A profitable and necessarye doctrine with certayne homelyes adioyned therunto / set forth by the reuerend father in God, Edmunde Byshop of London ...

¶ Concernynge fayth, what it is, and howe it is to be considered, and taken, here in this boke.

ACCOMPLISHINGE the promys made in my preface, for as much as fayth is the fundation & ground of all oure Christian religion. I shal now intreate, and speake thereof. And knowe you, that althoughe this worde fayth, be diuersly taken, both in prophane Aucthors, and also in Scrypture, some∣tymes signifying trust, sometymes truth, sometimes conscience sometymes 〈◊〉〈◊〉, sometimes credu∣litie, sometymes credence, sometimes promys, some∣tymes profe, sometymes helpe, sometymes the gyfte or grace of God, and such lyke: yet here in this boke or processe, there shall not be cheifely and principallye intreated, or spoken of euery kynd of fayth, as in eue ry way it maye be considered: but onely of two kyn∣des or acceptions thereof.

And Fyrst do you vnderstand, that fayth maye be considered by it selfe, as it is a seuerall gift of god, separate, and distincte from hope, and charitie, and beinge so considered, and taken, it signifieth and im∣porteth a perswasion, and beleif, wrought by god in mans harte, whereby man assenteth, graunteth, and taketh for true, not onely that God is (which know∣ledge

is taughte, and declared, by the maruaylous worke of the creation of the world, as S. Paul saith in his epystle to the Romaynes) but also that all the wordes and sayinges of God (whych be releued and opened in the scrypture) are of most certayne trueth, and infallible veritie. And not that these thyngs one ly are to be credyted and assented vnto, but also that all thynges els (which were taught by the Apostles, and whych haue bene by a whole vnyuersall consent of the Churche of Chryste, euer sythe that tyme con∣tynually taught, and taken alwayes for true) ought to be receaued, accepted, taken and kepte, as a true and perfecte doctryne apostolique.

This then is the fyrst acception of fayth, whyche man hath of God, and wherein man doth not leaue to hys owne naturall knowledge (whych is by rea∣son) but he leauethe to the knowledge attayned by fayth: wythout whych faith, man is ignoraunte and blynde, and cannot vnderstande, accordynge as the prophete Esay affirmeth in hys. vii. Chapiter, saying: Nisi credideritis, non intelligetis. That is to saye: onlesse ye be∣leue, ye shal not vnderstand. This faith is the begin∣nyng, the entry, and the introduction vnto all Chri∣stian relygion, & Godlynes: For as S. Paule sayeth in his. xi. Chapiter of his Epystle to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉. He that cometh to God must beleue that he is, and that he is a rewarde vnto them whyche do seke to please hym.

And thys fayth, although it be such a begynnynge such an entrye, and such an introduction, verye ne∣cessarye for the begynnyng of all ryghtousnes, yet yf

it do procede no farther, adioynyng with it, hope and charitie, it is called in Scrypture, a deade faythe, be cause it is voyde and destitute of lyfe, aud wantethe the helpe, and efficacie of charitie. And this much for fayth as it is considered in the fyrst acception.

Faythe as it is considered in the seconde accep∣tion, maye not be alone, but muste nedes haue hope, and charitie, annexed and ioyned vnto it. And faythe so taken, doth signify not onely the beleif and perswa sion whych was before mencioned in the fyrst accep∣tion, and taking of fayth: but also it signifyeth a sure confydence, and hope, to attayne all whatsoeuer god hath promised for Christes sake, and it signifieth, and comprehendeth also, a hartye loue to GOD, and an obedience to his commaundementes.

And faythe thus considered, is a lyuely faythe, and worketh in man a ready submission of hys wyll to Goddes wyll. And this is the effectual fayth whi∣che worketh by charitie, and whyche (as S. Paule testifiet), vnto the Galathians) is of value & strēgthe in Chryst Iesu.

By this fayth, Abraham, not knowyng whyther he shoulde go, went out of his countrye, and dwelte in the lande of beheste, or promyse, as in a straunge lande, lokyng, and trustyng for a cytye, founded, and buylded by almyghty God.

