et in lege possit deleri hoc decreuit vt solam fidem poneret per quam onmium peccata aboleret vt quia nulla spes per legem omnibus hominibus erat dei misericordia saluarentur Because sin began to be increased by the craft of the aduersary that man through the restraint mought bee found more giltie God of hys mercifull goodnes alwayes carefull for man that that which without law was transgressed might in the lawe be blotted out decreed this Namely to appoint fayth onely to be the meane whereby he would extinguish the sinne of all men that seing no hope was left to any man in the lawe they might by the mercy of God be saued Agayne the same Ambrose In Christo Iesu data est gratia quia hoc constitutum est vt qui credit in Christum saluus sit sine opere sola fide gratîs accipiens remissionem peccatorum In Christ Iesu is grace geuen forasmuch as this with God is decreed that who so beleueth in Christ is saued by fayth only without worke receauing freely forgeuenes of sinnes Agayne Hillarius vpon the 8. of Mathew hath these wordes Sola fides iustisicat onely fayth doth iustifie Notwithstandyng these authorities of Scriptures and fathers yet do the aduersaries kéepe styll theyr brasen faces and stoutly sweare it stare it out that none but heretickes and schismatickes affirme that onely faith iustifieth Truely gentle reader if thou béest not setled in error thou cāst not but see their wicked and shameles facing in crying out that we corrupt the scriptures and that none of the fathers gathered out any such sense or meanyng of them concerning which matter thou hast heard diuers of them tell theyr owne tales Now it is here principally to be noted that wher mans iustification is a free remission of sinnes and imputation of righteousnes vnto hym through fayth in Christ it may be that because the phrase of the Scriptures of these aucthorityes attribute the same so many tymes to fayth that therefore some myght gather thereby that fayth is the efficiēt cause of mans iustification which is not so for the efficient cause is onely God euē as sinful mā destitute of Gods grace is the materiall cause and as the declaratiō of Gods iustice righteousnesse in performaunce of hys free promyse to the encrease of the glory of hys grace is the finall cause And forasmuch as vnto this worke two instrumentes were requisite the one to be vsed by God whiche was Chryst of whom hée made the sacrifice and offeryng the other to be vsed by man whiche is fayth Therefore that fayth beyng as I saide the instrument whiche taketh holde of the promyse hath relation vnto the obiecte of fayth Namely vnto Chryst and the promyse and so hath the title of iustification imputed vnto it for so sayth the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and God imputed that to him for righteousnesse Whyche Paule dyuers tymes rehearseth to shewe that fayth is not the efficient cause of iustificatyon but the obiecte of fayth Namelye Chryst and the promyse And that fayth receyueth the tytle thereof onelye by imputation and not by proprietie of nature Namely because it is that wherewith man taketh holde of Christ and the promise whiche I thought worthy the notyng Thus hauyng shewed the nature of the newe couenaunt touchyng mans iustification and that fayth is the onely meane required in man to the attaynement thereof it followeth Cap. 9. ¶ To know the certayne tokens of that fayth wherunto iustification is imputed and the difference betwene the workes of the faythfull the works required in the law FAyth beyng the gift of God as Paule to the Phillippians affirmeth for vnto you sayth he it is geuen not onelye to beleue in Christ but also to suffer for hym fayth I say beyng the gyft of God is accompanyed wyth newnesse of lyfe which possesseth suche beautyes of Gods grace as forthwyth kyndle the soule or mynde wyth desire of true obedyence vnto God by ingraftyng hym both into the similitude of the death of Christ whereby he dyeth vnto sinne and also into the similitude of hys resurrection whereby hée ryseth vnto a newe lyfe beyng sure that the olde man of synne is crucified that henceforth hée shoulde no more be seruaunt to sinne So that now she trayneth hys affection towardes the thynges aboue from the thynges on the earth in that hée is dead to synne his life béeing hydden in Chryst wyth God whereby hée laboureth to mortifye the affectiōs of the earthly members as hauing put of the olde man with hys workes and put on the new whiche is renued in knowledge after the Image of God shapen vnto righteousnesse and true holines laboring not to greue the spirite of God by whom he is sealed vnto the daye of redemption but knowing himselfe the temple of the holy ghost laboreth to clense and purifie the same Whiche desire is not now kindled in hym as in respecte of merite but as proper and peculiar vnto the faith which through grace hath takē the possession of the mind wherby he is trāsformed into the similitude of Chryst so that where before he yelded himselfe seruant vnto all the workes of the fleshe now contrarywise he laboureth to pursue all the woorkes proper vnto the spirite Beyng certayne that the grace of God whyche bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth hym that hée shoulde denye vngodlinesse and worldly lust◠and that he should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present lyfe Séeyng Chryst gaue him selfe for him to redéeme him from