〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the love of God alone wherewith he loved us of Hieromâ—… and likewise of Primatius Quomodo nos Deus diligat ex hoc cognoscinous how God doth love us hereby wee know To these from among the Popish Writers we may adde Cardinal Cajetan who saith the Apostle manifesteth the solid foundation of hope from the love of God towards us and againe whereby it appeareth that he setteth forth the love of God towards us as the chiefe foundation of hope Cardinal Tolet charitatem Dei appellat qua diligit nos Deus he calleth it the love of God wherewith hee loveth us Arias Montanus that our hope is rooted in that love wherewith God hath loved us B. Iustitian who expoundeth the words thus because that divine charity wherewith God imbraced us is shed into our hearts § III. Thirdly wee oppose evident reasons from the whole context that is not onely from the words of the text it selfe but also from those which either goe before or follow after For first touching the words of the Text By the holy Spirit is meant the Spirit of Adoption as Bellarmine confesseth in his next proofe viz. that the Apostle speaking Rom. 8. 15. de hoc ipso Spiritu of this selfe same Spirit saith you have received the Spirit of Adoption who is then said to shed abroad Gods love in our hearts when he doth perswade our soules of Gods love towards us in Christ testifying with our Spirits that wee are the sonnes of God and making us to cry in our hearts Abba Father with whom being the Spirit of promise and the earnest of our inheritance so many as beleeve are sealed unto the day of our â—…ull redemption Thus by sealing unto our soules the assurance of Gods love he is said to shed abroad the love of God in our hearts Secondly that love of God which he sheddeth abroad in our hearts and sealeth unto us as the ground whereupon our sound hope which never maketh ashamed is founded is Gods eternall and immutable love from the assurance whereof sealed unto us by the Holy Ghost our assured hope doth flow And therefore if we speake as the Apostle here doth of such a love of God as is both the Object of our faith and the ground of our hope we must say with Saint Iohn herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sinnes For that is it whereby especially God hath commended this his love towards us as it is here said vers 8. and as Saint Iohn also saith in the same place 1 Ioh. 4. 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because God sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world that we might live through him As for us wee love God because he loved us first 1 Ioh. 4. 19. For when we are by the holy Ghost shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts perswaded of Gods love towards us in Christ then and never till then our hearts are inflamed to love God againe and our neighbour for Gods sake But why is this love of God said to be shed forth in our hearts for this some doe urge I answere either in respect of the knowledge and assurance thereof wrought in us by the holy Ghost as I have said for therefore the holy Ghost is given unto us that we might know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things freely given or vouchsafed unto us of God among which the principall is his love or as those of the Church of Rome who consent with us in this point do speak it is said to be effused either as the cause is said to be effused by the effects which are the gifts proceeding from Gods love the chiefe whereof is the Spirit which is given unto us even the Spirit of adoption which as Chrysostome saith upon this place is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest gift or as the bounty of a Prince is shed abroad by his Almoner distributing the princes goods for even so the love and gracious bounty of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit of grace the dispenser of Gods gifts unto us 1 Cor. 12. 11. § IV. In the words going before the Apostle setteth downe the fruits of justification by faith first that being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ secondly by him we have through faith accesse into this grace wherein wee stand or as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 3. 12. by him we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence through faith in him thirdly joy in the holy Ghost rejoycing in hope of the glory of God And in these three the kingdome of grace consisteth viz. in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. And this joy the Apostle amplifieth because we glory and rejoyce in hope of glory not onely when all things goe with us according to our minds but also in affliction and tribulation Knowing that affliction being sanctified to them who have peace with God worketh patience and patience worketh probation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Chrysostome very well expoundeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it maketh him approved who is tryed for by patient bearing of afflictions which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tryals a man is by experience found to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sound and upright Christian as Saint Iames saith and when hee is so found hee shall receive the Crowne of life And therefore hath cause to hope as Saint Paul here saith that probation worketh hope and the hope of him that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maketh not ashamed whereas contrariwise the hope of the hypocrite maketh him ashamed but what is the ground of all this how come wee to have this peace this confidence this joy this undaunted hope Can wee have it by the bare assent of faith without application or desire thereof which is the onely faith which the Papists acknowledge Can wee have it by our owne charity when wee cannot know as the Papists teach that we have charity Nothing lesse but the ground and foundation of all our peace and comfort is this because the spirit of God teaching those that beleeve to apply the promises of the Gospell to themselves which cannot be done without special faith the love of God is shed forth into their hearts that is by the Spirit of adoption sealing those that do beleeve they are perswaded in some measure assured of the eternall love of God towards them in Christ upon which doe follow peace of conscience accesse with confidence and joy in the holy Ghost I conclude with Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith hee the Apostle having said that hope maketh not ashamed hee ascribeth all this not to our good workes but to the love of God not that whereby wee love him for that is our chiefe 〈◊〉
that was their meaning As for affiance though it be not of the proper nature and essence of faith yet it is an unseparable fruit of speciall faith in so much that sometimes it seemeth to be implyed in the signification of beleeving in Christ For hee that doth beleeve in Christ doth first by a lively assent acknowledge him to bee the Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him and secondly so beleeving hee is perswaded that he is a Saviour to him and thirdly beleeving Christ to be his Saviour doth therefore repose his affiance and trust in him for salvation But howsoever so much sometimes is implyed in the phrase of beleeving in Christ yet in the most ordinary and usuall acception of the Word in the Scriptures of the New Testament no more is signified than the lively assent and acknowledging of Christ yea sometimes the phrase is used of those who did not so much as give a lively assent or beleeved with their heart Howsoever being convicted by the evidence of truth sealed by miracles they assented to the truth and acknowledged Christ to be the Messias Such were those Ioh. 2. 23. who are said to have beleeved on his name when they saw the miracles which hee did to whom notwithstanding our Saviour would give no credit because hee knew what was in them Such a beleever was Simâ—… Magus who being convinced by the evidence of truth confirmed by miracles assented in his judgement but beleeved not with his heart for his heart was not right within him Act. 8. 13. 21. And such a one was Iudas Ioh. 6. 64. who though he beleeved as being a Disciple yea an Apostle of Christ yet beleeved not in deed and in truth § X. But that the phrase is used ordinarily of those which received Christ by a true and lively assent I could prove by multitude of testimonies divers whereof I have elsewhere mentioned But I will content my selfe with two instances of the Samaritanes and of the Eunuch Of the Samaritanes it is said Iohn 4. 39. That many of them beleeved in Christ for the saying of the woman who could beleeve no more than she had told them which at the most was that hee was Christ. And after when they professed that they beleeved because of his owne word all that they beleeved was this that he was indeed the Châ—…ist the Saviour of the world verse 41. 42. The Eunuch when Philip told him that hee might bee baptized if hee beleeved with his whole heart maketh this profession of his faith I beleeve that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God § XI Now that affiance is not faith I briefely shew thus First because it is a fruit and effect of faith For by faith wee have affiance Ephes. 3. 12. Faith therefore is the cause affiance the effect and the same thing cannot be both the cause and the effect For whereas some deny this consequence trusting to an unlike example for say they as naturall Philosophy is the science of naturall things and yet by it wee attaine to the science of naturall things so though affiance be faith and faith affiance yet by faith wee attaine to affiance I answere that there is an homonymie in the word science which in the former part of the example signifieth the art or doctrine which is a comprehension of precepts in the latter the habit of the knowledge of naturall things which by the doctrine holpen with the gifts of nature and confirmed by exercise we attaine unto Secondly because faith is an habit of the minde affiance an affection of the heart and so also differ in the subject For faith being a perswasion is seated in the minde though working upon the heart affiance or trust being an affection is seated in the heart though proceeding from the perswasion of the minde Thirdly because they differ not onely in the Subject but also in the Object The Object of faith is verum that which is true the Object of affiance is bonum that which is good Yea but say some the Promise is good and therefore the Object of â—…aith is good I answer the thâ—…ng promised is good and therefore I conceive affiance or hope which two in respect of the time to come differ not But be the thing promised never so good yet I beleeve not the promise unlesse I bee perswaded that it is true Faith therefore layeth hold on the Promise as being true affiance or hope expect the thing promised as being good Those therefore who hold that affiance properly so called is faith or faith affiance are not to bee defended Those which by affiance understand assurance and say that justifying faith is affiance doe speake the truth if they understand by faith not that by which we are justified before God but that by which we are justified that is assured of our justification in our own conscience Concerning which there needs not to be any other controversie betweene us and the Papists than this whether there bee any such certaintie or assurance to be had But that is a different question not pertinent to the poynt in hand which I have elsewhere cleared And so much of the nature of justifying faith CHAP. V. Of the Subject of justifying Faith § I. NOw I come to the Subject that is both the parties to whom it belongeth and the part of the Soule wherein it is As touching the parties in whom it is the Papists hold First that it is common to the godly with the wicked Secondly that it is common to the Elect with the reprobate The former is the same in substance with that which I have already handled whether true faith may be severed from charity and other graces the negative part of which question I have proved and consequently of this that justifying faith is not common to the godly with the wicked As touching the second whether it bee common to the Elect with the Reprobate Bellarmine propoundeth the Romish tenet to be this fidem justitiam non esse propriam electorâ—…m semel habitam amitti posse that faith and justice is not proper to the Elect and that it being once had it may be lost which is the very question of perseverance whereof I have written a full treatise against Bellarmine proving that true justifying faith is proper to the Elect and that being once had it is never lost either totally or finally § II. Now as touching the part of the soule wherein justifying faith is seated Bellarmine and many other Papistâ—… hold that it is seated in the understanding onely and of us they report that we hold it to be seated in the will onely which they doe report against their owne knowledge knowing that wee hold faith to bee a perswasion of the minde and an assent and finding fault with Calvin for defining faith to be a kinde of knowledge as it is indeed that kind of knowledge which we have by report or relation from
servant doing or rather but endeavouring to doe his duety is rewarded In these two the arguments are not the same A servant that doth not his duety deserveth punishment and his disobedience is the meritorious cause of his punishment But by doing his duety especially if it bee done unperfectly which is alwayes our case he doth not deserve reward and therefore if hee bee rewarded it is to be ascribed to his masters bounty and not to his desert Such an Antithesis the Apostle maketh betweene the reward of sinne and of godlinesse Rom. 6. 23. Death is the due wages of sinne but eternall life which is the reward of godlinesse is the free gift of God And further as I said before when I formerly answered this allegation In this and many other such conditionall speeches the antecedent is not the cause but a signe token or presage of the consequent If God have given you grace to mortifie the deeds of the flesh it is an evident token that you shall live If God hath adorned you with his grace it is to be presumed that he will crowne his owne grace with glory § IX And such is his seventh testimony p as before I have shewed Rom. 8. 17 18. The Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the sonnes and heires of God and coheires with Christ if we suffer with him that wee may also bee glorified with him where is no relation at all of efficiency betwixt our sufferings and glory But Bellarmine will prove it first by the conditionall particle of which I spake in answere to the last argument which doth not as hee saith point out the cause but the evidence by which the holy Ghost doth assure us that wee are the sonnes and heires of God and coheires of Christ who shall bee glorified with him namely if we suffer with him Secondly from the reason which is added concerning the excesse of glory to our sufferings which to my understanding doth plainly confute it For if the sufferings of this life be not condigne as the Vulgar readeth it to the glory that is to come how should they merit it ex condigno as they arrogantly speake But the scope of the Apostle in this place is to encourage the faithfull to suffer for Christ which he doth by two arguments the one from the happy event which is assurance of glorification testified by the holy Spirit who testifieth unto us that if we have grace from God to suffer with Christ that we are the sonnes and heires of God and coheires of Christ who shall bee glorified with him Not that ouâ—… sufferings doe make us the sonnes and heires of God c. but that they are the signes and evidences by which the holy Ghost doth assure us that we are so The other from the disproportion betweene our sufferings from him and the glory which we shall have with him For the Aposâ—…le having weighed both resolveth for so hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that all the sufferings of this life are not comparable to that glory but of this place more hereafter § X. His eighth testimony Rom. 10. 