Howsoeuer that gracelesse wretch Boniface the eighth who instituted the first Romish Iubile giuing therein immunitie both from sinne and the punishment thereof would make the world beleeue that hee hath power to forgiue sinnes too Anton. part 3. cap. 8 tit 20. §. 2. The fruit of application Praefat. exhort ad Martyr ad Fortunatuâ— Job 19.25.26 Micah 7.7 â— Tim. 1.15 But as Antoninus Bishop of Florence writing that Historie sayth God only forgiueth sinne But to returne from whence for a few lines I haue digressed When we can in this sort apply vnto our selues the mercy of God and thus make a garment fitting our selues to couer therewith our shame of the wooll of the Lambe as Cyprian in one place prettily speaketh for so he calleth the Scripture Oh with what assurance will wee bee able with Iob to say I am sure my Redeemer liueth I shall see God in my flesh And with Micah I will waite for God my Sauiour my God will heare me And with the Apostle Christ Iesus came into the World to saue sinners whereof I am chiefe Notwithstanding for this cause was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should first shew on me all long suffering vnto the example of them who shall in time to come beleeue in hir 〈◊〉 eternall life But the Apostle sheweth in many places vnspeakeable comfort by applying to himselfe in particular the mercies of God in so much as hee assureth himselfe that none could charge Gods seruants to indanger them none could condemne them Rom. 8.33.35.38.39 Yea who shall separate vs sayth hee from the loue of Christ I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor the Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature is able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Thus wee see what wonderfull assurance and confidence they haue whom Gods Spirit guideth to apply vnto their wounded consciences the most Soueraigne salue of the promises and examples of Gods mercie Whereas others in the time of feare and danger languish in perplexitie Luk. 23 30. Bernard de Annunt serm 3. and could wish the mountaines would fall vpon them and the hills would couer them For truly sayth Bernard as it were speaking vnto God Non reponis â—leum misericordiae nisi in vase fiduciae Thou Lord puttest not the oyle of mercie but into the vessell of confidence This this I say is the faith commended by the Apostle this is the faith that iustifieth before God which beginning with knowledge of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus out of it gathereth confidence and boldnes And thus with good warrant out of the Word I trust wee may affirme that this faith which doth assuredly know and comfortably apply vnto vs the promised mercies of God causeth vs with boldnesse to stand before God without feare of condemnation yet not for the merit or worthinesse of the act of beleeuing but because the office yea the very nature of faith is to apprehend and take hold of Christ through whom wee are found righteous before God in that he is made vnto vs of God wisedome 1. Cor. 1.30 and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption as before I haue said The last wordes in this sentence What workes of the Law are meant whereof there is any question betweene our aduersaries and vs are these The workes of the Law Out of these arise two doubts The first is what Law the Apostle speaketh of in these wordes For some euen very ancient haue beene in that error that he speaketh of the Law ceremoniall as Origen and others Now the Romish Church not seeing how they might maintayne their doctrine of Merits and Iustification by workes vnlesse they were of that minde also were in former times of that mind too being glad that they might shrowd themselues vnder the name of ancient â—â—â—rs I need not speake in particular of these Popish Writers seeing Bellarmine confesseth as much as I say Nonnulli saith he è Catholicis Bellar. de Iustific l 1. cap. 19. docent per opera quae Apostolus à iustificatione excludit intelligi obseruationem legalium ceremoniarum Many of the Catholikes teach that by the workes which the Apostle excludeth from iustification the obseruation of the ceremoniall Law is meant But how many or how great in learning Not works ceremoniall Rom. 2.13 or accompt soeuer they be S. Paul affordeth vs proofe enough to conuince them of error When he saith The doers of the Law shall be iustified is there any colour of reason to imagine that they who obserue the ceremonies of the Law shall bee iustified Wee see in the first and last Chapters of the Prophet Esay Micah the 6. the 50. Psalme and in other places of Scripture that many who were most diligent performers of the ceremonies were notwithstanding misliked of God yea reproued for satisfying themselues with that externall seruice What haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices Esa 1.11 saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offrings of Rams and of the fat of fed beasts and I desire not the bloud of Bullocks nor of Lambs nor of Goates That also which the Apostle writeth of the effect of the Law written in mens hearts by reason whereof we haue thoughts accusing excusing cannot be vnderstood of the Law ceremonial But to come yet neerer to the purpose S. Paul euen in that place where hee handleth this question concluding the former part of this discourse and hauing proued Iewes and Gentiles to be transgressors of the Law either written or of nature thus saith Therefore by the workes of the Law Rom. 3.20 shall no flesh be iustified in Gods sight And lest we might make any doubt what Law hee meaneth of he yeeldeth a reason of his former assertion which maketh the matter plaine For by the Law is knowledge of sinne And yet that it may be more manifest