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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17308	Truth's triumph ouer Trent: or, the great gulfe betweene Sion and Babylon That is, the vnreconcileable opposition betweene the Apostolicke Church of Christ, and the apostate synagogue of Antichrist, in the maine and fundamentall doctrine of iustification, for which the Church of England Christs spouse, hath iustly, through Gods mercie, for these manie yeares, according to Christs voyce, separated her selfe from Babylon, with whom from henceforth she must hold no communion. By H.B. rector of S. Mathews Friday-Street.	Burton, Henry, 1578-1648.	1629 (1629)	STC 4156; ESTC S107077	312,928	398

they vtterly renounce all Certainety of Faith and of Saluation For what certainty of Faith can there bee if the holy Scriptures the obiect and ground of Faith be not certaine And what certainty can there bee in the Scriptures if they must depend vpon the authority of the Church for their certainetie And what certainty can there be in the Church if this Church be no other than the Church of Rome And what certainety can there bee in the Church of Rome when it wholly depends vpon a the only breast of a sinfull man vpon whose infallibilitie notwithstanding the whole Pontifician Church cannot finde no not the least footing for any Certainty of Saluation to stand vpon But to remoue this heape of Rubbish although for multiplicity of Controuersie it be growne to a mighty Mountain which may seeme to exceede the strength and labour of Hercules himselfe to remoue yet I trust with one small graine of Faith to ouerturne this Mountaine into the Sea For first whether was the Word of God or the Church more ancient Was not Gods Word For by the voyce thereof was the Church first called Where was the Church when the Gospell began first to be reuealed Gen. 3. 15. As yet the whole world in Adam and Eue lay buried in Apostacy and now totus mundus in maligno positus the whole world lay in wickednesse till this Word of the Gospell of the promised and blessed seede of the woman made a separation and did constitute a Church So that the first ground and foundation of the Church is the Word of God as it was also of the first frame of the Creation Hereupon the Apostle saith That the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the chiefe corner stone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord. The foundation of the Apostles and Prophets is the Old and New Testament whereof Christ Iesus is the chiefe corner stone Away with the blasphemy of the Councell of Lateran that calleth the Pope Leo the tenth the corner stone and the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda and many such blasphemous titles which are proper and peculiar only to the person of Christ. But that eyther the Church or the Pope of Rome had any such authority and power ouer the Scriptures it was neuer known in those purer times of the Church when the sweet and salutiferous streames of the waters of life were not as yet poysoned and imbittered with that Luciferian wormewood starre that fell from heauen It was in those primitiue and virgine times the Catholicke Doctrine of the Church That the Church was to be ruled by the Scriptures and not the Scriptures by the Church much lesse by any one man St Augustine saith De Catholica Ecclesia id credant homines quod Diuinae Scripturae dicunt non quod linguae humanae maledicunt Let men beleeue that concerning the Catholicke Church which the Diuine Scriptures doe say and not which mens tongues doe mis-say By which place we see that the Catholicke Church is to bee estimated according to that which the Scriptures testifie of it Therefore not contrary And in his Booke of the vnity of the Church Ecclesiam suam demonstrent c. Let the Donatists shew mee their Church not in the tales and rumours of the Affricans not in the Synods of their Bishops not in the learning of their disputants not in their deceitfull signes and prodigies for wee are fore-warned and fore-armed against such things by the word of the Lord but in the prescript of the Law in the predictions of the Prophets in the songs of the Psalmes in the Shepheards owne voyce in the preachings and labours of the Euangelists to wit in all the Canonicall authorities of the holy Bookes Nor so saith hee as that they collect and quote such places as are obscurely or ambiguously or figuratiuely spoken which euery man interprets at his pleasure according to his owne sense For such places cannot be truly vnderstood and expounded vnlesse first those which are most plainely deliuered bee by a firme Faith entertained Note here the Catholicke doctrine of those times teaching that the authority and sense of the Scriptures depended not vpon the Church but the authority of the Church vpon the Scriptures and the Scriptures were to bee interpreted by themselues