on earth he might exalt vs thither whither else not euen Adams best obedience could euer haue brought him much lesse ours Which may answer to a question that here may be fitly moued Quest. Whether the obedience of the whole Law of God wrought by Christ for vs is auaileable as to redeeme vs from the punishment of sinne so to purchase vnto vs eternall life in heauen The reason of the question is because not the Law if it had beene for euer perfectly fulfilled by Adam had any promise of that eternall life and immediate vision in heauen but only of this life Heauen is not within the Couenant of workes Answ. True it is that the fulfilling of the Law in it selfe simply considered hath no proportion with that endlesse life aboue For the first Adam was of the earth earthly and all his happinesse promised vpon the condition of keeping the Law for ought is reuealed or can be demonstrated was terrestriall But now forasmuch as the Law is fulfilled by Christ this obedience reacheth to a higher reward because there is a higher promise made than that of the first Adam Because Christ the second Adam is the Lord from heauen the Eternal whose Kingdom is not of this world but of a better a heauenly whose house is not made with hands So that his obedience to the Law in regard of his person becomes a rich and inestimable purchase of that better Kingdome for vs. For as is the heauenly such are they that are heauenly to wit the generation of God in and by Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 48. 49. 50. vide Iohn 3. 13. No man ascendeth vp to heauen but he c. Thus haue we proued out of the holy Scriptures how the formall cause of iustification or that which giues a perfect being to our iustification making vs perfectly iust in the sight of God is the imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs and that euen of his whole righteousnesse actiue in his life and passiue in his death And that the formall cause of our iustification is not within vs but without vs not inherent but by imputation may easily appeare from the maine difference betweene the first Couenant and the second The first Couenant was that which was made with Adam in Paradise Doe this and liue the second that made with man after his fal Beleeue and liue So the first Couenant was of workes the second of faith the first of an inherent righteousnesse of our owne the second of a righteousnesse without vs not our owne simply but by relation namely made ours to wit Christs righteousnesse who of God is made vnto vs righteousnesse called in Scriptures the righteousnesse which is of faith Not to obserue and know this difference well is the ready way to leade men into all errour of this mysterie of God The Apostle doth notably set downe this difference between the first and second Couenant as termes infinitely opposite and admitting of no reconciliation Rom. 10. 3. when hee saith that the Iewes being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse haue not submitted themselues to the vnrighteousnesse of God For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth For Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall liue by them But the righteousnesse which is of Faith is to confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and to beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from the dead and thou shalt be saued Also Rom. 11. 6. If it be by grace it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace but if it bee of workes then it is no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke Also Rom. 4. the Apostle setting downe this same opposition betweene the Couenant of workes and of faith saith on this wise v. 2. c. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God For what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Euen as Dauid also describeth the blessednesse of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne What clearer Testimonies Yea this did God himselfe teach vs not obscurely by his own act Gen. 3. For when Adam had forfeited the first Couenant which was of workes made with him in Paradise before his fall and after his fall had made with him another Couenant to wit of faith in Christ the promised seede of the woman What doth God thereupon Hee shuts man out of Paradise and from the Tree of life lest putting forth his hand hee should take of it and liue for euer What is meant hereby Paradise was not only the place but also did signifie the happy condition of Adams blessednesse which he was to enioy in his innocencie the Tree of life was a sacrament and symbol of life appointed as a speciall meanes to preserue man from dying or decaying in his naturall strength so long as he continued in his obedience But by disobedience hee forfeited the Couenant brake the condition lost his former happinesse and was depriued of the meanes of that life wherein hee should haue liued for euer vpon earth Now God shutting him out from the earthly Paradise the place of earthly blisse and from the Tree of life the sacrament and symbol of immortalitie and hauing shewed vnto him another Tree of life in the middest of the Paradise of God to wit Iesus Christ who is very God and eternall life which whosoeuer by reaching out the hand of Faith eateth of shall liue for euer God I say doth hereby plainely teach vs that in attaining to the heauenly Paradise by the Tree of life Iesus Christ wee must not haue any more to doe with the things pertaining to the first Couenant now altogether forfeited and from which Adam and his posteritie is for euer banished neuer to returne or intermeddle there any more Gen. 3 22. 23. 24. Therefore to teach and beleeue the doctrine of an inherent righteousnesse whereby to attaine eternall life is euen as it were in despite of God and of his holy Angels the Cherubims keeping the way of the Tree of life to reuiue the old Couenant of workes againe and with the hand of the body to wit good workes reach out to take of the tree of life This is a Babylonish confounding of the two Couenants which stand vpon such irreconcileable termes of difference Is there no more difference betweene Do this and liue and Beleeue and liue betweene mans owne righteousnesse and Gods righteousnesse the establishing of the one being the abolishing
per gratiam ipsius ne fides ipsa superba sit Nec dicat sibi quis si ex fide quomodo gratis quod enim fides meretur cur non potius redditur quà m donatur Non dicat ista homo fidelis quia cum dixerit vt merear iustificationem habeo fidem respondetur ei Quid enim habes quod non accepisti Being iustified freely by his grace lest faith it selfe should be proud Nor let any man say to himselfe if it be of faith how is it freely for that which faith meriteth why is it not rather rendred as due than freely giuen Let no beleeuer speake thus for when he shall say I haue faith that I may merit iustification it is answered him For what hast thou that thou hast not receiued Thus this holy man disclaimes all merit of workes in vs yea euen of faith it selfe though it bee the instrument to apply the righteousnesse of God in Christ vnto vs whereby we are truely iustified And it stands with good reason For faith iustifieth not by vertue of the act of beleeuing but as the instrument in applying the obiect which is Christ. As the hand is said to heale onely by applying the medicine or to inrich by receiuing a treasure or to feed by putting meat into the mouth as we say a childe is fed with a spoone when the milke onely feedeth So faith by applying Christ the true balme healeth by receiuing Christ the true treasure inricheth by conuaying Christ the true bread and water of life feedeth the soule St. Augustine also in his first Sermon vpon the 70. Psalme saith In eum credo qui iustificat impium vt deputetur fides mea ad iustitiam I beleeue in him that iustifieth the vngodly that my faith may be deputed hee comes very neare Imputed for righteousnesse It would fill a large volume to set downe the Tracts and sayings of this holy Father to this purpose seeing all his workes are euery where perfumed with this most sweet and Catholicke doctrine of iustification through the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs not for any grace inherent in vs though it be the gift of God bestowed on vs for Christs sake I will onely adde one or two sayings more of this holy man Per fidem induendo Christum omnes fiunt filij non natura sicut vnicus Filius sed filij fiunt participatione sapientiae id praeparante atque praestante Mediatoris fide quam fidei gratiam nunc indumentum vocat vt Christum induti sint qui in eum crediderunt ideo filij Dei fratresque eius Mediatoris effecti sunt In putting on Christ by faith all are made sonnes not sonnes by nature as is the onely begotten Sonne but they are made sonnes by the participation of wisedome being prepared and performed by the faith of the Mediator which grace of faith hee now calleth a clothing or putting on so that they haue put on Christ that haue beleeued in him and therefore they are made the sonnes of God and brethren of the Mediator What plainer words could this holy Father haue vsed to expresse the nature of iustification in the imputatiue righteousnesse of Christ than by calling imputation a participation of Christ by the meanes of faith in which respect hee calleth faith a putting on because thereby Christ with all his righteousnesse is put vpon vs and so wee are made the sonnes of God Iustin Martyr saith Quid aliud peccata nostra potuisset tegere quà m Christi iustitia O beneficia expectationem omnem exuperantia vt iniquit as quidem multorum in vno iusto abscondatur iustitia autem vnius faciat vt multi iniusti pro iustis habeantur What else could haue couered our sinnes but Christs righteousnesse O blessings exceeding all expectation that the iniquity of many should bee couered in one righteous person and that the righteousnesse of one should cause that many vniust should be accounted iust And of later times deuout Bernard Mors in Christi morte fugatur Christi nobis iustitia imputatur Death is vanquished in Christs death and Christs righteousnesse is imputed to vs. And againe Qui nostram induit carnem subijt mortem put as suam nobis negabit iustitiam voluntariè incarnatus voluntariè passus voluntariè crucifixus solam à nobis retinebit iustitiam Christus peccati meritum tulit suam nobis donando iustitiam Hee that both tooke vpon him our flesh and vndertooke death will hee trow you denie vs his righteousnesse voluntarily incarnate voluntarily suffering voluntarily crucified will hee keepe from vs his onely righteousnesse And writing to Innocentius he saith Homo qui debuit homo qui soluit Nam si vnus pro omnibus mortuus est ergo omnes mortui sunt vt videlicet satisfactio vnius omnibus imputetur sicut omnium peccata vnus ille portauit It was man that was indebted and man that paid it For if one died for all then were all dead to the end that the satisfaction of one should be imputed to all euen as he alone bore the sinnes of all Ambrose also vpon these words of the Apostle Christ was made a curse for vs as it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree saith Non ille maledictus sed in te maledictus Christ was not accursed but in thee was hee accursed Iust so are we in him blessed Saint Cyril also vpon these words of Esay The Deliuerer shall come forth of Sion and shal turn away iniquities from Iacob c. concludes thus from Rom. 10 10. For with the heart c. With the heart saith he man beleeueth to righteousness with the mouth confession is made to saluation We haue therefore receiued of God the word of faith and confession Which word bringeth saluation and procureth righteousnesse For Christ doth so iustifie the vngodly that hee proclaimeth Behold I haue remoued thine iniquities as a cloud and thy sinnes as a mist. For this word of faith shall be for euer in vs and shall neuer cease from our mouth but wee shall transmit and conuay it euen vnto posterity For thus also shall posterity be iustified For if Christ bee for euer both God and Lord the confession of this his faith shall neuer faile with those who haue acknowledged his appearing So Cyril This therefore was among the ancient Fathers of the Church and they haue sent it downe to vs their posterity as the Catholicke faith to bee confessed of all Gods children vntill the appearing of Iesus Christ that our iustification stands in the merits of Christ and the mercies of God in the remission of our sinnes and the not imputing them vnto vs. But the Trent-Fathers and the Church of Rome as being not the legitimate posterity but the bastard brood falsly pretending from those holy Fathers disclaime this Catholick faith concerning iustification in the remission of sinnes which God in the forenamed place
thine owne workes to robbe God of his glorie and thy selfe of all grace puffing vp thy selfe with pride in steade thereof But leaue we these puddles of errour and come we to the Chryst all fountaines of Christs truth CHAP. VII The Catholike Faith of the Doctrine of Faith as the sole immediate Instrument to apprehend and apply the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs to our Iustification as beeing the effectuall meane of our vnion with him HAuing seene what credit Faith carryeth among the Pontificians in the work of Iustification which at the best is allowed no more but eyther to dispose and make a man the more apt that also with the helpe of other disposing graces to receiue Iustification which notwithstanding for all his Faith he may faile and come short of or else to come in for a share but must be content with the least share or none at all among other graces as Charity Penance Martyrdome and such like all which take place of Faith in Iustification Let vs now come to take an estimate of Faith according to the standard of Catholike Doctrine weighing it in the most vnpartiall ballance of the Sanctuary Nor doe we purpose in this place to speake particularly and punctually of the propertie and kinde of Faith whereby a man is said to be iustified as referring that to the more proper place but wee will content our selues so to speake of faith here in generall as the only immediate instrumentall cause in vs whereby we come to bee made righteous in the sight of God For as our Iustification is by the Imputation of Christ and his righteousnesse vnto vs so the only instrumentall meane comming betweene to apply and effectually to worke this imputation of Christ to vs is the act of beleeuing which is the property of Faith As Augustine saith Fidelis est à fide fides à credendo A beleeuer hath his name of Faith and Faith of beleeuing As the Apostle saith With the heart man beleeueth to righteousnesse Faith is the hand of the soule which applyes the sacrifice of Christ for sinne It is the hand that puts on the Robe of the righteousnesse of Christ our elder brother vpon vs by the sweete smell whereof God being well pleased bestoweth the blessing of heauen and earth vpon vs of grace and glorie and all Yea faith hath another singular propertie that it is as it were the ligament or sinew which fasteneth and vniteth euery faithfull member to the head Christ Iesus from the influence of whose fulnesse we receiue and grace for grace And the Councell of Trent seemeth to professe as much though with limitation and restriction to her owne reserued sense saying Nam sides nisi ad eam spes accedat charitas neque vnit perfectè cum Christo neque corporis