woorkes as not the cause of our iustification Iames approueth woorkes as effectes proceedyng of the same Paul denieth that any good workes can be in them that be not iustified Iames affirmeth that they which be iustified caÌ„ in no wise be without good workes But ye shall heare what S. Augustine saith touching this matter Non sunt coÌ„trariae duoruÌ„ apostoloruÌ„ sententiae Pauli Iacobi cum dicit Paulus iustificari homineÌ„ sine operibus Iacobus dicit inaneÌ„ esse fideÌ„ sine operibus Quia Paulus loquitur de operibus quae fideÌ„ praecedunt Iacobus de ijs quae fidem sequntur That is to say in englishe The saiyng of the two Apostles Paul Iames are not contrary whereas Paul saith a man is iustified without workes and Iames saith faith without workes is in vaine For Paul speaketh of the woorkes that goe before faith Iames speaketh of the workes that followe after faithe Thomas of Aquine also saieth I acobus hic loquitur de operibus sequentibus fidem quae dicuntur iustificare non secundum quod iustificare dicitur iustitiae infusio sed secundum quod dicitur iustitie exercitatio vel ostentio vel consummatio Res enim dicitur fieri quando perficitur vel innotescit Iames in this place speaketh of suche woorkes as followe faithe whiche workes are saied to iustifie not as iustification is the procuryng of righteousnesse but in that it is an exercise or a shewyng or a perfectyng of righteousnes For we say a thyng is doen when it is perfected or knowen to bee doen. So that wee maie easily see that the offeryng vp of Isaac is a testimonie of the faithe and righteousnesse of Abraham he could not be iustified by it but rather it was thereby declared that he was iustified alreadie So that this obedience of his to the worde of God did onely manifest and shewe that he was when he beleued Goddes promises made righteous before God through the same faith and beliefe That was the meanyng of Dauid when he saith That thou maiest be iustified in thy wordes and ouercome when thou arte iudged that is to saie that thou maiest bee declared iuste and thy goodnes and truthe appeare in performyng thy promises when man either curiously or arrogauntly would iudge thy workes Therefore this worde iustificare to iustifie is not taken of saincte Paule in that signfication that sainct Iames taketh it in for of Paule it is taken for to deliuer from synne and for to impute rightousnesse But Iames doeth take it for to declare and shewe one iust and righteous Sainct Paule doeth speake of a liuely faithe whiche can no more bee without good workes then the Sunne can bee without lighte or fire without heate But sainct Iames doeth speake of an idell faithe which maie bee in the reprobate yea in the deuill hymself as the Apostle writeth in the same place I might bryng many placâ—s of Scripture wherein the excellencie of faithe is highly sette forthe but one or twoo shall suffice at this tyme. In the actes we haue these wordes out of S. Paules sermon that he made to the Iewes at Antiochia a citie of Pisidia Be it knowen vnto you therefore brethren that through this man is preached vnto you the forgiuenesse of sinnes And that from all thynges from whiche ye could not bee iustified by the lawe of Moises by hym euery one that beleueth is iustified These wordes are plaine and neede no exposition at all for all wee see that he taketh awaie altogether iustification from the lawe of Moises and doeth attribute it vnto faithe in our Sauiour Iesu Christe But to the Romaines he maketh the matter more plaine when he saieth Thei haue all synned and are destitute or voide of the glorie of god But thei are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forthe to be a purchaser of mercie through faith in his bloud Marke here First he saieth thei haue all synned â–ª and that thei are depriued of the glorie of GOD by whiche woordes he sheweth openly before our eyes the miserable estate that mankinde was in Secondlie he sheweth how and by what meanes we are deliuered from it I meane from that damnable estate that we are in by our own nature and first birthe when he saieth thei are iustified freely by his grace Now if we bee iustified freely by the grace of God where are our workes merites or deseruinges become For if any workes deseruynges or merites doe goe before our iustification how can it bee saied that wee are iustified freely by the grace of God our heauenly father Therefore he saieth in an other place By grace are ye saued throughe faithe and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God not of woorkes leaste any man shoulde boast hym selfe S. Ihon saith Blessed are they that haue washed their roabes not in their own merites but in the blood of the Lambe Againe I will giue the thristie to drinke of the well of life not for his deserts but for nothing Sainct Ambrose an holy father saieth As there be no synnes so detestable that can kéepe of the gifte of grace so there can be no workes so excellent that vnto them by the iudgement of retribution or recompence the same shoulde be due whiche is fréely geuen and graunted For the redemption of the blood of Christe should waxe vile and the mercie of God be faine to geue place to the prerogatiue of mens woorkes if iustification which is doen or wrought by grace were due vnto the merites that go before so that it shoulde not be the free gifte of the giuer but the rewarde or hire of the worker What plainer wordes can there be spoken therefore Iob saieth if a man will dispute with God he is not able to aunswere hym one for a thousande and therefore he saide Verebar omnia opera mea I stoode in doubt and was afraide of all my workes Although I were perfect yet my soule shall not know it if I woulde iustifie my selfe myne owne mouth shall condemne me and Esai saieth all our righteousnes is like a menstrous cloth of a woman Therfore al our doctrine is grouÌ„ded vpon the wordes of Christ when ye haue doen all say that ye be vnprofitable seruaunts therfore haue deserued nothing Sainct Origene therefore saieth Say ye that ye be vnprofitable seruauntes For notwithstandyng we haue done all things that are commaunded yet haue we done no good thing For if our doynges were good in deede then were we not vnprofitable But any good déede of ours is called good not rightly or duely but by abuse of speache So Sainct Augustine saieth if God woulde deale with vs accordyng to that we haue deserued he should finde nothyng but that he might condemne Againe he saieth what bee the merites of any men For Christe that came not with his due rewarde but
