¶ The summe of the holye scripture and ordinarye of the Christen teachyng the true Christen faithe by the which we be all iustified And of the vertue of baptesme after the teaching of the Gospell and of the Apostles with an informacyon howe all estates shulde lyve accordynge to the Gospell Anno. M. CCCCC.XXIX Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber SEing that all persones can not rede or vnderstonde all bokes to th eÌ„tent that every man may knowe whate ys the foundacyon of all the scriptures and whate thinge they do teache vs. I haue shortly compyled in this present boke the foundacyon and the somme of the holy scripture of the which the hede and princypall is the faith â—from whome procede hope and charite To thintent that euery maÌ„ may knowe whate he shall beleve whate he shall hope whye he shall love god and howe god is oure father and we hys children and howe that we be enheriters of the kingdome of god as shewith vnto vs saint Paul in all his epistles in divers chaptersâ— whiche be many tymes alleged and recyted in this present boke Also howe that without oure merites we be iustified to thintent that we shuld not put oure trust in oure good workes as dyd the Iues. Neverthelesse albeit that I wryte in this boke that God iustifieth vs wyth out oure good workes and merites it ys not myne entent to discounsell eny maÌ„ to do good werkes but myne euient is to teche all persones howe they shall do the werkes and that they shall not trust vpoÌ„ theire good werkes nor in theym to seke theire helâ—â—â— â–ª but all only in the feith of Iesu Christ and in the grace of god This faith had Abraham as writeth saint Paule vnto the Romayns Ro. 4. For Abraham beleved agaynst hope in hope That is to saye that whiche by mannes nature and vertue was impossible he beleved alwayes hit shulde come to passe evyn as god had promysed them So must every christen lyve ageinste hope in hope that is to sey hit behoveth that he repute all his good workes for sinne and thinke that if god wolde iudge him accordinge to his workes he might not be saved For if I haue done eny good hit is of God and not of me for I haue done it by the grace of God and therby I deserve no reward And if I haue done eny thinge of my silfe without the grace of god hit is ypochrisye and greate sinne and therby I deserve euerlastinge deth wherfore then shall I trust in my good workes for I haue no good workes all my goodnesse belongeth to god So shulde a christeÌ„ huÌ„ble him silfe and repute all his good workes for sinne as truely they be As sheweth vnto vs Esaye saying all oure rightuousnes be as a clothe polluted with the floures af a woman Esa. 64 â–ª And when the person so distrusteth of him silfe and of his good workes he shall hope agayn ageinst hope and shall trust in the mercy of God and shall beleve forth on certaynly that he shal be saved bycause of the worde of God For god hath promysed to vs his realme to all theym that trust in him and god is faithfull and veritable in his wordes wherfore seyng that god hath promysed it vnto vs â–ª let vs beleve it stebfastly and haue ferme fayth that we shal be saved not by oure deserving but by the promyses of god And so it behoveth that euery christen dispere aÌ„d hope as dyd Abraham dispeyre of him silfe and then a newe to trust in the worde of god And these be the two thinges which the lawe and the gospell doth The lawe maketh vs to dispeyre because that we never fulfill the coÌ„maundementes of god â–ª These gospell that is to say the grace of the newe testament maketh vs agayn certeynly to hope and to trust And for to teache these two thynges be wrytten all the criptâ—res The parson shall alweyes abideâ—â— humylyte and alweyes thynke that if god wolde iudge hym according to hys workes he shulde never come vnto helth As sheweth vnto vs Iesus christe in Lu. 17 S. Kuke sayng when ye haue done all the thinges whiche to you are commauded say ye we be vnprousitable servauntes we haue done but oure dutye And thys is the verey Christen humylite as in this present boke shal be more pleynly declared And if we can thus repute all oure good workes for sinne aÌ„d in theym to have no maner of trust and then ageyn beleve that we shal be saved by the promyses of god we be the children of Abraham of whome all the scriptures bere witnesse that by his faith he was iustified and gat helth And for that cause he is called the father of belevers and of the feithfull And this ys the fayth wherof I wryte here iÌ„ this boke to thintent that all parsones myght come to knowledge and knowe whate ys the Christen sayth Of the whyche all the scriptures do speake and namely the Gospell after S. Iohn and the epistles of S. Paule for heryn do these two apostles coÌ„prehend all other scripture And for bicause that it behoueth that the parson beleve that his faith iustifieth him and not his workes I haue shortly compyled here and declared howe the fayth doth iustifie vs and howe we be the children of God and howe we must serve oure father by charite and howe that we shalt nothyng doubt of oure helth bycause of the wordes of God And when a parson getteth thys hope he learneth to bere pacyenly all tribulacyon and adversite For he knoweth that this lyfe ys not hys lyfe and hath greate desyre aftrr the other lyfe and holdeth not this lyfe for hys And this maketh the fayth the whiche ys alwayes affectuously attendaunte after Christ oure espouse But he that hath not this fayth is all desolate when he hath mysfortune and yf to hym yt happon well he gyveth hym silfe to voluptuosite and sinne And for bicause he