Sermon 14 September 1585 — Thomas Sparke

Sermon 14 September 1585 · Thomas Sparke

Text. Apocal. 14.13.

I hearde a voice from heauen ſaying vntounto me, write: Bleſſed are they that die in the Lord thencefoorth: euen ſo ſaith the ſpirit that they reſt from their labours, and their workes accompany them.

The certainty of the truth in this ſcripture conteined noted to breede attention & obediē …e thereto.THis preſent occaſion conſidered (right honorable & dearly beloued in our Lorde and Sauiour Ieſus) this portion of Scripture offereth moſt fit & neceſſary matter, both to me to ſpeak of, & to you to he are. For (as you may well perceiue) herein is ſet down, what the ſtate and condition of al thoſe is, that die in the Lorde, yea immediatly vpō that their death. Of which number (I hope) all you here preſent are fully perſwaded, this honorable perſon, whoſe funerall day heere this is, was one. And the more reuerently both to mooue me to ſpeake thereof, and to prouoke you all the more attentiuely to liſten to that which is therin auouched, we are to wey y^t that which herein is ſet down is a propoſition or aſſertion not firſt deuiſed, vttered, and recorded by the will & wit of man, but which came downe from heauen, left in writing thus vntounto vsus by expreſſe and ſpeciall commandement from thence, confirmed alſo to be moſt true by the aſſent and approbation of the holy Ghoſt. For Iohn the beloued diſciple of Ieſus Chriſt, & a faithfull witneſſe teſtifieth vntounto vsus, that he heard a voice from heauen commaunding him to write it, & alſo hee telleth vsus, that this heauenly voice had no ſooner tolde him, that the thing which he ſhoulde write was this, Bleſſed are they that dye in the Lorde thenceforth, but that the Spirit ſaid yea vntounto it, adding further, that ſuch reſt from their labors, and that the woorkes of ſuch accompany them. Wherefore in the feare of God, we are al of vsus ſo to conſider of the matter taught vsus in this propoſition, as of matter moſt weighty, moſt certain & true. For if Iohn himſelf had left it in writing but by the ordinarye direction of his Apoſtolike ſpirite, wee ought not at all to hauehave doubted, either of the neceſſarineſſe, or certainety thereof. For euen thereby both hee and all the reſt of his fellowes, writers of the Canonical Scriptures, were euer preſerued in their writinges both from all erring in their writings, and alſo from committing vntounto writing any needeleſſe or vnprofit able thing. Howe much leſſe, it being (as you hauehave hearde) moſt earneſtlie affirmed, and by moſt inuincible authoritie confirmed and ſtrengthened, may we doubt of any thing taught vsus in this heauenly oracle: Out of all doubt euen hereby we are (to begin with al) al of vsus faſt bound, moſt readily to beleeue eueryevery thing to be moſt certainelye true, which herein is taught, whatſoeuer wee hauehave taught heeretofore, or fleſhe and bloode can ſay to the contrarie hereafter otherwiſe moſt graceleſſely wee ſhoulde call into queſtion, whether there be trueth or no in a moſt vehement aſſeueration of the almighty, which once to doe were blaſphemie.

The ſcope occaſion and other circumſtaunces thereof.The ſcope and drift, that our moſt wiſe and louing GOD had in cauſing theſe woordes to be regiſtred, and recorded in this booke after this ſort, to the eternall conſolation of his, conſidered, wee ſhall euen thereby perceiue, that it was not without very great cauſe, why euen thus they were ſet downe. For it appeareth in certaine chapters before this, whereof theſe woordes are a part, that it was reuealed vntounto Iohn, how Antichriſt ſhoulde come, grow, and flouriſh in his kingdome to the ecclipſing of the trueth marueilouſlie. Wherefore in this Chapter (as our verie aduerſaries are compelled to confeſſe) to his comfort, and the farther conſolation of the Church, the Lord vouchſafeth to reueale vntounto him the fall of Antichriſt, and the manner how in this ſorte, firſt in cauſing him to ſee an Angell flie in the middeſt of heauen, hauing an euerlaſting Goſpell to preach vntounto them, that dwell on the earth, to euerie Nation, Kindred, Toungue and People, ſaying with a lowde voice, Feare God, & giuegive glorie to him, for the houre of his iudgemēt is come, worſhip him that made heauē and earth, the Sea & the fountaines of waters: and then in cauſing him to ſee another Angell following, ſaying, It is fallen, it is fallen, Babylon the great citie. For ſhee made all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication: and thirdly in cauſing him to ſee and heare a third Angell following the other two, ſaying with a loude voice: If any man worſhippe the beaſt and his image, and receiue his marke in his foreheade, or hand, the ſame ſhall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, yea of the pure wine, which is powred into the cup of his wrath, and hee ſhall be tormented in fire and brimſtone before the holy Angels, and before the Lambe, and the ſmoke of their torment ſhal aſcend euermore: and they ſhall hauehave no reſt day nor night which worſhip the beaſt, and his image, and whoſoeuer receiueth the Print of his name. Wherein in effect is ſhewed (as it is alſo written 2. Theſ. 2.) that after Antichriſt ſhall hauehave ſhewed himſelfe in his full, then yet, when God ſhall ſee it time, that he would by the ſpirit of his mouth, that is, by the effectuall preaching againe of the Goſpel (which Antichriſt had ſmothered) bring him to a deſperate conſumption. Which once beeing brought to paſſe of the great merciemercy of the Lorde towards his church, by this light thē ſo come into the world & ſhining therin, the Lord teacheth here by the voice of the 3. Angel, that as many as be deſirous to eſcape eternal damnatiō ſhould in any caſe ſo ſeperate themſelues from Antichriſt & his religiō, that neither in forhead nor hand they bear his mark, that is, that neither openly nor ſecretly they be any longer fauorers of him and his abhominations. And this more plainly after chap. 18. vponupon occaſion of a reuelation like vntounto this, which he had of the fall of the kingdome of Antichriſt, he doth warn vsus of by a voice from heauē, ſaying, Go out of her my people, that ye be not partakers in her ſins, & that ye receiue not of her plagues. Which admonition Iohn by the ſpirite of Propheſie foreſeeing would take place in a number, & that thereupon Antichriſt and his confederates would take occaſion of great griefe & anger ſeeing ſo their kingdomes to decay, he burſteth out into theſe words ſaying, Here is the patience of the Saints, here are they that keep the cōmandements of God & the faith of Ieſus. As who ſhould ſay, I foreſee that when theſe thinges ſhoulde come to paſſe, which the Lord hath foreſhewed by the voices of theſe three Angels ſhall; then they that leaue Antichriſt to cleaue to Chriſt, and forſake his abhominable ſuperſtition to imbrace the ſinceritie of the Goſpell, ſhall maruellouſly bee aſſaulted by Antichriſt and his, to reclaime them againe by al meanes both faire and foule, ſweete and ſubtile, ſowre and violent, inſomuch that they then ſhall ſtād neede of perfect patience. For if it were poſſible (the deuiſes and meanes which he will vſe to repaire his kingdome againe withal will bee ſuch) that the very elect ſhould be ſeduced, as Chriſt hath foretold Mat. 24.24. Wherupon the words of my text follow, where incoragemēt is giuē to al men that ſhal liue to ſee Antichriſt and his treacherie by the preaching again of the goſpell thus detected & brought to his conſumption, to imbrace the doctrine of the Goſpell, and to leaue his, yea and conſtantly to perſeuere both in the profeſſion of their hatred and defiance of his abominations (though neuer ſo vniuerſally liked before, yet & ſtil (the better to deceiue) offered in a golden cup) and alſo in their louelove & liking of the ſincerity of the truth of the goſpel, though neuer ſo much ſlaundred by his to be a new doctrine & hereſie, and perſecuted alſo. For ſo far off ſhall it bee, that ye ſhall looſe anie thing (ſaith the Lord vntounto ſuch in my text) if you take this courſe quite to forſake Antichriſt and leane onelyonly vntounto and vppon Chriſt, that when hee hath doone his woorſt (which is, but to kill your bodies, and ſo to cauſe your ſoules to flit the ſooner out of them) that I aſſure you without all doubt you ſhall immediately thence-foorth bee bleſſed, in that all manner of woe and paine ſhall bee ended to you, and beſides your ſincere profeſſion & holy cōuerſation muſt bee rewarded with ioy & vnſpeakeable felicitie in heauen, Be therefore of good courage, the light ſhining amongeſt you againe, imbrace it and walke in it, hauehave no longer, either ſecretly or openly any further fellowſhippe with the workes of darkeneſſe: if you hauehave, you hauehave heard the thirde Angell tell you, that then therefore ye ſhal be euerlaſtingly accurſed and condemned. But if you hauehave refuſed them and will liue and die in the ſincere profeſſion, and beleefe of the trueth of the Goſpell, whatſoeuer meanes Antichriſt ſhall vſe to drawe you backe againe vntounto him, I ſay vntounto you (and I ſay it moſt earneſtly) you ſhalbe for euer bleſſed and happie, My text therfore commeth in, as a preoccupation, to take awaie from al ſuch as ſhould fall from Antichriſt to Chriſt by the preaching of the Goſpell, all obiections whatſoeuer can or may ariſe in their mindes to make them wauer or go backe againe vntounto him. And for aſmuch as the Lord ſaw that theſe would be many, yea and that in ſhew ſo forcible to a man conſulting with fleſh & bloud, that he ſhould euen therwith be often amaſed, you ſee (right honorable) as I hauehave ſaid, that not without verie great cauſe is this propoſition, tending to their comforce and ſtrengthening, vttered and recorded in ſuch ſort and maner as you hauehave heard, Wherefore whenſoeuer there ariſeth any reaſon or motion in our mindes to draw vsus backe frō the ſincerity of the Goſpell, to take again the marke of the beaſt either in our forehead or hand, then to ſtrengthen our ſelues to withſtand all ſuch, let vsus make our recourſe vntounto this place, and well wey this point, that here is damnation flatly denoūced to all ſuch, as after the ſound of the goſpell againe reuolt to Antichriſt: and that there is moſt certainly ſaluatiō and bliſſe promiſed to thoſe that refuſe to doe it, and chooſe rather to loſe their liues.

The diuiſion.Now in the proportiō it ſelf thus & vpō this occaſion vttered we hauehave to cōſider two things principally, y^t is, who they be, of whō the Lord therein ſpeaketh, & what it is, y^t he ſpeaketh of ſuch. The firſt is expreſſed in theſe words, They that die in the Lord: the later in theſe, Are bleſſed thenceforth: euen ſo ſaith the ſpirit that they reſt from their labors, & their works accōpany thē. Wherof orderly nowe I am to ſpeake as the text offereth occaſiō, & as the time wil permit me. Though this particle (all) nor any like, hee not prefixed, yet (no doubt) it is neceſſarily to be vnderſtood.…he pro…ſition is …iuerſall. For the propoſitiō being indefinit, & the latter part therof ſo vndoubtedly & vnſeparably belonging to y^e former, as it doth, it muſt needs be equiualent to an vniuerſal propoſition, & therefore all one in effect with this. All they that dy in the Lord are bleſſed thēceforth: beſides the vſual maner of y^e ſcripture, which is to ſet down vniuerſal propoſitions indefinitely, confirmeth the ſame, as Ioh. 3.6. & 18. By the Lord is meant Chriſt.And by the Lord we hauehave here to vnderſtād our Lord & ſauior Ieſus, whoſe vſual title in the ſcripture this is, as Ro. 1.3. 1. Co. 1.2. 2. Cor. 1.3. & y^• worthily, both for that he is our creator, & alſo redeemer,What it is to die in the Lord. it is cōfeſſed of al, & denied of none. But what it is to dy in the lord here in this place al interpreters be not of one mind. Some vnderſtād it generally of al thoſe which die in the ſtate of grace, & tauour of y^e Lord through a ſoūd and right chriſtian faith in him: other ſome take it, y^• onelyonly hereby Martyrs are meant, & therefore theſe words foreign, w^t word for word ſound, in the Lord, they tranſlate for the Lord, or for the Lords cauſe. Which later interpretatiō the papiſts beſt like of, as appeareth in y^e Rhem. notes vpō this place. For the place ſo takē (ſay they) it maketh not at al againſt our doctrine of purgatory. For we neuer taught, y^• martyrs wēt thither, but hauehave alwaies confeſſed, that ſuch are immediatly after their death bleſſed. Of whō w^t Aug. ſermone de verb. Apoſt. 17. Cap. 1. wee (ſay they) hauehave alwaies ſaid, that he doth iniury to a martyr, that praieth for a m…rtyr. Wherfore it ſhalbe very neceſſary to cōſider whether of theſe interpretations is the rather in this place to bee followed. They that folow the later vrge this as the only reaſon of their ſo doing, that the circumſtaunces of the place leades them to take it as ſpoken only to the comfort of thoſe that through the tyranny of Antichriſt ſhall looſe their liues for the profeſſion of the pure doctrine of Chriſt. That it is ſpoken to the comforte of ſuch, yea and eſpecially to the comforte of ſuch, I will eaſilie graunt: but onelyonly to the comfort of ſuch, and therefore onelyonly of ſuch, I cannot in anie caſe think. For (no doubt of it) the Lord hauing foreſhewed vntounto Iohn. the fall of Antichriſtes kingdome, and the maner how, and conſequently hauing let him in ſpirite foreſee, howe he woulde free and chafe againſt all thoſe, that beeing admoniſhed by the Goſpell ſhoulde fully ſeperate themſelues from him, to reſt onelyonly in and vponupon Chriſt: as he did thereupon foreſee, that he would raiſe cruell perſecution againſt thē, that through the feare thereof he mihgt reclaime them; ſo hee (without all peraduenture) in ſpirite foreſawe, that no faire meanes, or ſubtile perſwaſions would be omitted, to heale vp the wound of the beaſt again withal: & that the ſaints of god ſhould finde is as hard a matter to ſtād ſtedfaſt in Chriſt vntounto their liues end againſt thoſe aſſaultes, as againſt the other, that is his cruell perſecutiō. For daily experiēce teacheth, that this way he preuaileth more a great deale, than by the other. And therefore if there were cauſe why theſe words of my text ſhould be vttered & recorded to animate & incourage men in the time of perſecution to ſtand ſtedfaſt in the truth againſt Antichriſt, there was as good cauſe, why they ſhoulde bee ſo alſo to the ſtrēgthning of mē to liue & die in the ſame truth, what faire allurements, ſubtil deuiſes, or cūning perſwaſiōs ſoeuer were vſed to draw them frō y^e ſame. So y^t as wel he is told here, that he is bleſſed, that dieth in his bed a right & ſoūd Chriſtian faith (notwithſtanding theſe meanes vſed to him before to ſeduce him) as hee that dieth in the fire for the profeſſion of the ſame faith. And yet though they hauehave it grāted them that the words eſpecially concerne Martyrs, yet vnderſtanding the words generally, they ſerue aſwel to the cō fort of them, & rather better, than if they were true only in them. For this argument followeth ſtrongly, whoſoeuer dieth in the Lord, that is in a right & ſoūd chriſtian faith, he is thenceforth immediatly bleſſed, & therfore martyrs, who not only dye in y^e faith, but for that faith. Further, who knoweth not, that it is an vſuall thing in the ſcriptures, & in all other good learning, to proue particulars by generals? And therfore what reaſon is there to the contrary, but that here to the comforting of them that dye for the Lord, the bleſſed ſtate generally of al that dye in y^e Lord, ſhould be ſet foorth, wherein they might ſee themſelues of al other vndoubtedly included? Hereby then it appeareth, that their reaſon of reſtraining the words to thē only that dye for the Lord, is taken away, & therfore alſo the conſequent, which they wold infer therupon falleth to y^e ground. Beſides this, diuerſe reaſons I hauehave, which inforce me to vnderſtand the woordes generally of all that die in the Lord, when and whereſoeuer, and they are theſe, firſt it is ſomewhat harde to tranſlate foreign which is, in the Lorde, for the Lorde. Secondly, when the circumſtance & coherence of the text wil wel ſuffer (as in this place) that it cary a ſenſe to the generall cōfort of Gods Church then vnneceſſarily to reſtraine it to ſome ſort of members therof only, cānot be but a fault. For it is, as it were a needleſſe ſhrinking vp of the ſinnews, and pulling in of the armes of the holy ſcripture. And laſtly in the interpreting of ſcripture it is a rule greatly to be commended, If the queſtion of the ſenſe ariſe vponupon a phraſe of ſpeech (as here it doth) to conſider the vſe of the ſame or like phraſe in other places of ſcripture, and to take it in that ſenſe, that beſt agreeth with the vſe therof in other places of ſcripture, Now in this caſe we neither finde, that to liue in the Lord, or to die in the Lorde are taken in any other place for to liue or die for the Lordes ſake: but to dye in the Lorde to bee taken in this generall ſe… ſe…, to depart this life in a ſounde and right Chriſtian faith, wee finde elſewhere in the Scripture. For 1. Theſſal. 4. (where it is euident that the Apoſtle ſpeaketh generally of all thoſe that ſhal hauehave a ioyfull reſurrection) hee calleth them firſt thoſe that ſleepe in Ieſus. verſ. 14. after thoſe that be dead in Chriſt verſe. 16. where it were abſurd to reſtraine theſe phraſes to thoſe only that dy for Chriſts cauſe. For it were to reſtrain the comfort of the generall reſurrection only to ſuch. Theſe and ſome other ſuch like reaſons (as it ſhould ſeeme) hauehave inforced our Rhemiſts vponupon this place (though they plainly ſhew, that they would very gladly hauehave the words reſtrained only to Martyrs, that ſo eaſily they might ſhifte off the place when it is alleadged againſt their purgatory) to confeſſe that yet it may be takē as ſpoken generally of all that departe in the ſtate of grace. Wherefore ſeeing this general ſenſe moſt fully and ſtrongly anſwereth the circumſtances of the text, beſt agreeth with the letter therof, offereth more generall comfort to Gods children, accordeth beſt with the vſe of the ſame, and other the like phraſes in other places of the Scripture (in ſo much that our very aduerſaries, againſt whom moſt that ſenſr maketh, hauehave in print confeſſed that, that may be the ſenſe) we may ſafelye conclude, that they which are here ſpoken of, are all generally, that depart this life in Chriſt Ieſus our Lorde, whether they liued or dyed before Chriſt, or ſince, or ſhall hereafter; and children dying within Gods election and couenaunt.The neceſſitie of perſeuerance.

