A Brief and Pithy Sum of the Christian Faith

Let us then see how in Jesus Christ only we find• sufficient remedies against all the temptations of Satan & all dismaying of conscience. First Satan & our own conscience to show our unworthiness setteth before us y• nature of God perfectly righteous as chief enemy & revenger of all iniquity, Now sith that we find that we be covered with an infinite number of iniquities, it followeth that we can look for nothing, ⟨p. 19⟩but the reward of sin, that is to say, death ^aeternal. What can man allege now against this conclusion? Certainly, nothing, that is available, except it be that which I shall say hereafter. For first if he have recourse unto Gods mercy, forgetting his justice, he deceiveth him self. For this is a thing most sure, that² God is in such wise merciful, that notwithstanding his justice must be entirely and fully confessed as we have declared here before in the. 26. article of the. 8 point. If then we will allege for a cloak to cover our sins y• merits of saints, first we do them great wrong, for as much as David himself crieth out and saith: enter ^anot Lord into judgement with thy servant, & in another ^bplace he confesseth y• his works can not attain unto God. And what said Paul of Abraham that holy person and father of the faithful? If Abraham c saith he had ben justified by works, he had wherein to rejoice, but not toward God: for what saith the scripture? Abraham believed ⟨image 42⟩God, and that was counted to him for righteousness. And what saith Saint Paul of him self, truly ^dsayeth he, I know not my self to be culpable, but yet am I not thereby justified. Howe can we then allege the merits of Saints for a satisfaction for our sins, for so much as themselves had no refuge but