trusteth vnto Christ For faith saieth thus The worde is nere vnto the euen in thy mouth and in thine hart Then addeth he therto This is y e word of faith which we preach namelye yf thou confesse Iesus with thy mouth that he is the lorde and beleuest in thine hart that god raised him vp from the deed thou shalt be saued For to beleue with the hart iustifieth and to coÌ„fesse with the mouth saueth For y e scripture saieth Who soeuer beleueth on him shall not be confunded Therfore is it no maruaill that this Apostle wryting to y e PhilippiaÌ„s reputeth al thinges but losse for the excelleÌ„cy of y â— knowlege of Iesus Christ and iudgeth them but vyle desyringe to wynne Christ and to be fouÌ„d in him not to haue his owne rightuousnesse of the lawe but rather that rightuousnes which commeth by the faith of Iesus Christ Which thiÌ„ges afterwarde immediatlye he setteth in y e true knowledge of Christes death and resurrection Here vnto I suppose serueth specially the very playne argumente of this Apostle whan he saieth Yf the inheritaunce shuld come by the lawe theÌ„ were it not geuen by promes But god gaue it frelie vnto AbrahaÌ„ by promes The worde of promes is this In thy sede c. For the saluacion setteth he vpon one onelie and not in many Now yf the inheritauÌ„ce and blessinge were set in many then shuld it be geueÌ„ for y e workes sake But we all are blessed and saued in one and by one For as the curse by the synne of one reached ouer all men vnto condemnacion Euen so by the rightuousnes of one reacheth the gifte or blessing vpon al men to y e iustificacion of life For asmuch now as the blessing rightuousnes and redempcion is in the worde of trueth ascribed onlie vnto christ and seeinge our faith is directed straight vpon him euery faithful beleuer doth well vnderstande y e he is accepted vnto god thorow Christ not for his own self or for his workes sake For god dyd chose and ordeyne vs before because he wolde accepte vs for his owne children thorow Ihesus Christ in him selfe acording to y e good pleasure of him selfe to the praise of the 〈…〉 of his grace wherby he hath accepted vs in y e beloued in whom we haue redeÌ„pcion thorow his bloud namely y e forgeuenes of synnes oute of the riches of his grace which he hath poured vpon vs. Herevnto also belongeth it that the Apostle saieth fayth commeth by hearynge and hearyng coÌ„meth by the word of god For immediatlye therevpon doth the holy Apostle Paul adde out of the Psalme Verelye their sounde went out into all landes and their wordes vnto the endes of the world With all these most stronge testimonies of the scrypture I haue vndoutedly gotten the iustifying faith confidence trust that we are reconciled and accepted vnto god not by means of our selues or our own workes either of the lawâ—â— of grace but for Christ and â—â— merites sake For faith standing fast trusteth and leaneth vpon y e true promes of god euen vpon the lord christ and not vpon any of our workes Therfore is iustificacioÌ„ referred vnto faith because that what soeuer belongeth to saluacion and rightuousnes faith ascribeth it al to y e grace of god in Christe And thus by the nature of iustifyinge faith I haue shewed that onely fayth iustifieth now will I also declare out of the nature or propertie of mens workes that they doe not iustifie That no man is iustified by works is proued by the nature of works whether thei bee before or after iustificacion The. 11. Chapter WHat the workes of mans nature be namelie y e workes that are done by such as are not yet regenerate the lord him selfe in the gospell declareth saieth That whiche is borne of flesh is flesh Paul also speaking of the flesh saith To be fleshlie mynded or the mynde and wil of the fleshe is death enemitie against god for it naÌ„elie the fleshe and y e inclinacion of the fleshe is not obedient to y e lawe of god nether can be For we all by nature are children of wrath Now is euery one cursed that abydeth not in all thinges which are writteÌ„ in the boke of the lawe So farre therfore ar oure owne naturall woorkes froÌ„ iustifieng eny man that they rather condemne Moreouer of the workes of the lawe hath Paul the electe vessell spokeÌ„ thus we know that whatsoeuer the law saieth it saieth it vnto such as are vnder y e lawe that al mouthes maye be stopte and that al the wholle world