scholemen haue handled the matter lurketh a great and venomous subtletye whyche is in that vertue is made the genus or generall woorde vnto fayth whereby fayth should séeme to bée contayned in the predicament of qualitie whiche before is shewed false and therefore he had affirmed before in the. 27. distinction of the seconde booke that no qualitye in the mynde can be a vertue vnlesse by charitie it be there formed for thus he writeth there Charitas est spiritus sanctus quae animae qualitates informat sanctificat vt eis anima informetur sanctificetur sine qua animae qua'it as non dicitur virtus Charitye is the holy Ghost whyche charytie doth forme and sanctifie the qualytyes of the minde that by them the minde may be formed and sanctified without which charitie no qualitie of the minde is called a vertue Here shineth the cause of his former foundation in that they make vertue the genus or generall worde vnto fayth namely because he woulde expresse fayth to be a qualitie by charitie formed in the mind And forasmuch as all qualities of the minde be actions or workes therefore in that he imagineth the same charitie to forme fayth he thinketh him selfe to haue geuen a substantiall cause why fayth in our iustification should be considered as it is a worke and not otherwise So that all his course herein is runne onely to this end namely to teach that iustification consisteth in workes and that fayth iustifieth in respecte that it is a worke and not otherwise And that this is his meaning it is plaine by that question out of the aunswere whereof his forenamed authoritie was alledged which is this Cur ergo dicitur fides mereri iustificationem vitam aeternam ex ea ratione dictum accipitur quia per actum fidei meretur illa VVhy sayth he is fayth said to deserue iustification and eternall life it is vnderstand to be said for this cause because by the acte of beleuing it deserueth those thinges Now doth it euidently appeare why vnto fayth he applied that definition out of the discourse about the subtiltie wherof this one thing is gathered worthy the noting namely the ouerthrow of the scholemens owne smoky distinction of formed and vnformed fayth wherewith so greatly they please them selues for by thys definition it is euident that there is no other fayth but onely forined fayth But to know what hereby is ment it is necessary to note that that qualitie of the minde which by charitable workes expresseth it selfe outwardly to beleue they call formed fayth And againe that qualitie of the minde which likewise beleuing though by charitable workes it declare it not they call vnformed fayth which by the doctrine of this deceauer is euident to be no fayth at all For if it be fayth by hys definition it must be a vertue and if it be a vertue it must by hys forenamed authoritie be formed in the minde by charitie or els he affirmeth it to be no vertue Wherfore seing thys their qualitie is vnformed therefore by hym it is no vertue and being no vertue by hys definition of fayth it is no fayth and that thys is that which out of hys owne doctrine is to be gathered it also appeareth by this question which he afterwardes in the 5. question of the 23. distinction of the 3. booke putteth An illa informis qualitas mentis quae in malo Christiano est fiat virtus cum sit bonus VVhether the same vnformed qualitie of the minde which is in an euill Christian be made a vertue when the man is a good Christian Here you plainly see that he flyeth the name of fayth and calleth it an vnformed qualitie and not vnformed fayth knowing that that vnto hys own definition had ben a flat antithesis Thus is it euident both how their doctrine is at warre within it selfe and also that as the same is vtterly strange frō the true doctrine of Christ so are they driuen to forge termes of arte accordingly for the same such as the Scripture can not acknowledge the cause whereof may séeme to haue bene thys that for asmuch as the matter of iustification of workes which is the prowler for all theyr prouision is by the whole course of the Scriptures ouerthrowen and the office therof attributed to fayth Therfore sought they such blynd definitions of fayth as in reteinyng the name of fayth for fashions sake myght neuerthelesse reserue vnto workes the soueraignitie still Which beyng imagined there remayned this one thing behynd that for asmuche as their ende was to seke a generall gayne of all men aswell of the bad as the good by this their deuised Religiō it was of necessitie that this their fayth beyng one of the pillers therof should conteyne in it some such plausible proprieties as with pleasaunt allurementes and shewes myght minister matter both to good and bad to feede thē selues with opinion of the possession of true fayth vnder the couloure thereof For the doyng wherof it was necessary that it should conteyne in it two diuers kynds proportionall to the condition of the two diuers subiectes which should possesse the same namely the good and the bad And hence semeth their subtile distinction of formed vnformed fayth to haue growen Their formed fayth was onely perculiar to theyr good men such as by theyr charitable workes had formed the same and geuen it the true nature and forme Namely by offeryng at pilgrimages buyldyng chauntreis bying of pardons and such other stuffe And their vnformed fayth is a medicine for all hell houndes and rake helles for none cā be so wicked but if he acknowledge theyr Churche they will thus far comfort him that he may persuade hym selfe that notwithstandyng all hys vilanies yet hath he in him all good and true fayth necessary vnto saluation Mary they say yet it is vnformed Surely it is lyke to that which hath bene fayned of the Beares whelpe namely that it should bee whelped a rude lumppe without shape which the dame with the lickyng of her toung doth perfectly forme So the possessours of this theyr vnformed fayth by the lickyng the same not with theyr tunges but with the charitable workes of theyr pursse taught in the rules of their holy Churche may forme it at their owne pleasure yea if they lyst after the best fashion the more cost the more perfection Truly this semeth to to haue bene the grounde of theyr doctrine herein for what soeuer they say of fayth they meane thereby no other thyng but that a superstitious humblenes and blynde obedience to the penny prowlyng doctrine of their counterfeyte Churche is true and Christian fayth though the possessor therereof know neither how GOD wil be worshypped in Christ nor how by hym he is made gratious and mercyfull vnto hym This is theyr fayth to beleue nothyng determinately nor with assuraunce of knowledge but alwayes vnder this condition if the iudgement of their Churche so allow
fable Forsoothe not without prouident consideration because if that bee taken a waye farewell all the fruites of penance which is one of the most profitable engines that their church hath and principall bailife vnder shirife their high Stuard for the marie and pith of theyr penaunce standeth in theyr satisfaction which is the last and golden part thereof and hath prouided for the building of many an Abbey Wherefore aboue all thinges theyr woorkes of supererogation was to be deuised for els coulde theyr satisfaction haue bene woorthe nothing vnto them which by this politicke prouiso hath made kinges fellowes of such as wythout the same coulde neuer haue bene able to haue maintained two beggers in an hospitall for before any man be able to make satisfaction of the olde debt to hys creditor it is of necessitie that first he be able to satisfie the dutie of the tyme present with an ouerplus out of the which excesse must be raised a sufficient superplussage to discharge the former daunger The wicked horror of all which theyr deuise of workes shal besides that which hath bene sayd already be also iustlye ouerthrowen hereafter where it shall appeare that no workes no not the workes of the iustified be able to satisfie the commaundement any other way then vnder the shield of mercy by not hauyng their insufficientie imputed vnto them but contrarywyse hidden by Christes innocentie from the sight of Gods iustice Let thys both touching the description of good workes and also the counterfeit workes of the Papists suffice Hauyng thus euidently shewed what these wordes grace righteousnes or iustification fayth and workes doe meane in thys matter I will now returne to speake of the nature of thys new couenaunt which as was sayd before iustifieth man fréely by grace through faith in Christ the explication or plain meaning whereof is by these definitions cuident to be this The new couenant doth assure man that hys sinne◠are fréely forgeuen and that righteousnes is imputed vnto hym by the frée beneuolence of the will of God through the ful assurance of the truth of Gods promises in Christ which vnto hym is geuen of God by the inspiration of the holy Gost wherby hys hart is purified and ciensed vnto good workes which righteousnes is imputed vnto hym without all respecte of hys worthynes or workes onely for the prayse and glory of the grace or fauour of god Wherby it is playne that vnto the attainement therof on the behalse of man thys onely thyng is required that he constantly beleue both seuerally touching him selfe and generally touchyng all the elect that euen as God hath fréely promised to accept the satisfaction of hys sonne Jesus Christ in full recompence for all theyr sinnes so assuredly he will performe the same Who soeuer I say hath thys vndoubted fayth he hath the true apprehension of Christ in the promise so that by fayth onely as is proued before iustification is attayned in the promise which fayth is the onely meane which by beleuing God may assure man of the frée fauour of God in Christ without suspition of incroching vpon any part of the glory of the same Which God hath reserued to hym selfe as the onely end for which he hath bestowed vppon man so riche a benefite wherunto as to the appointed marke or end all the Scriptures are directed whereof these authorities for the further confirmation of thys truth may séeme not vnseasonably rehearsed Beginning first with the wordes of our Sauiour Christ hym selfe he sayth thus And as Moyses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernes euē so must the sonne of man be lifted vppe that none that beleue in him perishe but haue euerlasting life for god so loued the world that he hath geuē his onely begotten sonne that none that beleue in him should perishe but haue euerlasting life Againe in the same place He that beleueth in him shall not be condemned And agayne He that beleueth the sonne hath euerlasting life And in an other place The Capernaites said vnto him what shal we doe that we might worke the workes of God Iesus answered and sayd vnto them this is the worke of God that ye beleue on him whom he hath sent And againe in the same chapter This is the will of him that sent me that euery man which seeth the sonne and beleueth in him haue euerlasting life and I will raise hym vp at the last day Agayne in the same chapter Verely verely I say vnto you he that beleueth on me hath euerlasting life And in an other place I am the resurrection and the life he that beleueth on me yea though he were dead yet shal he liue and who soeuer liueth and beleueth in me shall neuer dye And in an other place I am come a light into the world that who soeuer beleueth on me should not bide in darkenes Agayne Peter in the Actes of the Apostles To hym also geue all the Prophets witnes that through his name all that beleue in him shall receaue remission of sinnes Agayne the Gayler sayd to Paule and Barnabas Syrs what must I do to be saued and they sayd beleue on the Lorde Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thy housholde Againe Paule to the Romanes Therefore by the dedes of the law shall no flesh be iustified in his sight for by the law cōmeth the knowledge of sinne but nowe is the righteousnes of God declared without the law hauing witnes of the law the Prophets to wit the righteousnes of God by fayth of Iesus Christ vnto all vpō al that beleue for there is no difference for all haue sinned are destitute of the glory of God and are iustified freely by hys grace throughe the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whō God hath set forth to be a pacification through fayth in his bloud to declare hys righteousnes in that hee forgeueth the sinnes that be passed which God dyd suffer to shew at his tyme his righteousnes that he might bee counted iust and a iustifier of hym that beleueth one Iesus Where is then the boastyng it is excluded by what lawe of workes nay but by the law of faith Therfore we gather that man is iustified by fayth without the deedes of the law and a litle after For it is one GOD which shall iustifie Circūcision which is of fayth and vncircūcisiō through fayth Agayne in the next Chapter for if Abraham were iustified by dedes then hath he wherein to boast but not with GOD for what sayeth the scriptures Abraham beleued God that was coūted to him for righteousnes to him that worketh the reward is not reckened of fauor but of duty but to him that worketh not but beleueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faythe is counted for righteousnes Euen as Dauid describeth the blissefulnes of the mā vnto whom God ascribeth righteousnes without
righteousnes vnto workes haue not we our iustification of fayth and workes and not yours of faith onely It is sayde of Phinées in the 106. Psal that his acte was imputed to him for righteousnes And likewise in Deutronomy of hym that deliuered his neighbors pledge that it shal be righteousnes vnto him before the Lord his god And likewise S. Iames saith was not Abraham our father iustified by workes in offering his sonne Isaac vpon the aulter Whereupon they conclude that as man is not iustified by workes so is he not iustified by faith without workes flatly agaynste S. Paule who concludeth playnely that man is iustified of fauour through fayth without workes where he telleth both the finall cause of that liberall gifte namely the prayse and glory of the grace or fauor of God and also he telleth the reason why he so vehemently excludeth workes namely least any man shoulde beast that is through blinde presumption should challenge any part of the glory of that worke which God hath reserued to himselfe for his speciall triumph Now if the aduersaries will néedes vrge that the worde righteousnes or iustification hath the same signification in these places by thē alleged that it hath in Paule Doe they not teare in sunder the spirite of truth and set him at warre with hymselfe forasmuch as by the rigor of wordes they be contrary Paule sayth fiatly and affirmeth it by manye discourses that faith without worke iustifieth and that by workes no man liuing shall be iustifyed but these aucthorities affirme the contrary that these men by workes were iustifyed Now if they will néedes affirme that both in Paul and in these places which they alledge the worde righteousnes or iustifycation hath one sense is not this a doctrine that eyther must accuse Paule of ignorance of the sense of the auncient scriptures or of error in his owne and robbe God of his finall triumph namely of his glorie and vtter spoylinge man of the assuraunce of Gods fauour in Christ for if his assuraunce therof bee once ioyned with the condition of hys owne desert or workes surely he falleth by and by into one of our Phisitions new found Agewes A triple tertian quotidian he can neuer know when he is without a fitte Surely it were to hard for Peter Lumbard him selfe with both his foundations of hope to spy out a time to finde him selfe cleare from a fitte if for one masse whyle on the Sunday his imagination coulde mocke him that he were créeping to godward The true testimony of his conscience might assure him that all the rest of the wéeke after he were gallopping to the deuilward The Lord hath blessed hys elect from such assuraunce Wherefore let vs now reuerently with Paule haue respect vnto the finall ende of Gods woorke in this cause Namely to hym onely to yelde all the glorie and to man assuraunce and vndoubted possession of his fauour in Christ And we shall easely sée in these places no contrarictie but most swéete consent Let vs follow the rule of the auncient fathers in serching the truth of doubtfull sentences Thus sayth Hillarius Intelligentia dictorum ex causis est assumenda dicendi quia non sermoni res sed reiest sermo subiectus The meaning of wordes is to be gathered by the causes of the speaking for the matter is not subiecte to the worde but the worde to the matter Agayne Ierome vppon the Epistile to the Galathians saith thus Nec putemus in verbis Scripturarum esse Euangelium sed in sensu non in superficie sed non medulla non in fermonum folus sed in radice rationis Neither let vs thincke that the gospel consisteth in the wordes of the Scripture but in the meaning not in the barck but in the pith not in the leaues of wordes but in the roote of the meanyng Wherfore let vs in folowing the Coūfell of these auncient fathers séeke such meanynges and sense of these Scriptures as may expresse their consent with the rest of the Scriptures And haue respect vnto the finall cause of Gods purpose Namely as I haue often said that vnto hys fauour and grace for this so frée a benifite all prayse and glory may redoūde That al workes wrought by man before iustification be nothing els but the euill fruite of an euill tree it is before euidently proued And so vtterly vnable to abide the presence of gods iustice Wherby it foloweth of necessitie that the woorkes alleged in these their authorities were not there meant for works going before iustification as causes therof but in déede for such workes as folowyng the same declared manefestly the righteousnesse which to the doers of them was offrée fauour through fayth imputed For that the workes of a man by fayth already iustified be in the sight of God allowed for ryghteous by not hauing sinne imputed vnto them it is not onely not denyed but most constantly affirmed For how can it be otherwise but that God in beholdyng in them hys owne moste glorious Image wherewith throughe grace in respect of fayth they be clothed He muste both acknowledge it and delight therin But that their spottes and blemishes are nowe couered wyth the righteousnes of Christe this commeth not to them either by them selues or in respect of them selues but onely by grace or fauour through fayth as is shewed before For they beinge the workes of a man already by fayth iustified and clothed in the righteousnes of Christ Therfore they thereby clothed in the same righteousnes hauing theyr spottes and blemishes through mercye therewith couered are acknowledged for righteous They are accepted for good fruite because they were brought forth by a good frée So that fayth by apprehendyng of Christ and his righteousnes in the promise through grace and fauour attayneth mans iustification So the workes or fruites of the righteousnes of the same faith do manyfestly declare and witnes the doer of them to be righteous That is as fayth apprehēdeth righteousnes in the frée promise for man so the workes or fruites of that righteousnes of fayth doe declare and testifie that hee is iustifyed Wherefore whersoeuer in the Scriptures man is sayd to be iustifyed by workes the meaning is that he is by workes declared and knowen to bée a righteous man And not that the workes were the cause of his righteousnes This being thus considered ther appeareth betwene Paule and the aucthorities by them alledged no strife but most swéete agréement For as Paule telleth the meanes howe a man is iustifyed so the other shew and declare howe man is openly knowne to bee righteous or iustifyed Now marke gentle reader how this doctrine tendeth fully to that end where unto Saint Paule directeth hys course Namely that the whole glorie may redound to GOD alone and that man may haue a sure possession of Gods fauour in Christ Firste in that by iustifycation of workes this onely is to be vnderstand that man
