sorte, and so vnited togither into one agrement of mynd, as no diuision may créepe in. And this dooth sainct Paule shewe vs when he saieth: Is not the cup of blissing which we blisse, the communion of the blud of Iesus Christ? is not ye bread y• we break, [Page] the communion of the bodie of Iesus christe? whereas we be manie, yit are we but one bread and one bodie, forsomuch as we be all parttakers of one bread. [...]e that offendeth one of his Christen brethren, offendeth Christ himself. By theis things we vnderstand, that when we receiue this most holy communion, we must consider that we are all of vs ingreffed into Christe, and are all becomme members of one selfesame bodie, y• is to wit of I [...]sus Christ, in such wyse as we cannot offend, defame or d [...]spyse any of our brethren, but we must therwithall offend, defame and despyse our sayde head Iesus Christ: neyther can we be at variance with any of our brethren, but in lykewise we must be at odds with him. Also we cannot loue him, except we loue him in our brethren. Looke how much care we haue of our owne bodie, so much must we haue of our christen brethren, who are the members of our bodie. And like as no part of our bodie féeleth anye gréefe, which spreddeth not it selfe into all the other parts: so ought we to determine with our selues, that our brother féeleth not any inconuenience, which should not moue vs to compassion. With such maner of thoughts must we prepare our selues to this holie Sacrament, quickening vp our sprites wt a feruēt loue to our neibour ward. [Page] For what greater spurre can we haue to prick vs to loue one another,A preparatiō to y• receyuing of y• holy Sacrament. thā to sée y• Iesus christ, by giuing himself vnto vs, not only allureth vs to giue our selues one to another, but also by making himself common to vs all, maketh vs also to be all one selfsame thing in him? In respect wherof, wée ought to couet and procure, that in all of vs there may be but one mind, one harte, & one tung, accorded and vnited togither in thoughtes, words and déeds. And we must mark well, that as oft as we receyue this holy and worthy Sacrament,He that receyueth y• Sacramēt byndeth himself to al y• dewlies of charitie we bind our selues to al the deuties of charitie: as not to offende any of our brethren, nor to leaue anything vndon, that may be profitable and helpfull in their necessitie. But if there come any to this heauenly table of the Lord, that are diuided at variance with their brethrē, the same must assure themselues that they eate vnworthely, and are gilty of the bodie and bloud of the Lorde, and that they eate and drinke their own damnation: for that there wanted nothing on their behalf, but that the body of Iesus christ was rent and plucked in péeces again, whilest they by hatred are deuided frō their brethren, that is to wit, from the members of Iesus Christ, and haue not any parte [Page] with him: and yit neuertheles in receiuing this holy communion, pretended to beléeue that their whole saluation consisteth in the participation and vnion with Iesus Christ. Then let vs go my brethrē,The trew and for which the holy Sacrament is ordeined. to the receiuing of this heauenly bread, to celebrate the remembrance of our Lordes passion, and to strengthen and fortifie the beléefe and assurance of the forgiuenes of our sinnes, with the remembrance thereof, and to quicken vp our myndes and tungs to prayse and exalt the infinite goodnes of our God, and finally to cherish brotherly loue, and to witnes the same one to another by the streyght vnion which all of vs haue in the bodie of our lord Iesus christ.The fourth remedie against distrust. Besydes prayer, & thé remembring of Baptim, and the often resorting to the most holy communion: ther is one other verie good remedy against distrust and fearfulnes, which is no lesse fréende to christian charitie: namely the remembrance of our predestination and election to eternall lyfe, grounded vppon the word of God, which is the sword of the holie Ghoste wherwith we may beate backe our enemies.Ephe. 5. Reioyce yée in this (sayeth the Lorde) that your names are written in heauen.Luke. 10 There is no greater ioy in this life, nor any thing that more comforteth [Page] the christian that is afficted, tempted, or falne into anie sinne, than the rememberance of predestination, and the assuring of our selues that we be of y• nomber whose names are written in the booke of lyfe, and which are chosen to be fashioned like vnto ye image of Iesus Christ. O how vnspeakable is the comfort of him that hath this fayth, & museth cōtinually in his hart vppon this exceding swéete predestination whereby he knoweth that although he fall often: yit notwithstanding, god his father who hath foreordeined him to euerlasting life, holdeth him vp and reacheth out his hand vnto him continually.Psal. 36. And he sayeth continually in himselfe, if god haue chozen me and predestinated me to the glorie of his children, who can hinder me? If God be with vs (sayeth sainct Paule) who can be ageinst vs? Nay rather,Rom. 8. to the ende that