tre such a tre such frute such a mā such works For all that is done in fayth pleaseth god are good workes And al that is done w tout faith dispeaseth god and are euyll workes Who so euer beleueth or thynketh to be saued by his works denieth that Christe is his sauiour For how is he thy sauioure if y u myghtest saue thyselfe by thy workes or wherto shuld he dye for the if any workes might haue saued the Verely thou shuldest haue dyed perpetually yf Christ to delyuer the had not dyed for y e and chaūged thy perpetual death in to his owne deth For thou madest the faute and he suffered the payne that for the loue he had to the or euer y u wast borne when thou haddest done nether good nor euel Nowe syth he hath paid thy debte y u nedest not no thou canste not but shuldest be damned if his bloude were not But syth he was punished for y e thou shalt not be punished if thou trust in him Fynallye he hath delyuered the from thy condemnacion and al euel and desyreth naught els of the but y t thou wilt aknowledge what he hath done for the and beare it in minde and y t thou woldest helpe other for his sake bothe in worde and dede euen as he hath holpen the for naughte and without rewarde O how redy wolde we be to helpe other if we knewe his goodnes and gentelnes towardes vs. He is good a gentle lord for he geueth vs frely Let vs besech you y t ar Christians to folowe his fotesteppes whōal the world ought to prayse and worship Amen ¶ He that thynketh to bee saued by his workes calleth him selfe Christe For he calleth him selfe his sauioure which pertayneth to christ only What is a sauiour but he y t saueth he sayth I saue my self which is as moch to say as I am Christ for Christ only is the sauyoure of the worlde We shulde do no good workes for y e entent to get the inheritaūce of heuen or remissyon of synne For who so euer beleueth to get the enheritaunce of heuen or remission of synne thorowe works he beleueth not to get y t for Christes sake And thei that beleue not that theyr synnes ar forgeuen thē and y t they shal be saued for Christes sake they beleue not the gospel For the Gospell sayth you shalbe saued for Christes sake synnes are forgyuen for Christes sake He y t beleueth not y e gospel beleueth not god So it foloweth that thei which beleue to be saued by their workes or to get remissiō of their synnes by their owne dedes beleue not god but recount him as a lyer and so vtterly deny hym to be god Thou wilt saye shall we then do no good dedes I saye not so but I say we shulde do no good workes for the entent to gette the inheritaunce of heuen or remissyon of synne For if we beleue to gette vs heuen thorow good workes thē we beleue not to get it thorowe the promise of god if we thynke to get remissyon of our sinne so the we beleue not that they are forgeuen vs for Christe and so we counte God a lyar For god sayth you shal haue the inheritaunce of heuen for my sonnes sake thy synnes are forgeuen the for my sonnes sake you say it is not so but I wyl wynne it thorow my workes So I condemne not good dedes But I cōdemne y e false truste in any works For al the works that a mā putteth confidence in are ther with povsoned and become euyll ¶ To god onely geue the glorye A dialogue wherin is brefely declared the longe continuaunce of y e Gospel taught as well to the vngodly as to the godly The cause of the destruction of the wicked And also the office of the lawe and the gospel William ¶ For asmuche as God hath constituted me a creature resonable and endued me w t an vnderstanding I am naturallye desyrous to knowe what end I am created to Gyles Thā shal it be necessarie for you to haue faith For he that shal haue to do with God or with godlynes muste fyrste of al beleue after y e holy scriptures William Than tel me what faith is by those holy scriptures Giles After y e saienge of saincte Paule it is a sure certaynie of godly thinges which we trust vnto a grounded euydence in the spirite of heauenlye causes that neuer were sene w t the eye Wil. What suppose ye most necessari to direct me into this faith Gi. The eternal Testament or gospel of Iesu Christe For that is the power of God vnto saluacion to al them that beleue Wil. Whan was this gospell fyrste taught Gil. Soone after the worldes begyunynge whan Adam had once offended leste that he shuld haue fallen in vtter despaire so haue bene loste for euer more Will. And hath the Gospel contynued euer syns to the cōforte of man Gil. Yea trulie and oft sins that time hath ben confirmed by more earneste promises from age to age tyll the meke Lambe came which tok awaye