prophet Ieremye hath the lorde geuen vs a right good counsail saide Let not y e wise man reioyce in his wisdome nether the strong man in his strength nor the riche man in his riches but who so wilreioice let him reioyce in this that he vnderstandeth knoweth me For I am the lorde y t do mercy equitie and rightuousnes vpon earth This counsaill dyd the godlie Apostle Paul folowe saieng God forbyd that I shulde reioyce saue onelye in the crosse of our lorde Iesus Christ wherby the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world For in the gospell also the lorde said whan ye haue done all that is commaunded you saie we are vnprofitable seruauntes we haue not done that we ought to do Therfore the godlie praise y t grace of god not bragginge of their owne merites nether trusting eny thing at all vnto them but comforte them selues in the mercie of god Finally yf we now compare both the rightuousnesse namelie of faith and of workes the one against the other we maie easely perceaue that these beynge most vnlike maie not stand together For as concernyng the rightuousnes of workes the holie Apostle Paul hath spoken Thorow the workes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified before god But of y e rightuousnes of faith he saieth thus Al thei are iustified that beleue And in another place he saieth The rightuousnes of faith is imputed of grace or fauour but y e rightuousnes of works is not imputed of grace or fauour but of dewti And againe he saieth Israel which folowed y e law of rightuousnes coulde not attayne to y e law of rightuousnes But y e Heithen which folowed not rightuousnes haue ouertakeÌ„ rightuousnes euen the rightuousnes which coÌ„meth of faith And immediatly geueth he a reason of the fyrst pointe and addeth therto Wherefore Euen because thei sought it not by faith but as by the workes of the lawe for thei stombled at the stombling stone Therfore remayneth it stil true and certayne that the one rightuousnes ouerthroweth the other And therfore we that teach a manne to be iustified by faith in the lorde Iesus not by workes do not peruerte y e Christian faith as our aduersaries shamfully belye vs But thei rather do ouerthrowe it that by all meanes and waies mynishe y e honour of y e faith in Christ mainteinyng that the churche or congregacion of the faithfull ar by the workes merites of men absolued from synne delyuered from damnacion and obteyne the inheritauÌ„ce of eternall life Faith is not without works and what place works haue in the church and whence they spring in vs The. 13. Chapter WIth this disputation and talke concernyng Christ the lorde who iustifieth vs by faith not by works Or concernynge faith that iustifieth without workes Many w tout all doubte wil be sore offended thinking that I set nothing by good workes and that I leaue them no place of honour in the church For thei sai if good works helpe not a man to obtayne rightuousnes then are thei nothing worth nether necessary in the church And therfore is it in vayn that good workes are so oft and many tymes menciâ—â—â—d of in holie scripture The â—â—â—stles also of the lorde the holy prophetes lose but their labour in requiring vs to exercise and declare oure faith praisyng god our father in heauen with good workes Why is the holy Apostle Iames so ernest to teach that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith onely Yf faith onelye be sufficient to obteyne saluacion what els remayneth for vs to do but euen to eat and drynke and then to saie vnto god the iudge I haue beleued thy gospel therfore saue thy seruaunt Thus is banished all vertue good lyfe and Godlynes And thus men exercise and applie them selues nomore to innoceÌ„cie of life and good maners Thei that after this sorte take the mater so euell and coÌ„playne vnderstaÌ„d nether the strength of faith nor â—â—e true order of good workes Aâ—â— as for vs we do not hold that faith is without good workes whaÌ„ we saie after the Apostle that faith iustifieth with out good workes But we knowlege and confesse that faith iustifieth with his owne strength not with y e helpe additioÌ„ of works For Christ is mightie ynough of himselfe and of his owne power to iustifie the faithfull beleuers nether nedeth he enye supplie or filling vp of our workes Faith also is not without good workes