whole Wherefore there can be no surer demonstration that Faith only justifies than is held forth in these very words of the Sacrament whereby the flesh and blood of Christ is represented in that holy Banquet under the similitude of Bread and Wine Another Argument Unless your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Therefore not Faith only but also Works of Righteousness exalt us to the Kingdom of Heaven I answer By these words the Lord gives us serious Instruction what manner of lives they ought to live that are justified But he doth not thereby signifie what is the proper cause of Iustification one Iudgment should be made of the causes of things and another of their effects If you enquire for the cause of Iustification the Lord hath resolved that doubt Thy Faith hath saved thee This is Life eternal that they should know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent In like manner Paul expressed himself If thou confess the Lord Iesus with thy mouth and believe with thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved But if you enquire what manner of lives they ought to live that make sincere profession of the Faith of Christ we are taught in this place and many other sayings of Scripture that they ought to differ much from the lives of the Scribes and Pharisees to wit that they who are created in Christ Iesus should behave themselves without a Pharisaical Vizard of external Holiness or a proud conceitedness of their own Righteousness but that they should be adorned and beautified with sincerity and uprightness of mind and persevere in the practice of good Works which God hath prepared that we should walk in them he said not that we should be justified by them but that being justified by his Grace we should walk in them bringing forth fruits worthy of our Vocation Another Argument Every Tree that bears not good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire Luke 3. Therefore Faith only is not sufficient to Salvation without Repentance I acknowledge the Divine Authority of that Prophecy which is true as it is generally known to all that have heard of the Gospel For who would endure an Unfruitful Tree that cumbers the ground and beares either no Fruit at all or such as is hurtful to the Husbandman But suppose it brings forth good Fruit and beautiful to look upon I would ask them whether the abundance of Fruit be the cause or whether it is not rather the demonstration of the Tree's Fruitfulness and whether the Fruits do not rather receive their growth from the Root whence they come Therefore if Repentance is reckoned amongst Fruits it doth not make the Man in whom it receives its first beginning perfect and good but only evidences what manner of Man he is now and hath formerly been For unless a wicked Life had gone before no Repentance had followed after Moreover Repentance could do no good unless Faith be joyned therewith by which a broken hearted Sinner may get access to the Throne of Grace But you may say Are not grief and remorse for Evil deeds and resolutions to the contrary things very acceptable to God and are not only conducible to the amendment of former miscarriages but also a great cause of future Reformation I Answer The sorrow of an afflicted Conscience which we call Repentance is a lovely effect but it proceeds from an Evil cause yet I deny not that it is a very excellent thing and never too late but always acceptable to God if so be it is accompanied with Faith in Christ. Neither do I deny that by means thereof Men are deterred from their customary Evil courses and stirred up to the exercise of Vertue Which though we grant to be true what doth all this avail towards the justifying of a sinner from those Sins that he hath formerly committed If a Man hath transgressed the Laws of the Commonwealth and being arraigned before a Iudge is forced to give account of all the actions of his Life will it be enough for him to say I was in an errour or I repent of my fault Will fear of judgment or shame set a Man free from the condemnation due to sin unless the Righteousness of a bleeding Saviour apprehended by faith do interpose and ward off the stroke of Divine vengeance from the guilty Sinner Without shedding of Blood saith the Apostle there is no remission Now then if neither Holiness of Life nor Prayers nor Tears nor the Blood of all the Saints can avail any thing towards the mitigation of the bitterness of this Iudgment and the only remedy be the death of the only begotten Son of God what will your Repentance do in this case Indeed I acknowledge that the Scripture attributes much to Repentance and there are glorious promises annexed thereunto but two things must be considered here First Of how large an extent the Promises are and next to whom they do belong for there are some rewards given in this Life and others that are reserved for Life Eternal Verily Eternal Life which is the benefit of Redemption as it could not be purchased by any works of ours so likewise it is not promised as the reward of Repentance or if in any Scripture it seems to be so promised it is not simply upon the account of Repentance but for another cause To wit the faith of the worker and not the work it self Therefore these things should be put each of them in their own places and comprehended within their own bounds That it may be understood aright what Faith does and what Repentance and what efficacy is in both and how they are distinguished from one another and also how they being joyned together do contribute mutual assistance to one another in the Iustification of the Ungodly For though we deny not that both are very pleasing to God yet the one is acceptable to him one way and the other another way For faith is acceptable through Christ but Repentance only upon the account of Faith And it is also a certain truth that though by faith only as the procuring cause we obtain Iustification in the sight of God Yet this very faith doth not put forth its power of Iustifying upon any but penitent and broken-hearted Sinners and therefore in the Gospel we are so often invited to Repentance Not that it is not true faith only which justifies without Repentance but because faith if it be true justifies no others but them that have turned from their Sins in sincerity and are converted unto God by Repentance For such as have no trouble of Conscience nor sorrow for Sin but run on obstinately against their Conscience and continue in their Evil courses it is a vain thing for them to hope for Iustification by Faith whereof they falsely boast for all such stout-hearted Sinners
of the general Salvation of Christians nor a filthier blot upon Religion nor have done a greater injury to St. Paul the Scriptures and the Prophets than is manifest in these Books But in writing these things to you I restrain my self for your sake lest I pass the bounds of modesty which I have set to my self What then should the cause of Truth therefore be deserted You your self do not require that of me as I suppose Wherefore that I may as much as I can observe that which is my duty in both respects I have laid hold on this way of prosecuting this design which you see and which necessity hath laid upon me whereby I might both less offend you and likewise perhaps more benefit the cause I have undertaken to defend Therefore seeing I judged it necessary to oppose your attempts in this matter so I thought it most convenient not that I should in this Book answer to all the small scraps of Reasons in the order that you observe which indeed is none at all in a tumultuary confusion in those Ten Books but that I may by choice touch upon and confute the chief of them How easie it is to err in the Doctrine of Iustification SEeing these things and others like unto them contain the principal Heads of all Christian Doctrine therefore Divines should take a special care lest they err in these which care unless they take there will follow a most grievous ruin and perturbation of all things the foundations being as it were put out of their places And yet I know not how it comes to pass that error is no where more easily committed than in these