like as it foloweth not that the body of the sunne bicause it is not alone but hathe light and heate therfore shineth not only with hys lighte but also with hys heat so likewise it foloweth not which our aduersaries affirme Faythe is not alone but ioyned with charitie therfore fayth onely iustifieth not before God but charitie also But touching iustification I shall by Gods helpe hereafter speake more at large The. xx Question Whether men be iustified before God by faith only in chryst or by good workes also The Answere FIrst we will shew what it is to be iustified before God and that is to bée purged from sinne deliuered from the punishement thereof and to bée had and receyued into the number of the sonnes of God and heires of eternall lyfe yea and that before the iudgement seate of God before the which all men are accused and condemned as giltie And that we shall euery one of vs before the iudgement seate of God be conuicted and founde gyltie of sinne and eternall damnation Paule in the thirde to the Romanes dothe playnely teache And agayne that iustification is the taking away and remission of our sinnes the same aptly also teacheth Acts. 13. Wherfore the remission of the sinne and the punishement or damnation is called of him iustificatioÌ„ Rom. 5. And that to be iustified and adopted in the number of the sonnes and heires of God is all one wée may gather by that Paule saythe VVe are iustified by fayth and Sainct John sayth But as many as beleeued him he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God. Secondely wée muste séeke the cause why God forgiueth our sinnes delyuereth vs from damnation and adopteth vs into hys sonnes and heyres Truely the proper cause hereof is hys mercy and grace by the which he gaue vnto vs his onely sonne to take our nature vpon him and to suffer death and shedde his bloud for our sakes to the ende that béeing deliuered from our sinnes eternall death and damnation frée from all accusations we might be absolued before the iudgement seate of God yea and that béeing made righteous by Chryst for his righteousnesse is made ours we might be made heires of eternall life Wherefore it is onely the grace of God the bloud and death of Chryst and his innocencie and righteousnesse for whose sake we are not condemned but are adopted into his sonnes and heires and are made partakers of eternall life Of this doctrine there are diuers proofes in Paul Rom. 3. 4. and. 5. 2. Corinth 5. Ephesi 1. Coloss. 1. and. 2. Tim. 2. c. Furthermore we must note by what meanes the grace of God in Chryste redemption righteousnesse and eternall lyfe is imputed vnto vs and on the other side howe wée receiue it and by what meanes they bée made ours so that Chryste in vs and we in him doo lyue All the good giftes of God are imputed vnto vs by the holy Ghoste as the holy Scripture testifieth almoste euery where and chiefly our Lorde him selfe saythe It is the spirit which quickeneth c. And wée receiue all these things by fayth yea by fayth only and by none other thing And therefore it may very well bee sayde that a man is iustified by saythe onely For Chryste him selfe in the thirde of John teacheth vs that wée muste bée saued euen after the same manner as the Israelites were healed of the deadely stinging of the Serpentes For as they coulde by none other meanes attayne vnto healthe than by the beholding of the Brasen Serpent hanged vp in the myddest of their Campe so wée can by none other meanes bée delyuered from euerlasting deathe and damnation and bée preserued in eternall lyfe than by the beholding of Chryste Crucifyed And thys beholding of Jesus Chryste is fayth yea fayth onely For as no Woorkes no Prayers Fastings Almes Sacrifices or any thing else whatsoeuer coulde helpe the stynging of the Serpente but onely the beholdyng of the Brasen Serpente so is there nothing that can saue vs but Faythe onely Wherefore Chryst in the sixthe Chapter of Sainct John saythe Veryly veryly I say vnto you excepte you eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud you haue no lyfe in you And to eate the Lorde hym selfe interpreteth it to beléeue But if there bee anye that desire to knowe more testimonies by the whiche our Justification in Chryste by Faythe onely is proued then let him reade the thirde and fourthe Chapters of S. Paule to the Romanes and also the Epistle to the Galathians where the Apostle in the second Chapter writeth thus Nowe lyue I no longer but Chryste lyueth in mee And the lyfe whiche I nowe