TRuly it is a de­uyllishe errour to teache, that we shulde euer doubt, and ne­uer be suer of Gods fauoure and our salua­cyon / as we haue ben ledde in the popes church, by vnlerned prestes which for their purpose haue wickedly wrasted the wordes of Sa­lamon in a wrong vnderstōdyng.Eccle. 9. The He­brew text meneth ā other th­inge, and is wrong trālated. Nescit homo amore, an odio dig­nus sit. That is to say. No man can tell whether he be worthy of loue or hatred. This error hath Sathan brought in to the church to obscure Christe, and cleane to abolysh oure faith in him, and in the place of oure faith to bryng in waueryng and doubtful opiniōs & weake imaginations in to oure myndes whereby in great extre­mite, [Page] and ernest temptationes we could take no asurance, but were dryuen to desperation, for he that doubteth of the wyl and fauore of god,A trewe christen man doutethe not of Gods fauour. and is not assuered that he wyll be mercyful to hym for Chri­stes sake / and that all his synnes be pardoned in hym, he is no trew christiane, and in hys incredulite can not be but cōdemned. Suer­ly the faithFayth. in Christe is only that maketh a trew christen mā / doubttyng & increduliteIncredu­litie. makyth a man no christiane. To belue & to doubt be not both on. To beleue is an o­ther thyng than to doubt. Ther­fore he that continueth in this for sayde error, beleuyth not the .xii. articles of oure crede, catholyke faith / in the which godes grace is clerly and vndoubtedly gyuen to vs in Christ. Then howe can they be christen men whyche lacke the faith of Christ. Or how can suche [Page] one saye the lordes oration well? He may with hys mouthe sounde the wordes, O oure heauenly fa­ther, but hys hart hath no truste in god, neyther hathe any firmite that he is a mercifull father, but doubtyth of y^e grace of god, whe­ther he be mercyfull or no, or whe­ther he pardone hym or no. His tonge sayth I beleue in Iesus Christ, I beleue the forgiuenes of sinnes, but his hart beleuyth not that Christe dyed for oure offen­ses, and that by his deth he hath obtayned for vs forgyuenes of all oure sinnes. He that waueryth thus, can not but despayre in the laste extremite of hys lyfe. And yf he dyspayre, thā is he damned, for he deperteth with an euyl consci­ēce, & hath no knowlege of Christ, nor beleuyth the gospell. Then what hope can he haue of euer­lasting lyfe? Yet our blynd gydes [Page] and seducers in the popes clargy haue taught vs that no man can precisely knowe whether he be in godes fauor or no. They that be­ne in this error, what beleue had they? dyd they not wander lyke y^e wynde nowe hether and thether? were they not cleane voyde of fayth? had they not a wretched, vncertayne, and a wauerynge lyfe? howe could they knowe whether these workes pleased God or no? what coulde this man thynke in hym selfe but thus? I am a chri­stened man, I haue studyed to lyue well and to do good workes, but yet I am vncerteyne whether my workes please God, or whe­ther my synnes be forgyuen me or not. Myne yll dedes be mo thē my good, I haue done mo synnes than vertues. Alas what shall be come of me. They that thus wa­uer & doubt, what hope can they [Page] haue in the agony of death, what fayth haue they, what thynge to trust vpon? Satan and his owne conscience accuse hym of synne, sayenge, he that lyueth yll shallbe damned, thou neuer fulfylledest yet the cōmaundementes of God, No synner can be saued. Dothe not Christ saye, yf thou wylt enter into lyfe kepe the commaundemē tes? but thou hast neuer kept thē.Mat. 19. Here is no hope lefte but that a man oppressed with suche cogita­cions, must nedes despayre. The blynde papistes haue taught vs poore wretches, that the fundaci­on of oure hope lyeth in the grace of God,The doctryne of the prests clargie. and in the merytes of our owne workes / so that oure hope shulde be nothynge elles but the expectacion of lyfe commynge of Gods grace and of our owne de­seruynges.what ho­pe is by the sophisters. Item that our hope in no wyse could stande without the [Page] helpe of our merites / other of the sophisters doo thus defyne it, hope is a boldenes of mynde conceyued of Goddes good­nes to haue euerlastynge lyfe through oure good workes. Here thou herest these two, grace and deseruynge, but these two do yll ioyne together, for where is grace there is no meretynge, agayne where meretynge is there is no grace. Therfore yf a seke persone tempted about his synnes thinke thus that without his owne me­rites he can loke for no saluaciō, then he trusteth not to the grace of God, neyther doth he apprehēd it nor grounde hym selfe vpon it, for so he hath ben taught and led that it was presumpcion to saye a man myght be assuerid of Gods fauour without the addynge to of his workes and merites: And thus haue we be led in this false [Page] persuasion so many yeares, but in erneste tentacions there is none that can stande vpon his merites or dedes / for here commyth in the law of god accusyng hym and all other men, that none of them all haue fulfylled yt. Then where be the good dedes, wherupō the seke man may truste, and hope for sal­uation therby. In our great ten­tations we all do fele that we be synners, and that all oure lyfe is nought and so voyde of all good­nes, that it is not able to abyde or stande in the seuere iudgement of god. These blynd seducers haue made one fote of oure hope lame & mayned, which is grace. The o­ther fote lame and haltyng, which is our owne workes, Now howe can oure hope stand fast, that we faule not in to desperation? To proue than that by oure dedes we can deserue no iustificatiō, nether [Page] any part therof, with al that euer we are able to do, Also that it is not in oure pouer to accompleshe the lawe of god,The law but that law only seruyth to se our vnablenes, oure vices & synnes therby, it nedyth no great declaratiō. We see thys dayly in our selues, that our flesh neuer ceasyth feyghtyng agaynst the spiritt, & doth inwardly gru­ge at euery good dede we doo, so that this noughtines and corruption of ours marryth all, wherby our good workes can not be pure nor acceptable that we doo. Ro. vii. Gal. v..i. Iohn̄. i. Wherfore wryteth Iohn̄ yf we say we haue no syne,1. Ioh. 1 we deceiue our selues, & truthe is not in vs. Also all the faythfull saye dayly in the lordes prayer. Forgiue vs our trespasses Esa. lxiiii.Esai. 64 we be as vnclene euery one, and all our ryghtuusnes lyke a clothe defyled with the flowers [Page] of a woman. Forthermore yf we dyd fulfyll all commandmentes of god, yet dyd we nothyng but which is our bound deuty to doe, nether can we loke for any reward therby, wytnes to Christe.Luc. 17. Luc. xvii. Whan ye haue done all that you can, yet saye you be vnprofi­table saruantes. These wordes of Christ verely may plucke downe our glory, and make vs all asha­med that we put no affiāce in our selues, nor in our owne good workes.Good workes. Howbeit I speke not this to extenuat the worthynes of good workes, or to plucke men backe from wel doyng. For the scripture teachith vs, that the study of good workes is euer to be employed, & wylles vs to be folowers of ho­nesty and good workyng. But no man muste put affiaunce in hys workes, as though by y^e worthe­nes of thē he could obtayne gra­ce, [Page] or put away syn or gett his sal­uation. For yf our ryghtuousnes and iustification before god stand in our myght or merites, than dy­ed Christ in vayne. Gal. ii.Gal. 2. Good workes in their degree and order haue their valewe, and be greatly cōmēded. A good man ought to insewe good vertues, to thentent he may do the wyl of his lord god, whyche commaundyth vs to lyue vertuously, and that he may also approue him selfe to his lord god, that god our heauenly father may be glorifyed therby. Mat. v.Mat. 5. Also we ought to doo good workes, to shew our selfes thankfull agayne to God, for his infinite benefites and gyftes. Phi. ii.Phil. 2. Also we must do good workes to exercise oure faith, that they may be testimones of oure beleue, and thus do they profyt both me and my neybour. My neyghbour in gyuyng exāple [Page] to encorage hym the better to a christiane lyfe. Also in that he is succored by them in his necessite. Secundarly they profyt me in y^t they exercise my fayth, and mor­tefye my fleshe and kepe me truly in my vocation.2. Pet. 1. For why yf I do any benefite to my fryndes and to myne ennemys, and perceiue yt to come of a tranke and free hart, than may I well assure my selfe y^t my faith is lyuely and a true faith which makyth of damned sinners the true children of god.Ioh. 1. Gal. 3.