to wit the more obscure places by the more plaine as he speaketh often elsewhere in his Bookes De doctrina Christiana I will adde one place in steed of many Quit autem nesciat c. Who can bee ignorant saith hee that the holy Canonicall Scripture as well of the Old as of the New Testament is contained within its owne fixed limits and that it is so preferred before all the latter writings of Bishops as that it may not bee disputed or doubted off whether it bee true or salse whatsoeuer is found written in it and for the writings of Bishops which eyther haue beene or are written after the establishment of the Canon of Scriptures they haue beene subiect to the wiser iudgements and grauer authorities of some more skilfull and learned Bishops and might bee censured by Councels if ought therein swarued from the truth and those very Councels themselues which are prouinciall doe without scruple submit to the authority of plenary Councels assembled from the vniuersall Christian world of those plenary generall Councels often times the former are corrected by the latter when by some better experiment of things that which was shut is opened and that which was hid is made known without any swelling of sacrilegions pride without any strouting of arrogancy without any contention of bleake enuie with holy humility with Catholicke peace with Christian charity So that Bishops are corrigible by prouinciall Councels these by generall Councels and these also by some latter Councels as being all subiect to imperfection But the holy Scriptures come vnder the f●rula of no Bishop or Councell to bee censured Nay as Augustine saith Titubabit fides si diuinarum Scriptunar ●●●●cillat authoritas Faith will stagger and stumble if the authority of the diuine Scriptures doe wauer And hee taxeth the Manicheans of this impiety and sacriledge that they went about quite to take away the authority of the Scriptures approuing any thing not because they found it written in that supreame authority but because their fancy tooke a liking to it therefore they approued the Scriptures And so their priuate s●●s● must giue authority to the Scriptures which they frame to their owne fancy and not the Scriptures giue authority to their Doctrines What difference then is there betweene the Pontificians and the Manicheans in this maine point But the Pontificians of old obiect vnto vs one speciall authority out of St. Augustine to ouerthrow all that hee hath said for the supreame authority of the Scriptures aboue the Church His words are which they obiect and wherein

they greatly triumph to proue the authority of the Church aboue the Scriptures Ego Euangelio non crederem ●isi●e Catholicae Ecclesiae c●●m●●eret authoritas that is I should not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authority of the Catholicke Church did moue me Now if we obserue the occasion of this saying of Augustine it will easily appeare that hee had no such meaning as to preferre the authority of the Catholicke Church before the authority of the holy Scriptures for then hee should with one breath contradict the whole tenure of all his writings wherein hee still aduanceth the authority of the Scriptures aboue all as irrefragable supreame and subiect to no authority Now the occasion of this speech of Augustine was this Manicheus a grand Heretique writes an Epistle to Augustine wherein he stiles himselfe Manichaeus Apostolus Iesu Christi prouidentia Dei Patris that is Manicheus the Apostle of Iesus Christ by the prouidence of God the Father Whereupon Augustine saith Haec sunt salubria verba de perenni ac vi●● fonte These are wholesome words from the eternall liuing fountain But with your good patience saith Augustine if it please you obserue what I require Non credo istum esse Apostolum Christi quaeso ne succenseatis maledicere incipiatis c. I doe not beleeue that this is an Apostle of Christ I pray you bee not angry and fall a reuiling for you know that I am resolued to beleeue nothing rashly that you say I aske therefore who this Manicheus is you will answer me an Apostle of Christ. I doe not beleeue it Now thou hast nothing what to say or doe for thou didst promise me the knowledge of the truth and now thou constrainest mee to beleeue that which I know not But haply thou wilt reade the Gospell vnto me and out of that thou wilt assay to proue the person of Manicheus Now if thou shouldst finde any man who as yet doth not beleeue the Gospell what wouldst thou doe if he said vnto thee I doe not beleeue it Ego vero Euangelio non crederem nisi c. For I should not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authority of the Catholicke Church did moue me Quibus ergo c. whom then I haue obeyed when they said Beleeue the Gospell why should I not beleeue them saying vnto me Doe not beleeue Manicheus Elige quid velis Choose which thou wilt If thou wilt say Beleeue