repenttaunce and the consente of the herte vnto the lawe of God and maketh a man safe and setteth him at peace with God â—ut speaketh of that false opinion and ymagynacyon where wyth some saye I beleue that Christe was borne of a virgine and that he dyed and so furth That beleue they veryly and so strongely that thei are readye to sley whosoeuer would saye the contraye But they beleue not that Christe dyed for theire sinnes and that his death hath pleased the wrath of God and hath obtayned for them all that God hath promysed in the scriptuer For how can they beleue that Christ died for theyre sinnes and that he is theyre only and sufficiente sauioure seynge that they seke othre sauiours of ther owne ymaginacion and seynge that they feale not theyre synnes neyther repente excepte that some repeÌ„te as I aboue sayd for feare of payne â–ª but for no loue nor consente vnto the lawe of God nor loÌ„ging that they haue for those good promises whiche he hath made theÌ„ in Christes bloude Yf thei repented and loued the lawe of God and longed for that helpe whyche God hath promysed to gyue to all that call on him for Christes sake then vâ—tily muste Goddes tryeth gyue them powere to do good workes when so euer occasion were giuen either must God be a fals God But let God be true and euery maÌ„ a lyer as scripture sayeth For the trueth of God lasteth euer to whom only be all honor and glory for euer Amen ¶ A short rehearsall or suÌ„me of this present treatyse of iustification by fayth Fayth the mother of all good workes iustifieth vs before we can brynge forth any good work as the husbond marieth hys wyfe before he can haue any lawful chyldren by her Forther more the husbonde maryeth not hys wyfe that she shoulde continue vnfrutefull as before and as she was in the state of virginitie wherein it was impossyble for hyre to beare frute but contrary wyse to make her frutefull euen so fayth iustifieth vs not that is to saye maryeth vs not to God that we shoulde contynue vnfruteful as before but that he shoulde put the sede of his holy spirite in vs as Saynte Iohn in hys fyrst epistle caleth it and to make vs frutefull For Paule sayth Ephesi ii By grace are ye made safe thorowe fayth and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God and commeth not of the workes lest any man shoulde boast him selfe For we are his workeman shippe created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes which God hath ordeyned that we shoulde walke in them â— BE not offeÌ„ded most dere Reader that diuers thynges are ouersene thorowe neglygence in thys litle treatise For verely the chaunce was such that I maruayle y t it is so wel as it is Moreouer it becometh the boke e uâ—n so to come as a morner and in vyle apparayle to wayte on hâ—s master which sheweth him selfe nowe agayne not in honoure and glory as betwene Moses and Hâ—ly as but in rebuke and shame as betwene two mortherars to trye hys true frendes and to proue whether there by any fayth on the erth Wyth Gods word ought a man to rebuke wikednes and false doctrine and not wyth raylyng times Antichryst Antichryst is as much to sai as agaynst Chryst and is nothyng but a â—recher of false doctryne Antichrist was euer Antichrist whâ— he is spied goeth oute of the playe and disguyseth hym selfe and then commeth in agayne Antychrist is a spiritual thing and cannot be sene but in the syght of gods word The prelates â—auea burning â—eale to theyr â—hyldren Trye all doetryne hy Goddes worde They geue mo re fayth to Aristotle then to Christ. The lawe is death and the promyses lyfe The law whaÌ„ it is preached geueth no power to fulfyll the same The consentynge vnto the lawe with the hert is eternal lyfe A manne must haue soÌ„e good nes in his hert before be bring furth good workes The lawe vttereth sinne setteh vs at de bate The promises iustifie Olde vesselleâ— that 〈…〉 is put 〈…〉 Matâ—… The office of fayth â–ª The office of workes The talent Math. xxv Why he called them frendes â–ª Good workes muste be done frely Mammon Who is the steward The signe of Gods fauour Wythout we be iustified we can not worke frely Good workes are called the frute of y e spirite and ryght wysnes What is the ryghtuousnes of scribes â–ª and pharises The law must be fulfilled spiritually and w t obedience as Christ hath done A