And euery one that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe like as he also is pure Therfore eueÌ this our purifieÌg which is done by our care and diligeÌce hath also the name of sanctifieng not because of it selfe but for the fyrst purifieng sake that goeth before which yf it go not before then is our sanctifienge nothinge worth Againe yf the same go before then must this also folow after For right well trulie saieth S. Iames the Apostle Faith yf it haue no workes is deed in it selfe In it selfe or for it selfe I saie that is It alone and fruteful with no good woorkes For as the body w tout y e sprite is deed so faith also w tout works is deed Doubtles a lyuing body doeth worketh somewhat and serueth many likewise faith by deutie offices of loue must be profitable coÌmodious vnto many Now yf faith do good to no man with godlie workes theÌ is it an emptie ymaginacion vayne name As also the sanctifieng of maÌ yf it do not breake forth shew it selfe in holy words and workes assuredly it is to be reputed false feyned and full of ypocrisie Besydes this all that belongeth vnto true holynes in y t our saÌctifieng which appeareth in our workes must be referred to the sanctifieÌg done by the bloud of christ to the which most properlye apperteyneth the honour of saÌctificacioÌ Wherfore whan thou seist in holy scripture that rightuousnes is ascribed vnto our workes remeÌbre it is done for such causes as I hitherto haue shewed For the sprete of the Apostles caÌnot be against himself ¶ The. 2. sorts of meÌ that the Apostls had to do w t for iustificacion which make theÌ seme to varie in assignyng the cause of iustificacion with their reconciliacion The. 16. Chapter AND knoweÌ it is that the Apostles of the lorde dyd stryue with two sortes of people the one sorte ascrybed rightuousnes and saluacion to their own good works which were done after the mesure and rule of gods lawe therfore they despyced Christ For while thei weÌte about to stablish mainteyne and set vp their owne rightuousnes thei were not obedient to y e rightuousnes of god Against the vngodlie opynioÌ of these dyd the holie Apostles teach and specially S. Paul that rightuousnes and life is obteyned by faith in the lorde Iesus and not by our workes The same Paul saieth to the Galathians I refuse not the grace of god For yf rightuousnes come by the law then dyed christ in vayne And agayne Christ profiteth you nothing And ye are gone quyte from Christ and are fallen froÌ grace yf ye wil be iustified by the lawe Against such also was kepte at Hierusalem the Counsail that Luke maketh mencion of in the Actes of the Apostles There were agayne certayne other light euell disposed people that abused suche doctryne of the Apostles to the libertye and sensualitie of the flesh thinking it sufficient to saluacion whan they beasted themselues of faith although there were no good workes found in them Therfore against those as against the very pestilence and decaye of true Religion and gods seruice dyd the same Apostles also stryue and taught that the Christian fayth was not a vayne opynioÌ or frutelesse knowledge but a lyuelie stronge confidence most fruteful in good works For Paul writing against these saieth vnto Titus Thei saie thei knowe god but w t their dedes thei deny him seinge they are abominable and disobedient vnapte vnto euery good worke And Peter the Apostle rebuketh such dissemblers but som what more darkly whaÌ he saieth Herevnto geue all diligence that in your faith ye mynistre vertue in vertue knowlege in knowlege teÌperauÌce in teÌperauÌce pacieÌce in pacieÌce godlynes in godlines brotherlye kyndnes in brotherly kindnes loue For yf these thinges be amonge you be plenteous thei wil make you y t ye nether shalbe ydle nor vnfrutefull in the knowledge of our lord Iesus christ But he y t lacketh these thinges is blind and gropeth for the waie with his hands and hath forgotteÌ that he was pourged froÌ his olde synnes It is manifest also vnto euery man that Ihon and Iames y e holy Apostles of Christ wrote herof S. Iames most ernestlye defeÌding that AbrahaÌ was not iustified by onelie faith that is by a vayne opynion but by workes vndoubtedlie euen by true faith And yet with those and such lyke exhortacions wold not the faithfull Apostles of Christ mynishe his grace and merites magnifie the merites of man but rather w tstand the