A Sermon of Christ Crucified, Postscript
¶ A Postscripte to the Papistes.
BEcause here remaineth behind an emptie page of white paper to be supplied with some writing or other: I thought no better matter for my purpose, then to write a word or two to you, which holde so deuoutly with the procedings of Rome, crauing at your handes, that for somuch as the controuersies betwene you and vsus are weightie, and chiefly stand vponupon the effect and working of Christes passion, you will therfore geue the reading hereof, either to consent to the doctrine if ye thinke it consonant: or to refute the same if ye mislike it. My saying and meaning is this.
That if ye finde by the Scripture of God, or any approued Doctor, that the sacrificed body of the sonne of God, suffering once vponupon the Crosse on Goodfriday, is not the onelyonly materiall and sufficient cause of our perfect saluation, remission of sinnes, and iustification:
Or that the promise of God (which is to saluation) standeth not free, without any condition of worke or workes to be added to that effect, saue onelyonly fayth in that person:
Or that fayth in Christ, is not onelyonly the meane and instrument wherby this passion is made to vsus effectuall: you will bring out your proufes, shewe forth your learning, and what you can say. And if you will not let the word be iudge: yet let the world heare your reasons, let truth with iudgement be tried, let railing, trifling, and scoffing goe. Bloud and persecution is no way to finde truth, but to blinde truth. The Scriptures in matter of saluation are plaine and euident, teaching simply without trope or figure, and soone will try the cause.
By the which Scriptures, if you shall finde the contrary to be true, that is, that the passion of Christ crucified is the onelyonly materiall and efficient cause immediate which worketh our saluation, which appeaseth Gods wrath, and pacifieth all thinges in heauen and in earth, taketh away the sinnes of the world, and disanulleth the damnation and malediction of the law for euer, from all them that be in Christ Iesu:
And that the promise of God to saluation in Christ, is free without condition of any workes of the law to the same end to be annexed saue onelyonly fayth.
And that the same fayth in Christ is onelyonly the meane and condition, wherby the passion of Christ worketh, and the promise of God geueth to vsus Iustification: These verities, I say, thus standing by the Scripture, seing our Iustification and remission of sinnes standeth consummate by Christ, free by promise, and assured by fayth: then declare vntounto vsus, I beseech you, which so magnifie the religion of Rome, how standeth with Gods religion, your auricular confession for … of sinnes, satisfaction for the same, workes of perfection and inpererogation, Masses, Trentalls, your propitiatory sacrifice, praying of saintes and to saintes departed, pardons, purgatory for clensing of sinne, building & entring into monasteries for remission of sinnes, pilgrimages, Stations of Rome, Iubileis, straitnesse of orders, with an infinite number of such like. All which implementes of your Church, to what vse now doe they serue, or how can they stand with Scripture, but either they must derogate from Christes passion, or els the passion of Christ must needes make them voyde?
For the same Christ Iesus crucified, I desire you therefore if ye see these euidences to be true, then be reconciled to the truth, and as S. Paule desireth you, Reconciliemi… Deo. Let the religion of God stand simple, as he left it him selfe. Mans additions in Gods matters be but phantasies. In other matters adde what ye liste. But in matter and cause of saluation, Christ left nothing behind him to be added any more, either by Apostles, or Martyrs, or Bishops, or any other, but hath consumnate the perfection thereof fully by him selfe, leauing nothing therein vnperfect. Whereunto he that addeth, blasphemeth, & doth no lesse then infringe the Testament of the Lord. As the presumption is great, so I exhort you in the Lord to beware, remembring the warning of S. Paule: That if any Apostle, Galat. 1.or Angell from heauen shall preach any other Gospell besides that which is receaued and planted. &c. Ye know what followeth. The Lord of grace open your eyes to see, and your hartes to embrace the knowledge of his truth, to his glory, and your spirituall comfort and euerlasting life in him. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Foxe, A Sermon of Christ Crucified (1570)