also tréene vessels and earthen vessels and some to honour and some to dishonour Let vs geue diligence and labour as muche as it lieth in vs that we maie be a vessell of Golde or of syluer And truely this doctrine is moste necessarie to be marked and also to be folowed For as all the benefites that God doth of his méere mercie and goodnesse graunt vnto his Churche doe parteine vnto all bicause the Communion and felowship that is betwixt the members of Christes bodye So without this Communion and felowship of the sainctes there is no remission or forgeuenesse of sinnes but eternall and euerlasting condemnation For how coulde it be that they shoulde enioy the priuiledge of the true members of Christ that doe by a self willl deuide themselues from his body as the Papistes dooe now in these dayes Shoulde not that braunche deserue to be dried vp and to be caste into the fire that woulde wilfully deuide it selfe from the true vine The .xl. Chapiter ¶ Our offences and synnes are forgeuen vs by faith through Christe and not by our workes and merites ALso my beléefe is that in this church sinnes are freely forgeuen through faithe in the mercie of God obteined and purchased vnto vs by the merites of the death passion bloodsheddyng of our sauiour Iesu Christ wihout any of our owne deseruynges or merites or without any matter of satisfaction that we be able to make though wee were able to liue as long as euer any man did liue vpoÌ„ the earth For if any amendes coulde haue beene made for synnes or if any iustification could haue been gotten by the workes of the lawe Christ needed not to haue dyed And therefore the lorde saide right well I am he I am he that taketh awaie thy wickednesse and that for mine owne sake and thy sinnes wil I remember no more Here haue we a promise that God will put awaie our wickednesse and synnes not for our deseruinges or merites but for his owne sake that is to say of his frée mercie and goodnes as saieth sainct Paule Iustificamur gratis ex gratia ipsius Wee be iustified fréely of his grace Againe we iudge that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe And for this cause his only begotten sonne our sauiour was by the angell called Iesus bicause that he should saue his people from their synnes If our good workes merites and deseruinges could saue vs from our synnes why should they not be called by that name For there is none other name vnder heauen geuen vnto vs whereby we must or can be saued Therefore I doe thinke it moste conuenient and méete that we saie with Barnarde Mèritum meum miserationes domini Non sum ego inops meriti quam diuille non est inops miserationum Si miserationes eius multe multis ego sum in meritis Hoc totum est hominis meritum si totam spem suam ponat in domino That is to saie My merite is the mercie of god So long as god is not poore of mercy so long cannot I be poore of merites If his mercies be great then am I greate in merites This is the whole merite of man if he put his whole affiaunce and trust in the Lorde I marueile much of the papistes and meritmongers that are so bold to set vp their owne righteousnes and merites But before we seeme to speake any thyng to their obiections I thinke it best to declare in what signification this word to iustifie ought to be taken This worde iustificare to iustifie hath been of S. Paul borowed of the common vse of the lawe for in iudgement to iustifie a man it is to assoyle or quite him of the crime that is laide to his charge or that he is accused of and to pronounce him righteous iust innocent and guiltlesse After the same maner when we saie that God doeth iustifie vs our meanyng is that God doeth assoyle and quite vs of all crimes offences and trespasses that can bee layde to our charge or that we can be accused of that he doth pronounce vs iuste and righteous in his sight that is to saie that firste he doeth pardone and forgeue vs our synnes he couereth them and doeth in no wise impute them vnto vs but imputeth vnto vs righteousnes not our owne whiche is none at all but the righteousnes of his Sonne our Sauiour and so through his righteousnes doeth both saue vs and make vs blessed so doth the Apostle expounde this our iustification saiyng As Dauid doth set foorth the blessedfulnes of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without woorkes where he saieth Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couâ—red Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lorde imputeth no synne As for the places of sainct Iames where he saith Was not our father Abraham iustified through workes when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the aulter And a little after ye see then how that of workes a man is iustified and not of faithe onely It maketh little for their purpose if it be well considered We reade that Abraham beleeued the Lorde it was accompted vnto hym for righteousnesse whiche text is of Paule alledged after this sorte If Abraham were iustified by woorkes he hath wherein to reioyce or glorie