========================================================================
  THE BENEFIT OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED
  by Don Benedetto
========================================================================

A treasured Reformation-era Italian devotional treatise on the benefits
believers receive through Christ's crucifixion, emphasizing justification by
faith. Originally published in 1543, it was widely read but nearly destroyed by
the Inquisition.

  Chapters: 6

------------------------------------------------------------------------
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    1. Chapter 1
    2. Chapter 2
    3. Chapter 3
    4. Chapter 4
    5. Chapter 5
    6. Chapter 6

========================================================================
  CHAPTER 1: CHAPTER 1
========================================================================

CHAPTER I Of original sin, and of the misery of man. THE Holy Scripture saith
that God created man to his own similitude and likeness (Genesis 1:1-31), making
him as concerning the body impassible, and as touching the soul, righteous,
true, godly, merciful, and holy: but after that he, being overcome with desire
of knowledge of good and evil, did eat of the apple that God had forbidden him,
he lost that image and likeness of God, and became like unto beasts and the
devil that had deceived him; and therefore, as concerning the soul he became
unrighteous, a liar, and cruel, ungodly, and the enemy of God; and as concerning
the body be became passible, and subject unto a thousand evils and infirmities,
being not only like but also inferior to the most brute beasts. And, as if our
first parents had obeyed God, they had left us, as of inheritance, their
righteousness and holiness, so now, in that they were disobedient unto him, they
have left us of inheritance their unrighteousness, ungodliness, and hatred
towards God, in such sort that it is impossible that by our own strength we can
love God and conform ourselves unto his will. We are so become very enemies unto
him, as to him that (insomuch as he is a righteous Judge) will punish our
faults, neither can we any more trust unto his mercy. And to be short, this our
nature by the sin of Adam is wholly corrupt, which nature, being before superior
to all creatures, is now become subject to all, yea the bondservant of the
devil, sin, and death, and is condemned to the pains of hell, having lost the
right judgment or discerning of all things, and beginneth to call good evil and
evil good, counting false things true and true things false. Whereupon the
prophet considering this, saith that every man is a liar, and that there is not
one that doth good (Psalms 14:1-7), insomuch that the devil reigneth peaceably
as one strongly armed in his own palace, which is this world, whereof he is
become prince and governor.

There is no tongue that can express the thousandth part of our miseries,
forsomuch that after we were made of God as with his own hands, we have lost
that image of God, and are become like unto the devil, and are made also
naturally one self [same] thing with him, both willing all that he willeth and
also refusing all that displeaseth him. And forsomuch as we be thus given to [a]
prey to so wicked a spirit, there is no sin so great that every one of us is not
ready to do, when we are not let by the grace of God. This privation or want of
righteousness, and this inclination and readiness to all unrighteousness and
ungodliness, is called original sin; the which we bring with us from our
mother’s womb, being born the children of wrath, and yet took beginning of our
first parents, and is the occasion and well-head of all the sins and iniquity
that we commit, from the which if we will be delivered, and return to this first
innocency, recovering the likeness of God, it is necessary that we know first
our miseries. And for this cause, even as no man at any time seeketh after a
physician if he know not himself to be sick, neither knoweth the excellency of
the physician, nor the bounden goodwill that he ought to bear towards him in
that behalf, nor if he know not his sickness to be very dangerous, and
threatening death, even so no man knoweth Christ the only healer of our souls if
he know not his soul to be sick, nor can know the excellency of Christ, nor the
bounden goodwill that he ought to bear to him, if he do not go down into the
knowledge of his most grievous sins, and of the most dangerous sickness that we
have caught by the infection of our first parents.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 2: CHAPTER 2
========================================================================

CHAPTER II That the law was given of God to the intent that we might first know
our sin ; and then that distrusting to be justified by our own works, we might
run unto the mercy of God, and the righteousness of faith. And Therefore,
minding of his infinite goodness and mercy to send his only-begotten Son to
deliver the miserable children of Adam, and knowing that it was needful first to
make them know their own misery, God (I say) chose Abraham, in whose seed he did
promise to bless all the generations of the earth, and to accept for his
peculiar and chosen people all that descended of him, to whom, after they were
gone out of Egypt and delivered from the bondage of Pharaoh, he gave by Moses
the law, the which forbade concupiscences or lusts, and commanded that we should
love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our power; in such
wise that all our hope should be put in God, and that we should be ready to
depart from our own lives for the same our good God’s sake, to suffer all
torments in all parts of our bodies, to deprive ourselves of all our goods,
dignities, and honours, to honour the same our God with all, choosing rather to
die than to commit a thing never so little that should not please the same our
good God. And to do all those things with all joyfulness and promptness of
heart. The law commandeth farther that we love our neighbour as ourself,
understanding by our neighhour all states of men, as well our enemies as
friends, commanding that we be ready to do [to] all men that which we should be
done to us, and to love all things that appertain to others as that that
pertaineth properly to ourselves. A man then looking (as in a bright glass) in
this holy law knoweth forthwith his own likeness and his unableness to obey unto
the commandment of God, and to give due honour and love again unto his Maker.
Then the first office that the law doth is this, it maketh sin to be known, as
affirmeth Saint Paul. I knew not (saith he) what sin meant but by the law. The
second office of the law is that it maketh sin to increase; for we being
separate from the obedience of God, and made servants of the devil, and full of
vicious affections and appetites, cannot suffer that God do forbid us
concupiscences or lusts, the which the more they be forbidden the more they do
increase. Whereupon Saint Paul saith, that above measure he became a sinner; sin
(as he himself saith) was dead, but the law once coming it then rose up on and
grew. The third office is that it openly declareth the wrath and justice of God,
the which threateneth death and pain everlasting to them that doth not fully
keep his law. And therefore the Holy Scripture saith, Accursed is he that
keepeth not thoroughly all things that are written in the book of the law.
Therefore Saint Paul saith, that the law is the administration of death, and
that it worketh ire. Then the law having discovered and shewed sin and increased
the same, having also shewed the wrath and fury of God, that threateneth death,
it doth the fourth office, that is to say, it feareth the man, who then becometh
desperate, and would satisfy the law, but he saith plainly that he cannot; and
forsomuch as he cannot he is angry with God, and would that there were no God at
all, because he feareth to be sharply chastened and punished of him: as Saint
Paul saith, The wisdom of the flesh is the enemy of God. Wherefore it is not
subject to the law of God, nor can be. The fifth office of the law, and his
proper and most excellent and necessary end and effect, is that it causeth a man
even of necessity to go unto Christ; as the Hebrews, being afraid, were
necessarily constrained to desire Moses, saying, Let not God talk with us lest
we die; speak thou to us, and we will obey thee, and do anything. The Lord
answered, They have spoken very well; and for none other thing were they
praised,’ but only because they demanded a mediator between them and God, the
which was Moses, who signified Jesus Christ, who should be the Advocate and
Mediator between them and God. And therefore God said unto Moses, I will raise
to them a prophet from the midst of their own brethren like to thee, and will
put my word in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I will command;
and I will punish every one that will not obey my word, the which he shall speak
in my name.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 3: CHAPTER 3
========================================================================

CHAPTER III That the forgiveness of our sins, our justification, and all our
salvation dependeth on Christ.

FORSOMUCH now as our Lord God hath thus sent that great prophet whom He
promised, which is His only-begotten Son, to the intent that he should deliver
us from the malediction or curse of the law, and should reconcile us unto God,
and make able our will to do good works, healing our freewill, and restoring to
us that likeness of God which we had lost by the sin of our first parents; and
forsomuch as we know that under heaven there is given none other name to mankind
whereby we may be saved besides the name of Jesus Christ, let us therefore run
with the paces or steps of our lively faith in him, into his arms that calleth
us crying, Come to me, all ye that labour and are laden, and I will ease you.
What consolation, what joyfulness of heart in this life, may be compared to
[his] joy and comfort that having felt himself first oppressed with the
intolerable weight of his sins, heareth afterward so sweet and pleasant a saying
of the Son of God, who promised him so mercifully thoroughly to ease and to
deliver him of so great a burden? But all consisteth in this, that we know from
whence our sickness and misery cometh: for no man tasteth or truly discerneth
that that is good, unless first lie have felt that that is evil; and therefore
saith Christ, If any man thirst let him come to me and drink; as he might say,
except a man know himself a sinner, and thirst for righteousness, be cannot
taste how sweet this our Jesus Christ is, nor bow pleasant it is to think and
speak of Him, and to follow his most holy life and conversation. If then we know
our sickness by the office of the law, behold then Saint John Baptist sheweth
with his finger unto us our merciful healer and Saviour, saying, Behold the Lamb
of God that taketh away the sins of the world. The which (I say) delivered us
from the grievous yoke of the law, abrogating and making of none effect the
maledictions or cursings, and sharp threatenings thereof; healing all our
sicknesses, reforming our freewill, and restoring us unto our first innocency,
and bringing to us again the likeness of God. And therefore, as Saint Paul
saith, As by Adam we are all dead, even so by Christ we all are revived. Then
let not us believe that the sin of Adam, which we have inherited, is of greater
efficacy than the righteousness of Christ, which we have in like manner by faith
inherited.