what Law is here meant elswhere in plaine wordes he expoundeth himselfe Rom 7.7 I knew not sinne but by the Law For I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not lust Out of which wordes I reason thus The Apostle speaketh of that Law that maketh vs to know sinne but that is not the Law ceremoniall therefore the Apostle speaketh not of the Law ceremoniall Yea this place seemed to S. Augustine to haue such force as that thereupon he groundeth that which we teach August de Spir. lit cap. 8. Ac ne quisquam putaret hic Apostolum ea lege dixisse hominem iustificari quae in Sacramentis veteribus multa continet figurata praecepta c. And lest any man should thinke the Apostle to haue said that a man is iustified by that which in the old Sacraments haue many figuratiue precepts from whence commeth circumcision which children were commended to receiue he by and by sheweth what Law
something before them to keepe the brightnesse of the light from them Our Sauiour Christ yeeldeth the reason in these words Euery man that doth euill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deedes should be reprooued Our aduersaries teach so many doctrines which cannot abide the light of the word and touchstone of truth they haue deuised and daily doe deuise so many fruitlesse workes and blind deuotions so many false and wil-worshippings and superstitious seruices repugnant to the Sacred Scriptures and so little sauouring of that obedience that is eyther commended in the godly or commaunded in the word that to cloke the wickednesse and abomination in many but folly and vanitie in the best of these their deuices they are forced to tell the people that ignorance is the mother of Deuotion for so they may lead them into a very dungeon of Superstition and that a folded vp faith is good enough for them Stapl. Antidot in Act. 16.31 Nec aliam simplex idiota Christianus habere tenetur neither is a simple and vnlearned Christian bound to haue any other faith Is not this the way to make fooles and idiots of Christians This this I say is the way to cast men into a gulfe of Idolatries Mat. 23.15 and to make men two-fold more the children of hell then you are And then with an Iöpoean you reioyce that Ignorance hath hatched many Deuotions A mother worthie of such badde Daughters Now this assent being proued to bee no true iustifying faith for thereby wee only beleeue that which God teacheth not in God as in our Creed we professe let vs step a little forward and see what this faith is which we affirme doth iustifie And if wee rightly consider thereof True faith we shall find two things necessarie for one that beleeueth the one is Knowledge the other is the Application of that our knowledge Knowledge That knowledge is necessarie to attaine to faith if we had no other proofe yet this were sufficient that God vseth so many wayes for the instruction of his people that by Ignorance they should not erre Hee giueth his Law to bee a rule of life and Religion appointeth his Priests to teach the same and to supply their negligence hee sendeth his Prophets extraordinary Messengers to iogge his people vpon the elbow so putting them in minde when they did amisse And hath hee not ordained the Ministerie Ephes 4.13 1. Cor. 14.26 that wee may meete together in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God The sundry gifts that GOD hath giuen vnto his Church ought all to bee imployed to the edifying thereof Luk. 1.17 Iohn the Baptists office was to make readie a people prepared for the Lord as the Angell doth foreshew or as Zacharie his father sayth Luk. 1.76 To prepare the way of the Lord that is to make men fit to beleeue in Christ And how doth he execute this his function Euen by giuing knowledge of saluation vnto Gods people 77. by the remission of their sinnes Our Sauiour Christ thus speaketh vnto the Iewes Ioh. 10.38 If I doe the workes of my Father then though you beleeue not mee beleeue the workes that ye may know and beleeue As if he would say Vnlesse you know you cannot beleeue and therefore consider of my workes that you may know and so beleeue To this purpose also Act. 15.7 is that which Saint Peter said Among vs the Apostles God chose out me that the Gentiles by my mouth should heare the word of the Gospell and beleeue Now it is most plaine that men heare vnlesse they bee such forgetfull hearers as S. Iames misliketh that they may know Iam. 1.24 and so beleeue But that I may bee short Knowledge is so necessarie for such as beleeue as that it is taken for faith it selfe and that by one that did know better how to speake of these matters Ioh. 17.3 then all our Romish Rabbies This is life eternall sayth Christ to know thee to bee the only very God meaning that it is life eternall to beleeue God to bee the only verie God and whom hee had sent Iesus Christ and such speeches are common in the Scripture But as meate how good so euer nourisheth not but such as eate it and Physicke be it neuer so medicinable helpeth not but such as receiue it Euen so Application second thing required in faith if this knowledge be not applyed to the grieued or wounded conscience the offendour shall neuer haue peace with God therby The Apostle hauing handled at the ful the example of Abraham and set forth his constant faith with the comfortable effect it had That it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Rom. 4.22.23.24 then teacheth vs by application what vse we must make thereof It was not written for him only that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed which beleeue in him who raysed vp Iesus our Lord from the dead Notably for this point Benard de Annunt Serm. 1. Saint Bernard writeth Si credas peccata tua non posse deleri nisi ab illo