maie be detter vnto god because that by the dedes of the lawe no fleshe is iustified in his sight He saieth also els where I refuse not the grace of god For yf rightuousnes come by the lawe then dyed Christ in vayne And yet more playnlie Yf there had bene mynistred a law which coulde haue geuen life then no doubte rightuousnes shuld come by the lawe But the scripture hath shut vp all vnder synne that by faith in Iesus Christ the promes might be geuen to those that beleue Now come we to the workes of faith or of grace which be called good works works of rightuousnes These saie thei these iustifie Answere Yf thei be good workes workes of rightuousnes then must thei nedes be wrought by good and rightuous people Wherout it foloweth that the workes go after rightuousnes and not before iustificacion for thei are done by those that be rightuous or iustified Whefore yf thei first folowe after then make thei no maÌ„ rightuous but faith it is that iustifieth And such as be rightuous theÌ„selues do worke rightuousnes or y t works of rightuousnes For it is written The rightuous shal liue by his faith And agayne who so applyeth himselfe vnto rightuousnes the same is rightuous iust Thus is faith the grouÌ„d and iust occasioÌ„ of vertue goeth before the workes of rightuousnes of faith and of grace nether is it first made out of workes Yf thou be not satisfied here with theÌ„ let vs set this coÌ„sideracion before vs not after y e things but after the personnes Thus Thei that work or do the dedes be either vngodly wicked people ypocrytes or els thei be godly rightuous and holie frendes of god No man by the grace of god will ascribe iustificacion to the workes of the vngodly and ypocrites for asmuch as it is written The lorde hateth the sacrifices of the vngodly And agayne The ypocryts hope shall come to naught his confidence shalbe destroyed his trust shal be a spyders webbe he shal leane vpoÌ„ his house but it shal not staÌ„d he shall hold him fast by it but yet shal it not endure And before him namelye beefore GOD maie no ypocryte stand As for y e godlie of whom it is written Ye are whasheÌ„ ye are sanctified ye are
iustified by the name of the lorde Iesus and by the sprete of god thei ascrybe their vertue rightuousnes vnto god and vnto gods sprete by whom thei knowe thei are sanctified and that they now maie do and perfourme holie and good workes And also thei fele in their sanctified flesh namelie in themselues there remayneth worketh thorow out their whole life so greate weaknes and feblenes that thei dare not ascrybe eny iustificacion not vnto the workes that ar done by faith in holynesse Herof might I bring forth many recordes Yet will I alledge onelie two First thē let Iob the most faithful seruaunt of god come forth For him hath the godlie sentence cōmended and praised vnto vs that he was a perfecte iust man such one as feared god and eschued euil and that there was none lyke him vpon erth And yet the same man being with so excellent a titell of rightuousnes commended vnto vs doth saie If I wil iustifie myselfe myne owne mouth shal condemne me Yf I will put forth myselfe for a perfecte mā he shal proue me a wicked doer And agayn Yf I haue done wickedly wo vnto me And though I haue dōe rightuouslie yet dare I not lifte vp my head Therfore is it certayne that this most holy and iust man dyd ascribe nothing to the frutes of his owne rightuousnes but trusted onely vpon y e mercy of god Now let the other witnes come forth euen Paul y e Apostel who saieth with sensible wordes I delyte in the lawe of god after the inwarde man But in my membre I se another law which rebellein against the law of my mynde and subdueth me to the lawe of synne which is in my membres The holie Apostle speaking of himselfe and of all such as be regenerate testifieth that in them abyde stil y t remnauntes of the fleshe by the nature power and force wherof it cōmeth to pas thorow out the wholle life of man that thei also do the thing which they thēselues wolde not And therfore are thei neuer able to attayne and come to true perfectnes so long as thei lyue vpon erth and in this flesh For asmuch then as it is so euery man seith wel that iustificacion is not to be imputed vnto the workes of faith or of such as be regenerate consydering that it must be athinge most pure and thorowly perfecte