christen wheÌ„ he praieth abideth sticketh fast to Gods promises By coÌ„sentyng vnto the wyll of God knowledging our faulte mekely we be assured of the spirite of God Wherfore the beleuinge forgeueth with y t which aboundeth of â—ure necessary fode ought 〈◊〉 to sustaine the nedy Not onely to speake of the Gospel is accepted before God but to lyue after the Gospel Wher the spirit of God is not there can not a maÌ„ work accordynge to Gods will What health is to saye Christes merites are ours No man can consent to the deades of the lawe except he be chosen Excepte a maÌ„ haue y e spirite of life it is impossible for him to kepe y e coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes â–ª The greatest perfection He that wyth draweth from hys negboure the whyche is his can not come to heauen Faith casteth out deuels and doth such lyke miracles The kyngdoÌ„e of heauen is prepared for y e faythful â–ª ergo theyr workes do not deserue it As longe as we see the law we caÌ„ not loue Christe but when we se y e gospel then re ioyce we An exaÌ„ple for declaracion of inward deeds An example of loue to warde our neghbour The kepynge of y e commauÌ„dement declareth outr loue toward God A goodly order of perfecti on If we do but lust it is a sign that the spirit is in vs. A parable can not be ex pouned in al poâ—â—tes but y e seÌ„â—â— onely What neighbour signifieth There is no greater perfec tion than the lawe No man fullfylleth the lawe What y e two pence be â—oken What the parte was y t Marye hadde chosen Scriptur speketh to vs dineâ—s wayes where the spirit is not ther is no vnderstaÌ„ dynge of scrip ture It is impossible to vnderstand the scripture without the spirite of God Pray y e spirit to leuse you from your natural blindnes and to gyue you vnderstan dyng of spiritual thynges Marke the or dre of Goddes workes He that is recoÌ„ciled to God muste not liue after the olde lustes of iogno raunce Good works Fastynge The cause of fastynge What watch signifieth In al tentacioÌ„ we must cal vpon God What prayer is The condicioÌ„s and propreties of prayer Lette the sam mind be in yon that was in Ie su Christ which c. One to praye for au other In what hour the sinner sigh eth I shal hear hym The loue of God to châ—â—ste is infâ—â—t â–ª Who is rightuouse Loue
are conceiued and borne vnder the power of the Deuyl and are his possessyon and kyngdome his captiues and bondmen and led at his wyll and he holdeth oure herâ—es so that it is impossible for vs to coÌ„sent to the wyl of God much more is it impossible for a man to fulfyll the law of his owne strength and power seyng that we are by byrth and of nature the heyres of eternal damnation As saith s. Paule Ephe ii We saythe he are by nature the chyldren of wrathe Whyche thyng the lawe doth but vtter onely and helpeth vs not yea she requireth impossi ble thynges of vs The law when it com maundeth that thou shalt not lust geueth the not power so to do but damneth the because thou canst not so do IF thou wylt therfore bee at peace wyth God loue hym thou muste turne to the promyses of God and to the Gospel whiche is called of Paule in the place before rehersed and to the Corin. the ministration of rightuous nes and of the spirit For fayth bryngeth pardon and forgeuenes freely purchased by Christes bloude and bringeth also the spiryte the spyrite loseth the bondes of the deuyll and setteth vs at lybertye For where the spirit of the Lorde is ther is lybertye sayeth Paule in the same place to the Corinthians that is to saye ther the herte is free and hath power to loue the wyll of God and ther the hert mourneth that he caÌ„ not loue ynough Now is that conseÌ„t of the hert vnto the lawe of God eternal lyfe yee though ther be no power yet in the membres to fulfyll it Let euery man therfore accordyng to Pauls councel in the. vi Cha. to the Ephe. arme hymselfe wyth the armour of God that is to vnderstaÌ„de with Goddes promyses and aboue al thyng sayeth he take vnto you the shylde of fayth wherwith ye maye be able to quenche all the fyry dartes of the wicked that ye maye be able to resiste in the euell daye of temptacyon and namely at the houre of death Se therfore thou haue Goddes promy ses in thyn hert and that thou beleue theÌ„ without wauerynge when temptacyon aryseth the deuel layth the law and thy dedes agaynst