Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

Nothing can be alleged to make more for our present argument then these words of his. For he saith plainly, that the will of God the father is, that we should believe in the Son, and by this belief have our salvation. Whereupon John the Evangelist and Apostle in his Canonical Epistle dareth burst forth into these words: He that believeth not God, maketh him a liar, because he believed not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son, hath life: and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life. Dearly beloved, note this. The eternal and unchangeable will of god is, that he will give eternal life unto the world. But he will give the life through Christ, who is naturally life it self, and can give life. The very same God also will ⟨p. 49⟩that we obtain and have life in us, and that we have it no other ways then by faith. For the Apostle Paul taught, that Christ doth dwell in our hearts by faith. Moreover, the Lord himself also witnesseth & saith: He that eateth me shall live by me. But ye know (dearly beloved) that to eat Christ is to believe in him. And therefore we knit up this place with these words of Saint Peter. To this Christ do all the Prophets bear witness, that whosoever believeth in him, shall receive forgiveness of sins through his name. We have in these a most ample testimony of the whole sacred Scriptures. By these I have evidently enough declared, that God hath appointed, that whosoever doth believe in Christ, being cleansed from his sins, shall be made heir of life everlasting. This will I make more evident ¹yet, by declaring how that faith alone that is, that faith for it self, and not for any works of ours doth justify the faithful. For it self I say, not in respect that it is in us a quality of the mind, or our own work in our selves, but in respect that faith is the gift of Gods grace, having in it a promise of righteousness and life: and in respect, that naturally of it self, it is a certain and undoubted persuasion resting upon God, and believing that God being pacified by Christ, hath through Christ bestowed life and all good things on us. Therefore faith for Christ, and by the grace and promise of God doth justify:

Nothing can be alleged to make more for oure present argument then these wordes of his. For he sayth plainely, that the will of God the father is, that we should beleeue in the sonne, and by this beliefe haue our saluation. Whervpon Iohn the Euangelist and Apostle in his Canonicall Epistle dareth burst foorth into these words: He that beleeueth not God, maketh him a lyar, bycause he beleeued not the record that God gaue of his sonne. And this is the recorde, that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life, and this life is in his sonne. He that hath the sonne, hath life: and he that hath not the sonne of God, hath not life. Dearly beloued, note this. The eternal and vnchangeable wil of god is, that he wil giue eternall life vnto the world. But he will giue the life through Christe, who is naturally life it selfe, and can giue life. The very same God also wil