Points Neither is it so strange for so it comes to pass that this animal nature we call Human Reason when consulted with about the things of God is most blind and sees nothing unless it be Illuminated with the better Light of Divine Knowledge shining in upon it For the right understanding of Divine things comes by the Spirit of God and not by Human Capacity and though the Law and the things of the Law were in some sense born with us and cleave unto our Nature Yet the Mysteries of the Doctrine of the Gospel are not apprehended so easily because the Nature of both is very different Moreover you may see many who following the guidance of Nature and her precepts more than is meet do teach and dispute of things belonging to the Gospel just as if a Philosopher should discourse of the Principles of Nature or a Moralist of the perfection of Vertues in which they place their chiefest good or as if a Pharisee sitting in the Chair of Moses should dispute about the Righteousness of the Law But there will be another occasion of treating of these things if opportunity be granted In the mean while that I may speak ingenuously of thee O Osorius with how much the greater natural parts God in his bounty hath adorned thee and heaped upon thee it is the more grievous to me that thou art violently drawn aside with others into that blindness of error That though you teach us many things in your reasoning about Righteousness yet you scarcely teach any thing that makes much to the purpose and nothing at all that is profitable for Salvation but rather on the contrary that which is very hurtful For I beseech you What assurance can there be of Salvation if you shut out Mercy and send us to our own Righteousness as the only way which conveys us to Heaven for all your Doctrine of Divinity looks that way To wit when discoursing of the hope of remedy you affirm there is no other way but that only of becoming like unto God and being united unto him and that this is the only way of a Blessed Life which consists wholly in Righteousness which whoso do observe those you affirm do abound with Divine Riches and Eternal Glory As if there were no hope remaining for him that turns a little aside from these footsteps Than which what could be said or invented more repugnant to the Gospel yea also elsewhere repeating again the same thing tho' in different Words How should a Man be saved say you Is there any other paved way to Salvation but what is contained in the Law of God None at all c. And again in another Book as in all your Books reasoning about the Works of the Law you assert that Righteousness is purchased by these that Men go up to Heaven by these as by steps that eternal rewards are appointed for these and you plead that this is the only way we have to Heaven which is paved with renowned Works c. Moreover you proclaim yet with more open Mouth Wherefore say you it must be attested with greater freedom of Speech that the ascent into Heaven is given to the Merits of the greatest Vertues and that the Mansions of the Everlasting Kingdom are given justly and deservedly to Holy and Chast Men c. It would take up a long time and be much more troublesome to rake together out of every one of your Books every one of those wonderful sayings which are more than Paradoxes whereby you plead that all the safeguard of our Salvation should be placed in nothing else but in the observance and care of Righteousness which if you could as well perform in effect and reality as you set them forth in Words magnificently I should esteem that none were more happy none more worthy of Heaven than you But now let us suppose that which I see you would so fain have granted that Heaven is only due to perfect Men no other ways but upon the account of Righteousness and that there is no other way of coming to those blessed mansions but that which is trodden by the most pure footsteps of good men and settled in the perfect integrity of Works Now we are not against the deserved praises of righteousness neither do we with-hold from it its rewards Be it so indeed But where shall we find this Righteousness Dic quibus in terris erit mihi magnus Apollo Tell me in what Country and I shall esteem you to be a great Oracle This man of righteous life dwells who will so direct the course of his Life according to this Idea of Vertue proposed by you that he fails no where who Roots out all manner of wickedness who refrains himself from railing with his Tongue Suppresses the Haughtiness Insolency and madness of an Ambitious Spirit and the rashness of a Headstrong Mind who Crucifies the Flesh with its Lusts who suppressing ungodly lustings by frequent meditation upon Death brings himself over from all Impurity and Impiety to the resemblance of Christ who separating his mind from the Contagion of the Body applies it wholly to the Imitation of Christ who resembles the humility and meekness of Christ his bounty and benevolence and his excellent Holiness in all respects and also cuts off all
if they are righteous and not sinners whom Christ helps What need have the Righteous of a Redeemer What need have the whole of a Physician Moreover how will that saying of Paul hold true whereby Christ being made Man is said to have come into the World not to save the Righteous but Sinners I beseech you now O ingenuous Man according to your Modesty that I may deal very modestly with you If any Man treat with you on this manner in disputing about the Doctrine of Iustification what would you answer him if he should ask these things of you If any such Man should come to you who being affrighted in his mind and astonished at the greatness of his sins and burdened with horrour of Conscience and almost dead with the fear of the Iudgment of God should ask the help of counsel and comfort from you of which sort there are found not a few Examples in the Folds of the Lord's Flock what Remedy would you reach forth unto him Perhaps you will send him to those Books of yours concerning Righteousness and what will he find there whereby his afflicted and cast down Mind may be refreshed and recover it self what will you send him to the Law but what will he draw from thence fit for healing his wounds especially seeing that Law of Righteousness can only bring us in guilty because we have not kept the Law and oblige us thereunto as by bond at least it cannot by any means restore Righteousness that was once lost or satisfie the Iudge It remains then that you should bring over the miserable Soul of a Sinner from the Law in which there appears no hope of defence unto Christ seeing it is He only by whose Wounds and Stripes we are healed and who hath taken upon himself all the Impieties of us all that he might communicate unto us his own Righteousness That is very true indeed and upon that account I think you and yours are to be commended who though you seem not to have a clear enough sight of the genuine Office of Christ and his Divine Greatness in procuring our Salvation yet ye refuse not to profess his Name and a certain external reverence of Faith But because at present you have to do with men that are troubled and to whom it is not sufficient to retain only the Name of a Saviour unless we have also a right understanding of the Efficacy of his Death which he suffered for us and of the Power that he hath to save and the great benefits he hath bestowed upon us and his exceeding great Love and Good-will towards us and the infinite Riches that are promised to us in him Therefore you must proceed further and help the afflicted Minds of the Godly as much as may be that they may know and believe not only that there is eternal and durable Life in Christ but also that they may be taught the way and means and manner how that Life comes to us and to whom it belongs and what we must observe in attaining unto it What the power and efficacy of Faith is whom it justifies and how IN which matter there is great variety of Sentiments and Opinions amongst Divines For whereas Paul proclaims with a very audible Voice That Man is justified by Faith without the Works of the Law Those Men by the additions of their Comments do not explain the