of it This call they a fayth sufficiēt vnto saluation is not this a pestilent and wicked doctrine that such as haue no touch of godly feare nor any féelyng of true godlynes should be sayd to possesse all true faith necessary to saluatiō where it is proued before in the proffe of the true definition of fayth that one of the properties of true fayth is to purifie the hartes of all thē that possesse it Let this both touchyng the description of true fayth and the counterfaite faith of the Papistes suffice and let vs procede to shew in what sense the righteousnes or iustification is to be taken which fayth by grace apprehendeth For the doyng whereof it is necessary to shew how diuersly the word righteousnes is vsed Sometyme it is vsed for that common righteousnes whiche naturally cleaueth vnto man wherby euen in the heathen the opposition of generall vertues and generall vices was vnderstand and the contrary estimation of both therby generat And this righteousnes is common to all men In another sense it is vsed for that outward righteousnes which by the good fruites or workes of suche as bee already iustified is apparaunt in the eyes of men Therefore in neither of these senses is the worde righteousnes or iustification taken in this place wherfore that which here is ment may thus be defined Iustification is a frée remission of sinne imputation of righteousnes vnto man through fayth in Christ The truth of this definition is proued by these words of Paul Abraham beleued God and that was imputed to hym for righteousnes To him that worketh the reward is not counted of fauor but of duty but to hym that worketh not but beleueth on hym that iustifieth the vngodly hys faith is counted to him for righteousnes euen as Dauid describeth the blessefulnes of the man vnto whom God ascribeth ryghteousnes without deedes saying Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes are forgeuen and whose sins are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne by these wordes of Paul it is plaine that God iustifieth the vngodly whiche beleueth by forgeuyng hys vnrighteousnes and couering his sins and imputation of righteousnes vnto hym without deedes and that it is fréely done Saint Paule also declareth for all sayth hée haue synned and are destitute of the glory of GOD and are iustyfied freely by hys grace therefore is iustyfication ryghtly saide to bée a frée remyssyon of sinnes and imputation of ryghteousnesse vnto man through faith in Chryst Thus hauing declared what iustification or ryghteousnesse is truely gathered out of the scryptures of God I wyll also briefly note what the Papistes and Scholemen accompt it to be wherein you shall perceaue the building thereof to be wholy raysed from their deuysed grace whereof is sufficyentlye spoken Thus wryteth the mayster of the sentences Mors ergo Christi nos iustificat dum per eam charitas excitatur in cordibus nostris For the death of Chryst doth iustifie vs when as by it charitye is stirred vp in our heartes By whiche woordes it appeareth that hée affirmeth the death of Chryst no otherwyse to iustifie vs but by excitation or styrring of the mynde vnto good woorkes by them to bée iustyfied so that in déede they accompt iustificatyon to signifie nothing else but a certayne qualitie or vertue or infusion of a certayne habit into the mynde inclyning or mouyng the same to goodnes that by the workes thereby produced righteousnes may be attayned Whyche assertion of theirs affirmeth ryghteousnesse to come of oure selues through our owne woorkes onelye addyng thys exception that first through the merite of Chryst a certaine habyt or preuentyng grace doth inclyne the minde to the execution of those workes whereby iustification is attayned whiche is both by the true definytion of iustification false and also by the manifest woordes of Saynt Paule whiche so many tymes affirmeth iustification to consist in the free imputation of righteousnesse vnto man through faith Abraham sayeth he beleued God and that was imputed vnto him for ryghteousnesse It appeareth that these men accompt the generall power or vertue of God whereby hée produceth and conserueth hys creatures and whereby euen in the heathen certaine morall or ciuill good woorkes are wrought to further the doers thereof vnto iustificatyon Thus are some of them not ashamed to dreame that suche as bée not regenerate may do suche good woorkes as maye merite the first grace as they call it whereby the mynde beyng styrred hath by their doctryne frée wyll to admit the same whichebeyng once admitted certayne woorkes of suche perfection are thereby produced as in a sort bée acceptable to God and do meryte the fauour of Chryst and in a sort do iustyfie though not by full and exact worthinesse yet by a certayne conuenyencye or congruencye ay they call it accordyng whereunto they name these woorkes congruent merites That is to say suche merites as in equitie deserue fauour though they satisfie not the extremitie of the lawe And these first works they call preparing workes meanyng that suche prepare the doers vnto regeneratyon Thys their diuinitie séemeth to bée gathered oute of thys sentence in the ciuyll law Summum ius Summa iniuria extreme ryght is extreme wrong And therfore they wyll scan wyth God the equitie of the lawe inferryng thereupon that by the power of nature man is able to fulfill the commaundement in asmuch as appertayneth to the substaunce of the worke required therein though not fully in suche sort as the intent of the commaunder requireth that is though the doyng thereof procéedeth not from loue and the spiryte they bée able to satisfie the equitie as it were of the commaundemēt though not the rigor or extremitie thereof and hereby appeareth howe fully agayne they haue wallowed themselues from euill to worsse till at length they be perfectly tumbled agayne into a Pellagian heresie for by what soeuer good worke nature hath power and frée wyll before iustificatyon to meryte the first grace wythall seeyng by that first grace once obtayned iustification doth by their congruence follow it is of necessity that that first meritorious work is the cause of thys their iustificatyon and so nature hath of it selfe in equitie power to iustifye The horrible error of which doctrine is more then euident by that whiche hath bene shewed before aswell by the true definition of iustification as by the fourth and fifth chapters where the filthynes of corrupt nature is euidently declared Let thys touching the true signification of righteousnes or iustification and the errors of the Papistes about the meaning therof suffice Now resteth somwhat to be said concerning workes Wherefore in one signification workes are those thynges which by practice of arte are done and apparantly remayne as all thyngs wrought by any handy craft are called the workes of the doer In another signification workes are the actions of men produced by the willyng motion of the mind which
et in lege possit deleri hoc decreuit vt solam fidem poneret per quam onmium peccata aboleret vt quia nulla spes per legem omnibus hominibus erat dei misericordia saluarentur Because sin began to be increased by the craft of the aduersary that man through the restraint mought bee found more giltie God of hys mercifull goodnes alwayes carefull for man that that which without law was transgressed might in the lawe be blotted out decreed this Namely to appoint fayth onely to be the meane whereby he would extinguish the sinne of all men that seing no hope was left to any man in the lawe they might by the mercy of God be saued Agayne the same Ambrose In Christo Iesu data est gratia quia hoc constitutum est vt qui credit in Christum saluus sit sine opere sola fide gratîs accipiens remissionem peccatorum In Christ Iesu is grace geuen forasmuch as this with God is decreed that who so beleueth in Christ is saued by fayth only without worke receauing freely forgeuenes of sinnes Agayne Hillarius vpon the 8. of Mathew hath these wordes Sola fides iustisicat onely fayth doth iustifie Notwithstandyng these authorities of Scriptures and fathers yet do the aduersaries kéepe styll theyr brasen faces and stoutly sweare it stare it out that none but heretickes and schismatickes affirme that onely faith iustifieth Truely gentle reader if thou béest not setled in error thou cāst not but see their wicked and shameles facing in crying out that we corrupt the scriptures and that none of the fathers gathered out any such sense or meanyng of them concerning which matter thou hast heard diuers of them tell theyr owne tales Now it is here principally to be noted that wher mans iustification is a free remission of sinnes and imputation of righteousnes vnto hym through fayth in Christ it may be that because the phrase of the Scriptures of these aucthorityes attribute the same so many tymes to fayth that therefore some myght gather thereby that fayth is the efficiēt cause of mans iustification which is not so for the efficient cause is onely God euē as sinful mā destitute of Gods grace is the materiall cause and as the declaratiō of Gods iustice righteousnesse in performaunce of hys free promyse to the encrease of the glory of hys grace is the finall cause And forasmuch as vnto this worke two instrumentes were requisite the one to be vsed by God whiche was Chryst of whom hée made the sacrifice and offeryng the other to be vsed by man whiche is fayth Therefore that fayth beyng as I saide the instrument whiche taketh holde of the promyse hath relation vnto the obiecte of fayth Namely vnto Chryst and the promyse and so hath the title of iustification imputed vnto it for so sayth the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and God imputed that to him for righteousnesse Whyche Paule dyuers tymes rehearseth to shewe that fayth is not the efficient cause of iustificatyon but the obiecte of fayth Namelye Chryst and the promyse And that fayth receyueth the tytle thereof onelye by imputation and not by proprietie of nature Namely because it is that wherewith man taketh holde of Christ and the promise whiche I thought worthy the notyng Thus hauyng shewed the nature of the newe couenaunt touchyng mans iustification and that fayth is the onely meane required in man to the attaynement thereof it followeth Cap. 9. ¶ To know the certayne tokens of that fayth wherunto iustification is imputed and the difference betwene the workes of the faythfull the works required in the law FAyth beyng the gift of God as Paule to the Phillippians affirmeth for vnto you sayth he it is geuen not onelye to beleue in Christ but also to suffer for hym fayth I say beyng the gyft of God is accompanyed wyth newnesse of lyfe which possesseth suche beautyes of Gods grace as forthwyth kyndle the soule or mynde wyth desire of true obedyence vnto God by ingraftyng hym both into the similitude of the death of Christ whereby he dyeth vnto sinne and also into the similitude of hys resurrection whereby hée ryseth vnto a newe lyfe beyng sure that the olde man of synne is crucified that henceforth hée shoulde no more be seruaunt to sinne So that now she trayneth hys affection towardes the thynges aboue from the thynges on the earth in that hée is dead to synne his life béeing hydden in Chryst wyth God whereby hée laboureth to mortifye the affectiōs of the earthly members as hauing put of the olde man with hys workes and put on the new whiche is renued in knowledge after the Image of God shapen vnto righteousnesse and true holines laboring not to greue the spirite of God by whom he is sealed vnto the daye of redemption but knowing himselfe the temple of the holy ghost laboreth to clense and purifie the same Whiche desire is not now kindled in hym as in respecte of merite but as proper and peculiar vnto the faith which through grace hath takē the possession of the mind wherby he is trāsformed into the similitude of Chryst so that where before he yelded himselfe seruant vnto all the workes of the fleshe now contrarywise he laboureth to pursue all the woorkes proper vnto the spirite Beyng certayne that the grace of God whyche bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth hym that hée shoulde denye vngodlinesse and worldly lust◠and that he should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present lyfe Séeyng Chryst gaue him selfe for him to redéeme him from all vnrighteousnesse to purge hym peculiar vnto him selfe feruently geuen to good workes that so he might walke worthy of the Lorde in all thinges that please being fruitfull in all good woorkes and increasing to the knowledge of God because hée is hys workemanshyp created in Chryst Iesus vnto good woorkes whiche God ordayned that he shoulde walke in them Now forasmuch as these be the proprieties or fruites belongyng to regeneration whyche entreth wyth true fayth Therefore presentlye where soeuer she taketh place shée maketh her selfe knowne by these effectes and forthwith vpon her arriuall begynneth fight with the olde man of sinne and déedes of the same And whereas before whilèst the strong armed man namely the deuill kept the pallace that is possessed the soule or mynde all thinges were in peace that is man slumbred in security féelyng no fight in conscience Now so soone as a stronger commeth in place namelye the holy ghost furnishyng the minde with true faith whereupon newnes of lyfe and true godlinesse atténde Then foorthwyth entreth man into the christian fight for presently all the forenamed graces are encountred by the deuyll and the corruptyon of hys sinfull and rebellious nature according to these sayinges Hostis noster adhuc in hac vita nos positos quanto magis nos sibi rebellare