It might have seemed that a man might have been sorry that without his occasion
he should be born and conceived in sin, through the iniquity of his parents,
whereby death reigned over all men; but now is taken away all lamentation,
forasmuch as in the selfsame manner, without our occasion, the righteousness of
Christ, and life everlasting by Christ, is come unto us, death being by him
slain; Whereupon Saint Paul maketh a very goodly discourse, which I will
hereunder write: As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by the
means of sin, and so death went over all men, insomuch that all men sinned; for
even unto the time of the law was sin in the world, but sin was not regarded as
long as there was no law: nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even
over them all that sinned not with like transgression as Adam did, which is the
similitude of him that is to come. But the gift is not like as the sin. For if
through the sin of one many be dead, much more plenteous upon many was the grace
of God and gift by grace, which grace was given by one man, Jesus Christ: and
the gift is not over one sin, as death came through one sin of one that sinned;
for damnation came of one sin unto condemnation, but the gift came to justify
from many sins. For if by the sin of one death reigned by the means of one, much
more shall they that receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of
righteousness, reign in life by means of one, that is to say, Jesus Christ.
Likewise then as by the sin of one condemnation came on all men, even so by the
justifying of one cometh the righteousness that bringeth life upon all men. For
as by one man’s disobedience many became sinners, so by the obedience of one
shall many be made righteous. But the law in the meantime entered in, that sin
should increase; never the less, where abundance of sin was, there was more
plenteousness of grace, that as sin had reigned unto death, even so might grace
reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by the help of Jesus Christ. By
these words of Saint Paul we know that is above said, that is to say, that the
law was given to the intent that sin might be known, and that thereby we might
know that it is not of greater efficacy than is the righteousness of Christ, by
the which we are justified before God. Therefore as Christ is of more power than
Adam, even so the righteousness of Christ is of more efficacy than the sin of
Adam. And if the sin of Adam were sufficient to make us sinners, and the
children of wrath, without any sin actually done of us, much more shall be
sufficient the righteousness of Christ to make us righteous, and the children of
grace, without any of our good works. Neither can they be good except that
before we do them we our own selves be made good and righteous by faith, as
affirmed in like manner Saint Augustine. Hereby a man may know in how much error
they be which for any sin, be it never so great, do despair of the mercy of God,
and do think that he is not able to forgive, take away and pardon every sin, be
it never so grievous, when he hath in his only- begotten Son already chastened
all our faults and iniquities, and therefore consequently hath given a general
pardon to all mankind, whereof every one hath benefit and fruition that
believeth the gospel, that is to say, the most happy news which the apostles
have published throughout the world, saying, We even in Christ’s stead pray you
that ye be reconciled unto God; for he hath made him which knew no sin to be sin
for us, that we by his means might be that righteousness that before God is
allowed. And Esay, who evidently setteth forth so well the passion of Jesus
Christ and the cause of it, that in the writing of the apostles there is not
found a better description or a plainer setting forth; he (I say), foreseeing
this great benefit of the mercy of God, writeth this most godly sentence, Who
giveth credence unto I our preaching, or to whom is the arm of the Lord known?
he shall grow before the Lord like as a branch, and as a root in a dry ground:
he shall have neither beauty nor favour: when we look on him there shall be no
fairness, we shall have no lust unto him; he shall be the most simple and
despised of all: which yet hath good experience of sorrows and infirmities; we
shall reckon him so simple and so vile, that we shall hide our faces from him.
Howbeit (of a truth) he taketh only away our infirmity, and beareth our pain,
yet we shall judge him as though he were plagued and cast down of God; whereas
he (notwithstanding) shall be wounded for our offences and smitten for our
wickedness; for the pain of our punishment shall be laid on him, and with his
stripes shall we be healed. As for us, we go all astray like sheep, every one
turneth his own way; but through him the Lord pardoneth all our sins. He shall
be pained and troubled, and shall not open his mouth; he shall be led as a sheep
to be slain, yet shall he be still as a lamb before the shearer, and not open
his mouth. O great ingratitude and abominable thing it is if we, professing
ourselves to be Christians, and knowing that the Son of God hath taken upon him
all our sins, and has also cancelled them with his own most precious blood,
having suffered himself to be chastened for us on the cross, if we (I say)
nevertheless go about to justify ourselves, and to obtain the forgiveness of our
sins by our own works, as though the merits, the righteousness, and the blood of
Christ were not sufficient to do it unless we put thereunto our foolish
righteousness, spotted with the love of ourselves and with the respect to
rewards, and with a thousand vanities; for the which we ought rather to ask of
God pardon than reward: and we remember not Saint Paul’s threatening of the
Galatians, who being beguiled by false preachers, not believing that
justification by faith was of itself sufficient, did pretend that they would be
justified still by the law, to whom Saint Paul said, Christ nothing helpeth you
that will justify yourselves by the law; ye are fallen from grace; we therefore
look for and hope in the Spirit, to be justified through faith. And now if the
seeking of righteousness and forgiveness of sins be by the keeping of the law,
that the Lord with so great glory and open miracles gave in the hill of Sinai,
be a losing of Christ and his grace, what shall we say then of them that pretend
and endeavour to justify themselves before God with their own law and
observations? Let those persons make the comparison, and after give their
judgment. Insomuch as God will not give that honour and glory to his own law,
will they then that he give it to their laws and constitutions? This honour he
giveth alonely to his only-begotten Son: lie only with the sacrifice of his
passion hath made satisfaction for all our sins, past, present, and to come, as
Saint Paul saith to the Hebrews 7:1-28; Hebrews 9:1-28; Hebrews 10:1-39, and 1
John 1:1-10, 1 John 2:1-29. Through which--as oft as we--apply by faith this
satisfaction of Christ to our souls, we obtain undoubtedly forgiveness of sins,
and by his righteousness we become good and righteous before God. And therefore
Saint Paul saith in the third [chapter of his] epistle to the Philippians, after
that he had said that as touching the righteousness which is in the law he was
unrebukeable, he joineth, But the things that were vantage unto me I counted
loss for Christ’s sake: yea, I think all things but loss for that excellent
knowledge sake of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have counted all things loss,
and do judge them but dung, that I might win Christ, and might be found in him,
not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which springeth
of the faith which is in Jesus Christ; I mean the righteousness which cometh of
God through faith in knowing him. O words most notable, the which every
Christian man should engrave in his heart, beseeching God to make him taste the
same perfectly! Behold how Saint Paul sheweth clearly that whosoever knoweth
Christ truly judgeth the works of the law loss, insomuch as they draw a man from
trusting in Christ (in whom we ought to settle our health), and causeth him to
trust in himself; and aggravating this sentence he joineth therewith, that he
judged all thin," dung, that be might win Christ, and might be found incorporate
in him, shewing that whosoever trusteth in works, and goeth about to be
justified by them, he winneth riot Christ, neither is by any means incorporate
in him, and therefore in this truth consisteth the whole mystery of faith; and
to the intent that they should the better understand that lie said, he joineth
to it and affirmeth boldly that he refused all outward justification, all
righteousness founded in tile observing of the law, trusting only and assuredly
unto the righteousness that God giveth by faith to them that believe that he
hath chastened in Christ [all our sins, who] (as saith the same Saint Paul) was
made of him our wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption, or forgiveness
of sins; and therefore (as it is written) lie that rejoiceth let him rejoice in
the Lord, and not in his own works.

Truth it is that there are found some authorities of the Holy Scripture, which
being evil-understanded seem to gainsay this holy doctrine of Saint Paul, and
that they should attribute the justification and forgiveness of sins to works
and charity; but those authorities are declared wondrous well by some others who
have evidently proved that they that understand them in that sense understand
them not. Let us then (most dearly beloved brethren) follow not the foolish
opinion of the bewitched Galatians, but the verity that Saint Paul teacheth, and
let us give all the praise of our justification to the mercy of God, and the
merits of his Son, who with his blood bath delivered us from the dominion or
danger of the law, from the tyranny of sin, and from death, and bath conducted
us into the kingdom of God, by giving to us eternal felicity. I say lie hath
delivered us from the dominion of the law, for he hath given unto us his Spirit
that sheweth us all truth, and be bath made ’perfect satisfaction for us to the
law, and hath given the same satisfaction to all his members, that is to say, to
all true Christians, so that they may safely come to tile judgment-seat of God,
being apparelled with the righteousness of Christ, and delivered by him from the
curse of the law [which] cannot any more accuse or condemn us, nor any more stir
up our affections and appetites, nor augment sin in us. And therefore saith
Saint Paul, The handwriting that was against us was cancelled by Christ, and
disannulled in the wooden cross, our Christ having delivered us from the
dominion of the law; consequently be hath delivered us from the tyranny of sin
and of death, the which cannot hold us any more oppressed, being overcome first
of Christ by his resurrection, and then consequently of us that be his members,
on such wise, that we may say with St Paul [and with] Hosea the prophet, Death
is overcome and destroyed. O death, where is thy sting? O hell, where is thy
victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but
thanks be given to God, who bath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is that most happy seed which hath trodden down the head of the most
venomous serpent, that is to say the devil; and therefore all those that believe
in Christ, putting all their hope and confidence in his mercy, do overcome with
Christ sin, death, the devil, and hell. This is that blessed seed of Abraham, in
the which God did promise to bless all nations.

Every man ought to have trodden down severally that horrible serpent, and to
have delivered himself from the malediction or curse; but that enterprise was so
great that the force or power of the whole world gathered together was not
sufficient to bear it. Our God then being the Father of all mercy, moved with
compassion of our miseries, gave us his only-begotten Son, who hath delivered us
from the venom of the serpent, and is made our blessing and justification. Let
us embrace, most dearly beloved brethren, the righteousness of Jesus Christ, let
us make it ours through faith, let us have a sure confidence to be righteous,
not by our own works, but by the merits of Christ, and let us live with quiet
conscience towards God, and with assured trust that the righteousness of Christ
doth annihilate all our unrighteousness, and maketh us righteous and holy in the
sight of God, who forsomuch as he seeth us made by faith one body in his Son,
doth not now any more take us as the children of Adam, but as his children, and
maketh us heirs with his own legitimate Son of all his riches.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 4: CHAPTER 4
========================================================================

CHAPTER IV Of the effects of the lively faith, and of the unity or agreement of
the soul with Christ. THIS holy and lively faith worketh so much, that it
bringeth to pass that whosoever believeth that Christ hath taken upon him his
sins becometh like unto Christ, and overcometh sin, death, the devil, and hell;
and this is the cause that the Church (that is to say every faithful soul,) is
the wife of Christ, and Christ is her husband. We know that the custom of
marriage is that of two there become one self [same] thing, they being two in
one flesh, and the goods of both become common to either of them, so that the
husband saith the dowry of the wife is his, and in like manner the wife saith
that the house and all the riches of the husband are hers; and so truly they be,
otherwise they should not be one flesh, as the Holy Scripture saith. Even in the
self-same manner God hath married his most dearly- beloved Son with the faithful
soul, who having nothing of her own but alonely sin, the Son of God nevertheless
hath not disdained to take her for his well- beloved spouse with her own dowry
which is sin. And by the uniting and knitting together which is wrought in this
most holy matrimony, the thing that appertaineth to the one is also the other’s,
so that Christ saith then, the dowry of the soul, my dearly-beloved spouse, that
is to say, her sins, the transgression of the law, the wrath of God against her,
[the] malapertness and boldness of the devil against her, the prison of hell and
all her other evils, are come into my power, and are in mine own ordering, and
unto me it pertaineth to do with the same dowry even as it pleaseth me, and
therefore I will cast it upon the altar of my cross, and make it of none effect.

God then seeing his Son all befilled with the sin of his spouse, scourged him,
and killed him upon a wooden cross; but yet because he was his most
dearly-beloved and obedient Son, he raised him again from death to life, and
gave unto him all power in heaven and in earth, and hath set him on his right
hand. The spouse in like manner saith with most hearty rejoicing, The realms and
emperies of my well-beloved husband are mine. I am queen and empress of heaven
and earth, my husband’s riches, (that is to say) his holiness, his innocency,
his righteousness, his Godhead, with all his virtue and power, are my riches;
and therefore I am holy, innocent, righteous, and godly; there is no spot in me;
I am fair and well-favoured, because my dearly-beloved husband is not spotted,
but fair and well-favoured; and he being altogether mine, consequently all that
is his is mine; and because he is holy and pure, I also am become holy and pure.
Beginning then with his most innocent nativity, he hath with the same sanctified
the filthy nativity of his spouse, conceived in sin. The innocent childhood and
youth of the husband hath justified the life of the childhood, the youth, and
the imperfect working of his beloved wife; and therefore the love and union that
the soul of a true Christian man hath with her husband Christ is so great that
the work of both are common to both; so that when it is said Christ did fast,
Christ did pray, and was heard by his Father, did raise the dead, delivered men
from evil spirits, healed the sick, died, rose again, and ascended to heaven;
even in like manner it is said, that the Christian man hath done the selfsame
work, because the works of Christ are the work of the Christian man, and by him
he hath done them all. Truly it may be said that the Christian man was fastened
to the cross, buried, raised again, ascended to heaven, and was made partaker of
the nature of God. On the other side, all the works that a Christian man doth
are the works of Christ, because he accepteth them as his own, and because they
are unperfect and he perfect, and that he willeth not to have any imperfect
thing, therefore with his virtue he maketh them perfect, to the intent that
[the] wife should be always merry and content, and not be afeard ; and therefore
how much soever her works be imperfect, yet are they acceptable before God for
his Son’s sake, whom continually he beholdeth. O most great bountifulness of
God, how much is the Christian man bound to God! There is no human love that may
be compared to the love of God, the dearly-beloved Spouse of the soul of every
Christian man. Wherefore Saint Paul saith, that Christ loved his church, (that
is to say every soul) his beloved spouse, and offered himself for her to the
death of the cross, to sanctify her and purify her with the fountain of water,
through the word; to make it to himself a glorious congregation, without spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be wholly without blame, (that
is to say) like unto himself in holiness and innocency, and the true and lawful
daughter of God, who loved so the world (as John saith) that he gave his only
Son, to the end that every one that believeth in him should not perish, but have
eternal life. Wherefore God sent his Son into the world not to judge it, but
because the world should be saved by him, so that he that trusteth in him is not
condemned. A man might say to me, in what manner is made the union of this godly
matrimony? how is made this copulation of the soul the wife with her husband
Christ? what certainty may I have that my soul is united with Christ and made
his wife? how may I assuredly glory of his riches as above the wife bath done of
her husband’s riches ? It is easy to me to believe that others receive this
honour and glory; but that I am one of them to whom God bath given so great
grace, I cannot persuade myself; I know mine own misery and imperfection. Most
dearly beloved brother, I answer thee, that thy certainty consisteth in true and
lively faith, with the which, as Saint Peter saith, God purifieth the heart.
This faith consisteth in giving credence to the Gospel, (that is to say) to the
happy news that is published on God’s behalf throughout all the world, which is,
that God hath used the rigour of his righteousness against Christ, chastening in
him all our sins. Whosoever receiveth this good news and believeth it certainly
hath the true faith, and broketh the remission of his sins, and is reconciled
with God, and of [a] child of wrath becometh the child of grace, and recovereth
the image of God, entereth into the kingdom of God, and maketh himself the
temple of God ; who marrieth the soul with his only-begotten Son through this
faith, the which is the work and gift of God (as Saint Paul oftentimes saith),
and God giveth it to them that calleth for the same to justify themselves and to
give them life everlasting, as Christ testified, saying, This is the will of him
that sent me, that every man that seeth the Son and believeth on him, have
everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. In like manner he
saith, As Moses lift up on [high] the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lift up, that none that believeth in him perish, but have
eternal life. And to Martha he said, He that believeth on me, yea though be were
dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never
die. And he said to the multitude of the Jews, I am come a light into the world,
that whosoever believeth in me should not bide in darkness. And Saint [John] in
his Epistle saith, In this appeared the love of God to us-ward, because that God
sent his only-begotten Son into this world, that we+ might live through him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to
make agreement for our sins. And to that end he made him partaker of our flesh
and blood, as St Paul saith, because that by death lie should destroy him that
had lordship over death, that is to say, the devil: and that he might deliver
them which through fear of death were all their lifetime in danger of bondage.
Having then the testimony of the holy scripture upon these promises which are
above recited, and upon many other that are in divers places thereof spread
abroad, we in nowise may doubt that the same promises should not be true. And
insomuch as the scripture speaketh generally, no man ought to doubt that that
which it speaketh should not appertain unto him ; which thing, because it may
the better be understanded, and the whole mystery of faith consisteth in it, let
us put the case that a good and holy king causeth a proclamation to be made that
all such as have at any time rebelled against him should return safely into his
realm, because that he by the desert or merits of one of their kin hath pardoned
them all, verily none of these rebels ought to doubt that he hath not assuredly
obtained pardon and forgiveness for his rebellion, but ought rather with a sure
trust return to his house, and to live under the shadow and defence of that holy
king; and if he return not, he should bear the pains, and because of his
incredulity die a banished man, and in the displeasure of his king. This holy
king is the Lord of heaven and earth, the which through the obedience and merits
of Christ our kinsman hath pardoned all our rebellion, and (as we have said
above) hath caused to be made a proclamation throughout the whole world that
safely we may return to his kingdom. Whosoever then trusteth this promise
returneth to the kingdom of God. (from the which we were cast forth by the
offence of our first parents), and is governed most happily of the Spirit of
God. He that trusteth not to this proclamation, broketh or enjoyeth not this
general pardon, but through his mistrust remaineth still in exile and banishment
under the tyranny of the devil, and liveth and dieth in extreme misery; for he
liveth and dieth in the displeasure of the King of heaven and earth; and that
worthily; for we cannot greatlier offend God than to make him a liar and a
deceiver; and that do we when we trust not to his promise.

