from sinne and death euerlassyng BEcause all men be sinners and offendours agaynst God breakers of his lawe and commaundementes therfore can no manne by his owne actes workes and dedes seme they neuer so good be iustified and made righteous before God but euery man of necessitie is constrayned to seke for an other righteousnesse or iustification to be receiued at Gods owne handes that is to saye the forgeuenes of his sinnes and trespasses in such thynges as he hath offended And this iustification or righteousnes which â—â—so receiue by Gods mercy Christes mâ—â—ides embrased by fayth is taken accepted and allowed of God for our perfecte and full iustification For the more full vnderstanding hereof it is our partes and duetie 〈…〉 â—â—mber the greate mercye of God howe thaâ— alâ— the worlde beynge wrapped in sinne by breakyng of the lawe God sent his onely sonne our sauiour Christ into this worlde to fufyll the lawe for vs and by shedynge of his moste precious bloudde to make a sacrifice and satisfaction or as it may be called amendes to his father foâ— our sinnes to assuage his wrath indignation conceyued agaynst vs for the same In so much that infantes beyng baptised and dying in theyr infansye The efficatie of Chrystes â—â—ssion oblation are by this sacrifice washed from theyr synnes brought to Gods fauour and made his children and inheritours of his kyngedome of heauen And they which in act or dede do sinne after theyr baptisme when they tourne agayne to God vnsaignedly they are likewise wasshed by this sacrifice from theyr sinnes in suche sort that there remaineth not anye spot of sinne that shal be imputed to theyr damnation This is that iustification or righteousnes which S. Pain speaketh of when he saith no man is iustified by the workes of the lawe but freely by faith in Iesus Christ And agayne he saith Gale ii we beleue in Iesu Christ that we be iustified freely by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the lawe because that no man shall be iustified by the workes of the lawe And although this iustification be free vnto vs yet it commeth not so freelye vnto vs that there is no raunsome payde therefore at all Obiection But here may manâ— reason be astounied reasonyng after this fashion If a raunsome be payde for our reâ—emption then is it not geuen vs freely For a prisoner that payeth his raunsome is not let goe freely for if he go â—rely then he goeth without rauÌ„some â–ª for what is it els to go freely then to be set at libertie without payment of raunsome An 〈◊〉 â—â—siderâ— This reason is satisfied vt the great wisdome of God in this mistery of our redemption who hath so tempered his iustice mercy together that he woulde neither by his suffice condemne vs vnto the euerlasting captiuitie of the deuyll his person of hell remedilesse for euer without mercy nor by his mercie delyueâ—â—s clearely without â—â—â—ice or paymeÌ„t of a iust â—aunsome but with his endlesse mercy he ioyned his moste vpright and 〈…〉 great mercy he shewed â—nto vs in 〈…〉 from out former captiuitie 〈…〉 any raunsome to be payde or amendes to be made vpon our partes which thyng by vs had ben impossible to be doen. And where as it lay not in vs. that to do he proinded a raunsome for vs that was the most precious body bloud of his owne most deare best beloued sonne Iesu Christe who besides this raunsome fulfylled the lawe for vs perfectly And so the iustice of God and his mercy dyd embrace together fulfilled the mistery of our redeÌ„ption And of this iustice mercy of God knit together speaketh saint Paule in the .iii. Chapt. to the Romains Rom. iii. al haue offended haue nede of the glory of god but are iustified frely by his grace by redeÌ„ption which is in Iesu Christ whoÌ„ God hath set forth to vs for a reconciler peace maket thorough faith in his bloud to shewe his righteousnesse Rome i. And in the .x. Chapt. Christ is the ende of the lawe vnto righteousnes to euery man that beleueth Rom. viii And in the .viii. Chapt. that which was impossible by the lawe in asmuch as it was weake by the fleshe God sending his owne sonne in the strailitude of sinfull fleshe by sinne damned sinne in the fleshe that the righteousnes of the lawe might be fulfylled in vs which walk not after the fleshe but after the spirite The thinges muste go together in our iustification In these foresaid places the Apostle toucheth speciallye three thinges whiche must go together in our iustification Vpon gods part his great mercy grace vpon Christes