be under

ftood.

These be the very words of St. Bafil; and St. Ambrofe, a Latin author, faith thefe words; This is the ordinance of God, that they which believe in Chrift should be faved without works, by faith only, freely receiving remiffion of their fins. Confider diligently thefe words, without works, by faith only, freely we receive remiffion of our fins. What can be spoken more plainly, than to fay, that freely without works, by faith only, we obtain remiffion of our fins? These and other like fentences, that we be juftified by faith only, freely, and without works, we do read oft-times in the beft and moft ancient writers: as, befide Hilary, Bafil, and St. Ambrofe, before rehearsed, we read the fame in Origen, St. Chryfoftom, St. Cyprian, St. Auguftine, Profper, Oecumenius, Proclus, Bernardus, Anfelm, and many other authors, Greek and Latin. Nevertheless, this fentence, that we be juftified by faith only, is not fo meant of them, that the faid juftifying faith is alone in man, without true repentance, hope, charity, dread, and the fear of God, at any time and feafon. Nor Faith alone, when they say, that we should be juftified freely, do they how it is to mean that we should or might afterward be idle, and that nothing fhould be required on our parts afterward: neither do they mean fo to be juftified without good works, that we should do no good works at all, like as fhall be more expreffed at large hereafter. But this faying, that we be juftified by faith only, freely, and without works, is spoken for to take away clearly all merit of our works, as being unable to deferve our juftification at God's hands, and thereby moft plainly to exprefs the weaknefs of man, and the goodness of God; the great infirmity of ourselves, and the might and power of God; the imperfection of our own works, and the most abundant grace of our Saviour Chrift; and therefore wholly to afcribe the merit and deferving of our juftification unto Chrift only, and his moft precious blood-fhedding. This faith the holy Scripture The profit teacheth us; this is the ftrong rock and foundation of of the doc Chriftian religion; this doctrine all old and ancient authors faith only of Chrift's church do approve; this doctrine advanceth juftifieth. and fetteth forth the true glory of Chrift, and beateth down the vain-glory of man; this whofoever denieth, is not to be accounted for a Chriftian man, nor for a fetterforth of Chrift's glory; but for an adverfary to Chrift and his Gofpel, and for a fetter-forth of men's vain-glory. And What they although this doctrine be never so true, (as it is most true indeed) that we be juftified freely, without all merit of our doctrine of own good works, (as St. Paul doth exprefs it) and freely, faith only

C 3

trine of

be that im

pugn the

by juftifieth.

by this lively and perfect faith in Chrift only, (as the ancient authors ufe to speak it) yet this true doctrine must be alfo truly understood, and moft plainly declared, left carnal men fhould take unjufily occafion thereby to live carnally, after the appetite and will of the world, the flesh, A declara- and the Devil. And because no man fhould err by miftion of this taking of this doctrine, I fhall plainly and fhortly fo defaith with clare the right understanding of the fame, that no man out works fhall justly think that he may thereby take any occafion juftifieth. of carnal liberty, to follow the defires of the flesh, or that thereby any kind of fin fhall be committed, or any ungodly living the more ufed.

doctrine of

office of God only.

First, you fhall understand, that in our juftification by Chrift it is not all one thing, the office of God unto man, and the office of man unto God. Juftification is not the office of man, but of God; for man cannot make himself righteous by his own works, neither in part, nor in the whole; for that were the greatest arrogancy and prefumption of man that Antichrift could fet up against God, to affirm that a man might by his own works take away Juftifica and purge his own fins, and fo juftify himfelf. But juftition is the fication is the office of God only, and is not a thing which we render unto him, but which we receive of him; not which we give to him, but which we take of him, by his free mercy, and by the only merits of his moft dearly beloved Son, our only Redeemer, Saviour, and Juftifier, Jefus Chrift: fo that the true understanding of this doctrine, we be juftified freely by faith without works, or that we be juftified by faith in Chrift only, is not, that this our own act to believe in Chrift, or this our faith in Chrift, which is within us, doth juftify us, and deferve our juftification unto us, (for that were to count ourfelves to be juftified by fome act or virtue that is within ourselves;) but the true understanding and meaning thereof is, that although we hear God's word, and believe it; although we have faith, hope, charity, repentance, dread, and fear of God within us, and do never fo many works thereunto; yet we must renounce the merit of all our faid virtues, of faith, hope, charity, and all other virtues and good deeds, which we either have done, fhall do, or can do, as things that be far too weak and infufficient, and imperfect, to deferve remiffion of our fins, and our juftification; and therefore we must truft only in God's mercy, and that facrifice. which our High Prieft and Saviour Chrift Jefus, the Son of God, once offered for us upon the cross, to obtain thereby God's grace and remiffion, as well of our original

fn in baptifm, as of all actual fin committed by us after our baptifm, if we truly repent, and turn unfeignedly to him again. So that, as St. John Baptift, although he were never fo virtuous and godly a man, yet in this matter of forgiving of fin, he did put the people from him, and appointed them unto Chrift, faying thus unto them, Be- John i. bold, yonder is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fins of the world; even fo, as great and as godly a virtue as the lively faith is, yet it putteth us from itfelf, and remitteth. or appointeth us unto Chrift, for to have only by him remiffion of our fins, or juftification. So that our faith in Chrift (as it were) faith unto us thus: It is not I that take away your fins, but it is Chrift only; and to him only I fend you for that purpose, forfaking therein all your good virtues, words, thoughts, and works, and only putting your truft in Chrift.

The Third Part of the Sermon of Salvation.

