The profe and declaration of thys proposition Fayth only iustifieth gathered set-forthe by Richarde Tracy The preface ¶ To the moste chrysten and vyctoriouse prynce Henry the .viii. by the grace of God kynge of England Fraunce and Irelande Defendour of the faith and of the churche of England and also of Irelande in earthe the supreme head Rycharde Tracy wyssheth long continuaunce of health prosperouse successe and lyfe eternall MOste vyctorious prynce and prudent gouernour godly vnitie concorde and loue is most praysed set fourthe and taught thorough the hole course of the holye scriptures as to your maiestie it is rygh well knowen fyrste taught by the prophete sayenge Beholde howe goodly and pleasant it is Psalme .cxxii that brethern dwel togyther in one vnitie Christe also prayd to his father Iohn .xvii sayeng Holye father in thy name preserue them whome thow hast geuen me that they may be one as we be The apostle exhorteth and prayeth al men that they be diligent to kepe the vnitie of the spirite Ephes iiii in the bonde of peace beyng one bodie and one spirite euen as they be called in one hope Let there be but one lorde one faythe one baptyme one god and father of vs all c. Seyng than that Chryste the prophete and the apostle exhorte and commaunde suche a christian vnitie to be had and kepte in the catholyke churche and also consyderynge the peynfull trauayle studie and great charges whiche your maiestie hath susteyned and dayly doth susteyne not onely to preserue vnitie amonge your louyng subiectes but also to avoyde and vtterly remoue all occasiones whiche myghte be cause or meane of diuision or breche of such christen vnitie therefore I most simple of this your realme and yet one of the lyuely membres of this your ciuile and polityke bodie hearynge diuision and diuersitie of opinions among your louyng subiectes concernyng one of the moste principall and necessarye articles of our fayth whiche is that faithe onely iustifyeth can not but lament and bewail such diuision in so godlie and necessary an article which is the foundation and grounde of all the christen religion For the godlye vnderstandyng of the sayde article well tasted and inwardlye perceyued is the quyetnes of euerye conscience oppressed with any kynde of aduersitie other spirituall or temporall yea the onely anker and refuge in the extreme agonie and panges of death wherfore with all the poore knowledge whiche god hath geuen to me I haue diligently by the auctorities of holye scripture set forth and declared the true sense meanyng and vnderstandyng of the sayde article and proposition moste humblye desyrynge your hyghnesse more to ponder my good wylle and feruent desyre to profit many than my rude and barbarouse settynge forthe of this lytle treatise whiche I submit moste lowlye vnto your gratiouse and godly iudgement to the whiche if this my labour and study shall be thought profitable for youre christen congregation I than most mekely eftsones desyre your maiesty that it maye be put forth to the glorye of god your honour and the vtilytie of all your louyng subiectes And I shall dayly pray to god that he wyl vouchsafe to strengthen you with his holy sprite thoroughly to perfourme a godly reformation in Christes churche within your dominions with good prosperitie in all your affayeres Of iustification FOr as moche as the moste necessary article of christen religion is that fayth one lye iustifieth which the vngodlye do dayly preache agaynste and obscure by many wayes I haue thought therfore very expedient in this litle treatise by the holye scriptures By mercy 〈◊〉 fayth sinneâ— be purified by the feare of god all maâ— declyne from euyll Prouerb xv to declare the ryght sence and true vnderstandyng therof which is that the mercy and fauour of God iustifieth whiche mercie and fauour we onely by fayth obteyne beleuyng constantly the promesses of goddes mercy and fauour made vnto vs. And the scripture sayeth that this fayth Ephes ii whyche onely iustifieth is onelye the worke of god in vs and coÌ„meth not by anye mannes power wisedome lerning nor that god geueth it because of any vertue or vertuous disposition which he seeth in man nor that anye man can prepare hym selfe or make hym selfe apte and meete to receiue this fayth but god geueth this fayth frely without any respecte or regarde to any good wyl good workes or good disposition