hath no hope of the everlasting life he thinkes in him silf I will vse this life as long as it is leÌ„t me And that he doth bicause he knoweth not whate oure feith is whate our hope is howe that we be the children of God To thintent therfore that none gyue him silfe to sinne by desperacion I have shortly compyled in this present boke howe that we be iustified with out oure merites For when eny parson hath done his best with all his power as I haue seyd then let him say yet that he is an vnproufitable servaunt And the humble her te wherby he knowlegith his imperfection maketh that his sinnes his evell thoughtes and the fragilite of his flesshe to him be pardoned of god and that lytell that he hath god gyveth it him of him silfe and god is his iustice that is to saye god maketh him rightuous for Iesu christ hath satisfied for vs vnto his heveÌ„ly father for to come in socoure to oure infirmite And this describeth
yn the holye scripture that ys to sey we be the childern of the fayth For by the meane of oure fayth we be saved as Abraham was iustified by his fayth and hath gotten by hys fayth that all they that shall haue suche fayth may lyke wyse be iustyfyed For this cause whosoever hath not the fayth of Abraham nothing can come vnto hym of that whiche Abraham beleved That ys to say when God ys not thy hope and thy comforte when thou abydest not wyth a stedfast trust vppon God when thou art not redy to suffer and endure all thinges namely also the deth for the loue and honour of god And also to lose all that thou hast in the world thou art not the childe of Abraham For Abraham was redy to all thinges wherunto god wold send hym Suche was Iob when he sayed Iob. 13 Albeit that he kill me I will put my trust in him And the wise saieth Pro. 12 Whatsoever thing come to the rightuous let him not sorowe And saint Paâ—le saieth who shall separat vs from the love of Iesu Christ Ro .8 shall tribulacion persecucion â—werd or deth And as saint Petre saieth 1. Pet. 3. who is he that may hurte you if ye be haunters and folowers of goodnesse For all that ever comyth vnto the when thou hast this feith be it of maÌ„ or of the devell all comyth to thy proufit As saieth saint Paule vnto the Romains To theym that love God all thinges be helping and avauncement to good Ro. 8. And therfore pray we alweyes that the will of god be done For as he is not here come as he seyd him silf to do his will Mat. 6. but the will of his hevenly father So shall Iohn 5 not the good Christen desyre that hys owne will be done but the will of God And therfore shalt thou bere al thinges paciently as did Abraham with a stedfast feyth knowing surely that god will not forsake the for god is thy father and thou art his childe And it behoveth that he do with the what him pleaseth For seyng that he is all good he will nothing but thine helth None can have suche a feyth if he haue not therwith the love of god And he that hath the loue of god hath fulfilled the lawe for all the scriptures teache vs none other thing but that we loue god with all oure hartes and oure neyghbour as oure silf as it is writen in saint Mathewe Mat. 22. None is a true christen but he that hath this loue All other be rather ypochrites then Christen For all good workes which be not done by charyte and of good will are all synne byfore God as saieth saint Austyn He that doth good ageynst his will he doth evill albeit that that that he doth be good For all that I do ageynst my will I hate it And when I hate the commaundement I hate also him that hath coÌ„maunded it And as long as the parsone ys suche he may not be rightuous â–ª for none may be rightuous but he that kepeth fulfilleth the commaundementes of God by charyte and with a ioyfull hart And this is a singular grace of god And therfore may none be proude of it for he caÌ„ not haue it of him silf So hath a man nothing of him silf wherwith he may exalt him silf For without God can we do nothing Iohn 15 As Christ him silf sayeth wit out me caÌ„ ye do nothing No not ones haue of your silf one good thought as sayeth saint Paule 1. Cor. 4 whate hast thou that thou hast nor receyved wherfore there is no wey more sure to come to everlasting life then to humble him silf byfore God and to pray hym humbly of mercy nothing trusting in hys good workes but with a ferme trust forsaking him silf to knowlege alweyes to god his imperfection For we can come to nothing by oure good workes if we put eny trust in theym For they are nothing eis but sinne and stinking byfore God when God helpeth vs not by hys grace Esai 64 As saieth the prophete Esaie We are all made vnclene and all oure iustice is as yt were a clothe of a womaÌ„ that suffreth the fluxe of bloude And therfore I can never merveyle ynough that many of the religyous parsones wolde make other parttakers of thyre good workes by bretheryeldes and fraternytees seyng that Christ saieth yn the Gospell After that ye haue done all that to you ys commaunded say ye we be vnproufitable servauntes we haue done but oure duetye For none can do to moche None doth more then he ys bound to do but onely Iesu Christ whyche 1. Pet. 2. onely as sayeth Saynt Petre the apostle yn his .ij. epistle Never dyd synne nether was there deceyte found yn hys mouth hath done that he was not bound to do And as sayeth the Prophete Esaye hath taken vppon hum all oure languores Csa 53 And all oure sorowes dyd he beare he was wounded for oure inyquytees he was beten for oure offences and by hys strype spottes were we made hole His iustice was onely parfait iustice for he hath done that he was not bouÌ„d to do