careth for them, and provideth all things by which they may be saved, except by their own malice they will be evil, and so by righteous judgement of God perish and be lost. For, truly, men be to themselves the authors of sin and damnation. God is neither author of sin, nor the cause of damnation. And yet doth he most righteously damn those men, that do with vices corrupt their nature, which he made good; and do abuse the same to evil desires against his most holy will. Wherefore men be to be warned, that they do not impute to God their vice, or their damnation; but to themselves, which by Free-Will, have abused the Grace and benefits of God.

All men be also to be monished, and chiefly preachers, that, in this high matter, they, looking on both sides, so attemper and moderate themselves, that neither they so preach the Grace of God, that they take away thereby Free-Will; nor, on the other side, so extol Free-Will, that injury be done to the Grace of God,

1

(g) The Article of Justification.

For the more clear understanding of this article following, it is to be noted, that all men after the

(g) Necess. Euridit, sign, d. et seq.

fall

fall of Adam, naturally descending and coming of him, be born in Original Sin, that is to say, they lack that original justice and innocency wherewith Adam in his creation was endued, and which also all his posterity should have had, if he, through his disobedience and breaking of the commandment of God, had not lost the same from himself and all his posterity. And further also they be born with concupiscence, whereof spring unlawful desires, repugnant and contrary unto the laws of God; and be guilty to everlasting death and damnation, from the which they can in no wise be delivered by any strength or power that is in them, but rather fall daily into further displeasure of God, by committing and adding of many actual sins.

Wherefore to the intent, that man, might be delivered out of this wretched and miserable state whereunto he had brought himself, and might recover again the same things that were given unto him in his first creation, and thereby attain the everlasting bliss in heaven; it pleased Almighty God, of his great and infinite mercy and goodness, to send his own only-begotten Son, the second person in Trinity, to take upon him the nature of man, and therein to work the Mystery of our Redemption; that is to say, to deliver us from the captivity of the devil, sin, and damnation; and to

a mean.

be the very mean of our reconciliation to God, and of our Justification. And sure this reconciliation of mortal man to the favour of God immortal, did necessarily require such a Mediator between them, as had in himself the perfect nature of them both; which is the very property of a mean between two, to be partner with both of them, between whom he taketh upon him to be For if he be wholly joined with the one, and clearly separated from the other, then he is not meet to be a mean or mediator between two, which be at debate and enmity. Wherefore our Saviour Christ, being naturally God, took upon him the nature of man; that he might thereby be conversant among men, and by his death redeem them: And yet he still retained and kept his Godhead, and was both God and man together. For if he had been man only, and not God, then his death could not have been a worthy and sufficient satisfaction for sin to the justice of God. And if he had been only God, and not man, then he, by his bodily conversation, could not have called us again to God, nor suffered and died bodily for us. And this property of a mediator St. Paul considering writeth to Timothy, (k) That there is but one Mediator between God and man,

(h) 1 Tim. ii.

which

which is Christ Jesus; meaning thereby, that because he only had both the natures in him, therefore he only, and none other but he, was able to be a sufficient mediator and mean of our reconciliation to God, and of our Justification.

And for a further declaration how, and by what means, we be made partakers of this benefit of Justification, it is to be noted, that this word Justification, as it is taken in Scripture, signifieth the making of us righteous afore God, where before we were unrighteous; as when by his Grace we convert unto him, and be reconciled into his favour; and of the children of ire and damnation we be made the children of God, and inheritors of everlasting life; that by his Grace we may walk so in his ways, that finally we may be reputed and taken as just and righteous in the day of judgement, and so receive the everlasting possession of the kingdom of heaven. And albeit God is the principal cause, and chief worker, of this Justification in us, without whose Grace no man can do no good thing, but following his Free-Will in the state of a sinner encreaseth his own injustice and multiplieth his sin; yet so it pleaseth the high wisdom of God, that man prevented by his Grace (which, being offered, man may, if he will, refuse or receive,) shall be also a worker by his free consent, and obedience to the same, in the attaining of his own Justification;

and

and by God's grace and help shall walk in such works, as be requisite to his Justification; and, so continuing, come to the perfect end thereof by such means, and ways, as God hath ordained.

Wherein it is to be considered, that although our Saviour Christ hath offered himself upon the cross, a sufficient Redemption and Satisfaction for the sins of all the world; and hath made himself an open way and entry unto God the Father for all mankind, only by his worthy merit and deserving; and, willing all men to be saved, calleth upon the world, without respect of persons, to come and be partakers of the righteousness, peace, and glory, which is in him yet, for all this benignity and grace shewed universally to the whole world, none shall have the effect of this benefit of our Saviour Christ, and enjoy everlasting salvation by him, but they that take such ways to attain the same, as he hath taught and appointed by his holy word, in such order, manner, and form, as here followeth; that is to say, first as touching all them which be of age, and have the use of natural reason afore they be christened, the will of God is, that all such (if they will be saved) shall, at the hearing of his blessed word, give steadfast faith and assent thereunto; as St. Paul saith, (i) He that cometh to God, must be

(i) Heb. xi.