The grace of Christ commeth freely and not for merues sake August de câ—uitate dei lib. 14. cap. 1 August de spiritu et litera cap. 18 Ibidem Cap. 13. By fayth to Iesus Christ we are iustified IbideÌ„ in Psal 31. No merits but mercy preueâ—ed out iustification August in expositione 2. Psal 31. IbideÌ„ in Psal 18. We are frely iustified in the bloud of Christ God of hys owne mercy hath saued vs. IdeÌ„ in Psal 5. IdeÌ„ in Psal 142. God for the glory of hys names ake doth freelye sane vs by his grace and mercy Idem de teÌ„pore sermone 49. Ambro. de vocatio gent. libro 1. cap. 5. Ad valent epist. 46 Idem lib. 2. homiliarum homilia 14 Augustine calleth such heretikes as ascribe grace to merite August Sexto epist. 105. Aug. Valentino et fratribus epist. 46 Contra duas epist. pelagionorum Lib. 1 IdeÌ„ ad Sextum Rom. praesi epist. 105. Idem libro 3. contra pelag hipognast cap. 37. De compuâ—tions cordis The reasoning of the aduersarirs Man is iustified thorow fayth wythout workes Rom. 3. Gal. 2. 25y works no man liuing shal be iustified Peter Lom bard Hilla lib. 4. de trinitate Hier. in epist. ad Gal. Cap. 1. The 〈…〉 e of the scripture consisteth not in the wordes but in the meaning of the same Workes folow iustification Fayth apprehendeth righteousnes and workes declare the apprehension Good workes declare vs to bee righteous Fayth apprehendeth Christ by whom we are made righteous The meaning of S. Iames wordes Note here the maner of speaking of S. Iames. Fayth with out workes is a dead fayth True fayth cannot be without good fruites Abrahams fayth had fruites S. Iames enueigheth not agaynst a true fayth but against a fayned false fayth Math. 19 The keping of the commaundementes of God were hable to iustify vs if we were hable to obserue them Leuit. 18 No man hath nor can keepe the lawes as God requireth them to be kept A questyon moued by a lawyer vnto Christ Christes aunswer to the lawiers question Luk. 5. This is a hard speeche to the louers of the worlde An other argument of the Papistes The Papistes accompte Christ to be very weake that beyng able to iustif 〈…〉 a man before he was conuerted were not also able to restore him if he fell after he was regenerate Hebr. 6. Hebr. 10 Luk. 12. 1. Iho. 2 Christ is our iustification both before Baptisme and after An other obiection The aunswere Rom. 4. Fayth doth iustify because it apprehendeth Christes iustification 1. Cor. 13. Fayth hope and loue Obiection Aunswere Loue fulfilleth the law Fayth is the instrument wherby we receaue our iustification by Christ An other obiection Aunswere Our iustification is done by Christ before our workes God worketh to saluation only in his children that is in the iustified God by his owne working and not be ours maketh vs his children All good workes are wrought by God in them that are iustified by fayth Psal 7. Psal 18 The righteous being vnder the mercilesse persecution lament and 〈…〉 e. The righteous cry out that they are no such offendours as the wicked report them to be The righteous offer the innocency of their causes to the iudge ment seat of god Dauid reioiceth that he held hys hand and hart from committing of wickednes against Saul 1. Sam. 20. The innoceÌ„cy of Dauid in respect of Saules crueltie Psal 51. Psal 38. 130. Psal 19. Psal 32. God must haue the whole honor of maÌ„s saluation IustificatioÌ„ why it is imputed to fayth and not to workes Eph. 2. No worke may be don vpon hope of reward 1. Cor. 11. August in epist. 1. IohaÌ„ nis tract Aduersus Iudaeos erat one The Table wherein note these two letters a. b. a. signifieth the first side of the leafe and b. the second A. ABrahams faith had frutes 112. b Adam created 1. a Adam deceaued by Eue hys wife 4. b Adam accuseth his wife 6. a Adam the firste man made vs bond and thrall vnto sinne 44. a Adams disobedience hath corrupted all mankynd 12. a. b Anavaptistes Pelagians and Papistes 11. b Argumentes made by the Papistes of good workes aunswered 95. a. b. 107. a. 115. a. 116. a. b. 117. a B BLasphemye to Christes death and passion 68. a C CHrist onely taketh away the sinnes of the world 19. a Christe the sonne of God was made man and borne of the virgine Mary 42. a Christ was perfect God perfect man. 43. b Christe is very righteousnes it selfe 43. a Christ is our Aduocate to the father 44. b Christe is our iustification both before Baptisme and after 116. b Christe the seconde man hath made vs free froÌ„ sinns 44. a Christe became accursed to make vs blessed 44. b Christ had payd the full taunsome of mannes transgression 44. a Christe iustifieth vs before we worke 119. a Conflictes attende continually vpon true fayth 81. b Corrupte doctrine of the Papistes 29. b D DAuid reioysed in hys innocency 121. a. b Death hath power ouer the vnrighteous 7. b Death hath power ouer the whole nature of man. 7. b Death is dew to all sinne 17. a Death and damnatioÌ„ reigneth ouer euery man. 19. b Deadly sinne excludeth fayth 17. a Deadly sinne veniall sinne what difference 18. a DefinitioÌ„ of actuall sinne 16. a Definition of veniall sinne 16. b Definition of loue 25. b. 26. a Definition of the law 29. a Degrees of perfection 29. b Definition of habite 49 b DefinitioÌ„ of fayth 56. b. 57. a. b Definition of workes 65. a. b. DefinitioÌ„ of iustification 62. b Definition of woorkes of the faythfull 84. b Difference betwene originall and actuall sinne 19. a Deuill is the enemy of mans felicitie 4. a Deuill and God there is no middle estate betwene them 67. a Deuill an enmie to vertuous lyfe 81. a Duetie or debt hath two senses or meanynges 101. a E. EDen the garden wherein man was placed at his first creation 1. a Errors of Papistes about workes 66. b Eue the woman was goueÌ„ vnto man to be his helper 1. b Eue deceiued by the deuil 4. b Exposition of this place of Iohn we haue receued grace for grace 48. b F. FAyth and deadly sinne can not stand together 17. b Fayth onely apprehendeth the promises of God. 47. a Fayth diuerslye taken in the Scriptures 55. b. 56. a Fayth what the scholemen thinke of it 56. a Fayth onely attayneth instification 70. a Fayth onely iustifieth proued by the Scriptures and anâ— cient fathers 70. b. 71. a. b 72. a. b. 73. a. b. 74. a. b. 75. a. b 76. a. b. 77. a. b. 78. a. b Fayth is not the efficient cause of our iustification but God onely 78. b. 79. a Fayth is aceompanied wyth newnes of life 79. b. 80. a. b 81. a Faythe is made knowne by good workes 82. a Fayth hope and loue 118. a Fayth is the instrument wherby we receyue iustification 118. b
Fayth in Iesu Christ iustifieth vs. 103. a Fayth apprehendeth ent righteousnes 109. b. 110. a. b Fayth without woorkes is a dead fayth 112. a Fayth that is liuely cannot be without good workes 112. a Fayth iustifieth because it apprehendeth our iustification 117. a Flesh is but a masse or lumpe of iniquitie 8. a Fruites of sinne 20. a G. GOD abhoryed man and refused him for his worke 6. b God cursed all the earth for mans offence 6. b God in his creation of man conditioned that he shoulde not breake his to 〈…〉 ment 12. 〈◊〉 God commaundeth vs to loue him and our neighbor 24. b God cōmaundeth nothing impossible proued false 30. a God him selfe freely procured mans redemption 31. a God is true of his promise 32. a. b God gaue the lawe to the children of Israell 33. a God sent his prophets to declare the promised seed 41. b God trayned man by his prophers to take hold of the promised seed 42. a God loued vs first 50. b God by his grace is the onely worker of mans health and saluation 51. a God and the deuill there is no middle estate betwene them 67. a God for the glory of his name doth freely saue and iustifie vs. 10. 4a b. 105. a. b. 106. a. b God is the worker of all good workes in his iustified children 119. a. b God must haue the whole honor of mans saluatiō 122. a God wroughte in loue in sending Christ to suffer death to redeeme man. 124. a. b God the father a worker in the same deed that Iudas wrought in 124. Gods vnspeakeable mercy declared to vs in Christ 2. b 20. b. 21. a Gods iustice 20. b Gods creatures euery of them vnder heauen inuiolably obserue the lawe of their creation saung man onely 22. a 23. b Good workes are the feuites of good fayth 82. a Good workes are to be done of the faythfull but not as the price of our redemption 82. b Good workes are witnesses to good sayth 83. a. b. 84. a Good workes for owe our iustification 89. b Good workes two thinges are required in them 90. a 91. a. b. 92. a Good workes require affectiō of the hart 92. a Good workes declare vs to be righteous 110. b Grace hath saued vs through fayth in Christ and not of our selues 46. a Grace defined by the Papistes 49. a Grace of God is geuē vs freely and not for merites sake 102. b H. HAbite defined 49. b Holy water nor purgatory can clense vs of our sinnes 19. a I IMage of Nature and Grace 1. a Image of God what it is 2. a Image of God in man. 2. a Infantes haue no actual sinne of their own cōmitting 14. a Inward workes 65. a Innocency of man clerely lost 5. a Iudas wrought in treason 124. a. b Iustification commeth by faith and not by workes 47. a 48. a. b Iustification how it is vnderstand in the scriptures 62. a Iustification taught by the Papistes 63. a. 64. a. b Iustificatiō foloweth not good workes but good workes folowe iustification 89. b Iustification is often pronounced vpon workes for faithes sake 96. b Iustificatiō why it is imputed to faith not to workes 122. a L LAberinth of errour maze of confusion 92. b Lawe declareth them to be vnrighteous that haue lost originall righteousnes 7. b Lawe of God is spirituall 8. b Lawe had two offices 33. b Lawe why it was geuen to man. 30. b. 31. b. 34. a Lawe is able to iustifie a man if man coulde performe the righteousnes of the law 34. a Lawe is vnpossible to man to be obserued his nature being now corrupted as it is 36. a. b. 37. a. b. 38. a. b. 39. a. b. Lawe of God geuen to man in most fearefull and terrible maner 40. b Lawe bringeth terrour feare 41. a Lawe of God is the absolute rule of righteousnes 43. a Lawe might saue vs if we could obserue the law 113. b Lawyer moueth a question to Christ 114. a Loue fulfilleth the lawe 118. a Loue is the fulfillyng of the commaundementes of God. 24. b. 25. a. 26. a. 27. a. 28. a. b M MAn placed in Paradise 1. b Man made soueraigne Lorde euer all earthly creatures 1. a Man created to the excellency of Gods Image 1. a. 2. a. 3. a Man ashamed to confesse hys sinne 5. b Man and all his issue corrupted 7. a. b Man a masse or lompe of iniquitie 8. a Man by nature is the child of wrath 8. a. b. 9. a. b. Man in his first creation was without sinne 10. b Man by hys rebellion and sinne brought forth frutes of his owne choyse 20. a Man made an apt subiect for the mercye and iustice of God. 20. b Man in wicked estate 20. d Man of his owne nature hath affection to rebellion 92. a Man is iustified by faith without workes 107. a Man cannot satisfie the lawe 29. a Man is not myndefull of hys duety towardes God. 32. a Mans originall iustice 1. a Mans glorious state ouerthrowen 5 a Mans workes are sinnefull 9 a Mans corrupt nature 29. a Mans duety towardes God. 31. a Mans nature proue to rebellion and sinne 43. a Mercy and not merites hath preuented our iustification 103. a b. 104. a N NAture of mā is proue and ready vnto sinne 28. a O OBiectiōs with aunsweres 12. a 13. a. 35. a. 118. a Opus operantis 67. b Originall righteousnes 3. a. b Originall sinne and our most heynous infection 6. a Originall sinne defined 7. a Originall sinne defiled the nature of man. 10. a. b Originall sinne defined by the Papistes 11. a. 14. b. 15. a. b Outward workes 65. a P PApistes Pelagians Anabaptistes 11. b Papistes their vnformed fayth 61. a. b Papistes their formed fayth 61. a Papistes errours aboute workes 66. a Papistes builde a labirinth of errour and a maze of confusion 92. b. 93. a. b. 94. a Papistes Argumēt of workes 95. a. b. 96. a. b Papisticall doctrine 18. b. 49. a Pelagiās Papistes and Anabaptistes 11. b Pelagius heresie 50. a. 51. a Penaunce an apt and mete instrument for the Papistes 68. b Perfection denyed 29. b Peter Lombard 108. a Preparyng workes what they are 66. b. 67. a Purgatory nor holy water can not take away sinnes 19. a R RAhabs fayth had frutes 113. a Reward is not properly so called when it is payd to a labourer for his trauell but rather a duety 101. b Righteous persons complayn and cry to God. 120. b Righteousnes commeth not by the law 41. a Righteousnes how it is vnderstand in the scriptures 62. a Righteousnes how it is impu ted vnto vs. 69. b Righteousnes and iustification are diuerstye taken in the scripture 85 a. b. 86. a. b. 87. a. b. 88. a. b. 89. a S SAint James meaning of workes 111. a. b. 113. b Satisfaction is the best officer that the papistes can retaine 68 b Scholemen how they handle fayth 58. a. b. 59 a. b. 60-a b Scholemen what they say of veniall sinne 18 a Scholemē agree in error 18 b Scriptures that seeme to promise reward to workes are expounded 94 b Sense of the Scripture is not in woordes but in the meaning of the same 108 b Serpents kind to be weake and tame in winter 14. a Sinne that is to say euerye sinne that deserueth death is a deadly sinne 17. a Sinne triumpheth ouer man and driueth him from hys glorious state a Sinne the fruits therof 7 a Sinne by the offence of one man entred vpon al mē 8. b Sinne wherin two things are to be considered 11. a Sinne deadly sinne veniall are in diuers respectes but one 18. a Sinne deadly sinne veniall what difference 18. a Sin of man was so grenens an offence as coulde net bee cured but by the death and bloudshedding of innocente Christ the onely Sonne of God. 45. a Sinnes to say there are but. 7. that be deadly is false 16. b Sinnes by fayth are forgeuen therfore called veniall 18. a V Deniall sinnes 17. b. 18. a W WIsedome of God in his creation of man. 1. a Workes good are a testimony of mans election 66. a Woorkes taught by papistes 66 a Workes which the papists cal preparing workes 66. b Worke of the worker 67. b Woorkes of supererogation 67. b. 68. a Workes no not the workes of iustified are able to iustifie before God. 69 a Workes of the law 84. b Workes of the faithfull 84. b Workes of the faithfull are insufficient to fulfill the lawe 85. a. Workes are not the cause of rewarde but God for his own glory accepteth them 96. b 97. a Workes must be done for t 〈…〉 glory of God and not for 〈◊〉 wardes sake 97. b Worke what value they are accompted of in the scriptures 98. a. b. 99. a. b Woorkes when we haue wrought all that we can say that we are vnprofitable seruantes 99. b Workes of supererogation are the popes marchandise and are most superstitious and wicked 99. b Workes how they were estemed of the fathers 100. a. b Workes can iustifie no man. 107. b Workes declare a righteous man. 109. b Workes declare what fayth hath apprehended 109. b Woorkes folowe iustification 109. a Workes may not be done for rewardes sake 123. a. b. FINIS Faultes escaped in Printinge Fol.  Lin.  3. a 14. wrieth read writeth 5. a 17. the read that 9. b  in the margine Luchirid read Enchirid. 15. b 3. perfection read imperfection 18. b 19. thy read they 20. a 10. diuiue nature read diuine nature 38. a 22. miserenitur read miserebitur 53. b 2. then read them 61. a  in the first note vnformed read formed    in the second note formed read vnformed 64. a 15. ay read as 76. b 22. am read tiam 77. b 3. iniquitaids read iniquitates 81. b 8. beway read bewray 97. b 1. shewed read sheweth 98. b  in the note Ier. 1. read Iere. 2. 100. a 12. iustitia read iustitiae 103 b 1 inferretur read inferreretur 104. b 1. of the punishemēt read of thee but punishment 106. a  in the note praesi read p 〈…〉 i. 107. a 〈◊〉 sayth read fayth Ibidem b 16. non medulla read in medulla 110. b 19. put out of 113. b 19. my commaund read the commaunde
and although the people to whom the lawe was geuen namely the Iewes fantised vnto them selues a certayne foolishe satisfaction by outwarde shewe of holynes which grew through their negligence in not serching diligently the spirituall nature of the law which requireth as is shewed the entire inclination and naturall obedience of the whole man Although the Iewes I say fantised by thys occasion such a satisfaction yet that nothyng hindered the purpose of God who saw their blynde presumption from establishyng thys new couenaunt which for hys truth sake he promysed shoulde be a perfecte reconcilement betwene hym man The which couenaunt in déede is nothyng els but the accomplishment or ende of 〈…〉 ld couenaunt and yet called new in respect of the olde promise and for that the same is now deliuered a new and consummat by the mediatot hymselfe To the which couenaunt he séeketh no other conditions then that which from all eternity he had appoynted And that whereunto the whole drift of all hys trauell both before the lawe and in the lawe and new vnder grace had the onely respecte as vnto the appoynted ende that the glory as of ryght apperteyned myght be onely hys namely vppon the condition of hys owne truth that is to say that as God is true so can he not but accept the satisfaction of Christ the promised séede for the full and omnisufficient raunsome of all them that take holde of the same vnto whom of his free fauour he had bound hymselfe by promise concernyng the same in promising that he should iustifie the multitude and beare away theyr sins And Paule declaryng the order of the performaunce of that promyse affirmeth that thys iustification is the frée gyft of God in respect of Christ apprehended by fayth For thus he writeth to the Ephesians By grace are you saued through faith and not of your selues it is the gift of God and not of workes least any man should boast hym Now forasmuch as it is here declared to be the frée or liberall gift of God in that hée sayth By grace or fauour which argueth the fredome of the gift Therefore hath the expectation of man for the attainement thereof onelye to awayte vppon the frée bountye or liberalitie of God and from thence onelye to acknowledge the same receiued without all desert seeing it is geuen of grace or fauour The meanes also whereby it is receaued or applyed vnto man is euidentlye declared in that hee saith through faith whereby fayth appeareth to bée the instrument which vnto man is geuen of God to take holde of the promises wythall And because ambitious man shoulde haue no colour to thinke him selfe anye furtherer or fellowe worker in this worke he addeth this playne exception and not of your selues to exclud all opinion of mans helpe touching the same Whereunto also for greater euidence of his meanyng he addeth as it were a repetition of the same sentence in other forme of wordes In saying it is the gift of God not of workes whereunto finally he addeth the reason or cause why God so fréely geueth it and why he so earnestlye excepteth man with all his workes from helping towardes the same namely least any man should boast hym that is that vnto man should not be left so muche as the Image or colour of any cause to pretend title to any part of the glory of that worke that the same may be wholy reserued to God alone Now forasmuche as fayth is here expressely taught to be the meanes which apprehendeth the promyse therefore it is by necessary consequence gathered that onely fayth apprehendeth the promyses of God and so onely fayth iustyfieth And now because the waight of thys whole matter dependeth greatly vpon the true vnderstanding of these woordes grace fayth iustification or ryghteousnesse and woorkes therefore I thynke it expedient to bestow some trauell in seuerall declaration of euery of them And first touching Grace forasmuch as in the Scripture it is taken in three senses at the least therefore it is expedient that all be declared to the end it may be more apparant in what sense it is vsed in this place wherefore in this first and principall sense it may thus be defined Grace is a frée beneuolence of the will of God iustifiyng the elect thorough fayth in Christ Now forasmuche as I know the aduersaries will neuer admitte thys definition because it is the ouerthrowe of their rotten building Therfore somewhat to arme the willing reader against the charmes of their wrangling shiftes I will séeke by the scriptures to prous the truth of the same by the parts therof whiche are these first that it is a frée beneuolence of the will of God secondly that it iustifieth the elect through fayth in Christ Now for the first part namelye that grace is a frée beneuolence of the will of God it is thus proued Saint Paule to Timothy sayth thus VVho saued vs and called vs wyth an holy calling not accordyng to our deedes but accordyng to hys owne purpose and grace And agayne the same Paule to the Ephesians sayeth thus VVho hath predestynate vs to bee adopted thorough Iesus Chryst vnto him selfe accordyng to the beneuolence of hys wyll Note that in the former place hs affirmeth our saluation to bée geuen accordyng to hys grace or fauour And now in thys place he affirmeth the same to bée geuen accordyng to the beneuolence of hys wyll whereby it is euident that his grace or fauour and the beneuolence of his will is all one thyng And Paule to the Romanes affirmeth it to bee freelye done for he sayeth All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God and are iustyfied freelye by hys grace And therefore grace is ryghtlye sayde to bée a frée beneuolence of the wyll of God whiche was first to bée proued Now touchyng the second parte namely that grace iustifieth the electe through fayth in Chryst it is thus proued by these woordes of the Apostle That wee beyng iustyfied by grace shoulde bee made heyres according to the hope of eternall lyfe Note here that hee sayth we are iustified by grace And in the second to the Ephesians hée sayth thus For by grace are you saued thorough fayth Wherby it is euident that by grace through fayth we are iustified which was secondly to be proued Now I suppose the truth of this definition is sufficiently confirmed which being the first and principall signification of grace namely that whereby ryghteousnesse is geuen vnto man thorough faith the rest do require the lesse trauell Of the which the second groweth from this first thus Forasmuch as all they whyche are iustified by grace through fayth are by the free spirite of God regenerate into a new lyfe which bréedeth suche disposition or habite as bryngeth forth good-workes and holy cenuersation in them Therefore those good gyftes of God are also sometimes called grace Finally that fauour which Christ hath with God hys
