An Comfortable Exhortation, Part 1
¶Of faith
BElowed brethren aboue all thinge be ſtronge and ſtedfaſt in youre faith / Ephe. vias S Paul teached. Aboue all / take ye ye ſhelde of faith / wherwith ye maye quench all the fyrie dartes of ye wicked.i. Petri v. Therfore be ye ſober and watch for youre aduerſary the deuil as an roringe Lion walker about / ſekinge whom he maye denore / whom reſiſt ſtedfaſt in the Faith As Ihon ſaith ī his reuelation Beholde ye deuil ſhal caſt of you in preſone / Apoca. iito tēpte you be faithful vntounto the deeth / & I ſhall geue y• an croune of lyfe. Vithout this faith ſaith Paul / Hebreo. xiIt is vnpoſſible to pleaſe God. Therfore be ſtronge in youre faith. This faith is the very rocke where on the chirch is hildeth as ſaith oure ſaueour / Math. xviap one this rocke I vilbilde my congregation / i Corin. iij.And Paul ſaith in an other place. No man can laye a nother fundation then that which is layde which is Ieſus Chriſt / that is tho ſaye / yt faith of Ieſus Chriſt / and in an other place ſaith he / ye nowe are no moare ſtrangers ād foreners / Ephe. ij.but citeſins with the ſaynctes and of the houſholde of God / and are bildet apō the fundacion of the Apoſtles and Prophetes / Ieſus Chriſt beynge the heed corner ſtone / in whom eueryevery bildinge coupled to gether / groweth vntounto an holy temple in the lorde / in whom ye alſo are but to gether / and made an habitacion for God in ye ſprite.Apo. xxvi The fundacion of the wal of the cite ſaith Ihone was garniſſhed with all maner of precious ſtonis. The fundacion of the cite of Ieruſalē (the chirch of almigty God) is faith which is garniſſhed with the greate mercy and goodnes of God abundantly / as with all maner of precious ſtonis / or with all kynde of good workes precious & acceptable vntounto God / for faith can nor be ydel / bot worketh thorowe lowe / Galath. … Mathei vijyee good to all man / like as a good tree bryngeth forth good frute / a good tree cā not brynge forth bade frute. Alſo an good mā out of ye good treaſure of his herte brīgeth forth good thī ges. Faith thorow lowe is myghty in operacion / Gala. v Gala. 3. iiij Roma. v i Corin. xiij Apoca. xxifor faith bryngeth the ſprite of God and the ſprite of God bryngeth lowe. And lowe worketh no ewil / but al good So faith continualy worketh good to all man / and maye be callit the fūdaciō garniſhed with all maner of precious ſtonis. For by faith ve are iuſtifieth / and made righteous before God.Roma. iij As it is written. Nowe merely is the righteueſnes that commeth of God / declared without the fulfillinge of the lawe hauinge witnes both of the lawe & of ye Prophetes. The righteueſnes no dout which is good before God / commeth by the faith of Ieſus Chriſt / vntounto all & apon all that beleue. For there is no difference: all hauehave ſynned / and lacke the prayſe that is of valoure before God / but are iuſtified frely by his grace thorow the redemption that is in Chriſt Ieſu / whom God hath made an ſeate of mercy / thorow faith in his bloud / to ſhewe the righteueſnes which before hym is of valoure / in that he forgeueth the ſynnes that are paſſhed / which God did ſofre to ſheue at this tyme / the righteueſnes that is alowed of hym / that he myght be counted iuſte / and an iuſtifiar of hym that beleuith on Ieſus Chriſt. Where is then thy reioyſinge? it is excludet. By what lawe? by the lawe of workes? naye but by the lawe of faith. We ſuppoſe therfore that an man is iuſtified by faith / without the deades of the lawe. Ys he God of the iewes only? ys he not the God alſo of the gentyls? he is (no dout) God alſo of the gentyls / for it is God only which iuſtified circumciſion / which of faith / and vncircumciſiō thorow faith
¶Yf Abraham were iuſtified by deades then hath he wherin to reioyce / but not with God. For what ſaith the ſcripture.Roma. iiij. Abraham beleued God / Gene. xvand it was counted vntounto hym for righteueſnes
