The Institutes of the Christian Religion — John Calvin

The Institutes of the Christian Religion · John Calvin

The seconde Chapiter. Of faithe, wherein bothe is sette the definition of it, and the propreties that it hathe, are declared.

BUt al these thinges shalbe easy to vnderstand, when there is shewed a plaine definitiō of fayth, that the readers may knowe the force and nature thereof. But fyrste it is conuenient to call to minde againe these thynges that hauehave ben already spoken, that syth God doth appoint vsus by his law what we ought to do, if we fall in any point thereof, the same terrible iudgement of eternall death that he pronounceth doth rest vponupon vsus. Againe, that forasmuch as it is not only hearde but altogether aboue oure strength and beyond all oure power to fulfill the lawe, if we only beholde our selues, & w…ie what estate is worthy for our deseruinges, there is no good hope left, but we lie cast away from God vnderunder eternall destruction. Thirdly this hath ben declared, that there is but one meane of deliuerance to drawe vsus out of so wretched calamitie: wherin appeareth Christ the Redeemer, by whose hand it pleased the heauenly father, hauing merciemercy vponupon vsus of his infinite goodnesse & clemencie, to succoure vsus, so that we wyth sounde faith embrace thys merciemercy, and with constant hope rest vponupon it. But now it is conuenient for vsus to weie this, what manner of faith this ought to be, by which al thei that are adopted by God to be hys chyldren, do enter vponupon the possession of the heauenly kingdome, forasmuch as it is certaine that not eueryevery opinion nor yet eueryevery perswasion is sufficient to bring to passe so great a thing. And with so much the more care & study must we loke about for, and searche out the natural propretie of faith, by how muche the more hurtfull at thys day is the erroure of many in this behalf. For a great part of the world, hearing the name of faith, conceiueth no hier thing, but a certaine common assent to the historie of the Gospel. Yea when thei dispute of faith in the scholes, in barely callynge God the obiecte of faithe, thei do nothinge but (as we hauehave saide in an other place) by vaine speculation rather draw wretched soules out of the right way, thā direct them to the true mark.i. Tim. vi.xvi. For wheras God dwelleth in a light that none can atteine to, it behoueth of necessitie that Christe become meane betweene vsus and yt. For whyche cause he calleth hym selfe the light of the world: & in an other place The way, the Truth, & the Life, bicause no man commeth to the father (which is the fountaine) of life,Iohn. viij.x…. Ih. xiiij.vi Luc. x.xij. i. Cor. ij. Act. xx.xvii. ii. Cor. iiii vi. but by him: bicause he onelyonly knoweth the Father, & by him the faithful to whome it pleaseth him to disclose him. According to this reason, Paule affirmeth, that he accompteth nothing excellent to be knowen, but Christ: and in the .xx. chapiter of the Actes he saith, that he preached faith in Christ, &c. And in an other place he bringeth in Christ speakeinge after this manner, I wil send thee amonge the Gentiles, y^t thei maye receiue forgeuenes of sinnes, & por…ion among holy ones, by the faith which is in me. And Paule testifieth, y^t the glorie of God is in his person visible vntounto vsus: or (whiche is all one in effect) that the enlightning of the knowledge of Gods glorie shineth in his face. It is true in dede y^t faith hath respect only to the one God, but this also is to be added, that it acknowledge him whome he hath sent, euen Iesus Chrste. Bicause God himselfe shoulde hauehave lyen secret and hydden farre from vsus, vnlesse the brightnesse of Christe did cast his beames vponupon vsus. For this entent the father left al y^t he had with his onelyonly begotten sonne, euen by the cōmunicatinge of good thynges wyth him to expresse the true image of his glorie. For as it is saide, that we must be drawen by the spirit, y^t we maie be stirred to seeke Christ, so againe we ought to be admonished,Libr. 11. de Ciuit. Dei, cap. 2. that the inuisible father is no where els to be sought but in this image. Of whiche mater Augustine speaketh excellently well, whiche entreating of the marke that faith should shoote at, saith that we must know whether we must goe and which waie: and then by & by after he gathereth y^t the safest waye against all erroures is he that is both God and man. For it is God to whome we go, and man by whom we go: and bothe these are founde no where but in Christe. Neyther dothe Paule when he speaketh of faith in God, meane to ouerthrowe that whiche he so ofte repeteth of faith that hath her whole stay vponupon Christe.i. P…. i.xxi. And Peter dothe most fittly ioyne them bothe together, saieng that by him we beleue in God.

Therefore thys euell, euen as innumerable other, is to be imputed to the Scholemen, whiche hauehave hidden Christe as it were with a veile drawen before hym, to the beholdyng of whome vnlesse we be dyrectly bent, we shall alwaie wander in many vncertaine mazes. But bysyde thys that with theyr darke definition they doe deface and in a manner bring to naught the whole force of faithe, they hauehave forged a deuyse of vnexpressed faith, wyth which name thei garnyshing theyr most grosse ignorance doe with greate hurte deceyue the silly people, yea (to saye truely and plainely as the thinge is in deede) thys deuyse doth not only burie but vtterly destroye the true faithe. Is this to beleue, to vnderstand nothing, so that thou obediently submitte thy sense to the Churche? Faythe standeth not in ignorance but in knoweledge, and that not onelyonly of God, but of the wyll of God. For neither do we obteine saluation by thys that wee eyther are ready to embrace for true whatsoeuer the Churche appoynteth, or that we do committe to it all the office of searchyng and knowing: but when we acknowledge God to be a mercifull father to vsus by the reconciliation made by Christ, and that Christe is geuen vsus vntounto ryghteousnesse, sanctification, and lyfe. By thys knoweledge, I saye, not by submitting of oure sense, we atteine an entrie into the kyngedome of heauen.Rom. x.x. For when the Apostle saith, that with the hearte we beleue to righteousnesse, and wyth the mouthe confession is made to saluation, hee sheweth that it is not enoughe, if a man vnexpressedly beleue that whiche he vnderstandeth not, nor seeketh to learne: but he requyreth an expressed acknowleging of Gods goodnesse, in whyche consysteth oure ryghteousnesse.

In dede I denie not (such is y^e ignorance wherwith we are cōpassed) y^t ther now be & herafter shalbe many thinges wrapped & hidden from vsus, till hauing put of the burden of our flesh we come nerer to the presence of God: in which very thinges that be hidden from vsus, nothing is more profitable than to suspend our iudgment, but to stay our mind in determined purpofe to kepe vnitie with the Churche. But vnderunder thys coloure to entitle ignoraunce tempered with humilitie by the name of faith,Io. xvii.ii… is a great absurditie. For faith lieth in knoledg of God & of Christ not in reuerence of y^e church. And we se what a maze thei hauehave framed with this their hidden implication, that any thinge whatsoeuer it be wythoute any choise, so that it bee thrust in vnderunder title of the Church, is gredy receiued of the ignorant as it wer an oracle, ye sometime also most monsterous erroures. Whyche vnaduysed lyghtnesse of beleefe, wheras yt is a mooste certayne downefall to ruyne, is yet excused by them, for that yt beleueth nothynge determynately, but wyth this cō dition adioyned, yf the faith of the Church be suche. So do they faine, that truth is holden in erroure, light in blindnes, true knowledg in ignorance. But bicause we wil not tarry long in confuting them, we doe only warne y^e readers to cōpare their doctrine wyth oures. For y^e very pleanesse of the trueth it sefe wil of it selfe minister a confutation ready enough. For this ys not y^e question among them, whether fayth be yet wrapped wyth many remnauntes of ignoraunce, but they definitiuely say that thei beleue aryght, which stande amased in their ignorance, yea and doe …atter them selues therein, so that they doe agree to the authoritie & iudgement of the Churche, concerning things vnknowen. As though the Scripture did not euerywhere teache, that with fayth is ioyned knoweledge.

But we do graunt, that so longe as we wander from home in thys worlde, oure faith is not fully expressed, not onelyonly bicause many things are yet hidden from vsus, but bicause being compassed with many mistes of erroures, wee atteine not all thinges. For the hyghest wysedome of the moste perfect is thys, to profite more and proceede on further forwarde with gentill willingnesse to learne.Phili. iii.xv. Therfore Paule exhorteth the faithfull, if vponupon any thinge thei differ one from an other, to abide for reuelation. And truely experience teaceth, that till we be vnclothed of oure fleshe, we atteine to knowe lesse than were to be wisshed, and dayly in reading we light vponupon many darke places whiche do conuince vsus of ignorance. And with this brydle God holdeth vsus in modestie, assigning to eueryevery one a measure of faith, that euen the very best teacher may be ready to learne. And notable exaumples of thys vnexpressed faithe, we may marke in the Disciples of Christ, before that thei hadde obteined to be fully enlightned. We see, how thei hardly tasted the very fyrste introductions, how thei did sticke euen in the smallest pointes, howe they hanginge at the mouthe of their maister did not yet muche proceede, yea when at the womens information they ranne to the graue, the Resurrection of their master was lyke a dreame vntounto them. Sithe Christe dyd before beare wytnesse of theyr faythe, we may not saie that they were vtterly without faith: but rather, if they dad not been perswaded that Christe shoulde ryse agayne, all care of him wold hauehave perished in them. For it was not superstition that dyd drawe the women to embalme with spices the corpes of a deade man of whome ther was no hope of life: but although thei beleued his words whome thei knewe to be a speaker of trueth, yet the grosnesse that styll possessed their myndes so wrapped theyr faithe in darkenesse, that thei were in a manner amased at it. Wherevpon it is saide, that thei then at the last beleued when thei hadde by tryall of the thinge it selfe proued the truethe of the wordes of Christ: not that they then beganne to beleue, but bycause the seede of hidden fayth whiche was as it were deade in their heartes, then receiuing liuelynesse, dyd sprynge vp. There was therefore a true fayth in them, but an vnexpressed faythe, bicause they reuerently embraced Christe for their onelyonly teacher, and then beynge taught of him, they determined that he was the author of their saluation: fynally, they beleued that he came from heauen, by the grace of his father to gather his Disciples to heauen. And we neede not to seke any more familiar poofe hereof than this, that in al thinges alway vnbelefe is mingled with faith.

We may also call it an vnexpressed faithe, whiche yet in deede is nothinge but a preparation of faithe. The Euangelistes do reherse that many beleued, whiche onelyonly beinge rauished to admiration wyth myracles proceded no further but that Christe was the Messias whyche had ben promysed, albeit thei tasted not so much as any sclender learning of the Gospell. Such obedience which brought them in subiectiō willingly to submitt them selues to Christe, beareth the name of faith where it was in deede but the beginning of faithe. So the courtie… that beleued Christes promise, concerninge the healinge of his sonne, when he came home,Io. iiij.iii. as the Euangelist testifieth, beleued againe: bycause he receiued as an oracle that whiche he hearde of the mouthe of Christe, and then submitted hym selfe to his authoritie to receiue hys doctrine. Albeit it is to be knowen, that he was so tractable and ready to learne, that yet in the fyrste place the woorde of beleninge signifieth a particular beleefe: and in the seconde place maketh hym of the numbre of the Disciples, that professed to bee the scholers of Christe. Alyke exaumple dothe Ihon sette forthe in the Samaritanes, whiche so beleued the womans reporte,Iohn. iiii. that they ranne earnestly to Christe, whiche yet when they hadde hearde hym, saide thus: Now we beleue not bycause of thy report, but we hauehave hearde him, and we know that he is the sauioure of the worlde. Hereby appeareth that they whyche are not yet instructed in the fyrste introductions, so that they be disposed to obedyence, are called faithfull, in deede not proprely, but in thys respect, that God of hys tender kyndenesse voutchesaueth to graunte so greate honoure to that godly affection, but this willingnesse to learne, with a desire to procede further, differeth farr from that grosse ignor…ce, wherein they lye dull that are content wyth the vnexpressed saith, suche as the Papistes hauehave imagined. For if Paule seuerely condemneth them whiche alwaie learning,ij. Tim. iii.vii. yet neuer come to the knowledge of trueth, howe muche more greuous reproche do they deserue, that of purpose stadie to know nothing?

This therfore is y^e true knowledge of Christ, if we receiue him such as he is offered of his Father, that is to saye, clothed with his Gospel. For as he is appoynted to be the marke of oure faith, so we can not go the right waie to him, but by the Gospell going before to guide vsus. And truely ther are opened to vsus y^e treasures of grace, which being shut vp, Christ should litle pro…ite vsus. So Paule ioyneth faithe an vnseparable companion to doctrine, wher he saithe: Ye hauehave not so learned Christ, for ye hauehave been taught what is the trueth in Christe.Eph. iiii.xx Yet do I not so restraine faith to the Gospell, but that I confesse that there hath been so much taught by Moses and the Prophetes, as suffised to the edification of faith, but bicause ther hath ben deliuered in the Gospel a fuller opening of faith,Ro. x.iiii. therefore it is woorthyly called of Paule, the doctrine of saith. For which cause also he saithe in an other place, that by the comming of faith the lawe is taken awaie, meaning by this word faith, y^e …ewe & vnaccustomed manner of teaching, wherby Christ sins he appeared our scholemaster, hath more plainl… set forth the mercy of his father, & more certainly testified of our saluation. Albeit it shalbe y^e more easye & more conuenient ordre, if we descend by degrees from the generaltie to y^e specialtie. First we must be put in minde y^t there is a general relation of faith to the word, & that faith can no more be seuered from y^e word, than y^e sun beames from y^e sume frō whome thei procede. Therfore in Esaie God cryeth out:Esa. lv.iii Io…. x.xiii Heare me and your soule shall lyue. And that the same is the fountaine of faythe, Ihon sheweth in these woordes: These thinges are written that ye may beleue. And the prophete meaninge to exhorte the people to beleefe,Psa. xv….vi…i. saythe: This daie yī ye shall heare hys voyce. And to heare is commmonly taken for to Beleue. Moreouer, God dothe not wythout cause in Esaie sette thys marke of difference betwene the children of the Churche and straungers, that he will instructe them all, that thei maie be taught of him. For if it were a benefite vniuersall to all, why shoulde he direct hys woordes to a fewe? Wherewith agreeth thys that the Euangelistes do commonly vse the woordes Faithfull, and Disciples, as seuerall wordes expressing one thing, & specially Luke very oft in the Actes of the Apostles.Act. vi.i. & …x. & .xxvi. & xi.xxvi. & xiii. & xiiij. Yea and he stretcheth that name euen to a woman in the ninthe chapiter of the Actes. Wherefore if faith do swerue neuer so little from this marke, to which it ought to be directly leuelled, it kepeth not her owne nature, butte becometh an vncertaine lightnesse of belefe and wandring erroure of mynde. The same Worde is the foundation wherwith faith is vpholden & susteined, from which if it swarue, it falleth downe. Therfore take awaie y^e Worde, & then there shal remaine no faith. We do not here dispute whether the ministerie of man be necessarie to sowe the worde of God that faithe may be conceiued thereby, which question we will els where entreate of: but we saie that the worde it self, howesoeuer it be conueied to vsus, is like a mirroure when faith may beholde God. Whether God dothe therein vse the seruice of man, or worke it by his owne onelyonly power, yet he doth alwaie shewe him selfe by his worde to those, whome his will is to drawe vntounto him: wherevpon Paule defineth faithe to be an obedience that is geuen to the Gospell.Ro. i.v. Rom. i. And in an other place he praiseth the obedience of faithe in the Philippians.Philip. ii.xvij. For this is not the onelyonly purpose in the vnderstanding of faithe, that we knowe that there is a God, but this also, yea this chefely, that we vnderstande what wil he beareth toward vsus. For it not so muche behoueth vsus to knowe what he is in himself, but what a one he will be to vsus. Nowe therefore we are come to thys point, that faithe is a knoweledge of the will of God, perceyued by his worde. And the foundation hereof is a foreconceiued persuasion of the truthe of God. Of the assurednesse whereof so longe as thy minde shal dispute with it selfe, the worde shall be but of doubtful and weake credit, yea rather no credit at all. But also it sufficeth not to beleue that God is a true speaker, whiche can neither deceiue nor lie, vnlesse thow further holde this for vndoubtedly determined, that whatsoeuer procedeth from him, is the sacred and inuiolable truthe.