Itē here is to be noted that good workes be these, which a man be­leuyng in Christ workyth in faith in hys lawfull vocation, after the ordenāce and forme of the lawe of god. Contrary euyll workesEuyll workes and sinnes be these which be donne w^t out fayth and with a fayned cha­rite, trustyng vpon them to por­chase y^e fauore of god, the forgyuenes [Page] of synnes, and the kyngdome euerlastyng, the which is cleane and directly contrary from oure christian fayth. For our christian fayth doth groūd vs vpō a more substātiall stone which is Christ,The foū ­dacion of our faith the trew forgyuer of synnes, and oure only reconciler, which hath obteyned for vs thys grace, hath washed away our sines, and hath deserued for vs euerlastyng sal­uation. This fayth makyth oure consciences that they wauer not not doubt any thyng of the grace of god. For the properte of thys fayth is to quiet oure conscience.Rom. 5. what true faith is. The trewe catholyke and lyuely fayth is thys whan a man fully persuadith him selfe, and beleuith stedfastly, and nothyng doubth, that he hathe god pacified, and a moste gentyll father to hym for Christes sake, to whom in all hys necessite, aduersite, and in all his [Page] affayres as a childe to his father, he wholy committeth and cōmen­dyth him selfe, putteth al his trust in hym, callyth on him, sekyng no succoure, consolation, nor good­nes but only of him.Act. 15. This fayth purefieth oure hartes. This faith is always workyng through charite, & hath the holy goost whiche moueth vs and styryth vs vp to follow the exāple of Christ, which hath left behīd steppes of al good workes, and paciente in afflicti­ons for vs to folow, sayēg to vs. This is my commaundemēt that ye loue together as I haue loued you.Ioh. 15. You be my fryndes yf ye wyl do these thynges that I haue gy­uen and taught you.Ioh. 14. Ioh. 15. He that lo­uyth me wyll kepe my lessons. I haue gyuen you exāple, as I ha­ue done to you, so do ye to youre selfes, by this you shal be knowen to be my deciples, yf ye haue loue [Page] one to an other. Agayne, he that takyth not vp his crosse and fo­lowyth me,Luc. 19. he is not my disciple. Where there is no repentāce nor any amendmēt of lyfe,No good fayth no good workes. Trewe faythe trew workes. and study of good workes, verely there is no trewe fayth. Trewe fayth can not be with out good workes no more than a good tree wyth out fruyte, or the sone with out hys heet, this is vndoubted. Therfore let euery man examine and serche hym self well leste he deceiue hym selfe. Many men there be whiche saye they beleue whan they haue no beleue, as it may apere by their vyciouse & wycked lyfe. For this is certaīe, where so euer trew faith is, ther is also the feare of god, there is repentance, there a trew and a christen mannes lyfe folowyth, there the old synful man is put of and a newe put on.Eph. 4. For by cause this is the vertu and the operatiō [Page] of our holy baptisme, that fayth doth clene renue and transforme a christean in to a new mā, whych walketh not after fleshe, but after the spirit. Rom. viii.Rom. 8.

Then where y^e grace of god wor­kyth in vs good fruyte, and we begyne to followe the cōmande­mentes of god our old man is not all mortefied streyght waye, but wyld and wanton with her lustes doth stryue agaynste vs all oure lyfe long, and neuer ceasyth pro­uokynge vs to syne, and euer re­bellyth agaynste oure spirite, let­tyng & hynderynge vs in all onest vertuys, wherby we be not able to lyue so vpryght after goddys cō ­mandemētes as we wold. Wher­fore whan oure synfull conscience or y^e feare of death doth come vpō vs we cā not trust to our workes, nor fynd any comforte therin, but (yf we wyll be saued) we muste [Page] nedes cry w^t y^e holy kynge Dauid. Enter not lord in to iugemēt with thy seruant, for in thy syght no ly­uyng flesh shall be iustefied. Our good workes thoug they be neuer so holy and excellent yet the value of them is not such, nether aught we to doo them for any suche pur­pose, nether dothe god require them to be done of vs for that in­tent that we shuld be iustefied and saued by them. For no man can truste any thyng to hys workes, nether be they able to delyuer vs from oure death,Our iustificacion only belō geth to Iesu Christ. that thyng only the workes of Iesus Christe is a­ble to do and nothyng els. Thys glory and honor is only dewe to him and to no man els, to be a Ie­sus,Iesus a sauiour that is by interpretation a sa­uior. For he ōly taketh away our synnes. iustifieth and sauyth vs by hys workes and pascion. This is hys office his worke and dewte [Page] only, for the whyche he was sent hyther of his heauenly father and ours to doo. Therfore yf the ho­ly workes and commandementes of god, can bryng no peace of cō ­science, than what shall a misera­ble synner do in the distresse of his temtation? whether shall he goo, whether shall he turne hym selfe? where shall he fynd help, and suc­coure, and comfort? so than yf we wyll loke for any saluation, we must firmely beleue and persuade our consciences, that oure synnes be pardoned vs, and clene taken away. But now howe shall we be so certefied in our myndes. I an­swere in suche temtations a man must nedes set apart the lawe, and all hys good dedes that euer he hath done, al hys strength, al his pouer, and merites, and let them all goo in this poynt. For here nothyng can succoure vs, but only [Page] the workes and passion of Iesus Christ. And therfore we must ap­pele from the lawe,Appele frō the lawe to the son streyght to the ryche & mercyfull promyse of oure father in his sone Christ, as vnto a suer succour and a sanctuary of eternall securitie and peace, and holde it fast in a fyrme and a sure fayth. And thus shall we fynde cō forte and quietnes ynoughe, and more than we can desyre, than ne­ther synne, nor death, nor hell shal not be able to hurte vs.

