sonne of God, and to submit our selues to him, in whom only is to be found our remedy, and in none other. And this end of the law discretly ought to be pondered of all Christians. Otherwise, they that consider not this ende and purpose of theMarginaliaInconueniences that rise in not knowing the true ende of the lawe. law, fall into manifold errours and inconueniences. First, they peruert all order of doctrine. 2. they seke that in the law which the law can not geue. 3. They are not able to comfort thēelues, nor other. 4. They keepe men soules in an vncertaine doubt and dubitation of their saluatiō. 5. They obscure the light of Gods grace. 6. They are vnkynd to gods benefites. 7. They are iniurious to Christes Passion, and enemies to his crosse. 8. They stop christian liberty. 9. They beriue the church the spouse of Christ, of her due comfort, as taking away the sonne out of the world. 10. In all theyr doyngs they shoote to a wrong marke. For where Christ only is set vp to be apprehended by our fayth, and so frely to iustifie vs: they leauing this Iustification by fayth, set vp other markes, partly of the law, partly of their owne diuising for men to shoote at. And here commeth in the manifest and manifold absurdities of the Bish. of Romes doctrine, which here (the Lord willing) we wyll rehearse, as in a Catalogue here followyng.

1. THey erroneously conceyue opinion of saluation in the law, which only is to be sought in the fayth of Christ and in no other.

2. They erroneously seke gods fauour by workes of the law, not knowyng that the law in this our corrupt nature, worketh only the anger of God. Rom. 3.

3. They erre also in this, that where the office of the law is diuers and contrary from the Gospel, they without any difference, confound the one wyth the other, making the gospel to be a law, and Christ to be a Moses.

4. They erre in diuiding the law vnskilfully in thre partes into the law naturall, the lawe morall, and the lawe Euangelicall.

5. They erre agayne in deuiding the lawe Euangelicall into preceptes and cousailes, makyng the precepts to serue for all men, the counsailes onely to serue for them that bee perfect.

6. The chief substance of all their teaching and preaching resteth vpon the workes of the law, as may appeare by their religion, which wholy consisteth in mens merites, traditiōs, lawes, canons, decrees and ceremonies.

7. In the doctrine of saluation, of remission, and iustification, either they admixte the lawe equally with the Gospel, or els cleane secludyng the Gospel, they teach and preache the law, so that litle mention is made of the fayth of Christ, or none at all.

8. They erre, in thinking, that the law of God requireth nothyng in vs vnder payne of damnation, but onely our obedience in externe actions: as for the inward affections & concupiscence, they esteme but light matters.

9. They not knowyng the true nature and strength of þ^e lawe, do erroneously imagine that it is in mās power to fulfill it.

10. They erre in thinkyng, not onely to be in mans power to kepe the law of God, but also to performe more perfect workes, then be in Gods law commaunded, and these they call the woorkes of perfection. And hereof ryse the workes of supererogation, of satisfaction, of congruitie, and condignitie, to store vp the treasurehouse of the Popes Churche, to be solde out to the people for money.

11. They erre, in saying that the state monasticall is more perfect, for kepyng the Counsailes of the Gospell, then other states be, in kepyng the lawe of the Gospell.

12. The counsailes of the Gospell they call the vowes of their religious men, as profoūd humilitie, perfect chastitie, and wilfull pouertie.

13.They erre abominablye, in equalyng their lawes & constitutions, with Gods law, and in saying: that mans lawe byndeth vnder payne of damnation, no lesse then Gods law.

14. They erre sinnefully, in punishyng the transgressours of their lawes more sharpely then the transgressours of the lawe of God, as appeareth by their Inquisitions and their Canon law. &c.

15. Finally, they erre most horribleye in this, that where the free promise of God ascribeth our saluation, onely to our fayth in Christ, excludyng woorkes: they contrary ascribe saluation, onely or principally, to workes and merites, excludyng fayth. Wherupon riseth the application of the sacrifice of the Masse, Ex opere operato, for the quicke and dead application of the merites of Christes passion, in Bulles, application of the merites of all religious orders, and suche other mo aboue specified more at large, in the former part of this historye, about the pag. 20. 21. &c.

