theim whō he hath so called he hath iustified and whom soeuer he hath iustified he will glorifie eternally Roma viij And in this iustification whereby God receiueth vs into his fauour and pardonyng our sinnes imputeth rightousnes vnto vs there is no degrees for whē he doeth iustifie vs he maketh vs his children and so his children that wee are his heires and heires by adoption annexed with Christe his onely begotten soonne by nature Roma viij Wherefore althoughe faithe and good woorkes the one beyng the instrument to receiue the other beyng the fruites to shewe our iustificatiō maie ought to increase daiely in vs that are iustified Yet our iustification before GOD is not thereby increased who imputeth righteousnesse vnto vs for Christes sake alone and not for our owne worthines Wherby it is euidente how vnlike youre thirde kinde of iustification is to the iustification of God who iustifieth not the righteous but the vngodlie manne that beleueth in hym And as for the testimonie that you alledge out of the Apocalipse although it maie haue a true meanyng that he which is iuste maie bee made more iuste and he that is holie maie bee made more holie whiche is of the increase of vertues and not of iustification yet the beste interpretation accordyng to the Greke phrase is rather of continuance then increase and so it is beste translated he that is righteous lette hym be righteous still and he that is holie let hym be holie still Wherfore you se vpō how weake a foundation youre thirde kinde of iustification dooeth leane namely vpon a corrupte translation But admitte it bee so as you dooe take it there is greate difference betwene a iuste manne and a manne iustified For a iuste manne is he that is indued with the vertue of iustice whiche maie increase or diminishe in hym But a iustified manne is he whose synnes are forgiuen hym and he accoumpted rightous not for his owne worthinesse but for Christes sake therefore although the vertue of iustice which is a qualitie in hym may increase yet because in Goddes sight there is no respecte of his worthines his iustification can not increase therby For what can he be more then the soonne of GOD and inheritour with Christ of the kyngdome of heauen If you saie he maie haue greater reward that hath greater vertues I will not contende againste you so that this bee remēbred that his vertues are rewarded not as his merites but as Gods giftes for his promise sake So that a iuste or righteous man is he that exerciseth hymself in the kepyng of Goddes commaundementes so neare as God shall giue hym grace and the infirmitie of mannes corrupt nature will admitte But a iustified manne is he that hauyng no iustice or righteousnesse in hym before is accepted of God for iust his iniquities being pardoned and his sinnes couered And for them that be simple an example will make the matter plaine There are twoo menne standyng before a prince the one that hath not transgressed the princes lawes whiche maie be called a iuste manne The other that hath greuously offended and is pardoned of the prince whiche maie well bee termed a iustified manne But this difference there is to be noted in this example that before God none can bee iuste or righteous but he that is firste iustified neither can any manne be so iuste but that he offendeth in many thynges and hath neede of greate mercie Thus it is cleare how impertinētly the increase of faithe and good woorkes with tertes of Scripture belongyng thereto are of you drawne to iustification before god Wherefore by our affirmation that onely faithe iustifieth we neither denie the exercise and commoditie of christes Sacramentes nor yet the studie and practise of all good woorkes commaunded of God but rather established them when we teache that the Sacramentes are seales and confirmation of this faithe and good workes are the fruites of the same firste to the glorie of God secondly for the example af others and thirdly for assuraunce of our election to vs warde and increase of our rewarde before god And as for that whiche you alledge out of saincte Augustine whiche of all other writers is moste cleare of our iudgemente for election iustification and sainctification maketh nothyng in the worlde againste vs. For wee dooe not teache as I haue often saied that a bare faithe alone whiche is voide of good woorkes is sufficiente for our saluation but that a true liuely and fruitefull faithe onely dooeth iustifie vs before God that GOD maie haue all the glory of our saluation in Christ And that sanctification or good woorkes of necessitie must followe a iustified man whereby God maie bee glorified his neighbour profited and himself rewarded not of merite due to his woorkes but of mercie accordyng to Goddes promise And that whiche sainct Iames speaketh of faieth that it dooeth not iustifie alone he meaneth as he himselfe expoundeth of a deade faithe whiche is voide of good woorkes of an historicall faith that there is one god c. whiche the diuell beleueth not of a liuely faithe whiche worketh by charitie nor of a iustifiyng faithe whiche embraceth the mercie of God set forthe in his promises So that this saiyng of sainct Iames a man is not iustified by faithe onlie is all one with this a deade faith or an historicall faieth doth not iustifie whiche we doe alwaies affirme And whereas he speaketh of iustification by woorkes hee meaneth of argumentes proues and certeine signes to the worlde of iustification before God as it is manifest by his examples For Abraham was iustified before God by faith without respect of his workes as sainct Paule doth testifie when he beleued the promise and that the scripture saied his faithe was imputed to hym for rightousnes whiche was long before he offered his soonne Isaake but this his obedience was a triall and manifest testimonie of his iustification by faithe to all the worlde whereuppon as saincte Iames concludeth it was euident to al men how this scripture was fulfilled Abraham beleued God and it was imputed to hym for righteousnes Likewise the harlot Rahab as witnesseth the Apostle to the Hebrues the. 11. was iustified by faith when she beleued the worde of God concernyng the destruction of her Countrie and all them that did not ioigne theimselues to the people of god but she shewed the fruict of this faith when she enterteined and dismissed the spies that came to her house So that by this distinction of faithe and iustification sainct Iames agréeth with S. Paule whiche without it can neuer by reconciled For that confusion of faithe and workes which the papistes make to concurre in iustification can neuer make theim agree for sainct Paule doth flattly exclude workes from that office Wee determine saieth he that a man is iustified by faithe without the workes of the lawe Rom. 3. But this is the iudgement of both the Apostles that a liuely faithe alone doth iustifie The one
nothyng to dooe with a Sacrifice by those woordes it is easie to proue that you can offer vp no Sacrifice in the celebration of the Sacramente For by this woorde of Christe dooe this you can dooe no more but that whiche Christe then did But Christe did then offer no Sacrifice of his bodie therefore you can offer no Sacrifice of his bodie That Christe did then offer no Sacrifice of his bodie is manifeste by the Apostle to the Hebrues whiche often tymes testifieth that he offered hym self but ones whiche was on the Crosse Chapit vij ix x. therefore he did not offer hym self on the table at his supper as you moste falsely surmise The Papiste Fifte it dooeth denie the Sacramentes of christes churche The aunswere Wee receiue the Sacramente of Baptisme and of the Lordes Supper which onely wee finde in the scripture the other fiue whiche you call Sacramentes because we finde theim not in the scripture instituted of Christe in the nature of Sacramentes we dooe not receiue theim as Sacramentes Matrimonie Confirmation election of Ecclesiasticall ministers with their aucthoritie as wee finde theim by the woorde of God so wee retaine the pure institution of theim refusyng the corruption and superstition builded vpon them by Antichriste Extreme vnction is an idle Ceremonie and nothyng pertainyng to our tyme as I haue declared before for that cause is iustely abrogated The Papiste Sixte it doth denie the real presence of christes bodie and blood in the holy Eucharist The aunswere Wée dooe not denie the reall presence of Christes bodie to the faithe of him that receiueth worthely But the carnall and grosse immagination of transubstanciation whiche is contrary to the scriptures whiche teacheth that the bodie of christe is like vnto our bodies in all thynges synne excepted and therefore can not bee in diuerse places at one tyme and is also contrary to the doctrine openly taught in the Churche for seuen or eight hundreth yeres after Christe For Bertramus did write his treatise as some thinke to Carolus Caluus whiche liued eight hundreth yeres after Christe The Papiste Seuenth it dooeth denie that Christes Churche is visible or possible heare to bee knowen The aunswere We denie that the Churche of Christ is visible to the worlde at all tymes because our sauiour Christ prophecieth that the moste parte of the worlde should bee deceiued by false Prophetes Math. xxiiij and S. Paule prophesieth of the generall apostasie that should bee made by Antichriste Sainct Ihon also in the Reuelation sheweth that the Churche should flie into the wildernesse and all the worlde should worshippe Antichriste Apoca. xij and. xiij Wherefore the Churche is not alwaies in sight of the worlde although it bee sometyme deliuered from suche extreme persecution as it is God bee thanked at this tyme. The Papiste Eight it doeth denie the free choise and will of man. The aunswere Wée affirme that Adam by his falle loste the fredome of his will bothe in him self and from his posteritie So that a mā hath nowe no freedome of will so muche as to thinke a good thoughte ij Corin. iij. much lesse to do we any good of our selues Whiche seeyng it is the iuste iudgemente of God vpon Adam and his posteritie for synne we make not God aucthour of euil as prophane dogges doe barke against vs or rather against God but iuste in all his iudgementes and holie in all his waies But of free wille I shall haue occasion to speake more hereafter toward the latter ende of your discourse The Papiste Ninth it dooeth denie our iustification by penance by Baptisme by hope by charitie and good workes The aunswere Wée affirme with saincte Paule that a manne is iustified before God by faithe without the deedes of the lawe Rom. iij. not that deade faithe whiche saincte Iames speaketh of but a liuely and fruictefull faithe that woorketh by loue But of iustification I muste speake more hereafter The Papiste Tenth it dooeth denie the merites of all