inflame our hart that it may doo those things willingly of loue which the Lawe commaundeth and so at the last good workes in deede doo proceede freely from the fayth whiche worketh so myghtily and which is so liuely in our harts This is the meaning of the thirde Chapter For whereas he had vtterly damned the workes of the lawe and myght haue seemed to haue disanulled and abolished the lawe by teaching the doctrine of faith he preuenteth that obiection in these wordes We doo not sayth he destroy the Lawe but rather establish it That is we teach how the lawe may truely be fulfilled by fayth .i. by beleeuing in Christ Iesu Now it remayneth that we shewe howe this word Sinne is takeÌ„ in the Scriptures 2 Sinne what it is Sinne in the Sriptures signifieth not onely the externall worke but that whole force and natiue operation incredulitie as that wickednes which we haue by lineall descent as it were from our great Graundfather olde Adam which euen violently carryeth vs headlong to sinne namely that wicked hart and al our reason with al yea euen his best and chefest his strength and power wherewith we can doo nothing els but sinne so that then we are said to commit sinne when by the efficacy of this originall sinne as with a certayne vyolent force we are caryed headlong to doo euill There is no outwarde sinne doone but first by this naturall force and impulsion a man is wholly and with all his affection caried roundly awaye to sinnyng The Scripture and God hym selfe when they speake of sinne they haue respect vnto this wickednes of our hartes vnto this naturall inclination that is this vice of incredulitie as to the fouÌ„teyne of all other sinnes Lyke as therefore Fayth alone dooth iustifye and alone dooth obtayne the Spirit and power to fulfill the Law and to doo those works in deede which are onely good so onely incredulitie and vnbeleefe causeth sinne and exciteth and kindleth the flesh to sin and to commit euil works as we see it happened to Adam and Eue in Paradise Genesis 3. Wherefore Christ also in the Gospell calleth only cheefly incredulitie Sinne is principally termed vnbeliefe sinne Iohn 16 The Spirit sayth he shall reproue the world of sinne bicause they haue not beleeued in me Those woorkes which be truely good euen as good fruites cannot proceede and spring but of a good tree that is of fayth working in the hart as contrarywise euill fruit can not come but from an euill tree that is incredulitie of the hart Therfore this wickednes and incredulitie in the harte is euery where in the Scriptures called the heade of the Serpent and of the old Dragon Genes 3. whiche was to be broken by that blessed seede of the woman namely Christ But nowe to proceede 3 Grace what it is As concerning these two words Grace and Gyft they differ thus Grace is the fauour mercy and free good will and beneuolence of God towardes vs. Gyft is the holy spirit hym selfe whom 4 Gyft what it is God dooth send into theyr hartes whom he hath taken mercy vpon and whom he fauoreth as very well appeareth in the .v. Chapter where he distinguisheth gyft from grace Although now we haue not the fulnes of this gyft or of the Spirit bicause in this life there will alwayes remayne in vs remnaunites of sinne which fight agaynst the Spirit as the Apostle sayth in the .vii. Chapter and the .iii. to the Galathians as also Moses sayth in the iii. of Genesis that there will be a conflict betwixt the seede of the woman and the seede of the Serpent yet grace worketh this in vs that the reliques of sinne shall not be imputed vnto vs but that we shall be reputed and accounted before God as men fully and perfitly iust Neyther is the grace and fauour of God so imperfectly bestowed vpon vs as we sayd the gyft was For God rather dooth loue ande imbrace vs with a full fauour and a right perfect good will for Christes sake who is our mediator earnest penney and the first finites of the Spirit Therefore though remnaunts of sinne doo dayly glister and shine in vs yet neuer theles we are iust before God and syil is not imputed vnto vs through faith which daly striueth and wageth war against the fleshe So then you may vnderstand that place in the .vii. Chapter where the Apostle though he was iustified in the Spirite acknowledgeth hymselfe yet to be a sinner and yet notwithstanding he sayth in the .viii. Chapter there is now no condemnation to those which are in Christ Iesu As many therefore of vs as are through faith iustified in Christ we are both sinners and iust Sinners by reason of the imperfect mortification of our fleshe and for that in this lyfe the reliques of sinne remayning in vs we cannot haue or attayne the fulnes of the Spirit First bycause wee haue through fayth the first fruites and earnest of the spirit so that for our faith in Christ God fatherly fauoring vs dooth not impute vnto vs that sinne whiche remayneth in our flesh neyther dooth iudge vs vntill that sinne by death be quite broken banished and abolished But now let vs speake