is And we may with the greater boldnesse claime this righteousnesse that is in Christ because that wee being by faith made one with Christ ImputatioÌ„ of Christs iustice and married vnto him hee by right of marriage is made partaker of our sinnes to ease vs of the heauie weight of that burden and we in regard thereof too haue an interest in his righteousnesse 1. Cor. 1.30 For he is made vnto vs of God wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Which imputation of Christs righteousnesse howsoeuer our aduersaries doe much mislike Rom. 4.3.22 Rom. 4 5.24 yet Abraham had it and it is a righteousnesse that belongeth to all that beleeue Saint Bernard though he saw not all things yet he saw much sweetnesse in this most comfortable doctrine so much condemned in the Romish Church â—er Epi. 90. Assignata est sayth hee homini aliena iustitia qui caruit sua Anothers righteousnesse is assigned to man for that he wanted his owne And a little after Cur non aliunde iustitiae quum aliunde reatus Why may not we haue righteousnesse from another seeing guiltinesse is from another Againe Tutior est mihi donata quam iuuata That which is giuen mee is safer then that which is bred in mee And thus I trust I haue sufficiently proued that sinne being abolished and the condemnation thereof taken away and we appearing before God in Christ his righteousnesse Gen. 27.27 which is vnto vs as Esaus garment which was vnto Isaak of a sweet fauour we I say stand as not guiltie and haue peace with God Rom. 5.1 through Iesus Christ our Lord. The second difference betweene our Aduersaries and vs is of the word Faith For explanation whereof What faith is meant I will not enter into consideration of all the significations that this word hath but onely search how in these wordes it must be taken Our aduersaries say it is Assensus solum firmus certus Bellar. de Justific l. 1 cap. 5. ad ea omnia quae Deus credenda proponit A constant and sure assent only vnto all things which God would haue vs beleeue This is the faith that our Aduersaries say S. Paul speaketh of when he telleth vs we are iustified by faith Stapleton our Countriman indeuoureth out of S. Augustine Stap. Antid in Rom. â— 17. â—â—ug de â—â—ir lit cap. 32. To beleeue God to proue the sufficiency of this definition And to this end he alleageth these wordes Nulli dubtum est eam fidem commendari ab Apostolo qua creditur Deo No doubt the Apostle commendeth that faith whereby we beleeue God These wordes wee confesse are S. Augustines and as he speaketh them most true but by Stapleton wrested from their right and naturall sense For whereas in the former Chapter this Father had spoken of two kinds of Faith Cap. 31. To beleeue in God the one whereby we beleeue God the other wherby we beleeue in God now in this Chapter he intreateth first of the former commending such as beleeue God and that which hee teacheth rather then other Masters And that this is Augustines meaning himselfe can best tell Cap. 32. We must inquire saith this Father what faith the Apostle so greatly commendeth for euery beleeuing is not good For whence is that Brethren beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirit 1. Ioh. 4.1 whether it be of God And so he goeth forward to proue that euery doctrine is not to be beleeued and thereupon affirmeth by way of conclusion that which Stapleton alleageth that the Apostle commendeth the faith whereby we beleeue that God saith But after remembring that S. Iames commandeth to aske in faith Iam. 1.6 of that faith he saith This is the faith whereby the iust man liueth This is the faith whereby a man beleeueth in God who iustifieth the wicked And thus wee see how vntruly Stapleton dealeth in the allegation of his proofe out of Augustine for to iustifie their definition of faith But against this their definition of iustifying faith The Popish definition agreeth not to iustifying faith only we haue diuers reasons For first the rules of Logicke teach vs that in all definitions wee must take heed that the definition extend no furder then to the thing that is defined and therefore are such differences therein to be vsed as may distinguish that which we would define from all other things for otherwise a man shall not know by the definition what a thing is and so the definition shall not doe that for which end only it is made But this their definition of iustifying faith extendeth further then to the thing defined For it comprehendeth the faith which may be and is in many wicked ones who neither are nor euer shall be iustified because euen they may assent to all the articles of Religion as daily experience proueth sufficiently August de verb. Dom. ser 61. S. Augustine besides the place before alleaged elsewhere