wherby god is pacified and pleased with vs. Yea the scripture geueth euident witnesse that euē Abraham the father of all faithfull beleuers was not iustified by the workes of faith Herof then maie we be bolde to conclude that we also by no workes of faith are iustified For thus Paul argueth yf Abrahā were iustified by workes thē hath he wherof to reioyce but not with god But what saieth y e scripture Abraham beleued god and it was compted vnto him for rightuousnes To him that goeth aboute with workes is the rewarde not rekened of grace but of duetie To him that goeth not aboute with workes but beleueth on him that iustifieth y e vngodly is his faith cōpted for rightuousnes Where as we now by the ensāple of Abrahā do cōclude y t we must be iustified in such like pure maner as he was we speke it not of our owne ymaginaciō but out of the wordes of S. Paul that saieth Neuertheles it is not written onelie for him that it was rekened vnto him for righteousnes but also for vs to whom it shalbe so compted yf we likewise beleue on him that raised vp Iesus oure lorde from the deed ¶ The nature of iustification argueth that faith not workes iustifie The. 12. Chapter NOw like as out of the nature propertie of faith and workes I haue shewed that faith and not works doth iustifie So wil I now declare and proue the same by y e nature of iustificacion The right propertie natural vertue and power of iustificaciō is to pacifie to stil and quiete the cōscience which heretofore by the remembring and considering of synne and damnacion was vexed and troubled For Paul saieth Because therfore that we be iustified made rightuous by faith we haue peace with god thorow oure lorde Iesus Christ As for mens workes thei are neuer able so to comforte and pacifie an vnquyete conscience For who hath at eny tyme persuaded himselfe y t he with his owne workes hath satisfied the lawe of god and is therfore absolued discharged of his synnes delyuered from damnacion and become rightuous vndefyled Specially seyēg that Salomō the wisest among al mē hath saide Who can saie My herte is cleane I am innocent frō synne Wherfore yf oure workes quiete not the conscience then do not thei in eny wise iustifie a mā But faith iustifieth and perfectly stilleth the conscience And therfore it iustifieth For the lord hath saide in the gospell Who so euer drynketh of this water wherby vndoubtedly he dyd meane outward thinges and al mans help shal thyrst againe But who soeuer drynketh of the water that I geue him shall neuer be more a thyrst but the water that I shal geue him shalbe in him a well of water springing vp in to euerlasting life And againe I am y e bred of life He that cōmeth to me shal not honger And he that beleueth on me shal neuer thyrst Here thou seist y t faith which preasseth on forth directly vpon y e lorde Iesus doth satisfie vs. For faith vnderstādeth y t Christ him selfe is the right fulnes plentiful sufficiēcie of heauēly goods and that euen he gaue himselfe whollye for vs and in all thinges became our owne so y t now from hence forth an oppressed afflicted cōscience maie rest vpon himfor in christ the sonne of god full of grace trueth there is nether blemishe nor weaknesse But in works yea of most holie mē ther is alwaie found feblenes and imperfection And yf we wold now beholde the propertie nature of him before whose iudgmēt seate we shal stande we shulde playnly fynd y t we are iustified by y e mynistraciō help of faith not of workes For vndoubtedly y e highest most rightuous of al hath respect ōly to such as are hūble of contrite hertes those assuredlie he iustifieth But such as are proud glorie ī their own merits those he condemneth and turneth himself from thē Here vnto serueth y e parable or symilitude out of the gospel concernyng the two that wente vp together in to the temple to praie Of whō the one boasted of his good workes told what thei were trusted vnto thē set out himself for a rightuous and good man As for the other he trusted in the onelye mercy of god nothing at all in his owne merites but cryed O god be mercyfull vnto me synner This man wente downe out of the temple iustified but y t other being wrapt and snared in synne failed of his hope Therfore in the