the Catholickes they admonish mee to giue no credit to you Wherefore giuing credit to them I cannot but not beleeue thee if thou shalt say Doe not beleeue the Catholickes thou goest not the right way to compell me by the Gospell to the faith of Manicheus seeing I beleeued the Gospell it selfe being preached vnto mee by the Catholickes And so forth to this purpose Augustine pursueth his discourse So we see the question is about the truth of Manicheus his title calling himselfe an Apostle of Iesus Christ c. This hee obtrudes and thrusts vpon Augustine to giue credit to it Augustine and that worthily makes question of it Hee would haue him proue it by the Gospell Well But Manicheus foylteth in some counterfeit Gospell wherein he stiles himselfe an Apostle of Iesus Christ a Gospell that was neuer acknowledged for Canonicall Scripture But Manicheus will haue it receiued for Gospell How shall it be tryed Is it therefore Gospel because Manicheus saith it Or doth the Gospell depend vpon the testimony of one man No saith Augustine Pagan-Infidels are brought to receiue and beleeue the Gospell by the preaching of the Catholicke Church which hath from time to time kept the Canon of Scriptures intire without the mixture of counterfeit Gospels By this authority of the Catholicke Church to wit by the preaching of the Gospell by the Church Augustine himselfe when hee was a Manichee was wonne to the faith of the Gospell Hence it is that instancing himselfe for one that as yet beleeued not the Gospell hee saith Ego non crederem Euangelio c. I should not that is I if I were as once I was an vnbeleeuing Manichee I should not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authority of the Catholicke Church did moue me So that hee makes the comparison betweene the authority of the Catholicke Church and the authority of one man Manicheus The question is Whether Augustine if he were a neutrall beleeuer as yet neyther beleeuing that Gospell which Manicheus bringeth neuer heard of before nor that which the Catholicke Church preacheth and hath euer taught should rather bee induced by the peremptory authority of one sole man to beleeue a new Gospell than by the authenticke authority of the Catholick Church of Christ to beleeue the euerlasting Gospell of Iesus Christ comprehended in both the Testaments and perpetually receiued preserued professed preached and beleeued of the Catholicke Church from all ages In this case Augustine inclines cleaues to the authority of the Catholick Church And what true Catholicke doth not reuerence the authority of the Church of God bringing him to Christ by the preaching of the Gospell as the Samaritan woman brought her neighbour Citizens to Christ But being brought vnto Christ after they had heard him themselues they said to the woman Now we beleeue not because of thy saying for wee haue heard him our selues and know that this is indeede the Christ the Sauiour of the world So euery beleeuer may say I was first induced and as it were led by the hand and voice of the Church to beleeue the Gospell of Christ but after that I haue heard receiued and beleeued Christ himselfe speaking in the Scriptures I now beleeue not for the Church or any mans saying but for the authority of Christ and the Scriptures themselues As Augustine ingeniously saith to Paulina Nolo authoritatem meam sequaris vt c. I would not haue you follow my authority that you should therefore thinke it necessary to beleeue any thing because it is spoken by mee but beleeue eyther the Canonicall Scriptures or the truth that doth inwardly teach and giue testimony thereof For if a truth bee once confirmed by the euident authority of holy Scriptures to wit those which in the Church are called Canonicall it is without all doubting to be beleeued And in his third booke against Maximinus an Arrian Bishop disputing about the word Homousion Augustine saith Nec ego Nicenum nec tu debes Ariminense c. Neyther ought I to vrge the authority of the Nicene Councell nor you that of Ariminum for neyther am I bound to the authority of this nor you of that but both of vs are bound to the authorities of the Scriptures common witnesses to vs both and vnpartiall to eyther So let thing with thing cause with cause reason with reason contend Such was the Catholicke Doctrine of those times wherein Augustine liued that the authority of the Canonicall Scriptures was aboue all other authority eyther of Bishops

