only merits or deserving of his son Jesus Christ, doth justify
us. 8 Nevertheless, because faith doth directly send us to
Christ for remission of our sins, and that by faith given us
of God we embrace the promise of God's mercy and of the
remission of our sins, (which thing none other of our virtues
or works properly doth,) therefore the Scripture useth to say,
that faith without works doth justify. And forasmuch that
it is all one sentence in effect, to say, faith without works,
and only faith, doth justify us; therefore the hold ancient
fathers of the church from time to time have uttered our
justification with this speech; Only faith justifieth us:
meaning none other thing than St. Paul meant, when he
said, Faith without works justifieth us. And because.all
this is brought to pass through the only merits and deserv-
ings of our saviour Christ, and not through our merits, or
through the merit of any virtue that we have within us, or
of
any work that cometh from us; therefore, in that respect
of merit and deserving, we renounce, as it were, altogether
again, faith, works, and all other virtues. For our own im-
perfection is so great, through the corruption of original sin,
that all is imperfect that is within us, faith, charity, hope,
dread, thoughts, words, and works, and therefore not apt
to merit and deserve any part of our justification for us.
And this form of speaking we use, in the humbling of our-
selves to God, and to give all the glory to our saviour
Christ, which is best worthy to have it.

Here you have heard the office of God in our justification, and how we receive it of him freely, by his mercy, without our deserts, through true and lively faith. Now you shall hear the office and duty of a Christian man unto God, what we ought on our part to render unto God again for his great mercy and goodness. Our office is, not to They that preach faith pass the time of this present life unfruitfully and idly, after only justithat we are baptized or justified, not caring how few good fieth, do works we do, to the glory of God, and profit of our neigh- carnal li

not teach

berty, or

["Yet nevertheless, because by faith we know God's mercy and that we

grace," &c. Notes on Justification, p. 130.]
h[See extracts from them among the Authorities.]

should do no good works.

bours: much less it is our office, after that we be once made Christ's members, to live contrary to the same; making ourselves members of the Devil, walking after his enticements, and after the suggestions of the world and the flesh, whereby we know that we do serve the world and the Devil, and not God. For that faith which bringeth forth (without repentance) either evil works, or no good works, is not a right, pure, and lively faith, but a dead, devilish, counterfeit, and feigned faith, as St. Paul and St. The devils James call it. k For even the devils know and believe that have faith, Christ was born of a virgin; that he fasted forty days and true faith. forty nights without meat and drink; that he wrought all

but not the

What is the true and justifying faith.

kind of miracles, declaring himself very God: they believe also, that Christ for our sakes suffered most painful death, to redeem us from eternal death, and that he rose again from death the third day: they believe that he ascended into heaven, and that he sitteth on the right hand of the Father, and at the last end of this world shall come again, and judge both the quick and the dead. These articles of our faith the devils believe, and so they believe all things that be written in the New and Old Testament to be true: and yet for all this faith they be but devils, remaining still in their damnable estate, lacking the very true Christian faith.

For the right and true Christian faith is, not only to believe that holy Scripture, and all the foresaid articles of our faith are true; but also to have a sure trust and confidence in God's merciful promises, to be saved from everlasting damnation by Christ: whereof doth follow a loving heart to obey his commandments. And this true

i ["This is the very right, pure, perfect, lively, Christian, hearty, and "justifying faith, which worketh by love, love, as St. Paul saith. As for "the other feigned, pretended, hypocritical and adulterate faith in the "mouth, it is but only a painted visor before men; but before God it "is hollow within, dead, rotten, and nothing worth." Annot. on the King's Book, p. 70. See also the extract from Augustine in the Authorities on Justification p. 135.]

k["This is not the commendation of a Christian man's faith, but a "most certain proposition, which also the devils believe," &c. Ibid. p. 66.]

continue in

true faith.