But bicause not at eueryevery word of God mans hearte is raised vp to faith, we must yet further search what this faith in the word hath proprely respecte vntounto.Ge. ij.xvii & iiij.x. It was the saieng of God to Adam: Thou shalte die the death. It was the saienge of God to Cain: The bloode of thy brother crieth to me out of the earth. Yet these are suche saiengs as of them selues canne doe nothynge butte shake faythe, so muche lesse are they able to stablyshe faythe. We denye not in the meane season that yt ys the offyce of faythe to agree to the truthe of God, howe ofte soeuer, what soeuer, and in what sorte soeuer yt speaketh: butte nowe oure question is onelyonly, what faythe fyndeth in the woorde of the Lorde to leane and rest vponupon. When oure conscience beholdeth onelyonly indignation and vengeance, howe canne it butte tremble and quake for feare? And howe shoulde yt butte flee God, of whome yt is afraide? But faythe oughte to seeke God, and not to flee from him. It is plaine therefore, that we hauehave not yet a full definition of faythe, bycause it is not to be accompted for faithe to knowe the wyll of God, of what sorte so euer it be. But what yf in the place of wyll, whereof many tymes the message is sorrowefull and the declaration dreadful, we putte kindenesse or merciemercy? Truely so we shal come nerer to the nature of faithe. For wee are then allured to seeke God, after that wee hauehave learned that saluation is laied vp in store with him for vsus. Whyche thynge is confyrmed vntounto vsus, when he declareth that he hath care and louelove of vsus. Therefore there needeth a promise of grace, whereby he maie testifie that he is oure mercifull father, for that otherwise wee canne not approche vntounto hym, and vponupon that alone the hearte of man maie safely rest. For thys reason commonly in the Psalmes these two thinges MercieMercy and Truth do cleaue together,Psa. xl.xi. bicause neither should it any thynge profite vsus to know that God is true, vnlesse he did mercifully allure vsus vntounto him: neither were it in our power to embrace his merciemercy, vnlesse he did with his owne mouthe offer it.Ps. xxv.xx I hauehave reported thy truth and thy saluation, I hauehave not hidden thy goodnesse and thy truthe. Thy goodnesse and thy trueth keepe me. In an other place.Psa. xxxvj vi. Psa. cvii. ps. cxxxviii. Thy merciemercy to the heauens, thy trueth euen to the cloudes. Againe. All the wayes of the Lorde are merciemercy and trueth, to them that keepe his couenant. Againe. His merciemercy is multiplied vponupon vsus, and the truth of the Lorde abydeth for euer. Againe. I will singe to thy name vponupon thy merciemercy and trueth. I omitte that whiche is in the Prophetes to the same meaninge, that God is mercifull and faythfull in hys promyses. For wee shall rashly determine that God is merciefull vntounto vsus, vnlesse himselfe do testifie of himselfe and preuent vsus wyth his callinge, leaste his wil shoulde be doubtful and vnknowen. But we hauehave already seen, that Christ is y^e onelyonly pledge of his louelove, without whome on eueryevery side appeare the tokens of hatred and wrath. Nowe forasmuche as the knoweledge of Gods goodnesse shall not muche preuayle, vnlesse he make vsus to rest in it, therefore suche an vnderstanding is to be banished as is mingled with doubting, and doth not soundli agree in it selfe, but as it were, disputeth with it selfe. But mans witte, as yt is blinde and darkened, is farre from atteining and climbing vp to perceiue the very will of God: and also the hearte of man, as it wauereth with perpetuall doubting, is farre from resting assured in that persuasion. Therefore it behoueth bothe that our witt be lightned, and oure heart strengthened by some other meane, that y^e worde of God may be of ful credit with vsus. Now we shal hauehave a perfect definition of fayth, if we saie, y^t it is a stedfast & assured knowledge of Gods kindnes toward vsus, which being grounded vpō y^e trueth of the free promise in Christ, is both reueled to our mindes, and sealed in our heartes by y^e holy ghoste.

But before I procede any further, it shalbe necessary, y^t I make some preambles to dissolue certain doubts that otherwise might make some stoppe to y^e readers. And first I must confute y^e distinctiō y^t flieth about in the scholes, betwene faith, fourmed and vnformed. For thei imagine that such as are touched with no feare of God, with no feling of godlinesse, do beleue all that is necessarie to saluation. As though the holy ghooste in lyghtenyng oure heartes vntounto faythe, were not a witnesse to vsus of oure adoption. And yet presumptuously, when all the Scripture crieth out againste it, they geue the name of faith to suche perswasion voide of the feare of God. Wee neede to striue no further with theyr definition, but simply to reherse the nature of faith, such as it is declared by the worde of God. Whereby shall plainely appeare how vnskilfully & foolishly thei rather make a noise than speake of it. I hauehave alreadie touched parte, the rest I wyll adde hereafter as place shall serue. At this present I saie, y^t there can not bee imagined a greater absurditie, than this inuention of theires. They wyll hauehave faith to be an assent, whereby eueryevery despyser of God maie receiue that whiche is vttered out of the Scripture. But fyrste thei should hauehave seen whether eueryevery manne of hys owne power do brynge faithe to hymselfe, or whether the holy ghooste be by it a witnesse of adoption. Therefore they do chyldyshly plaie the fooles, in demaundinge, whether faithe, whiche qualitie addeth dothe fourme, be the same faithe or an other and a newe faithe. Whereby appeareth certainely, that in so bablinge they neuer thought of the syngular gyfte of the holy ghooste. For the begynning of beleuinge dothe already conteine in it the reconciliation, whereby manne approcheth to God. But if they dyd weye that sayeng of Paule:Rom. x.x. With the hearte is beleued to righteousnesse, thei wold cesse to fayne that same colde qualitie. If we hadde but thys one reason, it shoulde be sufficient to ende thys contention: that the very same assent (as I hauehave already touched, and wyll againe more largely repete) is rather of the hearte than of the brayne, rather of affection than of vnderstandynge.Rom. i.v. For whyche cause it is called the obeydience of faythe, whyche is suche as the Lorde preferreth no kynde of obeydience aboue it: and that woorthyly, forasmuche as nothynge is more precious to hym than hys truthe,Io. iii.xxv. whyche as Ihon the Baptist wytnesseth, the beleuers doe as yt were subscribe and seale vntounto. Sythe the matter ys not doubtefull, we doe in one woorde determinately saie, that they speake fondly when they saie that faithe is fourmed by addynge of godly affection vntounto assent: whereas assent it selfe, at least suche assent as ys declared in the Scriptures, consisteth of godly affection. Butte yet there ys an other playner argument that offereth yt selfe to be alleged. For whereas faythe embraceth Christe as hee ys offered vsus of the Father: and Christe ys offered not onelyonly for ryghteousnesse, forgeuenesse of synnes and peace, butte also for sanctification, and a fountayne of lyuynge water: wythoute doubte noe mann ecanne euer truely knowe hym, vnlesse he doe therewythall receyue y^e sanctification of y^e Spirite. Or, if any manne desyre to hauehave it more plainely spoken, Faythe consysteth in the knowledge of Christe. And Christe canne not bee knowen, butte wyth sanctification of hys Spirite: therefore it foloweth, that fayth can by no meane be seuered from godly affection.

Whereas they are wonte to laye thys agaynste vsus, that Paule sayeth:i. Cor. xii.x. If a manne hauehave all faythe, so that hee remoue mountaynes: yf he hauehave not charitie, hee ys nothynge: whereby they woulde deforme faythe, in spoylinge it of charitie: they consyder not what the Apostle in that place meaneth by faithe. For when in the chapiter next before it, he hadde spoken of the diuerse gyftes of the holy ghoste, amonge the whyche he had reckened the diuerse kindes of languages, power and prophecie, and hadde exhorted the Corynthians to folowe the beste of these giftes, that is to saie, suche gyftes whereby more profit and commoditie myghte come to the whole body of the Churche: he streyght waie saide further, that he woulde shewe them yet a more excellent waie. That all suche gyftes, howe excellent soeuer they bee of them selues, yet are nothinge to be esteemed, vnlesse thei serue charitie. For they were geuen to the edyfyeng of the Churche, and vnlesse they bee applyed therevnto, they loose theyr grace. For proofe of thys he particularly reherseth them, repetynge the selfe same gyftes that hee hadde spoken of before, butte in other names. And hee vseth the woordes Powers and Faythe, for all one thynge, that is for the power to do miracles. Sythe therefore thys, whether ye call it power or faithe, is a particular gyfte of God, whyche eueryevery vngodly manne maye boothe hauehave and abuse, as the gyfte of tongnes, as prophecie and other gyftes of grace: yt ys no maruell yf yt bee seuered from charitie. Butte all the erroure of these menne standeth in thys, that where thys woorde Faythe, hathe dyuerse sygnifcations, they not consyderinge the dyuersitie of the thinge sygnifyed, dispute as though it were taken for one thynge in all places a lyke. The place of Iames whyche they allege for mayntaynance of the same erroure, shall bee els where dyscussed. Butte althoughe for teachynges sake, when wee meane to shewe what manner of knoweledge of God there ys in the wycked, wee graunte that there are dyuerse sortes of faythe: yet wee acknoweledge and speake of butte one faythe of the godly, as the Scripture teacheth. Many in deede doe beleue that there ys a God, they thynke that the Hystorie of the Gospell and other partes of the Scripture are true (as commonly wee are wonte to iudge of suche thynges, as eyther are reported beynge done longe agoe, or suche as wee oure selues hauehave beene presente at and seen. There bee also some that goe further, for bothe they beleue the woorde of God to be a moste assured oracle, & they do not altogether despyse hys commaundementes, and they somewhat after a sorte are moued with hys threatenynges and promyses. It is in deede testified that suche hauehave faythe: butte that ys spoken oute by abuse, bycause they do not wyth open vngodlynesse fyghte agaynste the woorde of God, or refuse or despyse it: butte rather pretende a certayne shewe of obedyence.

But thys ymage or shadowe of faythe, as yt is of no value, so is yt not woorthy of the name of faythe. Frome the sounde truthe where of howe farre it dyffereth, althoughe it shall be hereafter more largely entreated, yet there is no cause to the contrarie, why it shoulde not nowe be touched by the waie. It is said that Simon Magus beleued,Act. viiii.xiii. & xviii whyche yet wythin a lyttle after bewrayed hys owne vnbelefe. And whereas it is saide that he beleued, we do not vnderstande it as some do, that hee fained a belefe when he hadde none in his hearte: butte we rather thinke that being ouercome with y^e maiestie of the Gospell, he had a certaine faith such as it was, and so acknowledged Christ to be the author of lyfe and saluation, that he willingly professed himselfe to bee one of hys. After the same manner it ys sayde in the Gospell of Luke, that they beleue for a tyme,Luc. viii.vii. & xiij. in whome the seede of the worde is choked vp before it bring forth frute, or before it take any rote at al, it by and by withereth awaie and perisheth: we doubt not that suche delited with a certaine taste of the worde doe greedyly receiue it, and beginne to feele the diuine force of it: so farre that with deceitful counterfaiting of faith, thei be guile not only other mens eyes, but also their owne myndes. For thei perswade them selues, that that reuerence whiche thei shewe to the worde of God, is moste true godlynesse, bycause thei thinke that there is no vngodlynesse but manifest and confessed reproche or contempte of his worde. But what manner of assent soeuer that be, it pearceth not to y^e very heart to remaine there stablished: and though sometime it seemeth to hauehave taken rootes, yet those are liuely rootes. The heart of man hathe so many secrete corners of vanitie, is full of so many hidinge holes of lyeng, is couered wyth so guilefull hypocrisie, that it ofte deceiueth himselfe. But let them that glorie in suche shadowes of faith vnderstand,Iac. ii.xix that therein thei are noe better than the Deuell. But that firste sorte of men are farre worse then the Deuell, whiche do senslessly heare and vnderstand those thinges for knoweledge whereof the Deuells do tremble. And the other are in this pointe egall with the Deuell, that the feeling suche as it is wherewith thei are touched, tournet only to terroure and discouragement.

I knowe that some thinke it harde, that we assigne faith to the reprobate, whereas Paule affyrmeth faythe to be the frute of election,ii. Tess. i.iiii. whyche doubte yet is easily dysolued: for thoughe none receiue the light of faith, nor do truely feele the effectuall working of the Gospell, but they that are foreordeyned to saluacion: yet experience sheweth that the reprobate are sometime moued wyth the same feeling that the elect are, so that in their owne iudgement thei nothing differ from the electe. Wherefore it is no absurditie, that the Apostle ascribeth to them the taste of the heauenly giftes,Heb. vi. that Christ ascribeth to them a fayth for a tyme: not that they soundly perceaue the spirituall force of grace and assured light of faith: but bicause the Lorde, the more to cō demne them and make them in excusable, conueieth himselfe into their mindes so farre forth, as his goodnesse maie be tasted without the spirit of adoption. If any obiect, that then ther remaineth nothing more to the faithfull whereby to proue certainely their adoption: I answere that thoughe there be a great likenesse and affinitie betwene the elect of God, and them that are endued with a fallinge faith for a time, yet there liueth in the elect onelyonly that affiance whiche Paule speaketh of, that thei crie with full mouthe, Abba, Father. Therefore as God doth regenerate onelyonly the elect with incorruptible seede for euer, so that the seede of lyfe planted in their heartes neuer perisheth: so soundly doth he seale in them the grace of his adoption, that it may be stable & sure. But this withstandeth not but that that other inferioure working of the Spirite maie hauehave his course, euen in the reprobate. In the meane season the faithfull are taught, carefully and humbly to examine them selues, least in steede of assurednesse of faith, do creepe in carelesse confidence of the fleshe. Byside that, the reprobate do neuer conceiue but a confused feelinge of grace, so that they rather take holde of the shadowe than of the sounde bodie, bicause the holy Spirite doth proprely seale the remission of sinnes in the electe onlye, so that they applye is by speciall fayth to their vse. But yet it is truely sayde, that the reprobate beleue God to be mercyfull vntounto them, bicause they receyue the gifte of reconciliation, although confusedly and not plainely enough: not that they are partakers of the selfe same fayth or regeneracion with the children of God, but bycause they seme to hauehave as well as they, the same beginnynge of fayth, vnderunder a cloke of Hypocrisie.