but not with God for what saieth the Scripture Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnesse Whereby the Apostle proueth strongly that Abraham was iustified by faith But this that saincte Iames doeth speake of whiche is the offeryng of Isaac was doen thirtie yeres after that the scriptures did pronounce Abraham iustified or that his faithe was compted vnto hym for rigteousnesse Uerely sithe that fifteene yeres afore that Isaac was borne Abrahams faith was imputed vnto hym for righteousnesse it was impossible that he should be iustified by the offryng of his sonne Isaac whiche was as I sayd before thirtie yeres after That that the Apostle goeth aboute here is onely to shewe that the faith which Abraham was iustified by was no idle or deade faithe but suche a faithe as made hym obedient vnto God as it is plainely set foorth to the Hebrewes Therefore if the circumstaunces bee considered there is no repugnaunce or coÌ„trarietie in the doctrine of the Apostles at all For what contrarietie or repugnaunce could there bee in their doctrine sithe that they were bothe led by one spirite Therefore we shall marke that the holie Apostle saincte Paule in his Epistle to the Romaines and to the Galathians did dispute and reason against them which did attribute iustification to workes But saincte Iames did write againste them which did vtterly contempne and despise good workes And therefore Paule sheweth the causes of our iustification Iames sheweth theffectes and fruites of the same Paul declareth how we are iustified Iames declareth how wee are knowen to bee iustified Paule excludeth
with his grace that was not due founde all men synners beyng hymself onely frée from synne and a deliuerer of synners And againe in a nother place he hath these words Opera manuum mearum non commendo Timeo enim ne cum inspexeris plura inuenias peccata quà m merita Lorde I commende not the workes of my handes For I am afraide least when thou shalt beholde them thou shalt finde mo synnes then good deseruynges So saith sainct Hierome Si consideremus nostra merita desperandum est If we beholde our owne merites we must be driuen to desperation Origene also affirmeth the same saiyng Ego vix mihi persuadeo vllum opus esse posse quod ex debito remunerationem deposcat I doe scarcely beleue that there can be any woorke that maie of duetie require rewarde Againe hee saieth Quia omniae conclusae sunt sub peccata nunc non in meritis sed in misericordia dei salus humana consistit For as much as all men are shut vp and cloased vnder sinne now the saluation of man standeth not in mans merites but in Gods mercie Barnarde saieth Non est quo gratia intret vbi iam meritum occupauit That is There is no meanes for grace to enter where merite doth keepe place VValdensis one of the Popes owne Doctours saieth these wordes Quid dignum facimus vt participes caelestibus fieri inuencamur Apostâ—lo dicenâ—e existimo quod non sunt condignae passiones huius temporis ad futuram gloriam quae reuelabitur in nobis Reputo igitur saniorem Theologum fideliorem catholicam scripturis sanctis magis concordem qui â—alâ— meritum simpliciter abnegat That is to saie what worthy thing doe we that we may be faunde in the felowship of the heauenly spirites the Apostle saieth I iudge that the afflictions of this tyme are not worthy of that glorie that shal be reueiled in vs Therfore I take hym to be the souÌ„der deuine the faithfuller catholike and more agreable to the holy scriptures that vtterlie denieth all such kynde of merite These testimonies are plaine against all the meritmongers of Rome Louane Let vs take heede therefore of their daungerous and heriticall doctrine leaste while we go aboute to stablishe our owne righteousnesse beyng ignoraunt of the righteousnesse of God and haue not submitted our selues to the righteousnesse of god And thereby shall heape to our selues wrath in the daie of trouble For Christe saieth Saincte Paule is the ende of the Lawe for righteousnesse vnto euerie one that beléeueth The .xlj. Chapiter ¶ Faith onelie iustifieth vs before God. YET these Papistes and Iustiâ—iaries will saie stil that although we finde in holy scripture that faith iustifieth yet we fynde not quod soâ—â—fides iustificat that faith onely iustifieth so that this worde onely or alone hath been newly added by heretiques whoÌ„ they doe commonly call Solifidians These iooly felowes doe nothyng but seeke a knotte in a Rushe as the prouerbe is for although we haue not expressie this worde sola only or alone yet haue we many other wordes that are equiuolent or equiualent that is of the same importaunce and force For when the holy ghost saieth that we are iustified fréely by the grace of God through the redemption whiche is in Christe Iesu whom God hath set foorth to be a purchaser of mercie through faith in his blood doeth he not exclude al maner of workes deseruinges or merites from our iustification attributyng it onely vnto faith â–ª whereby we doe apprehende and take holde on the grace and mercie of God so surely fealed vp vnto vs with the blood of that immaculat lambe our Sauiour Iesu Christe in the selfe same Chapiter he saieth againe we conclude that a man is iustified by faithe without the workes of the lawe Who doeth not see that he doeth here also put awaie all maner of thinges from our iustification faith onely excepted But the Papistes in this pointe are like vnto the Arians which bicause those wordes â–ª â—omoâ—fias consubstantialis be not founde in the Scriptures will in no wise admitte nor alowe them although the thinges signified by them are moste infalliblie and certainely conteyned and set out in the booke of god And therfore the Apostle writyng to Titus saieth Not by the workes of righteousnes whiche we had doen but accordyng