FIrst, that we through the misunderstanding of the Scriptures, do not take the law for the Gospell, nor the Gospel for the law: but skilfully discerne and distinct the voyce of the one, from the voyce of the other. Many there be, which reading the booke of the new Testament, do take and vnderstand whatsoeuer they see contained in the sayd boke, to be only and meerly the voyce of the Gospel. And contrarywise whatsoeuer is contayned in the conpasse of the old Testament, that is, within the law, stories, Psalmes and Prophets, to be only and meerly the word and voyce of the law: wherin many are deceiued. For the preaching of the lawe and of the Gospell, are mixed together in both the Testaments, as well the old as the new. Neyther is the order of these two doctrines to be distincted by bookes and leaues, but by the diuersitie of Gods spiritMarginaliaThe voyce of the gospell sometimes in the olde Testament. speaking vnto vs. For sometimes in the old Testament, God doth comfort, as he conforted Adā, with the voyce of theMarginaliaThe voyce of the lawe sometimes is vsed in the new Testament. Gospell. Somtymes also in the new Testament he doth threaten and terrifie, as when Christ threatened the Phariseis. In some places againe, Moses and the Prophets play the Euangelistes: In so much that Hierom doubteth whether he should call Esay a Prophet or an Euangelist. In some places likewyse Christ and the Apostles supply the part of Moses. And as Christ hymselfe vntyll his death was vnder the law (which law he came not to breake but to fulfill) so hys Sermons made to the Iewes, for the most part runne all vpon the perfect doctrine and workes of the law, shewyng and teaching what we ought to doe by the right law of Iustice, and what daunger insueth in notMarginaliaWhat places of the Scripture are to be referred to the lawe, and what to the Gospell. performing the same. All which places though they be contayned in the boke of the Testament, yet are they to be referred to the doctrine of the law, euer hauing in them included a priuy exception of repentaunce and fayth in Christ Iesus. As in example, where Christ thus preacheth, Blessed be theyMarginaliaMath. 5. that be pure of hart, for they shal see God. &c. Mat. 5. Agayne, exceptMarginaliaMath. 18. ye be made lyke these children, ye shal not enter. &c. Math. 18.MarginaliaMath. 7. Item, but he that doth the wyll of my father, shall enter into the kingdome of heauen. &c. Math. 7. Item, the parable of the vnkynd seruaunt iustly cast into prison, for not forgeuyngMarginaliaMath. 18. hys fellow &c. Math. 18. The castyng of the riche gluttonMarginaliaLuke. 16. into hell. &c. Luke. 16. Item, he that denyeth me hereMarginaliaLuke. 12. before mē, I wyll deny him before my father. &c. Luke. 12. With such other places of lyke condition. All these (I say) petaynyng to the doctrine of the law, do euer include in them a secret exception of earnest repentaunce, & fayth in Christes precious bloud. For els, Peter denyed and yet repented. Many Publicanes and sinners wer vnkynd, vnmercifull, and hard harted to their fellow seruauntes, and yet many of them repented, and by fayth were saued. &c. The grace of Christ Iesus worke in vs earnest repentaunce, and fayth in hym vnfayned. Amen.

Briefly, to know when the law speaketh, and when the Gospell speaketh, and to discerne the voyce of the one, from the voyce of the other, this may serue for a note: That whem there is any morall worke commaunded to be done, either for eschuyng of punishment, or vpon promise of any reward temporall, or eternall, either els when any promise is made with condition of any worke commaunded in the law, there is to beMarginaliaThe promise of the Gospell is without conditiō. vnderstanded the voyce of the law. Contrary, where the promiseMarginaliaFree without merites. of lyfe and saluation is offered vnto vs freely without all our merites,MarginaliaSimple without condition. and simply without any condition annexed, of any law either naturall, ceremoniall, or morall, all those places, whether they be read in the old Testament, or in the new, are to beMarginaliaWhat is the Gospell properly. referred to the voyce and doctrine of the Gospell. And this promise of God freely made to vs by the merites of Iesus Christ, so long before prophesied to vs in the old Testament, and afterward exhibited in the new Testament, and now requiring nothyng but our fayth in the sonne of God is called properly the voyce of the Gospell, and differreth from the voyce of the law in this, that it hath no condition adioyned of our meriting, but onely respecteth the merites of Christ the sonne of God, by whose fayth only we are promised of God to be saued and iustified, accordyng as we read. Rom. 3. The righteousnesse of God commeth by fayth of Iesu Christ, in all and vpon all, that do beleue. &c.

MarginaliaThe secōd caution. The second Caution or danger to be auoyded is, that we now knowyng how to discerne rightly betwene the lawe