take not hede he wyll returne with seuen worse spirites and possesse vs a gaine And althoughe we be illuminat and haue tastid the heauenly gift and be made partakers of the holy gost yet may we fal and displease god Wherfore as saint Paule saith He that standeth ◠Corin. x let hym take bede that he fal not And here all phantasticall imagination curyous reasoning and vain trust of predestination is to be laid apart And according to the plain maner of speaking teaching of scripture in innumerable places we ought euermore to be in dreade of our owne frailtie naturall pronitie to fall to synne not to assure our selfe that we be elected any other wyse than by feling of spiritual motiōs in our hart and by the tokens of good and vertuous liuing in folowing the grace of god and perseuerynge in the same to the ende ii Petri. ii And this sainte Peter exhorteth vs to make our vocation and election sure and stable And Christ saieth Ma. xxii He that perseuereth vnto the ende shal be saued And in reuelation of saint Iohn Be faithful vnto death Apoc. ii and I shal giue the the crown of life Wherfore whan we be ones elected and admitted vnto goddis seruice as is aforesayde and haue receyued our iustification in baptisme or be restored thervnto by true penance than muste we continually walke after Christ bearyng our crosse and encreasinge in his grate by good workes and so doing procede go forwarde and encreace in our Iustificatiō according to the saieng of saint Iohn He that is iuste let him be more iustified For as the grace of god and the giftes therof that is to saye fayth repentance dreade hope charitie with other fruites of the holy gost do encreace in vs so do we waxe and encreace in our Iustification And therfore it is playne that not onely fayth as it is a distincte vertu or gifte by it selfe is required to our iustificatiō but also the other giftes of the grace of god with a desire to do good workes proceding of the the same grace And where as in certain places of scripture our iustification is ascribed to faith without any further additiō or mētion of any other vertue or gift of god it is to be vnderstand of faith in the second acception as before is declared in the article of faith wherin the feare of god repentance hope and charitie be included and comprysed all whiche must be ioyned together in our Iustification So that no fayth is sufficient to Iustification or saluation but suche a fayth as worketh by charitie as is playnely expressed by saint Paule in his epistle to the Galathians And that also our good workes Gala. v. which we do being ones iustified by faith and charitie auaile bothe to the conseruation and perfection of the said vertues in vs and also to the encreace and ende of our Iustification and euerlastinge saluation And althoughe we can neuer be iustified without these gyftes of the holy goste faith repentance hope charitie with desyre and study to bring forthe good workes Yet it is to be vnderstande that neuerthelesse we be iustified Gratis that is to say frely for as moche as all giftes or workes whereby our iustification is wroughte and accomplyshed come of the free mercy and grace of god and not of our deseruing So that our pride and glory in our selfe and our owne worthynes is vtterly excluded For we be not able of our selues as of our selues not as moche as to thinke any good thing but our ablenes and our sufficiency is of god which giueth vs the sayd gyftes of his own inestimable goodnes and dothe also assiste vs with his holy spirite and strength vs to kepe his commandementes And further where our kepyng of them is vnperfect and euen in the beste men wanteth a greate deale of that duetye to god whiche they ought and be bound to do yet almighty god of his mere mercye and goodnes accepteth the same as a perfecte fulfillynge of them for our sauiour Christis sake which hath fulfilled the law for vs and is the ende and perfection of the lawe to all that truely beleue in him And so we haue all Gratis that is to saye of his grace and not of our worthinesse or any merite goinge before grace but receiuing all of god as saint Paule saith i. Cor. iii. what hast thou that thou hast not receiued we referre all vnto his goodnes and mercy by the whiche we both come vnto the beginnynge of our iustification and do procede and go forwarde in the same and finally atteyne the ende therof and be brought to euerlasting life vnto the which the very way appoynted by Christe whose worde no man may change is to kepe and obserue the cōmandementes of god for he saith expressely If thou wylt enter into lyfe Math. xix kepe the commandementes that is apply thy hole study and affection to walke in the law of god wherin if thou perseuere thou shalt be saued And so after thy iustification thou shalte be glorified according to the order of god whiche saynte Paule speaketh of whan he sayth Quos iustificauit Illos glorificauit ⧠The article of good workes AL preaching and learnynge of the word of god in Christis churche ought to tende to this ende that men maye be induced not onely to knowe god and to beleue and truste in hym but also to honour and serue hym with good workes wrought in faith and charitie and vtterly to forsake the workes of synne and the fleshe which who so euer do committe excepte they repent and amend by penance they shal not as saint Paul saith inherite the kingdome of god And