And I denye not, that God dothe so farre geue light vntounto theyr myndes, that they acknowledge his grace, but he maketh that same felyng so different from the peculiar testimonie whiche he geueth to his elect, that they neuer come to the sounde effecte and fruition thereof. For he dothe not therefore shewe himselfe mercyfull vntounto them, for that he hauyng truely deliuered them from death, dothe receyue them to his sauegarde, but onelyonly he discloseth to them a present merciemercy. But he vouchesaueth to graunt to the only electe the liuely roote of fayth, so that they continue to the ende. So is that obiection answered, yf God doe truely shewe his grace, that the same remayneth perpetually stablished, for that there is no cause to the contrarie, but that God maye enlighten some with a present felyng of his grace, whiche afterwarde vanisheth awaye.

Also, though fayth bee a knowledge of Gods kindenesse toward vsus, and an assured persuasion of the truthe thereof: yet it is no maruell that the felynge of Gods louelove in temporall thynges dothe vanishe awaye: whyche although it hauehave an affinitie wyth fayth, yet doth it muche differ from fayth. I graunt, the will of God is vnchangeable, and the truthe thereof dothe alwaye stedfastly agree wyth it selfe, but I denye that the reprobate doe procede so farre as to atteyne vntounto that secrete reuelation, whyche the Scripture sayeth to belonge to the electe onelyonly. Therefore I denye that they doe eyther conceyue the will of God as it is vnchangeable, or doe stedfastly embrace the truthe thereof, bycause they abide in a felynge that vanisheth awaye: Lyke as a tree that is not planted deepe enough to take liuely rootes, in processe of tyme waxeth drye, although for a fewe yeres it bryngeth forth not only blossomes and leaues, but also frute. Finally, as by the fall of the firste manne, the Image of God mighte hauehave benne blotted out of his mynde and soule, so it is no maruell, yf God do shyne vponupon the reprobate wyth certayne beames of his grace, whyche afterwarde he suffreth to bee quenched. And there is no cause to the contrarie, but that he maye lightly ouer washe some, and throughly soke other some wyth the knoweledge of hys Gospell. This is in the meane tyme to bee holden for truthe, that howe small and weake so euer sayth hee in the electe, yet bycause it is to them a sure pleadge of the Spyrite of God, and a seale of their adoption, the prynte thereof canne neuer bee blotted out of theyr heartes: as for the reprobate, that they are ouer spred wyth such a lyght as afterwarde commeth to nought. And yet the Spyrite is not deceyptefull, bycause he geueth not lyfe to the seede that he casteth in theyr heartes, to make it abyde alwayes incorruptible, as he dothe in the elect. I goe yet further, for whereas it is euident by the teachyng of the Scripture and by dayely experience, that y^e reprobate are sometime touched with the felyng of Gods grace, it muste needes be that there is raysed in their heartes a certayne desire of mutuall louelove. So for a time there lyued in Saul a godly affection to louelove God, by whome he knew himself to be fatherly handeled, and therefore was delited with a certayne swetenesse of his goodnesse. But as the persuasion of the fatherly louelove of God is not faste rooted in the reprobate, so doe they not soundely louelove him agayne as his chyldren, but are led wyth a certayne affection like hired seruauntes. For to Christ only was that Spirite of louelove geuen, to this ende, that he shoulde poure it into his membres. And truely that sayeng of Paule extendeth no further,Rom. v.v. but to the elect only: The louelove of God is poured abrode into our heartes by the holy Spirite that is geuen vsus, euen the same louelove y^t engendreth the same confidence of callyng vponupon him, whyche I hauehave before touched. As on the contrarie side we see God to bee maruelously angry with his chyldren, whome yet he cesseth not to louelove: not that in hymselfe he hateth them, but bycause his will is to make them afrayde wyth the felynge of his wrath, but to the entent to abate theyr pride of fleshe, to shake of their drowesinesse, and to moue them to repentance. And therefore all at one tyme they conceyue hym to bee bothe angry with them or with their sinnes, and also mercyfull vntounto them: bycause they not fainedly doe praye to appease his wrathe, to whome yet they flee wyth quiet assured trust. Hereby it appereth that it is not true that some doe counterfayte a shewe of fayth, whyche yet doe lacke the true faith, but while they are caried wyth a sodeyne violent motion of Zele, they deceyue themselues wyth false opinion, And it is no doubte that sluggishnesse so possesseth them, that they doe not well examine their heart as they ought to hauehave done. It is likely that they were suche to whome (as Iohn witnesseth) Christ dyd not commit himselfe when yet they beleued in hym:Ih. ij.xxiiij bycause he knewe them all, and knewe what was in manne. If many dyd not fall from the common fayth (I call it common, bicause the fayth that lasteth but a time hath a greate lykenesse and affinitie with the liuely and continuynge fayth) Christe woulde not hauehave sayde to his Disciples:Ih. viij.iij If ye abide in my worde, then are ye truely my Disciples, and ye shall know the truthe, and the truthe shall make you free. For he speaketh to them that had embraced his doctrine, and exhorteth them to the encrease of fayth, that they shoulde not by their owne sloughtfulnesse quench the lighte that is geuen them.Tit. i.i. Therefore dothe Paule affirme, that fayth peculiarly belongeth to the electe, declaryng that many vanish away, bycause they hauehave not taken liuely roote. Like as Christ also sayth in Matthew:Matt. xv.xiij. eueryevery tree that my father hath not planted, shalbe rooted vp. In other there is a grosser kinde of lyeng, that are not ashamed to mocke bothe God and menne.I…. ii. Iames inueyeth agaynst that kinde of menne, that wyth deceiptfull pretense doe wickedly abuse fayth.i. Tim. i.v Neyther woulde Paule require of the children of God a fayth vnfayned, but in respect that many do presumptuously chalenge vntounto themselues that whyche they hauehave not, & with vayne colored deceyte do beguile other or sometime themselues.i. Tim. i… xix. Therefore he compareth a good conscience to a cheste wherein fayth is kepte, bycause many in fallynge from good conscience, hauehave suffred shipwreck of their fayth.

We must also remember the doutefull signification of the woord fayth. For oftentimes fayth signifieth the sounde doctrine of religion, as in the place that we nowe alleaged, and in the same Epistle where Paule wryteth:i. Tim. iij.ix. Deacons to holde faste the misterie of fayth in a pure conscience. Againe, where he publisheth the fallynge awaye of certayne from the faith. But on the other side he sayth that Timothee was nourished vp with the woordes of fayth.i. Tim. iiii i. &. vi. ii. Tim. i… xvi. &. iij.viii. Tit. i.xiii. &. ii.ii. where he sayth that prophane vanities and oppositions, falsly named sciences, are the cause that many depart from the faith: whome in an other place he calleth reprobate touchyng fayth. As agayne he chargeth Tit…s, Agayne sayeng, Warne them that they be sounde in the fayth. By soundenesse he meaneth nothing els but purenesse of doctrine, which is easily corrupted and brought out of kynde by the lightnesse of men. Euen bicause in Christ,Ecl. ii.iii. whome faith possesseth, are hiddē all the treasures of wisedome and knoweledge: therefore fayth is worthyly extended to signifie the whole summe of heauenly doctrine, from which it can not be seuered. Contrariewise sometime it is restrayned to signifie some particular obiect,Mat. ix.ii. as when Matthew sayth, that Christ saw the fayth of them that did let downe the manne sicke of the palsey through the tyles: and Chryst himselfe cryeth out that he founde not in Israell so great fayth as the Centurion brought. But it is likely that the Centurion was earnestly bente to the healyng of his doughter,Mat. viii.x. the care whereof occupied all his minde: yet bycause beyng contented with the onelyonly assent and answere of Christ, he required not Christes bodyly presence, therefore in respecte of this circumstance his fayth was so muche commended. And a litle here before we hauehave shewed,i. Cor. xiii.x. that Paule taketh fayth for the gifte of workynge miracles, whyche gifte they hauehave that neyther are regenerate by the Spirite of God, nor doe hartyly worshippe him. Also in an other place he setteth fayth for the doctrine whereby we are instructed in fayth. For where he wryteth that fayth shall bee abolished, it is out of question that that is meante by the ministerie of the Church, whiche at this … is profitable for oure weaknesse. In these formes of speach standeth a proportionall relation. But when the name of fayth is vnproperly remoued, to signifie a false profession, or a lyeng title of fayth, that shoulde seeme to be as harde a figuratiue abuse, as when the feare of God is set for a corrupte and wrongefull manner of worshyppynge, as when it is oftentymes sayde in the holy Historie, that the forraine nations whiche had ben transplanted into Samaria and the places borderynge there about, feared the fayned Gods and the God of Israell: whiche is as much, as to mingle heauen and earth together. But now our question is, What is that fayth whiche maketh the chyldren of God different from the vnbeleuers, by which we call vponupon God by the name of our Father, by whyche we passe from death to life, and by which Christ the eternall saluacion and …he dwelleth in vsus. The force and nature thereof I thinke I hauehave shortly and plainely declared.

Now let vsus againe goe through all the partes of it, euen from the beginning, which beyng diligently examined, (as I thinke) there shal remaine nothing doubtefull. When in defining faith we cal it a knowledge, we meane not thereby a cōprehendyng, such as men vse to hauehave of those thinges that are subiect to mans vnderstandyng. For it is so far aboue it, that mās wit must goe beyond & surmount it self to come vntounto it, yea and when it is come vntounto it, yet doth it not atteyne that whiche it feleth, but while it is persuaded of that whiche it conceiueth not, it vnderstandeth more by the very assurednesse of persuasion, than yf it did with mās owne capacitie throughly perceyue any thing familiar to man.Ephe. iii.xviij. Therefore Paule sayth very well, where he calleth it to comprehende what is the length, bredth, depth, and heighth, and to knowe the louelove of Christ that farre surmounteth knowledge. For his meanynge was to signifie,Colos. i.xxviii. that the thynge whiche our mynde conceyueth by faythe, is eueryevery waye infinite, and that this kinde of knowledge is farre hyer than all vnderstandynge. But yet bycause the Lorde hath disclosed to his Saintes the secret of his will whiche was hidden from ages and generations, therefore by good reason fayth is in Scripture sometime called an acknowledging: and Iohn calleth it a certayne knowledge,i. Ih. iii.ii. where he testifieth, that the faithfull doe certainely knowe that they are the children of God. And vndoutedly they knowe it assuredly: but rather by beyng confirmed by persuasion of Gods truthe, than by beyng informed by naturall demonstration. And his,i…. Cor. v.vi. also the wordes of Paule doe declare, sayeng that while we …well in the body, we are wanderyng abrode from the lord, bycause we walke by fayth and not by sighte: whereby he sheweth that those thynges whiche we vnderstande by fayth, are yet absente from vsus and are hidden from our sight. And hereupon we determine, that the knowledge of fayth stādeth rather in certaintie than in comprehendyng.

We further call it, a sure and stedfaste knowledge, to expresse thereby a more sound constantie of persuasion. For as faith is not contented with a doubtefull and rowling opinion so is it also not cō tented with a darke and entangled vnderstāding: but requireth a ful and fixed assurednesse▪ such as men are wont to hauehave of thinges foūd by experience and proued. For vnbelefe sticketh so faste and is so depe rooted in our heartes, and we are so bent vntounto it, that this which all men confesse with their mouth to be true, that God is faithfull, no mā is without great contention persuaded in his heart. Specially when it cōmeth to the profe, then the waueryng of all menne discloseth the fault …hat …ore was hidden. And not without cause the Scripture with so n…ble cit…es of cōmendacion maineteyneth the authoritie of the worde of God, but endeuoreth to geue remedie for the aforesayde disease that God maye obteyne to be fully beleued of vsus in his promises. The wordes of the Lorde (sayth Dauid) are pure wordes,Psa. xix.xxxi. as the S…e…ryed in a fornace of earth, fined seuen times. Agayne. The worde o… the Lorde fined is a shielde to all that truste in him. And Salomon confirmynge the same,Pro. … and in a manner in the same wordes, sayth: EueryEvery worde of God is pure. But sithe the whole .cxix. Psalme entreateth only in a manner vponupon the same, it weare superfluous to allege any moe places. Truely so oft as God doth so cōmend his word vntounto vsus, he doth therein by the waye reproche vsus with our vnbeleuingnesse: bycause that commendaciō tendeth to no other end, but to roote vp all peruerse doubtinges out of our heartes. There be also many which so cōceiue the merciemercy of God, that they take litle cō fort thereof. For they be euen therewithall pinched with a miserable carefulnesse, while they doubte whether he will be mercifull to them or noe, bicause they enclose within to narrow boundes the very same mercifulnesse, of whiche they thinke themselues moste assuredly perswaded. For thus they thinke with themselues, that his merciemercy is in deede greate and plentiefull poured out vponupon many, offrynge it selfe and ready for all menne: but that it is not certayne whether it will extende vntounto them or no, or rather whether they shal atteyne vntounto it or no. This thought when it so stayeth in the midde race, is but a halfe. Therefore it doth not so confirme the spirite with assured quietnesse, as it dothe trouble it with vnquiet doubtefulnesse. But there is a far other felyng of full assurednesse, whiche in the Scriptures is alwaye assigned to fayth, euen suche a one as playnely settynge before vsus the goodnesse of God, dothe clearely put it out of doubte. And that can not be, but that we muste needes truely feele and proue in our selues the swetenesse thereof.Eph. iii.xx. And therefore the Apostle out of fayth deriueth assured confidence, and out of it agayne boldenesse. For thus he sayeth, that by Christe we hauehave boldenesse, and an entrance with confidence, whiche is through fayth in him. By whiche wordes truely he sheweth, that it is no right fayth, but when we are bolde with quiet mindes to shewe our selues in the presence of God. Which boldnesse procedeth not but of assured confidence of Gods good will and our saluation. Whiche is so true, that many times this word Faith, is vsed for Confidence.

