them to his shâ—â—pe eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand My Father which gaue them me is greater than all and no man is able to plucke them out of my Fathers â—and I and my Father are one And Saint Peter said we are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation 1. Pet. 1. 5. And the Prophet Dauid sheweth by this reason that the righteous shall neuer fall totally away because Gods band euer supporteth them as Psal. 37. 24. Though he fall hee shall not bee vtterly cast downe for the Lord vpholdeth him with his band Which place Aquinas applies to the same purpose in Rom. 8. A fourth reason from the will of God Ioh. 6. 39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me that all which he hath giuen me I should loose nothing but should arise is vp at the last day And this is the will of him that sent me that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth on him should 〈◊〉 euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day A fifth reason drawne from the efficacie of Christs prayer Ioh. 17. 20. and so to the end of the Chapter A sixth reason from the impossibilitie of seducing the Saints from Christ by Antichrist and false Prophets Mat. 24. 24. A seuenth reason from the perpetuall mansion and inhabitation of Gods Spirit in all the faithfull 1. Ioh. 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not that is not vnto death as chap. 5. â—6 For his seede remaineth in him and be cannot sinne because he is borne of God An eight reason from the infallibility of Gods knowledge of all his called Gods foundation 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth them that are his whereupon Saint Augustine concl deth thus If the elect may perish and fall away then God may be deceiued But God cannot be deceiued therefore his elect cannot perish nor fall away And if at any time the elect doe exorbitate or decline out of the way vpon reproofe they are reformed and returne into the way from which they had digressed As Aquinas cites the glosse on Rom. 8. verse 28. Vsque adeo c. To such as loue God he doth so cause all things to cooperate for good as if any of them stray or straggle euen this also hee causeth to turne to their further good yea euen their sinnes cooperate to their greater good in causing them to walke more humbly and carefully A ninth reason is from the inseperable vnion betweene Christ and euery true beleeuer Christ himselfe expresseth this sweetly applying it as a speciall tye and token of the saints continuâ—ance in him Ioh. 17. 20. I pray not for these aloâ—â— but for them also which shall beleeue in mee thorow their word that they may all be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. And that glory which thou hast giuen me I haue giuen them that they may be one euen as wee are one I in thee and thou in met that they may be made perfect in one So that as not a bone of his naturall body was broken so neither a bone of his mysticall body For he keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken Psal. 34 20. Not a haire of their head shall perish that are his members I will adde but one reasonâ—more of many vsed in Scripture to confirme the Doctrine of the Saints perseuerance and it is taken from Gods eternall election and effectuall vocation of his elect vnto eternall life As Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did praedestinate them he also called and whom hee called them he also iustified and whom hee iustified them hee also glorified This is such a golden chaine as all the Diuells of hell can neuer breake Christ vseth the same reason Ioh. 15. 16. Yee haue not chosen mee but I haue chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruite and that your fruite should remaine which place Saint Augustine sweetly applyeth to Gods eternall election whence springeth thâ— perseuerance of his elect whose fruite remaineth for euer As also the same Augustine applieth that other place to the Romans to the Saints perseuerance and onely to the elect Saints quoruÌ„ it a certus est numerus c. whereof the number is so certaine that none of them can perish no more than any of the reprobate can be saved And so hee concludes the Saints perseverance from the foundation of Gods eternall election and praedestination Quis c. What one could be ordained to eternall life but with the gift of persence raÌ„ce This is the Doctrine also of the Church of England Artiâ— 17. So then if God can breake his euerlasting covenant with his people if his sauing feare be such as to whom it is giuen it will not suffer them to depart from God if Gods loue in Christ to his owne be immutable and endlesse if Christs power and his Fathers be so great that none can plucke his elect out of his hands if it be the Fathers will that none of his elect shall perish but haue eternall life if Christs prayer for his elect cannot bee in vaine if it be impossible for all Antichrists power and policie and lying wonders to seduce Gods elect if the perpetuall residence of Gods holy Spirit in his regenerate preserue them from sinning vnto death if Gods infallible knowledge of his owne cannot be deceiued but remaineth as a sure and sealed foundation if all things cooperate for their good and nothing can seperate them from the loue of Christ if Gods eternall election and praedestination of his to grace and so to glory cannot be frustrate then who dare be so bold as to affirme that the Saints may fall away either totally or finally from grace so fall short of glory Babylonius But my authour instanceth two examples of totall falling away from grace the one of King Dauid the other of the prime Apostle Saint Peter now if these did fall totally from grace at least for a time then is it possible for any in the state of grace to fall totally from that stateâ— and so come short of finall perseâ—â—rance And to proue thier totall fall he argueth thus 〈◊〉 â—ter fell now if he fell he must needs full totally or finally for Cedo tertium And saith hee if Dauids and Peters repentance had beene preuented by death they should haue perished eternally And you know that a supposition must necessarily imply a possibilitie of the thing supposed else it were absurd so that it was possible they might haue beene preuented by death before they had repented and so haue perished eternally As the Authour saith elsewhere * cap. 4. that it is possible for the fallen away to arise againe possible but not certaine and necessary Orthodoxus By mentioning this last