What the promyse of god is.The promyse of God is this.

Almyghtie God hathe promy­sed vs damnable synners in his onely begoten sone Iesus Christ, with out any maner of excepcion or condicion of our owne merites clerely of his owne free grace and goodnes,Hie. 31. full remission of all our synnes, his holy spirite, and euer­lastynge lyfe,Heb. 8. and that he wyll e­uer more be oure father, and that [Page] he wyll voutchsafe to receyue vs to his children, and gyue vs per­petuall saluacion.

These be trewe, fyrme, eternal,Heb. 9. vnfallible, suer and stedfast God whiche is almyghtie,2. L [...] and whiche can not lye hathe so promysed to vs, and hathe sworne depely by hīselfe that he wyll performe thē.

This is the newe testament, & the euerlastynge couenaunte of grace made to vs in Christe be­twixt him and vs, and confyrmed with his blode, wherof his pro­phetes so greatly speake of.

Christ the sone of God hath cō firmed this testamēt by his death, and is a suer gayge or a pledge of this promyse of God. The truth and grace of God is layde and reposed for vs in Christe, in hym we be suer to fynde it, as God spea­keth of his sone Christ oure trewe Dauid in the psalme .lxxxix.

Psal. 89. My trueth and my mercy shall e­uermore be with him, and in my name his power shalbe exalted, he shall call me. Thou art my father my God, and the rescuer of my health. And I shall set hym to be myne heare and fyrste begoten, a­uaunse vp aboue al the kynges of the earthe. I shall euermore reser­ue my mercy to hym, and my faithfull testament vpon hym. And I shall set vp his sede for euermore, and his throne lyke the dayes of the firmament. And if his chldren transgresse my preceptes, and wyl not walke in my Iudgemētes I shall visite and chastice theyr ini­quities with my rodde, and theyr synnes with strypes. But I wyll neuer take awaye my mercy clene from hym, and my truth shall ne­uer fayle him. I wyl neuer breake my testamēt that I make, neyther wyll I euer go from my wordes [Page] that procede out of my lyppes. Ones haue I sworne in my holy­nes, see yf euer I breake my a­poyntmēt with my seruaunt Da­uyd, his sede shall remayne for e­uer, and his throne lyke the sonne in my syght. &c.

This promyse is also redde in the .ii. Reg. vii.2. Reg. 7. Here in this pro­phesy God speaketh of y^e eternall kyngdom of Christ, in which per­petuall mercy, peace, and quiet­nes is, for in Christ he hathe reposed & layd vp his truth and mer­cy. Therfore in no other thynge can this promyse of grace be foūd or obtayned sayue only in Christ. In him god hath promised to vs saluaciō frely through his mygh­tie mercie: Therfore who soeuer beleueth in Christe without any more a doo (to be bolde vpon it) he hathe all thynges, And though there be in Christes kyngdome [Page] weyke and infirme sinners, which slyppe & fall many tymes, yet this priuelege & prerogatiue they haue their sinnes shall not be imputed to damnation. All theire offenses be offenses of children not of sar­uantes. We haue a salue conduct and a passeport through all y^e pe­ryls of death and damnaciō. And thoughe we fall neuer so heynously yet shal we not perishe therfore, for our christian fayth doth so fa­sten vs vnto oure Dauid Christe that we be made one sprite with hym. In Christe we haue the ve­rite of Goddes promyse, and his mercy euermore to continue, oure heauenly father wyll not punishe his weake children in his wrathe for euer, but wyll chastice them w^t fauour in this temporall lyfe, call vs agayne to repentaunce. Thus the grace of God shall euer abyde fyrme and stable, whiche we be suer [Page] shall not fayle vs so that we beleue this Dauid Christ to be oure kyng & cast all our trust on him.

And here is to be noted and cō sidered where he sayth.Truth. My treuth and mercy allways go with hym, yf it be his trewth, than it can not ley, nor deceiue vs. Yf yt be hys mercy and grace,Grace. than yt standith not by oure workes nor the lawe, wherfore all these thynges shall happen to vs in Christe, and for Christes sake, which by hys wor­kes and passion hathe purchased and bought all thyng for vs.

Esay. lv.Esa. 55. Bowe downe youre eare and come to me, heare me and your soule shall lyue, and I shall stryke a bergayne with you per­petuall, the suer mercies which I promysed to Dauid. Ierem. xxxi.Ier. 31. This shalbe the bargayne that I shall stryke with the house of Is­raell. After those dayes I shall [Page] gyue my lawe within theyr bow­els, and wyll write it in theyr har­tes,Nota. and I wyll be theyr God, and they shall be my people, for I wyl pardon all theyr iniquities, and wyll no more remember theyr of­fences. &c. So doth the apostle in his epistle to the Hebrues alledge the same place,Heb. 8.10 where he proueth that this bargayne of grace are this newe testament betwyxt god and vs is now confyrmed and sealed vp by the death of Christ. And that god is now no more a streyte iudge but a most tender father to all the faythful of Christ, and that he wyl pardone all their offenses. Lykwise to the Gala. S. Paule callyth thys eternall bargayn of grace,Gal. 3. a testament that shal stand for euer, where as he wryteth. No mā brekyth or dysordenyth y^e wyll or testament of a man beyng ones confirmed and ratified. Than yf [Page] mēnes testamētes ones made and confirmed, abyde firme and suer, how muche more the testament of god ones confirmed and ratified, shall abyde firme? These testimo­nes do proue euidently & strongly that goddes grace promised in Christe is firme and suer, so that now no beleuer ought ne cā doubt of the fauor of god and remission of hys synnes.we ought not to dought. But vndoubtedly and constantly ought to styke to this promise of god which cā not nether shall be found false.

What hart now is so hard or sto­ney that wyll not relēt or be styred vp by thys firme and swete pro­mise of god, to take a bolde fayth and a confident trust vpō y^e grace and fauor of almyghte god beyng so promised to vs? Wyll not these wordes make vs certefied, yea & also secure as yt were a bonde or a bargane, testament, promise,Bonde, testamet, promyse, mercy, an othe. an [Page] othe, mercy. And all these doth no man whiche maye decyue vs, but god eternall promise our father in heauen, which is truyth hymselfe.

