tre such a tre such frute such a mā such works For all that is done in fayth pleaseth god are good workes And al that is done w tout faith dispeaseth god and are euyll workes Who so euer beleueth or thynketh to be saued by his works denieth that Christe is his sauiour For how is he thy sauioure if y u myghtest saue thyselfe by thy workes or wherto shuld he dye for the if any workes might haue saued the Verely thou shuldest haue dyed perpetually yf Christ to delyuer the had not dyed for y e and chaūged thy perpetual death in to his owne deth For thou madest the faute and he suffered the payne that for the loue he had to the or euer y u wast borne when thou haddest done nether good nor euel Nowe syth he hath paid thy debte y u nedest not no thou canste not but shuldest be damned if his bloude were not But syth he was punished for y e thou shalt not be punished if thou trust in him Fynallye he hath delyuered the from thy condemnacion and al euel and desyreth naught els of the but y t thou wilt aknowledge what he hath done for the and beare it in minde and y t thou woldest helpe other for his sake bothe in worde and dede euen as he hath holpen the for naughte and without rewarde O how redy wolde we be to helpe other if we knewe his goodnes and gentelnes towardes vs. He is good a gentle lord for he geueth vs frely Let vs besech you y t ar Christians to folowe his fotesteppes whōal the world ought to prayse and worship Amen ¶ He that thynketh to bee saued by his workes calleth him selfe Christe For he calleth him selfe his sauioure which pertayneth to christ only What is a sauiour but he y t saueth he sayth I saue my self which is as moch to say as I am Christ for Christ only is the sauyoure of the worlde We shulde do no good workes for y e entent to get the inheritaūce of heuen or remissyon of synne For who so euer beleueth to get the enheritaunce of heuen or remission of synne thorowe works he beleueth not to get y t for Christes sake And thei that beleue not that theyr synnes ar forgeuen thē and y t they shal be saued for Christes sake they beleue not the gospel For the Gospell sayth you shalbe saued for Christes sake synnes are forgyuen for Christes sake He y t beleueth not y e gospel beleueth not god So it foloweth that thei which beleue to be saued by their workes or to get remissiō of their synnes by their owne dedes beleue not god but recount him as a lyer and so vtterly deny hym to be god Thou wilt saye shall we then do no good dedes I saye not so but I say we shulde do no good workes for the entent to gette the inheritaunce of heuen or remissyon of synne For if we beleue to gette vs heuen thorow good workes thē we beleue not to get it thorowe the promise of god if we thynke to get remissyon of our sinne so the we beleue not that they are forgeuen vs for Christe and so we counte God a lyar For god sayth you shal haue the inheritaunce of heuen for my sonnes sake thy synnes are forgeuen the for my sonnes sake you say it is not so but I wyl wynne it thorow my workes So I condemne not good dedes But I cōdemne y e false truste in any works For al the works that a mā putteth confidence in are ther with povsoned and become euyll ¶ To god onely geue the glorye A dialogue wherin is brefely declared the longe continuaunce of y e Gospel taught as well to the vngodly as to the godly The cause of the destruction of the wicked And also the office of the lawe and the gospel William ¶ For asmuche as God hath constituted me a creature resonable and endued me w t an vnderstanding I am naturallye desyrous to knowe what end I am created to Gyles Thā shal it be necessarie for you to haue faith For he that shal haue to do with God or with godlynes muste fyrste of al beleue after y e holy scriptures William Than tel me what faith is by those holy scriptures Giles After y e saienge of saincte Paule it is a sure certaynie of godly thinges which we trust vnto a grounded euydence in the spirite of heauenlye causes that neuer were sene w t the eye Wil. What suppose ye most necessari to direct me into this faith Gi. The eternal Testament or gospel of Iesu Christe For that is the power of God vnto saluacion to al them that beleue Wil. Whan was this gospell fyrste taught Gil. Soone after the worldes begyunynge whan Adam had once offended leste that he shuld haue fallen in vtter despaire so haue bene loste for euer more Will. And hath the Gospel contynued euer syns to the cōforte of man Gil. Yea trulie and oft sins that time hath ben confirmed by more earneste promises from age to age tyll the meke Lambe came which tok awaye the synnes of the worlde through the shedyng of his most innocent bloud For the scripture saith that his mercye was plentuous from kyndred to kiudred to them that feared the Lorde Wil. Hath all men ben called to grace by that gospell of saluacion