most evident meaning of the Apostle but render it obscure they do not expound but cavil So that some take the word Faith not as Paul for that Faith only which is in Christ Iesus but which is formed by Charity and Works Others interpret that which Paul saith of Faith without Works to be understood concerning Ceremonial Works Some interpret it of the Works of the Law in this sense that those works are undertaken not by Faith but by the command of the Law without Grace Others expound it otherwise without antecedent works only Some think it should be understood of the first Iustification only which they attribute to Faith alone as in little Children that are Baptized but the second in men come to years they attribute to Faith indeed but not without Works The scope of all which dispute is that Faith being adorned with Works may do something and on the contrary that if Works are not joyned with it it may seem a kind of rude matter void of life and form not only unprofitable to purchase Righteousnes but a certain dead and destructive thing Which if it be true I would know this of them and chiefly I would ask of you Osorius in what Common-wealth in what Church in whose Kingdom do you coyn this new piece of Divinity If it is the Church of Christ that is not yours It is his Kingdom in which you are only a servant What Shall not Christ have a free power permitted to him of administring his own affairs as in his own lawful Common-wealth And whence is this your great boldness in anothers Dominion in a Church that ye never founded to alter and change as you list the appointments and institutions of your Prince contrary to Law and Right Or by what authority do you oppose your selves but that every man may act in his own possession according to his own right and freedom of command What if it seems good in the Eyes of Christ to communicate freely the glory of his Kingdom to whom he will Will ye forbid him What if the most Gracious Lord will pay a full reward to those that come to work at the last hour of the day and make all equal by making the like agreement with them all should your Eye therefore be evil because he is good But now the Lord himself the Prince and Author of the Church professes in very evident words that eternal life shall be given to them that believe in his name What can be said more evident in signification or more clear to be understood He that believeth in me saith he hath eternal life And again repeating the same in the same words He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life And chap. 11. He that believeth in me though he were dead yet he shall live And lest he should seem to testifie this of himself without the consent of his Father he adds This is saith he the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth in him should have life eternal Who doth no less most evidently confirm these things by performances which he expresses in word adding also miracles thereunto For how great a multitude do ye meet with every where through all the Evangelists whom you see saved and healed by no other thing but faith only which relied on Christ. How often do we hear from the mouth of the Lord in the Gospel thy Faith hath made thee whole without hearing any mention of works And what Christ performed to faith will Osorius attribute that to Works
merits of Works or before Works the same Paul will teach you As soon as you are Baptized saith he you have put on Christ. To which also Chrysostom subscribing saith as soon as a Man Belives he is presently also Iustified Which if it be true then it is false which you assert For you affirm that the obtaining of Salvation consists wholly in this that we should transform our selves entirely into the similitude of Christ. And again youn say there is no other way of Salvation established for us but that which is contained in the Law of God And the same you affirmed elsewhere having openly asserted That ascent into Heaven is given to the merits of the greatest Vertues and that the Mansions of the Eternal Kingdom are given justly and deservedly to Holy and Pure Men. For so Say you it comes to pass that the Immortal Kingdom is due by the best right to Iust Men not only as a recompence and remard but also as a Lawful Inheritance being founded upon the Wisdom and Bounty of the Father All which things as being represented gloriously by you seem at a distance to have some shew of Truth if they be referred to that Platonick Righteousness of yours or to the state of our First Innocency But now in this wounded and destroyed Nature they have no place at all but that they may wholly prelude from us all passages into the Eternal Mansions of the Kingdom I know indeed that the Everlasting reward of Righteousness is due by best right to Pure and Holy Men as you say and those that observe the Law unblameably But I know likewise that the Eternal Punishments of Hell are due to those that do not perform the Royal Law according to the Scriptures What would you do in this case good Friend What good can your Platonick Philosophy do here I am not Ignorant what the Lord said to the Rich Pharisee If you will enter into Life keep the commands That indeed is true Do you then perform what he was commanded to do Sell all that you have and give to the Poor and follow Christ Naked But if you do it not what else can you look for but to perish together with him But now the goodness of God hath found out another way to consult our Infirmity who hath not only put upon us the beauty of Righteousness but whole Christ so that you may not only being Naked follow Christ but that whole Christ may live in your self and Cloath you and also may make you a Son of God by Faith What then may some Man say is not the Holy Spirit given to them that trust in Christ to Illuminate their minds with new light to renew their Hearts to enrich them plentifully with the Riches Gifts and Endowments of good Works and to adorn them exceedingly with all kind of Vertues What do these good Works nothing with God which are performed by the influence of the most Holy Spirit Do they contribute nothing towards Righteousness have they no use nor place upon the account of reward For this seems to be the Foundation of all your arguing Where you write these words If we believe the promises of God we presently obtain the help of God that we may very easily do all things that are commanded us and so may be saved And presently after the Interposition of a few words You say Faith causes us to have the Law of God Written in our mind and so to make an everlasting Covenant of Salvation with the Lord. Therefore when we have the Law of God put into the most inward parts of our mind it comes to pass that Lust being subdued Evil concupisence extinguished the pravity of a stubborn mind taken away the mind becomes on a sudden a Temple of the Holy Ghost and is stirred up with all its might to the study of the Law of God And that I may express it in one word such a Man contains the Magnificence and Glory of Divine Righteousness comprehended in his mind And a little after you say Therefore it is of Faith Saith Paul that according to Grace the promise may be firm What manner of promise is that That they who come to the Lord with the Faith of Christ may both be freed from their Wickedness and delivered from the Curse whereunto they were lyable and may have the Law of God Written in their Hearts and have the very Divinity of the Holy Spirit comprehended in their mind and not defile their Life with any wicked deed But may govern it by the Law of God or as it is in Ezekiel They may walk in the commands of God and perform Holy and excellent works and also that they may be Righteous For hereunto all the promises of God are referred c. Answer What do I hear Are then all the promises of God referred to this That there is no hope of Righteousness no way of Salvation no reconciliation for us nor remission of Sins unless the Law be kept And where then is that peace with God which the Apostle Preaches Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Where is that access to the Throne with boldness Where is the hope of Glory Happiness the Blessing