Co[m]mon places of Scripture ordrely and after a co[m]pendious forme of teachyng set forth with no litle labour, to the gret profit and help of all such studentes in Gods worde as haue not had longe exercyse in the same, by the ryghte excellent clerke Eras. Sarcerius ; translated in to Englysh by Rychard Tauerner.

Of faith. CA. XXII.

FAyth is an assured trust vpon the {pro}¦myses of Christ, iustifienge al suche {per}sons before god by his acceptaūce as haue this fayth certeyn & vndoubted ¶In the epi. to y^e Ebrues, faith is saide to be an assurāce of thīges which are ho¦ped for, y^t is to say, a most certeyn know¦lege w^tout doubting. And this most cer∣teyn knowlege Paul expresseth in Abra¦hā w^t most lyuely termes, saying: which Abraham: contrarye to hope byleued in

hope, that he shold be y^• father of many nacions, according to that whiche was spokē. So shall thy sede be. And he fayn¦ted not in the fayth, nor yet cōsidred his owne bodye which was now deed, euē whan he was almost an .••. yere olde, neyther yet y^t Sara his wife was past childe beringe yet he staggered not at y^• promyse of god through vnbeleue, but was made stronge in the fayth, & gaue honour to god, fully asured y^• what he had promysed, y^t he was hable to make good, & therfore was it reckened to him for rightousnes. Hithervnto we haue rehersed these wordes of Paul. Now y^• faith is a trust or confidence vpon the promyses of Christ is declared by an o∣ther worde of the sayde text in the epist. to y^• Ebrues, where as it is called a cer∣ten••y of thinges which are not sene. Al¦so in thexemple before remembred of A¦braham where Paul said y^t he staggered not, ne wauered at the promyse of god we se manefestly y^t the promyse is the {pro}¦pre obiect or matter whervpō faith wor¦keth, Christ is the person for whom y^• {pro}¦myse was made according to this sayīg In thy sede all nacions shall be blessed This sede was Christe as witnesseth Paule. Nowe of theffecte and workyng

of fayth which is that it iustifieth, we be certefied by Paule, who concludeth sa∣ynge. Arbitramur igitut ••ide iustifica••t hominē abs{que} operibus legis. y^t is to say Therfore we iudge y^t a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Itē, in y^• .v. chap. he sayth. Bicause ther∣fore we are iustified by fayth. we are at peace with god, through our lorde Iesu Chryst, by whom we haue a bryngīg in through fayth vnto this grace wit•••• we stande. I added (before god) bicause I wolde seperat y^• ciuyle iustyce from the iustice of y^• gospel. Also Iaded (by accep∣taunce) y^• is to saye, by imputacyon, or imputatyuely, bycause I wolde take a∣waye y^• opiniō of our owne meryte or workes For not accordynge to our me∣ryte or workes faythe iustifyeth but ac∣cordinge to grace by acceptaunce or im∣putacio / for as Paule saythe. To hym y^• worketh is y^• reward not rekened of fa∣uour but of deuti, but to him y^• worketh not but byleueth on hym y^• iustifyeth y^• vngodly, is his faythe counted for right¦wysnes. By these words thapostle put∣teth as cōtraryes togyther meryte & im∣putaciō. Also in y^• exemple of Abraham y^• scripture sayth. Abraham beleued god & it was coūted vnto him for rightwys∣nes.

