• Dydimus.
• Eutrapelus
• Albion.
• Philalethes.

Syth y ^e we haue already sufficiently spoken of the doctrine of predesti­nation, of the diuyne prouydence [Page] of God and of free wyll, I am of opinion, that it were good to en­treate somewhat of the iustificati­on of faythe, and of the good wor­kes that do spring and come of the same. For manye there be which when they heare that we be iusty­fied by fayth onely, withoute the workes of the law, streight waies do crye out, that they nede not to do good woorkes, yea that it ma­keth no matter how they liue, so that they beleue onelye. The blasphemers of the iu­stificatiō of faythe. I woulde fayne, that by settinge foorth this matter playnely, as ye haue done the other, the mouthes of suche blasphemours myghte ones bee stopped.

That, whiche ye saye, good neyghbour, maye rather be wyshed than ho­ped or loked for.

The maliciousnesse of the enemies of the truth.For, suche is the wickednesse of the ennemyes of the truthe, that nothing canne be so well spoken, or so Godlye set foorthe, but that [Page 2] they be alwayes moste readye too calumnyate and blaspheme the same.

As for an example: oure bro­ther Philalethes, that the profyt of our laste talke and communica­tion, that we haue had touchinge predestination, the diuine proui­dence of God, and of free wyll, mighte come to manye, did cause it to be published, and set foorthe in prynte. But, Lorde God, how is he rayled agaynst? How is his Godlye trauaile and labour taken of the moste sorte of men?

And yet in it, all thynges are made so playne, that the simplest manne in the worlde, maye haue edifyinge by it:

And all the obiections, that coulde be made, so pighte­lye, bothe by the scryptures, and also by the authorytyes of the auncyente fathers, aunswe­red, that anye resonable manne, [Page] woulde holde him selfe satisfied.

Who be they, think ye, Who thei be that storme at the doc­trine of predesti­nation. brother Eutrapelus, that thus so vngodlye storme agaynste this most coumfortable doctrin of pre­destination and of the diuine pro­uidence of God? Euen a sort of A­theistes and swinyshe Epicures, whose gruntinge, we oughte not to regarde, or to care for. How be it, Atheistes are in En­glish cal­led God­lesse. I do not doubte, but that there be many that now speake euyl of the doctrine, which if they had red the booke throughoute with sober iudgement, and with a single eie, woulde lyke it well ynoughe, yea, and receiue vnspeakable coumfort by it.

I knewe rightwel, when I toke the matter in hande, that I shoulde styrre vp many enemies againste me. But should I therfore, haue kepte close and hidden from the faithfull con­gregation that thinge, whiche the holy ghost wyll haue to be reueled [Page 3] to al his electe and chosen people? God forfende, that for feare of the dyspleasure of men, We ou­ght not for feare of the dis­pleasure of men hyde the truthe. or of the hate­red of y ^e wicked worlde, we should counceale or hyde anye truthe. Ye shal see, that thei wil no lesse rage at this doctrine of the iustification of faith, when they shal heare that God without anye workes or me­rits going before, doeth frely iusti­fye vs, through faith onelye in his sonne Iesus Christ, our lorde & sa­uiour then they do at y ^e doctrine of predestinatiō. Wil thei not by & by crye out and say: that by thys doc­trine, al maner of good works are cleane taken awaye, and quite o­uerthrowen? For, who being per­swaded that faith onely iustifieth, wil geue him self to do good wor­kes, or to leade a Godlye lyfe and Christianlike conuersation? But yet we muste not because of these blasphemies of the wicked enemi­es of the truthe, leaue of therfore, to teache and set foorth the truthe [Page] of this doctrine, What scope or marke we ought too shut at, in settinge foorth the doctrin of the iustifycation of fayth. that the holle glo­rye of oure saluation, in despight of the deuyll and of all hys Aun­gels, maye onelye and solelye be geuē vnto the merits of the death, passyon and bloudesheddynge of the onely begotten sonne of God, our sauioure Iesu Christe.

Therfore, brother Philalethes, that we maye some­what the better be edifyed in thys matter, and also edifye other, we doe mooste earnestlye desire you, that ye wyl (sith that we are now at leasure, and haue nothinge els to do) set foorth at large this holle doctrine of iustification. For, ma­nye are yet verye blinde and igno­raunte in it.

Yea, ye shal finde many, euē among the learned pa­pistes, that dare boldely saye, that this phrase or maner of speaking. Sola fides iustificat: Faith only iusti­fieth, is but newly inuented of the heresykes of oure time, and that [Page 4] none of all the aunciente wryters of the primitiue church did euer vse it, eyther in theyr sermons or wrytinges.

The po­pes king­dome, is a kingdom of lyes.Thys is not the fyrst lye, that they haue made. But as their kingdome, is a king­dome of lyes, so with lyes, do they laboure and studye, for to mayn­tayne it.

And that, I trust, shall well appeare, or euer we haue made an end of this oure talke and communication. For, I wyll aleadge so manye autoriti­es, and places oute of the auney­ente wryters of the primytyue churche, wher they do plainlye af­fyrme wyth vs, that fayth onlye doth iustify, that al mē, be they ne­uer so simple, shal easely perceaue how shamefully they haue belied vs & oure doctrine & that of a ma­litious mind, they haue most trai­terously hiddē the truth frō y ^e saith ful congregation of gods people. [Page] But or euer we go any farther, I thinke it best too declare in what signification this woorde to iusty­fye, oughte to be taken. As far as we cā learn this word: whence this word iusticare, to iustify, hath bene borowed and what it signifi­eth. iustificare to iustify, hathe bene of the blessed Apostle sainte Paule borowed of the common vse of the lawe. For, in iudgement, to iustifye a man, it is too assoyle or quyte him of the crime, that is layed to his charge, or that he is accused of, and to pro­nounce him righteous, iust, inno­cente, and giltlesse. After the same maner, when we saye, that God doeth iustifye vs, our meaning is that God doth assoile and quite vs of al the crimes, offences and tres­passes that cā be laid to our charge or that we can be accused of, and that he doethe pronounce vs iuste and righteous in his sighte. That is to saye: That first he doeth par­don and forgeue vs our sinnes, he couerethe them, and doethe in no wise impute thē vnto vs, but im­puteth [Page 5] vnto vs righteousnesse, not oure owne, which is none at all, but the righteousnesse of his sōne Iesu Christ, and so through, or by imputinge vnto vs the righteous­nesse of hys onely begotten sonne, he doth both saue vs and make vs blessed. So doeth the holy Apostle expound this our iustification, saying: As Dauid doeth set foorth the blessedfulnes of the mā vnto whō God imputethe righteousnesse w ^t ­out works, where he saith: blessed are those, Ro. 4. whose iniquities are for­geuen, whose sinnes are couered-Blessed is the man vntoo whome the Lord imputeth no sinne. Psal. 32.

By these fewe wordes that ye haue now al­leadged, anye man maye easelye learne, wherin our iusty­fication doth con­siste. that our iustification consi­steth in the forgeuenesse of sinnes and imputation of the righteouse­nesse of Christ. Wherby the vayne and founde opinion of those, that wil haue vs to be iustified by wor­kes [Page] is cleane ouerthrowen.

I wold sayn, that our brother Philalethes, shoulde briefelye declare vnto vs, What it is to be iustified by workes. what it is to be iustifyed by workes, and agayne what it is too be iustifyed by fayth. For, these thinges, being well and substantially vnderstan­ded, I do not doubt, but that the teste wyll bee a greate deale the playner.

To be iu­stified by workes, is by our owne deedes, to deserue remission and forgeuenesse, of synnes, and too pourchase vnto oure selues salua­tion. Or elles thus: They are iustifyed by workes, in whose life, there is founde suche cleanelinesse and holynesse, as maye deserue the testimonye of righteousnesse before the iudgement seat of God, or that wyth the vprightenesse of theyr woorkes be able to aunswer and satysfye Goddes iustyce and iudgemente.

I beleue that they are very thynne sowen, that with the vprightnesse of theyr workes be able to aunswer and satisfy the iustice and iudgemente of God.

They are very thyn sowen in dede. For non (Christ onely excepted) could euer do it. And therefore, Christ only hath satisfied the iustyce of God. all the chyl­dren of Adam, beinge at defiaunce with their owne righteousnesse, oughte to crye oute wyth Dauid, and sai: Enter not in to iudgemēt with thy seruaūt, o lord, Psal. 143. for in thy sight shal no mā liuīg be iustified.

And what is it to be iu­stified by fayth?

They are iustifyed by faith, What it is to be iustyfied by fayth. that being excluded frō the righte­ousenesse of workes, do by faythe take holde one the righteousenesse of Christe, wherwyth when they are clothed and appareylled, they appeare in the syghte of God, not as synners, but as ryghteouse personnes.

Obiecti∣on. i. This, me thinke, is a verye coumfortable doctrine. But yet, it wyll not be alowed of all men, for, the most parte wyll stil maintaine, that we are iustifi­ed by workes and not by faith on­lye, aleadginge, for the probati­on of this their sayinge, the second chapiter of Iames, Iam. 2. wher he saieth on this maner: was not our father Abraham iustified throughe wor­kes, when he offered Isaac his son vpon the altar? And a little after: ye se then, how that of woorkes a man is iustified, and not of faithe onlye. Either ye muste (saye they) make the holy Apostels to disagree or ye muste graunte with Iames that of works man is iustified and not of faith onlye. Aunswer

God wotte, this is a poore helpe, that they doe bringe for them selues. For firste and formoste, let vs marke the hi­story, that Iames doeth make mē ­tion of, and we shal soone perceiue [Page 7] how ignorauntly they behaue thē selues in expoundinge the wordes of the Apostell. We reade in the xv. chapiter of Genesis, Gen. 15. that Abra­ham beleued the Lord, and it was coumpted vnto him for righteous­nesse. Which texte is of Paule a­leaged after this sort: If Abraham were iustified by workes, Rom. 4. he hath wherein to reioyce or glorye, but not with God. For what saith the scripture: Abraham beleued God, and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse? Wherby the holye Apostle, Abraham was iustyfied .xxx. yeares afore he offered his sonne Isaac. doeth proue most strong­lye, that Abraham our father was iustified by faithe. But this, that Iames doeth speake of, whiche is the offerynge of Isaac, was done xxx. yeares after, that the scriptu­res did pronounce Abraham to be iustified, or y ^t his faith was coum­pted vnto him for righteousnesse. Verely, fyth that .xv. yeares afore that Isaac was borne, Gene. 22. Abrahams faythe was imputed vnto hym for [Page] righteousnesse, it was impossible, that he shoulde be iustifyed by the offering of hys sonne Isaac, which was as I sayd before .xxx. years af­ter. What if we saye then, that the apostle doeth only go about to shewe, What faith A­braham was iu­stified by. that the fayth, whiche A­braham was iustifyed by, was no idel or dead fayth but such a faith, as made hym obedient vnto God, as it is more playnelye set foorthe in the .ii. to the Hebrewes.

This that ye haue brought in now, is of greate strength. And truly, I do not see, which way thei can wind thē selues out of y ^e briers if the history & the circumstaunces of the same be weyghed a ryghte.

We wil yet go to worke w ^t them another way: and shew how that ther is no repugnaunce at al in the doctrine of y ^e Apostels. For, what contrariety or repugnaunce could ther be in their doctrine, sith that they wer both lead by one spirit? Therfore, we shal marke, that [Page 8] the holy Apostle. S. Paul in his e­pistels to y ^e Romains & to the Ga­lathians, did dispute and reason against thē that did atribute iustifi­catiō to workes, but. Note this diligētly. S Iames did wryte against them, which did vt­terly contempne and despise good workes. And therfore Paule she­weth the causes of our iustificatiō Iames the effectes & frutes of the same. Paul declareth how we are iustifyed: Iames how we are kno­wē to be iustified. Paul excludeth workes, as not the cause of our iu­stificatiō: Iames approueth wor­kes as effects proceding of y ^e same. Paul denieth that any good wor­kes cā be in thē that be not iustyfi­ed: Iames affirmeth y ^t they which be iustified cā in no wise be w ^tout good woorkes. But ye shall heare what. S Augustine hath left vnto vs, by writing, touching y ^e matter: Augu. 83. questionum questi. 76. Glossa or­dinaria. Quod Abraham per fidem sine operibus iustificatus est, de operibus qu [...]e precede­bant, intelligitur, quia per opera quae fe­cit, iustus non suit, sed sola fide. [Page] Hic de operibus agitur, quae fidem sequn­tur, Heb. 11. per quae amplius iustificabatur, cum tam per fidem fuisset iustus. Vnde Paulus dicit: Fide obtulit Abraham Isaac, quum tentaretur. Haec oblatio est opus et te­stimonium fidei et iustitiae. That is too saye: That Abraham was iustify­ed by faith without works, it is to be vnderstāded of the workes that dyd goo before: For, he was not righteouse throughe the workes, which he had done, but by faythe only. Here it is spokē of the works that folowe the faith, whereby he was more iustifyed, whereas he was alreadye before made righte­ouse by faithe. Therfore, Paule sayeth: The offe­ringe of Isaac is a testimony of the fayth & righteousnesse of Abraham. Abraham did offer Isaac with faith, when he was tempted. This offeringe is a worke and te­stimonye of his faythe and of hys righteousnesse. These things, did he write vpon Iames epistell. If the offering of Isaac, is a testimo­nie of the faith and righteousnesse of Abraham: He coulde not be iu­styfied [Page 9] by it, but rather it was therby declared that he was iusti­fyed alreadye. So that this obedi­ence of his, Rom. 4. which he shewed vnto the word of the Lord, did only ma­nifest and shew, that he was when he beleued Gods promises, made ryghteous before God, throughe the same fayth and beleue, wher­wyth he was so strengthened, that geuynge the glorye vnto God, he perswaded him selfe fullye, that he which had promised, was also a­ble to do the thynge, that he hadde promysed thoughe it semed neuer so straunge, nor so muche against the common course of nature. And therefore the Apostle concludethe ryghte well, that it was imputed vnto him for ryghteousnesse.

As far as I do remember, I haue hearde you tell, that otherwhyles, to be iu­stifyed, is to be declared righteous and iuste. As when the prophette Dauid sayeth: Psal. 51. That thou mayest [Page] be iustified in thy wordes & ouer­come, when thou art-iudged, that is to saye: that thou mayest be de­clared iuste, and thy goodnesse and trueth appeare, in performing thy promises, when man eyther of curiosite, or of arrogācie wold iudge thy workes.

This is wel remē ­bred. And therefore, this shall we note by the waye, This worde to iustifye is other wise takē of Paule then of Iames. that this worde to iustifie, is not taken of Paul in that signification, that saincte Ia­mes doeth take it in. For, of Paul it is taken for to deliuer from syn, and for to impute righteousnesse: but Iames doeth take it, for to de­clare one iuste and righteous. Agayne Paul speaketh of a liuely faythe, whiche can no more be w ^t ­out good workes, Fayth is not taken of the A­postels in one signyfication. than the Sunne can be without light, or fyer with out heate: But Iames speaketh of an idell and deadde faythe, whiche maye be in the reprobate, yea, in the diuell hym self, as the Apostell [Page 10] writteth in thesame place. More­ouer, whether ought one texte too geue place to many: or manye too geue place to one? One text must geue place to manye.

It standeth with reason that one texte shoulde rather geue place too manye, than that manye should geue place to one.

For, this one text of Iames, that semeth to attribute iustifycation vntoo workes, how manye notable textes and senten­ces, shal ye fynde in the other Ca­nonicall scriptures, that teach the contrarye?

And we do all pray you, brother Philalethes, that ye will aleadge the chiefest and most principall of thē. For as touching that place, which thei do aleadge & bring out of the second chapiter of Iames, ye haue well satisfied my mind, I thanke god therfore.

