to frame himself thereunto, and leadeth not his life after the desire of his own flesh, to serve the Devil by sin, but setteth his mind to serve God for his own sake, and for his sake also to love all his neighbours, whether they be friends or adversaries, doing good to every man, as opportunity serveth, and willingly hurting no man; such a man may well rejoice in God, perceiving by the trade of his life, that he unfeignedly hath the right knowledge of God, a lively faith, a steadfast hope, a true and unfeigned love, and fear of God. But he that casteth away the yoke of God's commandments from his neck, and giveth himself to live without true repentance, after his own sensual mind and pleasure, not regarding to know God's word, and much less to live according thereunto; such a man clearly deceiveth himself, and seeth not his own heart, if he thinketh that he either knoweth God, loveth him, feareth him, or trusteth in him. Some peradventure fancy in themselves that they belong to God, although they live in sin, and so they come to the church, and show themselves as God's dear children. But St. John saith plainly, If we say that we have any company with God, and walk 1 John i. in darkness, we do lie. Others do vainly think that they know and love God, although they pass not of the commandments. But St. John saith clearly, He that saith, I 1 John ii. know God, and keepeth not his commandments, he is a liar. Some falsely persuade themselves, that they love God, when they hate their neighbours. But St. John saith manifestly, If any man say, I love God, and yet hateth his 1 John iv. brother, he is a liar. He that saith that he is in the light, and 1 John ii. hateth his brother, he is still in darkness. He that loveth his brother dwelleth in the light; but he that kateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth: for darkness hath blinded his eyes. And moreover he saith, Hereby we manifestly know the 1 John ji. children of God from the children of the Devil. He that doth not righteously is not the child of God, nor he that hateth his brother. Deceive not yourselves, therefore, thinking that you have faith in God, or that you love God, or do trust in him, or do fear him, when you live in sin: for then your ungodly and sinful life declareth the contrary, whatsoever you say or think. It pertaineth to a Christian man to have this true Christian faith, and to try himself whether he hath it or no, and to know what belongeth to it, and how it doth work in him. It is not the world that we can trust to; the world, and all that is therein, is but vanity. It is God that must be our defence and protection against.

Luke vi.

2 Peter i.

James ii.

all temptation of wickedness and sin, errors, superstition,
idolatry, and all evil. If all the world were on our side,
and God against us, what could the world avail us?
Therefore let us set our whole faith and trust in God, and
neither the world, the Devil, nor all the
power of them
shall prevail against us. Let us therefore, good Christian
people, try and examine our faith, what it is: let us not
flatter ourselves, but look upon our works, and so judge
of our faith what it is. Christ himself speaketh of this
matter, and saith, The tree is known by the fruit. There-
fore let us do good works, and thereby declare our faith
to be the lively Christian faith. Let us, by such virtues as
ought to spring out of faith, show our election to be sure
and stable, as St. Peter teacheth, Endeavour yourselves to
make your calling and election certain by good works. And
also he saith, Minister or declare in your faith virtue, in
virtue knowledge, in knowledge temperance, in temperance
patience, in patience godliness, in godliness brotherly charity,
in brotherly charity love: so shall we show indeed that we
have the very lively Christian faith, and may so both eer-
tify our conscience the better that we be in the right faith,
and also by these means confirm other men. If these fruits
do not follow, we do but mock with God, deceive our-
selves, and also other men. Well may we bear the name
of Christian men, but we do lack the true faith that doth
belong thereunto: for the true faith doth ever bring forth
good works, as St. James saith: Show me thy faith by thy
deeds. Thy deeds and works must be an open testimo-
nial of thy faith: otherwise thy faith, being without good
works, is but the Devil's faith, the faith of the wicked, a
fantasy of faith, and not a true Christian faith.
like as the devils and evil people be nothing the better for
their counterfeit faith, but it is unto them the more cause
of damnation: so they that be Christians, and have re-
ceived knowledge of God, and of Christ's merits, and yet
of a set purpose do live idly, without good works, think-
ing the name of a naked faith to be either sufficient for
them, or else setting their minds upon vain pleasures of
this world, do live in sin without repentance, not uttering
the fruits that do belong to such an high profession; upon
such presumptuous persons, and wilful sinners, must needs
remain the great vengeance of God, and eternal punish-
ment in hell, prepared for the unjust and wicked livers.
Therefore as you profess the name of Christ, good Chris-
tian people, let no such fantasy and imagination of faith
at any time beguile you; but be sure of your faith, try it

