The summe of the holye scripture and ordinarye of the Christen teachyng, the true Christen faithe, by the whiche we be all iustified. And of the vertue of baptesme, after the teaching of the Gospell and of the Apostles, with an informacyon howe all estates shulde lyve accordynge to the Gospell.

¶In whate thing lyeth the Christendome. Chap∣tre .xiiij. (Book 14)

TKen lyeth the verey Christiany¦te in this thing / that thou do all thing that Charyte proceding from thy faith iudgeth to be agre¦able vnto god. And whē thou hast all do∣ne with the lest evill that thou canst / that thou iudge thy silfe yet an vnproufitable servaunt / and that by all thy good wor∣kes thou hast yet deserved nothing / or yf there be eny thing well done that it apar∣tayneth to god albeit that by his goodnes∣se he will reward it and that he so reward the goodnesse that he hath done himsilf by his holy sprite beyng in vs. And therfore haue we nothing but that that comyth of god vppon whome we must abyde (for I haue often sayed) Christ is oure iustice that is to sey Christ hath satisfied for vs / not to thintent that we shuld not satisfye but bycause we can not satisfye. And whē one vnderstondeth this he seeth well ho∣we he shuld humble him silf byfore God / and in whome he shal seke his helth. And

when we thus distrust in ur silves of ou¦re good workes we shall forsake our silf and stikke all holly to god with a stedfast faith and parfait trust. And so doyng we make force vnto the kingdome of heven.

And this is it that God requyreth of vs and then he holdeth to vs hys promy∣se and he iustifieth vs when we dye with suche a trust not for oure workes / but for hys holy name: For he hath promysed vs that we shall be his children. So brought he the children of Israell into the lond of promission / not by theyre meryte (for they were many tyme rebelles / and murmu∣red ageynst hym) but to fulfyll hys pro∣myse. For he had promysed it to Abrahā / Isaac and Iacob.

So shall not the Christen distrust al∣beit he fynde no good in hym sylf / nor yn his owne vertue / but he shall yeld hym sylf hoelly to the mercy of god and axe par¦don of his imperfection wyth a perfayt trust consydering howe grete love Christ hath shewed vnto hym. And thus doyng he ge••••e••h an hope and trust yn the good∣nesse of God / and beleveth stedfastly that his synnes are forgyven not by his good

workes (for when they be compared vn¦to the goodnesse requyred of God the¦re ys no comparyson) but by Iesu Christ to whome he putteth his trust. For Iesu Christ possessith the kingdome of heven / by double ryght.

First for bycause he is the sonne of God and verey enheryter of his Royalme.

Secundly bycause he hath gotten hyt by his passyon and deth. Of this secunde ri∣ght he hath no nede / and therfore he gy∣veth it to all theym that beleve and trust yn hym and yn hys promyses.

For as God the father loveth Christ he loveth likewise all theym that love him & beleve in him.

So there shall none discomfort hī silfe when he shall dye but he must beleve sure¦ly that he shalbe saved. And albeit that one have not deserved by his good works yet neverthelesse he must beleve it bicause of the promyse of god. for god hath promy¦sed it to all theym that beleve it. And if we beleve it he owith hyt vnto vs bycau∣se of hys promesse and bycause that he ys true.

But if God had promysed heven vn∣to vs bycause of oure workes we shuld ever be vnsure of oure helth for we shuld never knowe howe moche nor howe lōg we must laboure to be saved and shuld be ever in thought that we had done to litell and that more is we shuld never dye ioy∣fully. But god wold assure vs of heven / by his promesse to thintent we shuld be certeyn and sure: For he is the truthe that can not lye. And also to thintent that we shuld haue trust ād hope in him / Notwith¦stonding that after the gretnesse and mul∣titude of oure synnes it seme to vs a thing impossible yet alweyes we shall beleve it without ony doubt bicause of his su∣re promesse. And whosoever kno∣wyth thys he may ioyfully dye and abyde the iudge∣ment of God why∣che els were yn∣tollera∣bill.