how that he did not onely saue Basilius Hemeli de humilitate but also iustifye vsing no workes vnto it but requiring faith only But among all other this sayinge of Basilius is most worthye to be noted Ea demum perfecta est et integra gloriatio in deo quando neque de sua quisquā ipsius iustitia suberbit sed agnoscit Vera destitutum iustitia sola se in Christum fide iustificatum Which golden words maye be englyshed after thys maner That at length is a perfecte and sounde reioycinge in God when a man doeth not bragge or boaste of his owne ryghteousenesse but doeth acknowledge that beynge voyde of true righteousnesse he is iustifyed throughe fayeth onelye in Christ Many suche lyke thynges are redde in the wrytinges of the aunciente fathers whereby all menne maye see that we are not the fyrst that haue vsed this word sola alone or onelye to expresse the meanynge of the Apostell and to set foorth the glory of the grace of God For the fathers did vse it a fore vs whose writinges they doe make equall wyth the Canonycall scripture They say that we haue it not in the words of the Apostel Why do they not so in this poynte Let thē tel that to the fathers whom they do take for the pilours of the church Let them contend striue with thē rather thā with vs. To be short if it be an heresy to say that faith only in Christ doth iustify thei must accuse those auncient fathers of heresy yea they must coumpt them to be the captayns of al heretyks EVTRA. What shyfte doe they make when they feele them selues pressed with so manye autorities of the olde fathers Wyth what face can they reiecte or cast of thys worde solam alone or onelye PHILA There be some which when they can not for shame refuse it are wonte to flye to this startinge hole The euasion of the enemies They graunt that we are iustifyed by fayth onely in Christ but they adde that thys is onelye done at the begynninge of fayth when we begynne firste to beleue in Christ and so they wyll haue vs to vnderstand this to be Paulles meaninge that neyther synnes did hinder the gentilles A verye goodlye shift I waraunt you but that as sone as they beganne to beleue in Christ they were iustifyed by faythe onely nor workes farther the Iewes when they likewise came to Christ but vnto them also was faythe imputed for righteousnesse And so at length they doo conclude that yf they which be ones iustifyed by faythe do after theyr iustification sinne again they can no more be iustifyed by fayth that is to say frely as affore but by workes that is to saye by satisfaction EVTRAPELVS After my iudgement this is but a homelye euasion or starting hole For yf they take this worde to be iustified for to be deliuered from sin it is manyfeste and playne that the same iustification that consisteth in the gratuite free remission of sinnes Iustification wherby we are deliuered from syn is necessari vnto vs as longe as we liue Math. 6. 1. Ioa. 2. is necessary vnto vs al our liues time onlesse this were vayn which accordinge to the institution of the Lord we do daily pray for sayinge And foregeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse against vs Iohn saied vnto them that dyd beleeue and were iustified My lytle babes if any man doeth sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christe the righteouse and he is the satisfaction for our synnes He sayeth not he was the satisfaction for oure sinnes nowe therfore ye must be iustifified by your own workes and make satisfaction for youre synnes but he doeth set foorthe vnto the churche of God the endlesse and euerlasting satisfaction of Christe that is to saye the free remission and forgeuenes of synnes or iustification whiche we do obtayne throughe fayth in him Or if they vnderstande it of righteousenesse which is the effect of this iustification whereby our hartes are purged and our life renewed Yet it can not so be applied vnto fayth that it should onlye pertayne to the beginninge of it and all the rest of our lyfe require the righteousnesse of works Similitude wherby we shoulde be saued For that were as if a man should saye that the soule doeth onely quickene the body at the beginninge but not so afterwardes as thoughe all the quickening or viuifying shuld not come of the soule alone but of the operations of the bodye Abac. 1. Rom. 1. Gala. 3. The righteouse sayeth the Apostell liueth by fayth I do not denye but that the lyfe of the righteouse is adorned and beutyfyed wyth manye vertues but yet it canne be attributed too none of them but too fayethe onelye that oure heartes beynge clensed wee lyue godlye in the sighte of God ALBION I hearde ones certayne Obiecti ∣ on 4 gentyll men of my cleargye reason after this sorte If to be iustyfied is to be delyuered frome synne Fayth onely doeth not iustifye but loue also And for the probation of theyr sayinge they bringe these words of Christ Luc. 7. Manye sinnes are forgeuen her because that she loued muche Lo saye