Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 40
A Sermon for VVhitson Monday. ¶The Gospell. Iohn. iii.
SO God loued the worlde, that he gaue his only begotten sonne, that whosoeuer beleueth in him, shoulde not peryshe, but hauehave euerlastynge lyfe. For God sent not his sonne into the world to cō dempne the world, but that the world through hym myght be saued. But he that beleueth on him, is not condempned. But he that beleueth not, is condempned already, because he hath not beleued in the name of the only begotten sonne of God. And this is the condemnation, that lyghte is come into the worlde, and men loued darkenes more then lyght, because theyr dedes were euyll. For eueryevery one that euyll doth, hateth the lyght, neyther commeth to the lyght, leste his dedes should be reproued. But he that dothe the trueth, commeth to the lyght, that his dedes may be knowen, howe that they are wrought in God.
THE EXPOSITION.
THIS Gospell is one of the notablest that a manne can fynde in the Newe Testamente, and woorthy to be commended with all kynde of commendations, that at the least men myghte set by it, and count it as a thing moste necessary. And yt they might learne also ye text by heart and rehearse it dayely with theym selues, that they maye come to the vse and the true knowledge therof. For the woordes be suche, that they can ease a mynde that is troubled, and restore to lyfe agayne, the soule that is dead, yf so be that they beleue them stedfastly. But forasmuche as it is not possible, that a man shold sufficiently expresse thys sermon of Christ by wordes: Fyrst lette vsus call vntounto GOD, that he wyll expound these woordes more playnely in our heartes, then we can by oure wordes and interpretation, and that hee wyll enkendle them, and make theym so playne, that our conscience may receaue conforte and peace thereby. Amen.
The pythe of this excellent sermon is: That God so greatly loued the world, that he deliuered his only begotten son for it, that we men shold not dye, but hauehave euerlastyng life. As though Christ shold say: Beholde, I wyll shew the such a thyng, as thou neuer heardest of, and put forthe before thee such an ensample as thou neuer hast sene or heard: Where he that geueth ye gift, and he that receaueth the gift for to geue to other, and where the profit and gaines are so great, that no man by words can expresse them. And fyrst let vsus se who is the geuer. Here is no mencion made of kyngs,God geueth· of princes, & of other mighty personages in ye world, but God himself is set forth, which is incomprehensible and almyghtie, which made all things by his word,God is deserued. and still dothe preserue them, which is aboue al, and in comparison of whom, al things create, heuen, earth, & al that is therin, are but as dust. He is the geuer, in respect of whom, all Princes and Kynges, with all their gyftes, are nothing in comparison. And oure heartes myght worthely bee lifte vp and exalted with a godly pryde, in that we hauehave suche a geuer, so that all that shoulde chance vntounto vsus by any other liberalitie, might be counted of no price in comparison of this. For what thyng can be sette before vsus, that is more magnificent and excellent then God almightie?
Here God, whiche is infinite and vnspeakable, geueth after suche a sort,Gods vndeserued liberalite. as passeth also all thynges. For that that he geueth, he geueth not as wages of desert, or for a recompence, but as the wordes dothe sounde of mere louelove. Wherfore this gyft is wholly proceding of Gods excedyng and diuine beneuolence and goodnes, as he saith: God loued the worlde. There is noo greater vertue then LoueLove.LoueLove refuseth no perell. As it may hereby be wel vnderstand, that when we louelove any thyng, we will not sticke to put our lyfe in danger for it. Uerily great vertues are pacience, chastitie, sobrietie. &c. but yet they ar nothing to be compared with this vertue, which compriseth and includeth in it self all other vertues. A good man dothe no man wrong:LoueLove excelleth all vertues. he geueth eueryevery man hys owne: but by louelove, men geue their owne selues to other, and ar redy with all their heart to do all that thei can for them. So Christe saith here also, that God geueth to vsus, not by right or merite, but by this greate vertue, that is by louelove. This ought to encourage our heartes, and to abolysh all sorow, when this exceding louelove of God commeth in mynde, that we might truste therto, and beleue stedfastly, that God is that boūtifull and great geuer, and that this gifte of his procedeth of the great vertue of LoueLove.