cui soli peccasti in quem peccata non cadunt bene facis If thou beleeue thy sinnes cannot be done away but by him against whom thou hast only sinned and who himselfe is not subiect to sinne thou dost well Here is a good and a Christian knowledge now marke what vse wee must make of it Sed adde adhuc sayth he in that verie place vt hoc credas quia per ipsum peccata tibi donantur Hoc est testimonium quod perhibet Spiritus Sanctus in corde tuo Dimissa sunt tibi peccata tua But yet adde this sayth good Bernard that thou also beleeue that by him thy sinnes are forgiuen thee This is the testimonie that the holy Ghost beareth in thine heart Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Heere wee haue a particular application of that generall knowledge before mentioned And out of this place of Bernard wee are by the way to note how the Romish Church which would though most vniustly bee counted the true Church hath this long time deceiued the world in making men beleeue the Pope hath power to forgiue sinnes Man cannot forgiue sins whereas Saint Bernard most plainly and to the Scriptures most agreeably doth teach that God only can forgiue sinnes both because our sinne is a breach of his Law and himselfe cannot sinne Fye therefore vpon that man of sinne who being himselfe full fraught with sinne and ouerloden with wickednesse dare take vpon him that office that belongeth only to our Sinne-lesse GOD. He only can make cleane that which is conceiued of vncleane seed Job 14.4 and besides him none He I say hee only can truly make this Proclamation I I am he that putteth away thine iniquities Esa 43.25 for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes
that he is simply or altogether righteous But sometime also righteousnesse is ascribed vnto men here vpon earth As among sundry other to Zachary and Elizabeth of whom S. Luke writeth Luk. 1.6 Innocent in comparison of other Both were iust before God and walked in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord without reproofe S. Augustine handling this very history doth truly teach what iustice they had as elsewhere so namely in these wordes Secundum quandam inter homines conuersationem laudabilem probabilem Aug. cont Pelag. Celestin l. 1. cap. 48. quam nullus hominum posset iustè in quaerelam vocare They were iust in regard of their conuersation commendable and allowable such as no man might iustly complaine of And after hee bringeth the example of Paul Phil 3.6 who according to the righteousnesse that was by the Law was without reproofe And yet this righteousnesse he accounted dung and losse In comparison saith AVG. of that which he hoped for And because the Pelagians pressed him with an authority out of Ambrose to proue that a man might in this life be perfit he sheweth what minde S. Ambrose was of for that point alleaging some words of his out of Ambrose his Commentaries vpon Esay which booke is not now extant that I haue seene although here and elsewhere S. Aug. make mention thereof And Ambrose himselfe referreth vs also to that booke Amb. in Luc lib. 2. The wordes alleaged are these Multi sunt perfecti in hoc mundo qui si perfectionem veram respicias perfecti esse non possunt Many are perfit in this world who if you looke to true perfection cannot be perfit Whereupon also S. August doth thus conclude Item immaculati sunt multi quum si minutiùs excutâ—as immaculatus esse nemo possit quiae nemo sine peccato Many also are vndefiled when as if you sift the matter narrowly no man can be vndefiled Notably also for this point writeth S. Ambrose by occasion of those wordes of the Apostle Let vs as many as bee perfit Phil. 3.15 bee thus minded Ambros in Ep. ad Phil. cap. 3. Ad comparationem caeterorum qui res diuinas negligentiùs curant perfecti dicendi sunt qui adhibita solertia perfectionis it er ambulant In comparison saith he of such as are negligent in heauenly matters they may be called perfect who are carefull to walke in the wayes of perfection S. BASIL expounding these wordes of the Prophet DAVID Iudge me O Lord according to my righteousnes Basil in Psal 7. and according to my innocency that is in me taketh innocency to bee simplicity or want of experience whereby men fall into many inconueniences And righteousnesse hee interpreteth to be such iustice as is hominibus comprehensibilis possibilis his qui in carne viuunt Such as men may attaine to and is possible for them to haue who liue in the flesh and thus he frameth that prayer Ad librilem humanae fragilitatis iustitiam meam appendens ita me iudices Waighing my righteousnesse in the wayscales of mans frailty iudge me after that manner By all this it doth appeare that though some are commended in Scriptures as iust men yet perfect righteousnes which only can stand before God none can attaine vnto For Hier. cont Pelag. l. 1. Cunctorum in carne iustorum imperfecta iustitia est The perfection euen of all iust men while they are in the flesh is vnperfit as S. Hierome saith but vnperfect righteousnesse cannot merit eternall life therefore no perfection that man hath here can merit that life This which I haue already said I would haue thought a sufficient answere to those Scriptures wherein some are commended as iust but seeing some contend to establish a greater righteousnesse in vs then we can haue I am forced a little further to looke into this matter Kemnitius a great learned man Popish impious speeches of Merits Kem. exam part 1. pag. 211. who hath most learnedly examined those wicked decrees of the impious Councel of Trent telleth vs that Lindan no small foole in the Romish Church Reuerendiss Episcopus Traiectensis he is called is very angry with some of his fellowes for affirming that God of his clemency and