to his mercie he saued vs that wee beyng iustified by his grace should be made heires accordyng to the hope of eternall life Againe he saieth God hath saued vs and called vs with an holy callyng not accordyng to our workes but accordyng to his owne purpose grace which was geueÌ„ vnto vs through Iesus Christe afore the worlde was Truely whersoeuer this purpose of God is their woorkes merites and deseruinges can take no place in the iustification or saluatioÌ„ of man Whereby we may gather that by the frée mercie and goodnes of God apprehended and taken holde vpon by faith we are deliuered froÌ„ euerlastyng damnation and made felowe heyres with his sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour whose righteousnes he doth impute vnto vs making vâ—heires of his eternal euerlasting kingdome of heauen All these things I say and beleue do we obtaine only by faith without any merites goyng before Let vs see nowe what the holy learned Fathers of the Churche so many hundred yeres ago haue taught vs thereof Saint Ambrose saieth Iustificati sunâ— gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono deâ— They are iustified freely bicause workyng nothyng nor making any recompence they are iustified through faith onely by the gifte of god Againe in the same place these be his wordes Sic decretum dicit à deo vt cessante lege solam fidem gratia dei posceret ad â—alutem This was Gods determination that the lawe beyng at an ende the grace of God shoulde require faith onely vnto saluation Againe Sola fides posita est ad salutem Onely faith is laide or appointed vnto saluation Theodoretus saieth Non vllis operibus nostris sed per solam fidem mystica bona consequuti sumuâ— â–ª Not by any workes of ours but by only faith we haue gotten the mistical good things S. Basile saith Haec est nostra integra perfecta gloriatio in deo quando propriae iustitiae nos inopes agnoscimus Sola autem fide in christum iustificati This is our ful perfect reioysing in God when we acknowledge that we are voyde of any our owne righteousnesse and are iustified by only faith in Christe Nazianzenus saieth Credere solum est iusticia Only beléeuyng is righteousnes Origene also saieth these wordes â–ª where nowe is thy boastyng it is shut out Paule saieth that the iustification of only faith is sufficient So that a man onely beleuyng may be iustified although he haue doen no good workes
leape dice carde sweare fight runne abrode in the night breakyng vp dores and windowes and burne mens houses one of his Cardinals he gelded he put out anothers eies whiche was his Godfather he cut of ones hande of a nother a tongue of others a finger a nose an eare in his dice plaiyng he woulde call vpon euil spirites and drinke to the deuil beyng thus Pope and an vnholy father nine yeres three monethes and fiue daies was striken of the deuill as they saie as he was a bed with a nother mans wife and so died within eight daies after most miserablie So of this fathers godly life came that prouerbe vp as merie as Pope Iohn VVhat was Pope Sergius â–ª not a man without al vertue and learnyng kept not he a whore in the tyme of his Popedome called Morozia and had by her a bastarde whiche was Pope long after hym called Pope Iohn the .11 This filthy tyraunt did many villanous actes VVhat was Pope Marcellinus not a greate Idolater what was Syluester the .2 not a greate coniurer and gaue hymselfe body and soule to the deuill and by the deuils procurement was made Pope was not Pope Liberius an Arrian heritique was not Pope Leo likewise an Arrian Pope Caelestinus was he not a Nestorian heretique was not Pope Honorius a Monothelite heretique Pope Iohn the .22 was not he reproued as an heretique at Paris concernyng the soule of man I praie you what was Pope Hyldebrande was he not an aduouterer a Churche robber a peâ—iured man a murtherer who poysoned sixe other Popes his predecessours to make hym selfe roome to the holy seate was he not a greate Sorcerer and a reneger of the faith was not Pope Vrbanus a tyrannous murtherer that tooke fiue of his Cardinals aliue and put them into Sackes and threwe them into the Sea I coulde speake of Pope Stephen of his handlyng of Formosus his predecessour in cuttyng of his fingers and heade and threwe his carkasse into Tyber and of many others of them but that I should occupie and consume muche ynke and paper about a sorte of filthie liuers therefore Pope Adrian the .4 was wont to say Succedimus noÌ„ Petro in pascendo sed Romulo in parricidio VVhat should I speake of their holy Cardinals are thei not Ruffians tosse pottes whore maisters and buggerers with yong boies like vnto the Sodomites al the world knoweth it VVhat should I saie of others their Priestes how shamefully thei liued in their holy orders were not a nomber of them theeues periurers murtherers buggerers with boyes Mares and Sowe pigges some of them haue been arained at the Barre for it in Excester and els where as the recordes can testifie some of them were no small chickens in the Popes Coube what saie you to those holie Fathers at the last councell of Trydent whiche were solemply gathered together as thei saide to reforme matters of religion and suppressyng of vice was not two of those holy fathers taken at that tyme in whordome the one was striken downe with a Club the other taken with the maner by the husbande and hanged by the necke out of a greate Lucane window in the streete VVhat shoulde I saie not long agone of one in VVinchester a great D. of the Papistes who would drinke nothing but water thrise a weeke who vnder the colour of virginity of wearing a shurte of heere and hanging his shrowde at his beddes feete and mortifiyng his body with straightnes of life kepte three whores at once in his Chamber to serue him and his fellowes