That wil I gladli do: yea I wil be sides this ioigne vnto y ^e autorities of the scriptures & word of God, y ^e [Page] sayinges of the aunciaunt fathers of the primitiue churche, that so y ^e enemies of the trueth, whiche doe moste lyengly blowe abrode, that we haue no suche stuffe, maye at length, seing our greate rychesse, vtterly be shamed and confoūded.

Forsothe in so doinge, ye shal do vs all a greate pleasure.

I might here bring many notable senten­ces out of the olde and new Testament, wherein the excellencye of faith is highly setfoorth, but I wil at this present omitte or leaue thē and aledge only those places, that do most chiefly perteyne to iustifi­cation.

Act. 13.Firste in the Actes of the Apo­stles, we haue these wordes writ­ten in the sermō, that Paul made vnto the Iewes that were at An­tiochia, a cytte of Pisidia: Be it knowē vnto you therfore, brethern that through this mā is preached [Page 11] vnto you the forgeuenesse of syn­nes. And that from all thinges, frō whiche ye coulde not be iustified by the law of Moses, by hym eueri one that beleueth, is iustified. These wordes are so playne, that they nede no exposition at al. For, all men, onelesse they will be wil­fully blynde styll, maye easely see, that he taketh awaye altogether iustification from the lawe of Moses, Iustifica­tion is taken a­waye all together from the lawe of Moses & atributed vnto faith and doeth attribute it vntoo fayth in our sauiour Iesu Christe. But in the Epistel to the Romaīs the holy apostell maketh the mat­ter more playne, where he sayeth: They haue all synned, and are de­stituted or voyde of the glorie of God. But they are iustified freely by his grace, through the redemp­tion, that is in Christ Iesus, Rom. 3. whō God hath setfoorthe too be a pour­chasser of mercy, through fayth in his bloude.

Let these wordes be diligentely considered and weyghed, and then [Page] I do not doubt, but that they, that be of an indifferente iudgemente, wyl sone agree vnto our doctrine. First, the Apostle sayeth, that they haue all synned, and that they are depriued of the glorye of God. By whiche wordes he doth most liue­lye put before oure eyes the myse­rable estate, that whole mankind was in. Secondly he doth effectu­ouslye shewe, how and by what meanes we are deliuered from it, I meane: What be the meanes wherby we are iustified, or deliuered from the [...] of dampna­tion. frome that dampnable estate, that we are in by our owne nature, and fyrst byrthe, when he sayeth: But they are iustifyed fre­lye by his grace. Nowe, if we be iustified frely by the grace of God, wher are our works, merits or de­seruings become? For if any wor­kes, deseruinges or merits, do go before oure iustification, how can it be sayed, that we are iustifyed freelye by the grace of God oure heauenlye father?

In deede it might rather be saied, that we are iustified in respecte of oure owne workes and merites. And so the sayinge of the Apostell coulde not stande, where he sayth in an other place: By grace ye are saued tho­rowe fayth, Epho. 2. and that not of youre selues: it is the gyft of God, not of workes, leaste anye man shoulde boaste him selfe. Whereunto the sayinge of a moste aunciente wry­ter semeth wel to agree: His wor­des are these: Ambrosius de vocatio­ne gentium li. 1. capi. 5.

Sicut nulla sunt tam detestanda faci­nora, quae possunt gratiae arcere donum, ita nulla possunt tam proeclara opera ex­istere, quibus hoc quod gratis tribuitur, perretributionis iudicium debeatur.

Vilesceret, enim, redemptio sanguinis Christi, ac miserecordia del humanorum operum praerogatiuae succumberet, si iu­stificatio quae f [...]t pergratiam praeceden­tibus meritis deberetur, vt non mu­nus largientis, sed merces esset operan­tis.

That is to saye: As there be no synnes so detestable, that can kepe of, the gyft of grace, so there can be no workes so excellente, that vnto them, by the iudgement of retribution or recompence, the same shuld be due, which is freely geuen and graunted. For, the redemption of the bloud of Christe shoulde waxe vyle, and the mercye of God, be fayne to geue place to the prerogatiue of mens works, if iustificatiō, which is don or wrought by grace were due vnto the merits that go before, so that it shoulde not be the free gyfte of the gyuer, but the rewarde or hyre of the wor­ker. What other thinge, I besech you, doeth this holy father meane but that we are without any me­rites, goynge before, iustified frely by the mere goodnesse and grace of God, To attri­bute iustification vnto any merites going be­fore, is a derogati­on of the grace of God. through faith in the bloud of his sonne Iesu Christ.

Yea, he doeth playnely affirme that it is a derogation of the grace [Page 13] of God, and of the merites of the death, passion and bloudshedding [...] of his sonne Iesu Christ, to attri­bute our iustification vnto any merites, goynge before, and also that it is to constrayne the glorie of the free mercy of God to yelde or geue place vnto the dignitie and wor­thinesse of mens workes.

This is a verye godly sayinge and most worthy to be noted of all men. Obiect. 2 But yet in the meane whyle they will saye styll, that although we fynde in y ^e scrip­tures, that fayth iustifieth, yet we fynde not: quod sola fides iustificat, solifidians. that fayth onely iustifieth, so that this worde onely, or alone hath bē newly added by heretykes, Aunswer whom they do commonly calle Solifidi­ans. Although we haue not in the scripturs this word sola, only or alone yet haue we many wordes that be of like force.

Will ye that I tell you the truethe, neygh­bour Dydimus? These stout champions of Antychriste, doe nothinge els but seke a knot in a russhe, as [Page] the common laiyne prouerbe is, For, al [...]houghe we haue not ex­presselye this worde, sola, onelye or alone, yet haue we many other wordes, that are equipollente, or equiualente, that is, of the same importaunce & force. For whē the holy ghost saith: y ^t we are iustified freli by y ^e grace of god through the redēption, which is in Christ Iesu whome God hathe setfoorth to be a purchasser of mercye, throughe faythe in his bloude: doeth he not exclude all maner of works deser­uinges or merits from our iustifi­cation, attributinge it vnto fayth onelye wherby we do apprehende and take holde on the grace and mercye of God, so surely sealed vp vnto vs with the bloud of that im­maculate and vnspotted lamb, our sauiour Iesu Christ? Rom. 3. In the same selfe chapiter he sayth agayne: we conclude that a man is iustified by fayth withoute the workes of the lawe. Who doeth not see, that he [Page 14] doth here also put away all maner of thynges from our iustification, fayth onelye excepted? What Paul vn­derstan­deth by y ^e works of the lawe. I am sure that by the workes of the lawe, he vnderstandethe those workes that God doethe requyre of vs in hys word, and whether ye wyll refer them to the ceremonies, or to the morall preceptes and cōmaunde­mentes, that be conteined in the same, it is all one thing to me. For the holye ghost doeth testifye euery where that the works of the lawe do not iustify. Of the ceremonies, rites, & sacrifices, we haue this suf­ficient testimony of the prophette Dauid: Thou desirest no sacrifice, psal. 51, thoughe I wold geue it: thou deli­test not in burnte offeringe. And therfore being sore troubled in his conscience, for his hainous offence that he had cōmitted, he did caste y ^e eies of his faith vpō the bloud and merit of the sauior promised, say­ing: washe me throughly frō mine iniquity & clense me from my syn. psal. 51. [Page] Purge me with Ysope & I shalbe cleane: wasshe me, and I shalbe whyter then snowe. Deliuer me from bloud, o God, whiche art the God of my saluation. And frome thence sainct Paul semeth to haue borowed this his sayinge: Heb. 10. The bloud of Bulles and Goates cann not take awaye synnes. Gala. 3.

And as for the workes cōmaun­ded in the morall preceptes & com­maundementes, Deu. 28. we are sure that they canne not iustifie. Abac. 1. Rom. 1. Heb. 10. For why? who is able to do them with suche a perfection as God doth requyre? And therfore heare what y ^e apostel sayeth in his Epistel to the Gala­tians: Gala. 2. As many as are of the wor­kes of the lawe, are vnder y ^e curse. For, it is written: Cursed is eueri man that cōtinueth not in al thin­ges, that are written in the booke of the lawe, for to do theym. And that no man is iustified by the law in the sight of God, it is euident. For, the iuste shall lyue by faythe. [Page 15] Againe in the same selfe Epistell thus doth the apostel write: know that a man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe, but by y ^e faith of Iesu Christe, and euen we haue beleued in Iesus Christe, that we mighte be iustified by the fayth of Christe, and not by the workes of the lawe. Because that by y ^e wor­kes of the lawe no fleshe can be iu­stified.

All these sayinges do sufficiently declare, that althoughe, as I sayed before, we haue not expressely this worde, sola, onely or alon, yet we haue many other wordes that are of like importaunce, and force. The ene­mies of the truth are to be likened vnto the Arians. So that in this point, we maye likene the enemies of the trueth vnto the wicked Arians, whiche because y ^t these words, homousios & consub­stantialis, be not founde in y ^e scriptures, will in no wise admit nor alowe them, although the thinges signified by them, are moste infal­libly and certaynly conteyned and [Page] sette oute in the booke of God.

There com­meth nowe in to my mynde a cer­taine saying of the Apostle, which as I do suppose, wyl serue wel for oure purpose. In the Epistle to the Philyppians, Phi. 3. he wryteth on this maner: The things that wer vantage vnto me, the same I coū ­ted losse for Christes sake, and do iudge them to be dounge, that I might wynne Christ, and mighte be founde in him, that is: not ha­uinge myne owne righteousnesse, whyche is of the lawe, but that, whiche is throughe the fayeth of Christe, euen the righteousnesse, which is of God through fayth. What they must do that wil enioy the righteousnesse of Christ. It is euydente and playne that saynt Paule here in this place, makethe a comparison betwixt things that are contrary, shewinge that they, which will obtayne or enioye the righteousnesse of Christ muste vt­terly forsake their own. And ther­fore in the Epistle to y ^e Romaīs, Rom. 10. he [Page 16] doeth playnelye affyrme, that the cause of the ruyne and fall of y ^e Iewes, was because that thei went about to establish their own righte­ousnesse, and wold in no wise sub­mit them selues to the righteouse­nesse of God. Wherunto, to make the matter the more plain, he doth by & bi ad these words For Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse vn [...]o euerye one y ^t beleueth.

I do not very well vnder­stande this laste sentence.

The meaninge of it is this: The end of the lawe is to iustlye them, that do obserue it. But who dyd euer obserue it? Therefore, i. Cor. 1. Christ hauing fulfilled it for vs, is through faith, made vnto vs of god wisedom, righteousnesse, holinesse and redemption. So that what so euer is lacking or wanting in vs, it is by his perfect obedience, most aboundantlye supplyed, as farre foorthe as we haue felloweshyppe wyth hym, throughe fayth.

It reioiceth my very heart to heare suche coumfortable sentences out of the scriptures and worde of God. But I wolde fayne learn, whether the old doctors doe holde with vs, that fayethe onely doeth iustifie. For, that is one of the thinges, which the enemies do stoutely denye.

Er I do satisfye your desire, I doe intende to aledge yet two or three golden sentences out of the Apostel: which canne not well be omitted in thys case.

The firste shall ye haue in the Epistel to Titus, Titu. 3. where he writ­teth on this wyse: Not by the wor­kes of righteousnes, which we had done, but according to his mercye he saued vs, that we beinge iusti­fied by his grace shoulde be made heyrs, accordinge too the hope of eternall lyfe.

The second is muche like vntoo this, and is setfoorth in the second [Page 17] Epistell to Timothee, after thys maner: God hathe saued vs, 2. Timo. 1. and called vs with an holye callinge, not accordinge to our workes, The pur­pose of God doth exclude al merites and deseruings frō the iustification of man. but according to his own purpose and grace, whiche was geuen vnto vs throughe Christ Iesus, afore the worlde was. Truely, whersoeuer this purpose of God is, there wor­kes, merits, or deseruinges, can take no place in the iustification or saluation of man. Wherby, it must nedes folowe (as we can ga­ther none other of the sentences nowe aleadged) that by the free mercy and goodnesse of God, ap­prehended and taken hold vpon by fayth, we are deliuered from oure synnes and from euerlasting dam­nation, and made felowe heyers with his sonne Iesu Christ whose righteousnesse he doth impute vn­to vs, of his eternall and euerla­stinge kingdome of heauen. All these thinges, I say, do we obtain, throughe fayeth onely, withoute [Page] anye merites goynge before.

Say what ye wil, the enemies do styll whisper in to the eares of the symple and igno­raunt persons, that this is, but a newe sounde doctrine, and that none of all the auncient doctours did euer teache it?

Ye myght haue learned that thys is playne fal [...]e in the autority, that we haue already broughte out of saint Au­gustine, Aug. 83. questionū que­stione▪ 76, Glossa ordinaria. whose wordes are these: Quod Abraham per fidē sine operibus iustificatus est, de operibus quae prae­cedebant, intelligitur, quia per opera, quae fecit, iustus non fuit sed sola fide.

Whiche we haue alreadye en­glished thus: That Abraham was iustified by faith without workes, it is to be vnderstanded of the workes, that dyd go before. For, he was not ryghteous throughe the workes, whyche he had done be­fore, sed sola fide, but by faieth on­lye. If it be an heresye to saye that [Page 18] faythe onely doeth iustifye, let me see, how they can excuse Saynte Augustine of heresye. Vnto hym, maye we ioygne father Ambrose, who wrytinge vppon the epistell to the Romayns, Amb. in episto. ad Ro­manos ca. 4. speaketh on this manner: ‘Iustificari sunt gratis, quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono dei.’

That is to saye: They were iustyfied freelye, for, they worc­kynge nothinge, nor makinge a­nye recompence, they were iusti­fyed throughe faythe onelye, by the gyfte of God. Agayne, in the same place, these be hys wordes: ‘Sic decretum dicit a deo, vt cessante lege, Ibidem. solam fidem gratia dei poscere [...] ad salutem.’

Whyche maye be englyshed thus: He sayethe, that it was so decreed of God, that the lawe be­ynge at an ende, the grace of God shoulde requyre faythe a­lone, or faythe onelye vnto salua­tion. Ibidem.

These be also his wordes:

Hoc ipsum munit exemplo prophetae. Be­atitudinem hominis di it, cui deus accep­tam fert iustitiam sine operibus. Beatos dicit quibus hoc sanxit deus, vt sine labo­re et aliqua obseruatione, sola fide iusti­ficentur apud deum. That is to say: he doeth strengthene or fense this by the example of the prophette. He saith that the same man hath bles­sedfulnes or that blessedfulnes pertained and belongeth to that man, vnto whom God imputeth righte­ousnesse withoute workes, he cal­leth them blessed vnto whom God had made this decree, that wyth­oute laboure, and withoute anye obseruation, they shoulde, by faith onely be iustified before God. And in an other place: Idem in. 9. ca. ciusdem epistol [...]e. Sola fides ad salu­tem posita est. Faythe onelye, sayeth he, is appoynted vnto sal­uation. Ye maye see nowe, howe many tymes, this olde father doth vse this worde, sola, alone or only, which the aduersaries or enemies [Page 19] doe accuse of heresye. But let vs heare what the other auncient fa­thers do say concerning this mat­ter these are Ieroms words vpon the Epistle to the Romains. Ieronimus in 10. caput epi­sto. ad Ro.

That is to saye: They not kno­winge that God iustifieth by faith onely, and supposing them selues to be iust by the works of the law, whiche they neuer obserued, they would not submit them selues vn­to the remission of synnes, leaste they shoulde seeme too haue bene synners.

