haue It is lost labour to lyue well sithe workes no man can saue But faithful works they haue this end to glorify our God When other seyng them so shine his prayse doth spread abrode The Sun the Moone and eke the stars they all created are The glory of God throughout the world here dayly to declare Then might the loue of God alone moue vs continually To shew forth fruites of godly workes his name to gloryfy Besides the helpe the nedy haue by workes commaunded here Our faith by such hir fruites is known and lyuing doth appeare For Faith doth shew obedience in outward righteousnes Els dead it is and counterfet the faith that we professe We are now saued from our foes from daunger and distres To serue the Lord without all feare in perfect holynes Darkenes we are no longer now but cleare light in the Lord In newnes of a godly lyfe to walke with one accorde These may persuade vnto good workes though not to trust therein Our calling vnto grace doth moue a new lyfe to begin And least we should faynt by the way or thinke our labour vayne Vnto good workes is promised reward of heauenly gayne Not for the worke of his reward nor yet for our desart But doth proceede of mere good wyll not due in any part For as good workes they be his gift when God doth them regarde So doth he crowne his own in vs when he doth them rewarde To vs nothing belongeth but shame and confusion To thee O Lord the praise is due of our saluation Therefore as we be poore in dede and destitute of grace Euen so let vs confesse the same in truth before his face Who craueth almes beyng ritch of siluer hauing store All beggers shew their poore estate thereby to moue the more So if we come as ritch in workes to God how can we speede Such beggers proude he doth refuse to helpe in tyme of neede The trée doth lift it selfe aloft that hath least fruite theron But where great plenty groweth most it boweth down anon So are we proude and yet but poore no goodnes we haue here Though we lyue well yet euermore let vs fall downe in feare And so not in our rightuousnes but for his mercies sake To God in tyme of troubles great our prayers we will make As vnto godly workes in Christ we all be created So let vs warely walke therein as God hath ordayned Forsaking all our former synnes renude in hart and mynde Least vnto Christ our Sauiour we shew our selues vnkynde Who by his death dyd vs redeeme not to our selues to lyue But vnto him his lyfe for vs that did so fréely gyue O God be mercyfull to vs and blesse vs plenteously The brightnes of thy countenance shew vs continually That we on earth thy waies mai learn and euer thinke thereon And that all nations here may know thy sauing health alone FINIS ê™ Grig Scot. Esay i. e Roma i. e. Mantua in Roma ex primo lib. Syluarum Apoc. 18. a Apoc. 18. a 14. b Gala. iij. a Rom. xj b Deu. 29. a Deu. xix b 2. Cor. 13. a Iohn 8. b Euseb ecclesi hist lib. 7. ca. 14 Hieron in Iere. ca. 10 Genes 31. c Wisd 14. b Euseb ecclesi hist lib. 3. ca. 31 Wisd 14. b Euse lib. 7. cap. 14. Exod. 33. e. Deut. iiij c Deut. 7. d. Act. xvij â— Exod. 33. d Iohn i. b. Iob. 10. â— Roma 1. c. Exod. 33. d Esai 46. b Dani. 14. a Act. xvij f. Wisd xv.c. Abac. 2. d Wisd 13. d Barn. 6. c 2. Par. 2. b Iob. 11. b Iohn 4. c Athana contra GentiuÌ„ Esa. xlvi b Wis xiiii a Actes 17. f Actes i. b. Iohn 16. c Luk. 24. g Iohn 16. a Ioh. 20. g. Esai 46. b Deut. 4. c. Barn. 6. a Iere. iij. a. Wisd xv a Wisd 14. b Epiphanius in an Epistle to Iohn byshop of Ierusalem Lactant. lib. 2. de origine erroris c. 19 Aug. lib. lib. de 4. de ciuitate dei Augu. in lib. de vera religione Barn. 6. â— Ambr. in lib. 2. de virginibus Barn. 6. a Augus in episto ad Deogratias 14. Wisd xv a Exod. 32. c S. HieroÌ„ Epiphanius c. In the definition of the second Nicene councell anno 781 S. Ierome translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simulachris 1. Iohn 5. so in suÌ„dry other places Erasmus in his anno tacions vpoÌ„ the i Cor 8 Actes xix e Acte xvij e Apocal. ix d Baruc. 6. a Dani. iiij a 3 King 11 b Wisd xiii d xiiij a Baru vi b Baru 6. b Apoc. 9. d Roma ij a In the definition of the seconde Nicene councell Iohn 4. a Augu. in lib. de vera religione cap 55. Baruc. 