of the tyme he must nedis set faith before works as is the tree before it blometh and the blomes before the frute The seade iâ caste into the erthe before it growthe and frââtifieth The sead is the worde of God sayth Christe And nighe vnto the is the worde of faith euen in thyne herte and mouth Faith is effectuous and worketh by loue And the ende of the precepte is loue owte of a pure herte by faith harts ar made pure sayth Peter and a good conscience and of faith vnfai ned I thinke Win. is not so ignorant in his Gramer as to englisshe this texte of Paul Fides que operatur per âilectionem as did Iohn fisâher the bisshop of Rochester in his sermon at Pauls crosse and aftârwarde prin ted thus englisshed faith which is wrought by charite so settiÌg the carte before the horse and like an vngodly gardener to peruert and turne the rotes of his plantes and herbes vpward of which I herde as it were an olde prophecye xl yeres agoo that siche an Antichriste shuld come to peruerte the iustificacion of faith and turne Christes religion vpsedown I am sewer he wilnot set works before faith no not in the yong baptized infants nor yet in Paul at his conuersioÌ nor in the thef hanginge by christe crucifyed It is trweth that workes beinge the frutes of faith standing in their own place proceding out of faith iustifying diminish not theffect of christs passion For we ar made in christe Iesu to do the good works which god hathe prepared that we shulde walke in them We ar saued frely by faith saith Paul yea that not of works for it is the gyfte of god that we be saued by faith and not for our works lest any man shuld reioyce in his own dedis But if winc put his works in the place and office of faith as the condicion with out the which noman is iustifyed so diminisheth he yea he is iniuriouse and blasphemouse vnto theffect of christis passion for by this doctrine his diminute imperfâcte and wiked workes shulde deserue vs forgeuenes of synnes as though christes bloude and so plentuous a redempcion in christe were not sufficiente If by the lawe saith Paul meÌ be made rightwyse so is christe ded in vayne Loue muste fulfill the condicioÌ saith he ergo the works of the lawe ar his condicion Ro. xiij Nowe let vs see what loue god asketh of vs for if we haue not that loue we shall neuer fulfill Win. condicion God coÌmandeth vs to loue him with owr hole hertes minds soulis with all owr strength and owr neighbours yea and owr enimies to as owr selues yea and that euen as christe loued vs which died for vs being his enymies He biddeth vs to be perfit and holy as himselfe is not to be so angrye with our brother as to prouoke him with any euill worde to anger nor to desier any other maÌs good seruaÌt wife c no not to loue our oun liuis in his cause but to haate our flessh dye for his sake Now tell me Win. if any one man hath this loue and so fulfilled your condicion or els dare yourself affirme to haue fulffylled it if ye haue not ergo by your own words ye shall neuer enioye theffect of christes passion and yet speke I not of the perfit faith and hope that euery man in god is bownd to haue beware therfor Win. how ye set your saluacion vpoÌ so harde a condicion leste ye come to shorte of the gates shuttinge with your v. folisshe virgens If you had once fulfilled as you neuer shall your condicion and so perseueringe you nede not to praye Father forgeue me my dettes nor neuer to saye your Pater noster For ye owe no loue nether vnto god nor maÌ ye haue payd all And yet saith Paul owe ye nothing to any man but mutuall loue shewinge loue to be a dette euer in paying and neuer full payd We shal answere for euery idle word saith christe But if Win. had accomplisshed his condicion so might he go play iustle in iugement with christe for his saluacion hauinge no nede of Christis passion then mighte he clayme heuen of dewty make grace no grace which is a mere free gyfte vndeserued of any man and thus were he one of those iuste prelates whom Christe sayde he came not to call Is not he a prowd foole to whom wheÌ god geueth a free iustificacion in christe yet wil he refuse to take it but vpon a condicioÌ that he deserue it with siche works as himself is ne uer able to performe what arrogante foole wold thus condicion himselfe agenste gods wyll Peter considering this importable coÌdicion sayd by faith god purifyeth their her tes and wherfore theÌ do ye now tempt god somich âaing siche a voââ vpon mens necks which nether owr fathers nor we be able to bere By the grace of owr Lorde Iesu christe we beleue vs to be saued as were owr fathers If we shuld say that we haue no sinne in vs so ar we lyers Wherfore the scrip turis conclude euery man to be a sinner and iâfidele that of almen God âoughte haue mercye And that the promyse oute of faith in Iesu Christe shulde be geuen to the beleuers Onely Christe fulfilled the lawe And