Christian men to bere officies and authorities to excercise iudgementes to iudge thinges accordinge to themperours lawes or other preseÌ„t lawes of kynges and rulers to execute due punyshmentes by the lawe to holde batel or warre by the lawe to be a soudiour to coÌ„tracte or bargayn by the lawe to holde a thiÌ„ge in proprietie to take an othe when officers do lawefully require it to mary a wyfe to take an husbande They condempne the Anabaptistes whiche inhibite forbydde these ciuile offyces to christen men They daÌ„pne also those whiche do not putte the perfection of the gospell in the dreade of god and faythe but in leauynge forsakynge or gyuynge ouer of polytike and ciuile offyces For the gospel teacheth the eternal rightwisnes of the harte So that it destroyeth not the politike and ciuile gouernaunce but chiefly requireth the conseruation of the same as good ordenauÌ„ces of god to exercise and practise charitie in suche ordenaunces Therfore necessariely Christen men ought to obey theyr gouernours and their lawes saue wheÌ„ they commaunde sin for then they be rather bounden to obey god thaÌ„ man as it is sayed iÌ„ the fyfte chap. of the Actes Also they teach that Christ shal appere iÌ„ the ende of the worlde to iudge and shall rayse vp agayne all that be deade and shall gyue to the godly and electe people euerlastynge lyfe perpetuall ioyes but the wycked men and deuilles â—e shal condeÌ„pne to be tormeÌ„ted with out ende They daÌ„pne the Anabaptistes which thinke that the payne of euyl men and of deuylles shal haue an ende They dampne also other whiche nowe a dayes do sowe abrode iudaâ—cal opinions that before the ResurrectioÌ„ of the deade the wicked shal be oppressed in euery place the good men shal occupy possesse the kingdome of the world Of fre wyl they teache that mans wyll hath some libertie to worke ciuile outwarde rightwysnes and to chose out thinges subiecte vnto reason but it hath nat myght without the holy goste to do the ryghtwisnes of god or spiritual ryghtuousnes â—or a man lefte to the power of his owne soule whoÌ„ Paule calleth animalem hominem perceyueth not the thynges that be of the spirite of god but this ryghtwisnes is framed and made in the hartes wheÌ„ the holy gost is coÌ„ceyued by the worde This sayeth Austyne with lyke wordes iÌ„ his thyrde boke of hypognosticon We graunt sayth S. Austyne that euery man hauynge reasonable iudgement hathe free wyll not that he is able in thiÌ„ges perteyning to god without god ether to begyn or at the leste waye to make an ende but only in the warkes of this preseÌ„t life aswele good as euyl In good warkes I say which do issue forth of the goodnes of nature as to wyl to labour in the felde to wyll to eate and drynke to wyll to haue a freÌ„de to wyl to haue clothiÌ„ge to wyl to make a house to wyll to marye a wyfe to noryshe beastes to learne a crafte of diuerse good thinges to wyll whatsoeuer good thynge apperteyneth to thys presente lyfe of the whiche thinges none hathe beinge without the gouernaunce of god yea of hym and by hiÌ„ they be and began to be Euyll workes I say as to wyll to honour an Image or Idolle to do manslaughter cÌ„ They dampne the Pelagians other which teache that without the holie ghoste onely by strengthe of nature we may loue god aboue all thinges do the preceptes of god as touching the substaunce of the actes as they cal it For though nature can some what do the outwarde workes for nature maye kepe her hande frome killinge of meÌ„ yet she caÌ„ nat worke the inwarde motyons as the dreade of god the trust in god chastite pacience cÌ„ Of the cause of syn they teach that although god doth create conserue nature yet the cauâ—â— of synne is the wyll of them that be euyl that is to say of the deuyll of the wycked men which wyll when god helpeth not turneth it selfe froÌ„ god as Christ sayth in the eyght chap. of IohnÌ„ when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of hiÌ„ selfe Our techers be falsely accused that they prohibite and forbidde good workes For their writynges whiche go abrode of the .x. commaundementes and other of lyke matter do witnes that they haue taught profytably of all kyndes of lyuinge offices as what kyndes of lyuinge what workes do please god in euery callinge Of which thiÌ„ges prechers heretofore spake but litle only they magnifyed and did set forth chyldishe and vnnecessary warkes as certeyne holy dayes certayne fastinges fraternities guyldes or brotherhedes pylgrymages worshippynges