The benefite of Christs death, or the glorious riches of Gods free grace which euery true beleeuer receiues by Iesus Christ, and him crucified. First compiled and printed in the Italian tongue: and afterwards translated and printed in the French tongue: and out of French into English, by A.G.

CHAP. I. Of Originall sinne, and of mans wretchednesse. (Book 1)

THe holy Scripture saith, that God * 1.1 created man after his owne I∣mage and likenesse, making him, as in respect of his body, im∣passible; and as touching his Soule, righte∣ous, true, good, mercifull, and holy. But af∣ter that, he being ouercome with desire of knowledge, had eaten of the Apple that God had forbidden him, he lost the said Image and likenesse of God, and became like the bruite beasts, and like the diuell who had abused him. For as touching his Soule, he became vnrighteous, vntrue, cruell, pittilesse, and the enemy of God: and as touching his body, he became passible, and subiect to a thousand inconueniences and diseases: and not onely like, but also inferiour to brute beasts. And euen as if our forefathers had obeyed God, they should haue left vs their righteousnesse and holinesse as an heritage: euen so by being

disobedient vnto God, they haue left vs the Inheritance of vnrighteousnesse, wicked∣nesse, and Gods displeasure, in such sort as it is vnpossible for vs (through our owne strength) to loue God, or to frame our selues vnto his holy will. Nay we be enemies vnto him, as to one that must punish our sinnes, because he is a iust Iudge, and therefore can we not any more trust wholly to his holy mercy. To be short, our whole nature was corrupted by Adams sinne. And like as erst it had superiority aboue all creatures, so became it an vnderling to all, the bondslaue of Satan, sinne, and death, and condemned to the mise∣ries of hell. Also he lost his iudgement alto∣gether, and began to say that good was euill, and euill good: esteeming false things to be true, and true things to be false. Which thing the Prophet considering, saith: that all men are lyers, and that there is not one that * 1.2 doth good, because the diuell like a stout man * 1.3 of Armes, ruleth his owne palace, that is to wit, the world, whereof he became the prince and lord. There is no tongue that can ex∣presse the thousandth part of our misery, in that we being created by Gods owne hand, haue lost the said Image of God, and are be∣come like the diuell, and too like to him in nature and condition, willing whatsoeuer

he willeth, and likewise refusing whatsoeuer he misliketh. By reason whereof being gi∣uen vp for a prey to that wicked spirit, there is no sinne so grieuous, which euery one of vs would not be ready to doe, if the Grace of God stay vs not. And this our de∣priuation of righteousnesse, and this forward * 1.4 inclination to all vnrighteousnesse and nangh∣tinesse, is called originall sinne: the which we bring with vs from out of our mothers wombe, so as we be borne the children of wrath: and it hath had his first spring from our first fathers, and is the cause and foun∣taine of all the sinnes and iniquities that we commit; wherefrom if we will be deliue∣red and returne againe to our first innocency, to recouer the Image of God: first of all it standeth vs on hand to know our owne wretchednesse. For like as no man will euer * 1.5 seeke to the Physicion, except he know him∣selfe to be diseased, or acknowledge the ex∣cellency of the Physicion, and how much he is bound vnto him, except he know his owne disease to be pestilent and deadly: euen so no man acknowledgeth Iesus Christ the onely Physicion of our soules, except he first know his owne soule to be diseased: neither can he perceiue the excellency of him, nor how much he is bound vnto him, except he first

enter into the knowledge of his owne outra∣gious sinnes, and of the incurable infirmity, which we haue receiued through the infecti∣on of our first fathers.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The state of man before & after that he had sinned.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 114.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 14.
• * 1.4

  Originall sinne.
• * 1.5

  A very good compari∣son.