IT
all men are condemned: whereupon it followeth necef-
farily, that fome other thing fhould be required for our
falvation than the Law; and that is, a true and a lively faith
in Chrift; bringing forth good works, and a life accord-
ing to God's commandments. And alfo you heard the
ancient authors' minds of this faying, Faith in Christ only
justifieth man, so plainly declared, that you fee, that the
very true meaning of this propofition or faying, We be juf-
tified by faith in Chrift only (according to the meaning of
the old ancient authors) is this: We put our faith in
Chrift, that we be justified by him only, that we be justi-
fied by God's free mercy, and the merits of our Saviour
Chrift only, and by no virtue or good works of our own
that is in us, or that we can be able to have, or to do,
for to deserve the fame; Chrift himfelf only being the
cause meritorious thereof.

ded, and therefore by the Law T hath been manifeftly declared unto you, that no man

Here you perceive many words to be used to avoid contention in words with them that delight to brawl about words, and alfo to fhew the true meaning to avoid evil taking and mifunderstanding; and yet peradventure all will not serve with them that be contentious; but contenders will ever forge matters of contention, even when they have none occafion thereto. Notwithstanding, fuch be the lefs to be paffed upon, fo that the reft may profit, which will be more defirous to know the truth, than

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(when

1

(when it is plain enough) to contend about it, and with
contentious and captious cavillation, to obfcure and darken
it. Truth it is, that our own works do not justify us, to
fpeak properly of our juftification; that is to fay, our
works do not merit or deferve remiffion of our fins, and
make us, of unjust, just before God: but God of his own
mercy, through the only merits and defervings of his Son
Jefus Chrift, doth juftify us. Nevertheless, because faith
doth directly fend us to Chrift for remiffion of our fins,
and that, by faith given us of God, we embrace the pro-
mife of God's mercy, and of the remiffion of our fins,
(which thing none other of our virtues or works properly
doth) therefore the Scripture ufeth to say, that faith with-
out works doth juftify. And forafmuch as it is all one
fentence in effect, to fay, faith without works, and only
faith, doth juftify us; therefore the old ancient Fathers of
the Church from time to time have uttered our juftifica-
tion with this fpeech; Only faith juftifieth us: meaning
no other thing than St. Paul meant, when he faid, Faith
without works juftifieth us. And because all this is brought
to pass through the only merits and defervings of our
Saviour Chrift, and not through our merits, or through
the merit of any virtue that we have within us, or of any
work that cometh from us; therefore, in that refpect of
merit and deferving, we forfake, as it were, altogether
again, faith, works, and all other virtues. For our own
imperfection is fo great, through the corruption of original
fin, that all is imperfect that is within us, faith, charity,
hope, dread, thoughts, words, and works, and therefore
not apt to merit and deferve any part of our juftification
for us.
And this form of speaking ufe we, in the hum-
bling of ourselves to God, and to give all the glory to our
Saviour Chrift, who is beft worthy to have it.

Here you have heard the office of God in our juftification, and how we receive it of him freely, by his mercy, without our deferts, through true and lively faith. Now you fhall hear the office and duty of a Chriftian man unto God, what we ought on our part to render unto God They that again for his great mercy and goodness. Our office is, preach faith not to pass the time of this prefent life unfruitfully and only juftiidly, after that we are baptized or justified, not caring how few good works we do, to the glory of God, and profit of our neighbours: much lefs is it our office, after that we be once made Chrift's members, to live contrary to the fame; making ourselves members of the Devil, walking after his enticements, and after the fuggeftions

feth, do

not teach carnal liberty, or that we

fhould do

no good

works,

of

but not the

faith.

of the world and the flesh, whereby we know that we do ferve the world and the Devil, and not God. For that faith which bringeth forth (without repentance) either evil works, or no good works, is not a right, pure, and lively faith, but a dead, devilish, counterfeit, and feigned faith, as St. Paul and St. James call it. For even the de- The devils vils know and believe that Chrift was born of a Virgin; have faith, that he fafted forty days and forty nights without meat true faith. and drink; that he wrought all kind of miracles, declaring himself very God: they believe alfo, that Chrift for our fakes fuffered a moft painful death, to redeem us from everlasting death, and that he rose again from death the third day: they believe that he afcended into heaven, and that he fitteth on the right hand of the Father, and at the last end of this world thall come again, and judge both the quick and the dead. These articles of our faith the devils believe, and fo they believe all things that be written in the New and Old Teftament to be true: and yet for all this faith they be but devils, remaining still in their damnable eftate, lacking the very true Chriftian faith. For the right and true Chriftian faith is, not only to be- What is the lieve that holy Scripture, and all the forefaid articles of true and our faith are true; but alfo to have a fure truft and confi-juftifying dence in God's merciful promifes, to be faved from everlafting damnation by Chrift: whereof doth follow a loving heart to obey his commandments. And this true Chriftian faith neither any devil hath, nor yet any man, which in the outward profeffion of his mouth, and in his outward receiving of the facraments, in coming to the church, and in all other outward appearances, feemeth to be a Christian man, and yet in his living and deeds theweth the contrary. For how can a man have this true faith, this fure truft and They that confidence in God, that by the merits of Chrift his fins continue in be forgiven, and he reconciled to the favour of God, and evil living to be partaker of the kingdom of heaven by Chrift, when true faith. he liveth ungodlily, and denieth Chrift in his deeds? Surely no fuch ungodly man can have this faith and truft in God. For as they know Chrift to be the only Saviour of the world; fo they know alfo that wicked men fhall not enjoy the kingdom of God. They know that God hateth unrighteoufnefs; that he will deftroy all those that Pfal. xxv. fpeak untruly; that those which have done good works (which cannot be done without a lively faith in Chrift) fhall come forth into the refurrection of life, and thofe that have done evil fhall come unto the refurrection of judgment, Very well they know alfo, that to them that

be

have not