vs for ryghtuousnesse Furthermore the Apostle doth very apparently deryue loue from fayth 2. Tim. 2 saying the ende of the commaundement is loue from a pure harte good conscience and vnfeyned fayth Therefore in this cace I speake not of a feyned empty ydle or dead fayth but of a lyuely and quickening fayth which for Christs sake who is our lyfe and quickeneth vs whom it taketh hold of both is and is sayde to be lyuely so sheweth it selfe to be by lyuely workes No whit at all therefore is S. Iames contrary to this doctrine Jam. 2. forsomuch as he speaketh of an empty and dead fayth which some men did boast of whereas they had not Christ lyuing in theÌ„ by fayth The same Iames in saying that workes iustify is not contrary to Paule for then were he to be reiected but he sheweth that Abraham vttered a liuely and iustifying faith by his works which thing all the godly do who notwithstanding trust all only vnto Christ and to no woorkes of their owne For the Apostle hath sayd againe Now doo not I lyue but Christe lyueth in me The lyfe that I nowe lyue in the fleshe I lyue by beleeuing in the sonne of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me I hold no skorne of Gods grace For if ryghtuousnesse come by the lawe then hath Christ dyed in vaine Of Gods predestinating and chosing of the Saints God from euerlasting hathe freely of his owne meere goodnesse without any respect of men Eph. 1. predestinated or chosen the Saintes whom he intendeth to saue in Christ according to this saying of the Apostle God chose vs in him before the foundations of the worlde were layde And againe Which saued vs and called vs with a holy calling 2. Tim. 1 not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and free fauour which was giuen vs in Christ Iesus before all tymes but disclosed nowe by the appearing of oure Sauiour Iesus Christ So then Gods choosing of vs is not withoute a meane though it be not for any desert of ours but in Christ and for Christ so that they whiche are now greffed into Christ by fayth are the selfe same also whiche are chosen and the reprobates or castawayes are those that are out of Christe according to this saying of the Apostle Try your selues whether you be in the fayth or no. Knowe ye not your selues 2. Cor. 13 how that Iesus Christ is in you vnlesse perhappes you be castawayes Finally God hath chosen the Sayntes in Christe to a certen ende which the Apostle declareth in that he sayth Ephe. 12. he hath chosen vs in him to the ende we shoulde be holy and vnrebukable through loue before hym which did predestinate vs afore hande in himselfe to adopte vs to be his children through Iesus Christ to the glory of his grace And although God know whiche are his and that in some places mention is made of the fewenesse of the chosen yet oughte we to hope well of all men Phl. 1 and not to be rash in reckening any man to be a reprobate Surely Paule to the Philippians saith I thank God for you all he speaketh of the whole churche of the Philippians that you are come to the communion of the Gospell assuring my self that he which hath begon the good worke in you will also go through with it and meete it is that I should so thinke of you all And in the xiij of Luke when the Lord was asked whither few should be saued he answereth not that there shal be few or many saued or daÌ„ned but rather counseleth euery of them to stryue to get in at the narrow gate as if he had sayde it is not for you to be curious in serching of these things but rather to indeuer to go into heauen by the narrowe way Therefore I lyke not the vngodly speeches of some meÌ„ which say that few be chosen and sith I am not sure whether I be of that noÌ„ber or no I will not refrayne myne owne pleasures Othersome say if I be predestinated or chosen of God nothing shall put me from saluation which is certenly appointed for me what so euer I do And if I be of the nomber of the castawayes no fayth or repentance can helpe me bycause Gods determination cannot be chaunged and therefore all teaching and warninges are to no purpose For the Apostle fyghteth againste suche folke saying Gods seruant muste be ready to teache and instruct suche as stande against him 2. Tim. 2 if God at any tyme wyll gyue them repentance to know the truth But Saint Austin in the .xiiii. chapter of his booke de bono perseuerantiae and in the chapters following sheweth that both of them be to be preached that is to wit booth the grace of Gods free choosing and predestinating and also wholesome warnings and teachings Therefore I mislyke of suche as seeke without Christe whether they be chosen from euerlasting or no and what God hath determined of them before all tyme. For we must giue eare to the preaching of the Gospell and beleeue the same and take it to be oute of all doubt that if we beleue and be in Iesus Christ we be chosen For the father hath vttered vnto vs in Christe the euerlasting sentence of his predestination as I declared euen now from oute of the firste chapter of Paules second Epistle to Timothie Therefore we must teache and consyder aboue all thinges how greate the loue of the father is reueled to be towards vs in Christ We must dayly herken what the Lord himselfe telleth vs in the Gospel how he calleth vs and saith Mar. 11. come vnto me all ye that are wearie and ouerloden and I will refresh you God so loued the world John 3. that he gaue his only begotten sonne for the worlde to the intent that euery one whiche beleeueth in him shoulde not die but haue euerlasting lyfe Math. 18 Also it is not the will of the father that any of these little ones shoulde perishe Therfore let Christ be our loking-glasse wherin to behold our predestination We haue euident and substantiall recorde ynough that we be written in the booke of lyfe if we communicate with Christ so as he be ours and we be hys through true fayth In the temptation of predestination than the whiche there is not a more daungerous let this be oure comforte Luke 11. that Gods promises are vniuersall to all beleeuers that he sayth ask and ye shall receiue for euery one that asketh receyueth and finally that we pray togither with the vniuersall churche of God Our father which arte in heauen and that we be greffed into Christes bodye by baptim and are often fed in his Churche with his fleshe and bloud vnto eternall lyfe Beeing confirmed with these thinges we be willed to worke out our owne saluation in feare and trembling according to S. Paules counsell FINIS These articles of the ryght beleeuing fayth I ment to adde to the ende of my dialoge to disproue the vntowarde dealings of such men as slaunder me of Pelagiamin without any iust occasion only bycause I do often exhort my heerers to good workes Whiche thing I deny not but I do very diligentlye howbeit not for that I thinke the children of Adam to be able to attaine saluation by their owne strength withoute the grace of God for I impute the beginning Rom. 8. the increase and the accomplishment of our saluation and happinesse to the only free fauour grace of God But for asmuch as I see mans nature forewarde ynough of it selfe to imbrace vaine carelesnesse fleshly liberty I minded that my sayings shuld rather hold them in awe Act. 13. and lead them away from the pleasures and delyghtes of this worlde as it were by casting a brydle vpon them than put spurs to them running already of their owne accord to do euill Therefore as for those that lyke not of my maner of teaching it is fre for them to deuice apter and to put them forth to their heerers so they do it in the feare of God to the furtherance of his â—hurch and without disgracing of others that follow another trade of teaching Ephe. 2. But of these thinges I shall perchance speake more largely at another tyme. Our preseÌ„t age misdemeth things through spite The age to come wil iudge things more vpright