will in the state of nature hath such a vast disproportion to the grace of Christ as it hath no disposition at all vnto it This is a mystery hid from Nature a Transcendent far aboue the capacity of Natures reach To this grace nature is not bleareeyd but blinde not a sleepe but dead not lame but a senslesse stocke So that more then a slender mouing or stirring vp of I wot not what first grace I wot well no grace is requisite to set the will a foote to the setling of it in the state of grace of that grace I say of true iustification to which Romes first grace hath no more proportion then her free-will in her purâ—st naturalls But the grace whereof the Scripture speakes and the worke of it in mans conuersion is no such grace as Romes first grace for that is no other but the true and effectuall sauing iustifying and sanctifying grace of God the first act and worke whereof in the soules conuersion to God is not a faint and impotent mouing and stirring or awakening of the sleepy will which then begins to dispose it selfe to grace but it is a powerfull and effectuall worke vpon the will and the whole soule with euery faculty thereof and that not to the disposing vnto but to the present possessing of the state of grace and true iustification apprehended by sauing faith the free gift of this grace Besides this effectuall grace of God for mans conuersion the Scripture knows none Nor is the Scripture acquainted with such ieiune and faint termes as Rome vseth in setting forth the worke of grace in our conuersion The Scripture flyes in a more lofty stile to giue Gods grace the full prayse in the effectuall worke of our conuersion Ezech. 11. 19. I will giue them one heart and will put a new spirit within you I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will giue them an heart of flesh that they may walke in my statutes So Ezech. 36. 26 A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you c. and cause you to walke in my statutes And this is as Augustine saith the taking away of our stony heart and the giuing of a heart of flesh when the Father is heard within and teacheth vs to come and draweth vs to his Sonne by giuing vs a sauing faith in Christ. By which places wee see what a noble and powerfull worke of grace is wrought in vs by Gods holy Spirit in our conuersion not a bare stirring vp or mouing or helping the old decrepit stiff-limd will of the naturall mans stony heart but a mighty remouing of it cleane away and insteed therof putting a new heart a heart of flesh a flexible and obedient heart and a new spirit into vs by the vertue and power whereof we are effectually inabled to walke in Gods statutes and to keepe them And this worke of grace where begins it but at the very first act of our effectuall calling and conuersion of our iustification and sanctification from our sinnes and against our sinnes As in the forecited place of Ezechiel Then will I sprinkle pure water vpon you and yee shall be cleane from all your filthinesse for a new heart will I giue you c so in Ieremy The Lord ioynes his grace and remission of sinnes together saying I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall bee my people For I will forgiue their iniquity and will remember their sinnes no more The Lord in the Gospell compares the state of a naturall man vnregenerate to a house possessed by a strong man This strong man is Satan the spirit that ruleth in the children of disobedience such as all vnregenerate are who in that state are dominered ouer and captiuated of the tyrant Diuel at his will Who then shall binde this strong man and dispossesse him of his house and strong hold euen the heart of a naturall man vnregenerate Surely none but a stronger then he euen Christ. And is this done so slightly as by stirring vp the will by some first grace No more but so The strong man will not so easily forgoe his hold He must bee driuen out by strong hand When the Disciples could not by all their delegated power Christ must be faine to put to his immediate power authority to driue the Diuel out A sinner vnregenerate is as Peter fast asleepe and fast chained in the dungeon And to free him did the Angel no more but with a iogge awake him How fell his chaines so easily of How came the prison dores open How the iron gate leading into the citie to open of it owne accord Surely here was no small power vsed Nay the vnregenerate is like Lazarus fast bound and lying dead in the graue And is it so easie a matter to raise him vp to giue him life and to free him from the bonds of death But you hath hee quickned who were dead in trespasses and sinnes wherein once yee walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the ayre the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also wee had our conversation in time past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind c. Eph. 2. 