Also Dauid in his psalm saith. Bles¦sed i•• y^• mā to whom god shal not ••pute sin. Truely we haue here an exēple in A∣brahā of a sure & vndoubted faith, whi∣che is y^• father of that byleue, y^• by thex∣ēple of hī we might be iustified by faith. ¶THE causes of faithe be y^• holye gost & the worde. For y^• holy ghoste by a meane that is generall & appointed of god, moueth the hertes, neither doth he giue faith but by the worde, accordinge to the sayinge of Paul. Faith is of hea∣ringe. & hearinge by the worde of god. Furthermore the cause also of faith, is the holy ghost, for fayth is his gifte, as affirmeth saint Paul. Also repentaunce in maner is a cause of fayth, or at leest a greate occasion. For by repentaunce the sin is knowen, now the knowlege of sin doth ministre an occasion to haste vnto Christ, which so sone as he is caught by faith forgyueth sinnes, but bycause re••ē¦taūce is a part of the word or gospel ther¦fore this cause is cōprised vnder y^• worde nether shal we nede to seuer it frō y^• word ¶Faith of which we speake here is not clouē into partes: For it is one certaine mociō of mīde hauing a stedfast eye vpō the promyses of Christ and assentinge to him, but forasmoch as y^• scripture ••isce••¦neth

the true and lyuely fayth from the fayned & deed fayth, therfore faith may be after a maner diuided into the true fayth & fayned fayth, not y^• fayth whi∣che is true and iustifieth can be fayned or deed but that we myghte knowe y^• the deed & fayned faith is vnprofitable vnto iustificacion & differeth nothynge in dede from an opinion. The true faith from the fayned is discerned of Paul, y^• quicke & lyuinge fayth is dyuyded frō the ded & vneffectuall fayth of s. Iames in his epistle. But as touchinge to that diuision of fayth which y^• scole men vn∣to this day haue folowed I wyl speake herafter.

¶One of the principall effecte{is} of fayth is iustifycaciō of which al the rest de∣pēde & procede. This effecte is cōfirmed by many places of scripture & also by sū¦dry exemples, as by the textes of Paule before remēbred where he saythe, We iudge therfore y^• mā is iustified by faith Itm̄, Iustified therfore by fayth we are at pe••x w^t god. &c. Also y^• {pro}phet Abacuk saith. The rightous man shall lyue by faith. Itē to the gal. Paul writeth. The law was our scholemayster vnto Christ y^t we myght be iustifyed by faith. Exem¦ples prouinge the same be these, Abrabā

beleued god & it was coūted vnto hym for rightousnes, Christ said to the sinful womā. Thy fayth hath saued the. Als•• to the blynde mā he saide, loke vp thy fayth hath saued the.

¶Also these effectes be of faythe. To make the conscience quyete, accordiuge to the testimonye of Paul, Iustyfyed therfore by faith we are at peax w^t god through oure Lorde Iesu Christ. To as¦certayne vs that we please god, for with¦out fayth it is impossible to please god To make vs certayne of gods promyse To make vs sure of euerlastīg lyfe. For he that beleueth in the son hath lyfe e∣uerlasting. To be a meane wherby her∣tes be puryfyed. To make vs the sonnes of god. For ye be al the sonnes of God (saith Paul) by the faithe whiche is in Christ Iesu. To make that our sin{is} be not imputed vnto vs, accordinge to the psalme, blessed is the mā to whom god shal not accōpt sin. To saue the beleuers that they be not a shamed, accordinge to the scripture, who so euer beleueth in him shal not be ashamed. To gendre in vs a callyng vpō Christ. For how (saith thapostle) shal they cal on him whome they beleue not. To worke in vs hope and loue towardes god accordinge to y^•

workes of the prophete, let them hope in the, which haue knowen thy name. &c But y^• knowlege of god is only by faith To bringe to passe that al thinges may be possible vnto vs as Christ him selfe re¦cordeth sayinge. Haue confidence in god verelye I say vnto you whoso euir shal saye vnto this moūtaine take away thy selfe & cast thy self into the see & shal not wauer in his hert but shall be leue those thīges which he saith shal come to passe what so euer he sayth shall be doone to him. Thus the faithe of Ezechias got a right goodly victorye agaynst the Assiti∣ans. By faythe Dauid aduentured vpō Golyath & slew him. By fayth the chil∣dren of Israel beleued God, & Phatao was drowned in the see. To worke in y^• faithful confession. To worke true giuīg of thankes to god, when we be ascertay¦ned by faith that god is mercyfull vnto vs & that our workes do please him, the effectes also of faith be all good workes as frutes of charitie which y^• they please god our faith assureth vs after it know¦eth y^• god is mercyful. And these effectes be called testimonyes of fayth by which the beleuers are knowen that the word is not the cause of faithe, but. But y^t there maye be a difference betwene the true workers that worke by faythe and