at neede whiche whores were fetched out by certaine Iustices of peace This is as true as men vse to eate meate vpon a Boarde To conclude and leaue troublyng of your Lordeships chaste and Godly eares we will saie of their whole Cleargie as some of their owne doctours haue written Venalitate Curiae Romane inanitèr praeficiuntur Lenones Coqui Stabularij equorum pueri Through the briberie of the Courte of Rome Bawdes Cookes Hostlers Horsekepers and children are placed in offices to gouerne the Churche Thus I haue rather geuen an inkelyng hereof then opened the particuler secretes of the matter for as saint Barnarde saith Quâ— in occulâ—â— fiunt ab Episcopis turpe est vel dicere The third cause is for that of late one IhoÌ„ Blackeal borne in Excester did open penaunce at Powles Crosse And then and there before all the congregation openly for that I detected his horible vices and manifested theÌ„ to certaine of my friendes to the ende that he might be better reclaimed from his lewde and wanton life and so to satisfie the whole congregation with open repentaunce crauyng their praiers vnto god for him cried and breathyng out against me many foule and sclaunderous reportes to the greate griefe of the godly and ioye of the wicked Papistes But hereby easely appeareth the nature of the wicked malicious For when any coÌ„uersion is made through gods spirite by any sinner they will enuy and vse railyng words againste that conuert as the wicked Scribes and Pharisees did And will speake euill of them bicause saieth Peter they runne not with them vnto the same excesse of riote therefore speake thei euill of you If I had been altogether as wicked as he declared openly yet he and all other enuious men ought not to haue sorrowed but ioyed not to haue enuied â–ª but loued Gods good workyng in mee with the aungels of heauen This wicked man will not light a Candle to seeke a sinner but rather will bryng a fier brande to consume his brother with his flamyng wordes but as Dauid saieth whoâ— burning Coales shall consume that same tongue that will bee the portion for euer for all suche lyers and sclaunderers A sclaunderer is worse then a Rauen who eateth men beyng dead but a wicked slaunderer eateth men beyng a liue But let vs examine Reuerend Father howe this lewde man followeth the Counsell of Salomon that saieth Despise not a man that turneth hym selfe awaie from synne nor cast hym not in the teeth with all but remember that we are all worthy blame the like doctrine Paule teacheth Brethren if a man be fallen by occasâ—ion into any faulte ye which are spirituall restore suche one with the spirite of meekenesse considering thy selfe lest thou be tempted also The Lorde saith by his prophet that he will not remember nor make mention of the former life of a sinner after his conuersion But this enuious and sclaunderous man will haue in remembraunce thinges past and make mention of that was neuer doen spoken noâ— saide to the greate infamie of the Gospell bicause I am called although vnworthy to be a preacher thereof Vpon which reportes and manifest sclaunders spoken the Queenes maiesties commissioners immediatly sent for mee to come before them and vppon my apparaunce he then beyng in the Marshal see a prisoner founde suche subtill and craftie meanes
the onely foundation of the Christian faithe and of all godly doctrine and yet in an other place he saieth Ye are citizens with the Sainctes and of the housholde of God and are builte vpon the foundation of the Prophetes and Apostles And in the Apocalipse of Iohn we reade that the wall of the newe citie hath twelue foundations and in them the names of the twelue Apostles Here doe we see saie thei that Christ is called the light of the worlde and yet notwithstandyng the Apostles are called the light of the worlde also Likewise we see that christ is called the foundation yet notwithstanding the Apostles are called foundations also why should not then the virgine Marie and the sainctes be called Aduocates Mediatours and intercessours as well as our Sauiour Christe though it be not after one sorte and maner Why ought men to bee offended if folowyng the phrase of the scriptures wee doe attribute vnto the blessed virgine Marie and vnto the other Sainctes the office of mediation and intercession As for the first it is to bee vnderstanded that our heauenly father and his sonne Christe Iesus our Lorde haue many tymes of their speciall grace communicated or giuen that name vnto men that did not properly pertaine vnto them not for to saie that thei were so in very deede and of their owne nature but by reason of some office and dignitie that God did putte theim in also to the ende that thei should haue their office in greater estimation as it dooeth manifestely appeare by the example of Christe and of his Apostles whiche thei do commonly alledge For our sauiour Christ is the true and natural light of the worlde but the Apostles are the light of the worlde onely by the denomination or communication that is to saie the Apostles were not called the light but onely because that thei were lightened and deliuered from darknesse by the light of our sauiour Christ. And for this cause the holy Apostle doeth call the Christians light when he saieth Ye were in tymes paste darkenes but now ye are light in the Lorde Now our sauiour Christ lighteneth no man but onely to this ende that he should shine vnto other with good workes as he him self sufficiently declareth saiyng Let your light so shine before men that thei maie see your good workes and glorifie your father whiche is in heauen Also Christe doeth geue this name to his Apostles because of the office that he called them vnto whiche was the preachyng of his holy Gospell and of the worde of God which in the scriptures is