10. with the heart wee beleeve unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation We see here saith he that faith sufficeth not to salvation because it is not true and entire in the heart unlesse thereto be added externall confession And it seemeth that the Apostle alludeth to that speech of our Saviour Matth. 12. 32 33. Him that confesseth me before men will I confesse before my Father and him that denyeth me before men will I deny before my Father that is in heaven Answ. All this we confesse that besides faith confession and many other graces and duties are necessary to salvation not as causes but as causae sine quibus non as I have often said which are no causes § XI His ninth testimony Matth. 25. 34 35. Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the kingdom prepared for you before the beginning of the world For I was hungry and you gave mee to eate c. Surely saith hee the reason which is rendred doth plainely shew that good workes are aliquo modo some way causes of salvation and that for them the kingdome of heaven is given Answ. Of this place I have spoken before when I shewed that the causes of salvation were noted vers 34. Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world And the reason which is rendred is taken from good workes not as the cause for which salvation is given but as the evidence according to which our Saviour judgeth § XII His tenth testimony is out of the Epistle of Saint Iames and it is twofold the former Iam. 1. 25. He that is not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke this man shall bee blessed in his deed the latter Iam. 2. 14. what will it profit my brethren if a man say that he hath faith and have not workes will faith save him But how saith hee out of the former is a man blessed in his deed if his deeds have no relation to happinâ—…sse but affoâ—…diheir idle presence Answ. Wee confesse that good works have relation to happinesse as they are necessary unto it as the way as the causa sine qua non Neither doe I conceive how good works can be idle where they are present though they doe not merit that which infinitely exceedeth their worth And as touching the other place Iam. 2. We confesse also that that faith which is in profession onely and is void of good workes doth not save a man because it is an idle and dead faith This therefore proveth good workes to be necessary necessitate praesentiae but for necessity efficioncie there is no shew nor colour § XIII After those severall testimonies he appealeth to the whole Epistles of Peter Iohn Iames and Iude whose chiefe intention was to prove that to justified men good workes are necessary to salvation and that faith alone doth not suffice as some in these times out of the Epistles of Paul not well understood began to preach I answere that as the Apostles whom he nameth urge the necessity of good workes so doe all true preachers of the Gospell at this day yea Paul himselfe did urge it as much as any of them if not more But the necessity of efficiencie he may as soone prove out of our sermons as out of the writings of the Apostles § XIV To the Scriptures hee addeth the testimonies of the Fathers who as they censured for heretickes those which denyed workes to bee necessary unto salvation so themselves taught that they bee necessary To which both censure and doctrine of the Fathers wee doe most willingly subscribe And wee should greatly wonder how this great Master of Controversies could bee so idle so impertinent so frivolous a disputant but that as I said before these his discourses proving
3. 5. Bellarmines preamble to his answere in which he noteth three things first what is meant by the Law of workes and by the Law of faith Gal. 1. 6 8 9. e Luk. 1. 74. Jer. 31. 33. Heb. 8. 10. Bellarmines exposition f De spir lit g Râ—…m 10. 8. h De jusâ—…is l. 4. cap. 2. i In Rom. 3 27. homil 7. Iustice Of the Law In by the law k Lib. 4. cap. 8. §. 2 3 4. Thirdly what is meant by workes l De gratia lib. arb c. 7. Some of the Papists understand the ceremoniall Law onely m Deut. 11. 1. n Rom. 7. 7. o Rom. 3. 10 c. o De justis l. 1. cap. 19. Bellarmine and others understand also the workes of the morall law but yet such onely as goe before 〈◊〉 p Esponc in 1 Tim. 1. the end that is the fulfilling and consummation of the Commandement that is by 〈◊〉 doche of the law is â—…ove both of God and our neighbour out of a pure heart that is purisied by faith Salmero the end that is the complement or fulfilling of the precept that is of the law is the love of God and our neighbour proceeding from faith unfained wherby a man beleeveth in Christ from his heart q Gal. 2. 16. r Psal. 143. 2. s Lib. 4. c. 8. §. 15. t Heb. 11. 8 9. â—…7 u In Rom. 4. 1. hom 8. * Rom. 1. 16 17. 3. 21. x Rom. 3. 21. y Rom. 3. 24. z Rom. 4. 3 4 5. 16. Rom. 11. 6. De iustif l. 1. c. 19. §. Ex his His answere to Rom. 3. 27. His answer to the second testimony Rom. 4. 2. from the example of Abraham Bellarmines first answere refuâ—…ed Bellarmine confounded in two respects The first The second respect Bellarmines second answere refuted a Nehem. 9. 7. b Ios. 24. 2. c 1 Cor. 4. 7. d §. excludi Merit confuted c Act. 15. 5. * See l. ib. 6. c. 8. §. 7. n. 2. Bâ—…llarmines argument from the consequences in the epistle to the Galatians f 1 Tim. 1. 5. That the consequences make against justification by works of grace g Heb. 11. h Gen. 4. 9. i Rom. 4. 11. k 1 Cor. 5. 8. l Ioh. 3. 14 15. m De justis l. 4. c. 4 diâ—…fer 6. Lex Mosis non erat data ut justificaret sed ut moâ—… bum ostenderet ad quâ—…rendum medicum excitaâ—…et All the consequences alleaged by Bellarmine are strong against justification by works of grace n Gal. 3. 17 18. o Gal. 3. 10. Christ hath not merited for us that we should be justified by our owne righteousnesse or saved by our owne merits His answere to Ephes. 2. 8 9. p Tit. 3. 7. His answere to Phil. 3. 8 9. p In locum q Esa. â—…4 6. r Exam. concil Trid. part 1. de jusâ—…if pag. 135. s Advers Pelag. l. 2. omnia pro Christâ—… ducit quisquilias t I. Scapula u Hesycâ—…ius * Gillâ—…lim Deut. 29. 17. Ezek. 22. 3. His answere to Rom. 3. 24. x Lib. 3 de gratia y De justif l. 1. cap. 21. z Sess. 6. cap. 8. Bellarm. de iuâ—…tif l. 4. Bellarmines Method He proveth workes necessaâ—…y not to iustiâ—…ication but to salvâ—…tion a Rom. 10. 10. b Heb. 12. 14. c Heâ—… 10. 36. d Matth. 10. 22. 24. 13. e De justif l. 4. cap. 2. Of the difference between the Law and the Gospell The acceptions of the words Law and Gospell either in a large or strict sense f Psalm 1. 2. 19. 7. Psalm 119. 18 72 142. Mic. 4. 2. Esai 2. 3. h Psal. 119. 57 104. i De iustif l 4. c. 2. § probator quartò k Gen. 22. 18. The strict signification of the Law and the Gospell l Luk. 2. 10. Rom. 10. 15. m 2 Tim. 19. n Rom. 6. 22. His disproofe of the difference which we assigne Whether the promise of Salvation made to our obedience doe prove the merit of good workes Eternall life three waies promised first as a free g ft. o Epbes. 1. 6. p Rom. 8. 30. 10. 13 14. 2 Thes. 2. 13 14. q 2 Tim. 1. 9. r Ephes. 2. 8 9. s Gen. 22. 18. 2. As our inheâ—…itance t Eph 2. 6. u 2 Tim. 1. 9. * Act. 26. 18. Tâ—…t 3. 7. 3. As a reward x Apâ—…c 21. 27 y Luk. 1 73 74 75. Ier. 3 33 34. Heb. 8. 10 11 12. z De verbis Domini serm 3. O magna bonitas Dei cui cum pro conditione reddere debeamus obsequia utpote servi Domino famuli Deo subjecti potenti mancipâ—…a Redemptori amicitiarum nobis prae 〈◊〉 ut nobiâ—… obsequiâ—… debita servitutiâ—… extâ—…rqueat c. The example of Gods dealing with Abraham a Gen. 22. 16 18. Objection if eternall life bee the reward of our obedience then our obedience doth merit it Rom. 6. 23. b Psalm 62. 12. Ephes. 2. 7. c De gratia lib. arbitr Places whâ—…ch the papists understand of causes to be understood of notes d Phil. 1. 29. e In Rom. 8. Or of evidences Three other answeres to the foresaid objection f Ad annal eccles Baronii exercit 15. n. 17. g In Gen. 22. Bellarmines allegations de justis l. 4. c. 2. §. Ve niamuâ—… first Mat. 5. 20. His second testimony h Rom. 9. 32. i Auâ—…tor operis imperâ—…ecti in Matth. hom 33. Mat. 19 17. k Vers. 20. l Stapleton in promptuar cathol Dominica 1â—… post pentecost quaerebat quid sacâ—…endo id est peâ—… quâ—… 〈◊〉 opera it maeternam 〈◊〉 His other testimonies answered m Supra §. â—… n 1 Ioh. 5. 11 12 20. o Heb. 5. 9. His argument from Ezek. 18. 2â—… p Iam. 5. 20. q Rom. 6. 23. His fifth argument from the condition of faith Bellarmines proofe from his pretended true differences De justif l. 4. cap. 3. The first diffeâ—…ence confuted by the last r Mat. 11. 29. s Gal. 3. 17. t Gal. 3. 13. u 1 Cor. 1. 30. * Ier. 23. 6. x De justif l. 4. cap. 4. The second difference y Rom. 8. 23. The other 6. differences 3 4 5 6 7 8 Of Christian liberty z De justif l. 4. â—…ap 5. a Rom. 6. 18. De iusâ—…if l. 4. c. 7. a Deiustif l. 1. c. 18. §. Simile b Rom. 8. 30. Bellarmines proofe of his consequence Bellarm. proofes sor necessity of efficiency De Iustif. Lib. â—… Cap. 7. His first testimony Heb. 10. 36. c Heb. 12. 1. His second testimony 1 Tim. 2. 14 15. d Matth. 7. 14. e Act. 14. 22. f De Sacrament matrim cap. 2. §. confirmatur His third testimony Phil. 2. 12. g Ephes. 2. 10. h Psal. 100. 2. i Esay 26. 12. k 2 Cor. 3. 5. l Phil. 2. 13. m Phil. 1. 1 6 n Phil. 1. 6. o 2 Cor. 7. 1. His fourth testimony 2 Cor. 7. 10. His fifth testimony 2 Cor. 4. 17. p 1 Cor. 11. 19. His seventh testimony Rom. 8. 17 18. p Lib.
c. 4. § 15. c. 6. § 12. 19. 21. If thou wilt bee perfect goâ—… sell all c. l. 7. â—… 7. § 3. 20. 1. ad 16. The parable of the workemen in the vineyard lib. 8. cap. 5. § 6 7. Matth. 25. 21. Well done thou good and faithfull servant c. lib. 8. cap. 5. § 15. 25. 34. 35. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit c. lib. 7. c. 4. § 12. and c. 5. § 11. and lib. 8. c. 5. § 14 15 16. Marke 7. 29. For this saying goe thy way â—… 6. c. 15. § 12. Luke 1. 6. Righteous before God c. lib. 2. cap. 3. § 1. 6. 38. VVith what measure you meet c. lib. 8. cap. 5. § 13. 7. 47. Her sinnes which are many are forgiven for she loved much lib. 6. cap. 12 § 2. 3. 7. 55. Thy faith hath saved thee lib. 6. cap. 15. § 11. 10. 7. The labourer is worthy of his hire lib. 8. cap. 5. § 22. 17. 5. Increase our faith l. 6. c. 3. § 3. 17. 7. 8 9 10. VVhen you have done all say that ye are unprofitable servants lib. 8. cap. 2. § 5. 6 c. 20. 35. They that shall be accounted worthy to obtaine that world c. lib. 8. cap. 5. § 22. Iohn 1. 12. To so many as beleeved he gave power to be the sonnes of God c. lib. 6. cap. 10. § 9. 1. 29. Behold the Lambe of God which takes away the sinne of the world lib. 2. cap. 8. § 2. 6. 64. Iesus knew from the beginning who beleeved not lib. 6. cap. 2 § 7. 12. 42 43. Many of the Rulers beleeved on him but did not confesse him c. lib. 6. cap. 3. § 8. 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him lib. 7. cap. 6. § 22. 15. 13. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay downe his life for his friends lib. 5. cap. 7. § 3. Acts of the Apostles 13. 38 39. Through this Man is preached unâ—…o you remission of sinnes and by him all that beleeve are justified c. Lib. 4. cap. 6. § 1. 2 c. ad 9. 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by faith Lib. 6. cap. 15. § 9. 15. 10. A yoke which neither we nor our Fathers were able to beare lib. 4. cap. 5. § 9. Epistle to the Romanes 1. 16 17. The Gospell the power of God c. in it is revealed the righteousnesse of God c. Lib. 1. cap. 1. § 1. 3. 24. Being justâ—…fied freely by his race through the redemption c. l. 3. c. 3. 4. 3. 27. Boasting exâ—…luded by what Law c. lib. 7. cap. 3. § 2. 4. 2. If Abraham were justified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God lib. 7. cap. 3. § 2. 4. 5 6. 11. The Lord imputeth righteousnesse lib. 1. cap. 3. § 10. 4 4. 5. To him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but beleeveth c lib. 1. cap. 3. § 6. lib. 6. cap. 15. § 7. 4. 20. 21 22. Abraham being strong in faith gave glory to God therfore it was imputed to him for righteousnes lib. 6. § 13. cap. 15. 4. 25. Who was delivered for our sins and rose againe for our justification lib. 4. cap. 12. § 2. 5. 3 4. Tribulation worketh patience and patience probation c. l. 7. c. 5. § 7. 5. 5. The love of God shed abroad in our hearts by his holy Spirit lib. 3. cap. 5. 5. 17 18 19. For as by one mans offence c. lib. 2. cap. 5. § 1. 2 c. lib. 4. cap. 10. § 1. 2 c. ad 7. 5. 19. As by the disobedience of one many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous lib. 1. cap. 4. § 8. lib. 2. cap. 5. § 1. 2. lib. 2. cap. 8. § 10. lib. 5. cap. 2. § 1. 5. 21. As sinne reigned unto death even so grace c. lib. 4. cap. 12. § 5. 6. 4 6. Wee are burâ—…ed with him by baptisme into death lib. 8. cap. 10. § 17. 6. 13. Neither yeeld your members as instruments of unrighteousnesse c. lib. 4. cap. 12. § 6. 6. 19. As ye have yeelded your members servants to uncleannes c. l. 7. § 19. c. 8. 6. 22. Ye have your fruit unto holines and the end everlasting life lib. 4. c. 12. § 11. 6. 23. For the wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life c. lib. 8. cap. 2. § 13 c. 7. 18. To will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I finde not lib. 4. cap. 5. § 10. 8. 3. The impossibility of the Law in that it was weake through the flesh c. lib. 4. cap. 5. § 11. 8. 4. That the justification of the Law might bee fulfilled in us lib. 7. cap. 7. § 10. 11. 8. 10. The body is dead by reason of sinne but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse lib. 3. cap. 5. § 7. 8. lib. 4. cap. 12. § 7 8. 13. If through the Spirit you mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live lib. 7. cap. 4. § 11. 16. cap. 5. § 8. 8. 10. 15. 23. Lib. 4. cap. 10. § 18. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of adoption c. lib. 3. c. 5. § 6. 8. 17. If yee suffer with him that yee may be glorified with him lib. 7. cap. 4. § 11. 17. 8. 16. 17 18. lib. 7. cap. 5. § 9. 8. 18. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy the glory which shall bee revealed lib. 8. cap. 2. § 18 c. ad 22. 8. 29. Conformable to the image of his sonne lib. 4. cap. 10. § 12. 8. 30. Whom he hath called them hee hath justified lib. 2. cap. 3. § 5. 8. 33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods children it is God that justifieth c. lib. 1. cap. 1. § 4. 10. 4. Christ the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth lib. 1. cap. 4. § 9. 10. 10. With the heart manbeleeveth unto righteousnesse c. lib. 7. cap. 5. § 10. 10. 13 14. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall bee saved how then shall they call upon him in whom they have not beleeved c. lib. 6. cap. 10. § 8. cap. 15. § 14. The first to the Corinthians 1. 30. Christ made unto us righteousnesse lib. 4. cap. 9. § 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 2. 6. VVe speake wisdome among them that are perfect lib. 5. cap. 7. § 10. 3. 8. Every one shall receive his own reward according to his owne labour lib. 8. c. 5. § 13. 3. 11. Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Iesus Christ. lib. 6. cap. 15. § 8. 3. 12. If any man build upon this foundation gold silver c.
