A09376:206
A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon…A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon…
A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon the 11 chapter to the Hebrews preached in Cambridge by that godly, and judicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executors, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for Leo. Greene, 1607London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for Leo. Greene, 1607
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
In the framing of this reason, the holy Ghost teacheth us a great point of our religion: namely, that first a mans person must please God afore his actions can: And after the person, then the actions. This is plain in these words: for it is said, he first obtained witness that he was righteous himself, and then God testified of his gifts: So likewise more plainly, Genesis 4.4, God had respect first to Abel, and then to his offering: So that the truth is manifest, No work pleaseth God afore the worker do. This, being so, hath excellent uses.
In the framing of this reason, the holy Ghost teacheth vs a great point of our religion: namely, that first a mans person must please God afore his actions can: And after the person, then the actions. This is plaine in these words: for it is said, he first obtained witnesse that hee was righteous himselfe, and then God testified of his gifts: So likewise more plainely, Genesis 4.4, God had respect first to Abell, and then to his offring: So that the truth is manifest, No worke pleaseth God afore the worker do. This, being so, hath excellent vses.
First, it overthroweth a main pillar of Romish religion: Justification by works: For how can a man be justified by his works, when he himself must be just afore the works can be? Unless he be just, his works be wicked: if they be wicked afore his person be just, how can they then justify him. And if the person be once just, what needs it then to be again justified by works? Good works make not a man good: but a good man makes a work good? & shall that work that a man made good, return again & make the man good? 1. That is absurd in reason: And 2. It is needless. For, the man is good already: else the work could not have been good. We may therefore say, works are rather justified ⟨p. 51⟩by the person of a man, then his person by the works: and it is a most vain thing to look for Justification from that which thou thy self must first justify afore it be just: if we had no other reasons against justification by works but this, this were sufficient.