selfe He hath payed I saye the price of our redemption Fayth truly instifieth for them onely whiche do beleue in him Then the price of our redemption is receyued by fayth in Iesu Christe And therfore fayth may well and worthely be sayed to iustifie The firste cause efficient of our sustice God and his mercie is the first chiefe cause efficieÌ„t of our iustice Christ is the secoÌ„de cause efficient therof The seconde cause efficient which cause the Logitians do cal the â—lowing cause The cause instrumentall of oute iustification The faith of Christ is the cause instrumentall or instrument wherby we do obteyne iustice The fulfyllynge of the lawe is the cause materiall or matter The cause materiall of oure iustification which done we are iustified These causes are so knitte together that they caÌ„not be a suÌ„dre that one lenynge and dependyng on the others healpe Wherefore it is not a misse sayed that we are iustified by the mercie of God by the perfourming of the lawe thâ—rowe Christe and by fayth For Christ doth iustifie no man wyth out fayth nor fayth iustifieth with out Christe By fayeth onely in Christe whiche gaue hym selfe to be the price of redemption for all men that do beleue in him we are reputed iust before god And thei whiche are reputed by fayth iust by the mercie of God thorow the merites of Christ and noâ—â—f their owne thei are reputed and made iust Where thei which by Christ his merites are reputed iust thei are iustified by the perfourming of the lawe whiche is in Christ It is sayed therefore properly and in the owne kinde that we are iustified by the mercie of God by the perfourming of the lawe and by fayth For al these do go together in the perfourminge of the lawe â—r doth the wil of him which buil deth an house A goodly simi litude the workemaÌ„shyp of the carpinter stone and timbre with the tooles therto belonging go together in the said building WheÌ„ the scripture doeth affirme to vs that Christe is our iustice alwaye it doth vnderstande thys that is to saye whiche Christe hath fulfylled the law for vs. For the perfect obseruatioÌ„ of the lawe is the cause materiall the cause wtout the which not as the Logitians vse to speake bicause that wythout this no man can be couÌ„ted iust before God Good workes or els the workes of the lawe are not the cause Yong chyldreÌ„ and the thefe on the crosse be iustified with out workes but not wyth out the obsersuation of the lawe wythout the which a maÌ„ caÌ„ not be iustified For with out these the infantes and yonge children are iustified the thefe whiche hanged on the crosse was instified But yet they were not iustified wtout the perfecte 〈◊〉 uation and fulfyllyng of the law whiche is the price of our redemptioÌ„ which fulfylling is in Christ When that the scripture doeth testifie that we are iustified by fayth it doeth vnderstande thys cause vnder those wordes that God doth impute the merites of Christe of his owne mercie freely to them whiche do beleue that Christe freely doth communicate his merites to all them wiche do beleue in him Moyses sayth Do that whiche the lawe commaundeth the and thou shalte lyue Christ preacheth knowledge and confesse thy synne and beleue in me whiche haue satisfied the law for the haue fulfylled the lawe and thou shalte lyue In me shal thy life be In the law thou shalt haue no lyfe bicause thou art not 〈◊〉 to perfourme the requestes of the lawe and so to purchase the â—ife which is promised for the keeâ—ing of the lawe The Lorde hath takeÌ„ the office of the lawe on 〈◊〉 selfe The law coulde not perfourme to the that thing wherefore it was gyuen therfore I haue remoued it furth of his place and am come my selfe into that roume that by fayth in me you maye receyue blessynge and lyfe whiche were sette before you in the lawe For I am made the ende or the fulfyllyng of the lawe to iustification Roma â— to all them which do beleue as to the Roma x. that is to saye I haue done as muche as the lawe can desire that they whiche do beleue may haue those thinges in me which the law doth require to the iustificatioÌ„ of maÌ„ There is yet one thynge more in thys poynt to be obserued and marked that where as we haue sayed that Christe hath take 〈…〉 to hymselfe the ende of the lawe The lawe is not abrogated altogether but in the cause onely of our iustification wherfore the lawe yet doth serue as touchyng that it should haue iustified vs and giuen to vs lyfe yet the other endes and effectes of the lawe Christe hath not takeÌ„ froÌ„ the lawe but hath lefte them styll to the lawe that is to say to shewe our synne to vs and to be a scholemaister whereby we may come to Christe Those thynges whiche in both the testamentes are written of the abrogatyng takyng awaye of the power authoritie from the lawe it is ment of the principall and of the fyrste cause for the which the lawe was made For the lawe is takeÌ„ away by Christe in that he hath fulfilled