eius viuum membrum efficit For Faith say they vnlesse hope and charitie bee added vnto it doth neither perfectly vnite with Christ nor make a liuing member of his body The Councell neede not here equiuocate for the matter as if she did admit of our spirituall vnion with Christ by Faith indeed but such a Faith as hath hope and charitie ioyned with it whereas in truth her meaning is that not Faith so much as Hope and Charitie doe vnite vs to Christ sith Hope and Charitie make the vnion perfect which faith doth not Yea Charity and Penance as her intimous Vega saith doe more closely vnite vs to Christ than Faith doth But we shall discusse and discouer this mysterie more cleerely when we come to speak of the kinde of Faith required in Iustification In the mean time suffice it vs that we haue the Councels confession That Faith at least with the helpe of Hope and Charitie doth vnite vs to Christ. And though Vega preferre Charitie and Penance before Faith in this worke of vniting with Christ yet thereby hee doth not altogether exclude Faith Faith therefore according to the Pontificians confession hath at least a share though the least according to their allowance in working our vnion with Christ. But the Catholicke beliefe ascribeth this worke of vnion with Christ primarily yea and solely to Faith namely as the immediate and onely instrument of Gods spirit in vs. Now our iustification by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse stands in our vnion with Christ. This is confessed of all That whatsoeuer we receiue from Christ it is by vertue of our mysticall vnion with him And faith it is that worketh this vnion not Faith as Pontificians teach before it bee formed by Charity To which Faith only Vega ascribeth a certaine vnion with Christ Comparamus enim nobis Spiritum sanctum iustitiam facimusque vt Christus inhabitet in nobis per Fidem informem aut saltem per fidem vt prius est natura quà m formetur For saith he wee get vnto our selues the holy Ghost and righteousnesse and doe cause Christ to dwell in vs by Faith vnformed or at least by Faith as it is by nature before it bee formed So that by this doctrine a dead Faith or that which differeth not from the Faith of Diuels doth cause our vnion with Christ or Christ to dwell in vs. But let vs see how Vega cleereth this doctrine from this imputation A little after in his second question of faith and workes taking vpon him as he is very venterous to answer an argument brought to proue that Paul excludes no beleeuer from saluation where he saith The righteousnesse of God by the Faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue To this place saith Vega many commonly say that Paul said not Vnto all and vpon all that beleeue him but in him which is onely proper to those that haue charitie and by loue tend vnto him Aliud enim inquiunt est credere Deo quod est ei fidem adhibere aliud credere Deum quod est credere Deum esse aliud credere in Deum quod est credendo amare credendo diligere credendo in eum ire eius membris incorporari For it is one thing say they to beleeue God that is to giue credit vnto him another thing to beleeue God that is to beleeue that God is and another to beleeue in God that is by beleeuing to loue him by beleeuing to affect him by beleeuing to goe into him and to bee incorporate into his members They are the words of St. Augustine vsed by him very frequently throughout his workes and by name in his nine and twentieth Tract vpon Iohn which Vega quoteth Well how doth Vega auoyde this Argument concerning Faith in Christ bringing saluation vpon all that beleeue Nihil valet hoc refugium commune Non enim habetur grace â—i neque in eum sed absolute dicitur In omnes super omnes qui credunt This common refuge saith hee is nothing worth For it is said absolutely Vnto all and vpon all that beleeue the Greeke hath not him or in him Note
the will and ends in the will So that we see this good Cardinall held the will to be the prime subiect of sauing Faith But now a little to illustrate the former point concerning the subiect of Faith and the manner of inherency which it hath in a beleeuer and to cleare the truth of it by Scriptures and by ancient Fathers of the Church The Romane-Catholicke doctrine is no lesse absurd and erroneous in the obiect of sauing Faith than in the subiect of it They run from one extreame to another as the Poet saith Dum virant stâ—lâ—â— viâ—iâ— in contraria currunt Fooles from one extremity of folly runne into the contrary But as the true Catholicke doctrine although it exclude no part of Gods Word as the obiect of Faith in generall but yet restraineth the speciall obiect of sauing Faith to Christ and the promises of God in him so though it deny not Faith to haue a place of inherency in the vnderstanding yet it intitleth it not onely to the vnderstanding but â—o the will to the memory to the affections and all the faculties of the soule as so many Mansions to intertain this noble Queene Faith where she may keepe her Court of residence for her selfe and all her train of Graces that attend her Or wee may compare the seuerall faculties of the soule to so many roomes or chambers in the soule wherein as in a magnificent Palace Faith resideth whose presence as a Prince puts life into euery part whose prerogatiue it is to prescribe to each of her virgin hand-maide Graces their proper taskes her selfe putting her owne hand to euery work acting directing assisting adorning the office of each Grace whereby it is made both acceptable to God and profitable to men The Catholicke Doctrine then concerning the subiect of Faith is That Faith inhereth or resideth not onely in the vnderstanding but also in the will in the memory in the affections and in euery faculty of the soule This is the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures and therefore Catholicke The Scripture saith Corde creditur ad iustitiam With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse And againe it saith Ephes. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith And againe Acts 8. 37. Philip said to the Eunuch If thou beleeuest with all thy heart And againe Acts 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by faith By these and such like places of Scriptures it is euident that the proper subiect of Faith is the heart of man Now by the heart is meant euery power and faculty of the soule and not onely the vnderstanding as Aquinas vnderstandeth the forenamed place of Acts 15. 9. that by purifying of the heart is meant the illuminating of the vnderstanding but also the will the memory the affections and euery faculty of the soule of man First the Sriptures of tentimes by naming the heart meaneth the vnderstanding As Ephesians 1. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar Latine rendreth it word for word Illuminatos oculis cordis vestri The eyes of your heart being illuminated but our English translation hath it The eyes of your vnderstanding being enlightened thereby giuing the true meaning of the place that by the heart there is meant the vnderstanding So the Lord faith Matth. 13. 15. Ne corde intelligant Lest they vnderstand with their heart In 1. Kings 3. 9. Salomon askes an vnderstanding heart In 2. Cor. 3. 15. the vaile ouer the lewes heart was a note of their blindnesse and ignorance in the mysterie of Christ. Secondly heart in Scripture is often taken for the will As Acts 7. 39. The Israelites in their hearts turned back into Egypt that is their will was so if they had had power So Acts 11. 23. Barnabas exhorts that with purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord that is with a ready will and constant resolution So 1. Cor. 7. 37. He that stands firme in his heart hauing power ouer his owne will and hath decreed in his heart Thirdly the heart is taken for the memory Luke 1. 66. All that heard laid vp those things in their hearts that is in their memory So Deut. 4. 9. Take heede to thy selfe lest thou forget the things which thine eyes haue seene and lest they depart from thy heart that is from thy memory And Deut. 11. 18. Ye shall lay vp these my words in your heart c. that is ye shall remember them continually as signes bound vpon your hands and as front-lets betweene your eyes Hence it is that the Latines vse Recordari for to remember or to record implying that remembrance is an act springing from the heart Hence also doth our Sauiour call the heart the treasury Matth. 12. 35. which agreeth with the memory called Thesaurus rerum the Treasury of things Fourthly heart in Scripture is also taken for the affections and passions of the soule Matth. 6. 2â— Where your treasure is there will your heart be also that is your affection So Rom. 1. 24. God gaue them vp to their owne hearts lusts And Psal 62. 10. If riches increase set not your heart vpon them Thus all the motions and inclinations and cogitations in man are referred to the heart as the prime fountaine whence they all originally flow So all the vertues intellectuall and morall are said to be in the heart we say A wise heart a good heart a valiant heart an humble heart an honest heart c. And the contrary as wee say A foolish heart a wicked heart a faint heart a proud heart a deceitfull heart c. Of a valiant man we say He hath a Lyons heart and of a coward He hath the heart of a Hare and of a meeke man He hath a Lambes heart As Nabuchadnezzar for his pride had a Beasts heart giuen him that is a bruitish disposition to liue like a Beast as hee did Now the issue of all this is that faith is that same radicall grace wherein the whole life of the Saints of God all holy graces haue their being and existence of holinesse and from whence they grow and flow euen as all the branches from the roote and the streames from the fountaine For as the heart is the fountaine of all the faculties of the soule of the vnderstanding of the will of the memory of the affections motions cogitations c. all which are signified by the heart in Scripture so Faith beeing in the heart as in the proper seate and subiect and being said to purifie the heart it giues vs to know the excellent nature of Faith which is to diffuse its vertue to the purifying and possessing of euery part and faculty of the soule For possessing the heart it possesseth and filleth the whole soule It illuminates and informes the vnderstanding it reformes and conformes the will it confirmes it with hope it inflames it with loue it prompts the memory with holy meditations and remembrances of Gods loue and goodnesse it moderates and tempers all the
nouell doctrine of such men is a high pride and presumption carrying others also to the top of the same pinacle by perswading them that they haue true Repentance before faith in Christ by which they are at least in part regenerate sanctified and cleansed Obiect But is there no preparation vnto the receiuing of grace and iustification Is not at the least the hearing of the Word a worke of preparation to grace Answ. True it is that faith sauing and iustifying faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 17. So that the hearing of the Word of God is the ordinarie meanes to beget sauing Faith and Grace in vs. Obiect But hearing of the Word is in our owne power and hearing of the Word is a preparation vnto Grace therefore it is in our owne power to prepare our selues vnto grace Answ. To heare is in our owne power but hearing of the Word is not simply a preparatiue vnto grace but rather an externall meanes thereunto For vnlesse God do giue aspeciall blessing to the outward meanes of hearing the Word in opening our hearts as he did the heart of Lydia wee heare the word but as a sound or as a strange historie or parable and as a deepe mysterie hidden from vs. The Iewes did heare Christs Oracles and see his Miracles yet for all that were they no better than deafe and blinde men God must open the heart to vnderstand and to apprehend by Faith the mysterie of Christ preached else Paul may plant and Apollos water in vaine Obiect To what purpose then is it for any to come to heare the Word of God if thereby he be not the better fitted and disposed to receiue grace Answ. Although God be the only author and actor of working grace in vs yet for as much as he doth this by the Ministerie of his Word which he hath appointed as the ordinarie meanes to beget faith and all other sauing graces in vs therefore it is our part and duty to attend vpon and vse the means waiting for Gods blessing vpon it So that all the worke of preparation to grace on our part is without vs not within vs namely the hearing of the Word preached and Gods speciall blessing vpon it Obiect But it is in our free will and choyce to heare the Word of God or not to heare it and therefore something is to be ascribed to free-will in setting vs at least in the way to iustification Answ. It is no otherwise in our free will and choyce before our conuersion to heare Gods Word than to heare any humane historie propounded vnto vs. For before our vnderstanding bee by faith illuminated to apprehend and apply Christ vnto our selues and to know him to be our Sauiour in particular we haue no will to heare the Word as the Word of God which is able to saue our soules but rather as the word of man Obiect But doth not a man vnderstand the Word preached vnlesse first his vnderstanding be illuminated by Faith Answ. A naturall man may by hearing come to haue a generall vnderstanding of the Word of God as a true historie but before he bee indued with sauing faith from God his vnderstanding is not illuminated to know God in Christ to bee his Father and Christ to bee his Redeemer which is the summe of the Gospell and the seale which wee set vpon the truth of God therein Iohn 3 33. Obiect But Iohn Baptist was sent to prepare the way of the Lord. Answ. The Ministerie of Iohn was to teach men to beleeue in Christ pointing at him that was to come So that by his Ministerie men beleeuing and beeing baptized into Christ they might thereby be said to bee prepared to a more plentifull measure of receiuing Christ and his Spirit as afterwards they did hauing the first seeds of Faith already sowne in their hearts Obiect But another obiects before true conuersion a man must renounce the first couenant become humble confesse his vnworthinesse his hardnesse of heart his naturall disabilitie towards his owne saluation hee must feare God loue God and the like or else a man is incapable of and indisposed to receiue the grace of conuersion Answ. Indeed a fellow-minister of the Gospell was very earnest on a time in defending of this He desired me to resolue him in it by writing as being a matter of maine consequence and a maine ground wherewith many other opinions on foote in these daies would stand or fall Now I could haue wished to haue heard his reasons of that his obiection but time at least permitted not Therefore my answer shall be short as also in respect of all that before said First then for a man to renounce the first couenant to become humble c. I say no man can doe it till he be in Christ. My reason is because till a man be in Christ he is dead blinde proud hard-hearted without the feare of God without the loue of God Euery man is actually either the child of wrath in the state of sinne and death or the childe of God in the state of grace and life There is no terme betweene these two There is no terme or medium betweene a man liuing and dead but the very instant of his soules departing from the bodie which is in the twinckling of an eye No more terme or medium is there betweene a man dead in sinne and liuing by grace but the very instant of his conuersion For euery man I say is eyther a dead man in the state of sinne or a liuing man in the state of grace a third terme cannot come betweene Now while a man is in the state of sinne he is dead If dead he vnderstands nothing that sauours of grace nor hath hee any disposition or affection in him thereunto While he is vnder the dominion of sinne hee is nothing but meere enmitie and rebellion against God and his Grace as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. The wisedome of the flesh or To be carnally minded is enmity against God This is the state of a man vnregenerate vnconuerted Beeing thus hee is proud senslesse of his hardnesse of heart senslesse of any naturall disabilitie towards his owne saluation without loue without feare of God as Rom. 3. He is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeede can bee Rom. 8. Hee is so farre from renouncing the first couenant of works that before his conuersion the more morall vertues which Saint Augustine cals but splendida peccata either the frame of his naturall and corporall constitution or of his more liberall education hath adorned him with the more is hee apt to relye vpon the first couenant trusting to bee saued by his good workes But I say againe that when I see in a man these things that he renounceth the first couenant that he is humble that he confesseth his vnworthinesse that hee complaineth of the hardnesse of his heart that he renounceth himselfe and his owne abilities towards his
