whatever the law speaketh, to them it speaketh which are in the law, that all mouths may be stopped, and all the world made subject unto God, because by the deeds of the law no flesh shall be made just before him. And therefore I have repeated them so oft, because they lead all men to the perfect knowledge of their justification which is in Christ.

This proposition of the Holy Spirit is so perfect, that it excludes, (if ye will understand the same aright,) all the vain, foolish arguments of sophistry, made by the justifiers of themselves, which pervert the words of St. Paul, as they do the other scriptures of God, to their perversed sense and mind, saying, that the apostle excludes by these words the works of the ceremonial law, and not the deeds of the law of nature, and moral law of Moses. The which shameless sayings are expressly done away by the words of the apostle; insomuch that no man of righteous judgment can deny, but he shall feel the same, as it were in their hands; by this probation, the law speaketh to all, that is, accuses all men that are under the law. All men are under the law of nature or the law of Moses. Therefore the apostle speaks of the law of nature and Moses, and of all men, whom he comprehends under Jew and Gentile, as he proves by his arguments in the first and second chapters to the Romans; and concludes in the third chapter, All men are sinners. If all men are sinners, none is just: if none be just, none fulfil the law: if none fulfil the law, the law can pronounce none just. Therefore he concludes, that of the deeds of the law, no flesh shall be found just before God. The same is proved by David in Psalm xiv.

Here you see by the words of the apostle, he intends to prove and declare all men sinners. That is, to stop all men's mouths, and to drive them to Christ, by the accusation of the law. No law may make or declare all men sinners, and subdue the whole world to God, but the law of nature and Moses. Therefore under that word LAW, the apostle comprehended the law moral, and not the law ceremonial only; because it follows in the text, The knowledge of sin is by the law and also, I knew not sin, saith St. Paul, but by the law; nor had I known that lust or conc upiscence had been sin, had not the law said, Thou shalt not lust. Therefore ye cannot help but confess that the apostle speaks of the moral law; yea, and of all laws, and of all men, because he excepts none, Rom. iii. Therefore

let us conclude with the apostle and the Holy Spirit, that the justice of God is without the law, made plain and forthshown by the law and prophets. And then shall we come to our justice, which is CHRIST, as St. Paul saith, 1 Cor. i.

If ye will say of your vain conceit, as ye which are adversaries to faith ever object vanities, that the apostle in his conclusion comprehends not all men proceeding from Adam, but that some just men are excepted; ye shall not find that exception in scripture of any man except Christ, who, being both God and man, is expressly excepted, because he never contracted sin; fraud or deceit was never found in his mouth, Isa. liii. 1 Pet. ii. 1 John iii. By this exception, all others are excluded, because there is no other who can be found just but he. For that cause he only fulfilled the law, and satisfied the same. By whom all which believe are accepted as just, without the deeds of the law, through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. Let us pass forward, therefore, in the scriptures for to find the justice of a christian man, which cannot be found in the law, nor the deeds thereof.

CHAPTER XVI.

The diversity of names of that justice which is acceptable before God. Justice is plainly revealed in the gospel. What it is to live in faith, or by faith.

THE justice whereof we have made mention in the beginning, and that is so cruelly and tyrannously persecuted by our adversary Satan, is called the justice of God; the justice of faith; and the justice of a christian man: the which is all one thing, glued and joined together, that by the same we are in CHRIST, and he in us, by the mercy of God, purchased by Christ, through faith in his blood, without all our deservings either preceding or following the same. And it is as far different from the other justice of the law, as darkness from light, and heaven from earth; because it will be alone, and not participant with any other thing, that Christ may have his due honour, who obtained this justice from the Father, and is the price thereof.

And first, it is called the justice of God because it proceedeth only of the mercy of God. Secondly, the justice of faith, because faith is the instrument, whereby in Christ we obtain the mercy of God, freely given to us for Christ's sake.

And thirdly, it is called ours, because by faith in Christ, with out all our deservings, we receive the same, and are made, reputed, and counted just, and accepted into the favour of God. And all three are one justice, divided by sundry names, as is before said, which is this ARTICLE OF JUSTIFICATION. As, by example, almsdeed is but one name, and yet after the common manner of speaking it is appropriated truly to three; that is, to the giver, to God, and to the receiver. In alms, the poor and indigent have no part but only to receive and give thanks. The giver freely giveth of his liberality and substance; and for God's sake. So it is properly called the alms of the giver, and justly attributed unto God, because for his sake it is given; and also to the receiver, because he is made rich therewith. In the like manner, this justice of God proceedeth of his abundant mercy and grace, favour and goodness, which he beareth toward mankind, that is poor, yea, beyond all poverty, laden with sin, having need of the grace and mercy of God, destitute of all comfort and consolation; and therefore is called his justice, by reason of the giving. And it is called the justice of faith, or the justice of Christ, because faith is the instrument, and Christ the purchaser of the same. And it is called ours, by reason of participation of all Christ's merits, which we have through faith in his blood, without our merits or deservings.