Chapter ☞ Who is the mediatour how he delyuereth vs. ☞ The. 4. Chapter ☞ That Christ taketh away our synnes and that so we are recōciled to god proued by the scripture ☞ The. 5. Chapter ☞ Christe beareth our synnes when his iustice is made oures which is don by faith on our side ☞ The. 6. Chapter ☞ That the maner of iustificacion is on our behalfe by faith ☞ The. 7. Chapter ☞ These sayenges we are iustifyed by the grace of god or by christes merites or by faith be all one ☞ The. 8. Chapter ☞ By fayth onelye are we iustified which terme onelye is not of mans braine inuented ☞ The. 9. Chapter ☞ Iustification is taken from al maner of works whether they be of the lawe or of grace ☞ The. 10. Chapter ☞ Faith iustifieth not in y t it is a worke but in that it trusteth to y t mercye of god through Christ ☞ The. 11. Chapter ☞ That no man is iustyfyed by works whether they go before or after iustificacion is proued by the nature of works ☞ The. 12. Chapter ☞ The nature of iustifycacyon argueth that faith and not works iustifie ☞ The. 13. Chapter ☞ Faith is not without workes but what place they haue in the churche and whence they spryng in vs. ☞ The. 14. Chapter ☞ That we doe not wel tyl god dwell in vs to worke good works in vs and how rightwysenes is ascribed to workes ☞ The. 15. Chapter ☞ How gods workes in vs are called ours but so y t we can challenge naught for them but for an other cause ☞ The. 16. Chapter ☞ The. 2. sortes of men that the Apostles had to do with which make them seme to varie in iustificacyon ☞ The. 17. Chapter ☞ The termes rewardes or merites examined by the scripture ☞ The. 18. Chapter ☞ The rule to measure good works that thei may be good indede and not of our good intent onelye ☞ The. 19. Chapter ☞ The exposition of the. 10. commaundementes which are the lymites of our good works ☞ The. 20. Chapter ☞ That y e lord requyreth naught els of vs but the workes of the. x. commaundementes ☞ The. 21. Chapter ☞ That the foresayd proprietes of good workes are requysite indede to workes is declared more playnlye by the scripture ☞ The. 22. Chapter ☞ The conclusion or peroration FINIS A godlye and learned treatise wherin is proued y e true iustificacion of a Christian manne to come frely of the mercy of god in Christ without the deseruyng of man by his merites and also how good workes oughte to bee done what be true good works in dede Wherunto is ioyned a cōference betwene the law and the gospel very profitable for al men to exercise themselues therein ☞ Esay xliii ☞ I euen I am he only who for myne owne selfes sake doe awaye thyne offēces and forget thy synnes so that I wyll neuer thynke vpon them The authors intent and purpose in thys matter of iustificacyon The. 1. Chapter PUrposing playnly brefely to speake of the true iustifying of a Christian mā and aswell of vpright true good workes as the maner and fourme therof I mynde not to tell what disputaciōs mē haue had of the same but what God who cannot lye hath vttered spoken therof in his worde This matter of iustificacion I thought to serue my turne First beecause that Iohn the Apostle and Euāgelist whom I now haue in hād doth in maner treate wholy therof Upon whom I was perswaded to make the better declaracion if I aforehande out of all the scripture set a short Summe of iustificacion and of good workes Secondly beecause that in oure fayth and religion there is nothyng wherof we may be ignorante with greater hurte or that with greater profit may be knowen perceaued and vnderstand then euen the maner of iustificacion and of good workes For iustificacion is the surest ground and establishment of our life wellfare Thirdly because this matter beyng els playne and euydent is now in our dayes thorow the many folde darke mystes ▪ of contencious men vtterly confused cleane tossed out of order For cōcerning iustificacion diuerse and sondrye men haue straunge and nyce opinions Some saye styl that the faythfull are iustifyed thorowe the onelye belefe in the Lorde Iesus Christ whiche is a trueth in dede Other there be that refuse condemne thys as an erroneous opynyon but with great arrogācye ascribe their iustificacyon vnto mens works Some referre iustificacion to faith and workes a lyke And some there be that vnto fayth ascrybe the begynnynge of iustificacion and the finishīge or perfourmaunce thereof vnto workes Yet haue I not recyted the myndes and opinions of all But forasmuche as there is such