filthynes of such as neuer rightly knew nor lerned the faithe of Christ made yet their boast ther of to the greate offence and hinderaunce of y e weake For yf thei trulie had knowne it they had vndoubtedliled a more sober life Therfore whan the Apostles are ernesti prouoking vnto good workes they prouoke vnto y e true faith in Christ which is mightie in operacion worketh by loue And yet neuertheles thei ascribe al thinges to the grace of God yea euen the same workes which they requyre of the faithfull And that I here teach the true vpright doctryne of faithe all they shall affirme that haue but a litle searched tried and red the scriptures of the Apostles Augustine also a true faithfull teacher of the Christian church shall testifie that I haue here inuented no new thing For in his boke of grace and fre will the seuenth chapter he wryteth thus Such as haue not vnderstand what the Apostle saieth we holde that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of y e law Haue thought him to affirme that faith is sufficieÌt to a maÌ althoughe he lyue euyll and haue no workes which thing god forbyd the electe vessell shulde so meane who yet in another place whan he hath saide in Christ Iesu auayleth nether circuÌcision nor vncircuÌcision he addeth immediatlye therto But faith whiche worketh by loue Euen this is the same faith that separateth gods beleuers from vncleane deuels For thei also as the Apostle Iames saieth beleue and tremble but no good thinge do thei Therfore haue they not that faith out of the which y e iust lyueth namely which worketh by loue that god maye geue him lyfe acordinge to his workes But for asmuch as good dedes are of god of whoÌ we haue not onelie faith but also loue therfore the same teacher of the heithen named eternall lyfe it selfe grace This haue I alledged out of Augustine hetherto haue I opened declared how the scripture ascribeth rightuousnes vnto good workes and that y e same doctryne is not against y e Apostles teaching and iudgmeÌt which ascribeth rightuousnes vnto faith in Christ Iesus But for asmuch as vpon this mater of y e rightuousnes of workes there hangeth the questioÌ concernyng y e merites of good workes I wil adde herevnto a lytle touching the rewarde and merite of good workes chefelie to the inteÌt that no
trusteth vnto Christ For faith saieth thus The worde is nere vnto the euen in thy mouth and in thine hart Then addeth he therto This is y e word of faith which we preach namelye yf thou confesse Iesus with thy mouth that he is the lorde and beleuest in thine hart that god raised him vp from the deed thou shalt be saued For to beleue with the hart iustifieth and to coÌfesse with the mouth saueth For y e scripture saieth Who soeuer beleueth on him shall not be confunded Therfore is it no maruaill that this Apostle wryting to y e PhilippiaÌs reputeth al thinges but losse for the excelleÌcy of y â knowlege of Iesus Christ and iudgeth them but vyle desyringe to wynne Christ and to be fouÌd in him not to haue his owne rightuousnesse of the lawe but rather that rightuousnes which commeth by the faith of Iesus Christ Which thiÌges afterwarde immediatlye he setteth in y e true knowledge of Christes death and resurrection Here vnto I suppose serueth specially the very playne argumente of this Apostle whan he saieth Yf the inheritaunce shuld come by the lawe theÌ were it not geuen by promes But god gaue it frelie vnto AbrahaÌ by promes The worde of promes is this In thy sede c. For the saluacion setteth he vpon one onelie and not in many Now yf the inheritauÌce and blessinge were set in many then shuld it be geueÌ for y e workes sake But we all are blessed and saued in one and by one For as the curse by the synne of one reached ouer all men vnto condemnacion Euen so by the rightuousnes of one reacheth the gifte or blessing vpon al men to y e iustificacion of life For asmuch now as the blessing rightuousnes and redempcion is in the worde of trueth ascribed onlie vnto christ and seeinge our faith is directed straight vpon him euery faithful beleuer doth well vnderstande y e he is accepted vnto god thorow Christ not for his own self or for his workes sake For god dyd chose and ordeyne vs before because he wolde accepte vs for his owne children thorow Ihesus Christ in him selfe acording to y e good pleasure of him selfe to the praise of the ãâ¦ã of his grace wherby