Gil. Yea doubtles haue thei yet haue thei not all thankfully receyued it So wel was it tought of our fyrst father Adam to Cayn as to Abel Sowel dyd Noe preache it to Cham as vnto Sem and Iaphet So well dyd Abraham shewe yt to Ismael as vnto Isaac So well Moyses to Pharao as to y e people of Israel Dauid to Ammon and Absolon as to Salomon Nathan Helyas to Achab and Iesabel as to the moste faithfull beleuers No lesse dyd Christe open therof to Iudas then to Peter Iames and Ihon. And so forth to the other Apostles and true preachers to this present daye So that none can excuse thē selfes Wyl Howe commeth it than to passe that so many are lost and styll yet dothe dalye perishe through their conuersacion and lycencious lyuyng Gyl No faute can be ascribed to the gospel but to their vnthankful receiuing of the fruites therof so frelye offred them The disdaynfull spurnyng asyde of that necessary health in christ is cause of their decaye and not the set ordynaunce of god which willeth all men to be saued Wil. If Adā thus receyued this Gospel and so taught it to his posterite it hath cōtinued much longer than I supposed Gil. The Gospel is as the lord is euerlasting For as witnesseth the apostle saint Iohn In the beginning was the worde the worde was with god and god was the worde Wil. Than was not Mathew with the other Euangelistes the fyrste wryter therof Gil. No god did wryte it firste in the natural herte of man and
ouer to be punished For it is red thus If there be a strife betwene men they shall come to the law and let y e iudges geue sentence betwene them and iustifie the rightuous and condemne the vngodly What canne thys be els but euen asmuche as to saye Let them discharge and quite free the rightuous iudge the vnrightuous to be punished For Esaye in the fift Chapter saieth yet more playnlye thus they iustifie the vngodly for rewards sake but condemne the iust cause of the ryghteous Which is euen asmuch to say as the righteous doe not they de clare to be righteous neyther delyuer they hym from the vilanye and wrong of the vniust but take rewardes and giftes and leaue him to the wilfulnes of violent oppressours Here vnto serueth it that is writte in the prouerbes of Salomon the 17. chapter The lorde hateth aswel him that iustifieth the vngodlie as him that cōdemneth the innocēt Item that out of the. 12. of Matthew Out of thy wordes thou shalt be iustified and out of thy wordes thou shalte be condemned Of the worde Iustifie cōmeth the worde iustificacion or iustifieng And the same is a iudicial terme in the scripture For iustificacion is the declaracion of the iudge who pronounceth sentence for the accused that is dischargeth and quyteth him free from y e accusaciō and threatned punishment Iustificaciō therfore is nothing els but a discharge delyueraunce and restitucion from death to life Herof is rightuousnes called a discharge and pardon frō synne And they be the rightuous whose synnes are forgeuen and which beyng a quyted frō death are become hieres of eternal life The Apostle Paul therfore more then in one place doth expounde Iustificaciō by y e name of redēpcion remission of synnes For y e which cause he setteth them both together y t one maie be vnderstāded bi āother For in y t Acts of y e Apostles he saieth Be it knowē vnto you therfore ye men brethren y t thorow this mā namely Christ is preached vnto you forgeuenes of synnes and that by him all that beleue are iustified frō al things frō which you could not be iustified by the lawe of Moses And to y e Romanes he saieth euen as Dauid also descrybeth the saluacion of that man vnto whom god imputeth righte ousnes wythout workes Blessed are they saieth he whose vnrighteousnesses are forgeuen and whose synnes are couered Blessed is that man vnto whom the Lorde wyll not impute synne Behold now how he ioyneth and knytteth iustificacion blessedfulnes or saluacion and remyssyon of synnes together So doeth Esaye also in maner wyth more playne wordes in the. 53. Chapter saying my ryghtuous seruaunte shall with his knowledge or with the knowledge of him iustifie the multitude for he shall beare away theyr synnes For thys last he shal beare away their sinnes doeth in maner expound that whych goeth beforewyth hys knowledge or wyth the knowledge of hym shal he iustifie and deliuer the multitude Thus he declareth that iustificacyon is nothyng els but remyssion of sinnes For whan the lorde taketh away our wyckednes he iustifieth vs. To iustifye therefore and to beare synne away to delyuer frō synne or to forgeue synne is all one matter So that we lack now no more but to say iustyfycacion is the remission of synnes the discharge from damnacyon the deliuerance I saye and forgeuenes of synne yea euen the receauing vp of a sinner into the grace of god and inherytaunce of lyfe Wherfore whan the questyon is