Gal. ú.

Ephes. ii.

Acts X.

YE

The Second Part of the Sermon of Salvation.

E have heard, of whom all men ought to seek their justification and righteousness, and how also this righteousness cometh unto men by Christ's death and merits: ye heard also, how that three things are required to the obtaining of our righteousness, that is, God's mercy, Christ's justice, and a true and lively faith, out of the which faith spring good works. Also before was declared at large, that no man can be justified by his own good works, that no man fulfilleth the Law, according to the strict rigour of the Law.

And St. Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians proveth the same, saying thus: If there had been any law given, which could have justified, verily righteousness should have been by the Law. And again he saith, If righteousness be by the Law, then Christ died in vain. And again he saith, Fou that are justified by the Law are fallen away from grace. And furthermore, he writeth to the Ephesians on this wise, By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God, and not of works, lest any man should glory. And, to be short, the sum of all Paul's disputation is this; that if justice come of works, then it cometh not of grace; and if it come of grace, then it cometh not of works. And to this end tend all the prophets, as St. Peter saith in the tenth of the Acts; Of Christ all the Prophets, saith St. Peter, do witness, that through his name, all they that believe in him shall receive the remission Faith only of sins. And after this wise to be justified only by this the doctrine of true and lively faith in Christ, speak all the old and ancient authors, both Greeks and Latins; of whom I will specially rehearse three, Hilary, Basil, and Ambrose. St. Hilary saith these words plainly in the ninth Canon upon Matthew; Faith only justifieth. And St. Basil, a Greek author, writeth thus; This is a perfect and whole rejoicing in God, when a man advanceth not himself for his own righteousness, but acknowledgeth himself to lack true justice and righteousness, and to be justified by the only faith in Christ. And Paul, saith hé, doth glory in the contempt of his own righteousness, and that he looked for the righteousness of God by faith.

justifieth,

old Doctors.

Philip. iii.

These be the very words of St. Basil; and St. Ambrose, a Latin author, saith these words; This is the ordinance of God, that they which believe in Christ should be saved

how it is to be

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 oft times in the best and most ancient writers: as, beside Hilary, Basil, and St. Ambrose, before rehearsed, we read the same in Origen, St. Chrysostom, St. Cyprian, St. Augustine, Prosper, Oecumenius, Proclus, 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 fear of God, at any time and season. Nor Faith alone, when they say, that we should be justified freely, do they understood. mean that we should or might afterward be idle, and that nothing should be required on our parts afterward: neither do they mean 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 imperfection of our own works, and the most abundant grace of our Saviour Christ; and therefore wholly to ascribe the merit and deserving of our justification unto Christ only, and his most precious blood-shedding. This faith the holy Scrip- The profit of ture teacheth us; this is the strong rock and foundation of the us Christian religion; this doctrine all old and ancient authors tifieth. of Christ's Church do approve; this doctrine advanceth and setteth forth the true glory of Christ, and beateth down the vain-glory of man; this whosoever denieth, is not to be accounted for a Christian man, nor for a setterforth of Christ's glory; but for an adversary to Christ 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 true the doctrine of indeed) that we be justified freely, without all merit of our own good works, (as St. Paul doth express it) 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

faith only jus

What they be that impugn

faith only jus tifieth.

carnal men should take unjustly occasion thereby to live carnally, after the appetite and will of the world, the flesh, A declara and the Devil. And because no man should err by misof taking of this doctrine, I shall plainly and shortly so defaith without clare the right understanding of the same, that no man

tion of this

doctrine

eth.

is the office of

God only.

shall justly think that he may thereby 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.

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 man cannot make himself righteous by his own works, neither in part, nor in the whole; for that were the greatest arroganey and presumption of man that Antichrist could set up against God, to affirm that a man might by his own works take away and Justification purge his own sins, and so justify himself. But justification 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 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 deserve 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 and good deeds, which we either have done, shall do, or can do, as things that be far too weak and insufficient, and imperfect, to deserve remission of our sins, and our justification; and therefore we must trust only in God's mercy, and that sacrifice 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, and appointed them unto Christ, saying thus unto them, Be John hold, 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.

IT

The third Part of the Sermon of Salvation.

T 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' minds of this saying, Faith in Christ only justifieth man, so plainly declared, that you see, that the very true meaning of this proposition or saying, 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 delight to brawl about words, and also to show 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 matters of contention, even 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 desirous to know the truth, than (when it is plain enough) to contend about it, and with

contentious and captious cavillation, to obscure and darken it. Truth it is, that our own works do not justify us, to speak properly of our justification; that is to say, our works do not inerit or deserve remission of our sins, and make us, of unjust, just before God: but God of his own mercy, through the only merits and deservings 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 the Scripture useth to say, that faith without works doth justify. And forasmuch as it is all one sentence in effect, to say, faith without works, and only faith, doth justify us; therefore the old ancient Fathers of the Church from time to time have uttered our justification with this speech; Only faith justifieth us: meaning no 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 other virtues. For our own imperfection is so great, through the corruption of original sin, that all is imperfect 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 we, in the hum bling of ourselves to God, and to give all the glory to our Saviour Christ, who is best worthy to have it.

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 unto God, what we ought on our part to render unto God They that again for his great mercy and goodness. Our office is, only justifieth, not to pass the time of this present life unfruitfully and darnal liberty, idly, after that we are baptized or justified, not earing or that we how few good works we do, to the glory of God, and good works. profit of our neighbours: much less is it our office, after

preach faith

do not teach

should do no

that we be once made Christ's members, to live contrary 10 the same; making ourselves members of the Devil, walking after his enticements, and after the suggestions of the world and the flesh, whereby we know that we do