1 c. Our will being then captiuated chained imprisoned in the dungeon of death kept and possessed by the strong man the Diuel are we so easily freed Saint Chrysostome amplifieth this by an excellent comparison or two All men saith hee before sinne as once in Adams loynes before his fall haue free will to follow the Diuels will or not but when once by sinne wee haue captiuated our selues to his workes wee cannot now free our selues But as a ship the rudder being broken is carried whither the tempest will so man having by sinne lost the helpe of divine Grace doth not that which himselfe willeth but which the Divell willeth and vnlesse God with a strong hand of mercy loose him hee shall abide in the bonds of his sinnes even vnto death And in the same place he compareth mans will before sinne namely in the state of Adams innocency to a free people or stare in whose power and election it is to chuse what King they will but hauing once chosen him whom they best like it is not now in their power vpon any dislike to depose him againe although hee tirannize ouer them neuer so much none can free them from this grieuous bondage but onely God So it being once in the power of mans will in the free state of innocency to chuse a King God or the Diuel hauing once by consent of sin made choise of the Prince of darknesse who tyrant-like ruleth in the children of disobedience it appertaines now onely to the mightie power and infinite goodnesse of God to set
that all other graces are radically in faith and spring from it They make all other holy graces to be inherent in sauing faith as the natiue qualities of it essentiall and inseparable not as accidents which are seperable Saint Augustine saith What is it to beleeue in him By beleeuing to loue him by beleeuing to affect him by beleeuing to goe vnto him and to be incorporated into his members And againe Paulus fidem c. Paul approueth and commendeth that faith which worketh by loue which cannot be without hope therefore neither is loue without hope nor hope without loue nor both without faith And which we cited before Faith is so on the soule as a good roote which bringeth forth the fruite S. Chrysostome saith Faith is the foundation of the most holy religion the bond of charity the supply and succour of loue it confirmes sanctity it strengtheneth chastity it gouernes all sexes it promotes all degrees it obserueth all offices faith keepeth the Commaundements practiseth the precepts accomplisheth the promises And much more to this purpose according to his fluent golden elegancy Saint Ambrose There are in faith great prerogatiues what be they piety iustice sobriety charity discipline or good gouernment And to conclude with St. August In ipsa fide sunt omnia opera quae diligit Deus in faith it selfe are all those workes which God loueth Nor need this poynt seeme so strange Morall Philosophy can teach vs that there is such an inseparable combination of all moral vertues as he that hath one hath all And shall wee deny then this inseparable conjunction of Spirituall graces whereof Faith is the Radicall and principall Though it is a marveile that these Philosopers Aristotle and Tully haue escaped the fiery purgatory-Index sith not even Romes owne Gratian for saying no more in Divinitie then those in Morality hath had the grace to escape their Singe or Spunge For where he saith Sed commodo c. But how can I haue such a faith to remoue mountaines and not charity Sith he that hath one vertue hath all I could not haue it but miraculously All these words must out as may be seene in Collat. censurae in gloss iuris canonici vum 84. Such a hatred they haue to the living saving faith as though a Princesse they will not allow her any necessary attendance coÌ„comitancy of other graces Whereas Bernard saith To beleeue in God is to hope in him and to loue him And Hieronymus Osorius Faith containeth all religion and piety for all vertues are by faith consorted and combined together and with it are connexed and intwined in a most holy knot But Deleantur haec verba let these words be cancelled saith the Index expurgatorius Also these words of his Ergo cùm fides c. Therefore seeing faith doth governe the whole soule and drawe it to the studie and loue of Gods word it followeth necessarily that it is proved not only in beleeving but also in obeying And those words also of Osorius must passe their purgatory Tune igitur verè fideles sumus cùm Dei verbo audiontes sumus Therefore then are wee truely faithfull when wee are obedient to the word of God I will conclude with the golden saying of our Royall Paraphrase vpon the Reuelation God by faith onely iustifieth man which notwithstanding is done according to his workes because they as the fruits of faith cannot be seperated from it and be are witnesse of the same to men of the earth I might seeme to haue digressed all this while from the point of freewill in speaking of faith But partly you haue moued me and the more willingly haue I followed you it being very pertinent to set forth discouer the Councell of Trents egregious hypocrisy in her Doctrine of grace and freewill For vnto what is the will stirred moued assisted by grace Parturient montes we expect some wonderfull consequent Thereby forsooth the will conceiueth faith by hearing the word and prepareth and disposeth it selfe to iustification And what faith is this thus conceiued Nascetur ridiculus Mus behold a ridiculous Mouse in steede of a young Mountaine For of their freewill is conceiued by hearing not that iustifying sauing liuing faith whereof the Apostle Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 17 that faith whereof rightcousnesse is ver 5. that which beleeueth to righteousnesse ver 10 that which beleeueth In D. Iesâ—m in the Lord Iesus ver 11 but this conceiued faith of Rome is a bare historicall