The Thirty-Nine Articles · Article 13 of 39

Article XIII. Of Works before Justification

Works done before the grace of Christ, and the Inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ, neither do they make men meet to receive grace, or (as the School-authors say) deserve grace of congruity: yea rather, for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin.

Latin text (1563)

Articulus XIII. Opera ante Iustificationem.

Opera quæ fiunt ante gratiam Christi, et spiritus eius afflatum, cum ex fide Iesu Christi non prodeant, minimè Deo grata sunt: neque gratiam (ut multi uocant) de congruo merentur: Imo cum non sint facta ut Deus illa fieri uoluit et præcepit, peccati rationem habere non dubitamus.

Source: the first printed Latin edition (London: Reginald Wolfe, 1563), as given in Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, vol. 3 (1877), via CCEL. Original spelling kept.

Commentaries

Article-by-Article commentaries on Article XIII, oldest first.

Thomas Rogers, The Faith, Doctrine, and Religion, Professed, & Protected in the Realme of England (first published 1585 as The English Creede; 1607 ed.)
John Ellis, A Defense of the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England (first published in Latin 1660; 1700 English ed.)
Gilbert Burnet, An Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England (first published 1699; 1700 2nd ed.)
William Beveridge, Ecclesia Anglicana Ecclesia Catholica; or, The Doctrine of the Church of England Consonant to Scripture, Reason, and Fathers (written before 1708; 1846–47 ed.)
Edward Welchman, The Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England, Illustrated with Notes (first published in Latin 1713; 1790 English ed.)
Anonymous, A Practical Exposition upon the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England (1716)
John Veneer, An Exposition on the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England (first published 1725; 1734 2nd ed.)
Martin Madan, A Scriptural Comment upon the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England (1772)
John Hey, Lectures in Divinity, Book IV (1796–98)
George Pretyman Tomline, Elements of Christian Theology, vol. 2 (first published 1799; 1818 ed.)
William Wilson, The Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England, Illustrated by Copious Extracts from the Liturgy, Homilies, Nowell’s Catechism, and Jewell’s Apology (1821)
Thomas R. Jones, An Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles by the Reformers (1849)
William Trollope, Questions and Answers on the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England (1850)
Edward Harold Browne, An Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles, Historical and Doctrinal (first published 1850–53; 1895 printing)
Alexander Penrose Forbes, An Explanation of the Thirty-Nine Articles (first published 1867–68; 1871 2nd ed.)
Thomas Pownall Boultbee, A Commentary on the Thirty-Nine Articles (first published 1871; 1877 ed.)
George Frederick Maclear and Watkin Wynn Williams, An Introduction to the Articles of the Church of England (1895)
E. Tyrrell Green, The Thirty-Nine Articles and the Age of the Reformation (1896)
Edgar Charles Sumner Gibson, The Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England, Explained with an Introduction (1896–97)
Bernard C. Jackson, The Thirty-Nine Articles: A Short Exposition (1900)
Edward John Bicknell, A Theological Introduction to the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England (1919) · with Articles XII, XIV

Historical context

Article XIII teaches that works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God, since they spring not of faith in Christ. Nor do they make men fit to receive grace, or, 'as the School-authors say', deserve grace of congruity. The Article stands substantially as in 1553. It is aimed at the late medieval scholastic doctrine of merit de congruo, the idea that a person doing what lies in him may merit the first grace. The Council of Trent itself (Session VI, 1547) taught that nothing preceding justification merits it, so the Article's main target is the scholastic teaching rather than Trent's final decree.

Sources: C. Hardwick, A History of the Articles of Religion (1851); E. H. Browne, An Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles (1865); E. C. S. Gibson, The Thirty-Nine Articles (1896); Council of Trent, Session VI (1547).

Scripture

Proof texts cited by Thomas Rogers, The Faith, Doctrine and Religion (1607), Article 13, under “The proofe from Gods word”, grouped by his propositions (EEBO-TCP A10958). Text: King James Version (1769 standard text, public domain), quoted verbatim.

Proposition 3: Workes done before iustification, haue the nature of sinne.

Isaiah 8:3 (Wherefore haue we fasted, and thou seest it not? we haue punished our selues, and thou regardest it not. Esa. [?]8.3. Did you fast vnto me? Zach. 7.5. They haue their reward. Matth. 6.16.)