hath no benefit from the thing signified nor is it any longer a signe than in the Sacramentall vse and application to the beleeuing Communicant and so the Sacramentall vnion ceaseth yet as vnto euery faithfull receiuer wheresoeuer the visible signe is administred the inuisible grace signified is together exhibited by vertue of the Sacramentall vnion hauing dependance on Christs promise and reference to the condition of faith in the Communicant So such is the vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer that wheresoeuer faith is there also is Christ with all his graces present to the beleeuer for hee dwels in our hearts by faith Ephes. 3. 17. Fourthly this vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer is not naturall or natiue as Bernard cals it as that betweene the soule and the body in man because the one of them may be separated from the other by death but Christ and the beleeuer are neuer separated no not in death for to me to liue is Christ and to dye is gaine Phil. 1. 21. For who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Rom. 8. 35. vers 38. I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. But herein they agree as the body hath no life but from the soule so the soule of euery faithfull man hath no life but in and from Christ as the Apostle saith Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ Neuerthelesse I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued mee and gaue himselfe for me And as the soule and the body make one naturall man so Christ and the beleeuer make one spirituall and mysticall Christ and all beleeuers both of Iewes and Gentiles are made one new man not naturall but supernaturall in him Ephes. 2. 15. Fiftly this vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer is not an artificiall vnion as that betweene the hand and the instrument of the Artificer for the instrument is subiect to wearing to breaking and at length to casting away when there is no more vse of it but we are so in the hand of Chrisâ— as we are preserued for euer as Ioh. 10. 28. I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand yet herein it agreeth that as the instrument can do nothing of it selfe not moue not work without the hand of the Artificer so we can do no good thing without the hand of Christ mouing and directing vs as himselfe saith Without mee ye can doe nothing for hee worketh in vs both to will and to worke of his good pleasure That as the Hatchet may not exalt it selfe against him that heweth with it but yeelds the praise of the worke to his workeman so saith euery faithfull soule as Esa. 26. 12. Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for vs for thou also hast wrought all our workes in vs or for vs. Sixtly this vnion betwixt Christ and euery beleeuer is not an accidentall vnion as betweene a man and learning whereby he becomes a learned man for an accident may be both present and absent without the destruction of the subiect as a man may be learned or vnlearned he may get learning and lose it againe and be a man still but the learning of the holy Ghost wherewith all the faithfull are inspired cannot be missing without destruction to the soule He is no faithfull man that wanteth the knowledge of God in Christ whom to know is eternall life and not to know is eternall death for all the faithfull are taught of God as Ier. 31. 33. 34. verses Yet herein doth our vnion with Christ resemble the accidentall vnion because as no man is borne learned or borne a Philosopher but is made so by education and instruction so no man is borne by nature the childe of God the scholar of Christ but in time becomes a Christian Philosopher by the instruction of the Word of God and the inspiration of the Spirit of God whereby hee is made a faithfull man and a Disciple of Christ. Seuenthly this vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer is not a morall vnion such as is between friends which though it be founded at the best vpon vertue yet it is no lesse mortall than it is morall for if thé friendship dye not before the friend dye yet death makes a separation as Dauid lamented the death of his louing friend Ionathan the memory of whom lasted for a while in Dauids kinde vsage of Mephibosheth Ionathans sonne but it soone cooled vpon a small occasion of Mephibosheths false seruant Ziba who by belying his master to Dauid got halfe his masters inheritance from him when himselfe deserued rather to haue beene punished for wronging his master than so rewarded for his dissembling officiousnesse in bringing a present to Dauid of his masters store So friendship is very mortall it dyes often in a mans life time or seldome suruiues death And therefore the Poet said well Foelices ter amplius Quos irrupta tenet copula Nec malis diâ—ulsus querimonijs Suprema citiùs soluet amor die O happy and thrice happy they Whom loues knot holds inuiolate Nor loosened till lifes last day By back-complaints begetting hate But the vnion betweene Christ and his faithfull ones though it be somewhat like that betweene morall friends but mortall men as being betweene Christ and his friends as he calleth his faithfull Ioh. 15. 15. I haue called you friends c. yet this friendship between Christ and his excelleth all other friendship The Philosophers could say Amicus est alter idem A friend is another selfe And Animus est non vbi animat sed vbi amat The soule is not where it liueth but where it loueth And Amicorum omnia sunt communia Betweene friends all things are common Now these in comparison as they are in practice amongst men are but in a manner meere sayings nominals rather than realls For as Salomon saith Most men will proclaime euery one his own goodnes but a faithfull man who can find Salomon found one among a thousand which I thinke was the Prophet that told him freely of his folly Such friends few can finde especially such as Salomon was But now whatsoeuer can be spoken in praise of friendship is really true betweene Christ and the beleeuer his faithfull man for they are so mutually each of them alteridem another selfe as that they are indeed oneselfe Their soules and spirits are so interchangeably in each other as the spirit of Christ doth really liue in vs and our soules doe liue in him Wee are in the Spirit and the Spirit of Christ in vs Rom. 8. 9. And Now I liue saith the Apostle yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and the life which I now liue in the
erant ad vtendum venerati sunt ad colendum They are become inexcusable who of Gods gifts haue made Gods to themselues and those things which were created to bee vsed they adore them as an Idoll Onely Christ is that sacred and mysticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that fish in whom is found our tribute-money to satisfie the Maiesty of God This money must bee stamped no where but in Gods owne Mint as the pure siluer Oare of it is no where found but in Gods owne Mynes the holy Scriptures no other Image or Superscription must be vpon it but that of Iesus Christ and none may tender or offer it vp to God but onely Christ. 1. Tim. 2. 6. There is one God and one Mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a ransome for all This pure ransome more pure more precious than gold will endure no mixture no allay of any other mettals much lesse of any drosse But inherent righteousnesse in vs though dipped in Christs bloud as hauing receiued a tincture from it as they say if wee offer it to God for currant payment hee will easily perceiue it counterfeit coine of our owne mynting of our owne inuenting no better than Alcumy little siluer but much drosse in it euen the drosse of humane inuention and corruption which if it bee brought to Gods touch turnes colour if put in the Skale of the Sanctuary is found too light if cast into the Test of Gods fiery iustice it is blown all away in smoke As Esay saith Thy siluer is become drosse thy wine mixt with water And as Ieremy saith Reprobate siluer shall men call them because the Lord hath reiected them Our inherent righteousnesse call it Christs merits or what you will is at the best but as Piscis in arido The fish while it is in the sea liueth moueth is full of strength and agility but vpon the dry land it straight loseth all his vigour motion and life it selfe and quickly putrefieth euen so the merits and righteousnesse of Christ being in him as in their proper element are most liuely and vigorous strong and auaileable to satisfie Gods iustice and to plunge all our sinnes into the deepe bottome of the bottomlesse deepe of his mercies by that sweete smelling sacrifice of himselfe once offered but take any part of these merits of Christ out of him and put them into our dry and parched sandy soules and they become of no life of no validity to make the least satisfaction for the least sinnes yea in this respect they stinke in the nostrils of God Our soules are but broken Cisternes to contain this pure water of life God could neuer yet finde any thing in vs in vs I say but onely faith whereby to iustifie vs and this faith not as a worke of ours iustifying vs but as an instrument applying Christ by whom in whom and for whom wee are iustified If God iustifie vs for righteousnesse inherent or dwelling in vs then God should bee said to iustifie the godly but the Scripture saith otherwise That God iustifieth the vngodly Rom. 4. 5. Now to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse where faith being opposed to working cannot be said to iustifie as it is a work A notable testimony to proue that our iustification is not from within vs but from without vs not in vs but on vs not of him that worketh but of him that beleeueth in him that iustifieth Whom the godly Nay but the vngodly As Augustine saith Tu Domine benedicis iustum sed eum prius iustificas impium Thou Lord doest blesse the iust but first he being vngodly thou iustifiest him As if hee had said Being first vngodly thou diddest iustifie him and then being iust thou Lord doest blesse him How then comes this forraine righteousnesse vpon an vngodly man The Apostle sheweth His faith is counted for righteousnesse How His faith layes hold on Christ who is the Lord our righteousnesse being made vnto vs of God wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. But will the Pontifician say Doe you call the graces of Christ in vs counterfeit coyne drosse reprobate siluer c. Yes if ye reckon it for pay to satisfie Gods iustice withall in this sense in vs it is meere counterfeit drosse reprobate siluer coyned in the Mint of Satans forgeries It is but as the Sunne-beame vpon a dung-hill raysing vp a stinking vapour in stead of a sweete odour in Gods nostrils But the graces of God in vs flowing from our head Christ Iesus in whom wee are first iustified by faith are the matter of our sanctification and the consequent fruits and effects of our iustification Thus they are a Well of liuing waters springing vp in vs vnto eternall life Thus they are a garden of spices yea of costly Spicknard yeelding a fragrant smell while the Sunne of righteousnesse shines vpon them Thus are they more pure and precious than gold yea than much fine gold Thus are they so many precious stones to paue our way that leades to the Kingdome of Heauen Yea thus so many peerelesse Pearles which adorne our Crowne of grace here and shall much more gloriously imbellish and beautifie our Crowne of glory hereafter Thus all our good works and words and thoughts are precious euen in Gods sight through Christ. They will stand before his mercy seate but they dare not stand before the Tribunall of his strict and seuere iustice They dare come before God as a proofe of our faith and obedience but not as a price of our sinne and disobedience And at the best cause we haue to pray Gods mercy for them but in no case to pay his iustice with them Now there be many reasons why inherent righteousnesse is no formall cause of our iustification in the sight of God First because it is a meere humane inuention It hath no warrant in Gods Word and consequently no warrant at all Will the Pontificians herein as they are willing in other things stand to the iudgement of their father Aristotle Hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are better determined according to the Law than according to mans will for it is no sure rule Tertullian said of an errour of Hermogenes about the creation of the world of a pre-existent matter Scriptum esse doceat Hermogenis officina Si non est scriptum timeat Let the shop of Hermogenes shew this to be written If it be not written let him feare Now iustification is a fundamentall doctrine that cannot stand but vpon the Scriptures Iustification is by faith and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God The word is neare thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach for with the heart man beleeueth to
