come And for this cause the Apostle in the eight to the Romanes doth call this the first fruits of the Spirit which we doe enioy in this life the tenth and fulnesse of which spirit we shall receiue in the life to come To this belongeth that whereof we spak before namely that a Christian man is seruant of all and subiect to all for in this that hee is frée hee worketh nothing but in this that he is a seruant hee worketh all things Now let vs sée how these two will stand together Albeit man bee sufficiently iustified by faith in the inward Man Spiritually as I sayd before enioying all that hee ought to haue sauing that hee must by daily encreasings enlarge this same faith and riches of grace vntill he be vnclothed of his flesh yet remayneth still in this mortall life vpon the face of the earth wherein he must of very necessity nourish his owne body and be conuersant amongst men And euen here now works doe begin to take their entrance Héere we may not giue our selues to idlenesse Here now we must apply our selues earnestly to exercise this body with fastings watchings labours and other moderate disciplines to bring it in subiection to the spirit that it may become obedient to faith and conforme it selfe to the inward man that it rebell not nor hinder the spirit following therein his owne naturall inclination if it be not otherwise tamed for the inward man being alike fashioned vnto God and created after the image of God through faith is both ioyfull and comfortable for the loue he hath to Christ in whom he is endued with so many good things whereupon in this only doth it occupy it selfe namely to serue the Lord with a frée loue with ioy and thanks Now whiles it is exercised in this course behold in her owne flesh it findeth a contrary will which trauelleth altogether to serue the world and to séeke the things that are her owne which the spirit of Faith cannot away withall nor is able to endure it and therefore with valiant courage attempteth to subdue and tame this rebellious will as Paul witnesseth in the seuenth to the Romans I am delighted with the Law of God in mine inward man but I see another Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde leading me captiue into the law of sinne And in another place I do chastise my body bring it into subiection lest whiles I preach to others I my selfe may be found a castaway And in the fifth to the Galath They that are of Christ haue crucified the flesh and the concupiscences thereof But neither we may do these workes in any wise being of the opinion that man may bee iustified through them in the sight of god For this false opinion is not tolerable in the eye of Faith which Faith is the only righteousnesse before god But in these workes wee must bee of the minde so to bring the flesh into subiection and to cleanse the euill concupiscences thereof that it may not bend the view of the eye to any thing else than to the mortifying of euill concupiscence and lust For when the soule is washed cleane through faith and made the dearling of Christ it would also desire that all things else yea and her owne body chiefely might be purged together withall to the end all things in her might loue and glorifie God together whereby it commeth to passe that man through an enforcing necessity of the flesh may not giue himselfe to idlenesse for that cause is constrayned to doe many good things to the end hee may bring his body into subiection And yet these works are not of such power as to bee able to worke mans iustification before god But man of a very pure loue doth worke the same to the seruice and obedience of God beholding in them nothing else than Gods good will vnto the which he would most willingly and dutifully yéeld alhumbie obedience in all things By this meanes euery man may easily direct himselfe how he ought most orderly as the saying is and most commodiously attemper his owne body for hée shall fast so much watch and labour to much as shall seeme most expedient for the taming of the wantonnesse and licentiousnesse of his body But those that doe vaunt to be iustified by works doe regard not the mortificatiō of the flesh and the lusts thereof but the works thēselues being of opiniō that if they do very many great good déeds they are thereby in good case are become iust therewith somtime hurting the braines and destroying nature vtterly or at least making it vnprofitable And this is a wōderful folly grosse ignorance of Christian life and of Christian faith to haue a will to bee iustified and saued by works without faith But to the end that which we haue said may more easily be conceiued let vs make demonstration therof by similitudes The works of a Christian man being iustified and saued through his owne faith by the mere and frée mercy of God ought to bee of none other value and estimation than the workes of Adam and Eue and all their children should haue bin in Paradise if they had neuer sinned of whom God spake in the second of Genesis on this wise God did place man whom he created into Paradise that hee might worke and manure the same But God created Adam iust and perfect and without sinne so that he should not haue néed to bee iustified and made perfect by any his owne worke endeauour and safe kéeping But to the end he should not be idle God enioyned him this worke to manure Paradise and to kéepe it which works had bin truly most frée wrought in respect of nothing but of Gods good pleasure only and not to procure righteousnes thereby wherewith he was fully endued already and which also should haue bin ioyntly in the creation of vs all To the same effect bee the workes of the faithfull beléeuer who through his owne faith being restored againe into Paradise and created againe of new néedeth no workes to become or made iust thereby But because he should not bee idle but manure his owne body and kéepe it he must doe such works of fréedome in respect of Gods good will onely sauing that is not yet fully created againe anew with perfect faith and loue which behooueth to be encreased daily yet not by force of workes but of their owne strength Take yet another example An holy Bishop consecrating a Church Bishopping children or executing some other parcell of his function is not himselfe consecrated a Bishop by force of those exercises nay rather vnlesse he had bin a consecrated Bishop before none of al these works could haue béene to any purpose but accompted rather childish altogether foolish and apish Euen so a Christian man being first consecrated by his owne faith doth worke good works indéed yet is