³And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Maher–shalal–hash–baz.

Zechariah 7:5 (Wherefore haue we fasted, and thou seest it not? we haue punished our selues, and thou regardest it not. Esa. [?]8.3. Did you fast vnto me? Zach. 7.5. They haue their reward. Matth. 6.16.)

⁵Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?

Matthew 6:16 (Wherefore haue we fasted, and thou seest it not? we haue punished our selues, and thou regardest it not. Esa. [?]8.3. Did you fast vnto me? Zach. 7.5. They haue their reward. Matth. 6.16.)

¹⁶Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Proverbs 28:9 (He that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law, euen his praier shall be abominable. Prou. 28.9. When thou pr[?]iest, be not as the hypocrites, &c. they haue their reward. Matth 6.5.)

⁹He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

Matthew 6:5 (He that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law, euen his praier shall be abominable. Prou. 28.9. When thou pr[?]iest, be not as the hypocrites, &c. they haue their reward. Matth 6.5.)

⁵And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matthew 6:1-2 (Take heede that ye giue not your almes before men, &c. they haue their reward. Math. 6.1, 2.)

¹Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.²Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Psalms 50:13 (Will I eate the flesh of Bulls? or drink the blood of goates? Ps. 50.13. Bring me no more oblations in vain: incense is an abomination vnto me, &c. Esa. 1.13. He that killeth a bullocke, is as if he slue a man: hee that sacrificeth a sheepe, as if he cut off a dogges necke: he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swines blood: he that remembreth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Esa. 66.3.)

¹³Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

Isaiah 1:13 (Will I eate the flesh of Bulls? or drink the blood of goates? Ps. 50.13. Bring me no more oblations in vain: incense is an abomination vnto me, &c. Esa. 1.13. He that killeth a bullocke, is as if he slue a man: hee that sacrificeth a sheepe, as if he cut off a dogges necke: he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swines blood: he that remembreth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Esa. 66.3.)

¹³Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

Isaiah 66:3 (Will I eate the flesh of Bulls? or drink the blood of goates? Ps. 50.13. Bring me no more oblations in vain: incense is an abomination vnto me, &c. Esa. 1.13. He that killeth a bullocke, is as if he slue a man: hee that sacrificeth a sheepe, as if he cut off a dogges necke: he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swines blood: he that remembreth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Esa. 66.3.)

³He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

Matthew 7:22-23 (Lord, Lord, haue we not by thy Name prophecied? and by thy Name cast out deuills? and by thy Name done many great workes? Then will I professe to them, I neuer knew you: depart from me, ye that worke iniquitie. Matth. 7.22, 23.)

²²Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Romans 14:23 (Whatsoeuer is not of faith, is sinne. Rom. 14.23. Vnto them that are defiled, and vnbeleeuing, is nothing pure, but euen their mindes, and consciences are defiled. Tit. 1.15. Without faith it is vnpossible to please God. Heb. 11.6.)

²³And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Titus 1:15 (Whatsoeuer is not of faith, is sinne. Rom. 14.23. Vnto them that are defiled, and vnbeleeuing, is nothing pure, but euen their mindes, and consciences are defiled. Tit. 1.15. Without faith it is vnpossible to please God. Heb. 11.6.)

¹⁵Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

Hebrews 11:6 (Whatsoeuer is not of faith, is sinne. Rom. 14.23. Vnto them that are defiled, and vnbeleeuing, is nothing pure, but euen their mindes, and consciences are defiled. Tit. 1.15. Without faith it is vnpossible to please God. Heb. 11.6.)

⁶But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Homilies

Of Good Works annexed unto Faith

First Book of Homilies (1547). Topical: the Homily of Good Works teaches that works without faith are not good works. Text: EEBO-TCP A32977 (Certain Sermons or Homilies, London 1687; CC0).