question Gregory in another place speaketh excellently to this purpose Omnis humana iustitia iniustitia esse conuincitur si districtè indicetur Prece ergo post iustitiam indiget vt quae succumbere disoussa poterat ex sola indicis pietate conualescat Dicat ergo qui etiamsi habuero quippium iustum non respondebo sed meum ludicem deprecabor Vâ—lut si apertiùs fateatur dicens etsi ad opus virtutis excreâ—ero ad vitam non ex meritis sed ex venia conualesco All humane righteousnesse saith he if it bee strictly iudged is conuinced to be vnrighteousnesse Therefore a man after his workes of righteousnesse had neede to pray that his righteousnesse which being discussed might sink down vnder the burthen may recouer strength againe by the only clemency of the Iudge Let him say then that though I haue done any thing that is iust yet I will not answer but will supplicate my Iudge As if he should more plainly confess saying Although I attaine to neuer so great a proficiency in the way of vertue yet I come to obtaine life not of merits but of mercy This was the constant doctrine of the Church of Rome in this Bishops dayes We will conclude this point in setting downe the iudgement of Cardinall Contarenus who writ of iustification a little before the Councell of Trent where hauing before of set purpose examined the Protestants doctrine of iustification confesseth ingenuously as he had iudiciously according to his learning and piety scand and compared it that Luthers doctrine together with the Protestants was consonant and agreeable to Catholicke doctrine For as yet the Councell of Trent had not decreed against the Catholicke faith which had beene maintained by all the Fathers of the Church in all ages euen downe to Contarenus his time who writ some three or foure yeares before the first Session of this Councell although the Schoole-men specially the Scotists had according to the Authors name darkened and dimmed the truth whose new doctrine notwithstanding proued not as yet Catholicke before the Councell of Trent wherein the Scotists bore no small sway would needes make it Romane-Catholicke in despite of all Catholickes Where also we may note by the way the falshood of that scandall which Pontificians cast vpon the Protestants Religion as being a doctrine of nouelty broached first by Luther Whereas a Cardinall of the Church of Rome of learning and piety after due examination found and confessed that the Protestant doctrine of iustification being the maine fundamentall doctrine of Christian Religion did consent with Catholicke doctrine But let vs see what this Cardinall saith concerning iustification Attingimus ad duplicem iustitiam alteram nobis inharentâ—m quâ— incipimus esse iusti essiâ—imur consortes diuinae naturae habâ—â—â—â— charitatem diffusam in cordibus nostris alteram verò non inharentem sed nobis donatam cum Christo iustitiam inquam Christi omne eius meritum simul tempore vtraque nobis donatur vtramque attingimus per fidem Quòd autem Deus donaâ—erit nobis Christum omnia cum eo est Textus Apostoli expressus in Epâ—stola ad Romanos Qui filio suo non popercit c. His reor 〈◊〉 posse contradicere Restat iam inquirere vtranam dibeamus â—iti existimare nos iustificaricoram Deo id est sanctos iustos haberi ea inquum institia quae deceat filios Dei ac oculis Dei satisfacias an hac iustitia charitate nobis inhaerente an potius iustitâ—â— Christi nobis donata imputata Ego prorsus existimo piè Christianè dici quòd debeamus niti niti inquam tanquam restabili quae certò nos sustentat iustitia Christi nobis donata non autem sanctitate gratia nobis inharente Haec etenim nostra iustitia est inchoata imperfecta quae tueri nos non potest quin in multis offendamus quin assiduè peccemus ac propterea indigeamus oratione qua quotidiè petamus dimitti nobis debita nostra Idcirâ—o in conspectu Dei non possumus ob hanc iustitiam nostram haberi iusti boni quemadmodum deceret filios Dei esse bonos sanctos sed iustitia Christi nobis donata est vera perfecta iustitia quae omnino placet oeulis Dei in qua nihâ—l est quod Deum offendat quod Deo non summopere placeat Hac ergo sola certa stabili nobis nitendum est ob eam solam credere nos iustificari coram Deo id est iustos haberi dici iustos Hic est preciosus ille Christianorum the saurus quem qui inuenit vendit omnia quae habet vt emat illum Haec est preciosa margarita quam qui inuenit linquit omnia vt eam habeat c. Inde est quòd experimento videmus viros sanctos qui quanto magis in sanctitate proficiunt tanto minus sibi placent ac propterea tanto magis intelligunt se indigere Christo iustitia Christi sibi donata ideoque so relinquunt soli Christo incumbunt Hoc non ob eam accidit causam quòd facti sanctiores minus videant quà m prius neque quoniam facti sint animo dimissiori viliori imò quanto magis in sanctitate proficiunt tanto maiori sunt animo tantò sunt perspicaciores Quamobrem facti perspicaciores magis intuentur sanctitatis iustitiae ipsis inhaerentis tenuitatem cum qua perspiciunt multas maculas quae corum oculos factos perspicaciores magis offendunt ac propterea reipsa cognoscunt non sibi nitendum esse sanctitate charitate gratia sibi inhaerente sed confugiendum sibi esse ad Christum ad gratiam Christi ipsis donatam quae nitantur incumbant We attaine saith hee to a double righteousnesse the one inherent in vs whereby wee begin to be iust and are made partakers of the diuine nature and haue charity shed abroad in our hearts the other not inherent but giuen vs with Christ the righteousnesse I say of Christ and all his merits Both are giuen vs at one time and we attaine both of them by faith And that God hath giuen vs Christ and with him all things it is the Text of the Apostle to the Romanes These things I suppose none can contradict It remaines then to enquire whether of these two we are to trust vnto and to bee esteemed iustified before God For my part saith hee I thinke it agreeable both to Piety and Christianity to say that we ought to relye to relye I say vpon the righteousnesse of Christ giuen vnto vs as vpon a most firme foundation which doth surely sustaine vs and not vpon holinesse and grace inherent in vs. Thus Contarenus And againe in the same book Hac sola inquit certa stabili nobis nitendum est ob eam solam credere nos iustificari coram Deo id est
only be iustified but also saued without the explicite or cleare and vnfolded Faith of Christ. Where note that they not onely exclude the necessity of a distinct Faith in Christ but also put a maine difference between iustification and saluation For a Pontifician may be iustified and yet not saued Vega addes his reason for saith hee although Christ bound all men to beleeue the Gospell when he commanded his Apostles that they should preach it throughout the whole world pronounced them damned that beleeued not yet seeing there may be an inuincible ignorance of the Gospell that is eyther for want of the meanes or by reason of a wicked and peruerse disposition as they say this shall be no impediment in this respect why they may not be both iustified and saued which shall obserue other naturall precepts Thus the Councell of Trent with her Pontificians deale with Faith and Iustification as Cheaters who when they play with Nouices doe so shuffle and packe the Cardes that they make the game sure on their owne side and all to cheate the other of his money So the Pontificians cheate their simple people of their siluer and soules too by shuffling the particular sauing faith in Christ with such sleight of hand in the whole pack of generall faith that they are sure neuer to rise sauers Well come wee now to shew the vanity of this generall faith by setting against it the speciall particular faith which Gods Word teacheth and requireth of euery one that is truly iustified and so consequently perfectly saued We haue spoken before sufficiently of the proper and speciall obiect of sauing faith to wit Iesus Christ the summe of the Gospell and the substance of all Gods promises Therefore we will now confine our speech to the specialty and particularity of sauing faith in respect of the common subiect of it to wit euery beleeuer in particular It is the Catholicke Doctrine of the holy Scriptures that euery beleeuer must haue a speciall particular proper faith of his owne yea a cleare explicite and vnfolded faith in Christ that hee is not onely the Redeemer of mankinde in generall nor onely that we may be saued by him but that euery one in particular doe beleeue Christ is his Redeemer and Sauiour This is the speciall property of sauing faith particularly to apply Christ with all Gods promises in him to my soule and thy soule The Scriptures are very pregnant for the proofe of this point both in the Law in the Prophets and in the New Testament In the Law this particular faith is shadowed vnto vs by three remarkable types one of the hand another of the 〈◊〉 and the third of the Sicle of the Sanctuary To which also we may adde the particular sacrifice which euery man was to bring for his owne sinne We will begin with the last In the Law euery man was to bring a particular sacrifice for his particular sinne Leuit. 4. 27. 28. If any of the common people sinne c. not onely the Priest as vers 3. nor onely the Congregation vers 13. but if any one of the common people sinne c. then hee shall bring What an offering in generall no hee shall bring his offering as a Kidde without blemish for his sinne which hee hath sinned Now this offering without blemish what was it but a liuely type of Christ as of the Lambe without spot as Peter speaketh who was offered vp and sacrifised for euery sinner beleeuing in particular For the further confirmation of this point in the second place euery man bringing his particular offering for his particular sinne was to lay his hand vpon his offering as Leuit. 4. 29. Thus the Priest must doe also vers 4. thus the whole Congregation must doe vers 15. All must lay their hands vpon their sacrifice Now what is meant by the hand but a particular faith in euery beleeuer apprehending and applying Christ to the taking away and purging of his sinne This we touched before in the point of imputation where wee shewed that the hand thus layed vpon the sacrifice was a figure of faith Origen applies the laying on of the hand to the imposing of our sinnes vpon Christ the true sacrifice Hence it was that together with the imposition of the hand the sinnes of the offendors were confessed ouer the sacrifice and put vpon the head thereof Leuit. 16. 21. So that this imposition of the hand as it did figure the laying of our sinnes vpon Christ whereby he became sinne for vs by imputation bearing them vpon him So also it was a reciprocall signification of the imputation and application of Christs righteousnesse to euery beleeuer whereby wee become the righteousnesse of God in him the hand of faith comming betweene laying our sinne vpon Christ our sacrifice and receiuing his righteousnesse vnto vs. Among the Hebrew Doctors Maimony saith of this impâ—sition of the hand or hands that deafe men fooles children seruants weomen the blinde and the stranger might not impose their hand vpon the sacrifice Now wee know that the deafe fooles and children are voyde of actuall faith seruants weomen blinde and strangers might be in a mysterie debarred and excluded for seruants were types of the seruants of sinne weomen wee know were denyed the vse of Circumcision they were not reckoned in the number of those sixe hundred thousand that came out of Egypt who were all men of warre types of Christs Souldiers who must be of a Masculine vertue And Abraham the Father of the faithfull is said in Scripture to beget sonnes but not daughters Abraham non genuit filias saith Origen But this was in a mysterie only as Melchisedechs birth and death are not mentioned in Scripture and that in a mystery The blinde were of the nature of the deafe and the strangers argued those that were aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Couenants of promise as the Apostle speaketh Not that I meane these were denyed to haue any part in Gods Couenant but in a mystery and type onely as we haue said Also the same Rabbi saith that this imposition of the hand must be done by a mans self not by another as the iust man shall liue by his faith not by anothers faith Abac. 2. 4 It must bee done with all a mans might as Philip said to the Eunuch If thou beleeuest with all thy heart And immediately vpon the imposition the sacrifice was slaine figuring our faith in Christs bloud Rom. 3. 2. 5. Origen compares faith to the figure of the hoâ—y Sicle Leuit. 3. Siclo sancto comparandus nobis est Christus qui peccata nostra dissoluat Siclus sanctus fidei nostrae formam tenet We must with the Sicle of the Sanctuary purchase vnto vs Christ who may take away our sinnes The holy Sicle is the figure of our faith for saith hee if thou shalt offer faith as a price Christ as it were the
depend vpon the worthinesse or vnworthinesse of his owne disposition or preparation in comming to the Sacrament whereof say they as none can be certaine that it is as it ought to be but the contrary rather so neither can he be certaine of any grace receiued by the Sacrament But as the good King Ezechias prayed for the commers to the Sacrament of the Passeouer saying The Lord God pardon euery one that prepareth his heart to seeke God the Lord God of his Fathers though hee be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary that is so exactly as hee ought And the Lord hearkened vnto Hezechias and healed the people So though we come short as the best doe in the performance of holy duties according to that perfection which the Lord requireth yet there is place alwayes left for humble prayer both to procure Gods pardon for our faylings and his speciall grace and blessing in our reuerent vse of his holy Ordinances But this in briefe by the way to confute Vega's folly Secondly he answereth That though there bee no errour nor inuincible ignorance remaining in a man that is to receiue the Sacraments yet saith Vega I do not see it euery way certaine that those things are sufficient which are accounted requisite to iustification with the Sacrament of Baptisme or Penance For it is not certainly receiued of all that these Sacraments doe conferre the first grace As the Master of the Sentences Alexander Hales and Gabriel Biel are of the contrary opinion And sith these opinions saith hee are not condemned expresly by the Church although the opposite opinions be much more probable therefore there is place left for all kinde of doubtings and hesitations about our iustification as well after the receiuing of the Sacraments as before So that there is no more ground whereof to gather the certainty of grace because of the Sacraments receiued than by reason of our owne disposition But his third answer is the maine one he stands vpon for he saith Vtque radicitus totum hoc argumentum subruamus â—neruemus dico tandem c. And that wee may ouerthrow this whole argument by the rootes and vtterly disable it I say thirdly c. Here we cannot chuse but erect our expectation vnto some prodigious exployt to be performed by this Champion What will he doe He comes Sampson-like and makes no more reckoning to pull downe the pillars whereon the whole frame of Christian faith standeth than Sampson did to pull downe the house vpon the Philistims heads But let Vega beware hee pull not an old house vpon his owne head Well Dico tandem c. I say once for all that although it may be certaine by faith that any kinde of repentance for sinnes with a purpose of keeping the Commandemets and a desire to receiue Baptisme be together with Baptisme and Penance sufficient to obtaine grace yet it doth not follow that our grace may by faith be certaine vnto vs. For although it may appeare euidently to euery one whether he hath these things or no yet none can be certaine by faith or euidently that he is truely baptized or absolued because there is necessarily required vnto the accomplishing of these and all other Sacraments an intention in the Priest to doe that which the Priest doth as is decreed in the seuenth Session of this our Councell Can. 11. But of that intention in the Priest no man without diuine reuelation can by faith or euidence be certaine And so forth to this purpose Thus doth Vega at one blow stagger the certainty of faith confirmed by the Sacraments nay not onely stagger it but strike it dead if certainty as the Pontificians in their Councell haue decreed must depend vpon the intention of the Priest in the time of consecrating the Sacraments and without the Priests intention the whole Sacrament is voyde and vaine and whether the Priests intention were going a wool-gathering or no no man knoweth Into such a miserable exigent of vncertainty haue the Pontificians implunged themselues as into the very Gulfe of Hell where doubt and despaire dwels Now for those diuine helpes to the natiue certainty of sauing Faith we may summe them vp and reduce them to this gradation As first Gods Word Dictum Iehouae secondly Gods promise thirdly his oath fourthly his hand-writing fifthly his seale sixthly his earnest or pledge 2. Cor. 5. 