❧: divers fruitful gatherings of scripture and declaring of faith and works Of the law. THe law is a doctrine that biddeth good & forbiddeth evil as his commandments specify. ¶ The ten commandments Thou shalt worship but one god. Thou shalt make the none image to-worshepe it. Thou shalt not swear by his name in vain. Hold the sabbath day holy. Honour thy father and thy mother Ex. 20. Mat. 22. Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt bear no false witness. Thou shalt not desire aught that belongeth to thy neighbour. Maior. ¶ He that loveth god and his neighbour keepeth all the commandments of god. Deu. 6. Mat. 22. love thy Lord god with all thine heart/ with all thy soul/ and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto this: that is love thy neighbour as thy sele. In these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Minor. ¶ He that loveth god/ loveth his neighbour. If a man say/ I love god/ and yet hateth his brother/ 1. joa. 4 he is a liar. He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen/ how can he love god whom hath not seen. Conclu. sion. ¶ He that loveth his neighbour as himself kepth all the commandments of god. Mat. 7. what so ever ye would that men should do to you/ even so do to them. Rom. 13 For this is the laws and the prophets. He that loveth his neighbour fulfilleth the law. Thou shalt no● commit adultery. Thou shalt no● kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shal● not hear false witness. Thou shal● not desire/ and so forth if there be any other commandment/ all are comprehended in this saying: love thy neighbour as thyself. Gala. 5. All the law is fulfilled in one word/ that is/ love thy neighbour as thyself. ¶ He that loveth god keepeth all the commandments. Maior. He that loveth his neighbour keepeth all the commandments of god Ro. xiii. gala .v. and he that loveth god loveth his neighbour i joan iiii. ergo he that loveth god keepeth all his commandments. ¶ He that hath the faith loveth god. Minor. My father loveth you/ because ye love me and believe that I come of god. joan. 16 ¶ He that hath the faith keepeth all the commandments of god. Conclusio He that hath the faith/ loveth god/ and he that loveth god keepeth all his commandments ergo he that hath the faith keepeth all the commandments of god. ¶ He that keepeth one commandment of god keepeth them all. For without faith it is impossible to keep any of the commandments of god/ Hebre. 11 and he that hath the faith keepeth all the commandments of god ergo he that keepeth one commandment of god keepeth them all. ¶ He that keepeth not all the commandments of god keepeth not one of them He that keepeth one commandment of god/ he keepeth all/ ergo he that keepeth not all the commandments of god keepeth not one of them. ¶ It is not in our power to keep any of the commandments of god. Uvith out grace/ it is impossible to keep any of the commandments of god/ and grace is not in our power: ergo it is not in our power to keep any of the commandments of god even so may you reason concerning the holy ghost and faith. ¶ The law was given to show us our sin. By the law cometh the knowledge of sin. Roma. 3. I knew not what sin meant but thorough the law. Roma. 7 I had not known what lust had meant except the law had said thou shalt not lust. with out the law sin was deed/ that is it moved me not neither wist I that it was sin/ which not with standing was sin and forbidden by the law. ¶ The law biddeth us do that thing which is impossible for us. For it biddeth us keep the commandments of god/ and yet is it not in our power to keep any of them/ ergo it biddeth us do that is impossible for us. Thou wilt say where to doth god bid us do that is impossible for us? I answer/ to make the know that thou art but evil/ and that there is no remedy to save the in thine own hand/ and that thou mayst seek remedy at sum other for the law doth nought but command the. ¶ Of the gospel. THe gospel is as much to say in our tongue/ as good tidings like as one of these are. Christ is the saviour of the world joan. 4. Luce. 2. Roma. 5. Christ is our saviour. Christ died for us. Roma. 4 1. Pet. 1. Apo. 1. Heb. 7.9. 1. Pe. 2. Christ died for our sins. Christ bought us with his blood. Christ wish us with his blood. Christ offered himself for us. Christ bore our sins on his back. Esa. 5. 1. Ti. 1. Christ came in to this world to save sinners. Christ came in to this world to take away our sins. 1. joan. 22. 1 Timo. 2 Gene. 5. Thess. 5. 