if Winâ wold mok out Paul sayinge that when he concluded so oft man to be frely iustifyed by faith onely withowt the workes of the lawe that he ment by the workis of the lawe but circumcision and the other ce remonies now abrogated and not the lawe of the commandements Then let him heare Paul expowning himselfe of what lawe he ment answering to siche obieccions By the lawe saith he cometh the knowlege of sinne and I had not knowne coÌupiscence to haue ben syn had not the lawe sayde Thou shalt not haue any concupiscens or luste And theÌ when he wrote his pistles circumcision and the rytes and ceremonyes were abrogated among the christen Iewes and the Gentyles neuer were bownde to them as was Abraham iustifyed by faith onely ere the law was writen and before he was circumcised And Peter sayd that this same lawe whiche Paul excludeth from iustificacioÌ and Wine callethe his condicion is a yoke importable which proueth it not to be circumcision nor any of their ceremonies of Moses law for these were lyghte enoughe to bere lyghter easyer theÌ to not luste or desyer any thing agenst gods will or for a riche maÌ to forsake all giue it to the pore or for Win. to cast of his pryde his bisshopryke with all his vaynglorye and to become the humble pore pure persecuted precher of gods worde It is red that there was one man that by suffring doinge and fulfilling the lawe of the commandements came to heuen euen chryst onelye In Math. we reade of a nother
powr of faith for as faith humbleth geuethe all glory to god so do works puffe vp man and ascribe glory vnto men If theffect of christs passion shuld depend of the condicion of our works we shulde neuer be sewer certayn of our iustificacion for all our works ar vnperfit and fowle as the sike womaÌs clothes Paul himself did his office so trwly that his conscience could not accuse him of any faut and yet he sayd Non tamen in hoc iustificatus sum yet for so doing am I not iustified â Euerye thinge is to be called freelye done wherof the beginninge is free and at lybertye with owte anye cause of prouocacion So is there nothing frely done For man ha uinge his humane naturall affectes as loue hatered feare ioye heuines gladnes concupiscence honger thirste c. Besydes these also hauinge any celestiall gyftes as faith hope c must nedis be prouoked of them to do or to suffer all thingis But the liberty of the spirit conceiued by faith wherof Christe and Paul speke affirming by faith himselfe to be free and by loue to be bondman to all men is of an higher diâânite theÌ this popissh lawer or cowrtlye rufâer can attayne vnto Forhte on Winchester â Faith must be to me the asseweraÌce of the promyses in god made in criste if I fulfill the coÌdicioÌ loue must accoÌplisshe the coÌdicioÌ whervpoÌ solowth thatainmeÌt of the pro myse accordinge to Gods trweth Yet dare not he expresse his condicioÌ saying playnly Faith assewereth me of the promise of god if I fulfill the lawe but Win. nor none els but onely christe fulfilled the law ergo nether Winch. nor any els standinge this condicioÌ shal neuer be assewered of the promyse of God Paul argeweth another wayes excludinge the condicion that men mighte be the sewerer and certayner of the promyse For if the promyse shuld stande of an vncertain yea impossible condicion who shalbe certayn and assewered of the promyse Thus argeweth Paul By the works of the lawe came not the promise to Abraham or to his fead him to be thayer of the world but by the rightwisemaking by faith For if thei that will be iustifyed by the workes be therfore made thayers so is faith and beleue in vayne and the promyse voide and frustrate For the lawe worketh but wrath ergo it worketh no good works to the ataynment of iustificacion It worketh wrath for that it is impossible to be performed and accoÌplished of man whiche is flesshe as Paul constantly affirmeth and therfore it wrappethe all the workers therof to be iustifyed therby vnder the curse For as many as staÌde vpon the works of the lawe to this ende euen for their iustificacioÌ ar yoked vnder ex ecracion and tyed to the curse Gala. iij. For where iâ no lawe there is no transgression Wherfore Paul nowe concludeth agenste Win. saying out of faith is the heretage ge uen lyke as oute of grace that the promyse mighte be the more fernie and sewerer vnto all the sead not to it that is onely out of the lawe but also to it which is oute of the faith of Abraham Paul in spirit did see befor this Winchesters condicion to frustate the promyse and therfore he confuteth it here so cle rely And agen vnto the GalatheÌs If anye wolde obiecte saying ergo the lawe is ageÌste the promises God forbid saith Paul but if there had ben a lawe geuen whiche might haue geuen lyfe then no doute iustificacion might haue comeÌ by the lawe But the scrip ture coÌcluded all vnder syn that the promyse the promise I