Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)

¹In these foresaid places, the Apostle toucheth specially three things, which must concur and go together, in our justification. Upon Gods part, his great mercy and grace: upon Christs part, justice, that is, the satisfaction of gods justice, or the price of our redemption, by the offering of his body and shedding of his blood, with fulfilling of the law, ⟨image 16⟩perfectly & throughly: and upon our part, true and lively faith in the merits of Jesus Christ, which yet is not ours, but by Gods working in us. So that in our justification, is not only Gods mercy and grace, but also his justice, which the Apostle calleth the justice of God, and it consisteth in paying our ransom, and fulfilling of the law: and so the grace of God, doth not exclude the justice of God, in our justification, but only excludeth the justice of man, that is to say, the justice of our works, as to be merits of deserving our justification. And therefore saint Paul declareth here nothing, upon the behalf of man, concerning his justification, but only a true and lively faith, which nevertheless is the gift of God, and not mans only work without God. And yet that faith,² doth not exclude repentance, hope, love, dread, and the fear of God, to be joined with faith, in every man that is justified: but it excludeth them from the office of justifying. So that although they be all present together in him that is justified, yet they justify not all together. Nor that faith also, doth not exclude the justice of our good works, necessarily to be done afterward of duty, towards God (for we are most bounden to serve God, in doing good deeds, commanded by him in his holy scripture, all the days of our life): But it excludeth them, so that we may not do them, to this intent, to be made good by doing of them. For all the good works that we can do, be unperfect, and therefore not able to deserve our justification:

¹In these foresaied places, the Apostle toucheth specially three thynges, whiche muste concurre and go together, in our iustificacion. Upon Gods part, his greate mercie and grace: vpon Christes parte, iustice, that is, the satisfaccion of gods iustice, or the price of our redempcion, by the offryng of his body and shedyng of his bloud, with fulfillyng of ye law,