part iustice that is the satisfaction of Gods iustice or the price of our redeÌ„ption by the offering of his body 〈◊〉 sheddyng of his bloud with fulfyllyng of the law perfectly throughty vâ—â—â— our part true â—â—â—ely â—â—ith in the merâ—tes of Iâ—â—u Christ which yet is thoâ— ours but by gods working in vs. So that in our iustification is not onely gods mercy grace but also his iustice whiche the Apostle calleth the iustice of God it consisteth in paying our raunsome fulfyllyng of the lawe and so the grace of God doth not shut out the iustice of god in our iustificatioÌ„ but onely shutteth out the iustice of maÌ„ that is to say the iustice of our workes as to be merites of deseruing our iustification And therfore saint Paule declareth here nothing vpon the behalfe of man concerning his iustification but only a true liuely faith which neuerthelesse is the gyft of god not mans onely worke without god How it is to be vnderstand that faith iustyfyeth without workes And yet the faith doth not shut out repentaunce hope loue dread the feare of god to be ioyned with faith in euery man that is iustified but it shutteth them out froÌ„ the office of iustifying So that although they be al preseÌ„t together in him that is lustifyed yet they iustifie not altogether Nor the faith also doth not shut out the iustice of our good workes necessarily to be done afterward of duetie towardes god for we are most bounden to serue god in doyng good dedes coÌ„maunded by him in his holy scripture al the dayes of our lyfe But it excludeth theÌ„ so that we may not do theÌ„ to this entent to be made good by doing of theÌ„ For all the good workes that wee can do be vnperfect therfore not able to diâ—â—◠〈◊〉 our iustification but our iustification doth come frely by the mere mercy of god of so great and â—â—ee merci that wheras al the world was not aâ—â—e of be it selues to pay any part to wardes theyr 〈…〉 iâ— pleased our heueÌ„ly father of his infinâ—◠〈…〉 out any our desert or deseruynge to prepaâ—e so 〈◊〉 the moste precious is welles of Christes body and bloud wherby our raunsome might be fully paid the
law fulfilled and his iustice fully fatisfied So that Chryst is nowe the righteousnes of all them that truely do beleue in hym He for them payde their raunsome by his death He for them fulfilled the lawe in his lyfe So that nowe in him and by him euery true Christian man may be called a fulfiller of the lawe forasmuch as that which theyr infirmitie lacketh Christes iustice hath supplied ¶ The seconde part of the Sermon of Saluacion YE haue hearde of whom all men ought to seke their iustification and ryghteousnesse and howe also this righteousnesse commeth vnto men by Christes death and merites ye hearde also howe that thre thynges are required to the obtaynyng of our ryghteousnesse that is Gods mercie Christes Iustyce and a true and a lyuely fayth out of the whiche fayth spryngeth good woorkes Also before was declared at large that no man can be iustyfyed by his owne good woorkes that no man fulfylleth the lawe accordyng to the full request of the law And sainct Paule in his Epistle to the Galathians proueth the same Galat. iii. saying thus If there had ben any lawe geuen which coulde haue iustifyed verely ryghteousnesse shoulde haue been by the lawe And agayne he sayth yf ryghteousnesse be by the lawe then Chryste dyed in vayne And againe he saith you that are iustified by the lawe are fallen awase from grace And furthermore he writeth to the Ephesias on this wise by grace are ye saued through faithe Ephe. ii and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God and not of workes lest any man should glory And to bee short the summe of all Paules disputacion is this that if iustice come of workes then it commeth not of grace And if it come of grace then it commeth not of workes And to this ende tendeth all the Prophetes as S. Peter saieth in the tenth of the Actes Actes v. of Christ all the Prophetes saieth sainct Peter doe witnesse that through his name al thei that beleue in him shall receiue the remission of sinnes And after this wise Faithe onely iustifieth 〈◊〉 the doctrine of old doctoâ—â— to bee iustified onely by this true and liuely faith in Christ speaketh all the olde and aunciente aucthours bothe Grekes and Latins Of whom I will specially reherse three Hillarie Basill and Ambrose S. Hillarie saieth these woordes plainly in the .ix. Canon vpon Mathew Faith onely iustifieth And sainct Basil a Greke aucthour writeth thus This is