speaking of the lord in his gospel sayeth thus He came among his owne his owne receaued him not But as many as receaued him to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of god euen them that beleued on his name Loe now what could more sensibly haue bene spoke As many as receaue Christ are gods children but thei that beleue receaue Christ therfore thorow beliefe become we vndoubtedlie the children of god iust and rightuous blessed and saued And in the gospell of Ihō saieth our lord Iesus Christ himselfe Verely verelie I saie vnto you He that heareth my word and beleueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shal not come in to damnaciō but is escaped from death vnto life And agayne This is the will of him which sent me that who soeuer seyth the sonne and beleueth on him haue euerlasting life and I wil raise him vp at the last dai Herof commeth it also that this Apostle in his epistle saieth very euidētly yf we receaue the witnes of men the witnesse of god is greater For this is y e witnesse of god whiche he hath testified of his sonne Who so beleueth on the sonne of god hath gods witnesse in him But who so beleueth not hath made him a lyar because he hath not beleued the witnes which god hath testified in his sonne And this is y e testimonye that god hath geuen vs eternal life and this life is in his sonne Whoso hath the sonne of god hath life He that hath not y e sōne of god hath not life Here we se clearlie y t the sonne of god is had and possessed thorow faith and in the sonne assuredlye rightuousnesse all good things and eternal life Therfore must it nedes be true that we are iustified by faith Now saieth y e Apostel Paul also very distinctlie The rightuousnes of god is declared without the lawe for asmuch as it is allowed by y e testimonie of y e lawe of y e prophets The rightuousnes of God commeth by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto al and vpō al them y t beleue And in the tenth chapter Christe is y e end or fulfilling of y e lawe to iustifie al y t beleue Finally while Paul Silas laye at Philippis in prison for Christes name sake and the keper of the prison asked good syrs what must I do to be saued Thei answered him Beleue in the Lord Iesus Christ so shalt both y u and thy housholde be saued By this now I suppose it euidentlie ynough proued that we be iustified by faith Namely that vnto vs thorow faith is geuē rightuousnes with the merites of Christ Thes sayings we are iustified by the grace of god or by Christs merites or by fayth varie not The. 7. Chapter NEther can I thynke that eny man which is but a litle exercised in holie scripture wil stomble or be offended at such kynd and maner of speche We are iustified thorow the grace of god or horow the merites of Christ we are iustified by faith on the lorde Iesus as though thei eny where dyd not agree or ascrybed Iustificacion to vnlike thinges For thei are all one in effecte ascrybing iustificacion to the onelie mercie of god to whom onelye the prophetes and Apostles directed all their vnderstandinge meditacion These as oft as thei loked behind thē to the fountaine and well spring of iustificacion saide that men are iustified thorow the grace of god But whan thei had pondered considered the mercy pledge him by whō we are iustified thei sayd We ar made rightuous by Christ And whan thei called to remembraūce it wherby we become partakers of grace and of Christ thei saide that we are iustified by faith Nether were thei for all this careful that their sayenges shuld not agree together and serue the mater As some curious bodies do sharplie dispute Namelie whether faith be rightuousnes or an instrument and meane to becōe partakers of rightuousnes whether it be an instrument to receaue or a thing where thorow rightuousnes is poured in as thorow a tonnell Or whether it be the rightuousnes itselfe c. After this sorte is mans vnderstanding occupied but what auayleth it vnto true godlines The holie Apostles who alwaie studied simplicitie with playnesse they distinctly expresse and declare that god the grace of god Christ and faith iustifieth Itē that by grace by christ and by faith we ar iustified Which symplicitie I myndinge to folowe leaue such subtile curiositie vnto others By faith onely are we iustified which terme onely is not of mans braine