vnto you which doo rather wey the matter that is spoken than with how vvell fyled termes it is vttered I am nother vvearie nor ashamed of the charge that I haue taken in hande Nay rather I doo often thinke bethinke mee of this saying of S. Austins that happie is that necessity vvhich driueth a maÌ„ to the better thinges For this I may plainely confesse that of these manye yeares I neuer led a meryer or happier lyfe nor continued in my studies vvith more cheerfulnesse and peraduenture frute also thaÌ„ since I began to execute the office of a teacher in your companye And vvould God that mine olde aduersaries dyd not ageine enuy this my happy state and prepare nevv snares too incumber this my quyetnesse of vvhose vntovvard dealing ageinst me I could heere say ouermuch and truly the order of my promised partition requireth that I shoulde recken vp here the false reports that are spred abrode of mee and disperse them by shevving the truth but it is better to passe them ouer vvith silence than to speake to little of so wrongfull and long a matter I wish no more but only this that those men will gyue mee but so loÌ„g truce as to passe out of this life with a quiet pesable mind And when I am dead let theÌ„ gnaw euen the stones of my graue if they list But if the thing I wish caÌ„not hapeÌ„ to me as it befalleth not to mortal wretches to haue any thing happie in all poyntes I vvill vvillingly in the meane vvhile both heare imbrace the crosse that God hath prepared for me and layde vpon me And if the weight of it ouerlode my shoulders I will rather call some Cyrenian too mee too beare the one halfe of the burthen vppon his shoulders with me than cast it quite away But what Cyrenian shall I finde more friendly or willing to ease mee of my burthen than him that with his moste sweete wordes allureth all men to him Math. 11. saying Come vnto mee all yee that faynt and are ouerloden and I will refreshe you Therefore I beseeche Iesus Christ the only begotten sonne of the liuing God sauiour of mankinde to helpe me in bearing of my crosse and so to holde beare vp with his most mightie handes the burthen of it which doubtlesse is too me intolerable as I may paciently willingly beare it with him and that he suffer not my harte to bee tickled with desire of reuenge agaynst suche as stayne mee defame mee persecute me trouble me The heauenly doctrine commaundeth vs to loue our enemies and not to pay them like for like by rayling vpon them but rather to doo good to them that hate vs and to wish well to them for the wronges that we haue receyued at their hands Therefore folowing this rule I besech almighty God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ to gyue my backebiters the spirit of amendment and a better minde towards me that by seeking to deface me they hinder not the course of the gospell specially among myne owne countrymen which may heere some vncerteyn reportes but not the reasons lykewise God graunt at this my prayer request that the mindes of my persecuters maye one day bee bowed turned For to speake with a good conscience what I thinke in my hart I had rather contende with these men in the dutyes of charity than by slaunderous Epistles byting bookes spitefull wrytings raylings tauntes such other as I suppose most vnsemely weapons which eueÌ„ christian souldiers ought to abhorre much lesse can in any wise become the preachers of the Gospell Therefore as long as I can I will warde their iniuries with prayers and vse modest defences least I take harme in the meane vvhyle by holding my peace But if I see them proceede in their vntovvard maner of dealing I vvill not say maliciousnesse and rancour of minde I will peraduenture desire the Lorde to helpe me with fitte and liuely colours wherwith to peint out the image of slanderousnesse as Apelles did that I may discouer their spitefull lyes wherwith they go about to oppresse mine innocency But heereof inough Now I returne to the text of the Apostle Paules thirde precept is that the dealers foorth of the holy doctrine shoulde deuide the worde of truthe aright In the Greeke worde Orthotomein for that vvorde ansvvereth to two Latin words as I thinke there lieth hidde a most excellent allusion to the Ceremonie of sacrifising in the olde Lavve For as Mosesis Priest ought to haue a moste exact skill both hovve to cutte out the â—â—crifice and hovve to deale it foorth â—nd the sleying distributing of the â—â—crifice did out of all doubte repreâ—â—nt Gods onely begotten sonne vvho became the sacrifice of propitiation â—or vs to take away the sinnes of the worlde so also the priest of the Gospell muste bee skilfull and taught of God that he may be able to cutte or deuide the worde of truthe knovve hovve to deale it foorth discretly and fitly Setting this precept before mine â—yes from the time that the Lord called me to this Ecclesiasticall function I haue indeuered not onely to delyuer to my hearers a pure and sounde doctrine dravven out of the fountaynes of the holy Scriptures but also to obserue that way and trade of teaching which the holy writers were woÌ„t to vse in their sermoÌ„s For I am of opinion that an vntoward and disordred trade of teaching doth in manner no lesse harme to the hearers thaÌ„ the vnpurenesse of doctrine It is an old Proâ—erb A good thing is euil if it be done out of season For lyke as a Phisition maye minister good and wholesome medicines too his patient and yet very farre ouershot himself in this that he neither considereth well the complexion of the party diseased nor obserueth the fit oportunity of tyme so also it falleth out often tymes in the dealing forth of the heaueÌ„ly doctrine that some man beinge touched with vnaduised zeale steppeth forth vncalled of God and thrusteth out the true things which he hath gleaned vp here and there out of other mens bookeâ— or sermons without hauing any respect of the persons of his heerers or withoute any considering of the circumstaÌ„ces of the time But to mount vp yet higher and to say plainly what I thinke This moste excellent part of the holy ministration that is too wit this skill of diuiding dealing forth which sothly is the diuine logike that openeth the trade of teachinge the gospell hath his originall of Gods calling For euen he that maketh men fit ministers of the new Testament that is to wit not of the letter but of the spirit euen he himselfe I say gyueth the spirit of discretion to the dealer forth of his heauenly word to know how to gyue measurable meale in due tyme and also to haue wit to bring foorth both new thinges and old out of his storehowse as a skilfull scribe in the kingdome of