of sayntes rosaries entringe into relygion and such other lyke Our aduersaries throughe our monition do nowe vnlearne leaue thys gere so that they preach not these vnprofytable workes so moche as they dyd before Furthermore they beginne to make mention of faythe of the whiche nowe this great while hathe bene meruelous sylence all though they cease not to obscure and darken the doctrine of faythe in that they leaue mens coÌ„sciences in a doubt bydding theÌ„ purchase remission of synnes with warkes But they teache not that throughe Christe by only faythe we may be sure to haue remyssyon of synne For as moche therfore as the doctrine of faythe whiche ought to be the chiefeste and principal in the churche hath lyen so longe vnknowen as we muste all nedes confesse that of the ryghtuousnes of faythe most depe and profounde sylence hath bene in preachinges that allouly the doctrine of workes hath bene exercised and coÌ„uersauÌ„t in churches therfore I say our teachers haue warned monished the churches of faythe in thys wyse as foloweth fyrste that our workes can nat reconcile god vnto vs or deserue remyssyon of synnes and grace and iustifycation but thys we gette only by faythe beleuynge that only for Christes sake we be receyued into fauour who only is sette forth and purposed vnto vs a mediatour a mercy stocke by whoÌ„ the father is reconciled and his fauour goten agayne Therfore he that trusteth to deserue fauour or grace with workes despyseth the meryte grace of Christe and seketh a way and cummynge to God with mannes power without Christ where as Christe sayde of hymselfe I am the waye the truthe and the lyfe This doctryne of fayth is euery where treated in Paule as to the Eph. 2. by grace ye are made saâ—e throughe faythe and that not of your selfe it is the gyft of god not of workes cÌ„ But here leste peraduenture a man wolde make cauillations and craftely lay for hym selfe agaynst vs that we haue deuised and founde out this newe interpretatyon of Paule I saye that all thys cause or matter hath for the mayntenance of it the authoritie and witnes of olde and aunciente fathers For S. Austyne in many volumes defendeth grace rightuousnes of fayth agaynst merites of workes
shal excuseys to al them that shal come after vs so that it can nat be layde to our charge ne any faute can be put in vs that the auctoritie of bysshoppes is minished and enfebled when men shall reade and heare that we albeit we desyre the bysshoppes nat to vse this vniuste crueltie towardes vs yet can we iÌ„ no wyse obtayne any maner equitie or ryght of them Of mans traditions in the churche IN the .xv. article they receyue the fyrste parte in which we say that those rites and ceremonies in the churche are to be obserued which may be obserued with out any syn and whiche helpe to the keping of tranquilite and good ordre in the churche The seconde parte they vtterly condempne in which we say that mans traditions instituted to appeace god to merite grace and to satisfy for synnes be contrary to the gospell Albeit in our confession coÌ„cernyng the choyse of meares we haue spoken many thynges ynough of traditions yet this natwithstaÌ„ding certayne thingê shal here brefly be repeted For although we thought that our aduersaries wolde for other causes defende the traditions of men yet we dyd nat thynke that euer they wolde haue coÌ„dempned this our article whiche is That we deserue nat forgiuenes of siÌ„nes or grace through the obseruyng of mennes traditions Syth therfore thys article is condempned we haue an easy and a playne cause Now our aduersaries do openly play the Iewes and do openly oppresse the gospell with deuillyshe doctrines For than dothe the scripture call tradicions the doctrines of deuyls wheÌ„ it is taught that they be seruices profitable to deserue remissioÌ„ of synnes and grace For then they endymme the gospel they minishe the benefite of Christ they annulle the iustice of faythe The gospel teacheth vs that we through faythe for Christes sake frely receiue remission of sinnes and be recoÌ„ciled to god Our aduersaries coÌ„trary wyse make another mediatour that is to wete these traditioÌ„s For the traditions sake they wyll obteine remission of sinnes by these they wyll appease the wrathe of god But Christe sayth openly They honour me in vayne with the coÌ„maundementes of men We haue herebefore largely disputed that men be iustified throughe faythe whan they beleue that they haue god pacified not for our workes but frelye for