also speaketh of two sorts of faith the one is to beleeue God the other to beleeue in God But in his Sermons of the time he mentioneth three kinds of beleeuing August de Temp. ser 181. Hebr. 11.6 First to beleeue that God is and this is one step to God as the Apostle to the Hebrewes teacheth vs He that commeth to God must beleeue that God is The second is to beleeue God that is to say that which God teacheth and this S. Augustine doth worthily commend as is said but yet of it he affirmeth August de Temp. ser 181. that credere vera esse quae loquitur multi mali possint Many euen euill men may beleeue it is true that God speaketh Now the third sort is of such as beleeue in God which onely is that which in the Creede we confesse and is auaileable to iustification euen by Augustines iudgement as whoso readeth his words must needes acknowledge Now our aduersaries rest but vpon the second sort of beleeuing and seeke no further Which is much like as if a sicke man should be perswaded that a Physicion hath skill enough to helpe him and the Apothecary hath drugs enow to doe him good but reapeth not the fruit of the Physicions counsell nor getteth any good of the Apothecaries store because he neither followeth the Physicions counsell nor receiueth any medicine from the Apothecary For such a generall perswasion without a particular application profiteth little For this assent which is in their faith must not be cordis voluntatis Bellar. de Iustific l. 1. c. 4 5. of the heart or will as Bellarmine vntruly teacheth vs and others too but only mentis intellectus Of the minde or vnderstanding in so much as he maketh the minde or vnderstanding to be the seat of faith noting it for a second point of difference betweene vs and them that wee say faith is in the heart which they deny and place it only in the
by faith without the workes of the Law As if he would haue said We the Apostles of Iesus Christ appointed to bee the Scholemasters and Teachers of the World vpon good ground teach this as a doctrine not to be denied a principle in Religion not to be doubted of Faith only And howsoeuer our Aduersaries impugne this Doctrine and would perswade the simple that it is strange and hath no warrant yet are we able to produce such as many hundreds of yeeres since haue taught the same and gathered it out of these words of the Apostle Origen who liued about fourteene hundred yeeres since in verie few words Orig. in Ro. lib. 3. cap. 3. doth twice auerre the same Dixit Apostolus sayth he fide solius iustificationem sufficere ita vt credens quis tantummodo iustificetur The Apostle hath said that Iustification of faith only will suffice so that he who beleeueth only is iustified Isichius wrote at the least a thousand yeeres since and he sayth much like as Origen before him Isich in Leuit l. 4. c. 18 Gratia misericordia fide comprehenditur sola non ex operibus vt dicit Apostolus Grace and mercy is obtained by faith only not by Workes as Paul saith We cannot then be iustly charged as Teachers of new Doctrine heerein seeing wee affirme nothing but that others long before vs haue taught But because this is so much misliked as it is and so scornefully reiected of our aduersaries although all truth must bee grounded vpon the word of truth Iam. 1.18 as S. Iames calleth the Word of God neither needeth it the testimonie of any man which God in the Sacred Scriptures so plainly hath deliuered yet for the satisfying of the simple and the stopping of the slanderous mouthes of our obstinate enemies I purpose to let you see such a consent with vs in Doctrine for this point of Ancient Fathers and Learned Writers long before our time as in no one article or piece of doctrine wherein our aduersaries dissent from vs I suppose a greater can be shewed neither mo seuerall Authors alleaged So that I may well impanell for tryall of this controuersie two Grand-Iuries of famous men well reported of for godlinesse and learning among all men many of them and the meanest of them of such reputation in the Church of Rome as they are thought sufficient to goe vpon tryall of as great a matter as this is although it be of great importance And S. Paul himselfe shall speake for all as you heare hee hath done and bee Fore-man of this Iurie for they all haue learned of him that they say euen in these wordes which now I intreat vpon And first I will second him with some of them Commentaries vpon these wordes that wrote their Commentaries vpon this Epistle of S. Paul to the Romanes All I haue not out of such as I haue I will alleage but out of euery one one place although out of diuers of them I might produce very many Of Origen I haue spoken before and therefore I now omit him S. Ambrose is next who