agréeing with that which is sayd already namelye that no good woorke can bée wrought but by him in whom Iesus Christ doth raigne that is by that iustified for hereby it is playne that no good worke can be in man onles it be by Iesus Chryste but Iesus Chryst worketh onely in the iustified for his spirit doth certifie their spirites in whom hee dwelleth that they are the children of God there is no condemnation to them that are in Chryst Iesu And in this place doth Paule also go forward in prosecutyng the woorde of Esay for where Esaye calleth them trées of ryghteousnesse that is to say the bringers forth of the fruites of ryghteousnes he addeth a plantyng of the Lordes to shew that their ryghteousnesse is the Lordes worke and that doth Paule open here where hée sayeth that good workes or fruites of righteousnesse are in vs by Iesus Chryst as though he had sayd Iesus Chryste hath made you to bée trees of ryghteousnesse that you myght bring forth the fruites thereof namelye good workes and so declare your selues to be a plantyng of the Lordes Thys beyng taught Paule goeth forward in declaryng the finall cause of good workes in saying Vnto the glorye and prayse of God whereby it is playne out of these words of Paules that Chryst is the efficiēt cause of good workes and that none can bée wrought but by hym in whom the spirite of Chryste dwelleth that is none can be wrought but by the ryghteous or iustified in that he saith whyche fruites are in you by IESVS Chryst Whereby it is playne that wythout Iesus Chryste they can not bée in them Where also is declared the materiall cause of good woorkes Namely a fruite of ryghteousnesse so that vnlesse it bée brought forth by a ryghteous tree it can bée no good worke hee also declareth that the iustification or ryghteousnesse of the doer of them is the formall cause of them in that hée calleth them the fruite of ryghteousnesse for that declareth the doers of them to bée trées of ryghteousnesse as Esay termeth them wherby also appeareth that no good worke can bé done but by a man already iustyfied hee also telleth the finall cause of them in that hée sayeth Vnto the glory and prayse of God concludyng euen as Esay in the fore named place doth For after hée had sayde that they myght bée called trées of righteousnesse a planting of the Lordes hée addeth for hym to haue glorye in so that the ende of good woorkes is not to iustifie the doers but to glorifie God for vnles the doers had bene iustified before the woorkes were wrought they coulde haue bene no frute of righteousnesse So that thys place of Paule is an openyng of the forenamed place of Esay for where Esaye sayeth that they myght bee called trees of ryghteousnesse Paule expoundeth that to bée that they shoulde bryng foorth the fruites of righteousnesse and where Esaye calleth them a plantyng of the Lordes that doth Paule open when he telleth that the fruite of ryghteousnesse must be in them by Iesu Chryst And where Esay sayeth for hym to glorye in Paule sayeth to the glory and praise of God. Thus by comparyng together these woordes of Paule and Esay it is more then euident that good workes bée so farre from iustyfiyng the doers that before iustificatyon no good worke can bée wrought And Chryst himselfe affirmeth no lesse when he sayeth that the tree must bee good before it bryng foorthe good fruite Euerye good tree sayeth he bryngeth forth good fruite So that first hée acknowledgeth the trée to bée good before it bryngeth forth good fruite And if the tree be euill he affirmeth in the same place It bryngeth foorth euill fruite concludyng playnely that no euyll tree can bryng forth good fruite Whereby it is euident that the man muste by fayth bée made good that is to saye righteous and iustyfied before he can bring forth any good woorkes So then the woorke is acknowledged for good through mercy which couereth the blemishes thereof in respect that it is the worke of a man by fayth already iustified and clothed in the righteousnesse of Chryste and not in respecte of it selfe which compared with the iustice of God is wickednesse as in the 9. Chapter was proued for wee bee all by nature the chyldren of wrath as Paule beareth witnesse And thus writeth Augustine Sequuntur bona opera iust fi atum non praecedunt iustificandum Good woorkes folowe hym that is iustified they goe not before hym that is to bee iustyfied Agayne the same Augustine Quid enim est boni operis ante fidem cum dicat Apostolus quicquidsine fide fit peccatum est for what good woorke is there before sayth seyng the Apostle sayeth that whatsoeuer is not of fayth is synne And Christ hymselfe sayeth wythout mee you can do nothyng whereby it is euydent that vntyll they haue the spiryte of Chryst they can woorke no good worke but none haue the spirite of Chryst but suche as bée the children of God for the Scrypture sayth these bee the children of GOD that bee led by the spyrite of GOD and none are the children of GOD tyll they bée iustyfied for to bée the chyldren of God and to bée iustyfied is all one thyng therefore none can woorke good woorkes but suche as be already iustyfied Agayne to the workyng of euery good woorke there be two thynges specially required namely vnderstandyng and affection So that the worke that must please God muste both bée ioyned wyth the knowledge of the wyll of God and also bée done wyth affection pleasure