discerne thynges that differ to iudge betwene good works and counterfeite workes betwene true religion hipocrisie that so through that knowledge they might haue iudgement how to lead a pure and Christian life which without the knowledge of the wyll of God is vnpossible And agayne the same Paule to Philemon See that the fellowship sayth he that thou hast in the fayth be fruitfull through knowledge of all good things which are in you by Iesus Christ Hereby it appeareth that without vnderstanding of the will of God no good workes can be wrought But Paul playnely affirmeth that all thei that be not already iustified in Christ haue no vnderstanding The naturall man sayth he perceaueth not the thinges that belong to the spirit of God for they are but folishnes vnto hym Then if he perceaue not nor vnderstand the thynges that please god It appeareth by that is sayd before that he can by no meanes do the worke that shall please god Hereby it both playnely appeareth that the knowledge of the wyll of God is required to good workes and also that none that is not iustified hath that knowledge Now touching that vnto good works there is also required in the doer affection delight towardes the same that is euident by the definition of good workes expressed in the 8. chapter where it appeareth that they be nothyng but an execution of the commaundementes whereunto the whole affection of man both body and soule is required as in the. 4. chapter appeareth which also is confirmed by the example of those of whose good workes the scripture beareth witnes Thus sayth Dauid If my delight were not in thy law I should haue perished in my trouble And agayne my delight was in thy commaundementes And agayne thy testimonies haue I claymed as mine heritage for euer and why they are the very ioy of my hart And agayne Lord what loue haue I vnto thy law al the day long is my studie therein And agayne my delight shal be euer in thy statutes And agayne for I loue thy commaundementes aboue golde precious stone Thys affection of the hart is required to the performaunce of good workes whereof how greatly they be short that be onely possessed of the naturall man and not iustified in Christ it is more then euident by the playne wordes of God hymselfe In Genesis he sayth thus my spirite shall not alwayes striue in man because he is fleshe And a litle after The Lord sawe that the wickednes of man was great in the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughtes of his harte were onely euill continually And agayne in the 8. chapter the imaginations of mans hart is euill euen from hys youth Here appeareth that the affection of the naturall man is onely this affection to rebellion desire so contempt and lust to disobedience Thus it is euident that in all those which be not already iustified in Christ their is neither vnderstanding how to please God nor affection thereunto And so consequently no good worke seing it is proued that no worke cā be good but where both they be ioyned together which also is euident by that which is sayde in the fifth chapter Surely if these men had bene as carefull searchers of truth herein out of Gods holy worde as they haue bene of mistes and clowdes out of Aristotles schole to darcken shadow the brightnes thereof they woulde neuer haue sought with so many subtil distinctions and false definitions without al ground of Gods worde to haue builded themselues the labirinth of errour maze of their owne confusion But woulde contrariwise haue humbled themselues vnto the spirite of God and haue considered the ende of hys purpose in mans saluation But they not considering that to be the prayse and glory of hys owne grace and enforcing the rigor of the outward sounde of some wordes in the scripture haue gathered workes to be the cause of mās iustification where if they more narrowly cōsidered they should see that faith is the onely meane by which workes are indued wyth the title of goodnes forasmuch as no good worke can be wrought but by a man alredy by faith iustified and appareled wyth the righteousnes of Christ by meanes whereof the blemishes and imperfections thereof are through mercy couered which otherwise if the same workes were wrought by an vnbeleuyng man they woulde appeare in the sight of God most filthy for of mercy it commeth in respecte of Christ that the most perfecte workes are not layde to mans charge for sinne Out of this ground gathered from God truth this rule of Christian religion is concluded that where soeuer righteousnes or iustification is in the Scripture imputed to workes it is not imputed to them as though they were the cause of righteousnes that is to sayas though they going before iustification did procure or purchase the same but farre otherwyse it is imputed vnto them as vnto the fruit of the righteousnes of fayth which after iustification doth witnes and declare that the doer is iustified by fayth by apprehending of Christ in respecte of whom mercy couereth the spottes of that worke from the sight of Gods iustice so that sinne is not imputed to man for the same Hic murus ahaeneus esto Let this to a Christian conscience be a wall of brasse Now this foundation layde let vs séeke by thys rule to vnderstand those Scriptures which the aduersaryes for theyr filpursse doctrine of iustification of workes haue forced into open combat both agaynst theyr owne naturall sense and agaynst the ende and scope of Gods purpose declared in the Scriptures touching mans iustification wherein to séeke to answere to all theyr subtill and shameles wranglings were more tedious then profitable And touching the multitude of wordes more paynefull then possible Though touching matter Gods truth being iudge inough hath bene sayd already where-fore to auoyde all extremities and kéepe my selfe within my power touching wordes and yet not to passe the reste with silence I will ouerlooke a fewe of their principall ragges which they call reasons wherein theyr errour being opened the smaller of them selues will drop a sunder vntouched Wherefore firste of all that playnnes might be ioyned with the breuitie for which I labor let the Scriptures which they make challengers in thys fraye be gathered together into these sortes In the first sort placyng those which promising reward to workes procure men to labour for the same In the second sort such as by the sound of wordes séeme to take iustification from fayth or geueth the same to workes And in the last sorte those Scriptures wherin the righteous thallenge at Gods handes reward of theyr innocency righteousnes Wherfore by examples of euery of these sorts let vs séeke truely to vnderstand them by theyr agréement with thē selues and the rest of the Scriptures that as of God there is but one spirite and one truth so the same truth by the consent
of the whole Scripture together may bee acknowledged For we may not wrest such sense out of the Scripture by vrging the outward barke of some particular places therein as shall set them at strife with all the reste of the body of the Scripture and so imagine the spirite of truth at warre with hym selfe Wherefore for the first sorte let these authorites serue Euery man shall enioye good according to the fruites of his mouth and after the workes of his handes shall he bee rewarded Agayne The sonne of man shall come in the glory of hys father with his angels and shall reward euery man according to his deedes And agayne God is not vnrighteous that he should forget your worke and labour that proceedeth of loue which loue ye shewed towardes his name in that ye haue ministred vnto the Sainctes and yet minister These examples may serue for their argument of thys sort Well say they seing that mans rewarde is accordyng to hys workes it appeareth that in workes there is merite and that to mans iustyfication woorkes are requyred Here I myght briefly aunswere that all these woordes are spoken of woorkes comming after iustyfication whyche is not the matter in questyon betwene vs for the question is about woorkes goyng before iustification for the purchase thereof But for their great ouerthrow Let it bée imagined that these promyses are made to woorkes goyng before iustification and yet get they nothyng thereby for we answere they reason from a generall to a species which in an affirmatiue concludeth fasly as for example If one seyng a liuyng creature shoulde reason thus yonder is a liuyng creator therefore it is a man For as of liuyng creatures there be diuers kindes wherof mā is but one so of rewardes there bée dyuers kyndes whereof merite or desert is but one For some rewardes are frely geuē of loue or fauor some through hope of further benefite and some of merite desert or duetie c. So that as vntruely thys is concluded that because it is reward therfore it is merite or duety as the other namely because it is a liuing creature therefore it is a man for in déede this rewarde is of grace or fauour and not of merites or woorkes As by these oft rehearsed wordes of Paule is euydent For of fauour sayeth he yee are saued thorough fayth and not of your selues it is the gift of God and not of woorkes least anye man shoulde boast hym And although thys well considered wyth the definytion of iustyfication in the. 8. chapter doth fullye expresse what sense in these authorities maye well bee allowed yet shall the same in more larger forme of wordes bee declared thus Forasmuche as mans iustificatyon is a free remission of sinne and imputatiō of righteousnesse vnto man thorough fayth in Chryst therfore that the ryghteousnesse of the iustyfied by this free grace might be declared and the bountifull liberalitye of Gods mercye made manyfest to the prayse and glorye of hys grace for thys cause is the rewarde declared vppon the outwarde worke as vppon the outwarde wytnesse of the inward righteousnesse of fayth to the open declaration of the truth of Gods promyses concernyng the womans séede namely Christ By the Prophet Esay hée sayth thus Hee shall iustifie the multitude for hee shall beare awaye their synnes And agayne the people shall bee all ryghteous and possesse the lande for euer The flower of my plantyng the woorkes of my handes whereof I wyll reioyce And agayne that they myght bee called trees of ryghteousnesse A plantyng of the Lordes for hym to reioyce in Wherefore for thys cause namely that the chosen myght bée declared to be ryghteous in the eyes of all the worlde and the triumph of Gods grace or fauour thereby celebrated by the open performaunce of these hys promisses that hée might be iustified in his sayinges and ouercome when he is iudged In consideration hereof I saye he openly pronounceth the fauourable rewarde accordyng to the open manifest works or fruites of the righteousnesse of fayth induyng them with the rewarde of righteousnesse whiche rewarde is of fauour in respect of Chryst apprehēded by fayth and yet pronounced vppon the woorkes as vppon that outwarde fruite whereby the inwarde righteousnesse of fayth is declared whiche hée doth to thys ende that the elect maye bee declared to be iustyfied and the performaunce of his promyses in Chryst made apparaunt so that for thys cause namelye to iustyfie Gods promyse concernyng thys free and mercifull deliueraunce in the sighte of all men to the encrease of the glory of hys grace that as all men heard the promise so all maye witnesse the performaunce thereof For thys cause I say is the fauourable rewarde pronounced according to the outwarde workes or fruites of the ryghteousnesse of fayth wheras if it had beene pronounced accordyng to the fayth no man coulde haue witnessed the true performaunce of the promyse And thys is the cause why the fauourable rewarde is declared vppon the woorkes And not that the workes are the cause of the rewarde For the only end of Gods actiou herein is as Paule testifieth the prayse of the glorye of hys grace whiche is also euydent by this saying of the Phrophet Ezechyell And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I shall doe good to you for myne owne names sake and not accordyng to your most wycked offences By whyche wordes it appeareth that God wyll not onely be ryghteous in the performance of hys frée mercifull promise but hée wyll haue all the worlde both sée and wytnesse the same for hée sayeth in thys promyse you shall knowe that I am the Lorde c. So that hereby God hath promysed to declare hys frée fauour in suche an outwarde subiect as man may bée able to sée and wytnes the fulfilling therof in that he sayeth ye shal know and yet therewyth all he geeueth a determinate caueat that that subiecte wherein hys goodnesse shall be declared shall not be the cause of his goodnesse expressyng playnely what shal be the cause thereof namely hys owne glory Affirming that it shall be for his owne names sake Not onely exceptyng workes from being the cause but also to expresse their great néede of mercye to couer their spottes shewed them touchyng their owne nature howe foule they bée in saying And not accordyng to your most wycked offences And in both the other places before rehearsed out of Esay where he promiseth to make all hys people ryghteous and that they should be called trees of ryghteousnesse This is specially to be noted that in both those places he affirmeth their righteousnesse shall bée the flower of hys plantyng the woorkes of hys handes and not of their owne addyng thereto the cause thereof namely for hym to reioyce in That is accordyng to Saynt Paules woordes For the prayse and glorye of hys grace And to thys ende are all the woorkes of GOD done that hee may
righteousnes vnto workes haue not we our iustification of fayth and workes and not yours of faith onely It is sayde of Phinées in the 106. Psal that his acte was imputed to him for righteousnes And likewise in Deutronomy of hym that deliuered his neighbors pledge that it shal be righteousnes vnto him before the Lord his god And likewise S. Iames saith was not Abraham our father iustified by workes in offering his sonne Isaac vpon the aulter Whereupon they conclude that as man is not iustified by workes so is he not iustified by faith without workes flatly agaynste S. Paule who concludeth playnely that man is iustified of fauour through fayth without workes where he telleth both the finall cause of that liberall gifte namely the prayse and glory of the grace or fauor of God and also he telleth the reason why he so vehemently excludeth workes namely least any man shoulde beast that is through blinde presumption should challenge any part of the glory of that worke which God hath reserued to himselfe for his speciall triumph Now if the aduersaries will néedes vrge that the worde righteousnes or iustification hath the same signification in these places by thē alleged that it hath in Paule Doe they not teare in sunder the spirite of truth and set him at warre with hymselfe forasmuch as by the rigor of wordes they be contrary Paule sayth fiatly and affirmeth it by manye discourses that faith without worke iustifieth and that by workes no man liuing shall be iustifyed but these aucthorities affirme the contrary that these men by workes were iustifyed Now if they will néedes affirme that both in Paul and in these places which they alledge the worde righteousnes or iustifycation hath one sense is not this a doctrine that eyther must accuse Paule of ignorance of the sense of the auncient scriptures or of error in his owne and robbe God of his finall triumph namely of his glorie and vtter spoylinge man of the assuraunce of Gods fauour in Christ for if his assuraunce therof bee once ioyned with the condition of hys owne desert or workes surely he falleth by and by into one of our Phisitions new found Agewes A triple tertian quotidian he can neuer know when he is without a fitte Surely it were to hard for Peter Lumbard him selfe with both his foundations of hope to spy out a time to finde him selfe cleare from a fitte if for one masse whyle on the Sunday his imagination coulde mocke him that he were créeping to godward The true testimony of his conscience might assure him that all the rest of the wéeke after he were gallopping to the deuilward The Lord hath blessed hys elect from such assuraunce Wherefore let vs now reuerently with Paule haue respect vnto the finall ende of Gods woorke in this cause Namely to hym onely to yelde all the glorie and to man assuraunce and vndoubted possession of his fauour in Christ And we shall easely sée in these places no contrarictie but most swéete consent Let vs follow the rule of the auncient fathers in serching the truth of doubtfull sentences Thus sayth Hillarius Intelligentia dictorum ex causis est assumenda dicendi quia non sermoni res sed reiest sermo subiectus The meaning of wordes is to be gathered by the causes of the speaking for the matter is not subiecte to the worde but the worde to the matter Agayne Ierome vppon the Epistile to the Galathians saith thus Nec putemus in verbis Scripturarum esse Euangelium sed in sensu non in superficie sed non medulla non in fermonum folus sed in radice rationis Neither let vs thincke that the gospel consisteth in the wordes of the Scripture but