lyue in the fleshe I lyue by the faythe of the sonne of god c. Wherefore when wée say that Fayth only in Chryst iustifieth we attribute not Justification to Faythe as in respecte that it is any woorke of oures for Faythe also is the frée gyfte of GOD but bycause that Faythe onely beholdeth or regardeth the grace of God in Chryst and trusteth only herein in none other thing And the grace of God in Chryste iustifieth as wée haue sayde before Therefore when wée stryue and contende aboute thys question Faythe onely iustifieth wée striue for Chrystes cause and the glory of GOD that this iustification may bée attributed to none other than Chryste to the ende wée may haue one onely true ryghteousnesse Laste of all wée muste shewe why not onely wée doo not attribute iustification to woorkes but also wherefore wée suffer not parte thereof to bée attributed to Woorkes and parte to Faythe but saye playnely that wée are iustified onely by Faythe and not by Woorkes Firste for that God wyll in no wyse haue vs to glorye and truste in our selues but in hym alone Like as it is manyfestly taught Rom. 3. 1. Corinth 1. lerem 9. Those therefore whiche impute their righteousnesse to Woorks they trust in them but those whiche beléeue in Chryste by whome throughe grace their sinnes are forgiuen and obtayne saluation they truste not in them selues but in the grace of God alone Secondely all good Woorkes are wrought of good men Wherefore it is of necessitie that the trée bee made good before she bring foorthe good fruite and therefore the frute maketh not the trée good but is rather the signe of a good trâ—e so it followeth that Woorkes dâ—â— not iustfie bycause they are â—oone of those which before were made righteouse throughe grace Wherefore all men may easily knowe that the righteouse doo not good Woorks to the ende they mighte thereby bee ryghteouse but rather bycause they are righteouse so that nowe those whiche withoute woorks were firste iustified by grace bring afterwarde foorthe good workes euen as the good trée beareth good frute Thirdly the works euen of the faithfull by reason of the infirmitie of mans nature which remayneth with vs yea vnto death are neuer so pure and perfect that they durst ascribe
therby righteousnesse vnto them selues Wherfore Job sayth Althoughe I were iuste yet would I not make answere but intreate my ludge And Dauid sayth Enter not into iudgemente O Lorde with thy seruaunt bycause no man liuing shall bee iustified in thy sighte And it is euident what Saint Paule writeth to the Romanes the seuenth Chapter Fourthly if any man should be iustified by his workes then Abraham and the Apostles should be iustified by the works of their faith but that they were not iustified by workes is manyfestly taughte Romanes 4. Galathians 2. Wherfore iustification is not to be attributed to workes althoughe liuely workes procéede from sayth Fifthly nothing ought to be done or suffered in the churche of Chryste that should obseure or darken the death and merites of Chryste and frée mercy of God but if we attribute iustification to our workes then they blot out bothe the merites and death of Chryste and the frée mercy of God as Paule teacheth Galath 2. and. 5. Therefore we must not ascribe iustificatioÌ„ to works Sixtly wee muste keepe faithfully and purely the Apostles doctrine and that teacheth that wée are not iustified by works but through faythe in the froe mercies of God lyke as it appeareth Acts. 15. and in al the Epistles of Paul wherefore wée muste faythefully and stedfastly cleaue to this doctrine But yet amongst many testimonies I will bring onely one whereby it shall manyfestly appeare that this Answere of ours to this twentith Question is taken out of the wordes of S. Paule and therefore in the seconde Chapter to the Ephesians he sayth thus By grace are yee saued throughe Faythe and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God and not of woorkes leaste any man should boaste For wee are hys woorkemanshippe created in Chryste Iesu vnto good woorkes whiche GOD hathe ordeined that we shoulde walke therin And truely I thinke there is no man could speake this more plainly wherefore it is méete that we beléeue this the Apostles doctrine and that we be not so miserable and wicked menne as a great numbre are to affirme that it is a false and heretical opinion to beléeus that faith iustifieth before God and not woorkes The. xxi Question If faithe only iustifie whether theÌ„ the Deuill Judas and such like be