O how grievous is this sin of incredulity, the which (as much as in it lieth)
doth deprive and spoil God of his glory and of his perfection, besides that it
bringeth to itself the hurt of everlasting damnation, and continual vexation of
mind that in this life the miserable conscience doth feel ; but to the contrary,
he that approacheth to God with an unfeigned heart and strong faith, trusting to
his promises, without any manner of doubting, believing assuredly that all that
God promiseth he shall obtain, that man (I say) giveth glory unto God, that man
liveth in continual peace and joyfulness of conscience, always praising and
thanking God, who bath chosen him to the glory of everlasting life, having a
gage most sure and certain, that is to say, the Son of the same God for his most
dearly- beloved spouse, whose blood hath made his heart as it were ghostly
drunken and merry. And this most holy faith engendereth a lively hope and an
assured trust or belief in the mercy of God towards us; which faith liveth and
worketh in the heart, and by the same we altogether put our whole trust in God,
committing unto him wholly the care and charge of us, and that in such sort and
manner that being sure of the benevolence and mercy of God towards us, we are
not afraid neither of the devil, neither of his ministers, neither of death
itself. And this so stedfast and comfortable a belief in the mercy of God once
brought into the heart sticketh it up, and with certain most sweet affections
directeth it towards God, and filleth it with most ardent charity or love.
Wherefore Saint Paul exhorteth us that we go with faith to the throne of grace,
and he comforteth us not to cast away our faith and confidence which hath great
reward. This holy faith and trust is gendered in our hearts by the Holy Ghost,
which is given us through faith, that never is void of the love of God; and
hereof it cometh that by this lively efficacy or strength we are stirred to do
good works; and we get so great an ability and inclination or readiness thereto,
that we are very ready to do and suffer all things, be they never so
intolerable, for the love and glory of God our most benign Father, who by Christ
hath made us so rich of his so abundant grace or favour and good mind, and hath
made us of enemies most dear children. This true faith is not so soon given to
man by God but that he is forthwith stirred with a most strong zeal and desire
to do good works, and to bring forth most pleasant fruits to the Lord, and to
his neighbour, as a very good tree ; even as it is impossible but that a fagot
of fire being kindled must give forth light. This is the faith without the which
it is impossible that any man can please God, and by the which all the saints,
both of the Old and New Testament, be saved, as Saint Paul testified of Abraham,
of whom the Scripture saith, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for
righteousness; and therefore he saith a little before, Let us believe then that
man is justified by faith, without the works of the law. And in another place he
saith, Even so at this time there is a remnant left through the election of
grace ; if it be of grace, then it is not of works: for then were grace no more
grace. And to the Galatians he saith, that it is a manifest thing that no man is
justified by the law in the sight of God; for the just shall live by faith. The
law is not of faith, but the man that fulfilleth the things contained in the law
shall live by them. And a little above he saith, A man is not justified by the
deeds of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ: and a little after saith,
that if righteousness come by the law, Christ then died in vain, or for nought.
And [to] the Romans, comparing the righteousness of the Gospel, he saith, that
that consisteth in working and this in believing; for if thou shalt knowledge
with thy mouth that Jesus is the Lord, and shalt believe with thine heart that
God raised him up from death, thou shalt be safe ; for to believe with the heart
justifieth, and to knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe. See how plainly
Saint Paul sheweth that faith without any help of works maketh a man righteous.
And not only Saint Paul, but also the holy doctors that came after him have
likewise confirmed and approved this most holy verity of justification by faith,
amongst the which is principal Saint Augustine, in his Book of Faith and Works,
and Of [the] Spirit and the Letter, and of the Eighty-three Questions, and in
that he writeth to the Bishop of Rome, Bonifacius, and in his Tract on the
thirtyfirst Psalm, and in many other places he defendeth this opinion; the which
Origen also defendeth in, his Fourth Book upon the Epistle to the Romans,
affirming that Saint Paul would have that faith only be sufficient to justify
the world in such manner, that he saith the man only by believing becometh
righteous, although he have done no works: like as the thief was justified
without the works of the law; for the Lord did not seek that which he before had
wrought, nor tarried that he should work anything after that he had believed;
but having justified him by his confession only, took him for his companion when
he entered into Paradise. And in like manner that woman so celebrated in the
Gospel of Saint Luke, at the feet of Jesus Christ heard add unto her, Thy sins
are forgiven thee; and a little after: Thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace.
And after that Origen adjoineth: In many places of the Scripture it is seen that
the Lord spake in such manner that he shewed that faith is the occasion of the
health and salvation of him that believeth. Then the man is justified by faith,
to the which the works of the law help nothing; and on the contrary part, where
the faith is not which justified him that believeth, although a man have the
works that the law commandeth, nevertheless because they be not builded upon the
foundation of faith, although in outward appearance they appear never so good,
they nevertheless cannot justify him that doth them, he wanting faith, which is
the mark of them that are justified of God. And who is he that may glory in his
own righteousness, hearing God say by the prophet that all our righteousness is
like the clothes stained with the flowers of a woman. Then to glory in the faith
of the cross of Jesus Christ is the true glorying. Saint Basil, in his homily Of
humility, expressly willeth that the Christian man account himself righteous
only by faith in Christ; his words be these: The apostle saith, he that
glorieth, let him [glory] in the Lord, saying that Christ was made by God to us
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; and therefore as it is
written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Therefore the perfect and
entire ’glorying is in God, when a man doth not enhance himself by his own
righteousness, but knoweth that he lacketh the true righteousness, and that by
the only faith in Christ he is justified. Paul also glorieth in not esteeming
his own righteousness, and in seeking by faith in Christ the righteousness that
cometh from God. Saint Hilarius, upon Saint I Matthew in the ninth canon, saith
these words: The scribes were troubled because that sin should be remitted of
man, for they esteemed Jesus Christ only as man, and that he had remitted that
which the law could not remit, and therefore faith only justified. Saint
Ambrose, expounding these words of Saint Paul (To him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, is faith counted for
righteousness; even as David describeth the blessedfulness of the man to whom
God ascribeth righteousness without deeds) Saint Ambrose (I say) writeth this
upon these words: Saint Paul saith, that to him that believeth in Christ, that
is to say, to the Gentile, is his faith imputed for righteousness, even as it
was to Abraham? In what manner then did the Jews think to be justified by the
works of the law after the justification of Abraham, when Abraham was not
justified by the works of the law, but only by faith? Then the law is not
necessary, since the wicked man only by faith is justified before God, according
to the purpose of the mercy of God. So he saith that it is determined of God,
that, not meddling with the law, the unrighteous for his health and salvation
should seek only the faith of the mercy of God, as David also saith. The apostle
verifieth that that he spake after the example of the prophet, The
blessedfulness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works.
David understandeth that they are blessed of whom God hath determined, that
without weariness and without any observations by faith only they be made
righteous before God. Then he setteth forth the blessedness of the time in which
Christ was born, even as saith the same Lord, Many righteous men and prophets
have desired to see the things that you [see, and to hear the things that you]
hear, and have not heard them. The same Ambrose, expounding the first chapter of
the first Epistle to the Corinthians, saith very plainly, that whosoever
believeth in Christ is justified without works and without any of his merits,
receiving by faith only the remission of sins. He also affirmeth the same in an
epistle to Inrenaeus with these words, Let no man glory or boast of his works,
for no man is justified by his own works; but he that is righteous hath his
righteousness by gift; for he is justified by Christ. Then faith is the thing
that delivereth us through the blood of Christ; for be is blessed to whom sin is
remitted and pardon given. And Saint Bernard, upon Cantica Salomonis, in the
seventyseventh sermon, confirmeth the same, affirming that our merits have no
part in our justification; the which should all wholly be attributed unto mercy,
which maketh us just freely, and in this manner delivereth us from the servitude
or bondage of sin. And further, Saint Bernard saith, That Christ espouseth the
soul and uniteth it with him by faith, not mingling therewith any merits of our
works. But not to be too long, I will make an end of allegations as soon as I
have told a very good saying of Saint Ambrose, in the book that is entitled, Of
Jacob, and of the blessed life. This holy man saith, that as Jacob, not having
merited through himself the being first born, hid him under the habit of his
brother, and apparelled himself with his garments, the which cast out a most
sweet smell, and in that manner presented’ himself to his father, to receive to
his own behoof the blessing under the similitude or likeness -of another. So it
[is] necessary that we apparel ourselves with the righteousness of Christ by
faith, and that we hide us under the precious purity of our eldest brother, if
we will be-received as righteous in the sight of God.-And surely this is true.
Insomuch that if we come into the presence of God not apparelled with the
righteousness of Christ, without doubt we shall be all judged unrighteous, and
worthy of all punishment; but, on the other side, if God see us apparelled with
the righteousness of Christ, no fail be will accept us as just, holy, and worthy
eternal life.

