The profe and declaration of thys proposition Fayth only iustifieth gathered set-forthe by Richarde Tracy The preface ¶ To the moste chrysten and vyctoriouse prynce Henry the .viii. by the grace of God kynge of England Fraunce and Irelande Defendour of the faith and of the churche of England and also of Irelande in earthe the supreme head Rycharde Tracy wyssheth long continuaunce of health prosperouse successe and lyfe eternall MOste vyctorious prynce and prudent gouernour godly vnitie concorde and loue is most praysed set fourthe and taught thorough the hole course of the holye scriptures as to your maiestie it is rygh well knowen fyrste taught by the prophete sayenge Beholde howe goodly and pleasant it is Psalme .cxxii that brethern dwel togyther in one vnitie Christe also prayd to his father Iohn .xvii sayeng Holye father in thy name preserue them whome thow hast geuen me that they may be one as we be The apostle exhorteth and prayeth al men that they be diligent to kepe the vnitie of the spirite Ephes iiii in the bonde of peace beyng one bodie and one spirite euen as they be called in one hope Let there be but one lorde one faythe one baptyme one god and father of vs all c. Seyng than that Chryste the prophete and the apostle exhorte and commaunde suche a christian vnitie to be had and kepte in the catholyke churche and also consyderynge the peynfull trauayle studie and great charges whiche your maiestie hath susteyned and dayly doth susteyne not onely to preserue vnitie amonge your louyng subiectes but also to avoyde and vtterly remoue all occasiones whiche myghte be cause or meane of diuision or breche of such christen vnitie therefore I most simple of this your realme and yet one of the lyuely membres of this your ciuile and polityke bodie hearynge diuision and diuersitie of opinions among your louyng subiectes concernyng one of the moste principall and necessarye articles of our fayth whiche is that faithe onely iustifyeth can not but lament and bewail such diuision in so godlie and necessary an article which is the foundation and grounde of all the christen religion For the godlye vnderstandyng of the sayde article well tasted and inwardlye perceyued is the quyetnes of euerye conscience oppressed with any kynde of aduersitie other spirituall or temporall yea the onely anker and refuge in the extreme agonie and panges of death wherfore with all the poore knowledge whiche god hath geuen to me I haue diligently by the auctorities of holye scripture set forth and declared the true sense meanyng and vnderstandyng of the sayde article and proposition moste humblye desyrynge your hyghnesse more to ponder my good wylle and feruent desyre to profit many than my rude and barbarouse settynge forthe of this lytle treatise whiche I submit moste lowlye vnto your gratiouse and godly iudgement to the whiche if this my labour and study shall be thought profitable for youre christen congregation I than most mekely eftsones desyre your maiesty that it maye be put forth to the glorye of god your honour and the vtilytie of all your louyng subiectes And I shall dayly pray to god that he wyl vouchsafe to strengthen you with his holy sprite thoroughly to perfourme a godly reformation in Christes churche within your dominions with good prosperitie in all your affayeres Of iustification FOr as moche as the moste necessary article of christen religion is that fayth one lye iustifieth which the vngodlye do dayly preache agaynste and obscure by many wayes I haue thought therfore very expedient in this litle treatise by the holye scriptures By mercy 〈◊〉 fayth sinneâ— be purified by the feare of god all maâ— declyne from euyll Prouerb xv to declare the ryght sence and true vnderstandyng therof which is that the mercy and fauour of God iustifieth whiche mercie and fauour we onely by fayth obteyne beleuyng constantly the promesses of goddes mercy and fauour made vnto vs. And the scripture sayeth that this fayth Ephes ii whyche onely iustifieth is onelye the worke of god in vs and coÌ„meth not by anye mannes power wisedome lerning nor that god geueth it because of any vertue or vertuous disposition which he seeth in man nor that anye man can prepare hym selfe or make hym selfe apte and meete to receiue this fayth but god geueth this fayth frely without any respecte or regarde to any good wyl good workes or good disposition before by god sene in maÌ„ â—ath xii For the scripture sayth other make the tre good and his fruyte good also or els make the tree euill his fruyte euyll also â—â—d did first 〈◊〉 vpon Aâ—ll and after 〈◊〉 his giftes Genesis iiii Euen so man muste fyrste be made good thoroughe fayth before anye of his workes can be good Therfore I saye that before this lyuelye faythe be gyuen from god to manne that he neyther hathe nor can haue other good wyll good workes or godlye disposition to doe good For without this lyuely faythe it is impossible to please god Hebr. xii Wherefore faith muste nedes fyrste be gyuen of god