implicit generall dead faith like that of the Deuils no grace but such as euery wicked man may haue as their * fideles fornicarii c. their faithfull fornicaters adulterers c. And that grace of God their first grace whereby they say the will is first moued to conceiue a dead faith is with them but an ordinary common grace in deede no grace and by their owne confession no sauing sanctifying iustifying grace at all Yea and though they stile it a preparatory grace yet it neuer bringeth a man to true iustification sith they disclame that liuing sauing faith the onely faith whereby instrumentally we are iustified The summary conclusion then is that seeing the Trent Councell hath in her Doctrine of freewill so slily vndermined and ouerturned the fundamentall doctrine of saluation consisting in the iustifying sauing liuing faith powerfully wrought by the sanctifying grace of Gods Spirit in the heart euen in the whole man the soule with all the faculties from which faith as from a liuing and fructifying roote doe spring all other holy graces therefore for any man to goe about to excuse the Councell of Trent in the point wherein for the maine she is altogether to be condemned yea executed with Anathema Maran-atha I see not how such a one can be excused from being a reconciled confederate in all that damnable Doctrine of Trent about freewill Is this the way to make vs beleeue the Apppealers profound protestations that he is a Protestant of the Church of England while he so religiously pleadeth for the Councell of Trents mystery of iniquity and that flatly against the Doctrine of the Church of England Doth he thus perswade vs hee is no Papist Fy Maister Mountagu for shame learne not thus of your Councell of Trent to equiuocate with your brethren yea with your Mother Church of England You hold with the Step-mother of Rome in her most damnable Doctrines whereby she vtterly euacuates Christ Iesus and the whole mystery of our saluation and yet you are no Papist Why Because forsooth you doe not hold those Doctrines to be Popery but catholicke with those of the Church of England If you can bring no better arguments to proue you a good Protestant these you haue brought will sufficiently conclude you to be a reconciling reconciled English Romane-catholicke Babylonius Sir to trouble you no longer for this time and for a conclusion of the first part of this Appeale
Oracle of the World O that hee were but one of our holy Society which if hee were our discipline within a short time would so season him as hee would proue a most accomplished actiue instrument for the Catholicke cause He is full of mettall and he wants but the stampe of our minte to make it current O the gratefull tartnesse and smartnesse of his stile And such is the dexteritie of his wit that in his Limbecke he can easily draw and distill all learning into the quintessence of his owne singular and rare opinions Let him but conceiue a rare notion and by and by the Church of England either saith it or not expresly denying it or being altogether silent he can easilie conclude silence to be consent Yea he is strong as Sampson for when he is disposed neither the Philistines cords of the Councell of Dore which hee tramples as durt nor yet of his Dalilah his Church of England can hold him further then himselfe pleaseth Oh I am euen rauished with the loue of the man hee hath dared and damped all the Puritans in England Doe but goe on and reade the Contents which will giue you some scanting of the substance of the booke Asotus I doe I finde here many things the contrarie whereof I haue heard our Minister publikely teach and that with no lesse vehemencie then plaine euidence of argument from Scriptures and Fathers at least to the conuincing of my simple iudgement Babylonius I would your Minister were here present whosoeuer he be you should see what hee could say to many points maintained in this booke they being also the very Doctrine of our holy mother Church of Rome at this day and those also fundamentall as of Free-will Praedestination Iustification Falling from grace Certaintie of saluation Antichrist and the like Asotus And you wish in a very good time for if I be not deceiued yonder hee is walking shall wee goe neere him and accost him Babylonius With a good will But by the way I pray you informe me a little of the qualities and conditions of the man that so I may the better attemper my speech and cariage towards him is he not a Puritan Asotus Surely in one sence he is no Puritan for he is conformable none of the refractaries but doth both practise himselfe and preach vpon occasion in the defence of Ecclesiasticall ceremonies and that very earnestly insomuch as I haue seene him sometimes put backe from the Communion those which would not receiue it knâ—eling yet not leauing them till he brought them on their knees Now formerly Non conformitants onely were accounted Puritans But if wee vnderstand Puritan in a second degree to wit for a Minister to be a diligent Preacher and resident vpon his charge one that cannot away with non-residency that will not take two Benefices and makes conscience how he comes by one that is of an honest conuersation and is a very sincere rebuker of sinne an vrger of the more strict keeping of the Lords day as he vsually calleth it and rather content to suffer wrong in his tithes then contentions for his right and aboue all a vehement inueigher against the Masse and all the Idolatries and Superstitions of the Church of Rome as he tearmes them and one who I warrant you would neuer giue his consent that Iesuites and Masse-Priests should bee any way tollerated to liue vp and downe in our Land insomuch as I haue heard he being desired to be in a place where