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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08833	The benefite of Christs death, or the glorious riches of Gods free grace which euery true beleeuer receiues by Iesus Christ, and him crucified. First compiled and printed in the Italian tongue: and afterwards translated and printed in the French tongue: and out of French into English, by A.G.; Beneficio di Christo. English	Benedetto, da Mantova, fl. 1534-1541.; Flaminio, Marco Antonio, 1498-1550.; Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606, attributed name.; Paleario, Aonio, 1503-1570, attributed name.	1633 (1633)	STC 19117; ESTC S107303	48,174	106

And therefore after that S. Paul hath said that as touching the righteousnesse of the law he had liued vnblameable he addeth And yet whatsoeuer I haue gained by it I haue accounted it in all respects to bee but losse for the loue of Christ And specially I esteeme all things to be losse for the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ my Lord for whom I haue counted all things to be losse and deeme them but as dung so I may win Christ and be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the law but the righteousnes which is by the faith of Iesus Christ which righteousnesse is giuen of God I meane the righteousnesse of faith that I may come to the knowledge of Iesus Christ O most notable words which all Christians ought to haue ingrauen in their hearts praying God to make them to taste it perfectly Loe how S. Paul sheweth plainely that whosoeuer knoweth Christ aright esteemeth all the works of the law to be hurtfull forsomuch as they make vs to swarue from our trust in Iesus Christ to whom euery man ought to impute his saluation and to trust only vnto him alone And to inforce this sentence the more he addeth further that he esteemeth all things but as dung so hee may gaine Christ and be found incorporated in him declaring thereby that whosoeuer trusteth in his owne works and pretendeth to iustifie himselfe by them getteth not Iesus Christ neither is ingrafted into him And forasmuch as the whole mystery of our faith consisteth in the truth hereof to the end we might the better vnderstand what he meant to say he addeth and repeateth oftentimes that he had nothing to doe with all the outward iustification and all the righteousnesse that is grounded vpon the keeping of the law but that he would clothe himselfe with the righteousnesse which God giueth by faith to all them that beleeue that all our sins are fully chastised and punished in Iesus Christ and that Iesus Christ as S. Paul saith is made our wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption to the end as it is written that he which will glory should glory in the Lord and not in his own works Very true it is that in the holy Scriptures there are some texts to be found which being misunderstood seeme to gainesay this holy doctrine of S. Pauls and to attribute iustification and remission of sinnes vnto workes and to charity But those authorities haue already beene well expounded by some who haue shewed plainely that such as haue vnderstood them in the sense aforesaid vnderstood them not aright Wherefore my deare-beloued brethren let vs not follow the fond opinion of the bewitched Galatians but rather let vs follow the truth which St. Paul teacheth vs and let vs giue the whole glory of our iustification vnto Gods mercy and to the merits of his Sonne who by his owne bloodshed hath set vs free from the Soueraignty of the Law and from the tyranny of sinne and death and hath brought vs into the Kingdom of God to giue vs life and endlesse felicity I say yet further that he hath deliuered vs from the dominion of the law insomuch as he hath giuen vs his holy Spirit who teacheth vs all truth and that he hath satisfied the Law to the full and giuen the same satisfaction vnto all his members that is to wit to all true Christians so as they may safely appeare at Gods Throne because they be cloathed with the righteousnesse of his Christ and by him deliuered from the curse of the Law Then can not the law any more accuse vs or condemne vs nor mooue our affections or appetites nor increase sinne in vs. And therefore S. Paul saith that the obligation which was against vs is cancelled by Iesus Christ and discharged vpon the tree of the Crosse insomuch as he hath set vs free from the subiection of the Law and consequently from the tyranny of sinne and death which can no more hold vs oppressed because it is ouercome by Iesus Christ in his resurrection and so consequently by vs which are his members in such manner that wee may say with Saint Paul and with the Prophet Osee Death is quite vanquished and destroyed O death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victory The sting of Death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But