things saith Saint Augustine The righteousnesse of God not our righteousnesse In him not in vs. So then looke how Christ was made sinne for vs in the same manner are wee made the righteousnesse of God in him But Christ was not made sinne by infusion or inherencie of sinne but onely by imputation So we that we may be saued must bee iustified not by our inherent righteousnesse which at the best is imperfect but by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ who of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 4. This righteousnesse is imputed to euery true beleeuer for it is faith onely whereby we apprehend Christ with all his benefits as we may see if we compare together Faith Hope and Charitie Faith like a hand receiueth and layeth hold on the obiect Christ therefore S. Iohn maketh receiuing of Christ and beleeuing in him all one Hope onely expecteth looketh for the accomplishment of that which faith beleeueth and with patience waiteth for it Charitie distributeth her good things to the benefit of others Hence it is that faith onely is said to iustifie because it is the onely instrumentall cause of our iustification in that it alone doth apprehend Christ by whom we are iustified Scriptures for this are plentifull From all things saith Saint Paul in his Sermon at Antioch from which ye could not be iustified by the Law of Moses by Christ euery one that beleeueth is iustified And disputing the question of iustification he doth thus determine it Therefore wee conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the deeds of the Law This saith Saint Bernard is the Apostles meaning that a man is iustified freely by faith 5. Our iustification is of Gods free grace and mercy This the Apostle auoucheth That all men are iustified freely by his grace A trueth so euident that it hath obtained the Aduersaries ingenuous confession For the vncertaintie of our own righteousnesse saith Bellarmine and the perill of vaine-glory it is most safe to repose our whole confidence in the sole mercy and fauour of God Thus euen our Aduersaries being witnesses our Christian reformed Religion directeth men the safest way to heauen 6. It is for the onely merit of Iesus Christ therefore the Apostle hauing said That we are iustified freely by his grace addeth through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ. And venerable Bede saith That Christs death is our life his condemnation our iustification Thus we see what Iustification is now that it belongeth only to the Church and is a concomitant of saluation our Creede may teach vs where we are directed to beleeue as speciall priuiledges of the Catholike Church the forgiuenesse of sinnes and the Resurrection to life euerlasting And the Apostle saith That wee being iustified by his grace should bee made heires according to the hope of eternall life Where wee haue in one text both the persons to whome Iustification doth belong we saith the Apostle that is the Church and faithfull people of God and the inheritance of eternall life following The last grace accompanying saluation is Sanctification It is a grace of God whereby a man being iustified is in euery part of soule and body renewed by the Spirit of God no more to liue in sinne but to walke in newnesse of life It is in a word the renewed image of God consisting in knowledge righteousnes and true holinesse You may see it in the lesson that grace teacheth all her children which is To deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world being zealous of good workes Iustification and sanctification differ in foure points 1. Iustification is before sanctification in nature though both be together in time for as the branch must first be in the Vine before it can by vertue of the sap bring forth fruit so a man must bee first in Christ by faith before hee can be a new creature and so bring forth the fruit of holinesse 2. Iustification is without vs in Christ as was said before but Sanctification is within vs inherent and infused by the Spirit of God 3. Iustification is that whereby we stand absolued and made iust in the sight of God but by Sanctification wee are onely declared to be iust 4. Iustification doth quiet the conscience by reconciling it and making it at peace with God for being iustified by faith wee haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ. But Sanctification cannot doe so because our best actions are imperfect and in regard of their defect stand in need of pardon If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand Now that Sanctification is also the Churches peculiar heare the Apostle shewing the difference betweene men out of the Church and such as are in it speaking of their prophanenesse before their calling he saith and such were some of you but telling them of their change he addeth but ye are washed but ye are sanctified It is therefore the stile or addition of the Church Vnto the Church of God saith Saint Paul which is at Corinth To them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saints And we beleeue in our Creede the holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints That it doth accompany saluation is more then manifest for without it no man