is taught to do them and god also many tymes dothe temporally rewarde men for doing the same yet they be not meritoriouse nor auaylable to the atteynynge of euerlasting life whan they be not done in the faythe of Christe and therfore be not accompted amonge the good workes wherof we do here intreat but we speake of suche outwarde and inwarde workes as god hath prepared for vs to walke in and be done in the faith of Christe for loue and respecte to god and can not be brought forthe onely by mans power but he must be preuented and holpen therto by a speciall grace And these workes be of two sortes for some be such as men truely iustified and so continuinge do worke in charitie of a pure harte and a good conscience and an vnfayned faith Which workes although they be of them selues vnworthy vnperfect and vnsufficient yet for as moch as they be done in the faith of Christe and by the vertue merites of his passion theyr vnperfectues is supplied the mercifull goodnes of god accepteth them as an obseruation and fulfillinge of his lawe and they be the very seruice of god and be meritoryouse towardes the atteyninge of euerlastinge lyfe And these be called the workes and fruites of rightuousnesse Other workes there be whiche be not so perfect as these yet they be done by the grace of god in faith and good affection of harte towardes god as those be which mē that haue ben in deadly sinne and by grace turne to god do worke bring forthe vpon respecte and remorse that they haue for theyr offences done against god And these may be called proprely the workes of penance As for exaumple whan a sinner hearing or remembring the lawe of god is moued by grace to be contrite and sorye for his offences and beginneth to lament his estate to fall to prayer and other good dedes seking to auoide the indignatiō of god and to be reconciled in to his fauour These workes come of grace but yet this mā is not to be accompted a iustified man but he is yet in sekinge remission of his sinnes and his iustification which the anguishe of his own conscience telleth him that he yet wanteth but he is in a good way and by these meanes doth entre into iustification and if he do procede with harty deuotion seke for further grace he shall be assured of remission of his sinnes and atteine his iustification and so be made able and mete to walke in the very pure seruice of god with a cleane conscience and to bringe forth the foresaide workes of rightuousnes in Christ which he can not do afore he be iustified And that suche workes of penance as we haue spoken of be required to the atteining of remission of synnes and iustification It is very euident and playne by scripture as when our sauiour Christe sayth Be penitent and beleue the gospel Marc i. that is to say Fyrst be contrite and knowlege your synnes than receiue the glad tidinges of remission of your sinnes And saint Iohn Baptist preached penance and made a way vnto Christ and taught men whiche came vnto hym what they shuld do to come vnto Christe and to haue remission of sinnes by hym as it is wryten in the thirde chapiter of Luke and specially that they which be ones christened and afterwarde fall from the grace of god by mortall syn can not recouer their iustification without penāce it is playne by the saying of saynt Peter vnto Simon Magus where he sayeth Act. vii Do penance for this thy wyckendnes and praye god if peraduenture this thought of thy hart may be forgyuen vnto the. And truely this waye and forme of doctrine is to be obserued which is the very trade of scripture wherin men be taught firste to leaue synnes and to retourne by workes of penance vnto god and that than they shall receiue remission of synnes and iustification And although suche workes of penance be required in vs towardes the atteining of remission of synnes and iustification yet the same iustification and remission of sinnes is the free gifte of god and conferred vnto vs Gratis that is to say of the grace of god wherby we doyng suche thynges and hauing suche motions and workes of penance be prepared and made more apte to receiue further grace of remission of our sinnes and iustification And it is not inconuenient that suche thynges shulde through grace be done by vs fyrst and yet it shulde be sayd that we receyue the sayde gyft freely For Christe sayth in the reuelation of saynt Iohn Qui sitit ueniat Apo. xxii qui uult accipiat aquam uitae gratis He that is thristy let hym come and he that woll lette hym take the water of lyfe frely Where he affyrmeth this gyfte of god to be freely gyuen conferred and yet there is required some labour before as to haue a wyll and desire to come which cōming can not be without arising by faithe and penance proceding in the same so to take the water of lyfe that is to say iustificatiō through our sauiour Christ whiche ones receiued in baptisme or after baptisme being recouered by penance although man dayly do offende and fall into dyuers