the phisition And why Is it not euery one that standeth in neede may haue the medicine applyed yes verily For it will not otherwise doe them any good Now saith he faith giueth vs this spirituall health which vnlesse the minde receiue withall the heart it doth no good but rather hurt As therefore it doth no good to a diseased body to know that he may haue helpe vnlesse the physicke be ministred to him euen so in these sicknesses of our soule the assaultes of sinne without this particular applicution there can be no helpe Let therefore Master Bellarmine tel vs if he will that his fellow Catholickes of the Romish stamp do hold it rather a presumption then faith To be assured of the promise of speciall grace or mercy yet will we rather holde fast that auncient faith of Rome approued also by sundry fathers then wander with them in their wauering opinion and desperate doctrine But our new Romish teachers can abide nothing lesse then that we should teach men to assure themselues by faith of their saluation And therefore they teach this faith to be but an assent not a confidence and that it may be a generall knowledge not a particular and vndoubted persuasion or trust that we are iustifyed by Christ They take for a patterne of their faith that faith that the diuels haue as before out of Saint Iames I taught that they beleeue yea feare and tremble And while they make faith to be but a bare assent they thinke it an easy matter to beleeue for in deed the most wicked may haue such a fayth by this meanes it commeth to passe that they speake euill of our doctrine which they knowe not For wee doe not teach that popish faith doth iustify which is but an historicall assent to those thinges that are spoken of GOD but we say that that assured persuasion which Sainte Paul commendeth in Abraham and whereof himselfe reioyceth And whereby we are kept by the power of GOD vnto saluation wee teach that that doth not onely iustifie vs before God because it apprehendeth and taketh holde of him by and in whom onely wee are accompted righteousse in Gods sight but God by it doth also purifie our heartes Because it cannot be but that wee will haue a delight in Gods commaundementes if once this assured and vndoubted persuasion of Gods eternall goodnesse towardes vs be planted in our heartes Although therefore we still teach constantlie with our Sauiour Christ his Apostles that fayth without workes doth iustifie speaking of a true fayth and an assured confidence which was the olde Roman fayth yet we wil also say with the new Romanistes that the fayth of the nowe Church of Rome or that fayth which the diuels may haue cannot iustifye But this doth nothing hinder our cause for wee accompt not that bastard Roman faith worthy the name of faith So that in this latter assertion wee yeelde to them And in the former wherein we affirme that faith as it is an assured confidence taking holde of Gods mercy in Christ doth iustifie I would they also woulde yeelde vnto the trueth CHAP. VIII WEe haue séene then the most auncient doctrine of iustification by faith grounded vpon the first promise of the womans seede that shoulde breake the head of the serpent taught by the Apostles who yet ment not thereby to open a gap to licentious life because they speak not there of a deuelish faith a popish faith a dead faith that may be fruitlesse but of such a persuasion and so assured a confidence setled in the heart of the faithfull as will not suffer them to be idle or vnoccupied in godly workes as occasion shall bee offered And if wee looke further into the doctrine taught by the Apostles we shall also learne out of it not onely that it is necessary to doe good works but also howe and to what ende wee shoulde doe them For if our affection in doing them be not sincere if our direction and rule be not Gods holy word if our intention and ende be not Gods glory and the performance of our dutifull obedience vnto our Lord and Lawgiuer whatsoeuer our worke be called in name or seeme in shew it is not in deede a good worke First therefore for our affection not onely our Sauiour Christ who is a heauenly and true teacher of all trueth telleth vs that the trée of our heart cannot bring forth good fruite vnlesse it I meane the tree be good it selfe but also S. Paul teacheth vs that the flesh that is that part of man that is not regenerate striueth against the spirit whereby he is brought to that that Hee doth not the good thing which hee woulde but the euill which he would not And that through The rebelling Lawe in his members rebelling I say against the lawe of his mind and leading him captiue vnto the Lawe of sinne which is in his members Nowe if we marke why the Apostle maketh this complaint and addeth that grieuous and pitifull exclamation O wretched man that I am we must confesse that he was forced thereto because that Although he woulde doe good and had delight in the Lawe of God concerning the inner man yet his rebellious fleshe did trouble and molest him so that he could not so freely so holily and sincerely serue God as he shoulde haue done And that is it that in the sixt chapter he perswadeth vs that we ought not to sinne because we are dead to sinne so that we should not any more haue to doe therewith but should haue our