the Inheritance of Eternal Life according to promise if these good things come no otherways as you suppose but by a Covenant of Life which no spot of Sin defiles What hath your profession of God received this Gospel from the teachings of the Apostles or from the opinion of Plato It is therefore of Faith Saith Paul that the promise may be firm according to Grace But what way is it firm if it is of Works upon any account Or how is it of Faith if you confine all the Promises of God to the Law of Righteousness which may confirm the minds of all men with a sure hope of Righteousness as you say Or what will that assurance of Righteousness be if you with the Tridentine and Iesuitical Iebusites detaining us in a doubtful wavering of hope take aways all encouragement of good hope Concerning the Promises of God what to whom and how God hath promised BUT now because here there is a convenientoccasion of speaking concerning the Promises of God it remains that we should hear from you who treat of these things so sharply what that is which God hath promised to whom he hath promised how and for what cause he doth it Now there are both many and great Gifts of God and Ornaments partly bestowed upon us and partly promised through the singular bounty of his Grace yea seeing there is nothing in this Workmanship of Nature nor in the meanest things but what we ought to acknowledge to be his free Gift if we would be thankful And also amongst all these things which being so many and so great he hath conferted upon us with so liberal a hand I esteem that nothing is more glorious nor more admirable
than this large honour of his Kingdom which the Lord himself promises us in the Gospel Fear not saith he little Flock for it is the good will of your Father to give you the Kingdom Which Paul also makes mention of writing both elsewhere and also to the Colossians Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us unto the Kingdom of his dear Son c. Of which also Daniel a most famous Prophet hath given an ample Testimony The Kingdom saith he and the Dominion and the largeness of the Kingdoms under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High c. In which one benefit seeing the whole Sum of our Felicity is comprehended to wit reconciliation with God imputation of Righteousness remission of Sins Peace with God access with boldness hope the glory of God eternal blessedness and salvation the Inheritance of Eternal Life freedom from the accusation and condemnation of the Law What can any Man either by desires wish for or by Faith conceive more glorius For he that is promoted unto the possession of a Kingdom what more can be added to him unto the highest splendour of Glory and the degree of the most honourable Dignity Therefore we have as you see O Osorius the hereditary Mansions of the Eternal Kingdom promised to us and that not of Works but of Faith not according to Bargain but according to Grace and therefore according to Grace that the Promise may be firm and sure to all the Seed It is a very weighty Cause and Authority not to be contemned For what is more firm for all manner of security than that which relies on the certain faithfulness of God and a free promise On the contrary what is more unstable than that which depends on the most uncertain condition of our Works which are either for the most part evil or always uncertain Why then wilt thou cast us again out of the most firm safeguard of most sure confidence proposed to us which rests most safely in the free bounty of God promising as if thou drovest us out of a Haven of Tranquillity procured for us to be tossed in the tempestuous Waters and Straits of Diffidence and Desperation And do you make those things doubtful and uncertain which through the bounty of God we do as it were hold in our hands with a most assured Faith so that now there is not any thing certain which a man may satisfie his own Soul about touching Salvation for I pray you what can be certain if so be the Grace of the Promise being taken away if Imputation of Righteousness being neglected which is placed in Christ for us the whole matter is brought to the account of our actions and you plead that we are not otherways righteous before God than by performing the Offices of the Divine Law Objection But you will say What hath not God promised in Iereremiah and Ezekiel to those that come to God by Faith that they shall have his Law written in their mind that they shall have the very presence of the Holy Ghost within their mind and defile their life with no sin but govern it by the Law of God and walk in the Precepts of God and perform excellent and holy works and moreover that they shall be righteous c. Ans. 1. As touching the promise of the Spirit of God it is very true what you cite out of Ieremiah For God in his bounty hath promised that he will write his Law not only in Tables of Stone as before but in the inward Tables of their minds and indeed accordingly he hath performed and doth perform daily what he hath promised And what doth your Logical reasoning gather thence Therefore say you seeing we have the Law of God put into our inward parts it comes to pass that giving credit to the promises of God we do presently obtain the help of God that we may very easily do all things that are commanded us and so be saved c. Therefore by these many things which have been hitherto mentioned by you concerning the Law and its Office I perceive you have two Opinions both of which are false First That you affirm that we being supported by the Grace of God and guarded by his help can very easily perform all things whatsoever are commanded by the Law of God Secondly Because you plead that all the nature of our Righteousness and Salvation consists in performing God's Commands and that there is no other way to Heaven but that which is contained in the Law of God Both which Reasons of yours how absurd they are how contrary to the Grace of God and the Gospel and how much disallowed and confuted not only by all Authority of Divine Scripture but also long since contradicted by the sayings of the most Antient Fathers and how void of all support of reason and experience there is no Man that hath so little Reason or Religion but evidently perceives it and clearly takes notice of it For though we do not deny that by the help of the grace of the Divine Spirit there are wonderful various and manifold effects produced and great gifts are shed abroad in the minds of the Regenerate for governing all parts of Life piously and holily but whence I pray you will you teach that so great strength and so great power to observe Righteousness is given by God and committed unto mortal Man which may be sufficient for performing all things that are prescribed in the most holy Law of God Concerning the Perfection of Righteousness and compleat Obedience of the Law You proceed to press again and again that Antient Song out of the Prophet I will put saith he my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And also out of the other Prophet And I will give them a heart of flesh that they may walk in my Precepts and keep my Iudgments and also may do these things which are just c. I hear the Oracles of the Prophetical Promise uttered with great evidence from whence certainly works of New Obedience do proceed which necessarily follow Faith so that if any Man do now enquire for the cause of good works presently he learns hence that it should not be attributed to the strength of Man's Will but the Gift of the holy Spirit but now whence does this Gift proceed but from the Merits of Christ or to whom is it given but to them that believe in Christ For the holy Spirit is received by Faith according to that of Paul That we may receive the promise of the Spirit by Faith Wherefore seeing Faith is the only thing which procures unto us the holy Spirit therefore it cannot otherways be but that having received the Divine Spirit of Sanctification a new Life and spiritual motions do follow in the hearts of the Regenerate For a mind rightly qualified with the Faith of Christ