goodnesse rewardeth our good works to which he teacheth a reward to be due for the worthinesse thereof Andradius Paiuas I am sure Andrad Orthod explicat lib 6. pag. 518. dareth and shameth not to write that the ioy of heauen which the Scripture calleth the retribution and reward of the righteous is not so much giuen them of God freely and liberally as it is due to their workes And as the Apostle S. Paul proueth our Iustification by grace Rom. 4.4 because otherwise it should rather bee of debt then of fauour and the reward and grace saith he are quite contrary so dareth this man because eternall life is in Scripture called a reward gather this doctrine most false Pag. 519. Pag. 522. That it ought not to be imputed according to grace but as a debt And not long after he reproueth Kemnitius for finding fault with the Censurers of Colen for writing that God set on sale eternall life And not much vnlike is that Cens Colon. explicat Dialog 5. which they of Colen teach That by grace there is in our works an infinitenesse that they being somewhat holpen by that gift of grace doe worthily merit eternal life So that we see they imagine any little helpe will serue the turne A plaine proofe that their studie was more how to defend their doctrine then in sinceritie to examine themselues how vnable they are to keepe Gods Law so as they may merit eternall life thereby A man may iustly wonder how any that hath any feeling of his owne frailty or any knowledge of Gods word can bee so besotted as to teach that which is so contrary to that euery one of vs doe or iustly may feele in our selues and so directly against most manifest Scriptures Is any of them better then he who said no doubt as well in respect of himselfe Iob 15.14 as of others What is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Are they more righteous then Dauid who confesseth that if God enter into iudgement with his seruants Psal 143.2 no flesh liuing shall be iustified or found righteous in his sight Are they holier then he who said Dan. 9.5 We haue sinned and haue committed iniquity and done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and haue departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements Are they of greater power to resist sinne then Paul who said Rom. 7.19 I doe not the good thing that I would and the euill which I would not that doe I I thinke they dare not for very shame to match themselues with these men that had so great testimonie of their sincerity from God himselfe at the least
the roote and heat and light from the Sunne but the question which is now to be answered is how the word iustified must here in these wordes of S. Paul be taken Phil. 3.5 I say then it is most likely that S. Paul being of the kindred of Israel of the tribe of Beniamin an Hebrew of the Hebrewes as hee was best acquainted with the Hebrew phrase so he would rather vse it then the Latine Nay this is more then likely because in this very Chapter before he hath vsed this very word according to the Hebrew phrase and in that sense that it hath commonly in the Scripture as our aduersaries themselues must needes confesse in his allegation out of the 51. Psalme It is therefore very absurd Rom. 3.4 that our aduersaries to confirme their sense of this word are forced so to vnderstand it as it is neuer or at the least very seldome vnderstood in the Scripture so that hardly they can alleage any testimonies where of necessitie it must bee taken in their sense whereas we are able to bring very many which they confesse must haue our sense Another absurditie I find in their interpretation Iustification and sanctification confounded by the Popish interpretation that they confound these two notable benefits which we haue by Christ that is our iustification our sanctification Of the first he speaketh in this place to the end of the fift Chap and of the latter he begins to speake in the sixt Chap. as to the end I need not stand long in proofe hereof Tho. of Aquine whom I know our aduersaries wil trust in a greater matter then this is shall testifie for vs in these wordes After the Apostle hath shewed that by the grace of Christ we are freed from sinnes past Tho. Aquin. in Rom. 6. Lec 1. as well that which hath beene brought in by the first man as that which by the Law aboundeth here he sheweth that by the grace of Christ power is giuen vs to resist sinne afterward And this he teacheth entring into his exposition vpon the sixt Chapter of this Epistle to the Romans prouing directly that which I haue said Now the confounding of these two benefits which the Apostle here and else-where distinguisheth is very absurd But here by the way I would aske a question of our Romish Masters what they thinke of these wordes of their Angellical Doctor For if it be true that he saith as it is indeed most true and well warranted by the Word it selfe then is it most false that our aduersaries here say that the Apostle speaketh of an inherent righteousnesse which I thus proue Inherent righteousnesse is for the auoiding of sinne to come but the Apostle speaketh not of the auoiding of sinne to come before the beginning of the sixt Chapter therefore before the beginning of the sixt Chapter he speaketh not of inherent righteousnesse The Minor which is onely by them to be denyed is taken out of the words of Tho. Aquinas Besides these absurdities we haue strong arguments whereby to refell their interpretation As first The Apostles meaning the intent and meaning of the Apostle who from the 16. verse of the first Chapter vnto these words proueth that all both Iewes and Gentiles stand in need of the mercy of God because they are all found guiltie before him The Gentiles not hauing the Law written All are sinners