veniall synnes by reason of his infirmitie and weakenesse and therfore hath nede of continuall and dayly repentance Yet as longe as he consenteth not to deadely sinne he leseth not the state of his iustification but remaineth styll the chyld of god And being in that state hath power by goddis grace dwellyng in hym to do suche workes as by acceptation of god through Christ be compted workes of rightuousnes and do serue for the preseruation and encrease of his farther iustification and be appointed by goddis most gratious promyse to haue euerlasting rewarde in heauen Whiche bothe inward and outwarde workes be not onely the declaring of our faith and confidence in god and of the grace whiche we haue receyued but also a continual exercyse nourishment preseruation encrease and perfection of the same For yf we shulde not after that we haue professed Christe apply our wyll to worke well accordyng to our sayd profession than shulde we falle from the grace of god and the estate of rightuousnes and iustification whiche we were ones set in and become agayne the seruantes of synne And as saint Peter saith we shuld be in wors case ii Pet. ii than we were before we receyued the knowlege of Christ And that we encreace in grace by workynge in the grace of god ones receyued it appereth by the worde of our sauiour Christ where he saith Omni habenti dabitur abundabit Meaning therby that who so euer vseth well the grace of god whiche is offred vnto hym al redy he shall haue more waxe plentyfull in grace wherfore as we contynue and perseuere in good workes so more and more we go forward and procede in our iustification and in encreasyng
take not hede he wyll returne with seuen worse spirites and possesse vs a gaine And althoughe we be illuminat and haue tastid the heauenly gift and be made partakers of the holy gost yet may we fal and displease god Wherfore as saint Paule saith He that standeth ◠Corin. x let hym take bede that he fal not And here all phantasticall imagination curyous reasoning and vain trust of predestination is to be laid apart And according to the plain maner of speaking teaching of scripture in innumerable places we ought euermore to be in dreade of our owne frailtie naturall pronitie to fall to synne not to assure our selfe that we be elected any other wyse than by feling of spiritual motiōs in our hart and by the tokens of good and vertuous liuing in folowing the grace of god and perseuerynge in the same to the ende ii Petri. ii And this sainte Peter exhorteth vs to make our vocation and election sure and stable And Christ saieth Ma. xxii He that perseuereth vnto the ende shal be saued And in reuelation of saint Iohn Be faithful vnto death Apoc. ii and I shal giue the the crown of life Wherfore whan we be ones elected and admitted vnto goddis seruice as is aforesayde and haue receyued our iustification in baptisme or be restored thervnto by true penance than muste we continually walke after Christ bearyng our crosse and encreasinge in his grate by good workes and so doing procede go forwarde and encreace in our Iustificatiō according to the saieng of saint Iohn He that is iuste let him be more iustified For as the grace of god and the giftes therof that is to saye fayth repentance dreade hope charitie with other fruites of the holy gost do encreace in vs so do we waxe and encreace in our Iustification And therfore it is playne that not onely fayth as it is a distincte vertu or gifte by it selfe is required to our iustificatiō but also the other giftes of the grace of god with a desire to do good workes proceding of the the same grace And where as in certain places of scripture our iustification is ascribed to faith without any further additiō or mētion of any other vertue or gift of god it is to be vnderstand of faith in the second acception as before is declared in the article of faith wherin the feare of god repentance hope and charitie be included and comprysed all whiche must be ioyned together in our Iustification So that no fayth is sufficient to Iustification or saluation but suche a fayth as worketh by charitie as is playnely expressed by saint Paule in his epistle to the Galathians And that also our good workes Gala. v. which we do being ones iustified by faith and charitie auaile bothe to the conseruation and perfection of the said vertues in vs and also to the encreace and ende of our Iustification and euerlastinge saluation And althoughe we can neuer be iustified without these gyftes of the holy goste faith repentance hope charitie with desyre and study to bring forthe good workes Yet it is to be vnderstande that neuerthelesse we be iustified Gratis that is to say frely for as moche as all giftes or workes whereby our iustification is wroughte and accomplyshed come of the free mercy and grace of god and not of our deseruing So that our pride and glory in our selfe and our owne worthynes is vtterly excluded For we be not able of our selues as of