neuer be graunted But a word with you by the way Your righteous man must ouer-skippe that petition of the Pater noster forgiue vs our debts for he is well assured that his debts be already pardoned For at the very first instant that he had faith he had Christs righteousnes applyed to him and thereby assurance both of the pardon of sinnes and of life euerlasting Wherefore he can not without infidelity distrust of his former justification or pray for remission of his debts but following the famous example of that formall Pharise in liew of demaunding pardon may wel say Luc. 18. O God I giue thee thankes that I am not as the rest of men extortioners vniust aduouterers as also these Papists Fearing the remission of my sinnes or the certayntie of my saluation but am well assured thereof and of Christs owne righteousnes too and so forth But to goe on with M. PERKINS discourse Here we must note that the Church of Rome cutteth off one principall dutie of faith for in faith saith M. PERKINS are two thinges first knowledge reuealed in the word touching the meanes of saluation Secondly an applying of thinges knowne vnto our selues which some call affiance the first they acknowledge So then by M. PERKINS owne confession Catholikes haue true knowledge of the meanes of saluation then he and his fellowes erre miserable The second which is the substance and principall they denie Answere Catholikes teach men also to haue a firme hope and a great confidence of obtayning saluation through the mercy of God and merits of Christs Passion So they performe their dutie towardes God and their neighbour or else die with true repentance But for a man at his first conuersion to assure himselfe by faith of Christs righteousnes and life euerlasting without condition of doing those thinges he ought to doe that we Catholikes affirme to be not any gift of faith but the haynous crime of presumption which is a sinne against the Holy Ghost not pardonable See S. Tho 22. q. 21. â—rt 1. neither in this life nor in the world to come M. PERKINS third reason is drawne from the consent of the auncient Church of which for fashion sake to make some shewe he often speaketh but can seldome finde any one sentence in them that fits his purpose as you may see in this sentence of Saint Augustine cited by him Augustine saith De verbis Domini â—erm 7. I demaund nowe doest thou beleeue in Christ O sinner thou saiest I beleeue what beleeuest thou that all thy sinnes may freely be pardoned by him thou hast that which thou beleeuest See here is neither applying of Christs righteousnes vnto vs by faith nor so much as beleeuing our sinnes to be pardoned through him but that they may be pardoned by him So there is not one word for M. PERKINS But S. Bernard saith playnlie That we must beleeue that our sinnes are pardoned vs. But he addeth not by the imputed righteousnes of Christ Againe he addeth conditions on our party which M. PERK craftely concealeth For S. Bernard graunteth that we may beleeue our sins to be forgiuen if the truth of our conuersion meete with the mercy of God preuenting vs for in the same place he hath these wordes So therefore shall his mercy dwell in our earth that is the grace of God in our soules if mercy and truth meete together if iustice and peace embrace and kisse each other Which is as S. Bernard there expoundeth it if we stirred vp by the grace of God doe truly bewaile our sinnes and confesse them and afterward follow holines of life and peace All which M. PERKINS did wisely cut off because it dashed cleane the vayne glosse of the former wordes His last authority is out of S. Cyprian who exhorteth men passing out of this life not to doubt of God promises but to beleeue that we shall come to Christ with joyfull security Answere S. Cyprian encouradgeth good Christians dying to haue a full confidence in the promises of Christ and so doe all Catholikes and bidde them be secure too on that side that Christ will neuer faile of his word and promise but say that the cause of feare lyes on our owne infirmities And yet biddes them not to doubt as though they were as likely to be condemned as saued but animates them and puts them in the good way of hope by twenty kindes of reason M. PERKINS hauing thus confirmed his owne partie why doth he not after his manner confute those reasons which the Catholikes alleadge in fauour of their assertion Was it because they are not wont to produce any in this matter Nothing lesse It was then belike because he knew not how to answere them I will out of their stoare take that one principall one of the testimony of holy Scripture And by that alone sufficiently proue that the faith required to justification is that Catholike faith whereby we beleeue all that to be true which by God is reuealed and not any other particular beleeuing Christs righteousnes to be ours How can this be better knowne then if we see weigh and consider well what kinde of faith that was which all they had who are said in Scriptures to be iustified by their faith S. Paul saith of Noe That he was instituted heire of the iustice which is by faith Heb. 11.7 What faith had he That by Christs righteousnes he was assured of saluation No such matter but beleeued that God according to his word and justice would drowne the world and made an Arke to saue himselfe and his familie as God