in the meaning not in the barck but in the pith not in the leaues of wordes but in the roote of the meanyng Wherfore let vs in folowing the Coūfell of these auncient fathers séeke such meanynges and sense of these Scriptures as may expresse their consent with the rest of the Scriptures And haue respect vnto the finall cause of Gods purpose Namely as I haue often said that vnto hys fauour and grace for this so frée a benifite all prayse and glory may redoūde That al workes wrought by man before iustification be nothing els but the euill fruite of an euill tree it is before euidently proued And so vtterly vnable to abide the presence of gods iustice Wherby it foloweth of necessitie that the woorkes alleged in these their authorities were not there meant for works going before iustification as causes therof but in déede for such workes as folowyng the same declared manefestly the righteousnesse which to the doers of them was offrée fauour through fayth imputed For that the workes of a man by fayth already iustified be in the sight of God allowed for ryghteous by not hauing sinne imputed vnto them it is not onely not denyed but most constantly affirmed For how can it be otherwise but that God in beholdyng in them hys owne moste glorious Image wherewith throughe grace in respect of fayth they be clothed He muste both acknowledge it and delight therin But that their spottes and blemishes are nowe couered wyth the righteousnes of Christe this commeth not to them either by them selues or in respect of them selues but onely by grace or fauour through fayth as is shewed before For they beinge the workes of a man already by fayth iustified and clothed in the righteousnes of Christ Therfore they thereby clothed in the same righteousnes hauing theyr spottes and blemishes through mercye therewith couered are acknowledged for righteous They are accepted for good fruite because they were brought forth by a good frée So that fayth by apprehendyng of Christ and his righteousnes in the promise through grace and fauour attayneth mans iustification So the workes or fruites of the righteousnes of the same faith do manyfestly declare and witnes the doer of them to be righteous That is as fayth apprehēdeth righteousnes in the frée promise for man so the workes or fruites of that righteousnes of fayth doe declare and testifie that hee is iustifyed Wherefore whersoeuer in the Scriptures man is sayd to be iustifyed by workes the meaning is that he is by workes declared and knowen to bée a righteous man And not that the workes were the cause of his righteousnes This being thus considered ther appeareth betwene Paule and the aucthorities by them alledged no strife but most swéete agréement For as Paule telleth the meanes howe a man is iustifyed so the other shew and declare howe man is openly knowne to bee righteous or iustifyed Now marke gentle reader how this doctrine tendeth fully to that end where unto Saint Paule directeth hys course Namely that the whole glorie may redound to GOD alone and that man may haue a sure possession of Gods fauour in Christ Firste in that by iustifycation of workes this onely is to be vnderstand that man
father and in respect of which wée are beloued of the father is also called grace for Iohn sayth we haue receaued grace for grace that is we are receaued into the grace of God the father for that grace or fauour whiche he beareth vnto Christ his sonne And this is the thyrd and last signification of grace which being shewed it séemeth not inconuenyent to note somwhat agayne of the pestilent doctryne of your abusing deceauers concernyng grace séeing their errour about the same is the mother and nursse of that presumptuous traytor and ambitious rebell I meane the doctrine â—fiustification of woorkes whiche to fill the pursses of the wicked spoyleth the Maiestie of God of the finall end of hys labour namelye of the triumph and glory of hys free and bountifull fauour and maketh the treasure of the death of Chryst of vyle and contemned price Wherefore to the hatchyng of their hainous errours about the effectes thereof necessytie constrayned them to deuise false and counterfayte matter or substaunce or the ground of the same accordyng whereunto they thus define it Gratia est habitus a deo in animam infusus bonitatis et charitatis eius similis quo illum habens gratus deo redditur et facit opera illigrata et meritoria Grace is an habyte lyke vnto the goodnesse and loue of God by hym infused into the miride wherewyth hee that doth possesse it is made acceptable to God and woorketh workes both merytorious and acceptable vnto hym For the vnderstandyng of the whiche definytion it is necessary first to shew what they meane by thys woorde habyte wherefore any propertye or qualytye whyche by infusion education exercise custome or any other way is perfectly attayned is called habyte whereby this definition euen at the first taste sauoureth of the soyle that bred it for in the whole Scriptures of God there remayneth not so muche as the cooloure of proofe hereof that the genus or generall woorde vnto that grace wherby wée are saued should be an habite of the mynde that is to say a qualitye by education exercyse or infusion made perfect in mynde Thys diuinitie is pycked out of Aristotles Ethickes where it is taught that the habilityes powers of the mynde are strengthened by habit that is to say by a perfection therein attayned through exercise made easye and ready to be performed whyche wythout the same were very difficulte or not to be done Whiche beyng considered I thynke it not amysse somewhat to note the treacherye of thys their heythenesse definityon wyth shewes beautified to the sale beyng in déede nothyng els but a paynted sepulchre conteyning onely a stynckyng caryon of Pelagius filthy and corrupt heresie thoughe aboue all thynges they must séeme to dissent from hym and hys doctrine And therefore at the first in that they affirme grace to be an habite infused into the mynde they thereby thinke with a pleasaunt profer in the begynnyng to dasell the eyes of the worlde from suspition of their ioynyng handes with hym the substaunce of whose heresye beyng well weyed is neuerthelesse one and the same wyth this doctrine wherefore great connyng was to be vsed in this matter seing hys hatefull errour remayned with great detestatyon condemned of the fathers and therfore they must seme at the least in some superficiall tryfle as stout enemies to dissent from hym Wherefore where his cunning was by Saint Augustine detected that though hée vsed the name of grace yet hée ment nothyng therby but onely nature Now these meÌ„ to auoide this open vew of vnitie wyth his condemned heresie At the first gate or entrie séeke such colerable passage as dissenting from the shew of his woordes maye neuerthelesse embrace the substaunce of hys heresie wherefore not to seme that they accoumpt grace to be nature they terme it an infused habite thinkyng thereby to make it apparaunt that they meane not any naturall power or habilitye And yet agayne in that they affirme it to bée lyke vnto the goodnesse and loue of God they thynke themselues to haue géeuen a substauntyall shew why all they that be therewyth adorned shoulde be acceptable vnto God Namely by reason of that lykenes and similitude to the goodnesse loue of god And this forsooth they terme Gratia gratum faciens That is grace whyche maketh man acceptable by whiche reason it must folow that the loue wherewyth God accepteth vs must come after thys grace and come in respect thereof And yet S. Iohn sayth hée loued vs first And Saint Paul affirmeth that our acceptatioÌ„ with God commeth in respect of his owne mercy And this is here to be noted that in man hym selfe they place this theyr grace wherby he is made acceptable vnto God makyng hym therby a cause of his owne saluation which errour Pelagius held the falshode wher of appeareth partely by that whiche is sayd before in the profe of the first part of the true definition of grace where it is euident that that grace whereby we be iustified is a frée beneuolence of the will of god Wherby it is manifest how falsly it is sayd the we are iustified by any habit powred into our myndes seyng it is by the fauour or grace whiche is in God and not in our selues wherby he receiueth vs into his mercy But this definition of theirs is as I sayd before grounded vppon Aristotles Diuinitie Now for further profe of their ioynyng with Pelagius in the substaunce of hys heresie herein it is nedefull to compare the conclusion of both the doctrines together in this point Pelagius affirmed that the begynnyng of all good workes proceded from our selues namely from the frée will and election of man and that grace dyd onely helpe the possibilitie of nature that these workes might more easely be performed Now the Papists and Scholemen bycause as I sayd before they must seme to dissent from him in somethyng affirme that the begynnyng of good workes procedeth not froÌ„ nature as he affirmed but from grace Mary this soueraigntie they attributed to nature that in the will consisteth frée power choyse eitther by geuyng place vnto grace to bryng forth good workes or els by resistyng the same to omit theÌ„ And I praye you from wheÌ„ce commeth this will seing they cal it frée could they haue erred more if they had with Pelagius affirmed the firste cause of good workes to come from nature no assuredly for they place the principall cause in frée wil whiche they place in nature and vnto grace though in wordes they geue it the first place yet alowe they it no further power but onelye to offer it vnto the mynde leauyng the whole soueraignty vnto nature Namely fre wil and choyse to admit or not admitte the same so that in this matter they differre from Pelagius onely herein in that hee affirmeth the first cause of good workes to consiste in nature and the Papistes affirme it to consiste in grace But yet vnto that grace they
scholemen haue handled the matter lurketh a great and venomous subtletye whyche is in that vertue is made the genus or generall woorde vnto fayth whereby fayth should séeme to bée contayned in the predicament of qualitie whiche before is shewed false and therefore he had affirmed before in the. 27. distinction of the seconde booke that no qualitye in the mynde can be a vertue vnlesse by charitie it be there formed for thus he writeth there Charitas est spiritus sanctus quae animae qualitates informat sanctificat vt eis anima informetur sanctificetur sine qua animae qua'it as non dicitur virtus Charitye is the holy Ghost whyche charytie doth forme and sanctifie the qualytyes of the minde that by them the minde may be formed and sanctified without which charitie no qualitie of the minde is called a vertue Here shineth the cause of his former foundation in that they make vertue the genus or generall worde vnto fayth namely because he woulde expresse fayth to be a qualitie by charitie formed in the mind And forasmuch as all qualities of the minde be actions or workes therefore in that he imagineth the same charitie to forme fayth he thinketh him selfe to haue geuen a substantiall cause why fayth in our iustification should be considered as it is a worke and not otherwise So that all his course herein is runne onely to this end namely to teach that iustification consisteth in workes and that fayth iustifieth in respecte that it is a worke and not otherwise And that this is his meaning it is plaine by that question out of the aunswere whereof his forenamed authoritie was alledged which is this Cur ergo dicitur fides mereri iustificationem vitam aeternam ex ea ratione dictum accipitur quia per actum fidei meretur illa VVhy sayth he is fayth said to deserue iustification and eternall life it is vnderstand to be said for this cause because by the acte of beleuing it deserueth those thinges Now doth it euidently appeare why vnto fayth he applied that definition out of the discourse about the subtiltie wherof this one thing is gathered worthy the noting namely the ouerthrow of the scholemens owne smoky distinction of formed and vnformed fayth wherewith so greatly they please them selues for by thys definition it is euident that there is no other fayth but onely forined fayth But to know what hereby is ment it is necessary to note that that qualitie of the minde which by charitable workes expresseth it selfe outwardly to beleue they call formed fayth And againe that qualitie of the minde which likewise beleuing though by charitable workes it declare it not they call vnformed fayth which by the doctrine of this deceauer is euident to be no fayth at all For if it be fayth by hys definition it must be a vertue and if it be a vertue it must by hys forenamed authoritie be formed in the minde by charitie or els he affirmeth it to be no vertue Wherfore seing thys their qualitie is vnformed therefore by hym it is no vertue and being no vertue by hys definition of fayth it is no fayth and that thys is that which out of hys owne doctrine is to be gathered it also appeareth by this question which he afterwardes in the 5. question of the 23. distinction of the 3. booke putteth An illa informis qualitas mentis quae in malo Christiano est fiat virtus cum sit bonus VVhether the same vnformed qualitie of the minde which is in an euill Christian be made a vertue when the man is a good Christian Here you plainly see that he flyeth the name of fayth and calleth it an vnformed qualitie and not vnformed fayth knowing that that vnto hys own definition had ben a flat antithesis Thus is it euident both how their doctrine is at warre within it selfe and also that as the same is vtterly strange frō the true doctrine of Christ so are they driuen to forge termes of arte accordingly for the same such as the Scripture can not acknowledge the cause whereof may séeme to haue bene thys that for asmuch as the matter of iustification of workes which is the prowler for all theyr prouision is by the whole course of the Scriptures ouerthrowen and the office therof attributed to fayth Therfore sought they such blynd definitions of fayth as in reteinyng the name of fayth for fashions sake myght neuerthelesse reserue vnto workes the soueraignitie still Which beyng imagined there remayned this one thing behynd that for asmuche as their ende was to seke a generall gayne of all men aswell of the bad as the good by this their deuised Religiō it was of necessitie that this their fayth beyng one of the pillers therof should conteyne in it some such plausible proprieties as with pleasaunt allurementes and shewes myght minister matter both to good and bad to feede thē selues with opinion of the possession of true fayth vnder the couloure thereof For the doyng wherof it was necessary that it should conteyne in it two diuers kynds proportionall to the condition of the two diuers subiectes which should possesse the same namely the good and the bad And hence semeth their subtile distinction of formed vnformed fayth to haue growen Their formed fayth was onely perculiar to theyr good men such as by theyr charitable workes had formed the same and geuen it the true nature and forme Namely by offeryng at pilgrimages buyldyng chauntreis bying of pardons and such other stuffe And their vnformed fayth is a medicine for all hell houndes and rake helles for none cā be so wicked but if he acknowledge theyr Churche they will thus far comfort him that he may persuade hym selfe that notwithstandyng all hys vilanies yet hath he in him all good and true fayth necessary vnto saluation Mary they say yet it is vnformed Surely it is lyke to that which hath bene fayned of the Beares whelpe namely that it should bee whelped a rude lumppe without shape which the dame with the lickyng of her toung doth perfectly forme So the possessours of this theyr vnformed fayth by the lickyng the same not with theyr tunges but with the charitable workes of theyr pursse taught in the rules of their holy Churche may forme it at their owne pleasure yea if they lyst after the best fashion the more cost the more perfection Truly this semeth to to haue bene the grounde of theyr doctrine herein for what soeuer they say of fayth they meane thereby no other thyng but that a superstitious humblenes and blynde obedience to the penny prowlyng doctrine of their counterfeyte Churche is true and Christian fayth though the possessor therereof know neither how GOD wil be worshypped in Christ nor how by hym he is made gratious and mercyfull vnto hym This is theyr fayth to beleue nothyng determinately nor with assuraunce of knowledge but alwayes vnder this condition if the iudgement of their Churche so allow