LoueLove encreaseth the gyft.This sort of geuing whiche hath his spring of louelove, maketh this gift more excellente and precious. As the kynde, louynge, and syncere mynde of the geuer is most acceptable in giftes geuynge. So contrarywise when men perceaue not what is the mynde of the geuer, they regarde the gifte so muche the lesse. Yea and where as gyftes be sclender and faultie in the thynge, as if they be maymed, or halfe blynd, or hath any other fault: yet if they come of louelove and of a fatherly mynde, is not one eie in this case, or one foot more acceptable then many eies and fete without this condition? And ye words of Christ are playn, that God loueth vsus.Baptisme and the lordes supper. Wherfore for this loues sake ought we greately to esteme all thynges, that he geue vsus. And especially those gyftes, whiche are ordeyned and geuen of hym to vsus for our saluation and confirmation of oure faithe, as Baptisme, and the Supper of the Lord is. &c. For all be it that the worlde doth not regard these thyngs, yet they ought to be estemed for oure chiefe felicitie, that by them we myght put asyde all sorowe, and be ioyful in heart, forasmuche as these thinges are of a fatherly louelove and beneuolence ordeyned for our saluation.
Wherfore Christ in this place sheweth not only that the father will geue vsus any thinge,God geuethe vsus all thinges of louelove. but also he describeth the way, how the father will geue vsus, that is, of a fatherly and of a godlye louelove. And as hytherto wee hauehave spoken of the geuer, and of his louyng mynde: so is the gyfte it selfe no lesse to be estemed.Christ is the gyfte that god geuethe. For God geueth not riches here, nor kyngdoms, nor any creature but geueth his onelyonly begotten sonne, which is no lesse than the father. If wealth and prosperitie causeth ioy, howe great ioy ought this gift to be to them that it is geuen vntounto? For as God the geuer is excedyng great, and his louelove also, wherof the gyfte procedeth: So is the gyft that he geueth, which is his onelyonly sonne. For he geueth hym selfe wholly in this gyft, as Paul saith to the Romains: seyng God hath geuen for vsus all, his sonne, how can it be, that with him he should not geue vsus all thynges also?Rom. 8. Sinne, death, hell, heauen, rightuousnes, and life, al are ours, for that that the sonne as by gyft is ours also,Rom. 11. in whom are all thynges.
Wherfore if we beleue truly, and receiue this moste excellent gift by faith, it must nedes be that eueryevery creature fautie or not fautie, muste be ours, and geuen to our cōmoditie, as saint Paule saith in an other place: Al things ar ours,1. Cor. 3. whether it be Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, either ye world, or life or deth. And you ar Christs & Christ is Gods. For if we cōsider this gift well, we shal perceiue,Incredulitie and misbeleue that it passeth all that is either in heauen or earth, and in respecte wherof, all the goodes of the world are but as it wer a graine. But here doth incredulitie & misbeliefe trouble vsus,We are more desyrous of worldlye then of godlye thynges. as Christ himself dothe afterward complayn, and also incredible darknes and ignorāce, as whē we heare of this so great a gift, & yet we do not beleue it, & the words of such great matter goeth in at the one eare, and rūneth out at the other, & neuer perceth to ye heart. When men conceiue any hope of purchasing possessions, or of bying landes, they can neuer hauehave their heart at rest for the feruent care and gredy desyre to obteyne the same. But where as it is declared here, that God hath geuen vntounto vsus his sonne of mere louelove, we are slouthfull and sluggyshe without all desire to receiue it. What is the cause that we sette so lyghtly by suche an hygh gift, and do not embrace it worthily as we ought to doo? The deuyll truly, whiche casteth a myste ouer our heartes, that we care not for the worde and promise, as touchyng this gifte, but in the meane tyme we bestow all our cares in worldly thynges.Why we sett so lyghtlye by gods gyfte. Wherfore in the beginnyng I sayde, that these woordes oughte dayely to be rehersed and vsed, when we rise in the morning, & when we go to bed at nyght, that we might print them in our hearts, & geue God thankes for this so great benefite. For all things are so great, that they can be no greater: the giuer, the louelove of the geuer, and the gift it selfe, that is geuen vsus of mere louelove, not of merite, and is so geuen, that it remaineth with vsus not as borowed nor lent, nor recompensed. For the whiche also is nothing geuen agayne, neither is any thinge required therefore, but that thou shouldest ioyfully embrace it, and so declare thy mynd. But alas, what an vnworthy thynge is this, that neither heartes, neither handes there be, to receaue this gyfte, as it is proffered, that this should be our Christ, and shold remayne with vsus for euer, vntounto euerlasting lyfe.The vnthan…fulnes of the worlde. But herein chaunceth a very leude and greuous thing, yt they to whom this gift is offred, although thei hauehave great nede therof, yet they regarded it not, but refuse to receiue it. If a riche man shold proffer a gift to a nedy begger, yt he might therby liue in more welth, & more at ease: and yet yt riche mā wold require nothing for himself, but that the poore wolde receiue this excellent gift gladly: Now if the begger were suche an vnthriftie person yt he wold not take the gift, but wold set more by his owne miserable state, than by this gifte: might ye not count him worthily to deserue yet more greater wretchednes thā he was in before? but here to this beggerly world ye is void of al life & saluatiō, is profered ye son of God. And god demādeth nothing els of vsus but to receiue it & to take it as our own: but this is our madnes, yt although we be starke beggers, yet we think scorn to be prouided for. Iudge thou therfor here of, what a greuous syn is vnbelefe. It is not agreable to mans nature, to be agaynst oure owne profite and gaines, and not to receaue it when it is proffred.