Yt is an horrible blyndnes in vs that whan god hymselfe doth calle vs to hys grace, & doth pro­mise frely to vs for his marcy sake clere remission of our synnes, and for the same purpose hathe sent to vs hys only begotten sone in to y^e world, to be a suer token or plege of hys heauenly fauor and grace, and yet we lene and hold more to our owne stynkyng workes than to the trew & euerstādyng truyth of god. Alas for pyte howe many pretious soules moste pytuously haue be brought to desperation, throughe these workes dooynge. The law only hath bene put forth vnto them, & no thyng els beten into theire heades, but this, what god requireth of vs, howe great [Page] synners we were, what vēgaunce of God dyd fall vpon synne, what tormentes, what fyre and brym­stone we shuld suffre in hell. But none taught the people faythful­ly the promyse of God, the gospel of Christe in the whiche sorowfull and vexed consciences of synners myght be refresshed and lerne the infinite and vnsearchable grace that God whiche of his vnknow­en mercy hathe promysed,Gods promyse is a gyfte. that is to saye hathe geuen vs frely in Christ, with the whiche promyses sely consciences myght be releued and confyrmed strongly agaynst all the gates of hell. We blynde and wretched wolde reward God with ours, and deserue of hym all thynges that we had / we wolde not be in his det or daunger / we dysdayned to haue his liberalitie cōme freely vnto vs / and nothing wolde take of hym by grace. And [Page] that was the cause why Christe was not ryghtly preached but only Moses:what was the cause wh [...] Moses was pre­c [...]yd and not christ. So it alwayes com­meth to passe, when the cōmaun­dementes onely be set forth, after the maner of the Iewes, and the promyses of God nothynge spo­ken of / there it can be none other but that mennes cōsciences must nedes be vexed and disquieted w^t miserable sorowe and perplexitie so that they can receyue almoste no consolacion. But who soeuer wyll brynge men to God in dede, and wyll quiet theyr consciences, must alwayes teache these two together the lawe and the promyse / as the prophetes, Christe, and the apostles euer dyd.

The vse of the lawBy the lawe they brought men to the knowlage of theyr synful­nes, theyr vnworthynes, theyr in­firmitie and vnabilitie to good­nes / theyr dutie what they ought [Page] to do / and theyr damnaciō which therof folowed: And so broughte them to humiliate them selues before God / wherby they being iustly stroken with the feling of gods ryght iudgement, myght ernestly forthynke them of theyr synnes / & call for mercy. They taught not the lawe so as thoughe it were ynoughe to knowe what were to be done, or not to be done / or as thoughe of our owne strength we coulde do good and eschewe yll / and so by the lawe and by oure owne workes be foūde iust before God / and put awaye synne. They taught not the lawe I saye for no suche ende nor purpose / neyther was the lawe gyuen therfore that we shulde be iustified therby be­fore God / but it was gyuen for this to requyre of vs all ryghtu­ousnes and to threten vs,why the law was gyuen. that by the requiringe of this rightuous­nes, [Page] and we beynge nothynge a­ble to perfourme it, we myght the better lerne therby our vnryghtuousnes and noughtines / and so finally to acknowlage and confesse our owne wretchydnes, to then­tent that beynge thus contryte & humiliated in hart we might seke to Christ for socour the whiche by his workes and passion doth on­ly iustefie vs.

We be nothyng able to deserue any saluacion by the lawe or our workes. That is an hygher and a more excellent thinge than that our rotten workes be able to pro­cure. God hath promysed to gyue vs that freely by his mercy for Christes sake, and doth gyue it of grace to thē that beleue in Christ, as S. Paule to the Romaynes doth call euerlastyng lyfe the gift of God.Rom. 6. Gal. 3. And lykewyse to the Ga­lathians doth put a clere differēce [Page] betwixt them, and sheweth playnly his mind of the law & of the promyse, howe they concure to oure iustificacion. Let vs weghe well his wordes, for al the weyght and fundacion of our iustificaciō doth lye vpō thē. His wordes be these. If our inheritaunce stande of the lawe than it standeth not of pro­myse.Marke. But God dyd gyue it to A­braham. If the lawe had he gyuē vnto vs whiche myght haue iustified vs, thā our iustificaciō might be of the lawe. But the scrypture hath wrapped all thynges vnder synne, that the promyse myghte come by the fayth of Iesus Christ to all that beleue.

And agayne in the second to the Gal.Gal. 2. If our iustificacion sayth he could come by the law, thā Christ dyed in vayne. Therfore I saye where as men thus by the lawe were brought to the knowlage of [Page] theyr synnes, and so stroken with great sorowe and heuynes of conscience for theyr synfull and vici­ous nature, than was the Gospel put and set before them that is to say Grace promysed vs in Christ. And than dyd they begynne to beleue ernestly & to reioyce in theyr hartes truely for this grace pro­mysed in Christ, that God had gyuen thē for Christes sake forgyuenes of theyr synnes. Thus saynte Paule in the place afore recited, dothe comforte with trewe conso­lacion wretched and desperat syn­ners for he leadeth them onely to the promyse of God, and beateth that in to them, for therby onely our consciences be cleane and quieted. And dothe teache the lawe & gods commaundementes also, ex­hortynge vs diligently to the stu­dy of good workes, and is not only content with that, but also doth [Page] shewe where and howe to come by the corage and lust to do these good workes.

Thus fyrst they taught the law for repentaūce but streyght after they ioyned withall the promyse of God to brynge mē to the knowlege of the moost ryche grace of God gyuen and promysed vs in Christe, teachynge withall where we shulde get the strength to full­fyll the commaundemētes, where oure synfull nature was not able to fulfyl it.Rom. 8. In consideraciō wherof the Apostles euerywhere declared and set forth the excedyng and passynge ryches and treasures of Goddes myghty grace whiche he hathe gyuen and promysed vs in Christ, yf we beleue vpō him, and so forthe dyd lede wretched syn­ners frō the lawe to Christ. This great grace of God so offered they receyued thē and enbraced great­ly, [Page] and thus beleuynge were pacified in theyr cōsciences. The lawe doth threten and affraye, but than she is not able to heale or comfort them beynge greued, or to dely­uer them from theyr agony / wherfore we must nedes flee to the promyse. And there shall we fynde ryghtuousnes, peace, lyfe, & helth ynoughe. Hereupon S. Paule to the Gal. iii.Gal. 3. sayth The lawe was but as it were oure scolemayster vnto Christ,The ende of the lawe. that we shulde be iu­stified by Christ / for the lawe doth force vs, doth constrayne vs, doth call vpon vs, dothe manace vs, & lyeth vpon our neckes, requiring of vs all maner of good workes, perfecte iustice, perfecte innocēcie of harte, perfecte feare and loue of God, and also of our neyghbour. But we of oure owne strength be not able to accōplyshe that which she requyreth, & thus she dryueth [Page] vs to Christ, and is our scolemay­ster vnto Christ. He thā receyueth vs commynge to hym, helpynge vs, and gyuinge vs all such thin­ges that the law requyreth of vs / so that the lawe is not able to damme vs.