wherby the wyl is made good vertuous before that any worke whiche springeth oure of the wylle can be eyther good or vertuous as saynt Augustine sayeth Augustyne vpon the .cx. psalme Verylye a man can not worke iustice excepte he be iustified but he that beleuethe in him which iustifieth the wicked begynneth of fayth so that the good workes that go before do not shewe what he hath deserued but such as folowe Augustine vpon the .lxvii. shewe what he hath receyved Also the same doctour sayethe Me thynketh that the fayth is to be praysed whiche goeth before woorkes for wythout the merites of good workes thorough fayth the wicked is iustified as the apostle fayethe To the beleuyng in hym whiche iustifieth the wycked his fayth is couÌ„ted for iustice that from thenseforth the same faith may begin to worke by loue For they onelye oughte to be called good workes whiche be done for the loue of god To suche woorkes it is necessarie that faythe shuld goe before that frome this faythe these woorkes and not frome these workes that faythe shulde begynne For no man worketh for the loue of god except he fyrste beleue in god Also the same doctour sayeth vppon this texte Rom. ii They are not rightuous which heare the lawe but they whiche doe the lawe shall be iustified That is as moche to saye that we maye knowe them Aug. in the booke of the spryte and the letter the .xxvi chapter not to be the doers of the lawe except they be iustified Not that iustification shoulde come to the doers but that iustification shulde go before the doers Here by these auctorities of saint Augustyne it is manifest and playn that no workes be good except thei spryng out of a lyuyng faythe Not withstandyng some I thynke wyll be offended with this my sayeng that God geueth not faith
Iames. Paul saith I knowe nought by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified If Paul knowynge nothynge by hym selfe yet was not therby iustifyed what meaneth it Cor. iiii that whā we examyne trye our selfe fyndynge oure selfe gyltie of the hole lawe knowynge and felynge also in oure selfes an euyll disposition synne shulde thynke wythout cause that we haue godly dispositiō and vertues mouyng god to iustifie vs Not wtstandyng also that the scriptures speakyng of iustification Rom. iii. declare it to be frelye gyuē sayeng al haue synned are destitute of the glory of god but are iustified frely by his grace thorough the redemptiō that is in Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth to be the obteyner of mercye through faith by the meanes of his bloode who can more plainly set forth the true and ryght order of iustificatiō Esai xliii Also the prophete Esaye saith Put me nowe in remembraunce for we will reason together shewe what thou hast for to make the ryghtuouse Thy fyrst father offended sore and thy rulers haue synned against me By thys text it is manifeste that God reproueth al such which thynk that they haue any thyng to moue God to iustifie thē or to endowe thē with hys grace fauour And therfore if any mā trust to his own merites or partly to chryst partly to his own merites not holye and onelye to Christes merites the same dishonoureth God Deuter xviii whiche dyd sende to vs Christ whiche only is a sufficiēt sauiour besydes hym there is no sauiour And he doth much iniurie also to Christes bloode vtterly wāteth the sure affiaunce cōstant trust to haue remission of his synnes only for Chrystes bloode shed Whych lyuely fayth onelye iustifieth And therfore let all Chrystē men gyue the glory honour of iustification only holye to God to whom only it is due And then also let thē confesse them wyth the penytent miserable publicane to be synners and al their workes to be vnperfyt ne leste they be condempned wyth the proude pharesai Luke .v. Remembryng euer that the hole haue no nede of a phisicion Math. ix Luke v. but the sycke And Chryst came not to calle the righteouse Math. v. but synners to repentaunce Luke .i. The hungrye and thyrsty for ryghtuousnes Chryst called blessed and fulfylleth them with good thynges And they whyche thynke them selues riche ynough of good merites God putteth them awaye emptie and voyde of all goodnes as it apeareth in the Apocalipsis where it is wrytten I woll vomyt the out of my mouthe bycause thou sayst I am riche and encreased wyth goodnes and haue neade of nothyng and knowest not howe thou arte wretched and miserable poore blynde naked I coūcell the that thou bye of me gold tried in the fyer that thou mayst be riche wherfore a meke lowlye cōfession of all our thoughtes workes deades to be vnperfyght whereby we earnestlye repent leaue and forsake all trust and confidence in thē and then to flye to Christe trustynge to goddes promyse made to vs of remissiō of al our synnes for Christes sake is a sure and safe meane and waye taught by the holye scriptures to haue remissiō of our synnes whyche saythe repente and beleue For where is no repentaunce there is no belefe And where as true repentaunce is there is a constaunt