Hereof it appereth, how madde the worlde is, that it hath no ioy and felicitie in this gift of God,The worlde neglectethe hys owne saluacion. and putteth himself in such great blame, that it wil not receue and take to his vse that, that is proffered. If it were neuer so little gold that were proffred, we woulde be ready to receaue it with bothe handes, yea and with al the other lymmes of the body also. Wher as ye sonne of God is proffred for a gift, al men ar in doubt, whether they may embrace hym or no, and beare themselfe in hande that they hauehave no nede of hym. Wherfore he hath his proper name geuen hym,The worlde. to whom the gyfte is proffred, and is called the worlde: which is worthy to be hated, and specially if it bee compared with the gyfte. For so littell dothe he deserue this louelove and gift of God, that nothyng can be more againste God, nor nerer vntounto the deuyll, than the worlde is. And yet this is the very testimonye and witnesse of Christ, saying: God so loued the worlde, that he gaue his only begot-sonne.What the worlde is. Print this thyng well in thy mynd. After that thou haste heard, what God is, and what is the gift that he geueth freely of mere louelove: learne this thynge also what is the worlde: truely a great multitude of men, that hath no faith, that thinketh God vnfaithful of his promise, yea and blasphemeth, curseth, and persecuteth his worde, whiche are also disobedient to father and mother, murtherers, aduouterers, traitours, theues, wicked persons. &c. as dayely examples shewe vsus playnly, that the world is full of periurie and blasphemye. To this so odious a beast and monster, and extreme enemie of God,O louelove passyng all louelove. geueth god his sonne, and that of pure louelove. The gift of God is specially commended hereby, that God dothe not let or spare to doo good for our so great wickednes and frowardnesse. But what soeuer is done and cōmitted against him,Rom. 5. he regardeth it not: No, not in that that his name and worde is so blasphemously handled, and such stubburnesse is vsed agaynst his commaundement. For where as the gift is so excedyng, and the geuer so great, the geuer might of good reson be offended for the frowardnes of him that receaueth it. But God ouercommeth hym selfe, and putteth out of syght, all the synnes that we work eyther against the fyrst or the seconde table of Moses. But because of these synnes and this myserie, wherwith we synners are encombred, and so encombred, that we could neuer escape without the help of God: doth God put foorth this louelove, and bestoweth this gift freely vponupon vsus.Thanckefulnes to god for hys benefites is to be sheewed.
