and faith that we ourselves get; touching formal faith, and faith without fashion!; I leave to be beaten out of them which of themselves do bring these new disputations into the church. True faith is obtained by no strength or merit of man, but is poured into him of God, as I declared in my last sermon: and though man obtain it by hearkening unto the word of God, yet nevertheless it is wholly imputed to the grace of God; for unless this grace do work inwardly in the heart of the hearer, the preacher that laboureth outwardly doth bring no profit at all. We read in the third chapter of St Au-gustin’s book De Predestinatione Sanctorum, that once he was in an error, because he thought that that faith, wherewith we believe in God, is not the gift of God, but that it was in us as of ourselves, and that by it we do obtain the gifts of God, whereby we may in this world live rightly and holily2 But this he confuteth in that book at large, and that substantially. So then true faith, which bendeth on faith. God alone3, and is directed by the word of God, is formal

[1 de fide infusa et acquisita, de fide informi et jformata, Lat.]

[The reader who is so disposed may find these points stated in Andr.]

[Vega. de Justificat. Colon. 1572. Quecst. 1. pp. 727, 728.] [2 Cum similiter errarem, putans fidem, qua in Deum ecredimus,]

[non esse donum Dei, sed a nobis esse in nobis, et per illam nos im-]

[petrare Dei dona, quibus temperanter et juste et pie vivamus in hoe]

[seculo.—August. de Prezed. Sanct. ο. 3. Par. 1531. Tom. vi. fol. 253.] [3 in unum Deum tendit, Lat.]]

enough, or sufficiently in fashion. Verily, the form of faith isengraven in the heart of the faithful by the Holy Ghost. And although it be small, and doth not grow up to the highest degree, yet notwithstanding it is true faith, having force in it as it were a grain of mustard-seed. The thief, that was crucified with our Lord, believed in the Lord Jesus, and was saved, although the force of faith was strong in him but a very small season, and brought not forth any great store of fruit of good works: finally, that faith of the thief was not any whit diverse or contrary from the faith of St Peter and St Paul, but was altogether the very same with theirs, although their faith brought forth somewhat more abundantly the fruit of good works. Peter and Paul were frankly and freely justified, although they had many good works: freely was the thief justified, although his good works were very few or none at all. Let us hold therefore, that true faith is one alone, which notwithstanding doth increase and is augmented, and, again, may decrease and be extinguished.

There remaineth now for me to declare the virtue and effect of true faith This hath the holy apostle Paul done very excellently well, yea, and that most absolutely too. But although, in the eleventh chapter to the Hebrews, he had said very much, he is compelled notwithstanding to confess that he cannot reckon up all: therefore at this time I mean to rehearse a few virtues of faith, leaving the rest, dearly beloved, to be sought out and considered of yourselves.

True faith before-all things bringeth with it true knowdge, and maketh us wiseindeed. by God, and judge aright of the judgments and works of God, of virtues and vices. The wisdom that it bringeth with it is without doubt the true wisdom. Many men hope that they can attain to true wisdom by the study of philosophy: but they are deceived as far as heaven is broad. For philosophy doth falsely judge and faultily teach many things touching God, the works of God, the chief goodness, the end of good and evil, and touching things to be desired and eschewed. But the very same things are rightly and truly taught in the word of God, and understood and perceived by faith. Faith therefore is the true wisdom, and maketh us wise indeed. For

[[ Satis est formalis aut formata, Lat.) [5 ante me, Lat.; done before me.] [6 toto ccelo, Lat.]]