called light After the same maner Magistrates Kynges and rulers are in the Scriptures called gods not bicause they are so in deede or that suche a name doeth properlye pertaine vnto them but bicause of the dignitie that GOD hath placed them in and also to the ende that the subictes shoulde haue their princes in greater reuerence beyng obedient vnto them as vnto god But when god doth take awaie this office from them he doth also take awaie the name In like maner now the apostles are no more light For they be no more in place where thei can shine vnto men by good workes they be no more in the office of preachyng I would faine that these greate learned doctours shoulde shewe mee a place in all the scriptures wherein the wisdome of the Father our sauiour Christe or the angelles and apostles dyd euer geue either vnto the virgine Marye or vnto anye of the sainctes the name or office of mediatour intercessour ▪ and aduocate then would I saie that their distinction might take place but no suche place can they shewe though they shoulde breake their heartes As for the place that they doe aleadge out of the Epistle to the Ephesians it is plaine enough and néedeth no exposition at all For if we looke narowly vpon the wordes of Sainct Paul we shall finde that he doth not saie Ye are built vppon the Prophetes and Apostles but are builte vpon the foundation of the Prophetes and Apostles The Apostles then and Prophetes were not the foundation but they had all one foundation whiche is our Sauiour Iesus Christ vpon whom as vppon a sure and strong rocke they both builded the Churche of God. And in the Reuelation of Iohn by the twelue foundations wherein the names of the Apostles are written are all the Sermons that the twelue Apostles did make vnto the twelue tribes of Israell to be vnderstanded And they be called foundations bicause that by them Christ our sauiour who is the onely foundation of the Churche of GOD was preached vnto them bicause I saie that by them the true and only foundation whiche is our sauiour Christe was layde Saint Iohn doth not saie that the Apostles are foundations but that their names be written in the foundations Whereby it appeareth plainely enough that al that our Louanian papistes go aboute is to paruerte the true saiynges and meanyng of the sacred scriptures and worde of god Yea though it were so that they could prone by the places by them alledged that the Apostles were called foundations yet it woulde helpe them nothyng For as it hath been saide alreadie before we doe not finde in all the whole body of the Scriptures that either God our sauiour Christe or his Apostles did euer call the Sainctes intercessours aduocates or mediatours betwene God and men Therefore I saie againe that we neede no suche distinctions as they doe make to the vtter blasphemyng of the onely begotten Sonne of God our sauiour Iesus Christ whom I do stedfastly beléeue to bee the onely mediatour betweene God and vs as the Scriptures doe plainely testifie vnto vs in euerie place Some there be among them whiche beyng compelled by the Scriptures to confesse that our Sauiour Christ is the only mediatour betweene God and men are woont to replye on this maner and to saie that although christ our sauiour is an omnisufficient mediatour betwéene God and man yet wee must haue some intercessours aduocates and mediatours betweene hym and vs For howe durste we els beyng synners come before his presence or direct our praiers vnto hym Is it not written that God heareth not synners Moreouer when we haue a matter before any earthly Prince muste wee not haue mediatours for to bryng vs vnto his person And also to speake and intreate for vs Who of vs all durst be so bolde to come vnto an earthly kyng without suche meanes that is to saie not beyng brought to him either by some of his Counsell or by some of his Chaumber or else by some of his Lordes or Gentlemen How dare we then to bee so bolde to come without intercessours aduocates and mediatours vnto him that is Kyng of all Kynges Prince of all Princes and Lorde of all Lordes In comparison of whom all the Princes of the world are nothyng But who can be more meete for to bryng vs
at all Hesichius also saieth The grace of God is giuen onely of mercie and fauour Et fide comprehenditur sola And is embraced and receiued by onely faith Saint Chrisostome saieth Illi dicebant qui sola â—ide nititur execrabilis est hic contrà demonstrat eum qui sola fide nititur benedictum esse They saide who so staied himselfe by only faith is accursed Contrariwise Saint Paul proueth that who so staieth hymselfe by onely faithe he is blessed Hierome also hath these wordes ignorantes speakyng of the Pharisies quod sola fide iustificat deus se ex operibus legis quam nunquam custodierunt iustos esse putantes They not knowing that God iustifieth onely by faith and supposyng themselues to be iuste by the workes of the lawe whiche they neuer obserued they would not submit themselues vnto the remission of synnes least thei should seeme to haue been synners Saint Hilarie hath these wordes in Mathewe and vppon this text Râ—mittuntur tibi peccata tua thy synnes are forgeuen thee and writeth on this maner Moâ—et scribas remissum ab homine peccatum hominem enim tantum in christo Iesu coÌ„tuebantur remissum ab eo quod lex laxare non poterat Fides enim sola iustificat That is to saie It moueth the Scribes that synne was forgiuen by man For they did onely beholde man in Christe Iesu and that to be forgeuen of hym whiche the lawe could not release For faith onely doth iustifie This is the herisie that we teache according to the holy scriptures and learned fathers of the catholique Churche But they obiect againe that good workes deserue bicause it shal be rewarded for saie they S. Iohn saith their