people of Israel are directed to you Mine owne heart good Sir tels me so How dare you build vpon the perswasion of our owne heart any such assurance Ierem. 17. When as in holy writ it is recorded Wicked is the heart of man and who shall know it Are you ignorant how Saul before he was Saint Paul being an Israelite to whom those words appertained perswading himselfe to be very assured of his faith was notwithstanding fouly deceiued and why may not you farre more vnskilfull then he be in like manner abused Moreouer suppose that this motion commeth of the holy Ghost and that he truely saith The Lord is God how long knoweth he that he shall be able to say so truely Math. 22. When our Sauiour Christ Iesus assureth vs that many be called but few of them are chosen to life euerlasting how knoweth he then assuredly that he being once called is of the predestinate M. Perkins saith that he who beleeueth knoweth that he beleeueth Be it so if he beleeue aright and medle no further then with those things which be comprehended within the bounds of faith But that the Certaintie of Saluation is to be beleeued is not to be begged but proued being the maine question he saith further that he who truely repenteth knoweth that he repeateth he knoweth indeed by many probable coniectures but not by certaintie of faith as witnesseth that holy person If God come to me Iob. 9. as he doth to all repentant sinners I shall not see him and if he depart away from me I shall not vnderstand it Which is sufficient to make him thankefull yea if he receiued no grace at all yet were he much beholding vnto God who offered him his grace and would haue freely bestowed it vpon him if it had not bene through his owne default And thus our first Argument stands in his full strength and vertue that no man can assure himselfe by faith of his Saluation because there is no word of God that warranteth him so to do R. ABBOT He was beholding to M. Perkins that their reasons being no better then they be he did vouchsafe here to giue them the first place By the first of these reasons they labour to defeate vs of all profitable vse of the word of God denying vs libertie to beleeue any thing particularly of our selues because the word of God doth no where speake namely and particularly to any of vs. M. Perkins rightly answereth that God hath appointed the ministerie and preaching of his word for the particular application thereof whilest thereby it is layed to the heart and conscience of euery particular man so as that by the word of Christ deliuered out of the Gospell by the minister Christ himselfe in effect saith Cornelius beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued Peter beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued M. Bishop somewhat deformeth the answer by his butcherly and slouinly handling of it as his manner is but though in more words it is to the same meaning that I haue mentioned Now M. Perkins intended not in that answer that the minister speaketh to euerie man particularly one by one but that speaking to the assembly he laboureth to make euerie man conceiue of that that is spoken as particularly spoken to himselfe For the word of God being as a Proclamation in writing common to all the minister is as the voyce of the crier to giue notice to that congregation that the matter of the Proclamation concerneth them and euery of them saying in effect a Act. 13.26 To you is the word of this Saluation sent b Cap. 3 26. Vnto you hath God raised vp his sonne Iesus and hath sent him to blesse you in turning euery one of you from your iniquities c Cor. 5.50 Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christ steed that ye be reconciled to God d 2. Act. 2.28 Amend your liues euery one of you c. Therefore as euery man conceiueth the proclamation according to the matter of it no lesse to concerne him then as if it had bene spoken in particular to him alone so doth the minister leaue euerie man alike interested in the message of Saluation what he saith to all men he saith to euerie man what to penitents to euery penitent what to beleeuers to euerie beleeuer what to sinners to euery sinner Therefore somtimes he speaketh in the singular number as to one that it may be knowne that he speaketh to any or euerie one e Eph. 5 14. Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light f Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be safe euen thou or thou or thou or whosoeuer it be amongst you Thus God gaue his law to all Israel speaking to all as if he had spoken namely and particularly to euery one g Exod. 20. â— Thou shalt haue no other gods Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vaine c. euerie man was therein to conceiue that he himselfe was spoken to Thus the message both of life and death both of Saluation and damnation is deliuered that thereby euerie man particularly may take knowledge of his owne estate Therefore a man duly hearing the word of God and receiuing it not as the word of the minister h 1. Thes 2.13 not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God and accordingly beleeuing it as from God from that which he beleeueth generally frameth a conclusion to be beleeued priuatly as touching himselfe The minister saith i Luc. 13.3 Except ye repent ye shall perish This he beleeueth and therefore beleeueth as touching himselfe Except I repent I shall perish The minister saith k Mar. 1.15 16.15.16 Repent and beleeue the Gospel and ye shall be saued This he beleeueth and therefore also beleeueth of himselfe If I repent and beleeue the Gospell I shall be saued Now the minister sometimes hath occasion to speake to some one man alone and then he himselfe out of the generall deduceth a particular to that one man as Paul doth to the iayler l Act. 16.31 Beleeue thou in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued For by what authoritie Paul spake this to the iayler by the same authoritie doth the minister in the like case speake the same to any other man For Christ said nothing namely as touching the iayler that if he did beleeue he should be saued but onely sayd m Iohn 3 15. whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued Thence the Apostle inferreth Beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued because whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued Vpon the same warrant therefore the minister saith to any man vpon the like occasion Beleeue thou and thou
How can this be better knowne then if we see weigh and consider well what kind of faith that was which all they had who are sayd in Scriptures to be iustified by their faith S. Paul saith of Noe That he was instituted heire of the iustice Heb. 11.7 which is by faith What faith had he That by Christs Righteousnesse he was assured of Saluation No such matter but beleeued that God according to his word and iustice would drowne the world and made an Arke to saue himselfe and his familie as God commaunded him Abraham the Father of beleeuers and the Paterne and example of iustice by faith as the Apostle disputeth to the Romans What faith he was iustified by let S. Paul declare who of him and his faith Rom. cap. 4. hath these words He contrarie to hope beleeueth in hope that he might be made the father of manie Nations according to that which was sayd vnto him So shall thy seed be as the starres of heauen and the sands of the sea and he was not weakned in faith neither did he consider his owne bodie now quite dead whereas he was almost an hundreth yeares old nor the dead Matrice of Sara in the promise of God he staggered not by distrust but was strengthened in faith giuing glorie to God most fully knowing that whatsoeuer he promised he was able also to do therefore was it reputed to him to iustice Lo because he glorified God in beleeuing that old and barren persons might haue children if God sayd the word and that whatsoeuer God promised he was able to performe he was iustified The Centurions faith was verie pleasing vnto our Sauiour who sayd in commendation of it That he had not found so great faith in Israel What faith was that Marrie that he could with a word cure his seruant absent Math. 8. Say the word only quoth he and my seruant shall be healed S. Peters faith so much magnified by the auncient Fathers and highly rewarded by our Sauiour was it any other Math. 16. Then that our Sauiour was Christ the Sonne of the liuing God And briefly let S. Iohn that great Secretarie of the holy Ghost tell vs what faith is the finall end of the whole Gospell These things Iohn 20. saith he are written that you may beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God and that beleeuing you may haue life in his name With the Euangelist the Apostle S. Paul accordeth verie well Rom. 10. saying This is the word of faith which we preach for if thou confesse with thy mouth our Lord Iesus Christ and shalt beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from death 1. Cor. 15 thou shalt be saued And in another place I make knowne vnto you the Gospell which I haue preached and by which you shall be saued vnlesse perhaps you haue beleeued in vaine What was that Gospell I haue deliuered vnto you that which I haue receiued that Christ died for our sinnes according to the Scriptures was buried and rose againe the third day c. So by the verdite of S. Paul the beleefe of the articles of the Creed is that iustifying faith by which you must be saued And neither in Saint Paul nor any other place of holy Scriptures is it once taught that a particular faith whereby we apply Christs Righteousnesse to our selues and assure our selues of our saluation is either a iustifying or any Christian mans faith but the verie naturall act of that vgly Monster presumption which being layd as the verie corner stone of the Protestants irreligion what morall and modest conuersation what humilitie and deuotion can they build vpon it R. ABBOT What the reason was why M. Perkins here propounded no obiections of the Papists M. Bishop might haue conceiued because he had a Chap. 3. Of the Certaintie of Saluation before noted and confuted the best that are alledged by them If he had not so done yet it should not be likely that he had therefore omitted them because he knew not how to answer them because this which M. Bishop bringeth for their principall reason is but a verie weake and simple reason The thing that he would proue thereby is that iustifying faith is that Catholike faith as he calleth it whereby we beleeue all that to be true which God hath reuealed He abuseth the name of Catholike faith whereby hath bene wont to be imported the true and sound doctrine of the Catholike Church comprised in bookes taught in Pulpits and schooles professed by the mouth which a man may preach to others and himselfe be voide of iustifying faith Thus Vigilius saith hauing discoursed of some points of doctrine b Vigil cont Eutych lib. 1. Haec est fides professio Catholica quam Apostoli tradiderunt Martyres roborauerunt fideles hucusque custodiunt This is the Catholike faith and profession which the Apostles deliuered the Martyrs haue confirmed and the faithfull keepe vntill this day Iustifying faith is the priuate act of the heart and conscience of the man that is iustified which though it be grounded and built vpon it yet cannot but absurdly be termed the Catholike faith But M. Bishop perhaps by Catholike faith meaneth that iustifying faith whereby he and his fellow Catholikes must hope to be iustified By which meanes he hath matched the diuel with himselfe and his Catholikes and hath made him a Catholike For if it be the only faith of a Catholike to beleeue all that to be true which God hath reuealed what hindereth the diuell to be a Catholike seeing he beleeueth and to his griefe well knoweth that all is true that is reuealed by God This is that which we rightly call historicall faith the obiect whereof is the word of God in generall and it is no more but credere Deo to beleeue God in that which he speaketh which is incident to diuels and damned men This historicall faith is presupposed and included in iustifying faith but the proper obiect of iustifying saith is c 2. Cor. 5.19 God in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe or the promise of Gods mercie to vs in Christ Iesus whereby we do not onely beleeue the promise in generall to be true but do trust in God and expect good at his hands according to that promise for Christs sake This faith therefore is called d Rom. 3.22 Phil. 3.9 the faith of Christ that is whereby we beleeue in Christ and is further expressed to be e Act. 3.16 faith in his name f Rom. 3.25 faith in his bloud Of which S. Austin saith g August in Ioan. tract 35. Fides Christi est credere in eum qui iustificat impium credere in mediatorem sine quo interposito non reconciliamur Deâ— credere in saluatorem qui venit quod perterat quaerâ—re atque saluare c. The faith of Christ is to beleeue in him that iustifieth the vngodly to beleeue in the Mediator without
not thus haue sayd with so great faith and humilitie saith S. Austin but that he did alreadie beare Christ in his heaâ—â— Wâ— doubt not but he had conceiued of Christ that he was the Sonne 〈◊〉 God the Sauiour of the world and with this faith came vnto 〈◊〉 The profession of his faith is here mentioned according to the present occasion It followeth not that because the act of faith is no further expressed here therefore there was nothing further in his faith for his iustification towards God Yea we hope M. Bishop will not say that he could be iustified without beleeuing the remission of sinnes by the bloud of Iesus Christ which yet is not expressed here and therefore what doth he but absurdly and childishly to bring vs this example to shew what is meant by iustifying faith In the other places as touching beleeuing that d Mat. 16 16. Ioh. 20.32 Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God the question is what is meant by beleeuing that Iesus is Christ If no more but an act of vnderstanding barely to assent vnto it then the diuels professe as much e Mar. 1.24 O Iesus of Nazaret I know thee who thou art euen the holy one of God But that we may not make that beleefe a matter common to the diuell we must vnderstand it to be a compounded action not of the vnderstanding onely but of the heart of the will and affections as appeareth by the third place which to this purpose he citeth f Rom. 10.9 If thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue with thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued for with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse c. So to the Eunuch desiring to be baptized Philip saith g Act. 8.37 If thou beleeue with all thine heart thou mayest I beleeue saith he that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God Beleefe therefore in these speeches importeth such a beleefe as whereby Christ is to our heart that which we beleeue him to be whereby we beleeue to our owne vse and comfort that which we beleeue It is such a faith as desireth seeketh embraceth holdeth ioyeth in that which it beleeueth because therein it seeth and apprehendeth peace whereby we so beleeue that Iesus is Christ as that according to that we beleeue him to be we beleeue in him and put our trust and confidence in him This is implied in the words that Iesus is Christ that is the promised Messias and Sauiour in whom is promised vnto vs and in whom we looke to find blessing peace immortalitie and euerlasting life Notably to this purpose S. Austin saith h August in Psal 130. Hoc est credere in Christum diligere Christum non quomodo daemones creâ—ebant sed non diligebaÌ„t Christum ideo quamuis crederent dicebant Quid nobis tibi est fili Dei Nos autem sic credamus vt in ipsum credamus diligentes eum non dicamus Quid nebis tibi est sed potius diâ—amus Ad te pertinemus tu redimisti nos Omnes qui sic credunt tanquaÌ„ lapides sunt viui de quibus templuÌ„ Dei ad fiâ—aâ—um est tanquam ligna imputribilia quibus arâ—a illa compacta est quae in diluuâ—o merge non potuit This is to beleeue in Christ euen to loue Christ not as the diuels beleeued and loued not and therefore albeit they beleeued yet said What haue we to do with thee thou sonne of God But let vs so beleeue as that we beleeue in him louing him and let vs not say What haue we to do with thee but rather let vs say We belong to thee thou hast redeemed vs. All that thus beleeue are as liuely stones of which the temple of God is builded and as those neuer putrifying plankes and timber whereof the Arke was compacted that could not be drowned in the flood Such a faith must M. Bishop confesse to be meant in the places by him alledged that with Austin he may make a difference betwixt the faith of true Christians and the faith of diuels By this the answer is plaine to the last place which mentioneth only the subiect and matter of the Gospell but of the manner of beleeuing expresseth nothing Only in that it is said that Christ died for our sinnes there is implied a particular application of that which by the Gospell we beleeue as where the same Apostle saith i Rom. 4.25 He was deliuered to death for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification which we cannot be sayd truly to beleeue vnlesse we beleeue our selues to be redeemed and iustified from our sinnes by the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ Now then we deny not but that the beleefe expressed in the articles of the Creed is that iustifying faith by which we must be saued yet not according to that historicall meaning which M. Bishop maketh of them but according to that true meaning of beleeuing in God which the Scripture teacheth whereby a man can truly say I beleeue in God which M. Bishop cannot tell whether he can say or not and therefore we are sure that he cannot say But though he cannot say it yet let him not repine at vs that can and if he list not to haue any part in that faith whereby he should apply to himselfe the righteousnesse and merit of Christ to the assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting life let him leaue it vnto vs and we will ioy therein and make it indeed the corner stone of our religion because thereby Iesus Christ is our foundation and corner stone of whom we presume all things towards God who can presume nothing of our selues But at his conclusion of this point I could not but smile where mentioning this faith layed as the corner stone of our religion which the sycophant as the Popes parrot to speake what he teacheth him termeth irreligion he inferreth this being so what morall or modest conuersation what humilitie and deuotion can they build vpon it It made me call to mind the morall and modest conuersation of their Popes the humilitie and deuotion of the most of their Cardinals and Bishops the sweet and cleanly life of their Votaries both religious and secular and by them to consider what good fruits M. Bishops faith hath brought forth amongst them It made me remember a storie that I haue heard out of Boccace of a conuerted Iew of whom he that conuerted him would by no meanes heare that he should go to Rome fearing that the sight of the behauiour that he should see there would make him renounce Christianitie againe It made me thinke of the nobles of the Sultan of Babylon who seeing enormous behauiours so to abound at Rome refused to become Christians saying k Mâ—t. Parisan Henrico 2. Quia Romae tot scaturiunt enormitates dicebant Quomodo ex vno fonte aequa dulcis salsa poterit emanare Vbi
semblance of name as a man tearmeth a hand of stone for in like sort is a dead hand for all parts of the bodie are defined by their office and facultie Therefore when they lye dead they are not the same but retaine onely the shew and shadow of the name The argument therefore must be turned against himselfe that as the dead body is not a true naturall bodie but onely by equiuocation is so called euen so a dead faith is no true faith but onely by equiuocation for some semblance to men it carieth the shew and shadow of the name of faith Yet he will not so giue ouer but as hauing set the stocke vpon it he will winne it in this period or else he will loose all Indeed he is like a sheepe tangled in the briars the more he struggleth and striueth the faster he tyeth himself He saith that faith charity haue seueral seats in the soule faith in the vnderstanding and charity in the will But that is not so for as hath bene before said true and vnfained faith which the Scripture commendeth for iustification is a mixt action of the vnderstanding and will Yea the Apostle expresly placeth faith in the heart which is the seate of the affections l Rom. 10.10 With the heart saith he man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse If thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued No maruell that M. Bishop cannot tell what true faith is who knoweth no other faith but onely a faith of the head consisting in speculatiue fancies and imaginations of the braines and descending no lower then the tongue whereas the Apostle speaketh of a faith of the heart a feeling faith which by feeling gathereth to it the affection and will which is not onely an act of knowledge and vnderstanding as M. Bishop dreameth but implieth an affecting desiring embracing seeking of that which it beleeueth a ioying and reuiuing of it selfe therein So I alledged before out of Oecumenius that the faith whereof Saint Paul speaketh is not a bare assent as is the faith of diuels and M. Bishops Catholike faith but m Oecumen in lac cap. 2 Consecutionem ex affectu procedentē hath some further consequence arising from the affection Againe they haue distinct obiects saith he faith respecting the truth of God and charitie the goodnesse of God Indeed the truth of God is the obiect of our faith but what is the matter of that truth but the promise of God concerning his goodnesse towards vs n Psal 27.13 I should vtterly haue fainted saith Dauid but that I beleeue verily to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing o Ferus in Mat. ca. 8. Fides quam Scriptura commendat nihil aliud est quà m fidere gratuita Dei miserecordia The faith saith Ferus which the Scripture cōmendeth is nothing els but to trust to the free mercie of God So then the goodnesse mercy of God is properly and truly the obiect of our faith Yea and how should the goodnesse of God be the obiect of our charitie but by being first the obiect of our faith For therefore do we loue the goodnesse of God or loue God for his goodnesse towards vs because first we beleeue the same neither can we so loue but by beleeuing For charitie consisting simply in affection apprehendeth nothing in God of it selfe but receiueth all from faith which is it as Chrysostome noteth p Chryso in Rom. hom 8. Conuenientem de Deo opinionē accipit whereby we conceiue a due and conuenient opinion concerning God Loue is not a reciprocall action the passage thereof is meerely from him that loueth to the thing that is loued Thus therefore it is in our loue to God but what we conceiue backe againe of him towards vs it is by faith and not by loue Yea M. Bishop himselfe verifieth this in that he saith We cannot loue him of whom we neuer heard For what is all our hearing but onely by beleeuing that which we heare First therefore we heare of Gods goodnesse his mercy his truth c. and by beleeuing that which we heare our affections are drawne vnto him First therfore all these are the obiects of our faith and consequently become the obiects of our loue His next difference is a meere begging of the question We say that faith though it do not presuppose charitie as a thing precedent yet alwayes supposeth and inferreth it as an immediate and necessary consequent For faith receiueth Christ q Ephes 3.17 to dwell in our hearts who commeth not but accompanied with grace and with the fruites of the spirit which alwayes grow and increase according to the increase and growth of faith Great faith hath feruent loue weaker faith hath weaker loue but alwayes hath a measure of loue answerable to it selfe Now by this that hath bene said it appeareth how vntruly M. Bishop saith for his last difference that charitie doth not naturally flow out of faith whereas indeed common sence in diuinitie doth instruct him that the original thereof is from thence and onely from thence For if we cannot loue God but by hearing beleeuing him to be that that he is then it is faith which setting God before vs such a one as he is wise mighty iust merciful louing and gracious vnto vs enamoreth our hearts and breedeth in vs affections correspondent to his grace neither is there any spark of loue but what ariseth from this ground Yea M. Bishop himselfe confesseth so much but that his wits are so besotted with his minion of Rome that he knoweth not what he saith Charitie saith he doth not naturally flow out of faith but by due consideration of the goodnesse of God and of his benefites and loue towards vs. Which is as much as if he should say it doth not naturally flow out of faith but doth naturally flow out of faith For whence is this consideration of Gods goodnes c. but from faith Do we consider these things any otherwise but as by faith we first apprehend and beleeue the same It is faith as hath bene said which affecteth and seasoneth the hart with the sweet tast and feeling of those considerations and thereby allureth and draweth vs to love him of whom we haue receiued so great loue And for want of faith it is that it cometh to passe which M. Bishop to make vp his sentence impertinently complaineth of that few men enter into these good and deuout considerations yea he and his by oppugning and destroying true faith do helpe to draw men backe from considering of these things Now all that hitherto he hath sayd he telleth vs is according to the truth whereas indeede there is not a word true as hath appeared and if it had beene true yet he had gained nothing thereby because it followeth not that those things which are deuided in facultie and
to offend Christ the maister of beleeuers with the sinne of vnbeleefe this is for a man being in the house of faith to be without faith So that by Cyprians iudgement to haue faith is for a man to beleeue his owne Saluation and not to beleeue his owne Saluation is to be without faith But Saint Bernard handleth this point most pregnantly of all other p Bernard in Annunciat ser 1. Necesse est primo omnium credere quod remissionem peccatorum habere non possis nisi per indulgentiam Dei c postremò quòd aeternam vitam nullis potes operibus promereri nisi gratis detur illa c. Verum haec non omnino sufficiunt sed magis initium quoddam velut fundamentum fidei sunt habenda Ideeque sicredis peccata tua non posse deleri nisi ab eo cui soli peccasti benefacis sed adde adhuc vt hoc credas quia per ipsum tibi peccata donantur Hoc est testimonium quod perhibit in corde nostro Spi. sanctus dicens Dimissa sunt tibi peccata tua Sic enim arbitratur Apostolus gratis iustificari hominem per fidem Sic de vita aeterna habeas necesse est testimonium spiritus quòd ad eam sis diuino munere peruenturus It is necessarie for thee to beleeue that thou canst not haue forgiuenesse of sinnes but by the mercie of God and that by no works thou canst obtaine eternall life vnlesse it also be giuen thee But these things are not sufficient nay they are to be accounted but the beginning and as it were the foundation of faith Therefore if thou beleeuest that thy sinnes cannot be put away but by him to whom onely thou hast sinned thou doest well but adde hereto to beleeue THAT BY HIM THY SINNES ARE FORGIVEN THEE This is the testimony that the holy Ghost giueth in our heart saying Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee for thus doth the Apostle define that a man is freely iustified by faith So also as touching eternall life it is needfull that thou haue the testimony or witnesse of the spirit THAT THOV SHALT COME VNTO IT BY THE GIFT OF GOD. Here then it is plaine that without any thirteenth article of the Creed the faith wherby the Apostle saith a man is iustified is such a faith as whereby I beleeue mine owne Saluation whereby I beleeue that my sinnes are forgiuen me and that I shall attaine by the very gift of God vnto euerlasting life But saith M. Bishop I beleeue and trust in God Yet not being sure of my loue towards him I am not assured of Saluation Where he plainly sheweth that he hath no loue towards God because where loue is it cannot but be certainly felt and knowne and if he loued God he could not but assure himselfe thereof Now therefore it is no maruell that he hath no assurance of Saluation when there wanteth in him the certaine and infallible effect of that faith whereby he should be assured of Saluation For true faith is the fountaine of our loue towards God whilest beleeuing God to be such and so mercifull vnto vs it swaloweth vp our affections and draweth our loue and deuotion vnto him Which is not vnfelt in vs but by the feeling thereof in our selues we gather a further confirmation and assurance to our selues that we are beloued of God Both which S. Bernard well declareth saying of the faithfull man q Bernard epist 107. Vermis vilissimus odio dignissimus sempiterno tamen confi lit amari quia se sentit amare immo quia se amari praesentit non redarâ—are confunditur A vile worme and worthy to be hated euerlastingly yet assureth himselfe that he is beloued because he feeleth himselfe to loue nay because he first feeleth himselfe to be beloued therefore he is ashamed not to loue againe So againe he saith that r Jdem in Cant. ser 69. Amor Dei amorem animae parit c. Ex eo quod se diligere sentit eti am diligi non ambigit the loue of God breedeth in the soule loue towards God and by feeling it selfe to loue it is also out of doubt that it selfe is beloued Now what a miserable case is M. Bishop in that neither is sure of his loue towards God nor dare assure himselfe of Gods loue towards him If he had not a senselesse and dead heart he could not but much grieue and lament at his owne estate And yet forsooth he telleth vs that he doth beleeue and trust in God but therein he lieth vnto God For Å¿ Cyprian de duplici martyr Non credit in deuÌ„ qui non tu cosolo collocat totius faelicitatis suae fiduciam he doth not beleeue in God that doth not place the confidence of his felicity in God onely which he doth not place in God onely but partly in God and partly in himselfe He doth not trust in God that doth not rely wholly vpon Gods mercy and thereby looke for that at his hands for which he trusteth in him so as to account himselfe deceiued by him if he faile thereof which neuer hath befallen to any not shall befall that doth put his trust in God M. Bishop diuideth this trust betwixt God and himselfe and so trusteth in God as that he maketh that for which he professeth to trust in God to hang chiefely vpon himselfe and therefore no maruell if he haue no assurance of Saluation because he incurreth rather the curse denounced by the Prophet t Ierem. 1â— 5 Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme For what doth he else when he leaueth the whole worke of God as we haue heard before to be confirmed and made good by his own free wil Now as touching that other article of beleeuing in Christ to haue by his merits remission of sinnes S. Austine teacheth vs that u August in Ioan tract 29. de verb. dom ser 61. Credendo in cum ire membru â—ius incorporari c. Quoquo modo vnitur in eum menibrum in corpore â—ius efficitur to beleeue in Christ is to be vnited vnto Christ to be made one with him to be incorporated to be members of his body He expoundeth it to be all one with that which Christ saith in the Gospell of x Idem in Ioan. tract 26. Credere in Christum hoc est manducare panem viuum eating his flesh drinking his bloud which whosoeuer doth y Iohn 6.54.56 dwelleth in Christ and Christ in him he hath eternall life and Christ will raise him vp at the last day Thus the Gospell of Christ instructeth vs and he that beleeueth in Christ because he beleeueth the Gospell must beleeue that he is a member of Christ one with Christ and Christ with him that he dwelleth in Christ and Christ in him that Christ hath giuen vnto him eternall life and will raise him vp at the
bapt cont Donatist lib. 6. ca. 1. CharactereÌ„ dominicuÌ„ multi lupâ— lupis insigunt qui videntur quideâ— intus esse veruntamen ad â—llâ—m ouem quae etiam ex mulâ—â—â—na est non pertinere morum suoruâ—a fructibus â—â—â—â—ncuntur many woolues in sheeps clothing lying in wait to make a spoile Now we are to distinguish them that truly are in Christ from them that are not so Of them that truly are in Christ in present state of iustification our speech here is that they can neuer wholly be cut off the rest we know are cut off from that l Luc. 8.18 which they seemed to haue but indeed had not which if they had had indeed as they seemed to haue m Mat. 13.12 they should haue had more giuen that they might haue abundance and not be cut off from that they had It is therefore nothing against vs which M. Bishop alledgeth that fruitlesse branches which indeed are not in Christ though they will seeme to be are cut off from seeming any longer to be that which in truth they neuer were Euery one that truly is a branch in Christ bringeth forth fruit in him euery branch that bringeth forth fruit the Father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit Euery one therfore that is truly a branch in Christ as euery true beleeuer is shall continue a branch in him for euer that it may be verified which the Prophet saith n 〈◊〉 92. â—3 Such as be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God They shal stil bring forth fruit eueÌ„ in age shal be fat and flourishing By this the answer is plaine to the other place If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and shall wither and be cast into the fire For hereby is imported what befalleth to them who carying semblance to be in Christ beare no fruit in him who because they are not truly that which they seeme to be therefore abide not in that which they seeme and either by death or by other occasion become o August epist 39 Separantur multi ab ecclesia sed cùm moruntur qui tamen â—ùm viuunt per sacrameâ—toruÌ„ commionem vâ—â—tansque Catholicae vâ—â—â—â—r ecclesia coâ—â—lati corporally separated from the Church to which they before but onely seemed to be coupled It is true then that if a man abide not in Christ though for the time he seeme to be in Christ he is cast forth and perisheth but it followeth not therefore that any man that faithfully beleeueth in Christ and therefore truly is in Christ doth not abide in him Nay our Sauiour himselfe teacheth vs the contrary when he saith p Io n. 6.56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him For what is it to eate the flesh of Christ and to drinke his bloud but q August in Ioan. tract 25 6 to beleeue in Christ r De doct Câ—rist l b 3 cap. 16. Figâ—ra est praecipiâ—â—s paâ—liom Domini esse communicandum suâ—â—itur atque vitatèr recodendum in memâ—ria quòd caro eius pro nobis crucifixa vubierata sit to be partakers of his passion and with comfort and vse to lay vp in our minds that his flesh was crucified and wounded for vs Euery one then that truly beleeueth in Christ eateth his flesh drinketh his bloud and therefore abideth in Christ and Christ in him No man therefore that truly beleeueth in Christ is euer cut off or cast forth to wither or to be throwne into the fire Now to an indifferent Reader I might alledge and it easily appeareth by the vse of that terme of abiding that by abiding in Christ is meant our very being in Christ which is therefore so expressed because no man is in Christ truly and indeed but the same abideth in him for euer So that the meaning of Christes words shall be If any man be not truly ingrafted into me as the true vine to grow vpon me and to bring forth fruit by me he is cast forth as a dead and vnprofitable braunch shall come to nought But it booteth not to alledge this to a wrangler who whatsoeuer appeare otherwhere will not here vnderstand it otherwise then to serue his owne turne Against him therefore the other solution is plaine that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ the same abideth in him and therefore shall neuer be cut off so that yet he is farre enough from any demonstration to proue any who are truly members of Christ are wholly and for euer cut off from him Let vs see whether the rest will affoord him any better demonstration Are we not by faith saith he made members of Christ by our aduersaries own confession Yes M. Bishop but yet not by euery kind of faith for S. Iames saith Å¿ Iam. 2.19 The deuils beleeue and yet they are not thereby the members of Christ We are made the members of Christ only by true and liuely faith whereby Christ dwelleth in our hearts of which it is that the Apostle saith t Gal. 3.26 Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus You wil not say M. Bishop that by euery faith a man is spiritually made a meÌ„ber of Christ because you say that there is faith without charity and you dare not say that without charity a man may be a member of Christ Which being so how vainly doth he alledge that u Mat. 13.20 our Sauiour saith in the parable of the sower concerning them that receiue the word in stonie ground that with ioy they receiue the word but haue no root and for a time beleeue and in time of temptation reuolt For though it be said that they beleeue yet it followeth not that they beleeue with that faith whereby they should become the members of Christ For Herod in that sort beleeued the word preached by Iohn Baptist x Mat. 6.20 whom he reuerenced as a lust and holy man and heard him gladly and did many things accordingly and yet he was not therefore a member of Christ By conuiction of conscience men oft times receiue the word cannot but beleeue and acknowledge the truth thereof when yet they embrace it not with affection of loue and therefore haue not that y Gal. 5.6 faith which worketh by loue which onely is true faith And how can he perswade vs that true members of Christ are by Christ himselfe compared to the stony ground We are perswaded that onely the good ground are the true members of Christ as for the rest they are z August in Ioan. tract 3. Infra sect 10. as bad humors in the body as S. Austine saith but members they are not And how should there be true faith in them of whom Christ saith They haue no root Can true faith grow where there is no root for it to grow vpon Nay S. Austine telleth vs