therby so ChristiaÌ„ liberty is ouerthroweÌ„ the cause wherof procedeth froÌ„ blind ignoraÌ„ce of the true ChristiaÌ„ faith full of al fréedome Which grosse ignoraÌ„ce suppression of liberty very many blind bussardly pastors doe earnestly maintaine whilest they doe gréedily perswade vrge the people to such exercises aduaÌ„cing them aboue Moone and Stars glorifying theÌ„ with their pardoÌ„s but of faith neuer vttering so much as one word But I wold wish thée to be wel aduised that if thou haue wil at any time to pray to fast or to found Churches as they tearme it to beware thou do not this to the end to procure to thy self any teÌ„poral or euerlasting coÌ„modity therwith for in so doing thou shalt be preiudiciall to thy faith which only doth minister all things vnto thée therfore ought only be attended vnto that it may be encreased whether it be occupied in workes or exercised with afflictions but giue fréely without hope of requitall whatsoeuer the giuest that others may be reléeued and grow in well doing through thée and thy liberality for this is the way to make thée a good and a true ChristiaÌ„ man For what shall auaile thée thy goods thy works whereof thou art endued with a surplus ouer and besides those which do serue to the necessary chastisement of the body when as thou art sufficiently enriched for thy necessities through the Faith in the which God hath endued thée with all plentifull store Behold by this rule it behooueth vs to poure out each vpon other and to make common each vnto other the goods which we haue receiued of God and that every man cloath himselfe with his neighbours estate and so apply himselfe to his neighbours necessities euen as if wee were in the like necessity our selues out of Christs storehouse they ouerflowed and from him slow daily vnto vs who hath so takâ—n our necessities vpon himselfe and so performed all things for our sakes as if himselfe had béene the same that wee be They flow likewise from vs vnto them who stand in need of them in so much that I am bound to poure out before God my faith and my righteousnesse to couer and entreat for the sinnes of my neighbour the burthen of whose sinnes I must in mine owne person sustaine and so trauell and bee afflicted in them as if they were mine owne sinnes for on this wise was Christ afflicted for our sakes for this is the very true loue this is the rule of a pure Christian loue which is in them very naturall and pure indéed in whom dwelleth a pure and sincere Faith indéed whereupon the Apostle in the first to the Corinthians the thirtéenth Chapter doth giue this singular prerogatiue to loue That it seeketh not the things that are her owne And therefore we doe conclude that a Christian man doth not liue in himselfe but in Christ and in his neighbour or that to be a Christian man is to dwell in Christ by Faith and in his neighbour by loue Againe a Christian man is raised vp aboue himselfe to Godward by Faith and is throwne downe beneath himselfe toward his neighbour by loue dwelling alwayes neuerthelesse in God and in the loue of God according to the saying of Christ in the first of Iohn Verily verily I say vnto you from hencefoorth you shall see the heauens opened and the Angels of God ascending and descending vpon the sonne of man. And thus farre sufficiently concerning Christian liberty which is as you sée spirituall and true making our hearts frée from all sinnes from all lawes and commandements as Paul witnesseth in his first Epistle to Timothy the first Chapter The Law was not made for the iust man which liberty doth as farre surmount all other outward and external liberties in excellencie as the Heauens doth surpasse the Earth which Christ grant vs to vnderstand and enioy to our comfort Amen In fine to satisfie those persons who can neuer heare any thing be it neuer so well spoken but that they will depraue it by euill conceiuing somewhat must bee annexed if that at the least they be able to conceiue the same There be very many who hearing the doctrine of this Christian liberty of Faith will by and by take occasion thereof to maintaine the liberty of the flesh supposing forthwith that they may lawfully attempt all things nor will expresse their liberty and Christianity in any one thing else than in despising and reprouing of Ceremonies of mens traditions and constitutions as though they ought for this cause to bée déemed Christians because they doe not fast in the dayes appoynted for fasting or because they eate flesh whylest other doe abstaine from flesh or because they doe not frequent Masses and Mattene or other vsuall seruice in the Church disdainefully scorning and scoffing at the ordinances of men vtterly setting at naught all other things appertaining to Christian Religion Against whom there is another sort that doe with tooth and nayle bend their force which contrariwise doe endeauour to attayne saluation by the onely obseruation and reuerence of Ceremonies as though they should for this cause be saued because they fast on the fasting dayes or abstaine from flesh or inure themselues to certaine prayers excessiuely vaunting the traditions of the Church and of the fathers yet otherwise not estéeming the things that are proper and peculiar to our Christian Faith worth a rush both which sorts of people are surely altogether much blame-worthy for as much as passing ouer matters of great importance and carelesly neglecting the things necessarily belonging to saluation they turmoyle themselues in so great outrage about those trifling toyes being altogether vnnecessary and vnprofitable How much more soundly doth Paul teach to kéepe the midde way condemning both those by pathes saying He that eateth lâ—t him not despise him that eateth not and he that eateth not let him not iudge him that eateth Héere you sée that such as do neglect and condemne the ceremonies not of deuotion but of mere contempt bee accompted blame-worthy whereas the Apostle teacheth them not to despise for knowledge doth cause to swell and to be puft vp Againe he exhorteth the obstinate that they iudge not others for neither of them doth obserue charity edifying one another wherefore in this perplexity councell must bee sought out of Scripture which doth teach vs not to decline on the right nor on the left hand but to ensue the right iudgements of the Lord quickning the hearts for as no man is righteous because hée humbleth himselfe and is addicted to works and rites of ceremonies so neither shall any man hee accompted for this only cause righteous because he doth omit and contemne them For wee bée not freed through our Faith in Christ from workes but from the opinions of workes that is to say from the foolish presumption conceiued of Iustification purchased by meanes of workes for Faith doth redéeme our consciences 〈◊〉