imbracing Gods truth with a true fayth and of expressing the beleeued truth in holy conuersation And all these thinges both generally and particularly as men terme it are taught by the Apostle in this Epistle to the Romaines the exposition whereof you haue heard of me this last yeere And bicause that in the time of my reading I haue gathered many things heere and there out of the Commentaries both of the olde and nevve Expositors vvhiche haue inlightened this Epistle vvith their vvritings I intended to set together this dialog out of that houge heape of my papers and to offer the same vnto you and that doo I for tvvo causes First that the reading of this booke may bring the thinges agayne to your remembraunce which I haue handled more at large in my Readings and secondly that there may remayne some publike vvriting among you as a record both to them that are absent and to suche as shall come after of the purenesse of my doctrine vvhich I haue taught in your coÌ„panie and how muche I abhorre the opinions of Sectaries which trouble the Churches nowadayes with their errours Also you are my witnesses after what maner I coÌ„futed the froward opinions of the Pelagians and selfe iustifiers in the discourse of IustificatioÌ„ Yee knovve also with howe great diligence I haue in the discourse of Predestination or of the calling of the Gentiles vnfolded and confuted both the madnesse of the Stoikes and chieflye the horrible blasphemies of the Manichies that by my shewing of these breakneckes you might keepe your pace in the kings high way without stumbling and imbrace the Apostles doctrine as the only rule of truth Finally to conclude I beseeche you of your gentlenesse and curtesie as to vvhome I thinke my selfe in many respects righte greatly beholden too accept this my small trauell with lyke minde as it is offered vnto you and where shall I finde anye thing in this writing that may stirre vp your minds too the loue of godlinesse thanke almightie god of it who hath imparted these things vnto me to doe you good withall And where any thing shall seeme rude and vnpolished lay that all wholly vpon mee vvho forasmuch as I am a man doo vvell knovve my selfe to be ignorant in many things and not able alwayes to expresse in fit vvordes the thinges that I knovve Wherefore I beseech you haue respect of mans vveaknesse and vvhere yee shall mislike anye thing first admonishe mee friendly of it before yee conceyue amisse of mee for it For as I confesse I may erre so I protest with good conscience that I vvill not stand in any errour Fare yee vvell And I beseeche almightie God the geuer of all good things to bee with yoâ— and to further your attemptes that â—our studies maye not onely profite â—he common Wealth to yeelde euery â—an his righte by the knovvleege of â—our Lavves but also be to the vvelâ—are of the Churche that true godlinesse and the pure doctrine of the Gospell may bee furthered by them Out of my Studie the last day of May. 1574. A generall Argument vpon all the Epistles of the Apostles THe holy Ghost hath so tempered the Epistles of the Apostles that euery of theâ— handleth a sundrie matter from other Fâ— the Epistle to the Romaines is a perfect instruction of a Christian. The two Epistles to the Corinthians do open the doubts of Churchmatters That to the Galathians breaketh thâ— strife betweene Moyses and Christ and betweene the selferighteous and the beleeuer in Christ That to the Ephesians doth moste plenteously lay forth the kingdome of Christ likâ— as that doth which is written to the Colossians The two to the Thessalonians describâ— Antichrist and the last day with the mysterie of the Resurrection and the things belonging therevnto The two vnto Timothie and the one vnto Titus doo peint out liuely the office of 〈◊〉 true shepheard and Bishop That to Philemon setteth down the profeâ— of mercie and Christian charitie That whiche was sent to the Hebrewes lyghteneth Christ by the shadowes of Moses and the Oracles of the Prophetes S. Iames correcteth the errour that sprung of the misvnderstanding of Paules doctrine and sheweth that the sauing fayth must bee liuely and frutefull Peter treateth of Christes kingdome and of the mysterie of his crosse howbeit in his owne style and peculiar gift and he sayeth the same thing that Paule dooth but not after the same maner so as yee maye perceiue them to haue had bothe one meaning but not bothe one mouth John teacheth the freendship and vnitie which wee haue with God through Christ and thervppon he vrgeth charitie and good woorkes with James Iude disclozeth the daungers of backeslyding as an vpholder of Peter and also vvill haue the feare of God taught to new-beginners and not onely his fauour and mercie least the preaching of Gods louingnesse might turne into fleshly libertie The Apocalips openeth the mysteries that shall happen in the last times Heereby it appeareth manifestly that nothing can be had or red more absolute than the new Testament For it teacheth the things that are to be knowen forwarneth things hurtfull and prophesieth both of good things and bad things to come The Argument of the Epistle of Paule the Apostle to the Romanes takeÌ„ out of the bokes of Athanasius Biship of Alexandria THey be called Paules Epistles bicause he wrote them And by them he both admonisheth and correcteth those whom he had seene and taught and also laboreth to teach them the same things whom he had not sene as they may perceiue which light vpon theÌ„ This to the Romanes he wrote from Corinth at what time he had not yet seene them but yet had herd of their faith and was desirous to see them And first of all he prayseth their faith which he herd spoken of euerywhere Then doth he them to vnderstande that he had purposed to come to theÌ„ for the good will that he bare them but hitherto could not Howbeit he frameth his Epistle after a maner of teaching informing them of the calling of the Gentiles and that circumcision serued but for a time was now abolished that Adams traÌ„sgression was discharged by Christ that the shadow of the Law was vanished away Therfore that the calling of the Gentiles was done consequently in good order he prouth in this wise He sheweth that the law is grafted in all men and that any man may know God euen of his own mother wit by the creation and state of things without the doctrine of the Law written And therefore he doth worthely first of all blame the Gentiles that wheras God hath opened the knowledge of himselfe vnto them by the works of the world and therwith also shewed them his euerlasting power which is his worde wherin and wherby he made all things They considered not by the creatures that God was the workmaster of such things but rather ascribed godhead to his creatures and worshipped them rather than the maker of
water without true fayth and without any keeping of Gods law than the Israelites trusted to Circumcision But hereof we will speake more an oâ—er time Now go you through shew â—hether you thinke circumcision to be 〈◊〉 value at all or no. P. Surely I thinke of little or rather â— f none at all vnlesse the bonde be perâ— ormed vvhereof Circumcision is the â— ale For vvho seeth not that if a heaâ—â— en man keepe gods lavve and trust in â— od vvith all his hart so as he looketh â— ot for saluation elsewhere than at his â— ande he shal be in as good case as the â— ircumcised Iew although he bee still â— ncircumcised and haue not his foreâ— kin pared off at al And not only that â— ut also that he shall euen by true and vnreprouable iudgement condeÌ„ne the very Iewes that are circuÌ„cised Bicause that these trusting to the signe of circumcision do despise the keping of the law wherein the force of circumcision coÌ„sisteth wheras the other being without the signe dothnâ— i his deedes fulfill and shew forth the thing signified R. Then shewe wherein the true vse and fruite both of the name of Israelite and of circumcision consisteth P. He is not vndoutedly he is not â— Iew that is coÌ„monly taken for a Iew poynted at openly with the finger neither is that the true circumcisioÌ„ whicâ— nippeth of the visible part of the body But he he I saye is a true Iew which beareth a ryght Iewish mind in deede that is to say which feareth God and keepeth his law Also that is the excellent circumcision wherthrough not the fleshe is cut off by