yet had such light of nature shining in their heart as taught them so far forth to know what was good and what was bad that they had their thoughts accusing one another when they did euill or excusing if they liued according to that knowledge But they walked not after that light neither followed that which their owne conscience told them was good â—â—m 2.15 they shewed not in their life the effect of the Law written in their hearts but might say with that vnhappy woman MEDEA Video meliora proboque deteriora sâ—quor I see and approue that which is better I follow that which is worse As for the Iewes among whom were the Lawes of God written in tables of stone and that they might neuer bee vnmindfull thereof they had their Priests for an ordinarie meane of their instruction yea the Prophets also as Gods extraordinary remembrancers to put them in remembrance of their duty and of Gods Law they I say who had greater helps to haue beene better yet liued so little according to that Law that the Apostle thus chargeth them Rom. 2.24 Rom. 3.20 The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles for you Hereupon the Apostle thus concludeth That by the works of the Law shall no flesh be iustified in Gods sight Vers 23. But the Apostle hauing thus proued that all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God will not leaue vs in that vncomfortable case but sheweth by and by how we are deliuered And as he hath taught vs that all both Iewes and Gentiles are transgressors of the Law and by transgression guiltie so now most comfortably he declareth how we shall be acquitted of our transgression Our deliuery from sinne that we may plead not guilty The question then being how we being breakers of Gods Law may appeare before our God and with confidence and plead not guilty This we can neuer doe by any inherent righteousnesse no goodnesse no holinesse that in this vale of misery while wee carry about vs this lumpe of sinfull flesh wee can attayne vnto may acquire vs before God but this must be by faith in Iesus Christ as the Apostle teacheth Now by this it is plaine enough that the Apostle saying wee are iustified by Faith and bringing this as the conclusion of all his former discourse should speake nothing to the purpose if he would here tell vs how we may liue righteously who must rather teach vs how we may be freed from the danger wherein hee hath proued that all men are And as the Apostle had in these words no meaning to shew how wee are inabled to walke in holinesse for of that he meaneth afterward to speake as before I shewed so the words themselues doe sufficiently confute our aduersaries as by this argument may bee proued The Apostle speaketh in these words of such Iustification as is not gotten or had by workes Not by workes but the Iustification in the Popish sence is only by workes therefore the Popish Iustification is not that which the Apostle mentioneth The Maior is plaine by the words of this text A man is iustified without workes The Minor they will not deny For that increase of righteousnesse which our aduersaries so much speake of is nothing else 2. Peâ— but to ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue Such a continuall labouring to be adorned with all goodnesse Good
GOD had done no doubt many good Workes and offered many Sacrifices vnto God yet without respect vnto any of his Workes that hee now the childe and seruant of God had done Abraham beleeued God Gen. 15 6. Gal. 4.9.3 Rom. 4.13 and that his beleeuing was imputed to him for righteousnesse And therefore Paul is bolde to vse such exclusiue words The promise was not giuen through the Law but through the righteousnesse of faith And Sicut Abrahae nostra filiorum eius per gratiam sayth Primasius Primas in Epist ad Rom. 4. As was the Iustification of Abrahams so is ours also who are his children by grace But to be short I suppose we may bee bold to gather out of that which is said this reason As Abraham was iustified so shall wee bee but Abraham was iustified by faith without the workes that he did being Gods seruant therefore we also shall so be iustified All this argument may well and strongly be prooued out of this fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes But what neede many Arguments Confitentem habemus reum Stapleton our Countriman a sure friend to the Romish Church and as loth as any of them to write any thing that might any way impugne their Popish Maximes seeing the deadly wound which these words of the Apostle giue to their Doctrine of Merits is very carefull to salue that sore yet the force of truth driueth him to grant that heere the Apostle Antidot in Rom. 3.28 Our works cannot merit forgiuenesse of sinnes Excludit opera à virtute iustificandi absolutè id est à virtute remittendi peccata Excludeth Workes from hauing power simply or absolutely to iustifie that is to remit sinne or from power to remit sin What can be more plaine Good Workes cannot obtaine remission of sins sayth Stapleton and therefore not iustifie absolutely or perfitly Now an vnperfit Iustification we are not acquainted withal neither hath Christ or any of his Apostles taught vs any such But we know that a perfect cause hath her perfect effect a perfit Sacrifice such an one was that which Christ offered hath obtained perfect Iustification before God for all beleeuers But heere I would faine haue asked a question of Stapleton if he had beene aliue or of some other friend of his seeing hee is gone to giue an account how well he hath vsed his talent whether to gaine soules to Christ or to Antichrists how Parish Priests shall doe hereafter When men and women come to bee shriuen and haue confessed their sinnes shall their Ghostly Father bid them fast so many