§ 4. That by â—…ustifying grace is meant the gracious favour of God in Christ. lib. 3. cap. 2. Our proofes I. from the use of the word in the Scriptures lib. 3. cap. 2 § 1. II. Because it is Gratia gratum saciens § 2. By it the faithfull are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and chasidim § 3. III. By the gracious favour of God in Christ wee were elected called c. § 4. Obiect 1. The grace of election is eternall the rest temporary § 5. Obiect 2. By inherent grace wâ—… 〈◊〉 sanctified § 6. Obiect 3. Faith a grace inherent § 7. IV. Gratia gratum faciens expressed in the Scriptures by other words which betoken savour § 8. V. Because grace is opposed to works § 9. VI. Charity is not the iâ—…stifying Grace § 10. VII Plaine testimonies of Scripture that grace signifieth favour § 11. Confessiâ—…n of Papists § 12. Bellarmines first allegation of Rom. 3. 24. for inherent grace proved to makâ—… against it lib. 3. cap. 3. His prâ—…ofes from thence disproved l. 3. cap. 4. I. From the word Gratis lib. 3. cap. 4. § 2. II. From the praposition per. § 3. III. Because the favour of God is not in vaine § 4. IV. From the Attributes given to grace As first that it is a gift § 5. Secondly a gift which wee receive § 6. Thirdly a gift given by Christ. â—… 7. yâ—…a made by Christ. § 8. Fourthly that it is given by measure from Christ. § 9. Fifthly it is compared to essence § 10. Sixthly It is compared to light â—… 11. His second allegation out of Rom. 5. 5. answered lib. 3. cap. 5. How the word Grace is used in the Fathers and how in the latter writers lib. 3. cap. 6. H Hebrew The Hebrew word hitsdiq which is to iustifie never signifieth to iustifie by inherent righteousnesse lib. 2. cap. 1. § 4. c. Hope Bellarmines third disposition to justification lib. 6. cap. 11. § 6. Hope whether perfect lib. 5. cap. 6. § 7. I Image of Christ. How borne by the faithfull and whether in respect of iâ—…ification l. 4. cap. 10. § 13 14 15 16. Implicite Faith Confuted and condemned lib. 6. cap. 1. § 3. c. ad finem capitis Imputation of Christs righteousnesse The formall cause of iâ—…stification l. 1. cap. 3. § 7. Impâ—…tation of Christs satisfaction confessed by Papists § 8. Imputation of Christs righteeusnesse denyed by some others bâ—…sides Papists § 9. Their reason that then we are Redeemers ibid. Imputation of Christs righteousnesse proved obiter by two reasons § 10. The private opinion of some concerning imputation lib. 1. cap. 5. That Christs righteoâ—…snesse it selse is imputed lib. 1. cap. 5. § 7. Whether we fulfilled the Law in Christ. § 8 9 10 11. The necessity of imputation lib. 1. c. 5. § 13 14. The full discourse concerning imputation of Christs righteousnesse lib. 5. per totum That wee are justified by imputation of Christs righteousnesse proved by five arguments lib. 5. cap. 1. Proved by eight arguments cap. 2. By two other arguments cap. 3. By testimonies of writers both old and new lib. 5. cap. 4. The objections of the Papists against imputation lib. 5. cap. 5. I. Against the name that it is new § 1. II. That it is putatitia § 2. III. That it is no whore to be found § 3. IV. That it it is needlesse § 4. Both because remission is an utter deletion of sinne § 5. and also because the righteousnesse 〈◊〉 is perfect lib. 5. cap. 6. 7. V. That wee are not formally iust by it lib. 5. cap. 8. § 1. Bellarmines confession that if wee did not hold that wee are formally iustified by it our doctrine were true § 2. VI. That we should be as righteous as Christ. § 3. VII That we did not loose in Adam imputed righteousnesse § 4. that if by imputation we are iust then Christ a sinner § 5. but as Christ notwithstanding the imputation of our sinne was iust so wee sinners § 6. That after iustification wee are called iust and how § 7. IX The Spouse of Christ beautifull in her selfe § 8 9. X. Because the heart must bee pure before we can see God and because Christ redeemed 〈◊〉 that wee might be sanctified § 10. Instrumentali causes of iustification l. 1. c. 2. § 5. Justice The iustice of God a moving cause of iustification l. 1. c. 2. § 3. The iustice of God distinguished l. 8. c. 5. § 19. Justifie To iustifie what it is lib. 1. cap. 1. § 2. To iustifie is not to make righteous by righteousnesse inherent Lib. 2. cap. 1. § 3. The signification of the Hebrew word § 4. c. cap. 5. § 5. Of the Gre 〈◊〉 l. 2. â—… 2. The same provâ—…d first by other termes § 7. Secondly because the whole processe of justification is iudiciall § 8. Iustifying oppâ—…sed to condemning l. 2. c. 5. § 2. cap. 6. § 1. Justification The excellency of this argument l. 1. c. 1. § 1. The definition of iustification lib. 1. c. 1. § 2. The signification of the word ibid. Iustification considered as an action of God § 3. As an action of God without us § 4. But accompanied with those that are wrought within us § 5. It is an act continued § 6. Whether it bâ—…e wrought but once and at once § 7. The Papists confuted who deny it either to be an action of God or without us or continued § 8. The causes of iustification the efficients l. 1. c. 2. The essentiall causes viz. the matter and forme lib. 1. c. 3. the matter Christs righteousnesse § 2 3 4 5. Private opinions concerning the matter l. 1. c. 4. vid. Materiall The forme the imputation of Christs righteousnesse c. 3. § 6. c. Private opinions concerning the forme cap. 5. The end l. 1. c. 6. § 1 2 3 4. The parts absolution from sinne and acceptation as righteous in Christ. â—…ib 1. cap. 6. § 5. Redemption reconciliation and adoption comprised under iustification § 6. The consequents and sruits of iustification § 7. The heads of the controversie concerning iustification l. 2. c. 1. § 1. The first concerning the name whether iustification and sanctification are to bee confounded The Papists confounding them ground their errour upon the Latine word § 2 3. The Hebrew word signifying to instifie never importeth making righteous by infusion of righteousnesse lib. 2. cap. 1. § 4. c ad finem capitis The use of the Greeke words signifying to iustifie or iustification never importing righteousnesse inherent lib. 2. cap. 2. Foure significations of the word iustification alleaged by Bellarmine I. That it signifieth the Law lib. 2. cap. 3. § 1. 2. II. Acquisition of righteousnesse § 3. 4 5 6. III. Increase of iustice lib. 2. cap. 4. § 1. 2 3 4 5. IV. Declaration of iustice l. 2. c. 4. § 6. Bellarmines proofes that iustification signifieth making righteous by inherent righteonsnesse lib. 2. cap. 5. Foure
conscience of the faithfull in the assumption according to Gods Word contained in the proposition therefore I have remission of sinnes therefore I shall be saved And in this sense Ministers are said to remit sinnes Ioh. 20. 23. and consequently to justifie when they doe pronounce remission of sinnes to them that beleeve and repent And whatsoever they doe in this behalfe upon earth according to the Word is ratified in heaven § VI. As touching the Sacraments in them first the benefit of the Messias is represented before our eyes by the outward signes whereupon the Sacrament is called Verbum visibile Secondly such is the Sacramentall union betweene the signe and the thing signified that together with the signe the thing signified that is Christ with all his merits is offered in the lawfull use of the Sacrament Thirdly the benefit of the Messias is not only offered in the lawfull use together with the signe but also conferd and given to every faithfull and worthy receiver And hereof the Sacrament is a pledge given to the beleever to assure him that as the Minister doth give unto him the signe so the Lord doth give unto him the thing signified And in this sense every Sacrament is a seale of that righteousnesse which is by faith Rom. 4. 11. annexed to the promise of the Gospell which by delivery of the Sacrament is particularly applyed to every faithfull receiver to assure him in particular of his justification and salvation by Christ. Thus the ministery of the Gospell is the meanes to beget faith and the Sacraments the instruments to confirme the same But the Papists deny both for that faith is begotten in the ministery of the Word and that so men attaine to remission of sinnes and justification they say it is a fiction of the heretikes of these times Neither doe they grant that Sacraments are seales of righteousnesse or that they were ordained to seale the promises unto us But they hold them to bee such effectuall instruments as doe by vertue inherent in themselves conferre justifying grace which they call gratiam gratum facientem ex opere operatâ—… By which doctrine a they have turned Religion into a meere outward formality according to the prophecy of them 2 Tim. 3. 5. ascribing all the degrees of salvation to be atchieved in this life viz. Vocation Iustification Sanctification to the externall use of the Sacraments so they have made their doctrine of justification to bee an idle speculation whereof in their practice there is little or no use For to what purpose doe they dispute of justification by vertuous preparations and gracious dispositions when they teach that the Sacraments doe ex opere operato that is by the very performance of the outward act justifie the receiver requiring in him neither any vertuous preparation or gracious disposition for without them hee is justified Onely this caution they doe interpose that hee doe not ponere obicem mortalis peccati that hee put not the obstacle of mortall sinne For if those things should necessarily be required then the Sacraments should conferre grace not ex opere operato as they stifly hold but ex opere operantis So much of the hand of the giver § VII The instrument on our part which is as it were manus accipientis the hand of the receiver is the grace of justifying faith which I noted in the definition when I said that the Lord imputeth the righteousnesse of Christ to a beleeving sinner Now as touching saith divers things are to be considered For first it is said to justifie not as it is a qualitie or habite in us as the Papists teach ipsa fides saith g Bellarmine censetur esse justitia faith it selfe is accounted to be justice and it â—…elfe is imputed unto righteousnesse Rom. 4. 5. for so it is a part of sanctification but as it is the instrument and as it were the hand to receive Christ who is our righteousnesse For if we should be justified by faith as it is an habit in us properly then we should be justified by habituall and inherent righteousnesse which hereafter I shall fully disproveAnd if we be not justified by it as it is an habit then much lesse as it is an act as 〈◊〉 and his followers teach as though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsum credere did properly justifie Which opinion is worse than the other For faith doth justifie as hereaster shall be proved as the instrument only but it is the instrument not as it is an act but as it is an habit producing that act and therefore it is said that we are justified by faith and that faith is imputed unto righteousnesse But if wee should bee justified by it as it is an act then we should be justified by our owne workes which hereafter is also to be confuted and further if we were justified by it as it is an act then we should be no longer justified actually than we doe actually beleeve 〈◊〉 so there should bee an intercision of justification which I proved before to be a continued act so ost as there is an intermission of the act of faith which is ridiculous Againe if wee should be justified by faith either as it is an habit or an act in sensu proprio as they speake and not relatively or metonymically then should we be justified by one habit alone or by the act of one habit and consequently by a partiall and most unperfect righteousnesse When it is certaine that all the habits and acts of grace which are in the best concurring together are not sufficient to justifie a man before God for the reasons hereafter to be delivered lib. 4. 7. It is true that faith is imputed for righteousnesse and is accepted of God as the perfect performance of the whole law but this is to bee understood relatively in respect of the object received by faith that is Christ who is the end and complement of the Law to all that beleeve insomuch that whosoever truly beleeveth in Christ hath fulfilled the Law § VIII 2. is the consequent of the former For if faith doth justifie onely as it is an hand or instrument to apprehend and receive Christ then justifying faith must be such a faith as doth apprehend receive and embrace Christ which is not done neither by the implicite nor the unformed nor the bare historical and generall faith of the Papists but it is done first by a lively and effectuall assent to the speciall doctrine concerning justification and salvation by Christ which is the condition of the Evangelicall promise and then by a sound application of the promise to our selves as having that condition For by a lively and effectuall beleefe we receive and embrace Christ not only in our judgements by a willing and firme assent being undoubtedly perswaded and assured thathe is the Saviour of all that truly beleeve in him but also in our hearts by an hungring desire
I will not content my selfe to have answered elsewhere all his objections againstit but I will here also briefly propound some of our arguments to prove that wee I meane all mortall men neither doe nor can by our righteousnesse and obedience fulfill and so even in that respect cannot satisfie the Law And first I prove it by this most plaine reason No transgressours of the Law doe fulfill it All men without exception of any but Christ are transgressours of the Law not onely the unregenerate but the regenerate also Therefore no man whatsoever Christ excepted doth fulfill it The proposition needeth no proofe the assumption I have proved before and every mans Conscience giveth testimony to it for himself Or thus Whosoever is a fulfiller of the Law is without sinne No mortall man is or can bee without sinne Therefore no mortall man is or can bee a fulfiller of the Law § VII Secondly If any man could fulfill the Law he might bee justified thereby Rom. 2. 13. Gal. 3. 12. But no man whatsoever can be justified by the Law Gal. 2. 16. 3. 10 11. Rom. 3. 20. Therefore no man can fulfill it § VIII Thirdly Those who cannot fulfill the first commandement of the two and the last of the ten cannot fulfill the whole Law But no mortall man is able to fulfill the first and last commandements Therefore no mortall man is able to fulfill the whole Law The first which is the great commandement injoyneth us to love the Lord our God with all our soules c. which being legally understood no mortall man is able to fulfill For whosoever are in all the parts and faculties of the soule partly flesh and but partly Spirit they cannot love God with all their soules The most regenerate in this life are partly flesh and but partly Spirit in all the parts and faculties of the soule Therefore the most regenerate in this life cannot love God with all their soules that phrase being legally understood The last commandement forbiddeth all evill concupiscence whether habituall with which all men generally are infected or actuall from which none are free and those not such as are joyned with consent of the wil which are passions of lust for those are forbidden in the former commandements but such as goe before consent which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with which all men without exception doe abound Neither is the commandement thou shalt not consent to lust but thou shalt not lust that is thou shalt have no evill concupiscence which as Augustine saith ought not to be bridled onely but not to be for hee that hath concupiscences though he doth not goe after them doth not fulfill the Law thou shalt not coveâ—… § IX Fourthly by the testimony of Saint Peter Act. 15. 