dedes saying Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne And a litle after We say that fayth was imputed to Abraham for righteousnes And a litle after for the promise that hee should be the heyre of the world was not geuen to Abraham or to his sede through the lawe but throughe the righteousnesse of fayth For if they whiche be of the law be heyres thē is faith but vaine and the promise of no effect And agayne Therfore by fayth is the inheritaunce geuen that it might come of grace and the promise might bee sure to all the sede not to them onely whiche are of the lawe but also to them which are of the fayth of Abraham which is the father of vs all And agayn then beyng iustified by faith we haue peace with GOD throughe our Lord Iesus Christe by whom we haue accesse through fayth vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce in the hope of the glory of God. And agayne what shall wee saye then the Gentiles whiche folowed not righteousnesse haue ouertaken righteousnes I meane the righteousnes whiche commeth by faythe but Israell whiche folowed the lawe of righteousnes could not atteyne the law of righteousnes wherefore because they sought it not by fayth but as it were by the workes of the lawe And agayne for they beyng ignorant of the righteousnes of God and goyng aboute to establishe their owne righteousnes haue not bene obediēt vnto the righteousnes of God for Christ is the end of the law to iustifie all that beleue For Moyses describeth the righteousnes whiche commeth of the law in these wordes that the man whiche doth these thynges shall lyue therby But the righteousnes whiche commeth of fayth speaketh on this wise say not in thy hart who shall ascend into heauen that is euen to fetche Christ downe from aboue or who shall discend into the depe that is euen to bryng Chryst from death but what sayeth the Scripture the word is nye thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart This is that woorde of fayth whyche wee preache for if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shall beleeue in thy heart that God raised hym vp from the dead thou shalt besaued For the belefe of thy heart iustifieth to confesse with the mouth saueth a man. For the Scripture sayeth who soeuer beleueth on him shall not be ashamed And agayne euen so at thys tyme is there a remnant left thorough the election of grace if it bee of grace then is it not of works or els were grace no more grace but if it bee of woorkes then is it no more grace or els were workes no lenger woorkes And in another place wee whyche are Iewes by nature and not synners of the Gentiles knowe that a man is not iustyfied by the deedes of the lawe but by the fayth of Iesus Chryst euen wee I saye haue beleued in Iesus Christ that we might bee iustified by the fayth of Iesus Chryst and not by the deedes of the law because that by the deedes of the lawe no flesh shal be iustified Agayne for the Scripture saw afore hande that GOD woulde iustifie the Gentyles through fayth and therefore preached before hande the Gospell vnto Abraham saying in thee shall all the Gentiles be blessed So then they which bee of fayth are blessed wyth faythfull Abraham for as many as are vnder the deedes of the law ar vnder the cursse sor it is writtē cursed is euery mā that cōtinueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the law to fulfill thē And that no man is iustified by the law in the sight of God it is euident for the iust shall lyue by fayth and the lawe is not of fayth but the man that shall fulfill these thynges shall lyue in them Now Chryst hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe when he was made accurssed for vs for it is written cursed is euerye one that hangeth on tree that the blessing of Abraham myghte come on the Gentiles through Chryst Iesus and that we might receiue the promyse of the spirite thorough fayth And a litle after but the Scrypture hath concluded all thynges vnder sinne that the promyse by the fayth of Iesus Chryst shoulde be geeuen to them that beleue But before fayth came we were shut vp vnder the lawe vnto the fayth whyche shoulde afterward be reueled wherefore the lawe was our Scholemaster to bring vs to Chryst that wee myght bee made ryghteous by fayth but after that fayth is come nowe are wee no lenger vnder the Scholemaster for wee are all the sonnes of God by fayth in Chryst Iesus And agayne yee are all gone quite from Chryst as many as are iustyfied by the lawe and are fallen from grace wee wayte for by the spirite thoroughe fayth the hope of ryghteousnesse Agayne For by grace are yee saued thorough fayth and not of your selues it is the gift of GOD and not of woorkes least anye man shoulde boast hym Agayne VVho saued vs and called vs wyth a holy callyng not accordyng to our deedes but accordyng to hys owne purpose and grace whiche grace was geuen to vs thorough Chryst Iesus before the worlde was And in an other place That wee beyng iustified by grace should be made heires accordyng to the hope of eternall lyfe These authorityes I thought good to rehearse out of the Scriptures out of the whiche it is euidently gathered whyche hath béene sayde before touchyng the iustification of fayth And to the ende it may be apparant that the auneyent fathers gathered the same meanyng I will now reherse of their authorities cōcerning the same First Augustine sayth thus Credidit Abraham deo reputatum estilli ad iustitiam ecce sine opere iustificatur exfide quicquid illi legali posset obseruatione conferri totum credulitas sola donauit Abraham beleued God and that was imputed vnto hym for righteousnesse Marke this that wythout workes he is iustified by fayth that whatsoeuer he mought haue gained by obseruyng the lawe all that hath fayth alone geuen hym Agayne Origen sayeth Dicit sufficere solius fidei iustificationem it a vt credens quis tantummodo iustificetur etiam si nihil ab eo operis fuerit expletum Hee afirmeth the onely iustification of fayth to suffice to iustifie a man that onely beleueth although he haue done no good worke And by and by after he asketh thys question Quis sine operibus iustificatus est VVho is iustified without workes Whereunto he aunswereth Quantum igitur ad exemplum pertinet sufficere arbitror illum latronē qui cū Christo crucifixus clamabat ei de cruce Domine Iesu memento mei cum veneris in regnum tuum Nec aliud quicquā describitur boni operis eius in euangelijs sed pro hac
sola fide ait Iesus Amen dico tibi bodie eris mecumin Paradiso As touching the example I think the theefmay suffice which being crucified with Christ cryed frō the crosse Lord Iesu remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome There is no other good worke of his expressed in the Gospel but for this fayth only Christ saith vnto him verely I say vnto thée thou shalt be with me this day in Paradise And a litle after Sola confessione iustificatum comitemque sibi paradisum ingressus assumpsit By this onely confession he going into paradise toke him with him both iustified and his companion And a litle after concerning the womans washing Christes feete with her teares he sayth Et ex nullo legis opere sed pro sola fide ait ad eam remittuntur tibi peccata tua iterum fides tua te saluam fecit And by no deedes of the law but for fayth only he sayth vnto her thy sinnes are forgeuē thee and againe thy fayth hath made thee whole And Chrysostome vppon the third chapter to the Romanes writeth thus In hoc demonstratur virtus potentia dei quòd seruauerit iustificauerit et gloriationem induxerit sola fide absque operibus Herein is the vertue power of God declared in that he hath saued iustified and glorified by fayth onely without workes And the same vpon the fourth chapter Quòd aliquis destitutus operibus iustificetur per fidem fortasse videri potest benè habere Quòd autem aliquis ornatus virtutibus et bonis operibus non tamen illis iustificetur fed sola fide hoc certè est admirabile That a man destitute of workes should be iustified by fayth that peraduenture maye seeme to be well but that a man beutified with vertue and good workes should neuerthelesse by them not be iustified but by fayth onely Truely this is wonderfull Agayne the same Chrysostome in hys fourth homily vpon the first chapter of the first epistle to Timothy Cui difficilis habebatur fides quod inimici quod peccatores quod hi qui in lege non iustificabantur neque per opera hi continuo ex fide sola primas partes meritorum consecuti sunt VVho could hardly beleue that enemies that sinners that such as were not iustified in the law nor by workes that they by and by haue by fayth onely obteined the cheefe merite And a litle after Incredibile eum esse videbatur siquidem bomo qui omnem priorem vitam frustrà atque inaniter consumpsisset duxissetque per mala opera postmodùm ex fide sola saluandus diceretur It seemed to the Iewes an incredible thing that a man which had spent al his former life vainely disorderly hauing passed the same in wicked workes that afterward he should be said to be saued by faith only The same agayne concerning fayth and the law writeth thus Ante opera fides primū inducēdaest eū qui operatur opera iustitiae sine fide nō possum probareviuū fuisse fidelem autē absque operibus possum monstrare vixisse regnum caelorum assecutum Nullus sine fide vitā habuit latro autē credidit duntaxat iustificatus est a misericordissimo deo Atque hîc ne mihi dixeris defuisse ei tempus quo iustè viueret honesta faceret opera neque enim de hoc contenderim ego sed illud vnum asseuerauerim quòd sola fides per se saluum fecerit Fayth is to be alledged before workes I can not proue him to haue bēe aliue which worketh the works of righteousnes without fayth but I can shew the faythfull without workes to haue both bene aliue and attained the kingdome of heauen No man hath had life without fayth but the theefe did onely beleue he by the most mercifull God is iustified And say not vnto me here that he wanted time wherin to liue righteously and doe good workes I will not contend thereabout but this one thing I affirme that fayth onely alone did saue him And agayne Nam ea denium perfecta omnimoda gloriatio est in deo quando neque propter suam ipsius quis iustiam extollitur sed agnoscit se quidem vera destitui iustitia verùm sola in Christo fide iustificatum esse For that in deede is the perfect full reioycing in God when no man glorieth in his own righteousnes but acknowledgeth him selfe in deede to be destitute of true righteousnes and that he is iustified through fayth in Christonely Ambrose vpon this place of Paule Iustificantur gratîs per gratiam illius writeth thus Iust ficati sunt gratîs quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt Both Iewe Greke are iustified freely because that without worke or recompence by fayth only they are iustified And agayne Quomodo ergo Iudaei per opera legis iustificari se putant iustificatione Abrahae cum videant Abraham non ex operibus legis sed yola fide iustificatum non ergo opus est lege quādo impius per solam fidem iustificatur apud deum How thē do the Iewes thinke them selues to be iustified by the deedes of the lawe with the iustification of Abraham when they see that Abraham was not iustified by deedes of the lawe but by fayth onely there is then no neede of the lawe seing the wicked is iustified with God by fayth onely And a litle after Sic decretum dicit a deo vt cessante lege solam fidem gratiae dei posceret ad salutem He sayth that it is thus by God decreed that the law ceassing he requireth vnto saluation only faith in the fauour of God. And agayne Manifestè beati sunt quibus sine labore vel opere aliquo remittuntur iniquitatds et peccata teguntur nulla ah his requisit a panitentiae opera nisi tantum vt credant They be manifestly blessed whose iniquities are couered without either labour or worke no worke of repentaunce being to that purpose of them required but onely that they beleue And agayne the same Conuenit vt in solo nomine domini conditoris consequatur salutem creatura hoc est per fidem quia sublatis omnibus neomenijs et sabbato et circumcisione et lege escarum et oblationibus pecorum sala fides posita est ad salutem It is mecte that man attaine saluation onely in the name of the Lord the creator namely by fayth because that fayth onely is the meane to saluation all new Moones Sabboth Circumcision difference of meates offering of beastes set a part Agayne the same Quoniam versutia aduersarij cumulare peceata caeperunt vt per interdictum magis homo reus constitueretur deus clementia bonitatis suae semper homini procurans vt et quod sine lege peccatum erat
of the faythful are such workes as proceede from a heart purified through fayth Now into the other Schole or ballaunce let vs lay the workes required in the law whose definition is thus gathered out of the iiij Chapter The workes required in the law are such as proceede from the full obedience willyng desire and naturall pronesse of the whole man vnto righteousnes Thus wayed in the ballaunce it is euident that euen the very good workes of the faythfull compared with the workes of righteousnes required in the law are founde farre to lyght to satisfie the same For asmuch as the law can alow none but such as procede from a full obedience willyng desire and naturall pronesse of the whole man That is to say the lawe can alowe no workes but such as should be wrought by naturall strength desire vnto righteousnes But the good workes of the faythfull bee not so but contrarywise they are wrought through the frée grace of GOD purifiyng the heart by fayth whereupon it foloweth that the good workes of the faythfull examined by the iustice of God are insufficient to satisfie the law and haue no strength but vnder the shilde of mercy So imperfect are the best and most purest workes of the iustified that being examined by the seueritie of the law they are vnable to abide the presence thereof Thus hauyng shewed the certayne tokens of that fayth whereunto righteousnes is imputed and the difference betwene the workes of the faithful and the workes required in the law it foloweth Cap. 10. ¶ To knowe what iustificatiō or righteousnes it is whiche the scripture attributeth to workes and also what fayth it is against whiche S. Iames speaketh and why Iustification is imputed to fayth and not to workes HOw diuerslie the worde righteousnes or iustification is taken in the Scriptures is by the viij chapter declared where it is euidently proued that iustification being taken for the frée imputation of righteousnes vnto mā wherby in the sight of God he is discharged of giltiship cōmeth onely through fayth in Christ without respect of mans worthines or workes by the frée beneuolence of the will of God to the prayse and glory of his grace And that the iustification or righteousnes of woorkes is nothing els but the declaration of the same righteousnes of fayth by the outwarde fruites thereof which aunswereth that which is first in this chapiter required Yet notwithstanding the ambitious pride of the aduersaries is neither ashamed nor afeard to hold plée as it were with God for a part of the glory of mans iustificatiō arrogantly challenging the same as a deserued duetie purchased by theyr workes The contrary wherof as in the viij chapter it is manifestly proued so is the feareful error thereof by the iiij chapter euidently disproued For it is there plaine that al the workes of corrupte nature are as direct contrary to the law as death vnto life darkenes vnto light or colde vnto heat And yet out of that hatefull hourd must they of force take their counterfeit store Séeing they wil néedes haue workes to iustifie for that enferreth that those workes must goe before iustification and so be wrought before the man be righteous which can be nothing but the fruites of a wicked man for vntill he be righteous he is wicked and by their doctrine he can not be righteous vntill the worke haue made him righteous therefore whilest he is wicked it must néedes be that he do the worke which shall make him righteous which is impossible as by the Scriptures doth euidently appeare Thus writeth Paul to the Phillippians That ye may be pure without offence vntill the day of Christ filled with the fruites of righteousnes which fruites are in you by Iesu Christ vnto the glory praise of God. Here in these wordes of Paul we may learne the efficient cause the formall cause the materiall cause and the final cause of good woorks by which causes it doth euidently appeare that before iustification no good workes can be wrought and that the ende of good woorkes is not to iustifie the doers of them but onely to the glory and prayse of god Wherefore let vs consider his woordes first in that he sayth that ye may be pure and without offence he sheweth what is the office of a christen man namely to labour for such pure and vnspotted conuersation as no offence may iustly be gathered by the same He sayth moreouer Vntill the day of Christ to shewe that the endeuour towardes goodnes must haue continuance through the whole course of the life Hauing thus shewed both the office of a christen man and the terme of his continuance in th execution thereof he goeth forward to shew what furniture is necessary in him to the performance of that office in saying Filled with the fruits of righteousnes Here he sheweth wherwith he must be filled that must be pure and without offence namely with the fruit of righteousnes that is with good workes And as he teacheth in these wordes that good workes are the furniture of a christen mā so doth hée also teache in the same woords both the formal cause the material cause of good woorkes for in that he sayeth wyth the fruites of righteousnes he sheweth that righteousnes or iustificatiō is the formal cause of them which as a good trée bryngeth forth her good fruite He also sheweth that the materyall cause of any good worke is that it is a fruite of ryghteousnes whereby it is clearer then the Sunne that there can be no fruite of ryghteousnesse vntill the brynger forth thereof be transformed into a trée of righteousnes neither can the material cause haue her being vntil first the formal cause bée generate for the trée must bée before the fruite And in thys place doth Paule open the wordes of Esay in the. 61. chapter where he sayeth they shall be called trees of ryghteousnesse whyche cause Paule doth insinuate by expressyng the effect in that hée sayeth filled wyth the fruites of ryghteousnesse which imployeth that the bryngers forth of those fruites must néedes bee tréees of ryghteousnesse whereby it is euydent that no woork is good but that which is brought forth by a righteous man seeyng that it is the fruite of righteousnesse but none is a righteous man vntill he be iustified therefore can none bring forth good workes but suche as bee alreadye iustyfied Wherupon it followeth that before iustificatiō no good woork can be wrought Paule goeth forwarde and sayth whiche fruites are in you by Iesus Chryst Here doth he euidentlye declare what is the efficient cause of good woorkes namely Iesus Chryst so that where before hee had taught iustification or righteousnes to bee the formall cause of good woorkes and the fruites thereof to be the materiall cause for that hée woulde leaue no doubt concernyng the effycyent cause therefore he addeth whiche fruites are in you by Iesu Chryst Where thys is also to be noted fully