2. d Esai xlij b Luke 12. l. Actes 19. f As of Iupiter Apollo Mercurie c Exod. 32. a Exod. 32. e 1. Cor. 10. a Augu. in Psal. 113. Gregorius the second Iohn v f 2. Tim 3 d Roma j c Psalm xix Deut. 17. c Wisd 14. a Galat. 3 a Iere. 10. a Abacu ij v Baru 6 a Esay 56 d Rom. x. d Augu. in Psal. 113. Athanasius coÌ„tra Gentiles Abacu ij d Apoca. 9. d Baru vj. e wisd xiij d 14. b Deut. 17. d wisd 14. â— Rom â— b Iohn iij. b. 1. Ioh. 4. b Psa xiviij Heb. ix c d Heb x b c Apo. xiij b Hebre x a Hebre ix f. Heb vij d Hebre. ix â— Hebr. vij d Hebre. v. a wisdo ij d Hebr. ix g Theodoretus in Psal. 110. Heb xiii c Phi iiii d Psa xlix d Rom xij a Eph iiii e Malac l d Apo viii a Psa exli a i Pet ii b Apocal i b Hebr. ix b Esai liij b Iohn x. c Hebr. ix g Hebr. ix e Heb. ix b Hebr ix v. x b Hebr. 10. â— Hebr x c ix d Iohn ix c Hebr. 10. c Hebre. i c Iohnl x. c i Pet ii Esay liij b Hebre x â— Hebre x a Hebr ix b Hebr vii â— About the yere of our Lord. 1226 Roma i. â— Rom. xv â— ii Pet i d Mat. 26 c Mar 14 c Luk xxij b i Cor xi f i Cor xi f Iohn 16. b Galat. j. d Augus in episto 22. ad Bonifacium Iohn vi f Iohn vi f Gelasius coÌ„tra Eutichen Augu. in Psal. 98. August tract in Iohan. 50. Augu. ad DardanuÌ„â— epist. 67 Phil iii d Colo iii a Luke 22. b Luk. xxij b Ieronimê° in episto ad Cor. 11. Psal. lviij Gene. 31. c Mat. 26 b Hebre. 8. d 9. d Hebr. 10. e Hebr ix d 1 King 1 â— Psal. 51. d Baruc 3 â— Psal. 50 â— Psa 145. d Mat 26 d Esay 65. d Mar. 11. c Heb. iiij d Math. 7. b Chrisost de precatione Ieres 17. e Esai 49. b Apoc. 17. a ij d Dani. 9. c Esay 43. a Baru 2 d Iere 11 c Ierem. ii c
length ¶ Against the iustification of workes FRom Adam euen as from the roote synne hath spred ouer all The braunches that be of his stocke through that his gréeuous fall Such is the poyson that from him all mankynde hath receiued That since we all be borne in synne and so in synne conceiued Therewith came all our myserye therewith did enter in Death both of body and of soule the iust reward of synne Then entred hate and ignorance of God and all distrust Of heauenly grace and righteousnes thus Man was spoyled furst And so became the childe of wrath once loued entirelye O Adam if thou hadst remaynde in that féelicitie Then honger cold nor yet disease had neuer man assailde Then Sathans power syn death nor hell had neuer so preuailde But fithe the Diuell such wickednes into the world hath brought And so betwixt God and mankynde such enmitie hath wrought Of our religion greatest poynt truly to learne is this How man to perfect righteousnes agayne restored is And how Gods fauour is obtaynd from whence we were exilde The meane we seeke to vnderstand how man is reconcilde Your Romish church doth falsely teach in workes of men to trust And righteousnes in vaine to seeke through merites of the iust But Scripture teacheth contrarie that righteousnes is none Whereby man can be iustefyed in workes that here be done But rightuousnes that shall auayle and euer more remayne By faith in Iesu Christ his death alone we do obtayne Before God he is iustefyed whom God for iust doth take And doth acquite as Innocent euen for his mercies sake This Iustification then is wrought when God doth synne forgeue And doth impute Christs righteousnes to such as doo beleue When man to grace God first did call his mercye for to show What worke of mā did once him moue such mercie to bestow He chose vs of his own accord not as he did foresée The worthynes of any worke that afterward should be The tree thus beyng all corrupt what good fruite can it bring What water cleare once can proceede from foule and filthie spring Euen such is man with al his thoughts his wordes and workes he hath All is corrupt and doth deserue of God nothing but wrath If any thing be worthy praise if any worke be good By grace the same is wrought in vs the praise is due to God. The natural strength of mans frée wil whereof so much you boast Not one good worke can worke in vs that fréedome now is lost When man was create then he had the power of free will To stand in grace and had the choise so to continue still But so his will he did abuse he lost him selfe withall That ryse he could not by his