10. that the observation of the Law is not to be imposed upon Christians as necessary to justification as being a yoke which neither the Apostles nor their forefathers the Patriarches and Prophets were able to beare but that we are to be justified and saved by the grace of God through a lively faith which purifieth the heart Bellarmine answereth that the Apostle speaketh of the ceremoniall Law which wee doe not altogether deny But from hence wee argue as from the lesse If the ceremoniall Law were an unsupportable yoke how much more the morall For the ceremoniall Law in it selfe considered was not unsupportable nor required any thing exceeding the power of man For not onely the godly did performe it but hypocrites also who many times were more precise in observing the ceremonies than the godly themselves but as it was an appendice of the Law morall As for example Circumcision in it selfe though the most painefull ceremony might well bee borne But as by it men were made debtors to the whole Law in such sort as they could not be justified but were under the curse if they did not observe the whole Law it was a yoke unsupportable For in that sense the Apostle speaketh when he protesteth to the Galathians that if they were circumcised Christ should profit them nothing And in that sense as it seemeth it was urged by the beleeving Pharisees that it was needfull that the disciples meaning all the Christians of that time as well Gentiles as Iewes should bee circumcised and so required to keepe the Law otherwise they could not be justified nor saved And to that purpose tendeth Saint Peters speech That it was not needfull to require the beleeving Gentiles to be circumcised seeing it was well knowne that the Gentiles were first called by his ministery had truly beleeved and had received the holy Ghost who had purified their hearts by a lively faith by which without circumcision or other observations of the Law they were justified as well as the beleeving Iewes the Iewes also themselves expecting to bee justified and saved by the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ even as the Gentiles were without the workes of the Law as Paul also reasoneth Gal. 2. 15 16. § X. Fifthly by the testimony of Saint Paul and his experience in himselfe Rom. 7. 18. c. From whence I reason thus whosoever are not able to performe that which is good though by the grace of God they are willing to performe it they are not able to fulfill the Law But the faithfull and regenerate are not able to performe that which is good though by the grace of God â—…hey be willing thereunto Therefore they are not able to fulfill the Law The assumption is proved from the example of Saint Paul as it were an argument from the greater For if Saint Paul himselfe who in sanctity farre excelled any man now living did not finde in himselfe ability to performe that which was good but was so hindered by the flesh that the good which he would he did not how sholl those who are farre inferiour unto him bee able to doe it being the common condition of all the regenerate that by reason of the reluctation of the flesh they cannot doe those things they would Gal. 5. 17. § XI Sixthly the Apostle Rom. 8. 3. doth acknowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the impossibility of the Law namely to justifie us The reason whereof is not any defect in the Law it selfe but our impotencie to fulfill it by reason of the flesh for if it were possible for us to fulfill the Law it were possible to the Law to justifie us but it is not possible to the Law to justifie us by reason of the flesh and therefore by reason of the flesh it is not possible for us to fulfill the Law whiles the flesh remaineth in us as it alwayes doth remaine even untill death To these arguments if you shall adde the testimonies of the Fathers which in handling the sixth question I doe plentifully alleage you will acknowledge that besides the authority of Scriptures and evidence of reason we have the consent of antiquity that no mortall man is
fiction of the hereticks of our time Nay we say more that by the preaching of the Word faith is not onely excited where it was before but that it is first wrought ordinarily and begotten by the ministry of the Gospell The Papists ascribe the begetting of faith to the Sacraments and the stirring of it up to the Word As if faith infused in Baptisme did ly a sleep untill it be excited and awakned by the word But the Scripture teacheth us that faith commeth by hearing the Word that Preachers are Ministers by whom you do beleeve that without a preacher men cannot ordinarily beleeve Rom. 10. 14. that men are begotten to God by the preaching of the Word 1 Cor. 4. 15. that therefore preachers are their Fathers in the faith that they justifie men Dan. 12. 3. because they are the instruments of the holy Ghost to beget faith in them whereby they are justified Why then doth Peter require them to whom he had preached to repent and to be baptized I answer that the holy Ghost by Peters sermon had wrought the grace of faith in the hearers before they were baptized Act. 2. 41. as by Pauls preaching Act. 13. 48. in so many of the hearers as were ordained unto life in Lydia Act. 16. 14 15. By Philips preaching in the Eunuch Act. 8. 38. by Peters preaching in Cornelius and his company Act. 10. 43. 44. and by this faith they were justified before God before they were baptized even as Abraham was before he was circumcised Rom. 4. 11. But that they might be justified also in the Court of their owne Conscience and much more that they might be saved many other things as repentance and a godly life with the use of the Sacraments and of all other good meanes are required besides that faith whereby alone they are justified before God And to this end did Peter require them to repent and to bee baptized not that Baptisme properly doth justifie and much lesse that it begetteth â—…aith for in all these faith was wrought before they were baptized but because it is a seale of that righteousnesse which is by faith to them that are baptized not onely at the time of Baptisme but whensoever or how long soever they beleeve And whereas he saith that remission of sinnes is preached to those that beleeve as they ought I confesse it is true that remission is not promised to an idle dead or counterfeit faith but to the true lively and effectuall faith which in some measure purifieth the heart and worketh by love causing a man though not to fulfill all things that are commanded as Bellarmine speaketh yet to will to desire and to endevour that hee may performe all things commanded according to the measure of grace received But though obedience bee a necessary consequent of faith yet it is very absurd to confound it with faith as Bellarmine here seemeth to doe § V. As for his similitude of the Physitian I answer the onely meanes to bee cured of the wounds of our soules which are our sinnes by our spirituall Physitian which is Christ is to beleeve in him and the onely plaisters to bee applied are his sufferings and merits for by his stripes we are healed Esa. 53. 5. and the onely meanes on our part to apply them is faith For even as Moses lifted up the brazen Serpent in the Wildernesse that those who were bitten by the fiery serpents might by looking upon that which was but a figure of Christ be healed even so our Saviour Christ was lifted up upon the Crosse that whosoever being stung as we all are by the old Serpent and made subject to eâ—…all death shall looke upon him with the eye of a true faith shall bee saved To which remedie alone all true physicians of mens soules do use to direct the wounded Conscience when the Iaylour Act. 16. 30 31. in great consternation of mind came trembling and falling downe before Paul and Silas demanded of them what he might doe that he might bee saved they said beleeve on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved And this remedy â—…in curing miraculously corporall discases was used sometimes with good successe Mat. 9. 21. 22. 14. 36. and was by our Saviour himself prescribed as the onely receipt Mar. 5. 36. Luk. 8. 50. § VI. Thirdly where the Apostle in this place nameth onely remission of sinnes hee saith it hindreth not but that justâ—…fication may bee understood to consist in remission of sinnes and infusion of righteousnesse For as we have not once shewed saith hee remission of sinnes is not onely the pardâ—…ning of the punishment but also the washing away and cleansing of the fault which is not done but by the cleannesse of grace and comelinesse of justice comming in the place which the name of justification pretendeth being named from justice Reply Not once but very oft hath hee said that remission of sinne is the utter deletion and extinction of sinne and that it is not a distinct act from infusion of righteousnesse because by infusion of justice sinne is expelled as by the accession of heat and light cold and darkenesse is expelled But as for condonation and pardon of the guilt and punishment that he hath utterly excluded from justification For the pardoning of the guilt and punishment is not done by infusion of righteousnesse which as hee teacheth is the onely act of justification whereof there is but one formall cause which is righteousnesse insuâ—…ed as the Councel of Trent hath defined but by imputation of the satisfaction of Christ. For righteousnesse infused as Bellarmine hath confessed doth not or cannot satisfie for our sinnes Now if there bee but one formall cause of justification as indeed there is but one and that one be not the imputation but the infusion of justice or as they rather use to speake the justice infused which expelleth sinne which expulsion or deletion they call the remission yea the true remission of sinne then the forgivenesse of the guilt and punishment belongeth not to justification But if the forgiving of the guilt and punishment be the not imputing of sinne which necessarily bringeth with it imputation of righteousnesse as Bellarmine confesseth and the Apostle proveth Rom. 4. viz. that the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes when hee imputeth not sinne then it will necessarily follow that imputation of Christs satisfaction or righteousnesse is the onely formall cause of justification whereby we being absolved from sinne are accepted as just yea constituted righteous in Christ. And that infusion of righteousnesse expelling sinne is another thing which the Scriptures call Sanctification And this I take to be a manifest truth which being granted we have obtained the whole cause § VII Fourthly againe saith he although there were mention made in this place of justification only from sinnes yet in many other places there is mention made of Sanctification of cleansing of washing and renewing which shew
childish things for now to wit by faith wee see and know as it were in or by a looking-glasse and as it were in a riddle or in a dâ—…rke speech but then wee shall see face to face Now I know in part but then I shall know even as also I am knowne If therefore faith shall bee perfected by vision the consequence of the proposition with the proofe thereof is to be denyed and the evacuating of it by vision is a pregnant proofe that in this life it is but in part As touching the assumption I say that faith which is the evidence of things not seene and the substance of things hoped for shall never bee perfected untill the things which are beleeved shall bee seene and the things hoped for shall be enjoyed § III. His second reason to prove that faith may be perfect in this life is this because that faith which hath bene tryed in the forâ—…ace of temptation is perfect whereto if hee assume that the faith which in justification is first infused either in infants when they are baptized or in others in their first justification hath beene tried in the Fornace of temptation hee shall be ridiculous for it must be before by tryall it bee approved but supposing him to speak of the faith of men being adulti and already justified his impertinent proofe standeth thus That faith which is more precious than gold tryed in the fire is perfect That faith which hath beene tryed and approved by temptation is more precious than gold tryed in the fire witnesse Saint Peter 1 Epist. 1. 7. therefore that faith is perfect Answ. The proposition is to bee denyed For temptations and afflictions are trialls not of the perfection but of the soundnesse and unfainednesse of faith All faith which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is true and unfained though not perfect endureth temptations Heresies are trialls whereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the perfect but the sound and upright Christians may be knowne Affliction worketh patience and patience worketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 probation that is sheweth them to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is sound and approved who patiently beare afflictions Wherefore blessed is the man that endureth temptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because when hee shall be found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not a perfect but a sound and approved Christian hee shall receive the Crowne of life Temptation therefore is fitly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the triall of our faith because it tryeth those who professe the faith whether they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sound and upright Christians or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hypocrites But not all that be not perfect are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor any perfect though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but all those that are not upright are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say hypocrites § IV. His third reason whosoever beleeve with all their heart or their whole heart their faith is perfect some do beleeve with their whole heart as namely the Eunuch Act. 8. 37. therefore the faith of some is perfect To helpe him I will confesse that not onely some but all who have faith unfained beleeve with their whole heart But the proposition is to bee denyed For to beleeve with the whole heart being not legally but evangâ—…lically understood is to beleeve not with an heart and an heart that is an heart divided but with an entire and upright heart wherein there is no guile that is hypocrisie So that hee which beleeveth integro corde with an upright heart or with faith unfained is said according to the scriptures to beleeve with his whole heart which proveth not the perfection but the soundnesse of faith Neither is it credible either that Philip would require perfect faith in men before they be baptized for to such Baptisme were needelesse or that the faith of the Eunuch being a new convert not yet baptized was at that time perfect For what I pray you was his faith Was it not this I beleeve that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God which is the very first degree of justifying faith § V. His fourth reason because the faith of Abraham was altogether perfect What will hee from thence inferre Ergo the faith of all when they are first justified is perfect but hee commeth farre short of that conclusion All that can bee concluded if the premisses were true is this Abraham had perfect faith Abraham was justified therefore some justified person hath a perfect faith The proposition hee proveth out of Rom. 4. 19. 20. where it is said that hee was not weake in faith as many are who notwithstanding are justified neither staggered at the promise of God through unbeleefe as Zacharias did Luk. 1. 20. who notwithstanding his unperfect faith was a man justified but was strong in faith being fully perswaded and therefore had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fidei the full perswasion of faith which few or none have when they are first justified Now saith he this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the perfection of faith Answ. first to the proposition that Abrahams faith when hee was first justified was not perfect whatsoever it was afterwards secondly to the proofe of it out of Rom. 4. 20. 21. from which testimony it is indeed proved that the faith of Abraham after he had beene for a long time justified was strong but not perfect Neither is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full perswasion of this point that God is omnipotent which here is adscribed to Abraham the perfection of faith nor yet every full perswasion of the truth of God concerning Christ. For first there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a full perswasion of assent to any truth of God but especially to the truth that Iesus the Sonne of the Virgin Mary is the eternall Sonne of God and the Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him which though it justifie if it be a lively and effectual assent joyned with an earnest desire and settled resolution of application yet is farre from the perfection of faith For there is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the full perswasion of speciall faith which goeth beyond the ordinary faith of all Papists when thou certainely beleevest not onely that Christ is the Saviour of all the faithfull but also that he is thy Saviour and that by him thou shalt be saved Now every assurance or assured perswasion is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which there are many degrees through which we must strive proceeding from faith to faith towards a full assurance which yet is never so full but that still more and more may and ought to be added to it As for Abraham though his faith were strong and excellent yet was it not perfect which appeareth by many signes For if his faith had beene perfect then it had not needed to have beene strengthened and confirmed Why then did the