good workes Gods promises made to the contrarie notwithstandyng The aunswere Wee affirme that all good woorkes shall be rewarded by God for his promise sake but neither for worthines of them nor for the worthines of vs For the worthinesse of theim deserueth nothyng because thei are vnperfecte And our worthinesse in doyng theim dooeth merite nothyng because thei proceade of God and not of vs and secondly because our synnes are many more in noumber then our good deedes And when we haue dooen all that wee are bidden wee are vnprofitable seruauntes Luke the. xvij therefore wee deserue nothyng by theim but that GOD of his infinite mercie vouchsaueth for his promise sake in Christe to accepte them and reward them The Papiste Eleuenth it doeth denie fastyng from any one kinde of meate more then an other or vpon this daie more then an other The aunswere To teache men to abstaine from meates and marriage is the doctrine of Deuilles j. Timo. iiij Otherwise true faste we deny not but affirme and commende as hath been declared ones or twise before The Papiste Twelft it doeth denie tyme and daies of watches and praiers The aunswere We deny the superstitious obseruation of daies and tymes but wee affirme allowe and vse certaine daies and tymes appoicted for praier and godlie exercises By watches if you meane your vigiles of sainctes daies you your selues vse onely the name and not the obseruatiō of those watches Whiche although thei were vsed of olde in the Churche yet for diuers inconueniences thei were lefte of and by decree of the Counsaile Elibertinū abrogated Can. 35. The Papiste Thirtene it doeth denie the obseruation of holy and solemne promises and vowes made vnto God. The aunswere We doe not denie the obseruations of any lawfull promises made vnto GOD that are possible to bee kepte of those that make theim But wee teache menne not to bee rashe in makyng promises before thei bee sure that thei are able to performe them And if thei haue made a rash or vnaduised vowe as to abstaine from Marriage whiche thei are not able to obserue but by committyng fornication and vncleannesse wee counsaile theim to repente of their rashenesse and to retourne to the ordinaunce of GOD whiche is the remeadie of incontinence rather then to leade an abhominable life in filthinesse The Papiste Fowertene it dooeth denie the chaste life apertainyng to the order of Priesthode The aunswere We affirme that chaste life appertaineth to all menne and especially to Ecclesiasticall ministers But we do not compt marriage an vnchaste life as you doe but holie and honourable in all menne and the marriage bedde to be vndefiled Hebr. xiij And seeyng that the holie ghoste by sainct Paule in his Epistles to Timothe and Titus describyng the beste qualities required in Bishoppes and Deacons allowed marriage wee dare not presume to disalowe it or to forbidde any man from it leaste wee should teache the doctrine of Deuilles as you doe The Papiste Fiftene ie doth deny the inuocation and
néedes thruste in so long a tale and the same to dilate with all the circumstaunces whereas you had no leasure to note the places of your Doctours that ye alledge in good earneste But now sir sauyng your tale and to applie it to the purpose If maister Molande as he rehersed some faultes of whiche perhappes his horse was free so he had recited all the faultes that maie be in any horse and denied theim all to bee in his horse might not Clare the Butcher haue boughte a good horse of him by negatiues But maister Molande like a subtile Sophister repeateth a many of his defaultes and suppresseth as many or more and so he begileth poore Clare the Butcher And this Sophistrie of maister Molande is youre Logike throughout all your treatise of a fewe particulars to inferre an vniuersal And this your Iade belike you thoughte to sell vnto some as simple as Clare the Butcher that could no more discerne of your diuinitie then Clare the Butcher could sée of maister Molandes Sophistrie Or els if you mente good faithe as you do pretende I must nedes saie to quitte your tale that if Clare wer not a better Butcher then you shewe your self to be a Logicien or diuine you might bothe procede in one facultie and maister Molande bee your presenter For as he solde his horse by negatiues so you haue proued that all our Religion standeth wholie vppon negatiues that we denie all thinges and affirme nothyng The Papiste Dewe obiections made againste the premisses For wheras ye haue saiede the religion of this newe reformed Churche to stande wholy by negatiues in affirmynge no one thyng more then was before vsed in the Catholike churche of Christe howe vntrue this is who seeth not when the religion of this newe reformed Church doth affirme and hath brought in many thinges as good godly and lawfull whiche before were straightly denied The aunswere It must néedes be a clerkely disputatiō wher you maie be both opponent respōdent your self wher you maie make argumētes for vs and make answere for your self But as he that aunswereth if he gett the victorie ouerthroweth him that opposeth so you taking vpon you to oppose and aunswere your self you can ouerthrowe none other but your owne self But neuer a one of these fiue obiections is holden of vs in maner and forme as it is propounded of you And therfore I would desire you henceforwarde to defende youre owne matters aswell as you can for you shall gette neither money nor thankes to plaie the Proctor for vs. The Papiste Firste it dooeth affirme that it is lawfull and bothe good and godly that Priestes shoulde take wiues and beyng firste made Priestes it is lawfull to marie The aunswere We affirme that it is vnlawfull that any manne should bee bounde to sole life whiche hath not the gifte of continence And that marriage is as honourable in ecclesiasticall ministers as in al other men whether thei were married before thei were called to that office or to whether thei marrie afterwarde Hebre. xiij j. Timoth. iij. and Tite j. The Papiste Seconde it dooeth affirme that Freers Monkes and Nonnes after their vowes made solemnely vnto God of their chaste and cōtinent life that it is lawful for theim to mary together and holde the same to be good and lawfull wedlocke The aunswere Wee affirme that who soeuer hath made a rashe and vnaduised vowe of continence whiche he is not able to keepe ought to repente him of his rashenes and rather to marrie then to burne j. Cor. 7. The Papiste Thirde it doeth affirme that a man beyng deuorced from his wise for fornicatiō may therupon marie againe and take another and so it is lawfull for hym to haue twoo wiues a liue the one in the bedde the other diuorced The aunswere Wee affirme that thei whiche are lawfully deuorced for adulterie are no more housebande and wife For the knot of marriage by lawfull deuorsemente is cleane dissolued and therefore a manne so deuorsed maie marrie and not haue twoo wiues at ones accordyng to the doctrine and right vnderstandyng of our Sauiour Christes wordes Math. v. and xix The Papiste Fowerth it doeth affirme Breade ad wine to bee the whole substaunce of the Eucharistie after the consecration The aunswere Wee affirme accordyng to the scriptures and faithe of the Churche for a thousande yeres after Christe that breade and wine remaine in the Sacrament and are necessarie there to remaine that it maie bée a Sacramente for the woorde muste come to the Elemente and so make it a Sacrament But we doe not affirme that breade and wine is the whole substaunce of the Sacrament but the bodie and blood of Christe receiued by faithe is the principall parte thereof as in Baptisme the outward Element is water but the principall part thereof is the pourgyng of our sinnes by the secrete and wōderfull workyng of the holie ghoste the Papiste Fifte it doth affirme that onely faieth iustifieth and that faieth alone is sufficient to procure and purchase for vs gods grace and mercie for the time of this present life and at the ende and terme therof life euerlastyng Beside many other like diuerse thinges that the religion of this newe reformed churche doth affirme as thinges lawfull and haue brought theim into this realme as thinges good and godly The aunswere Wee affirme that the free mercie of God in Christ is the efficient cause of our iustification whiche mercie we apprehēde by none other hande or instrumente but by faithe But that either faithe dooeth procure or purchase Gods grace or mercie by any whorthinesse of it wee vtterly denie as also that onely faithe is sufficiēte for a christian man when we teache that this faith by which we are iustified is not a solitarie faith but of necessitie accompanied with many vertues good workes although by receiuyng Goddes mercie no workes but onely faithe doeth iustifie vs. The Papiste An answere against the obiections For aunswere beside that there is no one of their affirmatiōs now by theim brought that maketh any thing ad cultum diuinum to the seruice and honouryng of god wherin true religion doth consiste as it is before proued by the diffinition therof geuen by Augustine al their affirmations doe include some negatiōs of a farre more better thing then is brought in by their affirmations The aunswere But euen nowe in the latter ende of the firste obiection you confesse that wee affirme many other thynges beside these fiue whiche you haue rehersed And now as though we had no other affirmations you conclude as your maner is that no one of our affirmatiōs maketh any thyng ad cultum diuinum to gods seruice and that all our affirmations doe include a negation of a farre better thing then is brought in by them So that when wee affirme all the articles of the Crede none of theim perteineth to Goddes seruice but rather include a negation of a farre better thing When we affirme
