Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 7 · Part · Section 1
Chapter. 1.
THat which was from the begynnynge declare … ▪ Ioh. 1.wee vntounto you, which we hauehave heard, which we hauehave ſeene with our eyes, which we looked vppon, and our handes hauehave handled of the worde of lyfe. For the lyfe appeared, and we hauehave ſene, and beare witneſſe and ſhewe vntounto you that euerlaſtynge lyfe, which was with the father and appeared vntounto vsus.
In that S. Iohn ſayth. The thyng S. Iohn witneſſeth that Chriſt is very God.which was from the begynnyng, and the euerlaſtyng lyfe that was with the father, he witneſſeth that Chriſt is very God, as he doth in the begynnyng of his Goſpel ſaying. The word or the thyng, was at the begynnyng, and the thyng was with God, and that thyng was God, and all thinges were made by it.
And whē he ſayth, which we heard & ſaw with our eyes, & our hands handled That Chriſt is very man.hym, he teſtifieth that Chriſt is very man alſo, as he doth in the begynning of his Goſpell ſaying. The word or that thyng was made fleſh, that is, became man. And thus we hauehave in playne and opē wordes a manifeſt Article of our fayth, that our Sauiour Chriſt is very God and very man.
Which Article who ſoeuer not onelyonly He that beleueth that Chriſt is the ſonne of God, & alſo very man, hath euerlaſting life.beleueth, but alſo beleueth in it, the ſame is the ſonne of God, & hath euerlaſting lyfe in him, & ſhall neuer come into condemnation, as it is written. Iohn. i. He gaue them power to be the ſonnes of God, in that they beleued in his name. And Iohn. iij. He that beleueth in the ſonne hath euerlaſtyng life. And a litle before in the ſayd Chapter. He that beleueth in hym ſhall not be condēned. And to beleue in the wordes of this Article, is yt eatyng of Chriſtes fleſh and drinkyng his bloud of which is ſpoken Iohn. vj. The words which I ſpeake are ſpirite and lyfe, & the fleſh profiteth not at all, meanyng of ye fleſhly eatyng of his body, and fleſhly drinkyng To beleue in Chriſt.of hys bloud. There is therefore great difference betwene beleuing that there is a God and that Chriſt is God & mā, and to beleue in God and Chriſt God and man, and in the promiſes of mercy that are in hym. The firſt is cō mune to good and bad, and vntounto the deuils thereto and is called the fayth & beleue of the hyſtory. The ſecōd is proper vntounto the ſonnes of God & is their lyfe, as it is written. The righteous liueth To beleue that Chriſt is God and man, is to put all our truſt, hope, & confidēce in him.by fayth, that is, in puttyng hys truſt, confidēce, and whole hope in the goodnes, mercy, and helpe of God, in all aduerſities, bodely and ghoſtly, and all temptations, & euen in ſinne & hell, how depe ſo euer he be fallen therin.
But as he which feeleth not hys diſeaſe, can long for no health, euen ſo it is impoſſible for any man to beleue in Chriſts bloud, except Moſes hauehave had hym firſt in cure, & with his law hauehave Moſes.robbed hym of his righteouſnes, and cōdemned him vntounto euerlaſtyng death & hauehave ſhewed hym vnderunder what dānation they are in by birth in Adā: & how all their deedes (appeare they neuer ſo holy) are yet but damnable ſinne becauſe they cā referre nothyng vntounto the glory of God, but ſeke thē ſelues, theyr owne profite, honour and glory. So that repentaunce toward the law muſt go before this belefe, and he which repenteth not, but cōſenteth vntounto the life of ſinne hath no part in this fayth.
And when Iohn calleth Chriſt the euerlaſtyng life that was with the father, hee ſignifieth that Chriſt is our lyfe, as after in the Epiſtle, and in the firſt alſo of his Goſpel ſaying. In him Chriſt is our life.was lyfe. For vntill we receaue lyfe of Chriſt by fayth we are dead and can be but dead, as ſaith Iohn. iij. He that beleueth not in the ſonne, can ſee no lyfe, but the wrath of God abydeth vppon him. Of which wrath we are heyres by byrth ſayth Paule. Ephe. ij. Of whiche By nature we are the children of wrath.wrath we are ignoraunt, vntil the law be publiſhed, and walke quyetly after our luſtes, & louelove God wickedly, that he ſhould be content therwith & mainteine vsus therin cōtrary vntounto his godly and righteous nature. But aſſoone as the lawe (whoſe nature is to vtter ſinne. Roma. iij. and to ſet man at variaunce, with God) is preached, thē we firſt awake out of our dreame, and ſee The law cōdemneth vsus.our damnatiō, and hauehave the law which is ſo contrary vntounto our nature, and grudge agaynſt God therto, as young children do agaynſt their elders when they firſt commaūde, and count God a cruell tyraūt becauſe of his law in that he cōdemneth vsus for that thyng which we can not louelove, nor of louelove fulfill.
