Abraham is iustified so euery sonne of Abraham to wit euery beleeuer is iustified namely by faith and not by workes Now was not beleeuing Abraham a regenerate person Did he not bring forth many fruits of faith many good workes of charity piety mercy hospitality obedience humility and the like yet none of these come within the account of his iustification in the sight of God For to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Therefore though the Pontificians would neuer so faine foist and croud in by head and shoulders their workes comming after faith whereby they may be iustified yet they are all thrust out by the Apostle as those workers were shut out of Heauen by Christ Mat. 7. 22. 23. except they could either bring the Text within the compasse of their Index expurgatorius as they haue done the glosse and sentences of Fathers in the like kind or proue Abraham an vnregenerate person or force the Apostle to say that though Abraham were not iustified by workes but by faith yet Abraham was iustified first by faith and then by workes Yea but say they although Paul make no mention of Abrahams iustification by workes yet Iames another Apostle saith plainly Was not Abraham our father iustified by works when he had offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar Therefore Abraham was iustified not onely by faith but by works also Therefore to loose this Gordian knot wherein the Pontificians so much triumph wee will vse no other sword not Alexanders but the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God to cut it asunder At the first sight Paul and Iames seeme to be at great oddes the one ascribing iustification to faith without workes the other to faith and workes In both the Pontificians vnderstand one and the same iustification in kinde but to differ only in degree or order as Pauls iustification to be the first and that of Iames the second but both iustifying in the sight of God But we shall finde it far otherwise namely that these two Apostles doe speak of two different iustifications differing not in degree or order but in kinde and quality So that Paul speakes of that iustification whereby a man stands iust in the presence of God which is attributed to faith and not to workes at all and Iames of another iustification namely of a testification of a mans faith declaring a man to be a true beleeuer by good workes which are the proper fruits and effects of sauing and iustifying faith For if Iames should-vnderstand by being iustified by faith and workes together such a iustification as makes a man iust in the sight of God then he should directly crosse his fellow-Apostle who shuts out all workes from hauing any thing to doe in our iustification in Gods sight For Paul saith Rom 4. 2. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God But Iames saith Abraham was iustified by workes therefore this iustification of Abraham by workes was not that iustification which makes a man to reioyce before God to wit the iustification by faith which Paul directly opposeth to iustification by workes Rom. 4. Now that Iames speaketh of iustification by workes and not by faith onely as vnderstanding a testification and demonstration of sound and sauing faith is euident by the whole passage of his second Chapter where the Apostle exhorting to workes of mercy and charity and meeting with false professors that turned the grace of God into wantonnesse professing they had faith but made no conscience of a Christian conuersation to testifie the truth and life of their faith by good workes hereupon he inferreth ver 14. What doth it profit my brethren though a man say hee hath faith and haue no workes can the faith saue him No that faith which is without workes is dead and cannot saue a man Yea such a faith is no better than that of Diuels Well yet thou saist thou hast faith But there is as well a dead faith as a liuing faith a faith common with Diuels as a faith proper to beleeuers a sauing faith as a deceiuing faith Shew mee therefore whether thou hast that-liuing sauing faith of true beleeuers or no. It is not enough to say thou hast this faith vnlesse thou canst proue it It is one thing to say it another to haue it Now the proofe of it is by the fruits of it to wit good workes as the tree is knowne by the fruits For the liuing sauing Faith is not an idle but an operatiue working Faith it is a Faith euer working by loue Therefore as the man saith to his Neighbour vers 18. Thou hast Faith and I haue workes shew me thy Faith without thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes In which words the Apostle puts a plaine difference betweene a dead and a liuing faith which yet we are not able to iudge of or to discerne one from another but by good workes and so speakes here of no other iustification by workes but only such as is declaratiue or demonstratiue in the sight of men as it is said here Shew me thy Faith by thy workes So that wee see here how it is the Apostles drift to discouer the true sauing liuing Faith from a false counterfeit and dead faith which notwithstanding vaine professors so much glory of Hereupon the Apostle instanceth the Faith of Abraham and Rahab which was proued to bee a liuing and sauing Faith by the fruits and effects of it Note the Apostles Context seriously and with iudgement In the 20. vers Wilt thou know O vaine man that Faith without workes is dead Was not Abraham our father iustified by workes when hee had offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar Seest thou how Faith wrought with his workes and by workes was Faith made perfect And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God Ye see then how that by workes a man is iustified and not by Faith onely First Faith without workes is dead But Abraham was iustified by Faith But by what Faith Was it a liuing and sauing Faith that Abraham had Yes How doth that appeare By his workes euen by the workes of Faith which gaue testimony to his Faith that it was a liuing sauing and iustifying Faith for by workes his Faith was made perfect not that his workes added any being of perfection to his Faith but by way of demonstration and testimony onely As we haue the like phrase in Matth. 21. 16. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfited praise not that Gods praise and glory receiued any addition of perfection by the mouth of those babes but onely in respect of the promulgation and declaration of his praise So here As also the Apostle inferreth in the next words vers 23. Thus the Scripture