affiaunce and suer vnfayned truste in goddes promyse made to vs. whiche lyuely faythe onelye apprehendeth goddes fauoure and mercye whereby we be iustified And thys lyuely fayth bryngeth wyth it the holy goost whyche renewythe mannes harte and styreth hym to loue and to obeye the wyll of God It causeth the harte to be meeke lowelye pacient in aduersitie liberall to hys neyghbour in hys necessitie sober iuste fearynge God continuallye studiouse to mortifie the fleshe and to auoyde al occasions of synne And thys lyuyng fayth continuallie steryth and enforceth the mynde wyth greate luste and courage to resyste synne and all her occasions And in conclusion thys lyuyng fayth moueth the minde with as hote and feruent desyre to accōplysshe and to fulfyll the good wyl of god as euer the minde was desyrous and studyouse to execute and to fulfylle his owne carnalle concupiscence and euyll lustes Wherefore all suche as heare or reade goddes worde and thynke al suche thynges wrytten therin to be true and yet not fealyng thē selues chaunged nor no newe affections desyres in theyr hartes sprongen vp to loue God to mortifie the flesh haue not yet receaued that lyuynge faythe whyche onlye iustifieth but rather a certayne knowelege newe opinion or hystoricall fayth whych dothe not chaunge the harte nor quycken any newe affection And bycause they feele not a studie and wil to stryue agaynste ther olde lustes they maye well perceaue that they haue receaued no newe sprete But yet they saye and thynke that they beleue perfytly then they slaūder and blaspheme the treweth saieng that faythe onlye doth not iustifye And so they returne to workes to be iustifyed by them daylye workynge and yet neuer felyng or perceauynge any alteration of mynde wyl loue or affection All the workes whyche they do they worke them only bycause they wold haue a better thyng for theyr worke And so they be hyrelynges and worke no thynge for loue but for rewarde wages or elles at the lest wyth ther workes they wolde pacifie goddes wrath and obteyne goddes fauour and so robbe Chryste of hys glorye whyche by hys Prophete saythe Esay xlvi I wil not gyue my glory to any other For Christ onlye wyth hys passiō and deathe dyd pacifie hys fathers wrath as the scripture wytnesseth sayeng thys is my welbeloued sone Math. iii. in whom I am well pleased But whan the faythfull allege the scriptures sayenge that a man is not iustified by the deades of the law but by the faith of Iesu Christ as Paul saith Galath ii the iusticiaries to that aunswere that Paul meaneth by that texte that man is not iustified by the deades or ceremonies of the lawe And they further saye that all they whyche worke the workes cōmaunded by the decaloge whyche is the law of the ten commaundementes be by the workyng of the sayde workes iustified To the whiche the faithfull saye that yf anye workes myght iustifie then the ceremonies of the lawe shulde iustifie because the ceremonies were commaunded of God to be done for satisfaction and to make atonemēt for synne as it apeareth in manye places of the olde testament and specially Leui. primo where it is wrytten in thys fourme And he shall put his hande vpon the head of the brent sacrifice and it shal be accepted for hym to be hys atonement For the lawe whiche hathe but the shaddowe of good thinges to come not the thinges in theyr own fashion can neuer with the sacrifice whiche they offer yere by yere continuallye make the comers therto perfect Hebr.
coÌ„mauÌ„ded by god wyll they not do trustyng onelye to theyr fayned fayth false confydence that it wyl saue them and couer all theyr wycked lustes at the general iudgemeÌ„t These delicate and pleasauÌ„t christians Iames. ii saynt Iames reproueth sayenge what auayleth it my brethren thoughe a man saye he hath faythe when he hathe no dedes wylt thou vnderstande o thou vayne maÌ„ that fayth wythout dedes is deade But suche wanton christians had nede of a fayth to iustifye them whyche may not be shewed tryed by theyr workes for theyr workes be suche that they be ashamed of them that they shuld be other sene or knowen or els they wyl do no good workes ne lest they shuld haue confidence to be saued by theÌ„ And lyke as to haue confidence in good workes to be iustifyed by them is erronious so in lyke wyse to beleue that good workes shall not be rewarded of god is deuylyshe and dampnable But yet the scriptures seme oftentymes to attribute gyue eternal lyfe to workers of good workes as a rewarde and sometyme to workes But well consydered it is not for the workes sake as deserued thereby But eternall lyfe is a reward frelygyuen by God to al the faythful for Christes sake only which benefyte well perceaued tasted feled in our hertes wyll cause vs to worke wyth loue ernestly bycause we haue receyued frely through Christes deseruyng eternall lyfe And not bycause we shall receyue eternal lyfe for the deseruyng of our workes For so workes shulde be iniuriouse to Christes bloode and death whych onlye is the price