the synnes of the worlde through the shedyng of his most innocent bloud For the scripture saith that his mercye was plentuous from kyndred to kiudred to them that feared the Lorde Wil. Hath all men ben called to grace by that gospell of saluacion Gil. Yea doubtles haue thei yet haue thei not all thankfully receyued it So wel was it tought of our fyrst father Adam to Cayn as to Abel Sowel dyd Noe preache it to Cham as vnto Sem and Iaphet So well dyd Abraham shewe yt to Ismael as vnto Isaac So well Moyses to Pharao as to y e people of Israel Dauid to Ammon and Absolon as to Salomon Nathan Helyas to Achab and Iesabel as to the moste faithfull beleuers No lesse dyd Christe open therof to Iudas then to Peter Iames and Ihon. And so forth to the other Apostles and true preachers to this present daye So that none can excuse thē selfes Wyl Howe commeth it than to passe that so many are lost and styll yet dothe dalye perishe through their conuersacion and lycencious lyuyng Gyl No faute can be ascribed to the gospel but to their vnthankful receiuing of the fruites therof so frelye offred them The disdaynfull spurnyng asyde of that necessary health in christ is cause of their decaye and not the set ordynaunce of god which willeth all men to be saued Wil. If Adā thus receyued this Gospel and so taught it to his posterite it hath cōtinued much longer than I supposed Gil. The Gospel is as the lord is euerlasting For as witnesseth the apostle saint Iohn In the beginning was the worde the worde was with god and god was the worde Wil. Than was not Mathew with the other Euangelistes the fyrste wryter therof Gil. No god did wryte it firste in the natural herte of man and
sprete as the sappe of life geueth strength to the trees that thei maie bring forth frute Euē so makth he multituds of sondrie vertues to springe and growe oute of man As the lorde himselfe testifieth and saieth I am the vyne ye are y e braunches Like as y e braunche can not bring forth frute of it selfe excepte it abyde in the vyne Euē so cā not ye also vnlesse ye abyde in me Whoso abydeth in me and I in him y t same bringeth much frute for without me cā ye do nothing And thus I sai y e good works that be done are done by faith For faith is a gift of god wherby we receaue Christ are iustified made lyuynge for asmuch as the scripture saieth The iust shal lyue by his faith And in another place Christ dwelleth in your hertes thorow faith And as gayne Now lyue not I saieth Paul but Christ lyueth in me for that I lyue in the flesh I lyue in the faith of y e sonne of god who loued me gaue himselfe for me Lyuinge workes thē doth he vndoubtedly euen thorow him by whom he himselfe became alyue And he that is iustified doth also works of rightuousnes assuredly euen thorow him by whom he is become righteous Which is thus much to say the iust worketh righteousnes thorow Christ and rightuosnes comprehēdeth the wholle summe of all vertues And therfore y t onelie god remayneth still the fountayne and originall of all good workes Hereto serueth it also that vnto god who in the regenerate worketh by his sprete in faith holie scripture ascribeth y e workes of those y t be regenerate ¶ That god is the worker of good works in vs and that we do not wel til he dwell in vs is shewed out of scripture and how rightuousnes is ascribed to workes The. 14. Chapter THis wil I now euidently declare with playne testimonies taken out of the lawe of god out of the holie prophetes out of the most holie gospell and of the electe Apostles of Ihesus Christ For thus saieth Moses The lord shal blesse the. And the lorde thy god wil circumcise thine hert and the hert of thy sede that y u maiest loue the lorde thy god with all thine hert and all thy soule that thou maiest lyue The prophete Esaie saieth Lorde vnto vs thou shalt prouyde peace for thou also workest al our workes and deuyces In the gospell of Ihon oure Sauiour saieth thus Who so doth the trueth commeth to the light that his workes maie be knowne because thei are done in or by god And agayne Who so abydeth in me I in him y e same bringeth forth muche frute for without me ye can do nothing Item the holy Apostle Paul to the Philippians saieth To you it is geuen not onely to beleue in Christ but also to suffre for his sake And yet more playnlie It is god that worketh in you both the will and the dede acording to the good purpose of hys mynde or because he hath delyte vnto you Thus sayet also S. Iames one of the. xii Apostles Euery good gift and euery perfecte gift commeth downe from aboue euen frō the father of lightes Yea all partes