And, verily, great is the foolish rashness of them that pretend to come to
righteousness by the observation of the commandments of God, which are all
comprehended in loving God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all
thy strength, and thy neighbour as thyself. Who shall be then so arrogant, or
presumptuous and mad, that dare believe to keep truly these two commandments,
and seeth not that the law of God in requiring of man a perfect love condemneth
all imperfectness? Let every man consider then his own works which partly
appeareth good to him, and he shall find that his works rather should be called
a transgressing of the holy law, forsomuch as they are unclean and imperfect
works. Whereupon concluded the words of David, Enter not into judgment with thy
servant; for in thy sight shall no man be justified. And Solomon saith, Who may
say my heart is clean? And Job crieth out, How can he be clean that is born of a
woman? behold, that amongst his saints there is none stedfast, nor the heavens
are clear in his sight. How much more is he then abominable, the which drinketh
iniquity as water! And Saint John saith, That if we will say that we. are
without sin, we deceive ourselves. And the Lord taught that we should say always
when we pray, Forgive us our debts. By this may be gathered the foolishness of
them that make merchandise of their works, presuming with those works to be of
power to save not only themselves, but also others, as though the Lord had not
said, When ye have done all those things which ye are commanded, say, We are
unprofitable servants all, and that we have but done that was our duty to do.
Behold, that although we keep perfectly the law of God, we may judge and call
ourselves unprofitable servants. Now all men being very far off from this
perfect fulfilling of the law, dare any man glory that he hath put together so
great a heap of merits to the just measure, that he hath to give to others ? But
now return to our purpose. Let the arrogant sinner -consider, the which (doing
some works in the sight of the world laudable) pretendeth to justify himself in
the sight of God, let him (I say) consider that all the works that come from a
corrupt and unclean heart are themselves in like manner corrupt and unclean, and
consequently cannot be acceptable to God, nor of effect or power to justify. It
is needful then, first, to purify the heart, if we would that our works please
God; and that purifying consisteth in faith, as affirmeth the Holy Ghost by the
mouth of Saint Peter. We may not then say that the unrighteous man and sinner by
his works becometh just, good, and acceptable to God; but we must say that faith
purifieth our hearts from all sin, maketh us good, just, and acceptable to God,
and consequently causeth that our works (although they be never so imperfect and
weak) do nevertheless please his majesty. For when by faith we are become the
children of God, he then considereth our works as a father most merciful, and
not as a strait judge: for he hath compassion of our frailty, and considereth us
as a member of his first-begotten Son, whose righteousness and perfection
supplieth our uncleanness and imperfection, the which being covered under the
purity and innocency of Christ, be not imputed unto us, nor come [under] the
judgment of God.

Whereof it cometh that the works proceeding from true faith (be they of
themselves never so impure and imperfect), yet shall they be greatly praised and
commended of Christ in the universal judgment, forasmuch as they shall be the
fruit and testimony of our faith, by the which we are saved. For insomuch as we
have loved the brethren of Christ we shall shew plainly that we again be made
faithful, and the brethren of Christ, and by faith we shall be brought into the
perfect possession of the everlasting kingdom, the which God our heavenly Father
prepared for us from the beginning of the world: not because of our merits, but
through his mercy, by the which he hath chosen and called us to the grace of the
Gospel, and hath justified us, that we may glory for ever with his only-begotten
Son Jesus Christ our Lord, our justification and righteousness; but not for them
that will not confess and knowledge that the same his mercy is of itself
sufficient to make a man just and acceptable to God, who through his fatherly
kindness offereth and giveth unto us Christ with his righteousness, without any
merits of our works. And what thing may man work that might deserve so great a
reward and treasure as Christ is? This treasure is given only by the grace,
favour, and mercy of God, and faith only is the thing which receiveth such a
gift, and maketh us have fruition of the forgiveness of our sins; and therefore
when Saint Paul and the doctors say that faith only justifieth without the
works, they understand that it only maketh us have fruition of the general
pardon and maketh us receive Christ; who (Saint Paul saith) dwelleth in our
hearts by faith; who hath overcome the terror of our conscience, made
satisfaction to the justice of God for our sins, appeased and quenched the wrath
of God against us, and the fire of hell, into the which our natural corruption
did throw us headlong, and hath vanquished and destroyed the devil with his
power and tyranny. The which things all the works that all men together might do
could not attain unto nor bring to pass. This glory and this power is reserved
only to the Son of God, that is to say, unto blessed Christ, who is most mighty
above all the powers of heaven and earth and hell, and giveth himself with all
his merits to those, that despairing of themselves, put all their hope of
salvation in him and his merits. And therefore let no man beguile himself when
he heareth say, that only faith without works justifieth, (believing as doth the
false Christians, which draweth all things to a fleshly living) that the true
faith consisteth in believing the story of Jesus Christ, in like manner as they
that believe the histories of Caesar and Alexander. This manner of believing is
an historical faith, founded on the very report of man, and of writing, and is
printed slightly in the mind by a certain use or custom ; and is like to the
faith of the Turks, who by the selfsame occasions believeth in the fables of
Alcoran. This faith (so made) is an imagination of man, which reneweth nothing
the heart of man, nor heateth him with godly love, neither doth there follow it
any works of faith, nor new life; and therefore they say falsely, both against
the holy Scripture and also the holy doctors of the true Church, that only faith
justifieth not, but that the works are needful; to the which I answer, that this
historical and very vain faith, with the works that follow it, not alone not
justifieth, but also casteth a man down headlong into hell, as those that have
no oil in their lamps, that is to say, no true faith in their hearts. The faith
that justifieth is a work of God in us by the which our old man is crucified,
and we being altogether transformed into Christ do become a new creature, and
dearly-beloved sons of God: this godly faith is such that it graffeth us in the
death and resurrection of Christ, and consequently mortifieth the flesh with her
affections and concupiseences; for we know ourselves by the efficacy of faith to
be dead with Christ, and do therefore determine with ourselves and with the
world, and also do understand, that it appertaineth to those that are dead with
Christ, to mortify their worldly members, that is to say, the sinful affections
of the mind, and the appetites or lusts of the flesh; and knowing ourselves
raised with Christ, we diligently endeavour to lead a spiritual and holy life,
and like that which we shall live in heaven after our resurrection. This most
holy faith causeth us to broke or enjoy the general pardon that the Gospel
publisheth, yea, it leadeth us into the kingdom of God, and maketh peace in our
conscience, and maintaineth in it a perpetual and holy joyfulness and mirth.
This sameself faith uniteth us with God, and causeth that God dwelleth in our
hearts, and clotheth our soul with himself; and consequently his Holy Spirit
moveth us to those things to the which it moved Christ, when he was conversant
amongst men: I say, to humility, meekness and obedience of God, charity, and to
other perfections, by the which we recover the image of God.

Then worthily Christ doth attribute blessedfulness to this inspired faith, the
which blessedness cannot stand without good works and holiness; and how may it
be true that the Christian man is not holy if by faith Christ is become his
sanctification? Then by faith we become just and holy, and therefore almost
always Saint Paul calleth those saints which we call Christian men, who if they
have not the Spirit of Christ are not Christian men; and if they have the Spirit
of Christ which ruleth and governeth them, we should not doubt that those, how
well soever they know themselves justified by faith only, should become slothful
to do good works; for the Spirit of Christ is the spirit of charity or love, and
charity cannot be idle nor easy from doing good works; and so if we will say the
truth, a man can never do good works if first he do not know himself justified
through the merits and righteousness of Christ, which he maketh his through
faith. [Then and not before he] worketh only for the love and glory of God and
of Christ, and not for the love he beareth to himself, nor yet for that he would
be thereby justified; whereupon it cometh that the true Christian man (that is
to say) he that counteth himself righteous through the righteousness of Christ,
asketh not whether good works be commanded or not, but being moved and stirred
through the strength of God’s love towards him, he again offereth himself most
ready to holy Christian works, and never ceaseth to work well. And he that by
his faith feeleth not the marvellous effects that we have spoken of, which the
inspired faith doth in a Christian man, let him know that he hath not yet the
true Christian faith, and let him make instant prayer to God, to give it him,
saying, Lord, help my incredulity or unbelief ; and hearing say, that faith only
justifieth, let him not deceive himself, saying, What needeth it that I weary
myself in doing good works? Faith sufficeth to send me to Paradise ; but let him
mark that the devils believeth also and trembleth. Now wilt thou go with them
into Paradise through this false conclusion or reasoning? Brother, thou mayest
know how great an error thou art in thou thinkest that thou hast the faith that
justifieth, and hast it not; thou sayest, I am rich, and have need of nothing,
and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, poor, blind, and naked. I
persuade thee to buy of God gold fined in the fire, that is to say, true faith
fined through good works, to the intent thou mayest become rich and apparelled
with white clothes, that is to say, with the innocency of Christ, to the intent
that the shamefulness of thy nakedness appear not, that is to say the filthiness
of thy sins.

Then the faith that justifieth is like a flame of fire, which cannot but shine;
and as it is true that the flame only burneth the wood with. out the help of the
light, so it is true that faith only putteth out and burneth the sine without
help of works; and nevertheless this faith cannot be without good works; for as
when we see a flame of fire that shineth not, we know that it is painted and
vain, so likewise when we see not in any man the light of good works, it is a
sign that such a one hath not the true inspired faith the which God giveth to
his elects, to justify and glorify them. And I think assuredly that Saint James
understanded this by his words when he said, Shew me thy faith by thy deeds, and
I will shew thee my faith by my deeds; meaning that he who attendeth to the
ambition and pleasures of the world, how much soever he saith he believeth, he
believeth not; since he sheweth not in him the effects of faith. We may yet
liken ,this most holy faith that justifieth, to the divinity or Godhead that was
in Jesus Christ, who being very man (but without sin) wrought things wonderful,
healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, going upon the waters, and raising
the dead. But these miraculous works were not the cause that Christ was God; for
afore that he wrought any of these works he was God, and the lawful and
only-begotten Son of God; and it was not to him needful to work such miracles
that thereby he might become God, but contrariwise, because he was God he
wrought them: wherefore these miracles were not the cause that Christ was God,
but they shewed that he was very God. So the true living faith is a divinity in
the soul of a Christian man, which worketh marvellously, and is never weary of
doing good works ; but these works are not the cause that the Christian man is a
Christian, (that is to say) just, good, holy, and very acceptable unto God; and
to him it was not needful to do such works that thereby he might become such an
one; but lie, because he is a Christian man by faith (as Christ being a man by
his divinity was God) doth all those works. So that these good works do not make
the Christian man righteous and good, but doth shew that he is good and
righteous. Then even as the divinity or Godhead of Christ was the cause of his
miracles, so faith working by love is the cause of the good works of the
Christian man. And even as they said of Christ, he hath done this and that
miracle; and such miracles, besides that they glorified and gave honour unto
God, were also very greatly to Christ’s honour as man; who being obedient even
to the death, was of God rewarded in the resurrection, and had given to him all
power in heaven and in earth, the which before, as man, he then had not; and
this he deserved by the agreement and unity that the Word of God bad with the
manhood of Christ: even so doth faith in the Christian man. For by the agreement
and unity that it hath with the soul it attributeth that which appertaineth to
the one unto the other; so that many times the holy Scriptures promiseth to a
Christian man life everlasting for his good works, because that good works are
fruits and testimony of the living faith, and proceedeth from it its the light
from the flame of fire, as we have already above said; and this most holy faith
embraceth Christ, and uniteth him [with] the soul; and all three, (that is to
say faith, Christ, and the soul), do become one self- [same]thing, on such
manner that the thing which Christ meriteth the soul in like manner meriteth.
And therefore Saint Augustine saith, that God crowneth in us his gifts. Of this
union of the soul with Christ by faith, giveth testimony Christ himself in Saint
John, making prayer to the Father for his Apostles and for them that should
believe in him by their preaching, that they all may be one, as thou, Father,
art in me, and I in thee, that they may be also one in us: that the world may
believe that thou hast sent me. And that glory that thou gavest me I have given
them; that they may be one, as we are one. Then when we believe the words of the
Apostles who preached Christ to have died for our sins, and to have risen again
for our justification, and to make us righteous, we become one thing with
Christ, who being one only thing with God, we also by Christ be one only thing
with God. O glory to be marvelled at of a Christian man, to whom by faith is
granted to possess these things which are not able to be expressed, which the
angels do desire to see. By these arguments may plainly be known the difference
that is between us and them that doth defend the justification of faith and
works together: in this we agree, that we. also establish works, and we affirm
that the faith that justifieth cannot be without good works, and we say that the
justified by faith be those that do the works that truly may be called good; but
in this we differ and vary, that we say that faith without the help of the works
justifieth, and the reason is at hand, for we by faith clothe ourselves with
Christ, making his righteousness and holiness ours; and insomuch as it is true
that by faith the righteousness of Christ is given unto us, we cannot be so
unthankful, blind, and wicked, to believe that the same righteousness of Christ
without our works is not sufficient to make us acceptable and righteous in the
sight of God. And we say with the Apostle, If the blood of oxen and of goats,
and the ashes of an heifer when it was sprinkled, purified the unclean, as
touching the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ,
which through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge our
conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Now let a good Christian man
judge which of these two opinions is more true, more holy, and more worthy to be
preached or taught, either ours that doth illustrate the benefit of Christ, and
abateth the pride of the man that would exalt his works against the glory of
Christ, or the other, which saying, that faith only justifieth not, doth darken
the glory and benefit of Christ, and stirreth up the pride of man, who cannot
suffer nor abide to be justified and made righteous freely by Jesus Christ our
Lord. Some will say, it is a great instigation to do good works when we say that
a man by them is made righteous before God. I answer, that we also knowledge
that good works are acceptable to God, and that he rewardeth them through his
mere liberality in Paradise; but we say that those only are good works (as Saint
Augustine saith) which are done by those that are justified through faith ; for
if the tree be not good it cannot bear good fruits.