iustificari hominem per fidem but go fâ—rther yet to beleeue that by him thy sinnes are forgiuen thee This is saith he the testimonie that the holy Ghost giueth in our heart saying Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee For thus doth the Apostle suppose that a man is iustified freely by faith Of imputed righteousnesse enough hath bene said before the point here is of particular faith whether a man beleeue his owne sinnes to be forgiuen him S. Bernard saith yea and saith it so plainly as that M. Bishop could not tell for his life what directly to answer to it But forsooth S. Bernard addeth conditions on our party saith he which M. Perkins craftily concealeth and here he bringeth words following a mile after where S. Bernard hath broken off the point formerly in hand which was to set forth the condition of a true iustifying and sauing faith And what I pray are the conditions that he addeth Forsooth truth of conuersion bewailing of our sinnes and confessing them and afterwards following holinesse and peace Where we see a glosing sycophant which will make the simple Reader beleeue that he giueth an answer when indeede he giueth none For when we teach the beliefe of the forgiuenesse of sinnes do we teach a man vnconuerted to beleeue the same The penitent sinner confessing and bewailing his sinnes to God and carefull as hauing felt the sting of sinne thenceforth to auoid the same is the proper and onely true subiect of this disputation of iustification by faith We denie that faith hath place in any other man and therefore denie that any other can haue the true beliefe of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes Of the conuerted man then of him that truly repenteth and forsaketh his sinne S. Bernard saith and we say that the faith whereby he is iustified is a faith whereby he particularly beleeueth the forgiuenesse of his owne sinnes What is M. Bishop now but a wrangling Sophister that thus in a mist of idle discourse seeketh to steale away where indeede he is so fast holden that he cannot vntie himselfe In like sort he dealeth with the other place of Cyprian who encouraging faithfull Christians against the terrour and feare of death saith f Cyprian de Mortal Deus tibi de hoc mundo recidenti immortalitateÌ„ pollicetur tu dubitas fluctuasi Hoc est DeuÌ„ omninò non nosse hoc est ChristuÌ„ credentium magistrum peccato incredulitatis offendere hoc est in ecclesia constitutum fideÌ„ in domo fidei non habere God hath promised immortality vnto thee when thou departest out of this world and doest thou wauer and doubt thereof This is not to know God this is by the sinne of vnbeliefe to offend Christ the maister of beleeuers this is for a man being in the Church to be without faith in the house of faith The words are manifest He propoundeth the promise of God particularly requireth the same accordingly to be beleeued not to beleeue it so he affirmeth is to be without faith in the house of faith God promiseth to thee and doest thou doubt this is not to haue faith Cyprian then teacheth such a confidence in the promises of Christ as is to be without all wauering or doubt Yea saith M. Bishop we are secure on Christes side that he will neuer faile of his word and promise but the cause of feare lies vpon our owne infirmities Thus he is like the mother that strangleth her child so soone as she hath brought it forth He setteth vp confidence with one hand and throweth it downe with another nay he setteth it vp with one hand and throweth it downe with both What is it to vs that Christ is true of his word if we may not beleeue that his word doth appertaine to vs what confidence can it yeeld that Christ faileth not of his promise so long as we must feare least our infirmities disable vs of hauing any part therein And would Cyprian talke so idlely to bid men not wauer or doubt when they might answer they had cause to feare and doubt by reason of their owne infirmities Would he bid men not doubt to go out of the world because of the promise of God when their owne infirmities might be a sufficient cause to make them feare their departure out of this world But Cyprian knew well that we can haue nothing but feare from our selues and therefore teacheth vs to build our selues wholy vpon the promise of God that howsoeuer our owne infirmities doe offer vs occasion of distrust yet resting vpon the truth of God we beleeue with Abraham g Rom. 4.18 vnder hope against hope that God will performe what he hath spoken for his owne sake as he saith by the Prophet h Ezech. 36.22 Not for your sakes but for my holy names sake I will do it saith the Lord. Yea but we bid them not doubt saith Maister Bishop as if they were as likely to be condemned as saued But how so when they see and know in themselues that for which they may be condemned and cannot know any thing whereupon they may rest the hope of saluation For you say Maister Bishop that a man cannot tell whether he haue repentance hope charity praier whether he be iustified and in the state of grace or not and therefore how should he but thinke himselfe more likely to be condemned then otherwise You say you animate them and put them in the good way of hope by twenty kinds of reasons But how can you put them in hope when you teach them to feare That one reason whereby you impose feare carieth more sway in the conscience then all those twenty kinds of reasons whereby you perswade hope And when you teach that a man cannot tell whether he haue any hope or not what can there rest but horrour and despaire at leastwise anguish perplexity trembling and feare saue onely in consciences that are benummed and astonished and haue no feeling of themselues In a word in death there can be no hope but setting aside the respect of our selues to depend vpon the promise of God and to say with Hilary out of the Psalme i Hilar. in Psal 51. Spes nostra in miserecordia Domini in secuâ—um in secuâ—â—m seculi Our hope is in the mercy of God for euer and euer 18. W. BISHOP M. Perkins hauing thus confirmed his owne partie why doth he not after his manner confute those reasons which the Catholikes alledge in fauour of their assertion Was it because they are not wont to produce any in this matter Nothing lesse It was then belike because he knew not how to answer them I will out of their store take that one principall one of the testimonie of holy Scripture and by that alone sufficiently proue that the faith required to Iustification is that Catholike faith whereby we beleeue all that to be true which by God is reuealed and not any other particular beleeuing Christs Righteousnesse to be ours
and frailty it becommeth defectiue and faulty if God call it to precise and strict examination iudgement Euen as elsewhere he saith againe y Ibid cap. 11. Omnis humana iustitia iniustitia esse câ—nuincitur si districtè iudicetur Prece ergò post iustitiaÌ„ indâ—get vt quae succumbere discussa poterat ipsa iudicis pietate conualescat All the righteousnesse of man is conuicted to be vnrighteousnesse if it be strictly iudged it needeth therefore praier after righteousnesse that that which being sifted might quaile by the meere piety of the Iudge may go for good Where I hope that M. Bishop though he will say much yet will not say that Gregory meant that we should pray that the righteousnesse which we do of our owne strength by the piety and clemencie of the Iudge may stand for good And if he dare not so say then it followeth that of that righteousnesse which in this life we attaine to by the gift of God Gregory saith that it is found to be defectiue and to come short of perfect righteousnesse and thereby to be vnrighteousnesse if seuere and strict account be taken of it which more peremptorily he affirmeth elsewhere saying z Ibid. ca. 18. Si remota pietate discutimur opus nostrum paena dignuÌ„ est quod remunerari praemijs praestolamur c. Restat vt postquaÌ„ bonuÌ„ opus agitur lachrymae expiationis exquâ—raÌ„tur quatenus ad aeterna praemia meritum recti operis subuebat humilitas postulationis If we be iudged without mercy our worke is worthy to be punished which we expect to haue rewarded Therefore the teares of expiation as he speaketh are required that humble praier may lift vp the merit of our good worke to the obtaining of eternall reward So that howsoeuer he commend Iob as well he might sure I am that both Iob and he condemne M. Bishop as a proud Pharisee maintaining the righteousnesse of man against the righteousnesse of God to the impeaching of the glory of God Which he doth also by his quillet of attributing good workes principally to the grace of God not wholy but principally that so he may reserue some place at least to the free will of man because he cannot endure that no part of glory should redound to man To be short it appeareth both by that that is said here and that that hath bene a Sect. 4.44 45. before alledged that Gregory doth not bereaue man only of that perfection that shall be in heauen but also of that that is required by duty ought to be in him here vpon the earth 50. W. BISHOP Now before I depart from this large question of iustification I will handle yet one other question which commonly ariseth about it it is Whether Faith may be without Charity I prooue that it may so be first out of these words of our Sauiour Manie shall say vnto me in that day Lord Lord Math. 7. haue we not prophecied in thy name haue we not cast out diuels haue we not done many miracles to whom I wil confesse that I neuer knew you depart from me all yee that worke iniquity That these men beleeued in Christ and perswaded themselues assuredly to be of the elect appeareth by their confident calling of him Lord Lord and the rest that followeth yet Christ declareth manifestly that they wanted charity in saying that they were workers of iniquity 2. When the King went to see his guests Math. 22. He found there a man not attired in his wedding garment and therfore commanded him to be cast into vtter darknesse This man had faith or else he had not bene admitted vnto that table which signifieth the Sacraments yet wanted charity which to be the wedding garment besides the euidence of the text is also proued where in expresse termes Apoc. 1â— The garments of Christs Spouse is declared to be the righteousnesse and good works of the Saints And that with great reason for as S. Paul teacheth 1. Cor. 13 Faith shall not remaine after this life With what instrument then trow you will the Protestants lay hold on Christs righteousnesse That charity is that wedding garment S. Hierome vpon the same place doth witnesse saying That it is the fulfilling of our Lords commandements And S. Gregory doth in expresse words define it Hâ—m â—8 in Euang. Can. â—2 in Mat. Tract â—â—m Maâ—â— Math. 25. What saith he must we vnderstand by the wedding garment but charity So do S. Hilary and Origen and S. Chrysostome vpon that place 3. The like argument is made of the foolish Virgins who were part of the Kingdome of God and therefore had faith which is the gate and entrance into the seruice of God Yea in the house of God they aspired vnto more then ordinarie perfection hauing professed Virginitie yet either caried away with vaine glorie as S. Gregory takes it or not giuing themselues to the workes of mercy spirituall and corporall as S. Chrysostome expounds it briefly not continuing in their former charitie for faith once had cannot after the Protestants doctrine be lost were shut out of the kingdome of heauen albeit they presumed strongly on the assurance of their saluation as is apparent by their confident demaunding to be let in for they said Lord Lord open vnto vs. Iohn 12. 4. Many of the Princes beleeued in Christ but did not confesse him for they loued more the glory of men then the glory of God What can be more euident then that these men had faith when the holy Ghost saith expresly that they beleeued in Christ which is the onely act of faith and yet were destitute of charitie which preferreth the glorie and seruice of God before all things in this world R. ABBOT That there may be faith without charitie we make no question but the question is of that faith whereby we are iustified or wherin standeth our iustification before God It is to be knowne that faith is of diuers sorts there is a faith which is called a Tit. 1.1 the faith of the elect as being peculiar vnto them and for which men are called b Ephe. 1.1 faithfull and there is a faith by which the c Iam. 2.19 diuels also are said to beleeue and yet are not to be called faithfull There is a faith whereby we d Ibid. beleeue that there is one God and there is another faith whereby e Iohn 14.1 we beleeue in God There is a faith whereby Simon Magus f Act 8.13.21 beleeued whose heart was not right in the sight of God and there is a g Act. 15.9 faith whereby God purifieth the heart There is a h Iam 2 20. dead faith and there is a i Gal. 2.20 faith whereby we liue and Christ liueth in vs. There is a k 1 Tim. 1.5 faith vnfained and thereby we vnderstand that there is also a fained faith There is a faith that consisteâ—h in l
acknowledge the same with him but he would hereby prooue a Free will to good whereto he saith Cain had the assistance of Gods grace which yet did not infallibly draw him to good but left him to his free choise whether he would follow it or not For proofe whereof there is no shew of any syllable either in the text or in the other testimonies which he hath alledged For as touching grace we find here none but that which the Pelagians spake of to counsell and aduise him whereas the true grace inwardly worketh whatsoeuer outwardly is counselled or aduised And whereas he saith that grace doth not infallibly draw to good it is true indeed of his Pelagian grace which consisteth onely in the commandement but the true grace of God doth infallibly draw to good q Iohn 6 44. No man saith our Sauior Christ can come vnto me r August cont duas epist Pelag. lib 1. cap. 19. Venire ad me intelligitur credere in me that is to say beleeue in me except my Father which hath sent me draw him therby importing that all that are drawne of the Father do come vnto him that is do beleeue in him because Å¿ De praedest sanct cap. 8. Nihil est aliud quaÌ„ donum accipere a patre quo credat in Christum to be drawne of the Father vnto Christ is to receiue a gift of the Father wherby to beleeue in Christ so that t Prosper de vocat gent. lib. 2. cap 9. Qui non credant nec trahuntur omniâ—ò they which beleeue not are not drawne at all Therefore our Sauiour addeth in the next words Euery one that heareth and learneth of the Father that is euerie one that the father draweth commeth vnto me Now M. Bishops drawing leaueth a man at his free choise whether he will follow or not He saith as the Pelagians did u August epist 107. Libertate naturali si vult facit si nonuult non facit Verse 45. If he will he doth so if he will not he doth not or as the Donatists x Idem de vnit eccles cap. 9. Cum arbitrio libero homo creatus est si vult credit in Christum si non vult non credit if he will he beleeueth if he list not he beleeueth not if he will he perseuereth if he will not he perseuereth not These were the progenitors and predecessors of his faith But the true drawing grace finding a man y Hieron a. li. Pelag. lib. 3 Qui trahitur non spote currit sed aâ—t retrectans tardus aut inuitus adiucitur resisting drawing backe vnwilling persecuting the faith as Paul did z August cont duas epist Pelag lib. 1. ca. 19 Quis trahitur si tam volebat Et tamen neâ—io venit nisi velit Trabitur ergo mires modis vt velit ab illo qui nouit tâ—tus in ipsis hominum cordibus operari non vt homines quod fieri non petest nolentes credant sed vt volemes ex nolentibus fiant Et lib. 4 cap. 9. Ex repugnantibus consentientes ex oppugnantâ—bus amantes conuerteth his will to the faith of vnwilling it maketh him willing of resisting it maketh him consenting of an oppugner of the faith it maketh him a louer thereof Let M. Bishop acknowledge this grace if he will speake of grace as the Scripture speaketh this is the onely true grace and this grace Cain was neuer partaker of and therefore being left to his owne will he did not what he might haue done in giuing eare to the warning and aduice that was giuen him of God 11. W. BISHOP The second is taken out of this text of Deut. Cap. 30.19 I call this day saith Moses heauen and earth to witnesse that I haue set before you life and death benediction and malediction therefore chuse life that thou mayst liue and thy seed Which words were spoken in vaine if it had not beene in their power by the grace of God to haue made choise of life or if that grace would haue made them do it infallibly without their consent R. ABBOT Moses saith a Deut. 30.19 I haue set before you life and death c. Therefore chuse life that thou mayst liue These words saith M. Bishop were spoken in vaine if it had not bene in their power by the grace of God to haue made choise of life Where he still goeth on with his Pelagian deuice yeelding no more to grace but onely adiuuare possibilitatem to helpe the power of man that whereas the power of man is not sufficient it may by grace be made able to make choise of life but yet so as that still it resteth in the will whether to make vse of this power or not But by the true grace of God man not onely hath power to chuse but indeed doth chuse the way of life And although man haue no power in himselfe whereof he can make vse to make this choise yet the words of God are not therfore spoken in vaine because the word the preaching thereof is the instrument wherby God worketh in man to chuse life whilest through the spirit it taketh effect b 2. Tim. 1.9 according to the purpose and grace of God He saith by the ministerie of the word Chuse life and by his grace c Act. 16.14 openeth the heart to attend to that which he saith and in the meane while d 2. Tim. 2.25 giueth repentance e Phil. 1 29. giueth faith f Ephe. 1.17 giueth the spirit of wisedome and reuelation g Mat. 13.11 giueth to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen h Ezech. 36.26 giueth a new heart i Ierem 32.40 giueth the feare of God and all things wherein consisteth the choise of life He saith Chuse life but so as that he telleth vs also k Iohn 15.16 Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you as if he should say that it is not by our Free will but by his chusing of vs that we make choise of him l Prosper de vocâ—t gent. lib. 1. ca. 9. Ex Deo est vt homo 〈◊〉 Dei eligat surgat à lapsâ—s c. Et post Contra omnem electionem de â—â—ero arbitriâ— vementens inuictissimâ— illa renitum sententia dir◠〈◊〉 Apostoli Quis te discernit c. It is of God saith Prosper that man maketh choise of the way of God and ariseth from his fall and against all election or choise proceeding of Free will inuincibly resisteth the sentence of the Apostle saying Who separateth thee what hast thou that thou hast not receiued M. Bishop saith My Free will my choise hath made difference betwixt me and another man because when God made offer of life to vs both alike I by Free will made choise thereof and he refused But the Apostle telleth him no. If he haue made choise of life it is no worke of Free will
it is a thing receiued m Aug. de praedest sanct cap. 5. A quo nisi ab illo qui te aâ— ceruit ab alio cui non donauit quod donauit tibi Of whom saith S. Austin but of him who hath not giuen to another that which he hath giuen vnto thee Who as he also answereth the Pelagian heretike obiecting the same place n â—acuâ— de perfect instit prepe fiâ—em â—â—â—p rat 〈…〉 inspireth the loue whereby we chuse He addeth further that vainely it should be sayd Chuse life if grace would haue made them do it infallibly without their consent Where we may wonder at his absurd manner of speech Who was euer so mad as to say that God maketh a man to chuse life without his consent which is the same as if he should say that he should make him consent without consent for how should chusing be without consenting We deny not consent but we say with S. Austin o Aug. epâ—st 107. Vâ—catione illa alta atque secreâ—a siâ— eius agit se sunt vt eidem lege atque doctrinâ— accommodet assensum It is God who by his secret calling worketh the mind of man to giue consent We say with S. Bernard p Bernard de grat ex l b arbit Non quod vel ipse consensus ab ipâ—so fit c fecit volentem noâ— est volunt vt suâ— consentienteÌ„ Consent is not of man himselfe but God maketh a man willing that is consenting vnto his will q In Cant â—er 57. Illius disiderâ—uÌ„ tuum creat quod tu eius properas sermoneÌ„ admittere inde est quòd ipse festinit inirare It is his desire of thee that causeth thy desire of him and that thou art forward to receiue his word it commeth of his forwardnesse and hasting to enter into thee 12. W. BISHOP Vnto these two places of the old Testament one vnder the law of Nature and the other vnder Moses law lâ—t vs couple two more out of the new Testament The first may be those kind words of our Sauiour vnto the Iewes Ierusalem Math. 23. Ierusalem c. how often would I haue gathered together thy children as the hen doth her chickens vnder her wings and thou wouldest not Which do plainly demonstrate that there was no want either of Gods helpe inwardly or of Christs perswasion outwardly for their conuersion and that the whole fault lay in their owne refusing and withstanding Gods grace as thâ—se words of Christ do plainly witnesse And thou wouldest not R. ABBOT If M. Bishop were put to the framing of an argument from this place and to bring in this conclusion that man hath Free vvill to conuert and turne to God I suppose it would trouble him very sore The words do rather import that howsoeuer Christ himselfe be amongst vs and speake vnto vs yet our Free will auaileth nothing to make vs to hearken to him but we still refuse and rebell vntill God do worke it in vs to obey and to hearken to his call And thus Moses to giue a reason why the people of Israel profited not by the sight of so manifold signes and wonders which the Lord had done before them and for them sayth a Deut. 29.4 The Lord hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this day Christ speaketh those words out of his humane affection he sheweth his loue towards them as man he signifieth his paines and labour bestowed amongst them and what occasion he had to complaine as Esay had foretold b Esa 49.4 I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing The words do no more import Free will then all other places of Scripture that do declare and set forth the rebellion of mans nature against God But yet M. Bishop telleth vs that hereby it is signified that God vsed all meanes that concerned him for the sauing of them they by their Free will crossed his purpose herein The words saith he do plainly demonstrate that there was no want either of Gods helpe inwardly or of Christs perswasion outwardly for their conuersion But they do not demonstrate so much yea by diuerse places of the Gospell we see they are very farre from that demonstration For if there wanted no inward helpe for their conuersion how was it sayd by our Sauiour Christ c Mat. 11.25 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent of the world d Cap. 13.11 To them it is not giuen to know the secrets of the kingdome of heauen e Mar. 4.11.12 all things are to them in parables that they seeing may see and not discerne and they hearing may heare and not vnderstand least at any time they should turne and their sinnes should be forgiuen them How was it sayd by the Euangelist S. Iohn f Iohn 12.39 Therefore could they not beleeue because Esay saith againe He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor vnderstand with their heart and should be conuerted and I should heale them How doth S. Paul say g Rom. 11.7 The election hath obtained but the rest haue bene hardened according as it is written God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see c. These things being so apparant and plaine how doth M. Bishop tell vs that there wanted no helpe of God inwardly for their conuersion but the want was onely in their owne Free will Surely h Aug. de corrept grat ca. 14. Cui volâ—nti saluuâ— fâ—cere nullum hominuÌ„ resistit arbitriuÌ„ sic enim vâ—lle nolle in volentis aut nolentis est potestate vt diuinam volumtatem non impediat nec superet potestatem De his enim qui faciunt quae non vult facit ipse quae vult c. De ipsis voluntatibus hominum quod vult facit where God is willing to saue as S. Austin saith there no will of man resisteth For to will or to nill is so in the power of him that willeth or nilleth as that it neither hindereth the will of God nor ouerruleth his power because euen of the wils of men he maketh what he will i Euchirid ad Laurent ca. 103 Dum tamen credere non cogamur aliquid omnipotentem DeuÌ„ voluisse fieri factumque non esse qui sine vllu amâ—iguitatibus si in coelo in terra quaecunque voluit fecit profectò facere noluit quodcunque non fecit In no wise may we thinke saith he that the Almightie God would haue any thing to come to passe and that the same doth not come to passe who if he do whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and earth as the truth instructeth vs surely had no wil to do whatsouer he hath not done If therfore God had willed the conuersion of the people of Ierusalem and had inwardly
yeelded them grace for their conuersion it had followed infallibly that they had beene conuerted neither should the frowardnesse of their will haue defeated the purpose of his will k Esa 46.10 My counsell shall stand saith he and I will do whatsoeuer I will therefore of the children of Ierusalem whomsoeuer God would gather he certainly did gather His will was to gather l Rom 11.5 a remnant according to the election of grace Ierusalem would not but resisted the will of God and hindered so much as in it lay the gathering of this remnant of her children m August Euchirâ—â— cap. 97. Vbi est illa omnâ—potentia c. si colligere filios Hierusalem voluit non fâ—cit An potius illa quidem filios sis â—s ab ipso câ—lligi neluit sede quoque relente filios eius câ—llegit ipse quos voluit quia in coelo in terra non quaedam vâ—luit fecit quaedam vero veluit non fecit sedomnia quaecunque volâ—â—t fecit But though Ierusalem would not yet God gathered whom he would and to them he yeelded his infallible sauing grace whereby he worketh to will and to do and giueth the gifts before mentioned of repentance faith knowledge and such like without which there is no conuersion and the giuing whereof is our conuersion vnto God Which seeing God gaue not to Ierusalem saue only to his remnant it is absurdly sayd by M. Bishop that there was no want of Gods helpe inwardly for their conuersion Their refusing and withstanding was the fruit of Free will which howsoeuer God do otherwise offer grace hath nothing in it selfe wherof to do otherwise 13. W. BISHOP Cap. 3. The last testimonie is in the Reuel where it is sayd in the person of God I stand at the doore and knocke if any man shall heare my voyce and open the gates I will enter in to him and will sup with him and he with me Marke well the words God by his grace knocks at the doore of our hearts he doth not breake it open or in any sort force it but attendeth that by our assenting to his call we open him the gates and then lo he with his heauenly gifts will enter in otherwise he leaues vs. What can be more euident in confirmation of the freedome of mans will in working with Gods grace R. ABBOT Here M. Bishop doth somewhat plainly shew himselfe and assureth vs that it is not without cause that we haue hitherto accused him of the Pelagian heresie The grace which for fashion sake he speaketh of is no other but such as whereby God knocketh at the doore of our hearts but worketh nothing in our hearts till we first of our selues assent to let him in He attendeth till we open him the gates and then he with his heauenly gifts will enter in which was the damnable errour of the Pelagians that Gods grace and gifts are bestowed vpon the precedence of our will and workes But we haue heard before out of the Arausicane councell that a Arausican Concil 2. cap 4. Supra sect 8. if any man say that God exspecteth or attendeth our will and doth not confesse that God worketh in vs to will he gainsayth the doctrine of the Apostle Which is the same as to say If any man say that God attendeth for our opening the gates vnto him and doth not confesse that God himselfe openeth the gates vnto himselfe he is contrarie to the doctrine of the Apostle b August cont duas epist Pelag. lib. 4. cap. 6 Aditus diuinae vocationis ipsa Dei gratia procuratur The entrance of Gods calling is wrought or procured by the grace of God himselfe he knocketh with one hand openeth with another c Psal 107.16 breaking the gates of brasse and smiting the barres of iron in sunder and howsoeuer mightily he knocke we neuer heare we neuer open till he open and make entrance for himselfe It is he that d Act. 16.14 openeth the heart he e Luk. 24.45 openeth the vnderstanding he f Psal 119.18 openeth the eyes he openeth g Iob. 33.16 the eares he openeth h Psal 50.15 the lips he openeth i Act. 14.27 the doore of faith and why then doth M. Bishop say that he attendeth till we open He doth not attend our assenting to his call but k August de praedest sanct cap. 19 Deus operatur in cordibus hominum vocatione illa secundum proposiâ—um vt non inarater audâ—â—nt Euangelium sed eo audâ—to contâ—er taÌ„tur credant exerpientes non vt verbuâ—a hominum sed sicum est verò verbum Dei by his calling which is according to his purpose he worketh in the harts of meÌ„ that they heare not the Gospel in vaine but do conuert and turne receiue it not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God And whereas he saith that God doth not break open the doores it is not alwaies true For God somtimes with great violence assaulteth the hart l Iude vers 23. by terror feare pulleth men out of the fire as with a mighty hammer breaketh the pride rebellioÌ„ of the wil fighting stirring against him When men are in the height of their insolencie madly raging against him he striketh them to the ground as he did the Apostle m Act. 9.4 S. Paule and by astonishment ouercometh and subdueth them vnto himselfe thus n August contr duas Epist Pelâ— lib. 1 cap. 19. Non ait duxerit vt illic ali quo modo intelligamus praecedere voluntatem Quis trahâ—tur c vt supra Sect 10 not leading them as vpon their precedent will but drawing them not to beleeue against their wils which is vnpossible but of vnwilling to become willing In a word when God knocketh o Idem de Praedest sanct ca. 20. Ostrum ergo apertum est in â—is quibus datuÌ„ est aduersarij autem multi ex eis quibus non est datuÌ„ the doore is opened in them onely to whom it is giuen but they to whom it is not giuen are still aduerse and they neuer open and therefore M. Bishop saith amisse that God attendeth that we open him the gates or otherwise leaueth vs. Neither do the words alledged serue for confirmation of the freedome of mans will telling vs onely what must be done that God may enter but not importing that we do it by any power of Free will 14. W. BISHOP To these expresse places taken out of Gods word let vs ioyne the testimonie of those most auncient Fathers against whose workes the Protestants can take no exception The first shall be that excellent learned Martyr Iustinus in his Apologie who vnto the Emperour Antonine speaketh thus Vnlesse man by Free will could flie from foule dishonest deedes and follow those that be faire and good he were without fault as not being cause of such
voluit vt homo non recedat ab eo Cyprian leaueth vs nothing wherein to glorie as our owne that he sheweth that not to depart from God is no otherwise but giuen of God in that he teacheth that it is to be begged of God for he that is not led into temptation doth not depart from God This saith he is not in the strength of Free will as now it is It was in man before his fall but after the fall of man God would not haue it belong saue onely to his grace that we come vnto him neither would he haue it belong saue onely to his grace that we do not depart from him Thus he conceiued and obserued as touching Cyprians meaning out of Cyprians owne words and bereaueth M. Bishop of Cyprians warrant for that which he would father vpon him by some words obscurely vttered in another place c Jbid cap. 6. Tâ—â—â—res viâ—â—â—us si totum Deo damus non autem nos illi ex parte nobu ex parte commutimus Quod vidit iste venerabilâ— Martyr c. Cyprian that worthy Martyr saw well enough saith he that we liue most in safetie when we ascribe all to God and do not commit our selues partly to God and partly to our selues By these three therefore M. Bishop hitherto hath gained nothing but by Cyprian whose words seeme to make most for him he gaineth least of all But now he vrgeth the confession of some of our best learned that all Antiquitie excepting onely S. Austin beleeued and taught Free will To this purpose he alledgeth a place out of the Centuries which he calleth a large long lying historie marry speaking but by roate as children do or as the clowne did of Aristides who giuing his voyce to the banishment of the same Aristides and being asked of him vnknowne d Plutarch Apophiheg whether he knew him against whom he gaue his voyce answered that he knew him not but it was trouble vnto him to heare him tearmed a iust man For so M. Bishop knoweth not the Centuries alas poore man what should he meddle with such great bookes but he hath heard that Protestants were the Authors thereof and that is enough to warrant him to giue his voyce against them But his fellowes know that they haue good cause to speake well of the Authors of those Centuries because by them they haue bin able to say more for themselues then euer they were before so faithfully did those men deale in the compiling of that storie Now they say indeed as he alledgeth from his Author that Clement Alexandrinus doth euery where teach Free will and that not onely the Doctors of that age were in such darknesse but also that it did much increase in the ages following Where taking the matter to be simply as they say and as M. Bishop doth obiect what doth he gaine more by that obiection then the Pelagians did e Prosper Epist ad August Obstinationem suaÌ„ vetustate defendunt A nullo vnquam ecclesiasticorum ita esse intellecta ve nunc sentiuntur affirmant who defended their obstinacie by antiquitie and affirmed that none of all the ecclesiasticall Writers that were before did so expound the Scriptures as Austin did namely against the Free will and merits of man and that examining the opinions of the more auncient Fathers they were found to be in a manner all of one mind against him But this he tooke to be no sufficient argument but freely professeth of his doctrine f Aug. de bono perseuer cap 18. Hoc scâ—onemineÌ„ contra istam PraedestinationeÌ„ c. nisi errando disputare potuisse I know that no man without error could dispute against it He excuseth the ancients that were before him g De Praedest sanct cap. 14. Priusquam ista Haeresis oriretur non habuerunt necessitatem in hac difficili ad soluendum quaestione versari c. vnde factuÌ„ est vt de gratia Dei quid sentirent breuiter quibusdam scriptorum suorum locis transeuntèr attingerent immorarentur vero in eis quae aduersus alios inimicos Ecclesiae disputabant c. frequentationibus aut orationibus simplicitèr apparebat Dei gratia quid valeret Non enim poscerentur à Deo quae praecepit fieri nisi ab illo donaretur vt fierent that before the heresie of the Pelagians began they had not any such need to deale much in that question and therefore what they thought of the grace of God they touched but briefly and by the way in some places of their workes but stood more vpon those things which they handled against other enemies of the Church Yet he saith that by their supplications and prayers it plainely appeared what grace doth because they would not haue asked of God those things which he hath commanded to be done but that they held that the doing thereof is the gift of God h De bono perseuer cap. 23. No oraret Ecclesia vt daritur infidelibus fides nisi Deum crederet auersas aduersas hominuÌ„ ad se conuertere voluntates nec oraret Ecclesia vt perseueraret in fide Christi nisi crederet Dominum sic in potestate habere cor nostrum vt bâ—â—uÌ„ quod non tenemus nisi propria voluntate non tamen teneamus nisi ipsi in â—oâ—is operetur velle that the Church would not haue prayed to God as it alwaies did to giue men repentance faith obedience perseuerance but that it beleeued that God so hath our heart in his power as that he worketh in vs to will the good that we cannot haue without our will He further obserueth that i Ibid cap. 20. Didicimus singulas quasque haereses intulisse Ecclesiae proprias quaestiones cotra quas diâ—igentiùs defenderetur Sâ—riptura diuina quam si nulla talis necessitas cogeret Quid auteÌ„ coegit loca Scripturarum quibus Praedestinatio commendata est copiosiùs enucientius iâ—â—o nostro libere defendi nisi quod Pelagiani dicunt c. all heresies haue brought their seuerall questions into the Church by occasion whereof as touching those points the truth of Scripture was the more diligently defended and that by occasion of the Pelagian heresie the places of Scripture concerning Predestination and grace of God were by his labour more plentifully and plainely defended then they were before And to conclude out of all Antiquitie before him he bringeth onely k Ibid cap 19. foure or fiue testimonies out of Cyprian Ambrose and Gregorie Nazianzene whereby to iustifie what he taught Now by this answer of Austin to the Pelagians M. Bishop and his fellowes must receiue their answer If it were no preiudice to him that the Fathers before him taught otherwise then he did it is no preiudice to vs teaching the same that he taught He professed himselfe l De nat gra cap. 61 to be free in the writings of any such men and that it was
perseuerantèr proficiat siue vt ad bonuÌ„ sempiternum peruentat The sound Catholike faith saith he neither denieth Free will vvhether to euill life or to good neither attributeth so much to it as that it auaileth any thing vvithout grace either to be conuerted from euill to good or by perseuerance to go forward in that that is good or to attaine to the euerlasting good Now we whom M. Bishop termeth new gospellers but yet out of the old Gospell do affirme according to the true meaning of S. Austin that there must be a Free will either in euill or good life For a man cannot be either good or euill against his will and if he be willingly that that he is it is by Free vvill because the vvill is alwayes Free and cannot but be Free in that that it willeth But the will of man is of it selfe Free in that that is euill to that that is good q Retract lib. 1. cap 15. IntantuÌ„ lâ—bera est 1 quatum liberata est it is so farre onely Free as it is made Free r Cont. duas ep Pelag. lib 1. ca. 3. Et De corrept grat cap 1. Liberum in bono non erit quod liberator non liberauerit In bono liber esse nullus potest nisi fuerit liberatus neither can any man in this respect be free vvhom the purchaser of freedome hath not made free We say therefore that the Free vvill of man auaileth nothing vvithout grace that is in S. Austins construction auaileth nothing but by that that grace vvorketh in it either for conuerting vnto God or perseuering in that whereunto it is conuerted And therefore as S. Austin in the epistle cited speaketh Å¿ Epist 47. Boni ipsam bonam voluntateÌ„ per Dei gratiam consecuti sunt Et post Gratia intelligitur voluntates hominum ipsus ex mala bonas facere ipsas etiam quas fecerit custodire ante Omnia quae ad mores nostros pertinent quibus rectè viuimus à patre nostro qui in coeâ—iâ— est doâ—uit esse poscenda ne de libero praesumentes arbitrio à diuina gratia decidamus It is by grace that good men haue obtained a good vvill and grace must be vnderstood to make the wils of men of euill good and to preserue the same when it hath so made them and of our Father vvhich is in heauen vve are to begge all things whereby vve liue vvell least presuming of Free vvill vve fall away from the grace of God If all things then are we to begge of him to open to yeeld to assent to receiue his grace and therefore these things cannot be attributed to the power of our owne Free will Now M. Bishop meerely abuseth Austin as if he had meant that Free will hath a power and abilitie of it owne to righteousnesse but that this power is not sufficient is not strong enough vvithout grace adioyned to it whereas S. Austins meaning is to chalenge wholy to grace whatsoeuer the will of man doth so that it doth nothing but what grace worketh in it to do t De verb Apos ser 11 Nihil ex eo quod aliquâ—d sumus si tameÌ„ in eius side aliquid sumus quantum cunque sumus â—ihâ—l nobis arrogemus ne quod accepimus perdamus sed in eo quod accepimus illi gloriam demus Of that as touching which we are somewhat in the faith of Christ how much soeuer it be we may take nothing to our selues but we must giue the glorie of all vnto God The new gospellers therfore according to the doctrine of the auncient Gospell detest the Manichees for denying Free will in sinne and euill and detest also Pelagians and Papists for attributing to Free will an abilitie and power of it owne wherby to apply it selfe to righteousnesse which whereas M. Bishop saith the Pelagians affirmed vvithout grace I haue before shewed that he saith vntruly and that the Papists do now teach in that behalfe the very same that the Pelagians did To the last place the answer is readie by that that hath bene sayd Free vvill and grace are not the one excluded by the other neither is the one denied in the affirming of the other if we make the one the cause of the other as Austin doth and teach it to be the worke of grace to make the will Free But grace is denied in the preaching of Free will if as touching saluation it be affirmed to haue any freedome which it hath not of grace or any thing at all be attributed vnto it which is not the effect of grace For u De corrept grat ca. 8. Voluntas humana non libertate coÌ„sequitur gratiam sed gratia potius libertatem man doth not by freedome of will attaine to grace but by grace obtaineth freedome of vvill and though it be in the will and by the will that we receiue grace yet x Prosper de vocat gent lib. 1. cap. 5. Omnibus hominibus percipiendae gratiae causa voluntas Dei est in all men the will of God himselfe is the cause of the receiuing of the grace of God 16. W. BISHOP Now in fevv words I will passe ouer the obiections which he frameth in our names But misapplyeth them First obiection That man can do good by nature as giue almes do iustice speake the truth c. and therefore will them vvithout the helpe of grace This argument we vse to proue libertie of vvill in ciuill and morall matters euen in the corrupted state of man and it doth demonstrate it and M. Perkins in his third conclusion doth graunt it And his answer here is farre from the purpose for albeit saith he touching the substance of the vvorke it be good yet it faileth both in the beginning because it proceeds not from a pure heart and a faith vnfained and also in the end which is not the glorie of God Answer It faileth neither in the one nor other for that almes may issue out of a true naturall compassion which is a sufficient good fountaine to make a worke morally good faith and grace do purge the heart and are necessarie onely for good and meritorious workes Againe being done to releeue the poore mans necessitie God his Creator and Maister is thereby glorified And so albeit the man thought not of God in particular yet God being the finall end of all good any good action of it selfe is directed towards him when the man putteth no other contrarie end thereunto R. ABBOT It was a caution giuen by the Pelagians a Prosper de lib. arbit Proclamat cauendum esse ne ita ad Deum omnia sanctoruÌ„ merita referamus vt nihil n si quod malum est humanae ascribaemuâ— naturae that vve may not so attribute to God all the merits or good workes of holy men as that we ascribe to the nature of man nothing but that that is euill This caution
