writing in Greeke but also the holy Apostles and Evangelists have received the same And therefore these words are no otherwise to be understood than as the translations of the said Hebrew words signifying no other thing than what the Hebrew words import which as I have shewed doe never signifie to make or to be made righteous by inherent righteousnesse § II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used by the Apostle and by the Evangelist Luke sometimes as the translation of Tsiddiq in Piel as Luk. 7. 29. the people and Publicans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justified God The Lawyer Luk. 10. 29. willing to justifie himselfe The Pharisies Luk. 16. 15. justified themselves before men And so is the word used sometimes by the sonne of Sirach as Ecclus. 10. 29. who will justifie him that sinneth against his owne soule Cap. 13. 26. alias 22. A rich man speaketh things not to be spoken and yet men justifie him Sometimes the Apostle useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the translation of Hitsdiq as alwaies he doth in the question of justification and alwayes as the action of God as Rom. 3. 26. who justifieth him that beleeveth in Iesus how vers 24. gratis without any cause or desert of justification in the party without workes that is without respect of any righteousnesse inherent in him or performed by him vers 28. who justifieth the Circumcision and uncircumcision that is both Iewes and Gentiles not of workes or by inherent justice but by and through faith vers 30. who justifieth the ungodly that is the beleeving sinner that worketh not Rom. 4. 5. and therefore not by inherent righteousnesse how then by imputing righteousnesse without workes vers 6. who Rom. 8. 30. whom he calleth he justifieth namely by faith and whom he justifieth hee also glorifieth using the word in the same sense vers 33. who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who shall condemne where most manifestly the word is used as a judiciall word opposed to accusing and condemning Neither can any colour of reason be alleaged why the word in these places should signifie contrary to the perpetuall use both of it selfe and of the Hâ—…brew word whereof it is a translation to make righteous by righteousnesse inherent § III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used sometimes as the translation not of the passive verbe but as of the Neuter in Cal as I have shewed before out of the Greeke translation of the 〈◊〉 So Ecclus. 7. 5. bee not just before God not wise before the king or as it is usually translated doe not justifie thy selfe before God So also in the new Testament Rom. 3. 4. cited out of Psalm 51. 6. where the Hebrew word is not a passive but a neuter And so Apoc. 22. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him that is just be just still As the translation of the passive it is often used But as it never signifieth to be made just by inherent justice as I will shew when I come to answere the objections of the Papists so it alwayes signifieth either to be declared or pronounced just or to bee absolved and made jusâ—… by imputation In the former sense wisedome is said to bee justified of her Children Luk. 7. 37. who vers 29. justified God Christ who is God was manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3. 16. Thus by our words we shall bee justiâ—…ed not made just formally or by inherent righteousnesse but in the sense opposed to condemnation For as by thy words thou shalt bee justified so by thy words thou shalt be condemned Matth. 12. 37. Thus not the hearers alone but the doers of the Law shall bee justified that is pronounced just Rom. 2. 13. and in this sense the faithfull are justified by workes that is declared approved and knowne to bee just Iames 2. 21 23. 24 25. cum Genes 22. 12. â—…n the latter sense Ecclesiast 1. 28. alias 22. the famous man Chap. 31. 5. The lover of Gold Chap. 23. 14. alias 11. The rash swearer shall not bee justified that is as it is in the Commination of the third Commandement shall not bee held guitlesse but most plainely Chap. 26. the last verse the huckster shall not bee justified from sinne that is not absolved from sinne nor accepted as righteous So Act. 13. 38 39. where most plainely to be â—…ustified from sinne doth signifie to be absolved or freed from the guilt of sinne and is used promiscuously with remission of sinne And this sense oâ—… freedome from the guilt is â—…ometimes extended to signifie a totall freedome as Rom. 6. 7. He that is dead is justified that iâ—… as Chrysostome and Oâ—…umenius expound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is freed from sinne As these places are plainely repugnant to the Popish sense so none of the rest where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used doth favour it For either they import remission of sinnes and acceptation as righteoâ—…s as Luk. 18. 14. The Publican who had humbled himselfe and craved pardon went home justified that is obtained pardon and was accepted as righteous rather than the Pharisee who had justified himselfe or distinguish betweene justification and sanctification as 1 Cor. 6. 11. or exclude justification by inherent righteousnesse as Rom. 3. 20. Rom. 4. 2. 1 Cor. 4. 4. Gal. 5. 4. Or imply imputation as where we are said to be justified either by his blood as Rom. 5. 9. Or by faith as Rom. 5. 1. Gal. 3. 24. Or by grace as Tiâ—… 3. 7 Or both exclude the one and imply the other as Rom. 3. 24. 28. Gal. 2. 16 17. 3. 11. § IV. There remaine these two words which I mentioned before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used onely in two placâ—…s Rom. 4. 25. 5. 