the answer hym with the promyses and turne to God and confesse thy selfe to hym and saye it is euen so or els howe coulde he be mercyfull but remembre that he is the God of mercy and of trueth and can not but fulfyl his promyses Also remembre that his sonnes bloude is stronger then al the synnes and wyckednesses of the whole worlde and therwyth quyet thy selfe and ther vnto commyt ' thy selfe and blesse thy selfe in all temptacyon namely at the houre of death with that holy candel Or els perishest thou though thou hast a thousande holy candels about the a hundred tonne of holy water a shipfull of pardons aclothsacke ful of freers coates and al the ceremonies in the world and all the good workes deseruinges and merytes of all men in the world be they or were they ne uer so holy Goddes worde onely lasteth for euer and that whiche he hath sworne doth abyde when all other thynges peryshe So longe as thou findest any con sent in thyne hert vnto y e lawe of God y t it is righteous and good and also disple sure that thou canst not fulfyl it dispayr not nether dout but that Gods sprite is in the that thou art choseÌ„ for Christes sake to the enheritaunce of eternall lyfe And agayne Ro. iii. We suppose that a manne is iustified thorow fayth without the dedes of the lawe And lykewyse Ro. iii. We saye that faith was rekened to Abraham for righteousnes Item Ro. v. Seyng that wee are iustified thorow fayth wee are at one with God IteÌ„ Ro. x. With the herte doth a man beleue to be made ryghteous Item Gal. iii. Receyued ye the spirit by the dedes of the lawe or by hearyng of the fayth He whiche ministreth the spirit vnto you and workeh miracles amonge you doeth he it by the deades of the Lawe or by hearynge of faythe Euen as Abraham beleued God and it was tekened to him for ryghteous nes UnderstaÌ„de therfore sayeth he that the chyldren of AbrahaÌ„ For the scripture sawe before that God woulde iustifi the heythen or gentyls by fayth and shewed before glad tydynges vnto Abraham in thy sede shal al nacious be blessed Wher fore they which are of fayth shalbe blessed that is to saye made ryghteous with the righteous Abraham For as many as are of the dedes of the law are vnder the curse For it is written sayth he curssed is euerye man that contynueth not in all thynges whiche are written in the boke of the lawe to fulfil them Item Gal. ii where he resisteth Peter in the face he sayeth We whiche are Iewes by nacion and not synners of the gentyls knowe that a man is not iustified by the dedes of the lawe but by the fayth of Iesus Christ and haue therfore beleued on Iesus Christe that we myght be iustfied by the faith of Christ and not by the dedes of the lawe for by the dedes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified Item in y e same place he sayth Toutchyng that Inow lyue I leue in y e fayth of the sonne of God whiche loued me and gaue hym â—elfe for me I despyse not the grace of God For yf ryghteousnes com by the lawe then is Christe dead in vayne And of such lyke ensamples are al the epistles of Paul full Marke how Paule laboureth with hym selfe to expresse the exceadyng mysteryes of fayth in the epistle to the Ephesians and in the Gpistle to the Collossians By this and many such like textes are we sure that the forgeuenes of sinnes and iustifienge is appropriate vnto faith onely with out the adding of the workes Take for the also the lykenes that Christ maketh Mat. vii A good tree bringeth forth good fruite And a bad tre bringeth forth bad fruit Ther seyst thou that y e fruite maketh not the tre good but the tre the fruit and that the tree must afore hande bee good or be made good eâ— it can bryng forth good fruite As he also sayeth Mat. xii ether make the tree good and his fruyte good also et her make the tree bad and his fruit bad also How can ye speake well whyle ye youre selues are euill So lykewyse is this true and nothinge more true that a man before all good workes must fyrst be good and that it is impossible that workes should make hym good yf he were not good before eâ— he dyd good workes For this is Christes prynciple and as we saye a general rule Howe can ye speake well whyle ye are euel So lykewise howe can ye do good whyle ye are euel Thys is therfore a playne and a sure couclusion not to be dowted of that ther must be firste in the hert of a man before he doeth any good workes greater