our selues not as moche as to thinke any good thing but our ablenes and our sufficiency is of god which giueth vs the sayd gyftes of his own inestimable goodnes and dothe also assiste vs with his holy spirite and strength vs to kepe his commandementes And further where our kepyng of them is vnperfect and euen in the beste men wanteth a greate deale of that duetye to god whiche they ought and be bound to do yet almighty god of his mere mercye and goodnes accepteth the same as a perfecte fulfillynge of them for our sauiour Christis sake which hath fulfilled the law for vs and is the ende and perfection of the lawe to all that truely beleue in him And so we haue all Gratis that is to saye of his grace and not of our worthinesse or any merite goinge before grace but receiuing all of god as saint Paule saith i. Cor. iii. what hast thou that thou hast not receiued we referre all vnto his goodnes and mercy by the whiche we both come vnto the beginnynge of our iustification and do procede and go forwarde in the same and finally atteyne the ende therof and be brought to euerlasting life vnto the which the very way appoynted by Christe whose worde no man may change is to kepe and obserue the cōmandementes of god for he saith expressely If thou wylt enter into lyfe Math. xix kepe the commandementes that is apply thy hole study and affection to walke in the law of god wherin if thou perseuere thou shalt be saued And so after thy iustification thou shalte be glorified according to the order of god whiche saynte Paule speaketh of whan he sayth Quos iustificauit Illos glorificauit ⧠The article of good workes AL preaching and learnynge of the word of god in Christis churche ought to tende to this ende that men maye be induced not onely to knowe god and to beleue and truste in hym but also to honour and serue hym with good workes wrought in faith and charitie and vtterly to forsake the workes of synne and the fleshe which who so euer do committe excepte they repent and amend by penance they shal not as saint Paul saith inherite the kingdome of god And that holy scripture goth to this pointe to persuade men to lyue well and to do good workes saint Paule testifieth saienge vnto Timothe All scripture writen by the inspiration of god 〈…〉 is profitable to teache to reproue to correcte to instructe that the seruaunte of god may be perfecte and made apt vnto euery good worke And where as we speake of good workes it is to be vnderstand that we meane not only of outwarde corporall actes and dedes but also and rather of al inwarde spiritual workes motions and desires as the loue and feare of god ioye in god godly meditations and thoughtes pacience humilitie and such lyke And also it is to be vnderstande that by good workes we meane not the superstitiouse workes of mennes owne inuention whiche be not commanded of god nor approued by his worde in whiche kynde of workes many christen men and specially of them that were lately called religious as monkes friers nunnes and suche other haue in times past put theyr great truste and confidence Nor yet we meane not of suche moral actes as be done by the power of reason and naturall will of man without fayth in Christ which albeit of their owne kinde they be good and by the lawe and light of nature man
be neuer soo cleane winowed and purged from the chaffe yet if it be caste into the ground and sowen the newe whiche springeth of it is full of chaffe agayne vntyll it be also wynowed and clensed So lykewyse the chyldren of christen men be full of chaffe and corruptution of originall sinne vntyl that by baptisme they be washed clensed and purged from the same as their parentes were And where as we haue before shewed that originall synne is remitted and taken awaye by baptisme bothe in infantes and all other whiche hauyng the vse of reason duely receyue the same Yet further we thynke good to note a speciall vertue and efficacy of this sacramēt of baptisme Whiche is That all be it there remayne in vs that be christened a certaine infirmitie or inclination of synne called Concupiscence whyche by lustes and desyres moueth vs many tymes to synne and wickednes yet almighty god of his great mercye and goodnes hath giuen vs suche grace in this his holy sacramēt of baptisme that such carnall and fleshly lustes and desyres shal or can in no wise hurt vs if we do not consent vnto theym And by the same grace also conferred vnto vs in baptisme we be made more strong and able to resist and withstand the sayde concupiscences and carnall desyres than is any other man which neuer was christened Farthermore for as moche as in these dayes certain heresies haue risen sprong vp against the christenyng of infantes It is to be noted that as the holy doctours of the church do testifie the vniuersall consent of the churches in al places of all tymes vsyng frequēting the christening of infantes is a sufficient witnes profe that this custome of the church in baptising of