dothe saue iustifye or brynge a man in to gods fauoure no more than as saynte Iames saythe the bare wordes spoken do relefe and comforte a poore man in his necessite Nowe goeth he forth and sayth But one wyll saye vnto me I haue fayth / and thou hast dedes Shewe me thy fayth by thy dedes / I wyl shewe the my fayth by my dedes ¶ Heare he meaneth no more but that the chrysten people sholde lyue so purely in shewynge charite / and doynge the workes of mercy / that they which were not true chrysten might se by theyr fruites that they had the ryghte faythe in dede as Chryst sayth Math. v. Se that your light so shyne before men that they may se your good workes glorify your father whiche is in heuen Byleuest thou saythe Iames that there is one god / thou doest well the deuyls byleue it also / and tremble wylte thou vnderstande o vayn man that fayth without dedes is deed ¶ These wordê are so playne that he speaketh of suche an hystoricall faith as the deuyls haue that they do in maner make these iugglynge spirites madde / yalpynge roryng cryenge out and speakynge euyll as Petre saythe ij Pet. ij of that whiche they knowe not Of which misticall sorte I call them so bycause they walke in the mistes and darkenes of mennes tradicyons Paule gyueth vs warnynge saying Coll. ij Beware lest any man come and spoyle you thorowe phylosophye and disceytfull vanitye thorowe tradicyons of men and worldly ordynaunces / and not accordynge to Chryst And these false apostles with all that byleue theyr preachynge haue none other but this deed fayth that saynt Iames here speaketh of whiche he also dothe testifye that the deuylles do not want which may stande with al myschiefe And this is to byleue onely that there is a god / that Chryst was borne of a mayde / that he dyed rose agayne / and ascended in to heuen c. And therfore as Iames saythe men are iustifyed no more therby than are the deuyls which are dampned And as the deuylles haue no faythe gyuen them by the spiryte that can repente of euyl doynge or byleue in Chryste to be saued thorowe hym / or that can loue god or do his wyll So haue these false prophetes with all their secte no suche fayth to be saued thorowe Chrystes merytes / thoughe they bable in euery sermon that Chryst was borne for our welthe and suffred deth for our redempcyon / and rose agayne for our iustifycacyon as it appereth in that they go so moche aboute to iuggle with this epistle of Iames and wold therby proue that our saluacyon sholde come in parte or in hole by workê which is as saythe Paule the denyenge of Chrystes deth and redempcyon Gal. ij For yf ryghtwysnes sayth he came by the lawe than is Chryst deed in vayne j. Ioh. j. TituÌ„ iij. And where as the true churche of Christ doth byleue al in one Christ and to be saued onely by his bloode and merytes ij Petri. ij These welles without watre to whome is reserued the myste of darkenes for euer promysynge vs lybertye beynge them selues the bonde seruauntes of corruption / do teache to byleue in all thynges sauynge Chryste as in soule masses / diriges / pardons / and purgatorye wherby they playnely denye that Iesus hath bought vs. ij Pet. ij as is prophesyed / and do saye that we are purged from synne by such thinges And this am I certayne that thorowe suche thinges which purgeth from Chryst but not from synne / and haue lefte the common welthe full thynne and bare For bycause men put theyr faythe in it that ought to be set and grounded alonely in Chryste / that they shall onlesse they do repente and turne theyr byleue before they dye go to the deuyll for all theyr laboure and coste / excepte the infinyte mercy of god be the more mercyfull For Chryst saythe Iohan. iij. He that byleueth not shall be dampned / ye he is coÌ„dempned alredy j. Iohan. iiij Saynt IohnÌ„ saythe also that Antechryst sholde denye Chryste to be come in the flesshe And that is done alredy thorowe suche meanes as are before shewed But I praye god of his mercy to giue his chosen people better grace in vnderstandynge this epistle than that they sholde as farre as in them lyeth make this worthy apostle Iames one of those false prophetê that for couetyse wolde denye the redemption that is in the blood of Christ appoyntynge it to workes which saluacyon as saynt Paule saythe Ephis iiij is the gyfte of god / and coÌ„meth not of workes lest any maÌ„ sholde booste hym selfe He saythe also Roma vj. that the rewarde of synne is dethe / but eternall lyfe is the gyfte of god throughe our lorde Iesus Chryste Nowe come we to that which our Baal goddes do so moche leane to And for bycause they recken them selues so sure hereby I trust thorowe gods grace easely to supplant them and make theyr buyldynge all lyghtly to fall and to lye in the myre seyng they toke no fast holde but buylded vpon a wronge grouÌ„de as they wrongefully vse to interprete all scripture was not Abraham our father iustyfyed by his dedes whan he offered Isaac his sone vpon the aulter thou seest