shall see the Lord but being â—reed from sinne we haue our fruit in holinesse and the end euerlasting life Therfore we must know that sanctificatioÌ„ is such a necessary antecedent though no meritorious cause of Saluation that notwithstanding no man shal be saued for the merit of it yet no man can be saued without it because true sauing faith the instrumentall cause of our iustification and saluation worketh by loue and can be no more without sanctity and good workes then fire can bee without heat or water without moisture To conclude then if there be no saluation without election calling iustification and sanctification and none of these to be found but only in the Church of God it followeth necessarily that there is no saluation out of the Church 3 There are certaine meanes appointed of God to worke and encrease sauing grace which if they shall be found to be the Prerogatiue of the Church it cannot be denied but that there onely Saluation is to be had for in reason the end cannot ordinarily be attained without the meanes leading vnto it Our Sauiour telling the woman of Samaria of the Water of life she answered him Sir you haue nothing to draw withall and the well is deepe from whence then haue you that Water of life Indeede the well is profound and deepe from whence we must fetch the euer-liuing Water and the womans reason may teach vs that we had need of instruments and meanes to conuay it vnto vs. Now the meanes to effect
an infinite Maiesty at one instant to heare the manifold variety of petitions of all men vpon the face of the earth yea and to know the very thoughts and desires of euery heart praier being principally the act of the heart Vpon this very ground wise Salomon takes for granted that all praier ought to bee made to God onely Heare thou in heauen saith he to God thy dwelling place and forgiue and doe and giue to euery man according to his wayes whose heart thou knowest for thou euen thou only knowest the hearts of all the Children of men Againe prayer to Saints wanteth that threefold prop that must support euery true and acceptable seruice to God that is to say Precept Promise and Paterne For Inuocation of Gods name we haue expresse commandement Call vpon me And our Sauiour commandeth that when we pray we should direct our prayers to Our Father in heauen We haue also a sure word of promise Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he wil giue it you And Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued We haue no such precept no such promise to warrant and incourage vs to inuocate the Blessed Virgin S. Peter S. Paul or any or all of the Saints Againe for praier to God only we haue expresse paterne both perâ—onall in all the Fathers from the first Adam in the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and prime Orthodox Fathers of the Church who did suffer Martyrdome for this very point That God onely in Christ is to be adored and called vpon We haue also a reall paterne in that Heauenly Manuall of praier and praise the Sacred Psalter or Psalmes of Dauid together with the set formes of the faithfuls praiers recorded euery where in Scripture and all directed to God only not on paterne of prayer to Saints This is ingenuously confessed by their own Eccius and other Pontificians that inuocation of Saints hath no warrant in sacred Scripture not in the Old Testament because the Fathers were then in Limbo nor in the new Testament lest the Gentiles should returne againe to their old Idoll-worship and leâ—t the Apostles should bee charged with arrogancy as be speaking beforehand their owne glory and worship to bee done to themselues after their death Nay more they confesse that it is the safer and better way to call vpon God onely in the name of Iesus Christ. And one of them out of a work ascribed to Saint Augustine concludes the question thus More safely and more sweetly do I speake in prayer to my Iesus then to any of the Saints The storie of George Duke of Saxony is herein memorable Lying vpon his death-bed the Monkes like Locusts swarming about him and beholding his agony exhorted him one to inuocate the Virgin Mary another to call vpon the Angels another to pray to these and these Saints for helpe in that extremity but a Noble man one of his familiars standing by directed his speech to the Duke in this manner Your Highnesse saith he was wont in your politicke affaires to take vp this prouerbe To goe the direct way without ambages or circumstances is the most compendious course Why then should your Highnesse in this most dangerous passage goe about the furthest way and not rather goe the direct way vnto God himselfe by Christ who both will and can certainely helpe Erasmus among other his pleasant conceits doth merrily glance at this error reporting a story of one at Sea where as their manner is euery man in a wracke flyeth to his Saint as it were his Tutelar God There was one saith he among the rest when he saw the present and imminent danger and that there was no delaying in the midst of his distraction thoght with himself If I should pray to S. Nicholas it is vncertaine whether he heare me and it may be he is busy in hearing dispatching other petitioners or if