Is not the mercyfull Lorde therfore worthy to bee loued again? And ought we not to put our whole confidence in hym? which forgeueth vsus our synnes, yea & the synnes of all the world, and doth not recken them,God forge…uethe the … worlde hys synnes. although they are innumerable. For seyng that the sinnes of one man are infinite, who can numbre the syns of the whole worlde? And yet is this sentence trewe and certayn, that God forgeueth the worlde all their synnes. For wheresoeuer is the louelove of God, there is also remission of synnes. We shoulde hauehave here ready hertes, to hauehave diligent meditation on this louelove, wher as God geueth to the world, that is his enemye, euen his owne selfe, so that we shold loke for no other thing of hym but mere grace and mercy. Whatsoeuer chāce in this lyfe, yet shold our hope be in this louelove, and our faith remain constant in the mercy of God for Christ. Suche thoughtes must nedes be full of great ioy, as I and many other godly mē do protest, that we hauehave liued in all kind of abhomination and idolatrie, & hauehave ben defyled with dyuers syns. This vngodlynes hath not God punished in vsus after our deseruyng, but hath declared his louelove, and hath by the gospel opened again his sonne, which he had geuē to the world before, that now we may heare again the holsom doctrin & vnderstande that God is not angry with the worlde, but loueth it, in that he gaue his sonne to it. But alas, howe execrable is our ingratitude? what excedyng dulnes of vnderstādyng is this,The ingratitude of the worlde. yt we can not consider this great goodnes of god? For if we wold truly consider it, ther shold rise in vsus the affection of such ioy: that we wold not onelyonly shewe highe obedience vntounto God, but we would also gladly suffer all thynges for his sake. But we may thank our vnbelefe for this, which regardeth not this great ioye, but in the meane while setteth his pleasure in worldly trifles, and seketh for vain daliāce
Thus farre hauehave we shortely rehersed, these fower thynges,What hathe hytherto bene taughte. who is the geuer, what is the gifte, howe it is geuen, and to whome. Whyche thynges are all so great, that no man can expresse them sufficientely by wordes: now foloweth the entent, wherfore god gaue this gift. Truly, not that we should eate, cloth our selues, get a liuyng therby, and muche lesse that he shold be vntounto vsus a poyson or pestilence,Why god gaue his sonn as we teache also of Baptisme, and of the Lordes supper, that al these thinges might be counted wholsome vntounto vsus: But it appereth plainly, that he was geuen to this entent, that all that beleue in hym, shold not perishe, but hauehave euerlasting lyfe.Iohn. 3. Here is it declared with playne woordes, that in this matter there is no respect had vntounto riches or worldly desires, but that we myght therby be delyuered from death and synne, and that we mighte not perishe. This is the onelyonly busynes that the Father of mere louelove hath enioyned his sonne to do: euen to ouer come the deuyl and hell, and to deliuer vsus from eternal death into the whiche we fel headlong by sinne. This is the cause and entent why this gift was geuen.
Wherin we hauehave iust cause to beleue and trust stedfastly. For we heare by the mouth of Christ, yt he hymself is geuen vntounto vsus, and that the power of the diuell is weakened and ouerthrowen, and power to pacifie the troubled conscience is restored to vsus for the attainment of euerlasting life and saluation. Death shalbe abolished, & al ioy shal rise: for this sure faith, wherwith we beleue that God is merciful vntounto vsus, that he loueth vsus, & of very louelove gaue his son vntounto vsus, that we shold not perish, but hauehave euerlastīg life. The words be such yt they can not be sufficiently cōprehended wt thought. Wherfore a christiā must daily pray, yt god by his spirit wyl make these words swete & pleasant to our hertes and kendle and inflame them in our myndes. Suche kind of teaching and discipline might easily make true doctors of diuinitie, to teach vsus truly of Christ, and to iudge al other doctrines, and to abyde all things with out murmuring, yt it shal please God to lay on vsus. But where as it is so, that we heare this doctrine, and yet care not for it, whether it take roote in vsus or no, and whether it bring forth fruite or no, alas, so are we neuer the better. And there is no doubte, but that the damned in the latter Iudgement, shall chiefely be confounded in theym selfe for thys faultt,Damnacion cometh of despysyng godes worde. that they despised thys preachynge, and dydde not regarde it. But nowe lette vsus go foorth and see, what is the waye to come by this gifte. For all thyngs are not of lyke force to obteyne this gyfte. Christ himself dothe shewe that playnly by his worde, when he saith: that all yt beleue in him shold not perishe, but hauehave euerlasting life. This is an euident profe, that onelyonly Fayth, that is, the trust in the grace and mercy of God,Faythe obtaynethe Christe at the hond of God. A good lesson is the very hand, wherwith we must take vntounto vsus thys gyft. For euen as God geueth by louelove and mercy: so we do take and receaue by Faith, and can receue no otherwise. As for thy merite for doyng this or that, it hath no place. For our workes are nothyng requisite to the obteinyng of this gyfte, onelyonly is it necessary to shew our selues ready through Faith, and euen as it is geuen of God by louelove: so we ought to receaue it by Faith in Christ. As for an example: We heare here, that God is merciful and redy to forgeue, and that