a perfecte and a whole reioysyng in God when a man auaunceth not hymself for his owne righteousnesse but knowledgeth hymself to lacke true iustice and righteousnesse and to bee instified by the onely faithe in Christe And Pâ—ule saith he doeth glory in the contempt of his owne righteousnesse Philâ— iii. and that he looketh for the righteousnesse of God by faith These be the very woordes of sainct Basill And Sainct Ambrose a Latine aucthour saieth these woordes This is the ordinaunce of GOD 〈…〉 whiche beleue in Christ should bee â—aued without woorkes by faith onely frely receiuyng reâ—â—â—â—â—n of his synnes Consider diligently these woordes without workes by faith onely freely we receiue remission of oure sinnes What can bee spoken more plainlye then to saie that freely withoute woorkes by fayth onelye we obtayne remission of oure sinnes These and other lyke sentences that wee be iustified by fayth onelye freely and withoute woorkes we dooe reade of times in the moste beste and auncient writers As beside Hillary Basil and sainct Ambroise before rehearsed wee reade the same in Origene sainct Chrisostome sainct Cypriane sainct Augustine Prosper Decomenius Phocius Bernardus Ansehne manye other auctours Greke and Latin Neuerthelesse this sentence that we be iustified by fayth onelye is not so meante of them that the saied iustifiynge faith is alone in man without true repentaunce hope charitie dreade and the feare of God at any time and season Faith alone howe it is to be vnderstande Nor wheÌ„ they say that we be iustified frely they meane not that we shoulde or might afterward be idle and that nothyng should be required on our partes afterward Neither thei meane not so to bee iustified withoute oure good workes that we should doe no good workes at all lyke as shal be more expressed at large hereafter But this saiyng that we he iustified by faithonly frely and without workes is spoken for to take awaie clerely all merite of our woorkes as beyng vnable to deserue our iustification at Gods handes and thereby moste plainly to expresse the weakenes of man and the goodnes of God the greate infirmitie of our selues and the might and power of God the imperfectnes of our owne workes and the most aboundaunt grace of our sauiour Christ And therfore wholly to ascribe the merite and deseruing of our iustification vnto Christ onely and his 〈◊〉 precious bloud shedyng This faithe the holy â—â—â—ure teacheth this is the stronge rocke foundation of Christian religion this doctrine all olde and auncient auctours of Christes churche do approue The profit 〈◊〉 the doctrinâ— of faith onâ—â— iustifieth this doctrine auaunceth setteth furthe the true glory of Christe and beateth downe the vayne glory of manne this whosoeuer denieth is not to be coumpted for a Christian manne not for a setter furthe of Christes glorie What thei 〈◊〉 that impugâ—â— the doctrinâ—â— of faith ouâ— iustifieth but for an aduersary to Christe his Gospel and for a setter furthe of mennes vayne glorye And althoughe this doctrine bee neuer so true as it is most true in dede that we be iustified frely A declaratiâ—â— of this doctrine faith without workes iustifieth without al merite of our owne good workes as sainct Paule doeth expresse it and freely by this lyuely and perfecte faithe in Christe onely as thauncieÌ„t aucthors vse to speake it yet this true doctrine muste be also truely vnderstande most plainly declared lest carnal men shoulde take vniustly occasion therby to lyue carnally after the appetite and will of the worlde the fleshe and the deuil And because no man shoulde erre by mistakyng of this doctrine I shal plainlye and shortely so declare the right vnderstandyng of the same that no man shall iustly thinke that he may therby take any occasion of carnal libertie to folow the desyres of the flesh or that therby anye kynde of synne shal be committed or any ungodly lyuing the more vsed Firste you shal vnderstande that in oure iustification by Christe it is not all one thyng the office of God vnto man and the office of man vnto God Iustificacion is not the office of man but of God for man can not makyng himself righteous by his owne woorkes neither in parte nor in the whole for that were the greatest arrogancie aâ—â— presumpcion of manne that Antichrist could set vp against God to affirme that a manne might by his owne workes take awaie and pourge his owne synnes and so iustifie hymself Iustificacion is the