nothing in the world can preserue her in safety But hauing the word shee is rich destitute of nothing for as much as the word of GOD is the word of life of light of peace righteousnesse saluation ioy fréedome wisdome power grace glory and inestimably the treasure incomparable of all goodnesse And this is it that mooued the Prophet in all his Octonary and in many other places with so many déepe sighes and gronings to skriche out and to call vpon the word of God. Againe neither is there any more horrible a plague of Gods wrath than whiles he sendeth famine of hearing hys word As he speaketh in Amos as neither is there any greater grace than if he spred abroad his word as is specified in the 107 Psalm He sent his word healed them deliuered them from their destruction Neither was Christ sent to any other ministry then the ministry of the word nor is the Apostolicall Bishopricke and whole order Ecclesiasticall called and instituted otherwise than to the ministry of the word But thou wilt demand what word of God is this and after what manner must it be vsed considering there bee so many words of God I answere the Apostle in the first to the Romanes doth expresse the same namely the Gospell of God concerning his sonne incarnate crucifyed risen againe and glorified by the holy Ghost the sanctifyer For Christ hath preached that is to say hath fedde the soule hath iustified deliuered and saued the soule if she beléeue his doctrine for Fayth only is the safe and effectuall vse of Gods word as to the Romans the tenth If thou confesse with thy mouth and beleeue with the heart that GOD hath raysed him from the dead thou shalt be saued And againe The end of the law is Christ vnto righteousnesse to all them that doe beleeue And to the Romans the first The iust man shall liue by his owne faith for the word of God cannot be comprehended and embraced by any workes but by faith only Euen so it is manifest that as the Soule hath néed of the only word to obtaine righteousnesse and life euen so it is iustifyed by onely faith and no workes for if it might be iustifyed by any other meanes then should it not stande in néede of the word and so consequently no néede of faith But this faith cannot consist altogether with workes that is to say if thou presume to be iustifyed together with workes whatsoeuer they be for this were euen to halt on both legges to worship Baal and to kisse the hand which of all other is abhominable as witnesseth Iob. Therefore when thou beginnest to beléeue thou doest learne withall that all things in thée are altogether blameworthy sinfull and damnable according to that saying of the Apostle in the second to the Romans All haue sinned and haue need of the glory of God. And to the Romans 3. There is none that doth good all haue declined out of the way they are altogether become vnprofitable for if thou know this once thou shalt know that it is necessary for thée to hold fast Christ that beléeuing on him who hath suffered for thee and is risen againe thou maiest be made another man through this faith being made frée from all thy Sinnes and iustified by the merits of Iesu Christ onely Therefore for as much as this fayth cannot beare dominion in any but in the inward man according to the testimony of Paul in the tenth to the Romans With the heart we doe beleeue vnto righteousnesse And for as much as this faith only doth iustifie it is euident that the inward man cannot in any wise be iustified made frée and saued by any externall worke or exercise and that works whatsoeuer auaile nothing thereunto as on the contrary through impiety and only vnbeliefe of the heart man is made guilty and the bondslaue of sinne and not by any externall sinne or worke And therefore the first and principall care of euery Christian man ought to bée in this especially that setting aside all vaine confidence of workes hee strengthen his faith more and more and by daily increasings grow in knowledge not of works but of Christ Iesu crucified for him and risen againe as Peter in the last of his first Epistle teacheth for as much as none other worke doth make a true Christian man So Christ in the sixt of Iohn when the Iewes asked a question what they should doe to doe the works of God excluding the multitude of works wherewith he perceiued them to swell and puft vp in pride did prescribe vnto them one only rule saying This is the worke of God to beleeue on him whom he hath sent for him God the father hath sealed From hence right faith in Christ duly procéeding is a treasure inestimable contayning in it selfe all saluation and preseruing from all euill as in the last of Marke He that beleeueth and is baptised shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned which treasure Esay inwardly regarding did in the tenth of his Prophecy say The decréed consumption ouerfloweth with righteousnesse and the Lord of hoasts shall perfectly fulfill the thing that he hath determined in the middest of the whole world as if he had said Faith which is a briefe and summary fulnesse of the Law shall replenish the beléeuers with so great righteousnesse that they shall not haue néed of any other helpe to attaine righteousnesse and the same doth Paul testifie in the tenth to the Romanes For with the heart wee beleeue vnto righteousnesse But thou doest aske by what meanes it commeth to passe that faith only may iustifie giue such a treasure of so great goodnesse without works séeing that the whole scriptures doe prescribe vnto vs so many works so many ceremonies and so many lawes I do answer aboue all things be mindfull of this chiefely that hath bin spoken of before to wit that only faith without works doth iustifie doth deliuer and doth saue which we will make more manifest hereafter In the meane time seale vp this that the whole Scripture of God is diuided into two branches namely commandements and promises Indéed the cōmandemēts do teach good things but the things that are taught by thē are not forthwith performed for they do pronoūce what we ought to do but do not giue power to doe the same but are instituted to this end to discouer man to himself by meanes wherof man may know his own disability towards the good so despaire of his owne strength and for this cause they are called the old Testament and so they be indéed As for example Thou shalt not couet is a Cōmandement by the which we are conuinced all to be sinners because man cannot choose but couet whatsoeuer his endeuour be to the contrary And therfore that he may not couet so cōsequently fulfil the cōmandement he is cōpelled to
