A lively faith. Gal. v. Heb. xi. hath a faith and belief to the words of God; yet it is not properly faid that he believeth in God, or bath fuch a faith and trust in God, whereby he may furely look for grace, mercy, and everlafting life at God's hand, but rather for indignation and punishment, according to the merits of his wicked life. For as it is written in a book, intituled to be of Didymus Alexandrinus, Forasmuch as faith without works is dead, it is not now faith, as a dead man is not a man. This dead faith therefore is not the fure and fubftantial faith which faveth finners. Another faith there is in Scripture, which is not, as the forefaid faith, idle, unfruitful, and dead, but worketh by charity, (as St. Paul declareth, Gal. v.) which as the other vain faith is called a dead faith, so may this be called a quick or lively faith. And this is not only the common belief of the Articles of our faith, but it is also a true trust and confidence of the mercy of God through our Lord Jefus Chrift, and a steadfast hope of all good things to be received at God's hand: and that although we, through infirmity, or temptation of our ghoftly enemy, do fall from him by fin; yet if we return again unto him by true repentance, that he will forgive and forget our offences for his Son's fake, our Saviour Jefus Chrift, and will make us inheritors with him of his everlafting kingdom; and that in the mean time, until that kingdom come, he will be our protector and defender in all perils and dangers, whatsoever do chance: and that though fometime he doth fend us fharp adverfity, yet that evermore he will be a loving father unto us, correcting us for our fin, but not withdrawing his mercy finally from us, if we truft in him, and commit ourselves wholly unto him, hang only upon him, and call upon him, ready to obey and ferve him. This is the true, lively, and unfeigned Chriftian faith, and is not in the mouth and outward profeffion only, but it liveth, and stirreth inwardly in the heart. And this faith is not without hope and truft in God, nor without the love of God and of our neighbours, nor without the fear of God, nor without the defire to hear God's word, and to follow the fame in eschewing evil, and doing gladly all good works. This faith, as St. Paul defcribeth it, is the fure ground and foundation of the benefits which we ought to look for, and truft to receive of God, a certificate and fure looking for them, although they yet fenfibly appear not unto us. And after he faith, He that cometh to God muft believe, both that he is, and that he is a merciful rewarder of well doers. doers. And nothing commendeth good men unto God fo Of this faith Firft, that this faith doth not lie dead in the heart, but Three is lively and fruitful in bringing forth good works. Se- things are condly, that without it can no good works be done, that to be noted fhall be acceptable and pleasant to God. Thirdly, what manner of good works they be that this faith doth bring forth. of faith." works. For the firft, as the light cannot be hid, but will Faith is fhew forth itself at one place or other; fo a true faith can- full of good not be kept fecret; but when occafion is offered, it will break out, and fhew itself by good works. And as the living body of a man ever exerciseth fuch things as belong to a natural and living body, for nourishment and preservation of the fame, as it hath need, opportunity, and occafion; even fo the foul that hath a lively faith in it will be doing always fome good work, which shall declare that it is living, and will not be unoccupied. Therefore, when men hear in the Scriptures fo high commendations of faith, that it maketh us to please God, to live with God, and to be the children of God; if then they fantasy that they be fet at liberty from doing all good works, and may live as they lift, they trifle with God, and deceive themselves. And it is a manifeft token that they be far from having the true and lively faith, and also far from knowledge what true faith meaneth. For the very fure and lively Chriftian faith is, not only to believe all things of God which are contained in holy Scripture, but alfo is an earnest trust and confidence in God, that he doth regard us, and that he is careful over us, as the father is over the child whom he doth love, and that he will be merciful unto us for his only Son's fake, and that we have our Saviour Chrift our perpetual Advocate, and Prieft, in whofe only merits, oblation, and fuffering we do trust that our offences be continually washed and purged, whenfoever we, repenting truly, do return to him with our whole heart, fteadfastly determining with ourselves, through his grace, to obey and ferve him in keeping his commandments, and never to turn back again to fin. Such is the true faith that the Scripture doth fo much commend, the which, when it feeth and confidereth what God hath done for us, is alfo moved, through continual affiftance of the Spirit of God, to ferve and please him, to keep his favour, to fear his displeasure, to continue his obedient children, fhewing thankfulness again by ob ferving ferving or keeping his commandments, and that freely, for true love chiefly, and not for dread of punishment, or love of temporal reward, confidering how clearly, without our defervings, we have received his mercy and pardon freely. This true faith will fhew forth itself, and cannot long be Habak. ii. idle for as it is written, The juft man doth live by his faith. He neither sleepeth, nor is idle, when he should wake, and be well occupied. And God by his Prophet Jeremy Jer. xvii. faith, that he is a happy and blessed man, which hath faith and confidence in God. For he is like a tree fet by the water-fide, that fpreadeth his roots abroad toward the moisture, and feareth not heat when it cometh; his leaf will be green, and will not ceafe to bring forth his fruit: even fo, faithful men, putting away all fear of adverfity, will fhew forth the fruit of their good works, as occafion is offered to do them. Ecclus. xxxii. The Second Part of the Sermon of Faith. YE have heard in the first part of this Sermon, that there be two kinds of faith, a dead and an unfruitful faith, and a faith lively, that worketh by charity: the first to be unprofitable; the fecond, neceffary for the obtaining of our falvation: the which faith hath charity always joined unto it, and is fruitful, bringing forth all good works. Now as concerning the fame