The Law sayith,
Paye thy debt,
Thow art a synnar desparat.
And thow shalt die.
The Gospell sayith,
Christ hath payed it.
Thy synnes ar forgevin thee.
Be of good conforte, thow shalt be saved.
The Law sayith,
Mack a mendis for thy synne.
The Father of Heaven is wraith wyth thee.
Quhair is thy rychteousnes, goodnes, and satisfactioun?
Thou art bound and obligat unto me, [to] the devill, and [to] hell.
The Gospell sayith,
Christ hath maid it for thee.
Christ hath pacefeid him with his blood.
Christ is thy rychteousnes, thy goodnes, and satisfactioun
Christ hath delivered thee from thame all.
[THE DOCTRINE] OFF FAITH.
Faith is to beleve God; "lyck as Abraham beleved God, and it was compted
unto him for rychteousnes." (Gen. 15.)--"He that beleved God, beleved
his word." (Joan. 5.)--To beleve in him, is to beleve his word, and
accompt it trew that he speikith. He that belevith not Goddis word,
beleveth not him self. He that belevith nott Goddis word, he compteth
him fals, and ane lyar, and beleveth not that he may and will fulfill
his word; and so he denyeth both the myght of God and him self.
IX. Faith is the gift of God.--"Everie good thing is the gift of God."
(Jacob. 1.)--Fayth is good.--Ergo, faith is the gift of God.
X. [Faith is not in our power.]--The gift of God is not in oure
power.--"Faith is the gift of God."--Ergo, fayth is not in oure power.
XI. [He that lacketh faith cannot please God.]--"Without faith it is
impossible to please God." (Hebr. 11.)--All that cummith nott of fayth,
is synne; for without faith can no man please God.--Besydis, that he
that lacketh faith, he trusteth nott God. He that trusteth not God,
trusteth nott in his wourd. He that trusteth not in his wourd, hauldeth
him self fals, and a liear. He that haldeth him self false and a lyer,
he belevith not that he may doo that he promeseth, and so denyeth he
that he is God. And how can a man, being of this fassioun, please him?
No maner of way. Yea, suppoise he did all the werkis of man and angell.
XII. All that is done in fayth, pleaseth God.--"Richt is the wourde of
God, and all his werkis in faith." "Lord, thine eis look to faith." That
is asmuch to saye as, Lord, thow delitest in fayth. God loveth him that
belevith in him. How cane thei then displease him?
XIII. He that hath the faith, is just and good.--And a good trie
bringeth furth good fruite.--Ergo, all that is in faith done pleaseth
God.
XIV. [He that hath faith, and believeth God, cannot displease
him.]--Moreovir, he that hath the faith belevith God.--He that belevith
God, belevith his worde. He that belevith his word, woteth weall that he
is trew and faithfull, and may nott lie: But knowith weall that he may
and will boith fulfill his word. How can he then displease him? For thow
canst not do ane greattar honor unto God, then to count him trew. Thow
wilt then say, that thift, murther, adulterie, and all vices, please
God? Nane, verrelie; for thei can not be done in faith: "for a good tree
beareth good frute." He that hath the faith, woteth weall that he
pleaseth God; for all that is done in fayth pleaseth God. (Hebr. 11.)
XV. Faith is a suirness.--"Faith is a suir confidence of thingis quhilk
ar hoped for, and a certantie of thinges which ar not sene." (Hebr.
11.)--"The same spreit certifieth our spreit that we are the children of
God." (Rom. 8.)--Moirovir, he that hath the faith, woteth weill that
God will fulfill his word.--Ergo, fayth is a suirness.