of the faythful are such workes as proceede from a heart purified through fayth Now into the other Schole or ballaunce let vs lay the workes required in the law whose definition is thus gathered out of the iiij Chapter The workes required in the law are such as proceede from the full obedience willyng desire and naturall pronesse of the whole man vnto righteousnes Thus wayed in the ballaunce it is euident that euen the very good workes of the faythfull compared with the workes of righteousnes required in the law are founde farre to lyght to satisfie the same For asmuch as the law can alow none but such as procede from a full obedience willyng desire and naturall pronesse of the whole man That is to say the lawe can alowe no workes but such as should be wrought by naturall strength desire vnto righteousnes But the good workes of the faythfull bee not so but contrarywise they are wrought through the frée grace of GOD purifiyng the heart by fayth whereupon it foloweth that the good workes of the faythfull examined by the iustice of God are insufficient to satisfie the law and haue no strength but vnder the shilde of mercy So imperfect are the best and most purest workes of the iustified that being examined by the seueritie of the law they are vnable to abide the presence thereof Thus hauyng shewed the certayne tokens of that fayth whereunto righteousnes is imputed and the difference betwene the workes of the faithful and the workes required in the law it foloweth Cap. 10. ¶ To knowe what iustificatiō or righteousnes it is whiche the scripture attributeth to workes and also what fayth it is against whiche S. Iames speaketh and why Iustification is imputed to fayth and not to workes HOw diuerslie the worde righteousnes or iustification is taken in the Scriptures is by the viij chapter declared where it is euidently proued that iustification being taken for the frée imputation of righteousnes vnto mā wherby in the sight of God he is discharged of giltiship cōmeth onely through fayth in Christ without respect of mans worthines or workes by the frée beneuolence of the will of God to the prayse and glory of his grace And that the iustification or righteousnes of woorkes is nothing els but the declaration of the same righteousnes of fayth by the outwarde fruites thereof which aunswereth that which is first in this chapiter required Yet notwithstanding the ambitious pride of the aduersaries is neither ashamed nor afeard to hold plée as it were with God for a part of the glory of mans iustificatiō arrogantly challenging the same as a deserued duetie purchased by theyr workes The contrary wherof as in the viij chapter it is manifestly proued so is the feareful error thereof by the iiij chapter euidently disproued For it is there plaine that al the workes of corrupte nature are as direct contrary to the law as death vnto life darkenes vnto light or colde vnto heat And yet out of that hatefull hourd must they of force take their counterfeit store Séeing they wil néedes haue workes to iustifie for that enferreth that those workes must goe before iustification and so be wrought before the man be righteous which can be nothing but the fruites of a wicked man for vntill he be righteous he is wicked and by their doctrine he can not be righteous vntill the worke haue made him righteous therefore whilest he is wicked it must néedes be that he do the worke which shall make him righteous which is impossible as by the Scriptures doth euidently appeare Thus writeth Paul to the Phillippians That ye may be pure without offence vntill the day of Christ filled with the fruites of righteousnes which fruites are in you by Iesu Christ vnto the glory praise of God. Here in these wordes of Paul we may learne the efficient cause the formall cause the materiall cause and the final cause of good woorks by which causes it doth euidently appeare that before iustification no good workes can be wrought and that the ende of good woorkes is not to iustifie the doers of them but onely to the glory and prayse of god Wherefore let vs consider his woordes first in that he sayth that ye may be pure and without offence he sheweth what is the office of a christen man namely to labour for such pure and vnspotted conuersation as no offence may iustly be gathered by the same He sayth moreouer Vntill the day of Christ to shewe that the endeuour towardes goodnes must haue continuance through the whole course of the life Hauing thus shewed both the office of a christen man and the terme of his continuance in th execution thereof he goeth forward to shew what furniture is necessary in him to the performance of that office in saying Filled with the fruits of righteousnes Here he sheweth wherwith he must be filled that must be pure and without offence namely with the fruit of righteousnes that is with good workes And as he teacheth in these wordes that good workes are the furniture of a christen mā so doth hée also teache in the same woords both the formal cause the material cause of good woorkes for in that he sayeth wyth the fruites of righteousnes he sheweth that righteousnes or iustificatiō is the formal cause of them which as a good trée bryngeth forth her good fruite He also sheweth that the materyall cause of any good worke is that it is a fruite of ryghteousnes whereby it is clearer then the Sunne that there can be no fruite of ryghteousnesse vntill the brynger forth thereof be transformed into a trée of righteousnes neither can the material cause haue her being vntil first the formal cause bée generate for the trée must bée before the fruite And in thys place doth Paule open the wordes of Esay in the. 61. chapter where he sayeth they shall be called trees of ryghteousnesse whyche cause Paule doth insinuate by expressyng the effect in that hée sayeth filled wyth the fruites of ryghteousnesse which imployeth that the bryngers forth of those fruites must néedes bee tréees of ryghteousnesse whereby it is euydent that no woork is good but that which is brought forth by a righteous man seeyng that it is the fruite of righteousnesse but none is a righteous man vntill he be iustified therefore can none bring forth good workes but suche as bee alreadye iustyfied Wherupon it followeth that before iustificatiō no good woork can be wrought Paule goeth forwarde and sayth whiche fruites are in you by Iesus Chryst Here doth he euidentlye declare what is the efficient cause of good woorkes namely Iesus Chryst so that where before hee had taught iustification or righteousnes to bee the formall cause of good woorkes and the fruites thereof to be the materiall cause for that hée woulde leaue no doubt concernyng the effycyent cause therefore he addeth whiche fruites are in you by Iesu Chryst Where thys is also to be noted fully
agréeing with that which is sayd already namelye that no good woorke can bée wrought but by him in whom Iesus Christ doth raigne that is by that iustified for hereby it is playne that no good worke can be in man onles it be by Iesus Chryste but Iesus Chryst worketh onely in the iustified for his spirit doth certifie their spirites in whom hee dwelleth that they are the children of God there is no condemnation to them that are in Chryst Iesu And in this place doth Paule also go forward in prosecutyng the woorde of Esay for where Esaye calleth them trées of ryghteousnesse that is to say the bringers forth of the fruites of ryghteousnes he addeth a plantyng of the Lordes to shew that their ryghteousnesse is the Lordes worke and that doth Paule open here where hée sayeth that good workes or fruites of righteousnesse are in vs by Iesus Chryst as though he had sayd Iesus Chryste hath made you to bée trees of ryghteousnesse that you myght bring forth the fruites thereof namelye good workes and so declare your selues to be a plantyng of the Lordes Thys beyng taught Paule goeth forward in declaryng the finall cause of good workes in saying Vnto the glorye and prayse of God whereby it is playne out of these words of Paules that Chryst is the efficiēt cause of good workes and that none can bée wrought but by hym in whom the spirite of Chryste dwelleth that is none can be wrought but by the ryghteous or iustified in that he saith whyche fruites are in you by IESVS Chryst Whereby it is playne that wythout Iesus Chryste they can not bée in them Where also is declared the materiall cause of good woorkes Namely a fruite of ryghteousnesse so that vnlesse it bée brought forth by a ryghteous tree it can bée no good worke hee also declareth that the iustification or ryghteousnesse of the doer of them is the formall cause of them in that hée calleth them the fruite of ryghteousnesse for that declareth the doers of them to bée trées of ryghteousnesse as Esay termeth them wherby also appeareth that no good worke can bé done but by a man already iustyfied hee also telleth the finall cause of them in that hée sayeth Vnto the glory and prayse of God concludyng euen as Esay in the fore named place doth For after hée had sayde that they myght bée called trées of righteousnesse a planting of the Lordes hée addeth for hym to haue glorye in so that the ende of good woorkes is not to iustifie the doers but to glorifie God for vnles the doers had bene iustified before the woorkes were wrought they coulde haue bene no frute of righteousnesse So that thys place of Paule is an openyng of the forenamed place of Esay for where Esaye sayeth that they myght bee called trees of ryghteousnesse Paule expoundeth that to bée that they shoulde bryng foorth the fruites of righteousnesse and where Esaye calleth them a plantyng of the Lordes that doth Paule open when he telleth that the fruite of ryghteousnesse must be in them by Iesu Chryst And where Esay sayeth for hym to glorye in Paule sayeth to the glory and praise of God. Thus by comparyng together these woordes of Paule and Esay it is more then euident that good workes bée so farre from iustyfiyng the doers that before iustificatyon no good worke can bée wrought And Chryst himselfe affirmeth no lesse when he sayeth that the tree must bee good before it bryng foorthe good fruite Euerye good tree sayeth he bryngeth forth good fruite So that first hée acknowledgeth the trée to bée good before it bryngeth forth good fruite And if the tree be euill he affirmeth in the same place It bryngeth foorth euill fruite concludyng playnely that no euyll tree can bryng forth good fruite Whereby it is euident that the man muste by fayth bée made good that is to saye righteous and iustyfied before he can bring forth any good woorkes So then the woorke is acknowledged for good through mercy which couereth the blemishes thereof in respect that it is the worke of a man by fayth already iustified and clothed in the righteousnesse of Chryste and not in respecte of it selfe which compared with the iustice of God is wickednesse as in the 9. Chapter was proued for wee bee all by nature the chyldren of wrath as Paule beareth witnesse And thus writeth Augustine Sequuntur bona opera iust fi atum non praecedunt iustificandum Good woorkes folowe hym that is iustified they goe not before hym that is to bee iustyfied Agayne the same Augustine Quid enim est boni operis ante fidem cum dicat Apostolus quicquidsine fide fit peccatum est for what good woorke is there before sayth seyng the Apostle sayeth that whatsoeuer is not of fayth is synne And Christ hymselfe sayeth wythout mee you can do nothyng whereby it is euydent that vntyll they haue the spiryte of Chryst they can woorke no good worke but none haue the spirite of Chryst but suche as bée the children of God for the Scrypture sayth these bee the children of GOD that bee led by the spyrite of GOD and none are the children of GOD tyll they bée iustyfied for to bée the chyldren of God and to bée iustyfied is all one thyng therefore none can woorke good woorkes but suche as be already iustyfied Agayne to the workyng of euery good woorke there be two thynges specially required namely vnderstandyng and affection So that the worke that must please God muste both bée ioyned wyth the knowledge of the wyll of God and also bée done wyth affection pleasure and delight in the same Touchyng that it shoulde bee done wyth knowledge thus sayth God by the prophet God desireth in man more the knowledge of God then burnt offrynges And before in hys fourth chapter where he geueth a reason of the destructyon of hys people he alleageth onely lacke of knowledge my people sayeth he are destroyed for lacke of knowledge And Chryst himself sayth do yee not therefore erre because you vnderstand not the scryptures And Iob affirmeth that to depart from euill is vnderstandyng Whereby it is playne that wythout vnderstanding or knowledge of the wyll of God no man can depart from euill and do that which is good And therefore doth Dauid crye Geeue mee vnderstanding and I shall keepe thy lawe O geeue mee vnderstandyng that I maye learne thy commaundementes And that good woorkes are wrought through knowledge or vnderstanding it is by the scriptures euident Paul to the Phillippians writeth thus And thys I praye that your loue maye abound yet more and more in knowledge and vnderstanding that ye maye discerne things that differ one from an other that ye may be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ Here doth Saint Paule not only pray that theyr loue might abound in knowledge but he also telleth the cause of hys prayer namely that they might be able to