By this fayth also, Abraham, when he was temp∣ted, was ready to offer vp his onelye begotten sonne 〈◊〉〈◊〉, in whome he loked for the promyse, nothynge doubting, but that God who made the promise, was able to rayse hym vp agayne from deathe.

And in thys sorte and wyse, faythe is taken, in the moost parte of the examples, which be recyted of S Paule, in the. xi, chap of hys Epistle to the Hebrwes

And thys faythe so consydered and taken, euerye Chrysten man doth promyse, professe, and couenaunt to kepe, when he dothe receaue the Sacramente of Baptysme.

And here is to be noted and considered, that all the promyses of god, made at any tyme to man, after the fall of Adam, for Christes sake, are not absolutely and puerly made, but vnder thys condytyon, that is to saye: that man should beleue in God, and with the grace of God geuen for Chryste, endeuer hym selfe to accomplyshe, and kepe the commaundementes of God: so that yf man do beleue in God, and wythe the sayde grace, do endeuer hym selfe to the best of his po wer, to kepe and accomplyshe the sayd commaunde∣mentes, man maye iustlie then chalenge the sayd pro mises, so graciously made vnto hym on goddes part: and if on the other side a man wil not beleue in God, and with the sayde grace endeuer hym self to the best of his power, to kepe and accomplysh the sayde com∣maundementes, then man can not iustly chalenge in any wyse the sayde promyses, or the benefyte thereof, in asmuche as he hath not fulfylled and kepte on hys parte the sayde commaundementes, whyche were parte of the promyse and conuenante, made no other wyse by God vnto man, but vnder condytion, as the Prophete Dauyd playnely declareth, in the. lxxx. and lxxxviii. Psalmes, aud Chryst in the. xix. of Mathe w. 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mandata. That is to saye: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thou

wylt enter into lyfe, kepe the commaundementes. The Churche the refore, according vnto the same, in∣tendynge that manne shoulde alwayes haue thys in good mynde, that is to saye: that the promises of god to man, be made but vpon condycion, and that with out kepyng of the condytyon, no man is partaker of Goddes promyses, hath taughte, and ordeyned, that men before they do receaue baptysme, shall promyse and conuenaunt, to fulfyll the sayd condytion, and to forsake the Deuyll, and the worlde, and to serue only GOD. Of which promyse and specyall conuenaunte, whereby man thus byndeth himselfe to God, man is called in Latyn, infidelis, that is to saye: Faythful: And on the other syde, yf he neuer made the promise or con uenaunt, or after y^t he hath made it, he doth renoūce and refuse it, then that man in that case is amonges the Chrysten people, called in Latyn, Infidelis, That is to saye: Unfaythfull, or Heathen. And because God (as before is declared) hath made promyse and con∣uenaunt wyth man, and is euer in hys wordes & pro myses moost true, moost iust, moost constante, and wyll (as we must moost assuredly beleue and thynke) performe and accomplyshe the same, soo farre forthe as he hath promysed in any wise, therefore God is cal led (as he is in very dede) Fidelis et verax, that is to say: Faythful and true, obseruyng and kepyng his fayth, that is to saye: hys promyse to man: requyryng that man shoulde lyke wyse kepe hys faythe and promyse towardes hym.

Nowe of these thynges that are before spoken, it is manyfest that fayth as it is taken in the seconde accep

is the perfecte faythe of a true chrystian man conteynynge the obedience to the hole doctryne, and religion of Chryste. And after thys sorte is faythe ta∣ken of S. Paule in his epystle to the Romaynes, and in other places of Scrypture, where it is sayde that we be iustifyed by fayth. In whych places man may not thinke that we be iustifyed by fayth, (as fayth is a seuerall vertue, seperated from hope, and charytie, from feare of God & from repentaunce) but by fayth there is ment not the late inuented and deuised faith that is to say, onely faythe, or fayth alone, but faythe with the foresayde vertues, coupled, and ioyned to gether, conteinyng as is aforesaide the obedience to the hole doctryne and religion of Chryst.