through iustice But wheÌ„ God doth sée truth to be ascribed vnto him that he is worshipped with the faith of our heart which is as much honor as he desireth then doth hee honour vs againe imputeth vnto vs truth righteousnes for this faithes sake for faith in yelding to God his own doth work truth righteousnes and therfore God doth recoÌ„pence our righteousnes again with glory for it is true and iust that God is true iust So also to ascribe vnto God iustice truth to coÌ„fesse the same is to be true and iust To this effect we read in the 1 of the Kings the 5 Chapter Whosoeuer doth honor me I will glorify him and whosoeuer doth despise me shal be naught set by The same also pronounceth Paul to the Romans the 4 Chap. That to Abraham his owne faith was imputed vnto righteousnes because through the same he gaue vnto God the glory most absolutely that if we beléeue faith shal be imputed for the same cause vnto vs for righteousnes The third arme of faith which is a iewell inestimable is this that it coupleth the soule with Christ euen as the spouse with her husband By which sacrament as Paul â—eacheth Christ the soule are made one flesh If they be one flesh then is there a â—rue mariage betwixt them yea rather a mariage of all other most perfect absoâ—utely accomplished betwixt them for the mariages betwixt man wife be but slenâ—er figures of this vnion whereupoÌ„ it folâ—oweth that all things are coÌ„mon betwixt theÌ„ as well good as bad so that whatsoâ—â—er Christ doth possesse the faithfull soule may boldly presume vpon the same triumph ouer them as though they were his own Likewise whatsoeuer appertaineth â—o the soule the same may Christ chalenge vnto himselfe as if they were his owne Let vs coÌ„pare these together wee shall perceiue inestimable treasure Christ is full of all grace life and sauing health the soule is fraught full of all sinne death and damnation Now let faith come betwixt these two and it shall come to passe that Christ shall be loaden with sinne with death and with hell but vnto the soule shall be imputed grace life and saluation for it behooueth Christ if hee bee the husband to accept and ioyntly possesse the things appertaining to his spouse and withall to communicate to his spouse the things that appertaine to his possession for he that giueth unto her his body and himselfe wholly how can it be but that he must giue her all things else withall and he that is possessed of the spouse how doth he not withall possesse also the things appertayning to the spouse Here commeth loe to the view a most swéet spectacle not onely of communion but of a comfortable battell of victory of saluation and redemption For in as much as Christ is God and Man and such a person as neuer yet sinned neuer dyeth nor is damned yea such a one as neither can sinne noâ— dye nor be damned and that his iustice his life his sauing health is vnvanquishable euerlasting and omnipotent when as I say such a person doth communicate to himselfe yea rather doth wedde as his owne the sinne death and damnation of his spouse through the weddid Kyng and vnion of Fayth And that the case now standeth none otherwise then as if they were his owne proper peculiar euen as it himselfe had sinned were trauelling dying and descending into hell to bring all things in subiection And that sinne death and hell could not swallow him being all of necessity cleane swallowed vp in him by a miraculous conflict for his righteousnes is greater than the sinnes of all men his life surmounteth in power all death his sauing health is more victorious than all hell euen so the faithfull soule through the assurednesse of her faith in Christ her husband is deliuered from all sinnes made safe from death garded from hell and endowed with the euerlasting righteousnesse life sauing health of her husband Christ On this wise Christ doth cople her vnto himselfe a glorious Spouse without spotte and wrinckle clensing her with the fountaine in the word of life that is to say through faith the word of life of righteousnesse and of saluation Euen so doth he marry her vnto himselfe in faith in mercy and compassions in iustice and iudgement as he testifieth in the second of Osée Wherefore who is able to value the roialtie of this mariage accordingly who is able to comprehend the glorious riches of this grace where this rich and louing husband Christ doth take vnto wife this poore and wicked Harlot redéeming her from all euils and garnishing her with all his owne Iewels For it is impossible now that her owne sinnes should destroy her sithens they are laid vpon Christs shoulders and swallowed vp in him sithens also it doth now possesse the same righteousnesse in her husband Christ of the which she may now embolden her selfe and presume vpon them as in her owne right against all her owne sinnes against death and hell and may with confidence encounter the enemy and say if I haue sinned yet my swéet husband Christ in whom I doe beléeue hath not sinned all whose riches are mine and all mine are his As in the Canticle of Salomon My welbeloued husband to mee and I vnto him This is that Paul speaketh of in the first to the Corinths the fiftéenth Chapter Thanked be God which hath giuen vs victory through Iesus Christ our Lord Euen the victory ouer sin death And in the same place he bringeth in that sinne is the sting of Death but the force of sin is the law Hereof therefore you doe vnderstand againe what the cause is that faith is so highly commended that it is able alone to fulfill the law to iustifie without any helpe of workes For thou dost perceiue how the first commandement Thou shalt worship one God only is now accomplished by Faith only For if thou were nothing els froÌ„ the sole of the foot to the crown of the head but good workes yet shouldst thou not be iust nor shouldest thou worship God nor fulfill the first commandement for as much as God cannot be worshipped vnlesse the praise and glory of all truth and all goodnesse be truly ascribed vnto him but this cannot works bring to passe only the faith of the heart must atchieue this For wee doe glorify and confesse him to be true not by working but by beléeuing In this respect Faith only is the righteousnesse of a Christian man and the accomplishment of all the Commandents For hee that doth accomplish the first Commandement doth fulfill all the rest with no labour at all For works being things without sense cannot glorify God though they may be practised to Gods glory being ioyned with faith But wee at this present enquire not the works wrought of what quality they be but we doe
hée made thereby neuer a deale the more holy or the more a Christian for this is the work of faith only yea rather vnlesse hée did first beléeue and were a Christian before all his works would not be worth a straw but rather very wicked and damnable sinnes And for this cause these two sayings bée true namely Good workes doe not make a good man but a good man doth make the workes to bee good And euill workes doe not make an euill man but an euill man doth make the workes to be euill so that it behooueth alwayes that the substance or person bee good first before all good works and that good works follow then by order and procéed from a good person as Christ himselfe witnesseth An euill tree doth not bring good fruit and a good tree doth not bring euill fruit For it is euidently knowne by experience that the fruit doth not beare the trée and that the trée doth not grow in the fruit but contrariwise the trées doe beare the fruits and the fruit doth grow in the trées Therefore as it is necessary that the trée bee first before the fruit and that the fruit doth not make the trées good or euill But contrarily such as the trée is such is the fruit so is it necessary that the person or man himselfe be either good or badde first before hee make a good or bad worke and that his workes make him neither good nor badde but the man himselfe