office of God onely But in iustificacion is the office of God onely and is not a thyng whiche we render vnto hym but whiche we receiue of hym not whiche we giue to hym but whiche we take of hym by his free mercie and by the onely merites of his moste derely beloued sonne our onely redemer Sauiour and iustifier Iesus Christe So that the true vnderstaÌ„dyng of this doctrine we be iustified frely by faithe without woorkes or that we be iustified by faith in Christ onely is not that this our owne acte to beleue in Christ or this our faithe in Christe whiche is within vs doeth iustifie vs and deserue our iustificacion vnto vs for that were to coumpte our selues to bee iustified by some acte or vertue that is within our selues but the true vnderstanding and meaning therof is that although we heare Gods woorde and beleue it although we haue faith hope charitee repentaunce dread and feare of GOD within vs and doe neuer so many good workes thereunto yet we must renounce the merite of all our saied vertues of faith hope charitie and all our other vertues and good deedes whiche we either haue doen shall doe or can doe as thinges that be farre to weake and insufficient and vnperfecte to deserite remission of our synnes and our iustificacion and therefore we muste trust onely in Gods mercie and that sacrifice which our high prieste and sauiour Christ Iesus the sonne of God one 's offered for vs vpon the crosse to obtaine therby Gods grace and remission aswell of our originall sinne in Baptisme as of all actuall sinne coÌ„mitted by vs after our Baptisme if we truely repent and tourne vnfainedly to hym againe So that as sainct Ihon Baptist although he were neuer so vertuous and Godly a man yet in this matter of forgiuyng of synne he did put the people froÌ„ hym and appoincted theim vnto Christe saiyng thus vnto theim Beholde Ihon. i. yonder is the Lambe of God which taketh awaie the sinnes of the world euen so as great and as godly a vertue as the liuely faith is yet it putteth vs from it self and remitteth or appoincteth vs vnto Christ for to haue onely by hym remission of our synnes or iustificacion So that our faith in Christ as it were saieth vnto vs thus it is not I â–ª that take a waie your synnes but it is Christ onely and to him onely â–ª I send you for that purpose forsaking therin al your good vertues woordes thoughtes and workes and onely puttyng your trust in Christ 〈◊〉 Saâ—uation IT hath bene manifestly declared vnto you â–ª that no man can fulfyl the lawe of God and therfore by the laâ—â—â—â—â—â—enne are condemned wherupon it folowed necessarylye that some other thynge should be required for our saluacion than the lawe and thaâ— is a true and a lyuely faith in Christe bringynge foorth good workes and a lyfe accordyng to Gods commaundementes And also you hearde the auncient aucthours mindes of this sayinge faith in Christ only iustifieth maÌ„ so plainly declared that you sâ— that the very true meaning of this propostcioÌ„ or saâ—yng We be iustified by faith in Christ onely accordyng to the meanyng of the olde auncient auctours is this we putte oure faith in Christe that we be iustified by hym onely that we be iustified by Gods free mercy and the merites of our sauiour Christe onely by no vertue or good worke of our owne that is in vs or that we 〈◊〉 be able to haue or to do for to deserue the same Christe himselfe only being the cause meritorious therof Here you perceaue many wordes to bee vsed to auoyde contention in wordes with them that delyght to braule about woordes â–ª and also to shewe the true meanyng to auoide euil takyng and misvnderstandinge and yet peraduenture al will not serue with them that the contencious but contenâ—â—â—s will euer forâ—e maâ—â—er â—f conâ—ention euen when they haue noâ—e 〈…〉 therto Not withstanding forty nyghtes without meâ—â—t and drinke that he wrought al kynde of miracles declaryng himselfe very god They beleue also that Christ for our sakes suffered moste painefull death to redene vs from euerlastynge death and that he rose againe from death the third day they beleue that he ascenâ—â—d into heauen and that he sitteth on the righte hande of the father at the last end of this world shal come again and iudge both the quicke and the dead These articles of oure fayth the deiuils beleue and so they beleue all thinges that bee written in the new and olde Testament to be true and yet for all this faith they be but deuils remaining styll in theyr damnable estate Iackynge â—â—e very true Christian faith What is the truâ—e â—usâ—◠〈◊〉 