saye out of the faith of Ie su Chryste shuld be geuen and not deserued to the beleuers Thus ye see howe with so many wordes paul excludeth Win. impossible condicion to make faste the promyse in Christe that owr faith might be the sewerer stayede and cleaue to it If onelye vnbeleif dampneth why shulde not onelye faithe iustifye it is a good argumente of contrarye But yet because Win. wyndeth in his condicion so harde for the atainmente of his iustificacion by works I wolde fayne se some one of his good works so perfit pure with oute anye carnall affecte annexed ether of vaynglory or of loue to himselfe or for fere of payne not done nor for hope of rewarde or any lucre promocion or to recenâe a beter thinge for the doinge therof oute of so pure an herte that it be not done of any affeccion to the persone but onelye of faith âele for the glorye of god profit of his neighbour or onely to mortifye his owne affectes and to set naught by himself to abnegate and re nownce his estimacion and glorye to be renewed in spirit and to folow christe mekely to dethe Paul acknowlegeth himself com playueth in his most perfeccion not to be able to do that good which he wold do but to do that euill which he wold not do âe dirst not call in this condicion to atayne his iusti ficacion therby but constantlye affirmed as many as stande vpon the workes of the law to fulfill them therby to be iustified ar yoked vnto the curse of the lawe saying Cursed is euery man that abideth not in althingis wryteÌ in the boke of the lawe to performe them I wonder therfore that Win. dare stande vpon his condicion to be fulfilled to ataine any parte of his iustificacion therby Dare he clayme thinke ye any parte of his iustificacion for burning of Doctor Garnis and his felows for prechinge agenst theise wikekly armed articles Tell vs Win. didst thou burne them so cruelly of loue and not of haatred or enuy trwely loue burneth noman for preching the trweth charite enuyeth not cÌ Abi igitur post christum satana Come bak deuill aftir christe thou art sclauÌ derous to his crosse for being maried to thy nown witte thou sauourst not the heuenly and godly iustificacion but siche one as naturall reason perswadeth emong men euen one good turne for another to be done and so to deserue thy iustificacioÌ But be it in case that Win. thus condicioninge with God hath in his own opinioÌ done some good dee de wherby he dare claym his iustificacioÌ yet shal not that same deed serue him to that einmente of that effecte For were it neuer so good yet doth his false opinion in his deed make it dampnable But lett vs speake of a good deed absolutely excluded from all car nall affectes if any man maye do siche one this deed is not owre deed but the deede of god working it in vs for what deed soeuer procedethe owte of owr corrupte nature is naught It is god saith Paul that workethe in you accordinge to his good mynde bothe to will well also to performe your work Nether ar we apte and able to thinke somiche as a good thoughte out of owr own selues but all our ablenes cometh from
my sinnes neuer to be imputed to me for my onely faiths sake dayly iustifying absoluing me continually re âââing me with his holy spirit anoyntinge me withe the grace of the holygost so that nows I by his mercye grace being in christe his eleât might walk dayly iâ good workes pleasââge my celestial father ânto this knowlege and belâif he calleth all his choseÌ for whom he hathe forseâe predestined cho sen them hathe he called by his worde creacion of this worlde vnto this faith knowlege ââ whom he thus called the same hathe he iustifyed and whoÌ he hath iustified them âath he gloryfied Thus we elect called and renated of the spirit know the fathir in christe and we know christe by the father which knowlege and faith draweth vs to loue god and to kepe his precepts gladlye Thus to know the father in christe and christe in him is lyfe eternal Out of this pleÌtuous knowlege iustifying vs as I saye saith springethe repentance for here the synner prayeth god to conuerte him saying with Ieremye lorde conuerte me and I shall be conuerted for thou lorde arte my God wherfore as sone as thou shalt conuerte me I shal repent me and anone as thou makest me to knowe my sinnes I shal smyte my hand vpoÌ my hippe Nowe tell vs Win. who is the autor of re pentance ⪠or is repentance before faith iustifyinge or no ⪠There is no man hauinge this knowlege and faith in God thorowe christe but he will anoÌ with the publicaâe falldowne smyting his hande vpon his breste sayâg lorde haue mercy vpon me a sinner In this knowlege we see owr sinnes buried in christes wowndes nomore in the stonney tables for anger caste of that most mylde Mo ses agenst the grownde altobrokeÌ We felâ them by owr faith forgeueÌ in christs dethe owrselues iustified by his resurreccion our hertes set at peace and rest with