we weave by the works of righteousnesse we drop the filthy matter of divers crimes § VI. But let us briefly examine Bellarmines proofes where to omit Cyrill who understandeth the place contrary to Bellarmines conceipt of the wicked Iewes who after they had crucified Christ persisted in their infidelity his first reason is from the words going before because God is not angry with the just nor forsaketh them but according to our doctrine forsooth hee covereth their sinnes and imputeth them not I answere first that when the children of God doâ—… sinne God is angry as the Prophet here saith behold when wee sinne thou art angry God was angry with Moses Exod. 4. 14. Deut. 1. 37. with Aaron Deut. 9. 20. with David 3 Sam. 11. 27. Psalm 38. 3. 88. 16. with Salomon 1 King 11. 9. with his people Psalm 85. 4 5. Esai 47. 6. with the sheepe of his pasture Psalm 74. 1. with his faithfull servants Esai 12. 1. Secondly that by their sinnes they provoke Gods judgements the fruits of his anger from which they are so farre from being exempted that judgement beginneth at the house of God Thirdly that if they meet not the Lord in his judgments and doe not judge themselves then are they sure to be judged of the Lord For though he doth not hate them nor execute upon them the fruits of his eternall anger yet he is angry with his children when they sin for to sin against him is to offend him and for their sins he doth many times judge and correct them but our comfort is when we are judged we are chastized of the Lord that wee should not be condemned with the world Fourthly that they are patiently to beare the anger of God because they have deserved it Lam. 3. 39. Mic. 7. 9. I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him And as touching Gods forsaking of his Children whereof notwithstanding there is no mention in this place it is certaine that although he doth never utterly or finally forsake his children Psalm 37. 25. 28. Heb. 13. 5. Psal. 89. 33. 2 Cor. 4. 9. yet sometimes they are subject to spirituall and temporall desertions for a time wherein God is said to hide his face from them as it is here said vers 7. see Deut. 31. 17 18. Iob 13. 24. Psalm 22. 1. 88. 14. 2 Chron. 32. 31. Esai 8. 17. 54. 8. Ier. 39. 24. 29. Iud. 6. 13. Psal. 77. 7. Esâ—…i 49. 14. and 62. 4. Howbeit that is verified of them which the Lord professeth to his Church by his Prophet Esai c. 44. 7 8. for a small moment have I forsaken thee but in great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindenesse will I have mercie on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer § VII His second proofe is from the words following vers 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy name nor standeth up to take hold of thee But the just doe call upon God therefore the prophet doth not speake in the person of the just Answ. Ordinarily the godly doe give themselves to prayer though sometimes when they are left unto themselves they doe neglect it But as ordinarily they doe not neglect this duty so when they have neglected it their manner is as in this place to complaine of the neglect thereof For according to this prophecie Daniel and the remnant of Iuda which were in captivity in whom it was fulfilled use the very same complaint in their prayer Dan. 9. 13. Baruch 2. 8. § VIII His third proofe is out of the words themselves where the righteousnesse of them that make this prayer is compared to a menstruous cloth and therefore saith he he speaketh not in the person of the just whose good works in the Scriptures are highly commended Ans. It is not likely that the hypocrits who use to trust in their owne righteousnesse and to boast of it would complaine of the defectivenesse therof But howsoever the godly though weak indevors of the faithfull are graciously accepted of God in Christ and freely rewarded yet the children of God when they are humbled under the hand of God or doe summon and present themselves before the judgement seat of the Lord or in their soules doe exercise judgement according to the testimony of their owne conscience they doe use to judge and condemne themselves and to speake as basely of themselves and of their works as the faithfull doe in this place wee are as an uncleane person that is as a Leper who according to the Law was to cry out I am uncleane I am uncleane Levit 13. 45. and all our best actions are stained with the flesh like a polluted cloth or as Dan. cap. 9. and the remnant of Iuda Baruch c. 1. 2 3. in whom this prophecie was fulfilled who speake most basely of themselves and of their actions Yea the more godly a man is the more sensible he is of his corruption and the more ready with aggravation to confesse it Quanto saith Gregory ad Deum veriùs per bona opera surgimus tanto subtiliùs vitae nostrae sordes agnoscimus by how much more truly wee arise to God by good works by so much the more exquisitely wee acknowledge the pollutions of our life and againe with how great cleanenesse soever holy men doe shine notwithstanding by reason of this body wherein they are which is corrupted they judge themselves abominable and by reason of the filth of concupiscences without which they are not they repute themselves uncleane and to the like purpose Cardinall Cont. Godly men saith he by how much the more they profit in godlinesse by so much the lesse they please themselves Especially when they are summoned or doe summon themselves to appeare before God as every one ought to doe who would be justified either before God or in the Court of his owne Conscience Iob the most holy and righteous in his time when hee stood before God abhorred himselfe repenting in dust and ashes The holy Prophet Esaias when in a vision hee beheld God sitting on a throne attended by the Seraphin proclaiming Holy Holy Holy the Lord God of hosts exclaimeth Woe is me I am undone for I am a man of polluted lips and dwell in the midst of a people of uncleane lippes Esa. 6. 5. The faithfull are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beggars in spirit who acknowledging that there is nothing in them whereby they might hope to bee justified or saved as beggars rely wholly upon the mercies of God and merits of Christ renouncing their own merits and in the question of justification deresting them as polluted clouts as dung as losse and acknowledging themselves in themselves to be wretched sinners for as Herome saith Tunc ergo iusti sumus quando nos peccatores fatemur then are wee just when wee
his flesh is communicated unto us by imputation and accepted of God in our behalfe as if we had performed the same in our own persons To conclude therefore it is not the image of Christs righteousnesse and obedience by which we are justified But we are justified by the righteousnesse and obedience of Christ it selfe § XVII His seventh Allegation of Rom. 6. 4. 6. is scarce worth the answering wherein hee proveth which no man denieth that the godly doe truly and not putativè dye unto sinne and rise unto righteousnesse even as Christ whose death and resurrection is represented in Baptisme did truly dye and rise againe For this dying unto sinne and rising unto righteousnesse are the two parts of our sanctification which never any denied to bee inherent But that justification and sanctification are not to bee confounded I have before proved at large If hee would have said any thing to the purpose he should have said any thing to the purpose hee should have proved that our justification consisteth in our mortification and vivification and then might he well have concluded that we are not justified by imputation but by inherent righteousnesse But I cannot sufficiently wonder at the blind malice of these men who either would perswade themselves or would goe about to perswade others that we hold the righteousnesse of sanctification and the parts thereof which we acknowledge to be wrought in us by the holy Spirit not to bee inherent but imputative As for these words vers 7. he that is dead is justified from sinne the meaning is as I have shewed before that he is freed from sinne as our translation readeth and as Chrysostome and Oecumenius expound it the speciall sense of freeing from guilt opposed to condemnation which is the proper sense of the word Act. 13. 38 39. extended to the generall signification of freedome he that is dead is freed from committing of sinne according to that place of Peter 1 Epist. 4. 1. which Bellarmine paralelleth with this he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne § XVIII In his eighth allegation hee patcheth divers places of Scripture together as it were invita Minerva out of which nothing can be concluded but that the Papists have not one found Argument to prove their justification by inherent righteousnesse The places which he patcheth together are these Rom. 8. 15. That wee now by Christ have received the Spirit of Adoption of the sonnes of God quoad animam saith he in respect of the Soule the which as it is there said viz. vers 10. liveth by reason of justification although the body be dead that is be mortall as yet by reason of sinne But saith he â—… little after viz. vers 23. he addeth that wee having the first fruits of the Spirit doe groane within our selves expecting the adoption of the sonnes of God even the redemption of our body For as the same Apostle saith Phil. 3. 20. 21. wee expect our Saviour who shall reforme the body of our humility configured to the body of his glory But the adoption of sonnes which wee expect in the redemption of the body shall be most true and inherent in the body it selfe that is to say immortality and impossibility not putative but true Therefore the adoption which now we have in the spirit by justification must also be true not putative otherwise as we expect the redemption of the body so also wee should expect the redemption of the soule Answ. See what poore shifts so learned a man is put unto according to the ancient profession of Sophistres noted by Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make good a bad cause This is Bellarmines whole dispute word for word where with much travell he hath brought forth this conclusion that our adoption which now we have by justification is true and not in conceit onely which we freely confesse For whoever denied that our adoption is as true as our justification But doth it from hence follow that wee are justified by inherent righteousnesse A good syllogisme concluding that assertion from those premisses had beene worth his labour The most that can bee said in this matter as I suppose is this That when our gracious God by his holy Spirit doth regenerate us he doth beget in us the grace of faith As soone as faith is wrought in us wee are engrafted into Christ to us being in Christ the Lord communicateth the merits of his Sonne by imputation of whose righteousnesse unto us hee remitting our sinnes doth not onely accept of us as righteous in Christ but also in him hee adopteth us to bee his Sons and heires of eternall life § XIX Let this proposition then tanquam commune principium bee agreed upon betweene us Such as is our adoption such is our justification and let us see what either of us can inferre thereupon Bellarmine assumeth thus but our adoption is not imputative for that I suppose is his meaning by that odious word putative as though if it were imputative it were but putative which is most false For he that either is a sinner by imputation of Adams transgression is as truely a sinner as by transfusion of the corruption yea if he had not beene truely a sinner by imputation of Adams guilt hee should never have beene punished either with the transfusion of the coâ—…ruption or with death unto which by the guilt he was bound over or hee that is righteous by imputation of Christs righteousnesse is as truely righteous before God yea more truely than by infusion of inherent righteousnesse For that is perfect this is stained with the flesh and therefore is but a sinnefull righteousnesse which cannot stand in judgement before God judging according to the sentence of his Law But Bellarmine assumption as I was saying is this Our adoption is not imputative but by grace inherent therefore our justification is not imputative but by righteousnesse inherent The assumption which is utterly false hee endevoreth to prove because the Apostle Rom. 8. 15. saith that now by Christ wee haâ—…e received the Adoption of the sonnes of God quoad animam saith Bellarmine that he might patch with it vers 10. in respect of the soule which as it is there said liveth prâ—…pter justificationem although the body bee dead that is to say mortall by reason of sinne These places Belâ—…mine alleaged before to prove that the grace by which wee are justified is inherent and namely charity because charity is that by which wee cry in our hearts Abba Father Secondly because it is said that the Spirit liveth by reason of justification though the body bee dead by reason of sinne to both which I have before answered § XX. But here Bellarmine maketh a twofold Adoption the one of the soule patched out of Rom. 8. 10. 15. the other of the body pieced out of Rom. 8. 23. and Phil. 3. 20 21. when as indeed Adoption is not of either part but of