inuented The 8. Chapter ANd where as I haue allready added there vnto We are iustified onelie by faith for Christes sake not for our workes the sāe haue I not lēt of myne own but taken it out of the holie scripture For the sonne of god Iesus Christ saieth in the gospell Excepte ye eate the flesh of y e sonne of man and drinke his bloude ye haue no life in you Lo the ōly eating of the flesh and drinking of the bloude of Christ maketh vs lyuinge nether is there eny thingels in y e whole world that geueth life Now what it is to eate the flesh of Christ he declareth immediatlie in y e same chap. sayeng Verelie verely I saie vnto you Who so beleueth on me hath euerlasting life Item He that cōmeth vnto me shal not hōger And he that beleueth on me shal neuer be a thirst Here shuld he haue saide He that drynketh me shal neuer thirste but in the place of this word drinke he hath set beleue Therfore to eate and drynke here is nothing els but to beleue So then yf we beleue not that the sonne of god was gyuen for vs vnto death we can neuer lyue Ergo faith it is that maketh lyuinge With this euangelist agreeth Paul also saiēg we know that a man is not iustified by the dedes of the lawe but by y e faith of Iesus Christ And we haue beleued on Iesus Christ y t we might be iustified by the fayth of Christ and not by the workes of the lawe For in that he saieth A man can not be iustified but by the faith of Christ what geueth he with this sayenge els to vnderstand but that a man must be iustified by the onelie faith of Christ or in Christ For in Gene. Ioseph saide vnto his brethren loke that ye se not my face except your yōgest brother be with you And in the boke of Numerus the people complayned whyninge against god and saienge Oure eyes se nothing but this Manna And in the same boke saieth Balaam Must not I kepe that and speake it which the lord hath put in my mouth In Deuteronomy saieth Moses also And now Israel what doth y e lorde thy god requyre of the but to feare the lord thy god and to walke in all his waies And Paul himselfe to the Romaynes vseth y
ouer to be punished For it is red thus If there be a strife betwene men they shall come to the law and let y e iudges geue sentence betwene them and iustifie the rightuous and condemne the vngodly What canne thys be els but euen asmuche as to saye Let them discharge and quite free the rightuous iudge the vnrightuous to be punished For Esaye in the fift Chapter saieth yet more playnlye thus they iustifie the vngodly for rewards sake but condemne the iust cause of the ryghteous Which is euen asmuch to say as the righteous doe not they de clare to be righteous neyther delyuer they hym from the vilanye and wrong of the vniust but take rewardes and giftes and leaue him to the wilfulnes of violent oppressours Here vnto serueth it that is writte in the prouerbes of Salomon the 17. chapter The lorde hateth aswel him that iustifieth the vngodlie as him that cōdemneth the innocēt Item that out of the. 12. of Matthew Out of thy wordes thou shalt be iustified and out of thy wordes thou shalte be condemned Of the worde Iustifie cōmeth the worde iustificacion or iustifieng And the same is a iudicial terme in the scripture For iustificacion is the declaracion of the iudge who pronounceth sentence for the accused that is dischargeth and quyteth him free from y e accusaciō and threatned punishment Iustificaciō therfore is nothing els but a discharge delyueraunce and restitucion from death to life Herof is rightuousnes called a discharge and pardon frō synne And they be the rightuous whose synnes are forgeuen and which beyng a quyted frō death are become hieres of eternal life The Apostle Paul therfore more then in one place doth expounde Iustificaciō by y e name of redēpcion remission of synnes For y e which cause he setteth them both together y t one maie be vnderstāded bi āother For in y t Acts of y e Apostles he saieth Be it knowē vnto you therfore ye men brethren y t thorow this mā namely Christ is preached vnto you forgeuenes of synnes and that by him all that beleue are iustified frō al things frō which you could not be iustified by the lawe of Moses And to y e Romanes he saieth euen as Dauid also descrybeth the saluacion of that man vnto whom god imputeth righte ousnes wythout workes Blessed are they saieth he whose