of the Councell haue said concerning their iustifying Faith These as all other Pontificians at this day taking the Councell of Trent for their guide and rule as Bellarmine and others with one mouth do affirm That there is no kinde of Faith but one as Soto saith Eadem vniuersorum fides est The Faith of all men is one and the same Indeede in the sixt Chapter of the same Booke he sets down a two-fold acception of Faith the first of that Faith which he cals a morall vertue which is in the will the other an intellectuall vertue in the vnderstanding The first he takes for fidelity in keeping ones word The second for the credit giuen to it In this latter sense Soto takes that Faith which is in man towards God and what this Faith is he further sheweth in the seuenth Chapter where he propounds two things concerning faith first Quod nullatenus duae sed vna penitus Fides est qua credimus vniuersa reuelata sine historiâ— sinâ— sine promissiones sine prâ—ceptiones aut consilia first that there bee not two but altogether one Faith whereby we beleeue all things reuealed whether they be histories or promises or precepts or counsels The second is Quod promissionum assensus ad fidem Catholicam pertinens non est specialis ille quo quisque de se credit seu recipere modo seu habere iam gratiam sed ille in genere quo firmiter credimus Iesum Christum vniuersalem esse Redemptorem c. That the assent of the promises appertaining to the Catholicke faith is not that speciall assent of faith whereby euery man beleeueth of himselfe that hee eyther now receiueth or hath grace already but that generall assent whereby we firmly beleeue that Iesus Christ is an vniuersal Redeemer c. Therefore that wee may trace these Pontificians to their fourmes or holes we will insist in their owne foot-steps and first shew what species or kinde of faith they hold and secondly what qualities they appropriate vnto it in particular First therefore what kinde of faith they meane wee haue had the testimony of the Councell of Trent ioyntly and generally and then more particularly the Commentary of Soto vpon it namely that it is a meere Historicall faith common both to good and wicked men To whom also wee will adde Vega's iudgement and Commentary who also excludeth all kindes of faith but this one Historicall faith as any way requisite to iustification Nor doth any of them allow vnto faith any other worke in iustification but onely as it disposeth a man thereunto Let vs heare Vega's owne words who not fearing to blaspheme the doctrine of faith deliuered by Christ and his Apostles by peruerting it to serue his Antichristian doctrine saith Et Paulus caeteri Apostoli imo ipse Christus cum fidei tribuebant nostram salutem iustificationem cum eam exigebant ab eis quibus praedicabant agebant de fide per quam acquirere possumus verè acquirimus iustitiam docebantque nos dispositionem qua nos ex parte nostra disponimus ad gratiam sed ista fides non est fides formata aut saltem non in quantum formata habet ista essicere both Paul and the other Apostles yea euen Christ himselfe when they attributed to faith our saluation and iustification and required it of those to whom they preached they handled that faith by which we may acquire and doe truely acquire righteousnesse and they taught vs that disposition whereby on our part we dispose our selues to grace but this faith is not a faith formed or at least not as it is formed doth it effect these things And by and by he explaines this more clearely saying Fides formata non est via neque dispositio ad iustitiam nostram siquidem illa iam habet secum praesentem iustitiam Faith which is formed is not the way nor the disposition to our righteousnesse for this already hath righteousnesse present with it It remaines therefore that Vega alloweth no faith in iustification but that which is vnformed or voide of charity and that this serues onely to dispose a man to iustification which iustification charity possesseth when once it hath giuen forme and life to faith Now Vega in the former question among other sundry acceptions of this word Faith doth most willingly imbrace and pitch vpon that which signifieth credulity or aptnesse to beleeue or a perswasion or a firme and certaine assent sed ineuidens tamen but yet vneuident And omitting others this hee most diuinely proueth out of a prophane Author and Historian Titus Liuius As also out of the Poet Virgil Credo equidem neque vanafides genus esse Deorum I verily beleeue there is a generation Of Gods nor is my faith a vaine imagination This example Vega worthily puts among others to demonstrate and exemplifie that faith which the Pontificians haue and hold concerning God and their owne saluation by way at least of disposition as we haue said Now this faith taken for credulity or perswasion or assent but vneuident hee diuides into sundry branches as either it is humane or diuine humane when we beleeue mans sayings diuine when we beleeue Gods sayings This diuine Faith hee sub-diuideth into actuall and habituall The actuall Faith hee cals a firme and certaine but vneuident assent of those things which are reuealed of God That it is a firme and certaine assent it exceeds opinion that it is vneuident it is inferiour to the intellect or vnderstanding science and sapience which are intellectuall vertues hauing clearnesse and euidence Habituall Faith is a certaine intellectuall habit whereby the vnderstanding is made apt and disposed to the actuall Faith This habituall Faith he further diuides into fidem acquisitam infusam into faith acquired and infused Faith acquired is a habit fitting vs the more easily to beleeue being acquired by the frequency of the acts of Faith Faith infused is a certain supernaturall habit and altogether of a diuine condition infused by God into our vnderstandings that by it wee may easily and certainly and vndoubtedly assent vnto diuine reuelations Verùm hic habitus c. but this habit saith hee may be both in righteous men and in sinners as all Catholicke Doctors for certaine hold and experience it selfe declareth Lastly he diuideth Faith in fidem informem formatam into faith vnformed and formed Faith vnformed he cals a habit of Faith separated from charity Faith formed is a habit of Faith conioyned vnto charity and hauing it present with it Although these in habit are both one for as charity ioyned to Faith makes it to be formed so being remoued from Faith againe leaues it as it found it vnformed This is the perplexed doctrine of the Pontificians or Church of Rome concerning Faith who though they be so barren of distinctions as not to finde out the true kindes of Faith grounded on the holy Scriptures but Babylonishly
whereby wee wholly submit ourselues vnto God and depend wholly vpon the grace and mercy of God This faith doth also comprehend hope and hath in it charity as an indiuiduall companion The first sort of beleeuing or that Historicall faith if you take it alone is without forme and as yet in a manner dead The second whereby we onely beleeue God and are not yet affected towards him with a religious piety is lame But the third whereby we beleeue in God and are carried by a pious affection towards him this is that liuely and intire faith Thus the Councell of Colen How different from the Councell of Trent yea the two first kindes of faith the same Synod vpon the Apostles Creed puts into one as common with Deuils and wicked men which beleeue and tremble Sciunt enim Daemones Illum mentiri non posse For euen the Deuils doe know that God cannot lye So that by the confession of Colen the Pontifician faith by their owne confession being no other of it selfe but an Historicall faith is no other faith but that which in the very Deuils and Damned And whereas the Synod of Colen acknowledgeth a third kind of faith peculiar to the godly which alwayes hath hope and charity inseparably with it this crosseth the doctrine of Trent which alloweth no speciall or peculiar faith to the godly but such a faith as is common to the wicked and which is and may be altogether voide of hope and charity And whereas Colen calleth this peculiar faith of the godly fiducia or an affiance and confidence in the grace and mercy of God in especiall manner to euery beleeuer the Pontifician Councell of Trent vtterly disclaimeth this fiducia or strong affiance in Gods fauour and mercy allowing Gods gracious promises but the least part in the generall obiect