and perfourmed it as concernyng our iustification and obteynyng of lyfe But as touchynge the declaration of synne the teachynge and instructynge of vs to Christ the gouernaunce of our outwarde lyfe it doth remayne abyde styll in his full strength These are those whiche are aduersaries to the lawe Wherefore the Antinomians are deceyued out of measure whiche holde a folyshe opinion that the teaching monicions of the lawe oughte not to be had in the churches For the reason of man of his owne propre nature can not see how wicked we be nor yet caÌ„ perceiue and vnderstande the wrath of God agaynst synne Wherfore the readyng of the lawe is not to be refused but to be kepte styll in our churches that in the law as it were in a glasse we may behold our wicked and peruerse nature oure vnryghtuousnes and that therein we maye learne what for to do what thynges to flie and voied froÌ„ while we be in this life For the lawe of God is a laÌ„te 〈◊〉 to oure feete The lawe of God is alanterne to oure lyuyng whiche teacheth vs howe for to go By the takynge awaye of the lawe we are not set at libertie to liue vnhonestly and wickedlie after the desire of the fleshe Nor it is abrogated and taken awaye from them whiche do not beleue in Christe The lawe is in his whole streÌ„gth to theÌ„ which do not beleue For the beleuers and none other do receiue and put vpon them Christe by fayeth by the whiche fayeth in Christ they do apprehende and receyue the fulfillyng and perfourmaunce of the lawe in whoÌ„ also they do receyue the holie goste by whom they are renued and sanctified The spirite of god
by the workes of ceremonies other workes of mans traditions But the holy scripture teacheth that there is but one cause of oure iustice that is to saye the fulfyllyng of the lawe of God teachyng that men are iustified before God by the perfecte obedience to the lawe of God and that they are coÌ„demned for the contrarie that is for theyr disobedience Who that kopeth the lawe by the lawe is iustified and who breaketh the law by the lawe is condempned For lykewyse as God hath ordeyned the payne of death for synne so hath he also giuen for the perfourming of the lawe of God the rewarde of lyfe euerlauyng Christe in Mathew the nintene chapter to the yongmanne demaundynge of Christe what he should do that he might haue euerlastyng lyfe answered If thou wilt enter into life keepe the comaundementes declaryng that the fulfilling keepyng thorowly of the commauÌ„demeÌ„tes is the price of eternall lyfe by the whiche fulfyllynge euerlastynge felicitie is gotten and obteyned S Paul also witnesseth that by the fulfyllyng of the lawe meÌ„ are iustified saying that the workers of the lawe and not the hearers are iustified before the Lorde But for as much as that man is giltie of the breakyng of the whole lawe Al meÌ„ are breakers and traÌ„sgressouâ—â— of the law theâ— fore no man is iustified by the lawe whiche hath offended in any parte thereof and as Iames sayeth all men are curfed whiche do not abide stil in all those thinges which are writteÌ„ in the lawe that all men shoulde keepe them it is certeyne and manifest that by the obedience of the lawe no man can be iustified before God bicause that no man doth fully keepe the lawe as he ought to do bicause there is no maÌ„ but either by thought or deede hath traÌ„gressed the lawe of God The faulte whie that no man is iustified by the keepyng of the lawe is of maÌ„ hym selfe and not of God For the promise whiche was declared to the lawe The promise of the lawe is conditional is vnder a coÌ„dition beinge spoken to them whiche do fulfyll the lawe And therfore the promise is not giuen and perfour med excepte the whole lawe be kepte and perfourmed So that by thys reason the lawe worketh death vnto vs and becommeth the cause of death whiche was gyuen to be the wynhyng purchasyng of lyfe For as muche theÌ„ as no man can fulfyll the lawe that it is plaine that by the fulfillyng therof the iustice of God caÌ„ not be gotten Christe hym selfe whiche neuer committed offence beinge of his owne nature innocent Christ fulfylleth the lawe for vs all and becometh our iustification for our sake made hym selfe subiect vnto the lawe and fulfilled the lawe to the vttermost for vs makyng his perfect obedience and fulfillyng of the lawe which he had no neede of to be ours whiche was made a free gifte beinge no thanke to the lawe that we are iustified Then by the fulfyllyng whiche Christe fulfylled of the law the world is redemed the same Christe in that he perfourmed the lawe in all poyntes is become the price of our redemption and that thyngâ— whiche was to vs and to the law impossible the Lorde did supplie for vs in his onely begotten sonne and by hym he fulfylled the iustification of the lawe in vs. Româ— viii As to the Roma viii transposynge and takyng awaye from our selues and from the lawe the benifitte and gifte of our redemption and putting