saued If not then whether it dothe not followe that men are not saued only by faith â–ª but also by charitie and hope The Answere TOuching the Deuill Iudas Simon Magus such like they had not true faithe in Christ for if they had had this true faith in him then had they also had Christe and eternall life like as it is written He vvhich beleeueth in the sonne of God hathe a testimonie in himself And this testimonie is that God gaue vs eternall life and this life is in his sonne He vvhich hath the sonne hath life Wherfore sith they haue not life they neither haue faythe nor Christe for so it is wrytten Hee vvhich hath not the sonne of God hath not life And againe Except you beleue that I am the sonne of God you shall perishe in your sinne But whereas S. James saythe in the seuenth Chapter of his Epistle that the Diuels doe beléeue and tremble and S. Luke in the eighte Chapter of the Actes saithe that Simon Magus beléeued it is not to be vnderstanded of true faith but of a false and dissembling faithe For in the holy scripture there is mention made of two kindes of faith that is true faith false True faithe is liuely and of great force in Christe iustifying vs in him and afterwarde bringethforthe good wooâ—â—â—â— Yet notwithstanding it followeth nâ—â— that we shall not be saued through faith but by charitie and hope also For if we be not saued by faithe onely then those things muste néedes be false which are redde in the gospel and wrytings of S. Paul touching Christ and faith in him But bicause those whiche beleeue in Christ are made heires of saluation by his merites therefore they hope loue also Therefore when the scripture attributeth iustificatioÌ„ to hope and charitie or calleth good woorks the righteousnesse of the faithfull that is not done for the woorks sake but bicause the true beléeuers are vnited with god so please God in him therfore are their works acceptable vnto him and bicause they are iustified by faithe in Christe they doe also the woorkes of righteousnesse so that all honoure and glory mighte be giuen to faithe or rather to Christ and the frée mercyes of God. Wherefore when we say that we are iustified by faith onely before God we doe not say that saith is alone without hope charitie and good woorkes but we say that faith alone iustifieth bicause we receiue by faithe the frée mercy of God Christ his redeÌ„ption for in him onely oure true iustification consisteth and not in our woorkes which procéede of faithe Not for that faithe wanteth these for if it be true faithe it woorketh good woorkes as Peter Paule James and John teache and yet notwithstanding it first iustifieth and so man being iustified by the grace of God throughe faith in Christ doth finally bring foorth good woorkes 2. Pet. 1. Rom. 6. Iacob 2. 1. Iohn â— c. The. xxij Question Whether they beleeue that good workes done of charitie and throughe the grace of God doe deserue eternal life through Christe and for his sake The Answere THe grace of God and merites of Christe cannot be coupled with our workes For Paul saith plainly If vve be iustified by grace then not by vvorkes for els grace vvere no grace But if vvee be iustified by vvorkes then is it not by grace for else vvorkes are no vvorkes Rom. 11. The like dothe the Apostle teach Rom 4. And in the second Chapter to the Galathians he saythe I make not the grace of God of none effecte for if righteousnesse come by the lavve then died Christe in vaine For if vve vvere able to deserue eternall life vvhat neede had Christe to suffer But hére is obiected vnto vs that the merites of manne be made effectuall through the merites of Christe but this they finde not in the holy scripture for they teache that righteousnesse and saluation is bestowed vppon vs for Christes sake and not for oure workes and howe then might they teache that oure works are made meritorious through the merites of Christe But these men cannot abide that all things which we receiue should be referred to the frée mercies of God but they woulde haue some parte with it And therfore héerein they diligently labor that althoughe they are constrained to graunt the glorie to Christe that yet neuerthelesse in the wrapping vp they mighte plucke somewhat to themselues And to thys ende they wrest those places of Scripture in which rewarde is promised the righteousnesse of the faithfull In deede we Confesse that many things are written in the holy Scripture touching the rewarde