than howe that faythe wroughte in his dedes / and thorowe the dedes was his fayth made perfyte ¶ For the vnderstandynge of this I exhorte you to knowe that there be two maner of iustifycacyons The one is called the iustifycacyon of the lawe Roma iiij or our owne ryghtwysnes Roma ix and is no more but to do the workes of the lawe wherby the people maye knowe that one is ryghtwyse And this ryghtwysnes maye one haue and yet be dampned as had the phariseys of whom Chryst sayth Math. xxiij Wo be vnto you ypocrytes whiche outwardly do appere ryghtwyse to men but within ye are full of dissymulacyon and iniquite And Paule lykewyse said of the Iewes Roma x that he bare them recorde that they had a feruent mynde to god warde but not accordynge to knowlege For they beynge ignoraunte of the ryghtwysenes of god wente aboute to stablysshe theyr owne ryghtwysenesse / so that yet they were disobedient to godly ryghtwysenes And of this ryghtwysnes speketh he more puttynge hym selfe for example sayenge thus Philip. ij As touchynge quod he the ryghtwysnes of the lawe I was faultles In lykewyse speaketh Moyses of this iustyfycacyon in these wordes The lorde quod he talked with Moyses sayinge Deuter xxx Speake vnto the chyldre of Israel and say to them Wherfore after the doynges of the lande of Egypt wherin ye dwelte se that ye do not / neither after the doinges of the lande of Canaan whyther I wyll brynge you / neyther walke ye in theyr ordynaunces but do ye after my iudgementes / and kepe my ordinaunces to walke in them For I am the lorde your god / kepe therfore myne ordinauÌ„ces and my iudgementes / whiche yf any man
do he shal lyue therby And Paule reciteh the effecte of the same text sayenge Roma x. Moyses descrybeth the ryghtwysnes of the lawe howe that a man that dothe the thynges of the lawe shal lyue therin And in this maner meaneth Iames Gene. xv that Abraham was iustyfyed by offerynge vp his sone Isaac vpon the aulter Notwithstandynge yet this rightwysnes of Abraham proceded of fayth as Iames sheweth For faythe wroughte in his dedes / and thorowe his dedes dyd iustifye or declare hym iust before men whiche coulde not elles se his true faythe wherby he was iustyfyed longe tyme before in the syght of god But nowe for bycause our sophysters do saye that Paule Iames do not agree in this poynte / and do thynke the cause to be that Paule speaketh so lytle of this outwarde ryghtwysnes and Iames so lytle of the perfyte iustifycacyon commynge by faythe I shall proue you that they agree well in one I haue shewed you alredy howe Paule agreeth with Iames ê¯cerning the outwarde ryghtwysnes in that he allegeth so playnly for him Moyses Roma x. Whervnto agreeth full well that he speaketh of hym selfe Philip. ij Yet peraduenture ye wyll not be thus satisfyed excepte you knewe that Paule dothe wryte so well of the outwarde rightwysnes wherby Abraham is iustifyed before the worlde as of the inwarde ryghtwysnes that made hym commendable before god But that maye you lyghtly fynde se yf ye marke well Paules wordes where he saythe Roma iiij What shall we than saye that Abraham our father dyd fynde or gette as concernynge the flesshe that is to saye / by his workes That is to saye What profyte had Abraham our father than as concernynge the outwarde ryghtwysnes of the lawe If Abraham saythe Paule were iustifyed by his dedes than hath he wherin to reioyce but not afore god Marke I pray you that Paule sayth Abraham had wherin to reioyce / that is to saye he had dedes which iustified him outwardly afore men with the ryghtwysnes of the lawe for his obedyence in offerynge vp his sone Isaac So that you may nowe se that Paule and Iames do accorde in one concernynge the outwarde ryghtwysnes that maketh men commendable before the worlde Nowe wyll I speake of ryghtwysnes approued and commended of god / and proue you that therin they do lykewyse agree Of this ryghtwysnes whiche auayleth and is coÌ„mended of god / throughe whiche we be absolued from synne / hauynge the same forgyuen and not imputed or layde to our charge speaketh Christ in dyuers places of the gospell sayenge thus Be it to the accordyng to thy faythe Math. ix Thy faythe hath saued the. c. He saythe also in the thyrde chapitre of IohnÌ„ that who so euer heareth the worde of god byleueth in hym that he was sent of shall not se dampnacyon but is escaped from dethe to lyfe Paule pryncypally intendynge to proue that wryteth to the Romaynes in the thyrde chapiter sayenge That the iustificacyon alowed before god commeth by the faythe of Iesus Chryste vnto all and vpon all that byleue c. Also we knowe saythe Paule Gala. ij that a man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe but by the fayth of Iesus Christ / we haue byleued in Iesus Chryst therfore that we myghte be iustifyed by the faythe of Chryste and not by the dedes of the lawe / bycause no flesshe shall be iustifyed by the dedes of the lawe Moreouer he proueth by scrypture that Abraham