Christ. Neither do oure workes iustifie vs. For except we were iustifyed by fayth whiche is oure rightuousnes and had the spirite of God in vs to teach vs we could do no good worke frely without respecte of some profit other in this world or in y e worlde to come neither coulde we haue spiritual Ioye in oure hertes in tyme of afflicition and mortyfyinge of the fleshe Good workes are called y e fruites of the spirit Galt v. Cha. for y e spirit worketh them in vs and some tyme frutes of righ tuousnes as in the seconde epistle to the Corhinthians ix Chapter â–ª before al workes therfore we muste haue a rightuousnes wythin in the herte the mother of all workes and from whence they springe The rightuousnes of the scribes and Pharises and of theÌ„ that haue the spirit of this worlde is the glorious showe and outward shinyng of workes And Christ sayth to vs Mat. v. except your rightuousnes excede the ryghtuousnes of the scribes and pharises ye can not enter in to the kyngdome of heauen It is rightuousnes in the worlde if a man kyll not But a Christen perceyueth rightuousnes if he loue his enemye euen when he suffeth persecucioÌ„ and formente of hym and the paynes of death and morneth more for his aduersaries blindnes than for his owne payne and prayeth God to open his eyes and to forgeue him hys synnes as dyd â–ª Steuen in the Actes of the Apostles the. vii Chap. and Christ Luc. xxiii A christen considereth hym selfe in the lawe of God and ther putteth of hym al maner rightuosnes For y e lawe suffereth no merites no deseruinges no rightuous nes nether any man to be iustified in the syght of God The lawe is spirytuall and requireth the herte and commaundementes to be fullfillyd with suche loue and obedience as was in Christe If any fulfil al that is the wil of god with such loue and obedience the same may be bold to sel pardons of his merites and els not A Christen therfore wheÌ„ he beholdeth him selfe in the law putteth of al maner rightuousnes deserueuinges and merites and mekely vnfaynedly knoweledgeth his sinne and mysery his captyuite and bondage in the flesh hys trespasse and gylte and is there by blessede wythe the poore in spirite Math. v. Cha. Then he morneth in hys herte be cause he is in such bondage that he can not do the will of God and is an hongred and a thrust after rightuousnes For rightuousnes I meane which springeth out of Christes bloud for strength to do the wil of God And turneth hym selfe to the promyses of God and desyreth hym for hys greate mercye and trueth and for the bloude of his sonne Christe to fulfil his promyses and to geue hym strength And thus hys spirite euer prayeth within hym He fasteth also not one day for a weke or a lente for and whole yeare but professeth in his herte a perpetuall sobreâ—es to tame the fleshe to subdue y e body to the spirite vntyll he wax stronÌ„ge in the spirite and growe rype in to a full ryghtuousnes after the fulnes of Christe And because this fulnes happeneth not tyl the body be slayne by death a ChristeÌ„ is euer a synner in the lawe and therfore fasteth and prayeth to God in the spirite the world seing it not Yet in y e promises he is euer rightuous thorowe fayth in Christe and is sure that he is heyre of all goddes promyses the spirite whiche he hath receyued in exnest beringe hym witnes hys herte also and his deades testifiinge the same Marke this then To se in wardlye that the lawe of God is so spirituall that no fleshe can fulfyll it And then for to morne and sorowe and to desyre yee to honger thurst aftir strength to do the will of God from the grouÌ„de of the herte and not wythstandyng all the soutelty of the deuils weknes and feblenes of the fleshe and wondringe of the worlde to cleue yet to y e promises of god and to beleue y t for Christes bloude sake thou art receyued to the enherytaunce of eternall lyfe is a wonderfull thinge and a thinge that the world knoweth not of but who so euer fealeth that thought he fall a thousande tymes and is sure that the mercye of God is vpon hym If ye forgeue other men theyr trespasses your heauenlye father shall forgeue you yours Math. in the. vi Chapt. If I forgeue God shall forgeue me not for my dedes sake but for his promises sake for his mercie and truth for the