the predestination may be accomplished in vs,He y• re [...]eyueth y• Gospel is sure y• he is predestinated. [...] he effect y• precede of y• knowleg for predestination. he hath sent his déere beloued sonne, who is a most sure earnest penny and pledge vnto vs, that we which haue receyued the grace of the Gospell, are gods Children, chozen to eternall lyfe. This holie predestination maynteyneth the trew Christian in a continuall spirituall ioye, increaceth in him ye indeuer of good works, [Page] & inflameth him wt the loue of god, & maketh him enemie to ye world & to sinne. Who is so fearce & hardharted, which knowing y• god of his mercy hath made him his child frō euerlasting, will not by and by bée inflamed to loue GOD? Who is of so vyle and ba [...]e courage, that hée will not estéeme all the pleasures, all the honours, and all the riches of the world as filthy myre, whē he knowes y• god hath made him a citizen of heauē? yea theis are thei y• worship god rightly in spirit & truth, receyuing all things (as wel in prosperitie as in aduersitie) at the hand of God their Father, and euermore praysing and thāking him for all, as their good father, who is rightuouse and holy in all his workes. These being inflamed with the loue of God, and armed with the knowledge of their predestination, feare neither death, nor sin, nor the Diuill, nor hell: neyther knowe they what the wrath of god is: for they sée none other thing in god, but loue & fatherly kindnesse towards them. And if they fall into any troubles, they accept them as tokens of gods fauour,Rom. 8. trying out with S. Paule, who is it that shall separate vs from Gods loue? shall tribulations, shall anguish, shall persecution, or hunger, or nakednesse, or perill, or [Page] sword? as it is written, for thy sake are we killed all the day long, and counted as shéepe appointed to the slaughter. But in all these things we get the vpper hand thorough him that hath loued vs. Wherefore, it is not for nought that sainct Iohn sayeth, how the true christians know right well,1. Iohn. 3. that they must be saued and glorified, and that by reason of the same affiance, they make themselues holy as Iesus Christ is holy. And when Saint Paule exhorteth his Disciples to a good and holy life: [...]phe. 1. he is wont to put them in remembrance of their election and predestination, as of a thing of very great force to stirre vp the mynds of the true Christians to the louing of God, and to the performance of good works. And for the same cause our good lord Iesus christ speaketh openly of this holy predestination, as one that knew of howe great importance the knowledge thereof is to the edifying of his elect. But perchaunce thou wilt say to me, I know wel that they whose names are written in heauen, haue cause to liue in continuall ioy, and to glorifie GOD but in word and deed: but I know not whither I am of that number or no, and therefore I liue in continuall feare: specially bycause I knowe my selfe to bée an excéedinge [Page] weake and frayle sinner, from the violence wherof I am not able to defend my self, but that I am ouercome of it daily. And furthermore for asmuch as I se my self cōtineually afflicted and troubled with dyuerse temptations, methinks I do as it were behold with myne eyes, the wrath of God squorging me. Too answere to theis dowtes of thyne, I say my ryght dere brother, that thou must assure thy selfe, that al theis are but temptations of the deuill, who by all meanes séeketh to rob vs of that faith and confidence that springeth of faythe and assurethe vs of Gods good will towardes vs. He laboreth to strip our sowle out of this preciouse garmēt: for he knoweth that none is a trew Christian, except he beleue Gods word which promiseth forgiuenesse of all sinnes, & peace to all them which accept the grace of the Gospel. Uerely I say, that he which vppon theis promises of God, perswadeth not himselfe assuredly, that god is a mercifull and louing father vnto him, nor with stedfast cōfidence loketh to receyue the inheritance of the heauenly kyngdome at his hand: is not faythful in dede, & maketh himself vtterly vnworthie of gods grace. In respect whereof sainct Paule sayeth that we be the temple of God,Hebr. 3. so farforthe as we [Page] firmely mainteine the confidence and glory of our hope, vnto the ende. And in another place he exhorteth vs that we shuld not giue ouer our trust,Hebr. 10 which hath great rewarde of recompence. And therfore my brethren, let vs giue our whole indeuer to do the will of God, as it becommeth good children, and beware that we sinne not, as néere as we can. And although we fall oftentimes into sinne through our own frayeltie: yet let vs not by and by surmise, that we be vessels of wrath, or that wée bee vtterly forsaken of the holy Ghoste: for wee haue our Aduocate Iesus Christ before God the father, and he is the attonement maker for our sinnes. Let vs bethinke vs of the opinion of Saint Austin, who fayeth, that none of the Saincts is rightuouse and without sinne: and yit notwithstanding that, he ceasseth not to be rightuous and holy, so farforth