of their faith which faith of theirs they make to be onely an assent to the truth of God and no affiance in the promises of God for as much as the Pontificians place their faith in the vnderstanding and not in the will Although otherwhiles as lyars vse to doâ— forgetting themselues when they would aduance the blindnesse of their implicite faith they deny it a place in the vnderstanding and seate it rather in the will though not for any good will For Bellarmine would haue faith to be defined rather from ignorance than from knowledge yet because of the two they had rather exclude confidence from faith than science or knowledge they consent in generall to make choice rather of the vnderstanding than of the will wherein to seate their faith Now the occasion as I said of mentioning the Councell of Colen was chiefly to shew their iudgement concerning the subiect of Faith to wit in what part of the soule it is inherent as in the proper subiect whether in the vnderstanding or the will c. The Synod of Colen vndertaking to decide this point saith Nec hoc omittendum est fidem secundum duas priores credendi rationes in intellectu consistere secundum tertiâ—m verò etiam in voluntate quòd actio fidei sic acceptae quod est credere fidere adhaerere Deo non solo intellectu quem fides illuminat sed voluntate quam aâ—câ—dâ—nte charitate inflammat perficiatur Nor is this to be omitted that faith according to the two first sorts of beleeuing doth consist in the vnderstanding but according to the third sort also in the will because the action of faith in this acception which is to beleeue confide and adhere vnto God is accomplished not in the vnderstanding onely which faith illuminateth but also in the will which by the accesse of charity it inflameth So by the iudgement of this prouinciall Synod this sola efficax syncera integra salutifera fides as the Synod cals it ibidem this onely effectuall sincere intire and sauing faith is resident not only in the vnderstanding which faith informeth but also in the will which faith by loue inflameth And whereas the Pontificians would vtterly exclude faith from hauing any place in the will because say they faith may bee separated from charity the same Synod ibidem saith Hoc constat â—am fidem qua in Deum credimus quae sola efficax syncera integra salutiferâ— est nec infundi nec accipi sine spâ— charitate This is euident that that faith whereby we beleeue in God which onely is the effectuall sincere intire and sauing faith can neyther be infused nor receiued without hope and charity For as the same Synod addeth out of the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. a place which the Pontificians vrge to proue that their Romane-Catholicke faith may beâ— voyde of charity Nam quod alibi Apostolus â—it Si habuero omnem fidem c. For that which the Apostle saith If I had all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and had not charity I am nothing is not so to be vnderstood saith the Synod of Colen as if the intire and sincere faith could bee receiued without charity but rather it seemes to be spoken Hyperbolically by way of exaggeration and aggrauation as Chrysostome and Theophilact take it the more to enforce the practice of charity consisting of so many excellent dueties and perfections Thus haue we cited this Synod of Colen not that we hold it any standard rule for the Doctrine of Faith although Vega blame it for speaking too broad of iustification and especially of imputation but to shew how in this point of Faith this Synod a little more ancient than the Councell of Trent doth differ from the Doctrine of that Councell in many things wherein this Synod is not farre from the true way to the Kingdome of God sauing that now whatsoeuer is in this Synod or any other contained must submit it selfe to the censure examination interpretation and approbation of the Councell of Trent whose definitiue sentence hath irrefragably passed vpon all Catholicke Doctrine binding it to good behauiour that it should not carry the least weapon that might indanger the throat of Romane-Catholicke Religion To this Synod also we may adde the authority of the learned honest Cardinall Contarenus who liued at the same time and a little before the Councell of Trent wrote of Iustification in which Treatise he saith Notus Fidei incipit à voluntate quae obediens Deo Fidei efficit vt intellectus assentiatur absque hâ—sitatione traditis à Deo ideo promissionibus diuinis confidat concipiat ex illis firmam fiduciam quae pâ—rtinet ad voluntatem quasi circulo quodam incipiat à voluntate haec Fides dâ—â—â—nat in voluntate The first act or motion of Faith begins at the will which obeying God and Faith causeth the vnderstanding to assent to the things deliuered of God without doubting and so to trust in Gods promises and of them to conceiue a firme affiance which pertaines to the will and that this Faith as it were in a circle begins at
circumcised to whom circumcision was a signe of regeneration and of Gods Couenant of grace and a seale of faith and Esay puts himselfe in the number Was Esay now vnregenerate And in the name of himselfe and the whole Church of the Iewes hee renounceth all inherent righteousnesse as filthy rags in no sort to bee patched and pieced to that garment of saluation to that robe of righteousnesse namely Christs righteousnesse imputed and put vpon vs by the hand of faith wherein Esay and all the faithfull reioyce as hee saith Esa. 61. 10. I will greatly reioyce in the Lord my soule shall be ioyfull in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of saluation he hath couered me with the robe of righteousnesse as a Bridegroome decketh himselfe with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her selfe with her Iewels And in the 43. of Esay vers 25. 26. there is a flat opposition betweene Gods mercy and our workes in iustification I euen I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sins But may not our workes come in as sharers with Gods mercies What workes The Prophet addeth in Gods person Put me in remembrance let vs pleade together declare thou that thou mayst be iustified If God pleade with vs in iudgement we haue no euidence of any workes in vs whereby to be iustified in his sight But our workes and obedience to Gods lawes are called our righteousnesse As Matth. 5. 20. Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees yee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God I answer this place may well be vnderstood of Euangelicall righteousnesse opposite to that legall righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees and so Christ points vs to the righteousnesse of faith in him But admit our workes be called our righteousnesse what then doth it follow that this is our righteousnesse to iustifie vs in the sight of God Nothing lesse For Moses saith speaking of obedience to Gods commandements Deut. 9. Speake not thou in thy heart after that thou art come to possesse that good Land saying For my righteousnesse the Lord hath brought me in to possesse this Land No saith Moses vnderstand that the Lord thy God giueth thee not this good Land to possesse it for thy righteousnesse Now the Land of Canaan was a type of Gods Kingdome which wee cannot come to possesse by our own inherent righteousnesse Whereupon St Ambrose in his enarration vpon the 43. Psalme but according to our accompt 44. v. 3. They got not the Land in possession by their owne sword c. saith Patres nostri vtpote