God be praised who hath granted vs victory by our Lord Iesus Christ Hee is the blessed Seede that hath crushed the head of the venemous Serpent that is to wit of the diuell insomuch that all those which beleeue in Iesus Christ reposing their whole trust in his grace doe ouercome sinne death the Diuell and hell as Christ hath done He is that blessed Seede of Abraham in the which God hath promised blessednesse to all Nations It behooued euery particular person to fight with the said horrible Serpent and to deliuer himselfe from that curse But that enterprize was so great that all the force of the whole World knit together was not able to goe thorow with it Wherefore our God the Father of mercy being mooued with compassion of our miseries hath giuen vs his onely begotten Sonne who hath deliuered vs from the venime of the Serpent and is himselfe become our Blessednesse and Righteousnesse conditionally that we accept the same renouncing all our owne outward iustifications Then my deare brethren let vs imbrace the righteousnesse of our Lord Iesus Christ and let vs make it ours by meanes of faith let vs assure our selues that we bee righteous not for our owne workes but through the merits of Iesus Christ and let vs liue merrily and assured that the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ hath vtterly done away all our vnrighteousnesse and made vs good righteous and holy before God who beholding vs ingrafted into his Sonne by faith esteemeth vs not now any more as the children of Adam but as his owne children and hath made vs heires of all his riches with his owne begotten Sonne CHAP. IIII. Of the effects of liuely faith and of the vnion of mans Soule with Iesus Christ THis holy faith worketh after such a sort in vs that he which beleeueth that Iesus Christ hath taken all his sinnes vpon him becommeth like vnto Christ and ouercommeth sinne the diuell death and hell And the reason thereof is this namely that the Church that is to wit euery faithfull soule is Christs wife and Christ is her husband For we know how the law of marriage is that of two they become one selfe-same thing being two in one flesh and that the goods substance of either of them become common to them both by means wherof the husband saith that the dowry of the wife is his and likewise the wife saith that her husbands house and all his riches are hers and of a truth so they are for otherwise they should not be one flesh as the Scripture saith After the same manner hath God married

THE BENEFITE OF Christs Death or the glorious Riches of Gods free Grace which euery true beleeuer receiues by Iesus Christ and him crucified First compiled and printed in the Italian tongue And afterwards translated and printed in the French tongue And out of French into English By A. G. 1 Cor. 2. 2. For I determined not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified Phil. 3. 8. Yea doubtlesse I count all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus The third Edition LONDON Printed by I. L. for Andrew Hebb dwelling at the signe of the Bell in Pauls Church-yard 1633. To the Reader THou hast here deliuered to thee good Reader a little Treatise first written in the Italian tongue and printed at Venice after that translated into the French language and printed at Lyons and now translated and printed for thee to reade in the English tongue Enquire not of the Author hee is vnknowne and to know him would doe thee but little good Reade the booke deuoutly regard the matter of it attentiuely it may doe thee much good in these euill dayes This may be counted among the greatest euils with which this age is infected that they which are called Christians are miserably diuided about Christ And yet in truth as the Apostle saith vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him To discourse on this diuision and the cause thereof would be to some pleasing to some it would be displeasing For what one truth can please minds so diuersly diuided would God it could please all to become one in that one Christ whose name we all doe carry In this little booke is that benefit which commeth by Christ crucified to the Christians truly and comfortably handled which benefit if all Christians did truely vnderstand and faithfully embrace this diuision would vanish away and in Christ the Christians should become one To this end reade this booke and much good in Christ may it doe to all them which doe reade it Amen The Contents of this BOOKE CHAP. I. Of Originall sinne and mans wretchednesse CHAP. II. How the Law was giuen by God to the end that we knowing our sinne and not hauing any hope of ability to make our selues righteous by our owne workes should haue recourse to Gods mercy and vnto the Righteousnesse of Faith CHAP. III. How the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Iustification and Saluation depend onely on