as he retaine his holynesse with affection.Afflictiōs at no signes of reprobation And therefore if wee haue afflictions and tribulations: let vs not think that God sends them bicause he is our enemie, but bicause he is our most louing father. The Lord (sayeth Salomon) chastiseth him whom hee loueth, and scourgeth euery child of his whom he receyueth. Wherfore,Pro 5. if we haue receiued the grace of the Gospel, [Page] whereby man is receiued of GOD for his childe, wee muste not doubt of Gods grace and good will towards vs. [...] trew [...] to know [...] [...]ods children by. And when wee perceyue our selues to delight in GODS woord, and to haue a desire to followe the life of Iesus Christe: wee must stedfastly beleeue, that wee bee the children of GOD and the temple of the holy Ghost. For those things cannot be done by the power of mans wisedome, but are the gifts of the holy Ghost who dwelleth in vs by faith, and is as it were a seale of authoritie which sealeth vp Gods promises in our hartes, the certeinty wherof is printed aforehand in our mindes, and is giuen vs as a pledge to stablish and confirme the same. [...]phe. 2. As soone as you beleeue (sayth the Apostle Sainct Paule) yee be sealed by the holy Spirit of promise,Wherefore y• Apostle calleth y• holy Gost y• s [...]irit of [...]. who is the earnestpenny of our inheritance. Behold howe he sheweth vs heereby, that the hartes of the faithfull are marked with the holy Ghost as it were with a seal [...]: in respect wherof he calleth the holy ghost the spirit of promis, for so much as he confirmeth the promis of the Gospell, the which (as I haue oftentimes told you) is a happy tydings that promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting [Page] life, to all suche as beleeue that all their misdooinges are blotted out in Iesus Christ. All we that beléeue in IESUS Christ (sayeth Sainct Paule) are becommeGala. 3. the children of GOD: and bicause we bée his children, hée hathe sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hart, which cryeth, Father, father. And to the Romanes, those (sayeth he) that are guided by the spirit of GOD,Rom. 8. are the children of God: for ye haue not receyued again the spirit of bondage in feare: but the Spirite of adoption, whereby wee crie father, father. For certeinly the sam [...] spirit beareth our spirit record, that wée bée the children of GOD. Now then, if we be children, wée bée also heires. And we must marke well, that in these twoo places the Apostle Saint Paule speaketh plainly, not of any speciall reuelation, but of a certeine recorde which the holy Ghost doth commonly yéelde to all such as receyue the grace of the Gospell. Then if the holy Ghoste assure vs that we be Gods children and heires: why should we doubt of our predestination? The same man sayeth in the same Epistle,Rom. 8. whom hée hath predestinated, them hathe hee also called: and whō he hath called, them hath he [Page] also made rightuouse: & whom he hath made rightuouse thē also hath he glorified. What shal we thē say to al these things? if god be on our side,A true mark of predestis nation. who can be against vs? And therefore if I plainly perceiue, that God hath called me by giuing me fayth and the fruiets of faith, that is to wit, Peace of conscience, mortification of the flesh, and quickening of the spirit, whether it be in whole or in parte: why should I doubt that I am not predestinated? And moreouer we saye with Sainct Paule, that all true christians (that is to wit, all such as beléeue the Gospell) receyue not the spirit of this world,1. Cor. 2. but the spirit that commeth from god: by the inspiration wher of they discerne the things that God hath giuen them. What maruell then is it, if wée know that god hath certeinly giuen vs euerlasting life? But there are some which saye, that no man ought to presume so farre, as to boast himselfe to haue the spirit of GOD. They speake in such wyse, as if the christiā should glory of the hauing of it for his owne desertes, & not by the onely & mere mercie of God: and as though it were a presumptuousnesse to professe him selfe a christian: or as though a man could be a Christian without ye hauing of Christes spirit: or as though [Page] we could without flat hipocrisie say that Iesus Christ is our Lord,Rom. 8. or call God our Father, if the holy ghost moued not our hartes & tungs to vtter so swéete wordes.1. Cor. 12 And yit notwithstanding, euen they that count vs presumptuouse for saying that God hath giuen vs his holy spirit, with faith, forbid vs not to say euery day Our Father, but rather commaund vs. But I would haue them too tell me, how it is possible to separate faith & the holy gost asunder, séeing that faith is the peculiar work of the holy ghost? If it be presumption to beléeue that the holy ghost is in vs,He that glorieth not y• he hath y• holy ghost, is no true Christiā. why doth sainct Paule bid the Corinthians try them selues whither they haue faith or no, affirming them to be reprobats if they know not that Iesus Christ is in them? But in very déede, it is a great blindnesse