proximi haredes Patriarcharum plantati in terra repromissionis non suis â—oâ— meritis vindicabant Our fathers to wit the next successours and heires of the Patriarches beeing planted in the Land of promise did not claime this as due to their merits Ideo nec Moses eos induxit ne Legis hoc existimetur esse sed gratiâ— Lex enim merita examinat gratia fidem spectat Therefore saith he neither did Moses bring them in thither that it might not be reckoned as the worke of the Law but of Grace for the Law examineth workes or merits but Grace respecteth faith Therefore as not Moses but Iosua or Iesus for so was his Name was appointed to bring the children of Israel into the possession of Canaan the Land of promise which importeth also the Land of mercy or of grace So not the Law giuen by Moses but Iesus Christ by whom came grace and truth hee our true Ioshua bringeth his people into the possession of grace and glory Ergo qui non in brachio suo hoc est in sua operatione praesumit sed in Dei gratia credens quod non facta sua vnumquemque iustificant sed fides prompta dicit Domino Tu es ipse Rex meus Deus meus qui mandas salutes Iacob Therefore saith holy Ambrose he that presumeth not in his owne arme that is in his workes but in the grace of God beleeuing that not a mans workes but his prompt and cleare faith doth iustifie him this man saith vnto the Lord Thou art my King and my God that commandest saluation for Iacob True it is that the same Father in another place saith Sola fides non sufficit operari per dilectionem c. Sole faith is not sufficient it is necessary that faith worke by loue and conuerse worthy of God And a little after Festinemus c. Let vs hasten to enter into that rest because faith is not sufficient but a life beseeming faith must be added and great care vsed that faith bee not idle For it is necessary for euery one that would possesse Heauen to adorne his faith with good workes So he True a most pious and Christian speech but in all this he saith not that faith alone is not sufficient to iustifie vs in the sight of God and so to bring vs to the possession of Heauen for then hee should contradict himselfe elsewhere where hee saith Sublatis omnibus operibus legis sola fides posita est ad salutem All the workes of the law being remoued onely faith takes place in our saluation Marke he saith Sola fides onely faith And againe the same Father saith elsewhere Non operibus iustificamur sed fidâ— quoniam carnalis infirmitas operibus impedimento est sed fidei claritas factorum obumbrat errorem quae meretur veniam delictorum We are not iustified saith he by workes but by faith because the infirmity of the flesh is an impediment to workes but the glory of faith doth couer the errour of our workes which faith obtaineth remission of sinnes And againe Infirmitas excludit à venia fides excusat à culpa Our infirmity excludeth vs from pardon and faith excuseth vs from blame And setting downe his peremptory iudgement grounded vpon Scripture he saith Arbitramur secundum Apostolum iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus legis Iustificetur ergo ex fide Dauid qui per legem peccatum agnouit sed peccati veniam ex fide credidit Wee definitiuely conclude saith hee according to the Apostle that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Therefore let Dauid be iustified by faith who by the law acknowledged his sinne and by faith beleeued the pardon of his sinne And againe elsewhere Deus clementia bonitatis suae semper homini procurans vt quod sine lege peccatum erat in lege posset deleri hoc decreuit vt solam fidem poneret per quam omnium peccata abolerentur That is God by the clemency of his goodnesse alwayes prouiding for man that both sinne committed without law and in the law might be blotted out hath made this decree to appoint sole faith whereby all mens sinnes might be abolished Now compare these iudicious sayings of this holy man with that hee said
formerly that sole faith is not sufficient but a good life must be added and it will plainly appeare that he speakes of faith alone as sufficient to iustifie vs in the sight of God and to procure vs the possession of heauen yet hee meanes not a solitary and dead faith but such a faith as is a liuing and sauing faith working by loue which hath as well a worke of sanctification in a holy life amongst men as of iustification by a holy beliefe in the sight of God For there is frequent mention of a twofold righteousnesse in the workes of ancient Fathers The one of iustification before God which is the righteousnesse of faith the other of iustification before men which is the righteousnesse of workes This second is via regni the way to the kingdome that other of faith is causa regnandi the cause of our reigning in this kingdome Saint Paul also disclaimeth all his former Pharisaicall life which as touching the Law was vnreprouable calling and accounting it but drosse and dung Nay now after his conuersion hauing walked holily and faithfully in his Apostolicall vocation and Ministery so that he knew nothing by himselfe yet what saith he Although I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not therby iustified but he that iudgeth me is the Lord. And renouncing all his inherent righteousnesse all his desire was to bee found in Christ not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith To omit the multitude of testimonies of holy men of God the fathers of the Church from time to time who in their writings doe renounce their own inherent righteousnesse as iustifying them in the sight of God Let vs for conclusion of this point adde a few memorable sayings vttered by dying men such as were of a holy life conuersation now agoing to appear before the dreadfull Tribunall of Gods most strict and vnpartiall iudgment now sealing vp their faith with their last breath Possidonius in his 27. Chapter of the life of Augustine tels a memorable story Augustine saith he told vs that hee heard a most wise and pious answer of Ambrose of blessed memory drawing neare his end which he much praised and commended for when that venerable Father lay vpon his death-bed and was desired of the faithfull standing about his bed with teares that hee would aske of the Lord a longer time of his Pilgrimage here he answered them * I haue not so liued as that I am ashamed to continue amongst you nor yet am I affraid to dye because we haue a good Master And herein saith Possidonius our Augustine now aged did admire and praise his words as refined in the fire and weighed in the ballance For therefore is hee to be vnderstood to say Nor doe I feare to dye because wee haue a good Master lest he might be thought to trust and presume too much vpon his most sanctified life But I haue not so liued that I am ashamed to liue among you this he said in regard of that which one man might know of another for knowing the tryall of diuine iustice he said he relyed more vpon the goodnesse of his Lord than vpon his owne merits to whom also he prayed daily in the Lords Prayer Forgiue vs our debts c. Bernard when hee seemed to drawe his last breath being in a trance he thought he was presented before the Tribunall of his Lord And Sathan also stood opposite against him charging him with many wicked accusations And when hee had prosecuted all to the full then the man of God was to pleade for himselfe And being no whit terrified or troubled he said I confesse I am vnworthy nor can I obtaine the Kingdome of Heauen by mine owne