all vnrighteousnesse to purge hym peculiar vnto him selfe feruently geuen to good workes that so he might walke worthy of the Lorde in all thinges that please being fruitfull in all good woorkes and increasing to the knowledge of God because hée is hys workemanshyp created in Chryst Iesus vnto good woorkes whiche God ordayned that he shoulde walke in them Now forasmuch as these be the proprieties or fruites belongyng to regeneration whyche entreth wyth true fayth Therefore presentlye where soeuer she taketh place shée maketh her selfe knowne by these effectes and forthwith vpon her arriuall begynneth fight with the olde man of sinne and déedes of the same And whereas before whilèst the strong armed man namely the deuill kept the pallace that is possessed the soule or mynde all thinges were in peace that is man slumbred in security féelyng no fight in conscience Now so soone as a stronger commeth in place namelye the holy ghost furnishyng the minde with true faith whereupon newnes of lyfe and true godlinesse atténde Then foorthwyth entreth man into the christian fight for presently all the forenamed graces are encountred by the deuyll and the corruptyon of hys sinfull and rebellious nature according to these sayinges Hostis noster adhuc in hac vita nos positos quanto magis nos sibi rebellare
and although the people to whom the lawe was geuen namely the Iewes fantised vnto them selues a certayne foolishe satisfaction by outwarde shewe of holynes which grew through their negligence in not serching diligently the spirituall nature of the law which requireth as is shewed the entire inclination and naturall obedience of the whole man Although the Iewes I say fantised by thys occasion such a satisfaction yet that nothyng hindered the purpose of God who saw their blynde presumption from establishyng thys new couenaunt which for hys truth sake he promysed shoulde be a perfecte reconcilement betwene hym man The which couenaunt in déede is nothyng els but the accomplishment or ende of 〈…〉 ld couenaunt and yet called new in respect of the olde promise and for that the same is now deliuered a new and consummat by the mediatot hymselfe To the which couenaunt he séeketh no other conditions then that which from all eternity he had appoynted And that whereunto the whole drift of all hys trauell both before the lawe and in the lawe and new vnder grace had the onely respecte as vnto the appoynted ende that the glory as of ryght apperteyned myght be onely hys namely vppon the condition of hys owne truth that is to say that as God is true so can he not but accept the satisfaction of Christ the promised séede for the full and omnisufficient raunsome of all them that take holde of the same vnto whom of his free fauour he had bound hymselfe by promise concernyng the same in promising that he should iustifie the multitude and beare away theyr sins And Paule declaryng the order of the performaunce of that promyse affirmeth that thys iustification is the frée gyft of God in respect of Christ apprehended by fayth For thus he writeth to the Ephesians By grace are you saued through faith and not of your selues it is the gift of God and not of workes least any man should boast hym Now forasmuch as it is here declared to be the frée or liberall gift of God in that hée sayth By grace or fauour which argueth the fredome of the gift Therefore hath the expectation of man for the attainement thereof onelye to awayte vppon the frée bountye or liberalitie of God and from thence onelye to acknowledge the same receiued without all desert seeing it is geuen of grace or fauour The meanes also whereby it is receaued or applyed vnto man is euidentlye declared in that hee saith through faith whereby fayth appeareth to bée the instrument which vnto man is geuen of God to take holde of the promises wythall And because ambitious man shoulde haue no colour to thinke him selfe anye furtherer or fellowe worker in this worke he addeth this playne exception and not of your selues to exclud all opinion of mans helpe touching the same Whereunto also for greater euidence of his meanyng he addeth as it were a repetition of the same sentence in other forme of wordes In saying it is the gift of God not of workes whereunto finally he addeth the reason or cause why God so fréely geueth it and why he so earnestlye excepteth man with all his workes from helping towardes the same namely least any man should boast hym that is that vnto man should not be left so muche as the Image or colour of any cause to pretend title to any part of the glory of that worke that the same may be wholy reserued to God alone Now forasmuche as fayth is here expressely taught to be the meanes which apprehendeth the promyse therefore it is by necessary consequence gathered that onely fayth apprehendeth the promyses of God and so onely fayth iustyfieth And now because the waight of thys whole matter dependeth greatly vpon the true vnderstanding of these woordes grace fayth iustification or ryghteousnesse and woorkes therefore I thynke it expedient to bestow some trauell in seuerall declaration of euery of them And first touching Grace forasmuch as in the Scripture it is taken in three senses at the least therefore it is expedient that all be declared to the end it may be more apparant in what sense it is vsed in this place wherefore in this first and principall sense it may thus be defined Grace