This thus concluded & determined, it is worthy to bee marked, that it is ſaide, which die in the Lord. For therby we learne, that vnleſſe we perſeuere vntounto our end in refuſing the beaſts marke both in forehead & hand, that is, any way to be fauorers of the abhominatiōs and ſuperſtitions of Antichriſt (what meanes ſoeuer he vſe to ſeduce vsus) and continue alſo in a conſtāt and ſincere profeſſion of Chriſts truth vntounto our death, that here is no comfort at all offered vntounto vsus: but our portion is ſet downe before by the voice of the 3. Angell, to drinke of the cup of Gods wrath, and to be tormented euermore. Wherfore let eueryevery one of vsus not only take warning by the light of the goſpell ſhining nowe amongeſt vsus, to ſeperate our ſelues quite from Antichriſt and his religiō, and to be no fauorers of him or his opinions, either ſecretly, or openly, but let vsus alſo imbrace the ſincere religion of Ieſus Chriſt, offered vntounto vsus by the goſpel, and perſeuere in y^e zealous profeſſion therof, what means ſoeuer fraudulent or violent he ſhal vſe to ſhake vsus: and ſo doing wee may bee ſure we are of y^e nūber here ſpokē of, els not. For it is writē, He that perſeuereth to the end ſhal be ſaued, Mat. 10.22. Be faithful vntounto the ende & I wil giuegive thee the crown of life. Apo. 2.10. & on the other ſide: No mā that putteth his hande to the plough & looketh hack is meete for the kingdō of God, Luk. 9.62. & moſt fearfully is y^e iudgmēt of God denoūced againſt al apoſtataes, and reuolters frō a known truth, Heb. 6.4.5.6. & 10.26.27. and in the 2. epiſtle of Pet. 2.20.21.22. By this therfore that wee hauehave heard already we ſee, that neither Turkes, Iewes, Pagans, nor Atheiſtes can be of the number heare ſpoken of, that dye in the Lorde; becauſe they doe not acknowledge Ieſus Chriſt ſo much as to bee a Lord; yea, and that it is not enough for a time neuer ſo well to acknowledge him to be Lorde and king, and profeſſe faith in him; vnleſſe wee perſeuere in our ſo doing vntounto our death, let antichriſt do what he can againſt vsus therfore: and that ſo al backſliders from the ſincere religion of Ieſus Chriſt, are alſo ſhut out from this number of thē that dye in the Lord.

The neceſſitie of ſpiritual vnion with Chriſt.Further yet we are to weigh the force of this phraſe (in the lord) for it is of great importance, in that euidently thereby is taught vsus, that there is a very nigh coniunction and vnion neceſſarily required to bee betwixt the Lorde and them, that euer woulde bee of the number of them that die in the Lorde. It is not enough therefore for ſuch to knowe the Lorde, what hee is in nature, and what hee is in office, and to be able and willing to vtter their knowledge, vnleſſe therewithall they proceede euen to be in the Lord. For the former is but to come nigh him, which is nothing, except wee get into him. The neceſſitie of this vnion betwixt vsus and our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus (or elſe wee cannot bee ſaued) ariſeth of this, that wheras our ſaluation lyeth in an attonement and vnion betwixt god and vsus, and there is no other meanes in the wiſedome of God found out and appointed to vsus men, hauing by our ſinnes made a diuiſion betwixt him and vsus, to recouer this vnion againe with God, but by, becomming one with Chriſt Ieſus our Lord, in whoſe perſon for our ſakes, God-head and mā hoode bee vnited; ſo that thereupon it muſt needs thus ſtand with vsus, that vntill wee bee in Chriſt, and ſo one with him, wee remaine ſtill deade in our ſinnes and treſpaſſes, at enmitye with God, and indeede without life before him. But when it is once come to paſſe, that wee are in him, ingrafted and growing in him, then our heauenly father, being well pleaſed in him, becommeth to be ſo alſo in vsus for his ſake. Whereuppon it muſt needes bee, that our ſinnes are forgiuen, and that we are at one againe with God, and liue in deede in his ſight, in that Chriſt liueth in vsus and wee in him. So that as neceſſary as the vnion of the ſoule and body of man be to cauſe this temporall life: ſo needefull is the vnion of Chriſt ſpiritually, to eueryevery man to cauſe him to liue before God. For as the body is dead when the ſoul is ſundred from it; ſo whole man, though otherwiſe in reſpect of this common life he be neuer ſo liuely, is ſtarke dead ſpiritually, whiles Chriſt and hee be ſeuered. For as we read 1. Ioh. 5.11. that this is a moſt certain truth, that God hath giuen vntounto vsus eternal life: ſo this is as certaine (as it there followeth) that this life is in his ſonne. Wherupon (as he ſaith in the next verſe) thus the caſe ſtā deth, that he that hath the ſonne hath life, and he that hath not the ſon hath not life. For confirmation of this doctrine of the neceſſitye of our ſpirituall and myſticall vnion with Chriſt it ſerueth, that he is called the head, and all that ſhall be ſaued, his Church and body, Coloſ. 1.18. Eph. 1.22.23. and that he is compared by himſelf (Ioh. 15.5.) to a vine whereinto his heauenly father, ſo ingrafteth al thoſe, as branches, that ſhall be ſaued, that they grow in him, and that alſo Ioh. 6.55. where he compareth his fleſh to meat indeede, and his blood to drinke indeede, in the eating and drinking whereof lyeth ſaluation, and in the not eating and drinking whereof lyeth damnation as there hee ſayeth expreſlye verſe 53.54, For by theſe metaphors it is euident (eſpeciallye ſeeing the grounde of them is the ſimilitude betweene the metaphor and the thing metaphoriſed) euen in this pointe, that as the bodye receiueth life from the heade, and is dead without it: as the branch though it bee neuer ſo neere the vine ſtock, yet if it abide not in it, and growe not in it, hath no life there from, and therefore withereth, and if it abide in it, then it liketh and fructifieth: and as the hungrie & thirſtie hauehave not the benefite of meate and drinke to liue by, by comming where it is ſeeing it, and knowing it, but by eating and drinking thereof, and digeſting it, ſo that by the force of nature there may growe an vnion betwixt them & their meate: euen ſo it is as neceſſary, that the Church be vnited to her head Chriſt, engrafted into him, and grow in him, and that eueryevery one that would bee ſaued eate him and drinke him, and that ſo effectually, as that hee may be their ſpirituall foode. For if it be thus they ſhall liue for euer by him, otherwiſe they remain in death, wither, and muſt periſh. And therefore Chriſt (Iohn. 15, 5.) ſaith, He that abideth in mee and I in him, the ſame bringeth forth much fruit. And in the next verſe he addeth, If a man abide not in me, he is caſt forth as a branch, & withereth, & men gather them & caſt them in the fire, & they burn. What a comforte is it then to al thoſe that be the Lordes to reade, how Chriſt (whoſe prayer wee may be ſure was heard) hath prayed vntounto his heauenly father, Ioh. 17.23, that hee might be in them, & his father in him, that ſo they maie be made perfect in one?

And hereby we may be aſſured, that hee will finde the meanes ſo to marie himſelfe in ſpirite vntounto all the elect, that they ſhalbee ſure to bee vnited vntounto him, and made one in him, and he in them, It hath pleaſed the father, that in him ſhould al fulnes dwell, Coloſ. 1.16. and yet ſuch is his goodneſſe towardes his Church (in that hee hath taken vppon him to bee the redeemer thereof) that he accounteth himſelfe as it were imperfect without his body the Church, & therefore it is ſaide to bee his fulnes, Epheſ. 1.23. Whereupon it is, that he and his Church ioyned together by ſpirituall bondes appointed for that purpoſe as the head and body of a mā be by natural and bodily meanes, are accounted in the ſight of God as one perfect man, whereof hee is the head, and the Church his body, as it is euident to the diligent reader, Epheſ. 4.13.15.16. 1. Cor. 12.12. &. Gal. 3.16.

Theſe things thus conſidered may breede in vsus al here preſent (and I hope they hauehave) an earneſt deſire to knowe howe to get vntounto this vnion and coniunction with Chriſt, wherby we may be in him, and ſo to be the readier, when it ſhall pleaſe the Lorde to call vsus hence, to die in him. And this is the thing that nowe next wee hauehave to Conſider of. Concerning which we are to vnderſtand, that on Gods part offering this bleſſed vnion and fellowſhippe vntounto vsus, his outwarde meanes is the whole miniſterie of his worde and Sacraments. For we reade, Epheſ. 4. that hee hath appointed it namely to this end, to gather together his Saints, for the edification of the body of Chriſt, till we all meete together vntounto a perfect man, & vntounto the meaſure of the age of the fulnes of Chriſt, in the vnity of the faith, and knowledge of the ſonne of god, by whom all the body beeing coupled and knitte together by eueryevery ioint for the furniture therof (according to the effectuall power, which is in the meaſure of eueryevery part) receaueth encreaſe of the body vntounto the edifying of it ſelfe in louelove, verſe 12.13.16. And Saint Iohn. 1. Epiſt. 1.3. plainely confeſſeth, that the ende of his miniſtery and his fellowes the Apoſtles was this, ſaying. That which we hauehave hearde and ſeene, declare wee vntounto you, that yee may alſo hauehave fellowſhippe with vsus, and that our fellowſhip alſo may bee with the father, and with the ſonne Ieſus Chriſt. By the worde preached generally the doctrine of this vnion is laide open to our eares: in the adminiſtration of the ſacraments it is alſo, the better to make vsus to embrace it, not onelyonly ſet before our eies, but confirmed, particularly offered, and ratifyed vntounto vsus. Gods inwarde meanes, whereby hee maketh this outwarde effectuall vntounto vsus, is the effectuall operation of his ſpirite in our heartes. For it was hee that opened Lydias heart to attende vntounto the thinges that Paul ſpake to her ſaluation, Act. 16.14.15. And Paul may plant and Apollo water, but it is GOD, that muſt giuegive the encreaſe, or elſe the other will be to no purpoſe, 1. Cor. 3.6.7. Now the meanes on our part, whereby by the foreſaide meanes we are enabled to take & apprehend this vnion offered, is a ſound and a right faith in Chriſt Ieſus. I ſay ſound, becauſe it muſt be vnfeined: and right, becauſe it muſt not bee erronious, nor hereticall: in Chriſt Ieſus, becauſe to the apprehenſion of this fellowſhippe with Chriſt, and conſequently to all the mercies of GOD layd vp for vsus in him, it is not enough to beleeue either that he is, or what he is, vnleſſe we beleeue alſo rightly in him being ſuch a one. But in this I ſpeake but of them of ſufficient age and deſcretion. For, as for children borne in the Church, dying in their infancie, and others borne and dying idiots in the ſame, borne of ſuch parents, as the couenant (Gen. 17. I will bee thy GOD, and the GOD of thy ſeede after thee) belongeth unto, no doubt of it the Lorde can and doeth by the force of this election and other extraordinarie meanes vnite vntounto his ſonne. And therefore we are to hope, that ſuch die in the Lorde. Vnderſtand therefore, that I heerein hauehave ſpoken, and in that, which followeth, meane to ſpeake only of thoſe, to whome the Lorde giueth yeares and diſcretion, ſo that if the fault bee not in themſelues, they are capable of the doctrine of faith.

That by faith this vnion is attained.Nowe to proue, that faith hath this office appointed vntounto it of God, to apprehend Chriſt, & to make him our owne by the former meanes offered vntounto vsus, the ſcripture is moſt cleare and euident. For we read Iohn. 1.12. that as many as receiued him, to them he gaue power to be made the ſonnes of God. For explanation whereof it followeth immediatly, euen to thē that beleeue in his name. And Epheſ. 3.17. Paul praieth, that Chriſt may dwell in their hearts by faith. And in the 4. chapter of that epiſtle 13. ye hauehave heard that by the vnity of faith and knoweledge of the ſonne of God we all meete together vntounto a perfect man in Chriſt.

And who ſo duely conſidereth, what is written in the 6, of Iohn, from the 27. verſe vntounto the 57. of the ſame, he ſhall there plainely finde the premiſes, whereupon this concluſion is directly to be inferred, ergo to eate the fleſh of the ſonne of man and to drinke his bloud, is nothing elſe but to beleue in him, plainly & at large handled. For firſt there this propoſition is handled, that to eate the bread of life is to doe nothing elſe, but to beleeue in the ſon: & then this, but to eat the fleſh of the ſon of mā & to drink his bloud is nothing elſe, but to eat the bread of life: wherupon it directly followeth, that therfore it is nothing elſe to eat the fleſh of the ſonne of mā & to drink his bloud, but to beleue in him. Which alſo is euident, in that you ſhall find in that chapter within the compaſſe of the foreſaide verſes, the ſame thinges both promiſed to the eaters and drinkers of Chriſtes fleſhe and bloude, and to the beleeuers in him, and alſo the ſame things threatned to the not eaters and drinkers thereof, which are to the not beleeuers in him. Which argueth that they are both one, eſpecially ſeeing the one is put for the other in the Chapter following, verſe. 37.38. In the former whereof we reade thus, Nowe in the laſt and great day of the feaſt, Ieſus ſtood and cried, ſaying, If any man thirſt, let him come vntounto me & drinke: but in the latter (whereas if he had continued the metaphoricall ſpeech, wherein he beganne, he ſhoulde hauehave ſaide, he that commeth vntounto me and drinketh of mee) changing his phraſe, and yet retayning his former meaning, to ſhewe vsus that to drinke him is nothing elſe, but to beleeue in him, hee ſaieth in the ſteed thereof, Hee that beleeueth in me, as ſaith the Scripture, out of his bellie ſhall flowe riuers of waters of life. And therefore not without good ground ſaid Auguſtine, Crede & manducaſti, Beleeue and thou haſt eaten. Tract. 25. vponupon Iohn. And Tertullian de reſurrectione carnis: 29. writeth, that Chriſt is auditu deuorandus, & ruminandus intellectu, & fide digerendus, that is, to be deuoured by hearing, to be chewed on by vnderſtanding, and to be digeſted by faith. So that by all theſe proofes laide together wee ſee that Chriſt is receiued by faith, that wee growe in him by faith, yea to a perfect man in Gods ſight, and laſtly that hee is as ſurely apprehended of vsus by faith to our ſpirituall maintenance in the worde preached, and ſacramentes miniſtred (which are the diſhes wherein one and the ſelfe-ſame Chriſt is offered vntounto vsus) as meate and drinke being ſet before vsus is taken in by eating or drinking thereof to our temporall nouriſhment, Whereof the Sacrament of Chriſtes body and bloud is a moſt effectuall ratification, and particular confirmation to eueryevery right receiuer thereof by faith. If it were otherwiſe that wee coulde not get to be in Chriſt, and hee in vsus by faith in him, but to accompliſhe this it were neceſſary bodily to take him into vsus by the mouth of our bodies, then (foraſmuch as there were neuer any that died that coulde be bleſſed, that died not in him) all the good Patriarkes, Prophets, and other ſeruantes of GOD that died before hee had an humane body, muſt bee condemned. But the contrary thereof is euident, in that Abraham is placed in ſtate of ſaluation by Chriſt, Luk. 16.24. &c. Yea and with Abraham; Iſaac, and Iacob, in the kingdome of heauen, Luk. 13.28.29. And therefore Paul is bolde 1. Cor. 10.3.4. to ſay of them that were before Chriſt, that they all ate one ſpirituall meate, and dranke the ſame ſpirituall drinke, that we doe, Chriſt, which coulde not be otherwiſe effectually, but by beleeuing aright in CHRIST, to come. Let vsus therfore labour by diligent vſe of the meanes, that GOD hath appointed vsus for that purpoſe, to attaine to a right and ſounde faith in Chriſt, and to nouriſhe it ſtill by the vſe of the ſame meanes, ſeeing thereby wee ſee it commeth to paſſe, that wee put on Chriſt and be vnited vntounto him, ſo that wee may bee ſaide (according to the vſuall phraſe of the Scripture) to bee in him, and conſequently alwaies found ready to dye in him. Of which number I count as well them that died before Chriſt in a right faith in him to come, as ſince in him already come.

But not by eueryevery kind of faith.But nowe (leaſt wee deceiue our ſelues in thinking we hauehave attained vntounto this faith, and ſo are in Chriſt, when it is nothing ſo) wee are diligently to conſider what manner of faith that is, and of what nature it is, that worketh this great and glorious effect. And the rather are wee diligently to conſider hereof becauſe this woorde Faith is not alwaies taken in one and the ſelfe-ſame ſignification in the Scriptures: for there are diuers ſortes and kindes of faith.Not by the miraculous faith. Vnderſtande therefore (Righte Honourable and welbeloued in our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt) that it is not fides miraculoſa, a faith to woorke miracles by, that is, a reſolution by ſome extraordinarie meanes of Gods will to worke a wonder, and therefore thereupon to attempt it in his name, and to bring it to paſſe, that maketh vsus hauehave this fellowſhippe with Chriſt. For of ſuch as hauehave this faith we reade thus, Mat. 7.22.23. Many wil ſay vntounto me in that day (ſaith Chriſt) Lorde, Lorde, hauehave we not in thy name prophecied? And by thy name caſt out Diuels? And done many great workes? And then will I profeſſe to them, Not by the hiſtoricall faith.I neuer knewe you, depart from me you workers of iniquitie. Neither is it an hiſtoricall faith onelyonly, whereby wee aſſent to the trueth of thoſe thinges that are written in the Scripture. For (no doubt of it) the very diuels of hell are enforced to yeeld thus much to their ſmart and woe. And therefore we read Iames. 2.19, The diuels beleeue and tremble. Not by the temporarie ſaith.Neither is it a temporary faith, fleeting in the conceite of man not firmely ſetled and rooted in his heart. For ſuch as hauehave that kinde of faith onelyonly are compared by our ſauiour Chriſt Mat. 13. to the thornie and ſtonie ground, wherein though for a time the good ſeede of the woorde ſeemed to make faire promiſe of a plentifull harueſt, yet ere due time of harueſt came, either through the cares and pleaſures of this life it was ſo choaked and ouer growen, or through the ſcorching heate of perſecution ſo burnte vppe that it came to no good. And therefore you hauehave hearde that it is ſayde heare not without cauſe, Which dye in the Lorde, to ſhewe vsus that it muſt bee a continuing and perſeuering faith vntounto the ende (howſoeuer in the meane time it bee aſſaulted) that muſt ſerue the turne in this caſe to make vsus ſuch, as of whom the LORDE here ſpeaketh.Not by the dead faith. I ſay further, that a faith though ſeeming to be neuer ſo liuelye in woordes, yet if it be fruitleſſe in good woorkes, it is not the faith that canne make vsus to be in Chriſt. For both immediatlye before the woordes of my text, and in the ende thereof it is euident, that a faith accompanied with good woorkes is heere required. For before you reade, that Iohn ſet downe theſe woordes, Heere is the patience of Saintes, heere are they that keepe the commaundementes of GOD and the faith of Ieſus. And my text concludeth, that the woorkes of ſuch accompanie them, as dye in the Lorde. For the true faith purifieth the hearte, Actes. 15.9. and it is of that nature, that it worketh by louelove, Galat. 5.6. And therefore as, though a man hauehave neuer ſo charitable and curteous woordes, yet if hee hauehave no deedes aunſwering thereunto, his charitye is vaine, Iam. 2.15, 16.…0… … if it hauehave no woorkes is deade in it ſelfe, and cannot not ſaue a man, verſe 17. &c. Howbeit this I ſay, and thus I teach with Iames, not that I woulde hauehave you to thinke, that faith ſaueth, or iuſtifieth any for the worthines of theſe works that followe it, and accompanye it. For ſo far off am I, and wee all ought to bee from that, that we may not once imagine, that fayth it ſelfe ſaueth or iuſtifieth any for the worthineſſe of it ſelfe, but onelyonly for and through the worthines of Chriſt the obiect thereof, whom it apprehendeth and applieth withall his merites to her owner, and ſo thereby hee is iuſtified. But this I ſay and conſtantly afferme, that that fayth that iuſtifieth a man indeede is two wayes liuely and effectuall, namely in heauen before GOD about her obiect Chriſt, firſt in apprehending and applying lit to the iuſtification of the owner: and then in earth amongſt men in puryf…yng her ſubiect, that is, the perſon in whome it is, to bring foorth fruites beſeeming a iuſtified perſon. So that alwayes hee that hath the iuſtifiyng faith, hath therewith the ſanctifying ſpirite, whereby hee is able (according to Saint Peters counſaile to ioyne vertue to his faith, 2. Peter. 1.5 and according to Saint Iames requeſt, to ſhewe his faith by his woorkes, Chapter. 2.18. for the …ounde and right fayth in Ieſus … into the hearte of the owner, by the operation of the ſpirite, ſuch abundance of louelove to wardes GOD for and in conſideration of his infinite louelove and goodneſſe found out and apprehended thereby, that it repleniſheth the hearte wherein it is withall thankefulneſſe and duetifulneſſe towardes him in obeying his commaundementes with all his power chearefully and willingly: in ſomuch that as it is impoſſible to ſeperate fire and heat, ſunne and light: ſo is it to finde a iuſtiflyng fayth without good woorkes. And therefore though wee take the office of iuſtifiyng from good woorkes generally without diſtinction, and leaue it ſoly and wholy to faith, as Paul doeth, Romanes. 3.28. where he ſayeth, Therefore wee conclude, that a manne is iuſtified by faith without the woorkes of the lawe: yet wee ſay and holde alſo with Sainte Iames, that a man is iuſtified of woorkes, and not of faith onelye, Iames 2.24. For though by warrant from Paul wee holde that onlye faith iuſtifieth before GOD, becauſe the woorkes of the Iawe, that is, woorkes commaunded by the Lawe, which (if any other thing might bee ioyned with faith in this office) are moſt woorthy, are ſhut out quite from intermedling therein: yet wee holde alſo, that this fayth, which is ſola, that is, alone in doing this office, yet is not ſolitaria, that is, alone in her owner, when ſhe doth performe it.