But we of our silves wheÌ„ we do our best yet can not oure iustice be parfeyt when after oure advice we do more then we are bounde to do yet be we vnrightuous and if we will be rightuous so must goddes rightuousnes make vs rightuous for as sayeth saint Paâ—le Christ of god to vs is made wisdome iustice sanctificacyon and redempcion to thintent that as it is wryten He that reiâ—yseth shuld reioyce in the lord 1. Cor. 1 Saint Paule also teacheth vs yn all his epistles that Iesus Christ is oure iustice and that by him we shal be saved aÌ„d by none other Nowe seest thou well that none can do to moche For of him silf none can do ynough and that we must take oure comfort of the satisfaction of Iesus Christ. Then whye will some sell vnto vs they re merytes aud good workes and make vs parttakers of theym And if it be not that suche ypochristes forsake they re trusting vppon there good workes and that they lerne for to trust vppon the iustice aÌ„d satisfaction of Christ they theym sylves shall never be saved For the Pharesey had done many good workes but bycause that he stode well yn hys owne conceyte gloryfyed and bosted hym sylf therof therfore he was forsaken of God ¶ In whate thing lyeth the Christendome Chaptre .xiiij. TKen lyeth the verey Christianyte in this thing that thou do all thing that Charyte proceding from thy faith iudgeth to be agreable vnto god And wheÌ„ thou hast all done with the lest evill that thou canst that thou iudge thy silfe yet an vnproufitable servaunt and that by all thy good workes thou hast yet deserved nothing or yf there be eny thing well done that it apartayneth to god albeit that by his goodnesse he will
do with vs ▪ for we be his we live or dye saith saint Paule Ro. 14. For this cause he that with a stedfast faith suffereth and endureth paciently all thinges tribulacions is a christen And this is the faith and the stedfast stone vppon the whiche the cristente is founded For in this doing we beleve ād trust stedfastly that god is oure father and that he will not forsake vs albeit that nowe he do here chastise vs for as I haue sayd there can be no more certayn signe that god loveth the. thē whē sorowe and tribulacion happeneth vnto the. for all the scriptures of the newe testament promyse vs here nothing but sorow and sufferaunce ¶ Of the most certayn weye to come to salvacyon Chaptre v. THis must euery Christē knowe that none syns the tyme of Adam vnto this day hath deserved the euerlasting life by his good workes And that none by his good workes shall deserve it Hebre. 7 as writeth saint Paule vnto the Hebrewes The lawe hath brought nothing vnto perfection wherfore all they do erre that thinke that then they shal be saved whē they haue done many good workes And like wise all they that thinke that they shal be dampned when they have done no good For good workes make no mā certeyn that he shal be saved And he that hath done no good is not also certeyn that he shal be dampned The workes can gyve no maner certeynte For the Pharisey that had done moche good whiche loked for grete reward of god was reproved and despised Luke ◠As writeth saint Luke where the pharisey thanked god that he was not as other were extorcioners vniust aduoutrers nor as the publican was and bosted him silf of his good workes And the publican that had done no good and confessed mekely his sinnes was of God receyved vnto grace for this cause to thintent that euery man may knowe that god hath no nede of oure good workes for to save vs with all I will declare here first how we be iustified and obteyne helth First we must knowe that by the originall sinne we were made subiectes and servauntes vnto the devell and none yn the world mought helpe vs for all mankinde was dettoure vnto God And that worse was we did not knowlege oure mysery nor are socoure of god Then when there was no comforte nor meane to helpe vs and to deliver vs ageyne from the subiection of the devell Oure god almightye by his greate mercy and goodnesse of him silf hath willingly suffred that his onely begotten son Iesu Christ was made mortall man for vs to thintent that by his deth whiche he had not deserved he might by vs ageyn and delyuer vs from eternal deth wherunto we were all subiectes As writeth saint Paule saying Ro. 5 If it be so that by the sinne of one man that is to sey of Adam deth hath reygned vppon many moche more the grace of god and the gyft of grace of one man Iesuchrist aboundeth vppon many Ephe. 2 And vnto the Ephesians Blessed be God father of oure lorde Iesu christ whiche hath blessed vs with a spirituall benediction by his son Christ. Thus is this grace comen hoelly to vs from god of his goodnesse and not by oure meryte or good workes For we dyd not knowlege oure bondage and subiectyon nor dyd not ones desyre to be delyvered from oure myserye Then for asmoche as the devell dyd se◠honde vppon Chryst to whome he had no right for bicause he had not sinned christ hath gotten right vppon vs agaynst the devell and hath made vs fre and delyvered vs and we be made his heyres and all his glory is ours as saint Paule doth largely declare in all his epistles This hath God gyven vs without oure deservyng and we nede not to laboure for these thinges For we haue all this alredy As witnessith saynt Iohn saying Iohn ◠Behold whate love the father hath shewed on vs that we shuld be called the children of God And in the same chapter sayeth he Derely beloved nowe are we the children of god This helth hath god gyven to vs willingly by hys sonne Iesu Christ. For Iesu Christ ys bycome man to satisfie vnto hys father for vs and to make oure peace with hys father Ro. 3 And as writeth Saynt Paule vnto the Romayns sayīg we be iustified frely by the grace of God and by the redempcyon whyche ys in Iesu Christ. So ys Christ made a mediator and a peace maker bywene God the father and man As sayeth saynt Paule vnto the Hebrewes he may make theym safe for ever that come vnto god by hym Hebre. 