affordeth very good choice of testimonies he hath such plenty Amb. in Rom. 3. Iustificati sunt gratis saith hee quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes Sola fide iustificati sunt dono Dei They are iustified freely because working nothing neither recompensing they are iustified by faith only by Gods gift S. IEROME very briefly but as plainely writeth Hieron in Rom. 4. Per solam fidem iustificat Deus God iustifieth by faith only Then haue we Sedulius writing thus Ad Christum veniens sola quum credit fide saluatur Sedul in Rom. 3. He that commeth vnto Christ is saued by faith only when he beleeueth And the last of this ranke shall Primasius be who writeth thus Primas in Rom. 4. Impium per solam fidem iustificat God iustifieth the vngodly by faith only Another sort of them whom I meane to produce in this matter Other expounding other Scriptures are such as expounding other places of Scripture haue in such their Commentaries taught the same doctrine Among whom the first is Hilarie as most ancient in yeeres so most worthy to haue the first roome because he setteth downe the very wordes in question betweene vs now Hil. in Mat. Con. 8. Sola fides iustificat saith he Only faith iustifieth The next shall be Chrysostome who as he was next him in yeeres of all this company so hee differeth very little in wordes Ex sola quippe fide nos saluauit For by faith only he hath saued vs. Chrysost in Eph. hom 5. Augustine a man most famous in Gods Church for learning and his great labours against Heretikes well agreeth with the rest saying Aug. in Ps 88 Conc. 2. Sola fides Christi mundat The faith only of Christ cleanseth To whom may Cyril also be added who though he haue not the same wordes yet teacheth he that substance of doctrine in these wordes Cyril Alex. in Iob. lib. 9. cap. 30. Per fidem namque non aliter saluamur By faith for no other way we are saued ISYCHIVS I haue before produced I will not therefore mention him againe in this place But venerable Bede the glory of our North Country speaketh more plainely Per iustitiam factorum nullus saluabitur Beda in Ps 77. sed per solam iustitiam fidei By righteousnesse of workes shall no man be saued but by the righteousnesse of faith only Theophil in Gal. 3. After him Theophilact writeth thus Demonstrat Apostolus fidem vel solam habere iustificandi virtutem The Apostle sheweth that euen only faith hath power to iustifie Very well also and agreeably to the rest writeth Haimo who liued about some 800. yeeres since Haimo in Gal. 3. Bernard in Cantic ser 22. Fides sola saluat Faith only saueth And most comfortably as in many things writeth good BERNARD Quisquis pro peccatis compunctus esurit sitit iustitiam credat in te qui iustificat impium solam iustificatus per fidem pacem habebit apud Deum Whoso feeleth remorce for sinne and so doth hunger and thirst after righteousnesse let him beleeue in thee who dost iustifie the vngodly and being iustified by faith only he shall haue peace with God And Oecumenius telleth vs Oecumen in Iam 2. That ABRAHAM was an image of iustification by faith only when it was imputed to him for righteousnes that he beleeued Then haue we Rupert Rupert in Reg. cap. 39. lib. 2. who writeth that sola iustificare potest fides Iesu Christi The only faith of Iesus Christ can iustifie Sundry other Fathers also and learned Writers we haue who in their seuerall Treatises affirme that also Fathers in their seuerall Treatises which we out of the Apostle doe gather To begin with Cyprian as most ancient Fides tantùm prodest saith he Faith only profiteth Next vnto
him commeth Basil Cypr. l. 3. ad Quir. c. 42. Basil Hom. 22. whose wordes are these Ea demum perfecta omnimoda gloriatio est in Deo quandoneque propter suam ipsius iustitiam quis extollitur sed agnoscit se quidem vera destitui iustitia verum sola in Christum fide iustificatum esse That is perfit reioycing and altogether in the Lord when a man is not proud no not of his owne righteousnesse but confesseth himselfe to be destitute thereof and that hee is iustified only by faith in Christ GREG. NAZIAN who for the great opinion of learning that was conceiued of him was called the Diuine as he was in Basils time so was he of his mind too as these his wordes doe shew Nazian Orat. 21. Confiteri Christum credat illum a mortuis suscitatum esse saluaberis Siquidem credere solum iustitia est Confesse Christ and beleeue that he is raised from the dead and thou shalt be saued For to beleeue only is righteousnesse PAVLINVS also is of the same minde that the rest are as wee may see in an Epistle which is among S. Augustines Epistles his wordes are Epist 58. Aug. Salus fide sola quaeritur Saluation is sought for by faith only This is also the iudgement