and delight in the same Touchyng that it shoulde bee done wyth knowledge thus sayth God by the prophet God desireth in man more the knowledge of God then burnt offrynges And before in hys fourth chapter where he geueth a reason of the destructyon of hys people he alleageth onely lacke of knowledge my people sayeth he are destroyed for lacke of knowledge And Chryst himself sayth do yee not therefore erre because you vnderstand not the scryptures And Iob affirmeth that to depart from euill is vnderstandyng Whereby it is playne that wythout vnderstanding or knowledge of the wyll of God no man can depart from euill and do that which is good And therefore doth Dauid crye Geeue mee vnderstanding and I shall keepe thy lawe O geeue mee vnderstandyng that I maye learne thy commaundementes And that good woorkes are wrought through knowledge or vnderstanding it is by the scriptures euident Paul to the Phillippians writeth thus And thys I praye that your loue maye abound yet more and more in knowledge and vnderstanding that ye maye discerne things that differ one from an other that ye may be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ Here doth Saint Paule not only pray that theyr loue might abound in knowledge but he also telleth the cause of hys prayer namely that they might be able to
the shiftes which these busie hunters to robbe God of his honoure haue found out is this fayth say they doth iustifye but fayth is a worke therefore woorkes do iustifye To whome wee aunswere that faith in respect that it is our worke expressed by our will or vnderstanding iustifyeth not because it is feeble and weake for no man beléeueth so assuredly as hee is bounde nor doth so earnestly assent vnto the truth of Gods promises as he ought to do Wherefore whersoeuer fayth is sayde to iustifye fayth is there taken for the obiecte of faythe Namely for Christ and the mercye of God in the promise And for asmuche as it is the instrument which taketh holde thereof therefore is iustifycation imputed vnto it According to Saynt Paules sayinge Abraham beleeued God and that was imputed vnto him for ryghteousnesse so that fayth is sayde to iustify because it taketh holde of Chryst in the promise who doth iustifye and not in respect that fayth is a woorke of ours Wherefore examining thys argument of the aduersaries you shall sée how finely at the first they foist in a fallax called of the logitians fallacia accidentis That is the deceipt of the accident Inferring that in the conclusion wherunto that worde whereuppon it is inferred did not stretch it selfe in the second proposition for where it is sayde faith is a worke to be a worke of ours is but an accident vnto faith in respect of iustification for iustification commeth not because fayth is a worke of ours but because the mercie of God doth in the promise fréely geue it to al beleuers So that faith in the first proposition is referred and hath relation vnto the obiect of faith namely Christ and the mercy of God in the promise And in the second proposition fayth is there otherwise taken namely as it is a worke of ours Wherefore fayth not béeing one in bothe propositions the conclusion is falselye inferred Or more briefely it is aunswered thus Faith in the firste proposition is a relatiue in the predicament of relation as in the 8. chapter is declared and in the seconde proposition where it is considered as a worke it falleth in the predicament of qualitie wherby the argument hauing fower termes the conclusion must needes bée false An other of the aduersaries argumentes is thys Saint Paule affirmeth that of fayth hope and loue loue is the greatest or most excellent and in that the fulfillyng of the lawe consisteth and therefore iustification is rather to be imputed to the more excellent then to the inferior That loue is most excellent of the three it is euydent for fayth and hope haue only continuaunce vntill the thinges that bée beléeued and hoped for bée fully in mannes possessyon At whyche tyme they both shall ende but loue doth continue and florishe through all eternity and that it is the fulfilling of the law is in the. 4. chapter euydent For who so loued God and his neighbour so muche as he ought to doe shoulde surely fulfill the lawe But now touching their argument that because it is more excellēt therfore it must iustify that is more then childishe The eare is a farre more excellent instrument or organ of the bodye then is eyther the hand or mouth for thereby we receaue the glad promyses of God touchyng our whole felycytie Shoulde wee therefore inferre because the eare is the more excellent Organ or instrument that therefore we shoulde receaue oure meate wyth oure eares and not rather with the hand and mouth whiche though they be meaner yet are they instrumentes appoynted to that vse And so fayth though it bee the meaner yet is it the instrumēt appointed to that vse An other of the aduersaries shifts is this works say they iustified not in respect that they be our workes but in respect that they be the workes of God in vs Here is the shew of a goodlye substaunce but launch it a litle and you shall finde it nothing else but an emptye bladder puffed with wind onlye Marke whose be the woorkes whiche here they alledge are they not the workes of God in vs Doe they not imagine God to worke in vs but as hath bene before euidently shewed God woorketh