The Account Reckoning and Confession of Faith, Article 2 – Article 3
¶The ſeconde Article.
SEcondarely, I knowe and beleue,Here falleth mannes free wyll. that thys moſte excellēt maieſtie, which is my God, doth frankely and wythout cō ſtraynt or let appoint and determine of al thynges, ſo that his coū ſel and determinacion hangeth of no cauſe or occaſion of any creature, for that is the propertie of the maymed wiſedome of man, to iudge and determine by conferrynge and debatynge of natural reaſons, or by exemple goynge before. But God (whyche from euerlaſtynge vntounto for euer & euer wt one only and ſimple lokynge vponupon beholdeth al thynges) nedeth no accompt,Goddes prouidēce. rekenyng, experience or profe of thynges that are done, but beynge on eueryevery parte wyſe, prudēt, good &c. hath frankly determyned and ſet an order in al thynges. For hys owne are al thynges that are. Hereof it is, that all be it wyttingly and aduiſedly he in ye begynnyng wolde make mā,Of mānes creation. whych he knewe perfectly wolde fal, yet neuertheleſſe wolde aſwell determyne, to cloth hys ſonne wyth mans nature, to repayre and reſtore againe the fall: wherby hys goodnes on eueryevery parte doth appere.In Goddes goodnes is conteyned mercy & righteouneſſe. In whych goodnes is compriſed both hys mercy and ryghteouſnes. His ryghteouſnes he put forth, whan he caſt the tranſgreſſours out of the pleaſaunt manſions of Paradyſe: whan he tyed them in the priſon of mannes myſery, and fettered them in the chaynes of ſyckneſſes, and whan he layed the lawe vpō them, whych (albeit it was holy) they could neuer of theyr owne power fulfyl. For here man beynge a dubble wretch learned, not only hys body to hauehave fallen into myſery, but alſo his mynde for fear of the lawe tranſgreſſed to be tormented. For whan after the ſpirite he ſawe that the lawe was holye,Roma. 7. ryghteous and the meſſenger of Goddes mynde and wyll, as ſhe whych cōmaunded nothyng but that-that ryghte requyred, but yet alſo ſeynge that by dedes he coulde not fulfyll the mynd of the lawe, he in hys owne iudgement condempned (the hope of attaynyng felicitie caſt awaye) goyng awaye deſperate from the ſight of God, remembred nothing but that he ſhulde ſuffer the payne of eternal tormentes. Thus farre was Gods ryghteouſnes made open.
Mercy.After thys whan the tyme ſhulde come to vtter hys goodnes, which frō the begynnyng he appointed to ſhew as well as ryghteouſnes,Chriſtes in carnation he ſent hys ſonne to take to hym oure nature on eueryevery parte, except that that is diſpoſed and redy to ſynne, that he made a brother and lyke vntounto vsus, myght be a mediator, whych for vsus by offering hys innocent body vntounto death, might ſatiſfye Goddes moſt vpryght iuſtice, whych behoued to cōtinue holy, pure & vncorrupt aſwel as hys goodneſſe, that the worlde myght be throughlye aſſured both of the recompenſacion & ſatiſfyeng of hys ryghteouſnes, and of hys preſent mercy to be offered vntounto vsus. For ſeyng he hath to vsus and for vsus geuen hys owne ſonne,Roma. 8. howe ſhall he not to vsus gyue al thīges with hym and for hym? what is it that we may not promyſe to our ſelues of him whiche hath let downe, abaſed and humbled him ſelf hyther, to be not only lyke vntounto vsus, but alſo to be holly & fully our owne? who can maruel ynough at the ineſtimable rycheſſe and fauor of Goddes goodnes,Iohan. 3. 1. Iohan. 4 wherby he hath ſo loued the world, that is, mankynd, to gyue his owne ſōne for ye lyfe of it?
Theſe lyuely fountaynes & ſwete vaynes of ye Goſpel I thynke are the only and alone medicine of the ſycke ſoule,The only medicyn of the ſyck ſowle. wherby ſhe is reſtored bothe to God & to her owne ſelfe. For nothing can aſſure her of Goddes fauour, but God hym ſelfe. And he ſo lyberally, ſo abundauntly and ſo prudently hathe powred hys louynge kyndnes hollye vponupon vsus, that nowe he hath lefte nothynge behynde that we can deſyre, onleſſe any durſt requyre any thinge more then enough, and aboue the ouerflowynge habundaunce.
¶The thyrde Article.
THyrdlye, I knowe ther is no nother Sacrifice of purgynge ſynne, but Chriſt alone,1. Cor. 3. (for Paule truly was not crucifyed for vsus:) & that ther is none ſo ſure and vndoutefull pledge of Goddes goodnes & mercye as is Chriſt (for ther is nothynge ſo ſure as God,Chriſt is the only waye to reconciliation & felicite. Acte. 4. Iuſtification of workes & prayng vntounto Sainctes is here diſpatched. 1. Timo. 2 The electe are on this condition choſē, that by the ſonne they myght be ſaued. which affirmeth ye ſame) and that vnderunder the ſūne ther is none other name but the name of Ieſus Chriſt, wherby we muſte be ſaued.
Here therfore (concernynge the attaynynge of Goddes goodnes & mercy) are refuſed as wel the iuſtificacion and ſatiſfaccion of our workes, as the merites, deſeruynges, prayers, and interceſſions of all ſaintes, whether they be in earth, or in heauen. For here is but that one alonly mediator betwixte God and man, the God and man Ieſus Chriſt. And Goddes eleccion abydeth ſtedfaſt & ſure, for thoſe that he hath choſen before ye makinge of the worlde, he hath ſo choſen them, that he myght choſe them out to hymſelfe by hys ſonne. For as he is gentel and mercyful, ſo is he holy & ryghteous. Al hys workes therfore reſemble of mercy & ryghteouſnes. Wherfore ryghtly his eleccion ſmelleth of them both. Of hys goodnes it was to hauehave choſen whome he wolde, but it was of ryghteouſnes to purchaſe and ioyne to hym ſelfe them that are choſen through hys ſonne made a ſacrifice to recompence Goddes ryghteouſnes for vsus.