Augustine will Ingeniously Confute this Fallacy for us in his Book The Title whereof is concerning the Perfection of Righteousness Where he speaks after this manner That the state of this Controversie about the perfection of Love is exercised about two Questions To wit By whom And when First as if the Question be by whom a Man may attain unto such perfection that he may be without Sin He answers that comes not to pass by the strength of Free Will but by the Grace of God And so far there is no debate betweeen us and the opposite party But if there be enquiry made about the time when such a perfection is attained Augustine speaks expresly that this comes not to pass in this Life but in that which is to come And this same Augustine no less oppositely in another Book dispels the mists of this Argument with very evident Words This precept of Righteousness saith he concerning loving the Lord with all the Heart and with all the Soul And also that of loving our Neighbour we shall fulfil in that Life where we shall see Face to Face But here some will object wherefore is it commanded if it is not fulfilled here Augustine Answers To wit That we may be Instructed what we ought to ask by Faith and whither to send Hope before and unto what things that are before us we should press forward not being satisfied with any thing that is behind Therefore according to my opinion saith he that Man hath made a great progress in this Life in that Righteousness which is to be perfected who by profiting knows how far he is from the perfection of Righteousness c. What is that Which writing to Bonifacius he thus reasons about Divine Grace The Grace of God saith he gives in this Life an endeavour to keep the commands And here you have the Obedience begun as we call it and the same if any thing is not fully observed in the precepts Pardons c. And so all commands of God are reckoned as performed because whatsoever is not performed is pardoned By which as I suppose you see that our Righteousness in this Life is of such a sort that it consists rather of the remission of Sins than the perfection of Vertues which perfection must be looked for by us in the Life to come Moreover there is another thing that must not be paffed by in this place that the same Augustine writing to Hierom in the 29th Epistle saith Charity is a Vertue whereby that which should be beloved is beloved This in some is greater in others lesser in others none at all But the fullest that cannot be increased as long as Man lives here is in no Man But as long as it can be increased verily that which is less than it ought to be is faulty by reason of which default there is not a just Man upon the Earth that doth good and sinneth not Because of which default no Man living shall be justified in the sight of God By reason of which viciousness if we say that we have not sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us because of which how much soever we have profited it is necessary for us to say For give us our debts The Books of the Antient Orthodox Divines are full of very Authentick Testimonies confirming this Opinion It is an excellent and grave saying of Cyprian speaking of the Regenerate Let no man saith he flatter himself upon the account of a pure and unspotted heart that trusting to his own Innocency he should suppose that his wounds need no medicine seeing it is written Who shall glory that he hath a chast heart or who shall glory that he is clean from sins But if no Man can be without sins whosoever shall call himself unblameable is either a proud man or a fool c. For this saith Hierom shall every one that is godly pray unto thee if he is godly how doth he pray for pardon of iniquity if he hath iniquity how is he called holy There is not so great a Harmony found in any one man saith Ambrose that the Law which is in the Members doth not oppose the Law of the mind Therefore that which the Apostle Iohn said is true of all Saints in the general If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us I may also add that of Bernard which is very agreeable to this matter Who dare arrogate to himself saith he that which Paul himself confesses he had not attained unto Indeed he that gave the command was not ignorant that the weight thereof exceeded the strength of men but he judged it useful that by this very thing they should be convinced of their own insufficiency and that they should know what end of Righteousness they should endeavour with all their might to attain unto Therefore by commanding things impossible he did not make men transgressors but humble that every mouth might be stopped and all the World might lie under the Iudgment of God I can bring innumerable Testimonies of the like sort out of well approved Authors But why do I take up my time in rehearsing the Names of Men or reckoning their approbations when that I may speak it in one word all the Antiquity of former Ages the publick consent of the former Church and the choicest Writers out of all Eldest Time as many as ever rejected the Antient Pelagianism all those with one mouth agree in this matter against you That there is no integrity of Righteousness in this Life which is not imperfect which needs not forgiveness That there is not so great an Innocency here which is without any wound which needs no Medicine and that none of all the Saints have so lived that a great deal was not wanting to him to compleat Righteousness and who needed not daily to pray for the pardon of his iniquity As Augustine testifies Because saith he there is daily offending therefore there must be also daily remission Which things being confirmed by most evident Testimonies of very Learned Witnesses Where 〈◊〉 is that Salvation which according to your description is placed in Righteousness Holiness Religion and the excellent Merits of all Vertues Where is that Righteousness of Works which reconciles us to God and makes us like God Where is that Way which is paved to Heaven for us with the excellent Merits of Works Where is that Ascent into the Heavenly Kingdom which is opened by the Merits of the greatest Vertues Where are the Mansions of the Everlasting Kingdom which you assert are justly and deservedly given to holy and pure men Where is also that Immortal Kingdom which you conclude is due by best right not only as a Recompence and Reward but also as a Legal Patrimony founded by the wisdom and bounty of the Father What if according to your Discipline there is
yours deserves You only look at how much you proceed in running but you do not also take heed how much you fail in your race And after all these things do you yet boast of your merits as if the reward of the Everlasting state were due to your Labours In which assertions I do not drive at this to dissolve the Pious endeavours of making Progress or to dishearten them by desperation For the Admonition of the Apostle is not in vain so run that ye may obtain And again no Man is Crowned except he strive Lawfully Let us therefore so strive that we may be Crowned let us so run that we may obtain But we do not therefore obtain because we run but we do therefore run because the promise is made to them that run not to them that slumber So that the running is not the cause of the promise but the promise stirs up to running and adds alacrity to the runners Therefore the Apostle that he may make them the more valiant in striving adds this promise your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. And speaking of himself I have fought saith he the good fight and a Crown of Righteousness is laid up for me c. What then do you not see that labours well performed have their own reward due to them Be it so indeed But we treat not here of the labours of Men but of the merits of Labours we do not ask with what rewards the goodness of God dignifies us but what we our selves deserve to receive For there is no small difference between Gift and Merit If Merit is called that to which a recompense of reward is due by reason of its equality it is certain there is no equality between those things which we do here on Earth and those things which being promised we expect in Heaven The Inheritance of the Everlasting Kingdom is promised not that which upon the