Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)

This reason is satisfied by the great wisdom of God, in this mystery of our redemption,¹ who hath so tempered his justice and mercy together, that he would neither, by his justice condemn us, unto the perpetual captivity of the devil, and his prison of hell, remediless for ever, without mercy: nor by his mercy, deliver us clearly, without justice, or payment of a just ransom: but with his endless mercy, he joined his most upright and equal justice. His great mercy he showed unto us, in delivering ⟨image 16⟩us from our former captivity, without requiring of any ransom to be payed, or amends to be made, upon our parts: which thing, by us had been impossible to be done. And where as it lay not in us, that to do, he provided a ransom for us, that was the most precious body & blood of his own most dear and best beloved son Jesus Christ: who besides his ransom, fulfilled the law for us perfectly. And so the justice of God, & his mercy did embrace together, and fulfilled the mystery of our redemption. And of this justice and mercy of God knit together, speaketh saint Paul, in the .iii. Chapter to the Romans:² all have offended, and have need of the glory of God, justified freely by his grace, by redemption, which is in Jesus Christ, whom God hath set forth to us, for a reconciler, & peace maker, through faith in his blood, to show his righteousness. And in the .x. Chapter:³ Christ is the end of the law, unto righteousness, to every man that believeth. And in the .viii. Chapi:⁴ that which was impossible by the law, inasmuch as it was weak by the flesh, God sending his own son, in the similitude of sinful flesh, by sin damned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law, might be fulfilled in us, which walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.

This reason is satisfied by the greate wisedome of God, in this mistery of our redempciō,¹ who hath so tempered his iustice and mercie together, that he would neither, by his iustice condempne vs, vnto the perpetuall captiuitie of the deuill, and his prison of hel, remediles for euer, without mercie: nor by his mercy, deliuer vs clerely, without iustice, or paiment of a iust raunsome: but with his endlesse mercie, he ioyned his moste vpright and equall iustice. His greate mercy he shewed vnto vs, in deliueryng