of the worke doth the holie Apostle Peter ascrybe vnto god saiēg The god of all grace which hath called vs to his eternall glorie by or in Christ Iesu shal his owne selfe after that ye haue suffred a litle afflictiō make you perfecte setle strength stablish you For as the Apostle Paul saieth agayne we are not sufficient of ourselues to thinke any good thyng as of our selues but if we be able vnto any thyng the same commeth of god Wherfore god abideth still the onely fountaine of good workes euen he it is that worketh al good thynges in vs al. By this then that I haue broghte forth herein out of holy scripture concerning y e true occasion of good workes it is farthermore easye to be considered how the scripture ascribeth righteousnes vnto workes seyng that it is rendered vnto the grace of god whan it is ascribed vnto faith and beyng ascrybed vnto workes it is ascribed to the same grace of god For gods grace it is and therfore god hymselfe y t in vs workth good works and so is it the more conuenient y t iustificacion be rather imputed to the grace of god and vnto Christ which worketh by vs. Herevnto had holy Augustine respect who in y e boke de gratia et libero arbitrio ca. 8. writeth thus if eternall lif for recōpēce be geuē vnto good works as y e scrypture openlie saieth for god shal geue vnto euery one acordīg to his dedes how is grace y e eternal life Yf grace bee not ascribed vnto workes but geuen frelie as y e Apostle wryteth To him y t goeth about w t works is y t reward geuen not of grace or fauour but of dewtie agayne The rēnaūt saieth he are saued thorow y e electiō of grace And immediatly he addeth thervnto if it cōe of grace thē it is not of works els shold grace be no grace How thē is grace eternal life beīg takē out of works Or did not y t holy apostle nāe eternal life to be grace Yea he named it so which cā in no wise be denied Nether requireth it one of a sharpe vnderstanding but onelie a diligent hearer For whan he had sayde the rewarde or stipend of synne is death he added straight ther vnto But the grace of god is eternall life in Christ Iesu our lorde Therfore me thinketh this question can in no wyse be resolued vnlesse we vnderstād that our good works to the which eternal life is ascrybed belōg also vnto the grace of god because the lord Iesus saith w tout me ye can do nothing And whan the Apostle had saide By grace are ye saued thorow faith he addeth therto And that not of yourselues it is the gift of god commeth not of workes lest eny man boast himselfe This wryteth holye Augustine How the workes that god worketh in vs are called owres but so that we can not bragge of thē or challenge awt for them but must referre that to another cause The. 15. Chapter HEre vnto must adde also that good works though in very dede thei be properlie gods and y e frutes of faith and of the sprete yet are thei called and be oures that is to saie workes of faithful beleuers Partly because god worketh them by vs vseth our mynistracion to fynishe them Partli because that thorow faith we be childrē of god and therfore ar becōe brethren heires annexed w t Christ For by menes of this inheritaunce al the woorkes and giftes of god begynne to be ours not as straunge but as speciallye our own The scripture also ascribeth the same vnto vs as vnto children and to those that bē born free forasmuche as our sauioure in the gospell
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
e same maner of speche whan he saieth ther is no power but of god Item in y e first epistle to the Corinthiās Euen so knoweth no mā what is in god but the sprite of god And againe I shewed not my selfe forth amonge you that I knewe eny thing saue only Iesus christ that was crucified These and such like sentences innumerable in the scripture signifie nothing els then yf thou shuldest saie This onelie poynte shal open you the entraunce vnto me agayne yf ye bring your yongeste brother with you Oure eyes see but onlie Manna and nothing els Onelie that which y e lorde committeth vnto me maie I doe and speake This onelie requyreth the lorde of the y t thou loue him All power is onely of god Onelie gods sprite knoweth the thinges that are in god I haue compted my selfe to knowe onely Christ that was crucified Seynge thē it is thus vndoubtedlie and no man can denye it to be most euidently spoken also of Christ and Paul namely that no man is made lyuing iust or rightuous but by faith It is much to be wōdred that certayne famous men which will be reputed to be syngularly lerned braule chyde so vehemētlie against vs for that we saie we are iustified