Faith therefore alone (with Paul) iuſtifieth before God, and workes proceeding from faith iuſtifie, that is, declare who is iuſtified, with Iames. For that appeareth to be his ſenſe by his ſaying, She we me thy faith out of thy woorkes. Neither is his phraſe ſtraunge in ſaying that works doe iuſtifie, which doe but declare who is iuſtified. For we ſay cōmonly, white haires make in olde man, and yet our meaning onelyonly is, that they declare him to be an olde man. And for further proofe yet of this point, that it is not a faith in the ſippes, but in the heart, not a woroy, but a worthy faith, that knitteth vsus vntounto Chriſt, wee are to call to our remembraunce, that Chriſt expreſly (Iohn. 15.5. ) ſaith, He that abideth in me and I in him, the ſame bringeth foorth much fruit. And that as Saint Paul ſaith, there is no condemnation to thoſe that bee in Chriſt, to he addeth, which walke not after the fleſh, but after the ſpirit, Rom. 8.1. yea that he ſaith, that they that are Chriſtes hauehave crucified the fleſh with the luſtes thereof, Galat. 5.24.and that with with, olde thinges are paſt away, and all thinges are become newe, 2. Cor. 5.17. Either therefore neuer pretende, that thou haſt a ſound are a right faith, or elſe ſet thy life and conuerſation be ſuch, as God may be glorified in iuſtifiing ſuch an one. Dauid coulde ſay) ſeeing Chriſt but a far off in reſpect of that purgation and clen ſing, that hee hoped for by him, Pſa. 51.7. Purge me with hyſope, and I ſhall bee cleane, waſhe mee and I ſhall be whiter than ſnow. And therfore ſaid Iohn very flacly 1. epiſt. 1.6.7, If we ſay wee hauehave fellowſhippe with him, and walke in darckeneſſe, wee lie and doe not truely: but if wee walke in the light as hee is in the light, we hauehave fellowſhippe one with another, and the bloode of Ieſus Chriſt cleanſeth vsus from al our ſinnes. Wherefore let vsus aſſure our ſelues, either that wee are not purged at all by Chriſtes death or waſhed by his bloode, or elſe chat we are cleane and white. For (no doubte of it) where God for his ſake pardoneth ſinne, there he purgeth it: and where he couereth it, there he cureth it: and therefore to all that beleeue in him the ſpirite is promiſed, Iohn. 7.38. to bee in that meaſure, that it ſhalbe as riuers of water of life flowing ouer the bankes, for the force it ſhall hauehave in all ſuch effectually to waſh them, to ſoften them, to make them fruitfull, and to quench in them the flames and heate of ſinne. Vnleſſe therefore wee finde the ſpirite in vsus to hauehave this operation, wee are without warrant in our ſelues to prooue, that we hauehave a ſound and right faith in Chriſt. By this then you mate ſee (dearely beloued in Ieſus Chriſt) ſeeing this is the generall doctrine of vsus all, that profeſſe the Goſpel with knowledge, how much we are wrō ged by our aduerſaries the papiſts, who (this not withſtāding) charge our doctrine to be a doctrin of liberty, and licentiouſneſſe. For heereby, euidently you may ſee, wee ſhut out all thoſe from the number of them that dye in the Lorde which be carnal, and worldly minded men, whatſoeuer they ſay; and al carnal and prophane Goſpellers, which turne the grace of God into wantonneſſe, what faire ſhew ſoeuer they can make of faith in wordes. And therefore here is no comfort at all for any, that yet remaine in their ſins, hauing thē raigning in their mortall bodyes, for Epicures, Libertines, or for any leude & lycentious wretch whatſoeuer he be. For ſuch doe not liue in the Lord, and therefore are not ſlkely to dye in the Lord. For commonly qualis vita, finis ita, ſuch life ſuch death, & in the iuſt iudgment of God it ſo falleth out For he that lyuing and in health wil not remember God, it is but right that God ſhoulde forget him ſicke and dying.

Not by the popiſh faith.Howebeit as yet (will ſome ſaye) for any thing that you hauehave ſayde, both Papiſt and Proteſtant may ſeeme to bee ſuch as dye in the Lorde. For both profeſſe faith in Chriſt, and labour to ſhewe their faith by their woorkes. I graunt it may ſeeme ſo, to a ſimple man that ſeeth not the difference betwixt them to bee ſuch. as that the one holdeth the foundation, the other not. For though there were a difference otherwiſe as great, as there is betwixt golde & ſiluer, precious ſtones and wood, heye and ſtubble; yet if both helde the foundation, though the builders thereupon of wood, hey & ſtubble, ſhould in time, by a more clear day of vnderſtanding, ſhining vntounto them, through the fire of Gods ſpirite kindled in them, bee cauſed to ſee their folly in building no better matter, vponupon ſo good a foundatiō, with griefe, ſorrow, and ſome ſhame for their ſo doing: Yet we learne by S. Paul, that euen they alſo 1. Cor. 3.11.12, 13.14. and 15. ſhall bee ſaued for holding the foundation. And therefore that ſuch, notwithſtanding their wood, hey, & ſtubble, that is, their fonde and vaine opinions not ouerthrowing the foundatiō, may dye in the Lord, and ſo be partakers of the comfore ſet downe in this place. But the truth is (right honorable) that the Popiſh faith what good ſhewe ſoeuer it maketh, hath forſaken the foundation, which is in this caſe, but one, euen Chriſt Ieſus; Becauſe it holdeth not the foūdatiō.beſides whō no other foundation can any man lay, as there, ver. 11. Paul moſt excellently affirmeth.

For better vnderſtanding of which point to be moſt true, as this would be remēbred, which wee hauehave heard S. Paul tel vsus, 1. Co. 3.11. y^t other foū datiō cā no mā lay, thē that which is laid, which is Chriſt Ieſus, ſo we are dilligētly to cōſider the groūd of y^t metaphor, that is y^e reaſon why Chriſt is ſayd to be the onelyonly foundation of his Church, whereuppon all the true members thereof, as liuing ſtones, muſt bee built, 1. Pet. 2.5. that in him the whole building being coupled together, may grow vntounto a holy tēple in the Lord, Epheſ. 2.21. No doubt of it, the grounde and reaſon of the mecaphore is the ſimilitude, that is betwixte the foundation of an houſe, and the houſe, and Chriſt and his Church; which is this, that as the whole frame of the houſe ſtandeth and reſteth vponupon the foundation, and ſo therby is borne vp and vpholden: ſo eueryevery one, that woulde ſtande vp, and be vpholden, as any parte of Gods ſpirituall houſe, muſt wholly ſtand and reſt vponupon Chriſt, and by him alone be borne vp, and vpholden. Let a houſe ſtande but halflings vppon the foundation, it cannot ſtande: it will fall: ſo in this caſe they that would ſurely ſtand before the Lord, they muſt fully bee ſetled, and reſt vppon the onelyonly foundation Chriſt. Whereuppon it muſt néeds follow, that the popiſh Church is not Gods ſpiritual houſe, becauſe neither the whole houſe generally, nor any member thereof particularly, taketh it ſelfe onelyonly to ſtande, and to bee vpholden vppon, and by Chriſt alone. For it is currant doctrine with them yet, that Chriſt by his ſufferinges hath not ſo ſatiſfied the iuſtice of his heauenly father, as that hee will not require further ſatisfaction at the hands of him, that beleeueth in him. For they plainely teach, that though to ſuch, their ſinnes be forgiuen, yet concerning the penalty due therefore, this is onelyonly done, that by the merites of Chriſt, whereas it ſhould be euerlaſting miſerie, nowe for his merites God will be content to accept of a temporary ſatisfaction; and ſo partly for that and partly for his ſonnes ſatisfaction hee will acquite them. And here it is worthy to be noted, that the Lord hath ſo ſtroken that generation in his iuſt iudgement with blockiſh ſottiſhnes, for this their robbing of his deare ſon of his glorie which is due vntounto him, that whereas in this their doctrine they ioyne other meanes & helpes, to deliuer men from their ſinnes, to the ſalue, and plaiſter which Chriſt hath made, as though his were either not broade enough to couer the ſore, or not good enough to cure it, the meanes that they deuiſe are ſo childiſhe and ſo vnfit to be mingled with the precious bloude of Chriſt, as that they make themſelues ridiculous, in attributing deliuerance from ſinne vntounto them. As for example, they attribute the power to deliuer from ſinne to their holie water, holy oyle, holy ſalt, holy creame, holy breade, holy palmes, holy croſſe; yea and to what toye ſoeuer, if it be but a graine, or a beade hollowed of the Pope; as their ſeruice bookes, which yet they vſe, and too too groſſe experience, hauehave taught vsus. Sinne is ſo ſmall a matter with them, that ſome ſinnes muſt needes of their own nature be veniall, and therefore our learned Rhemiſtes in their notes vppon the 10. of Mat. hold that a Biſhoppes bleſſing will wipe them out; going on pilgrimage, offering of Candels to ſtocks & ſtones, and ſuch like deedes of deuotion inioyned by a Ghoſtly Father in waie of penaunce; yea ſaying of fiue Aue Maries, three Pater noſters, and three Creedes are counted of them good meanes of ſatisfactions to deliuer the beleeuer from that which the pretious & bloudy ſatisfaction of Chriſt hath not deliuered him frō. And which is of al the reſt moſt abſurd, a number of thē (as it is too wel known by their attēpts, & practiſes both in Englande and elſe where), are growen to bee of this opinion, that traiterouſlie and treacherouſlie to murther their naturall Prince, for that hee or ſhee fauoreth not the Popiſhe faith, is become nowe a meanes to merite and to obtayne plenarie remiſſion of all ſinne, to the partie that will hazarde his life to doe it, and yet this they wil not graunt that the beleeuer in Ieſus Chriſt canne hauehave, by Chriſtes dying a moſt bitter death.

O horrible blaſphemie, and yet their daylie practiſe putteth vsus out of doubt, that this is their opinion, and their couering and ſhrowding their manifold treaſons vnderunder the pretence of their religion cōfirmeth the ſame. And wheras to ſaluation two thinges are neceſſarie, firſt quite to bee deliuered from ſinne and from the daunger thereof, which otherwiſe woulde ſinke vsus downe to hell: and then a perfect righteouſneſſe, that can not but bee ſo accompted in the righteous and iuſt iudgement of God. Whereby a right claime and title may bee had to heauen, and both theſe are fully prouided and prepared for all right beleeuers, in the Meſſias, as after you ſhall heare. As they will not ſeeke for the former in his ſatisfactions alone, but partly alſo in their own: ſo concerning the latter, they euen with the blind and phariſaicall Iewes Rom. 10.3. are ſo ignorant of the righteouſneſſe whirh God in Chriſt hath prepared to make men righteous by, that they ſeeke to that end ſtill to eſtabliſh their owne righteouſneſſe. For at no hand they can abide, that men ſhould beleeue that the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt ſhould be imputed vntounto the beleeuer in Chriſt for righteouſneſſe. This they count abſurde, and therefore in their Tridentine Conuenticle accurſe it as an hereſie. In the meane time holding, that the workes which they themſelues doe after faith, is the formall righteouſneſſe, whereby they deſerue to bee accompted righteous before God. In which point (becauſe their owne conſciences tell them, that their doctrine ſoūdeth greatly to the derogatiō of Chriſts glorie) to coulour the Antichriſtianity thereof as well yet as may bee, they hauehave now found out this deuiſe to ſay, that their owne works are not ſo of their owne worthineſſe, & abſoluteneſſe, but through the worthineſſe of the merites of Chriſt. Which in effect, in plainer tearms is to ſay, that Chriſt came not perfectly to ſaue by himſelfe, & to be a full ſauiour in his own perſon, but to merite: that mē might by their own works be their own ſauiours: as though Chriſt died to be our ſauior, to poſt ouer either part, or the whole of that his office to any thing wrought by man. And as their doctrine is, ſo is their faith. For to take it at the beſt (as now they hauehave fined it) thereby they ſeek in Chriſt but their former iuſtificatiō: which they accoūt nothing els, but the firſt tranſlation from the ſtate of mere naturall men, to the ſtate of grace & fauor of God. And yet euē herunto they hold, that men may hauehave workes of preparation of their owne common abilitie, left vntounto them of nature: but as for ſinnes done after this former iuſtification attained, they beleeue they muſt flie to a ſecond refuge, which they call the ſacrament of Penance, for them: and ſo they beleeue they muſt either in this life by them-ſelues, or after in Purgatorie, ſatisfie for theſe ſinnes, partly by their owne ſufferinges, and partly by deedes done for them by others, after they bee dead. And for the ſeconde iuſtification, which is the conſummation and perfection of the former, they beleeue that that muſt bee made vppe, and finiſhed by their owne merites, madē able to merice their ſaluation by the merites of Chriſt. And that this is their faith and their docerine euen nowe, I coulde make it euident from point to point out of the Tridentine councell, the Cenſurer of Coled, Caniſius Catechiſme, the Romiſh Catechiſme, and our of our own coun…rimens writings, which are counted not the meaneſt of the Ieſuites. But I need not it …ble you with any further proofe thereof. For they themſelues will not deny it. And yee hereby it cannot dee but you plaiuely ſee, that Chriſt is not the onelyonly foundation to them, wherupon, as vponupon their onelyonly foundation, they ſtand and teſt. For you ſee they truſt to ſtand before the Lorde pa…tly by his ſatisfactions, pa…y by their owns, par…ly by his merits, and p…tly …y their owne and others: and therefore they are built but halflings at the moſt vppon him, & halflings vponupon themſelues & others. For whatſoeuer he hath done for them; yet vnleſſe their owne ſatisfactiōs be ful & their merits ſuch, as for which they may euen in the iuſtice of God claſme heauen, they can be at no reſt, nor peace in their conſciences. And therefore becauſe they can neuer but doubt, whether their ſatisfactions bee full, & their meries perfect, they hold, that they may neuer hauehave an aſſured truſt and confidence, that they ſhall be ſaued; but that lawfully they may alwaies be in ſome doubt thereof. O what an vucōfortable doctrine of deſperatiō is this? And yee ſo far off are they frō being aſhamed of this (which is the iuſt iudgement of God vponupon them for leauing to reſt vponupon Chriſt, the only & moſt ſtedfaſt foundation) that they are not aſhamed that their doctrine be intitiled. A doctrine of doubtfulneſſe: Yea they count that their doubtfulnes, humility: & the aſſurance, that true faith breedeth, preſumption. Euen the bare opening vntounto you thus, what the popiſh faith is (I hope) ſufficiently proueth vntounto you, that they that die in ſuch a faith, cannot bee ſaide to die in the Lorde Ieſus, becauſe that out of the Lorde Ieſus (you ſee) in themſelues and others, they ſeeke a great part of their ſaluation. Howbeit, becauſe it is a point of great importance and weight, and wherin as yet great multitudes will not bee ſo eaſily reſolued, let vsus ſee howe from point to point this their faith and religion is oppoſite and contrarye to Gods reuealed will in his worde.The former doctrine and faith confuted firſt generally.