is performed in infantes by the Sacramente of Baptisme And therfore to ascribe our iustification to onely faieth is not onely to deny with the Anabaptistes Baptisme of infantes but also that the Sacrament of Baptisme is needefull or necessarie for oure health and saluation Seconde iustification is qua ex homine lapso post baptismum fit conuersio ad deum wherby a man beyng fallen into sinne after Baptisme doeth retourne backe againe vnto God the whiche iustification is performed in vs by the Sacrament of penaunce and therfore the affirmation of our iustificatiō by onely faieth is a plaine denial of the Sacramente of penaunce Thirde iustification is qua ex iusto redditur quis iustior wherby a man hath increase of rightousnesse and of a rightous man before is made more rightous in the sight of God wherof speaketh sainct Ihon in his Apocalipse saiyng that he whiche is rightous muste be made more rightous VVhiche iustification is performed in vs partely by the Sacramente of Confirmation partly by the rest of Christes Sacramentes and chiefly by the Sacramente of the holy Eucharistia and more generally by al kind of good workes wherof speaketh the Apostle sainct Paule Saiyng to the Philippians doe you worke your owne saluation with feare and tremblyng And the Apostle saincte Peter in confirmation therof willeth vs to geue all diligence for to minister in our faieth vertue and in vertue knowledge in knowledge temperaunce and in temperance patience in pacience godlines in godlines brotherly loue and in brotherly loue charitie for if these are among you and plenteous they will make you that you shall be neither idle nor vnfructful in the knowledge of our lorde Iesus Christ. But he that lacketh these thinges is blinde as saieth the Apostle sainct Peter and gropeth for the waie with his hande and hath forgottē that hee was pourged from his oulde sinnes VVherefore bretheren saieth the Apostle saincte Peter geue you more diligence for to make your callyng and your election by your good workes more suer for if you doe suche thinges you shall not sinne yea and by this meanes an entring in shall be ministred vnto you abundantly in the euerlastyng kingdome of our lorde Iesus christe And by the affirmation of our iustificatiō by faieth alone they doe denie not onely the Sacrament of Baptisme of penaunce of the holie Eucharistia with the rest of Christes Sacramentes but more generally they doe denie all kinde of Good woorkes here commended and tought both by saincte Peter and sainct Paule Saincte Augustine in his booke de fide operibus gaue to vs sufficient admonition how daungerous an errour and heresie it was to put our whole iustification to faieth onely and faieth alone and saieth how vppon the mistakyng of the wordes of sainct Paule of our iustification by faieth vppon these woordes misconstrued certaine persones denied the merite of good workes vprising and springyng of faieth promising to them selues safetie and securitie of saluatien by onely faieth and faieth alone for reformation of the whiche errour Augustine saieth that the Apostles sainct Iames sainct Peter and sainct Ihon did write their Canonicall Epistles whiche admonition therof geuen by S Augustine shoulde haue sufficed both learned and Christen men The aunswere By affirmyng that onely faithe doeth iustifie we neither denie the Sacramentes to be receiued nor any good worke to be exercised as GOD and all the worlde doeth knowe For ascribyng to faith that whiche is her peculier office wee dooe not deny the offices of any other thinges that belong vnto theim As if I affirme that onely the eye doeth see I doe not denie the eare to heare or the tounge to tast or the hande to handle or the foote to goe but I denie that the eare or any other member dooeth sée saue onely the iye So affirmyng that onely faithe dooeth iustifie wee dooe not denie the Sacramentes to be seales of Goddes promises nor good woorkes to be fruites of our iustification by whiche God is glorified and our election in vs established and yet we deny that the Sacramentes or good woorkes or any other thyng in vs dooeth iustifie saue onely faithe that taketh holde of Goddes mercie by beleuyng Gods promises As it is written of Abraham not for hym onely as saincte Paule testifieth but for vs also Abraham beleued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse so that faithe doeth not iustifie vs by the merite or worthinesse therof but by Goddes imputation of righteousnes therevnto For to be iustified before GOD is not to bee righteous by any qualitie that is in vs but to be accoumpted righteous of GOD for Christes sake hauing our synnes purged by his passion But whereas you take vpon you to talke of iustification and that so substancially that you wil tell vs what all learnyng agreeth thereof you declare that youre learnyng and discretion are bothe a like For it were enough for you to speake of all your owne learning whiche you knowe and not of all learnyng in generall whiche you knowe not It is not by and by all lernyng that the Maister of the Sentence and after hym all the sentenciaries and whole rable of Papistes also doe holde There is some learnyng of the olde writers and there is some learnyng of the newe writers And the Protestantes I trust bee not voide of all learnyng It were sufficiente for you to challenge truthe though you did not boaste of all learning But seyng all learnyng is on your side as you saie your self will you giue a poore manne of small learnyng leaue to aske you one question concernyng that diuision whiche all learnyng dooeth agree of Is this your diuision of the worde of iustification Or of the thing it self whiche is Iustification If it be onely of the woorde iustification sauyng the correction of all learnyng I finde in scripture three other diuerse kindes of iustification of whiche neuer a one can be comprehended in any of your three kindes of iustification The firste is in the. Lj. Psalme Vt iustificeris in sermonibus tuis vincas cum iudicaris That thou maiest bee iustified in thy saiynges and gette the vpper hande when thou art iudged The seconde is in the eleuenth chapiter of sainct Matthew Iustificata est sapientia a filijs suis. Wisedome is iustified of her own childrē The thirde is j. Timo. iij. Deus manifestatus est in carne iustificatus est in spiritu c. God was shewed in the fleshe iustified in the spirite c. Loe heare are three seueral iustifications more then your learned diuision dooeth conteine But if you vnderstande your diuision not of the diuerses acceptions of the worde but of the thyng it self I would demaunde by what kinde of iustification the Publicane was iustified of whom our sauiour Christe dooeth testifie that he departed iustified rather then the Pharisie Luke xviij The firste kinde you saie is by Baptisme but he was not baptised the seconde you make by penaunce but he
receiued no penaunce and by the thirde kinde he could not bee iustified for he came thether a Publicane and a synner Therefore all learning hath left out one kinde of Iustification whiche Christe hymself doeth teache And that is the onely true iustification whereof wee meane when our synnes beyng pardoned by the free mercie of God in Christe wée are accoumpted righteous before hym whiche is confirmed to vs when wee beleue his promises therof And this is that iustification whereof sainct Paule disputeth at large in the Epistle to the Romaines By whiche it maie appeare what a clearkly diuision you haue made that excludeth the onely true iustification which is the thing we cōtende of and is so moste properly called But now to consider rightly the partes of your diuision You saie the firste kinde of iustification is when of an vngodlie manne is made a godly man Whiche if it were rightly vnderstoode is the same iustification that we speake of when we saie onely faithe dooeth iustifie But when you restraine it to Baptisme of infauntes you are farre wide from our vnderstandyng and from the truthe For what is Baptisme to vs more then Circumcisiō was to Abraham but Abraham was not iustified by Circumsition as S. Paule proueth at large therefore neither are we iustified by Baptisme But Abraham was iustified by faithe and receiued Circumsition as a seale of his iustification So we beyng iustified by faith receiue Baptisme as a seale of our righteousnes whiche is by faithe Thus we doe not denie the Sacramente of Baptisme as you moste shamefully doe slaunder vs but we shewe the right vse and profite thereof out of the scriptures For when wee haue receiued by faithe the promises of Gods fauour and mercie in whiche our saluation dependeth we doe not refuse the seales whiche are the Sacramentes whiche GOD hath added for confirmation of our faithe But whereas you restraine this iustification to infauntes you shewe your ignoraunce in the Scriptures for he that ex impio fit iustus that is of a wicked man is made righteous muste beleue in hym that iustifieth the vngodlie manne as it is in saincte Paule Roma iiij and so his faithe is imputed or accoumpted to hym for righteousnesse and in suche sorte that it is without respecte of woorkes whiche is nothyng els but that wee affirme an vngodlie manne is iustified by faithe onely for what woorkes canne he haue that should cōcurre with faithe to iustifie him whiche is an vngodly manne before he be iustified and therefore Augustine saieth verie well of good woorkes Sequuntur iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum Thei followe hym that is iustified thei goe not before hym that is to bee iustified Seyng therefore that faithe is necessarie in this iustification and infauntes to speake properly haue no faithe this iustification can not bee restrained to Baptisme of infantes which if thei dye before thei heare the worde of God preached that thei maie beleue are saued by election if thei bee the children of God and not by faithe For as the doctrine of faithe perteineth to theim onely that liue to heare the Gospell preached to whiche thei maie giue credite and bryng for the fruictes of good woorkes accordyngly to the praise of Goddes glorie So the doctrine of Iustification by faithe onely pertaineth to theim and not to infantes And therefore your assertion that infantes are iustified by Baptisme commeth nearer to the errour of the Anabaptistes for bothe you and thei require faith necessarie to bee in all them that shall bee Baptised wherevpon springeth twoo heresies the one of the Anabaptistes deniyng the Baptisme of infātes because thei haue no faithe the other of the Papistes fantasiyng that thei haue faithe and therfore are iustified by Baptisme Whereas the saiyng of our sauiour Christe whiche is misunderstoode of you bothe he that beleueth and is baptised shal be saued must with all equitie be expounded accordyng to the matter whereof he speaketh accordyng to the wordes goyng before Which are Goe into all the worlde and preache the Gospell to euery creature Mat. xxviij Mark. xvj So that where preachyng hath gone before their faithe is necessarie to saluatiō and necessarie to be required before a manne bee Baptised For we must remember that our sauiour Christ doeth not in that place institute Baptisme but shewe how it must bee added as a seale of the Gospell for confirmation of the beleuers and for a testimonie of their profession But seyng that God hath also a secret operation in Baptisme whereby the children of GOD are regenerate by his holy spirite and that the fauour of God extendeth by his promise not only to our selfes but also to the seede of vs that are faithefull we minister the Sacrament of Baptisme to our infantes also because thei are comprehended within the compasse of Gods couenaunte and therefore ought to haue the seale and cognisaunce of Goddes couenaunte sette vpon them And yet not bindyng the grace of GOD so straightly to the