account of hire is due to our Works but which is promised to our Faith by the free gift of God Whence Paul when he said the wages of Sin his Death he doth not add next thereunto the reward of them that live Godly is Life Eternal But the grace saith he or the gift of God is Eternal Life And why doth he not as well say the reward of Righteousness is Eternal Life But that the difference between gift and reward between grace and recompence might be evident For if it is of grace than it is not of works If of works than it is not of grace But now that he might manifest the Infinite Riches of Divine Grace towards us through Christ Iesus He Proclaims openly that we are saved through Grace by Faith And that not of our selves it is the gift of God not of Works lest any Man should boast Which also elsewhere inculcating more clearly He says not by works of Righteousness which we have done How then But according to his mercy hath he saved us And now what is that mercy but the favour and loving kindness of God which remitting the rigour of Iustice spares those that are unworthy pardons the penitent receives them that are undone into favour which favour or mercy also glories against Iudgment All which being so what should be said of the Hypocritical Fathers of Trent who by the publick decree of their Senate pronounce those accursed whosoever dare say that the grace of God whereby we are justified is only the favour of God The Absurd Paradox of the Tridentines whereby they deny that we are justified by the favour of God only BUT Now by what other thing then will they say that we are justified if we obtain it not by the favour of God only By the Law But that works Wrath By the works of the Law But the Apostle expresly excludes those Not of works lest any Man should boast But here I call to mind the ordinary Glosse which doth resolve no difficulty but makes one by it's subtile comment partly affirming that we are justified by works and partly denying it For thus it says our works as they are ours have no power to justifie yet consider them as they are not from us but are wrought by God in us through Grace they merit Iustification And for that cause the Apostle would not say the wages of Righteousness is Eternal Life But chose rather to say the grace of God is Eternal Life Why so Because saith this device those merits to which Eternal Life is rendered are not from us but they come from grace whence they receive the vertue of meriting O wise yea rather wild talk to vilifie grace What if the Spirit of Christ influencing the Hearts of his own stirs up the Holy Offices of Charity and excellent motions to Piety What doth not the same Spirit also vouchsafe all other gifts to his Church bestowing on some gifts of Prophesie on others divers kinds of Tongues on others admirable Vertues of Curing and Healing and on others of Teaching for the Edification of the Saints What shall we therefore place our whole Iustification in those gifts received from Christ I know that there are both many and eminent vertues wherewith the Spirit of Christ always adorns his Church but it is one thing to adorn another thing to justifie the Church The gift of Sanctification is one thing the cause of justifying is another both whereof though Christ perform by his grace yet he Sanctifies one way and Iustifies another for he Sanctifies by his Spirit but he Saves and Iustifies only by his Death and Blood But you will say if Salvation is not placed in Grace why then is the grace of God called by Paul Eternal Life Verily it is certain and must be confessed which Paul teaches that our Life must be attributed wholly unto grace to which also it behoves us to attribute all other things But we must look what way this grace saves and justifies for it is that on which the whole controversy depends In which the generality of the adversaries are greatly deceived Against the Tridentines It is Demonstrated by the Scriptures that the grace of God whereby we are Iustified consists only in the free favour of God and Remission of sins not in the Merits of Works or Infusion of Charity THomas Aquinas and they that follow him according to the gloss which they call ordinary do not deny that which the Apostle affirms That we are saved by the Grace of God But if you ask after what manner they answer that it comes to pass upon the account of good Works For these are the words of the Gloss Grace says it is called Eternal Life because it is rendered to those Merits which grace hath conferred And to the same Sense are the Comments of Orbelius Bonaventure Halensis and others because say they without grace no Man can observe the Commands of God And Thomas adds elsewhere that to fulfill the Commands of the Law according to the
in so many dangers and compassed about with so many troubles and snares yet it continues firm notwithstanding all this opposition in spite of the very Gates of Hell Wherefore is it thus Is it for its own merits or should we account the Grace and Power of Christ to be the only procuring cause thereof and no strength nor merit of ours Now it is evident to every reasonable man that the same thing which is the cause of Preservation is also the cause of Salvation to the Church which consists not in our Works but only in the Faith of Christ and his free Bounty An Argument out of St. Iames. Not the hearers of the Law but the doers shall be justified Not the hearer of the Law but the doer shall be blessed Iames 1. Mat. He that heareth my words and doth them c. Therefore not Faith only but Deeds do justifie I answer The Argument may be granted if the Minor be rightly added with the Inference which we shall set down here that the Argument may appear in its perfect form He is righteous that by deeds fulfils the Law No man by deeds fulfils the Law in this life Therefore no man is justified by deeds in this life The Minor is evident by the Authority of the same Apostle Iames Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and offend in one thing is guilty of all There is none in the Land of the Living but fails in some thing Iames 2. Yea there is no man that offends not in many things Therefore no man in this life fulfils the Law of God no not Iames himself Let us now consider the words of Christ that are cited out of the Gospel He that heareth my words and doeth them c. Who doth not clearly apprehend the mind of Christ in these words for it is manifest that his design was to rebuke the counterfeit pretences of Hypocrites and thereby to stir up the minds of his own Disciples to the power of Godliness and sincerity in their profession which he doth in more than one place and not without weighty reasons For as nothing is more detestable so nothing is more usual than for false Hypocrites to be covered with a Vizard of Holiness who having no experimental knowledge of the things which they profess nor drawn unto God by Effectual Calling nor taught by his Spirit being ignorant of God and strangers to the practice of Holiness do make a great shew amongst all men outwardly pretending to that which they are not indeed but would seem to be who take little or no care at all to be any way instrumental for the Glory of God But their chief endeavours are to encrease their gain and satisfie their ambitious desires that they may be great in this World and get applause and renown amongst men Such a frame of spirit is in most Hypocrites But the great searcher of hearts who looks into every dark corner of the Soul and discerns all the most hidden imaginations is not unacquainted with their Hypocrisie and there is nothing more abominable unto him Therefore our Lord in giving Instructions of Piety to his Disciples strictly commands that such as take upon them the profession of Faith in his Name should not only make shew of it in words or account it enough to encline their Ears to his Doctrine but also practise it in their Lives and endeavour as much as in them lies to walk suitable to their profession By what I have said it may evidently appear that these words do not express the way how we are justified but they only declare what manner of men they ought to be who are Iustified and have