the doctrine it cometh not of works. And to this end tendeth all the prophets, as St. Peter saith in the tenth of the Acts; Of Acts 10. Christ all the prophets, saith St. Peter, do witness, that through his name, all they that believe in him shall receive the remission of sins. And after this wise to be justified Faith only only by this true and lively faith in Christ, speaketh all justifieth, is the old and ancient authors, both Greeks and Latins; of old docof whom I will specially rehearse three, Hilary, Basil, tors. and Ambrose. St. Hilary saith these words plainly in the to ninth canon upon Matthew; Faith only justifieth. And St. Basil, a Greek author, writeth thus; a This is a perfect and wholeb rejoicing in God, when a man advanceth not himself for his own righteousness, but knowledgeth himself to lack true justice and righteousness, and to be justified by the only faith in Christ. And Paul, saith he, doth glory in the Philip. 3. contempt of his own righteousness, and that he looketh for the righteousness of God by faith. These be the very words of St. Basil; and St. Ambrose, a Latin author, saith these words; This is the or his/ 20 dinance of God, that they which believed in Christ should he th be saved without works, by faith only, freely receiving remission of their sins. Consider diligently these words, without works, by faith only, freely we receive remission of our sins. What can be spoken more plainly, than to say, that freely without works, by faith only, we obtain remission of our sins? These and other like sentences, that we be justified by faith only, freely, and without works, we do read ofttimes in the most and best ancient writers: as, beside Hilary, Basil, and St. Ambrose, before rehearsed, we read the same in Origen, St. Chrysostom, St. Cyprian, St. Augustin, Prosper, Ecumenius, Photius, Bernardus, Anselm, and many other authors, Greek and Latin. Nevertheless, this sentence, that we be justified by faith only, is not so meant of them, that the said justifying faith is alone in man, without true repentance, hope, charity, dread, and the fears of God, at any time and season. Nor when they say, that we be justi- Faith alone, The following sentence is added in A. This is a perfect and an whole glo- eth B.C.69. they which believe] he which be- D. f how it is to Photius] Phocius B. C. Procius 69. and the fear] and fear A. h and season] or season A. stood. be under fied freely, they mean not that we should or might afterward be idle, and that nothing should be required on our parts afterward: neither they mean not so to be justified without good works, that we should do no good works at all, like as shall be more expressed at large hereafter. But this saying, that we be justified by faith only, freely, and without works, is spoken for to take away clearly all merit of our works, as being unable to deserve our justification at God's hands, and thereby most plainly to express the weakness of man, and the goodness of God; the great infirmity of ourselves, and the might and power of God; the imperfectness of our own works, and the most abundant grace of our saviour Christ; and therefored wholly to ascribe the merit and deserving of our justification unto Christ only, and his most precious blood-shedding. This faith the holy scripture teacheth usf; this is the strong rock aud foundation of Christian religion; this doctrine all old and ancient authors of Christ's church do approve; this doctrine advanceth and setteth forth the true glory of Christ, and beateth downg the vain-glory of man; this whosoever denieth, is not to be accounted for a Christian man, nor for a setter-forth of Christ's glory; but for an adversary to Christi and his gospel, and for a setter-forth of men's vain-glory. And although this doctrine be never so true, (as it is most doctrine of true indeed,) that we be justified freely, without all merit faith only of our own good works, (as St. Paul doth express it,) justifieth. and freely, by this lively and perfect faith in Christ only, (as the ancient authors use to speak it,) yet this true doctrine must be also truly understood, and most plainly declared, lest carnal men should take unjustly occasion thereby to live carnally, after the appetite and will of the A declara- world, the flesh, and the devil. And because no man tion of this should err by mistaking of this doctrine1, I shall plainly faith with- and shortly so declare the right understanding of the out works same, that no man shall justly think that he may thereby justifieth, take any occasion of carnal liberty, to follow the desires of the flesh, or that thereby any kind of sin shall be committed, or any ungodly living the more used. The profit of the doefaith only justifieth. trine of What they be that impugn the doctrine of office of First, you shall understand, that in our justification by. Christ it is not all one thing, the office of God unto man, and the office of man unto God. Justification is not the office of man, but of God; for a man cannot make himself righteous b by his own works, neither in part, nor in the whole; for that were the greatest arrogancy and presumption of man that Antichrist could set up against God, to affirm that a man might by his own works take away and purge his own sins, and so justify himself. But justification is the office of God only, and is not a Justificathing which we render unto him, but which we receive tion is the of him; not which we give to him, but which we take God only. of him, by his free mercy, and by the only merits of his most dearly beloved son, our only redeemer, saviour, and justifier, Jesus Christ: so that the true understanding of this