or prouinciall Synods or generall Councels In those times the man of sinne had not thus exalted himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped as to vsurpe authority ouer the sacred Scriptures whose authority is venerable as Augustine saith Omnia qu● profer●●tur à sanctis Scripturis plena veneratione suscipere debemus All things whatsoeuer are deliuered out of the holy Scriptures wee ought to entertaine with all reuerence As Tertullian saith Adoro Scripturae plenitudinem I adore the fulnesse of the Scriptures But what need we further testimonies to vindicate thisi Catholick truth that the authority of holy Scriptures was euer aboue the Church yet we will only adde a testimony or two that in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word may be established In St. Chrysostomes workes the vncertaine author but allowed of all euen of the Pontificians themselues vpon the 24. Chapter of St. Matthew vpon these words Then when yee shall see the abomination of desolation stand in the holy place let them which are in Iudea flee to the mountaines saith thus that is When ye shall see wicked heresie which is the Army of Antichrist standing in the holy places of the Church then they which are in Iudea let them flye to the Mountaines that is they which are in Christianity let them betake themselues to the Scriptures For as a true Iew is a Christian as the Apostle saith Hee is not a Iew that is one outward but hee that is one inward So the true Iudea is Christianity whose name doth signifie Confession And the Mountaines are the Scriptures of the Apostles and Prophets as it is said of the Church her foundation is vpon the holy Mountaines And why at this time doth hee command all Christians to betake themselues to the Scriptures Because at this time since Heresie hath inuaded the Churches there can be no triall of true Christianity nor other refuge for Christians which desire to know the truth of faith but the holy Scriptures For formerly it was knowne many wayes which was the Church of Christ and which was Gentilisme but now those which would know which is the true Church of Christ cannot know it by any other meanes but by the Scriptures Why Because all those things which are proper to Christ in the truth the same also heresies haue in a figure or similitude they haue likewise Churches they haue likewise the Diuine Scriptures themselues likewise Bishops and other Orders of Clerkes likewise Baptisme likewise the Eucharist and all other things and in a word Christ himselfe Therefore if any would know which is the true Church of Christ how can he in the confusion of so great a similitude discerne it but only by the Scriptures And many other things to this purpose doth the same author there set downe sending vs to the Scriptures as the only touch-stone to try the true Church from the false counterfeit Antichristian Church If therefore the true Church of Christ be known onely by the Scriptures then surely the Scriptures depend not vpon the authority of the Church But that must needes bee the Antichristian Church that challengeth and vsurpeth an absolute power ouer the Scriptures which for their authority and sense must be beholden to the Church to wit the Church of Rome to wit the Pope And the same Authour in the 44. Homily vpon the 23. of Matthew saith Hereticall Priests doe shut the gates of truth to wit the holy Scriptures for they know that if the truth should once bee made manifest then their Church is to be forsaken and themselues must come downe from their sacerdotall dignity to a popular basenesse and neither themselues doe enter into the truth of the Scriptures because of their auarice nor suffer others to enter by reason of ignorance But in a point so cleare and not once called into question among the Fathers of former ages but onely by a sort of Heretiques as the Arrians and Manichees and the like still the authority of the Scriptures was preferred aboue all till of late dayes the Church of Rome hauing called from the dead the old hereticall vsurpation hath cryed downe this authoritie of the Scriptures We shall not need to produce more authorities out of the Fathers to vindicate the Scriptures authority aboue the Church or any man whatsoeuer Let vs conclude the controuersie onely with one question The Church of Rome challengeth authoritie ouer the Scriptures I would faine know who gaue her this authoritie For whatsoeuer authority the Church of Rome hath if shee haue it not from the Scriptures of what worth is her authority And if she haue her authority from the Scriptures how comes shee to challenge authority ouer that from whom shee receiueth her authority vnlesse the Church of Rome deale with the Scriptures in the case of authoritie as she hath dealt with the Emperours in the case of supremacy For the Bishop of Rome first receiued his supremacy ouer other Bishops from the Emperour hauing it confirmed by that vsurping Parricide Phocas This supremacy not long after grew to that height as that it ouer-topt the imperiall Soueraignety it selfe and so the Pope began to vsurpe authority ouer the Emperour of whom hee receiued his supreame authority Thus he dealeth with the Scriptures For the Pope cannot but confesse that what authority hee hath is grounded vpon the Scriptures else his authority is of no value yet notwithstanding