is a frée beneuolence of the will of God iustifiyng the elect thorough fayth in Christ Now forasmuche as I know the aduersaries will neuer admitte thys definition because it is the ouerthrowe of their rotten building Therfore somewhat to arme the willing reader against the charmes of their wrangling shiftes I will séeke by the scriptures to prous the truth of the same by the parts therof whiche are these first that it is a frée beneuolence of the will of God secondly that it iustifieth the elect through fayth in Christ Now for the first part namelye that grace is a frée beneuolence of the will of God it is thus proued Saint Paule to Timothy sayth thus VVho saued vs and called vs wyth an holy calling not accordyng to our deedes but accordyng to hys owne purpose and grace And agayne the same Paule to the Ephesians sayeth thus VVho hath predestynate vs to bee adopted thorough Iesus Chryst vnto him selfe accordyng to the beneuolence of hys wyll Note that in the former place hs affirmeth our saluation to bée geuen accordyng to hys grace or fauour And now in thys place he affirmeth the same to bée geuen accordyng to the beneuolence of hys wyll whereby it is euident that his grace or fauour and the beneuolence of his will is all one thyng And Paule to the Romanes affirmeth it to bee freelye done for he sayeth All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God and are iustyfied freelye by hys grace And therefore grace is ryghtlye sayde to bée a frée beneuolence of the wyll of God whiche was first to bée proued Now touchyng the second parte namely that grace iustifieth the electe through fayth in Chryst it is thus proued by these woordes of the Apostle That wee beyng iustyfied by grace shoulde bee made heyres according to the hope of eternall lyfe Note here that hee sayth we are iustified by grace And in the second to the Ephesians hée sayth thus For by grace are you saued thorough fayth Wherby it is euident that by grace through fayth we are iustified which was secondly to be proued Now I suppose the truth of this definition is sufficiently confirmed which being the first and principall signification of grace namely that whereby ryghteousnesse is geuen vnto man thorough faith the rest do require the lesse trauell Of the which the second groweth from this first thus Forasmuch as all they whyche are iustified by grace through fayth are by the free spirite of God regenerate into a new lyfe which bréedeth suche disposition or habite as bryngeth forth good-workes and holy cenuersation in them Therefore those good gyftes of God are also sometimes called grace Finally that fauour which Christ hath with God hys
father and in respect of which wée are beloued of the father is also called grace for Iohn sayth we haue receaued grace for grace that is we are receaued into the grace of God the father for that grace or fauour whiche he beareth vnto Christ his sonne And this is the thyrd and last signification of grace which being shewed it séemeth not inconuenyent to note somwhat agayne of the pestilent doctryne of your abusing deceauers concernyng grace séeing their errour about the same is the mother and nursse of that presumptuous traytor and ambitious rebell I meane the doctrine â—fiustification of woorkes whiche to fill the pursses of the wicked spoyleth the Maiestie of God of the finall end of hys labour namelye of the triumph and glory of hys free and bountifull fauour and maketh the treasure of the death of Chryst of vyle and contemned price Wherefore to the hatchyng of their hainous errours about the effectes thereof necessytie constrayned them to deuise false and counterfayte matter or substaunce or the ground of the same accordyng whereunto they thus define it Gratia est habitus a deo in animam infusus bonitatis et charitatis eius similis quo illum habens gratus deo redditur et facit opera illigrata et meritoria Grace is an habyte lyke vnto the goodnesse and loue of God by hym infused into the miride wherewyth hee that doth possesse it is made acceptable to God and woorketh workes both merytorious and acceptable vnto hym For the vnderstandyng of the whiche definytion it is necessary first to shew what they meane by thys woorde habyte wherefore any propertye or qualytye whyche by infusion education exercise custome or any other way is perfectly attayned is called habyte whereby this definition euen at the first taste sauoureth of the soyle that bred it for in the whole Scriptures of God there remayneth not so muche as the cooloure of proofe hereof that the genus or generall woorde vnto that grace wherby wée are saued should be an habite of the mynde that is to say a qualitye by education exercyse or infusion made perfect in mynde Thys diuinitie is pycked out of Aristotles Ethickes where it is taught that the habilityes powers of the mynde are strengthened by habit that is to say by a perfection therein attayned through exercise made easye and ready to be performed whyche wythout the same were very difficulte or not to be done Whiche beyng considered I thynke it not amysse somewhat to note the treacherye of thys their heythenesse definityon wyth shewes beautified to the sale beyng in déede nothyng els but a paynted sepulchre conteyning onely a stynckyng caryon of Pelagius filthy and corrupt heresie thoughe aboue all thynges they must séeme to dissent from hym and hys doctrine And therefore at the first in