of Ruffine in his exposition of the Creede it is among Cyprians workes Ruffin in Symbolum De remissione peccatorum saith he sufficere deberet sola credulitas Concerning remission of sinnes beleeuing only should suffice And the reason of this his assertion is not to bee omitted Quis enim causas aut rationem requirat vbi indulgentia principalis est For who will inquire after causes or a reason where indulgence or pardon is principall THEODORET also as oft in other his Treatises so also in his bookes against the Idolatrie of the Gentiles and in defence of Christian Religion writeth thus Theodâ—r de curat Grae. Affect l. 7. Non vllis operibus nostris sed per solam fidem mystica bona consecuti sumus Not by any our workes but by faith only we haue gotten vnknowne good things Now vnto these I may adde Leo a Pope in an Epistle that he sent by one called Philo to Leo then Emperour It is not his 70. Epistle as Bellarmine vntruly quoteth the place but 76. But his wordes are these Catholica fides humanum genus sola vinificat Leo Epi. 76. sola sanctificat The Catholike faith doth only quicken only sanctifie mankinde But Bellarmine answereth that Leo in those wordes speaketh De fide dogmatica Of a dogmaticall faith Bellar. de Iustif l. 1. cap. 25. and such as is opposed against Heretikes As if he had said that the Arrian faith or that of the Eutycheans caÌ„not sanctifie but that faith which is true and Catholike Be it so yet he must needes grant that no dogmaticall faith that is no externall profession of Religion how earnest in shew soeuer it is be it also neuer so true can quicken and sanctifie vntil it be as a seed sowne in the heart taking hold of Christ for the remission of sinnes and so it I say it only giueth true life to a Christian I haue also read these very wordes cited out of Alcuine whom some call Albine the booke I confesse Alcuin Praefat. ad Carol. Mag. I haue not seene But if he haue such words he seemeth well to approue that which Leo hath written because hee hath alleaged his very wordes without any change I will cloze vp this ranke with one well esteemed of in the Church of Rome Rich. de S. Victor decisione dubi Apostoli Ecce saith he habes apertè quòd possit homo aliquando iustificari ex sola fide absque legis opere Behold thou seest plainely that a man may sometime be iustified by faith only without any worke of the Law Which seeing hee will grant to be sometime I see no reason why he should doubt but that it is so alwayes For there is but one way of iustifying Iew or Gentile Rom. 3.22 one or other Euen the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue Christian Poets There are then three ancient Christian Poets who sing the same song with these Fathers and learned Writers Iuuencus is first Hier. Catal. Script eccl Hieron in Mat. 2. Iuueac hist Euang. l. 2. who liued about the 330. yeere of Grace of whom S. Ierome maketh mention and also citeth a Verse out of him in his Commentaries vpon S. Matthewes Gospell This Iuuencus I say hath these wordes Namque vbi certa fides fuerit complexa salutem non erit vlla illic anceps agitatio iuris For when assured faith hath taken hold of saluation there will be no more doubtfull waging of Law Not long after him was Prudentius who in a booke intituled Psychomachia wherein hee sheweth what fights and battels the soule hath Prudent pugna concord discord speaking of faith writeth thus Haec mea sola salus This faith only is my saluation And I finde alleaged by that famous learned man of our time D. Humphrey in his answere to Campians first reason the like out of one Victor Cemensis as I take it but his wordes are these Victor writing of Abrahams faith Credidit nudae fidei consensio sola plenam ad iustitiae meritireputata coronam est ABRAHAM beleeued and this consent only of bare faith was imputed to him for a full crowne of righteousnesse and merit Popish Writers Yet haue I reserued three great Rabbies in the Romish Church for the shutting vp of this question who if they speake as their Fore-man hath done and many other before them I hope we shal be found not guiltie of errour much lesse of heresie The first of this company is Gratian the very store-house of their Canon Law who very plainely affirmeth Dist 2. de Poenit. charitas est a q. that fidei soli vaenia promittitur To faith only is pardon promised And a little after Fide sola peccata relaxantur By faith only sinnes are remitted If any man answere that he there telleth vs but what Augustine saith true but withall he alleageth it not as misliking but as approuing it as sound doctrine After him commeth Peter Lombard though equall in time for it is said that Gratian Danaeus in Com. in Lombard in prolegomenis c. 4. and Lombard and Petrus Comestor were all brethren and the bastard children of a Nunne Lombard I say Bishop of Paris whose authority in the Church of Rome was like that Pythagoras had among his Schollers among whom it was enough to say The Master saith it His writings are in such account with them that they are the very ground of Popish or Schoole diuinitie In so much as since hee wrote his bookes of Sentences very many by their Commentaries haue laboured to explane him studying somtime to make him agree with