Iesus Christ CHAP. IIII. Of the effects of liuely faith and of the vnion of mans soule with Christ CHAP. V. In what wise the Christian is cloathed with Iesus Christ CHAP. VI. Certaine remedies against distrust Of the benefit that Christians receiue by Iesus Christ crucified CHAP. I. Of Originall sinne and of mans wretchednesse THe holy Scripture saith that God created man after his owne Image and likenesse making him as in respect of his body impassible and as touching his Soule righteous true good mercifull and holy But after that he being ouercome with desire of knowledge had eaten of the Apple that God had forbidden him he lost the said Image and likenesse of God and became like the bruite beasts and like the diuell who had abused him For as touching his Soule he became vnrighteous vntrue cruell pittilesse and the enemy of God and as touching his body he became passible and subiect to a thousand inconueniences and diseases and not onely like but also inferiour to brute beasts And euen as if our forefathers had obeyed God they should haue left vs their righteousnesse and holinesse as an heritage euen so by being disobedient vnto God they haue left vs the Inheritance of vnrighteousnesse wickednesse and Gods displeasure in such sort as it is vnpossible for vs through our owne strength to loue God or to frame our selues vnto his holy will Nay we be enemies vnto him as to one that must punish our sinnes because he is a iust Iudge and therefore can we not any more trust wholly to his holy mercy To be short our whole nature was corrupted by Adams sinne And like as erst it had superiority aboue all creatures so became it an vnderling to all the bondslaue of Satan sinne and death and condemned to the miseries of hell Also he lost his iudgement altogether and began to say that good was euill and euill good esteeming false things to be true and true things to be false Which thing the Prophet considering saith that all men are lyers and that there is not one that doth good because the diuell like a stout man of Armes ruleth his owne palace that is to wit the world whereof he became the prince and lord There is no tongue that can expresse the thousandth part of our misery in that we being created by Gods owne hand haue lost the said Image of God and are become like the diuell and too like to him in nature and condition willing whatsoeuer he willeth and likewise refusing whatsoeuer he misliketh By reason whereof being giuen vp for a prey to that wicked spirit there is no sinne so grieuous which euery one of vs would not be ready to doe if the Grace of God stay vs not And this our depriuation of righteousnesse and this forward inclination to all vnrighteousnesse and nanghtinesse is called originall sinne the which we bring with vs from out of our mothers wombe so as we be borne the children of wrath and it hath had his first spring from our first fathers and is the cause and fountaine of all the sinnes and iniquities that we commit wherefrom if we will be deliuered and returne againe to our first innocency to recouer the Image of God first of all it standeth vs on hand to know our owne wretchednesse For like as no man will euer seeke to the Physicion except he know himselfe to be diseased or acknowledge the excellency of the Physicion and how much he is bound vnto him except he know his owne disease to be pestilent and deadly euen so no man acknowledgeth Iesus Christ the onely Physicion of our soules except he first know his owne soule to be diseased neither can he perceiue the excellency of him nor how much he is bound vnto him except he first enter into the knowledge of his owne outragious sinnes and of the incurable infirmity which we haue receiued through the infection of our first fathers CHAP. II. How the Law was giuen by God to the end that we knowing our sinne and hauing not any hope of ability to make our selues righteous by our owne works should haue recourse to Gods mercy and vnto the righteousnesse of faith OVR God therefore minding of his infinite goodnesse and mercy to send his onely Sonne to set free the wretched children of Adam and knowing that first of all it behooued him to make them vnderstand their owne misery chose

