PHIL. Ye say trueth. And that ye ⟨image 29⟩may know that I wrest not the scriptures, I will read unto you the laying of S Austen:1 He was given saith he, for our sins, & rose again for our justification. Thy justification, thy circumcision is not of thy self. By grace are ye saved through saith, & that not of your selves, but it is the gift of God, not of works unless peradventure thou wouldest say, I have deserved it, & therefore have I received it. Think not that thou diddest receive it by deserving, which couldest not have deserved except thou haddest received it. Grace went before thy merit, grace is not of merit, but me rite of grace For if grace were of merit so haddest thou bought it, & not received it freely. Thou shalt save them sayeth he, for nothing: What is this, thou shalt have them for nothing? Thou findest in them nothing whereby thou mayst save them, & yet dost thou save them. Freely thou givest ⟨image 30⟩freely thou savest. Thou goest before all merits, that thy gifts may o• tayne thy merits. Utterly doest thou give freely, save freely, which findest nothing, whereof thou mayest save, & findest much whereby thou mayest condemn.2 Again he sayeth, thou haste done no good, & yet is remission of since given unto thee. Let thy works be looked upon, and they be all found evil, If god should give the ye which is due to thy works, he should surely condemn thee. But God doth not give unto the that pain which is due, but giveth the grace, which is not due. Also upon this text,3 to all that are at Rome beloved of God, saints by calling: Here also, sayeth he, he showeth that it is the exceeding mercy of God rather then thy merit. For he sayeth not, to them that love God, but to them that are loved of God. For he loved us first, that we being loved ⟨image 30⟩should also love him.4 S. Bernard also saith: Grace maketh me justified freely, & likewise delivered from the bondage of sin. Hereto agreeth Fulgentius,5 saying: God giveth grace to the unworthy freely wherewith the wicked being justified may be lightened with the gift of good will, & with the power of good working, that mercy preventing and going before he may begin to will good, & mercy subsequent and following, he may be able to do the good that he willeth. Thus perceive you, that when there was nothing in us, wherefore God should love us, yet he freely loved us ▪ chose us by his grace to be his children,6 as S.
PHIL. Ye saye trueth. And that ye ⟨image 29⟩maye knowe that I wraste not the scriptures, I wil read vnto you the layeng of S Austen:1 He was gyuē sayth he, for our sines, & rose againe for our iustificacion. Thy iustificacion, thy circumsicion is not of thy selfe. By grace are ye saued thorowe sayth, & that not of your selues, but it is the gyfte of God, not of workes vnlesse ꝑaduēture yu wouldest say, I haue deserued it, & therfore haue I receiued it. Thinke not yt yu dydest receyue it by deseruīg, which couldest not haue deserued except yu haddest receiued it. Grace wēt before thi meryte, grace is not of meryte, but me rite of grace For if grace were of merite so haddest yu boght it, & not receiued it frely. Thou shalt saue thē sayeth he, for nothynge: What is this, thou shalt haue them for nothinge? Thou fyndest in thē nothyng wherby thou mayst saue them, & yet doste thou saue them. Freely thou gyuest ⟨image 30⟩frely thou sauest. Thou goest before all merytes, that thy giftes may o• tayne thy merytes. Vtter•ye doeste thou geue frely, saue frely, which findest nothynge, wherof thou mayeste saue, & fyndest muche wherby thou mayest cōdemne.2 Agayne he sayeth, thou haste done no good, & yet is remission of synnes gyuen vnto the. Let thy workes be looked vpon, and they be all foūd euell, Yf god shoulde gyue the ye which is due to thy workes, he shoulde surely condemne the. But God doth not gyue vnto the yt payne which is due, but giueth the grace, which is not due. Also vpon this texte,3 to al that are at Rome beloued of God, saynctes by cyllynge: Here also, sayeth he, he sheweth that it is the excedyng mercy of God rather then thy meryte. For he sayeth not, to them that loue God, but to thē that are loued of God. For he loued vs fyrst, that we beyng loued ⟨image 30⟩shoulde also loue hym.4 S. Bernarde also sayth: Grace maketh me iustified freely, & lykewyse delyuered from the bondage of synne. Hereto agreeth Fulgētius,5
- 1De ver. ••• Sc•. xv.
- 2In p•o. Psa. xxxi.
- 3•a •p. a• Roma.
- 4In •ant. •er. lxvi• ▪
- 5Lib. i. a• men•mū.Lib. i. a• men•mū.
- 6l. Joan. i•••l. Ioan. i•••