not so yet it may be that he cannot haue so speedy accesse to God to mediate for me as my present necessitie requires I will therefore saith he take the safest and surest course and goe the direct way to God himselfe by Christ because it is written in the Psalme Call vpon me in the day of trouble I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me And in the Hebrewes Let vs therefore come boldly vnto the Throne of grace that we may obtaine mercy and find grace to helpe in time of neede If any stumble at this that some Fathers are alledged to countenance this error let him remember that of S. August We must not hearken to This say I This say you but This saith the Lord. And distinctly first of himselfe he saith I would not haue you follow my authority that you should therfore thinke any thing necessary to be beleeued because I say it And of other Fathers what he held may appeare by that which he writeth of S. Cyprians Epistle viz. That it hath no authority to bind him For saith he I do not hold Saint Cyprians Letters to be Canonicall Scripture but I examine them by the Canonicall and what I finde thereunto agreeable I imbrace with his praise what is not consonant by his leaue I will leaue This is the true profession of a Doctor concerning the Scriptures at his inauguration Quod tenet teneo quod respuit respuo What the Scripture doth hold I hold what it doth reiect I reiect If any harp vpon the long custom of this error in the ChristiaÌ„ world let him consider as one saith wel that Christ said not I am custom but I am truth And that custome without truth is but an old error or the antiquity of error Which like an old sore is so much the worse and more incurable the older it is 11. Their prayer for the dead to deliuer them out of that fearefull and hell-like torment in Purgatory wherein they are made to beleeue they lye boyling as in a fierie fornace What an antithesis and plaine opposition is there betweene the Word of truth and this grosse error We know and are assured by the Word of God that the blood of Iesus Christ clenseth and purgeth vs from all sinne So that there is no neede of humane purgatiues either for veniall sinnes or for temporall punishment of sinnes mortall For our Lord Iesus assureth the faithfull departing this life that he that heareth his Word and beleeueth is passed from death vnto life and that they that die in the Lord are in a blessed estate rest from their labours Yea the poorest Lazarus that dieth in the faith of Abraham is immediately in his precious soule conuaied by the Angels into Abrahams bosome there possessed of heauenly ioy not afflicted with hellish torment This may be a sufficient conuiction of this error that there is not one sentence not one word not one syllable no not one letter in
must of necessity be vnited or else there was no saluation for them If a man in this case of conscience being troubled in minde should demand of a Iesuite or Seminary What he should doe to attaine euerlasting life his answere would readily be this You must be reconciled to the Church of Rome But if S. Paul were asked the same question as sometime hee was by the Iaylour what would be his answere Surely none other but this What must thou doe to bee saued Beleeue on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saued and thy house When so many soules with pricked and perplexed hearts cried out to the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Did S. Peter salue their sore consciences with the Balme of reconciliation to Rome No no Rome had then no Christian being but he vniteth them to the Church of the faithfull by calling them to repentance and faith and to enter into the Church by Baptisme Repent saith he and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ c. The visible Church then whereunto whosoeuer will be saued must be reconciled is the Congregation of the faithfull of what nation or Countrey or condition soeuer they bee For saith the Apostle there is neither Iew nor Greeke there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus Wherefore our blessed Lord hath left vs in this case a sure rule and stay whereupon the Christian soule may safely rest and it is this Where two or three saith he are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Absurdly therefore haue the Romish faction coyned a new definition of the Visible Church wherein they make the most formall and essentiall part to be this namely to be vnder the regiment of one head and gouernour of the Vniuersall Church the Vicar of Christ on earth and S. Peters Successor to wit the Bishop of Rome so that without adherence vnto and dependance vpon this head they admit no man to saluation The grosenesse of this conceit may appeare by these euidences 1. Thus to define the Church in this manner as they do is most illogicall and vnreasonable for a true and perfect definition requireth that it be constituted solely of causes materially and formally essentiall vnto the thing defined so that the one can neuer exist without the other But it is farre otherwise with the true visible Church for that both was and might be defined and thousands of soules vnited vnto it and saued in it before euer the Church