1. Cor. 1. Christ was the price that was given for us and our sin. Crist was maid debtor for us. Christ hath paid our debt/ for he died for us. Christ hath made satisfaction for us and our sin. Christ is our rygthwysenes. Christ is our satisfaction. Christ is our redemption. Christ is our goodness. Christ hath pacified the father of heaven Roma. 8. Christ is ours and all his. Christ hath delivered us from the law from the devil and from hell. The father of heaven hath forgiven us our sins for Christ's sake. Or any such as declare unto us the mercy of god. ¶ The nature of the law and the gospel. The law showeth us our sin. The gospel show us remedy for it The law showeth us our condemnation, The gospel showeth us our redemption The law is the word of Ire. The gospel is the word of grace. The law is the word of despair. The gospel is the word of comfort That law is the word of unrest. The gospel is the word of peace. ¶ A disputation between the law and the gospel. The law saith pay thy debt. The gospel sayeth Christ hath paid it The law sayeth thou art a sinner. despair and thou shalt he dampened. The gospel sayeth/ thy sins are forgiven the be of good comfort thou shalt be saved. The law sayeth/ make amends for thy sin. The gospel sayeth/ Christ hath made it for thee, The law sayeth/ the father of heaven is wroth with the. The gospel sayeth/ Christ hath pacified him with his blood The law sayeth where is thy ryght-wysene/ goodness and satisfaction▪ The gospel sayeth/ Christ is thy righteousness thy goodness and satisfaction. The law sayeh thou art bound and obliged to me/ to the devil and to hell. The gospel sayeth/ Christ hath delivered the from them all. ¶ Of faith. Faith is to believe gdd: like as Abraham believed god & it was imputed unto him for rythtwysenes. Gene. 15. He that believeth god/ believeth his word. To believe one is to believe his word and to recount it true that he sayeth. ¶ He that believeth not god's word/ believeth not god himself. 1. joan. v. He that believeth not god's word he counteth him false and a liar/ and believeth not that he may and will fulfil his word: and so he denieth both the might of god and god himself. ¶ faith is the gift of god. jaco, 1. Every good thing is the gift of god faith is good ergo faith is the gift of god. ¶ faith is not in our power, The gift of god is not in our power faith is the gift of god ergo faith is not in our power. ¶ without faith it is impossible to please god. All that cometh not of faith is sin/ for without faith can no man please god. Ro. 14. Heb. 11. Besides that he that lacketh faith he trusteth not god/ he that trusteth not god trusteth not his word/ he that trusteth not his word holdeth him false and a liar/ he that holdeth him false & a liar he believeth not that he may do that he promised/ & so denieth he that he is god. And how can a man being of this fashion please him? No manner of way/ ye suppose he did all the deeds that ever did man or angel. ¶ All that is done in faith pleaseth God. Right is the word of god and all his works in faith. Lord thine eyen look to faith/ that is as much to say as lord thou delightest in faith. God loveth him that believeth in him/ how can they then displease him. He that hath the faith is just & good/ and a good tree beareth good fruit: ergo all that is done in faith pleased god. More over/ he that hath the faith believeth god: he that believeth god/ believeth his word: he that believeth his word/ woteth well that he is true and faithful & may not lie. But knoweth that he both may and will fulfil his word how can he then displease him? for thou canst not do any greater honour to god/ then to count him true Thou wilt then say that theft/ murder/ adultery and all vices please god. Nay verily for they can not be done in faith: for a good tree beareth good fruit. ¶ He that hath the faith wotteth well that he pleaseth god? For all that is done in faith pleaseth god. ¶ faith is a sureness. Heb. 11. Faith is a sure confidence of things which are hoped for/ and a certainty of things which are not seen. Roma. 8. The same spirit certeneth our spirit that we are the children of god. More over he that hath the faith wotteth well that god will fulfil his word: ergo faith is a sureness. ¶ A man is justified by faith. Gene. 15. Abraham believed god and it was imputed unto him for rightwiseness. we supposse therefore that a man is justified by faith with out the deeds of/ Roma. 3. he law. Roma. 4 He that worketh not but believeth on him that justified the ungodly/ his faith is counted to him for rightwiseness. The just mam liveth by his faith. 〈…〉 Gala. 2. Abacuc. 