the Pope is not ashamed to auouch that now the authority of the Scriptures doth wholly depend vpon him But if the Popes authority bee such as it hath no ground nor foundation in the Scriptures then he must proue it to bee some diuine Numen falling vnto him immediately from Heauen like the image that came downe from Iupiter so adored of those Ephesians whose Goddesse Diana was so famous Nor euer was that image nor that great Goddesse Diana more adored of the Ephesian world than this imaginary vnlimited transcendent power of the Pope ouer Scriptures and all adored of the Pontifician world But say some Angell from heauen brought him this power in a boxe Vnlesse this power haue vtterly taken away all power and Authoritie yea and truth from the Scriptures it cannot escape Pauls Anathema which Augustine applyeth and wherwith we will shut vp this point Siue de Christo c. Whether it be of Christ or of his Church or of any thing whatsoeuer pertaining to our faith and life I will not say Wee for wee are not to be compared to him that said Although that wee but as he addeth there If an Angel from heauen shall preach vnto you besides that which you haue receiued in the Legall and Euangelicall Scriptures let him bee accursed Now what can be of greater moment concerning faith and life than the Popes authority ouer the Scriptures which being not found in the Scriptures it is together with the Pope and all his worshippers branded with Anathema Which

iust namely of him who iustifieth the vngodly that of impious he may be made righteous Or surely it is so said They shall be iustified as if it were said They shall bee accounted iust they shall be reputed iust So he Thus we see though St. Augustine following the etymologie of the word take iustificare to iustifie or make iust yet hee meaneth nothing else but the accounting or reputing iust and not the infusing of grace whereby to be made iust And Bernard also saith Adde huc vt credas quod per ipsum tibi peccata donantur Hoc est testimonium quod perhibet in corde nostro Spiritus sanctus dicens Dimissa sunt tibi peccata Sic enim arbitratur Apostolus Gratis iustificari hominem per fidem Adde to this that thou beleeue that by him thy sinnes are forgiuen thee This is the testimonie which the holy Ghost beareth in our heart saying Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee For so the Apostle concludeth That a man is iustified freely by faith But let vs heare from the holy Ghosts own mouth in the Scriptures he will leade vs into all truth To iustifie in Scripture is vsually taken in a iudiciall sense as beeing properly a iudiciall word iustification beeing opposed to condemnation The Hebrewes haue one word which signifies to iustifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is still applyed to such a iustification as a man stands vpon in a iudiciall tryall As Genesis 44. 16. Mah nits tadhac how shall wee iustifie our selues said Iudah to his brother Ioseph in regard of the cup found in Beniamins sacke which seemed now to be brought to aiudiciall Tryall So 2. Sam. 15. 4. Absolon wisheth hee were Iudge of the Land that hee might doe euery man iustice or iustifie him Reade also for this purpose Deut. 25. 1. Psal. 51. 4. 1 Kings 8. 32. Pro. 17. 15. Esay 5. 23. 43. 26. Matth. 12. 37. 1. Cor. 4. 4. and many other places in Scripture to this purpose doe plainely shew how this word Iustifie is properly taken namely to acquit or cleere to pronounce or declare one iust by the sentence of the Iudge This sense of iustification the Church of Rome cannot endure they smother or at least smooth it ouer by slight of hand as a matter of no moment Whereas indeede there is nothing that will more directly leade vs to the true vnderstanding of the nature of iustification than the consideration of this word taken in a iudiciall sense wherein the holy Ghost doth vse it namely to acquit and absolue a man and pronounce him iust by sentence of iudgement This sheweth that the point of iustification of a sinner is not so light a matter as Papists and profane persons would make it No it is a Case to be tried at the barre of Gods iudgement-seate in whose sight shall no man liuing bee iustified Holy Iob while hee pleaded with his opposite friends hee wanted not matter for his iustification but when once the Lord God summons ●im out of the whirle-winde before his throne and bids him girde vp his loynes like a man Iob stands not now vpon his vprightnesse but confesseth I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand vpon my mouth c. Iob 40. 4. and 42. 5. I haue heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Yea hee had said before Chap. 9. 15. Whom though I were righteous yet would I not answer but I would make supplication to my Iudge for God is a righteous and seuere iudge and who may stand in his sight when he is angry when hee sits to iudge For the heauens are not cleane in his sight how much more abominable and filthie is man which drinketh iniquitie like water Iob 15. 