our sauiour Iesus Christ his wordes Luc. 17. When ye haue done what so euer I commaunde you saye ye we are vnprofitable seruaūtes But because that throughe fayth we haue felowship with the onlye begotten sonne of God Rom. 10. whereby it cometh to passe that his perfect obedience is imputed vnto vs for our owne and al that is wanting and lacking in vs in our workes is most perfettly supplied by it As the Apostell doeth testifye sayinge Christ is the fulfyllinge of the lawe for to iustifye all them that do beleue And in an other place Christ is made vnto vs of God holines wisedome righteousnesse and redemption Secondely our good dedes shall be rewarded or crouned because that god of hys mere mercy hath bound him selfe thereto by his promisses as it hath ben declared before by the textes that wee haue aleadged Wherunto doeth saynt Augustin agree Augu. in psa 32.109 and in manye other places where he sayeth Fidelis dominus qui se nobis debitorem fecit non aliquid a nobis accipiendo sed omnia nobis promittendo That is to saye The Lorde is faithfull who hath made him selfe a debtoure vnto vs not by receauinge anye thynge of vs but by promissinge vnto vs all thinges Here we learn how god is become debtour vnto vs 1. Cor. 4. and hath bounde him selfe to croune or reward our good works not by receauing any thinge of vs for what haue we that we haue not receaued Rom. 11. and if we haue receaued whye doe we boeste or glory asthough we had not receaued Agayne who gaue him fyrste and he shall be recompensed but by his faythfull promisses whiche he hath made vnto his electe and chosen people DYDI. What so euer ye saye of the reward I meane why and wherefore it is geuen vnto oure good workes yet it can not sinke in to my headde but that we may by them meryte or deserue some parte of oure saluation PHI. How coulde that be The causes why we can by our good workes merit no part of oure saluation neyghboure Dydimus syth that we are not our owne men but are wholye the Lordes of whome we haue bene created fyrst and afterwardes redemed from synne and eternall death by the price of his bloude Ye are bought sayeth S. Paule wyth a greate price And in an other place We are the Lords whether we lyue or dye None of vs do lyue vnto him selfe What merite then canne we pretende 1. Cor. 6. or what rewarde canne we claime of him whose we are wholye or altogether Therfore eyther let vs take away this absolute power of God which he hath ouer vs all as ouer his owne peculiar good Rom. 14. or let vs acknowledge that it is not meete for seruauntes to boaste and bragge of theyr meryttes agaynste theyr master nor yet to aske for rewardes If the master doeth accepte the faithfulnesse and diligence of his seruaunt and doth impute it vnto him for a meritte iudginge him worthye to be made free that oughte to be attributed vnto his goodnesse and not vnto dutye as thoughe he were bound vnto him therefore We are all debtours vnto God when we haue don all that we can do we haue but paied our debt because that he is faitfull and serueth fayethfully and truly For the seruaunt so doinge doeth but his dutye and onlesse he shoulde do it he were worthy of punishement No man excepte he be of a singular good nature wyll geue thankes to his debtour because that he hath paied him his debte And the debtour were verye impudente or shamelesse if he as thoughe he had wel merited woulde therefore claime a rewarde because that he hadde payed his debte He that beinge a seruaunte or a debtour doeth that thinge which he is bounde to do can boaste of no merite But such are we al yea when we be alredy made righteous and do the things that we are commaunded to doe Let neuer this sayinge of Christe go out of oure myndes When ye haue done what so euer I haue commaunded you saye ye we are vnprofitable seruaunts But how manye of vs canne do the tenthe parte of that whiche we are commaunded with such a perfection as God requireth What can we then meritte or deserue Adde vnto it that we are not onelye seruaunts and debtours to God in al things but also so void of al goodnesse and Godly strength that we can not as muche as thinke a good thinge 2. Cor. 3. muche lesse that of oure selues we shoulde be able too performe it in dede so that we haue nede that al our sufficiency or ablenesse be ministred vnto vs by the diuine grace of god Therfore the Apostle doth plainlye affirme that it is God Phi. 2. that worketh in vs both the wyl the deede accordinge to his good wyll That then we wyll anye thinge that good is and do in dede perfourme it it cometh not of our owne wyll and strength but it is both the wyll and worke of God workynge in vs accordinge to his good pleasure Whence then haue we oure fayth loue hope the fear of God patience in aduersitye Whence haue we oure good wyl and strength to doe good If we haue these thinges of our selues we haue wherein to glorye or reioyce But if