agréeing with that which is sayd already namelye that no good woorke can bée wrought but by him in whom Iesus Christ doth raigne that is by that iustified for hereby it is playne that no good worke can be in man onles it be by Iesus Chryste but Iesus Chryst worketh onely in the iustified for his spirit doth certifie their spirites in whom hee dwelleth that they are the children of God there is no condemnation to them that are in Chryst Iesu And in this place doth Paule also go forward in prosecutyng the woorde of Esay for where Esaye calleth them trées of ryghteousnesse that is to say the bringers forth of the fruites of ryghteousnes he addeth a plantyng of the Lordes to shew that their ryghteousnesse is the Lordes worke and that doth Paule open here where hée sayeth that good workes or fruites of righteousnesse are in vs by Iesus Chryst as though he had sayd Iesus Chryste hath made you to bée trees of ryghteousnesse that you myght bring forth the fruites thereof namelye good workes and so declare your selues to be a plantyng of the Lordes Thys beyng taught Paule goeth forward in declaryng the finall cause of good workes in saying Vnto the glorye and prayse of God whereby it is playne out of these words of Paules that Chryst is the efficiēt cause of good workes and that none can bée wrought but by hym in whom the spirite of Chryste dwelleth that is none can be wrought but by the ryghteous or iustified in that he saith whyche fruites are in you by IESVS Chryst Whereby it is playne that wythout Iesus Chryste they can not bée in them Where also is declared the materiall cause of good woorkes Namely a fruite of ryghteousnesse so that vnlesse it bée brought forth by a ryghteous tree it can bée no good worke hee also declareth that the iustification or ryghteousnesse of the doer of them is the formall cause of them in that hée calleth them the fruite of ryghteousnesse for that declareth the doers of them to bée trées of ryghteousnesse as Esay termeth them wherby also appeareth that no good worke can bé done but by a man already iustyfied hee also telleth the finall cause of them in that hée sayeth Vnto the glory and prayse of God concludyng euen as Esay in the fore named place doth For after hée had sayde that they myght bée called trées of righteousnesse a planting of the Lordes hée addeth for hym to haue glorye in so that the ende of good woorkes is not to iustifie the doers but to glorifie God for vnles the doers had bene iustified before the woorkes were wrought they coulde haue bene no frute of righteousnesse So that thys place of Paule is an openyng of the forenamed place of Esay for where Esaye sayeth that they myght bee called trees of ryghteousnesse Paule expoundeth that to bée that they shoulde bryng foorth the fruites of righteousnesse and where Esaye calleth them a plantyng of the Lordes that doth Paule open when he telleth that the fruite of ryghteousnesse must be in them by Iesu Chryst And where Esay sayeth for hym to glorye in Paule sayeth to the glory and praise of God. Thus by comparyng together these woordes of Paule and Esay it is more then euident that good workes bée so farre from iustyfiyng the doers that before iustificatyon no good worke can bée wrought And Chryst himselfe affirmeth no lesse when he sayeth that the tree must bee good before it bryng foorthe good fruite Euerye good tree sayeth he bryngeth forth good fruite So that first hée acknowledgeth the trée to bée good before it bryngeth forth good fruite And if the tree be euill he affirmeth in the same place It bryngeth foorth euill fruite concludyng playnely that no euyll tree can bryng forth good fruite Whereby it is euident that the man muste by fayth bée made good that is to saye righteous and iustyfied before he can bring forth any good woorkes So then the woorke is acknowledged for good through mercy which couereth the blemishes thereof in respect that it is the worke of a man by fayth already iustified and clothed in the righteousnesse of Chryste and not in respecte of it selfe which compared with the iustice of God is wickednesse as in the 9. Chapter was proued for wee bee all by nature the chyldren of wrath as Paule beareth witnesse And thus writeth Augustine Sequuntur bona opera iust fi atum non praecedunt iustificandum Good woorkes folowe hym that is iustified they goe not before hym that is to bee iustyfied Agayne the same Augustine Quid enim est boni operis ante fidem cum dicat Apostolus quicquidsine fide fit peccatum est for what good woorke is there before sayth seyng the Apostle sayeth that whatsoeuer is not of fayth is synne And Christ hymselfe sayeth wythout mee you can do nothyng whereby it is euydent that vntyll they haue the spiryte of Chryst they can woorke no good worke but none haue the spirite of Chryst but suche as bée the children of God for the Scrypture sayth these bee the children of GOD that bee led by the spyrite of GOD and none are the children of GOD tyll they bée iustyfied for to bée the chyldren of God and to bée iustyfied is all one thyng therefore none can woorke good woorkes but suche as be already iustyfied Agayne to the workyng of euery good woorke there be two thynges specially required namely vnderstandyng and affection So that the worke that must please God muste both bée ioyned wyth the knowledge of the wyll of God and also bée done wyth affection pleasure and delight in the same Touchyng that it shoulde bee done wyth knowledge thus sayth God by the prophet God desireth in man more the knowledge of God then burnt offrynges And before in hys fourth chapter where he geueth a reason of the destructyon of hys people he alleageth onely lacke of knowledge my people sayeth he are destroyed for lacke of knowledge And Chryst himself sayth do yee not therefore erre because you vnderstand not the scryptures And Iob affirmeth that to depart from euill is vnderstandyng Whereby it is playne that wythout vnderstanding or knowledge of the wyll of God no man can depart from euill and do that which is good And therefore doth Dauid crye Geeue mee vnderstanding and I shall keepe thy lawe O geeue mee vnderstandyng that I maye learne thy commaundementes And that good woorkes are wrought through knowledge or vnderstanding it is by the scriptures euident Paul to the Phillippians writeth thus And thys I praye that your loue maye abound yet more and more in knowledge and vnderstanding that ye maye discerne things that differ one from an other that ye may be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ Here doth Saint Paule not only pray that theyr loue might abound in knowledge but he also telleth the cause of hys prayer namely that they might be able to
discerne thynges that differ to iudge betwene good works and counterfeite workes betwene true religion hipocrisie that so through that knowledge they might haue iudgement how to lead a pure and Christian life which without the knowledge of the wyll of God is vnpossible And agayne the same Paule to Philemon See that the fellowship sayth he that thou hast in the fayth be fruitfull through knowledge of all good things which are in you by Iesus Christ Hereby it appeareth that without vnderstanding of the will of God no good workes can be wrought But Paul playnely affirmeth that all thei that be not already iustified in Christ haue no vnderstanding The naturall man sayth he perceaueth not the thinges that belong to the spirit of God for they are but folishnes vnto hym Then if he perceaue not nor vnderstand the thynges that please god It appeareth by that is sayd before that he can by no meanes do the worke that shall please god Hereby it both playnely appeareth that the knowledge of the wyll of God is required to good workes and also that none that is not iustified hath that knowledge Now touching that vnto good works there is also required in the doer affection delight towardes the same that is euident by the definition of good workes expressed in the 8. chapter where it appeareth that they be nothyng but an execution of the commaundementes whereunto the whole affection of man both body and soule is required as in the. 4. chapter appeareth which also is confirmed by the example of those of whose good workes the scripture beareth witnes Thus sayth Dauid If my delight were not in thy law I should haue perished in my trouble And agayne my delight was in thy commaundementes And agayne thy testimonies haue I claymed as mine heritage for euer and why they are the very ioy of my hart And agayne Lord what loue haue I vnto thy law al the day long is my studie therein And agayne my delight shal be euer in thy statutes And agayne for I loue thy commaundementes aboue golde precious stone Thys affection of the hart is required to the performaunce of good workes whereof how greatly they be short that be onely possessed of the naturall man and not iustified in Christ it is more then euident by the playne wordes of God hymselfe In Genesis he sayth thus my spirite shall not alwayes striue in man because he is fleshe And a litle after The Lord sawe that the wickednes of man was great in the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughtes of his harte were onely euill continually And agayne in the 8. chapter the imaginations of mans hart is euill euen from hys youth Here appeareth that the affection of the naturall man is onely this affection to rebellion desire so contempt and lust to disobedience Thus it is euident that in all those which be not already iustified in Christ their is neither vnderstanding how to please God nor affection thereunto And so consequently no good worke seing it is proued that no worke cā be good but where both they be ioyned together which also is euident by that which is sayde in the fifth chapter Surely if these men had bene as carefull searchers of truth herein out of Gods holy worde as they haue bene of mistes and clowdes out of Aristotles schole to darcken shadow the brightnes thereof they woulde neuer haue sought with so many subtil distinctions and false definitions without al ground of Gods worde to haue builded themselues the labirinth of errour maze of their owne confusion But woulde contrariwise haue humbled themselues vnto the spirite of God and haue considered the ende of hys purpose in mans saluation But they not considering that to be the prayse and glory of hys owne grace and enforcing the rigor of the outward sounde of some wordes in the scripture haue gathered workes to be the cause of mās iustification where if they more narrowly cōsidered they should see that faith is the onely meane by which workes are indued wyth the title of goodnes forasmuch as no good worke can be wrought but by a man alredy by faith iustified and appareled wyth the righteousnes of Christ by meanes whereof the blemishes and imperfections thereof are through mercy couered which otherwise if the same workes were wrought by an vnbeleuyng man they woulde appeare in the sight of God most filthy for of mercy it commeth in respecte of Christ that the most perfecte workes are not layde to mans charge for sinne Out of this ground gathered from God truth this rule of Christian religion is concluded that where soeuer righteousnes or iustification is in the Scripture imputed to workes it is not imputed to them as though they were the cause of righteousnes that is to sayas though they going before iustification did procure or purchase the same but farre otherwyse it is imputed vnto them as vnto the fruit of the righteousnes of fayth which after iustification doth witnes and declare that the doer is iustified by fayth by apprehending of Christ in respecte of whom mercy couereth the spottes of that worke from the sight of Gods iustice so that sinne is not imputed to man for the same Hic murus ahaeneus esto Let this to a Christian conscience be a wall of brasse Now this foundation layde let vs séeke by thys rule to vnderstand those Scriptures which the aduersaryes for theyr filpursse doctrine of iustification of workes haue forced into open combat both agaynst theyr owne naturall sense and agaynst the ende and scope of Gods purpose declared in the Scriptures touching mans iustification wherein to séeke to answere to all theyr subtill and shameles wranglings were more tedious then profitable And touching the multitude of wordes more paynefull then possible Though touching matter Gods truth being iudge inough hath bene sayd already where-fore to auoyde all extremities and kéepe my selfe within my power touching wordes and yet not to passe the reste with silence I will ouerlooke a fewe of their principall ragges which they call reasons wherein theyr errour being opened the smaller of them selues will drop a sunder vntouched Wherefore firste of all that playnnes might be ioyned with the breuitie for which I labor let the Scriptures which they make challengers in thys fraye be gathered together into these sortes In the first sort placyng those which promising reward to workes procure men to labour for the same In the second sort such as by the sound of wordes séeme to take iustification from fayth or geueth the same to workes And in the last sorte those Scriptures wherin the righteous thallenge at Gods handes reward of theyr innocency righteousnes Wherfore by examples of euery of these sorts let vs séeke truely to vnderstand them by theyr agréement with thē selues and the rest of the Scriptures that as of God there is but one spirite and one truth so the same truth by the consent
of the whole Scripture together may bee acknowledged For we may not wrest such sense out of the Scripture by vrging the outward barke of some particular places therein as shall set them at strife with all the reste of the body of the Scripture and so imagine the spirite of truth at warre with hym selfe Wherefore for the first sorte let these authorites serue Euery man shall enioye good according to the fruites of his mouth and after the workes of his handes shall he bee rewarded Agayne The sonne of man shall come in the glory of hys father with his angels and shall reward euery man according to his deedes And agayne God is not vnrighteous that he should forget your worke and labour that proceedeth of loue which loue ye shewed towardes his name in that ye haue ministred vnto the Sainctes and yet minister These examples may serue for their argument of thys sort Well say they seing that mans rewarde is accordyng to hys workes it appeareth that in workes there is merite and that to mans iustyfication woorkes are requyred Here I myght briefly aunswere that all these woordes are spoken of woorkes comming after iustyfication whyche is not the matter in questyon betwene vs for the question is about woorkes goyng before iustification for the purchase thereof But for their great ouerthrow Let it bée imagined that these promyses are made to woorkes goyng before iustification and yet get they nothyng thereby for we answere they reason from a generall to a species which in an affirmatiue concludeth fasly as for example If one seyng a liuyng creature shoulde reason thus yonder is a liuyng creator therefore it is a man For as of liuyng creatures there be diuers kindes wherof mā is but one so of rewardes there bée dyuers kyndes whereof merite or desert is but one For some rewardes are frely geuē of loue or fauor some through hope of further benefite and some of merite desert or duetie c. So that as vntruely thys is concluded that because it is reward therfore it is merite or duety as the other namely because it is a liuing creature therefore it is a man for in déede this rewarde is of grace or fauour and not of merites or woorkes As by these oft rehearsed wordes of Paule is euydent For of fauour sayeth he yee are saued thorough fayth and not of your selues it is the gift of God and not of woorkes least anye man shoulde boast hym And although thys well considered wyth the definytion of iustyfication in the. 8. chapter doth fullye expresse what sense in these authorities maye well bee allowed yet shall the same in more larger forme of wordes bee declared thus Forasmuche as mans iustificatyon is a free remission of sinne and imputatiō of righteousnesse vnto man thorough fayth in Chryst therfore that the ryghteousnesse of the iustyfied by this free grace might be declared and the bountifull liberalitye of Gods mercye made manyfest to the prayse and glorye of hys grace for thys cause is the rewarde declared vppon the outwarde worke as vppon the outwarde wytnesse of the inward righteousnesse of fayth to the open declaration of the truth of Gods promyses concernyng the womans séede namely Christ By the Prophet Esay hée sayth thus Hee shall iustifie the multitude for hee shall beare awaye their synnes And agayne the people shall bee all ryghteous and possesse the lande for euer The flower of my plantyng the woorkes of my handes whereof I wyll reioyce And agayne that they myght bee called trees of ryghteousnesse A plantyng of the Lordes for hym to reioyce in Wherefore for thys cause namely that the chosen myght bée declared to be ryghteous in the eyes of all the worlde and the triumph of Gods grace or fauour thereby celebrated by the open performaunce of these hys promisses that hée might be iustified in his sayinges and ouercome when he is iudged In consideration hereof I saye he openly pronounceth the fauourable rewarde accordyng to the open manifest works or fruites of the righteousnesse of fayth induyng them with the rewarde of righteousnesse whiche rewarde is of fauour in respect of Chryst apprehēded by fayth and yet pronounced vppon the woorkes as vppon that outwarde fruite whereby the inwarde righteousnesse of fayth is declared whiche hée doth to thys ende that the elect maye bee declared to be iustyfied and the performaunce of his promyses in Chryst made apparaunt so that for thys cause namelye to iustyfie Gods promyse concernyng thys free and mercifull deliueraunce in the sighte of all men to the encrease of the glory of hys grace that as all men heard the promise so all maye witnesse the performaunce thereof For thys cause I say is the fauourable rewarde pronounced according to the outwarde workes or fruites of the ryghteousnesse of fayth wheras if it had beene pronounced accordyng to the fayth no man coulde haue witnessed the true performaunce of the promyse And thys is the cause why the fauourable rewarde is declared vppon the woorkes And not that the workes are the cause of the rewarde For the only end of Gods actiou herein is as Paule testifieth the prayse of the glorye of hys grace whiche is also euydent by this saying of the Phrophet Ezechyell And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I shall doe good to you for myne owne names sake and not accordyng to your most wycked offences By whyche wordes it appeareth that God wyll not onely be ryghteous in the performance of hys frée mercifull promise but hée wyll haue all the worlde both sée and wytnesse the same for hée sayeth in thys promyse you shall knowe that I am the Lorde c. So that hereby God hath promysed to declare hys frée fauour in suche an outwarde subiect as man may bée able to sée and wytnes the fulfilling therof in that he sayeth ye shal know and yet therewyth all he geeueth a determinate caueat that that subiecte wherein hys goodnesse shall be declared shall not be the cause of his goodnesse expressyng playnely what shal be the cause thereof namely hys owne glory Affirming that it shall be for his owne names sake Not onely exceptyng workes from being the cause but also to expresse their great néede of mercye to couer their spottes shewed them touchyng their owne nature howe foule they bée in saying And not accordyng to your most wycked offences And in both the other places before rehearsed out of Esay where he promiseth to make all hys people ryghteous and that they should be called trees of ryghteousnesse This is specially to be noted that in both those places he affirmeth their righteousnesse shall bée the flower of hys plantyng the woorkes of hys handes and not of their owne addyng thereto the cause thereof namely for hym to reioyce in That is accordyng to Saynt Paules woordes For the prayse and glorye of hys grace And to thys ende are all the woorkes of GOD done that hee may
