A godlye and learned treatise wherein is proued the true iustificacion of a Christian manne to come frely of the mercy of god in Christ, without the deseruyng of man by his merites: and also how good workes oughte to bee done [and] what be true good works in dede. Whereunto is ioyned a co[n]ference betwene the law and the gospel, very profitable for al men to exercise themselues therin.

Of workes.

NO maner of works make vs rightwise: we beleue y^t a mā * 1.1 shall be iustifyed wythout workes: No man is iustifyed by y^e dedes of the law, but by y^e fayth of Iesu Christ, and we beleue in Iesu Christ, that we may be iusti∣fied by the faith of Christe & not

by the dedes of the lawe. If right¦wysenes came by the lawe, then * 1.2 dyed Christ in vaine. That no mā is iustified by the lawe, it is ma∣nifest: for a rightwise mā lyueth by his faythe, but the lawe is not of faythe. Moreouer syth Christe the maker of heuen and erth, and all that is therin, behoued to dye for vs, we are compelled to graūt that we were so far drowned and sūke in sinne, that nether our deds nor al the treasures that euer god made or mighte make, might haue holpen vs out of them: ergo no dedes nor woorkes maye make vs rightwyse. No workes make no vnrightwise. For yf am works made vs vnrightwise, then the cō∣trary workes shuld make vs right¦wyse. But it is proued that no workes can make vs ryght∣wyse: ergo no workes make vs vnrightwise.

¶ Workes make vs neyther good nor euyll.

It is proued that no workes * 1.3 neyther make vs rightwyse nor vnrightwyse: ergo no works make vs neyther good nor euyll. For rightwise and good ar one thing, & vnrightwise & euil likewise one.

¶ Good workes make not a good man, nor euel workes an euyl mā, but a good man maketh good workes, and an euyl man euyl workes:

Good frute maketh not the tre good nor euel frute the euell tre, but a good tre bereth good frute, & an euell tre euill frute. A good mā can not do euell workes nor an euel man good workes, for a good tre can not bear euil frute nor an euel tre good frute.

A man is good ere he do good workes, and euel ere he doe euill: for tre y^e is good er he beare good

frute, & euill ere it bere euel frute.

☞ Euery man is eyther good or euil, and his workes like wyse.

Euery tree is eyther good or e∣uel: either make ye the tre good & the frute good also, or els mak the tre euel and the frute of it lyke∣wise euyll,

For all frute trees are eyther good or euell. Eyther make ye the tre good and the frute good also, or els make y^e tre euel and y^e frute of it likewise euil. A good man is knowen by his workes: for a good man doth good works, & an euell euel workes: ye shal knowe thē by their fruyte, for a good tre bereth good frute, & an euel tre euel frute A man is lykened to the tre, and * 1.4 his workes to the frute of y^e tre.

Beware of the false prophets, which cōe to you in shepes clothes but inwardelye they are raue∣nyng

wolues, ye shal knowe them by theyr frutes.

None of our workes nether saue vs nor condemne vs.

It is proued that no workes make vs nother rightwyse nor vn∣rightwyse, good nor euil, but first we ar good ere we do good works and euell ere we do euell workes: ergo no workes, neyther saue vs nor cōdemne vs. Thou wilt say, then maketh it no mater what we do. I answer, yes. For if thou do euel, it is a sure argument y^t thou art euil and wantest the faith.

If thou do good it is an argu∣mente that y^u art good and hast y^e * 1.5 faith, for a good tre bereth good frute, & an euil tre euel frute: yet good frute maketh not y^e tre good, nor euell frute the tre euyll, so the mā is good ere he do good dedes & euel ere he do euel dedes. The man is the tre, his workes are the

frute, faith maketh the good tre, Incredulite the euel tre: such a tre such frute, such a mā such works. For all that is done in fayth plea∣seth god & are good workes. And al that is done w^tout faith dispea∣seth god and are euyll workes.

Who so euer beleueth or thyn∣keth to be saued by his works: de∣nieth that Christe is his sauiour. For how is he thy sauioure, if y^u myghtest saue thyselfe by thy workes? or wherto shuld he dye for the, if any workes might haue saued the? Verely, thou shuldest haue dyed perpetually, yf Christ to delyuer the had not dyed for y^e and chaūged thy perpetual death in to his owne deth. For thou ma∣dest the faute, and he suffered the payne, & that for the loue he had to the or euer y^u wast borne, when thou haddest done nether good nor euel. Nowe syth he hath paid

thy debte, y^u nedest not, no thou canste not, but shuldest be dam∣ned if his bloude were not: But syth he was punished for y^e, thou shalt not be punished if thou trust in him. Fynallye, he hath delyue∣red the from thy condemnacion and al euel, and desyreth naught els of the, but y^t thou wilt aknow∣ledge what he hath done for the and beare it in minde, and y^t thou woldest helpe other for his sake, bothe in worde and dede, euen as he hath holpen the for naughte and without rewarde. O how re∣dy wolde we be to helpe other, if we knewe his goodnes and gen∣telnes towardes vs. He is good & a gentle lord, for he geueth vs fre∣ly. Let vs besech you y^t ar Chri∣stians to folowe his fotesteppes, whōal the world ought to prayse and worship.

Amen.

¶ He that thynketh to bee saued

by his workes calleth him selfe Christe.

For he calleth him selfe his sa∣uioure, which pertayneth to christ only. What is a sauiour but he y^t saueth? & he sayth I saue my self, which is as moch to say as I am Christ, for Christ only is the sa∣uyoure of the worlde.

We shulde do no good workes for y^e entent to get the inheritaūce of heuen or remissyon of synne.

For who so euer beleueth to get the enheritaunce of heuen or re∣mission of synne thorowe works, he beleueth not to get y^t for Chri∣stes sake. And thei that beleue not that theyr synnes ar forgeuen thē and y^t they shal be saued for Chri∣stes sake, they beleue not the gos∣pel. For the Gospell sayth, you shalbe saued for Christes sake, synnes are forgyuen for Christes sake. He y^t beleueth not y^e gospel,

beleueth not god. So it foloweth that thei which beleue to be saued by their workes or to get remissiō of their synnes by their owne de∣des, beleue not god: but recount him as a lyer, and so vtterly deny hym to be god. Thou wilt saye, shall we then do no good dedes? I saye not so, but I say we shulde do no good workes for the entent to gette the inheritaunce of heuen or remissyon of synne. For if we beleue to gette vs heuen tho∣row good workes, thē we beleue not to get it thorowe the promise of god: if we thynke to get remis∣syon of our sinne so, the we beleue not that they are forgeuen vs for Christe, and so we counte God a lyar. For god sayth, you shal haue the inheritaunce of heuen for my sonnes sake, thy synnes are forge∣uen the for my sonnes sake: & you say it is not so, but I wyl wynne

it thorow my workes. So I con∣demne not good dedes: But I cō∣demne y^e false truste in any works For al the works, that a mā put¦teth confidence in, are ther with povsoned and be∣come euyll.

¶ To god onely geue the glorye.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gala, 2,
• * 1.2

  Gala, 3,
• * 1.3

  Nota.
• * 1.4

  Mat, 7,
• * 1.5

  By the fruite the tree is kno¦wen.