hypocrytes whiche pretend y^• same fey∣nedly, we ought to iudge by the worde which declareth eyther of thē. A hepe of good work{is} as frutes or effect{is} of faith y^• apostle rekeneth vp Ro. xii. & Gala. v.

¶Contraryes to fayth be these: To graūt that fayth is only a knowlege of the hystory of Chryst, how he was cō∣ceyued, borne, crucifyed, & dyed. To saye scripture requireth fayth, y^• is a qualite ī vs. & not that cōsydereh only the pro∣myses of Chryst. To say y^• wycked haue all one sayth w^t the godly, which errour is no errour y•• faith after y^• scholemen▪ be but a knowledge of the bystorye of Chryst. To affyrme y^• faith is a principle or a cause, bryngyng w^t it other vertues for whiche vertues we be pronounsed rightwyse. To deuide faith w^t the scole∣men into faith formed, acquyred & infū∣ded, so y^t the wycked gentyles haue for∣med faith althoughe they lacke y^• wor∣kes of charite, & y^t the īfūded faith doth not iustifye, onles it be forme w^t chari∣te. So at last, y^t the acquyred fayth suffi¦seth to iustificaciō. To graūt y^• the cause of faith is our loue, which errour com∣meth of y^t the causes of faith be not kno∣wē which be tholy ghost, the word & re∣pētaūce. To holde with the Anabaptist{is}

only tholy ghost, cōtrary to Paules say¦eng. Fayth is of hearyng, hearyng by y^• worde of god, To say w^t the Hebionites that the fayth in {pro}secucyon ought to be denyed & kept in the herte. To say fayth is but an opynyon whiche dare not ap∣proche to god by callyng vpō, or which wauereth. To deny that fayth may be ēcreased, cōtrari to the parable of y^t mus∣tarde sede. & many other exēples of scrip¦ture. To call that a true fayth, whiche good work{is} do not folowe a wytnesses of y^• same. To saye fayth iustifyeth not alone, but by y^t help of work{is}, or y^• faith pryncipallye, and the workes secōdarill do iustify. This errour is suffcyētly sha¦ken & cōfuted by the wordes of Paule, which be, w^tout workes, freely. To hold that fayth {per}tayne to the knowledge of Chryst, & the workes of charite to iusti∣fycacyō. To say fayth cānot iustifie, by∣cause fayth is in y^• vnderstādynge, & iust yce in the wyll. The solucyō of this er∣rour hangeth of the manifolde signify∣cacyō of this worde fayth, which taken only for a knowledge is a qualitie: But whē it is takē for an assent of y^e {pro}myse of Christ, so it is not a {quod}lite out a relaci¦ō. To graūt y^t our good work{is} be accep∣ted of god of thēself{is}, & not for faithes.

¶A brefe treatyse of faith, takē forth of the fathers & approued doctours, which cōferme y^• aforesayd doctryne of faythe, ¶The diffinicyon,

FAyth, sayth, s. Augustyn, is to thynke with an assent suche thinges as per¦teyn to the chrystē relygiō. Here thou se∣est that vnto faith not only y^• knowlege of the historye is requyred, but an assēt. Nowe to the chrystē relygyō▪ {per}teyn che∣fly the {pro}myses of Chryst, which beleued make the chrystē relygyō. The same s, Augustyn also sayth, what is fayth but to beleue that thou seest not? But the {pro}myses of Chryst be such thynges as be not sene but conceiued by fayth. Also in his boke de fide ad Petrum. Faith, saith he, is y^• begynnyng of mānes saluacyon without which no man can come to the nombre of the chyldren of god, without which also al the loboure of mā is vain Lo this place opēly testyfyeth of what fayth Austyn speaketh, of that no dout which maketh vs the chyldren of god. & that is, which conceyueth the {pro}myses of Chryst, & is assured to please god for Chryst. If Austyn had ment onely of a knowledge it sholde folow that al such were forth w^t y^• chyldrē of god as know

the hystory of Chryst although they be led with no inwarde mocyō of mynde.