that holy scripture goth to this pointe to persuade men to lyue well and to do good workes saint Paule testifieth saienge vnto Timothe All scripture writen by the inspiration of god 〈…〉 is profitable to teache to reproue to correcte to instructe that the seruaunte of god may be perfecte and made apt vnto euery good worke And where as we speake of good workes it is to be vnderstand that we meane not only of outwarde corporall actes and dedes but also and rather of al inwarde spiritual workes motions and desires as the loue and feare of god ioye in god godly meditations and thoughtes pacience humilitie and such lyke And also it is to be vnderstande that by good workes we meane not the superstitiouse workes of mennes owne inuention whiche be not commanded of god nor approued by his worde in whiche kynde of workes many christen men and specially of them that were lately called religious as monkes friers nunnes and suche other haue in times past put theyr great truste and confidence Nor yet we meane not of suche moral actes as be done by the power of reason and naturall will of man without fayth in Christ which albeit of their owne kinde they be good and by the lawe and light of nature man
is taught to do them and god also many tymes dothe temporally rewarde men for doing the same yet they be not meritoriouse nor auaylable to the atteynynge of euerlasting life whan they be not done in the faythe of Christe and therfore be not accompted amonge the good workes wherof we do here intreat but we speake of suche outwarde and inwarde workes as god hath prepared for vs to walke in and be done in the faith of Christe for loue and respecte to god and can not be brought forthe onely by mans power but he must be preuented and holpen therto by a speciall grace And these workes be of two sortes for some be such as men truely iustified and so continuinge do worke in charitie of a pure harte and a good conscience and an vnfayned faith Which workes although they be of them selues vnworthy vnperfect and vnsufficient yet for as moch as they be done in the faith of Christe and by the vertue merites of his passion theyr vnperfectues is supplied the mercifull goodnes of god accepteth them as an obseruation and fulfillinge of his lawe and they be the very seruice of god and be meritoryouse towardes the atteyninge of euerlastinge lyfe And these be called the workes and fruites of rightuousnesse Other workes there be whiche be not so perfect as these yet they be done by the grace of god in faith and good affection of harte towardes god as those be which mē that haue ben in deadly sinne and by grace turne to god do worke bring forthe vpon respecte and remorse that they haue for theyr offences done against god And these may be called proprely the workes of penance As for exaumple whan a sinner hearing or remembring the lawe of god is moued by grace to be contrite and sorye for his offences and beginneth to lament his estate to fall to prayer and other good dedes seking to auoide the indignatiō of god and to be reconciled in to his fauour These workes come of grace but yet this mā is not to be accompted a iustified man but he is yet in sekinge remission of his sinnes and his iustification which the anguishe of his own conscience telleth him that he yet wanteth but he is in a good way and by these meanes doth entre into iustification and if he do procede with harty deuotion seke for further grace he shall be assured of remission of his sinnes and atteine his iustification and so be made able and mete to walke in the very pure seruice of god with a cleane conscience and to bringe forth the foresaide workes of rightuousnes in Christ which he can not do afore he be iustified And that suche workes of penance as we haue spoken of be required to the atteining of remission of synnes and iustification It is very euident and playne by scripture as when our sauiour Christe sayth Be penitent and beleue the gospel Marc i. that is to say Fyrst be contrite and knowlege your synnes than receiue the glad tidinges of remission of your sinnes And saint Iohn Baptist preached penance and made a way vnto Christ and taught men whiche came vnto hym what they shuld do to come vnto Christe and to haue remission of sinnes by hym as it is wryten in the thirde chapiter of Luke and specially that they which be ones christened and afterwarde fall from the grace of god by mortall syn can not recouer their iustification without penāce it is playne by the saying of saynt Peter vnto Simon Magus where he sayeth Act. vii Do penance for this thy wyckendnes and praye god if peraduenture this thought of thy hart may be forgyuen vnto the. And truely this waye and forme of doctrine is to be obserued which is the very trade of scripture wherin men be taught firste to leaue synnes and to retourne by workes of penance vnto god and that than they shall receiue remission of synnes and iustification And although suche workes of penance be required in vs towardes the atteining of remission of synnes and iustification yet the same iustification and remission of sinnes is the free gifte of god and conferred vnto vs Gratis that is to say of the grace of god wherby we doyng suche thynges and hauing suche motions and workes of penance be prepared and made more apte to receiue further grace of remission of our sinnes and iustification And it is not inconuenient