Frydayes Wednesdayes or Saints Eeues gad on Pilgrimage to Hales or Buxton to Compostel to Rome or to Loretta weare Haire-cloth next their skinne goe bare-foote and bare-legged shall they torment their bodie with Whips or other punishments Popish penances plaine cozenages or begger their Posteritie in building Chaunteries and such like places for satisfaction for sinne All this is to no purpose For Stapleton assureth vs there is in these or any other though better workes by farre such as GOD hath commanded no power to remit sinne so that Iustification must bee sought for some better way And so it seemeth the World hath beene couzened a great while by these cogging Companions which haue made men and women beleeue that by such Workes they may satisfie for their sinnes And thus I trust vpon so good a confession of Stapleton so good warrant of the Word and sure grounds of doctrine wee may conclude that a man is iustified and accounted guiltlesse before God by faith apprehending Christ Iesus in whom we haue redemption by forgiuenesse of our sinnes without any Merit of our Wrokes whether before or after our Iustification Now that which out of these words we conclude doth of necessitie follow but that our Aduersaries fearing lest their Diana of Merits should be nothing esteemed if they cast not a mist before mens eyes to hinder from them seeing the cleere light of truth that shineth in our Doctrine Act. 19.25.28 assemble as did the Siluersmiths at the call of Demetrius who told them by that craft they got their goods and with such other speeches made them full of wrath insomuch as they cried out saying Great is Diana of the Ephesians Euen so is it with vs. The Romish Demetrius that getteth much by selling such as they call good Workes with his followers seeking to defend the Doctrine of Merits cry out of that which teacheth Iustification by faith only whereby they may haue much losse if want of euill gotten goods may bee counted losse I confesse we teach that Faith only doth iustifie that is that a true and liuely faith wrought in our hearts by Gods Spirit working by loue True faith only iustifieth fruitfull in good workes adorned and beautified with holinesse of life for these are badges whereby to know a true faith doth iustifie and acquite vs before God so as wee boldly stand and plead not guiltie Whereby our Aduersaries may see how vniustly they slander vs and our Doctrine as if wee were enemies to all good Workes And yet we only teach that such a true faith as I haue now described without respect of the Workes that alwayes accompanie it doth iustifie not by the Merit of this faith but in that it is our hand whereby we apprehend and hold fast that Iustification which we haue in Christ through the vnspeakeable mercie of God And this our Doctrine is so warranted in Sacred Scripture as nothing more Saint Paul doeth often vse exclusiue words Exclusiue words Negatiue Equiualent as these are without the Law without Workes Sometime plaine negatiue words Not by Workes not by the Law Otherwhile words equiualent or of such like force As by grace Freely These manners of speech when I consider of I cannot but like well of the good and Christian counsell giuen by Primasius an ancient Writer Audi gratis tace de Meritis Heare what the Apostle sayth freely and speake not a word of Merits Thus therefore I reason for our Doctrine of Iustification by faith only If Workes are not to be ioyned with faith in the matter of Iustification then faith only euen by the confession of our Aduersaries doth iustifie For our Romish Catholikes denie not this our Doctrine but in respect of workes neyther doe they in any their Bookes or Writings seeke to match any thing with faith as cause of Iustification but workes only But workes are not to be ioyned with faith in the matter of Iustification as the Apostle most plainly proueth Gal. 2.16 Know ye that a man is not iustified by the Workes of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ Againe Ye are saued by grace Eph. 2.8.9 through faith not of your selues it is the gift of God not of Workes lest any man should boast himselfe Lastly these words to the Romanes are very effectuall Rom. 1.28 Therfore wee conclude that a man is iustified
him commeth Basil Cypr. l. 3. ad Quir. c. 42. Basil Hom. 22. whose wordes are these Ea demum perfecta omnimoda gloriatio est in Deo quandoneque propter suam ipsius iustitiam quis extollitur sed agnoscit se quidem vera destitui iustitia verum sola in Christum fide iustificatum esse That is perfit reioycing and altogether in the Lord when a man is not proud no not of his owne righteousnesse but confesseth himselfe to be destitute thereof and that hee is iustified only by faith in Christ GREG. NAZIAN who for the great opinion of learning that was conceiued of him was called the Diuine as he was in Basils time so was he of his mind too as these his wordes doe shew Nazian Orat. 21. Confiteri Christum credat illum a mortuis suscitatum esse saluaberis Siquidem credere solum iustitia est Confesse Christ and beleeue that he is raised from the dead and thou shalt be saued For to beleeue only is righteousnesse PAVLINVS also is of the same minde that the rest are as wee may see in an Epistle which is among S. Augustines Epistles his wordes are Epist 58. Aug. Salus fide sola quaeritur Saluation is sought for by faith only This is also the iudgement of Ruffine in his exposition of the Creede it is among Cyprians workes Ruffin in Symbolum De remissione peccatorum saith he sufficere deberet sola credulitas Concerning remission of sinnes beleeuing only should suffice And the reason of this his assertion is not to bee omitted Quis enim causas aut rationem requirat vbi indulgentia principalis