5. So that God as it were by so many steppes and degrees leades our Faith to the very top of the impregnable Rocke of all infallible and vnmoueable certainty Another accessory testimony confirming the certainty of faith is a good conscience which is not onely conscientia rectè factorum but faciendorum not onely a good conscience in regard of our life past wherein we haue endeauoured to liue vprightly and heartily repented vs of whatsoeuer we haue mis-done eyther by omission or commission but also in regard of the time to come while we resolue in a sincere purpose of heart and endeauour with all our power to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Of the good conscience of the life past the Apostle speaketh whereby the certainty of his faith is sealed vp vnto him 2. Tim. 4. 6. 7. I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at band I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Whereupon hee concludes in the certainty of Faith Henceforth is laide vp for mee a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue mee at that day And of his good conscience for the time to come he speakes Phil. 3. 13. Brethren I count not my selfe to haue apprehended but this one thing I doe forgetting those things which are behind reaching forth vnto those things which are before I presse towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Also Heb. 13. 18. Pray for vs for we trust we haue a good conscience in all things willing to liue honestly Now the conscience of a man is weighty and magna in vtramque partem as the Orator said It is a powerfull testimony eyther to accuse or to acquite a man As Rom. 2. 15. The Apostles good conscience was a comfortable testimony vnto him Acts 23. 1. So 2. Cor. 1. 12. Our reioycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we haue had our conuersation in the world Now a good conscience hath many branches eyther as it reflects vpon Faith so it is priuie to the remission of sinnes and reconciliation of the soule with God or as it respecteth our loue both of God and of the godly in especiall Loue is another seale of Faith as 1. Iohn 3. 18 My little children let vs not loue in words neither in tongue but in deed and in truth
of iustification as a little before we premonished Now concerning the imputation of Christs righteousness what do they understand by it The Councell it selfe tels vs chap 7. where speaking of the formall cause of iustification they call it the righteousnesse of God but how the righteousnesse of God imputed to vs nothing lesse but that which is infused into vs. The words of the Councell are these Vnica formalis causa puta iustificationis est iustitia Dei non qua ipse iustus est sed qua nos iustos facit qua videlicet ab eo donati renoâ—amur spiritu mentis nostrae non modo reputamur fed verè iustinominamur sumus iustitiam in nobis recipientes vnusquisque suam secundum mensuram quam Spiritus sanctus partitur singulis prout vult secundum propriam cuiusque dispositionem cooperationem Quanquam enim nemo posset esse iustus nisi cui merita passionis Domini nostri Iesu Christi communicantur id támen in hac impiâ— iustificatione fit dum eiusdem sanctissimae passionis merito per Spiritum sanctum charitas Dei diffunditur in cordibus eorum qui iustificantur atque ipsis inhaeret c. The onely formall cause to wit of iustification is the righteousnesse of God not that whereby himselfe is iust but that whereby he makes vs iust namely wherewith he hauing endowed vs wee are renewed in the spirit of our minde and are not onely reputed but nominated and are really iust receiuing righteousnesse in our selues each according to his measure which the holy Ghost diuideth to euery one euen as he will and according to euery mans disposition and cooperation For although no man can be iust but hee to whom the merits of the passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ are communicated yet that is wrought in this iustification of a sinner while by the merit of the same holy passion the loue of God is by the holy Ghost shed abroad in the hearts of those who are iustified and is inherent in them c. Thus a man may see by the Councels expresse words that though they name imputation which they call the communication of Christs righteousnesse as the formall cause of our iustification yet they meane nothing else but that Christ hath merited that charity should be infused into our hearts whereby we should be iustified which in summe is as much to say as Christ became a Sauiour by whose merit euery man might bee made his owne Sauiour and that by another kinde of righteousnesse than that of Christ imputed That this is the sense of the Councell witnesse her chiefe Interpreters For if they had not finely found out this witty sense of the imputation of Christs righteousnesse it is much to be feared they had Anathematized the very name of it and throwne it into the fire of their Index expurgatorius wheresoeuer they had found it But this and other cleare truths in Scripture they can so dextrously handle as they can easily euacuate them by turning them to a most sinister sense and so are the lesse affraid to name them and to seeme to auouch them Otherwise as the history of this Councell tels vâ— the very name of imputation found very harsh intertainment among the most of their Schoole-doctors and Soto himselfe confesseth Quod verbum mihi semper suspectum in suspicionem detuli coram sancta Synodo which word saith he to wit Imputation I alwaies hauing suspected brought it into suspicion before the holy Synod And a little after although he commend the Canons of Colen accounting them as the buckler and bulwarke of faith yet saith he they as happely more secure of the aduersaries than safe haue vsed that word of Imputation where they say That the chiefe head of iustification is the remission and ablution of sinnes by the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ. But yet the Councell of Trent and Church of Rome are not so barren of inuention as not to bee able easily to reconcile this Catholicke word Imputation to the Church of Rome and to make it a Roman-Catholicke For by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse they haue learned to vnderstand that Christ hath merited an infusion of grace into vs whereby we are iustified For confessing the imputation of Christs righteousnesse to be the formall cause of our iustification they would teach vs out of Philosophy that Formalis causa est res illa vel qualitas quae inest subiecto that the formall cause as Soto saith is that thing or quality which is inherent in the subiect for the forme saith he is said in relation to the matter to which it giues a being by inherency Pari ergo modo c. As therefore the aire is not luminous or lightsome formally by the light that is in the Sun but by the light it receiueth in it selfe from the Sunne Constantissimum est c. it is a most constant truth That neither are wee formally iust and accepted by the righteousnesse which is in Christ but by that which himselfe hath conueyed into vs. Wee are saith hee made iust by Christs righteousnesse as by the efficient cause but not as by the formall cause But Vega peremptorily in his 7. book and 22. chapt intituled Of the impossibility of Christs righteousnesse to be the formall cause of our iustification concludeth thus in his first argument Superâ—â—uum est ab omni philosophia alienum ad hoc ipsum ponere aliant aliquam iustitiam videlicet iustitiam imputatiuam Christi It is superfluous and abhorring from all philosophy to put any other righteousnesse for a formall cause of our righteousnesse as the imputatiue righteousnesse of Christ. Therefore according to Romane-Catholicke diuinity which is most humane philosophy the formall cause of a mans righteousnesse must be inherent in him and his owne and not the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs. But yet the same author afterwards seemeth to shake imputation by the hand and to be good friends with it where he saith Non est adeo inuisum nobis hoc vocabulum vt credam nunquam nos posse hoc in proposito benè illo vti This word Imputation is not so odious vnto vs as that I thinke wee may neuer vse it well to this purpose Verè namque sanè ac latinè possumus dicere ad satisfactionem meritum imputatam esse generi humanâ— iustitiam Christi in passione sua iugiter imputari omnibus qui iustificantur satisfaciunt pro peccatis suis vitam aeternam suis bonis operibus merentur For wee may truely and soothly and in plaine termes say that vnto satisfaction and merit the righteousnesse of Christ in his passion is imputed to mankinde and is continually imputed to all men that are iustified and doe satisfie for their sins and by their good works do merit eternall life And much more to this purpose And a little after hee saith Non transiâ— iustitia Christi realiter
iust namely of him who iustifieth the vngodly that of impious he may be made righteous Or surely it is so said They shall be iustified as if it were said They shall bee accounted iust they shall be reputed iust So he Thus we see though St. Augustine following the etymologie of the word take iustificare to iustifie or make iust yet hee meaneth nothing else but the accounting or reputing iust and not the infusing of grace whereby to be made iust And Bernard also saith Adde huc vt credas quod per ipsum tibi peccata donantur Hoc est testimonium quod perhibet in corde nostro Spiritus sanctus dicens Dimissa sunt tibi peccata Sic enim arbitratur Apostolus Gratis iustificari hominem per fidem Adde to this that thou beleeue that by him thy sinnes are forgiuen thee This is the testimonie which the holy Ghost beareth in our heart saying Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee For so the Apostle concludeth That a man is iustified freely by faith But let vs heare from the holy Ghosts own mouth in the Scriptures he will leade vs into all truth To iustifie in Scripture is vsually taken in a iudiciall sense as beeing properly a iudiciall word iustification beeing opposed to condemnation The Hebrewes haue one word which signifies to iustifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is still applyed to such a iustification as a man stands vpon in a iudiciall tryall As Genesis 44. 16. Mah nits tadhac how shall wee iustifie our selues said Iudah to his brother Ioseph in regard of the cup found in Beniamins sacke which seemed now to be brought to aiudiciall Tryall So 2. Sam. 15. 4. Absolon wisheth hee were Iudge of the Land that hee might doe euery man iustice or iustifie him Reade also for this purpose Deut. 25. 1. Psal. 51. 4. 1 Kings 8. 32. Pro. 17. 15. Esay 5. 23. 43. 26. Matth. 12. 37. 1. Cor. 4. 4. and many other places in Scripture to this purpose doe plainely shew how this word Iustifie is properly taken namely to acquit or cleere to pronounce or declare one iust by the sentence of the Iudge This sense of iustification the Church of Rome cannot endure they smother or at least smooth it ouer by slight of hand as a matter of no moment Whereas indeede there is nothing that will more directly leade vs to the true vnderstanding of the nature of iustification than the consideration of this word taken in a iudiciall sense wherein the holy Ghost doth vse it namely to acquit and absolue a man and pronounce him iust by sentence of iudgement This sheweth that the point of iustification of a sinner is not so light a matter as Papists and profane persons would make it No it is a Case to be tried at the barre of Gods iudgement-seate in whose sight shall no man liuing bee iustified Holy Iob while hee pleaded with his opposite friends hee wanted not matter for his iustification but when once the Lord God summons â—im out of the whirle-winde before his throne and bids him girde vp his loynes like a man Iob stands not now vpon his vprightnesse but confesseth I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand vpon my mouth c. Iob 40. 4. and 42. 5. I haue heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Yea hee had said before Chap. 9. 15. Whom though I were righteous yet would I not answer but I would make supplication to my Iudge for God is a righteous and seuere iudge and who may stand in his sight when he is angry when hee sits to iudge For the heauens are not cleane in his sight how much more abominable and filthie is man which drinketh iniquitie like water Iob 15. 16. If therefore our iustification be such as must proceede from Gods iudgement seate and must be sentenced by Gods owne mouth it neerely concernes euery Mothers Sonne to bee well aduised vpon what ground we stand what euidence wee can bring to cleare our selues to satisfie our vnpartiall Consciences to stop the mouth of the accusing Diuell and to abide the fierie triall of that Iudge who is euen a consuming fire and will condemne euen the least sinne to the pit of hell But that wee may not mistake the true acception of iustification we are to consider iustification in a two-fold relation or respect either as it hath relation to God or to man before whom also we are said to be iustified but in a different yea opposite respect whereof we shall haue occasion to speake hereafter Here wee speake of Iustification in the first relation Now this iustification of a sinner in the sight of God whereof wee speake proceedeth from a iudiciall tryall In this sense it is vsed by the holy Ghost Rom. 8. 33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe c. This iustification the Lord Iesus doth oppose to condemnation Iohn 5. 24. where speaking of iudgement vers 22. he inferreth Verily Verily I say vnto you Hee that heareth my word and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death vnto life And like as Iesus Christ was condemned by a iudiciall proceeding Pilate giuing sentence though according to such euidence as was most vntrue in it selfe so all those for whom Christ was thus iudicially condemned shall be iudicially iustified and acquitted But this wil appear more clearly in setting down the formall cause of our iustification To speake to the capacity of the simple By formall cause is meant that which giues a being to iustification as forma dat esse the forme of a thing giues being vnto it That therefore which makes a man perfectly iust is called the formall cause of his iustification Now the Pontificians would hence conclude That inherent qualities must be the formall cause of iustification alledging the authority of Philosophers who say That the formall cause is the thing or quality which is in the subiect as the soule of man is in the body And therefore they exclude the righteousnesse of Christ whereby he is formally iust from being the formall cause of our iustification because say they Christs righteousnesse is in himselfe not in vs. But no maruaile if these Pontificians doe wrest the Maximes of Philosophers from their natiue sense when they dare so familiarly force the Scriptures themselues The Philosophers speake of a physicall formality but the holy Scriptures speake of the iustification of a sinner in the sight of God the forme whereof is relatiue and not physically inherent in vs. But be it so that the formall cause must alwayes be in the subiect to which it giues a being the formall cause then of iustification must be inherent Wherein
