PUrposing playnly & brefe­ly to speake of the true iu­stifying of a Christian mā, and aswell of vpright true good workes, as the maner and fourme therof: I mynde not to tell what disputaciōs mē haue had of the same, but what God (who cannot lye) hath vttered & spoken therof in his worde. This matter of iustificacion I thought to serue my turne: First beecause that Iohn the Apostle and Euā ­gelist, whom I now haue in hād doth in maner treate wholy therof. Upon whom I was perswa­ded to make the better declaraci­on, [Page] if I aforehande out of all the scripture set a short Summe of iustificacion and of good workes. Secondly, beecause that in oure fayth and religion there is no­thyng, wherof we may be igno­rante with greater hurte, or that with greater profit may be kno­wen, perceaued and vnderstand, then euen the maner of iustificacion and of good workes. For iustificacion is the surest ground and establishment of our life & well­fare.

Thirdly, because this matter (beyng els playne and euydent) is now in our dayes, thorow the many folde darke mystes▪ of con­tencious men, vtterly confused & cleane tossed out of order. For, cō cerning iustificacion, diuerse and sondrye men haue straunge and nyce opinions. Some saye styl, that the faythfull are iustifyed [Page] thorowe the onelye belefe in the Lorde Iesus Christ, whiche is a trueth in dede.

Other there be, that refuse & condemne thys as an erroneous opynyon, but with great arrogā ­cye ascribe their iustificacyon vnto mens works. Some referre iustificacion to faith and workes a lyke. And some there be, that vn­to fayth ascrybe the begynnynge of iustificacion, and the finishīge or perfourmaunce thereof vnto workes. Yet haue I not recyted the myndes and opinions of all. But forasmuche as there is such contencion among the learned, the peoples consciences are ther­by vexed, troubled and sore tēp­ted.

Wherefore to establishe the Christian verite, and for an introduction into the holy and godlye gospell of Iohn: I mynde to col­leete [Page] & gather together a shorte Summe of the iustificacion of a Christyan manne, and concer­nyng good workes. Nether will I here bring forth eny thinge at all, which I do not declare and proue wyth sensible playne testi­monies of gods scripture: yea and as touchinge iustificacion and good workes, I wil collecte & conferre together nothing els, but the most euident witnesses of the scripture. So that without the order and homelie vnpainted oracion, ther shalbe nothig mine: nether wil I compte any thinge mine own but trye & proue al­together by gods word. And doutles in the most waightie maters of our Religion, we ought e­uen so to vse our selfes.

TO iustifie, or this terme, Iustifie is in the scriptu­re taken sondrie waies. For somtyme it signifieth to ascribe honour and right vnto god, to yelde vnto him: stowtlie & boldly to confesse, that he one­lie is rightuous, but we oure sel­ues synners and vniust. Thus is it red: And all the people and the Luke. 7. publicanes, that heard him, iusti­fied god, and were baptised & the baptisine of Ihon.

[Page] More ouer, it signifieth asmuch, as to defende and spare himself, and to set forth himselfe for iust and ryghteous. For so the Lorde vseth it whan he rebuketh y ^e Pharisees, Luke. 16. saying vnto thē. Ye are they, that iustifie youreselues Luke. 16. beefore men, but god kno­weth your hartes.

Notwithstanding in this our present matter, I vse thys terme (Iustifie) as the custome is in causes iudicial and belonging to the law. And so doeth it betoken asmuche, as to pronounce hym iust and righteous, that is, to discharge from punyshment, and by sentence to cleare and quite him free, whiche is accused and re­quired to haue execucion. Againe contrary vnto thys doth the scripture now set that, whyche is cal­led to pollute or stayne: that is, by sentence to pronounce one de­filed, [Page] vngodly, vnrighteous and worthye to bee plaged, and so to geue hym ouer to be punished.

For it is red thus: If there be Deu. 25. a strife betwene men, they shall come to the law: and let y ^e iudges geue sentence betwene them, and iustifie the rightuous, and con­demne the vngodly. What canne thys be els, but euen asmuche as to saye: Let them discharge and quite free the rightuous, & iudge the vnrightuous to be punished. For Esaye in the fift Chapter saieth Esay. 5. yet more playnlye thus: they iustifie the vngodly for rewards sake, but condemne the iust cause of the ryghteous.

Which is euen asmuch to say as: the righteous doe not they de clare to be righteous, neyther de­lyuer they hym from the vilanye and wrong of the vniust: but take rewardes and giftes, and leaue [Page] him to the wilfulnes of violent oppressours. Here vnto serueth it that is writte in the prouerbes of Salomon the 17. chapter: The Pro. 17. lorde hateth aswel him that iusti­fieth the vngodlie, as him that cōdemneth the innocēt. Item that, out of the. 12. of Matthew: Out of thy wordes thou shalt be iustified, Math. 12. and out of thy wordes thou shalte be condemned.

Of the worde Iustifie, cōmeth the worde iustificacion or iusti­fieng. Iustifica­cion. And the same is a iudicial terme in the scripture. For iusti­ficacion is the declaracion of the iudge, who pronounceth sentence for the accused: that is, dischar­geth and quyteth him free from y ^e accusaciō and threatned punish­ment. Iustificaciō therfore is no­thing els, but a discharge, dely­ueraunce and restitucion from death to life.

[Page] Herof is rightuousnes called a discharge and pardon frō syn­ne: And they be the rightuous, whose synnes are forgeuen, and which, beyng a quyted frō death, are become hieres of eternal life. The Apostle Paul therfore, more Iustifica­cion is re­mission & redēpcion. then in one place, doth expounde Iustificaciō, by y ^e name of redēp­cion & remission of synnes: For y ^e which cause he setteth them both together, y ^t one maie be vnderstā ­ded bi āother. For in y ^t Acts of y ^e Apostles he saieth: Be it knowē vnto you therfore, ye men & bre­thren, Actes. 13. y ^t thorow this mā (namely Christ) is preached vnto you for­geuenes of synnes, and that by him all, that beleue, are iustified frō al things, frō which you could not be iustified by the lawe of Moses. And to y ^e Romanes he Roma. 4. saieth: euen as Dauid also descrybeth the saluacion of that man, [Page] vnto whom god imputeth righte ousnes wythout workes. Blessed Psal. 32. are they (saieth he) whose vnrighteousnesses are forgeuen, and whose synnes are couered. Bles­sed is that man, vnto whom the Lorde wyll not impute synne.

Behold now, how he ioyneth and knytteth iustificacion, bles­sedfulnes (or saluacion) and re­myssyon of synnes together. So doeth Esaye also in maner wyth Esay. 53. more playne wordes in the. 53. Chapter, saying: my ryghtuous seruaunte shall with his know­ledge (or with the knowledge of him) iustifie the multitude: for he shall beare away theyr synnes. For thys last: he shal beare away their sinnes: doeth in maner ex­pound that, whych goeth before­wyth hys knowledge, or wyth the knowledge of hym, shal he iustifie and deliuer the multitude. [Page] Thus he declareth, that iustificacyon is nothyng els but remyssi­on of sinnes. For whan the lorde taketh away our wyckednes, he iustifieth vs.

To iustifye therefore and to beare synne away, to delyuer frō synne or to forgeue synne, is all one matter. So that we lack now no more but to say: iustyfycacion is the remission of synnes & the discharge from damnacyon, the deliuerance, I saye, and forgeue­nes of synne: yea euen the recea­uing vp of a sinner into the grace of god, and inherytaunce of lyfe. Wherfore whan the questyon is The forme fashiō and maner of y ^e mediacyon and iustificacion. asked concernyng the true iustificacyon of man: vndoubtedly it is demaunded, what that maye be, for whose sake or by whō sinners are discharged frō the threatned and deserued death, or by whose meanes our synnes are forgeuen [Page] vs. Or: Wherein is the worlde reconcyled with god: And so in thes poynts consisteth the whole knowledge of our iustificacion, that whan we haue knowne the mediatour & redemer, the fourm and maner of the redempcion, y ^e fashion and meane also wherby the delyueraunce cōmeth vnto vs & is geuen vs: the iustificacion of a Christian mā may lykewise be vnderstande.

BUt to the intēt y ^• no darke nor doubtfull thing remayne in [Page] eny mans mynde: I wil first de­clare, what is to be holden of the Mediator or intercessor, & what the maner of iustificacion is. All this wil I set forth before mens eyes, y ^t euery one maie vewe & se it: Namelie, y ^• Christ Iesus is y ^• same, for whose sake the father is pacified and contented: In such forte, y ^t he imputeth not sinne vn­to vs, but cōpteth vs righruous & iust. For Christ hath take our synnes vpon him selfe, satisfied for them with his innocent death, & hath geuen vs his owne rightu­ousnes. Then wil I shewe, how we becōe partakers of this righ­tuousnes. For in this mater must speciall respect be had to these two poyntes: Namely, who is y ^e mediator & redemer of y ^e damned & how he hath delyuered thē: y ^t is, after what sorte we become pertakers of the redempcion and [Page] iustificacion, or how the deliue­rance extendeth to our commodite and welfare. To speake of the fyrst, imagen thou nowe by thy self, that god, the righteous iudge of all, sitteth vpon hys iudycyall Throne, before whō stand al mē and before accused as vngodlye and vnfaythfull, stayned and defyled wyth al vyces, and are conuicte of the same, by meāes wherof, the sentence of condemnacion is called for and required. The men haue vtterly nothing, wher­by to excuse themselues, nether is there aught els to loke for, but that they altogether shalbe caried forth and hurled awaye to dam­nacyon and eternall death. Ne­uertheles in thys greatest and final daunger, there appeareth to the most woofull mankynde, an exceadyng great hope: namelye the eternall sonne of god, who to [Page] be arbiter & mediatoure betwene god and man, and to delyuer thē from destruction, that were con­demned vnto death: tooke oure fleshe vpon hym, and became ve­ry man, to the entente that he, beynge tormented and sufferynge death, might also lade our sinnes vpon hym, and wyth hys inno­cent death to take away our gyl­tines, purginge our sinnes with his bloud, and making vs heires of eternall lyfe.

Wyth thys ensample, I think it euidently inough vttered and declared, what the mediatour is and what is iustificacion. I sup­pose also, euery man doeth well perceaue and vnderstande, that Chryst the mediatour, and the in carnacyon wyth the crosse of the Lord Iesu, is euē the same right principall poynt and only cause, wherby we are iustified & made [Page] rightuous.

But here might an vnreasona­ble and vnequal hearer or reader crye against me and saie: Thou shuldst byde by thy promes, bringinge forth gods scripture, and not ymagined ensamples. For at the first thou diddest promes a pure and syncere conference of y ^e scriptures: but now, forgettinge thy selfe, thou holdest the symple vp with bare ensampls. Answer. I am nothing at all ashamed, to speake after the propertie of the eternall maiestie of god. Now doth y ^t holy scripture yet set forth such sunilitudes and figures vn­to vs. For it bringeth god in as a iudge, before whose presēce ther goeth forth a consumynge fyre, Before god is no man iusti­fied. Psal. 5. and in whose sight the giltie is not excused. Here vnto serueth it that Dauid wryteth: For thou art the god, that hath no pleasure [Page] in wickednes, nether shal eny e­uell dwell with the. Such, as be foolishe, shall not stand in thy sight: for thou hatest al them that worke vanitie. Thou shalt de­stroie them that speake lesyngs: the lorde will abhorre both the bloude thirstie and disceatfull man. This same Dauid likewise, remembryng the accusacyon and accused, sayeth moreouer: The Psa. 14. 53. lord loked down from heauen v­pon the children of men, to see if there wer any, that would vnderstand, and seke after God. But they wer al gone out of the way, they altogether became abominable: there was none y ^e dyd good, no not one. And thys testymony of the Prophet Dauid is rehear­sed againe of S. Paul in y ^e third chapter to the Romaynes. Roma. 3. Againe the same royal Prophete himselfe, making menciō of the [Page] iudge, the iudgement and dāna­cyon, sayeth thus: Entre not into Psal. 143. iudgement wyth thy seruaunt, O lord: for in thy syght shal no mā liuyng be iustified. Itē: if thou, Psal. 130. Lord, wilt be extreme to marke what is done amysse, O Lorde, who maye abyde it? Holy Iob Iob. 9. also sayeth: I knowe and am suer it is true, that a mā, compared vnto god, cannot be iustified. If he would argue with him, he might not answere him vnto one amōg a thousande.