But herupon hangeth the chiefe staye of our faith, that we do not think the promises of merciemercy which the Lord offreth to be true only in other biside vsus, & not at all in our selues: but rather that in inwardly embracing thē, we make them our owne. Frō hense procedeth that cō fidence which the same Paule in an other place calleth peace,Rom. v.i. vnlesse some had rather say, y^t peace is deriued of it. It is an assurednesse that maketh the consciēce quiet & cherefull before God, without which the cōscience must of necessitie be vexed, & in a manner torne in peces with troublesome trembling, vnlesse parhappes it do forget God & it selfe, & so slōber a litle while. & I may truely say, For a litle while, for it doth not lōg enioy that miserable forgetfulnesse, but is with often recourse of the remembrance of Gods iudgement sharply tormented. Briefly, there is none truely faithful, but he that beyng persuaded with a soūd assurednesse that God is his mercyfull & louyng father, doth promise himselfe all thinges vponupon trust of Gods goodnesse: and none but he that trustyng vponupon the promises of Gods good will toward him, conceyueth and vndoubted lokynge for of saluation:Hebr. iij.xiii. as the Apostle sheweth in these wordes: Yf we keepe sure to the ende our confidence and gloriyng of hope. For hereby he meaneth that none hopeth well in the Lorde, but he that with confidence glorieth that he is heyre of the kyngdome of heauen. There is none (I saye) faythfull, but he that leanyng vponupon the assurednesse of his owne saluation, doth confidently triumph vponupon the deuell and death, as we are taught by that notable concluding sentence of Paule:Rom. viii.xxxvii…. I am persuaded (sayth he) that neyther death, nor life, nor Angeles, nor principalities, nor powers, nor thinges present, nor thinges to come, shalbe able to separate vsus frō y^e louelove of God. wherwith he embraceth vsus in Christ Iesu. And in like manner, the same Apostle thinketh, that the eyes of our minde are by no other meane well lightened, vnlesse we see what is the hope of the eternall inheritance to whiche we are called.Ephes. i.xviii. And eche where his common manner of teachyng is such, that he declareth that no otherwise we do not well comprehend the goodnesse of God, vnlesse we gather of it the frute of great assurednesse.

But (some man will say) the faithfull doe finde by experience a far other thing within themselues whiche in recordyng the grace of God toward them, are not only tempted with vnquietnesse, whiche oftentimes chaunceth vntounto them, but also are sometime shaken with most greuous terrors: so great is the vehemencye of temptations to throw downe their mindes: which thing semeth not sufficiently wel to agree with that assurednesse of fayth. Therefore this doubt must be answered, if we will hauehave our aforesayde doctrine to stande. But truely, when we teache that fayth ought to be certayne and assured, we doe not imagine suche a certaintie as is touched with no doubtynge, nor suche an assurednesse as is assayled with no carefulnesse: but rather we saye, that the faythfull hauehave a perpetuall stryfe with their owne distrustfulnesse. So farre be we from setlynge their consciences in such a peasable quietnesse, as maye be interrupted with no troubles at all yet on the other side we saye, that in what sorte so euer they bee afflicted, they doe neuer fall and departe from that assured confidence whiche they hauehave conceyued of the merciemercy of God. The Scripture setteth forth no example of fayth more playne, or more notable than in Dauid,Psa. xlii.vi. … xliii.v specially if a manne beholde the whole continuall course of his lyfe. But yet howe he was not alwaye of quiet minde, hymselfe declareth by innumerable complaintes, of whiche at this time it shal be sufficient doe choose out a fewe. When he reprocheth his owne soule with troublesome motions, what is it els but that he is angry with his owne vnbeleuengnesse? Why trēblest thou my soule (sayth he) and why art thou disquieted within me? trust in God. And truely that same discouragement was a plaine token of destruction, euen as if he thought himselfe to be forsaken of God. And in an other place we reade a larger confession thereof,Psa. xxxi.xxij. where he sayth: I sayd in my ouerthrow, I am cast out from the sight of thy eyes. Also in an other place he disputeth with himselfe in carefull and miserable perplexitie, yea & quareleth of the very nature of God, sayeng: Hath God forgotten to hauehave merciemercy? will he caste of for euer? And yet harder is that whiche foloweth:Ps. lxxvii.x. But I hauehave sayde, To die is mine: charges are of the right hande of the hyest. For, as in despere he condemneth himselfe to destruction, and not only confesseth himselfe to be tossed with doutyng, but as if he were vāquished in battel, he leaueth nothyng to himself, bycause God hath forsaken him, and hath turned to destroy him, the same hande that was wont to be his helper.Psa. cxvi.vii. Wherefore not without cause he exhorteth his soule to returne to her quietnesse, bicause he had found by experience, that he was tossed amōg troblesome waues. And yet (whiche is meruellous) in al these assaultes, faith vpholdeth the heartes of the godly, and is truely like vntounto a Date tree to endeuour and rise vpwarde agaynst all burdens, howe great soeuer they be: as Dauid, when he might seme to be vtterly ouerwhelmed, yet in rebukyng himselfe, cesseth not to rise vp to God. And truely he that striuing with his owne weakenesse, resorteth to faith in his troubles, is alredy in a manner conquerour. Whiche maye be gathered by this sentence and other like:Psa. x…vii.xiii…. Waite for the Lord, be stronge, he shall strēgthen they heart: waite for the Lord. He reprocheth himselfe of fearefulnesse, and in repetyng the same twise, con…esseth himself to be somtimes subiect to many troublesome motions. And in the meane time he doth not only become displeased with himselfe in these faultes, but earnestly endeuoreth to amendement. Truely if we will more nerely by good examination compare him with Achaz, there shalbe founde great difference.Esa. vii.iii Esaye was sente to brynge remedie to the carefull griefe of the wicked king and hypocrite, and spake vntounto him in these wordes: Be in sauegarde and be quiet: feare not, &c. But what did Achaz? As it was before sayd, that his heart was moued as the trees of the woode are shaken with winde, though he hearde the promise, yet he cessed not to quake for feare. This therefore is the propre rewarde & punishment of vnbelefe, so to tremble for feare, that in temptation he turneth himselfe awaye from God, that doth not open to himselfe the gate by fayth. Contrarywise the faythfull whome the weighty burden of temptations maketh to stoupe, and in a māner oppresseth, do cōstantly rise vp, although not without trouble and hardinesse. And bicause thei know their owne weakenesse, thei pray with the Prophete:Psa. cxix.xiiii. Take not the worde of truth away from my mouth cō tinually. By which wordes we are taught, that somtime they become dumme, as though their fayth were vtterly ouerthrowen, yet they faint not, nor turne their backes, but procede in their battell, & with prayer do encourage their slouthfulnesse, lest by fauoring themselues they should growe to vnsensible dulnesse.

For the vnderstādyng therof, it is needeful to returne to that diuision of the fleshe and the spirit, wherof we made mention in an other place, which doth in this behalf most clearly appere. The godly heart therefore …eleth a diuisiō in it self, which is partly delited with swetenesse by acknowledging of y^e goodnesse of God, & partly greued with bitternesse by felyng of his owne miserie, partly resteth vponupon the promise of the Gospel, and partly trembleth by reason of the testimonie of his owne wickednesse: partly reioyseth with conceyuing of life, and partly quaketh for feare of death. Whyche variation cōmeth by imperfection of fayth, for as muche as we neuer be in so good case in the course of this present life, as beyng healed from all disease of distrustfulnesse, to be altogether filled & possessed w^t faith. Hereupon procede those battels, whē the distrustfulnesse that abideth in the remnātes of the fleshe, riseth vp to assaile the faith that is inwardly conceiued. But if in a faythfull minde assurednesse be mixed with doubtfulnesse, come we not then alwaye to this pointe, that faith stādeth not in a certaine and clere knowledge, but in a darke & doubtefully entangled knowledge of Gods will toward vsus? No, not so. For though we be diuersly drawen with sondry thoughtes, yet are we not therefore by and by seuered from fayth: though we be vexed with tossyng vp and downe of distrustfulnesse, yet are we not therefore drowned in the bottōlesse depth thereof: and though we be shaken, yet be we not thrust▪ downe out of our place. For this is alwaye the ende of this battell, that faith doth at length with wrastling ouercome those hard troubles, wherwith when she is so besieged, she semeth to be in danger.

Let this be the sunnne of all. So sone as any droppe of fayth, be it neuer so small, is poured into our heartes, we by and by beginne to beholde the face of God milde and pleasant and louyng towarde vsus: yet the same we see from a farre of, and far distant from vsus, but with so sure sight, that we know we are not deceiued. Frō thense forward, howe muche we profit (as we ought continually to profit) as it were by procedyng further, we come vntounto so much the nerer, and therfore certainer beholdyng of him, and by very continuance he is made more familiar vntounto vsus. So we see, that the minde enlightened with the knowledge of God, is first holden wrapped in much ignorance, which by litle and litle is wyped awaye. Yet the same minde is not so hindered by beyng ignorāt of some thinges, or by darkly seyng that which she seeth, but that she enioyeth a clere knowledge of gods wil toward her, which is the first and principal point in fayth. For as if a man beyng shut vp in pryson, hauehave beames of the sunne shinyng in, sidelong at a narrowe windowe, or as it were but half glummeryng, he wanteth in deede the free beholdynge of the sunne, yet he seeth with his eyes an vndoubted brightnesse thereof, and receyueth the vse of it: so we beyng …ounde with the fetters of an earthly body, howe so euer we be on eche side shadowed with muche darkenesse, yet we are sufficiently enligh…ened vntounto perfect assurednesse, by the light of God, extendyng his beames of light vponupon vsus, though it be but a litle, to shew forth his merciemercy.

Both these pointes the Apostle very wel teacheth in diuerse places. For when he sayth,… xiii.xx. that we know vnperfectly, and prophecie vnperfectly, and see by a darke speakynge as by a glasse, he sheweth howe sclender a litle portion of the true godly wisedome is geuen vsus in this present life. For though those wordes do not expresly shewe that our faith is vnperfect so long as we grone vnderunder this burden of the flesh, but that it happeneth vntounto vsus by our owne imperfectiō, that we hauehave neede to be continually exercised in learning: yet he secretly declareth that that thinge whiche is infinite, can not be comprehended by our small capacitie, and narrowe compasse. And this Paule reporteth of the whole church, but vntounto eueryevery owne of vsus, his owne dulnesse is a hinderance & staye that he can not come so nere as were to be wished. But how sure and vndeceuiable a taste of it self, euen a small droppe of faith doth make vsus fele, the same Apostle sheweth in an other place, where he affirmeth,… Cor. iii.x…ii. that by the Gospell we beholde the glory of God with vncouered face, hauing no veile betwene vsus and it, so effectually that we be transformed into the same image. In such entanglemētes of ignorance there muste needes be wrapped together bothe muche doubtyng and feareful tremblyng, specially for asmuch as our heart, by a certaine natural instinct of it self, is enclined to vnbeleuingnesse. Byside that there be tentations which bothe infinite in number, and diuerse in kinde, do oftētimes with great sodeine violence assayle vsus. But specially our owne conscience oppressed with heauy burden of sinnes lyeng vponupon it, dothe sometime lament and grone with it selfe, and sometime accuseth it selfe: sometime secretely murmureth, and sometime is openly troubled. Whether therfore aduersities do shew an apparance of the wrath of God, or the conscience doth finde in it selfe any profe or matter of his wrath, from thense vnbelefe doth take weapons and engines to vanquish fayth withall: whiche are alway directed to this ende, that we thinkyng God to be our aduersarie and hatefully bent agaynst vsus, should bothe not hope for any helpe at his hande, and also be afrayde of him as of our deadly enemie.

To beare these assaultes, faith doth armie and fortifie her self with the worde of God. And when such a tentation assayleth, that God is our enemie, bicause he is sharpe against vsus: faith in the other side answereth, that euen when he punisheth he is also mercifull, bicause his chastisement cometh rather of louelove than of wrath. When faith is striken with this thought that God is a reuenger of iniquities▪ agaynst that stroke he setteth his pardon redy for al offenses, so oft as the sinner resorteth to the mercifulnesse of the Lord. So a godly minde how so euer it be in maruelous wise tossed and vexed, yet at length riseth vp aboue all dāgers, and neuer suffreth the confidēce of Gods merciemercy to be plucked awaye from it: But rather what so euer contentions do trouble and wery it, in the ende they turne to the assurednesse of this cōfidence. And herof this is a profe, that the holy ones, whē they thinke themselues moste of al pressed with the vengeance of God yet euen then do make their complayntes to the same God: and when it semeth that they shal not be heard at all, euen then neuerthelesse they call vponupon him. For to what purpose were it, to make their moane to him from whome thei hoped for no comfort? truely they would neuer finde in their heartes to cal vponupon him, vnlesse they beleued that there were some helpe at his hande prepared for them.Mat. viii.xxv. So the Disciples, in whome Christ blameth their smalnesse of fayth, cōplayned in deede that they perished, but yet they called to him for helpe. And when he rebuketh them for their small fayth, yet he doth not reiect them from the nūber of his, nor maketh them of the number of the vnbeleuers, but stirreth them to shake of that fault. Therefore we affirme againe that whiche we hauehave aboue spoken, that the roote of fayth is neuer plucked out of a godly heart, but sticketh so faste in the bottome, that howe so euer it be shaken and seme to bende this waye or that waye, the light thereof is so neuer quenched or choked vp, but that it lyeth at leaste hidden vnderunder some embers: and by this token is playnely shewed, that the word which is an vncorruptible sede, bringeth forth frute like to it selfe, the spryng whereof doth neuer whither and vtterly perish▪ for whereas this is the extremest matter of despeire to the holy ones to …ele according to the cōsideracion of present thinges, the hande of God bent to their destructiō:Iob. xiii.xv. yet Iob affirmeth that his hope shall procede so far▪ that though God do kill him, yet he wil not therfore cesse to trust in him. This is the truthe therefore: Vnbelefe reigneth not within the heartes of the godly, but outwardly assayleth them: neither doth she deadly wound them with her wepons, but only troubleth them, or so hurteth them, that yet the wound is curable. for fayth,Ephe. vi▪xviii. as Paule teacheth, serueth vsus for a sheld: that beyng holden vp agaynst weapōs, doth so receiue the force of them, that it either vtterly driueth them backe, or at least so breaketh their violēce, that thei can not pearce them to danger of life. Therefore when fayth is shaken, it is like as if a strōg souldior with the violent stroke of a darte be compelled to remoue his foote, and geue ground a litle: and when faith it self is wounded, that is like as if his buckler by some stroke be in some part brokē, but yet so y^t it is not strikē through. For alway the godly minde will atteine to rise thus hie as to say with Dauid,Psa. xx… iiij. If I walke in the middest of the shadow of death, I wil feare none euel, bicause thou art with me. It is in deede terrible to walke in y^e darknesse of death & it can not be but that the faithfull, how much strength soeuer they hauehave must be afrayde of it. Yet bicause this thought surmounteth it, that they hauehave God present with them, and prouidynge for their safetie, that feare is ouercome with assurednesse. For (as Augustine sayth) how great engines so euer the deuell raiseth vp against vsus, so lōg as he possesseth not the place of the heart, where faith dwelleth, he is cast out of the dores. And so if we may iudge by the successe, the faithfull not only escape safe from eueryevery battel, so that by and by receyuyng fresh courage they are redy to come againe into the field: but also that is fulfilled whiche Iohn sayth in his canonical Epistle: This is the victorie that ouercometh the world,i. Ih. v.iiij euē your faith. For he affirmeth y^t it shal not only winne the victorie in one or fewe battels, or against some one assault, but also that it shal get the ouerhande of the whole world, although it be a thousand times assayled.