truely beleeve Secondly it is one and the same objectivè in respect of the same object it being the vision or fruition of the same God who is the chiefe good Thirdly in respect of continuance in regard whereof it is called eternall life which is one and the same to all being the same everlasting inheritance and the same â—…ternall fruition of God and Fellowship which we shall ever have with Christ and by him with the whole Trinity But however eternall life in respect of the substance be onâ—… and the same equally procured by the merit of Christ yet it is not to be doubted that there are divers degrees of glory where with God doth crowne the divers degrees of grace which he hath bestowed on his children in this life For although all that shall bee saved shall have fulnesse of felicity so much as they are capable of yet some are more capable than others Even as vessels of divers measures being put into the sea will all be fâ—…ll of liquor according to their capacity yet some will containe a greater quantity than others So all the Saints though all full of happinesse yet shall not all bee endued with the same measure of glory but according to their capacity This is that which heretofore I alleaged out of S. Ambrose that god doth give to all that are saved aequalem mercedem vitâ—… non gloriae equall reward of life not of glory These things thus premised I answere first by denying his proposition For although according to the proportion both of habituall grace and of actuall obedience which we call good workes the degrees of glory in the life to come shall bee bestowed yet these degrees are not thereby merited but God doth graciously crowne his greater graces which hee freely bestowed in this life with a greater measure of glory in the life to come Besides Bellarminâ—… and other Papists doe teach that God crowneth our good workes supra condignum therefore those crownes cannot be merited ex condigno Secondly I deny his assumption averting that eternall life it selfe is not bestowed according to the proportion of our workes but as it is wholly merited by the obedience of Christ so is it equally bestowed upon all the faithfull who are equally justified by the merits of Christ. § XII But here Bellarmine cavilleth with two answeres given as he saith by our Divines the former that divers rewards are given to good workes both in this life and in the world to come but not eternall life it selfe against which he proveth that good workes are rewarded with eternall life and that there are no rewards in the world to come which doe not belong to eternall life Whereas no doubt the meaning of those who gave that answere was this that there are divers degrees of rewards given both in this life and in the world to come as namely the divers degrees of glory but there are not divers degrees of eternall life that is one and the same to all that are saved We doe not deny but eternall life is the reward of good workes and therefore Bellarmine might have spared his paynes in proving that which we doe not deny but we deny it to be given in divers degrees according to the proportion of mens workes The other answere that etâ—…rnall life is to bâ—… given to good workes no otherwise bâ—…t as they are signes of faith which also hee solemnely disputeth against utterly mistaking the matter For first wee say that God doth graciously reward the virtues and obedience of his owne children not as their merits but as his graces Secondly we say indeed that in the Gospell eternall life is promised to those that beleeve without respect of workes and damnation denounced â—…gainst those that beleeve not but because both faith and infidelity are inward and hidden and many deceive themselves with an inward opinion and an outward profession of faith therefore the Lord at the last day will proceed in judgement according to the evidence of mens workes So that the Lord pronounceth the sentence according to workes as the signes and evidence of faith but rewardeth both faith and them as his owne gifts and graces Howbeit more properly eternall life it selfe is rendred to the righteousnesse of faith which is the righteousnesse and merits of Christ imputed to them that beleeve by which the faithfull are equally justified and equally entituled to the kingdome of heaven but the degrees of glory are given according to the degrees of our sanctification that is to the degrees both of the habits of faith and other graces and of the acts and exercise thereof which wee call good workes All which being Gods owne free gifts hee doth freely reward crowning his greater graces with greater glory § XIII As for the places of Scripture which testifie that God will reward men according to their workes I answere that secundum opera according to workes doth not signifie the proportion but the quality of workes as I have shewed before out of Gregorie that is as in some of the places it is expressed good workes are to be rewarded with glory evill with punishment Rom. 2. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 5. 10. c. And so is that Gal. 6. 7. to be understood as the Apostle explaineth himselfe vers 8. that as every man doth sowe so he shall reape viz. he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape everlasting life The allegation out of Luk. 6. 38. is impertinent as appeareth by his paralell Mat. 7. 1 2. Iudge not that you be not judgâ—…d for with what judgement ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you againe For first it seemeth to speake of humane judgement that as wee judge others so we shall be judged of others according to the law of like for like Secondly it speaketh of active judging in the worse sense which is therefore forbidden and the reason is from the like judging passive as an evill though just reward thereof so farre is it from speaking of the reward of eternall life Or if the place should be generally understood of mens judging well or ill and of their being judged according either by God or man nothing else can necessarily be gathered but the like judgement in quality that is either good or bad And the like is to be said of 1 Cor. 3. 8. where the Apostle doth not spâ—…ake of the eternall reward either of life or death rendred to good or evill workes according to the proportion thereof but of the blessing of increase which God giveth to those that are planters or waterers in his garden as a reward of their labours By planters he understandeth himselfe and other Apostles who were the planters of the Church by waterers Apollo and other Evangelists and Preachers who fed the Church with their doctrine The
by offering his sonne Isaac and Rahab by her entertaining and delivering of the Espies but no man can bee justified before God by his works who is guilty of any sinne For if Paul who was not conscious to himselfe of any sinne was not thereby justified how can he that is guilty of any or rather many sinnes be justified For whosoever is justified before God is blessed but cursed is every one that continueth not in all the things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them § IV. But if it shall evidently appeare that none of the workes of the faithfull are purely and perfectly good how farre then are the Papists from proving justification by workes And this I will prove by divers arguments which I will also maintaine against the cavils of the Papists And first out of Esa. 64. 6. We are all as an uncleane person or thing all our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloth Where the Church doth freely confesse her selfe and all her members to bee uncleane and all their righteousnesses that is all their most righteous workes to bee as polluted clouts which though it be a most pregnant testimony wherein wee have just cause to triumph yet Bellarmine saith it is impertinent and that for three reasons First because without doubt the Prophet speaketh not of just men but of notorious sinners for whose sinnes the City of Ierusalem and people of the Iewes was to be delivered into the hands of the King of Babylon And that the prophet speaketh in the person of such wicked men he endeavoureth also to prove by three arguments First because he a little before had said because thou art angry and wee have sinned that is as Cyrill expoundeth it because thou art angry thou hast forsaken us But neither is God angry with the just neither doth hee forsake them I answere no lesse confidently but upon better grounds that without doubt the prophet speaketh in the person of the Church and namely of the faithfull who living after the desolation of Ierusalem in the captivity of Babylon should bewaile their owne sinnes and of the whole people of the Iewes which had drawne upon them those fearefull judgements For these words are part of that prayer of the Church of the Iewes which from the seventh verse of the 63. chapter is continued to the end of the 64. And in token of this continuation the latter part of the last verse of the former chapter in the hebrew is the beginning of this chapter in the Greeke Latine and other translations Now in the former chapter the same persons which here confesse their sinnes after they had magnified Gods mercies towards them verse 7. c. doe say unto God verse 16. doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel know us not thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer And in this chapter as they bewaile in this verse their sinnefulnesse with aggravation so they desire the Lord whom they call their Father not to remember their iniquities because they are his people verse 8. 9. professing their hope of salvation verse 5. which is not the manner of notorious and impenitent sinners but of those that are penitent and faithfull And further that which Esay here foretelleth is accordingly performed First by Daniel chap. 9. from the fourth verse to the twentieth who in like manner in the name and behalfe of the desolate Church of the Iewes prayeth unto God confessing his owne sinnes and of the people of Israel as he speaketh verse 20. Secondly by the Church in captivity which send the like prayer written by Baruch to the priest and people who then were at Ierusalem Baruch 1. from the 15. verse of the first chapter to the end of the third § V. This then is the confession of the Church which according to Tertullians rule is to bee extended unto the faithfull in all times and so it is understood by Origen who saith that no man may glory of his owne righteousnesse seeing here it is said that all our righteousnesse is as the cloth of a menstruous woman by Hierome wee shall bee saved onely by thy mercie who of our selves are uncleane And what righteousnesse soever wee seeme to have is compared to a cloth of a menstruous woman By Augustine all our righteousnesse compared with divine justice is accounted like the cloth of a menstruous woman as the Prophet Esay saith c. and again whatsoever an uncleane person toucheth shall bee uncleane but all wee are as the cloth of a menstruous woman comming from a corrupt masse and uncleane we beare in our foreheads the spot of our uncleannesse which wee cannot conceale at least from thee who seest all things By Bernard in divers places First for our humble righteousnesse if wee have any is perhaps right but not pure unlesse peradventure wee beleeve our selves to be better than our forefathers who no lesse truely than humbly said all our righteousnesse is like the cloth of a menstruous woman for how can there be pure justice where as yet fault cannot bee wanting And againe what can all our righteousnesse bee before God shall it not according to the Prophet be reputed as the cloth of a menstruous woman and all our righteousnesse if it bee straitly judged will it not be found unjust and defective What then will become of our sinnes seeing our righteousnesse cannot answere for it selfe wherefore crying earnestly with the Prophet Enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord let us in all humility have recourse to mercie which alone can save our soules Thirdly if I shall bee just I will not lift up my head for all my righteousnesses before him are as the cloth of a menstruous woman Fourthly it is perfect and secure glorying when wee feare all our workes as blessed Iob testifieth of himselfe and when wee acknowledge with the prophet Esay that all our righteousnesses are to bee reputed no other than the cloth of a menstruous woman Fifthly surely if all our righteousnesses being viewed at the light of truth shall bee found like a menstruous cloth what then shall our unrighteousnesses bee found to bee And to the like purpose I might alleage Dionys. Carthus in Psal. 142. Gerson tom 3. de Consolat lib. 4. pros 1. tom 4. tr de sign Cajetan in 2 Cor. 5. 21. Iacob Clict in Canonem apud Cassandrum consult art 6. Stella in Luk. 17. Ferus in Matth. lib. 3. cap. â—…0 Andreas Vega opusc de justif qu. 1. propos 4. Adrianus de Traject afterwards Pope in quartum sentent Quasi pannus menstruatâ—… sunt omnes justitiae nostrae jugiter igitur super pannum bonae vitae quem justitiae operibus teximus stillamus saniem diversorum criminum all our righteousnesses are like the cloath of a menstruous woman wherefore continually upon the cloth of a good life which
which we shall be judged at the last day at which time God will judge men according to their workes For wee must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ that wee may receive according to those things which we have done in the body whether it bee good or evill Those that have done good shall goe into everlasting life and they that have done evill into everlasting punishment For good workes though wee are not justified by them nor saved for them yet they are the evidence according to which our Saviour will pronounce the sentence of salvation Matth. 25. 34 35. According to that Psal. 62. 12. And to thee Lord mercie for thou rewardest a man meaning the godly man according to his workes § IX Lastly they are necessary necessitate medij and as that which though it be no cause is called causa sine qua nâ—…n And thus they are necessary first as the way which leadeth to life eternall via qua nos perducturus est ad finem itsum quem promisit the way by which hee will bring us unto that end which he hath promised saith Augustine For those that are justified and by justification entituled to the Kingdome of heaven they are to goe in the way of sanctification towards their glorification Eâ—…h 2. 10. good workes therefore though they bee not the cause of raigning yet they are the way to the Kingdome And so saith Bellarminâ—… himselâ—…e that although God in predestination hath determined to give the Kingdome of heaven to certaine men whom he loved without any prevision of workes notwithstanding hee did withall ordaine that in respect of the execution the way to come to his Kingdome should be good workes I say then with the Prophet Esay this is the way let us walke in it Secondly as necessary fruits of our election for wee are elected to that end that we should bee holy Ephes. 1. 4. as necessary fruits of faith without which it is judged to bee dead â—…am 2. 26. as unseparable consequents of our redemption and justification Luk. 1. 74. And as they are necessary consequents of our justification so they are necessary forerunners of salvation by which wee are fitted for Gods Kingdome because no uncleane thing can enter into the Kingdome of heaven Apoc. 21. 