was iustifyed by fayth before god sayeng thus What quod he saythe the scrypture To whiche he maketh answere thus GenÌ„ xv Abraham byleued god and it was imputed or reckened his iustifycacyon or ryghtwysnes Nowe accordynge to my promyse made before I shall lyghtly proue you that Iames agreeth with Paule concernynge the ryghtwysnes coÌ„mynge by faythe Iaco. j. Saynte Iames in the fyrst chapitre of his epistle saythe that god begate vs of his owne wyll by the worde of lyfe that we shold be the fyrst of his creatures Oh good Iames how do our false apostles peruerte and mysconstre thy wordes For yf thou do knowlege that god begate vs of his owne wyll than is it euydent that thou thoughtest not that we myght begete our selues by workes / which is to despyse the bloode of Chryste Therfore concludeth Iames with Paule Roma iiij sayenge And the scripture was fulfylled which sayth Abraham byleued god and it was imputed to hym for ryghtwysnes he was called the frende of god ¶ Nowe wolde I desyre all chrysten people to praye to god to gyue vs perfyte fayth to trust to the merytes and passyon of Chryste / leest whyle we hauyng a ferueÌ„t mynde to god warde but not accordynge to knowlege be yet ignoraunte of the ryghtwysnes alowed of god RomÌ„ x. as the Iewes were / and thervpon to go aboute to aduaunce or stablysshe our owne ryghtwysnes as they dyd whiche is disobedience to the iustificacyon acceptable and alowed of god whiche disobedyence commytte all they that seke to be iustyfyed by theyr workes Nowe procedeth forth saynt Iames sayenge You se than how that of dedes a man is iustyfyed and not of faythe onely ¶ As thoughe he wolde saye althoughe it be so that faythe onely iustifyeth in the herte before god without helpe of workes / ye and ere that workes come Heb. xj For without faythe it is impossible to please god / yet for bycause men do not knowe thy herte and so can not se thy faythe therfore do thy workes beinge good make that to be couÌ„ted ryghtwyse before men But faythe onely iustifyeth before god and in the herte / and the workes do declare a man iustified to the worlde and causeth the fayth to be sene Fayth iustyfyeth before god / and workes before the worlde iustifye vs / that is to say declare vs iust Another example saynt Iames putteth here sayenge Was not Rahab the harlot iustifyed whaÌ„ she receyued the messengers / sent them on an other waye ¶ I answere Yes truly outwardly and before the people she was by that good worke in receyuing peasybly the messengers to lodgynge sendyng them out an other way but inwardly in her herte she was iustifyed before through fayth as Paule saythe speakynge of her in this wyse Hebre. xj By faythe saythe he Rahab the harlotte perysshed not with the other vnbyleuers after that she had receyued the spyes to harborowe peasibly Now concludeth Iames sayeng For as the bodye without the spiryte is deed euen so fayth without dedes is deed ¶ Here to knytte vp all the mater that he intreateth of Roma viij He meaneth that yf the fayth that a man hath be not gyuen hym by the spiryte of god and that the same spiryte quyckeneth not the mortall body to do good whan tyme and occasion coÌ„meth than it is but an historicall and deed fayth of mannes imaginacion / and that a man is no more iustified therby than the deed carcas is quyckened by the soule whan there is none in it FINIS The laude be to god ¶ Imprynted at London in Fletestrete / at the signe of the Sonne / by me Iohan Byddell Anno dnÌ„i 1536 Cum priuilegio I B ¶ IohnÌ„ Byddell
¶ An exposicyon vpon a pece of saint Iames epistle to the ende of the second chapitre begynnynge at D. in the same chapitre as hereafter foloweth I wyl powre out of my spiryte vpon all flesshe Your sones and your doughters shal prophesye your yonge men shall se visyons and your olde men shall dreame dreames Ioel ij Act. ij Iac. ii what auaileth it my brethren though a man say that he hath faith / if he haue no dedê / can fayth saue hym HEre it is plaine / that Iames speketh of suche an historical fayth as is nowe amonge chrysten people for the moost parte / whiche whan they do byleue all thynges that be spoken of in scryptures as they do a tale of Robyn hode or of Gesta Romanorum thynke it is sufficient ynough as concernyng fayth to be saued by moued onely by auctorite of theyr elders as the Iewes and Turkê byleue theyr lawe And that ye may the better perceyue that he speaketh of suche a story or deed faythe Note that he sayth not what auayleth it thoughe a man haue fayth / but what auayleth it sayth Iames though a man say that he hath fayth And truthe it is that suche a story or deed faith onely as to byleue that Christ was borne of the virgyn Marye / that he suffred dethe / rose agayne and ascended in to heuen can iustifie or saue a man no more than that same story fayth dothe iustifye the deuylles whiche as saynt Iames sayth do byleue all these thynges as well as they Moreouer yf suche an historycall faythe coulde iustifye