There is an other kinde of feare & tremblyng, but such a one as by it the assurednesse of faith is so nothing at all diminished y^e thereby it is the more soundely stablished. That is, when the faithfull either in thinking that the exāples of Gods vengeance against the wicked are shewed for lessons for thē to learne by, do carefully beware that they happen not to prouoke gods wrath against thēselues with the same offenses: or recording with thēselues their owne miserie, do learne to hang altogether vponupon the Lord, without whō thei see thēselues to be more fickle & soner vanishing than any blast of winde. For when the Apostle in setting forth y^e scourges wherwith y^e Lord in old time had punished y^• people of Israel,i. Cor. x.xi. putteth y^e Corinthians in feare y^t they entāgle not thēselues w^t like euels: he doth not therby abate their affiāce▪ but only shaketh away y^e dulnesse of the flesh by whiche faith is wont more to be oppressed thā strēgthened. And whē he taketh occasiō of y^t Iewes fal to exhort him y^e standeth,Ro. xi.xx. to take heede y^t he fal not, he doth not therby bidde vsus to wauer, as though we were not fully assured of our stedfastnesse, but only he taketh away arrogāt presumptiō & rash trusting to much in our owne strēgth, y^t after the thrusting out of the Iewes, y^e Gentiles being receyued into their place, shuld not to much outragiously triumph agaynst them. Albeit he speaketh there not only to the faithfull, but also in the same sayeng comprehendeth the Hypocrites that gloried only in outward shewe. For neyther doth he admonish eueryevery man particularly, but makyng a cōparison betwene the Iewes and the Gentiles, after that he had shewed that the Iewes in this that they were reiected, did suffer iuste punishment for their vnbelefe and vnthankfulnesse, he also exhorted the Gentiles that they should not, by beyng prowde and extollyng themselues, lose the grace of adoption lately conueyed vntounto them. But as in that generall reiectyng of the Iewes, there remained yet some that were not fallen from the couenant of adoptiō, so out of the Gentiles there might arise some, which without true faith, should be puffed vp only with foolish confidence of the flesh, and so abuse Gods louyng kindnesse to their owne destruction. But although you take this as spoken to the elect & faithfull, yet thereupon shall follow no inconuenience. For it is one thyng to holde downe the rash presumption whiche out of the remnantes of the fleshe crepeth sometime euen into the holy ones, that with vayne confidence it waxe not outragiously wanton: and an other thyng to strike the conscience with feare, that it rest not with full assurednesse in the merciemercy of God.

Then, when he teacheth, that with feare and trembling we should worke our owne saluaciō,Phil. ij.xij he requireth nothing els, but that we shuld accustome vsus with much abacyng of our selues, reuerently to loke vp vntounto the mightinesse of God. For truely nothyng doth so much awake vsus to cast all our confidence and assurance of mynde vponupon the Lorde, as doth the distrust of our selues and carefulnesse cōceyued by knowledge in conscience of our owne wretchednesse. And accordyng to this meanyng is that sayeng in the Prophet to be takē:Pl. v.viij. In the multitude of thy goodnesse I will entre into thy temple: I will worship in feare. Where he comely conioyneth the boldnesse of fayth that leaneth vponupon Gods merciemercy with a reuerent feare, whiche we muste needes fele so oft as cōmyng into the sight of Gods maiestie, we perceyue by the glorious bryghtnesse thereof, howe greate is our owne filthinesse. And Salomon sayth truely,Pro. xxviii xiiij▪ where he pronounceth the man blessed, that continually maketh his owne heart afrayde, for by hardening thereof men fall hedlong into euell. But such feare he meaneth as maye make vsus more heedefull, not such wherby we shuld be troubled and vtterly fall: euen such a feare as when the minde confounded in it self, dothe recouer it selfe agayne in God: when despeiryng it self, it reuiueth by trust in him. Therefore there is no cause to the contrarie, but that the faythfull maye at one time bothe be in feare, and also enioye moste assured comfort, in respect that somtime they turne their eyes to behold their owne vanitie, and somtime they cast the thought of their minde vponupon the truthe of God. But how (will some man saye) shal feare and fayth dwell bothe in one minde? euen thus, as contrarily vnsensible dulnesse, and carefulnesse. For wheras the wicked trauaile to procure to themselues a want of grefe, that no feare of God might trouble thē, yet, the iudgement of God so presseth them, that they can not atteyne that whiche they desire. So there is nothyng to withstande, but that God maye exercise them that be his to humiliti…, that in fightyng valiantly, they maye restrayne themselues vnderunder the bridle of modestie. And by the processe of the texte it appereth, that this was the entent of the Apostle, where he assigneth the cause of feare and tremblyng to be the good pleasure of God, whereby he geueth to them that be his bothe to will wel, and valiantly to goe through with it. According to this meaning ought we to take that sayeng of the Prophete:Ose. iii.v. The children of Israel shal feare God and his godnesse: bicause not only, godlinesse engēdreth the reuerence of God, but the very swetenesse and pleasant taste of grace, filleth man beyng discouraged in himself with feare and admiratiō, to make him hange vponupon God, and humbly yeld himselfe subiect to his power.

Yet we do not herby make roome to that most pestilēt Philosophie, whiche many halfe papistes at this daye beginne to coyne in corners. For, bicause they cā not defende that grosse doubtfulnesse which hath ben taught in Scholes, thei flie to an other deuise, to make a confidēce mingled with distrustfulnesse. Thei confesse, that so oft as we loke vntounto Christ▪ we finde in him full mater to hope well: but bicause we are alwayes vnworthy of those good things that are offred vsus in Christ, they would hauehave vsus to wauer & stagger in beholding of our owne vnworthinesse. Briefely, they place conscience to betwene hope & feare, that it altereth from the one to the other, by enterchangeable times & courses: and they so compare fayth & hope together, that when the one springeth vp the other is pressed downe, whē the one ariseth the othre againe falleth. So whē Satan seeth y^t those open engines wherwith before time he was wont to destroy y^e assurednesse of faith, do now nothing preuaile, he endeuoreth by croked vndermininges to ouerthrow it. But what manner of cōfidence shal that be, which shal now & then yeld to desperatiō. If (say they) thou cōsider Christ, there is assured saluatiō: but if thou returne to thy self, there is assured dānation. Therefore of necessitie distrust and good hope must by enterchāgeable courses reigne in thy minde: As though we ought to imagine Christ standyng a far of, and not rather dwellyng within vsus. For therefore we loke for saluation at his hande, not bycause he appereth a far of vntounto vsus, but bicause he hath graffed vsus into his bodye, and so maketh vsus partakers not only of all his good thinges, but also of himself. Therefore I thus turne this their argument against themselues: If thou consider thy self, there is certaine damnation. But bicause Christ with all his good thinges is by way of cōmunicatyng so geuen vntounto thee, that all his thinges are made thine, and thou arte made a member of him, yea & all one with him: his righteousnesse drowneth thy sinnes, his saluation taketh awaye thy damnation: he by his worthynesse cō meth betwene thee and God, that thy vnworthynesse come not in the sight of God. Briefely, this is the truthe: we ought neyther to separate Christ from vsus, nor vsus from him, but with bothe handes to holde fast that felowshippe whereby he hath coupled himselfe vntounto vsus. So the Apostle teacheth vsus:Ro. viii.x. The body in deede (sayth he) is dead by reason of sinne: but the Spirit of Christ that dwelleth in you, is life for righteousnesse. According to these mens trifeling deuise he should hauehave said, Christ in deede hath life with himself: but you, as you be sinners, remayne subiect to death and damnation. But he sayth far otherwise. For he teacheth that that damnatiō which we deserue of our … ▪ is swalowed vp by the saluation of Christ, and … the same reason that I hauehave alleged, bicause Christ is not … vsus, but dwelleth within vsus, and cleaueth vntounto vsus not only with … diuidable knot of felowshippe, but with a certaine maruellous communion dayly more and more groweth with vsus into one body, till he be made altogether one with vsus. And yet I denie not, as I hauehave sayd a litle before, that sometime there happen certaine i…erruptions of fayth, as the weakenesse thereof is amonge violent sodeine motions bowed hether or thether. So in the thicke miste of tētations the lig… thereof is choked, but what so euer happeneth, it cesseth not from endeuour to seke God.

And no otherwise doth Bernarde argue, when he purposely entreateth of this question in his .v. Homelie in the Dedication of the temple. Oftentimes (I say) by the benefite of God studieng vponupon the soule, me thinkes I finde in it two thinges as it were contrarie. If I behold the soule it selfe, as it is in it selfe and of it selfe, I can saye nothyng more truely of it, than y^t it is vtterly brought to nought. What neede I nowe to recken vp particularly all the miseries of the soule, how it is loaden with sinnes, couered with darknesse, entangled with deceitfull enticementes, itchyng with lustes, subiect to passions, filled with illusions alwaye enclined to euell, bent to all kindes of vice, finally full of shame and confusion? Now if al the very righteousnesses of it beynge loked vponupon by the light of truthe be founde like a clothe stayned with floures,Esa. lx…ii▪vi. then what shall the vnrighteounesses thereof be accompted? If the light that is in vsus be darkenesse, how great shal the very darkenesse be?Matt. v….xiij. What then? without doubte man is made like vntounto vanitie: man is brought to nought: man is nothing. But how thē is he vtterly nothing, whome God doth magnifie? How then is he nothyng, toward whome Gods heart is set? Brethren, let vsus take heart againe. Though we be nothing in our owne heartes, peraduenture there maye somewhat of vsus lie hidden in the heart of God. O father of mercies, O father of the miserable, howe doest thou set thy heart toward vsus? For thy heart is where thy treasure is. But how… …e we thy treasure, if we be nothyng? All nations are so before thee as yf they were not, they shalbe reputed as nothyng. Euen before thee, not within thee: so in the iudgement of thy truth, but not in the affection of thy pitie. Thou callest those thinges that are not, as though they were. Therefore bothe they are not, bicause thou callest those things that are not, and also they are bycause thou callest them. For though they are not, in respect of thēselues, yet with thee they are, according to that sayeng of Paule,Ro. ix.xii. not of the workes of righteousnesse, but of him that calleth. And then he sayth, that this couplyng together of bothe consideracions is maruellous. Truely those thinges that are knit together, do not the one destroye the other. Which also in the cō clusion he more plainely declareth in these wordes. Now if with both these consideraciōs we diligently loke vponupon our selues what we be, yea in the one consideraciō how we be nothing, and in the other how much we be magnified, I thinke our glorieng semeth to be tempered, but paraduēture it is more encreased. Truely it is perfectly stablished, that we glorie not in our selues but in the Lord. If we thinke thus: if he hath determined to saue vsus, we shal by and by be deliuered: now in this we may take courage. But let vsus climbe vp into a hier watche toure, & seke for the citie of God, seke for the tēple, seke for y^e house, seke for the spouse. I hauehave not forgottē, but I say it with feare & reuerēce, we I saye be, but in the heart of God. We be, but by his allowyng as worthy, not by our owne worthinesse.

Now, …he feare of the lord, whereof cōmonly in eueryevery place witnesse is borne to al the holy ones, & whiche is in some places called the beginning of wisedom & in some places wisedome it selfe,Pro. i.vii. although it be but one,Psal. c.xi. yet it procedeth frō a double vnderstanding. For God hath in himself the reuerence both of a father & of a lord.Pro. xv.x…iij Therefore he y^t will truely worship him, will endeuor to shewe himself bothe an obedient sonne & a seruisable seruant vntounto him.Malac. i.vii. The obedience that is geuen to him as to a father, the Lord by his Prophet calleth honor: the seruice that is done to him as to a lord, he calleth feare. The sonne (sayth he) honoreth the father & the seruant the lord.Iob. vi….xxvi…. If I be a father, where is my honor? If I be a lord, where is my feare? But how soeuer he putteth differēce betwene thē, thou seest how he confoundeth them both together. Therfore let the feare of the lord be vntounto vsus a reuerēce, mingled w^t that same honor & feare. Neither is it any maruel, if one minde receiue both those affectiōs. For he that cōsidereth with himself what a father God is vntounto vsus, hath cause enough, although there were no helles at al, why he should drede his displeasure more greuously thā any death. But also (such is the wantonnesse of our flesh to rūne to licentiousnesse of sinning) to restraine the same by al meanes, we ought therewithal to take hold of this thought, that the Lord vnderunder whose power we liue, abhorreth al iniquitie, whose vēgeance they shall not escape, y^t in liuing wickedly doe prouoke his wrath against thēselues.

But that which Iohn sayth, that feare is not in charitie, but perfect charitie casteth out feare,i. Iob. iiii.…viij. bicause feare conteyneth punishment, disagreeth not with this that we say. For y^e wicked feare not God in this respect that they drede to incurre his displeasure, if they might doe it without punishmēt: but bicause thei know him to be armed w^t power to reuēge: therfore thei shake for feare at y^e hearing of his wrath. And also they so feare his wrath, bicause they thinke that it hangeth ouer thē, for that they loke eueryevery moment when it shal fal vponupon their heds. As for the faithfull: they (as is aboue sayd) both feare his displeasure more than punishment and are not troubled with feare of punishmēt as if it did hang ouer their neckes, but they are made the more ware not to procure it. So sayth the Apostle, whē he speaketh to the faithful: Be ye not deceiued:Eph v.vi. for this commeth the wrath of God vponupon the children of vnbelefe.Co…. iij.vi. He threateneth not that Gods wrath will come vponupon them, but putteth them in minde to thinke vponupon this, that the wrath of God is prepared for suche wicked doinges as he had recited, that thei themselues should not be willing also to proue it. Albeit it seldome happeneth that the reprobate be awakened wyth onelyonly and bare threateninges, but rather beyng already grosse and vnsensibly dull with their owne hardnesse, so oft as God thundreth from heauē they harden themselues to obstinacie, but when they are ones striken with his hand, then whether they will or no, thei be enforced to feare. This feare they commonly call a seruile feare: and in comparison se… it for contrarie to free natured & willyng feare which becōmeth children. Some other do suttelly thrust in a middle kynde, bicause that same seruile and constrayned affection sometime to subdueth mens mindes, that they come willyngly to the feare of God.

