Patrick Hamilton: works can neither save nor condemn those whom Christ has redeemed

[Reformed Covenanter]

... Who so ever believeth or thinketh to be saved his works denieth that Christ is his saviour, that Christ died for him & all thing that pertaineth to Christ. For how is he thy saviour, it thou mightest save thy self by thy works? or whereto should he die for thee if any works might have saved ye? what is this to say, Christ died for ye? verily that is, thou shouldest have died perpetually, & Christ to deliver ye for that death, died for ye & changed thy perpetual death in to his own death. For thou madest ye fault, & he suffered ye pain, & yet for ye love he had to the ere ever thou wast born when thou haddest done neither good nor evil.

Now sith he hath paid thy debt thou needest not: no thou canst not, but shouldest be damned if his blood were not. But sith he was punished for the thou shalt not be punished. Finally, he hath delivered ye from thy condemnation & all evil, & desireth nought of the but that thou wilt acknowledge what he hath done for ye & bear it in mind, & that thou wouldest help other for his sake both in word & deed, even as he hath holpen ye for nought & without reward, O how ready would we be to help other, if we knew his goodness & gentleness towards us. He is a good & a gentle lord for he doth all for nought. Let us I beseech you follow his footsteps whom all the world ought to praise and worship, Amen. ...

For more, see Patrick Hamilton: works can neither save nor condemn those whom Christ has redeemed.