7 he is allweyes lyving for to praye for vs Suche an hyghe prest it becometh vs to haue whiche is holy harmles vndefiled separat from sinners and made hygher thē hevens And by his deth it is graūted vs that we be christen and children of God Gala. 3. As lyke wise teacheth saint Paule saying Ye are all the children of God by the faith whiche is in Iesu christ And for asmocheas Iesu christ is made man he is also made oure brother And seyng we be his bretheren we be also heyres of his glory whiche he hath with his father as sayth saint Paule vnto the Romayns whiche hath not spared his owne sonne Ro. 8. but hath gyvē him for vs all howe shall he not also gyue vnto vs all thinges with him We be then sure that all that is Iesu Christes is ours if we can beleve it Some man mought demaund Hath god the father willingly gyven vs all this hath none deserved it No truely None hath deserved it None by his deserving or good workes hath enduced god to do this But he hath done it of him silf and by his greate mercy Hiere 3◠as saieth the prophete Ieremy In a perpetuell charite I haue loved the And therfore haue I had compassion on the and haue taken the to mercy Iohn 3. And Iesu christ saieth in the gospell of saint Iohn God hath so loved the world that he hath gyven his onely begotten sonne to thintent that whosoever beleve yn him shuld not perisshe but haue everlastīg life as wryteth S. Paule If a lawe had byn gyven which might haue iustified the iustice shuld haue byn truely of the lawe Gala. ◠But the scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne to thintent that the promyse shuld be gyven vnto the belevers by fayth And vnto the Romayns If God be for vs who is he that may be againste vs as though he wold saye Ro. 7. None for we haue receyved all thing of god with his sonne But whate thing haue we receyved this lybertye from the subiection of the devell that is remission of all sinnes that ys the ioy and glory of the everlastinge life And this hath god gyven vnto vs by his sonne as saint Paule sayeth vnto the Hebruwes The bloude of Christ whiche by the holy
ghost hath offred hym silfe without Hebre. â— spot vnto God hath clensed oure consciences from mortall workes for to serve vnto the lyving God And therfore we haue no nede to laboure by oure good workes to get euerlasting lyfe for we haue that alredy we be all iustified we be all the children of God God hath gyven vs all thys of him silf without oure deserving Some man might say I will also do sumwhate to thintent that I may be so moche the more certeyn to be saved All they that say so and all they that thinke that they re good workes helpe eny thing or proufit for to get the gift of saluacyon they blaspheme ageynste God and robbe god of his honoure and speke ageynst the might and goodnesse of God Gala. 5 as wryteth saint Paule If ye be circumcised Christ shall nothinge proufit you that is to say if ye put eny trust in the lawe or in any workes Christ shall not helpe you And yet sayeth saint Paule in that same Chaptre whosoever will be iustified by the lawe is fallen out of the grace of god Howe may the wordes be more clere wherfore al they blaspheme ageynst the dyvine puissaunce that will eny maner wey deserve by they re good workes for this cause we must do oure good workes alweys by love to the proufit of 〈…〉 not for the necessite of oure hâ—â—th for by Iesu christ be we made sure of the euerlasting life as it is bifore said They that by they re workes will satisfie vnto god be agaynst God as though God were not puissaunt ynough of him silf without the helpe of oure werkes for to pardone vs oure sinnes and as though the passion of Christ were not vertuouse ynough without oure deservinges for to helpe vs to come vnto heven Therfore say I we must allonly hoelly trust in the grace mercy of god not in oure workes or els christ shall nothing proufit vs. ¶ Howe that by the onely grace of God and by nothing elles we be saved Chaptre vi NOwe might some man sey I knowe wel that god is mightie ynough to save me without my workes but I caÌ„ not tel whether he wil do it if it be not that I live therwith al rightuously paraueÌ„ture my good werkes shal enduce hiÌ„ to make me rightuous to save me or els he wolde not do it All they that so saye or thinke as I haue said blaspheme against the goodnesse of god as though god were not of him silf mercyfull aÌ„d good ynough except he were first stered vnto mercy by oure werkes Ro. 4. Not withstoÌ„ding that saint Paule sayeth that the promesse was not made vnto Abraham by the lawe but by the iustice of the faith And seyng also that of his proper nature he is nothing els but goodnesse and mercy as he hath alweyes taught and shewed wheÌ„ he was teaching in the world for he hath never dispysed nor left none discomforted of eny thing that eny hath requyred him but onely suche as wold not beleve Wherfore thou must knowe ones for all that by the onely grace of god we be saved And god will not that thou put thy good workes or thy iustice with his pretending to helpe him by thy workes for he will do it a lone and will haue no maner helpe For he hath no nede of the couÌ„sell nor of the dede nor of the workes nor of the iustice of any other Ephe. 2 For saint