By this au­toritye, that ye haue aleadged oute of Ierome, two thinges maye be learned. Firste and foremost we learne that God doeth iustifye by fayth only, which, of the enemies is coumpted playn heresye, wher­vpon [Page] we maye conclude that they be wrapped in the same moste pe­stiferous ignoraunce that the scri­bes and Pharisees were wrapped in, What credit ought to be ge­uen vnto the enemies of the truth and what s [...]ā ­full igno­raunce they be wrapped in. and that therfore no credit ou­ght to be geuen vnto them, nor yet to their doctrine. For why? thei be altogether ignoraunt in the high­est and moste principall poynte of our religion: causinge the people to seeke for saluation, wher there is nothinge elles but desperation and shippewracke of conscyence. Secondlye, we see here moste e­uidentlye the cause whye the scri­bes and Pharisees, Why the scribes & Pharises wer vtter enemies vnto the gospell. Luc. 18. were suche extreme enemies vnto the gospel, which offereth vnto all them that wyll beleue in oure sauioure Iesu Christ, free pardone and remissi­on of their sinnes. Forsoth, they iustyfyed them selues that they were perfect and withoute synne. Lest then they shuld lose any part of their estimation (for thei, sought their owne glorye more than the [Page 20] glorye of God) they woulde in no­wyse submitte them selues vnto the doctryne of the remyssion of sinnes, nor yet receaue the gene­rall pardone, that was offered vn­to them of God. For, then they muste needes, to haue acknow­ledged them selues with the other to haue bene sinners. But they would none of that, beinge in this pointe moste like vnto oure greate Rabbis, Why our great rabbis will not ac­knowled­ge their errour. whiche althoughe their conscyences beare them recorde, that they be in a moste pernicious errour, and haue most shamefully deceiued the people, yet because they wyll not mynishe one iote of their reputation, that they haue hadde amonge simple and igno­raunte pesonnes, they haue lye­ffer too continue and remaine in their erroure, and to be stom­blynge blockes styll vnto the peo­ple, than ones too reuoke theyr erroure, and to geue the glorye vnto God.

And suppose ye, that thys is the cause of their ob­stinacye?

It appea­reth that is so, elles wold they re­uoke or recant their erroure, and as oure brother Eutrapelus sayd, geue the glorye vnto God. But we wyll leaue them vntoo theyr iudge, who at length wyll, by his righteous iudgemente, God send him be­tymes. send a Ie­hu, who shal make hauok of them all: and so proceade to the reste of oure matter. Hylarius in the .ix. Canon vpon Mathewe, Hilarius canone nono in Math. and vpon these words: Remittuntur tibi peccata tua. Thy synnes are forgeuen the: writeth on this maner.

That is to wytte: It moueth the scribes, that synne was forgeuen by man. For they did only behold man in Christ Iesu, and that to be forgeuen of him, whiche the lawe [Page 21] could not release. For fayth onely doeth iustifye. This texte is verye playne. For, first and foremost, he sayeth that the scribes wer moued because that Christ forgaue synne whome they iudged to be a nude and bare man, but speciallye that he toke vppon him to forgeue and pardon that, which the law, could neyther releasse nor forgeue. For these were theyr wordes: Whye doeth this man speake suche blas­phemyes? Who can forgeue syns but God onelye? And finallye he doeth knyt vppe the matter with these words: Fides enim sola iustificat: If it be an here [...]y to [...], that faith only [...]u [...]ify [...] the [...] Mat. 2 For, faith only doth iustify. If we for saying that fayth only doth iu­stifye, do deserue to be called here­tikes: how shall, I beseche you. S. Augustine, Ambrose, Ierome and Hylarius be excused, which do vse the same phrase and maner of speakinge, that we do vse, and mayn­tayne the same doctrine, that we do maintayn? Shall they not with [Page] vs be called Solifidians?

Nowe of a truthe, I doe vnderstande and perceaue, that I haue bene shamefullye, be­guyled by these bragginge mar­chauntes of the clergye.

Ye wyll saye so, by that tyme, that ye haue hearde all. I haue alreadye aleadged .iiii. of the most aunciente of tha latine wri­ters: nowe wyll I ioygne vntoo them .iiii. of the greeke doctours I wyll not cumber the reader with so many as I coulde nowe bringe in, for, I suppose these fewe to be sufficiente, for to satisfye anye re­sonable mannes mynde. First we wyll brynge in, Origenes in tertium caput epistole ad Romanos. olde father O­rygene, who vppon the epistell to the Romaynes writeth on this manner: ‘Apostolus hisce verbis: Arbitramur igitur fi­de iustificati hominem absque operibus legis di­cit sufficere solius fidei [...]ustificationem, ita vt cre­dens quis tantummodo, iustificetur etiam si nihil operis ab eo fue [...]it expletum. Quod si exemplum requiramus, quis si [...]e operibus sola fide iustifi­catus sit, sufficere arbitror illum latronem, qui [Page 22] cum Christo crucifixus, clamauit ei de cruce: Domine Iesu, memento mei, cum veneris, in regnum tuum, nec aliud quicquam describitur boni operis eius, in euangelijs, sed pro hac sola fide, ait ei Iesus: Amen dico tibi: Hodie mecum e­ris in paradiso. Per fidem ergo iustifica­tus est hic latro, absque operibus legis. Quia super hoc dominus non requisiuit, quid prius operatus esset, nec expectauit, quid operis cum credidisset expleret, sed sola confessione iustificatum comitem sibi paradisum ingressurus assumpsit.’

That is to saye: Rom. 3. Paul by these wordes: We suppose therefore, that manne is iustified by faythe with out the workes of the lawe, affyrmethe that the iustifycation of faythe alone or of fayeth onelye is sufficyente, so that anye manne beleauinge onelye, canne be iu­stifyed, althoughe no manner of worke hath bene fulfylled or done by hym.

And if we requyre an exam­ple, who was iustified by faythe onelye without workes, Luc. 23, I suppose that the same theefe doeth suffice, [Page] who when he was crucifyed wyth Christ, did crye vnto hym from the crosse: Lord Iesu, remember me, when thou comest in to thy kinge­dome. Neyther anye good other worke of hys, is described or sette foorthe vnto vs in the gospelles. But for thys fayeth onely, Iesus sayed vnto him: Verely I saye vn­to the, this day thou shalt be with me in paradyse. This thefe then was iustified by fayth without the workes of the lawe. For the Lord did not vpon this requyre, what he had wrought before, neither did he looke what worke he should do after he did beleue, but beynge re­dye to enter in to paradise, he toke him for his waitinge man, beinge iustifyed by that confession onely. Besides this he doeth aleadge the example of the synnefull woman and of the Publican, Luc. 7.18. that be men­tioned of in the Gospell of Luke, whome he doeth also affirme, too haue bene iustified by fayth onely, [Page 23] withoute any respecte of workes, merites, or deseruinges.

I am affrayed lest some, hearinge this doctryne so Obiecti∣on. 3 largelye set foorthe, doe waxe re­misse, negligente and slacke in do­inge of good workes, sythe that fayth alone, doth suffyse to iustifi­cation, yea I feare also leaste they geue them selues to lyue lycenti­ouslye and to folow the lustes and the concupiscences of the fleshe.

Aunswer Origene doeth him selfe make aunswer to the same obiection, sayinge: If any man doeth liue wickedly after iustification, We are not deli­uered frō oure syns to this end that we shuld walowe in them agayne. withoute doubte he hath despised the grace of iustifica­on. Neyther doeth any receaue re­mission or forgeuenesse of sinnes to this ende, that he should thinke that licence to synne agayn, is ge­uen vnto him. For, a pardone not of the synnes to come, but of the synnes passed is geuen or graun­ted in iustification. But of thys [Page] we wyll speake more amply here­after, when we shall haue occa­syon too talke of those good wor­kes, that do springe and proceade of the true iustifyinge faith.

Let vs therefore hear what the other greecke doc­tours do saye.

With a good wyll. Atha­nassius vpon the thirde to the Ga­lathians writeth briefli thus: Athanasius Nunc pla [...]e demo [...]strat fidem ipsam vel solam iustificandi virtutem habere Now say­eth he, doth he playnly shewe that the same fai [...]he, yea beinge alone hath power to iustifye. Wherunto Chrisostome agreeth sayinge: ‘ Chrisosto­mus in epi­stolam ad Rom. Homeli. 7.Hic virtutē dei ostendit, quod non solum saluauit, sed et iustificauit, nullis ad hoc vsus operibus, sed fidem tantum exigens.’ That is to say: he sheweth the vertue and power of God, how that he did not onely saue, Basilius Hemeli. de humilitate. but also iu­stifye vsing no workes vnto it, but requiring faith only. But among all other, this sayinge of Basilius [Page 24] is most worthye to be noted: ‘Ea demum perfecta est et integra gloria­tio in deo, quando neque de sua quisquā ipsius iustitia suberbit, sed agnoscit. Vera destitutum iustitia sola se in Christum fi­de iustificatum.’ Which golden words maye be en­glyshed after thys maner: That at length, is a perfecte, and sounde reioycinge in God, when a man doeth not bragge or boaste of his owne ryghteousenesse but doeth acknowledge, that beynge voyde of true righteousnesse, he is iu­stifyed throughe fayeth onelye in Christ. Many suche lyke thynges, are redde in the wrytinges of the aunciente fathers, whereby all menne maye see, that we are not the fyrst, that haue vsed this word sola, alone or onelye, to expresse the meanynge of the Apostell, and to set foorth the glory of the grace of God. For the fathers did vse it a fore vs, whose writinges they doe make equall wyth the Canony­call scripture.

They say, that we haue it not in the words of y ^e Apostel. Why do they not so in this poynte. Let thē tel that to the fathers, whom they do take for the pilours of the church. Let them contend & striue with thē rather thā with vs. To be short if it be an heresy to say that faith only in Christ doth iustify, thei must accuse those auncient fathers of heresy, yea they must coumpt them to be the captayns of al heretyks.

What shyfte doe they make, when they feele them selues pressed with so manye au­torities of the olde fathers? Wyth what face, can they reiecte or cast of thys worde, solam, alone or onelye?

There be some, which when they can not for shame re­fuse it, are wonte to flye to this startinge hole: The eua­sion of the enemies. They graunt that we are iustifyed by fayth onely in Christ: but they adde that thys is onelye done at the begynninge of fayth, when we begynne firste to [Page 25] beleue in Christ, and so they wyll haue vs to vnderstand, this to be Paulles meaninge: that neyther synnes did hinder the gentilles, A verye goodlye shift I waraunt you but that as sone as they beganne to beleue in Christ, they were iu­stifyed by faythe onely: nor wor­kes farther the Iewes, when they likewise came to Christ, but vnto them also was faythe imputed for righteousnesse: And so at length, they doo conclude, that yf they, which be ones iustifyed by faythe, do after theyr iustification, sinne again, they can no more be iusti­fyed by fayth, that is to say, frely, as affore, but by workes, that is to saye, by satisfaction.

After my iudgement, this is but a homelye euasion or starting hole. For, yf they take this worde, to be iusti­fied, for to be deliuered from sin: it is manyfeste and playne, that the same iustification, that consisteth in the gratuite & free remission of [Page] sinnes, Iustifica­tion wherby we are deliuered from syn, is necessari vnto vs as longe as we liue. Math. 6. 1. Ioa. 2. is necessary vnto vs, al our liues time, onlesse this were vayn, which, accordinge to the institu­tion of the Lord, we do daily pray for, sayinge: And foregeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse against vs, Iohn saied vnto them that dyd beleeue and were iustified, My lytle babes, if any man doeth sinne, we haue an aduocate with the father, Iesus Christe the righteouse, and he is the satisfaction for our synnes. He sayeth not: he was the satisfacti­on for oure sinnes, nowe therfore ye must be iustifified by your own workes, and make satisfaction, for youre synnes: but he doeth set foorthe vnto the churche of God, the endlesse and euerlasting satis­faction of Christe, that is to saye, the free remission and forgeuenes of synnes or iustification, whiche we do obtayne throughe fayth in him. Or if they vnderstande it of righteousenesse, which is the effect [Page 26] of this iustification, whereby our hartes are purged and our life re­newed. Yet it can not so be appli­ed vnto fayth, that it should onlye pertayne to the beginninge of it, and all the rest of our lyfe require the righteousnesse of works, Similitude wherby we shoulde be saued. For, that were, as if a man should saye, that the soule doeth onely quickene the body at the beginninge, but not so afterwardes: as thoughe all the quickening or viuifying, shuld not come of the soule alone, but of the operations of the bodye. Abac. 1. Rom. 1. Gala. 3. The righteouse, sayeth the Apostell, liueth by fayth. I do not denye, but that the lyfe of the righteouse is adorned and beutyfyed wyth manye vertues, but yet it canne be attributed too none of them, but too fayethe onelye, that oure heartes beynge clensed, wee lyue godlye in the sighte of God.

I hearde ones cer­tayne Obiecti∣on. 4 gentyll men of my cleargye [Page] reason after this sorte: If to be iu­styfied, is to be delyuered frome synne: Fayth onely doeth not iu­stifye, but loue also. And for the probation of theyr sayinge, they bringe these words of Christ: Luc. 7. Ma­nye sinnes are forgeuen her, be­cause that she loued muche. Lo, saye they, here remission of sinnes, is playnlye attributed vnto loue. Agayn: are not these Peters wor­des: 1. Pet. 4. Loue couereth the multitude of sinnes? Who doeth not see now saye they, that loue doeth aswell iustifye as faith?

I aunswer that the loue of this woman, Aunswer was not the cause of hyr iustifycation or forgeuenesse of synnes, but a de­claration of the same. She hadde obtained throughe fayth in Christ remission of synnes, whereby she beinge iustified, did loue him ex­ceadynglye, and did openlye ex­presse that loue.

That it is so, it maye be proued [Page 27] easelye by the woordes of oure sa­uioure Iesu Christe, whiche he spake vnto her sayinge: ‘Fides tua te saluam fecit. Vade in pace.’

Thy fayth hath made thee safe, Christ is a sufficiēt exposi­toure of his owne woorde. or hathe saued thee, go thy waye in peace. How had fayeth saued her, but because that throughe it, she hadde obtayned remyssion of synnes? In dede she did afterwar­des declare the same fayeth by the earnest loue that she dyd beare too Christe. And as for the other sen­tence, I maruayle that they be not ashamed to aleadge it. For, ye shall fynde it thus written in the prouerbes, Prou. 10. cha. from whence the A­postell borowed it: ‘Odium vitia detegit, charitas autem operit multitudinem peccatorum:’

That is to saye: hatered doethe open, and dyscouer faultes, but loue doethe couer the multitude of synnes.

What other thinge canne we learne of this sayinge of the wise [Page] manne, but that as hatered doeth moue vs, to caste oure breethren in the tethe, and to vpbrayed them with the offences that they cōmit agaynste vs: so loue hydeth and pardoneth the faultes, iniuryes & wrongs that are done vnto vs, be they neuer so greate? In the same sense did the holy Apostell take it, as it doeth manifestlye appeare by the cyrcumstaunces of the place. But the enemies of the truth care not what they saye, How the scriptu­res are a­leaged of the ene­mies of the truth so that they seme to saye some thinge. They aleadge the scryptures, as the blinde man casteth his staffe.

Ye teach that afore a mā be iustified through faith in Christ he can do no good works, yea that all that he doeth is sinne, though it semeth neuer so good.

Nowe put the case that a Turke or heathen were desirous to heare Obiecti∣on. 5 the worde of God, and to knowe the gospell of oure sauioure Iesu Christe. Woulde ye not coumpte [Page 28] thys a good woorke? Gardi­ners ob­iection a­gainst doctoure Barnes. And yet ye wyll not saye, that he is alrea­dye iustifyed, for as muche as he doethe not yet beleaue in Christe.

Besydes thys, we haue the ex­ample of Cornelius, of whome afore hee dyd beleeue in Christe, Luke wryteth after this manner: And the Aungell sayed vnto him: Act. 10.

Thy prayers and thyne almes, are come vp in too remembraunce before God.

These wordes did the Aungell speake vnto Cornelius afore that he hearde Peter, and consequent­ly, afore that he beleued in Christ.

What canne we gather of thys but that a man may do good wor­kes, afore he hathe fayth, and hether throughe iustified?

