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
such a sort that Gods glory was shed from them into Gods people as from a most plentifull storehouse For so doth that worde of God by taking fleshe vpon him not onely shrewd vs from the curse of the law but also sheeld vs defend vs from it and giueth vs most certeine assurance of Gods louing kyndnes if we put our trust in his blud For he is succeeded as our souerein king and euerlasting preest in sted of Moyses and Aaron But shew me wherfore God did cast so great good will to mankind P. Doubtlesse euen for this cause that hee had determined to shew his ryghtuousnesse more bryght than the daylight to mortall men in tyme too come both in forgyuing all mens offences which almightie God hath of his owne incredible mercifulnesse eyther discountenanced or borne wyth vnto this day and also in pardoning wyping away of their sinnes which are still yet alyue or shall heereafter draw this common breth that therby it may appeare openly to all men that God is ryghtuous not onelye bycause hee himselfe is indewed with rightuousnes but also bycause he sheadeth oute his ryghtuousnesse into the minds of them that put and settle their whole trust in his Christ R. I beleeue it to be verely so Therefore it behoueth that so great a benefite to be borne alwaies in remembrance of those too whome Gods goodnesse hath graunted to inioy Christ as their prophet to teache them the wyll of the heauenly father as their high preest which hath with his owne bloud sealed vp the couenant made betweene the father and vs and as their moost mighty King to sit in our mynds and to gouerne vs by his spirit P. You see then what are the causes of mans saluation Now therefore if a man shoulde aske a Iew whether he thought that there were any thing left him wherein he eyther could or should glorie what myght he answere Nay rather if it please you answere you for him and vtter what you thinke R. Nothing so God help me I se nothing why he should be loftyminded or boast himself or his prerogatiue For all cause of boasting is shut out P. Againe if I shoulde aske him whether the Israelites haue any such vauntage by the law it selfe the rule of good deedes that they shoulde thinke themselues better than all other nations or whether the glittering woorkes of the Iewes can haue so great force as iustly to set them in such a iollitie I pray you what would he say to it R. I beleeue he woulde be more dum than a fishe as the prouerbe sayth For how can any doinges of men eyther he or seeme to be so muche worthie before God P. Therefore it is meete that all mankinde should be ridde of all selfe weening pryde stubbornesse and boasting by the doctrine of fayth and be driuen of necssitie to yeeld the whole glory of all things vnto God alone R. Doubtlesse I thinke that to be out of all controuersie P. Therefore it is too be beleeued than the whiche nothinge can be sayde or deuised more holie or true that menne are counted and made ryghtuous and adopted of the heauenly father into the number of his children by fayth without the woorks of the law or without desertes that spring of mens deeds R. If the way to ryghtuousnesse too saluation and to euerlasting lyfe be opened vnto men by fayth and not by the law there is no cause why the Iewes should repyne at the Gentyles or enuy them P. None at all For which of them is so blockishe or ignorant of things belonging to God as to imagin in his mind that God is the God of the Iewes onely and not of all other nations also Out of doubt god is the god of al people and nations and will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowing of him 1. Ti. 2.4 R. Then doth it follow that there is no odds betweene circumcision and vncircūcision as in respect of saluation P. Surely they be both in one cace or both alyke bycause that for asmuch as God is but one and the onely creator of all men alyke he doth also kepe one selfe same maner of sauyng mankynde For he iustifieth the circumcised by fayth and accepteth the vncircumcised for rightuous by fayth taketh them for his owne R. But heere is a doubt greeueth me that you seeme to pull downe vtterly the law and the dignitie thereof by the doctrine of fayth P. It is nothing so For we be so far of from purposing to ouerthrow the law by fayth that we indeuer to strengthen vphold and stablish it most of all thereby which thing I will shew moost euidently in conuenient place For seeing that Christ is the ende the performing and the vtmost poynt of the law and that the law is as a certeine scholing and trayning of men vnto Christ as the which yeeldeth not wherewith to fulfill Gods commaundements but only sheweth the necessitie of fulfilling them I beseech you how greatly is the law beautified and aduanced by fayth when by the doctrine of faith we shew the way to performe the lawe by the spirit of Christ R. Syr Cha. 4.1 you haue spoken ynough of the law more truely in myne opynion than men will well lyke of But we will say more of this heereafter You knowe of how greate authoritie Abraham was alwayes among the Israelites for his good workes sakes And yet notwithstanding all that dignitie shall seeme to fall to the ground if he obteined no rightuousnesse and innocencie by his owne procurement Or else poynt you me