Jeremy also saith: “Behold, they have cast away the word of the Lord; what wisdom therefore can there be left in them!?” The wisdom of Salomon is worshipfully thought of throughout the whole compass of the world; and yet we read that the Lord, in the gospel after St Matthew, uttered this sentence against the Jews: “The queen of the south shall rise in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it; because she came from the ends of the world to hear the wisdom of Salomon: and behold, there is one in this place greater than Salomon?” Christ is preferred before Salomon, and the wisdom of Christ before the wisdom of Salomon. But it is well known, that the wisdom of Christ, the Son of God, cannot be attained to without faith. Faith therefore bringeth with it the most excellent wisdom. But herein this wisdom of ours deserveth a singular praise, because they that desire it are not sent to foreign nations, with great cost and labour, to learn it; as to the priests of Egypt, the gymnosophists of India? the philosophers of Greece, or to the rabbins of the Jews. God hath dispersed the word of God throughout the whole world, so that now the word of faith is in the hearts of all the faithful. For Paul the apostle saith: “Thus saith the justice that is of faith, Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to fetch Christ down from above. Or, Who shall descend into the deep? that is, to bring Christ from the dead again. But what saith he? The word is nigh unto thee, even in thy heart: this same is the word of faith, which we preach; for if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and dost believe with thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Faith therefore doth not-only make us wise, but happy also; the Lord himself bearing witness thereunto, and saying to his” disciples: “Happy are the eyes that see the things that ye see. For I say unto you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see the things that ye see and to hear the

[1 Jer. viii. 9.] [2 Matt. xii. 42.] [3 Gymnosophiste, Lat. A sect of Indian philosophers, who wore]

[no clothing, and practised the severities of standing alternately on one]

[foot, and of fixing their eyes on the sun.—Plin. H. N. vir. 2. med. 2.]

[Schelleri Lex. totius Latin. sub voe.] [4 Rom. x. 6—9.] [5 et non viderunt, Lat. and have not seen them: omitted.]]

things that ye hear, and heard them not%” We shall therefore find in faith a most certain determination of the most notable question stirred in, since the beginning of the world, of learned and most excellent wits; which is, by what means a man may live, be happy, attain to the chief goodness, be joined to the chief goodness, and so be justified? There have been, yea, and yet are, divers opinions touching this matter, contrary the one to the other. But we do briefly and truly affirm, that by true faith a man doth live, is happy, attaineth to the chief goodness, is conjoined to the chief goodness, and also justified: so that God dwelleth in us, and we in him; and that by faith we are both happy and blessed. What, I pray you, could have been spoken more excellently, worthily, or divinely, touching true faith? For see; faith quickeneth us, maketh us happy, joineth us to the chief goodness, so that he” in us and we in him may live; and faith doth also fully justify us.

But now it is best to hear the testimonies out of the scriptures. Faith maketh us happy. For to St Peter, confessing the Lord Jesus by true faith, it is said: “Happy art thou, Simon, the son of Jonas. Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee, but my Father which is in heavens.” St Paul, for the proof of faith, bringeth in that sentence of David: “Happy are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall impute no sin” Faith quickeneth or maketh alive. For “the just liveth by faith.” This doth Paul very often in his writings allege out of the prophets. The same Paul also saith: “The life which now I live in flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me!” Faith joineth us to the eternal and chief goodness, maketh us to enjoy the chief goodness, that God may τ - “ΞΞ ii ἀξ π΄ dwell in us and we in God. For the Lord Jesus himself in ‘the gospel saith: “He which eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, so also I live by the Father, and he that eateth me shall live by me!%.” But to eat and drink the Lord is to

[6 Luke x. 23, 24.] [7 Deus, Lat.] [8 Matt. xvi. 17.] [9 Rom. iv. 7, 8; Ps. xxxii. 1, 2.] [1 Gal. iii. 11; Heb. x. 38.] [11 Gal. ii. 20.] [‘2 John vi. 56, 57.]]

believe in the Lord, that he hath given himself to death for us. Whereupon John the apostle saith: “We have seen and do witness, that the Father hath sent the Son the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God’.”” Wherefore also Paul said: “1 live now; not I, but Christ liveth in me2.” Moreover faith doth justify. But for because the treatise thereof cannot be fitly and fully made an end of this hour, I mean to defer it till the next sermon that shall be.

At this present, dearly beloved, ye must remember, that there is but one true faith, that is, the christian faith. For although there be said to be many faiths, that is, religions; yet notwithstanding there is only but one true and undoubted faith. And that doth increase, and again decrease, in some men. As for those in whom it is rightly and godly observed, in them it sheweth forth sundry virtues. For it bringeth with it true wisdom; finally, it quickeneth, and maketh us blessed and happy indeed. To God, the Father, the author of all goodness and of our felicity, be all praise and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord, for ever and ever. Amen.

That the Faithful Are Justified by Faith

Without the Law and Works. The Sixth Sermon

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