contencion among the learned the peoples consciences are therby vexed troubled and sore tēpted Wherefore to establishe the Christian verite and for an introduction into the holy and godlye gospell of Iohn I mynde to colleete gather together a shorte Summe of the iustificacion of a Christyan manne and concernyng good workes Nether will I here bring forth eny thinge at all which I do not declare and proue wyth sensible playne testimonies of gods scripture yea and as touchinge iustificacion and good workes I wil collecte conferre together nothing els but the most euident witnesses of the scripture So that without the order and homelie vnpainted oracion ther shalbe nothig mine nether wil I compte any thinge mine own but trye proue altogether by gods word And doutles in the most waightie maters of our Religion we ought euen so to vse our selfes ¶ Afore al things it shalbe nedefull to sette forth a sure description exposicion and significacion of this terme iustifieng The. 2. Chapter TO iustifie or this terme Iustifie is in the scripture taken sondrie waies For somtyme it signifieth to ascribe honour and right vnto god to yelde vnto him stowtlie boldly to confesse that he onelie is rightuous but we oure selues synners and vniust Thus is it red And all the people and the publicanes that heard him iustified god and were baptised the baptisine of Ihon. More ouer it signifieth asmuch as to defende and spare himself and to set forth himselfe for iust and ryghteous For so the Lorde vseth it whan he rebuketh y e Pharisees Luke 16. saying vnto thē Ye are they that iustifie youreselues beefore men but god knoweth your hartes Notwithstanding in this our present matter I vse thys terme Iustifie as the custome is in causes iudicial and belonging to the law And so doeth it betoken asmuche as to pronounce hym iust and righteous that is to discharge from punyshment and by sentence to cleare and quite him free whiche is accused and required to haue execucion Againe contrary vnto thys doth the scripture now set that whyche is called to pollute or stayne that is by sentence to pronounce one defiled vngodly vnrighteous and worthye to bee plaged and so to geue hym
Moses in his fifth boke saieth thus Now Israell What requyreth the lord thy god of the but that thou feare y e lorde thy god and walke in his waies and loue him and serue the lorde thy god with al thy hert and with all thy soule And that thou kepe the cōmaundmētes of the lorde his ordinaūces which I cōmaūd the this daie Kyng Dauid also asketh Lorde who shal dwell in thy tabernacle And immediatly he answereth Euen he y t leadeth an vncorrupte life doing y t which is right and other thinges cōteyned in y e ten cōmaundmētes Esay the prophet moueth the same question also and saieth Who is he among us that is able to abyde the eternall heate And he answreth Euē he y t leadeth a verteo life speaking that which is right doing the other thinges cōteyned in y e x. cōmaundmentes Ieremye in the. 22. chap. bringeth in euen the same thinges ernestly requyreth them saienge Thus the lord cōmaundeth Kepe equitie and rightuousnes delyuer the oppressed from the power of the violent do not greue nor oppresse the straunger the fatherles nor the wedow and shede no innocēt bloud in this place And no other workes doth Ezechiel recyte thorow a long Registre in the eightenth chapter In Osea the lorde saieth I haue pleasure in mercy and not in sacrifice And in the knowlege of god more then in burntoff ringes Miche as also asketh what he shal do and w t what workes he must recōcyle himselfe vnto god And by gods reuelaciō he answereth I will shewe the O man what is good and what the lord requyreth of the Namely to do right to haue pleasure in louing kyndnes to walke lowly before thy god Lyke answere doth the prophet Zacharie geue vnto those that asked hym concerning vertues acceptable works Thus saieth the lorde of hoostes Execute true iudgmente shewe mercy and louyng kyndnes euery man to his neghbour do the wedowe the fatherles the straunger and poore no wrong And let no man ymagen euel against his brother in his hert Loue no false oothes for these are the thinges that I hate saieth the lord From this doctryne of the prophetes disagreeth not the doctrine of the Euangelistes Apostles which euery where teacheth loue righteousnes and innocency