before by god sene in maÌ„ â—ath xii For the scripture sayth other make the tre good and his fruyte good also or els make the tree euill his fruyte euyll also â—â—d did first 〈◊〉 vpon Aâ—ll and after 〈◊〉 his giftes Genesis iiii Euen so man muste fyrste be made good thoroughe fayth before anye of his workes can be good Therfore I saye that before this lyuelye faythe be gyuen from god to manne that he neyther hathe nor can haue other good wyll good workes or godlye disposition to doe good For without this lyuely faythe it is impossible to please god Hebr. xii Wherefore faith muste nedes fyrste be gyuen of god wherby the wyl is made good vertuous before that any worke whiche springeth oure of the wylle can be eyther good or vertuous as saynt Augustine sayeth Augustyne vpon the .cx. psalme Verylye a man can not worke iustice excepte he be iustified but he that beleuethe in him which iustifieth the wicked begynneth of fayth so that the good workes that go before do not shewe what he hath deserued but such as folowe Augustine vpon the .lxvii. shewe what he hath receyved Also the same doctour sayethe Me thynketh that the fayth is to be praysed whiche goeth before woorkes for wythout the merites of good workes thorough fayth the wicked is iustified as the apostle fayethe To the beleuyng in hym whiche iustifieth the wycked his fayth is couÌ„ted for iustice that from thenseforth the same faith may begin to worke by loue For they onelye oughte to be called good workes whiche be done for the loue of god To suche woorkes it is necessarie that faythe shuld goe before that frome this faythe these woorkes and not frome these workes that faythe shulde begynne For no man worketh for the loue of god except he fyrste beleue in god Also the same doctour sayeth vppon this texte Rom. ii They are not rightuous which heare the lawe but they whiche doe the lawe shall be iustified That is as moche to saye that we maye knowe them Aug. in the booke of the spryte and the letter the .xxvi chapter not to be the doers of the lawe except they be iustified Not that iustification shoulde come to the doers but that iustification shulde go before the doers Here by these auctorities of saint Augustyne it is manifest and playn that no workes be good except thei spryng out of a lyuyng faythe Not withstandyng some I thynke wyll be offended with this my sayeng that God geueth not faith
whiche onely iustifieth to any man bicause of any vertue or vertuouse disposition whiche he before seeth in man for they thinke that God whiche euer hathe seene all thynges presentely dyd see before in Peter Paule Dauyd Maria Magdalene and such other theyr repentynge hartes And also theyr godly dispositions wherwith they woulde mekelye obedientlye and wyllynglye consente to goddes spirituall motions and grace offred to them vsynge and exercisyng the gyftes and talentes by god gyuen to them accordynglye Whiche dysposition and vertuous workynge accordynge to theyr callyng before they were presently by god seen in them dyd prouoke and moue God thynke they to iustifye them To all men of this straunge opinion I answere that saynt Iames sayth Erre not my deare brethern euery good gifte and euery parfect gyfte is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of lyght Is euery good thynge come downe from the father of light what haue they then that they haue not receyued i. Corint iiii If they haue receyued theym why reioyce they as they had not receyued them what wyse man prayseth a stone for his swyfte flyeng in the ayre whiche is caste with vyolence whose nature is to lye styll yf it be not remoued Lyke prayse is to be giuen vnto vs for our good dispositions and well workyng whiche onely is wrought in vs agynst our nature by the myght and grace of God who worketh onely in vs bothe the good wylle Philip. iiii and to perfourme the same without whome we can doe nothyng that good is Iohn xv And for my parte I knowe noo scriptures whiche do encourage anye man to thynke that theyr good workes or godlye disposition to do good by god before seene in theym shulde moue god to iustifie them or to endewe them with his grace and fauour And than thus to deuyne Rom. xi who gaue hī first that he shulde recompence hym agayne searche or iudge the causes mouing god to geue his godly gyftes with out his woorde the same teachyng prouyng and testifienge is rather of curiositie