obtained a right to the Heavenly Inheritance by Faith and free Grace Another Argument The Foolish Virgins were shut out of Heaven not because they wanted Faith but because they neglected taking Oyl in their Vessels Mat. 25. The same appears in the slothful Servant Therefore The Kingdom of Heaven is due to good Works and not to Faith Answer The Consequence must be denied For this is the true consequence thereof Therefore Men are justly shut out of Heaven for Evil deeds and Impiety For though a slothful and lazy Servant ought to be shut out of the House yet it doth not therefore follow that the Inheritance must needs be due to him that faithfully and diligently performs his duty The Kingdom of Heaven is given to faith not to duties by way of gift not by way of bargain not for merits but freely And though faith in the mean while is not idle but diligently exercises it self in the ways of Holiness yet the possession of this great benefit should not therefore be attributed unto Works suppose an adopted Son in managing well his Father's Goods shews himself a faithful Steward in his Father's House is not his Father's Inheritance bestowed upon him of free gift notwithstanding all this care and industry Moreover that is not true which is denied in the Antecedent that the foolish Virgins were not shut out for want of Faith For had they had true Faith they would not have wanted provision of Oyl For Faith that is lively cannot be slothful Therefore in Scripture these Epithets are given to Faith 1. That it is true and not feigned 2. It is sure and not wavering 3. One and not diverse 4. Lively and not dead 5. Great 6. Fervent and not luke warm 7. Laborious and not Idle 8. Strong 9. Couragious and not fearful 10. Stable and not unconstant Another Objection taken out of Iohn 5. They that have done good shall come forth unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation and again Rom. 2. Every Man shall be rewarded according to his Works The Argument of the Adversaries taken out of Ioh. 5. Rom. 2. Therefore the Salvation or Destruction of Men depend on their Works and not Faith only If any Man desires to see this Argument in a Syllogistical term he may take it thus There is no Iustification without Works where there is a reward given according to Works The Iudgment of God rewards according to VVorks Therefore there is no Iustification in the Iudgment of God without VVorks Answer As there is nothing more sure than the Words of Peter in which he affirms that Christ is appointed Iudge of the Living and the Dead so also that is a truth which is asserted by Paul That we must all appear before his Iudgment Seat who will render to every Man according to that which he hath done whether Good or Evil. Therefore you say Not Faith but Works do justifie which are the procuring cause either of Salvation or Destruction But this is not the consequence of the Words of the Apostle nor the sense of that Scripture But if we Reason according to the mind of the Holy Ghost in these places of Scripture we must rather draw
be feigned by the Apostle for Amplification which is not nor can be And seeing Thomas Aquin. here by all Faith understands perfect Faith Therefore because perfect Faith is not found without Charity it is necessary that according to the Interpretation of Basil we should here take notice of a Trope or Fiction which Quintilian also reckons amongst the forms of amplifying Therefore whereas we deny a Dead Faith without Charity to deserve the name of Faith we speak this by a very usual Trope as we say That an unprofitable and idle Man is no Man or Wine which is decayed and hath lost its strength is no Wine Therefore that which is cited out of Paul If I have all Faith but have not Charity c. Must be understood thus Not that Paul simply affirms Faith to be a gift of God without Charity But he speaks Figuratively to amplifie the praise of Charity as he that says Though I have an hundred Tongues and as many Mouths yet I could not fully set forth the matter as it is he doth not therefore presuppose that there is any Man who hath an hundred Tongues and as many Mouths Paul useth the like Figurative Speech Though I speak with the Tongues of Men and Angels for Angels have no Tongues but it is feigned by way of Amplification to signifie some excellent Tongues surpassing those that are human Thus he said If what hath been hitherto said doth not satisfie the Adversaries I Answer thus That this Speech of Paul belongs not to the manner of Iustification but to the Life of the Iustified Person If I have all Faith saith he But want Charity c. What then Therefore Charity enters together with Faith into Iustification But this is no good Consequence But this is rather the consequence thereof Therefore Charity is necessary in the Regenerate Which must of necessity be granted for Love is necessary and pleasing to God To wit In those that are in a state of Reconciliation and for the sake of Christ. For God naturally delights in the Obedience of his own Which though it be imperfect yet he approves of any endeavours in those that are reconciled unto him by Christ. So then Faith that is Christ apprehended by Faith Iustifies us freely But on the other side we must not receive this Grace in vain But he receives it in vain who is not obedient to the precepts and example of Christ. Howbeit there are also some that answer that this Faith here mentioned by the Apostle should only be taken for the Faith of Working Miracles amongst whom is Chrysostom who calls this the Faith not of Doctrine but of Miracles Moreover whereas they urge this word of the Apostle as if he had used it in a general signification To this it may be answered that the Word all signifies often not the universality of a kind but the perfection of a species to which it is joyned as 2 Cor. 9. God is able to make every good gift abound in you that having all sufficiency in all things c. In like manner in this place of Paul If I have all Faith that is the most perfect Faith of working Miracles so that I can remove Mountains c. Another place out of Paul 1 Cor. 13. Now these three remain Faith Hope and Charity but the greater of these is Charity Argument Our Iustification flows from the more worthy cause Charity is a thing more worthy and great than Faith Therefore we are justified more by Charity than by Faith Or if you would rather take it thus If we were justified by Faith and not by Charity Faith would be greater than Charity But Charity is greater than Faith Therefore we are justified rather by Charity than by Faith Answer That I may briefly Answer both these Arguments First let us rightly conceive not only the words of the Apostle but in what sense he speaks them These three remain saith he but the greater of these is Charity in which words we hear the Apostle preferring Charity before Faith And we acknowledge it to be true but let us see in what sense it is true I will make use of an argument like it There hath not risen a greater than Iohn the Baptist amongst those that are born of Women Therefore Iohn the Baptist must be greater than Christ. I answer from the sense of the Scripture Though Christ seemed less than Iohn the Baptist by the judgment of the World and the general opinion of People yet in the Kingdom of Heaven he was and always will be greater than Iohn we may observe something like this in Faith and Charity Though in this World in Mens dealings with one another mutual Charity hath the preeminence Yet in the Kingdom of Heaven that is in our concernments with God against Satan Death Sin the Iudgement of God his Wrath and Vengeance and the terrors of Conscience Faith doth so far excel that it only hath the Dominion not only above Charity but also without it If the dignity and excellency of any thing is discernable by its effects and performances as a Tree is known by its Fruits let us now compare these Vertues with one another that it may the better appear what each of them can do what is the efficacy of Charity what Faith performs and how much it excels And first as touching Charity and its Offices let us hear how greatly the Apostle commends it Charity saith he is