The iustification of man by faith only: made and vvritten by Phylyp Melanchton. and translated out of the Latyn in to this oure mother tonge by Nicholas Lesse of London An apologie or defence of the worde of God, declaringe what a necessary thynge it is, to be in all mennes handes, the want wher of is the only cause of al vngodlienes committed thorowe the whole earth, made by the sayde Nicholas Lesse.

¶ Gospell.

THE GOSPEL DOTH preache repentaunce, promi¦synge forgyuenesse of sinne and lyfe euerlastynge. The whiche promyse we must be ware that we do nat ioint with the law. For thoughe the lawe hathe certayne promises annexed to it, yet they do dif∣fer and varye muche from the promyses whiche are peculyer and proper only to

the Gospel, for the promises of the lawe are promysed condicionallye, requiring a perfecte obedience, as witnesseth the fyrste precepte, (The Lorde sayenge I wyl be good to thē ••hat loue me with al theyr herte. Where as the promyse con∣teyned in the Gospell doethe declare to vs the remission of sinne, our iustifica∣tion, and lyfe euerlastynge freely with∣oute any condicion of our merites and worthynes, but for Christ sake only. No mannes voyce or tonge can declare this great benefyte, which the Lord thorow his sonne Iesu Christ doeth bestowe on vs, that is to say: that the greate blotte of sinne by h••s bloude scraped and ras∣shed forthe, and deathe vtterly vanquis¦shed we maye haue the fruition of the syght of the Godhed in euerlasting life iustyce and gladde ioyfulnes. The pro∣myse of thys benefyte by no man but from heauen is declared to vs, as Iohn sayeth. The sonne whiche is in the bo∣som of the father he hathe declared and made manyfest to vs. And although that there is a certayn knowlege of the lawe in vs euen from oure byrthe, it is nat so with the knowledge of the Gospell, for the knowledge therof we haue nat na∣turally. Mannes reason of it selfe being nat able to perceyue and knowe the wyl

of God: that God wyll sende hys sonne downe to be oblatyon and sacrifice for the churche, and forgyue sinne fre¦lye without the deseruynge of our me∣rites. Thys is farre frome mannes vn∣derstandynge. Therefore the wordes of the lawe, and the promise of the Gospel must be dyuers and sundry wayes taken and perceiued. In the writinges of Pho¦cillides and Hesidus: o with such other lyke wryters a man shal fynde many say¦inges of the lawes: but as touchyng the promise of the free forgiuenes of sinne and of the sonne of god, it is neuer to be founde amonge them. Whiche in theyr writinges dyd imitate and folowe the iudgemente and naturall reason of man onely. Moreouer for as muche as a cer∣taine knowledge of the lawe is natural to vs, ye from our fyrst byrthe and nati∣uitie, our owne myndes and conscience accuseth sinne in vs, thynkynge and be leuyng no thyng els, but that God wyl punyshe, and also cast forth of his syght those men which be vniust and synners. This is the iudgement whiche the lawe doethe gyue, beinge bothe a iuste and a ryghte iudgemente accordynge to the mynde of the lawe. Agaynst the whiche heuye sentence of the lawe: in the tyme of knowledgynge thy sinne and repen∣taunce

thou must obiect agayne and lay for the, the most lyberal and fre promise of mercy, whiche ought to be preferred before the lawe. As by example: when Adam after hys offence, was accused, he coulde thynke none other thyng in him selfe but that which was the lawe. that he shulde peryshe, bicause he obeyed nat the Lorde. But streyght way the Lorde: (natwithstandynge that he hadde made him subiecte for his disobedience vnto the deathe of the body) whiche was be∣fore immortal: and to other miserable ca¦lamities, yet God gaue to hym a com∣fortable voyce promysynge deliuerance from sinne and death, and the restoring agayne of mankynde, sayenge that the sede of a woman shulde breake the head of the Serpent. The whiche voyce spo∣ken and declared by God: streyght way the son of God mouynge and styrrynge the hert of Adam: dyd poure into hym a newe lyfe and lyghte. At that tyme the sonne of God was constituted and or∣deyned to be a keper, a gouernour, and a sauyour of the churche. Then beganne the sonne of God to giue battayle to the Deuyll: That lykewyse as the Deuyll most cruelly doth rage ouer al mankind in the dispyte and hatred of God, to de∣face and put out of al remembrance his

most holy and blessed churche, fastening his moste venemouse tethe in oure hels and flesshe. So on that other syde, the sonne of God is stronge and myghty in them which beleueth, treadynge downe vnder hys fete the furye of the Deuyll, restorynge and delyuerynge the fayth∣ful from the tyranny of hys enmy. The worlde hathe nat the grace to consyder and se this battayle, but the great falles of many with the most heuye and tragy∣call calamities and miseries and againe afterwarde, the moste gloryous and try∣umphant delyueraunce (example of Da∣uyd and of many other) do manyfestlye declare and shewe what maner a kynde of fyght and battayle this is.