god in christe dead for owr sinnes and rysen agene for our iustificacion Which merciable goodnes whoso beholdeth in christe crucifyed he can not but of loue vnto god in christe lament be heuye in herte that euer he shuld coÌmitte siche greuous sinnes which could not be forgeueÌ without the blode shediÌge of that most innocent and immaculate lombe sufferinge for his enimies which loue as it is vnspeakable so is it incoÌparable A maÌ saith Paul will sâante dye willingly when he must nedis and iustly dye but perchauÌce will putte himselfe in perell of dethe for his goodes to be saued or the mother to saue hir childe c. But god he commendeth his loue towerd vs in that wheÌ we were sinners criste wold dye for vs miche more therfore now we beinge iustified in his blode shalbe preserued by him from wrathe What faithfull herte towched with this incomparable loue out of faith knowlege is not humbled with fear and confession of his sinnes to god is not heuye and repentante detesting his sinnes saying Shal I any more commit that thing whiche hath brought this my so louing a sauiour to so shamefull and painful a passion This is our faith which cleaneth te the most certain promise of god and not to Win. wauering vnstable condicioÌ This is owr faith and substancial certitude the most fârme per swasion without any wauering of the mer ciable free fogeuenes and gracious absoluci on of our sinnes by the promise of our fathir celestiall in christs bloude and hath her own proper correllatiue the promyse of god euer correspondent and not Winchesters know lege of the fulfulfilling of his coÌdicioÌ This is the forme of owr iustificacioÌ by faith onely which attributeth all glory to god as did Abraham and his childerne and as many as haue vnfainedlye receiued christes gospell But let win ⪠worke on still his wyked workes vnto that tainment of his pharisaical iustificacion before men vntil the axe now beÌt vnto his rotis he be sodenly smytendowne of god For Passur must be turned as Ierâ mye saith into Pauor his arrogante vpcliminge and extolling of himselfe aboue god must haue a shamefull soden fearfull fall These arrrogaÌt articles may be well called the false articles of Winchesters false faith and not of christes faith For Christe coÌfirâed his articles euermore with the lawe phetes but Winch. bringeth not one worde of god for him to proue his Wherfore lette them be his owne articles armed withe his own prowd autorite For we may not beleue him thus exaltinge himself aboue christâ whiche euer alledged the scriptures for his doctryne to be confirmed we may not beleue my lorde Vicare generall for his hyghe lordly supcilious pharisaical lookis Wherfore if this Gardiner will seme to be lerned let him answere now with gods worde and not dispute with pore meÌ in his fetters and presons with his finnisshe threatis fyery fagettes presoning and persecutinge the pore innocont membres of christe for weldoing purely frely and faithfully preaching gods worde casting of his blodhowndes into eue ry cytie and towne to hunte oute the christeÌ simple sely flockâ of chryst as he of late made William Castelyn Gouerner of the mer chaunt aduenterers at Anwerpe cheifly to hââte oute siche as purely and frelye wryts and set forth bokes vnto the glory of god edifying of christes chirche and to warn men of Win. false doctrine For this Gouerneâ of other men whiche coulde neuer well gouerne himselfe is more meate to rowe in a galey or to holde the plough theÌ to gouern so worshiple and honeste a companye But the lordâis a lyue and heareth of these Mo abites pryde blode thirsting he seeth their secrete wiked counsels and heareth their bosting prowde crackes their supercilious arrogancye is well knowne vnto me saith the lorde but yet for all their luciferyâe pride promotinge and extollinge themselues and one an other to serue their traitourouse turnes and mutuall mischeif yet shall thei neuer bringe aboute their wiked enforcemeÌts For it is God that deposeth siche mightyâ mischeuouse from their seates and exaltethe the humble It is the lorde that skaterethe their wiked counsels and trappeth them in their own pryde and blody cogitacioÌs But let all christen Kinges and Princes beware how thei geuâ their swerde into siche popisshe prelates handes leste the innocent blode be required of god at their handis to whom be prayse for euer Amen Trwthe it is that he which knoweth nether the father nor christe shall neuer beleue Christe to be an hole perfit and sufficient sauiour forgeuer of sinnes but he shal wynde in this croked condicion of Winc. and diuide his iustificacioÌ parte if he geuâ not all to workes parte to god as did the Iewes and nowe the Turkes and siche like heithen miscreaunts which neuer knewe god the fa ther in and by Christe Yea thei shall deuise and imagyn in their own opinioÌs for trwe faith haue thei none siche