Paule saieth By grace are ye saved thorowe faith and that not of your silves for it ys the gift of god and cometh not of workes lest eny man shulde bost himsilf Now were it possible to speake it more pleynly and vnto the Romains Ro. 5. Being iustified by fayth we are at peace with god And saynt Iohn saieth He is the recoÌ„ciliacion for oure sinnes 1. Iohn The deth of Iesu christ and his iustice be vertuous ynough for to take awey all the sinnes of the world Nowe might one demaunde whi will god iustifie vs and so save vs of him silfe God doth it to thintent that he make hys goodnesse and mercy vnto vs more clere and more open Ephe. 2 As writeth saint Paule vnto the Ephesians God that is riche yn mercy thorowe the grete love wherwyth he loved vs even when we were dâ—ed by sinne hath quykned vs with Christe by whose grace ye be saved and with hiÌ„ hath reysed vs vp and with him hath made vs sitte in hevenly thinges thorowe Christ for to shewe in tyme to come the exceding richesse of his grace in kindnesse towarde vs thorowe Iesus Christ. Here seest thou by these wordes the cause whye god will do it alone for if god shuld iustifie vs aÌ„d shuld gyue helth bicause of oure workes he shuld not do it by his goodnesse but oure workes had deserved it and so shulde we not nede to thanke God therfore but moâ—ght ascribe it to oure selves and vnto oure workes But saint Paule and all the prophetes do teache vs that we be iustified and haue gotten helth by the onely grace of God and not by oure deservynges for we haue none And as god wyll that we do not thanke laude or loue other then alonely him Also like wyse will he not that we serche elswhere or of any other helth but of him onely for god wil be oure helth and oure savioure alone and he will not that we serche els where comfort but in him and of him and not in oure silfe nor in oure good werkes And for this cause thus writeth saint Paule vnto Titus But after that the kindnesse and loue of oure savioure appered vnto man not of the dedys of rightuousnesse which we haue wrought but of his mercy he hath saved vs by the fonteyne of the newe birth with the renewing of the holy gost whiche he shed over vs abundauntly thorow Iesus christ oure savioure TituÌ„ 3 And therfore whosoever thiÌ„ke to haue deserved the kingdome of heven by his rightuous life he robbeth god of his goodnesse for god hath frely iustified vs of hiÌ„ silf oure lord him silf hath seid in the gospel of S. Ioh None may come vnto me except my father that sent me drawe hiÌ„ Iohn 6 And in an other place without me ye caÌ„ do nothing Iohn 15 god spake by the prophete Osee O Israel thi perdicioÌ„ comith of thy silf alonely of me cometh thy helpe Osee. 14 And saint Paule vnto the romains Ro. 9. The enerlasting life is not his that will or that râ—neth after it but it is in the hondes will of god to gyve it to whome he will by his mercy Therfore erre all they that thiÌ„ke that god owith to theym the euerlastiÌ„g life or that they haue deserved it when they haue done many good workes for that thing that god onely gyveth to whome he will that wold they take froÌ„ him plucke it out of
it behoveth that thou beleve him stedfastly without ony maner waveringe to thinten that thou knowe that it is all grace and not deserving and that the wordes and promyses of god be verey certein and true for god hath called vs his children as saint Paule saieth Because that ye are sonnes god hath sent the sprite of hys sonne into oure hertes crying Abba father Then arte thou nowe no servaunt but a sonne Gala. 4 and if thou be a sonne then art thou also heyre of god by christ aÌ„d so be we delyvered from oure sinnes and from the bondage of the devell and made heyres of the kingdome of heven by the benefit of Iesu christ He beleveth in god that putteth all his trust and hope in god and in the iustice of god living after his power accordinge to the rule of charite having no maner hope nor trust in the world in his good works or good life but alonly in the goodnesse of god and in the merites of Iesu christ beleving certeynly that god will hold to hym that he hath promysed remission of sinnes and certeynte of everlasting life He that doth so is a true christen and beleveth stedfastly that the wordes of god must nedes be true Notwithstanding that according to his workes he thinketh it a thing ympossible Neverthelesse he beleveth that he shal be saved without deservinge of any good workes rather then the wordes of god and all thinges that they do promyse shuld not come to passe As writeth saynt Paule of Abraham which beleved rather that his wife whiche was bareyne out of thage of generacyon shuld conceyve a childe rather theÌ„ the promyse of god shuld not be fulfilled And by this fayth was Abraham reputed iuste byfore God not by his good workes So behoveth it that euery christen do albeit that it seme to him ympossible to be saved bycause he hath done no good he shall neverthelesse stykke stedfastly vnto the goodnesse and mercy of God and vnto hys worde yn suche maner that he doubt not yn nothyng Lu. 2â— For Christ sayeth in Saynt Luke Heven and erth shall passe but my worde shall never passe Of this sayth wryteth Saynt Paule vnto the Romayns Ro. 10. whosoever shall call on the name of the lord God shal be saved He therfore that calleth vppon hym on whome he beleveth not that he may helpe hym loseth but his laboure Therfore thou must first beleve in hym And then if thou call vppon hym with suche a fayth as we haue spoken of thou shalt be saved Of this fayth speaketh also the prophete Esaie as recyâ—eth Saynt Paule the