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.

¶ Afore al things it shalbe nedefull, to sette forth a sure description, exposicion and significacion of this terme iustifieng. (Book 2)

The. 2. Chapter. (Book 2)

TO iustifie, or this terme, Iustifie is in the scriptu∣re taken sondrie waies. For somtyme it signifieth to ascribe honour and right vnto god, to yelde vnto him: stowtlie & boldly to confesse, that he one∣lie is rightuous, but we oure sel∣ues synners and vniust. Thus is it red: And all the people and the * 1.1 publicanes, that heard him, iusti∣fied god, and were baptised & the baptisine of Ihon.

More ouer, it signifieth asmuch, as to defende and spare himself, and to set forth himselfe for iust and ryghteous. For so the Lorde vseth it whan he rebuketh y^e Pha¦risees, Luke. 16. saying vnto thē. Ye are they, that iustifie youre¦selues * 1.2 beefore men, but god kno∣weth your hartes.

Notwithstanding in this our present matter, I vse thys terme (Iustifie) as the custome is in causes iudicial and belonging to the law. And so doeth it betoken asmuche, as to pronounce hym iust and righteous, that is, to dis¦charge from punyshment, and by sentence to cleare and quite him free, whiche is accused and re∣quired to haue execucion. Againe contrary vnto thys doth the scrip¦ture now set that, whyche is cal∣led to pollute or stayne: that is, by sentence to pronounce one de∣filed,

vngodly, vnrighteous and worthye to bee plaged, and so to geue hym ouer to be punished.

For it is red thus: If there be * 1.3 a strife betwene men, they shall come to the law: and let y^e iudges geue sentence betwene them, and iustifie the rightuous, and con∣demne the vngodly. What canne thys be els, but euen asmuche as to saye: Let them discharge and quite free the rightuous, & iudge the vnrightuous to be punished. For Esaye in the fift Chapter sai¦eth * 1.4 yet more playnlye thus: they iustifie the vngodly for rewards sake, but condemne the iust cause of the ryghteous.

Which is euen asmuch to say as: the righteous doe not they de clare to be righteous, neyther de∣lyuer they hym from the vilanye and wrong of the vniust: but take rewardes and giftes, and leaue

him to the wilfulnes of violent oppressours. Here vnto serueth it that is writte in the prouerbes of Salomon the 17. chapter: The * 1.5 lorde hateth aswel him that iusti∣fieth the vngodlie, as him that cōdemneth the innocēt. Item that, out of the. 12. of Matthew: Out of thy wordes thou shalt be iusti¦fied, * 1.6 and out of thy wordes thou shalte be condemned.

Of the worde Iustifie, cōmeth the worde iustificacion or iusti∣fieng. * 1.7 And the same is a iudicial terme in the scripture. For iusti∣ficacion is the declaracion of the iudge, who pronounceth sentence for the accused: that is, dischar∣geth and quyteth him free from y^e accusaciō and threatned punish∣ment. Iustificaciō therfore is no∣thing els, but a discharge, dely∣ueraunce and restitucion from death to life.

Herof is rightuousnes called a discharge and pardon frō syn∣ne: And they be the rightuous, whose synnes are forgeuen, and which, beyng a quyted frō death, are become hieres of eternal life. The Apostle Paul therfore, more * 1.8 then in one place, doth expounde Iustificaciō, by y^e name of redēp∣cion & remission of synnes: For y^e which cause he setteth them both together, y^t one maie be vnderstā∣ded bi āother. For in y^t Acts of y^e Apostles he saieth: Be it knowē vnto you therfore, ye men & bre∣thren, * 1.9 y^t thorow this mā (namely Christ) is preached vnto you for∣geuenes of synnes, and that by him all, that beleue, are iustified frō al things, frō which you could not be iustified by the lawe of Moses. And to y^e Romanes he * 1.10 saieth: euen as Dauid also descry¦beth the saluacion of that man,

vnto whom god imputeth righte ousnes wythout workes. Blessed * 1.11 are they (saieth he) whose vnrigh¦teousnesses are forgeuen, and whose synnes are couered. Bles∣sed is that man, vnto whom the Lorde wyll not impute synne.

Behold now, how he ioyneth and knytteth iustificacion, bles∣sedfulnes (or saluacion) and re∣myssyon of synnes together. So doeth Esaye also in maner wyth * 1.12 more playne wordes in the. 53. Chapter, saying: my ryghtuous seruaunte shall with his know∣ledge (or with the knowledge of him) iustifie the multitude: for he shall beare away theyr synnes. For thys last: he shal beare away their sinnes: doeth in maner ex∣pound that, whych goeth before∣wyth hys knowledge, or wyth the knowledge of hym, shal he iu¦stifie and deliuer the multitude.

Thus he declareth, that iustifica¦cyon is nothyng els but remyssi∣on of sinnes. For whan the lorde taketh away our wyckednes, he iu¦stifieth vs.

To iustifye therefore and to beare synne away, to delyuer frō synne or to forgeue synne, is all one matter. So that we lack now no more but to say: iustyfycacion is the remission of synnes & the discharge from damnacyon, the deliuerance, I saye, and forgeue∣nes of synne: yea euen the recea∣uing vp of a sinner into the grace of god, and inherytaunce of lyfe. Wherfore whan the questyon is * 1.13 asked concernyng the true iustifi¦cacyon of man: vndoubtedly it is demaunded, what that maye be, for whose sake or by whō sinners are discharged frō the threatned and deserued death, or by whose meanes our synnes are forgeuen

vs. Or: Wherein is the worlde reconcyled with god: And so in thes poynts consisteth the whole knowledge of our iustificacion, that whan we haue knowne the mediatour & redemer, the fourm and maner of the redempcion, y^e fashion and meane also wherby the delyueraunce cōmeth vnto vs & is geuen vs: the iustificacion of a Christian mā may lykewise be vnderstande.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luke. 7.
• * 1.2

  Luke. 16.
• * 1.3

  Deu. 25.
• * 1.4

  Esay. 5.
• * 1.5

  Pro. 17.
• * 1.6

  Math. 12.
• * 1.7

  Iustifica∣cion.
• * 1.8

  Iustifica∣cion is re∣mission & redēpcion.
• * 1.9

  Actes. 13.
• * 1.10

  Roma. 4.
• * 1.11

  Psal. 32.
• * 1.12

  Esay. 53.
• * 1.13

  The forme fashiō and maner of y^e mediacyon and iustifi¦cacion.