oute some fruite of those good workes wherwith he was adorned P. I graunt that Abraham had gotten no small glorie and commendacion of ryghtuousnesse to himselfe by hys good Godly and well ordered doinges if he had become ryghtuous by his woorkes But yet then shoulde this prayse haue rested eyther in him selfe or haue taken place alonely amonge men but not at all before God R. I pray you shew by what meanes that came to passe P. Truely the holie scriptures shew it inough and more than inough Ge. 15.9 Gal. 3.6 Ja. 2.23 For thus is it written Abraham beleeued God and that true fayth of hys vvas reckened to hym for ryghtuousnesse R. I acknowledge the recorde of the old testament and imbrace it with both my handes But whereto tendeth it P. You shal heare Consider the state and circumstance of that tyme. For as yet the lawe was not whiche was afterwarde gyuen by Moyses in somuche that what soeuer Abraham dyd at that tyme he ought not to father it vppon the law written Therfore he could not glorie of the performyng of the lawe And for that cause God by that saying of hys affirmeth that Abraham was iustified at his hand by fayth R. Thinke you the whole matter to be dispatched with this one argument P. No But you shall vnderstande the whole cace the better if we compare the wages wyth the gyfte For
vpper hande and that not by oure ovvne wit nor vppon truste of oure ovvne strength nor puffed vp vvith opinion of our ovvne vertue or deseruings but through him vvho of his ovvne meere goodnesse grace and fauour hath loued vs in his Christ R. These proofes of true faith do so moue my mynde that henceforth I wyll not set a strawe by the threatninges and scaringes of oure Emperours or too speake more ryghtly of oure tyrantes as whose power may shewe crueltie to the body but not plucke the mynde from fayth and the loue of God P. Novv to make an ende of thys treatise of iustification I am fully persvvaded that vve whiche are borne a nevv and greffed into Christe are neuer ouercome nother by death nor by lyfe nor by anye other thing that can happen to vs alyue or deade yea I am fully perswaded that nother Angels nor Principates nor potestates nor things present nor things to come nor highnes nor lowdnesse nor any other of all the things that are in nature is able to plucke vs from the loue of God whiche is in Christ Iesus our Lord and muche lesse that any tormentes of tyrantes be they neuer so cruell can dryue vs avvaye from the professing of Christ R. By thys youre discourse Paule I perceiue well not onely the loue that God beareth vs but also the constancie stedfastnesse and stablenesse thereof in somuch that I am sure it cannot by any meanes be brought too passe that God shoulde not loue vs in Christ Iesus as his members or that we shoulde not alwayes loue him againe How be it as I perceiue by the order which you haue set downe you haue hytherto treated of Christen ryghtuousnesse and you haue shewed playnely that nother the Gentyles can becomme cleere by keepinge of the lawe of nature nor the Iewes by the workes of the law written bycause none of both them performeth the cōmaundements of Gods will to the full which require to be kept to the vttermost tittle And therfore there is offered vs a most present remedy by the preaching of the Gospel namely that we may becomme rightuous by beleeuing in Christ being indued with his spirit giue our selues wholly to the dueties of obedience so as at length we may attaine euerlasting happines with Christ the head of all the faithfull But now remayneth the greatest hardenesse of this Epistle For if men be iustified by fayth and Christ belong but onely to the beleuers vndoubtedly then is the seed of Abraham cast of For as you your self see very few of Abrahams seed receiue Christs doctrine Wherupō it cōmeth to passe that some saye flatly that this Iesus of Nazareth is not the true Messias that was promised to the people of Israell and othersome affirme that he is the true Messias but that God abydeth not by his promises but reiecteth it at his pleasure Now for asmuch as none of both these thinges as I thinke is true I would fayne vnderstande the doubts of this treatise which you intitled of election or of the calling of the Gentyles P. As for the casting of or to speake more ryghtly the vnbeleefe of myne owne countreymen Cha. 9. I cannot speake of it vvithout greefe of mind For I say the truth in Christ vvithout lying and my conscience beareth me witnesse of it by the holy ghost Act. 9.1 1. Co. 15.7 that I am stricken vvith great greefe and continuall sorrovv of mynde to remember and beholde the blindnes and destruction of the Iewes For I coulde fynde in my harte to be a straunger vnto Christ for my brethrens sake vvhich are my kinsfolke as in respect of humane nature So gret so earnest and so vnfained loue doo I beare them For the Israelites come of Gods sholed and chosen people Ro. 2.18 Epi. 2. 