By oure brother Philalethes leaue, Aunswer and vnder his correction: I wyll take vpon me to aunswer thys obiecti­on, that our neyghbour Dydimus [Page] hath broughte in nowe. I woulde fayne, neyghbour Dydimus that ye should aunswer me to this que­stion: Can a tree bringe foorthe good frute, Math. 7. afore it be made good?

As no good tree canne bringe foorthe euyll frute, so can no yll tree brynge foorthe good fruyte.

Ephe. 2. Io. 15.And what are we afore we be graffed in Christ.

As the holye Apostell doeth wryte: we are by oure owne nature the chyldren of wrath.

And howe are we graffed in Christ? Or how are wee made braunches of the true vyne?

I graunte that we are graffed in Christe, and made braūches of the true vine by faith.

Excepte then we haue fayeth we can not be graffed in Christe, nor made braunches of the true vyne. But onelesse we be graffed in Christe, we can not be [Page 29] good trees, and if we be not good trees, we can bringe foorthe no good fruite. Againe: are not these the Apostels wordes: ‘Quicquid ex fide non est peccatum est. Ro. 14.’

What soeuer is not of faythe, is synne: And withoute fayth, Heb. 11. it is impossible to please God

What wyll ye say then of this turke or heathen, that hath a desire to heare the word of God, and to knowe the gospell of oure sauioure Iesu Christ, and parad­uenture doeth therefore take vpon him a long and parilous iourney?

I saye, that the same Turke or heathen, maye of a vaine curio­sitye haue a desyre to heare Gods worde, and the gospell of Christe, Act. 17. as the Athenians, why y ^e A­thenians woulde heare Paulles doctrine. and the straun­gers that were in theyr citye, be­inge moued with vayne curiosity, wer desirous to heare the doctrine of Paule, and for the same cause brought him to the strete of Mars. Or as we oure selues are desirous [Page] to know straūge histories that we neuer redde before. We reade in the histories that mani of the aun­ciente Philophers, did take vpon them long and perilous iourneies that they mighte learne the wise­dome of the Egiptians, and of the Caldees. But let vs by waye of reasonninge, graunte that he doth it not of a vayne curiositye, yet afore he be graffed in Christe, he remaineth styll a dampnable tree, and therefore, his fruite can not be good: howe dare ye then call it a good worke? These bee the wordes of Saynte Augustyne: Li. ad boni fa. 3. cap. 5. ‘Religio nostra iustos ab iniustis non ope rum, sed ipsa fidei lege disceruit, sine qua etiam que videntur bona opera, in pecca­ta conuertuntur.’

Oute religion, sayeth he, doeth not discerne the ryghteous from the vnrighteouse by the lawe of woorkes, but by the verye lawe of faythe, wythoute the whyche yea those workes, that seme good workes, are turned into synnes.

And in an other place, he com­pareth the studye and endeuoure of those menne, that be not in the waye (but who is the waye, saue he only that sayeth: I am the way, the truthe, and the life? Ioa, 14.) vntoo agoynge a straye. For, the more earnestlye (sayth he) a man doeth renne beynge oute of the waye, prefa. in Psal. 31. the farther doeth hee goo, frome the scope or marke, and so is made more miserable. Therefore, bet­ter it is to halte in the waye, than to renne out of the waye.

Ye can not saye so of Cornelius. For, The history of Conelius. the Aun­gell sayeth playnly, that his prai­ers and almes, are come vp in too remembraunce before God. And this was afore he heard the prea­chinge of the gospell.

And I wyll haue no better scriptures for too proue that Cornelius had fayeth. For, sith that his praiers & almes wer acceptable in y ^e sight of God, [Page] and that withoute faythe it is im­possible to please God: it is moste sure that Cornelius was not with oute faythe. But we wyll heare Saynte Augustine touchinge that matter. August. de predestina­tione sancto rum. capi. 7 Nec tamen (sayeth hee) sine fide aliqua donabat, et orabat, quic­quid et antequam in Christum crederet, et cum crederet et quum credidisset ope­ratus est Cornelius, totum deo dandum est, ne quis extollatur.

That is to saye: yet notwith­standynge, he neyther gaue nor prayed wythoute some fayethe. What soeuer Cornelius did worke afore he beleeued in Christe, and when he did beleue, and after that he beleued, all the whole must be geuen or attributed vnto God, lest any man swel, or be puft vp: what shoulde we requyre any more? By the wordes of the Aungell, we do learne, that Cornelius both prai­ed to God, and that his prayers were hearde. But how coulde he haue prayed vnto God, onelesse he had beleued on him alreadye? [Page 31] For, thus doeth the Apostle write: Rom. 10. ‘Quomodo inuocabunt, in quem non crediderunt?’

How sayth he, shall they call vp­on him in whō they do not beleue?

I holde my selfe well satysfyed in this poynte, I prayse the liuinge God therefore. But I woulde fayne heare of you, brother Philalethes, which he the frutes of this our iustification, whiche we obtayne through faith onely in Christ, without any me­rites or deseruinge going before: and before whiche, all that we do (semethe it neuer so gorgeouse in oure sighte) is but mere synne in the sighte of God.

The frutes of this oure iustification, The frutes of our iusty­fication. are exceadinge greate: Yea they are inestimable. For, god doeth not iustifie vs, nor yet deliuer vs from oure sins to this ende, that we beinge iusti­fied shoulde by oure yll lyfe disho­noure his name, or blemishe his [Page] grace, asthoughe he did not detest and abhorre synne, but that we shoulde serue to the glory of him, that hath wroughte oure saluati­on. The first frute of oure iustyfication. The firste fruite then of oure iustification is that the glorye of the righteousnesse of God maye be declared and sette foorthe. Thys doeth the Apostell meane, when he sayeth: They are iustyfied fre­lye by his grace, throughe the re­demption, whyche is in Christe Iesu, whome God hath set foorth to be apourchasser of mercye, tho­rowe fayth in his bloude, too de­clare his righteousnesse, Rom. 3. by the forgeuenesse of synnes. Agayne: Abraham dyd not doubte of the promes of God through vnbeleue, but was strengthened in the faith and gaue glorye to God, beinge fullye assured, Rom. 4. that he which had promissed, was able to do it. He therefore, that doethe beleeue the promsies of god, doth gloryfy him, geuing him the glory of truth and [Page 32] of power or might. And to this end, is he iustified, The se­cond frute of our iu­stificatiō. Rom. 5. that the glorye of his goodnesse may be set foorth. The second is the peace of our cō ­sciences, wherof the Apostel spea­keth on this maner: We being iu­stified throughe faithe, haue peace toward God throughe oure Lorde Iesus Christe.

Where this peace is, The peace of cōscience doeth ex­clude wa­uering or doubtful­nesse of minde. there can be no place for wauering or doubtfulnes, which y ^e scole men of our time, are wont to teach. For, doubtfulnes, and thys peace of conscience, are altogether repugnaunt one to an other.

We haue not onely by iustificati­on, peace of conscience but also a reioycinge, whiche can in no wise stand with doubtfulnes. And ther­by do we reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God, Rom. 5. & also in tribula­tions. It is so farre of thē, that we ought to doubt of the grace of god in Christ Iesu, that rather he wyll haue vs to be at peace with him in our cōsciences, & to reioyce frō our [Page] very heartes vnder the hope of his glorye, and therefore doeth he iu­stifye vs freelye throughe fayth in Christ. The thyrde frute of our iusti­fication. Thirdely this iustificati­on doeth tende also and pertayne to the glory of them that be iusti­fied, as the Apostel him selfe doth testifye, sayinge: Whom he hath ordayned before, them hath he cal­led, and whome he hathe called, them hath he iustified, Rom. 8. and whom he hath iustified, them hathe he glorified.

Obiecti∣on. 6 These thinges are spo­ken of the Apostell, asthoughe the iustified, were alreadye in the full possession of their glory. For these are his wordes: whome he hathe iustifyed, them hath he also glori­fied. But I am of opinion, that they that bee iustyfied throughe faythe in Christe, shall not haue their full glorye, vntill the second comminge of the sonne of manne, who wyll then transfourme and chaunge theyr vyle bodyes, and [Page 33] make them lyke vnto his glorious bodye:

Ye muste vnder­stande, Aunswer that the holye ghoste vseth this maner of speakinge, for too declare the certayntye and infalli­blenesse of Gods promises. For, when God doethe promysse anye thinge, The cer­taynetye of Gods promisse. we maye be as sure and certayne of it, as if it were alrea­dye perfourmed and fulfilled. Sith then that God hathe promyssed to glorifie them, whome he doth iu­stifie throughe faythe in his sonne Iesu Christe: we must holde them for glorifyed alreadye, althoughe we do yet throughe hope looke for the glorye of the children of God.

Ye haue sayed verye well. The .4. frute of our iusti­fication. Nowe the fourthe fruite of our iustification is this: God doth freelye by his grace iustifye vs in Christe, to the ende that we maye be both saued and made pertakers of eternall lyfe. For, thus writeth the Apostell in hys epistell to Ti­tus. [Page] But when the bountefulnes & loue of God our sauiour towarde man appeared. Not by the workes of righteousnesse, whiche we had done, but according to his merci he saued vs, by the wasshinge of the new byrthe, & the renewing of the holy ghost, which he shed on vs a­boundātli, through Iesu Christ our sauiour. That we beinge iustified by his grace, should be made hey­res, according to the hope, of eter­nall lyfe. Paull doeth call y ^e word of this doctrin vndoubted, because of the infallible truthe and certaintye of it. Therfore, I do greatly meruayl at the stupiditie or dulle­nesse of the enemies, whiche will not see y ^e comfortable light of thys doctrine, nor feele this inestimable grace, whiche they doe so sore im­pugne or fight against in the elect and chosen of God. The fifte frute of our iusty­fication. As for the fifth frute of our iustification, it doeth most chiefly pertayne, to y ^e holines of lyfe, & to the studie & exercise of [Page 34] righ­teousnesse. Whereof the Apostle doth warne vs in the .vi. to the Ro­mains, saying: Now beinge made free from sinne, and made seruāts vnto God, ye haue youre fruyte in holines. And in the first to y ^e Corinthians, these be his wordes: be not deceyued: 1. Cor. 6. Neither whoremongers nor Idolaters, nor aduoutrers &c. shall inherite the kyngedome of God. Why the spirit of Christ is geuen vnto them that be iustified. And suche were some of you but ye are wasshed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are iustified in y ^e name of the Lorde Iesus: and by the spi­rite of our God. By which wordes he doeth admonish them, that sith they were iustified, they ought frō thensfoorth to geue them selues to godlinesse, to holinesse of lyfe and to righteousnes. And for this cause is the spirit of Christe geuen vnto thē that be iustyfied, that through hym they may be chaunged in too a newenesse of lyfe. Which new­nesse, beynge receyued by the spirite of God, is not the iustificatiō [Page] it selfe, but a fruyte of the iustifi­cation.

Thys doctrine ly­kethe me nowe better and better. And truelye when I heare you to soundly speake of iustification and of the frutes thereof, I can not but maruayle at the shamelesse repor­tes of the ennemyes, whyche do styll blowe abroade, that ye are vtter enemies of good workes, of holynesse of life, and of all Godly exercises of righteousnesse.

What is it, that they wyll be ashamed of, saue on­lye of well doynge, and of well sayinge? Whereof the enemies of the truth be ashamed. They haue put on whores faces: and therefore, althoughe they be taken in a manifestlie, thei be no more a shamed of it, than a common strompet is a shamed of hyr filthye acte.

That all the woorlde maye know how shamefully they do misrep [...]rte vs, I wyll here de­clare and setfoorthe what we doo [Page 35] teache commonly of good works, The common doc­trine of y ^e preachers touching good workes. and of the true vses of them. First we teache that as all things haue ben created of God not to this end that they shoulde be ydell and vn­profitable, but too the ende that they shuld be profitable and good: so did he make and create man, not for to be ydell here; Why mā was crea­ted. or for to be an vnprofitable burden of the earth, but to this ende, that euery one of vs, shoulde accordinge to his vo­cation and callinge, worke those thynges that be good and profita­ble. The deuyll in dede by bring­ing in synne, The de­uill did peruert y ^e end of our creation, which Christ re­stored a­gayne. did peruert this end of oure creation, but Christ did re­store it agayne, beinge sente in too the worlde for to destroye the wor­kes of Sathan. By him we are re­generated or borne of newe, that beynge made newe creatures, we shoulde be profitable, and full of good workes. And therefore, the Apostel in the epistel to the Ephe­sians, writeth on this maner: Ephe. 2. we [Page] are the workemanshippe of God created in Christ Iesus, vnto those good workes, that God hath pre­pared for vs, for to walke in. And in the epistell to Titus: Who say­eth he, gaue him selfe for vs, that he mighte redeme vs from all ini­quitye, Titus. 2. and make vs a peculyar people vnto him selfe, being ear­nestlye geuen vntoo good workes. Math. 5. Hereunto belonge the exhortati­ons of Christ and of the Apostels. Such as these are: let your light so shyne before men, Gala. 6. that they maye see your good woorks and glorify your father, whiche is in heauen. And in the epistel to y ^e Galathians these are the Apostels wordes: 1, Timo. 3. Let vs not ceasse to do good vnto al mē but most specialli to them, that are of the housholde of faith. Are not y ^e scriptures geuen vntoo vs for the same purpose and vse? The whole scripture saith Paull, is geuen by inspiration of God, & is profitable to teach, to improue, to correct and [Page 36] to instructe in righteousnesse, that the man of God maye be absolute or sound, beinge made perfect vn­to all good woorkes. It is euydent then, that we be not so iustified by fayeth, that after iustyfication, we should remayn, vnprofitable, ba­reyne, and vnfrutefull, but rather y ^e geuing our selues without ceas­sing & intermission to good works we shoulde aduaunce and farther the glorye of the grace of God, and set before all mennes eyes, as it were a cetayn light of a new crea­ture. Similitude Who doeth plant or set a tree or doeth dygge aboute the roote of it, to the ende that it shoulde only be a tre, and not rather to this end that it should be a good tree, and bring foorthe good frutes. So, are we regenerated in Christ, Why we be regenerated in Christ. & iusti­fied, not to this end, that we shuld be only Christians in name, but y ^t of euyll trees we shoulde be made good, and expresse that same good­nesse, that wee haue receaued of [Page] Christe, by good workes. When we teache these thinges, we doo neyther geue occasion to the enne­myes, to condempne iustelye the doctrine of iustification, as enemy of good workes, nor yet ought we to be blamed, although false gos­pelers doe rather liue like Epicu­res, than true Christian men.

Who hauinge a crome or droppe of godlinesse, can be of­fended at this doctrine?

Who thei be that are offen­ded at the doctrine of the iu­stificati­on of faithThey onelye are offended at this mooste true and wholsome doctrine which partely do rather seeke theyr own gaynes and lucre, than the saluation of the people: And partlye, beinge erecated or blynded wyth vayne superstition, do embrace, and set foorthe vnto other, mens dyuelish inuentions for good workes. For, vnto them, The good works of the papi­stes. to heare euerye daye masse deuoutely, to lye prostrate before dead images, and to mum­mell oute a number of prayers vnto [Page 37] certayne Soyntes, to go on pil­grimages, to buyld vp chanteries, and to cause Trentalles of Masses with diriges and other tromperye to be sayed for the deade. Item to geue largelye of theyr substaunce and gooddes vntoo ydell priestes, mounkes, friers, and nonnes, too saye oure ladyes psalter, to praye on beades, too vse, obserue and kepe pharisaicall fastinges, wyth theyr popishe holye dayes, and so­lempne feastes, are the best works that can eyther be deuised or done, and whosoeuer do speake againste those workes, They y ^t are ene­mies of y ^e papystes good workes are e­nemies of sin, and of most detestable ab­homination. Rom. 14. they are by and by taken for vtter ennemies of good workes, wheras if the thinge wer indifferentlye weyghed in the ea­uen balaunce of Gods word, they ought rather to be coumpted ene­myes of synne, and of moste dete­stable abhomination. For, what soeuer is not of faythe, is synne. But how cā these their gai painted workes be of faythe, sith that they [Page] haue no grounde at all in Goddes worde? What gaye titles so euer then, they geue vnto them, it can not be denyed, but that they are most detestable synnes in the sight of God, who wyll alowe none other kinde of religion, worship­pinge, and seruyce, than he him selfe, hath prescribed and appoin­ted in his holye scriptures.

