And thus much concernyng fayth in Christ, proued to be the onely meane, or instrumentall, or conditionall cause of our saluation, and no other besides the same alone, by the doctrine of S. Paule taught to the auncient Romanes.

MarginaliaThe fift braunche.5. The fift braunch, which I note in S. Paules doctrine, is this: that after he hath thus established vs in certeinty of our saluation through fayth in Christ, then after that, hee exhorteth vs vehemently and with all instance to good workes, shewyng the true vse and end of good workes: MarginaliaThe true vse and end of good workes.which is, first to shew out obediēce and dewtifull seruice (as we may) vnto God, who hath done so great thinges for vs. Secondly, to releue our neighbours with our charitie and kyndnes, as God hath bene kynd to vs hys enemyes. Thirdly, to styrre vp other by our example, to prayse God, to embrace the same Religiō, and to do the lyke. For requisite it is, that as God hath bene so mercyfull to vs and gratious in eternall giftes, we should be mercyfull lykewise to other in tēporall cōmodities. And seyng it hath pleased him of his fatherly goodnes (of our partes so litle deserued) to call vs to so high a vocatiō to giue þ^e bloud of his sonne for vs, to forgeue vs all our sinnes, to deliuer vs from this present wicked world, to make vs Citizens of heauen, yea his children, more then seruauntes: litle then can we do, and well may we thinke those benefites ill bestowed, if we forgiue not our neyghbour, and shew some thyng agayne worth that holy callyng wherewith he hath called vs, in mortifiyng our worldly lustes here, and studying after heauenly thinges: and finally if we beyng prouoked with such loue and kyndnes, render not agayne some loue for loue, some kyndnes for kyndnes, seekyng how to walke in the steppes which he hath prepared for vs to walke in, seruyng him (so much as we may) in holynes and righteousnes all the dayes of our lyfe. And though our obedience shall alwayes be imperfect, do þ^e best we can: yet reason would that some obedience we should shew as louyng children to such a louyng father.

MarginaliaGood workes iustifie not, but folow þ^e iustified.And this is the cause why S. Paule is so vehement and vrgent to call vpon good workes, not that workes should iustifie, but that we beyng iustified so mercyfully and tenderly through his grace, should not abuse his grace in vayne, but endeuour our selues, to our vttermost, to tender our seruice agayne to hym, in such conuersatiō of lyfe as may most make to his glory, and profite of our neighbour. And though the wordes of our Sauiour seme in some places to attribute to our obedience and charitie here in earth, great rewardes in heauen: that is of his own free grace and goodnes so to impute small matters for great desertes, and not for vs to clayme any meede thereby or thanke at his hand, as by any worthynes of our doyngs, no more then the seruaunt when he commeth from the plough and seruyng the cattell in the field, serueth first his master at home, and wayteth vppon hys table: the master is not bound (sayth Christ) to thanke his seruaunt therfore, and byd hym sit downe. So you (sayth hee) when ye haue done that is commaunded you, say ye are vnprofitable seruauntes: ye haue done but what your bound duety was to do. Luc. 17.MarginaliaLuc. 17.

Agayne, here also is to be vnderstand, that where such rewardes be ascribed vnto mens deedes, it is not for the worthynes of the dede it selfe, but for the fayth of the doer, which fayth maketh the worke to be good in Gods sight: for els if an infidell should do the same worke, that the Christian doth, it were nothyng, but mere sinne before God. In that therfore the Christian mans worke is accepted, be it neuer so smal (as to giue a cup of cold water) the same is onely for his fayth sake that doth it, & not for the worke which is done. Wherby agayne we may learne how fayth onely doth iustifie a man, and that three maner of wayes.

MarginaliaFaith iustifieth iij. maner of wayes.First it iustifieth the person in makyng hym accepted, and the child of God by regeneration, before he be-gyn to do any good worke.

Secondly, it iustifieth a man from sinne, in procuryng remission and forgiuenes of the same.

Thirdly, it iustifieth þ^e good dedes & workes of man, not onely in bringing forth good fruites, but also in makyng the same workes to be good and acceptable in the sight of God, which otherwise were impure and execrable in his sight.

MarginaliaThe office of fayth, and the office of the law compared together.The office therfore of fayth and workes is diuers, and must not be cōfoūded. Faith first goeth before, and regenerateth a man to God, and iustifieth hym in the sight of God, both in coueryng hys ill deedes, and in makyng his good deedes acceptable to God, clyming vp to heauen, & there wrastlyng with God and his iudgement for rightuousnes, for saluation, & for euerlastyng lyfe. Workes and charitie, folow fayth, and are exercised here vpon the earth, and glorieth onely before mā, but not before God, in shewyng forth obedience both to God and to mā. Further then this our good workes do not reach nor haue any thyng to do in þ^e iudgemēt of God touchyng saluation. I speake of our good workes (as S. Paule speaketh Rom. 7.) as they be ours and imperfect. For els if our workes could be perfect, accordyng to the perfection of the law, and as Christ wrought them in the perfection of hys flesh, that is, if we could performe them, and transgresse neuer a iote, so myght we lyue in them, as it is sayd: Qui fecerit ea viuet in eis. MarginaliaThe workes of man be imperfect & therfore haue nothyng to do w^t iustification.But now, seyng the imbecilitie of our flesh can not atteyne therto, it foloweth therof that all glory of iustifiyng is taken from workes, and transferred onely to fayth.

And thus much concernyng the principall contentes of S. Paules doctrine. Wherin the Church of the auncient Romanes first was grounded and planted, and so continued in the same, or at least dyd not much alter, duryng the primitiue state of the Church. Lykewise the same forme of doctrine the later Romanes also that folowed should haue mainteyned, and not haue fallen away for any mans preachyng, but holden hym accursed, yea if he were any Apostle or an Aungell from heauen, teachyng any other doctrine besides that institution which they had receaued Gal. 1. MarginaliaGal. 1.For so were they warned before by the Apostle S. Paul, to do. And yet notwithstandyng all this forewarnyng and diligent instruction of this blessed Apostle of the Gentles, MarginaliaDefection of fayth in the Church of Rome.what a defection of fayth is fallen among the Gentles, especially among the Romanes, whereof the sayd Apostle also foretold them so long before, forepropheciyng: That the day of the Lord shall not come, except there come a defection before, and that the man of sinne be reueled, the proude aduersary of God &c. 2. Thessal. 2. meanyng (no doubt) by this defectiō, a partyng and a fallyng from that faith which the holy ghost had then planted by hys ministery, amōg the Gentles. As we see it now come to passe in the church of Rome. MarginaliaA vew of the popes Catholicke Church.Which Church is is gone from the fayth that S. Paul taught, that if he were now a lyue, and saw these Decrees and Decretals of the Byshop of Rome, these heapes of ceremonies & traditions, these Masse bookes, these portuses these festiuals and legendes, these processionals, hymnes and sequences, these beades and graduals, and maner of their inuocation, their canons, censures, and latter Councels, such swarmes of superstitious Monkes and Friers, such sectes of so many diuers religons, the Testament of S. Fraunces, the rule of S. Benedict, of S. Brigit, of S. Anthony. &c, the intricate subtletes and labyrinthes of the scholemen, the infinite cases and distrinctions of the Canonistes, the Sermons in Churches, the assertions in scholes, the glory of the Pope, the pride of the Clergy, the cruelty of persecutyng Prelates with their officials & promotors: he would say this were not a defectiō, but rather a playne destructiō and a ruine of fayth: neither that this were any true Church of Christ, MarginaliaThe Church of Rome degenerated agayn almost to new Paganes.but a new found religion, or paganisme rather brought in vnder