nether are Christian meÌ„s works therfore in vaine or vnprofitable because thei do not iustifie For thei haue neuertheles a very honourable place and rowme in the holie church And whaÌ„ it is sayde in y e scripture as it is oft y t they iustifie it is so spokeÌ„ of them for speciall causes Which thing to y e intent it maie y e better more perfectly be vnderstaÌ„d I will make somwhat deper rehersall of good workes bringe theÌ„ forth out of their owne fountayne and original declaring their certayne and vndoubted boundes wherby all their nature propertie maie perfectly be knowne Vpon y e name or terme I do not much passe for as euery man knoweth there be euil and vnprofitable workes workes of iniquitie wickednes y e doers wherof are called the workers of wickednes The same workes also are called the workes of the fleshe and the workes of darknes Agayne there be good workes contrarie to the other which the scripture calleth the works of repeÌ„taunce the frutes of the sprete and of light such are the offices and dueties of frendship a loue which wer coÌ„meÌ„ded iÌ„ Tabitha of whom it is said that she was full of good workes Now whaÌ„ we descrybe them we saie thei be such as are done by those that ar borne a new or regenerate out of the good sprete of god by faith acording to gods word to the praise and honour of god to the honest bewtifulnes of life and finallie to the profite coÌ„moditie of y e neighbour These are shorte wordes and therefore peraduenture vnto some thei be y e darker and more hard to vnderstande But yf the grace of god shewe vs light thei shal by the declaracion folowinge be playnlie and easelie perceaued No other fountayne of good workes can I shewe then onelie god himselfe For the prophet saith All men are lyars onelie god is true And the lorde saieth in y e gospel There is no man good but onelie god Therfore is it necessary y t good workes springe not of man who is a lyar wicked and naught but of god himselfe of whom proceadeth all that good is Neuertheles it behoueth such men as by the sprete of god and faith in the lorde Iesus are regenerate that thei hence forth work not their owne namelie carnall workes but the workes of god For the works of those that be regenerate growe and spryng of gods good sprete dwelling with in them which
And euery one that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe like as he also is pure Therfore euē this our purifiēg which is done by our care and diligēce hath also the name of sanctifieng not because of it selfe but for the fyrst purifieng sake that goeth before which yf it go not before then is our sanctifienge nothinge worth Againe yf the same go before then must this also folow after For right well trulie saieth S. Iames the Apostle Faith yf it haue no workes is deed in it selfe In it selfe or for it selfe I saie that is It alone and fruteful with no good woorkes For as the body w tout y e sprite is deed so faith also w tout works is deed Doubtles a lyuing body doeth worketh somewhat and serueth many likewise faith by deutie offices of loue must be profitable cōmodious vnto many Now yf faith do good to no man with godlie workes thē is it an emptie ymaginacion vayne name As also the sanctifieng of mā yf it do not breake forth shew it selfe in holy words and workes assuredly it is to be reputed false feyned and full of ypocrisie Besydes this all that belongeth vnto true holynes in y t our sāctifieng which appeareth in our workes must be referred to the sanctifiēg done by the bloud of christ to the which most properlye apperteyneth the honour of sāctificaciō Wherfore whan thou seist in holy scripture that rightuousnes is ascribed vnto our workes remēbre it is done for such causes as I hitherto haue shewed For the sprete of the Apostles cānot be against himself ¶ The. 2. sorts of mē that the Apostls had to do w t for iustificacion which make thē seme to varie in assignyng the cause of iustificacion with their reconciliacion The. 16. Chapter AND knowē it is that the Apostles of the lorde dyd stryue with two sortes of people the one sorte ascrybed rightuousnes and saluacion to their own good works which were done after the mesure and rule of gods lawe therfore they despyced Christ For while thei wēte about to stablish mainteyne and set vp their owne rightuousnes thei were not