apostle yn the forseyd Chaptre All they that beleue yn hymshall not be ashamed And ageyn saint Paule Ro. 10 If thou confesse with thy mouth that Iesus is the lord and that thou beleue with a perfaict herte that God hath reised christ froÌ„ deth thou shalt be saved And the word that Christ preched first as recyteth Saint Marke was The tyme is full come and the kingdome of god is evyn at honde repent and beleve the gospell Mar. 1 Of this faith writeth lyke wise saint Iohn and they be the wordes of Christ vnto Nicodemus as Moyses lift vp the serpent in wildernesse even so must the sonne of man be lift vp that no man that beleveth in him perisshe but haue eternall life Iohn 3 God so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely sonne for the entent that none that beleve in him shuld perisshe but shuld haue everlasting life And a lytell after he that beleveth in him shall not be coÌ„dempned and ageyn in the same chaptre He that beleveth on the sonne hath everlasting life and he that beleveth not the sonne shall not see life but the wrathe of god abideth vppon him By all these escriptures here maist thou see that we be all the children of God alonly thorowe faith and this had God lever promyse vnto vs bicause of oure faith then bicause of oure good workes to thintent that we shuld be so moche the more certeyn of oure helth And therfore saith saint Paule by faith is the enheritaunce gyven that it might come of grace that the Ro. 4. promyse be sure and stedfast to all the seade for if god had said whosoever will do suche or suche workes shal be saved we shuld ever haue byn iÌ„certeyn whether we shuld haue byn saved or not for we shuld never haue knowen whether we had dogood ynough to haue deserved the lyfe eternall But nowe god hath promysed it vnto vs bicause of oure faith by hys favoure not by oure workes to thintent that we be the more sure therof For let vs beleve stedfastly and we may knowe for certeyn that we be the childreÌ„ of god Not that we haue deserved it but bycause he hath promysed it And it must nedes be that the word of god be true for this cause if we haue perfeit trust in god and beleve perfeitly in him we shal be sure that we shal be saved It was suche a feith that saint Paule had when he seid 2. Ti. â— I knowe and am sure that he to whome I haue coÌ„mitted and gyven my gage to kepe ys mighty ynough to kepe it for me tyll that day And ageyn I haue fought a good batayl 2. Ti. 4. I haue fulfilled my course and haue kept the faith from hensforth is leyd vp for me a crowne of rightuousnesse whiche the lord that is a rightuous iudge shall give me at that day Not vnto me onely but vnto all theym whiche love hys coming 1. Ioh. 3 And saint Iohn saieth Derely beloved nowe are we the sonnes of God And yet it hath not appered whate we shal be we knew that wheÌ„ he shal appere we shal be like hiÌ„ for we shal see hiÌ„ as he is This faith had also saynt Martine at the houre of his deth when he saide vnto the devell whye art thou here thou bloudy beest thou hast nought in me the seed of Abraham shall receyve me This suertye had likewise saint Imbrose when one axed hym if he feared not the deth he answered whye shuld I feare seyng that we haue one so good a lordâ— For this cause must we love the deth and more desyre to dye aÌ„d to be with god as dyd saint Paule then to feare the deth Phi. 1 for Iesu christ is deede for vs to thintent that we shuld not feare to dye And he hath flayne the deth and hath destroyed the streynght of deth as writeth saint Paule saying 1. Cor. 15 O deth where is thy victory It is swalowed and brought to nought by victory Phi. 1 And vnto the Philippyans Christ is my life and deth is to me advauntage ¶ Howe that feith bryngeth Charyte and Charyte good workes Chaptre .viij. NOwe might one axe when I beleve certeynly that I am the childe of god that Iesu christ hath satisfied for me vnto hys hevenly father
sinnes then he doth a worker of good workes proudely bosting him silf truâ—ling in theym For as it is said God hath loved better the publicaÌ„ then the pharesey hath shewed more love vnto the poore opeÌ„ sinners then to the phareseys ypochristes to whome it semed that they had fulfilled the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god that god coude nothyng demaund of theym For they reproved Iesu christ that he was frende of the sinners that he ete amoÌ„g theim Mat. 9. Oure lord demauÌ„deth nothing but the hert and when he hath the herte he regardeth not whether we fast pray or here masse or whether we bere blewe or gray For all suche outward thiÌ„ges be indifferent bifore god When oure hartes be ruled in God according to the doctrine of the gospell it is all one whate thing we do for we haue alweyes love whiche teacheth vs whate thing we must do or leve vndone for love doth nothing in vayne For this cause an humble hart not abyding vppon his good workes though he do theym but putting all his hope and trust in god and founding him silf vppon his goodnesse grace and mercy belevyng stedfastly that god hath all satisfied for vs and that of him silf he hath iustified vs gyuen vs helth doth purely and liberally without demaunding eny wages all the service and all the good he can alweyes knowleging him silfe to be dettour vnto god and axing grace Suche an hert is onely plesaunt vnto god Some might nowe sey I beleve wel all this that I am the childe of God and I must serve god by love and kindnesse in knowleging onely by my service the godnesse that he hath done vnto me but whate shall I do for the better how shall I shewe vnto god my kyndnesse and