¶ THESE wordes also whiche are written in the Genesis. The sede of a woman shall treade downe the heade of the Serpent, hath none other meaninge than those wordes which Iohn did pro¦nounce, sayenge. For thys purpose the sonne of God is exhibited vnto vs to di¦stroye and breake the workes of the De¦uyll. Thus dyd Adam take and vnder∣stand the promyse. So did al the fathers after him beleue, that for thys sede sake which was promised, they shuld obteyn remission of theyr sinnes, with deliue∣raunce from sinne and deathe. By thys

faythe they were made iuste, nat by ful∣fyllynge of the lawe. This beynge that same faythe wherby in al theyr perilles and terrors they were comforted and holde vp. For they knewe wel that thys Lorde was alway at theyr hand to helpe them as Iacob most lyuely dyd expresse the .xlviii. of Genesis, sayeng. The An¦gell whiche delyuered me from all euyl: blesse these children. In the which wor¦des he declared that same Lord by whō he was deliuered from al euils desiring and prayenge to blesse and kepe hys po∣steritie. Al those wordes can be of none other than of the sonne of God meaned. As wytnesseth Paull. The son of God was in the tentes of the people of Israel where soeuer they went. And Iohn al∣so. By thys sonne of God al thing was made, by whom lyght dyd shyne in dark¦nesse. All tryumphe and victories gotte and won agaynste, and ouer the deuyll, was by none other than by thys sonne. Noe was reserued, Abraham was defen¦ded, Ioseph was wakened vp. The peo∣ple was delyuered forth of Egypt, and Daniel also dyd speake with hym. After thys fasshion the preachynges of the Apostles do teach of Chryst: wytnessing that he is the sacrifice: the deliuerer and sauiour, counsellynge and commanding

vs to set our whole trust and confidence in this captayne. The which thyng ma∣ny places in the prophetes doth testyfy: as the second psalme, kysse you y^e sonne. Blessed be al they that trust in him, with out the whiche faythe otherwyse called the certayne confydence of the trust and mercy of God promysed for Chryst sake all the prayers in the worlde seme they neuer so holy, neuer so longe, al the wor¦shypfull worshyppynge that ye can do, are in effect as muche as nothinge. For thys is the same Bysshop by whose mea¦nes we muste come to the father, as it is written in many places. The blyndnes therfore, of them which do imagin and dreame that the Gospel is a lawe contei¦nynge certayne preceptes of amitie or mutuall loue whiche requyre the faythe, that is to saye, a bare and naked know∣ledge of the lyfe of Chryste hystorycally, and that men shoulde take God as a tea∣cher of good preceptes, as they dyd vse to take Socrates and Phocillides: I say agayne the depe and profounde blynde∣nesse of them is to be detested, execrated and of all creatures abhorred. Suche lyke is theyr blyndnesse in phantasyeng that men are made iuste for theyr owne good deseruynges beynge for al that in doubte, whether God doeth forgyue vs

oure sinnes, whether he doeth heare vs or whether he wyll haue any thynge to do with vs, ye or nay, as one, whiche no¦thynge regardeth what doeth or shal be¦come of vs. Thus the greate gorbelyd Monkes, and nowe, our great supercy∣liouse & proud popishe Philosophers do transforme, translate, and make, the Gos¦pell, which is the most pure and sincere worde of God, to be a Phylosophy Aca¦demical, dysputynge and reasonynge of good workes, commaundynge men to doubt in the promyses of God. But of faythe whiche leanneth on Chryste and the promises made for his sake, nat ones for a thousande pound they wyl neither thynke nor speake: herein they be as domme as stones, and as drie as a stocke fyshe. Therfore I pray and desyre with all my hert, al gentyl readers that they wolde weye and consyder the difference of the lawe and the Gospel, of Moyses: and of Chryst. And to marke diligently what is the glorye of God: what was the ryght honour, seruyce, and worship done to hym by our olde fathers Adam: Iacob, the Prophetes and the Apostles. Of these men let vs learne, that Chryste is alway the valyant Captayne, the on∣ly gouernour: delyuerer: sauyour: pro∣tector: an dedfēder of hys church against

the Deuyll with al his members. Let ••s learne I say, that by fayth we must per∣ceiue and receiue the benefites of Christ Let vs haue in remembrance and nat for gette that the gospell is a swete voyce, which promyseth and sheweth to vs, as it were puttynge into our bosoms these great benefites: Paul bearynge thereta wytnesse, sayenge. The gospell is the power of god to saluatyon to hym that doeth beleue. That is as muche to saye, as the gospell doethe offer vnto vs par∣don of our sinnes and lyfe euerlastynge frely for Christ his sake, and nat for the law. By thys gospel god worketh in vs effectuously, gyuyng to vs his holy spi¦rite: he beginneth in vs a newe life, and gyueth vs lyfe euerlastynge.

Notes

• The pro∣myse of the Gospell is nat to be ioyned with the promise of the lawe.
• An other dyfference of the Gos∣pel and of the lawe.
• what doeth our owne conscience ••udge oure synne.
• Adam.
• The pro¦myse giuen to Adam.
• The doctrin of the Po∣pishe cler¦kes.