that suche thynges shulde through grace be done by vs fyrst and yet it shulde be sayd that we receyue the sayde gyft freely For Christe sayth in the reuelation of saynt Iohn Qui sitit ueniat Apo. xxii qui uult accipiat aquam uitae gratis He that is thristy let hym come and he that woll lette hym take the water of lyfe frely Where he affyrmeth this gyfte of god to be freely gyuen conferred and yet there is required some labour before as to haue a wyll and desire to come which cōming can not be without arising by faithe and penance proceding in the same so to take the water of lyfe that is to say iustificatiō through our sauiour Christ whiche ones receiued in baptisme or after baptisme being recouered by penance although man dayly do offende and fall into dyuers veniall synnes by reason of his infirmitie and weakenesse and therfore hath nede of continuall and dayly repentance Yet as longe as he consenteth not to deadely sinne he leseth not the state of his iustification but remaineth styll the chyld of god And being in that state hath power by goddis grace dwellyng in hym to do suche workes as by acceptation of god through Christ be compted workes of rightuousnes and do serue for the preseruation and encrease of his farther iustification and be appointed by goddis most gratious promyse to haue euerlasting rewarde in heauen Whiche bothe inward and outwarde workes be not onely the declaring of our faith and confidence in god and of the grace whiche we haue receyued but also a continual exercyse nourishment preseruation encrease and perfection of the same For yf we shulde not after that we haue professed Christe apply our wyll to worke well accordyng to our sayd profession than shulde we falle from the grace of god and the estate of rightuousnes and iustification whiche we were ones set in and become agayne the seruantes of synne And as saint Peter saith we shuld be in wors case ii Pet. ii than we were before we receyued the knowlege of Christ And that we encreace in grace by workynge in the grace of god ones receyued it appereth by the worde of our sauiour Christ where he saith Omni habenti dabitur abundabit Meaning therby that who so euer vseth well the grace of god whiche is offred vnto hym al redy he shall haue more waxe plentyfull in grace wherfore as we contynue and perseuere in good workes so more and more we go forward and procede in our iustification and in encreasyng
holely ioyned with the one and clerely separated from the other Than he is not mete to be a mean or mediatour betwene two whiche be at debate and enmitie Wherfore our sauiour Christ being naturally god toke vpon hym the nature of man that he might therby be conuersaunt among men and by his death redeme them yet he stil reteined and kepte his godhead and was both god and man together For if he had ben man onely and not god than his death coulde not haue ben a worthy and sufficient satisfaction for sinne to the iustice of god And if he had ben onely god and not man than he by his bodily conuersation could not haue called vs againe to god nor suffered and died bodily for vs. And this propertie of a mediatour saint Paule consideryng writeth to Timothe That there is but one mediatour betwene god man which is Christ Iesus ◠Tim ii meaning therby that bycause he onely had bothe the natures in hym therfore he onely and none other but he was able to be a sufficient mediatour and meane of our reconciliation to god and of our iustification And for a further declaration how and by what meanes we be made partakers of this benefite of iustification It is to be noted that this word Iustification as it is taken in scripture signifieth the makynge of vs rightuous afore god where before we were vnryghtuous as whan by his grace we conuert vnto him be reconciled into his fauour and of the children of ire and damnatiō we be made the children of god and inheritours of euerlasting life that by his grace we may walke so in his wais that finally we may be reputed taken as iust rightuous in the day of iudgement so receyue the euerlasting possession of the kingedome of heauen And albeit god is the principal cause chiefe worker of this iustificatiō in vs without whose grace no mā can do no good thyng but folowing his free wil in the state of a sinner encreaseth his owne iniustice multiplieth his sinne Yet so it pleaseth the hyghe wysdome of god that man preuented by his grace which being offered man maye if he wyll refuse or receiue shall be also a worker by his free consent obedience to the same in the atteinyng of his owne iustification and by goddis grace and helpe shall walke in such workes as be requisite to his iustification so continuing come to the perfect end therof by such meanes waies as god hath ordeyned Wherin it is to be considered that although our sauiour CHRIST hath offered hym selfe vpon the crosse a sufficient redemption satisfaction for the synnes of al the world and hath made hym selfe an open way and entre vnto god the father for al man onely by his worthy merite and deseruynge and willyng all men to be saued calleth vpon al the worlde without respecte of persons to come and be partakers of the ryghtuousnesse peace and glory whiche is in hym yet for al this benignitie grace shewed vniuersally to the hole world none shal haue the effect of this benefit of our sauiour Christ enioy euerlastyng saluatiō by him but they