and of vayne opinion than of any godlye perswasion or holsome doctrine For god by his prophete Esaye sayth Esay lii Rom x. I am found of them that sought me not haue appeared to them that axed not after me And agaynst Israell he sayeth All daye long I haue stretched out my handes vnto a people that beleueth not but speaketh agaynst me By this texte appearethe but small prouocation or good disposition mouyng god to gyue his godly gyftes And other knoweledge than by this his woorde haue we none For whoe hath knowen the mynde of the lorde Rom xi or who was his counsellour or who hathe gyuen to hym fyrste that he myght be recompensed agayne for of hym and thorough hym and by hym be all the thynges to hym be glorye c. Where they thynke that god for the good disposition and godly vertues before seen in man doth iustifye man Verilye they be to moche forgetfull of the corruption and poison of our nature whych is become so weake simple that in it can not be perceaued foūde any such good dispositiō godly vertues to moue God to iustifye vs. Math. vii For euell trees can not brynge forth any such good frutes Also the prophete sayeth Psalm cxliii enter not into iudgemēt wyth thy seruaunt o Lorde for in thy syghte no man lyuynge shal be iustifyed Psalm .cxxix. Also yf thou wylt be extreme to marke what is done amys o Lorde who maye abyde it Rom. iii. for wythout dout all haue synned and are destitute of the glorye of God Where is then they reioycyng excluded by what law Galath iii. of vertuous good dysposition or good dedes Naye sayeth Paule but by the lawe of fayth Wherfore there is nother thoughte wyll nor worke in vs yf we cōsyder and ponder their goodnes in nature where of we cā take any occasiō to reioyce but rather haue cause to lamente to say with Iob Ioh. ix I feare all my workes bycause they be euyll Gene. viii Also the scripture sayeth the imagination of mans harte is euell euē from hys youthe Item all mannes imaginatiōs of the thoughtes of hys harte are only euell euery daye Gene. vi It were therfore necessary fyrst to proue our workes good also a godly dyspositiō in vs to do good whervnto all the scripture wytnesseth the cōtrary before that we can proue that our good workes godly dysposition before sene in vs by God do prouoke and moue God to iustifye vs and to gyue vs hys grace and fauoure Yea although there were a godlye dysposition in vs yet that shulde not moue God nor prouoke him to iustify vs for Abraham was not iustifyed bycause he offered his sonne and was also obedient to sley hym but bycause he beleued sayeth the scripture Also Paule sayeth Rom. xi Israel hath not obtayned the thynge whyche he sought for noo but yet the election hath obtayned it And by what meanes sayeth Paule euē throughe the election of grace Ibidem Thē is it not by the deseruynge of workes of vertuose or of good dysposition for thē were grace and fauour no grace fauoure Therfore hath God wrapped all nations in vnbelefe that he myght haue mercye on all And the scripture wytnesseth more ouer that god sayd to Moyses xod◠xxxiii I wyl shewe mercy to whom I shewe mercy I wyll haue compassion on whō I haue compassion So sayeth Paule lyeth it not in a mannes wyll Rom. ix or runnynge but in the mercy of God Rom. v. In this God setteth out his loue towardes vs sayeth Paule seynge that whyle we were yet synners Christ dyed for vs. Alas what good dysposition vertue or good worke was in vs beyng synners to moue or to styrre god to iustifye vs or to shewe vs any grace Ierem. xxxii or fauour surely none But the very true cause was onely hys eternall loue where wyth he loued vs. Wherfore he lyberallye and frelye dyd drawe vs moued onelye wyth hys mercye towarde vs as saynt Iames sayeth Iames .i. Of hys owne frewyll begat he vs wyth the worde of lyfe Yf our regeneration came by the free wyl of god thē was he not moued bi our good dysposition vertue nor good workes before sene by God of vs. And therfore Paule wyllyng our helth and saluation to be certen sure teacheth vs that our iustification hangeth nother of the workes of the lawe nor of our good dysposition vertuose or good workes but only on fayth that it may come of fauour and grace and that the promyse myght be sure for so Abrahā was made stronge in the fayth gaue honour to god Rom. iiii stedfastly beleuyng that he which had made the promys was able also to make it good And therfore was it rekned to him for rightwysnes This was not wrytrē only for Abrahā but also for