Abraham beleeued God and it was reckoned to him for righteousnes And therfore he saith a little before We beleeue that a man is iustified by faith without the deeds of the Law And in another place he saith So then in that time shall the remnant be saued according to the election of grace and if they be saued by grace then is it not by workes for then were grace no grace And to the Galatiaus he saith It is a manifest matter that no man becommeth righteous before God by the Law because the righteous liueth by faith And the Law consisteth not in beliefe but he that performeth the things that the Law commandeth shall liue by that performance And further he saith that a man cannot become righteous by the deeds of the Law but onely by beleeuing in Iesus Christ Againe a little after he saith that if a man can become righteous by the Law Iesus Christ dyed in vaine Moreouer to the Romanes making comparison betweene the righteousnesse of the Law and the righteousnesse of the Gospel he saith that the one consisteth in the doing of workes and the other in beleeuing For if thou confesse our Lord Iesus Christ with thy mouth and beleeue in thy heart that God hath raised him vp from death thou shalt be saued For the beliefe of the heart maketh a man righteous and the confession of the mouth maketh him safe Loe how this good teacher Saint Paul sheweth euidently that faith maketh a man righteous without any workes And not only Saint Paul but also the holy Doctors that came after him haue confirmed and allowed this most holy truth of Iustification by faith among whom Saint Augustine is the chiefe who in his booke of faith and workes and in his booke of the Spirit and the Letter and in his booke of fourescore and three questions and in his booke which he did write to Boniface and in his Treatise vpon the xxxj Psalme and in many other places defendeth this article shewing that we become righteous by faith without any helpe of good workes howbeit that good workes are the effects of righteousnesse and not the cause of it And he sheweth that the words of Saint Iames being soundly vnderstood are nothing contrary to this article Which thing Origen doth also affirme in his fourth booke vpon the Epistle to the Romans saying that Saint Pauls meaning is that faith onely is sufficient to make men righteous insomuch that a man becommeth righteous onely by beleeuing although he haue not done any good worke at all For so it is that the thiefe became righteous without the workes of the Law forasmuch as the Lord sought not what good workes he had done in time past nor waited vntill he had done any after he had beleeued but hauing accepted him for righteous vpon his onely confession tooke him for his companion euen when he should enter into Paradise Likewise that so renowmed a woman in the Gospel of S. Luke while she was at the feete of Iesus Christ heard it said vnto her Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And a little after he saith vnto her Thy faith hath saued thee goe thy way in peace Afterward Origen saith In many places of the Gospel a man may see how our Lord Iesus Christ hath spoken in such wise as he sheweth that faith is the cause of the saluation of the beleeuers Then is a man made righteous by faith and the workes of the Law further him nothing at all On the contrary where faith is not which faith maketh the beleeuer righteous although a man doe the workes which the Law commandeth yet notwithstanding forasmuch as they be not builded vpon the foundation of faith albeit that to outward appearance they seeme good yet can they not iustifie him that doth them because he wanteth faith which is the marke of them that are become righteous before God And who is he that can boast himselfe to be righteous when he heareth God say by his Prophet Esay that all our righteousnesse is as a defiled cloth of a menstruous woman Then can we not iustly glory in our selues but in the onely faith of the crosse of Iesus Christ Saint Basil in his Homily of humility saith that the Christian ought to hold himselfe for righteous through beliefe in Iesus Christ and his words are these The Apostle saith that he which glorieth should glory in the Lord in that God hath made Iesus Christ to be our wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption to the end that he which would glory should glory in the Lord because that the perfect and sound glorying is to glory in the Lord. For in so doing a man presumeth not vpon his owne righteousnesse but acknowledgeth his want of the true righteousnes that he is made righteous onely by beleeuing in Iesus Christ And S. Paul gloryeth of the despising of his owne righteousnesse and of his seeking of Christs righteousnesse by faith which commeth of God Saint Hilary in his ninth Canon vpon the exposition of St. Matthew saith these words The Scribes considering Iesus Christ but onely as man were troubled that a man should forgiue sins and pardon that thing which the Law could not doe because that onely faith iustifieth Saint Ambrose in expounding these words of Saint Paul Vnto him that beleeueth in him which iustifieth the vngodly his faith is accounted for righteousnesse according to the purpose of Gods Grace like as David also saith That the man is blessed whom God accounteth righteous without workes writeth thus Saint Paul saith that vnto him which beleeueth in Iesus Christ that is to wit to the Gentile his faith is imputed for righteousnesse as it was vnto Abraham In what wise then thinke the Iewes to become righteous by