the ceremony of the law but the sinfulnesse of mans harte is cut off by the spirit And the prayse of this inwarde circumcision is not to be sought for at the hands of men that is of most corrupt iudges but at the haÌ„d of God himselfe R. As I may well agree to your sayinges Paule Chap. 3.1 yet me thinkes that the Israelites do not without cause glory in the greate nomber of priuiledges giuen them of God Therfore you shall doo a good turne if ye shewe in what prerogatiue they excell other men and consequently declare the worthinesse and profit of circumcision P. I will doo it with a good will so you graunt mee first that you wyll not â—udge of the whole matter before you â—aue throughly and aduisedly weyed â—t For I graunt and acknowledge that â— he priuiledges of the people of Israell â— re notable but yet so as they take not â— ccasion to wex proude of them For â— f they seeme in better cace than other â— en in that respect they must not therâ— ore beare themselues in hand that they â— aue purchased Gods fauour election â— nd good wyll by their owne desertes weldoings ceremonies and sacrifices Nay rather in that cace they are to bee made fellowlyke with the Gentyles that is to wit in the iustification and euerlasting saluation bycause that both of them doo fynde themselues to haue their coÌ„scieÌ„ces gylty of sin And yet for all that as I saide afore the priuiledges of this people aboue all other are right notable among which this is euen the greatest that almighty God voutsafed to coÌ„mit his word vnto theÌ„ and to giue theÌ„ most large promises vpoÌ„ assurance wherof they neuer neded to haue douted gods singular good wil towards theÌ„ R. Very well But yet I am afraide least as it is wont to fall out in mennes bargaines and couenaunts that eyther partie standeth in like and equall state vnto other so as eyther bothe of them must stand to their couenaunts or els if any of them both breake couenaunt the other is at liberty euen so also by reason of the distrust and disobedience of some of the Iewes God takinge his aduantage will neyther keepe his couenaunts nor performe his promises to them And if it shoulde come so to passe I cannot coniecture to what ende those stately couenaunts and promises will come P. But it is vnseemely to thinke that God can by any meanes alter his mind and determination or that his coÌ„stancie can bee ouercome and compelled by mens vnthankfulnesse that he shuld not performe his promises For it is to be considered Psa 15.3 that God will neuer faile the godly and good men though they seeme neuer so fewe by reason of the wicked multitude of vnbeleuers R. It is meete to thinke so of Gods maiestie as the which doth vtterly shun and abhorre the righteousnesse and vnconstancie of men wherthrough they oftentymes breake their promises P. Euen so is it Psa 15.3 accordinge as the Prophet sayeth all men are lyers and vaine but God is true yea euen the very truth it selfe As euen the princely prophet had sayd although there was no let in me and in my wickednesse but that God might haue deemed me vnworthy of his promises and haue disapointed me of them yet is his faithfulnesse righteousnesse vprightnesse and truth so great that he neither can nor wil swarue one inch aside froÌ„ his sayings determinations In somuch that not euen the extremest naughtipackes and spitefullest persones in the worlde which thinke woorst of him can reproue him of vnconstancy or lightnesse for he is most constant R. Of this your answere ryseth a nother question Seemeth it not by that reason that God increaseth his owne glory by mens sinnes for truly his constancie becommeth the cleerer and brighter when his diuine goodnsse in keeping towch with men vnworthie surmounteth mans distrust and stubbornes And if it be so I feare me it will seeme to follow that God doth wrongfully punishe those that haue done any wickednes bicause Gods praise floweth oute of the same moreouer that the wicked haue very good cause to blame God for punnishing ther offences wherby they beautified his glory P. To speake after the maner of men no dout but it may seme so to the man which is ignorant vnskilful of things belonging to God But yet is that surmise vnmeete to come in any mans head for nothing but holinesse purenesse vndefilednesse ought to come in any mans mynd concerning the maiesty of God specially for as muche as vngodly folke nother can nor will referre their owne lustes to Gods glory but only to their owne pleasure and to their owne priuate profit and praise R. I neuer perceiued the fault of this kynde of reasoning till now For Gods goodnes and faithfulnesse get not their praise by mens wicked deeds but euen of this that they breake not their course no not euen for those wicked deedes which thing I gather euen of the example which you vsed ryghte nowe Psa 51. For wheras God performeth the mercy that he had promised to Dauid that came not to passe through Dauids wicked deede but the promised mercy shyneth foorth so muche the bryghter in that so great a wickednesse was not able to disapoint it P. Yea
haue not obeyed as now that they mighte attayne to mercy throughe the mercie that god hath bestowed vpō you For god hath suffered bothe the peoples that is to say all the posteritie of Adam to be shut vp in disobedience for this purpose most highly by al meanes too bee honored namely that he mighte lay foorth the treasures of his mercifull goodnes by hauing compassion on all R. Surely this purpose and determination of God is worthy of singular admiration and reuerence as which surmounteth the wisdome and vnderstanding of men For by this meanes is his diuine grace vttered which shoulde not haue bene so manifest if he had eyther broughte all at once together into the beginning or saued the Iewes without this breaking of as yee might terme it But by what reasons I pray you can it be proued that this was Gods eternall purpose and ordinance P. O my brother these secrets of gods mind are made manyfest to vs by their fallings out neither are to bee sifted with curious scanning but rather to be reuerenced with submission of minde For as ofte as I thinke of these matters and I thinke of them oftētymes I am compelled as a man rauished out of his wits to cry out after this maner O the deepe riches of Gods wisedome and knowledge How vnsearchable are his iudgements Sa. 9. 13. Esa 30.13 and his doings past finding out Hathe euer any man knowen the mind of the Lorde Hath euer any man bin of counsell with him Who hathe don him a good turne afore hande that he may de requyted with lyke kindnes Surely of him and by him are all things at him do all thinges 1. Co. 2.16 and as at their ende To him alone be glory for euer Amen R. Heere as I suppose you make an ende of the treatise of fayth whiche reacheth the maner of obteyning true rightuousnes and maketh the beleuers sure of Gods election Henceforth I perceiue you giue precepts of framing the maners of such as are regenerated but in what order you do it I am vtterly ignorant P. Forasmuch as mans state is to be considered two waies that is to vvit in priuate when he dealeth but vvith himselfe or in publike when he dealeth with others and that eyther in the cōmon welth or in the congregation of the faithfull hereout of spring twoo or rather three sorts of precepts Therfore first I exhort the godly to diligent tryal of themselues that they may so much the better apply themselues to the exercises of the vertues which Christians haue neede to continue in And for asmuche as it is not ynough for a godlye man to be garnished vvith vertue and honest behauiour excepte he vtter