he doth declare his louelove and charitie by this towarde vsus, when he sendeth his only begotten sonne into the fleshe, and layeth our sinnes on hym, accordyng to this sayinge of Iohn: Beholde the Lambe of GOD, Iohn. ….whych taketh away the synnes of the worlde, that by this gyft and louelove, oure heartes may be confirmed against synne, and the bytyng worme of conscience: forasmuche as God is not now angrie with vsus, but standeth sure by his promise of grace and mercy, which he hath made with vsus, for his sonne Iesus Christes sake. He that beleueth thys, is sure to be saued.Why Christ is geuen vsus of God. For this gift is geuen to make vsus safe from death and synne. For euen as a great flame is in comparison of a droppe of water: so is Christe in comparison of the synnes of the worlde. As soone as they touche Christe, and as soone as the gift is receyued by Faith, our synnes are quite consumed and abolyshed, euen as a drye stalke is by an hot fier. For here thou hearest by the worde of Christ, that God so loued the worlde, that he gaue his onelyonly begotten sonne for the worlde, that all that beleue in hm, shoulde not peryshe, but hauehave euerlastyng lyfe. He saith precisely here: They that beleue in hym: He saith not: he that taketh vponupon hym this or that worke,Faythe onlye purchase the christe. and thereby endeuour hymselfe to purchase Gods fauour. Only Faith it is, that purchaseth this gyfte. Wherfore lette our aduersaries withstand this sentence neuer so muche, lette them rayle neuer so muche agaynst it, yet is this sentence sure and inuincible: that they that beleue in him shall hauehave euerlasting lyfe, and shall not perishe. And se thou put nothyng hereto, nor take nothyng from it, lest thou shouldest seme to take vponupon thee to correcte Christes iudgement. These are excellente woordes and the wordes of lyfe. God graunte vsus hys grace to print them in our heartes. For he that hath these wordes surely fixte in his hearte, can be feared neyther of the deuyll, nor of synne, nor of helle, but wyll be of a quiete heart, and say: I am withoute all feare. For I hauehave with me the sonne of God,Note well. whom God hath geuen vntounto me by louelove and by the word of God, that is, by ye gospel, which certifieth me therof. And thy word O lord, & thy son Iesus, wil not deceiue me, in whom alone I put my truste.Marc. 9. L…c. 17. If I be any thynge weake in Faith, grant me yt grace yt I may beleue more stedfastly. For I besydes this hauehave no other healpe in thys euident gyfte and louelove of GOD, but that we shold all by a lyttell and a lyttell beleue more and more in this gyft. For Faith is requisite, as thou hearest here, of CHRIST. And the stronger that Fayth is, the greater is the ioy, pleasure, and securitie that is felt risyng in the mynd, so that after that, the mynd is most prone and readye to doo and to suffer all thynges, whyche we knowe that God doothe requyre of vsus, and wylleth vsus to doo, knowyng that he is louyng, and vseth nothynge but louelove towarde vsus.
But thou wylt say: If I were as Peter, Paule, and saint Mary were, this gift would be confortable vntounto me. For they are saintes, and therfore doubtlesse this saying pertaineth but vntounto them. Howe should I that am a synner, by any meanes vnderstande, that it pertaine vntounto me,The temptacion of vnbelefe and how it must be Ouercome. whiche hauehave so often offended God by my synnes, and hauehave made hym my enemie? Such thoughtes can not be auoyded, when the hearte after this kynd of preaching & reasonyng beholdeth it self, & considereth his syns. And here must we be circūspect and ware, least we laying aside Gods word, geue our selues any long tyme to such thoughtes, but forthwith must we returne to the word,Note thys for thy conforte. and order oure Iudgement accordynge to the same. For those thoughtes ar nothyng els but very incredulitie and vnbelefe, which goeth about to withdraw vsus from this swete gospel.
And trewely vnbelefe can be ouercome by no other meanes,Gods worde only puttethe awaye vnbeliefe if it be receaued. but by the worde of God. Of this preacheth CHRIST, that wee shoulde not doubte of thys woorde, sayenge, that his Father, the trewe and eternall God in heauen, dyd so louelove the worlde, that he delyuered his only begotten sonne. And this is sure that the world here dothe not signifie Mary, Peter, & Paule onelyonly. But the worlde signifieth all mankynd, Therefore if thou takest thy selfe to be of mankynde,What the world signifiethe. or if thou doest not beleue that, compare thy self with other mortall men, that thou mayst vnderstande, that thou art a man. For why shouldest thou not suffer thy selfe to be of thys name? seyng that Christ with plain wordes saieth, that GOD gaue not his sonne onelyonly for Mary, Peter, or Paule, but for the worlde, that all shoulde receaue hym, that are the sonnes of men. Then yf thou or I, wold not receaue hym, as though he dyd not appertayne vntounto vsus, truely it would consequently folowe, that Christes wordes are not true, where as he saith, he was geuen and deliuered for the worlde. Wherfore hereof appeareth, that the contarye therto is moste assuredly trewe, that is, that this gift belongeth as well vntounto thee, as to Peter and Paule, forasmuche as thou also art a man as they are, and a portion of the worlde, that God maye not be iudged in his worde, and this thought rise in our heart, thynkyng on this wise: Who knoweth whether I am also of their number, to whom the sonne of God is geuen, and eternall lyfe promised? For that is as muche as to make God vntrewe of his promise.