Christe This is vndoubtedly the doctrine of the gospell for Paule sayth playnly to the Ephesians Ye be freely saued through faythe and that not of your selues it is the gyfte of god and coÌ„methe not of men Nowe our aduersaries say that men deserue remission of synnes by these humane obseruaunces What other thyng is this than besides Christ to set vp a nother iustifier a nother mediator Paule saythe to the Galathians Ye be fallen from Christ ye whiche be iustified by the law â–ª that is to saye if ye thynke that by the obseruynge of the lawe ye deserue to be accompted ryghtuous in the syght of god Christe shall nothing auayle you For wherunto nede they Christ which thynke them selues to be ryghtuous by theyr owne obseruynge of the lawe God hath set forthe Christe vnto vs that for this mediatours sake and not for our iustices sake he wyll be mercyfull to vs. But these men thynke that god is pacified and made mercyfull for our traditions sake and not for Christê sake They take therfâ—â—e â—om Christ the honour and prerogatiue of a mediator Neyther is there any difference betwyxte our traditions the ceremonies of Moyses law as concernynge this matter Paule therfore condempneth the ceremonies of the lawe of Moyses lykewyse as he condempneth traditions bicause they were iudged to be workes whiche dyd merite iustice in the syght of god by reason wherof the benefite of Christe and the iustice of faythe were obscured wherfore he putteth awaye the lawe he puttethe awaye traditions and proueth playnlye that not for these workes sake but for Christis sake remission of synnes is freelye promysed so that by faythe we receyue it For asmoche therfore as by faythe ne receyue remission of synnes and syth through faythe we haue god mercyfull and fauourable to vs for Christis sake it is playne errour and heresy to decree that by these obseruauÌ„ces we deserue remission of sinnes If any man do here say that we deserue not by these traditions remission of synnes but that we being alredy iustified do by these traditions deserue grace here agayne Paule cryeth agaynst hym sayeng that Christ shuld be the minister of synne if after iustification it were to be thoughte that afterwardes we be not reputed ryghtuous for Christis sake but that fyrst we ought by other obseruations to deserue to be reputed ryghtuous Also to a testament made by man nothynge ought to be added Ergo to the testament of god whiche promysethe that for Christis sake he wyll be mercyfull vnto vs it oughte not to be added that fyrste by these obseruations we ought to merite to be reputed acceptable ryghtuous Howbeit wherto nedethe any longe disputation No tradition hath ben instituted by the holy fathers for this entent that it shulde merite forgyuenes of synnes but they haue ben instituted for cause of good ordre to be had in the churche and for cause of traÌ„quilitie And though any man wolde institute certeyn workes to deserue remission of synnes or ryghtuousnes howe shall he know that those warkê please god whan he hath no testimonie or witnes of the worde of god Howe shall he make men assured of the wyll of god withoute the coÌ„maundement and worde of god Dothe not god euerywhere in the prophetes forbydde to institute any peculiar maner of honour or seruice without his coÌ„mauÌ„dement In Ezechiel it is wryten thus In the preceptes of your fathers do ye not walke neyther do ye kepe theyr iudgementes ne be ye polluted with the ydoles of them I am your lorde god â–ª walke in my preceptes and kepe my iudgementes and worke ye them If it be laufull for men to institute worshyppyngê or seruice and by the sayde seruices they merite grace â–ª than shall the honourynge seruice of all nations be to be allowed than the honours instituted by Ierohoam other without the lawe shal be to be approued For what difference is there if it hath ben laufull for vs to institute seruices profitable to merite grace or iustice whye was not the same thynge laufull to the gentyles and to the chyldren of Israel But therfore were the honours of the Gentyles and of the Israelites disalowed because they thought them selues by the sayde honours to merite remission of sinnes and iustice and dyd not knowe the iustice of fayth Finally wherby be we made sure that honours or seruices instituted by men without the coÌ„maundement of god do iustifie For of the wyll pleasure of god nothynge can be affermed without the worde of god What if god dothe not accepte ne allowe these seruices Howe than do oure aduersaries afferme that they iustifie sythe this thynge can
