we must be born anew in Christ, ere we! can either do or yet — - know what is righteous. And in him we must first be made — righteous ourselves, ere we can work righteous works; which conclusion is eontrary unto the bishop of Rome: for he saith, that the works do make the man righteous; and Christ’s ^ doctrine saith, that the man maketh the works righteous A righteous man springeth out of righteous works, saith the bishop of Rome’s doctrine: righteous works spring out of a —,…: — righteous man, and a righteous man springeth out of Christ, saith Christ’s doctrine: the works make the man righteous, which before was wicked, saith the bishop of Rome: the works declare that the man is righteous, saith Christ’s doctrine: but the man was first made righteous, in Christ; and the Spirit of Christ taught him what righteousness was, and healed his heart, and made him consent thereto, and to have his lust in righteousness, and to work righteously. THE THIRD CHAPTER. ^ BenoLp, what love the Father hath shewed us, that we should be called the sons of God. For this eause the world knoweth you not, because it knoweth not him. Dearly beloved, now we are the sons of God, though yet it appeareth not what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. The love of God to us-ward is exceeding great, in that he hath made us his sons, without all deserving of us; and hath given us his Spirit through Christ, to certify our hearts thereof, in that we feel that our trust is in God, and that our souls have received health and power to love the law of God; which is à sure testimony that we are sons, and under no damnation. Neither ought it to discourage us, or to make us think we were less beloved, because the world hateth us, and persecuteth us; for the world knoweth us not. Neither let? 1 any marvel; for the world could not know Christ himself, for all his glorious coming with miracles and benefits, in healing the sick and raising the dead. But for all the oppression of the world, we are yet sure that we are God’s sons. And in
In ere we be, or can.] [2 So but wants
like manner, though the glory, that we shall be in, appear not, yet we are sure that we shall be like him, when he appeareth. As darkness vanisheth away at the coming of the sun, and the world receiveth a new fashion, and is turned into light, and suddenly made glorious; even so when he appeareth, and we shall see him as he is, we shall, with the sight? of him, be changed into the glory of his image, and made like him. And then shall the world both know him and us, unto their shame and confusion. And all that have this hope in him purge themselves as he is pure.
The faith and hope of a christian man are no dead, idle, 0r barren things; but lively, working, and fruitful. For when the law through conscience of sin hath slain the soul, then hope and trust in Christ’s blood, through certifying of the conscience that the damnation of the law is taken away, quickeneth her again; and maketh her to love the law, which is the purifying of the soul, and her life, and serving the law in the inner man. And then the said gifts, of hope and faith, stretch themselves forth unto the members, dead with natural lust, consent, and custom to sin; and quicken them, and purge them with the wholesome penance of Christ’s doctrine; and make them serve the law outward, and bear wholesome fruit of love unto the profit of their neighbours, according to” Christ’s love unto us. For if the Spirit of Christ, with which God anointeth us and maketh us kings, and sealeth us and maketh us his sure and several kingdom, and which he giveth us in earnest (2 Cor. i), and with which he changeth us into the image of Christ (2 Cor. iii), dwell in our souls through faith, the same Spirit cannot but quicken the members also, and make them fruitful, (Rom. viii.) Wherefore the faith and hope of the Roman bishop, which by their own confession may stand with all wickedness, and consent unto all evil, and be without repentance toward God’s law (as it appeareth by their three capital sins, touched of John a little above, pride, covetousness and lechery), are no true faith and hope, but vain words and visors only, according to his other disguising and names of hypocrisy.
[3 So D., but P. C. L. has light.]]
All that commit sin commit unrighteousness; for sin is unrighteous- —— ness. i. That the English calleth here unrighteousness, the Greek calleth anomia, unlawfulness or breaking the law: so that all sin is breaking of God’s law; and only the transgression. of God’s law is sin. Now all God’s laws are contained in these two points; believe in Christ, and love thy neighbour. € And these two points are the interpreting and expounding of —— alllaws: so that whatsoever edifieth in faith and love, is to be kept as long as it so doth; and whatsoever hurteth faith or love, is to be broken immediately, though bishop!, king, emperor, or an angel command it. And all indifferent things, i that neither help nor hurt faith and love, are whole in the Εἰ hands of father, mother, master, lord and prince. So that if they will sin against God, and overlade our backs, we may —— — well run away, if we can escape; but not avenge ourselves. 4 But and if they will break into thy conscience, as the bishop of Rome doth with his dumb traditions, and saith, To do this saveth thy soul, and to leave it undone loseth thy soul;’ a then defy them as the works of antichrist, for they make thee sin against the faith that is in Christ’s blood, by which only thy soul is saved, and for lack of that only damned. And how love breaketh the law, take an example. It is a ] good law that men come to the church on the Sundays, to hear God’s word, and to receive the sacrament of the body 1 and blood of Christ, in remembrance of his benefits, and so to strengthen thy soul for to walk in his love, and in the love E: of our neighbour for his sake, &e.; yet if my father, mother, 3 or any other that requireth my help be sick, I break that good ^ — — commandment, to do my duty to my elders or my neighbour. And thus all laws are under love, and give room to love: and love interpreteth them, yea and breaketh them at a time, though God himself command them. For love is lord over: all laws, and the thing that Christ commanded above all T others?. E And ye know that he appeared to take away our sins; and there is no p sin in him. Christ died not alone to purchase pardon for our fore-sins,