A06515:13
Here after ensueth a proper treatise of good worksHere after ensueth a propre treatyse of good workes
London : Imprinted be me Robert wire, dwelling in saint martins parish beside charring Cross, 1535?London : Imprynted be me Robert wyer, dwellynge in saynt martyns parysshe besyde charynge Crosse, 1535?
Title page typeset from the transcription.
[figure] ¶Here beginneth the book of good works.[figure] ¶Here begynneth the boke of good workes.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
psalm / blessed be all men that trust in him / which sayings if they be true, what soever they do must needs be good / or at the least if they do sin, it must be & be forgiven & pardoned. Behold here again how greatly I do extol faith / to it which I will refer all good works / but I reject what soever is done, that cometh not from thence.
psalme / blessed be all men yt trust in hym / which sayengꝭ yf they be true, what soeuer they do muste nedꝭ be good / or at ye least if they do syn̄e, it must be & be forgyuen & ꝑdoned. Beholde here agayne howe greatly I do extolle fayth / to yt which I wyl referre al good workꝭ / but I reiecte what soeuer is done, yt cōmeth not frō thense.
Here may every man lightly consider and perceive / when he doth good / and when he doth ill / for if he find his heart instruct with this faith that he believeth that he pleaseth god / than is his work good / yea though it be so little or so vile,1 as to take up a straw / but if there lack other trust or hope in god / then the work is nought / yea if he should raise up all dead men / & suffer him self to be burned / so taught saint Paul saying / that what soever is not of faith / is sin. For of faith and of none other work / we be ornate by this name / that we be called christians / as of the chief work. For as for all other works / every heathen Jew, turk and sinner may do them. But ⟨image 12⟩to trust & believe steadfastly that our works please god / is not possible / but to a christian, illustrate & stablished by the grace of god. But such teaching as this, is very scant. And therefore I am accused to be an heretic / the cause whereof is, that men following blind reason & gentiles doctrine / have put faith not above, but nigh unto other virtues / attributing unto it a peculiar and proper work separated from all other works of other virtues. Notwithstanding that faith only, doth make all other works good, acceptable, & worthy, in that / that it trusteth in god,2