For this cause S. Paule doth call Christe the ende of the lawe. Rom. x.Rom. 10. Or as S. Augustine doth expounde it the fulfyllynge of the lawe. He that hath Christ is iust, he that beleueth in Christe hathe all thynges which the lawe requireth. Christe hathe reconsyled for vs God his father / he is our me­diator and euerlastynge preest he hath obtayned vs grace, the holy goost with all his gyftes, remyssyon of synnes, & all maner of goodnes with lyfe euerlastynge, he as Ieremye wryteth .xi.Iere. 11. dothe gyue vs a newe harte and a softe harte and the holy goost to moue vs for [Page] to do well. And where as yet we be partly fleshly nor can not be all mortefyed in this body, nor tho­rowly fulfyll the commaundemē ­tes of God, there is he made oure wysdome, our iustice and redem­cyon, so that his innocēcie and all that euer he hathe is made oure by faythe / for after that we put on christe vpon vs, and after we be­leue in hym, there is no ieoperdie can hurt vs, thoughe we be neuer so weake and frayle, so that we do not walke purposely after our appetyte of the flesshe, and rūne styll hedlonge in synne with our repentaunce / for oftymes it happeneth that good and moost holy men do fall as well as other but yet they lye not styll,Good mē do synne. but get vp agayne, & be styll delyted withe the lawe of God inwardelye in theyr hartes, euer callynge for remyssion of synnes by Christe, and optayne also [Page] the same which he desyre. Al these thynges we maye se very well ex­pressed in Abraham, for Abraham (sayth Paule) is the father of all the faythfull beleuers in christe / therfore we haue in Abraham a clere figure and an example howe that a synner maye be iustified, & what is the nature of christiane fayth, what is the power, the pro­pertie, and workinge of the same / and also how that our cōsciences may be quieted, whether by fayth or by workes / therfore he that is the trewe childe of Abraham, that is a good man in dede, or y^t wolde be a trewe mēbre of christ, let him loke vpon Abraham his father, and there he shall se howe God dothe with vs, howe he tendereth vs, and howe we ought to do a­gayne for hym, as Paule also tea­cheth vs. Rom. iiii. Gal. iii. Fyrste of all Abraham harde the great & [Page] ryche promyse of God sayenge vnto hym, do not feare Abraham, I am thy defender, and great is thy reward with me. And afterward.

In thy sede all nacions shall be blessed, that is shall be delyuered from synnes, death, and malediccion and shall haue euerlastynge lyfe. This was glad tydynges to Abraham. And styl dyd Abraham beleue this promyse, notwithstandynge yet moche greuyd with trobles and sorowes. And so therfore was Iustified by this faythe and truste that he had to the promyse of God.Nota. Now this was .iiii.c. and xxx. yeares before the law was gyuen, and therfore was he sauyd, not by the workes of the law, but by his fayth in God and in the blessed sede whiche was promysed hym. And no otherwyse also must we al be saued, for ther is no other way nor meanes to come to helth, [Page] only the promyse of God must iu­tyfie vs yf we beleue, and not the lawe nor no workes.