strength his wil he made it thrall Therefore what Sathan moueth to we do it readilye As captiues all he doth vs leade Christ onely maketh frée His holy spirite doth geue the grace all godly workes to chuse It is his onely gift also that synne we do refuse Were it not to great iniurye the inheritance to clayme Of landes or goods that were but lent a while to vse the same No lesse trespasse it is to God to challenge as our right The power to worke a godly worke which is his onely gift Then seyng no good worke we haue what righteousnes can be What merit wher nothing doth raign but great iniquitie Yea though we be regenerate and borne in Christ agayne No worke yet here so perfect is Gods fauour to obtayne Our righteousnes all stayned is whose hart is pure within Who lyueth here so innocent that dayly doth not synne The starres that be in firmament are not pure in Gods sight The Sun and Moone comparde to him at all they giue no light Then Man that is corruption how can he iustefye Hym selfe when God as iudge shal sit hys righteousnes to trye But when we haue done what we can euen then both more and lesse Vnprofitable seruantes all our selues let vs confesse Our dutie for we haue but done nothing here can be founde Of supererogation in workes that doth abounde If any thing we do besides that God doth not require It is but synne and doth deserue nothing but wrath and ire A frée gift is our rightuousnes obtayned all by grace Least any man should boast him selfe our workes here haue no place For where to workes reward is due there grace is none at all The worke once done the workman may by right for wages call Thus make you God in debt to man if that without delaye The hyre that we haue labourd for he do not trulye paye But those that in the vineyard wrought a penny did receaue Not as their labours did exceede but as the Lord it gaue So our inheritance in heauen by promise frée we haue Mercye doth measure all reward no merites can it craue Their rightuousnes who leaneth to Christes righteousnes doth leese All workes reiecte the Publicane by faith the Lord did please And Abraham his righteousnes by fayth he dyd obtayne Because to God his promise made constant he did remayne So fréely are we iustefied by Christes redemption Through faith sure fixed in his bloud we haue remission As Iacob did his father please the garment hauing on That was his brothers and thereby the blessing gat anon So in Gods presence when we shall at any tyme appeare Christes righteousnes the garment that we must onely weare The swéete sauour that Isaac felt our faith doth signifie The smell whereof so pleaseth God it doth vs iustefye Faith is the hand wherwith we reach forgeuenes of our synne For this we say our righteousnes onely doth stand therein Fayth onely therefore and no workes doth synners iustefye Because Christes righteousnes to vs alone it doth applye Faith it doth purifye the hart then God doth vs accept From Faith if they do not procéede all workes he doth reiect Abell therefore God dyd regarde his offryng he dyd chuse But Cain and his sacrifice as wycked dyd refuse Yet meane we not of such a Faith as fruite hath none at all For that which dead is without works true Faith we cannot call But Faith which is effectuall whereby the iust doth lyue As fire his heate alway doth yeld so good fruite doth it gyue As tyme doth serue and néede require so Faith doth worke withall Therefore good workes through onely Faith are not destroyd at all The company of godly workes Faith euermore doth loue But when our Faith doth iustefy then workes we do remoue For vnto Faith is promised all our saluation Which to obtaine no works can help but power of Fayth alone But here the slaūderous tong doth say good workes we néede not