12. to whom belong the adoption and couenaunts to whom the lavv seruice of God were giuen to vvhom the promises vvere giuen and finally of whose fathers Christ came as concerning his manhod For in that he is the coeternall and coessentiall sonne of God he is God to be praysed aboue all things for euer Amen He is the true Messias the verie Sauiour the very mediator betwene God and man euē in spyte of the powers of hell Therfore there is no cause why anye man should call it in question whether Iesus of Nazareth be the very same Messias that was promised to the children of Israell And wheras you say there are others that blame God of vnconstancy surely I am sory for it For that errour springeth of the not knowing of Gods determination vvhereby he did once decree in his ovvne mynde that none should be saued but the beleuers And wheras the Iewes surmise the saide promise to belong only to themselues they vtterly mistake their marke as they say Nother can their vnbeleefe blame god of vnconstancy Ro. 2. 16. as though hys woord had falne to the grounde For not all they which are borne of Israel by fleshly descent are true and chosen Israelites nother follovveth it that by cause they be Abrahams ofspring therefore they are all Abrahams true and natural children that is to say faithfull descended of the father of the faithfull But of Isaac sayth God to Abraham shall thy ofspring take their name Ge. 21.12 He. 11.25 whiche is all one as if he should say they shall not be called Abrahams children which shall come of thee by Ismael thy fleshly son But the children whiche are thine in deede and whiche shall be called the children of God are they that shall cōuey their pedegree from Isaac the son of the spirit rather than of the flesh To conclude at a vvoorde they be not the true Israetites vvhich are the children of Abrahams body Gal. 4.28 but they that are his childrē by promise are counted the children of Abraham and of God R. Truly this your saying of gods promise semeth new straūge to the Iewes P. Vndoubtedly their owne blyndnesse is the cause of this errour and not my true interpreting of thē which they diffame with nouelty for the prophesies sermōs of the prophets do cōtinually teach inforce this decre of the euerlasting god But least my coūtrimen may cōplaine of my sayings let vs loke narrowlyer vppon Gods sayinges The vvords of the promises are these Ge. 17.10 I wyll visit thee at this tyme sayth God vnto Abraham and Sara shall by my fauour haue a sonne notwithstanding that she be barren and both of you be stryken in yeares Therefore ye see that vnder this figure of Isaac Ismaell God did shadow and shevv aloofe his free chosing of all beleeuers whether they were Iewes or Gentyles that by that meanes he might make it knowen that he is the God of all men both Ievves and Gentyles Joh. 1.12 Joh. 3.15 and that he gathereth his chosen indifferently out of both peoples not by fleshly generation but by beleeefe of the promise and by acceptation R.
destruction and casting away of such sort in deed are the vnbeleuers and the wilful stubborne Iewes that he might punishe them the sorer afterwarde and so make his power and rigour famous renomed is he to be blamed for it Againe what if that he moreouer to shew the gretnes of his glory in the vessels of mercy prepared theÌ„ to glory Is it therfore to be ascribed to mens deseruings R. He that thinkes of anye deseruing is starke madd But see agayne what the Isralites obiecte If God say they doe punnishe the falscharted disobediente and stifnecked Iewes hee may doe as he sees cause but yet should he not for those wicked mennes sakes dispossesse the people of Israel of their prerogatiue and dignitie which is nowe conueyed to the vncircumcised which as they surmise are oute of Gods couenaunt and cast awaies To conclude in few woords the Iewes accuse not God of vniustice for punishing the Israelites offences but they blame him of vnconstancie for gathering a new people to him by the preaching of the Gospell P. No maruell though he do so For god the maker of all men had so determined from euerlasting For whom he had chosen in his diuine minde them did he aftervvard call from heauen not onely of the Ievves but also of the Gentiles R. But this seemeth straunge and vnwonted to the Israelites and they crye out with full mouth that this is a new found and forged doctrine and vtterly vnknowen of old Prophets P. O gentle interpreters of the Prophets Ose 2.23 1. Pe 2.10 Remember they not vvhat the Lord promised by Osee I vvill call a people mine saith he vvhich are not my people a nation beloued which is not beloued and vvhere it was sayde you are not my people there they shall be called the childreÌ„ of the liuing god R. I see a very euident recorde of the casting of the Gentiles P. Heere also on the contrary side what Esay cryeth against the Israelites that vvere to be cast off Although the number of the children of Israell sayth hee be as the sande of the sea Esa 10.22 yet shall but a remnant be saued For the Lorde shall doo the thing rigorouslye and at once and that vvith ryghtuousnesse I say he shall doo a rigorous thing vppon earth R. The Prophet theÌ„ foretelleth that it was done as sone as said and that it is iustly done that so few of them shal be saued Therfore the matter as it should seeme is vnpossible to be called backe bicause it is iustly decreed P. Heere further what the same Esay sayd in his first sermon concerning the casting off of the Iewes Esa 1.9 If the Lorde of hostes sayth he had not lefte vs some seed vve had bin lyke to Sodom and Gomor we had all perished for our falshartednesse and stubbornesse For