vvill of your heauenly father yea all the haires of your heade are numbred Bee not therfore afraide for you are more vvorth than many sparowes Euery one therefore that shall confesse me before men him also vvil I confesse before my father vvhich is in heauen and vvho so denieth mee before men him also vvill I denye before my father vvhich is in heauen And hee that loueth father or mother more than mee is not meete for me And hee that taketh not vppe his crosse and folovveth mee is not vvorthy of me VVho so vvill seeke to saue his life shall lose it and he that vvill lose his life for my sake shal finde it And vnto this doctrine that is so ful of consolation and comfort let vs earnestly sticke my brethren and so couple oure selues to the grace and power of Christe lette vs boldly confesse his name doctrine and refusing what so euer is contrary to the same Let vs call vpon him craue his grace and holy spirite to abide sted-fastly in his holy worde euen to deathe And so let vs ioyntly all pray vnto oure Lorde that he will haue mercy vppon al men and strengthen all those which suffer for his sake and lighten the harts of the persecuters that with S. Paule they may cleerely sée and vnderstande how hard a thing it is to kicke againste the pricke God oure heauenly father haue mercie on his poore afflicted Churche and comforte the same shortly with his comming through Jesus Christe our Lorde Amen FINIS Howe what we ought to beleue of the holye Trinitie There is but one Catholike Church The Church is holy Why the church is called Apostolicall Hovve the Churche is beleeued Wee muste not beleue in the Church What the Church is The Communion of saincts Sainctes 1. Cor. 12. Ephesi 4. Howe the vniuersal Churche is deuided Hipocriâ—s in the Church 1. Iohn 2. God gouerneth hys churche by his holy spirite Math. 28. 18 Iohn 14 The ende of this Question Howe the Church eyther erreth or doth not erre 2. Cori. 1. 6. Galat. 1. 1. Iohn 13. Iohn 15. The cheefe tokens of the Church The SacrameÌ„ts are signes of the Church The succession of Bishoppes Successâ—oÌ„ proueth nothing Succession of Bishops against Christ and hys Apostles Succession degenerated Of the Apostolicke seate What Paul teacheth touching the succession of Byshoppes Whether the Church of Rome be the catholick Churche What vve ought to thinke of the auncient Churche of Rome The new or late Church of Rome is not the Catholicke Churche 1 â–ª Cor. 5. 6. Ephesi 4. 5. To tye the Churche of Christ to onâ— place only The â—â—spell tooke not hyâ— beginning froÌ„ Rome There are many countryes that dothe not acknovvledge the Pope Out of the christian Churche there is no saluation There maye be saluation without the Churche of Rome Of the faythe and saluatioÌ„ of our forefathers 3. Reg 19. What is to breede Scismes or Heresies Deut. 4. 1â— Where in the vnitie of Christes Churche doth consist An example of the breach of vnitie in the Churche and faythe The first Heretickes Scismaticks in the Churche whither they be Heretycks which in our age doe peache the Gospell In what sort we must beleue the decrees of the Church Iere. 22. Esay 29. Math. 15. Tit. 1. Gala. 1. The purpose of this question How far the decrees of the fathers are to be beleued In what sorte general councels are to be beleued Constantinâ— Whether Counsels haue erred Psal. 1â— Rom. 3. â—acob â— Whether the articles vvhiche are decided coÌ„firmed may be disputed on agayne Whether it be lavvfull to dispute againste popish doctrin Augustines iudgement touching the counsels and the fathers The Papistes will be bothe accusers and Iudges Whether the Apostles admitted Hereticks into the Counsel The some of Paules doctrine and of his aduersaries Whither Heretikes ought to be admitted into a counsell Whether the Apostles admitted laye meÌ„ Heretiks into the CouÌ„sell It was not lawful for the Apostles to haue any agreement with their aduersaries Galat. 2. Why Paule vvent to Hierusalem Paul had the chefest place in the counsell The doctrine of free vvill is an arrogante doctrine Ioan. 15. 2. Corin. 3. 1. Corin. 4. Philip. 1. â— Fayth Hope Charitie Eche of these vertues haue their peculiar properties These three vertues are so coupled togither that the one springeth of the other Fayth is one but not all one Faythe iustifieth To be iustified before God. why god chose vs to be his sonnes heirs By what meanes rightuousnesse is impuâ—ed to vs. Why vvoorkeâ— do not iustifie Iob. 9. Psal. 14â— The summe of this doctrine Iohn 5. Iohn 8. Act. 8. How works are called righteousneâ— Fayth bringeth foorthe good works Of the discerâ—ing of workes Whether our mericeâ—â— are made meritorious by the merites of Christ The revvard of woorkes Rom. 6. Rom. 8. Luke 7. Marie therfore loued bicause hir sinnes were remitted Fayth to work miracles Why Christe wil iudge not according to fayth but according to works Math. 25. Christ is the onely intercessor with the father Heb. 9. Rom. 8. Heb. 7. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Iohn 2. The Scriptures maketh no mention of the intercession of Sainctes or Aungels Howe wee praye in Christes name when wee saye the Lordes praier Whether the Saincts in heauen do pray fos vs bicause they haue charitie Whether the sainctes bycause they prayed here on earth doe the same for vs nowe in heauen The glorie of the saincts which are in heauen Whether the rich maÌ„ in the 16. of Luke did praye for his brethren Of the worshipping of sainctes What wee ought to think of the blissed virgin Mary What we ought to think of the Apostles and other Sainctes How the saynctes are to be worshipped Rom. 10. We haue neede of an aduocate for vs to God. The Angels and saynctes send vs from themselues to Christ. Iohn 2. Act. 3. Of the reliques of sainctes 2. Pet. 1. Of Teâ—ples dedicated to sainctes The vse of candels in the churches Lactan. inst li. 6. cap. 1. Math. 5. Rom. 22. Lightes before the sacrament Of Images God nor hys sainctes can by Images be represented The making of holivvateâ— holy fire Eyther men dy in faythe or in infidilitie We are not counted pure for our own works sake Of praiers such lyke things done for the dead Thei are but filthy marchandise vvherevvyth they vvoulde haue vs redeemâ— souls We may not for purgatories sake truste in any thing Iohn 1â— Act. â—0 Hovve and vvherfore the apostles did pray Where Lazarus vvas that time he vvas dead Of the seconde booke of the Machebes Hovve many Sacramentes there be Of the vertue and power of the Sainctes Whether the sacramentes receiued do giue vs grace Of the Anabaptistes Baptisme of infantes Actes 10. Anabaptism Diners opinions touching Christes presence in the Sacramente The true and auncient doctrine of the sacrameÌ„t against transubstantiation The faythefull doe not receiue bread only in the Supper Howe the true bodie of christ must be receiued How ech man oughte to behaue himselfe in the controuersie of the sacrament The presence of Christ. Whether the Priests make bred wine the verie body and bloud of Christ. The true ordering or making of ministers Whether Christ be wholi vnder one kind The papistes wil eate vp al Christ and no more Whether the Lordes supper were giuen to the Apostles only Both the kinds in the sacrameÌ„t are due to al men The supper of Christ vvyth his tvvo disciples at Emaus The Corrinthians dydde not offend bycause they vsed the cup of our Lord. The councel of Constance touchyug bothe the kyndes of the decrees and sclanders that happe in the vse of both kindes Christes body is offered no more Of the sacrifices of Christians Christ is the onely sacrifice that taketh avvay sinne In the Lordes supper ther is onely a remeÌ„brance of his only sacrifice The sacrifice of praise thanks giuing What repentance is True repentance What confeâ—sion is good necessariâ— â–ª We must confesse vs vnto God. The confession to our neyghboure Against confession made to the priest Of popishe satisfaction The exercise of the faythfull Iohn â— Romish indulgences â—â—remi 7. Iohn 2. 〈…〉 21. Power is an office The kayes of the kingdome of heauen Of binding and loosing 1. Corin. 3. The office of priestes and ministers Of excoÌ„munication and the abuse thereof Not to heare the churche Mariage is frâ—â— for al 〈…〉 The vowes which are made in our daies are onely idle woordes without effect or workes Al vowes are not acceptable to god neyther yet to be perfourmed We must kepe promis Whither god giueth chastitie to euery man bicause he caÌ„ giue it An exhortation agaynst persecution The mariage of Priestes is lavvefull Whether 〈…〉 age vvhich is coÌ„tracted afterâ— vovv be lavvâ—â—â— â–ª Cyprians iudgement Against those vvhich sclander and forbid mariage What the holy Scripture teacheth of enoyling Actes 8. 10. 19. The spiritual Magistrates 1. Thessa. 5 Hebr. 13. Luke 10. The ciuill Magistrate The magistrate can coÌ„maunde nothing contrarie to the churche of Chryst. The godlyâ— Magistrate may make lawes and decrees against the false church â–ª Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman for George Bishop ANNO. 1572.