worke it may holde her handes from murdre from adulterie from thefte Sythe there is lefte in the nature of man reason and iudgement of thynges sensible there is lefte also a choyse of these thynges and a libertie and power to worke ciuile iustice For yâ— doth the scripture cal the iustice of the flesshe whiche iustice carnal nature that is to say reason dothe worke by her owne selfe withoute the holy ghooste howbeit the strength of concupiscence is so greate that men do more often obeye and folowe lewde affections than the ryght iudgement And the deuyll who hath greate power ouer wycked persones as saynt Paule saythe dothe not ceasse to styrre and prouoke this weyke nature vnto diuerse and sondry synnes These be the causes wherfore euen ciuile iustice also is so seldome a thynge amonge men that as â—e do see not the philosophers them selues haue attayned it whiche seme to haue greately desyred it But this is a false sayeng to say that man doth not synne whiche dothe the workes of the coÌ„maundementê out of grace And they adde also more that remission of synnes and iustification is due of necessitie to suche maner workes For the hertes of men without the holy ghoste be without feare of god without trust towardes god they do not beleue that they be herde of god that theyr synnes be forgyuen that they be holpen and saued of god Therfore they be wycked But so it is that an euyll tree can not brynge forthe good frutes And without faythe it is impossible to please god Wherfore although we graunt vnto frewyll libertie and power to worke the outwarde workes of the lawe yet we graunt not to frewyll power to worke spirituall workes that is to witte to drede god truelye to beleue and truste in god truelye to decree with it selfe truelye and to thynke that god dothe loke vpon vs doth heare vs dothe forgyue vs. c. These be the verye workes of the fyrst table whiche maÌ„nes herte can not worke without the holye ghooste as Paule saythe The naturall man that is to saye man vsynge onely his naturall powers dothe not perceyue those thynges whiche be of god And this may be iudged if men consydre howe the hertes do thynke of the wyll of god whether they do verelye decree with them selues that they be fauoured and herde of god This fayth it is an herde thyng euen for holy men also to kepe and holde fast ergo moche lesse it is in wycked men and it is receyued as we sayd before whan hertê thrughly made affrayde do heare the gospell and do take consolation and conforte This distribution therfore or diuision is profitable in whiche ciuile iustice is assigned and gyuen to frewyll spirituall iustice to the gouernauÌ„ce of the holy hhoste in them that be regenerate and borne agayne in Christe For so is kepte and reteyned good ordre and discipline For all men ought to knowe bothe that god dothe require that ciuile iustice and that we be able after a certeine maner to ê‘fourme fulfyll it And yet neuertheles there is shewed the diuersitie betwyxte ciuile iustice and spirituall iustice betwyxte philosophicall iustice and the doctrine of the holy ghoste and it may be ê‘ceiued where we haue nede of the holy ghoste Neyther is this diuision fyrst inuented by vs â–ª but the scripture dothe moste euideÌ„tly teache it Augustine also treateth of the same and of late dayes it was very well handeled of Wyllyam of Parrhise but it is vngraciously and wyckedly troden vnder foote and oppressed by them whiche haue dreamed that men may obeye the lawe of god without the holy ghoste And that the holye ghoost is gyuen there where is respecte of merites ⧠Of the cause of synne THe .xix. article our aduersaries receyue in whiche we confesse that althoughe one god alone hath created made all nature and doth conserue and kepe all thingê that be yet that notwithstandynge the cause of synne is in the deuyll and men a wyll turnynge it selfe awaye from god accordynge to the sayenge of Christe of the deuyll Cum loquitur mendacium ex propriâ—s loquitur Whan he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne ⧠Of workes IN the .xx. article they put these wordê expressely that they do reiecte and disalowe our sayenge that men do not merite forgyuenes of synnes by good workes This article they do saye openly and playnly that they do reiecte disalowe What is to be sayd in a matter so manifest Here the workmaysters of the confutation do openly shewe and declare with what spirite they be