27. and finally so necessary is a godly life that without it no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. I conclude with Bernard that good workes are occulia predestinationis jndicia futurâ—… fâ—…licitatis presagia via regni non caâ—…saregnandi tokens of our secret predestination presages of our future happinesse the way to the Kingdome but not the cause of our obtaining that Kingdome For howsoever good workes are necessary in many respects as I have shewed necessitate presentiae yet they are not necessary necessitate efficientiae as causes of our justification § X. Secondly the Papists calumniate us as if wee taught that good workes are not necessary to sanctification which slander as all the rest ariseth from their willfull and pernicious errour in consounding justificâ—…tion and sanctification In the question of justification we hold according to the Scriptures that if our owne workes or righteousnesse should bee obtruded unto the Lord as the matter or merit thereof whereby wee should bee both acquitted from our sinnes and so delivered from hell and also entituled to the Kingdome of heaven they are not onely to bee rejected but also detested as menstruous clouts as dung as losse But in the question of sanctification where they are considered both as fruits of faith and the Spirit as consequents of justification whereby wee testifie our thankefulnesse to God gather testimonies to our selves of our justification benefit and edifie our brethrenâ—… and also as necessary forerunners of glorification whereby we are fitted and prepared for Gods Kingdome unto which by justification wee are entituled and as the way wherein we are to walke towards our heavenly countrey and as the evidences according to which our Saviour will judge us at the last day c. wee doe acknowledge they are highly to be esteemed of as those things wherein our sanctification doth in good part consist For wee doe teach that our sanctification is partly habituall consisting in the habits of sanctifying graces faith hope charity humility the feare of God c. which is the first justification of the Papists and partly actuall consisting in our new obedience or which is all one in good workes which is their second justification This then is that which we doe hold that although good works doe not concurre with faith unto the act of justification as any cause thereof yet of necessity they must concurre in the subject that is the party justified as necessary fruits of faith as necessary consequents of justification as necessary antecedents of salvation And this is that which not only we but Bellarmine himselfe often citeth out of Augustine Bona opera accedunt justificato non praecedunt justificandum or thus bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequantur justificatum good workes doe not goe before but follow after justification which is a pregnant proofe that they are no causes thereof CAP. II. That we are not justified by Workes § I. HAving thus avoided the calumniations of the Papists wee are now to dispute the question which is to bee understood not of justification before men whereby we are declared or knowne to bee just but of our justification before God whereby hee maketh us just nor of workes as fruits and consequents but as of causes of justification For we doe confesse that men are justified declarativè that is declared and knowne to be just to themselves or others by good works as the proper fruits of faith and undoubted consequents of justification but wee deny that we are justified before God by good works as any causes therof And this our assertion we will first prove by necessary arguments and then defend the same against the objections of the Papists § II. And first I prove it by all the arguments which I used before to prove the five severall points already handled For first if justification is not to be confounded with sanctification as if it consisted in a righteousnesse inherent in our selves or performed by our selves then are we not justified before God by workes But the former hath beene clearely proved therefore the latter is to be confessed .2 If wee bee justified by the meere grace of God and that freely without respect of any workes done by us then are we not justified before God by works For the holy Ghost maketh such an opposition betweene grace and workes that if we be justified by the one we cannot be justified by the other But the antecedent hath beene formerly proved therefore the consequent cannot be denyed 3. If we be not justified before God by righteousnesse inherent in or performed by our selves but onely by the righteousnesse
us and vers 21. to make us the righteousnesse of God in Christ as he was made sinne for us Act. 26. 18. that by faith we may have remission of sinnes and inheritance that is that we may bee heires of the heavenly inheritance among them that are sanctified Ioh. 3. 18. He that beleeveth in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not condemned that is as Paul speaketh Act. 13. 39. is justified but hee that beleeveth not him is condemned already That which Paul affirmeth Rom. 3. 21 22. now without the Law is manifested the righteousnesse of God being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousnesse of God which is by the faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that beleeâ—…e Saint Peter more plainely expresseth Act. 10. 43. unto him all the Prophets beare witnesse that every one which beleeveth in him receiveth remission of sinnes through his name § VIII Because the whole processe of the justification of a sinner is judiciall Rom. 8. 33 34. For the sinner summoning himselfe before the judgement seat of God as every one must doe that would bee justified his owne conscience being rightly informed by the paedagogie of the Law accuseth him the devill pleadeth against him the Law convicteth him and maketh him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subject to the sentence of condemnation if God should judge him according to his Law But the sinner being instructed in the Gospell and the holy Ghost having opened his heart to beleeve appealeth from the sentence of the Law to the promise of the Gospell and from the tribunall of justice to the throne of Grace humbly intreating the Lord for Christs sake to pardon his sinnes and to accept of the merits and obedience of Christ as a full satisfaction for them Our Saviour sitting at the right hand of his Father maketh intercession and as an advocate pleadeth for him that forasmuch as he himselfe hath paid the debt and satisfied Gods justice for the beleeving sinner therefore the Lord not onely in mercy but also in justice is to remit his sinne and to accept of him in Christ. The Lord as a gracious and righteous judge imputing to the beleever the merits and righteousnesse of Christ absolveth him from his sinnes and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ that is to say justifieth him The beleeving sinner being thus justified in the Court of heaven is not at the first justified in the Court of his owne conscience that is to say is not yet perswaded and assured of his justification untill the holy Ghost by the ministery of the Gospell pronouncing remission of sinnes and justification to every one that beleeveth teacheth him to apply the promises of the Gospell unto himselfe which he sealeth unto him by the Sacraments The beleever being thus perswaded and in some measure assured of his justification giveth diligence by practising the duties of repentance and sanctification to confirme and increase that assurance more and more unto the end of his life labouring by all good meanes to make sure his election his vocation and his justification and so proceedeth from faith to faith The beleever having thus beene justified in this life both in the court of heaven and in the court of his owne conscience after this life namely at the day of judgement when our Saviour will judge of mens faiths according to the evidence of their works shall be justified that is pronounced happy and blessed These three degrees of Gods most gracious proceeding with the faithfull I have set downe not that there are so many degrees of justification so properly called For the first degree onely is that justification whereof wee treat which admitteth no degrees The other are degrees of the declaration thereof the former privately to the conscience of the faithfull the other publikely to the whole world CAP. III. The allegations of the Papists concerning the word justification the two first significations thereof assigned by Bellarmine § I. HAving thus explained the true sense and meaning of these words which in the holy Scriptures are used to signifie justification let us now examine the allegations of the Papists concerning the same Bellarmine therefore saith that the word justification meaning the Latine word is used foure wayes in the holy Scriptures meaning the vulgar Latine edition when as indeed neither the Latine edition it selfe nor the Latine word is in this question further to bee respected than as it is a true translation of the Hebrew in the Old Testament and of the Greeke in the New First saith he it is taken for the Law which teacheth righteousnesse and so is used Psal. 119. 8. I will keepe thy justifications and vers 12. teach me thy justifications c. This Bellarmine barely expoundeth without any further enforcing but Gregory Martin and our Rhemists urge it as a principall argument that the precepts of the Law are therefore called justifications because the observation of them doth justifie us and therefore exclaime against us that in our translations wee in stead of justifications doe read statutes or ordinances As though in translating the holy Scriptures we did professe to translate the Latine edition and not the Original Text. Now the word which in the old Testament is by the vulgar Latine interpreted justificationes and by the 72. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Chuqqim which when it is used alone signifieth undefinitely any of the precepts statutes or commandements of God but being used with other words of the like signification from which it is distinguish'd signifieth the statutes and ordinances of the Ceremoniall Law insomuch that the vulgar Latine in many places even where the Greek hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendreth Ceremonias a as I shewed before which though the Latines sometimes call justificationes yet by the confession of the Papists themselves do not justifie And the like is to be said of Luk. 1. 6. where Zachary and Elizabeth are said to have walked in all the Commandements and justifications of the Lord where the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the translation of Chuqqim and signifieth the statutes of the ceremoniall Law as being distinguished from the Commandements of the morall Law but of the Greeke word I have spoken sufficiently before Chap. 2. § 5. If therefore the force of the Latine word justificationes bee urged I answer that the observation of the morall Law can justifie no man that is a sinner and much lesse the observation of the ceremoniall And the conclusion which they inferre from the force of the word that the precepts of the Law are called justifications because by the observation of them men are justified is directly contrary to that of the Apostle that by the workes of the Law no man living is or can be justified § II. But if they bee justifications whose are they For so they argue If good workes say they bee the
justifications of the Saints then they justifie the Saints So may I say if the precepts of the Law be the justifications of the Lord then belike they justifie him but neither are fitly called justifications though the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may not unfitly be given both to the Law of God as the rule of justice and to the judgements of God as the acts of justice and to the good deeds of the Saints as workes of justice and also to the merits of Christ which notwithstanding doe not justifie him but us unlesse they meane that as by good workes the faithfull so by righteous commandements and just judgements God is declared and manifested to bee just And farther the law of Nature knowne to the Gentiles is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notwithstanding doth not justifie either him or them and is by the Latine interpreter unfitly translated the justice of God And moreover Bellarmine himselfe as we have heard noteth that the Law is called justification because it teacheth righteousnesse and yet not that righteousnesse by which we are justified for that without the Law is manifested in the Gospell being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that beleeve But to conclude Bellarmine had no reason to make this the first signification of the word in the Scriptures for the Hebrew word which the vulgar Latine translateth sometimes iustificationes and sometimes ceremonias in the same sense doth signifie no such matter and the Greeke which twice at the most in the Scriptures signifieth justification doth usually signifie the Law of God and his statutes and ordinances but more especially those of the ceremoniall Law which if they be any where called justifications it is to bee imputed to the corrupt translation and not to the originall truth § III. So much of the first signification The two next whereof there is no example in the Scriptures hee hath coined to fit their new-found distinction of justification it selfe which they distinguish into the first and the second The first when a man of a sinner is made just by infusion of habituall righteousnesse The second when a just man is made more just by practise of good workes Accordingly justification saith Bellarmine in the second place signifieth acquisition of righteousnesse viz. inherent which is their first justification and in the third place incrementum justitiae the encrease of justice which is their second justification which distinction if it were applied to sanctification were not to be rejected For that which they call their first justification is the first act of our sanctification which the Scriptures call â—…eration in which the holy Ghost doth ingenerate in the soule of the Elect the grace of faith and with it and by it other sanctifying graces wherein their justification which is habituall consisteth And that which they call their second justification being actuall is our new obedience by which our sanctification is continued and encreased But to justification it cannot truly be applyed for first justification is an action of God for it is God that doth justifie Their second justification is their owne act whereby they being just already make themselves more just Secondly justification as hath been said is an action of God without us not implying a reall mutation in us but relative such as is wrought by the sentence of a Iudge and is opposed to condemnation Thirdly because it is the righteousnesse of Christ by which wee are justified which is a perfect righteousnesse whereunto nothing can bee added Therefore of justification it selfe there are no degrees though of the assurance thereof there are degrees according to the measure of our faith § IV. But let us see how Bellarmine proveth his second signification To that purpose he alledgeth three testimonies of Scripture which prove nothing else but that the Papists have no sound proofe for their erronious conceit The first is taken out of 1 Cor. 6. 11. And such were you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified Where indeed the word is used but in a sense distinguished from sanctification The scope and intendment the Apostle is to exhort the Corinthians being now Christians to abstaine from those sinnes whereunto they were addicted whiles they lived in Gentilisme Such you were then saith the Apostle but now since you gave your names to Christ you were baptized into his Name and in your Baptisme were washed from those sinnes being sanctified from the corruption of them by the Spirit of God and iustified from the guilt of them in the Name of Iesus Christ that is by faith in his Name Thus therefore these three words are to bee distinguished The washing of the soule which is represented by the washing of the body is the generall word whereby the purging of the soule from sinne is generally signified Act. 22. 16. But as in sinne there are two things from which we had need to be purged that is the guilt of sinne and the corruption thereof so this ablution or washing of the soule hath two parts ablution from the guilt of sinne which is our justification ablution from the corruption of sinne which is our sanctification Both which are represented and sealed in the Sacrament of Baptisme wherein as the outward washing of the body doth represent the inward washing of the soule both from the guilt and corruption of sinne so the Element of water whereby the body is washed or sprinckled is a signe of the water and blood which issued out of Christs side whereby the soule is washed that is to say the blood of redemption and the water of sanctification for by the blood that is the merits of Christ wee are freed from the guilt of sinne and by the water that is the Spirit of sanctification wee are freed in some measure from the corruption And both these as I said are signified in Baptisme For wee are baptized into the remission of sinnes Act. 2. 38. Mar. 1. 4. Our soules being washed with the blood of Christ according to that in the Nicene Creed I beleeve one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes and wee are baptized unto the mortification of sinne and rising unto holinesse of life Rom. 6. 3 4. our soules being washed by the water of the holy Ghost For wee are baptized into the death of Christ and similitude of his resurrection that as Christ dyed and rose againe so wee that are baptized should dye unto sinne and rise to newnesse of life for which cause Baptisme also is called the Laver of regeneration Tit. 3. 5. This then is the summe and effect of the Apostles exhortation that seeing they having given their names unto Christ had been baptized into his Name and were therefore Sacramentally at the least washed and consequently both in their owne profession and opinion of others judging