onelye by faith For Christ and Paul haue spoken so afore Why goe thei not to rebuke thē yf thei thinke them to haue failed therein We speake but as we haue learned out of thē the sense meaning of oure doctrine we finde in them For very childish is it y t thei obiecte Namely that this word onelie or alone is not added of them For this is euen one thing as yf a scholar wolde thinke the scholmaster had not geuen him leue to go forth whan he had asked him Syr geue ye me leue to go And he made him answere I geue And dyd not expreslie saie after the cōmen maner Yea. For either of both the saiēges geueth one vnderstāding Euen so whā thou saiest we knowe that no mā is iustified but by faith Or we knowe that a mā is iustified onelie by faith The saienges are all one meane one thing And whā it is saied that a man is iustified by faith not by workes is it not euen asmuch as to geue euident testimonye that a mā is iustified onelie by faith The Apostle saieth they are made rightuous frelie or for naught by his grace But howe can eny thinge be don frelie or for naught that is done for rewarde or worker Doubtles yf we be iustified frelie thorow the grace of Christ then is it not done by workes For in the xi chapter also saieth this Apostle Yf it be of grace thē is it not now of workes for els grace then is nomore grace but yf it be of workes then is it now no grace for els were deseruing then nomore deseruyng Therfore in the most assured trueth we knowledge be stedfastly persuaded that a Christian man is iustified by the helpe and mynistracion of onelie faith Faith standeth or leaueth vpon the grace of god and not vpon mans strength But vnto god it ascribeth altogether as I wil shortlie declare hereafter at large ¶ Iustificacion is taken not onelie from workes of the law but also from all maner of workes as frō faith in y t it is a work The. 9. Chapter IN y e fore recyted cap. cōcludth the holy Apostle the whole mater of iustificacion thus We holde therfore that a mā is iustified by faith without the workes of y e lawe And in y e fourth chapt he declareth euidently that rightuousnes is imputed vnto vs by faith not by workes meanynge not onlie the workes of the lawe but all maner of workes acordinge as he saieth also to the Ephesians By grace are ye saued thorow faith that not of youre selues It is the gift of god and commeth not of workes least eny man shulde boast himselfe For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesu vnto good works which god ordeyned y t we shulde walke in them By grace saieth he are ye preserued or saued assuredly iustified thorow faith For faith apprehendeth laieth sure holde vpon grace And to the intēt that no body here shuld ascribe aught to the strength of man he addeth And that not of youre selues For nether grace nor faith commeth of you What then vpō y t he addeth immediatly It is the gift of god vndoubtedly that we are iustified and also that we beleue Yea he setteth yet one thing to it Not of works lest eny man shulde boast himselfe For in the prophet Ieremy also the lorde will not that eny man glory or reioyse saue onelie in his mercy Yet ther folowth a cause We ar his woorkemanship c. Why wold erth claye then lifte vp it selfe against the potter of whom he hath what he is hath And so this place doth euidently ascribe iustificacion vnto faith taketh it from workes ¶ Faith iustifieth not in y t it is a worke but in that it trusteth to the mercie of god thorow Christe The 10. Chapter ALl this shalbe yet more playn and more perfectly vnderstand and known whan I shall shewe that this iustifieng faith holdeth and beleueth y t we are accepted vnto the lord not for our selues or for our own works but for Christes sake That is faith trusteth not vnto workes or deseruinges but to the promes of god and to the merites of Christ our lord Therfore whan Paul saieth to the Romaines that Christ our lord is of god set forth vnto the world to be y e mercy seate or reconcyler thorow faith in his bloud he teacheth and declareth euidently y t faith trusteth vnto y e bloud that is vnto the death merites and redempcion of Iesus Christ And treating largelie and perfectly of this mater in the fourth chapter he wryteth thus Neuertheles it is not written onelie for him namelie Abraham that it was rekened vnto him for righteousnes But also for vs to whō it shalbe so cōpted yf we likewise beleue on him that raised vp Iesus our lorde from the dead which was delyuered vp for oure synnes raised againe for our iustificaciō With these wordes he sheweth vs two thinges The one that faith is compted