Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A14367
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The ouerthrow of the iustification of workes and of the vain doctrin of the merits of men with the true affection of the iustification of faith and of the good workes that procead or come of the same, and in what respect our good workes are crouned or rewarded of God settte foorth dialoge wise by John Veron
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Véron, John, d. 1563.
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1561
(1561)
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STC 24685; ESTC S112540
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57,442
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173
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hadde promysed thoughe it semed neuer so straunge nor so muche against the common course of nature And therefore the Apostle concludethe ryghte well that it was imputed vnto him for ryghteousnesse EVTRAPELVS As far as I do remember I haue hearde you tell that otherwhyles to be iustifyed is to be declared righteous and iuste As when the prophette Dauid sayeth Psal 51. That thou mayest be iustified in thy wordes ouercome when thou art-iudged that is to saye that thou mayest be declared iuste and thy goodnesse and trueth appeare in performing thy promises when man eyther of curiosite or of arrogaÌ„cie wold iudge thy workes PHILA This is wel remeÌ„bred And therefore this shall we note by the waye This worde to iustifye is other wise takeÌ„ of Paule then of Iames. that this worde to iustifie is not taken of Paul in that signification that saincte Iames doeth take it in For of Paul it is taken for to deliuer from syn and for to impute righteousnesse but Iames doeth take it for to declare one iuste and righteous Agayne Paul speaketh of a liuely faythe whiche can no more be wtout good workes Fayth is not taken of the Apostels in one signyfication than the Sunne can be without light or fyer with out heate But Iames speaketh of an idell and deadde faythe whiche maye be in the reprobate yea in the diuell hym self as the Apostell writteth in thesame place Moreouer whether ought one texte too geue place to many or manye too geue place to one One text must geue place to manye DYDI. It standeth with reason that one texte shoulde rather geue place too manye than that manye should geue place to one PHILALE For this one text of Iames that semeth to attribute iustifycation vntoo workes how manye notable textes and sentences shal ye fynde in the other Canonicall scriptures that teach the contrarye ALBION And we do all pray you brother Philalethes that ye will aleadge the chiefest and most principall of theÌ„ For as touching that place which thei do aleadge bring out of the second chapiter of Iames ye haue well satisfied my mind I thanke god therfore PHI. That wil I gladli do yea I wil be sides this ioigne vnto the autorities of the scriptures word of God the sayinges of the aunciaunt fathers of the primitiue churche that so the enemies of the trueth whiche doe moste lyengly blowe abrode that we haue no suche stuffe maye at length seing our greate rychesse vtterly be shamed and confouÌ„ded DIDIMVS Forsothe in so doinge ye shal do vs all a greate pleasure PHILALETHES I might here bring many notable sentences out of the olde and new Testament wherein the excellencye of faith is highly setfoorth but I wil at this present omitte or leaue theÌ„ and aledge only those places that do most chiefly perteyne to iustification Act. 13. Firste in the Actes of the Apostles we haue these wordes written in the sermoÌ„ that Paul made vnto the Iewes that were at Antiochia a cytte of Pisidia Be it knoweÌ„ vnto you therfore brethern that through this maÌ„ is preached vnto you the forgeuenesse of synnes And that from all thinges froÌ„ whiche ye coulde not be iustified by the law of Moses by hym eueri one that beleueth is iustified These wordes are so playne that they nede no exposition at al. For all men onelesse they will be wilfully blynde styll maye easely see that he taketh awaye altogether iustification from the lawe of Moses Iustification is taken awaye all together from the lawe of Moses atributed vnto faith and doeth attribute it vntoo fayth in our sauiour Iesu Christe But in the Epistel to the RomaiÌ„s the holy apostell maketh the matter more playne where he sayeth They haue all synned and are destituted or voyde of the glorie of God But they are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3. whoÌ„ God hath setfoorthe too be a pourchasser of mercy through fayth in his bloude Let these wordes be diligentely considered and weyghed and then