But when Chriſt is preached, how Chriſt.that God for his ſake receiueth vsus to mercy, & forgiueth vsus all that is paſt, & hencefoorth rekeneth not vntounto vsus our corrupt and poyſoned nature, & taketh vsus as his ſonnes, and putteth vsus vnderunder grace and mercy, & promiſeth that he will not iudge vsus by the rigorouſnes of the law, but nourture vsus with all mercy and patiēce, as a father moſt mercyful. OnelyOnly if we will ſubmit our If we ſubmit our ſelues to Chriſt, & knowledge our weakenes he will of his great mercy receaue vsus.ſelues vntounto his doctrine and learne to kepe his lawes. Yea and he will therto conſider our mekenes, and what ſoeuer chaunceth neuer taketh away hys mercy, till we caſt of the yoke of our profeſſion firſt, and runne away with vtter defiaunce, that we will neuer come more at ſchole. Then our ſtubburne and hard hartes mollifie & waxe ſoft, and in the confidēce and hope that we hauehave in Chriſt and his kindnes we go to God boldly as vntounto our father and receaue life, that is to ſay louelove vntounto God and vntounto the law alſo.
That whiche we hauehave ſeene and heard we declare vntounto you that ye may hauehave felowſhyppe with vsus, and that our felowſhyppe may be with the father, and with his ſonne Ieſus Chriſt. And theſe thynges we write vntounto you that your ioye may be full.
To bryng vntounto the felowſhyp of The touch ſtone of all true doctrine and preachers.God and Chriſt, and of them that beleue in Chriſt, is the finall intent of all the Scripture, why it was giuen of God vntounto man, and the onelyonly thyng which all true preachers ſeke, & wherby ye ſhall euer know and diſcerne the true word of God from all falſe, and counterfayted doctrine of vayne traditions & the true preacher from the wylie hypocrite. We preache vntounto you (ſayth Iohn) yt euerlaſtyng lyfe which we hauehave heard, and in hearyng receaued through fayth and are ſure of it, to draw you to vsus out of the felowſhyp that ye hauehave with the damned deuils in ſinnefull luſtes and ignoraunce of God, for we ſeeke you and not yours as ſayth Paul. ij. Cor. xij. We louelove you The modeſt & charitable maner of S. Paules doctrine.as our ſelues in God, & therfore wold hauehave you felowes, and equall with vsus, & build you vponupon the foundation layd of the Apoſtles and Prophetes which is Chriſt▪ Ieſus, and make you of the houſhold of God for euer, that ye, and we, felowes and brethren, and coupled together in one ſpirit, in one fayth and in one hope, might hauehave our felowſhip thereby with God, and become his ſonnes & heyres, & with Ieſus Chriſt, beyng his brethren and coheyres, and to make your ioy ful through that glad tydinges, as the aungell ſayd vntounto the ſhepheardes Luke. ij. Behold I ſhew you great ioye that ſhalbe vntounto all the people, how that there is a Sauiour borne vntounto you this day whiche is Chriſt the Lord. And theſe tydinges we bryng you with the worde of God onelyonly which we receaued of his ſpirit, and out of the mouth of his ſonne as true meſſengers.
We preach not our ſelues, but Chriſt S. Paule preached Chriſt and not hym ſelfe.our Lord, and vsus your ſeruauntes for hys ſake, we do not louelove our ſelues, to ſeke yours vntounto vsus, that after we had with wiles robbed you of all ye hauehave, we ſhould exalte our ſelues ouer you & ſeparate our ſelues frō you and make our ſelues a ſeuerall kyngdome, free and frāke raygnyng ouer you as heathen tyrauntes & holdyng you in bondage to ſerue our lucre and luſtes tanglyng your conſcience with doctrine of man whiche draweth from God and Chriſt and fearing you with the bugge of excommunication agaynſte Gods word. Or if that ſerued not, ſhakyng a ſword at you.
And this is the tydinges whiche we hauehave heard of hym, and declare vntounto you, that God is lyght and in hym is no darknes at all. If we ſay that we hauehave felowſhyp with hym, and yet walke in darkenes we lye, and do not the truth. But and if we walke in light as he is in light, then hauehave we felowſhyp together, and the bloud of Chriſt his ſonne clenſeth vsus from all ſinne.
As the deuill is darknes and lyes, ſo is God light and truth onelyonly, and As God is light, ſo the deuill is darkenes.there is no darknes of falſhead & conſentyng to wickednes in hym. And the brightnes of his light is his word and doctrine, as the. C. and. xix. Pſalme ſayth. Thy worde is a lanterne vntounto my feete & a light to my pathes. And Chriſte is the light that lightneth all men. And the Apoſtles are called the light of the world, becauſe of the doctrine. And all that knowe truth are light. Ye were once darkenes ſayth Paule. Epheſ. v. but now light in the Lord, walke therfore as the children of Good workes are the frutes of lyght.lyght. And good workes are called the frutes of light. And all that lyue in ignoraūce are called darknes, as he ſayth afterward, he that hateth his brother walketh in darknes. For if the light of the glorious Goſpell of Chriſte dyd ſhyne in his hart, he could not hate his brother.
