A07407:49
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.
¶ Gospel.
¶ Gospell.
THE GOSPEL DOTH preach repentance,1 promising forgiveness of sin and life everlasting. The which promise we must be ware that we do not joint with the law. For though the law hath certain promises annexed to it, yet they do differ and vary much from the promises which are peculiar and proper only to ⟨image 24⟩the Gospel, for the promises of the law are promised conditionally, requiring a perfect obedience, as witnesseth the first precept, (The Lord saying I will be good to them •hat love me with all their heart. Where as the promise contained in the Gospel doeth declare to us the remission of sin, our justification, and life everlasting freely without any condition of our merits and worthiness, but for Christ sake only. No mans voice or tongue can declare this great benefit, which the Lord through his Son Jesus Christ doeth bestow on us, that is to say: that the great blot of sin by h•s blood scraped and rasshed forth, and death utterly vanquished we may have the fruition of the sight of the Godhead in everlasting life justice and glad joyfulness. The promise of this benefit by no man but from heaven is declared to us, as John sayeth. The Son which is in the bosom of the father he hath declared and made manifest to us.2 And although that there is a certain knowledge of the law in us even from our birth, it is not so with the knowledge of the Gospel, for the knowledge thereof we have not naturally. Mans reason of it self being not able to perceive and know the will ⟨p. xxiiii⟩of God: that God will send his Son down to be oblation and sacrifice for the church, and forgive sin freely without the deserving of our merits. This is far from mans understanding. Therefore the words of the law, and the promise of the Gospel must be divers and sundry ways taken and perceived. In the writings of Phocillides and Hesiod: o with such other like writers a man shall find many sayings of the laws: but as touching the promise of the free forgiveness of sin and of the Son of god, it is never to be found among them. Which in their writings did imitate and follow the judgement and natural reason of man only.