matter, you fhall hear what followeth. The Wife Man faith, He that believeth in God will hearken unto his commandments. For if we do not fhew ourselves faithful in our converfation, the faith which we pretend to have is but a feigned faith because the true Christian faith is manifeftly fhewed by good living, and not by words only, as St. Auguftine faith, Good living cannot be feparated from true faith, which worketh by love. And St. Chryfoftom saith, Faith of itfelf is full of good works: as foon as a man doth believe, he fhall be garnished with them. How plentiful this faith is of good works, and how it maketh the work of one man more acceptable to God than of another, St. Paul teacheth at large in the eleventh chapter to the Hebrews, faying, that faith made the oblation of Abel better than the oblation of Cain. This made Noah to build the ark. This made Abraham to forfake his country and all xliv. Gen. his friends, and to go into a far country, there to dwell among strangers. So did alfo Ifaac and Jacob, depending or hanging only on the help and truft that they had in Libro de Sermo de Heb. xi. Gen. iv. Ecclus. God. xliv. God. And when they came to the country which God promised them, they would build no cities, towns, nor houfes; but lived like ftrangers in tents, that might every day be removed. Their truft was fo much in God, that they fet but little by any worldly thing, for that God had prepared for them better dwelling-places in heaven, of his own foundation and building. This faith made Abraham Gen. xxii, ready at God's commandment to offer his own fon and Ecclus. heir Ifaac, whom he loved fo well, and by whom he was promised to have innumerable iffue, among the which, one fhould be born, in whom all nations fhould be blessed, trufting fo much in God, that though he were flain, yet that God was able by his omnipotent power to raise him from death, and perform his promise. He mistrusted not the promise of God, although unto his reafon every thing seemed contrary. He believed verily that God would not forfake him in dearth and famine that was in the country. And in all other dangers that he was brought unto, he trufted ever that God would be his God, and his protector and defender, whatfoever he faw to the contrary. This faith wrought fo in the heart of Mofes, that, he re- Exod. ii, fufed to be taken for King Pharaoh's daughter's fon, and to have great inheritance in Egypt, thinking it better with the people of God to have affliction and Jorrow, than with naughty men in fin to live pleasantly for a time. By faith he cared not for the threatening of King Pharaoh : for his truft was fo in God, that he paffed not of the felicity of this world, but looked for the reward to come in heaven; fetting his heart upon the invifible God, as if he had feen him ever present before his eyes. By faith the children of Exod. xiv. Ifrael paffed through the Red Sea. By faith the walls of Joh. vi. Jericho fell down without firoke, and many other wonderful miracles have been wrought. In all good men that heretofore have been, faith hath brought forth their good works, and obtained the promises of God. Faith hath Dan. vi. flopped the lions' mouths: faith hath quenched the force of fire: Dan. iii. faith hath efcaped the fword's edge: faith hath given weak Heb. xi. men ftrength, victory in battle, overthrown the armies of infidels, raifed the dead to life: faith hath made good men to take adverfity in good part; fome have been mocked and whipped, bound and caft in prifon; fome have loft all their goods, and lived in great poverty; fome have wandered in mountains, hills, and wilderneffes; fome have been racked, fome flain, fome ftoned, fome fawn, jome rent in pieces, fome beheaded, fome burnt without mercy, and would not be delivered, because they looked to rife again to a better ftate. All 2 Cor. iv. All these fathers, martyrs, and other holy men, whom St. Paul spake of, had their faith furely fixed in God, when all the world was against them. They did not only know God to be the Lord, Maker, and Governor of all men in the world; but also they had a special confidence and truft, that he was and would be their God, their comforter, aider, helper, maintainer, and defender. This is the Christian faith, which these holy men had, and we alfo ought to have. And although they were not named Chriftian men, yet was it a Chriftian faith that they had; for they looked for all benefits of God the Father, through the merits of his Son Jefus Chrift, as we now do. This difference is between them and us; for they looked when Chrift fhould come, and we be in the time when he is In Johan. come. Therefore, faith St. Auguftine, the time is altered Tra&t. xlv. and changed, but not the faith. For we have both one faith in one Chrift. The fame Holy Ghoft alfo that we have, had they, faith St. Paul. For as the Holy Ghost doth teach us to trust in God, and to call upon him as our Ifa. Ixiii. Father, fo did he teach them to fay, as it is written, Thou, Lord, art our Father and Redeemer; and thy name is without beginning, and everlafting. God God gave them then grace to be his children, as he doth us now. But now, by the coming of our Saviour Chrift we have received more abundantly the Spirit of God in our hearts, whereby we may conceive a greater faith, and a furer truft, than many of them had. But in effect they and we be all one: we have the fame faith that they had in God, and they the fame that we have. And St. Paul fo much extolleth their faith, because we fhould no lefs, but rather more, give ourfelves wholly unto Chrift, both in profeffion and living, now when Chrift is come, than the old fathers did before his coming. And by all the declaration of St. Paul, it is evident, that the true, lively, and Chriftian faith is no dead, vain, or unfruitful thing, but a thing of perfect virtue, of wonderful operation or working, and ftrength, bringing forth all good motions and good works. All holy Scripture agreeably beareth witness, that a true lively faith in Chrift doth bring forth good works; and therefore every man must examine and try himself diligently, to know whether he have the fame true lively faith in his heart unfeignedly, or not; which he shall know by the fruits thereof. Many that profeffed the faith of Chrift were in this error, that they thought they knew God, and believed in him, when in their life they declared the contrary: which error St. John in his firft Epiftle confuting, |