condemnation and justification some where signifie the action of the Iudge as in the place cited Rom. 5. 16. yet notwithstanding when God doth justifie a sinner by dâ—…claring him just he doth also make him just because the judgement of God is according to the truth And therefore Christ whether he justifieth us by his obedience or by his judgement he alwayes maketh just And thus Augustine saith he understood this place Reply That God maketh just whom he pronounceth just we freely confesse but the question still is of the manner for in justification when he pronounceth a man just he maketh him just and that perfectly just not by infusion of inherent righteousnesse but by imputation of Christs righteousnesse And whom hee justifieth that is maketh just by imputation of righteousnesse them hee also sanctifieth that is maketh just in some measure by infusion of grace For to use Bellarmines owne words when God doth justifie a sinner by declaring him righteous it is plaine that in himselfe hee is a sinner who by God is declared to bee just and therefore that hee is not justified by inherent justice for in himselfe he is a sinner as wee all are How then shall the judgement of God bee according to the truth when hee declareth a sinner to bee just To a sinner beleeving in Christ the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith is imputed for righteousnesse Rom. 4. 5. and this we shall hereafter shew to be an argument unanswerable None remaining sinners in themselves can truely bee declared or pronounced just in respect of righteousnesse inherent All mortall men even the most righteous of them meraine sinners in themselves 1 Ioh. 1. 8. Ecclus 7. 20. Therefore No mortall man can truly be declared or pronounced just in respect of inherent righteousnesse and consequently none are or can bee justified by righteousnesse inherent § IIII. The testimony of Augustine is falsified For disputing against the errour of the Pelagians who imagined that originall sinne was not propagated from Adam but that imitation onely maketh sinners by Adam hee inferreth that then by the same reason onely imitation maketh just by Christ. As though either Adam had done no more against us or Christ for us than that they had been prime examples and precedents the one of sinne the other of righteousnesse But Augustine sheweth out of Rom. 5. that as those who are regenerated by the Spirit of Christ obtaine remission of sinnes and inward grace so those who come from Adam by naturall generation are made guilty of his sinne unto condemnation and also receive corruption from him by propagation all which we teach But that Augustine pleadeth not for justification by inherent justice appeareth by the antithesis which in that place hee maketh betwixt our condemnation by Adam and our justification by Christ. First that whereas to condemnation there concurres our owne voluntary transgression besides Adams sinne yet to our justification there doth not concurre any righteoufnesse besides Christ. Secondly which difference Saint Paul also noteth Rom. 5. 15 16 because in the carnall generation originall sinne onely is contracted but in the spirituall regeneration there is remission not onely of originall but also of voluntary sinnes § V. The second reason of Calvin and Chemnitius which Bellarmine taketh upon him to confute is this because the Apostle writing of justification did no doubt imitate the Hebrew phrase though he wrote in Greeke But the Hebrew word signifying to justifie hath the judiciall signification The argument may thus be propounded Such as is the signification of the Hebrew hitsdiq in the old Testament the same is the signification of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in the edition of the Septuagints as being the translation thereof and in the new Testament which in this point retaineth the translation of the Septuagints But the Hebrew hitsdiq is meerely a judiciall word opposed to condemnation as I have proved heretofore by induction of examples as Deut. 25. 1. 1 King 32. 8. Prov. 17. 15. Esai 5. 23. and never signifieth to make righteous by infusion or to endue with righteousnesse inherent Therefore the Greeke word also hath the same signification To the assumption Bellarmine answereth that the Hebrew word properly signifieth to make just but because a man may bee made just both inwardly by obtaining of justice and outwardly by declaration hence it is that the word admitteth these divers significations Reply In this answer we are to take his confession of the truth both that we may be made just outwardly by declaration and also that the Verbe sometimes doth signifie so much In vaine therefore doe the Papists urge against us the signification of the Latine word justificare as signifying justum facere seeing by our exposition it signifieth justum facere also not onely by declaration as Bellarmine heere speaketh but much more by imputation But though he confesseth the signification of the Verbe urged by us yet wee may not acknowledge the signification so much urged by the Papists yea wee confidently deny that the Hebrew hitsdiq doth any where in the Scriptures signifie to endùe with righteousnesse inherent § VI. This therefore hee endevoureth to prove by induction of examples and first out of Dan. 12. 3. Qui adjustitiam erudiunt multos who instruct many to righteousnesse The Hebrew word is matsdiqim where the Prophet speaking of the great glory which shall bee of Teachers who justifie many the vulgar Latine which is the onely authentique Text among the Papists doth not translate the word making righteous by infusion or enduing with righteousnesse inherent which is the worke of God alone and not of the Teacher but instructing unto righteousnesse or as Bellarmine himselfe expoundeth by teaching to bring men to righteousnesse which is done by bringing them to beleeve and therefore this allegation proveth not the Popish signification of the word Yea but it disproveth saith Bellarmine the judiciall signification so much urged by you For Teachers doe not justifie after the maner of â—…udges howbeit the Popish Priests dot in their absolutions as themselves doe teach Reply But this is nothing but a cavill For where wee say that to justifie in this doctrine of justification is verbum forense a word taken from Courts having a judiciall signification as namely to absolve from sinne or to give sentence with a man after the maner of a Iudge our meaning is that this word being attributed to God as it is God alone that justifieth and so wee consider justification as an action of God it alwaies hath this judiciall signification and never signifieth to endue with righteousnesse inherent But wee doe not say that it being attributed to any other as it is to divers others both perâ—…ons and things it is to bee expounded as the act of the Iudge though otherwise the justice implyed in the signification of the word bee after the judiciall sense not inherent but imputative Thus as I
maketh in the question of justification betweene grace and workes as that if wee bee justified by the one wee cannot be justified by the other but they might as well stand together as the first justification of the Papists which is habituall consisting in the habits of grace infused with the second which is actuall consisting in works or rather the one would infer the other because we cannot be justified by the one I speak of adulti without the other for if wee bee justified by inherent righteousnesse that righteousnesse must be totall and perfect and therfore both habituall and actuall and both must concur unto justification for neither without the other is perfect Object Yea but the Apostle when hee saith that faith doth justifie without workes hee speaketh of the first juâ—…ification unto which works doe not concurre and when hee opposeth grace to workes hee meaneth the works of the Law done before faith without grace by the power of nature Answ. This is all that the Papists have to excuse themselves that they doe not openly contradict the Apostle who so often and so peremptorily concludeth that wee are justified by grace and not by workes by faith without the workes of the Law But it is evident that by the workes of the Law is meant all that obedience and righteousnesse that is prescribed in the Law which is the perfect rule of all inherent righteousnesse And therefore when the workes of the Law are rejected all inherent righteousnesse is excluded from justification It is also manifest that the holy Ghost speaketh generally of all men whether in the state of nature or in the state of grace and of all workes whether going before or following after faith insomuch that the workes which wee have done in righteousnesse Tit 3. 5. are excluded yea the workes of faithfull Abraham are denied to have justified him before God And therefore those who have both faith and works are justified by faith without workes But these objectiots I shall fully satisfie in their due place § X. Sixthly whereas the Papists say that justifying grace is the same with charity I argue thus Charity is the fulfilling of the Law in our owne persons But wee are not justified by our fulfilling of the Law in our owne persons Gal. 2. 16. 3. 10 11. Therefore we are not justified by our charity and consequently not by grace inherent § XI Seventhly that the Apostle by grace in the articles of justification and salvation understood the gracious favour of God in Christ and not inherent grace appeareth both by his assention Rom. 5. 20. that where sinne abounded Gods grace did much more abound and by his question Rom. 6. 1. shall wee continue in sinne that grace may abound for it were a strange conceit that where sinne aboundeth inherent righteousnesse should abound so much the more And to these we may adde those places which speake of going to the throne of grace that we may obtaine mercie and find grace Heb. 4. 16. of the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Iesus Christ for by grace we are saved Eph. 2. 7. 8. of the grace of God and the gift of grace distinguished one from the other Rom. 5. 15. of those that beleeve by the grace of God Act. 18. 27. of commending men to the grace of God Act. 14. 26. 15. 40. of the word of his grace Act. 14. 3. 20. 32. of the Gospell of his grace Act. 20. 24. of the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who being rich became poore for us 2 Cor. 8. 9. of our predestination to the praise of the glory of his grace Eph. 1. 5 6. of the election of grace Rom. 11. 5. of the appearing of the grace of God which bringeth salvation Tit. 2. 11. of Christ his tasting of death for us by the grace of God Heb. 2. 9. of the reward not imputed of grace to him that worketh Rom. 4. 4. of turning the grace of God into wantonnesse Iud. 4. c. § XII Lastly so cleare is this truth which wee deliver according to the scriptures concerning justifying grace that Albertus Pighius a famous divine among the Papists doth confesse that what the Schoolemen teach concerning justifying grace that it is a quality in our soules infused of God and there remaining after the manner of an habit and that it is the same in substance with the habit of charity c. are meere devises of men having no warrant in the Scriptures Thomas Aquinas also writing on Tit. 2. 11. it is to bee knowne saith he that grace signifieth mercie and mercie alwayes was in God yet in respect of men in times past it lay hid but when Christ the Sonne of God appeared grace appeared and it may be said that in the Nativity of Christ grace appeared two wayes the former because by the greatest grace of God he was given unto us and upon this grace in the second place followed the instruction of mankind wherupon he saith teachingus c. Whereunto we may adde that those few places which Bellarmine alleageth for inherent grace are by some of their owne writers understood of the gracious favour of God as we shall shew in the particulars which now we are to examine CHAP. III. Bellarmines allegation for grace inherent out of Rom. 3. 24. proved to make against himselfe § I. BVt before I propound them I am to advertise the Reader that we do not deny that there are divers graces of sanctification and those also necessary to salvation as faith hope charity the feare of God c. inherent in the soules of the faithfull as divine qualities residing there per modum habitus So that Bellarmine in his booke de gratia lib. arbitr might well have spared his labour whereby he endeavoreth to prove such grace or graces to bee inherent in the soule which never any of us denyed But wee deny that gratia gratum faciens or justifying grace is inherent in us This therefore Bellarmine laboureth to prove lib. 2. de justif cap. 3. unto which in the other place hee doth referre us alleaging Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Iesus c. Answ. It cannot bee denyed but that the popish cause in this particular is very desperate when for the defence thereof they are able to alleage one onely place where grace is mentioned and that such a one as is a most pregnant testimony to prove free justification by faith onely without respect of any righteousnesse or grace inherent in us § II. And this is proved first by the context or coherence of these words with those which goe before For thus the Apostle reasoneth Those that bee in themselves sinners and by their sinne obnoxious to the judgement of God are not justified by righteousnesse inherent all which is prescribed in the Law but of necessity must be justified by a righteousnesse