Now we vnderstand that in the good wil of God, wherunto faith is sayd to hauehave respect, the possession of saluation and eternall life is obteined. For if we can wāt no good thing while God is fauorable vntounto vsus, it abundantly sufficeth vsus to the assurednesse of saluation, whē he himselfe doth assure vsus of his louelove.Psal. lxix.iiij. Ephes. ij.xiiii. Let him shewe his face (sayth the Prophet) & we shalbe safe. Wherupon the Scriptures determine this to be the summe of our saluatiō, that God putting away al enmities, hath receyued vsus into fauour. Whereby they shew, that when God is reconciled vntounto vsus, there remayneth no perill, but that al things shal prosper well with vsus. Therfore faith, hauing taken hold of the louelove of God, hath promises of the present life and of the life to come, & perfect assurednesse of al good thinges: but that same such as may be gathered out of the word of God. For faith doth not certainely promise to it self eyther the lēgth or honor or wealth of this life, for asmuch as God willed none of these thinges to be apointed vntounto vsus, but is contented with this assurednesse, that God will neuer faile howe so euer many things faile vsus that perteine to the maintenance of this present life. But the chiefe assurednesse of faith resteth in expertation of the life to come, which is set out of doubt by the worde of God. But what so euer miseries and calamities betide vntounto them whome God loueth, they can not worke the contrarie, but that his good will is perfect felicitie. Therefore when we did meane to expresse the summe of blessednesse, we named the fauor of God, out of whiche spring do flowe vntounto vsus al kindes of good thinges. And this we may cōmonly note throughout the Scriptures, that when so euer mentiō is made not only of eternal saluation, but also of any good thing in vsus, we be alwaye called backe to the louelove of God.Psa. lxiij.iiii. For which cause Dauid sayeth, that the goodnesse of God when it is felt in a godly heart, is sweter and more to be desired than life it selfe. Finally, yf all thinges els do flowe vntounto vsus accordynge to our owne wishing, and we be vncertaine of Gods louelove or hatred, our felicitie shalbe accursed, and therefore miserable. But yf the fauorable face of God do shine vntounto vsus, euen our very miseries shalbe blessed,Rom. viii.xxiv. bicause they are turned to helpes of our saluation. As Paule when he heaped vp a rehersall of all aduersities, yet he glorieth that he was not by them seuered from the louelove of God: and in his prayers he alwaye beginneth at the fauour of God, from whense floweth all prosperitie. Likewise Dauid setteth the only fauour of God agaynste all the terrors that trouble vsus.Ps…. …iii.iiii. If (sayth he) I shall walke in the middest of the shadowe of death, I will feare no euels, bycause thou arte with me. And we alway fele that our mindes do wauer, vnlesse beyng cōtented with the fauour of God, they seke their peace in it, and hauehave this inwardly fixed in them that is sayd in the Psalme,Ps. xxxii. xii. Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord, and the nation whome he hath chosen to him for his inheritance.

We make the fundation of fayth to bee the free promise of God, bycause fayth proprely stayeth vponupon it. For though fayth doe beleue God to bee true in all thynges, whether he commaunde or forbidde, whether he promyse or threaten, and also obediently receyueth his cōmaundementes, and bewareth of thynges that he prohibeteth, and hath regard to his threatenynges, yet properly it beginneth at the promise, and therein continueth, and thereupon endeth. For fayth seketh for lyfe in God, whiche is not founde in commaundementes or declaratiōs of penalties, but in promise of merciemercy, and in no other promise, but suche as is freely geuen. For the conditionall promise, by whiche we are sente to our owne workes, doth no otherwise promise life, but if we perceiue it to stand in our selues. Therfore if we wil not hauehave our faith to trēble and wauer, we must stay it with that promise of saluatiō, which is willingly & liberally offred vsus of the lord, rather in respect of our miserie,Ro. x.viii. thā of our worthinesse. Wherfore the Apostle beareth this witnesse of the gospell, that it is the word of faith: whiche name he taketh both frō the cōmaundementes and also from the promises of the lawe, bicause there is nothyng that can stablish faith, but that liberal embassage, by which God recōcileth the world to himself. Therfore the same Apostle oftentimes maketh a relation of faith & the Gospell together,Ro. i.vi. & …v….xvij. when he teacheth that the ministerie of the gospell was cōmitted to him vntounto the obedience of faith: that the same is the power of God, to saluation to eueryevery one that beleueth: that in it is reueled the righteousnesse of God frō faith to faith. And no maruell. For sithe the gospell is the ministerie of reconciliation,ij. Cor. v.xviij. there is no other testimonie sure enough of Gods good will toward vsus, the knowledge whereof faith requireth. Therfore when we saye that faith must rest vponupon free promise, we do not denie but that the faithful do eueryevery way embrace and receiue the worde of God, but we apoint the promise of merciemercy to be the propre marke of faith. Euen as the faithfull ought in deede to acknowledge God to be the iudge and punisher of wicked doynges & yet they properly hauehave regard vntounto his mercifull kindenesse: for asmuch as he is described to them to be considered such a one as is louyng and mercifull,Ps. lxxxvi.v. and ciii.lxixi.v. far from wrath, of much goodnesse, gentle vntounto all, pouryng forth his merciemercy vponupon al his workes.

Neyther yet do I regarde the barkynges of Pyghius, or suche other dogges, when they finde faulte with this restraint, as though in diuidyng fayth, it did take holde but of one peece thereof. I graunte (as I hauehave alredy sayd) that the general obiect of faith (as thei terme it) is the truthe of God, whether he threaten or put vsus in hope of fauour. Wherefore the Apostle ascribeth this to fayth,Heb. xi.vii that Noe feared the destruction of the worlde, when it was not yet seene. If the feare of a punishment shortly to come, was the worke of fayth, then ought not the threatenynges to be excluded out of the definition of fayth. This is in deede true. But the cauillers do vniustly accuse vsus, as though we denied that fayth hath respecte to all the partes of the word of god. For our meaning is only to shew those two things, first, that faith neuer stedfastly standeth vntil it come to the free promise: & then that we are no otherwise by it be recōciled to God, but bycause it coupleth vsus to Christ. Both those pointes are worthy to be noted. We seke such a fayth, which may make differēce betwene y^• childrē of God and the reprobate, betwene the faithful and the vnbeleuing. If a man do beleue that God bothe iustly commaundeth all that he commaundeth, and truely threatneth, shall he be therefore called faithfull? Nothing lesse. Therefore there can be no stedfast stay of faith, vnlesse it be grounded vponupon the merciemercy of God. But nowe to what ende do we dyspute of faith? Is it not that we maie learne the way of saluation? But how doth faith bring saluation but in respect y^t it graffeth vsus into the body of Christ? Therefore there is no inconuenience, if in the definition we de enforce the principal effect thereof, and do ioyne vntounto the gerall name, in stede of a difference that marke that seuereth the faitfull from the vnbeleuing. Finally, the malicious hauehave nothinge to finde fault withal in this doctrine,Ro. x.vi…. but thei must wrappe vp Paule with vsus in the same blame, which calleth the Gospel proprely the word of faith.

But herevpon againe we gather that which we hauehave before declared, that faith doth no lesse neede the worde than the frute doth neede the liuely roote of the tree,Psa. ix.xi. bicause none other (as Dauid testifieth) can trust in the Lorde, but they that knowe his name. But thys knowledg is not according to eueryevery mans imagination, but so farre as God hymselfe is witnesse of hys own goodnesse. Whych the same Prophet confyrmeth in an other place,Psa. cix.xliv. sayeng: Thy saluation is accordinge to thy worde. Againe. I hauehave trusted in thy word, saue me. Wher is to be noted the relation of faith to the worde, & then howe saluation foloweth. And yet in the meane time we do not exclude y^e power of God, with beholding whereof, vnlesse faithe susteine it selfe, it can neuer geue vntounto God his due honoure.Ro. iiii.xxi Paule seemeth to reherse a certaine sclender & common thing of Abraham, that he beleued that God which had promised him the blessed seede, was able to perfourme it. Againe in an other place,ij. Tim. i.xviii. speaking of himselfe: I knowe whome I hauehave beleued, and I am sure that he is able to keept that which I hauehave left with him vntill that da…e. But if a man weie with himselfe howe many doubtinges of the power of God do oftentimes creepe into mans mynde, hee shall well perceiue that they which do highly esteme it as it is worthy, hauehave not a little profited in faith. We all will confesse that God is able to do whatsoeuer he will, but when euen the leaste tentation throweth vsus downe with feare, and amaseth vsus with horroure, thereby appeareth plainely, that we diminish the estimation of Gods power, when we preferre aboue it those thynges, that Satan threatneth againste Gods promises. This is the reasō why Esay, meaning to print into y^e hearts of the people the assurednesse of saluation, dothe so honorably entreateth of the infinite power of God. It seemeth ofte that so sone as hee hathe begonne to speake of the hope of pardon and reconciliation, hee by and by tourneth to an other thing, and wandereth about in longe & superfluous circumstances, rehersinge howe maruelously the Lorde gouerneth the frame of heauen and earth and the whole ordre of nature: yet is there nothinge that serueth not fittly for the circumstance of the matter that he speaketh of. For vnlesse the power of God wherby he is able to do all thinges be presently set before our eies, our eares wil hardly heare the worde, or wil not esteme it so much as it is worth. Beside that, her is declared his effectual power, bicause godlinesse (as we hauehave already shewed in an other place) doth alwaie applie the power of God to vse and worke, specially it setteth before it selfe those workes of God, wherby he hath testified himselfe to be a father. Herevpon commeth that in the Scriptures is so often mention made of, the redemption, wherby the Israelites might hauehave learned that God whiche was ones the author of saluation, will be an euerlastinge preseruer thereof. And Dauid putteth vsus in mynde by hys owne exaumple, that those benefites whiche God hathe particularly bestowed vponupon eueryevery man, doe afterwarde auaile to the confyrmation of his faithe. Yea when God seemeth to hauehave forsaken vsus, it behoueth vsus to stretche oure wittes further, that hys aunciente benefites maie recomforte vsus, as it is saide in an other Psalme: I hauehave ben mindefull of olde daies, I hauehave studied vponupon all thy workes.Ps. c.xliii. …s. lxxvii.xi. &c. Againe. I will remembre the workes of the Lorde, and his meruelles from the beginning. But bicause without the word all quickly vanisheth awaie that we conceiue of the power of God and of his woorkes, therefore we do not without cause affyrme that there is no faithe, vnlesse God geue lighte vntounto it with testimonie of hys grace. But here a question myghte bee moued, what ys to bee thought of Sara and Rebecca, bothe which being moued as it semeth with zele of saith,Ge. xvi.v. passed beyonde the bondes of the word. Sara, when she feruently desyred the promysed issue, gaue her bondmaide to her housbande. It can not be denied but that shee many waies sinned: but nowe I touche onelyonly thys faulte, that beinge carryed awaye wyth her zele, she did not restraine herselfe within the bondes of Gods worde, yet it is certaine that that desire proceeded of faith.Ge. xxvi. Rebecca being certified by the oracle of God of the electiō of her sonne Iacob▪ procured his blessing by euell crafty meanes: she deceued hir husbande the witnesse and minister of the grace of God: shee compelled her sonne to lye: she by dyuerse guiles and deceites corrupted the trueth of God. Fynally in makinge a scorne of hys promise, shee dyd as muche as in her laye, destroie it. And yet thys acte, howe muche soeuer it was euell, and woorthy of blame, was not without faith, for it was necessarie that she sholde ouercome many offenses, that shee might so earnestly endeuoure to atteine that whiche without hope of earthly profite was ful of greate troubles & daungers. As wee may not say that the holy Patriarche Isaac was altogether without faithe, bicause he beinge by the same oracle of God admonished of the honoure transferred to the yonger sonne, yet cessed not to bee more fauourably bente to hys fyrste begotten sonne Esau. Truely these examples do teache, that oftetimes erroures are mingled with faithe: but yet so that faith if it be a true faith, hath alwaie the vpper hande. For as the particular erroure of Rebecca did not make void the effect of the blessing, so neither did it make voide her faith whyche generally reigned in her mynde, and was the beginning and cause of that doynge. Neuerthelesse therein Rebecca vttered howe readye mans mynde is to fall so sone as he geueth hym selfe neuer so lyttle lybertie. But thoughe mans defaut and weakenesse dothe darken faith, yet it doth not quenche it: in the meane time it putteth vsus in minde, how carefully wee oughte to hange vponupon the mouthe of God, and also confyrmeth that whyche wee hauehave taughte, that faythe vanysheth awaye, vnlesse yt bee vpholden by the woorde: as the myndes boothe of Sara, and Isaac and Rebecca hadde become vaine in theyr croked wanderinges out of the waie, vnlesse thei had ben by Gods secret brydle holden in obedience of the worde.