coÌ„mauÌ„ded by god wyll they not do trustyng onelye to theyr fayned fayth false confydence that it wyl saue them and couer all theyr wycked lustes at the general iudgemeÌ„t These delicate and pleasauÌ„t christians Iames. ii saynt Iames reproueth sayenge what auayleth it my brethren thoughe a man saye he hath faythe when he hathe no dedes wylt thou vnderstande o thou vayne maÌ„ that fayth wythout dedes is deade But suche wanton christians had nede of a fayth to iustifye them whyche may not be shewed tryed by theyr workes for theyr workes be suche that they be ashamed of them that they shuld be other sene or knowen or els they wyl do no good workes ne lest they shuld haue confidence to be saued by theÌ„ And lyke as to haue confidence in good workes to be iustifyed by them is erronious so in lyke wyse to beleue that good workes shall not be rewarded of god is deuylyshe and dampnable But yet the scriptures seme oftentymes to attribute gyue eternal lyfe to workers of good workes as a rewarde and sometyme to workes But well consydered it is not for the workes sake as deserued thereby But eternall lyfe is a reward frelygyuen by God to al the faythful for Christes sake only which benefyte well perceaued tasted feled in our hertes wyll cause vs to worke wyth loue ernestly bycause we haue receyued frely through Christes deseruyng eternall lyfe And not bycause we shall receyue eternal lyfe for the deseruyng of our workes For so workes shulde be iniuriouse to Christes bloode and death whych onlye is the price of eternall lyfe Also the scriptures apere to attribute eternal life to good workes to moue to steare other diligentlye to worke good workes And bycause the workes of the faythfull be sene of men and the inwarde faith canne not be outwardly sene perceaued therefore the scripture applieth eternall lyfe to workes as to the cause whyche truely examyned be but the effecte of faith which is the very true cause And although no dowte to good workes manye greate rewardes be due as wel teÌ„porall as spirituall Yet all the places whyche sound to gyue eternal lyfe as a reward other to good workers or to good workes must be vnderstande as I haue before shewed or elles they shal cause workes to be estemed better than they in trueth be or can be proued and also shal cause Christes bloode to be of lytle reputacion Wherfore that euerye good Christian maye walke the true waye nothynge trustynge to haue remission of his synnes for his good workes which only perteyneth to God is hys only gyfte nor to thynke the good workes shal be vnrewarded by God whose reward excedeth al maÌ„s vnderstandynge knowlege I wyll declare therefore some causes why good kes shuld be done First ii Pet. i. that they maye wytnesse to vs certaynly that oure fayth is lyuynge and not deade For a lyuyng tree wyll bryng forth frute in tyme and season Math. v. Secondelye that other seyng our good workes may be ê“uoked to do also good workes Thyrdlye Luke .xvi. we must do good workes to rendre gyue accoÌ„ptes of the talent to vs from God coÌ„mytted Fourthly i. Petri. ii that through oure good workes our heuenly father may be glorified Fyftely Esay lvii Rom. xiiii i. Cor. x. lest through our euil workes we be offence to other Syxtely Ephes ii of dutye we be bound to worke well for therefore we be iustified that we myght and shulde worke well ii Petri. i. SeueÌ„thlye God which did geue al thynges Psal xxxiii commaundeth vs to do wel sayenge declyne froÌ„ euyll do good Now it apereth the good workes be to be done as frutes of iustice which not withstaÌ„dyng make no man iuste but witnesse that he is iuste Also it is euideÌ„t that a liuyng fayth which euer worketh by loue doth onlye iustifie also such workes as spryng out of a lyuing faith shal not be vnrewarded that with great rewardes And the workes do testifie that thys fayth is a lyuyng faith The workes which this faith euer bryngethe forthe be these To feare and to loue God to loue hys neybour coÌ„tinuallye to crucifye the fleshe with al her lustes And as he dayly synneth so he dayly lameÌ„teth askyng God forgeuenesse there of studyenge euer howe to resyste the same all occasions thereof also prayeth God daylye to geue hym grace to resiste synne And bycause he feleth in hym selfe that al his good thoughtes wylles