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GOd dyd not onely call vs & giue vs his woorde, but also by meane of the operacion and workinge of the holly ghost, he did ingendre fayth in our hartes: the which is armes and handes, vnto vs, to imbrace Iesus Christ, with all his riches & blessings. And in this maner we are brought vnto him, the which doothe confirme in vs the sayinge of Sainct Paule,
Christ did redéeme vs from the cursse of the lawe, & made himselfe a cursse for vs, bicause we should receiue by fayth, the promise of the holy Ghoste, for that we had sinned all, and were naked of the glory of God, we were graciously iustified by his grace, & by the redempciō gotten by Christ Iesu, the which God dyd purpose for propi∣tiacion by faythe in his bloud, to the ende that he would be founde iuste, & a iustifier of them that haue fayth in him. Of grace you haue béen saued by fayth (sayth Paule to them of Ephe∣sus) and this doothe not come of your selues, for it is the gyft of God, not by our workes for that we should not boast, bicause we are his workes cre∣ated in Christ Iesus. Wherby it doth and may apeare that our iustificacion is a new creacion, and a worke onely of god, who, as at ye beginning he dyd create vs by the sounde of his word: So nowe by the vertue, potency, and might of the same, he dooth forme and make vs a newe in his sonne. He dyd giue them saith S. Iohn, power to be
made the children of God, to as many as doo receiue him by fayth, that is to saye, to as many as doo beléeue in his name. The which are not borne of bloud, of the wyll of the fleshe, nor of mans will, but by the will of god. Whereby we sée that to be iuste and rightuous, commeth not by nature, nor by humaine industrie, but by the frée gift of our Lorde God that of his owne proper good will doothe regene∣rate vs by the woorde of trueth. All of vs (saith S. Iames) be the children of god, bicause we haue beléeued in Ie∣sus Christ, and for that we doo know that man is not, (nor cannot be) iusti∣fied by the woorkes of the lawe, but by fayth in Christ Iesus. And Sainct Paule sayth we haue also beléeued to be iustified by fayth in him, and not by the workes of the lawe, for no flesh shalbe iustified by the woorkes of the lawe. And so the Apostles dooe con∣clude, that the benediction of Iesus Christe, which was promised to A∣braham and his séede, should perteine
onely to them which doo receiue him by fayth, beléeuing in his diuine pro∣mises and doo aply vnto him all that is conteined in them. (Sainct Paule to ye Galathiās sayth again) all those that haue faith, are blessed with faith∣full Abraham: bicause all that are of the workes of the lawe are vnder the cursse and malediction thereof. So that it remayneth manifest, that all those which dooe not receiue Iesus Christ, the remission of sinnes, and the reconciliation that is gotten for vs by him, with the handes of faith, may not nor cannot receiue him by meanes of any other woorcke that they can dooe: but are euermore in their sinnes and subiecte to eternall malediction.
We may not haue peace with GOD by any other way or meane, then in that we are acceptable vnto him, by fayth: we are acceptable and admyt∣ted vntoo hys fauour and grace by fayth in Iesu Christe. He is by and by (& alwayes) pleased wt vs, & we haue
rightuousnesse before him? as the A∣postle teacheth saying: we being iu∣stified by fayth haue peace with God by our Lorde Iesus Christ, by whom we haue a waye through faythe vnto this grace, the which must be firme & surely fixed in vs. Whereby it is de∣clared that Iesus Christ, is the onely aucthour of our rightuousnesse, & that we be made partakers of his health, by the fayth we haue in him. By the which we be surely certified, that we be all ready reconsiled to God, & that he is in peace with vs, & by this rea∣son we are assured that we possesse lyfe euerlasting. The diuine Scrip∣tures doo teache vs the same, all the Prophetes (sayth sainct Peter) beare testimony of Iesus Christe, and that through his name, all that beléeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes.
Also S. Paule in the Actes of the A∣postles, (speaking of Christ) sayth, by him is preached vnto you remission of sinnes, and by him all that beleue are iustified in all thinges, from ye which ye could not be iustified by the law of
Moyses, wherefore all that beleue in Christ Iesus are iustified by fayth in him. So that it must néedes be that remission of sinnes, and all other be∣nefites promised of God, we receiue them of him, by fayth in his Gospell. Dauid taught by the holy ghost, dyd sée that all that was in him, and that he might doo, was cause of condemp∣nacion at the handes of God: beinge seuerely examined by the rigour and iustice of his Lawe. He had his re∣course to the Almightie God and dyd take him for his Patrone in iudge∣ment, and dyd pray to him with great vehemency, besechinge him that he should not iudge him according to his law: enter not into iudgement (saith he,) with thy seruant, bicause that no flesh is to be founde righteous in thy sight. So that he confessith that we are iustified onely by grace, and mer∣cy, and by the pittie and loue that god behouldeth in his sonne Iesu Christe for and towardes vs. For that by the loue that he hath to vs in him, he hath called vs & put from before him quite
away, all our sinnes, offences, & wic∣kednesse that euer we committed, and hath forgiuen vs all our disobedience and graunted vs true obedience and satisfaction neither more nor lesse then as if we had gottē it our selues. For to take vs out of all doubts, and to the ende to deliuer vs from our olde wicked lyinge errours, in the which vntill now we haue liued, the Lord & mightie Iehouah, sayth, by ye Prophet Esay, it is I, it is I my selfe (O my people) that haue blotted out all thy misdéees and wickednesse, for the loue of my selfe, and for myne owne sake, I haue done it, & will neuer remem∣bre them againe. So that it is he that deliuereth vs from our sinnes, and in∣iquities, without any merit or desert on our behalfe, yt is any thing auaila∣ble at all. And of his owne frée will, loue, and liberalitie doothe vse ye same towardes vs.
By fayth we doe im∣brace christ
Gala. 3. &. 13,
Rom. 3. & 24.26, &c.
Ephes. ••. &. 8,
Iohn. 1. &, 12.1••.
Rom. 5. & 15.
Ieam. 1. & 18.
Gala. 2. & 16,
Gala. 3. &. 9
Rom. 5. & 51
Acts. 10. &. 43.
Actes. 13. &. 38, 39.
Psal. 142. &. 2.
Esai. 43. & 1.25.
Ezech. 16. &. 60.61. Iere. 3. &. 12 13.