And here by the way is to be noted, that euerye man that doth offend God, doth not vtterlye lose his fayth therby, for both they that do synne by frailtie & soden motions (from which euen the iust men ar not holly free, and be taught therefore of Chryste to saye with other. Forgyue vs our trespaces &c) And the o∣ther also whych aduysedly fall into deadely synne (as they that do committe murder, adulterye, and other abhominations, albeit they be fallen from the liuelye and perfecte fayth, for that they are disobediente to y^e doctrine and religion of Chryste whyche they dyd knowe, yet there doth remayne in them so offēdyng, the certeine and assured knowledge of God, and his doctrine, whiche is the faythe, after the fyrste sorte and acception of fayth.

And that these. ii. thynges (it is to wytte, knowlege and obedience) are sometime seperated and a 〈◊〉〈◊〉

Chryste in the. xii. chapiter of Saint Lukes Gospell, doth playnely declare it, speakyng of a seruaunt that knoweth the wyl of his maister and doth it not. And lykewyse S. James in his epystle sayeth, that fayth may remayne wythout charitie.

Wherefore the truth being thus, a transgressoure of the lawe of Almyghty God, after baptysme, dothe kepe a remorse of conscience & the light of knowledg by fayth, whereby he seeth the remedyes, howe to at tayne the remyssion of synne, and by a speciall gyfte of further grace, is moued to vse the same remedyes, and soo by faythe walketh the wayes ordeyned to at tayne remyssion of synne, as in the Sacramēte of pe naunce shalbe more perfytlye hereafter declared.

Thus haue you harde the. ii, acceptions or ta∣kynges of fayth, & that the fayth of knowledge, may remayne in hym that hath fallen frō the perfect faith of a Chrystian man. But whether there be any specy∣all, particuler knowledge, whych man by fayth hath certaynely of hymselfe, whereby he maye testyfye to hymselfe that he is of the predestynates, whiche shall perseuer to the ende in their callyng, there is not spo∣ken as yet of, nor 〈◊〉〈◊〉 can by the Scryptures, or Dec∣toures, be proued that any such fayth can or ought to be preached, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 taught.

Truthe it is, that in the Sacramentes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by Chryste, and vsed in his Catholique Chur∣che, here in earth, we may constantly and assuredlye beleue the workes of god in them, and the applycati∣on of his grace and fauour therein (to oure presente comforte) with assuraunce also, that he wyll not faile

vs yf we fall not from hym: And therfore we so con∣tynewyng in the state of grace wyth hym, haue war∣rante and may beleue vndoutedly that we shalbe sa∣ued.

BVT FORASMVCH as our frayltye, & noughtines, ought euer to be feared in vs, it is therfore expedient for vs, to lyue in contyuuall watche, and in contynu∣all fight with our enemyes, the deuyll, the fleshe, and the worlde, and not to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to muche of our per∣seueraunce and contynuaunce in the state of grace (whych on our behalfe, is vncertayne & vnstable) but dilygently and ofte to remembre the godly and wyse lesson of S. Paule in the. x. chapiter of his first epistle to the Corinthyans, where he sayeth. Qui se existimat 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Videat ne 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that is to saye: he that thynketh or iud∣geth him selfe to stande, let him take hede that he fall not. For all thoughe GODDES promysses made in CHRIST be immutable, yet (as it hath bene sayde a∣fore) he doth not make them to vs, but with conditiō So that hys promyse standyng we maye yet fayle of the effect of the promyse, hicause we kepe not our pro∣mis. And therfore yf we assuredly do recken vpō the state of our 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (as grounded vpon Goddes pro∣misses) and do not remember therwyth that no man shalbe 〈◊〉〈◊〉, onlesse he lawfully fighte, we shal tri umphe before the victori, and so loke in vaine for that whych is not other wyse promysed, but vnder a 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and after this sorte euery chrysten man muste and ought assuredly beleue.