to accuse the christians of presumptuousnesse for taking vppon them to glorie of the presence of the holy ghost, without which glorying, there cannot be any Christianitie at all. But Iesus Christe (who cannot lye) sayeth, that his spirit is vnknowen to the worlde, & that they only do know him,Iohn. 14. within whome he dwelleth. Then let them begin to become good christians, and put away their Iewish minds, & imbrace the grace of the holy gospell [Page] in good earnest: and then shall they know that the good and true christians both haue the holy Ghost, and also acknowledge themselues to haue him. But some one may say to mée, that the christian can not by any means know that he is in gods fauour, without some speciall reuelation: and so consequently that he cannot knowe whither he be predestinated or no.Eccle. 6. And hée may specially alledge these woordes of Salomon, A man knoweth not whither he be worthy of hatred or of loue: and also these wordes of the Apostle Sainct Paule to the Corinthians: I féele not my selfe gilty of any thing,1. Cor. 4. and yit féele I not my selfe iustifyed for all that.A Man may knowe y• he is in Gods fa [...]or. It séemeth to be sufficiently declared by the textes of holy Scripture, that the saide opinion is false: and now remaineth onely to be shewed briefely, that these two textes whereuppon the same opinion is chiefly grounded, ought not to be taken in that sence. As touchinge Salomons sentence, although it bée scarse well and faythefully translated in the common translation: yit is there not any man so dul, who in reading Salomons whole discourse, may not playnely perceyue, by saying so he ment that if any man willBy the chaunces take vppon him to iudge by the casualties▪ [Page] that happen in this lyfe,Of this life no mā cā iudge whther a mā be in Gods fauor or displeasure. who is loued or hated of GOD: he laboreth in vayne, considering that the selfesame chaunces which light vppon the rightuouse, light also vppon the vnrightuouse: vppon him that Sacri [...]zeth, as wel as vpon him that sacrifizeth not: & as soone vpō the good mā as vpō y• sinner. Wher of it may be gathered, y• god doth not always shew his loue towards those whō he indueth wt outward prosperities: & contrariewyse, that he sheweth not his displeasure towards those whom hee punisheth. Then my right deere brethren in Christ Iesus our Lorde, doe you thinke it reason to conclude, that a man cannot be sure of Gods fauour, bycause the same surenesse cannot bee perceyued by the sundrie chaunces that happen euery day in theis transitory & temporal things? A litle afore, Salomō saith y• a man can not discerne any difference betwene y• soule of a mā, & the life of a beast: for it is seene that both mā & beast die after one maner. Shal we then conclude by this outward accident, y• the persua [...]iō which we haue conceiued of the immortality of the soule is groūded but only vppon coniecture? No surely, and it were a great follye to stande vppon a thing so notablye knowen. And as for Saincte Paules [Page] words, I say, that for asmuch as he was sp [...]aking of the administration of the gospell, hée ment that his hart misgiues him not of any misdealing therin, and yit for all that, that he is not sure he hath done his whole duetie to the full, and therein obteyned the prayse of rightuousenes to Godward, as if hée had done all that pertained and was conuenient to be done by a faithfull Steward: and therfore in speaking of his office, like a iust and discrete persone, he durst not iustifie himself, nor auow that he had discharged his deutie to the vttermost, and satisfyed his lords wil, but [...]eferred all things to the only iudgemēt of his Lord. And verely, who soeuer readeth these words of the Apostle Sainct Paule, and considereth the wordes going afore them wt some iudgement, and likewise the woordes that folowe: will not doubt, but this is the true sence of them. I know well, that some men in expounding these words of the Apostle sainct Paule, say, that although he knewe himself to be without sin, yit he knewe not whether he were rightuouse to Godward or no, accordinge as Dauid affirmeth, that no man can perfectly knowe his owne sinnes. But these mē perceiue not that Saint Paule Rom. 3. 5 groundeth not rightuousenes vppon woorks [Page] but vpon faith, and that hée vtterly refuseth his own rightuousenesse to imbrace only the rightuousnes which God hath giuen vs thorough our Lord Iesus Christ.Phil. 3. Also they consider not, that he was most certein to bée accepted for rightuous, in maynteining the soundnesse and purenesse of the christē faith, and that he knewe well howe the crowne of2. Tim. 4 that righteousnes was layd vp for him in heauen: and also, that hee was fully assured, that no creature in heauen,Rom. 8. earth, nor hell was able to separate him from the loue of God,Phil. 1. and that he longed to dye bicause hée knew for a truth, y• after his death, he should be with Iesus Christe. All which thinges should be false, if he had not bin well assured that he was rightuouse, (I meane) by faith & not by