merits But my Lord obtaining it by a double right to wit by the inheritance of his Father and by the merit of his passion contenting himselfe with the one hee bestoweth the other vpon mee by whose gift claiming it as mine owne right I am not confounded At this word the enemy went away confounded There is extant an exhortation of Anselme to a dying brother set downe in most sweet words When any brother seemeth to be extremely oppressed it stands both with piety and prudence that he be exercised by a Prelate or some other Priest with these questions and exhortations vnder written And first let him be demanded Brother doest thou reioyce that thou shalt dye in the faith and let him answer I do Confesse that thou hast not liued so wel as thou shouldest I confesse it Doest thou repent of it I doe repent Hast thou a will and purpose to amend if thou shouldst haue time to liue longer Yes Doest thou beleeue that the Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God dyed for thee I beleeue it Doest thou beleeue thou canst not bee saued but by his death Yea. Doest thou from thy heart thank him for this I doe Giue therefore while there is life in thee alwayes thankes vnto him and put thy whole trust in this his onely death Commit thy selfe wholly to his death Couer thy whole selfe with this death and wrap thy selfe wholly in it And if the Lord goe about to iudge thee say Lord I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene me and thy iudgment otherwise I will not contend with thee If he shall say that thou hast deserued damnation say thou I set the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene mee and my illdeseruings and assigne me the merit of his most precious passion for my merit which I my selfe should haue had but alas haue not Let him say againe I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene mee and thy wrath Let him also say three times O Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit And let those that stand about him answer Into thy hands O Lord we commend his spirit And he shall dye secure and shall neuer see death The same Anselme in his meditations as it were setting himselfe before the Tribunall of Gods iudgement whereby he declareth that neither the life of the regenerate nor good workes can stand against diuine iustice but onely Christ the Mediator saith My life doth terrifie mee for my whole life being exactly discussed and sifted doth appeare to me either to be sinne or meere barrennesse And if any fruit appeare therein it is either so counterfeit or imperfect or one way or other corrupt as it cannot but displease God for all of it is either sinnefull and damnable or vnfruitfull and contemptible But why doe I separate or distinguish vnfruitfull from damnable For if it be vnfruitfull it is damnable For euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cast into the fire O therefore drie and vnprofitable tree worthy of eternall fire what wilt thou answer in that day when it shall be required of thee euen to a
moment how thou hast spent all that time limitted and bestowed on thee to spend thy life in O extremity On the one side sinnes accusing on the other iustice affrighting vnderneath Hels horrible Chaos gaping aboue the angry Iudge within the conscience boyling without the world burning The righteous shall scarcely be saued the sinner taken tardy where shall hee appeare To lurke shall be impossible to appeare intolerable Who shall aduise me Whence shall I expect saluation Who is he that is called the Angell of great counsell The same is Iesus The same is the Iudge betweene whose hands I tremble Pause awhile O sinner doe not despaire Hope in him whom thou fearest flye to him from whom thou hast fled O Iesus Christ for this thy name sake deale with mee according to this name looke vpon this wretch calling on thy name Therefore O Iesus bee my Iesus for thy names sake If thou shalt admit me into the large bosome of thy mercy it shall be neuer a whit the narrower for me True it is my conscience hath deserued damnation and my repentance sufficeth not for satisfaction but certaine it is that thy mercy surpasseth all misdeedes c. It is recorded of Edward the Confessor once King of this Island that lying on his death-bed his friends about him weeping he said If ye loued mee ye would forbeare weeping and reioyce rather because I goe to my Father with whom I shall receiue the ioyes promised to the faithfull not through my merits but by the free mercy of my Sauiour who sheweth mercy on whom he pleaseth Thus by these and such like testimonies of holy and deuout men not in their Rhetoricall declamations to winne applause with men but in their saddest meditations as standing in the presence yea before the dreadfull Tribunall of that iust God it may easily appeare what confidence is to be put in the â—â—â—â— mans workes or inherent righteousnesse All these will proue but dry fewell and stubble when they come to that consuming fire to those euerlasting burnings It is an easie matter for a carnall man seduced with errour and possessed with the spirit of pride while hee is in his prosperitie and senslesse securitie as little confidering as conceiuing the power of Gods wrath as Dauid speakes as little knowing the nature of sin as the terrour of Gods strict iustice to be puffed vp with an opinion of a few poore beggarly supposed good deeds Iust like our first Parents who when they had sinned and so incurred Gods eternall wrath got a few figge-leaues to couer their nakednesse and shame thinking themselues now safe and secure enough But no sooner did they heare the voyce of the Lord God comming as a Iudge towards them but for all their figge-leaues they runne and hide themselues among the Trees of the Garden Their figg-leaues quickly beganne to wither when once the fire of Gods iealousie beganne to approach But let now the brauest Pontifician of them all standing so much vpon the pantofles of inherent righteousnesse let him lay aside his carnall security his loue of the world his wilfull blindnesse hauing looked his face in the glasse of Gods Law and catechised himselfe according to the strict Canon thereof c. and let him now bethinke himselfe of an account he is to make and that presently before a most seuere and vnpartiall vncorrupt Iudge of all his thoughts words workes omissions commissions let him take into his consideration if hee haue so much grace and iudgement to consider the nature of sinne which is such as the least â—innene is sufficient to damne him soule and body for euer for Hee that keepeth the whole Law and yet faileth in one point is guilty of all And the Law saith Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them Mark In all things yea such is sin as it could not be purged nor mans soule redeemed from it nor Gods wrath appeased nor his iustice satisfied but by the only death of the only son of God Tel me what that iustice is which will not be satisfied Tell me what that sin is which will not be expiated but by the extreame humiliation bloud-shedding death passion of the deerest son of the eternall God Tell me how seuere is that iustice how implacable that indignation against sin which would not spare the most immaculate Lambe of God the pure spotlesse Sonne of righteousnes euen righteousnes holines innocency itselfe These things well weighed digested in thy more refined iudgment according to the standard of the Sanctuary come now Pontifician glittering in thy white linnen of