they here remission of sinnes is playnlye attributed vnto loue Agayn are not these Peters wordes 1. Pet. 4. Loue couereth the multitude of sinnes Who doeth not see now saye they that loue doeth aswell iustifye as faith PHILALE I aunswer that the loue of this woman Aunswer was not the cause of hyr iustifycation or forgeuenesse of synnes but a declaration of the same She hadde obtained throughe fayth in Christ remission of synnes whereby she beinge iustified did loue him exceadynglye and did openlye expresse that loue That it is so it maye be proued easelye by the woordes of oure sauioure Iesu Christe whiche he spake vnto her sayinge Fides tua te saluam fecit Vade in pace Thy fayth hath made thee safe Christ is a sufficiēt expositoure of his owne woorde or hathe saued thee go thy waye in peace How had fayeth saued her but because that throughe it she hadde obtayned remyssion of synnes In dede she did afterwardes declare the same fayeth by the earnest loue that she dyd beare too Christe And as for the other sentence I maruayle that they be not ashamed to aleadge it For ye shall fynde it thus written in the prouerbes Prou. 10. cha from whence the Apostell borowed it Odium vitia detegit charitas autem operit multitudinem peccatorum That is to saye hatered doethe open and dyscouer faultes but loue doethe couer the multitude of synnes What other thinge canne we learne of this sayinge of the wise manne but that as hatered doeth moue vs to caste oure breethren in the tethe and to vpbrayed them with the offences that they cōmit agaynste vs so loue hydeth and pardoneth the faultes iniuryes wrongs that are done vnto vs be they neuer so greate In the
same sense did the holy Apostell take it as it doeth manifestlye appeare by the cyrcumstaunces of the place But the enemies of the truth care not what they saye How the scriptures are aleaged of the enemies of the truth so that they seme to saye some thinge They aleadge the scryptures as the blinde man casteth his staffe DYDI. Ye teach that afore a mā be iustified through faith in Christ he can do no good works yea that all that he doeth is sinne though it semeth neuer so good Nowe put the case that a Turke or heathen were desirous to heare Obiecti ∣ on 5 the worde of God and to knowe the gospell of oure sauioure Iesu Christe Woulde ye not coumpte thys a good woorke Gardiners obiection against doctoure Barnes And yet ye wyll not saye that he is alreadye iustifyed for as muche as he doethe not yet beleaue in Christe Besydes thys we haue the example of Cornelius of whome afore hee dyd beleeue in Christe Luke wryteth after this manner And the Aungell sayed vnto him Act. 10. Thy prayers and thyne almes are come vp in too remembraunce before God These wordes did the Aungell speake vnto Cornelius afore that he hearde Peter and consequently afore that he beleued in Christ What canne we gather of thys but that a man may do good workes afore he hathe fayth and hether throughe iustified EVTRAPELVS By oure brother Philalethes leaue Aunswer and vnder his correction I wyll take vpon me to aunswer thys obiection that our neyghbour Dydimus hath broughte in nowe I woulde fayne neyghbour Dydimus that ye should aunswer me to this question Can a tree bringe foorthe good frute Math. 7. afore it be made good DYDI. As no good tree canne bringe foorthe euyll frute so can no yll tree brynge foorthe good fruyte EVTRAPE Ephe. 2. Io. 15. And what are we afore we be graffed in Christ DYDI. As the holye Apostell doeth wryte we are by oure owne nature the chyldren of wrath EVTRAPELVS And howe are we graffed in Christ Or how are wee made braunches of the true vyne DYDIMVS I graunte that we are graffed in Christe and made braūches of the true vine by faith EVTRAPE Excepte then we haue fayeth we can not be graffed in Christe nor made braunches of the true vyne But onelesse we be graffed in Christe we can not be good trees and if we be not good trees we can bringe foorthe no good fruite Againe are not these the Apostels wordes Quicquid ex fide non est peccatum est Ro. 14. What soeuer is not of faythe is synne And withoute fayth Heb. 11. it is impossible to please God DYDI. What wyll ye say then of this turke or heathen that hath a desire to heare the word of God and to knowe the gospell of oure sauioure Iesu Christ and paraduenture doeth therefore take vpon him a long and parilous iourney EV. I saye that the same Turke or heathen maye of a vaine curiositye haue a desyre to heare Gods worde and the gospell of Christe Act. 17. as the Athenians why the Athenians woulde heare Paulles doctrine and the straungers that were in theyr citye beinge moued with vayne curiosity wer desirous to heare the doctrine of Paule and for the same cause brought him to the strete of Mars Or as we oure selues are desirous to know straūge histories that we neuer redde before We reade in the histories that mani of the aunciente Philophers did take vpon them