Wherefore whenne thys thoughte commeth vponupon thee, suspecte it, as thou wouldest suspecte the deuyl: least thou be therwith deceaued. And say thou: what is that to me, that I am neyther Peter, nor Paule? If GOD woulde hauehave geuen thys gyft to them only, that should hauehave ben founde worthy, he wold hauehave geuen it to the Angells, to the Sonne, and vntounto the Mone: For they are pure and vndefyled creatures, whyche alwayes obeye God, and neuer doo declyne and swarue frome hys Preceptes: But thys is the truthe of the matter, hee gaue hym to the worlde. And the worlde is no woorthyer thereof, then as I sayde before. Wherefore although I am neyther Peter, nor Paule, yet wyll I not suffer my selfe to bee putt besyde thys gyfte, but wyll challenge as muche thereof for my part as dydde Dauyd, and all the holy Apostles. For what was Dauyd? Dydde he not trespasse heynously and greuousely? Also, what were the Apostles? were they not synners, and vnworthye? Wherfore lette no man folowe thys reason: saying: I am a synner: I am not iust and holy as Peter was. Wherfore I dare not bee so bolde as to chalenge this gyfte for myne. But rather reason on thys wyse: What soeuer I am: yet God is not to bee taken as vnfaithfull of his promyse, I am a portion of the worlde, wherfore if I wold not take this gift as myn owne, I shoulde make God vntrue.
Whi god speketh generallye to all and not speciallye to one alone.But thou wilt say: Why dothe he not shewe this to me alone? then I wold beleue and thynk surely, that it apertained vntounto me. But it is for a great cōsideration that God speaketh here so generally: to the intent verily, that no manne should thynke that he is excluded from this promyse and gyft. He that doth exclude him selfe, must geue a count why he dothe so. I wyll not iudge them (sayth he) but they shall be iudged of their own mouth. For this gyft was geuē to all the world and they by their vnbelefe and mistrust of Gods word will not receyue it. Yet if a man consider well, he shall perceaue that Baptisme and also the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ were ordeyned to the intent that eueryevery man should take this gift free & franke as his owne. And thus muche hauehave we spoken generally for the vnderstandyng of this sentence, whiche can neuer be sufficiently declared and perceaued. For it is the principall doctrine (by the faith whereof, we dye, and obteyne saluation) in the whiche Christe doothe describe plainely to oure greate conforte, that he hym selfe is wholly geuen vntounto vsus from the father, of pure louelove, whiche louelove, he as a mercyfull God, performeth to the wicked and vnkynde worlde. And here it is playnly sette foorth to all menne, what a greate tresure we Christians hauehave. We learne here also, what God and the worlde is, and howe that we bee made partakers of this grace, onlye thorough fayth, as Christe sayth: all that beleue in hym, hauehave euerlasting lyfe. For the doctrine of workes,Iohn. 3. whiche after this fayth ought to ensue by the power of the holy Ghoste, is to be placed in an other matter. What a Christian ought to do, as the obedient Sonne of God, and as one shewing himselfe kinde and mindeful for so great a gyfte of eternall lyfe and louelove of God,The doctrine of workes. as touchyng that I say, Christe teacheth nothynge in this place. Wherefore we will nowe entreate no farther of this matter, that we are saued only by the merciemercy of god, and that we obtaine this grace only by fayth,By grace are we saued only thorow faith. with out vertu, without merits and without our workes. For all the whole matter, that is requisite and necessarie to the gertinge of euerlastyng lyfe and remission of our sinnes, is altogether and fullie comprehended in the louelove and merciemercy of God thorough Christ. God graunt vsus his grace, that we maye beleue and trust hereunto surely, and that we may abyde and suffer all thynges with a glad and a redie heart, and that we may so die that we may be saued for euer. Our God graunt vsus this thoroughe his sonne, and our Lorde Iesu Christe. Amen.