OF THE TRVE COMFORT of the Godlie

The scope and ende of this doctrine is, that wee may haue sure comfort both in our life & at our death. And that wee may haue this, wee are especiallie to learne the doctrine of Christianitie. Now the summe of this comfort doth consist in this, that wee are the members of Christ: that is, that we are engraffed into Christ by faith, that he is carefull of vs: and that by him wee are loued of God, reconciled to God, and conioyned with him. This comfort the diuel goeth about to take from vs after this maner. 1. Thou art a sinner: therefore thou art not acceptable in the sight of God.

Answere. But Christ hath made satisfaction for me with his precious blood. 2. But thou must die the death. Answere. But Christ hath deliuered me from the power of death, and I know that by Christ I shall scape out of the hands of death. 3. But how if thou leese the grace of Christ? For thou maist fall and perish; because it is a long way to heauen. Answere. Christ hath not onely merited his benefites for mee, but also bestoweth them on me, and preserueth them in mee, and giueth mee perseuerance, that I may not fall from grace. 4. But what if these thinges appertaine not vnto thee? and how knowest thou that thou art Christes? Answere. 1. Because I haue the testimonie of the holie Ghost within me. 2. Because the generall promise appertaineth to all the faithful. If I haue faith therefore, that promise appertaineth vnto me. But I know I haue faith by the effectes of faith. 1. Because I haue a will to obey and beleeue God, albeit I am but weake. 2. Because I haue good woorkes, which are signes of true faith. Therefore I haue true faith, and by a consequent, Christ and his benefites appertaine vnto mee.

This comfort is necessarie. 1. For our saluation: that we despaire not. 2. For the woorshipping of God. For that wee may woorship God, wee must come out of sinne and death: not rush into desperation, but bee susteined with a sure comfort vnto the ende. This comfort, though other sectes promise, yet can they not make performance thereof, because their conscience and experience oftentimes goeth against them. The doctrine of the Church alone maketh performance of it, so that mens consciences are at rest, because this alone sheweth the fountaine of all miseries, vnto which mankind is subiect: and this also alone prescribeth the waie of escaping them.

The partet of this comfort are, 1. Our reconcilement to God by Christ, to which Christ alone we belong: and therefore wee are not at our own libertie, so that wee may freelie sin, neither lieth our saluation in our handes or power. For if it were so, we should leese it euery moment. 2. The maner of our reconcilement, euen by the blood of Christ. 3. Our deliuerie from miseries. 4. The preseruation and maintenance of our reconcilement and deliuerie:¹ so that not so much as an haire may fal from our head, without the will of our heauenly father. Obiection. But the godly are daily slaine. Aunswere. These things do not hurt, but helpe forward our saluation.² All thinges worke together for the best vnto them that loue God. 5. The testimonie of the holie Ghost woorking true comfort in our hartes and true conuersion vnto God. By this testimonie of the holie Ghost wee know that wee are Gods, after wee are once deliuered from these miseries. For the holy ghost, which is the surest pledge of this thing, doth witnes in our hartes that they trulie belong vnto vs. For hee maketh vs to serue God without feare.³ And this Spirit of Christ, which God hath sent foorth into our hartes, crieth Abba Father. 6. Our certaintie of euerlasting life. This part differeth from the fifth: because that is the certaintie of the thinges themselues: but this is our certaintie, by which wee know these thinges to be certaine. And this is the beginning of faith.

⁴ That we may attaine vnto this comfort, three thinges are to bee considered of vs. 1. The knowledge of our miserie, that we may desire deliuerance, and be thankful to God. 2. Our deliuerance: without which we haue not comfort. 3. Our thankfulnes, without which wee are not deliuered. Herein is conteined the summe and purpose of the whole sacred Scripture. And these doe plainly accord with the diuision of the Scripture, or Catholicke doctrine, into the Law and Gospel, and with the differences of these parts. For vnto those three members are the Law and the Gospel referred: to the first and third apperteineth the Decalog or tenne commandementes, because there is a double vse of the Law, the knowledge of our sinne, and the rule of our life. To the second member appertaineth the Creede, because this speaketh of our deliuerie, and is the sum of the Gospel: The Sacramentes likewise are to be referred vnto the second part, because they seal that which is taught in the Gospel. They are those appurtenances as it were adioyned to the promise of grace, and the seals of iustification by faith. Praier belongeth vnto the third part, that is, to thankfulnes: because praier is the chiefest part of thankfulnesse.

Out of these arise foure questions. 1.⁵ For what cause these three are necessarie for our obtaining of comfort. 2. Whence we may knowe these three: euen out of the Lawe and the Gospel. 3. How. 4. Wherefore.