vnrighteousnesses are forgeuen and whose synnes are couered Blessed is that man vnto whom the Lorde wyll not impute synne Behold now how he ioyneth and knytteth iustificacion blessedfulnes or saluacion and remyssyon of synnes together So doeth Esaye also in maner wyth more playne wordes in the. 53. Chapter saying my ryghtuous seruaunte shall with his knowledge or with the knowledge of him iustifie the multitude for he shall beare away theyr synnes For thys last he shal beare away their sinnes doeth in maner expound that whych goeth beforewyth hys knowledge or wyth the knowledge of hym shal he iustifie and deliuer the multitude Thus he declareth that iustificacyon is nothyng els but remyssion of sinnes For whan the lorde taketh away our wyckednes he iustifieth vs. To iustifye therefore and to beare synne away to delyuer frō synne or to forgeue synne is all one matter So that we lack now no more but to say iustyfycacion is the remission of synnes the discharge from damnacyon the deliuerance I saye and forgeuenes of synne yea euen the receauing vp of a sinner into the grace of god and inherytaunce of lyfe Wherfore whan the questyon is asked concernyng the true iustificacyon of man vndoubtedly it is demaunded what that maye be for whose sake or by whō sinners are discharged frō the threatned and deserued death or by whose meanes our synnes are forgeuen vs. Or Wherein is the worlde reconcyled with god And so in thes poynts consisteth the whole knowledge of our iustificacion that whan we haue knowne the mediatour redemer the fourm and maner of the redempcion y e fashion and meane also wherby the delyueraunce cōmeth vnto vs is geuen vs the iustificacion of a Christian mā may lykewise be vnderstande ¶ Uvhat is to be held of y e mediator as who he is and the maner of iustificacion as howe he delyuereth vs. The. 3. Chapter BUt to the intēt y ◠no darke nor doubtfull thing remayne in eny mans mynde I wil first declare what is to be holden of the Mediator or intercessor what the maner of iustificacion is All this wil I set forth before mens eyes y t euery one maie vewe se it Namelie y ◠Christ Iesus is y ◠same for whose sake the father is pacified and contented In such forte y t he imputeth not sinne vnto vs but cōpteth vs righruous iust For Christ hath take our synnes vpon him selfe satisfied for them with his innocent death hath geuen vs his owne rightuousnes Then wil I shewe how we becōe partakers of this rightuousnes For in this mater must speciall respect be had to these two poyntes Namely who is y e mediator redemer of y e damned how he hath delyuered thē y t is after what sorte we become pertakers of the redempcion and iustificacion or how the deliuerance extendeth to our commodite and welfare To speake of the fyrst imagen thou nowe by thy self that god the righteous iudge of all sitteth vpon hys iudycyall Throne before whō stand al mē and before accused as vngodlye and vnfaythfull stayned and defyled wyth al vyces and are conuicte of the same by meāes wherof the sentence of condemnacion is called for and required The men haue vtterly nothing wherby to excuse themselues nether is there aught els to loke for but that they altogether shalbe caried forth and hurled awaye to damnacyon and eternall death Neuertheles in thys greatest and final daunger there appeareth to the most woofull mankynde an exceadyng great hope namelye the eternall sonne of god who to be arbiter mediatoure betwene god and man and to delyuer thē from destruction that were condemned vnto death tooke oure fleshe vpon hym and became very man to the entente that he beynge tormented and sufferynge death might also lade our sinnes vpon hym and wyth hys innocent death to take away our gyltines purginge our sinnes with his bloud and making vs heires of eternall lyfe Wyth thys ensample I think it euidently inough vttered and declared what the mediatour is and what is iustificacion I suppose also euery man doeth well perceaue and vnderstande that Chryst the mediatour and the in carnacyon wyth the crosse of the Lord Iesu is euē the same right principall poynt and only cause wherby we are iustified made rightuous But here might an vnreasonable and vnequal hearer or reader crye against me and saie Thou shuldst byde by thy promes bringinge forth gods scripture and not ymagined ensamples For at the first thou diddest promes a pure and syncere conference