affections freed from the same and wholly bent to serue God in holines And for this cause afterwardes when he beginneth to come to exhortations he layeth this as the ground and foundation of al That we must offer vp our selues euen our owne bodies a sacrifice to God For if we beginne not with our selues euen with our owne affections to haue them sanctified whatsoeuer we doe cannot bee holy And therefore S. Peter also who plentifully exhorteth to the performance of Christian dueties yet telleth vs before that we are elect vnto Sanctification For heereby our affections are reformed that in doing of al our works we may do them with a good heart And afterward he saith Seeing your hearts are purified in obeying the trueth through the spirite to loue brotherly without fayning loue one another with a pure heart feruently In which wordes we cannot but see how sincere an effection the Apostle requireth in performance of this dutie of loue which must also bee a patterne for vs to doe all good workes by for thy heart not béeing sincere thy workes are not pure though they seeme good As for the second point which is that our workes if we will that God shoulde accompt them good should be commaunded in Gods word and agréeable to his will it may appeare to be the auncient faith
his glorie is nothing in comparison of mine And this is not onely by the pride of the Popes themselues but wheras stories teach that the godly Christians prayed for infidell Emperours now their diuines doe affirme it to be lawfull to disobey to rebell against and to depose such kings or princes as they will call heritickes yea to kill such is with them an action godly and honourable yea meritorious too Would any man haue thought that S. Peter who so humbly as a fellowe elder intreateth the elders to feed the flocke which God hath committed to them not as Lords ouer Gods heritage could euer haue had so degenerate a successour to haue sit in his chaire as they say the Pope doth and yet in pride of heart doth not onely aduance himselfe aboue al bishops but also ouer all creaturs Or would a man haue imagined these holy fathers would euer haue hatched so barbarous treasons Let this then be recorded of a memoriall to all posteritie and for a perpetuall staine to that bloudy Church of Rome the mother of all treasons and tretcheries of al vnnaturall and villainous practises that shee doth not onely directly oppose herselfe to the worde of God the doctrine of the Apostles and the very Law of nature and nations but also shee and her deere darlinges by their most vile practises doe crie it out vnto the world more shrill then the sound of any trumpet that they quite haue abandoned the affections of men Haue not we in England good cause to detest such doctrine and doctours who haue wrought so effectually in the heartes of many of our English fugitiues that their treasons haue no ende their crueltie hath no measure but that they desire and attempt to lay violent handes vpon the Lordes annoynted which the Godly of all times haue feared to purpose or thinke against the most wicked Yea doth not the Catholicke Tyrant that calleth himselfe by the name of a king but is in deede a reproch and shame to the verie name that he so hath dishonoured doth he not corrupt with gold and intice by all fayre promises subiectes to kill their princes and to murther them whome they ought to defende obey and reuerence It is too true it is too playne What kingdomes hath he not tempted what princes hath he not indaungered Howe many hath he gotten destroyed So that I am often times driuen to wonder and maruell what sluggishnesse or security possesseth the heartes of Christian kings and princes that they ioyne not their powers together against that common enemie not to princes onely but euen to mankinde His ambition increaseth as doe his daies his cruel purposes cannot be numbred He incrocheth cōtinually as he can vpon other mens right and vniustly if his might will serue dispossesseth the iust heires of their kingdomes and dominions His doings declare that he enuieth all your glory O you potentates and aspireth to euery of your inheritances and principalities And will you thus stand gazing on as men amazed at his strange attemptes whilest hauing preuailed against your neighbors he also take you in hand when his power shall be increased and yours diminished Doe you not know that it is high time for you to looke about you when your neighbours howse it set on fire Bande therefore and combine your selues together to reforme or restrayne his vnbrideled affections I doe not wishe his subiectes to rebell against him for that we see is vnlawfull but I pray God to put such a hearte and courage into his neighbours and equals that they woulde teach him to knowe that his omnipotente minde made proude with his might and wealth shall not alwaies be satisfyed with the spoyle of other But to leaue this Romish Catholicke to his Catholicke practises vntill God shall eyther conuert his heart or confound his power what cause hath the Pope so to magnifie himselfe and to claime such soueraigntie ouer them whom he ought to obey we see the Apostles would haue all without exception subiect to princes The Popes supremacy is not once mentioned although S. Paule writing to