which without the Law is revealed in the Gospell even the righteousnesse of God that is of Christ who is God apprehended by faith But all men without exception both Iewes and Gentiles are in themselves sinners and by their sinne obnoxious to the judgement of God Therefore seeing all have sinned and are fallen short of the glory of God that is excluded from eternall glory they are not justified by righteousnesse inherent which is prescribed in the Law but they are justified by a righteousnesse which without the Law is revealed in the Gospel to wit the righteousnesse of God that is of Christ who is God apprehended by faith And that is it which is said in this text that those who have sinned and are fallen short of Gods glory and from their title to heaven are justified that is acquitted from their sinnes and entituled unto the Kingdome of heaven freely without respect of any grace or righteousnesse in themselves by the meere gracious favor of God when they had deserved the contrary through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to bee a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse c. To the same purpose the Apostle disputeth Gal. 3. as hereafter wee shall heare § III. Secondly it is proved by the words of the text alleaged the first wherof is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being justified Now the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I have proved heretofore doth never in al the Scriptures signifie to make righteous by infusion of righteousnesse and therfore here it is not meant that wee are justified by grace infused Neither doth justification import a reall or positive change in the subject but relative and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as hath beene shewed And wee must remember that as it is called so it is justificatio impii the justification of a sinner not onely because before justification men are sinners but also because being justified they still remaine sinners in themselves though in Christ they are made righteous And we are to conceive of justification as a continued act of God from our vocation to our glorification whereby hee doth accept of a beleeving sinner as righteous in Christ not onely at his first conversion but also afterwards whiles hee beleeveth in Christ though still in himselfe hee bee a sinner And to that end doth our Saviour make continuall intercession for us that the merit of his obedience may beâ—… continually imputed unto us As for the Papists they being in their owne conceit justified as they all are after they have beene either baptized in their infancie or absolved when they come to yeares they are no sinners neither is there any thing in them which God hateth or which may properly bee called sinne But justification being of sinners and they being no sinners but â—…aying they have no sinne and avouching that hee onely is a just man in whom there is no sinne hereby it appeareth that neither are they justified neither is there any truth in them § IV. The next word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an exclusive particle excluding the false causes of justification and signifying that wee are justified without any desert or worthinesse in our selves without works without respect of any righteousnesse inherent in us which directly overthroweth the assertion of the Papists for proofe whereof this place was alleaged § V. The third word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his grace that is by the gracious favour of God in Christ which is out of us in him as hath beene proved that is by his love of us and not by our love of him Neither is there any shew of reason why it should in this place above all others signifie as it never doth an habit of justifying grace inherent in us especially if that bee true which hereafter I shall plainely demonstrate that wee are not justified by that which is inherent And thus Saint Ambrose expoundeth these words gratia Dei gratis justificati sunt gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide justificati sunt dono Dei they are justified freely because neither working before their justification nor rendring any recompence after their justification they are by faith onely justified by the grace that is as he expoundeth it the gift of God And on those words by the redemption which is in Christ Iesu he testifieth saith hee that the grace of God is in Christ but not in us because by the will of God we were redeemed by Christ. Pererius likewise a learned Iesuit The name of Grace saith he when it is here said justified freely by his grace though it may signifie that supernaturall and divine quality infused into the soule of man and inherent therein yet rather it seemeth in this place to signifie gratuitam Dei bâ—…nitatem benignitatem erga hominem the free or gracious goodnesse and bounty of God towards man Grace therefore doth not signifie either the matter or the forme but the efficient cause of our justification § VI. The fourth word is through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whereby is meant Christs whole satisfaction made to the Law both in respect of the precept and of the penalty by which being as the Papists themselves confesse imputed unto us we are redeemed and justified as being the matter and merit of justification § VII The fifth word is by faith whereby is noted the instrument by which we apprehend and receive that satisfaction or righteousnesse of Christ by which we are justified which is indeed out of us in him but imputed to those that beleeve The righteousnesse therefore by which we are justified is the righteousnesse of faith that is the righteousnesse of God or of Christ apprehended by faith § VIII The sixth and last is the end why God did give his Sonne to be a propitiation for our sinnes to shew forth his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes and that hee might bee just and the justifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus For in the worke of our redemption and justification Gods justice is declared to be such that he forgiveth no sinnes but those onely for which his justice is satisfied by Christ neither doth he justifie any but those whom by communication of Christs righteousnesse unto them he maketh just But how should the satisfaction of Christ that is his obedience and sufferings being transient and so long agoe performed bee communicated unto us for our justification otherwise but by imputation And if wee bee justified by imputation of Christs righteousnesse then not by inherent grace or infused righteousnesse CAP. IV. Bellarmines dispute out of Rom. 3. 24. refuted § I. NOw let us see what Bellarmine inferreth upon this place Here saith he all the causes almost of justification are set forth together The efficient cause is noted in the word gratis freely importing the liberality of
wee have fulfilled the Law Such is not ours for being sinners in our selves wee cannot stand before God as righteous by justice inherent neither can wee oppose it to Gods judgement or interpose it betwixt Gods justice and our sinnes or plead it as a full satis faction But the best of us must pray with David Enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord for no flesh shall bee righteous in thy sight namely if thou enter into judgement with him and againe if thou Lord shalt marke iniquity O Lord who shall stand but there is forgivenesse with thee that thou mayst be feared Augustine on those words Quis sustinebit Non dixit ego non sustinebo sed quis sustinebit vidit n. propè totam vitam humanam circumlatrari peccatis suis accusari omnes conscientias cogitationibus sâ—…is non inveniri cor castum praesumens de sua justitia Si ergo cor castum non potest inveniri quod praesumat de sua justitia praesumat omnium cor de misericordia Dei dicat Deo Si iniquitates observaveris Domine Domine quis fustinebit quae a. spes est quoniam apud te propitiatio est quae est ista propitiatio nisi sacrificium quod est sacrificium nifi quod pro nobis oblatum est Sanguis innocens fusus delevit omnia peccata nocentium Ergo est apud te propitiatio Nam si non esset apud te propitiatio si judex solum esse velles misericors esse nolles observares omnes iniquitates nostras quaeâ—…eres eas quis sustineret quis staret in judicio tuo Spes ergo una est quoniam est apud te propitiatio Againe Augustine and some others doe use to joyne in coherence the 8. and 9. verses of the 20. Chapter of the Proverbs when the righteous King shall sit on his throne who can say my heart is cleane wee deny not that there is a righteousnesse inherent in the faithfull that it is accepted of God in Christ that it is graciously rewarded but we deny that we are justified thereby This is not it in which wee can stand in judgement before the righteous King sitting on his throne § VIII Our third argument By that righteousnesse of man which onely is perfect wee are justified and not by that which is unperfect The righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him is the onely righteousnesse of man which is perfect and all our inherent righteousnesse in this life is unperfect Therefore wee are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him and not by any righteousnesse inherent in our selves The proposition needeth no proofe for that justice which is not perfect cannot stand in judgement before God and is so farre from justifying that it selfe is sinfull every imperfection and defect being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law and consequently a sinne So long saith Augustine as charity may be increased assuredly that which is lesse than it ought to bee is vicious and againe more plainely peccatum est cum charitas minor est quà m debet it a sinne when charity is lesse than it ought to-be I doe not say that the habit of grace as faith or charity or a worke of grace as prayer or almes giving is a sinne and much lesse a mortall sinne as our adversaries charge us but I say that the imperfection or defect of the habit or the worke is a sinne and in respect thereof neither the habit nor the worke though good is purely and perfectly good but sinfull and stained with the flesh which staine to them who are in Christ Iesus is veniall and it notwithstanding both the habit and the worke of grace are cum venia with favour and indulgence through the merits and intercession of our Saviour in him accepted the want and imperfection being by his perfect righteousnesse and obedience covered That the righteousnesse of Christ is perfect is also manifest And that it is the onely righteousnesse of man which in this life is perfect is evidently proved because all the righteousnesse of all meere and mortall men is unperfect And that I prove by these reasons § IX First no sinners have perfect righteousnesse inherent in them All mortall men are sinners Therefore no mortall man hath perfect righteousnesse inherent in him The proposition is manifest for whiles men bee sinners they cannot be perfectly righteous The assumption viz. that all men are sinners it is proved by the common experience of all men in all ages Secondly it is grounded upon most plaine and undeniable testimonies of holy Scriptures which have concluded all men whatsoever under sinne Gal. 3. 22. Rom. 3. 23. 1 King 8. 46. Eccl. 7. 20. Thirdly it is a confessed and received truth which therefore the Apostle in his Enthymeme Gal. 3. 10. taketh for granted For thus the Apostle argueth Every one that is a transgressour of the Law is accursed therefore All men whatsoever even those who seeke by their obedience of the Law to be justified are accursed If any man should deny the consequence of this Enthymeme it is to bee made good by adding the assumption which the Apostle left out as a thing presupposed and taken for granted thus Whosoever is a transgressour of the Law is by the Law accursed which the Apostle expresseth in these termes Cursed is every one that continueth not in all the things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them But all men without exception even those which seeke to be justified by the Law are transgressours of the Law Never any man continued in all the things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them that is never any meere and morall man hath so abstained from all evill forbidden as that he hath also done the things commanded that he hath done all that hee hath ever continued in doing all Thus Chrysostome understandeth the Apostle to argue No man is justified by the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all have sinned and are under the curse and saith that the Apostle by testimony proveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no man hath fulfilled the Law and Oecumenius likewise in Gal. 3. that the Apostle proveth that even those who seeke to be justified by the Law are under the Curse why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because no man saith he fulfilleth the Law Therefore all men without exception even those which seeke to bee justified by the Law are by the Law accursed which conclusion is of no force if it bee not granted that all men are transgressours of the Law Fourthly all they who are to pray to God for the forgivenesse of their sinnes are sinners But all even the best of men are to pray to God for the forgivenesse of their sinnes Pro hac that is for remission of sinnes or abit ad te omnis