it was appointed and so expected that Father Fisher should dispute when all came to all hearing Fisher refused to dispute without speciall licence from the Arch-bishop of Cantâ—rbury hee replyed and said Master Fisher I maruaile by what licence you goe vp and downe seducing our simple people and yet you want a licencâ— to dispute with our learned Diuines It is pittie such as you are thus suffered to vndermine soules and states and so to proue the bane of our Kingdome and Church sith for your sakes if we had no other sins and for your abominable idols the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place where it ought not we are exposed and indangered to all those plagues and punishments which we haue partly felt and haue much more cause to feare and expect which 〈◊〉 most 〈◊〉 flames must 〈◊〉 breake forth from the kindled 〈◊〉 of Gods spouse-like iealousie to our consumption if ye may be but suffered thus to set your Dagon check by iâ—wle in câ—rrinall-ship with Gods Arke in this his pure Church Now Master Babylonius how far is he a Puritan in these respects I leaue to judge Babylonius How Can there be a more pestilent Puritan in all the Packe then such a one But now you haue informed me thus much of the man I will tell you after what manner I thinke it fit to deale with him By no meanes must he perceiue what professioÌ„ I am off For then ten to one hee will fall foule vpon me and so wee short of our purpose which is to try what he can say against this booke Therefore wee will onely by way of question as for your resolution sake see how he can answer some of the most materiall things therein And for the manner of dealing with him let me alone onely giue you the occasion and first on-set Asotus With a good will I applaude your prudence herein God giue you good morrow Master Orthodoxus Orthodoxus And you neighbour Asotus Asotus Sir you are very well met for this gentleman and I haue accidentally light vpon a booke wherein I finde sundry things maintained contrary to that I haue heard of you and wee shall be much beholden to you to resolue vs in some points which doe a little stumble vs. Orthodoxus Neighbour Asotus I am glad to heare you make such a motion to me it being no vsuall thing with you nor many others and more is the pitty once to moue a question of conscience or faith to your Minister vnlesse it bee more for cauill and contention then for Christian resolution Therefore seeing you seeme to doe it out of a good desire to be informed in the truth and propose such questions as concerne those Doctrines which I haue publikely taught I hold it my dutie to satisfie you the best I can As for this Gentleman aâ— it seemes your friend if hee be of the same minde herein with you though he be a stranger to me yet I shall not be curious but deale ingenuously with you both and I pray God giue a good issue to our meeting in directing vs in the way of his truth Babylonius Sir wee both thanke you for your courtesie Orthodoxus Sir it is my duty But neighbour what booke is that you speake of Asotus Sir the Title of it is in Latin which I vnderstand not so well Appello Casarem Orthodoxus O I know the booke Asotus I pray you Sir what thinke you of it Orthodoxus Nay pardon me for that I doe not
praedestinating without any respect or preuision of their workes as a grand error which hee chargeth Caluin with neither would I willingly or wittingly conceiue or coniecture of the Appealers extended sense otherwise than by himselfe is not onely intended but clearly enough expressed as may be seene in his 7. chapter 1. part in sundry places But for Master Caluin wee haue sufficiently cleared him from the Appealers calumny notwithstanding hee spend a great part of his said 7. chap. in heaping vp testimonies of Fathers and all vpon a false surmised ground and so all to no purpose except to vent I would to cure the ouerflowing of that humour of the Gall which hath caused his Appeale to bee all ouerspread with the yellow yea with the blacke Iawndise For Master Caluin holds with Saint Augustine Gods election to bee out of the corrupt masse and reprobation of the rest already condemned by that sentence of death In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death But for the Appealers owne opinion concerning Gods decree of election and praedestination it may not be passed by in silence First hee saith There must needes first bee a disproportion before there can bee conceiued Election or Derelection What he meaneth by disproportion hee tells a little after namely betweene those who now condemned in Adams laynes God did forsee would accept of deliuerance offered them in and by Christ and the rest whom he foresaw would reiect this deliuerance His very words are God out of his mercy c. stretched out to them that is to all now condemned in Adams loynes deliuerance in a Mediatour the Man Iesus Christ and drew them out that tooke hold of mercy leauing them there that would none of him So that by the Appealers saying here no pradestination without a disproportion conceiued to goe before and this disproportion betweene the parties to be elect and reprobate is discouered by Gods preuision of both their workes hee foreseeing that the one would receiue and accept grace offered and the other refuse it vpon which preuision the Appealer would build Gods decree of prâ—destination and election an opinion no lesse gracelesse then groundlesse and if I should call it in plaine termes most impious and blasphemous against Gods pure glory and preciourgrace although I should doe the Appealer no wrong in it yet I should raise a Waspes nest about mine eares But wee must not feare to speake the truth and to oppose such blasphemy because of mens mischieuous