18. In the former it is said that Christ was delivered to death for our sinnes and was raised againe for our justificâ—…tion to whom as it is in the precedent verse righteousnesse shall bee imputed if wee beleeve on him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead for as our Saviour by his death and obedience untâ—…ll death merited for us remission of sinnes and the right to eternall life so by the acts of Christ restored to life as namely by his resurrection his merits are effectually applied and imputed to our justification For if Christ had not risen againe wee had beene still in our sinnes 1 Cor. 15. 17. In the latter place justification is in direct termes opposed to condemnation For as by the offence or transgression of one viz. the first Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the guilt which is to be supplied out of the sixteenth verse came upon all men the offspring of the first Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto condemnation so by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
God in true holinesse and righteousnesse Of this grace of sanctification there is more frequent mention in the Fathers who wrote against the Pelagians than of the other Because the Pelagians acknowledging the grace of God in forgiving sinnes which is indeed the justifying and saving grace they had not the like occasion to insist upon the declaration and proofe thereof as they had of the other which the Pelagians denyed § II. Of whose errors in this point there were foure degrees For first they acknowledge no other inward grace of God but bonum naturae the possibility of nature and the power of free-will which because it is freely given of God without any precedent merits of ours they acknowledged to bee Gods grace In the second place they acknowledged the grace that is the gracious favour of God in forgiving sinnes but the inward vertue avoid sinnes and to walke in obedience they ascribed to the power of nature Thirdly for our direction and instruction how and what sinnes to avoid and how and what duties to performe they acknowledged Gods grace in teaching and instructing us by his word and by his law Fourthly they acknowledged after a sort the helpe of grace for the more easie performance of their duties but they denied the necessity thereof because without grace they being directed by the word were able of themselves though not so easily to fulfill the Law § III. These three latter degrees are condemned by so many decrees of the Councell of Milevis among which this is one denouncing Anathema against such as shall say that the grace of God whereby wee are justified through our Lord Iesus Christ doth availe onely to remission of sinnes which are already committed and not for a helpe that we may not commit them unto which rightly understood we doe subscribe acknowledging that by the same grace of God by which we were elected redeemed called reconciled adopted justified wee are also sanctified For wee professe that our blessed Saviour was given unto us of God not onely to bee our justification and redemption but also to be our Sanctification And we doe acknowledge that in the Covenant of grace the Lord hath not onely promised remission of sinnes to those that beleeve in Christ but hee hath also sworne that he will give us being redeemed and having remission of sinne to worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life And therefore we do also willingly subscribe to those sentences of Augustine which Gratian hath transcribed into the third part of his decree No man taketh away sinnes but Christ alone who is the Lambe of God taking away the sinnes of the world Now he taketh them away both by forgiving those that are already committed among which originall sinne is contained and also by helping that they bee not committed and by bringing us unto life where they cannot bee committed at all And againe the grace which by our Lord Iesus Christ is given is neither the knowledge of the divine Law neither nature nor remission of sinnes alone but it felfe also causeth that the Law be fulfilled that nature be freed that sinne raigne not And this I presume is as much as can truely bee alleaged out of the Fathers For seeing they doe hold as wee shall hereafter shew justification by faith onely it cannot bee imagined that they held justification properly understood by inherent graces unlesse wee can imagine that they thought there is no inherent grace but faith onely § IV. But howsoever the Fathers may be excused who opposing the errors of the Pelagians which oppugned the sanctifying grace did much insist upon the declaration the proofe and the amplification thereof oftner speaking of this gift of grace which was oppugned than of the gracious favour of God in forgiving of sinnes which the Pelagians did confesse yet the backsliding posterity cannot bee excused and that in three respects For first they leave out altogether the proper signification of grace which is most frequent in the holy Scriptures as if there were no other grace to bee acknowledged but that which is inherent Secondly they take away that grace of remission which the Pelagians did confesse and in the roome thereof they have brought in an utter deletion or abolition of sinne caused by the infusion of grace Thirdly that grace which they would seeme so much to magnifie is not much better acknowledged by them than it was by the Pelagians For first they doe not acknowledge it to be a quickning and reviving grace to them that are dead but an healing grace to the sicke and a helping grace to the weake And by how much they extoll the power of nature and lessen the foulenesse of originall sinne so much they extenuat the benefit of grace and are as well as the Pelagians worthily termed the enemies of Gods grace Secondly there seemeth to be little or no difference betweene the Pelagians bonum Naturae which they acknowledged to bee Gods grace and that sufficient grace which the Papists hold to be common