his godlinesse before others by example of lyfe when neede requireth Therefore I do secondly admonish your countrimē that they despise not the authoritye of their magistrats vnder pretence of christian liberty Moreouer bycause I herd ther was strife amōg you about things indifferent about the ceremonies of Moyses law I set downe certeine rules whereby both parties as vvell Ievves as Gentyles may vvalke with a good conscience before God maintein peace trāquillitye with their brethren To be short in this second part of mine Epistle ye haue preceptes of maners of gouernement and of churchmatters if you list so to terme them R. A very true order surely and verye nedefull for our cōgregatiō For welnere all men now adaies do thinke words to be godlines therefore do vaunt forth the profession of the Gospel rather with pratling which they call eloquēce than with honest behauiour and examples of life P. Those mē do I cheefly speake vnto Ch. 12.1 where I wryte vnto you in these words Therfore my brethren if you will be of the chosen sort haue receiued christs spirit I warne you for gods mercy sake that you make your callīg sure by good works And first of al I besech you offer vp vnto God not dum beasts any more after the maner of the Iewes but your ovvne bodies euen your owne selues I say your owne beastly affections as a liuing holy and acceptable sacrifice to god that your seruice may be reasonable spirituall in the sight of his diuine maiesty who delyteth not now at all in the slaughter sacrifising of dū beasts R. Truely Paule this is a shorte precept in woordes but harde to be vnderstode and most hard to be performed aryght P. If these alludings to the sacrifices of the olde law seeme hard to your vnderstanding I vvill shew you the meaning of my mynde in plainer woordes The thing that I desire is that you shuld nother in wordes consent nor in deedes fashion your selues lyke to the woorld or to such kynd of men as you see to be giuen vp to vngodlinesse and wicked dealing Ep. 5.10 but rather be chaunged and transformed by the renevving of your mynd For to chaunge a mans apparell dyet place or trade of liuing it is not so harde a matter but to follovv on continually vvith the reneuing of his mynd lyke as it is paynefull I vvill not say ouer hard so is it a most acceptable kind of sacrifice vnto God I let passe that is the fittest schole for men to try fynde out what Gods vvill is in what maner of goodnesse he delighteth and vvhat is perfect and acceptable in his sight For mans reason destitute of heauēly light is blynder than a betle to iudge of these things R. Vndoubtedly there spring vp dayly many and great braules among vs about these spirituall matters For there are some that will needes be all and alwaies ouerpeere and outface other men by hooke or by crooke so attainted with pryd and statelynesse of mynde that they wyll needes be sisters of all other men and appoynt all men what they shall do or not do P. You tell me of very ydle men and such as are to buisy in other folks matters Haue they so good leysure from their ovvne buisinsse at home that they may care for other mens affayres But I according to the charge of admonishing you which God hath giuen me do say vnto you not too one or twaine but to euerye one of you let none of you talke more vppon him than becōmeth him but let him so take vpon him as he maye be sene too be sober Let euerye man serue the church according too the meane and measure of faithe which god hath giuen him and bestowed vpon him For lyke as in one body we haue many mēbers and all the members haue not one office Eph. 4.4 so vvee beeing many are one body in Christ seuerall mēbers one of a nother Nother is it for any one mā to take vppon him to be the whole body to do to rule al things amōg you after his own liking R. Would God these light wits were away frō among vs. For with their inconstancy and lightnes they turmoyle confound all
sword of vengeance Therfore the King Prince presidēt euery other of inferior calling that beareth office as an executer of vengeance vppon such as do euill is gods minister To be short ye must neds be subiect to the higher powers not onlye for feare of punishnent but also for conscience sake for it is a christen mans duety to obey his superiours R. Then your iudgement is that the magistrat is to be obeyed not only for feare of punishment but muche more bycause that although the magistrate hath no power ouer mens consciences yet bycause he is Gods minister he cannot be resisted with a good conscience P. That is my iudgement And for that cause to shew the inwarde obedientnes of your mynd and your bounde duety you paye tribute to your magistrats Ma. 17.22 For they be Gods ministers seruing to take charge of the cōmō welth in punishing offenders and in praysing the giltlesse Therfore yeeld yee vnto euery mā that which is his due to whom ye owe tribute pay tribute to whome custome custome to whō ye owe awe pay awe and obedience to whom honor honor according as is due to al superiours R. O Paule if you wist howe many how great suits in law there are among vs about the yelding and paying of tributes and customes surely you woulde wonder For ther are a great sort which vnder pretence of christian libertie vpholde the there is no propriety of goods thereupon they snatch all that comes in their waye stirre vp strife are troublesome to the magistrates crye oute too haue all thinges in cōmon and maynetaine quarrelles and braules Againe there are another sorte which to confute these opinions behaue themselues so pinching and nigardly in all things that be it ryghte and wrong they rake other mens goods to them by sewing pleading at the law P. Both of them be euill But I vvill shevv you how it may be brought too passe that there shall be verie fewe sutes and actions among you namely if you order your lyues in such wyse as no man may iustlye demaunde aughte at your handes sauing that one thing vvhich we ovve one vnto another by a certeine euerlasting bonde throughe the law of charity Therefore ovve no man anye thing sauing that you loue one another For beleeue me the cause why these quarrells and braules ryse among you is for that charitye and brotherlye loue are become faynte and colde But I vvill gyue you this glance by the vvay Ex. 20. 4. De. 5.18 Le. 19.18 that loue is the content of the lavv For he that loueth another hath fulfilled the lavve For these commaundementes thou shalt not commit adultry Ma 22.36 thou shalt not kill thou shalte not steale thou shalt not beare fals witnes thou shalt not couet and whatsoeuer commaundement els is is comprehended breefly in this saying thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self For loue hurteth not a mans neighbour To be shorte either I am vtterly deceiued or els charity is the fulfilling of the lavv R. Good God I wote not by what euill destinye it falleth out that now since we imbraced Christes doctrine brotherly loue is lesse lyuely among vs than it was before For before when we were as good as ouerwhelmed with the darknesse of ignorance walked in the miste of superstition and false worshipping of God there seemed to be suche concorde such loue and such following of vertue that wicked lusts could not reigne so as we see they do now P. My brother the preaching of the Gospell is not to be blamed for it that you be becomme worse since the receiuing of it if at least wise ye be becōme worse as you say ye be but rather you haue to thanke Gods lyght that you do novve better discerne that former lyfe of yours For counterfet charitie deserueth not the name of charitie and colored pretence of honestie is nother praysed nor allovved of God Therfore novv that you be inlightened vvith the lyght of the Gospell gyue your selues to true charitie and to true honesty yea and that vvith consideration of the needefulnesse thereof in asmuch as it is novv hygh time to awake from sleepe For novv that the coeternall and coessentiall sonne of God being made man is appeared to the woorlde saluation is neerer to vs than when vve vveened all things to be in safety Also we haue proceeded further in godlinesse as novve than vve had doone at the beginning when vve first beleued the gospell The night of ignorāce is gone the day of heuēly light is come Therfore let vs put on the armour of light that being clothed with christē vertues we may walke honestly as it becōmeth folk to go a day times and let vs behaue our selues as it becōeth the godly Lu. 21. 