And

by your living, look upon the fruits that come of it, mark the increase of love and charity by it towards God and your neighbour, and so shall you perceive it to be a true lively faith. If you feel and perceive such a faith in you, rejoice in it; and be diligent to maintain it, and keep it still in you; let it be daily increasing, and more and more by well working, and so shall you be sure that you shall please God by this faith; and at the length, as other faithful men have done before, so shall you, when his will is, come to him, and receive the end and final reward of your 1 Peter i. faith, as St. Peter nameth it, the salvation of your souls: the which God grant us, that hath promised the same unto his faithful; to whom be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

SERMON

of Good Works annexed unto Faith.

No good works can be

faith.

John XV.

Heb. xi.

Rom. xiv.

N the last Sermon was declared unto you, what the

of is, it

causeth not a man to be idle, but to be occupied in bringing forth good works, as occasion serveth.

Now, by God's grace, shall be declared the second thing done without that before was noted of faith; that without it can no good work be done, accepted and pleasant unto God; For as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, saith our Saviour Christ, except it abide in the vine; so cannot you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, and you are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, he bringeth forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. And St. Paul proveth, that the Eunuch had faith, because he pleased God; For without faith, saith he, it is not possible to please God. And again, to the Romans he saith, Whatsoever work is done without faith, it is sin. Faith giveth life to the soul; and they be as much dead to God that lack faith, as they be to the world whose bodies lack souls. Without faith, all that is done of us is but dead before God, although the work seem never so gay and glorious before man. Even as the picture graven or painted is but a dead representation of the thing itself, and is without life, or any manner of moving; so be the works of all unfaithful persons before God: they do appear to be lively works, and indeed they be but dead, not availing to the everlasting life : they be but shadows and shows of lively and good things, and not good and lively things indeed: for true faith doth give life to the works, and out of such faith come good works, that be very good works indeed; and without faith no work is good before God, as saith St. Augustine. We must set no good works before faith, nor think that before faith a man may do any good works; for such

In Prefat.

In Præfat.

works, although they seem unto men to be praiseworthy, yet indeed they be but vain, and not allowed before God. They be as the course of an horse that runneth out of the way, which taketh great labour, but to no purpose. Let no man, therefore, saith he, reckon upon his good works before his faith; whereas faith was not, good works were not. The intent, saith he, maketh good works; but faith must guide and order the intent of man. And Christ saith, If thine eye be naught, thy whole body is full of darkness. Matt. vi. The eye doth signify the intent, saith St. Augustine, Pal. xxxi. wherewith a man doth a thing: so that he whieh doth not his good works with a godly intent, and a true faith that worketh by love, the whole body beside, that is to say, all the whole number of his works, is dark, and there is no light in them. For good deeds be not measured by the facts themselves, and so discerned from vices; but by the ends and intents, for the which they were done. If a Heathen man clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and do such other like works; yet, because he doth them not in faith for the honour and love of God, they be but dead, vain, and fruitless works to him. Faith it is that doth commend the work to God: for, as St. Augustine saith, whether thou wilt or no, that work, that cometh not of faith, is naught; where the faith of Christ is not the foundation, there is no good work, what building soever we make. There is one work, in the which be all good works, that is faith, which worketh by charity if thou have it, thou hast the ground of all good works; for the virtues of strength, wisdom, temperance, and justice, be all referred unto this same faith. Without this faith we have not them, but only the names and shadows of them; as St. Augustine saith, All the life of them that lack the true faith is sin, and nothing is good without him that is the Author of goodness: where he is not, there is but feigned virtue, although it be in the best works. And St. Augustine, declaring this verse of the Psalm, The turtle hath found a nest where she may keep her young birds, saith, that Jews, Hereticks, and Pagans do good works; they clothe the naked, feed the poor, and do other good works of mercy: but because they be not done in the true faith, therefore the birds be lost. But if they remain in faith, then faith is the nest and safeguard of their birds, that is to say, safeguard of their good works, that the reward of them be not utterly lost. And this matter (which St. Augustine at large in many books disputeth) lib. c. 3. St. Ambrose concludeth in few words, saying, He that by

De vocatio ne gentium