16. If therefore our iustification be such as must proceede from Gods iudgement seate and must be sentenced by Gods owne mouth it neerely concernes euery Mothers Sonne to bee well aduised vpon what ground we stand what euidence wee can bring to cleare our selues to satisfie our vnpartiall Consciences to stop the mouth of the accusing Diuell and to abide the fierie triall of that Iudge who is euen a consuming fire and will condemne euen the least sinne to the pit of hell But that wee may not mistake the true acception of iustification we are to consider iustification in a two-fold relation or respect either as it hath relation to God or to man before whom also we are said to be iustified but in a different yea opposite respect whereof we shall haue occasion to speake hereafter Here wee speake of Iustification in the first relation Now this iustification of a sinner in the sight of God whereof wee speake proceedeth from a iudiciall tryall In this sense it is vsed by the holy Ghost Rom. 8. 33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe c. This iustification the Lord Iesus doth oppose to condemnation Iohn 5. 24. where speaking of iudgement vers 22. he inferreth Verily Verily I say vnto you Hee that heareth my word and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death vnto life And like as Iesus Christ was condemned by a iudiciall proceeding Pilate giuing sentence though according to such euidence as was most vntrue in it selfe so all those for whom Christ was thus iudicially condemned shall be iudicially iustified and acquitted But this wil appear more clearly in setting down the formall cause of our iustification To speake to the capacity of the simple By formall cause is meant that which giues a being to iustification as forma dat esse the forme of a thing giues being vnto it That therefore which makes a man perfectly iust is called the formall cause of his iustification Now the Pontificians would hence conclude That inherent qualities must be the formall cause of iustification alledging the authority of Philosophers who say That the formall cause is the thing or quality which is in the subiect as the soule of man is in the body And therefore they exclude the righteousnesse of Christ whereby he is formally iust from being the formall cause of our iustification because say they Christs righteousnesse is in himselfe not in vs. But no maruaile if these Pontificians doe wrest the Maximes of Philosophers from their natiue sense when they dare so familiarly force the Scriptures themselues The Philosophers speake of a physicall formality but the holy Scriptures speake of the iustification of a sinner in the sight of God the forme whereof is relatiue and not physically inherent in vs. But be it so that the formall cause must alwayes be in the subiect to which it giues a being the formall cause then of iustification must be inherent Wherein

which the authors themselues were carefull to commit to print vpon this argument would scarce beleeue how many things were discussed about this Article and with what ardency not onely of the Diuines but also of all the Bishops who were perswaded that their opinion was right that they had hit vpon the truth So that the Cardinall of St. Crosse saw that many had more neede of a bridle than of spurres and by frequent digressions from the purpose and passages to other questions he often would expresse his desire of putting an end to this controuersie It was twice propounded in the Synod of the Prelates to relinquish altogether this question as being ambiguous long and tedious yet affection bearing sway they fell backe vpon it againe Thus farre the History which though somewhat long yet I hope the Reader will not thinke it more tedious in the reading of it than I haue done in the inserting of it which I haue the rather done that it might the more appear how this point of certainty hauing on the one side euidence of truth to confirme it and on the other humane wit and affection to oppugne it did puzzle and perplexe the whole Synod and fill them full of vncertainties Wee see those reasons and authorities alledged by the aduerse faction who were for vncertainty very acutely and pregnantly answered by Catarinus and those with him Also whereas they catched here and there at some passages of the Fathers seeming to fauour their doctrine of vncertainty it is well noted by the History that the Fathers might sometimes by accommodating their exhortations to the people as the occasion required represse the insolency of such as were presumptuous and vainly confident in the assurance of their saluation howsoeuer they continued in sinne whereas the Fathers in their maine discourses of faith speake most clearely in the confirmation of the certainty of iustification as we shall see hereafter Come wee now to Vega's incounters with the certainty of faith he takes great paines to beate the ayre what with answering what with vrging arguments for his Pontifician Goddesse Vncertainty now an Article of Romes faith Hee vndertakes according to his rare dexterity to answer all opposites and to expound or moderate the meaning of such authorities as are alledged out of the Scriptures or Fathers making them by some pretty quaint distinction to speake iust as him listeth The first place he bringeth for his vncertainty is out of Iob 9. 