and no lesse boundlesse then groundlesse malice especially in such a case wherein Gods glory is so deepely ingaged This opinion of the Appealer is very plausible to flesh and blood for mans pride would still be arrogating something to it selfe and be a fingering of one of Gods speciall peculiars his glory This was that poison which the Serpent infused and breathed into our first Parents Eritis sicut Dii c. Yee shall bee as Gods selfe-wise and selfe-sufficient And this poyson wee haue all sucked in with our Nurses milke wee will be at least fellow-sharers with God in the worke of our saluation O this pleaseth vs well Saint Augustine himselfe confesseth that hee was once of this opinion that God elected men out of his preuision and foresight of their faith c. But this he imputeth to his ignorance in his yonger yeares and therfore in his riper iudgment and further insight into the mystery of God hee retracteth his opinion in his first booke of Retractations cap. 23. yet our age wanteth not gray heads and white heires who with their grâ—â—nâ— wits will rather approue of the opinion of young then the iudgment of old Saint Augustine and to retract his Retraction Now for this opinion of Gods Election ruled by his praescience or premission of workes if we seeke some eminent authoritie and venerable antiquity for it S. Augustine can best resolue vs. For the Antiquitie of it wee haue Saint Augustines time for authoritie the Pelagian heresie Praesciebat ergo c. He foreknew then saith the Pelagian who would be holy and immaculate by their free-will and therefore in that his praescience whereby he fore-knew they would be such he Elected them before the foundation of the world Which opinion of Pelagius now reviued by our Appealer and his S. Augustine answereth most divinely from the Scriptures Intueamur ergo c. Let vs therefore peruse the words of the Apostle and let vs see whether God did therefore chuse vs before the foundation of the world because we would become holy and immaculate or that we might be so Blessed be God saith he and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs in all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in loue Non ergo quia futuri eramus sed vt essemus He chose vs not therefore because we would be such but that we might be such Nempe certum est c. For it is certaine for it is manifest that therfore we would become such because he chose vs predestinating vs that we should become such by his grace And marke saith he what the Apostle addeth Secundum plâ—citum c. According to the good pleasure of his will lest in so great a benefit of the grace of God we should glory in the pleasure of our owne will And much more doth this holy man sweetly apply to the same purpose out of that heavenly Chapter the first to the Ephesians whereof he saith Nimis longum est de singulis disputare It were too long to traverse every circumstance And he concludes Cerâ—itis autem proculdubio c. You see then doubtlesse you see with what evidence of Apostolick eloquence this grace of God is defended against which humanie merits are advanced as if man gaue something first that he should bee recompensed Elegit ergo c. God therefore chose vs in Christ before the foundation of the world praedestinating vs vnto the Adoption of sonnes not because we would of our selues become holy and blamelesse but bee elected and praedestinated vs that wee might be such And this he did according to the good pleasure of his will that no man should glory of his owne but of Gods good will towards him Out of this purpose of God is that calling which is proper to the Elect to whom all things cooperate for good because according to his purpose not their owne they are called to be Saints c. And to cleare this point yet more he induceth an obiection of some who though aduersaries in part to the Pelagians yet they would impute Praedestination to Gods praescience in regard of faith The Pelagians say they are of opinion that receiuing once the commandement of God wee become holy and immaculate of our selues by our free will which God foreseeing did
side without remorse but a Samaritan seeing him comes to him takes compassion on him bindes vp his wounds powers in oyle and wine lifts him vp on his Beast and prouides all things necessary for him The case is ours Totum geuus humanum est homo ille qui iacet in via seminivus c. saith August All mankinde is that man which lyeth in the way halfe dead and though Christ the good Samaritan come and take compassion of vs and bring oyle and wine to heale our wounds yet vnlesse his compassion extend it selfe to apply them we should still be wallowing in our blood and so perish Yet as Saint Augustine saith Sunt homines iugrati gratiae multum tribuentes inopi sauciaeque naturae Men are vngratefull to grace attributing much to poore and wounded nature Verum est magnas arbitrij liberi vires homo cùm conderetur accepit sed peccando amisit True it is Man when he was created receaued a greater power of freewill but by sinning lost it And this doth St. Augustine apply to the man fallen among theeues helped and healed by the mercifull Samaritan Well how then come wee to bee made partakers of Christ Namely by the free gift of Christ. It is of Gods free fauour and mercy that Christ is giuen not onely for vs but to vs that Christ is not onely appointed of the Father to be a glorious garment to couer our shame but also the hand of faith is giuen vs by the same grace of God whereby we put him on as the Father in the Gospell commanded the best robe to be fecht and to bee put vpon his conuert prodigall sonne by the same grace our eyes are opened to behold the glorious sonne of righteousnesse risen in our horison bringing life and