In the fifth Chapter, he entreateth of works, and of the fruits of faith which be these: peace, joy of conscience, love towards GOD and our neighbour: a profitable, courageous & bold confidence: and a stout and manful perseverance and patient in tribulations and afflictions, for straight way these fruits follow, wheresoever this true faith is in the heart. Surely that most excellent riches, and ⟨image 25⟩abundant wealth of the grace of God offered, and exhibited to us in Christ (whom GOD would have dye for us, when we were as yet weaklings, yea enemies to God) if so be, by faith it be known & acknowledged of us in our hearts, it cannot but inflame us, and make us strong and able to do most willingly, cheerfully, and readily, all those things which we know will please this our most gentle Father. Therefore the chief sentence, drift and scope of this Epistle stands steadfast and sure, namely, that by faith alone we are justified, without works, and yet for all that good works are not condemned. For those works that indeed, and truly may be called good, and those good fruits do ⟨image 26⟩follow faith, and wheresoever faith is, it cannot choose but work: Like as the flame cannot but give good light. Of these that be truly good works the Justiciaries (who have nothing so rise in their mouths, as works, works, works) know nothing at all: They do but only imagine in themselves certain cold works, which because they have no spark of faith in them, are void of all spiritual affections: as joy, peace of conscience, and that bold trust and assurance in God and are rotten fruits of a rotten tree. After this the Apostle maketh a pleasant digression, showing how sin & righteousness, also how death & life came upon us. And there he compareth these two, Adam and Christ. Wherefore he reasoneth ⟨image 26⟩thus:1 It was therefore needful and necessary, that Christ should be sent, who should make his righteousness to be ours, by the new birth or regeneration in faith & the spirit, even as the old man Adam by propagation left us his sin through that old generation according to the flesh. Again, by this argument another proposition is surely grounded, namely, that no man by his own strength & power is able to deliver him self from sin, or to justify himself.
In the fifth Chapter, hee intreateth of workes, and of the fruits of faith which bee these: peace, joy of conscience, loue towards GOD and our neighbour: a profitable, couragious & bold confidence: and a stoute and manfull perseverance and pacient in tribulations and afflictions, for streight way these fruits follow, wheresoever this true faith is in the heart. Surely that most excellent riches, and ⟨image 25⟩aboundant wealth of the grace of God offered, and exhibited to vs in Christ (whom GOD would haue dye for vs, when wee were as yet weaklings, yea enemies to God) if so bee, by faith it be knowne & acknowledged of vs in our hearts, it cannot but inflame vs, and mak vs strong and able to doe most willingly, cherefully, and readily, all those things which we know will please this our most gentle Father. Therefore the chiefe sentence, drift and scope of this Epistle stands stedfast and sure, namely, that by fayth alone wee are justified, without workes, and yet for all that good workes are not condemned. For those workes that indeed, and truely may be called good, and those good fruits doe ⟨image 26⟩follow faith, and wheresoever faith is, it cannot choose but worke: Like as the flame cannot but giue good light. Of these that be truly good works the Iusticiaries (who have nothing so rise in their mouths, as works, works, works) knowe nothing at all: They doe but only jmagine in themselves certain cold works, which becaus they haue no sparke of faith in them, are voyde of all spirituall affections: as joy, peace of conscience, and that bold trust and assurance in God and are rotten fruits of a rotten tree. After this the Apostle maketh a pleasant digression, shewing how sin & righteousnesse, also how death & life came vpon vs. And there he compareth these two, Adam and Christ. Wherefore he reasoneth ⟨image 26⟩thus:1 It was therefore needfull and necessarie, that Christ should bee sent, who should make his righteousnesse to be ours, by the new birth or regeneration in faith & the spirit, even as the old man Adam by propagation left vs his sinne through that old generation according to the flesh. Againe, by this argument aaother proposition is surely grounded, namely, that no man by his own strenth & power is able to deliver him self from sin, or to justifie himself.
- 1The Apostles argument.