the workes of the Law and yet to be righteous as Abraham was seeing that Abraham became not righteous by the deeds of the Law but onely by faith Then is not the Law needfull forasmuch as the sinner becommeth righteous before God through only faith according to Gods gracious purpose as David saith The Apostle confirmeth that which he hath said by the Prophets example saying Blessed is the man whom God accepteth for righteous without workes whereby David meaneth that those men are very happy whom GOD hath determined to accept for righteous before him by onely faith without any paines-taking or obseruation of the Law on their behalfe Thus sheweth he the blessednesse of the time wherein Christ was borne insomuch as the Lord himselfe saith Many righteous men and Prophets haue coueted to see the things that you see and to heare the things that you heare and haue not heard them The selfe-same thing saith St. Ambrose in expounding the first Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians affirming openly that whosoeuer beleeueth in Iesus Christ is become righteous without workes and without any desert and receiueth forgiuenasse of his sinnes by faith alone

man to deserue so great a gift and treasure as Iesus Christ is This treasure is giuen only through the grace fauour and mercifulnesse of God and onely faith is the thing that receiueth such a gift as to make vs inioy the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And therefore when S. Paul and other Doctors say that onely faith maketh men righteous without works they meane that it maketh vs to enioy the generall forgiuenesse of our sinnes and to receiue Iesus Christ who as saith S. Paul dwelleth in our hearts by faith and ouercomming and pacifying the troubles of our consciences satisfieth Gods iustice for our sinnes Furthermore it appeaseth Gods wrath iustly moued against vs quencheth the fire of hell whereinto our naturall corruption did throw vs headlong and cheerefully destroyeth and ouerthroweth the diuell together with all his power and tyranny Which things all the workes that all the men in the world can lay together are not able to deserue nor to bring to passe That glory and that prerogatiue is reserued all onely to the Sonne of God that is to wit to the blessed Iesus Christ who hath power aboue all the powers that are in Heauen in Earth and in Hell and giueth himselfe and his merits to all such as distrusting in themselues doe set their whole hope of being saued in him and in his merits And therefore let no man beguile himselfe when he heareth it said that onely faith iustifieth without workes and thinke as false Christians doe who draw all things to liue fleshly that the true faith consisteth in beleeuing the bare story of Iesus Christ after the same manner as men beleeue the story of Caesar or Alexander Such manner of beleefe is but an historicall beleefe grounded meerely vpon the report of men and vpon their writings and lightly imprinted in our conceit by a certaine custome and is like to the faith of the Turks who for the like reasons beleeue the fables of their Alcoran And such a faith is but an imagination of man which neuer renueth the heart of man nor warmeth it with the loue of God neither do any good workes insue or any change of life which faith should bring forth And therefore they falsly hold opinion against the holy Scripture and against the holy Doctors of the Church that onely faith maketh not men righteous but that they must also haue workes Vnto whom I answer That this historicall and fond beliefe and all the workes that insue thereof are not onely vnable to make a man righteous but also doe cast the parties headlong to the bottome of hell like vnto those that haue no oyle in their lamps that is to say no liuely faith in their hearts The faith that maketh men righteous is a worke of God in vs whereby our old man is crucified and we being transformed in Iesus Christ become new creatures and the deare beloued children of God This heauenly faith is it that graffeth vs into the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ and consequently mortifieth our flesh with the effects and lusts thereof For when we by the operation of faith doe know our selues to be dead with Iesus Christ wee are at a full point with our selues and with the world and are throughly resolued how it is meet that they which are dead with Iesus Christ should mortifie their earthly members that is to wit the sinfull affections of their minde and the lusts of the flesh and forasmuch as wee know wee bee raised againe with Christ we bend our selues to the leading of a spirituall and holy life like vnto that which we shall liue in heauen after the last resurrection This holy faith making vs to inioy the generall pardon that is published by the Gospell bringeth vs into the kingdome of our good God and pacifieth our