et in lege possit deleri hoc decreuit vt solam fidem poneret per quam onmium peccata aboleret vt quia nulla spes per legem omnibus hominibus erat dei misericordia saluarentur Because sin began to be increased by the craft of the aduersary that man through the restraint mought bee found more giltie God of hys mercifull goodnes alwayes carefull for man that that which without law was transgressed might in the lawe be blotted out decreed this Namely to appoint fayth onely to be the meane whereby he would extinguish the sinne of all men that seing no hope was left to any man in the lawe they might by the mercy of God be saued Agayne the same Ambrose In Christo Iesu data est gratia quia hoc constitutum est vt qui credit in Christum saluus sit sine opere sola fide gratîs accipiens remissionem peccatorum In Christ Iesu is grace geuen forasmuch as this with God is decreed that who so beleueth in Christ is saued by fayth only without worke receauing freely forgeuenes of sinnes Agayne Hillarius vpon the 8. of Mathew hath these wordes Sola fides iustisicat onely fayth doth iustifie Notwithstandyng these authorities of Scriptures and fathers yet do the aduersaries kéepe styll theyr brasen faces and stoutly sweare it stare it out that none but heretickes and schismatickes affirme that onely faith iustifieth Truely gentle reader if thou béest not setled in error thou cāst not but see their wicked and shameles facing in crying out that we corrupt the scriptures and that none of the fathers gathered out any such sense or meanyng of them concerning which matter thou hast heard diuers of them tell theyr owne tales Now it is here principally to be noted that wher mans iustification is a free remission of sinnes and imputation of righteousnes vnto hym through fayth in Christ it may be that because the phrase of the Scriptures of these aucthorityes attribute the same so many tymes to fayth that therefore some myght gather thereby that fayth is the efficiēt cause of mans iustification which is not so for the efficient cause is onely God euē as sinful mā destitute of Gods grace is the materiall cause and as the declaratiō of Gods iustice righteousnesse in performaunce of hys free promyse to the encrease of the glory of hys grace is the finall cause And forasmuch as vnto this worke two instrumentes were requisite the one to be vsed by God whiche was Chryst of whom hée made the sacrifice and offeryng the other to be vsed by man whiche is fayth Therefore that fayth beyng as I saide the instrument whiche taketh holde of the promyse hath relation vnto the obiecte of fayth Namely vnto Chryst and the promyse and so hath the title of iustification imputed vnto it for so sayth the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and God imputed that to him for righteousnesse Whyche Paule dyuers tymes rehearseth to shewe that fayth is not the efficient cause of iustificatyon but the obiecte of fayth Namelye Chryst and the promyse And that fayth receyueth the tytle thereof onelye by imputation and not by proprietie of nature Namely because it is that wherewith man taketh holde of Christ and the promise whiche I thought worthy the notyng Thus hauyng shewed the nature of the newe couenaunt touchyng mans iustification and that fayth is the onely meane required in man to the attaynement thereof it followeth Cap. 9. ¶ To know the certayne tokens of that fayth wherunto iustification is imputed and the difference betwene the workes of the faythfull the works required in the law FAyth beyng the gift of God as Paule to the Phillippians affirmeth for vnto you sayth he it is geuen not onelye to beleue in Christ but also to suffer for hym fayth I say beyng the gyft of God is accompanyed wyth newnesse of lyfe which possesseth suche beautyes of Gods grace as forthwyth kyndle the soule or mynde wyth desire of true obedyence vnto God by ingraftyng hym both into the similitude of the death of Christ whereby he dyeth vnto sinne and also into the similitude of hys resurrection whereby hée ryseth vnto a newe lyfe beyng sure that the olde man of synne is crucified that henceforth hée shoulde no more be seruaunt to sinne So that now she trayneth hys affection towardes the thynges aboue from the thynges on the earth in that hée is dead to synne his life béeing hydden in Chryst wyth God whereby hée laboureth to mortifye the affectiōs of the earthly members as hauing put of the olde man