vnto vs for rightuousnes The other that y e same faith leaneth and trusteth vpon the lorde Iesus Christ who dyed for vs and was raised vp agayne That is faithfull beleuers cōpte themselues rightuous and iustified because thei vnderstand by faith that Christ dyed for them to take a waie their synnes And that he was afterward raised vp agayne to make them lyuinge for whom he had payed the rawnsome and reconcyled them And in the tenth chapter of this epistle whan Paul holdeth and compareth the rightuousnes of the lawe and the rightuousnes of faith together the one against the other he declareth playnlie that the rightuousnes of the lawe trusteth vnto workes but y e rightuousnes of faith
mā rashlye and vngodlye iudge of good workes and so purchace himselfe to haue not good but rather euel merites These termes rewardes or merites tryed by the scriptures and expounded how largely thei ar to be extēded The. 17. Chapter MErite or deseruyng as it is spokē of in y e schools is no where found in holy scripture and yet ther in is oft mencion made of the rewarde The scripture in this foloweth oure maner and fashion of speakynge And for asmuche as vnto such as be oure freindes or that haue well deserued it at our hands we geue rewards giftes as an hyre or wagies Therefore after lyke maner of speche is it sayd that god geueth his frendes eternall life to a reward for their noble and excellent dedes merites For thus we reade in Esaie O happie are the rightuous for they maie enioye y e frutes of their deuyces But wo vnto the vngodlye and vniust for he shalbe recōpenced acordinge to his dedes In the gospell the lorde saieth Blessed are you whā men reuyle you and persecute you speake all maner of euel against you belie you for my sake Reioyce and be glad for great is your rewarde in heauen The Apostle Paul also saith Euery one shal receaue his rewarde acording to his laboure But herein must not the worde Rewarde be violently forced as yf ought were oures for euen our merites themselues are nothing els but giftes of god Therfore like as holye Augustine in other doctrynes of our faith dyd euery where obserue and teach y e vniuersal mynde and vnderstanding of the right canonical trueth and of the holie churche Euen so he not onelie sheweth playnly the true meaning and vnderstāding concernyng the merites of good workes but also with very diligent cōference of the scripture he defendeth the same and saieth thus Ihon the forerunner of our lorde saieth A man can receaue nothing excepte it be geuen him from aboue Now yf thy good workes be the giftes of god then doeth god crowne thy merites not as thy merites but as his own giftes Now let vs cōsidere the merites of the Apostle Paul that is whether he obteyned thē of himself or whether thei be the giftes of god He saieth I haue foughten a good fight I haue ended my course I haue kept faith Fyrst yf good thoughts had not gone before these good dedes thē shulde they be no good dedes Marke therfore what he sayeth of the same thoughts Not that we be able of ourselues to thinke eny good thyng as of our selues but al our abilitie is of god Lette vs then beholde euery thing seuerall He saieth I haue foughtē a good fight Here I demaunde with what strength fought he with it that he had of himself or with it that was geuen him from aboue But god forbyd that such an excellent teacher of the heithen shulde not haue knowne the lawe of god whose voyce and worde standeth in Deuteronomie Thou shalt not saie in thine hert My strength and the power of my handes was able to bring this to passe But remembre thou the lorde thy god For it is he that geueth the strength and power to do it And what profiteth a good battail yf the victory folowe not after And who geueth the victory but euen he of whom he saieth god be thanked whiche hath geuen vs the victory thorow our lorde Iesus Christ And in another place whan he hath recyted the testymony out of the psalme for thy sake are we put to death al the daye long we are compted as shepe apoynted to be slayne he added therto and saide But in al this we ouercome for his sake y t loued vs. It is not therfor by our selues that we ouercome but by him which hath loued vs. And afterward he said I haue ended my course This spake he y t sayde in another place It lieth not in eny mans wil or runnyng but in y e mercy of god Which meanyng maie in no wise be peruerted as to saie that it lieth not in the mercy of god but in euery mans will or runnyng For whosoeuer dare saie so declareth euidently that he speaketh against the Apostle Finally he saide I haue kepte y e faith