syuâ—g fayth For the right and true ChristiaÌ„ faith is not only to beleue that holy scripture and all the foresaide articles of our faith are true but also to haue a sure trust and coÌ„fidence in gods mercifull promises to be saued from euerlastynge damnatioÌ„ by Christ whereof doeth folow a louing hert to obey his commaundemeÌ„tes And this true Christian faith neyther anye deuill hath 〈…〉 nor yet any man which in the outwarde profession of his mouth and in his outward receiuing of the sacramentes â–ª in cumming to the church and in al otheâ— outward appearaunces semeth to be a Christ 〈◊〉 manne yet in his liuinge and dedes sheweth 〈◊〉 contrarye For howe can a manne haue this 〈◊〉 fayth this sure trust and conâ—idence 〈…〉 by the meritâ—s of Christe his sinnes beâ—◠〈…〉 and he recoâ—â—â—â—d to the fâ—uoâ—â—◠〈…〉 paâ—â—akâ—â— of the kingdom of 〈…〉 he lyueth vngodlye and denieth 〈…〉 dedes Surely no suche vngodly maune can haue this saith trust in god For as they know Christe to be the onely sauiour of the world so they know also that wicked men shal not enioye the kyngdoÌ„ of god They know that god hateth vnrighteousnes Psalm .v. that he will destroy all those that speake vâ—truelye that those that haue done good woorkeâ— whiche can not be done without a liuely fayth in Christe shall come furth into the resurrection of life and those that haue doen euil shal come vnto resurrection of iudgement very well they knowe also that to them that be coÌ„tencious and to them that wil not be obedient vnto the trueth but will obeye vnrighteousnes shall come indignation wrath and affliction c. Therfore to conclude coÌ„sidering the infinite benefites of God shewed and geuen vnto vs mercifullye without our desertes who hath not onely created vs of nothing and froÌ„ a piece of vyle clay of his infinite goodnes hathe exalted vs as touchinge our soule vnto his owne similitude and lykenesse but also wheras we wer condemned to hel and death euerlastyng hath geuen his owne naturall sonne being god eternall immortal and equal vnto hymselfe in power and glory to be incarnated and to take our mortal nature vpon hym with the infirmities of the same and in the same nature to suffre
in good workes without fayth in GOD be lyke dead men which haue goodly and precious tombes yet it auaileth them nothing Fayth may not be naked without good workes for then it is no true faith and when it is adioyned to workes yet it is aboue the workes For as meÌ„ that be verye men in dede first haue life and after be noryshed soo must our faith in CHRIST go before and after be norished with good workes And lyfe may be without norishment but norishment cannot be without lyfe A man must nedes be norished by good workes but first he must haue fayth he that doeth good dedes yet without faith he hath no lyfe I can shew a maÌ„ that by fayth without workes liued came to heauen but withoute faythe neuer man had lyfe The these that was hanged when CHRIST suffered dyd beleue only the most merciful GOD did iustifi him And because no man shal say againe that he lacked tyme to doe good workes for ells he wouldâ— haue doen them trueth it is and I wil not coâ—end therâ— in but this I wil surelye affirme that fayth only saued him If he had lyued and not regarded faith the workes thereof he should haue lost his saluation agayne But this is the effect that I saye that fayth by it selfe saued him but workes by them selues neuer iustifyed any man Here ye haue hard the mynd of S. Chrisostome wherby you maye perceyue that neyther fayth is without workes hauynge oportunitie thereto nor workes can auayle to euerlastyng lyfe without fayth The second part of the Sermon of good workes OF three thinges which were in the former sermoÌ„ specially noted of liuely faith two be declared vnto you the first was that faith is neuer idle without good works when occasion serueth The second that good workes acceptable to GOD caÌ„not be done without faith Nowe to go forth to the third part What workes they are that spriÌ„g of fayth that is what maner of workes they be which spring out of true faith and leade faithful men vnto euerlasting life Thys can not be knoweÌ„ so wel as by our sayuoure CHRIST him selfe who was asked of a certaine gret man the same question Mat. 19. What woorkes shall I dooe sayde a Prince to come to euerlastinge lyfe To whom Iesus aunswered Mat 19. If thou wilt come to the euerlastinge lyfe kepe the commaundementes But the Prynce not satisfyed here with asked farther whiche commaundementes