If I would iustifie my selfe, myne owne mouth shoulde con­demne me &c. Thus in my forere cited ensample, I haue broughte forth nothyng, that is straunge, or not cōsonaunt to the scripture. As concerning the mediatoure & redemer, our Lord Iesus Christ, the maner also and measure of the Mediacyon and redempcion, [Page] wherof I haue spoken somewhat afore: the scripture expresseth altogether so playnly and perfect­ly, y ^t doubtles whoso euer would denye the same, muste nedes be such an one, as hath neuer red the scripture.

But for asmuch as the ryghte sure point of our iustificacyon lyeth in this, whiche I haue proponed out of the scripture, that our Lorde Iesus Chryst, beeyng the mediatour, hath layed vpō himselfe the giltines of all suche, as were condemned, makyng satys­factyon for them wyth hys own body vpon the tree of the crosse, and washyng them awaye wyth hys bloude: namelye, in that he hath iustifid, absolued and quite discharged vs, which were dam­ned vnto death: And in that god, receauynge vs vnto grace, hath iudged and pronounced vs iuste [Page] and rightuous for hys sake. Therfore minde I now to confirme y ^e same, prouing and declaryng it wyth strong, sure and euydente testimonies of holy scripture.

ESay, the chefe among the most holy witnesses, in y ^e liii. chapter alone geuethe vs eyght testimonyes. The first is this: he onely hath taken Esa. 53. on him oure infirmites, & borne oure paynes.

[Page] And immediatly after: whereas he yet was wounded for our of­fences, and smitten for oure wickednes.

This is euen asmuche, as if he said thus: we thorow our synnes deserued stripes and woundes, sicknesses and paynes: But all these hath y ^e lord laide vpon him, to discharge vs of those griefes.

The seconde testimonye: For the punishment of our correction was layed vpon hym, and wyth his strypes are we healed. Lo, y ^• punishment, that belonged vnto vs, was layed vpon hym, & with his strypes are we made whole. The third: As for vs, we al haue gone astraie like shepe, euery one hath turned his owne waye, but the lorde hath heaped together vpon hym the iniquitie of vs.

That is to saye: that Where­as [Page] no man might be saued by his own vertue, the Lorde, hauynge compassyon vpon the miserye of man, hath, of hys mere goodnes, geuen hys own sonne: that he ta­kyng vpon hym the synnes of vs all, paying our raunsome and satisfyeng for vs, myght also make vs partakers of his rightwisnes. The fourth: He was cut of from the grounde of the liuing. Which punyshment did goe vpon hym for the transgression of my peo­ple. The Lorde was vngilty, and therfore suffred he for our sinnes whyche he toke awaye.

The fifte: Yet pleased it the lord thus to bruse hym with plages, and to smite him with infirmite: that whan he had made his soule (or lyfe) an offeryng for synne, he myght see a longe lastyng sede. The offeryng for synne, hath he here taken for the sufficient recō ciliacion [Page] and obteyning of grace for all synnes.

The sixte: for he shal beare a­way their synnes. Herof doubt­les is it thoughte, that Iohn the Baptist toke thys hys excellente sentence: beholde the lambe of Iohn. 1. god, that beareth or taketh away the synne of the world. Assuredli out of this place of the Prophete Esay, dyd holy S. Peter speake in hys Epistle, saying: which his 1. Peter. 2. own selfe bare our synnes in his body on the tree.

The seuenth accordeth wyth the Sixte: who yet shall take or beare away the synnes of many: namely, of the whole multitude, doubtles euen of faythfull be­leuers.

The eyght testimonye conclu­deth thys present matter: and he made ītercessiō for the misdoers. That is, he setteth hymselfe bet­wene [Page] god and men, in that he, ta­king vpon him oure synnes, satis­fied y ^e [...]ustice of god forthe same, & hath made vs partakers of his owne rightuousnes.

The second witnesse, holie S. Paul, y ^e electe vessel of god, spea­keth Roma. 8. very playnly: Who shal laye eny thinge to the charge of gods Chosen? It is god that iustifieth: Who is he that can condemne? It is Christ which dyed, yea ra­ther which is risen agayn: which is also on the right hand of god, and maketh intercession for vs.

Here thou hearest, that we are iustified by the intercession and mediacion of our lorde Iesu. S. Paul saieth moreouer: For god was in Christ, and made agremēt 2. Cor. 9. betwene y ^e worlde & himselfe, & īputed not their synnes vnto thē.

And immediatlye after he say­eth: For he made him to be synne [Page] for vs, which knew no synne: y ^t we by his meanes shuld be y ^• rightuousnes, which before god is al­lowed. Doubtles euen y ^t we (tho­row him) hauynge porcion and feloshippe in gods true rightu­ousnes, might altogether be reputed & compted rightuous before god. Whervnto that also agreeth wherof y ^e same Paul maketh mē ­cion with these wordes: But are Roma. 3. iustified frelie by his grace, tho­row y ^e Redempcion y ^t is in Christ Iesu, whom god hath set forth to be the obteyner of mercy, thorow faith in his bloud &c. Lykewyse to y ^e Galathians: Christ hath de­lyuered vs frō y ^e curse of the law, Gal. 3. in asmuche as he becāe a curse for vs, that the blessinge of Abrahā might come among the Gentiles in Christ Iesu.

Now let the thirde witnesse come forth, euen Ihon, the sonne of thonder, and dearlie beloued [Page] disciple of the Lord, who in hys Epistle sayeth wyth expresse wordes after thys maner: & the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne Iohn. 1. clenseth vs from all sinne. And afterwarde he saieth: and if any mā Iohn. 2, synne, we haue an aduocate with god, euen Iesus Chryst the righteous, and he it is, that obteineth grace for our sines: not for oure onely, but also for the synnes of the whole worlde.

If all trueth nowe shal stand in the mouth of two or three, then wil no man (I trust) from hence forth denye, that Iesus Chryste is our righteousnes, that we are iustified by the bloud of Iesus Chryste, that the death of y ^e lorde Iesus Chryst is it, by meanes whereof synners are delyuered from death, that our synnes are pardoned and forgeuen vs for Chrysts sake, and that in him we [Page] are reconcyled with God the fa­ther: who for the ryghtuousnesse sake of his anoynted, whyche he hath geuen vs, doeth compte vs ryghtuous, beyng of oure selues voyde of all ryghtuousnes.

Vnto these very playne testy­monyes, commeth thys also, that descended from the excellent glory out of heauen, euen the sētence of god vpon the Lorde Iesus, whan he went vp from the Bap­tyme, wyth these wordes: Thys Math. 3. is my deare sonne, in whom I delyte, and in whom I am pacyfy­ed.

And Paule to the Colossyans sayeth: for it pleased the father, y ^t Colos. 1. in hym shoulde dwell al fulnes, and by hym to reconcyle al thīgs vnto himselfe, and to set at peace by hym, thorow the bloud of his crosse, both thynges in heauen, and thynges in earth &c. To this [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] agreeth also that, which he saith to the Ephesians with these wordes: He (namely the father of oure lorde Iesu Christ) ordeyned Ephe. 1. vs before, thorow Iesus Christ, to be heires vnto himselfe, acor­dinge to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherwith he hath ma­de vs accepted thorow the belo­ued: By whom we haue redemp­cion thorow his bloud, euen the forgyuenes of synnes, acording to the riches of his grace &c.

Out of al this I conclude, that a Christian man is iustified tho­row Christ, and reconcyled with god the father: euen by him; who with his bloud hath clensed vs from synne, delyuered vs from y ^e power of the deuel & of darknes, restored vs vnto life with his owne death, and made vs heires with him in eternall life.

[Page] And for al this now, yet doth not the scripture speake against itself sayīg: A Christian man is iusti­fied by y ^e grace of god: for Christ the anoynted of the lorde is the free gifte of god, and the fulnesse of all grace, for asmuche as Ihon saieth: We al, takynge out of the fulnes of Christ, haue receaued Iohn. 1. grace for grace. For the lawe was geuen by Moses, but grace and trueth commeth by Iesus Christ, who is full of grace and veritie.

[Page] THis hitherto haue I spoken in generall, concernīg the maner of iustificaciō: that is, howe and after [...] what sort the sentence of damnacyon, geuen of god vpō al mankynd, is hyndered: how thei, that were condemned, be delyuered, Howe we be made partakers of the rightuousnes of Chryst. and reconcyled agayne with god thorowe Chryste.

But yet haue I spoken nothīg of the lawe, howe the righteous­nes of Chryst is become oures, or how we be partakers of this redempcyon.

For there be many, whych, vnderstanding Chryste to be a me­dyatour, doe not yet beleue, that he is also their mediatoure with god the father. And so the strēgth and vertue of the Mediacyon doeth not profyte them. Hereby maye we perceaue, that the ma­ner of iustyficacyon is not fullie [Page] fynished and perfourmed, whā we haue gottē onelie some know­lege of the mediator and interces­sor, vnlesse we also knowe, & be suere thorow faith, that Christ is our mediator, yea in euery poynt ours all together, & y ^t therfore al his giftes & goodes ar our owne.

Therfore hereafter haue I no­ted specially, how the Reconci­liacion and iustificaciō, wrought by Iesus Christ, is become ours: And what it is, y ^t maketh vs par­takers of the redempcion or righ­tuousnes of Christ: so that now the Lorde Iesus hath not onelie suffred death, but dyed euen for vs, washed awai our sinnes with his bloud, iustified vs and made vs rightuous: Yea so hath he iu­stified vs, that we now, beyng absolued from our sinnes, and delyuered from damnacion, are as­suredlie become inheritours of al [Page] the goodes of Christ, namelie of true rightuousnes and eternall life. Her I speake openly, playn­lie and symplie: We are become partakers of Christ by ōly faith, that is, by trust and belefe on y ^e By faith are we iu­stified not by bare knowledge but by sted fast belefe in Christe. lorde Iesus Christ. And euen therfore is it, that the prophetes and Apostles haue sayde so eui­dently, that men are iustified by faith: Item that Christ iustifieth thorow faith. For such saienges expresse this meanynge and vn­derstandyng: namely, that Christ geueth vnto vs his owne rightu­ousnes: that is, he forgeueth vs oure synnes, he delyuereth vs frō damnacion, and maketh vs par­takers of eternall life: Not for eny worke or deseruyng of vs but of his owne pure grace & merite thorow faith: In whō we holde & beleue vs to be accepted, not for ours;elfes or for our owne works, [Page] but for Christes sake. Whom the father of al grace and mercy hath geuen vs for a pledge and assu­raūce, y ^t we shal lyue in his name.

IT is not my desyre to be cre­dited herin, vnlesse I defende with very playne and euident scriptures y ^t, which I haue ta­ken in hand. Now haue I say­ed, that Christ iustifieth vs by faith: that is, thorow stedfast belefe is the rightuousnes of Christ geuen vnto vs. This dyd the pro­phet Esaye establishe before w ^t Esa. 53. sensible wordes, sayēge: my righ­tuous [Page] seruaunt (namely Christ y ^e lorde) shal with his knowlege, or with the knowlege of him, ius­tifie the multitude. Beholde how he saieth, my rightuous seruaunt shal iustifie the multitude, church or congregacion, and that thorow y ^e knowlege of him. Now is it certayne and sure, that the knowlege of him signifieth the knowlege of Christ: euen y ^e science, no doubte, wherby true faith knoweth him, cōfesseth him, and poynteth vnto him. This is therfore the prophet Esays doctryne, or rather gods: that Christ thorow faith iusti­fieth those that bee his. After Esaye doth the prophet Abacuc Abac. 2. speake, sayīge: The iust and righ­tuous shal lyue in his faith and beleffe. Which sentence holie S. Paul Tim. 1. Gala. 3. Hebr. 10 vsed not onelye one tyme, to proue by this testimonye, as with it which is most euident, y ^e [Page] all beleuers are iustified & made lyuing by faith. S. Ihon also, speaking of the lord in his gospel, Iohn. 1. sayeth thus: He came among his owne, & his owne receaued him not. But as many as receaued him, to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of god, euen them that beleued on his name. Loe now, what could more sensibly haue bene spoke? As many, as receaue Christ, are gods children: but thei that beleue, receaue Christ: therfore thorow beliefe become we vndoubtedlie the children of god, iust and rightuous, blessed and saued. And in the gospell of Ihō saieth our lord Iesus Christ himselfe: Verely, verelie I saie Iohn. 5. vnto you: He, that heareth my word, and beleueth on him that sent me, hath euerlasting life, and shal not come in to damnaciō, but is escaped from death vnto life. [Page] And agayne: This is the will of him which sent me, that who soe­uer Iohn. 6. seyth the sonne, and beleueth on him, haue euerlasting life, and I wil raise him vp at the last dai. Herof commeth it also, that this Apostle in his epistle saieth very euidētly: yf we receaue the wit­nes of men, the witnesse of god 1. Iohn. 5. is greater. For this is y ^e witnesse of god, whiche he hath testified of his sonne: Who so beleueth on the sonne of god, hath gods witnesse in him. But who so be­leueth not, hath made him a lyar, because he hath not beleued the witnes, which god hath testified in his sonne. And this is y ^e testi­monye, that god hath geuen vs eternal life, and this life is in his sonne.