They holde (as you hauehave heard) generally this, that Chriſt in his own perſon, by that which he hath doone himſelfe, hath not already done, whatſoeuer is neceſſary for man to be iuſtifled & ſaued by. And therefore they ad thereunto their own ſatisfactions & merits, by his doings & this togither, to make vp their iuſtificatiō, & ſaluation. But the ſcripture ſaith. Heb. 7.25. he is able perfectly to ſaue thoſe, that come vntounto God by him: Heb. 10.10. by the will of God we are ſanctified by the offering of the body of Ieſus Chriſt once made; & a litle after verſe 14. with one offering hath he cōſecrated for euer them that are ſanctified. And Chriſt himſelfe that knew beſt to giuegive an infallible note of his owne body the Church, telleth vsus Matth. 22.1. that the ſounde and earhand of the true Meſſengers therein is this. All things are already prepared (namely in the mariage of the kings ſon) come vntounto the mariage. Whereby it is moſt cleare y^e the word ſetteth forth Chriſt vntounto vsus as one that of himſelfe, & by himſelfe hath already done what ſoeuer we are to looke to be ſaued by or for.Then particularly in three points. To leaue now the generall ground of their faith, and to come to the particulars thereof, firſt you heare that they hold, that Chriſt hath not clean purged by himſelfe, and by that which he hath done in his own perſon, thoſe that beleue in him, both frō their ſinnes, & from the penalty due for the ſame; and that therefore, God requireth to y^e ſatisfying of his iuſtice, fully ſome further ſatisfaction at their own handes. But we reane to the contrarie in the Scriptures. For there it is thus written. The bloud of the ſon of God doth clenſe vsus frō all ſinne, Iohn. 1.7. and leaſt this ſhould be taken as ſpoken onelyonly of ſinnes before faith, Iohn addeth, and putteth himſelfe in the number, and yet long before that be had faith; If we ſay, we hauehave no ſin, we deceiue our ſelues, & the truth is not in vsus: If we acknowledge our ſinnes he is faithfull & iuſt, to forgiue vsus our ſinnes, & to clenſe vsus from all vnrighteouſnes. If they reply, that all this proueth but remiſſionem omnis culpae, that is forgiueneſſe of the fault or guilt onelyonly, of all our ſinnes, and not alſo of the puniſhment, I proceede and aske them, whether the curſe of the lawe and damnation bee not puniſhmentes due for ſinne, and then whether theſe be not the greateſt, and include not the reſt. They cannot deny, but theſe are puniſhments due for ſinne, & that the greateſt alſo including all other. If therefore the Scripture teach vsus, that Chriſt hath freed vsus from theſe, then it is euident, that he hath freed vsus from all. Wherefore marke that it is thus written, Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnatiō to thoſe that are in Chriſt: & Gal, 3.13. Chriſt hath redeemed vsus from the curſe of the law, when he was made a curſe for vsus. If it were not thus, that they that beleeue in Chriſt were aſſured, that Chriſt had freed them both from all their ſinnes, and alſo from their penalty due therefore, how coulde it be true that we read: Rom. 5.1.2. that they that are iuſtified by faith hauehave peace with God through Chriſt, & acceſſe to his grace, wherin they ſtand & re…olce? And if there were not yet enough done to ſatisfie the iuſtice of God, why did Chriſt ſay giuing vp the ghoſt coſummatum eſt, it is finiſhed? Ioh. 19.30. And why is the promiſe to al Gods children vttered in theſe wordes, Ierem. 31.34. I will forgiue their iniquitie, and remember their ſinnes no more? Yea how can it ſtand with Gods iuſtice, that hauing for-giuen to the beleeuer all his ſinnes, hee yet ſhould puniſh him for them, and cauſe him to ſatisfie for them: Will God puniſh and driue to ſatisfaction, where the cauſe is already taken away? & when he hath been ſatisfied at once already to the vttermoſt farthing, as it is euident he hath beene in Chryſt for al that beleue in him? For other wyſe Chriſt hauing taken vponupon him to ſatisfie the iuſtice of his heauenlye Father ſhoulde not, nor coulde not hauehave riſen agayne, aſcended into heauen, and ſit at the right hand of his father. Thereby it is euident, that by his abaſement, he hath fully ſatisfied his father & gone through with the work he took in hād, & is now able to apply y^e ſame to thoſe y^e be his. Yea but all this letteth not (wil they ſay) but that we may hold ſtill, that by our ſatisfactions God in part is ſatisfied, ſeeing we graunt that they are made auailable ſatisfactions by Chriſtes ſatiſfaction. Yea but that were yet to ſay, that Chriſt purgeth his from their ſinnes not by himſelf, but by the helpe and ſufferings of others: the plaine contrary whereof wee reade, Heb. 1.3. in theſe words, He hath by himſelf, purged our ſinnes. How ſay you then to manyfold afflictions, and in the ende to death, laid vppon them, that beleeue, ſay they? I anſweare, that theſe are no ſatiſfactions to God for ſinnes already committed, but they are his fatherly chaſtiſements, to admoniſh vsus to repent vsus of ſinnes paſte, and to take heed of ſinne hereafter. And they are both occaſions to them to exerciſe their vertues, and to thoſe that are without inſtructiōs to take heed of going on in wickednes, ſeeing the Lord ſo chaſtiſeth his owne houſe. And as for death, the ſtinge thereof is taken away in reſpect of ſuch; ſoy howſoeuer it be & remain the rewarde of ſin to the vnbeleeuer, yet to thē y^e beleeue, it is but y^e laſt ſtrok of y^e battel, & as the dore thorow which they paſſe frō this worlde full of miſery to the next full of ioy and felicity. It is a pitifull thing, that of theſe they cannot tell what to make, vnleſſe they make them meanes to derogate from the moſt ſufficient and infinite ſatisfaction made by Chriſt. If the glory of Chriſt were deare vntounto them, as it ought, & they were perſwaded, as they ſhould, that he was both able & willing to go thorow with the worke which he tooke in hand; that is, to be a perfect and a ful Sauiour in himſelfe, and by himſelfe, whatſoeuer they thought of thē, they would not once dare to cauſe thē to encroch thus vponupon his office. Alas it is lighter then vanitie it ſelfe for them to ſay, that by the vertue of Chriſt there is deſerued for them that beleeue in him, that eternall puniſhments due to thē, ſhould be turned into tēporall, & y for his ſake God will cōtent himſelf with theſe. For firſt it is a mere deuiſe of their owne head, vtterly without warrant frō Gods reuealed wil in his word: ſecōdly howe can it ſtād with any reaſon, that he y^e for Chriſts ſake wil forgiue the greater, wil ſtick at the leſſe, that he that will forgiue the eternal puniſhment, wil not for-giuegive the temporary: And laſtly what a toy is it to imagine, that Chriſt tooke ſo much paines to ſatisfie the iuſtice of his heauenlye father, to leaue the accompliſhment thereof to the vncertainty of mens ſatisfactions?

And truely as you ſee by this that I hauehave ſaid, their vanity & contrariety to the word writren in this particular pointe of their faith concerning remiſſion of ſinnes, ſo if you will liſten but a while, you ſhall finde their fault as great in the next, concerning their iuſtifying vp, or making of themſelues righteous by their owne righteouſneſſe done after faith. Concerning which point you are to vnderſtand (dearly beloned) that the quiſtyon betweene vsus and them therein is not (as they woulde make the woorlde beleeue) whether Chryſt be of power in them that beleeue aftertually to cauſe them to dye to ſinne & lyue to righteouſnes For (as you hauehave before hearde) I hauehave already betermyned, that vnleſſe it be a faith arc…panyed with that power, it is a deade, and … fayth. And therefore wee as earneſtlye … them that beleue to bring forth fruits worthy of forth; as they can doe for their lyues. But herein lyeth the queſtyon, whether fayth iuſtifye for the worke it bryngeth foorth, or for Chryſtes … whom it apprehendeth: and ſo whether wee may truſt to theſe good fruites, when wee hauehave brought them foorth, as that the reby wee may thinke and beleue we are iuſtyfied before God, & … ma…ited to be ſai…ed. We ſay, wee may not account other wyſe of them then as of fruit as and …rctes, of out full iuſtification appre…ded in Chriſt, ſeruing to the glory of God, Mit. 5.16. and to teſtifie, both to our ſe… and others, that ſoluation is pr…p…d for vsus in Chriſt in heauen. Iohn. 13.35.2 Pe…. 1.5. And in no caſe …ar… we make them any cauſe, eyther of our iuſtification or ſaluation. But we ſay with Saint Barnard ſer. 1 de ann…tione Mari…, that thou canſt not deſer…e et …all life by any woorkes, … merites are not ſuch that …rer…all life …, as that God ſhoulde doe man wrong if therefore he ſhoulde not giuē it; for our good woorkes are Gods giftes, and ſo for them wee are indebted to him, and not hee to vsus. They accompt of them as of a meritorious cauſe of their ſaluation, and as of the formall cauſe of their iuſtification, and therefore to that end they doe them, and truſt in them. Wheras we hold, that wee bee in the ſtate of iuſtification onelyonly, for Chryſts ſake apprehended by faith: and that therefore wee ſhalbee ſaued for his ſake onelyonly, and not for our workes at all Let vsus now therefore heare, what the Scripture ſayth to the determination of this queſtion. That ſaying of Chriſt to his (Luke. 17.10.) is directly contrary to their poſition, where hee ſayth, when ye hauehave doone all thoſe thinges that are commanded you, ſay wee are vnprofitable ſeruantes: wee hauehave doone that which was our duetie to doe. For heereby not in way of curteſie (as ſome of them hauehave ſayde.) but in ſadneſſe we are taught, that if wee kept the whole lawe in eueryevery pointe, which neuer man did, but Chriſt, that yet we are to account our ſelues ſo farre from hauing merited any thing thereby at Gods handes, that we are to thinke, we hauehave but payde him that which we ought him: and therefore merited no more at his handes, than an olde ill better may ſay he hath merited at his creditours handes, when he payeth him but his hare owne, How much more ſtronglye then doeth this place bynde vsus from hauing that conceite of our woorkes, when wee hauehave doone them, that thereby we are iuſtified and merite heauen? Seeing that the very beſt woorkers of vsus al, when wee hauehave doone what we canne, yet finde our ſelues ſcarce able, where wee owe God golde, to paye him leade, where wee owe him thouſandes to pay him hundredes, yea to aunſwere him one of a thouſande, Iob. 9.3. in ſo much that the righteouſneſſe of the righteous is but as a ſteyned cloath, Iſa. 64.6. And therefore Paul, though hee wrote the Epiſtle to the Phillippians a litle before his death, when hee was full of ſufferinges for CHRIST, and of all kinde of good woorkes, yet he in the 3. Chapter therof proteſteth, not onelye in the preter tenſe, that hee counted all his phariſaicall righteouſneſſe before his, conuerſion, but all then in the preſent tenſe, but doung, that hee might winne Chriſt, and might be founde in him, not haning his owne righteouſneſſe, which is of the Lawe, but that which is through the faith of Chriſt, euen the righteouſneſſe which is of GOD through fayth, verſe. 8.9. Wherefore hee boldlye concludeth, Titus. 3.5. thus, Not by the woorkes of righteouſneſſe (which no doubt, are woorkes doone in fayth; for otherwyſe they were not to be called woorkes of righteouſneſſe, but rather woorkes of vnrighteouſneſſe) which wee hauehave doone, but according to his mercy he ſaued vsus. Now to make it cleare, that by this righteouſneſſe of GOD, whereby Paule through faith in Chriſt woulde bee righteous before GOD, is ment not an inherent righteouſneſſe in mans owne ſelfe, Paul oppoſeth it to that righteouſneſſe in himſelfe. And beſides Romanes. 10.1.2.3. they are ſeuered, in that the one is called the righteouſneſſe of God, the other mans owne righteouſneſſe. But moſt cleare is that Romains. 1.17. where hee affirmeth that that righteouſneſſe, which is called the righteouſneſſe of GOD, is reuealed by the Goſpell from faith to faith. For it is written, The iuſt ſhall liue by fayth, Whereby▪ it is moſt euident, that this inherent righteouſnes, which they would hauehave to make thē righteous by, is reuealed by the morall law. And therefore you ſhall finde, that Paul. Rom. 10.5.6, 7.8.9. diſtinguiſheth the righteouſnes of the lawe, from the righteouſnes that commeth by faith. And Rom. 3.21. that hee in plaine tearmes thus determineth this matter. Now is the righteouſnes of God made manifeſt without the law, hauing witneſſe of the Law, and the Prophetes, to witte the righteouſneſſe of God by the faith of Ieſus Chriſt vntounto all and vppon all that beleeue. Which coulde not bee, if the righteouſnes of God were the good workes that are in men, for we come to the knowledge of thē by the Lawe. This is called the righteouſneſſe of God in an excellencye, becauſe the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt is the righteouſneſſe of one that is God, and is indeede a righteouſneſſe abſolute before God, for the which he cannot but account them righteous to whom it is imputed by fayth. In an inferiour ſort the godlyneſſe in Gods children maye be called a righteouſneſſe of God, becauſe it is wrought in them by his ſpirite: but yet (as appeareth by theſe places) it is not that righteouſneſſe, whereby we may dare perſwade one ſelues that wee are made righteous before hym, but onelyonly a fruite proceeding from that, applyed firſt vntounto vsus, and then teſtifiyng thereof. Further howe could it be ſayde truely, that life euerlaſtyng is foreign that is, the free gift of God, Ro. 6.23. if it come at all by meryte? To imagyne that it may come of grace and alſo of workes, it is flat agaynſt Paul Rom. 11.6. where he ſayth, If it be of grace, it is no more of works, or elſe were grace no more grace but if it be of works it is no more grace, or elſe were work no more woorke. In which woordes he de…ermineth, ſaluation to come by merite of workes, and by grace, to bee ſo contrarye the one to the other, as if it come the one way, it cannot come at al by …he other. It cannot bee ſayde to the ſhifting off of this place with any reaſon, that here by works are meant workes onelyonly done before faith, for he ſpeaketh generally heere of woorkes without diſtinction. And therefore very well ſaide, Auguſt. contra Pelag. & Caeleſt. lib. 2. cap. 24. Gods grace ſhalbe grace no way vnleſſe it be free eueryevery way, and the drift of the Epiſtle to the Galath. is flatly and directly againſt ſuch as would be ſaued partly by grace through faith in Chriſt, and partly by their workes following faith. For they were neuer taught by the falſe Apoſtles, neithee did they then holde, iuſtification by workes done before faith, or by workes alone. And yet Paul ſpeaking to the purpoſe to confute them ſaith, If righteouſnes come by the lawe, Chriſt died in vaine, Gal. 2.21. & Chap. 5.4. ye are alboliſhed frō Chriſt, whoſoeuer are iuſtified by the lawe, ye are fallen from grace. VponUpon which ground ſaid Auguſtine in his preface vppon the 31. Pſal. If thou wilt hauehave nothing to doe with grace, boaſt thy merits: and Chryſoſtome 3. ad Gal. ſaith thus, …hey ſaide, accurſed is hee, that leaneth onelyonly to faith. Paul ſheweth, that hee that ſo doeth is bleſſed. And Ambroſe alſo vponupon the ſame warrant 1. Cor. 1. affirmeth, that it is appointed of GOD, that he that beleeueth in Chriſt ſhalbe ſaued without woorkes onele by faith, freely receiuing remiſſion of his ſinnes. And leaſt they ſhould cauill, and ſay (as they are not aſhamed to doe) that by workes of the lawe are vnderſtoode onelyonly workes done before faith, by the direction of the Lawe, without the infuſion of the ſpeciall grace of GOD through Chriſt, marke how notably to preuent that popiſh ſhift chap. 2.15.16. he ſaieth, Wee that are Iewes by nature and not ſinners of the Gentiles know, that a man is not iuſtified by the workes of the Lawe, but by the faith of Ieſus Chriſt. Euen we (I ſay) hauehave beleeued in Ieſus Chriſt, that we might be iuſtified by the faith of Chriſt, and not by the woorkes of the lawe, becauſe that by the workes of the Lawe no fleſhe ſhalbe iuſtified. In which words he excludeth from the office of iuſtifying not onelyonly the workes of vnbeleeuers, but alſo of them that beleeue, ſaying, that he and ſuch as he was, which beleeued in Chriſt did ſo beleeue, not that they might bee enabled thorowe their owne woorkes to iuſtifie vp themſelues, but the plaine contradictorie, that is, that they beleeued in him, that they might ſtill bee iuſtified by their faith in him, and not by their woorkes, which were woorkes done after their faith, though he calleth them the workes of the Lawe, becauſe therein they were preſcribed. Againe, where hauehave they any grounde for this pointe of diuinitie, that CHRIST merited that their workes or the woorkes of any ſhoulde bee meritorious? Doe they not ſee, that this were in effect to ſay, that CHRIST communicateth his owne glorious office of beeing a Sauiour to thoſe workes, and ſo remaineth not a full and a perfect Sauiour in him-ſelfe and by himſelfe? Whereas we reade flatly to the contrary Iſai. 43.11. where hee ſayth vntounto vsus thus, I, euen I am the Lorde, and beſide me, there is no ſauiour. To conclude therefore this point, if the righteouſneſſe that GOD hath prouided for vsus in CHRIST, were not the righteouſneſſe that ſhould make vsus righteous, why is it, that wee reade, that the faithfull ſhall ſay, Iſai. 45.24. In the Lorde hauehave I righteouſneſſe and ſtrength: and that his name ſhall be our righteouſneſſe, Ierem. 23.6. & 33.16. And that the Meſſias ſhall bring with him an euerlaſting righteouſneſſe, Dan. 9.24. Who ſeeth not, that it is, ſeeing God hath appointed, that we ſhoulde be ſo iuſtified, as that the whole glorie may bee his, and none ours, (which cannot be, if it come by any woorkes at all, done by vsus, Rom. 3.27. & 4.4. ) to make vsus conclude with Paul, that he is made of God vntounto vsus wiſedome, righteouſnes, ſanctification and redēption, that he that reioyceth, may reioice in him, 1. Cor. 1.30.31.

If yet they wil ſay, that this cānot be, that we ſhoulde bee termed or accounted righteous by a righteouſneſſe that is not in our ſelues, but in Chriſt I aske them why they holde ſo? They muſt anſwere, becauſe it is a principle in Philoſophie, that the accident muſt bee in the ſubiect whereof it hath denomination. To whom fieſt I anſwere, that it is not in vaine that Saint Paul hath giuen vsus this warning, be w…e leaſt there be any, that ſpoile you through vaine Philoſophie. Coloſ. 2.8. Secondly I ſay, that howſoeuer this be a ſounde principle in Philoſophie, yet it is falſe in diuinitie: which I prooue thus, Chriſt was one in whom there was no ſin, Iſai. 53.8. and yet we read that the Lorde laide vponupon him the iniquities of vsus all, verſe. 6. In ſo much that he was wounded for our tranſgreſſions, and broken for our iniquities, and the chaſtiſement of our peace was laide vponupon him and with his ſtripes we are healed, ver. 5. Whereby I ſee that our vnrighteouſneſſe was imputed vntounto him, though there were no vnrighteouſneſſe at all inherent in him. Where-uppon it muſt needes followe, that as well may his righteouſneſſe bee imputed vntounto vsus, which beleeue, that of our ſelues are vnrighteous. Yea no doubt of it, that change hath GOD made with vsus in him, to impute vntounto him our vnrighteouſneſſe, that his righteouſneſſe might bee imputed vntounto vsus. For we reade, that hee was made ſinne for vsus which knewe no ſinne, that we ſhould be made the righteouſneſſe of GOD in him. 2. Cor. 5.12. By Iohn therefore hee willeth the Laodiceans (Apoc. 3.) to come to him, to buy of him but freely Iſai. 55. 1.) long white garmentes to couer their nakednes, verſ. 18. That is, to hauehave at his hands by faith perfect righteouſneſſe whereby they may bee made righteous. And what peeuiſhnes is this to deny the imputation of Chriſtes righteouſneſſe to the beleeuer in him, and to holde that the righteouſneſſe of Saints may bee imputed vntounto him that buyeth a pardon, which they all holde? And how can it bee otherwiſe but that his righteouſneſſe ſhoulde bee the righteouſnes of all thē that beleeue in him? For it being, as it is, an infinite and abſolute righteouſneſſe, and they that beleeue in him thereby being (as you hauehave heard) in him and one with him, how can it be I ſay any otherwiſe, but that thoſe thinges that bee in him ſhould ſo farre bee communicated vntounto them, as is meet and neceſſarie for them? Whereupon it commeth, that we reade Apoc. 3.21. he ſaith, that he will grant to them that ouercome, to ſitte with him in his throne, as he ouercomining ſitteth with the father in his.