the Papists not willing in any thing to swarue from the Pelagian heresie do very religiously obserue For the prouing of Free will they obiect vnto vs that man can do good by nature as giue almes do iustice c. and therefore can will these things without the helpe of grace M. Bishop saith they vse this argument to proue libertie of will in ciuill and morall matters But therefore very lewdly do they b Coster Enchirid cap. 5. vse it against vs and exclaime that we by deniall of Free will make lawes and exhortations and instructions of no effect when as we deny not libertie and freedome of will in morall and ciuill actions Yet of such workes we say that although in morall and ciuill life they stand for good yet spiritually and with God they are not good workes but euill because howsoeuer there is the outward matter and substance yet there wanteth the inward forme and life whereby they should haue the condition of good workes Hereof M. Perkins saith that the good thing done by a naturall man is a sinne in respect of the doer because it failes both for his right beginning which is a pure heart a good conscience and a faith vnfained as also for his end which is the glorie of God But saith M. Bishop it faileth neither in the one nor in the other for that almes may issue out of a true naturall compassion which is a sufficient good fountaine to make a worke morally good Where I wonder whether he did well aduise of that he saith For if naturall compassion be a sufficient good fountaine to make a worke morally good then because bruit beasts haue true naturall compassion and true naturall affections we must needs attribute to them vertuous and morall actions But S. Austin was not of M. Bishops mind when he sayd c Aug in Psal 31. Crede in cum qui iustificat impium vt possint opera tua esse opera bona nam nec bona illa appellauerim quaÌ„que non deradice bona procedunt Beleeue in him that iustifieth the vngodly that thy workes may be good workes For I will not call them good workes so long as they proceed not from a good roote Faith then by S. Austins iudgement is the good roote whence good workes must grow and if they grow not from this roote they cannot be called good And this he learned of the Apostle teaching vs that d Heb 11.6 without faith it is vnpossible to please God and that e Rom. 14.23 whatsoeuer is not of faith it is sinne And therefore of naturall compassion he saith that f Aug contra Iulian li 4 ca 3. Etsi misericordia ipsa per seipsam naturali compassione opus est bonam etiam isto bono malè vâ—â—tur qui infideliter vâ—â—â—m hoc bonum malè facit qui infideliter facit Qui auteÌ„ inâ—sâ— pacit aliquid prefecto pec cat Ex quo colligitur etiam ipsa bona opera quaeâ— faciunt infiâ—eâ—es non ipserum esse sedillius qui benè vâ—â—tur malis ipsorum autem esse peccata quibus bona malè faciunt quia ea non fideli sed â—â—fideli hoc est stulâ—a noxta faciunt voluntate although in it selfe it be a good worke yet he vseth this good worke amisse that vseth it vnbeleeuingly and doth it amisse that doth it vnbeleeuingly Now he that doth any thing amisse saith he sinneth therein and therefore the good workes which vnbeleeuers do are Gods who vseth to good purpose them that are euill but to them that do them they are sinnes in that they do good things amisse because they do them with an vnbeleeuing that is with a foolish and corrupt will Wherin he accordeth with the Apostle saying that g Tit. 1.15 to vnbeleeuers all things are vncleane because euen their mind and conscience is defiled And thereto Prosper alluding saith that h Prosp de lib. arbit Patet in impiorum animis nullam habitare virtutem sed omnia opera eorum immunda esse atque polluta c. dum ea ipsa quae non haberent nisi dante Deo subduntur ei qui primus recessit à Deo Et post Multa laudabilia reperiuntur etiam in ingenijs â—â—â—orum quae ex naâ—â—a â—uidem prodeunt sed quoniam ab eo quâ—â—aturam condidit recesserunt virtutes esse non possuâ—t in the minds of the vngodly albeit there be found many commendable things yet there dwelleth no vertue but all their workes are polluted and vncleane whilest therein they are subiect to him who did first fall by apostasie from God Therefore M. Bishops distinction of good workes and meritorious worke is an idle and vaine presumption there being no workes meritorious at all nor any workes good but onely such as are done in the faith of Christ The other circumstance required by M. Perkins in good workes is the end whereto they are referred For Austin rightly saith i Aug. cont Julian lib 4 cap. 3. Noueris non officijs sed finibâ—s a vitijs dâ—sâ—eâ—nendas esse virtutes c. Cum itaque facit homo aliquid vbi peccare non videtur si non propter hoc facit propter quod facere debet peccare conuincitur that workes are not esteemed by the actions but by the ends so that when a man doth a thing wherein he seemeth not to sinne if he do it not for that end for which he should do it that which he doth becommeth thereby sinne Now the true and proper end of all good workes and which maketh them good is the glorie of God of which the Apostle saith k 1. Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye do do all to the glorie of God and of which Prosper telleth vs that l Prospâ—r de vocat gent. lib. 1. cap. 2. etiamsi in bonis moribus agat malè adhuc viuit si non in gloriam Dei viuit albeit a man liue in good behauiour yet he liueth still an euill life if he liue not to the glorie of God But hereto belongeth the knowledge of God which is m Arnob. cont gent. lib. 2. Cognitio Dei fermeÌ„tum quoddam est vitae as it were the leauen that seasoneth the whole life of man And this knowledge of God must be by the word of God so that n Clem. Alexand in Protrepi Qui absque verbo veritatis operantur aliquid vel loquuntur sunt similes ijs qui conantur in gredi absque pedibus they who without the word of truth do worke or speake any thing are as they that striue to go without feete And it must breed the loue of God because o Jdem Stromat lib. 3. Nec castitas est bonuÌ„ ex virtute nisi fiat propter delectionem in Deum chastitie and so the like are not vertues except they be done or obserued for the loue of God And in the loue of God consisteth the
not foorth except it conceiue So then saith M. Bishop it is not sinne of it selfe But we deny his argument for a mother bringeth foorth a woman and yet she her selfe is a woman also A woman bringeth not foorth a woman except she first conceiue and yet she is a woman before she do conceiue and sinne bringeth not foorth sinne except by consent it first conceiue and yet it is sinne before conception There is nothing in Saint Austins words but standeth well with that that before hath bene said that concupiscence being the habite of sinne doth by gaining the consent of the will bring foorth actuall and outward sinnes which is the true meaning of that place of Iames. And that he did not otherwise conceiue but that concupiscence is sinne M. Bishop might very well haue seene if he had but read the words a few lines before the place which he citeth where speaking of the same being in vs he saith z Jbid. Non tan tùm inesset verùm granitèr obesset nisi reaetus qui nos obstrinxerat per remissionem peccatorum solutus esset It should not onely be in vs but also greatly hurt vs but that the guilt thereof is acquitted by the forgiuenesse of our sinnes We would haue M. Bishop tell vs how it should hurt vs if it be not sinne for we suppose that there is nothing in man that can hurt him but onely sinne especially the hurt being such as S. Austine anone after speaketh of a Tantum quis inest pertraheret ad vltimanâ— mortem to draw vs onely by being in vs to euerlasting death The place of Cyril affirmeth the being of lust b Cyrilâ—â— Ioan. lib. 4. cap. 51. Feruens cupiditas ante peccandi actum insidet ante peccandi actum before the actuall sinne but hath nothing for M. Bishops turne to proue that lust also is not sinne nay in the words immediatly following he proueth that it is sinne affirming that c Vt hoc anigmate perdiscamus nullo nos pacto mundos vnquam futuros nisi omnem turpeÌ„ ex animo cupiditaetem cijciamus by circumcision we should learne that we shal not be cleane vnlesse we cast out of our mind all filthy lust For if lust it selfe do make vs vncleane it must needes be sinne because nothing can make a man vncleane but onely sinne That which M. Perkins addeth to illustrate this point Such as the fruit is such is the tree was very fitly spoken to the matter in hand For the fruite hath it whole nature and qualitie from the tree neither is it any thing but what it is by that that it receiueth from thence If therefore the actions of concupiscence be sinne concupiscence which is the tree must needes haue the nature and condition of sinne But M. Bishop answereth that not concupiscence but the will of man is the tree Which is all one as if he should haue said that not the will of man but the will of man is the tree For it hath bene before shewed that concupiscence is nothing else but the corrupted will of man which doth not bring foorth either euill or good indifferently but is of it selfe an enticer only vnto bad vntil God do create it anew and by his owne hand do worke in it to will that that is good In a word the holy Scripture as on the one side it calleth the motions of concupiscence d 1. Pet. 2.11 the lusts of the flesh so it calleth also the effects deeds of those lusts the workes of the flesh thereby shewing that concupiscence signified by the name of e Gal. 5.9 flesh and importing the corruption of the whole mind and will of man is rightly said to be the tree or euill root whence all euill workes and all wickednesse do spring 7. W. BISHOP Lib. 5. contr Iulian. cap. 3. But S. Augustine saith That concupiscence is sinne because in it there is disobedience against the rule of the mind c. I answer that S. Augustine in more then twenty places of his works teacheth expresly that concupiscence is no sinne if sinne be taken properly wherefore when he once calleth it sinne he taketh sinne largely as it comprehendeth not onely all sinne but also all motions and enticements to sinne in which sence concupiscence may be termed sinne but it is so called very seldome of S. Augustine Lib. 6. cap. 5. but more commonly an euill as in the same worke is to be seene euidently where he saith That grace in Baptisme doth renew a man perfectly so farrefoorth as it appertaineth to the deliuerance of him from all manner of sinne but not so as it freeth him from all euill so that concupiscence remaining after baptisme is no manner of sinne in S. Augustines iudgment but may be called euil because it prouoketh vs to euill To this place of S. Augustine Tract 41. in Ioan. I will ioyne that other like which M. Perkins quoteth in his fourth reason where he saith that sin dwelleth alwaies in our members The same answerserueth that sin there is taken improperly as appeareth by that he seates it in our members for according vnto S. Augustine and all the learned the subiect of sinne being properly taken is not in any part of the bodie but in the will and soule and in the same passage he signifieth plainely that in baptisme all sinnes and iniquitie is taken away and that there is left in the regenerate only an infirmitie or weaknesse R. ABBOT That place of Austin doth very pregnantly shew that concupiscence is truly and properly called sinne and giueth a reason thereof out of the true nature of sinne which before hath bene declared a August contr Julian lib. 5. ca. 3. Sicut coecitas cordis peccatum est quo in Deum non creditur poena peccati qua cor superbum digna animaduersione punitur causa peccati cùm mali aliquid coeci cordis errore committitur itae concupiscentia carnis aduersus quam bonus concupiscit spiritus peccatum est quia inest illi inobedientia contra dominatum mentis poena peccati est quia reddita est meritis inobedientis causa peccati est defectione coÌ„sentientis vel contagione nascentis As blindnesse of heart saith he is both a sinne whereby man beleeueth not and the punishment of sinne wherewith the pride of the heart is iustly reuenged and the cause of sinne whilest any euill is committed by the error of the heart so blinded so the concupiscence of the flesh against which the good spirit desireth is both sinne because there is in it a disobedience against the rule of the mind and the punishment of sinne because it was rendred to the desert of him that obeyed not and the cause of sinne either by the default of him that consenteth vnto it or by infecting of him that is borne of it Concupiscence then is sinne as blindnesse of heart is sinne But
though in regard of our selues our own indisposition we cannot THE DISSENT 1. VVE hold that a man may be certaine of his saluation in his owne conscience euen in this life and that by an ordinarie and speciall faith They hold that a man is Certaine of his Saluation only by hope both hold a Certainty we by faith they by hope 2. We say our Certaintie is infallible they that it is onely probable 3 Our confidence in Gods mercy in Christ commeth frō certaine and ordinary faith theirs from hope False Thus much of the difference now let vs come to the reasons to and fro R. ABBOT In this first diuision M. Bishop giueth vs onely some briefe notes which need not to be stood vpon In the third conclusion he denieth their agreement with vs but if he vnderstand it as M. Perkins doth of ordinary assurance he had no cause to denie it For seeing in the first conclusion of dissent he graunteth Certainty or assurance by hope and requireth therewith doubting yea affirmeth still that it cannot be without doubting what reason had he to denie the conclusion being indifferently propounded of assurance afterwards more particularly to be distinguished but that he well knew not what he was to say But in that conclusion he should haue taken knowledge what manner of Certainty or assurance of Saluation it is that we teach not such as whereby a man is meerely secure and made absolutely out of doubt but such as many times is assaulted and shaken with many difficulties and feares and doubts which oft do intricate and perplexe the soule of the righteous and faithfull man Which notwithstanding arise not of the nature and condition of faith as if it ought so to be but of the frailty and corruption of our euill nature by reason whereof faith is not such as it ought to be For the true and proper worke of faith is to giue to the beleeuer a stedfast and vnmoueable assurance of the loue of God that he may fully enioy the comfort thereof without interruption or let and whatsoeuer is aduerse and contrary to this assurance and comfort is to be accounted the enemie of faith Therefore it is not the office of faith to cherish and maintaine such feares and doubts but to resist them to fight against them and so much as is possible to expell them and driue them out But yet by reason of the strength of our naturall corruption and the weakenesse of our faith we attaine not to this and how much the weaker our faith is so much are we the further from it So that the case standeth betwixt faith and doubting as it doth betwixt righteousnesse and sinne For there is true righteousnesse in the faithfull and sometimes it mightily preuaileth and the conscience euen gratulateth it selfe and reioyceth in the vse and practise thereof But anone it beginneth to find defect the temptations of sinne iustle it aside the man stumbleth falleth and the light whereby he shined before as a starre in the firmament becommeth eclipsed and darkned and he seemeth to himselfe not to be the man that he was before Neither doth this seldome fall out but euen daily is there a vicissitude and change by turnes euery day bringing his griefes of infirmity and weaknesse and sometimes giuing occasion of great lamentation and mourning by great and grieuous trespasse against God and men But God that a 2. Cor. 4.6 commaundeth the light to shine out of darknesse and can of a poison make a preseruatiue turneth these infirmities to their good making them by experience of sinne to loue righteousnesse the more and to become more wise and warie against temptation and in rising to take the better heed not to fall againe Euen in like sort the case standeth with the assurance of faith wherein is a comfortable testimonie of the loue of God towards vs which we receiue as b 1. Kings 19.7.8 Elias did his meate from the hands of the Angel securing our selues to go in the strength thereof vnto the mount of God and that c 1. Pet. 1.5 thereby we shall be kept through the power of God vnto that saluation which is prepared to be shewed in the last time But yet in the course thereof there is much variety and change by reason that we apprehend not this assurance directly and immediatly as a principle but by consequence and collection as a conclusion so that being subiect to alteration in the apprehending of the premisses there must necessarily be an alteration in the apprehending of the conclusion Our eies are not alwaies alike intent to the word of God we do not alwaies alike conceiue the promises of God nay temptation sometimes hideth them out of our sight The effects of grace do not alwaies appeare the same yea sometimes they seeme to be quite ouerwhelmed with contrarie effects Moreouer in nature it selfe is a voluntary shrinking and relinquishing of the comfort of faith through the seeds of vnbeleefe that originally are sowen in vs so that the ground of our owne hearts is euery while casting vp obiections and questions as mire and dirt to trouble d Iohn 7.38 the spring of the waters of life that they runne not so pure and cleare as otherwise they should do By all which occasions it commeth to passe that the daies of faith are as the daies of the yeare some faire some foule one while a sunne-shine sommer another while a long and tedious winter sometimes no more but a storme and away one while cast downe as it were to hell another while seeming to be as it were in the courts of heauen where is assured standing and no falling sometimes labouring and strugling some other times triumphantly reioycing but in all perplexities and distractions conceiuing still what it hath felt and striuing to attaine to the same againe And as a child affrighted runneth to the father looking for defence and helpe of him euen so in the middest of all feares and temptations faith is stil running vnto God stil importuning of him calling vpon him expostulating with him casting it selfe stil vpon him depending vpon his aid and expecting of him that things become otherwise then presently they are and seldome going so farre but that it seeth a glimse at least of light in darknesse of hope in despaire of comfort in distresse of life in death of heauen in hell or if it loose the sight thereof yet recouereth it soone againe Of all which we see pregnant example in the distresses and temptations of the Saints which for our instruction and comfort are recommended vnto vs in the word of God And this God doth to the intent that being in some sort for the time put off from him we may take the faster hold when we returne againe that the tast of his loue may be the sweeter and our ioy thereof the greater when out of these flouds of temptations we arriue vnto it that e Rom. 5.3 affliction may bring forth
patience and patience experience and experience hope neuer to be ashamed whilest by this meanes the loue of God as touching the assurance thereof towards vs is more and more shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. This haue I set downe the more largely good Christian Reader for thy sake that thou maiest vnderstand hereby what manner of certaintie and assurance it is that we defend that thou maiest know that it is the property of true faith to giue this assurance and that our assurance is the greater by how much our faith is greater and the weaknesse of our assurance the weaknesse of our faith that so thou maiest see what it is whereunto thou art to striue reioycing in that that thou hast attained vnto already and for that that is behind praying as the Apostles did f Luk. 67.5 Lord increase our faith not being discoÌ„forted at the feeling of thine imperfection because it is the coÌ„mon frailty of Gods children and faith that it may be strong must haue time and occasion to grow and haply seemeth weake to thee when it is strong to God but alwayes resoluing that those sparkles of true light which God hath kindled in thee shall neuer be quenched and thy little graine of faith euen g Mat. 17.20 Mar. 11.23 little as a graine of mustard-seed shall yet be strong enough to cast all mountaines into the sea that shall rise vp to diuide betwixt God and thee As for M. Bishop it is no maruell if being an enemy of faith he be vnacquainted with the secret of faith the ioy of the faithfull being h Cant. 4.12 Bernard Epist 10â— Eli fons signatus cui alienus non communicat sol iustitiae qui timentibus Deum tantùm oritur c. as a garden inclosed and a spring and fountaine shut and sealed vp to be priuate to themselues i Psal â—8 9 a gracious raine which God hath put apart for the refreshing of his owne inheritance What maruell is it if he know not that k Reuel 2 17. new name which no man knoweth but he that receiueth it because the l Iohn 14.17 world knoweth not nor receiueth that COMFORTER the spirit of truth by which it is written yet grudgeth at the sheepe of Christ that they should feede in pastures which they know not or should be sayd to know that which they cannot conceiue or vnderstand And this is the cause that he talketh so rudely and absurdly of the hope of saluation in all this discourse ouerthrowing the whole doctrine of the Gospell crossing the whole vse of faith and of the word of God and speaking no otherwise of this question then a Philosopher or Iew or Pharisee would do as hereafter we shall see In the meane time to go forward with his briefe notes he telleth vs in the fift conclusion of consent that onely in the sence there expressed the first conclusion is true that is that onely by extraordinarie reuelation a man may be certaine of his saluation which being the maine point of the controuersie I referre to the processe of this discourse At the sixt conclusion he noteth that the sixt and second are all one but the tautologie was in his head not in M. Perkins writing For the second conclusion serueth to note the efficient and materiall causes of saluation whereupon our affiance resteth which is the mercy of God in Christ but the sixt serueth to note the manner of our apprehending thereof To the third conclusion of dissent he noteth that it is false namely that our confidence in Christ commeth from certaine and ordinarie faith But we say that it is true and now he and I must ioyne vpon that issue 2. W. BISHOP Here M. Perkins contrary to his custome giueth the first place to our reasons which he calleth obiections and endeuoureth to supplant them and afterward planteth his owne About the order I will not contend seeing he acknowledgeth in the beginning that he obserueth none but set downe things as they came into his head Otherwise he would haue handled Iustification before Saluation But following his method let vs come to the matter The first Argument for the Catholike party is this 1. Obiect Where is no word of God there is no faith for these two are Relatiues But there is no word of God saying Cornelius beleeue thou Peter beleeue thou that thou shalt be saued therfore there is no such ordinarie faith for a man to beleeue his owne particular saluation M. Perkins answer Although there be no word of God to assure vs of our particular saluation yet is there another thing as good which counteruailes the word of God to wit the Minister of God applying the generall promises of saluation vnto this and that man Which when he doth the man must beleeue the Minister as he would beleeue Christ himselfe and so assure himselfe by faith of his Saluation Reply Good Sir seeing euery man is a lyar may both deceiue and be deceiued and the Minister telling may erre how doth either the Minister know that the man to whom he speaketh is of the number of the elect or the man be certaine that the Minister mistaketh not when he assureth him of his Saluation To affirme as you do that the Minister is to be beleeued aswell as if it were Christ himselfe is plaine blasphemie equalling a blind and lying creature vnto the wisedome and truth of God If you could shew out of Gods word that euery Minister hath such a commission from Christ then had you answered the argument directly which required but one warrant of Gods word but to say that the assurance of an ordinarie Ministers word counteruailes Gods word I cannot see what it wanteth of making a pelting Minister Gods mate On the other side to auerre that the Minister knowes who is predestinate as it must be granted he doth if you will not haue him to lie when he saith to Peter thou art one of the elect is to make him of Gods priuie Councell without any warrant for it in Gods word Yea S. Paul not obscurely signifying the contrarie in these words 2. Tim. 2.19 The sure foundation of God standeth hauing this seale our Lord knoweth who be his and none else except he reueale it vnto them M. Perkins then flieth from the assurance of the Minister and leaues him to speake at randon as the blind man casts his club and attributeth all this assurance vnto the partie himselfe who hearing in Gods word Seeke ye my face in his heart answereth Lord I wil seeke thy face And then hearing God say Thou art my people saith again The Lord is my God And then lo without al doubt he hath assurance of his Saluation Would ye not thinke that this were rather some seely old Womans dreame then a discourse of a learned Man How know you honest man that those words of God spoken by the Prophet 2000. yeares past to the
to himselfe Thus doth M. Perkins referre the assurance to the ministerie of the word and thus to the partie and no otherwise after then he had done before But to distinguish true assurance of the heart from carnall presumption and floating fancies swimming in the head he noteth it to be accompanied with the spirit of grace and of prayer or rather to issue therefrom by which the heart is so seasoned and conformed to the voyce of God as that his word doth still rebound from it by ioyfull acceptance and affectionate desire and prayer and purpose and promise of that that is vttered thereby So that when God saith q Psal 27.8 Seeke ye my face the faithfull soule answereth to God Thy face Lord will I seeke When God saith r Zâ—ch 13.9 Thou art my people it soundeth from it backe againe Thou art the Lord my God When Christ saith Å¿ Mar. 9.23 If thou beleeue all things are possible to him that beleeueth it answereth Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe When God requireth to t Psal 40.7 8. do his will it saith to him Lo I come ô my God I am content to do it yea thy law is within my heart This is the fruit and effect of that u Rom. 8.16 spirit of adoption which giueth witnesse to our spirit that we are the Sonnes of God x 1. Ioh. 5.6 beareth record that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life Which we do not wonder that to M. Bishop it seemeth rather an old womans dream then a discourse of a learned man because y Act. 17.18 1. Cor. 2.14 the things of God seeme but babling and foolishnesse to prophane carnal men And out of that prophanenesse issueth that speech of his that followeth How know you honest man that those words of God spoken by the Prophet 2000. yeares past to the people of Israel are directed to you c. Where many an honest faithful soule is ready to answer him Good Sir because z Rom. 15.4 whatsoeuer things were written before time were written for our learning that we through patience comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope because I find that the Scripture it self doth applie to euery of Gods faithful people that that was sayd to Iosuah a Iosuah 19. Heb. 13.5 I will not faile thee nor forsake thee teacheth thereupon euerie faithfull soule to say as Dauid did b Psal 118.6 The Lord is on my side I wil not feare what man can do vnto me therfore I c 1. Cor. 7.27 hauing obtained mercy to be faithfull do in like sort take to my selfe whatsoeuer God hath any where spokeÌ„ for the comfort of his elect the rather because I know that God d Eph. 46. being one Father of all carieth without respect of persoÌ„s the like regard to all his childreÌ„ Neither is it mine own hart that giueth me this assuraÌ„ce for mine own hart could minister no such comfort vnto me but being cast down with the acknowledgement of mine own misery God gaue me a hart to hearkeÌ„ to the voice of Christ deliuered by the minister out of the Gospel e Mat. 11.28 Come vnto me all ye that labor are heauy laden I wil refresh you I found in him indeed that refreshing and ioy f Iohn 16.22 that no man shall take from me And though I be a sinner yet that dismaieth me not for g 1. Tim. 1.15 Christ came into the world to saue sinners repentant sinners of which by the grace of Christ I am one And though Paul were deceiued wheÌ„ he builded himselfe vpoÌ„ himself yet wheÌ„ he built vpon Christ as I do he was not deceiued And whereas you aske me Sir whether I know how long I shal say so I must tel you that my assured trust coÌ„fidence is that God wil neuer forsake the worke which he hath begun because he hath said that h Rom. 9.33 he that beleeueth in Christ shall neuer be confounded or ashamed that is i August in Psal 36. conc 2. Infra sect 20. Iohn 10 2â— his hope shall not be deceiued Christ hath taught me that his sheepe which heare his voice of which I am one shal neuer perish but that he will giue vnto them eternall life And howsoeuer I know that the wickednes corruption of mine own heart is such that being left vnto my self I shold soone fall away froÌ„ God yet I look vnto that promise that God hath made to al his faithful seruaÌ„ts k Ierem. 32.40 I wil put my feare into their harts that they shal not depart from me resting my selfe not onely in this that I haue appreheÌ„ded Christ but much more in that l Phil. 3.12 that he hath appreheÌ„ded me not only in this that I know God but much more in this m Gal. 4.9 that I am known of God Neither doth it touch me that you say that many are called but few are chosen for many are called which come not indeed though they seeme to come thereby shew that they are not chosen but there is a calling n August de praedest sanct ca. 16. Ex vocante non quacunqut vocatione sed qua vocatione fit credens whereby God so calleth as that he maketh a man to beleeue of which Christ saith o Iohn 6.45 Euery one that heareth and learneth of the Father cometh vnto me of which S. Paul saith p Rom. 8 30. Whom he hath predestinate he hath called whom he hath called he hath iustified glorified Of which inward and effectuall calling he hath made me partaker opening the eares of my soule to hearkeÌ„ vnto him subduing the affectioÌ„s of my hart to the obedience of his wil. And because q Ibid. 11.29 the gifts calling of God are without repentaÌ„ce therfore I rest vndoubted that r Ibid. 14.8 if I liue I shal liue vnto the Lord if I die I shall die vnto the Lord whether I liue or die I am the Lords Å¿ Ibid. 8.39 neither shall any thing separat me from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Thus many an honest faithful christian wold answer M. Bishop stop his mouth as the poore t Ruffin hist lib. 1. cap. 3. simple man did the mouth of the proud philosopher in the couÌ„cell of Nice that he could not tell for his life what to reply against him But let vs aske him in the behalfe of this honest man whereas he saith u Sect. 3. afterwards that he beleeueth that he shall haue life euerlasting if he fulfill that which Christ taught the yong man in the gospell to wit if he keep all Gods coÌ„mandements how he knoweth that those words of Christ spokeÌ„ to the yong man so many huÌ„dred yeares past are directed vnto him or that there is any such condition made with him that if he keepe the coÌ„mandements
occulitur quasi abeūtis absentia indicitur the presence of God coming to a man is when he becōeth known to him his hiding of himself is termed the absence of him as going away in neither of which we are able sufficiētly to cōceiue or cōprehend him Wherby we may see with how great discretiō this place was brought to proue that gods work in mās repētāce is not certainly known to him Now therfore the word of God is warrant to a faithful man to assure himself of his Saluatiō For it biddeth him to d Mar. 1 15. beleeue the Gospell the Gospell is that e Ioh. 3.15.16 whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall haue euerlasting life He is therefore to beleeue that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall haue euerlasting life He is therfore to beleeue of himself that because he beleeueth in Christ he shall haue euerlasting life Or if he do not beleeue of himselfe beleeuing in Christ that he shall haue euerlasting life he beleeueth not the Gospell that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall haue euerlasting life And thus the strength of M. Bishops argument is very feeble neither is it onely vaine in it selfe but he hath dealt as absurdly in the handling of it 3. W. BISHOP The second is It is no article of the Creed that a man must beleeue his owne Saluation and therefore no man is bound there unto M. Perkins answereth That euerie article of the Creed containes this particular faith of our owne Saluation namely three First saith he to beleeue in God is to beleeue that God is our God and to put our trust in him for our Saluation Answer I admit all this and adde more that M. Perkins be no longer ignorant of the Catholike knowledge of the Creed that we must also loue him with all our heart and strength thus we vnderstand it more fully then he Yet find not out that thirteenth article Thou must beleeue thine owne particular Saluation For albeit I beleeue and trust in God yet not being sure of my loue towards him I am not assured of Saluation for as S. Iohn testifieth He that loueth not 1. Iohn 3. abideth in death So I answer to the second article named by M. Perkins that is I beleeue that God of his infinite mercie through the merits of Christs passion doth pardon all those who being heartily sorie for their sinnes do humbly confesse them and fully purpose to leade a new life that I my selfe am such a one I do verily hope because I haue as farre forth as I could to my knowledge performed those things which God requires of me but because I am but a fraile creature and may perhaps not haue done all that so well as I ought or am not so well assured of that which by Gods helpe I haue done I cannot beleeue it for in matter of faith as you shall heare shortly there can be no feare or doubt The like answer is giuen to the article of life euerlasting Mat. 19. I beleeue that I shall haue life euerlasting if I fulfill that which our Sauior taught the young man demaunding what he must do to haue life euerlasting to wit if I keepe all Gods commandements but because I am not assured that I shall do so yea the Protestants though falsly assure vs that no man by any helpe of Gods grace can so do I remaine in feare But saith M. Perkins the diuell may so beleeue the articles of the Creed vnlesse we do apply those articles to our selues First I say the diuell knowes to be true all that we do beleeue and therefore are said by S. Iames to beleeue but they want a necessarie condition of faith that is a godly and deuout submission of their vnderstanding vnto the obedience of faith and so haue no faith to speake properly Againe they trust not in God for Saluation nor indeuour not any maner of way to obtaine Saluation as Christians do and so there is great difference betweene their beleefe in the articles of the Creed and ours R. ABBOT To this argument M. Perkins iustly saith that the pillars of the Church of Rome do not vnderstand the Creed who hauing corrupted all points of Christian faith must needs frame the articles of the Creed to the same corruption Whether they were the Apostles or other after them that layed together this briefe of faith they intended not therein a narration of common historie but a profession of priuate hope And that may appeare by the phrase wherein they haue expressed this beleefe I BELEEVE IN GOD THE FATHER I BELEEVE IN IESVS CHRIST I BELEEVE IN THE HOLIE GHOST For well doth M. Perkins note that to say I beleeue in God is all one as to say I beleeue that God is my God and I haue an assured confidence and trust in him to be saued by his mercie M. Bishop mentioneth the answer in superficiall and generall termes that to beleeue in God is to beleeue that God is our God and to put our trust in him for our Saluation and in this sort admitteth it but to that purpose as M. Perkins spake it he will by no meanes admit it because so to admit it should be to graunt the point in question He can be content that we in common beleeue God to be our God by right of soueraigntie and authoritie but he will not endure that any man shall say as M. Perkins intended I beleeue that God is my God by affection of loue He will like well enough that we put our trust in him for our Saluation so as to looke to be saued by him if we be saued and haply to cary some probable opinion that we shall be saued but in no case will suffer vs to conceiue so of our selues as to say with the Apostle a 1. Thess 5.9 God hath not appointed vs to wrath but to obtaine Saluation by the meanes of Iesus as M. Perkins meant To beleeue that God is our God is to beleeue that he is our life our peace our strength our deliuerance and Saluation not only that he is these things in himselfe but that he is indeed the same to vs assuredly perswading our selues that because God is ours therefore whatsoeuer is his is ours that is for vs and for our vse his mercie his power his prouidence to watch ouer vs and to preserue and keepe vs to himselfe both in life and death This did God import when by his new couenant he bound himselfe to his heires of promise saying b Ierem. 31.33 I will be their God and they shall be my people whereupon they shall be emboldened to say c Esa 25.9 Lo this is our God we haue waited for him and he will saue vs we will reioyce and be ioyfull in his Saluation And thus doth S. Austin teach vs to make d August in Psal 32. conc 2. An temerè dicimus faciendo nobu Deum possessionem c. Dicat anima secura dicat Deus