Faith But in what respect doth he oppose them first in respect of their natures the one consisting in working the other in beleeuing as Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not but beleeueth c. Secondly in respect of their opposite conditions The condition of the Law is Doe this and liue but the law of Faith is Beleeue and liue as the Apostle declares at large Rom. 10. 4. c. Now all this opposition between the Law and Faith is mainely in the point of Iustification There is a Iustification by the Law a Iustification by Faith but so opposite and incompatible as they can in no wise bee reconciled together the one doth necessarily exclude the other Oyle and vineger cannot bee mingled together but the one will euer floate aboue the other and admit of no mixture so the oyle of grace and of faith can abide no mixture with the sharpe vineger of that killing letter the Law in the worke of iustification in Gods sight vnlesse where the Law is entirely and exactly kept in all points But otherwise the Law and Faith the Law and the Gospell doe sweetly conspire together For as for the Ceremonies of the Law in as much as they were types all answering to the patterne of heauenly things shewed to Moses in the Mount which patterne was Christ as the Apostle to the Hebrewes most diuinely sheweth those Ceremonies those Types are now all swallowed vp and for euer fulfilled in the substance and truth which is Christ And as for the morall Law it is made subordinate to the Faith of the Gospell so that in euery beleeuer it is the rule of Christian obedience and holy conuersation And therefore when the Law was giuen in Mount Sinai Iesus Christ stands at the top saying I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me c. Now what deliuerance was this A temporall deliuerance only No it was a liuely type of our spirituall freedome from the Egyptian seruitude of sinne and Sathan witnesse the Pascall Lambe which slaine the blood sprinkled saued the Israelites which was a type of the Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world And the Sea diuided a type of Baptisme sauing the soule and drowning sinne together with the power of darkenesse Pharaoh and his Hoast So that howsoeuer the giuing of the Law was with much terrour in regard of the manner yet in regard of the matter being well vnderstood it must needes bee most comfortable to all the faithfull who beleeue in Iesus Christ the Deliuerer from Egypt who hath freed vs from the curse of the Law and will worke in vs both to will and to doe the duties of the Law as fruits of faith euen of his good pleasure Indeed that notable and excellent Preface to the Morall law I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt c. to the common carnall and vnbeleeuing Iewes was a Riddle but to the Eagle-ey'd Beleeuer Iew or Gentile it is a most cleere Gospell setting forth what Iesus Christ hath done for vs and consequently what wee should doe for him that as wee beleeue in him who hath saued and redeemed vs out of the house of bondage and from the seruitude of the spirituall Pharaoh so wee should testifie this our faith in louing fearing seruing and obeying him in keeping those commandements of Loue written not with pen and inke but with the finger of Gods spirit not in tables of stone but in the fleshie tables of our hearts As it is in the Song of Zachary That wee being deliuered from the hands of our enemies should serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Therefore seruants were called à seruando as being saued by those to whom therefore they did owe their seruice In this respect the Law and Faith the Law and the Gospell are not opposite but sweetely subordinate the one vnto the other that as Christ hath saued vs from the curse of the Law so he propounds himselfe to be serued of vs by conformity to the Law in a Christian conuersation So that the Tree of life sweetning these waters of Marah Iesus Christ sweetning and sanctifying the Law vnto vs wee drinke thereof with comfort to strengthen vs in our way to Canaan through this wearisome Wildernesse As Dauid saith I will runne the way of thy Commandements when thou hast enlarged my heart So that Faith and the Law to wit the obedience of Gods will are sweete yea inseparable companions and goe hand in hand together throughout the whole Pilgrimage of this life but in the worke of our Iustification in the sight of God they are meere strangers one vnto the other yea sworne opposites that can neuer be reconciled though the Pontificians would neuer so faine ioyne together Faith Gods Arke and their owne worke Dagon in their Temple to stand as copartners in their iustification But Dagon fals downe where the Arke standeth yea hee loseth his head all deuices to pleade for himselfe and his hands too that hee cannot doe one good deede towards his Iustification but remaines a meere trunck and senslesse blocke And as the Philistims while they boasted they had gotten the Arke of God to their Dagon were not free but the more followed with diuine vengeance So the Pontificians while they bragge of faith and good workes as concurring in iustification they are so farre from being saued from Gods wrath as that they doe the more incense him against themselues Nor shall they euer bee free from feeling and fearing Gods plagues till with the Philistims they send home the Lords Arke with a sinne-offring that is vntil they repent of this their profanation of the Faith of Christ which is that onely wherein Israel must be saued renouncing their own workes as hauing no more hands than Dagon left them for to worke their iustification in the sight of God CHAP. X. A plausible obiection of the Pontificians for the confirmation of their Iustification by inherent righteousnesse answered and diuers reasons added to shew the absurdities of Iustification by inherencie BVt the Pontificians in the behalfe of their iustification by inherent righteousnesse obiect What difference is there say they betweene Gods pardoning our debts and giuing vs money to pay them A pretty deuice indeede For so long as they can colour and varnish ouer their hypocrisie by seeming to ascribe the glory of their inherent iustification to God they thinke all is well enough and if probability might stand for proofe our penny of inherent righteousnesse might proue as good siluer to satisfie for our debts to God as the price of Christs bloud payde for vs and imputed to vs. But let Baal pleade for himselfe seeing he is a God And for the deciding of this doubt we haue a leading case in the Gospell that will easily stint the
righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made to saluation Let Pontificians feare to frame such a iustification as they finde not in the Scriptures Secondly because inherent righteousnesse doth not only diminish the glory but euen abolish the merit of Christ in all his sufferings His glory it is to bee our whole and sole Sauiour this glory hee will not impart to any creature for hee saith I euen I am the Lord and besides me there is no Sauiour Stella obserueth well saying Redemptor redemptus inuicem se excludunt To be a Redeemer and to be redeemed are two incompatible things and cannot consist together But the faithfull are called The redeemed of the Lord Esa. 62. 12. and the Lord the Redeemer therefore in no sort can they be their owne Redeemers vnlesse Christ bee denyed to bee their Redeemer and they his redeemed Againe the merit of Christs sufferings was to intitle vs to the intire obedience and righteousnesse of Christ to make it as firmely and wholly ours by imputation as our sinne was his by imputation But inherent iustification robs Christ of his glory seeing thereby euery man becomes his owne Sauiour at least in part and so Christ is denied to bee a perfect and alone Sauiour And seeing inherent righteousnesse challengeth only a part of Christs merits and consequently alloweth him to be but a party-Sauiour and so also that he bore our sinnes but in part to the end we might fill vp what is wanting eyther by our owne workes or by the surplusage of some fained Church-treasure and workes of supererogation or satisfaction Hence it is that Christ being diuided and our righteousnesse parted betweene him and vs that his death comes vtterly to be abolished and of none effect For as the Galathians ioyning circumcision with Christ and their workes with faith in their iustification came to be abolished from Christ and Christ profited them nothing So all Popish inherency of righteousnesse ioyning Christs merits and mans workes together doth vtterly annihilate and frustrate the death of Christ. For saith and workes are opposite and exclude each other in the point of iustification As the Apostle saith If by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace But if it bee of workes then is it no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke So that grace and workes are vnreconcileable and incompatible in the worke of iustification Although the Trent Councell doth according to her manner most impiously abuse that former place to the Romanes applying it onely to exclude merit of condignity from those workes which goe before iustification though not merit of congruity according to her equiuocall scope destroying in one little Chapter the true nature and property of faith and grace in our iustification A third reason condemning Popish iustification by inherent righteousnesse is because it peruerteth the whole tenure of the Gospell and those clouds of testimonies therein all euidently prouing our iustification by Christ through faith as hath been formerly declared A fourth reason because it fils the heart with pride as we haue seene in the example of that Pharisee who though he acknowledged God to bee the Author of his many vertues yet because he rested in them and placed there in his righteousnesse and perfection he failed of Gods approbation And we see the Apostle doth often strike vpon this string shewing how pride doth necessarily follow this iustification by workes at any hand for by faith boasting is excluded Rom. 3. 27. 4. 2. 1. Cor. 1. 29. Ephes. 2. 9. Not of workes least any man should boast Implying that works in iustification is as the Leauen of the Pharisees it sowers and swels the whole lumpe And there must needes bee an intolerable height of pride in that mans heart that dare with Lucifer ascend into the seate of God and aspire to be like the most High by ioyning his workes and Christs merits together whereby hee will be iustified in the sight of God and become a fellow Sauiour with Iesus Christ. A fift reason followeth hereupon That consequently this doctrine of inherent iustification leades a man headlong to hell For as it teacheth a man to aspire to a partnership with Christ in his glory in the worke of iustification so it maketh him to haue fellowship with the Diuell and his Angels in their eternall condemnation It is not possible this doctrine should euer bring a man to Heauen it being as it were a Ladder the one side whereof is of Timber and the other side of a Reed ioyned together by rotten steps For mans workes are that side of Reede and Christs merits are the other side of Timber of the Tree of life both ioyned together by the steps of vnsound doctrine of inherent righteousnesse Like those feete part of yron and part of clay no way cohering together In a word this doctrine of inherent righteousnesse is a false and deceitfull doctrine which as it can neuer truly iustifie a man in Gods sight so it can neuer satisfie the conscience with solid comfort For that which iustifies a man in the sight of God giues a man boldnesse and confidence in his presence Therefore the Apostle saith Beeing iustified by Faith we haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also we haue accesse by Faith into this grace wherein wee stand and reioyce in hope of the glorie of God c. And chap. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth And Heb. 10. 19. where hauing shewed that our iustification stands in remission of sinnes he inferreth thereupon That we haue boldnesse to enter into the Holyest that is into heauen by the bloud of Iesus This is it that giues vs true peace of conscience in our selues and confidence towards God But inherent righteousnesse can neuer giue vs this peace of conscience this confidence towards God being at the best mingled with infinite imperfections and corruptions Euen Bellarmine himselfe confesseth That it is the safest and securest course to relye vpon the only merits of Christ. And we reade that Stephen Gardiner that bloudy persecuter of Gods Saints lying vpon his death bed and being demanded by some that stood by a reason of his faith how hee looked to be saued His answer was That for his part hee beleeued he could not be saued but by the only merits of Iesus Christ but saith hee this is a secret and must be kept from the peoples knowledge for if this gap bee once set open then farewell all good workes Yea Pope Gregory the Seuenth that notorious Hildebrand recounting his many pontificall prerogatiues and among them that one That if the Bishop of Rome haue any personall defaults yet vndoubtedly he is sanctified by the merits of blessed Peter but at length hauing drunk-in such store of iniquitie like water as an old leaking ship now ready to sinke in the very hauens mouth