of eternall lyfe Also the scriptures apere to attribute eternal life to good workes to moue to steare other diligentlye to worke good workes And bycause the workes of the faythfull be sene of men and the inwarde faith canne not be outwardly sene perceaued therefore the scripture applieth eternall lyfe to workes as to the cause whyche truely examyned be but the effecte of faith which is the very true cause And although no dowte to good workes manye greate rewardes be due as wel teÌ„porall as spirituall Yet all the places whyche sound to gyue eternal lyfe as a reward other to good workers or to good workes must be vnderstande as I haue before shewed or elles they shal cause workes to be estemed better than they in trueth be or can be proued and also shal cause Christes bloode to be of lytle reputacion Wherfore that euerye good Christian maye walke the true waye nothynge trustynge to haue remission of his synnes for his good workes which only perteyneth to God is hys only gyfte nor to thynke the good workes shal be vnrewarded by God whose reward excedeth al maÌ„s vnderstandynge knowlege I wyll declare therefore some causes why good kes shuld be done First ii Pet. i. that they maye wytnesse to vs certaynly that oure fayth is lyuynge and not deade For a lyuyng tree wyll bryng forth frute in tyme and season Math. v. Secondelye that other seyng our good workes may be ê“uoked to do also good workes Thyrdlye Luke .xvi. we must do good workes to rendre gyue accoÌ„ptes of the talent to vs from God coÌ„mytted Fourthly i. Petri. ii that through oure good workes our heuenly father may be glorified Fyftely Esay lvii Rom. xiiii i. Cor. x. lest through our euil workes we be offence to other Syxtely Ephes ii of dutye we be bound to worke well for therefore we be iustified that we myght and shulde worke well ii Petri. i. SeueÌ„thlye God which did geue al thynges Psal xxxiii commaundeth vs to do wel sayenge declyne froÌ„ euyll do good Now it apereth the good workes be to be done as frutes of iustice which not withstaÌ„dyng make no man iuste but witnesse that he is iuste Also it is euideÌ„t that a liuyng fayth which euer worketh by loue doth onlye iustifie also such workes as spryng out of a lyuing faith shal not be vnrewarded that with great rewardes And the workes do testifie that thys fayth is a lyuyng faith The workes which this faith euer bryngethe forthe be these To feare and to loue God to loue hys neybour coÌ„tinuallye to crucifye the fleshe with al her lustes And as he dayly synneth so he dayly lameÌ„teth askyng God forgeuenesse there of studyenge euer howe to resyste the same all occasions thereof also prayeth God daylye to geue hym grace to resiste synne And bycause he feleth in hym selfe that al his good thoughtes wylles deades be vnperfyt lacke the goodnes whyche the lawe requireth in theÌ„ therfore he knowelegeth hys good deades and thoughtes to be synfull continually prayeth God to forgeue and to pardon the synfulnes of theÌ„ Neyther he ascribeth nor imputeth any iustification to hys good workes but rather flyeth to Gods mercye which is promised to al true repenters for Chrystes bloode sake trustynge therby constantly and therfore only to haue eternall lyfe And as touchyng good workes he is glad euer whan occasioÌ„ is geuen to worke them as well as he can and soroweth that he can not do theÌ„ with more perfytnesse loue But as perfytly as he can he dothe them hauynge respecte onlye to the good will great mercy and fauour which God for Christes sake hathe shewed on hym in forgeuynge hym hys synnes He thynketh him bound of duetie for loue to do theÌ„ so that hys workes spryng out of a louyng herte remembrynge the loue which God hath before shewed in gyuyng hym eternall lyfe freelye Nowe it apereth that good workes sprynge forth of a louyng hart whyche no man canne haue except he fyrste beleue that God for verye loue which he beareth to hym forgeuethe hym all hys synnes that frelye for Christes sake who is hys iustice satisfaction holynes and redemption After this sort and good fashion I wolde that all Christians shulde do ther good workes for loue whiche they bere to God for the great and inestimable benefytes whiche they vndeserued of theyr part haue receaued of God and not for anye thynge whyche they wolde for theyr workes sake or worthynes receaue of God For than there entent and workynge is grounded vpon the loue of theyr selfe and not vpon the loue of God and so be no good workes but vnparfyt and full of synne And so thys declaration of iustification by faythe and of the efficacitie and strengthe of good workes is a suffycient doctryne I truste to all the faythfull And as to them whose eyes be closed and made blynde and whose hartes be hardened I dyd not mynde to wryte but in the mean season I wyll praye to God at hys good wyll and pleasure to open theyr eyes and to mollifye the hartes that they may be conuertâ— and that he maye make them hole of whome onlye all healthe is to whome be all honour and glorye AMEN