meus es tu quidicit animae nostrae salus tua ego sum c. God our God to make him our possession as he speaketh and therefore without doubting to say vnto God Thou art my God because he saith to our soule I am thy Saluation And indeed no man can with a true heart say vnto God Thou art my God whose soule doth not with inward comfort heare God saying vnto him by his word I am thy Saluation Seeing therefore that M. Bishop cannot deny but that to say I beleeue in God is as much as to say I beleeue that God is my God he must graunt that for a man to professe to beleeue in God is to professe the assured beleefe of his owne Saluation The first degree of faith is credere Deum to beleeue that God is The second degree is credere Deo to beleeue God that is to beleeue that his words and promises are true But credere in Deum to beleeue in God addeth further to trust in God according to that word and promise and to beleeue the same not onely generally and indefinitely but particularly and to his owne vse firmely resoluing that God will do to him according to that that he hath promised and therefore to his repentance and faith according to his promise will giue euerlasting life Thus Eusebius Emisenus distinguishing those phrases rightly saith that e Euseb Emissen de symb hom 2. no man is approued to haue beleeued in God but he that hath deuoutly trusted in him which is that that the Prophet Dauid nameth to put trust in his mercie whereby we stedfastly expect at his hands and of his meere goodnesse to receiue all things for our safetie and Saluation But M. Bishop making shew to admit that which M. Perkins saith addeth more that he might not be ignorant of the Catholike knowledge of the Creede that we must also loue God with all our heart and strength and thus saith that they vnderstand it more fully then we do Where we may obserue what a wise construction he maketh for himselfe For he telleth vs by and by that he is not sure whether he loue God or not and afterward againe that charitie is seated in the darke corners of the will and a man cannot be sure that it is in himselfe So then because to beleeue in God is to loue God with all his heart and strength and M. Bishop doth not know whether he loue God or not it must needs follow that for ought he knoweth he doth but lie so often as he saith I beleeue in God This doth he gaine by his vnderstanding this point more fully then we do But we respect not here any largenesse or fulnesse but rather proprietie of vnderstanding It is true indeed that Saint Austin sometimes declareth beleeuing in God by the loue of God and other such signes and tokens thereof not as properly to define what it is to beleeue in God but rather to shew who they are that truely doe beleeue in God that men may not flatter themselues with opinion of beleeuing when indeed they doe not beleeue Thus doth he say that f August in Psal 77. Adhaerere ad â—enè cooperandum bona operanti Deo to beleeue in God is to cleaue vnto God to worke well with him working that that is good in vs that g De verb. dom ser 61 Jlle credit in Christum qui sperat in Christum diligit Christum he that beleeueth in Christ both hopeth in Christ and loueth Christ that h In loan tract 29. Quid est crederem eum Credendo amare credendo diligete c. to beleeue in Christ is in beleeuing to affect in beleeuing to loue Christ But it is one thing to describe a thing by adioyned properties and effects another thing to define it out of the nature and proprietie of it selfe We doubt not but that faith and loue are alwayes conioyned and true beleefe in God doth alwayes infallibly bring forth the loue of God but yet as diuerse members of the body necessarily concurring for the perfecting of the whole haue euerie one their seuerall office the eye to see the eare to heare c. so these vertues of the soule namely faith and loue though they alwayes meete and neuer are diuided yet in office and act are distinct each from other neither is to beleeue the same as to loue nor to loue the same as to beleeue For we do not make the question that Christ asked the man that had beene blind i Iohn 9.35 Beleeuest thou in the Sonne of God to be the same with that that he demaunded of Peter k Cap. 21.15 Louest thou me Now therefore to beleeue in God is in it selfe to haue a full affiance and assured trust in him that he will saue vs and accordingly the summe of that that I professe to beleeue in the Creed is that God is my God and Father by the mediation of Iesus Christ through the sanctification of the holy Ghost whereby he hath made me a member of his Catholike Church which is the communion and society of his Saints to which and all the members whereof and so namely to me he will giue remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes and a happy resurrection of the body to be partaker with the soule of euerlasting life And that this is a matter of beliefe without any thirteenth article of the Creed let him learne of Dauid saying l Psal 27.13 I beleeue to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing Which what is it else but to say I beleeue mine owne Saluation And let him learne of Fulgentius that it was not proper to say so for m Fulgent ad Monim lib. 1. Justus ex fide viuens fiductaliter dicit Credo vt lere bona Domini c. the iust liuing by faith saith he boldly saith I beleeue to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing Let S. Austine also teach him this matter of beleefe n August in Psal 148. Quid tibi promisti Deus ò homo mortalis Quia victuri es in aeternum Non credu Crede crede Plus est taÌ„ quod fecit quam quod promisit God hath promised thee O man that thou shalt liue for euer Doest thou not beleeue it Beleeue it beleeue it for that that he hath already done for thee is a greater matter then that that he hath promised To the same effect Cyprian speaketh o Cyprian de mortalit Deus tibi de hoc mundo recedenti immortalitatem pollicetur atque aeternitatem tu dabitas hoc est Deum omnino non nosse hoc est ChristuÌ„ credentium magistrum peccato incredulitatis offendere hoc est in ecclesia constitutum fidem in domo fidei non habere God hath promised vnto thee when thou departest out of this world immortality and eternity and doest thou doubt thereof This were not to know God this is
be no assurance by faith of our owne Saluation vnlesse we beleeue it with the like infallible Certainty as we do the truth of the word of God 5. W. BISHOP The thâ—rd reason for the Catholikes is that we are bidden to pray daily for the remission of our sinnes But that were needlesse Math. 6. if we were before assured both of pardon and Saluation M. Perkins answereth First that we pray daily for the remission of new sinnes committed that day Be it so What needs that if we were before assured of pardon Marrie saith he because our assurance was but weake and small our prayer is to increase our assurance Good Sir do you not see how you ouerthrow your selfe If your assurance be but weake and small it is not the assurance of faith which is as great and as strong as the truth of God We giue God thanks for those gifts which we haue receaued at his bountifull hands and desire him to increase or continue them if they may be lost But to pray to God to giue vs those things we are assured of by faith is as fond and friuolous as to pray him to make Christ our Lord to be his Sonne or that there may be life euerlasting to his Saints in heauen of which they are in full and assured possession And so these three Arguments by M. Perkins propounded here for vs are very substantiall and sufficient to assure euery good Christian that he may well hope for Saluation doing his dutie but may not without great presumption assure him by faith of it R. ABBOT The comfort of the faithfull mans praier is the same assurance that Dauid had a Psal 4.3 When I call vpon the Lord he will heare me it being a promise of God to his people b 50.15 Call vpon me and I will heare thee in which sort our Sauiour Christ giueth vs incouragement to pray saying c Iohn 14.13 Whatsoeuer ye aske in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Sonne Therefore S. Iohn saith d 1. Iohn 5.14 This is the assurance that we haue of him that whatsoeuer we aske according to his will he heareth vs and if we know that he heareth vs we know that we haue the petitions that we aske of him Being therefore bidden to pray for the forgiuenesse of sinnes and hauing the promise of God e Ierem. 31.34 I will be mercifull vnto them and their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more we beleeue and by faith stand assured that when we do pray to haue our sinnes forgiuen vs God heareth vs and giueth vs pardon and forgiuenesse thereof We do not then teach at randon the assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinnes but in such tenure and forme as we are directed by the word of God according to which S. Austine saith of himselfe f August cont Iulian. Pelag. lib 6. ca. 5. Qua gratia liberor vt scio ne intrem in tentationeÌ„ c. atque vt exaudiar cum confortâ—hat meis dicens Dimitte nobis c. By the grace of God I am freed I know that I enter not into temptation and that I am heard saying with my fellowes Forgiue vs our trespasses g Psa 32.6 For this therefore that is h August in Psal 31. Pro hac pro ipsa venia peccatorum for forgiuenesse of sinnes shall euery one that is godly saith Dauid make his praier vnto thee in a time when thou maiest be found so being assured that in the great water flouds they shall not come nigh him Our faith then assureth vs not of forgiuenesse of sinnes without praier but that God forgiueth vs when we pray so that his obiection being framed to our doctrine aright is as if he should say Seeing faith assureth vs of forgiuenesse of sinnes when we craue it of him by praier what need we pray Which was one of Wrights drunken reasons whereby he would haue laied an absurditie vpon our Church being himselfe an absurd blind-asinus and not vnderstanding what we say But to make the matter more plaine it is to be noted that in three respects we continue daily to aske of God forgiuenesse of sinnes of which M. Perkins hath noted two First as S. Austine saith i August de vera fals paenit ca. 5. Quia quotidimana est offensio oportet vt sit quotidiana etiam remissio because we daily commit offence we haue need daily to craue pardon But what needs that saith M. Bishop if we were before assured of pardon I haue answered him that our assurance before hand and alwaies is that our praier obtaineth it at Gods hands Therefore we pray and by faith do rest assured that vndoubtedly we haue that for which we pray Secondly we pray for forgiuenesse not for that we haue no assurance thereof but for that we desire greater assurance and more comfortable feeling of it that as forgiuenesse with God is full and perfect so the same may accordingly be sealed in our hearts Our faith being weake giueth but weake assurance and therefore we begge of God that our hearts may be enlarged that k Bernard in Annunciat ser 1. supra sect 3. the testimonie of the spirit may more freely sound vnto vs Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Now here saith M. Bishop Good Sir do you not see how you ouerthrow your selfe And why so Forsooth if your assurance be but weake and small it is not the assurance of faith which is as great and strong as the truth of God But good Sir we haue alreadie shewed you that therein you tell vs a sencelesse and vnlikely tale The truth of God is alwaies alike not subiect to alteration neuer increased or diminished but our faith is greater and lesse somtimes hath a full and sometimes a wane and to vs the truth of God is according to our faith and according to our apprehension feeling of it Wherein we are variable and diuerse euen after the manner of Peters faith of whom S. Austine saith l August de verb. Dom. ser 13 Illum vidite Petrum qui tunc erat figura vestra modo fidit modo titubat modò immortaleÌ„ confitetur modoÌ„ timet ne moriatur Peter was the patterne of vs all sometimes he beleeueth sometimes he wauereth one while he confesseth Christ to be immortall another while he is afraid least Christ should die The poore distressed man saith in the Gospell m Mar. 9. Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe n August de verb. Dom. ser 36. Credo inquit ergò est fides Sed adiuua incredulitatem meam ergo non est plena fides He saith I beleeue therefore there is faith saith Austine helpe my vnbeleefe saith he therefore there is not yet full and perfect faith If there be true faith and yet with faith a remainder of vnbeleefe then the assurance of faith cannot be said to be as great and strong as the truth
shall be cast forth as the branch and shall wither and be cast into the fire which doth demonstrate that some which were members of Christ be wholy cut off and that for euer Are we not by faith made members of Christ by our aduersaries owne confession and doth not our blessed Sauiour say expounding the parable of the sower Luke 8. That the seed which fell vpon the rocke doth signifie them who with ioy receiue the word and these saith he haue no root but for a time they beleeue and in time of temptation reuolt Doth not S. Paul in expresse tearmes say 1. Tim. 1.19 That some hauing faith and good conscience expelling good conscience haue made shipwracke of their faith of whom were by name Hymenaeus and Alexander The like 1. Tim. 4. That in the last dayes some should reuolt from the faith Againe 1. Tim. 6. That some for couetousnesse sake had erred from the faith And for example amongst other take Saul the first king of Israel who was at his election as the holy Ghost witnesseth so good a man 1. Reg. 19. that there was no better then he in all Israel and yet became reprobate as iâ— in Scripture signified 1 Reg. 15. 16. The like is probable of Solomon and in the new Testament of Iudas the traytor Simon Magus whom S. Luke saith that he also himselfe beleeued Act. 8. and after became an Arch-heretike and so died the like almost may be verified of all Arch-heretikes who before they fell were of the faithfull R. ABBOT This argument were somewhat worth if God hauing made vs partakers of his grace did thenceforth leaue vs to our selues and to our owne keeping for then there were not onely casualtie but certaintie of our falling away from him But looke by what our faith assureth vs of present standing by the same and aâ— farre it secureth vs against future falling the assurance of faith being that a Rom. 8.38 neither things present nor THINGS TO COME shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ our Lord. It looketh vpon God as a carefull father who himselfe b Esa 54.13 Ierem. 31.33 teacheth all his children that they may be sure to learne as a good shepheard that c Iere. 23.3.4 so gathereth his flecke as that none of them shall be lacking as a good husbandman that so fenceth d Esa 27.3 his vineyard and keepeth it night and day that none assaile or hurt it as a e Mat. 16.18 rocke strong and sure so that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church of the faithfull that are founded and built vpon it It looketh vnto Gods promise f Ier. 32.40 I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from me whereby it expecteth perpetuall and assured establishment from him alone It looketh vnto the mediation of Christ who hath not prayed for Peter only that g Luke 22 32. his faith might not faile but h Ioh. 17.11.20 for all that beleeue in him Holy Father keepe them in thy name whereupon the Apostle Peter telleth vs that i 1. Pet. 1.5 we are kept by the power of God through faith vnto Saluation He that keepeth vs by faith must necessarily be vnderstood to preserue and keepe our faith not by any power of ours but by his owne onely power k August de bono perseuer cap. 7. supra Of Free will Sect. 14. who since the fall of man will not haue it to belong to any thing but his only grace that either we come vnto him or do not afterwards depart from him In a word faith seeth in the word of God that the worke of grace is irreuocable and standeth fast and inuiolate for euer l Idem ad artic Sibi falso impos art 12. Nec qua illuminatuâ— obcaecat nec quae aedificauit destruiâ— nec quae plantauit euellit Sine paenitentiae enim sunt dona vocatio Dei. neither doth God blind them whom he hath enlightened nor destroy what he hath builded nor plucke vp what he hath planted because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance m De praevest sanc ca 16 tu est sine mutatione stabiliter fixa sunt that is they are firmely established to be without any change so that n Rom. 8.30 whom he hath called and iustified them he glorifieth because o August de praeâ—â—st sanct ca. 17. Non aâ—tâ—s sed quos praedestinauit ipsos vocauit c. he calleth and iustifieth none but whom he hath predestinated vnto glorie and therefore it followeth that he giueth them perseuerance for the attainement of the said glorie p Ambros de Iacob vit beat â—b cap 6. Num Deus pâ—ior ipse qui comtilit potest dona â—ua resindere eâ— quos adoptione â—uâ—cepit eos à paterni affectâ—â— gratia relegere The Father saith Ambrose that was the giuer cannot reuoke his gifts nor put away him from the grace of his fatherly affection whom he hath entertained and receiued by adoption q Chrys in Rom. hom 9 â—alis ipsa Dei gratia finem nullum habet tâ—rminum non nouit sed ad maiora sin per propagatuâ— atque progreditur Id quod non itam hominibus vsuuenit verbi gratia assecutus est quis magistratum gloriam priâ—ciâ—atum tamen in eo perpetuus non manet sed confestim abâ—o excutitur Nam vt honorem ilium humano maâ—u◠〈◊〉 eripiat certè superuenieâ—s mors omninâ— ereptura est At quae Deus bona largitur haudquaquam talia sunt a quibus vâ— delicet non homo non tempus non rerum aduersarum vu non ipse diabolus non mors ingruens deturbare nos pâ—tâ—â— quiâ— vel mortici cum sumus ium demùm firmiùs ea possidemus atque adeo quo progredimur magis eo maâ—oribus effectis fâ—uimuâ— For such is the grace of God saith Chrysostome it hath no end it neuer determineth but still proceedeth to greater benefits Which is not wont to be so in the gifts of men for a man hauing obtained an office an honor or principality hath no perpetuitie therein but is soone bereft of it For albeit the hand of man do not take it away yet death will which speedily shall ouertake him But the good gifts which God giueth are not so as from which neither man nor time nor any power of aduersities nor the diuell nor death approaching can remoue vs yea when we are dead we do more assuredly possesse the same In a word r Origen in Ierem hom 1. Impossibiâ—e est quod semel viuificauit Deut aut ab eo ipso tut abalio occidi it is impossible saith Origen that that which God quickeneth should be slaine either by himselfe or any other It is true then that he onely that perseuereth to the end shall be saued but it is true also that
to the contrary to keepe the fire of his spirit continually burning in our hearts c Iob. 33.16.17 opening our eares by his corrections to cause vs to cease from our euill enterprises and to heale our pride and to keepe back our soule froÌ„ the pit which is the same that the Apostle saith d 1. Cor. 11.32 When we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world And whereas M. Bishop alledgeth that thousands pitifully fall away we answer him that they which finally fall did neuer truly stand though they seemed to stand nor euer did truly beleeue though they seemed to beleeue but euen of their fals doth God also make vse to make those that are truly his to stand the faster striking thereby a dread feare into their hearts wherby they abhorre to think of that befalling in theÌ„selues which hath befallen in the other that they may the more instantly call vpon him and embrace the meanes whereby they should firmly apprehend take hold of him We say the same that M. Perkins doth that it cannot be that he that is once indeed a member of Christ can euer after be wholly cut off But this disliketh M. Bishop much so that he exclaimeth O shamelesse assertion Where we may more iustly cry out of him O shamelesse man that maketh Christ lâ—sse affectionate kind to the spirituall members of his mysticall body then he himselfe is to the earthly members of his own natural body M. Bishop wil not suffer any member of his body to putrifie rot away if he can saue it and wil he make vs beleeue that Christ suffereth his members to rot away froÌ„ him Shal we think that Christ doth lesse respect a faithfull soule theÌ„ any of vs doth respect a finger or a toe e Ambros de Iacob vit beat l. 1. ca. 6. Poterit ergo ille te damnare queÌ„ redâ—miâ— a mâ—rte pro quo se obâ—uâ—it cuiuâ— vitam mortis suae mercedem esse cognoscit Nonne dicet Quâ— vtilitas in sanguine meo fidamno quem ipse saluaâ—â— Can Christ condemne thee saith Ambrose to the true beleeuing man whom he himselfe hath redeemed froÌ„ earth and whose life he knoweth to be the reward of his own death Wil he not say What profit is there in my bloud if I condemne him whoÌ„ I haue saued He is faithful wil not deny himself he wil not vndo that which he hath done nor blot out his owne name or suffer it to be blotted out which he hath written by his spirit in the heart of euery one that beleeueth He wil not dismember himself or receiue a maime in that f Ephe. 1.23 body which generally in the whole respectiuely in euery part is the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Seeing therfore euery true beleeuer is truly a meÌ„ber of this body helpeth to make vp this fulnesse of Christ it caÌ„not be that Christ should suffer any true beleeuer to perish but quickeneth cherisheth euery such meÌ„ber with his spirit of life healeth the wounds and sicknesses thereof that it may neuer die But of this point further in the section next saue one here it shall suffice to examine those texts examples of holy Scriptures which he saith are coÌ„trary to that that M. Perkins here affirmeth Which if they be many and plaine as he saith we may think him a very silly man that of those many could make no better choise then he hath done The first place is that of our Sauiour Christ g Iohn 15.2 Euery branch in me not bearing fruit he will take away Wherein the Reader may easily see that he doth but only abuse the simplicitie and ignorance of such as cannot espie his fraud He telleth vs of taking away the branches that beare no fruit wheras the matter in question is of the perseuerance of those branches that do bring forth fruit We doubt not but the branches which beare no fruit shal be taken away but we speake of branches which as touching present state do bring forth fruit of theÌ„ our Sauior addeth h Ibid. Euery branch that beareth fruit the Father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit The branch then that beareth fruit shall perseuer shall neuer be cut off because the Father purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit But M. Bishop will vrge that Christ saith Euery branch in me therby to signify that eueÌ„ those branches which do not beare fruit are in Christ yet are cut off taken away But there is no necessitie of any such construction the words are rather to be taken as we read theÌ„ Euery branch that beareth not fruit in me For euery man is compared to a branch naturally we are al branches of a wild vine as we grow froÌ„ the corrupted stocke of Adam bring forth none but sowre vnsauourie fruit so that to bring forth good fruit we had need to be transplanted remoued from the stocke of Adam to be ingraffed into Christ And this may the words of Christ import that the Father taketh destroyeth euery branch that stil coÌ„tinueth to bring forth fruit in AdaÌ„ and is not implanted into Christ to bring forth fruit in him Which construction if we follow as it carieth most probability then here is nothing said of any to be cut off that is a branch in Christ the true vine but of branches taken and cast away that are not in him But yet graunting him that reading of the words which he desireth yet he is no whit the nearer to his purpose thereby For men are diuersly vnderstood to be in Christ some by semblance shew other some in deed and truth some by outward calling profession only other some by grace and inward regeneration some according to the flesh and in the eie of the Church other some according to the spirit and power of Christ in the eie of God The Church is the floore wherein is both corne chaffe the field wherein groweth both wheat and tares the net that catcheth all sorts of fishes both good bad the pasture where feed both sheepe and goates the banquet house that entertaineth all guests that come both clothed vnclothed all yet comming vnder the name of friends all saying Lord Lord all professing themselues to take part with Christ i August de vâ—â—t eccles cap. 13. Vnde appellat sâ—nas nisi propter malignitatem morum Et easâ—eÌ„ vnde filias nisi propter cemmunionem sacramentorum cap. 12. Propter sacramenta quae cum sanctis communiter habent in eu est quaedam forma pietatis cuius virtuteÌ„ negant all children by communion of Sacraments whereby there is in them a shew of godlinesse but many thornes by malignity of behauiour whereby they deny the power thereof all sheepe in outward complement couplement to the Church but k De
heart that he followed Christ but onely to make a commodity to himselfe Of Simon Magus S Luke saith indeed that x Act. 8.13 he beleeued but so as that Peter perceiueth amidst his beleeuing that y Ver. 21.23 his heart was not right in the sight of God that he was in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie whereby it appeareth that his beleeuing was no more but z Occumen in epist Iacob cap. 2. Et de simplici assensu fidem dicere solemus a bare assenting as Occumenius calleth it to the doctrine of faith and not that true and effectuall beleeuing whereof we speake Such members of Christ doth he make doing wrong to Iesus Christ onely to hide his owne shame that he might not be thought to maintaine a wrong The like he affirmeth of all Arch-heretikes the first they were of the faithfull expresly contrary to that which S. Iohn saith a 1. Iohn 2.19 They went out from vs but THEY VVERE NOT OF VS for if they had bene OF VS they would haue continued with vs. Which being so plainly affirmed by the Apostle we may maruell that M. Bishop should say the contrary but that he hath harnessed his face and his conscience that it may be no blush nor scruple to him to auouch one lie for the vpholding of another What his exception is to that place of Iohn we shal see in the next section but one where he hath taken vpon him the answer of it 9. W. BISHOP But what need we further proofe of this matter seeing that this is cosengerman if not the very same with one of that infamous heretike Iouinians erronious articles condemned and registred by S. Hierome Heres 82. lib. 2. cons. Iouin and S. Augustine who held that iust men after Baptisme could not sinne and if they did sinne they were indeed washed with water but neuer receiued the spirit of grace his ground was that he which had once receiued the spirit of grace could not sinne after which is iust M. Perkins proposition so that to vphold an errour he falleth into an old condemned heresie And which is yet more absurd in the next confirmation he letteth slip at once a brace of other heresies these be his words And if by sinne one were wholy seuered from Christ for a time in his recouery he is to be baptized the second time Where you haue first rebaptizing which is the principall errour of the Anabaptists and withall the heresie of the Nouatians who held that if any in persecution denied Christ after baptisme there was no remedie left in Gods Church for their recouerie but must be left to God so saith M. Perkins for that of rebaptizing he seemes to bring in ex absurdo so that the common saying is verified in him one absurditie being graunted a thousand follow after But doth he know no other meanes then Baptisme to recouer one cut off from Christ hath he forgotten that corrupted sentence of the Prophet wherewith they begin their Common praier What houre soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne c. With them repentance and with vs the Sacrament of Penance serue a man at any time of his life to be reconciled to Christ R. ABBOT We may here take knowledge of the absurd folly of this prater who hauing before chalenged M. Perkins for affirming that sinne is alwaies in the regenerate corrupting all his works goeth about here to lay vpon him an imputation of maintaining that the regenerate cannot sinne Surely both these cannot stand together and if M. Perkins hold the one he must needs be a stranger to the other But thus he bableth without feare or wit neuer regarding how one part of his speech hath coherence with the other As touching Iouinian if he simply taught that which Hierome and Austine affirme that the regenerate cannot sinne he erred greatly therein and we ioine with Austine and Hierome in the condemning of that opinion But if they did misunderstand his opinion and that he held onely this as in likelihood he did that the regenerate cannot finally and vtterly fall away by sinne or sinne that sinne which is vnto death a 1 Iohn 3.9 and onely meant as S. Iohn doth Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not neither can he sinne because he is borne of God he erred no whit at all nor affirmed any thing therein but what Hierome and Austine haue affirmed as well as he and M. Bishop knew well enough that it is this onely that M. Perkins deliuered not that the regenerate cannot or do not sinne whose fals we confesse to be very many and to themselues very grieuous from day to day but that the regenerate doth not so sinne as vtterly to be cut off from Christ that the faithfull man doth neuer finally or wholly fall away from the grace of God To which purpose S. Bernard saith b Bernard de implic haerint vincul c. Noâ—â— Dominus qui sunt etus propositum Dei manet immobile Et si horrendorum crimirum nos Dauid muritur etsi Maria Magdalene sep â— saemonijs cumulatur ets priaceps Apostolorum in profundum negationis submergitur non est tamen qui de manis Dei possit cruere The Lord knoweth who are his and the purpose of God abideth vnmoueable Although Dauid be branded with the brand of horrible sinnes although Mary Magdalen be fraught with seuen deuils although Peter the chiefe of the Apostles be drowned in the depth of denying his maister Christ yet there is none that can take them or pluck them out of the hands of God not that it is incident to the faithfull to walke in malicious and wilfull sinne but when by occasion or temptation he falleth the Lord c Luc. 22.61 looketh vpon him as he did vpon Peter that he may repent the d Psal 37.24 Lord putteth vnder his hand and lifteth him vp againe We see therefore how little trust is to be giuen to him who sticketh not to deliuer so manifest and apparant vntruth He is like the cariers horse that brooketh not to go out of his accustomed way we had had no booke of him if he had bene tyed to speake nothing but what is true Now M. Perkins for assertion of the perseuerance of the faithfull addeth further that if a man be a member of Christ he cannot be wholly cut off not so much as for a time much lesse for euer For if he could wholly be cut off for the time then at his returne he ought to be baptized againe which being absurd to affirme it followeth that a man cannot wholly be cut off In which confirmation M. Bishop saith that he hath let slip a brace of other heresies Where we may conceiue that he was mightily a-dreamed of heresies the night before he wrote this and they ranne so thicke in his head that he imagined euery man that he met with to be an heretike Surely M. Bishop if
loued of God or no. R. ABBOT To his former inuisible reasons we shall haue now some further testimonies adioyned that make as little for him as his reasons haue done And first he alledgeth a place of Solomon A man doth not know whether he be worthie of hatred or loue but all things are kept vncertaine for the time to come But he knew well that the translation of this place might iustly be excepted against which indeed is very false He saith that one heretike cauilleth against it but neither is he one onely nor an heretike neither doth he cauill but iustly reiecteth it by warrant of the originall text so as that M. Bishops owne friends do translate the words farre otherwise then he alledgeth them The Hebrew word for word according to the Septuagint translated by Hierome is thus a Eccles 9.1 Et quidem charitatem quidem â—â—lium no est cognoscens homo omnia in facie eoruÌ„ Hieron Also loue also hatred a man knoweth not all in the face of them The obscuritie of which words hath caused men very diuersly to conceiue of the true meaning thereof One construction is made by Olympiodorus that b Olimpiod in Eccles ca. 9. Qui adhuc sapit quae hominis sunt neque planè Deo se tradidit nescit discreto rudicio quae dilectione sunt digna quae odio he that yet sauoureth the things of men and hath not sincerely giuen himselfe to God knoweth not what things are worthie to be loued and what to be hated Another exposition he alledgeth taken from the translation of Symmachus c Ibid. Nescit homo si quâ—m nunc maximè odit mutatis vicibus amicum beneficum sit experturus contraque an timeÌ„dum sibi quandoque sit abeo quem nunc amore prosequitur A man knoweth not whether vpon some change he shall find him louing or kind whom he now hateth or shall haue cause to be afraid of him whom he now loueth With least mutation or change we translate the words thus A man knoweth not loue or hatred that is who is loued or hated by all that is before them and then the meaning is plaine that by outward things by the things that are before our face a man knoweth not whether he be beloued or hated of God whereof the reason followeth because all things come alike to all and there is the same condition outwardly to the iust and to the wicked c. And to this effect the translation of Symmachus tendeth though Olympiodorus gathered otherwise thereof d Symmac apud Hieron in Eccl. cap 9 Insuper neque amicitias neque immicitias scit homo sed omnia corarae eis incerta proptereà quod omnibus eueniunt similia iusto iniusto Moreouer a man knoweth not loue or hatred but all things are vncertaine before them because the like things befall to all both to iust and vniust Which translation as Hierome approueth so he confirmeth also the meaning of it saying e Hieron ibid. Quod autem ait Euentus est vnus omnibus iusto impio siue angustiarum siue mortis significat eueÌ„tum idcirco nec charitatem Dei eos in se nosse nec odium Whereas he saith that there is the same condition to all he meaneth it of affliction or of death and that therefore men know not the loue of God or his hatred towards them And thus indeed true it is as M. Bishop citeth out of Hierome that a man cannot esteeme by any outward state whether he be loued or hated of God for neither do the righteous only prosper neither are the wicked only crossed and afflicted but the wicked flourish many times more gloriously then the iust and the hand of God often lieth heauier vpon the iust then vpon the wicked and vngodly and both are subiect to death both are laied in the graue without any appearance or shew of difference betwixt the one the other But this maketh nothing against vs for although by the eye the beleeuer cannot discerne the loue of God towards himselfe yet that hindereth not but that by faith he apprehendeth and embraceth the same And thus S. Bernard excepteth against that place being so translated as M. Bishop readeth it f Bernard in dedic eccles ser 5. Sed de possibilitate iam certâ— de voluntate quid agimus Quis scit si est dignus amore an edio Quis nouit sensum Domini aut quis consiliarius eius fuit Hìc iam planè fidem nobis subuenire necesse est hìc oportet succurrere veritatem vt quod de nobis latet in corde paetris nobis per ipsius spiritum reueletur spiritus eius testificaÌ„s persuadeat spiritut nostro quod filij Dei simus Being sure of Gods ablenesse to saue vs how do we to be assured of his will thereto for who knoweth whether he be worthie of loue or hatred who hath knowne the mind of the Lord or hath bene his counsellor But here faith must helpe vs bere Gods truth must be our succour that that which lieth hidden concerning vs in the heart of God our Father may by his spirit be reuealed vnto vs and his spirit by the testimonie thereof may perswade our spirit that we are the children of God and that by calling and iustifying vs freely by faith Thus though we take the place translated as M. Bishop alledgeth it yet by S. Bernards iudgement it auaileth him nothing because albeit otherwise we cannot know whether we be beloued or hated of God yet by faith and by the spirit of God that secret is reuealed vnto vs that we are the children of God and beloued of him Only that we take that worthinesse of the loue of God to be meant of Gods acceptation and vouchsafing to thinke vs worthie because otherwise the place so translated soundeth a manifest vntruth and contrarie to the Scripture For if we speake simply of worthinesse who doth not know himselfe worthie of hatred what faithfull man doth not say as Daniel said g Dan. 9.7 To thee O Lord belongeth righteousnesse but vnto vs reckoning himselfe for one belongeth confusion of face Dauid saith h Psal 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for in thy sight no man liuing shall be iustified i 130.3 If thou straitly marke what is done amisse who shall be able to stand It is false then to say that a man knoweth not whether he be worthie of loue or of hatred for he knoweth or should know himselfe worthie to be hated but yet by faith a man beleeueth himselfe in Christ to be beloued though he know that in himselfe he worthily deserueth to be hated And so S. Bernard againe saith of the faithfull k Bernard epist 107. Supra scit 3 A vile worme worthie of euerlasting hatred yet is confidently perswaded that he is beloued because he feeleth himselfe to loue Thus S. Bernard both wayes contrarieth M.