reioyce and haue glorye in them Whereby it appeareth that hys glory and not mans works is the cause of the rewarde And that workes doe nothyng else but declare that that man vppon whom the frée rewarde and performaunce of the mercifull promyse is bestowed is righteous and hath by fayth attayned the promyse The rewarde is declared vppon workes as vppon that onely subiecte whiche was able to manifest the righteousnesse of fayth And to make the performaunce of Gods mercifull and frée promyse apparaunt to all men that hee myght be iustified in his saying and ouercome when hee is iudged Hauyng nowe shewed in what sort al places of the scrypture which attribute rewardes vnto woorkes are to be vnderstand excludyng vtterly mans merite or desert according to the true nature of grace and fayth expressed in the. 8. Chapter and also agreable vnto the ende of Gods purpose expressed both by these places before rehearsed oute of the prophets and also by Paul namely reseruyng vnto hys free fauour grace the whole prayse glory of thys woorke as the final cause thereof hauing shewed thys I wyll returne to shew what price mans woorkes are of by the scriptures and how the ancient fathers accompted of them First it is sayde in Genesis the imagination of mans heart is euill euen from hys youth And it is sayde in Iob. beholde hee founde vntruth in hys seruauntes and in hys Angelles there was follye howe muche more in those that dwell in houses of clay and whose foundatyon is but duste And agayne How may a man compared vnto GOD bee iustyfied or how can hee bee cleane that is borne of a woman beholde the Moone shyneth not in comparyson of hym and the Starres are vncleane in hys sight then howe muche more man that is but corruption and the sonne of man that is but a woorme And agayne VVho can say my heart is cleane I am pure from sinne And agayne Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt for in thy sight shall no man liuyng bee iustyfied And agayne Though thou washe thee wyth Nitrus and take thee muche Sope yet thyne iniquitie is marked before mee sayeth the Lorde GOD. Agayne VVe are all as an vncleane thyng all our righteousnesse are as menstruous clothes Agayne All men are liers Agayne The hart of man is wycked vnsearcheable Agayne VVhat is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he shoulde be ruste beholde he found no stedfastnes in hys Sainctes yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight how much more is man abhominable filthy which drinketh iniquitie like water Agayn All the children of men are vnrighteous yea all their workes are vnrighteous and there is no truth in them Agayne In my fleshe dwelleth no good thinges And agayne All haue gone out of the way all haue bene made vnprofitable Agayne There is none righteous no not one they are all become abhominable there is none that doth good no not one And Christ hym selfe sayth VVhē you haue done all that is commaunded you say you be vnprofitable seruauntes Upon the which wordes of Christ it shall not be amisse to note what one of the Popes owne Cardinals Thomas de Vio writeth Neta parabolam pro memoria et conclusionem pro documento si seruando onmia praecepta sunnis inutiles nec habemus vnde superbiamus quid sentiendum de nobisipsis est qui non omnia seruamus qui multorum rei sumus sed quid de nobis dico quum nullus dicere possit quod debeham feci nisi qui exemptus est a dicendo dimitte nobis debita nostra Quod ergo dicitur quum fecer t is omnia non dicitur quòd facturi essent omnia sed quòd si etiam facerent omnia sed quòd quum merita habuerint facientium omnia praecepta recognoscant se seruos inutiles vt a fortiori recognoscant se minus quà m inutiles hoc est debiteres reos multorum quae debebant seu debent facere Note the parable for remembrance the conclusion for your learning if in keeping all the commaundementes we be vnprofitable and haue nothing to be proud of what shall we thinke of our selues which do not keepe all which be giltie in manie of them what I say shall we thinke of our selues when none of vs all can say I haue done that I ought vnlesse any be priuiledged from saying forgeue vs our trespasses VVherfore where it is sayd when ye haue done all thinges it is not therefore sayd as though they could do all things but for this cause that though they could do all thinges and though they could haue the merites of such as performe all the cōmaundements they must acknowledge them selues vnprofitable seruantes that by a much stronger argument they might acknowledge thē selues lesse then vnprofitable that is detters and giltie of many thinges which they ought and are bound to do Which thinges Gregorye well vnderstood when he sayd Humana iustitia diuinae iustitia comparata iniustitia est quia lucerna in tenebris fulgere cernitur sed in Solis radiis posita tenebratur Mans righteousnes compared with the iustice of God is wickednes for euen a candle is seen to shine in the darke but being set in the beames of the Sunne it is darkned Hauing now shewed by these authorities what is the worthines of mans workes it plainly appeareth what merite is in them namely the merite of damnation And touching the opinion of the fathers concerning merites Thus writeth Origen Sicut hoc quod subsistimus non potest intelligi quia ex operis nostri mercede subsistimus sed euidenter dei munus est quod simus gratia conditoris qui nos esse voluit ita et si haereditatem promissonum dei capiamus diuina gratia est non alicuius debiti aut operis merces As it can not be vnderstand that we be that which we now be for the hire of our owne worke but that we be is euidently the gift of God and the fauour of the creator which would haue vs to be euen so although we may receaue the inheritance of the promise of God it commeth of the fauour of God not being the hire of any dutie or worke And thus saith S. Augustine writing vpon these wordes of the 30. Psal Deliuer me in thy righteousnes Quis inquam est qui scruatur gratis is in quo non inuenit seruator quod coronet sed quod damnet non inuenit merita bonorum sed inuenit merita suppliciorum VVho is he I say that is saued frely Euen he in whom the Sauiour findeth nothing to crowne but to condemne no merite of good thinges but desert of punishment Againe the same Augustine in his epistle to Pauline Operibus debitum redditur gratia gratis datur vnde nuncupatur si quis autem
The grace of Christ commeth freely and not for merues sake August de câ—uitate dei lib. 14. cap. 1 August de spiritu et litera cap. 18 Ibidem Cap. 13. By fayth to Iesus Christ we are iustified IbideÌ„ in Psal 31. No merits but mercy preueâ—ed out iustification August in expositione 2. Psal 31. IbideÌ„ in Psal 18. We are frely iustified in the bloud of Christ God of hys owne mercy hath saued vs. IdeÌ„ in Psal 5. IdeÌ„ in Psal 142. God for the glory of hys names ake doth freelye sane vs by his grace and mercy Idem de teÌ„pore sermone 49. Ambro. de vocatio gent. libro 1. cap. 5. Ad valent epist. 46 Idem lib. 2. homiliarum homilia 14 Augustine calleth such heretikes as ascribe grace to merite August Sexto epist. 105. Aug. Valentino et fratribus epist. 46 Contra duas epist. pelagionorum Lib. 1 IdeÌ„ ad Sextum Rom. praesi epist. 105. Idem libro 3. contra pelag hipognast cap. 37. De compuâ—tions cordis The reasoning of the aduersarirs Man is iustified thorow fayth wythout workes Rom. 3. Gal. 2. 25y works no man liuing shal be iustified Peter Lom bard Hilla lib. 4. de trinitate Hier. in epist. ad Gal. Cap. 1. The 〈…〉 e of the scripture consisteth not in the wordes but in the meaning of the same Workes folow iustification Fayth apprehendeth righteousnes and workes declare the apprehension Good workes declare vs to bee righteous Fayth apprehendeth Christ by whom we are made righteous The meaning of S. Iames wordes Note here the maner of speaking of S. Iames. Fayth with out workes is a dead fayth True fayth cannot be without good fruites Abrahams fayth had fruites S. Iames enueigheth not agaynst a true fayth but against a fayned false fayth Math. 19 The keping of the commaundementes of God were hable to iustify vs if we were hable to obserue them Leuit. 18 No man hath nor can keepe the lawes as God requireth them to be kept A questyon moued by a lawyer vnto Christ Christes aunswer to the lawiers question Luk. 5. This is a hard speeche to the louers of the worlde An other argument of the Papistes The Papistes accompte Christ to be very weake that beyng able to iustif 〈…〉 a man before he was conuerted were not also able to restore him if he fell after he was regenerate Hebr. 6. Hebr. 10 Luk. 12. 1. Iho. 2 Christ is our iustification both before Baptisme and after An other obiection The aunswere Rom. 4. Fayth doth iustify because it apprehendeth Christes iustification 1. Cor. 13. Fayth hope and loue Obiection Aunswere Loue fulfilleth the law Fayth is the instrument wherby we receaue our iustification by Christ An other obiection Aunswere Our iustification is done by Christ before our workes God worketh to saluation only in his children that is in the iustified God by his owne working and not be ours maketh vs his children All good workes are wrought by God in them that are iustified by fayth Psal 7. Psal 18 The righteous being vnder the mercilesse persecution lament and 〈…〉 e. The righteous cry out that they are no such offendours as the wicked report them to be The righteous offer the innocency of their causes to the iudge ment seat of god Dauid reioiceth that he held hys hand and hart from committing of wickednes against Saul 1. Sam. 20. The innoceÌ„cy of Dauid in respect of Saules crueltie Psal 51. Psal 38. 130. Psal 19. Psal 32. God must haue the whole honor of maÌ„s saluation IustificatioÌ„ why it is imputed to fayth and not to workes Eph. 2. No worke may be don vpon hope of reward 1. Cor. 11. August in epist. 1. IohaÌ„ nis tract Aduersus Iudaeos erat one The Table wherein note these two letters a. b. a. signifieth the first side of the leafe and b. the second A. ABrahams faith had frutes 112. b Adam created 1. a Adam deceaued by Eue hys wife 4. b Adam accuseth his wife 6. a Adam the firste man made vs bond and thrall vnto sinne 44. a Adams disobedience hath corrupted all mankynd 12. a. b Anavaptistes Pelagians and Papistes 11. b Argumentes made by the Papistes of good workes aunswered 95. a. b. 107. a. 115. a. 116. a. b. 117. a B BLasphemye to Christes death and passion 68. a C CHrist onely taketh away the sinnes of the world 19. a Christe the sonne of God was made man and borne of the virgine Mary 42. a Christ was perfect God perfect man. 43. b Christe is very righteousnes it selfe 43. a Christ is our Aduocate to the father 44. b Christe is our iustification both before Baptisme and after 116. b Christe the seconde man hath made vs free froÌ„ sinns 44. a Christe became accursed to make vs blessed 44. b Christ had payd the full taunsome of mannes transgression 44. a Christe iustifieth vs before we worke 119. a Conflictes attende continually vpon true fayth 81. b Corrupte doctrine of the Papistes 29. b D DAuid reioysed in hys innocency 121. a. b Death hath power ouer the vnrighteous 7. b Death hath power ouer the whole nature of man. 7. b Death is dew to all sinne 17. a Death and damnatioÌ„ reigneth ouer euery man. 19. b Deadly sinne excludeth fayth 17. a Deadly sinne veniall sinne what difference 18. a DefinitioÌ„ of actuall sinne 16. a Definition of veniall sinne 16. b Definition of loue 25. b. 26. a Definition of the law 29. a Degrees of perfection 29. b Definition of habite 49 b DefinitioÌ„ of fayth 56. b. 57. a. b Definition of workes 65. a. b. DefinitioÌ„ of iustification 62. b Definition of woorkes of the faythfull 84. b Difference betwene originall and actuall sinne 19. a Deuill is the enemy of mans felicitie 4. a Deuill and God there is no middle estate betwene them 67. a Deuill an enmie to vertuous lyfe 81. a Duetie or debt hath two senses or meanynges 101. a E. EDen the garden wherein man was placed at his first creation 1. a Errors of Papistes about workes 66. b Eue the woman was goueÌ„ vnto man to be his helper 1. b Eue deceiued by the deuil 4. b Exposition of this place of Iohn we haue receued grace for grace 48. b F. FAyth and deadly sinne can not stand together 17. b Fayth onely apprehendeth the promises of God. 47. a Fayth diuerslye taken in the Scriptures 55. b. 56. a Fayth what the scholemen thinke of it 56. a Fayth onely attayneth instification 70. a Fayth onely iustifieth proued by the Scriptures and anâ— cient fathers 70. b. 71. a. b 72. a. b. 73. a. b. 74. a. b. 75. a. b 76. a. b. 77. a. b. 78. a. b Fayth is not the efficient cause of our iustification but God onely 78. b. 79. a Fayth is aceompanied wyth newnes of life 79. b. 80. a. b 81. a Faythe is made knowne by good workes 82. a Fayth hope and loue 118. a Fayth is the instrument wherby we receyue iustification 118. b
desire of the whole mā vnto righteousnes I sée no cause to tary about the lawe of the second table which concerneth onely mans dutie towardes his neighbour euen as the first concerneth his duetie towardes god The lawe is this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe vnto the vnderstanding whereof that which is already said concerning loue hath so opened the way that onely this briefe explication therof may suffice namely thou shalt with willing desire and naturall pronenes of all the powers of the whole man couet thy neighbours felicitie both in body and soule as much as thine owne Hauing now sufficiently shewed the nature of the law and what is required to the fulfilling thereof it is necessary to compare with the same the corrupt nature of man expressed in the first and second chapters For the playne vnderstanding wherof it is expedient to vse some definitiōs of thē both The law may thus be defined The law is the absolute rule of righteousnes which chalengeth to the fulfilling therof the full obedience willing desire and naturall pronenesse of the whole man Contrariwise the corrupt nature of man gathered out of the second chapter is a corrupt disposition infecting the whole man with full obedience willing desire and lustfull pronenesse vnto sinne and rebellion whiche by these wordes of Paule to the Rom. is euident It is not obedient to the law of God nether it can be And to the Corinthes The natural man perceiueth not the thinges that be of God for they are but folishnes vnto hym neither can he perceiue them because they are spiritually examined Thus thorough the comparison of these two together it euidently appeareth that in the whole corrupt nature of man there is no iote of abilitie to satisfie the law in any one poynte theyr natures being as direct contrary as fire and water heate and cold light and darkenes And here I cānot omit seing the place doth vrge me the fearefull shift which in this cause some aduersaries séeke in hunting for degrées of perfection to establishe their blinde righteousnesse of workes as though the law chalenged not of man the absolute performaunce thereof but a certaine degrée of perfection proportionall to the condition of his habilitie in saying there is perfection in children perfection in men perfection in Angelles and perfection in God concluding thereby such a perfection onely to be required in man as is proportionall to the condition of his habilitie as though in the lawe of God there were at the least a certayne wincking at wickednesse alowing such perfection as man can attaine and wincking at the rest of his wantes Surely as this doctrine is vntrue so is it daungerous fearefull The vntruth wherof is hereby manifest both in that the law was geuen vnto man and also it doth expressely exact the full and entire obedience of all the principall partes of man For what creature besides man hath hart soule and mynde The daungerousnes and fearefulnes of this doctrine doth hereby appeare for no man can be so wicked but vnder the lée therof he may finde safe harborough to defend the deserued storme of iust reproofe and punishment for being reproued for sinne may he not by this doctrine safely say to hys reprouer Sir