A07407:25
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.
THE Philosophers do call, Justice, a certain Obedience universal, as touching to all virtues, (that is to say) an outward honest discipline, the which a man by his own strength may and can perform. The which Justice,1 Paul doeth call the Justice of the law, and the Justice ⟨image 11⟩of works. We have often times declared to you that God willeth and commandeth that all men shall be bound and as it were tied fast with an outward honest discipline, as Paul witness the saying. The law is made for the unjust, and the Lord doeth punish those which be offenders and breakers of this discipline, as be those, which are swearers, perjurious persons, blasphemers of the Lord, seditious, manquellers, whoremongers, thieves, and liars. It is true that Aristotle sayeth. Neither Hesperus, nor yet Lucifer, the night and the day star are not more beautiful and goodly, than Justice, that is to say honest discipline. It is forsooth a good ornament of man being no thing in the world that this weak nature of man can or may perform more excellent than this. But yet for all that, we must be certainly assured, that this discipline can not by any means satisfy, and perform all that the law doeth require,2 as the very law, but that this discipline, is nothing else but as it were a small shadow of the law bearing thereto witness excellently Paul, the 2.3 Corinth. 3. Cap. saying these words. The Jews do behold and look upon Moses with a covered face, under veil, ⟨p. xi⟩that is to say, not having the very law shining in them, I do mean the knowledge of God, and a perfect obedience, such I say as can be no more required, but only a few outward works. The law of God doeth ask at our hands,4 not only extern and outward works, but also a perfect obedience, whereby it is easy to be perceived that no man can be just before God, that is to say accepted for the outward discipline, as the said Paul witnesseth plainly, by the works (sayeth he) of the law, no flesh shall be justified. The which saying doeth minish, nay pluck away clean, the commendation and praise of justification not only from ceremonial works, but also from moral works, speaking of the whole outward discipline.