But to paſſe from this point to the laſt particular branch of their faith, wherein they plainely confeſſe that their faith breedeth not in them aſſuraunce and confidence of their ſaluation, but ſuch a hope onelyonly as may be ioyned with doubtfulneſſe, whether it ſhalbe ſo in the ende or no. I will eaſily grant them, that as long as they builde beſide the onelyonly foundation Chriſt, as they doe vponupon the ſatisfactions and merites of man, it cannot be otherwiſe. Nay I ſay further, that (foraſmuch as there is no couenant betwixt God and man of any ſaluation, but onelyonly in Chriſt Ieſus the promiſed ſeede, for all the promiſes runne in the ſingular number, In one which is Chriſt, Gal. 3.16. and they are all yea & amen in him, 2. Cor. 1.20.) it is horrible preſumption (ſo farre off it is from being humility) for thē once to hope, or to call in queſtion, whether they may or ſhalbe ſaued, ſeeking for any part thereof, for any thing that is not be. For it is to looke after ſome fort to bee ſaued after a meere fancy and deuiſe of man, full of robberie and blaſphemy againſt Ieſus Chriſt: which howe abſurd it is let any man iudge. And as long as their owne conſciences enforce them to confeſſe, that they hauehave no better faith than this, let them be aſſured, that though they we are their tongues to the ſtumpes, and their knees till there grow bornes on thrm in praying to GOD for their ſaluation, they ſhall neuer be heard. For it is written, Iam. 1.6.7. Let him aske in faith, & wauer not, for he that wauereth is like the waue of the Sea toſt and caried awaie: neither let that man thinke that he ſhall receaue any thing of the Lord. And whereas an aſſured confidence of ſaluation in Chriſt is counted of them preſumption, I ſay they may be aſhamed but once to thinke ſo. For vntounto the right beleeuer God hath firſt giuen his generall promiſe, that ſuch a one whatſoeuer hee be ſhall not periſh, but hauehave eternall life, Iohn. 3.16. And this woorde is in writing in the place before named, and elſe where very often in GODS booke, and in the vſe of the Sacramentes it is particularly applyed to eueryevery one that ſo beleeueth Roman. 4. verſe. 11. And beſides all this the ſpirite of GOD inwardly in the heartes of all ſuch teacheth them to crie Abba, Father, Romanes. 8.15. and teſtifieth to their ſpirits, that they are the children of God, ver. 16. and ſo ſealeth them vp to the day of redemption, 2. Corint. 1.22. VponUpon which euidence to grounde an aſſured confidence to enioye the thing promiſed, who may not? Yea the Lord hauing giuen ſuch euidence & ground vntounto vsus, of aſſurance; who ſeeth not, that this notwithſtāding to doubt, whether the thing promiſed ſhall bee giuen vsus or no, is moſt horrible ſinne againſt the Lorde, calling his trueth into queſtion, 1. Iohn. 5.10? And therefore, whatſoeuer they ſay to the contrary, wee know it is our dueties, to yeelde vntounto the exhortation made to all them that beleeue aright in Chriſt, Heb. 10.19. &c. which is this, Seeing therefore (brethren,) that by the bloud of Ieſus we may be bolde to enter into the holy place by the new and liuing way, which hee hath prepared for vsus through the vaile, that is, his fleſh: and ſeeing we hauehave an hie Prieſt, that is ouer the houſe of of God, let vsus drawe neare in a true heart, in aſſurance of faith ſprinkled in our hearts from an euill conſcience, & waſhed in our bodies with pure water, and let vsus keepe the profeſſion of our hope without wauering, for he is faithful that hath promiſed. Thus I hope you ſee proofe ſufficient to prooue,The popiſh faith … antichriſtian, & popery antichriſtianity. that the popiſh faith is not that faith, whereby men can grow into an vnion with Chriſt, and conſequently not the faith wherby any can dy in the Lord. Howbeit becauſe they ſhall not ſay, y^e I was driuen to ſeeke for forraine profes to proue this, & hauehave no proofe or argumēt to cōfirme it in this my preſēt text; giuegive me leaue to vſe one argument more to prooue it, and that deduced from the very circumſtances of my text: which I thus frame, Whoſoeuer dieth bearing the marke of the beaſt either in forhead or hād, dieth not in the Lorde, but in the Babyloniſh, that is, Antichriſtian religion: but whoſoeuer dieth in this popiſh faith, dyeth bearing the mark of the beaſt in the forhead or hād: ergo ſo far off is it, that ſuch a one dyeth in Chriſt, that in deede and trueth hee dyeth in Antichriſt The firſt part of this argument they neither can nor will deny. For they reade verſ. 9.10.11. that who ſo worſhippeth the beaſt and his image, and receiueth his marke either in his forehead or hand, the ſame ſhall drinke the wine of Gods wrath, and be euerlaſtingly tormented. Yea what then (wil they ſay) your aſſūption or ſecond part of pour argument is vtterly falſe. Well, that then being prooued, the concluſion muſt bee yeelded vntounto. This themſelues grant that by Babylon (the fall whereof heere denounced ſhall followe vponupon the preaching of the Goſpel, verſ. 6.7.8.) is ment the floriſhing kingdome of Antichriſt, and they confeſſe, that by wearing the marke of the beaſt in foreheade or hande, is vnderſtoode perſeuering ſtill a fauourer and liker of Antichriſtianity, notwithſtanding the warning here giuen to the contrary. And if they woulde deny either of theſe, they coulde not for ſhame, the text in this booke and the circumſtaunces thereof, are ſo preguant to prooue them. If therefore I can prooue, that by Babylon here we hauehave to vnderſtande Rome, By Babylon we are to vnderſtande Rome.and that Antichriſtianitye and Popery be al one, then I am ſure, that they muſt needs graunt my aſſumption. For the firſt of theſe I doe boldly affirme, that here by Babylon we muſt vnderſtande Rom. My reaſons are theſe, The phraſe vſed in this booke generally is figuratiue, and not literallye to bee taken, and therefore it is not likely, but by Babylon is ment ſame other Citye, which figuratiuely might bee ſo termed. And it is euident, that Iohn ſpeaketh of ſuch a Babylon, as floriſhed in his time, and ſhould long after; and yet that ſhould in the end hauehave a fall: and therefore not of Babylon in Chaldea, for that was fallen and decayed before. Neither is it ſtraunge in the Scripture to finde one Citye and people called by the name of another, for the liklihood of manners bewixt the one, and the other. For Iſai. 1.10. wee reade, that God ſpeaketh thus to the Princes and people of Iſrael, that dwelt in Canaan; Heare the word of the Lord, O Princes of Sodome, harken vntounto the law of our God, O people of Gomorrha. By which reaſon moſt aptly after the ſame figure of ſpeech may Rome be called Babylon, For as old Babylon vexed y^e Church in y^e olde Teſtament with long captiu…y, ſo hath Rome done the Church of Chriſt in the newe; as that ouercame the Iews and burned their City, ſo hath alſo this doone by Titus and Veſpaſian: as Babylon was the ſeat and fountaine, when it flooriſhed, of Idolatrye and all abhomination, ſo hath Rome beene both in the time of the beaſt and his image, that is, both in the time of Paganiſme vnderunder the heathen Emperours, and nowe in the time of Papiſme vnderunder the Popes the Princes thereof. And it is no ſmall reaſon to mo…ue vsus by Babylon here to vnderſtand Rome, that it is called Babylon the great City, that hath made all nations drimke with the wine of the wrath of her fornication, that is, that hath infected all nations with a falſe faith and religion, whereby men in falling from their fathonely in the true and onelyonly husbande Chriſt, fall to put their truſt and confidence in other thinges, that are not CHRIST, and to commit fornication ſpiritually, with thoſe thinges for the which the Lorde is wroth with them, Which cannot bee ſayde of Babylon in Chaldea, nor of any other Citye ſo called. For none of that name hauehave doone ſo ſince Iohns time▪ but moſt fitly as appeareth by viewe of the popiſh doctrine and faith, may be ſaid of Rome, and the Princes therof the Popes. So that thus you ſee by the way, that their glory is turned to their ſhaure. For they bragge of their vninerſalitye and generall conſent, which yee ſee heare (their doctrine being as you hauehave hard) is a moſt plaine note of the Antichriſtian Babylon. But which is of all reaſons the moſt forcible, whereas it cannot be denied, but by the purple, ſilken, and proud whore of Babylon is ment Antichriſt, Apoc. 17.4. their ſhe is deſcribed ſitting vppon a Crimſon coloured beaſt full of names of blaſphemy, which had ſeuen heades and ten homes verſ. 3. which ſeuen heades are by the Angell verſ. 9. expounded to be ſeuen mountaines, on which the woman ſitteth. The names of the bils be theſe, Cap…olitius, Palatinut, Auentinus, Caelius, Exquilinus, Viminads, Quirinaſis, And the woman is ſayde verſe. 1…. to be that great Citie, which raigneth ouer the kings of the …a…th. Then by which deſcription it was impoſſible more playnely to deſcribe …ome, which then w… the miſtreſſe and theſe of other Cityes; and a City compaſſing within the …ies that of ſeuer …, as euen voyes hauehave learned in the ſection booke of Virgils Georgickes; and as it is not orſiouſly known otherwiſe. If … not hauehave Rome to … the very … of Antichriſt, let them … vsus out another City, … this deſcription agreeth. Againe why ſhould the ſtanding and …ooriſhyng Empire of Rome, and the continuance of the ſeme of the Empero …ere, bee that which letted and ſhould let the ſetling of Antichriſt in his ſeatē, vntill it were taken our of the waie, 2. Theſſ 2.7. But to ſhewe that the very ſeate of the Empire ſhoulbe be his ſeate, and that the place muſt be ſeft emptye for him by the departure of the Emperour from thence before he … come into his chayre of peſſiſonee? The papiſts themſelues confeſſe that this is Paules meaning there. And therefore Sanders in his booke of the viſible Monarchy in his fourth demonſtration for the defence of the Pope, confeſſeth that Hierom in his eleuenth queſtion to Algaſia, Tertullian in his Apollogie againſt the Gentiles, that Chryfoſtome vponupon the place it ſelfe, and Auguſt. in his 20. booke de Ciuitate Der cap. 19. (vntounto whom he might ad Ambroſe, Iraeneus, Lactantius, with diuerſe others alſo) doe vnderſtande Paul thereby to meane the Romane Empire. Which when indeede it decayed in the Weſt, and tooke his ſeate in the Eaſt at Conſtantinople, the Popes founde to be ſo taken out of their way, that (as experience and al ſtoryes conſitme) quickly after they grew to be ſo Emperor like in the Weſt, that in their kingdom, the wound that the former beaſt had taken by thus ce…ouing his ſeat from Rome, ſeemed to be healed, they bare ſo liuely the image of the former beaſt. As for the Empire that is now leſt in the Weſt, it is (as it is well known) a thing in name but not indeede, & they hauehave ſo handled the matter, that it is as good as quite taken out of their way, they may do for all it, what it pleaſeth them: and the other part of the Empire is ſwallowed vp of the Turke. Laſtly you are to vnderſtande, that I am not the firſt, that by Babylon here vnderſtand Rome. For euē then when theſe uiſions of Iohn were far harder to be vnderſtood than nowe, in that nowe experience hath opened many of them, which it had not then, the anciene fathers ſawe that by Babylon heere was ment Rome. As for example, Tertullian contra Iudaeos, and Hierom in diuerſe places, as in his 11. queſtion to Algaſia, in his preface of Didimus booke of the holy Ghoſt, and in his 2. booke againſt Iouinian. Yea our Rhemiſtes, in their notes vponupon the laſt of the firſt of Peter earneſtly contend to prooue, that there by Babylon is meant Rome, and vppon the 17. of Iohn they dare not flatly deny, but that there, by Babylon the ſeat of the ſtrūpet, may be vnderſtood Rome. That the popiſh faith is an …chriſtiā.Wherefore theſe reaſons conſidered. I conclude, that by Babylon heere is ment. Rome. Yea but yet you ſhal not finde it ſo eaſie a matter to proue the popiſh faith to be Antichriſtian, they will ſay. Yes verily: for euen that, which I hauehave already ſayd in the deſcription and confutatiō of their faith, proueth it to be Antichriſtian. For if Antichriſt be he that is an aduerſary to Chriſt, & if he be an aduerſary to Chriſt, y^t robbeth him of that honour and glory, that is due vntounto him, then it cannot he but that the popiſh faith is Antichriſtian But S. Iohn, ſay they, in his firſt Epiſtle ca. 4.3. hath plainly cold vsus, that that ſpirit that cōfeſſeth not that Ieſus chriſt is cōe in the fleſh, that is the ſpirite of Antichriſt. Whereby they would gather, that they cannot be Antichriſtian, becauſe they confeſſe, that Chriſt is come in the fleſh. I anſwere them with Aug. wordes vponupon S. Iohns epiſtle tract. 3. Non attendamus ad linguam, ſed ad facta, &c. Let vsus not conſider what they ſay, but what they doe. For if they al ſhould be asked with one mouth, they would confeſſe the Lord Ieſus to be Chriſt. But let their tongue ſtay a while, and aske their life: for howſoeuer in words they confeſſe, that Ieſus Chriſt is come in y^e fleſh, yet indeed and truth they deny it. For he that denyeth the fruit & cauſe of his cō ming (which was as I hauehave proued to be a full, whole, & ſole ſauiour in himſelfe and by himſelf) they deny his comming indeede and truth, whatſoeuer they ſay in wordes. And this is euident in thē, in y^e they truſt not to his ſatisfactions & merits, w^eout, adding there to their own in the cauſe of their ſaluation. The Iews & Turks ſay they knowe God, and beleeue in him: but we chriſtians ſay, and wee ſay truely, that they neither know him nor beleeue in him at all but onelyonly in an Idoll of their owne framing, becauſe they knowe him not in the face of his ſonne Ieſus Chriſt. Arius in plaine words denied not Chriſt to be God, yet becauſe he denyed that he was equall to his father, he denyed his godhead indeed. And ſo though the papiſtes in woordes confeſſe Chriſt to be come in y^e fleſh, yet becauſe indeede & truth they will not let him be prieſt alone, to offer propitiatory ſacrifice: king alone, to gouerne by his owne orders: prophet alone, to inſtruct by his owne woorde: but (as it is moſt euident) ioyne vntounto him a ſucceſſion of prieſtes to iterate his ſacrifice, which he offered once for all, Heb. 9.25.26. alter his lawes and orders, ad and detract at their pleaſure too and from his reuealed and written woorde, as the face and practiſe of their Church teacheth, indeede and truth they deny that he is come in the fleſh. And it appeareth by the prophecies that wee hauehave in the ſcripture of Antichriſt, that hee ſhall not bee ſo blunt a foole: as flatly and in playne tearmes to denye ſo manifeſt an article of fayth, as this is, but hee and his ſhall come and ſet abroach their falſe doctrin through hypocriſie. 1. Tim. 4.2. In ſo much that antichriſtianitye 2. Theſſ. 2.7. is called a miſtery of iniquitie, that is an iniquity that not all at once and openly ſhall ſhew is ſelfe, but that ſhall come in by ſoft and ſtealing paſes ſo ſhrowded and hid vnderunder a ſhew of godlineſſe. that it ſhould not eaſily be eſpyed. And therefore Chriſt Mat. 13.25, 26. compareth this bad ſeed to tares, which the good ſeedmans foe, ſowed amongſt the good wheat, while men ſlept, & then ſlielye went his waye; which was not eſpyed by and by of the good ſeedmans houſhold nay not vntill the blade was ſprung vp. And therefore Saunders is but a foole from hence to drawe a demonſtration that the Pope is not Antichriſt, becauſe in wordes hee confeſſeth Chriſt, How could he be ignorant, that it is noted. Apoc. 17.4. that the Babyloniſh harlotte is deſcribed to hold out vntounto others her abominations and filthy fornications in a golden cuppe: that is, that it ſhould be y^t property of Antichriſt (the more to allure men to receiue his religion) to colour it with as glorious ſhewes of Catholike and Chriſtian religion, as he could deuiſe. By which note by the way wee may ſee, how vaine that their great reaſon is, whereof our late Ieſuites, and Rhemiſtes bragge ſo much, namely, that therefore Popery cannot be Antichriſtianity, becauſe it cannot be ſhewed (as they ſay) in what Emperours time it beganne, & that it was then eſpied and reſiſted as ſoone as it beganne. For howſoeuer it be the nature of ſome other hereſies to beginne at once and to ſhewe themſelues bluntly, as bad as they be, at the firſt, yet we ſee it is not ſo with Antichriſtianity, the moſt perilous apoſtaſie, and hotch-potch of all hereſies. And therefore it is no more proofe that popery is not Antichriſtianity, if it could not be told when it firſt came in, and who then by and by with-ſtoode it, than it had beene, that the tares were no tares (whē euidently by cōparing of them with the wheat they ſhewed themſelues to be ſo) becauſe that they that then eſpied them could not tel when they were ſowen, and that any reſiſted the ſower thereof, when hee went about to doe it. As then it was ſufficient to conclude them to be tares, becauſe they, compared with the fruite then of the wheate, that was ſowen, were found ſo far to differ from it, as they did: ſo it is a ſufficient argument to vsus to proue the popiſh faith to bee Antichriſtian, in that we hauehave founde it, as we hauehave, to differ from Chriſtian doctrine. But to the further proofe thereof (becauſe they bragge they hauehave faith, & that a true Chriſtian faith, becauſe they with their mouth confeſſe Ieſus Chriſt to be the ſon of the liuing God) they muſt be put in remembrance, that the Diuels doe as much as that commeth to, Mark 1.24 and Lu…. 4.34. & how that Iudas kiſt him with his mouth and ſaid, Haile maiſter, when be had but a traiterous heart. Matth. 26.49. and Marke. 14.45. Nay I ſay yet more, that the Diuelles faith is farre better than theirs. For (no doubt of it) they knowe and are fully perſwaded (though they grieue at it) that the merites of Chriſtes owne ſatiefaction performed in his owne perſon by himſelfe are ſo infinitely auailable in the ſight of his heauenly father, that they neede not the addition of any other ſatisfaction or merite to ſaue the beleeuer, and this they will not be brought to confeſſe. Whereupon it muſt needes followe, that they imagine to themſelues ſuch a cruell and mercileſſe God the father, and will not grow to be at one with them for the infinite merites of his owne deare ſonne, without the addition thereunto of their owne: and ſuch a God the ſon they hauehave framed vntounto themſelues, as that either could not, or would not fully in himſelfe and by himſelfe prepare whatſoeuer was neceſſary for mans ſaluation. The very conſequent whereof is this, that indeede they neither know God nor beleeue in him, but worſhippe an Idole of their owne heades. For it is moſt true that S. Cyprian hath ſaide in his booke de duplici Martyrio, of double Martyrdome, Non creditin Deum, qui in eo ſolo non collocat totius ſuae ſalutis fiduciam: he beleeueth not at all in God, which repoſeth not in him alone the confidence of his whole ſaluation.