outwarde Elemente but that he maie saue the children of the faithfull without Baptisme whom he taketh out of this life before thei can receiue this sacramente in the churche accordyng to his holie institution And this iustification by faithe onely we doe not make to be an inconstant qualitie of righteousnes that should be within vs whiche is abolished so often as wee fall into synne but a perpetuall acceptation of God wherby he imputeth not our synnes vnto vs but accoumpteth vs righteous for the righteousnes of Christe accordyng as sainct Paule difineth iustification by faithe without workes out of the xxxj Psalme Blessed are thei whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose synnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lorde dooeth not impute his synne Roma iiij For whom God dooeth iustifie by faithe he dooeth not iustifie them for a daie or a yere but for euer as S. Paule testifieth whom he hath iustified he hath glorified Roma viij Whereby it is easie to see what a vaine iustification that is whiche you make to be your second kinde by penaunce whiche is loste by euery fall into deadly synne of whiche kinde of iustification the scripture speaketh not one woorde but it is a fantasie of youre owne braine to sette vp a Butcherie of mennes consciences and to make your selues Lordes ouer their consciences by binding thē vpon necessitie of saluation to your beggerly Penaunce For although a manne that is regenerate and iustified of God is not onely subiecte to infinite falles as the scripture testifieth the righteous manne falleth seuen tymes a daie and riseth againe but also sometymes falleth into greate and notable crimes as Dauid into murther and adulterie yet can he neuer fall from the fauour of God but that he is called to repentaunce and his synnes are forgiuen hym For this foundation shall neuer faile the Lorde knoweth who are his and whom soeuer he hath knowen before all tyme theim he will call in tyme thought conuenient to his wisedome and
affirmeth that nothing is required to iustifie but faithe the other affirmeth that faithe whiche onely is required as sufficient to iustification is not deade solitary or vnfruictfull but liuely fruictfull accompanied with manie vertues good workes For he that acknowledgeth his sinnes to be forgeuen of God for Christes sake and that he is receiued of God as his childe whiche is to be iustified must needes loue God and all theym that loue God muste néedes haue a desier to obeye God honour God to be thanckefull to God and to profette all theim that God hath commaunded hym to loue And this is the worste effecte of onely faithe iustifiyng But because you make it so straunge a matter as though it had neuer been heard of in the worlde before nowe that faithe alone or onely faithe doth iustifie I will rehearse you the sentences of a fewe doctours that I haue readde whiche in plaine wordes affirmed the same many hundred yeres before you and I were borne Not doubtyng but they that haue redde more then I are able to bring forth a greate deale more then I haue brought Origines though otherwise a verie vnpure writer yet for iustification by faithe onely speaketh very plainly although not in all poinctes truely vpon the Epistle to the Rom. lib. 3. Cap. 3. Dicit sufficere solius fidei iustificationem ita vt credens quis tantummodo iustificetur etiamsi operis nihil ab eo fuerit expletū Imminet igitur nobis qui integram esse scripturam Apostoli conamur asserere ordine suo cuncta constare vt requiramus quis sine operibus sola fide iustificatus sit Quantum igitur ad exemplum pertinet c. S. Paule saieth that the iustification of faith alone doth suffice so that he whiche beleueth onlie maie bee iustified although he haue doen no good worke Wherefore it standeth vs vppon that take in hande to defende the writyng of the Apostle to bee perfecte and all thinges therein to stande with good order to enquire who was iustified by faithe onely without woorkes Therefore for examples sake I thinke that theife is sufficiente whiche beeyng crucified with Christe cried to hym from the Crosse. Lord Iesu remember me whē thou comest into thy kyngdome Neither is there any other good woorkes of his described in the Gospell but for this faieth onely Iesus saide to hym verily I saie to thee this daie thou shalte bee with me in Paradice Thus far Origine Neuertheles wee muste remember as I haue saide before that although this thief was iustified by faithe onely yet this faithe was fructefull of suche good workes as the tyme suffered hym to expresse as inuocation repentaunce reprehension of his fellowe c. The same Origene saieth Idem enim ipse deus ex vtroque populo non circumcisionis aut praeputij priuilegio sed solius fidei contemplatione iustificat The same God out of bothe the people not by priuilege of Circumcisiō or vncircumcision but by the contemplation of faith alone dothe iustifie And in the. 4. booke and. 4. Cap. Initium iustificandi à deo fides est qua credit in iustificantem haec fides cum iustificata fuerit tanquam radix imbre suscepto haeret in animae solo c. Faithe is the beginnyng of iustifiyng before god which beleueth in hym that iustifieth and this faithe after it is iustified as a roote that is wattered with a showre of raine abydeth faste in the grounde of the soule that when it beginneth to bee dressed and delued by the lawe of God the boughes arise in it whiche bring forthe the fruicte of good workes And in diuers other places Origē sheweth himself to be of the same minde Sainct Cypriane ad Quirinum Cap. 4. In nullo gloriādum quando nostrum nihil sit We haue to bost of nothing seyng nothing is our owne Where bee then our merites Againe Cap. 42. Fidem tantum prodesse tantum nos posse quantum credimus He affirmeth that faithe onely doth profitte and that so muche as we beleue so muche we maie obtaine Wherein he agreeth with our sauiour Christe saiyng all thinges are possible to hym that beleueth Also in his booke de duplici Martyrio he writeth thus Non credit in deum qui non in eo solo collocat totius foelicitatis suae fiduciam He doothe not beleue in God whiche dooeth not place in him alone the assurance of all his felicitie In whom then doe Papistes beleue that truste in their owne merites and in creatures Sainct Hilarie agreeth in the same sentence de Trinitate lib. 2. Et cum sola fide expleri quae praecepta sunt oporteret c. Seing that these thinges whiche are commaunded must be accomplished by faithe onely that is to worshippe the father and with hym to honour the soonne and to abounde in the holy ghoste wee are inforced to extende the basenes of our speache to those thinges that are vnspeakable Also wrytyng vppon Mathewe Canone 21. he hath these wordes Nam inuiti licet confitētur quis obsecutus sit voluntati iunior scilicet filius obediens professione licet non efficiens in tempore Quia fides sola iustificat atque ideo publicani meretrices in regno coelorum erunt priores quia Ioanni crediderūt For thei confesse though it be againste their will who hath obeied the fathers wil namely the yonger sonne obedient in profession although not performing in time Because faith alone doth iustifie and therefore the Publicanes and harlattes shal be sooner in the kingdome of heauen because they beleued Ihon. c. And in the. 8. Canon hee hath this plaine conclusion Fides sola iustificat faithe alone doth iustifie Therefore wée are not alone that teache so Gregorius Nazianzenus in his Oration 22. de modestia in disceptationibus Prope te ait verbum est thesaurum hunc intellectus habet lingua hic quidem credens illa vero cōfitens quid his opibus succinctius quid dono hoc facilius Confitere christum credas eum à mortuis suscitatum esse ac saluaberis siquidem credere solum iustitia est salus autem perfecta confiteri loquendique libertatem addere scientiae The worde saieth he is neare vnto thée and this treasure thine vnderstandyng and thy tongue hath the one beleuyng the other confessing what can bee more shorte then these riches what more easie then this gifte Confesse Christ and beleue that hee is raised from death and thou shalte be saued For to beleue onely is rightousnes and perfecte saluation to confesse and to adde fréedom of speache to knowledge The same Gregorius carmine de rebus suis speaking in the person of the publicane that praied with the Pharisie Nō opera me saluabunt tua autem gratia tuaeqús misericordia mihi stillet profano quam solam miseris rex praebuisti spem peccatoribus Woorkes shall not saue me but lette thy grace and thy mercie droppe vppon mée profane
man which onely hope O Kyng thou hast geuen to miserable sinners From hym dissenteth not Basilius Magnus de humilitate hom 51. Haec enim est perfecta ac integra gloriatio in deo quando neque ob iusticiam suam quis se iactat sed nouit quidem seipsum verae iusticiae indigum esse sola autem fide in Christum iustificatum esse This is a perfecte and full reioysyng in GOD when a manne doeth not boast hymselfe of his owne rightousnes but knoweth hymselfe to be voide of true rightousnes and to bee iustified by faithe onely in christ The Papistes now adaies saieth it is greate pryde and presumption whiche Basile acknowledgeth to be true humilitie Saincte Ambrose in many places sheweth hymself to bée of the same minde as in his exhortation Ad virgines speaking of the dowrie that Christ requireth of vs to ioigne with hym in marriage Sola est fides vtrique indiscreta sexui census virorum dos virginum It is faithe onely whiche is indifferente to bothe sexes the substance of men the dowrie of virgines Also in the same worke Nam vnde mihi tantum meriti est cui indulgentia pro corona est For wheÌ„ce should I haue so greate merite when mercie is my croune And againe Non ex operibus sed ex fide vnusquisque iustificatur à domino Not by workes but by faith is euery one iustified of the lorde And in his Epistle 82. Ad Vercellenses Sola vos comitabitur fides Erit sanè etiaÌ„ iustitia comes si fides praeuia sit Onely faithe shall beare you compaignie And righteousnes also shal be your companion if faithe goeth before Also in Lucam lib. 2. Capit. 