This spake euen he which in another place sayed Mercye haue I obteyned y t I shoulde be faithful He said not I obteyned mercy because I was faithful but that I shuld be faithfull By this thē declareth he that faith can not be had excepte god be mercyfull and that faith is the gift of god Which thing he techeth very euidently and saieth By grace are ye saued thorow faith and that not of your selues but it is y e gift of god For thei might saie Therfore haue we receaued grace because we beleued ascrybinge so faith to themselues and the grace vnto god Therfore the Apostle whan he had saide thorow faith he saieth And that not of yourselues but it is the gift of god Agayne to the intent they shuld not saye that with their workes they had merited suche a gift and rewarde he added ther vnto immediatly not of workes lest eny man shulde boast himselfe Not that he denieth or minisheth good workes for he saieth god shal rewarde euery one acordyng to his workes But because that workes proceade out of faith not faith out of workes And therfore haue we the workes of rightuousnes euen of him of whom faith itself cōmeth The iust shall lyue by his faith Out of S. Austine word bi word haue I alledged all this which doubtlesse so perfectlye comprehendeth and so cōstauntly with scriptures proueth setteth forth what so euer maye be sayd of y e merites of good works that I suppose there can nomore be spoken therto For what could be more brefelye more syncerly more perfectly spoken then that vnto good workes there is prepared a rewarde and that the sāe is nothinge els but grace Yea the merites of sainctes are gods gifts which whā god crowneth he crowneth his owne giftes In all this therfore standeth sure the perpetual vnfayling and vniuersall doctryne that thei which beleue are iustified and saued by onely faith or grace of god The rule of good workes to measure them by that they maye bee good in dede and not of oure own good intente and brayne onelye The. 18. Chapter WHerfore now come we agayne to good workes which yf they proceade not out of god by faith they maye not be named good But yf they spring out of god thorow faith then are thei ordred acording to y e rule of gods word In y e descripcion therfore of good workes I haue added therto and sayde that they are done by such as are regenerate out of the good sprete of god and acordinge to gods worde For the workes that we ymagen of ourselues they please not god For he alloweth obedience As for the good meanyng and intent that groweth in us he refuseth it Which thinge I affirme and proute wih these testimonies of
scripture In Deuteronomye the lord commaūdeth euidētli with these words ye shal not do euery one that which he thinketh good What so euer I commaunde you that loke ye obserue to do therafter Adde nothinge thereto nether myny she aught there frō Moreouer in the storie of Samuel there standeth an ensample herof For Saul the king of Israel being cōmaunded to make a slayne offeringe of the Amalechites al their substaūce dyd of a good intent self chosen gods seruyce reserue the fatteste oxen for a sacrifice vnto god But the prophet Samuel saieth vnto him hath the lord as greate pleasure in brent sacryfices and offeringes as whan the voyce of the lorde is obeyed Behold to obeye is better then sacrifice to herkē is better thē the fatte of rammes For rebellyon is as the synne of witchcraft and stubburnes is as the wickednes of ydolatrie Here in these few wordes thou hast a godly cōmendacion of self chosen relygion or gods seruice and of workes that spring of our owne good meanynges and good intēntes They that despisynge refusing the lawe of god folowe their owne good intētes are of y e trueth called witches rebelles ydolatoures Although thei think them selues to be gods good seruauntes and feruent folowers of the tradicions of holye fathers bishoppes kynges and prynces yet god who can be no liar saieth euidently that the workes of such folkes doe nothyng dyffer from witchcraft rebellion and ydolatrie which are the most horrible thinges that cā be thought or deuysed The lorde therfore in the gospel out of the prophet Esay condemneth and refuseth all such self chosen works as proceade out of our owne good meanynges intentes whā he saieth in vayne serue thei me while thei teach the doctrynes preceptes of mē Euery plantyng which my heauēly father hath not planted shall be rooted out Let thē go blynd thei are y e leaders of y e blynd Here of came it no doubte y e G. Paule so boldly stowtly said y e the cōmaundmentes statutes of men are not ōly cōtrarie to the trueth but