I do not doubt but that they that be of an indifferente iudgemente wyl sone agree vnto our doctrine First the Apostle sayeth that they haue all synned and that they are depriued of the glorye of God By whiche wordes he doth most liuelye put before oure eyes the myserable estate that whole mankind was in Secondly he doth effectuouslye shewe how and by what meanes we are deliuered from it I meane What be the meanes wherby we are iustified or deliuered from the 〈◊〉 of dampnation frome that dampnable estate that we are in by our owne nature and fyrst byrthe when he sayeth But they are iustifyed frelye by his grace Nowe if we be iustified frely by the grace of God wher are our works merits or deseruings become For if any workes deseruinges or merits do go before oure iustification how can it be sayed that we are iustifyed freelye by the grace of God oure heauenlye father EVTRAPELVS In deede it might rather be saied that we are iustified in respecte of oure owne workes and merites And so the sayinge of the Apostell coulde not stande where he sayth in an other place By grace ye are saued thorowe fayth Epho 2. and that not of youre selues it is the gyft of God not of workes leaste anye man shoulde boaste him selfe Whereunto the sayinge of a moste aunciente wryter semeth wel to agree His wordes are these Ambrosius de vocatione gentium li. 1. capi 5. Sicut nulla sunt tam detestanda facinora quae possunt gratiae arcere donum ita nulla possunt tam proeclara opera existere quibus hoc quod gratis tribuitur perretributionis iudicium debeatur Vilesceret enim redemptio sanguinis Christi ac miserecordia del humanorum operum praerogatiuae succumberet si iustificatio quae fâ—t pergratiam praecedentibus meritis deberetur vt non munus largientis sed merces esset operantis That is to saye As there be no synnes so detestable that can kepe of the gyft of grace so there can be no workes so excellente that vnto them by the iudgement of retribution or recompence the same shuld be due which is freely geuen and graunted For the redemption of the bloud of Christe shoulde waxe vyle and the mercye of God be fayne to geue place to the prerogatiue of mens works if iustificatioÌ„ which is don or wrought by grace were due vnto the merits that go before so that it shoulde not be the free gyfte of the gyuer but the rewarde or hyre of the worker What other thinge I besech you doeth this holy father meane but that we are without any merites goynge before iustified frely by the mere goodnesse and grace of God To attribute iustification vnto any merites going before is a derogation of the grace of God through faith in the bloud of his sonne Iesu Christ Yea he doeth playnely affirme that it is a derogation of
iustifie vs nor yet deliuer vs from oure sins to this ende that we beinge iustified shoulde by oure yll lyfe dishonoure his name or blemishe his grace asthoughe he did not detest and abhorre synne but that we shoulde serue to the glory of him that hath wroughte oure saluation The first frute of oure iustyfication The firste fruite then of oure iustification is that the glorye of the righteousnesse of God maye be declared and sette foorthe Thys doeth the Apostell meane when he sayeth They are iustyfied frelye by his grace throughe the redemption whyche is in Christe Iesu whome God hath set foorth to be apourchasser of mercye thorowe fayth in his bloude too declare his righteousnesse Rom. 3. by the forgeuenesse of synnes Agayne Abraham dyd not doubte of the promes of God through vnbeleue but was strengthened in the faith and gaue glorye to God beinge fullye assured Rom. 4. that he which had promissed was able to do it He therefore that doethe beleeue the promsies of god doth gloryfy him geuing him the glory of truth and of power or might And to this end is he iustified The second frute of our iustificatioÌ„ Rom. 5. that the glorye of his goodnesse may be set foorth The second is the peace of our coÌ„sciences wherof the Apostel speaketh on this maner We being iustified throughe faithe haue peace toward God throughe oure Lorde Iesus Christe EV. Where this peace is The peace of coÌ„science doeth exclude wauering or doubtfulnesse of minde there can be no place for wauering or doubtfulnes which the scole men of our time are wont to teach For doubtfulnes and thys peace of conscience are altogether repugnaunt one to an other PHI. We haue not onely by iustification peace of conscience but also a reioycinge whiche can in no wise stand with doubtfulnes And therby do we reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5. also in tribulations It is so farre of theÌ„ that we ought to doubt of the grace of god in Christ Iesu that rather he wyll haue vs to