with hys workes and put on the new whiche is renued in knowledge after the Image of God shapen vnto righteousnesse and true holines laboring not to greue the spirite of God by whom he is sealed vnto the daye of redemption but knowing himselfe the temple of the holy ghost laboreth to clense and purifie the same Whiche desire is not now kindled in hym as in respecte of merite but as proper and peculiar vnto the faith which through grace hath takē the possession of the mind wherby he is trāsformed into the similitude of Chryst so that where before he yelded himselfe seruant vnto all the workes of the fleshe now contrarywise he laboureth to pursue all the woorkes proper vnto the spirite Beyng certayne that the grace of God whyche bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth hym that hée shoulde denye vngodlinesse and worldly lust◠and that he should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present lyfe Séeyng Chryst gaue him selfe for him to redéeme him from all vnrighteousnesse to purge hym peculiar vnto him selfe feruently geuen to good workes that so he might walke worthy of the Lorde in all thinges that please being fruitfull in all good woorkes and increasing to the knowledge of God because hée is hys workemanshyp created in Chryst Iesus vnto good woorkes whiche God ordayned that he shoulde walke in them Now forasmuch as these be the proprieties or fruites belongyng to regeneration whyche entreth wyth true fayth Therefore presentlye where soeuer she taketh place shée maketh her selfe knowne by these effectes and forthwith vpon her arriuall begynneth fight with the olde man of sinne and déedes of the same And whereas before whilèst the strong armed man namely the deuill kept the pallace that is possessed the soule or mynde all thinges were in peace that is man slumbred in security féelyng no fight in conscience Now so soone as a stronger commeth in place namelye the holy ghost furnishyng the minde with true faith whereupon newnes of lyfe and true godlinesse atténde Then foorthwyth entreth man into the christian fight for presently all the forenamed graces are encountred by the deuyll and the corruptyon of hys sinfull and rebellious nature according to these sayinges Hostis noster adhuc in hac vita nos positos quanto magis nos sibi rebellare
quia no est meritorum sed gratiae Dei. But that men should be iustified their callyng goeth before whyche is not of merite but of the fauour of god And agayne Propter nomen tuum domine viuificabis me attendite quantum potestis gratiae commendationem qua gratîs salui facti estis propter nomen tuum Domine viuificabis me non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam propter nomen tuum Domine viuificabis me in tua iustitia non in mea non quia ego merui sed quia tu misereris nam etsi meum ostenderem meritum nihil abs te mererer nisi supplicium auulsisti merita mea inseruisti dona tua Lorde thou shalt quicken mee for thy names sake Marke diligentlye the commendacion of that grace whereby yee are freelye saued Lorde for thy names sake shalt thou quicken mee not vnto vs Lorde not vnto vs but vnto thy name geeue the glorye Lorde for thy name sake shalte thou quicken mee in thy ryghteousnesse not in myne not because I haue deserued it but because thou hast mercye on mee for if I shoulde shewe my meryte I shoulde deserue nothyng of the punyshment thou hast weeded oute my merytes and haste ingraft thy free gyfte And agayne Ipsa est perfectio hominis inuenisse se non esse perfectum That is mans perfection to knowe himselfe to bee vnperfect And agayne Sicut nulla sunt tam detestanda facinora quae possunt gratiae arcere donum Ita nulla possunt tam praeclara opera existere quibus hoc quod gratîs tribuitur per retributionis iudicium debeatur vilesceret enim redemptio sanguinis Christi nec misericerdiae Dei humianorum operum praerogatiua succumberet si iustificatio qua fit per gratiam meritis praecedentibus deberetur vt non munus largientis sed merces esset operantis Lyke as there is none so detestable outrages as can restraine the free gyft of grace so can there bee no woorkes so excellent that this whyche is freelye geeuen shoulde bee dewe vnto them by actyon of debte for then the redemptyon of Chryste shoulde in deede bee nothing woorth neyther shoulde the worthynes of mans woorkes bee inferyor to the mercye of GOD if the iustification whiche is geuen of grace shoulde bee a debt