what Pharisaicall conceit the Papists have of themselves that being once ex opere operato justified by their Sacraments though they neither have knowledge nor faith nor repentance nor any sanctifying grace in them yet they are not truely and indeed sinners in themselves neither is there any sinne in them And therefore unlesse they will play the hypocrites and dally with God they ought not to pray as Christ taught his owne Apostles to pray forgive us our sinnes But by saying there is no sinne in themselves it is evident that there is no truth in them 1 loh. 1. 8. § VIII His eighth argument is taken out of the Canticles where Christ is compared to the Husband or Bridegrome the Church or justified soule to the Spouse which Spouse is said to bee most faire and beautifull yea tota pulchra viz. by beauty inhereâ—…t in her selfe and not by the beauty of her Husband imputed to her Answ. From allegoricall Scriptures no sound argument can bee drawne especially when they are not understood But be it that by the Spouse is meant the Church of Christ. Is it the Church triumphant as it mayseeme when she is said to be tota pulchra then is it to no purpose alleaged As for the Church militant that commendation cannot be verified of it by reason of many deformed members which be alwayes in the visible Church besides which the Papists acknowledge no other But if the Church militant bee meant then of what time for it may not be thought that what is spoken in the Canticles doth agree to the Church at al times The Spouse which somtimes is said to be tota pulchra in other places is said to be blacke sometimes She enjoyethher Beloved somtimes She is at a losse sometimes she adhereth to her Love sometimes She neglecteth him But suppose she be alwaies and altogether beautiful which me thinks should hardly be verified of the Church of Rome besides which they acknowledg no other true Church especially when the visible Head therof the Popes have beene monsters of men their Clergie Sodomiticall their Laity void of all truth and power of Religion their whole Church in respect of her faith hereticall in regard of her religion idolatrous and in respect of both apostaticall but suppose I say the true universall Church which is the company of the elect to be wholly beautifull This totall beauty cannot be understood of her inherent righteousnesse which is stayned and unperfect but of that righteousnesse which her husband hath imputed and imparted to her as we heard before out of Gregory Nyssen § IX Yea but Bellarmine will prove that this beauty is inherent first because her beauty is described as that which is proper to women and his as that which is proper to men and therefore that his beauty is one and hers another Secondly because it is absurd to imagine hee absurdly chargeth us that the Spouse of Christ is deformed in herselfe being onâ—…ly adorned outwardly with her Husbands garment But this labour Bellarmine might have spared For wee doe acknowledge that the true Church is beautifull and that by a twofold beauty the one the perfect beauty of her Husband communicated to her by imputation the other unperfect and inherent which being but begun in this life is to be perfected in the life to come but howsoever this inward beauty be unperfect yet because it is upright her Husband is delighted therewith and in regard of this inward uprightnesse and integrity she is said to be glorious within In which respect the Tabernacle of the Congregation was a fit type of the Church militant which in outward appearance is black and brown like the tents of Kedar but within faire and beautifull like the hangings of Salomon even as the tabernacle which outwardly made but a homely shew being covered with Rams skinnes and Badgers skins was inwardly glorious wee acknowledge therefore that there is inherent righteousnesse in the true Church and in all the true and lively memâ—…ers thereof In regard whereof in the Creed we professe our selves to beleeve that she is holy and that the communion of her members among themselves and with their head is the communion of Saints But that by this inherent righteousnesse either the Church or any member thereof is justified before God we doe utterly deny § X. His ninth and tenth arguments I will put together because one answere may serve for both His ninth reason is this by justification the heart is cleansed that it may be prepared for the vision of God for untill it be cleane it cannot see God The tenth Christ suffered and gave himselfe for his Church that he might sanctifie it Heb. 13. 12. Ephes. 5. 26. Tit. 2. 14. loh. 17. 19. which is not done by imputation c. Both those objections arise from the wilfull ignorance of the Papists who will not distinguish justification from sanctification The righteousnesse of sanctification of which these places speake wee acknowledge to be inherent though that of justification be imputed and that which I have shewed heretofore as wee are by justification entitled to the kingdome of heaven so by sanctification we are fitted and prepared for it We confesse that the heart must be cleane and pure before it can see God and that by sanctification begun in this life the heart is prepared but never fully cleansed untill it come to see God wee acknowledge that our sanctification is the end not onely of our redemption but also of our Election Ephes. 1. 4. of our creation and recreation according to Gods image Ephes. 4. 24. of our vocation 1 Thes. 4. 7. of our justification and reconciliation Col. 1. 22. Luk. 1. 74. 75. That sanctification is the way wherein men being elected called justified are to walke to their glorification But though it bee via regni yet it is not causa regnandi that our Saviour by his Spirit doth truly really and inherently worke the worke of sanctification in all those that are justified But I beseech you what is the force of both these arguments Our hearts must be cleansed by inherent purity therefore we are not justified by imputed righteousnesse Christ dyed and gave himselfe for us that wee might bee sanctified with true inherent grace therefore we are not justified by righteousnesse imputed Christ gave himselfe for us that he might redeeme and justifie us that being reedeemed and justified wee might worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him Finally Bellarmine telleth us that many other arguments might bee produced but these he saith were the principall which notwithstanding for the most part were such as deserved with scome to bee rejected rather than to bee in good earnest refuted which neverthelesse argueth not the insufficiencie of the disputant but the badnesse of the cause which admitteth no better proofes A TREATISE OF IVSTIFICATION THE SIXTH BOOKE Concerning Faith CAP. I. What Faith is and that it is not without knowledge § I. THâ—…
impiety § VIII The place in Clemens Alexandrinus maketh wholly against the ignorance of implicite Faith For whereas one there excuseth his ignorance as many now a daies doe because hee was not booke-learned hee answereth though thou hast not learned to read yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for hearing thou canst not be excused because it is not to be taught Now saith he in the words which Bellarmine citeth faith is a thing belonging to the wise not according to the world but according to God such as are taught of God and it is learned without letters Faith therefore is to bee learned namely by hearing and therefore is a knowledge and they attaine unto it who are not worldly wise but such as are wise according to God and therefore such as have knowledge Neither can men as he saith excuse their ignorance or their want of faith because they are not booke learned for though they cannot read yet they may heare and by hearing faith commeth § IX Hilarie inquiring how we should so be one in the Father and in the Sonne as the Father is in the Sonne and the Sonne in the Father saith that in such mysteries habet non tam veniam quà m praemium ignorare that is non intelligerâ—… quod credas quia maximum stipendium fidei est sperare quae nescias it hath not so much pardon as reward not to know what thou beleevest For it is the greatest stipend of faith to hope for those things which thou understandest not For as the Apostle saith they never entred into the heart of man the things â—…hich God hath prepared for us And no doubt but it is a great commendation of faith when a man giveth glory to God undoubtedly beleeving that to be true which God in â—…he greatest mysteries hath revealed though he doth not comprehend the reason thereof The thing râ—…vealed hee beleeveth to bee true and â—…o knoweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though hee doe not distinctly exactly and clearely comprehend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reason thereof which hee findeth to be incomprehensible What then saith Hilarie is there no office of faith if nothing can be comprehended Imò hoc officium fides profiteatur id quod credâ—… incomprehensibile sibi esse se scire yea saith hee let faith professe this officâ—… that it knoweth that thing to be incomprehensible to it selfe which it beleeveth § X. Out of Augustine he citeth five places wherein he teacheth nothing but what we freely confesse that the faithfull for he speaketh not particularly of the ignorant but of all the faithfull beleeve those things which they doe not comprehend or as hee speaketh in the first place quae certa intelligentia non possunt discernere which by certaine intelligence they are not able to discerne which in the second place he calleth intelligendi vivacitaâ—…em in the third intelligentiam mysteriorum which in the fourth place hee sheweth not to goe before but to follow after Faith For first by relâ—…tion wee know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what God revealeth then wee assent thereto and having assented we come afterwards more distâ—…nctly to understand it But he who seeketh not onely to know the thing but the reason thereof may as he saith in the fifth placâ—… be called rationalis that is a quaerist whereas a faithfull man should say Nescio qâ—…od credo I understand not that which I beleeve Vis scire saith hee Naturam Dei hoc scito quod nescias wilt thou know the nature of God know this that thou know'st it not For as elswhere he saith debemus credere quod intelligere nondum valeamus quà m verissimè dictum est per Prophetam nisi credideritis non intelligetis And in the Sermon even now alleaged Nobis sufficiat Let it suffice us to know concerning the Trinity what God hath vouchsafed to explaine what Christ hath beene willing to shew that onely I know when a thought shall arise and propound this question what is God and what is the reason that is the proper nature of the Trinity let it suffice us to beleeve that it is that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not rashly seeke the reason of the Trinity § XI That which he citeth out of Prosper and is the same which even now I recited out of Augustin is true that faith goeth before cleare understanding and men must beleeve that they may understand more clearely For as he truly citeth out of the Philosopher addiscentem oportet credere the learner must beleeve And as Augustine saith of unbeleevers non possunt discere quia nolunt credere they cannot learne because they will not beleeve and as the Apostle of the unbeleeving Israelites that the hearing of the word did not profit them because it was not mingled with faith All this notwithstanding no man can bee said to have learned that which he did not first conceive and in some measure understand as it is taught for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to learne doth also signifie to understand and then beleeveth that it is so and so beleeving what is taught groweth more distinctly and clearely to understand what he did beleeve But they which have but implicite faith doe not so much as know the particulars of the Catholike faith which are to be beleeved so farre are they from either learning or beleeving them § XII The brutish argument which he borroweth from Gregories allegory of the Oxen and Asses feeding together Iob 1. besides that it is to no purpose because allegories specially such as farre fetcht and not intended by the holy Ghost prove nothing is also depraved For Gregorie doth not say that by the Oxen are meant the learned by the Asses feeding by them men unskilfull and unlearned who simply beleeving doe rest in the understanding of their betters but that the Asses are said to feed with the Oxen because the more simple and dull who are not capable of high points meant by the Asses conversing with the prudent meant by the Oxen are fed with their knowledge or understanding § XIII To these few and weake authorities many pregnant testimonies of the Fathers might be opposed if it were needfull These few may suffice 1. Hilarie Nec enim quisquam quod non sapit loquitur nec quod loqui non potest potest credere Neither doth any man speake what he doth not conceive neither can he beleeve that which he is not able to utter 2. Hierome quae est ista simplicitas nescire quae credas What sillinesse is this not to know the things which thou doest beleeve 3. Chrysostome having recited very many heads of Christian religion all these saith hee and many more a Christian must know and of all these hee must bee able to render a reason to them that aske it 4. Augustine although no man can beleeve in God unlesse hee understand somewhat concerning God notwithstanding
those who have not Charity have not faith who as the same Apostle saith professe themselves to know God but in deeds deny him which also is against himselfe for how saith Chrysostome can such a man be said to beleeve that denieth God Therefore saith he the wicked deny the faith not in heart or mouth but indeed and of them saith he writeth Saint Gregory whose testimony he alleageth directly against himselfe Eos non veraciter credere non habere veram fidem quinon bene operantur that they doe not truely beleeve nor have a true faith who doe not worke well And therefore those that worke ill as those doe who are without Charity and namely those who provide not for their domesticks shew that they have no true faith But this he salveth with another testimony of the same Gregory that many enter into the Church because they have faith and yet want the wedding garment because they have not Charity Where by faith we are to understand the profession of faith which many make who have not Charity But by the wedding garment we are according to the Scriptures to understand rather Christ and his righteousnesse as I have shewed heretofore put on by a true and lively faith for he that was without the wedding garment wanted faith as well as charity The Authour of the unfinished Worke in Chrysostome faith Nuptiale vestimentum est fides vera quae est per Iesum Christum justitiam ejus the wedding garment is the true faith which is by Iesus Christ and his righteousnesse But will you heare one of their owne Writers upon Matth. 22. what is saith he that wedding garment to wit that whereof Paul speaketh when he saith put on the Lord Iesus Christ. This garment is inwardly put on by faith when thou puttest on Christs righteousnesse to cover thy sinnes c. § VII The second out of Ioh. 6. 64. Iudas though he professed the faith is yet said not to have beleeved because he wanted Charity and therefore they who want Charity want faith Bellarmine answereth that he is said not to beleeve because at that time he had lost his faith I reply Iudas though he professed the faith yet he never had true faith and therefore never lost it For from the beginning Iesus knew who they were that beleeved not and who should betray him for this cause saith he in the next verse I said unto you that no man can come to me that is beleeve in me vers 35. and 64. unlesse it be given unto him of my Father which hee insinuateth had not been given to Iudas whom from the beginning he knew to be no beleever § VIII Hee that saith hee knoweth God namely by faith and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar Bellarmine answereth that he speaketh of the knowledge of familiarity and friendship of which the Lord speaketh to the wicked Matth. 7. 