that take suche wayes to atteyne the same as he hath taught and appointed by his holy word in suche ordre maner and fourme as here foloweth that is to say Fyrst as touchynge all them whiche be of age and haue the vse of natural reason afore they be christened the will of god is that all suche if they will be saued shall at the heryng of his blessed worde giue stedfast faith and assente thervnto as saint Paule saith 〈◊〉 xi He that commeth to god must beleue and by that faith groūded on the truth of the word of god beinge taughte bothe of the threatnynges of god agaynst sinners and also of the great goodnes and mercy of god offered to mankinde in our sauiour redemer Christ Iesu they muste conceyue an harty sorowe and repentance for theyr sinnes with a sure trust to haue forgyuenes of them by the merytes passion of our sauiour Christe And ioyninge thervnto a full purpose to amende theyr lyfe and to cōmitte sinne no more but to serue god al their life after they muste than receyue the sacrament of baptisme And this is the very playne ordinary way by the whiche god hath determined that man beynge of age and commynge to christendome shuld be iustified For as for infantes it is to be beleued that their iustification is wrought by the secrete operation of the holy gost in theyr baptisme they beynge offered in the fayth of the churche And this Iustification wherof we haue hitherto spoken may be called the first Iustification that is to say our first cōming into goddis house which is the churche of Christ at whiche comming we be receiued and admitted to be of the flocke and familie of our sauiour Christ and be professed sworne to be the seruantes of god and to be souldiours vnder Christe to fyghte against our ennemies the deuyll the worlde and the fleshe Of whiche enemies if it chaunce vs after our baptisme to be ouerthrowen and caste into mortall synne than is there no remedy but for the recouering of our former estate of Iustification whiche we haue loste to aryse by penance wherin proceding in sorowe and moch lamentation for our sinnes with fasting almesse praier and doing all suche thinges at the leaste in true purpose and will as god requireth of vs we muste haue a sure trust and cōfidence in the mercy of god that for his sonne our sauiour Christis sake he will yet forgiue vs our sinnes and receyue vs vnto his fauour again and so being thus restored to our iustification we must goo forward in our battayle aforesayde in mortifienge our concupiscence and in our dayly spiritual renouation in folowing the motions of the spirite of Christe in doing good workes and absteining from sinne and all occasions therof being armed with faith hope and charitie to the intent we maye atteyne our finall iustification and so be glorified in the day of iugement with the rewarde of euerlasting lyfe Wherfore it is necessary for the keping and holding of this Iustification ones conferred and giue in baptisme or recouered again by penāce through the mercy of our sauiour Christ and also for the encreasynge of the same iustification and fynall consummation therof to take good hede and to watche that we be not deceyued by the false suggestion and temptation of our gostly enemie the deuyll who as saint Peter saith i. Petri. v. goeth about like a roring lion seking whom be may deuour And it is no doubt but although we be ones iustified yet we maye fall there fro by our owne free wyll and consenting vnto sinne folowing the desyres therof For albeit the house of our consciēce be ones made cleane the foule spirite be expelled from vs in baptisme or penance yet if we waxe idle and
the same whervnto sainte Peter exhorteth vs saying ii Pet. â—… Fall not frome the sure estate wherin ye be sette but increase and grow in grace in the knowlege of our lorde and sauiour Iesu Christ And to ascribe this dignitie vnto good workes it is no derogatioÌ„ to the grace of god Forasmoch as it is to be coÌ„fessed that al good workes come of the grace of god And our merites as saint Augustine sayth be but the gyftes of god and so in our selfe we may not glory nor loke backe on our owne worthines or dignity whiche is naught as of our self but of the onely acceptation of goddes mercy And therfore we must as saynt Paule sayth Phili. iii. Extende our selfe to that whiche is afore vs to the rewarde of the heauenly callynge whiche is in Christe and stille procede in good workes knowynge our selues to be euermore greatter debtours to god for his grace And whan we haue done all whiche we be bydden doo the scripture teacheth vs to say that we be vnprofitable seruantes Luc. xvii bicause that what so euer we haue done it is but our duety nor we haue done nothing but that we haue receyued of his gifte to do and that to our profite and not to his But yet must we take hede that seing we haue receyued the grace of god we be not found vnprofitable seruaÌ„tes in this wyse that is to say idell seruauntes to whome it shall be sayde Cast out the vnprofitable seruauntes Ma. xxv into the outwarde darkenes where shal be wepynge and gnashyng of tethe And saint Paule also exhorteth saying â— Cor. ii Receyue not the grace of god in vayne that is to saye worke well For the grace of god is giuen you to that entent and to that ende we are redemed by Christe and delyuered from the thraldom of synne and captiuitie of the deuyll that we shulde serue god 〈…〉 as Zachary