Furst in the Article of Iustification / the papistes do picke out vnto themselues this doctrine: That a man is not iustified by faithe only / but by goode worcks also. which doctrine is contrary to the holy scriptures. Paule teachith thus.
We holde that a mã is Iustified by faithe / without the deedes of the Lawe. Agayn he saith.
We do knowe that a man is not Iustified by the deedes of the lawe / but by the faithe of Iesu Christe. And Peter / whom Paule did thẽ withstõd / did not speake agaynst this doctrine. Of the Iues / also he writith thus.
For being ignorant of Gods righteousnes / and goinge about to establishe their own righteousnes / they were not obediẽt to the righteousnes of God. In which place he settith theise two righteousnesses / the one / against the other / the righteousnes of faith / against the righteousnes of worckes / so that the one excludith the other. The same thinge he doth where speaking of Iustificatiõ he saith.
If it be of grace / thẽ is it not of worcks / if it be of worcks / thẽ is it no more grace. To the Philippians he playnly saith /
that the worcks which are wrought before Regeneracion / can not iustifie / for he doth counte them to be but losse and dunge / which truly he wold not haue done / if they hadd such poure and vertue / that they could iustifie. This is most playne / that men before regeneraciõ are euell / and then must this sentẽce of Christes stõde true.
An euell tree cã not bringe forth goode fruite. For how can it be / that they wich are deade as cõcerning righteousne / can of thẽ selues go ony thinge forward vnto their new birhte:
And we all wer such / euẽ deade throughe synne / and the children of wrathe. The Epistle writon to the Hebrues doth witnes /
That without faith it is impossible to please God: And to the Romayns Paule saith.
That what soeuer is not of faith is Synne. This is the doctrine of the scripture cõcerning this matier. The papistes (as I sayde) so teache cleane contrarie doctrine / and do obstinatly defẽd it / notwithstõding that they be admonished of their error by the holy scriptures / by the aunciente fathers / as Hierom / Augustin / and others / by the godly Coũcels / as Africanum / Mileuitanum / Arausicanum / And now also being admonished therof by vs / yet will they not leaue their errour: Wherfor by the former definitiõ of Heresie / they are proued heretikes.