that they affirme grace to be an habite infused into the mynde they thereby thinke with a pleasaunt profer in the begynnyng to dasell the eyes of the worlde from suspition of their ioynyng handes with hym the substaunce of whose heresye beyng well weyed is neuerthelesse one and the same wyth this doctrine wherefore great connyng was to be vsed in this matter seing hys hatefull errour remayned with great detestatyon condemned of the fathers and therfore they must seme at the least in some superficiall tryfle as stout enemies to dissent from hym Wherefore where his cunning was by Saint Augustine detected that though hée vsed the name of grace yet hée ment nothyng therby but onely nature Now these meÌ„ to auoide this open vew of vnitie wyth his condemned heresie At the first gate or entrie séeke such colerable passage as dissenting from the shew of his woordes maye neuerthelesse embrace the substaunce of hys heresie wherefore not to seme that they accoumpt grace to be nature they terme it an infused habite thinkyng thereby to make it apparaunt that they meane not any naturall power or habilitye And yet agayne in that they affirme it to bée lyke vnto the goodnesse and loue of God they thynke themselues to haue géeuen a substauntyall shew why all they that be therewyth adorned shoulde be acceptable vnto God Namely by reason of that lykenes and similitude to the goodnesse loue of god And this forsooth they terme Gratia gratum faciens That is grace whyche maketh man acceptable by whiche reason it must folow that the loue wherewyth God accepteth vs must come after thys grace and come in respect thereof And yet S. Iohn sayth hée loued vs first And Saint Paul affirmeth that our acceptatioÌ„ with God commeth in respect of his owne mercy And this is here to be noted that in man hym selfe they place this theyr grace wherby he is made acceptable vnto God makyng hym therby a cause of his owne saluation which errour Pelagius held the falshode wher of appeareth partely by that whiche is sayd before in the profe of the first part of the true definition of grace where it is euident that that grace whereby we be iustified is a frée beneuolence of the will of god Wherby it is manifest how falsly it is sayd the we are iustified by any habit powred into our myndes seyng it is by the fauour or grace whiche is in God and not in our selues wherby he receiueth vs into his mercy But this definition of theirs is as I sayd before grounded vppon Aristotles Diuinitie Now for further profe of their ioynyng with Pelagius in the substaunce of hys heresie herein it is nedefull to compare the conclusion of both the doctrines together in this point Pelagius affirmed that the begynnyng of all good workes proceded from our selues namely from the frée will and election of man and that grace dyd onely helpe the possibilitie of nature that these workes might more easely be performed Now the Papists and Scholemen bycause as I sayd before they must seme to dissent from him in somethyng affirme that the begynnyng of good workes procedeth not froÌ„ nature as he affirmed but from grace Mary this soueraigntie they attributed to nature that in the will consisteth frée power choyse eitther by geuyng place vnto grace to bryng forth good workes or els by resistyng the same to omit theÌ„ And I praye you from wheÌ„ce commeth this will seing they cal it frée could they haue erred more if they had with Pelagius affirmed the firste cause of good workes to come from nature no assuredly for they place the principall cause in frée wil whiche they place in nature and vnto grace though in wordes they geue it the first place yet alowe they it no further power but onelye to offer it vnto the mynde leauyng the whole soueraignty vnto nature Namely fre wil and choyse to admit or not admitte the same so that in this matter they differre from Pelagius onely herein in that hee affirmeth the first cause of good workes to consiste in nature and the Papistes affirme it to consiste in grace But yet vnto that grace they
discerne thynges that differ to iudge betwene good works and counterfeite workes betwene true religion hipocrisie that so through that knowledge they might haue iudgement how to lead a pure and Christian life which without the knowledge of the wyll of God is vnpossible And agayne the same Paule to Philemon See that the fellowship sayth he that thou hast in the fayth be fruitfull through knowledge of all good things which are in you by Iesus Christ Hereby it appeareth that without vnderstanding of the will of God no good workes can be wrought But Paul playnely affirmeth that all thei that be not already iustified in Christ haue no vnderstanding The naturall man sayth he perceaueth not the thinges that belong to the spirit of God for they are but folishnes vnto hym Then if he perceaue not nor vnderstand the thynges that please god It appeareth by that is sayd before that he can by no meanes do the worke that shall please god Hereby it both playnely appeareth that the knowledge of the wyll of God is required to good workes and also that none that is not iustified hath that knowledge Now touching that vnto good works there is also required in the doer affection delight towardes the same that is euident by the definition of good workes expressed in the 8. chapter where it appeareth that they be nothyng but an execution of the commaundementes whereunto the whole affection