the Romans might haue had good occasion to haue commended the glory of that seate if any such thing had beene and S. Peter if he had any such soueraignty had iust cause to haue required submission to himselfe as wel as to kings and should haue made more accompt of himselfe then to be but a fellow elder with others But the Apostles haue bin taught to speake by the spirit of God The Popes haue done according to the pride of their owne heart And it is a verie strong presumption against the supposed soueraigntie which they say S. Peter had ouer all that S. Marke his fauorit and follower who also if stories be true wrote his gospell at Rome at the request of Peters wel-willers yet the same his gospell neyther maketh any mention of the great miracles which they woulde haue vs to Imagine that he wrought against Simon Magus which is one of their principall argumentes to proue Peters being at Rome neyther hath one worde more then the rest whereby we may gather any such superioritie in him And if he make any mention of Peter it is without any signification of his iurisdiction ouer others Yea when he speaketh of his calling he thus barely deliuereth it vnto vs. And Iesus passing by the sea of Galile hee sawe Simon and Andrew his brother c. And reporting the contention that was among the Apostles which of them should be chiefe he taketh no occasion to commend to them or to vs that soueraignty although the later time Iames and Iohn desired the same from him and the rest reporting how Christ reproued him he vseth no excuse no mitigation of the offence Now seeing neither when he setteth forth his calling neither in pointing to his infirmity neyther in noting these contentions he hath so much as any way signifyed his superioritie it followeth that eyther S. Marke was iniurious to his master in not giuing to him his due place or vnmindefull of his duetie to Gods Church in concealing from it so necessary an Article of religion as nowe they holde it or else that there was rather no such matter and therefore he coulde not write of it For after Christ was once ascended and the holy Ghost sent in visible forme then was it time to knowe all the Articles of religion so that our abuersaries cannot tell vs that S. Marke for modesties cause did not write of these thinges For not to write of that which is necessary to be beleeued if hee knewe it had beene greate wickednesse Subiection therefore to Princes was of the auncient faith of the first faithfull Romans But this soueraignty and Supremacy of the bishoppes of Rome is but a poynte of the newe learning or else the dregges of Simon Magus his pride CHAP. XVI THE Apostle hauing exhorted vnto such Christian dueties as we may not omit
from thence And for proofe héereof let vs looke vpon some good worke and with indifferent iudgement let vs trie whether as it commeth from vs it can be perfect or not And what better worke can we finde then prayer which is that sweet sacrifice of perfume that God delighteth in If any man will say that he can offer vp vnto GOD his sacrifice without any wante or imperfection he proclaimeth thereby vnto the worlde that hee knoweth not what it is to pray or hath no feeling of his owne weakenes I speake not heere of popish prayers which are full of horrible blasphemies both in respect of him to whome they pray and of the mediatours by whome they seeke to obtaine and of the merite which they looke for because they haue numbred vp a certaine number of prayers Let the Church of Rome affoorde vs but one man that iustly and truely can say that he can at any time with sincere heart and vnpolluted lippes so earnestly and confidently as God requireth being lifted vp from earth and earthly cogitations talke with God and sue vnto him for necessarie graces onely or especially respecting Gods glorie without wauering in fayth or wandering in affections or forgetting that hee is talking with GOD and then we will yeelde that our works there may be perfection But if in so holy a worke wherunto our owne wantes may stirre vp vs to be the more sincere yet wee shall alwaies finde imperfection how then can our other workes be voyde of sinne But if any man in his excesse of folly and depth of ignoraunce eyther of that he can doe or of that he shoulde doe woulde make the worlde beleeue that he is able to offer vnto GOD the sacrifice of prayer without faulte or blemish his owne thoughtes will testifie against him his knowledge will accuse him and his conscience will condemne him that hee deceaueth himselfe and that there is no trueth in him For this is the perfection which we can looke for and which Saint Paule desireth to bring the Romans vnto not that they shoulde haue no sinne for that he knewe was impossible but that they should not let sinne raigne in this their mortall body that they shoulde thereunto obey by the lustes of it And that our prayer cannot be altogether voyde of wantes what can be more playne to proue then that which S. Paule himselfe teacheth the Romans that Wee knowe not what to desire as we ought For how can wee performe that perfectly which thing we knowe not howe to doe as we ought The spirit of GOD sendeth vp I confesse in deed requests for vs that is maketh vs to request with groninges vnspeakable But what is that to