we haue al these thinges of the gratuite and fre grace of God what doth it folow but that we ought rather to geue thankes to the goodnesse of God than to Obiecti ∣ on 8 boaste of our merites EVTRAPE I was once in a place where they made this obiection agaynste me Be not these saye they the wordes of the Apostell 2. Timo. 4. I haue foughte a good fight and haue fynished my course I haue kept the fayth from hence foorihe then is layed vp for me the croune of righteousnesse whyche the Lorde the righteouse iudge shall geue me at that daye What coulde be spoken more playnelye than thys For the Apostell doth make mention both of the worke that he hadde done and also of the rewarde that he loked for at Gods handes DYDI. I would fayne heare what answer ye made vnto them For this obiection is made many tymes againste you of them that be of a contrarye iudgemente and opinion Aunswer EVTRA. I aunswered them out of saint Augustine where he writeth on this maner An non ipse dedit vt bonum certamen certares Sinō ipse dedit quid est Aug. in 50. homelis 14. home quod alio leco dicis Plus illis omnibus laboraui Non autem ego sed gratia dei mecum Ecce iterum dicis Cursum consummaui Non et ipse dedit vt cursum consūmares Si non ipse dedit vt cursum consūmares quid est quod alto loco dicis nō volentis ne que currentis sed miserntis est dei Fidem seruaui Seruasti Agnosco et probo fateor seruasti Sed nisedominus custodierit ciuitatem invanum
For that is one of the thinges which the enemies do stoutely denye PHILALETHES Er I do satisfye your desire I doe intende to aledge yet two or three golden sentences out of the Apostel which canne not well be omitted in thys case The firste shall ye haue in the Epistel to Titus Titu 3. where he writteth on this wyse Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done but according to his mercye he saued vs that we beinge iustified by his grace shoulde be made heyrs accordinge too the hope of eternall lyfe The second is muche like vntoo this and is setfoorth in the second Epistell to Timothee after thys maner God hathe saued vs 2. Timo. 1. and called vs with an holye callinge not accordinge to our workes The purpose of God doth exclude al merites and deseruings froÌ„ the iustification of man but according to his own purpose and grace whiche was geuen vnto vs throughe Christ Iesus afore the worlde was Truely whersoeuer this purpose of God is there workes merits or deseruinges can take no place in the iustification or saluation of man Wherby it must nedes folowe as we can gather none other of the sentences nowe aleadged that by the free mercy and goodnesse of God apprehended and taken hold vpon by fayth we are deliuered from oure synnes and from euerlasting damnation and made felowe heyers with his sonne Iesu Christ whose righteousnesse he doth impute vnto vs of his eternall and euerlastinge kingdome of heauen All these thinges I say do we obtain throughe fayeth onely withoute anye merites goynge before DIDIMVS Say what ye wil the enemies do styll whisper in to the eares of the symple and ignoraunt persons that this is but a newe sounde doctrine and that none of all the auncient doctours did euer teache it PHILALETHES Ye myght haue learned that thys is playne falâ—e in the autority that we haue already broughte out of saint Augustine Aug. 83. questionuÌ„ questione â–ª 76 Glossa ordinaria whose wordes are these Quod Abraham per fideÌ„ sine operibus iustificatus est de operibus quae praecedebant intelligitur quia per opera quae fecit iustus non fuit sed sola fide Whiche we haue alreadye englished thus That Abraham was iustified by faith without workes it is to be vnderstanded of the workes that dyd go before For he was not ryghteous throughe the workes whyche he had done before sed sola fide but by faieth onlye If it be an heresye to saye that faythe onely doeth iustifye let me see how they can excuse Saynte Augustine of heresye Vnto hym maye we ioygne father Ambrose who wrytinge vppon the epistell to the Romayns Amb. in episto ad Romanos ca. 4. speaketh on this manner Iustificari sunt gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono dei That is to saye They were iustyfied freelye for they worckynge nothinge nor makinge anye recompence they were iustifyed throughe faythe onelye by the gyfte of God Agayne in the same place these be hys wordes Sic decretum dicit a deo vt cessante lege Ibidem solam fidem gratia dei poscereâ— ad salutem Whyche maye be englyshed thus He sayethe that it was so decreed of God that the lawe beynge at an ende the grace of God shoulde requyre faythe alone or faythe onelye vnto saluation Ibidem These be also his wordes Hoc ipsum munit exemplo prophetae Beatitudinem hominis di it cui deus acceptam fert iustitiam sine operibus Beatos dicit quibus hoc sanxit deus vt sine labore et aliqua obseruatione sola fide iustificentur apud deum That is to say he doeth