Againe, not without cause we include all the promises in Christ, forasmuche as in the knowledge of him the Apostle includeth al the Gospell:Ro. i.xvii. ii. Cor. ….xx and in an other place he teacheth, that all the promises of God are in him, yea and Amen. The reason whereof is ready to be shewed. For if God promise any thinge, he therein sheweth hys good will: so that there is no promise of hys, that is not a testimonie of his louelove. Neither maketh it any mater that the wycked when they hauehave great and continuall benefites of Gods liberalitie heaped vponupon them, doe thereby wrappe themselues in so much the more greuous iudgement. For syth thei do neither thinke nor acknowlege y^t those things com vntounto them frō y^e hande of God, for if thei acknowlege it, thei do not with themselues consider his goodnesse, therefore thei can not thereby be better taught of his merciemercy than brute beastes, which according to y^e measure of their estate, do receiue the same frute of Gods liberalitie, & yet they perceiue it not. Neither doth it any more make againste vsus, that many times in refusing the promises apointed for them, they do by that occasion procure to them selues the greater vengeance. For although the effectuall workinge of the promyses do then onelyonly appeare, when they hauehave founde faith with vsus, yet the force and natural propretie of them is neuer extinguyshed by oure vnbeleefe or vnthankfulnesse. Therefore when the Lorde by hys promyses doth prouoke man not onelyonly to receiue, but also to thynke vponupon the frutes of hys bountifulnesse, hee doth therwith all declare vntounto him hys louelove. Wherevpon we muste returne to thys poynte, that eueryevery promyse is a testifieng of Gods louelove towarde vsus.Matt. iii.xvii. But it is out of question, that no man is loued of God but in Christe, he is the beloued Sonne, in whome the louelove of the Father abydeth and resteth, and then from hym poureth it selfe abroade vntounto vsus:Eph. i.vii. as Paule teacheth, that wee hauehave obteyned fauoure in the beloued one. Therefore it muste needes bee deryued and come vntounto vsus by meane of hym.Eph. ii.xiiii For thys cause the Apostle in an other place calleth him oure peace: in an other place hee setteth hym oute as a bonde, whereby God is with fatherli natural kindenes bound vntounto vsus. It foloweth then that we must caste our eyes vponupon hym, so oft as any promyse ys offered vsus.Ro. viii.iii & xv.viii. And that Paule teacheth no absurditie, that all Gods promyses whatsoeuer they bee, are confyrmed and fulfilled in hym. There be certayne exaumples that make for the contrarie. For yf ys not lykely that Naaman the Syrian,Act. x.viii. when hee requyred of the Prophete the manner how to worship God arighte, was instructed concerning y^e Mediator:Act. viii.ii. …in. v.xvii. yet his godlynesse is praised. Cornelius a Gentile & a Romaine, could scarcely vnderstand y^t which was knowen not to al y^e Iewes, yea & that very darkely: yet his almes & praiers were acceptable to God.ii. Ro. v.xvii. Act. viii.xiii. And y^e sacrifice of Naaman, by the Prophets answer allowed. Whych thing neither of them coulde obteine but by faythe. Lykewise yt maie be sayde of the Ennuche to whome Philppe was carried, why, the yf he hadde not had some faythe, woulde not hauehave taken vponupon him the trauayle and exspenses of so longe a iourney, to worshippe. Yet we see, when Philippe examined him, how he bewrayed his ignorance of the Mediator. And truely I graunte that theyr faythe was … vnexpressed, not only concerning Christes person, but also concerninge his power and the office committed vntounto him of the Father. Yet in the meane time it is certaine, that thei were instructed in suche principles, as gaue them some taste of Christe, althoughe but very small. Neyther ought this to seeme strange. For neither wold the Eunuche hauehave come in haste to Ierusalem from a farre countrie to worship an vnknowen God, neither did Cornelius when he had ones embraced the Iewish religion spende so much time, without being acquainted with the first groundes of true doctrine. As for Naaman, it had ben to fonde an absurditie for Elyzeus when he taught him of small thynges, to hauehave saide nothinge of the principal pointe. Therefore although there were among them a darke knoweledge of Christ, yet it is not likely that ther was no knowledge bicause thei did vse them selues in the sacrifices of the lawe, whiche must hauehave been discerned by the very ende, of them that is Christe, from the false sacrifices of the Gentiles.

But this bare and outward declaration of the word of God, ought to hauehave largely sufficed to make it be beleued, if our owne blyndenesse and stubbournesse did not withstande it. But oure minde hath suche an inclination to vanitie, that it can neuer cleaue faste vntounto the trueth of God, and hathe suche a dulnesse, that it is alwaie blinde and can not see the light thereof. Therefore there is nothynge auailably done by the worde without the enlightninge of the holy ghoste. Whereby also appeareth, that faithe is farre aboue mans vnderstanding. Neither shal it be sufficient that the minde be lightned with the spirit of God, vnlesse the hearte be also strengthened and stablished with his power. Wherein the Schoolemen do altogether erre, whiche in considerynge of faithe, do onelyonly take holde of a bare and simple assent by knowledg, leauinge out the confidence and assurednesse of the heart. Therefore faith is both waies a syngular gyfte of God, bothe that the mynde of man is cleansed to taste the trueth of God, and that his hearte is stablished therein. For the holy ghoste not onelyonly is the beginner of faythe, but also by degrees encreaseth it, vntil by it he bring vsus to the heauenly kingdome.ii. Ti. i.xiiii. Ga. iii.ii. That good thinge (saith Paule) whiche was committed to thy keping, kepe in the holy ghoste which dwelleth in vsus. But howe Paule saithe that the holy ghoste is geuen by the hearing of faythe, we may easily dissolue it. If there hadde ben but one onelyonly gyfte of the holy ghoste, then it had ben an absurditie for him to call the holy ghost the effect of faith, whyche is the author and cause of faithe. But when he maketh report of the gyftes wherewyth God garnysheth his Churche, and by encreasinges of faithe bryngeth it to perfection, it is no meruell if he ascribe those thynges to faithe whiche maketh vsus fitt to receiue them. This is reckened a moste strange conclusion, when it is saide, that no man but he to whome it is geuen, can beleue in Christ. But that is partely bycause they do not consyder either howe secrete and hye the heauenly wysedome is, or howe greate mans dulnesse is in conceiuinge the misteries of God: and partly bycause they looke not vntounto that assured and stedfast constantnesse of hearte, that is to saye, the cheefe parte of faith.

But if (as Paule preacheth) no manne is wytnesse of the wyll of manne,i. Co. ii xi. but the spirite of manne that is within him, then howe shoulde man be sure of the will of God? And if the truth of God be vncertaine among vsus, in those thinges that we presently beholde with our eye, how shold it be assured & stedfast among vsus ther wher y^e lord promiseth such thinge as neither eye seeth nor witt comprehendeth? But herein mans sharpnesse of vnderstanding is so ouerthrowen & faileth, that the fyrste degrees of profitinge in Gods schoole, is to forsake his owne wit. For by it as by a veile cast before vsus, we are hyndred that we can not atteine the misteries of God,Mat. xi.x… Luc. x.xxi. Mat. xvi.xvii. i. cor. ii.xiiii Rom. xi.xxxiiii i. Cor. ii.x whiche are not disclosed but to little ones. For neither dothe flesh & blood disclose, nor natural man perceiue those things that are of the Spirit, but rather to him the learning of God is foolishnesse, bicause it is spiritually to be iudged. Therfore herin y^e helpe of y^e holy ghost is necessarie, or rather herein his force onelyonly reigneth. Ther is noman that knoweth y^e minde of God, or hath ben his counseller: but the holy Spirit searcheth out all thinges, euen y^e depe secretes of God, by whome it is brought to passe, that we know the minde of Christ, No man (saith he) can come to me,Ihon. vi.xliii. vnlesse my father y^t sent me, drawe hym. EueryEvery one therfore that hath heard & learned of my father, commeth. Not y^t any man hath seen y^e father, but he that is sent to God. Euen as therfore we can not come vntounto Christ, but being drawen by y^e Spirit of God: so when we be drawen, we are lifted vp in witt & minde aboue our owne vnderstanding. For the soule enlightned by hym, taketh as it wer a new sharpnes of vnderstanding, wherwith it maye beholde heauenly misteries, with brightnes wherof it was before daseled in it selfe. And so mans vnderstanding receiuing brightnesse by the lighte of the holy ghost, doth neuer till then truely beginne to taste of those thinges that belong to y^e kingdome of God, being before altogether vnfauourie and without iudgment of tast to take assay of them.Lu. xxiiii.xxvii. & xiv Therfore when Christ did notably set out vntounto two of hys Disciples the misteries of his kingdome, yet he nothing preuailed, vntill he opened their senses that they might vnderstand the Scriptures.Ihon. xvi.xv. When y^e Apostles weare so taughte by his Godly mouth, yet the Spirit of truth must be sent vntounto them, to poure into their mindes y^t same doctrine whiche they had hearde with their eares. The worde of God is like vntounto the sunne that shineth vntounto all them to whome it is preached, but to no profit amonge blinde men. But we are al in this behalfe blind by nature, therfore it can not pearce into our minde but by the inward master the holy ghoste, making by his enlightning an entrie for it.

In an other place, when we had to entreat of y^e corruption of natur, we hauehave more largely shewed how vnfit men are to beleue. Therefore I wil not wery y^e readers with repeting y^e same againe.ii. Cor. iiii.xiii. Let this be sufficient y^t the spirit of faith, is called of Paule faith it selfe, which the spirit geueth vsus, but not which we hauehave naturally. Therfore he praieth y^t god fulfil in y^e Thessalonians al his good pleasure,ii. Thes. ….xi. & y^e worke of faith in power. Wherin calling faithe the worke of God, & geuing it y^t title for a name of additiō, & calling it by figure of appositiō Gods good pleasure, he denieth y^t it is of mans own motion: & not contented therwith he addeth further, that it is a declaratiō of Gods power: writing to y^e Corynthians, where he saith, that faithe hangeth not vponupon the wisedome of men, but is grounded vponupon the power of the holy ghoste. He speaketh in dede of outewarde miracles: but bicause the reprobate are blynde at the beholding of them, hee comprehendeth also that inwarde seale, wherof he maketh mention in an other place. And God, the more gloriously to set forthe his liberalitie in so noble a gifte, vouchesaueth not to graunt it to al vniuersally without difference, but by singular priuilege geueth it to whome he will. For proofe whereof we hauehave alleged testimonies before. Of which Augustine being a faithfull expositor, crieth out that it woulde please the sauioure to teache him, and that the very beleuing it selfe, is of gifte and not of deseruing. Noman (saith he) commeth to me, vnlesse my father drawe him, and to whome it is geuen of my father. It is maruellous that twoo do heare, the one despyseth, the other ascendeth vp. Let him that despiseth, impute it to himselfe: let him that ascende not, yt arrogantly assigne to himselfe. In an other place. Why is it geuen to one and not to an other? It greueth me not to say it, this is the depth of the crosse. Out of I wote not what depth of the iudgmentes of God which we mate not searche, procedeth all that we can. What I can, I see: whereby I can, I see not, sauinge that I see thus farre, that it is of God. But why hym, and not hym? That is muche to me. It is a bottomelesse depth, it is the depth of the crosse. I maie crie out with woundering, but not shewe it in disputing▪ Finally the summe commeth to this, that Christ when he enlightneth vsus vntounto faith by the power of hys spirite, doth there withall graffe vsus into his bodie, that wee maie be made partakers of all good thynges.

Nowe remaineth that that whiche the minde hathe receiued, may be further conueied into y^e heart. For the word of God is not throughly receiued by faith, if it swimme in the toppe of the braine, but when it hath taken roote in the bottome of the heart that it may be an inuincible defense to beare and repulse all the engines of tentations. Now if it be true, that the true vnderstanding of the mynde is the enlightning thereof, then in such confyrmation of the hearte, his power much more euidently appeareth, euen by so muche as the distrustfulnesse of the hearte is greater than the blindnesse of the witte: and as it is harder to hauehave the mynde furnyshed wyth assurednesse, than the witte to bee instructed with thinking. Therefore the Spirit perfourmeth the office of a seale, to seale vp in our heartes those same promyses, the assurance whereof it fyrste emprinted in oure wittes, and serueth for an earnest to confyrme and stablyshe them.Eph. i.xiii Sithe ye beleued (saith the Apostle) ye are sealed vp with the holy Spirite of promyse, whiche is the earnest of oure inheritance. See you not how he teacheth that by the spirit the heartes of the fathfull are grauen as with a seale? and how for the same reason he calleth him the Spirite of promise, bycause he ratifieth the Gospell vntounto vsus? Lykewyse to the Corynthians he saithe: God whiche annoynted vsus,ii. Cor. i.xxii. & v.v. whiche hath also sealed vsus, and geuen the earnest of hys Spirite in oure heartes. And in an other place when he speaketh of confidence and boldnesse of hopigne well, hee maketh the pledge of the Spirite the foundation thereof.

Neither yet hauehave I forgotten that whyche I sayde before, the remembrance whereof experience continually reneweth, that is, that faithe is tossed wyth dyuerse doubtynges, so that the myndes of the godly are seldome quyet, or at least doe not alwaie enioye a peafable state: but wyth what soeuer engine they be shaken, either thei rise vp out of the very gulfe of temptations, or do abide faste in their standing. Truely thys assurednesse onelyonly nourisheth and defendeth faithe, when we holde fast that whiche is saide in the Psalme:Ps. xlvi.iii. The Lorde ys oure protection, oure helpe in trouble, therefore we will not feare, whē the earthe shall tremble, and the mountaines shal leape into the heart of y^e sea. Also this moste swete quietnesse is spoken of in an other place: I laye downe and slepte,Ps. iii.vi. and rose againe, bycause the Lorde hathe susteined me. It is not meante thereby that Dauid was alwaie wyth one vndisturbed course framed to a merry cherefulnesse: but in respect that hee tasted the grace of God,Esa. xxx.i Psal. xxxi.vii. Heb. x.xvi according to his proportion of faith, therefore hee gloryeth that hee wythoute feare despiseth all that euer might disquiet the peace of his minde. Therfore y^e Scripture meaning to exhort vsus to faith, biddeth vsus to be quiet. In Esaie it is saide: In hope and silence shall be your strength. In the Psalme: Holde thee stil in the Lorde, and waite for him. Wherwith agreeth that saieng of the Apostle to the Hebrues: Patience is needefull. &c.

Hereby we may iudge how pestilent is that doctrine of the Scholemen, that we can no otherwise determine of the grace of God towarde vsus, than by morall coniecture as eueryevery man thinketh himselfe worthy of it. Truely if we shall weie by oure workes howe God is minded towarde vsus, I graunt that we can atteine yt wyth any coniecture, be yt neuer so sclender: but sith faithe oughte to hauehave relation to a simple & free promise, there is lefte no cause of doubtiong. For with what confidence (I beseache you) shall we be armed, if we saie that God is fauourable vntounto vsus vponupon this condition, so that the purenesse of oure life do deserue it? But bycause I hauehave appoynted one place proprely for the discussing herof, therfore I wil speake no more of them at this present, specially for asmuche as it is plaine enoughe, that there is nothinge more contrarie to faith, than either coniecture or any thinge nere vntounto doubting. And thei do very ill writhe to this purpose that testimonie of the Preacher whiche thei hauehave ofte in their mouthes:Eccl. ix.… Noman knoweth whether he be worthy of hatred or louelove. For (to speake nothinge how this place is in the common translation corruply turned) yet very children can not be ignorant what Salomon meaneth by such words: that is, that if any man will iudge by the present state of things, whom God hateth, or whom God loueth, he laboreth in vaine, and troubleth himselfe to no profitte for his peines: sithe all thinges happen alike, both to the righteous and y^e wicked, to him that offreth sacrifices and him that offreth none. Whervpon foloweth, that God doth not alway witnesse hys louelove to them to whome hee maketh all thynges happen prosperously, nor dothe alwaies vtter the hatred to them whome hee punisheth.Eccl. iii.ix And that he dothe to condemne the vanitie of mans witte, sith it is so dull in thynges moste needefull to be knowen. As he hadde written a little before, that it canne not be discerned what y^e soule of a man differeth from the soule of a beast, bicause it seemeth to dye in like manner. If any manne will gether thereof, that the opinion that wee holde of the immortalitie of soules, standeth vponupon coniecture: maye he not worthyly be compted a madde manne? Are they then in theyr right wittes whiche gather that there is no certaintie of Gods grace, bycause wee can conceyue none by the carnal beeholdynge of presente thynges?

