of Christ's

passion and oblation.

HOM. III. to make a sacrifice and satisfaction, or, as it may be called, amends to his Father, for our sins; to asThe efficacy suage his wrath and indignation conceived against us for the same. Insomuch that infants, being baptized and dying in their infancy, are by this sacrifice washed from their sins, brought to God's favour, and made his children, and inheritors of his kingdom of heaven. And they, which in act or deed do sin after their baptism, when they turn again to God unfeignedly, they are likewise washed by this sacrifice from their sins, in such sort, that there remaineth not any spot of sin, that shall be imputed to their damnation. This is that justification, or righte ousness, which St. Paul speaketh of, when he saith, No man is justified by the works of the Law, but freely by faith in Jesus Christ. And again he saith, We believe in Jesus Christ, that we be justified freely by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law; because that no man shall be justified by the works of the Law.

Gal. ii.

Objection.

Answer.

And although this justification be free unto us, yet it cometh not so freely unto us, that there is no ransom paid therefore at all.

But here may man's reason be astonished, reasoning after this fashion; If a ransom be paid for our redemption, then is it not given us freely. For a prisoner that payeth his ransom is not let go freely; for if he go freely, then he goeth without ransom for what is it else to go freely, than to be set at liberty without payment of ransom?

This reason is satisfied by the great wisdom of God in this mystery of our redemption; who hath so tempered his justice and mercy together, that he would neither by his justice condemn us unto the everlasting captivity of the devil, and his prison of hell, remediless for ever without mercy; nor by his mercy deliver us clearly, without justice, or payment of a just ransom: but with his endless mercy he joined his most upright and equal justice. His great mercy he shewed unto us in delivering us from our former captivity, without requiring of any ransom to be paid, or amends to be made upon our parts;

pro

which thing by us had been impossible to be done. HOM. III. And, whereas, it lay not in us to do that, he vided a ransom for us; that was, the most precious body and blood of his own most dear and best beloved Son Jesus Christ; who, besides this ransom, fulfilled the Law for us perfectly. And so the justice of God and his mercy did embrace together, and fulfilled the mystery of our redemption. And of this justice and mercy of God knit together, speaketh St. Paul in the third chapter to the Ro- Rom. iii. mans; All have offended and have need of the glory of God; but are justified freely by his grace, by re demption which is in Jesus Christ; whom God hath set forth to us for a reconciler and peace-maker, through faith in his blood, to shew his righteousness. And in the tenth chapter; Christ is the end of the Rom. x. Law unto righteousness, to every man that believeth. And in the eighth chapter; That which was impos- Rom. viii. sible by the Law, inasmuch as it was weak by the flesh, God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh, by sin condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, which walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

gether in our

In these foresaid places, the Apostle toucheth Three things specially three things, which must go together in must go toour justification. Upon God's part, his great mercy justification. and grace: upon Christ's part, justice; that is, the satisfaction of God's justice, or the price of our redemption, by the offering of his body, and shedding of his blood, with fulfilling of the Law perfectly and thoroughly: and upon our part, true and lively faith in the merits of Jesus Christ; which yet is not ours, but by God's working in us. So that in our justification, there is not only God's mercy and grace, but also his justice; which the Apostle calleth the justice of God; and it consisteth in paying our ransom and fulfilling of the Law. And so the grace of God doth not shut out the justice of God in our justification; but only shutteth out the justice of man ; that is to say, the justice of our works, as to be merits of deserving our justification. And therefore St. Paul declareth here nothing, upon the behalf of

be understood

tifieth without works.

HOM. III. man, concerning his justification, but only a true and lively faith; which nevertheless is the gift of God, and not man's only work, without God. And yet, that faith doth not shut out repentance, hope, love, dread, and the fear of God, to be joined with faith in every man that is justified; but it shutteth them How it is to out from the office of justifying. So that, although that faith jus- they be all present together in him that is justified, yet they justify not altogether. Neither doth faith shut out the justice of our good works, necessarily to be done afterwards of duty towards God-for we are most bounden to serve God, in doing good deeds commanded by him in his Holy Scripture, all the days of our life but it excludeth them, so that we may not do them to this intent, to be made just by doing of them. For all the good works, that we can do, be imperfect; and therefore not able to deserve our justification: but our justification doth come freely, by the mere mercy of God; and of so great and free mercy, that, whereas all the world was not able of themselves to pay any part towards their ransom, it pleased our heavenly Father, of his infinite mercy, without any our desert or deserving, to prepare for us the most precious jewels of Christ's body and blood; whereby our ransom might be fully paid, the Law fulfilled, and his justice fully satisfied. So that Christ is now the righteousness of all them that truly do believe in him. He for them paid their ransom by his death. He for them fulfilled the Law in his life. So that now in him, and by him, every true Christian man may be called a fulfiller of the Law: forasmuch as that which their infirmity lacked, Christ's justice hath supplied.

THE SECOND PART OF THE SERMON OF SALVATION.

YE 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 HOм. III. 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; because that no man fulfilleth the Law, according to the strict rigour of the Law.

And St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Galatians, Gal. ii. 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, You 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 Ephes, ii. 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. Ard to this end tend all the Prophets, as St. Peter saith in the tenth of the Acts; Of Christ Acts x. all the Prophets, saith St. Peter, do witness, that through his name all they that believe in him shall receive the remission of sins.

tors.

And after this wise to be justified, only by this Faith only justifieth, is true and lively faith in Christ, speak all the old and the doctrine ancient authors, both Greeks and Latins; of whom of old DocI 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 he, doth glory Philip. iii. in the 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. Am-/ brose, a Latin author, saith these words; This is the ordinance of God, that they, which believe in

HOM, III. Christ, should 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 oftimes 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, Ecumenius, Phocius, Bernardus, Anselm, and many other authors, Greek and Latin.

Faith alone,

understood.

Nevertheless, this sentence, that we be justified by how it is to be 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 when they say that we be justified freely, do they 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 our 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, The profit of and his most precious blood-shedding. This faith the doctrine the Holy Scripture teacheth us; this is the strong rock and foundation of Christian Religion; this doc

of faith only justifieth.

trine all old and ancient authors 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