bloude of his sonne Christe oure Lorde And my forgeuing certifieth my spirite that God shall forgeue me ye that he hath forgeuen me all redye For if I consent to the wyll of God in my herte thought thorowe infirmitie and wekeanes I can not do the wil of god at al tymes more ouer though I can not do the will of God so purelye as the lawe requireth it of me yet if I se my faute and mekely knowledge mâ— sinne weâ—inge in mine herte because I can not do the wil of God thruste after streÌ„gth I am sure that the spirit of God is in me and his fauoure vpon me For the world lusteth not to do the wil of God neither soroweth because he can not thoughe he sorowe some time for feare of the payne that he beleueth shall folowe He that hath the spirit of this worlde can not forgeue wyth out a mendes makinge or agreater vauÌ„tage If I forgeue now how cometh it verily because I feale the mer cye of God in me For as a man fealeth God to hym selfe so is he to hys neyghboure I knowe by myne one experience that all fleshe is in bondage vnder sinne and can not but sinne therfore am I mer cyfull and desyre God to loose the boÌ„des of synne euen in myne enimye GAther not treasure to gether in earth cet Math. vi But gather you treasure in heauen cet Let not your herts be glued to world ly thynges studie not to heape treasure vpon treasure and riches vpoÌ„ riches but studie to bestowe well that whiche is goten all ready and let your abundauÌ„ce suc core the lacke and neade of y e pore which haue not â–ª Haue an eye to good workes whiche if ye haue luste and also powre to do them then are ye sure that the spirite of God is in you â–ª and ye in Christ electe to the rewarde of eternal lyfe whiche foloweth good workes But loke that thine eye be syngle and robbe not Christe of his honoure ascribe not that to the deseruinge of thy workes whiche is geuen the frely by the merites of his bloude In Christe we are sonnes In Christ we are heires In Christ God chose vs and elected vs before the beginynge of the worlde created anew by the worde of the Gospell and put his spirit in vs for because wee shoulde dooe good workes A Christen man worketh
wee knowledge our synnes he is faithfull and rightuous to forgeue vs our synnes Now if we be all synners none fulfyleth the lawe For he that fulfileth the lawe is no sinner In the lawe maye nother Peter nor Paul ner any other creature saue Christ only reioise In the bloude of Christ which fulfilled the lawe for vs maye euery parsone that repenteth beleueth loueth the lawe and morneth for strengh to fulfyll it reioyse be he neuer so weake a sinner The two pence therfore and the credens that he left behind him to bestowe more if neade were signifith that he was euery where mercyfull both present and absent with out fayninge cloking complayninge or excusinge and forsoke not his neyboure as loÌ„ge as he had neade Which exemple I praye God men maye folowe and let opera superrogationis a lone MAry hath chosen a good parte whiche shall not be taken from her Lucc x. She was fyrst chosen of God and called by grace both to knowe hir sinne also to heare the worde of fayth health gladtidiges of mercy in Christe and faith was gyuen hyr to beleue and the spirite of God losed hyr hert from the boundage of sinne Then consented she to the will of God agayne and agayne and a boue all thinges had delectacioÌ„ to heare that worde wherin she had obtayned euerlastinge health and namly of his mouth whiche hade purchased so grate mercy for hyr God choseth vs first and loued vs fyrst and optneth our eyes to se his exceadinge abundaunt loue to vs in Christ and theÌ„ loue we againe and accepte hys wyll aboue all thynges and serue him that office where vnto he hath chosen vs. Selle that ye haue and giue almes And make you bagges whyche wax not old and treasure which faileth not in heaueÌ„ Lu. xii This and souch lyke are not spoken that we shoulde worke as hyrelinges in respecte of reward and as though we should obtayne heauen with merite For he saith a litle afore feare not litel flocke for it is youre fathers pleasure to geue you a kingdome The kingdome cometh then of the good will of Almyghty God thorowe Christ. And souche thinges are spoken partlye to put vs in remenbrauÌ„ce of our dutye to be kinde agayne As is that sainge let your light so shine before