the law in asmuche as he becāe a curse for vs that the blessinge of Abrahā might come among the Gentiles in Christ Iesu Now let the thirde witnesse come forth euen Ihon the sonne of thonder and dearlie beloued disciple of the Lord who in hys Epistle sayeth wyth expresse wordes after thys maner the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne And afterwarde he saieth and if any mā synne we haue an aduocate with god euen Iesus Chryst the righteous and he it is that obteineth grace for our sines not for oure onely but also for the synnes of the whole worlde If all trueth nowe shal stand in the mouth of two or three then wil no man I trust from hence forth denye that Iesus Chryste is our righteousnes that we are iustified by the bloud of Iesus Chryste that the death of y e lorde Iesus Chryst is it by meanes whereof synners are delyuered from death that our synnes are pardoned and forgeuen vs for Chrysts sake and that in him we are reconcyled with God the father who for the ryghtuousnesse sake of his anoynted whyche he hath geuen vs doeth compte vs ryghtuous beyng of oure selues voyde of all ryghtuousnes Vnto these very playne testymonyes commeth thys also that descended from the excellent glory out of heauen euen the sētence of god vpon the Lorde Iesus whan he went vp from the Baptyme wyth these wordes Thys is my deare sonne in whom I delyte and in whom I am pacyfyed And Paule to the Colossyans sayeth for it pleased the father y t in hym shoulde dwell al fulnes and by hym to reconcyle al thīgs vnto himselfe and to set at peace by hym thorow the bloud of his crosse both thynges in heauen and thynges in earth c. To this agreeth also that which he saith to the Ephesians with these wordes He namely the father of oure lorde Iesu Christ ordeyned vs before thorow Iesus Christ to be heires vnto himselfe acordinge to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherwith he hath made vs accepted thorow the beloued By whom we haue redempcion thorow his bloud euen the forgyuenes of synnes acording to the riches of his grace c. Out of al this I conclude that a Christian man is iustified thorow Christ and reconcyled with god the father euen by him who with his bloud hath clensed vs from synne delyuered vs from y e power of the deuel of darknes restored vs vnto life with his owne death and made vs heires with him in eternall life And for al this now yet doth not the scripture speake against itself sayīg A Christian man is iustified by y e grace of god for Christ the anoynted of the lorde is the free gifte of god and the fulnesse of all grace for asmuche as Ihon saieth We al takynge out of the fulnes of Christ haue receaued grace for grace For the lawe was geuen by Moses but grace and trueth commeth by Iesus Christ who is full of grace and veritie Christ beareth our synnes and by his stripes we are healed when his iustice is made ours which is done by fayth on our side The. 5. Chapter THis hitherto haue I spoken in generall concernīg the maner of iustificaciō that is howe and after 〈…〉 what sort the sentence of damnacyon geuen of god vpō al mankynd is hyndered how thei that were condemned be delyuered and reconcyled agayne with god thorowe Chryste But yet haue I spoken nothīg of the lawe howe the righteousnes of Chryst is become oures or how we be partakers of this redempcyon For there be many whych vnderstanding Chryste to be a medyatour doe not yet beleue that he is also their mediatoure with god the father And so the strēgth and vertue of the Mediacyon doeth not profyte them Hereby maye we perceaue that the maner of iustyficacyon is not fullie fynished and perfourmed whā we haue gottē onelie some knowlege of the mediator and intercessor vnlesse we also knowe be suere thorow faith that Christ is our mediator yea in euery poynt ours all together y t therfore al his giftes goodes ar our owne Therfore hereafter haue I noted specially how the Reconciliacion and iustificaciō wrought by Iesus Christ is become ours And what it is y t maketh vs partakers of the redempcion or rightuousnes of Christ so that now the Lorde Iesus hath not onelie suffred death but dyed euen for vs washed awai our sinnes with his bloud iustified vs and made vs rightuous Yea so hath he iustified vs that we now beyng