Whoso hath the sonne of god, hath life: He that hath not y ^e sōne of god, hath not life.

[Page] Here we se clearlie, y ^t the sonne of god is had and possessed tho­row faith: and in the sonne assu­redlye rightuousnesse, all good things and eternal life. Therfore must it nedes be true, that we are iustified by faith. Now saieth y ^e Apostel Paul also very distinct­lie: The rightuousnes of god is declared without the lawe, for asmuch Roma. 3. as it is allowed by y ^e testi­monie of y ^e lawe & of y ^e prophets. The rightuousnes of God com­meth by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto al and vpō al them, y ^t beleue. And in the tenth chapter: Christe Roma. 10. is y ^e end, or fulfilling, of y ^e lawe to iustifie al y ^t beleue. Finally while Paul & Silas laye at Philippis in prison for Christes name sake, and the keper of the prison as­ked: Acte. 16. good syrs, what must I do to be saued? Thei answered him: Beleue in the Lord Iesus Christ, [Page] so shalt both y ^u and thy housholde be saued. By this now I suppose it euidentlie ynough proued, that we be iustified by faith: Namely that vnto vs thorow faith is geuē rightuousnes, with the merites of Christ.

NEther can I thynke, that eny man, which is but a litle exercised in holie scripture, wil stomble or be offended at such kynd and maner of speche: We are ius­tified thorow the grace of god, or [Page] horow the merites of Christ, we are iustified by faith on the lorde Iesus: as though thei eny where dyd not agree, or ascrybed Iusti­ficacion to vnlike thinges. For thei are all one in effecte, ascry­bing iustificacion to the onelie mercie of god, to whom onelye the prophetes and Apostles di­rected all their vnderstandinge & meditacion. These, as oft as thei loked behind thē to the fountaine and well spring of iustificacion, saide, that men are iustified tho­row the grace of god. But whan thei had pondered & considered the mercy pledge, & him, by whō we are iustified, thei sayd: We ar made rightuous by Christ. And whan thei called to remembraūce it, wherby we become partakers of grace and of Christ, thei saide, that we are iustified by faith.

Nether were thei for all this [Page] careful, that their sayenges shuld not agree together and serue the mater: As some curious bodies Sharpe disputaci­ons of this mater. do sharplie dispute: Namelie, whether faith be rightuousnes, or an instrument and meane to becōe partakers of rightuousnes: whether it be an instrument to receaue, or a thing where thorow rightuousnes is poured in as thorow a tonnell: Or whether it be the rightuousnes itselfe &c. After this sorte is mans vnderstanding occupied, but what auayleth it vnto true godlines? The holie A­postles, who alwaie studied sim­plicitie with playnesse, they di­stinctly expresse and declare, that god, the grace of god, Christ and faith iustifieth. Itē that by grace, by christ and by faith we ar iusti­fied. Which symplicitie I, myn­dinge to folowe, leaue such sub­tile curiositie vnto others.

ANd where as I haue all­ready added there vnto: We are iustified onelie by faith for Christes sake, & not for our workes: the sāe haue I not lēt of myne own, but taken it out of the holie scrip­ture. For the sonne of god, Iesus Christ, saieth in the gospell: Ex­cepte ye eate the flesh of y ^e sonne Iohn. 6. of man and drinke his bloude, ye haue no life in you. Lo, the ōly eating of the flesh, and drinking of the bloude of Christ, maketh vs lyuinge: nether is there eny [Page] thingels in y ^e whole world, that geueth life. Now what it is to eate the flesh of Christ, he decla­reth immediatlie in y ^e same chap. sayeng: Verelie verely I saie vn­to you: Who so beleueth on me, hath euerlasting life. Item: He, that cōmeth vnto me, shal not hō ­ger: And he that beleueth on me, shal neuer be a thirst. Here shuld he haue saide: He, that drynketh me, shal neuer thirste: but in the place of this word, drinke, he hath set, beleue. Therfore to eate and drynke here, is nothing els but to beleue. So then yf we beleue not that the sonne of god was gyuen for vs vnto death, we can neuer lyue: Ergo faith it is that maketh lyuinge. With this euangelist a­greeth Paul also, saiēg: we know Gala. 2. that a man is not iustified by the dedes of the lawe, but by y ^e faith of Iesus Christ, And we haue [Page] beleued on Iesus Christ, y ^t we might be iustified by the fayth of Christ, and not by the workes of the lawe. For in that he saieth: A man can not be iustified but by the faith of Christ, what geueth he with this sayenge els to vn­derstand, but that a man must be iustified by the onelie faith of Christ or in Christ? For in Gene. Gene. 43. Ioseph saide vnto his brethren: loke that ye se not my face, except your yōgest brother be with you. And in the boke of Numerus, the Num. 11. people complayned, whyninge against god, and saienge: Oure eyes se nothing but this Manna. And in the same boke saieth Ba­laam: Nume. 23. Must not I kepe that and speake it, which the lord hath put in my mouth? In Deuteronomy Deut. 10. saieth Moses also: And now Is­rael, what doth y ^e lorde thy god requyre of the, but to feare the [Page] lord thy god, and to walke in all his waies: And Paul himselfe to the Romaynes vseth y ^e same ma­ner of speche whan he saieth: ther is no power but of god. Item in Roma. 13. y ^e first epistle to the Corinthiās: Euen so knoweth no mā what is in god, but the sprite of god. And 1. Cor. 2. againe: I shewed not my selfe forth amonge you, that I knewe eny thing, saue only Iesus christ, that was crucified.

These, and such like sentences innumerable in the scripture, sig­nifie nothing els, then yf thou shuldest saie: This onelie poynte shal open you the entraunce vnto me agayne, yf ye bring your yon­geste brother with you: Oure eyes see but onlie Manna, and nothing els: Onelie that, which y ^e lorde committeth vnto me, maie I doe and speake: This onelie re­quyreth the lorde of the, y ^t thou [Page] loue him: All power is onely of god: Onelie gods sprite knoweth the thinges that are in god: I haue compted my selfe to knowe onely Christ, that was crucified.

Seynge thē it is thus vndoub­tedlie, and no man can denye it to be most euidently spoken also of Christ and Paul, namely, that no man is made lyuing, iust or righ­tuous but by faith: It is much to be wōdred, that certayne famous men, which will be reputed to be syngularly lerned, braule & chyde so vehemētlie against vs, for that we saie, we are iustified onelye by faith.

For Christ and Paul haue spo­ken so afore. Why goe thei not to rebuke thē, yf thei thinke them to haue failed therein? We speake but as we haue learned out of thē: the sense & meaning of oure doc­trine we finde in them.

[Page] For very childish is it, y ^t thei obiecte: Namely, that this word, onelie or alone, is not added of them. For this is euen one thing, as yf a scholar wolde thinke the scholmaster had not geuen him leue to go forth, whan he had as­ked him: Syr geue ye me leue to go? And he made him answere, I geue: And dyd not expreslie saie after the cōmen maner: Yea. For either of both the saiēges geueth one vnderstāding. Euen so, whā thou saiest: we knowe that no mā is iustified but by faith: Or, we knowe that a mā is iustified one­lie by faith: The saienges are all one, & meane one thing. And whā it is saied, that a man is iustified by faith not by workes, is it not euen asmuch, as to geue euident testimonye, that a mā is iustified onelie by faith? The Apostle saieth: they are made rightuous Roma. 3. [Page] frelie (or for naught) by his grace But howe can eny thinge be don frelie or for naught, that is done for rewarde or worker Doubtles yf we be iustified frelie thorow the grace of Christ, then is it not done by workes. For in the xi. chapter also saieth this Apostle: Yf it be of grace, thē is it not now of workes: for els grace then is nomore grace. but yf it be of wor­kes, then is it now no grace: for els were deseruing then nomore deseruyng. Therfore in the most assured trueth we knowledge, & be stedfastly persuaded, that a Christian man is iustified by the helpe and mynistracion of onelie faith. Faith standeth or leaueth vpon the grace of god, and not vpon mans strength. But vnto god it ascribeth altogether, as I wil shortlie declare hereafter at large.

IN y ^e fore recyted cap. cōcludth the holy Apostle the whole ma­ter of iustificacion, thus: We holde therfore, that a mā is iusti­fied Roma. 3. by faith without the workes of y ^e lawe. And in y ^e fourth chapt. he declareth euidently, that righ­tuousnes is imputed vnto vs by faith, not by workes (meanynge not onlie the workes of the lawe, but all maner of workes) acor­dinge as he saieth also to the E­phesians: By grace are ye saued thorow faith, & that not of youre Ephe. 2. [Page] selues. It is the gift of god, and commeth not of workes, least eny man shulde boast himselfe. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Iesu vnto good works, which god ordeyned, y ^t we shulde walke in them.

By grace (saieth he) are ye preserued or saued (assuredly ius­tified) thorow faith. For faith apprehendeth & laieth sure holde vpon grace. And to the intēt that no body here shuld ascribe aught to the strength of man, he ad­deth: And that not of youre sel­ues. For nether grace nor faith commeth of you. What then? vpō y ^t he addeth immediatly: It is the gift of god (vndoubtedly that we are iustified, and also that we beleue) Yea he setteth yet one thing to it: Not of works, lest eny man shulde boast himselfe. [Page] For in the prophet Ieremy also the lorde will not, that eny man Iere. 9. Esa. 65. glory or reioyse, saue onelie in his mercy. Yet ther folowth a cause: We ar his woorkemanship &c. Why wold erth & claye then lifte vp it selfe against the potter, of whom he hath, what he is & hath? And so this place doth euidently ascribe iustificacion vnto faith, & taketh it from workes.

ALl this shalbe yet more playn, and more perfectly vnderstand and known, whan I shall shewe, that [Page] this iustifieng faith holdeth and beleueth, y ^t we are accepted vnto the lord, not for our selues, or for our own works, but for Christes sake: That is, faith trusteth not vnto workes or deseruinges, but to the promes of god, and to the merites of Christ our lord. Ther­fore whan Paul saieth to the Ro­maines, Roma. 3. that Christ our lord is of god set forth vnto the world, to be y ^e mercy seate or reconcyler tho­row faith in his bloud: he tea­cheth and declareth euidently, y ^t faith trusteth vnto y ^e bloud, that is vnto the death, merites and re­dempcion of Iesus Christ. And treating largelie and perfectly of this mater in the fourth chapter, he wryteth thus: Neuertheles it is not written onelie for him (na­melie Abraham) that it was re­kened vnto him for righteousnes, But also for vs, to whō it shalbe [Page] so cōpted, yf we likewise beleue on him, that raised vp Iesus our lorde from the dead: which was delyuered vp for oure synnes, & raised againe for our iustificaciō.

With these wordes he sheweth vs two thinges: The one, that faith is compted vnto vs for rightuousnes: The other, that y ^e same faith leaneth and trusteth vpon the lorde Iesus Christ, who dyed for vs and was raised vp agayne. That is, faithfull beleuers cōpte themselues rightuous and iusti­fied, because thei vnderstand by faith, that Christ dyed for them, to take a waie their synnes: And that he was afterward raised vp agayne, to make them lyuinge, for whom he had payed the rawn­some, and reconcyled them.