infantes was vsed by Christis apostles them selues by them gyuē vnto the churche and in the same hath ben alwais continued euen vnto these dayes And this custome and perpetuall vsage of the churche euen from the beginning is agreable with the saying of saint Paul Christ loued his church Ephe. v. hath giuen hym selfe to the death for his churches sake to sanctify her make her holy in clēsing her by the foūtain of water in his word c. So that no mā is nor can be of this church but he which is clēsed by the sacrament of baptisme Lyke as the texe before alledged sheweth where Christe saith Ioan. iii. who so euer is not born againe of water and the holy gost shal not enter into the kyngdome of heauen Wherfore seing that out of the churche neyther infantes nor noo man elles can be saued they muste nedes be christened and clensed by baptisme and so incorporated into the churche And as the infancye of the chyldren of the Hebrues in the old testament did not let but that they were made participant of the grace and benefite giuen in circumcision Euen so in the newe testamēt the infancy of chyldren doth not let but that they may and ought to be baptised and so receyue the graces and vertues of the same In this parte also it is to be noted that children or men ones baptised ought neuer to be baptised agayne And all good christen men ought and muste repute and take all the Anabaptistes the Pelagians opinions whiche be contrary to the premisses euery other mans opinion agreable vnto the said Anabaptistes or the Pelagians in that behalfe for detestable heresies and vtterly to be condemned Moreouer for bycause as well this sacrament of baptisme as all other sacramentes instituted by Christe haue all theyr vertue efficacy and strength by the worde of god which by his holy spirite worketh al the graces vertues which be giuen by the sacramentes to all those that worthily receyue the same We must vnderstand knowe that although he which doth minister the sacrament be of a sinful euill conuersation yet the vertue and effect of the sacrament is therby nothing diminished or hurted neither in infantes nor yet in them whiche beinge indued with the vse of reason come thervnto truly contrite and penitent of al their sinnes done before beleuyng confessing all the articles of the Crede and hauyng a sure fayth and truste in the promises of god of remission of their synnes and purposing euer after to lyue a christen lyfe Finally this sacrament of baptisme may wel be called a couenant betwene god and vs wherby god testifieth that he for his sonne Christis sake iustifieth vs that is to say forgiueth vs our synnes and indueth vs with his holy spirite giueth vs suche gracis that therby we be made able to walke in the workes of iustyce ordeyned by god to be exercysed of vs in this present lyfe to the glory and prayse of god And so perseueryng to enioye the fruite of the lyfe euerlastyng And we agayne vpon our parte ought moste diligently to remembre and keepe the promyse that we in baptisme haue made to almighty god that is to beleue only in him onely to serue and obey hym to forsake all synne and the workes of Satan to mortifie our affections of the flesshe and to lyue after the spirite in a newe lyfe Of whiche promyse and couenant by vs made to god saint Paule putteth vs in remembrance sayeng Knowe ye not that all we Rom. vi whiche are baptised in Iesu Christe are baptised to dye with hym for we be buryed with hym by baptisme to dye that lykewyse as Christ was raysed vp from deathe by the glory of his father euen soo we shulde walke in a newe lyfe By the whiche wordes saint Paule giueth vs to vnderstande that all we whiche be baptised in Christe that is to saye whiche by baptisme are incorporated in to the mystycall body of Christe haue professed and bounde ourselfe in baptisme to dye from synne and vtterly to absteyne from the corruption of our olde synfull lyfe and to walke and procede in a newe lyfe of grace and the spirite into the whiche we are called by the worde of god and by faythe and due receyuyng of this holy sacramente are brought and sette into the same The sacrament of penance FOr the cleere vnderstanding of this sacramente it is to be consydered what penance is also what is the sacrament of penance Penance is an inward sorowe and griefe of the harte for the synnes by vs doone and committed and an hatrede and detestation of the same with an earnest desyre to be purged frome them and to recouer agayne the grace and fauour of god by suche meanes and remedies as god hath appoynted for the obteynyng therof with a stedfast purpose and mynde neuer to offende agayn For he that sayeth that he is sory for his offences commytted agaynst the hyghe maiestie of god and yet styll contynueth or intendeth to contynue in the same is no penytent person but a dissembler or rather a deryder of penance And thus is penaunce commonly taken in the scripture as welle in the