works. Therfore, my déerbeloued brethren, let vs cease to speake that thing of the Apostle Sainct Paule, which he neuer once thought of himself, but féersly fought agaynst it continually, in answering such as measured rightuousenes by woorks, & not by faith in our Lord Iesus Christ. But besides these two auctorities of Salomon and sainct Paul, a man might alledge some other places of holy scripture, which wheras they warne and incorage men to feare God, séeme to be contrarie [Page] to the assurance of this our predestination. And if I would declare them all particularly: I should be ouer long.The two [...]ort [...]s of feare, child y• & [...] But I say generally,Rom. 8. that y• feare of punishment was proper to the old Testamēt, and childly loue to the new Testament: according as S. Paule witnesseth when he sayeth to the Romanes, ye haue not receyued the spirit of bondage to feare: but ye haue receiued y• spirit of adoptiō wherby we [...]rye father, father. And likewise vnto Timothie he sayeth,2. Tim. [...]. y• god hath not giuē vs y• spirit of fearfulnes, but rather of power and loue: which spirit Iesus Christ hath giuen vs according to the promis made by the mouth of the holy Prophets, and brought to passe that we being deliuered out of our enemyes handes, may serue him without feare before his holy presence, in all holinesse and rightuousenesse all the dayes of our life. By theis & many other places of the holy Scripture, a man may plainly gather, that y• peynfull and slauish fearfulnesse agreeth not with a Christian: and this is alredie confirmed by this, that such maner of fearfulnesse is vtterly contrarie to the spirituall cherefulnes and ioy which is peculiar to the christian, as the Apostle Sainct Paule sheweth openly to the Romanes,Rom. 14 saying that the kingdome of God [Page] is rightuousenesse & peace & ioy in the holy ghost: that is to say, y• euery man which entereth into the kingdome of the grace of the gospel, is become rightuouse through fayth: and afterward addeth peace of conscience,Ephe. 6. which consequently bréedeth such a spiritual and holy rest & gladnesse,Phil. 4. in respect wherof the same Sainct Paule doth oftentimes incorage the christians to liue merily.1. Peter. 1 And sainct Peter sayeth, that all they which beleeue in Iesus Christ, do continually reioyce with an vnspeakable and gloriouse ioy, notwithstanding that they be afflicted with diuerse temptations.The sla [...]ish feare threateneth the wicked, and the childly feare [...] y• chozen. And therfore whē the holy scripture threateneth and frayeth the christians: they must vnderstand, that it speaketh to such as are so licenciouse, that forsomuche as they kepe not the thankfulnesse and honestie that belong to GODS children, they must b [...]e handled as serua [...], and hild in awe vntill they come to taste and feele how sweete and pleasant the Lord is, and vntill such time as fayth worke his effectes in them, & that they haue so much childly loue, as may suffize to keepe & maintaine thē in honestie of christē conuersation, and in folowing the example of our lord Iesus Christ. And whē ye selfsame scripture exhorteth y• christiās to y• true fear: [Page] it meaneth not that they should feare the iudgement and wrath of god, as though it were presently ready to condemne them: for (as I haue said already) by the record which the holy ghost giueth to thier spirit, they knowe that God hath chosen them and called them, of his owne mere mercy, and not for their desertes. By reason whereof they doubt not at al, but that by the selfsame goodnes & mercie, he will mainteine thē in the happy state wherin he hath placed them. And after suche maner the scripture exhorteth them,The effects of childly fear. Eph 4. not too flauish feare but to childly feare: that is too wit, that like good children they should bée loth to offend against the christen Religion, or to commit any thing against the deutie & honestie of Gods true children, and likewise to gréeue the holy ghost that dwelleth in thē: to the ende that knowing the corruptednesse of our nature, we shou [...] always be héedfull and diligent, and neuer haue any t [...]ust in our selues: for in our flesh and in our mynds do the appetites and affections continually dwell: which, as deadly enemies of y• soule, lay a thousand snares and baytes for vs incessantly, labouring to make vs proud, ambitiouse, lecherous, and couetouse. This is the feare whereunto the whole scripture exhorteth [Page] the Christians that haue once fasted howe swéet the Lord is, and which bestowe all their indeuer in followinge Christes footesteps, who cast not frō thē this holy fear, bycause they labour to put off the old man. And the good christians must neuer berée [...] themselues quyte and cleane of this childlie feare, which is the singular friend of christē charitie, like as the slauish feare is suche an enemie vnto it, as they can by no meanes dwell togither.The christian may warrant him self y• forgiuenes of his slunes. And by the foresayd things, a man may plainely perceiue, that the good Christian ought neuer to doubt of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes, nor of Gods fauour. Neuerthelesse, for the better satisfying of the Reader, I purpose to set downe here vnder, certaine authorities of y• holy Doctors, which confirme this foresayd truth. Sainct Hilary in his fifth Canon vppon Matthewe sayth, it is Gods will, that wée should hope without any douting of his vnknowen will. For if the beléefe be doubtfull, there can bée no rightuousenesse obteyned by beléeuinge. And thus wée sée,S Hilary that according to Sainct Hilarie, a man obteyneth not forgiuenesse of his sinnes at Gods hand, except he beléeue vndoubtedly to obteyne it. And good right it is,Iames. 