maketh his owne workes good or badde Semblable héereunto may wée sée in all occupations An euill house or a good house doth not make an euill or a good Carpenter but a good or bad Carpenter maketh a good or badde house And so generally in all kindes of manuall occupations and sciences no péece of worke doth make the Artificer good or bad but such as the Artificer is such worke maketh he euen so fareth it in the case of mēs works Such as the person is either in faith or in vnbeléefe such is his work if either done in faith and so good or done in vnbeléefe so euill But contrariwise it is not so to wit such as the worke is such is the person made in faith or vnbeléefe for as workes doe not make a man to be a beléeuer so neither doe they make a man righteous But faith as it maketh man beléeuing and righteous so doth it make his works to be good For as much therefore as works doe not iustifie any man and that it behooueth man to be righteous before he worke any good worke it appeareth most manifestly that faith onely by the mere mercy of God through Christ Iesu in his word doth make worthy and sufficiently iustifie and saue the person and that a Christian man néedeth no worke nor law at all thereby to attaine saluation for that through faith hee is frée from all law and doth fréely worke all things that he worketh of his owne mere good will respecting therein neither profit nor saluation but only the good will of God for as much as he is now already fully replenished and made safe by the grace of God through his owne faith Euen so no good worke auaileth to righteousnesse and saluation to the vnbeléeuing person On the other side no euill worke maketh him euill or damnable but his owne vnbeléefe which both maketh the trée euill and withall maketh the workes euill and damnable whereupon in this that any person is made good or badde he doth not receiue this being good or badde by works but this his good or euill taketh beginning from the roote of faith or vnbeleefe as the wise man recordeth The beginning of sin is to fall from God which is in effect to be vnbeléeuing And Paul in the 11 to the Hebrewes It behooueth him that commeth to God to beleeue The same also speaketh Christ Either make the tree good and the fruit thereof good or make the tree euill and the fruit thereof euill as if he might say who so will make good fruits must begin at the trée first plant vpon a good stock so who so will make good works must begin not at the working but at the beléeuing which beléefe doth make the person good for nothing maketh the person good but faith nor any thing maketh him euill but vnbeléefe Indéed this is true that by works man is made good or euill in the iudgemēt of men but this is as much in effect as to doe it to vnderstand and let it be knowne who bee good or who bee euill whereof Christ speaketh in the seuenth of Matthew You shall know them by their fruits But this knowledge consisteth only in shew and outward appearance semblance wherein many are deceiued that presume to teach and prescribe wherby men may bee iustified in the meane time making not once so much mention of Faith at all masking still in their own mismaze alwayes deceiued and deceiuing others going forward from worse vnto worse blind guides of the blind wearying themselues with a multitude of works yet neuer attaining to true righteousnes of whom Paul writeth in the 1. to Tim. the 3. Chap. Hauing indeed an vtter shew of holines but denying the power thereof alwayes learning but neuer attaining to the knowledge of the truth Therefore behooueth him that will not wāder out of the way with these blind guides to enter into a déeper cōsideratiō thā the vtter shew of workes of lawes doctrines of workes but must rather with a quite contrary aspect pry into the person and note diligently the reason whereby man is iustified and here shall he finde that man is iustified and saued not by workes nor by the law but by the word of God that is to say by the promise of his grace and by faith that so the glory thereof may redound to the maiesty of God Who hath saued vs that beleeue not by the works of righteousnesse which wee haue done but according to his owne mercy through the word of his owne grace Wherby it remaineth easie to be knowne in what respect good works are to be reiected or embraced in what sense all the doctrines of men touching workes ought to be vnderstood for if workes be compared to righteousnesse and be practised by a peruerse Leuiathan and of that false perswasion to presume vpon the obtaining true iustification therby they do now enforce a necessity vnauoidable do vtterly extinguish liberty faith withall and so euen by this meanes are now no more good but méerely damnable for they be not now frée but blasphemous to the grace of God whose onely property is through faith to iustifie and saue which things workes doe affect to bring to passe not of any their ability but by a wicked foolehardinesse only issuing from our own grosse ignorance by reason whereof they doe violently rushe and intrude into the office of grace and the glory thereof For this cause
vs. But in these our dayes we are taught by mens doctrines to séeke after nought else but deseruings and merites and the things which are our own haue made of Christ nought else but a sharp Lawmaker much more austere than Moses was Semblably the blessed virgin Mary did exhibite her selfe a singular president of the Faith aboue al others whiles after the manner of all other women she was purified according to Moses Law as it is set down in the 2 of Luke whereas being notwithstanding not bound to any such law nor néeded to be purified in any such wise yet she yéelded her selfe to the law of her own accord and of a frée loue vnto the law being made like vnto other women lest shée might seeme to offe◠〈◊〉 or despise them She was not therefore made righteous for that worke but being righteous before shee did this déed surely and without coactioÌ„ In like maner ought our workes to be put in vre not to the â—â—nd to be iustified by them for as much as being iustified first by Faith it behooueth vs to worke all things fréely and cheerefully for our neighbours sake So also Paul did circumcise his scholler Timothy not because Timothy néeded to be circumcised vnto righteousnesse but left hee might offend or despise the Iewes that were weake in Faith and which as yet were not capable of the fréedome of Faith. But contrariwise when as the Iewes did vrge a necessity to be circuÌ„cised to righteousnes setting at naught the fréedome of Faith hee did withstand them and would not permit Titus to bee circumcised Galath 3. for as he would not willingly offend or contemne the imbecillitie or weakenesse of others in the Faith applying himselfe to their capacity for a time so likewise would hee not giue place to the will of stiffenecked Insticiaries when the liberty of Faith was like to suffer reproch or be despised kéeping the midway bearing with