The First Part

IN the last Sermon was declared unto you, what the lively and true Faith of a Christian Man is, that 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 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 shews 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 Works, although they seem unto Men to be praise-worthy, 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. The Eye doth signifie the intent, (saith St. Augustine,) wherewith a Man doth a thing. So that he which 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 cloath 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 cloath 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) St. Ambrose concludeth in few words, saying, He that by nature would withstand Vice, either by natural Will or Reason, he doth in vain garnish the time of this Life, and attaineth not the very true Virtues: For without the worshipping of the true God, that which seemeth to be Virtue is Vice. And yet most plainly to this purpose writeth St. Chrysostome in this wife; You shall find many which have not the true Faith, that be not of the flock of Christ, and yet (as it appeareth) they flourish in good works of Mercy: You shall find them full of Pity, Compassion, and given to Justice; and yet for all that, they have no fruit of their Works, because the chief Work lacketh. For when the Jews asked of Christ, what they should do to work good Works: He answer'd, This is the work of God, to believe in him whom he sent: So that he called Faith the Work of God. And as soon as a Man hath Faith, anon he shall flourish in good Works: For Faith of itself is full of good Works, and nothing is good without Faith. And for a similitude, he saith, That they, which glister and shine in good Works without Faith in God, be like dead Men, which have goodly and precious Tombs, and yet it availeth them nothing. Faith may not be naked without good Works, for then it is no true Faith; And when it is adjoyned to Works, yet it is above the Works. For as Men that be very Men indeed, first have life, and after be nourished: So must our Faith in Christ go before, and after be nourished with good Works. And life may be without nourishment, but nourishment cannot be without life. A Man must needs be nourished by good Works, but first he must have Faith. He that doth good Deeds, yet without Faith, he hath no Life. I can shew a Man that by Faith without Works lived, and came to Heaven: But without Faith, never Man had Life. The Thief that was hanged, when Christ suffer'd, did Believe only, and the most merciful God justified him. And because no Man shall say aagain, that he lacked time to do good Works, for else he would have done them: Truth it is, and I will not contend therein, but this I will surely affirm, That Faith only saved him. If he had lived, and not regarded Faith, and the Works thereof, he should have lost his Salvation again. But this is the effect that I say, That Faith by itself saved him, but Works by themselves never justified any Man. Here ye have heard the Mind of St. Chrysostome, whereby you may perceive, that neither Faith is without Works, (having opportunity thereto,) nor Works can avail to everlasting Life, without Faith.