that she is the most blessed of all other women And to th entent that all good christen men shulde repute and take her so Beholde the prouidence of god that wolde by annother wytnesse confirme the same for euen the very same wordes that the aungell spake the blessed matrone saint Elyzabeth spake also and where the angell made an ende there she beganne The angell made an end of his salutation with these wordes Blessed art thou amonge women The blessed matrone began her salutation with the same wordes declarynge that she was inspired with the same spirite that sent the aungell and that they were both ministers to the holy Trinitie the one from heauen the other in earth And afterward she added these wordes saying And blessed is the fruite of thy wombe These be not the wordes of the angel but of saint Elizabeth For whan the vyrgin Mary came to salute her the sayd Elizabeth beyng inspired with the holy goste and knowyng that the virgine Mary was conceyued spake these wordes of the fruite that the virgine shulde bring forth And there is also an other wonderfull thyng to be noted For as it appereth in the gospell the child in saynt Elizabethes wombe that is to say saynt Iohn Baptist whiche yet had scant lyfe gaue testimony to this Fruite that this fruite shulde saue hym and all the worlde and as a prophete he lepte for ioy in his mothers wombe although he could not than speake yet neuertheles he declared by such signes and tokens as he could that blessed was the fruite of that wombe And worthily called the fruit of her wombe in that the substance of the nature of man whiche our sauiour Christe toke vppon him was taken of the substance and nature of the moste blessed virgin and in her wombe And so is called the fruite of her wombe And well he may be called the blessed fruite whiche hath saued vs and gyuen vs lyfe contrary to the cursyd fruite whych Eue gaue to Adam by whyche we were destroyed and brought to deathe But blessed is the fruite of this wombe whyche is the fruite of life euerlasting And it is to be noted that although this salutation be not a prayer of petition supplication or request or suit Yet neuertheles the church hath vsed to adioyn it to the end of the Pater noster as an himne or a praier of laude and praise partly of our lorde sauiour Iesu Christe for our redemtion and partly of the blessed virgin for her humble coÌ„sent gyuen expressed to the angell at this salutation Laudes praise and thankes ar in this Aue Maria principally gyuen yelded to our lorde as to the autour of our redemption But herewithal the virgin lackith not her laudes praise and thankes for her excellent and singular vertues and chiefly for that she beleued humbly consented according to the saying of the holy matrone saint Elizabeth whan she said vnto this virgine Blessed arte thou that dyddest gyue trust and credence to the angels wordes for al thinges that haue ben spoken vnto the shall be perfourmed The article of free wyll THe coÌ„mandementes threatninges of almighty god in scripture wherby man is called vpon and put in remembraunce what god wolde haue hym to do moste euydently do expresse and declare that man hath freewyll also nowe after the falle of our fyrste father Adam as plainely appereth in these places folowyng Rom. xii i. Tim. iiii i. Ioan. ii Mat. xix Be not ouercome of euyll Neglecte not the grace that is in the. Loue not the worlde c. If thou wylte enter into lyfe kepe the commandementes Which vndoubtedly shulde be saide in vayne onelesse there were some facultie or power lefte in man wherby he may by the helpe and grace of god if he wil receiue it when it is offered vnto him vnderstand his coÌ„mandemeÌ„tes and frely consent and obey vnto them whiche thyng of the catholyke fathers is called Freewyll Free wyll which if we wil describe we may cal it coÌ„ueniently in all men A certayne power of the wyll ioyned with reson wherby a resonable creature without constraint in thinges of reason discerneth and willeth good and euil but it willeth not that good whiche is acceptable to god except it be holpen with grace but that whiche is yll it willeth of it selfe and therfore other men defyned frewyll in this wise Frewyl is a power of reson will by which good is chosen by the assistance of grace or euil is choseÌ„ without the assistaÌ„ce of the same Howbeit the state and condition of freewylle was otherwyse in our fyrste parentes before they synned than it was either in them or in theyr posteritie after they hadde synned For our fyrste parentes Adam and Eue vntyll they wounded and ouerthrewe them selfe by synne had so in possession the said power of freewyll by the moste lyberall gyfte and grace of god their maker that not onely they myght eschue all maner of synne but also knowe god and loue hym and fulfylle all thynges apperteynyng to theyr felicitie and welthe For they were made ryghtuous and to the ymage and symilitude of god hauing power of frewyll as Chrisostom sayth to obey or disobey So