that is obteyne and purchace remyssyon of synnes than sholde all suche false preachers that the scriptures threatneth with suche dampnacion be saued as wel as they that preache in Christes name Also yf such a deed faythe coulde iustifye or saue than sholde all that beare the name of Christ be saued which is contrary to the worde of god whiche sayth Math. vij Entre in at the straight gate / for wyde is the gate brode is the way that leadeth to destruction many there be that entre in therat But strayght is the gate narowe is the waye that leadeth vnto lyfe and fewe there be that fynde it Now yf there be any so folysshe as I thiÌ„ke there be none as to byleue that Iewes and Turkes with suche other infidels shal onely entre in to that wyde gate of destruction and that Chryst calleth it the brode way bycause there be so many of them that shal be dampned / than I pray you herken what Chryste sayd afterwarde iÌ„ the same chapitre Not all they that saye vnto me mayster mayster shal entre in to the kingdom of heuen but he that fulfilleth my fathers wyl which is in heuen Many wyll say vnto me sayth Chryst Math. vij in that daye Mayster mayster haue not we in thy name prohesyed in thy name haue not we caste out deuylles And in thy name haue not we done myracles And than wyll I knowlege vnto them that I knowe them not / departe from me al ye that worke iniquite Saynt Paule also shewyng that suche a story faythe coulde not iustifie sayth these wordes Tit. j. All thynges are pure to them that be pure / but vnto the defyled and vnbyleuers nothyng is pure / but the mynde conscience of them is polluted They confesse sayth Paule that they know god but with their dedes they denye hym are abhominable disobedient and vnto all good workes discommendable Many places of scripture there be whiche myght be brought in here for this purpose / notwithstandyng bycause I wyl not be tedious vnto you I wyl shewe you but this one texte more of saynt Paule Eph. v. Sayeng that no whoremonger eyther vnclene ê‘sone or couetous persone whiche is the worshypper of ydols hath any in heritauÌ„ce in the kyngdome of god That is to saye yf they continue styll in these vyces vnto theyr ende And howe thynke ye be none that be called christians whoremongers or els is chrystendome wtout vnclene persons Yea how many are couetyse euen vntyl the brethe go out of theyr bodyes And nowe to declare more playnly that such a storyck or deed faith can not iustifye or saue a maÌ„ s Iames bryngeth forth an example which is so playne that it nedeth no declaracyon sayenge these wordes If a brother or a sister be naked / or destitute of dayly fode / and one of you saye vnto hym departe in gods name / god sende you warmenes fode / notwithstandynge ye gyue him not those thinges that are nedeful to the body / what helpeth it them EueÌ„ so faythe / yf it haue no dedes is deed in it selfe ¶ Or euer I procede any farther I wyll shewe you what is the true fayth which the chosen children of god must byleue He muste byleue stedfastly surely wtout wauering not onely god the father sone holy goost but must put all his trust hope ê¯fydence to be saued only by him / and bileue that he is our god our father to vs an almyghty helper and deliuerer Tit. iij. And that he hath chosen vs of his mere mercy to be saued before the begynnynge of the worlde RomÌ„ v. And that he loued vs so well that whan we were yet his enemyes he reconsiled vs vnto hym by the dethe and merytes of his sone our sauyoure Iesus Christ Vpon which byleue and sure perswasyon we loue hym so ernestly agayne that we cease not tyme occasyon offred to fulfyll his coÌ„maundementes in doing the workes of charite to our neyghbour Of this lyuely faythe speaketh Paule alwayes Galath v. which by charite or loue is mighty in operacyon Also Paule saythe Roma viij Yf any man haue not the spiryte of Chryst he is none of Chrystes Wherfore sayth he yf the spiryte of Chryste dwell in you euen he that reysed vp Christ from deth shall quycken your mortal bodyes bycause that his spiryte dwelleth in you And to the Galathians he sayth Gala. v. The fruite of the spiryte is ioye / loue / peace / longe sufferynge / gentylnes / goodnes / mekenes / faythfulnes / temperancye Wherby ye may perceiue that fayth coÌ„meth by the spiryte of god and that we can not be ydle whan we haue receiued it / but loue which is the fruite of the spiryte of god causeth vs to worke I trust in god that nowe a very blynd man may perceyue that this lyuely faythe alwayes styrred to good workes by the holy gooste is not that fayth which Iames speaketh of here but that fayth wherby he sheweth his example which is rather to be called a vayne opinion than faith And loke as it doth procede out of the herte of a synfull man ij Corin. iij. whiche of hym self can not so moch as ones thinke a good thought so hath it neyther power ne strengthe to worke goodnes / or any thynge that is acceptable in the syght of god No nor that deed faythe