of we shall see more (the Lord willyng) hereafter.

And thus much of the true causes of our iustification after the doctrine of S. Paule. Concernyng which causes this distinction furthermore by the way is to be added, that as touchyng the originall causes of our saluation, whiche be diuers and sondry, some are externall, and without vs: some are internall, and within vs. MarginaliaGrace and mercy.
Election.
Vocation.
Christes Passion.
Christian fayth.Of the externall causes whiche are without vs, the first and principall is the mercy & grace of God. Of this foloweth predestination and election. Then commeth vocatiō. The last and next cause to vs is the death and bloudshed of Christ whereby we are redemed, & all these be externall causes, because they are without vs. Of internall causes that be in man through the gift of God, there is but one, and no mo in Scripture appointed, that is, our faith in Christ, which is the gift of God in vs. Beside this there is no gift of God giuen to man, vertue, worke, merite, nor any thing els, that is any part or cause of saluation, but onely this gift of fayth, to beleue in Christ Iesu. MarginaliaThe meanyng & cause why fayth onely iustifieth.And this is the cause why we hold, that fayth onely iustifieth, meanyng, that amongest all the workes, deedes, actions, labours, and operations, what soeuer man doth or can do, there is nothing in man that worketh saluation, but onely his fayth giuen to him of God to beleue in Christ his sonne, folowyng therin the true trade of S. Paules teaching: who in precise words so ascribeth iustification to fayth, that he excludeth all other actions of man, and workes of the law: And therfore in the same Epistle to the Romanes S. Paule reasonyng of the glory of iustifiyng, asketh the question how this glory is excluded: whether by the law of workes? and concludeth, no: ascribyng onely the glory therof to the law of fayth. And cōsequently vpon the same he inferreth: Colligimus enim iustificari hominem per fidē sine operibus. legis. We hold that a man is iustified by fayth, without the deedes of the law.

MarginaliaAll workes of mā exluded from the glory of iustifiyngAnd how then can that be accounted for any part of our iustification, whiche S. Paule vtterly debarreth and excludeth in that behalfe? Of such like exclusiues and negatiues the whole course of S. Paules doctrine is full, where he still concludeth: Sine operibus, absq; operibus legis, non ex operibus, Dei donum est, non ex operibus ne quis glorietur. Ephes. 2. MarginaliaEphes. 2.Non ex operibus iustitiæ quæ fecimus nos & Tit. 3. MarginaliaTit. 3.Non secundum opera nostra, &c. 2. Timot. 1. Marginalia2. Timot. 1.That is to say. It is the gift of God, not of workes, that no man should glory &c. Not of the workes of righteousnes, whiche we haue done, but of his owne mercy &c. Not after our workes, but after his owne purpose, and grace whiche is giuen to vs &c. Agayne Gal. 2. MarginaliaGal. 2.Nō iustificatur homo ex operibus &c. i. That is. A man is not iustified by workes &c. Item. Ei qui non operatur, & Rom. 4. MarginaliaRom. 4.To him that worketh not, but beleueth in him which iustifieth the wicked, his fayth is imputed to righteousnes &c. MarginaliaThe exlusiues and negatiues of S. Paule to be marked.By these exclusiues, and negatiues in S. Paules doctrine what doth he els meane, but vtterly to seclude all kynde of mans merites, and workes of the law from the office and dignitie of iustifiyng? And although he expresseth not the word, Onely, yet vpon his exclusiues and negatiues, this exceptiue must needes be inferred. For in all Logike the consequēt is necessary and formall: as one man is suffered to come into the house: and no person els is suffered, but one: Ergo, one man onely is suffered to enter into the house. And thus much concernyng fayth in Christ, proued to be the onely meane, or instrumentall, or conditionall cause of our saluation, & no other besides the same alone, by the doctrine of S. Paule taught to the auncient Romanes.

MarginaliaThe fift braunch.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, he exhorteth vs vehemently and with all instance to good workes, shewyng the true vse and ende of good workes: MarginaliaThe true vse and end of good workes.whiche is, first to shewe our obedience and duetifull seruice (as we may) vnto God, who hath done so great thynges for vs. Secondly, to releue our neighbours with our charitie and kyndnes, as God hath bene kynde to vs hys enemyes. Thirdly, to styrre vp other by our example, to prayse God, to embrace the same Religion, & to do the like. For requisite it is, that as God hath bene so mercyfull to vs & gratious in eternall giftes, we should be mercifull likewise to other in temporall commodities. And seyng it hath pleased him of his fatherly goodnesse (of our partes so litle deserued) to call vs to so high a vocation to giue the bloud of his sonne for vs, to forgeue vs all our sinnes, to deliuer vs frō 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 neighbour, & shew some thing agayne worthy that holy callyng wherewith he hath called vs, in mortifiyng our worldly lustes here, and studying after heauenly thynges: and finally if we beyng prouoked with such loueand 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 life. And though our obedience shall alwayes be imperfect, do the 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 the iustified.And this is the cause why S. Paule is so vehemēt and vrgent to call vpon good workes, not that workes should iustifie, but that we beyng iustified so mercyfully & tenderly through his grace, should not abuse his grace in vayne, but endeuour our selues, to our vttermost, to rēder our seruice agayne to him, in such conuersation of lyfe as may most make to his glory, and profite of our neighbour. And though the wordes of our Sauiour seeme in some places to attribute to our obedience and charitie here in earth, great rewardes in heauen: that is of his owne free grace and goodnes so to impute small matters for great desertes, and not for vs to clayme any meede thereby or thanke at hys 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 hys master at home, and wayteth vpon his table: the master is not bound (sayth Christ) to thanke his seruaunt therfore, and byd him 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, whiche 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 mās worke is accepted, be it neuer so small (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 againe we may learne how faith onely doth iustifie a man, and that three maner of wayes.

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

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

Thirdly, it iustifieth the good dedes and workes of man, not onely in bringyng forth good fruites, but also in making the same workes to be good and acceptable in the sight of God, whiche 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 confounded. Fayth first goeth before, and regenerateth a mā to God, and iustifieth him in the sight of God, both in coueryng hys ill deedes, and in makyng his good deedes acceptable to God, clyming vp to heauen, and there wrastlyng with God and his iudgement for rightuousnes, for saluation, and for euerlastyng lyfe. Workes and charitie, folow fayth, and are exercised here vpon the earth, and glorieth onely before man, but not before God, in shewyng forth obedience both to God and to man. Further then this our good workes do not reach nor haue any thyng to do in the iudgement of God touching 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 his flesh, that is, if we could performe them, and transgresse neuer a iote, so might we lyue in them, as it is sayd: Qui fecerit ea viuet in eis. MarginaliaThe workes of man be imperfect and therfore haue nothyng to do with iustification.But now, seyng the imbecilitie of our flesh can not atteine therto, it foloweth therof that all glory of iustifiyng is takē frō workes, and transferred onely to fayth.

And thus much concernyng the principall contentes of S. Paules doctrine. Wherin the Churche of the auncient Romanes first was grounded and planted, and so continued in the same, or at least did not much alter, duryng the primitiue state of the Church. Likewise the same forme of doctrine the latter Romanes also that folowed should haue mainteined, and not haue fallen away for any mans preachyng, but hold 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. Paule, to do. And yet notwithstandyng all this forewarnyng and diligent instruction of this blessed Apostle of the Gentiles, MarginaliaDefection of fayth in the Churche of Rome.what a defection of fayth is fallen among the Gentiles, especially among the Romanes, whereof the sayd Apostle also foretold them so long before, forepropheciyng: That the day of the