24 Let vs not giue our selues to feasting drūkēnes let vs not welter in sloughfulnesse let vs not cocker our selues in wantōnesse let vs not gyue occasion of quarreling and brauling let vs not giue heed to spiting hart burning or enuy but let vs chefly strein all the sinewes of our wittes to the putting on of our lord Iesus Christ and let therebe such an earnest indeuer of holinesse in vs so great charity that such as se vs may say they haue sene the true members of Christe Therefore in any wise be not carefulll for the fleshe too fulfyll the lustes thereof but rather seeke for the peace and ioye of the spirite For by that meanes you shall through Gods inspiration not only obey your magistrats but also mainteine mutuall loue among your selues R. If the professers of the Gospell would frame their maners after this order their exāple wold allure very many to imbrace the heauenly truth But too speake plainely as the matter requyreth our licentious liuing scareth the minds of the ignorant from the receiuing of the Gospell Againe what shall I tell you of the contentions and controuersies that are among vs euen vnto rayling and falling out about indifferent ceremoniall things The keeping whereof can as I beleue make men neither better in them selues nor more acceptable to God As soone as this church of ours at Rome was growen together there stept vp certein men eyther discended of the Iewes or which had bin conuersant in Iewry or whiche I rather beleeue had beene trayned vp by the Doctors of Ierusalem These I say did so earnestly and vehemently vrge the Ceremonies of Moyses Lawe the choyce of meates the keeping of feasts and holydays and such other like things that they troubled and turmoyled all things with their zeale My countreymen on the other side leaning as it were of set purpose to the contrarie part esteeme all meane things at nought and which worse is do disdeine the teachers and professors of them and skorne them with vnseemely mockages P. Eyther of them bothe do offende Chap. 14 by sticking too stifly to partaking peraduenture euen agaynst their ovvne consciences But as for you
of this Citie is which is the head of the world And yet you haue bene so bold as to write this Epistle vnto vs as to folke ignorant of holy matters or as though there were no techers and shepeheards among vs by whose trauell preaching and writings Gods will might be opened vnto vs. P. Truly my brother I am fully persuaded of the thing that you tell mee namely that you bee full of desire of goodnes and of all knowledge of matters perteining to god insomuche that you are able to admonish one another and to instruct and trayne vp one another in the doctrine of Christ Therfore in writing vnto you I ment not to take vpon me as a teacher controller but I haue written somevvhat with the boldest vnto you to put you in remēbrāce according to the charge whiche god hath graunted me that I should be the minister of Iesus Christ to the gentiles in setting foorth of the gospell and in preaching it as a thing of most excellēt maiesty that the sacrifice wherby I offer vp the gentils purified by faith may be acceptable to god forasmuch as it is alreadie halovved by the breathing of his holy spirit vpon it Therefore I haue vvritten this letter not to teache you and muche lesse to rebuke you but rather to put you in remembraunce of things R. But there are diuers which terme this dede of yours a bold enterprise and impute it to the disease of a stately mind Specially your own countreymen spred abrode misreportes of you to bring your ministration in misliking among the vnskilfull For they take it sore to harte that you should as it were despise the Iewes and go to the Gentiles among whom you haue not yet greatly preuailed But what is the let of your preaching I am vtterly ignorant P. Of those mennes reportes I passe not at all but of mine ovvne office vvherevvith I am inhonored by Gods goodnesse too bee as hys instrumente in trayning the Gentiles too the Gospell and in offering them vp to God surely I haue cause too glorye not proudely among menne but humbly before god in Christe Iesu vpon whom I father all good things As touching the fruit of my preaching truly I can not find in my hart to speak of any thing which Christ hath not don by me in bringing the gentiles to obedience I say in bringing them both by words and deedes by deedes through working of signes and wonders and by words of preaching wherin gods spirite vttered his power and workfulnes in so much that I fulfilled the office of preaching Christes gospell from Ierusalem and the countreys therabouts euen vnto Illyrike R. What did the other Apostles which saw Christ did not they also preache in those Countreys P. What others iudge I haue not to iudge This I may auow with good conscience that I indeuered as I might terme it hunted in my harte that my preaching of the gospell might bee in those places not vvhere Christ had bin knovven or named before but vvhere there had neuer bene any mentiō made of him R. For what cause P. I had causes inow of this mine intent which it is not nedefull to reherse This among other I alwayes obserued that I vvould not buyld vpon another mans foundation and I had continually before mine eyes this prophesie of Esaies wherin the preaching of the gospell among the gentiles is most manifestly described Es 52.26 They sayth he that were neuer tolde of him he speaketh of the manifestation of god him selfe which is Christ shal see and they that neuer heard of him before shall vnderstande And these are the lettes that I spake of in the beginning of the epistle whereby I was held backe that I could not come vnto you though I vvished often for this iourney But now that I had no more to doe in those Coastes and was desirous to come vnto you and that surely now many yeeres ago I had so determined my iourney that I wold visite you in my vvay into Spaine For I hoped to see you in passing thys way and to be brought thither by you Howebeit with condicion that I had first somewhat slaked my desire by being conuersant with you a few daies after a sort satisfied my longing by being in companye with you For at the same tyme that I wrat this Epistle I was going to Ierusalem too minister to the Saints that professed Christes Gospell For it seemed good to the churches of Macedonia and Achaia to make some contribution of their goods for the releefe of the poore Saynts that lyued at Ierusalem 2. Cor. 9. So seemed it good to those churches and truely they owe it of duety For although almes deedes are of vncōstreyned will yet do we owe them by the law of charity For it is agreable to godlinesse that if the Gentyles be made partakers of the spirituall goods of the Israelites the Gentiles