Bishop affirming that the faithfull man knoweth himselfe worthie to be hated and yet by faith confidently presumeth that he is beloued of God As yet therefore we haue no proofe that the faithfull man ought to stand in feare of his owne Saluation 12. W. BISHOP Another plaine testimonie is taken out of S. Paul where he sheweth that it is not in vs to iudge of our owne iustice 1. Cor. 4. but we must leaue to God the iudgement of it these be the words I am not guiltie in conscience of any thing but I am not iustified herein but he that iudgeth me is our Lord therefore iudge not before the time vntill our Lord do come who also will lighten the hidden things of darknes and will manifest the counsell of the heart and then the praise shall be to euery man of God So that before Gods iudgement by S. Pauls testimonie men may not assure themselues of their own iustice much lesse of their Saluation Serm. 5. in Psa 118. De constitut monas cap 2. how innocent soeuer they find themselues in their own consciences See vpon this place S. Ambrose S. Basil Theodoret on this place who all agree that men may haue secret faults which God only seeth and therefore they must liue in feare and alwayes pray to be deliuered from them For the rest let S. Augustines testimonie whom our aduersaries acknowledge to be the most diligent and faithfull register of all antiquitie be sufficient This most iudicious and holy Father thus defineth this matter As long as we liue here we our selues cannot iudge of our selues I do not say what we shall be to morrow De verb. Domini serm 35. De ciuit Dei lib. 11. cap. 12. but what we are to day And yet more directly Albeit holy men are certaine of the reward of their perseuerance yet of their owne perseuerance they are found vncertaine For what man can know that he shall perseuer and hold on in the action and increase of iustice vntil the end vnles by some reuelation he be assured of it from him who of his iust but secret iudgement doth not informe all men of this matter but deceiueth none So no iust man is assured of his Saluation by his ordinarie faith by extraordinarie reuelation some man may be assured the rest are not Which is iust the Catholike sentence And because S. Bernard is by our aduersaries cited for them in this point Serm. 1. de Soptuag take his testimonie in as precise tearmes as any Catholike at this time speaketh Thus he writeth Who can say I am one of the elect I am one of the predestinate to life I am one of the number of the children Who I say can thus say the Scripture crying out against him A man knoweth nor Eccles 9. whether he be worthie of loue or hatred Therfore we haue no certaintie but the confidence of hope doth comfort vs that we be not vexed at all with the perplexitie of this doubt The word of God according to S. Bernard crieth out against all them that certainly assure themselues of their Saluation whereon then do they build their faith that beleeue it R. ABBOT The summe of his argument in this place is that we are vncertaine of our owne righteousnesse and therefore can haue no certaintie of our owne Saluation To proue the vncertaintie of our righteousnesse he alledgeth the words of the Apostle a Cor. 4.4 Of this place see further the fourth Section of the next question concerning Iustification I am not guiltie to my selfe in any thing yet am I not therein iustified Where it is worth the noting that whereas the Apostle saith by expresse negatiue I am not iustified thereby he maketh as if the Apostle had meant I cannot tel whether I be iustified or not It may be I am iust it may be I am not iust If I be my iustice shall merit heauen if I be not I know not what may haply become of me But the Apostle neuer made any such doubt he well knew that the cleerenesse of his conscience was not it that could yeeld him iustification before God He knew it to be true which S. Austin saith that b August de peccat mer. remiss lib 2. cap. 19 Quantum ad integerronam regulam veritatis eius pertinet non iustifibabitur c. according to the most entire rule of Gods truth no man liuing shall be found iust in the sight of God and therefore professeth that c Phil. 3.8 he accounteth all things but losse for the excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus our Lord for whom saith he I haue counted all things losse and do iudge them to be doung that I might winne Christ and might be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is by the law but the righteousnesse which is by the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Here is then a renouncing of his owne righteousnesse and an acknowledgement of iustification and righteousnesse onely by faith in Christ A notable fruit of which faith it was so to walke as that he could say I am not guiltie to my selfe in any thing in which sort he speaketh elsewhere d 2. Cor. 1.12 This is our reioycing euen the testimonie of our conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse not by carnall wisedome but by the grace of God we haue had our conuersation in the world Of which testimonie of conscience S. Iohn saith e 1. Iohn 3.19.21 If our heart condemne vs not but that we are of the truth then haue we boldnesse towards God and shall before him assure our hearts Whereby we are taught that to walke with a good conscience in the faith of Christ ministreth great boldnesse and assurance towards God and therefore that the Apostle in the place cited protesting the innocency of his conscience was farre from professing to stand in doubt of his owne Saluation yea and were not M. Bishop a man of an iron face he would not attribute to the Apostle any such doubt For the true vnderstanding of the place we are to obserue as appeareth by the processe of this epistle that there were diuisions and part-takings amongst the Corinthians some magnifying one of their teachers and some another and they willingly accepting the applause and praises of their followers and each thinking highly of himselfe aboue the rest Now the Apostle vnder his owne name and the names of Apollo and Cephas instructeth those teachers against this vain affectation of human applause he wisheth them to be content to be reckoned each with other the ministers of Christ and therein to haue a care to deale faithfully towards him whose stewards they are endeuoring to their vttermost to please the Lord not thinking the better of themselues for that men magnifie them aboue others because men know thē not nor can duly esteeme of them Nay how should other iudge of vs when we cannot sufficiently
therefore presume not of thine owne doing but of the grace of Christ It is no arrogancie but faith to acknowledge what thou hast receiued it is not pride but deuotion What word is here of Certaintie of Saluation but that it belongeth to a faithfull man to confesse himselfe much bound to God for calling of him to be his Which euery Christian must do hoping himselfe so to be and being most certaine that if he be not in state of grace it is long of himselfe and no want on Gods part The second place hath not so much as any shew of words for him thus he speaketh Let no man aske another man Tract 5. in Epis Ioan. but returne to his owne heart and if he find Charity there he hath securitie for his passage from like to death What need was there to seeke charity in his heart for securitie of his Saluation if his faith assured him thereof therefore this text maketh flat against him R. ABBOT The words of Austine or rather of Ambrose for he indeed is the author of them are these a August de verb. Dom. ser 28. ex Ambros de sacram lib 5. cap. 4. O homo nō audebas oculos tuos ad coelum attollere oculos tuos ad terram dirigebas subitò accepisti gratiam Christi Omnia tibi peccata dimissa sūt Ex malo seruo factus es bonus filius Ideo praesume non de operatione tua sed de Christi gratià Gratia enim saluati estis Apostolus ait Non ergo hìc arrogantia est sed fides praedicare quod acceperis non est superbia sed deuotio O man thou didst not dare to lift thine eies to heauen thou didst cast them to the earth and vpon the sodaine thou receiuedst the grace of Christ all thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Of an euill seruant thou art made a good sonne Presume therefore not of thine owne working but of the grace of Christ For by grace ye are saued saith the Apostle Here therefore is no arrogancie but faith to speake of that which thou hast receiued is not pride but deuotion To which words Maister Bishop answereth What word is here of Certaintie of Saluation when as expresly against his assertion it is affirmed that the faithfull regenerate in Christ doth presume that his sinnes are forgiuen him that he hath receiued the grace of Christ that he is made the child of God and that this is no arrogancie no pride no vnlawfull presumption but a matter of faith a matter of deuotion and a good presumption as he calleth it afterwards Now all these things he comprehendeth vnder the name of Saluation citing to that purpose the words of the Apostle By grace ye are saued For how doth the Apostle say By grace ye are saued as of a thing done already but for that we are made partakers of the forgiuenesse of sinnes haue receiued the grace of Christ and are become the children of God Therefore in presuming of these things as Ambrose willeth the faithfull to do we consequently presume and stand assured of our owne Saluation because in these things our Saluation is begun as appeareth by the words of Christ concerning Zacheus b Luk. 19.9 This day Saluation is come to this house because this man is become the sonne of Abraham And whereas M. Bishop saith we may not presume hereof because we know not our owne works or righteousnesse S. Ambrose telleth vs that this is not to be presumed of our owne works but of the grace of Christ the true calling whereof is such as maketh vs that whereunto we are called because we are thereby called not at the eare onely but inwardly and in the heart Therefore them that are thus truly called S. Ambrose willeth not coldly to hope according to the manner of M. Bishops hope where feare is as strong as hope but faithfully and deuoutly to presume that they are in the state of grace not with doubting to thinke that if they be not so it is long of themselues but to resolue that without themselues they are so indeed onely by the grace of God We may well thinke that it was a frostie morning that made M. Bishop to make so cold construction of so effectuall and plaine words But in the next place cited out of Austine he goeth beyond himselfe Let vs take the whole words as he hath them vpon these words of S. Iohn c 1. Iohn 3.14 By this we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Hereupon saith he d August in Ioan. tract 5. Quid nos scimus Quia transiuimus de morte ad vitam Vnde scimus Quia diligimus fratres Nemo interroget hominem redeat vnus quisque ad cor suum Si ibi inuenerit charitatem fraternam se uros sit quia transcit de morte ad vitam Iam in dextera est Non attendat quia mo lo gloria eius occulia est cum venerit Dominus tunc apparebit gloria eius Viget enim sed adhuc in hyeme viget radix sed qu est aridi sunt raini Intus est medulli quae vigis tintus sunt solit arborum 〈◊〉 fructus sed aestatem expectant Ergo nos 〈◊〉 c. What do we know That we are translated from death to life Whereby do we know it Because we loue the brethren Let no man aske of another man let him returne to his owne heart if he find there loue to the brethren let him be without doubt that he is passed from death to life He is now on the right hand Let him not regard that his glory is now hid when the Lord shall come then his glory shall appeare For he is aliue but yet as in the winter the root is aliue but the branches are in a manner dry Within is the pith that liueth within are the leaues within are the fruits but they looke for a sommer Therefore we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Where we see both by the text it selfe and by the exposition of this auncient Father that by loue towards them that are our brethren in the faith of Iesus Christ we are to take knowledge and assurance of our being translated from death to life that is of our owne Saluation and that so as to be without doubt thereof and yet this wrangler doubteth not to say This place hath not so much as any shew of words for him The point in question is affirmed not in ambiguous and doubtfull words but euidently and apparantly and yet he goeth away with This place hath not so much as any shew of words for him nay this text maketh flat against him But why so I pray you What need was there saith he to seeke charitie in his heart for securitie of his Saluation if his faith assured him thereof But why doth he not answer to the point Doth not S. Austine teach the
but also to suffer for his sake n Col. 1.11 being strengthened with all might through his glorious power to all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse To this end as o 2. Cor. 1.5 the sufferings of Christ abound in them so he causeth their consolations to abound through Christ and their p Vers 7. hope is stedfast in this behalfe because they know that as they are partakers of the sufferings so they shall be also of the consolation that the grieuance of the one may be the more easily borne by meanes of the ioy and sweetnesse of the other In a word faith resteth vpon that that is written q Heb. 13.5 He hath sayd I will not faile thee nor forsake thee therefore we may boldly say The Lord is on my side I will not feare what man can do vnto me r Rom. 8.29 He hath predestinated vs to be made like vnto the image of his sonne and therefore Å¿ Bernard epist 107. Habes spiritum huius arcans indicem hauing receiued the spirit to reueale vnto vs as Saint Bernard saith this secret of his predestination we stand assured that accordingly he will accomplish in vs the image of his Sonne that together with him we may beare the crosse and together with him also we may weare the crowne and therefore will so order all things as that there shall be t Rom. 8 3â— nothing to come that shall separate vs from the loue of God vvhich is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Now the spirit as he is the reuealer of the secret so is he the earnest of the effect of Gods predestination by the gift whereof God giueth vnto vs the certaine assurance of all the rest that remaineth to be giuen u Tertul. de Titius Hic est pignus promissae haeâ—â—d tatis quasi â—haregraphâ—nt qucâ—dam aeternae salutis qui nos Dei faciciat tempâ—tâ—m nos eius efficiat domum â—inhâ—bitator corperibus nostris dâ—tuâ— sanctitatis effector qui id agens in nobis ad aeternitatem ad resurrectionem immortalitatis corpora nostra pro iucat dum illa iâ—se assâ— efacit â—â—m â—oelesti vâ—riâ—â—te nâ—â—eri câ—u spiritus sancâ—â—â—â—â—â—taetoâ—â—â—tate â—â—â—ri It is the pledge of the inheritance promised and as a hand-writing or bond for assurance of euerlasting Saluation not vpon vncertaintie if we do thus or thus but framing vs to bee and to doe whatsoeuer belongeth to the attainment thereof making vs the temple and house of God being the vvorker of holinesse in vs that he may bring our bodies to eternitie and to the immortalitie of the resurrection vvhilest in himselfe he accustometh them to be tempered vvith heauenly vertue and to be accompanied vvith the diuine eternitie of the holy Ghost Therefore God doth neuer take this earnest backe againe because it is so x 〈…〉 the earnest of our inheritance vntill the redemption of possession as that it is an earnest also that in the meane time God y 2 Cor. 1.21.22 stablisheth vs in Christ and that z â—â—r 5 5. he hath created vs euen for this thing namely to cloth vs with immortalitie and eternall life To be short God in giuing earnest for assurance of the end doth thereby vndertake against all lets and impediments that should hinder the atchieuing of that that is earnested thereby and therefore as Chrysostome saith a 〈…〉 the things present vvhich thou hast attained alreadie do assure vnto thee those things that are yet to come As for the words alledged out of Saint Iohn that b â—â—chn 4.1 vve beleeue not euerie spirit but trie the spirits vvhether they be of God or not as if we were willed to bee distrusâ—tfull of the reuelation and testimonie of the spirite that we are the sonnes of God least by anie false spirite we bee abused and deluded they are verie adsurdly wrested and forced to that purpose beeing verie apparently a caueat against false prophets speaking out of their owne spirite and yet pretending the spirit of Christ as is verie plaine by the reason added in the next wordes For manie false Prophets are gone abroad into the vvorld And yet if we admit them as meant of this testimonie of the spirite they are so farre from seruing their turne as that they make altogether against them For if in that behalfe we be willing to trie the spirites vvhether they bee of God or not then it followeth that there is a way whereby to trie the same And if there bee a meanes whereby to trie whether the spirite that testifieth vnto vs that we are the sonnes of God bee of God or not then there is a meanes for vs to bee assured that wee are the sonnes of God For if by triall wee finde that the spirite that so testifieth is of God then because the same spirite is truth wee cannot make question but that wee are indeede the sonnes of God So therefore wee resolue of that testimonie whereof the Apostle speaketh whereby the spirite beareth vvitnesse vvith our spirite that vve are the sonnes of God Be it that some men by false opinions and imaginations of carnall securitie doe herein deceiue themselues yet as it is no reason for a King to doubt whether he bee a King for that franticke and melancholicke persons are falsly so perswaded of themselues and as a gold-smith doth not therefore doubt whether gold bee gold for that some vnskilfull man taketh copper in steede of gold so no reason is it that they who haue receiued the vndoubted testimonie of the spirite shining vnto them out of the true light of the word of God should therefore call in question the truth thereof because manie men are mocked with false presumptions which they themselues haue builded out of their owne braines The testimonie of the spirite is certainly knowne and felt wheresoeuer it is found neither can anie spirite worke in anie mans heart anie liuely counterfeit thereof as before was sayed Therefore it standeth firme and sure against all M. Bishops exceptions that there is a testimonie of the spirit whereby according to the measure of our faith we stand assured that we are the sonnes of God 18. W. BISHOP The third reason is That which we must pray for by Gods commaundement that we must beleeue but euery man must pray for Saluation therefore we must beleeue that we shall haue Saluation The proposition he confirmeth thus In euerie petition must be two things one a desire of the thing vve aske another a particular faith to obtaine it vvhich is proued by Christs vvords Mar. 1â— Whatsoeuer you shall request when you pray beleeue that you shall haue it and it shall be done This Argument is so proper for their purpose that we returne it vpon their owne heads We must pray for Saluation therefore we are not yet assured of it For who in his wits prayeth God to giue him that whereof he is assured alreadie And a godly
act of faith it is in that prayer to beleeue that God will giue that which he is assured of before hand such foolish petitions cannot please God and therefore after their doctrine it is to be denied that any faithfull man may pray for his Saluation but rather thanke the Lord for it But to answer directly he who prayeth must beleeue he shall obtaine that which he prayeth for if he obserue all the due circumstances of prayer which be many but to this purpose two are required necessarily the one that be who prayeth be the true seruant of God which first excludeth all those that erre in faith touched in these words What you of the faithfull shall desire when you pray shall be giuen you The other is when we request matters of such moment that we perseuer in prayer and continue our sute day by day of these sutes of eternall Saluation we must take these words of our Sauiour to be spoken We must alwayes pray Luk. 1â— and neuer be wearie and then no doubt but we shall in the end receiue it But because we are in doubt whether we shall obserue those necessarie circumstances of prayer or no therefore we cannot bee so well assured to obtaine our sute although we be on Gods part most assured that he is most bountifull and readier to giue then we are to aske But saith M. Perkins S. Iohn noteth out this particular faith 1. Iohn 5. calling it Our assurance that God will giue vnto vs whatsoeuer we aske according to his will But where find we that it is Gods will to assure euery man at the first entrance into his seruice of eternall Saluation is it not sufficient to make him an assured promise of it vpon his faithfull seruice and good behauior towards him R. ABBOT The argument is very pregnant and cleere Christ hath taught vs to a Mat. 11.24 beleeue that we shall haue that that we pray for We are to pray for forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life We are therefore to beleeue that we shall haue forgiuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life Nay saith M. Bishop we must pray for our Saluation therefore we are mâ— assured of it He forbare to answer strictly by the very termes of the argument because therein his notable impudencie and wâ—â—â—ll contradiction to the word of Christ had verie notably appeared For then he must haue answered thus We must pray for our Saluation therefore we must not beleeue that we shall haue Saluation directly against the words of Christ instructing vs to beleeue that we shall haue that that we pray for But to take that which he doth say I answer him againe that our praying for Saluation is an argument that we are not yet assured of it by possession but it hindereth not but that wee are assured thereof in hope We are not assured of it as a thing in present but yet we are assured of it as a thing to come As for his conceipt that we are not to pray for anie thing that we haue assurance to obtaine the follie and blinde ignorance therein bewrayed is sufficiently discouered before in the fifth Section We beleeue the promise of God as touching our Saluation not doubting but that he will make vs partakers thereof according to his promise to those that doe beleeue in him but as yet we enioy not this Saluation He leadeth vs on in the hope and desire of it and by our prayer we vtter our desire still resoluing that he will effect it but yet still begging and crauing till hee doe effect it So then we thanke God that he hath called vs to this hope and we reioyce therein but still we begge the accomplishment of that that hee hath taught vs to hope for But to leaue this as handled before he will further giue vs as hee saith a direct answer and that is that hee that prayeth must beleeue hee shall obtaine that vvhich he prayeth for if he obserue all the due circumstances of prayer But we answer him that it is not for the perfection of our prayers that God accepteth vs but for the true affection of our hearts We manie times faile in the due circumstances of prayer and much faintnesse and weaknesse we shew therein when yet we beleeue that God mercifully respecteth vs therein by the intercession of Iesus Christ Now of these circumstances he setteth downe two as necessarily required the one that he that prayeth be the true seruant of God the other that he perseuere in prayer And what of these Marrie saith he because we are in doubt whether we shall obserue those necessarie circumstances of prayer or no therefore we cannot be so well assured to obtaine our suite Behold he is in doubt whether he be the true seruant of God or not and we may therein see the blindnesse wherein Poperie holdeth men not discerning the miserie of their owne estate He knoweth no faith but what is incident to diuels and damned men he cannot tell whether he haue any true hope towards God any loue any true repentance whether he be the true seruant of God whether God heare or regard his prayer but walketh altogether in the darke and knoweth not whither he goeth But true faith yeeldeth a man whereof to say b Psal 116.16 Behold O Lord for I am thy seruant c 119. vers 125. I am thy seruant O giue me vnderstanding that I may I keepe thy commandements d 143. ver 2. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant c. As for perseuerance in prayer saith expecteth it also of him that e Psal 10.17 prepareth the heart and f Zach. 12.10 powreth vpon vs the spirit of grace and of prayer g Rom. 8.26 which maketh request for vs that is h August epist 105. Quia interpellare nos facit nobis interpellandi gâ—â—nendi inss rat affectum maketh vs to make request for our selues and inspireth into vs the affection of prayer with sighes and grones that cannot be expressed If the faithfull man in these things depended vpon himselfe he should haue iust cause to feare and doubt his owne perseuerance but he saith with the Apostle i 2. Tim. 1.12 I know whom I haue beleeued and I am sure that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day euen my selfe my faith my hope my prayer my soule my life knowing my selfe to be a verie vnsafe keeper of my selfe Yea he prayeth also for perseuerance and because he is willed to beleeue that he shall haue that that he prayeth for therefore he beleeueth that he shall perseuere and the word of Christ assureth him that he shall so doe because he saith k Mar. 11.24 Beleeue that ye shall haue it and it shall be done vnto you To which purpose Saint Bernard well saith l Bernard in Cant. ser 32. In bonis Domini quatenus fiduciae pedem porrexeris eatenus possidebis In
as he propoundeth and vnderstandeth it it is not true nor was euer intended by M. Perkins to be true and iustly is it denied by all Protestants that we can performe whatsoeuer God commandeth as in the next question God willing shall appeare in the handling of that point But the proposition as M. Perkins expresseth it is Whatsoeuer we are commaunded in the Gospell that we must and can performe The reason whereof he taketh from a distinction of the commaundements of the law and the Gospell because the Gospell is the ministerie of spirit and life giuing vs to do whatsoeuer it doth coÌ„mand which the law doth not Now M. Bishop confoundeth Law and Gospell and maketh the proposition generall and without exception being stil desirous to shew himselfe like himselfe But that God in the Gospell commandeth vs to beleeue the remission of our sinnes and life euerlasting Maister Perkins sheweth by the words of Christ Repent and beleeue the Gospell being the briefe summe of the ministerie and preaching of Christ and the same in effect as if he had said Repent you of your sinnes and beleeue the tidings that God hath sent vnto you of the forgiuenesse thereof by Iesus Christ through faith in his name For the declaring of which point he sheweth that to beleeue the Gospell is not onely generally to beleeue that Christ is a Sauiour and that the promises made in him are true for then the diuels may be said to beleeue the Gospell and we suppose that Maister Bishop hath more wit and grace then to say that Christ in saying Beleeue the Gospell did commend nothing to vs but what the diuels may do and therefore that the repentant is hereby willed particularly to beleeue for himselfe to haue the forgiuenesse of his sinnes by the bloud of Iesus Christ Which declaration being very effectuall to the point this Hickscorner because he knew not what to answer to it passeth ouer with Spectatum admissi c. and Where is it written in that Gospell beleeue your owne particular Saluation shew vs once faith he but one cleare text for it and we will beleeue it euen as the Iewes said of Christ a Mat. 27.42 Let him come downe from the crosse and we will beleeue in him Though he had come downe from the crosse yet would they not haue beleeued in him because they had seene him do greater works then that and yet they did not beleeue and euen so Maister Bishop whatsoeuer is shewed him remaineth still b Psal 58.4 like the deafe adder that stoppeth his eares refusing to heare the voice of the charmer charme he neuer so wisely But tell vs Maister Bishop in what sence it is that the repentant man is willed to beleeue the Gospell Do not make the beleeuing of the Gospell a thing incident to the diuell because we shall then hold you a partaker with the diuell This you would haue told vs and not onely haue recited the place but spoken to that that was inferred vpon it had you not resolued to play the part of a lewd sycophant and sought to carie the matter with bare words The Gospell is c Luk. 2.10 1â— the glad tidings of great ioy that vnto vs a Sauiour is borne d Esa 9 6. vnto vs a child is borne vnto vs a sonne is giuen e Ambrosi deâ—â— de lib 3 cap â— Propâ—ciaâ—â—â— â—â—â—is hoâ—ceâ—â— creâ—â—◠〈◊〉 increaâ—â— that is vnto vs that do beleeue To beleeue the Gospell is to beleeue this and how do I beleeue vnto vs if I beleeue not vnto me Therefore by beleeuing the Gospell I beleeue that Christ is borne and giuen a Sauiour vnto me f Mat. 1.21 to saue me being one of his people g 1. Thess 1.10 from my sinnes and from the wrath to come The Gospell is that h Act. 10.43 through the name of Christ euery one that beleeueth in him shall haue forgiuenesse of sinnes i Iohn 3.15 euery one that beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life If I beleeue the Gospell I beleeue this and therefore because I beleeue in Christ I beleeue that I shall haue forgiuenesse of sinnes that I shall not perish but haue euerlasting life If I beleeue in Christ and yet beleeue not this that I haue euerlasting life I beleeue not the Gospell because the Gospell saith k Ibid. ver 36. He that beleeueth in him hath euerlasting life l 2. Iohn 5.10 He that beleeueth not God saith S. Iohn hath made him a liar because he beleeueth not the record that God witnessed of his Sonne and this is the record that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne Vnto vs saith he namely vnto vs that beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God as afterwards he expoundeth If then I beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God and do not beleeue that God hath giuen vnto me eternall life I make God a liar in not beleeuing the record that God hath witnessed of his Sonne Therfore he addeth m Ver. 13. These things haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that ye haue eternall life Where is now this pelting Sophister that asketh vs where it is written in the Gospell to beleeue our owne particular Saluation It is written there where it is written to them that beleeue to know that they haue eternall life But saith he I beleeue in Christ and hope to be saued through his mercy and merits But take heed you lie not M. Bishop take heed you lie not vnto God You haue told vs before that n Sect. 3. to beleeue in God is to loue God with all your heart and that you are not assured of your loue towards him How then can you dare to to say that you beleeue in God You haue told vs that o Sect. 6. hope and charitie are seated in the darke corners of the will and that you haue but a coniecture and probable opinion therof in your selfe why then do you here tell vs an vncertaine tale of you know not what that you hope to be saued through the mercie and merites of Christ Againe whereas you say that you hope to be saued through the mercie and merits of Christ you therein againe dissemble with Christ because notwithstanding the mercie and merits of Christ you hang your Saluation vpon that that you are to merit and do for your selfe and make your owne Free will the finisher and perfecter of that that by Christ is onely but begun You will haue the mercie and merits of Christ to serue to make you able to saue your selfe and it you do so you will thanke your selfe but you will haue nothing further to thanke Christ for And so whereas you would auoid to be like vnto the foole you shew your selfe a foole outright building so as that you know not whether you build or not you
know not whether you haue any foundation to build vpon or any matter to build with you know not if you haue builded any thing whether the same be likely to stand or fall and what is this else but to be a foole As for vs we know that we must keepe his words that he commandeth vs to watch and pray to prepare oile to keepe our lamps burning and such like but these admonitions serue not to shake our faith but rather instruct and sharpen it They do not propound conditions for vs to performe to make vp the worke of God in vs but aduertisements and instructions what those lawes are whereof God hath said p Ierem. 31.33 I will put my lawes in their hearts q Ezech 36.27 and cause them to keepe my statutes faith being hereby moued to begge of God r August de spir lit ca. 13. Lege operaÌ„ dicit Deus fac quod iubeo lege fidei dicitur Deo Da quod iubes Ideo enim iubet lex vt admoneat quid faciat fides to giue what he commandeth and assured that he will to the end performe what he hath promised and seeing in his visitations and corrections his fatherly prouidence and care to effect the same whilest thereby he awaketh vs out of our security and causeth vs to make vse of the admonitions of holy Scripture to fight against the diuell and sinne and to exercise our selues in all godlinesse and vertue 20. W. BISHOP The fift and last reason is this The Papists teach assurance of hope Rom. 5. euen hence it followeth that he may be infallibly assured for the property of a true and liuely hope is neuer to make a man ashamed Answer Hope indeed of heauen makes a man most couragiously beare out all stormes of persecution and not to be ashamed of Christes Crosse but to professe his faith most boldly before the bloudy tyrants of the world our hearts being by charitie fortified and made inuincible And this is that which the Apostle teacheth in that place and saith before Ver. 2. that the faithfull glory in the hope of the sonnes of God and do not vaunt themselues of the Certaintie of their Saluation This Certaintie of hope is great in those that haue long liued vertuously specially when they haue also endured manifold losses much disgrace great wrongs and iniuries for Christes sake for he that cannot faile of his word hath promised to requite all such with an hundred fold But what is this to the Certaintie of faith which the Protestants will haue euerie man to be endued with at his first entrance into the seruice of God when as Saint Paul insinuateth Heb 6. that godly men partakers of the holie Ghost yea after they haue tasted the good word of God and the power of the world to come that is haue receiued besides faith great fauours of Gods spirit and felt as it were the ioyes of heauen haue after all this so fallen from God that there was small hope of their recouerie R. ABBOT This last reason taken from the doctrine of the Papists concerning hope I do not hold to haue bene fitly applied against them For with them as there is not that faith so neither is there that hope which the Scripture teacheth neither can they be said to teach assurance of hope who professedly deliuer that a man must alwaies stand in feare and doubt of that that he should hope for and that he hath no more but onely a probable opinion of any thing in himselfe whereof to conceiue hope Therefore the Councell of Trent saith that a Concil Trident. Sess 6. cap. 9. Sicut nemo pius de Dei miserecordia c. dubitare debet sic quilibet dum seipsum suamque propriam infirmitatem indispositionera respicit de sua gratiae formidare ac timere potest as no man may doubt of the mercie of God and of the merit of Christ so euery man whilest he considereth his owne infirmitie and vndisposednesse hath to stand in feare of his owne being in grace So Andradius affirmeth that their b Andrad Orthod explicat lib 6. sub finem Ita certa est spes vt semper cum metu dubitatione coniuncta sit copulata hope is alwaies ioined and coupled with feare and doubt not onely meaning that it is so but also that it ought so to be accordingly as Maister Bishop hath before deliuered though vntruly c Sect. 10. that there are aboue an hundred texts in holy writ whereby to proue that the faithfull must stand in feare of their owne Saluation The Certaintie of hope therefore that Maister Bishop nameth by occasion that it was named to him is nothing else indeed but meere vncertaintie it being a thing sencelesse to reckon a Certaintie where a man is bound to stand in feare So that their hope is but a conceit of selfe-seeming probability whereby they imagine that haply â— may be 〈◊〉 them but yet doubt least it be otherwise in 〈…〉 â—en vulgarly men talke of hope where they hau◠〈…〉 for that they hope But the hope which the Scâ—◠〈…〉 of is another matter importing a patient and 〈…〉 of that that we beleeue we shall receiue 〈…〉 the promises of God concerning forgiuenesse 〈…〉 â—â—â—erning our blisse and happinesse to come It 〈…〉 God vndoubtedly will make good whatsoeuer he 〈…〉 â—sed but as yet we see not the effect and performaâ—â—â—â—ereof Hope therefore expecteth and waiteth looking 〈◊〉 the Lord to reueale his righteousnesse and to make the truth 〈◊〉 his word and promise fully to appeare and in this expectation is content with patience to beare the crosse and to endure the afflictions and troubles that are incident to the faith and profession of the name of Christ Thus saith Chrysostome that d Chrysost hom de fide spe charit Quiâ—quid fides credendo acquirit hoc spes sustinendo praesumit what faith getteth in beleeuing that hope presumeth of in enduring and suffering This hope therefore is not vncertaine and doubtfull but by the direction of faith fully resolueth of the accomplishment of that that it hopeth for It is not as Hilarie well noteth e Hilar. in Psa 64. Spem oporiet non ex mani esse praesâ—mptam ne magâ— sâ—t incerrâ—ruÌ„ praesumptio quam expectatio cognitorum a presuming of things vncertaine but an expectation of things knowne vnto vs. For that cause is it that Saint Paul saith that f Rom. 5.5 hope maketh not ashamed Which Maister Bishop not vnderstanding expoundeth as if the Apostle had said that it maketh a man not to be ashamed of the crosse of Christ but Saint Paul respected a further matter to signifie the infallible assurance and Certaintie of hope that it neuer putteth a man to shame it neuer giueth him occasion to be ashamed as hauing hoped for that whereof in the end he is deceiued g August in Psal 36. conc 2. Confunditur
queÌ„ fallit spes qui dicit quod sperabant non inueni He is ashamed saith Austine that faileth of his hope Who is put to shame but he that saith I haue not found that that I hoped for h Theodo in Rom cap. 5. They that hope saith Theodoret and are deceiued of their hope doe blush and are ashamed thereof Therefore saith Saint Austine i August in Psal 37. Certi samus de spe non est enim inceria spes nostra vt de illa dubitâ—mus We are certaine of our hope for our hope is not vncertaine that we should doubt thereof Yea so are we certaine thereof as that Saint Paul saith k Rom. 5.2 We reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God as being no lesse assured thereof then if we were alreadie in possession of it as l Sect. 15. ex Chrysâ—st in Rom hom 9. before I shewed that Chrysostome expoundeth that place farre otherwise then here Maister Bishop doth Which m Heb. 3.6 confidence and reioycing of hope groweth from that which the holy Ghost termeth n Cap. 10.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full assurance of faith whereby setting aside the respect of our owne impeachments of our selues we beleeue with Abraham o Rom. 4.18 vnder hope euen against hope resting vpon his promise who hath taken vpon him to be p 1. Pet. 2.25 the shepheard and Bishop of our soules and q Ephe. 3.20 is able to do exceeding abundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs. Whereby as he hath alreadie wrought in vs the like great worke as r Cap. 1.20 he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead in that he hath Å¿ Cap. 2.5 raised vs vp being dead in trespasses and sinnes vnto the life of God so we rest t Phil. 1.6 perswaded that hauing begun this good worke in vs he will performe it good vntill the day of Iesus Christ u Bernard in Cant. ser 68. NoÌ„ est quòd iam quaeras quibus meritis speremus bona praesertiâ—â— cùm audias apud prophetam Non propter vos c. Neither is it for any man to aske saith Bernard vpon what merits we hope for this good seeing we heare by the Prophet x Ezech. 36.22 Not for your sakes but for mine owne sake will I do it saith the Lord. Now Maister Bishop admitting after his fashion an vncertaine Certaintie of hope demandeth What is this to the Certaintie of faith which the Protestants will haue euery man to be endued with at his first entrance into the seruice of God Where againe we see how pretily Maister Bishop can busie himselfe with a fether These termes of first entrance into the seruice of God are but the playing of his braine he would faine seeme to say something thereby when indeed he saith nothing For not onely at first entrance but in the whole continuance of the seruice of God he leaueth a man as a ship in a storme and hanging betwixt heauen and hell howsoeuer not doubting but that God for his part holdeth him fast to draw him to heauen yet still affrighted least himselfe should loose his hold and fall into hell nay not knowing whether he haue any hold of God or God of him because he cannot certainly know whether he haue any hope or charitie or repentance or praier which being seated in the darke corners of the will cannot otherwise then probably be discerned But as touching his question what is Certaintie of hope to Certaintie of faith I answer him that being truly vnderstood it maketh much to the prouing of it For hope goeth not beyond faith because as I haue said hope is but the patient waiting for that which faith beleeueth we shall haue What faith doth not assure vs we shall haue we cannot by hope expect and looke for There can therefore be no Certaintie of hope but it must presuppose a Certaintie of faith assuring vs of obtaining what we must hope for But saith Maister Bishop Saint Paul insinuateth that godly men partakers of the holie Ghost and hauing tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come yet after all this haue fallen awâ—y from God But I answer him that he saith more of them then Saint Paul did for he calleth them not godly men though haply for the time they seemed to be so Men may be partakers of the temporarie gifts of the holie Ghost and may tast of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come as Iudas did while he was yet an Apostle of whom notwithstanding in the middest of these gifts our Sauiour said that y Iohn 6.70 he was a diuell The like is to be said of them who shall say at that day z Math. 7.22 Lord haue not we prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out diuels and done many miracles who yet in the meane while as our Sauiour signifieth haue bene workers of iniquitie And what lesse can we say of Balaam who in the spirit saw so much concerning the state and hope of the people of God as made him enamoured thereon and to cry out a Numb 23.10 Let my soule die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like vnto his b Ver. 21. he seeth no iniquitie in Iacob neither doth he see any transgression in Israel c Cap. 24.5 how goodly are thy tents O Iacob and thy habitations O Israel who notwithstanding bewraied himselfe to haue a wicked heart bewitched with couetousnesse willing for mony to haue cursed the people whom the Lord directed him to blesse Men may haue great gifts and much reuelation and knowledge of the way of truth and be touched farre with the conceipt of that they know who yet are void of true faith and regeneration of the heart and therefore in the end because d Mat. 13.21 they haue no roote doe certainly fall and slide away Whose fall because they neuer truly stood though they seemed so to doe is not to impeach or weaken the assurance of them to whom God hath giuen by true faith to stand indeede As for that which Maister Bishop saith of such that they haue receiued faith and great fauours of the spirit c. it is but his owne commentarie and we accordingly regard it He affirmeth of their faith that which the Apostle affirmeth not and though they receiued some fauours of the spirit yet they neuer found the fauour to receiue him as e Ephes 1.14 an earnest vnto them of the heauenly inheritance or by him to be f Cap. 4 30. sealed vnto the day of redemption which if they had they should neuer being once sealed haue bene vnsealed againe because in this respect g Rom. 11.29 the gifts and calling of God are without repentance and neuer subiect to any change CHAPTER 4. OF IVSTIFICATION 1. W. BISHOP