somewhat of fayth 5 Fayth what it is Fayth is not a certain cold opinion or a wandring cogitation of a mans mynde suche a one as any man hearing the historye of the Gospell may foolishly imagin hym selfe to haue For certayne men hearing many things preached of fayth and seeing that they can dispute many things of fayth and of Christ and yet for all that by that knowledge cogitation or diligent meditation perceyue them selues not to be foorthwith incited to do good workes fall into that wicked and impious error that they stoutly deny man to be iustified by fayth alone but that also woorkes are required These men in deede hearing the Gospel fayne vnto themselues a certayne opinion and they reuolue in their myndes certayne colde cogitations of Christ thinking then that fayth is nothing but the dreame of their owne mynde and those vayne cogitations A fayned fayth And these men now and then boult out these excellent speaches O say they if faith only iustifieth theÌ„ I pray you what say you to this Behold I haue heard the Gospel preached I remember the history of Christ Lo I beleeue and yet I am not iustifyed True â—t is for bycause this thy Fayth is nothing but thyne owne bare and naked imagination and cogitation of fayth which dooth â—…ot innouate thy hart and which doth moue â—hee nothing at all there followeth no newnes â—f lyfe no workes of fayth But a true fayth is the worke of God whereby we are regenerate and borne anew by his Spirit Iohn 1. Chapter wherby also our old Adam is quelled and we being wholy transformed we are made as the Apostle sayth newe creatures to Christ the holy Ghost being the lyfe and gonernment of our hartes Fayth
it is that the Prophete sayth in the .115 Psalme All men are lyers Wherfore by nature they cannot fulfyll the Law For all men naturally are bent and inclined to euyll and therfore hate the Lawe Now whersoeuer there is not a cheareful and ready wyl to God and his lawe there is sinne and the wrath of God though by such hypocrisie thou doest the externall woorke Vppon these Paul inferreth in his second Chapter that all the Iewes although in externall workes they make semblance to fulfyl the Law are sinners and transgressors of the Law For saith he not the hearers of the law but the doers therof shal be accoūted iust before God Wherby he doth intimate vnto vs that no man can fulfyll the Law by doing the outward worke Thou sayst Paule speaketh to the Iewes that a man should not commit adultry and yet thou thy selfe committest adultry In this that thou iudgest another thou condemnest thyne owne self For thou that iudgest doest the very same thyngs As if he should say Thou in deede after a glorious kynd of hypocrisie walkest in the external works of the Law and thou iudgest others which walke not so In deede thou teachest other men and thou seest a mote in thy neighbours eye but thou seest not the beame which is in thine own eye For though thou seeme to fulfyll the Law in thy externall actions eyther for feare of punishment or for loue of thy self yet notwithstanding thou dost all these thyngs with an vnwillyng mynd with an hard stubborne hart without al loue and good affection toward God and his law Insomuch that thou haddest rather there werneyther Law nor law geuer at all that so thy lust and concupiscence might not be repressed Wherefore it is manifest that though in outwarde woorke thou dooest counterfeyt the Law yet in very deede thou doost hate and abhorre it So the Apostle speaketh What is thy righteousnes woorth saith he if thou teachyng other men not to steale yet in thy hart thou art inclined tostealyng which affection out of all doubt would breake out into the deede doyng but that thou art afrayde of punishment to ensue For the externall woorke for the most part wyll breake out at length though it be for a tyme dissembled this oftentymes foloweth in such hypocrites Wherfore as he sayth thou which teachest another teachest not thy selfe that is thou art ignorant thy selfe what thou teachest because thou art ignorant of the meanyng of the law how that it is not satisfyed but with the inward affection and motion of thyne hart The Law beyng done in the outward worke only is so farre from iustifying The Law oncreaseth syn that it rather increaseth and augmenteth our sinne as Paul saith in the .v. chapter of this Epistle Wherfore the better thou vnderstandest the Law the lesse thou louest the law because it dooth exact require of thee so many thyngs quite contrary to thy affections and altogether repugnant to thy nature Hereupon it is that in the .vii. chap. he saith The law is spirituall as if he should say If the law were carnall or moral doctrine only then it would be satisfied by the external worke But seeing that now it is spirituall that is requiryng the affect and spirit it foloweth that no man can fulfyll it vnles he doth those things which the law commaundeth with a chearefull hart with a certayne ardent feruencie of mynd and with all his affection