minde But if in the heart it bee not then can it not haue the application that I spoke of Faith must bee in the heart Against this their opinion I thus reason Iustifying faith is in the heart Popish faith is not in the heart therefore Popish faith is not that iustifying faith My Minor is the doctrine of the Papists and of Bellarmine among other as is said before The Maior or first proposition S. Paul will proue for me sufficiently so that it may not be denyed Rom. 10 10 Gal. 4.6 With the heart a man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse What can be more plaine Because you are sonnes saith the same Apostle elsewhere God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts And what worketh it thereby The Apostle telleth vs Whereby wee cry Abba Father And how learne wee this lesson of the Spirit First the Spirit teacheth vs to beleeue and to haue confidence and then this faith bringeth forth prayer as a fruit For How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Rom. 10.14 The Eunuch after Philip had instructed him in the faith asked if he might not be baptized Philip made answere Act. 8.37 38. If thou beleeuest with all thine heart thou maist Arator therefore a Christian Poet who wrote about 1100. yeeres since hath these wordes Arator in Act. lib. 2. Corde salus credentis erit confessio voce In the heart is the saluation of the beleeuer the confession is in the mouth To be short vnfaithfulnesse is by the Apostle assigned to the heart Hebr. 3.12 Take heed brethren saith he lest there be in any of you at any time an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God therefore by the Law of contraries faith must be in the heart too A third fault that I find with this definition is that they say it is assensus solùm An assent onely No true faith without knowledge Bellar. de Iustific l. 1. cap. 7. as before out of Bellarmine I shewed whereby their meaning is to exclude knowledge as a thing nothing at all required in faith In so much as Bellarmine shameth not to affirme that fides melius per ignorantiam quà m per notitiam definitur Faith is better defined by ignorance then by knowledge But herein the common prouerbe is verified plus vident oculi quà m oculus Mo eyes see more then one For the Vniuersity of Colen in their Censure Censur Colon explic Dial. 4. written against Monhemius though they were Papists and in other points aduersaries to the truth yet in this write farre otherwise then Bellarmine doth Fidei ratio in firma notitia consistit The definition say they of faith standeth vpon firme knowledge We cannot herein speake more contrary to Bellarmine then they haue done Yet true it is that Bellarmine in the Booke and Chapter last alleaged by mee granteth that in faith there is a kinde of knowledge for he saith there are in him that beleeueth two things Bellar. de Iustif l. 1. c. 7 assent and apprehension which apprehension he saith is notitia rudis confusa A rude and confused knowledge A knowledge belike such as his sight was Mar. 8.24 who saw men walking like trees sauing that this knowledge is not like to bring forth so good an effect as his vnperfit sight did 25. For he soone after was restored to his sight and saw euery man a farre off cleerely but they who seeke for faith in this confused knowledge shall neuer finde it An vnknowing knowledge the Papists brag of And if you desire to know what this confused knowledge is wherewith they content themselues you may giue a great ghesse thereof by that which they tell vs of the Colliars faith holden for a true faith in the Romish Church commended by Staphilus that slanderous Apostata approued also by Stapleton who translated that idle pamphlet Staphilus his Apologie The Colliar told the Deuill he beleeued as the Church beleeueth and the Church beleeued as he did But further what the Church beleeued or himselfe either he could not tell This is that confused knowledge then that they would men should content themselues withall to bee able to speake of the Church in generall but not of the particular doctrine thereof to call God Father but not to know by what meanes hee is our Father to say wee beleeue in Iesus Christ not vnderstanding any thing of his person or office And thus not to