¶To hym that worketh the rewarde is not reckened of fauour / but of duety. To hym that worketh not / but beleueth on hym that iuſtified the vngodly / is faith reckened for righteueſnes.Pſal. xxxi Euen as Dauid deſcribeth the bleſſed fulnes of an man / vntounto whom God aſcribeth righteueſnes without deades. Bleſſed are they / whoſe vnrighteueſnes is forgeuen / and whoſe ſynnes are couered / bleſſed is that man / to whom the lorde imputeth not ſynne. Cam this bleſſednes then apon the circumciſed or apon the vncircūciſed? we ſaye verely howe yat faith was reckened to Abrahā for righteueſnes Howe was it reckened?Gene. xv In the time of circumciciſion / or in the time before he was circumciſed? Not in the time of circumciſion / but when he was yet vncircumciſed And he receaued the ſigne of circumciſion as an ſeale of that righteueſnes which is by faith / Gene. xviiwhich faith he had / yet beynge vncircumciſed. That he ſhulde be the father of all them that beleue / thougt they be not circumciſed / that righteueſnes myght be imputed to them alſo. Abraham was made ſtronge in the faith / and gaue honour to God / and ſtedfaſtly beleued that he which had made the promes was able alſo to make it good / and therfore was it reckened to hym for righteueſnes.Roma. iiij. It is not written for hym only / that it was reckened to hyme for righteueſnes / but alſo for vsus / to whom it ſhal be counted for righteueſnes / ſo we beleue on hym that reyſed vppe Ieſus the lorde frō deeth. As ſaith Paul be cauſe that we are iuſtified by faith / we are at peace with God / Roman…. vthorow oure lorde Ieſus Chriſt. The Gētils which foloweth not righteueſnes / Roma. ixhauehave ouer takē righteueſnes. I meane ye righteueſnes which cōmeth of faith. But Iſrael which foloweth the lawe of righteueſnes / coulde not attayne vntounto ye lawe of righteueſnes. And wherfore? becauſe they ſought it not by faith / but as it were by the workes of the lawe. For they hauehave ſtombled at the ſtomblinge ſtone. As it is writtē Beholde I put in Syō an ſtomblinge ſtone and an rocke on which ſhal men faule / Eſai. xxviij& none that beleue on hym ſhalbe aſhamed.Romano. x I beare Iſrael recorde ſayth Paul / that they hauehave an feruent mynde to God warde / but not accordinge to knouledge. For they are ignoraunt of the righteueſnes / which is aloued before God / ād goo about to ſtabliſſhe their aune righteueſnes. And therfore are not obedient vntounto the righteueſnes which is of value before God. For Chriſt is the ende of the lawe / to iuſtifie all that beleue / ād in ye ſame chap. ſaith he. The beleue of ye herte iuſtified. And in an other place. We knowe yt no man is iuſtified by the deades of lawe / but by the faith of Ieſus Chriſt / Gala. iii.and we hauehave beleuet on Ieſus Chriſt / that we myght be iuſtified by ye faith of Chriſt / and noth by the deades of the lawe.Gala. iii Abraham beleued God / and it was counted vntounto hym for righteueſnes / vnderſtonde therfore that they which are of faith / are the childerne of Abraham. The ſcripture ſawe afore honde that God wolde iuſtifie the gentils thorow the mouthes of lyons / quenched the violence …f fyre / eſchaped the edge of the ſwearde / of weake were made ſtronge / woxet valient in fyght / turned to flyght the armees of the alientis. The wemen receaued their deed / to lyfe agayne wother were racked / and wolde not be deliuered / yt they myght receaue a better reſurrectiō. Wother taſied of mochingis and ſcourgyndis / moreower of bondes and preſonment / were ſtoned were heawen a ſunder / were tempted were ſlayne with ſweardes / walked vppe and doune in ſhepes ſkynnes / in gotes ſkynnes / in nede tribulacion and vexation / which the worlde was not worthy of. They wandred in wildernes / in mountaynes / in dens and cayes of the erth. And theſe all thoroue faith obteyned good reporte and receaued not the promes. God prouidinge an better thinge for vsus / that they without vsus ſhulde not be made perfect