Secondarly this fayth of Abraham that he hadde vpon Christe, made him a newe man, and cleane dyd alter his olde affeccions, and put in hī newe cogitacions otherwise thā this nature of ours hath, for he reioysed onely in the lorde, and in hym taketh a meruaylous boldnes, he knoweth well that God is his father which in all his affayres, his affliccions and trobles wyll helpe hym, and is able to helpe hym, and thus trustynge vnto Gods promyse receyueth & reposeth hym selfe in the handes of God, with a bolde harte and a stronge confidence, doughtynge nothynge but that God wyll be mercyfull vnto hym, euen as any father wyll be to his owne natu­rall chyld, whome he loueth most [Page] tenderly, so then Abrahā hauinge this fayth, went vp to the hyll, at the cōmaūdemēt of God, to shewe his obedience & offered his sonne, for true faythe can neuer be with out good workes, but euer wyll be occupyed in the obedience of God Iac. ii. Gal. ii. In the meane season Abrahams harte and con­science was nothynge vnquietted for all that, but styll quiet by rea­son of his fayth he had in Christ, for he was euer suer of the fauour and the loue of God toward him, wherfore S. Paule Rom. iiii.Rom. 4. full wel describeth his whole thought and cogitacion, where as he sayth that Abraham dyd neuer shrynke yet in his faythe, nor doubted in the ꝓmyse of God, but euer strōge in his faythe, dyd gyue glory to God, knowynge well this that he which promysed hym was able to performe it. And therfore he sayth [Page] that it was imputed to hym for iustyce, that is for his iustificaci­on / for this Abraham thought & perswaded hym selfe that God was almyghtie & true of his pro­myse which wolde not defeall nor deceyue his people. And yf he had so thought in him self as now our papysttes do teach, I can not tell suerly whether god loue me or no peraduēture he is not frendly vn­to me, nor caryth for me, nor re­gardyth me. &c. Yf Abraham I say had thought on this maner, or had shrynked so in hys fayth, I thynke he wold neuer haue inten­dyd to offer vp his only sonne, nor wolde haue bene persuaded to go from his fathers house owt into a strange lande, but rather wolde haue thought thus. It is good to be suer of that a mā hath all redy, this I haue and am suer of, the o­ther is vnsuer, what shuld I kyll [Page] my onely and welbeloued sone? who wyl gyue me an other? what shulde I goo out of myne owne house in to a strange land I can not tell howe farre? what folyshe­nes were it? I wyll not so, I wyll tary styll here where I am in my fathers house. Neyther wyll I be so cruell to my sone for to slee him thus I saye he had thought yf he had not beleued constantly / but whan he went out so boldely and merely out of his fathers house into a farre and a straunge coun­tre, and with so lusty chere went vp to y^e hyll with his sone to offre hym vp to God, which no nature of man can do, for what naturall man can fynde in his hart to offre vp his sone. Than by lyke he dyd only hange of the handes of god, onely dyd truste vpon God, vpon his grace, vpon his helpe, nothīg doubtynge in his conscience but [Page] that God was able to performe all that he had promysed, for why no doubtynge harte can be so wyllynge to do as Abraham dyd, nor yet ones thynke to do it, so quyet was Abrahams cōscience by faith in gods promyse, that Paul in his epystle to the Rom. iiii. doth gyue hym an excellent prayse therfore, that we all shulde marke it, and well beare it awaye. Abraham sayth he neuer dyd shrynke in his fayth, but alwayes stronge in his beleuinge trusted suerly, why dyd he trust suerly? bycause God pro­mysed, for this he dyd knowe and was fully persuaded, that God was trewe of his worde and pro­myse, what so euer he promyseth he performeth of his grace, and is well able to performe it, for he is almyghtie, nor dothe not pro­myse for our deseruynges but of his grace only,Rom. 4. that nowe we may [Page] be bold to truste vnto it. For yf he shulde promyse after oure deser­uynges, any thyng he culd neuer performe yt, for oure merites be none and nothyng worth, but he doth promise vs infinite goodnes in Christ w^t out our merites, only of hys pure grace and mercy. And therfore wryteth Paule Gal. iii. y^t god promysed Abrahā y^e blessyng, cccc.xxx.The pro­mise was made ere the lawe came. yeares before the lawe of Moses was gyuen, by cause that no man shuld so thynke that thys blessyng dyd stande of the workes of the lawe, or that he culd not en­ioy thys fre promyse and blessyng of god before he dyd fulfyll all the lawe of Moses. Wherfore for the loue of god lett all good men here marke, that Abrahā neuer fayled nor dyd shrinke in faith, nor neuer doubted at the promise of god, nor of the loue & grace of god toward him. For so the holy gost doth say [Page] that he had a suer persuasiō, mark well this. Yf yt were a persuasiō that he had, than yt was no opi­nion, nor doubtyng that he had. But fully dyd truste & beleue, he went not thyther whether hys in­credulyte and doubtyng dyd byd him to goo, the whiche doubtyng our papistes haue taught vs, whether thought he thus, whyther yt be true or not true I wyll do yt, but his consience was fully per­suaded that it was true that god had promised, and that god wold be good and mercifull vnto hym, had forgyuen his sinns, had iustifyed him, and wold neuer forsake him nor abiect him, and after this lyfe also wolde gyue hī euerlastīg lyfe for the sede sake that was promised hym, whiche was Christe. Yf god had sayd thus to Abrahā. Here Abraham I wyl be merciful vnto the, I wyll forgyue the thy [Page] synnes, & always be present with the and helpe the so on this condi­tion that thou kepe and fulfyll all my cōmaundmentes, thus I say yf god had gyuen him his promis vnder this cōdition of fulfyllyng his cōmaundementes, then Abra­hams cōsience had neuer ben me­ry nor quiet but always doubting of the grace of god & forgyuenes of hys synnes, nor shuld bene cer­tayne of his saluation. For thus he myght haue taught. I haue done all that I can w^t all deligence to fulfyll goddes preceptes, yet I culde neuer fulfyll them so perfectlye as I awoght nothyng lyke, wherefore thys promise of god is vncertane to me, nether I can tell whether I shall take yt or no, for bycause I haue not performed all that was inioyned & cōmaunded me and god dyd gyue me his pro­myse no otherwyse but of this cō ­dition [Page] yf I kept his cōmaunde­mētes, and I am not able so to do, wherfore I am not suer whether he wyll gyue me these thynges y^t he promised. I can do nothyng on my part, and therfore how can he kepe his promise with me, wher­fore what hope can I haue nowe of helth. Yt is but loste labor all y^t I go about, thus I saye yf god had promised hys blessyng vnder this condition to Abraham, then he myght wel haue despeared, but now he addyd no such condition,The pro­myse cam without any con­dicion. & all because we shuld not doubt, but that his promise remanyth al­ways suer and stable. And this it is that god requireth only of vs, y^t we shuld neuer doubt nor questione of his fre grace, but to be bold and trust vpon yt, that he is a lo­uyng father to vs, and we be his children. But we culde not be so bolde of thys grace of god yf any [Page] suche condition of fulfyllyng the law were gyuen w^t all, as yf thou kepe my cōmaundemētes wel, thē shalt thou haue thy synnes forgy­uen. Therfore yt is necessary that the promise of this blessyng stand without all conditions, and with outt all respect of oure workes or meretes, but only in the fre grace of god, for or els we culd neuer be suer of yt nor certane but always in doubt and mystrust, For yf the remissiō of our sinnes shuld stand in the fulfyllyng of the lawe, then our flesh beyng so weyke & frayle, and not able to fulfyll the lawe, how shulde we know and be suer that god is good to vs or that we were in the fauor of god, but ra­ther shuld thynke that he were angre with vs, because we neuer fulfyll his commaundmentes as we shuld do. And thus the fre promi­se of god shuld stand voyde and in [Page] no effecte. For why no man were able to obtayne yt. But thankes and prayse be to the faythfull lord the father of our lord Iesus christ and ours, the father of mercy, and the god of all comforth wiche ha­uyng mercy vpon vs and tender­ing our weyknes hath not byldyd oure helth and saluation vpon no such brykell and weyke fundatiō, as vpon our workes and our ful­fyllyng of the lawe, for so we culd neuer be saued But the fundation that we be groundyd vpon & pre­uale agaynste the gates of hell,The foū ­dacion of our hope. is the great grace and mercy of god in his sone Christ. For in him god hathe promised vs all the remisciō of oure sinnes, and euer lastynge lyfe. Thys promise is only and a­lone all our comforth that we may bouldly trust vpon. So thus you se how god promyseth vs remisiō of our sinnes and lyfe euerlastyng [Page] not vnder any condytion of wor­kyng and fulfyllyng the law, but he gyuyth yt frely of his fre grace I say, only & alone throw Christe, & not for no workes of ours. And therfore he gyuyth yt frely, without any condition of our workes. Bycause the promise myght stand fyrme and stable, that is, that we may be sure of the fauore of god & of the remisiō of our synnes, doubtyng nothyng therin, notwithstandyng we be neuer so much synfull in oure nature, & vnworthy wret­ches, that euery beleuyng christen man may say with Paule. Thys I knowe and is vndoubted, that nether deth nor lyfe nether āgels,Rom. 8. nether prynces, nor potestates, ne­ther thīges neygh, nor thynges to cū, nether heyght nor depnes, nor no other creature is able to sepa­rate vs from y^e loue of god whiche is Iesus Christe oure lorde. Here [Page] may we playne se that Paule had a bolde and a confident truste of the forgyuenes of his synnes, and of his helth to come, plentuously persuaded of the grace of God to­warde hym or elles howe could he so feruently lerne, reioyce, and triumphe in sprite agaynste all crea­tures bothe in heauen and in the worlde, so omnipotently desyryng them all, beynge ryght suer and certayne that nothynge neyther aboue nor benethe coulde anoye him, and why? bycause he beleued in Christ, and was sure of the mercy of God towarde hym through fayth / and therfore was his con­science so quiet and triumphant. And euen so maye euery christen man lykewyse take the same co­rage and the same mynde in hym selfe.Marke. Howbeit no mā can do this vnlesse he put awaye all respecte of his owne merytes and workes [Page] and only trust vnto the free mer­cy and grace of God, which grace is gyuē vs onely throughe christ and not throughe oure selues. Tit. iii.Tit. 3. that notwithstandynge yet these good workes of ours do folowe and sprynge out of this faythe and promyse of God. And loke there where as they do not folowe and maye folowe there is no trewe nor lyuely faythe, but only a deed and barayne opinion of faythe, but where this trewe and lyuely faythe is, there is workyd miracles and thynges farre pa­ssynge the possibilitie of naturall workynge. For as saynt Paule sayth / we receyue the holy goost not by our workynge but by hea­ring of the gospel,Gal. 3. this holy goost wyll not suffre vs to doubte after the papistes fassion, or as they wold haue vs, nor to fere as their seruyle sprite dothe, but with a [Page] bolde truste cryeth in oure hartes to God abba father, and wytnes­seth with oure