absolued from our sinnes and delyuered from damnacion are assuredlie become inheritours of al the goodes of Christ namelie of true rightuousnes and eternall life Her I speake openly playnlie and symplie We are become partakers of Christ by ōly faith that is by trust and belefe on y e lorde Iesus Christ And euen therfore is it that the prophetes and Apostles haue sayde so euidently that men are iustified by faith Item that Christ iustifieth thorow faith For such saienges expresse this meanynge and vnderstandyng namely that Christ geueth vnto vs his owne rightuousnes that is he forgeueth vs oure synnes he delyuereth vs frō damnacion and maketh vs partakers of eternall life Not for eny worke or deseruyng of vs but of his owne pure grace merite thorow faith In whō we holde beleue vs to be accepted not for ours elfes or for our owne works but for Christes sake Whom the father of al grace and mercy hath geuen vs for a pledge and assuraūce y t we shal lyue in his name That the maner of reconciliacion through christe is on oure syde by faith The 6. Chapter IT is not my desyre to be credited herin vnlesse I defende with very playne and euident scriptures y t which I haue taken in hand Now haue I sayed that Christ iustifieth vs by faith that is thorow stedfast belefe is the rightuousnes of Christ geuen vnto vs. This dyd the prophet Esaye establishe before w t sensible wordes sayēge my rightuous seruaunt namely Christ y e lorde shal with his knowlege or with the knowlege of him iustifie the multitude Beholde how he saieth my rightuous seruaunt shal iustifie the multitude church or congregacion and that thorow y e knowlege of him Now is it certayne and sure that the knowlege of him signifieth the knowlege of Christ euen y e science no doubte wherby true faith knoweth him cōfesseth him and poynteth vnto him This is therfore the prophet Esays doctryne or rather gods that Christ thorow faith iustifieth those that bee his After Esaye doth the prophet Abacuc speake sayīge The iust and rightuous shal lyue in his faith and beleffe Which sentence holie S. Paul vsed not onelye one tyme to proue by this testimonye as with it which is most euident y e all beleuers are iustified made lyuing by faith S. Ihon also
iustified by the name of the lorde Iesus and by the sprete of god thei ascrybe their vertue rightuousnes vnto god and vnto gods sprete by whom thei knowe thei are sanctified and that they now maie do and perfourme holie and good workes And also thei fele in their sanctified flesh namelie in themselues there remayneth worketh thorow out their whole life so greate weaknes and feblenes that thei dare not ascrybe eny iustificacion not vnto the workes that ar done by faith in holynesse Herof might I bring forth many recordes Yet will I alledge onelie two First thē let Iob the most faithful seruaunt of god come forth For him hath the godlie sentence cōmended and praised vnto vs that he was a perfecte iust man such one as feared god and eschued euil and that there was none lyke him vpon erth And yet the same man being with so excellent a titell of rightuousnes commended vnto vs doth saie If I wil iustifie myselfe myne owne mouth shal condemne me Yf I will put forth myselfe for a perfecte mā he shal proue me a wicked doer And agayn Yf I haue done wickedly wo vnto me And though I haue dōe rightuouslie yet dare I not lifte vp my head Therfore is it certayne that this most holy and iust man dyd ascribe nothing to the frutes of his owne rightuousnes but trusted onely vpon y e mercy of god Now let the other witnes come forth euen Paul y e Apostel who saieth with sensible wordes I delyte in the lawe of god after the inwarde man But in my membre I se another law which rebellein against the law of my mynde and subdueth me to the lawe of synne which is in my membres The holie Apostle speaking of himselfe and of all such as be regenerate testifieth that in them abyde stil y t remnauntes of the fleshe by the nature power and force wherof it cōmeth to pas thorow out the wholle life of man that thei also do the thing which they thēselues wolde not And therfore are thei neuer able to attayne and come to true perfectnes so long as thei lyue vpon erth and in this flesh For asmuch then as it is so euery man seith wel that iustificacion is not to be imputed vnto the workes of