should also communicate to them their worldly and transitory goods But to come too my purpose againe when I had so done and conueyed that almes sealed to the Sayntes at Ierusalem I determined to haue come this way into Spaine And I had conceiued greate hope of Gods bounteousnesse towards me I knew for a certeintie that whensoeuer I came to you I shuld not come empty but rather with store of blessing plenty of the ornaments gyftes and fruits of the gospel For I vvarrant my selfe so much of Gods loue both tovvardes my ministrrie and tovvardes your church And therfore I prayed you for our Lord Iesus Christes sake and for the loue of the spirit to labour vvith me and to helpe me vvith your prayers vnto God firste that I might be deliuered alas for sorow frō the stubborne and wilfull sort that are in Iewrie and secondlye that the same seruice of mine the liberall present which I brought to the Saints at Ierusalem as their minister Deacon might be acceptable to thē to the intēt that whē I had accōplished this my duty I mighte afterwarde come vnto you with ioy by Gods will and be refreshed with you But see howe diuerse a falling out God hath giuen to my purpose determination R. That is no new thing Paule For so is god wōt to deale oft times with his seruāts in the meane while he will haue vs to hāg wholly vpō his appointmēt prouidēce to assure our selues that that issew of things is both acceptablest to him most for our behoofe not which liketh vs but which pleaseth his prouidēce If you had come at that time to Rome afterward gon hēce into Spayne peraduenture you woulde haue had sōe good opiniō of your own diligēce Also the flesh being desirous of glory woulde haue wished his tryumphes for that you had durst to preach Christes Gospell in a place of such maiesty We also being not yet rid of our old affectiōs would haue imputed the proceding of the gospell among vs altogither to your
FINIS The Articles of the Catholike fayth which Anthonie Coranus Spaniarde Student of Diuinitie professeth and alwayes hath professed Nowe set out in Print for their sakes which haue not bene present at his Readings To the Christian Reader 1. Pet. 1.15 THe Apostle Peter exhorteth the faythful in these words To be readie to yeelde an account of their faith Be ye always readie to answere euery man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in you with mildnesse and reuerence hauing a good conscience that they which slaunder your good conuersation in Christ may be ashamed of their misreporting of you as euil doers Beeing warned by this counsel an eight yeeres agoe when I taught at Andwerp in the French tung I wrate a confession of my fayth in the same language which by Gods grace shall within a while come foorth in Latin and Englishe also Afterwarde I wrate at London certeyne Tables concerning Gods works which were printed in fower Languages Latin Frenth Dutche and English In the short Articles of those Tables I indeuered to comprehende as it were in propositions the holy doctrine of bothe the Testamentes And I beleeue assuredly that in that writing I haue sette foorth the true the right meaning and the very pure truthe of the Christian Religion drawen oute of the fountaynes of the holye Scriptures and that in suche orderlye methode and apparante playnnesse as my conscience vpbraydeth mee not withe any errour Howe beit that soome reporte otherwise eyther peraduenture bicause they perceyue not my meaning at all or else bicause they looke but slightly vppon the articles them selues Now therefore for their sakes which haue not read those writings I will set downe certen shorte articles concerning the chief points of our christian religion which I imbrace with all my hart Farewell gentle reader and hereafter neither thinke nor speake euill of any man for the reports that are spred abrode of him but first giue him eare and heare his reasons Of Gods written worde I receyue and imbrace the Canonicall scriptures both of the olde testament and of the new and I thanke our God for raysing vp that light vnto vs that wee might haue it euer before our eyes least we should be led away to errours or fables eyther by deceiptfulnesse of men or by the wilinesse of deuils I beleeue that they be heauenly voyces whereby God hath vttred his wil vnto vs That mens minds can haue no rest but onely in them That in them as Origen Austin Chrisostome and Cyril haue taught all things are conteyned abundantly and fully which are needfull for our saluatioÌ„ That they be the power and might of God vnto saluation That they be the foundation of the Prophets Apostles whervpon Gods Church is buylded That they be the most certen rule wherunto the Churche may bee inforced if it swarue or go astray and wherevnto all the doctrine of the Churche ought to be â—alled backe And that against them there â—s no lawe no tradition no custome to be â—eard no not although Paule him selfe or an Angell from heauen should come and teache otherwise Of the mysterie of the holy Trinitie Therfore I beleeue that there is one certen nature and diuine power whiche we call God and that the same is distinguished into three equall persons the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost al of one selfe same power of one selfesame maiestie of one selfsame euerlastingnes of one selfsame Godhead of one selfsame substaunce And that althoughe those three persons be so distincte that neyther the Father is the Sonne nor the Sonne is the holy Ghoste or the father yet they bee all three one God and that the same one created heauen and earth and all thinges that are conteyned in the compasse of the heauen whether they be seene or vnseene Of Christe the Mediator betweene God and man I beleeue that Iesus Christ the onely sonne of the euerlasting father toke flesh and mans whole nature vpon him of the blessed and pure virgin when the fuâ— time was come according as had bin determined long ago before all worlds to shew vnto men the secret and hidden wiâ— of his father whiche had bin kept close from al ages and generations and to accomplish the miserie of our redemption in humane body and to nayle to hys crosse our sinnes and the handwriting that was written agaynst vs. Of the holy Ghost I beleeue that the holy Ghost whiche is the thirde person in the holy Trinity is the very true god not made not created not begotten but proceding froÌ„ both that is to wit from the father the sonâ— by an vnutterable meanes vnknowen to men and that it belongeth to him to soften the hardnes of maÌ„s hart and that when he is receiued into their brests eyther by the preaching of the gospell or by any other meane he inlighteneth them and leadeth them vnto the knowing of God into the way of all truthe into newnesse of the whole lyfe and into hope of euerlasting saluation Of the Catholike Church I beleeue that there is but one church and that the same is not now shet vp into any one corner or kingdom as it was in times past among the Iewes but that it is Catholike and vniuersall spred abrode through the whole worlde so as there is now no Nation that can iustly complayn that it is excluded and can not belong to the Church and people of god That the same Church is the kingdome the body and the bridâ—e of Christ that of that kingdome only Christ is the king that of that body only christ is the head that of that bride only Christ is the bride grome That there are diuers orders of ministerie in the Churche some Deacons some Elders some Bishops to whom the teaching of the people and the care of ordering of Religion is committed and that no one eyther is or can be ouerruler of the whole forsomuche as Christe is euer present in his church and needeth not a lieuetenante to supply his roome in the whole and no man is able to comprehend in mind the whole Churche that is to say all partes of the earth muche lesse to set them in order to rule theÌ„ rightly handsomly Thaâ— the Apostles as Cyprian sayth were aâ— of like power amoÌ„g theÌ„selues that thâ— residue were the same that Peter was 〈◊〉 That it was said alike to them all feedâ— yee That it was sayd alike to them all â–ª Go ye into the whole world That it was sayd alike to them al Teach the Gospel â–ª and that as Ierome sayth all Bishops whersoeuer they be ether at Rome or aâ— Eugubium or at Constantinople or aâ— RhegiuÌ„ are all of one desert all of onâ— Priesthood and that as Cyprian saythâ— there is but one Bishoprick that euerâ— Bishop holdeth a part of it as the whole and that according to the Councel of Niceâ— the bishop of Rome hath no more poweâ— ouer the church of Christ
