A defense of the sincere and true translations of the holie Scriptures into the English tong against the manifolde cauils, friuolous quarels, and impudent slaunders of Gregorie Martin, one of the readers of popish diuinitie in the trayterous Seminarie of Rhemes. By William Fvlke D. in Diuinitie, and M. of Pembroke haule in Cambridge. Wherevnto is added a briefe confutation of all such quarrels & cauils, as haue bene of late vttered by diuerse papistes in their English pamphlets, against the writings of the saide William Fvlke.

FVLK. 6. What so euer you may cauill vpon the wordes iuste and iustice, you may doe the same, with as great aduauntage, vppon the wordes righteous and righteousnesse. That God as a iust iudge rewarde•••• good workes, of them that are iustified freely by his grace, by fayth without workes, with a crowne of iustice, it proueth not eyther iustification by workes, or the merite or worthinesse▪ of mennes workes, but all dependeth vppon the grace of God, who promi∣seth this rewarde of his meere mercie, and of the wor∣thinesse and merites of Christe, whiche is our iustice, whereby wee beyng iustified before God, our workes also, whiche hee hath giuen vs, are rewarded of his iustice, yet in respecte of Christes merites, and not in respecte of the worthinesse of the workes. Againe, God is not vnmindefull of his promise, to rewarde our workes, for then he should be vniuste: he is iuste there∣fore to performe what so euer he hath promised, though wee nothing deserue it. Neyther hath Chrysostome, or Theodorete, any other meaning. That you cite out of

Oecumenius a late writer in comparison, is blasphemous against the grace of God, neyther is S. Augustine, that liued 500. yeares before him, a sufficient interpreter of his saying, to excuse him. With Augustine we say, God* 1.1 crowneth his giftes, not our merites. And as he acknow∣ledgeth Gods mercie, and also his iustice, in rewarding our workes, so do we. Where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is translated he wil giue, I confesse it had bene more proper, and agreeable to the Greeke, to haue saide, hee will render, or re∣paie, which yet is wholy of mercie in respecte of vs, or our deseruing, but of iustice in respecte of his promi∣ses, and of Christes merites, vnto which is rendred, and repayed, that whiche hee deserued for vs. The crowne therefore is due debte, because it is promised to vs for Christes sake, not because any workes of ours are able to purchase it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In psal 70. & in Psal. 101.