of man both body and soule is required as in the. 4. chapter appeareth which also is confirmed by the example of those of whose good workes the scripture beareth witnes Thus sayth Dauid If my delight were not in thy law I should haue perished in my trouble And agayne my delight was in thy commaundementes And agayne thy testimonies haue I claymed as mine heritage for euer and why they are the very ioy of my hart And agayne Lord what loue haue I vnto thy law al the day long is my studie therein And agayne my delight shal be euer in thy statutes And agayne for I loue thy commaundementes aboue golde precious stone Thys affection of the hart is required to the performaunce of good workes whereof how greatly they be short that be onely possessed of the naturall man and not iustified in Christ it is more then euident by the playne wordes of God hymselfe In Genesis he sayth thus my spirite shall not alwayes striue in man because he is fleshe And a litle after The Lord sawe that the wickednes of man was great in the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughtes of his harte were onely euill continually And agayne in the 8. chapter the imaginations of mans hart is euill euen from hys youth Here appeareth that the affection of the naturall man is onely this affection to rebellion desire so contempt and lust to disobedience Thus it is euident that in all those which be not already iustified in Christ their is neither vnderstanding how to please God nor affection thereunto And so consequently no good worke seing it is proued that no worke cā be good but where both they be ioyned together which also is euident by that which is sayde in the fifth chapter Surely if these men had bene as carefull searchers of truth herein out of Gods holy worde as they haue bene of mistes and clowdes out of Aristotles schole to darcken shadow the brightnes thereof they woulde neuer haue sought with so many subtil distinctions and false definitions without al ground of Gods worde to haue builded themselues the labirinth of errour maze of their owne confusion But woulde contrariwise haue humbled themselues vnto the spirite of God and haue considered the ende of hys purpose in mans saluation But they not considering that to be the prayse and glory of hys owne grace and enforcing the rigor of the outward sounde of some wordes in the scripture haue gathered workes to be the cause of mās iustification where if they more narrowly cōsidered they should see that faith is the onely meane by which workes are indued wyth the title of goodnes forasmuch as no good worke can be wrought but by a man alredy by faith iustified and appareled wyth the righteousnes of Christ by meanes whereof the blemishes and imperfections thereof are through mercy couered which otherwise if the same workes were wrought by an vnbeleuyng man they woulde appeare in the sight of God most filthy for of mercy it commeth in respecte of Christ that the most perfecte workes are not layde to mans charge for sinne Out of this ground gathered from God truth this rule of Christian religion is concluded that where soeuer righteousnes or iustification is in the Scripture imputed to workes it is not imputed to them as though they were the cause of righteousnes that is to sayas though they going before iustification did procure or purchase the same but farre otherwyse it is imputed vnto them as vnto the fruit of the righteousnes of fayth which after iustification doth witnes and declare that the doer is iustified by fayth by apprehending of Christ in respecte of whom mercy couereth the spottes of that worke from the sight of Gods iustice so that sinne is not imputed to man for the same Hic murus ahaeneus esto Let this to a Christian conscience be a wall of brasse Now this foundation layde let vs séeke by thys rule to vnderstand those Scriptures which the aduersaryes for theyr filpursse doctrine of iustification of workes haue forced into open combat both agaynst theyr owne naturall sense and agaynst the ende and scope of Gods purpose declared in the Scriptures touching mans iustification wherein to séeke to answere to all theyr subtill and shameles wranglings were more tedious then profitable And touching the multitude of wordes more paynefull then possible Though touching matter Gods truth being iudge inough hath bene sayd already where-fore to auoyde all extremities and kéepe my selfe within my power touching wordes and yet not to passe the reste with silence I will ouerlooke a fewe of their principall ragges which they call reasons wherein theyr errour being opened the smaller of them selues will drop a sunder vntouched Wherefore firste of all that playnnes might be ioyned with the breuitie for which I labor let the Scriptures which they make challengers in thys fraye be gathered together into these sortes In the first sort placyng those which promising reward to workes procure men to labour for the same In the second sort such as by the sound of wordes séeme to take iustification from fayth or geueth the same to workes And in the last sorte those Scriptures wherin the righteous thallenge at Gods handes reward of theyr innocency righteousnes Wherfore by examples of euery of these sorts let vs séeke truely to vnderstand them by theyr agréement with thē selues and the rest of the Scriptures that as of God there is but one spirite and one truth so the same truth by the consent