helper But none can be helped but he which doth somewhat The Manichies bereeued man of all dooing and made him as a stocke or a stone Secondly I make that in the regenerated there remayneth infirmitie For asmuche as sin dwelleth in vs and the fleshe fyghteth againste the spirite in the regenerated euen to the ende of our lyfe the regenerated performe not their purposes altogyther withoute incomberance These thinges are confirmed by the Apostle in the seuenth to the Romanes and in the fift to the Galathians And therfore that freedome of oure wyll is weake by reason of the dregges of the olde Adam and of the corruption that is bred and borne with man and remayneth in vs euen to the ende of our lyfe Notwithstanding for asmuch as the strength of the fleshe and the remnants of the old man are not so effectuall as vtterly to quenche the working of Gods Spirite therefore the faithfull are saide to be free but yet so as they acknowledge their owne weakenesse and boast not at all of the freedome of their will For the faithfull must euer beare in minde this saying which Saint Austin harpeth vpon so muche out of the Apostle Mar. 11. what hast thou which thou hast not receyued and if thou haue receyued it why bostest thou as though thou haddest not receyued Moreouer the thing that I had determined doth not foorthwith come to passe For the fallings out of things are in gods hand And thervppon S. Paule prayeth the Lord to prosper his iourney Rom. 1. Therefore euen in that respect mans freewill is weake Neuerthelesse no man denieth but that bothe the regenerated and the vnregenerated haue freewill in outwarde things For man hath this propertie common to him with all other liuing things to whome he is not inferiour namely to will some things and to nill other some So can he speake or holde his peace and goe abrode or tarie at home howbeit that euen in this behalfe an eye must always be had to Gods power whiche caused that Balaam coulde not attayne to the mark that he shot at nor Zecharie speake as he woulde haue done when he came out of the Temple In this case I condemne the Manichees which denie that mans freewill when he was good was the beginning of euill vnto him Also I condemne the Pelagians which say that an euill man hath sufficient free will to do a good commaundement For they be disproued by the holy scripture which sayth vnto the one sort God made man righteous and vnto the other if the sonne make you free then are you free in deede Of the true iustification of the righteous By the worde Iustifie the Apostle in his discourse of iustification Rom. 8. betokeneth the forgiuing of sinnes the acquiting of men from gilt and punishment the receyuing of them into fauour and the pronouncing of them to be righteous For the Apostle sayth to the Romanes It is God that iustifieth who shal then condemne There Iustifying is matched agaynst Condemning Act. 13. And in the Acts of the Apostles the Apostle sayth By Christe the releasing of your sinnes is preached vnto you and of all the thinges from which you could not be iustified by the Lawe of Moyses by him is euery one that beleeueth iustified For in the Lawe and the Prophets also we reade in this wise Deu. 25. If variance rise betweene man and man and they come to iudgement let the iudges iudge them and let them iustify the ryghtuos and condemne the vngodly And in the fift of Esay it is sayde woo be to them that iustify the vngodly for rewardes Nowe it is most certeyne that by nature all of vs are sinners and vngodly and cast and conuicted of wickednesse and condemned to die before Gods iudgement seate and that we be iustifyed that is to say released or set free from sin and death by God the iudge onely for Christes sake and not for anye desert or respect of oure owne For what is more manifest than this saying of Saint Paules Rom. 3. All men haue sinned and are destitute of Gods glorie but are iustified freely through his grace by the redemption that is in Christe Iesus For Christ toke vppon him the sins of the worlde and toke them away and satisfied Gods Iustice God therfore only for Christes passion and resurrections sake is mercifull to oure sins and layeth them not to oure charge but imputeth Christs ryghtuousnesse vnto vs as oure owne so as henceforth we be not onely clensed and purged from oure sinnes or made holie but also rewarded withe Christes ryghtuousnesse 2. Cor. 5. Rom. 4. and so consequently set free from sin death or condemnation and finally made ryghtuous and heires of the endlesse lyfe Therefore to speak properly only God iustifieth vs and onely for Christes sake doth he iustifie vs not imputing our owne sins vnto vs but imputing vnto vs Christs rightuousnesse Rom. 3. And bycause we receiue this iustification not by any workes but by trust in Gods mercy and in Christ therfore I teache and beleeue with the Apostle that the sinner is iustifyed by onely fayth in Christ and not by the law or by any workes For the Apostle sayth Rom. 4. I am of opinion that a man is iustified by fayth without the deedes of the law Againe if Abraham were iustifyed by workes he hathe whereof to boast but not before God Gen. 15. For what sayeth the scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was reckened vnto him for rightuousnesse Now vnto him that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is imputed to him for rightuousnesse And againe you be saued by grace through fayth that not of yourselues but it is gods gift Not by works least any man shoulde glory Ephe. 2. For asmuche then as fayth receyueth Christ our righteousnesse and imputeth all things to Gods free fauour in Christ therfore is iustification fathered vpon fayth howebeit for Christes sake and not bicause it is our worke for it is the gifte of God But that we receyue Christ by fayth the Lorde himselfe sheweth by many words in the sixth of Iohn where he putteth eating for beleeuing and beleeuing for eating For like as we receiue foode by eating so doo wee participate of Christe by beleeuing Therefore I deuide not the benefite of Iustification partly to Gods grace or to Christ and partly to our selues or to our owne charitie and works or to our owne deseruing But I attribute it wholly to Gods free fauor in Christ by fayth Besides this our loue and works could not please God if they were done of vs beeing yet vnrighteous and therefore it behoueth vs to be first iustified before we can loue or doo good works But we be iustified as I sayde afore by fayth in Christe through the onely grace of God who imputeth Christes ryghtuousnesse to vs and not our owne sinnes and consequently imputeth oure beleeuing in Christ vnto