commaunded him Abraham the Father of beleeuers and the Paterne and example of justice by faith as the Apostle disputeth to the Romans Rom. ca. 4. What faith he was iustified by Let S. Paul declare who of him and his faith hath these wordes He contrary to hope beleeued in hope that he might be made the Father of manie Nations according to that which was said vnto him So shall thy seede be as the starres of heauen and the sands of the Sea and he was not weakned in faith neither did he consider his owne body now quite dead whereas hee was almost an hundred yeares old nor the dead Matrice of Sara in the promise of God he staggered not by distrust but was strengthned in faith giuing glorie to God most fully knowing that whatsoeuer he promised he was able also to doe therefore was it reputed to him to iustice Loe because he glorified God in beleeuing that old and barren persons might haue children if God said the word and that whatsoeuer God promised he was able to performe he was justified The Centurions faith was very pleasing vnto our Sauiour who said in commendation of it That he had not found so great faith in Israell What faith was that Marry that he could with a word cure his seruant absent Math. 8. Say the word onely quoth he my seruant shall be healed S.
Moyses lawe but not without prouision of good workes issuing out of faith and the helpe of Gods grace as shall be handled more largely in the question of merits OF THE SECOND IVSTIFICATION THE fourth argument A man iust be fully iustified before he can doe a good worke and therefore good workes can not goe before iustification True not before the first justification of a sinner But good Sir you hauing made in the beginning of this last Article a distinction betweene the first and second justification And hauing before discussed the first and the second now remayning and expecting you why did you not say one word of it the matter being ample and well worthy the handling albeit you will not willingly confesse any second justification as you say Yet had it beene your part at least to haue disproued such arguments as we bring to proue a second justification Yee acknowledge that there be degrees of sanctification But these degrees must be made downeward of euill worser and worst for if all our sanctification and best workes be like vnto defiled cloutes and no better then deadly sinnes as you hold and else where Pag. 76. let any wise man judge what degrees of goodnes can be lodged in it Againe how absurd is that position that there is but one justification whereby they take fast hold on Christs righteousnes which can neuer after be either loosed or increased Why then doe you with your brother Iouinian maintayne that all men are equally righteous If it so be Lib. 2. con Iouin Epist 81. Epist 57. Hom. 15. in Ezech. let him that desireth to see you well coursed read S. Hier. S. Amb. S. August S. Greg. At least we must needes vphold that a man is as just and righteous at his first conuersion as at his death how Godly a life soeuer he lead against which I will put downe these reasons following First that of the reuelations Let him that is iust be yet iustified or as your text hath it Cap. 22. He that is righteous let him be more righteous and that of feare not to be iustified euen vntill death Eccles 18. doe conuince that there are more justifications then one and that a man may increase in justification and righteousnes vntill death Which is confirmed where it is said That the path of a iust man proceedeth Prob. 4. as the light doth vntill it be perfect day Which is degrees more more And S. Paul teacheth the same where he saith to men that giue almes plentifully 2. Cor. 9. That God will multiply their seede and augment the increases of the fruits of their iustice Further S. Iames doth most effectually proue this increase of righteousnes and the second iustification in these wordes Abraham our father was he not iustified by workes offering Isaac his Sonne vpon the Aultar Cap. 2. That he speaketh of the second iustification is euident for Abraham was iustified before Isaac was borne as it is most manifest by the Scripture it selfe and by that heroicall act of not sparing his onely entirely beloued Sonne Genes 15. Rom. 4. his iustice was much augmented And the Apostle himselfe seemeth to haue forseene all our aduersaries cauillation and to haue so longe before preuented them First that common shift of theirs that this worke was a signe or the fruit onely of his faith and no companion of it in the matter of iustification is formally confuted for the holy Ghost speaking distinctly of both his faith and worke and joyning them both in this act of justification attributeth the better part of it vnto his worke thus Seest thou that faith did worke with his workes and by the workes the faith was consummate and made perfect Which he doth after fitly declare by a similitude comparing faith to the body and good workes to the soule which giue life and lustre to faith otherwise faith is of litle value estimation with God Which S. Paul also teacheth at large among other speeches including this That if he should haue all faith and wanted charity 1. Cor. 13 he were nothing And comparing faith charity together defineth expresly that charity is the greater vertue Which charity is the fountayne of all good workes And