1. that it should be so. For he that douteth, [Page] is like a waue of the Sea, which is tossed & turmoyled with the wynd. And therfore let not such a one think to obteyne any thing at gods hande. But let vs here sainct Austin, S. Augustin. who in his Manuel counsele [...]h vs to driue away the sayd foolish imagination, which intendeth to dispossesse vs of the foresayd good and sage assurednes. Let such foolish imagination (sayeth he) murmur as much as it listeth, saying: who art thou? how great is that glorie? by what desertes hopest thou to obteyne it? I answer assuredly: I know in whome I haue beléeued, and I know that he (of his great loue) hath made me his sonne: I know he is trew of his promis, and able to performe his word: for he can do what he will. And when I thinke vppon the Lords death, the multitude of my sinnes cannot dismay mee: for in his death doe I put all my trust. His death is my whole desert, it is my refuge, it is my saluation, my life and resurrection, & the mercie of ye Lord is my desert. I am not poore of desert, so long as the lord of mercie fayleth me not. And sith the mercies of the Lord are manie: manie also are my deseruings. The more y• he is of power to saue, the more am I sure to be saued. The same sainct Austin talking with GOD in [Page] another place, sayeth that he had despayred by reason of his greate sinnes and infinite negligences, if the woord of god had not becommne flesh. And anon after he sayth theis words: All my hope, all the assurance of my trust is settled in his preciouse blud, which was shed for vs and for our saluatiō. In him my poore hart taketh breth: and putting my whole trust in him, I longe to come vnto thée O father, not hauing myne owne ryghtuousenes, but y• ryghtuousenes of thy sonne Iesus Christ. In theis two places sainct Austin sheweth playnly, that the christiā must not be afrayd, but assure himselfe of ryghtuousenes, by grownding himselfe, not vppon his own works, but vppō the preciouse blud of Iesus Christ, which clenzeth vs from all our sinnes, and maketh our peace with god. Sainct Barnard in his first sermō vppon the Annunciation sayeth most euidently,S. Bernard. that it is not ynough to beleue that a man can haue forgiuenes of his sinnes,Eche one must beleue particularly that hie sinnes are released & forgiuē him freely. but by gods mercie: nor any one good desyre or abilitie to doe so much as one good worke, except God giue it him: no nor that a man cannot deserue eternall lyfe by his workes, but if GOD giue him the gift so to beleeue: But besydes all theis thinges (sayeth Sainct Bernard) [Page] which ought rather to be counted a certayne entrance and foundation of our faith), it is néedfull that thou beléeue also,Eche one must beleue particularly that his sinnes are released & forgiuē him freely. that thy sins are forgiuen thée for the loue of Iesus christ. Sée how this holy man confesseth that it is not ynough to beléeue generally the forgiuenesse of sinnes: but he must also beléeue particularly that his owne sinnes are forgiuen him by Iesus Christ, and the reason is ready at hand, namely, that forasmuch as God hath promised thée to accept thée for rightuouse through the merites of Iesus Christ, if thou beléeue not that thou art become rightuouse through him, thou makest GOD a lyer, and consequently thou makest thy selfe vnworthie of his grace and liberalitie. But thou wilt say to me, I beléeue well the forgiuenesse of sinnes, and I know that GOD. is true: but I am afrayd that I am not worshie to haue so great a gift. I aunswer, that the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes shall not bée a gift or frée grace, but a wages, if God should giue it thée for the worthines of thy works. But I replie vppon thée, that God accepteth thée for rightuouse, and layeth not thy sin too thy charge, bicause of Christs merits, which are giuen vnto thée and become thyne by fayth. Therefore, following the councell of [Page] Sainct Bernard, beleue thou, not only the forgiuenesse of sinnes in generall, but also apply the same beléefe to thine own particular person, by beleuing without any dout, y• all thy misdoinges are pardoned thée through Iesus Christ. And in so doing thou shalt giue y• glorie vnto God, by confessing him to be mercifull and trew & shalt become rightuouse and holy before God, forsomuch as by the same confessiō y• holines & righteousnesse of Iesus Christ, shal be communicated