The Seccond Part of the Sermon of Good Works

OF three things which were, in the former Sermon, especially noted of lively Faith, to be declared unto you; The First was, that Faith is never idle, without Good Works when occasion serveth. The Second, that good Works acceptable to God cannot be done without Faith. Now to go forward to the Third Part, that is, What manner of Works they be which spring out of true Faith, and lead faithful Men unto everlasting Life. This cannot be known so well, as by our Saviour Christ himself, who was asked of a certain great Man the same Question, What Works shall I do, (said a Prince,) to come to everlasting life? to whom Jesus answered, If thou wilt come to everlasting life, keep the Commandments. But the Prince not satisfied herewith, asked farther, Which Commandments? The Scribes and Pharises had made so many of their own Laws and Traditions, to bring Men to Heaven, besides God's Commandments, that this Man was in doubt whether he should come to Heaven by those Laws and Traditions, or by the Law of God, and therefore he asked Christ, which Commandments he meant. Whereunto Christ made him a plain answer, rehearsing the Commandments of God, saying, Thou shalt not kill; Thou shalt not commit adultery;Thou shalt not steal; Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy Father and thy Mother, and love thy neighbor as thyself. By which words Christ declared, that the Laws of God be the very way that doth lead to everlasting Life, and not the Traditions and Laws of Men. So that this is to be taken for a most true Lesson taught by Christ's own Mouth, That the works of the Moral Commandments of God be the very true Works of Faith, which lead to the Blessed Life to come. But the blindness and malice of Man, even from the beginning, hath ever been ready to fall from God's Commandments. As Adam the first Man, having but one Commandment, That he should not eat of the Fruit forbidden; notwithstanding God's Commandment, he gave credit unto the Woman, seduced by the subtil persuasion of the Serpent, and so followed his own Will, and left God's Commandment. And ever since that time, all that came of him have been so blinded through original Sin, that they have been ever ready to fall from God and his Law, and to invent a new way unto Salvation by Works of their own device, so much, that almost all the World, forsaking the true Honour of the only Eternal living God, wandred about their own phantasies, worshipping, some the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, some Jupiter, Juno, Diana, Saturnus, Apollo, Neptunus, Ceres, Bacchus, and other dead Men and Women. Some therewith not satisfied, worshipping divers kinds of Beasts, Birds, Fish, Fowl, and Serpents; every Country, Town, and House in a manner being divided, and setting up Images of such things as they liked, and worshipping the same. Such was the rudeness of the People, after they fell to their own phantasies, and left the Eternal living God and his Commandments, that they devised innumerable Images and Gods. In which error and blindness they did remain, until such a time as Almighty God, pitying the blindness of Man, sent his true Prophet Moses into the World, to reprove and rebuke this extreme madness, and to teach the People to know the only living God, and his true Honour and Worship. But the corrupt inclination of Man was so much given to follow his own phantasie, and (as you would say,) to favour his own Bird that he brought up himself, that all the Admonitions, Exhortations, Benefits, and Threatnings of God, could not keep him from such his Inventions. For notwithstanding all the Benefits of God shewed unto the People of Israel, yet when Moses went up into the Mountain to speak with Almighty God, he had tarried there but a few days, when the People began to invent new Gods. And as it came into their heads, they made a Calfe of Gold, and kneeled down, and worshipped it. And after that they followed the Moabites, and worshipped Beelphegor the Moabites God. Read the Book of Judges, the Book of the Kings, and the Prophets, and there you shall find, how unstedfast the People were, how full of inventions, and more ready to run after their own phantasies, than God's most Holy Commandments. There shall you read of Baal, Mol[?]ch, Chamos, Melchom, Baalpeor, Astaroth, Bell, the Dragon, Priapus, the brazen Serpent, the twelve Signs, and many other, unto whose Images the People with great Devotion invented Pilgrimages, precious decking and censing them, kneeling down, and offering to them, thinking that an high merit before God, and to be esteemed above the Precepts and Commandments of God. And where at that time God commanded no Sacrifice to be made but in Jerusalem only; they did clean contrary, making Altars and Sacrifices every where, in Hills, in Woods, and in Houses, not regarding God's Commandments, but esteeming their own Phantasies and Devotions to be better than they. And the error hereof was so spread abroad, that not only the unlearned People, but also the Priests and Teachers of the People, partly by Vain-glory and Covetousness were corrupted, and partly by Ignorance blindly deceived with the same abominations. So much, that King Achab having but only Helias a true Teacher and Minister of God; there were Four hundred and fifty Priests, that persuaded him to Honour Baal, and to do Sacrifice in the Woods or Groves. And so continued that horrible Error, until the three Noble Kings, as Josaphat, Ezechias, and Josias, God's chosen Ministers, destroyed the same clearly, and brought again the People from such their feigned Inventions, unto the very Commandments of God: For the which thing, their immortal Reward and Glory, doth, and shall remain with God for ever. And beside the foresaid Inventions, the inclination of Man to have his own Holy Devotions devised new Sects and Religions, called Pharises, Sadduces, and Scribes, with many Holy, and Godly Traditions and Ordinances, (as it seemed by the outward appearance, and goodly glistering of the Works,) but in very deed all tending to Idolatry, Superstition, and Hypocrisie: Their Hearts within being full of Malice, Pride, Covetousness, and all Wickedness. Against which Sects, and their pretended Holiness Christ cried out more vehemently, than he did against any other Persons, saying, and often rehearsing these words, Woe be to you Scribes and Pharises, ye Hypocrites, for you make clean the vessel without, but within ye be full of ravine and filthiness: Thou blind Pharisee and Hypocrite, first make the inward part clean. For notwithstanding all the goodly Traditions and outward shews of good Works, devised of their own imagination, whereby they appeared to the World most Religious and Holy of all Men; yet Christ (who saw their Hearts,) knew that they were inwardly in the sight of God, most Unholy, most Abominable, and farthest from God of all Men. Therefore said he unto them, Hypocrites, the Prophet Isaiah spake full truly of you, when he said, This People honour me with their lips,but their Heart is far from me. They worship me in vain that teach Doctrines and Commandments of men, for you leave the Commandments of God to keep your own traditions.