The knowledge of our miserie is necessarie for our obtaining of comfort. 1. Because if we knew not our miserie,⁶ and euen the greatnes of it, we should not know the greatnes of our happines, neither should we desire deliuerie out of euils. If wee desire not deliuerie out of euils, wee doe not seeke it: if wee seeke it not, we obtaine it not: because God giueth deliuerie only to those who seeke it: it is opened onlie to him that knocketh: and so hath God his ende in them, euen his worship. Blessed are they who thirst after righteousnes. Come vnto me al ye that labor. I dwel in a contrite spirit. That which wee haue now said, is confirmed also by this syllogism, or form of argument. That which is necessarie for to stir vp in vs a desire of deliuerance, that is necessarie for our comfort: But the knowledge of our miserie is necessarie for the desire of saluation, or deliuerance: Therefore the knowledge of our miserie is necessarie for the obtaining of our comfort: yet not for the comforting of vs: for we are terrified by this knowledge of our miserie. But this terror is good for vs, because, except we know our miserie, we desire not deliuerie. And they that desire not deliuerie, receiue it not.

2 The knowledge of our miserie is necessarie for the obtaining of our comfort: because wee should be vngratefull if we were ignorant out of how great miseries wee were deliuered and drawen: For how much the more wee feele the greatnes of our euil, so much the more desire wee and with for a remedie, and so much the more thankfull are wee towards God, because he gaue vs a remedie against sin. 3. Because by the preaching of the Lawe, is made a preparation to the preaching of grace: otherwise there followeth carnal securitie, and our comfort is made vnstable. Whereof it appeareth, that we drawe the knowledge of our miserie chiefly out of the Law, & that therfore we must begin frō the preaching of the Law, as the Prophets and Apostles haue done, and that to the end that mens consciences and hearts may be cast downe before God, and prepared to repentance, and to the receiuing of the gospel. Except this be done, men wil become more careles and stubburne, and pearles shal be throwen to swine to be trodden vnder feet.

⁷ The knowledge of our deliuerie is necessarie for our comfort. 1. Because a good thing, not knowen, is not desired: according to that, There is no coueting after an vnknowen thing. When wee haue found it also, if wee knowe not what it is, wee desire it not, and therefore doe not obtaine it. Yea that verie meanes, by which wee attaine vnto our deliuerie, requireth the knowledge of our deliuerie. For thou shalt er in the desire of thy deliuery, except thou know what, and of what qualitie it is, and after what manner it is receiued. Furthermore, wee are made by faith partakers of this deliuerie. But faith is not without knowledge. Wherefore the knowledge of our deliuerie is necessarie, both that we may obtaine it: & also because the mean & instrument it selfe, by which we do obtaine it, cannot bee without the knowledge of our deliuerie. 2. A good thing not knowen doth not comfort: that therefore it may comfort thee, thou must knowe how great and what maner a good thing it is. 3. The knowledge of our deliuerie is necessarie, that we may be thankeful: because for a thing not knowen to be good wee vse not to giue thankes, for that we make light account of it: and if we wil be indeed grateful, al the circumstances of that good thing are knowen and desired of vs. We know our deliuerie, out of the gospel. 1. By hearing it. 2. By learning it. 3. By assenting vnto it, and that out of the gospel: because the Gospel alone doth promise deliuerie vnto those that beleeue in Christ. Now wee must diligently also obserue the maner of our deliuerie, that wee doe not our selues imagine, or receiue imagined by others any maner of deliuerie to the reproch of Gods name, and hazard of our owne saluation.

The knowledge of our thankefulnes is necessarie for our comfort.⁸ 1. Because no man can doe anie thing gratefull vnto God, except he first know what is grateful vnto him: For he wilbe worshipped, and haue vs gratefull vnto him, not after that maner which wee will but which himselfe hath prescribed. Except therefore thou knowe, what is gratefull vnto him, thou shalt reape thence no comfort. 2. Because there is first of all true consolation, where there is thankfulnes: for except thou be thankful, thou canst not applie vnto thy selfe the merit of the Sonne of God. For it is offered and applied onely to vs being thankful: now thou canst not shewe thankfulnesse, except thou knowe after what maner the Lord bestoweth on vs his benefites. 3. The knowlege of our thankfulnesse is required necessarily, because it is the chiefe ende and scope of our deliuery:⁹ for this purpose appeared the Sonne of God, that he might destroie the workes of the diuel. 4. That we may know that those thinges which we doe are no merit, but onely a declaring of our thankfulnes. And what thou giuest thankes for, that thou knowest that thou hast not deserued. 5. By this thankfulnes our faith & comfort is confirmed in vs. Obiection. That which of it selfe followeth, is not necessarie to be taught. But thankfulnes must needes follow of it selfe: Therefore it is not necessarie to be taught. Aunswere. Thankfulnes followeth deliuerie. But not the maner of thankfulnes likewise: for of this we are to bee instructed out of the word of God. Furthermore that proposition is not vniuersally true: for a thing may be taught, which of it selfe doth greatlie followe, for greater and fuller knowledge and confirmation. Now thankfulnes it selfe we know, 1. Out of the Gospel; because it promiseth deliuerie, with a condition of repentance. 2. Out of the Law, because the Law in speciall doth declare and determine the kindes of obedience. Seeing that then the true, sure and onely comfort of the faithful is the scope of the whole doctrine of christianity: & seeing that to that comfort these three are necessarily required, that is, The consideration of mans miserie, of his deliuerie, and of his thankfulnes: it appeareth that these three are the chiefe partes of Christian doctrin. And therfore we wil intreat of thē hereafter in order.