so by this preferring these workes of charity before faith he doth stop the other starting hole of the Protestants that Abraham forsooth was justified before God by onely faith but was declared just before men by his workes For if God esteeme more of charity then of our faith a man is more justified before God by charity then by faith Againe in the very place where this noble fact is recorded to shew how acceptable it was to God himselfe it is said in the person of God Gen. 22. Nowe I knowe that thou louest me and to conuince all obstinate cauilling is it not said that his faith did in this very fact cooperate with his workes and that the worke made his faith perfect which conjunction of both of them together doth demonstrate that he speaketh of his justification before God adding also That he was therefore called the friend of God Which could not haue beene if thereby he had beene only declared just before men thus doth S. Augustine reconcile the two places of the Apostles S. Paul S. Iames which seeme contrarie S. Paul saying that a man is iustified by faith without workes and S. Iames that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith onely That S. Paul speaketh of workes which goe before faith such as we of our owne forces without the helpe of grace are able to doe and such he saith not to deserue our first iustification But S. Iames disputeth of workes which followe faith and issue out of our soules nowe garnished with grace and such he holdeth vs to be iustified by that is made more and more iust See the place He saith directly L. 83. quest q. 76. Serm. 16. de verb. Apos that we are iustified and that this justice doth increase whiles it doth proceede and profit Nothing then is more certaine and cleare then that there our justification may daylie be augmented and it seemeth to me that this also bee graunted in their opinion For they holding faith to be the only instrument of justification cannot deny but that there are many degrees of faith it is so plainely taught in the worde O yee of little faith Math. 8. Luc. 19. And then a little after I haue not founde so great faith in Israell And O Lord increase our faith and many such like where many different degrees of faith are mentioned How then can the justification which dependes vpon that faith not be correspondent vnto that diuersity of faith but all one Pag. 54. Againe M. PERK deliuereth plainly That men at the first are not so well assured of their saluation as they are afterward If then in the certainty of their saluation which is the prime effect of their
the fault the party is satisfied in justice and when he that hath offended doth abide such punishment as the grieuousnes of his offence did require there is both due correction of the offendour and due satisfaction vnto the party offended M. PERKINS finally flieth vnto his old shift of imputatiue satisfaction that forsooth our sufferinges doe not satisfie but the party punished by faith layeth hold on the satisfaction of the Messias and testifie the same by their humiliation and repentance Reply As we first graunt that all satisfaction hath his vertue from the grace of God dwelling in vs which is giuen vs for Christs sake so to say that Christs satisfaction taketh away all other satisfaction is just to begge the principall point in question and therefore an old triuants tricke to giue that a finall answere which was set in the beginning to be debated looke vpon the forenamed example of the Niniuites of whome it is not certayne that they had any expresse knowledge of the Messias and therefore were farre enough off from laying hold on his satisfaction But most certayne and euident it is in the text that God vpon the contemplation of their workes of penance tooke compassion on them and was satisfied as by turning away the threatned subuertion is most manifest Our fift reason Daniell giueth this counsaile to Nabuchodonosor Daniell 4. Redeeme thy sinnes with almes and thy offences with mercy on the poore If by such good deedes our sinnes may be redeemed as Holy write doth testifie then it followeth that such workes yeelde a sufficient satisfaction for them for redemption signifieth a full contentment of the party offended as well as satisfaction M. PERKINS answereth The skilfull in the Caldey teach that the word importeth rather a breaking off then redeeming Reply To Authours in the aire without any pressing of the propriety of the word no answere can be giuen but let vs admitte that it be broken off â—iâ— sinne not being couetuousnes but pride and lacke of acknowledging all Kingdomes to depend vpon God as the text it selfe doth specifie To breake off this sinne by almes and compassion of the poore is nothing els but by such workes of charity in some sort to satisfie Gods justice there to moue him to take compassion of him And that by almes deedes we are cleansed from our sinnes our Sauiour himselfe doth teach saying Luc. 11. Giue almes and behold all thinges are cleane vnto you Our sixt Bring forth the worthy fruits of penance Math. 3. Luc 3. That is doe such workes as become them who are penitent Which as Saint Chrysostome expoundeth are He that hath stolen away another mans goodes Hom. 10. in Math. let him nowe giue of his owne he that hath committed fornication let him abstayne from the lawfull company of his owne wife