Such a new hart and such a feruent and chearefull affection of the harte thou canst not obtaine of thyne own strength or by thyne owne merites but onely by the operation and secrete instinct of the holye Ghost For it is the spirit of God only that gyues a new hart that makes a man spirituall that so he beyng made spirituall he may loue the Law which is spirituall and may fulfyll it not for feare or loue of commoditie but with a chearefull and wyllyng hart and that he may be caryed violently as it were with a certayne force to doo those thyngs which the Law commaundeth freely and of his owne accord So is that saying to be vnderstood The Law is spiritual that is the Law is not fulfylled but by the spirit but by a hart renued by the Spirit Therfore where there is not that renouation of the hart by the spirit there remayneth that greeuous hatred of the lawe which law neuerthelesse of it selfe is iust holy and good so farre is it from fulfilling it Wherefore accustome and acquaynt thy selfe with this Phrase and manner of speaking which the Apostle here vseth It is one thing to doo the worke of the lawe and another thing to fulfill the law For it is a worke of the law when without grace 1 workes of the Lawe without the Spirit we begin to worke well and when we labour to fulfill the lawe by our owne proper strength and power of our free will But seeing that there alwayes remayneth in the hart certayne seruile feare and a most deadly hatred of the law sure it is that such workes are sinne haynous factes agaynst the lawe and so doo not please God So the Apostle saith in the .iii. Chapter By the workes of the law shall no flesh be iustified in his sight Here therefore we may knowe and acknowledge how the Sophisters and schoole doctors are farre wyde from the the truth who teach and affirme this wicked and blasphemous assertion that by our workes we may prepare the way vnto grace But how can I prepare for my selfe a way to grace by that worke which I doo with a stubborne frowarde and vntoward harte and with a repugnant affection How can that worke be acceptable to God which I doo not willyngly but with great greefe of harre yea with extreme hatred of the lawe To fulfill the lawe 2 Fulfyllyng of the Lawe is to doo those things which the lawe commaundeth with a cheerefull and willing harte that is freely and of thyne owne accorde to lyue vnto God and to worke well though there were no law at all Such a cherefulnes readines willingnes and ardent affection cannot come into our hartes but by the quickening spirit and his lyuely impulsions and agitations in our hart as the Apostle sayth in the .v. Chapter Chap. 1. vers 16. Now the Spirit is geuen only by fayth in Iesus Christ as the Apostle sayd in the beginning Fayth commeth through the hearing of the Gospel through which worde Christ is preached vnto vs to haue dyed to haue bene buryed and to haue risen agayne from death for vs as he sayth in the .iii. iiii and .x. Chapters Therefore our whole iustification is of God Fayth also and the Spirit are of God they come not of our selues Wherefore let vs conclude that Fayth alone iustifyeth and that Fayth alone fulfilleth the lawe For Fayth through the merit of Christ obtayneth the holy Spirit which spirit dooth make vs newe hartes dooth exhilarate vs dooth excyte and
is liuely and not idle Wherefore fayth is such an effectuall lyuely quicke and myghty operation in our harte that it cannot be idle but must needes breake out and shew it selfe by good workes Neyther dooth he that hath this Fayth care greatly whether good workes be commauÌ„ded or no. For though there were no lawe at all yet by this lyuely impulsion working in his hart he is of his owne accorde forced and caryed to worke true and godly ChristiaÌ„ workes He that dooth not his good workes of such a lyuely affection of the hart is wholy in vnbeleefe and a straunger and aliant from the fayth as many of those be which in schooles dispute and iangle much of Fayth and good workes not knowing what they speake or what they holde and affirme A true definition of faith Fayth therefore is a constant trust and a sure confidence of the mercy of God towards vs which is liuely and worketh myghtely in our harts whereby we committe our selues wholy to God casting all our care vpon hym leaning and trusting assuredly to this fayth we are not afrayde to dye a thousand tymes For this so bolde an assurance of the mercy and fauour of God dooth make our hartes merry glad and lyght doth also erect rayse and euen rauish vs with most sweete motions and affections towardes God yea and dooth so embolden the harte of the true beleeuer that trusting to haue God on his side he is not afrayde to oppose hymselfe alone agayust all creatures But it is the Spirite of God which geueth vs this heroicall harte and stout stomacke through fayth which working effectually in our hartes dooth incyte and inflame vs to doo good Now we haue thys chearefull towardnes and forwardnes to the ende that