But thei alleage that it is a point of rashe presumption, to take vponupon vsus an vndoubted knoweledge of Gods will. I woulde in dede graunt it vntounto them, if we did take so muche vponupon vsus, that we wolde make the incomprehensible secret purpose of God subiect to the sclendernesse of oure witte.i. Cor. ii. x…j. But when we symply saie with Paule, that we hauehave receiued not the spirite of thys worlde, but the Spirit that is of God, by whose teachinge wee maie knowe those thinges that are geuen vsus of God, what canne thei barke againste it, but they muste slaunderously speake against y^e Spirit of God? But if it be a horrible robberie of God to accuse the reuelation that commeth from him, either to be lyeng, or vnassured or doubtefull, what do we offend in affyrminge that it is assured? But they say, that this also is not without greate presumptuousnesse, that we dare so glorie of the Spirit of Christe. Who woulde thynke that their dulnesse were so greate that woulde bee compted maisters of the worlde, that they so fowly stumble in the fyrste principles of religion? Surely I woulde not thinke it credible, vnlesse theyr owne wrytynges that are abroade dyd testifie yt.Rom viii.xiiii. Paule pronounceth y^t they onelyonly are the chyldren of God, that are moued wyth hys spirit: and these menne woulde hauehave them that bee the chyldren of God, to be moued wyth theyr own spirit, & to be without the Spirite of God. Paule teacheth that we call God oure Father,Rom. viii.xvi. as the holy ghoste ministreth that woorde vntounto vsus, whyche onelyonly canne beare witnesse to oure spirite that we are the children of God: These men, althoughe they forbydde vsus not to call vponupon God, yet do take awaie his Spirite, by whose guydinge hee shoulde hauehave been rightly called vponupon. Paule denyeth that thei are the seruantes of Christ, that are not moued with the Spirit of Christ: these men faine a Christianitie that needeth not the Spirit of Christe.Rom. viij.xi. Paule maketh no hope of the blessed resurrection, vnlesse wee feele the holy ghoste abydynge in vsus: they forge a hope withoute any suche feeling. But peraduenture the will answere, that thei do not denie y^t we ought to be endued with it, but y^• it is a point of modestie and humilitie not to acknowledge it. What meaneth he then, when he biddeth the Corynthians to trie whether thei be in the faith,ii Cor. xiij.v. to proue themselues whether thei hauehave Christe, whome vnlesse a man do acknowledge to be dwelling in him, he is a reprobate? But by the Spirite that God hath geuen vsus (saith Ihon) we knowe that he abydeth in vsus.i. Iho. iii.xxiiii. And what do we els but cal the promises of Christ in dout, when we will be compted the seruantes of God without his Spirite, whiche he hathe openly declared,Esa. xxx▪iii iii. that he woulde poure out vponupon all his? Biside that, we do wronge to the holy ghoste, whiche do separate from him faithe that is his peculiar worke. Sithe these are the firste lessons of godlie religion, it is a token of miserable blindenesse, to hauehave Christians noted of arrogancie, that dare glorie of the presence of the holy ghoste, without whiche glorieng Christianitie it selfe dothe not stand. But thei declare by their example how truely Christ saide, that his Spirite is vnknowen to the worlde,Ioh. xiiii.xvii. and is onelyonly knowen of them with whome he abideth.

And bycause thei will not go about to ouerthrowe the stedfastnesse of faith with digging onelyonly of one myne, they assayle it also otherwise. For thei say, y^t although according to our present state of righteousnes, we mai gather a iudgment of y^e grace of God, yet y^e knowledg of perseuerance to y^e ende abideth in suspense. A goodly cōfidence of saluation forsoothe is left vntounto vsus, if we iudge by morall coniecture, y^t for a presēt moment we be in fauoure, & what shal become of vsus to morrow we can not tell.Rom viii▪xxxviii. The Apostle teacheth farr otherwise: I am surely perswaded (saith he) that neither angeles, nor powers, nor principalities, neither death, nor life, neither present things nor things to come, shal seuer vsus frō y^e louelove wherwith y^e lord embraceth vsus in Christ. Thei seke to escape with a trifling solutiō, pratinge y^t the Apostle had y^t by speciall reuelation. But thei are holden to hard to slippe away so. For ther he entreateth of those good things y^t cōmonly come by faith to the faithfull, not those y^t he himselfe specialli feleth.i. cor. x.xii But y^e same Paule in an other place putteth vsus in feare w^t mention of our weakenes & vnstedfastnes: Let him y^t standeth (saith he) beware y^t he fal not. It is true, but not suche a feare wherby we shold be ouerthrowē, but wherby we may learne to humble our selues vnderunder y^e mighty hand of God,i. Pet. v.vi. as Peter expoundeth it. Then how against ordre & truthe is it to limite y^e assurednes of faith to a moment of time, whose propretie is to passe beyond the spaces of this life, & extend further to immortalitie to come? Sithe therefore the faithfull do impute it to y^e grace of God, y^t being lightned w^t his spirite thei do by faith enioy y^e beholding of y^e heauenly life: so farr is such glorieng frō presumptuousnesse, y^t if any man be ashamed to confesse it, he doth therin more bewraie his extreeme vnthankfulnesse, in vnkindely hiding Gods goodnes, than he doth declare his modestie or submissiō.

Bicause it semed y^t the nature of faith could not otherwise better or more plainly be declared than by y^e substance of y^e promise vponupon whiche it resteth as vponupon her propre foundation, so y^t if the promise be taken away, faith by & by falleth down or rather vanisheth away: therfore we toke our definition frō thense, which yet varieth not from y^• definition, or rather descriptiō of y^e Apostle,Heb. xi.i. y^t he applieth to his discourse, wher he saith y^t faithe is a substance of thinges to be hoped for, & a certaintie of things y^t are not seen. For by this word Hypostasis substāce (for y^• terme he vseth) he meaneth as it wer, an vpholding stay, wherevpon y^e godly minde leaneth & resteth. As if he shold say y^e faith is a certain & assured possession of those things y^t are promised vsus of God, vnlesse a man had rather to take Hypostasis for affiance, which I mislike not, albeit I folowe y^• which is more cōmonly receiued.Dan. viix. Againe, to signifie y^e euen to y^e last day when y^e bokes shalbe opened, thei are hier than those things y^t may be perceiued w^t our senses, or seen w^t our …ies, or handled with our handes, & that y^e same are no otherwise possessed by vsus, but if we go beyond y^e capacitie of our own witt, & bend our vnderstanding aboue all things y^t are in y^e world, yea & climbe aboue our selues, he hath therfor added y^t this assurednesse of possessiō, is of things y^t lie in hope, & therefore are not seen.Rom. v…i.xxiiii. For plaine appearāce (as Paule writeth) is not hope, neither hope we …or those things y^• we see. And whē he calleth it a certaintie or profe (or as Augustine hath oft translated it) a cōiunction of things not present:Aug. Hom. in Ioan. 7.95. for in Greke it is Elenchos, he saith asmuch as if he did say, that it is an euidente shewinge of thinges not appearinge, a seeinge of thinges not seen,De peccal merit. & remiss. lib. cap. 31. a plainnesse of darke thinges, a presence of thynges absente, an open shewinge of hidden thinges. For the mysteries of God, suche as they be that pertaine to oure saluation, can not be seen in them selues and in their owne nature as they call yt: butte wee beholde them onelyonly in hys worde, of whose truthe we oughte to be so fully perswaded, that we oughte to holde all that he speaketh as it were already done and fulfylled. But howe canne the mynde lyfte vp it selfe to receiue suche a taste of Gods goodnesse, but y^t it must nedes be therewyth wholy kyndled to louelove God againe? For that flowing plentie of swetenesse whiche God hathe laied vp in store for them that feare him, canne not bee truely knowen, but that it muste therewythall vehemently mo…e affection: and whose affection it ones monethmonth, it vtterly rauisheth and carrieth hym beyonde himselfe. Therefore it is no maruell, if into a peruerse & crooked hearte neuer entreth this affection, by whiche beinge conueyed vp into the very heauen, we are suffred to com to thee moste secretly hidden treasures of God, and the most sacred priuie places of hys kyngedome, whyche maie not be defyled wyth the entrance of an vncleane hearte.Lib. 3.Sen. disl. 25. & sepius. For that which the Scholemen teache, that charitie is before faithe and hope, ys a mere madnesse. For it is faythe onelyonly that fyrste engendreth charitie in vsus. Howe muche more ryghtly dothe Bernarde teache:Ser. 1. in Annuntiatione. I beleue (saythe he) that the testimonie of conscience, which Paule calleth the glorie of the godly, consisteth in three thynges. For first of all it is necessarie to beleue that thou canst not hauehave forgeuenesse of synnes,ii. cor. i.xii but by the pardon of God: then that thow canst hauehave no good worke at all, vnlesse he also geue it: last of all that thou canst by noe woorkes deserue eternall life, vnlesse it also bee geuen freely. A little after he addeth that these thinges suffice not, but that ther is a certain beginning of faith, bicause in beleuing that sinnes can not be forgeuen but of God, we oughte also to beleue that they are not forgeuen vsus, till also we be perswaded by the testimonie of the holy ghoste, that saluation is laied vp in store for vsus: bicause God forgeueth sinnes, he himself geueth merites, and he himself also geueth rewards, that wee maie not stay styll in this beginninge. But these and other thinges shalbe to be entreated of in places fit for them. Nowe let it onelyonly suffice to knowe what faithe is.

Now whersoeuer this liuely faith shalbe, it can not be possible but y^t it hathe with it y^t hope of eternal saluation, as an vndiuidable cōpaniō: or rather y^e it engendreth or bringeth it forthe out of it self, which hope being taken away, how eloquently, gloriously soeuer we talk of faith, yet we are conuicted to hauehave no faith at all, for if faith (as is aboue said) be an assured persuasiō of Gods truth, y^t it can not lie vntounto vsus nor deceiue vsus, nor become voide, then thei that hauehave conceiued this assurednesse, truely do therwithal looke for a tyme to come that God shall performe his promises, whiche in their perswasion can not be but true: so that brefely, hope is nothing els, but a loking for those thinges whiche faith hath beleued to be truely promise of God. So faith beleueth that God is true, hope loketh for y^e performance of his truth in conueniente time. Faithe beleueth that he is oure Father, hope looketh for him to shewe himselfe suche a one toward vsus. Faith beleueth that eternall life is geuen vsus, hope looketh that it be one daie reueled. Faithe is the foundation wherevpon hope resteth, hope nourisheth and susteineth faithe. For as no man canne looke for any thynge of Gods hande, butte hee that hathe fyrste beleued hys promises: so againe the weakenesse of our faythe muste with pacient hope and expectation bee susteined and cherished, that it fall not as faintinge for wearines. For which reason Paule doth wel place our saluacion in hope.Rom. viii.xxiiii. For hope, while it in silence loketh …or y^e lord, restraineth faith that it fal not hedlong with to much haste: hope strengthneth faithe, that it wauer not in Gods promyse, nor beginne to doubt of the truth of them: hope refresheth faith that yt ware not weary: Hope stretcheth faythe to the vttermoste bonde, that it fainte not in the midde course or in the very beginning. Finally, hope by continually renewinge and restoringe, it maketh it now and then to ryse vp fressher than it selfe to continuance. But howe many wayes the helpes of hope are necessarie to the strengthning of faithe, shall better appeare, yf we consyder wyth howe many sortes of temptations they are assailed and shaken, that hauehave embraced the worde of God. Fyrst the Lorde in differring his promises doth oftentimes hold oure myndes longer in suspense than wee woulde wishe: here it is the office of hope to perfourme,Heb. ii.iii that whiche the Prophete commaundeth, that thoughe hys promises do tarry, yet we sholde waite stil for them. Sometime he suffereth vsus not onelyonly to faint, but also seemeth to bee hiely displeased: here it is muche more necessarie to hauehave hope to helpe vsus,Esa. viij.xvii. ii. Pet. iij.iiii. that according to the saieng of an other Prophete, we maie stil loke for the Lorde that hath hidden his face from Iacob. There rise vppe also scorners (as Peter saith) that aske: where is his promise or hys comming? forasmuch as sins the fathers slept, all thynges so continew from the beginning of the creation, yea the flesh and the world do wisper the same thing in oure eares.Psa. x…xix.iiii. Here must faith staye with sufferāce of hope be holden fast fixed in beholdyng of eternitie that it maye accompt a thousand yeres like as one daye.

For thys conioyning and aliance the scripture sometime confoundeth the names of Faythe and Hope.ii. Pet. iii.viii. i. Pet. i.v. For when Peter teacheth that we are by the power of God preserued through faithe, vntounto the disclosinge of saluation, he geueth that vntounto faithe whyche dyed more fittely agree with hope, and not without cause, for asmuche as we hauehave already taught, that hope is nothing els but the nourishment and strength of faithe. Sometimes they are ioyned together: as in the same epistle That your faithe and hope shoulde be in God.Ph…. i.… But Paule to the Philippians out of faith deriueth expectation, bicause in pacientli hoping, we holde our desires in suspense, till Gods conuenient oportunitie be opened. All whiche matter wee maye better vnderstande by the tenth chapiter to the Hebrues,Gal. v.v. whyche I hauehave already alleaged. Paule in an other place, although he speake vnproprely, yet meaneth y^e same thing in these wordes: We loke in the spirit through faith for hope of righteousnesse, euen bicause we embracing the testimonie of the Gospell concerning his free louelove, do loke for the time when God shall openly shewe that whiche is nowe hidden vnderunder hope. And nowe it is plaine how folishly Peter Lomberd laieth two foundations of hope, y^t is the grace of God, & the deseruing of works. Hope can hauehave no other mark to be directed vntounto but faith: & we hauehave already declared y^t faith hath one only mark the merciemercy of God, to which it ought to loke (as I maie so speake) with both eyes. But it is good to heare what a liuely reasō he bringeth. If (saith he) thou darst hope for any thing without deseruinges, y^• shal not be worthy to be called hope, but presumption. Whoe (gentile reader) will not worthyly abhorre suche beastes, that saie, it is a rashe and presumptuous dede, if a man hauehave cōfidence that God is true of his word? For where the Lord willeth vsus to loke for all thinges at his goodnesse, thei saie it is presumption to leane and rest vponupon it. A master meete for suche scholers as he founde in the madde schole of filthy babblers. But as for vsus, when we se that wee are commaunded by the oracles of God to conceiue a hope of saluation, let vsus gladly presume so much vponupon his truthe, as trusting vponupon his onelyonly merciemercy, casting away the confydence of workes, to be bolde to hope well. He will not deceiue that saide: Be it vntounto you according to your faithe.Matt. ix.xxix,

The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 2

p. 108The seconde Chapiter. Of faithe, wherein bothe is sette the definition of it, and the propreties that it hathe, are declared.

The seconde Chapiter. Of faithe, wherein bothe is sette the definition of it, and the propreties that it hathe, are declared.