dewe vnto merites so it shoulde not bee the larges of the geeuer but the dewe hyer of a laborer And agayne Augustine sayeth Nec quisquam dicat meritis suorum operum aut meritis crationum suarum vel meritis fidei suae traditam Dei gratiam putetur verum esse quod illi haeretici dicunt gratiam Dei secundum merita nostra dari quod omnium est falsissimum Let noe man say that for the merites of his workes or for the merites of his prayers or for the merites of his faith the grace of God is deliuered vnto hym And so that whiche those heretyckes saye bee countēd true namelye that accordyng to our merites the grace of God is geeuen then the whiche nothyng can bee more false And agayne Gratias agamus Domino saluatori nostro qui nos nullis praecēdentibus meritis vnlneratos curauit Let vs geeue thankes vnto oure Lorde and Sauyour whyche healed vs beyng wounded wythout any foregone merytes of oures Possunt quidem dicere remissionem peccatorum esse gratiam quae nullis praecedentibus meritis datur They may in deede affirme remission of sinnes to be grace whiche is geuen to no foregone merytes Agayne the same Augustine wryteth agaynst the heresie of extollyng mans merytes Vnde supradictam Epistolam ad Sextum Romanae Ecclesiae praesbyteron co ntra nouos haereticos Pelagianos noueritis esse conscriptam qui dicunt gratiam Dei secundum merita dari vt qui gloriatur non in Domino sed in seipso glorietur hoc est in homine non in Domino VVhereupon vnderstād that the forenamed Epistle to Sixtus an elder of the Churche of Rome is wrytten agaynst the Pelagians the newe heretickes whyche affirme the grace of GOD to bee geeuen accordyng to merytes that hee that gloryeth shoulde not glory in the Lorde but in hym selfe that is in man and not in the Lorde Woulde not the same Augustine think you if he now were lyuing attribute the same name of heretickes vnto the Papistes whiche in this poynt affirme Pelagians heresie Yes assuredly but heare him further Thus writeth hée in an other place Sed Pelagianis non immeritò anathema dicimus qui tam sunt inimici gratiae Dei quae venit per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum vt eam dicant non gratîs sed secundum merita nostra dari ac si gratia non iam sit gratia Neyther do wee vnworthely accurse the Pelagians whyche bee such enemies vnto the grace of God which commeth by Iesus Chryste oure Lorde that they affirme the same not to bee frely geuen but accordyng vnto our merytes as thoughe grace were nowe no grace And agayne Nulla ne ergo sunt merita iustorum sunt planè quia iusti sunt sed vt iusti fierent merita non fecerunt iusti enim facti sunt sed sicut dicit Apostolus iustificati gratîs per gratiam ipsius Then are there no merytes of the ryghteous yes in deede are there because the doers be ryghteous but that they shoulde be made ryghteous their merytes wrought not that they in deede bee made ryghteous but as the Apostle sayeth they are iustyfied freely by hys grace And agayne hée affirmeth Deum nullis meritis hominum gratiam suam dare That GOD geeueth hys grace in respect of noe mans merytes And agayne Chrisostom saith thus Et si millies moriamur si omnes virtutes animae expleamus◠nihil dignum gerimus ad ea quae ipsi a deo percepimus Although we should dye a thousand tymes and thoughe we should accomplish all the vertues of the mynde yet doe we nothing worthy of those things whiche wee receaue of GOD. Agayne Bernard in his 53. Sermon Hoc totum hominis meritum si totam spem ponat in eo qui totum saluum fecit This is the whole merite of man if hee put hys whole trust in him that hath saued the whole Unto this place may be applyed all the aucthorities rehearsed in the 8. Chapter about the iustification of fayth Hauing now shewed what mans merite or deserte is I think it now conuenient to procéede to the consideration of those authorities which I put in the seconde sorte namely such places of Scripture as eyther seeme wyth outward sounde of wordes to take iustification from fayth or attribute the same to woorkes through coulor whereof some of the aduersaries reason thus Paule say they hath nothing more strongly to proue iustification of fayth then that the Scripture imputeth faith vnto Abraham for righteousnes wherefore if now we can shewe that God also in the Scriptures imputeth