25. I know you not whereunto I reply that if he speake of such knowledge it is the knowledge of faith and cannot be had but by faith and so the argument standeth in force Howbeit unfitly doth he alleage the Lords not knowing of the wicked to prove the meaning of our knowing of him If he speake not of the knowledge of faith the argument is the stronger for if he be a lyar that only saith that he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandements then much more is hee a lyar that saith hee knoweth God by faith and keepeth not his commandements Beda indeed expoundeth this knowledge of God of the love of God which is a fruit and consequent of our faith hocest Deum nosse quod amare but others of faith as Gregory speaking of this place notitia quippâ—… Dei ad fideâ—… pertinet Oecumenius maketh this verse to bee of the same signification with the sixth verse of the first Chapter If we say that we have fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we are lyars and that which Saint Iohn there calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communion here hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commixtion or conjunction Thus therefore hee saith Saint Iohn having said before that those which beleeve in the Lord have communion or fellowship with him here hee setteth downe evidences of our communion with him In this wee know that wee know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that which hee had said before that wee have conjunction or communion with him if wee keepe his Commandements And this saith hee hee more fully sheweth by the contrary but hee that saith I know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or I have communion with him and keepeth not his Commandements he is a lyar This then is â—…is meaning he that saith I know God that is I have Communion with him by faith and doth not keepe his Commandements hee is a lyar But whether wee understand the words of communion by faith or of faith according to the usuall pâ—…rase of the Scriptures puting knowledge for faith as I noted before or of knowledge it selfe the argument is unanswerable For if wee cannot truely bee said to know Christ that is to beleeve in him unlesse wee keepe his Commandements then it is evident that true faith cannot be severed from Charity For this is love if we keep his Commandements 1 Ioh. 5. 3. againe if hee that saith hee knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandemenes bee a lyar much more he that saith hee beleeveth in God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar as I said before To this adde Tit. 1. â—…6 which Bellarmine cited against himselfe those that professe themselves to know God but in workes deny him they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unbeleevers Ioh. 3. 36. or as the vulgar Latine incredibiles or as Thomas Aquinas non apti ad credendum § IX Fourthly 1 Ioh. 5. 1. Every one that bâ—…leeveth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of God and therefore undoubtedly hath charity Bellarmine answereth that he speaketh de fide formata as Saint Augustine expoundeth and so doe wee for whosoever truely beleeveth hath fidem formatam For the Apostle no doubt speaketh of a true lively saith and such there is none but that which the Papists call formatam which worketh by love And therefore the argument holdeth that whosoever hath a true lively iustifying faith is borne of God or regenerated by the Spirit of sanctification and therefore is undoubtedly endued with charity § Fifthly Iam. 2. That faith which iâ—… without workes is dead A true lively justifying faith is not dead Therefore â—… true livâ—…ly â—…ustifying faith is not without works Bellarmine saith he hath explaned this in his third argument that faith is said to be dead not as a mâ—… is said to bee dead who after death is not but as a body is said to bee dead which after death is but liveth not For saith he Life is not of the
proposition because a third thing may be added and that is this or because the spirit of grace or regeneration who is the author and efficient of both hath unseparably united them in one and the same subject wherein working the one that is faith with it and by it he worketh the other As touching the Assumption the former part that the one is not of the nature of the other it is denied by the Roman-Catholike the latter that the one doth not necessarily spring from the other by the true Catholikes For the Papists hold that charitie is the forme of justifying faith without which it neither doth nor can justifie And therefore they of all men ought to hold that justifying faith cannot be severed from charitie For whereas Bellarmine saith that charitie is but the outward forme of faith by which it worketh I acknowledge no outward forme but of artificiall bodies As for that which is principium motus by which any thing worketh it is the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the actus primus the proper forme whereby any thing as it is that which it is so it worketh and produceth his proper and naturall effects And such is the unseparable coexistence of the forme and the thing formed that posita forma res ipsa ponatur sublata forma res ipsa 〈◊〉 The Papists therefore hold things repugnant and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they teach that charitie is the forme of justifying faith and yet that justifying faith may be severed from it The second that the one doth not necessarily spring from the other we deny For true faith doth necessarily and infallibly encline the beleever to love God and his neighbour for Gods sake For that faith whereby we are perswaded of Gods love to us in Christ cannot but move and encline us to love God neither can we love God as good if we doe not first beleeve that hee is good And such as is the measure of our faith concerning Gods goodnesse to us such is the measure of our love to him Bellarmine consesseth that saith enclineth and disposeth a man to love but saith a disposition and inclination non cogit doth not compell a man but leaveth him free As though there were no necessitie but of coaction or constraint § VIII That charitie doth necessarily follow faith as an unseparable companion he saith we have no sound proofes and therefore are faine to illustrate it by certaine similitudes which he calleth examples Answ. Whether we have any sound proofes or not I referre the Christian reader to the fifteene arguments which Bellarmine tooke no notice of besides those sixe I vindicated from his cavils As for similitudes they were not brought to prove the point but to illustrate and to make it more plaine As if I should compare a regenerate soule to fire as Christ did Iohn Baptist to a burning and shining lampe I might say which was Luthers similitude as in fire or rather if you please in the Sunne-beames two things concurre light and heate and neither is without the other the beames of the Sunne alwaies by their light producing heat so in the regenerate soule there are faith as the light and charitie as the heate and neither is without other because the spirit of regeneration as it were the Sunne by shedding abroad the beames of Gods love into our hearts that is by working in us faith by which we are perswaded of Gods love towards us in Christ inflameth our hearts with the love of God the beames of Gods love reflecting from our soules some warmth of love towards God To this Bellarminâ—… answereth that charitie in the Scriptures is compared to fire c. Answ. So it may in respect of the heate as faith also may in respect of the light as therefore in the fire concurreth both light and heate which cannot be severed so in the regenerate soule faith and love Bucers similitude was of a sicke man who being desperately sicke if a Physician shall assure him of health and much more if hee shall cure him by forgoing something that is most deare unto him cannot if hee beleeve so much but affect and love him so wee being desperately sicke of sinne and neare to death and damnation if the Lord shall by giving his owne Sonne not onely redeeme us from death but also entitle us to the kingdome of Heaven wee cannot if wee bee truly perswaded hereof by faith but love God againe who hath so loved us For we love God because he first loved us To this Bellarmine answereth that hee which beleeveth is inclined to love him in whom hee beleeveth but is not forced thereunto which no man averreth § IX A third similitude he would seeme to produce out of Calvins Institutions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ and his spirit cannot be separated so faith and charitie cannot be severed but though both the parts of this comparison are true yet there is no such similitude propounded by Calvin But in that place he proveth that true faith cannot bee severed from a godly affection because true faith embraceth Christ as he is offered unto us of his Father now of his Father hee is made unto us not onely righteousnesse to bee received by faith unto justification but holinesse also to bee applied by his spirit unto sanctification And therefore those that receive Christ receive also his spirit Bellarmine answereth that it is true indeed that he which receiveth Christ receiveth him with his spirit sed credendo recipit i. credit illum habere spiritum sanctificationis but he receiveth by beleeving that is he beleeveth that Christ hath aspirit of sanctification but from hence it doth not follow that the spirit of sanctification is alwaies with faith in a man unlesse it be objectively even as health is in a sicke man that hath it not when he thinketh of it and desireth it Thus in popish divinitie to receive the spirit of Christ is to beleeve that Christ hath a spirit of sanctification but not to be partaker thereof or to have the communion of the holy Ghost which notwithstanding all those have who truely beleeve in Christ. For all that truely beleeve are the sonnes of God as I have shewed and to so many as be his sonnes God doth send the spirit of his sonne into their hearts his spirit dwelleth in them and he by his spirit And if any man have not the spirit of Christ hee is none of his If therefore all that receive Christ receive also his spirit then all that truely beleeve are also endued with charitie as I have proved before § X. His sixth argument is taken from an absurditie which he saith followeth upon our doctrine For saith he they doe therefore contend that a man is justified by faith onely because if justification depended upon the condition of works or our obedience of the Law no man could be certaine of his justification to which effect the Apostle argueth
Now to beleeve in Christ is to receive him Ioh. 1. 12. and not to receive him is not to beleeve in him vers 11. For to receive Christ being so farre removed from us is a spirituall action of the soule that is to say of the mind and of the heart whereby we first apprehend and after apply Christ unto our selves If therefore it bee asked quâ—…modo tenebo absentem quomodo in coelâ—…m manum mittam ut ibi sedentem teneam how should I lay hold upon him that is absent how should I send up my hand into heaven to lay hold on him sitting there Augustine answereth fidem mitte tenuisti Send up thy faith and thou hast laid hold on him But first wee receive Christ in our minde and judgement by assent which if it bee a bareâ—… and as it were a literall and uneffectuall assent wee receive him at the most as the Saviour of the World but not as our Saviour which is the faith of hypocrites yea and of Devils and is all that thâ—… Papists require as necessary to true faith But if it bee a spirituall lively and effectuall assent it worketh upon the heart that is both the affections and the will so that hee which in his judgement truely and effectually assenteth to the truth of the Gospell that Iesus the Sonne of the Blessed Virgin is the eternall Sonne of God the Messias and Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him doth also in his heart embrace him heartily desiring to bee made partaker of him and in his will unfainedly purposing and resolving to acknowledge him to bee our Lord and Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation By the former which is onely a bare assent we doe after a sort credere Christum acknowledging him to bee the Saviour of those that beleeve in him by the latter which is the lively and effectuall assent working upon the heart we doe credere in Christum and receive him to bee our Saviour whereupon necessarily followeth affiance in Christ and love of him as our Saviour Thus then by a true belief we receive and embrace Christ in our judgements by a lively assent in our hearts desiring earnestly to be partakers of him which desire wee expresse by hearty prayer and in our willâ—… resolving to acknowledge and professe him to be our only Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation So that a true lively and effectuâ—…ll faith is the worke of the whole soule that is to say as well of the heart as of the minde for which cause the Apostle saith corde creditur adjustitiam with the heart man beleeveth to righteousnesse Rom. 10. 10. and Saint Luke that the Lord opened the heart of Lydia to assent to the Gospell Act. 16. 14. And Philip requireth the Eunuch to beleeve with his whole heart Act. 8. 37. The former is common to the wicked yea to the Devils the later is proper to the children of God For those who so beleeve are born of God Ioh. â—… 12 13. 1 Ioh. 5. 1. The former is a literall a dead a counterfeit a not justifying faith the latter is a lively true and justifying faith This distinction Augustine maketh betweene Saint Peters faith and that of the Devils though their confessions were alike Thou art the Sonne of the living God Hoc dicebat Petrus ut Christum amplecteretur hoc dicebant Daemones ut Christus ab eis recederet This said Peter that hee might embrace Christ this spake the Devils that Christ might depart from them Oecumenius endeavouring to reconcile the seeming differences betweene the two Apostles Paul and Iames saith there are two significations of the word Faith the one as it signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a simple and bare assent in which sence the Devils are said to beleeve that there is one God the other as it importeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the accompanying of the disposition or affection with the firme assent Of the former Saint Iames speaketh and saith that the simple and bare assent is a dead faith but Paul of the latter which is not destitute of good workes which after hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is faith indeed § III. Of this faith whereby wee receive Christ to bee our Saviour there are two degrees the former of speciall apprehension whereby wee receive and embrace Christ consisting in a lively and effectuall beleefe whereby we truly receive Christ in our judgement by a willing assent in our affections by an earnest desire to bee made partakers of him and of his merits which is the desire of application in our will by a setled resolution to acknowledge him to bee our Saviour and to rest upon him for salvation which is the unfained purpose and endeavour of application So that in this first degree though we are not able actually to apply the promise of the Gospell unto our selves yet that application is both desired and intended The other is of actuall and speciall application of the promise to our selves as having the condition of the promise The former is fides principiorum being grounded on the expresse Word of God whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall bee saved The other is fides conclusionum necessarily deduced from the Word by application in a practicall syllogisme after this manner whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall be saved which generall is true in every particular as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 10. 9. 〈◊〉 therefore thou doest beleeve in Christ thou shalt bee saved but I saith the faithfull man doe beleeve in Christ therefore I shall be saved which conclusion cannot be false the premisses being true To the former all men are necessarily tied under paine of damnation Iohn 3. 18. Mark 16. 16. to the latter none are tied but they onely who have the former For the former is the condition of the promise which whosoever hath not he ought not to apply the promise to himselfe unlesse hee will perniciously deceive himselfe By the former wee are justified before God in the court of Heaven which is properly called justification by the latter we are justified in the court of our conscience which is not properly justification but the assurance of it The former goeth before remission of sinne the latter followes after The former is the worke of Gods Spirit as he doth regenerate us in our first effectuall calling the latter as hee is the spirit of adoption sealing us after wee have beleeved The former is ordinarily wrought by the hearing of the Word the holy Ghost opening the heart of the hearer to assent thereto and not by the ministry of the Sacraments which being the seales of that righteousnesse which is by faith were ordained to this purpose to confirme our faith in the application of the promise in particularunto our selves and in the particular assurance of our justification and salvation by Christ that those who have the first degree offaith may proceed to the second