And in the tenth chapter of Roma. 10. this epistle, whan Paul holdeth and compareth the rightuousnes [Page] of the lawe and the rightuousnes of faith together, the one against the other, he declareth playnlie, that the rightuousnes of the lawe trusteth vnto workes, but y ^e righ­tuousnes of faith trusteth vnto Christ. For faith saieth thus: The worde is nere vnto the, euen in thy mouth and in thine hart. Then addeth he therto: This is y ^e word of faith which we preach, namelye: yf thou confesse Iesus with thy mouth, that he is the lorde, and beleuest in thine hart, that god raised him vp from the deed, thou shalt be saued. For to beleue with the hart, iustifieth: and to cōfesse with the mouth, sa­ueth. For y ^e scripture saieth. Who soeuer beleueth on him, shall not Esai. 28. be confunded. Therfore is it no maruaill, that this Apostle, wry­ting Philip. 3. to y ^e Philippiās, reputeth al [Page] thinges but losse, for the excellē ­cy of y ^• knowlege of Iesus Christ, and iudgeth them but vyle: desy­ringe to wynne Christ, and to be foūd in him, not to haue his owne rightuousnesse of the lawe, but rather that rightuousnes, which commeth by the faith of Iesus Christ. Which thīges afterwarde immediatlye he setteth in y ^e true knowledge of Christes death and resurrection.

Here vnto (I suppose) serueth specially the very playne argu­mente of this Apostle, whan he saieth: Yf the inheritaunce shuld Gala. 3. come by the lawe, thē were it not geuen by promes: But god gaue it frelie vnto Abrahā by promes. The worde of promes is this: In thy sede &c. For the saluacion set­teth he vpon one onelie, and not in many. Now yf the inheritaūce and blessinge were set in many, [Page] then shuld it be geuē for y ^e workes sake: But we all are blessed and saued in one, and by one. For as Roma. 5. the curse, by the synne of one, rea­ched ouer all men vnto condem­nacion: Euen so, by the rightu­ousnes of one, reacheth the gifte or blessing vpon al men to y ^e iusti­ficacion of life. For asmuch now as the blessing, rightuousnes and redempcion, is in the worde of trueth ascribed onlie vnto christ, and seeinge our faith is directed straight vpon him: euery faithful beleuer doth well vnderstande, y ^e he is accepted vnto god thorow Christ, not for his own self or for his workes sake. For god dyd chose and ordeyne vs before, be­cause he wolde accepte vs for his Ephe. 1. owne children thorow Ihesus Christ in him selfe, acording to y ^e good pleasure of him selfe, to the praise of the [...] of his grace: [Page] wherby he hath accepted vs in y ^e beloued, in whom we haue redēpcion thorow his bloud: namely y ^e forgeuenes of synnes, oute of the riches of his grace, which he hath poured vpon vs. Herevnto also belongeth it, that the Apostle saieth: fayth commeth by hearynge Rom. 10. and hearyng cōmeth by the word of god.

For immediatlye therevpon, doth the holy Apostle Paul adde out of the Psalme: Verelye their Psal. 19. sounde went out into all landes, and their wordes vnto the endes of the world. With all these most stronge testimonies of the scryp­ture, I haue vndoutedly gotten the iustifying faith, confidence & trust: that we are reconciled and accepted vnto god, not by means of our selues or our own workes, either of the law [...] of grace, but for Christ and [...] merites sake. [Page] For faith standing fast, trusteth and leaneth vpon y ^e true promes of god, euen vpon the lord christ, and not vpon any of our workes. Therfore is iustificaciō referred vnto faith, because that what so­euer belongeth to saluacion and rightuousnes, faith ascribeth it al to y ^e grace of god in Christe. And thus by the nature of iustifyinge faith, I haue shewed, that onely fayth iustifieth: now will I also declare out of the nature or pro­pertie of mens workes, that they doe not iustifie.

[Page] WHat the workes of mans nature be (namelie y ^e wor­kes that are done by such, as are not yet regenerate) the lord him selfe in the gospell declareth, & saieth: That, whiche is borne of flesh, is flesh. Paul al­so, Iohn. 1. speaking of the flesh, saith: To be fleshlie mynded (or the mynde Roma. 8. and wil of the fleshe) is death, & enemitie against god: for it, nāelie the fleshe, and y ^e inclinacion of the fleshe, is not obedient to y ^e lawe of god, nether can be. For Ephe. 2. Deu. 27. Gala. 3. we all by nature are children of wrath. Now is euery one cur­sed, that abydeth not in all thin­ges, which are writtē in the boke of the lawe. So farre therfore, ar oure owne naturall woorkes frō iustifieng eny man, that they ra­ther condemne.

Moreouer of the workes of the lawe hath Paul the electe vessell [Page] spokē thus: we know that whatsoeuer the law saieth, it saieth it vn­to Roma. 2. such as are vnder y ^e lawe: that al mouthes maye be stopte, and that al the wholle world maie be detter vnto god, because that by the dedes of the lawe no fleshe is iustified in his sight. He saieth also els where: I refuse not the grace of god. For yf rightuous­nes Gala. 2. come by the lawe, then dyed Christ in vayne. And yet more playnlie: Yf there had bene my­nistred Gala. 3. a law, which coulde haue geuen life, then no doubte righ­tuousnes shuld come by the lawe. But the scripture hath shut vp all vnder synne, that by faith in Ie­sus Christ the promes might be geuen to those, that beleue.

Now come we to the workes Workes of fayth and grace. of faith or of grace, which be cal­led good works, & works of righ­tuousnes. These (saie thei) these [Page] iustifie. Answere. Yf thei be good workes, & workes of righ­tuousnes, then must thei nedes be wrought by good and rightu­ous people. Wherout it foloweth that the workes go after rightu­ousnes, and not before iustifica­cion: for thei are done by those, that be rightuous or iustified. Whefore yf thei first folowe af­ter, then make thei no mā rightu­ous: but faith it is that iustifieth. And such, as be rightuous thēsel­ues, do worke rightuousnes or y ^t works of rightuousnes. For it is written: The rightuous shal liue Abac. 2. Rom. 1. Hebr. 10 a. 3. by his faith. And agayne: who so applyeth himselfe vnto rightuousnes, the same is rightuous & iust. Thus is faith the groūd and iust occasiō of vertue, & goeth be­fore the workes of rightuousnes, of faith and of grace, nether is it first made out of workes.

[Page] Yf thou be not satisfied here The vngodly and ipo­crites. with, thē let vs set this cōsidera­cion before vs not after y ^e things, but after the personnes: Thus: Thei, that work or do the dedes, be either vngodly wicked people & ypocrytes, or els thei be godly, rightuous and holie frendes of god. No man (by the grace of god) will ascribe iustificacion to the workes of the vngodly and ypocrites, for asmuch as it is written: The lorde hateth the sa­crifices Pro. 15. 21, of the vngodly. And a­gayne: The ypocryts hope shall Iob. 8. come to naught, his confidence shalbe destroyed, & his trust shal be a spyders webbe, he shal leane vpō his house, but it shal not stād & he shall hold him fast by it, but yet shal it not endure. And before him (namelye beefore GOD) maie no ypocryte stand. As for y ^e [Page] godlie (of whom it is written: Ye are whashē, ye are sanctified, ye 1. Cor. 6. are iustified by the name of the lorde Iesus, and by the sprete of god) thei ascrybe their vertue & rightuousnes vnto god and vnto The holy & regenerate gods sprete, by whom thei knowe thei are sanctified, and that they now maie do and perfourme ho­lie and good workes. And also thei fele in their sanctified flesh, namelie in themselues, there re­mayneth & worketh, thorow out their whole life, so greate weak­nes and feblenes, that thei dare not ascrybe eny iustificacion not vnto the workes, that ar done by faith in holynesse. Herof might I bring forth many recordes. Yet will I alledge onelie two. First thē let Iob, the most faithful ser­uaunt of god, come forth: For him Iob. 1. hath the godlie sentence cōmen­ded and praised vnto vs, that he [Page] was a perfecte & iust man, such one as feared god, and eschued euil and that there was none lyke him vpon erth. And yet the same man, being with so excellent a ti­tell of rightuousnes commended vnto vs, doth saie: If I wil iusti­fie myselfe, myne owne mouth Iob. 9. shal condemne me. Yf I will put forth myselfe for a perfecte mā, he shal proue me a wicked doer. And agayn: Yf I haue done wic­kedly, Iob. 10. wo vnto me. And though I haue dōe rightuouslie, yet dare I not lifte vp my head. Therfore is it certayne, that this most holy and iust man dyd ascribe nothing to the frutes of his owne rightu­ousnes, but trusted onely vpon y ^e mercy of god. Now let the other witnes come forth, euen Paul y ^e Apostel, who saieth with sensible wordes: I delyte in the lawe of god after the inwarde man: But Roma. 7. [Page] in my membre I se another law, which rebellein against the law of my mynde and subdueth me to the lawe of synne, which is in my membres. The holie Apostle speaking of himselfe, and of all such as be regenerate, testifieth, that in them abyde stil y ^t remnauntes of the fleshe: by the nature, po­wer and force wherof, it cōmeth to pas thorow out the wholle life of man, that thei also do the thing which they thēselues wolde not: And therfore are thei neuer able to attayne and come to true per­fectnes, so long as thei lyue vpon erth and in this flesh.

For asmuch then as it is so, e­uery man seith wel, that iustifi­cacion is not to be imputed vnto the workes of faith or of such as be regenerate, consydering that it must be athinge most pure and thorowly perfecte, wherby god [Page] is pacified and pleased with vs. Yea the scripture geueth euident witnesse, that euē Abraham, the Abraham. father of all faithfull beleuers, was not iustified by the workes of faith. Herof then maie we be bolde to conclude, that we also by no workes of faith are iustified. For thus Paul argueth: yf Abra­hā were iustified by workes, thē Roma. 4. hath he wherof to reioyce, but not with god. But what saieth y ^e scripture: Abraham beleued god, and it was compted vnto him for rightuousnes. To him that goeth aboute with workes, is the re­warde not rekened of grace, but of duetie. To him that goeth not aboute with workes, but beleueth on him that iustifieth y ^e vngodly, is his faith cōpted for rightuous­nes. Where as we now by the en­sāple of Abrahā do cōclude, y ^t we must be iustified in such like pure [Page] maner as he was, we speke it not of our owne ymaginaciō, but out of the wordes of S. Paul, that saieth: Neuertheles it is not written Roma, 4, onelie for him, that it was re­kened vnto him for righteousnes, but also for vs: to whom it shalbe so compted, yf we likewise beleue on him, that raised vp Iesus oure lorde from the deed.

NOw like as out of the nature & propertie of faith and workes I haue she­wed, that faith, and not works, doth iustifie: So [Page] wil I now declare and proue the same by y ^e nature of iustificacion. The right propertie, natural ver­tue and power of iustificaciō, is to pacifie, to stil and quiete the cō science, which heretofore, by the remembring and considering of synne and damnacion, was vexed and troubled. For Paul saieth: Because therfore that we be iustified & made rightuous by faith, we haue peace with god thorow Roma. 5. oure lorde Iesus Christ. As for mens workes, thei are neuer able so to comforte and pacifie an vn­quyete conscience. For who hath at eny tyme persuaded himselfe, y ^t he with his owne workes hath satisfied the lawe of god, and is therfore absolued, discharged of his synnes, delyuered from dam­nacion, and become rightuous & vndefyled? Specially seyēg that Salomō, the wisest among al mē, Pro. 20. [Page] hath saide: Who can saie: My herte is cleane, I am innocent frō synne? Wherfore yf oure workes quiete not the conscience, then do not thei in eny wise iustifie a mā. But faith iustifieth and perfectly stilleth the conscience. And ther­fore it iustifieth. For the lord hath saide in the gospell: Who so euer drynketh of this water (wherby Iohn, 4, vndoubtedly he dyd meane out­ward thinges, and al mans help) shal thyrst againe: But who soe­uer drynketh of the water that I geue him, shall neuer be more a thyrst: but the water, that I shal geue him, shalbe in him a well of water springing vp in to euerlas­ting life. And againe: I am y ^e bred of life. He that cōmeth to me, shal not honger: And he that beleueth Iohn. 6. on me, shal neuer thyrst.