obedient to y e rightuousnes of god Against the vngodlie opyniō of these dyd the holie Apostles teach and specially S. Paul that rightuousnes and life is obteyned by faith in the lorde Iesus and not by our workes The same Paul saieth to the Galathians I refuse not the grace of god For yf rightuousnes come by the law then dyed christ in vayne And agayne Christ profiteth you nothing And ye are gone quyte from Christ and are fallen frō grace yf ye wil be iustified by the lawe Against such also was kepte at Hierusalem the Counsail that Luke maketh mencion of in the Actes of the Apostles There were agayne certayne other light euell disposed people that abused suche doctryne of the Apostles to the libertye and sensualitie of the flesh thinking it sufficient to saluacion whan they beasted themselues of faith although there were no good workes found in them Therfore against those as against the very pestilence and decaye of true Religion and gods seruice dyd the same Apostles also stryue and taught that the Christian fayth was not a vayne opyniō or frutelesse knowledge but a lyuelie stronge confidence most fruteful in good works For Paul writing against these saieth vnto Titus Thei saie thei knowe god but w t their dedes thei deny him seinge they are abominable and disobedient vnapte vnto euery good worke And Peter the Apostle rebuketh such dissemblers but som what more darkly whā he saieth Herevnto geue all diligence that in your faith ye mynistre vertue in vertue knowlege in knowlege tēperaūce in tēperaūce paciēce in paciēce godlynes in godlines brotherlye kyndnes in brotherly kindnes loue For yf these thinges be amonge you be plenteous thei wil make you y t ye nether shalbe ydle nor vnfrutefull in the knowledge of our lord Iesus christ But he y t lacketh these thinges is blind and gropeth for the waie with his hands and hath forgottē that he was pourged frō his olde synnes It is manifest also vnto euery man that Ihon and Iames y e holy Apostles of Christ wrote herof S. Iames most ernestlye defēding that Abrahā was not iustified by onelie faith that is by a vayne opynion but by workes vndoubtedlie euen by true faith And yet with those and such lyke exhortacions wold not the faithfull Apostles of Christ mynishe his grace and merites magnifie the merites of man but rather w tstand the filthynes of such as neuer rightly knew nor lerned the faithe of Christ made yet their boast ther of to the greate offence and hinderaunce of y e weake For yf thei trulie had knowne it they had vndoubtedliled a more sober life Therfore whan the Apostles are ernesti prouoking vnto good workes they prouoke vnto y e true faith in Christ which is mightie in operacion worketh by loue And yet neuertheles thei ascribe al thinges to the grace of God yea euen the same workes which they requyre of the faithfull And that I here teach the true vpright doctryne of faithe all they shall affirme that haue but a litle searched tried and red the scriptures of the Apostles Augustine also a true faithfull teacher of the Christian church shall testifie that I haue here inuented no new thing For in his boke of grace and fre will the seuenth chapter he wryteth thus Such as haue not vnderstand what the Apostle saieth we holde that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of y e law Haue thought him to affirme that faith is sufficiēt to a mā althoughe he lyue euyll and haue no workes which thing god forbyd the electe vessell shulde so meane who yet in another place whan he hath saide in Christ Iesu auayleth nether circūcision nor vncircūcision he addeth immediatlye therto But faith whiche worketh by loue Euen this is the same faith that separateth gods beleuers from vncleane deuels For thei also as the Apostle Iames saieth beleue and tremble but no good thinge do thei Therfore haue they not that faith out of the which y e iust lyueth namely which worketh by loue that god maye geue him lyfe acordinge to his workes But for asmuch as good dedes are of god of whō we haue not onelie faith but also loue therfore the same teacher of the heithen named eternall lyfe it selfe grace This haue I alledged out of Augustine hetherto haue I opened declared how the scripture ascribeth rightuousnes vnto good workes and that y e same doctryne is not against y e Apostles teaching and iudgmēt which ascribeth rightuousnes vnto faith in Christ Iesus But for asmuch as vpon this mater of y e rightuousnes of workes there hangeth the questiō concernyng y e merites of good workes I wil adde herevnto a lytle touching the rewarde and merite of good workes chefelie to the intēt that no