THE IMAGE OF NATVRE AND GRACE conteynyng the whole course and condition of mans estate written by Richard Caundishe ¶ Sub laudibus naturae latent inimici gratia The enemies of Grace do lurke vnder the prayse of Nature AVGVSTINE ¶ Seene and allowed AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwellyng ouer Aldersgate ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis ⧠To all that throughe simplicitie of conscience and lacke of true knowledge embrace the doctrine of the Papistes Richard Caundishe wisheth the spirite of true vnderstandyng SEyng the dignitie excellency of euerye knowledge standeth in the woorthynes of the subiect or matter whereof it entreateth therfore is this know ledge worthy all reuerēce which betwen your vnfrendly abusers and vs your vncredited frends is so diuerslie handled with contrary iudgemente because the subiect or matter thereof is our iustification reconciliation into the fauour of God agayn But alas thoughe the knowledge be sure and can not be changed seyng there can be but one truth yet to the searche of the same our wayes doe so differre that the one beyng settled the other is subdued Whereof briefly to examine the principall passages can not be vnworthy of diligent trauell The matter is weighty for therein consisteth the glorye of God and saluatiō of our selues Enquire of your teachers from whence they would haue you to seeke for the truth if they say frō them selues you are not so simple to thinke them sufficiēt to direct your fayth you will looke at theyr handes for some further authorities if they say from the fathers yet try or you trust thē for feare they deceyue you The fathers are many theyr reasons are diuers they felt theyr infirmities their writynges do smell of it wherfore vpon theyr opinions onely to repose the iudgement of the truth it can not bee possible to great is the diuersitie of theyr seuerall assertions though great were theyr giftes and they worthy reuerence yet ech felt hys lacke whiche sometymes appeared in dissentyng from hym selfe by latter reuokynges of former opinions by earnest reprouynges of other their fellowes Hierome writyng vpon this place of the 23. of Mathew where Christ charged the Scribes and Pharisies with that innocent bloud that was shed from Abell vnto Zacharye the sonne of Barachye affirmeth that some of the Fathers dyd thinke it was Zacharye the father of Iohn Baptist Touching the credite of whose opinion hee thus writeth Hoc quia ex sacris literis authoritatem nō habet eadem facilitate refellitur qua probatur Seyng this sayth hee hath no authoritie oute of the Scriptures it maye as easely be denyed as affirmed Here by it appeareth what authoritie this father hym selfe attributed to the fathers where they bryng any thing not warranted by the Scriptures of God touchyng the authority of the fathers thus writeth Augustine Noli ergo frater cōtra diuina tam multa tam clara tam indubitata testimonia colligere velle calumnias ex Episcoporum scriptis siue nostrorum siue Hilarij primò quia hoc genus literarum ab authoritate canonis distinguendum est Nō enim fic leguntur tanquam ita ex eis testimonium proferatur vt contrà sentire non liceat sic vbi fortè aliter senserint quà m veritas postulat c. Broother seeke not agaynst so many so clere and so assured testimonies of the scriptures to gather wrāglyng matters out of the Bishops writynges whether it bee out of myne or out of Hilaries first because this kind of writyngs is to be deuided from the authoritie of the Canon for they are not so read as thogh itwer not lawful to thinke cōtrary to the testimonies gathered out of them where they happe to meane otherwise thē the truth requireth Thus you see within what limites or boundes the good fathers enclosed the authoritie of theyr owne writynges submittyng them selues alwayes to the iudgement of the Scriptures Agayne the same Augustine disputyng with Hierome aboute Paules reprouyng of Peter mentioned in the seconde to the Galathians doth appeale from the authoritie of the fathers which Hierome alledged vnto the Scriptures Thus you see the fathers condēned all doctrine not confirmed by the Scriptures And I dare boldly affirme it that your teachers them selues on whom ye repose you if they be well awaked will not so aduaunce the fathers that in them alone you should repose the directiō of your fayth if that be theyr meanyng they do but decayue you deale nothyng playnely The fathers dissented howe should they then direct you some held open errours whiche they must nedes cōdemne will they haue you