he hath accepted vs in y e beloued in whom we haue redeÌpcion thorow his bloud namely y e forgeuenes of synnes oute of the riches of his grace which he hath poured vpon vs. Herevnto also belongeth it that the Apostle saieth fayth commeth by hearynge and hearyng coÌmeth by the word of god For immediatlye therevpon doth the holy Apostle Paul adde out of the Psalme Verelye their sounde went out into all landes and their wordes vnto the endes of the world With all these most stronge testimonies of the scrypture I haue vndoutedly gotten the iustifying faith confidence trust that we are reconciled and accepted vnto god not by means of our selues or our own workes either of the lawââ of grace but for Christ and ââ merites sake For faith standing fast trusteth and leaneth vpon y e true promes of god euen vpon the lord christ and not vpon any of our workes Therfore is iustificacioÌ referred vnto faith because that what soeuer belongeth to saluacion and rightuousnes faith ascribeth it al to y e grace of god in Christe And thus by the nature of iustifyinge faith I haue shewed that onely fayth iustifieth now will I also declare out of the nature or propertie of mens workes that they doe not iustifie That no man is iustified by works is proued by the nature of works whether thei bee before or after iustificacion The. 11. Chapter WHat the workes of mans nature be namelie y e workes that are done by such as are not yet regenerate the lord him selfe in the gospell declareth saieth That whiche is borne of flesh is flesh Paul also speaking of the flesh saith To be fleshlie mynded or the mynde and wil of the fleshe is death enemitie against god for it naÌelie the fleshe and y e inclinacion of the fleshe is not obedient to y e lawe of god nether can be For we all by nature are children of wrath Now is euery one cursed that abydeth not in all thinges which are writteÌ in the boke of the lawe So farre therfore ar oure owne naturall woorkes froÌ iustifieng eny man that they rather condemne Moreouer of the workes of the lawe hath Paul the electe vessell spokeÌ thus we know that whatsoeuer the law saieth it saieth it vnto such as are vnder y e lawe that al mouthes maye be stopte and that al the wholle world maie be detter vnto god because that by the dedes of the lawe no fleshe is iustified in his sight He saieth also els where I refuse not the grace of god For yf rightuousnes come by the lawe then dyed Christ in vayne And yet more playnlie Yf there had bene mynistred a law which coulde haue geuen life then no doubte rightuousnes shuld come by the lawe But the scripture hath shut vp all vnder synne that by faith in Iesus Christ the promes might be geuen to those that beleue Now come we to the workes of faith or of grace which be called good works works of rightuousnes These saie thei these iustifie Answere Yf thei be good workes workes of rightuousnes then must thei nedes be wrought by good and rightuous people Wherout it foloweth that the workes go after rightuousnes and not before iustificacion for thei are done by those that be rightuous or iustified Whefore yf thei first folowe after then make thei no maÌ rightuous but faith it is that iustifieth And such as be rightuous theÌselues do worke rightuousnes or y t works of rightuousnes For it is written The rightuous shal liue by his faith And agayne who so applyeth himselfe vnto rightuousnes the same is rightuous iust Thus is faith the grouÌd and iust occasioÌ of vertue goeth before the workes of rightuousnes of faith and of grace nether is it first made out of workes Yf thou be not satisfied here with theÌ let vs set this coÌsideracion before vs not after y e things but after the personnes Thus Thei that work or do the dedes be either vngodly wicked people ypocrytes or els thei be godly rightuous and holie frendes of god No man by the grace of god will ascribe iustificacion to the workes of the vngodly and ypocrites for asmuch as it is written The lorde hateth the sacrifices of the vngodly And agayne The ypocryts hope shall come to naught his confidence shalbe destroyed his trust shal be a spyders webbe he shal leane vpoÌ his house but it shal not staÌd he shall hold him fast by it but yet shal it not endure And before him namelye beefore GOD maie no ypocryte stand As for y e godlie of whom it is written Ye are whasheÌ ye are sanctified ye are