forth and garnishe the same with right good workes Remembring the wordes of the lord Ihesus Christ who in his gospell saieth Not euerye one that saieth vnto me Lorde lorde shall entre in to the kyngdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Many shall saye to me in that daye Lorde lorde haue not we prophecied in thi name haue not we cast out deuels in thy name haue not we done manye mightye dedes in thy name And then wil I knowlege vnto them I neuer knew you departe froÌ„ me ye workers of iniquitie Therfore who so euer heareth of me these wordes and doth the same I wil lickeÌ„ him vnto a wise maÌ„ which buylte his house vpoÌ„ a rocke And a shower of rayne descended and the floudes came and the wyndes blew and beat vpon that house it fel not because it was grounded on the rock And euery one y t heareth of me these words and doth them not shalbe likened vnto a foolishe man which buylte his house vpon sand And a shower of rayne descended and the floudes caÌ„e the wyndes blew and beat vpon that house and it fell and greate was the fall of it Wherfore let vs applie all oure diligence with holie feruent praieâ— with true zeale and godlynes of oure mynde that we also as lyuinge stones beyng buylded vpoÌ„ Christ the sure rock of lyfe maye become a lyuinge house which maie endure fast in al assaultes of manifolde tentacions That we I saie beinge a spirituall habitacion and an holy priesthode maie bring and offre vp to our Redemer iustifier Iesu Christ spiritual acceptable sacrifices praise and thankes geuyng almes and oure own bodies yea oure selues fully wholly and all together Amen Amirrour or glasse wheryn al men may behold their own condemnacyon by the lawe of god With a remedy for the same The office of loue THe law is a doctrine that beddeth good and forbid deth euel as the commauÌ„demeÌ„tes specifie sayinge Loue thy Lorde god with all thyne hart with all thy soule and with all thy mynde This is the fyrst and great commaundment The second is lyke vnto that loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe In these two commaundementes hange al the lawe and the prophetes ¶ He that loueth god loueth his neyghbour If a man say I loue God and yet hateth his brother he is a liar He y t loueth not his brother whoÌ„ he hath sene how can he loue god whom he hath not sene He y t loueth his neighbour as him selfe kepeth al y e coÌ„maundementes of god what so euer ye wold that men should do to you euen so do you to theÌ„ For this is the lawe and y e Prophets He that loueth his neyghbour fulfylleth y t lawe All the lawe is fullfylled in one worde that is loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe ¶ He that loueth god kepeth all the commauÌ„dmentes He that loueth his neyghboure kepeth all the commaundmentes of god and he that loueth God loueth his neyghbour ergo he y t loueth God kepeth all his commaundmentes ¶ He that hath faith loueth god and kepeth the coÌ„maundmentes My father loueth you because ye loue me and beleue that I came from God He that hath the faith loueth god and he that loueth God kepeth all hys coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„ts ergo he that hathe the fayth kepeth all the commaundementes of God He that kepeth one commauÌ„dement of god kepeth all For without faith it is impossible to kepe any of the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of GOD and he that hath the fayth kepeth all the commaundemeÌ„tes of god ergo he that kepeth one coÌ„maundement of god kepeth them all He that kepeth one commandemente of God he kepeth all ergo he that kepeth not al the coÌ„maundmentes of god kepeth not one of them The office of the lawe ¶ It is not in our power to kepe any of the commaundementes of god which wer geuen to shewe vs our synnes and byd thinges impossible for vs. Without grace it is impossible to kepe any of the commaundementes of god and grace is not in our power ergo it is not in our power to kepe any of y e commauÌ„dementes of god By the law commeth the knowledge of synne I knew