workes folowe after them And Christe saieth to his disciples he that geueth a Cup of colde water to any of these little ones for my â—ake shall not loose his rewarde And sainct Paule saieth your worke shall not be in vaine in the Lorde Christ saieth againe Reioyce and be glad for your rewarde is greate in heauen and â—â— the Hebrewes it is saide God is not vnrighteous that hee shoulde forget our labour Wee graunt good woorkes haue their rewarde But the same rewarde standeth in mercie fauour and not in duetie Therefore we saie consideryng the weakenesse and synfull corruption of our nature there can be no works in vs so pure and perfect that we may therby of right and of duetie deserue euerlastyng life For God hath a kyngdome an inheritaunce for children and not a rewarde for bounde seruauntes and slaues Therfore Gregorie Nanzianzene saith if thou he a bound seruaunt or a â—laue then feare the whip If thou be a hirelyng then looke onely for thy rewarde but ouer and besides this if thou be a childe then reuerence God as thy father Doe well bicause it is good to obeie thy Father Yea and although thou shalt haue nothing els yet euen this shall be thy rewarde that thou hast been obedient to thy father Therfore we must saie saieth christ when we haue doen whatsoeuer I commaunde you saie ye we are vnprofitable seruauntes Hilarie to this purpose hath these wordes If we fast once saieth he we thinke we haue satisfied If out of the barnes of our householde store wée giue somewhat to the poore wee beleue we haue fulfilled the measure of righteousnesse But the Prophete hopeth all of God and trusteth of his mercie Sainct Basile also saieth He that trusteth not to his owne good deedes nor hopeth to bee iustified by his woorkes hath the onely hope of his saluation the mercies of god Augustine therefore saied verie well Qui diligit aliud preter te Minus diligit te O God he the lesse loueth thee that loueth any other thyng besides thee But before we declare how good déedes are rewarded Let vs see what good woorkes these are that the Papistes doe so muche talke of shall bee rewarded or that deserueth euerlastyng life Firste thei teache vnto the pleople that are ignoraunte to heare Masse euery daie deuoutely to lye prostratâ— before deade Images to mumble out a nomber of prayers vnto Sainctes to goe on Pilgrimages to builde vp Chaunteries and Churches and to cause Trentalles of Masses and Diriges and other trumperie to bee saied for the deade Item to giue largely of their substaunce and gooddes to idell Priestes Monkes Friers and Nonnes to giue money gold siluer and silke to make crosses chalices coapes vestementes and other like plaierly garmentes to furnishe out the stinckyng Masses to saie our Ladies Psalter to praie vpon Beades to vse obserue and kepe Pharisaicall fastynges with the Popishe idle holie daies and solempne feastes and to receiue holie breade holie water holie palme holie asshes and holie fire holie creame holie candelles and holie oile c. These are the good woorkes and beste woorkes that they haue set forth to bee doen of all people and who soeuer speaketh againste those woorkes they are taken for enemies to GOD and as rancke heretiques but all those good woorkes of the papistes are not required nor yet commaunded of God to bee dooen therefore thei dooe rather deserue the name of synne and of detestable abhomination before God then of good workes The true good woorkes are voide of all superstition thei are alligated or bounde neither to place nor to the persones nor to tyme for thei are as certaine fruites of our whole life testifiyng of the goodnesse of our harte and expressyng the nature of our heauenly father which not onely of the faithfull but of the very infidelles are rekened and taken for good workes and minister occasion vnto them to glorifie our father whiche is in heauen The workes of faithe workyng through Charitie and loue are good woorkes For GOD doeth worke them in vs and by vs them doeth our sauiour Christe set out saiyng I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate I was thirstie and ye gaue me drincke I was naked and ye clothed me I was harbourlesse and ye harboured me I was sicke and in prison and ye visited me The Apostle also doeth sufficiently teache vs what be the good woorkes that God doeth require of vs but what should I alledge one or twoo textes sithe all the whole Scriptures do euerywhere exhort vs still vnto good workes what those good workes are S. Paul doeth declare when he saith We are the workmanship of god created in christ Iesu vnto those good workes that God hath prepared for vs to walke in If any man should aske me nowe what bee those good woorkes that he hath prepared for vs to walke in I would aunswere that all those woorkes that God doeth bidde and commaunde vs in his holie and sacred worde are those good workes that he hath prepared for vs for to walke in And those I saie and beleue ought onely to be called good workes and none other And therefore