Christ we be to follow Paul then by our faith we are to beleeue of our selues as he beleeued of himselfe and what he wrote in that behalfe we are to take it as written for our learning not as a matter particular and peculiar to himselfe The other place is most notable where Paul first propoundeth it as f 1. Tim. 1.15 a true saying and worthie by all meanes to be receiued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners He addeth Of whom I am chiefe that is of which sinners whom Christ would saue I was a chiefe I was the formost man g August in Psal 70 Primus non tempore sed malignitate not in time but in badnesse as S. Austine expoundeth it Notwithstanding for this cause I was receiued to mercy saith he that Iesus Christ should shew on me being the chiefe all long suffering to the ensample of them that should in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life Now how doth the place import that Paul should be an ensample to them that beleeue in Christ but that all that beleeue in Christ may learne in him not to be dismaied at the greatnesse and grieuousnesse of their sinnes whereof they haue seene the like in him but with him to receiue that true saying that Christ came into the world to saue sinners and therefore resolue that he would saue them as he had saued him that they should not feare to say euen as he could say Christ hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me h August de Temp ser 49. Talem se peccatoreÌ„ consitetur fuisse vt omnis peccator propterea de se non despereâ— quia Paulus meruit indulgentiaÌ„ He confesseth himselfe such a sinner saith Austine as that therefore no sinner may despaire of himselfe because Paul obtained pardon It was not therefore the vnskilfulnesse of a sectarie but true diuinitie that made Maister Perkins to make that vse and application of the Apostles words but it was M. Bishops absurdity to say that the place importeth only that Paul was made an example of patience without expressing how or what patience he meaneth there being no patience there spoken of but the patience of Christ bearing with men long in great and fearefull sinnes and yet at length of his owne mercy calling them to be partakers of his saluation 16. W. BISHOP M. Perkins 2. Reason That which we must aske of God in praier that we must beleeue shall be giuen vs but in prayer we must aske the merits of Christes righteousnesse to our selues ergo Answer Of the Maior much hath bene said before here I admit it all due circumstances of prayer being obserued and denie that we must pray that our Sauiour Christ Iesus merits may be made ours in particular for that were greatly to abase them but good Christians pray that through the infinite value of those his merits our sinnes may be forgiuen and a iustice proportionable vnto our capacitie may be powred into our soules whereby we may lead a vertuous life and make a blessed end But it is goodly to behold how M. Perkins proueth that we must pray that Christs righteousnesse may be made our particular iustice because saith he We are taught in the Pater noster to pray in this manner forgiue vs our debts and to this we must say Amen which is as much to say as our petition is graunted I thinke the poore mans wits were gone a pilgrimage when he wrote thus Good Sir cannot our sinnes or debts be forgiuen without we apply Christes righteousnesse to vs in particular we say yes Do not then so simply begge that which is in question nor take that for giuen which will neuer be graunted But a word with you by the way Your righteous man must ouer-skip that petition of the Pater noster forgiue vs our debts for he is well assured that his debts be alreadie pardoned For at the very first instant that he had faith he had Christes righteousnesse applied to him and thereby assurance both of the pardon of sinnes and of life euerlasting Wherefore he cannot without infidelity distrust of his former iustificaâ—ion or pray for remission of his debts but following the famous example of that formall Pharise in liew of demaunding pardon Luc. 18. may wel say O God I giue thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men extortioners vniust aduouterers as also these Papists Fearing the remission of my sinnes or the certaintie of my saluation but am well assured thereof and of Christes owne righteousnesse to and so forth But to go on with M. Perkins discourse Here we must note that the Church of Rome cutteth off one principall duty of faith for in faith saith M. Perkins are two things first knowledge reuealed in the word touching the meanes of saluation Secondly an applying of things knowne vnto our selues which some call affiance the first they acknowledge So then by M. Perkins owne confession Catholikes haue true knowledge of the meanes of saluation then he and his fellowes erre miserable The second which is the substance and principall they deny Answer Catholikes teach men also to haue a firme hope and a great confidence of obtaining saluation through the mercy of God and merits of Christes Passion so they performe their duty towards God and their neighbour or else die with true repentance But for a man at his first conuersion to assure himselfe by faith of Christes righteousnesse and life euerlasting without condition of doing those things he ought to do that we Catholikes affirme to be not any gift of faith but the haynous crime of presumption which is a sinne against the holy Ghost not pardonable neither in this life nor in the world to come See S. Tho. 22. q. 21. art 1. R. ABBOT The Maior proposition he graunteth yet with this limitation all due circumstances of praier being obserued But his circumstances as he intendeth them are but a Labyrinth to intricate and perplexe the consciences of men and to bereaue them of all ioy and comfort of their praiers We beleeue that a Psal 145 18. God is nigh vnto all them that call vpon him in truth We know that many are the weakenesses and imperfections of our praiers many our distractions in that deuotion but yet we beleeue that God respecting the truth and not the measure of our hearts pardoneth the same for Christes sake who is our high Priest b Exod. 28.38 to beare the iniquitie of our holy offerings to make them acceptable before the Lord. To the Minor proposition he answereth that we must not pray that Christes merits may be made ours in particular for that were greatly to abase them As though the Prophet Dauid did abase God in making him his in particular saying c Psal 18.2 The Lord is my rocke and my fortresse my God and my strength my shield the horne of my saluation and my refuge with infinite other speeches of
Christiani fonteâ— iustitiae ha erirâ— tenentuâ— inâ—eniunt la â—c m toxicatum How can water both sweet and salt flow out of one fountaine Where Christians are bound to draw at the fountaine of iustice there they find a poysoned brooke It made me call to mind the good vsage and behauiour of the Spaniards in the west Indies where by their extreme villanies and cruelties they haue made the name of Christian religion to stinke amongst those poore and vnbeleeuing soules It made me consider the humilitie and deuotion and great vertue that the Iesuits and Seculars bewrayed the one of the other in the late contentions that were amongst them It put me in mind of the morall and modest conuersation of Weston the Iesuite and his fellows in hunting the diuell in Sara Williams and many pretie trickes about that matter Surely M. Bishop if the faith and religion which we professe did bring forth such vgly monsters as your Popes haue bene or did nourish such execrable villanies and filtheries as are practised amongst you we might iustly grow suspicious of it But thankes be to God that though our fruits be not such as they ought to be yet the face and state of our Church and common wealth is such as that we may boldly tell you that it is not for a harlot to compare with an honest matrone nor for you to make comparison betwixt vs and you 19. W. BISHOP The second difference in the manner of iustification is about the formall act of faith which M. Perkins handleth as it were by the way cuttedly I will be as short as he the matter not being great The Catholikes teach as you haue heard out of the Councell of Trent in the beginning of this question that many acts of faith feare hope and charity do go before our iustification preparing our soule to receiue into it from God through Christ that great grace M. Perkins Doctor like resolueth otherwise That faith is an instrument created by God in the heart of man at his conuersion whereby he apprehendeth and receiueth Christs righteousnesse for his iustification This ioyly description is set downe without any other probation then his owne authoritie that deliuered it and so let it passe as alreadie sufficiently confuted And if there needed any other disproofe of it I might gather one more out of his owne explication of it where he saith that the couenant of grace is communicated vnto vs by the word of God and by the Sacraments For if faith created in our hearts be the onely sufficient supernaturall instrument to apprehend that couenant of grace then there needs no Sacraments for that purpose and consequently I would faine know by the way how little infants that cannot for want of iudgement and discretion haue any such act of faith as to lay hold on Christ his iustice are iustified Must we without any warrant in Gods word contrarie to all experience beleeue that they haue this act of faith before they come to any vnderstanding R. ABBOT By those acts of faith feare hope charitie going before iustification the Councell of Trent doth expresly consort it selfe with Pelagius the heretike This faith feare hope charitie we must know not to be the effects or workes of any infused grace which before iustification is none but they are the proper actes of mans free will onely assisted by some externall or outward grace as they by collusion call it which as I haue shewed before in the question of a Sect. 5. Free will Pelagius the heretike affirmed and graunted as well as they But hereby they directly crosse the rule of S. Austine that b August de fide oper cap. 14. Sequuntâ—r iustificatum â—on praecedunt iustificandum good workes follow in a man being iustified but they go not before iustification He saith they do not go before they say they do go before onely they are not properly meritorious Meritorious they are also c Bellarm de iustific lib. 1. ca 17. Fides suo quodaÌ„ modo meretur remissioneÌ„ peccatorum in some sort but not properly meritorious ex condigno as the new faith hope and charitie are in the iustified man Let the Reader well obserue it that there is one faith hope and charitie before iustification another faith hope and charitie infused when a man is iustified But of that we shall heare more anone Here the speciall matter is as touching M. Perkins his description of faith to be an instrument supernaturall created by God in the heart of man at his conuersion whereby he apprehendeth and receiueth Christs righteousnesse for his iustification This M. Bishop saith is set downe without anie proofe and is alreadie sufficiently confuted but where Surely we haue seene much for proofe on M. Perkins side but M. Bishops confutation yet we haue not seene Yea where M. Perkins did notably demonstrate this act of faith out of the Gospell M. Bishop passed it ouer without anie further answer but onely to say d Chap. 3. sect 16 He might be ashamed to vse this discourse to vs who admit no part of it to be true in which sort he might easily answer any thing that he list not to admit for truth But what is it that he would haue to be proued For that faith is an instrument to apprehend and receiue it is plaine because it is e Aug. in Ioan. tract 50. Quomodo tenebo absentem quomodo in coelum manuÌ„ mittam vt ibi sedentem teneam fidem mitte tenuisti the hand which we stretch to heauen to take hold of Christ and to hold him sitting there it is the mouth whereby we eate and drinke Christ because f Ibid. tract 26. Qui credit manducat to beleeue is to eate it is the stomach wherby we digest him for g Tertul. de resur carn fide digerendus he is to be digested by faith it is h Bernard in Cant. ser 32. In bonis Domini quatenus fiduciae pedem pâ—rrexeris eatenus possidebis the foot wherby we enter possession of the benefites of Christ and possesse so farre as we stretch the same it is i Idem in Annunc ser 3. Dominus oleum misericordâ—ae nisi in vase fiduciae non ponit the vessell whereinto God putteth the oyle of his mercy k Aug. de verb. Dom. ser 33. Fide illum accipimus By faith saith Austin we receiue Christ it is l Ambros in Psâ—l 43. Fidei tactus est quo tangitur Christus by faith saith Ambrose that we touch Christ and m Cyprian lib. 2. epist 2. Quatum fidei capacâ— afferimus tantum gratiae inundanin haurimus looke how much faith we bring to receiue saith Cyprian so much we draw of the abundant grace of God This being plaine the question then must be of the thing that is to be receiued Now the thing to be receiued is the thing wherby we are to be iustified The thing whereby
now he maketh of it Which meaning of his cannot in any sort be true because it is faith which first heareth and beleeueth and receiueth the words of God thereby prescribeth vnto charity the way that it is to go and the duty that it is to performe without which what is charity but a wild a wandering affection easely swaruing and caried away from the due respect and loue of God so that by faith it is that charity pleaseth God and d Heb. 11.6 without faith it is vnpossible to please God Now seeing with God we cannot thinke that the greater is accepted for the lesse but rather the lesse for the greater not the mistresse so to speake for the handmaides sake but rather the handmaid for the mistresse sake we must needes make faith not the handmaide as M. Bishop doth but the mistresse because by faith it is that charity is acceptable vnto God But he telleth vs that S. Iames doth demonstrate charity to be the life and as it were the soule of faith when he saith Euen as the body is dead without the soule so is faith without charitie But he wrongeth his Reader in citing thus falsly the words of S. Iames. For S. Iames saith not so is faith without charity but so is faith without workes Now charity cannot be without works but if there might not be workes without charity S. Paul would not haue said e 1. Cor. 13.3 Though I feede the poore with all my goods and though I giue my body to be burned and haue not loue it profiteth me nothing Charity is inwardly the affection of the heart seene onely to God but workes are outwardly visible and apparant to men and therefore there is a difference to be made betwixt charity and workes which wholy ouerthroweth all that M. Bishop here goeth about to prooue For the faith whereof we here dispute is inward in the heart because with f Rom. 10.10 the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse But that which is without cannot be the life or soule of that which is within nay it selfe hath from within all the life that it hath and if it receiue not life from within it is altogether dead Workes therefore being outward and issuing from within if they be true can by no meanes be said to be the life of faith that is within But that which S. Iames saith he saith it of workes He saith nothing therefore to prooue that charity is the life and soule of faith But how then will he say doth Saint Iames make workes as it were the life and soule of faith Very well according to that meaning of faith which he there intendeth For he speaketh of faith as it is outwardly professed to men g Iam. 2.14.18 Thâ—u saiest thou hast faith shew me thy faith I will shew thee my faith Now in this respect workes are rightly said to be the lifâ— of faith not charitie but workes because charity cannot be discerned by the eies of men but workes of behauiour and conuersation are discerned Yea there may be a profession of the faith and works thereunto correspondent outwardly when yet there is neither faith nor charity within Yet where it is so men outwardly to men and to the Church go for no other but liuing mâ—mâ—â—â—s of the Church vntill such time as the winde of temptation bloweth them away and discouereth them to haue bene but chaffe when in semblance they seemed to be good corne But where there is outward profession of faith and there is not conuersation thereunto agreeing a man is accounted but a dead branch fit to be cut off his profession wanteth that that should giue it life and grace he is euery mans by word and reproch his hypocrisie is detested of all men and therefore is much more lothsome vnto God In a word S. Paul speaketh of faith in one meaning as it is inward in the heart to God S. Iames speaketh of faith in another meaning as it is outward in the face to men If we vnderstand it according to Saint Paul it is faith that giueth life to all the rest as afterwards shall further appeare If we vnderstand it according to Saint Iames workes are the life of faith and giue it name and being because a man is not accounted faithfull for his words vnlesse there be also workes agreeable to his words Now therefore Maister Bishops comparison whereby he would make charitie as the life and soule and faith as the body cannot be made good out of this place nay indeede it cannot be made good at all For that which must be as the life and soule must be the internall and essentiall forme of the thing But h Bellarm. de iustificat lib. 2. cap. 4. Forma fidei extrinseca noÌ„ intrinseca quae dei illi non vt sit sed vt moueaturâ— sit res actuosa operans charitie is to faith a forme onely extrinsecall and outward not an inward forme saith Bellarmine not giuing it his being but onely his mouing actiuitie and working Charity therefore cannot be called the life and soule of faith Now because it is but an outward and accidentall forme the mouing and working that it giueth vnto faith is but outward and accidentall For the proper and naturall act and motion of a thing cannot proceed from an accidentall forme Faith therefore hath it owne inward essentiall forme whereby it hath life being within it selfe whence proceedeth a motion working that is proper to it selfe And thus doth the Apostle set it down distinctly as a vertue absolute in it self wheÌ„ he saith i 1. Cor. 13.13 Now abide these three faith hope and loue Where to say that faith is as the body and loue as the soule is to make the Apostle to speake absurdly as if a man for two should reckoÌ„ a body a soule According to this distinction doth the scripture still set forth faith in the nature of faith to be the instrument of our iustification before God eueÌ„ according to that life soule that is that proper essentiall forme whereby it hath the being of faith which yet in iustifying vs receiueth charity as an accidentall forme to be vnto it an instrument for mouing and stirring abroad in the performance of all duties recommended vnto vs both to God and men Thus Bellarmine perforce wresteth from M. Bishop yea and from himselfe also this assertion of faith being likened to the body and charity to the soule Yet M. Bishop once againe will assay to proue it by S. Paul making charity a more excellent gift then faith reckoning faith hope and charity and concluding the greatest of these is charity But this testimony auaileth him nothing at all for it followeth not that because the eie is a more excellent member then the eare therefore the eie is as the life and soule to the eare or the eare the instrument of the eie No more doth it follow that because charity is
a more excellent gift then faith therefore it should be the forme and life of faith or faith the instrument of charitie It followeth not that because the eie is more excellent then the eare therefore for the vse of hearing it should be more excellent then the eare No more doth it follow that because charitie is more excellent then faith therefore for the vse of iustification it must excell faith Faith and charitie respectiuely haue the preferment each of other If we respect latitude of vse charitie is more excellent then faith as which is extended euery way to God to Angels to men and by which all the gifts of God which he bestoweth vpon vs are made profitable to other men so as that k Aug. de verb. DoÌ„ ser 18. Vniuersa inutilitèr habet qui vnum illud quâ— vniuersis vtatur non habet vnprofitably he hath all saith Austine who wanteth that one whereby he should vse all l Chrysost hom de fide spe charit Nullum charismae sine charitate perfectam est nullum donuÌ„ sine charitate aptuÌ„ Quicquid enim charismatis aut doni quisque meruerit desertuÌ„ charitate non stabit Omnia enim quae Sp. sanctus deuotis aut impertit aut donat aut charitate perficiuâ—tur aut sine charitate effectuÌ„ nulluÌ„ sortiuntur No gift saith Chrysostome is perfect or conuenient without charitie Whatsoeuer grace or gift a man hath obtained being destitute of charitie it will not stand because whatsoeuer God imparteth or giueth either is perfected by charity or without charity it commeth to no effect or vse But if we consider a man priuately in himselfe and for his owne vse faith is more excellent then charity as wherin originally standeth our communion and fellowship with God m Ephe. 3.17 by which Christ dwelleth in our hearts into which as a hand God putteth all the riches of his grace for our saluation and by which whatsoeuer else is in vs is commended vnto God We haue nothing in vs pure nothing cleane nothing but what is corrupted defiled but faith salueth all healeth all setteth Christ betwixt God and vs that for his sake he may be mercifull vnto vs. Againe if we respect latitude of time coÌ„tinuance charity is to be preferred before faith For faith is but for a time and when the promise of God which is the matter or subiect of it shall be fully accomplished the vse of it shall cease But charity and loue abideth for euer and shall continue betwixt God and vs an euerlasting bond Therfore Origen saith n Origen in Numer hom 14. Sola charitas nunquaÌ„ excidit ideò super prophetiaÌ„ super fideÌ„ super scientiam super ipsum etiaÌ„ martyrium charitas habenda est Onely loue it is that neuer faileth therefore it is more excellent then prophecie then faith then knowledge then martyrdome o Chrysost hom de fide spe charit Sola charitas aeterna est quia cum Deo in sanctiâ— est ideo maior est Only charity is eternall saith Chrysostome because with God it is in the Saints for that cause it is the greater The same reason S. Austine also giueth p August de doct Christ lib. 1. cap. 39. Quia cùm quisque ad aeterna peruenerit duobus istis decedentibus charitas auctior certior permanebit because saith he when a man is come to things eternall those two faith and hope failing charity shall remaine more increased and better assured In few words to resolue M. Bishop in this behalfe we say that q Aristot Topic. the end is more excellent then those things which pertaine to the end The end of our faith iustification is charity that is the full restoring of vs to the image of God the very summe and effect whereof is loue Absolutely therefore to speake it is true that loue is greater and more excellent then faith But when we speake of the meanes of iustification and attainment of that saluation whereto perfect charity and righteousnesse doth belong then faith must be preferred as the greater and more excellent faith onely beareth sway therein and this slender weake charity which here we haue is of no effect or moment thereunto To saue a man I say faith is the greater in man being saued charity is the greater Till faith haue finished our saluation loue must yeeld to faith When faith hath fully saued vs it shall haue an end but loue which simply is the greater shall abide for euer Now as touching the place of Austine he speaketh there of faith according to vulgar vnderstanding in like sort as S. Iames doth He speaketh of a faith that may be without charity which true faith cannot be r August epist 85. Pia fides sine spe charitate esse non vult Godly faith saith the same Austine will not be without hope and charity For Å¿ Idem de verb. Dom. ser 61. Si fidem habet sine spe delectione Christum esse credit non in Christum credit if a man haue faith without hope and loue saith he he beleeueth Christ to be but he beleeueth not in Christ But that onely is the true iustifying faith whereby a man beleeueth in Christ which taketh not his life and force of loue but incorporating vs into Christ receiueth of him t 2. Tim. 1.7 the spirit of loue and by Christ giueth life and force to all the fruites and workes thereof Faith then as it is professed to men may be without charity but being without charity it profiteth nothing nor can stand vs in any steed with God but true faith is neuer diuided from charitie nor can be and therefore of it Saint Austine speaketh not That which he would seeme to inferre is without any premisses and apparantly false by the very words here questioned For if faith worketh by loue then faith is the worker that is the mouer and commaunder and loue the instrument by which it worketh and as absurd it must needes be to say that charity or loue is the commaunder and faith the instrument as to say the axe is the commaunder of the Carpenter that heweth with it or the Carpenter the instrument of the axe For conclusion of this section Maister Bishop wil giue vs a reason to proue that in the worke of iustification charitie hath the chiefest place First he asketh full wisely whether that worke of iustification by faith be done for the loue of God and to his owne honour or no Iustification is the worke of God who is u Rom. 3.26 the iustifier of him that is of the faith of Iesus His question is this whether God do iustifie vs for the loue of God But I answer him that the finall end of our iustification is the honour and glory of God who hath x Ephe. 1.5.6 predestinated vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe to the praise of the
leaues the reader to thinke as it seemeth best vnto himselfe whether hope be any cause of saluation and yet M. Perkins words are plainely these We are not saued by hope because it is any cause of our saluation The meaning of S. Paul as he declareth is this We are saued by hope that is we haue our saluation in hope but not yet in act we enioy it in expectation but not yet in possession In which sort he saith in another place that y Tit. 3.7 being iustified by the grace of God we are made heires as touching hope of eternall life We haue not yet the fruition of eternal life but yet in hope we are inheritors therof And hence did S. Austin take the ground of that exception which many times he vseth by distinction of that that we are in hope and that that we are indeed or in reall being Whereof he speaketh directly to declare the meaning of these words of the Apostle z Aug. de pec mer. remis l. 2 c. 8. Primittat sp nunc habemus vnde iaÌ„ filij Dei reipsa facta sumas in cateris verò spe sicut salui sicut innouati ita filij Dei re autem ipsa quia nâ—ndum salus ideò nonâ—um plenè innouati nondum etiam filij Dei sed filij seculi We haue now the first fruits of the spirit whence we are reipsa indeed the sonnes of God but for the rest as spe in hope we are saued as in hope we are renewed so are we also the sonnes of God but because reipsa indeed we are not yet saued therefore we are not yet fully renewed we are not yet the sonnes of God but the children of this world Againe he saith a Ibid cap. 10. Homo totus in spe iam et iam in re ex parte in regeneratione spirituali renouatus A man wholly in hope and partly also in act or in deed is renewed in spirituall regeneration Of the Church being without spot or wrinkle b Epist 57. Tunc perficietur in re quò nunc proficiendo ambulatur in spe Then shall that be performed indeed to which now by profiting we walke in hope Thus of Gods raising vs vp together with Christ and setting vs together with him in heauenly places c De bapt cont Donat. lib. 1. c 4. Nondum in re sed in spe He hath not yet done it really but in hope d In Psal 37. Re sumus adhuc filij irae spe non sumus Really we are yet the children of wrath saith he but in hope we are not so e Jbid. Gaude te redemptum corpore sed nondum re spe securus esto Reioyce that in body thou art redeemed not yet in deed or in reall effect but in hope we are out of doubt By all which it is plaine that the Apostle named not hope as a cause of the saluation that we hope for but onely to signifie the not hauing as yet really of the thing whereof the hope we haue embraced And it hath no sence that hope should be made a cause of the thing hoped for because the verie name of hope importeth some former ground or cause from whence we conceiue our hope and by vertue whereof we expect that which we hope for and do not therefore hope to obtaine it because we hope Thus M. Bishop hath neither S. Paule nor anie other testimonie of Scripture whereby to giue warrant that either hope or any other vertue hath any part in the worke of iustification but onely faith As touching the nature of hope f before hath bene spoken and it hath bene shewed a Cap. 3. secâ— 20. that as the Scripture vnderstandeth it it is nothing else but a patient and constant expectation of that which we by faith in the promise of God do assuredly beleeue shall come vnto vs. 26. W. BISHOP To these authorities and reasons taken out of the holy Scripture let vs ioyne here some testimonies out of the auncient Church reseruing the rest vnto that place wherein Maister Perkins citeth some for him the most auncient and most valiant Martyr Saint Ignatius of our iustification writeth thus The beginning of life is faith Epist ad Philip. but the end of it is charitie but both vnited and ioyned together do make the man of God perfect Clement Patriarch of Alexandria saith Faith goeth before Lib. 2. Strom. but feare doth build and charitie bringeth to perfection Saint Iohn Chrysostome Patriarch of Constantinople hath these words Hom. 70. in Mat. Least the faithfull should trust that by faith alone they might be saued he disputeth of the punishment of euill men and so doth he both exhort the Infidels to faith and the faithfull to liue well S. Augustine crieth out as it were to our Protestants saith Lib. 3. Hypognos Heare ô foolish heretike and enemy to the true faith Good works which that they may be done are by grace prepared and not of the merits of free will we condemne not because by them or such like men of God haue bene iustified are iustified and shall be iustified And De side oper cap. 14. Now let vs see that which is to be shaken out of the hearts of the faithfull Least by euill securitie they lose their saluation if they shall thinke faith alone to be sufficient to obtaine it Now the doctrine which M. Perkins teacheth is cleane contrarie For saith he A sinner is iustified by faith alone that is nothing that man can do by nature or grace concurreth thereto as any kinde of cause but faith alone Farther he saith That faith it selfe is no principall but rather an instrumentall cause whereby we apprehend and apply Christ and his righteousnesse for our iustification So that in fine we haue that faith so much by theÌ„ magnified and called the onely and whole cause of our iustification is in the end become no true cause at all Cenditio sine qua non but a bare condition without which we cannot be iustified If it be an instrumentall cause let him then declare what is the principall cause whose instrument faith is and chuse whether he had leifer to haue charitie or the soule of man without any helpe of grace R. ABBOT Of his fiue proofes there is but onely one that maketh any mention of iustification by works The two first were surely put in but onely to fil vp a roome for there is not so much as any shew of any thing against vs. For although we defend that a man is iustified by faith onely yet do we not make faith onely the full perfection of a iustified man In the naturall bodie the heart onely is the seate and fountaine of life and yet a man consisteth not onely of a heart nor is a perfect man by hauing a heart but many other members and parts are required some for substance some for ornament which make vp the
perfection of a man whereof if anie be wanting it is an imperfection so that a Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 11. ca. 22 Si vnum radatur supercilium quà m propemo duâ— nihil corpori quà m multuÌ„ detrahitur pulchritudini if but one ey-brow be shauen as S. Austine saith though in a maner nothing be taken from the bodie yet it causeth a great blemish vnto it Euen so is it in the iustified man faith onely is the seat and fountaine of spirituall life because as the quickening facultie power of the liuing soule dwelleth in the heart so Christ who is our life dwelleth in our faith or in our hearts by faith but yet we consist not spiritually of faith onely but many other vertues and graces are required to make vp the perfection of a Christian man to which as to the other members from the heart so from faith life is imparted and communicated that in them we may be aliue to God Thus then Ignatius saith not purposely of iustification but by occasion of commending faith and loue that b Ignat. epist ad Ephes for which M. Bishop following his maister Bellarmine misquoteth Ep. ad Philippâ—nses faith is the beginning of life c. Which maketh for vs altogether against him For if faith be the beginning of life then by faith we first liue By faith therfore we are iustified for to be iustified as M. Bishop confessed in the former section is to be translated from death Now as naturall birth draweth not only guilt but also corruption as hath bene before shewed so faith wherein is our new birth giueth not onely forgiuenesse of sinnes to iustification but also sanctification to holinesse and newnesse of life the summe whereof is charitie because charitie is the epitome and briefe of the whole law and herein further is accomplished our perfection towards God so as that faith and loue vnited and ioyned together do make perfect the man of God The place of Clemens Alexandrinus is the same and needeth no further answer With Chrysostome we say that faith alone sufficeth not absolutely though faith alone suffice to iustification Charitie and good workes are necessarie to the perfection of a iustified man but he is not by them made a iustified man Therfore the same Chrysostome saith of Abraham c Chrys ad Rom. hom 8. Fide saluarieum qui opera non habet nihil fortasse fue rit insolentiae eâ— verò qui rectè factis se conspicuum secerit non ex ipsis sed ex fide iustum fieri hoc scilicet admirabile est quod maximè fidei potentiam manifestat That a man that is without workes should he saued by faith it should be no strange matter but that he that hath made himselfe renowmed by his good works should yet not be iustified thereby but by faith this is wonderfull and doth greatly set forth the power of faith S. Austin in the place by him alledged if it were S. Austin auoucheth good workes to iustifie theÌ„ that are iustified that is to approue them iust but condemneth the auouching of any workes whereby to obtaine iustification and purposely in that place disputeth against it d August Hypognost lib. 3. Ex operibus noÌ„ iustificabitur omnis caro coram illoc quia iustitia Dei praeuentu misericordiae per fidem Iesu apparuit super omnes qui crediderunt Ideò subiungens inquit Iustificatè gratu per gratiaÌ„ Dei. Noli â—i praeponere opera propria neâ— exâ—â—â—eÌ„ gloriari quâ— ex operibus non c. By workes no flesh shall be iustified in the sight of God because the righteousnesse of God by his preuenting mercy through the faith of Iesus Christ is apparent vpon all that do beleeue Therefore the Apostle saith we are iustified freely by the grace of God Put not thine owne workes before it nor glorie thereof because by workes no flesh shall be iustified before him If no workes go before iustification then M. Bishops cause as too weake must go to the wals because then we cannot be said to be iustified by workes for being iustified before we cannot be sayd properly to be iustified by workes that follow after and if neither by works before nor after then not at all It followeth therefore that when S. Austine saith in that place that men of God are iustified by good workes he must needes meane as Thomas Aquinas saith S. Iames doth e Thom. Aquin. in Gal. cap. 3. lect 4. quantum ad manifestationem iustitiae by way of manifesting and declaring that a man is iustified so as that contrarie to M. Bishops assertion they are only signes and tokens of a iustified man not any causes of iustification Therefore S. Austin saith againe anon after f Aug. vt supr Iustificatio per fideÌ„ Iesu Christi data est datur dabitur crâ—dentâ—bus Iustification hath bene giuen is giuen and shall be giuen to them that beleeue by the faith of Iesus Christ Now that which he saith in the words cited by M. Bishop he saith it not as to the Protestant but to the Pelagian heretike the brother of the Papist for affirming good works of mans free wil before the iustifying grace of God for which the iustifying grace of God is bestowed vpon him Which opinion S. Austin hauing confuted bringeth in the heretike obiecting thus g Ibid. Ergò inquies damnas opera liberi arbitrij bona quia dicis iustitiam ex operibus non deberi c. Thou wilt say Doest thou then condemne the good workes of free will in that thou sayest that righteousnesse is not due by workes If so why then doth the Apostle command vs to abound in good workes To which he answereth h Audi haeretice stulte inimice fidei veritatis Operae liberi arbitrij bona quae vt fiant praeparaÌ„tur per gratiae praeâ—entum nullo lib. arbitrij merito et ipso faciente gubernante perficiente vt abundent in libero arbitrio non damna mâ—â— quia ex his homines Dei iustificati sunt iustificantur iustifiâ—abuntur in Christo Damnamus verò authoritate diuina opera liberi arbitrij quae gratiae praeponuntur ex his tanquâ—m meritis in Christo iustificari extolluntur Hearken thou foolish heretike and enemy of the true faith We condemne not the good works of free will which that they may be done are prepared by the preuenting of grace vpon no merite of free will and the same preuenting grace causing directing and effecting that they do abound in free wil because by such men of God haue bin are and shal be iustified in Christ But by diuine authoritie we condemne the workes of free will which are put before grace and are extolled for vs by these as it were merits to be iustified in Christ Where verie plainly by the name of the workes of free will he excludeth all workes before the grace of iustification from
cap. 3. Multo magis ad crucifixum respicientes credentes animae morteÌ„ effugituros He teacheth sayth Theophylact that sith the Iewes beholding the image of the brazen Serpent did escape death much more we looking vnto him crucified and beleeuing shall escape the death of the soule Thus they simply tooke the words of Christ and made the cure to consist as on the one side in looking so on the other side in beleeuing M. Bishop saith that the meaning is that men infected with sinne haue no other remedy then to imbrace the faith of Christ Iesus Well then if no other remedy then that is the onely remedy If that be the onely remedy then for remedy there is nothing necessary but onely that And if any thing else be necessary then the cure is not performed by that not to be ascribed vnto it for a cure cannot be said to be done by one thing when that doth not cure without another But as theâ—e to looking so here the cure is ascribed to beleeuing It is therefore to be ascribed to nothing but faith onely As for that which he further requireth by his corrections exceptions it is but a part of the cure which is performed by faith onely For whatsoeuer is necessary in vs to eternall life followeth of true and liuely faith and is ministred vnto vs in Christ Iesus when by faith we haue imbraced him e Acts. 15.9 Our hearts are purified by faith f Gal. 3.14 by faith we receiue the promise of the spirit and g Rom. 8.2 the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus deliuereth vs from the law of sinne and of death that it may neither preuaile against vs to condemnation nor any further reigne ouer vs in conuersation which being the gift of God is not to be alledged to impeach the free bestowing of the grace of God 28. W. BISHOP His 2. reason is collected of exclusiue speeches as he speaketh vsed in Scriptures As we are iustified freely not of the law not by the law Gal. 2.16 Luk. 8.50 not of works not of our selues not of the works of the law but by faith all boasting excluded onely beleeue These distinctions whereby works and the law are excluded in the worke of iustification include thus much that faith alone doth iustifie It doth not so for these exclusiue speeches do not exclude feare hope and charity more then they exclude faith it selfe Which may be called a worke of the law as well as any other vertue being as much required by the law as any other But S. Pauls meaning in those places is to exclude all such workes as either Iew or Gentile did or could bragge of as done of themselues and so thought that by them they deserued to be made Christians For he truly saith that all were concluded in sinne and needed the grace of God which they were to receiue of his free mercy through the merits of Christ and not of any desart of their owne And that to obtaine this grace through Christ it was not needfull nay rather hurtfull to obserue the ceremonies of Moyses law as Circumcision the obseruation of any of their feasts or fasts nor any such like worke of the law which the Iewes reputed so necessary Againe that all morall works of the Gentiles could not deserue this grace which workes not proceeding from charity were nothing worth in Gods sight And so all workes both of Iew and Gentile are excluded from being any meritorious cause of iustification and consequently all their boasting of their owne forces their first iustification being freely bestowed vpon them Yet all this notwithstanding a certaine vertuous disposition is required in the Iew and Gentile whereby his soule is prepared to receiue that great grace of iustification that say we is faith feare hope loue and repentance that say the Protestants is faith onely Wherefore say we as the excluding of works and boasting exclude not faith no more do they exclude the rest faith being as well our worke and a worke of the law as any of the rest and all the rest being of grace as well as faith and as farre from boasting of as faith it selfe Now that out of S. Luke beleeue onely is nothing to the purpose For he was bid beleeue the raising of his daughter to life and not that Christs righteousnesse was his and faith alone may be a sufficient disposition to obtaine a myracle but not to obtaine iustification of which the question onely is Consider now good Reader whether of our interpretations agree better with the circumstance of the text and the iudgement of the auncient Fathers The texts see thou in the Testament Take for a tast of the Fathers iudgement S. Augustines exposition of those places of S. Paul of one of the chiefest of which De gra lib. arb cap. 7. thus he speaketh Men not vnderstanding that which the Apostle saith We esteeme a man to be iustified without the law thought him to say that faith sufficed a man although he liued euill and had no good works which God forbid that the vessell of election should thinke And againe De praedest sanct cap. 7. Therefore the Apostle saith that a man is iustified by faith and not of works because faith is first giuen and by it the rest which are properly called workes and in which we liue iustly are by petition obtained By which it is manifest that S. Paul excluding the workes of the law and the workes done by our owne onely forces doth not meane to exclude good works which proceede from the helpe of Gods grace R. ABBOT If iustification be affirmed of faith denied to all other things it should seeme likely that the meaning of the Scripture is that by faith onely we are iustified M. Bishop answereth that those exclusiue speeches of the law and works of the law do no more exclude feare hope charity then they exclude faith it selfe because it is a worke of the law as well as any other vertue But yet the Apostle teacheth vs that the promise is a Rom. 4.16 therefore of faith that it may be of grace and b Cap. 11.6 if it be of grace it is not of works and therefore expresly seuereth faith from workes as elsewhere he maketh a distinction betwixt c Cap. 3.27 the law of workes and the law of faith so that M. Bishop in confounding faith with the works of the law speaketh flatly contrary to the Apostle For the faith of Christ though it be accidentally reduced to the law yet is not originally intended in the law because Christ who is the obiect of our faith is in order of nature consequent to the law For life is first propounded in the law which when it cannot be obtained there Christ is consequently giuen and offered vnto vs that we may haue life in him But we further tell him as before that we attribute not our iustification to faith
distinction is very plainly intimated by S. Paul when he saith r Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were iustified by workes he had to reioice but not with God He denieth not but Abraham was iustified by workes and that he had wherein to glory and to stand vpon his iustification but yet not with God He might do it in respect of men but with God he could not do it So saith Origen vpon those words hauing first put difference betwixt iustification by faith seene onely to God and iustification by works which may be approoued of men ſ Origen in Rom. ca. 4. Abraham si ex operibus iustificatus est habet quidem gloriam ex operibus venientem sed non illam quae apud Deum est If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath the glory which commeth by works but not that which is with God And this distinction is apparant also by S. Austine who speaking as touching inherent iustice and righteousnesse of workes saith t Aug. de Temp. ser 49. Quamdiu viuitur in hac vita nemo iustificatus est sed In conspectu Dei. Nō frustrae addidit In conspectu tuo nisi quia potest esse iustificatus in cōspectu hominū Referet in conspectu Dei Non iustificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis viuens So long as we liue in this life no man is iustified but in the sight of God Not without cause was it that Dauid added In thy sight For it may be that a man may be iustified in the sight of men but let him speake as touching Gods sight and no man liuing shall be iustified in thy sight Where sith S. Austine as touching iustification by workes denieth that any man in this life is iustified in the sight of God it must necessarily follow that that iustification which is by workes must not be vnderstood in the sight of God but onely in the sight of men Now then to speake of iustification before men as S. Iames doth it is true that both faith and workes do concurre and ioine in the act of iustification The faith that inwardly in the heart iustifieth to God and is outwardly professed with the mouth to men is not sufficient to approoue a man outwardly to men and to the Church of God to the sight and conscience whereof euery faithfull man is bound to acquit and cleare himselfe vnlesse it be accompanied and adorned with vertuous and vpright conuersation In this respect therefore it may be said that the better part in some sort is attributed to workes that faith is made perfect by workes that faith is as the body and good workes as the soule and that faith without workes is dead euen as the body is dead without the soule Men specially haue an eie to workes and thereto attribute more then to words He is taken for a halting and halfe Christian that maketh shew of faith and liueth not accordingly Men account him as a carion a dead carkasse lothsome detestable he is euery mans byword as I said before and his name continually carieth reproch with it Hereby it appeareth also that faith though haply it be in the heart yet is here respected onely as it is professed to men For it cannot be that the worke of the hand should giue life to the faith of the heart but rather receiueth life from it Yea M. Bishop himselfe telleth vs that charity within is the life of faith within and therefore workes which are without cannot be said to be the life of faith but as faith it selfe also is without There may be workes whereby a man outwardly may u Luk. 16.15 iustifie himselfe to men as the Pharisees did which yet are dead workes because there is neither faith nor charity to giue them life from the heart Now S. Iames must so be vnderstood as that not charity which is habitually and inuisibly within but works which are outward and apparent must be the life of faith He speaketh therefore of faith as it is outwardly professed which hath it life and grace and honour amongst men by the outward fruites of good workes correspondent to it selfe Very guilefully therefore doth M. Bishop turne his speech from workes whereof S. Iames speaketh to charity there being here so different a consideration to be had of the one and of the other yea he himselfe naming charity the fountaine of good workes and thereby importing that charity as the fountaine differeth from the good workes that issue therefrom The place that he alledgeth to the Corinthians x 1. Cor. 13.2 Though I haue all faith c. is nothing to this purpose because we speake here of a faith that is common to all the faithfull but the Apostle there speaketh of a faith that is peculiar onely to some whereof he hath said the chapter going before y Cap. 12.9.10 To one is giuen the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another is giuen faith meaning the faith whereby miracles are wrought as he himselfe addeth Though I haue all faith so that I could remooue mountaines c. His purpose is to teach men not to be proud of speciall gifts of the spirit but to respect the end and vse thereof which is performed by loue without which they are onely idle shewes As touching the comparison of faith and charity there hath bene enough said z Sect. 22. before For our present state faith hath the preferment and all in all hangeth vpon our faith which is the heart and life of whatsoeuer else is in vs towards God It is faith that giueth God his glory that acknowledgeth him to be that that he is that so setteth him before vs as to draw all our affections vnto him our loue our feare our hope our delight our selues wholy both body and soule The promises of God in speciall manner are made to them that beleeue and trust in him Therefore that God esteemeth more of our charity then of our faith is not the Apostles assertion but M. Bishops fond collection and that which the whole course of Scripture doth gainsay But supposing it to be so the consequence that M. Bishop draweth therefrom is very ridiculous If God esteeme more of charity then of our faith a man is more iustified by charity then by faith As if he should say A man esteemeth more of his eies then of his eares therefore he heareth better with his eies then with his eares A thing may simply absolutely be preferred before another and yet the other in some respect vse may be preferred before it Thus may it very well be said as touching this comparison of faith with charity as before is said Further he alledgeth that God to shew how acceptable Abrahams fact was to him saith Now I know that thou louest me The true text is a Gen. 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest me but thus M. Bishop shufleth and shifteth the best he can to gaine somewhat to charity against faith