¶ A briefe Treatise agaynst certayne errors of the Romish Church Very plainly notably and pleasantly confuting the same by Scriptures and auncient writers Compiled by Gregory Scot. 1570 Perused lisenced according to the Quenes Maiesties Iniunction 1574. ¶ Imprynted at London by Iohn Awdeley ¶ The Printer to the Christian Reader THough volumes great and learned workes Of famous men hereof be ryfe VVherby both Papistes Iewes and Turkes Haue deadly woundes for all their strife And though these sectes haue not such lyfe In these our daies as late they had Yet gentle Reader take in briefe This treatise gaynst these errors bad VVhich for the truth in playne discourse And pleasant verse by sence well tryde Of such as are learned and wyse I thought therefore not it to hyde But publish it to daunt the pryde Of them that styll wyll hold the same Gaynst God and truth and therein byde Regarding neither truth nor shame But chiefely for the symple sorte This is set forth in forme most playne In pleasant wyse and order shorte That they may viewe with lesser payne And in their mynde the same contayne As for the learned though they know These errors all and them refrayne For others skyll doth this allow The Author to me as vnknowne To thee good Reader I commende This worke out set and now forth blowne Shall shew forth that he dyd entende VVhich was I hope some folke to mende VVho wander in these errours yll Thy fauour then to him extende Accepting this as hys good wyll And prayse thou God for this his lyght VVhich in our dayes doth now so shine VVho opened hath the myndes and syght Of many learned for profyt thyne To God alone therefore resigne These prayses due and not to men Yet in thy praiers haue in mynde Their good estate and thanke God then But chiefely pray thou for those states By whose good meanes this light we ioy As namely Prince and Magistrates VVhich keepeth vs from all anoy The Pastors eke for them do pray And frame thy lyfe in vertues trace In humble wyse them loue and obay So shalt thou quyt their laborous case FINIS ¶ A briefe treatise against certaine errours of the Romish Church HOw is the faythful City chaungde from that it was before Where righteousnes sometime did syt now bloudshed raygneth more Rome once it had renowmed prayse for Truth therein dyd dwell A faythfull Citie once it was and others dyd excell But now vngodlynes doth raygne where fayth dyd then abound Their wicked and most lothsome liues throughout the world doth sound Rome is a cage of Birdes vncleane a sincke of filthy synne Few errours haue the Church infect that dyd not there begynne From thence they spred ouer the earth what place could once be found That frée was from infection in Europe none was found Wher canker once hath taken roote it créepeth ouer all Herein that wicked mother churche we may to witnes call Which once declining from the truth and from the perfect waye Hath euer synce mo errours bred and further gone astraye Of these errours my purpose is here brieflie to intreate But not of all for that were much the number is so greate I meane of such as you your selues by whom mayntaynd they bee Might sone perceiue so plain they are if eyes you had to sée This serueth for the ignorant whom you do most infecte The learned know your errours well and haue them all detecte Thrée witnesses confirme a truth yet mo that wytnes beare Thereby you are more guiltie found your errours more appeare The errours be so catholicke in your religion That order ther is none at all but great confusion Which is the cause that orderlesse herein I do obserue Althoughe to some it be offence lesse blame it doth deserue Therfore myne entrie wher to make my mynde is muche in doubt Suche heapes of errours do I see your Romish church throughout ¶ Against Images and Idolatrie BVt worshipping of images a grose and gréeuous sinne Because it is a custome old with it I wyll begynne In thinges against the law of God if that you do offend Then pleade you custome commonly your errours to defend But yet such custome here you haue you may put in your plée Why should it not take place it is of suche antiquitie Welnigh for age it rotten is your Idols shew the same The old heathen they vsde it long from thence this custome came But chiefely how they first beganne and since haue taken roote Although yet some were long before this briefly shall you note The Father mourning for the death of his beloued Sonne An image to remember him he wild to make anon In time this custome so preuaild incrreasing more and more That rytes and offerings were deuisde the Image to adore And tyrantes did by