glory you in the measure of your own perfection I for my parte expresse the perfection answerable to my habilitie whiche is as much as the lawe requireth the lesse I can performe the more is my good hap seeyng the law aloweth the sufficiencie of my small habilitie for that thereby I haue the more libertye to féede my nature wyth her daintie delightes Surely I sée not how this doctrine can haue other meanyng séeyng they séeme to inferre this sense in that they affirme that God commaundeth vs nothing impossible which by their owne degrées of perfection must néedes haue thys meanyng that where our habilitie is not able to strayne it self to the absolute perfection of the lawe there the law slacketh it selfe to the weake perfection of our habilitie Truly if this be not their meanyng it were expedient that some of them made a glose vpon the text that the reader myght better vnderstand it Surely if they were not to déepely learned in errour they woulde otherwise consider the nature and end of the law and acknowledge mans imperfection whole insufficientie to the fulfillyng thereof and so séeke for that whiche nowe followeth here to bée required namely Cap. 5. ¶ To what ende the lawe shoulde be geuen to man he hauyng no power to satisfie any parte of the same THe glorious and reuerende maiesty of God beholdyng euen from Adams fall the miserable captiuitie of mans estate and mynding hys promised deliuerance that therby the victorious triumph of hys mercy might be sounded throughout the worlde to the iuste aduauncement of hys glory God I say myndefull hereof as the wisest builder beganne the foundation of this newe woorke concernyng mans restitution vpon the rocke whiche was immoueable throughout all eternitie that in suche sorte that the whole glory thereof as of right appertained might iustly redound to hymselfe beyng the begynner continuer and finisher of the same namely vpon the immutable determination of hys owne purpose fréely offered by promyse first to Adam in promising that by the séede of the woman the serpentes head should be brused whiche promyse once past hym thereby was strayght way offred to careles man iust cause of two principall dueties First and chieflye with thankfull heart to haue layde holde of the promyse of God that is constantly to haue beleued that as God had promised so he was both able and willyng to performe the same Secondlye with continuall admiration to gaze at the incomprehensible wisedome of God in the maruelous continuation of that woorke Which thing if we now do diligently marke vnto whom from the beginning to the finishing thereof the whole course and order is playnely shewed in the scryptures Then shall we easely finde that which in thys chapter is required namely the ende and cause why God gaue the lawe to man though man had no iot of habilitie to performe any part of the same Where-fore considering wel the ordinary course of Gods doynges in that cause we shall sée how he as it were by degrées trayned dull man to the vnderstādyng of his gloryous purpose First forasmuch as Adam and the yong worlde immedyatly succéeding him was both so neare the familiaritie as it were of God and the tyme of the gyfte of the promise and also for that the full measure of wickednesse which with the age of the worlde continually taketh increase was not yet in mans possessiō therfore vnto him as then it might surely haue beene sufficient euen by the instinct of the lawe engrafted in nature and by the contemplation of the obedyēce of all other creatures in their kinds to haue vewed and considered the great lacke in hys owne nature towardes the performaunce of righteousnesse
and therby to haue bene stirred by flyght to séeke the immutable and perdurable free promyse of God cōcernyng the womans séede thankfully but yet boldely chalengyng priuilege of the same séeing the matter now hung not vpon his worthynes but vppon the truth of Gods promise That is to say that euen as God is true so hath hée bounde himselfe to performe mans deliueraunce in hys good tyme by the womans séede And vppon this fayth ioyfully to haue reposed hymselfe But alas foolishe man did not so which notwythstanding the lenitie and long sufferyng of God bare with sinfull man to sée if yet in any tyme he would haue regarde of hym selfe and sée from whence he were fallen But nothing it booted for on trotted hée in the high way of wickednesse wherein the farther he trauailed the smother larger and more delicate he found it Wherefore God being not mutable as man but one and the same for euer most myndefull of hys promyse whereof the memory séemed now almost rased out of the heart of careles man God I say vouchsafed to renue the same agayne that in larger wordes vnto Abraham in saying In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth bee blessed And the same he continued in lyke forme of wordes afterwardes to Isaac Here was the matter renued agayne still shooting at one marke namely that by the séede of the woman the Serpentes head shoulde bée brused But now hée offereth a playne explication of his meaning concerning the brusyng of the Serpentes head namely that where man by despisyng the commaundement of God and leanyng to the subtill perswasion of the Serpent was fallen into the cursse of God Now was it promised that in the séede of Abraham all the nations of the earth shoulde bée blessed that is to say deliuered from that cursse againe It is also come to a more particularitie for now the promised séede is limited within one stocke namely of Abraham Thus by degrees the purpose of God goeth forward more and more openyng it selfe labouring styll to prouoke sinfull man to foresée hys great daunger and flye to the promysed séede for refuge whiche notwithstandyng corrupt mā hasteth so fast after wickednes that litle hée regarded the condition of hys owne miserye wherefore in the rypenesse of tyme God seyng the wickednesse of man growen to so monstruous an extremitye that none of all his former workes nor frée promyse coulde wake hys sluggishe hart to consider his owne miserye and so prycked by necessitye to flye to the promysed séede as to the shoote ancker of hys safetye God I say séeyng this neuer vnmyndefull of hys promyse determyneth now finally to set before man such a glasse wherin hée coulde no waye flye nor escape from the most cleare and euident sight of his owne owgely and monstruous nature that lothed with the sight therof he forthwith might bée dryuen to flye to the soueraigne medicine of hys restitution namely to the frée promise of God in the séede of Abraham Wherefore now chusyng out one kynde of people as was sayde before namelye the chyldren of Israell to make of them a patterne to the reste of the worlde that wyth the vewe of their obedyence towardes God all the worlde myght bée prouoked by their example to seeke after hym vnto them I say he deliuered the lawe whiche contayned in it two seuerall offyces the one exterior or outwarde the other spirytuall and inward The outward office of the law leadeth to the maintenaunce of the common societie in thys life for man according to the letter obseruyng the outwarde shewe of the workes thereof although in the doors thereof that bée nothyng but synne yet ciuyll vertue and common order is thereby amongst men conserued and publyke societie mayntayned without whiche the lyfe of man shoulde taste nothing but confusion The inwarde and spirituall offyce thereof is thys that man comparyng hys corrupte nature therewyth and beholdyng the vtter repugnaunce and contrarietye betwéene them myght forthwith haue acknowledged hys great rebellyon against God and perfectly vnderstande that the delyueraunce of man consisteth in the frée promyse of God concernyng the séede namely Chryst and in no righteousnesse that he in the lawe coulde chalenge seyng his nature direct contrary to euery parte of the same so that the law was not by Moyses declared vnto man to iustyfie hym Not that the lawe wanted habilitie thereunto if man coulde haue performed the ryghteousnesse required in the same whereunto hée was in hys first creation made able but by the reason of hys dishabilitie through corruptyon the lawe was opened vnto hym to be as Saint Paule saeth The displaier of the strength of synne a threatner of the cursse a bewrayer of hys wickednes the admynistratyon of death the increase of synne the stirrer vp of the motions of synne the cause of wrath the increaser of offence But vnto what ende was the lawe thys vnto man to hys destruction No but to driue hym by the dreadfull vewe of hys iust condemnation vtterly to abandon hymselfe and all hys owne workes and rightcousnesse and to flye from the sentence of the lawe vnto the sentence of grace conteyned in the frée promyse of God concernyng the séede to come namely Chryst Saint Paul to the Galathians propened thys question hymselfe After hée hath beaten them from the Lawe to the promise in Christe TVherefore then serueth the lawe as thoughe hee had sayde if no man can be iustyfied by the lawe to what ende then serueth it He aunswereth himselfe it was added because of transgressyons till the seede came vnto whiche the promyse was made that is it was added that synne myght appeare and to make sinne out of measure sinfull and to conclude all vnder sinne that al by the fearfull sentence thereof myght flye to the promise and waite the time of the séede to come namely Christ vnto whom the promise was made and by hym receyue their deliuerance Seyng mans restitution stode now only vpon the promise truth of God and not vpon the lawe to the fulfylling of any part wherof he had lost both habilitie and inclination And therefore S. Paule sayeth If there had bene a lawe geuen whiche coulde haue geuen life then no doubt righteousnes shoulde haue come by the lawe that is to say if such a law had bene geuen as corrupt man had bene able to haue performed and kept thē no doubt hee should haue bene iustified by the law But the law being such whereunto he neither had habilitie nor inclination it had onely force to shewe vnto hym what hee ought to be and to pronounce vpon him the sentence of death and his iust condemnation to force him thereby to flye from thence to séeke his frée reléefe in Christ the promised séede to come But hereunto the aduersaries obiect that if God should commaunde vs things vnpossible to vs to performe then should we both be iustly
and although the people to whom the lawe was geuen namely the Iewes fantised vnto them selues a certayne foolishe satisfaction by outwarde shewe of holynes which grew through their negligence in not serching diligently the spirituall nature of the law which requireth as is shewed the entire inclination and naturall obedience of the whole man Although the Iewes I say fantised by thys occasion such a satisfaction yet that nothyng hindered the purpose of God who saw their blynde presumption from establishyng thys new couenaunt which for hys truth sake he promysed shoulde be a perfecte reconcilement betwene hym man The which couenaunt in déede is nothyng els but the accomplishment or ende of 〈…〉 ld couenaunt and yet called new in respect of the olde promise and for that the same is now deliuered a new and consummat by the mediatot hymselfe To the which couenaunt he séeketh no other conditions then that which from all eternity he had appoynted And that whereunto the whole drift of all hys trauell both before the lawe and in the lawe and new vnder grace had the onely respecte as vnto the appoynted ende that the glory as of ryght apperteyned myght be onely hys namely vppon the condition of hys owne truth that is to say that as God is true so can he not but accept the satisfaction of Christ the promised séede for the full and omnisufficient raunsome of all them that take holde of the same vnto whom of his free fauour he had bound hymselfe by promise concernyng the same in promising that he should iustifie the multitude and beare away theyr sins And Paule declaryng the order of the performaunce of that promyse affirmeth that thys iustification is the frée gyft of God in respect of Christ apprehended by fayth For thus he writeth to the Ephesians By grace are you saued through faith and not of your selues it is the gift of God and not of workes least any man should boast hym Now forasmuch as it is here declared to be the frée or liberall gift of God in that hée sayth By grace or fauour which argueth the fredome of the gift Therefore hath the expectation of man for the attainement thereof onelye to awayte vppon the frée bountye or liberalitie of God and from thence onelye to acknowledge the same receiued without all desert seeing it is geuen of grace or fauour The meanes also whereby it is receaued or applyed vnto man is euidentlye declared in that hee saith through faith whereby fayth appeareth to bée the instrument which vnto man is geuen of God to take holde of the promises wythall And because ambitious man shoulde haue no colour to thinke him selfe anye furtherer or fellowe worker in this worke he addeth this playne exception and not of your selues to exclud all opinion of mans helpe touching the same Whereunto also for greater euidence of his meanyng he addeth as it were a repetition of the same sentence in other forme of wordes In saying it is the gift of God not of workes whereunto finally he addeth the reason or cause why God so fréely geueth it and why he so earnestlye excepteth man with all his workes from helping towardes the same namely least any man should boast hym that is that vnto man should not be left so muche as the Image or colour of any cause to pretend title to any part of the glory of that worke that the same may be wholy reserued to God alone Now forasmuche as fayth is here expressely taught to be the meanes which apprehendeth the promyse therefore it is by necessary consequence gathered that onely fayth apprehendeth the promyses of God and so onely fayth iustyfieth And now because the waight of thys whole matter dependeth greatly vpon the true vnderstanding of these woordes grace fayth iustification or ryghteousnesse and woorkes therefore I thynke it expedient to bestow some trauell in seuerall declaration of euery of them And first touching Grace forasmuch as in the Scripture it is taken in three senses at the least therefore it is expedient that all be declared to the end it may be more apparant in what sense it is vsed in this place wherefore in this first and principall sense it may thus be defined Grace is a frée beneuolence of the will of God iustifiyng the elect thorough fayth in Christ Now forasmuche as I know the aduersaries will neuer admitte thys definition because it is the ouerthrowe of their rotten building Therfore somewhat to arme the willing reader against the charmes of their wrangling shiftes I will séeke by the scriptures to prous the truth of the same by the parts therof whiche are these first that it is a frée beneuolence of the will of God secondly that it iustifieth the elect through fayth in Christ Now for the first part namelye that grace is a frée beneuolence of the will of God it is thus proued Saint Paule to Timothy sayth thus VVho saued vs and called vs wyth an holy calling not accordyng to our deedes but accordyng to hys owne purpose and grace And agayne the same Paule to the Ephesians sayeth thus VVho hath predestynate vs to bee adopted thorough Iesus Chryst vnto him selfe accordyng to the beneuolence of hys wyll Note that in the former place hs affirmeth our saluation to bée geuen accordyng to hys grace or fauour And now in thys place he affirmeth the same to bée geuen accordyng to the beneuolence of hys wyll whereby it is euident that his grace or fauour and the beneuolence of his will is all one thyng And Paule to the Romanes affirmeth it to bee freelye done for he sayeth All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God and are iustyfied freelye by hys grace And therefore grace is ryghtlye sayde to bée a frée beneuolence of the wyll of God whiche was first to bée proued Now touchyng the second parte namely that grace iustifieth the electe through fayth in Chryst it is thus proued by these woordes of the Apostle That wee beyng iustyfied by grace shoulde bee made heyres according to the hope of eternall lyfe Note here that hee sayth we are iustified by grace And in the second to the Ephesians hée sayth thus For by grace are you saued thorough fayth Wherby it is euident that by grace through fayth we are iustified which was secondly to be proued Now I suppose the truth of this definition is sufficiently confirmed which being the first and principall signification of grace namely that whereby ryghteousnesse is geuen vnto man thorough faith the rest do require the lesse trauell Of the which the second groweth from this first thus Forasmuch as all they whyche are iustified by grace through fayth are by the free spirite of God regenerate into a new lyfe which bréedeth suche disposition or habite as bryngeth forth good-workes and holy cenuersation in them Therefore those good gyftes of God are also sometimes called grace Finally that fauour which Christ hath with God hys