deades be vnperfyt lacke the goodnes whyche the lawe requireth in theÌ„ therfore he knowelegeth hys good deades and thoughtes to be synfull continually prayeth God to forgeue and to pardon the synfulnes of theÌ„ Neyther he ascribeth nor imputeth any iustification to hys good workes but rather flyeth to Gods mercye which is promised to al true repenters for Chrystes bloode sake trustynge therby constantly and therfore only to haue eternall lyfe And as touchyng good workes he is glad euer whan occasioÌ„ is geuen to worke them as well as he can and soroweth that he can not do theÌ„ with more perfytnesse loue But as perfytly as he can he dothe them hauynge respecte onlye to the good will great mercy and fauour which God for Christes sake hathe shewed on hym in forgeuynge hym hys synnes He thynketh him bound of duetie for loue to do theÌ„ so that hys workes spryng out of a louyng herte remembrynge the loue which God hath before shewed in gyuyng hym eternall lyfe freelye Nowe it apereth that good workes sprynge forth of a louyng hart whyche no man canne haue except he fyrste beleue that God for verye loue which he beareth to hym forgeuethe hym all hys synnes that frelye for Christes sake who is hys iustice satisfaction holynes and redemption After this sort and good fashion I wolde that all Christians shulde do ther good workes for loue whiche they bere to God for the great and inestimable benefytes whiche they vndeserued of theyr part haue receaued of God and not for anye thynge whyche they wolde for theyr workes sake or worthynes receaue of God For than there entent and workynge is grounded vpon the loue of theyr selfe and not vpon the loue of God and so be no good workes but vnparfyt and full of synne And so thys declaration of iustification by faythe and of the efficacitie and strengthe of good workes is a suffycient doctryne I truste to all the faythfull And as to them whose eyes be closed and made blynde and whose hartes be hardened I dyd not mynde to wryte but in the mean season I wyll praye to God at hys good wyll and pleasure to open theyr eyes and to mollifye the hartes that they may be conuertâ— and that he maye make them hole of whome onlye all healthe is to whome be all honour and glorye AMEN
x. And yet these ceremonies dyd not iustifie as the iusticiaries affyrme as it apereth Hebre. vij .x. And the lawe of the ten commaundementes was not gyuen of God to iustifie or to satysfie for syn but rather to condempne and to setforthe synne wherby man myght knowe hys synnefull nature and so flye to Christe The lawe saythe Paule meaning the lawe called the decaloge was geuen to punyshe transgressours and not that by the workes therof the workers shulde be iustified For durynge thys mortall lyfe there is no man hauynge our corruptible weake and synfull nature that cā by any meanes fulfyl do the workes of the lawe so perfytlye as the lawe requyreth them to be done And where vnperfytnes is there is not nor canne not be a deseruynge of grace and fauoure but rather of punyshement Paul sayth that whyche was impossible to the lawe in asmuche as it was weake thorough the fleshe that perfourmed God and sent hys sone in the similitude of synfull fresshe and by synne dampned synne in the fleshe that the ryghtuousnes required of the lawe myght be fulfylled in them which walke not after the flesshe but after the spryte If Paule saye it was impossyble for the lawe to iustifie bycause the flesshe was weake and not able to perfourme the same Howe can the iusticiaries affyrme that the lawe or any of her workes can or maye iustifie Abraham beleued God and it was counted vnto him for ryghtwysenes For the promesse that Abraham shulde be heyre of the worlde was not gyuen to Abraham Rom. iiii or to his seed through the lawe but thorough the ryghtwysenes whiche cometh of faithe For yf they whiche were of the lawe be heyres than is faythe but vayne and the promesse of none effecte Also when zacheus sayde Luke xix Lorde beholde I geue to the poore halfe my goodes yf I haue done any man wrong I wil restore hym foure folde Iesus sayd not that health was comen thys daye vnto hys house bycause of hys good workes but because he was become the chylde of Abraham Math. iii. that is to saye a faythfull beleuer Also Paule saythe not of the deedes of ryghtuousnes whyche we haue wrought but of his mercy he saued vs. Rom. vi And the