beleue with Origene that onely the father knoweth hym selfe and that the sonne knoweth not the father neither the holy ghost the sonne neither the angels the holy ghost with whiche errour they well know that Origene is charged wil they haue you with that good father beleu that al men shal be saued and leaue no subiect matter for the triumph of Gods iustice They dare not so teache you will they haue you with Irenaeus Victorius Papias Lactantius Methodius and many other of the excellent learned fathers subscribe to the heresie of the Millinaries I know they will deny it Will they haue you with Augustin diffinitiuely iudge all infātes dying without baptisme to be dāned that the Sacrament should be ministred to infantes They wil neuer alow both Wil they haue you with Cyprian new christen all such heretickes as were baptised out of the Churche if afterwardes they be conuerted They do not so teach you Will they haue you with Hierome condemne all seconde mariages for whoredom What soeuer they thincke they dare not affirm it Wil they haue you with Denice at the buriall of the dead to annoynt the corses with oyle Them selues do not vse it Wil they haue you to follow the example of Benet who commaunded the Sacrament to be put into the mouthe of a dead Nunne They will not confesse it And to conclude because the Fathers many times say true they abuse theyr names to lead you to error Your leaders themselues in substaunce of truth dissent from the Fathers and lead you to mischiefe with some of theyr errors You see howe the greatest had faultes full of dainger which must nedes make you feare to hange your faythe vppon them That grounde is to sclender for so weighty a cause you see howe they erred yee ought to be carefull seing therby you haue cause to knowe they were but men If you tell this to your leaders and require at theyr handes a moe certayne ground to builde on your fayth they will sende you to the Councelles for they can not erre the pope is theyr warrante because they affirme it they would haue you beleue it but be not to hastie to wage them with credite Take these for exāples that Councels may erre The Councell of Aremine consented to the heresie of the Arrians The secōd Councell of Ephesus did leane
to the heresie of the Eutychians And the Calcedon councell woulde haue geuen to Leo Byshop of Rome the name of vniuersall byshop if the good father being absente had not vtterly refused it But thys your blinde guides do hold for sound doctrine But no former Coūcel would euer so iudge it The Councell where Cyprian was chiefe did consent to the rebaptising of hereticks And did not the Councell of Constaunce breake the institution of the sacrament of the bloud of Christ in withholding the cup from the laitie which no Councell before woulde haue allowed Thus in the Councels you see open error and that they alwaies teach not a constant truthe But Salomon affirmeth that a true mouth is euer constante but you see the councell not so and therefore by these wordes of Salomon subiect to vntruth wherby it appeareth that they containe not the fountaine of truth wherupon to gather the direction of your fayth and what authoritie the fathers them selues attributed to the Councels may easely be iudged by these wordes of Augustine against Maximine an Arrian byshop Thus he writeth Sed nunc nec ego Nicenum nec tu debes Ariminense tāquam praeiudicaturus proferre concilium nec ego huius authoritate nec tu illius detineris scripturarum au thoritatibus non quorumcunque propriis sed vtrisque communibus testibus res cū re causa cū causa ratio cum ratione concertet But nowe neyther may I alledge the councel of Nice nor you the councell of Arrimine to others preiudice neyther stande I bound to the authoritie of thys nor you to the authoritie of that but by the authoritye of the Scriptures which are witnesses proper to neither of vs but common to vs bothe let matter bee compared with matter cause with cause and reason with reason Thus you may see your leaders abuse you theyr stuffe is but feeble they flie from the rocke and builde vpon sande theyr groundes bee vnconstant ye ought to forsake thē theyr hope is still doubtfull their faythe is vncertaine their sute without comfort Refuse them for the better and geue eare to him that cryeth I am the way the truth and the life Know you who spake it He that neuer told lye he in whose mouth was no guile he that liueth in truth