consciences maintaining vs in continuall ioy and holy and spirituall sweetnesse This selfe-same faith knitteth vs vnto God and maketh him to dwell in our hearts and clotheth our soule with himselfe so as thenceforth the holy Ghost mooueth vs to doe the same things whereunto hee mooued Iesus Christ while he was in the world and was conuersant among men that is to wit vnto lowlinesse meekenesse obedientnesse vnto God louingnesse and other perfections where-through wee recouer the image of God For these selfe-same causes Iesus Christ did rightly attribute blessednesse vnto this inspired faith which blessednesse cannot bee without good workes and holinesse of life And how can it be that a Christian should not become holy seeing that Iesus Christ is become his holinesse through faith Therefore by faith we be iustified and saued and therefore S. Paul doth in a manner alwaies call those Saints whom we call now Christians who if they haue not Christs Spirit are none of Christs and consequently no Christians at all But if they haue the Spirit of Iesus Christ to rule and gouerne them we must not doubt but that although they know well that they bee made righteous through faith onely yet for all that they will become neuer the more slothfull to do good works For Christs Spirit is the Spirit of loue and loue cannot be idle nor cease from the doing of good works But if wee will say the truth a man can doe no good works except he first know himselfe to be become righteous by faith for before he knoweth that his doing of good works is rather to make himselfe righteous then for the loue and glory of God and so he defileth all his works with selfe-loue for the loue of himselfe and for his owne profit But hee that knoweth himselfe to be become righteous by the merits and righteousnesse of Christ which hee maketh his owne by faith laboureth happily and doth good works all only for the loue and glory of Christ and not for loue of himselfe nor to make himselfe righteous And thereupon it commeth that the true Christian that is to wit he that accounteth himselfe righteous by reason of Christs righteousnesse asketh not whether good works be commanded or not but being wholly moued and prouoked with a certaine violence of godly loue he offereth himselfe willingly to doe all the works that are holy and Christian-like and neuer ceaseth to doe well Hee therefore which feeleth not the marueilous effects by his faith which we haue heretofore declared that the inspired faith works in the heart of the Christian Let him assure himselfe that he hath not the Christian faith and let him pray earnestly vnto God to giue it him saying Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe And when he heareth it said that only faith maketh men righteous let him not deceiue himselfe and say What need I to weary my selfe in doing good works faith is inough to send mee to Paradise To such an one I answer that only faith sendeth vs to Paradise but yet let him take good heed for the diuels doe also beleeue and tremble as saith Saint Iames O miserable man wilt thou goe with them

I pray thee now thou good and deuout Christian consider well which of these two opinions is the truest holiest and worthiest to be preached Ours which aduanceth the benefit of Iesus Christ and pulleth downe the pride of man which would exalt his owne works against Christs glory or the other which by affirming that faith of it selfe iustifieth not defaceth the glory and benefit of Iesus Christ and puffeth vp the pride of man who cannot abide to be iustified freely by our Lord Iesus Christ without some merit of his owne But say they it is a great quickning vp to good workes to say that a man maketh himselfe righteous before God by meanes of them I answer that wee also confesse that good workes are acceptable to God and that hee of his meere grace and free liberality recompenseth them in Paradise But we say moreouer that no workes are good sauing those that S. Austin saith are done by those that are become righteous through faith because that if the tree be not good it cannot yeeld good fruit And furthermore we say that such as are become righteous through faith forasmuch as they know themselues to be righteous through Gods righteousnesse purchased by Christ make no bargaining with God for their workes as though they would buy their manner of iustification such as it is with them but being inflamed with the Loue of God and desirous to glorifie Iesus Chiist who hath made them righteous by giuing them his merits and riches they bestow all their whole study and labour to doe Gods will fighting manfully against the loue of themselues and against the world and the Diuell And when they fall through frailty of the flesh they recouer themselues by and by and are so much the more desirous to doe good and so much the more in loue with their God considering that he