strengthene or fense this by the example of the prophette He saith that the same man hath blessedfulnes or that blessedfulnes pertained and belongeth to that man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse withoute workes he calleth them blessed vnto whom God had made this decree that wythoute laboure and withoute anye obseruation they shoulde by faith onely be iustified before God And in an other place Idem in 9. ca. ciusdem epistolâ—e Sola fides ad salutem posita est Faythe onelye sayeth he is appoynted vnto saluation Ye maye see nowe howe many tymes this olde father doth vse this worde sola alone or only which the aduersaries or enemies doe accuse of heresye But let vs heare what the other auncient fathers do say concerning this matter these are Ieroms words vpon the Epistle to the Romains Ieronimus in 10. caput episto ad Ro. Ignorantes quod sola fide iustificat deus et se ex operibus legis quam numquaÌ„ custodierunt iustos esse putantes noluerunt se subijcere remissioni peccatorum ne peccatores fuisse viderentur That is to saye They not knowinge that God iustifieth by faith onely and supposing them selues to be iust by the works of the law whiche they neuer obserued they would not submit them selues vnto the remission of synnes leaste they shoulde seeme too haue bene synners EVTRAPELVS By this autoritye that ye haue aleadged oute of Ierome two thinges maye be learned Firste and foremost we learne that God doeth iustifye by fayth only which of the enemies is coumpted playn heresye whervpon we maye conclude that they be wrapped in the same moste pestiferous ignoraunce that the scribes and Pharisees were wrapped in What credit ought to be geuen vnto the enemies of the truth and what sâ—aÌ„full ignoraunce they be wrapped in and that therfore no credit ought to be geuen vnto them nor yet to their doctrine For why thei be altogether ignoraunt in the highest and moste principall poynte of our religion causinge the people to seeke for saluation wher there is nothinge elles but desperation and shippewracke of conscyence Secondlye we see here moste euidentlye the cause whye the scribes and Pharisees Why the scribes Pharises wer vtter enemies vnto the gospell Luc. 18. were suche extreme enemies vnto the gospel which offereth vnto all them that wyll beleue in oure sauioure Iesu Christ free pardone and remission of their sinnes Forsoth they iustyfyed them selues that they were perfect and withoute synne Lest then they shuld lose any part of their estimation for thei sought their owne glorye more than the glorye of God they woulde in nowyse submitte them selues vnto the doctryne of the remyssion of sinnes nor yet receaue the generall pardone that was offered vnto them of God For then they muste needes to haue acknowledged them selues with the other to haue bene sinners But they would none of that beinge in this pointe moste like vnto oure greate Rabbis Why our great rabbis will not acknowledge their errour whiche althoughe their conscyences beare them recorde that they be in a moste pernicious errour and haue most shamefully deceiued the people yet because they wyll not mynishe one iote of their reputation that they haue hadde amonge simple and
how that he did not onely saue Basilius Hemeli de humilitate but also iustifye vsing no workes vnto it but requiring faith only But among all other this sayinge of Basilius is most worthye to be noted Ea demum perfecta est et integra gloriatio in deo quando neque de sua quisquā ipsius iustitia suberbit sed agnoscit Vera destitutum iustitia sola se in Christum fide iustificatum Which golden words maye be englyshed after thys maner That at length is a perfecte and sounde reioycinge in God when a man doeth not bragge or boaste of his owne ryghteousenesse but doeth acknowledge that beynge voyde of true righteousnesse he is iustifyed throughe fayeth onelye in Christ Many suche lyke thynges are redde in the wrytinges of the aunciente fathers whereby all menne maye see that we are not the fyrst that haue vsed this word sola alone or onelye to expresse the meanynge of the Apostell and to set foorth the glory of the grace of God For the fathers did vse it a fore vs whose writinges they doe make equall wyth the Canonycall scripture They say that we haue it not in the words of the Apostel Why do they not so in this poynte Let thē tel that to the fathers whom they do take for the pilours of the church Let them contend striue with thē rather thā with vs. To be short if it be an heresy to say that faith only in Christ doth iustify thei must accuse those auncient fathers of heresy yea they must coumpt them to be the captayns of al heretyks EVTRA. What shyfte doe they make when they feele them selues pressed with so manye autorities of the olde fathers Wyth what face can they reiecte or cast of thys worde solam alone or onelye PHILA There be some which when they can not for shame