Obiect. 7 What wil ye saye then of our good intentes? Wyl ye con­dempne them all? For, manye do those works that ye spake of, euen now, of a good intente, thinkinge that they do high seruice vnto god Shall thys theyr good intente be imputed vnto them for synne?

As concerning good intents, we haue this lesson geuen vnto vs in the boke of God: Aunswer ye shall not do euery mā, that which semeth vnto youe best: Good in­tentes. I am the Lord thy God, that thinge onlye that I cōmaund the, see y ^t thou doest it. Ad nothing vnto it, take nothinge away from [Page 38] it. We must not do then what so­euer semeth vnto vs best, but what soeuer the lord our God doth com­maund and wylleth vs to doo: so that by this one place of Deutero­nomye, Deu. 12. all good intentes that be not ruled by Gods word, are quite ouerthrowen.

It doeth well appeare by manye histories of the Bible, how well God doeth lyke oure good in­tentes. Terrible and dreadfull histo­ryes. In the .ix. and .x. chapters of Leuiticus, ye shall fynde thys wrytten: And there came a fyre oute frome the Lorde, and consu­med vppon the altare, the burnte offering and the fat. Which when all the people sawe, they gaue thankes and felle on theyr faces.

But Nadab and Abihu, the sonnes of Aaron, tooke eyther of them his censor, and put fire ther­in, and put incens thereuppon, and offered straunge fyre before the Lorde, whiche he had not com­maunded them.

How our good in­tents whiche haue no wa­raunt in Goddes word are rewardedTherefore a fyre wente from the Lorde and deuoured them, so they dyed before the Lord. Without all peraduenture, they dyd this of a good intent. For, onlesse they had thoughte, that God woulde haue bene pleased with it, they woulde in no wyse haue done it, yet ye see howe they were rewarded for it. Who, I praye you, readinge this historye, will not be affrayed too serue God otherwise than he doth appoynte in his worde? In the se­cond boke of Samuell, 2. Samu. 6. it is writ­ten that when Dauid wold bring the Arke to Ierusalem, hee caused it to be put vpon a new cart (whi­che doubtlesse was most gorgeous­lye trymmed, and drawen with the goodlyest and fayrest cattell that coulde be gotten) Dauid and and the house of Israell playinge before the Lord on all instrumen­tes made of fyre, and on harpes, and on psalteries, and on tymbe­relles▪ and on cornetts, and on [Page 39] cimballes. But nowe marke the ende: when they came to Nachons threshinge floore, Vzzah smitten of the Lord. Vzzah did put his hande, too the Arke of God, and helde it. For, the oxen dyd shake it. And the Lorde was very wroth with vzzah, and God smote him in the same place for his faut, and there he dyed by the Arke of God. Let Dauid expounde this matter, him selfe. In the first boke of the chronicles, 1. Para. 13. these be his wor­des which he spake vnto the Leui­tes: because ye were not there at the fyrst: the Lord our God made a breache or rent among vs. For we soughte him not after due order. This was the due order, The or­der, that God had apoynted touching the Arke. that shuld haue bene obserued and kept. The Lorde God hath appoynted, that the Arke should haue bene caryed vpon the shoulders of the Leuites. But what did Dauid? For a re­altye, and to declare his greate zeale, that he bare to Gods religy­on, wold haue it to be caried vpon [Page] a goodlye chariot or waggon, no­thinge beinge omitted or lefte of, that belonged to such glorious so­lēnity, as ye haue learned before. Yet ye see how God did accepte it. As for Vzzah, no man can denye, but that he dyd of a good intente put foorth his hand to haue stayed the Arke, Saul standeth in defence of his diso­bedience. least it shoulde through the stronglinge of the cattell haue fallen doune in to the myre. Who woulde not iudge that thys was wel done? And yet was he smitten of the Lorde, that hee dyed before the Arke. Wherby we learn what daunger it is too folowe good in­tentes, or to doo anye thinge in good seruyce without hys expresse worde.

These are very ter­rible and dreadfull examples, God graunte that wee maye haue the grace alwaies to remember them.

The historye of Saull, who was the first kinge of the Is­raelites, is yet more terrible. God [Page 40] had geuen him a cōmaundement, that he should smite Amaleke, and destroye all that pertayned vntoo them, and haue no compassion on them, but slaye both man and wo­man, both infante and suckeling, bothe oxe and shepe, bothe camell and asse. The hi­storye of [...] Saul. But Saul and the people spared the best of the shepe, and of the oxen, for to sacrifice them vn­to the Lorde, and destroyed all the rest. This did they of a good in­tente, in so muche that Saul stode in defense of the deede, sayinge: I haue obeid the voyce of the Lord & haue destroyed the Amalechites but the people toke of the spoyle, shepe and oxen, and the chiefest of the things, which should haue ben destroyed for to offer thē vnto the Lord. Vnto whō the prophet Sa­muel answered: Hath the Lord as great pleasyr in burnt offerings & sacrifice, as whē the voice of y ^e lord is obeid? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and too harkene is [Page] better than the fatte of rammes: But rebellion is as the synne of witchcrafte and disobedience is as the wickednes of ydolatry. Ther­fore, because thou hast cast awaye the worde of the Lorde the Lorde hath also cast thee awaye from be­inge king. Because then that Saul dyd rather folowe his good intent than the commaundemente, and worde of the Lorde, therefore his kingedome, was not onelye rente from him, and geuen to his neigh­boure, that was better than he, but also the spirit of the Lorde de­parted frome him, 1. Samu. 16 and an euyll spiritte sente of the Lorde vexed hym.

Are these the frutes of our good intents? From hencefoorth God wylling, I wyll endeuoure my selfe, to harken vn­too the voyce of the Lorde, to obey hys commaundementes, and too serue him as he wil be serued. For besydes those terrible and dreade­ful [Page 41] historyes, I remember the say­ynge of Christ, where he sayeth: They worship me in vayne, tea­chinge the doctrines, Mat. 15. and precepts of men. Wherby it is made moste manifest and playne, that the re­ligion worshippinge and seruice of God, whiche is errected and set vp after the phancies and dreams of mennes headdes, is both vayne and abhominable before the ma­iesty of God.

Syth that the good woorkes of the popecacholikes do rather deserue the name of synne and of detestable abhomynation before God, than of good works, as it hath ben by you sufficientlye proued alreadye: I woulde fayne hear which be the true good wor­kes, Which be the true good workes, that God doth requyre of vs. that are required of the faith­full.

The true good workes, are voyde of all superstition, they are alligated or bounde neyther to place, nor to the personnes, nor to [Page] tyme. For, they are as certayne frutes of our whole life, testifying of the goodnesse of oure hart, and expressinge the nature of our hea­uenly father, whiche not onely of the faythfull, but of the very infi­delles are reckenned and taken for good workes, and minister occasi­on vnto them, to glorifye our fa­ther, whyche is in heauen. The works of fayth, working through charity and loue, are good works. For, God doeth worke them in vs and by vs. Them doth our sauiour Iesus Christ set oute in the .xxv. chapiter of Mathewe, Why the good workes of mercy are most chie­flye set foorth vnto vs. sayinge: I was a hungerd and ye gaue me meate, I was a thyrst, and ye gaue me drincke, I was naked, and ye clothed me, I was harborlesse and ye harboured me, I was sicke and in prison, and ye visited me. The holye apostell likewyse, in the .v. and .vi. chapter of the Epistel to the Galatians doth sufficiently teache [Page 42] vs, what be the good workes, that God doth require of vs, But what should I aleadge one text or two, syth that the whole scriptures, doe euery where, exhorte vs styll vnto good workes? Which be the good workes, that God hath pre­pared for vs too walke in. What those good workes be Paule doeth declare in the seconde to the Ephesyans, when he sayth: We are the worke manshyp of God created in Christ Iesu, vnto those good works, that God hathe prepared for vs, for to walke in.

Yf onye nowe should aske, what be those good woorkes, that he hathe prepared for vs for to walke in? I woulde aunswer, that all those woorkes, that God doethe bydde and commaunde vs in hys holye and sacred worde, are those good woorkes, that he hathe pre­pared for vs, for to walke in.

And those, I saye, ought onelye to be called good workes and non other.

And is there nothing els to be marked in this doctrine of good workes.

Besides that which hath ben saied already, this ought to be considered: that is, in what respecte, those workes, whiche in them selues are good, be done of men. Why all they that do those good workes that God hath cōmaun­ded in his worde do not de­serue the prayse of well do­inge. For, they doo not by and by deserue the prayse and cōmenda­tion of good works, that do them: and that, becouse y ^t they do shote at a wrong marke in doyng of them. For manye be wonte to feade the hungrye, too geue drincke to the thyrsty, to cloth the naked, and so foorthe: but do they it for any loue that they beare to god, and to their neyghbour, and for to shew theyr obedience towardes his cōmaun­dements? Nay, they do it, for to be glorifyed of men. Some agayn do these woorkes of charitye, that by them, thrustinge Christ out of his roume, they maye merite and de­serue heauen, as though eternall [Page 43] and euerlastinge life, were not al­readye fullye and most perfectlye pourchassed vnto vs, by the meri­tes of the death, passion and bloud sheddynge of the onelye begotten son of God, Heb. 7. or as though Christ for al his euerlasting priesthode, could not fully and to the vttermost saue them, that by him do come vntoo God. These last, Mercena­ries and hirelings maye be called mercenaryes or hyrlinges. For, as muche as they do all, that they do, in respecte of reward: the hope of the whych reward beyng taken a­waye, they would not geue a cup of colde water. There be some a­gayne that doo good workes, but wherfore? For feare lest thei shuld, if they did nothing at al, come in to purgatory, after their death. The vn­true re­port of y ^e papistes.

And verely there be many, which doo openly affyrme, that the preachynge a­gaynst Purgatorye, hathe bene a playn ouerthrowing of good wor­kes. For the fear (say they) of those [Page] bytter paynes, that the poore sely soules, be fayne to suffer there, hath caused manye, to do that, that they woulde not haue done, if thei had bene wythout that feare.

Why do they not rather feare the vnquen­cheable fyer of hell, that oure sa­uioure Iesus Christe doeth speake of, Math. 25. sayinge: Departe ye frome me, ye cursed in to the fyer euerla­stinge, whyche is prepared for the Deuyll and hys Aungelles? Luc. 16. For, I was a hungerd and ye gaue me no meate, I was a thyrst and ye gaue me no drincke. Psal. 14.53. &c.

Hereunto myghte be added, the hystory of the ryche glutton, who for his vnmercyfulnesse was thro­wen headlonge in too the bottom­lesse pytte of hell. These be they, that wyll be affrayed, where no feare is, but where there is a iust cause of feare, there they be neuer a whytte affrayed.

How be it, we maye well lykene [Page 44] them, that worke for feare of pu­nithemente, They y ^e worke for feare are like vnto lewde seruauntes. vnto slaues or lewde seruauntes, whyche, onelesse it were for feare of stripes. woulde do nothynge at all. But we must be chyldren and not seruauntes: We muste folowe the example of oure sauyoure Iesus Christe, who althoughe he was mooste sure of heauen, and dyd in no wyse feare helle, yet dyd he neuer ceasse too doe good vnto all menne, In doyng of good workes we must folow the example of Christ. whyles he was here conuersaunte in the earthe amongest them.

If, we oughte to doe good woorkes, neyther for hope of rewarde nor for feare of the endelesse tormentes of helle fyer, wherefore shoulde we doe them?

There be fyue pryncypall causes whye the chyldren of God oughte too be earnestlye geuen vnto good woor­kes. The fyrste is, that the [Page] glory of our heauenly father may be set foorth, as Christ him selfe doth teache vs▪ Math. 5. sayinge: L [...]s your lyght so shyne before menne, that they maye see your good workes, and glorifye your father which is in heauen.

If there wer non other vse or profyt of good works, than the same that Christ did tea­che vs: the teachers of good wor­kes, oughte in no wise, to laye to our charge the puttynge doune of good workes, because wee denye that they iustifye. For, as this is the chyefest desire of the fayeth­full that they maye glorifye the name of the Lorde theyr God, so do they coumpte it, to be the grea­test vantage vnto them, if thei can glorify hym by their good works, althoughe they gette none other profyt, by theyr Godly study and exercise.

This is the marke, that our sauiour Iesus Christ did [Page 43] shoote at: whose example, as I said before, we ought to folowe in this thinge. Nowe the seconde cause that oughte to moue vs to do good workes, or the second vse of them, is, that by them, we maye in our consciences be certifyed of our e­lection, and callinge: not that our election and callinge do depend or hange of good workes for, how coulde that be, syth that the Apo­stell writeth on this maner: 2. Timo. 1. Who hath saued vs, and called vs with an holy callyng, not accordinge to our workes, but accordinge to his owne purpose and grace, whiche was geuen to vs throughe Christ Iesus, before the world was?) but because that by them, we do daily more and more proue or feele the grace and vertue of Christ: Euil workes do de­clare the malitiousnesse of our harts as on the contrary syde, euyll workes do daily more and more expresse, and declare the malitiousenesse of our hartes. And to this pertaineth, the sayinge of the holye Apostell [Page] Saynte Peter: Wherefore, saith hee, geue rather dyligence, too make youre callynge and ellecti­on sure.

All be it then our election is sure ynoughe in it self, for as muche as God canne not chaunge: Note. yet we must confyrme it in oure selues by the frutes of the spirit.

Ye do well vnder­stande the meanynge of the Apo­stell. I can you thanke, brother Albion, I iudge nowe my labour well bestowed. The thyrde vse of good workes is, that by them our fayeth is excercised, nouryshed, encreased and strengthenned. And therefore, thus doeth the Apostell write vnto his disciple Timothee: Styrre vp the gyft of God, 2. Timo. 1. which is in thee. Here, fayth is called the gifte of God, Whye faith is lykened vn­to a spark whiche is as a cer­taine sparkle or flame, kyndeled in our harts: Which Sathan and the fleshe laboure to quenche, and [Page 44] therefore we muste nourishe, and styr it vp, by continuall exercises, of the deedes of charitye. For, as fyer by castinge in of woodde, is augmented and made bygger: so in the Christians, Similitude bothe Godlines and faythe, is by doynge of good workes, nourished and made liue­ly. Fourthly by our good works, our neighbours are prouoked vnto the like studye and loue of godly­nes, when they do see in vs certain lyuely examples of it, which they maye folowe. So Paule in hys second Epistell to the Corinthians sayeth: 2. Cor. 9. youre zeale (speakinge of almes) hath prouoked very many. And in the epistel to the Hebreues Let vs, sayeth he, Heb. 10. consider one an other, to prouoke vnto loue and vnto good workes.

If this had ben obserued and kepte amonge Christians, by this time, both the Turks & the Iewes with al the paynims in the world, would haue ben wonne to Christ. [Page] But as long as we vse our selues after this same sorte, we shall ra­ther become Turks and Painims than they Christians. What causeth the Tur­kes and paynims to abhor Christes religion. Suche fyl­thinesse of life, suche vntrue dea­linge, deceate, fraude and periu­rye, such ydolatrye and superstiti­on, they do see dayly to raygne a­monge vs, that it is no maruayle, if they do abhorre altogether oure religion. We go about to conquere them by force of armes, but we see that through our synnes, they are growen so mighty that they be a­ble, if God doeth not set his heal­pinge hand, to ouer renne all the whole worlde.