2. Nihil in hoc censu verearis terribile nihil immite nihil triste sola vnumquemque fides signat Feare nothyng in this taxyng that should bee terrible nothyng cruell nothyng sadde or heauie onely faithe doeth marke euery manne But these places you will saie are somewhat darcke You shall haue therefore them that are plaine enough Vpon the Epistle to the Romaines Chapit iij. vpon these wordes Iustificati gratis per gratiam ipsius that is Beyng iustified freely by his fauoure he writeth thus Iustificati sunt gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono dei Thei are iustified freely because without any woorkyng or requitynge thei are iustified by faithe alone by the gifte of god And vpon the iiij Chapiter Quomodo ergo Iudaei per opera legis iustificari se putant iustificatione Abrahae cum videant Abraham non ex operibus legis sed sola fide iustificatum Non ergo opus est lex quando impius per solam fidem iustificatur apud deum secundum propositum gratiae dei Sic decretum dicit à deo vt cessante lege solaÌ„ fidem gratia dei posceret ad salutem That is How dooe the Iewes thinke that thei maie bee iustified through the woorkes of the lawe by the iustification of Abraham when thei see that Abraham was not iustified by the woorkes of the lawe but by faithe alone Therefore the lawe is not necessarie seeyng the vngodly manne is iustified before GOD by faithe onely accordyng to the purpose of the grace of God for so he saith it is decreed of God that the lawe ceasyng the grace of God requireth faithe alone to saluation And in the same Chapiter Beatos dicit de quibê° hoc sanxit deus vt sine labore et aliqua obseruatione sola fide iustificentur apud deum He saieth thei are blessed of whom GOD hath decreed this thyng that without labour and any obseruation thei should bee iustified before God by faithe alone And againe Manifeste beati sunt quibus sine labore vel opere aliquo remittuntur iniquitates peccata teguntur Nulla ab his requisita poenitentiae opera nisi tantum vt credent It is manifeste that thei are happie to whoÌ„ their iniquities are forgiuen and their synnes hidde without any laboure or woorke of theirs and no workes of repentaunce required of them but onely that thei should beleue And in the. 10. chapiter Nullum opus dicit legis sed solam fidem dandam in causa Christi He saieth that no woorke of the lawe but onely faithe muste bee giuen in the cause of Christe And in the eleuenth chapiter Et quoniam versutia aduersarij cumulari peccata coeperunt vt per interdictum magis reus homo constitueretur deus clementia bonita tis suae semper homini procurans vt quod sine lege erat peccatum in lege non possit deleri hoc decreuit vt solam fidem poneret per quam omnia peccata abolerentur vt quia nulla spes per legem omnibus hominibus erat dei misericordia saluarentur And because through the subtiltie of the aduersarie synnes beganne to bee increased so that through the forbiddyng a manne was made more giltie God prouidyng alwaie for manne by the mercie of his goodnes so that that whiche was synne without the lawe and by the lawe could not bee putte awaie he decreed this to prepare onely faithe by whiche all synnes should be taken awaie that because there was no hope to all men by the lawe thei might bee saued by the mercie of god And vpon the j. Cor. Cha. j. Datam dicit gratiaÌ„ à deo in Christo Iesu quia gratia sie data est in Christo Iesu quia hoc constitutum est à deo vt qui credit in Christum saluus sit sine opere solae fide gratis accipiens remissionem peccatorum He saieth that grace is giuen from God in Iesus Christe because grace is so giuen in Christe Iesus for that it is so appoincted of God that he whiche beleueth in Christe shall bee saued without workes receiuyng forgiuenesse of his synnes freely by faithe alone And vpon the ij Cor. Chap. iij. speaking of the lawe of the Gospell Haec lex dat libertatem solam fidem poscens This lawe giueth libertie requiryng faithe alone And in the Preface before the Epistle to the Galathians Si ergo haec dicta intelligerent à lege recederent scientes à praedicatione Ioannis Baptistae legem iam cessare vt sola fides sufficiat ad salutem abbreuiata ex lege If therefore thei did vnderstande these saiynges thei would depart from the lawe knowyng that since the preachyng of IhoÌ„ the Baptiste the lawe is now ceased and faithe alone sufficeth whiche is an abbridgemente of the lawe Also vpon the third Chapiter of the Epistle to the GalathiaÌ„s Sed aliud aduersum improuida praesumptione defendunt putantes iustificationem sine operibus legis prouenire non posse cum sciant Abraham qui forma eius rei est sine operibus legis per solam fidem iustificatum But thei maintaine an other contrary thyng by vnskilfull presumption thinkyng that iustification can not bee obteined without the workes of the lawe whereas thei knowe
that Abraham whiche is the example of that matter was iustified by faithe onely without the woorkes of the lawe And againe Manifestatis enim peccatis suis conclusi sunt vt se excusare non possent sed quaererēt misericordiam vt veniens qui promissus erat Abrahae solam fidem ab eis posceret quam habuit Abraham For when their synnes were made open thei were concluded so that thei could not excuse theim selues but were faine to seeke mercie that when he came whiche was promised to Abraham he might require onely faith of theim whiche Abraham had And vpon the v. Chapiter Atque per hoc neque praeputium valet quiquam neque Circumcisio Sed sola fides opus est in charitate ad iustificationem And by this neither Circumcision nor vncircumcision is worthe any thing but onely faith in loue is necessarie to iustification Chrysostome also although he dooe often saie that faithe alone is not sufficient to saluation he meaneth it of a deade and an historicall faithe whiche is not fruictefull of good workes as sainct Iames doth But that he acknowledgeth a true and liuely faithe to iustifie alone maie sufficiently appeare by these testimonies First vpon Math. Chapiter j. Hom. i. Non enim laboribus nostris neque sudoribus non doloribus arumnis sed per dei in nos tantūmodo charitutem tā grādia haec promissa suscepimus Not by our labours nor our trauailes not by our sorowes and griefes but onely by the loue of God toward vs we haue receiued these greate promises And in the twelue Homelie I am non visibili specie qua vtique non egemus cum nobis pro cunctis sola fides sufficiat We haue not nede now of outward shew when onely faithe sufficeth vs for al thinges And vpon the Actes Home xxx Vide quomodo vbique omnia tribuunt deo Hos nos imitemur Nihil nostrum esse putemus quandoquidem ipsa fides non est nostrum opus See how thei ascribe all thynges euery where to god Lette vs then followe theim lette vs thinke nothyng is our own seyng that faithe it self is not our woorke And again Home xxxij A sola fide inquit illa assecutisunt non operibus vel circumcisione Thei obteined saieth he those thinges by faith alone not by workes or Circumcision Againe De prodit Iud. Speakyng of the penitente Thiefe whether he had any good woorkes or were Baptised Neque enim de hoc contenderim ego sed illud vmim asseuerauerim quod sola fides per se saluū fecerit Of that matter I will not contende but this one thyng I will affirme that onely faithe by it self made hym to bee saued Also vppon the Episto ad Roma Home ij Speakyng of righteousnesse Non enim sudoribus laboribus illam comparabis sed ex diuino gratiae don◠quod ex supernis est gratis vt accipias oportet Vnum hoc solum adferens de tuo vt credas Thou shalt not obtaine it by labours and trauailes but thou must receiue it freely by the gifte of Gods grace whiche is from aboue bryngyng this one thyng onely of thyne that thou beleue Againe Hom. vij Hîc virtutem dei ostendit quod non solum saluauit sed iustificauit in gloriationem induxit nullis ad hoc vsus operibus sed fidem tantum exigens Heare he sheweth the power of God that he hath not onely saued vs but also iustified and brought vs into a reioysyng vsyng here to none of our woorkes but requiryng faithe onely And againe Quam primum homo credidit confestim iustificatus est So sone as a manne hath beleued immediately he is iustified And Hom. viij Ne enim quis dicat quid vetat quominus fidem habeam legem interim seruem ostendit fieri non posse Fidei siquidem virtutem de honeflat quisquis legem vt velut saluantem seruat And least any manne should saie what letteth but that I maie haue faith and kepe the lawe also He sheweth it can not be for he dishonoureth the vertue of faithe who so keepeth the lawe as able to saue hym And in the 9. Hom. Nos solam fidem attulimus we haue brought faithe alone And in the same Homelie Apostolus cum dicit spes non confundit non recte factis nostris sed dilectioni dei rem omnem acceptam fert When the Apostle saith hope doth not confound he ascribeth the whole matter not to our good deedes but to the lawe of god And in the. 14 Hom. Vnum enim hoc tantummodo donum dei obtulimus quod futura nobis promittenti credimus at que hac sola viae saluati sumus This onely gifte we haue offered to God that when hee promiseth vs thinges to come wee beleue hym and by this onelie waie we are saued Also vpon the Epistle ad Galath Cap. 2. Scientes quod non iustificabitur homo ex operibus legis sed tantum per fidem Iesu Christi knowing that a man shall not be iustified by the workes of the lawe but onely by saieth of Ieseus Christe And vppon Cap. 3. Tum enim valet fides cum nihil accesserit exlege Then faieth is of force whē nothing of the lawe is added to it Also speakyng of Abraham Quod si is ante gratiam ex fide iustificatus est idque cum operibus bonis floreret multo magis nos Quid igitur illi detrimenti attulit quod nō esset sub legee nihil sed sufficiebat ei fides ad iusticiā If he before the time of grace were iustified by faithe and that whē he florished in good workes muche more we What hurte was it then to hym that he was not vnder the lawe none at all But his faithe was sufficiente to hym for righteousnes Again Rursum illi dicebant qui sola fide nititur execrabilis est hic contra demonstrat qui sola fide nititur eum benedictum esse They saide hee that trusteth vnto faith alone is accursed but he saieth contrariwise he that trusteth vnto faithe alone is blessed Quū enim lex esset infirmior quam vt posset hominem ad iusticiam perducere repertum est non leue remedium nempe fides quae quod legi erat impossibile per se redderet poffibile For whē the law was of lesse force then that it was able to bring a manne to righteousnes a remedie of no small fores was founde out namely faieth whiche by herselfe shoulde make that possible which was impossible to the lawe Also vpon the Epi. ad Ephes. Hom. 5. Ex sola quippe fide nos saluauit For he saued vs by faithe alone And vpon the Ep. ad Colloss Hom. 5. Apparet quidem in reliquis magna mysterij huius gloria verū multo magis in istis Hoēs enim lapidibus stupidiores ad angelorū subito dignitatem simpliciter nudis verbis solaque fide fine omni operum