Belowed bethren it is writtē The eyes of the lorde beholdeth faith / …ieremi. vthat is to ſaye. The lorde taketh pleaſure of faith / and faueours them in whom he findeth faith / ād imputed not their ſynnes vntounto them for the pleaſure which he hath of their faith / he loket not to their ſynnes / but he loketh to their faith as ſaith ye ſcripture.…ſal. xxxiii Dearly beloued / this faith where of I ſpeake is not fayned faith / nether deed faith / nether infruteful faith / which taketh name after ye opiniō of mē / but it is perfect faith / quycke lyuinge faith / which worketh ye pleaſure of God / Galath. vfrō ye herte of poore lowe This faith is not had be ye deuils nether by wicked & vngodly mē / but by ye ſaynctes of God / yee the childerne and heyres of God. Whom he had called vntounto the ſupper of lyfe.Apoca. xix Nether mo the man which had this faith / conſent to do any thinge agaynſt ye lawe of God for his herte is ſo vppe lyfted thorowe lowe / yt he foryettes his awne profit and pleaſure / and continually ſeketh the pleaſure of God / ād the profit of his brethrē This faith is callit / the faith of the Goſpell and it is an ſure confidence (or truſt) in God that he is faithful / and wil without any dout fulfil they thinges which he of his greate mercy hath promiſed vntounto vsus in Chriſt Enſample we hauehave of faithful Abraham / whois faith was coūted vntounto hym for righteueſnes. And his faith was an ſure confidence (or truſt) in the promes of God / as ſaith Paul. Abraham cōtrary to hope beleued in hope / Roma. iiij.that he ſhulde be the father of many nacions / accordinge to that which was ſpoken. So ſhal thy ſeed be / and he faynted not in the faith / nor yet conſideret hys aune body / which was nowe deed / euen when he was almoſt an hondred yeare olde. Nether cōſidered he the barenes of Sara. He ſta…kered not at the promes of God thorowe vnbelefe / but was made ſtronge in the faith / and gaue honour to God and ſtedfaſtly beleued / that he which hath made the promes was able alſo to make it good / and therfore was it reckened to hym for righteueſnes. It is not written for hym only / that it was reckened to hym for righteueſnes / but alſo for vsus: to whom it ſhalbe counted for righteueſnes / ſo we beleue on hym that reyſed vppe Ieſus oure lorde from deeth. Here Paul ſhewet what faith was in oure father Abraham / we ſhulde beleue in hope / contrary to hope as did Abraham / which contrary the hope of his natural ſtrength or powere / belewed in the ſtrength and powere of God infulfillīge his promes. So ſhulde we beleue ſurly to obteyne they thinges which God hath promiſed to vsus / thought they be vnpo…ſible to vsus to obteyne them after oure naturall weake powere.Ioan. iij God hath promiſed to vsus eternall life / which is vnpoſſible to vsus to obteyne after oure weake naturall powere becauſe we are ſynners / … Ioan. iyet thougt it be vnpoſſible to vsus to obteyne it of oure ſylfes: becauſe we are ſinful.Math. xix It is not vnpoſſible to God to geue it to vsus / accordinge to his promes. Therfore let vsus with Abraham beleue in hope / aboue hope / in Gods righteueſnes aboue oure vnrighteueſnes.Roma / iij▪ Iacobi ij Phili. ij.iiij Galatas iij In gods trueth aboue oure lyes. In Gods mercy: aboue oure ſynfulnes. In Gods power / aboue oure weaknes. Let vsus hauehave faith with Abraham in gods promyſes.Ioannis i i Corin. ij And we ſhall reioy with Abraham in receawinge of theſame thynges promyſed. This faith is not knowē of the worlde / nether be ye naturall man it / for it is an ſuper naturall gyfte geuen vntounto man frely by god.Epheſi. ij As ſaith Paul ye are made ſaue by faueoure throwe faith / and that not of youre ſylfes / for it is the gyfte of god / and commeth not of workes / leſt any man ſhulde boſt hym ſylfe. Belowed brethern ſen ye mo not hauehave this faith of youre ſylfes / but it is an excellēt gyfte of god (mother of all godly virtue) which he of his kyndnes & mercy geweth vntounto you frely. Therfore crye with the Apoſtles vntounto ye lorde / Luce xvij Marci ixto increaſe youre faith. And with the man which hath the poſſeſſed ſonne: which ſayde o lorde i beleue / ſucker myne vnbelefe. That god ſeen ge youre powerte in the ſprite: and takynge heed to youre peteous complayne mo graunt youre peticion / and make you rych by his precious gyfte of faith.Roma. ix.x And not only ſeke ye youre awne health / but the health of youre brethern / prayēge to god to ſent faith on the ertha…d plant it in all quarters yt all nacion maye prayſe god / which only hath immortalite / and duellit in light: that no man maye attayne / whom newere man ſawe nether cane ſe / vntounto whom be honour and rule euerelaſtinge. Amen