And though Christ said, they worship God in vain,that teach doctrines and commandments of Men; yet he meant not thereby to overthrow all Mens Commandments, for he himself was ever obedient to the Princes and their Laws, made for good Order and Governance of the People; But he reproved the Laws and Traditions made by the Scribes and Pharises; which were not made only for good order of the People, (as the Civil Laws were,) but they were set up so high, that they were made to be right and pure worshipping of God, as they had been equal with God's Laws, or above them: For many of God's Laws could not be kept, but were fain to give place unto them. This arrogancy God detested, that Man should so advance his Laws, to make them equal with God's Laws, wherein the true honouring and right worshipping of God standeth, and to make his Laws for them to be left off. God hath appointed his Laws, whereby his pleasure is to be honoured. His pleasure is also, That all Mens Laws, not being contrary unto his Laws, shall be obeyed and kept, as good and necessary for every Commonweal, but not as things wherein principally his Honour resteth: And all Civil and Man's Laws, either be, or should be made, to bring Men the better to keep God's Laws, that consequently, or followingly, God should be the better honoured by them. Howbeit, the Scribes and Pharises were not content, that their Laws should be no higher esteemed than other positive and Civil Laws; nor would they have them called by the name of other temporal Laws, but called them Holy and Godly Traditions, and would have them esteemed, not only for a right and true worshipping of God, (as God's Laws be indeed,) but also for the most high honouring of God, to the which the Commandments of God should give place. And for this cause did Christ so vehemently speak against them, saying, Your Traditions, which Men esteem so high, be abomination before God. For commonly of such Traditions, followeth the transgression or breaking of God's Commandments, and a more Devotion in keeping of such things, and a greater Conscience in breaking of them, than of the Commandments of God. As the Scribes and Pharises so superstitiously, and scrupulously kept the Sabbath, that they were offended with Christ, because he healed sick Men; and with his Apostles, because they being sore a hungry, gathered the ears of Corn to eat upon that day; and because his Disciples washed not their Hands so often as their Traditions required: The Scribes and Pharisees quarrelled with Christ, saying, Why do thy Disciples break the traditions of the Seigniours? But Christ laid to their charge, that they, for to keep their own Traditions, did teach Men to break the very Commandments of God. For they taught the People such a Devotion, that they offered their Goods into the Treasure-house of the Temple, under the pretence of God's Honour, leaving their Fathers and Mothers (to whom they were chiefly bound,) unholpen, and so they brake the Commandments of God, to keep their own Traditions. They esteemed more an Oath made by the Gold, or Oblation in the Temple, than an Oath made in the Name of God himself, or of the Temple. They were more studious to pay their Tithes of small things, than to do the greater things commanded of God, as Works of Mercy, or to do Justice, or to deal sincerely, uprightly, and faithfully with God and Man. These (saith Christ,) ought to be done,and the other not left undone. And to be short, they were of so blind Judgment, that they stumbled at a straw, and leaped over a block. They would (as it were,) nicely take a Fly out of their Cup, and drink down a whole Camel. And therefore Christ called them Blind guides, warning his Disciples from time to time to eschew their Doctrine. For although they seemed to the World to be most perfect Men, both in Living and Teaching, yet was their Life but Hypocrisie, and their Doctrine but sower Leaven, mingled with Superstition, Idolatry, and overthwart Judgment, setting up the Traditions and Ordinances of Man, instead of God's Commandments.