This that ye saye, is most true. And vntyll a true re­formation be hadde, and better a­mendmente of lyfe be seene in vs, thei wil neuer embrace Christ nor his Gospell. But to our purpose: this is the fift vse of good workes, that by them Christ is releaued in his poore and nedy members, yea [Page 47] the cōmon societi, and felowship of men is mayntained. For haue we not al nede one of an other? Ther­fore they be not menne, but vayne shadowes of men, Vain shadowes of men. which through oute all their life time, are found to be ydell, so that they seme to be borne for nothinge elles but for to consume the frutes of the earth.

I woulde gladly learne, Whether our good works be accepta­ble vnto God or not. whether these oure good workes do please God or not, and why they be acceptable vnto him, syth that the profyt of them doeth redounde vnto vs altogether.

That our good wor­kes do please God, it is euydente and playn by the wordes of the A­postell, where he sayeth: Colosse. That ye might walke worthy of the Lord, and please him in all thinges, The cau­ses why our good works do please God. be­inge frutefull in all good workes. They therefore, that be frutefull in all kynde of good workes, doe please God in all thinges. The causes are manifest enough. It is [Page] so in dede, that the dyuine maiesty of God hathe no neede neyther of oure good wordes, nor yet of oure good workes: yet those thynges, that are well done of vs, do please him. Fyrste because they be the frutes of fayth. He that aloweth the fayeth of his people, shoulde not hee also alowe the fruytes of their fayth? As he doeth reproue all workes that be done without fayth, so doeth he alowe all maner of works, that do procede of a sin­cere fayeth and true beliefe. Se­condly our good workes do please hym, because they bee done and wrought by hys spirite. Phi. 2. For, as the holy Apostell doeth testifye: he worketh in vs both y ^e will and the dede, accordinge to hys good wyl. And therfore saint Augustine sai­eth ryghte well, Augu. that God doeth croune in vs, hys owne workes. We canne not denye but that the works that we do by the spiryt of god, are bi reason of our imperfec­tion, [Page 48] vnperfectely good, yet for as muche as they come of hym, it canne not be, but that they must please hym, as beynge the righte author of them. Thyrdely that, whiche the Godlye do, they do it for Gods sake, beynge desirous to gratifye him in all thinges. Wyll not he, thinke ye, accept this their good wyll, and desyre or mynde, that they haue to please him? We do not here speake of those, Note. that neyther of a pure fayeth, nor by the sprytte of God, but of mere superstition, and of a generall cu­stome, do woorke manye thinges, thynkinge thereby to please God, whereas they do hyghly displease him. This saying of Christ is not vnknowen: They worshippe me in vayne teachinge the doctrynes and preceptes of men. Math. 15.

Herein bothe the Iewes, and false Christyans doe mooste shamefullye erre. Fourthelye, God oure heauenlye father doethe [Page] accordynge to his ryghteousnesse loue al works that be good, righteouse and iuste: as on the contrary side, he doeth not onely detest and abhorre the vngodlynesse and vn­righteousenesse of a wicked hart, but also all the frutes of vngodly­nesse, and of vnrighteousesse, vn­der what tytelles so euer they be aduaunced, and set foorthe. Thou doest hate, Psal. 5. saieth Dauid, all that worke iniquitye thou shalt destroy them all that speake leasinge. And in the Actes of the Apostelles thus doeth Peter saye: Act. 10. Emonge all na­tions whosoeuer doeth feare God is acceptable vnto him. Fyftely, because that God is most true, yea rather the truthe it selfe, our good dedes do therefore please him, be cause that they proceade of true godlynesse, and of an vnfaygned sayth, which aboue all thinges, God is wonte to regarde and ac­cepte. For, as all hipocrites are detestable bothe before God, and [Page 48] before men: so contrarywise God loueth truthe, not onely in those thinges that are well done of the faithfull, but also in them, that do truely and without al dissimu­lation confesse and acknowledge theyr synnes.

Truely, syth that it is so manifest, How ear­nestly the causes a­boue re­hersed oughte to moue vs to do good workes. that the good works of the faythfull do please God, we oughte with all oure whole ende­uour to geue our selues vnto good workes, for as muche as they be not onely many and sondrye way­es profitable vnto the whole mis­ticall bodye of Christ, which is his church, but are also, for y ^e causes a­boue rehersed, most pleasaunt and acceptable vnto the lyuinge Lord oure heauenlye father. For, that man hath but small Godlynesse in him selfe whom these two causes, can not moue to do wel. Agayn: he y ^t gapeth onely in doynge of good workes, after a recompence or re­warde, or reckeneth for a merite, [Page] whatsoeuer he doeth, thinkinge that God is therefore bound vnto him, hathe but a mercenaries hart.

Whether our good workes shallbe rewarded or not.And shal our good workes be neuer a whytte rewar­ded?

I wyll not saye so. For althoughe the liuing God be debtoure vnto no man, yet of his goodnesse, he doeth promysse and geue a reward vnto the good wor­kes of the faythfull. And therefore we haue these sayings in the scriptures: Math. 5.10. Reioyce, and be glad, for, youre rewarde is great in heauen, agayne: he that geueth to one of these my lytle ones a cup of coulde water in my name: Verely, I say vnto you, he shall not lose his reward. Heb. 6. And in the Epistel to the Hebrewes: God sayeth he, is not vn­righteouse that he should forgette our laboure. Nowe we must not thinke that this reward is promi­sed vnto our good workes, because [Page 50] of the dignitye and worthinesse of them (for are not these our sauiour Iesus Christ his wordes. Luc. 17. When ye haue done what so euer I com­maunde you, saye ye, we are vn­profitable seruaūtes? But because that throughe fayth, we haue fe­lowship, with the onlye begotten sonne of God, Rom. 10. whereby it cometh to passe, that his perfect obedience is imputed vnto vs for our owne, and al y ^t is wanting, and lacking in vs & in our workes is most per­fettly supplied by it. As the Apo­stell doeth testifye, sayinge: Christ is the fulfyllinge of the lawe, for to iustifye all them that do beleue. And in an other place: Christ is made vnto vs of God, holines wisedome, righteousnesse, and redem­ption.

Secondely our good dedes shall be rewarded or crouned because that god of hys mere mercy hath bound him selfe thereto by his promisses, as it hath ben declared before by the [Page] textes that wee haue aleadged. Wherunto doeth saynt Augustin agree, Augu. in psa. 32.109 and in manye other places. where he sayeth: ‘Fidelis dominus, qui se nobis debitorem fecit, non aliquid a nobis accipiendo, sed omnia nobis promittendo.’

That is to saye: The Lorde is faithfull who hath made him selfe a debtoure vnto vs, not by recea­uinge anye thynge of vs, but by promissinge vnto vs all thinges. Here we learn, how god is become debtour vnto vs, 1. Cor. 4. and hath bounde him selfe, to croune or reward our good works, not by receauing any thinge of vs (for, what haue we, that we haue not receaued, Rom. 11. and if we haue receaued, whye doe we boeste or glory, asthough we had not receaued? Agayne: who gaue him fyrste, and he shall be recom­pensed?) but by his faythfull pro­misses, whiche he hath made vnto his electe and chosen people.

What so euer ye saye of the reward, I meane: why and wherefore it is geuen vnto oure [Page 51] good workes, yet it can not sinke in to my headde, but that we may by them meryte or deserue some parte of oure saluation.

How coulde that be, The cau­ses why we can by our good workes merit no part of oure sal­uation. neyghboure Dydimus, syth that we are not our owne men, but are wholye the Lordes, of whome we haue bene created fyrst, and after­wardes redemed from synne, and eternall death, by the price of his bloude? Ye are bought, sayeth. S. Paule wyth a greate price. And in an other place: We are the Lords, whether we lyue or dye. None of vs do lyue vnto him selfe. What merite then canne we pretende, 1. Cor. 6. or what rewarde canne we claime of him, whose we are wholye or al­together? Therfore, eyther let vs take away this absolute power of God, which he hath ouer vs all, as ouer his owne peculiar good, Rom. 14. or let vs acknowledge, that it is not meete for seruauntes to boaste and bragge of theyr meryttes a­gaynste [Page] theyr master, nor yet to aske for rewardes. If the master doeth accepte the faithfulnesse and diligence of his seruaunt, and doth impute it vnto him for a meritte, iudginge him worthye to be made free: that oughte to be attributed vnto his goodnesse, and not vnto dutye, as thoughe he were bound vnto him therefore, We are all deb­tours vn­to God & when we haue don all that we can do we haue but paied our debt. because that he is faitfull, and serueth fayeth­fully and truly. For, the seruaunt so doinge, doeth but his dutye, and onlesse he shoulde do it, he were worthy of punishement. No man, excepte he be of a singular good nature, wyll geue thankes to his debtour, because that he hath pai­ed him his debte. And the debtour were verye impudente or shame­lesse, if he, as thoughe he had wel merited, woulde therefore claime a rewarde, because that he hadde payed his debte. He that beinge a seruaunte or a debtour, doeth that thinge, which he is bounde to do, [Page 52] can boaste of no merite. But such are we al; yea when we be alredy made righteous, and do the things that we are commaunded to doe. Let neuer this sayinge of Christe, go out of oure myndes. When ye haue done, what so euer I haue commaunded you, saye ye we are vnprofitable seruaunts. But how manye of vs, canne do the tenthe parte of that, whiche we are com­maunded, with such a perfection, as God requireth? What can we then meritte or deserue? Adde vn­to it, that we are not onelye ser­uaunts and debtours to God in al things, but also so void of al good­nesse, and Godly strength, that we can not as muche as thinke a good thinge, 2. Cor. 3. muche lesse that of oure selues we shoulde be able too per­forme it in dede, so y ^t we haue nede that al our sufficiency or ablenesse be ministred vnto vs, by the diuine grace of god. Therfore the Apostle doth plainlye affirme, y ^t it is God, Phi. 2. [Page] that worketh in vs both the wyl & the deede, accordinge to his good wyll. That then, we wyll anye thinge that good is, and do in dede perfourme it, it cometh not of our owne wyll and strength, but it is both the wyll and worke of God, workynge in vs accordinge to his good pleasure. Whence then haue we oure fayth, loue, hope, the fear of God, patience in aduersitye? Whence haue we oure good wyl, and strength to doe good? If we haue these thinges of our selues, we haue wherein to glorye or re­ioyce. But if we haue al these thin­ges of the gratuite and fre grace of God, what doth it folow, but that we ought rather to geue thankes to the goodnesse of God, than to Obiecti∣on. 8, boaste of our merites?

I was once in a place, where they made this obiection agaynste me. Be not these, saye they, the wordes of the Apostell: 2. Timo. 4. I haue foughte a good [Page 53] fight, and haue fynished my course I haue kept the fayth, from hence foorihe then is layed vp for me the croune of righteousnesse whyche the Lorde the righteouse iudge, shall geue me at that daye? What coulde be spoken more playnelye than thys? For, the Apostell doth make mention, both of the worke that he hadde done, and also of the rewarde that he loked for at Gods handes.

I would fayne heare, what answer ye made vnto them. For this obiection is made many tymes againste you, of them that be of a contrarye iudgemente and opinion. Aunswer

I aunswered them out of saint Augustine, where he writeth on this maner: ‘An non ipse dedit, vt bonum certamen certares: Sinō ipse dedit: quid est, Aug. in. 50. homelis. 14. home. quod alio leco dicis: Plus illis omnibus labo­raui. Non autem ego, sed gratia dei me­cum: Ecce iterum dicis: Cursum consum­maui. Non et ipse dedit vt cursum consū ­mares? [Page] Si non ipse dedit, vt cursum con­sūmares quid est, quod alto loco dicis: nō volentis ne que currentis, sed miserntis est dei: Fidem seruaui: Seruasti: Agnos­co, et probo, fateor seruasti. Sed nisedo­minus custodierit ciuitatem, invanum vis gilat, qui custoditeam.’

That is to saye: did not he geue, that thou myghtest fyghte a good fight? If he himselfe did not geue: What is it, that thou sayest in an other place: 1. Cor. 15. I laboured more than all they, yet not I, but the grace of God with me? Behold, thou saiest I haue ended my course. Did not he also geue vnto the, that thou shouldest finishe thy course? If bē geue not vnto the, Rom. 9. that thou shoul­dest fynishe thy course, what is it, that thou sayest in an other place: It lyeth no in the willer, nor in the tynner, but in God, that she­wethe mercye? I haue kepte the faith. Hast thou kepte the faithe? I acknowledge and alowe it, I confesse and graunte, thou hasse kepte the faieth. But accepte the [Page 54] Lorde doethe keepe the citye, he watcheth in vayne that doth kepe it. Therefore, thou haste of hys helpinge hande, and of his mere gyft, that thou hasse fought a good fighte, that thou hast finished thy course, and kept thy faith.

Pardone vs, O Apostell, sayeth hee, I knowe nothynge of thyne owne, but euyll. Par­done vs, O Apostell, we saye so, because thou hast taughte vs.

Therefore, when he crouneth thy merites, he crouneth nothinge, but this owne gyftes. By whiche woordes, he doethe so attribute the woorke of the Apostell, vnto the gyfte and grace of God, that in it there canne not truelye be the meryte of manne, but the grace of God onelye, crouninge his giftes in the Apostell.

I myght here aleadge ma­ny other notable autorityes of the aunciente fathers, whiche in all poyntes doe agree with this that ye haue brought in euen now, but for auoydinge of tediousnesse. I wyll contente my selfe with fewe. Non dico domino (sayth this holy fa­ther saint Augustine:) ‘Opera manuum mearum ne dispicias. Exquisiui dominum, manibus meis, et nōsum deceptus. Sed opera manuū mea­rum non cōmendo Timeo, enim, ne quum inspexeris, plura inuenias peccata quam merita. Hocfold diec, hoc rogo, hoc cupio, opera manuū tuarum ne despicias. Opus tuū in me vide, non meum. Nam si meuin videris dānas. Si tuum vieris coronas. Nam et quecumque mihi sunt opera bo­na abs te sunt.’

That is: I saye not vnto the Lord: despise not the works of my hands I haue soughte the Lord with my handes, Augu. in psal. 107. and I was not deceiued. But I do no praise or commende the workes of my handes. For, I am affrayed, least when thou lo­kest vpon them, thou findest more [Page 55] sinnes than merites. Thys only, I saye, this I praye, this I couet. Despise not the woorkes of thy handes. See thyne owne worke in me, and not myne. For if thou seest myne, thou doest condemne. If thou seest thine thou crounest. For, all the good workes that I haue they are of thee. Here, this holye father doeth plainelye con­fesse that as God doeth onelye re­warde of croune in vs that whiche is his owne, so be doth condemne al that he findeth to be our owne. And therefore, Bernardus super canti­ca fermo. 61 it is not withoute a cause that Bernarde doeth saye: ‘Meritum proin de meum miseratio domi­ni. Non sum plane meriti inops, quandiu non fuerit ille inops miserationum. Quod si misericordie domini multe, multus ego pereque sum in meritis. Nunquid iusti­tias meas cantabo? A golden sayinge of saynt Bernard domine meminero iu­stitie tue solius. Ipsa, enim, est mea.’

‘Nempe factus est mihi iustitia a deo.’ That is to saye: My merite there­fore is the mercye of the Lorde. I am not altogether poore or voide, of meryte, as longe as hee is not [Page] poore or voyde of mercies. Workes of supere­rogation, are blas­phemous­ly iniuri­ous to the merits of Christ & therfore they ou­ght ra­ther to be called works of derogati­on. And if the mercies of God be manifolde, truelye I am also verye ryche in merites. Shall I set foorth myne owne righteousnesse? Lord let me remember thy righteousnesse on­ly. For, it is myne: for as much as he is made vnto me of God, righte­ousnesse. And in an other place: ‘Hoc totum hominis meritum, si totam spem ponat in eum, qui totum hominem saluum facit.’

This, sayeth he is the whole me­rit of mā, if he doth put his whole hope in him, that saueth the whole man.