vs and to our nature to the perfection of our worke We are like bad tooles in a good hand I speake of the regenerate The toole being sharpened by the workeman hath an edge and can cut So we when God hath reformed our will by the spirit of regeneration haue a readines or desire to doe good But this edge if it méete with any thing that is harde as iron or stone is broken and made blunt or dull So is this our willingnesse or readinesse taken away when our carnall affections and desires doe oppose themselues So that although Gods spirite that worketh in vs and by vs is holye yet because it worketh by such euill instrumentes as we are looke howe much wee want of the perfection of our regeneration which heere cannot be perfected for whilest heere we liue we are but children and are not come to our perfect groweth so much must needes our worke want of the cleare light of the minde to direct it or of the sincere obedience of the heart to performe And because the Apostle â—newe thus much therefore that wee shoulde not be altogether discouraged in respect of the imperfection of our actions or the corruption of our nature he telleth vs that The lawe of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus marke that this Law of the spirit of life is in Christ not inherent in vs hath freed vs from the Lawe of sinne and death So that we haue no other remedie for our wantes and imperfections then that that holines which is in Christ shoulde by imputation become ours By the which in the ende that sanctification which by the spirit is heere begotten in vs shall be also fulfilled in vs as is promised afterwards For that righteousnes of the Law that there is spoken of that it is not or cannot be fulfilled of vs so long as we cary about vs this body subiect to sinne and correuption experience teacheth and I thinke the papists themselues that haue any shame will not deny For so long as we haue any lust or concupiscence which so long as we liue we shall haue Admit that lust were not sinne as the patrons of lust the papistes woulde haue vs to beléeue and falsly teach yet whilest that remaineth no body can say that the very righteousnes of the Law or whatsoeuer the Lawe required is fulfilled of vs. For euen themselues confesse that lust is aswaruing from the Lawe and is not according to the direction thereof Whereby it appeareth that these wordes of righteousnes of the Lawe that must be fulfilled in vs are to be vnderstoode of that that shall be performed in vs héereafter and not of that righteousnesse that we can now attaine vnto I cannot therefore but maruell at our Rhemistes that by these wordes woulde prooue that we may fulfill the Law For besides that which I haue said that it must be vnderstood of the perfection which we shall haue the wordes themselues also teach vs that this is done not by vs for we cannot attaine to that holines but in vs now if Christ in vs fulfill the Lawe it is not thereby proued that our selues fulfill the Law or that it is possible that we should attaine to the perfect obedience therof I trust that it appeareth that the ancient faith of the Romans which was commended by S. Paul doth so proclaime our vnworthinesse and debase our owne workes if we will consider them how God in his iustice may iudge of them that we may iustly confesse with the people of God Wee haue all beene as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnes as filthy cloutes we all doe fade as the leafe and our iniquities as the winde haue taken vs away So that we alwaies haue good cause to pray that God whatsoeuer thing we take in hande should Forgiue vs our trespasses For as saith Saith Bernard we want trueth charitie and courage Yea and the more we looke into and the better we knowe our selues the more plainely shal we see that these will alwaies be heere vnperfect Reason saith hee fayleth through ignoraunce of the trueth will is weake because affection fainteth the flesh is vnable through scante of courage In so much as reason doth not well vnderstande what it
birth of Tamars children For Zarah being first néere the birth yet Phares his brother came forth before him So these godly motions béeing first thought vpon yet euen in Gods good and obedient children such corrupt and vngodly affections will first shew themselues Of which dangerous battell commeth this troublesome effect troublesome I say to Gods children that their loue eyther of God or man is not without want their faith not without feare their obedience not without blemish their seruice not without negligence to be shorte in any good thing that we will attempt we shall not be without euil to hinder the same Which thinges being well considered of I trust it wil easely appeare that our will though it be good in the regenerate yet is not at any time altogether free to doe as it would in respect of these corrupt lusts of the flesh And that this is the auncient faith of the Romans that was in S. Paules time it is more plaine then that with any good shew of reason it may be denied For the Apostle teacheth the Romans thus much euen by his own example Who féeling within himselfe this spirituall battel betwéene the spirit and the flesh which onely Gods children do féele so by experience being taught that when he had done what he