scripture In Deuteronomye the lord commauÌdeth euideÌtli with these words ye shal not do euery one that which he thinketh good What so euer I commaunde you that loke ye obserue to do therafter Adde nothinge thereto nether myny she aught there froÌ Moreouer in the storie of Samuel there standeth an ensample herof For Saul the king of Israel being coÌmaunded to make a slayne offeringe of the Amalechites al their substauÌce dyd of a good intent self chosen gods seruyce reserue the fatteste oxen for a sacrifice vnto god But the prophet Samuel saieth vnto him hath the lord as greate pleasure in brent sacryfices and offeringes as whan the voyce of the lorde is obeyed Behold to obeye is better then sacrifice to herkeÌ is better theÌ the fatte of rammes For rebellyon is as the synne of witchcraft and stubburnes is as the wickednes of ydolatrie Here in these few wordes thou hast a godly coÌmendacion of self chosen relygion or gods seruice and of workes that spring of our owne good meanynges and good inteÌntes They that despisynge refusing the lawe of god folowe their owne good inteÌtes are of y e trueth called witches rebelles ydolatoures Although thei think them selues to be gods good seruauntes and feruent folowers of the tradicions of holye fathers bishoppes kynges and prynces yet god who can be no liar saieth euidently that the workes of such folkes doe nothyng dyffer from witchcraft rebellion and ydolatrie which are the most horrible thinges that caÌ be thought or deuysed The lorde therfore in the gospel out of the prophet Esay condemneth and refuseth all such self chosen works as proceade out of our owne good meanynges intentes whaÌ he saieth in vayne serue thei me while thei teach the doctrynes preceptes of meÌ Euery plantyng which my heaueÌly father hath not planted shall be rooted out Let theÌ go blynd thei are y e leaders of y e blynd Here of came it no doubte y e G. Paule so boldly stowtly said y e the coÌmaundmentes statutes of men are not oÌly coÌtrarie to the trueth but also very lyes In another place he saieth What so euer is not of faith is synne And agayn Faith coÌmeth of hearyng hearing coÌmeth by the word of god Wherby it maie wel be gathered y t the workes which are not done out y e worde thorow faith are so very naught y t thei be also called sinne To the ColossiaÌs doth Paul most euidentlye reiecte the selfe pleasing gods seruice ethelothreschian which is expounded a supersticioÌ signifieth a self willed selfchoseÌ religioÌ gods seruice Wherfore out of all this it is playne that we do not reiecte nor withstand vpright good workes whan we refuse the workes of monckes freres popish priests whiche proceade of the election and good intent of man without gods worde For now is it more certayne that they of a trueth are not good workes which we ymagen of our selues but onelye such as god hath commaunded vs. Which thing is yet more euident out of the wordes of S. Paul We are created saieth he thorow Ihesus Christ vnto good workes to the which god ordeyned vs before y t we shulde walke in theÌ Here setteth he two marks or euident tokeÌs of good workes The first we are created thorow Christ Iesus vnto good workes A good worke then must be done by such one as is created thorow Christ or graffed in Christ Iesu For yf the braunche abyd not in the vyne it can not bring frute By faith are we graffed in to christ the vyne The second Thei must not be euery nor al maner of workes but such as god ordeyned of olde that we shulde walke ther in What the same be he hath expressed in his law which is the wil of god Herof is it that the lorde in the gospel beyng demanÌded concernyng eternall life and true vertues poynteth to the law and saieth What is written in y e law And yf thou wilt entre in to life kepe the commaundmentes The ten coÌmaundmentes then are the most sure and most perfecte fourme of good workes Which thing to the intent it maie be perfectly vnderstand I will brefely declare it all as in a painted table The exposition of the. x. commaundmentes which ar the limites and precinctes of our good workes The. 19. Chapter TO the fyrst coÌmaundmeÌt thou must referre the fear of god faith in god and fynally most sure hope in trouble aduersitie IteÌ sufferauÌce vnmoueable vnshrinking stedfastnes To the second beloÌgeth the true to god acceptable vndefyled syncere worshipping likewise y e refusing denyal eschuyng of