thine inherent righteousness set thy self before Gods dreadful Tribunall to receiue thy eternal doom according to thine own deseruings bring with thee all thy merits number now before the iudge of heauen earth thy many pilgrimages thy many Prayers Pater-nosters Aue-Maries Canonicall houres Shrifts Shrineâ— adored Saints inuoked and the like But thy conscience will giue thee that all these being but will-worship and humane inuentions of which God wil say Who required these things at your hands condemned also in Esay saying Their feare towards me was taught by the precept of men they will vanish into smoke when they are tryed in Gods Test. Therefore howsoeuer the Romane-Catholicke Church preferres these her own Rites and Ceremonies and Ecclesiasticall obseruances of her own inuention asbeeing more holy and more meritorious than those duties of Christian holinesse commanded and prescribed in Gods Word yet in the more sober iudgement of thine vnpartiall Conscience know that if God respect any righteousnesse at all in vs it must be that especially which himselfe hath commanded If therefore thou hast any store of these bring them with thee If thou canst Tell this Iudge that thou hast dealt truely and iustly with all men that thou hast beene liberall to the poore giuen much Almes yea perhaps bequeathed all thy goods and possessions to pious vses â—uâ—â— iâ—â—hy life time and that not to the maintenance of a Monasticall Society of lazie and lustfull Abbey-lubbers but vpon the truly poore indigent Brethren of Christ that thou hast dispossessed and diuested thy selfe of all earthly preferment and honor so become poore for Christs sake thou hast exercised thy self with watchings fastings not as man but as the Lord hath commanded and much more than all this if thou canst alledge for thy selfe Well But all these things must now bee weighed in a iust and euen ballance not of mans imagination but of Gods strict iudgement Now will not he finde thinkest thou an infinite lightnes in thy best works will not his most pure eyes easily discerne thy most pious actions to be fraught with many imperfections defiled with the mixture of manifold corruptions as water running through a puddly chaÌ„nel he will discouer in all these works of thine besids infinite defects faylings in all thy many sinister ends the pride of thy heart
And againe more plainely That the holy spirit doth beare witnesse to our spirit that wee are the Sonnes of God And that it is also a part of great impudency to accuse those of presumption that beleeue the holy Ghost speaking vnto them Ambrose affirming that the holy spirit doth neuer speake vnto vs but withall it makes knowne vnto vs that it is himselfe that speaketh And Christ saith in Iohn That the world cannot receiue the holy Spirit because it neyther seeth nor knoweth him but his Disciples should know that hee should be and abide in them Whence saith the History Catarinus did very wittily conclude that that man dreamed who affirmed that grace was voluntarily receiued and yet that a man knew not whether he hath it or no as if to the receiuing of a thing by a voluntary motion of the minde it were not necessiry that he which receiues it of his owne accord should know that both the thing is giuen vnto him and that hee truely receiueth it and being receiued possesseth it The History further saith the weight of these reasons forced those which before accused this opinion of rashnesse first to giue place and then thus farre to yeeld that although for the most part a man cannot haue assurance in this point yet he may seeme at least to haue some coniecture They also denied not certainty to Martyrs nor to the newly Baptized and to others being assured by speciall Reuelation and that which at first they called coniecture they were afterwards brought to call morall faith Yea Vega himselfe who in the beginning admitted onely of probability yeelding to the waight of reasons began to fauour certainty but lest he might seeme to approach too neare the opinion of the Lutherans hee did professe onely so great certainty as might exclude all doubting and could not deceiue but hee would not acknowledge it for the Christian faith but onely humane and experimentall And declaring his opinion by a similitude As quoth he he that hath heate is certaine that he hath it and he were voyde of sense if he should doubt of it So he that hath grace in himselfe doth feele it nor can he doubt but that hee feeleth it but in the sense and apprehension of his soule not by diuine reuelation But the other Patrons of certainty being compelled of the aduersaries to set downe their meaning in expresse and plaine termes whether they beleeued that man might haue certainty of grace or whether they thought a man bound to beleeue it and whether that faith were diuine or humane at length they professed seeing that faith was giuen by the testimony of the holy Ghost that it could not be left to mans liberty and seeing euery man is bound to beleeue diuine reuelations that that faith was no otherwise to be called than diuine And when they seemed to bee pressed with the straits of the Dilemma which was obiected to wit that that faith was either equall to the Catholicke faith or vnequall if it bee not equall then it excluded not all doubtfulnesse if equall then that a righteous man ought as firmely to beleeue hee is iustified as the very Articles of his Creede Catarin us answered that this faith was diuine and as certaine excluding all doubtfulnesse as the Catholicke faith it selfe but yet that it is not the very Catholicke faith For that faith which euerie man giueth to diuine reuelations made vnto him is also diuine and excludeth all doubt but when the Church receiueth these reuelations then that faith becomes vniuersall and Catholicke yet in regard of certainty and freedome from doubting euery mans priuate faith is no way inferiour vnto it but that the Catholicke faith exceeded thâ—â— onely in the vniuersality Thus all the Propherb had first a priuate faith concerning all things reuealed vnto them of God then after that they were receiued of the Church they had the Catholicke faith of the same things This opinion faith the History at the first sight seemed hard eueâ— to the 〈◊〉 of Catarinus to wit all the Caroâ—â—lites whose Doctor Iohn Bacon did maintaine it as also to the Bishops of Senogaliâ— Wigornia and Salpia to whom at first that degree of faith seemed to bee precipitious and perilous but afterwards hauing diligently weighed examined the force of the reasons it was approued with an admirable content of the most approued of the Bishops but Soto crying out that it was too faâ—oâ—rable to the Lutherans others againe affirming that Luther was not to be condemned if he had said that this faith doth follow after iustification but condemned for saying it is the iustifying faith And as for the reasons brought on the contrary part they answer that wee ought not to giue heede to the iudgements of the Schoolemen seeing they take the grounde of their opinion from Philosophicall reasons sâ—th humane Philosophy may iudge amisse of diuine instinct Againe that Salomons authority makes not for this purpose Hee that would draw these words No man knoweth whether hee bee worthy of loue or hatred to this purpose then hee should conclude hence that euery most wicked sinner continuing in his sins should not know whether hee bee hated of God or no. And much lesse is that saying of Wisedome to be