faith or of such as be regenerate consydering that it must be athinge most pure and thorowly perfecte wherby god is pacified and pleased with vs. Yea the scripture geueth euident witnesse that euē Abraham the father of all faithfull beleuers was not iustified by the workes of faith Herof then maie we be bolde to conclude that we also by no workes of faith are iustified For thus Paul argueth yf Abrahā were iustified by workes thē hath he wherof to reioyce but not with god But what saieth y e scripture Abraham beleued god and it was compted vnto him for rightuousnes To him that goeth aboute with workes is the rewarde not rekened of grace but of duetie To him that goeth not aboute with workes but beleueth on him that iustifieth y e vngodly is his faith cōpted for rightuousnes Where as we now by the ensāple of Abrahā do cōclude y t we must be iustified in such like pure maner as he was we speke it not of our owne ymaginaciō but out of the wordes of S. Paul that saieth Neuertheles it is not written onelie for him that it was rekened vnto him for righteousnes but also for vs to whom it shalbe so compted yf we likewise beleue on him that raised vp Iesus oure lorde from the deed ¶ The nature of iustification argueth that faith not workes iustifie The. 12. Chapter NOw like as out of the nature propertie of faith and workes I haue shewed that faith and not works doth iustifie So wil I now declare and proue the same by y e nature of iustificacion The right propertie natural vertue and power of iustificaciō is to pacifie to stil and quiete the cōscience which heretofore by the remembring and considering of synne and damnacion was vexed and troubled For Paul saieth Because therfore that we be iustified made rightuous by faith we haue peace with god thorow oure lorde Iesus Christ As for mens workes thei are neuer able so to comforte and pacifie an vnquyete conscience For who hath at eny tyme persuaded himselfe y t he with his owne workes hath satisfied the lawe of god and is therfore absolued discharged of his synnes delyuered from damnacion and become rightuous vndefyled Specially seyēg that Salomō the wisest among al mē hath saide Who can saie My herte is cleane I am innocent frō synne Wherfore yf oure workes quiete not the conscience then do not thei in eny wise iustifie a mā But faith iustifieth and perfectly stilleth the conscience And therfore it iustifieth For the lord hath saide in the gospell Who so euer drynketh of this water wherby vndoubtedly he dyd meane outward thinges and al mans help shal thyrst againe But who soeuer drynketh of the water that I geue him shall neuer be more a thyrst but the water that I shal geue him shalbe in him a well of water springing vp in to euerlasting life And againe I am y e bred of life He that cōmeth to me shal not honger And he that beleueth on me shal neuer thyrst Here thou seist y t faith which preasseth on forth directly vpon y e lorde Iesus doth satisfie vs. For faith vnderstādeth y t Christ him selfe is the right fulnes plentiful sufficiēcie of heauēly goods and that euen he gaue himselfe whollye for vs and in all thinges became our owne so y t now from hence forth an oppressed afflicted cōscience maie rest vpon himfor in christ the sonne of god full of grace trueth there is nether blemishe nor weaknesse But in works yea of most holie mē ther is alwaie found feblenes and imperfection And yf we wold now beholde the propertie nature of him before whose iudgmēt seate we shal stande we shulde playnly fynd y t we are iustified by y e mynistraciō help of faith not of workes For vndoubtedly y e highest most rightuous of al hath respect ōly to such as are hūble of contrite hertes those assuredlie he iustifieth But such as are proud glorie ī their own merits those he condemneth and turneth himself from thē Here vnto serueth y e parable or symilitude out of the gospel concernyng the two that wente vp together in to the temple to praie Of whō the one boasted of his good workes told what thei were trusted vnto thē set out himself for a rightuous and good man As for the other he trusted in the onelye mercy of god nothing at all in his owne merites but cryed O god be mercyfull vnto me synner This man wente downe out of the temple iustified but y t other being wrapt and snared in synne failed of his hope Therfore in the