all supersticioÌ peruerted gods seruyce To the thirde y e reuerencyng of y e power maiestie of god also coÌfession true inuocacioÌ of y e name of god sanctifieng of y t same In y e fourth is coÌteyned the coÌelie obseruacioÌ of the cerimonies and rytes of y e church y e preachiÌg of gods word the commeÌ praier and al external mynistracions To the fifth maieste thou referre feare and loue towardes father and mother towardes thy natyue countre and kynsfolkes Item the right obedieÌce that we owe to magistrats and of al duties of a cyuile life conuersacion To the sixte thou shalt referre rightuousnes iudgment the defence of wedowes of the oppressed afflicted frendles Fatherles and Motherles children benefites and innocencye To the seuenth maye be referred matrymonyall plight and trothe the honest and godly bringynge vp of children diligence and exercise of clennesse sobernes and temperauncie To the eyght shalt thou referre equitye in bargaynyng liberalitie myldnesse and hospitalitie To the nyenth diligeÌt applieÌg of trueth thorow out the whole life to kepe faithfulnes fydelitie in wordes and workes to vse such wordes as are sober honest and maye edifie To the tenth referre good and holy desyres and finally all holye and honest thoughtes This is now a very short suÌme and fourme of good workes But yf thou desyre yet a shorter then harken vnto the Lorde himselfe sayeng in the gospell Thou shalt loue the lord thy god with all thy hert with all thy soule and with all thy mynde This is the chefe and greatest commanÌdment The second is lyke vnto it thou shalt loue thy neghbour as thyselfe Item what so euer ye wold men shulde do vnto you do you the lyke vnto them That the lord requyreth naught els of vs but the workes of the. x. commaundements is proued out of scripture The. 20. Chapter AL faithful beleuers which be desyrous to do good workes must directe theyr eyes hertes and myndes vnto these commaundmentes of the lorde And that with so much the more diligence and sted fastnes as they more euydently se y t god in the lawe and in the prophetes requireth nothing els yea none other workes of those that are his This maie I proue and maynteyne with most euydent testimonies of the most principal prophetes
Moses in his fifth boke saieth thus Now Israell What requyreth the lord thy god of the but that thou feare y e lorde thy god and walke in his waies and loue him and serue the lorde thy god with al thy hert and with all thy soule And that thou kepe the coÌmaundmeÌtes of the lorde his ordinauÌces which I coÌmauÌd the this daie Kyng Dauid also asketh Lorde who shal dwell in thy tabernacle And immediatly he answereth Euen he y t leadeth an vncorrupte life doing y t which is right and other thinges coÌteyned in y e ten coÌmaundmeÌtes Esay the prophet moueth the same question also and saieth Who is he among us that is able to abyde the eternall heate And he answreth EueÌ he y t leadeth a verteo life speaking that which is right doing the other thinges coÌteyned in y e x. coÌmaundmentes Ieremye in the. 22. chap. bringeth in euen the same thinges ernestly requyreth them saienge Thus the lord coÌmaundeth Kepe equitie and rightuousnes delyuer the oppressed from the power of the violent do not greue nor oppresse the straunger the fatherles nor the wedow and shede no innoceÌt bloud in this place And no other workes doth Ezechiel recyte thorow a long Registre in the eightenth chapter In Osea the lorde saieth I haue pleasure in mercy and not in sacrifice And in the knowlege of god more then in burntoff ringes Miche as also asketh what he shal do and w t what workes he must recoÌcyle himselfe vnto god And by gods reuelacioÌ he answereth I will shewe the O man what is good and what the lord requyreth of the Namely to do right to haue pleasure in louing kyndnes to walke lowly before thy god Lyke answere doth the prophet Zacharie geue vnto those that asked hym concerning vertues acceptable works Thus saieth the lorde of hoostes Execute true iudgmente shewe mercy and louyng kyndnes euery man to his neghbour do the wedowe the fatherles the straunger and poore no wrong And let no man ymagen euel against his brother in his hert Loue no false oothes for these are the thinges that I hate saieth the lord From this doctryne of the prophetes disagreeth not the doctrine of the Euangelistes Apostles which euery where teacheth loue