health vnto vs. And as Christ came vnto vs so wee must come vnto him But how by the same grace and mercy that he came vnto vs wee come vnto him So Christ saith No man can come vnto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and ver 45. And they shall all be taught of God Euery man therefore that hath board and hath learned of the Father commeth vnto me And ver 65. No man can come vnto me except it were giuen vnto him of my Father vpon which wordes St. Augustine saith Trahi a Patre ad Christum c. For a man to be drawne by the Father to Christ and to heare and learne of the Father that he may come to Christ is no other then to receiue a gift of the Father whereby he beleeueth in Christ. And againe Quando Pater intus anditur c. When the Father is inwardly heard and teacheth men to come to his Sonne he takes away their stony heart and giues them a heart of flesh For so he maketh the sonnes of promise and vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glory Why then doth he not teach all that they may come to Christ but that because all whom he teacheth in mercy he teacheth and whom he teacheth not in iudgment he teacheth not because he sheweth mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth but he sheweth mercy bestowing that which is good he hardneth recompensing that which is due whereupon he concludes Hâ—nc est quòd verbum crucis pereuntibus stulitia est his autem qui salui flunt virtus Dei est Hence it is that the preaching of the Crosse is to them that perish folishnesse but to them which are saued it is the power of God This truth is so cleare it needes no further testimonie So that to ascribe part of our saluation to God and part to man is artificially to rob God of his glory and man of saluation seeing not onely for the Father to appoint his Sonnes to be the Mediatour and Redeemer of mankinde but also effectually to giue him to all his elect giuing them grace and faith whereby to receiue him are two noble inseparable branches growing from one and the same roote of Gods free mercy Neither can the one stand without the other for take away this latter act of Gods mercy inabling vs to receiue Christ and the former of appointing Christ to bee the deliuerer would be altogether frustrate as depending vpon mans will to receiue or reiect him as the Vniuersalists falsly affirme Therefore giue God his whole glory or else yee rob and strip him of all So that I may say of the Appealers dealing herein as our learned Master Hooker in his tract of Iustification saith of the Romish Church in the matter of our Redemption by Christ. They grant saith he that Christ alone hath performed the worke of Redemption sufficiently for the saluation of the whole world but in the application of this inestimable treasure that it may be effectuall to their saluation how demurely soeuer they confesse that they seeke remission of sins no otherwise then by the blood of Christ vsing humbly the meanes appointed by him to apply the benefit of holy blood they teach indeede so many things pernicious in Christian faith in setting downe the meanes whereof they speake that the very foundation of faith which they hold is thereby plainely ouerthrowne and the force of the blood of Iesus Christ extinguished So he The very like may be applyed to the Appealer For he with his Arminians howsoeuer they acknowledge the meere mercy of God in prouiding such an all-sufficient Sauiour to redeeme mankinde yet they marre all in their applying this plaister of mercy while they would doe it with the hand of freewill the foresight whereof was forsooth the first mouer of Gods meere mercy Sure if so they must needes abate no small part from meere mercy For how is it meere mercy if any good in vs foreseene first caused it that it should offer a Sauiour to vs Babylonius Now see you seeme to touch vpon the point of Freewill which my Authour treateth of in the next Chapters the 8 9 and 10. following in order that which hath hitherto beene discussed And to my simple vnderstanding that which he writes of it is very Catholicke and such as wherein he ascribeth the receiuing of grace offered not simply to Freewill but primarily to Gods grace preparing and stirring vp the will vnto it But I desire to heare your opinion of this point also as he hath handled it Orthodoxus With a good will But for as much as by the Authours owne words it is accounted a Question of perplexed obscurity I purpose not to tread the whole maze wherein the versatilous wit of man hath made infinite windings I will be very briefe omitting his various and copious allegations of Authours opinions So that passing by the eighth Chapter as empty the ninth also as full of quotations I will touch onely one or two passages in his tenth Chapter In the second page whereof whereas he saith that in Adam and through his fall we haue not
vnderstanding onely or to any one faculty of the soule though hee place it principally in the will in regard of those natiue and inseporable qualities of true sauing saith namely confidence and affiance in Gods promises So that I wonder how this Doctrine of that good Cardinall hath escaped the flames of their Purgatory Index But his owne life paid for it when he with his fellow Cardinall Fregosus being suspected too much to fauour the Doctrine of Luther were both quickly taken out of the way non sine veneni suspicione not without suspicion of poyson But those Diuines that liued in more ancient ages contented themselues with the most simple but most eâ—phaticall tearmes of the Scripture not troubling their heads with quirks and questions of this nature whether faith were in the vnderstanding or in the will c but with the Scripture they include altogether in the heart