sola fide accepistis qui non nisi à iustis accipitur iustos autem sine legis operibus vos esse constat You haue receiued the holy ghoste by faith alone whiche is not receiued but of righteous persons And it is plain that you are righteous with out the woorkes of the lawe Moreouer Abraham eredidit deo reputatum c. Ita vobis ad iustitiam sola sufficit fides Abraham beleued GOD and it was accoumpted to hym for righteousnes So faithe alone is sufficiente for you also to righteousnesse Furthermore in the same Chapiter Quaeritur sane hoc loco si fides sola sufficiat Christiano vtrū non sit maledictus qui Euangelica praecepta contemnet Sed fides ad hoc proficit vt in primitijs credulitatis accedentes ad deum iustificet si deinceps in iustificatione permaneant Caeterum sene operibus fidei non legis mortua est fides It is in deede demaunded in this place if faithe alone bee sufficiente for a Christian man and whether he is not accursed that shall despise the preceptes of the Gospell But faithe profiteth thus farre that in the beginning of beleuyng it iustifieth those that come vnto god if afterward thei cōtinue in iustification But without the workes of faith not of the lawe faithe is deade Also speakyng of the lawe Quia nemo illam seruat ideo dictum est quod sola fide iustificandi essent credentes Because no manne keepeth the lawe therefore it is saied that the beleuers must bee iustified by faithe alone Also so vt sola fide Gentès benedicerentur in Christe sicut promssum est Abrahae that the Gentiles might bee blessed by faithe alone in Christe as it was promised to Abraham Also ▪ Lex autem non est ex fide nam iustificat sola fides The lawe is not of faithe for faithe alone dooeth iustifie Againe necesse est sola fide saluari credentes It is necessarie that the beleuers should be saued by faith alone Againe Aequaliter Iudaei Gentes per solam fidem filij dei estis qua credidistis Christo. Bothe Iewes and Gentiles you are a like the sonnes God by faithe alone by which you haue geuē credite to christ Also vpon the v. Chapiter In sola fide crucis dico esse salutem I saie that saluation cōsisteth in faithe alone of the crosse That is of the death of christ And vpon the vj. Chapiter In sola fide spes collocatur animarum In faithe alone resteth the hope of soules Also vpon the Episto ad Ephes. ij Gratia saluati estis non meritis prioris vitae sed sola fide You are saued by grace not by merites of your former life but by faithe alone Also vpon these wordes Legem mandatorum in decretis abrogans per solam fidem iustificans moralia sola decernēs Abrogatyng the lawe of preceptes that was in decrees iustifiyng by faithe onely and decreeyng the morall preceptes onely to bee obserued And vpon these woordes Per crucem interficiens inimicitias per solam fidem crucis quae nullum deterret non enim grauis aut difficilis est quam habere etiam latro potuit crucifixus By his Crosse slaiyng the harted by only faithe of his crosse which maketh no man afraied for it is not heauie or harde whiche euen the Thiefe that was crucified might haue Finally vpon the Epist. ad Philip. iij. Where saincte Paule saieth that he hath not the righteousnes whiche is of the lawe but that whiche is by the faithe of Christ Iesus he noteth Sed illam quae a deo pro pace sola fide collata But I haue that righteousnesse whiche is geuen properly of God and by faithe alone Ruffinus also whiche otherwise was a greate aduersarie of sainct Hieromes yet in this poincte he is his verie frende and of the same iudgemente as he was the iudger of al learned men at that time excepte Pelagius the arche heretike and his fellowes Ruffinus therefore in his exposition of the Crede vpon the Article of remission of sinnes writeth thus Verum de remissione peccatorum sufficere debet sola eredulitas Quis enim causas aut rationem requirat vbi indulgentia principalis est causa But for remission of synnes onely beliefe ought to suffice for who should require causes or a reson where mercie is the principall cause So that when iustification is through remission of sinnes as sainct Paule proueth out of the Psalme xxxij And remission of synnes is obtained by faithe alone who cā deny that iustificatiō is obtained by faithe alone Sainct Augustine although he doe not so often repeate the tearmes of faithe alone yet no writer more often nor more substancially setteth forthe the righteousnesse by faithe alone and as he had specially more occasion beyng troubled with the Pelagians and Celestianes in his confessions Libro x. Capit. xxix Tota spes mea non nisi magna valde misericordia tua Da quod iubes iube quod vis All my hope is nothing els but thy exceadyng greate mercie O God Geue that thou commaundeste and commaunde what thou wilte Also in his Epistle to Sixtus 105. Restat igitur vt ipsam fidem vnde omnis iustitia sumit initium propter quod dicatur ad ecclesiam in Cantico Canticorum venies transies ab initio fidei non humano quo isti extollūtur saluamus arbitiro nec vllis praecaedētibus meritis quoniā inde incipiāt bona quaecūque sunt merita sed gratuitum donū dei esse fateamur si gratiā veram id est fine me ritis cogitamus It remaineth therfore that we doe not ascribe to the frée will of man whereof these menne are so proude nor to any merites goyng before that haue faithe it self of whiche all righteousnesse taketh his beginnyng for whiche it is said vnto the Churche in the Canticle thou shalt come and passe by the beginnyng of faithe because that hereof all good merites whatsoeuer thei be beginne but that we confesse it to bee the free gifte of God if we thinke of true grace whiche is with out merites Also in his 120. Epistle to Honoratus speakyng of faithe Ex hoc quippe in cipiunt bona opera ex quo iustificamur non quia precesserunt iustificamur For hereof beginne good woorkes whereof we are iustified wee are not iustified because thei wente before In his Enchiridion ad Laurentium Capite 99. Sola gratia redemptos disceruimus cernimus à perditis quos in vnam perditionis concreuerit massam ab origine ducta causa communis We discerne theim that are redemed from those that are loste by grace alone whom the common cause deriued from the beginnyng hath bredde into one lumpe of perdition Also in his booke De fide operibus Capit. 22. In illis duobus tota lex pendet Prophetiae licet recte dici posset ad solam fidem pertinere dei mandata si non mortua
adminiculo euehere reuera gloria est ac misterij huius diuitiae The greate glorie of this misterie truely appeareth in the rest but muche more in these For to aduance men that are more doltishe then stones sodenly to the dignitie of Angelles simplie with bare woords and faith alone with out all helpe of workes is glorie in deede and the riches of this misterie And in the 6. Hom. Per fidem operationis dei qui exitauit eum ex mortuis Benedixit totum enim fidei est Credidistis deum exitare posse atque ita exitati estis By faith of the operation of God which raised him from the deade He hath saied well For it is all of faithe You haue beleued that God can raise you and so you are raised Againe In decretis inquit quibus decretis fide satis est credere non operibus opera sed fidei adiunxit opera In the decrées he saieth whiche decrees In faithe for it is sufficiet to beleue he ioygneth not works to workes but workes to faithe Also vppon 2. Thess. Hom. 4. Quo modo in salutē vt sanctificaret nos per spiritum Ab istis namque salutis nostrae summa dependet nusquam ab operibus nusquam à recte factis sed per fidem veritatis Howe vnto saluation that he might sanctifie vs by his spirit For herof dependeth the sume of our saluation not at al of woorkes not at all of good deedes but by faithe or belefe of the truth Also vpō the 1. Tim. Hom. 3. Id solum inquit attulimus nos quia credidimus christū nos posse saluare This onely saith he haue wee brought namely that we haue beleued that christ is able to saue vs And in the. 4. Hom. Quid igitur est ita cui difficilis habebatur fides quod inimici quod peccatores quod hi qui in lege non iustificantur neque per opera hi continuo ex fide sola primas partes meritorum consecuti sunt c. what is it ihen so that to whom faiethe seemed a harde matter because that enimies because that sinners because that they whiche colde not bee iustified by the lawe nor yet by workes these immediatly by faithe alone obtained the chief worthines And in the same place Incredibile enim videbatur siquidem homo qui omnem priorem vitam frustra atque inaniter consumpsisset duxissetque per mala opera post modum ex fide sola saluandus diceretur For it séemed an incredible thing that a manne whiche had spent all his former life vainely and to no purpose but passed it awaie in euill workes shoulde afterwarde be saide to be saued by faith alone Also the Epistle to Titus Hom. 3. Si enim credis fidei cur alia infers quasi fides iustificare non sufficiat sola If thou truste vnto faithe why bryngeste thou in other thinges as though faieth alone were not sufficient to iustifie Likewise vppon the Epistle to the Hebrues Cap. 4. Hom. 7. Accedamus cū fiducia petentes Tantum fidem adferamus omnia tribuet Lette vs approache neare with confidence makyng our petition let vs bring foorth faith onely and he geueth all thinges These testimonies dooth aboundauntly declare what Chrisostome thought of iustificatiō by faith alone Let vs now sée what sainct Ierome wil saie to the same matter First therfore against the Pelagians lib. 1. Hee writeth thus Ergo iusti sumus quando nos peccatores fatemur iustitia nostra nō ex proprio merito sed ex dei consistit misericordia Then are we rightous when we confesse our selues to bee sinners our vnrighteousnes consisteth not of our owne merite but of the mercie of god And in the. 2. boke of the same worke Manifestè ostendit non in hominis merito sed in dei gratia esse iusticiā qui sine legis operibus credentium suscipit fidem He sheweth manifestly that rightousnes is not in the merite of a manne but in the grace of God whiche receiueth the faieth of beleuers without the woorkes of the lawe Also in his Commentarie vppon Marke Chap. 14. Gratia non meritis saluati sumus à deo we are saued of God by grace and not by merites And oftentymes els where he speaketh to the same effecte but especially in the Commentarie vpon the Epistle to the Romaines whiche beareth his name Cap. 4. Conuertentem impium per solam fidem iustificat deus non opera bona quae non habuit God iustifieth the vngodly man when he conuerteth by faith alone not by good workes whiche he had not And Cap. 10. Ignorantes quod deus ex sola fide iustificat iustos se ex legis operibus quā nō custodiebant putantes c. Not knowyng that God doth iustifie by faithe alone and thinking them selues iuste by the woorkes of the lawe whiche they did not kepe Againe Talis est ille qui Christum credidit die qua credidit qualis ille qui vniuersam legem impleuit He that beleueth in christ is such a one the first daie in which he beleueth as he is that hath fulfilled all the lawe And againe Moyses distinxit in leuitico inter vtramque iusticiam fidei scilicet atque factorum quod altera operibus alterae sola fidei credulitate accedente fiat Moses in Leuiticus made distinction of both kindes of righteousnes namely of faith of déedes that the one is brought to passe by workes the other by onely beliefe of faith commyng vnto it yet againe in the same Chapiter Ergo si fides sufficit ad iusticiam confessio ad salutem inter Iudeum Gentiles credētes nulla est discretio Therfore if faith suffice to righteousnes and cōfession to saluation there is no difference betwene the Iewe and the Gentile that are beleuers And vpon the Epistle ad Gal. Cap. 1. Gratia vobis qua sola estis fide saluati Grace to you by whiche alone through faithe you are saued And Cap. 2 Non ex operibus legis sed sola fide sicut Gentes vitam in Christo inuenisse te nosti He maketh Paule speakynge to Peter saiynge Thou knowest that thou thy selfe haste founde life in Christe not by the woorkes of the lawe but by faithe alone as the Gentiles haue Again Si enim gentes fides sola non saluat nec nos quia ex operibus legis nemo iustificatur If faithe alone doth not saue the Gentiles no more doth it saue vs for no manne is iustified by the workes of the lawe And vpon these wordes of Paule In fide vino filij dei In sola fide quia nihil debeo legi antiquae Abiecta enim est gratia si mihi sola non sufficit I liue saieth Paule by the faithe of the soonne of God that is saieth Ierome by faithe alone for I owe nothing to the olde lawe For grace is cast awaie if it alone bee not sufficient for me And Cap. 3. Spiritum sanctū