be at peace with him in our coÌ„sciences to reioyce froÌ„ our very heartes vnder the hope of his glorye and therefore doeth he iustifye vs freelye throughe fayth in Christ The thyrde frute of our iustification Thirdely this iustification doeth tende also and pertayne to the glory of them that be iustified as the Apostel him selfe doth testifye sayinge Whom he hath ordayned before them hath he called and whome he hathe called them hath he iustified Rom. 8. and whom he hath iustified them hathe he glorified DIDI Obiecti ∣ on 6 These thinges are spoken of the Apostell asthoughe the iustified were alreadye in the full possession of their glory For these are his wordes whome he hathe iustifyed them hath he also glorified But I am of opinion that they that bee iustyfied throughe faythe in Christe shall not haue their full glorye vntill the second comminge of the sonne of manne who wyll then transfourme and chaunge theyr vyle bodyes and make them lyke vnto his glorious bodye EVTRA. Ye muste vnderstande Aunswer that the holye ghoste vseth this maner of speakinge for too declare the certayntye and infalliblenesse of Gods promises For when God doethe promysse anye thinge The certaynetye of Gods promisse we maye be as sure and certayne of it as if it were alreadye perfourmed and fulfilled Sith then that God hathe promyssed to glorifie them whome he doth iustifie throughe faythe in his sonne Iesu Christe we must holde them for glorifyed alreadye althoughe we do yet throughe hope looke for the glorye of the children of God PHILA Ye haue sayed verye well The .4 frute of our iustification Nowe the fourthe fruite of our iustification is this God doth freelye by his grace iustifye vs in Christe to the ende that we maye be both saued and made pertakers of eternall lyfe For thus writeth the Apostell in hys epistell to Titus But when the bountefulnes loue of God our sauiour towarde man appeared Not by the workes of righteousnesse whiche we had done but according to his merci he saued vs by the wasshinge of the new byrthe the renewing of the holy ghost which he shed on vs aboundaÌ„tli through Iesu Christ our sauiour That we beinge iustified by his grace should be made heyres according to the hope of eternall lyfe Paull doeth call the word of this doctrin vndoubted because of the infallible truthe and certaintye of it Therfore I do greatly meruayl at the stupiditie or dullenesse of the enemies whiche will not see the comfortable light of thys doctrine nor feele this inestimable grace whiche they doe so sore impugne or fight against in the elect and chosen of God The fifte frute of our iustyfication As for the fifth frute of our iustification it doeth most chiefly pertayne to the holines of lyfe to the studie exercise of righteousnesse Whereof the Apostle doth warne vs in the .vi. to the Romains saying Now beinge made free from sinne and made seruaÌ„ts vnto God ye haue youre fruyte in holines And in the first to the Corinthians these be his wordes be not deceyued 1. Cor. 6. Neither whoremongers nor Idolaters nor aduoutrers c. shall inherite the kyngedome of God Why the spirit of Christ is geuen vnto them that be iustified And suche were some of you but ye are wasshed but ye are sanctified but ye are iustified in the name of the Lorde Iesus and by the spirite of our God By which wordes he doeth admonish them that sith they were iustified they ought froÌ„ thensfoorth to geue them selues to godlinesse to holinesse of lyfe and to righteousnes And for this cause is the spirit of Christe geuen vnto theÌ„ that be iustyfied that through hym they may be chaunged in too a newenesse of lyfe Which newnesse beynge receyued by the spirite of God is not the iustificatioÌ„ it selfe but a fruyte of the iustification DYDIMVS Thys doctrine lykethe me nowe better and better And truelye when I heare you to soundly speake of iustification and of the frutes thereof I can not but maruayle at the shamelesse reportes of the ennemyes whyche do styll blowe abroade that ye are vtter enemies of good workes of holynesse of life and of all Godly exercises of righteousnesse EVTRA. What is it that they wyll be ashamed of saue onlye of well doynge and of well sayinge Whereof the enemies of the truth be ashamed They haue put on whores faces and therefore althoughe they be taken in a manifestlie thei be no more a shamed of it than a common strompet is a shamed of hyr filthye acte PHI. That all the woorlde maye know how shamefully they do misrepâ—rte vs I wyll here declare and setfoorthe what we doo teache commonly of good works The common doctrine of the preachers touching good workes and of the true vses of them First we teache that as all things haue ben created