the seate and confluence of all the powers of the soule Bernard saith that first the sâ—â—ncere roote of holy faith is planted in the ground of mans heart and when faith is fully growne vp it becomes as a great tree hauing in it sundry sorts of apples wherewith the soule being full of God is refreshed St. August takes no more care but to place faith in the soule Vnder whence comes death in the soule because faith is not there whence in the body because the soule is not there therefore the soule of the soule is faith Againe Fides quae credit in Deum vita anima existit per hanc iustus viuit Faith which beleeueth in God is the life of the soule and by it the iust man liueth And speaking of the vnderstanding hee saith Intellectus merces est sides c. The vnderstanding is the reward of faith doe not then seeke to vnderstand that thou maist beleeue but beleeue that thou maist vnderstand And againe Intellectui fides viam aperit infidelitas claudit faith opens the way to the vnderstanding but infidelity shuts it And speaking of the will he saith Fides excitat ad exercitium voluntatem Faith stirreth vp the will to excercise And in a word Fides sic est in anima vt radix bona quae pluuiam in fructum ducit Faith is so in the 〈◊〉 as a good roote which peoduceth the raine into fruit I might adde many others but this may suffice Babylonius But Sir whereas you seeme to oppugne the Councell of Trent doth it not also acknowledge faith to be the roote of all other graces Doe the Church of Rome right I 〈◊〉 you Orthodoxus God forbid else The prouerbe is Giue the Diuel his due Indeede the Trent Councell confesseth that faith is the beginning of mans saluation the foundation and roote of all iustification But vnder this painted Sepulcher she buries the bones of true sauing faith which she hath slaine there to ly rotting as the Iewes did with Gods Prophets whom their Fathers had slaine and vpon the foundation they erect the Monument and Trophe of their Pageantfaith For vndertaking to glâ—sse vpon the Apostles wordes A man is iustified by faith and gratis freely she saith These wordes are to be vnderstood in that sense which the perpetuall consent of the Catholicke Church hath holden and expressed to wit that we are said therefore to be iustified by faith because it is the beginning of mans saluation the foundation and root of all iustification So that they attribute iustification to faith not simply for it selfe but relatiuely as it hath reference to the fruits whereof they say faith is the roote namely their inherent righteousnesse But the truth is this restrained yea constrained sense of theirs is most absurd and senslesse as hauing neither foundation nor roote of reason to support and maintaine it All is but wordes They neither meane nor will nor can maintaine it For how is faith a beginning of grace if grace be no necessary consequent of their faith For they confesse they may haue faith and want grace which is the Diuels case Or how is faith the roote of grace and iustification sith it is impossible for this roote to produce any fruite at all For how can a dead roote bring forth any liue-fruite And they confesse their faith to be a dead and dry roote of it selfe vntill the sap of charity be powred into it to actuate and quicken this otherwise dead roote So that by Babylons Doctrine the fruite must giue life to the roote not the roote to the fruite And yet forsooth faith must be the roote of iustification the foundation of mans saluation Surely the Prouerbe may here well be verified Dignum patella operculum like roote like iustification both dead like foundation like building both sandy yea meere aery and imaginary Babylonius But is not faith dead and vnformed vntill it be inliued and formed by charity Doth not St. Iames say that as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without workes is dead also Therefore the good workes of charity giue life vnto faith as the soule to the body Orthodoxus Doth charity giue life to faith How is then faith the roote your owne reason may teach you the contrary as wee haue showed But to that place of Saint Iames it is too commonly abused For marke first hee saith not As the body without the soule is dead but as the body without the spirit is dead The spirit is the breath by which the body is knowne to liue So that the body receiueth life from the soule but sheweth it by the spirit which it breatheth The spirit then is an effect and signe not a cause of the life of the body So charity and the workes therof are a fruite and effect breathing from sauing faith testifying that it is a liuing faith not causing it so to be for that were to turne the tree vpside downe as if the roote which is faith should receiue life sap and groweth from the branches And it is plaine by the whole analogy and tenure of the chapter that the Apostle speakes of good workes as they are demonstratiue signes and fruits of a liuing faith not as causes of it Againe he putteth a distinct difference betweene the true sauing faith which alwaies shewes it selfe to liue by the fruits of it for it is that faith euer working by loue and betweene a false counterfeit faith such as is dead and knowne to bee so by the not breathing out of good workes So that the true sauing iustifying faith is that which worketh by loue So the Apostle saith But how by loue as by the efficient mouing cause of the working of it or rather as the instrumentall cause moued by the hand of faith Loue is faiths instrument whereby it worketh Yea it is an inseparable quality of sauing faith whereby faith workes as the heat is the inseperable quality of the fire whereby the fire worketh This is the Doctrine also of the ancient Fathers They so make faith the roote as