If all mounks had spoken and writtē non other wise of the merites of menne, than this holye mounke Bernarde did: Idem in psal. 91. the grace of God, had not bene so dar­kened these many hundreth years by vayne extollinge of merites, as it hath bene, nor yet the workes of supererogation coulde euer haue bene broughte in, to the greate de­rogation of Christes merites, and [Page 56] of the price of his death and bloud­sheddinge.

They shall then frome hencefoorth, be no more called the workes of supererogation, but the workes of derogation, sith that by them the benefitte of that mooste omnisufficient sacrifice, that Christ offerd once for euer for the redem­ption of mankinde, is so blasphe­mouslye trodden vnder feete, and the vale we thereof in a maner al­together annichilated, or tourned to nothinge.

That is a fete, name for such vayne and arrogant workes, which doubtles, were brought in of y ^e enemy of saluation, Sathā the deuil, for to make men to swel and be pufte vp againste the free grace of God, whereby onelye withoute any merites or deseruings of ours we are all saued. But I woulde that menne, puttynge a syde all wylfulnesse woulde ones consy­der with thē selues that the maie­stye [Page] of God hathe neede of non of vs, nor of any thing that we haue but rather doth geue vs all things aboundātly to enioye them. 1. Timo. 6. What good worke then can we do, wher by we maye profitte him in anye thinge, Psal. 16. or do him any good?

Bonorum meorum non eges. Thou hast no neede of my goods, sayeth Dauid. What merite, I praye you, God hath no profit by anye good worke, that we can do. can be in that worke, wherof no profit cometh to God? or rather wherof the whole profyt, if there be any, doeth redounde vpon our selues? He that is righteous, and doeth good workes, he doeth it not for any commodity, that God shall haue therby (for, what commodi­tye can God haue by anye thinge, that we can do?) But for his owne commoditye as he whiche is wic­ked and doeth wickedly, hurtethe him selfe, Similitude and not God. He that hathe the health of his bodye, and doeth by good diet, and moderate excercises studye to keepe and pre­serue [Page 57] it, doethe he therefore, de­serue anye rewarde at the phisici­ons hande? I thinke not. For, he doeth it not for the phisicions pro­fyt, but for his owne. After the same sorte, he that by the gyfte of God hathe obtayned the health of his soule, and by his grace doethe the thinges, that belonge to the preseruation of the same, shall we saye, that he doeth deserue any re­warde at Goddes handes, because that he is made suche by his gyfte, and doeth now through his helpe, ayde and assistaunce kepe the same grace, for his owne profytte, and commoditye, eyther by earnest be­liefe, or by vnfaygned loue, or by assured hope, or by well doynge, and patience in aduersitye & trou­ble? Obiecti∣on. 9

Yet God doeth crowne suche.

God in deede doeth croune in them his giftes, Aunswer whiche are theyr good workes, so that all [Page] thinges remaine safe and sounde to the glorie of the grace of God. Nowe, where all thinges oughte to be attributed vnto the grace of God, what is lefte for the merites of men? For, where grace is, there is no place left for merite, if we do consider a right the nature & pro­pertie of merite. But let our good workes be examined after y ^e strei­ghtnes of Gods iudgement, who is so ignorant, The im­perfectiō of oure workes. of mans imperfec­tion, that will not acknowledge, y ^t we ought rather to feare punishe­ment, for the defautes that be in them, than loke for any reward, or boaste I can not tell of what meri­tes? Is it for naught, thinke ye, y ^e the holy Prophete doth lykene our righteousnes to so filthy a thinge, Esa. 64. that any man will abhorre to loke on it? Obiect. 10

But this, saye they ought to be vnderstanded of y ^e righteousnes of the flesh, I mean of the man, that is not yet iustified.

Sainct Augustin in his bokes of confessions, Aunswer doeth crye out, that it ought to be vnder­standed of the righteousnesse of y ^e Christians, I meane, of those that he alredy graffed in Christ, where he sayeth: ‘Nae vniuersae iustitie nostre, Augu. li. 9. confessionū si remota misercordia iudicetur.’

That is: Wo be to all our righte­ousnes, if it be iudged, mercy bea­inge taken awaye, or set asyde.

What manner of merite is that, whiche can not abyde the censure of Gods iudgement, nor be deliue­red from condemnation, but tho­rough mercy onely? withoute all doubt, better it is for vs to confesse our sinnes w ^t the Publicane, Aug. de. S. virg. ca. 42. than to glorie, boast & bragge of our merites w ^t y ^e Pharisee. Such are our merites, y ^t the cōfession, & acknow­ledging of our sinnes, ought to be preferred before y ^e nūbring of thē. Bernard doeth not in this poynte disagree from saincte Augustine. For, these are his woordes.

That is to saye: But what can al our righteousnes be before god? Shall it not, according to the pro­phette, Esa. 64. be coumpted as a fylthye bloudi cloute? And if it be streight­lye iudged, shal not al oure righ­teousnesse bee sounde vnryghte­ouse, and hauynge lesse, than it oughte to haue? What shall then become of our syns, if our righte­ousnesse, Psal. 143. canne not aunswer by it selfe? Therefore cryinge earnest­lye wyth the prophete: Enter not in to iudgemente, o Lorde, wyth thy seruaunte, for, in thy syght no man liuinge shall be iustifyed, let vs with al humility, haue oure re­course [Page 59] vnto mercye, whiche alone is able to saue our soules. But go to, al these golde sayings being laied a side, let vs compare the inesti­mable glorye of lyfe euerlastinge, The inestimable glorye of life euerla­sting doth cut of all merites. and of endelesse felicitye, not one­lye with oure good works, be they neuer so glorious and exelent, but also with the afflictions, troubles persecutions and aduersities, that we do here suffer for Christs sake, what shall we finde in them, that is able too counterpease the vn­speakeable ioyes that are laied vp for the electe and chosen of God? For, thus sayeth sainte Paule: Rom. 8. I coumpt, that the afflictions of this presente tyme, are not worthye of the glorye, whiche shall be she­wed vnto vs.

Nowe one thing doe I learne by that whiche hathe bene spoken, of the merites of our owne workes. And that is this: Sith that God in geuing vs vnto life euerlasting, doeth not respect [Page] or regard the dignitie of our good workes: howe can the doctrine of them stande, which do appoint de­grees of ioye and felicitie in heauē affirming that we shal there excel one an other in glorye? This is most sure that we obtayn heauēly felicitye by the mere mercy of god. And therefore, this diuersitye or difference of rewards must depend or hange of the mercy of God, and not of oure owne workes. Wherup­on they grounde thē selues that do appoynte diuersity­es or de­grees of glorye in the life to come.

We see that they whiche mayntaine the contrarye, do ground them selues vpon this, that we do by oure good workes, deserue life euerlastinge, as they saye, ex condigno, or accordingely. Which thing, if we wold graunt, then withoute all controuersye, God shoulde seeme vnrighteouse, if he shoulde not geue greater re­wardes to those, that haue, labou­red, merited and deserued more than the other. But let vs come to the scriptures. Math. 20. Fyrste, a penye [Page 60] is equaly geuen to those, that la­boured in the vineyarde, although some of them, came at thre of the clocke, some at nyne, and some at eleuen, and when they began to murmure, the father of the hous­houlde stopped their mouthes say­inge, that he did iustelye. Second­lye the Apostell affyrmeth, 1. Cor. 15. that God shall be all in all. And when our sauiour Iesus Christ speaketh of the rewarde of the righteouse. The righteouse sayeth he, shall shyne as the sunne in the sighte of God. Mat. 13. But there is no greater lyghte, than the light of the sunne: and no manne shall enter in to the kingdome of heauen, excepte he be righteous. They shal then haue al the light or brightnesse of the sun, that is lyke or equall glorye. A­gain, our sauiour Iesus Christ reasoning with the Saducees of y ^e re­surrectiō, doth say, Luc. 20. y ^t we shalbe like vnto the Aūgels, neither goeth he any farther or appointeth any de­grees. [Page] Besides this, that there be diuers and sondrye differences betwixte the Sayntes here in this life, that cometh by the reason of the fleshe, that they carye aboute, and the more or lesse that they be addicted vnto it, the more or lesse they doe profytte in the regeneration: but when in the lande of the liuinge, all the corruption of our flesh shal be taken awaye, we shall be per­fecte, neyther shall there be anye cause, whye the one shall be more letted than the other frō the recey­uinge of the heauenly glorye. Mat. 19. Did not also our sauioure Iesus Christ promysse vnto his Apostels, that they shoulde set vpon .xii. seates, and iudge the .xii. tribes of Israel? And did not Paule make the Co­rinthians, 1. Cor. 6. and with them all the faythfull beleuers, partakers of this rewarde, when he sayeth: do ye not knowe, that the saynts shal iudge both the world, and also the Aungels? These places do playn­lye [Page 61] take awaye all diuersityes of rewardes or degrees in glorye. Obiecti∣on. 11

Whye then doeth the Apostel say: There is an other glory of the sun, 1. Cor. 15. & an other glorye of the moone, and an other glorye of the starres. For, one starre dif­fereth from an other starre in glo­rye, so also is the resurrection of the deade. Doeth not he shew here a diuersitye of rewardes, and that after the blessed resurrection some shall be more gloryous than the other? Aunswer

Ye go cleane from the meaning of the Apostel. For, there he doeth proue, that as the sunne and the moone beinge of one sub­staunce do differ in dignitye▪ so in the resurrection, oure bodyes al­thoughe they shall be the same in substaunce, y ^t they be now, yet shal they haue more excelent qualityes than they haue nowe at this pre­sente. And that the like muste be vnderstanded of the comparison of [Page] the starres, it is euident and plain by the conclusion that Paule doth inferre or bringe in sayinge: The bodye is sowen in corruption, and is raysed in incorruption, it is so­wen in dishonour and is raysed in glorye, it is sowen in weakenesse, and is raysed in power. Wherby it doeth moste playnlye appeare, that this diuersitye oughte onelye to be taken for the diuersitye, that is betwixte the bodye, whiche we shal put of at our death, & the body that shall be restored agayne, ney­ther can anye thinge be here con­cluded of anye difference or dyuer­sity, that shall be betwixt the bles­sed or glorifyed bodyes. Luc. 20. Christe doeth onelye speake generallye of this thinge, when he sayeth, that we shall all be lyke vnto the Aun­gels. Phi. 3. Agayne, the holye Apostell sayeth, that when oure sauioure shall come downe frome heauen, he wyll chaunge and transforme oure vyle bodyes, and make them [Page 62] lyke vnto his glorious body, what diuersitye of glorye (I praye you) can there be, when all our bodyes shall be made like vnto the glory­ous bodye of Christ. How be it, I wil not be to precise in this matter least I shoulde seeme too affyrme anye thynge rashely. To attri­bute anye parte of y ^e heauenly felicity & glory, vn­to the merits of mē it is to be iniu­rious vn­to the glory of the grace of God. Onelye this wyll I warne the Godlye of, that although they do with some of the fathers graunte that there be de­grees of glory in the lyfe to come, yet let them beware and take hede that they doe in no wyse attribute the same vnto the merites, and de­seruinges of menne. For, that wer to do to muche iniurye and wrong vntoo the glorye of the grace of God.

Doeth not Paule wryte, that it shall be rendred vnto euery mā according vnto his wor­kes? Again these, Rom. 1. I am sure are his words: we must al appear before y ^e iudgemēt seat of Christ, 2. Cor. 5. y ^e eueri mā may receiue y ^e thīgs which are don Obiecti∣on. 12 [Page] in his bodye, accordinge to that he hath done, whether it be good or euyll. These wordes do playn­ly testifye, that euerye manne shall receaue a rewarde accordinge to his labour. Aunswer

We do gene­rallye vnderstand this of the elect and reprobate, and of their glory and dampnation. So doeth Paull expounde it, in the Epistell to the Romayns. Rom. 2. And Christ him selfe, in the sentence that he shall geue at his last iudgemente, doeth suffi­cientlye declare, what this scrip­ture meanethe: when he callethe them that be at his right hande to his kyngedome, and sendeth those that be at his lefte in to the fyer e­uerlasting that is prepared for the deuyll and his Aungelles. Nowe, as touching the works of the elect ye haue learned alredy, that when God rewardeth them he crouneth in them his owne giftes. Math. 25. But as for the reprobate, thei do according [Page 63] so the frutes of their wycked and vnbeleuinge hartes, receaue eter­nall dampnation, which is the re­ward of vnbelief. Non other thing can we learne of those places that ye haue aleadged.

I am sure ye wyll not denye, Obiect. 13 but that these be Daniels wordes.

That is too saye: They that teache other, shal be as the bright­nesse of the firmamente, and they that instructe other vnto righte­ousnesse, shal shyne as the starres. Looke what difference there is be­twixt the brightenes of the firmamente, and the brightnesse of the starres, the same shall be euen be­twixte those that teache. For, they, that by their dilgente tea­chinge shal wynne and bring ma­nye to righteousenesse shall shyne as the brightenesse of starres, the [Page] other that haue lesse laboured in the lordes vineyarde shyninge on­lye as the bryghtenesse of the fyr­mamente. Aunswer

As touchinge Da­niels words where he sayeth: Ma­nye that sleepe in the duste of the earthe shall awake, Tge exposition of Daniels wordes. some to euer­lastinge life, and some to shame and perpetual contempt. And they that teach, shal shine as the bright­nes of the firmament, and thei that bringe many to righteousnes, shal shine as the starres for euer & euer: Do make lytle or nothing for this matter. For (as it hapeneth many times in the scriptures) in one pe­riodus or sentence, the same selfe thynges are repeted the seconde time, which wer spoken first. The difference that semethe here to be assigned or appoynted, is of the firmamente and of the starres. But syth that they that teache, and thei that instructe and bringe other too righteousenesse, be all one, and [Page 64] are conteyned vnder one degree: after the verye iudgemente of the aduersaryes, diuers rewardes are not due vnto them, syth that they laboured both in one thing. Ther­fore it is most manifest and playn, that the same is repeted agayne, which was already spoken before, but more playnlye.

But why doeth Daniell make mention of the ministers or teachers, rather than of the reste? Question

Because that aboue all other, Aunswer they be subiecte to perse­quution and trouble, and therfore they haue most nede of coumforte, that they may with a good corage take vpon them, this moste pari­lous, and troublesome office, and perseuere in it to the ende. But it can not be proued therby, that like rewardes are not promissed vnto the other, sith that oure sauioure Iesus Christe doeth expressely af­firme, Math. 13. that the righteous shal shine as y ^e sunne in the kingdom of god. [Page] Agayn, that some wynne or bring more than some, vnto righteous­nesse, Note. that oughte not to be attri­buted to the connynge, industrye or laboure of men, but vnto him, that by openinge the hearts of the hearers, doeth geue the encrease, the Apostell hym selfe sayinge. Neyther he that planteth, nor he that watreth is any thyng but the Lorde, 1. Cor. 3. whyche geuethe the en­crease.

Obiecti∣on. 14 Yet Ierome expoundinge this place, sayeth: y ^t wheras many do aske, whether the godly vnlearned, Hier. in. 12. ca. Dani. and the godly learned shall haue the lyke glory. aunswer may be made vnto them after the translation of Theodotio that the one shall be as the firma­mente and the other as the star­res.

Aunswer But no such thinge, canne be gathered of the translation, whiche is after the Hebrewe. For, in it we haue [Page 65] playnlye these wordes: ‘Porro doctores splendebunt vt splendor firmamenti: et qui multos ad iustitiam ad ducunt, vt stellae sepiternis temporibus.’ Which we may english after this maner: and the teachers shal shine as the fyrmamente, and they that bringe manye to righteousenesse, shall shyne as the starres worldes without ende. Who doeth not see, that all one thynge is meante in bothe closes, sauinge that in the laste, the mattyer is made more playne?