cruell law compell men so to do The beutye of the cunning worke did much intise therto Though Father onely for his Sonne this image did deuise Of small begynninges yet we sée great mischiefes may aryse But thoughe Idolatry among the Heathen thus did raigne Yet of long tyme in Christ his church no place it did obtayne Vntill next after Christ his death foure hundreth yeares were past No Image then was worshipped nor yet in churches plaste But when the Apostles of the Lord and their Disciples true Were taken hence and few were left their preachinges to renue The Church began then to decline true knowledge dyd decay Then Images crept in withall and lead them more astray But as I sayd these Idols came from Gentiles that did vse The Images of worthy men such as them selues did chuse Of whom some memory to kéepe by errour so deceiued They honoured their Images for benefites receiued These Heathen conuert vnto Christ lyke errour keeping styll They caused Images to make in signe of their good wyll Of Christ of Paul and other mo and kept them reuerentlye Thus first amongest the Christians began Idolatrye Nothing in scripture is forbid so muche as Images Yet to no synne more prone we be then to such wickednes But most vngodly is this worke wherby you would expresse The liuing God in outward forme of grauen Images Moyses giuing charge hereof this euyll did forsee Thou heardst the voice of God he saith no Image didst thou see Take héed therfore vnto thy soule alway remember this No Image make vnto thy selfe a damned thing it is The godhead is not lyke to gold nor lyke to siluer bright It is not lyke to wood or stone nor subiect to the sight Who hath sene God at any tyme the workeman did but gesse When lyke an old man he him made of bignes more or lesse Belyke his yeares they now decay who can be alwayes yong His old gray bearde doth séeme to shew he cannot sure lyue long The glorie of the immortall God whose shape was neuer sene To Images of
augment your fault the greater is your syn The Heathen so know welinough their Idols what they were Euen Images of fained gods which they did worship there They were not yet so fond to thinke that stones or wood so wrought Could be the gods whom they did séeke this was not in their thought The Israelites that made the Calfe they wist it was of gold For of their earinges it was formde their eyes might this behold They did not take that Calfe for God which did them so deliuer But as a signe their god in déede the better to remember Yet were they all Idolaters you can it not denay Though vayne excuses here be made you be as ill as they For though you say you meane it not to th Image that is there Yet what your meaning is in deede by this it may appeare For where no Idoll present is there present few will bée To offer or to knocke or kneele there candell none we sée Therfore since Idoles were remoude all pilgrimage is gone Crouches ships nor men of ware the people offers none Those Idols haue these euils wrought and caused to offend Destroye them all and suche abuse will soone be at an end But sundrye meanes the Deuill hath taught these Idols to vphold They serue they say for Lay mens bookes when they do them behold But knowledge of God and of Christ the Scripture doth vs teache His power and wisdome infinite all creatures do preache These are good bookes to learne vpon these God appoynted hath But Images accursed are and do prouoke his wrath If any would be ignoraunt of God his holie will These bookes will stand them in good stede so to continue still How Christ for vs was crucified the scripture doth it shew The Sacramentes in memory the same doth oft renew These are true witnesses of Christ his death they set foorth playne These be good meanes to thinke on him vntill he come agayne Errour and vanitie is taught by Images of wood They be all dumme and cannot speake nor teach ought that is good But when the Pastors waxed dumme and true light did declyne Their office to those Images the Pastors did resigne For if that preaching had bene vsde and people trulye taught Those lying and dead Images they néeded not haue saught For Iesu Christ cannot be knowne by sight of eye so cleare