Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

Suppose a Chirurgeon should perfectly cure the hand of a poor man from some desperate wound which utterly disabled him for any work: when he hath so done, should at one time freely bestow some good alms upon the man, to the receiving whereof he was enabled by the former cure; and at another time should set the man about some work, unto the which likewise the former cure had enabled him; and the work being done, should give him a reward proportionable to his labour: I demand which of these two gifts are arguments of greater grace in the man, either the recompensing of that labour which was wrought by the strength he restored, or the free bestowing of an equal gift, unto the receiving whereof likewise he himself gave ability? Any man will easily answer that the gift was a work of more free grace then the reward, though unto both way was made by His own merciful cure; for all the mercy which was showed in the cure was not able to nullify the intrinsical proportion which afterwards did arise between the work and the reward. Now this is the plain difference between our doctrine and the doctrine of our adversaries in the point of Justification. They say we are justified by Grace, and yet by works, because grace enables us to work: we say we are justified freely, not by the works of grace, but by the grace which bestows our Justification, and therewith our strength of working unto us. For surely Gods free grace is more magnified in giving us undeservedly both righteousness ⟨p. 483⟩and works; then in giving us works to deserve our righteousness.

Suppose a Chirurgian should perfectly cure the hand of a poore man from some desperate wound which utterly disabled him for any worke: when he hath so done, should at one time freely bestow some good almes upon the man, to the receiving whereof he was enabled by the former cure; and at another time should set the man about some worke, unto the which likewise the former cure had enabled him; and the worke being done, should give him a reward proportionable to his labour: I demaund which of these two gifts are arguments of greater grace in the man, either the recompensing of that labour which was wrought by the strength hee restored, or the free bestowing of an equall gift, unto the receiving whereof likewise he himselfe gave abilitie? Any man will easily answere that the gift was a worke of more free grace then the reward, though unto both way was made by His owne mercifull cure; for all the mercy which was shewed in the cure was not able to nullifie the intrinsecall proportion which afterwards did arise betweene the worke and the reward. Now this is the plaine difference betweene our doctrine and the doctrine of our adversaries in the point of Iustification. They say we are justified by Grace, and yet by workes, because grace enables us to worke: we say we are justified freely, not by the workes of grace, but by the grace which bestowes our Iustification, and therewith our strength of working unto us. For surely Gods free grace is more magnified in giving us undeservedly both righteousnesse