Here thou seist, y ^t faith, which preasseth on forth directly vpon y ^e lorde Iesus, doth satisfie vs. For [Page] faith vnderstādeth, y ^t Christ him selfe is the right fulnes & plen­tiful sufficiēcie of heauēly goods, and that euen he gaue himselfe whollye for vs, and in all thinges became our owne: so y ^t now from hence forth an oppressed & afflic­ted cōscience maie rest vpon him­for in christ the sonne of god, full of grace & trueth, there is nether blemishe nor weaknesse. But in works, yea of most holie mē, ther is alwaie found feblenes and im­perfection. And yf we wold now beholde the propertie & nature of him, before whose iudgmēt seate we shal stande, we shulde playnly fynd, y ^t we are iustified by y ^e my­nistraciō & help of faith, & not of Holy men do not glo­ry in works but in the mercy of y ^e Lorde. workes. For vndoubtedly y ^e hig­hest & most rightuous of al hath respect ōly to such as are hūble of contrite hertes, & those assuredlie he iustifieth. But such as are proud & glorie ī their own merits [Page] those he condemneth, and turneth himself from thē. Here vnto ser­ueth y ^e parable or symilitude out of the gospel, concernyng the two that wente vp together in to the Luke. 18. temple to praie: Of whō the one boasted of his good workes, told what thei were, trusted vnto thē & set out himself for a rightuous and good man. As for the other, he trusted in the onelye mercy of god, & nothing at all in his owne merites, but cryed: O god, be mercyfull vnto me synner. This man wente downe, out of the temple, iustified: but y ^t other, being wrapt and snared in synne, failed of his hope. Therfore in the prophet Ie­remye hath the lorde geuen vs a right good counsail, & saide: Let Ieremi. 9. not y ^e wise man reioyce in his wis­dome, nether the strong man in his strength, nor the riche man in his riches: but who so wilreioice, [Page] let him reioyce in this, that he vn­derstandeth & knoweth me. For I am the lorde y ^t do mercy, equi­tie and rightuousnes vpon earth. This counsaill dyd the godlie A­postle Paul folowe, saieng: God forbyd that I shulde reioyce, saue Gala. 6. onelye in the crosse of our lorde Iesus Christ, wherby the world is crucified vnto me, and I vnto the world: For in the gospell also the lorde said: whan ye haue done Luke. 17. all that is commaunded you, saie: we are vnprofitable seruauntes, we haue not done that we ought to do. Therfore the godlie praise y ^t grace of god, not bragginge of their owne merites, nether trus­ting eny thing at all vnto them, The righte ousnes of fayth and workes a­gree not to gether. but comforte them selues in the mercie of god.

Finally, yf we now compare both the rightuousnesse (namelie of faith and of workes) the one [Page] against the other, we maie easely perceaue that these beynge most vnlike maie not stand together. For as concernyng the rightuous­nes of workes, the holie Apostle Paul hath spoken: Thorow the Roma. 3. Gala. 2. workes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified before god. But of y ^e rightuousnes of faith he saieth thus: Al thei are iustified that be­leue. And in another place he saieth: The rightuousnes of faith is Roma. 4. imputed of grace or fauour: but y ^e rightuousnes of works is not im­puted of grace or fauour, but of dewti. And againe he saieth: Israel, which folowed y ^e law of righ­tuousnes, coulde not attayne to y ^e Rom. 9. law of rightuousnes: But y ^e Hei­then which folowed not rightu­ousnes, haue ouertakē rightuous­nes, euen the rightuousnes which cōmeth of faith. And immediatly geueth he a reason of the fyrst [Page] pointe, and addeth therto: Wherefore? Euen because thei sought it not by faith, but as by the workes of the lawe: for thei stombled at the stombling stone. Therfore re­mayneth it stil true and certayne, that the one rightuousnes ouer­throweth the other: And therfore we that teach, a manne to be iustified by faith in the lorde Iesus, & not by workes, do not peruerte y ^e Christian faith, as our aduersa­ries shamfully belye vs: But thei rather do ouerthrowe it, that by all meanes and waies mynishe y ^e honour of y ^e faith in Christ: main­teinyng, that the churche or con­gregacion of the faithfull ar, by the workes & merites of men, ab­solued from synne, delyuered from damnacion, and ob­teyne the inheritaūce of eternall life.

WIth this disputation and talke, concernyng Christ, the lorde, who iustifieth vs by faith, not by works: Or concernynge faith, that iusti­fieth without workes: Many w ^t ­out all doubte wil be sore offen­ded, thinking that I set nothing by good workes, and that I leaue them no place of honour in the church. For thei sai: if good works helpe not a man to obtayne righ­tuousnes, then are thei nothing worth, nether necessary in the church: And therfore is it in vayn [Page] that good workes are so oft and many tymes menci [...]d of in ho­lie scripture: The [...]stles also of the lorde, & the holy prophetes lose but their labour, in requiring vs to exercise and declare oure faith, praisyng god our father in heauen, with good workes. Why is the holy Apostle Iames so er­nest Iacob. 2. to teach, that a man is iusti­fied by workes, and not by faith onely? Yf faith onelye be suffi­cient to obteyne saluacion, what els remayneth for vs to do, but euen to eat and drynke, and then to saie vnto god the iudge: I haue beleued thy gospel, therfore saue thy seruaunt? Thus is banished all vertue, good lyfe, and God­lynes, And thus men exercise and applie them selues nomore to in­nocēcie of life and good maners. Answere

Thei that after this sorte take the mater so euell and cōplayne, [Page] vnderstād nether the strength of faith, nor [...]e true order of good workes. A [...] as for vs, we do not hold, that faith is without good workes, whā we saie after the A­postle: that faith iustifieth with out good workes. But we know­lege and confesse, that faith iusti­fieth with his owne strength, not with y ^e helpe & additiō of works. For Christ is mightie ynough of himselfe and of his owne power to iustifie the faithfull beleuers, nether nedeth he enye supplie or filling vp of our workes. Faith also is not without good workes, nether are Christian mēs works therfore in vaine or vnprofitable, because thei do not iustifie. For thei haue neuertheles a very ho­nourable place and rowme in the holie church. And whā it is sayde in y ^e scripture (as it is oft) y ^t they iustifie, it is so spokē of them for [Page] speciall causes. Which thing to y ^e intent it maie y ^e better & more per­fectly be vnderstād, I will make somwhat deper rehersall of good workes, & bringe thē forth out of their owne fountayne and origi­nal, declaring their certayne and vndoubted boundes, wherby all their nature & propertie maie per­fectly be knowne. Vpon y ^e name or terme, I do not much passe. for (as euery man knoweth) there be euil and vnprofitable workes, workes of iniquitie & wickednes, y ^e doers wherof are called the workers of wickednes. The same workes also are called the workes of the fleshe and the workes of darknes. Agayne there be good workes, contrarie to the other, which the scripture calleth the works of re­pētaunce, the frutes of the sprete and of light: such are the offices and dueties of frendship a loue, which wer cōmēded ī Tabitha, of [Page] whom it is said, that she was full of good workes.

Now whā we descrybe them, we saie: thei be such as are done by those, that ar borne a new, or re­generate, Good workes out of the good sprete of god, by faith, & acording to gods word, to the praise and honour of god, to the honest bewtifulnes of life, and finallie to the profite & cōmoditie of y ^e neighbour. These are shorte wordes, and therefore peraduenture vnto some thei be y ^e darker and more hard to vnder­stande: But yf the grace of god shewe vs light, thei shal, by the declaracion folowinge, be playnlie and easelie perceaued. No other fountayne of good workes can I shewe, then onelie god himselfe. For the prophet saith: All men are lyars, onelie god is true. And the lorde saieth in y ^e gospel: There Psal. 116. Math. 19. is no man good, but onelie god. [Page] Therfore is it necessary, y ^t good workes springe not of man, who is a lyar, wicked and naught, but of god himselfe, of whom proceadeth all that good is.

Neuertheles it behoueth such men, as by the sprete of god and faith in the lorde Iesus are rege­nerate, that thei hence forth work not their owne, namelie carnall workes, but the workes of god. For the works of those, that be regenerate, growe and spryng of gods good sprete, dwelling with in them: which sprete, as the sap­pe of life, geueth strength to the trees, that thei maie bring forth frute: Euē so makth he multituds of sondrie vertues to springe and growe oute of man, As the lorde himselfe testifieth and saieth: I am the vyne, ye are y ^e braunches. Iohn. 15. Like as y ^e braunche can not bring forth frute of it selfe, excepte it [Page] abyde in the vyne: Euē so cā not ye also, vnlesse ye abyde in me. Whoso abydeth in me, and I in him, y ^t same bringeth much frute: for without me cā ye do nothing.

And thus (I sai) y ^e good works, that be done, are done by faith. For faith is a gift of god, wher­by we receaue Christ, & are iusti­fied & made lyuynge, for asmuch as the scripture saieth: The iust shal lyue by his faith. And in an­other [...]hac. 2. place: Christ dwelleth in your hertes thorow faith. And as Ephe. 3. gayne: Now lyue not I (saieth Paul) but Christ lyueth in me, for that I lyue in the flesh, I lyue Gala. 2. in the faith of y ^e sonne of god, who loued me, & gaue himselfe for me. Lyuinge workes thē doth he, vn­doubtedly euen thorow him, by whom he himselfe became alyue. And he, that is iustified, doth also works of rightuousnes, assuredly [Page] euen thorow him, by whom he is become righteous. Which is thus much to say: the iust worketh righteousnes thorow Christ, and rightuosnes comprehēdeth the wholle summe of all vertues. And therfore y ^t onelie god remayneth still the fountayne and originall of all good workes. Hereto serueth it also, that vnto god, who in the re­generate worketh by his sprete in faith, holie scripture ascribeth y ^e workes of those y ^t be regenerate.

[Page] THis wil I now euidently declare with playne testi­monies, taken out of the lawe of god, out of the holie prophetes, out of the most holie gospell, and of the e­lecte Apostles of Ihesus Christ. For thus saieth Moses: The lord shal blesse the. And the lorde thy Deu. 30. god wil circumcise thine hert and the hert of thy sede, that y ^u maiest loue the lorde thy god with all thine hert and all thy soule, that thou maiest lyue. The prophete Esaie saieth: Lorde vnto vs thou Isa. 26. shalt prouyde peace, for thou also workest al our workes and deuy­ces. In the gospell of Ihon oure Sauiour saieth thus: Who so Iohn. 3. doth the trueth, commeth to the light, that his workes maie be knowne, because thei are done in or by god. And agayne: Who so abydeth in me, & I in him, y ^e same Iohn. 15. [Page] bringeth forth muche frute, for without me ye can do nothing. Item the holy Apostle Paul to the Philippians saieth: To you it Phil. 1. is geuen, not onely to beleue in Christ, but also to suffre for his sake. And yet more playnlie: It is Phil. 2. god that worketh in you both the will and the dede, acording to the good purpose of hys mynde, or because he hath delyte vnto you. Thus sayet also S. Iames one of Iacob. 1. the. xii. Apostles: Euery good gift and euery perfecte gift com­meth downe from aboue, euen frō the father of lightes. Yea all par­tes of the worke doth the holie A­postle Peter ascrybe vnto god, saiēg: The god of all grace, which 1. Pet. 5. hath called vs to his eternall glo­rie by (or in) Christ Iesu, shal his owne selfe (after that ye haue suffred a litle afflictiō) make you perfecte, setle, strength & stablish [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] you. For (as the Apostle Paul sai­eth agayne) we are not sufficient 2. Cor. 3. of ourselues to thinke any good thyng, as of our selues: but if we be able vnto any thyng, the same commeth of god. Wherfore god abideth still the onely fountaine of good workes, & euen he it is that worketh al good thynges in vs al. By this then that I haue broghte forth herein out of holy scripture, concerning y ^e true occasion of good workes, it is farthermore easye to be considered, how the scripture ascribeth righteousnes vnto wor­kes, seyng that it is rendered vnto the grace of god, whan it is ascri­bed vnto faith: and beyng ascry­bed vnto workes, it is ascribed to the same grace of god. For gods grace it is (and therfore god hymselfe) y ^t in vs workth good works: and so is it the more conuenient, y ^t iustificacion be rather imputed to [Page] the grace of god and vnto Christ, which worketh by vs. Herevnto had holy Augustine respect who in y ^e boke de gratia et libero arbi­trio. Augusti­nus. ca. 8. writeth thus: if eternall lif for recōpēce be geuē vnto good works, as y ^e scrypture openlie saieth: for god shal geue vnto euery one acordīg to his dedes, how is grace y ^e eternal life: Yf grace bee not ascribed vnto workes, but geuen frelie, as y ^e Apostle wryteth: To him y ^t goeth about w ^t works, is y ^t reward geuen not of grace or fauour but of dewtie, & agayne: The rēnaūt (saieth he) are saued Roma. 11. thorow y ^e electiō of grace. And immediatly he addeth thervnto: if it cōe of grace, thē it is not of works els shold grace be no grace. How thē is grace eternal life beīg takē out of works? Or did not y ^t holy apostle nāe eternal life to be grace? Yea he named it so, which cā in no [Page] wise be denied. Nether requireth it one of a sharpe vnderstanding, but onelie a diligent hearer. For whan he had sayde: the rewarde or stipend of synne is death, he added straight ther vnto: But the grace of god is eternall life in Christ Iesu our lorde. Therfore me thinketh, this question can in no wyse be resolued, vnlesse we vnderstād, that our good works, to the which eternal life is ascry­bed, belōg also vnto the grace of god, because the lord Iesus saith: w ^tout me ye can do nothing. And whan the Apostle had saide: By grace are ye saued thorow faith, he addeth therto: And that not of yourselues, it is the gift of god, & commeth not of workes, lest eny man boast himselfe. This wryteth holye Augustine.

