A Comfortable Epistle to Gods Faithful People in England, Chapter 6
¶ The. vi. Chapter.
THyrdly / earnest diligence must be ge…en / Good vvor …es.that according to this true repetaunce and vnfayned fayth we bring forth good workes. For the nature of harty repentaunce and of Christen faythe is not to be idle / but mightely to worke / to chaūge the penitente creature / and to transforme hym into a newe man / that he maye serue the Lorde hys God in holynes & righteousnes all the dayes of his lyfe. If there be not an alteraciō of lyfe / if the olde man be not Ephe. 4.put of with all hys workes / and the n…we man put on / which is made according vntounto God / thorow righteousnes / if those … Roma. 6.which afore were seruauntes to vnclennes and vnrighteousnes / do not nowe become seruauntes to clēnes / righteousnes & holynes / withoute all doubte we hauehave neyther true repentaūce nor vnfayned fayth / whose nature and propertie is to bring forth newe spirituall and godlye frutes / as the Apostle sayth: If any man be in Christ / he is a new creature. Agayne / they that are of Christe / 2 Cor. …. Galat. 5.hauehave crucifyed the flesh with the affectes & lustes therof. Therefore the holy preacher Ihon Baptiste / that priestes sonne dyd not Math. 3.onelyonly exhorte his hearers vntounto repētaūce / but also vntounto amendemente of lyfe / & vntounto the bringing forth of such frutes / as become true and faythfull repentaunce. Brynge forthe frutes / saythe he / worthye of repentaunce Math. 3&c. For nowe is the axe layde at the roote of the trees. EueryEvery tree therfore / that bringeth not forthe good frute / is hewē vp and caste into the fyre. And oure Sauiour Christe sayeth: Not eueryevery one that sayethe Math. 7.vntounto me / Lorde / Lorde / shall enter into the kyngdome of heauen / but he that dothe the will of my father / whiche is in heauen. Agayne / ye are my frendes / if ye do those Ioan. 15. Ioan. 14.thynges / whiche I commaunde you. Item / he that hath my commaundementes and kepeth them / he it is that loueth me. Also in another place / Let youre lyghte so shyne Math. 5.before men / that they maye se youre good workes / and glorifye youre father whyche is in heauen. These frutes of faythefull repentaunce / whyche are the true good workes / that God requireth of vsus too be done in the holy scripture / and not suche as good entent / blyndezele / or mannes idle imaginaciō fantasyeth / ought to be brought forth / whan tyme requireth of eueryevery true Christen man / to declare that hys faythe & repentaunce is true and vnfayned. We maye not therfore / if we tender oure owne saluacion / and will recouer the fauoure of God / be …lacke and sluggyshe in bringynge forthe these weyghty frutes of repentaūce and faythe / but so adourne / garnyshe / decke Note.trymme and setforth oure lyfe with them / that it maye appeare too all men / ye… / too the very aduersaries of God / that oure repentaunce is true / and oure faythe vnfayned / and that we be true Christians / not onelyonly in name / but also in dede▪ and not off the number of those / of whome the Apostle wryteth on this manner: They professe (with their mouthe) that they know God Titus. 1.but with they: bebes they denye hym. And albeit / at all tymes it were conuenient / that the true Christians shouldbe brynge forthe the workes of repentaunce / and the frutes of faythe / and lede a lyfe worthy their profession / yet in these oure dayes it is moste requisite. For who consydereth not / wyth how great a number of enemies / I meane the deuill and the papistes / the true Christians are enuyroned and be set in these our dayes / which do nothinge els but diligently marke / what they may fynde in vsus▪ worthy to be rebuked▪ that by … means thei mai slaunder the good doctrine that we professe and bringe vsus …ute of credite with all men / that they maye go forthe the more frelye to lye / as they hauehave begunne largely all redye / and tosowe theyr abhominable / … / wicked / Popyshe / supersticious / and Antichristiane doctrine / the more franc kely in the hartes of the simple & vnlearned people to the great derogation of th… … of Christes Gospel / and to the Lu… … auauncement of their beastly and … … It were mete therfore / that the true … of God and of hys blessed worde / … in these our dayes seke all meanes possible so to garnish their lyfe with good workes / that in all thinges they maye do honour to the doctrine of Christe oure sauioure / and Titus. 2stoppe the mouthes of the wicked & vngodlye aduersaries by well doynge / as …. Peter 1. Pet. 2.admonisheth / saying: this is the wil ofGod / that by wel doynge / ye shoulde stoppe the mouthes of folish and ignoraunte people / as fre and not as hauinge a libertie to be a cloke of noughtynes / but as the seruauntes of God. Agayne / …erely beloued / I beseche you as straungers and pylgrimes / abstayne from fleshly lustes / which fight agaynst the soule / and hauehave an honest conuersacion among the …eathen / that in that they do bacbyte you as euel doers / they iudging you of your good workes / may glorifie God in the day of visitaciō. Hereto agreeth the saying Phil. 2.of s. Paule: Do al thing without murmu ring and disputing / that ye maye be fautles and pure / and the sonnes of God without rebuke in the middes of a croked and a peruerse nation / among which se that ye shyne as lightes in the worlde / holdinge faste the worde of lyfe. For there is nothinge that so greatly abasheth the aduersaries of Gods worde / and kylleth their courage / strikynge The pap… stes … ….them euen doune too the grounde / as the godly and verteous lyfe of the Christians / … contrariwyse / nothinge gladdeth them … / tha… to se our lyfe dissolute and swar …ng from our professiō. For than lyke hell houndes yell they out and saye: Beholde your Protestantes. Se your new Gospelers. Consider their lyfe. Note their manners. Marke their conuersacion. Where is founde the lyke pryde / couetousnes / fals bargayning / crafty byeng & sellinge / oppressing of the poore / raysing of rentes / taking of incomes / idle wordes / vayn othes / super fluous bancketting / cont…pte of the poore / vnmercifulnes / breakinge of promise / vntrueth / with all that euer setforth a wicked and vngodly lyfe? O what a stōbling blocke is this to weake consciences? What a … o nour to the worde of God? What a slaunder to the Christen profession? What a decaye to godly religion? What auauncement of Papistrie and Idolatrie? What encouragement to the blynd to perseuer in their blyndnes? What a glorie to the wicked Pa pistes / and a confirmacion to their abho… nable and deuelish doctrine? Therefore yf we tender the glory of God / the auaūcem…t of hys true religion / and the saluacion off oure owne soules / let vsus brynge forthe the worthy frutes of true repentaunce and vnfay…ed fayth / that God maye hauehave a pleasure in vsus / reioyce to do vsus good / & delighte to bring our enemies and their satha…call superst…cion vnderunder foo…e / that hys name maye be glorified / and hys true religion once agayne florishe amonge vsus vntounto oure singulare …oye and vnsp…akable comforte.
AMEN.