the weake for a season and alwayes setting himselfe against the indurate to the end he might conuert all in generality to embrace the liberty of Faith. With like affection must our workes bee employed that we tolerate the weaklings in Faith as the Apostle teacheth in the 14. to the Romanes but that with courage wée resist the inflexible vrgers of workes of the which wee will treate more at large hereafter Likewise Christ in the 17. of Mathew when tribute was demanded of his Disciples asked the question of Saint Peter whether the children of the Kingdome were exempt from paying Tribute and Peter affirming that they were did command him notwithstanding to goe to the Sea speaking these words Lest we giue them cause of offence goe and the Fish that first commeth to thy hands take and opening his mouth thou shalt finde a groate take the same and giue it for thee and me This example is very much auayleable for our purpose In the which Christ doth call himselfe and his Disciples frée and Kings sonnes which stand in néede of nothing and yet of his owne accord submitteth himselfe and payeth Tribute Therefore by how much this worke of Christ was necessary to Christ and profitable vnto righteousnesse and saluation euen so much are all the workes of his elect and faithfull auaileable to righteousnesse whereas they be all following after righteousnesse and freely performed onely to the necessity and example of others Of the same condition are the workes prescribed by Paul in the thirtéenth Chapter to the Romanes and in the third to Timothy That men should bee subiect to the higher powers and prepared to all good workes not because they should bee iustified thereby where as they bee righteous already through Faith but that by these they might both bée subiect to others and to the higher powers add of a frée loue yéelde humbly obedience to their will in the fréedome of the spirit Of this same sort ought the workes of all Colledges Monasteries and Priestes haue béene employed that euery of them might haue performed the workes of their profession and estate to this end that by these euery of them might exercise not righteousnes but the taming of his owne body yéelding thereby example to others who haue themselues also néede to chastise their owne bodyes Then also that they might expresse humble obedience to others applying themselues to their commandement of a frée loue hauing neuerthelesse a speciall regard alwaies to this onely to witte that through vaine confidence none of them presume to be iustified to merite or to be saued by them which thing is the proper and peculiar office oâ— Faith onely as I haue often said before Therefore who so were furnished witâ— this doctrine might easily without danger wade in these infinite impositions anâ— traditions of the Pope of Bishops oâ— Monâ—keries of Churches of Princes anâ— Magistrates the which some foolish pastors doe so obtrude vpon vs as though they were of an vnauoydable necessitie to bee performed for the obtaining of righteousnesse and saluation calling them commonly the iniunctions of the Church being in déede nothing lesse For a Christian man may debaâ—e with himselfe on this wise I will fast I will pray I will apply my selfe to all whatsoeuer is commanded by men not because I need to doe any of these to procure righteousnesse or saluation by them but because I will expresse mine obedience herein to the Pope to the Bishops to the Potentate and to the Magistrate or to my neighbour for example sake for this cause I will doe and suffer all things euen as Christ did worke and suffer many greater things for my sake whereof he needed not to doe any one being made for my sake subiect vnto the law when as in deede he was not vnder the law And although these things be exacted of me through the tyrannous force and iniurious tyranny of the Magistrates yet shall they be no preiudice to me so loÌ„g as they be not against the glory of God. The premisses considered it is an easie matter for any man to iudge certainly betwixt the difference of all works and al lawes know skilfully who be blind and witlesse Preachers who be true faithfull pastors For whatsoeuer worke bée not directed to this only marke namely to be employed to the chastismeÌ„t of the body or to the dutiful coÌ„sideration of the neighbor so that it enforce not any thing directly against Gods glory surely the work is neither good nor Christianlike And this is the cause that I feare me much very few Colledges at all any Monasteries Altars or any Ecclesiastical exercises at this day be not truly Christian that also as well those proper peculiar fastings as the petty prayers to certain Saints be not ChristiaÌ„ I feare me much I say that in al these things regard is had of nought else but that which appertayneth to our selues whiles we be thus minded that by meanes of these exercises our sins are cleansed saluatioÌ„ obtained
to be nursed and cherished in the laps and armes of maydens lest they perish in whom being growne to riper yeares were no small perill of safety to frequent the company of maydens Euen so is it requisite to lock vp the ranging yéeres of licencious youth within the Cloysters yea within iron clossets of such ceremonies and exercises whereas they may bee restrained and abide correction lest their insolent courage draw them headlong into wickednesse Which ceremonies do neuertheles procure death vnto them if they perseuere in opinion to bee iustifiable by them whereas they ought rather to bee instructed that they were clogged with such restraint not for any such cause as to bee made righteous or to merit much thereby but to the end they should not rush wilfully into vices and so bee the more tractable trained to the righteousnesse of faith which they would in no wise endure through the outrage of their youth vnlesse the same had béene tamed and brought low Which doth argue that ceremonies ought not to be of any other price and estimation in the life of a true Christian man than as amongst Carpenters and Artificers certaine old postes logges or platformes are framed to direct raise vp buildings by which bee not made to the end they should serue and remaine to any speciall vse but because without such by-helpes buildings and workes cannot easily bee raysed for when the work or building is finished those deuises are laid aside So that here you sée that ceremonies are not vtterly abrogated but rather earnestly required but the vaine perswasion and presumption of them is contemned because no man accompteth them to be a true and permanent building If any man would bee so notably senselesse as to regard nothing else in his whole life but to direct those preparatiues with all honour with all diligence with all continuance and would neuer bende his cogitations to the very building it selfe stroking smoothing and vaunting himselfe in these preparatiues and vaine rotten proppes would not all men lament his madnesse and thinke within themselues