not what synne ment but thorow the lawe I had not knowen what lust â—â—d ment excepte the lawe had sayde thou shalt not lust without the lawe synne was deed that is it moued me not neyther wyst I that it was synne which not with standinge was synne and forbydden by the lawe ¶ The lawe byddeth vs do that thinge which is impossible for vs. It biddeth vs kepe the commaundementes of god yet is it not in our power to kepe any of theÌ„ ergo it biddeth vs do y t is impossible for vs. Thou wylt say where to doeth God byd vs do y t is impossible for as I answere to make the knowe that thou arte but euel that there is no remedi to saue y e in thyne own haÌ„d that thou mayst seke remedy at some other for the lawe doth naught but condemne the. ¶ Of the Gospell Like as the condemned man is ioyful to heare of pardon for hys fault EueÌ„ so shalt thou heare for thye delyuerans the ioyfull nues of the gospell THe gospell is as moch to say in our tonge as good tydynges lyke as one of these are Christe is y e sauiour of the worlde Christ is our sauiour Christ died for vs. Christ dyed for our sines Christ bought vs with his bloud Christ washed vs with his bloud Christ offered himselfe for vs. Christ bare our synnes on his backe Christ came into this worlde to saue synners Christ came in to this worlde to take away our synnes Christ was the price that was gyuen for vs our synnes Christe was made debt our for vs. Christ paied our debte for he dyed for vs. Christ hath made satysfaction for vs our synnes Christ is our rightwisenes Christ is our satisfaccioÌ„ Christ is our redempcion Christ is our goodnes Christe hath pacified the father of heauen Christe is oures and al his Christe hath deliuered vs froÌ„ the law from the deuel and from hel The father of heuen hath forgeuen vs our synnes for Christes sake Or suche lyke whereyn is declared vnto vs the mercy of god ¶ The nature of the lawe and the gospell The lawe sheweth vs our synne The Gospel sheweth vs remedie for it The lawe sheweth vs our coÌ„demnacion The gospel shewet vs oure redeÌ„pcyon The lawe is the lawe of Ire The gospell is the word of grace The lawe is the worde of despayre The Gospel is the worde of comfort The law is the worde of vnrest The Gospell is the worde of peace ¶ A disputacion betwene the lawe and the gospel The lawe saith paye thy debt The gospell sayth Christ hathe payd it The lawe sayeth thou art a synner despayre and thou shalt be damned The gospel sayth thy synnes are forgeuen the
Fayth maketh God and mā good frendes Incredulite maketh thē foes Faith bringeth god mā together Incredulite sundreth thē Al that faith doth pleasyth god Al that incredulyte doth displeaseth god Faythe onely maketh a man good and ryghtwyse Incredulite only maketh hym vniust and euyl Faithe maketh a man a mēbre of Christ Incredulite maketh him a mēbre of y e deuyl Fayth maketh a mā y e inherytour of heuē Incredulite maketh him inheritour of hell Faith maketh a man the seruaunt of god Incredulite maketh hym the seruaunte of the deuyll Faith sheweth vs god to be a swete father Incredulite sheweth hym a terrible iudge Faith holdth stiffe by the worde of god Incredulite wauereth here and there Fayth counteth holdeth god to be true Incredulyte holdeth hym false a lyar Faith knoweth god Incredulite knoweth hym not Fayth loueth both god and here neyghboure Incredulite loueth nether nother Faith only saueth vs. Incredulite onelye condemneth vs. Faith extolleth god and his deds Incredulite extolleth herself and her owne dedes Of hope HOpe is a trustye lokinge after the thinge that is promysed vs to come as we hope after euerlasting ioy which christ hath promysed vnto all that beeleue in him We shulde put our hope and trust in god alonly It is good to trust in god and not in man He y t trusteth in his owne harte is a fole It is good to truste in god and not in prynces They shalbe lyke vnto the images they make all that truste in thē He y t trusteth i his own thoughts doth vngodly Cursed be he that trusteth in man Byd the rych mē of this world that they trust not in theyr vnstable ryches but that they trust in the lyuyng god It is harde for them that truste in money to entre in to the kingdome of heauen Moreouer we shulde trust in him onely that may help vs God only may helpe vs ergo we shuld truste in hym onely