doubtles as the effecte summe of al good workes This now so plentifully and with so many testimonies of the scripture haue I vttered declared to y e intent no man hence forth shulde either doubte or be ignoraunte that those onelie are good workes which be done our of the good sprete of god thorow faith and acording to the scripture or word of god ¶ That the sayed proprietes of good workes are requisite ī dede to good works is declared by the conferēs of the scriptures more plainlye The. 21. Chapter YEt ther resteth somwhat which I muste adde vnto the ende of the descrypciō of good workes namely to confirme and make it more playne wyth the conference and agreement of the scripture I said that tyght good workes be done by such as are regenerate to the glorie of god to the bewtifienge of life and to the edyfieng of the neyghbour For vnto our good workes doth the lorde appoynte this end in Mathew and saieth So let your light shyne before mē y ◠thei maye se your good workes glorifie your father which is in heauē Itē the Apostel Paul many tymes exhorting mē vnto good worckes addeth therto a thyng which might specially moue eny man Namelie that w t their godly workes thei shulde do worshippe vnto y e doctryne of our sauiour redemer in al thinges Now like as a cōely honourable apparel doth bewtifie the mā so do right good works set fort and garnish mās life w t great commendacion And this is y e cause y t y e Apostles of Christ gaue so oft counsaill to laye asyde y e olde man to put on the new which is shapē fashioned after god for therof cōmeth praise and honour vnto vs. We are called be in dede y e seruaūtes and children of god whose propertie and vertue appeareth in vs to the praise and magnifiēg of his name Moreouer yf we do good he increaceth his giftes in vs continually the longer y e more considering he hath spoken Vnto euery one that hath shallbe geuen that he maye haue aboundaunce But who so hath not from him shalbe taken also euen that he hath And herof it commeth that vnto such as do well god is gracious and mercyfull replenishing thē with many yea and with temporall giftes and finally endeweth them with eternal life For y e Apostle Paul speaketh euidently and plainlie god shal geue vnto euery on acording to his dedes Namelie praise honour immortalitie vnto those y ◠with pacience in good woorkes seke eternall life And againe Praise honour and peace vnto all such as do good Howbeit in all good workes the iust and godlye ar appoīted to kepe these boūds and lymites that they will not seke their owne welth but the glorie and wil of god and finally the commoditie and profite of their neghbour For the Apostle Paul saieth Lette no manne seke that which is his own but let eueri mā seke y t which belōgeth to another Euen as I please all men in all thinges not sekyng myne owne profit but the prophet of many that they myght be saued Al godlie personnes therfore directe all their diligence exercise works to this end that they maye edifie many wherin they expresse and declare the nature of god whose children they be For he is enclyned and desyrous to shewe good-vnto all creatures And herof it commeth that his children also are well doers And in al thinges whatsoeuer thei take in hād thei haue stil before their eyes as the onelie marck of their life a delyte and desyre to do good The Conclusyon or peroration The. 22. Chapter THus much at this tyme haue I done concernyng the propertie nature disposicion cause end and operacion that is y e true right fashion measure of good works Out of y e which I trust this may chefelie be vnderstand how the lorde ascribeth the name of rightuousnes and Iustificacion to the good works of holy mē And how god in scripture is sayde to geue rewarde And that neuertheles the right and principall doctryne of our religion stādeth sure and vnmoued Namelie that we are iustified out of the grace of god for Christes sake by faith not by workes Wherfore there remaineth now nothing els but that for the true faith in the lord Iesu by y e which we are iustified we fal downe at the lords fete with ernest praier with feruent and deuoute cryeng callyng vpon his name in such forte that we put in practise thys talke and disputaciō had of good works Namely that as touching the faith which we professe in the lorde Iesus Christe we expresse shewe