that whiles he employed this cost to no purpose he might haue builded some matter of better substance So now we do neither abandō ceremonies nor works but rather doe allow them neuerthelesse we doe vtterly abhorre the vaine opinion conceiued of them lest that any man perswade himselfe that to obserue them is the true righteousnesse as Hypocrites doe which doe abuse and mispend their whole life in these exercises neuer reach vnto the substance in respect whereof they are practized or as the Apostle speaketh Alwayes learning and neuer comming to the knowledge of the Truth For they séeme as though they had a will to build and alwayes prepare themselues thereunto and yet they neuer build persisting alwaies in the glittering shadow of godlinesse but neuer attaine to the power and substance thereof Yet do they wonderfully flatter themselues in these exercises presuming also arrogantly to iudge all others whom they sée not glittering in the like brauery of workes whereas they might otherwise bee able to atchieue matters of greater importance to the singular comfort of themselues and others with this vainely imployed ostentation and abuse of Gods gifts if they were indued with a right and true faith But whereas the nature of man and reason as they tearme it naturall is naturally inclined to superstition and pursuing all Lawes and works is proue of herselfe to fall into vaine presumptiō of obtaining iustification through them adde moreouer herevnto because it is accustomed and inured to conceiue so highly of the same workes through the vsuall admiration of all earthly law-makers it is not possible surely of her owne strength to cleare it selfe from this seruile bondage of workes and to bend her force to know the liberty of faith Therefore it is requisite that we flée to prayer that the Lord would vouchsafe to draw vs and make vs instructed vnto GOD that is to say apt Schollers for God and that himselfe will vouchsafe to write his Law in our hearts as hee hath promised otherwise we doe all come to confusion For except he doe engraffe in our soules this maruellous Wisdome hidden in a mystery Nature cannot choose but condemne it and adiudge it for an Heretique because shée is offended 〈◊〉 and appeareth foolish in her eyes Euen as we saw to haue hapned in times past to the Prophets of GOD and the Apostles and euen as the wicked blinde Prelates and their false flatterers doe now vnto mee and others like vnto mée vnto whom and to vs also GOD bee mercifull and shew the light of his countenance vpon vs that wee may know his way vpon the earth and his sauing health amongst all generations Who be blessed for euer and euer Amen FINIS The Decrees doe prohibite to appeale to the generall Councels The cause why Luther wrote these Letters to the Pope How Luther behaued himselfe towards the Pope Why Luther was so vehement against his aduersaries Paul and the Prophets be sharpe against the tenderlings The delicate manners of our age Luthers variance The Court of Rome What stuffe hath issued from Rome into the world The Church of Rome Sathan raighneth at Rome not the Pope Eugenius was Pope sometimes Schollar vnto Bernard One only remedy remaining in the corrupt Romish Church Who did prouoke Luther to pursue the trecheries of the false deceiuers Cardinall Caietane Charles Militius Iudges of Luthers cause chosen Eccius The disputation at Lypsia The flatterer Eccius did hurt the Court of Rome more than the most mightiest enemy else could doe Luther will not recall any thing He will not suffer the theeues to make lawes for interpreting Gods word He councelleth the Pope not to he are flatterers What a Vicar is John 4. The popositions 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 13. 2 Cor 4. Gala. 5. In what things Christian liberty Gods word necessary for the soule Iohn 11. Iohn 8. Matth. 4. Dauid Famine of Gods word an horrible plague Amos. Psal. 107. Which is the word of God. Rom. 1. Rom. 10. Rom. 1. Faith only iustifieth Iob. Rom. 2. Rom. 10. Man is not iustified by any externall thing 1 Pet. ult Iohn 9. Faith a treasure inestimable Mark. 16. Rom. 10. The Scriptures haue commandements and promises Osee All the commandements be equally impossible to be accomplished by vs. The Law must be satisfied We accomplish all by faith Rom 11. God only commandeth and performeth The first arme of faith Iohn 1. Another arme of faith The greatest honor The greatest reproach Perfect obedience Rebellion God doth honour them that beleeue on him 1 King 5. Rom. 4. The third arme of faith The vniting of the soule vnto her spouse Behold inestimable treasures Ose 2. The Maiestie of this royall marriage Cor. 1. the 15. chapter For what cause faith is so much esteemed The true worship of God. Faith maeeth works The prerogatiue of the first birth Whereof the kingdome of Christ doth consist Christs Priesthood Priestly office Paul to the Hebrues How it is to be taken that faithfull Christians be Priests 1 Pet. ◠Christian kings Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 3. Note The spirituall kingdome We be Priests for euer All things euill to the vnbeleeuer The liberty of Christians 1 Cor. c. 4. To what issue the ministry Ecclesiasticall is come How Christ ought to be preached The fruit of true preaching The demand of them which doe not conceiue Luther yea rather which doe not conceiue what faith is Rom. 8. From whence works take their beginning The only worke of the inward man. Galath 5. Of what minde wee ought to be in doing good works How the body ought to be chastised Note A notable similitude Gen. 2. Faith doth restore into Paradise Another examples Two notable sayings Another example Only faith iustifieth The vnbeleeuing person is not made euill by works Heb. 11. Works do make a man good but that is in the sight of men Matth 7. The originall of some mens errour 1 Tim. 3. Rules to vnderstand the doctrines of many The reason of Luthers Doctrine The work of Leuiathan Preachers must exhort to Faith. From whence repentance or Faith doe proceed Rom. 10. Psalm 29. Of works towards our neighbours Rom. 14. Baruch 3. A Christian must apply himselfe to all men To what end the body must be cherished The true Christian faith The deprauers of the Apostles doctrine A Christian ought to conforme himselfe to Christ Gal. 1. The confidence of a Christian man. The fruit of Faith. Behold gentle Reader how worthily is Luther reproched We ought to know how great things are giuen vs. The glory of a Christian life In what respect we be named Christians The holy Mother of Christian example of Faith. Luke 2. Paul doth teach workes Gal. 3. An example of our Lord Christ Take hold of Luther all ye Religious and admit him to be your teacher The knowledge of a true Christian The difference betwixt the good and the euill pastors Good aduice Only faith must be attended vnto A rule touching brotherly loue 1 Cor. 13. A Christian man doth liue in himself and in his neighbour Against the liberty of the flesh Against the confidence in workes Gal. 1. How we ought to deale with the obstinate Aspides The simple Rom. 4. Against the lawes and law-makers Rom. 14. To the yong in yeares Danger in the ceremonies Of what estimation ceremonies be Against them that be notably suspitious From whence the law of wisdome doth proceede