the shiftes which these busie hunters to robbe God of his honoure haue found out is this fayth say they doth iustifye but fayth is a worke therefore woorkes do iustifye To whome wee aunswere that faith in respect that it is our worke expressed by our will or vnderstanding iustifyeth not because it is feeble and weake for no man beléeueth so assuredly as hee is bounde nor doth so earnestly assent vnto the truth of Gods promises as he ought to do Wherefore whersoeuer fayth is sayde to iustifye fayth is there taken for the obiecte of faythe Namely for Christ and the mercye of God in the promise And for asmuche as it is the instrument which taketh holde thereof therefore is iustifycation imputed vnto it According to Saynt Paules sayinge Abraham beleeued God and that was imputed vnto him for ryghteousnesse so that fayth is sayde to iustify because it taketh holde of Chryst in the promise who doth iustifye and not in respect that fayth is a woorke of ours Wherefore examining thys argument of the aduersaries you shall sée how finely at the first they foist in a fallax called of the logitians fallacia accidentis That is the deceipt of the accident Inferring that in the conclusion wherunto that worde whereuppon it is inferred did not stretch it selfe in the second proposition for where it is sayde faith is a worke to be a worke of ours is but an accident vnto faith in respect of iustification for iustification commeth not because fayth is a worke of ours but because the mercie of God doth in the promise fréely geue it to al beleuers So that faith in the first proposition is referred and hath relation vnto the obiect of faith namely Christ and the mercy of God in the promise And in the second proposition fayth is there otherwise taken namely as it is a worke of ours Wherefore fayth not béeing one in bothe propositions the conclusion is falselye inferred Or more briefely it is aunswered thus Faith in the firste proposition is a relatiue in the predicament of relation as in the 8. chapter is declared and in the seconde proposition where it is considered as a worke it falleth in the predicament of qualitie wherby the argument hauing fower termes the conclusion must needes bée false An other of the aduersaries argumentes is thys Saint Paule affirmeth that of fayth hope and loue loue is the greatest or most excellent and in that the fulfillyng of the lawe consisteth and therefore iustification is rather to be imputed to the more excellent then to the inferior That loue is most excellent of the three it is euydent for fayth and hope haue only continuaunce vntill the thinges that bée beléeued and hoped for bée fully in mannes possessyon At whyche tyme they both shall ende but loue doth continue and florishe through all eternity and that it is the fulfilling of the law is in the. 4. chapter euydent For who so loued God and his neighbour so muche as he ought to doe shoulde surely fulfill the lawe But now touching their argument that because it is more excellēt therfore it must iustify that is more then childishe The eare is a farre more excellent instrument or organ of the bodye then is eyther the hand or mouth for thereby we receaue the glad promyses of God touchyng our whole felycytie Shoulde wee therefore inferre because the eare is the more excellent Organ or instrument that therefore we shoulde receaue oure meate wyth oure eares and not rather with the hand and mouth whiche though they be meaner yet are they instrumentes appoynted to that vse And so fayth though it bee the meaner yet is it the instrumēt appointed to that vse An other of the aduersaries shifts is this works say they iustified not in respect that they be our workes but in respect that they be the workes of God in vs Here is the shew of a goodlye substaunce but launch it a litle and you shall finde it nothing else but an emptye bladder puffed with wind onlye Marke whose be the woorkes whiche here they alledge are they not the workes of God in vs Doe they not imagine God to worke in vs but as hath bene before euidently shewed God woorketh vnto saluation in none but in those that bée hys children that is to say iustified for they that are led by the spirite of God they are the children of God that is iustified Why if they be his children alreadye the questyon is ended for those workes that come after they be his children can not be the purchaser of that estate whereof the doer was possessed before they were wrought wherefore those woorkes doe not iustifie him that was iustified before euer hee wrought them for he was the childe of God before he wrought them for they confesse God to dwell in hym and woorke in hym but God dwelleth and worketh in none vnto saluation but in hys children that is in the iustifyed as it is sayde before Wherefore gentle reader that thou mayest bee hable to vnfolde all the subtyll shyftes of the deceytfull aduersaryes intricate snares of thys kynde kéepe thys for a generall and sure rule whiche can neuer fayle thee Marke diligently whether in that worke wherby they wil haue iustification obtayned they auouche God to be anye worker or no. If they auouche hym to be no worker then by the. 4. and 5. chapters thou euidently séest that the work is abhominable vnto him If they auouch him to bée a woorker as in thys argument which I am sure they must néedes do thē say vnto them séeing God woorketh in them to saluation they are before hand the childrē of God that is iustified already for the Scripture affirmeth that they that are led by the spirite of God are the children of God but none bée hys children tyll they be iustified and therefore these workes whiche they auouch are the woorkes of such as be alredyiustified which is not in question for those woorkes can bée no helpe to obtayne hym that estate whereof hée was possessed before they were wrought and wythout the possessyon whereof they coulde neuer haue béene wrought Wherefore if they will haue woorkes to iustifie they must alledge such woorkes as God is no woorker in for God worketh in none vnto saluatyon but in such as be already iustified for whosoeuer is led by the spirite of God he is already iustified for he is the childe of God as I sayd before Nowe touchyng these Scriptures whiche I put in the last sort namelye where the righteous challēge and craue of god the reward of their innocencye and righteousnesse and as it were offer the same to be examined before hys iustice of whiche examples there be principally in the Psalmes whereof I will rehearse one or two Fyrst Dauyd in the. 7. Psalme Iudge me O Lord accordyng to my innocency and according to the cleanenes of my handes in thy sight And
so by hys abondant mercy he rayseth vs vp agayne The mercy of God farre excedeth hys other works Iohn 4. Rom. 8. Gen. 3. All creatures vnder heauen reuerence God in their kindes sauing onely man. The Sunne The Moone Starres The Ayre Lightning Thunder Hayle Snow Rayne Wynde The earth declareth the magnificence of god Beastes Fishes Foules Birdes in the ayre Trees Plantes A glasse wherein man may beholde himselfe Rom. â— Act. 14. Gen. 3. Gene. 22 Psal 135. Esay 19. Exod. 6. Leuit. 29. Deut. 6 Leuit. 19 God commaundeth vs to loue him God commaundeth vs to loue hym Definition of loue What it is to loue the Lord our God. Rom. 13 Deut. 6 Math. 5 Deut. 6. Leuit. 19. Definitien of the law Mans corrupt nature Man can not satisfy the law A false and corrupt doctrine God freelyâ— and of hys purpose procured mans redemption Gene. 3 As God is true so did he bind him self to perform mans deliuerance God renued his promyse for the resto ring of mankinde Gene. 22. Gene. 28. Gene. 3 Gene. 22. To the children of Israell God first gaue the law Two offices of the law The outward office of the law The spirituall office of the law 1. Cor. 15 Rom. 3 2. Cor. 3 Rom. 7 Rom. 4 Rom. 5 Gal. 3. Rom. 7 Gal. 3. An obiection of the papistes An answer Rom. 8. Cor. 2. De spiritu lite Cap. 36. Lib. de bono mortis Cap. 3. Super cantica ser 50. Lib 3 contra duas epist. Pelag. cap. 2. De lit et spi ad Marcellinum cap. 17. Asollico epist. 200. Expo quarundam epist. ad Rom .x. In lib. exposit epist. Paulâ— ad Galatas Super Ioan. tracta 3 cap. 1. The law doth shew 〈…〉 nne but not take away sinne The geuing of the law was horrible fearefull Exo. 34 Gal. 3. Esa. 7. Mich. 5 Gen. 49. Daniel 9. Esa. 53. Zac. 9. Esay 62. Zac. 9. Christ is the full raunsome and reconcilement â—or mans trangression 1. Cor. 15. Adam the first man made vs bond to 〈◊〉 And Christ the second man hath made vs free from sinne Ozee 13. Col. 2. Christ is our Aduocate to the father Esa. 53. Eph. 2. By Grace we are saued thorough faith and not of our selues Only fayth apprehendeth the promises of god Sola fides Grace Fayth Iustification Righteousnesse workes Definition of grace 2. Tim. 1. Eph. 1. Rom. 3. Titus 3 Eph. 2. Grace defined by the papistes Definition of habit Pelagians hereby 3 Reg. 18. Lament 5. Ezech. 11. Psa 51. Ioh. 6. Fayth diuersly taken in the scriptures Math. 13 The definition of faith Ebr. 10. 〈◊〉 Ioh. 5 In Mat. 5. De spirit et litera cap. 3 Act. 15. The opinion of the Schoiemen and Papistes of Fayth Sent lib. 3 distinct 23. Cap 1 The vnformed fayth of the Papistes The formed fayth of the Papistes Righteousnes how it is taken in the Scriptures and also Iustification Definition of iustification Rom. 4. Iustification taught by the Papistes Definition of workes Inward workes Outward workes Definition of good workes Math. 5. Works are a testimony of mans election 2. Peter 1. The errors of the Pa 〈…〉 s abo 〈…〉 workes Preparing worke of congruent merite There is no middle estate betwene God and the Deuill Eph. 2. Coll. 2. The work of the worker workes of Supererogation Blasphemy to Christes death and passioÌ„ Penaunce Christ Satisfaction Rightcousnes is un 〈◊〉 unto vs by the f 〈…〉 〈…〉 o sence and good will of God. Onely fayth attey neth 〈…〉 cation Ioh. 4. Only fayth John. 6. Fayth Fayth Fayth Ioh. 11. Fayth Ioh. 12. Fayth Act. 10. Only fayth Act. 16. Fayth Rom. 3. Fayth iustifieth without the vewes of the law Rom. 4. Fayth Fayth Fayth iustefieth Fayth iustefyeth without workes of the law Faith saueth Fayth iustiuÌ„eth Rom. 11. Gala. 2. Gal. 3. Abac. 2 Gal. 3 Gal. 5. Fayth and not workes iustiuÌ„eth vs Titus 3. Augustide tempore serm 61 Solafides Faith alone Exclusa est gloriatio Solafides Rom. 3. Only fayth Sola fides Fayth noly Sermon 7. Sola fides Fayth only Serm. 8. Sola fides Chrisostom in priore ad Timoth. Cap. 1. Homel 4 Sola fides Fayth only Sola fides Fayth only Serm de fide et lege Sola fide Basilius homilia de humilitate Ambrosuâ— Roma 4. Sola fides Fayth only Sola fides Fayth only Rom 4. Sola fides Only fayth Rom. 9. Sola fides Only fayth Rom. 11. Solaf ides Only fayth Fayth only 1. Cap. 1. epi ad Corinth Sola fides Fayth only Sola fides Fayth is not the efficient cause of our iustification but God only Newnes of life Rom. 6 Rom. 6. Col. 3. Eph. 4 Col. 3 Eph. 4 1. Cor. 6. Titus 2. Col. 1 Eph. 2. Mar. 12. Luke 11. Gre. lib. 24 cap. 12. moralium The deuill is a great enemy to a vertuous good life Rom. 7 True fayth is knowen by good workes Tit. 3. Good workes are the fruites of good fayth Ephes 1. True fayth must be witnessed by deedes De vocatione gentium lib. 1. Cap. 8 Good workes Rom. 8 Good workes De 12. abusionibus Cap. 7 Definition of faythfull workes The good workes of the law The good workes of the faithfull Good workes follow iustification not iustification worke Eph. 2. Libro de fide et operibus cap. 14. In euangel Ioh. trac 86. Two thinges required to euery good worke Ose 6. Ose 4. Mat. 12. Iob. 23. Psal 119 we cannot leade a pure christian life without the knowledge of the will of god Phil. 1. 1. Cor. 2. Psal 119. Affection of the hart is required to the performaunce of good workes Man of his owne nature hath affection to rebession and Iust to all wickednes The Papistes haue builded a labirinth of error and a maâ—e for their owne confusion Such scriptures as promising reward to workes procure men to laboure for the same are aunswered and expounded An answer to the argument of the papistes Eph. 2. Esay 53 Esay 60. Esa. 61 Esa. 60. 61. Eph. 1. What price and value our workes is accompted of in the scriptures Gen. 8. Iob. 4. Iob. 25. Pro. 20 Psal 143. Iere. 1 Esa. 64. Iob. 15 3. Esor 4. Rom. 7. Rom. 3. Cardinall Caietan If no man can do that he ought I pray you what place leaueth this Cardinall to vndue workes or workes of sunetero gation Thus can God vse his enemies to make them sometimes confesse the truth agaist them selues Morah lib. cap. 28. The opinion of y fa. thes concerning merits Origenes Rom. 4. Augustin in Psal 30 We haue no fayth that can deserue grace for it is freely geuen vs of God. There goeth no merites of man before the grace of God. Dutie or debt hath two senses He that laboureth is worthy of his hire A debt that groweth of loue not of duetie Where this worde debt or duetie is truely vnstand there no desert is looked for De natura gratia Cvp 4.
brought in sinne and death 2. That that transgression made man an apt subiect for the two properties of God namely iustice and mercy to worke vpon 3. That for the manifestyng of maÌ„s subiection to both those properties the declaration of the law was nedefull wherein the condition of his estate might appeare 4. That the nature of the lawe is to be knowen and what is requisite to the fulfilling thereof and the contrarietie betwene the same the corrupt nature of man. 5. To what end the lawe should be geueÌ„ vnto man he hauing no power to satisfie any part of the same 6. How man regarded the lawe how in Christ the promised seede the couenaunt concerning mans restitution was consummate 7. How the obedience and death of Christ was a full satisfaction for the disobedience and deserued death purchased to al mankinde by AdaÌ„ 8. To enquire the nature of the new couenaunt what on the behalfe of maÌ„ is required to the atteinment of righteousnes in the same 9. To know the certaine tokens of that faith wherunto iustification is imputed the differeÌ„ce betwen the workes of the faithfull the workes required in the lawe 10. To know what iustificatioÌ„ or righteousnes it is which the scriptures attribute to works also what fayth it is against which S. Iames speaketh why iustificatioÌ„ is imputed to fayth and not to workes THE IMAGE of Nature and Grace ¶ That Adams wilfull transgression made him and his ofspring rebels to God and brought in sinne and death Cap. 1. THe eternal wisdome of God hauyng created Adam our first father after the excelleÌ„cie of his owne Image adorned naturally with iustice holines and all perfection to be vnto hym as it were the beauty and glory of all hys workes so aduaunced him by his creation aboue the rest of all his earthlye creatures that vnto him alone he gaue the rule and preheminence in nature to be their Lord and ruler That is to whome all they should obey and serue for the first taste of the which excellent dignitie and prerogatiue he placed theÌ„ all before him as before their soueraign Lord from his mouth to receiue seuerally their titles and proper names according to the whiche they all were called Then geuing Eua vnto hym for his helper he placed him in the garden of Eden the possession of all earthly delightes appointing vnto him the kéeping therof with frée libertie for hys reliefe and comfort to taste eate of all the excellent fruites therein the onely trée of knowledge of good and euill excepted of the whiche he forbade hym to eate affirmyng that what houre soeuer he tasted therof he shoulde dye the death Now forasmuch as the matters here spoken of namely the Image of God in man and mans originall iustice and perfection do iustly chalenge some explication therof as well that the excellency of Gods first benefites towardes man might after a certayne maner bée séene and the glorious estate of his former dignitie more gréedily thristed for agayne and also the outrage of his ingratitude with greater detestation abhorred and the filthines and foule corruption of his nature and miserye of his presente estate by vewe of his former perfection more perfectly paynted out And finally that the triumphe of Gods vnspeakeable mercy in Christe which notwithstanding so huge transgression hath not onely pardoned him but also adopted hym into the fellowship and libertie of his owne sonne that all these I say might be made the more apparaunt those wordes do iustly chalenge some explicatioÌ„ Wherfore where it is sayd that man was created after the image of God it is to bée vnderstand that he was created the most excellent earthly creature being made partener of the naturall goodnes and vertue of God namely holy wise iust pure good true immortall c. hauyng both power perfectly to know God also power and fréewil constantly to beleue him to serue him to obey him to loue him to feare him and to be shorte to perfourme such workes as aunswered to the image of so excellent a Paterne And therefore doth Tertullian writing agaynst Marcion moste excellently and briefly define the Image of of God thus Haec ergo imago censenda est dei in homine quod eosdem motus sensus habeat humanus animus quos deus heet non tales quâ—les deus pro substantia enim status exitus distant Therefore is this to be accouÌ„ted the image of God in man that the mynde of man must haue the same mouinges felings which god hath although not euen suche as God hath for as touching substance of state and ende they differ That is to say that is the image of God which naturally loueth that which god loueth hateth that which god hateth which of very nature iudgeth of all things according to the iudgemeÌ„t of God All which thinges were necessary to the duety of mans office for seyng God had made and created hym as it were his liuetenaunt or vicegerent ouer all his earthly creatures it was necessary that to their gouernement hys nature should participate of the excellent properties of God that thereby in the whole execution of his office hée might haue power not to swerue from his duty and obedience required in the same And hereby appeareth what originall righteousnes was in maÌ„ namely holines knowledge wisedome iustice purenes goodnes truth immortalitie loue temperance chastitie vnlust fréedome from sinne naturall and willing obedience to God hauing power to do good not to sinne not to dye c. and that he in respect of this excellente and glorious condicion of this original nature is called the image of god It is thus out of the Scriptures of God easily gathered Thus writeth Paul to the Ephesians Lay from you the olde maÌ„ which is corrupt through the deceiuable lustes and be ye renued in the spirit of your mynde and put on the new man which after God is shapen in righteousnes and true holines And again the same Paul to the Colos sayth Lye not one to another seyng ye haue put of the olde man with his workes and haue put on the newe which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that made him Now what the putting on of this new willingly forgetfull of his creator from whome he had not onely receyued hys beyng but also the prerogatiue of so excellent dignity He I say missed by deceitfull perswation neglecting the glorye of his creator rather gaue credite to the light perswasion of his wife then to the reuerend and dreadfull maiesty For his wife being deceiued by the serpent supposed the commaundemeÌ„t to haue bene geuen rather of subteltie to hinder their dignitye and as it were a scarcrowe to fray them from the tast of that fruite whereby their excellency might increase or as though God had rather not vouchsafed them that further good happe which by taste thereof was