Ye wyll graunt, Obiect. 15 I am sure, that there is a diuersity in the punishementes of the repro­bate, it foloweth then that there is also a diuersitye in the rewardes of the electe and chosen. And that the punishments of the reprobate, be not all one, it maye easelye be proued by the woordes of our sa­uyour Iesus Christ, Math. 11. where he sai­eth, that it shalbe easier at the day of iudgemente for them of Tyre [Page] and Sydonne, than for them of Corozam and Bethsaida, and for them of Sodome and Gomorre, than for them of Capernaum.

Aunswer The argumentes that be made a contrarys, do not alwaies necessarily conclude. For why? This kinde of argument do manye tymes deceyue. As if one shoulde saye or reasonne after this sorte: A man can kyll hym selfe, ergo he can make him self to lyue. Manye other instaunces myghte I bringe, but for shortenesse sake, I do passe them ouer. Whither is a diuersity in the punishe­ments of the reprobate and non in the rewardes of the e­lecte and chosen. Well go to: I graunte that there is adiuersity in the punishementes of the repro­bate. And why? Because, that they do by theyr vnbeliefe and frutes of the same, deserue those punishe­mentes of hell fyer: but it can not be truly sayed, that the electe and chosen doe by theyr workes merit or deserue the endelesse ioye and felicitye of heauen. Therfore there is a verye vnlyke reason in theese [Page 66] contraryes.

What meaneth Christe, when he sayeth: Obiect. 16 There be manye mansions in my fathers house? Ioa. 14. Doeth not he therby signi­fye a difference or diuersitye of re­wardes?

Yf Christe had sayed: Aunswer There be diuers dwel­linge places in my fathers house: youre sayinge myghte haue some coloure. But he sayed: There be manye dwellynge places▪ where­of no diuersitye at all canne be ga­thered, but rather, that there is rowme ynoughe for all hys electe and chosen bee they neuer so ma­nye. For, Ioa. 14. we must not grosselye ymagyne that there bee sondrye chambers or parloures in heauen, some beynge more gloryous than some, but that wher so euer Christ oure headde shal be, there we [...]halbe also wyth him. As he him selfe doeth testify sayinge:

I wyll come agayne, and receaue you vnto my selfe, that where I am, there maye ye be also.

Obiect. 17 I remember, that ye sayed afore that accordinge to oure sauioure Iesus Christes wordes, we shal be like vnto Aun­gels. But ye can not deny, but that ther be diuers orders and degrees, amonge them. For, some are cal­led Archangels, Coloss. 1. some, Thrones, some Dominions, Principalities, & powers. Syth then that we shal be lyke aungels, and among them, there be such diuers orders and de­grees: it can none other wyse be gathered, but that there shall be a diuersitye or difference of glorye amonge the sayntes.

Aunswer As touchinge Aun­gelles, the scripture doeth nowe confesse, that they haue diuers or­ders, principalityes, dominions and powers amonge them selues, because, that as long as we do liue in this wicked worlde and vale of [Page 67] miserye, they are appoynted to be ministers and helpers vnto vs, Heb. 1. as we reade in the Epistell to the He­brewes. Yea they be also appoin­ted too be as it were rulers ouer common wealles, and kingdoms, Dan. 10. as Daniell doeth testifye, they are also kepers of men, and cōmaun­ded of God to wayte vppon them, Psal. 91. whereof it cometh, that our saui­our Iesus Christ doeth saye of the children, Math. 18. that their Aungels doe alwayes see the face of their father that is in heauen. But when in the kingdome of Christ, 1. Cor. 15. all things shall be pacifyed, The di­uersitye y ^t now is a­monge Aungels shal ceasse at the ge­nerall re­surrecti­on of the righte­ous. these seruices or ministeries, as vnnecessarye and superflue shall be abolyshed. Read for that, the .xv. chapter of the first Epistell to the Corinthians. If so be then that the diuersitye that is nowe amonge Aungels by reason of the sondrye offices and ministe­ries, that they be appoynted vnto, for the preseruation of the electe, and chosen, shall ceasse, at the re­surrection [Page] of all flesh, what should we dreame of anye dyfference or diuersitye, that shoulde be amonge vs then, syth that Christ dyd with so playne wordes affirme, that we shall then be like Aungels?

Obiecti∣on. 18 I wyll not yet geue ouer. Who so euer (sayeth Christ) shall obserue, Math. 5. and teache the commaundementes, the same shall be called greate in the kinge­dome of heauen. Mat. 13. He sayth besides, that the corne that dyd falle in too good grounde, did bringe foorthe frute, Math. 25. some an hundreth folde, some syxty folde, and some thyrty folde. And in the parable of the talents, we reade, that the seruaunts were recompensed accordinge, 2. Cor. 9. to the di­uersitye of the gaynes. Agayne, are not these Pauls woordes: He that soweth sparingly shal reape, Math. 20. also sparynglye, and he that so­weth liberallye shal reape also li­berallye? Christ sayed likewyse to his disciples: he that wyll be grea­test [Page 68] amonge you, let him be least. These places, I trowe, do suffi­cientelye teache, Luc. 22. that there shall be a diuersitye, after the glorify­ing of the children of God.

To the first we doo aunswer, Aunswer to the .5. of Math. that by the kingdome of heauen, the churche of God, is vnderstanded wher thei oughte to be in moste estimation, that both teache syncerely, and do by their lyfe, and conuersation, expresse that, which they do teach. And also in ecclesiastycall electi­ons, they oughte to be preferred before the other, and they to be re­iected and put backe, that do both breake the commaundementes, and teache other also to doo so.

Onlesse, ye wyl say, that they that lyue wyckedlye, and teache other both by theyr woordes and exam­ple too transgresse the commaun­dementes of God, shall enioye e­ternall felicitye, whiche were a­gaynste all reason.

And as for the parable of the sede, whereof parte did fall in to good grounde: Aunswer to the pa­rable of the sede. Mat. 13. anye manne can easelye perceaue, that it pertayneth vnto the state of this prsente life, and that therby it is signified that the worde of God doethe not brynge foorth frute in lyke, in al the God­lye. To the parable of the ta­lentes. Mat. 25. Likewyse the parable of the talentes, doeth certifye vs, that they, that vse well the gyftes of God, in them the grace of god shal daylye encrease, yea they shall be made worthye too be rulers ouer muche, that is to saye, euery daye they shal be made more able to re­ceaue spirituall gyftes. Neyther canne the place, To the place of y ^e seconde to the Corinthiās. 2. Cor. 9. that ye haue al­leadged oute of the seconde too the Corinthians be otherwyse vnder­standed. For, we do commonlye see that they that be Godly liberal in geuinge of almes, do not onely abounde in spirituall gyftes, but haue also by the blessynge of God, theyr temporall rychesse wonder­fullye [Page 69] encreased and augmented, that they maye the better exercise theyr Godlye liberalitye towardes the poore members of our sauiour Iesus Christ. Which is according to the sayinge of the wyse manne, Proue. 3. where he saieth: Honour the Lord with thy rychesse (but how canne we honoure the Lorde wyth oure rychesse, but by refreshinge his son Iesus Christe in hys lymmes?) so shall thy barnes be fylled with a­boundaunce, and thy wynne pres­ses shall burste with newe wyne. And where Christ sayeth to his A­postelles: To the place of the .22. of Luc. he that wyll be greatest amonge you, let him be leaste, the same can not be applied, but to the churche of God, where they ought too be coumpted greatest, that be­inge endued with moste excellente gyftes, and bestowinge the same to the edifying of the faythfull con­gregation, to behaue them selues most humblye. Obiecti∣on. 19

I fynd this writ­ten [Page] in the Apocalipse or reuelati­on of Iohn: Apoca. 14. I hearde a voyce from heauen, as the sound of many wa­ters, and as the sounde of a great thunder, I harde the voyce of har­pers, harpinge vpon theyr harps. And they songe, as it were a new songe before the throne, and before the .iiii. beastes, and the ealders, and no man can learne that song, but the hundreth fortye and foure thousande, which were boughte frome the earthe. These are they, whych are not defyled wyth wo­men:

For, they are virgines, these folowe the lambe, whether soeuer he goeth. Here we see, that onely those hundreth fortye and foure thousande, whiche afterwardes he calleth virgines, coulde synge the newe sounge, and folowe the lambe, whether so euer he goeth. whereby it doeth appeare, that they haue a preeminence aboue all the rest, and that they doo also ex­celle [Page 70] other in glory.

By this finit number of an hundreth forty and foure thousande, is vnderstanded, Aunswer the infynitte number of the electe and chosen of God, Who thei be that can singe the new songe. which alone canne synge the new sounge.

For, the elect only canne praise and laude God, neyther canne any say, that Iesus is the Lord, but by the holy ghost, whereof all the reprobate are voyd. 1. Cor. 12.

And it is sayed that they are vyrgines, Why the true elect are called virgines. Heb. 13. and haue not defyled them selues wyth women, not because that they haue lyued oute of holye wedlocke, whiche, as the Apostell sayethe, is honourable amonge all menne, but because that the churche, 1. Cor. 11. and fayethfull congregation, hathe bene by the Apostelles, and nowe is by theyr doctryn prepared for one husband, and presented as a pure virgine to Christ.

Thei are therfore called virgines, because y ^e after they were brought to Christe, and sanctifyed through faythe in his bloude, and also wa­shed and iustified, they neuer defi­led them selues with that straunge woman, Prou. 4. which the wise man doth speake of, that is to say, with any straunge doctrine of stinkinge ydo­latrye, and of other superstitious worshippings and seruices of god, but haue kepte their myndes pure and chaste virgynes vnto Christe theyr husbande vnto whome they were maryed wyth a sincere and pure fayth. What it is to fo­low the lambe whether so euer he goeth. Theese be they that folowe the lambe whether so euer he goeth. For, as whiles they a­byde here in the worlde, Christ on­ly is their treasure, theyr ioye, and coumforte: in him onely they put theyr confidence, and truste: and whether soeuer he calleth them by his doctrine and example, they be be alwayes readye to folowe him, though it be to a most cruell death, [Page 71] to glorye him with all: so in the o­ther worlde, they be neuer separa­ted from him. For, where soeuer Christe is, Ioa. 12. there shall his minister or seruaunte be also. But all the elect and chosen of god, are Christs ministers and seruaunts, therfore where so euer he is, there shal thei be also. Nowe maye ye perceaue, how little this place of y ^e reuelati­on, can helpe them, that maintayn this diuersitye of rewardes in hea­uen.

Are not all the fathers, I Obiecti∣on. 20 praye you, of this opinion? Again, wyll not men be made more slacke to doe good woorkes, if they once vnderstande, that there shall be no diuersitye, or difference of rewar­des in the lyfe to come.

As for the fathers we do confesse and graunt, Aunswer y ^t they haue appoynted suche diuersity or diffe­rence of rewards. But herein lieth the whole controuersye, whether this can be proued by the infallible [Page] testimonyes and autorytyes of the scriptures or not. Agayn, they do not speake of it, all after one sorte. For, Hierome, when in his Epistels he did commend we­dowhode, Ierome. and was come to that poynte, that he must needes make a comparyson, betwixte the we­dowe and the virgyne, he doeth playnelye saye, that he wyll not gladlye appoynte any diuersity or difference betwyxt the Sayntes: and yet in other places, be wyll seme to be an earnest mainetainer of these differences. And whereas ye saye, that men by this doctrine are made more remysse, negly­gente, and slacke to do good wor­kes, I haue aunswered you alrea­dye, that the electe and chosen of God, be wont at all tymes, to doo good workes for the loue that they beare to God, and to theyr neygh­boure, and for to shewe theyr o­bedyence towardes the sacredde word and holy commaundements [Page 72] of theyr heauenly father, without anye respecte of recompence or re­warde, and that they, that doe o­therwyse are but mercenaries and hyrelyngs.

And shall the blessed virgyne Mary, Question the mother of oure sauiour Iesus Christ with the Apostels and martyres, be in no higher glorye than the rest?

That I leaue to the vnsercheable iudge­mentes of God, Aunswer who (if it had ben necessary for our saluation) would haue certified vs of it in his word. But in the mean seasō this ought to be learned of all men, If any do excell o­ther in glory af­ter this lif it is not by [...]eo [...]on of theyr merites. that [...] in the lyfe to come any do excell other in glori, it is not by reason of their workes merites or deseruinges, but the same doth altogether come of the mere mercye, grace and goodnesse of God, who doth most lyberallye crowne in them hys owne gyftes, as it hath ben suffi­cientlye proued before.

This haue I learned of our talke and commu­nication. Fyrst that we are iustifi­ed freely, The epi­logus or conclusiō. that is to saye, deliuered from synne, frome eternall damp­nation and euerlastinge death, and pronounced righteouse, before the iudgement seate of almighty god, throughe fayth onelye in our saui­oure Iesus Christe, withoute any merites, or deseruinges goynge before, and that as all the workes that we do, afore we be iustified, I meane, afore we bee graffed in Christe through faieth in him, and made liuely members of his body, are nothinge elles in the sighte of God but synnes: Ioa. 15. so after we be once iustifyed, and made through fayth braunches of that true vine, we must not remayne bareine and vnfrutefull trees, but wee muste bringe foorthe the frutes of oure fayeth, Ephe 2. we muste abounde, and as it were, flowe in all kinde of good workes, that God hathe prepared [Page 73] for vs to walke in, whereby wyll workes that is works, of mannes inuention, hauing no sure ground or fundation, nor yet any promise in Goddes booke, are cleane ouer­throwen. Secondly, it hath bene declared, that not all they, that do those works, which in them selues are good, Three sortes of people which al­thoughe they do good workes do not deserue y ^e prayse of weldoing doo by and by deserue the prayse and commendation of good worokes or of well doynge, for as muche, as they do them, ey­ther for to be glorifyed of men, or for hope of rewarde, or for feare of eternall punyshement, and not for the loue only that thei beare to god and to theyr neyghboure, or for to shewe theyr obedience towardes Goddes holye comaundementes. Where throughe, occasion was geuen, to shewe the causes, that should moue vs to do good works, althoughe there were no hope at all of rewarde: and also the causes whye the workes of those that be graffed in Christe by fayeth (al­though [Page] in them selues they be most vnperfect) do please God & are ac­ceptable in hys syghte. Afterwar­des, ye spake of merits, prouinge moste stronglye, that although we were able to do what so euer God hath cōmaunded vs, yet we ought to coumpte oure selues vnprofita­ble seruauntes, and that we haue done but our duetye, and yet not­wythstandynge, that oure good workes, whiche beinge members of Christe, we doe accordinge to the prescripte and rule of Goddes worde, shall be crowned and re­warded, not for their owne digni­tye and worthynesse, or for anye perfection that is in them, but be­cause that the perfecte obedyence of Christe, shall be imputed vnto vs for our owne, and thereby all thinges, that be wantinge and lac­kinge in vs, moste aboundantlye supplied, by reason of the felow­shippe, that wee haue throughe fayeth in the only begotten sonne [Page 74] df God: And also because of the promisses, wherby God is become debtoure vnto vs. Laste of all, ye haue proued by manyfest textes of the scriptures, and by answering all obiections, that could be made to the contrarye, that we shall be al one, and receyue al one reward, in the resurrection of the righte­ouse, and if there shall be any de­grees of glorye (whiche thinge can not well be proued by the scriptu­res) that oughte in no wyse too be attributed vnto the merittes, and deseruinges of men, but to the on­ly mercy, goodnesse, and grace of God, declared vnto vs in his sonne Iesus Christ and taken hold vpon by faith in the merits of his death, passion, and bloud shedding.

This in dede is the summe of our talke, that we haue hadde at this presente. Ye haue well remembred the pighte of the whole matter. Whyche is a to­ken of a pregnaunte wytte, and [Page] good memorye. God of his good­nesse, vouchafe to encrease in you these his excelente giftes, and too heape you wyth all heauenly bles­singes, that ye maye by embra­cinge the true religion, by aduauncinge and fartheringe of it, be an exāple vnto al the whole world.

God of hys mercye vouchesafe to graunt it.

AMEN, a­men.