asked concernyng the true iustificacyon of man vndoubtedly it is demaunded what that maye be for whose sake or by whō sinners are discharged frō the threatned and deserued death or by whose meanes our synnes are forgeuen vs. Or Wherein is the worlde reconcyled with god And so in thes poynts consisteth the whole knowledge of our iustificacion that whan we haue knowne the mediatour redemer the fourm and maner of the redempcion y e fashion and meane also wherby the delyueraunce cōmeth vnto vs is geuen vs the iustificacion of a Christian mā may lykewise be vnderstande ¶ Uvhat is to be held of y e mediator as who he is and the maner of iustificacion as howe he delyuereth vs. The. 3. Chapter BUt to the intēt y ◠no darke nor doubtfull thing remayne in eny mans mynde I wil first declare what is to be holden of the Mediator or intercessor what the maner of iustificacion is All this wil I set forth before mens eyes y t euery one maie vewe se it Namelie y ◠Christ Iesus is y ◠same for whose sake the father is pacified and contented In such forte y t he imputeth not sinne vnto vs but cōpteth vs righruous iust For Christ hath take our synnes vpon him selfe satisfied for them with his innocent death hath geuen vs his owne rightuousnes Then wil I shewe how we becōe partakers of this rightuousnes For in this mater must speciall respect be had to these two poyntes Namely who is y e mediator redemer of y e damned how he hath delyuered thē y t is after what sorte we become pertakers of the redempcion and iustificacion or how the deliuerance extendeth to our commodite and welfare To speake of the fyrst imagen thou nowe by thy self that god the righteous iudge of all sitteth vpon hys iudycyall Throne before whō stand al mē and before accused as vngodlye and vnfaythfull stayned and defyled wyth al vyces and are conuicte of the same by meāes wherof the sentence of condemnacion is called for and required The men haue vtterly nothing wherby to excuse themselues nether is there aught els to loke for but that they altogether shalbe caried forth and hurled awaye to damnacyon and eternall death Neuertheles in thys greatest and final daunger there appeareth to the most woofull mankynde an exceadyng great hope namelye the eternall sonne of god who to be arbiter mediatoure betwene god and man and to delyuer thē from destruction that were condemned vnto death tooke oure fleshe vpon hym and became very man to the entente that he beynge tormented and sufferynge death might also lade our sinnes vpon hym and wyth hys innocent death to take away our gyltines purginge our sinnes with his bloud and making vs heires of eternall lyfe Wyth thys ensample I think it euidently inough vttered and declared what the mediatour is and what is iustificacion I suppose also euery man doeth well perceaue and vnderstande that Chryst the mediatour and the in carnacyon wyth the crosse of the Lord Iesu is euē the same right principall poynt and only cause wherby we are iustified made rightuous But here might an vnreasonable and vnequal hearer or reader crye against me and saie Thou shuldst byde by thy promes bringinge forth gods scripture and not ymagined ensamples For at the first thou diddest promes a pure and syncere conference
e same maner of speche whan he saieth ther is no power but of god Item in y e first epistle to the Corinthiās Euen so knoweth no mā what is in god but the sprite of god And againe I shewed not my selfe forth amonge you that I knewe eny thing saue only Iesus christ that was crucified These and such like sentences innumerable in the scripture signifie nothing els then yf thou shuldest saie This onelie poynte shal open you the entraunce vnto me agayne yf ye bring your yongeste brother with you Oure eyes see but onlie Manna and nothing els Onelie that which y e lorde committeth vnto me maie I doe and speake This onelie requyreth the lorde of the y t thou loue him All power is onely of god Onelie gods sprite knoweth the thinges that are in god I haue compted my selfe to knowe onely Christ that was crucified Seynge thē it is thus vndoubtedlie and no man can denye it to be most euidently spoken also of Christ and Paul namely that no man is made lyuing iust or rightuous but by faith It is much to be wōdred that certayne famous men which will be reputed to be syngularly lerned braule chyde so vehemētlie against vs for that we saie we are iustified onelye by faith For Christ and Paul haue spoken so afore Why goe thei not to rebuke thē yf thei thinke them to haue failed therein We speake but as we haue learned out of thē the sense meaning of oure doctrine we finde in them For very childish is it y t thei obiecte Namely that this word onelie or alone is not added of them For this is euen one thing as yf a scholar wolde thinke the scholmaster had not geuen him leue to go forth whan he