that by obedience they myght liue and by disobedience they shuld worthyly deserue to dye For the wyse man affirmeth that the state of them was of that sort in the beginning saying thus Eâ—…l xvi God in the beginning did create man and left hym in the handes of his owne counsell he gaue vnto him his preceptes and coÌ„mandementes saying If thou wylt kepe the coÌ„mandemeÌ„tes they shall preserue the he hath set afore the fyre and water put furth thy handes to whether thou wylt before man is lyfe and deth good euyl what him liketh that shall he haue From this moste happy state our fyrst parentes falling by disobedieÌ„ce most greuously hurted them selues and theyr posteritie For besides many other euils that came by the transgression the high power of mans reason fredome of wyll were wounded and corrupted and all men therby brought in to such blyndnes and infirmitie that they can not eschue sinne except they be illumined and made free by an especiall grace that is to say by a supernatural helpe and working of the holy goste whiche although the goodnes of god offereth to all men yet they onely enioye it whyche by their free wyll do accepte and imbrace the same Nor they also that be holpen by the sayde grace can accomplyshe and performe thynges that be for their welth but with moch labour endeuour so great is in our nature the corruption of the fyrst synne the heuy hurdein bering vs down to euyl For truly albeit the light of reason doth abide yet it is moche darkened with moch difficultie both discerne thinges that be inferior ê‘teyne to their present life but to vnderstaÌ„d perceyue thinges that be spiritual ê‘teyn to the euerlastiÌ„g life it
is of it self vnable And so likewise although there remayn a certain fredom of will in those thinges which do ê‘teyn vnto the desires workes of this present life yet to ê‘forme spirituall heuenly thinges Frewyl of it self is insufficieÌ„t and therfore the power of mans frewyl being thus wounded decayed hath nede of a phisition to heale it and an helpe to repaire it that it may receyue lyght and streÌ„gth wherby it may se and haue power to do those godly spiritual thynges which before the fall of AdaÌ„ it was able might haue done Ps Cxviii To this blyndnes and infirmitie of mans nature procedyng of original synne the prophet Dauid had regard whan he desired his eies to be lightned of almighty god that he might consider the meruaylous thinges that be in his lawe And also the prophet Hieremy saying Hele me O lord and I shal be made hole Hier. xviii Saint Augustine also playnely declareth the same saying We conclude that frewyll is in man after his fall whiche thyng who so denieth is not a catholike man but in spirituall desyres workes to please god it is so weake and feble that it can not either beginne or performe them onelesse by the grace and helpe of god it be preuented and holpen And hereby it appereth that mans strength and wyll in all thynges whiche be helthfull to the soule and shal please god â–ª hath nede of grace of the holy goste by whiche such spirituall thinges be inspired to men and strength and constance giuen to perfourme them if men do not wylfully refuse the sayde grace offered vnto them ¶ And lykewyse as many thynges be in the scripture whiche doo shewe freewylle to be in man so there be no fewer places in scripture whiche do declare the grace of god to be so necessary that if by it freewyl be not preuented and holpen it can neither do nor wyll any thyng â—…n xv good and godly Of which sorte be these scriptures folowynge without me ye can do nothing No man commeth to me Iohn vi ii Cor. iii. except it be gyuen hym of my father we be not sufficient of our selfe as of our selfe to thinke any good thing Accordyng vnto whiche scriptures and suche other like it foloweth that free wyll before it maye wyll or think any godly thing must be holpen by the grace of Christ and by his spirite be preuented and inspyred that it may be able therto And being so made able may from thensforthe worke togither with grace and by the same susteyned holpen and mainteyned may do and accomplyshe good workes auoyd synne perseuere also and encrease in grace It is surely of the grace of god onely that fyrst we be inspired and moued to any good thynge but to resyst temptations and to persyste in goodnes and go forwarde it is bothe of the grace of god and of our free wyll and endeuour And fynally after we haue perseuered to the end to be crowned with glory therfore is the gift and mercy of god who of his bountifull goodnes hath ordeyned that rewarde to be gyuen after this lyfe accordinge to suche good workes as be done in this lyfe by his grace Therfore men ought with moch diligence and gratitude of mynde to consyder and regarde the inspirations and holsome motions of the holy goste and to imbrace the grace of god whiche is offered vnto them in Christe and moueth theym to good thinges And furthermore to go about by all meanes to shew them