All that you allege here out of that worthy servant of Christ M. Luther, 1I acknowledge for true, seeing it is the very same that the Scriptures them-selves have taught. For this is the voice and doctrine of the gospel, that by faith only in the mediator, who by his sacrifice once offered upon the cross hath reconciled the father unto us, we are justified and saved. Then to live straitly, and to do good works with this purpose and persuasion, that thereby we shall obtain justice or salvation, is contrary to the trueth of Christs gospel, and may not in any be allowed, although otherwise most learned and godly. Will you reason hereby against Luther and me, because we charge the fathers with some oversight in the trueth of this doctrine, in that they thought somewhat too well of their own deeds, we must therefore repute them for wicked men, and make them no better then Papists? They erred not so much as you, they erred not so wilfully as you: and therefore though there besom likeness between their error & yours, yet we account not of ⟨p. 140⟩them, as of you, who besides that you err in this point of justification most damnably, have also multiplied your errors in other articles, & almost left no one ground of pure religion unshaken. And therefore you greatly deceive your own heart M. Rainolds, when you think your self to be in the same case that the fathers were in, because sometime the fathers gave more to their works, then they should have done, you trusting to be justified and saved by the worthiness and merits of your works, which the fathers did not. So between you and them there is a great space of distance: although I grant that some things which they have written of this matter, and practiced in their lives, tendeth somewhat to your heresy of justification by works. For the mystery of iniquity, which in papistry is fully finished, began to work in the Apostles age, & so continued still forward in the fathers days, until it came to his height and perfection in the kingdom of popery. They slipped a little, you are fallen headlong into the pit: they were overseen through infirmity, you are blind of malice: they scattered some darnel in the Lords field, you have plucked up by the roots the good ⟨p. 141⟩corn. They have suffered loss of this building, being not agreeable to the foundation, yet are saved:
All that you alledge here out of that worthy seruant of Christ M. Luther, 1I acknowledge for true, seeing it is the verie same that the Scriptures them-selues haue taught. For this is the voice and doctrine of the gospell, that by faith onelie in the mediator, who by his sacrifice once offered vpon the crosse hath reconciled the father vnto vs, we are iustified and saued. Then to liue straitlie, and to do good workes with this purpose and persuasion, that thereby we shall obtaine iustice or saluation, is contrary to the trueth of Christs gospell, and may not in anie be allowed, although otherwise moste learned and godly. Will you reason hereby against Luther and me, because we charge the fathers with some ouersight in the trueth of this doctrine, in that they thought somewhat too well of their owne deedes, we must therefore repute them for wicked men, and make them no better then Papists? They erred not somuch as you, they erred not so wilfully as you: and therefore though there besome likenes betweene their error & yours, yet we account not of ⟨p. 140⟩them, as of you, who besides that you erre in this point of iustification most damnablie, haue also multiplied your errours in other articles, & almost left no one ground of pure religion vnshaken. And therefore you greatlie deceiue your owne heart M. Rainolds, when you thinke your selfe to be in the same case that the fathers were in, because sometime the fathers gaue more to their works, then they should haue done, you trusting to be iustified and saued by the worthines and merits of your workes, which the fathers did not. So betwene you and them there is a great space of distance: although I graunt that some things which they haue written of this matter, and practized in their liues, tendeth somewhat to your heresie of iustification by workes. For the mysterie of iniquitie, which in papistry is fullie finished, began to worke in the Apostles age, & so continued still forward in the fathers daies, vntil it came to his height and perfection in the kingdome of popery. They slipt a litle, you are fallen headlong into the pit: they were ouerseene through infirmitie, you are blinde of malice: they scattered some darnell in the Lords field, you haue plucked vp by the roots the good ⟨p. 141⟩corne. They haue suffred losse of this building, being not agreeable to the foundation, yet are saued:
- 1Pag. 120. &c