an heire of eternall life Christs sufferings and obedience being imputed unto him and accepted of God in his behalfe as if he had suffered and performed the same in his owne person But the doctrine of justification by inherent righteousnesse is as it were a racke to mens consciences For when a man being summoned to appeare before the judgement seat of God shall seriously consider with himselfe what he shall oppose to the accusations of Satan to the conviction of the Law to the Testimony of his owne Conscience confessing himselfe to be a most wretched sinner to the judgment of God the most righteous judge If he looke backe to his owne conversation as having nothing to trust to but his owne righteousnesse he shall finde sufficient matter of despaire He may say with Anselme Terret me vita mea c. my life doth terrifie me for being diligently examined my whole life almost appeareth either to bee sinne or barrennesse and if there seeme to bee any fruit therein it is either so counterfeit or unperfect or some way or other corrupted as that it can doe no other but either not please or displease God And summoning himselfe before the judgement seat of God hee findeth himselfe to bee in great straits On this side saith he will be accusing sinnes on that side terrifying justice under will lye open the horrible gulfe of hell above an angry Iudge within a burning conscience without a flaming world where shall I be hid how shall I appeare to be hid is impossible to appeare is untolerable To avoide these straits there is no way but to renounce the doctrine of justification by works or inherent righteousnes and to fly to the doctrine of the Gospell teaching justification by the grace of God freely without respect of works through the merits of Christ received by faith and to appeale from the tribunall of Gods justice to the throne of his mercy For whiles a man retaineth this opinion that he can bee no otherwise justified than by his owne good workes or inherent righteousnesse he can never be soundly perswaded that his righteousnesse is sufficient for that purpose but ever hath just caufe not onely of doubting but also of despaire And this is the cause of that Popish opinion that no man without speciall revelation can be assured of the remission of his sinnes or of salvation § VI. The eleventh and last argument shall be taken from experience For when men seriously considering of their justification before God as a judiciall act of God as the word it selfe importeth shall sincerely and in the feare of God set themselves before his judgement seat where they must receive the sentence either of absolution or condemnation and shall bethinke themselves what they being accused of Satan and convicted by the testimony of their owne Conscience have to oppose to the just judgement of God why sentence of condemnation should not passe against them they would utterly disclaime their owne righteousnesse For as Augustine and other of the Fathers observe as before I have noted out of the eight and nine verses of Prov. 20. joyned together cum Rex justus sederit in solio quis potest dicere mundum est cor meum when the righteous King shall sit upon his throne who can say my heart is cleane yea the best of the Papists when By deadly sicknesâ—…e as Gods messenger they have beene summoned to come before Gods judgement they have beene forced to leave their schoole-trickes and sophisticall distinctions and plainely renouncing their owne righteousnesse to rest wholly upon the mercies of God and the merits of Christ. Insomuch that many who have lived Papists have in this most weighty point died reformed Catholicks And to this purpose there is extant among them in divers Bookes a forme of visiting the sicke wherein both the Pastor is directed what to say and the sicke person is instructed what to answere The Pastor therefore having demanded these questions Brother dost thou rejoyce that thou shalt dye in the faith doest thou confesse that thou hast not lived so well as thou ought Doth it repent thee hast thou a will to amend if thou hadd'st space of life Dost thou beleeve that our Lord Iesus Christ dyed for thee doest thou beleeve that thou canst not bee saved but by his death and having received affirmative answers to every question he inferreth this exhortation that whiles his soule remaineth in him he should place his whole affiance in the death of Christ and in no other thing and that if God will judge him if hee shall say unto him thou art a sinner that thou hast deserved damnation that hee is angry with thee he should say O Lord I interpose the death of thy Sonne betweene me and thy judgement betweene my sinnes and thee betweene mee and my bad deserts betweene me and thine anger In the edition printed at Venice there are these two questions dost thou beleeve that thou shalt come to glory not by thine owne merits but by the vertue and merit of Christs passion And a little after dost thou beleeve that our Lord Iesus Christ died for our Salvation and that no man can bee saved by his owne merits or by any other meanes but by the merit of his passion unto both which an affirmative answere was made but both blotted out in the Index expurgatorius set forth by Cardinall Quiroga CAP. VIII The disproofe of the Popish assertion affirming that we are not justified by righteousnesse inherent § I. NOw we are severally to disprove the Popish assertion and to prove ours As touching the former that wee are not justified by righteousnesse inherent Our first argument may bee this That righteousnesse of God by which we are justified is not prescribed in the Law as before hath beene proved Rom. 3. 21. nor is that righteousnesse which is of the Law Phil. 3. 9. All inherent righteousnesse is prescribed in the Law and is that which is of the Law Therefore inherent righteousnesse is not that righteousnesse of God by which we are justified That all inherent righteousnesse is prescribed in the Law it is manifest first because the Law is a perfect rule of all inherent righteousnesse whether habituall or actuall secondly because charity wherein they place their inherent righteousnesse even that charity whereby they are to love God withall their soules and their neighbour as themselves that charity which proceedeth from a pure heart from a good conscience and from faith unfained is prescribed in the Law as the summe and complement thereof Matth. 22. 37. 39 40. 1 Tim. 1. 5. § II. To avoid this most evident truth Bellarmine bringeth a frivolous distinction as he applieth it to wit that there is justitia legis and justitia in lege or exlege The justice of the Law the justice in the Law or of the Law The justice of the Law is that very justice which the Law prescribeth or that justice
bee justified by his owne fulfilling of the Law for none can fulfill it therefore none are justified by inherent righteousnesse § X. Our eighth argument we are not justified before God both by faith and by workes by Gods righteousnesse and our owne by that righteousnesse which is out of us in Christ and by that which is inherent in our selves For the holy Ghost maketh such an opposition betweene these as that they cannot stand together Rom. 3. 28. 4. 4 5. 9. 30 31 32. 11. 5 6. Phil. 3. 9. Gal. 2. 16. 3. 11. Eph. 2. 8 9. But wee are justified by faith by the righteousnesse of God through faith by Christs righteousnesse which is out of us in him viz. by his sufferings and by his obedience as besides the places even now quoted appeareth Rom. 5. 9. 19. Therfore we are not justified by righteousnesse inherent in our selves § XI Our ninth argument Imputative righteousnesse is not inherent as being not ours nor in us but communicated to us by imputation The righteousnesse by which we are justified is imputative that I prove first by testimony Rom. 4. 6 7 8 23 24. for then is God said to justifie when not imputing sinne hee imputeth righteousnesse without workes Secondly by reason The personall righteousnesse of Christ is inherent in him and not in us being proper to his person though by imputation communicated unto us The righteousnesse of God by which we are justified is the personall righteousnesse of Christ 2 Pet. 11. viz. his passive and active righteousnesse Rom. 5. 9. 19. And that it is his personall righteousnesse appeareth evidently because it is the righteousnes and obedience of one onely wheras if it were a righteousnesse from him in us it would be the justice of so many as are justified so saith the Councell of Trent justitiam in nobis recipientes unusquisque suam § XII Our tenth argument That justification which the Scripture teacheth taketh away all matter of boasting Rom. 3. 27. Epbes. 2. 9. But justification by works or by inherent righteousnesse doth not take away all matter of boasting Rom. 3. 27. 4. 2. Eph. 2. 9. Therefore justification by workes or inherent righteousnesse is not that which the Scriptures teach we must therefore say with Ambrose that is profitable to me that we are not justified by the works of the Law wherefore I have not whereof to glory in my workes I have not whereof to boast And therefore I will glory in Christ. I will not glory because I am just but I will glory because I am redeemed I will glory not that I am without sinne but because my sinnes are forgiven mee I will not glory because I have beene profitable or because any other hath profited me but because Christ is an Advocate for me with the Father and because his bloud was shed for me § XIII Our eleventh argument If there be no justification but by righteousnes inherent and that also perfect and pure then is justification promised upon an impossible condition and so consequently the promise should be void and of none effect But farre be it from us to thinke that the promise of justification by Christ is void and of none effect Therefore wee are not justified by workes or by righteousnesse inherent but by faith that the promise might bee sure to all the seed as the Apostle reasoneth Rom. 4. 13 14 15 16. § XIV Our twelfth argument because unto justification concurreth remission of sinnes as a necessary part thereof from whence three arguments arise First true justification is not without remission of sinne The popish justification by infusion of perfect righteousnesse is without remission of sinne For although they pretend that to their justification concurreth remission of sinne yet by remission they not understanding the pardoning or forgiving but the extinction and abolition of sinne have utterly excluded from justification the forgivenesse of sinne as I have shewed before Secondly unto true justification necessarily concurreth remission of sinne And where is remission of sin there is imputation of righteousnesse without workes But in the popish justification there needeth no imputation of righteousnesse and that for two reasons which Bellarmine doth prosecute at large in his dispute against imputation The one because in justification by infusion of righteousnesse sinne is fully expelled and therefore no need of imputation And secondly because the righteousnesse which is infused is perfect of it selfe without imputation of any other righteousnesse Thirdly if our justification and blessednesse doth consist in the forgivenesse of our sinnes as it doth Rom. 4. 6 7. ex Psal. 32. 1. then not in perfect inherent righteousnesse for where is neede of the forgivenesse of sinne there is no perfect righteousnesse inherent And where perfect righteousnesse is infused there needeth not imputation of righteousnesse § XV. Our thirteenth argument If Abraham David and Paul were not justified by righteousnesse inherent then much lesse any of us who are so farre inferiour to any of them Not Abraham whose example was a samplar in this behalfe Rom. 4. 23 24. For as Abraham the father of the faithful was justified so are we Abraham though he were a mirrour of piety abounding with good workes yet was not justified thereby As the Apostle proveth Rom. 4. 3 4 5. For to whom righteousnesse is imputed of grace through faith he is not justified by workes before God And contrariwise whosoever is justified by workes to him the reward of righteousnesse is not imputed of grace but rendred as a due and deserved debt ver 4. To Abraham righteousnesse was imputed of grace through faith vers 3. and 5. and therefore though hee abounded with workes yet hee was not justified by workes verse 2. or inherent righteousnesse but by faith without workes Not David for hee though a man according to Gods owne heart walking before God in truth and righteousnesse and in uprightnesse of heart yet he desireth the Lord that he would not enter into judgement with him for if hee did not onely himselfe but no man living could be justified for himselfe he maketh this confession as Augustine understandeth him nam me invenies reum si in judicium intraveris mecum for thou shalt finde me guilty if thou shalt enter into judgement with me And therefore he places his blessednesse or justification in the not imputing of sinne and imputing of righteousnesse without workes Psal. 32. 1 2. Rom. 4. 6 7. and professeth Psal. 71. 16. I will remember thy righteousnesse onely Not Paul for he though he knew nothing by himselfe yet professeth that he was not thereby justified 1 Cor. 4. 4. though hee had lived after his conversion in all good conscience before God Act. 23. 1. though herein he did exercise himselfe to have alwayes his conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleare and without offence towards God and man yet in the question of justification he renounceth all his righteousnesse
is to say justified so also by infusion that is sanctified For the justifying faith being a lively and effectuall faith purifieth the heart and worketh by love and may be demonstrated by good works And where is not inherent righteousnesse concurring with faith there is no justifying faith at all But although sanctification doe alwaies accompany justification yet wee are not justified by the righteousnesse of sanctification which is inherent because it is unperfect and wee are sanctified but in part whiles we have the flesh that is the body of sinne remaining in us Neither was there ever any man since the fall absolute or perfect in respect of inherent righteousnesse Christ onely excepted § X. Yea but saith Bellarmine the Scripture acknowledgeth some men to have beene perfect Gen. 6. 9. immaculate Psal. 119. 1. just before God Luke 1. 6. I answere that this perfection is not legall as being a perfect conformity with the Law which is the perfect rule of righteousnesse but evangelical as being one of the properties of our new obedience which is not to bee measured by the perfect performance but by the sincere and upright desire and purpose of the heart For this uprightnesse goeth under the name of perfection and what is done with an upright heart is said to be done with a perfect heart and with the whole that is entire heart And likewise those men who were upright are said to have been perfect And yet notwithstanding all those men who are said in the Scriptures to have been perfect and to have walked before God with a perfect heart as Noah Iacob Iob David Ezâ—…kias c. had their imperfections Ezekias is said to have been a perfect man and to have served God with a perfect heart notwithstanding when God left him a little to try him he discovered his imperfections 2 Chr. 32. 25. 31. Of Asa it is said 2 Chron. 15. 17. that his heart was perfect all the dayes of his life and yet in the very next chapter there are three faults of his recorded where Zachary is said to have beene just before God and to have walked in all the Commandements and Ordinances of God blamelesse in the same chapter his incredulity is registred for which hee was stricken with dumbnesse and deafnesse for the space of tenne moneths So that all that are sincere and upright that is to say no hypocrits are notwithstanding their imperfections called perfect and so the word which is translated immaculate Psal. 119. 1. signifieth upright and to be righteous before God is all one with upright Thus the holy Ghost teacheth us to expound the word which is translated perfect viz. thamin and tham that to be upright is to walke before God is to walke before God and to walke before God is to be perfect Gen. 17. 1. Let perfection and uprightnesse preserve me Psal. 25. 21. Psal. 37. 37. Observe the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace § XI Yea but Bellarmine will prove that these men which are in the Scriptures called just were endued with inherent righteousnesse because they brought forth good workes which were the fruits and effects of their inward righteousnesse for he that doth righteousnesse is righteous whom doth he now confute wee doe not deny them who are commended in the Scriptures for righteous persons to have been endued with righteousnesse inherent but wee deny that they or any of them were justified before God thereby As for example Abraham who abounded with good workes was justified by faith without workes Rom. 4. 