HEre vnto must adde also, that good works, though in very dede thei be properlie gods and y ^e frutes of faith and of the sprete, yet are thei called and be oures: that is to saie, workes of faithful beleuers: Partly, because god worketh them by vs, & vseth our mynistracion to fynishe them: Partli, because that thorow faith we be childrē of god, and therfore [Page] ar becōe brethren & heires annex­ed w ^t Christ. For by menes of this inheritaunce, al the woorkes and giftes of god begynne to be ours, not as straunge, but as speciallye our own. The scripture also ascri­beth the same vnto vs, as vnto children and to those that bē born free forasmuche as our sauioure in the gospell sayeth: the seruaunte aby­deth not for euer in the house, but the sonne abideth for euer. Nowe as al w ^t is in the fathers house, is y ^e sonnes by titel & right of inheri­taūce, although he hath not pur­chaced it by his own trauail & po­licie, but hath receaued it of the fait [...]l liberalitie of his parētes: Euē [...] good workes, which y ^e fa­ther worketh in & by vs, are also called and be oures, beecause we are y ^e heires and children of god. Now were it an exceading shame full thing, & a sure declaraciō of a very vnthākful mynde, yf y ^e sonne [Page] not remēbring y ^e faithfulnes, & li­beralitie of y ^t father, wold boast himselfe, y ^t he with his diligence, care & watching had gottē al these goods which he hath as heier.

Therfore saieth S. Paul very godlie: What hast y ^u, that y ^u hast not receaued? Yf thou hast receaued 1. Cor. 4. it, why thē braggest thou, as thogh thou haddest not receaued it? The holie martyr Ciprian had Ciprian. a very Christian an godly opiniō herof, for he was wonte to saie: It is not for vs to boast of eny thing, for asmuch as nothing is oure owne. Here vnto (as I sup­pose) serueth it y ^t is red in Esaye­doth the axe boast it selfe against him y ^t heweth with it? Or doth the sawe bragg against him that carieth it? Therfore out of the minde of scripture and after god hath Augustin ī his boke degra­tia et libero arbitrio. ca. 7. shewed [Page] his iudgment, declared and spo­ken with these woordes: As sone Augusti­nus. as grace is lent and geuen, oure merites begīne to be good, neuertheles thorow grace. For yf the same be with drawne, thē mā fal­leth, and is not lifte vp, but throwen downe thorow fre wil. Therfore whan a man begynneth to haue good merites, he ought not to ascrybe that vnto himselfe, but vnto god, to whom it is spoken in the psalme: Thou art (or be thou) my help. O forsake me not &c. In that he saieth: forsake me not, he declareth, that yf he be forsaken, he is able of himselfe to no good thing.

Hetherto hath Augustine she­wed euidently ynough, that good workes are oures, and that neuer­theles all perteyneth vnto grace. By meanes wherof, whan right­wisnes is ascrybed to our workes, [Page] it is trulye ascrybed vnto grace, out of the whiche good workes proceade. Others there be, that vndoo this knot thus, sayenge: that faithfull beleuers please god thorow Christ, who hath recon­cyled them againe with god. And seyng thei please god, that do the workes: thē y ^e works which be dōe of such, as are reconcyled and in y ^e fauour of god, be also acceptable vnto him: Doubtles not for their own sake, or for y ^t thei be done by thē, but much rather because thei are wrought by the membres of Christ. Some are of this opiniō: Faith (saie thei) and workes are not seuered: for the rightuous ly­ueth by faith, and he, that is righ­tuous, worketh rightuousnesse. Nether is vncircūcisiō eny thing worth, nether auaileth circumci­sion: but faith, that is strong in o­peracion and worketh by loue. [Page] Therfore by meanes of this vnses parable cōiunctiō & vnitie, y ^t is a­scribed to y ^e one, which els in ve­ry dede & properlie is the others. This matter also might be wel ex­poūded & declared thus: Nameli In faith ther must respect be had to two thīgs: To y ^e recōciliaciō, & to obedience. To y ^e recōciliaciō, because we vnderstād by faith, that god is recōcyled & pacyfied to vs ward for Christs sake, by whō we ar accepted & in fauour w ^t god. To obediēce, because y ^t thei, which be reconcyled & receaued vnto grace do wholly geue thēselfes to him, by whō thei be reconcyled, & are desyrous to do his wil. Here ther fore maie it well be said, y ^t it is a two folde rightuousnes: one iustifiēg & one harknyng or obeing. Of it, y ^e iustifieth, is Paul myndful, whā he saith: Because therfore y ^t Roma. 5. we be iustified by faith, we haue [Page] peace w ^t god thorow our lord Ie­sus christ, by whom also in faith we haue entran̄ce vnto this grace, wherin we stand. Of it also, that harkeneth, he maketh menciō, say­ing: knowe ye not, y ^e vnto whō ye geue ouer yourselues as seruaūts to obey, his seruauntes ye be, to whō ye obey: whether it be synne vnto death, or obediēce vnto rightuousnes? Properly now is iustyficaciō ascribed vnto y ^t rightuous­nes which iustifieth, & not vnto it y ^t is obediēt: for y ^e same cōmeth of y ^e other, & w ^t out y ^e other mighte not it be called rightuousnes. Moreouer, this knot maye be losed thus. The most naturall work of fayth is purifieng or sanctifieng. For y ^e holy Apostle Peter saith exprese­ly, thorow fayth ar y ^e heartes purified. Now in y ^e mater of sāctifiēg doth y ^e holy scripture declare two thynges: The first, that as manye of vs, as beeleue, are freelye sanc| [Page] tified by the bloude of Ihesus Christ. For S. Peter saieth: we 1, Pet, 1, are electe thorow sanctifieng of the sprete, in the obedience and sprinklinge of the bloud of Iesus Christ. And yet more playnlie: Ye know, that ye are not redemed with trāsitory siluer or golde frō youre vayne conuersacion of the tradicions of the fathers: but w ^t the precious bloude of christ, as of the innocent vndefyled lambe. Paul also saieth: By the wil of god we are made holie, euē by the Heb, 10, offring of y ^e body of Iesus christ once for all. For (as it foloweth immediatly after) with one obla­cion hath he made perfecte fore­uer them, that are sanctified. The Apostle Ihon likewise testifieth the same, and saieth: The bloude of Iesus Christ, the sonne of god, 1, Iohn, 1, clenseth vs from all synne. And thus faith in the bloude of Iesus [Page] Christ verelye and naturally sanetifieth or makth holy, by y ^t meanes of him that sayde: I sanctifie my self for them, that thei also maie Iohn. 17. be sanctified in the trueth.

The second thing, that holye scripture declareth in the mater of sanctifiēg, is this: Namelie, that thei, which thorow faith are sanc­tified with the bloud of Christ, do daily sanctifie them selues, & applie them vnto holynesse. And to this end, in my iudgment, doth a good parte of the exhortacions of the Apostles serue. Verely S. Peter 1. Pete. 1, saieth: Lyke as he which hath called you is holy, euen so be ye holye also in all your conuersa­ciō, according as it is writtē: Be ye holy, for I am holye. And the holie Apostel Paul saieth: This is the wil of god, euen your sanc­tificacion, 1, Thes. 4, that ye refrayne from whordome, & y ^t euery one knowe, [Page] how to kep his vessel in holynesse and honour, not in fleshlie lust, as do the Heithen which knowe not god. And that no mā oppresse or defraude his brother in bargainyng. Thus dyd Ihon also the A­postle teach & saie: We are now gods children, and as yet it ap­peareth not what we shalbe. But we know, y ^t whā he appeareth, we shalbe lyke him: for we shal se him as he is. And euery one that hath this hope in him, purifieth him­selfe, like as he also is pure. Ther­fore euē this our purifiēg, which is done by our care and diligēce, hath also the name of sanctifieng, not because of it selfe, but for the fyrst purifieng sake that goeth before: which yf it go not before, then is our sanctifienge nothinge worth. Againe, yf the same go be­fore then must this also folow af­ter. For right well & trulie saieth [Page] S. Iames the Apostle: Faith, yf it haue no workes, is deed in it selfe. In it selfe, or for it selfe, I saie, that is: It alone, and fruteful with no good woorkes. For as the body w ^tout y ^e sprite is deed, so faith also w ^tout works is deed.

Doubtles a lyuing body doeth & worketh somewhat, and serueth many: likewise faith, by deutie & offices of loue, must be profitable & cōmodious vnto many. Now yf faith do good to no man with godlie workes, thē is it an emptie ymaginacion & vayne name. As also the sanctifieng of mā, yf it do not breake forth & shew it selfe in holy words and workes, assured­ly it is to be reputed false, feyned and full of ypocrisie. Besydes this, all that belongeth vnto true holynes in y ^t our sāctifieng, which appeareth in our workes, must be referred to the sanctifiēg done by [Page] the bloud of christ, to the which most properlye apperteyneth the honour of sāctificaciō. Wherfore whan thou seist in holy scripture, that rightuousnes is ascribed vn­to our workes, remēbre it is done for such causes as I hitherto haue shewed. For the sprete of the A­postles cānot be against himself.

[Page] AND knowē it is, that the Apostles of the lorde dyd stryue with two sortes of people: the one sorte ascrybed rightuousnes and sal­uacion to their own good works, which were done after the mesure and rule of gods lawe, & therfore they despyced Christ. For while thei wēte about to stablish, main­teyne and set vp their owne righ­tuousnes, thei were not obedient to y ^e rightuousnes of god. Against the vngodlie opyniō of these, dyd the holie Apostles teach (and spe­cially S. Paul) that rightuous­nes and life is obteyned by faith in the lorde Iesus, and not by our workes. The same Paul saieth to the Galathians: I refuse not the grace of god. For yf rightuousnes come by the law, then dyed christ in vayne. And agayne: Christ profiteth you nothing. And: ye are [Page] gone quyte from Christ, and are fallen frō grace, yf ye wil be ius­tified by the lawe. Against such also was kepte at Hierusalem the Counsail that Luke maketh men­cion of in the Actes of the Apost­les.