doctrine, we be justified freely by faith without works, or that we be justified by faith in Christ only, is not, that this our own act to believe in Christ, or this our faith in Christ, which is within us, doth justify us, and deserved our justification unto us; (for that were to count ourselves to be justified by some 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 so many works thereunto; yet we must renounce the merit of all our said virtues, of faith, hope, charity, and all other virtues f and good deeds, which we either have done, shall do, or can do, as things that be far too weak and insufficient, and unperfect, to deserve remission of our sins, and our justification; and therefore we must trust only in God's mercy, and that sacrifices which our high-priest and saviour Christ Jesus, the son of God, once offered for us upon the cross, to obtain thereby God's grace and remission, as well of our original sin in baptism, as of all actual sin committed by us after our baptism, if we truly repent, and turn unfeignedly to him again. So that, as St. John Baptist, although he were never so virtuous and godly a man, yet in this matter of forgiving of sin, he did put the people from him, 20 mauers 15 followeth followed B. c. saying I proposition B 20 I A.B, John 1. talking B I 32 The Second Part of the Sermon Eu D. and appointed them unto Christ, saying thus unto them, Behold, yonder is the lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world; even so, as great and as godly a virtue as the lively faith is, yet it putteth us from itself, and remitteth or appointeth us unto Christ, for to have only by him remission of our sins, or justification. So that our faith in Christ (as it were) saith unto us thus: It is not I that take away your sins, but it is Christ only; and to him only I send you for that purpose, forsaking therein all your good virtues, words, thoughts, and works, and/ only putting your trust in Christ. The Third Part of the Sermon of Salvation. IT hath been manifestly declared unto you, that no man can fulfil the law of God; and therefore by the law all men are condemned: whereupon it followeth necessarily, that some other thing should be required for our salvation than the law; and that is, a true and a lively faith in Christ; bringing forth good works, and a life according to God's commandments. And also you heard the ancient authors' mindsd of this saying, Faith in Christ only 20 justifieth man, so plainly declared, that you seee, that the very true meaningf of this proposition or sayings, We be justified by faith in Christ only (according to the meaning of the old ancient authors) is this: We put our faith in Christ, that we be justified by him only, that we be justified by God's free mercy, and the merits of our Saviour Christ 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 same; Christ himself only being the cause meritorious thereof. Here you perceive many words to be used to avoid contention in words with them that delighth to brawl about words, and also to shew the true meaning to avoid evil taking and misunderstanding; and yet peradventure all will not serve with them that, be contentious; but contenders will ever forge matter of contention, even 30 when they have none occasion thereto. Notwithstanding, such be the less to be passed upon, so that the rest may profit, which will be more a desirous to know the truth, than (when it is plain enough) to contend about it, and with contentiousb and captious cavillation, to obscure and darken it. Truth it is, that our own works do notd justify us, to speak properly of our justification; that is to say, our works do not merit or deserve remission of our sins, and make us, of unjust, just before God: but 10 God of his own mercye, through the only merits and deservingsf of his son Jesus Christ, doth justify us. Nevertheless, because faith doth directly send us to Christ for remission of our sins, and that, by faith given us of God, we embrace the promise of God's mercy, and of the remission of our sins, (which thing none other of our virtues or works properly doth,) therefore scriptures useth to say, that faith without works doth justify. And forasmuch that it is all one sentence in effect, to say, faith without works, and only faith, doth justify us; therefore 20 the old ancient fathers of the church from time to time have uttered our justification with this speech; Only faith justifieth us: meaning none other thing than St. Paul meant, when he said, Faith without works justifieth us. And because all this is brought to pass through the only merits and deservings of our saviour Christ, 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 respect of merit and deserving, we forsake, as it were, altogether again, faith, works, and all 30 other virtues. For our own imperfection is so great, through the corruption of original sin, that all is fect that is within us, faith, charity, hope, dread, thoughts, words, and works, and therefore not apt to merit and deserve any part of our justification for us. And this form of speaking use wek, in the humbling of ourselves to God, and to give all the glory to our saviour Christ, which is best worthy to have it. unper Here you have heard the office of God in our justification, and how we receive it of him freely, by his mercy, without our deserts, through true and lively faith. Now you shall hear the office and duty of a Christian man a more] the most D. b contentious] contentions A. с cavillation] cavillations A. B. C. d do not] doth not A. • own mercy] mere mercy A. B. C. f and deservings] or deserving A. 8. scripture] the scripture A. use we] we use A. D in B. |