could he was notable to doe that which willingly he would haue done he plainely confesseth The good that I would do I not but the euill which I would not that do I. Now I trust no man will answere that he speaketh not of that he could doe but of that he did I trust no body wil imagine but that the Apostle did what he could to doe good and not to doe euill and yet when he had striuen therein to the vttermost his regenerate and godly will was not of power to performe his godly desires But if any man would iudge so grosly of S. Paule as that he might haue done more then he did to stand against sinne yet would they be sufficiently confuted by that which the same apostle addeth almost immediately whereby he sheweth by what meanes it came to passe that he was so driuen and drawen to doe against his will Euen because There was a Lawe in his members rebelling against the Lawe of his minde and leading him captiue to the Lawe of sinne although concerning the inward man he had delight in the Lawe of God Now if S. Paule had not free will as no doubt in these wordes he plainely teacheth the Romans that hee had not to doe good shall we imagine that we who are much lesse fréed from corruption of sinne then he was haue any such fréedome or power in vs Shall we that are in comparison drye stumpes and fruitlesse plantes deceiue our selues in this vaine conceit that we are better able to bring forth the fruit of good works then he was God forbid No I am verily perswaded that whosoeuer doth but consider what a good work is according to that I haue before said especially in the viii Chapter and on the other side how weake wee are of our selues because our regeneration is not heere perfected and how stirring and striuing our lustes are whereby we are hindred in our good indeuours he wil vtterly detest that deceitfull doctrine of mans free will to doe good and abhorre it as a proud presumption And hee will not onely with Saint Paule humbly confesse his owne weakenes but with S. Peter also heartely giue thankes vnto our gratious God who hath Kept vs by his power not by the power or free wil that we haue vnto saluation So that we see we to acknowledge this weaknes in our selues yea although we be regenerate to doe good and the power whereby we are preserued to saluation that we should not quite fall from it to be from God and in him is the Catholicke doctrine that then when these Apostles taught was receiued at Rome According to the which also the fathers in the Auraâ—ican counsell did affirme That many good thinges are wrought in man which man worketh not But man doth no good at all but that God giueth power that he may worke it And Theophilact most plainely speaking of the workes that we doe after baptisme wherein the papistes especially brag of their fréewill Our will saith he is dead but his that is Christes liueth and doth gouerne this our life If then our life be gouerned by Christes will where is the power of our owne will which our aduersaries so much extol I said saith FulgeÌ„tius that thou wast preuented not onely with that loue wherewith GOD loued thee but with that also which hee freely powred into thee that he might be loued of thee Therefore all euen whatsoeuer holy loue thou hast towardes thy husband thou hast it in deede in thee but not of thy selfe Much might be alledged out of the fathers to this ende whereby it might appeare how they did follow this ancient faith of the Church of Rome but I will take my leaue with Arnobius his wordes You saith he repose in your selues the saluation of your soules and hope to be made Gods by your owne inward indeuour But we promise not to our selues any such thing of our infirmitie seeing our nature to be of no strength and that it is ouercome by the affections thereof whensoeuer it striueth But now would they teach vs to speake with new tongues not the wonderfull workes of God but the straunge strength that is in vs to serue God straunge I say because we haue neither seene it in the godly nor heard it in the pure and auncient Roman Church nor can finde or feele it in our selues vnlesse it be when wee are past feeling that wée feele not our selues But thus they teach vs that being once stirred vp and holpen for these are their owne termes by grace man hath afterwardes such power that hee is freely moued to God to dispose and prepare himselfe to obtaine the grace of iustification Yea that our lustes or desire of sinne are subiected to reason and free will with such subiection as scarsely there can be any greater And thus whereas God because the olde heart of man is naught and hath nothing in it that will further nay that will not hinder vs to walke vprightly in the wayes of godlinesse promiseth to giue vs another heart A newe heart saith God will I giue you and a newe spirite will I put within you they woulde make vs beleeue that this olde hearte of ours will serue with a little chaunge And yet that wee may know that to stirre vp and to helpe our olde heart will not serue the turne God by Ezechiel in the place alledged saith I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I will giue you a heart of flesh By which wordes of giuing a newe hearte taking away that we haue of stone giuing vs one of fleshe God woulde haue vs to learne that