2. Ro. 1. we know that a man is not justified by the deeds of the law but by the faith of jesus Christ. And we believe in jesus Christ/ that we may be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the deeds of the law. ¶ Of the faith of Christ. The faith of christ/ is to believe in him that is to believe his word and to believe that he will help the in all thy need & deliver the from all evil/ thou wilt ask me what word? I answer/ the gospel. ¶ He that believeth in Christ shall be saved. He that believeth the son hath everlasting life/ joan. ●. joan. 6. verily verily I say unto you/ he that believeth in me hath everlasting. This I writ unto you that believe on the name of the son of god that ye may know how that ye have eternal life Them as because thou hast free me/ 1. joan. 5. joan. 2● therefore hast thou believed/ happy are they that have not seen/ and yet have believed in me. All the prophets to him bear witness Acts. 10. / that who so ever believeth in him shall have remission of their sins. what must I do that I may be saved the apostles answered believe in the lord jesus Criste and thou shalt he saved. Act. 16. If thou knowledge with thy mouth that jesus is the lord. Ro. 10. And believe with thine heart that god raised him up from death thou shalt be saved. ¶ He that believeth not in Christ shallbe comdempned. He that believeth not shallbe dampened He that believeth not the son shall never see the life but the ire of god bideth upon him. Mar. 16. joan. 2. The holy ghost shall reprove the world of sin/ because they believe not in me ¶ They that believe in jesus Christ are the sons of god. Gala. 3. Ye are all the sons of god because ye believe in jesus Christ: ¶ He that believeth that Christ is the son of god is saved. Mat. 16. Peter said/ thou art Christ the son of the living god, jesus answered and said unto him, happy art thou Simon the son of jonas for flesh & blood hath not opened to the that/ but my father that is in heaven. joan. 6. we have believed and know that thou art Christ the son of the living god. joan. 11. I believe that thou art Christ the son of god which should come in to the world These things are written that ye might believe that jesus is Christ the son of god/ joan. 20 and that ye in believing might have life. I believe that jesus is the son of god. Acts. 8. ¶ He that believeth god believeth the gospel. He that believeth god believeth his word and the gospel is his word/ therefore he that believeth god believeth the gospel, As (Christ is the saviour of the world. joan. 4. Christ is our saviour Christ bought us with his blood. Christ wish us with his blood. Apo. 1. Heb. 7.8. 1. Pet. 2. Christ offered himself for us. Christ bore our sins on his own back. &c. ¶ He that believeth not the gospel believeth not god. He that believeth not god's word/ believeth not himself/ and the gospel is god's word/ ergo he that believeth not the gospel believeth not God himself/ and consequently they that believe not the above uryten and such other/ believe not god. ¶ He that believeth the gospel shall be saved. Go ye in to all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature/ Mar. 16. he that believeth and is baptized shallbe saved but he that believeth not shallbe comdempned. ¶ A comparison between faith and unfaithfulness or incredulity. Faith is the rote of all good. incredulity is the root of all evil. Faith maketh god & man good friends incredulity maketh them foes. Faith bringeth god and man together. incredulity sundereth them. All that faith doth pleaseth god. All that icredulyte doth displeaseth god Faith only maketh a man good and rightwise. incredulity only maketh him injust and evil. Faith maketh a man a member of Christ incredulity maketh him a member of the devil. Faith maketh a man the inheritor of heaven. incredulity maketh him inheritor of hell. Faith maketh a man the servant of god. incredulity maketh him the servant of the devil. Faith showeth us god to be a sweet father. incredulity showeth him a terrible judge. Faith holdeth stiff by the word of god incredulity wavereth here and there faith counterhe and holdeth god to be true. incredulity holdeth him false & a lyare Faith knoweth god. incredulity knoweth him not. Faith loveth both god and her neighbour. incredulity loveth neither nother. faith only saveth us. incredulity only condemneth us Faith extolleth god and his deeds incredulity extolleth herself and her own deeds. Of hope HOpe is a trusty looking after the thing that is promised us to come as we hope after everlasting joy which Christ hath promised unto all that believe in him. ¶ we should put our hope and trust in god alonely and in no nother thing. It is good to trust in god & not in man He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool. It is good to trust in god and not in