therefore wée doe not reiect good workes but rather doe most hartely embrace and teach them Neither doe wée condemne them in respect of themselues but in respect of the wicked addition giuen vnto them and peruerse opinion conceiued of them in thattayning of righteousnesse whereby it commeth to passe that they appeare good onely in shew being not good in déede and in truth thereby being themselues deceiued and deceiuing others also as rauening wolues clothed in shéepes skinnes And this Leuiathan and peruerse opinion in workes cannot possibly be reclaymed where pure faith wanteth nor is remoueable from these holy workemen before that Faith the vanquisher thereof come in place and beare dominion in the heart Nature is not of it selfe forcible enough to expell it no not so much as to take notice therof but estéemeth it in place of a most holy will wheras if custome preuaile take déep rooting in this peruersenesse of nature as is already brought to passe through wicked teachers it is an incurable disease and leadeth astray innumerable people into destruction vnrecouerable And therfore albeit it be a commendable thing to preach write gloriously of repentance confession and satisfaction yet if they surcease here and procéede no further euen to the instructing of faith such doctrine doubtlesse is deceiueable and deuilish For euen so Christ with his beloued Iohn did not only say Repent yee of your sinnes But added also the word of faith For the kingdō of heauē is at hand For the one part of Gods word ought not to be preached alone but both together must be taught both new and old must be deliuered out of this treasury aswel the voyce of the Law as the word of Grace The voyce of the Law must be vttered that the people may be terrified and framed to know their sinnes and thereby be turned to repentance and amendment of their former life But here forthwith must not stay be made for this were only to wound and not minister playster to lance and not to heale to kill and not to quicken to lead vnto hell gates and not to deliuer from thence to throw downe altogether and not raise vp Wherefore the word of grace also the word of promised forgiuenes ought likewise to be preached to instruct raise vp the faith without the which in vaine is the doctrine of the law of contrition of repentance of all other things also practised and preached Indéed there remaine as yet certaine preachers of Repentance and Grace but they doe not disclose the law and the promises of God in that liuely spirit force as others capacities may attaine to the true fountaines and spring head of Repentance and Grace For Repentance procéedeth from out the law of God but faith or Grace doth issue frō Gods promise As the Apostle witnesseth in the tenth to the Romans Faith commeth by hearing but hearing commeth of the word of Christ Wherefore it commeth to passe that man receiueth consolation and is raised vp through Faith of Gods promises who otherwise through the threatnings and terrours of Gods Law is brought low and throwne downe into the knowledge of himselfe Whereof the Psalmist in the xxix Psalme Mourning shall dwell vntill the euening and ioyfulnesse vntill the morning Let this suffice to haue béene spoken of works in generall and of those works also which a Christian man doth exercise towards his owne body Lastly wee will speak of those workes which the Christian doth employ to the vse of his neighbour For man doth not liue vnto himselfe only in this mortall body to worke in the same but to all men generally vpon the earth Nay rather man liueth only to other men and not to himselfe For to this end doth hee keepe his body in subiection that he may thereby more sincerely and fréely serue to the necessities of others As witnesseth Paul in the 14. to the Romans No man liueth to himselfe and no man dyeth to himselfe For he that liueth liueth vnto God and hee that dyeth dyeth vnto God. It is not possible therefore that in this life man should be idle and vnfruitfull towards his neighbours For of very necessity he must talke worke and bee conuersant amongst man Euen as Christ made to our likenesse in properties was found to bee as man and conuersant amongst men as Baruch testifieth in his third Chapter And yet he néedeth none of all these to procure righteousnesse and saluation And therefore in all his works behooueth him to be so framed in minde and to direct his whole affection only to minister to the necessities of others to séeke the commodity of others in all his déeds hauing regard to nothing else than to the behoofe and profit of his neighbour For euen so the Apostle commandeth vs to worke with our hands that we may haue wherewith to reléeue the necessity of our brethren whereas otherwise he might haue said to haue wherwith to cherish our own bodies but let him giue saith he to him that is in néed For the property of true Christianity is to regard the state of his owne body to this end that through health well preseruing the same he may be able to labour to gaine riches and to employ them to the reléefe of the néedy That so the strōg member may helpe the weake member and that we may be the sonnes of God carefull and trauelling each for other bearing one anothers burthen and by this meanes fulfilling the law of Christ Behold here the true Christian life this is the natural liuely faith effectuall through loue that is to say when it breaketh forth into the worke of most frée seruice with ioy loue wherin he doth fréely and of his owne accord minister to others reknowledging it self fully satisfied with the abundance and riches of his own faith After the same maner when Paul had made euident to the Philippians how rich they were made through the faith of Christ in the which they had receiued plenteousnesse of all things he giueth vnto thē another lesson and saith If you haue receiued any consolation of Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the holy ghost fulfil then my ioy that ye may be al of one mind be endued all with the like loue being alike minded thinking all one thing esteeming nothing of your selues through cōtention or vaine glory but striuing to excel ech other in humility euery one regarding not the things of his own but the necessities of others Loe here by this rule of the Apostle wée sée plainely the life of true Christians to consist in this that all their workes be directed to the commoditie of others for as much as euery person doth so much abound through his owne Faith that all other workes and all his whole life doth ouerflowe vnto him wherewith he may be able to minister vnto and profit our neighbour of a frée and voluntary good