2 3. and as hee was justified so are all the faithfull Rom. 4. 23 24. David though a man according to Gods own heart walking before him in truth and righteousnes and uprightnesse of heart yet professeth that neither he nor any man living could be justified if God should enter into judgement with them and therefore placeth his happinesse and justification notin his vertues or good works but in the not imputing of sin and imputation of righteousnesse without workes Rom. 4. 6. Paul though hee knew nothing by himselfe yet professeth that hee was not thereby justified 1 Cor. 4. 4. Yea in the question of justification hee esteemeth his owne righteousnesse of no worth Phil. 3 8 9. But as wee doe not deny the faithfull to bee endued with inherent righteousnesse so we affirme that whosoever is justified by imputative righteousnesse is also sanctified in some measure with righteousnesse infused and inherent In respect whereof though they bee also sinnes in themselves by reason of their habituall corruptions and actuall transgressions being in part carnall and sold under sinne and by the Law which is in the members led captive to the Law of sinne yet they have their denomination from the better part Even as a wedge of metall wherein much drosse is mingled with Gold is called a wedge of Gold though not of pure Gold and an heape of Corne wherein is as much chaffe as Wheate is called an heape of Wheate though not of pure Wheate So the faithfull man in whom there is the flesh and body of sinne as well as the Spirit and regenerate part is called of the better part a righteous man though not perfectly absolutely purely just in respect of his righteousnesse inherent Indeed every true beleever so soone as he is indeed with a true justifying faith is perfectly just by righteousnesse imputed but at the best he is sanctified onely in part § XII His sixth testimony is taken out of Rom. 8. 29. and 1 Cor. 15. 49. where it is said that the just are conformable to the image of Christ and doe beare the image of the second Adam as they have borne the image of the first Adam from whence hee collecteth three reasons The first As Christ was just so are wee and as hee was not just so â—…re not we But Christ was just by inhâ—…rent rightâ—…ousnesse and not by imputatiâ—…n Therefore we are just by inherent righteâ—…usnesse and not by impâ—…tation The proposition he proveth by the places alleaged First I answer to the proofe of the proposition that the places alleaged are impertiâ—…ent For the question being of the righteousnesse of â—…ustification never any understood the Apostâ—…e in these places to speake thereof But either of filiation as Chrysostome and others understand the former plate because as Christ is the Sonne of God so also are wee or of afflictions because whom God hath predestinated to bee like his Sonne in glory they shall bee conformable to the image of his Sonne in bearing the Crosse which sence is given by our Writeâ—…s and is agreeable to the scope of the Apostle in that place to the Romans or of Glory that when he shall appeare wee shall bee like him in glory of which as Ambrose Sedulius and others understand Rom. 8. â—…9 fo the other place being read in the future as it ought to bee in
man could performe justitiam legis considered in the abstract as it is described in the doctrine of the Law and as Bellarmine himselfe De justif lib. 1. cap. 1. doth consider it would justifie him because it is perfect yet considered in the concrete for that righteousnesse which men attaine unto in or by the Law doth not justifie because it is unperfect And therefore that righteousnesse which men have in or by the Law doth not fulfill the righteousnes of the Law which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These two distinctions Bellarmine hath devised to shift off onely two of the places cited viz. Rom. 3. 27. and Phil. 3. 8 9. both which distinctions being rightly understood make against himselfe as I have shewed § IX Now he commeth to the third thing viz. what is meant by workes For saith he our adversaries by workes which the Apostle excludeth from justification understand all works whether done before or after faith yea faith it selfe considered as a work which opinion to be most absurd and proceeding from the ignorance of the Scriptures Augustine saith hee teacheth Men not understanding what the Apostle saith we make account that a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law have thought that hee had said that faith is sufficient to a man though he live wickedly and have no good workes which be it farre from that Vessell of Election to thinke And farre bee it also from us so to thinke But although faith alone doth not suffice unto the perfection of a Christian who is to bee saved yet it alone sufficeth unto justification wherein wee have had the consent of many of the Fathers And although to the act of justifying nothing in us concurreth with faith but it alone sufficeth yet in the party justified there must concur with faith both inward graces and also outward works But here the Papists are divided among themselves Some of them thinke that by the workes of the Law are excluded not the workes of the morall but of the ceremoniall Law others that the workes of the morall Law are also excluded not all but such as goe before faith such as are done by the strength of nature without grace and without faith I answere first to both joyntly that not onely the workes of the Law are expressely excluded but all workes whatsoever indefinitely Rom. 4. 2 6. 11. 6. Eph. 2. 9. and more specially the workes which wee have done in righteousnesse Tit. 3. 5. the workes which God hath prepared for the regenerate that they should walke in them Ephes. 2. 9 10. Againe in him that is said not to worke workes are not to bee distinguished but all are understood to be excluded but hee that is justified by faiâ—…h is said not to worke Rom. 4. 4 5. and to have righteousnesse imputed to him without workes verse 6. Therefore his workes are not to bee distinguished but all are understood to be excluded § X. To the former severally I answere first that when the holy Ghost nameth the Law indefinitely he meaneth either the whole Law which is called Mishmereth the observation of the Lord or his charge containing three branches the morall the ceremoniall and the judicial Law or the chiefe part which is the morall Law And that the Apostle meaneth it especially because he speaketh of that Law by which commeth the knowledge of sinne and which was common both to Iewes and Gentiles unto which the whole world was subject Rom. 3. 19 20. whatsoever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law that every mouth may bee stopped and all the world may become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obnoxious to the judgement of God Therefore by the deedes of the Law there shall no flesh that is neither Iew nor Gentile be justified in his sight for by the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne Moreover it is evident that the Apostle in that place speaketh of that Law which forbiddeth morall offences mentioned from the tenth verse to the ninteenth and by which all both Iewes and Gentiles are convicted to be under sin ver 9. 19. Secondly it is unreasonable to be thought that any man who was a transgressour of the morall Law should looke to bee justified by the observation of the ceremoniall Law which was but a by-law being but an appendice of the first table of the morall Law as the judiciall was an appendice of the second table And further the Apostle professeth that whosoever would be circumcised was bound to the performance of the whole Law Therefore the observer of the ceremoniall law could not be justified without the observation of the morall law Thirdly this answer which is given by some of the Pontificians is rejected by Bellarmine and the greater part of learned Papists who with us following the interpretation of Augustine and other of the ancient Fathers doe confesse that by the workes of the law which the Apostle excludeth from justification are meant the workes of the morall law as well as of the rest § XI But then say I all good workes whatsoever are excluded For in the Law which is the perfect rule of all inherent righteousnesse all good workes are prescribed and therefore those which proceed from faith For if charity which is the fulfilling of the law proceedeth from faith unfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. then doe those good workes which the law prescribeth proceed from faith also or else they are not such as the law requireth And therefore frivolous is the distinction of Bellarmine and other Papists who by the workes of the law excluded from justification underâ—…tand workes done before or without faith by the strength of nature not workes proceeding from faith or workes of grace The absurdity of whâ—…ch distinction being applyed to the question in hand may further appeare 1. If workes going before justification bee excluded from being any cause thereof then much more those workes which follow justification for causes doe not use to follow after but to goe before their effects at least in order of nature 2. The question concerning justification by workes must of necessity be understood of good workes for of those which are not good no question ought to be made But workes done before or without faith are not good For whatsoever is not of faith is sinne and without faith it is impossible to please God Neither can the fruit be good whiles the Tree is bad Neither can it be imagined that a man should bee justified by the workes of the law going before faith unlesse it bee presupposed that a man without faith and before grace is able to fulfill the law For hee that doth not fulfill the law transgresseth it and hee that transgresseth it is cursed not justified by it 3. When the Apostle termeth those workes which hee excludeth from the act of justification the workes of the Law the word Law is added not by way of extenuation as
non debita sed gratuita not wages but a free reward For so in this very place he calleth it first donum mercedis the gift of reward secondly gratuitum free thirdly in the words next following gratuitam mercedem a free reward and lastly hee saith that the gift of grace doth give the reward of the Law well and blamelessely kept to them that beleeve by faith being of the last made the first that is saved For the first which were made last who murmured at this free reward were of the many that were called but not of the few which are chosen Absurd therefore is his answere who saith that Hillarie saith no more but that faith and justification by faith is the free gift of God but that there is not a word to signifie that heaven is not the wages of good workes which notwithstanding is the thing to bee concluded from hence So that according to this wife exposition by the wages which according to the parable is in the evening given to the labourers is faith or justification by faith meant and not eternall life which is the end of our faith and the reward of all our labours which according to the judgement of all Writers even Bellarmine himselfe is signified by the day-penny given to them who of the last were made first For the day-penny was both the mercenary wages contracted for by those who were first and the free reward which the bounty of the Master of the vineyard bestowed freely on the last who were made first that is saved § X. Ambrose after hee had said Hîc quidem luctamur sed alibi coronamur Here we wrestle but elsewhere we are crowned lest he should seeme to arrogate unto himselfe as if by his wrestling hee deserved the crowne addeth by way of prevention I spake not of my selfe alone but of all men in generall Nam unde mihi tantum meriti cui indulgentia pro corona est for whence should I have so great merit to whom indulgence is for a crowne Hence I reason thus to whom Gods indulgence or mercie in pardoning their sinnes is their crowne they cannot plead their merits But to Ambrose and to all good men indulgence is their crowne therefore they cannot plead their merits Wherefore this was not more humbly than truely spoken of Ambrose And elsewhere which of us can subsist without mercie quid possumus dignum praemiis facere coelestibus what can wee doe worthy the heavenly rewards by what merit of man is it granted that this corruptible flesh should put on incorruption the sufferings of this time are unworthy to the glory that is to come Therefore the forme of heavenly decrees doth proceed with men not according to our merits but according to Gods mercie To this a frivolous answere is given that Ambrose speaketh of merits as contradistinguished from Gods mercie when Ambrose speaketh of himselfe and of all the faithfull who are endued with grace who notwithstanding are not able to doe or suffer any thing worthy of the future glory § XI Basil on those wordes Psalm 33. 18. the eye of the Lord is upon them that hope in his mercy hee saith that he doth hope in his mercie who not trusting in his owne good deeds nor looking to bee justified by workes hath the hope of salvation onely in the mercies of God To this an impudent answere is given that they are said to hope in Gods mercie who hope that their good workes proceeding from the grace of God are by his mercie made meritorious of eternall life For which they have have no ground either in Scriptures or Fathers praeter impudentiam asseverandi And surely if this had beene Basils meaning he should have set downe the description of a proud justitiarie rather than of an humble Christian such as he intended to describe For speaking of those words who hope in his mercie he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the Psalmist setteth forth the humility of them that serve the Lord how doe they hope on his mercies for hee that doth not trust to his owne good deeds nor expecteth to bee justified by workes but hath his onely hope of salvation in the mercies of God but he that trusteth that by the grace of God his workes are made meritorious hee doth with the Pharisee trust in his workes as proceeding from grace For the Pharisee though he acknowledged his righteousnesse to come from God and therefore thanketh him for it yet he is noted to have trusted in himselfe The mercie of God in which the faithfull hope is his mercie in forgiving their sinnes not in making their good workes meritorious as appeareth by the words immediately following for saith Basil when he shall call that saying to minde Behold the Lord and his reward to render to every man according to his worke and shall consider his owne evill deeds he is indeed afraid of punishment and through feare subjecteth himselfe to those things which are threatned but that hee may not be swallowed up of sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he conceiveth good hope looking to the mercies of God and his love to mankinde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the hope which he conceiveth is this that his soule shall be delivered from death But though they cannot answer this place yet they will clavum clavo petere and requite us with another out of Basil which shall be answerâ—…d in his due place In the meane time I adde two other Testimonies out of Basil for writing on those words of the Psalme And redeeme us for thy mercies sake See saith he how hee concludeth his speech After a thousand virtues whence doth hee pray to be saved By Gods mercie and bounty 3. And againe in Psal. 23. 5. where David having descrybed the just and upright man who shall bee saved saith this man shall receive the blessing from God and mercy from God his Saviour Here saith Basil he sheweth the fruit of good deedes and very fitly did he conjoyne blessing and mercy For the rewards which men doe thinke of are granted to men onely for Gods bounty sake For all the righteousnesses of men doe not equall so much as the gifts already granted much lesse those which are to come which doe exceed the thought of man § XII Hierome Pro nihilo salvos facies eos haud dublum quin 〈◊〉 qui â—…on prâ—…prio meritâ—… sed Dei salvantur clementia for nothing thou shalt save them no doubt he meaneth the just who are not saved by their owne merit but by the mercy of God 2. Againe Animadverte quod beatam se dicat Maria Mater Domini non 〈◊〉 merito atque virtute sed Dei in se habitantis clementia Observe that the blessed Virgin calleth her selfe blessed not by her owne merit or virtue but by the clemency of God dwelling in her 3. And againe Tunc justi sumus then we are just when wee confesse