God grounded upon the infallible authoritie of God the relator and finally not being ignorant that we hold the proper object of faith to be the truth But we hold that it is seated both in the understanding and in the will and my reason brieâ—…ely is this because it is a voluntary assent and is so defined not onely by some of the ancient Fathers but also by the ancient Philosophers who as Thcodoreâ—… reporteth doe define it to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a willing assent of the soule Thâ—…refore to beleeve is an act both of the understanding and of the will Of the understanding as it is an assent of the will as it is voluntary Even as liberum â—…rbitrium as it is arbitrium belongeth to the understanding and as it is liberum to the will not that we seate it in two divers parts of the soule but onely in the mind that is the reasonable or intellectuall part though it worketh upon the affections also For the better understanding whereof wee are to know that when the holy Ghost is pleased to worke the grace of faith in the soules of any of the elect which ordinarily he doth by the ministery of the Gospell he openeth their hearts as he did the heart of Lydia to assent to the Gospell which he doth first by illuminating their understanding and opening the eyes of their minde that they may rightly conceive and judge of the doctrine of salvation and secondly by opening as it were the eares of the mind and enclining the will to affect and embrace what the understanding hath judged and approved to be true and good The understanding therefore approving and the Will which is intellectus extensus and ordinarily followeth the judgement of the practick understanding embracing the doctrine of the Gospell which promiseth salvation by Christ to all that beleeve the mind which containeth both these faculties being thus opened by the holy Ghost doth williugly assent to the doctrinâ—… of the Gospell concerning salvation by Christ. Faith therefore is a voluntary assent of the mind to the promise of the Gospell unto which the acts of both the faculties of the mind concurre of the understanding to judge that the thing propounded to be beleeved is true and good I meane that the promise is true and the thing promised good of the Will to accept and to embrace that for true and good which the understanding hath judged to be such Out of both which ariseth the voluntary assent of the minde which wee call faith This faith thus wrought by the holy Ghost the Spirit of regeneration being lively and effectuall worketh upon the heart and affections which also being renewed by the holy Ghost readily follow the willing assent of the minde both to affect Christ to desire to bee made partakers of him to love him and torest upon him for salvation and also to dis-affect and to detest those things which are repugnant to the Doctrine of the Gospel the chiefe whereof is Sinne. § III. Now that the act of the will doth concurre to faith and that faith which is an habit of the minde is seated as well in the will as in the understanding is a thing testified by the Fathers and confessed by the Schoole-men and by the Moderne Doctors of the Romane Church And first for the Fathers Clemens Alexandrinus saith that faith it the willing assent of the soule and so Theodoret doth define it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ambrose Fides non necessitatis sed voluntatis res est Faith is a matter of will and not of necessity therefore the Apostle saith not that wee domineere over your faith for dominion is cause of necessity and againe â—… to beleeve or not to beleeve it is an act of the Will Augustine Grace therfore preventeth or goeth before faith otherwise if faith prevent it then also the will prevenâ—…eth it quia fides sine voluâ—…late â—…on potest esse because faith cannot be without Will Againe what is it to beleeve but to consent that the thing is true which is said consensio autemutique volentis est and consenting undoubtedly is of him that is willing Every man when he willeth beleeveth cum credit volens credit and when he doth beleeve hee doth willingly beleeve Voluntate utique credimus verily we beleeve with our will Fides in credentium voluntate consistit faith standeth in the will of the beleevers And writing upon Ioh. 6. 44. What say we here brethren if we be drawne unto Christ then wee beleeve against our wills No saith hee A man may enter into the Church nolens against his will hee may come to the Altar nilling hee may receive the Sacrament nilling credere non potest nisi volens hee cannot beleeve unlesse hee bee willing And lastly in the elect the will is prepared of the Lord that therefore belongeth to faith quâ—… in voluntate est which is in the will § IV. Bonaventure it were not virtuovs to beleeve if it were not voluntary ipsum velle credere est essentiale ipsi fidei to beleeve willingly is essentiall to faith it selfe Vnto the being of the vertue of faith with the act of reason or understanding concurreth the act of the Will Faith never should be a vertue though it did enlighten the understanding never so much if it did not also rectifie the will Thomas Aquinas writing on Rom. 10. 10. Signanter autem dicit corde creditur id est voluntate he â—…peaketh remarkeably men beleeve with the hearr that is with the Will For all other things which appertaine to the outward worship of God 〈◊〉 potest a man may doe them nilling sed credere non potest nisi volens but none can beleeve that is not willing for the understanding of him that beleeveth is not determined to assent unto the truth by necessity of reason as of him that hath science but by the Will Againe Intellectus credâ—…ntis determinatur ad unum non per rationeâ—… sed per voluntatem Credere est actus intellectus assentientis veritati divinae ex imperio voluntatis à Deo motae per gratiam Credere est actus intellectus secùndum quod movetur a voluntate ad assentiendum procedit autem hujâ—…smodi actus à voluntate ab intellectu Actus fidei dicitur consistere in credentium voluntate in quantum ex imperio voluntatis intellectus credibilibus assentit Gabriel Biel the act of faith is to beleeve which is an act of the understanding assenting to the truth proceeding from the command of the will quiâ—… nullus credit nisi volens because no man beleeveth that is not willing as Saint Augustâ—…e teacheth § V. Cardin all Contarenus actus fidei quam vis sit elicitus ab intellectu est tamen imperatus à 〈◊〉 Salmeron Paul saith men beleeve with the heart to exclude fayning
lively effectuall faith which worketh by love and therefore I say againe this whole dispute of the seven dispositions is meerely impertinent § IV. But some will say doe you require no preparative dispositions going before justification I answer that in adult is we doe but that no way hindereth the truth of our assertion concerning justification by faith alone wee doe confesse that to the begetting of justifying faith preparative dispositions are ordinarily required in adultis in those who be of yeares wrought partly by private education and use of other private meanes as reading meditation conference c. and partly by the publicke ministery both of the Law and of the Gospell by which first our minds are illuminated to know God and our selves and what wee shall bee in Christ if wee beleeve in him Secondly hee mollifieth our hearts and humbleth our soules ordinarily by the ministery of the Law and extraordinarily by afflictions either outward or inward which are the terrours of a distressed conscience by which when the Word will not serve the Lord draweth men as it were with a strong hand that being thus humbled we may become fit auditours of the Gospell In which the Lord to the humbled and prepared soule revealeth his unspeakeable mercies in Christ stirreth us up by the ministers of reconciliation to accept of his mercie in Christ intreating and perswading us in the name of God and in Christs stead that wee would be reconciled unto God The holy Ghost having thus knocked at the doore of our hearts at length in his good time he himselfe openeth our hearts to receive Christ by faith working in our judgments a lively assent to the doctrine of salvation by Christ and by it both an earnest desire in our hearts to be made partakers of Christ which is the desire of application and also in our wils a setled resolution to acknowledge him to be our Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation which is the will and purpose of application Having thus received and embraced Christ by a lively assent or beliefe and so having the condition of the promise which is faith in the next place wee proceed to actuall application by speciall faith which is farther to be confirmed by the Sacraments which are the seales of that righteousnesse which is by faith and by the practise of piety or leading of a godly life whereby wee are to make as our election and calling so also our justification sure unto us § V. But come we to his argument drawne from the seven preparative dispositions And first for faith he saith he shall not need to prove that it doth justifie because we confesse it but that it doth not justifie alone Answ. That justifying saith which is a grace infused in our regeneration we deny to justifie by way of disposing that faith which goeth before regeneration and is not infused we deny to justifie at all And such is that faith whereof he speaketh and therefore hee reckoneth without his host From our assertion he should rather have concluded thus That which is but a preparative disposition to justification doth not justifie at all that faith which goeth before regeneration is but a preparative disposition to justification as Bellarmine teacheth therefore that faith which goeth before regeneration doth not justifie at all Or thus a preparative disposition to justification doth not justifie but faith as all confesse doth justifie therefore it is not a preparative disposition to justification § VI. Yea but he will prove by authority of Scriptures by testimonies of Fathers and by reason that faith doth not justifie alone because it is but the beginning of justification and therefore other things must accompany and follow it to perfect our justification Answ. That it is the beginning of sanctification and the root of all sanctifying graces I have already confessed But the concurrence both of other inward graces and of outward obedience unto sanctification doth not hinder but that faith doth justifie alone Neither doth faith justifie as the beginning of justification only first because there are no degrees of justification before God for in the first act it is perfect and to that act continued throughout this life faith as I shewed before out of divers of the Fathers sufficeth I say sufficeth to justification and therefore is not the beginning onely but also the continuance and consummation thereof for as in the first act it justifieth so also in the continuance of justification for by it we stand and by it we live and so long as we have faith it is imputed unto us for righteousnesse even from faith to faith as it was to Abraham after he had long continued in the faith § VII His first proofe is Heb. 11. 6. Hee that commeth to God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him Therefore faith is the first motion of comming to God which wee willingly confesse But he should have done well to have told us what is meant by comming unto God For to come unto Christ is to beleeve in him Ioh. 6. 35 37 44 65. And if that bee the meaning of the holy Ghost in this place then to come unto God is to beleeve in him by speciall faith otherwise the Apostle should enunciate idem per idem And then the meaning is this hee that would beleeve that God is his God and that he will be gracious unto him must first beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him Or thus wouldest thou beleeve that Christ is thy Saviour then must thou first beleeve that hee is the Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him Or it may be that the word come in this place is to bee expounded by the word seeking He that will come unto God that is hee that will seeke God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him For these words comming returning seeking which properly betoken the actions of the body are by a Metaphore translated to the actions of the soule whereby is meant sometimes our conversion and turning unto God Deut. 4. 29. 30. 2 Chron. 15. 4. Esa. 9. 13. Hos. 3. 5. 5. 15. cum 6. 1. 7. 10. And if that bee the meaning of this place then nothing else can bee gathered from it but that faith is the beginning of our repentance and turning unto God Sometimes the whole study of piety whereby wee endevour to know God and to serve him 1 Chro. 28. 9. If thou seeke him that is if thou endevour to know and to serve him with an upright heart and with a willing mind 2 Chron. 14. 4. 15. 12. 17. 4. Act. 17. 27. Psal. 119. 2 3. whereupon godly and religious men are said to bee seekers of the Lord Psal. 22. 26. 24. 6. 40. 16. Esa. 51. 1. And thus faith is the beginning of all piety
or the thing feared is not God but punishment or if it be of God it is not to feare him but to be affraid of him From which our Saviour hath redeemed those that beleeve that they may worship God in some measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without this feare Neither doth it per se and in its owne nature tend to justification which is the exaltation of a sinner but rather to despaire which is the lowest dejection of a sinner Notwithstanding as the Law by working this feare is a Schoolemaster unto Christ for when 〈◊〉 by the paedagogie of the Law have learned to know their 〈◊〉 damnable estate in themselves for feare of damnation they are forced to seeke for salvation out of themselves so this feare which in it selfe tendeth to despaire and in it owne nature affrighteth men from God as we see in the example of our first parents Gen. 3. 10. is by God made a meanes to draw them unto him But to say that feare doth concurre unto justification in the same manner as faith doth is against reason and against common sence unlesse hee speaketh onely of the legall faith which as it is wrought by the Law so it worketh feare For feare driveth to the humiliation faith tendeth to the exaltation of the humbled soule and by it indeed the soule is exalted Therefore as humiliation goeth before exaltation so feare before faith Againe as feare goeth before faith so sinne goeth before feare For sinne maketh a man guilty the Conscience being by the Law convicted of guilt terrifieth the soule the soule terrified either sinketh in despaire being left to it selfe or prevented by God according to the purpose of his grace by which it was elected in Christ seeketh to God who is found of them that sought him not So that by this reason sinne it selfe may bee said to bee a necessary forerunner of justification disposing a man to â—…feare more than feare doth to justification for that is a cause this but an occasion § II. But as this discourse proving that feare is a disposition to justification is impertinent and affirming that feare concurreth to justification in the same manner that faith doth is false so are some of his allegations also impertinent Because they belong not to this servile feare which goeth before faith and and justification but to the Sonne-like feare which is a fruit both of faith and love and a consequent of justification As namely his first place iâ—… it were rightly alleaged Eccl. 1. 