of Rome had any being in the world as hath beene shewed before in part How many famous Churches were planted by the Apostles that neuer cast the glance of an eye towards Rome as Corinth Galatia Ephesus and the rest of the seuen Churches of Asia How many thousand soules conuerted that neuer heard of any such vniuersall head or so much as the name of Rome And indeede what should let but that they may be saued without any such respect which haue the graces of faith and repentance and are entred by Baptisme to to which the promise is made in the generall commission Goe ye saith our Lord into all the world and preach the Gospell to euery creature He that beleeueth and is baptized shal be saued Againe if there were such necessity to bee vnited to the Sea of Rome vpon paine of damnation how came it to passe that S. Cyprian as our Aduersaries themselues confesse in a Councell of fourescore and seuen Bishops opposed himself against the Pope and being cut off from communion with that great Head yet died a blessed Saint and was honoured with the crowne of Martyrdome dying out of that communion and as Bellarmine saith neuer found to make any retractation Or if to adhere to this one vniuersall Head bee a matter of so great consequence as they make it that the saluation of all men depend vpon it is it credible that it should be so vnknowne to Gregorie the Great that he himselfe being Bishop of Rome aboue fiue hundred yeres after Christ should renounce it with so many titles of disgrace in one Epistle He cals it a name of Nouelty an impious name a title of singularity and that he which taketh it vpon him is the forerunner of Antichrist with many more disgracefull termes giuen to that proud and pompous title elsewhere Besides how can that be a perpetuall and essentiall part of the Churches definition which was not knowne in the Christian world so many hundred yeeres after Christ but as their owne learned Historians confesse was obtained of Phocas the Emperour by Boniface the third who was the second Pope that succeeded after S. Gregorie Boniface the third saith Platina obtained of Phocas the Emperour with much importunity That the seat of S. Peter should be stiled and taken of all for the head of all Churches Where then was this head before S. Gregorie himselfe will satisfie vs. None saith he of my predecessours the Bishops of Rome did euer assume or challenge to himselfe the name of Vniuersall Bishop We see then how vnreasonable it is that dependance vpon the Sea of Rome should be essentiall to the definition of the Visible Church and of necessity to Saluation as they would make their blindfold followers beleeue 2. Againe it is manifest That as S. Augustine speaketh in those things that are apertly and plainely set downe in Scripture we may finde whatsoeuer doth concerne faith and good life Now let vs search the whole Booke of God from the first of Genesis to the last of the Apocalypse and wee shall not finde so much as one word either of prophecie precept promise or president to countenance any such necessary adherence to Rome How then can this be so mayne a point of faith as the Romanists would haue it that hath not so much as one expresse Scripture to ground it selfe vpon 3. And is it indeede so waighty a point of Christian beleeâ—e In what Creed I pray you may we finde it I am sure it is not in the Apostles Creed vnlesse they finde it in some thirteenth new-coyned Article of their owne There is onely the Holy Catholike Church the communion of Saints which for the visible and Militant part of it is all one in effect with our definition viz. That the visible Church is a congregation of faithfull men Saints by calling as Saint Paul speaketh In the Nicene Creed there is onely added by way of explication the word Apostolicke I beleeue one Catholicke and Apostolicke Church to shew against the Heretickes of that time that that was the onely true Catholicke and Orthodoxe Church which continued in the Doctrine of the Apostles As for Athanasius in his Creed hee makes Catholicke Religion to consist in the true Catholicke faith and beliefe of those things that are of necessitie to
Hee must not keepe away the Bread of life from Gods familie The word of reconciliation is committed vnto him Yea necessity is laid vpon him so that were he as great as S. Paul himselfe yet woe be vnto him if he preach not the Gospell This consideration that the Ministerie of the Word is the meanes of our life O what esteeme should it cause that sacred Calling to bee of among men How beautifull should their feet bee that bring glad tidings of peace How amiable their presence that present vs to God in Christ What haue wee or what can wee giue to them proportionable to the good we receiue from God by them being instrumentally the very Sauiours of our soules Who can open the mouth or lift vp the hand despightfully against such to whom hell it selfe is constrained to giue this applause These men are the seruants of the most high God which shew vnto vs the way of saluation The neglect of hearing the Word nay Recusancy contempt must therefore needs be a haynous sinne whatsoeuer salue of excuse may be laid vpon it For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation offered vnto vs in the Ministery of the Gospell of Christ Such men as thus reiect and put the Word of God from them if wee will beleeue the Apostle pronounce a direfull sentence against themselues for by the very act of neglect and contempt of the Word they iudge themselues vnworthy of euerlasting life Then how carefull ought we to be to attend vpon the ordinance of God in the Ministery of his Word Let the preaching of the Crosse be to the profane world to them that perish foolishnesse but saith the Apostle Vnto vs that are saued it is the power of God For so it hath pleased God by that which vaine men set so light by euen by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue Let euery soule therefore that would bee partaker of the grace of life neglect no good opportunity of hearing Consider that life eternall consisteth in the Knowledge of God in Christ and as all Learning so heauenly Knowledge must enter into the heart by the eare the sense of hearing being the organe or instrument of learning Set downe then this resolution in thy heart with the faithful in the Psalme I wil heare what God the Lord will speake for he will speake peace vnto his people and to his Saints but let not them turne againe to folly The second meanes of entrance into the Church is by beleeuing This must follow hearing and goe before Baptisme for without faith neither is the Word of force to vs nor we fit for Baptisme The Word preached saith the Apostle did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it And the Eunuch desiring Baptisme is told by Philip that he must first be a beleeuer If thou beleeuest saith he with all thy heart thou mayest Looke into the examples of all that euer were added to the Church if they will be sound members they must beleeue nay they cannot so much as be admitted into the outward society but they must at least professe faith yea euen Simon Magus himselfe Thus Chrispus beleeued on the Lord with all his house Many of the Corinthians hearing beleeued and were baptized And so of all the rest of the Conuerts to Christianity And there is great reason for it for no man can be added to the body of the Church to become a sound member of it but he must be vnited to the Head Christ Iesus in whom all the members grow vp into a compleate body Now we are vnited vnto Christ by none other meanes but by faith whereby hee dwelleth in our hearts Againe What is the Church but a company of beleeuers a congregation of faithfull men Therefore vnlesse a man beleeue he cannot be of that society Besides the Word is the bread of life the foode of the soule so that as naturall food cannot sustaine nature vnlesse it be receiued into the body and digested no more can the Word bee a Word of life to the soule except it be apprehended by faith It is a sauing Word onely to them that beleeue They therfore that hearing beleeue not are in the same or rather worse condition then they that heare not at all For sinnes of knowledge are greater then sinnes of ignorance and the meanes not profited by doth aggrauate the sin Yea the sentence is feareful that He that beleeueth not shal be damned And the very same word that is by vnbeliefe so reiected shall iudge the incredulous that receiue it not by faith at the Last day This should mouingly perswade euery Christian Soule to mixe the Word with faith considering that as the means of vniting to the Church on Gods part is the liuely voice of his Word preached so on mans part the effectuall meanes is faith Nay God for our greater incouragement hath promised to his both the meanes and efficacy thereof For the meanes see the Prophet Esay Though saith the Prophet the Lord giue you the bread of aduersity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be remoued into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee saying This is the way walke in it And as for the efficacie God hath bound himselfe so to assist his outward ordinance that his inward working grace shall concurre with it I wil put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts saith the Lord. This also may be a touchstone to try vs whether we bee indeede vnited to the Church of God or in outward shew onely for we see euidently that none are incorporated into the body of Christ but the true Beleeuers And who are those true beleeuers Take these briefe notes of them 1. A true beleeuer doth rely only vpon the mercie of God in Christ whose mercy he doth so account his al sufficient merit that he professeth vnfainedly that he hath none in heauen but the Lord and none on earth but he 2. The true Beleeuer liueth no longer in the former course of his ignorance and sinne he walkes not after the flesh but after the Spirit becomming by the power of the death of Christ dead to sinne 3. The true Beleeuer doth expresse his faith by his workes knowing that it is not idle but worketh by loue 4. The true beleeuer is constant in his way of piety and vertue that he may attain to the end of his faith the saluation of his soule for he knoweth well that he cannot receiue the Crowne of life vnlesse he be faithfull to the death The Sacrament of Baptisme is the third meanes of entring into the Church for the