applyed to this purpose and that there is a fallacy in the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not signifie sinne already remitted as it is in the vulgar translation but the expiation and propitiation for sinne and the words of the wise man doe admonish the sinner not to heape vp sinne vpon too much confidence of obtaining pardon and not of pardon already obtained Nor must we ground an Article of faith vpon an error of a Translator Such was the iudgement in those times concerning the vulgar edition of those that had made it authenticall which is easie to be obserued by the bookes set forth by those which were present at the decree of the approbation Also that the phrase of the Apostle worke out with feare and trembling is an Hebraisme which doth not inforce a doubtfulnesse but reuerence or godly feare for as much as euen seruants doe exhibite feare and trembling to their Masters with whom they are deare and gracious Finally that the place of Saint Paul made for them if it bee taken for iustification For that hee saith he is guilty of no defect and yet that he is not therefore iustified a man may easily inferre that hee was iustified another way which confirmeth certainty But the true meaning of the words is that St. Paul speaking of defect in his function of preaching the Gospell doth affirme that his conscience doth not accuse him of any omission nor is hee therefore so confident as that hee dare say that hee hath performed all the parts of his office but commits the whole iudgement to God And so the History concludes thus Hee that hath not looked into the opposite writings of those that were present at these disputations and
which the authors themselues were carefull to commit to print vpon this argument would scarce beleeue how many things were discussed about this Article and with what ardency not onely of the Diuines but also of all the Bishops who were perswaded that their opinion was right that they had hit vpon the truth So that the Cardinall of St. Crosse saw that many had more neede of a bridle than of spurres and by frequent digressions from the purpose and passages to other questions he often would expresse his desire of putting an end to this controuersie It was twice propounded in the Synod of the Prelates to relinquish altogether this question as being ambiguous long and tedious yet affection bearing sway they fell backe vpon it againe Thus farre the History which though somewhat long yet I hope the Reader will not thinke it more tedious in the reading of it than I haue done in the inserting of it which I haue the rather done that it might the more appear how this point of certainty hauing on the one side euidence of truth to confirme it and on the other humane wit and affection to oppugne it did puzzle and perplexe the whole Synod and fill them full of vncertainties Wee see those reasons and authorities alledged by the aduerse faction who were for vncertainty very acutely and pregnantly answered by Catarinus and those with him Also whereas they catched here and there at some passages of the Fathers seeming to fauour their doctrine of vncertainty it is well noted by the History that the Fathers might sometimes by accommodating their exhortations to the people as the occasion required represse the insolency of such as were presumptuous and vainly confident in the assurance of their saluation howsoeuer they continued in sinne whereas the Fathers in their maine discourses of faith speake most clearely in the confirmation of the certainty of iustification as we shall see hereafter Come wee now to Vega's incounters with the certainty of faith he takes great paines to beate the ayre what with answering what with vrging arguments for his Pontifician Goddesse Vncertainty now an Article of Romes faith Hee vndertakes according to his rare dexterity to answer all opposites and to expound or moderate the meaning of such authorities as are alledged out of the Scriptures or Fathers making them by some pretty quaint distinction to speake iust as him listeth The first place he bringeth for his vncertainty is out of Iob 9. 20. If I iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne mee if I say I am perfect it shall also proue me peruerse Vega makes much adoe about this place fending and prouing but the very sight of the Text is sufficient to confute his folly in applying it to his vncertainty of iustification when as this place doth giue such a deadly wound to their iustification it selfe by their inherent righteousnesse which holy Iob here vtterly disclaimeth But doth Iob here vtter one syllable of the vncertainty of his faith in God his Sauiour and Redeemer Nay doth he not protest the contrary Though he slay mee yet will I trust in him And vers 18. Behold now I haue ordered my cause I know that I shall be iustified Who is he that will pleade with mee What clearer testimony could this holy man giue of his strong confidence and assurance of his iustification by faith in God So that I maruaile Vega would at all meddle with the example of Iob who throughout his booke is such a cleare mirrour of a true beleeuer whose faith is fortified with all confidence and assurance sauing that hee can easily impute Iobs certainty to a speciall reuelation and not to the property of faith But let not Vega with his iugling by casting a false myst think so easily to eclipse the clear beames of truth With the like successe he is tampering with Dauid and Salomon He alledgeth that of Dauid Who can vnderstand his errors Hereupon he inferreth if a man doe not know his sins how can he be sure of his iustification To this allegation we neede vse no other answer but Bernards exposition which Vega himselfe both obiecteth and takes vpon him to answer that these words of Dauid are vnderstood onely of veniall sinnes not of mortall This Vega confessing to be verisimile very probable and likely to be true yet answereth that seeing mortall sinnes are more truely and properly sinnes and do more defile the soule than veniall sinnes why should these words bee restrained onely to veniall sinnes I will not now enter into a discussion of veniall and mortall sinnes a distinction most grosly and impiously abused by the Pontificians but this I say that according to the iudgement of Pontificians of veniall sinnes they must needes confesse that these words of Dauid must bee meant onely of veniall sinnes that is such as the Pontificians call veniall The very word in the vulgar Latine will beare no other sense Delicta which signifieth slippes or errors or certaine defects and omissions such as the Pontificians ranke amongst their veniall sinnes But this place of Dauid makes nothing at all against certainty of faith For what if a man yea the holiest man if Dauid doe not know his sinnes his slippes and errors yet while he complaines hereof and confesseth them in generall vnto God praying O cleanse thou me from my secret faults what hindreth but that God cleansing him from all his faults should seale vnto him the certainty of the remission of all his sins apprehended by a liuely faith As Dauid saith in the 32. Psalme Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered c. But how shall a man come to be certaine of this his blessednesse Dauid instanceth it in himselfe vers 5. I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquity haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne How did Dauid know that God had forgiuen his sinnes seeing he saith peremptorily Thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne Did not Dauid know this by the certainty of faith Vega I know hath his answer at his fingers ends and will say that Dauid came to know this eyther by speciall diuine reuelation or else by Nathans pronouncing Dauids absolution saying The Lord hath put away thy sinne Yea but Dauid tels vs in the next words that this was not his case alone but it was common to euery godly man in particular For this saith Dauid shall euery one that is godly pray vnto thee in a time when thou mayst be found that is Euery godly man should haue the like comfortable successe vpon his repentance as Dauid had and say with confidence as Dauid did Thou forgauest the transgression of my sinne But Vega suspecting the strength of the Father's authority he addes thereto the Sonnes to wit Salomons Pro. 20. 9. Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am pure from my sin Quis Who
