A07407:176
The justification of man by faith onlyThe iustification of man by faith only
The justification of man by faith only: made and written by Philip Melanchthon. and translated out of the Latin in to this our mother tongue by Nicholas Less of London An apology or defence of the word of God, declaring what a necessary thing it is, to be in all mens hands, the want where of is the only cause of all ungodliness committed through the whole earth, made by the said Nicholas LessThe iustification of man by faith only: made and vvritten by Phylyp Melanchton. and translated out of the Latyn in to this oure mother tonge by Nicholas Lesse of London An apologie or defence of the worde of God, declaringe what a necessary thynge it is, to be in all mennes handes, the want wher of is the only cause of al vngodlienes committed thorowe the whole earth, made by the sayde Nicholas Lesse
Imprinted at London : In Fleet street at the sign of the George next to Saint Dunstones church by William Powell, in the year of our Lord God .M.CCCCC.XLVIII. the .XI. day of October 1548Imprinted at London : In Flete strete at the signe of the George next to Saynt Dunstones church by VVilliam Powell, in the yere of oure Lorde God .M.CCCCC.XLVIII. the .XI. daye of October 1548
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
¶ Another.
By Faith we are just. Faith is a work. Ergo. By works we are just.
By Fayth we are iust. Fayth is a worke. Ergo. By workes we are iust.
¶ By faith we are justified: not because faith is a work, quality, invert in us, but because it doth take hold of mercy: cleaving fast to Christ: but to make it plain, you must turn this saying, by faith we are justified to his correlative, that is to say. By the mercy of God ⟨p. lxxviii⟩for Christ we are just, but yet by faith we must certify our selves that the same mercy pertaineth unto us. And to the second part of this argument, called in latin the minor, I grant it true. For faith is a work, as other virtues be works as love, patience, chastity, and likewise as all other virtues be unperfect: so faith also sometime is weak and feeble. Wherefore we are not just for the worthiness of the virtue faith, as for a work, but because it doth apprehend and receive the mercy of God. It is necessary that there be some instrument and mean, whereby the mercy of God must be trusted after whereby Christ must be looked on with the inward eyes, whereby also we must certain our selves, that Christ will forgive us. Therefore we must answer to the minor, that faith is a work, for the which work sake, being taken as a work, we are not just, but because it doth take hold on the mercy of God. Therefore it doth not follow that for our works we are justified. It may also be answered that this argument is not good, because there is more concluded in the consequent or conclusion than is contained in the premises. For it maketh conclusion of justification, whereof is no mention made neither in the first nor second part of