vnto thée. But to returne to our purpose of predestinatiō: I say, that by the thinges aboue mencioned, a man may euidently perceyue, that the assuraunce of predestination doth not hurt, but rather greately profit the trew Christians. And I thinke not that it can hurte the false Christians and reprobates. For albeit that such maner of folk would beare them selues in hand and pretend to the worldward to be of the nomber of ye predestinate: yit can they neuer perswade their owne consciences, which wil euer bée gnawing and crying out to the contrarie. But yit it séemeth greatly, that the doctrine of predestination may hurt them. For they be wont to say: If I bée of the nomber of y• reprobates, what shall it auaile mée to do good works? And if I be of y• nomber [Page] of the predestinate, I shalbe saued without any laboring of myne to do good works. I answer thée at fewe wordes, that by suche diuelish argumēts they increace gods wrath ageinst themselues, who hath disclozed the knowledge of predestination to the Christians, to make them whot, and not c [...]ld in the loue of God: and to set them foreward and not backward vnto good workes. And therfore the trew Christian, on the one side holdeth himself assuredly predestinated vnto euerlasting lyfe and to be saued, not at all by his owne merites, but by Gods electiō, who hath predestinated vs, not for our own workes lakes but to shewe the greatnesse of hys mercie: And on y• other side indeuereth himselfe to do good workes after the example of Iesus Christ, as much as if his saluation depended vppon his own policie and paynestaking. As for hym that ceasseth to do good bycause of the Doctrine of predestination, saying, if I be predestinated, I shalbée saued without streyning of my self to do good workes: he sheweth euidently, that his traueling is not for the loue of God, but for ye loue of himself. By reason whereof, the workes that he doth may perhaps be good and holy to the sight of men but they be wicked and abhominable [Page] before the Lorde God, who hath an eye to the intent. And hereuppon it may be gathered, that the doctrine of predestination worketh rather good than harme to the false christians. For it discouereth their hipocrisie which can not cure it selfe so long as it lyeth hidden vnder the mantel of outward works. But I would haue them that saye, I will not streyne my self to do well, for if I be predestinated, I shalbe saued without tyring of my self so much: I say I would haue them tell mée, how it happeneth, that when they be diseased, they say not also, I wil haue neyther Phisicion nor phisick: for looke what God had determined vppon mée, cannot but come to passe? why eate they? why drincke they? why till they the ground? why plant they Uines? and why bée they so diligent in dooing all thinges conuenient for too susteyne the body? why saye they not also, that all theis turmoylynges, pollices, and trauels of ours are superfluouse, forasmuch as it is not possible, but that what soeuer God hath foreséene and determined concerning our lyfe and death, muste néedes come to passe? And therefore if Gods prouidence make them not negligent and idle in things perteining to the body. Why should it make [Page] them more slothfull and negligent in that which concerneth the Christen perfection, which without all comparison is farre nobler than the bodie? But for asmuch as wée sée that neither Iesus Christe nor Sainct Paule, for any doubt of offending the reprobates, haue forborne to preache the trueth, which is necessarie to the edifying of the chosen, for the loue of whom the euerlasting Sonne of GOD became man, and was put to death vppon the crosse: wee also in like wise ought not to forbeare the preaching of predestination to the true Christians, for asmuch as wee haue seene, that it importeth great edification. Now are we come to the end of our purpose, wherein our chief intent hath bin (according to our small power) to magnifie the wonderfull benefite which the Christen man hath receyued by IESUS Christ crucified, and to shewe that faith, of hir self alone iustifieth, that is to witt, that God receyueth and holdeth them for rightuouse, which beleeue stedfastly that Chryste hath made full amends for their sinnes: how beit that as light cannot be separated from Fyre which of it selfe burneth and deuoureth all things: euen so good woorks can not bee separated from fayth, which alone by i [...] selfe [Page] iustifieth. And this holy doctrine (which exalteth Iesus Christ and represseth and abateth the pryde of man) hath and alwayes shalbe reiected and fought against by such Christians as haue Iewish mindes. But happy is hee, who folowing the example of Sainct Paule, spoileth himselfe of his owne rightuousenesse, and would haue none other rightuousenesse, than that which is of Iesus Christ, wherwith if he be clothed and apparelled, he may most assuredly appeere before God, and shall receiue his blissing and the heritage of heauen & earth: with his only Sonne Iesus Christ our lord, to whom be all honor, praise & glory from this time forth for euermore. Amen.