princes. Psa. 117 They shallbe like unto the images they make and all that trust in them. Psal. 113 He that trusteth in his own thoughts doth ungodly. Oro. 12. Hie. 17. Cursed be he that trusteth in man. Bid the rich men of this world that they trust not in their unstable riches/ but that they trust in the living god. Mat. 10. It is hard for them that trust in money to enter in to the kingdom of heaven. More over we should trust in him only that may help us/ god only may hel●● us/ ergo we should trust in him only well is them that trust in god and woe is them that trust not in him. Higher, 17. well is the man that trusteth in god for god shall be his trust. Sapi. 3. Psal. 5. He that trusteth in him shall understand the verity. They shall all rejoice that trust in thee/ they shall ever be glade and thou wilt defend them. Of charity. charity is the love of thy neighbour. The rule of charity is this Do as thou wouldest be done to. For charity holdeth all a like the rich and the poor/ the friend and the foe/ foo/ the thankful and unthankful the kinsman and stranger. ¶ A comparison between faith/ hope and charity. Faith cometh of the word of god/ hope cometh of faith/ & charity springeth of them both. Faith believeth the word: hope trusteth after it that is promised by the word charity doth good unto her neighbour thorough the love that it hath to god and gladness that is with in herself. Faith looketh to god and his word/ hope looketh unto his gift & reward/ charity looketh on her neighbours profit. Faith receiveth god/ hope receiveth his reward/ charity loveth her neighbour with a glad heart, and that without any respect of reward faith pertaineth to god only/ hope to his reward/ and charity to her neighbour. Of works. NO manner of works make us rightwise/ we believe that a man shall be justified without works. No man is justified by the deeds of the law/ but by the faith of jesus christ/ Gala. 2. and we believe in jesus Christ that we may be justified be the faith of Christ and not by the deeds of the law. If rightwiseness came by the law than died Chryst in vain. Gala. 2. Gala. 3. That no man is justified by the law it is manifest/ for a rightwise man liveth by his faith/ but the law is not of faith. Moreover/ sith Christ the maker of heaven and earth and all that is therein/ behoved to die for us we are compelled to grant that we were so far drowned and sunken in sin that neither our deeds nor all the treasures that even god made or might make/ might have holp us out of them/ ergo no deeds nor works may make us rightwise. ¶ No works make us unrightwise. For if any works made us unrightwise then the contrary works should make us rightwise. But it is proved that no works can make us rightwise/ ergo no works make us unrightwise ¶ works make us neygther good nor evil. It is proved that no works neither make us rightwise nor unrightwise ergo not works make us neither good nor evil. For rightwise and good are one thing and unrightwise and evil likewise one. ¶ Good works make not a good man nor evil works an evil man/ Mat. 7. but a good man maketh good works and an evil man evil works, Good fruit maketh not the tree good nor evil fruit the evil tree/ but a good tree beareth good fruit and an evil tree evil fruit. A good man can not do evil works nor an evil man good works/ for a good tree can not bear evil fruit nor an evil tree good fruit. A man is good ere he do good works and evil ere he do evil works/ for the tree is good ere he bear good fruit/ and evil ere it here evil fruit. ¶ Every man is either good or evil. Every tree is either good or evil either make ye the tree good & the fruit good also/ or else make the tree evil and the fruit of it likewise evil. ¶ Every man's works are either good or evil. For all fruit trees are either good or evil. Either make ye the tree good and the fruit good also/ or else make the tree evil and the fruit of it likewise evil. A good man is known by his works for a good man doth good works and an evil evil works/ Mat. 7. ye shall know them by their fruit/ for a good tree beareth good fruit/ and an evil tree evil fruit. ¶ A man is likened to the tree and his works to the fruit of the tree. Beware of the false prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing/ but inwardly they are revening wolves. ye shall know them by their fruits. ¶ None of our works neither save us nor condemn us. It is proved that no works make us neither rightwise nor unrightwise/ good nor evil/ but first we are good ●● we do good works and evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil works/ ergo no works neither save us nor condemn us. Thou wilt say/ then maketh it no matter what we to. I answer/ yes. For if thou do evil/ it is a sure argument that thou art evil/ and wantest the faith. If thou do good it is an argument that thou art good & hast the faith/ for a good tree beareth good fruit and an evil tree evil fruit/ yet good fruit maketh not the tree good/ nor evil fruit the tree evil so the man is good ere he do good deeds & evil ere he do evil deeds. The man is the tree/ his works are the fruit. Faith maketh the good tree & incredulity the evil tree/ such a tree such fruit/ such a man such works. For all that is done in faith pleaseth god and are good works. And all that is done with out faith displeaseth god and are evil works. ¶ who so ever believeth or thinketh to be saved his works denieth that Christ is his saviour/ that Christ died for him and all thing that pertaineth to Christ. For how is he thy saviour/ if thou mightest save thyself by thy works? or whereto should he die for the if any works might have saved thee? what is this to say/ Christ died for thee? verily that is/ thou shouldest have died perpetualy/ and christ to deliver the fro that death/ died for the & changed thy perpetual death in to his own death For thou madest the fault/ & he suffered the pain, and that for the love he had to the ere ever thou wast borne when thou hadst done neither good nor evil. Now sith he hath paid thy det thou needest not: no thou canst not/ but shouldest be dampened if his blood were not. But sith he was punished for the thou shalt not be punished. Finally/ he hath delivered the from thy condemnation and all evil/ & desireth nought else of the but that thou wilt acknowledge what he hath done for the and bear it in mind/ and that thou wouldest help other for his sake both in word and deed/ even as he hath helped the for nought and with out reward. O now ready would we be to help other/ if we knew his goodness 〈…〉 enter leaves towards us. He is a good and a gentle lord for he doth all for naught Let us I beseech you follow hy●●●●●steppes whom all the world ought to praise and worship. Amen. ¶ He that thinketh to be saved 〈…〉 works calleth himself Christ. For he calleth himself his saviour which pertaineth to Christ only what is a saviour but he that saveth/ and he sayeth I save myself/ which is as much to say as I am Christ for Christ only is the saviour of the world. ¶ we should do no good works for the intent to get the inheritance of heaven or remission of sin. For who so ever believeth to get the ●●●eritaunce of heaven or remission of sin thorough works/ he believeth not to get that for Christ's sake. And they that believe not that their sins are forgiven them & that they shall be saved for Christ's sake they believe not the gospel. For the gospel sayeth/ you shall be saved for Christ's sake/ your sins are forgiven for Christ's sake. He that believeth not ye gospel believeth not god So it followeth that they which believe to be saved by their works or to get remission of their sins by their own deeds believe not god: but recount him as a liar and so utterly deny him to be god. Thou wilt say/ shall we then do no good deeds? I say not so but I say we should do no good works for ●he intent to get the inheritance of heaven or remission of sin. For if we believe to get the inheritance of heaven thorough good works, than we believe not to get it thorough the promise of god: if we think to get remission of our sin than we believe not that they are forgiven us/ and so we count god a liar. For god sayeth/ you shalt have the inheritance of heaven for my sons sake/ thy sins ar● forgiven the for my sons sake & you say it is not so/ but I will win it thorough my works So I condemn not good deeds/ But I condemn the false trust in any works/ for all the works that a man putteth confidence in are therewith poisoned & become evil. Therefore do you good works but beware you do them not to get any good thorough that/ for if thou do/ thou recevest the good not as the gift of god but as der to the & makest thyself fellow with god because thou wilt take nothing of him for nought what needeth he any thing of theirs which giveth all thing & is not the pourer? Therefore do no thing to him but take of him/ for he is a gentle lord/ & with a glader wyll-geveth us all that we need/ then we take it of him/ therefore if we what ought let us wite ourselves Press not them to the enherytaunte of heaven thorough presumption of thy good works for if thou do/ thou countest thyself holy & equal to h●m because thou wilt take nothing 〈◊〉 him for nought: & so shalt thou 〈◊〉 lucifer fell for his pride. FINIS. ¶ imprinted in Fleetstreet by me Robert Redman.