wel is them that trust in god and wo is them that trust not in him Wel is the man that trusteth in god for god shal be his truste He y t trusteth in hym shall vnder stonde the verytye They shall al reioyce that trust in god they shal euer be glade and he will defende them Of charite CHarite is the loue of thy neyghboure The rule of charite is this do as thou woldest be done to For charitie holdeth al a lyfe y e ryche and the poore the frende and the foe the thankefull vnthankefull the kynseman and straunger ¶ A comparison bitwene fayth hope and charite Fayth cometh of the worde of God hope cometh of faith charite spryngeth of them bothe Faythe beleueth the worde Hope trusteth after that is promysed by the word Charite doth good vnto her neyghbour thorow the loue that it hath to god Faith loketh to god his word Hope loketh vnto his gyfte reward Charite loketh on her neighboures profyte Faith receaueth god Hope receiueth his reward Charite loueth her neyghbour w t a glad harte that w tout any respecte of rewarde Fayth pertayneth to god onely hope to his reward charite to her neyghbour Of workes NO maner of works make vs rightwise we beleue y t a mā shall be iustifyed wythout workes No man is iustifyed by y e dedes of the law but by y e fayth of Iesu Christ and we beleue in Iesu Christ that we may be iustified by the faith of Christe not by the dedes of the lawe If rightwysenes came by the lawe then dyed Christ in vaine That no mā is iustified by the lawe it is manifest for a rightwise mā lyueth by his faythe but the lawe is not of faythe Moreouer syth Christe the maker of heuen and erth and all that is therin behoued to dye for vs we are compelled to graūt that we were so far drowned and sūke in sinne that nether our deds nor al the treasures that euer god made or mighte make might haue holpen vs out of them ergo no dedes nor woorkes maye make vs rightwyse No workes make no vnrightwise For yf am works made vs vnrightwise then the cōtrary workes shuld make vs rightwyse But it is proued that no workes can make vs ryghtwyse ergo no workes make vs vnrightwise ¶ Workes make vs neyther good nor euyll It is proued that no workes neyther make vs rightwyse nor vnrightwyse ergo no works make vs neyther good nor euyll For rightwise and good ar one thing vnrightwise euil likewise one ¶ Good workes make not a good man nor euel workes an euyl mā but a good man maketh good workes and an euyl man euyl workes Good frute maketh not the tre good nor euel frute the euell tre but a good tre bereth good frute an euell tre euill frute A good mā can not do euell workes nor an euel man good workes for a good tre can not bear euil frute nor an euel tre good frute A man is good ere he do good workes and euel ere he doe euill for tre y e is good er he beare good frute euill ere it bere euel frute ☞ Euery man is eyther good or euil and his workes like wyse Euery tree is eyther good or euel either make ye the tre good the frute good also or els mak the tre euel and the frute of it lykewise euyll For all frute trees are eyther good or euell Eyther make ye the tre good and the frute good also or els make y e tre euel and y e frute of it likewise euil A good man is knowen by his workes for a good man doth good works an euell euel workes ye shal knowe thē by their fruyte for a good tre bereth good frute an euel tre euel frute A man is lykened to the tre and his workes to the frute of y e tre Beware of the false prophets which cōe to you in shepes clothes but inwardelye they are rauenyng wolues ye shal knowe them by theyr frutes None of our workes nether saue vs nor condemne vs. It is proued that no workes make vs nother rightwyse nor vnrightwyse good nor euil but first we ar good ere we do good works and euell ere we do euell workes ergo no workes neyther saue vs nor cōdemne vs. Thou wilt say then maketh it no mater what we do I answer yes For if thou do euel it is a sure argument y t thou art euil and wantest the faith If thou do good it is an argumente that y u art good and hast y e faith for a good tre bereth good frute an euil tre euel frute yet good frute maketh not y e tre good nor euell frute the tre euyll so the mā is good ere he do good dedes euel ere he do euel dedes The man is the tre his workes are the frute faith maketh the good tre Incredulite the euel