‘Christ is the ende of Law.’

§

§

[Page]

¶Imprinted at London by Thomas East, for Lucas Harison, and George Bisshop.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

The benefite that Christians receiue by Iesus Christ crucifyed. Translated out of French into English, by A.G. 1573Dal beneficio di Christo. English

Benedetto, da Mantova, fl. 1534-1541.

Edition statement

1573

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2003-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A08830

ID [STC]

STC 19114

ID [STC]

ESTC S120980

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99856171

ID [PROQUEST]

99856171

ID [VID]

21698

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A08830)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 21698)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1578:26)

Source

— The benefite that Christians receiue by Iesus Christ crucifyed. Translated out of French into English, by A.G. 1573, Dal beneficio di Christo. English, Benedetto, da Mantova, fl. 1534-1541., Flaminio, Marco Antonio, 1498-1550., Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606, attributed name., Paleario, Aonio, 1503-1570, attributed name..

Extent

[118] p.

[By Thomas East,] for Lucas Harison and George Bishop,. Imprinted at London :: [1573]. (By Benedetto da Mantova; revised by Marco Antonio Flaminio.) (Sometimes attributed, erroneously, to Antonio dalla Paglia [i.e. Aonio Paleario].) (A.G. = Arthur Golding (?)--STC.) (Originally published as: Dal beneficio di Christo.) (Printer's name from colophon.) (Running title reads: The benefyte of Christes death.) (Signatures: A-G H⁴ (-H4, blank?).) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.