sola virtute Iesu Christi qui dixit confidice ego vici mundum alibi princeps huius mundi eijcitur foras quare nos sola eius virtute confidamus mundum posse vincere diabolum superare The fifte rule of a godly mā is that thou doe not trust in those twelue peeces of armour nor in any other humane remedie but in the onely vertue of Iesus Christ which saieth be of good corage I haue ouercome the world in an other place the prince of this world is cast out wherfore lette vs trust by his vertue alone both to ouercome the world and to vanquishe the Deuill Also in his booke de conflictu carnis animae Cap. 6. Tibi domine deus meus attribuitur quicquid pertinet ad potentiam diuinam autem potentiam euidentius nihil manifestat quam iustificare impium hoc est trahere peccatorem iuxta quod legitur Deus qui omnipotentiam tuam parcendo maxime miserando manifestas melius enim est iustificare quam creare cum creando detur natura iustificando autem auferatur culpa conferatur gratia To thée O lorde my god is ascribed whatsoeuer perteineth to power and there is nothing that setteth forthe the power of God more euidently then to iustifie an vngodly man that is to draw a sinner accordyng as it is redde O God whiche shewest thine almightie power most of all in sparyng and shewyng mercie for it is a greater mater to iustifie then to create whereas in creating nature is geuen but in iustifiyng sinne is taken awaie and grace geuen I will conclude with Venantius in his exposition of the Crede wherein he followeth Ruffinus vppon the Article of remissiō of sinnes vsing almost the very wordes of Ruffinus saieth on this maner Remissionem peccatorum nobis in hoc sermone sola cre dulitas sufficit nec ratio requiritur vbi principalis indulgentia comprobatur Onely beliefe in this speache is sufficient to geue vs remission of sinnes neither is any reason required where mercie is proued to be the principall cause Seiyng therfore that wee are compassed as the Apostle saieth with suche a cloude of witnesses I cannot but meruaile with what face the aduersaries canne so cōfidently pronounce that the doctrine of iustification by faith alone is newe doctrine neuer harde of in the Churche before this fortie or fiftie yeres And for as muche as the witnesses are in nomber so many in tyme so auncient in learnyng so excellent that of all men they are reuerenced and séeyng their testimonies are so diuerse all to one ende some affirmyng the doctrine in plaine termes some yeldyng reasons therof some shewyng proofes and argumentes for it some aunsweryng obiections made against it and euery one of these in seuerall wordes phrases and maners of speakyng I am suer though subtiltie canne deuise startyng holes to elude some of theim all the crafte of the Deuill cannot bée able to auoide theim al. And if the only admonitiō of August be thought of you sufficient for both learned men and Christian menne whiche is that a baren deade and vnstructfull faithe is not sufficient for saluation what thinke you so many admonitions of so sundrie both learned and christian writers ought to woorke with all men teaching that a true and liuely faith alone in the onely mercie of God by Iesus Christe doth iustifie We agrée with Augustine that a solitarie faith doth not iustifie if you can as well agree with the scripture and almost all auncient Fathers that a fruictfull faith alone doeth iustifie not by merite of the fructes but by takyng holde of Gods mercie The Papiste And that which is most of all to be meruailed at wheras the religion of this reformed Church hath lefte vs nothing to serue God withall but this onely and alone faith whiche they doe affirme to suffice they doe by the free choise and will of man denied clene take awaie this onely faith also like as al other gifts graces benefits vprising vnto man by the death and blood sheding of Iesus Christe For so muche as the free will of manne is the seate of grace and the mansion house of faieth whereby faieth is produced and brought foorth by the grace of God as chiefe agent and worker thereof and in the will of man as in an apte receptackle and place to receiue the same when no man canne beleue but he that will. And therfore for man to beleue both these two thinges are necessarilie required First is the acte of Gods grace stirryng and mouynge the will of man therunto second is the consente of mannes will to applie and receiue the same without the whiche consente of mannes will Goddes grace knocketh all in vaine As it appeareth by the citezeins of Hierusalem vnto whom our sauior Christ saieth in the Gospell Hierusalem Hierusalem whiche dooest slaie the Prophetes and stonest them to death that are sent vnto thee how often tymes would I haue gathered thy children like as a Henne gathereth her chickens vnderneath her wynges and thou wouldest not I would saith christ but thou O Ierusalē wouldest not VVherby it appeareth that god by his grace doth not worke his belefe in the soule of man as in a stocke or in a stone with out any consente of mans parte to be geuen thervnto whē there is no man that can by any other meane receiue faithe then by the consente of his owne will and therefore in the worke of faithe Gods grace and mans will muste consente and ioigne together bothe The Apostle saincte Paule in witnesse thereof saieth by the grace of God I am that I am and his grace in me was not in vaine but I haue laboured more aboundantly then thei all and not I saieth saincte Paule but the grace of God with me and not without me as workyng before in me and without my consente but mecum with me For Augustine saieth that almightie God whiche in the beginnyng did create manne without any consent askyng of manne therevnto he will not nowe iustifie manne constreinedly and whether he will or not but with his owne consente will and desir◠therevnto For the kyngdome of heauen saieth our sauiour Christ suffereth violence and the onely violente menne whiche here will trauaile laboure and fight therefore shal be partakers of that kyngdome VVhē the ioyes of heauen are not so vile nor so meane thynges like as the Apostle saincte Paule saieth but thei are worthe the labouryng for seyng therefore it can not bee denied without deniall of the expresse testimonies of the scriptures but that the consente of mannes will must necessarily come with Goddes grace to receiue faithe therefore in the deniyng of the consent of mannes will thei deny faithe and thus in fine the religion of this newe reformed churche is brought all circumstaunces beyng duely examined from onely faithe and faithe alone to haue no faithe at all The aunswere It is a greate marueile to see
you and suche as you are that boaste of your free will to bee so obstinately blinde that you will not see the truthe but that wee dooe acknowledge the iuste iudgement of God in those that striue against him But to auoide al your cauilling of free will where by you goe about to amase the vnderstandyng of suche as bee simple I will firste shewe what we teache of free will and then aunswere your peuishe Sophistrie And because the name of free will is ambiguous and of diuers significations it is expediente to sette foorthe the sonderie meanynges thereof Free will is sometymes taken as it is contrary to coacted or constrained will. Sometymes as it is contrary to a seruile or bonde wille And sometymes as it is the election of that whiche seemeth good and is contrary to refusyng But in the ambiguitie of the twoo former significations all the doubte of this controuersie dooeth consiste wherof we determine after this maner That manne before his falle had free will in euery respecte he might haue chosen freely without any lette or compulsion that whiche was good in deede and acceptable to God For there was in his nature nothyng to prouoke hym to euill But man after his falle bothe in hymself and in all his posteritie hath vtterly loste that free will whiche I make the seconde meaning of the woorde and hath his will now altogether seruile and bounde so that he can will nothyng of hym self that is good and acceptable before god And therefore the scripture saieth Genesis the. vj. and viij That all the immaginations of the thoughtes of mennes hartes are onely euill continually Our sauiour Christ also Matth. xv teacheth that out of the corrupte harte of manne proceadeth all wickednesse And saincte Paule ij Corin. iij. affirmeth that we are not apte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our selues as of our selues to thinke any thyng that perteineth to the glorie of god With an infinite noumber of places beside to the same effect through out the Scripture declaryng that before we be regenerate and borne a newe wée can will nothyng but that whiche is well Neuerthelesse wee dooe not deny that a manne hath free will in the firste meanyng for although his wille is bonde and slaue vnto synne before it bee made free by the grace of God yet is it not compelled nor enforced by any externall coaction or Stoicall necessitie vnto euill but volūtarily embraceth that whiche is euill and delighteth therein and voluntarily doeth refuse goodnesse and pleaseth it self in ille doyng As for the thirde kinde of free will whiche is an appetite or election of that whiche seemeth good continueth in man after his fall but yet subiecte to Gods prouidence whereby he guideth all his externall actions but this is vnproperly called free wille and therefore maie bee well omitted in this disputation The whole matter of doubte resteth therefore in this