Moreover, such as are justified by faith, knowing themselves righteous through
the righteousness of God executed in Christ, make not merchandise with God of
their good works, pretending with them to buy of him their justification; but
being inflamed with the love of God, and desirous to glorify Christ, who hath
justified them and given to them all his merits and riches, they give heed with
all their hearts to do the will of God, and fight manfully against the love of
themselves, the world, and the devil. And when they fall through the frailty of
the flesh, they rise again and be so much the more desirous to do good works,
and the more enamoured and in love with God; considering that Their sins are not
imputed unto them by him, forsomuch as they are incorporate and made one body
with Christ, who hath made satisfaction for all his members on a wooden cross,
and continually maketh intercession to his eternal Father for them; who, for the
love of his only Son, beholdeth them always with a most pleasant countenance,
and governeth and defendeth them as his most dearly beloved sons, and in the end
will give them the inheritance everlasting, making them like to the glorious
image of Christ.

These amorous instigations and kind provocations are those that move the true
Christians to do good works, who considering that they are become through faith
the children of God, and partakers of the nature of God, be stirred up through
the Holy Ghost that dwelleth in them to live as appertaineth to the children of
one so great a lord, and they are ashamed not to keep the worthiness of their
heavenly nobility, and therefore they wholly apply their minds to follow their
eldest brother Jesus Christ, living in most great humility and meekness, seeking
in all things the glory of God, giving their life for their brethren, doing good
to their enemies, rejoicing [in] slanders and in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ; and they say with Zacharias, We are delivered from the hands of our
enemies, to the intent that we may without fear serve God in holiness and in
righteousness before him all the days of our life. They say with Saint Paul, The
grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men, hath appeared, and bath taught
us, that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly in, this present world; looking for that blessed
hope. and appearing of the glory of the great God and of our Saviour Jesus
Christ. These and other such like thoughts, desires, and affectious, worketh the
inspired faith in the minds of all such as are thereby justified; and he that
doth not feel in his heart either altogether or else at the leastway partly
these godly affections and effects, but is given to the flesh and to the world,
let him be well assured that he hath not yet the faith that justifieth, nor is
any member of Christ, for he hath not the Spirit of him, and consequently is not
of Christ; and he that is not of Christ is not a Christian. Then at the last let
man’s wisdom cease to speak against the righteousness of holy faith, and let us
give all the glory of our justification to the merits of Christ, with whom we
apparel ourselves through faith.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 5: CHAPTER 5
========================================================================

CHAPTER V. How the Christian man apparelleth or clotheth himself with Christ.
AND although by the things above said it may clearly enough be understanded how
the Christian man apparelleth himself with Christ, nevertheless we will speak
somewhat more, knowing that to talk of Christ and of his gifts to a good
Christian it can never seem tedious nor painful, although a thing were repeated
a thousand times. I say, that the Christian knoweth Christ to be his by faith,
with all his righteousness, holiness, and innocency. And as a man apparelleth
himself with a very fair and precious garment when he will present himself to
the presence of a great lord, so the Christian, apparelled and covered with the
innocency of Christ and with all his perfections, presenteth himself before God
[the] Lord of all, putting his trust in the merits of Christ none otherwise than
if he had merited and obtained [them all]; faith (without doubt) causeth that we
possess Christ and all that is his, as every one of us possesseth his own
garment. And therefore to apparel ourself with Christ is none other thing than
to believe assuredly that Christ is ours (as true it is if we believe it), and
to believe that by this heavenly garment we be dearly beloved and acceptable in
the presence of God; because it is most certain that he is a most kind Father,
hath given unto us his Son, and willeth that all his righteousness and all that
he is, that he may and that he hath wrought, be in our jurisdiction and rule, in
such manner that it is lawful for us to glory as though we by our own power had
gotten and wrought them. Whosoever then believeth this shall without fail find
that which he believeth to be very true, as we have above shewed. Then the
Christian man ought to have a firm faith and trust that all the goods, all the
grace, and all the riches of Christ be his; for God having given us Christ, how
may it be that he giveth not us all things with him?

If this be true (as indeed it is) the Christian man may say truly, I am the son
of God, Christ is my brother, I am lord of heaven and earth, of hell, of death,
and of the law; and therefore the law cannot accuse nor say evil of me, being
made mine the righteousness of my Christ. This faith is that only which maketh a
man to be called a Christian, and it apparelleth him with Christ, as we have
said. And this may properly be called a great mystery, under which are contained
the things of Almighty God both marvellous and unheard, the which cannot enter
into the heart of man, if God do not mollify it with his grace, as he promiseth
by the mouth of Ezekiel, saying, A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit
will I put into you: as for that stony heart I will take it out of your body,
and give you a fleshly heart. He then which doth not believe in this manner,
that is to say, that Christ is his with all his goods that he possesseth, he (I
say) cannot call himself a true Christian, nor never can have a merry and a
quiet conscience, nor a good and a fervent mind to work well, and shall fall
very soon from good works, or rather he can never do any that may be truly
called good works. This only faith and trust that we have in the merits of
Christ maketh men true Christians, strong, rejoicing, merry, in love with God,
ready to do good works, possessors of the kingdom of God, and his dearly beloved
children, in whom truly and certainly the Holy Ghost dwelleth.

What mind is so abject, or lewd, vile, and cold, that considering the
inestimable greatness of the gift which God hath given unto us, giving us his
most dearly- beloved Son with all his perfections, is not inflamed with most
ardent desire to be like unto him in good works, forsomuch as he is also given
to us of the Father for an example, whom we ought always to behold, forming on
such manner our life and conversation that it should be a representation of
following the life of Christ; for, as Saint Peter saith, Christ suffered for us,
leaving us an exsample that we should follow his steps. By considering of this
springeth the other manner of apparelling us with Christ, the which we may call
example; for the Christian ought to rule all his life by the example of Christ,
conforming himself like unto him in all his thoughts, words, and works, leaving
his ill life past, and apparelling himself [with] a new life, that is to say,
with the life of Christ. Whereupon Saint Paul saith, Let us cast away the
worksof darkness, and [let] us apparel ourselves with the armour of light: let
us walk honestly as it were in daylight, not in banqueting [and] drunkenness,
neither in chambering and wantonness, neither in strife and envying; but let us
put upon us our Lord Jesus Christ, and let us not make provision for the flesh
to fulfil the lusts of it. Wherefore the true Christian man being enamoured on
Christ, saith thus within himself, Since Christ having no need of me, hath
recovered me with his own blood, and became poor to make me rich, I will in like
manner again give my goods and my life for the love and health of my neighbour;
and even as I am apparelled with Christ through the love that he hath borne to
me, so will I that my neighbour in Christ for the love that I bare unto him for
Christ’s sake be apparelled with me and my goods. And if a man do not in this
manner, then is be not yet a true Christian man, and therefore let not any man
brag or say, I love Christ, if he love not the members and the bre. thren of
Christ; for if we love not our neighbour for whose sake Christ hath shed his own
precious blood, we cannot say truly that we do love Christ, who being equal with
God, was obedient to the Father, even to the death of the cross, and hath- loved
and redeemed us, giving unto us himself with all his works and with all that he
possesseth. In this same self manner, forsomuch as we be abundantly rich with
the goods of Christ, we ought to be obedient to God again, and to offer and give
our works, and all that is ours and ourselves, likewise to our neighbours and
brethren in Christ, serving them in all their needs, and being to them, as a man
might say, another Christ. And even as Christ was humble, meek, and most far off
from contention and strife, so ought we to give oursolves altogether to
humbleness and meekness, fleeing all strife and contention, no less those that
consist in words and disputations, than those that consist in deeds. Even as
Christ suffered all the persecutions and shames of the world for the glory of
God, so ought we joyfully to sustain the shames and persecutions that the false
Christians do to all those who will live godly in Christ. Christ did give his
life for his enemies and prayed for them on the cross, and so we ought ever to
pray for our enemies, and give our life gladly for their health. And this is to
follow Christ’s footsteps, as Saint Peter saith. For when we know Christ with
all his riches to be our own, which is to clothe us with Christ, and to become
clean and pure of all spots, there resteth then none other thing for us to do
but to glorify God through the following of Christ, and to do the selfsame thing
to our brethren that Christ hath done to us; and that, through his own word, we
bear in mind without ceasing, that whatsoever good or benefit we do to his
brethren and ours he accepteth as benefit done to him. And without doubt,
forsomuch as the true Christians are the members of Christ, we can do neither
good nor evil unto the true Christian man, but we do evil or good to Christ,
forasmuch as he rejoiceth and suffereth in his members. Then as Christ is our
apparel, by faith, so ought we through love to be the apparel of our brethren,
and the selfsame care and regard that we have of our own body we ought to have
of theirs who are true members of our body, of the which Christ is the head.
This is that godly love and charity which springeth up out of the unfeigned
faith wherewith God inspireth his elects, of the which Saint Paul saith that it
worketh through love. But forasmuch as the life. of Christ, with the imitation
or following of which we ought to apparel ourselves, was a perpetual cross, full
of tribulation, shame, and persecutions; if we will conform ourselves and become
like unto his life, it is needful that we do bear continually the cross, as he
himself saith, If any man will follow me let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily, and follow me. The chief cause of this cross is that our Lord God
with this exercise will mortify in us the affections of the mind and the
appetites and lusts of the flesh, to the intent that we may comprehend in
ourselves that perfection in the which we are comprehended of Christ, through
the incorporation and being made one body in him, and will that our faith, fined
as gold in the furnace of adversity, shine to his praise. And moreover, he will
that by our infirmities we shall illustrate and set forth his mighty power, the
which the world (in despite of itself) seeth in us when our frailness through
tribulations and persecutions become strong, and the more it is beaten down and
oppressed, so much the more it becometh strong and stable or stedfast. Whereupon
St. Paul saith, We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency
[of the] power might be of God, and not ours. We are troubled on every side, yet
are we not utterly without shift; we are in poverty, but not utterly without
somewhat; we suffer persecution, but are not forsaken therein ; we are cast
down, nevertheless we perish not; and always we bear about in our body the dying
of our Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might appear in our bodies.