loue Albeit that we have oft touched thys mater byfore yet we will declare yn the Chaptre folowing more pleynly the thinges that shall be nedefull to thys purpose ¶ Of good workes and by whate meane they be most pleasing to God Chaptre .xij. FOrasmoche as I haue moche spoken of the feith and trust yn god to thintent that the evill aÌ„d perverse whiche interprete and take all thinges to the worse and corrupt theym shall not sey that I do lerne and counceyle you to do no good workes I will nowe shewe you whate thinges ye shall do I haue many tymes seyd that fayth bringeth Charyte and charite good workes For if thy feith induce the not to do good workes then hast thou not the right fayth Thou doest but onely thinke that thou hast it For saint Iames sayeth that faith without workes is dede in it silf Ia. 2 He feith not that it is lytell or feble but that it is deed And that that is deed is not Therore when thou art not moved by feith vnto the love of god and by the love of god vnto good workes thou hast not the feyth but the feith is deed in the. for the sprite of god that by feyth comith into our hertes to styre vp loue can not be ydell Euery one doth as moche as he beleveth and loveth as moche as he hopeth Iohn 3 As wryteth Saint Iohn he that hath this hope that he is the sonne of god purifyeth hym silf as he is pure He seith not he that purifyeth him silf hath this hope for the hope must come byfore proceding from the feith as it behoveth that the tre must first be good whiche must bring forth good frute TheÌ„ it behoveth to know first that ye are the children of God and afterward to laboure But whate shall we do we shall do and lyve so with oure christen bretheren as Christ hath lived and done with vs that is to sey as Iesu christ hath offred him silf to vs and for vs so must we present give oure silves as it were a Christ for to serve theym and to socoure vnto theire nede Phi. 2. As saieth Saint Paule Let the same mynde be in you the which was in Christ Iesu which being in the shape of god aÌ„d thought it no robberi to be equal with god Neuerthelesse he made him silf of no reputacioÌ„ toke on him the shape of a servauÌ„t aÌ„d all for our proufit And so must we helpe serve comfort one an other as Iesu christ hath done with vs. we may not seke oure owne proufit avauÌ„tage or honoure but al thiÌ„ges profitable vnto our neighbour alweyes miÌ„dfull to procure the honoure of god that in al thiÌ„ges we helpe oure christeÌ„ brother for so warneth vs. S. paule that none seke his owne profit but his neyghboures that all that we do be vnto the honoure of God we must set byfore vs the lyfe of Iesu Christ as a rule of all thing that is expedient for vs to do or to leve vndone we must take payne to folowe hym in mekenesse in love in swetnesse and in compassyon And to lyve so with oure neyghboure as Iesus christ hath lyved with vs. For Iesu Christ was not borne for hym silf nor hath not lived here for hiÌ„ silf but for vs. He sought not his owne honoure but his heveÌ„ly fathers Likewise shalt thou not seke that is proufitable vnto the but â—ovenable vnto thi neighbour As teacheth vs saint Paul in al his epistles namely in the first vnto the CoriÌ„thieÌ„s I seke â—or 10 not saieth he that that is necessary proufitable vnto me but that that is proufitable to many to thintent that they shuld be saved Ephe. 4 And vnto the Ephesians He that robbed let him robbe no more but laboure rather with his hondes and that is good to thintent that he haue wherof to gyve to him that hath nede Ga. 6 And vnto the Gaiathiens Bere sayeth he eyther of you others charges and burdons so shall yon fulfill the lawe of god And for bicause that we speke nowe of good workes It must be knowen that we must do some workes for our silves some for oure christen bretheren but all for the love and honour of god Theym that we shall do for oure silves teacheth vs Eol 3 saint Paule seying that we must mortyfie in vs all evill desires and all carnall operacyons as vnclennesse covityze wrathe blasphemye detraction pryde and other lyke vices Ro. 6 And vnto the Romayns That sinne reygne not in your mortall bâ—dy that is to sey albeit that we caÌ„ not lyve without the mocyon of suche evill desyres we shall not suffre theÌ„ to rule in vs but shall mortyfie theym in resisting theym Whate we shuld do for oure Christen bretheren teacheth vs like wise saint Paule sayng Serve ye one an other by love bere ye one an others burthen For christ commaundeth vs to exercyse the workes of mercy wherof he shall hold his iudgement All other workes that men do at this day in the churches be rather found by auarice then commaunded of god except the prayers whiche
may in no wise be done to get money but alonely by loue yn praying one for an other Behold nowe seest thou well howe grete occasyon thou hast to do good For thou hast alweyes occasion to mortyfie thine evill desires to serve thyne neyghboure to comfort hym to helpe hym with worke with worde with counceyl with exhortacyon and by other semblable meanes In suche loue towardes oure neyghboure for the loue of God lyeth all the lawe and the prophetes as sayeth Christ Ye and all the verey Christente and nat in fasting keping of halydayes watching praying and synging long prayers dayly and all day hering of masses setting vp of candels runnyng on pilgremages and other suche thinges whiche aswell the ypochrites proude people envious and subiectes to all wikked affections doo Ye aÌ„d many tymes enforce theym silf more there vnto then the good christen But so to serve and socoure the one the other by verey love can