self such as vnto whom the grace of god is not gyuen in vayne And whan they doo feele that not withstandinge their diligence yet throughe their owne infirmitie they be not able to doo that they desyre than they oughte earnestly and with a feruent deuotion and stedfast faythe to aske of hym whiche gaue the begynnynge that he wolde vouchesafe to performe it whiche thynge god woll vndoubtedly graunt accordynge to his promyse to suche as perseuere in callynge vppon hym For he is naturally good and willeth al men to be saued and careth for them and prouydeth al thyng by whiche they may be saued except by their owne malice they woll be euil and so by rightuous iudgement of god perishe and be loste For truely men be to theym selues the autours of synne and damnation God is neither autour of sinne nor the cause of damnation And yet dothe he moste ryghtuousely damne those men that do with vices corrupte their nature whyche he made good and doo abuse the same to euyll desyres agaynste his moste holy wyl Wherfore men be to be warned that they do not impute to god their vice or theyr damnatioÌ„ but to them selues whiche by freewyl haue abused the grace and benefites of god All men be also to be monisshed and chiefely preachers that in this hygh matter they lokynge on bothe sydes soo attempre and moderate theym selues that neyther they soo preache the grace of god that they take away therby freewylle Nor on the other syde so extoll free wyll that iniury be done to the grace of god The article of Iustification FOr the more clere vnderstandynge of this article folowynge it is to be noted that all men after the fall of Adam naturally descendyng and comming of him be borne in originall synne that is to saye they lacke that original iustice and innocency wherwith Adam in his creation was endued and whiche also all his posteritie shulde haue had if he throughe his disobedience and breakyng of the commandement of god had not lost the same from hym selfe all his posteritie And further also they be borne with concupiscence wherof springe vnlaufull desires repugnant and contrarye vnto the lawes of god and be giltie to euerlasting deathe and damnation from the whiche they can in no wyse be delyuered by any strength or power that is in them but rather fall daily into further displeasure of god by committyng and addyng of many actuall synnes Wherfore to the entent that man might be deliuered out of this wretched miserable state whervnto he had brought him selfe and might recouer againe the same thinges that were giuen vnto him in his fyrste creation and therby atteyne the euerlasting blisse in heauen it pleased almighty god of his great and infinite mercy and goodnes to sende his owne onely begotten sonne the seconde person in trinitie to take vpon him the nature of man and therin to worke the mistery of our redemtion that is to say to deliuer vs from the captiuitie of the deuill synne and damnation to be the very meane of our reconciliation to god of our iustification And surely this reconciliation of mortal man to the fauor of god immortal did necessarily require such a mediatour betwene them as had in hym selfe the perfect nature of them bothe which is the very propertie of a meane betwene two to be partener with bothe them betwene whom he taketh vpon hym to be a meane For if he be
holely ioyned with the one and clerely separated from the other Than he is not mete to be a mean or mediatour betwene two whiche be at debate and enmitie Wherfore our sauiour Christ being naturally god toke vpon hym the nature of man that he might therby be conuersaunt among men and by his death redeme them yet he stil reteined and kepte his godhead and was both god and man together For if he had ben man onely and not god than his death coulde not haue ben a worthy and sufficient satisfaction for sinne to the iustice of god And if he had ben onely god and not man than he by his bodily conuersation could not haue called vs againe to god nor suffered and died bodily for vs. And this propertie of a mediatour saint Paule consideryng writeth to Timothe That there is but one mediatour betwene god man which is Christ Iesus ◠Tim ii meaning therby that bycause he onely had bothe the natures in hym therfore he onely and none other but he was able to be a sufficient mediatour and meane of our reconciliation to god and of our iustification And for a further declaration how and by what meanes we be made partakers of this benefite of iustification It is to be noted that this word Iustification as it is taken in scripture signifieth the makynge of vs rightuous afore god where before we were vnryghtuous as whan by his grace we conuert vnto him be reconciled into his fauour and of the children of ire and damnatiō we be made the children of god and inheritours of euerlasting life that by his grace we may walke so in his wais that finally we may be reputed taken as iust rightuous in the day of iudgement so receyue