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
A godlye and learned treatise wherin is proued the true iustificacion of a Christian manne to come frely of the mercy of god in Christ without the deseruyng of man by his merites and also how good workes oughte to bee done what be true good works in dede Wherunto is ioyned a cōference betwene the law and the gospel very profitable for al men to exercise themselues therin ☞ Esay xliii ☞ I euen I am he only who for myn owne selfes sake doe awaye thyne offēces and forget thy synnes so that I wil neuer thynke vpon them ✚ To the reader IT was trulye and wiselie saied of the poete that one witnes whiche hathe seen the thinge with his eyes is more to be set bye then tene of reporte For in dede in thinges y e be subiect to senses as euerie sēse hathe certeine of thē peculiar to him and by some bye meanes cōmen with other so eche of them in things properly apperteyning to them performe their functions more suerly As most certeynlye iudgeth the smel of odors the eye of colors and the eare of voices thogh the eare also can iudge of colors by relation of others and the eye can perceaue the differēce of voices set out in geometrycall proportions or of musicians by wryting expressed For clearer is the water at the springe then farther of in the ryuer but wherunto serueth this Herunto gentle reader We see in these owre dayes in which after longe and horrible darknes of gods true knowledge which lighteneth euerye mā that commeth in to the worlde y e lyke to haue chaunced amonge vs betwene the worldlyngs and messengers of god whiche because they were not of the world could not be fauored in the worlde as dyd happen among y e Israelites when so euer god of his infinite mercye raised vnto them any prophete good prince or other promotor of hys glory For as then y e worlde lacked not that spoured forward on ther syde bothe emōg the commons thorow simplicitie and of the learned sorte by malice blinded so led god in his aray against the worlde learned for learned and simple againste y e simple man For by Christ they sayed y t the ruder sorte folowed him and not the princes and learned and yet we knowe that Nicodeme a price of y e pharisies resorted to hī and Gamaliel doctor of the lawe and Pauls schoole master drewe some what nye to him Ioseph the Centurion and y e Eunuche of Candia cloue to him and wer euerye one of them for their talētes setters oute of that fayth y t was preached in his name But in them we perceaue this difference as in y e seruaūtes of god at these days that amonge those that embrace the trueth some only knowe that theyr enemyes part is false some know y e trueth but not so throughly that thei se the foundation and groūd thereof which is graūted yet vnto sōe other Wherfore me semeth they maye not vnaptly be called the fyrst two hearing witnesses thother seinge For as they are seuerall giftes to perceaue y t error to holde the truthe and to knowe yt so maie the one be with owte the other as other distincte gyfts of god be But to my purpose where as the indeuors of them all tending to the instruction of others are thankfully to be accepted and the spirite to be extincted in none so what y e latter sort doeth to the same end diligently me semeth yt is worthye not to cōme owte to the hādes of manie but with some special note vnto the reader to make hym for his farther commoditie the more attent in reding it For though the saylable wyne nede no yue bough because it wil in tyme gett cheymen and well abyde theyre slowe commynge so yet seynge the late knowinge of the spiritual workes hinder most the reader and not itselfe as abydinge still good in ytselfe where as contrary wyse the seller and not the byer is hurt in euil wine thorow lacke of the yue bough me thinketh this prouerbe shold nothing feare me frō cōmending this boke vnto the except y t wheras y e only cause why I print it is y e increase of thy godly knowledge I cold in the same mynd be lothe of thy most profyte Wherfore as I hope thou knowest the doctrine wher of it is intyteled to be y e chefe pointe and in maner the whole some of oure relygion vtterly ransacking the kingdōe of y e deuil So yf I can iudge any thing therin yt is handled in such exacte sorte as to do the lyke fewe men wolde and fewer colde So that me semeth yt maye worthely be sayed