¶Theffectes of fayth by doctours.

¶August. where a stedfast fayth is not there can be no ryghtwysenes. For the ryghtwyse lyueth by fayth.

ALSO he saith. There is no riches, no treasure, no substaūce of this world gre¦ter, than is the catholyque fayth, which saueth synful mē, lyghtneth y^e blynde. ac.

ALSO in his boke de natura & gra∣cia he sayth. If chryst dyed not frely, Er∣go all mankynde can not be iustifyed & redemed from the moste iuste pre of god Also in an other place▪ fayth is the fyrste thynge that make the soule subiecte to god, afterwarde it gyueth preceptes of lyuynge whiche kepte oure, hope is confyrmed, charite nouryshed, and that thynge begynneth to shyne whiche be∣fore only was beleued.

¶Saynt Ambrose, O fayth more plen∣tuous & ryche then all treasures, more stronge more sauyng thā al physicyons. ¶Chrysostome also sayed, Fayth is a lampe, for as a lampe lyghteneth the house, so fayth the sowle.

¶Causes of fayth by fathers.

THE scholemen make charite y^• cause of faith, but y^• doctours & fathers of the

churche be agaynst it. For saynt Austyn wryteth with open word{is}, y^• fayth must go before charite. Also Gregory saith. Onles faithe be fyrst had, we can in no wyse atteyne to y^• spritual loue, for cha∣rite goeth not before faith, but fayth be¦fore charite. No mā cā loue y^• thīg y^t he beleueth not, likewise as he cā not hope

THE moost auncyent fathers be all a¦greed that fayth is one certayn mocyon which loketh vpō the {pro}mys••e of Christ and assenteth to the ••ame. It is but a dreame and a thynge forged of scolemē to deuyde fayth in fidem for matam in∣fusā et acquisitā, w^t theyr wycked opini∣ons which thei haue hadded to y^• same.

Notes

• Diffinicion of faythe.
• Proue. Hebr. xi. a
• Roma. iiii. d
• Hebre. xi. a
• Roma. iiii, d
• Gene. xii. a Gal. iii. c
• Roma. v. a
• we be iustifi¦ed by unpu∣caciō or gods acceptannce.
• Roma. iiii. a
• ••ene. xv. b Roma. iiii. u
• psal. xxxi. ••
• The causes of faythe.
• Roma x. d
• i. corinth. xil. ••
• Partes
• ••timoth. i. b
• Iacob. ii. d
• Theffectes or workes of faythe.
• Roma. iiii. d Roma. v. a Abacuc. ii. a Gala. iii. d
• Gene. xv. b Roma. iiii. a
• Math. ix. c Math. ix. d
• Roma. v. a
• Iohan. iii. c Act. xv. v.
• Gala. iii. d
• psal. xxxi. a
• Esa. xxviii. d. Roma. x. c
• Roma. ••
• ••ar. xl. ••
• i. Reg. xvii.
• Roma. x. b
• Contraries
• Scholemen.
• The scole¦men deuide saythe in to sayth forma∣tā acquisitā, and infusam.
• Anabapti••••••
• Hebionites.
• Aug. de p̄dest, sctō{rum}.
• August. su{per} Iohēm
• Aug. quest. xxiiii.
• Ambros. de virginitate.
• Chrysost. sup Math.
• August. de agone. ca.
• Greg. vpon Ezechi••l.
• The pa••tes of faythe. ••y doctours.