also admit another deuision For some of them be onely inward workes or workes of the mynde as to beleue to hope to feare to loue and such like And some other are from the mynde produced into external or outward acte to geue geue almes to succor to preach to teach and such lyke All which be called outwarde workes And workes in both these latter significations be those whereof in thys matter is spoken but for so much as some of them be good and some euill therefore that the difference may appeare good workes may thus be defined Good workes are onely such workes as in the commaundementes of God be required or in any other place of Scriptures for the further explication of them expressed which tend to the true worship of God and outward witnessing of mans election in Christ The truth of thys definition is thus proued for the firste parte Namely that all the workes be good whiche in the commaundementes or any other place of the Scriptures for theyr further explication be appointed It is euident for so muche as hereby we know them to be good workes for that by God the doyng of them is commaunded Secondly that they tende to the true worshippyng of GOD it is thus proued by Christ hymselfe where he sayth Let your lyght so shyne before men he telleth the ende wherefore it should shine namely that others seeing your good woorkes may glorifie your father which is in heauen Here is the ende of good workes namely the glory and worship of god And for asmuch as God is not worshipped vnles he be truely worshipped for he is worshipped in spirite and truth therefore they onely be good workes which tende to the true worship of God which secondly was to be proued Nowe touching the last part that they be a testimony of mans election in Christ it is euident by these wordes of Peter Brethren sayth he be more diligent by good woorkes to make your election sure whereby it appeareth that good works are a testimony of the assurance of his election in Christ whereby the truth of the definition appereth and by this definition it is plaine that all superstitious workes of mans inuention be no good woorkes forasmuch as they tende not to the true worship of god Here resteth againe somewhat to bee opened of the erroures of the papistes aboute woorkes whereof they haue for their purpose deuised diuers strange distinctions as theyr preparing workes of congruent merite their Opus operantis or worke of the woorker their Opus operatum or acte of outward execution and their vndue woorkes or woorkes of supererogation Wherefore first touching their preparing worke of congruent merite wherof somwhat hath bene sayd before in the discourse about iustification first what they feigne them it appeareth namely the fruites of that theyr preuenting grace which they imagine to reduce a man into such a traunce as they faygne him therin as a man might say neyther dead in sinne nor aliue in Christ whereby all morall or ciuill woorks wrought though of nature they be not absolutely worthy workes to merite full righteousnes yet by a certayne conueniency as they terme it in equity they deserue fauour and so prepare toward the full attaynment of iustification and these be all the morall workes which be wrought by such as be not regenerate The error of which drowsie dreame is more then palpable for the scripture of God can acknowledge no middle estate betwene God and the deuill He that is not against him is directly with him he that gathereth not together letteth not thinges lye vntouched but he scattereth abrode He that is not aliue in Christ is dead in sinne S. Paule could paynt out no meane estate betwéene both he consessed all eyther quicke in Christ or dead in sinne The rewarde saith he of sinne is death And again You hath he made aliue that were dead in trespasses and sinne And agayne to the Colossians And ye which were dead in sinne and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened with him so that there is no meane estate Eyther the woorkers of theyr preparing woorkes be aliue in Christ or dead in sinne But a liue in Christ they cannot be by these woordes of Paule for all before regeneration are dead wherefore euen as a dead man hath in him selfe no power at al to prepare himselfe towardes life againe so al being before regeneration dead in sinne haue no power at all to woorke any worke that may prepare them vnto lyfe or regeneration And for that cause doth Paule call them dead in sinne that they might know themselues as vtterly vnable to helpe towardes their own regeneration as a dead carcas is to helpe it selfe to the attaynment of life agayne Whereby the vilenes of this presumptuous inuention of preparing woorkes appeareth Now touching their workes called Opus operantis or worke of the worker after theyr meaning it is thys namely the acte and holy purpose of the minde wherewith the worker goeth about any worke which they counte holy and theyr Opus operatum or acte executed is the outward execution of the same woork Now touching theyr vndue workes or workes of superogation it is necessary for playne vnderstanding what they meane to rehearse the inuention of the forged fable thereof For the grounde wherof they begin wyth a goodly and bewtifull shewe of aduauncemente of Gods vnspeakable sauour towardes vs God say they who might haue prescribed vs such straight and seuere precepts to haue bene obserued as had ben vtterly to vs impossible hath notwithstanding delt more fauourably with vs and commaunded vs nothing but that which if we list we be able to perform and a great deale more And yet notwithstanding he demaundeth no farther of vs but to performe the same by the doing whereof we shall deserue saluation though we do no more But if any be towardes God so liberally minded that he will of hys francke disposition do more neyther shall he lose the prayse nor reward of the same And this ouerplus aboue the fulfilling of the cōmaundementes is that they call theyr vndew workes or workes of supererogation superabhominatiō I should say Who euer heard a more presūptuous blasphemy Doth not the commaūdemēt require a full obediēce willing desire natural pronenes of the whole man as in the 4. chapter is euidently shewed Now then if the whole indeuour of all the parts of man be thus tyed by iust bond of dutie vnto the cōmaundement from whence then commeth theyr ouerplus of vndue woorkes Nay is it not both there and in the v. chapter euidently proued that man is vtterly vnable to fulfill the commaundement and that the Lawe was not by Moyses deliuered vnto man to the ende he should enable him selfe to the fulfilling thereof but contrariwise by vew of his insufficiency to driue him to Christ But will ye know why these men inuented this
dixerit quod gratiam bene operaÌ„di fides mereatur negare non possumus Imo gratis dedisse confitemur Si autem ex fide quomodo gratis Quod enim fides meretur cur non potiùs redditur quà m donatur Non dicat hoc homo fidelis quia cum dixerit vt merear iustificationem habeo fidem respondetur ei quid habes quod non accepisti Cum igitur fides impetrat iustificationem sicut vnicuique deus partitus est mensuram ipsius fidei non gratiam dei aliquid meriti pracedit humani sed ipsa gratia meretur augeri vt aucta mereatur perfici Dutie is rewarded to workes of fauor it is freely geuen wherby also it is called grace But if any say that fayth of well doing may deserue grace we can not deny but we confesse him to haue geuen it frely But if it be of fayth how is it freely that which fayth deserueth why is it not rather repayed then freely geuen A faithfull maÌ„ may not say this for if he say I haue fayth that I may deserue iustification it shall be answered vnto him what hast thou that thou hast not receaued Therfore when faith obtaineth iustificatioÌ„ according as God hath diuided to euery maÌ„ the measure euen of the same fayth there goeth no merites of man before the grace of God but the grace it selfe deserueth to be encreased that being encreased it may deserue to be perfected Now forasmuch as S. Augustine doth vse here the word dutye which is also an vsuall word with many of the Fathers in this matter therefore I thinke it conuenient to say somwhat concerning the meaning therof wherfore the word dutie or debt is taken in two senses or meanings The one for recompence or merite of labour or workes as when an hired seruant hauing finished his appointed labour doth chalenge his hire Duty or debt in that respect is merite or desert And in that sense doth S. Paul take the word where he sayth To him that worketh the reward is not counted of fauor but of dutie The other sense or meaning therof is best declared by an example thus Admitte one maÌ„ beholding an other in extreme miserie through such debt as he by no meanes is able to satisfie and he seing the penury of this man moued by compassion taketh vpon him the debt promising freely the discharge thereof and for sure confirmation of his promise herein to the néedy wretch he geueth him his obligation vnder his hand seale This being demaunded by the poore soule at the appoynted time may be in a sort called dutie or debt though not in respecte of desert or merite yet in respect of the frée gifte confirmed by the geuers hande writing and in this signification the worde dutie or debt inferreth no desert or merite but contrariwise the condition being knowne it doth make apparaunt the frée bountifull and liberall grace of the geuer and if the aduersaries woulde be content in this sorte to vnderstand the worde duety or debt in this matter as of right they oughte they had long a goe geuen ouer thys wicked vaine brag of merite Where-fore now to returne againe to the aucthoritie of the Fathers The foresayd Augustine in his booke concerning nature and grace writeth thus Haec igitur Christi gratia sine qua nec infantes nec oetate grandes salui fieri possunt non meritis redditur sed gratis datur propter quod gratia nominatur Therefore this grace of Christ without which neither yong nor olde can be saued is not recompenced to merites but it is frely geuen for the which cause it is called grace and fauour And againe Mortis autem regnum in homines vsque adeo dominatum est vt omnes in secundam quoque mortem cuius nullus est finis poena debita praecipites ageret nisi inde indebita dei gratia aliquos liberaret For the kingdome of death did so raign ouer all men that also into the second death whereof there is no end deserued punishment would driue all men headlong if the vndeserued fauour of God shoulde not deliuer some from thence Again Augustine Per ipsam quippe iustificamur gratâ—sâ— id est nullis nostrorum operum praecedent bus mertis alioquin gratia iam non esset gratia For by grace we are freely iustified that is without any merites of our woorkes going before or els grace is not grace And againe colligimus non iustificari hominem praeceptis benae vitae nisi per fidem Iesu Christi hoc est non lege operum sed lege fidei non litera sed spiritu non factorum meritis sed gratuita gratia VVee gather that man is not iustified by precepts of good lyfe but by fayth of Iesus Chryst that is not thorough the lawe of woorkes but by the lawe of fayth not by the letter but by the spirite not by merites of woorkes but thoroughe free fauour or grace And agayne Nullis nostris praecedentibus meritis sed praeueniente nos misericordia Domini Dei nostri iustificamur VVee are iustified by no foregone merytes of ours but by the mercye of the lorde our God preuenting vs. And again Et exultate subaudis in Domino Quare Quia iam iusti Vnde iusti Non meritis vestris sed gratia illius And reioyce namelye in the Lorde VVherefore because nowe yee bee ryghteous By what meanes bee yee righteous not by your merytes but by his grace Agayne Coeli id est Apostoli enarrant gloriam Dei positam in Christo Iesu per gratiam in remissionem peccatorum oÌ„nes enim peccauerunt egent gloria dei iustificati gratîs per sanguineÌ„ ipsius quia gratîs ideo gratia noÌ„ est enim gratia nisi gratuita quia nihil boni ante feceramus vnde talia dona mereremur magis quia non gratîs inferretur supplicium ideo gratîs praestitum est beneficium Nihil praecesserat in meritis nostris nisi vnde damnari deberemus ille autem non propter nostram iustitiam sed propter suam misericordiam saluos nos fecit per lauacrum regenerationis The heauens that is the Apostles declare the glorye of GOD placed in Chryst Iesu for the remission of synnes thorough grace for all haue synned and stande in neede of the glorye of God and are iustyfied freelye thorough hys bloud And because it is freelye done therefore it is fauour for it is not fauour vnlesse it bee vndeserued for no goodnesse wrought wee before wherewyth to deserue so excellent gyftes but rather because punyshment shoulde not bee duelye executed therefore was the benefite franckly geeuen for in our merites there went nothyng before but that for whyche wee ought to haue ben damned but hee saued vs not for our owne ryghteousnesse but for his owne mercye by the fountayne of the newe byrth And agayne Sed vt iustificentur praecedit vocatio