righteousnes and innocency doubtles as the effecte summe of al good workes This now so plentifully and with so many testimonies of the scripture haue I vttered declared to y e intent no man hence forth shulde either doubte or be ignoraunte that those onelie are good workes which be done our of the good sprete of god thorow faith and acording to the scripture or word of god ¶ That the sayed proprietes of good workes are requisite iÌ dede to good works is declared by the confereÌs of the scriptures more plainlye The. 21. Chapter YEt ther resteth somwhat which I muste adde vnto the ende of the descrypcioÌ of good workes namely to confirme and make it more playne wyth the conference and agreement of the scripture I said that tyght good workes be done by such as are regenerate to the glorie of god to the bewtifienge of life and to the edyfieng of the neyghbour For vnto our good workes doth the lorde appoynte this end in Mathew and saieth So let your light shyne before meÌ y â thei maye se your good workes glorifie your father which is in heaueÌ IteÌ the Apostel Paul many tymes exhorting meÌ vnto good worckes addeth therto a thyng which might specially moue eny man Namelie that w t their godly workes thei shulde do worshippe vnto y e doctryne of our sauiour redemer in al thinges Now like as a coÌely honourable apparel doth bewtifie the maÌ so do right good works set fort and garnish maÌs life w t great commendacion And this is y e cause y t y e Apostles of Christ gaue so oft counsaill to laye asyde y e olde man to put on the new which is shapeÌ fashioned after god for therof coÌmeth praise and honour vnto vs. We are called be in dede y e seruauÌtes and children of god whose propertie and vertue appeareth in vs to the praise and magnifieÌg of his name Moreouer yf we do good he increaceth his giftes in vs continually the longer y e more considering he hath spoken Vnto euery one that hath shallbe geuen that he maye haue aboundaunce But who so hath not from him shalbe taken also euen that he hath And herof it commeth that vnto such as do well god is gracious and mercyfull replenishing theÌ with many yea and with temporall giftes and finally endeweth them with eternal life For y e Apostle Paul speaketh euidently and plainlie god shal geue vnto euery on acording to his dedes Namelie praise honour immortalitie vnto those y â with pacience in good woorkes seke eternall life And againe Praise honour and peace vnto all such as do good Howbeit in all good workes the iust and godlye ar appoiÌted to kepe these bouÌds and lymites that they will not seke their owne welth but the glorie and wil of god and finally the commoditie and profite of their neghbour For the Apostle Paul saieth Lette no manne seke that which is his own but let eueri maÌ seke y t which beloÌgeth to another Euen as I please all men in all thinges not sekyng myne owne profit but the prophet of many that they myght be saued Al godlie personnes therfore directe all their diligence exercise works to this end that they maye edifie many wherin they expresse and declare the nature of god whose children they be For he is enclyned and desyrous to shewe good-vnto all creatures And herof it commeth that his children also are well doers And in al thinges whatsoeuer thei take in haÌd thei haue stil before their eyes as the onelie marck of their life a delyte and desyre to do good The Conclusyon or peroration The. 22. Chapter THus much at this tyme haue I done concernyng the propertie nature disposicion cause end and operacion that is y e true right fashion measure of good works Out of y e which I trust this may chefelie be vnderstand how the lorde ascribeth the name of rightuousnes and Iustificacion to the good works of holy meÌ And how god in scripture is sayde to geue rewarde And that neuertheles the right and principall doctryne of our religion staÌdeth sure and vnmoued Namelie that we are iustified out of the grace of god for Christes sake by faith not by workes Wherfore there remaineth now nothing els but that for the true faith in the lord Iesu by y e which we are iustified we fal downe at the lords fete with ernest praier with feruent and deuoute cryeng callyng vpon his name in such forte that we put in practise thys talke and disputacioÌ had of good works Namely that as touching the faith which we professe in the lorde Iesus Christe we expresse shewe