patient and bountiful and courteous fitted for every condition of Life Charity doth not envy doth not behave it self unseemly is not puffed up seeks not its own things but seeks the good of all it is not easily offended nor desirous of revenge and though it suffer injury it deviseth not to do evil to any man it delights not in the wickedness of the wicked but rejoyceth in the Truth it suffers all things believes all things hopes all things endures all things waiting for better with an undefatigable expectation Though other things may fail though Prophecies and Miracles and Knowledge may cease yet Charity will never fail mutual Love will endure for ever Hitherto ye have heard the Apostle set forth the duties and offices of Charity with deserved praise which though they are exceeding great and magnificent and cannot be sufficiently commended by any man according to their worth yet such is the nature of all these offices of Charity that they pass not beyond the bounds of this mortal Life and the mutual Communion of Christians with one another But now let us raise up our minds as high as we can to contemplate the power and efficacy of Faith and what it doth not only upon the Earth but in Heaven in the presence of God Whilst Charity is exercised in this inferiour World amongst men Faith ascends into the Kingdom of God where first by a sublime contemplation it lays hold on the Son of God the Mediatour at the right hand of Majesty
King of Israel the Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not be afraid of evil any more c. How then doth this so great Peace and Tranquility of Conscience so often repeated in the Prophets consist with that trembling fear and doubtfulness which the Papists plead for For what encouragement is there for Hope when the Mind is restless through fear and all thingsly at an uncertainty For how can Hope avoid being uncertain if Salvation must be hoped for by Works and not by free Donation Howbeit we are not ignorant nor deny that Sanctification and Renovation and the practice of good Works that flow from hence are Benefits bestowed upon us by Christ which of necessity all good Christians must endeavour to attain unto But that is not the state of this Controversie for the debate here is not about governing the Life in this World but about Eternal Salvation and the cause thereof Nor whether Offices belonging to Christian Piety should be performed but whether when they are performed they are so much accounted of by God that they Merit Salvation and reconcile an offended God to Mankind Whether Vertues and good Works are able to stand before the Iudgment Seat of God without being condemned according to the rigid Sentence of the Law Whether under great Terrours of Conscience when Salvation hangs in doubt we may safely rely upon them that we may become the Sons of God and inherit Eternal Life And yet it is not therefore false that as long as this Life endures it is very requisite that Believers should be careful to lead Holy Lives and utterly abhor all wickedness But it must be considered how it is requisite In respect of the necessity of Obedience it is true but if you say that it is requisite in respect of our obtaining a right unto Eternal Life and Salvation nothing is more false or pernicious because it is not purchased by our Merits but is given to us that deserve not and are unworthy and it is given then whilest we are yet Sinners that it may evidently appear that all the Glory of our Salvation is due to the Mercy of God and not to our Works which follow Reconciliation to God as Fruits thereof but do not procure it Therefore as I have already admonished I must again renew this Admonition that in this course of Obedience the godly practice of Charity should not be separated from us but should of necessity accompany Faith but yet it must be so admitted that it shut not out Faith from its own Office and Dignity nor justle out the glorious Riches of the Grace of God which is in Christ Iesus Nor darken the Glory of the Cross of Christ nor take away Consolation from troubled Consciences nor corrupt the sound Doctrine which the Apostles have taught us which seeing it places all our Salvation in nothing else but the Benefit of Redemption by Christ let men of understanding and Piety iudge which of the two Opinions is in the right whether they that place all the Hope of their Salvation in Faith only or they that place it in the Righteousness of inherent Works only and call Faith if alone a Presumption Verily if the Spirit of Christ could not endure those Laodiceans who were puffed up with a false Imagination of their own Righteousness and understood not how wretched and miserable and naked they were I suppose it may easily appear what should be judged of Popish Catholicks and all this Divinity of theirs I beg of Christ the infinitely Glorious and only begotten Son of God King of Kings Preserver of Life the Merciful Author and Defender of our Salvation the Glory of Heaven the brightness of his Father's Glory according to his Infinite Goodness unto whose Everlasting Dominion all things are subject that are in Heaven and in Earth that we miserable Men whom Nature hath brought into this wretched Condition who are Poor and Needy Naked and Blind and utterly destroyed being restored by his Bounty and having Salvation bestowed upon us by his free Gift and being cloathed with his Ornaments and enriched with his Wealth and carried on by the safe conduct of his Spirit we may grow in him daily more and more and never fall from him being strong in the Faith and fruitful in good Works until at length at the coming of his Kingdom we be received into those blessed Mansions of Immortality where he Lives and Reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit in Eternal Glory Amen FINIS Acts 10. The necessity of this Defence against Osorius The Enemies of the Grace of God under the Title of righteousness The Books of Osorius concerning righteousness The Title of the Books concerning righteousness The image of righteousness described by Osori us The praise of righteousness The Platonick Catholick righteousness Osorius in Writing of Righteousness doth greatly oppose Christian Righteousness A twofold manner of righteousness The righteousness of the Law Human Reason understands not the Doctrine of Free Iustification Osorius de justit lib. 1. pag. 3. Lib. 10. de Iustit pag. 232. Lib. 2. p. 44. Lib. 6. pag. 148. All have finned and come short of the glory of God The Idea of the Osorian righteousness can be more easily found in his Books than in his Mauners The Son of God only was perfectly Holly Pals. 14. Rom. 3. 1 Io. 1. Iacob 3. Oso 1. 5. p. 21. Osorius confounds the righteousness of faith and works without any distinction Phil. 3. It is one thing to be justified by faith and another thing to be justified by the Law There are no performances of the most perfect men that are without some imperfection in the sight of God We are all as unclean and all our righteousness as a menstruous cloth Isa. 64. All we like Sheep have gone astray Isa. 5. 3. A frivolous exception of Osorius The Papists do not clearly enough explain why Works are called good What good works do essect according to the opinion of Papists Lib. 9. 233. What sort of righteousuess is that of Osorius Lib. 9. p. 232. Lib. 9. p. 232. what way men come to Heaven according to the opinion of Osorius Adam De justit lib. 4. pag. 90. Lib. 3. p. 68. The right way to Heaven consists in the Exercise ofChuity according to the Opinion of Osorius An answer to things alledged Paul a great 〈◊〉 of Charity Paul a great Preacher of Charity Not Charity but Faith opens a way to the Kingdom of Heaven Rom. 3. 4. A twofold manner of Righteousness of the Law and of the Gospel or Faith The Righteousness of Faith The necessary distinction of Legal and Evangelical Righteousness The Office of the Law How the Righteousness of the Law and Christ is one and not one The strength and operation of the Law The Law as out of Christ is confidered what it doth The difference between the Law and Christ. Christ the only Antidote against the Stings of the Law A question by what