Then seeing Christ and his dear disciples have glorified God with their
tribulations, let us also embrace them joyfully, saying with Saint Paul, God
forbid that I should glory but in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And let us
work and behave ourselves in such sort that the world (to his own hurt) may know
and see with his eyes the marvellous effects that God worketh in them that
sincerely embrace the grace of the Gospel; let the man of the world (I say) see
with how much tranquillity and quietness of mind the true Christians sustain the
loss of goods, the death of their children, slanders, infirmities of the body,
and the persecutions of the false Christians; let them see how these only do
honour God in the spirit and truth, thankfully taking at the hand of him all
that happeneth to them, counting for good, just, and holy, all that he doeth;
and in all prosperity and adversity praising and thanking him as a most good and
merciful Father, and knowledging it for a great gift of God to suffer, and
specially for the gospel and following of Christ before all things, knowing that
tribulation bringeth patience, patience bringeth experience, experience bringeth
hope, and hope makes not ashamed. I say that patience worketh experience; for
God having promised to help in tribulations them that trust in him, we know it
by experience whilst we stand strong and constant and be holden up by the hand
of God, which thing we cannot do by our own strength. Then through patience we
have experience, that the Lord bringeth the help that he hath promised in our
need, through which our hope is established; therefore it should be to him much
ingratitude and unthankfulness not to abide and look for that help and favour at
his hand which we had before by experience found so certain and constant. But
what needeth so many words? it ought to be sufficient and enough to know that
the true Christian men through tribulations apparel themselves with the image
and likeness of Christ crucified, which if we shall beer willingly we shall
apparel ourselves afterward with the image of Christ glorified ; for even as the
afflictions of Christ now abound in us, even so through Christ shall also abound
our consolation and comfort; and if we suffer with him we shall reign together
with him.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 6: CHAPTER 6
========================================================================

CHAPTER VI Certain remedies against incredulity or unbelief. BUT because the
devil and man’s wisdom evermore goeth about to spoil us of this most holy faith,
by which we believe that in Christ all our sins are chastened, and that through
his most precious blood we are reconciled and made at one with God, it is
needful that the Christian have always his armour ready to defend himself from
this most evil temptation, which goeth about to deprive the soul of her life.
Amongst these armours we judge prayers, often use of the most holy communion,
the remembrance of baptism and of predestination, to be most mighty. In our
prayers let us say with the father of the lunatic, Lord, help our unbelief; and
let us say with the Apostle, Lord, increase our faith; and if we will that there
shall reign in us a continual desire to increase in faith, hope, and charity,
forthwith let us pray as Saint Paul ordained, for prayer is none other thing
than a fervent desire founded and fixed in God. With the remembrance of baptism
we shall assure ourselves to be in peace with God; for Saint Peter saith, that
the ark of Noah was a figure of baptism; then as Noah, believing the promises of
God, saved himself in the ark from the flood, even so we, through faith, save
ourselves in baptism from the wrath of God; the which faith is founded in and
upon the word of Christ, who said, He that believeth and is baptised shall be
saved, (and with good reason), for in baptism we apparel and clothe our. selves
with Christ, as Saint Paul affirmeth, and consequently we are made partaken of
his righte. ousness and all his goods. And under this most precious garment the
sins that our frail nature doth commit are covered, and are not imputed to us of
God; and, as Saint Paul saith, the blessing of the psalm appertaineth to us
which with, Blessed are they whose unrighteousnesses are forgiven, and whose
sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin. But let
[the] Christian man beware that he take not through these words license to sin
for this doctrine appertaineth not to them who, when they are honoured with the
name of a Christian, do with words confess Christ, and with works deny him; but
it pertaineth to the true Christians which, although. they fight manfully with
the flesh, the world, and the devil, yet they fall every day, and are
constrained to say continually, Forgive us our debts. To those we speak to
comfort and hold them up, to the intent they fall not into desperation as though
the blood of Christ did not cleanse them from all sin, and as [though] he were
not the Advocate and propitiation or sacrifice for all his members. Then when we
shall be moved to doubt of the remission of sins, and our conscience shall be
given to be troubled, let us, being apparelled with faith, run straightway to
the precious blood of Jesus Christ which was shed for us on the altar of the
cross, and to the faithful distributed in the last supper, under the cover of
the most holy sacrament; which was by Christ instituted because we should
celebrate the remembrance of his death, and with this visible sacrament should
make our afflicted conscience certain of our reconciliation and atonement with
God.

Blessed Christ made his testament when he said, This is my body which is given
for you: and, This is my blood of the new testament, that shall be shed for many
for the remission of sins. We know that the testament (as saith Saint Paul),
though it be but a man’s testament, yet no man despiseth it or addeth anything
thereto when it is once allowed ; and no man’s testament is vailablet before his
death, but after his death it is most vailable. Then the testament of Christ in
the which he promiseth the remission of sins, grace, the benevolence of him and
his Father, and promiseth mercy and eternal life,--this testament (I my), to the
intent it should be vailable, he hath confirmed with his precious blood and his
own death. Whereof Saint Paul saith, that Christ for this cause is the Mediator
of the new testament, that through death which chanced for the redemption of
those transgressions that were in the first testament, they which were called
might receive the promise of eternal inheritance; for wheresoever is a testament
there must also be [the] death of him that maketh [it : seeing that a testament
is then only of] authority when men an dead; for it is of no value as long as he
that made it is alive. Then by the death of Christ we am sure and most certain
that the testament is vailable in which are remitted all our iniquities, and we
are made inheritors of eternal life; and in token and witness hereof he hath
left in place of a seal this most godly sacrament, the which not only giveth an
assured belief to our souls of eternal life, but also maketh us certain of the
immortality of our flesh; for in the same hour our flesh is vivificate and made
alive by that immortal flesh, and in a certain manner becometh partaker of
immortality by it.

He that is partaker of this divine flesh through this faith shall not perish for
ever, but he that is partaker without this faith [it] turneth to him as deadly
poison; for even as the corporal meat, when it findeth the stomach filled with
evil humours doth also corrupt and hurt, so likewise this spiritual meat, if it
find a soul corrupted with malice and infidelity, then thrusteth it that soul
into greater danger and peril; not through the fault of itself, but because to
the unclean and unfaithful nothing is clean, although it be sanctified by the
blessing of the Lord. For, as Saint Paul saith, Whosoever shall eat of this
bread, or drink of the cup unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of
the Lord, and eateth and drinketh his own damnation, because he maketh no
difference of the Lord’s body, the which without faith and charity usurpeth the
supper of the Lord; and, because he believeth not that that body is his life and
the cleansing of all his sins, therefore he maketh Christ a liar, treadeth under
his feet the Son of God, and counteth the blood of the testament as a profane
thing, by the which he is sanctified, and doth injury to the Spirit of Grace,
and shall he punished most sharply of God for this infidelity and hypocritical
wickedness, because he hath not trusted to be justified by the passion of
Christ, and, nevertheless, receiving this most holy sacrament, he maketh
profession not to put his trust in any other thing. Wherefore he accuseth
himself, and is witness of his own wickedness, and condemneth himself to eternal
death, and refuseth eternal life, the which God promiseth him in this most holy
sacrament.

Then, when the Christian perceiveth that his enemies would overthrow him, that
is to say, when he doubteth lest he have not obtained remission of his sins by
Christ, and lest he be not able to withstand the devil with his temptations, and
when the accusation of his doubtful conscience prevaileth against him in such
manner that he beginneth to fear that hell should swallow him, and that death
(through the wrath of God) should overcome and slay him eternally: when (I say)
he feeleth these vexations of mind, let him then go with a good courage and sure
trust and belief to this most holy sacrament, and let him receive it devoutly,
saying in his heart, and answering to his enemies, I confess that I have
deserved a thousand hells and everlasting death for my sins, but this most godly
sacrament which presently I receive, maketh me assured and cer. tain of the
remission of all my sins, and of my reconciliation and atonement with God. If I
look to my works, there is no doubt I shall find myself a sinner and condemned,
and my conscience shall be never quieted if I shall believe that through the
works which I do my sins are forgiven me; but if I look to the promises and
covenant of God who promiseth by the blood of Christ the remission of my sins, I
am as certainly assured that I have obtained and gotten his grace, as I am most
sure and certain that he that promised and made this covenant cannot lie nor
beguile: and by this constant faith I become righteous, and this is the
righteousness of Christ by which I am saved, and my conscience is made quiet.
Hath not he given his most innocent body into the hands of sinners for my sins?
Hath not he shed his blood to cleanse all mine iniquities? Then why art thou so
heavy, O my soul, and why art thou so disquieted within me? Put thy trust in the
Lord, who beareth so great love toward thee, that to deliver thee from eternal
death, he bath willed that his only- begotten Son should die, who hath taken to
himself our poverty to give us his riches, he hath taken upon him our infirmity
to strengthen us with his strongness, and became mortal to make us immortal, and
descended into the earth that we should ascend into heaven, and became son of
man together with us to make us with him the children of God. Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God’s chosen? it is God that justifieth. Who Shall
then condemn? it is Christ which is dead, yea, rather which is risen again,
which is also on the right Mud of God, and maketh intercession for us. Let alone
then (O my soul) thy mourning and sighing. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all
that is within me praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget
not all his benefits, which forgiveth all thy sins, and healeth all thine
infirmities; which saveth thy life from destruction, and crowneth thee with
mercy and loving-kindness. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy,
long-sufferIng, and of great goodness: he will not always be chiding, neither
will he keep his anger for ever: he hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor
rewarded us according to our wickedness. For look, how high the heaven is in
comparison of the earth, so great is his mercy also toward them that fear him.
Look how wide the east is from the west, so far hath he set our sins from us.
Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children, even so the Lord hath been
merciful to us, giving us his onlybegotten Son. With this faith, with these
thanks, with these and suchlike thoughts and meditations, we ought to receive
the sacrament of the body and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. In this manner it
casteth away the fear of the soul, augmenteth charity, confirmeth faith, maketh
clear the conscience, and the tongue is never found weary in praising God, and
rendering unto him infinite thanks for so great a benefit. This is the virtue,
the efficacy, and the only trust of our soul: this is the stone upon the which
the conscience builded feareth not any tempest, neither the gates of hen,
neither [the] wrath of God, neither the law, neither sin, neither death, neither
the devil, nor any other thing. And because all the substance of this matter
consisteth in this most divine sacrament, when: the Christian man is there
present he ought to hold always the eyes of his mind fixed on the passion of
this our most benign Lord, beholding on the one side him on the cross laden with
all our sins, and on the other side God that chastened him, punishing, instead
of us, his most dearly-beloved Son. O happy is he that shutteth his eyes from
all other sight, and will see and understand no other thing than Jesus Christ
crucified, in whom all the grace and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
are laid up! Happy (I say) is he that always feedeth his mind with so divine a
meat, and with so sweet and healthsome liquor maketh his soul drunk as with the
love of God! But before I make an end of this matter, Iwill advertise the
Christian that Saint Augustine accustometh to call this most divine sacrament a
bond of charity, and a mystery of unity, and with, Ile that receiveth the
mystery of unity, and keepeth not the bond of peace, doth not receive that
mystery for his soul’s health, but a witness against himself. Then we ought to
know that the Lord ordained this sacrament, not only to ascertain us of the
forgiveness of Sins, but also to inflame us to peace, to agreement, and to
brotherly love. Wherefore the Lord, in this sacrament, maketh us in such sort
partakers of his body that he becometh one self thing with us and we with him.
Then he having no more than one body, of the which he maketh us all partakers,
it is necessary that also all we by such like participation become one body; the
which unity the bread of the sacrament representeth, which even as it is made of
many grains being mingled together, and so confused that the one cannot be
discerned from the other, so ought we to be joined together and united with so
much concord of mind, that there cannot come among us any never so little
division. That sheweth Saint Paul when he saith, Is not the cup of blessing,
which we bless, partaking of the blood of Christ I Is not the bread, which we
break, partaking of the body of Christ? because that we (though we be many) yet
an one bread and one body, inasmuch as we are all partakers of one bread. Then,
receiving of the holy communion we ought to consider, that all we be incorporate
and made one body in Christ, and that all we be members of one self body,
members (I say) of Christ, in such manner that we cannot offend, slander, nor
despise any of our brethren; but also in him we offend, slander, and despise
Jesus Christ. We cannot have discord with our brethren, but in like cam we have
the same with Christ; we cannot love Christ, but that we love him in our
brethren. Look how much care and regard we have to our own body, and so much we
ought to have to our brethren which be the members of our body. Like as no part
of our body feeleth any pain, the which doth not pass forth into all the other
parts, even so we ought not to suffer that our brethren should feel any evil
that should not move us also to compassion. With these thoughts we ought to
prepare ourselves to so great a sacrament, establishing in our mind an ardent
love toward our neighbour, for what prick can more stir us to mutual love than
to see that Christ, giving himself to us, not only commandeth us to give
ourselves one to another, but (insomuch as he maketh himself common to all us)
he causeth also that all we in him be one self thing. Wherefore, we ought to
desire and diligently endeavour that in all us may be one only mind, one only
heart, and one only tongue, being concordant and united in our thoughts, in our
words, and in our works. And let every Christian man mark, that as often as we
receive this most holy sacrament, we bind ourselves to all the offices of
charity in such manner that we may not offend our brethren in anything, nor
leave to do anything whereby we may help and succour them in their necessity.
And if any come to this celestial table of the Lord, being divided and
alienated, or strange from their brethren, let those account for certain that
they eat it unworthily, and are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, eating
and drinking their own damnation, since it is so that there lacketh no will in
them to divide and rend the body of Christ, so long as they he divided through
hatred from their brethren, that is to say, the members of Christ. Such, albeit
they have no part in Christ, nevertheless, receiving the most holy sacrament
they make semblance to believe that their whole health consisteth in the
participation and union that they have with Christ. Let us then go to receive
this heavenly bread, to celebrate the remembrance of the passion of the Lord,
and to hold up and strengthen with this remembrance the faith and the certainty
of the forgiveness of our sins, and to stir up our minds and tongues to praise
and publish the infinite bountifulness of our Lord God and finally to nourish
the mutual charity, and to testify the same one to another, through the most
strait bond and uniting together that all we have in the body of Christ Jesus
our Lord.