being put to a pinch vpon the apprehension of Gods approaching arrest haling him vnto iudgement then he could learn to say I find my selfe so surcharged with the huge weight of my sinns that there remains for me no hope of saluation but in the sole mercy of Iesus Christ. So that the very Arch-Pontificians themselues in their death when their conscience is made their iudge renounce their own Doctrine seeme to desire to dye good Protestants like Balaam who wished he might dye the death of the righteous But I cānot see by what way such dubbling Wanderers can come to heauen because as in their life they denyed the doctrine of Faith so in their death they are for ought wee may deeme deuoyd of the duety of charity Dye they not in a most preposterous malice and enuy They would goe to Heauen but would pull the Ladder after them lest the simple people should follow them So the Hypocriticall Pharisees who shut vp the Kingdome of Heauen against men neither going in themselues nor suffering those that would to enter in Thus the Testimony of Romane Catholickes themselues may bee sufficient to conuince the vanitie and falshood of their iustification by their inherent righteousnesse But yet for more confirmation of the truth and confutation of this damnable doctrine of Popery let vs take a briefe view of the faith and opinion which the Saints of God from time to time haue had concerning their owne inherent righteousnesse Abraham the father and figure of the faithfull for all his workes yet was not iustified by them in the sight of God as the Apostle testifieth of him Rom. 4. 2. for if Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God This onely testimony might stand for all to proue wherein the righteousnesse of all the faithfull consisteth whereby they stand iust in the sight of God to wit not in their inherent righteousnesse but in the onely righteousnesse of Christ imputed and by faith applied Thus Iob confessed he stood iustified Iob 9 2. How should man be iust with God if he will contend with him hee cannot answer him one of a thousand And ver 20. If I iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne me if I say I am perfect it shall also proue me peruerse And Chapt. 25. 4. How can man bee iustified with God yea Chapt. 9. 15. whom saith he though I were righteous yet would I not answer but I would make supplication to my Iudge Indeede towards his friends he stands stoutly in the iustification of himselfe namely of his integrity and sincerity and that hee was no hypocrite as they no lesse vncharitably than vntruely charged him but towards God he beares himself farre otherwise before him he humbles himselfe he makes supplication to his Iudge saith Chap. 9. 30. If I wash my self with snow-water and make my hands neuer so cleane yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine owne clothes shall abhorre me for he is not a man as I am that I should answer him and we should come together in iudgement And Chapt. 10. 14. If I sinne then thou markest mee and thou wilt not acquite me from mine iniquity If I bee wicked woe vnto me and if I be righteous yet will I not lift vp my head I am full of confusion c. But had Iob no good workes Yes looke vpon his life described in his 29. 30. 31. Chapters Hee was an eye to the blinde and a foote to the lame a deliuerer of the poore fatherlesse and friendlesse from the oppressor breaking the iawes of the wicked and plucking the spoile out of his teeth He wept for him that was in trouble and his soule was grieued for the poore And though hee were a great man a wise man a Prince yet hee ate not his morcels alone but the poore and fatherlesse fed with him The naked limmes blessed him being warmed with the fleece of his sheepe What sinne was Iob addicted to and what actions of piety and mercy did he not abound in Insomuch as in respect of his sincerity and integrity of heart hee durst say If I haue walked with vanity or if my foote hath hasted to deceit let me be weighed in an euen ballance that God may know mine integrity And God knew his integrity giuing testimony vnto it that he was a man perfect and vpright and one that feared God and eschued euill Yet all this righteousnesse Iob renounceth when he comes to the strict tryall of Gods Tribunall For comming to stand in Gods presence he saith Chapt 42. 5. I haue heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes An admirable type of a faithfull man not trusting in his owne inherent righteousnesse but in the onely mercy of God through Christs merits whereby onely he stands iustified in the sight of God Was not Dauid also a holy man an honest hearted man after Gods owne heart yet he professeth Psal. 71. 15. c. My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousnesse and thy saluation all the day for I know not the numbers that is the perfections thereof I will goe in the strength of the Lord God and will make mention of thy righteousnesse euen of thine onely And in the beginning of the same Psalme In thee O Lord haue I put my trust let me neuer bee put to confusion deliuer me in thy righteousnesse And Psalme 89. 16. speaking in the name of all the faithfull he saith In thy name shall they reioyce all the day and in thy righteousnesse shall they make their boast And vpon the 32. Psalme Paul hath these words as a Commentary of Dauids words Rom. 4. 6. Euen as Dauid also describeth the blessednesse of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne But Dauid disclaimeth the iustification of all inherent righteousnesse in the sight of God Psal. 143. Heare my prayer O Lord giue eare to my supplication in thy faithfulnesse answer me and in thy righteousnesse And enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified And Psalme 30. If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiuenesse with thee that thou mayst be feared So Esay that Euangelicall Prophet aduanceth Gods righteousnesse and disauoweth mans righteousnesse Esay 54 17. This is the heritage of the seruants of the Lord and their righteousnesse is of me saith the Lord. Yea say the Pontificians our inherent righteousnesse is of the Lord. Nay saith Esay chapt 64. 6. We are all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as filthy rags Yea say the Pontificians before we be regenerate and be in Christ. But Esay speaketh of the Church of the Iewes of the
circumcised to whom circumcision was a signe of regeneration and of Gods Couenant of grace and a seale of faith and Esay puts himselfe in the number Was Esay now vnregenerate And in the name of himselfe and the whole Church of the Iewes hee renounceth all inherent righteousnesse as filthy rags in no sort to bee patched and pieced to that garment of saluation to that robe of righteousnesse namely Christs righteousnesse imputed and put vpon vs by the hand of faith wherein Esay and all the faithfull reioyce as hee saith Esa. 61. 10. I will greatly reioyce in the Lord my soule shall be ioyfull in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of saluation he hath couered me with the robe of righteousnesse as a Bridegroome decketh himselfe with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her selfe with her Iewels And in the 43. of Esay vers 25. 26. there is a flat opposition betweene Gods mercy and our workes in iustification I euen I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sins But may not our workes come in as sharers with Gods mercies What workes The Prophet addeth in Gods person Put me in remembrance let vs pleade together declare thou that thou mayst be iustified If God pleade with vs in iudgement we haue no euidence of any workes in vs whereby to be iustified in his sight But our workes and obedience to Gods lawes are called our righteousnesse As Matth. 5. 20. Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees yee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God I answer this place may well be vnderstood of Euangelicall righteousnesse opposite to that legall righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees and so Christ points vs to the righteousnesse of faith in him But admit our workes be called our righteousnesse what then doth it follow that this is our righteousnesse to iustifie vs in the sight of God Nothing lesse For Moses saith speaking of obedience to Gods commandements Deut. 9. Speake not thou in thy heart after that thou art come to possesse that good Land saying For my righteousnesse the Lord hath brought me in to possesse this Land No saith Moses vnderstand that the Lord thy God giueth thee not this good Land to possesse it for thy righteousnesse Now the Land of Canaan was a type of Gods Kingdome which wee cannot come to possesse by our own inherent righteousnesse Whereupon St Ambrose in his enarration vpon the 43. Psalme but according to our accompt 44. v. 3. They got not the Land in possession by their owne sword c. saith Patres nostri vtpote proximi haredes Patriarcharum plantati in terra repromissionis non suis â—oâ— meritis vindicabant Our fathers to wit the next successours and heires of the Patriarches beeing planted in the Land of promise did not claime this as due to their merits Ideo nec Moses eos induxit ne Legis hoc existimetur esse sed gratiâ— Lex enim merita examinat gratia fidem spectat Therefore saith he neither did Moses bring them in thither that it might not be reckoned as the worke of the Law but of Grace for the Law examineth workes or merits but Grace respecteth faith Therefore as not Moses but Iosua or Iesus for so was his Name was appointed to bring the children of Israel into the possession of Canaan the Land of promise which importeth also the Land of mercy or of grace So not the Law giuen by Moses but Iesus Christ by whom came grace and truth hee our true Ioshua bringeth his people into the possession of grace and glory Ergo qui non in brachio suo hoc est in sua operatione praesumit sed in Dei gratia credens quod non facta sua vnumquemque iustificant sed fides prompta dicit Domino Tu es ipse Rex meus Deus meus qui mandas salutes Iacob Therefore saith holy Ambrose he that presumeth not in his owne arme that is in his workes but in the grace of God beleeuing that not a mans workes but his prompt and cleare faith doth iustifie him this man saith vnto the Lord Thou art my King and my God that commandest saluation for Iacob True it is that the same Father in another place saith Sola fides non sufficit operari per dilectionem c. Sole faith is not sufficient it is necessary that faith worke by loue and conuerse worthy of God And a little after Festinemus c. Let vs hasten to enter into that rest because faith is not sufficient but a life beseeming faith must be added and great care vsed that faith bee not idle For it is necessary for euery one that would possesse Heauen to adorne his faith with good workes So he True a most pious and Christian speech but in all this he saith not that faith alone is not sufficient to iustifie vs in the sight of God and so to bring vs to the possession of Heauen for then hee should contradict himselfe elsewhere where hee saith Sublatis omnibus operibus legis sola fides posita est ad salutem All the workes of the law being remoued onely faith takes place in our saluation Marke he saith Sola fides onely faith And againe the same Father saith elsewhere Non operibus iustificamur sed fidâ— quoniam carnalis infirmitas operibus impedimento est sed fidei claritas factorum obumbrat errorem quae meretur veniam delictorum We are not iustified saith he by workes but by faith because the infirmity of the flesh is an impediment to workes but the glory of faith doth couer the errour of our workes which faith obtaineth remission of sinnes And againe Infirmitas excludit à venia fides excusat à culpa Our infirmity excludeth vs from pardon and faith excuseth vs from blame And setting downe his peremptory iudgement grounded vpon Scripture he saith Arbitramur secundum Apostolum iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus legis Iustificetur ergo ex fide Dauid qui per legem peccatum agnouit sed peccati veniam ex fide credidit Wee definitiuely conclude saith hee according to the Apostle that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Therefore let Dauid be iustified by faith who by the law acknowledged his sinne and by faith beleeued the pardon of his sinne And againe elsewhere Deus clementia bonitatis suae semper homini procurans vt quod sine lege peccatum erat in lege posset deleri hoc decreuit vt solam fidem poneret per quam omnium peccata abolerentur That is God by the clemency of his goodnesse alwayes prouiding for man that both sinne committed without law and in the law might be blotted out hath made this decree to appoint sole faith whereby all mens sinnes might be abolished Now compare these iudicious sayings of this holy man with that hee said
formerly that sole faith is not sufficient but a good life must be added and it will plainly appeare that he speakes of faith alone as sufficient to iustifie vs in the sight of God and to procure vs the possession of heauen yet hee meanes not a solitary and dead faith but such a faith as is a liuing and sauing faith working by loue which hath as well a worke of sanctification in a holy life amongst men as of iustification by a holy beliefe in the sight of God For there is frequent mention of a twofold righteousnesse in the workes of ancient Fathers The one of iustification before God which is the righteousnesse of faith the other of iustification before men which is the righteousnesse of workes This second is via regni the way to the kingdome that other of faith is causa regnandi the cause of our reigning in this kingdome Saint Paul also disclaimeth all his former Pharisaicall life which as touching the Law was vnreprouable calling and accounting it but drosse and dung Nay now after his conuersion hauing walked holily and faithfully in his Apostolicall vocation and Ministery so that he knew nothing by himselfe yet what saith he Although I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not therby iustified but he that iudgeth me is the Lord. And renouncing all his inherent righteousnesse all his desire was to bee found in Christ not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith To omit the multitude of testimonies of holy men of God the fathers of the Church from time to time who in their writings doe renounce their own inherent righteousnesse as iustifying them in the sight of God Let vs for conclusion of this point adde a few memorable sayings vttered by dying men such as were of a holy life conuersation now agoing to appear before the dreadfull Tribunall of Gods most strict and vnpartiall iudgment now sealing vp their faith with their last breath Possidonius in his 27. Chapter of the life of Augustine tels a memorable story Augustine saith he told vs that hee heard a most wise and pious answer of Ambrose of blessed memory drawing neare his end which he much praised and commended for when that venerable Father lay vpon his death-bed and was desired of the faithfull standing about his bed with teares that hee would aske of the Lord a longer time of his Pilgrimage here he answered them * I haue not so liued as that I am ashamed to continue amongst you nor yet am I affraid to dye because we haue a good Master And herein saith Possidonius our Augustine now aged did admire and praise his words as refined in the fire and weighed in the ballance For therefore is hee to be vnderstood to say Nor doe I feare to dye because wee haue a good Master lest he might be thought to trust and presume too much vpon his most sanctified life But I haue not so liued that I am ashamed to liue among you this he said in regard of that which one man might know of another for knowing the tryall of diuine iustice he said he relyed more vpon the goodnesse of his Lord than vpon his owne merits to whom also he prayed daily in the Lords Prayer Forgiue vs our debts c. Bernard when hee seemed to drawe his last breath being in a trance he thought he was presented before the Tribunall of his Lord And Sathan also stood opposite against him charging him with many wicked accusations And when hee had prosecuted all to the full then the man of God was to pleade for himselfe And being no whit terrified or troubled he said I confesse I am vnworthy nor can I obtaine the Kingdome of Heauen by mine owne merits But my Lord obtaining it by a double right to wit by the inheritance of his Father and by the merit of his passion contenting himselfe with the one hee bestoweth the other vpon mee by whose gift claiming it as mine owne right I am not confounded At this word the enemy went away confounded There is extant an exhortation of Anselme to a dying brother set downe in most sweet words When any brother seemeth to be extremely oppressed it stands both with piety and prudence that he be exercised by a Prelate or some other Priest with these questions and exhortations vnder written And