know how to apply vnto our selues the comfort of these or any other generall points is a found faith with our great Masters of Rome But though Staphilus say the Deuill was ouercome with that answere and put to flight yet sure I am that God requireth greater knowledge and therefore giueth his word and appointeth his ministerie for the instruction of his people A particular knowledge is needfull Exod. 12.26 Neither did Moses suppose such a generall knowledge would serue the turne when hee so straitly chargeth the Israelites to instruct their children in the true cause of their feast of Passeouer When your children saith he aske you what seruice is this you keepe Then shall yee say It is the sacrifice of the Lords Passeouer 27. which passed ouer the houses of the children of Israel in Aegypt when he smote the Aegyptians preserued our houses Ioshua also thought it not enough that Gods people should haue a generall perswasion that God was good but hee tooke order that his particular benefits should bee remembred euen of their children Iosh 4.6 7. And when Ioshua would that Moses should forbid Eldad and Medad Num. 11.29 to prophecie in the Host Moses answered Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and the Lord would put his Spirit vpon them wishing a more speciall knowledge vnto them then was ordinary among Gods people And the Apostle prayeth that the Colossians may be fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding He addeth his reason Coloss 1.9 that you may walke worthy of the Lord and please him in all things 10. giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that without particular knowledge of his will in all things we cannot please him But what stand I vpon this point Doth not Saint Peter who they say was the first Pope and therefore that he commandeth they will confesse must bee obeyed require such knowledge in euery Christian 1. Pet. 3.15 that they may be readie to giue answere to euery man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in them Shall wee then content our selues against so many expresse testimonies of the word with that rude and confused knowledge of Bellarmines or the Colliars faith so well liked of Staphilus But what reason haue they so to reioyce in this dimme light Why this generall knowlege is so praised of Papists Ioh. 3 20. like such as haue sore eies and therefore hang
something before them to keepe the brightnesse of the light from them Our Sauiour Christ yeeldeth the reason in these words Euery man that doth euill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deedes should be reprooued Our aduersaries teach so many doctrines which cannot abide the light of the word and touchstone of truth they haue deuised and daily doe deuise so many fruitlesse workes and blind deuotions so many false and wil-worshippings and superstitious seruices repugnant to the Sacred Scriptures and so little sauouring of that obedience that is eyther commended in the godly or commaunded in the word that to cloke the wickednesse and abomination in many but folly and vanitie in the best of these their deuices they are forced to tell the people that ignorance is the mother of Deuotion for so they may lead them into a very dungeon of Superstition and that a folded vp faith is good enough for them Stapl. Antidot in Act. 16.31 Nec aliam simplex idiota Christianus habere tenetur neither is a simple and vnlearned Christian bound to haue any other faith Is not this the way to make fooles and idiots of Christians This this I say is the way to cast men into a gulfe of Idolatries Mat. 23.15 and to make men two-fold more the children of hell then you are And then with an Iöpoean you reioyce that Ignorance hath hatched many Deuotions A mother worthie of such badde Daughters Now this assent being proued to bee no true iustifying faith for thereby wee only beleeue that which God teacheth not in God as in our Creed we professe let vs step a little forward and see what this faith is which we affirme doth iustifie And if wee rightly consider thereof True faith we shall find two things necessarie for one that beleeueth the one is Knowledge the other is the Application of that our knowledge Knowledge That knowledge is necessarie to attaine to faith if we had no other proofe yet this were sufficient that God vseth so many wayes for the instruction of his people that by Ignorance they should not erre Hee giueth his Law to bee a rule of life and Religion appointeth his Priests to teach the same and to supply their negligence hee sendeth his Prophets extraordinary Messengers to iogge his people vpon the elbow so putting them in minde when they did amisse And hath hee not ordained the Ministerie Ephes 4.13 1. Cor. 14.26 