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.

¶ Uvhat is to be held of y^e mediator, as who he is: and the maner of iustifica∣cion, as howe he dely∣uereth vs. (Book 3)

The. 3. Chapter. (Book 3)

BUt to the intēt y^• no darke nor doubtfull thing remayne in

eny mans mynde: I wil first de∣clare, what is to be holden of the Mediator or intercessor, & what the maner of iustificacion is. All this wil I set forth before mens eyes, y^t euery one maie vewe & se it: Namelie, y^• Christ Iesus is y^• same, for whose sake the father is pacified and contented: In such forte, y^t he imputeth not sinne vn∣to vs, but cōpteth vs righruous & iust. For Christ hath take our syn¦nes vpon him selfe, satisfied for them with his innocent death, & hath geuen vs his owne rightu∣ousnes. Then wil I shewe, how we becōe partakers of this righ∣tuousnes. For in this mater must speciall respect be had to these two poyntes: Namely, who is y^e mediator & redemer of y^e damned & how he hath delyuered thē: y^t is, after what sorte we become pertakers of the redempcion and

iustificacion, or how the deliue∣rance extendeth to our commodi¦te and welfare. To speake of the fyrst, imagen thou nowe by thy self, that god, the righteous iudge of all, sitteth vpon hys iudycyall Throne, before whō stand al mē and before accused as vngodlye and vnfaythfull, stayned and de¦fyled wyth al vyces, and are con¦uicte of the same, by meāes wher¦of, the sentence of condemnacion is called for and required. The men haue vtterly nothing, wher∣by to excuse themselues, nether is there aught els to loke for, but that they altogether shalbe caried forth and hurled awaye to dam∣nacyon and eternall death. Ne∣uertheles in thys greatest and fi¦nal daunger, there appeareth to the most woofull mankynde, an exceadyng great hope: namelye the eternall sonne of god, who to

be arbiter & mediatoure betwene god and man, and to delyuer thē from destruction, that were con∣demned vnto death: tooke oure fleshe vpon hym, and became ve∣ry man, to the entente that he, be¦ynge tormented and sufferynge death, might also lade our sinnes vpon hym, and wyth hys inno∣cent death to take away our gyl∣tines, purginge our sinnes with his bloud, and making vs heires of eternall lyfe.

Wyth thys ensample, I think it euidently inough vttered and declared, what the mediatour is and what is iustificacion. I sup∣pose also, euery man doeth well perceaue and vnderstande, that Chryst the mediatour, and the in carnacyon wyth the crosse of the Lord Iesu, is euē the same right principall poynt and only cause, wherby we are iustified & made

rightuous.

But here might an vnreasona∣ble and vnequal hearer or reader crye against me and saie: Thou shuldst byde by thy promes, brin¦ginge forth gods scripture, and not ymagined ensamples. For at the first thou diddest promes a pure and syncere conference of y^e scriptures: but now, forgettinge thy selfe, thou holdest the symple vp with bare ensampls. Answer. I am nothing at all ashamed, to speake after the propertie of the eternall maiestie of god. Now doth y^t holy scripture yet set forth such sunilitudes and figures vn∣to vs. For it bringeth god in as a iudge, before whose presēce ther goeth forth a consumynge fyre, * 1.1 and in whose sight the giltie is not excused. Here vnto serueth it that Dauid wryteth: For thou art the god, that hath no pleasure

in wickednes, nether shal eny e∣uell dwell with the. Such, as be foolishe, shall not stand in thy sight: for thou hatest al them that worke vanitie. Thou shalt de∣stroie them that speake lesyngs: the lorde will abhorre both the bloude thirstie and disceatfull man. This same Dauid likewise, remembryng the accusacyon and accused, sayeth moreouer: The * 1.2 lord loked down from heauen v∣pon the children of men, to see if there wer any, that would vnder¦stand, and seke after God. But they wer al gone out of the way, they altogether became abomina¦ble: there was none y^e dyd good, no not one. And thys testymony of the Prophet Dauid is rehear∣sed againe of S. Paul in y^e third chapter to the Romaynes. * 1.3 Againe the same royal Prophete himselfe, making menciō of the

iudge, the iudgement and dāna∣cyon, sayeth thus: Entre not into * 1.4 iudgement wyth thy seruaunt, O lord: for in thy syght shal no mā liuyng be iustified. Itē: if thou, * 1.5 Lord, wilt be extreme to marke what is done amysse, O Lorde, who maye abyde it? Holy Iob * 1.6 also sayeth: I knowe and am suer it is true, that a mā, compared vn¦to god, cannot be iustified. If he would argue with him, he might not answere him vnto one amōg a thousande.

If I would iustifie my selfe, myne owne mouth shoulde con∣demne me &c. Thus in my forere cited ensample, I haue broughte forth nothyng, that is straunge, or not cōsonaunt to the scripture. As concerning the mediatoure & redemer, our Lord Iesus Christ, the maner also and measure of the Mediacyon and redempcion,

wherof I haue spoken somewhat afore: the scripture expresseth al¦together so playnly and perfect∣ly, y^t doubtles whoso euer would denye the same, muste nedes be such an one, as hath neuer red the scripture.

But for asmuch as the ryghte sure point of our iustificacyon ly¦eth in this, whiche I haue propo¦ned out of the scripture, that our Lorde Iesus Chryst, beeyng the mediatour, hath layed vpō him¦selfe the giltines of all suche, as were condemned, makyng satys∣factyon for them wyth hys own body vpon the tree of the crosse, and washyng them awaye wyth hys bloude: namelye, in that he hath iustifid, absolued and quite discharged vs, which were dam∣ned vnto death: And in that god, receauynge vs vnto grace, hath iudged and pronounced vs iuste

and rightuous for hys sake. Ther¦fore minde I now to confirme y^e same, prouing and declaryng it wyth strong, sure and euydente testimonies of holy scripture.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Before god is no man iusti∣fied. Psal. 5.
• * 1.2

  Psa. 14. 53.
• * 1.3

  Roma. 3.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 143.
• * 1.5

  Psal. 130.
• * 1.6

  Iob. 9.