28. hee that is without feare cannot be justified or reputed just For the feare of God which the Sonne of Syrach in that chapter from the tenth verse to the end doth so highly extoll is not this servile feare but the filiall feare by which is meant true piety it selfe which as he calleth it there the beginning so also the Crowne and fulnesse of Wisedome But the place is not rightly translated in the Latine which Bellarmine doth follow For the Greeke text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wrathfull man cannot be justified or as some editions doe read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unjust wrath cannot be justified according to that of S. Iames the wrath of man doth not worke the righteousnesse of God And that the former part of the vers speaketh of wrath is proved by the latter which is the reason of the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the sway of his wrath is his ruine and by the words going before where the feare of the Lord is present it turneth away wrath and represseth anger § III. So his second Psal. 111. 10. and third Prov. 1. 7. where it is said that the feare of the Lord is the beginning of Wisedome and by Wisedome saith Bellarmine is meant perfect justification hee should say sanctification or godlinesse For as the wicked man is Salomons foole so the godly man is the onely wise man And in this sense Moses prayeth Psal. 90. 12. Teach us O Lord so to number our daies that wee may apply our hearts to Wisedome that is to true godlinesse and to the same purpose Iob speaketh c. 28. 28. the feare of the Lord it selfe is Wisedome and so Eccl. 1. 27. Now in these places the Hebrew word Reshith which is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beginning may fitly as in many other places bee translated the head that is a chiefe or principall part or the top and the meaning is that the feare of God is a principall part of godlinesse and as you heard even now Eccl. 2. 18. the Crowne of Wisedome Otherwise I cannot conceive how feare which is a fruit both of faith and of love should truely be said to bee the beginning of godlinesse which by consent of all is the prerogative of faith And yet faith it selfe doth not justifie as it is the beginning of inherent righteousnesse and much lesse feare which concurreth with it not to justification but onely to sanctification Now that servile feare is not meant in these places it is evident not onely because such commendations are given unto it as belong not to servile feare but also because they that are indued with this feare are pronounced blessed Psalm 112. 1. 128. 1. Prov. 28. 14. whereas those who have the greatest measure of servile feare are accursed and contrariewise they are happy who are most freed from it The blessednesse promised to Abraham and all the faithfull in his seed is by Zachary expounded Luk. 1. 73 74 75. to be this that being redeemed from the hand of our enemies wee should worship the Lord without feare And Saint Iohn testifieth that there is no feare in love but perfect love casteth out feare 1 Iohn 4. 18. Fourthly the feare mentioned Prov. 14. 27. where it is said The feare of the Lord is a well-spring of life to avoid the snares of death is the sonne-like feare of which Salomon speaketh in the words next going before In the feare of the Lord there is strong confidence Fifthly the feare of the Lord mentioned Eccl. 1. 21. is the son-like feare which in that Chapter from the tenth verse is highly commended Of this feare it is said among other things that it is gladnesse and a crowne of rejoycing that it maketh a merry heart and giveth joy and gladnesse verse 11 12. which are things repugnant to servile feare § IV. But let us see how he proveth his unlike likenesse that servile feare doth in a manner justifie as faith doth viz. by Scriptures by Fathers by Reason First because as it is said of faith Heb. 11. 6. so without feare we cannot please God Answ. This is true of the sonne-like feare which is an unseparable companion of justification though Bellarmines allegation of Eccles. 1. 22. proveth it not as I have shewed But of the servile feare it may be truly said that they who please God most have the least of it For the greater a mans love is the lesse is his feare
curse Thirdly Whatsoever is not agreeable or conformable to the Law is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sinne But that which is besides the Law is not conformable unto it therefore it is a sinne and a transgression of the Law which whosoever committeth hee doth not fulfill the Law Fourthly Things forbidden in the Law are against the Law Those which they call veniall sinnes are forbidden in the Law For either they are forbidden or commanded or neither forbidden nor commanded If they be commanded then are they duetyes and not sinners if neither commanded nor forbidden then are they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things indifferent it remayneth therefore that they are forbidden § XXIV Now because the proofe of this point that the fulfilling of the Law is not possible unto us is a matter of great consequence for thereby the popish doctrine of justification by inherent righteousnesse in generall and by workes in particular is evidently confuted I will to those arguments heretofore used adde the testimonies of antiquity in requitall of Bellarmines allegations out of the Fathers First Therefore Iustin Martyr saith that never any man did accurately performe all the things that are commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly Eusebius Caesariensis demonstrates that things required in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all men impossible Thirdly Ambrose Tanta mandata sunt ut impossibile sit servari ea so great things are commanded that it is impossible they should be kept whence Peter in the Acts of the Apostles saith why doe you impose a yoke upon the brethren which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare Fourthly Chrysostome what did the Law intend to make a man just but it was not able 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for no man did fulfill it 2. No man could be justified by the Law unlesse hee fulfilled all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But this was not possible to any man therfore that righteousnesse it self is quashit 3. That the Apostle by Testimony cited out of Deut. proveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no man hath fulfilled the Law Hierome and Augustine in this point deliver the same things against the Pelagians which wee doe against the Papists Fifthly Quoniam a. saith Hierome nemo potest implere legem that no man can fulfill the Law and doe all things that are commanded the Apostle testifieth also elsewhere For that which was impossible of the Law in that it was weake through the flesh Rom. 8. 3. c. 2. This is the onely perfection of men if they know themselves to be unperfect And you saith hee when you have done all say wee are unprofitable servants wee have done what was our duety to doe If hee be unprofitable who hath done all what is to be said of him who was not able to fulfill 3. And againe thou saist the Commandements of God are easie tamen nullum proferre potes qui universa compleverit and yet canst bring forth none that hath fulfilled them all 4. God saith the Pelagian hath given possible Commandements and who denyeth this but how this sentence is to bee understood the vessell of election most plainely teacheth that which was impossible of the Law in that it was weak through the flesh c that is that the Law is not simply impossible but by reason of the flesh that which was possible before the fall is since the fall impossible by reason of mans coruption 5. When the Pelagians said that although no man bee without sinne yet he might be without sinne what kinde of arguing saith he is this posse esse quod nunquam fuerit that that may be which never was posse fieri quod nullum fecisse testeris that that may be done which your selfe testifie never any man did and to attribute that I know not to whom which you can never prove to have beene in the Patriarches or Prophets or Apostles 6. That which our Saviour Christ saith if thou wilt be perfect is said to him who could not yea would not and therefore could not 7. Then are we just when we confesse our selves to be sinners and our righteousnesse consisteth not of our owne merit but of Gods mercie 8. If wee doe not that which we would but worke that which wee would not how say ye that a man may be without sinne if he will Behold the Apostle and all beleevers are not able to accomplish what they would 9. Having cited many testimonies to prove that no man is justified by the workes of the Law all these saith he I runne through ut ostendam a nullo legem esse imâ—…letam that I might shew that the Law is fulfilled of none meaning by the Law all the Commandements which are contained in the Law 10. If you can shew the man who hath fulfilled all then may you shew a man who needeth not Gods mercie 11. The Law is made weake quoniam nemo potest iâ—…plere eam nisi Dominus because none but our Lord can fulfill it VI. Augustine saith that to that immortall life appertaineth that precept thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy might but to this life let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies to obey the lusts thereof to that life thou shalt not lust to this thou shalt not goe after thy lusts 2. God doth so worke righteousnesse in his Saints labouring under the temptation of this life that notwithstanding there remaineth both what he may largely adde to them when they aske and also what he may mercifully forgive when they confesse 3. In the same chapter hee had said that the two Commandements of loving God with all our heart and our neighbours as our selves wee shall fulfill when we shall see face to face But saith he the same is now commanded us ut admoneremur quid fide exposcere quò spem praemittere ut oblivisâ—…endo quaeretro sunt in quae anteriâ—…ra nos extendere debeamus that wee might be admonished what by faith to desire whether to send before our hope unto what things which are before we should preasse forward forgetting what is behind 4. That the virtue which now is in a just man is so farre to be called perfect that to the perfection thereof there belongeth the acknowledgment of its imperfection in verity and the confession thereof in humility for then this petite justice is according to its small measure infirmely perfect when it understandeth what is wanting to it selfe And therefore the Apostle saith both that he is unperfect and that hee is perfect unperfect considering how much he wanted unto justice the fulnesse whereof he did as yet hunger after and thirst perfect both because he is not ashaâ—…ed to confesse his imperfections and goeth forward well that he may attaine unto it 5. Surely hee that is renewed from day to day which is the cause
needlesse a Mat. 8. 16. 14 l 31. 16. 8. Luk. 12. 28â—… Bellarmines sixe proofes that faith is perfect First because it is perfect either here or never b Iohn 17. 3. c â—… Cor. 13. 9. 10. 11 12. d Lib. de perfect justitiae His second reason because it is more precious than gold e 1 Cor. 11. 19. f Rom. 5. 3 4. g Iam. 1. 1â—… h Iam. 1. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 7. His third reason because some beleeve with their whole heart i Psal. 12. 2. 1 Chro. 12. 33. 38 Hos. 10. 2. k Psal. 32. 2. Ioh. 1. 47. l Act. 8. 37 38. His fourth reason because Abrahams faith was perfect m Col. â—… 2. n Heb. 10. 22. His fifth and sixth reasons His sixth reason o 1 Thes. 1. 5. p Phil. 3. 14. Of hope De iustis l. 2. c. 7. § Denique de His first reason that châ—…rity is perfect from the testimony of Augustine a Aug de Nat. Gr. cap. 42. b Ibid. cap. 70. c Epist. 29. ad Hieronym d Tract 41 in Ioan. Aug lâ—…b de perfectione iustitiae e Haec est nunc nostra iustitia qua currimus esurâ—…entes ad peâ—…fectionem plenitudmemque justitiae ut ea posteâ—… saturemur Testimonies of Scripture alleadged by Bellarmine first Ioh. 15. 13. f in Ioan. 15. Christs love greater than that of Martyrs by way of appreciation g Tit. 2. 13. 14 h De recta fide ad Theodosiam i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dialog 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k Advers haeres lib. 5. l De 〈◊〉 Do â—…nicae Sacram c. 6. Christs love greatet than that of Martyrs by way of intension m Luk 9. 51. n Luk. 22. 15. o Mat. 10. 39. 16. 25. Mar. 8. 35. Christs love greater than that of Martyrs in respect of extension His second proofe 1 Ioh. 2. 5 p 2 Cor. 12. 9. q 1 Iohn 2. 3 4. His third proofe Eccl. 47. 8. His fourth proofe Places which mention perfection Answer generall Answer particular to Mat. 5. 48. Answer to 1 Cor. 2. 6. Phil. 3. 15. Phil. 3. q v. 12. 13 14 15 r De perfect iustit s In paraphrasi Bellarmines conclusion De iustif l. 2. c. 7. §. Quartâ—… Bellarmines fourth argument that we are not by Christs righteousnesse formally iust a See Lib. 1. c. 5. §. 2. b 2 Cor. 5. 21. c Rom. 7. 24. Bellarmines consession Bâ—…llarmines fifth argument that we should be as righteous as Christ himselfe d Lib. 1. c. 3. §. 9. Bellâ—…rmines sixth argument that in Adam we did not lose imputed righteousnesse e Prosper de voc beat l. â—… c. 24. f Rom. 1â—… 29. g Depraedest 55. c. 16. Bellarmines seventh argument if by imtation we bee iust then Christ is a sinner h Vid. supr l. 5. c. 1. §. 4. c. i Joh. 1. â—…9 k Apoc 5. 12. l De iustif l. 2. c. 10. Bellarmines second syllogisme that after iustification we are called iust m 2 Cor. 5. 21. n Gal. 3. 13. o Supr c. 1. §. 4. c. How we are called iust His eighth argument out of the Canticles the S pouse of Christ beautifull in herselfe p Snpr. c. 4. n. 3. Bellarmines proofes that the Spouses beauty is her owne q Psal. 51. 6. 45. 11. 13 r Cant. 1. 5 His ninth â—…rgument 〈◊〉 the heart must be cleane before it can ice God tenthly because Christ redeemed us that we might be holy s Tit. 2. 14. t Luk. 1. 74. 75. The Papists errour concerning faith What fâ—…ith is how in generall it may be defined Faith is an assent The Greek fathers make assent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the genus of faith Clemens Alex. Basâ—… Theodoret. and Augustine saith that credere est cum assensu cogitare de praedestin 55. c. 2. a Act. 16. 14. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Luk. 16. 31. 20. 6. Rom. 8. 38. 2 Tit. 1. 12. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Iohn 3. 33. f Rom. 10. 17. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h De utilit credendic 1. i Heb. 11. 1. k 1 Cor. 2. 9. Esai 64. 4. l Tit. 1. 2. Deut. 32. 4. Iob. 14. 6. m Stromat l. 2. n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o Heb. 11. 1. p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oâ—…cum § That justifying faith is not without knowledge q Bellarm. de â—…ustif l. â—… c. 7. §. judicium Of Implicite Faith r Fides Carbonarii s Advers prolegom Brentii De authoritate Scripturae l. 3. The doctrine of implicit faith confuted first as false t Maldonet in Ioan. 17. 3. u In Ioan. 17. 3. * Gabr. Bicl in 3. Sentent dist 25. art 1. not 2. coroll 4. In tantum valet fides implicita ut dicunt aliqui quòd si habens eam faâ—…sòopinaretur Patrem majorem velpriorem filio c non peccat dummodo â—…unc errorem pertinaciter non defindit hoc ipsum credit quia credit ecclesiam sic credere Sic Innocent Hostiensis Ioan. Andreas Panormitanus in Rubric de summa Trinit fid Cathol Rosella fides nun 2. apud Azor. inftit moral lib. 8. c. 7. 8. Gabr. Biel. in 3. Sent. dist 25. art 3. dub 1. Si quis credit putans ecclesiam sic credere etiamsi erroneum fuerit non peccaâ—… dummodo tamen pertin aciter non adâ—…aeret ui supra dictum notab 2. Imo quód amplius est haec fides meritum facit Nam talis non solùm non peccaret sed etiam sic creden do falsum mereretur The second absurdity that faith may be better defined by ignorance than by knowledge x 1 Cor. 2. 9. Bell. de justif l. 1 c. 7. Bellarmines proofes out of the Scriptures The first out of Esa. 7. 9. The second and third 1 Cor. 13. 2. and 1 Cor. 12. 9. y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. Oâ—…cum c. The fifth where obedience of faith is mentioned The testimonies of Fathers Iraen l. 2. c 45. Melius est nihil omninoscientem credere Deo perseverare in ejus dilectione quae hominem vivificat quam per quâ—…stionum subtilitates multiloquium in impietatem cadere Thus cited by Bellarmine z 1 Cor. 2. z Clemens Alexandrin Padagog l 3. c. 11. pag. 110. a Rom. 10. 17. Hilari l. 8. de Trinitate Augustine b Epist. 102. ad Evodium c Lib. 4 contr epist. fundamcap 4. d Tract 27. in Ioan. e Serm. de Temp. 189. qui est de Trinitate f De Agone Christiani c. 13. g Serm. de temp 189. Prosper De vita contempl l. 1. c. 19. h Heb. 4. 2. i Grègor Mor l. 2. c. 25. k De trinit l. 8. l Conâ—…r Luciferian m Homil. de bapt Christi n August in Psal. 118. conc 18. o Cyril Alex. in Ioan. l. 11 c. 16. p Athan. p. 248. q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t Fulgentius â—…ontr Arianos P. Lombard l 3. Sent. dist 24. C. Bellarm.