of it This call they a fayth sufficiēt vnto saluation is not this a pestilent and wicked doctrine that such as haue no touch of godly feare nor any féelyng of true godlynes should be sayd to possesse all true faith necessary to saluatiō where it is proued before in the proffe of the true definition of fayth that one of the properties of true fayth is to purifie the hartes of all thē that possesse it Let this both touchyng the description of true fayth and the counterfaite faith of the Papistes suffice and let vs procede to shew in what sense the righteousnes or iustification is to be taken which fayth by grace apprehendeth For the doyng whereof it is necessary to shew how diuersly the word righteousnes is vsed Sometyme it is vsed for that common righteousnes whiche naturally cleaueth vnto man wherby euen in the heathen the opposition of generall vertues and generall vices was vnderstand and the contrary estimation of both therby generat And this righteousnes is common to all men In another sense it is vsed for that outward righteousnes which by the good fruites or workes of suche as bee already iustified is apparaunt in the eyes of men Therefore in neither of these senses is the worde righteousnes or iustification taken in this place wherfore that which here is ment may thus be defined Iustification is a frée remission of sinne imputation of righteousnes vnto man through fayth in Christ The truth of this definition is proued by these words of Paul Abraham beleued God and that was imputed to hym for righteousnes To him that worketh the reward is not counted of fauor but of duty but to hym that worketh not but beleueth on hym that iustifieth the vngodly hys faith is counted to him for righteousnes euen as Dauid describeth the blessefulnes of the man vnto whom God ascribeth ryghteousnes without deedes saying Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes are forgeuen and whose sins are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne by these wordes of Paul it is plaine that God iustifieth the vngodly whiche beleueth by forgeuyng hys vnrighteousnes and couering his sins and imputation of righteousnes vnto hym without deedes and that it is fréely done Saint Paule also declareth for all sayth hée haue synned and are destitute of the glory of GOD and are iustyfied freely by hys grace therefore is iustyfication ryghtly saide to bée a frée remyssyon of sinnes and imputation of ryghteousnesse vnto man through faith in Chryst Thus hauing declared what iustification or ryghteousnesse is truely gathered out of the scryptures of God I wyll also briefly note what the Papistes and Scholemen accompt it to be wherein you shall perceaue the building thereof to be wholy raysed from their deuysed grace whereof is sufficyentlye spoken Thus wryteth the mayster of the sentences Mors ergo Christi nos iustificat dum per eam charitas excitatur in cordibus nostris For the death of Chryst doth iustifie vs when as by it charitye is stirred vp in our heartes By whiche woordes it appeareth that hée affirmeth the death of Chryst no otherwyse to iustifie vs but by excitation or styrring of the mynde vnto good woorkes by them to bée iustyfied so that in déede they accompt iustificatyon to signifie nothing else but a certayne qualitie or vertue or infusion of a certayne habit into the mynde inclyning or mouyng the same to goodnes that by the workes thereby produced righteousnes may be attayned Whyche assertion of theirs affirmeth ryghteousnesse to come of oure selues through our owne woorkes onelye addyng thys exception that first through the merite of Chryst a certaine habyt or preuentyng grace doth inclyne the minde to the execution of those workes whereby iustification is attayned whiche is both by the true definytion of iustification false and also by the manifest woordes of Saynt Paule whiche so many tymes affirmeth iustification to consist in the free imputation of righteousnesse vnto man through faith Abraham sayeth he beleued God and that was imputed vnto him for ryghteousnesse It appeareth that these men accompt the generall power or vertue of God whereby hée produceth and conserueth hys creatures and whereby euen in the heathen certaine morall or ciuill good woorkes are wrought to further the doers thereof vnto iustificatyon Thus are some of them not ashamed to dreame that suche as bée not regenerate may do suche good woorkes as maye merite the first grace as they call it whereby the mynde beyng styrred hath by their doctryne frée wyll to admit the same whichebeyng once admitted certayne woorkes of suche perfection are thereby produced as in a sort bée acceptable to God and do meryte the fauour of Chryst and in a sort do iustyfie though not by full and exact worthinesse yet by a certayne conuenyencye or congruencye ay they call it accordyng whereunto they name these woorkes congruent merites That is to say suche merites as in equitie deserue fauour though they satisfie not the extremitie of the lawe And these first works they call preparing workes meanyng that suche prepare the doers vnto regeneratyon Thys their diuinitie séemeth to bée gathered oute of thys sentence in the ciuyll law Summum ius Summa iniuria extreme ryght is extreme wrong And therfore they wyll scan wyth God the equitie of the lawe inferryng thereupon that by the power of nature man is able to fulfill the commaundement in asmuch as appertayneth to the substaunce of the worke required therein though not fully in suche sort as the intent of the commaunder requireth that is though the doyng thereof procéedeth not from loue and the spiryte they bée able to satisfie the equitie as it were of the commaundemēt though not the rigor or extremitie thereof and hereby appeareth howe fully agayne they haue wallowed themselues from euill to worsse till at length they be perfectly tumbled agayne into a Pellagian heresie for by what soeuer good worke nature hath power and frée wyll before iustificatyon to meryte the first grace wythall seeyng by that first grace once obtayned iustification doth by their congruence follow it is of necessity that that first meritorious work is the cause of thys their iustificatyon and so nature hath of it selfe in equitie power to iustifye The horrible error of which doctrine is more then euident by that whiche hath bene shewed before aswell by the true definition of iustification as by the fourth and fifth chapters where the filthynes of corrupt nature is euidently declared Let thys touching the true signification of righteousnes or iustification and the errors of the Papistes about the meaning therof suffice Now resteth somwhat to be said concerning workes Wherefore in one signification workes are those thynges which by practice of arte are done and apparantly remayne as all thyngs wrought by any handy craft are called the workes of the doer In another signification workes are the actions of men produced by the willyng motion of the mind which
also admit another deuision For some of them be onely inward workes or workes of the mynde as to beleue to hope to feare to loue and such like And some other are from the mynde produced into external or outward acte to geue geue almes to succor to preach to teach and such lyke All which be called outwarde workes And workes in both these latter significations be those whereof in thys matter is spoken but for so much as some of them be good and some euill therefore that the difference may appeare good workes may thus be defined Good workes are onely such workes as in the commaundementes of God be required or in any other place of Scriptures for the further explication of them expressed which tend to the true worship of God and outward witnessing of mans election in Christ The truth of thys definition is thus proued for the firste parte Namely that all the workes be good whiche in the commaundementes or any other place of the Scriptures for theyr further explication be appointed It is euident for so muche as hereby we know them to be good workes for that by God the doyng of them is commaunded Secondly that they tende to the true worshippyng of GOD it is thus proued by Christ hymselfe where he sayth Let your lyght so shyne before men he telleth the ende wherefore it should shine namely that others seeing your good woorkes may glorifie your father which is in heauen Here is the ende of good workes namely the glory and worship of god And for asmuch as God is not worshipped vnles he be truely worshipped for he is worshipped in spirite and truth therefore they onely be good workes which tende to the true worship of God which secondly was to be proued Nowe touching the last part that they be a testimony of mans election in Christ it is euident by these wordes of Peter Brethren sayth he be more diligent by good woorkes to make your election sure whereby it appeareth that good works are a testimony of the assurance of his election in Christ whereby the truth of the definition appereth and by this definition it is plaine that all superstitious workes of mans inuention be no good woorkes forasmuch as they tende not to the true worship of god Here resteth againe somewhat to bee opened of the erroures of the papistes aboute woorkes whereof they haue for their purpose deuised diuers strange distinctions as theyr preparing workes of congruent merite their Opus operantis or worke of the woorker their Opus operatum or acte of outward execution and their vndue woorkes or woorkes of supererogation Wherefore first touching their preparing worke of congruent merite wherof somwhat hath bene sayd before in the discourse about iustification first what they feigne them it appeareth namely the fruites of that theyr preuenting grace which they imagine to reduce a man into such a traunce as they faygne him therin as a man might say neyther dead in sinne nor aliue in Christ whereby all morall or ciuill woorks wrought though of nature they be not absolutely worthy workes to merite full righteousnes yet by a certayne conueniency as they terme it in equity they deserue fauour and so prepare toward the full attaynment of iustification and these be all the morall workes which be wrought by such as be not regenerate The error of which drowsie dreame is more then palpable for the scripture of God can acknowledge no middle estate betwene God and the deuill He that is not against him is directly with him he that gathereth not together letteth not thinges lye vntouched but he scattereth abrode He that is not aliue in Christ is dead in sinne S. Paule could paynt out no meane estate betwéene both he consessed all eyther quicke in Christ or dead in sinne The rewarde saith he of sinne is death And again You hath he made aliue that were dead in trespasses and sinne And agayne to the Colossians And ye which were dead in sinne and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened with him so that there is no meane estate Eyther the woorkers of theyr preparing woorkes be aliue in Christ or dead in sinne But a liue in Christ they cannot be by these woordes of Paule for all before regeneration are dead wherefore euen as a dead man hath in him selfe no power at al to prepare himselfe towardes life againe so al being before regeneration dead in sinne haue no power at all to woorke any worke that may prepare them vnto lyfe or regeneration And for that cause doth Paule call them dead in sinne that they might know themselues as vtterly vnable to helpe towardes their own regeneration as a dead carcas is to helpe it selfe to the attaynment of life agayne Whereby the vilenes of this presumptuous inuention of preparing woorkes appeareth Now touching their workes called Opus operantis or worke of the worker after theyr meaning it is thys namely the acte and holy purpose of the minde wherewith the worker goeth about any worke which they counte holy and theyr Opus operatum or acte executed is the outward execution of the same woork Now touching theyr vndue workes or workes of superogation it is necessary for playne vnderstanding what they meane to rehearse the inuention of the forged fable thereof For the grounde wherof they begin wyth a goodly and bewtifull shewe of aduauncemente of Gods vnspeakable sauour towardes vs God say they who might haue prescribed vs such straight and seuere precepts to haue bene obserued as had ben vtterly to vs impossible hath notwithstanding delt more fauourably with vs and commaunded vs nothing but that which if we list we be able to perform and a great deale more And yet notwithstanding he demaundeth no farther of vs but to performe the same by the doing whereof we shall deserue saluation though we do no more But if any be towardes God so liberally minded that he will of hys francke disposition do more neyther shall he lose the prayse nor reward of the same And this ouerplus aboue the fulfilling of the cōmaundementes is that they call theyr vndew workes or workes of supererogation superabhominatiō I should say Who euer heard a more presūptuous blasphemy Doth not the commaūdemēt require a full obediēce willing desire natural pronenes of the whole man as in the 4. chapter is euidently shewed Now then if the whole indeuour of all the parts of man be thus tyed by iust bond of dutie vnto the cōmaundement from whence then commeth theyr ouerplus of vndue woorkes Nay is it not both there and in the v. chapter euidently proued that man is vtterly vnable to fulfill the commaundement and that the Lawe was not by Moyses deliuered vnto man to the ende he should enable him selfe to the fulfilling thereof but contrariwise by vew of his insufficiency to driue him to Christ But will ye know why these men inuented this
et in lege possit deleri hoc decreuit vt solam fidem poneret per quam onmium peccata aboleret vt quia nulla spes per legem omnibus hominibus erat dei misericordia saluarentur Because sin began to be increased by the craft of the aduersary that man through the restraint mought bee found more giltie God of hys mercifull goodnes alwayes carefull for man that that which without law was transgressed might in the lawe be blotted out decreed this Namely to appoint fayth onely to be the meane whereby he would extinguish the sinne of all men that seing no hope was left to any man in the lawe they might by the mercy of God be saued Agayne the same Ambrose In Christo Iesu data est gratia quia hoc constitutum est vt qui credit in Christum saluus sit sine opere sola fide gratîs accipiens remissionem peccatorum In Christ Iesu is grace geuen forasmuch as this with God is decreed that who so beleueth in Christ is saued by fayth only without worke receauing freely forgeuenes of sinnes Agayne Hillarius vpon the 8. of Mathew hath these wordes Sola fides iustisicat onely fayth doth iustifie Notwithstandyng these authorities of Scriptures and fathers yet do the aduersaries kéepe styll theyr brasen faces and stoutly sweare it stare it out that none but heretickes and schismatickes affirme that onely faith iustifieth Truely gentle reader if thou béest not setled in error thou cāst not but see their wicked and shameles facing in crying out that we corrupt the scriptures and that none of the fathers gathered out any such sense or meanyng of them concerning which matter thou hast heard diuers of them tell theyr owne tales Now it is here principally to be noted that wher mans iustification is a free remission of sinnes and imputation of righteousnes vnto hym through fayth in Christ it may be that because the phrase of the Scriptures of these aucthorityes attribute the same so many tymes to fayth that therefore some myght gather thereby that fayth is the efficiēt cause of mans iustification which is not so for the efficient cause is onely God euē as sinful mā destitute of Gods grace is the materiall cause and as the declaratiō of Gods iustice righteousnesse in performaunce of hys free promyse to the encrease of the glory of hys grace is the finall cause And forasmuch as vnto this worke two instrumentes were requisite the one to be vsed by God whiche was Chryst of whom hée made the sacrifice and offeryng the other to be vsed by man whiche is fayth Therefore that fayth beyng as I saide the instrument whiche taketh holde of the promyse hath relation vnto the obiecte of fayth Namely vnto Chryst and the promyse and so hath the title of iustification imputed vnto it for so sayth the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and God imputed that to him for righteousnesse Whyche Paule dyuers tymes rehearseth to shewe that fayth is not the efficient cause of iustificatyon but the obiecte of fayth Namelye Chryst and the promyse And that fayth receyueth the tytle thereof onelye by imputation and not by proprietie of nature Namely because it is that wherewith man taketh holde of Christ and the promise whiche I thought worthy the notyng Thus hauyng shewed the nature of the newe couenaunt touchyng mans iustification and that fayth is the onely meane required in man to the attaynement thereof it followeth Cap. 9. ¶ To know the certayne tokens of that fayth wherunto iustification is imputed and the difference betwene the workes of the faythfull the works required in the law FAyth beyng the gift of God as Paule to the Phillippians affirmeth for vnto you sayth he it is geuen not onelye to beleue in Christ but also to suffer for hym fayth I say beyng the gyft of God is accompanyed wyth newnesse of lyfe which possesseth suche beautyes of Gods grace as forthwyth kyndle the soule or mynde wyth desire of true obedyence vnto God by ingraftyng hym both into the similitude of the death of Christ whereby he dyeth vnto sinne and also into the similitude of hys resurrection whereby hée ryseth vnto a newe lyfe beyng sure that the olde man of synne is crucified that henceforth hée shoulde no more be seruaunt to sinne So that now she trayneth hys affection towardes the thynges aboue from the thynges on the earth in that hée is dead to synne his life béeing hydden in Chryst wyth God whereby hée laboureth to mortifye the affectiōs of the earthly members as hauing put of the olde man with hys workes and put on the new whiche is renued in knowledge after the Image of God shapen vnto righteousnesse and true holines laboring not to greue the spirite of God by whom he is sealed vnto the daye of redemption but knowing himselfe the temple of the holy ghost laboreth to clense and purifie the same Whiche desire is not now kindled in hym as in respecte of merite but as proper and peculiar vnto the faith which through grace hath takē the possession of the mind wherby he is trāsformed into the similitude of Chryst so that where before he yelded himselfe seruant vnto all the workes of the fleshe now contrarywise he laboureth to pursue all the woorkes proper vnto the spirite Beyng certayne that the grace of God whyche bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth hym that hée shoulde denye vngodlinesse and worldly lust◠and that he should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present lyfe Séeyng Chryst gaue him selfe for him to redéeme him from all vnrighteousnesse to purge hym peculiar vnto him selfe feruently geuen to good workes that so he might walke worthy of the Lorde in all thinges that please being fruitfull in all good woorkes and increasing to the knowledge of God because hée is hys workemanshyp created in Chryst Iesus vnto good woorkes whiche God ordayned that he shoulde walke in them Now forasmuch as these be the proprieties or fruites belongyng to regeneration whyche entreth wyth true fayth Therefore presentlye where soeuer she taketh place shée maketh her selfe knowne by these effectes and forthwith vpon her arriuall begynneth fight with the olde man of sinne and déedes of the same And whereas before whilèst the strong armed man namely the deuill kept the pallace that is possessed the soule or mynde all thinges were in peace that is man slumbred in security féelyng no fight in conscience Now so soone as a stronger commeth in place namelye the holy ghost furnishyng the minde with true faith whereupon newnes of lyfe and true godlinesse atténde Then foorthwyth entreth man into the christian fight for presently all the forenamed graces are encountred by the deuyll and the corruptyon of hys sinfull and rebellious nature according to these sayinges Hostis noster adhuc in hac vita nos positos quanto magis nos sibi rebellare