long and perilous iourneies that they mighte learne the wisedome of the Egiptians and of the Caldees But let vs by waye of reasonninge graunte that he doth it not of a vayne curiositye yet afore he be graffed in Christe he remaineth styll a dampnable tree and therefore his fruite can not be good howe dare ye then call it a good worke These bee the wordes of Saynte Augustyne Li. ad boni fa. 3. cap. 5. Religio nostra iustos ab iniustis non ope rum sed ipsa fidei lege disceruit sine qua etiam que videntur bona opera in peccata conuertuntur Oute religion sayeth he doeth not discerne the ryghteous from the vnrighteouse by the lawe of woorkes but by the verye lawe of faythe wythoute the whyche yea those workes that seme good workes are turned into synnes And in an other place he compareth the studye and endeuoure of those menne that be not in the waye but who is the waye saue he only that sayeth I am the way the truthe and the life Ioa 14. vntoo agoynge a straye For the more earnestlye sayth he a man doeth renne beynge oute of the waye prefa in Psal 31. the farther doeth hee goo frome the scope or marke and so is made more miserable Therefore better it is to halte in the waye than to renne out of the waye DYDIMVS Ye can not saye so of Cornelius For The history of Conelius the Aungell sayeth playnly that his praiers and almes are come vp in too remembraunce before God And this was afore he heard the preachinge of the gospell EVTRAPELVS And I wyll haue no better scriptures for too proue that Cornelius had fayeth For sith that his praiers almes wer acceptable in the sight of God and that withoute faythe it is impossible to please God it is moste sure that Cornelius was not with oute faythe But we wyll heare Saynte Augustine touchinge that matter August de predestinatione sancto rum capi 7 Nec tamen sayeth hee sine fide aliqua donabat et orabat quicquid et antequam in Christum crederet et cum crederet et quum credidisset operatus est Cornelius totum deo dandum est ne quis extollatur That is to saye yet notwithstandynge he neyther gaue nor prayed wythoute some fayethe What soeuer Cornelius did worke afore he beleeued in Christe and when he did beleue and after that he beleued all the whole must be geuen or attributed vnto God lest any man swel or be puft vp what shoulde we requyre any more By the wordes of the Aungell we do learne that Cornelius both praied to God and that his prayers were hearde But how coulde he haue prayed vnto God onelesse he had beleued on him alreadye For thus doeth the Apostle write Rom. 10. Quomodo inuocabunt in quem non crediderunt How sayth he shall they call vpon him in whō they do not beleue ALBION I holde my selfe well satysfyed in this poynte I prayse the liuinge God therefore But I woulde fayne heare of you brother Philalethes which he the frutes of this our iustification whiche we obtayne through faith onely in Christ without any merites or deseruinge going before and before whiche all that we do semethe it neuer so gorgeouse in oure sighte is but mere synne in the sighte of God PHILA The frutes of this oure iustification The frutes of our iustyfication are exceadinge greate Yea they are inestimable For god doeth not
For that is one of the thinges which the enemies do stoutely denye PHILALETHES Er I do satisfye your desire I doe intende to aledge yet two or three golden sentences out of the Apostel which canne not well be omitted in thys case The firste shall ye haue in the Epistel to Titus Titu 3. where he writteth on this wyse Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done but according to his mercye he saued vs that we beinge iustified by his grace shoulde be made heyrs accordinge too the hope of eternall lyfe The second is muche like vntoo this and is setfoorth in the second Epistell to Timothee after thys maner God hathe saued vs 2. Timo. 1. and called vs with an holye callinge not accordinge to our workes The purpose of God doth exclude al merites and deseruings froÌ„ the iustification of man but according to his own purpose and grace whiche was geuen vnto vs throughe Christ Iesus afore the worlde was Truely whersoeuer this purpose of God is there workes merits or deseruinges can take no place in the iustification or saluation of man Wherby it must nedes folowe as we can gather none other of the sentences nowe aleadged that by the free mercy and goodnesse of God apprehended and taken hold vpon by fayth we are deliuered from oure synnes and from euerlasting damnation and made felowe heyers with his sonne Iesu Christ whose righteousnesse he doth impute vnto vs of his eternall and euerlastinge kingdome of heauen All these thinges I say do we obtain throughe fayeth onely withoute anye merites goynge before DIDIMVS Say what ye wil the enemies do styll whisper in to the eares of the symple and ignoraunt persons that this is but a newe sounde doctrine and that none of all the auncient doctours did euer