first let him be demanded Brother doest thou reioyce that thou shalt dye in the faith and let him answer I do Confesse that thou hast not liued so wel as thou shouldest I confesse it Doest thou repent of it I doe repent Hast thou a will and purpose to amend if thou shouldst haue time to liue longer Yes Doest thou beleeue that the Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God dyed for thee I beleeue it Doest thou beleeue thou canst not bee saued but by his death Yea. Doest thou from thy heart thank him for this I doe Giue therefore while there is life in thee alwayes thankes vnto him and put thy whole trust in this his onely death Commit thy selfe wholly to his death Couer thy whole selfe with this death and wrap thy selfe wholly in it And if the Lord goe about to iudge thee say Lord I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene me and thy iudgment otherwise I will not contend with thee If he shall say that thou hast deserued damnation say thou I set the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene mee and my illdeseruings and assigne me the merit of his most precious passion for my merit which I my selfe should haue had but alas haue not Let him say againe I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene mee and thy wrath Let him also say three times O Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit And let those that stand about him answer Into thy hands O Lord we commend his spirit And he shall dye secure and shall neuer see death The same Anselme in his meditations as it were setting himselfe before the Tribunall of Gods iudgement whereby he declareth that neither the life of the regenerate nor good workes can stand against diuine iustice but onely Christ the Mediator saith My life doth terrifie mee for my whole life being exactly discussed and sifted doth appeare to me either to be sinne or meere barrennesse And if any fruit appeare therein it is either so counterfeit or imperfect or one way or other corrupt as it cannot but displease God for all of it is either sinnefull and damnable or vnfruitfull and contemptible But why doe I separate or distinguish vnfruitfull from damnable For if it be vnfruitfull it is damnable For euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cast into the fire O therefore drie and vnprofitable tree worthy of eternall fire what wilt thou answer in that day when it shall be required of thee euen to a
the Elect from in and to all ages past present and to come whose generall obiect though it be the whole Word of God yet the speciall obiect of it is Christ Iesus the word incarnate and the speciall promises of life made vnto vs of God in him Now by this which hath beene already said we may easily see the sequell and issue of all the rest of those priuiledges and markes that the Pontificians put vpon their Catholick Faith For seeing they admit of no other Faith in kinde than the Historicall we will easily yeeld vnto them that this their Faith may be and is in the very Deuils and Damned We will yeeld them also that their Faith being dead of it selfe and without forme or being and receiuing life forme and being from Charity may also vpon the losse of Charity become as well dead and vnformed againe as before it receiued life from Charity But whereas they say that this Faith dead as it is and being fruitlesse and without Charity yet is sufficient to make a man a Christian and a Beleeuer wee allow them this also thus farre that it may make them such Christians and Beleeuers as to send them to hell amongst the Deuils and Damned their fellow-Beleeuers as their fideles fornicarios adulteros molles musculorum concubitores fures c. their faithfull fornicators adulterers effeminate Sodomites and Catamites theeues and other such their Christian beleeuers whom by Trents owne confession their Faith excludes from the Kingdome of Heauen But this Faith of theirs being no other in kinde but that which is common with the damned to wit of it selfe dead and fruitlesse let them deuise neuer such precious wares to stuffe it withall as Charity Hope and the like to put life into it it will proue no more a liuing Faith than Michals Image with the pillow stuffed with Goates haire laide vnder the head of it proued a liuing man And so consequently it can neuer make a man such a Christian and Beleeuer as to bring him to the possession of Gods Kingdome But are they to be accounted Christians and Beleeuers that goe to Hell Yes surely as good as Romane-Catholickes for such onely they account their Christians and Beleeuers Well let them enioy their priuiledge In the meane time they must know that God hath another kinde of beleeuing Christians For as the Apostle saith As he is not a Iew that is one outwardly nor that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh but hee is a Iew that is one within and Circumcision that of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God So he is not a Christian that is one outwardly neither is that Baptisme which is outward on the flesh but hee is a Christian that is one inwardly and Baptisme that of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God But the Romane-Catholicke Christian beleeuers are they that haue receiued their outward forme of Baptisme and professe themselues members of the Romane-Catholicke Church be they otherwise neuer so damnable in their liues What saith Bernard in his Sermon ad Pastores Neminem vestrum credo esse hâ—reticum omnes creditis c. I beleeue none of you is a hereticke you all beleeue one God in Trinity that Christ suffered and was buried that hee descended and ascended But doth this faith make a man a Catholicke By this faith the very Deuils should bee Catholickes for as St. Iames saith they beleeue and tremble But not that faith which is common with Deuils and men maketh a true Catholick but that only which is common to men with Angelicall spirits What faith is that That which worketh by loue So he Therefore by Bernards doctrine faith voyde of charity which is common with Deuils howsoeuer it may make a Romane-Catholicke and so saith Bernard it may the Deuill as well but a true Catholicke it cannot make St. Augustine also puts a maine difference saying Cum dilectione fides Christiani sine dilectione fides Daemonum the faith of a Christian is ioyned with loue the faith of Deuils is without loue Hee is therefore a Christian that hath such a faith as hath loue ioyned with it and consequently they are no Christians but rather of the number of Deuils as being members of the Deuill whose faith is without loue And the same Austine elsewhere plainly declareth who are the faithfull saying Corpus Christi est Ecclesia non ista aut illa sed toto orbe diffusa Tota autem Ecclesia constans ex omnibus fidelibus quia fideles omnes membra sunt Christi habet illud caput positum in coelestibus quod gubernat corpus suum etsi separatum est à visione sed annectitur charitate Totus Christus caput est corpus eius The body of Christ is the Church not this or that Church but diffused ouer the whole world And the whole Church consisting of all the faithfull in as much as all the faithfull are members of Christ hath that head now set in the heauenly places which gouerneth his body and although it bee separated from vision or sight yet it is knit vnto him by loue For whole Christ is the head and his body So we see St. Augustine confesseth none to bee faithfull but such as are the members of Christ nor any his members but the members of his body the Church nor Christs Church to be any one particular Church as the Romane-Catholicke Church but indeed the Catholicke Church spread ouer the whole world Now if none bee faithfull but such as are the members of Christ of his Church of his body Christ is the Sauiour of his body and not one of his members can perish yea not a haire of their heads shall perish how then are they members of Christ sith Christians sith faithfull that haue no part in that saluation whereof the whole body is partaker But such are members of Christ though not perfectly vnited as Trent saith Chapt. 7. and Vega commendo it But St. Augustine knew no such members of Christ. Although by a common appellation or account all Christians as being baptized are called Faithfull in as much as they haue receiued the character of Faith which is Baptisme as Augustine saith yet properly and in a strict sense none are true beleeuers but such as are indued with a true liuing holy iustifying Faith in Christ whereby they are perpetually and inseparably vnited vnto him as liuing members of the same body to reigne with him for euermore Sâ— Saint Paul doth exemplifie this in describing a true Iew Hee is not a Iew that is one outward neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Iew that is one within and the Circumcision of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God St. Chrysostome saith Whence art thou made holy
a comparison taken from building Christ Iesus is the Rocke whereon euery beleeuer as a house is built This building is so strong as no flouds of persecutions nor windes of temptations can shake it downe Hence Esay saith of God and God of Christ Behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation He that beleeueth shall not make haste What is this that he saith He that beleeueth shall not make haste Haste wee know is a signe of feare which causeth flight feare is a token of a guilty conscience in wicked men who flye and haste away when none pursueth But the righteous is as bold as a Lyon A Lyon hasteth not away at the sight of men such is he that beleeueth he makes no haste but as Dauid saith his heart standeth fast and beleeueth in the Lord. So Paul and Peter both speaking by the same Spirit expound the same place thus Rom. 9. 33. and 1. Pet. 2. 6. Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner-stone c. and hee that beleeueth on him shall not bee confounded or shall not be ashamed Now what is it that maketh a man confounded or ashamed but sinne and shame the punishment of sinne But he that beleeueth on the Son of God this precious corner-stone hath his sinnes remitted and his shame remoued there remaines not so much as the least staine or guilt of sinne in his conscience whereby to affright or ashame him or that hee should for feare or shame make haste Now certainty being a natiue and inherent quality of Faith is not therefore any extrinsicke or accidentall thing giuen out of speciall grace to such such beleeuers as it were by extraordinary reuelation as if some few of Gods speciall Fauorites had this granted and ingrossed vnto them in the nature of a Monopoly But this certainty is as inseparable a quality of sauing Faith as the heate is of fire And therefore certainty of Faith is common to all true beleeuers without exception Not onely Iob had it nor onely Paul but all and euery true beleeuer the poore Palsie-man who while his body was trembling as it were in a motion of trepidation yet his Faith was fixed in his orbe The silly weak woman had no lesse strong Faith to stay the running issue of her bloud than the valiant Ioshua had in staying the course of that Gyantlike-running Sunne For the woman said within her selfe If I may but touch the hemme of his garment I shall be whole not I may perhaps bee whole or I haue a probable perswasion or coniecturall opinion to be made whole but I shall bee whole In a word this Faith yea this certaine confident Faith this substance of things hoped for and this euidence of things not seene was in all beleeuers of the Old Testament none excepted whereof the Apostle giues vs a summary Catalogue in the 11. to the Hebrewes Tell mee what shall wee say of the very women a sexe whom the Pontifician Church much scorneth in the point of Faith yet the Apostle saith of them That by Faith the women receiued their dead raised to life againe others of them were tortured not accepting deliuerance that they might obtaine a better resurrection But I trow if they had not beene certaine but doubtfull of their saluation would not the sense of their tortures in their more tender bodies the naturall feare of death in their more passionate mindes and the loue of life haue easily perswaded them to haue accepted deliuerance being offered Would they thinke you so easily haue parted with their liue bird in the hand vpon the vncertaine hazzard of two in the bush No it was their Faith and the certainty of their Faith that made them despise present life and imbrace present death because they were sure to receiue a better resurrection than the receiuing of their temporall life from a temporall death Deuout Bernard saith Nonne si fluctuat fides manis est spes nostra Stulti ergo Martyres nostri sustinentes tam acerba propter incerta nec indubitantes sub dubio remunerationis praemio durum per exitum diuturnum inire exilium If Faith wauer is not our hope also vaine Our Martyrs then were fooles to vndergo such bitter torments for vncertainties nor to make no doubt vnder a doubtfull recompence of reward to goe into a long exile by a hard passage Yea saith the Apostle and he speaks it in the behalfe of all true beleeuers Citizens of the Heauenly Ierusalem we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolued we haue a building of God an house not made with hands but eternall in the Heauens We know it and it is by Faith that we know it and what greater certainty than knowledge And to conclude the Apostle makes this knowledge of Faith to pertaine in common to all beleeuers and so in common as peculiar only to Gods Elect sith they that want this certainty of Faith are Reprobates Examine your selues whether yee bee in the Faith proue your owne selues Know yee not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except yee bee Reprobates Therefore a man by examining himselfe may know whether hee bee in the faith a man by prouing himselfe may know that Iesus Christ is in him If he cannot at all come to know that Christ is in him and if hee neuer can bee certaine but euer remaines doubtfull of it so that hee knoweth it not then hee is a reprobate if hee perseuere in this doubting and doting ignorance vnto the end Then by the Apostles rule and the rule is infallible they that doubt of their faith of their saluation by Christ of their iustification are concluded to bee reprobates What shall then become of the whole Pontifician Church who teach and professe yea who peremptorily decree and command that none vnder paine of Anathema doe beleeue certainely and without doubting of his saluation O Reprobate Church But leauing them wee see the Apostles peremptory command to the Corinthians and so to Christians so to examine themselues so to proue their owne selues as that they know and knowledge is certaine that they are in the Faith and that Iesus Christ is in them Whosoeuer hath not this knowledge this certainety of Faith is by the holy Ghost doomed and damned for a Reprobate whatsoeuer the Councell of Trent say to the contrary Ob. But the most firme beleeuer is not without doubtings yea such as sometimes doe border and trench vpon despaire through some fierce assault of tentation It is true indeede But this doubting is not the effect of faith but rather a defect or weakenesse of Faith while the act of it is for the time suspended or suppressed God so disposing it for our tryall and further approbation As the soule remaines intyre euen in deliquio though it haue not for the time its organicall operations in the body So