you must vnderstand it is the singular benefite of the euerlasting God that I and a few others doo beleeue the Gospell of God For our wicked deeds deserued euerlasting damnation R. I am ryght well assured of that nother thinke I that Gods mercy shyneth forth lesse manifestly in the calling of you than in the calling of vs. But I pray you what shall we say to this that so many Gentiles imbrace the Messias that was borne of the Iewes and promised to the Iewes and that so few of the Iewes beleeue in him Seeing that the election and calling of them both commeth of Gods grace whereof commeth so great difference that so few of the one sort and so innumerable of the other sort receiue Christ P. My iudgement is this that the Gentiles which followed not the righteousnesse of workes or of mens deseruings ouertooke righteousnes I meane the righteousnesse that springeth of faith contrarywise that the Israelits which followed the righteousnes of the lawe attayned not to the righteousnes of the lawe R. What is the cause P. As I suppose it is for that the Israelites seke not to be iustified by faith but by the deedes of the lavv reposing the whole state of their hope in their ovvne works And therfore they dashe agaynst the stumbling stone whiche thing the prophet Esay forshewed shuld come to passe Esa 8.14 18.16 wheÌ„ he bespake the children of Israell in these words Beholde I will lay in Sion a stone to stumble at and a rocke to dashe agaynst and whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed nor beguiled R. Truly the falling out proueth the Prophetes foresaying For Christe is a stumbling stone to the vnbeleeuers and disobedient But to suche as sticke to him by fayth he is the sure foundation of singular quietnesse peace and happines But to tell you the truthe Paule you are very ill reported of among your own countreymen for this doctrine For they thinke you speake it of spite or that you seeke your owne glory in the Churches of the Gentiles by their vnbeleefe P. Cha. 10.1 My dere brother I pray you giue no credite to their words For I assure you that I haue an earnest good wil tovvards them And in my prayers which I povvre out vnto God I make suite for the saluation of the Israelites and vvishe it with all my hart and cease not to be earnest with God for it rather pitying them than spyting them For I am vvont to witnesse thus muche of them that their striuing against Christ agaynst grace and agaynst the Gospell is done of a zeale to godwarde hovvebeit vnskilfully and not vpon knowledge R. I thought as muche my selfe but herken Some seeme to them selues to be ledde with a certayne desire of Gods honour and think that he thrusteth them forwarde to withstande the iustification of â—ayth But if a man could creepe into the bowels of their hartes perchaunce he shuld see that they referre not al their intents and indeuers vnto god Neuerthelesse I would be lothe to condemne any body but yet dare I say thus much that they haue no pretence of excuse before God though they sinne through ignoraunce P. I will shew you the welspring of al the mischeefe These men knowing not what righteousnes god requireth of vs indeuering to settle stablish their owne righteousnes by the deedes of the lawe vvithout faith will not submitte themselues to the righteousnes of god But you know welinough that the obeying of gods lawe without the foundation of fayth is rather a visor of righteousnes than a righteousnes that pleaseth god Nowe the very marke that faythe ameth at is the coeternall and coessentiall sonne of God becomme fleshe the true Messias and aduocate of Mankynde And the ende or vttermoste restynge poynte of the Law is the same Christe Gal. 3.24 to make them righteous and cleare vvhich trust in him Thus ye see hovv great differeÌ„ce there is betweene the righteousnes of the lavv and the righteousnes of fayth which difference my countreymen confounde and mingle togither For Moises treating of the righteousnes that commeth by the
while in the meane time our own cōscience wauereth for the thing that is done against a mans owne cōscience cānot be dō without sin Therfore whē thou seest other men vse the libertye of the gospell cōsult with thine own faith before thou folow their exāple deale not with any thing which thou knowest not by the allowāce of thine own cōscience by the record of the holy Ghost to be throughly acceptable to God R. Now I see plainly how great daūger there is in setting out of christen liberty to the shew Chap. 15. when the foūdaciō of faith the feare of God is not layd afore frō whēce the seking of brotherly loue proceedeth But to say the truth Paule your coūtrymen do ouermuch hinder the course of the gospell in our church by holding fast the ordināces of the law and we thinke that suche weakelinges are not to be borne with all Heereupon spring braulinges stryfe and contentions among vs. P. But I thinke the contrary For we that are the stronger and stedfaster sort and are indued with a mightier faith must beare the infirmities of the weker sort charitably cary thē as you would say vppon our shoulders And we must not plese our selues but euery of vs must please other and serue his turne in all goodnesse and hs is bounde by the duetye of charitye to study for his edifying and instruction