agayne in the. 18. Psalme God hath rewarded mee accordyng to my innocency and according to the cleanenesse of my handes hath he recompenced mee for I obserued the commaundements of the Lord and was not wicked against my God but I had al his lawes before me neither cast I his commaundements from me I was pure before him abstained mine owne wickednes therefore God hath rewarded me according to my innoceÌ„cy and according to the cleanenes of my handes in hys sight Who so considereth in the Scriptures the cause and the manner of the exclamatyon of the righteous in theire lameÌ„table calamitie vnder the cruell vniuste and mercilesse persecutions and afflictions of the wicked tyrannous oppressors shall foorthwith see the solution of these arguments namely that the righteous therein iustifie not themselues neyther auouche their innocencie in respecte of the iustyce of God but in respecte of the false vniuste and tyrannous wickednesse of the oppressor in respecte of theire most horryble iniurye and crueltye they maye wel auouch their righteousnesse and innocencye and therefore they flye for succour vnto the iustice of God who knoweth howe giltlesse they are touchyng the false accusation of theire bloud thirstye enemyes requirynge of God in that cause to be defended froÌ„ their enemies euen as he who knoweth theire conscyence could testify that they had not committed those euils for the whiche theire enemyes most cruelly pursued them as here in the. 7. Psal Dauid being falsely accused by Chus one of Saules kynsmen challengeth the iustice of God for the defence of hys innocencye in that case toward Saul desiring of God hys deliuerance according as he knew hym giltlesse toward Saul seing hys conscience could accuse him of no conspiracie or treason towardes hym In thys sort do the righteous somtymes in the scriptures offer the innoceÌ„cy of their causes before the iudgement seate of God not alledging innocency in respect of Gods iustice but in respecte of the false and wicked vntruthes wherwith theyr enemyes charged them Wherefore in the 18. Psalme Dauid being by the mercy of God setled in the seate of hys Kyngdome geueth thankes vnto God for that euen according to the innocency of his hart cleanenes of hys hands towards Saul he had rewarded hym in deliueryng hym from the daÌ„ger of so mighty and cruell an enemye reioysing in that â—he hauyng the lawe of God before hys eyes had withholden his hart handes from committing wickednes agaynst hys annointed Lord and king For such was hys innocency and righteousnes â—n respect of Saules wickednes that he â—ould nothing accuse hym self towardes Saule For in makyng hys mone to Ionathas Saules sonne thus he auoucheth hys innocencye What haue I done sayth he wherein am I faultie what is the sinne that I haue committed agaynst thy father that he seketh my life And anone after he sayth vnto hym If there be in me any trespasse theÌ„ slay me thy selfe Hereby ye may see the innocency and righteousnes which Dauid aueucheth in hymselfe was in respecte of Saules wicked and vniust crueltie and not in respecte of the iustice of god For where soeuer he handleth the cause betwene the iustice of God and hym selfe there he singeth another songe Then cryeth he Be mercifull vnto me O Lord be mercifull vnto me accordyng to thy great mercyes and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away mine offences Then cryeth he Lorde reâ— proue me not in thine anger neitheâ— chastise me in thy heauie displeasure If thou Lord wilt watch what is donâ— amisse Lorde who shall be able to 〈◊〉 bide it Lord clense me from my 〈◊〉 crete sinnes and such lyke Then neither talketh he of hys owne innocencye or righteousnes he beasteth then of no righteousnes but of mercy Blessed are they sayth he whose wickednes are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Here is all the righteousneshe knoweth of hym 〈…〉 when he hath to deale with the iustice of god Thus hauing briefly shewed by a fewe examples the true aunsweres of the principall obiections of the enemye of iustification of fayth and the sweete agreement thereby of the Scriptures in geuing to God the whole honour of mans saluation and vnto man a sure possession of Gods fauour in Christ I will now shewe why iustification is imputed to fayth and not to workes and so make an end Touching thys question there appeare two iuste causes thereof first for that fayth is the onely meane betwene maÌ„ and the promise and that which apprehendeth righteousnes and worl 〈…〉 are nothyng els but as it were an effect or fruit of the righteousnes of the same fayth Therfore iustification is to be imputed to that which apprehended the righteousnes and not to the fruit thereof Secondly and principally that forasmuch as the end of all Gods works is to purchase to hym selfe as of right is due all prayse honour and glory in the performance of his promise as hath often bene sayd as the greatest prerogatiue he challengeth froÌ„ his creatures Therfore it is of necessitie that no part of mans iustification should be imputed to workes as vnto any part of the cause thereof For that ambitious maÌ„ should haue no colour of title to any proportional part of the glory of the worke that no fleshe might boast in hys presence And thys is the cause which Paule him selfe sheweth to the Ephesians concerning the same For by grace sayth he ye are saued through fayth and not of your selues it is the gift of God and not of workes lest any man shoulde boast him that all the glory might redounde to God alone who as he saueth vs for hys owne sake so by him selfe onely hath he begonne continued and ended the whole worke concerning our saluation To whom through Iesus Christ our only and omnisufficient Sauiour be therfore all glory honour and maiestie kingdome power and dominion through all eternitie Amen ¶ A Correlary It is hereby manifest that forasmuch as the onely ende of Good workes is to shew mans obedience to God that God thereby may be glorified and to witnes and declare the possession of that true fayth whereby onely righteousnes is proper to the elect of God that by them maÌ„ may yelde a full testimony of his calling and election through Christ into the fauour or loue of god Forasmuch I say as thys is the onely ende of good workes therefore he that eyther teacheth or doth any worke hauing apparance of holines to any other end theÌ„ this namely in hope of any reward for the worthines thereof that worke what shew soeuer it hath of godlines is wicked and detestable in the sight of God in that it offereth a filthy price for that by the free gift whereof God séeketh honour That the price offered is filthy it is hereby apparant in that all workes not being of fayth are sinne
Fayth in Iesu Christ iustifieth vs. 103. a Fayth apprehendeth ent righteousnes 109. b. 110. a. b Fayth without woorkes is a dead fayth 112. a Fayth that is liuely cannot be without good workes 112. a Fayth iustifieth because it apprehendeth our iustification 117. a Flesh is but a masse or lumpe of iniquitie 8. a Fruites of sinne 20. a G. GOD abhoryed man and refused him for his worke 6. b God cursed all the earth for mans offence 6. b God in his creation of man conditioned that he shoulde not breake his to 〈…〉 ment 12. 〈◊〉 God commaundeth vs to loue him and our neighbor 24. b God cōmaundeth nothing impossible proued false 30. a God him selfe freely procured mans redemption 31. a God is true of his promise 32. a. b God gaue the lawe to the children of Israell 33. a God sent his prophets to declare the promised seed 41. b God trayned man by his prophers to take hold of the promised seed 42. a God loued vs first 50. b God by his grace is the onely worker of mans health and saluation 51. a God and the deuill there is no middle estate betwene them 67. a God for the glory of his name doth freely saue and iustifie vs. 10. 4a b. 105. a. b. 106. a. b God is the worker of all good workes in his iustified children 119. a. b God must haue the whole honor of mans saluatiō 122. a God wroughte in loue in sending Christ to suffer death to redeeme man. 124. a. b God the father a worker in the same deed that Iudas wrought in 124. Gods vnspeakeable mercy declared to vs in Christ 2. b 20. b. 21. a Gods iustice 20. b Gods creatures euery of them vnder heauen inuiolably obserue the lawe of their creation saung man onely 22. a 23. b Good workes are the feuites of good fayth 82. a Good workes are to be done of the faythfull but not as the price of our redemption 82. b Good workes are witnesses to good sayth 83. a. b. 84. a Good workes for owe our iustification 89. b Good workes two thinges are required in them 90. a 91. a. b. 92. a Good workes require affectiō of the hart 92. a Good workes declare vs to be righteous 110. b Grace hath saued vs through fayth in Christ and not of our selues 46. a Grace defined by the Papistes 49. a Grace of God is geuē vs freely and not for merites sake 102. b H. HAbite defined 49. b Holy water nor purgatory can clense vs of our sinnes 19. a I IMage of Nature and Grace 1. a Image of God what it is 2. a Image of God in man. 2. a Infantes haue no actual sinne of their own cōmitting 14. a Inward workes 65. a Innocency of man clerely lost 5. a Iudas wrought in treason 124. a. b Iustification commeth by faith and not by workes 47. a 48. a. b Iustification how it is vnderstand in the scriptures 62. a Iustification taught by the Papistes 63. a. 64. a. b Iustificatiō foloweth not good workes but good workes folowe iustification 89. b Iustification is often pronounced vpon workes for faithes sake 96. b Iustificatiō why it is imputed to faith not to workes 122. a L LAberinth of errour maze of confusion 92. b Lawe declareth them to be vnrighteous that haue lost originall righteousnes 7. b Lawe of God is spirituall 8. b Lawe had two offices 33. b Lawe why it was geuen to man. 30. b. 31. b. 34. a Lawe is able to iustifie a man if man coulde performe the righteousnes of the law 34. a Lawe is vnpossible to man to be obserued his nature being now corrupted as it is 36. a. b. 37. a. b. 38. a. b. 39. a. b. Lawe of God geuen to man in most fearefull and terrible maner 40. b Lawe bringeth terrour feare 41. a Lawe of God is the absolute rule of righteousnes 43. a Lawe might saue vs if we could obserue the law 113. b Lawyer moueth a question to Christ 114. a Loue fulfilleth the lawe 118. a Loue is the fulfillyng of the commaundementes of God. 24. b. 25. a. 26. a. 27. a. 28. a. b M MAn placed in Paradise 1. b Man made soueraigne Lorde euer all earthly creatures 1. a Man created to the excellency of Gods Image 1. a. 2. a. 3. a Man ashamed to confesse hys sinne 5. b Man and all his issue corrupted 7. a. b Man a masse or lompe of iniquitie 8. a Man by nature is the child of wrath 8. a. b. 9. a. b. Man in his first creation was without sinne 10. b Man by hys rebellion and sinne brought forth frutes of his owne choyse 20. a Man made an apt subiect for the mercye and iustice of God. 20. b Man in wicked estate 20. d Man of his owne nature hath affection to rebellion 92. a Man is iustified by faith without workes 107. a Man cannot satisfie the lawe 29. a Man is not myndefull of hys duety towardes God. 32. a Mans originall iustice 1. a Mans glorious state ouerthrowen 5 a Mans workes are sinnefull 9 a Mans corrupt nature 29. a Mans duety towardes God. 31. a Mans nature proue to rebellion and sinne 43. a Mercy and not merites hath preuented our iustification 103. a b. 104. a N NAture of mā is proue and ready vnto sinne 28. a O OBiectiōs with aunsweres 12. a 13. a. 35. a. 118. a Opus operantis 67. b Originall righteousnes 3. a. b Originall sinne and our most heynous infection 6. a Originall sinne defined 7. a Originall sinne defiled the nature of man. 10. a. b Originall sinne defined by the Papistes 11. a. 14. b. 15. a. b Outward workes 65. a P PApistes Pelagians Anabaptistes 11. b Papistes their vnformed fayth 61. a. b Papistes their formed fayth 61. a Papistes errours aboute workes 66. a Papistes builde a labirinth of errour and a maze of confusion 92. b. 93. a. b. 94. a Papistes Argumēt of workes 95. a. b. 96. a. b Papisticall doctrine 18. b. 49. a Pelagiās Papistes and Anabaptistes 11. b Pelagius heresie 50. a. 51. a Penaunce an apt and mete instrument for the Papistes 68. b Perfection denyed 29. b Peter Lombard 108. a Preparyng workes what they are 66. b. 67. a Purgatory nor holy water can not take away sinnes 19. a R RAhabs fayth had frutes 113. a Reward is not properly so called when it is payd to a labourer for his trauell but rather a duety 101. b Righteous persons complayn and cry to God. 120. b Righteousnes commeth not by the law 41. a Righteousnes how it is vnderstand in the scriptures 62. a Righteousnes how it is impu ted vnto vs. 69. b Righteousnes and iustification are diuerstye taken in the scripture 85 a. b. 86. a. b. 87. a. b. 88. a. b. 89. a S SAint James meaning of workes 111. a. b. 113. b Satisfaction is the best officer that the papistes can retaine 68 b Scholemen how they handle fayth 58. a. b. 59 a. b. 60-a b Scholemen what they say of veniall sinne 18 a Scholemē agree in error 18 b Scriptures that seeme to promise reward to workes are expounded 94 b Sense of the Scripture is not in woordes but in the meaning of the same 108 b Serpents kind to be weake and tame in winter 14. a Sinne that is to say euerye sinne that deserueth death is a deadly sinne 17. a Sinne triumpheth ouer man and driueth him from hys glorious state a Sinne the fruits therof 7 a Sinne by the offence of one man entred vpon al mē 8. b Sinne wherin two things are to be considered 11. a Sinne deadly sinne veniall are in diuers respectes but one 18. a Sinne deadly sinne veniall what difference 18. a Sin of man was so grenens an offence as coulde net bee cured but by the death and bloudshedding of innocente Christ the onely Sonne of God. 45. a Sinnes to say there are but. 7. that be deadly is false 16. b Sinnes by fayth are forgeuen therfore called veniall 18. a V Deniall sinnes 17. b. 18. a W WIsedome of God in his creation of man. 1. a Workes good are a testimony of mans election 66. a Woorkes taught by papistes 66 a Workes which the papists cal preparing workes 66. b Worke of the worker 67. b Woorkes of supererogation 67. b. 68. a Workes no not the workes of iustified are able to iustifie before God. 69 a Workes of the law 84. b Workes of the faithfull 84. b Workes of the faithfull are insufficient to fulfill the lawe 85. a. Workes are not the cause of rewarde but God for his own glory accepteth them 96. b 97. a Workes must be done for t 〈…〉 glory of God and not for 〈◊〉 wardes sake 97. b Worke what value they are accompted of in the scriptures 98. a. b. 99. a. b Woorkes when we haue wrought all that we can say that we are vnprofitable seruantes 99. b Workes of supererogation are the popes marchandise and are most superstitious and wicked 99. b Workes how they were estemed of the fathers 100. a. b Workes can iustifie no man. 107. b Workes declare a righteous man. 109. b Workes declare what fayth hath apprehended 109. b Woorkes folowe iustification 109. a Workes may not be done for rewardes sake 123. a. b. FINIS Faultes escaped in Printinge Fol.  Lin.  3. a 14. wrieth read writeth 5. a 17. the read that 9. b  in the margine Luchirid read Enchirid. 15. b 3. perfection read imperfection 18. b 19. thy read they 20. a 10. diuiue nature read diuine nature 38. a 22. miserenitur read miserebitur 53. b 2. then read them 61. a  in the first note vnformed read formed    in the second note formed read vnformed 64. a 15. ay read as 76. b 22. am read tiam 77. b 3. iniquitaids read iniquitates 81. b 8. beway read bewray 97. b 1. shewed read sheweth 98. b  in the note Ier. 1. read Iere. 2. 100. a 12. iustitia read iustitiae 103 b 1 inferretur read inferreretur 104. b 1. of the punishemēt read of thee but punishment 106. a  in the note praesi read p 〈…〉 i. 107. a 〈◊〉 sayth read fayth Ibidem b 16. non medulla read in medulla 110. b 19. put out of 113. b 19. my commaund read the commaunde