There were agayne certayne other light & euell disposed peo­ple, that abused suche doctryne of the Apostles to the libertye and sensualitie of the flesh: thinking it sufficient to saluacion, whan they beasted themselues of faith, although there were no good workes found in them. Therfore against those, as against the very pestilence and decaye of true Re­ligion and gods seruice, dyd the same Apostles also stryue, and taught that the Christian fayth was not a vayne opyniō or frute­lesse knowledge, but a lyuelie & stronge confidence, most fruteful [Page] in good works. For Paul, writing against these, saieth vnto Titus: Thei saie thei knowe god, but w ^t Titu. 1. their dedes thei deny him, seinge they are abominable and disobe­dient, & vnapte vnto euery good worke. And Peter the Apostle re­buketh such dissemblers, but som what more darkly, whā he saieth: Herevnto geue all diligence, that 2. Pete. 1▪ in your faith ye mynistre vertue, in vertue knowlege, in knowlege tēperaūce in tēperaūce paciēce, in paciēce godlynes, in godlines brotherlye kyndnes in brotherly kindnes loue. For yf these thinges be amonge you & be plenteous, thei wil make you, y ^t ye nether shalbe ydle nor vnfrutefull in the know­ledge of our lord Iesus christ. But he, y ^t lacketh these thinges, is blind and gropeth for the waie with his hands, and hath forgottē that he was pourged frō his olde synnes.

[Page] It is manifest also vnto euery man, that Ihon and Iames, y ^e ho­ly Apostles of Christ, wrote her­of: S. Iames most ernestlye de­fēding that Abrahā was not ius­tified by onelie faith (that is, by a vayne opynion) but by workes, vndoubtedlie euen by true faith. And yet with those, and such lyke exhortacions, wold not the faith­full Apostles of Christ mynishe his grace and merites, & magnifie the merites of man: but rather w ^t ­stand the filthynes of such as ne­uer rightly knew nor lerned the faithe of Christ, & made yet their boast ther of to the greate offence and hinderaunce of y ^e weake. For yf thei trulie had knowne it, they had vndoubtedliled a more sober life. Therfore whan the Apostles are ernesti prouoking vnto good workes, they prouoke vnto y ^e true faith in Christ, which is mightie [Page] in operacion & worketh by loue: And yet neuertheles thei ascribe al thinges to the grace of God, yea euen the same workes which they requyre of the faithfull. And that I here teach the true vpright doctryne of faithe, all they shall affirme, that haue but a litle sear­ched, tried and red the scriptures of the Apostles. Augustine also, a Augusti­nus. true faithfull teacher of the Chri­stian church, shall testifie, that I haue here inuented no new thing. For in his boke of grace and fre will the seuenth chapter, he wry­teth thus: Such as haue not vn­derstand what the Apostle saieth (we holde, that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of y ^e law) Haue thought him to affirme that faith is sufficiēt to a mā, al­thoughe he lyue euyll and haue no workes: which thing god for­byd the electe vessell shulde so [Page] meane, who yet in another place whan he hath saide, in Christ Ie­su auayleth nether circūcision nor vncircūcision, he addeth immedi­atlye therto: But faith, whiche worketh by loue. Euen this is the same faith, that separateth gods beleuers from vncleane deuels. For thei also (as the Apostle Ia­mes saieth) beleue and tremble, but no good thinge do thei. Ther­fore haue they not that faith, out of the which y ^e iust lyueth: namely which worketh by loue, that god maye geue him lyfe acordinge to his workes. But for asmuch as good dedes are of god, of whō we haue not onelie faith but also loue: therfore the same teacher of the heithen named eternall lyfe it selfe, grace.

This haue I alledged out of Augustine, & hetherto haue I o­pened & declared, how the scrip­ture [Page] ascribeth rightuousnes vn­to good workes, and that y ^e same doctryne is not against y ^e Apost­les teaching and iudgmēt, which ascribeth rightuousnes vnto faith in Christ Iesus. But for asmuch as vpon this mater of y ^e rightuousnes of workes, there hangeth the questiō concernyng y ^e merites of good workes: I wil adde herevn­to a lytle, touching the rewarde and merite of good workes: che­felie to the intēt that no mā rash­lye and vngodlye iudge of good workes, and so purchace himselfe to haue not good but rather euel merites.

[Page] MErite or deseruyng, as it is spokē of in y ^e schools, is no where found in holy scripture, and yet ther in is oft mencion made of the rewarde. The scripture in this foloweth oure maner and fashion of speakynge. And for asmuche as vnto such, as be oure freindes or that haue well deserued it at our hands, we geue rewards & giftes, as an hyre or wagies: Therefore after lyke maner of speche is it sayd, that god geueth his frendes eternall life to a reward, for their noble and excellent dedes & me­rites. For thus we reade in Esaie: O happie are the rightuous, for they maie enioye y ^e frutes of their deuyces. But wo vnto the vngodlye and vniust, for he shalbe recō ­penced acordinge to his dedes. In the gospell the lorde saieth: Blessed are you, whā men reuyle [Page] you, and persecute you, speake all maner of euel against you, & belie you for my sake. Reioyce and be glad, for great is your rewarde in heauen. The Apostle Paul also saith: Euery one shal receaue his rewarde acording to his laboure. But herein must not the worde (Rewarde) be violently forced, as yf ought were oures: for euen our merites themselues are no­thing els but giftes of god. Ther­fore like as holye Augustine in o­ther doctrynes of our faith dyd euery where obserue and teach y ^e vniuersal mynde and vnderstan­ding of the right canonical trueth and of the holie churche: Euen so he not onelie sheweth playnly the true meaning and vnderstāding, concernyng the merites of good De gra. et. lib. arbi. cap. 7. workes, but also with very dili­gent cōference of the scripture he defendeth the same, and saieth [Page] thus: Ihon, the forerunner of our lorde, saieth: A man can receaue nothing, excepte it be geuen him from aboue. Now yf thy good workes be the giftes of god, then doeth god crowne thy merites, not as thy merites, but as his own giftes. Now let vs cōsidere the merites of the Apostle Paul, that is, whether he obteyned thē of himself, or whether thei be the giftes of god. He saieth: I haue foughten a good fight, I haue en­ded my course, I haue kept faith. Fyrst, yf good thoughts had not gone before these good dedes, thē shulde they be no good dedes. Marke therfore what he sayeth of the same thoughts: Not that we be able of ourselues to thinke eny good thyng, as of our selues, but al our abilitie is of god. Lette vs then beholde euery thing se­uerall. He saieth: I haue foughtē [Page] a good fight. Here I demaunde: with what strength fought he? with it that he had of himself, or with it that was geuen him from aboue? But god forbyd, that such an excellent teacher of the heithen shulde not haue knowne the lawe of god, whose voyce and worde standeth in Deuteronomie: Thou shalt not saie in thine hert: My strength and the power of my handes was able to bring this to passe: But remembre thou the lorde thy god. For it is he that ge­ueth the strength and power to do it. And what profiteth a good battail, yf the victory folowe not after? And who geueth the vic­tory, but euen he of whom he saieth: god be thanked, whiche hath geuen vs the victory thorow our lorde Iesus Christ? And in ano­ther place, whan he hath recyted the testymony out of the psalme: [Page] for thy sake are we put to death al the daye long, we are compted as shepe apoynted to be slayne) he added therto and saide: But in al this we ouercome for his sake y ^t loued vs. It is not therfor by our selues that we ouercome, but by him which hath loued vs. And af­terward he said: I haue ended my course. This spake he, y ^t sayde in another place: It lieth not in eny mans wil or runnyng, but in y ^e mercy of god. Which meanyng maie in no wise be peruerted, as to saie, that it lieth not in the mer­cy of god, but in euery mans will or runnyng. For whosoeuer dare saie so, declareth euidently, that he speaketh against the Apostle. Finally, he saide: I haue kepte y ^e faith. This spake euen he, which in another place sayed: Mercye haue I obteyned, y ^t I shoulde be faithful. He said not: I obteyned [Page] mercy because I was faithful, but that I shuld be faithfull: By this thē declareth he, that faith can not be had excepte god be mercyfull, and that faith is the gift of god. Which thing he techeth very eui­dently and saieth: By grace are ye saued thorow faith, and that not of your selues, but it is y ^e gift of god. For thei might saie: Ther­fore haue we receaued grace, be­cause we beleued, ascrybinge so faith to themselues, and the gra­ce vnto god. Therfore the Apostle whan he had saide thorow faith, he saieth: And that not of yourselues, but it is the gift of god. Agayne: to the intent they shuld not saye, that with their workes they had merited suche a gift and rewarde, he added ther vnto im­mediatly: not of workes, lest eny man shulde boast himselfe. Not that he denieth or minisheth good [Page] workes, for he saieth: god shal re­warde euery one acordyng to his workes: But because that workes proceade out of faith, & not faith out of workes. And therfore haue we the workes of rightuousnes euen of him, of whom faith itself cōmeth. The iust shall lyue by his faith. Out of S. Austine word bi word haue I alledged all this: which doubtlesse so perfectlye comprehendeth, and so cōstaunt­ly with scriptures proueth & set­teth forth, what so euer maye be sayd of y ^e merites of good works, that I suppose, there can nomore be spoken therto. For what could be more brefelye, more syncerly & more perfectly spoken, then that vnto good workes there is pre­pared a rewarde, and that the sāe is nothinge els but grace: Yea the merites of sainctes are gods [Page] gifts, which whā god crowneth, he crowneth his owne giftes? In all this therfore standeth sure the perpetual, vnfayling and vni­uersall doctryne, that thei, which beleue, are iustified and saued by onely faith or grace of god.

WHerfore now come we a­gayne to good workes, which yf they proceade not out of god by faith, they maye not be named good. [Page] But yf they spring out of god thorow faith, then are thei ordred acording to y ^e rule of gods word. In y ^e descripcion therfore of good workes, I haue added therto and sayde, that, they are done by such as are regenerate, out of the good sprete of god, and acordinge to gods worde. For the workes that we ymagen of ourselues, they please not god. For he alloweth obedience: As for the good mea­nyng and intent that groweth in us, he refuseth it. Which thinge I affirme and proute wih these testimonies of scripture: In Deuteronomye the lord commaūdeth euidētli with these words: ye shal not do, euery one that which he thinketh good. What so euer I commaunde you, that loke ye ob­serue, to do therafter: Adde no­thinge thereto, nether myny she aught there frō. Moreouer in the [Page] storie of Samuel there standeth an ensample herof. For Saul the king of Israel, being cōmaunded to make a slayne offeringe of the Amalechites & al their substaūce, dyd, of a good intent & self chosen gods seruyce, reserue the fatteste oxen for a sacrifice vnto god. But the prophet Samuel saieth vnto him: hath the lord as greate plea­sure in brent sacryfices and offe­ringes, as whan the voyce of the 1. Reg. 15. lorde is obeyed? Behold, to obeye is better then sacrifice: & to herkē, is better thē the fatte of rammes. For rebellyon is as the synne of witchcraft, and stubburnes is as the wickednes of ydolatrie.

Here in these few wordes thou hast a godly cōmendacion of self chosen relygion or gods seruice, and of workes that spring of our owne good meanynges and good intēntes. They, that despisynge & [Page] refusing the lawe of god folowe their owne good intētes, are of y ^e trueth called witches, rebelles & ydolatoures. Although thei think them selues to be gods good ser­uauntes, and feruent folowers of the tradicions of holye fathers, bishoppes, kynges and prynces: yet god, who can be no liar, saieth euidently, that the workes of such folkes doe nothyng dyffer from witchcraft, rebellion and ydola­trie, which are the most horrible thinges, that cā be thought or de­uysed. The lorde therfore in the gospel, out of the prophet Esay, condemneth and refuseth all such self chosen works, as proceade out of our owne good meanynges & intentes, whā he saieth: in vayne serue thei me, while thei teach the doctrynes & preceptes of mē. E­uery plantyng, which my heauēly father hath not planted, shall be [Page] rooted out. Let thē go, blynd thei are, & y ^e leaders of y ^e blynd. Here of came it no doubte, y ^e G. Paule so boldly & stowtly said, y ^e the cō ­maundmentes & statutes of men are not ōly cōtrarie to the trueth, but also very lyes. In another place he saieth: What so euer is not of faith, is synne. And agayn: Faith cōmeth of hearyng, & hea­ring cōmeth by the word of god. Wherby it maie wel be gathered, y ^t the workes, which are not done out y ^e worde thorow faith, are so very naught, y ^t thei be also called sinne. To the Colossiās doth Paul most euidentlye reiecte the selfe pleasing gods seruice, ethelothreschian, which is expounded a su­persticiō, & signifieth a self willed & selfchosē religiō & gods seruice.