layeth not their sinnes to their charge because they be ingrafted into Iesus Christ who hath made full amends for all his members vpon the tree of his crosse and maketh continuall intercession for them to the eternall Father who for the loue of his onely begotten Sonne beholdeth them alwayes with a gentle countenance gouerning and defending them as his most deare children and in the end giuing them the heritage of the world making them like fashioned to the glorious Image of Christ These louing motions are the spurres that pricke forward the true Christians to doe good workes who considering that they are become the children of God through faith and made partakers of his diuine nature are stirred vp by the holy Ghost dwelling in them to liue as it becommeth the children of so great a Lord and are greatly ashamed that they maintaine not the beauty of their heanenly Noblenesse and therefore they imploy their whole indeauour to the following of their first borne brother Iesus Christ liuing in great lowlinesse and meekenesse in all things seeking the glory of God giuing their liues for their brethren doing good to their enemies glorying in the sufferance of reproaches and in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ and saying with Zachary We be deliuered out of keth euery of vs to possesse Christ and all that is his as wee possesse our owne garment And therefore to be clothed with Iesus Christ is nothing else but to beleeue for a certainty that Christ is wholly ours and so is he in very deed if we beleeue so and hold our selues assured that by the same heauenly garment we bee receiued into fauour before God For it is most certaine that he as a most deare Father hath giuen vs his Sonne meaning that all his righteousnesse and all that euer he is can or hath done should be in our power and iurisdiction in such wise as it should bee lawfull for vs to make our boast of them as if we had done purchased and deserued them by our owne strength And whosoeuer beleeueth this shall find that his beleefe is good and true as we haue shewed heretofore Then must the Christian haue a stedfast faith and beleefe that all the goods all the graces and all the riches of Iesus Christ are his for sith that God hath giuen vs Iesus Christ himselfe how should it be possible that hee hath not giuen vs all things with him Now if this be true as true it is in deed the Christian may rightly say I am the childe of God and Iesus Christ is my brother I am Lord of Heauen and Earth and of hell and of death and of the law in so much as the law cannot accuse me nor lay any curse vpon mee because the righteousnesse of God is become mine And this faith is it alone that maketh a man to be called a Christian and which cloatheth him with Iesus Christ as we haue said afore And boldly may this be called a great mystery whereunder are contained marueilous things and things not heard of concerning that great God which cannot enter into mans heart except God doe first soften it with his holy grace as he hath promised to doe by his holy Prophet saying I will giue you a new heart and I will put a new minde into you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I will giue you a heart of flesh Now then hee that beleeueth not after the said manner that Iesus Christ with all the goods that he possesseth is his cannot call himselfe a true Christian nor euer haue a quiet and ioyfull conscience nor a good and feruent courage to doe good but shall easily faint in doing of good works yea and moreouer hee shall neuer bee able to doe workes that are truely good This onely beleefe and trust that wee haue in the merits of Iesus Christ maketh men true Christians stout cheerefull merry louers of God ready to doe good works possessors of Gods Kingdome and of God himselfe and his right deare-beloued children in whom the holy Ghost doth truely dwell What heart is so cowardly cold and vile which considering the inestimable greatnesse of the gift that God hath bestowed vpon him in giuing him his owne so well-beloued Sonne with all his perfectnesse is not inflamed with an exceeding earnest desire to become like vnto him in good works specially seeing that the Father hath giuen him vnto vs for an example whereon we must continually looke framing our life after such a sort as it may be a true counterpaine of the life of Iesus Christ forasmuch as Christ as saith Saint Peter hath suffered for vs leauing vs an ensample to the end that we should follow his footsteps Out of this consideration issueth another kinde of cloathing of a mans selfe with Christ which we may tearme an example cloathing for so much as the Christian must frame his whole life after the example of Christ fashioning himselfe like vnto him in all his deedes words and thoughts leauing his former wicked life and decking himselfe with the new life that is to wit with the