will, but of God. Not that justice by which God is just, but the justice with which man is clad, and, by the mercy of God, of wicked made just; as St. Augustine saith in his book of the spirit and the letter, (ch. xx.) in obtaining of which, we neither work nor give any thing to God, but receive, and suffer God to work in us. Therefore, it is far above all justice of the law which man doeth and worketh, the which are also the works of God; both because they are of the law, and man may do them of his own free will and power; as to the external work. And also they are the gift of God; but always they may have no place in this article of justification before God, except ye will exclude the merits of Christ, which God forbid!

This justice was covered in the Old Testament under ceremonies and sacrifices, but is made known and plain unto us now by the gospel of Jesus Christ, from faith to faith, Rom. i.—that is, not from one faith to another faith, but from that faith by which we receive the gospel of God, through hearing of his word, and with gladness accept the same, in continual perseverance growing daily in more perfect knowledge of God, through faith in Christ, till we give up the spirit into the hands of the Father of heaven; never doubting for whatsoever temptation or trouble in adversity; but receiving all things from God, and of his hands, as our forefather Abraham did, and judging all for the best. Then follows the formal conclusion, THE JUST SHALL LIVE IN FAITH, that is, ever continue in sure trust, hoping to obtain the thing he looketh for, which is remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and everlasting life, all purchased by Christ, without our merits or deservings.

This is the faith of which the prophet Habakkuk speaketh: The just shall live by his faith. The just man and faithful hath never respect to any thing, but only to faith in Christ; and whatever he work or do, he referreth all to Christ, and so remaineth he in Christ and Christ in him, conformable to the saying of St. Paul, I live now, no, not I, but Christ liveth in me; forsomuch as I live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who hath loved me, and given himself for me, Gal. ii. Here ye may see to live in the faith is to believe in Christ, joined unto him continually by faith; then live we in Christ and Christ in us, from faith to faith, having no respect to works or merits, but only to the merits of Christ. And so the just liveth by his faith.

CHAPTER XVII.

The definition of faith. What faith the fathers had before Christ's incarnation, and whereby they were safe. Good works are a testimony to faith. Wherefore works please God. The method of St. Paul in writing and teaching, and the necessity of good works. Wherefore justice is ascribed unto man. Who spoileth God of his glory.

THE apostle defines and declares what faith is, saying, Faith is the substance of things hoped or looked for; the argument or matter of things not seen, without which it is impossible to please God, Heb. xi. That is, faith is the true and perfect thought of the heart, truly thinking and believing God, the which a man doth when he believeth his word, and putteth his sure trust in the mercy of God; which is to believe that his sins are forgiven him for Christ's sake only, the wrath of the Father pacified, and he received in favour and accepted as just; and firmly and undoubtedly believeth the Father of heaven to be ever merciful, gentle, helpful, and favourable unto him, for Christ's sake, without all deservings of his deeds or merits, either preceding faith, or following the same. This is the justice of God, which is made plain and revealed by the Son of God, Christ Jesus, in his gospel, as is said before.

In this faith only in Christ were all the fathers, to the coming of Christ in the flesh, made just without the deeds of the law, Jer. xxiii. and xxxiii. Isa. iv. and xlv. Ezek. xxxiv. And, therefore, all the promises of the coming of Christ are to be referred to that promise made in Gen. iii., that the seed of the woman shall tread down the serpent's head, &c. And so the faith of the fathers in the Old Testament, and our faith in the New Testament, was and is one thing; how beit, they had other external rites, objects, ceremonies, and signs than we have. And they believed in the coming of Christ, to fulfil all promises and prophecies spoken of him. And we believe he is come already, and hath fulfilled all which was spoken of him in the law and prophets; and hath ascended to the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father, our advocate. And as the fathers believed the first coming of Christ, ever desiring and looking for the same by faith; even so now we believe

and look for his second coming, and most fervently desire the same, to be delivered of this mortal body of sin, that we may rule eternally with him in glory. That the fathers were safe by faith, without the deeds of the law, St. Peter testifies, saying, Wherefore now tempt yè God to put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, the which neither we nor our fathers might bear; but by the mercy of Jesus Christ, we believe to be made safe, as they were. And St. Augustine, in the 157th epistle, saith, "Therefore, if the fathers, being unable to bear the yoke of the old law, believed them to be made safe by the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ; it is manifest that the same mercy or grace made the old fathers to live just by faith." Now ye may see clearly that the old fathers were all made safe through the mercy of God, without all the deeds of the law. Then, how will you make yourself safe with works, who never did such good works as the fathers? So there can be no better conclusion to exclude your works in the article of justification than St. Paul maketh, saying, that a man is made just by faith without the deeds of the law. Therefore faith only justifieth before God. Ye shall understand that it is all one thing to say, faith only justifieth, and to say, faith without works justifieth. As by example, if one say, The good man is in the house alone, or he is in the house without any body with him. This is all one manner of speaking. The Scripture saith, Man is made just by faith, without the works of the law; therefore we may well say, that faith only justifieth.