refuse it are wonte to flye to this startinge hole The euasion of the enemies They graunt that we are iustifyed by fayth onely in Christ but they adde that thys is onelye done at the begynninge of fayth when we begynne firste to beleue in Christ and so they wyll haue vs to vnderstand this to be Paulles meaninge that neyther synnes did hinder the gentilles A verye goodlye shift I waraunt you but that as sone as they beganne to beleue in Christ they were iustifyed by faythe onely nor workes farther the Iewes when they likewise came to Christ but vnto them also was faythe imputed for righteousnesse And so at length they doo conclude that yf they which be ones iustifyed by faythe do after theyr iustification sinne again they can no more be iustifyed by fayth that is to say frely as affore but by workes that is to saye by satisfaction EVTRAPELVS After my iudgement this is but a homelye euasion or starting hole For yf they take this worde to be iustified for to be deliuered from sin it is manyfeste and playne that the same iustification that consisteth in the gratuite free remission of sinnes Iustification wherby we are deliuered from syn is necessari vnto vs as longe as we liue Math. 6. 1. Ioa. 2. is necessary vnto vs al our liues time onlesse this were vayn which accordinge to the institution of the Lord we do daily pray for sayinge And foregeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse against vs Iohn saied vnto them that dyd beleeue and were iustified My lytle babes if any man doeth sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christe the righteouse and he is the satisfaction for our synnes He sayeth not he was the satisfaction for oure sinnes nowe therfore ye must be iustifified by your own workes and make satisfaction for youre synnes but he doeth set foorthe vnto the churche of God the endlesse and euerlasting satisfaction of Christe that is to saye the free remission and forgeuenes of synnes or iustification whiche we do obtayne throughe fayth in him Or if they vnderstande it of righteousenesse which is the effect of this iustification whereby our hartes are purged and our life renewed Yet it can not so be applied vnto fayth that it should onlye pertayne to the beginninge of it and all the rest of our lyfe require the righteousnesse of works Similitude wherby we shoulde be saued For that were as if a man should saye that the soule doeth onely quickene the body at the beginninge but not so afterwardes as thoughe all the quickening or viuifying shuld not come of the soule alone but of the operations of the bodye Abac. 1. Rom. 1. Gala. 3. The righteouse sayeth the Apostell liueth by fayth I do not denye but that the lyfe of the righteouse is adorned and beutyfyed wyth manye vertues but yet it canne be attributed too none of them but too fayethe onelye that oure heartes beynge clensed wee lyue godlye in the sighte of God ALBION I hearde ones certayne Obiecti ∣ on 4 gentyll men of my cleargye reason after this sorte If to be iustyfied is to be delyuered frome synne Fayth onely doeth not iustifye but loue also And for the probation of theyr sayinge they bringe these words of Christ Luc. 7. Manye sinnes are forgeuen her because that she loued muche Lo saye they here remission of sinnes is playnlye attributed vnto loue Agayn are not these Peters wordes 1. Pet. 4. Loue couereth the multitude of sinnes Who doeth not see now saye they that loue doeth aswell iustifye as faith PHILALE I aunswer that the loue of this woman Aunswer was not the cause of hyr iustifycation or forgeuenesse of synnes but a declaration of the same She hadde obtained throughe fayth in Christ remission of synnes whereby she beinge iustified did loue him exceadynglye and did openlye expresse that loue That it is so it maye be proued easelye by the woordes of oure sauioure Iesu Christe whiche he spake vnto her sayinge Fides tua te saluam fecit Vade in pace Thy fayth hath made thee safe Christ is a sufficiēt expositoure of his owne woorde or hathe saued thee go thy waye in peace How had fayeth saued her but because that throughe it she hadde obtayned remyssion of synnes In dede she did afterwardes declare the same fayeth by the earnest loue that she dyd beare too Christe And as for the other sentence I maruayle that they be not ashamed to aleadge it For ye shall fynde it thus written in the prouerbes Prou. 10. cha from whence the Apostell borowed it Odium vitia detegit charitas autem operit multitudinem peccatorum That is to saye hatered doethe open and dyscouer faultes but loue doethe couer the multitude of synnes What other thinge canne we learne of this sayinge of the wise manne but that as hatered doeth moue vs to caste oure breethren in the tethe and to vpbrayed them with the offences that they cōmit agaynste vs so loue hydeth and pardoneth the faultes iniuryes wrongs that are done vnto vs be they neuer so greate In the