ought to be affraid of their perseuerance and that none can arrogate to himselfe such a great certainty as this vnlesse it happen vnto him by diuine reuelation the Fathers haue opened in those words of the 13. Chapter Veruntamen c. But let them that thinke they stand take heede lest they fall and so vnto the end of the Chapter Thus wee haue the state of Pontifician Doctrine touching the certainty of iustification in regard of predestination and perseuerance For the maine substance of these Trent-Fathers Decrees and Canons touching predestination and perseuerance wee shall trye what truth is in them when we come to set downe the opposite doctrine of the Catholicke Faith In the meane time let vs a little weigh the moment of Vega's arguments for the defence of the Councell In his second Chapter of his 12. Booke Of the vncertainty of predestination and perseuerance after a goodly flourish and triumphall tripudiation as if the field were already won before he had strucke stroke he saith Habemus certissima fortissima argumenta c. We haue most certaine and strong arguments whereby to confirme and defend the Doctrine deliuered here by the Fathers and to vanquish the contrary heresies And first to proue this definition of the Fathers saith he Non omnis c. Not euery one that is iustified is predestinate We haue many places of Scripture to serue our purpose prouing that there haue been many in the state of grace and afterwards haue fallen from it and at length damned For example Saul that was elect to be King of Israel is said 1. Sam. 9. 2. to be electus bonus an elect and good man so that there was not a better than he among all the children of Israel Now saith Vega being said to bee bonus electus elect and good as the vulgar Latine hath it it is manifest that he was then in the state of grace for the Scripture saith hee doth not adorne men with such prayses which are out of the state of Gods grace But saith he Saul afterwards fell and was reiected and damned I answer Saul is there called an elect man in that he was a choice and goodly tall young man proper of personage insomuch as none was found comparable to him for personage and stature for hee was taller by the head and shoulders than any of the people Doth this proue that hee was one of Gods eternall election Or doth God elect men to saluation for the goodlinesse of their person No wee see the contrary 1. Sam. 16. 7. That Saul dyed a reprobate and desperately we easily grant it But that Saul euer was in the state of grace Vega saith nothing yet to the purpose to proue it nor euer can he I rather maruaile why Vega omitted a more probable argument to proue Saul to haue once been in the state of grace to wit because the Spirit of the Lord comming vpon him he was turned into another man An argument which some other Pontificians vrge yet Vega alledgeth St. Augustines censure of Saul who concludes him to bee a reprobate saying The example of this Saul makes against some proud heretickes which deny that any of the good gifts of the holy Ghost may be giuen to those that doe not appertaine to the condition of Saints Which saying of that worthy Father doth plainly proue that Saul was neuer of the number of Gods Saints and that euen wicked and reprobate men may haue notwithstanding some speciall gifts of the holy Ghosts and yet be neuer a whit the nearer to the state of grace Saul was said to be changed into another man when Gods Spirit came vpon him not in regard of conuersion from sinne vnto God or from a wicked life to the state of grace but of a priuate man whose thoughts reached no higher than his fathers Asses hee was made a Prince and endowed with Princely qualities of wisedome and courage the gifts of Gods Spirit whereby hee was enabled for such a weighty gouernment Yea we are not affraid to put this case to the tryall euen of a Bishop of Rome Gregory the last good Bishop of Rome saith thus of Saul Saul electus dicitur non secundum gratiam sed secundum iudicium Bonus dicitur vt diuinae aequitatis dispositio commendetur Bonum profectò est quicquid est iustum c. Saul is said to bee elect not according to grace but according to iudgement He is called good that the disposition of diuine equity might be commended That indeed is good whatsoeuer is iust c. And he illustrates this by the instance of Ecclesiasticall Pastors Per iustitiam quippe Dei Pastores reprobi c. For by the iustice of God reprobate Pastors are permitted to climbe to the regiment of holy Church but they which are euill by their iniquity are good by diuine dispensation and now by the secret ordination of God they are elected who at the last in the vniuersall iudgement shall be reprobated Therefore a reprobate shepheard because by diuine dignation he is appointed to that office may bee called elect and because he is iustly permitted hee may bee called good And because hee is thought fitter than others to execute Gods iudgements therfore none is said to be better than he among the children of Israel Seeing therefore it cannot be proued that Saul was euer in the state of grace but the contrary is manifest euen by the iudgment of him who was once Bishop of Rome no maruaile if he dyed a desperate Reprobate Hereunto Vega addeth Salomons example that being endued with extraordinary wisedome from God and so standing in the state of grace he afterwards fell away and Vega laboureth to proue that Salomon dyed a Reprobate For answer that God gaue such wisedome to Salomon this proues him no more to be in the state of grace than that which was giuen to Saul This wisedome giuen to Salomon was famous indeede but for ought we finde it was no other but a naturall and morall wisedome and knowledge whereby he might the better iudge that great people committed to his charge as Salomon himselfe saith 1. Kings 3. 9. and know the nature and property of all creatures as 1. Kings 4. 29. 30. 31. c. Not that I deny but that Salomon might now be in the state of grace and no doubt but he was but that hee was not therefore in the state of grace because of his extraordinary wisedome giuen vnto him For doe not wee know that for a naturall and morall wisedome euen Heathen men as many Pagan Philosophers haue farre excelled many of Gods Saints Againe as we deny not but that young Salomon was now in the state of grace so we deny that hee euer fell totally away from this estate It is true he fell fearfully but not totally for marke what the Scripture saith expresly 1. Kings 11. 4. It came to passe when Salomon was old that his wiues turned away his