But faith and truth obtayned is by hearyng of the eare When th Image stately standes a lost more power it hath to crooke The wretched soule thē truth to teach to serue for any booke Therfore vnworthie is the worke vngodly is the intent To know the liuing God thereby an Image to inuent For if a mortall liuing man whom God him selfe hath made To know God or remember him cannot at all persuade Then dead men carued out of wood how can they moue therto That haue no speeche no sight nor life to stir them to or fro No knowledge then can come thereby nor any good at all They are most daungerous stomblyng blocks occasion of great fall Wherfore for warning briefly take and kéepe it well in mynde The fearfull cursse that God doth geue in Scripture as we fynde Accurssed be the man that shall a molten Image frame In any mettall or by arte of caruing do the same And shall it place so beyng wrought in secret corner then All people with one free consent shall therto say Amen ¶ Against the sacrifice of the Masse and the wicked adoration GOD hath his loue vnto mankinde declarde in sundry wyse But most when Christ hys Sonne he gaue for synne a sacrifice Such was the greuousnes of synne such wrath it did deserue No sacrifice that euer was could man from death preserue Vntyll Christ Iesus offred vp his body on the trée An euerlasting Sacrifice for all our synne to bée Christ is the onely Lambe of God whose bloud was shed for synne And in full force remayned since the world dyd first begynne The sacrifices that haue bene and offringes long before They were but figures of this one induring euermore This sacrifice was offred once Christ was the Priest alone To offer vp him selfe for vs mo Priestes he néedeth none How dare you then so wickedly this office to you take To offer vp the Sonne of God new sacrifice to make Though malice let you to confesse your errour yet is playne No Priest on earth ought to presume to offer him agayne Both bread and wyne for Sacraments we offer thankfullye We offer almes for the poore with prayse to God on hye An offring of our selues we make renude in hart and mynde Our praiers so presented be such offringes do we fynde To offer these the Priests them selues God doth not onely chuse For Priestes we all appointed are such sacrifice to vse But Christ was neuer offered nor yet shall be agayne But once when he dyd yelde him selfe to death for to be slayne Therefore herein your wycked wyll your purpose doth bewray You would againe him crucifye if in your power it lay Or els why then do you attempt to offer so in vayne Christes body which yet cannot be except he dye agayne You say your sacrifice doth purge both synnes of quicke and dead But no forgeuenes can there be except some bloud be shed By bloud into the holy place the hye Priest entred in By bloud our Sauiour purchased remission of our syn And if your Masse such merite haue for lyuing and for dead Vndoubtedly Christes sacrifice doth stand in litle sted What haue we got by Christ his death but Masse can it obtayne From syn from hell it can discharge and from etternall payne Such holynes is hid therein that onely hearing Masse No daunger can vs then assaile all thinges come well to passe Such Masse we may blasphemous call if blasphemy there be Yea full of wicked sacriledge full of Idolatrie Of all abomination it is the wicked head Your god on earth you néede not looke for other in your néede The sacrifice of Christ you make no better in effect Then Oxe or Calfe or then the Gaote whose bloud are now reiect For those before were offered but could not synne remyt Remembraunce onely they did bryng of synnes we dyd commyt As féeble make you Christ his bloud from synne vs to redéeme Els would you not so vertuous your wicked Masse estéeme But Christ hath found redemption that perfect is in déede For euermore sufficient none other do we néede And beyng yet vpon the crosse our raunsome to fulfyll And yelding vp the Ghost such were the woordes of hys last wyll Mans health and his saluation it is now consummate And perfectly is finished your Masse it comes to late Why do we then his wordes mistrust a Straungers voyce to heare And leaue our Christ who all