For confirmation hereof ye shall read Hebrews xi. before rehearsed, in the which ye shall find the histories briefly repeated by the apostle, testifying the fathers to be made. safe by faith, referring nothing to works; except only that the works bear an outward testimony of the faith. Abel, by faith, or in faith, offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain did, by the which he obtained witness that he was just; God bearing witness of the offerings; and by the same he hitherto speaketh, being dead. God looketh first to the heart of man, before he looketh to his works; as testifieth the voice of God, saying, I judge not after the sight of man; for he seeth the thing which appeareth outwardly, but I behold the heart, 1 Sam. xvi. That is, the man is first made just by faith, and accepted in the favour of God, as Abel was; and then his works are acceptable and please God, because they are wrought in faith. That

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it is the mind of the apostle St. Paul to exclude all works either going before or following faith, to be of the substance of the article of justification, the arguments and matter of his epistles prove clearly; especially to the Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews: in which he labours so diligently, that all the sophisters and workers, that are justifiers of themselves, may not get a corner to hide them into, from his conclusions, without they deny Christ and his office, at the least in effect, as they do after their manner. But the wisdom of God and his Holy Spirit deceiveth them;* for when they wrest and throw the Scriptures to their mind in one place, they are compelled in another place of the same. Scripture to confess themselves liars. In the epistle to the Romans, from the beginning to the twelfth chapter, and in the epistle to the Galatians, to the fifth chapter, with all labour and diligence the apostle setteth forth the justice of God to be through faith in Jesus Christ, without all works of the law. And when he hath established the same article of justification, then he setteth forth the works of righteousness, in the which a Christian man shall live, because the just shall live in faith. This order ye may see in the said epistles; and in the epistle to the Hebrews he declareth the office of Christ, his priesthood and sacrifice, and giveth faith her place, Heb. xi. All his labour was to exclude the mixture which these feigned workers now would have joined in with faith, and the benefit of Christ; which is no other thing than the work of the devil our adversary to make the death of Christ in vain; as the apostle saith, Therefore if justice be of the law, or by the law, Christ's death is in vain, Gal. ii.

But think not that I intend through these assertions to exclude GOOD WORKS. No, God forbid! for good works are the gift of God, and his good creatures; and ought and should be done of a Christian, as shall be shown hereafter at length in their place. But in this article of justification, ye must either exclude all works, or else exclude Christ from you, and make yourselves just, which is impossible to do, because we are wicked and can do no good at all which can be of value before God, or pacify his wrath; except Christ first make our peace, for that is his office, for which he came in the world, and suffered death.† So, if ye will not

*Cannot be overcome of them.

+ The office of Jesus Christ is to pacify the wrath of God, which our works may not do.-Ed. 1584.

exclude Christ, exclude your works: for in this case there is no concurrence, more than there is between darkness and light. For what participation hath righteousness with iniquity? or what fellowship hath light with darkness? 2 Cor. vi. The definition of this justice is made plain by St. Paul, Rom. iii. which I exhort you to read. Consider word by word, conceive and print them well in your hearts; then shall ye be able to contend and fight valiantly against Satan and his sophists, of whom ye shall have victory by faith, which is our victory that overcometh the world, 1 John v.

The justice of God is, by the faith of Jesus Christ, in all and upon all which believe in him; there is no distinction or exception. All have sinned, and have need, or are destitute, of the glory of God; but they are made just by his mercy, freely without the works, by the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath proponed or laid before a sacrifice or satisfaction by faith in his blood, to the forthshowing of his justice for the remission of the sins by-past; the which God hath suffered to the forthshowing of his righteousness at this time; that he may be just, and justify him which is of the faith of Jesus Christ. Where then is thy glory or vaunting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we believe surely, a man to be made just by faith, without the deeds of the law.

Now, I pray you tell me what plainer words may be spoken, or terms invented, to exclude ALL our works, merits, or power, to be participant with God in this article of justification? They are as plain and clear as the sun in mid-day. Nevertheless, because the words are so precious, and necessary above all things to be imprinted and continually kept in the heart of man, I will make some declaration of every part and particle of this definition; and prove by authority of Scripture, this justice of God, by the which a man is made just, to be without all works or power of man, only by faith in the mercy of God.

Of this justice David speaketh, saying, Lead me in thy justice, O Lord, because of my enemies; direct my way in thy sight, Psal. v. That is, O Lord, my God, for thy great goodness, singular kindness, and natural love, thou wast ever wont to show unto sinners and mankind, be to me a governor, guider, and convoyer in all perils and dangers; never suffer my mind to decline from the right way, for