By walking vnderſtande conſenting, doing, and working. If then we Walkyng in darknes or in light.walke in darcknes, that is, conſent and worke wickednes, and ſay we hauehave felowſhip with God, we ly. For to hauehave felowſhip with him, is to knowe, and conſent, and profeſſe his doctrine in our hartes. Now if the commaundementes of GOD bee written in our hartes, our members can not but practiſe thē & ſhew the fruite. So whether light or darknes be in the hart, it will appeare in yt walking. For though our members be neuer ſo dead vntounto vertue, yet if our ſoules knowledge the truth, & conſent vntounto righteouſnes, we hauehave the ſprite of life in vsus. And Paule ſayth, Rom. viij. If the ſpirite of him yt If wee hauehave the ſpirite of God in vsus, then will he rayſe vsus vp with Ieſus Chriſt.rayſed vp Ieſus from death be in you, thē wil he yt raiſed vp Ieſus frō death, quicken your mortall bodies, by the reaſō of the ſpirit that dwelleth in you. So that it is not poſſible for him that knoweth the truth, & conſenteth thereto, to continue in ſinne. And then finally if we hauehave the light in our harts, and walke therein, then we hauehave fellowſhip with God, and are his ſonnes and heires, and are purged from all ſinne through Chriſtes bloud.
If we ſay we hauehave no ſinne, we deceaue our ſelues, and trueth is not in vsus.
If we think there is no ſinne in vsus, Hee that ſayth hee hath no ſinne deceaueth him ſelfe.we are beguiled, and blinde, and the light of Gods word is not in vsus, and eyther folow ſinne as beaſtes without conſciēce at all. Or if we ſee the groſſe ſinnes, as murther, theft, and adultery, yet we hauehave hanged a vayle of falſe gloſes vponupon Moſes face, and ſee not the brightnes of the law, how that it requireth of vsus, as pure an hart to God, and as great louelove vntounto our neighbours as was in our ſauiour Ieſus, & ceaſeth not before to condemne vsus as ſinners.
If we knowledge our ſinnes, he is faythfull and iuſt to forgeeue vsus our ſinnes, and to clenſe vsus from all vnrigh teouſnes.
If we confeſſe our ſinnes, not in the If we confeſſe our ſinnes to God with true fayth and repentaunce he will forgeue vsus.preiſtes eare (though that tradition reſtored vntounto the right vſe were not dā nable,) but in our hartes to God with true repentaunce and faſt beleife: then is he faythfull to forgeue and to purge vsus, becauſe of his mercifull truth and promiſe. For he promiſed Abraham, that in his ſeede all the worlde ſhould be bleſſed from the curſe of ſinne. And hath aboundantly renued his euerlaſting mercy vntounto vsus in the new teſtament, promiſing that our ſinnes ſhall be forgeuen vsus in Chriſtes bloud, if we repent and truſt thereto.
If we ſay we hauehave not ſinned, we make him a lyer, and hys woord is not in vsus.
For his word teſtifyeth againſt vsus, All mē are ſinners.that wee are all ſinners, yea, and els Chriſt dyed in vayne. Salomon ſayth, 3. Reg. 8. That there is no man that ſinneth not agaynſt God. And Paule proueth by the authoritie of the Scripture vntounto the Romaines, that we are all ſinners without exception. And the ſcripture witneſſeth that we are damnable ſinners, and that our nature is to ſinne. Which corrupt and poyſoned nature, though it be begō to be healed, yet it is neuer through whole vntil the houre of death. For the which cauſe with all our beſt fruites, there growe weedes among. Neither can there be any deed ſo perfect that could not be amended. When a blind bungler wondreth at his glorious woorkes, a cunning workeman yt hath a cleare iudgement, perceaueth that it is vnpoſſible to make a woorke that coulde not bee Nothing can be ſo well done, but it may be amēded.made better. Now the law requireth workes of vsus in the higheſt degree of perfection, and ceaſeth not to accuſe vsus vntill our workes flow naturally, as glorious in perfection as the woorkes of Chriſt. And Chriſt teacheth vsus to pray in our Pater noſter: Forgeeue vsus our treſpaſſes as we forgeue our treſpaſſers. Whereby ye may eaſelye vnderſtande, that we ſinne dayly one againſt another, and all agaynſt God. Chriſt taught alſo to pray that our Father ſhould not let vsus ſlip into temptation: ſignifying that our nature cannot but ſinne if occaſions be geuen, except that God of his eſpeciall grace keepe vsus backe. Which readineſſe to ſinne is damnable ſinne in the lawe of God. Dauid prayed Pſal. 68. Let not the tempeſt drowne me, let me not fall into the bottome, and let not the pitte ſhut her mouth vponupon me: as who ſhoulde ſay: Firſt keepe me O God from ſinning, then if I ſhall chaunce to fall, as no fleſh can eſcape, one time or other, then All the nature of mā is ſinfull.call me ſhortly backe agayne, and let me not ſincke to deepe therein: and though I yet fall neuer ſo deepe, yet Lord let not the way of mercy be ſtopped: ſignifying that it is vnpoſſible to ſtand of our ſelues, and much leſſe to riſe againe. Which impotencie and feblenes is damnable in the law of God except that wee ſaw it, and repented, and were fled to Chriſt for mercy.