est For who will inquire after causes or a reason where indulgence or pardon is principall THEODORET also as oft in other his Treatises so also in his bookes against the Idolatrie of the Gentiles and in defence of Christian Religion writeth thus Theodâ—r de curat Grae. Affect l. 7. Non vllis operibus nostris sed per solam fidem mystica bona consecuti sumus Not by any our workes but by faith only we haue gotten vnknowne good things Now vnto these I may adde Leo a Pope in an Epistle that he sent by one called Philo to Leo then Emperour It is not his 70. Epistle as Bellarmine vntruly quoteth the place but 76. But his wordes are these Catholica fides humanum genus sola vinificat Leo Epi. 76. sola sanctificat The Catholike faith doth only quicken only sanctifie mankinde But Bellarmine answereth that Leo in those wordes speaketh De fide dogmatica Of a dogmaticall faith Bellar. de Iustif l. 1. cap. 25. and such as is opposed against Heretikes As if he had said that the Arrian faith or that of the Eutycheans caÌ„not sanctifie but that faith which is true and Catholike Be it so yet he must needes grant that no dogmaticall faith that is no externall profession of Religion how earnest in shew soeuer it is be it also neuer so true can quicken and sanctifie vntil it be as a seed sowne in the heart taking hold of Christ for the remission of sinnes and so it I say it only giueth true life to a Christian I haue also read these very wordes cited out of Alcuine whom some call Albine the booke I confesse Alcuin Praefat. ad Carol. Mag. I haue not seene But if he haue such words he seemeth well to approue that which Leo hath written because hee hath alleaged his very wordes without any change I will cloze vp this ranke with one well esteemed of in the Church of Rome Rich. de S. Victor decisione dubi Apostoli Ecce saith he habes apertè quòd possit homo aliquando iustificari ex sola fide absque legis opere Behold thou seest plainely that a man may sometime be iustified by faith only without any worke of the Law Which seeing hee will grant to be sometime I see no reason why he should doubt but that it is so alwayes For there is but one way of iustifying Iew or Gentile Rom. 3.22 one or other Euen the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue Christian Poets There are then three ancient Christian Poets who sing the same song with these Fathers and learned Writers Iuuencus is first Hier. Catal. Script eccl Hieron in Mat. 2. Iuueac hist Euang. l. 2. who liued about the 330. yeere of Grace of whom S. Ierome maketh mention and also citeth a Verse out of him in his Commentaries vpon S. Matthewes Gospell This Iuuencus I say hath these wordes Namque vbi certa fides fuerit complexa salutem non erit vlla illic anceps agitatio iuris For when assured faith hath taken hold of saluation there will be no more doubtfull waging of Law Not long after him was Prudentius who in a booke intituled Psychomachia wherein hee sheweth what fights and battels the soule hath Prudent pugna concord discord speaking of faith writeth thus Haec mea sola salus This faith only is my saluation And I finde alleaged by that famous learned man of our time D. Humphrey in his answere to Campians first reason the like out of one Victor Cemensis as I take it but his wordes are these Victor writing of Abrahams faith Credidit nudae fidei consensio sola plenam ad iustitiae meritireputata coronam est ABRAHAM beleeued and this consent only of bare faith was imputed to him for a full crowne of righteousnesse and merit Popish Writers Yet haue I reserued three great Rabbies in the Romish Church for the shutting vp of this question who if they speake as their Fore-man hath done and many other before them I hope we shal be found not guiltie of errour much lesse of heresie The first of this company is Gratian the very store-house of their Canon Law who very plainely affirmeth Dist 2. de Poenit. charitas est a q. that fidei soli vaenia promittitur To faith only is pardon promised And a little after Fide sola peccata relaxantur By faith only sinnes are remitted If any man answere that he there telleth vs but what Augustine saith true but withall he alleageth it not as misliking but as approuing it as sound doctrine After him commeth Peter Lombard though equall in time for it is said that Gratian Danaeus in Com. in Lombard in prolegomenis c. 4. and Lombard and Petrus Comestor were all brethren and the bastard children of a Nunne Lombard I say Bishop of Paris whose authority in the Church of Rome was like that Pythagoras had among his Schollers among whom it was enough to say The Master saith it His writings are in such account with them that they are the very ground of Popish or Schoole diuinitie In so much as since hee wrote his bookes of Sentences very many by their Commentaries haue laboured to explane him studying somtime to make him agree with