conspicit tanto amplius expugnare contendit eos autem pulsare negligit quos quieto iure possidere se sentit Our enemy so long as wee bee in this lyfe howe muche the more hee seeth vs rebell agaynst hym so muche the more he stryueth to vanquyshe vs but hee neglecteth to smyte those whom hee féeleth hymselfe to possesse wyth quyettytle So that forthwith vpon his entry into newnesse of lyfe hée féeleth iust cause to crie with holy Paule I knowe the lawe is spirituall but I am carnall solde vnder sinne for I alow not that which I do what I woulde that do I not but what I hate that do I c. These conflictes attende continually vppon true fayth whiche can no more from her be seperate then heat from fire and moysture from water Hereby shée be wayeth her selfe these propertyes declare where shee dwelleth Wherfore whosoeuer findeth in himselfe an vndoubted perswasion of the frée fauour of God onely in the merits or deserts of Chryst hauing that confirmed in hym by the testimony of the holy ghost bréedyng a desire of continuall wrestlyng agaynst sin and the irkesome lothyng of hys often falles the hunger of well doyng though through corruption of nature he want the abilitie to performe in suche sorte as he wisheth whosoeuer I saye hath thys fayth thus confirmed hée assuredlye is possessed of righteousnesse and hath the true apprehension of the death of Christ and the earnest penny or pledge of hys election And to thys ende cryeth Peter Brethren geeue more dyly gence to make your callyng and election sure by good workes as though he shoulde haue said Brethren be diligent and labour continually in good workes that they may be to you a sure pledge witnesse that you are the elect of God in Chryst For that onely is the true fayth whereunto righteousnes is imputed which maketh herself known by good works without whyche yée can neyther shewe the obedyence of Gods chyldren nor yelde testimonye of your fayth nor outward witnes of your election in Chryst And againe S. Paule to the same effect vnto Titus This is a true saying and of these thynges I wyll thou shouldest certyfie that they whyche haue beleeued in GOD myght bee diligent to mayntayne good works These thynges are good and profitable vnto men Surely good woorkes are so profitable as I sayde before that wythout them we can neyther shew our obedience to God nor geue certayn testimony that true fayth dwelleth in vs without which fayth we can pretende no iust tytle to the kyngdome of god Where-Fore aboue all thynges it behoueth euery man that maketh claime thereunto to declare his fayth by these euydente fruites for vnlesse the same bée wytnessed by hys woorkes and fight agaynst sinne if death preuent him not assuredlye he hath but a vayne opinion and no fayth in déede Hereby I trust the indifferent reader can not but sée how wroÌ„gfully the aduersaries vsurping the name of catholickes charge them of our profession vnder the scorned name of gospellers some wyth the contempt of good woorkes and some others saye that though wée mayntaine good woorkes yet wée géeue the people no encouragement thereunto séeyng we say they help not to iustification And therefore wée talke of good woorkes but as it were to no ende In deede any such end by them as a price of our redemptyon we knowe none wée leaue the glorye of that triumphe to God alone Seyng hée hath by playne wordes reserued the same for the prayse and glorye of his grace and fauour But if they will alow thys for an ende thus muche we constantly affirme that what soeuer he be that seeketh not by continuall labour in good workes and detestation of hys owne former wickednes as the true and inseparable frutes of fayth to declare hys obedience to God that GOD therby may be glorified and the truth of hys fayth touchyng hys saluation witnessed assuredly as I sayd before he hath but a vayne opinion and no fayth in deede neither anye sure warrant to make title to the death of Christ We constantly affirme that as the Sunne caÌ„ be sene by no other light but by that which he geueth hymself So can faith by no other means be discerned but by the fruits or works proceding from her self We say with Ambrose Proprium hoc habet noua creatura per gratiam vt qui figmentum Dei sunt et natiuitate coelesti conduntur in Christo non otio torpeant nec desidia resoluantur sed de virtute in virtutem proficiant per viam bonorum operum ambulando This hath the new creature through grace proper vnto him that they which be the workemanshyp of GOD and in Christe are builded in the heauenly birth maye not slugge in idlenes not be resolued in slouthe but muste goe forwarde from vertue to vertue walkyng by the waye of good workes and agayn with the same Ambrose Gratia Dei a timore liberati accipimus spiritum adoptionis filiorum vt considerantes quid eramus quid dono Dei sumus adepti magna cum diligentia vitam nostram ordinemus ne â—nomen Dei patris in nobis iniuriam patiatur ea omnia quae euafimus veluti ingrati incurramns Beyng deliuered from feare throughe the fauor of God we receaue the spirite of children of adoption that consideryng what we were and what by the gift of God we haue attayned we should order our lyfe with great diligence least the name of God the father should in vs suffer iniurie and least as ingratefull we runne into all those mischiefs which we haue escaped We say also with Cyprian Igitur Christianus qui nominis Christi similitudinem tenet morum quoque eius similitudinem habere decet Christianus nemo dicitur rectè nisi qui Christo moribus cooequatur Therefore it becommeth a Christian man that holdeth the similitude of the name of Christe to haue also the similitude of his maners No man is rightly called a Christian but he that imitateth Christ in his conditions If this be no end of good workes gentle reader iudge indifferently But now if wee should ioyne handes with our aduersaries to examine whether the good workes of the faythful be able to satisfie the rigor of the law as though we suspected the matter this cannot be denied that we must way them in the ballance agaynst the workes required in the law to try whether they aswel kepe the inward weight as the outward fashion And if there they also be found to light then shall good workes still remaine for a witnes of our fayth and obedience that God by them may be glorified and passe for no penny payment in the price of the purchase of righteousnes Wherfore for the triall of this matter it is necessary we séeke the definition of faythfull workes gathered out of the definition of fayth expressed in the viij Chapter in this sorte The good workes
reioyce and haue glorye in them Whereby it appeareth that hys glory and not mans works is the cause of the rewarde And that workes doe nothyng else but declare that that man vppon whom the frée rewarde and performaunce of the mercifull promyse is bestowed is righteous and hath by fayth attayned the promyse The rewarde is declared vppon workes as vppon that onely subiecte whiche was able to manifest the righteousnesse of fayth And to make the performaunce of Gods mercifull and frée promyse apparaunt to all men that hee myght be iustified in his saying and ouercome when hee is iudged Hauyng nowe shewed in what sort al places of the scrypture which attribute rewardes vnto woorkes are to be vnderstand excludyng vtterly mans merite or desert according to the true nature of grace and fayth expressed in the. 8. Chapter and also agreable vnto the ende of Gods purpose expressed both by these places before rehearsed oute of the prophets and also by Paul namely reseruyng vnto hys free fauour grace the whole prayse glory of thys woorke as the final cause thereof hauing shewed thys I wyll returne to shew what price mans woorkes are of by the scriptures and how the ancient fathers accompted of them First it is sayde in Genesis the imagination of mans heart is euill euen from hys youth And it is sayde in Iob. beholde hee founde vntruth in hys seruauntes and in hys Angelles there was follye howe muche more in those that dwell in houses of clay and whose foundatyon is but duste And agayne How may a man compared vnto GOD bee iustyfied or how can hee bee cleane that is borne of a woman beholde the Moone shyneth not in comparyson of hym and the Starres are vncleane in hys sight then howe muche more man that is but corruption and the sonne of man that is but a woorme And agayne VVho can say my heart is cleane I am pure from sinne And agayne Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt for in thy sight shall no man liuyng bee iustyfied And agayne Though thou washe thee wyth Nitrus and take thee muche Sope yet thyne iniquitie is marked before mee sayeth the Lorde GOD. Agayne VVe are all as an vncleane thyng all our righteousnesse are as menstruous clothes Agayne All men are liers Agayne The hart of man is wycked vnsearcheable Agayne VVhat is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he shoulde be ruste beholde he found no stedfastnes in hys Sainctes yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight how much more is man abhominable filthy which drinketh iniquitie like water Agayn All the children of men are vnrighteous yea all their workes are vnrighteous and there is no truth in them Agayne In my fleshe dwelleth no good thinges And agayne All haue gone out of the way all haue bene made vnprofitable Agayne There is none righteous no not one they are all become abhominable there is none that doth good no not one And Christ hym selfe sayth VVhē you haue done all that is commaunded you say you be vnprofitable seruauntes Upon the which wordes of Christ it shall not be amisse to note what one of the Popes owne Cardinals Thomas de Vio writeth Neta parabolam pro memoria et conclusionem pro documento si seruando onmia praecepta sunnis inutiles nec habemus vnde superbiamus quid sentiendum de nobisipsis est qui non omnia seruamus qui multorum rei sumus sed quid de nobis dico quum nullus dicere possit quod debeham feci nisi qui exemptus est a dicendo dimitte nobis debita nostra Quod ergo dicitur quum fecer t is omnia non dicitur quòd facturi essent omnia sed quòd si etiam facerent omnia sed quòd quum merita habuerint facientium omnia praecepta recognoscant se seruos inutiles vt a fortiori recognoscant se minus quà m inutiles hoc est debiteres reos multorum quae debebant seu debent facere Note the parable for remembrance the conclusion for your learning if in keeping all the commaundementes we be vnprofitable and haue nothing to be proud of what shall we thinke of our selues which do not keepe all which be giltie in manie of them what I say shall we thinke of our selues when none of vs all can say I haue done that I ought vnlesse any be priuiledged from saying forgeue vs our trespasses VVherfore where it is sayd when ye haue done all thinges it is not therefore sayd as though they could do all things but for this cause that though they could do all thinges and though they could haue the merites of such as performe all the cōmaundements they must acknowledge them selues vnprofitable seruantes that by a much stronger argument they might acknowledge thē selues lesse then vnprofitable that is detters and giltie of many thinges which they ought and are bound to do Which thinges Gregorye well vnderstood when he sayd Humana iustitia diuinae iustitia comparata iniustitia est quia lucerna in tenebris fulgere cernitur sed in Solis radiis posita tenebratur Mans righteousnes compared with the iustice of God is wickednes for euen a candle is seen to shine in the darke but being set in the beames of the Sunne it is darkned Hauing now shewed by these authorities what is the worthines of mans workes it plainly appeareth what merite is in them namely the merite of damnation And touching the opinion of the fathers concerning merites Thus writeth Origen Sicut hoc quod subsistimus non potest intelligi quia ex operis nostri mercede subsistimus sed euidenter dei munus est quod simus gratia conditoris qui nos esse voluit ita et si haereditatem promissonum dei capiamus diuina gratia est non alicuius debiti aut operis merces As it can not be vnderstand that we be that which we now be for the hire of our owne worke but that we be is euidently the gift of God and the fauour of the creator which would haue vs to be euen so although we may receaue the inheritance of the promise of God it commeth of the fauour of God not being the hire of any dutie or worke And thus saith S. Augustine writing vpon these wordes of the 30. Psal Deliuer me in thy righteousnes Quis inquam est qui scruatur gratis is in quo non inuenit seruator quod coronet sed quod damnet non inuenit merita bonorum sed inuenit merita suppliciorum VVho is he I say that is saued frely Euen he in whom the Sauiour findeth nothing to crowne but to condemne no merite of good thinges but desert of punishment Againe the same Augustine in his epistle to Pauline Operibus debitum redditur gratia gratis datur vnde nuncupatur si quis autem
by workes is declared to bée righteous it concludeth euen as in the aunswere to theyr former aucthorities that all the world may acknowledge the performaunce of Gods mercyful promise in Christ towardes the electe Who by their workes are euidently declared to bée righteous And besides that it reserueth the whole glorye of that worke to GOD alone forasmuch as workes doe onely declare and witnes mans righteousnesse and challenge to bee no cause of the same Thus vnto God is his prerogatiue reserued vnblemished Namely all the glorie Nowe touching man in that they declare the certaine possession of the righteousnesse of fayth they witnesse in him the estate of a moste quiete and ioyfull conscience and that hée is through faith assured of the fauour of God in Christ Nowe it is apparant what righteousnes of the Scripture attributeth to faith and what to workes Namely that by faith man apprehendeth Christ in the promise by whome he is made righteous and by workes or frutes of the righteousnes of faith mā is declared and knowne to bee righteous and hath his conscience therby reposed in the sure possession of Gods fauour in Christ Thus hauyng shewed what iustification the Scriptures attribute vnto workes I thincke it also conuenient to shew what fayth it is which Iames disableth to iustification His wordes be these what auayleth it my brethren though a man say he hath fayth whē he hath no deedes can faith saue him Here euen at the first it is euident that S. Iames in this place inueyeth not agaynst faith in dede but against the bare name or title of fayth in such certayne licentious Iewes Christened as onely by the same séemed to challenge iustification For he sayeth not thoughe a man haue fayth without deedes But he saith though a man say he hath faith Whereby it is euident that hee onely enueyeth agaynst the name or title of faith which by them was applyed vnto them selues vnworthely and therefore in vayne And doubting that some men myght applye hys wordes agaynst fayth in déede hee maketh hys entrye warely not against fayth but agynste a vayne name or title of fayth in saying Thoughe a man saye hee hath fayth and not thoughe a man haue fayth whiche he might think sufficyent warnyng to all men that hée ment not to inueigh agaynst true fayth and therefore hée goeth forward labouryng agaynst that their vayne opinion vnder the same name or title which they attributed vnto it callyng it fayth as they dyd thynkyng that his former warnyng in the beginnyng in saying thoughe a man sayeth hee hath fayth and not though he haue fayth in deede had béene a suffycient warnyng that he ment not true fayth but onely a vaine opinion termed of them by the name of fayth and that now hée myght at hys owne libertie wythout suspicion of enueyghing against true fayth beat down that wycked opinion vnder the same name or title by whyche they termed it namely vnder the name of fayth and thereupon hée addeth can fayth saue hym meaning onely such fayth as they make their challenge by or as hée at his entrance enueighed against that is the bare name or tytle of fayth and that thys was hys meanyng it is playne by that whyche followeth in that he goeth about to open their errour as it were by comparison in shewyng how farre their vayne opinion whiche they called fayth dyffered from true fayth in déede in saying If a brother or sister be naked or destytute of dayly foode and one of you saye vnto hym depart in peace warme your selues and fill your bellies notwythstandyng ye geeue not them those thynges whyche are needefull to the body what helpeth it euen so fayth if it haue no deedes is dead in it selfe as though hée had saide vnto them Brethren what do you thynk of fayth do ye thynke that onely the bare name or title thereof is sufficient to iustification or doe ye thynke that true fayth can see the necessitie of their néedy brother or sister vnrelieued no no deceaue not your selues for loue charity and all good woorkes can no more be absent from fayth in déede then heate from fire and that faith which lacketh those fruites is no more fayth then a dead man is a man but is in déede dead and no fayth at all but onely a bare name or title of faith with the vaine cloke wherof ye beguyle your selues Do ye thinke thys vayne braggyng of fayth amongest your selues can iustifie you or doe ye thinke that because ye beléeue God is that ye therfore shal be saued nay brethren be not so vainely caryed away yf that might serue the tourne the deuils woulde be saued aswell as you for they haue that fayth common with you for they both beléeue that God is and tremble at him But shall I by example paint vnto you your vanitie whereby you may see that your bragging title of faith which hath no fruites nor workes to 〈◊〉 the same is but dead and no faith in deede Then compare it with the true fayth which in oure father Abraham was manifest whom the apparaunt fruites or woorkes of ryghteousnesse thereof euidently declared to bée a righteous man Hys fayth lay not lurkyng in him in idle name without fruite or woorkes no no his fayth had lyfe which by the fruite was made manifest in offeryng hys sonne Isaac beyng certayne that the death or sacrifice of hys sonne could nothing at all hinder the promyse of God but that notwithstanding God both coulde woulde performe his promise and worde Thus was hys faythe witnessed by hys woorkes And the perfectnes thereof made apparant so that the truth of the Scripture which sayde Abraham beleeued God and that was imputed to hym for ryghteousnesse was by hys woorkes made so euydent that hée was indued wyth the name of ryghteous and was called the frend of god Whereby it is euydent vnto you that by déedes as the fruites of the righteousnesse of his faith his righteousnesse was declared and hée knowen for a ryghteous man and not by the idle name of fayth onelye without workes which as I sayde before is dead and no faythe at all And likewyse Kahab the harlotte in lodginge the messengers of Gods people was declared to bée ryghteous Wherefore to conclude laye away your vayne bragges of your idle and bare name of fayth for as the bodye that wanteth spirite is dead so assuredly thys whiche you terme fayth hauyng no workes to witnes the same vnto you is dead and no fayth at all but a vaine or lyght opinion Thus to hym that with a single eye consydereth both the end of S. Iames hys purpose and also throughly the order of hys woordes it appeareth playnly that hée enueigheth not against fayth in déede but against a lose and licentious opinion which those Iewes vnto whom he writte had couered vnder the name or title of fayth Now touching their argument groūded vpon the .xix.