Christian faith neither any devil hath, nor yet any man, which in the outward profession of his mouth, and in his outward receiving of the sacraments, in coming to the church, and in all other outward appearances, seemeth to be a Christian man, and yet in his living and deeds show- They that eth the contrary. For how can a man have this true evil living faith, this sure trust and confidence in God, that by the have not merits of Christ his sins be remitted, and he reconciled to the favour of God, and to be partaker of the kingdom of heaven by Christ, when he liveth ungodly, and denieth Christ in his deeds? Surely no such ungodly man can have this faith and trust in God. For as they know Christ to be the only saviour of the world; so they know also that wicked men shall not possess the kingdom of God. They Psal. v. know that God hateth unrighteousness; that he will destroy all those that speak untruly; that those that have done good works (which cannot be done without a lively John v. faith in Christ) shall come forth into the resurrection of life, and those that have done evil shall come unto resurrection Rom. ii. of judgment. And very well they know also, that to them that be contentious, and to them that will not be obedient unto the truth, but will obey unrighteousness, shall come indignation, wrath, and affliction, &c.

Therefore, to conclude, considering the infinite benefits of God, showed and exhibited unto us mercifully without our deserts, who hath not only created us of nothing, and from a piece of vile clay of his infinite goodness hath exalted us, as touching our soul, unto his own similitude and likeness; but also, whereas we were condemned to hell and death eternal, hath given his own natural son, being God eternal, immortal, and equal unto himself in power and glory, to be incarnated, and to take our mortal nature upon him, with the infirmities of the same, and in the same nature to suffer most shameful and painful death for our offences, to the intent to justify us, and to restore us to life everlasting: so making us also his dear beloved children, brethren unto his only son our

1 ["How can the son persuade with himself," &c. Annotations p. 69. Again, "No man surely can have the right faith." &c. Ibid.]

saviour Christ, and inheritors for ever with him of his eternal kingdom of heaven: mThese great and merciful benefits of God, if they be well considered, do neither minister unto us occasion to be idle, and to live without doing any good works, neither yet stirreth us by any means to do evil things; but contrariwise, if we be not desperate persons, and our hearts harder than stones, they move us to render ourselves unto God wholly, with all our will, hearts, might, and power, to serve him in all good deeds, obeying his commandments during our lives, to seek in all things his glory and honour, not our sensual pleasures and vainglory; evermore dreading willingly to offend such a merciful God, and loving Redeemer, in word, thought, or deed. And the said benefits of God, deeply considered, do move us for his sake also to be ever ready to give ourselves to our neighbours, and, as much as lieth in us, to study with all our endeavour to do good to every man. These be the fruits of the true faith, to do good as much as lieth in us to every man, and, above all things, and in all things, to advance the glory of God, of whom only we have our sanctification, justification, salvation, and redemption: to whom be ever glory, praise, and honour, world without end. Amen.

m

["These benefits of God

-whosoever expendeth," &c. Annotations, &c. p. 95. Again, " If the profession of our faith," &c. Ibid. p.

70.]

A short Declaration of the True, Lively, and
Christian Faith.

Faith.

A dead

James ii.

The first entry unto God, good Christian people, is through faith, whereby (as it is declared in the last sermon) we be justified before God. And lest any man should be deceived for lack of right understanding hereof, it is diligently to be noteda, that faith is taken in the Scripture two manner of ways. There is one faith, which in Scripture is called a dead faith, which bringeth forth no good works, faith. but is idle, barren, and unfruitful. And this faith, by the holy apostle St. James, is compared to the faith of devils, which believe God to be true and just, and tremble for fear; yet they do nothing well, but all evil. And such a manner of faith have the wicked and naughty Christian people, which confess God, as St. Paul saith, in their mouth, but deny him in their deeds, being abominable, and without the right faith, and in all good works reprovable. And this faith is a persuasion and belief in man's heart, whereby he knoweth that there is a God, and assenteth unto all truth of God's most holy word, contained in holy Scripture. So that it consisteth only in believing of the word of God, that it is true. And this is not properly called faith. But as he that readeth Cæsar's Commentaries, believing the same to be true, hath thereby a knowledge of Cæsar's life and noble acts, because he believeth the history of Cæsar : yet it is not properly said, that he believeth in Cæsar, of whom he looketh for no help nor benefit. Even so, he that believeth that all that is spoken of God in the Bible is

a["For the more large declaration of the pure Christian faith it is "to be considered that there is a general faith, which all that be Chris"tian as well good as evil have," &c. Annot. on the King's Book p.67.] See also above p. 148.

The distinction seems to have been taken from the passage of Augustine cited in the Authorities on Justification p. 135. “ Fides est et "malarum rerum et bonarum- -de amore quid dicam, sine quo fides “nihil prodest ?—Demones credunt et contremiscunt."]

Titus i.