sayth in holines and rightuousnes afore hym all our life And in an other place saincte Paule saythe The grace of god hath appered to bryng saluation vnto all men teaching vs that we renouncynge all vngodlynes and worldly desyres shulde lyue in this present worlde sobrely iustly and deuoutely loking for the blessed hope and apperance of the glory of the great god and our sauiour IESV CHRIST Which gaue hym selfe for vs to redeme vs from all wykednes and to clense vnto hym selfe a special people whiche shoulde be studious folowers of good workes In whiche godly sentence of saint Paule besides other great plenty of fruitfull lerning and edifienge he toucheth in thre wordes all the good workes of a true christen man where he saith Soberly Iustly and Deuoutly For in this worde Soberly he comprehendeth all abstinence and temperance and our duetie touchinge our body And in saieng Iustly he conteineth al workes of charitie towardes our neighbour with due obedience to our princes heades and gouernours And in this word Deuoutly he concludeth all our workes spirituall which be done immediatly vnto god as praier thinkinge of god desiringe of his glory c. And vnto all these workes ought we moste diligently with all labour and care to apply our wyl for these effectes and endes that is to saye the glorye of god the profite of our neyghbour and our owne merite that we may shewe our self thankful seruantes to our sauiour Iesu Christ and to be the very people of god and that he may be glorified in vs that his churche maye be edified by our exaumple that we maye auoyde falling into temptation and sinne that we maye scape the scourge of god that the grace of god and the giftes therof may encreace and be made perfecte in vs that we maye make our election stable and sure that we may attayne euerlastinge life being founde fruitful in the daye of iudgement where euery man shall receyue according to his workes Of prayer for soules departed FOr as moche as due ordre of charitie requyreth and the boke of Machabeis and dyuerse auncient doctours playnely shewe that it is a very good and charitable deede to pray for soules departed And for as moch as suche vsage hath continued in the churche so many yeres euen from the beginning men ought to iudge and thinke the same to be wel and profitable done And truely it standeth with the very ordre of charitie a christen man to pray for a nother bothe quycke and deade and to coÌ„mende one an other in their praiers to goddis mercy to cause other to praye for them also as wel in masses exequies as at other times and to giue almes for them according to the vsage of the churche ancient opinion of the old fathers trusting that these thinges do not only profite and auayle them but also declare vs to be charitable folke bycause we haue mynde and desire to profite them which notwithstanding they be departed this present lyfe yet remayne they stil membres of the same mystical body of Christ whervnto we pertein And here is specially to be noted that it is not in the power or knowlege of any man to limit and dispence how moch and in what space of time or to what person particularly the said masses exequies and suffrages do profite and auayle Therfore charitie requireth that who so euer causeth any suche masses exequies or suffrages to be done shuld yet though their intente be more for one then for an other cause them also to be done for the vniuersal coÌ„gregation of christen people quycke and deade for that power and knowlege afore rehersed perteineth only vnto god which alone knoweth the measures and times of his owne iudgement and mercies Furthermore bicause the place where the sowles remaine the name therof the state condition which they be in be to vs vncertaine therfore these with al other suche thinges must also be left to almighty god vnto whose mercy it is meete and conuenient for vs to coÌ„mende them trustyng that god accepteth our prayers for them reseruyng the reste holy to god vnto whome is knowen theyr estate condition And not we to take vppon vs neyther in the one part ne yet in the other to gyue any fonde and temerarious iudgement in so hyghe thynges so farre passing our knowlege Finally it is moch necessary that all such abuses as heretofore haue bene brought in by supporters and mainteners of the papacye of Rome and their complicies concerning this matter be clerely put awaye and that we therfore absteine from the name of purgatory and no more dispute or reason therof Vnder colour of whiche haue ben aduansed many fonde and great abuses to make men beleue that through the bishop of Romes pardoÌ„s soules mighte clerely be deliuered out of it released out of the bondage of synne And that masses sayde at Scala celi and other prescribed places phaÌ„tasied by meÌ„ did there in those places more profit the soules them in an other And also that a prescribed numbre of prayers soner than other thoughe as deuoutly said shuld further their petition soner yea specially if they were saide before one image more than an other which they phantasied Al these and such like abuses be necessary vtterly to be abolished and extinguished This boke bounde in paper boordes or claspes not to be solde aboue .xvi. d. ⧠IMPRINTED at London in Fletestrete by Thomas Barthelet printer to the kynges hyghnes the XXIX day of May the yere of our Lorde M.D.XLIII CVM priuilegio ad imprimendum solum