A declaration of Christ and of his office compiledA declaration of Christe and of his offyce compylyd

for faith though it desire the company of Contrition and sorrow for sin, yet contendeth it not in judgment, upon the merits of no works but only for the merits of Christs death in case it did, it availeth nothing. For if a a man desire to be delivered from the law, the law must ⟨image 44⟩be satisfied. Which saith diliges do minum deum tuum ex tota mente toto corde, & ex omnibus uiribus. Deuteron. 6. Now there is nor never was any man born of the stoke of Adam in original sin that feared god as much as the law requireth nor never had such constant faith as is required, nor such ardent love as it requireth: seeing those virtues that the law required: be infirm and debile, for there merits we can obtain nothing of god, we must therefore only trust to the merits of Christ, which satisfied the extreme jot and uttermost point of the law for us and this his justice and perfection he imputeth and communicateth with us by faith: such as say that only faith justifieth not, because other virtues be present: they cannot tell what they say: every man that will have his conscience appeased most Mark those ⟨image 44⟩too things. How remission of sin is obtained: and wherefore it is obtained faith is the mean whereby it is obtained: and the cause wherefore it is received is the merits of Christ: although faith by the means whereby it is received yet hath nether faith nor charity, nor contrition, nor the word of god nor all those knit to gather sufficient merits wherefore we should obtain this remission of sin. But the only cause wherefore sin is for giving is the death of Christ Now Mark the words of Paul freely saith he wear justified by his grace. Let the man burst his hart with contrition, believe that god is god a thousand times, burn in charity, yet shall not all these satisfy the law nor deliver man from the Ire of god until such time as faith letteth fall all hope and confidence in the merits of such virtues as be in man, ⟨image 45⟩and say lord behold thy unfruitful servant, only for the merits of Christs blood give me remission of since for I know no man can be justified other wise before thee as David sayth: Non justificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis uivens,