also very lyes In another place he saieth What so euer is not of faith is synne And agayn Faith cōmeth of hearyng hearing cōmeth by the word of god Wherby it maie wel be gathered y t the workes which are not done out y e worde thorow faith are so very naught y t thei be also called sinne To the Colossiās doth Paul most euidentlye reiecte the selfe pleasing gods seruice ethelothreschian which is expounded a supersticiō signifieth a self willed selfchosē religiō gods seruice Wherfore out of all this it is playne that we do not reiecte nor withstand vpright good workes whan we refuse the workes of monckes freres popish priests whiche proceade of the election and good intent of man without gods worde For now is it more certayne that they of a trueth are not good workes which we ymagen of our selues but onelye such as god hath commaunded vs. Which thing is yet more euident out of the wordes of S. Paul We are created saieth he thorow Ihesus Christ vnto good workes to the which god ordeyned vs before y t we shulde walke in thē Here setteth he two marks or euident tokēs of good workes The first we are created thorow Christ Iesus vnto good workes A good worke then must be done by such one as is created thorow Christ or graffed in Christ Iesu For yf the braunche abyd not in the vyne it can not bring frute By faith are we graffed in to christ the vyne The second Thei must not be euery nor al maner of workes but such as god ordeyned of olde that we shulde walke ther in What the same be he hath expressed in his law which is the wil of god Herof is it that the lorde in the gospel beyng deman̄ded concernyng eternall life and true vertues poynteth to the law and saieth What is written in y e law And yf thou wilt entre in to life kepe the commaundmentes The ten cōmaundmentes then are the most sure and most perfecte fourme of good workes Which thing to the intent it maie be perfectly vnderstand I will brefely declare it all as in a painted table The exposition of the. x. commaundmentes which ar the limites and precinctes of our good workes The. 19. Chapter TO the fyrst cōmaundmēt thou must referre the fear of god faith in god and fynally most sure hope in trouble aduersitie Itē sufferaūce vnmoueable vnshrinking stedfastnes To the second belōgeth the true to god acceptable vndefyled syncere worshipping likewise y e refusing denyal eschuyng of all supersticiō peruerted gods seruyce To the thirde y e reuerencyng of y e power maiestie of god also cōfession true inuocaciō of y e name of god sanctifieng of y t same In y e fourth is cōteyned the cōelie obseruaciō of the cerimonies and rytes of y e church y e preachīg of gods word the commē praier and al external mynistracions To the fifth maieste thou referre feare and loue towardes father and mother towardes thy natyue countre and kynsfolkes Item the right obediēce that we owe to magistrats and of al duties of a cyuile life conuersacion To the sixte thou shalt referre rightuousnes iudgment the defence of wedowes of the oppressed afflicted frendles Fatherles and Motherles children benefites and innocencye To the seuenth maye be referred matrymonyall plight and trothe the honest and godly bringynge vp of children diligence and exercise of clennesse sobernes and temperauncie To the eyght shalt thou referre equitye in bargaynyng liberalitie myldnesse and hospitalitie To the nyenth diligēt appliēg of trueth thorow out the whole life to kepe faithfulnes fydelitie in wordes and workes to vse such wordes as are sober honest and maye edifie To the tenth referre good and holy desyres and finally all holye and honest thoughtes This is now a very short sūme and fourme of good workes But yf thou desyre yet a shorter then harken vnto the Lorde himselfe sayeng in the gospell Thou shalt loue the lord thy god with all thy hert with all thy soule and with all thy mynde This is the chefe and greatest comman̄dment The second is lyke vnto it thou shalt loue thy neghbour as thyselfe Item what so euer ye wold men shulde do vnto you do you the lyke vnto them That the lord requyreth naught els of vs but the workes of the. x. commaundements is proued out of scripture The. 20. Chapter AL faithful beleuers which be desyrous to do good workes must directe theyr eyes hertes and myndes vnto these commaundmentes of the lorde And that with so much the more diligence and sted fastnes as they more euydently se y t god in the lawe and in the prophetes requireth nothing els yea none other workes of those that are his This maie I proue and maynteyne with most euydent testimonies of the most principal prophetes