Besides prayer, the remembrance of baptism, and the often using of the most holy
communion, there is a very good remedy against incredulity and bond or servile
fear, which is not [a] friend to Christian charity: that remedy is, the
remembrance of our predestination and election to eternal life, founded and
grounded in God’s word, the which is the word of the Holy Ghost, with the which
we may slay our enemies. Rejoice (saith the Lord) because your names are written
in heaven. There is no greater joyfulness of heart in this present life, and
that comforteth more the Christian man afflicted, tempted, or fallen into any
sin, than to remember that he is predestinate, and to be sure that he is one of
those whose names are written in the book of life, and that they were elected of
God, to be made like to the image or likeness of Christ. O ineffable, and unable
to be spoken of, is the consolation of him that hath this faith, and that
revolveth continually in his heart this most pleasant predestination, by the
which it cometh to pan that how much soever he bath fallen, yet God his Father
who hath predestinate him to eternal life, always holdeth him up by the hand;
this man saith always in his heart, If God hath chosen and predestinate me to
the glory of his sons, who can I et me from it? If God be on our side (as Saint
Paul saith) who can be against us? And to the intent that our predestination
might be fulfilled in us be hath sent his most dearly beloved Son, who is a most
sure gage that we (who have received the grace of the gospel) are even now the
sons of God chosen to eternal life. This holy predestination keepeth the true
Christian in a continual mirth and joyfulness of spirit, increaseth in him a
desire to do good works, inflameth him with love towards God, and maketh him
[the] enemy of the world and of sin. Who ever shall be so mad and hardhearted,
that knowing God through his mercy to have made him from the beginning his son,
will not burn wholly in love again towards God? Who shall be so vile and
weak-spirited, that will not judge all the pleasures and all the honours and
riches of the world to be as a very vile mire, knowing himself now to be become
by God a citizen of heaven ? these are those that prayeth in spirit and verity,
receiving all things prosperous, and adverse, from the hands of God their
Father; always praising and thanking him as a meek, just, and holy Father, in
all his doings. These being enamoured and in love with God, and armed of the
knowledge of their predestination, feareth not death, sin, the devil, nor bell;
they know not what thing the wrath of God is, for in God they we none other
thing but love, and that very fatherly love towards them. And if they have
tribulations they receive them as favours and good gifts of God, and cry (with
Saint Paul), Who shall separate us from the love of God, shall tribulation, or
anguish, or persecution, either hunger, either nakedness, either peril, either
sword? as is written, For thy sake are we killed all day long, and are counted
as sheep to be slain; nevertheless, in all these things, we overcome strongly,
through his help that loved us. Then, not without cause saith Saint John, that
the true Christians know themselves to be saved and glorious, and that by faith
they become holy as Christ is holy; and when Saint Paul exhorteth his disciples
to a godly and holy life or conversation, he useth to put them in remembrance of
their election and predestination, as a most effectual thing to stir up the
minds of true Christians to the love of God, and to desire of good works. And
blessed Christ for the same causes spake openly of this holy predestination; for
he knew how much the knowledge of it was to the edifying of the elect. But
peradventure thou wilt say to me, I know that those whose names are written in
heaven, hath cause to live in perpetual mirth and joyfulness of mind, and to
glorify God with their word,# and deeds, but I know not if I be in this number,
wherefore I live in perpetual dread, especially knowing myself very weak and
frail unto sin, from whose violence I cannot defend me so much, but that every
day I am overcome. And to this is to be added, that oftentimes seeing myself
afflicted and vexed with diverse tribulations, I see, almost as with mine eyes,
the wrath of God that scourgeth me. Answering to these doubts (most dearly
beloved brother), I say that thou mayest reckon assuredly that these are the
temptations of the devil, who, by all manner of ways, seeketh to spoil to of
faith, and of that sure trust which springeth of faith, and maketh us sure of
the favour of Almighty God towards us. Of this precious garment the devil goeth
about to spoil the soul of the Christian man, because he knoweth that no man
doth truly believe if he believe not the word of God, who promiseth remission of
all sins, and his peace to all those that receive his grace and favour, [and]
offereth them in the gospel: I say, that whosoever by these promises of God doth
not persuade himself assuredly that God is his most merciful and above all other
most loving Father, at whose hands he with a firm faith looketh for the
inheritance of the celestial kingdom, that man doth not rightly believe, but
maketh himself utterly unworthy of the grace of God. Wherefore Saint Paul saith,
that we are the house of God, if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of
that hope unto the end: and another time exhorteth us not to cast away our
confidence which hath great reward of recompense. Then, most dearly beloved
brother, let us earnestly apply ourselves, and endeavour to do the will of God
as good children, and let us beware of sin as much as we can possibly; and if by
chance we sin through our frailty, yet let us not believe therefore that we be
vessels of wrath, or that we be utterly forsaken of the Holy Ghost; for we have
still our advocate before God the Father, Jesus Christ, who is righteousness,
who is the sacrifice for our sins. Let us remember, brother, this sentence of
Saint Augustine, who saith, that no holy or righteous man is without sin, yet
notwithstanding he ceaseth not to remain righteous and holy still, so that he
have a mind and desire to be holy and righteous. And therefore if we be
afflicted and troubled, let us not believe that God sendeth us tribulations
because he is our enemy, but rather because he is our most merciful Father; for
whom the Lord loveth, him he chasteneth, and scourgeth every child that he
receiveth.

Forsomuch, then, as we have received the grace of the Gospel, by the which man
is accepted and taken of God as his son, we ought not to doubt of the grace and
good-will of Almighty God towards us, and knowing that the word of God, and the
imitating and following of Christ’s life and conversation delighteth us, we
ought to think and believe assuredly that we are the sons of God, and temple of
the Holy Ghost; because these things cannot be done by the working of man’s
wisdom, but they are the gifts of the Holy Ghost, who by faith dwelleth in us,
and is a seal that assureth us, and sealeth in our hearts those godly promises,
the certainty of which he hath before graven or printed in our hearts, and to
stablish and confirm the same he is given to us of God in the stead of an
earnest penny. As Saint Paul saith, Afterward that ye heard the word of truth, I
mean the gospel of our salvation wherein ye believed, [ye] were sealed with the
holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance. Behold how he
sheweth that the hearts of the faithful are graven or printed with the Holy
Ghost as with a seal, so that he calleth the Holy Ghost the spirit of promise,
because he assureth us of the promise of the gospel; the which, as we have often
said, is happy news promising remission of sins and eternal life to those that
believeth that in Christ all their sins were chastened. All that believe in
Christ Jesus are the sons of God, as saith Saint Paul, and because we are sons,
God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, which crieth Abba, Father.
And to the Romans he saith, As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the
sons of God; for ye have not received the spirit of bondage to fear any more,
but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The
same Spirit certifieth our spirit that we are the sons of God, [and] if we be
sons we are also heirs. And it is to be noted, that in these two places Saint
Paul most clearly speaketh of no spiritual revelation, but of the witness that
the Holy Ghost beareth to all those that receive the grace of the Gospel; then
if the Holy Ghost maketh us sure that we are the sons and the inheritors of God,
why should we doubt of our predestination? The same Paul saith in the same
epistle, Those which [he] appointed before, them also he called: and which he
called, them also he justified: [and] which [he] justified, them he also
glorified. What shall we say then to these things? If God be on our side who can
be against us ? If then I know clearly that God hath called me, giving me faith
and the effects of faith, that is to say, quietness of conscience,
mortification, and killing of the flesh, and the vivification and quickening of
the spirit, either altogether or else partly, wherefore should I doubt not to be
predestinate? Moreover we say with Saint Paul, that all true Christians (that is
to say those that believeth the Gospel) have not received the spirit of the
world; but the Spirit which cometh of God, by whose inspiration they know the
things that are given to them of God. What marvel is it, then, if we know that
God from the beginning hath given us eternal life? But some say that no man
ought to be so arrogant, to glory and rejoice that he hath the Spirit of Christ
Such men speak as though a Christian man might glory to have gotten by his own
merits the Spirit of God, and not by God’s mere mercy; and as though to confess
that a man is a Christian man were arrogancy, and that a man might be a
Christian man were arrogancy, and that a man might be a Christian man though he
have not the Spirit of Christ, and that without very hypocrisy we might call
Christ our Lord, or God our Father, though the Holy Ghost do not move our heart
and tongue to speak so sweet words. And yet for all that those that count us
arrogant because that we say that God with faith giveth us the Holy Spirit, not
only do not forbid us to say daily the Lord’s Prayer, commonly called the Pater
Noster, but they command us to say it. But tell me how is it possible to
separate faith from the Holy Ghost, the same faith being the proper work of the
Holy Spirit, if it be arrogancy to believe that the Spirit of Christ be in us?
Wherefore commandeth Saint Paul the Corinthians to prove if they have faith,
affirming that they are reprobate or cast away if they know not that Christ is
in them? But truly it is great blindness to blame of arrogancy such Christians
as dare rejoice and glory of the presence of the Holy Ghost, without the which
rejoicing there is no true Christianity at all ; but Christ cannot lie, who
saith that his Spirit is unknown to the world, and is only known to them with
whom he abideth.