sperite that we be the chyldren & the heyers of God and felowe heyers with Christe, that we maye be glorified toge­ther with hym. And as Paule to the Ephesians sayth,Ephe. 1. they that beleue in Christe be sealed vp with the holy spirite of promyse, the spirite we haue as a pledge or an ernest peny of our inhereditaunce and possession which we haue got and be redemed vnto.The holy spirete is our pleas Therfore with all fayth and trust we muste euer loke vpon the promyses of God, and vpon Iesus Christ on­ly. And so in this promyse of God our conscience may fynde comfort and peace plentie, but in our wor­kes we shall fynde none. And therfore marke wel this text of Paule and kepe it well in youre remem­braunce, where he sayth.Rom. 4. Rom. iiii [Page] Abraham had this promyse gyuē to hym & to his sede that he shuld be the heyre of the worlde, not for his workynge after the lawe, but for his byleuynge in fayth / for yf they whiche belonge to the lawe be the heyers, then is fayth voyde and the promyse of none effecte / for why the lawe worketh angre, by reason that yf there were no lawe, there were no transgression, therfore is the inheritaunce gyuē by fayth as by grace frely, bycause the promyse muste stande fyrme & stable to all the sede of Abraham. Dayly experience and practyse in our trobles and dystresses decla­reth that no man be he neuer so holy can quyet his conscience by his workes.Experi­ence. Oure synnes and death be more greuous enemyes vnto vs than that we be able to ouer come thē by oure owne dedes and deseruynges / we must haue an o­ther [Page] maner of meanes to that, whiche is our faythe receyuynge and holdynge the promyse of God in Christe. And so that is able to conquere the mighty fersnes of synne and death. This fayth receyueth and styketh to most sure and eter­nall thynges that can neuer fayle vs and not to oure workynges, but to the great grace of God, to Christe him selfe, to his workes & his deseruynges and to the pro­myse in Christe, brefely to all that Christe hathe, or is worth / whiche thynges be moch greatter, higher more stable, and magnificall, thā our capacities is able to compre­hende.Remedy ī tēptaciō. Therfore whan any temtacion commeth we must not loke to the lawe and oure workes, but settynge all them a syde, we must runne and crepe to the crosse of Christ, we must seke for helpe and grace by christ, & hūbli must knowlage [Page] oure faultes. And thoughe oure synnes be neuer so great or greuous, thoughe the feare and temptacion of deathe be neuer so horrible, yet we must styll styke to the promyse of God, and suerly must trust, and doubte nothynge, that oure synnes be forgyuen vs for Christes sake accordynge to the promyse of God, without any deseruynges of ours: & that God is oure father, and we shall lyue with hym for euer and euer. The workes & passion of Christ, which be of great and infinite and omnipotent power ought more to styre vs vp to truste well on God that he wyll be euermore to vs a mer­cyful lord, than our synnes ought to fraye vs, for the grace of God in Christe is moche stronger and more able to deliuer and helpe vs than our synnes be to condempne vs. Roma. v.Rom. 5. And this grace of [Page] god doth not hang of our workes for than yt shulde be vncertayne, but yt standyth fyrme by grace of fayth through Christ, with out a­ny regarde or respect of oure wor­kyng. And this is done by the syn­gular prouedence of the great fa­therly loue of god toward vs, bycause our iustyficatiō shuld stand firme & certayne by faythe, so that no man nede doubt of the fauor & marcy of god toward him, yf this grace & promise stand in the hand of god, than is yt suer, so that we can not doubt of the remiscion of our synnes. But yf they shuld stād in our owne hand and shuld hang of our selfes thē we shuld always be vncertane by cause we were ne­uer able to deserue sufficiētly, not of sufficient strenght to fulfyll the lawe. But after that we returne & referre our selfes in Christe alone, and in the promise of god through [Page] Christe than be we sayfe and suer ynough by cause god hath promi­sed of hys voluntary grace frely, and hath founded his promise by the fayth in Christe, to thentent yt shall stande fyrme & certayne. And therfore I sayd the kyngdome of Christ to be a kyngdome of securi­te and peace,Christes kyngdom is a king­dom of securitie. Esa. 32. as the prophites do descrybe yt, In this kyngdom we haue peace and moste suer succur, so that there is nowe nether synne death nor hell can feare vs. So dothe Esaias also .ix. call Christe the prynce of peace woose prynce­dome is large & greate,Christ the prynce of peace. and whose peace shall neuer haue ende. In Ieremie also .xxiii. god doth pro­mise vnto Israell, that is vnto all beleuers in Christe a boadde of iustice, a kynge whiche shall rule wisely, and shal execute iudgemēt and iustice in earth & vnder whō Israell shall dwell boldly, these [Page] thynges be in the spirituall kyng­dome of Christ in the which there is true & spirituall securitie, where as euery christen mans hart hath peace with god through fayth in Christe, in the whiche kyngdome nether synne can damne vs nether death cā kyll vs, nor hell can swalow vs. For god is with vs and fedyth vs, and defēdyth vs as his shepe. Therfore who cā be against vs? And Esaias agayn .xxxii.Esa. 32. whē the holy gooste, sayth he, shall be powred from aboue (y^t was whan Christ begane his kyngdome) thā the worke & fruyte of iustyce shall be peace, and the kepyng of iusti­ce shall be silens and securite for euer and euer. And the peple of god shall dwell in goodlynes of peace and in houses of truste. All these thynges do nothyng els but signifie that Christes people ī his kingdome shall be all good, quiett, at [Page] rest and mery, which shall haue a quiet and a glad consciens, beyng euermore suer and certaine y^t god is fauorable to them for Christe, which doth delyuer vs from all e­uyls w^t out any doubt. I pray you what can oure aduersarys bryng aganist this, or how cā they maynteyne their errors in the face of the worlde.The con­clusion. Here I haue prouyd and taught out of the fundation of the worde of god that no faythfull be­leuer in Christ can doubt or ought to doubt of the fauor of god and of remiscion of his synnes, and that his conscience may thorwly be certefyed that god is fauorable vnto hym, which wyll pardone all his fautes, for Christ in whom we be­leue and whiche wyll iustifye vs, and gyue vs euerlastng lyfe without any doubt.Obiec­ters. Here our aduersa­res can haue no thyng to lay a­gaynst this doctryne or to subuert [Page] this foundacion, but one refuge they haue, and when we brynge scryptures agaynst thē: what saye they, the Lutherians, saye they, brynge scryptures for them, but they must expounde scriptures as our fore fathers dyd.An āswer I answere agayne, we do not denye so to do, for we maye do it well ynoughe. And I may saye with S. Cyrillꝰ,Cirillus we kepe the fayth of our fathers & of the church so farre as we ought and vse theyr interpretacions so moche as they requyre. But the chefest of the auncient fathers of the churche do agree in the same matter no other wyse then we ex­pounde it / therfore what do these holy workers brynge for them the churche.Augu­stine de predest. 11 Saynt Augustyne one of the most catholyke and godly doctor of them all in his boke whiche he writeth of the predestinacion in the .xi. chapiter sayth in this wyse. [Page] Truly where as the apostle in his epystle to the Rom. wryteth these wordes. Therfore is oure inhery­taūce gyuen vs by fayth through grace bycause the promyse myght stande fyrme and stedfast, I mer­uell, sayth he, that men had rather loke on theyr owne infyrmite thā vnto the firmite and stedfastnes of Gods promyse. But here thou wylt say, I can not tell nor do not knowe the wyll of God of me, wel thē doest thou knowe thyne owne wyll of thy selfe, yf thou doest, be­ware, he that stādeth let hym take hede that he fall not. Therfore in­somoche thou knowest neuer no­ther his wyl, nor thyne owne wyl, then why shulde not a man rather put his trust & hope in that which is more certayne than in that whiche is lesse certayne. But say they agayne, heare where it is spoken, yf thou beleuest thou shalte be sa­ued, [Page] one of these is required of vs, the other is offered, & that whiche is required of vs is in vs, the o­ther in God. And why, I pray you is not bothe in Gods power both that whiche is required and that whiche is offered? for do not we as well desyre God to gyue vs that whiche he requyreth as well as that he offereth? do not the bele­uers also desyre hym to encrease theyr fayth: Do they not desyre also for the vnbeleuers that they may haue fayth, so that God only must be the begynner and encrea­ser of fayth. In lyke maner is this to be taken. Yf thou beleuest thou shalt be saued, & this, yf you mor­tifie the workes of the flessh with spirit, ye shall lyue: for in lyke case here one is requyred, thother is offered. Yf you mortefie (sayth he) the workes of flesshe with spirite ye shall lyue / then to mortefye the [Page] workes of fleshe by spirite, this is requyred, the other then is offered vs that we shuld lyue / what then therfore shal we not saye that this is the gyfte of God to mortefie the workes of the flesshe bycause it is requyred of vs to be done? God forbede that any perteynynge to the grace of God shuld so thynke. This is a damnable errour of the Pelagians, whom as the apostle in his wordes folowynge doth cō fute sayenge, who soeuer be led w^t the spirite of God they be the chyl­drē of God. Lesse we shuld thynke this mortefyeng of the fleshe came by our spirite, but by the spirite of God, of the whiche spirite of God the same apostle speaketh more­ouer. All these thynges sayth he, worketh one alonly spirite, distri­butynge to euery man his gyftes so as it pleaseth him, amongst the whiche gyftes also he rekeneth [Page] fayth / so then lyke as this morte­fyenge of the flesshe notwithstan­dynge it be requyred of vs is the gyfte of God, euen so is fayth also y^e very gyft of God though neuerthelesse it be requyred of vs (yf we wyll be saued) to beleue, for these thynges bothe be commaunded vs of God, and also be the gyftes of God. To the entente we shulde vnderstande, that both we do thē, and yet it is the gyfte of God that we doo them / so as the scripture sheweth by Ezechiell the prophet. And I (sayth almyghty God) shal make you that you shall do them what can be more playne? Marke ye well this place of scrypture (gē ­tyll brethren) and ye shall se that God promyseth, he wyll make thē to do suche thynges that he wyll haue done. And there he bryngeth forthe no merites of theyrs, but moche wyckednes, shewynge and [Page] declarynge therby that he geueth good for euyll in that that he ma­keth them brynge forth afterward good workes, causynge them to do his cōmaundementes. Also in the .lxxxviii. psalme he saythe in lyke maner. Lyfte vp your hartes for he whiche promysed, wyll per­forme, so as he hathe performed many thinges alredy / for the trust that we haue in hym we haue it not in our merites but only of his mercy. No man can be stronge in this lyfe but onely in the hope of Gods promyse / for as concerning our owne merites we be meruay­lous weke,we be weake in our selues / in Gods promise strōg but as concernyng the promyse of God we be stronge.