The Third Part of the Sermon of Good Works

That all Men might rightly judge of Good Works, it hath been declared in the Second Part of this Sermon, what kind of Good Works they be, that God would have his People to walk in, namely, such as he hath commanded in his Holy Scripture, and not such Works as Men have studied out of their own Brain, of a blind Zeal and Devotion, without the Word of God: And by mistaking the nature of good Works, Man hath most highly displeased God, and hath gone from his Will and Commandments. So that thus you have heard how much the World from the beginning, until Christ's time, was ever ready to fall from the Commandments of God, and to seek other means to Honour and Serve him, after a Devotion found out of their own Heads: And how they did set up their own Traditions, as high, or above God's Commandments, which hath hapned also in our times, (the more it is to be lamented,) no less than it did among the Jews, and that by the corruption, or at least by the negligence of them that chiefly ought to have preserved the Pure and Heavenly Doctrine left by Christ. What Man having any Judgment or Learning, joyned with a true Zeal unto God, doth not see, and lament, to have entred into Christ's Religion such false Doctrine, Superstition, Idolatry, Hypocrisie, and other enormities and abuses, so as by little and little, through the sower Leaven thereof, the sweet Bread of God's Holy Word hath been much hindred and laid apart? Neither had the Jews in their most blindness so many Pilgrimages unto Images, nor used so much kneeling, kissing, and censing of them, as hath been used in our time: Sects and feigned Religions were neither the fortieth part so many among the Jews, nor more superstitiously and ungodlily abused, than of late days they have been among us. Which Sects and Religions had so many hypocritical and feigned Works in their state of Religion, (as they arrogantly named it,) that their Lamps (as they said) ran always over, able to satisfie, not only for their own Sins, but also for all other their Benefactors, Brothers, and Sisters of Religion, as most ungodlily and craftily they had persuaded the multitude of ignorant People: Keeping in divers places (as it were) Marts or Markets of Merits, being full of their Holy Reliques, Images, Shrines, and Works of overflowing abundance ready to be sold, and all things which they had were called Holy, Holy Cowls, Holy Girdles, Holy Pardons, Beads, Holy Shooes, Holy Rules, and all full of Holiness. And what thing can be more foolish, more superstitious, or ungodly, than that Men, Women, and Children, should wear a Friers Coat, to deliver them from Agues, or Pestilence? Or when they Dye, or when they be Buried, cause it to be cast upon them, in hope thereby to be saved? Which Superstition, although (Thanks be to God,) it hath been little used in this Realm, yet in divers other Realms it hath been, and yet is used among many, both learned and unlearned. But to pass over the innumerable Superstitiousness that hath been in strange Apparel, in Silence, in Dormitory, in Cloister, in Chapter, in choice of meats and drinks, and in such like things; let us consider, what enormities and abuses have been in the three chief principal points, which they called the three Essentials, or three chief Foundations, of Religion, that is to say, Obedience, Chastity, and wilful Poverty.

First, under pretence or colour of Obedience to their Father in Religion, (which Obedience they made themselves,) they were made free by their Rule and Canons, from the Obedience of their natural Father and Mother, and from the Obedience of Emperor and King, and all temporal Power, whom, of very Duty by God's Laws they were bound to obey. And so the profession of their Obedience not due was a forsaking of their due Obedience. And how their profession of Chastity was kept, it is more honesty to pass over in silence, and let the World judge of that which is well known, than with unchaste Words, by expressing of their unchaste Life, to offend Chaste and Godly Ears. And as for their wilful Poverty, it was such, that when in Possessions, Jewels, Plate, and Riches, they were equal, or above Merchants, Gentlemen, Barons, Earls, and Dukes: Yet by this subtil sophistical term, Proprium in commune, that is to say, Proper in common, they mocked the World, persuading, that notwithstanding all their Possessions and Riches, yet they kept their Vow, and were in wilful Poverty. But for all their Riches, they might neither help Father or Mother, nor other that were indeed very needy and poor, without the Licence of their Father Abbot, Prior, or Warden, and yet they might take of every Man, but they might not give ought to any Man, no, not to them whom the Laws of God bound them to help. And so through their Traditions and Rules, the Laws of God could bear no rule with them. And therefore of them might be most truly said, that which Christ spake unto the Pharises, You break the Commandments of God by your Traditions: You honour God with your lips, but your hearts be far from him. And the longer Prayers they used by day and by night, under pretence or colour of such Holiness, to get the favour of Widows, and other simple folks, that they might sing Trentals and Service for their Husbands and Friends, and admit, or receive them into their Prayers: The more truly is verified of them the Saying of Christ, Wo be unto you Scribes and Pharises, Hypocrites, for you devour Widows houses, under colour of long Prayers, therefore your damnation shall be the greater. Woe be to you Scribes and Pharises, Hypocrites, for you go about by Sea and by Land to make more Novices, and new Brethren, and when they be let in, or received of your Sect, you make them the children of Hell, worse than yourselves be. Honour be to God, who did put light in the Heart of his faithful and true Minister, of most famous Memory, King Henry the 8th. and gave him the knowledge of his Word, and an earnest affection to seek his Glory, and to put away all such Superstitions, and Pharisaical Sects by Antichrist invented, and set up against the true Word of God, and Glory of his most Blessed Name, as he gave the like Spirit unto the most Noble and Famous Princes, Josaphat, Josias, and Ezechias. God grant all us the King's Highness faithful and true Subjects, to feed of the sweet and savory Bread of God's own Word, and (as Christ commanded,) to eschew all our Pharisaical and Papistical Leaven of Man's feigned Religion. Which, although it were before God most abominable, and contrary to God's Commandments and Christ's pure Religion; yet it was praised to be a most Godly life, and highest state of perfection: As though a Man might be more Godly, and more perfect, by keeping the Rules, Traditions, and Professions of Men, than by keeping the Holy Commandments of God. And briefly to pass over the ungodly and counterfeit Religion; let us rehearse some other kinds of Papistical Superstitions and Abuses, as of Beads, of Lady Psalters, and Rosaries, of fifteen Oes, of St. Bernard's Verses, of St. Agathe's Letters, of Purgatory, of Masses satisfactory, of Stations and Jubilees, of feigned Reliques, of hallowed Beads, Bells, Bread, Water, Psalms, Candles, Fire, and such other: Of Superstitious Fastings, of Fraternities or Brotherhoods, of Pardons, with such like Merchandise, which were so esteemed and abused to the great prejudice of God's Glory and Commandments; that they were made most High and most Holy things, whereby to attain to the everlasting Life, or remission of Sin: Yea also, vain Inventions, unfruitful Ceremonies, and ungodly Laws, Decrees, and Councils of Rome, were in such wise advanced, that nothing was thought comparable in Authority, Wisdom, Learning, and Godliness, unto them. So that the Laws of Rome (as they said,) were to be received of all Men, as the four Evangelists, to the which all Laws of Princes must give place. And the Laws of God also partly were left off, and less esteemed, that the said Laws, Decrees and Councils, with their Traditions and Ceremonies, might be more duly kept, and had in greater reverence. Thus was the People, through ignorance, so blinded, with the Godly shew and appearance of those things, that they thought the keeping of them to be a more Holiness, a more perfect Service and Honouring of God, and more pleasing to God, than the keeping of God's Commandments. Such hath been the corrupt inclination of Man, ever Superstitiously given to make new Honouring of God on his own Head, and then to have more Affection and Devotion to keep that, than to search out God's Holy Commandments, and to keep them. And furthermore, to take God's Commandments for Men's Commandments, and Men's Commandments for God's Commandments; yea, and for the highest and most Perfect and Holiest of all God's Commandments. And so was all confused, that scant well learned Men, and but a small number of them knew, or, at the least, would know, and durst affirm the Truth, to separate or sever God's Commandments from the Commandments of Men. Whereupon did grow much Error, Superstition, Idolatry, Vain-religion, Overthwart-iudgment, great Contention, with all ungodly living.