that wee may meete together in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God The sundry gifts that GOD hath giuen vnto his Church ought all to bee imployed to the edifying thereof Luk. 1.17 Iohn the Baptists office was to make readie a people prepared for the Lord as the Angell doth foreshew or as Zacharie his father sayth Luk. 1.76 To prepare the way of the Lord that is to make men fit to beleeue in Christ And how doth he execute this his function Euen by giuing knowledge of saluation vnto Gods people 77. by the remission of their sinnes Our Sauiour Christ thus speaketh vnto the Iewes Ioh. 10.38 If I doe the workes of my Father then though you beleeue not mee beleeue the workes that ye may know and beleeue As if he would say Vnlesse you know you cannot beleeue and therefore consider of my workes that you may know and so beleeue To this purpose also Act. 15.7 is that which Saint Peter said Among vs the Apostles God chose out me that the Gentiles by my mouth should heare the word of the Gospell and beleeue Now it is most plaine that men heare vnlesse they bee such forgetfull hearers as S. Iames misliketh that they may know Iam. 1.24 and so beleeue But that I may bee short Knowledge is so necessarie for such as beleeue as that it is taken for faith it selfe and that by one that did know better how to speake of these matters Ioh. 17.3 then all our Romish Rabbies This is life eternall sayth Christ to know thee to bee the only very God meaning that it is life eternall to beleeue God to bee the only verie God and whom hee had sent Iesus Christ and such speeches are common in the Scripture But as meate how good so euer nourisheth not but such as eate it and Physicke be it neuer so medicinable helpeth not but such as receiue it Euen so Application second thing required in faith if this knowledge be not applyed to the grieued or wounded conscience the offendour shall neuer haue peace with God therby The Apostle hauing handled at the ful the example of Abraham and set forth his constant faith with the comfortable effect it had That it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Rom. 4.22.23.24 then teacheth vs by application what vse we must make thereof It was not written for him only that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed which beleeue in him who raysed vp Iesus our Lord from the dead Notably for this point Benard de Annunt Serm. 1. Saint Bernard writeth Si credas peccata tua non posse deleri nisi ab illo cui soli peccasti in quem peccata non cadunt bene facis If thou beleeue thy sinnes cannot be done away but by him against whom thou hast only sinned and who himselfe is not subiect to sinne thou dost well Here is a good and a Christian knowledge now marke what vse wee must make of it Sed adde adhuc sayth he in that verie place vt hoc credas quia per ipsum peccata tibi donantur Hoc est testimonium quod perhibet Spiritus Sanctus in corde tuo Dimissa sunt tibi peccata tua But yet adde this sayth good Bernard that thou also beleeue that by him thy sinnes are forgiuen thee This is the testimonie that the holy Ghost beareth in thine heart Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Heere wee haue a particular application of that generall knowledge before mentioned And out of this place of Bernard wee are by the way to note how the Romish Church which would though most vniustly bee counted the true Church hath this long time deceiued the world in making men beleeue the Pope hath power to forgiue sinnes Man cannot forgiue sins whereas Saint Bernard most plainly and to the Scriptures most agreeably doth teach that God only can forgiue sinnes both because our sinne is a breach of his Law and himselfe cannot sinne Fye therefore vpon that man of sinne who being himselfe full fraught with sinne and ouerloden with wickednesse dare take vpon him that office that belongeth only to our Sinne-lesse GOD. He only can make cleane that which is conceiued of vncleane seed Job 14.4 and besides him none He I say hee only can truly make this Proclamation I I am he that putteth away thine iniquities Esa 43.25 for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes
into wantonnesse gathered out of the Apostles words that so they beleeued they needed no regard or care how they liued as Augustine saith in moe places then one Therefore Saint Iames teacheth how men shall know that wee are iustified and what manner of faith this true faith is For faith without workes as it is not a true or liuing but a counterfeit and dead faith so it auaileth nothing to Iustification So that the word of Iustification hath not the like signification in S. Iames that it had in S. Paul For in S. Paul it is taken for our iustification before God as in the beginning I haue declared plentifully And in S. Iames it signifieth that Iustification before men whereby we are knowne to be righteous S. Iames his words tend to that end Iam. 2.18 Shew me thy faith by thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes He would haue a faith shewed to men which cannot be but by workes for works are the touchstone whereby a true and liuely faith is discerned from a false and dead faith when oportuniry is offered to vs to bring forth that fruit Otherwise the faith that many speake of will proue no better scarse so good Vers 19. as that the Deuils haue who beleeue and tremble Therefore as S. Peter exhorteth vs to beautifie our selues with that better then any golden chaine of Christian vertues which will make vs neither idle nor vnfruitfull 2 Pet. 1.8 in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ so doth S. Iames giue them of his time to vnderstand how they haue mistaken a bare name of faith and knowledge of Christ for an effectuall and a iustifying faith He therefore speaketh in this sort Thou saist thou hast faith I see it not for thy workes shew no such matter Proue then before men that thou hast this confidence in God that thou hast this assurance within thee of thy atonement with him Primasius who wrote about 1100. yeeres since so expoundeth these wordes reconciling that which seemed to bee contradiction in the Apostles S. Iames saith he speaketh of the workes that shew a man to be faithfull Primas in Rom. cap. 3. as himselfe in that which followeth expoundeth it Shew me by workes thy faith It is workes whereby faith is knowne Venerable Bede also is of that minde Bede vpon Iam. 2. that Iames would vt fidem suam per opera probarent That they should proue their faith by their workes But Thomas of Aquine the Angellicall Doctor whose authority in the Romish Church will beare the sway will loose this knot For reconciling those wordes of PAVL Gal. 3.11 No man is iustified by the Law with these wordes of Iames Iam. 2.21 ABRAHAM was iustified by workes He telleth that the iustification that is of workes is an execution or manifestation of righteousnesse whereby he is shewed to be iust And by and by after The righteousnesse before God is in the inner heart Tho. Aquin. in Gal. 3. Lect. 4. but the righteousnes that is of workes that is that maketh knowne or manifest him that is iust is before men What can be spoken more plaine S. Paul teacheth how with boldnes we may stand before God pleading not guilty now this confidence is alwayes within vs S. Iames would haue this by their fruit to appeare vnto others Lest men deceiue their owne hearts Iam. 1.26 and the Religion of such men proue vaine as himselfe saith elsewhere Thus then truly considering in what sense the one and the other Apostle doe take the word Iustification the difference appeareth to be none at all and so the matter is easily compounded And thus I trust it will appeare the premises truly considered that our interpretation of the Apostles wordes A man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law is both true and Catholike Rom. 3.28 our conclusion that out of them we gather is sound and agreeable to the Apostles doctrine hauing a very great consent of most approued antiquitie yea and of Popish writers too And our workes how good soeuer haue not in them any worthinesse or merit but are in mercy rewarded according to promise So that the seruant of God must learne with good Bernard to say Bern. super Cantic ser 67. Gratia reddit me mihi iustificatum gratis sic liberatum a seruitute peccati Grace restoreth me to my selfe iustified freely and so deliuered from the thraldome of sinne Luk. 2.23.24 Then shall we sing with that multitude of heauenly Souldiers praysing God and saying Glory be to God on high Yea with those many Angels round about the Throne Reuel 5.11 and about the Beasts and the Elders and those thousand thousands Saying with a lowd voice Worthy is the Lambe that was killed to receiue power and riches 12. and wisedome and strength and honor and glory and prayse because O Lord Thou hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud 9. Reuel 1.5 yea thou hast loued vs and in it hast washed vs from our sinnes Which Meditations will teach vs casting off all confidence in our selues or our owne righteousnesse 1. Iob. 3.8 Mat. 1.21 to rest only vpon him that came to destroy the workes of the Deuill and to saue his people from their sinnes who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body vpon the tree that we being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnesse by whose stripes we are healed To him therefore with the Father and the holy Ghost bee all honor and praise now and euer AMEN FINIS