had asked him Syr geue ye me leue to go And he made him answere I geue And dyd not expreslie saie after the cōmen maner Yea. For either of both the saiēges geueth one vnderstāding Euen so whā thou saiest we knowe that no mā is iustified but by faith Or we knowe that a mā is iustified onelie by faith The saienges are all one meane one thing And whā it is saied that a man is iustified by faith not by workes is it not euen asmuch as to geue euident testimonye that a mā is iustified onelie by faith The Apostle saieth they are made rightuous frelie or for naught by his grace But howe can eny thinge be don frelie or for naught that is done for rewarde or worker Doubtles yf we be iustified frelie thorow the grace of Christ then is it not done by workes For in the xi chapter also saieth this Apostle Yf it be of grace thē is it not now of workes for els grace then is nomore grace but yf it be of workes then is it now no grace for els were deseruing then nomore deseruyng Therfore in the most assured trueth we knowledge be stedfastly persuaded that a Christian man is iustified by the helpe and mynistracion of onelie faith Faith standeth or leaueth vpon the grace of god and not vpon mans strength But vnto god it ascribeth altogether as I wil shortlie declare hereafter at large ¶ Iustificacion is taken not onelie from workes of the law but also from all maner of workes as frō faith in y t it is a work The. 9. Chapter IN y e fore recyted cap. cōcludth the holy Apostle the whole mater of iustificacion thus We holde therfore that a mā is iustified by faith without the workes of y e lawe And in y e fourth chapt he declareth euidently that rightuousnes is imputed vnto vs by faith not by workes meanynge not onlie the workes of the lawe but all maner of workes acordinge as he saieth also to the Ephesians By grace are ye saued thorow faith that not of youre selues It is the gift of god and commeth not of workes least eny man shulde boast himselfe For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesu vnto good works which god ordeyned y t we shulde walke in them By grace saieth he are ye preserued or saued assuredly iustified thorow faith For faith apprehendeth laieth sure holde vpon grace And to the intēt that no body here shuld ascribe aught to the strength of man he addeth And that not of youre selues For nether grace nor faith commeth of you What then vpō y t he addeth immediatly It is the gift of god vndoubtedly that we are iustified and also that we beleue Yea he setteth yet one thing to it Not of works lest eny man shulde boast himselfe For in the prophet Ieremy also the lorde will not that eny man glory or reioyse saue onelie in his mercy Yet ther folowth a cause We ar his woorkemanship c. Why wold erth claye then lifte vp it selfe against the potter of whom he hath what he is hath And so this place doth euidently ascribe iustificacion vnto faith taketh it from workes ¶ Faith iustifieth not in y t it is a worke but in that it trusteth to the mercie of god thorow Christe The 10. Chapter ALl this shalbe yet more playn and more perfectly vnderstand and known whan I shall shewe that this iustifieng faith holdeth and beleueth y t we are accepted vnto the lord not for our selues or for our own works but for Christes sake That is faith trusteth not vnto workes or deseruinges but to the promes of god and to the merites of Christ our lord Therfore whan Paul saieth to the Romaines that Christ our lord is of god set forth vnto the world to be y e mercy seate or reconcyler thorow faith in his bloud he teacheth and declareth euidently y t faith trusteth vnto y e bloud that is vnto the death merites and redempcion of Iesus Christ And treating largelie and perfectly of this mater in the fourth chapter he wryteth thus Neuertheles it is not written onelie for him namelie Abraham that it was rekened vnto him for righteousnes But also for vs to whō it shalbe so cōpted yf we likewise beleue on him that raised vp Iesus our lorde from the dead which was delyuered vp for oure synnes raised againe for our iustificaciō With these wordes he sheweth vs two thinges The one that faith is compted vnto vs for rightuousnes The other that y e same faith leaneth and trusteth vpon the lorde Iesus Christ who dyed for vs and was raised vp agayne That is faithfull beleuers cōpte themselues rightuous and iustified because thei vnderstand by faith that Christ dyed for them to take a waie their synnes And that he was afterward raised vp agayne to make them lyuinge for whom he had payed the rawnsome and reconcyled them And in the tenth chapter of this epistle whan Paul holdeth and compareth the rightuousnes of the lawe and the rightuousnes of faith together the one against the other he declareth playnlie that the rightuousnes of the lawe trusteth vnto workes but y e rightuousnes of faith