Whiche thing maye be gathered euen cheefly by Christes example who suffered all things to the intent to bring vnto his father not only the weaklings but also euen his cruellest enemies by ouercomming them with patience Therfore this mediator betwene God and man cockered not himself ne cared to please himselfe onlye but tooke vppon him all slaunder reproch Psa 69. and finally torment and infamie according to this saying which the Kingly prophet hath writtē of him the reuilings of them that reuyled thee are lyght vpon me R. Yea Thinke you that that saying of Dauids is a prophesie of the messias and that the Prophet incorageth vs too patience by his example P. Yea verely For whatsoeuer things are written in the books of our forefathers are written to oure learning that we myght haue hope through patience and comfort of the scriptures For in asmuch as they be the wordes of the holy Ghost we muste beleeue that they be not vnprofitable or vaine but that they make for our instruction R. It is straunge the we should alwaies be occupied in reading the holy scriptures and yet profite so little in these vertues For how many do know at this day that Gods giuing of strength to the stoute is not to the intent they should condemne the weake but to the intent they shuld help them Or who is he also which taketh so abundant comforte by reading the holy scriptures that he fainteth not in aduersity P. These vertues my brother depend not vpon the letters but vpon the spirit of gods word which lies hid in the letters vvhich if you haue not you shall euer stick stil in the bark of the letter And I pray god the author of patience cōfort to teach you by his spirit to graunt you to be al of one mind one towards another after the exāple of Iesus christ as his doctrine exāple require that you may by that meanes with one accorde one mouth glorifie god euē the father of our Lord Iesus christ Whose gentlenes I beseech you to follow in bearing one vvith another and to releeue the weake brethren like as Christ releeued vs bare with vs only to the end to glorifie his father and our glorious god I knowe you haue very many of my countrey men among you which are stil feble weak in the faith but you must haue a care of them after the example of Christ you must set before your eyes the footsteps of that heauenly master who notwithstanding that the Jewes were neuer so vnworthy did yet voutsafe thē such honor for the couenāts sake that was made vnto their fathers that he bare the roome euen of a seruant among them with incredible patiēce Now if the son of god estemed men so much then godlines requireth not only that you should not reiect thē or hold scorne of them but also that yee should be so kindled vvith the spirite of charitie as to receyue them to teache them and to further them more and more to the knovvledge of the libertie of the Gospell by your discrete dealyng For I am vvont too teache that Jesus Christ vvas a minister amonge the Circumcised too keepe the fathers credite in the things vvhiche he hadde promised to their forefathers Therefore Chryste perfourmed all thinges for Gods truthes sake and for the confirmation of his promises R. These things are true in dede howbeit their vnthankfulnes agaynst Gods so great goodnes is the cause that God hath shaken them off and taken vs to be his people P. In deede their sinnes are the cause of their shaking off but the receyuing of you dependeth vpon the incomprehensible goodnes of our most mercifull God And therfore you Romans must not become high minded but rather glorifie God for his mercy bestowed vpon you as you be taught in the holy Scriptures For ye see what the kingly Prophet hath said Ps 18.50 1. reg 21. Deu. 32. Ps 117.1 Therfore will I confesse thee among the Gentiles and sing vnto thy name And agayne he sayth Reioyce ye Gentiles with his people And agayne All nations prayse yee the Lord and all people prayse ye him together Also the prophet Esay confirming Gods eternall ordinance of the calling of the Gentiles saith thus Es 11.10 There shall be a roote of lesse and he whiche shall rise vp to reigne ouer the gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust Heerby you maye gather that your calling to the participation of the kingdome of heauen is not by reason of the sinnes of the Iewes and much lesse for your own deserts but bicause god of his goodnes wold haue it so Therfore like as he hath shewed his mercy towards vs so also on the other side it behoueth vs to be mercifull to others R. Would God that this lesson might take deepe roote among vs all P. And I also beseech god the author of hope and in whom the trust of all mē ought to be reposed to fill you with al spirituall ioy quietnesse of mind and peace of conscience in true fayth that by beleeuing you may abound in hope through the power of the holy ghost For there is none other way for men to attayne to these ornaments of christian godlines but by the meere benefite of god by the power of his spirite and by the working of fayth R. To the intent wee maye nowe at length make an ende of this our talke I can not maruell inough at this your so free maner of dealing with vs. For you are not ignoraunt how great the dignity and excellencie
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