moued and ledde For what is more certein vndoubted in the churche thaÌ„ that forgyuenes of sinnes coÌ„meth freely for Christê sake that Christe is the mercy stocke for our synnes not oure workes as Peter sayth To hym all the prophetê beare witnesse that in his name al they that beleue in hym do receyue remission of synnes To this churche of the prophetes let vs assente and agree rather than to these vngratious writers of the coÌ„futation whiche so boldely without shame blaspheme Christe For although there haue ben certein writers whiche haue thought that after the remission of synnes men be ryghtuouse in the syghte of god not by fayth but by the selfe workes yet dyd they neuer thinke this that the remission of synnes doth come for our workes sake and not freelye for Christis sake Therfore this blasphemye is not to be suffred that the honoure of Christe be gyuen translated to our workê These diuines be ashamed of nothiÌ„g if they dare pronounce suche maner sentence in the Churche And we do not doubte but that the Emperours maiestie and the mooste parte of the princis wolde in no wyse leaue this place remaynynge in the confutation if they were admonyshed ⧠⧠We coulde in this place recite infinite authorities and testimonies of the scripture and of the fathers but we haue sayd many thynges alredye of this matter heretofore And there is no nede to reherse many testimonies vnto hym whiche knowethe wherfore Christe was gyuen vnto vs and whiche knoweth that Christ is the mercy stocke for our synnes Esaie sayth The lorde hath layde on hym the iniquities of vs. Our aduersaries do teache the coÌ„trary that god dothe laye our iniquities not on Christe but on our owne workes Neyther it lustethe me here to tell what maner workê they teache We do se an horrible decree to be made agaiÌ„st vs whiche shulde feare vs a greate dele more if we dyd stryue aboute doubtfull or tryflynge matters But nowe for asmoche as our consciences do vnderstande and knowe that oure aduersaries condempne the manifeste truthe the defence wherof is necessarye to the hole churche and dothe amplifie and set forth the glorie of Christ we easyly despise al terrours and punyshementes of the worlde and with a bolde mynde we shall abyde and suffre if any thyng is to be suffred for the glorie of Christ and for
For Christ rebuketh the pharises whiche thought theÌ„ selues to be made cleane in the syght of god that is to saye to be iustifyed by theyr oft washinges euen as a certayne byshope of Rome sheweth of holy water that it sanctifyeth and clenseth the people And the glose sayth that it cleneth from venial synnes Suche were also the opinions of the Pharisies whiche Christ reprehendeth and he setteth against this fayned purgatyon two maner of clennes the one inwarde the other outwarde he byddeth that they shulde be made cleane inwardly and addeth concernynge outwarde clennes Gyue in almose of your superfluitie and aboundance and so all thynges shal be cleane vnto you Our aduersaryes do not ryghtly applye thys partycle or sygne vnyuersall omnia for Christe addeth thys conclusyon to bothe members Then all thynge shal be cleane to you that is to witte yf ye shall be clane inwardly and shall gyue almose outwardly For he sygnifyeth that outwarde clennes is to be sette in the warkes commaunded by god and not iÌ„ the traditions of men as then were tho ofte wasshinges and nowe a dayes is the dayly sprinclyng of holy water the habites of religious persons as they be called the deuersite choyse of metes and lyke pompes But our aduersaryes do corrupte the sentence with sophistrie translatynge the vniuersall perticle to the one parte alone All thynges shal be cleane to you yf ye gyue almose as yf a man shulde make thê reason S Andrewe is present g o ergo al the Aposteles be present Wherfore in the antecedente both members ought to be ioyned together in thys wyse Beleue and gyue almose so all thynges shall be cleane to you For the scripture sayth in another place that the hartes be purifyed by faythe That if the hartes be clensed and afterwarde almose dedes be put to outwardly that is to saye almanner workes of charite so shall they be cleane al together that is for to saye not onely within but also without And that hole sermone of Christe ought to be ioyned together of which there be many partes wherof certayne do teache of faythe and certayne of warkê And it is no ê“perty of a good reader to pycke out the preceptes of warkes leuynge out the places of faythe