it onely on Christe He alone none other is made our iustice redemption lyfe health Wherefore is Christe made our redemption and iustice vicause he hath fulfilled the lawe of God for vs that nowe wythout hym maÌ„ hath no hope of redemption of iustice of eternall felicitie and of health in whom is all the price of mans saluation by the whiche price both God and the lawe is satiffied pleased He that hath not him he lacketh the price of his redeÌ„ption he lacketh iustice life he that byâ—aith taketh holde on him that maÌ„ also in him doth receyue the cause of our reconciliation iustification that is to saye the fulfyllynge of the lawe For lykewyse as by oure disobedience we are destitute of all hope of health euen so by the obedience and fulfillyng of the lawe of God we are deliuered from the losse thereof The whiche obedience when that no man coulde perfourme Iesu Christ was made obedient for vs vnto the death of the crosse he perfourmed that obedience for vs that by the obedience of one man we myghte be reconciled to God we myght be iustified that lykewise as by the disobedience of one man we fell into the wrath disdaine of God into vnrightuousnes and perdition so by the obedience of one maÌ„ Iesu Christ we are deliuered from the wâ—ath of God from vnrightuousnes and perdition The cause of our iustification by the goodnes of the lorde is translated and put away from vs and layed on an other person whiche is Christe bicause that he hath fulfylled for vs and in oure behalfe the demauÌ„des requestes of the lawe whose obedience and fulfyllyng hath restored gyuen agayne to vs iustice and lyfe These senteÌ„ces and sayinges To be iustified by the fulfyllyng of the lawe and to be iustified by the merites of Christe freely is alone thing that men are iustified by fulfyllynge of the lawe Aud that men by the mertie of God thorow Christ by the fayth in Christe wythout theyr owne merites freely are iustified to manie mennes iudgementes do appeare and seme socoÌ„ trarie that the one can not be like the other nor yet can stande both together But truile they do differ nothâ—nge at all for they do expresse and sette forth excellently the matter of Iustification shewyng the welles causes of oure iustification They do declare by whose wyll and coÌ„maundement yea and by what price we are redemed and reconciled agayne to God also who hath payed thys price by what meanes we maye be partakers therof The cause price of oure redemption The cause price of our redemptioÌ„ is the fulfyllyng of the lawe for therein is set of God the remission of synne iustice and life euerlasting Thâ—â— thinges are conteyned in the fulfyllinge of the lawâ— This chiefe and finall cause of the lawe Christe hath traÌ„sposed vnto hym selfe and he is made that thynge which the obseruation of the law shoulde haue ben Therefore both these sayinges are true that we be iustified by the lawe and that we be iustified by the mercie of god thoroâ—â— Christ freelie But where as it speaketh of the perfourmaunce of the law it is ment of that which is in our Lorde Iesu Christe not of our owne vnperfect and vnsufficient perfourmyng and keeping of the lawe Christe onely fulfylled the lawe and in fulfyllynge of it he payed the price of our redemption takyng the iustification from the lawe vpon his owne
yll thynge the other cause â—hynkynge that the prynters in theyr printe dyd sayle printed one thynge for an other But foâ—owe whiche thou wylt either the Hebrue maner of speakinge or the latin phrase it maketh no matter which thou dost folowe For if the writing of the Hebrue in this word be expounded after the mynde of the holy scripture boeth lessons shalâ—s al one neing no differeÌ„ce betwene the Hebrue worde the latin but that the Hebrues do speake more playnely more openly then the latins declarynge howe and after what maner othes are to be kepte and obserued and whether it is necessarie that othes be kept wheÌ„ that he that maketh the oth shall receyue thereby disprofite losse and hurte We do not swere onely to man When we do swere our oth is made to God but also we makâ— our othes to God therefore thâ— Hebrue speaketh of al othes generally both of theÌ„ which are madâ— to God as wel as them which we do to man In thys place thys worde maluÌ„ whiche is euyli doth not signifie that whiche is before god vnrightuous vniust or that thing whiche is forbiddeÌ„ by the lawe of god Howe thys word eust is to be takeÌ„ in the scripture when we say the Lorde dyd make euyll Esaie xlv but it signifieth that thyng whiche bringeth by any maner of waye disprofite to hym that swereth the whiche disprofite meÌ„ vse communely tocal euyl As Esaie xlv The Lorde maketh peace createth yll And Hieremie iiii I wylbrynge euyl from the mouth greate heuines Hieremy iiii And Amos. iii. There shal be no euyll in the citie whiche the Lorde hath not made Amos. iii. The Prophete in this Psalme doth discusse thys question