vnto saluation in none but in those that bée hys children that is to say iustified for they that are led by the spirite of God they are the children of God that is iustified Why if they be his children alreadye the questyon is ended for those workes that come after they be his children can not be the purchaser of that estate whereof the doer was possessed before they were wrought wherefore those woorkes doe not iustifie him that was iustified before euer hee wrought them for he was the childe of God before he wrought them for they confesse God to dwell in hym and woorke in hym but God dwelleth and worketh in none vnto saluation but in hys children that is in the iustifyed as it is sayde before Wherefore gentle reader that thou mayest bee hable to vnfolde all the subtyll shyftes of the deceytfull aduersaryes intricate snares of thys kynde kéepe thys for a generall and sure rule whiche can neuer fayle thee Marke diligently whether in that worke wherby they wil haue iustification obtayned they auouche God to be anye worker or no. If they auouche hym to be no worker then by the. 4. and 5. chapters thou euidently séest that the work is abhominable vnto him If they auouch him to bée a woorker as in thys argument which I am sure they must néedes do thē say vnto them séeing God woorketh in them to saluation they are before hand the childrē of God that is iustified already for the Scripture affirmeth that they that are led by the spirite of God are the children of God but none bée hys children tyll they be iustified and therefore these workes whiche they auouch are the woorkes of such as be alredyiustified which is not in question for those woorkes can bée no helpe to obtayne hym that estate whereof hée was possessed before they were wrought and wythout the possessyon whereof they coulde neuer haue béene wrought Wherefore if they will haue woorkes to iustifie they must alledge such woorkes as God is no woorker in for God worketh in none vnto saluatyon but in such as be already iustified for whosoeuer is led by the spirite of God he is already iustified for he is the childe of God as I sayd before Nowe touchyng these Scriptures whiche I put in the last sort namelye where the righteous challēge and craue of god the reward of their innocencye and righteousnesse and as it were offer the same to be examined before hys iustice of whiche examples there be principally in the Psalmes whereof I will rehearse one or two Fyrst Dauyd in the. 7. Psalme Iudge me O Lord accordyng to my innocency and according to the cleanenes of my handes in thy sight And
discerne thynges that differ to iudge betwene good works and counterfeite workes betwene true religion hipocrisie that so through that knowledge they might haue iudgement how to lead a pure and Christian life which without the knowledge of the wyll of God is vnpossible And agayne the same Paule to Philemon See that the fellowship sayth he that thou hast in the fayth be fruitfull through knowledge of all good things which are in you by Iesus Christ Hereby it appeareth that without vnderstanding of the will of God no good workes can be wrought But Paul playnely affirmeth that all thei that be not already iustified in Christ haue no vnderstanding The naturall man sayth he perceaueth not the thinges that belong to the spirit of God for they are but folishnes vnto hym Then if he perceaue not nor vnderstand the thynges that please god It appeareth by that is sayd before that he can by no meanes do the worke that shall please god Hereby it both playnely appeareth that the knowledge of the wyll of God is required to good workes and also that none that is not iustified hath that knowledge Now touching that vnto good works there is also required in the doer affection delight towardes the same that is euident by the definition of good workes expressed in the 8. chapter where it appeareth that they be nothyng but an execution of the commaundementes whereunto the whole affection of man both body and soule is required as in the. 4. chapter appeareth which also is confirmed by the example of those of whose good workes the scripture beareth witnes Thus sayth Dauid If my delight were not in thy law I should haue perished in my trouble And agayne my delight was in thy commaundementes And agayne thy testimonies haue I claymed as mine heritage for euer and why they are the very ioy of my hart And agayne Lord what loue haue I vnto thy law al the day long is my studie therein And agayne my delight shal be euer in thy statutes And agayne for I loue thy commaundementes aboue golde precious stone Thys affection of the hart is required to the performaunce of good workes whereof how greatly they be short that be onely possessed of the naturall man and not iustified in Christ it is more then euident by the playne wordes of God hymselfe In Genesis he sayth thus my spirite shall not alwayes striue in man because he is fleshe And a litle after The Lord sawe that the wickednes of man was great in the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughtes of his harte were onely euill continually And agayne in the 8. chapter the imaginations of mans hart is euill euen from hys youth Here appeareth that the affection of the naturall man is onely this affection to rebellion desire so contempt and lust to disobedience Thus it is euident that in all those which be not already