same apostle sayethe again that the rewarde of synne is deth but he sayeth not that the rewarde of workes of the lawe other cerimoniall or of the decaloge is lyfe But he concludeth by the grace of God lyfe eternall to come and that onely in Christ Iesu our Lorde and by no other meanes Al the scriptures witnesse the fame And fyrst Abacuc sayeth Abacuc ii the iust lyueth by hys fayth Also yf Abrahā were made righteous through workes then hath he wherin to reioyse but not before God Rom. iiii But what sayeth the scripture Abraham beleued God and that was counted to hym for ryghteousnes Israel folowyng the law of rightwysenes attained not to the lawe of ryghtwysnes why so euen bycause they soughte it not out of fayth Rom. vi but as it were out of the deseruyng of workes By grace are ye saued through faythe that not of your selues Ephes ii for it is the gyfte of god not of workes lest any man shuld bost hym selfe By these authorities of holy scripture and innumerable more to many here to wryte it appereth that iustifycation is attributed and geuen truly only to fayth that it is clerely and holy denyed any iustifycation to be geuen to workes But such mē sayeth Paule as knowe not the iustice of god Rom. x. and continually searche and labour to set forth and stablyshe theyr owne ryghtwysenes be neuer subiecte to the ryghtwysenes whiche god aloweth No no the naturall men do not perceyue those thynges whych perteyne to god for it is foolyshnes to them i. Cor. ii Nother can man perceyue whē he is spiritually examined and therfore the iusticiaries readynge the .x. chapter of Matthew thynke that it maketh muche for them whych wel perceyued and vnderstande maketh muche against them Thys is the storye One came and sayd vnto Christ good master what thynge shal I do that I maye haue eternall lyfe He sayde vnto hym why callest thou me good there is none good but one and that is god But yf thou wylte enter into lyfe kepe the commaundementes He sayde whiche and Iesus sayd thou shalt not kyll thou shalte not breake wedlocke thou shalte not steale thou shalte not beare false wytnes honour thy father mother and thou shalt loue thy neghbour as thy selfe The yōge mā sayd vnto hym I haue obserued all these thynges from my youth what haue I more to do Iesus sayde vnto hym Yf thou wylte be perfyte go sell that thou hast and geue it to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heuen and come and folowe me when the yonge mā herde that sayeng he went awaye mournyng for he had great possessions The condicion of all ypocrites here appereth how they be euer busye to do works trusting in the same nothyng regardyng with what herte loue mynde they shal accōplyshe fynyshe them Is it not great folyshnes to labour for the frute before the tree spryng vp So vnwyse a thing it is to study and to labour to do the workes of the lawe before they know howe to fulfyll the lawe truly For Paule sayeth Rom. vii that the law is spiritual can neuer be truely perfourmed fulfylled with outwarde dede excepte the inward loue affectiō be purged made spiritual by the sprite of god wherfore thys wyse mā of lawe in godlye spirituall thynges was but a foole for he shulde fyrste haue asked by what meanes he might haue fulfylled the law perfitly But to hys vngodly question whych was what he shulde do worke to haue eternal lyfe supposing lyfe to be gyuen by workes not frely by grace Christ answered him so that he might perceyue that he coulde not fulfyl the lawe nor perfourme the workes therof Notwythstandyng he myndyng to iustifye hymselfe dyd go awaye as blynde as he came And so do all iusticiaries whyche thynke that they can fulfyl the lawe workes therof perfytly during this mortal lyfe In the whych although the holy goost be gyuē vnto mē yet bycause of oure synfull nature we be so weake that we can not perfourme the lawe perfytlye But the moste perfyte man shal complaine with Paule sayeng the good whych I wolde do I do not and the euyll that I wolde not do that I do Who shal deliuer me from thys bodye of deathe The grace of God by Iesu Christ These blynde iusticiaries do not fele the corruption of our synful nature poysoned by the inobedience of oure father Adam in so muche that the scripture Math. ix resembleth vs to mustye vesselles whyche wyll corrupte the best wyne that shal be putte into them So althoughe the holy goost worke hys workes in