20. If I iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne mee if I say I am perfect it shall also proue me peruerse Vega makes much adoe about this place fending and prouing but the very sight of the Text is sufficient to confute his folly in applying it to his vncertainty of iustification when as this place doth giue such a deadly wound to their iustification it selfe by their inherent righteousnesse which holy Iob here vtterly disclaimeth But doth Iob here vtter one syllable of the vncertainty of his faith in God his Sauiour and Redeemer Nay doth he not protest the contrary Though he slay mee yet will I trust in him And vers 18. Behold now I haue ordered my cause I know that I shall be iustified Who is he that will pleade with mee What clearer testimony could this holy man giue of his strong confidence and assurance of his iustification by faith in God So that I maruaile Vega would at all meddle with the example of Iob who throughout his booke is such a cleare mirrour of a true beleeuer whose faith is fortified with all confidence and assurance sauing that hee can easily impute Iobs certainty to a speciall reuelation and not to the property of faith But let not Vega with his iugling by casting a false myst think so easily to eclipse the clear beames of truth With the like successe he is tampering with Dauid and Salomon He alledgeth that of Dauid Who can vnderstand his errors Hereupon he inferreth if a man doe not know his sins how can he be sure of his iustification To this allegation we neede vse no other answer but Bernards exposition which Vega himselfe both obiecteth and takes vpon him to answer that these words of Dauid are vnderstood onely of veniall sinnes not of mortall This Vega confessing to be verisimile very probable and likely to be true yet answereth that seeing mortall sinnes are more truely and properly sinnes and do more defile the soule than veniall sinnes why should these words bee restrained onely to veniall sinnes I will not now enter into a discussion of veniall and mortall sinnes a distinction most grosly and impiously abused by the Pontificians but this I say that according to the iudgement of Pontificians of veniall sinnes they must needes confesse that these words of Dauid must bee meant onely of veniall sinnes that is such as the Pontificians call veniall The very word in the vulgar Latine will beare no other sense Delicta which signifieth slippes or errors or certaine defects and omissions such as the Pontificians ranke amongst their veniall sinnes But this place of Dauid makes nothing at all against certainty of faith For what if a man yea the holiest man if Dauid doe not know his sinnes his slippes and errors yet while he complaines hereof and confesseth them in generall vnto God praying O cleanse thou me from my secret faults what hindreth but that God cleansing him from all his faults should seale vnto him the certainty of the remission of all his sins apprehended by a liuely faith As Dauid saith in the 32. Psalme Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered c. But how shall a man come to be certaine of this his blessednesse Dauid instanceth it in himselfe vers 5. I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquity haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne How did Dauid know that God had forgiuen his sinnes seeing he saith peremptorily Thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne Did not Dauid know this by the certainty of faith Vega I know hath his answer at his fingers ends and will say that Dauid came to know this eyther by speciall diuine reuelation or else by Nathans pronouncing Dauids absolution saying The Lord hath put away thy sinne Yea but Dauid tels vs in the next words that this was not his case alone but it was common to euery godly man in particular For this saith Dauid shall euery one that is godly pray vnto thee in a time when thou mayst be found that is Euery godly man should haue the like comfortable successe vpon his repentance as Dauid had and say with confidence as Dauid did Thou forgauest the transgression of my sinne But Vega suspecting the strength of the Father's authority he addes thereto the Sonnes to wit Salomons Pro. 20. 9. Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am pure from my sin Quis Who