whether a manne hath his will so free and vncorrupted that he can discerne any thyng in true godlinesse and applie hym selfe to receiue it And here in this your discourse a manne can hardely perceiue whether you defende free will simplie with the Pelagians or partly with the Papistes But this is the maner of you all to shewe your self where you dare for shame plaine Pelagians in deede for all your diuinitie of free wil is out of Aristotle and not out of Gods woorde but when you be pressed with the aucthoritie of scripture to flie to some sorie shift of defence But it is all one in a maner to confute the Pelagians and you when it is proued out of the woorde of God that the grace and goodnesse of God woorketh all together whatsoeuer is good in them that are regenerate For it is neither of hym that willeth nor of hym that runneth but of GOD onely that sheweth the mercie Therefore it is no harde mater to auoide moste of your cauillations with that one distinction of free will whiche is either free from coaction and compulsion or free from corruption and bondage vnto synne As when you wrangle of the receiuing of faithe that no manne beleueth but he that will I aunswere no manne is compelled to beleue but he that beleueth dooeth beleue willingly and of his owne accorde but that he hath a wille to beleue is not of hymself but of god For GOD dooeth not onely offer mercie to our wille but also geueth vs a wille to receiue it As saincte Paule testifieth God woorketh in vs bothe to will and to performe whatsoeuer is good and pertainyng to our saluation Phili. ij And where God giueth not a will there menne can not beleue though grace and mercie bee offered vnto theim As saincte Ihon testifieth in the. xij Chapiter of his Gospell that the Iewes after so longe preachyng and so many miracles woorkyng emong thē did not beleue in him and thei did not beleue because thei could not beleue in hym for that God accordyng to the Prophecie of Esaie had geuen theim ouer into a reprobate mynde But if euery man had free will as you defende it it mighte not bee truely saied of any menne thei could not beleue because God had blinded their iyes and hardened their harte For you holde that euery manne maie beleue that wille and that euery manne hath this wille in his owne power And the firste parte of the sentence in some respect maie be graunted that eche manne maie beleue that wille but the seconde parte is altogether false that eche manne hath this wille in his power But those onely whom God hath appoincted to saluation he maketh willyng to beleue that thei maie bee saued And whereas you quarell that Christe would haue gathered and Hierusalem would not it maketh nothyng to proue that the Iewes had power of their wille to receiue Christe whiche sainct Ihon vtterly denieth saiyng thei could not beleue And concerning the will of God and Christe you should not bee ignoraunte of that distinction whiche youre Sentiaries dooeth acknowledge That there is one will of Goddes determination and an other of his precepte or commaundement whiche thei call voluntatem signi As when GOD commaunded Abraham to kill his soonne he declared one wille by his commaundemente and yet the ende declared that he willed not the deathe of Isaac These diuerse willes are not repugnant in God neither dooeth he intende contrary thynges by theim but suche as maie well stande together For he determined to saue Isaac for his promise sake and yet to trie the obedience of Abraham by the commaundemente So when Christe preached to Hierusalem he determined to call those onely that were elect of God and yet to make the other inexcusable when he offered mercie vnto theim and they by no meanes would receiue it The reste that you adde of the consent of mannes will to bee necessarie vnto iustification is so impertinent that I muse what you meaned to speake one woorde of it For who euer saied that God woorketh in the faithe of
that Christe onely is the heade of his vniuersall Churche wee doe it not to the honour of Christ but wée include the negation of a farre better thing that is the supremacie of the Pope Whiche by your assertion is a farre more better thyng then the supremacie of christ So when we affirme that onely the scripture must bee the rule of true Religion it maketh nothyng for Religion to worshippe God as he hath commaunded but it includeth a negation of vnwritten verities whiche are farre more better thinges then the scripture When we affirme that we must put our trust in God alone we doe no honour to God therby but we denie that men muste put their trust in creatures which by your rule is a farre more better thyng then to putte our truste in God alone When wee affirme that wée must praie to God alone it perteineth nothyng to Gods seruice but includeth the negation of praiyng vnto sainctes whiche is a farre more better thyng then to pray vnto god And when we affirme that the onely Sacrifice of Christes passion is sufficiente for our saluation we yelde no honour to God thereby but denie the Sacrifice of the Masse whiche is a farre better thyng then the Sacrifice of Christes passiō And thus if I had leasure and pleasure as you haue to number examples by tennes and by twenties I might reherse a whole hundreth of the like sorte The Papiste As for example their affirmation that it is lawfull for Priestes to take wiues is a denial of chaste and continent life of priestes whiche as the Apostle sainct Paule saieth is muche farre better The aunswere Wee so affirme marriage of Ecclesiasticall ministers as an honourable and a chaste life neither doe wée denie continēs to those that haue the gifte thereof And whereas you vouche sainct Paule to warantie I aunswere that saincte Paule in no place dooeth require virginitie of Ecclesiasticall persones and wheresoeuer he commendeth it he praiseth it no more in priestes then in laie menne I would all menne were saieth he as I am but euery one hath his proper gifte of God some of one sorte and some of an other j. Cor. vij The Papiste Their affirmation that Freers Monkes and Nonnes maie mary together is a flatte deniyng of the vowe of chastetie which by sainct Paules iudgemente is farre better The aunswere Wée denie not the obseruation of any promises or vowes whiche are lawfull for menne to make and possible for them to performe Neither doeth saincte Paule at any time commende any suche vowes or allowe them to bée kepte but geueth a generall rule that to auoide fornication lett euery manne haue his wife and euery woman her housebande j. Cor. vij And if a virgine marrie she sinneth not so that if you would vnderstande virgines in that place for vowed Nonnes you should manifestely contrary your self that coumpte it so heinous a matter for a Nonne to marrie And as for the widowes whiche as I said before made no vowes to God but promises to the churche if you would needes vnderstande theim for Nonnes Sainct Paule saieth it is better for them that are vnder three score yere old to marie and beare children then to vowe chastitie j. Timo. v. The Papiste Their affirmatiō that the diuorced man maie againe marie is a plaine deniall of reconciliacion whiche ought to bee made againe betwixt man and wife the Apostle saincte Paule geuyng counsell thereof that the womā beyng departed from her housebande shoulde remaine vnmaried to bee reconciled againe vnto her housebande The aunswere Concernyng diuorses if that whiche wee wishe might take place all controuersies should bee cutte of For we wishe that adulterers accordyng to the lawe of God should be punished with death But if the Ciuile Lawe dooeth faile in that poincte the nexte remeadie for the innocente partie is diuorcemente and after deuorcement marriage if he can not liue vnmarried For our sauiour Christ excepteth the case of fornication as well for marriage after deuorcemente as for the diuorcemente it self Math. xix And for amendemente of the partie offendant the Ecclesiasticall sworde of Excommunication muste bee drawne out whiche muste continue so longe vpon the offendour vntill his vnfeigned and hartie repentance doe sufficiently appeare to the Congregation Whiche in that case maie not refuse to receiue him againe The partie then so receiued bothe of god and the church and not beyng able to leade to a continente life is at libertie to marrie also in the Lorde For the firste marriage by the diuorcemente is as clearely dissolued as if it had neuer been And as concernyng the reconciliation sainct Paule speaketh of he meaneth not betwene them that are lawfully diuorced But betwene those that separate them selues without a sufficiente cause whiche is onely fornication Like as our sauiour Christ when he saith that who so marrieth her that is putte awaie committeth adulterie vnderstandeth of her that is vnlawfully putte awaie for any other cause beside fornication in all whiche causes the case of adulterie onely excepted she continueth still wife to hym that did putte her awaie so that he whiche marrieth her marrieth an other mannes wife and so committeth adulterie But she that is diuorsed for adulterie is no mannes wife and therefore he that marrieth her committeth none adulterie The Papiste Their affirmation that breade and wine is the whole substance of the holy Eucharistia is a plaine deniall of Christes very bodie in the same whiche is muche farre better and a thinge of a farre more greater price then breade and wine is So that by their affirmations thei doe nothing better but soner appaire and diminishe the preciousnes of euerie thing they medle with all The aunswere Wée do not so affirme bread and wine in the Sacrament that we denie the presence of the bodie and bloud of Christe to the faithe of the worthie receiuer But that grosse and carnall presence whiche you dooe faigne to bee receiued as well of wicked menne as of Godlie whiche immagination beyng of fleshe without the spirite our Sauiour Christe affirmeth to be altogether vnprofitable For if you did not separate it from the spirite it muste nedes giue life to those that receiue it As Christe hymself affirmeth whosoeuer eateth his fleshe and drinketh his blood hath life euerlastyng Ihon. vj. Againe you feigned presence is vnpossible to the nature of his humaine bodie whiche he hath in al poinctes like to ours sinne excepted Heb. ij and. iiij The Papiste And by their affirmation that onely saieth doth iustifie they doe denie all other thinges els as Baptisme penaunce Confirmation the holy Eucharistia hope charity and generally all kinde of good workes For all learnyng doeth agree of three kindes of Iustifications to be expressed in holy scripture whereof the firste iustication is Qua quis ex impio fit iustus wherby a mā is made of a wicked man and a member of the Deuill a good manne and a verie member of Christe the whiche iustification