men that they se your good workes and gloryefye your father which is in heaueÌ„ As who shoulde saye if God haue geuen you so greate gyftes bee not vnthankefull but bestowe them vnto hys prayse Some thinges are spoken to moue vs to put our trust in God as are thes Beholde the bryddes of the ayre If youre childerne aske you bred will ye profer theÌ„ a stoon and many souch lyke Some are spoken to put vs in remembraunce to be sober to whatche and praye and to prepare our selfes against temptacions and that we shoulde vnderstande and know howe that tentacions and occasion of euil come then most when they are lest loked for lest we shoulde be carelesse and sure of oure selues necligent and vnprepared Some thinges ar spoken that we shoulde feare the wonderfull and incoÌ„pre heÌ„â—ible iudgmeÌ„tes of God lest we should presume Some to confort vs y t we despayre not And for lyke causes are all the ensamples of the olde testament â–ª In conclusioÌ„ y e scripture speaketh mani thinges as the worlde speaketh But they maye not be worldly vnderstande but goostlye and spirituallie yea the spirite of God only vnderstandeth them and where he is not ther is not the vnderstandinge of the scripture But vnfrutefull disputynge and braulinge about wordes The scripture saith God seeth God heareth God smelleth God walketh God is with theÌ„ God is not with them God is angrie God is pleased God sendeth his spirite God taketh his spirite a way and a thousande suche like And yet is none of them true after the wordly ma ner and as y e words sowne Rede the secound Chapter of Paul to the Corinthi ans the naturall man vnderstandeth not the thinges of God but y e spirite of god only and we saieth he haue receyued the spirite which is of God to vnderstande the thinges which are geuen vs of God For without the spirite it is inpossible to vnderstande them Rede also the. viii to the Romains They that are led with the spirite of God are the soÌ„nes of God Now the soÌ„ne knoweth his fathers wilâ— and the seruant not He that hath not the spirite of Christ saieth Paul is none of his Likewise he that hath not the spirite of God is none of Gods for it is bothe one spirite as thou mayste se the same place Now he that is of God hereth the worde of God Io. viii who is of God but he that hath the spirite of God For ther more saieth he ye here it not because ye are not of God that is ye haue no lust in the worde of God for ye vnderstaÌ„de it not and that because his spirite is not in you For as muche then as the scripture is no thinge els but that whiche the spirite of God hath spoken by the Prophetes and Apostls and can not be vnderstande but of the same spirite Let euery man praye to God to send him his spirit to loose vs from oure naturall blindnes and ignoraunce and to geue vs vnderstaÌ„ ding and fealinge of the thinges of God and of y e speakinge of y e spirite of God And marke this processe First we are daÌ„ned of nature so conceyued and borne as a serpeÌ„t is a serpeÌ„t and a tode a tode a snake a snake bi nature And as thou seest a yonge chylde which hath pleasure in mani thinges wherin is present death as in fire water and so forth wolde sleâ— hym selfe with a thowsande deathes if he were not wayted opon and kept therfroe Euen so we if we shoulde lyue this thousand yeares coulde in all that tyme delite in no other thinge nor yet seke any other thinge but that where in is death of the soule Secundarily of the hole multitude of the nature of man whom God hath electe and chosen and to whom he hath apointed mercy and grace in Christe to them sendeth he his spirit whiche openeth their eies showeth theÌ„ theyr meserye and bringeth them vnto the knoledge of theÌ„ selues so that they hate and abhorre theÌ„ selues are astonyed and amased and at ther wittes endes nether wote what to do or where to seke health Then leâ—t they shoulde â—â—ie from God by despetacion he conforteth them agayne with his swete promises in Christe and certifieth ther hertes that for Christes sake they are receyued to mercye theyr sinnes for geuen and they electe and made y e sonnes of God and heyres with Christe of eternal lyfe and thys thorowe fayth are they set at peace with God Now maye not we are why God choseth one and not another other thynke that God is vniust to daÌ„me vs afore we do any actuall deade