And in the .lxxxxviii. psalme he sayth / where is securite & peace, he answereth agayne, truely none in this lyfe but onely in the hope of the promyse of God. S. Am­broseAmbrose. in the fyrst boke de vocat gē ti. [Page] &c. wryteth yf no man (sayth he) wyll breake or dispyse a mannes wyll or testament, as sayth the a­postle, nor alter it. Then how can it be that Gods wyl and testamēt shulde be broken in any thynge.

It carieth alwaies and euery day is fulfylled that the lorde promy­sed to Abraham without any con­dicion, & gaue without any lawe. By this sayenge of Ambrose it may wel appere that the promyse of the newe testament, that is to saye that God wyll be mercyfull vnto vs, wyll forgiue our synnes, wyll gyue vs the holy goost, and wyll make vs safe, that thys pro­myse I say doth not depend of no condition of the lawe, for frely yt comith only of grace, be cause we shulde neuer doubt of hys grace & fauor toward vs. And what other thyng menyth S. Ambrose wry­tyng vpon Paul, where he sayth [Page] so oft, that we be sauyd before god by fayth only & alonly. Loke vpō his comētaris of the Rom. iii.iiii.ix.x, Cap. loke also .i. Cor .i. and Gal. i.iii.v.Theophilact. Theophilactus also Rom. iiii. wryteth in lyke sort. In somuch sayth he it is euedent, that the lawe bryngyth nothynge but angre therfore had Abraham hys Iustice & inheritance gyuen hym, bycause that all shulde go by gra­ce. Wherfore than seyng that all thynges now do stand in the gra­ce and in the mercy of god, so that he is bound now not to worke af­ter hys Iustice, then what shulde let vs to thynke but that all thyn­ges be certane and stable what so euer he dothe, gyue, or promyse. Now yf blynde hipocrise here ob­iect again that Paule in his place spekyth only of Abrahā & therfore that thyng cōcernyth none els but hym, but we must seke oure helth [Page] and iustification otherwise. I an­swere agayne. Not so, For ther­fore Paule callyth Abraham there the father of all the beleuers and in him proposeth to vs all the true meanes how all men bothe before the cūmyg of Christe and after the cūmyg of Christe muste be Iusti­fied. And therfore this text of Paule doth as well pertayne to vs all, for it is writen and proposed vnto all vs.Rom. 4. Euen as S. Paule in the very same chapiter writeth. This is not writen for hym only, sayth he, that it was imputed to him for Iustice, but for vs all, to whom it shall be imputed for Iustice. bele­uyng on hym which reysed vp frō death oure lorde Iesus Christe, which was gyuen for our synnes, and reysed vp agayne for oure Iustification.

Amen