diuers lerned men haue hetherto to oure greate comfort shot at this mark and some came nye y e wight but this hath hit the pricke I meane for clear vtteryng of the matter to our more perfite vnder standing and to the plaine and brefe dissoluing which both are geuen but vnto few of al such scruples as well that rise to the symple Christian in wayeng this doctrine as also that are otherwayes by the malycious suggestion and craft of the truthes subtil enemyes inuented and forged to be short he hath done the whol so distinctlie referringe al things to their peculier places by theyr difference playnely separated y t in him if in any man againe appeareth that rare vertue of which the wise man Socrates as his diuyne scholer plato sheweth set such store that when he met with such an one he wold make of him as of halfe a god I meane to distinct thinges which gifte he truly sayed was the principal waye to come in questyons to the fynding oute of truth In which vertu this autor not only passeth the olde wryters touching this mater which wrotte not so clearly as oure age of certeine articles because they were not so sore darkened as a lytle before oure tyme y t they shold so much nede to laboure in them but also surmoūteth the most part that hath learnedly wrytten at this dayes therof so that I maye in maner saye of him and them as a learned man sayed in comparing the two worthy philosophers Plato and Aristotel together that is to wit y t the one set forth of his profoūd knoweledge but lytle in manye elegant wordes the other much in fewe Wherfore gentyl reader if thou woldest gladly knowe the booke for the doctrynes sake double thy diligēce in reading yt attentli playeng as the good iudge wolde in matters criminall who if he gaue halfe an eare to an eare witnes would geue the whole to an eye witnes For as thou coldst not but profyte much thereby yf yt were but a meane woorke so must thou much more profit yt beinge as it is seyng a thing ons well don is twise done VALE The contentes of the boke ☞ The. 1. Chapter ☞ The autors intent in iustificacion ☞ The. 2. Chapter ☞ The significations description of the terme iustifieng ☞ The. 3.
trusteth vnto Christ For faith saieth thus The worde is nere vnto the euen in thy mouth and in thine hart Then addeth he therto This is y e word of faith which we preach namelye yf thou confesse Iesus with thy mouth that he is the lorde and beleuest in thine hart that god raised him vp from the deed thou shalt be saued For to beleue with the hart iustifieth and to coÌ„fesse with the mouth saueth For y e scripture saieth Who soeuer beleueth on him shall not be confunded Therfore is it no maruaill that this Apostle wryting to y e PhilippiaÌ„s reputeth al thinges but losse for the excelleÌ„cy of y â— knowlege of Iesus Christ and iudgeth them but vyle desyringe to wynne Christ and to be fouÌ„d in him not to haue his owne rightuousnesse of the lawe but rather that rightuousnes which commeth by the faith of Iesus Christ Which thiÌ„ges afterwarde immediatlye he setteth in y e true knowledge of Christes death and resurrection Here vnto I suppose serueth specially the very playne argumente of this Apostle whan he saieth Yf the inheritaunce shuld come by the lawe theÌ„ were it not geuen by promes But god gaue it frelie vnto AbrahaÌ„ by promes The worde of promes is this In thy sede c. For the saluacion setteth he vpon one onelie and not in many Now yf the inheritauÌ„ce and blessinge were set in many then shuld it be geueÌ„ for y e workes sake But we all are blessed and saued in one and by one For as the curse by the synne of one reached ouer all men vnto condemnacion Euen so by the rightuousnes of one reacheth the gifte or blessing vpon al men to y e iustificacion of life For asmuch now as the blessing rightuousnes and redempcion is in the worde of trueth ascribed onlie vnto christ and seeinge our faith is directed straight vpon him euery faithful beleuer doth well vnderstande y e he is accepted vnto god thorow Christ not for his own self or for his workes sake For god dyd chose and ordeyne vs before because he wolde accepte vs for his owne children thorow Ihesus Christ in him selfe acording to y e good pleasure of him selfe to the praise of the 〈…〉 of his grace wherby he hath accepted vs in y e beloued in whom we haue redeÌ„pcion thorow his bloud namely