if it be iudged mercie being taken away or set a side Barnarde also saieth what can al our righteousnes be before God shall it not accordyng to the prophete be counted as a filthy blooddy cloute And if it bee straightly iudged shall not all our righteousnes be founde vnrighteous and hauyng lesse then it ought to haue What shall then become of our synnes if our righteousnes can not aunswere by it selfe Therfore criyng earnestly with the prophete Enter not into iudgment O lorde with thy seruaunt for in thy sight no man liuyng shal be iustified let vs with all humilitie haue our recourse vnto mercie whiche alone is able to saue our soules What maner of merite is this whiche cannot abyde the censure of Gods iudgement nor be deliuered from condemnation but through mercie onlie Wherefore learne this what soeuer is attributed to workes that same is dooen by reason of faithe which is annexed vnto them Wherefore as in a wall we haue a consideration vnto the foundation and in the fruites of trees to the rootes so whatsoeuer séemeth at the first sight to be adscribed to woorkes is to be assigned to faithe as vnto the mother of al good workes For whensoeuer the scripture séemeth to attribute iustification either vnto hope or vnto charitie or vnto woorkes those places are so to bee vnderstanded that iustification is there taught not by the causes but by the effectes So saieth Augustine vpon the Psalmes Laudo super edificationem operis sed video fidei fundamentum Laudo fructum boni operis sed in fide agnosco radicem vbi fides non erat bonum opus non erat bonum opus enim intentio facit intentionem fides dirigit That is I praise the buildyng of good workes but I sée the foundation is of faith I praise the fruict of good workes but I acknowledge the roote in faithe Where faith is not good workes are not the intention maketh a good worke but yet faithe directeth that intention Let vs therfore rather to confesse our sinnes with the Publicane then to glory and boaste of our merites with the Pharisee Suche are our merites that the confession and acknowledgyng of our synnes ought to bee preferred before the numbryng of them to obtaine life For all our workes must be vtterly excluded and stande a parte that Grace maie appeare frée the Promise simple and that Faith maie stande alone For the lawe condemneth vs wordes doe not auaile vs but faith in Christe onely iustifieth vs For a man may make this argument which is inuincible All that we can doe with god is onely by Christe our workes and merites be not Christe Ergo our workes and merites can doe nothyng with god Therfore sith it is so cleare let vs acknowledge our sickenes which is synne let vs open it by repentaunce and flée by faith to Christe whiche is our onely phisicion and health of our soules let vs all by faith only make our profite of hym and not of our workes and merites For as Augustine speaketh of the woman that was taken in aduoutrie brought to him when her accusers were all gone he saieth Relicti sunt duo misera misericordia There are two left saith he mercie and miserie And therefore God pardoned her in his christ For Christ saieth to her Go synne no more as though Christ woulde saie saieth Augustine in the same place Deleui quod commisisti obserua quod precipi vt inuenias quod promisi That is I haue taken awaie thy synnes that thou hast committed doe and obserue that I commaunde thee that thou maiest finde that I haue promised thee Therefore I beléeue that Christe onely is the lambe of God that taketh awaie all our synnes Here maie one obiect and saie If God only forgeueth synnes what meaneth this that we reade Whose synnes soeuer ye forgeue they bee forgeuen them and whose synnes soeuer ye doe withholde they shal be withholden is it not plaine that not God onely but the Apostles also doe forgeue sinne I aunswere There bee thrée maner of powers to forgeue synnes The first is the same which belongeth vnto God onely for it is proued by the prophetes wordes I am he I am he my selfe whiche dâ—e wipe awaie thy wickednes for myne owne sake The seconde is the ministers when they declare gods grace to the penitent and that all their synnes are doen awaie only by Christe and contrariwise to preache and pronounce malediction and wrath vpon the vnrepentaunt therefore sainct Hierome saieth The Bishops or Priestes neither bindeth the innocente nor looseth the guiltie but accordyng to his office wheÌ„ he hath heard the diuersitie of synnes as in publique offences he knoweth who ought to bee bounde who ought to bee loosed Also Peter Lumbard saith God hath giueÌ„ to priestes power to bind to loose that is to say to declare vnto men that the penitents bee either bounde or loosed Sainct Augustine hath these wordes Wee speake in your eares but how knowe wee what is wrought in your hartes Howbeit what soeuer is wrought in you it is wrought not by vs but by god Hierome saieth It is not the sentence or absolution of the Prieste but the life of the penitente that is accepted before god So you see how the Churche forgiueth synners that is it pronounceth mercie vnto the repentaunt and wrath vnto the reprobate and vngodly as wee haue sufficiently declared before when wee intreated of the aucthoritie of the Churche And as for their auriculer confession it is a méere deuise and a Popishe lawe good for nothyng but to heape Goddes wrathe and displeasure vppon all the dooers thereof for their owne lawes condempneth their doctrine whiche they teache that we can not be forgiuen of our synnes vnlesse wee number them in a priestes eare for these are the woordes in their owne distinctions Saene dici potest quod sine confessione oris solutione poenae exterioris peccata delentur per contritionem humilitatem cordis That is we may safely say that without confession of the mouthe and absolution of the outwarde paine synnes bee forgiuen by the contrition and humilitie of the harte Againe Gratian saieth one of their owne champions Antequam sacerdoti ora nostra ostendamus id est peccatâ— nostra conâ—iteamur a lepta peccati mundamur â–ª Before we open our mouthe vnto the Priest that is to saie before we make confession of our synnes the leprosie of our synne is made cleane Sainct Chrisostome saieth Non dico vt confitearis conseruo tuo peccata tua dicito deo qui curet ea I will thee not to confesse thy synnes vnto the Prieste that is thy fellowe seruaunt Confesse them vnto God that maie heale them Againe Examine thy synnes in thy heart within thee lette this iudgement bee without witnesse let God onely see thee makyng thy confession The