iustified in Christ their is neither vnderstanding how to please God nor affection thereunto And so consequently no good worke seing it is proued that no worke cā be good but where both they be ioyned together which also is euident by that which is sayde in the fifth chapter Surely if these men had bene as carefull searchers of truth herein out of Gods holy worde as they haue bene of mistes and clowdes out of Aristotles schole to darcken shadow the brightnes thereof they woulde neuer haue sought with so many subtil distinctions and false definitions without al ground of Gods worde to haue builded themselues the labirinth of errour maze of their owne confusion But woulde contrariwise haue humbled themselues vnto the spirite of God and haue considered the ende of hys purpose in mans saluation But they not considering that to be the prayse and glory of hys owne grace and enforcing the rigor of the outward sounde of some wordes in the scripture haue gathered workes to be the cause of mās iustification where if they more narrowly cōsidered they should see that faith is the onely meane by which workes are indued wyth the title of goodnes forasmuch as no good worke can be wrought but by a man alredy by faith iustified and appareled wyth the righteousnes of Christ by meanes whereof the blemishes and imperfections thereof are through mercy couered which otherwise if the same workes were wrought by an vnbeleuyng man they woulde appeare in the sight of God most filthy for of mercy it commeth in respecte of Christ that the most perfecte workes are not layde to mans charge for sinne Out of this ground gathered from God truth this rule of Christian religion is concluded that where soeuer righteousnes or iustification is in the Scripture imputed to workes it is not imputed to them as though they were the cause of righteousnes that is to sayas though they going before iustification did procure or purchase the same but farre otherwyse it is imputed vnto them as vnto the fruit of the righteousnes of fayth which after iustification doth witnes and declare that the doer is iustified by fayth by apprehending of Christ in respecte of whom mercy couereth the spottes of that worke from the sight of Gods iustice so that sinne is not imputed to man for the same Hic murus ahaeneus esto Let this to a Christian conscience be a wall of brasse Now this foundation layde let vs séeke by thys rule to vnderstand those Scriptures which the aduersaryes for theyr filpursse doctrine of iustification of workes haue forced into open combat both agaynst theyr owne naturall sense and agaynst the ende and scope of Gods purpose declared in the Scriptures touching mans iustification wherein to séeke to answere to all theyr subtill and shameles wranglings were more tedious then profitable And touching the multitude of wordes more paynefull then possible Though touching matter Gods truth being iudge inough hath bene sayd already where-fore to auoyde all extremities and kéepe my selfe within my power touching wordes and yet not to passe the reste with silence I will ouerlooke a fewe of their principall ragges which they call reasons wherein theyr errour being opened the smaller of them selues will drop a sunder vntouched Wherefore firste of all that playnnes might be ioyned with the breuitie for which I labor let the Scriptures which they make challengers in thys fraye be gathered together into these sortes In the first sort placyng those which promising reward to workes procure men to labour for the same In the second sort such as by the sound of wordes séeme to take iustification from fayth or geueth the same to workes And in the last sorte those Scriptures wherin the righteous thallenge at Gods handes reward of theyr innocency righteousnes Wherfore by examples of euery of these sorts let vs séeke truely to vnderstand them by theyr agréement with thē selues and the rest of the Scriptures that as of God there is but one spirite and one truth so the same truth by the consent
righteousnes vnto workes haue not we our iustification of fayth and workes and not yours of faith onely It is sayde of Phinées in the 106. Psal that his acte was imputed to him for righteousnes And likewise in Deutronomy of hym that deliuered his neighbors pledge that it shal be righteousnes vnto him before the Lord his god And likewise S. Iames saith was not Abraham our father iustified by workes in offering his sonne Isaac vpon the aulter Whereupon they conclude that as man is not iustified by workes so is he not iustified by faith without workes flatly agaynste S. Paule who concludeth playnely that man is iustified of fauour through fayth without workes where he telleth both the finall cause of that liberall gifte namely the prayse and glory of the grace or fauor of God and also he telleth the reason why he so vehemently excludeth workes namely least any man shoulde beast that is through blinde presumption should challenge any part of the glory of that worke which God hath reserued to himselfe for his speciall triumph Now if the aduersaries will néedes vrge that the worde righteousnes or iustification hath the same signification in these places by thē alleged that it hath in Paule Doe they not teare in sunder the spirite of truth and set him at warre with hymselfe forasmuch as by the rigor of wordes they be contrary Paule sayth fiatly and affirmeth