The Scrybes and Pharise is had made 〈◊〉 many of theyr owne lawes and tradicions to bring men to heauen besides GODS commaundementes that this man was in doubt whether he should come to heauen by those â—â—wes traditions or by the lawes of God and therfore he asked Christ which commaundementes he meante Wherevnto Christ made him a plain answere Mat. 19 â—hersing the commaundementes of God saying Thou shalt not kyll thou shalt not commit adulterr thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnesse honor thy father and mother and loue thy neighbour as thy selfe The workes that lead to heuen be the works of gods coÌ„maundementes By which wordes Christ declared that the lawes of God be the very way that doth leade to euerlasting life not the traditions and lawes of men So that this is to be taken for a most true lesson taughte by Christes owne mouth that the workes of the moral comauÌ„dementes of God be the very true workes of fayth which lead to the blessed life to come Man froÌ„ his fyrste fallinge froÌ„ gods coÌ„maundements hath euer ben redye to do the like and to deuise works of his a 〈◊〉 phanâ—â—sy to please GOD withall But the blindnes malice of man euen from the beginninge hath euer been ready â—o fal from Gods coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes As Adam the fyrst man hauing but one commaundement that he should not eate of the fruit forbiddeÌ„ notwithstandinge gods commaundement he gaue credite vnto the woman seduced by the subtyle perswasion of the serpent and so folowed his owne wyll and left gods commaundement And euer since that time al that cain of him hath ben so blinded through original sinne that they haue been euer readye to fal froÌ„ GOD and his law to inuent a new way vnto saluation by woorkes of their own deuise so much that aâ—most al the worlde forsaking the true honor of the ouely eternal liuing GOD wandered about they â—â—wne phantasies worshipping some the Sâ—ne the â—oone the Sterres some Iupiter Iuno Diaâ—â— Sâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Apollo The deuises and I dolatry of the gentiles Neptumus Ceres Bacchus other deade men and women Some therwith not satisfied worshipped diuers kindes of be astâ—s birdes fishe foule serpentes euery couÌ„trey towne house in maner being deuided and setting vp Images of such thinges as they lyked and worshyppinge the same Suche was the rudenes of the people after they fell to theyr owne phantasies lefte the eternall lyuing God and his commaundementes that thei deuised innumerable Images gods In whiche error and blindnes they did remaine vntyl suche time as almightie God pitiyng the blindnes of man sent his true prophet Moses into the world to reproue rebuke this extreme madnesse and to teach the people to know the only liuing God and his true honor and worship But the corrupt inclination of maÌ„ was so muche geuen to folowe his owne phantasies and as you would say to fauour his owne byrde that he brought vp him selfe that al the admonitions exhortations benefites and threatninges of God coulde not kepe hym from such his inuentions For notwithstandinge all the benefites of God The deutses and I dolatry of the Israelites shewed vnto the people of Israell yet when Moses went vp into the mountayne to speake with almightye God he had taried there but a few daies when the people began to inuent new Gods And as it came in their heades they made a calfe of golde kneled downe and worshipped it Exod. 22 And after that thei folowed the Moabites and worshipped Beelphegor the Moabytes GOD. Reade the boke of Iudges the bokes of the kynges and the Prophetes and there shal you find how vnstedfast the people were how ful of inuentions and more ready to runne after theyr own phantasies theÌ„ Gods most holy coÌ„maundementes There shall you reade of Baal Moloch Chamos Mechom Baalpe or Astaroth Beel the Dragon Priapus the brasen serpent the twelue signes and many other vnto whose ymages the people with greate deuotion inuented Pilgrimages pretiously decking and ceÌ„sing them kneling doune and offering to them thinking that an high merite before god to be estemed aboue the preceptes and commaundementes of God And where at that tyme God commaunded no sacryfyce to be made but in Ierusalem onelye they did cleane contrary making alters and sacrifices euery where in hylles in woodes and in houses not regardynge Gods commaundementes but esteming theyr own phantasies and deuotion to be better then thei And the error hereof was