of makyng of othes beinge the hardest and that whiche hath most difficultie of all questions whiche do perteyne to thys matter that is to saye whether a man be bouÌ„de to keepe perfourme that thynge whyche he hathe sworne to although it be hurtfull and vnprofitable to hym selfe whiche dyd swere yea or nay Whether a man is bound to keepe his othe if it be agaynst his profite He doth affirme that no maÌ„ by any meanes ought to breake his othe yea in those thynges wherein a man shall receiue dammage and hurt so that the hurte and disprofite be not so great but that it maye be borne tollerable Bicause that many questions haue ben moued coÌ„cerning the makinge of Othes therefore briefely as I maye I wyll speake some thinge of them in this place to satisfie and infourme the consciences of men therein These be the questions which do folowe ¶ The fyrst question Whether it be lawefull standing with the lawe of God to put a man to his oth and the man to swere for anie maner of cause The seconde Whether a man be bounde to keepe his othe if it be preiudiciall to hym selfe The thirde Whether an Othe whiche is made the name of God not being added thereto doeth bynde hym whiche doth make the othe yea or naye The fourth Whether we be bounde of necessitie to keepe all othes that we do make yea or naye The fifte Whether that all men wyth out exception be bounde to keepe their othes once made ¶ The solution of the first question The controuersies which are so doubtfull and that by witnesses they can not be made an ende ofâ— the Lorde commaundeth to searche furth the trueth by puttynge of men to theyr othes and so to finishe theyr debate striefe in Exod. xxii Exod. xxii By thys precepte the Lorde doeth not onely admit require the maner of swerynge as a thynge necessarie and expedient in all courtes but he doth also allowe commende the maner of deposyng on a boke or sweryng as they vse to call it whiche hath ben vsed in necessarie causes Othes haue ben taken froÌ„ the beginning euen from the begynnynge in all ages For it was the custome from the fyrst begynnyng to confirme and ratefie their bargaines theyr byinges and sellynges theyr leages of amitie loue and also to ende al causes debates and striefes by a certeine maner of swering The historie shall heare witnesse For in the tyme of Abraham all matters that were of any value were ended by an oth The Lorde commaunded the magistrates to put men to their othes for yâ— finishing of debates gyuing power beth to take and for to examin the othes of them whom they had before them Therfore all that is writteÌ„ in the lawes accordynge to good reason concernynge the gyuynge takyng of othes by theÌ„ whiche haue power and authoritie on coÌ„science it oughte to be obserued kepte For God hym selfe takyng and makyng an oth by hym selfe dyd confirme his promises God confirmed his promise with an othe which he dyd make to the fathers Christ Moyses the Prophetes and the Apostles dyd often tymes vse to swere in coÌ„firmation of their doctrine The angels openynge the secretes of thynges whiche were to come did swere bicause the people shoulde beleue those reuelations to be true that they woulde come to passe as they had declared Daniell xii Apo. x. Daniel xii Apocal. â— The patriarthes dyd exacte othes of meÌ„ and sweare also theyr selues to other againe Abraham caused the stuarde of his house for to swere that he should not take a wife for his sonne furth from amonge the Cananistes Gene. xxiiii AbrahaÌ„ fyrst Isaac after hym dyd make their leages wyth Abimeleche coÌ„firmyng it wyth an oth Gene. xi xxvi The Patriarche Iacob caused his sonne Iosephe to swere that when he shoulde go furth of Egypt he shoulde take and carie his bodie thence also wyth hym Gene. xlvi Dauid dyd wyth an othe ratifie and coÌ„firme the leage whiche he made wyth Ionatha the sonne of Saull the firste boke of the kynges and. xx Chap. Also the Lorde commauÌ„deth that we shoulde make oure othes in his name and none other Deut vi Exod. xxiii Psalm lxiii Deut. vi x. Exod. xxiii and Psal lxiiâ— witnesseth that they are commended whiche do take in their othe God for witnes Hereby it is manifeste that in good honeste necessarie profitable causes meÌ„ may be put to theyr othe and they theÌ„ selues sweare not hurtynge theyr conscices To take and make an othe of it selfe is not vnlawefull Yea to swere in iuste causes takynge of God to witnes it is a worshyppe and honoure to the Lorde to take the Lorde as a iuste iudge which doeth loue all equitie and iustice whiche doeth beholde and see all thynge for to be witnesse in the cause What is it to take the Lorde to witnes Lykewyse as it is dishonor and dispite to the Lorde to take wytnes on any other goddes so it is to his honour and prayse to be taken to be sworne by and an othe to be made in his name in a iustecause It can not be vnlawefull that whiche the Lorde hym selfe dyd make and ordeyne to be