teache it PHILALETHES Ye myght haue learned that thys is playne falâ—e in the autority that we haue already broughte out of saint Augustine Aug. 83. questionuÌ„ questione â–ª 76 Glossa ordinaria whose wordes are these Quod Abraham per fideÌ„ sine operibus iustificatus est de operibus quae praecedebant intelligitur quia per opera quae fecit iustus non fuit sed sola fide Whiche we haue alreadye englished thus That Abraham was iustified by faith without workes it is to be vnderstanded of the workes that dyd go before For he was not ryghteous throughe the workes whyche he had done before sed sola fide but by faieth onlye If it be an heresye to saye that faythe onely doeth iustifye let me see how they can excuse Saynte Augustine of heresye Vnto hym maye we ioygne father Ambrose who wrytinge vppon the epistell to the Romayns Amb. in episto ad Romanos ca. 4. speaketh on this manner Iustificari sunt gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono dei That is to saye They were iustyfied freelye for they worckynge nothinge nor makinge anye recompence they were iustifyed throughe faythe onelye by the gyfte of God Agayne in the same place these be hys wordes Sic decretum dicit a deo vt cessante lege Ibidem solam fidem gratia dei poscereâ— ad salutem Whyche maye be englyshed thus He sayethe that it was so decreed of God that the lawe beynge at an ende the grace of God shoulde requyre faythe alone or faythe onelye vnto saluation Ibidem These be also his wordes Hoc ipsum munit exemplo prophetae Beatitudinem hominis di it cui deus acceptam fert iustitiam sine operibus Beatos dicit quibus hoc sanxit deus vt sine labore et aliqua obseruatione sola fide iustificentur apud deum That is to say he doeth strengthene or fense this by the example of the prophette He saith that the same man hath blessedfulnes or that blessedfulnes pertained and belongeth to that man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse withoute workes he calleth them blessed vnto whom God had made this decree that wythoute laboure and withoute anye obseruation they shoulde by faith onely be iustified before God And in an other place Idem in 9. ca. ciusdem epistolâ—e Sola fides ad salutem posita est Faythe onelye sayeth he is appoynted vnto saluation Ye maye see nowe howe many tymes this olde father doth vse this worde sola alone or only which the aduersaries or enemies doe accuse of heresye But let vs heare what the other auncient fathers do say concerning this matter these are Ieroms words vpon the Epistle to the Romains Ieronimus in 10. caput episto ad Ro. Ignorantes quod sola fide iustificat deus et se ex operibus legis quam numquaÌ„ custodierunt iustos esse putantes noluerunt se subijcere remissioni peccatorum ne peccatores fuisse viderentur That is to saye They not knowinge that God iustifieth by faith onely and supposing them selues to be iust by the works of the law whiche they neuer obserued they would not submit them selues vnto the remission of synnes leaste they shoulde seeme too haue bene synners EVTRAPELVS By this autoritye that ye haue aleadged oute of Ierome two thinges maye be learned Firste and foremost we learne that God doeth iustifye by fayth only which of the enemies is coumpted playn heresye whervpon we maye conclude that they be wrapped in the same moste pestiferous ignoraunce that the scribes and Pharisees were wrapped in What credit ought to be geuen vnto the enemies of the truth and what sâ—aÌ„full ignoraunce they be wrapped in and that therfore no credit ought to be geuen vnto them nor yet to their doctrine For why thei be altogether ignoraunt in the highest and moste principall poynte of our religion causinge the people to seeke for saluation wher there is nothinge elles but desperation and shippewracke of conscyence Secondlye we see here moste euidentlye the cause whye the scribes and Pharisees Why the scribes Pharises wer vtter enemies vnto the gospell Luc. 18. were suche extreme enemies vnto the gospel which offereth vnto all them that wyll beleue in oure sauioure Iesu Christ free pardone and remission of their sinnes Forsoth they iustyfyed them selues that they were perfect and withoute synne Lest then they shuld lose any part of their estimation for thei sought their owne glorye more than the glorye of God they woulde in nowyse submitte them selues vnto the doctryne of the remyssion of sinnes nor yet receaue the generall pardone that was offered vnto them of God For then they muste needes to haue acknowledged them selues with the other to haue bene sinners But they would none of that beinge in this pointe moste like vnto oure greate Rabbis Why our great rabbis will not acknowledge their errour whiche althoughe their conscyences beare them recorde that they be in a moste pernicious errour and haue most shamefully deceiued the people yet because they wyll not mynishe one iote of their reputation that they haue hadde amonge simple and