wee myght be moste prompt and ready willingly and of our owne accorde to doo tolerate and suffer all things whereby we may be obedient to so gentle and fauorable a father who through Christe hath inryched vs with so great abuÌ„dance of his graces It can not possibly be but that in whom soeuer this efficacy and lyfe of fayth is it should dayly worke A liuely comparison fructifye and geue increase to God Euen as it is vnpossible that a fyre being kindled flaming should not geue lyght and cast foorth brightnes wherefore watch thou and take heede that thou doo not beleeue eyther thyne owne vayne songes and soimdes of fayth Fancyes thyne owne fonlish imaginations or the vayne trifling stuffe of Sophisters Blynd papistes For these Sophisters haue neyther wyt nor wysdome They are belly beastes borne onely to those feastes of schooles But pray thou vnto God who commaundeth by his worde that lyght should shine out of darkenes that hee would shyne bryghtly in thyne hart and that be would create a true Fayth in thee otherwyse thou shalt neuer beleeue truely though for the space of a thousand yeares thou diddest labour and study about such cogitations and imaginations either of a faith heretofore gotten Righteousnes or hereafter to be sought for This fayth now is that true iustice whiche the Apostle calleth the iustice and righteousnes of God that is which onely is of force auaylable and can stand before God bycause it is the meregyft of God And this fayth dooth transforme the whole man and makes hym such an one that according to that common definition of ciuill iustice he is ready to geue and render to euery one that which is due vnto hym For seeing by that fayth we are instified and indued with the loue of the lawe of God then surely we so magnifying God and the lawe doo geue that glory vnto God which is due vnto hym Also seeing by that fayth we doo beleeue firmely that we are iustified freely and reconciled vnto God through Christ who euery where is ready to saue vs then by course we serue for our neighbor so agayne render and attribute to euery man that which is his This ryghteousnes of the hart we can not obtayne by any indeuour of our own free will or by our own strength merits For as no man can see that lyuely operation that is fayth of our harts but onely God so no man can repell from hymselfe that wickednes and incredulitie of the hart but onely by grace and the Spirit of God so farre we are from being able to deliuer our selues from sinnes by our owne power Therefore though workes doo seeme to show gallantly and gloriously yet notwithstanding whatsoeuer is not of fayth is hipocrisie and sinne Now as concerning flesh and spirit which often are vsed in this Epistle you must not take flesh to be after the common manner the desires and lustes of the flesh onely neyther must you cal the spirit onely those things whiche are doone spiritually in the inwarde corners of the hart 6 fleshe what â—t is For the Apostle Saynt Paule as also Christ hymselfe in the .iii. Ch. of Iohn doo call flesh whatsoeuer is borne of the fleshe that is the whole man bodye and soule al mans reason wholy with all his cheefest and best powers Bycause that all these things doo sauour of nothing but fleshe and seeke after nothing but fleshly things Wherfore thou shalt eall all those workes flesh which seeme to be good and make a beautiful show of holy workes and yet are doone without the grace and working of the holy Spirit of God in the hart Which thing is playne and euident by the .v. Chapter to the Galathians where Paule reckeneth and counteth heresies sects amongst the fruites of the flesh And in the .viii. Chapter to the Romanes he sayth that the law is made weake by reason of the flesh which thing ought to be ment not onely of the vnchaste lustes of the flesh but also of the whole masse of corruption and wickednes yea breisly and cheifly of incredulitie or vnbeleefe Incredulitie the ground all sines which is the most secret and cheife sinne of all Contrarywise 7 Spirite what it is thou shalt call the Spirit those spirituall things euen those externall works which proceede from a spiritual man or from a hart innouated and made newe by the holy spirit That washing of the feete which Christ did to his Disciples though it was an outward worke yet it was spirituall Peters fishing to which he returned being now iustified in the spirit was also spirituall Therefore that is fleshe whatsoeuer a man dooth seeking and sauoring onely carnal and fleshly things And that is Spirit whatsoeuer is doone within or without wherewith a man exercising fayth and Charitie dooth seeke spirituall things Vnles we take these wordes in this sense we shall neyther vnderstand this Epistle of S. Paul nor any other bookes of the diuine Scriptures Therefore whether it be Ierome or Augustine or Ambrose or Origen breifly what writers soeuer they be that vse these wordes otherwise let not the authoritie of men moue thee any thing at al but rather flee from