But this is nothing to his purpose howsoeuer It pleaseth God who knoweth the heart and whatsoeuer is within vs yet to take vpon him the knowledge of our loue faith feare c. by the fruites thereof Hereby he will try vs he will approoue vs and giue testimony witnesse vnto vs and so shall he do at the last day But what will Bishop inferre hereof If that that he would prooue be that that he saith that it was acceptable vnto God we will easily graunt him so much and so send him backe againe as wise as he came If he would prooue hereby that Abraham was iustified before God by his works let him consider his argument well God tooke knowledge of Abrahams fearing him by his works therefore Abraham was iustified by works in the sight of God But if we follow the construction that S. Austin often maketh of those words this collection will appeare much more absurd b August coâ—â— Maximin lib. 3. cap. 19. God as he saith knoweth all things before they come to passe It was not now that God first knew that Abraham feared him Therefore as c Gemere dicitur spiritus quâ— nos gemere facit sicut dixit Deus Nunc cognoui quando cognoscere hominem fecit the spirit is said to pray and groane because he maketh vs to pray and groane so he saith that God is said to know when as he maketh vs to know d Jbid. lib. 1. Nunc cognovi id est nunc cognoscere te feci de Genes ad lit lib 4. cap. 9. feci vt cognosceretur Now I know then is as much as if he had said Now I haue made thee to know or I haue made it to be knowne that thou fearest me M. Bishops argument then is come to this God made Abraham to know by his worke in offering his sonne Isaac that he was one indeed that feared God therfore Abraham was iustified by his works in the sight of God But he will now conuince all obstinate cauilling and to that end saith that it is said that Abrahams faith in this fact did cooperate with his workes and that the worke made his faith perfect And what of that This coniunction of them both together doth demonstrate that he speaketh of his iustification before God This is as he said before iust as Germaines lips nine mile asunder He ioineth faith and workes together therefore he speaketh of iustification before God The argument much better serueth vs If he had spoken of iustification before God as S. Paul doth he would haue spoken of faith onely as he doth but because he ioineth faith and works together it plainly appeareth that he speaketh not of the same iustification whereof S. Paul speaketh and therefore must be vnderstood of iustification before men Well his friends are beholding to him for his good will but he is able to stand them in little steede Yet to helpe the matter it is added saith he and he was called the friend of God But why did he not alledge the whole text Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God and so conclude thereof therefore he was iustified by his workes in the sight of God He might as well inferre it of the one as of the other and if the one part of the sentence be against his purpose what sence was there in him to seeke for it in the other The meaning is euident plain that it appeared by Abrahams obedience and workes that it was not without cause said of him Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse and that he was called the friend of God e Mat. 12.33 The tree is knowne by his fruites and Abraham by his fruites is iustified and prooued to be a good tree Now it is not hereby onely declared that he was iust before men as this wrangler cauilleth but it is hereby declared vnto men that he truly beleeued and by his faith was iustified before God To be short in the text there is not so much as one word or peece of word whereby Maister Bishop can make it good that Saint Iames speaketh of iustification in the sight of God But because the text will not Saint Austine is brought to prooue it who speaketh neuer a word to that effect M. Bishop very lewdly falsifieth his words and maketh him to say that which he doth not say nor euer meant to say He speaketh the idle dreames of his owne head and propoundeth them to his Reader vnder Saint Austines name The very words of Austin are these f August lib. 83. quaest 76. Non sunt sibi contrariae duorum Apostolorum sententiae Pauli Iacobi cùm dicit vnus iustificari hominem per fidem absque operibus alius dicit manem esse fidem sine operibus quia ille dicit de operibus quae fidem praecedunt hic de ijs quae fideÌ„ sequuntur The sentences of the two Apostles Paule and Iames are not contrarie one to the other when the one saith that a man is iustified by faith without workes and the other saith that faith without workes is vaine because the one speaketh of workes that go before faith the other of workes which follow faith Here is no mention of first or second iustification not so much as the name of iustification by workes much lesse any expounding of the meaning of it not a syllable in all that Chapter whence he should deriue that meaning of iustification which he setteth downe for Austins to be made more and more iust Nay I remember not in my reading that Austin any where in any meaning affirmeth iustification by works but onely in his Hypognosticon the wordes whereof are before handled which worke though we commonly cite vnder Austins name yet there is no man much conuersant in Austin but will easily conceiue by the phrase and style that it is none of his to say nothing that in his Retractations he maketh no mention of it The wordes that here he speaketh out of S. Iames are that faith is vaine without workes hereby willing it to be vnderstood that though faith do iustifie without any workes going before yet where it iustifieth it hath alwaies good workes thencefoorh accompanying it and that that faith which is not thus accompanied with good workes is not g August de fide oper cap. 14. Salubris illa plancque Euangelica that healthfull or sauing health which the Gospell commendeth nor doth iustifie him in whom it is h Lib. 83. quaest vt suprà Nam iustificatus per fidem non potest nisi iustè deinceps operari quamuis nihil anteà operatus iustè ad iustificationem peruenerit For he that is iustified by faith saith he cannot but thencefoorth worke righteously though he attaine to iustification without hauing wrought any thing righteously before The intent that S. Iames had alledging the example
Oecumen in Iac. ca. 2. De simplici assensu fideÌ„ dicere solemus c. Rursum coÌ„secutionem ex affectu procedeÌ„tem cum firmo assensu nomine fidei vocamus bare assent of the vnderstanding and there is a faith that implyeth the affection of the heart and will There is a faith whereby m Iohn 3.15 he which beleeueth shall neuer perish and there is a faith whereby some n â—â—k 8.13 beleeue for a time and in time of temptation go away There is a faith which the world o 2. Tim. 2.18 destroyeth and there is p 1. Iohn 5.4 a faith which is our victorie whereby we ouercome the world According to these differences there is q Iam. 2.14 a faith without workes and there is r Gal. 5.6 a faith which worketh by loue We affirme then of the faith of the elect whereby we beleeue in God to which the promise of iustification and eternall life is made that it is a faith which cannot be separated from charity and good workes but wheresoeuer it is there is infallibly ioined with it the loue of God bringing forth Å¿ Phil. 1.11 the fruites of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ to the glory and praise of God Now as touching this faith M. Bishops arguments must be vnderstood or else they are nothing against vs and being so vnderstood a man would wonder that a wise man should shew so much folly to bring arguments so impertinent and friuolous as he hath done The first is taken from the words of reprobate hypocrites who t Mat. 7.22 at that day shall say vnto Christ Lord Lord haue we not prophecied in thy name c. to whom he shall professe saying I neuer knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity They shall say Lord Lord therefore they beleeued in Christ and were perswaded assuredly that they were of the elect the conclusion as well agreeing to the antecedent as a goose feather to a foxes taile It is to be noted that faith is grounded vpon the word of God and the thing which it beleeueth is that that God hath said Thus the Apostle telleth vs that u Rom. 10.17 faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God and therefore calleth the word of God x Ver. 8. the word of faith because that is the obiect and matter of faith Whatsoeuer we conceiue towards God beside the word of God it is opinion imagination presumption but faith it is not Now the word of God denounceth that x Psal 11.6 the soule of the Lord hateth them that loue iniquitie that y Psal 92 9. all the workers of iniquity shall be destroied that Christ shall say to them at the last day Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie If then there be no faith but by the word of God and the word of God denounce destruction to the workers of iniquity how can it be said that the workers of iniquitie haue faith to perswade themselues assuredly that they are of the elect S. Austine saith z Aug. de verb. Dom. ser Qui fidem hâ—bet sine spe dilectione ChristuÌ„ esse credit non in Christum credit He who hath faith without hope and charity beleeueth that Christ is but he beleeueth not in Christ For a Cyprian de simplic praelat Credere se in Christum quomodo dicit qui non facit quod Christus facere praecepit how doth he say that he beleeueth in Christ saith Cyprian who doth not what Christ hath commanded vs to do How then doth M. Bishop say that these beleeue in Christ in whom he confesseth there is no charity no loue to Christ to do those things which he commandeth They of whom Christ speaketh as the words very plainly import are heretikes schismatikes false Apostles false teachers yea and such also as though they preach the truth of Christ yet preach it not truly sincerely but b Phil. 1.15.18 of enuie and strife and vnder a pretence who vnder the name of Christ c Gap 2.21 seeke their owne and not that that is Christs making the word of God to serue them themselues not seruing it vsing the Gospell for their purpose when they haue no true purpose for the Gospel d Psal 50.16.17 taking the testament of Christ in their mouthes but hating to be reformed thereby e Tit. 1.16 professing to know God when by their deeds they deny him To the name of Christ euen in the mouthes of such wicked men God somtimes doth that honour as that miracles are done thereby diuels are cast out great effects are wrought wherin they much glory in respect thereof assume much vnto themselues These in the end not of faith but for feare wheÌ„ they shal see that which they beleeued not that f Phil. 3.19 damnation is their end shall in perplexity of mind cry vnto Christ whoÌ„ before they regarded not and therefore by him now shall be reiected Of such though professing to know God and prophecying in the name of Christ yet the Apostle saith as the vulgar Latine translateth and as the word well beareth that they are g Tit. 1 16. vnbeleeuers yea as Thomas Aquinas expoundeth it h Thom. Aquin. in Tit. 1. lect 4. Non apti ad credendum not fit to beleeue And if they be vnbeleeuers why doth M. Bishop say they haue faith or if they haue faith why doth the Apostle say that they are vnbeleeuers Surely they that beleeue destruction to be the end of the works of iniquity will be carefull to auoid the same Cyprian truly saith i Cyprian de simplic praelat Metueret conscientiae nostra si crederet quia non credit omnino nce metuâ—t si autem crederet caueret Si caueret euaderet Our conscience would be afraid if it did beleeue because it beleeueth not therefore it feareth not If it did beleeue it would take heede and if it did take it should auoide or escape namely the punishments to come whereof he speaketh in that place The cause why men k Heb. 4.2 profit not by the word of God is because it is not mingled with faith in those that heare it Where there is faith men profit by it and it is the l 2. Cor. 2.16 sauour of life vnto life but where faith is wanting it commeth to passe which Ambrose saith m Ambros in 1. Thess ca. 4. TraÌ„seunt hinc in gehennam vt ediscant verum esse quod credere noluerunt They go from hence to hell that there they may learne that that is true which here they would not beleeue Thus it commeth to passe with them of whom M. Bishop here speaketh who either preach their owne deuices vnder the name of Christ or mingle not that with faith in themselues which they preach to be beleeued of other men There is not so much as one word in the text whence he should conclude that
euer they were endued with true faith The next of his arguments is taken from the man that came to the wedding n Math. 22.11 not hauing on a wedding garment This argument he handleth very learnedly First he saith that this man had faith which because he knew we would denie therefore for proofe thereof he addeth that else he had not bene admitted to the table which signifieth the sacraments But this needeth as much proofe as all the rest nay it cannot be prooued at all For men are admitted to the sacraments by men and they are admitted for profession of faith when they that admit them cannot tell whether they haue faith or not For as Hilary saith o Hilar. in Mat. ca. 22. In fallendis hominibus plurimum artis solet habere simulatio Et paulò post Humana simplicitas difficilè fraudulentiam simulatae mentis intelligit hypocrisie is wont to vse much art to deceiue men and humane simplicity hardly perceiueth the fraud of a dissembling mind Many pretend that which is not in them and make profession of faith with the mouth when in the heart they haue no faith at all p Aug. in Psal 7. Postquam in tanto culmine nomen coepit esse ChristianuÌ„ creuit hypocrisis id est simulatio eorum qui nomine Christiano malunt hominibus placere quà m Deo Since the name of Christianity hath begun to be in so high regard the hypocrisie of men hath increased that is the dissembling of them who by bearing the name of Christians regard more to please men then God Now sith all these are admitted to the sacraments and yet q 2. Thess 3.2 Tho. Aqui. ibid. Licet videantur habere eam non tamen habent veram all haue not faith it followeth not that because men are admitted to the sacraments therefore they haue faith nay it is a very ridiculous and childish proofe Wherefore as it is said that this man wanted charity so we say that he wanted also faith and so M. Bishop is become as wise a man as he was before Let him then expound the wedding garment to be charity it shall hurt vs nothing For we will answer him that he wanted the wedding garment of charity because he wanted faith for had he had true faith he should also haue had loue because r Gal. 5.6 faith worketh by loue But the wedding garment is as well faith as loue It is indeed Iesus Christ himselfe of whom the Apostle saith Å¿ Rom. 13.14 Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and againe t Gal. 3.27 so many as are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ Him we put on first by faith thereby making him ours and applying to our selues the benefit of his redemption that appearing before God in the scarlet garment of his obedience to bloudshed death we may by forgiuenes of sinnes be accepted for his sake thenceforth the residue of our spirituall attire may be put vpon vs whilest in putting on Christ we put on u Ephe. 4.24 the new man which according to God is created in righteousnes holinesse of truth whilest we x Col. 3.12 put on the bowels of mercie kindnesse humblenesse of mind meekenesse long suffering whilest by growing and increasing we are still y 1. Thess 5.8 putting on the brestplate of faith and loue and the hope of saluation for an helmet Thus Chrysostome truly and rightly saith that z Chrysost Op. imperf hom 44. Nuptiale vestimentum est fides veraquae est per Iesum Christum iustitia eiuâ— c. the wedding garment is true faith which is by Iesus Christ and the righteousnesse thereof or his righteousnesse And thus Ferus one of M. Bishops owne Doctors hath taught vs that the wedding garment which is Christ is put on two manner of waies a Perus in Mat. cap. 22. Primo internè per fideÌ„ cum peccatu tuis superinduu Christi iustitiaÌ„ c. Deinâ—e cùm externè charitatem eius aemulaeris first inwardly by faith when vpon our sinnes we put on his righteousnesse then outwardly when we imitate his loue The place which he alledgeth out of the Reuelation containeth nothing to the contrary b Apoc. 19.8 The fine linnen wherewith the bride and spouse of Christ is araied is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteousnesses of Saints for so is the word in the plurall number Here is then first c Rom. 4.5.11 the righteousnesse of faith fully perfect in the bloud of Christ by the imputation of his obedience and merits and secondly the righteousnesse of good works and inward conformity vnto God begun in this life and fully to be perfected at the resurrection of the dead when Christ shall make his Church d Ephe. 5.27 a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but to be holy and without blame But the exception which he maketh why faith can be no part of this wedding garment is worthy to be noted He hath before told vs that the wedding supper importeth the Sacraments the vse whereof is onely in this life and here saith that faith cannot be the wedding garment because faith remaineth not after this life How many mile to London a poke full of plummes But howsoeuer that be his wisedome might conceiue that since the last iudgement dependeth respectiuely vpon that that hath bene precedent in this life therefore as with him the righteousnesse and good workes of the Saints which they haue wrought here are their wedding garment for the last day so we may also truly say that the faith whereby in this life we beleeue in Christ shall be our wedding garment then when as Saint Peter saith e 1. Pet 1â— we shall receiue the end of our faith which is the saluation of our soules He alledgeth Hierome for his purpose very falsly or at leastwise very vainely The words of Hierome are these f Hieron in Math. cap. 22 Vestis nuptialis praecepta sunt Domini opera quae complentur ex lege EuaÌ„gelio nouique hominis efficiunt vestimentum The wedding garment are the commandements of the Lord and the workes which are made vp of the law and the Gospell and do make the garment of the new man Why doth he alledge these words to exclude faith froÌ„ being a part of the wedding garment when as one of the commandements of the Lord as S. Iohn telleth vs is this g 1. Iohn 3.23 that we beleeue in the name of his sonne Iesus Christ when as h Iohn 6.29 this is the worke of God as our Sauiour saith that is a worke that God hath commaunded and wherein he is pleased that we beleeue in him whom he hath sent when as the workes that are made vp of the law and the Gospell consist not onely in charitie but in faith also I stand not vpon the rest of the testimonies which he bringeth for
and loue to preferre the seruice of Christ before all the glory of this world Albeit it is not to be omitted that S. Iohn somtime following the Hebrew phrase vseth the terme of beleeuing in Christ abusiuely applying it to them who by the miracles of Christ and his manifest declaration of the truth were conuicted in conscience to acknowledge him to be of God but yet did not at all in their hearts submit themselues vnto him Thus he saith in another place that y Ioh. 2.23 many beleeued in the name of Christ when they saw his miracles which he did to whom yet he did not commit himselfe because he knew what was in them Thus might it be said of some of those chiefe rulers that they beleeued in Christ that is were perswaded in their minds that he spake the truth but yet preferring their credit and reputatiō with men gaue no regard vnto it But that there is another manner of beleeuing in Christ which is that wherof we speake not incident to them who cōtinue wholy possessed with such respects Christ himself sheweth saying z Ioh. 5.44 How can ye beleeue which receiue honor one of another seek not the honor that cometh of God alone They might therfore in some meaning be said to beleeue in Christ when yet they had no true faith which as appeareth by these words cannot be separated from loue and seeking of the honour that cometh of God alone which wheresoeuer it is begun beginneth to looke vnto God and winding by degrees out of all other regards yeeldeth it selfe entirely to follow him Therfore the distinction of faith being obserued which the Scripture it selfe enforceth vpon vs M. Bishop hath yet alledged nothing to proue that true faith and charitie may be diuided or that any man may be said truly to beleeue in whom there is not also loue to righteousnesse and good works 51. W. BISHOP Cap. 2. 5 This place of S. Iames What shall it profit my brethren if any man say that he hath faith but hath not works what shall his faith be able to saue supposeth very plainly that a man may haue faith without good workes that is without charitie but that it shall auaile him nothing Caluin saith that the Apostle speakes of a shadow of faith which is a bare knowledge of the articles of our Creed but not a iustifying faith Without doubt he was litle acquainted with that kind of faith by which Protestants be iustified but he directly speakes of such a faith as Abraham was iustified by saying That that faith did worke with his works and was made perfect by the workes Was this but a shadow of faith But they reply that this faith is likened vnto the faith of the Diuell and therefore cannot be a iustifying faith that followeth not for an excellent good thing may be like vnto a bad in some things as Diuels in nature are not onely like but the very same as Angels be euen so a full Christian faith may be well likened vnto a Diuels faith when it is naked and voyd of good works in two points first in both there is a perfect knowledge of all things reuealed secondly this knowledge shall not stead them any whit but only serue vnto their greater condemnation because that knowing the will of their master they did it not And in this respect S. Iames compareth them together now there are many points wherein these faiths do differ but this one is principall that Christians out of a godly and deuout affection do willingly submit their vnderstanding vnto the rules of faith beleeuing things aboue humane reason yea such as seeme sometimes contrary to it But the diuell against his will beleeues all that God hath reuealed because by his naturall capacitie he knowes that God cannot teach nor testifie any vntruth Againe that faith may be without charitie is proued out of these words of the same 2. chapter Euen as the body without the spirit is dead so also faith without works is dead Hence thus I argue albeit the body be dead without the soule yet it is a true natural body in it selfe euen so faith is perfect in the kind of faith although without charity it auaile not to life euerlasting Lastly in true reason it is manifest that faith may be without charity for they haue seuerall seates in the soule one being in the will and the other in the vnderstanding they haue distinct obiects faith respecting the truth of God and charity the goodnesse of God Neither doth faith necessarily suppose charity as charity doth faith for we cannot loue him of whom we neuer heard Neither yet doth charity naturally flow out of faith but by due consideration of the goodnes of God and of his benefits and loue towards vs into which good and deuout considerations few men do enter in comparison of them who are led into the broad way of iniquity through their inordinate passions This according to the truth and yet more different in the Protestants opinion for faith layes hold on Christs righteousnes receiues that in but charity can receiue nothing in as M. Perkins witnesseth Pa. 85. but giues it selfe forth in all duties of the 1. and 2. Table Now sir if they could not apply vnto themselues Christs righteousnes without fulfilling all duties of the 1. and 2. Table they should neuer apply it to them for they hold it impossible to fulfill all those duties so that this necessary lincking of charity with faith maketh their saluation not only very euill assured but altogether impossible for charity is the fulnesse of the law which they hold impossible Rom. 12. and then if the assurance of their saluation must needs be ioyned with such an impossibility they may assure themselues that by that faith they can neuer come to saluation R. ABBOT That faith may be without charitie and good workes it is true and we doubt not thereof according to the meaning of faith of which S. Iames speaketh which Caluin very iustly and rightly saith is but a shadow of faith For it plainely appeareth by the text that he speaketh of faith as only professed before men as before hath bene alledged Therefore he compareth it a Iam. 2.16 to the good words of him that wisheth wel to the poore man but doth nothing at all for him To this tendeth his question b Ver. 14. What auaileth it though a man say that he hath faith and his other demand c Ver. 18. shew me thy faith The vttermost that he extendeth it to by instance is a meere historicall faith d Ver. 19. Thou beleeuest that there is one God His purpose is to shew that faith if it be truly professed hath a root within from whence spring by obedience the fruites of al good workes and if it giue not foorth it selfe by workes it is no true faith Whereas M. Bishop saith that S. Iames speaketh directly of such a faith as Abraham was iustified
by he saith very vntruly and absurdly for S. Iames bringeth the example of the true and liuely and workfull faith of Abraham as opposite to that idle and dead faith concerning which he propounded that question of faith and workes Yea of Abrahams faith he sheweth that it was said e Ver. 23. Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse which was neuer said of any man for saying that he had faith for beleeuing that there is one God for that faith that consisteth onely in profession before men Now the faith of Abraham which f Ver. 22. wrought with his workes and was made perfect by his workes g Beda in Epist Iac. cap. 2. that is saith Beda was proued by the performance of workes to be perfect in his heart this faith of Abraham I say is it whereby the Protestants hope to be iustified in the sight of God as Abraham was because h Rom 4.23 it was not written for him onely that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed beleeuing in him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead We alledge further that the faith whereof S. Iames speaketh is likened to the faith of diuels and therefore that it cannot be the same with that which the Scripture nameth for a iustifying faith M. Bishop answereth that that followeth not and for auouching thereof maketh Abrahams faith not onely the same with the faith of hypocrites and false Christians but also with the faith of diuels He would qualifie the matter in shew but in truth maketh no difference An excellent good thing may be like vnto a bad in some things saith he True but yet the bad cannot be like the good in that wherin standeth the goodnesse and excellencie of the good Now he maketh the Hypocrites faith if we consider the very act of faith the same that Abrahams faith was which was reputed vnto him for righteousnesse and for which the Scripture setteth him foorth as an excellent patterne of faith to be followed of all beleeuers But to auoyde the odiousnesse hereof he sophisticateth the matter and so much as in him lyeth blindeth his reader They are like saith he in two points where in the first point he comprehendeth the fulnes and perfection of that which he calleth Catholike and Christian faith consisting as here absurdly he saith in the perfect knowledge of all things reuealed as if euery one that hath their Catholike faith haue the perfect knowledge of all things reuealed but as more plainly he hath deliuered his mind before i Sect. 18. in beleeuing all to be true that God hath reuealed No more is there in Abrahams faith if we keepe within the compasse of the nature of faith no lesse in the diuell the same in euery Catholike Christian and so the diuel is become a Catholike whether he wil or not Come on M. Bishop rid vs of this doubt for we cannot find by you but that the diuell by Catholike faith is become a Catholike He goeth on Secondly this knowledge shal not steed them any whit But that is nothing to the very nature of faith whether is steede or not steed The essence act of faith whether it steed or not steed is no more but this to beleeue generally all to be true which God hath reuealed and therefore whether with good works or without the faith of the Catholike Christian in the act of faith is no other but the diuels faith Now albeit he say that these faiths differ in many points yet of those many he nameth but onely one and that nothing to the purpose For if he will shew a difference of faith betwixt Christians and diuels he must take it from faith it selfe and not from those things which to the nature of faith are meerely accidentall Christians saith he out of a godly and deuout affection do willingly submit their vnderstanding to the rules of faith But this is not to make a difference but to adde charity vnto faith This godly and deuout affection and willing submission is an act of charity and not of faith an act of the wil and affection wherein charity is seated not of the vnderstanding wherin he saith is the seat of faith And in this affection and submission faith it selfe still is no more then it was before to beleeue all to be true that God hath reuealed The diuel then still pleadeth for himselfe that if the Catholike faith which M. Bishop hath described do make a Catholike there is no reason to except against him for being a Catholike because he beleeueth all to be true which God hath reuealed Or if he wil say that true Christian faith doth alwaies actually necessarily imply this godly deuout affection and willing submission of the vnderstanding to the rules of faith then because this cannot be without charity let him grant the question let vs trauell no further about this point but let him say as we say that the true Christiā faith wherby it is said we are iustified cā neuer be separate frō charity good works Thus he casteth himself into he knoweth not what Labyrinths mazes cannot tell how to get out How much better were it for to acknowledge the simple and plaine truth of God then to intricate himselfe in these perplexities wherin he can find no place to stand secure But yet out of the words of S. Iames As the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead he will further prooue that faith may be without charitie and yet perfect in the kind of faith Now this is it that hath bene said that in the kind of faith considering faith intirely in it selfe he maketh Abrahams faith and the diuels faith to be all one As touching the words of S. Iames sufficient hath bene said before If faith be considered as outwardly professed to men as he intendeth it good workes are the life of faith If it be considered as it is inward in the heart to God good workes cannot be the life thereof because that which is without cannot giue life to that that is within Whereas he turneth workes into charitie he playeth the Sophister for it is one thing to talke of charitie another thing to talke of workes the one being in habite the other in act the one inward the other outward the one the tree the other the fruite the one the spring the other the streame But letting this passe as handled before let vs see how he argueth from the place of Iames Albeit the body be dead without the soule yet is it a true naturall body in it selfe But that is not true for a true naturall body is that onely which hath the true members and parts of a naturall bodie which a dead bodie hath not k Arist Polit. lib. 1. cap. 1 When the body is dead saith Aristotle there shall be neither foote nor hand but onely by
vse are therefore deuided in the subiect or may be the one without the companie of the other as by infinite examples may be seene But he maketh faith and charitie more different yet in the Protestants opinion And how For faith sayth he layeth hold of Christs righteousnesse and receiues that in but charitie receiueth nothing in but giueth it selfe forth in all duties of the first and second table But what of this Will he conclude thus There is a difference betwixt faith and charitie therefore faith may be without charitie No forsooth but vnlesse faith may be without charitie the Protestants saluation is vnpossible And why so Marrie charitie is the fulnesse of the law and the Protestants hold it vnpossible to fulfill the law therefore they can haue no charitie and therefore by their owne doctrine they can haue no faith because without charitie there is no faith What a horrible disputer M. Bishop is how deepe a reach hath he into hell that hee can fetch from thence these profound conclusions against the Protestants The Protestants answer to his ridiculous and childish collections is easie and ready True and liuely faith by the consideration of the goodnesse and mercy of God towards vs in Iesus Christ enkindleth in our hearts true charitie and loue towards God and towards our brethren and neighbours for Gods sake The ayme and marke of which charitie is to giue foorth it selfe in all duties of the first and second table But charitie so long as here we liue is vnperfect in all men and but vnperfectly attaineth to that that it aymeth at Some attaine in some good sort to the performance of some duties others to the performance of some other duties but none attaineth to all as r Hieron aduer Pelag. lib. 1. Nullus in isto corpusculo cunctas potest habere virtutes c. Hierome well noteth against the Pelagian heretickes yea and in those that we do attaine vnto there is also some weaknesse and default some blot and staine as hath bene shewed by the corruption of sinne Å¿ Heb. 12.1 that hangeth so fast on and presseth vs downe whilest we are labouring and striuing to ascend vpward vnto God Thus therefore faith and charitie go together weake faith and charitie vnperfect running in the way but oftentimes through frailtie stumbling and falling striuing to the keeping of all Gods commandements but yet forced to say with the Apostle t Rom. 7.19 The good that I wold I do not but the euill that I would not that I do I delight in the law of God as touching the inner man but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading me captiue to the law of sinne But faith is our comfort that God for Christs sake and for his righteousnes sake which he hath wrought for our redemption accepteth vs as perfectly righteous in him that he forgiueth all our sins winketh at all our imperfections and will heale all our wounds and infirmities that what is now impossible through the weaknesse of the flesh may be made expedite and readie vnto vs when there shall be no longer the flesh lusting against the spirit but sin and death and all enemies shall be destroyed and u 1. Cor. 15.28 God shall be all in all Thus the linking of faith and charitie maketh no impossibilitie of our saluation but it is the spirit of error that hath dazeled M. Bishops eyes that he cannot discerne how one truth agreeth and standeth with another 52. W. BISHOP Let vs annex vnto these plaine authorities of holy Scripture one euident testimonie of antiquitie that most incorrupt iudge S. Augustine saith flatly Lib. 15. de Trin. ca. 17. con Cresc lib. 1 cap. 29. that faith may wel be without charity but it caÌ„not profit vs without charitie And That one God is worshipped sometimes out of the Church but that vnskilfully yet is it he Also that one faith is had without charitie and that also out of the Church neither therefore is not faith For there is one God one Faith one Baptisme and one immaculate Catholike Church in which God is not serued onely but in which onely he is truly serued neither in which alone faith is kept but in which onely faith is kept with charitie So that faith and that only true faith Ephes 4. of which the Apostle speaketh One God one faith may be and is in many without charitie R. ABBOT The former of these two places which he citeth out of Austin is answered a Sect. 22. before The faith of which he speaketh is not 〈◊〉 true iustifying faith but onely the outward profession of the doctrine of faith That is plaine by the second b August cont Crescon lib. 1. cap. 29. One faith is had without charitie euen without the Church that is one doctrine of faith euen as the Apostle meaneth when he saith One faith one baptisme c. Thus Saint Austin declareth it when he calleth it c Ibid cap. 28. Fides qua creditur Christum esse filium Dei viâ—i Et cap. 29. Fides qua coâ—fitemur Christum esse filium Dei viui the faith whereby it is beleeued that Christ is the Sonne of the liuing God the faith whereby we confesse Christ to be the Sonne of the liuing God and in other meaning he could not say there is but one faith because of the faith of particular consciences the Scripture saith that euery man shall d Habac. 2.4 liue by his owne faith That that he maketh the matter of faith the diuels acknowledge and confesse who yet cannot truly say I beleeue in God I beleeue in Iesus Christ which is the voice and profession of a true iustifying faith and cannot be separated from hope and charitie as hath bene before made manifest by the acknowledgement of Austin himselfe yea and the doctrine of faith though in generall termes it may be sometimes found amongst heretikes yet according to the substance and true meaning thereof it is not to be found with them as the same Saint Austin acknowledgeth saying e August Enchirid cap. 5. Si diligenter quae ad Christum pertinem cogiteÌ„tur nominetenus inuenitur Christus apud quoslibet haereticos qui se Christianos vocari volunt te verò ipsa non est apudeos If diligently those things be considered which belong to Christ Christ is found as touching his name amongst all sorts of heretikes who will needs be called Christians but indeed he is not with them So as then there may be the true faith of Christ in generall words where the true meaning of the faith of Christ is denied and there may be the true meaning of the faith of Christ in the profession of the mouth when the same faith is not truly and effectually imprinted in the heart And in this sort there may be indeed faith without charitie but not the iustifying faith as hath bin often said If there be that
faith concerning which it is said of Abraham f Gen. 15.6 He beleeued the Lord and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse there followeth alwayes charitie as a necessary and infallible consequent and companion thereof 53. W. BISHOP The Protestants bold asseuerations that they cannot be parted are great but their proofes very slender and scarce worth the disprouing The first He that hath not care of his owne hath denied his faith 1. Tim. 5. therefore faith includeth that good worke of prouiding for our owne Answer That faith there seemes to signifie not that faith whereby we beleeue all things reuealed or the Protestants the certaintie of their saluation but for fidelitie and faithfull performance of that which we haue promised in Baptisme which is to keepe all Gods commandements one of the which is to prouide for our children and for them that we haue charge of so that he who hath no such care ouer his owne charge hath denied his faith that is violated his promise in Baptisme There is also another ordinary answer supposing faith to be taken there for the Christian beliefe to wit that one may deny his faith two wayes either in flat denying any article of faith or by doing some thing that is contrarie to the doctrine of our faith Now he that hath no care of his owne doth not deny any article of his faith but committeth a fact contrary to the doctrine of his faith so that not faith but the doctrine of faith or our promise in Baptisme includeth good workes Ioh â— 2 There are among you that beleeue not for he knew who beleeued and who was to betray him Opposing treason to faith as if he had said faith containeth in it selfe fidelitie This argument is farre fetched and little worth For albeit faith hath not fidelity and loue alwaies necessarily ioyned with it yet falling from faith may well draw after it hatred and treason yea ordinarily wickednesse goeth before falling from the faith and is the cause of it which was Iudas case whom our Sauiour there taxed for he blinded with couetousnesse did not beleeue Christes doctrine of the blessed Sacrament and by incredulitie opened the diuell a high way to his heart to negotiate treason in it â— Ioh 2. 3. They obiect that Who saith he knowes God and doth not keepe his commandements is a lyer Answer He is then a lyer in graine who professing the onely true knowledge of God yet blusheth not to say that it is impossible to keepe his commandements but to the obiection knowing God in that place is taken for louing of God as I know ye not that is I loue you not Our Lord knowes the way of the iust Math 7. 25. Psal 1. Ioh. 14. that is approues it loues it so he that knowes God keepes his commaundements as Christ himselfe testifieth If anie loue me he will keepe my word And he that loueth me not will not keepe my words Lastly they say with S. Paul That the iust man liueth by faith But if faith giue life then it cannot be without charitie Answer That faith in a iust man is not without hope and charity by al which conioyned he liueth and not by faith alone But faith is in a sinful and vniust man without charity who holding fast his former beliefe doth in transgressing Gods commandements breake the bands of charity And so it remaineth most certaine that faith may be and too too often is without the sacred societie of charitie R. ABBOT The Protestants asseuerations are indeed very bold but not vpon slender proofes Their proofes are stronger then that any such silly disputers as M. Bishop is shall be able to disproue them As for his proofes to the contrarie thou hast seene gentle Reader how miserable and poore and beggerly they be See now what choise he maketh of our arguments culling out those that he was best able to deale with and what slender shifts he maketh to auoid them a 1. Tim. 5.8 He that prouideth not for his owne saith S. Paul and namely for them of his houshold he denieth the faith and is worse then an infidell It must follow therefore that there can be no faith where this worke of charitie is wilfully cast off M. Bishop telleth vs that by faith is here meant either fidelitie as touching the performance of that we haue promised in baptisme or else the doctrine of faith But let him expound it as he list of either of them it shall yeeld an illation consequence of that which we affirme For seeing the introduction of iustifying faith is b Mark 1.15 repentance from dead workes iustifying faith must alwayes imply a conscience and care of conforming a mans selfe to the doctrine of the Gospell and to the promise and vowe that he hath made in baptisme of obedience vnto God and therefore where dead workes still raigne it cannot be said that iustifying faith hath there taken anie place Therefore he that shaketh off the yoke of the doctrine of the Gospell and by his conuersation disclaimeth the promise that he made in baptisme plainely sheweth that howsoeuer he professe the faith yet that he hath no true faith abiding in him And this the Apostle teacheth of him who is so inhumane and barbarous as that the commandement of God cannot moue him to prouide for them the care of whom euen infidels by instinct of nature do know and conceiue to belong vnto them But we would gladly vnderstand how M. Bishop diuideth the articles of faith from the doctrine of faith For what do the articles of faith containe but onely the doctrine of faith That then contrary to the doctrine of faith must needs also be contrary to the articles of faith He therfore that by his deeds denieth the doctrine of faith denieth in effect also the articles of his faith howsoeuer with his tongue outwardly to men he make shew to confesse the same M. Bishops answer then taketh not away the strength of this argument but rather addeth further force and strength vnto it But it is plaine by the very words that the Apostle vnderstandeth faith as it is opposed to infidelitie affirming that such though they be c Hieron in 1. Tim. cap. 5. Fideles nomine beleeuers in name as Hierome speaketh yet in deed are not beleeuers Therefore Chrysostome expounding the words by that saying of the same Apostle d Tit. 1.16 They professe that they know God but by their deeds they denie him inferreth e Chrysost in 1. Tim. hom 14. Quomodo hutuâ—nodicredit qui Deum abâ—egauitâ— How doth he beleeue that hath denied God The argument therefore is firme and sure that howsoeuer there may be an outward profession of faith yet indeed there is no faith wheresoeuer there wanteth a correspondence of good workes In the second place it is strange to see how M. Bishop making choise of his aduersaries weapons yet is foyled in his owne choise The argument he saith