Therefore, even as the sick man receiveth his health, the poor his alms, and the dry earth the rain, without all their merits or deservings; so receivest thou of God this justice, which is of value before him, by such instruments as God provideth mediately thereto, He being the immediate

cause.

The physician giveth thee his counsel in thy sickness, exercises his labours upon thee, by the creatures of God, according to his vocation; thou doest nothing but suffer to work in thee till thou be healed. And then, at commandment of the good physician, thou keepest good diet, not to get thy health, but that thou fall not again in sickness. The poor man, receiving his alms, hath no part thereunto, only but to receive; the man that giveth being the instrument, whom God hath made the steward of that his gift. The earth receiveth the rain, and hath no part thereinto, but only to receive; the labourer or ploughman being the instrument to open the pores of the earth, that the rain may descend into it, and then it bringeth forth fruit in due time. Even so it is with man.

It is called the justice of God, and not of man or of free will, but of God. Not that justice by which God is just, but the justice with which man is clad, and, by the mercy of God, of wicked made just; as St. Augustine saith in his book of the spirit and the letter, (ch. xx.) in obtaining of which, we neither work nor give any thing to God, but receive, and suffer God to work in us. Therefore, it is far above all justice of the law which man doeth and worketh, the which are also the works of God, both because they are of the law, and man may do them of his own free will and power; as to the external work. And also they are the gift of God; but always they may have no place in this article of justification before God, except ye will exclude the merits of Christ, which God forbid!

This justice was covered in the Old Testament under ceremonies and sacrifices, but is made known and plain unto us now by the gospel of Jesus Christ, from faith to faith, Rom. i.—that is, not from one faith to another faith, but from that faith by which we receive the gospel of God, through hearing of his word, and with gladness accept the same, in continual perseverance growing daily in more perfect knowledge of God, through faith in Christ, till we give up the spirit into the hands of the Father of heaven; never doubting for whatsoever temptation or trouble in adversity; but receiving all things from God, and of hist hands, as our forefather Abraham did, and judging all for the best. Then follows the formal conclusion, THE JUST SHALL LIVE IN FAITH, that is, ever continue in sure trust, hoping to obtain the thing he looketh for, which is remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and everlasting life, all purchased by Christ, without our merits or deservings.

This is the faith of which the prophet Habakkuk speaketh: The just shall live by his faith. The just man and faithful hath never respect to any thing, but only to faith in Christ; and whatever he work or do, he referreth all to Christ, and so remaineth he in Christ and Christ in him, conformable to the saying of St. Paul, I live now, no, not I, but Christ liveth in me; forsomuch as I live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who hath loved me, and given himself for me, Gal. ii. Here ye may see to live in the faith is to believe in Christ, joined unto him continually by faith; then live we in Christ and Christ in us, from faith to faith, having no respect to works or merits, but only to the merits of Christ. And so the just liveth by

his faith.

CHAPTER XVII.

The definition of faith. What faith the fathers had before Christ's incarnation, and whereby they were safe. Good works are a testimony to faith. Wherefore works please God. The method of St. Paul in writing and teaching, and the necessity of good works. Wherefore justice is ascribed unto man. Who spoileth God of his glory.

THE apostle defines and declares what faith is, saying, Faith is the substance of things hoped or looked for; the argument or matter of things not seen, without which it is impossible to please God, Heb. xi. That is, faith is the true and perfect thought of the heart, truly thinking and believing God, the which a man doth when he believeth his word, and putteth his sure trust in the mercy of God; which is to believe that his sins are forgiven him for Christ's sake only, the wrath of the Father pacified, and he received in favour and accepted as just; and firmly and undoubtedly believeth the Father of heaven to be ever merciful, gentle, helpful, and favourable unto him, for Christ's sake, without all deservings of his deeds or merits, either preceding faith, or following the same. This is the justice of God, which is made plain and revealed by the Son of God, Christ Jesus, in his gospel, as is said before.

In this faith only in Christ were all the fathers, to the coining of Christ in the flesh, made just without the deeds of the law, Jer. xxiii. and xxxiii. Isa. iv. and xlv. Ezek. xxxiv. And, therefore, all the promises of the coming of Christ are to be referred to that promise made in Gen. iii. that the seed of the woman shall tread down the serpent's head, &c. And so the faith of the fathers in the Old Testament, and our faith in the New Testament, was and is one thing; howbeit, they had other external rites, objects, ceremonies, and signs than we have. And they believed in the coming of Christ, to fulfil all promises and prophecies spoken of him. And we believe he is come already, and hath fulfilled all which was spoken of him in the law and prophets; and hath ascended to the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father, our advocate. And as the fathers believed the first coming of Christ, ever desiring and looking for the same by faith; even so now we believe