Wherefore, as you have any Zeal to the right and pure Honouring of God, as you have any regard to your own Souls, and to the Life that is to come, which is both without pain, and without end, apply yourselves chiefly above all things, to read and hear God's Word, mark diligently therein, what his Will is you shall do; and with all your endeavour apply your selves to follow the same. First, you must have an assured Faith in God, and give yourselves wholly unto him; love him in prosperity and adversity, and dread to offend him evermore. Then for his sake love all Men, Friends and Foes, because, they be his Creation and Image, and redeemed by Christ, as ye are. Cast in your Minds, how you may do good unto all Men, unto your Powers, and hurt no Man. Obey all your Superiors and Governors, serve your Masters faithfully and diligently, as well in their absence, as in their presence, not for dread of punishment only, but for Conscience sake, knowing that you are bound so to do by God's Commandments. Disobey not your Fathers and Mothers, but Honour them, Help them, and Please them to your power. Oppress not, kill not, beat not, neither slander, nor hate any Man: But love all Men, speak well of all Men, help and succor every Man, as you may, yea, even your Enemies that hate you, that speak evil of you, and that do hurt you. Take no Man's Goods, nor covet your neighbor's Goods wrongfully; but content yourselves with that which ye get truly; and also bestow your own Goods charitably, as Need and Case requireth. Flee all Idolatry, Witchcraft, and Perjury; commit no manner of Adultery, Fornication, or other Unchastness, in Will, nor in Deed, with any other Mans Wife, Widow or Maid, or otherwise. And travelling continually (during this life,) thus in keeping the Commandments of God, (wherein standeth the pure, principal, and right Honour of God, and which wrought in Faith, God hath ordained to be the right trade and pathway unto Heaven,) you shall not fail, as Christ hath promised, to come to that blessed and everlasting life, where you shall live in Glory and Joy with God for ever: To whom be Praise, Honour, and Empery, for ever and ever Amen.