There be some also which do interprete it to be an Ironicall locution Gyue ye almose and all thynges be cleaue vnto you For Christe semeth dryly to checke the vayne persuasion of the phariseis whiche whan they had theyr myndes laden with moste lewde affections yet in the meane season because they gaue almose thought theÌ„ selues to be halfe goddes Thys interpretatyon is nat vnmete neyther hath it any thing in it selfe dissonante or contrary to the other scriptures We wolde put to also other places but that we thinke that by these places which we haue rehersed and declared all other lyke may easely be iudged But we shall yet adde this scolastical argumeÌ„t Ryghtuousnes must nedes be in the wyll g o ergo faythe whiche is in the vnderstandyng doth nat iustifye This argument we do therfore reherse that the hole matter myght be made more playne howe fayth doth iustifye and what Paule dothe call iustifycatyon And fyrst because of certayne wayward persons we shall answere artificiously Thê is playne in morall philosophie that iustyce is called obedyence towarde the superiour such as he accepteth and alloweth But faythe is an obedyence towardes the gospell Wherfore faythe is ryghtly called iustyce for obedience towardes the gospell is imputed and rekened for ryghtuousnes in somuche that obedyence towardes the lawe only doth therfore please because we beleue that god is frely gracious and louinge to vs for Christes sake for we do neuer satisfye the lawe Nowe althoughe this faythe be in the wyl for it is to wyl and to receyue the promyse yet neuer theles this obedyence towarde the gospel is not for our clennes imputed for ryghtuousnes but because it receyueth the mercy that is offered and thynketh that we be reputed ryghtuous for Christes sake by mercy and nat for our owne fulfylling of the lawe nor for our owne clennes So the mynde is to be called awaye from gasynge on the lawe vnto the gospell and vnto Christe and we must assure our selues that we be reputed ryghtuous when we do thynke our owne selues to be accepted for Christes sake and nat for our owne loue or for our owne fulfyllynge of the lawe And faythe differeth froÌ„ hope for faythe receyueth at thê present tyme remissyon of synnes recoÌ„ciliation or acceptatyon of our owne selues for Christes sake But hope is busye aboute the good thynges that be to come and aboute delyueraunce to come Secondarely Iustifycation here in thê place signifieth to be reputed rightuous Now god dothe nat repute a man ryghtuous after the maner that a man is reputed ryghtuous in the corte of causes or in philosophi for the iustyce of hys owne warkes whiche maye wele be put in the wyl But he reputeth a maÌ„ ryghtuous by mercy for Christes sake so that a maÌ„ do receyue hym by fayth Wherfore fayth may be called Iustyce for it is that thynge which is imputed to rightuousnes as paule is wont to speake in what so euer parte of man it be put For that dothe nothynge at all let goddes imputatyon howe be it we do put thys faythe in the wyll of man for it is to wyll and to receyue the promyse of Chryste And thys scolasticall argument thus debated because it dryueth the matter to an art the hole cause semeth moche the better to be perceyued By 〈◊〉 these thynges it maye be also perceyued what is to be iudged de merito condigni that is to wyt of the meryte of worthynes of whiche our aduersaryes do fayne that men be ryghtuous in the syght of god for theyr owne loue and fulfyllynge of the lawe Here is no mencion at al made of the iustyce of fayth and in the stede of Christe the mediator is put that we be accepted for our fulfyllynge of the lawe These thynges are in no wyse sufferable but as we sayd before though loue foloweth renouatioÌ„ yet maye nat the glorie of Christ be taken froÌ„ hym and geuen to our fulfyllynge of the lawe but it is to be thought that euen after the renouation also we be accompted iust for Christes sake and that Christ remayneth styl a mediator and mercy stocke and that by the meanes of Christ and for him we haue commynge and entre to the father and that we do nat satysfie the lawe but that we haue alwayes nede of mercy and that we be alwayes compted iust for mercye And thys thynge dothe the hole churche confesse that we be made ryghtwyse and saued throughe mercie as we haue heretofore recyted forthe of Saynt Ierome Our ryghtuousnes is not for our owne meryte but commeth of the mercie of god But so it is that thys mercy is receiued by faith g o ergo cÌ„ But se