of Mathew VVhere a certayne ruler came to Christ and asked of him what good thyng hee shoulde doe that hee might haue eternall lyfe Christ aunswered if thou wilt enter into lyfe keepe my commaundementes here say they it appeareth that kéeping of the commaundementes whiche is but woorkes do iustifie That the kéeping of the commaundementes is able to iustify him that were able to obserue thē it was neuer doubted of For Moyses witnesseth that he that doth them shall liue thereby but that no man hath power to kéepe thē it is euidently proued already neyther by nature as now it is corrupt nor by grace in the .iiij. and .ix. chapters Wherefore gentle reader marke the circumstaunce first who asketh the question A ruler or Lawier who dreamed of nothyng but the outward obseruaunce of the lawe Secondly what is the question namely What good thing hée might doe to haue euerlasting lyfe Marke that this hys whole question was not otherwise to learne the waye to euerlastyng life then by déedes or workes in asking what thing he should do Wherefore what directer aunswer could be geuē then that which Christ vsed séeing the question was onely of woorkes namely kéepe the commaundementes séeing no other works could serue that turne But peraduenture some of them will say If Christ had not knowne him able to kéepe the commaundementes hée surely woulde haue taught him the way possyble to him Surely these be tender hartes that will teach the holy ghost to bée pitifull but Christ him selfe sayde he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentaunce that is hée came not to call suche fellowes as woulde iustifie themselues but such as would humble themselues to hys iustyfication Wherefore Christ seing the filthy pride of his heart euen in the due aunswer of hys questyon offered hym the glasse of the Lawe whereof he bragged in hys heart to see his owne filthinesse therein that by the fight thereof he might haue trained him to haue framed a more humble question concerning the waye to heauen But what aunswer maketh he goeth he not on in the iustification of himselfe in saying Al this haue I kept from my youth vpward what lack I yet Then Chryste to open to his eyes the packe of hys corruption applieth to his verie heart a corsiue to teache him that the law is spirytual and challengeth the entire obediēce of the heart If thou wilt be perfect sayeth he sell that thou hast and geue it to the poore thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come and follow me which when hee hearde hee went hys waye mourning because hee had great possessions So that it appereth by the whole course of the action that Christ enabled him not to the satisfying of the lawe but contrariwise by example of hys owne wickednes compared with the lawe he sought to teache him beyng a teacher of others how farre he him selfe was short from the vnderstandyng of the Lawe in supposing it to consist onely in outwarde action And to conclude Christ offered the law to this proude ruler to no other ende then before generally it was géeuen to all the Iewes namely to sée hys owne filthinesse thereby to be driuen to seeke reliefe in Christe and it was also the very direct aunswer to hys questyon Other of the aduersaryes cauyll thus In déed say they there bee two iustifications the one in regeneration or baptisme and that is fréelye bestowed vpon vs neyther is it needefull that any good woorkes shoulde goe before this iustification But nowe fallinge after thys regeneratiō it is needefull say they that to the iustification of vs agayne satysfaction by good woorkes must bee made The error and impietie of this doctryne is not onely manifest by that whiche is sayd before where it is proued that no workes but onely the woorkes of the iustified by fayth can appeare in the presence of God but also for that it fayneth Christ in respect of diuers tymes to bée a mediator of diuers power or abilitie For they confesse him sufficyent to restore man vnto Gods fauour and to iustifie him that is not yet conuerted but to restore him that after regeneration by filthinesse is fallen from God they make his power to weake and that porcion of power whiche in this case they take from Christ they attribute the same vnto that man which of all other may séeme most hatefull vnto God namely vnto him that by cruell ingratitude and wycked contempte is fallen from the grace bestowed vpon hym preferring his condicion before the condycion of them that neuer were conuerted in geuing him power to woorke his owne iustification which they playnly confesse the other to want and yet is the condicion of the other in reason to bée preferred before theirs who by theyr cruell ingratitude deserue iustly the most abhorfull estate as the holy ghost beareth witnesse For it is not possible saith he that they which were once lightened haue tasted of the heauenly gift and were become partakers of the holy ghoste and haue tasted of the good worde of God of the power of the worlde to come if they fall away shold be againe renued vnto repentance forasmuch as they haue as concerning thē selues crucified the Son of God a fresh making a mocke of him And againe If we sinne willingly after that we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull loking for iudgemēt violent fire which shall deuour the aduersaries And againe Christ himselfe saieth The seruaunt that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes This is the horrible estate of them that are fallen frō Christ And yet are the aduersaries nothing ashamed to robbe Christ of a péece of his power or honor or his office to painte vp thys their Isops crowe withall making the power of hys offyce or mediation in respecte of diuers times and subiectes greater or lesser But wel hath the holy ghost in the first Epistle of S. Ihon mette wyth thys wranglyng shift thus My lytle chyldren sayth hee these thinges I write vnto you that yee sinne not but if we do sinne wee haue an aduocate with the father euen Iesus Christe the ryghteous And hee it is that obtayneth grace for our sinnes By which words it playnely appeareth that when we fal after regeneration or baptisme Christ is our iustification euen as he was at the first and not our owne workes so that our fyrst iustification in regeneratyon and our latter with repentaunce come both by one meanes namely by the free gyft of God through faythe in Christe Howbeit in déede thys dystinction of theirs is more then wicked for whosoeuer is by regeneration once iustifyed hée can neuer agayne be vniustifyed for whomsoeuer God once loueth hee loueth hym to the ende for God is not mutable as man neyther can he deny himselfe Another of
agayne in the. 18. Psalme God hath rewarded mee accordyng to my innocency and according to the cleanenesse of my handes hath he recompenced mee for I obserued the commaundements of the Lord and was not wicked against my God but I had al his lawes before me neither cast I his commaundements from me I was pure before him abstained mine owne wickednes therefore God hath rewarded me according to my innoceÌ„cy and according to the cleanenes of my handes in hys sight Who so considereth in the Scriptures the cause and the manner of the exclamatyon of the righteous in theire lameÌ„table calamitie vnder the cruell vniuste and mercilesse persecutions and afflictions of the wicked tyrannous oppressors shall foorthwith see the solution of these arguments namely that the righteous therein iustifie not themselues neyther auouche their innocencie in respecte of the iustyce of God but in respecte of the false vniuste and tyrannous wickednesse of the oppressor in respecte of theire most horryble iniurye and crueltye they maye wel auouch their righteousnesse and innocencye and therefore they flye for succour vnto the iustice of God who knoweth howe giltlesse they are touchyng the false accusation of theire bloud thirstye enemyes requirynge of God in that cause to be defended froÌ„ their enemies euen as he who knoweth theire conscyence could testify that they had not committed those euils for the whiche theire enemyes most cruelly pursued them as here in the. 7. Psal Dauid being falsely accused by Chus one of Saules kynsmen challengeth the iustice of God for the defence of hys innocencye in that case toward Saul desiring of God hys deliuerance according as he knew hym giltlesse toward Saul seing hys conscience could accuse him of no conspiracie or treason towardes hym In thys sort do the righteous somtymes in the scriptures offer the innoceÌ„cy of their causes before the iudgement seate of God not alledging innocency in respect of Gods iustice but in respecte of the false and wicked vntruthes wherwith theyr enemyes charged them Wherefore in the 18. Psalme Dauid being by the mercy of God setled in the seate of hys Kyngdome geueth thankes vnto God for that euen according to the innocency of his hart cleanenes of hys hands towards Saul he had rewarded hym in deliueryng hym from the daÌ„ger of so mighty and cruell an enemye reioysing in that â—he hauyng the lawe of God before hys eyes had withholden his hart handes from committing wickednes agaynst hys annointed Lord and king For such was hys innocency and righteousnes â—n respect of Saules wickednes that he â—ould nothing accuse hym self towardes Saule For in makyng hys mone to Ionathas Saules sonne thus he auoucheth hys innocencye What haue I done sayth he wherein am I faultie what is the sinne that I haue committed agaynst thy father that he seketh my life And anone after he sayth vnto hym If there be in me any trespasse theÌ„ slay me thy selfe Hereby ye may see the innocency and righteousnes which Dauid aueucheth in hymselfe was in respecte of Saules wicked and vniust crueltie and not in respecte of the iustice of god For where soeuer he handleth the cause betwene the iustice of God and hym selfe there he singeth another songe Then cryeth he Be mercifull vnto me O Lord be mercifull vnto me accordyng to thy great mercyes and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away mine offences Then cryeth he Lorde reâ— proue me not in thine anger neitheâ— chastise me in thy heauie displeasure If thou Lord wilt watch what is donâ— amisse Lorde who shall be able to 〈◊〉 bide it Lord clense me from my 〈◊〉 crete sinnes and such lyke Then neither talketh he of hys owne innocencye or righteousnes he beasteth then of no righteousnes but of mercy Blessed are they sayth he whose wickednes are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Here is all the righteousneshe knoweth of hym 〈…〉 when he hath to deale with the iustice of god Thus hauing briefly shewed by a fewe examples the true aunsweres of the principall obiections of the enemye of iustification of fayth and the sweete agreement thereby of the Scriptures in geuing to God the whole honour of mans saluation and vnto man a sure possession of Gods fauour in Christ I will now shewe why iustification is imputed to fayth and not to workes and so make an end Touching thys question there appeare two iuste causes thereof first for that fayth is the onely meane betwene maÌ„ and the promise and that which apprehendeth righteousnes and worl 〈…〉 are nothyng els but as it were an effect or fruit of the righteousnes of the same fayth Therfore iustification is to be imputed to that which apprehended the righteousnes and not to the fruit thereof Secondly and principally that forasmuch as the end of all Gods works is to purchase to hym selfe as of right is due all prayse honour and glory in the performance of his promise as hath often bene sayd as the greatest prerogatiue he challengeth froÌ„ his creatures Therfore it is of necessitie that no part of mans iustification should be imputed to workes as vnto any part of the cause thereof For that ambitious maÌ„ should haue no colour of title to any proportional part of the glory of the worke that no fleshe might boast in hys presence And thys is the cause which Paule him selfe sheweth to the Ephesians concerning the same For by grace sayth he ye are saued through fayth and not of your selues it is the gift of God and not of workes lest any man shoulde boast him that all the glory might redounde to God alone who as he saueth vs for hys owne sake so by him selfe onely hath he begonne continued and ended the whole worke concerning our saluation To whom through Iesus Christ our only and omnisufficient Sauiour be therfore all glory honour and maiestie kingdome power and dominion through all eternitie Amen ¶ A Correlary It is hereby manifest that forasmuch as the onely ende of Good workes is to shew mans obedience to God that God thereby may be glorified and to witnes and declare the possession of that true fayth whereby onely righteousnes is proper to the elect of God that by them maÌ„ may yelde a full testimony of his calling and election through Christ into the fauour or loue of god Forasmuch I say as thys is the onely ende of good workes therefore he that eyther teacheth or doth any worke hauing apparance of holines to any other end theÌ„ this namely in hope of any reward for the worthines thereof that worke what shew soeuer it hath of godlines is wicked and detestable in the sight of God in that it offereth a filthy price for that by the free gift whereof God séeketh honour That the price offered is filthy it is hereby apparant in that all workes not being of fayth are sinne
And all the workes of fayth procéede from the entyre obedience of the minde vnto God but what obedience is thys to challenge that from God by desert which no workes no not the very workes of the faythfull are able to make iust title vntoo as is proued in the 9. chapter wherby it appeareth to be the presumptuous worke of corrupt and ambitious man encroching vpon Gods prerogatiue namely vpon hys honor to challenge that by desert which no worke is able to counteruaile seing it is proued no worke can satisfie the iustice of god And let no man maruell that workes can be wicked hauing apparance of holines for the Scripture testifieth that the deuil caÌ„ transforme him selfe into an Angell of light that is into the pure Image of holines therefore there is no doubt but he is able to cloth hys workes with the same liuery And to conclude All workes done to any other end then is aforesayd are of the same stampe how 〈…〉 appeare in outward shew for it is not the acte but the purpose of the doer which God considereth God will haue obedience not fayned holines Wherunto wel agréeth this saying of S. Augustine Videtis quia non quid faciat homo considerandum est sed quo animo faciat In eodem facto inuenimus Deum patrem in quo inuenimus Judam patrem benedicimus Iudam detestamur benedicimus charitatem detestamur iniquitateÌ„ Quantum enim praestitum est generi humano de tradito Christo nunquid non cogitauit Iudas vt traderet Deus cogitauit salutem nostram quaredempti sumus Iudas cogitauit precium quo vendid 〈…〉 Dominum filius ipse cogitauit precium 〈…〉 ledit pro nobis Iudas cogitauit precium quod accepit vt venderet diuersa ergo intentio diuersafacta fecit Cum sit vna res ex diuersis eam intentionibus si metiamur vnuÌ„ amandum alterum damnandum vnum glorificandum alterum detestandum inuenimus Ye see that we may not consider what a man doth but with what minde and will he doth it For we finde God the father a worker in the same dede in which we finde Iudas a worker we blesse the father we abhorre Iudas we blesse the loue in the father we deteste the wickednes in Iudas For what knowledge is geuen vnto mankinde concerning the deliuery of Christ Did not Iudas mean to betray him but God ment our saluation wherwith we be redemed Iudas had respecte vnto the price for which he solde the Lorde the son him selfe had respect vnto the price which he gaue for vs Iudas minded the price which he receaued for sale of hym Wherfore the diuersitie of the intentes maketh the workes contrary If we measure one selfe thing by the diuers intentes of the doers we shall finde the one to be im braced the other to be condemned the one to be extolled the other to be detested And agayne Chrysostome Etenim quod fit iuxta Dei voluntatem quamuis videatur improbum esse tamen omnino Deo gratuÌ„ est acceptum contrà quod fit praeter Dei voluntatem ac secus quà m ille vult fieri quanquaÌ„ existimatur acceptum Deo tameÌ„ est omnium pessimum iniquissimum Of a truth that which is done according to the will of God although it seeme to be wicked yet is it altogether pleasaunt acceptable to god Contrarywyse what soeuer is done besides the will of God and otherwise then he will haue it done though it be esteemed as a thing acceptable to God yet it is of all other the worste and most wicked And that thou mayest vnderstand this to be true read the 3. of Kinges the 19. chapter concerning Achab that took ea certaine King of the Assirians and Phinées was for mans slaughter honoured with Priesthoode Hierome Matth. 23. Aug. ad Vincent epistola 48. Aduersus MaximinuÌ„ lib. 4. Iob. 1â— In psal 98. Aduersus Valentinij script li. 2. cap. 50. Chrysost in epist. ad Gal. cap. 1. August de doctrina Christiana lib. 1. ca. 37. In epi. 157. Roman 3. Matth. 22. Galat. y. Epist 〈◊〉 de vsu commu nionis ad Bohemos Epistolae 7. de amplâ—cteÌ„da 〈…〉 te Ecclesiae ad Bohemos Man onely created to gods Image was made Lord of all his other erthly creatures Man as soueraigne and Lorde of all creatures first gaue them their seueral names Eua the â—omaÌ„ was geuen vnto man to be his helper To man was graunted free liberty to easie of all that was in paradise sauyng only of the 〈◊〉 of lyfe What the image of God in maÌ„ is Man was the most excelleÌ„t erthly creature Yer 〈…〉 c 〈…〉 Originall righteousnes Man is called the image of God for the excellency of the nature that he was first created in Eph. 4. Col. 3. The fall of Adam The glorious state of man vtterly ouerthrown by disobedieÌ„ce That innecency couered sinne abhorred The miseries of maÌ„ that came by the traÌ„sgression of Adam the first man. Gen. 3. Ge. 1. 6. Originall sinne The generation and issue of maÌ„ corrupted The definition of original sinne 〈◊〉 Cor. 15. Deth hath no power but ouer the vnrighteous Ephe. 2. Rom. 1. Col. 3. Gen. 6. Gal. 5. Gen. 8. Psal 51. Iere. 17. Iob. 14. Rom. 7. Rom. 7 Psal 50 In libro de articulis falso sibi impositis Arti. 1. Cap. 3. Tract 17. In Luchirid ad LaurentiuÌ„ cap. 30. Origene Rom. 6. lib. 5 We are conceyued in originall sinne Homil. Hierom. cap. 47. Ambrose de vocatione geÌ„tium Lib. 1. Cap. 3 All men in the first man were created without sinne but by transgression he lost all purchased deth Bernard Sermone de passione domi ni feria quata hebdomadae poenosae The Papistes definition of original un Two thynges in euery sinne to be considered An other o biection The aunswer God câ—â—ated the first man heauenly lyke himself but yet added 〈◊〉 condition of hys obâ—dience Iâ—â— 14. we are all through Adam made bonde and thrall vnto sinne An other obiection An answer to the obiection In other obiection The aunswer The nature of the Serpent A false argument An other obiection The aunswer A proper mery history The definition of actuall sinne The definition of actuall sinne The teaching that there is but vii deadly sinnes is mere papistical false All sinne for the which death is due is of it selfe deadly un Rmo. 6 Rom. 3. Rom. 7 Rom. 8 Abac. 2 Hebr. 10 Iohn 8 The definition of veniall sinnes Act. 10 Deadly sinne veniall sinne are in diuers respects but one The difference betwene deadly sinne venial sinne The opinion of the scholemen concerning venial sinne The scholemen agree in error â–ª The false opinion doctrine of the papists Iohn 1. Math. 1. The difference betwene originall and actuall sin By Adam sinne entred into the world The wicked and damnable state that man of himselfe is in As God by hys iustice condemneth â—â—steth vs downe
quia no est meritorum sed gratiae Dei. But that men should be iustified their callyng goeth before whyche is not of merite but of the fauour of god And agayne Propter nomen tuum domine viuificabis me attendite quantum potestis gratiae commendationem qua gratîs salui facti estis propter nomen tuum Domine viuificabis me non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam propter nomen tuum Domine viuificabis me in tua iustitia non in mea non quia ego merui sed quia tu misereris nam etsi meum ostenderem meritum nihil abs te mererer nisi supplicium auulsisti merita mea inseruisti dona tua Lorde thou shalt quicken mee for thy names sake Marke diligentlye the commendacion of that grace whereby yee are freelye saued Lorde for thy names sake shalt thou quicken mee not vnto vs Lorde not vnto vs but vnto thy name geeue the glorye Lorde for thy name sake shalte thou quicken mee in thy ryghteousnesse not in myne not because I haue deserued it but because thou hast mercye on mee for if I shoulde shewe my meryte I shoulde deserue nothyng of the punyshment thou hast weeded oute my merytes and haste ingraft thy free gyfte And agayne Ipsa est perfectio hominis inuenisse se non esse perfectum That is mans perfection to knowe himselfe to bee vnperfect And agayne Sicut nulla sunt tam detestanda facinora quae possunt gratiae arcere donum Ita nulla possunt tam praeclara opera existere quibus hoc quod gratîs tribuitur per retributionis iudicium debeatur vilesceret enim redemptio sanguinis Christi nec misericerdiae Dei humianorum operum praerogatiua succumberet si iustificatio qua fit per gratiam meritis praecedentibus deberetur vt non munus largientis sed merces esset operantis Lyke as there is none so detestable outrages as can restraine the free gyft of grace so can there bee no woorkes so excellent that this whyche is freelye geeuen shoulde bee dewe vnto them by actyon of debte for then the redemptyon of Chryste shoulde in deede bee nothing woorth neyther shoulde the worthynes of mans woorkes bee inferyor to the mercye of GOD if the iustification whiche is geuen of grace shoulde bee a debt dewe vnto merites so it shoulde not bee the larges of the geeuer but the dewe hyer of a laborer And agayne Augustine sayeth Nec quisquam dicat meritis suorum operum aut meritis crationum suarum vel meritis fidei suae traditam Dei gratiam putetur verum esse quod illi haeretici dicunt gratiam Dei secundum merita nostra dari quod omnium est falsissimum Let noe man say that for the merites of his workes or for the merites of his prayers or for the merites of his faith the grace of God is deliuered vnto hym And so that whiche those heretyckes saye bee countēd true namelye that accordyng to our merites the grace of God is geeuen then the whiche nothyng can bee more false And agayne Gratias agamus Domino saluatori nostro qui nos nullis praecēdentibus meritis vnlneratos curauit Let vs geeue thankes vnto oure Lorde and Sauyour whyche healed vs beyng wounded wythout any foregone merytes of oures Possunt quidem dicere remissionem peccatorum esse gratiam quae nullis praecedentibus meritis datur They may in deede affirme remission of sinnes to be grace whiche is geuen to no foregone merytes Agayne the same Augustine wryteth agaynst the heresie of extollyng mans merytes Vnde supradictam Epistolam ad Sextum Romanae Ecclesiae praesbyteron co ntra nouos haereticos Pelagianos noueritis esse conscriptam qui dicunt gratiam Dei secundum merita dari vt qui gloriatur non in Domino sed in seipso glorietur hoc est in homine non in Domino VVhereupon vnderstād that the forenamed Epistle to Sixtus an elder of the Churche of Rome is wrytten agaynst the Pelagians the newe heretickes whyche affirme the grace of GOD to bee geeuen accordyng to merytes that hee that gloryeth shoulde not glory in the Lorde but in hym selfe that is in man and not in the Lorde Woulde not the same Augustine think you if he now were lyuing attribute the same name of heretickes vnto the Papistes whiche in this poynt affirme Pelagians heresie Yes assuredly but heare him further Thus writeth hée in an other place Sed Pelagianis non immeritò anathema dicimus qui tam sunt inimici gratiae Dei quae venit per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum vt eam dicant non gratîs sed secundum merita nostra dari ac si gratia non iam sit gratia Neyther do wee vnworthely accurse the Pelagians whyche bee such enemies vnto the grace of God which commeth by Iesus Chryste oure Lorde that they affirme the same not to bee frely geuen but accordyng vnto our merytes as thoughe grace were nowe no grace And agayne Nulla ne ergo sunt merita iustorum sunt planè quia iusti sunt sed vt iusti fierent merita non fecerunt iusti enim facti sunt sed sicut dicit Apostolus iustificati gratîs per gratiam ipsius Then are there no merytes of the ryghteous yes in deede are there because the doers be ryghteous but that they shoulde be made ryghteous their merytes wrought not that they in deede bee made ryghteous but as the Apostle sayeth they are iustyfied freely by hys grace And agayne hée affirmeth Deum nullis meritis hominum gratiam suam dare That GOD geeueth hys grace in respect of noe mans merytes And agayne Chrisostom saith thus Et si millies moriamur si omnes virtutes animae expleamus◠nihil dignum gerimus ad ea quae ipsi a deo percepimus Although we should dye a thousand tymes and thoughe we should accomplish all the vertues of the mynde yet doe we nothing worthy of those things whiche wee receaue of GOD. Agayne Bernard in his 53. Sermon Hoc totum hominis meritum si totam spem ponat in eo qui totum saluum fecit This is the whole merite of man if hee put hys whole trust in him that hath saued the whole Unto this place may be applyed all the aucthorities rehearsed in the 8. Chapter about the iustification of fayth Hauing now shewed what mans merite or deserte is I think it now conuenient to procéede to the consideration of those authorities which I put in the seconde sorte namely such places of Scripture as eyther seeme wyth outward sounde of wordes to take iustification from fayth or attribute the same to woorkes through coulor whereof some of the aduersaries reason thus Paule say they hath nothing more strongly to proue iustification of fayth then that the Scripture imputeth faith vnto Abraham for righteousnes wherefore if now we can shewe that God also in the Scriptures imputeth