is little worth but sure I am howsoeuer little worth it be it is more worth then his answer He setteth downe the words of S. Iohn according to his vulgar Latin but according to the true text they are thus f Ioh. 6.64 But there are some of you that beleeue not for Iesus knew from the beginning which they were that beleeued not and who should betray him Where when the Euangelist setting downe Christs words There are some of you which beleeue not inferreth as a reason of his speech for he knew who should betray him as if it had bene ioyntly There are some of you which beleeue not for one of you shall betray me doth he not plainly demonstrate that the betraying of him could not stand with beleeuing that he could not be a beleeuer that was to be the traitor For what reason were it to say he beleeued not for he was to betray him if he might beleeue yet betray him Whereas M. Bishop saith that faith hath not always fidelitie and loue ioyned with it he beggeth the question but that which he addeth of falling away from the faith as if Iudas hauing before beleeued were now relinquishing his faith beside that it is the begging of another point in question also it is excluded by the Euangelist in that he noted that Iesus knew from the beginning that Iudas beleeued not Which words from the beginning M. Bishop knowing that in the true reading of the text noted also in the margin of his vulgar Latin they would be preiudiciall to him thought it a point of wisedome to conceale But to speake of that faith which Iudas had he was not yet falling away from it he was yet an Apostle and a preacher of the faith and we see that others departing from Christ he still continued with him and gaue no outward token of vnbeleefe and without doubt little thought now of doing that which afterwards he did which the Euangelist expresly noteth that g Ioh. 13.2 the diuell did afterwards put into his heart But yet there is a truth of faith concerning which our Sauiour saith intending his speech specially of him There are some of you which beleeue not which is not incident to any child of perdition because it is Gods gift as our Sauiour at large in that chapter expresseth to them that h Ioh. 6.64.65 come vnto him by the same gift whom being come he neuer i Ver. 37. casteth away againe and therefore they neuer lose that which they haue receiued Thirdly he citeth for vs the words of Saint Iohn k 1. Ioh. 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commaundements is a lyer and the truth is not in him From which place we argue that because faith alwayes implieth knowledge of that we beleeue so as that where there is no knowledge there is no faith nor can be it must needs follow that sith there is no knowledge of God where there is no keeping of the commaundements therefore where there is no keeping of the commaundements there is no faith Now by knowledge we vnderstand a true acknowledgement of that which we beleeue which is not a matter of bare l Thom. Aquâ—n 21. art 2. ad 2. Duplex est cognitio diuinae bonitatis vel voliitatis vna qâ—idem speculatiua c. Alta est affectiua siue experimentalis dum quis experitur in seipso gustum diuinae dulcedinis complecentiaÌ„ diuinae voluntatis c. speculation by verball apprehension such as wherby blind men talk of colours and home-dwellers discourse of forrein countries where they neuer came but an experimentall and approuing knowledge an effectuall and feeling knowledge to which because it is the knowledge of faith our Sauiour attributeth eternal life when he saith * Ioh. 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent m Col. 3.10 by which the Apostle saith that the new man is renewed according to the image of him that created him In which latter place we are to obserue that it is one thing to which we are renewed and another thing by which The thing whereto we are renewed is the image of God which consisteth in charitie the thing wherby we are renewed is knowledge Thus the Apostle S. Peter teacheth vs that n 2. Pet. 1.23 grace and peace is multiplied vnto vs by the knowledge of God and of Iesus Christ our Lord that the diuine power giueth vs all things pertaining to life and godlinesse through the knowledge of him that hath called vs. Seeing then that knowledge here is the thing whereby charitie and all things pertaining to godlinesse are ministred vnto vs it shal be absurd to expound knowledge to be charitie it selfe albeit true it is that of this knowledge of God euen as of faith there ensueth alwayes charitie and loue This true and liuely and effectuall knowledge it is of which Saint Iohn here speaketh giuing to vnderstand that barren and idle and fruitlesse knowledge is indeed no knowledge and that howsoeuer a man seeme able to say much yet that he talketh but as by hearesay not knowing what he saith if his knowledge be not such as season his heart to the loue and keeping of the commandments of God Because then true faith cannot be without this true knowledge and this true knowledge cannot be where there is not the keeping of Gods commaundements it must follow as I said before that there is no faith where there is no keeping of the commaundements of God Now although M. Bishop alledge a place or two where there is a necessitie of expounding Gods knowledge towards vs in other sort then the word seemeth to import yet he bringeth none to import any necessitie of making the same construction of our knowledge towards God Let it be granted him that Gods knowledge may import his loue yet I suppose he cannot shew vs any where that to know God is to be expounded simply to loue God As for the lyer let him keepe it to himselfe because he best deserueth it he hath taken paines for it and no reason that any man should bereaue him of his right We professe the knowledge of God and we professe and teach the keeping of Gods commandements although we also teach that by reason of our corruption and weaknesse it is vnpossible for vs so long as we liue here to keepe them perfectly and in such fort as thereby to be iustified in the sight of God If M. Bishop will say that he keepeth them I am sure that he is a lier and as Hierome did the Pelagian heretike so do I put him o Hieron ad Cresiphonâ— Profer â—uis impleuerit to bring in example of any other that hath so done The last place he draweth in backwards and by force there being no man of vs that alledgeth it to the purpose here in hand He maketh his choise as we see to serue his own
drinkes now defiled with rapine and couetousnesse yea all things should be cleane vnto them It is not for almes then that Christ saith Behold all things shall be cleane vnto you for almes it selfe may be defiled and vncleane but for n 1. Tim 1.5 loue out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith vnfained So that in effect the words of Christ are but the same with that which the Apostle saith o Tit. 1.15 All things are cleane to them that are cleane that is to them who in heart and conscience are purified and clensed And because p Acts. 15.9 by faith the heart is purified therefore he saith in effect to them that beleeue all things are cleane So then Maister Bishop reasoneth thus To them that giue almes in true faith and a good conscience all things are cleane therefore by almes-deedes we are redeemed and purged from our sinnes We denie the argument because it is not by almes it selfe that all things are cleane vnto vs but almes it selfe receiueth purity and cleanenesse from faith and a good conscience without which it is in Gods sight defiled and vncleane 13 W. BISHOP Math. 3. Luk. 3. Our sixt Bring forth the worthy fruites of penance That is do such workes as become them who are penitent Which as S. Chrysostome expoundeth are He that hath stolen away another mans goods Hom. 10. in Math. let him now giue of his owne he that hath committed fornication let him abstaine from the lawfull companie of his owne wife and so forth recompencing the workes of sinne with the contrarie workes of vertue The same exposition giueth Saint Gregorie Hom. 10. in Euang. In Psal 4. and to omit all others venerable Bede interpreteth them thus Mortifie your sinnes by doing the worthy fruites of penance to wit by afflicting your selues so much for euery offence as worthy penance doth require which will be a sacrifice of iustice that is a most iust sacrifice To this M. Perkins answereth that this text is absurd for the word repent signifieth onely change your minds from sinne to God and testifie it by good workes Reply His answer is most absurd for we argue out of these words Worthy fruites of penance and he answereth to the word going before repent which we vse not against them and for his glose or testifying our repentance is sufficiently confuted by the Fathers before alledged And Saint Iohn expresly maketh them the meanes to escape the wrath of God saying that the Axe was set to the roote of the Tree and vnlesse by worthy fruites of penance they appeased God they should be cut vp and cast into hell fire and seemeth to confute the laying hold on Christes satisfaction by faith saying it will not helpe you to say that yee are the Sonnes of Abraham who was father of all true beleeuers as much as if he had said Trust not to your faith hand off yee generation of vipers For notwithstanding yee be the sonnes of the faithfull vnlesse ye amend your liues and for the euill workes which yee haue done heretofore make recompence and satisfie the iustice of God with good yee shall be cast into hell fire R. ABBOT This argument is like his fellowes that are gone before We must do such workes as become those that are penitent therefore the workes that we do are satisfactions for our sinnes A man would thinke that Maister Bishop should haue more discretion then to bring such light stuffe in so waighty a cause Though Maister Perkins had alledged it out of some of their bookes yet reason would haue required that he in the reuiew should haue better aduised of it But we see Trigge and Trugge will not part companie vvhat his fellowes haue said be it good or bad true or false he will say it to the death Onely his memory faileth him a little where he saith that they vse no argument against vs from the words going before Do penance as they say Repent as we translate it hauing forgotten that his maisters of a Rhem. Testam Annot. Math. 3.2 Rhemes made a stout argument from thence in behalfe of penance and satisfaction Very impudently they dealt therein because it is contrary to their owne doctrine to vrge penance and satisfaction vpon them that are to be baptized and Thomas Aquinas affirmeth it to be an iniurie to the bloud of Christ as I haue b Of Iustification Sect. 20. before shewed and therefore by their owne doctrine the words of Iohn Baptist cannot be vnderstood of any such matter But yet they were faine for a shift to take hold of that because they had nothing else so colourably to serue turne in that behalfe It was out of M. Bishops head what they had said or else without doubt he would haue said the like But M. Perkins hath rightly told him that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there vsed by S. Iohn signifieth the alteration and change of the mind from sinne to righteousnesse It importeth no acts of penance but inward reforming of our affections for the amendment of our liues And therfore doth Athanasius say that repentance hath it name from thence c Athanas quaest 162. Ideò poenitentia resipiscentia dicitur quod mentem à malo in bonum transferat for that it transferreth or remoueth the minde from euill to good M. Bishop will not stand vpon this he vrgeth the other words worthy fruites of penance Howsoeuer he translate them absurdly yet we approue his exposition of them do such workes as become them that are penitent but what followeth hereof for him Surely we teach men to do such workes as become them that professe repentance to recompence former workes of sinne with contrary workes of vertue former neglect and carelesnesse with due circumspection and watchfulnesse ouer their waies and conuersation We teach that in grieuous sinnes our griefe affliction of mind should be the more and that both inwardly it is so and outwardly appeareth so to be where true repentance is euen as greater wounds cause greater feeling and paine and make men more earnest to seeke remedie and cure But in all this we can finde no satisfaction in all this we cannot finde that our affliction and sorow is the thing it selfe that workes the cure It is the humbling of our selues to seeke mercie at Gods hands for the washing away of our sinnes in the bloud of Iesus Christ but wee know not how it selfe should be taken for a vvater to vvash vs from our sinnes But yet M. Bishop will proue it so to be because Iohn Baptist saith d Ver. 10. Now is the axe laid to the roote of the tree euery tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruite shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire Which is euen as much to the purpose as if he had said iust nothing We say also that euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruite shall be hewen downe and cast into
the fire but still we say what is this to satisfaction We still require his proofe that for the vertue and woorth of these fruites it is that God is appeased towards vs. But that cannot be for a man cannot bring forth good fruite except first of all he be made a good tree for e Chap. 7.17 an euill tree cannot bring forth good fruite And if he must first be a good tree that he may bring forth good fruite then God must first be appeased towards him which is by the faith of Iesus Christ f Rom. 3.25 whom God hath set forth to be our reconciliation or attonement through faith in his bloud Our good fruites then are not the causes but the effects of Gods being appeased towards vs. If we haue none we are sure that we are in state of iudgement and damnation and the sentence of Saint Iohn taketh hold of vs but if we haue them we are not to account them the redemption of our sinnes but testimonies of the remission and forgiuenesse thereof Yea but Saint Iohn saith M. Bishop seemeth to confute the laying hold on Christes satisfaction by faith Where or in what words Marry because he saith Say not in your hearts we haue Abraham to our father We may imagine that he had a vizard on his face whē he wrote this that the paper might not see him blush Why what is there in these words against the laying hold on Christes satisfaction by faith Forsooth he saith to them it will not helpe you to say that ye are the sonnes of Abraham who was father of all true beleeuers Well but what is this yet to laying hold on Christes satisfaction by faith It is as much saith he as if he had said trust not to your faith hand off ye generation of vipers This is a strange construction that say not in your hearts we haue Abraham to our father should be as much as to say Trust not to your faith But it grew at Rome and we know that things farre fetched are woont to be very strange As for vs we conceiue in our simplicity that Iohns meaning was to reprooue them for flattering themselues for that carnally they were the seede of Abraham as if that were sufficient security for them towards God when as in the meane time they neglected the repentance and faith and workes of Abraham The true children of Abraham are they g Rom. 4.12 who walke in the steps of the faith of Abraham and h Iohn 8.39 do the workes of Abraham which they not regarding could not be accounted the sonnes of Abraham whose of-spring was reckoned according to the spirit not according to the flesh Thus doth our Sauiour testifie of them that they beleeued not saying vnto them i Math. 21.31 Publicans and harlots shall go before you into the kingdome of God For Iohn came vnto you in the way of righteousnesse and ye beleeued him not but Publicans and harlots beleeued him and ye though ye saw it were not moued with repentance afterward that ye might beleeue him Now is it not a wonder that whereas it is apparent that they had no faith yet Iohn Baptist should say vnto them Trust not to your faith Well all this is nothing he cannot serue the Popes turne that will not notably cogge and lye The rest of his commentarie accordeth with this where he foisteth in the satisfying of Gods iustice there being nothing in the words of S. Iohn that foundeth to that effect 14. W. BISHOP Cor. 7.10 The 7. obiection with M. Perkins Paul setteth downe sundrie fruites of repentance whereof one is reuenge whereby repentant persons punish themselues to satisfie Gods iustice for the temporall punishment of their sinnes M. Perkins answereth A repentant sinner must take vengeance of himselfe and that is to vse all meanes to subdue the corruption of nature and to bridle carnall affections which kind of actions are restrainments properly but no punishments directed against the sinne but not against the person Reply I neuer saw any writer so contradict himselfe and so dull that he doth not vnderstand his owne words If this subduing of our corrupt nature be restrainments onely from sinne hereafter and not also punishments of sin past how then doth the repentant sinner take vengeance of himselfe which you affirme that he must do Reuenge as euery simple body knoweth is the requitall of euill past We graunt that all satisfaction is directed against sinne and not against the person but for the great good of the man albeit that for a season it may afflict both his bodie and mind too as Saint Paules former Epistle did the Corinthians but this sorow being according vnto God doth much benefit the person as the Apostle declareth For besides this reuenge taken on himselfe to appease Gods wrath it breedeth as it is in the text following in our corrupt nature that loueth not such chastisement A feare to returne to sinne least it be againe punished for where there is no feare of paines much pleasure thither our corruption will runne headlong It stirreth vp also in vs Indignation against sinne and all the wicked instruments of it A defence and clearing of our selues with the honester sort And an emulation and desire to flie as farre from sinne as other our equals and consequently A loue of vertue and honest life which freeth vs frō that sorow and all other troublesome passions all which are plainly gathered out of the same text of S. Paul R. ABBOT The Greeke fathers Chrysostome Theophylact Oecumenius and Hierome amongst the Latines do referre the reuenge there spoken of by the Apostle to the punishment of the incestuous man whereby they maintained the authority and due regard of the lawes of God But we further very willingly yeeld that by reuenge is also meant a wreaking of a mans anger as I may terme it vpon himselfe being offended and grieued at himselfe for the sinne that he hath done and therefore bending himselfe to crosse and thwart those desires by which he was led vnto it This the Scripture teacheth vs by the termes of a Math. 16.24 denying our selues b Col. 3.5 mortifying our earthly members c 1. Pet. 4.1 suffering in the flesh d Gal. 5.24 crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts of it and e Rom. 6.6 destroying of the body of sinne Thus men occasion requiring giue themselues ouer to fasting and weeping and mourning and forbearing of accustomed delights yea and to open rebuke and shame with men hauing by publike offence made themselues a scandall to the Church This reuenge we denie not we say that hereby we testifie both to God and men the displeasure and offence that we haue taken against our selues we teach others to take heed and carefully to shun those occasions whereby we haue fallen we labour hereby that the tēptations of sin may no more in the like sort preuaile against vs but we are still
because we account not Cyprians writings as canonicall but consider them by the Canonicall Scriptures and what therein agreeth to the authoritie of holy Scripture we receiue it with his praise but what agreeth not by his leaue we refuse it Albeit because we find Cyprian elsewhere acknowledging in the name of all the faithfull that p Cyprian de orat Dom. Ipsum habemus apud PatreÌ„ AduocatuÌ„ pro peccatis nostris we haue Christ with the Father to be the Aduocate for our sinnes thereby confessing the effect of Christs redemption to be extended to the whole course of our life we dare not conceiue howsoeuer his words be very harsh that his meaning was so bad as thereby it may seeme to be And to iustifie himself to conceiue no otherwise but that the washing and cleansing of vs from our sinnes amidst all our almes and deuotions consisteth not in that which we do but in the bloud of Christ he saith in another place c Idem ser de ablut pedum Clementissime magister quoties ego doctrinae tuae transgressus sum regulas quoties edicta tua Domine sancte contempsi cùm diceres mihi Reuertere non sum reuersus cùm minareris non timâ—â— cùm bonus esses lenis exasperans fui Vltra septuagies septies in coelum coram te peccaui Quis tot sordes abluet quiâ— abradet stercora coÌ„globata Quicquid dicat Petrus necesse est vt ipse nos abluas neque enim lauare nos possumus sed in omnibus quae agimus indulgentiae tuae lauacro indigemus c. Apud te fons vitae est et miserationum quae à seculo sunâ— profunditas infinita abluisti nos baptismo lauasti sanguine tuo semper lauas quotidiana peccata donando O mercifull Lord how often haue I transgressed the rules of thy doctrine how often O holy Lord haue I despised thy commaundements and when thou saidst vnto me Returne I haue not returned when thou threatnedst I feared not when thou wast good and gentle I haue prouoked thee beyond seuentie times seuen times I haue sinned against heauen and before thee Who shall wash away so much filth who shall take away the mucke that is thus growne together Let Peter say what he will in refusing to be washed we haue need that thou wash vs for we cannot wash our selues but in all things that we do we stand in need of the washing of thy pardon and mercie With thee is the well of life and the infinit depth of mercies which haue bene from euerlasting thou hast washed vs in baptisme thou hast washed vs in thy bloud thou alwayes washest vs by forgiuing our daily sinnes By these words he giueth plainly to vnderstand that he did not think the washing and cleansing of vs to consist in the merit of our almes but in the forgiuenesse of our sins He confesseth that in all that we do we stand in need of pardon and therefore cannot be imagined to thinke that any thing that we do is a satisfaction for our sinnes In the other words therefore we must conceiue his purpose to be onely to note and set forth the acts and affections of them who truly and faithfully seeke remission of their sins by the mercie of God in the bloud of Iesus Christ albeit being instant and earnest as men are wont to be to presse that that he had in hand he runneth into inconuenient phrases and speeches which otherwise stand not with the rule of Christian saith Those workes of mercie and compassion towards our brethren are the true fruites and effects the consequents and companions of that contrite and broken heart that repentance and faith to which God hath made the promise of his mercy and therfore because in the doing thereof we find mercy he so speaketh thereof as if by the works themselues we obtained that mercie when yet it is not for the workes sake that God accepteth vs but for Christs sake whom by our workes we shew that we vnfainedly seeke and do truly beleeue in him And as for the place of Scripture which he alledgeth though by error of the scribe perhaps it be that there is noted in the margent the fourth of Tobie yet these words not being found in Tobie and the words that are in Tobie being cited afterwards he therein alludeth vndoubtedly to a saying of Solomon in the Prouerbes but forcing the text and putting in almes and faith in steed of mercy and truth Which words of Solomon if a whining aduersary by instance and importunitie will vrge vpon vs to expound of the mercie and truth of man it must be read and construed according to the same meaning which is already expressed d Prou. 16.6 In mercie and truth iniquitie shall be forgiuen that is where mercy and truth are there is forgiuenesse of sinnes as to note the conditions of the persons whose sins are forgiuen not the thing by vertue whereof they are forgiuen But we haue no warrant of any other Scripture in any other meaning to tie it to our mercie and truth and therefore must vnderstand it of the mercie and truth of God of which the Prophet Dauid speaketh when hauing signified the forgiuenesse of the sinnes of Gods people and the nearnesse of his saluation to them that feare him he addeth for the cause thereof e Psal 85.10 Mercie and truth are met together Of which also the Euangelist S. Iohn saith f Iohn 1.17 Grace and truth that is mercie and truth come by Iesus Christ Thus then by mercie and truth iniquitie is forgiuen not by any merite or worke of ours not by any satisfaction that we can make but by the mercie of God truly performing the promise that he hath made of the remission of sinnes by the bloud of Iesus Christ As for the booke of Tobie noted as I said in the margent and from whence Cyprian afterwards alledgeth other words of almes deliuering from death and purging all sinne it is not of sufficient authoritie to proue vnto vs any matter of faith the auncient Church testifying of it and the rest of the same sort as Hierome and Ruffinus haue recorded that g Hieron prolog galeat Igitur sapientia Solomonis Jesu filij Sirach liber Iudith Tobias non sunt in Canone Sic Ruffin in expos Symb. they are not canonicall and S. Austine affirming that h August deciuit Dei lib. 17. ca. 20. Aduersus contradictâ—resnoÌ„ tanta firmitate proferuntur qua scripta non sunt in Canoâ—e Iudaeâ—rum the writings which are not in the Canon of the Iewes as none are but what they had written in their owne tongue are not with so great authoritie alledged in matters of question and contradiction Albeit we will not disauow those words in that meaning as I haue before expressed that almesdeeds deliuer from death and purge vs from sinne as arguments for proofe that we are deliuered from death and
they as then being not able to beare it he reserued that to be deliuered vnto them afterward of which high mysteries S. Iohn recordeth not much in his Gospel after Christs resurrection and so many of them must needs be deliuered by Tradition vnwritten R. ABBOT More faults then lines saith M. Bishop but very slender proofe doth he bring of any fault First he cauilleth that the text is mangled and things put in instead of miracles The words are thus a Ioh. 20.30 Many other signes also did Iesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this booke but these things are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Son of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name Where we translate the Greek relatiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being in the neuter gender these things because it hath not reference only to miracles mentioned in the former verse but to the matter of the whole book S. Iohn here intending to set foorth the end purpose of all that he hath written For being b Hier. Proem in Matth. Cum esset in Asia tam tunc haereticorum seminae pullularent Cerinthi Hebionis caeteroruÌ„ qui negant Christum in carne venisse coactus est ab omnibus penè tunc Asiae Episcopis multaruÌ„ Ecclesiarum legationibus de diuinitate saluatoris altiùs scribere in Asia as Ierome saith and the seeds of heretickes beginning to grow of Cerinthus Ebion and others denying Christ to haue come in the flesh he was forced by almost al the bishops of Asia and by messages from other churches to write more deeply then the other Euangelists had done of the diuinity of our Sauior Christ Here then he signifieth that he hath so done these things saith he are written that ye may beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Son of God Therefore Cyrill saith hereof c Cyril in Ioan. lib. 12. cap 61. Quasi repetendo quae scripsit intentionem EuaÌ„gelij manifestat As it were repeating or recounting the things which he hath written he manifesteth the intent of his Gospell The first fault then pretended by M. Bishop is no fault because the relatiue implieth generally what the Euangelist hath written according to the intent and purpose of his Gospell The second fault is ridiculously alledged for wheÌ„ M. Perkins collecteth that by faith we be saued how doth he meane it or how doth any man meane it but d Acts. 3 16. by faith in the name of Christ As touching the third point it hath bene e Of Iustification Sect. 18. before declared that to beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Son of God importeth the applying vnto vs of the merit and righteousnes of Christ For as a man may f Thom. Aquin. 22 q. 2. art 2. ad 3. Credere Dâ—uÌ„ non conuenit infidelibus sub ea ratione qua ponitur actus fidei Non enim credunt Deum esse sub his conditionibus quas fides determinat beleeue that there is a God or that God is and yet be still an infidell wanting that beleefe therof which is properly the act of faith as Thom. Aquinas noteth so a man may in some sort beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Son of God yet not so beleeue it as the Scripture nameth it for the act of iustifying faith because he beleeueth it not vnder such conditions as are determined by the doctrine of faith If it be taken only for an act of vnderstanding as the Papists take it a maÌ„ may beleeue it without any fruit because the diuels so beleeue but the beleefe of the heart which the Scripture intendeth importeth affiance and trust and inward feeling and comfort of that which it beleeueth whilst therby we apply vnto our selues the benefite of the merit passion of Christ expecting therby the remission of our sins But now froÌ„ noting of faults M. Bishop cometh to a finall answer that because S. Iohn speaketh of miracles not of doctrine therefore these words proue nothing for the sufficiency of the written word Where M. Perkins exception still standeth vnremoued that because by miracles without doctrine we caÌ„not attaine to that faith wherby we beleeue that Christ is the Son of God therfore the words of the Euangelist cannot be restrained to miracles only For others did miracles as great yea g Ioh. 14.12 greater then Christ did as by example we see when h Act. 5.15 by the shadow of Peter and by i Chap. 19.12 napkins and handkerchifes from Paules body the sicke are healed which we reade not of Christ himselfe By miracles therfore Christ is not discerned vnlesse by doctrine accoÌ„panying the same he be made known vnto vs therefore the words of the Euangelist must be referred to the doctrine also whereby he teacheth to make vse of the miracles of Christ So S. Austin referreth the words both to those things which Christ did and said k Aug. in Joan. tract 49. Sanctus Euangelista testatur multa Dominum Christum dixisse fecisse quae scripta non sunt Electa sunt auteÌ„ quae scriberentur quae saluti credentium sufficere videbantur The holy Euangelist testifieth that Christ both did and said many things which are not written and for the ouerthrowing of M. Bishops answer and iustifying of our assertion he addeth but those things were chosen to be written which seemed sufficient for the saluation of them that beleeue Cyril speaketh more expresly l Cyril in Ioan. lib. 12. cap. 68. Non omnia quae Dominus fecit conscriptasunt sed quae scribentes sufficere putarunt tam ad mores quà m ad dogmata vt recta fide operibus virtute rutilantes ad regnum coeloruÌ„ perueniamus Al things which Christ did are not writteÌ„ but what the writers thought to be sufficient as well touching conuersation as doctrine that shining with right faith and vertuous works we may attaine to the kingdom of heauen It is not then our collection only but thus these ancient Fathers conceiued that of the miracles doctrine of Christ so much was written as is sufficient to instruct vs to faith to the attainment of euerlasting life And this is plainly deliuered in the words of S. Iohn who could not say These things are written that ye may beleeue and beleeuing may haue eternall life if there be not that written by the beleefe whereof we may obtaine eternall life Therefore as touching Saint Iohns Gospell containing all things needfull to saluation we answer him first that indeed we affirme that there is no article of faith necessarie to saluation which is not to be taught and learned out of the Gospell of S. Iohn Secondly there is no cause so to restraine the words as if Saint Iohn would meane onely in his Gospell to comprehend all that should be needfull for the instruction of the Church Nay he hath a plaine reference to those things
in councell the controuersie was ended which S. Paule afterward deliuered in his preaching commanding all to obserue and keepe the decree and ordinance of the Apostles * Acts 16. And if it would not be tedious I could in like manner shew how in like sort euery hundredth yeare after errors and heresies rising by misconstruction of the written word they were confuted and reiected not by the written word onely but by the sentence and declaration of the Apostles scholers and Successors See Cardinall Bellarmine * Tom. 1. lib. 3. cap. 6. I will onely record two noble examples of this recourse vnto Antiquitie for the true sense of Gods word the first out of the Ecclesiasticall historie * Lib. 11. cap. 9. where of S. Gregorie Nazianzen and S. Basil two principall lights of the Greeke Church this is recorded They were both Noble men brought vp together at Athens and afterward for thirteeene yeares space laying aside all profane bookes employed their studie wholy in the holy Scriptures The sense and true meaning whereof they sought not out of their owne iudgement as the Protestants both do and teach others to do but out of their Predecessors writings and authoritie namely of such as were knowne to haue receiued the rule of vnderstanding from the Tradition of the Apostles these be the very words The other example shall be the principall pillar of the Latin Church S. Augustine who not onely exhorteth and aduiseth vs to follow the decree of the auncient Church if we will not be deceiued with the obscuritie of doubtfull questions * Lib. contra Crescon 1. c. 33 but plainely affirmeth That he would not beleeue the Gospell if the authoritie of the Church did not moue him vnto it * Conâ—ra Epist sund cap. 5. Which words are not to be vnderstood as Caluin would haue them that S. Augustine had not bene at first a Christian if by the authoritie of the Church he had not bene therunto perswaded but that when he was a learned and iudicious Doctor and did write against heretikes euen then he would not beleeue these books of the Gospell to haue bin penned by diuine inspiration and no others this to be the true sense of them vnlesse the Catholike Church famous then for antiquitie generalitie and consent did tell him which and what they were so farre was he off from trusting to his owne skill and iudgement in this matter which notwithstanding was most excellent R. ABBOT M. Bishop here setteth the stocke vpon it and at one game he is minded to winne all but indeed as a cousening gamester by shifting and iugling beguileth honest simple men so doth he abuse the simple Reader with goodly glorious words crauing leaue as it were to giue him satisfaction in a high point and applying himselfe vnder this colour most trecherously to delude him Consider saith he that our coelestiall lawgiuer gaue his law not written in Inke and Paper but in the hearts of his most faithfull subiects For this he quoteth the words of God by the Prophet Ieremy a Ierem. 31.33 After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts c. and the words of the Apostle to the Corinthians b 2. Cor. 3.3 Ye are manifest to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs not written with inke but with the spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in fleshly Tables of the heart Now therefore he will haue vs to conceiue that which Andradius one of the great masters of the Trent-Councell hath told vs that c Andrad Orth. explicat lib. 2. Non spectauit Christus vt EuaÌ„gelium literit descriptum aut in membranu exaratum iaceret sed vt verbis explicatum omni creaturae promulgaretur Christ did not looke that the Gospell should lye written in letters or printed in parchments but that by declaration of words it should be published to all creatures Where we see how they apply themselues so much as in them lyeth to impeach vilifie the authoritie of Scriptures as if they were written onely of priuate fancie and Christ had had no care or regard to haue it so But how impertinently those places are brought for proofe hereof appeareth very plainely out of the words themselues For what was the law that God promised by Ieremy to write in the hearts of his people Was it not the law giuen before by Moses concerning which Moses also expresseth the same promise that Ieremy doth d Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seede that thou maist loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule that thou maist liue Now e Exod. 34.1 that law God himselfe had deliuered in writing and f Vers 27. commaunded Moses also to write the same Therefore the words of Ieremy as touching writing Gods law in our hearts can import nothing against the writing of it with inke and paper but onely that the lawes which were before by the ministerie of Moses deliuered onely in inke and paper should by the power of the holy Ghost through the faith of Christ be wrought and written in the affections of the heart that God in Christ would not administer onely outwardly the letter of the lawe whether in writing or in preaching but would in both by the regeneration of the spirit giue grace inwardly for the fulfilling of it As little to that purpose is the other place The false Apostles laboured to impeach the credit of S. Paules Apostleship as if he had had no sufficient commission or warrant of it S. Paul for himselfe alledgeth that the Corinthians were as an Epistle from Christ whereby he was sufficiently commended and his calling testified vnto them in that the Gospell by his ministery had had so great successe taken so great effect amongst them That singular effect of his preaching he importeth to haue bene a greater assurance vnto them then any epistle written with inke and paper and to haue commended his ministerie aboue the ministerie of Moses who gaue the Law onely in tables of stone because here the spirit of God concurred with the outward seruice and wrought mightily in their hearts for the receiuing of the doctrine of the faith of Christ and conuerting of theÌ„ vnto God Now to say that the CorinthiaÌ„s were an epistle not writteÌ„ with ink nor in tables of stone what is it to shew that the celestial law-giuer gaue not his lawes written with inke and paper Surely the difference of the two testaments which is the thing that M. Bishop would insinuate was neuer holden to consist in this that the one should be written and the other vnwritten because euen in the old testament the new was written but herein it stood that the one either written or taught by word ministred onely knowledge what we ought to do not anie grace
to the water of baptisme and to the sacrifice wherewith the faithfull are nourished neither of them is rightly or orderly done but he meaneth rightly or orderly in respect of the order and custome of the Church not as touching anie ordinance of God euen as if we would say that baptisme is not rightly administred with vs without adding afterwards the signe of the crosse who yet account no religion or holinesse at all in the adding of it and neither hold baptisme to be the better in the hauing nor the worse in the wanting of it The sacrifice of which S. Austine there speaketh the Protestants want not howsoeuer in respect of Popish abuse they forbeare the name He speaketh of a sacrifice wherewith the faithfull are nourished which is our Sacrament whereof they are communicants and partakers not the Popish sacrifice where they are onely lookers on See what hath bene said hereof before in b Sect. 27. answer of the Epistle to the King As for Chrisme or holy oyle as M. Bishop termeth it spoken of in the same place by S. Austin the Protestants are in no pitifull taking for the want of it because they want nothing thereby that Christ hath commanded to be had The ancient Churches vsed their ceremonies at their discretion c Faber Stapul in Dionys eccles hierarch Faber Stapulensis noteth many ceremonies of old time vsed which are now quite omitted in the Church of Rome We leaue out Chrisme by the same authoritie whereby they haue left out of their ceremonies so many publikely receiued in ancient time But so much the rather do we forgo this that we may not seeme to vphold that abhomination of Poperie wherby in their coniurations and benedictions they giue power to these impotent creatures of water oile salt and such other like to serue for soules health and for forgiuenesse of sinnes and for resisting the power of the diuell which are no other but blasphemous deuices meere illusions of Satan drawing men to put their trust in these trumperies that they may neglect true faith and trust in Christ himself d Basil de Spir. sanct cap. 27. Vt 〈…〉 eos qui spâ—â—â—â— stum collocarunt signemus c. Basil mentioneth the signe of the crosse no otherwise but in baptisme as we vse it As for his speech of Traditions what we are to attribute vnto it hath bene before shewed in the question thereof 〈…〉 Origen do nothing concerne the outward signe of the crosse made with the hand but the inward signe and print thereof consisting in faith e Orig in Exod. hom 6. Quid timent demones quid tremuns si â—e dubio crucem Christi in qua in umphati sunt in qua exuti sunt principatus coruÌ„ potestates Timor ergo tremor cadent super eos cùm signum in nobis viderint crucis fidelitèr fixum magnitudineÌ„ brachij illius quod Dominus expendit in cruce Non te ergo alitèr timebunt nisi videant in tecruceÌ„ Christi nisi tu poteris dicere Mihi absit gloriari c What do the diuels feare what do they tremble at Vndoubtedly at the crosse of Christ whereby they were triumphed ouer whereby they were stripped of their principalitie and power Therfore feare and trembling shall fall vpon them when they shall see faithfully fastened in vs the signe of the crosse the greatnesse of that arme which the Lord stretched forth vpon the crosse Therfore no otherwise will they feare thee except they see in thee the crosse of Christ except thou canst say God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ This is then the crosse or signe of the crosse where at the diuell is dismayed euen the faith of Christ crucified and our glorying and reioycing in him onely whereby we are inwardly signed and marked to be his That which Gregory Nazianzene reporteth of Iulian the Apostata we are somewhat doubtfull of because it may be a matter either misreported or misconstrued Iulian and his coniurer go into a darke caue to consult with the diuell about getting the Empire The diuell beginneth after his wonted maner to appeare Iulian being afraid signeth himselfe with the crosse The diuell hereupon departeth away Being brought againe he departeth againe vpon the same occasion The coniurer telleth Iulian that it was not for feare that the diuel weÌ„t away but because he detested his making of the signe of the crosse Now the question is how this matter cometh to be knowne for here was no bodie but Iulian and the coniurer and the diuell and we cannot well imagine who should be the true reporter of it Againe it is doubtfull whether the historians do make right construction of this accident if it were so Iulian was a vile miscreant a wretched caitife euen a limme of the diuell and what shall we thinke that with the signe of the crosse one diuell driueth away another It is likely that the coniurer knew well the meaning of the diuell that it was not for feare that he went away but onely for that he could not abide that anie that came to aske counsell of him should make anie shewe of hauing to do with Christ Whatsoeuer the matter there were we vndoubtedly resolue that it is but a meeâ—e illusion of the diuell to seeme to go away at the signe of the crosse when in the heart there is no faith or beliefe in the crosse of Christ as in Iulian there was none As for that which he citeth out of Chrysostome that f Chrysost hom Quòd Christus sit Deus Neque enim sic regia corona ornatur caput vt cruâ—â— c. the heads of kings are not so decked with their diademes as with the signe of the crosse our most noble King Iames will confesse no lesse and we will subscribe the same that the greatest honour of his Crowne is the signe of the crosse as an acknowledgement of the Sonne of God that died vpon the crosse The glorie of pearles and precious stones is mortall and transitorie but immortall is the glory of that which his Maiestie professeth by bearing the ensigne of the crosse vpon his Imperiall Crowne That otherwise the signe of the crosse is not nowe so affected and admired as Chrysostome there describeth it is partly for that there is not so great occasion thereof now as then there was when as Christians liued so commonly amongst the heathens partly for that Poperie hath so intollerably abused it and by sinister and superstitious fancies and opinions of it hath put it into the handes of coniurers sorcerers witches charmers who most damnably haue made it one of the speciall instruments of their diuellish and wicked practises Now therefore it is enough for vs that in substance of faith concerning Christ crucified we agree with the auncient Church as for the change of an accident or ceremonie it is not sufficient to put anie difference betwixt them and vs. The