answering their principall allegations it will not be hard to iudge of all others also I will beginne with such Scriptures as seeme to ascribe Worthinesse vnto men For out of them doth Bellarmine thus gather Dignum esse praemio De Iustific lib. 5. ca. 2 3 What worthinesse in men Wisd 3.5 mereri praemium idem sunt To bee worthy of a reward and to deserue a reward is all one And to proue this worthinesse in men he alleadgeth foure places The first is taken out of the Booke of Wisedome God tryed them and found them worthie of himselfe The Booke from whence this testimonie is taken is knowne not to be Canonicall Scriptures and therfore of no such credit in Gods Church as that vpon places out of it wee may ground any Article of Religion And this answere might serue verie well to this obiection But yet the words themselues doe not of necessity proue merit or worthinesse of the workes that we doe And that first in respect of the person that trieth thē also in regard of them that are tryed He that tryeth his seruants is I know wise enough to examine and spye faults iust also to punish them But he is also content to couer with the righteousnes of his Sonne our faults and to hide our iniquities not beholding vs as in our selues we are sinners Who are found righteous or worthy Dan. 9.24 but as we are in Christ righteous Then also who are they that being tryed are found righteous Euen they whose debt Christ hath paid for whose sinnes hee hath satisfied and sealed vp as Daniel sayth that they may bee no more remembred Whose iniquitie he hath reconciled to bring in euerlasting righteousnesse Of such we see who bring with them nothing whereby they should be found worthy but haue all from Christ it is said he found them worthy Other two places hee bringeth for which wee are much beholding to him because by them we may learne how to answere such testimonies as seeme to ascribe worthinesse vnto men One is out of the answere that Christ maketh vnto the Sadduces a Sect which thought there is no resurrection who thought to intrappe him in a subtile question The question was of one woman that married seuen husbands who all dying they would know whose wife she should be at the Resurrection To whom Christ answeres thus They who shall be counted worthy to enioy that world Luk. 20.35 and the resurrection from the dead neither marry wiues nor are married The other is much like this 2. Thes 1.5 That yee may be counted worthy of the Kingdome of God for which yee also suffer saith S. Paul to the Thessalonians Now who knoweth not that we may bee counted worthy of that which in due consideration we cannot be worthy of So that they are accounted worthy proueth not that they are worthy indeed as shall God willing by and by plainely appeare The fourth place then must serue the turne or else nothing is said That is the wordes of our Sauiour Christ of some of Sardi They shall walke with me in white for they are worthy Reuel 3.4 As if Christ had said they shall triumph with me or raigne in glory and life euerlasting for they are worthy But what are they worthy in respect of their worke or for the merit thereof For if not it helpeth not our Aduersaries And that neither they nor any other No man worthy of eternall life but Christ that is conceiued as we all are of vncleane seede can be worthy in respect of workes I proue thus No man is worthy of eternall life in respect of works but hee who can fulfill the Law but no man can fulfill the Law therefore by their workes no man can be worthy of eternall life My first Proposition I proue thus God himselfe saith to his people of Israel If thou keepe my Statutes thou shalt liue in them Leuit. 18.5 In which wordes as we see a promise of life so must we obserue the condition of keeping Gods statutes if we will looke to be partakers of the promise And no doubt the Apostle S. Paul out of these and such like words hath learned that which he teacheth vs of the iustification which is of the Law The man that doth these things Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 Deut 27.26 Gal. 3.10 shal liue thereby But if the condition bee not obserued then marke what followeth Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all the wordes of this Law to doe them This continuance in doing the Law and keeping the Statutes of God teacheth vs neither to be idle nor euill occupied and that wee must not swarue either to the right hand or left leauing the right path of Gods Law at any time For S. Iames hath truly out of this place gathered Iam. 2.10 that whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Law and yet faileth in one point is guilty of all Not because whoso breaketh one Commandement breaketh all A thiefe in that he is a thiefe is not a murderer or adulterer but the meaning is he is guilty of transgression and therefore cannot bee saued by the Law If then eternall life be promised to them only that keepe the whole Law as is proued much lesse shall it be merited by any that fulfill not the same My Minor or second Proposition is that no man can fulfill the Law For confirmation whereof I minde rather to point vnto arguments We cannot perfitly fulfill the Law then any way to dilate them First therefore it is a perfection belonging only to Christ to keepe the whole Law He only was without sinne because he neuer did transgresse Hee only could offer the sacrifice of perfect and holy obedience so that in this respect hee only could make the atonement betweene God and vs. As for his Apostles though no doubt good men yet they prayed Luk. 17.5 Mar. 9.24 as they had good cause Increase our faith Helpe our vnbeliefe And our Sauiour himselfe taught them and in them the perfectest that euer was Mat. 6.12 Hebr. 7.26 to pray Forgiue vs our trespasses Our imperfections then being so many and so great Such a high Priest it became vs to haue as is holy harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinners made higher then the heauens For but by such a Mediator our sinnes are so great as that wee neuer could haue beene reconciled to God because we are farre from keeping the Law Our conscience teacheth this Secondly our owne consciences will so testifie with me herein and against our selues that I hope I neede not produce much proofe hereof Let vs but examine our selues by that rule which the Author of all truth gaue vnto some who would get as our Papists say they can doe eternall life by doing by which hee meant they should trie and examine themselues Luk. 10.25 Master saith a certaine expounder of the Law what shall I doe to inherit eternall life 26.27 And hee said