reward of their labours who are Gods workemen vers 9. labouring for him and not for themselves is the blessing of increase which God giveth thereunto Even as the harvest is the reward of the earing not to be asscribed to the merit of earing but to the blessing of God And so it is here plainely said though the Planter and the Waterer shall have their owne rewards yet their reward is not to bee asscribed to the merit of their labour but to the blessing of God I have planted saith Paul and Apollâ—… hath watered but God gave the increase So then neither he that planteth is any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase Or if the place should generally be understood oâ—… all workes both good and bad the meaning would be that the reward would be answerable either good or bad That of the Psalmist Psal. 62. 12. To thee Lord mercie for thou rendrest to every man according to his worke is not generally to be understood of the workes of all men both good and bad for the bad works of the wicked hee doth not reward in mercie but judgement without mercie shall bee executed upon them but of the good workes of the godly onely which though they bee good and acceptable to God in Christ yet he rewardeth them not according to merit but according to his mercie The place Apâ—…c 22. 12. may be an exposition of the rest For whereas in the rest it is said that God will judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their dâ—…eds here Christ saith he will render to every one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his worke shall be viz. good or bad But here the Papists would seeme to bring a reason à pari that as the wicked are damned prâ—…pter peccata for their evill workes so the godly are saved propter opera bona for their good workes And as â—…vill workes merit hell so good workes pari ratione merit heaven Answ. it is impar ratio there is no equality in the comparison For first the Scripture plainely teacheth that by and for their evill works men are condemned and as plainely denieth that by or for good workes men are saved Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. Secondly any one sinne meriteth death because it is a breach of the Law yea of the whole law Iam. 2. 10. but not any one good worke can merit heaven because it is not the fulfilling of the whole law for there must be a concurrence of all duties In so much that if a man should performe all the Commandements and faile in one the breach of that one maketh him guilty of all Thirdly evill workes are purely and perfectly evill and therefore absolutely deserve death but the good workes are not purely and perfectly good as I have heretofore prooved therefore death is the due stipend of sinne but eternall life is the free gift of God Fourthly sinne is absolutely meritorious of damnation but so is not our obedience of Salvation For though we could performe all the commandements by a totall perpetuall and perfect obedience yet wee must acknowledge our selves unprofitable servants and much lesse could we merit thereby because we have done but our duety and where is no more but duety there can bee no merit Debitum non est meritum § XIIII His third argument is taken from those places which do so testifie eternall life to be rendred to good workes that they place the very reason why eternall life is given in good workes The places bee these Matth. 25. 34 35. Come ye blessed of my Father possesse the kingdome prepared fâ—…r you from the beginning of the world For I was hungry and you gave mee meat c. and in the same chapter vers 21. because thou hast beene faithfull in few things c. Apoc. 7. 14. These are they who came out of great tribulation c. therefore they are before the Throne of God In which places the particles enim quia ideo for because therfore are all causall His reason standeth thus To what things the causall particles are applied they are causes of that to which they have relation as namely of Salvation To workes of charity the causall particles are applied Therefore workes of charity are causes of Salvation To the proposition I answere that causall particles doe not alwaies nor for the most part signifie causes so properly called For that is a grosse erâ—…our of the Papists as I noted before The word cause sometimes is used properly to signifie that argument which hath relation onely to its effect by virtue whereof the effect hath its being either as from the efficient or as of the matter or as by the forme or as for the end Sometimes it is used generally to signifie any argument or reason whatsoever which is not the cause of the thing or of the being of that whereof it is said to bee a cause but of the consequence or conclusion and thus the rendring of any reason is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rendring of the cause though perhaps it bee from the effect or any other argument And forasmuch as persons are discerned and knowne by their effects for as our Saviour saith By their fruits you shall know them therefore it is usuall in the Scriptures from the effect to argue and declare the cause As thus God is mercifull for hee rewardeth the godly according to their workes God is just for hee rewardeth the wicked according to their sinnes This man is elect because he truely beleeveth and repenteth this man truely beleeveth because hee is fruitfull of good workes This is a good tree for it bringeth forth good fruite To the woman that was a sinner much was forgiven for shee loved much In those and infinite more examples the cause or reason which is rendred is from the effect Therefore the proposition is false § XV. Now let us consider the places of Scriptnre which hee alleageth and first Matth. 25. 35. for when I was hungry c. This reason which is alleaged is not from the cause as if good workes were the meritorious cause of our inheriting the kingdome of heaven but from the effect to prove the cause which is expressed Verse 34. as I have shewed before For for what cause are men to be saved First because they are blessed of the Father that is justified and therefore entituled to this kingdome Secondly because they are elected and therefore this kingdome was prepared for them from the beginning Thirdly because they arâ—… the heires of God for whom our Saviour purchased this inheritance noted in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ—…rit But how shall it appeare who they are that are blessed and justified for whom this kingdome is prepared for whom this inheritance is purchased By the fruits of justification election redemption and namely by the workes of mercy and chariâ—…y towards the poore members of Christ according to which as the evidence our Saviour
that which hee speakeâ—…h of love in which hee taketh for granted wâ—…ich wee deny that merit doth consist may bee verified not onely of the love of God but of faith and hope and the feare of God and affiance in him and other sanctifying graces which have relâ—…tion uâ—…to God § X. His sixâ—…h argument It is God in whom there is no want of power or wiseâ—…ome to 〈◊〉 what hee wâ—…eth who decreed to bring the Elect to life eternall as the prâ—…ze and as the crowne of justice by their meriâ—… Therefore without doubt hee giveth them such merits by which truely and properly and even ex condigno they may merit the crowne Answ. If God had decreed to bring us to eternall life by our merits no doubt but hee would have provided for us such merits of our owne as should truly and properly that is condignely merit the same But God hath not provided such merits for us as hath been before aboundantly proved neither hath hee purposed by our merits which indeed are none to bring us to heaven but onely by the merits of Christ which alone doe properly and condignely yea all-sufficiently and super-aboundantly merit eâ—…ernall life for us § XI His eventh argument Our merits depend upon the merits of Christ both because hee hath merited for us the virtue or power of meriting and also because wee merit as the lively members of Christ and by influence from him as our head therefore they detâ—…act from the glory of Christ who say that our â—…erits are so unperfect that they doe not merit ex condigno but in respect of Gods acceptation Answ. The power of meriting eternall life is proper and peculiar to Christ our head and not communicable to his members as I have hâ—…retofore shewed Neither doth it detract from his glory to say that our workes are not meritorious but on the contrary to give that to the members which is proper to the head Neither did hee merit for good workes that they should be meritorious which is an impudent fiction of these latter times Neither was it his purpose to save us by making us our owne saviours but in his owne person to merit our salvation by his owne obedience both active and passive which being in themselves most sufficient our merits are needlesse And these were Bellarmines proofes against his owne good Catholikes In the next place hee answereth their allegations which with many more I have urged before and maintained § XII After hee hath disputed how farre forth good workes are meritorious and hath after his manner proved them to merit ex condignâ—… and that also ratione operis now he questioneth how farre forth good workes are rewarded And hee telleth us that it is the common and received opinion of divines that good workes are rewarded by God supra condignum and evill workes citra condigâ—…um To the former I subscribe and from thence disprove the merit of condignity For if the heavenly reward even in respect of the first degree doth incomparably and unspeakeably exceed the worth of our best workes as hath beene proved then that it selfe because it is given supra condignâ—…m cannot bee merited ex condigno To the latter also I subscribe if it bee understood of the sinnes of the faithfull in respect of the faithfull themselves For the Lord doth not deale with us after our sinnes nor reward us according to our iniquities Psal. 103. 10. But in all his judgements he remembreth â—…ercie Lam. 3. 33. Hab. 3. 2. and ever correcteth us under our deserts Ezra 9. 13. I say in respect of themselves for in respect of Christ our surety hee exacted such a punishment as did fully satisfie his justice for our sinnes And therefore he never punisheth properly that is in ordine justitiae by way of vengeance to satisfie his justice the sinnes of the faithfull which he hath punished in Christ neither doth hee exact or expect any satisfaction from them for their sinnes for which our Saviour Christ hath fully satisfied his justice Notwithstanding it cannot bee denied but they are many times afflicted and the judgements of God inflicted upon them but yet when wee are judged wee are not punished by way of vengeance but wee are chastized of the Lord that wee should not bee condemned with the world Now if God from our Saviour hath exacted such a penalty is satisfied for the sinnes of all the Elect it may bee thought that hee will exact from the wicked a lesse punishment than will satisfie his justice Some say that God will not render to the wicked secundum rigorem justitiae quos justè posset annihilare but that also may bee questioned seeing of those who shall bee condemned our Saviour saith that it had beene better for them that they had not beene borne § XIII In the last place Bellarmine disputeth of the things which may bee merited or as hee speaketh quae cadunt sub meritum de condigno and first hee saith that the eternall life it selfe the essentiall reward which he calleth the first degree of heavenly glory and which before hee said was due not to the merit of workes but to the persons of the faithfull by right of adoption it selfe I say and not onely the degrees thereof which are incomparably and unspeakably supra condignum may bee condignely merited Secondly the increase of justice is condignely merited by good workes wee deny not but that by the practice of pietie and exercise of good workes mens inherent righteousnesse is increased according to that Luk. 19. 26. habenti dabitur to him that hath that is doth exercise his talents it shall bee given but that hee shall ex condignâ—… by his works merit his second justification as they call it and increase of justice which is Gods Blessing upon them wee have not learned out of the Scriptures neither doe wee acknowledge that wee can by our best endeavours merit any good thing at the hands of God § XIV And thus you see how in the last part of this controversie which is concerning workes the Papists have magnified and as it were deified their owne workes alleaging not onely that they are good but purely and perfectly good such as not onely doe fully satisfie the law of God but also supererrogate and therefore such as doe not onely justifie us before God but also merit and deserve eâ—…ernall life at his hands and that truely and properly that is condignely and that not onely ratione pacti but also ratione operis that is not onely by Covenant because God hath promised such a reward but also for the dignity of the worke which is in proportion equall to the reward insomuch that it were unjustice in God if he should not render heaven to their workes which doe as properly deserve heaven as the workes of the wicked deserve hell and that by their workes they deserve not onely eternall life it selfe which they caâ—… the first