Let those become then true Christians, let them put away their Jewish hearts,
let them embrace (as they are bound to do) the grace and mercy of God offered
unto them in the Gospel, and they shall know that the Christians have the Holy
Ghost and are assured thereof. But some man perchance might say that the
Christian man without a special revelation cannot know that he is in the favour
of God, and consequently cannot know that he is predestinate, and might allege
principally these words of Solomon, Man knoweth not if he be worthy of hatred or
love; and these words of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, I know not myself
culpable in anything, yet am I not thereby justified. It appeareth to me that I
have shewed above plainly, by sundry places of Holy Scripture, that that opinion
is false. Now therefore remaineth only briefly to shew that these two
authorities (upon the which principally it is founded) ought not to be
understanded to that sense. As touching the sentence of Solomon, although it be
not truly translated in the common translation; nevertheless there is no man so
foolish, that reading all the discourse of Solomon seeth not plainly that he
meaneth thus: If any man, by such outward things as happen unto a man in this
present fife, would judge that he is loved or hated of God, he travaileth in
vain, since it is so that the selfsame things happen oftentimes both to the
righteous and to the unrighteous, to him that sacrificeth and to him that doth
not sacrifice, to the good and to the sinner. Whereupon it may be easily
gathered, that God sheweth not always his love to them to whom he giveth outward
or worldly prosperity, nor sheweth always hatred towards them whom he
afflicteth. Appeareth it to thee then, (most dearly beloved brother), that it
ought to be concluded that a man cannot be certain of the grace of God, because
this certainty may not be perceived by such sundry chances as happen in things
transitory and temporal? The selfsame Solomon a little before saith, that it
cannot be discerned wherein the soul of man differeth from the soul of a beast,
for the man is seen die and the beast in one self manner. Will we then by this
thing that happeneth outwardly conclude, that the persuasion which we have
conceived of the immortality of souls is founded only upon a conjecture ? But it
is superfluous in a thing so clear and well known to every man. And as touching
the words of Saint Paul, I say that he, speaking of the administration of the
Gospel, saith that he knoweth not that he hath at any time erred in it, but that
through that he is not certain that he hath done his duty amongst them, nor that
thereby he hath obtained before God the praise of righteousness as a person that
hath done all that which is righteous, and that appertaineth to a faithful
steward; in like manner as a just and discreet steward of an household, speaking
of his office and duty dareth not justify himself, [nor] affirm that he bath
truly in all things and at all times done his duty and the will of his lord, but
referreth that to his judgment. That this is the sense of the words of Saint
Paul, no man will doubt that readeth and considereth with any judgment the words
going before and coming after. I know that some, expounding the words of Saint
Paul, say, that although he knew not in himself any sin, yet for all that he
thought not himself righteous before God, forsomuch as no man (as affirmeth
David) may know perfectly his sins. But those men consider not that Saint Paul
counteth not righteousness to come by works but by faith, and that he refuseth
all his own righteousness, sticking only unto the righteousness that God giveth
for Christ’s sake; neither consider they that he was most certain that he was
justified in that he kept the entire and pure Christian faith, and knew that in
heaven was prepared for him a crown of righteousness, and was certain that no
creature, celestial, terrestrial, nor infernal, was able to separate him from
the love of God; and was very desirous to die, knowing assuredly that he should
be with Christ, which thing should all be false, if he had not been sure that he
was righteous (I say) by faith and not by works. Let us cease then (most dearly
beloved brethren) to say that Saint Paul saith that which he never thought, or
rather that which he always oppugned, and spake against, most sharply reproving
those that measured righteousness by works, and not by faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ. But besides these two authorities of Solomon and Saint Paul, they may
allege some other places of the Holy Scripture which exhort men to fear, which
places appear to be contrary to our certainty of our predestination; if I should
declare particularly all those places, I should be too tedious to you, but I say
in general that such fear as dreadeth punishment belongeth properly to the Old
Testament, and childly love properly belongeth to the New Testament, as Saint
Paul testifieth, when he saith to the Romans, Ye have not received the spirit of
bondage to fear any more; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby
ye cry, Abba, Father. And to Timothy he saith, That God 2 hath not given us the
spirit of fear, but the spirit of power and of love: who, according to the
promise made by the mouth of his prophets, hath given us Christ, and hath
brought to pus that we without fear (delivered from the hands of our enemies) do
serve him in holiness and righteousness, even in his presence, all [the] days of
our life. Of this and of many other like places of Holy Scripture is gathered
plainly, that the penal and servile fear, or such fear as riseth of doubt,
either of bondage or pain, pertaineth not to a Christian man; and this we also
do confirm, because that this fear is contrary to spiritual rejoicing or
rejoicing in the Spirit, which thing properly appertaineth to a Christian man,
as Saint Paul sheweth plainly to the Romans, saying, The kingdom of God is
righteousness, peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost. That is to say, whosoever
entereth into the kingdom of the grace, favour, and mercy, that is offered to
man in the Gospel, he is justified by faith, and consequently hath fruition of
the quietness of his conscience, the which produceth a perfect, spiritual, and
holy joyfulness and rejoicing; so that the said Saint Paul many times exhorteth
Christians to live always merrily and joyfully. And Saint Peter saith that whoso
believe in Christ, although they be afflicted with divers temptations, yet they
rejoice with a glorious and inenarrable joyfulness. Then, when the Holy
Scripture threateneth and feareth the Christians, they ought to understand that
it speaketh to such Christians as live sensually; the which, not keeping the
worthiness that is required to be in the sons of God, ought to be entreated and
ordered as servants, and holden in awe till they taste how sweet the Lord is,
and till faith work in them her effects, and that they have so much childly love
that it be sufficient to keep them in the worthiness or beautifulness of
Christian godliness, and in the imitation and following of Christ. When the same
Scripture exhorteth true Christians to fear, understand not that they ought to
fear the judgment and wrath of God, as though they should be condemned thereby;
for as we have already said, by the testimony or witness that the Holy Ghost
beareth unto their spirit, they know that God hath called and elected them, yea,
and that through his mere mercy, and not for their merits’ sake. Wherefore let
not them doubt aught but that by the -same mercy he is able to maintain them in
the same felicity, wherein he hath placed them. So that the Scripture exhorteth
not those to a bond or servile fear, but to a childly fear; that is to say, that
as good children we should beware lest we lose Christian godliness, and commit
anything unseemly to be done of the sons of God, and so to grieve the Holy Ghost
that abideth in us, and that knowing the corruption and wickedness of this our
nature, we should stand always attentive and watching, and that we should never
trust in ourselves, because that in our flesh and in our minds there do dwell
appetites and affections, the which (as mortal enemies of the spirit) use always
deceits, and devise to make us proud, ambitious, covetous, and sensual; this is
the fear to the which the Scripture exhorteth the true Christians, who have
already tasted how sweet the Lord is, and give their whole study and diligence
to follow the steps of Christ’s life and conversation. And through this holy
fear they go and spoil themselves, even so much as they spoil themselves of the
old man; but the true Christians should not spoil themselves wholly of this
childly fear, the which greatly nourisheth Christian charity, (even as the
servile fear is [an] enemy,) and cannot stand without it. By the things before
spoken of may clearly be understanded that a good Christian ought in no wise to
doubt of the remission of sins, nor of the favour and grace of God towards him.
Notwithstanding for the more satisfying of the reader, I will write beneath some
authorities of holy doctors who confirm this verity. Saint Hilary, upon Saint
Matthew in the fifth canon, saith, that God will that without any doubt of
unconstant will, we do believe; for otherwise justification through faith is not
obtained if the selfsame faith be doubtful. Behold, that (after Saint Hilary) a
man obtaineth not remission of his sins’ if he believe not undoubtedly to obtain
the same: and worthily, for he that doubteth (as Saint James saith) is like the
waves of the sea, which are driven and moved by the winds. Wherefore let not
that man think to receive anything of God.

Let us give ear then to Saint Augustine, who, in his Manual, teacheth us to cast
away the foolish opinion that would deprive us of this holy and godly certainty
and assurance. Murmur (saith he) as much as thou wilt then, [thou] foolish
cogitation or thought, saying, ’What art thou? and how great is this thy glory
and rejoicing? With what merits hopest thou to obtain it?’ I answer thee boldly,
’I know in whom I have believed. I know that he (through his great love) hath
made me his son. I know that he is true in his promise, able to give that he
promiseth, and can do what he will. The multitude of my sins cannot make me fear
if I think on the death of the Lord. All my hope is in his death. His death is
my merits, my refuge, my health, life, and resurrection. My merit is the mercy
of the Lord. I am not poor in merits whiles the Lord lacketh not mercy. And if
the merits of the Lord be many, I am abundantly rich in merits. How much the
more he is able to save, so much the more am I sure to be saved.’ The same Saint
Augustine, in another place, speaking with God, saith that he might indeed have
despaired for his great sins and for his infinite negligences, if the Word had
not become incarnate. And after addeth these words, All my hope and all the
certainty of my belief is put in his precious blood, which was shed for us and
for our salvation. In him I rest, in him believing I desire to come to thee, O
Father; not having mine own righteousness, but that which cometh by thy Son
Christ Jesus. Saint Augustine, in these two places, sheweth clearly that a
Christian ought not to fear, but to be assured of his justification, grounding
it not upon his own works, but on the precious blood of Christ, the which
cleanseth us of all our sins, and maketh our peace with God.

Saint Bernard, in his first sermon of the Annunciation of the Lord, sheweth most
plainly that it sufficeth not to believe that thou canst not have remission of
thy sins but by the mercy of God: neither sufficeth it to believe that thou
canst not have any good desire nor any good works, if he give thee not the same
: neither sufficeth it to believe that thou canst not merit or deserve eternal
life without thy good works, if the same be not given thee by mere gift. But,
besides these things, (saith Saint Bernard,) which are rather to be judged an
uncertain beginning and foundation of faith, it is necessary that thou believe
that by him also thy sins be forgiven thee. Behold, how this holy man
confesseth, that it sufficeth not to believe in the general remission of sins,
but it is needful that thou believe particularly that to thee are forgiven thine
iniquities by Christ. And the cause or reason is apparent; for God promising
justification by Christ’s merits, if thou believe not that thou art righteous by
them thou makest God a liar, and consequently makest thyself most unworthy of
his grace and liberality. Thou wilt say to me, I believe well that there is
remission of sins, and I know that God is true, but. I doubt lest I be not
worthy of so great a gift. I answer thee, that the remission of sins should not
be a gift and grace, or favour, but a reward, if God hath given it thee through
the worthiness of thy works; but I reply to thee and affirm, that God accepteth
thee as righteous and imputeth not to thee thy sin through the merits of Christ,
the which are given thee and become thine through faith. Then, following the
holy counsel of Saint Bernard, believe not only the general remission of sins,
but apply belief to thyself, believing undoubtedly that through Christ all thine
iniquities are forgiven, and in this manner thou shalt give glory to God,
confessing him merciful and true, and shalt become righteous and holy in the
sight of God, being partaker, through this faith and confession, of the
righteousness and holiness of Jesus Christ.

Now, returning to reason somewhat of predestination, I say that by the things
above said, a man may clearly understand and see that the certainty of
predestination hurteth not the true Christians, but helpeth them very greatly;
and I cannot see that it can hurt the reprobate and false Christians ; for how
much soever those men which be reprobate do force themselves to believe that
they be in the number of them that are predestinate, yet they can never persuade
their conscience thereunto, which always will reply and testify the contrary.
But it appeareth at the first show that the doctrine of predestination might
hurt them, because they use to say thus: If I be of the number of those that be
reprobates and castaways, then what helpeth my good works? and again, If I be of
the number of them that are predestinate I shall be saved without wearying of
myself in doing good works. I will in few words answer thee, that with those
their devilish arguments they procure and increase against themselves the wrath
of God, who hath opened to Christians the know)edge of predestination, to the
intent’ to make them fervent and not cold in the love of God, ready and not slow
in good works. Whereupon the true Christian, on the one side, believeth
undoubtedly that he is predestinate unto eternal life, and to be saved, not by
his own merits, but by the election of God, who, not through our works, but to
shew his mercy, hath predestinate us; and again, on the other side, he wholly
giveth himself to do good works and to follow Christ, even as though his
salvation did depend and consist in his own industry and diligence. But he who
through the doctrine or teaching of predestination ceaseth or abstaineth from
doing good works, saying, If I be predestinate I shall be saved without taking
pains to do good works; he, I say, sheweth plainly that [he] wrought not for the
love he bare to God, but for the love he bare to himself. Wherefore,
peradventure, in the sight of man his works were good and holy, but in the sight
of God (who considereth chiefly for what intent they were done) they were nought
and abominable. Whereupon it may be easily gathered that the doctrine or
teaching of predestination rather helpeth than hurteth even the false
Christians, for it discovereth their hypocrisy, the which cannot be healed so
long as it is hidden under the cloak of outward works. But I would that those
which say, I will do no good works, for if I be predestinate, though I weary not
myself I shall be saved, I would (I say) that they said to me when they are
sick, I will have neither physician nor medicine, for that which God hath
determined of me cannot fail. Wherefore eat they? wherefore drink they?
Wherefore till they the earth, plant the vines, and do with so great diligence
the things convenient for the sustentation of the body? Wherefore say they not,
All our pains and diligence are superfluous ; because that which God hath afore
seen and determined, touching our life and death, it is not possible but to come
to pass? Then, if the providence of God maketh them not negligent nor idle in
the things that pertaineth to the body, why should it make them slothful or idle
in those things that pertain to the Christian perfection, the which, without
comparison is more noble than the body. But, insomuch as we see that neither
Jesus Christ nor Saint Paul do let for the slander of the reprobate to preach
the verity which is needful and convenient to edify the elect withal, for whose
sakes the natural Son of God became man and died on the cross, we likewise ought
not to leave off for the slander of the false Christians to preach
predestination to the true Christians, since we see that it doth so greatly
edify.

We are now come to the end of our reasoning, in the which our principal intent
was to magnify and praise (to our small power) the marvellous high benefit that
a Christian receiveth by the death of Jesus Christ, and to shew that faith by
itself justifieth: that is to say, that God accepteth and taketh for righteous
all those that truly believe that Christ Jesus hath made satisfaction for their
sins; yet, like as light cannot be separated from the flame which by itself
burneth, and so doth not the light: even so good works cannot be separate from
faith which by itself justifieth, and so do not good works. This most holy
doctrine, which exalteth Christ Jesus and maketh low the pride of man, hath been
and always shall be oppugned of those Christians who have Jewish minds; but
happy is be who, following Saint Paul, spoileth himself of all his own
righteousness [other] than that which cometh by Jesus Christ, with the which he
being apparelled or clothed, he may appear most safely in the sight of God the
Father, and receive of him the blessing and the inheritance of heaven and earth
with his only natural Son Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory for ever.
Amen.


========================================================================
Source: https://sermonindex.net/books/benedetto-don-the-benefit-of-christ-crucified/
========================================================================