and so forth Recompensing the workes of sinne with the contrary workes of vertue Hom. 10 in Euang. In Psal 4. The same exposition giueth Saint Gregory and to omitte all others venerable Bede interpreteth them thus Mortifie your sinnes by doeing the worthy fruits of penance to witte by afflicting your selues so much for euery offence as worthy penance doth require which will be a sacrifice of iustice that is a most iust sacrifice To this M. PERKINS answereth that this text is absurd for the word repent signifieth onely chaunge your mindes from sinne to God and testifie it by good workes Reply His answere is most absurd for we argue out of these wordes Worthy fruits of penance And he answereth to the word going before repent which we vse not against them and for his glose or testifying our repentance is sufficiently confuted by the Fathers before alleadged And S. Iohn expresly maketh them the meanes to escape the wrath of God saying that the Axe was set to the roote of the Tree and vnlesse by worthy fruits of penance they appeased God they should be cut vp and cast into hell fire and seemeth to confute the laying hold on Christs satisfaction by faith saying it will not helpe you to say that yee are the Sonnes of Abraham who was Father of all true beleeuers as much as if he had said trust not to your faith hand off yee generation of vipers For notwithstanding yee be the Sonnes of the faithfull vnlesse ye amend your liues and for the euill workes which yee haue donne heretofore make recompence and satisfie the justice of God with good yee shall be cast into hell fire 2 Cor. 7.10 The 7. objection with M. PERKINS Paul setteth downe sundry fruits of repentance whereof one is reuenge whereby repentant persons punish themselues to satisfie Gods iustice for the temporall punishment of their sinnes M. PERKINS answereth A repentant sinner must take vengeance of himselfe and that is to vse all meanes to subdue the corruption of nature and to bridle carnall affections which kinde of actions are restraynements properly but no punishments directed against the sinne but not against the person Reply I neuer saw any writer so contradict himselfe and so dull that he doth not vnderstand his owne wordes If this subdueing of our corrupt nature be restraynements onely from sinne hereafter and not also punishments of sinne past how then doth the repentant sinner take vengeance of him selfe which you affirme that he must doe Reuenge as euery simple body knoweth is the requitall of euill past We graunt that all satisfaction is directed against sinne and not against the person but for the great good of the man albeit that for a season it may afflict both his body and minde too as Saint Paules former Epistle did the Corinthians but this sorrowe being according vnto God doth much benefit the person as the Apostle declareth For besides this reuenge taken on himselfe to appease Gods wrath it breedeth as it is in the text following in our corrupt nature that loueth not such chastisement A feare to returne to sinne least it be againe punished for where there is no feare of paynes and much pleasure thither our corruption will runne headlong It sturreth vp also in vs Indignation against sinne and all the wicked instruments of it A defence and clearing of our selues with the honester sort And an emulation and desire to flie as farre from sinne as other our equals and consequently A loue of vertue and honest life which freeth vs from that sorrowe and all other troublesome passions all which are playnelie gathered out of the same text of Saint Paul Lastly sayeth M. PERKINS They make three workes of satisfaction Prayer Fasting and Almesdeedes For the first it is meere foolishnesse to thinke that a man by prayer can satisfie for his sinnes it is all one as if you had said that a begger by asking an almes can deserue the almes or a debtor by requesting his creditor to pardon his debt should thereby pay his debt That Prayer doth appease Gods justice and obtayne pardon God him selfe is witnes saying Call vpon mee in the
hath then neede of much confession bitter teares a sharpe combat of watching Idem Am. ad virg lap cap. 8. Orat. in sanct lum and vncessant and continued fasting if the offence were light and more tollerahle yet let the penance be equall vnto it S. Gregory Nazianzen saith It is as great an euill to pardon without some punishment as to punish without all pittie For as that doth loose the bridle to all licentiousnes so this doth straine it too much Idem de paup amor By compassion on the poore and faith sinnes are purged therefore let vs be cleansed by this compassion let vs scoure out the spottes and filth of our soules with this egregious herbe that makes it white some as woole others as snowe according to the proportion of euery mans compassion and almes De helia â—â—eiun S. Ambrose saith We haue many helpes whereby we may redeeme our sinnes hast thou mony Redeeme thy sinne not that our Lord is to be bought and solde but thou thyselfe art solde by thy sinnes redeeme thy selfe with thy workes redeeme thee with thy mony Epist 82. And How could we be saued vnlesse we washed away our sinnes by fasting S. Hierome maketh Paula a blessed Matron say My face is to be disfigured which against the commandement of God I painted my body is to be afflicted that hath taken so great