That Popery▪ Antichriſtianity.Yet to proceede one ſteppe further with them, not onelyonly their faith is Antichriſtian (as it appeareth by their former reaſons) but their Church and kingdome is ſo alſo: in ſo much that popery is Antichriſtianity it ſelfe. Which to be ſo, whoſoeuer with a ſingle eie wil but conſider the propheſies and deſcriptions of Antichriſt and his kingdome, 2. Theſſ. 2. 1. Timoth. 4. and through this booke of the reuelation, and compare them with the kingdome of popery, ſhall ſee moſt euidently. For if time and opportunity now would permitte me, I would not doubt to make it moſt clearly appeare to eueryevery one heere preſent that there was neuer cote made fitter for mans body, or gloue for his hand than theſe deſcriptions be for popery. For a litle taſt whereof, conſider either the originall, the manner of proceeding and growing to his perfection, the flouriſhing eſtate, the qualities or conſumption of Antichriſt ſet downe in theſe places, and you ſhall finde them all notably to fitte the papacie. His originall is ſaid to be from the earth, Reu. 13.11. And 2. Theſſ. 2. we read that the miſtery of his iniquity was woorking in Pauls time. In that no doubt (as it appeareth by the occaſion that Paul had to write as he did, to the Galathians) there were euen thē falſe Apoſtles, that taught men to ſeeke their ſaluation, partly by their own merites, and not onelyonly by faith in Chriſt: And whence is popery ſprung, but euen from the earth, that is from earthly and not heauenly groundes, from the wit and will of fooliſh man and vncertaine traditions of earthly men? And who ſeeth not that the falſe Apoſtles doctrine in Galatia is the very ground of all popery? His maner of proceeding (as you hauehave heard) is by hypocriſie, & (as you may further obſerue) by falſe miracles, 2. Theſſ. 2.9. and when theſe will not ſerue, by extreme perſecution without all mercy againſt the faithfull witneſſes of the truth, Apos. 17.6. All which hauehave bin the ſteps, whereby popery hath proceeded and growen to his perfection, as experience moſt euidently hath taught. Antichriſt could not fully be borne, y^• is, ſhew himſelfe in deed in his right colours (as you hauehave heard) vncil the Roman Empire was remoued out of his way, but then he ſhould. Which in ſtories we ſee iuſtly verified in the papacy. For vntil he ſeat of the Empire was remoued from Rome, …o Conſtantinople, & the Empire in the We… deca…ed, y^e popes chalenged not to thēſelues their blaſphemous & antichriſtiā titles. But ſhorely after in the murtherer Phocas his time they tooke the vponupon thē. Antichriſts floriſhing eſtate is deſcribed to be ſuch, that al nations ſhalbe made drunke with the wine of the wrath of her fornication, & kings ſhal cōmit fornication with her, Ap. 18.2. that is, there ſhalbe a wonderful vniuerſal conſent in imbracing Antichriſts religiō: and it is ſet forth to ve wonderful pompous, magnificent, & maieſtical, for the wealth and brauery of the world, e. 17.4. which be two of the things that popery braggeth of, & trumpheth for againſt the true church of chriſt. As for his qualities we read, 1. Tim. 4.2.3. that he ſhall teach that there lyeth great holnieſſe in abſteining from mariage and meats: & that therfore he ſhall forbid mariage & command abſtinence from eats, and that he ſhall ſpeake words full of blaſphemie, as wee read, Apoc. 17.3. And that he ſhalbe an aduerſarie, that exalteth himſelfe againſt all that is called God, or that is worſhipped, ſitting as God in the temple of God, ſhewing himſelfe that he is God, 2. Theſſ. 2.4. Of which qualities the two firſt are notoriouſly ſeen in popery, in forbidding the mariage of miniſters, and in the commāding, as a holy and meritorious thing, abſtinence from fleſh. And as for the reſt, who can conſider, howe the Popes hauehave brought kinges and princes vnderunder to do them moſt baſe ſeruice, and what otherwiſe they hauehave taken vponupon them & do ſtil to make lawes beſides and often contrary to the woorde written, to binde conſciences yet vnderunder paine of damnation to obey; how they cal thēſelues heads of the vniuerſall Church, which is Chriſts ſpeciall, and peculiar title, Coloſ. 1. Epheſ. 1. howe they take vponupon them to forgiue ſinnes, and to conferre vponupon beggarly creatures by the halowing of them, power to put away ſinnes, but he muſt be enforced to cōfeſſe, that al the other qualities are ſeene and found notoriouſly in the raſe of Popes for a long time? Laſtly as it is prophecied that by the ſpirit of Gods mouth 2. Theſſ. 2.8. Antichriſt ſhall conſume, and after the ſound of the Goſpell againe, that Babylon ſhall fall, Apoc. 14.8. ſo (the Lordes name be praiſed for it) we hauehave ſeene by experience papacie fallen into a great conſumption, and the popes credit and autority very well fallen alſo in the conſciences of men by the preaching of the Goſpell againe in theſe latter daies. And to our comfort we may learne out of the 2. to the Theſ. 2.8. that his conſūption is ſo deadly, that he ſhal neuer recouer it vntill he be quite aboliſhed by the brightnes of Chriſts comming. If he therfore win a litl… in one place, both he and his may learne by this to make their account, that they ſhall looſe more in another. In ſteade therefore of hoping againe for their golden day, let them ſeat n… for the fall of Babylon, which is irreuocable, to take vppe weeping and wailing, and to cry alas, alas, for the great citie, as it is prophecied that Antichriſtes friendes ſhall doe at his fall, Apoc. 18.19. Thus you ſee, or at the leaſt may ſee, both that Babylon is Rome, and alſo that Antichriſtianity is Popery. Wherefore the ſecond part of my argument is proued, which was this But who ſo dyeth in the popiſhe faith, dieth bearing the marke of the beaſt both in forhead and hand: and therefore now againe I may conclude, therfore ſo far off is it, that he that dieth a papiſt, dieth a chriſtian, or in Chriſt, that moſt certainty he dieth a limme of Antichriſt: and that conſequently all Papiſtes, dying Papiſtes in this peeuiſh and Antichriſtian faith before deſeribed & confuted, are ſhut out from this number that my text ſpeaketh of … thus alſo in this ſhort compariſon of the prophecies concerning the kingdome of … ▪ you ſe… once againe their glory … to their ſhame▪ For (you know) they bragge that their Church muſt bee the true church, becauſe they … alleage an…iqui…; vniuerſality, vnity & viſibility, whereas al theſe (as you hauehave he…r…) are … chriſtianity. For …, it wa… …ginning in Pa… times for vi…ity and … …ll …tions ſhalbe drunke the … for the … you hauehave heard, how glittering …ſible, & … the whore of Babylon ſhalbe Let them … therefore dazel our eies, or deceiue vsus by any ſuch falſe marks to cauſe vsus to …e the poore, litle, & perſecuted flock of Chriſt, to … our ſelues with their gariſh ſynagogue.

… thus you hauehave heard what faith wil not … our … vsus vntounto Chriſt, that ſo we may, when it pleaſeth the Lorde. …e in him, euen wher by you may alſo ſee (… I doubt not but you do) what maner of faith it muſt be that wil ſerue. Howbeit for your more full ſatisfying cōcerning that point,What faith it is that will vnite vsus in deede to Chriſt. vnderſtand, that that faith the Lorde by the miniſtery of his word and Sacramente… through the inward working of his ſpirit neuer yet … …ought in any, …euer will, vnles that firſt by his law he …er… one, that was … onelyonly to ſee and know his ſinnes, and the puniſhments therefore due … him, but alſo to a true ſorowe for the f…me, and an vnfe…ed loathing therof, and conſe…ntly to an earneſt hūger and this … to be deli…ered …herefrom. …or Chriſt was not ſent to cōfort … by the Goſpell, that were not firſt … comforted by the law▪ to … vp any by the one, that were not firſt thr… … down by the other; or to heale …y by the one, who the other before had not made euen ſieke in the foule for the g…iefe of ſinne. And therefore it is writen, that he wa…ſent to bind vp the broken ha… …, to appoint vntounto them that mourne in Sion, & to giuegive vntounto thē beautie for a ſhes, the o…e of ioy for mourning, the garment of gladnes for the ſpirit of heau… nes, Iſai. 6.13. And ſuch (ſaith Dauid Pſa. 5.1….) as are of a contrite and a broken hart are …cc…p table vntounto him▪ and he will not deſpiſe them: and to him, euen to him that is poore and of a contriteſpirit, he ſaith, he will looke, Iſai. 66.…. And therefore Iſai. 55.1. and Iohn. 7.37. he … leth only the thirſty vntounto him, and Mat. ….28. the weary, and heauy loaden, promiſing comfort, to ſuch. Which property of our God it ſeemeth yt he bleſſed virgin had wel obſerued, & therfore ſhe ſingeth L…k… 1.53. He hath filled the … gry with good thinges, …le …ch he …ath ſe…t e…ty away. They therfore y^• by fayth would find Chriſt, & … …e raiſed vp, muſt firſt go to ſchole w^t the law …lea to therby effectually the former ſeſſ… f… the law is our ſch…e…ſter to bring vsus to C…hriſt, … 4. that ſo they finding out the depth and grieu…uſnes of their ſpirituall ſicknes may ſeek a ſit & …ciēt …layſter & ſ…lue to heal & … it. VntoUnto w^t eſtate whē the lord hath brought his, knowing that light after darknes, helth after ſicknes, felicity after taſt of miſery wil be y^• more …le… ̄ … & more th… ̄kfully receiued; thē effectually becauſeth thē ſo to pr…fice by the doctrine of the goſpel, that firſt therby they attain to a ſound and right knowledge of Ieſus Chriſt, what hee is in perſō, & what he is in office. In perſon, that he is the 2 perſon in Trinity, very God, and very man alſo: and yet that he is but one perſon cōſiſting of (theſe 2 natures. In office, king▪ prieſt, & prophet, the only meſſias & means to be ſaued by. Which ſaliatiō therby alſo they learne, he hath dearly & fully merited in & by his owne abaſ…mēt, in that he …āe mā, liued, died, was buried and deſcēded into …el: & therby likewiſe they learn, that by his …duācemēt, that is, by his reſurrectiō; aſcenſion, …nd ſi…ing on y^• right hād of his father, he is now able to beſtowe and apply the ſame faluation by himſelf ſo merited to al that be his. Whereupon they take decaſiō ſt…faſtly to beleeue, that for his …ly ſake they ſhal not only be quit of al their ſins & the puniſhmene… due for the ſame, but that alſo God will vouch… to accoūt thē righteous, and wo…thy or meet for the kingom of heauen for his righteouſnes imputed vntounto thē. So that faith ſeeketh for the whol matter and cauſe to be ſaued by in Chriſt Ieſus alone, & in him alone it findeth, & apprehendeth ſufficient matter why the owner of it ſhold be iuſtified and ſaued. The groūd of this faith in the cōfutation of the popiſh faith you hauehave heard already: wherunto ad yet theſe 2 manifeſt places, wherof the firſt is in the 10. of Ioh. 1. & 7. where Chriſt flatly teacheth, that he is the only dore into Gods ſheepfold, & that ſo earneſtly. that he pronoūceth thē all theeues & robbers, that ſeek to get in any other way. The other is in the 4. of the Act. 10.12. where we read, that Peter boldly before the high Prieſts and their company in a ſolemne aſſembly ſayth, Be it knowen vntounto you all, & to all the people of Iſraell, that there is ſaluatiō in no other, but in Ieſus of Nazareth: For amōg mē there is giuē no other nāe vnderunder heauē wherby we muſt be ſaued. The w^c 2 places (if there wer no more to be foūd through out the whole ſcripture) were ſufficient to put vsus out of all doubt, that there is no part of ſaluation to be looked for, but only in, through, and for Ieſus Chriſt. And therfore the greater is the iudgment of God vppon the Church of Rome, which notwithſtanding theſe places will yet ſeeke for ſome part of the cauſe of their ſaluation by their owne ſatisfactions and merites. But …, to whom the Lord hath giuen grace to ſee the glorious riches, which hee hath prepared for vsus in this his ſon, hereby may be aſſured, y^e ſeeing there lacketh in Chriſt, neither ableneſſe, nor willingnes to be ſuch a one, that w^tout all wauering, wee may he bold to beleeue that God as both able and willing freely & fully, ſoly, & wholy to iuſtifie vsus here, and to glorifie vsus elſwhere, for this his ſons ſake alone. Which perſuaſion grounded vpō this and other ſuch groundes in the Scripture before touched, is that which I boldly affirme vntounto you, to be the faith that indeede maketh vsus to be in the Lord, & ſo ready to dye in the Lorde. I exhort you therfore as many as be deſirous to dye in y^e Lord, to ſeeke in time by this ſayth to liue in the Lord. Remember that it is the Lordes gift, & that by the ordinary means of the word preached, Gal. 5. Ro. 10.14. 1. Cor. 1.21. And therfore if you would hauehave it and hauing it once reteyne and keepe it, you muſt diligently ſeeke it at the Lords hands, by the vſe of this means, and that while the Lord doch offer the means vntounto you, leaſt (as he threatneth, Pro. 1.24.26. ) Becauſe he called & ye refuſed, he will laugh at your deſtructiō, & mock when your fear commeth. Do not defer off the ſeeking for it, and the ſtrēgthening of it vntil old age come. If you wil do in it, you muſt learne to li… in i… firſt and there is no reaſon y^• you ſhould ſpend the ſtrength of your dayes in vanity, ignorance, misbeliefe and infidelity in the ſeruice of … in the and … theſe things are weary of you, to think, that it is enough to ſerue God w^t your old, dry, & rotten bones: God neuer liked to be ſerued w^t the lame, blinde and maimed of the flock, but the ſtrong, luſty, & vnblemiſhed hee alwaies called for, Mal. 1.8. & 13. And therfore let eueryevery one in his youth & time of his ſtrēgth remēber his creatour, & turn vntounto him, Ec. 12.1.

A briefe report & teſtimony of the Earle of Bedfords life and death.Of this fayth, and early and timely ſeeking for it, this noble perſon, whoſe funeral and burrall we are now about, hath bin a noble example vntounto vsus. For we know, that not only in his later daies in her Maieſties time that now is, when to be of this fayth, was and hath bin ſafe and commendable vntounto him, but alſo before, when to ſhewe himſelfe of this fayth was daungerous to his liuing and honour he hath ſhewed himſelfe in his life a zealous and conſtant profeſſor and confeſſour of this faith, vſing al good means both priuatly and publikely to nouriſh it by the diligent vſe of the means aforeſayd. I my ſelfe hauehave bin both an eye witneſſe, and an eare witneſſe, that both in reſpect of his ſins, he had infallible, tokens of a very broken and contrite hart, and thought as baſelye of himſelfe in reſpect of himſelfe as a true penitent man ſhould: and that yet caſting his eyes vponupon. Gods mercyes towards ſuch in Chriſt, no…ā could be more comforted and r…yſed vp agayne. Notwithſtanding he was as free from the common corruptions of the world (wherinto …e… of his place are greatly aſſaulted and prouoked to fall) and as ful of louelove and charity and all the fruites thereof as lightly amongſt men any can be found: yet this I canne teſtifie of him, and (I thinke) ſo canne all that knew him and were acquainted with him, that he was neuer the more puffed vppe with any conceyt of his own righteouſnes: yea though his courſe of life and dealing with all men were ſuch, that he had got this title commonly in the mouthes of al, The good Earle of Bedforde, yet ſtil his cry was, that only in Ieſus Chriſt and his merites was all his hope and truſt concerning his ſaluation. And truely as he liued in this faith in this ſort, ſo, to the glory of his God, al our good exāple, and his own euerlaſting comforte, hee dyed conſtantly in the ſame. And therefore (as they that were moſt about him can teſtifie) a litle before his death in this his laſt ſickneſſe, out of the abundance of his heart, and fayth that was lodged therein, hee vttered theſe words with great comfort, Satan is cheyned, Satan is cheyned: The ſeede of the woman hath broken the ſerpentes head, The ſeede of the woman hath broken the ſerpents head: Euen for mee, Euen for mee. And a little before his death he ioyned in prayer with a godly Miniſter, (whom hee kept in his houſe for the watering of himſelf and his family, from time to time, with the water of life) vntounto the Lorde moſt earneſtly, and made in his hearing (after ſome good comfort giuen him by him) a notable, ſweete and Chriſtian confeſſion of his fayth in God the father, God the ſon, and God the holy Ghoſt: ſhewing how fully he hoped to be ſaued in and for Ieſus Chriſts ſake alone, cōcluding in the end thus, Thus I beleeue with my heart to iuſtification, & confeſſe with my mouth to ſaluation: and ſo quietly within a very litle ſpace after gaue vppe the Ghoſt. I dare therefore be bolde to place him within the number of them that here in my text the Lorde ſpeaketh of. For he was no timeſeruer or diſſembler, none that either in forehead or hād bare the marke of the beaſt, but that hated thē leaſt ragge, relicke, and clour of the Romiſh harlote eueryevery day more and more vntounto his death. O you Nobles and others, of what calling ſoeuer, learne and ſeeke to bee like to him liuing, that ye may bee like to him dying. Aſſure your ſelues that hee loued Gods ſincere trueth vnfeynedlye, thet hee made not his religion a ſtepping ſtone to clime vp to promotion by, nor his drudge to ſerue his turne to cōpaſſe his worldly fetches and deuices by. No, no, hee was no vaine and prophane politike, that fauoured and countenanced religion for his own turne: his vnfeyned louelove appeared towardes it, in that euen the feete, yea the very feet of them that were meſſengers therof vntounto him, were alwaies beautifull in his ei… inſomuch y^• he tooke pleaſure to reaſon & cōferre with them moſt familiarlye & curteouſly, taking it as, great honour vntounto himſelfe, to patroniſe thē in their good cauſe & …mes, and to further to his vtmoſt their honeſt ſutes. Truly when I conſider of the one ſide how faithful acounſeller her maieſty hath loſt of him & of how truſty …patron the cōmonweal… is by this his departure frō vsus, herea…ed, and of … and tēder a father this our Church is therby alſo depriued, and when I hauehave done, enter into a conſideratiō on the other ſide, of the bleſſed and happy change that hee hath made, which followeth here in my text: I cannot tel, whether we hauehave grater cauſe to mourne in reſpect of this threefold loſſe to vsus, thā to reioyce in reſpect of the bleſſed & happy ſtate hereby befallen to him. Sure I am we may now wel conceiue, y^• in this threefolde reſpect there is great cauſe, why we ſ…ly mourn: but I …eare we ſhal eueryevery day more and more perceiue this threefold miſſe and loſſe of him, and therfore our mourning is rather likely to bee increaſed than otherwyſe. Howbeit, to moderate it let vsus proceed in y^e …e…t, that we may ſee thereby again, what cauſe there is euen of louelove towards him to make vsus in his reſpect to be ioyful again: In the handling whereof I wil be, the briefer, becauſe I hauehave beene the longer in this. Wherfore leauing him moſt certainly enrolled euen by Gods …wne hande within the number of thoſe, that be vndoubtedly dea… in the Lord, let vsus ſee what is here ſai… concerning the ſtate of ſuch, a…d therefore conſequently of himſ…