none do but they that haue true faith and the verey love of god And whosoever so loveth his christen brother he is alweyes ioyfull in his conscience For he knoweth surely that he is the child of god and that God is his good father and is well content in his courage of all that god sendeth vnto him But he that hath not this love is alweyes sory full of anguisshe and woteth not whate to do to deserve more he fasteth he kepeth halydayes nowe of one saint nowe of an other He seyth his prayers nowe bifore one altre nowe bifore an other He renneth on pilgremage nowe here nowe there and can never come vnto the rest and quyet of his coÌ„science For suche workes make no man sure but make rather ypochrites trustyng in they re workes But the verey faithfull cleveth to god for he knoweth that he may never satisfie nor do ynough to deserve the everlasting life And therfore he putteth hys trust yn god beleveth stedfastly that he hath satisfied for vs that he hath iustifyed vs. And therfore it is all one to hiÌ„ whate thiÌ„g he do so that he please him exercyse charyte to his neyghbour for the love of god for he knoweth that God demaundeth nothing but the hert aÌ„d that he regardeth not howe we doo the worke so that yt be according to the teachiÌ„g of the gospell whiche commaundeth but charyte And so comith he by feyth and trust in God vnto rest and quyet of hert and conscience and is well coÌ„tent to dye wheÌ„ it pleaseth god ¶ Of .iiij. maner of feythes after the holy scripture and whiche is the Christen feyth Chaptre .xiij. THis present Chapitre bycause I haue moche spoken of faith that scarcely of a thousand one knoweth not this feith teacheth of how many maner feithes there is made meÌ„cioÌ„ in the holy scripture not as do now the doctours whiche have founde many maner of feythes I will onely speke of iiij maner of feithes whiche are most comunely fouÌ„de in the holy scripture The first faith is this whiche the marchauntes hold one to an other and feithfull frendes wherby they kepe promyse and fidelite the one to the other Eccle. 2â—â—nd 27 wherof speketh the wise saying possesse or kepe feith with thy frende in his povertye to thintent that in his welth thou mayst be ioyfull And ageyn he that discloseth the secret of his frende loseth his faith And in the Proverbes He that gyveth his faith for a straunger shall be vexed with evell And this is the faith wherof the worldly people complaine seying there is no feith in the worlde The seconde feith is when we beleve that a thing is to come and suche thinges as we here or rede as we beleve that Rome is a Cytie in Italye or that Cartage was destroyed of the Romayns and this we beleve although we haue not sene yt Also we beleve that Iesu Christ hath he relyved on erth and that he hath preached and that he is dâ—ed for vs and that he hath done many other thinges when we beleve these thinges after the story we beleve that this is oure christen faith The simple people aloneli doth not beleve this but also many doctours in Theologye which are taken for wise Ye the devell hath also this faith as sayeth saint Iames The devels beleve and tremble Ia. 2. for as we haue seyd byfore the devell beleveth that god is god and that Iesus Christ hath here preached that he was deed buryed rysen This must we also beleve but yet this is not the faith wherof speaketh the gospell and saint Paule The third faith is that we beleve that god may all thinges and that he is rightuous good and holye This faith haue also the devels and Iudas had it also aÌ„d other disciples that did miracles in the name of Iesus but they were therfore never the better for when they bosted theym silves and were ioyfull that by they re faith they expulsed the devils in the name of Iesus Lu. 10 Iesus Christ hath reproved them saying Ioy not you that the spretes be vnder your power but reioyce bicause youre names be writen in heven 1. Cor. 1â— Of this fayth writeth saint Paule vnto the Corinthians saying If that I had all feith so that I coude move mountaignes oute of they re places and yet had no love I were nothing The .iiij. faith is oure Christen fayth wherof so moche speake Iesu christ saynt Paule and saint Iohn and sey that it ys the foundacion of christendome And this is the feith wherof I speake in this boke None hath this faith but they that put all they re trust hope comfort refuge and fynally all theire helth in god alone serching all these thinges in him and loking for theÌ„ of him and not of they re deservinges or good workes Of this feith speaketh saint Paul saying whosoever call on the name of god shal be saved Ro. 10 And the prophete Ieremye Blessed is that man that trusteth in the lord god Iere. 17 And Christ in the Gospell To thinient that none that beleve in him shuld periss he but shuld haue everlasting life Iohn 3 And in the boke called ParalipomenoÌ„ Beleve in your lord God and you shal be assured and without thought Pa. 20 Beleve his Prophetes and all happy thinges shal come vnto you And almost all the Psalmes all the prophetes and all the leves of the holy Byble teache vs that we must beleve and hope in God by a sted fast fayth wherof speaketh so moche Saynt Paule the apostle and whiche he prayseth so moche in all hys epistles And as we haue abundauntly sayd in the Chaptres byfore none may comprehend thys fayth but he that considereth whate was the fayth of Abraham As wryteth saynt Paule vnto the Galathyans saying Abraham beleved God and yt ys rekened to hym for ryghtuousnesse Ga. â— For by hys fayth hath he obteyned that he ys called oure father and we be called hys children