A40370:556
Of free justification
Of free justification by Christ written first in Latin by John Fox, author of the Book of martyrs, against Osorius, &c. and now translated into English, for the benefit of those who love their own souls, and would not be mistaken in so great a point.Of free justification by Christ written first in Latine by John Fox, author of the Book of martyrs, against Osorius, &c. and now translated into English, for the benefit of those who love their own souls, and would not be mistaken in so great a point.
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1694
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.
What and dare you trusting 1in this Righteousness of yours enter the lists with the Majesty of so great a Judgment? And think you that your Virtues are such that they will overcome at this Judgment Seat, when they are Judged? Not by the Righteousness, say you of my Virtues, but by those works, which the efficacious Grace of God works in me: Which Righteousness is not mine but God's: Not of my own Free will, but of Grace acting in me.
What and dare you trusting 1in this Righteousness of yours enter the lists with the Majesty of so great a Iudgment? And think you that your Vertues are such that they will overcome at this Iudgment Seat, when they are Iudged? Not by the Righteousness, say you of my Vertues, but by those works, which the efficacious Grace of God works in me: Which Righteousness is not mine but God's: Not of my own Free will, but of Grace acting in me.
- 1Out of Alphonsus and the Tridentines.
Now then wherein will this Righteousness of yours differ from that Pharisee in the Parable of the Gospel? Whose Life if you look into, you see it is honest enough and unblamable, if you look upon Grace, he seems no less to acknowledge it, and to attribute all his Virtues to it. Otherways, why did he with so much reverence, and so carefully give thanks to God, that he was not like other ⟨p. 318⟩Men, unless he had thought that whatsoever good Works he had, were received of his gift and bounty? 1For his Prayer doth sufficiently declare that; wherein he seems not so much to Glory in his own good deeds, as in the grace of God, which he had received, to which he ascribes all these things which he had done. Therefore if it be true that these Roman Catholics define, That true Justification consists in no other thing, but in Works of Righteousness, done by the grace of God: what then doth hinder but this Catholic Pharisee, according to their Catholic Opinion, should be sent away to his House justified? Which not being so, it remains therefore that another manner of Justification should be sought for by us than in Works of Righteousness