The ſecōd part of the general diuiſiō wherein firſt is ſet down the method & true ſenſe of that part of the text, with proofes thereof, as followeth.It followeth, Bleſſed are they immediately thence forth, Yea ſaith the ſpirite, they reſt frō their labours, and their works accompany thē. Wherin firſt their ſtate is fer bo…e by y^• he …ly voice what it is, and when they enter vponupon it, and then the ſame is iterated & ſomwhat explaned by the approbartion & aſſem of the holy Ghoſt, in that forthwith they reſto frō their labours, and their works accōpany them Their ſtate is bleſſed. As for them entrāce & cōtinuance in that ſtate, … preſſed in this word foreign, which, the etin…logy of the word, the vſe of the word in y^e beſt Greeke authours, and the very circumſtance of the t… conſidered, cauſe me to tra… …h…s, Immediatly thenceforth. Which to he the ſenſe y^t it ha…h in this place, vnderſtanding the place of ma…yrs, the Rhe…iſts themſelues in the notes vponupon this place …il…ingly confeſſe Yea they vnderſtanding the place alſo generally of al diſeaſed in …ate of grace, confeſſe it may thē alſo (though they ſay it doth… properly ſo ſignifie in this place, which they … neuer proue) …efo takē here vnderſāding it only of theſe y^t ſo deceaſed after Chriſts aſcēſiō. vnles that impedimēt be in thēſelues. Wherby it is euident, that not the properly of the word, but a deſire to maintaine firſt their limbus patrum, for thoſe that departed in faith before Chriſts aſcenſion, and their purgatory for ſome that depart ſo ſince, maketh thē vnwilling to yeeld, that the natural ſenſe of the word here is as I hauehave rendred it. But who ſo cōſidereth, that the ſcope of y^e place is to cōfort the godly and ſincere ſeruants of god, againſt the manifold aſſaults & afflictions procured them in this life by Antichriſt, euē with this, that if theſe notwithſtanding they perſeuere vntounto the end, they ſhal preſently, & ſo forth for euer be bleſſed, ſhal therby perceiue, that it muſt needs here hauehave that ſenſe, For to take it any otherwiſe would miniſter vntounto them a colde comfort: as for example, ſay vntounto them but in their ſenſe (which they would faine vtter for the ſenſe, if they durſt for ſhame) be of good cheare, be conſtant vntounto the end, and then perhaps preſently thou ſhalt go to bliſſe, and perhaps to purgatory, there to feele paines that exceede all the paines of this life at the leaſt, vntil thou haſt ſatisfied vp for thy ſinnes partely by thine owne bearing of thoſe paines, and partly by ſuch other reliefe, as good men ſhall prouide for thee when thou art gone, and then thou ſhalt go to bliſſe, and the comfort that it miniſtreth is as cold as lead Anſwereth this the circūſtance of the text? Nay tendeth it not rather to the plain contrary, that is, to their diſcomfort? Well, it ſeemeth they will not ſtriue with vsus for this ſenſe of the word, ſo we would be content to vnderſtand it of al that die in grace ſince Chriſts aſcenſion only, and but of ſo many of thoſe alſo, as before their death hauehave fully ſatisfied for their ſinnes: but we may not grāt them either of theſe limitations: not the firſt, becauſe they that dyed in faith in Chriſt to come, aſ well as thoſe that dy ſince in faith in Chriſt come, found their faith auailable to their ſaluation. For Chriſt hath bin the ſelfe ſame ſlain lamb for euer in the ſight of his heauenly father, Reuel. 13.8. and is one and the ſelfe ſame yeſterday, to day, and for euer, Heb. 13.8. And he himſelf, to the plain confutatiō of this groſſe opinion, that y^e faithful that died before his aſcenſion went not to ioy & bliſſe, placeth Abrahā & Lazarus with him in ioy & bliſſe before his death, Luk. 16.24. &c. and promiſeth the thiefe that day, when he died, that he ſhould be with him in paradiſe, Luk. 23.43. And as for the later the vainnes of the addition hath bin laid opē already, in that we hauehave learned, that there is no other ſatisfaction for the ſins of the faithfull, but that which Chriſt made in his owne perſon once for al: & yet they are ſo loth that this place ſhould be vnderſtoode generally of all that depart in a right faith in Chriſt, when, where, and howſoeuer that (miſtruſting belike that foreign would not ſerue their turns) in the next clauſe foreign they trā ſlate Now: where as they know it is an aduerbe of affirming, and not of time, and ſignifieth, Yea, Alſo, & neuer now. Why doe they not tranſlate the ſaine word Mat. 5. & Iam. 5. ſo alſo? Which if they did, thē we ſhould read there, for let your yea be yea, let your now be now: & for let your ſpeech be yea, yea, let your ſpeech be now now. But they found y^t their vulgar tranſlation readeth it. Iam. that is, now. Yea, but they were not ignorāt, that is, now. Yea, but they were not ignorāt, that truely the word foreign could not be ſo tranſlated: but that they cared not for, as long as thus to crā ſtate it (though againſt al reaſon) ſeemed to ſoūd better to countenance their Limbus Patrū, for ſo they gather of it. Now ſaith the ſpirit &c. (that is ſince Chriſts aſcenſion) that it in thus with them that die in the Lord, as thought it had not beene ſo before. And it would be noted, that y^e Greek word that is tranſlated labors, doth not ſignify any a… tion or operatiō whatſoeuer, but ſuch labor as is weariſome & tedious to the doer or ſufferer. For we muſt not thinke that the ſoules of the righteous ſeparated from their bodies liue in idleneſſe, without exerciſing thēſelues in any kind of action. For (no doubt of it) they are occupied in the contemplation of God, wherin their felicity lieth and in prayſing him with ioifulnes. But we are therby to vnderſtand, that ſuch is the caſe of them that die in the Lord, that thenceforth immediatly for euer, al wo, griefe, & paine whatſoeuer ceaſeth to thē both in body & ſoule, w^t is one part of their bleſſednes & happines here ſpokē of. But becauſe bleſſednes lieth not onelyonly in a not feeling of wo & paine, but eſpecially in fruition of ſome preſent & permanent ioy & comfort, therfore (the better to explane vntounto vsus, what bleſſednes it is, that they that die in the Lord thenceforth for euer hauehave atteined vntounto immediately vppon the diſſolution of their ſoule and body) it is farther added, that the workes of ſuch accompany them: that is, that preſently all the good works of ſuch, euē vntounto the giuing of a cup of cold water to one of gods little ones in the name of a diſciple ſhalbe rewarded in heauen with vnſpeakeable ioy and felicitie, Mat. 10.42. I read it rather, And their workes accompany them, becauſe ſo trāſlated the force of the greeke is the better expreſſed. For foreign doth not ſignify to follow a far off, but to follow hard at the heeles, & therfore foreign is a hand maid: & beſides foreign is more properly read, with thē, thā after them. Alſo thus reading it according to the ſenſe of y^e greek, the circumſtāce of y^e place is better anſwered, which was to animate thoſe that liued in the Lord alſo to die in the lord, w^t hope of preſent bliſſe vpō their death. Wheras, if it were read. And their works follow them, a cauiller to their diſcōfort might ſay, that may be ſo, though it be not before y^e end of a thouſād yeres after their death, & ſo in the meane time they may fry in purgatory. And thus it is confirmed likewiſe, foreign muſt here import immediatly thēce forth. For if the reward of their workes followe them, ſo, that it is preſent at their heeles, then there is no mean ſpace betwixt. And yet I would not hauehave it hereupon inferted, that my meaning is, that ſouls departed in faith hauehave ſtreight their conſummation and full crowne of glory, that is prepared for them. For I know that that ſhall not be before the generall reſurrection, and y^t the ſetting of the crown vponupon their heads is deferred vntounto Chriſts 2. comming. And therfore Iohn in a viſion (Apo. 6.10. heareth the bleſſed ſoules in heauen cry aloud for that day, though ſo, y^t they are contented w^tout griefe (for to obey the Lord is all their ioy thē) to tary the Lords leaſure, & to abide his pleaſure. But hereby I would hauehave it gathered (for ſo it may wel) that ſtraight their bliſſe is ſuch, & ſhalbe thēceforth, y^e neither body nor ſoule ſhal euer feele the leaſt grief or pain again, & that preſently the ſoule is in poſſeſſion & fruition of ſo excellent an eſtate in heauen, in reſpect wherof it may worthily thinke it ſelfe right bleſſed and happy, and ſo fully rewarded for all the workes done by it in the body, that it ſhal not hauehave cauſe to cō plaine that any one worke is forgotten & not rewarded. Euen this therefore hath the Lord from heauē in & by this word (bleſſed) expreſſed, which is a word of greateſt importāce, that he could vſe. For in bleſſednes and happineſſe both Philoſophers and diuines hold, that mans chiefe felicity conſiſteth, whereunto in his whole life hee muſt aime. Wherefore (no doubt of it) euen this ſtate of them, that die in the Lorde, that by this word, and the phraſes following to explane it, is ment, is ſuch a ſtate, that y^e ſtate of princes & Emperors in this life, let thē be otherwiſe as happy, as it is poſſible for mē to be, in compariſon hereof is but a miſery. For what ſtate here is, euer was, or ſhal be ſo happy, which is not intermingled, was, or ſhalbe with ſome labor & paine? Yea euen in the delights here & greateſt ioyes of this world there is ſaciety & weariſomnes: and there is no certainty, nor vnchangeablenes in ſtates here, the beſt & moſt floriſhing are ſo ſubiect to mutability and alteration: but in this there is no griefe of mind, nor ſickenes or paine of the body, no Gangrena, nor any other woe, Apoc. 21.4. And in the ioies there is continuall comfort, & delight without weariſomnes, and that ſuch as is euerlaſting, vnutterable and vnconceiueable by the tongue or heart of man. And this is now the ſtate, and hath bin euer ſince his departure, of this Noble Earle our honourable brother, and ſhalbe thenceforth, as both God and angels ful wel know, & we men need not once to doubt, & this ſhalbe ours alſo if we liue and die in the Lorde, as he hath done. It is told vsus all ſo from heauen, it is recorded ſo by a faithful witnes, and approued and ratified by the ſpirit of God. God grant vsus al grace to beleue it, & one day to trie the truth & certainty of it in our own perſons by experience. In the mean time let vsus ſomwhat further conſider of the doctrine and of the words as they lie, wherin it is vttered, that we may not only ſee thus, as we hauehave done hither to, the generall & principall leſſon therein taught vsus, but alſo eueryevery particular truth cōfirmed therby, & error confuted therin, that we may make the vſe of it fully, for which it was writen.

The particular leſſons to be learned herein.Becauſe (no doubt of it) there are fooles in the world, Pſal. 14.1. which in their hearts thinke (though they dare not for ſhame w^t their congues ſay) there is no God, and conſequētly, that there is neither Hell, nor Heauen, reſurrection of the body nor immortality of the ſoule: let vsus marke,The ſame body ſhall riſe againe, & in the meane time reſteth in peace. what doctrine this text teacheth vsus to the cōtrary to the ſtopping vp for euer of the mouths of ſuch prophane Atheiſtes. Wherefore to begin with all I ſay, how could it be here ſaid, that they that die in the Lord are thenceforth bleſſed, vnleſſe in reſpece of the whole man it were ſo in ſome force? Euident it is, that if either the body were vtterly periſhed, ſo that it ſhould neuer riſe againe, or the ſoul dead, that it could feel no ioy, they could not at al be ſayed to be bleſſed. For bleſſednes (as you hauehave hard confirmed vntounto you euē out of my text it ſelfe) conſiſteth not only in ceaſing from labor woe and paine, but in a poſſeſſion and fruition of a moſt heauenly reward. Nay it is moſt certaine that if either the body in the meane time vntil the reſurrection were not at reſt and peace, or in the end ſhould not riſe again, the ſoule coulde not bee ſaid to be bleſſed, & to enioy the reward of works done by it in the body. For it were a kinde of miſery vntounto it to hauehave the body diſquieted, eſpecially to be without hope of beeing euer reſtored and ioyned to the body again. Wherfore in that they that dy in the Lord are here pronounced bleſſed, firſt for the bodies of ſuch we learn, that they are in reſt, and (as the ſcripture ſpeaketh) as it were a ſleepe in the boſome of their mother the earth, Acts. 7.1. Theſſ. 4.15. and therefore free from all woe and pain, and not to be diſquieted by diuels, enchanters, or witches any manner of way, and that moſt certainely they reſt in hope of a bleſſed reſurrection, which (according to the Scriptures, Mat. 25.1. Theſſ. 4.1. Cor. 15. ) at the laſt general day of iudgment by the power of the Lord ſhalbe brought to paſſe. Wherof we muſt needs be perſwaded, in that otherwiſe God ſhuld not be perfectly merciful, nor Chriſt a ful ſauior. And why ſhould Chriſt take vntounto his godhead & vnite therwith in perſon as wel the body of man, as y^e ſoul of man, vnleſſe he ment to be a ful ſauior of both? He our head roſe again, in his own body one in ſubſtance with that it was before though altered in properties, and ſo ſhall it be with his members, 1. Cor. 15.1. Theſſ. 4. Notable therefore was Iobs faith, his time conſidered, I know ſaith he that my redeemer liueth, & that I ſhal ſee God in my fleſh though after this skin the wormes deſtroy this bodye, whom I my ſelfe ſhall ſee & mine eies ſhall behold, & none other for me, Iob. 19.25.26.27. Euen the dying of y^e corne firſt in y^e earth and the after growing vp of the ſame, & the reuiuing of diuerſe worms and other creatures at the ſpring towardes ſūmer, y^e laye for deade all winter, are glaſſes in nature our God hath ſet before vsus to make vsus aſhamed, of this point of infidelity and Atheiſme once to call the truth of the reſurrection into queſtion,

The ſoule is immortall.And as touching the ſoul that it dieth not, but (if it depart out of the body in the Lorde) that it paſſeth ſtreight to the Lorde, with whome it not only ceaſeth from al woe and pain, but alſo enioieth the reward of bliſſe, hereby alſo we are plainly taught. For otherwiſe how ſhould it bee true, y^t immediatly thenceforth ſuch as die in y^e Lord, are bleſſed in not only ceaſing frō their labours, but alſo in preſent receiuing rewarde of their works. For hereupon it muſt needs follow to be moſt true, which wee reade, Eccl. 12.7. that the ſoul returneth to him, that gaue it. And that alſo Mat. 10.28. that tyrants cannot kil the ſoul. Wherfore we may w^t Peter count death but a flitting of the ſoule out of the tabernacle of the body, 2. Pet. 1.14. and with Paul a going from an earthly houſe to an heauenly, It ſleepeth not nor is without feeling of ioy aſſuredly vntil the reſurrectiō.2. Cor. 5. &c. and therefore with him vponupon good cauſe deſire to be diſſolued, & to be with the Lord, Phi. 1.23. and when we dye, dying in the Lorde, with Chriſt, Luk 23.46. and w^t Stephē, Act. 7, 59. cō mēd our ſouls into the hands of God. Whereupon it followeth that there is a ſoule, and y^t it dieth not when the body dyeth, but is immortal. Yea further in y^• (as we perceiue by Chriſts placing of Lazarus immediatly in preſent fruition of ioy after his death in Abrahams boſom, Luk. 16.) the ſouls of ſuch as die in the Lord are ſayd here to hauehave their works accompany them, hereupon it followeth, that the reward thereof is not drouſie ſleepe but a ioyfull feeling of heauenlye bliſſe, and that therefore the ſoules of ſuch departed ſleepe not, but are awake, and in a liuely feeling of ioy in heauen. Which fancy of theſe ſleepers is confuted alſo in that Ioh. Apo. 6. ſeeing in viſiō ſoules in heauen, heard them cry a loud vntounto the Lord to haſten his ſecond cōming. Herevpon alſo (in that of contraries there is contrary condition) may well be gathered, in that the ſtate of thoſe that dye in the Lord, is bleſſed, that the ſtate of thoſe that dye not in y^e Lord,That is no purgatory for any that dy in the Lord to goe vntounto. is accruſed.