in equitie and righteousnes he at whose anger the mountaines shall melt euen the Lorde Iesus Christ him selfe he it is that speaketh it vnto you If he wished not your saluation he would not teach you the way In that he sayth he is the way haue ye not warning enough that there is no other way besides him Why then do ye stray into pathes of perdition returne heare him his word is a light vnto the feet of the righteous Thy word saith Dauid is a light to my feete Thē folow the light that ye may bee sure to see whether ye goe at the presence thereof al darknes doth vanish desire you to be blessed I know you desire it Then put on the badge whereby to be knowne put on the delight which they that be blessed are furnished withal His delight saith Dauid is in the law of the Lord and in his law will he exercise him selfe both day and night The scriptures be that light that whosoeuer foloweth can not walke in darkenes whereby not onely the fathers and Councelles but the whole worlde shal also be iudged as Christ him selfe witnesseth The worde sayth he which I speake shal iudge in the last day The maiesty whereof the fathers had in due reuerence as partly ye haue heard in that they acknowledged the same onely iudge of all councelles and writinges And touching farther confirmation hereof thus writeth Hierome Omne quod loquimur debemus affirmare de scripturis sanctis Whatsoeuer we affirme we must proue it by the holy scriptures And agayne Chrisostome speaking of these wordes of Abraham in the parable of the ritch glotton that If they would not beleue Moses and the prophetes neyther would they beleue him that should come from the dead Writeth thus Haec autē Christus ipse inducit in parabola loquentem Abraham declarans se velle plus fidei habendam esse scripturis quā si mortui reuiuiscant Paulus verò porrò cum Paulum dico ipsum Christum dico hic enim erat qui eius mentem agebat etiam Angelis è caelo descendentibus praeponit scripturas idque valdè congruenter Siquidem Angeli quà mlibet magni tamen serui sunt ministri Coeterum omnes scripturae non à seruis sed abvniuersorum domino Deo venerunt ad nos Christ him selfe in the parable bringeth in Abrahā to speake this to declare that he would haue more credite to be geuen to the scriptures then vnto the dead if they should reuiue agayne And Paule when I name Paule I name Christe for hee it was that directed hys mynde Paule I say preferreth the Scriptures before the Angels though they should discend from heauen and that very aptly for although they be mighty yet be they seruantes and ministers but al the scriptures came vnto vs not from seruantes but from the Lord and God of all thinges And agayne Augustine Titubat fides si diuinarum scripturarum vacillat authoritas If the authoritie of the holy scriptures wauer then doth fayth stumble Agayne Augustine in his 157. Epistle hath this sense Sine Scripturarum authoritate nihil desiniendum Nothing is to be affirmed without authoritie of the Scriptures Thus you see the good and holy fathers in the Primative Church gaue the whole preheminence and iudgementes of all truth vnto the holy Scriptures Wherefore in forsaking your blind and vnfrendly teachers and following the example and counsel of these reuerend fathers apply your selues to the study thereof and ye shall soone finde out infallible rules to be wray the treachery of your guilfull deceauers this is one of the easiest and it can neuer faile it is gathered out of Paul to the Romanes as a sure touchstone to discerne truth frō errour his wordes bee these But nowe is the righteousnes of God declared without the law hauing witnes of the lawe and the Prophets By which wordes this rule is plainly gathered that the righteousnes of God hath alwaies the witnes of the lawe and the Prophets what soeuer is truth the lawe and the Prophets that is to say the Scriptures will euer acknowledge and what soeuer doctrine they geue not witnes vnto is falsehoode and errour Now if your blind teachers would make you beleue that the search of the scriptures belongeth not vnto you Christ him selfe doth teach you the contrary And whether it be more right to follow him or thē iudge your selues Search the Scriptures sayth he for those are they that beare witnes of me Ye see how Christ him selfe doth followe the rule he claimeth witnes of the law and the Prophets he geueth the Scriptures for the discerner of truth And in an other place