Wherfore out of all this it is playne, that we do not reiecte nor withstand vpright good workes, [Page] whan we refuse the workes of monckes, freres & popish priests, whiche proceade of the election and good intent of man, without gods worde. For now is it more certayne, that they of a trueth are not good workes, which we yma­gen of our selues, but onelye such as god hath commaunded vs. Which thing is yet more euident out of the wordes of S. Paul: We are created (saieth he) tho­row Ihesus Christ, vnto good workes, to the which god ordey­ned Eph. 2. vs before, y ^t we shulde walke in thē. Here setteth he two marks or euident tokēs of good workes. The first: we are created thorow Christ Iesus vnto good workes. A good worke then must be done by such one, as is created thorow Christ, or graffed in Christ Iesu. For yf the braunche abyd not in the vyne, it can not bring frute. [Page] By faith are we graffed in to christ the vyne. The second: Thei must not be euery nor al maner of workes, but such as god ordeyned of olde, that we shulde walke ther in. What the same be, he hath ex­pressed in his law, which is the wil of god. Herof is it, that the lorde in the gospel, beyng deman̄ ­ded concernyng eternall life and true vertues, poynteth to the law and saieth: What is written in y ^e law? And, yf thou wilt entre in to life, kepe the commaundmentes. The ten cōmaundmentes then are the most sure and most perfecte fourme of good workes. Which thing, to the intent it maie be perfectly vn­derstand, I will bre­fely declare it all, as in a painted table.

TO the fyrst cōmaundmēt thou must referre the fear of god, faith in god, and fynally most sure hope in trouble & aduersitie. Itē sufferaūce & vnmoueable vnshrinking stedfastnes. To the second, belōgeth the true, & to god accep­table, vndefyled & syncere wor­shipping: likewise y ^e refusing, de­nyal & eschuyng of all supersticiō & peruerted gods seruyce. To the thirde: y ^e reuerencyng of y ^e power & maiestie of god, also cōfession, true inuocaciō of y ^e name of god & sanctifieng of y ^t same. In y ^e fourth is cōteyned the cōelie obseruaciō [Page] of the cerimonies and rytes of y ^e church, y ^e preachīg of gods word, the commē praier, and al external mynistracions. To the fifth maieste thou referre feare and loue towardes father and mother, to­wardes thy natyue countre and kynsfolkes: Item the right obe­diēce that we owe to magistrats, and of al duties of a cyuile life & conuersacion. To the sixte thou shalt referre rightuousnes & iudgment, the defence of wedowes & of the oppressed, afflicted, fren­dles, Fatherles and Motherles children: benefites and innocen­cye. To the seuenth maye be re­ferred matrymonyall plight and trothe, the honest and godly brin­gynge vp of children, diligence and exercise of clennesse, sober­nes and temperauncie. To the eyght shalt thou referre equitye in bargaynyng, liberalitie, myld­nesse: [Page] and hospitalitie. To the nyenth: diligēt appliēg of trueth thorow out the whole life, to kepe faithfulnes & fydelitie in wordes and workes, to vse such wordes as are sober, honest and maye e­difie. To the tenth, referre good and holy desyres, and finally all holye and honest thoughtes.

This is now a very short sūme and fourme of good workes. But yf thou desyre yet a shorter, then harken vnto the Lorde himselfe, sayeng in the gospell: Thou shalt loue the lord thy god with all thy hert, with all thy soule, and with all thy mynde. This is the chefe and greatest comman̄dment. The second is lyke vnto it: thou shalt loue thy neghbour as thyselfe. Item what so euer ye wold men shulde do vnto you, do you the lyke vnto them.

AL faithful beleuers, which be desyrous to do good workes, must directe theyr eyes, hertes and myndes vnto these commaundmentes of the lorde: And that with so much the more diligence and sted fast­nes, as they more euydently se, y ^t god in the lawe and in the pro­phetes requireth nothing els, yea none other workes of those that are his. This maie I proue and [Page] maynteyne with most euydent testimonies of the most principal prophetes. Moses in his fifth boke saieth thus: Now Israell, What requyreth the lord thy god of the, but that thou feare y ^e lorde thy god, and walke in his waies, and loue him, and serue the lorde thy god with al thy hert and with all thy soule. And that thou kepe the cōmaundmētes of the lorde, & his ordinaūces, which I cōmaūd the this daie? Kyng Dauid also asketh: Lorde, who shal dwell in thy tabernacle? And immediatly he answereth: Euen he y ^t leadeth an vncorrupte life, doing y ^t which is right, and other thinges cōtey­ned in y ^e ten cōmaundmētes. Esay the prophet moueth the same que­stion also, and saieth. Who is he among us, that is able to abyde the eternall heate? And he answreth: Euē he y ^t leadeth a verteo [Page] life, speaking that which is right, & doing the other thinges cōtey­ned in y ^e x. cōmaundmentes. Iere­mye in the. 22. chap. bringeth in euen the same thinges, & ernestly requyreth them, saienge: Thus the lord cōmaundeth: Kepe equi­tie and rightuousnes, delyuer the oppressed from the power of the violent, do not greue nor oppresse the straunger, the fatherles nor the wedow, and shede no innocēt bloud in this place. And no other workes doth Ezechiel recyte tho­row a long Registre in the eigh­tenth chapter. In Osea the lorde saieth: I haue pleasure in mercy, and not in sacrifice: And in the knowlege of god, more then in burntoff ringes. Miche as also as­keth what he shal do, and w ^t what workes he must recōcyle himselfe vnto god. And by gods reuelaciō he answereth: I will shewe the, [Page] O man, what is good, and what the lord requyreth of the? Name­ly, to do right, to haue pleasure in louing kyndnes, & to walke lowly before thy god. Lyke answere doth the prophet Zacharie geue Zach. 7. vnto those, that asked hym concer­ning vertues & acceptable works. Thus saieth the lorde of hoostes: Execute true iudgmente, shewe mercy and louyng kyndnes euery man to his neghbour: do the we­dowe, the fatherles, the straunger and poore no wrong. And let no man ymagen euel against his bro­ther in his hert. Loue no false oothes, for these are the thinges Zach. 8. that I hate, saieth the lord. From this doctryne of the prophetes, disagreeth not the doctrine of the Euangelistes & Apostles: which euery where teacheth loue, righ­teousnes and innocency, doubtles as the effecte & summe of al good [Page] workes. This now so plentifully, and with so many testimonies of the scripture haue I vttered & declared: to y ^e intent no man hence forth shulde either doubte or be ignoraunte, that those onelie are good workes, which be done our of the good sprete of god thorow faith, and acording to the scrip­ture or word of god.

[Page] YEt ther resteth somwhat which I muste adde vnto the ende of the descrypciō of good workes, namely to confirme and make it more playne wyth the conference and agreement of the scripture. I said that tyght good workes be done by such, as are regenerate, to the glorie of god, to the bewtifienge of life and to the edyfieng of the neyghbour. For vnto our good workes doth the lorde appoynte this end in Mathew, and saieth: So let your light shyne before mē y ^• thei maye se your good workes, & glorifie your father which is in heauē. Itē the Apostel Paul, ma­ny tymes exhorting mē vnto good worckes, addeth therto a thyng, which might specially moue eny man, Namelie that w ^t their godly workes thei shulde do worshippe vnto y ^e doctryne of our sauiour & [Page] redemer, in al thinges. Now like as a cōely & honourable apparel doth bewtifie the mā, so do right good works set fort, and garnish mās life w ^t great commendacion. And this is y ^e cause y ^t y ^e Apostles of Christ gaue so oft counsaill, to laye asyde y ^e olde man, & to put on the new, which is shapē & fashio­ned after god: for therof cōmeth praise and honour vnto vs. We are called, & be in dede, y ^e seruaū ­tes and children of god, whose propertie and vertue appeareth in vs, to the praise and magnifiēg of his name. Moreouer, yf we do good, he increaceth his giftes in vs continually the longer y ^e more, considering he hath spoken: Vnto euery one, that hath, shallbe ge­uen, Mat, 13, that he maye haue aboun­daunce: But who so hath not, from him shalbe taken also euen that he hath. And herof it com­meth, [Page] that vnto such, as do well, god is gracious and mercyfull, replenishing thē with many (yea and with temporall) giftes, and finally endeweth them with eter­nal life. For y ^e Apostle Paul speaketh euidently and plainlie: god shal geue vnto euery on acording to his dedes: Namelie praise & honour & immortalitie vnto those y ^• with pacience in good woorkes seke eternall life. And againe: Praise, honour and peace vnto all such as do good. Howbeit in all good workes the iust and godlye ar appoīted to kepe these boūds and lymites, that they will not seke their owne welth, but the glorie and wil of god, and finally the commoditie and profite of their neghbour. For the Apostle Paul saieth: Lette no manne seke that which is his own, but let eueri mā [...]. Cor. 10. seke y ^t which belōgeth to another: [Page] Euen as I please all men in all thinges, not sekyng myne owne profit, but the prophet of many, that they myght be saued. Al god­lie personnes therfore directe all their diligence, exercise & works to this end, that they maye edifie many: wherin they expresse and declare the nature of god, whose children they be. For he is encly­ned and desyrous to shewe good­vnto all creatures. And herof it commeth, that his children also are well doers. And in al thinges whatsoeuer thei take in hād, thei haue stil before their eyes (as the onelie marck of their life) a delyte and desyre to do good.

THus much at this tyme haue I done concernyng the propertie, nature, di­sposicion, cause, end and operacion: that is, y ^e true & right fashion & measure of good works Out of y ^e which, I trust, this may chefelie be vnderstand, how the lorde ascribeth the name of righ­tuousnes and Iustificacion to the good works of holy mē: And how god in scripture is sayde to geue rewarde: And that neuertheles the right and principall doc­tryne of our religion stādeth sure and vnmoued: Namelie, that we are iustified out of the grace of god for Christes sake by faith, & not by workes.

Wherfore there remaineth now [Page] nothing els, but that for the true faith in the lord Iesu, by y ^e which we are iustified, we fal downe at the lords fete with ernest praier, with feruent and deuoute cryeng & callyng vpon his name: in such forte that we put in practise thys talke and disputaciō had of good works: Namely, that as touching the faith, which we professe in the lorde Iesus Christe, we expresse, shewe forth and garnishe the same with right good workes: Remem­bring the wordes of the lord Ihe­sus Christ, who in his gospell saieth: Not euerye one that saieth vnto me, Lorde, lorde, shall entre in to the kyngdome of heauen: but he that doth the will of my father, which is in heauen.

Many shall saye to me in that daye: Lorde, lorde, haue not we [Page] prophecied in thi name? haue not we cast out deuels in thy name? haue not we done manye mightye dedes in thy name? And then wil I knowlege vnto them: I neuer knew you, departe frō me ye wor­kers of iniquitie. Therfore who so euer heareth of me these wor­des, and doth the same, I wil lickē him vnto a wise mā, which buylte his house vpō a rocke. And a sho­wer of rayne descended, and the floudes came, and the wyndes blew, and beat vpon that house, & it fel not, because it was groun­ded on the rock. And euery one y ^t heareth of me these words, and doth them not, shalbe likened vn­to a foolishe man, which buylte his house vpon sand. And a sho­wer of rayne descended, and the floudes cāe, & the wyndes blew, and beat vpon that house, and it fell, and greate was the fall of it.

[Page] Wherfore let vs applie all oure diligence with holie feruent praie [...], with true zeale and godlynes of oure mynde, that we also as ly­uinge stones, beyng buylded vpō Christ the sure rock of lyfe, maye become a lyuinge house, which maie endure fast in al assaultes of manifolde tentacions: That we (I saie) beinge a spirituall habi­tacion, and an holy priesthode, maie bring and offre vp to our Redemer & iustifier, Iesu Christ, spiritual & acceptable sacrifices: praise and thankes geuyng, al­mes and oure own bodies, yea oure selues, fully, wholly, and all to­gether.

Amen.