Now in that it followeth foreign immediately thenceforth: and their works accompany thē, and they ceaſe from their labours, by three moſt euident reaſons it muſt needes follow that to ſuch as dye in the Lord there is not any meane place or Purgatory, and therfore to none other by our aduerſaries owne confeſſion. For they themſelues hold as wel as we, that al that dy out of grace and fauor of our God, they for their ſins in ſoul go ſtraight to hel: and that none go to purgatory but ſuch as dye in the Lord, which yet before their death hauehave not ſufficiently ſatisfied for their ſins, But here I ſay this their doctrine is flatly confuted: firſt, in that they are imediatly after their death thenceforth without any exceptiō ſaid to be bleſſed. Secōdly in that it is ſaid, They reſt from their labours. Thirdly in that it is ſaid Their works accompany thē. None of all which could bee true, if any of them went to purgatory. And yet our Rhemiſts vponupon this place are not aſhamed to write in their notes (notwithſtanding it be their known and receiued doctrine, that the p…ines that ſouls ſuffer in purgatory, be equal to the paines of hel for the time, & that one principal torment there, is the gnawing worme of conſcience) that ſoules in purgatory may well be ſaid to be bleſſed ſtreight after their death, and to reſt there in peace. Which if it be true, then their doctrine of the paines, that ſoules abide there is but a frai-bug and if their doctrine be true, then this is falſe, which they write. Lo here the popiſh vnity. But howe maye they notwithſtanding the p…es there be ſayd to be bleſſed? Becauſe (ſay they) them notwithſtanding they are ceaſed from the labours of this life, and al danger to ſin, and are put in ſecurity of eternall ioy in the ende, with vnſpeakable peace of conſciēce in the mean time. Then it cannot be (ſay I once againe) that the paines of purgatory be ſo great for the time, as the paines of hell. For there is no ſecurity of ioy there in the end, nor in the mean time any cō fort at al in conſcience, but extreame anguiſh and horror. Againe, who ſeeth not that it is a poore bleſſednes to go from the afflictions of his life (which the faithful with ioy and reioycing ſuffer, Act. 5.41. and that In ful aſſurance of ioy in the end, Ro. 8.33. and ſo to the end of the chapter & cōſequently with great cōfort of conſcience indeede) to a place where for the ſpace of ten mens liues, yea they cannot tell howe long, they ſhall ſuffer paines & tormēts, the leaſt wherof (as they write) infinitely exceedeth the greateſt of y^e other. And if this were ſo, that it might ſtand with the Apoſtles meaning, as they in their notes woulde faine make vsus beleeue, thē (no doubt of it) here is a colde hartning miniſtred to thoſe y^e liue in the Lorde, to perſeuere to their death againſt all aſſaultes to y^e contrary, y^t when they dye they ſhall ſtreightway make onelyonly this chāge. No, no (dearly beloued) the ſcope of y^e text, & the nature of the bleſſednes here ſpoken of wil not abide this their gloſe. The greek word foreign, which is here tranſlated labors, ſignifieth as (I hauehave told you) al labors with griefe, weariſomneſſe, or payne generally, and cannot be reſtreyned to the afflicitions only of this life. And though they could hold their purgatory by their cauilling, for all foreign and foreign, yet (ſeeing they muſt needs vnderſtand the laſt clauſe by a metonymie of the rewarde of works. For the works themſelues (they knowe) were either actions or p…ſſions, which are not extant but vaniſhed and gone, when the action and paſſion was finiſhed: and ſeeing alſo the greeke foreign cannot more properly be engliſhed, than their works go with them: and ſeeing in purgatory they wil not for ſhame ſay, that they hauehave already the reward of their workes) it muſt needs follow y^e preſently after their death they go thither, where forwith they may hauehave the reward of their workes, which they muſt needes confeſſe is heauen: and therfore that there can be no ſuch purgatory, for them to ſtay in, as they imagine, before they come there.The popiſh relife for ſoules in purgatorie, deſpiſed. Yea further the due weying of theſe words as they clean quench the fire of purgatory, ſo they ouerthrow al the reliefe, which the papiſts hauehave deuiſed; and yet vſe to releeue the ſoules, that be there. For we reade here, that their own works foreign accompany them: and all theſe their reliefes conſiſteth of that which others doe for them, when they bee dead, and here is no promiſe, that any woorkes ſhall followe them but their owne. And therefore S. Paul 2. Cor. 5.10. writeth that we muſt be all manifeſted before the iudgement ſeate of Chriſt, that eueryevery manne may receiue the thinges done in his owne body, according to that, which he hath done, bee it good, or euill. Now if when ſoules ſhall appeare in iudgement with their bodyes eueryevery one be but to receiue according as he hath done in his owne body, is it not moſt euident that in the meane time what ſo euer is done for ſoules departed hence by others; it ſhall neuer benefite them? And therfore heere the ſpirite of God woulde not comfort them that dye in the Lord with that Popiſh comforte, that thinges doone for them by others, when they be dead, ſhould alſo follow them: onelye he telleth them that their owne workes ſhall go with them. And yet his purpoſe beeing to comforte them in the beſt and moſt effectuall manner without all doubt, if hee coulde in truth hauehave comforted them with that, he woulde not hauehave omitted it. But hee hath (wee ſee) quite paſt that kinde of comforte ouer, and ſpeaketh onelyonly of our owne woorkes. Wherefore let vsus not (after the manner of the Papiſtes) be ſlack in good works, while we are aliue, truſting that by doles. Maſſes, dirges, trentals, & pardons made, done, & procured for vsus by others whē we are gon, we ſhal hauehave y^e ſtate of out ſouls departure relieued, but (as S. Paul hath commaunded vsus.) Whiles we hauehave time let vsus doe good vntounto all men, eſpecially vntounto the houſeholde of faith. Gal. 6.10. for where the tree falleth there it lieth, vntill it bee reared againe. Eccle. 11.3. and the dead hauehave no portion of any thing, that is done vnderunder the Sun, Eccle. 9.6. And we ſee by Chriſts parable, Mat. 25.10. &c. that the fooliſh virgines that lacked oyle in their lampes of their owne, ſought it at the hands of others, could get none, though they would neuer ſo faine hauehave had ſome of them, whatſoeuer it had coſt them, and ſo were ſhut out from entring in with the bridegrome into his chamber. O therefore the ſpiritual craftines of poperye, firſt in deuyſing that there is a thirde place betweene hell and heauen, or a meane place called Purgatory for ſoules departed to go vntounto before they goe to heauen: and then in inuenting ſuch a reliefe for them when they were gone thither by others. For by the firſt they put ſoules departing into ſuch feare, that they cared not what they gaue, & depriued their heires, wiues, and other children of, to buy at their handes their praiers, maſſes, & pardons, wherby they wonderfully to the ſpoile of others inriched themſelues: & by the latter they greatly occaſioned men to be ſlacke in godlines, & looſe in life, whiles health laſted vponupon hope of this prouiſion in the end, & alſo ſo led them from the preſent faith in Chriſt to a faith in theſe things, and conſequently murthered their ſoules, & yet marueilouſly inriched them ſelues. Whereby they hauehave proued themſelues to be the cruelleſt, cunningeſt, and greateſt theeves, that euer were in the world. They may well pretend Scriptures, fathers & reaſons for this their deuiſe, thereby to bleare the eies of the ſimple, it is ſo paſſing gainefull vntounto them: but in deed and truth the very onelyonly roote and fountaine thereof was inſatiable couecouſnes to inrich themſelues they cared not how, and intollerable ambition to lift vp themſelues into credit among the people, in that thus they made thē beleeue it lay in their hands to eaſe them of the paines of Purgatory, & to ſend thē to heauen. As for ſcriptures Roffenſis Perionius, & Soto are inforced to confeſſe (& yet they were great papiſts) they hauehave none plain enough to proue it. And how can they, ſeeing Chriſt the father of the ſcriptures hath diuided al mē but into two ſorts, beleeuers in him, and not beleeuers in him, Iohn. 3.18. and hath told vsus there are two waies only, the one broade leading to hell and the other ſtreite, leading to heauen, Mat. 7.13.14. Luk. 13.24. placing (for further explication of his minde concerning the ſtate of thoſe two ſorts of mē taking y^e one of thoſe two waies) Lazarus an exāple of the one ſort ſtreight in ioy and felicity, and the rich glutton example of the other ſort ſtreight in hell after death Luke. 16. And truely as for Fathers to proue their purgatory withal they are to ſeeke alſo. Some of them (as Origen & his folowers) imagin a purgatory, through which both good & bad ſhal go, & wherin the wicked and the diuell alſo after the iudgemēt in the ende after long tormentes ſhall be ſaued. Which beaſtly hereſie Aug. worthily condēneth & confuteth in diuerſe places, as they well know. And I am ſure they will not hold ſuch a purgatory neither. Some other as Theodor. Oecumenius, Alcuinus) talke of a purgatory fire at the laſt day wherewith Chriſt ſhall come, when he commeth in glory, as they imagine: through which al ſhall paſſe: but this is not their purgatory: neither is it any thing but a meere phāſie indeed. Some other among whom Aug. is (as they take it) the chiefe man, ſeeme ſomewhat to allow their purgatorie: but indeed the chiefe places which they cite out of him for it, are ſuch, where he ſpeaketh but doubtfully as thus, For ſitan verum eſt: non eſt incredibile: An ſit quaeripoteſt: that is, perhaps it is ſo: It is not altogether incredible: It may be a queſtion, whether there be any ſuch place or no, as in his booke de Ciuitate Deilib. 21. cap. 26. & in Enchirid. cap. 69. And yet in diuers other places (belike better aduiſed, and more ſettled) he flatly determineth, that there is no ſuch third place. For in a ſermon of his de vamiate huius ſaecul…, I read thus, Scitote vos quod cū anima a corpore auellitur ſtatim in paradiſo collocatur, aut in inferni tartara praecipitatur, that is, Knowe yee, that when the ſoule is taken from the body either by and by it is placed in paradiſe, or thrown into Hell. And in hie Hypognoſticon the 5. booke he ſaith thus, The firſt place the Catholike faith by Gods authoritie beleeueth to be the kingdome of heauen, the ſecond place that ſame catholike faith beleeueth to be hell, where all runnagates and all that are without the faith of Chriſt ſhall taſt euerlaſting puniſhment. As for any third place penitus ignoramus, that is, we vtterly know none ſaith he, neither ſhal we finde in the holy ſcriptures that there is any ſuch. And in his booke de peccatorum meritis, li. 1. ca. 28. he hath theſe words Non eſt vlli vllus medius locus vt poſſit eſſe niſi cum diabolo qui non eſt cum Chriſto there is no middle place for any, but that he muſt needes be with the diuel if not with Chriſt. And truely for the releeuing of ſoules departed by things done for thē here by others as you hauehave heard the ſcriptures are againſt them, ſo the fathers be alſo. For Auguſtine ſaith flatly to Heſichius Epiſt. 80. In what ſtate thy dying day findeth thee, the laſt day alſo ſhall come vponupon thee. And Hierom. vponupon the 9. of Eccleſ. before alleadged, gathereth that there can nothing bee added to the dead by any thing done hereafter. And accordingly writeth Cyprian de mortalitate, ſaying, Qualē t… inuenit Deus cū hinc euocat, talē pariter & iudicat, that is, In what ſtate God findeth thee whē he calleth thee hence, ſuch a one he wil alſo iudge thee. Indeed they may hauehave theſe fathers, the heathen philoſopher Plato in his Gorgia, Homer in his 1. & 3. Odyſſ, Virgil in his 6. book of AEneid Ouid in his 2. Faſtorū, Ariſtotle, the Alcoran, & ſuch like to fetch their purgatory from, others of any ſound credit they hauehave none. And as for their reaſons they are but diſcourſes of their own wit, or of others like themſelues laſte before named. And their beſt are, when they are driuen to the vtmoſt, but counterfait writings of fathers falſly bearing their names, and writen by ſome of their owne crew of later time, falſe tales, lying apparitions of men and diuels. For rather than Purgatory ſhalbe left without an author, the diuell ſhalbe he, and they will make much of his authority alſo. For they write in Lombardica hiſtoria, that Saint Odilio at Vulcania of Sicilia hearing that the howlinges and cries of Diuels were hard mourning, that ſoules were takē from them after their departure out of the body by the almes & praiers of their friendes liuing; cauſed the feaſt of the cōmemoration of the dead for the reliefe of ſoules in purgatory to be ordeined. The truth is, dearly beloued, that their doctrine in this point is ſuch, that if ten thouſand angels and al the fathers ſhould tel vsus that it were true, we ought to bold both them and their aſſertiō accurſed, it is ſo blaſphemous and iniurious to the precious boud-ſhed of Ieſus Chriſt, the only purgatory indeed both of ſoul and body. For to maintain this they firſt muſt hold that the merites and ſatisfactions of Chriſt are not ſufficient of themſelues, and by themſelues (without theſe paines ſuffering in purgatory alſo, and this other relief) to ſaue the ſoule of the beleeuer in him. Secondly they muſt hold, that in the bloud of Chriſt the beleeuer hath forgiuenes of ſinnes, but not of the puniſhment due therefore. Thirdly that God is ſuch a God as will puniſh a ſoule with ſuch helliſh torments for the ſame ſinnes, which he hath already forgiuen in his ſonne, and therfore promiſed to remember no more, Heb. 10.17. And laſtly they muſt attribute power to do that to the paines of purgatory, and to this their reliefe, that they talke of, which they hold the bloud of Chriſt hath not done without theſe to ſuch. You ſee therfore that theſe fellowes that are ſo buſy in purgatory are wel worthy for their labour to finde nothing els whē they depart, but hell and helliſh torments. And no doubt of it they ſell heauen ſo faſt to others, that (if they repent not) there wil be no place els left for them but hell. But to leaue them to their fained king the pope and to this his new kingdome, which he hath appropriated to him and his, it is further to be noted, that in that the word foreign doth not onelyonly ſignifie vp & by, but noteth alſo a continuāce of time thenceforth, that to the full comfort of them that die in the Lorde,The bleſſed ſtate of them that dy in the lord is permanēt they may hereby learne, that not onelyonly immediatly after their death they ſhal reſt from their labours and enter vppon their rewarde, and ſo bee bleſſed: but that alſo, this their ſtate is certaine without any falling backe from it: and therefore ſtill their reward is called life euerlaſting in the ſcriptures. And ſurely if this be their ſtate immediatly thenceforth without euer any dāger of falling backe to worſe, then of the contrary it muſt needs follow, that quite contrary immediatly after their death ſhalbe the ſtate and condition of al that die not in the Lord, and that there is no hope for euer for them to attaine vntounto a better. What neede there then a general iudgement, will ſome ſay? I anſwere for two cauſes; that the bodies thē may be reſtored to their ſoules againe, that both the ioies of the faithful & paines of the faithles, to the ful manifeſtatiō both of gods mercy & iuſtice, may be cōſummate and ful: & that ſo god thē may outwardly & ſolemnly iuſtify before al the world his former particular iudgemēt, which imediatly before at eueryevery mās death he had laid vponupon them.

Laſtly we are not to paſſe ouer, or forget how our aduerſaries the Papiſtes abuſe this laſt clauſe of the text. For they hearing that workes follow ſuch, thereupon inferre, that works merit eternal bliſſe.The abuſe of this place, therby to prooue that workes merite, confuted. Indeed hereupon it followeth (as I hauehave noted before) that none hauehave a right faith in Chriſt, but thoſe that hauehave alſo good works to accompany them whenſoeuer they dye in the Lord, which I would not hauehave forgotten: But hereupon to gather that our workes merite heauen we may not. For then they ſhould go before our being in the Lord, & be a cauſe therof, whereas here it is only ſayde, that they follow and accompany ſuch. Which it ſhould ſeeme that Auguſtine had obſerued li. de Fide & operibus ca. 14. when he ſaid that good workes goe not before iuſtification, but they follow a man iuſtified, Let them therefore followe in Gods name, as a fruit of a man in the Lorde, but let them not ſtep before as a cauſe of his being in the fauor of the Lord. And vnderſtād that this argument is ſtark naught, good workes ſhal be rewarded w^t heauē ly bliſſe: therefore they merite it. Is no man rewarded but he which hath merited and deſerued it firſt? The heire when he commeth to his fathers lands is then wel rewarded for his paines he took in his fathers time, & yet hee hath not his inheritance for thoſe his paines, for then rather ſome ſeruant oftentimes ſhould hauehave the inheritance: but for that he was his fathers ſon & heire before: Euen ſo it is in this caſe, we are born the ſons of God by faith in Chriſt, Ioh. 1.12. & 13. & ſo coheires with him of heauen, Rom. 8.17. thereby firſt, and then follow good workes in vsus not as a cauſe why we ſhal hauehave this inheritance, but as a fruit & effect flowing frō our thankful mindes to our heauenly father for this notable inheritance thus freely prepared for vsus. And yet when we come to the inheritance, becauſe it cōmeth after theſe our works, after a ſort we may ſay, that euē there by our paines in working are rewarded, & yet we hauehave not that reward for our workes, but for that we working ſo, were the ſons & heires of God. But for the better looſing of al ſuch popiſh knots, vnderſtād that it is not al one to ſay good works ſhal be rewarded, and to ſay, good works hauehave merited that rewarde. For there are rewards giuen of mercy (and ſo is this) as well as of debt and duty, Rom. 4.4. Againe there is great ods betwixt theſe two queſtions, who ſhal bee ſaued, and why man ſhalbee ſaued: To the former we anſwere, the well worker: to the latter only for Chriſts ſake apprehended by faith. And therfore take this for the concluſion, we ſhalbe iudged Secundū operum indicium, non propter operum meritū, according to the teſtimony y our workes giuegive of vsus, not for the merit of our workes. For it is writen Ephe. 2.8.9. We are ſaued by grace through faith, & that not of our ſelues: it is the gift of God: not of works, leſt any man ſhould boaſt himſelf. And yet this doctrine neither letteth nor ſtaieth at al frō good works, but is y^• only fountain indeed from whēce al true works do ſpring & flow. And therfore y^• Apo. Paul (as you may obſerue throughout al his epiſtles) firſt laboreth to ſet down this doctrine, & then thereupon after buildeth exhortation to godlines of life: & the like courſe tooke Peter as you may ſee in his firſt epiſtle. And yet theſe knewe how to prouoke to good works, and in no caſe may be counted teachers of a doctrine enemy to good works. Yea there is none indeed that hath grace to imbrace this doctrine effectually, but therby he feeleth by experience his hart ſo enflamed with louelove towardes God for his infinite mercy hereby diſplaied vntounto him both in ſauing him frō periſhing, and in thus freely preparing heauē for him, that frō that louelove of his there floweth riuers & flouds of al thankfulnes in al true obedience to his God▪ wherin he walketh chearfully & cōfortably. But the Papiſts being baſtards & no lawful children of the Lorde, beeing not aſſured of this full and free fauor of his towards thē, of a ſlauiſh feare, & w^t a ſeruile mind to earn heauē at his hands doe y^e good which they do. Which indeed in matter & maner of doing is ſuch, that though it carrye the ſhew of godlines, yet it is not ſo indeede. For the matter of good works they wil not fetch warrāt only frō gods reuealed wil in his word, but matter good inough w^t thē. For a good worke is any thing for the which they can alleage a traditiō of y^e elders, or their own good intent, Which kinde of works the Lord reiecteth as ſtincking in his ſight, Iſa. 29.13. Mat. 15.9. & Co. 2.20. &c. And as for their maner of doing, it is like y^e Phariſes ioyned w^t a conceit, that therefore they may deſpiſe others, & truſt to be heard at Gods hands for the merite of their works. Which kinde of doing Chriſt hath cōdēned, Mat. 6.1. & Luk. 18.9, &c. in forbidding vsus to do our workes as the Phariſees did, & in ſending home the proude Phariſee vniuſtified And therfore in very deed, as they are without all true chriſtian faith, ſo are they without al true good works, And therefore whoſoeuer hath any thing to comfort himſelf by this place, it is none of thē. No doubt of it, this noble mā, whoſe body lieth here amongſt vsus to be encōbed, though euen in outwarde ſhew of almes giuing & other good works he ouermatched moſt merit mongers, yet ſeeing he truſted only to the meries of Chriſt, and neuer to his owne workes, but did them only of louelove and thankefulneſſe towas his God, is among thoſe, of whome it is here ſaid, Their workes accompany them, and therfore now is in ioyful fruition of the reward thereof. Whoſe example as wee that bee of the ſame faith are to followe, that ſo with him we may bee in euerlaſting remembrance both with God, and good men, (as no doubt hee ſhall) ſo it is an example to ſtoppe the mouths of the aduerſaries, that lyingly crye out that they that bee of our religion hauehave no good woorkes following them.

The ſecōd concluſiō.Thus at laſt (right honorable and dearely beloued) we hauehave runne thorow this portiō of ſcrpture, and conſidered both the generall and particular vſe thereof. And ſo firſt we hauehave heard how ſtrongly it is warranted to conteine nothing, but ſoūd truth: namely that not whoſoeuer knoweth or cōmeth ny, but whoſoeuer is by a true & a liuely faith vnited vntounto Chriſt, & dieth in him, (which is neither a miraculous, hiſtoricall, temporarie, dead, or popiſh faith, but a faith ſeeking and apprehending ſaluation onelyonly in Chriſt Ieſus) ſhal thēceforth be bleſſed immediatly in reſting from all woe in body and ſoule, and in entring vppon poſſeſſion of their euerlaſting rewarde: and then thereby more particularly we hauehave obſerued, y^t therefore, the body riſeth againe, and that the ſoule is neither mortall nor ſleepeth, that there is no popiſh purgatory, nor any thing that can be done by others for ſoules departed, that can doe them any good to eaſe or better their eſtate: and finally that though here bee offered vsus great encouragement to good workes, yet here is nothing to proue that woorkes merite any thing at Gods hand. All which doctrine and leſſons our honourable friend here departed (as I hauehave from point to point ſhewed you) hath already found true by experience. God of his mercy giuegive vsus all grace ſo to ſet his example before vsus, that wee may ſo followe him, that we may eueryevery one of vsus one day alſo to Gods glory and our own euerlaſting comfort feele and finde the trueth thereof in our ſelues. This O Lorde we beſeech thee to grant vsus all for thy onelyonly ſonne Ieſus Chriſtes ſake, to whome with thee and the holy Ghoſt, three perſons and one euerliuing God, be all power, honour, might and maieſtie nowe and for euer, Amen.

September 22. An. Do. 1594. The grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, the louelove of God the Father, and the moſt comfortable fellowſhip of the holy Ghoſt, be with vsus all now and euer, to direct, ſanctifie, and gouerne vsus in all our waies, works, & thoughts. Amen.

FINIS.

End of the text · Thomas Sparke, Sermon 14 September 1585 (1594)

Sermon 14 September 1585, Sermon