An answer to a certain book, writtenAn answere to a certeine booke, written

This ⟨p. 118⟩will I make plain to have been S. August. meaning by his own writings, and then also further declare, that this was the constant and catholic belief of Christ his Church, by the testimonies of other ancient Fathers.¹ Thus writeth S. Aug. And that what the just Judge, when he shall sit on his throne, shall find secret, or not throughly purged, by his mercy may be forgiven, that by seeing God, the whole may be made sound and clean. For judgement is without mercy, but to him which hath done no mercy. But mercy doth surmount judgement. Which if it were not so, what hope had we? for so much as when the just king shall sit on his throne, who shall glory that he hath a chaste hart, or who shall glory that he is clean from sin? Therefore then the just being fully and perfectly cleansed by his mercy, shall shine as the sin in the kingdom of his father. here S. Aug. plainly teacheth, that when we come before the tribunal seat of Christ to be judged, we had no hope to escape condemnation, but that we trust our sins shall be forgiven: whereof it followeth, that our good works cannot deserve, or by their merit procure unto us eternal life. For if we be justified and saved by pardon, we cannot any ways say truly, that justification ⟨p. 119⟩& salvation cometh unto us by our deserts. In an other place he writeth,² That our justification is wrought by remission of all our sins. If our justification consist in the forgiveness of our sins, how can it be ascribed to the worthiness & perfection of our works? Again in an other book he teacheth that Christs justice is our justice: and so that we are justified not by our merits or righteousness, but by the justice of Christ imputed unto us. These are his words:³ How then saith he, of my faults? but because he prayeth for our faults, and hath made our faults his faults, that he might make his justice our justice, speaking of our saviour Christ.⁴ And that you may know what merits Saint Augustine trusted unto, I will further set down one other place out of him. All my hope (saith he) is in the death of my Lord. His death is my merit, my refuge, salvation, life, and resurrection: my merit is the compassion of the Lord. I shall not be void of merit so long as the Lord of mercies shall not want. And while the mercies of the Lord are manifold, I am also manifold in merits. Thus S.