it by manye discourses that faith without worke iustifieth and that by workes no man liuing shall be iustifyed but these aucthorities affirme the contrary that these men by workes were iustifyed Now if they will néedes affirme that both in Paul and in these places which they alledge the worde righteousnes or iustifycation hath one sense is not this a doctrine that eyther must accuse Paule of ignorance of the sense of the auncient scriptures or of error in his owne and robbe God of his finall triumph namely of his glorie and vtter spoylinge man of the assuraunce of Gods fauour in Christ for if his assuraunce therof bee once ioyned with the condition of hys owne desert or workes surely he falleth by and by into one of our Phisitions new found Agewes A triple tertian quotidian he can neuer know when he is without a fitte Surely it were to hard for Peter Lumbard him selfe with both his foundations of hope to spy out a time to finde him selfe cleare from a fitte if for one masse whyle on the Sunday his imagination coulde mocke him that he were créeping to godward The true testimony of his conscience might assure him that all the rest of the wéeke after he were gallopping to the deuilward The Lord hath blessed hys elect from such assuraunce Wherefore let vs now reuerently with Paule haue respect vnto the finall ende of Gods woorke in this cause Namely to hym onely to yelde all the glorie and to man assuraunce and vndoubted possession of his fauour in Christ And we shall easely sée in these places no contrarictie but most swéete consent Let vs follow the rule of the auncient fathers in serching the truth of doubtfull sentences Thus sayth Hillarius Intelligentia dictorum ex causis est assumenda dicendi quia non sermoni res sed reiest sermo subiectus The meaning of wordes is to be gathered by the causes of the speaking for the matter is not subiecte to the worde but the worde to the matter Agayne Ierome vppon the Epistile to the Galathians saith thus Nec putemus in verbis Scripturarum esse Euangelium sed in sensu non in superficie sed non medulla non in fermonum folus sed in radice rationis Neither let vs thincke that the gospel consisteth in the wordes of the Scripture but in the meaning not in the barck but in the pith not in the leaues of wordes but in the roote of the meanyng Wherfore let vs in folowing the Coūfell of these auncient fathers séeke such meanynges and sense of these Scriptures as may expresse their consent with the rest of the Scriptures And haue respect vnto the finall cause of Gods purpose Namely as I haue often said that vnto hys fauour and grace for this so frée a benifite all prayse and glory may redoūde That al workes wrought by man before iustification be nothing els but the euill fruite of an euill tree it is before euidently proued And so vtterly vnable to abide the presence of gods iustice Wherby it foloweth of necessitie that the woorkes alleged in these their authorities were not there meant for works going before iustification as causes therof but in déede for such workes as folowyng the same declared manefestly the righteousnesse which to the doers of them was offrée fauour through fayth imputed For that the workes of a man by fayth already iustified be in the sight of God allowed for ryghteous by not hauing sinne imputed vnto them it is not onely not denyed but most constantly affirmed For how can it be otherwise but that God in beholdyng in them hys owne moste glorious Image wherewith throughe grace in respect of fayth they be clothed He muste both acknowledge it and delight therin But that their spottes and blemishes are nowe couered wyth the righteousnes of Christe this commeth not to them either by them selues or in respect of them selues but onely by grace or fauour through fayth as is shewed before For they beinge the workes of a man already by fayth iustified and clothed in the righteousnes of Christ Therfore they thereby clothed in the same righteousnes hauing theyr spottes and blemishes through mercye therewith couered are acknowledged for righteous They are accepted for good fruite because they were brought forth by a good frée So that fayth by apprehendyng of Christ and his righteousnes in the promise through grace and fauour attayneth mans iustification So the workes or fruites of the righteousnes of the same faith do manyfestly declare and witnes the doer of them to be righteous That is as fayth apprehēdeth righteousnes in the frée promise for man so the workes or fruites of that righteousnes of fayth doe declare and testifie that hee is iustifyed Wherefore whersoeuer in the Scriptures man is sayd to be iustifyed by workes the meaning is that he is by workes declared and knowen to bée a righteous man And not that the workes were the cause of his righteousnes This being thus considered ther appeareth betwene Paule and the aucthorities by them alledged no strife but most swéete agréement For as Paule telleth the meanes howe a man is iustifyed so the other shew and declare howe man is openly knowne to bee righteous or iustifyed Now marke gentle reader how this doctrine tendeth fully to that end where unto Saint Paule directeth hys course Namely that the whole glorie may redound to GOD alone and that man may haue a sure possession of Gods fauour in Christ Firste in that by iustifycation of workes this onely is to be vnderstand that man