Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)

¶An Homily, or sermon, of good works annexed unto faith.

¶An Homelie, or sermon, of good woorkes annexed vnto faithe.

IN the last Sermon was declared unto you, what the lively and true faith of a christian man is: that it causeth not a man to be idle, but to be occupied in bringing forth good works, as occasion serveth.

IN the last Sermon was declared vnto you, what the liuely and true faithe of a christiā man is: that it causeth not a man to be idle, but to be occupied in bringyng furthe good workes, as occasion serueth.

¹Now by Gods grace shall be declared the second thing, that before was noted of faith, that without it can no good work be done, acceptable and pleasant unto God. For as a branch cannot bear fruit of it self (saith our saviour Christ) except it abide in the vine, so cannot you, except you abide in me: I am the vine,² and you be the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, he bringeth forth much fruit: for without me, you can do nothing. And S. Paul proveth, that Enoch had faith, because he pleased God.³ For without faith (sayeth he) it is not possible to please God.⁴ And again to the Romay. he saith: whatsoever work is done without faith, it is sin. Faith giveth life to the soul, and they be as much dead to God that lack faith, as they be to the world, whose bodies lack souls. Without faith all that is done of us, is but dead before God, although the work seem never so gay and glorious before man. Even as the picture graven or painted, is but a dead representation of the thing it self, and is with out life, or any manner of moving: so be the works of all unfaithful persons before God. They do appear to be lively works, & in deed they be but dead