y e forgeuenes of synnes oute of the riches of his grace which he hath poured vpon vs. Herevnto also belongeth it that the Apostle saieth fayth commeth by hearynge and hearyng coÌ„meth by the word of god For immediatlye therevpon doth the holy Apostle Paul adde out of the Psalme Verelye their sounde went out into all landes and their wordes vnto the endes of the world With all these most stronge testimonies of the scrypture I haue vndoutedly gotten the iustifying faith confidence trust that we are reconciled and accepted vnto god not by means of our selues or our own workes either of the lawâ—â— of grace but for Christ and â—â— merites sake For faith standing fast trusteth and leaneth vpon y e true promes of god euen vpon the lord christ and not vpon any of our workes Therfore is iustificacioÌ„ referred vnto faith because that what soeuer belongeth to saluacion and rightuousnes faith ascribeth it al to y e grace of god in Christe And thus by the nature of iustifyinge faith I haue shewed that onely fayth iustifieth now will I also declare out of the nature or propertie of mens workes that they doe not iustifie That no man is iustified by works is proued by the nature of works whether thei bee before or after iustificacion The. 11. Chapter WHat the workes of mans nature be namelie y e workes that are done by such as are not yet regenerate the lord him selfe in the gospell declareth saieth That whiche is borne of flesh is flesh Paul also speaking of the flesh saith To be fleshlie mynded or the mynde and wil of the fleshe is death enemitie against god for it naÌ„elie the fleshe and y e inclinacion of the fleshe is not obedient to y e lawe of god nether can be For we all by nature are children of wrath Now is euery one cursed that abydeth not in all thinges which are writteÌ„ in the boke of the lawe So farre therfore ar oure owne naturall woorkes froÌ„ iustifieng eny man that they rather condemne Moreouer of the workes of the lawe hath Paul the electe vessell spokeÌ„ thus we know that whatsoeuer the law saieth it saieth it vnto such as are vnder y e lawe that al mouthes maye be stopte and that al the wholle world maie be detter vnto god because that by the dedes of the lawe no fleshe is iustified in his sight He saieth also els where I refuse not the grace of god For yf rightuousnes come by the lawe then dyed Christ in vayne And yet more playnlie Yf there had bene mynistred a law which coulde haue geuen life then no doubte rightuousnes shuld come by the lawe But the scripture hath shut vp all vnder synne that by faith in Iesus Christ the promes might be geuen to those that beleue Now come we to the workes of faith or of grace which be called good works works of rightuousnes These saie thei these iustifie Answere Yf thei be good workes workes of rightuousnes then must thei nedes be wrought by good and rightuous people Wherout it foloweth that the workes go after rightuousnes and not before iustificacion for thei are done by those that be rightuous or iustified Whefore yf thei first folowe after then make thei no maÌ„ rightuous but faith it is that iustifieth And such as be rightuous theÌ„selues do worke rightuousnes or y t works of rightuousnes For it is written The rightuous shal liue by his faith And agayne who so applyeth himselfe vnto rightuousnes the same is rightuous iust Thus is faith the grouÌ„d and iust occasioÌ„ of vertue goeth before the workes of rightuousnes of faith and of grace nether is it first made out of workes Yf thou be not satisfied here with theÌ„ let vs set this coÌ„sideracion before vs not after y e things but after the personnes Thus Thei that work or do the dedes be either vngodly wicked people ypocrytes or els thei be godly rightuous and holie frendes of god No man by the grace of god will ascribe iustificacion to the workes of the vngodly and ypocrites for asmuch as it is written The lorde hateth the sacrifices of the vngodly And agayne The ypocryts hope shall come to naught his confidence shalbe destroyed his trust shal be a spyders webbe he shal leane vpoÌ„ his house but it shal not staÌ„d he shall hold him fast by it but yet shal it not endure And before him namelye beefore GOD maie no ypocryte stand As for y e godlie of whom it is written Ye are whasheÌ„ ye are sanctified ye are
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