the euerlasting possession of the kingedome of heauen And albeit god is the principal cause chiefe worker of this iustificatiō in vs without whose grace no mā can do no good thyng but folowing his free wil in the state of a sinner encreaseth his owne iniustice multiplieth his sinne Yet so it pleaseth the hyghe wysdome of god that man preuented by his grace which being offered man maye if he wyll refuse or receiue shall be also a worker by his free consent obedience to the same in the atteinyng of his owne iustification and by goddis grace and helpe shall walke in such workes as be requisite to his iustification so continuing come to the perfect end therof by such meanes waies as god hath ordeyned Wherin it is to be considered that although our sauiour CHRIST hath offered hym selfe vpon the crosse a sufficient redemption satisfaction for the synnes of al the world and hath made hym selfe an open way and entre vnto god the father for al man onely by his worthy merite and deseruynge and willyng all men to be saued calleth vpon al the worlde without respecte of persons to come and be partakers of the ryghtuousnesse peace and glory whiche is in hym yet for al this benignitie grace shewed vniuersally to the hole world none shal haue the effect of this benefit of our sauiour Christ enioy euerlastyng saluatiō by him but they that take suche wayes to atteyne the same as he hath taught and appointed by his holy word in suche ordre maner and fourme as here foloweth that is to say Fyrst as touchynge all them whiche be of age and haue the vse of natural reason afore they be christened the will of god is that all suche if they will be saued shall at the heryng of his blessed worde giue stedfast faith and assente thervnto as saint Paule saith 〈◊〉 xi He that commeth to god must beleue and by that faith groūded on the truth of the word of god beinge taughte bothe of the threatnynges of god agaynst sinners and also of the great goodnes and mercy of god offered to mankinde in our sauiour redemer Christ Iesu they muste conceyue an harty sorowe and repentance for theyr sinnes with a sure trust to haue forgyuenes of them by the merytes passion of our sauiour Christe And ioyninge thervnto a full purpose to amende theyr lyfe and to cōmitte sinne no more but to serue god al their life after they muste than receyue the sacrament of baptisme And this is the very playne ordinary way by the whiche god hath determined that man beynge of age and commynge to christendome shuld be iustified For as for infantes it is to be beleued that their iustification is wrought by the secrete operation of the holy gost in theyr baptisme they beynge offered in the fayth of the churche And this Iustification wherof we haue hitherto spoken may be called the first Iustification that is to say our first cōming into goddis house which is the churche of Christ at whiche comming we be receiued and admitted to be of the flocke and familie of our sauiour Christ and be professed sworne to be the seruantes of god and to be souldiours vnder Christe to fyghte against our ennemies the deuyll the worlde and the fleshe Of whiche enemies if it chaunce vs after our baptisme to be ouerthrowen and caste into mortall synne than is there no remedy but for the recouering of our former estate of Iustification whiche we haue loste to aryse by penance wherin proceding in sorowe and moch lamentation for our sinnes with fasting almesse praier and doing all suche thinges at the leaste in true purpose and will as god requireth of vs we muste haue a sure trust and cōfidence in the mercy of god that for his sonne our sauiour Christis sake he will yet forgiue vs our sinnes and receyue vs vnto his fauour again and so being thus restored to our iustification we must goo forward in our battayle aforesayde in mortifienge our concupiscence and in our dayly spiritual renouation in folowing the motions of the spirite of Christe in doing good workes and absteining from sinne and all occasions therof being armed with faith hope and charitie to the intent we maye atteyne our finall iustification and so be glorified in the day of iugement with the rewarde of euerlasting lyfe Wherfore it is necessary for the keping and holding of this Iustification ones conferred and giue in baptisme or recouered again by penāce through the mercy of our sauiour Christ and also for the encreasynge of the same iustification and fynall consummation therof to take good hede and to watche that we be not deceyued by the false suggestion and temptation of our gostly enemie the deuyll who as saint Peter saith i. Petri. v. goeth about like a roring lion seking whom be may deuour And it is no doubt but although we be ones iustified yet we maye fall there fro by our owne free wyll and consenting vnto sinne folowing the desyres therof For albeit the house of our consciēce be ones made cleane the foule spirite be expelled from vs in baptisme or penance yet if we waxe idle and