pleasure my often laughter is to be recompenced with continuall weeping Ad Eusioch de obitu Paule my silkes and soft cloathing is to be chaunged into rough haire Reade another Epistle of his to the same Eustochium about the preseruing of her virginity and see what penance himselfe did being a most vertuous young man Epist 54. S. Augustine saith He that is trulie penitent lookes to nothing else then that he leaues not vnpunished the sinne which he committed For by that meanes not sparing our selues he whose high and iust iudgement no contemptuous person can escape doth spare vs. Li 50. hom Hom. 50. cap. 11. Cap. 15. And he sheweth how that a penitent sinner doth come to the Priest and receiue of him the measure of his satisfaction And saith directly against our Protestants position That it is not sufficient to amend our manners and to depart from the euill which we haue committed vnlesse we doe also satisfie God for those thinges which we had donne Lib. 6. in 1. Reg. S. Gregory saith That sinnes are not only to be confessed but to be blotted out with the austerity of penance I will close vp these testimonies with this sentence of our learned countriman venerable Bede In Psal 1. Delight saith he or desire to sinne when we doe satisfaction is lightly purged by almesdeedes and such like but consent is not rubbed out without great penance now custome of sinning is not taken away but by a iust and heauie satisfaction And if you please in fewe wordes to heare the Protestants workes of penance and satisfaction In steede of our fasting and other corporall correction they fall to eating and that of the best flesh they can get and take in the Lord all such bodely pleasure as the company of a woman will afforde In lieu of giuing almes vnto the poore they pill them by fines and vnreasonable rents and by vsury and crafty bargaines are not ashamed to cousen their nearest kinne Finally in place of prayer and washing away their owne sinnes by many bitter teares they sing meerely a Geneua Psalme and raile or heare a rayling at our imagined sinnes or pretended errours And so leaue and lay all payne and sorrowe vpon Christs shoulders thinking themselues belike to be borne to pleasure and pastime and to make merry in this worlde FIRST OF TRADITIONS M. PARK pag. 134. Traditions are doctrines deliuered from hand to hand either by worde of mouth or writing besides the written word of God OVR CONSENT WE Hold that the very word of God was deliuered by Tradition from ADAM to MOSES who was the first Pen-man of holy Scripture Item that the Historie of the New Testament as some for eight not eightie or as other thinke for twentie yeares went from hand to hand by Tradition till penned by the Apostles or being penned by others was approoued by them Hitherto we agree but not in this which he interlaceth that in the state of Nature euery man was instructed of God immediatly in both matters of faith and religion For that God then as euer since vsed the ministerie aswel of good fathers as godly masters as ENOCH NOE ABRAHAM and such like to teach their children and seruants the true worship of God true faith in him otherwise how should the word of God passe by Tradition froÌ„ ADAM to MOSES as M. P. affirmeth If no childe learned anie such thing of his Father but was taught immediatly from God but M. P. seemeth to regard little such pettie contradictions His 2. concl We hold that the Prophets our Sauiour Christ his Apostles spake did many things good true which were not written in the Scriptures but came to vs by Tradition but these were not necessary to be beleeued For one example he puts that the B. Virgin MARY liued dyed a Virgin but it is necessarie to saluation to beleeue this for HELVIDIVS is esteemed by S. AVGVSTINE an Heretike for denying it * De haeres ad Quod. li. 84. His 3. Concl. We hold that the Church of God hath power to prescribe Ordinances Traditions touching time place of Gods worship And touching order comelinesse to be vsed in the same mary with these foure caueats First that it prescribe nothing childish or absurd See what a reuerent opinion this man carryeth of the Church of God gouerned by his holy spirit that it neuerthelesse may prescribe things both childish absurde But I must pardon him because he speaketh of his owne Synagogue which is no part of the true Church Secondly that it be not imposed as anie part of Gods worship This is contrarie to the conclusion for order and comelinesse to be vsed in Gods worship which the Church can prescribe is some part of the worship Thirdly that it be seuered from superstition c. This is needelesse for if it be not absurd which was the first prouiso it is alreadie seuered from superstition The fourth touching multitude may passe these be but meere trifles That is of more importance that he tearmeth the decree registred in the xv of the Actes of the Apostles a Tradition whereas before he desined Traditions to be all doctrine deliuered besides the written worde Now the Actes of the Apostles is a parcell of the written word as all the world knowes That then which is of record there cannot be tearmed a Tradition THE DIFFERENCE CAtholikes teach that besides the written Worde there be certaine vnwritten Traditions which must be beleeued practised as both profitable and necessarie to saluation We hold that the Scriptures