to all Thirdly neither is there any great difference betweene them in respect of that grace whereby men are called For the Pelagians acknowledged the great grace of God in revealing his will unto us and in directing us what to doe and what to beleeve and withall confessed that God doth worke in us to will by revealing his will to us And what doe the Papists acknowldge more but that God having called us by his word and moved us to turne unto him it is in the power of our free-will either to accept Gods effectuall grace or to refuse it But this belongeth to another controversie A TREATISE OF IV STIFICATION THE FOVRTH BOOKE Of the Matter of Justification CAP. I. The state of the question concerning the matter of justification it being the principall point in controversie § I. THE third Capitall errour of the Papists in the question of justification is concerning that righteousnesse whereby we are justified where for prevention of Popish calumniations I must desire the Reader to remember three things First that the controversie is not concerning our Sanctification but concerning our Iustification For wee confesse that our habituall sanctification consisteth in our righteousnesse inherent and actuall in our new obedience Secondly that the question is not of our justification before men but before God For we acknowledge that we are justified that is declared and knowne to be just not onely by profession of the faith but also by good workes as Saint Iames teacheth Thirdly that wee doe not deny that there is a righteousnesse in the faithfull as Bellarmine falsly chargeth us For we professe that there is no faithfull or justified man in whom there is not inherent righteousnesse more or lesse according to the measure of grace received And further we professe that this righteousnesse which we have from God and is inherent in us is graciously both
an heire of eternall life Christs sufferings and obedience being imputed unto him and accepted of God in his behalfe as if he had suffered and performed the same in his owne person But the doctrine of justification by inherent righteousnesse is as it were a racke to mens consciences For when a man being summoned to appeare before the judgement seat of God shall seriously consider with himselfe what he shall oppose to the accusations of Satan to the conviction of the Law to the Testimony of his owne Conscience confessing himselfe to be a most wretched sinner to the judgment of God the most righteous judge If he looke backe to his owne conversation as having nothing to trust to but his owne righteousnesse he shall finde sufficient matter of despaire He may say with Anselme Terret me vita mea c. my life doth terrifie me for being diligently examined my whole life almost appeareth either to bee sinne or barrennesse and if there seeme to bee any fruit therein it is either so counterfeit or unperfect or some way or other corrupted as that it can doe no other but either not please or displease God And summoning himselfe before the judgement seat of God hee findeth himselfe to bee in great straits On this side saith he will be accusing sinnes on that side terrifying justice under will lye open the horrible gulfe of hell above an angry Iudge within a burning conscience without a flaming world where shall I be hid how shall I appeare to be hid is impossible to appeare is untolerable To avoide these straits there is no way but to renounce the doctrine of justification by works or inherent righteousnes and to fly to the doctrine of the Gospell teaching justification by the grace of God freely without respect of works through the merits of Christ received by faith and to appeale from the tribunall of Gods justice to the throne of his mercy For whiles a man retaineth this opinion that he can bee no otherwise justified than by his owne good workes or inherent righteousnesse he can never be soundly perswaded that his righteousnesse is sufficient for that purpose but ever hath just caufe not onely of doubting but also of despaire And this is the cause of that Popish opinion that no man without speciall revelation can be assured of the remission of his sinnes or of salvation § VI. The eleventh and last argument shall be taken from experience For when men seriously considering of their justification before God as a judiciall act of God as the word it selfe importeth shall sincerely and in the feare of God set themselves before his judgement seat where they must receive the sentence either of absolution or condemnation and shall bethinke themselves what they being accused of Satan and convicted by the testimony of their owne Conscience have to oppose to the just judgement of God why sentence of condemnation should not passe against them they would utterly disclaime their owne righteousnesse For as Augustine and other of the Fathers observe as before I have noted out of the eight and nine verses of Prov. 20. joyned together cum Rex justus sederit in solio quis potest dicere mundum est cor meum when the righteous King shall sit upon his throne who can say my heart is cleane yea the best of the Papists when By deadly sicknesâ—…e as Gods messenger they have beene summoned to come before Gods judgement they have beene forced to leave their schoole-trickes and sophisticall distinctions and plainely renouncing their owne righteousnesse to rest wholly upon the mercies of God and the merits of Christ. Insomuch that many who have lived Papists have in this most weighty point died reformed Catholicks And to this purpose there is extant among them in divers Bookes a forme of visiting the sicke wherein both the Pastor is directed what to say and the sicke person is instructed what to answere The Pastor therefore having demanded these questions Brother dost thou rejoyce that thou shalt dye in the faith doest thou confesse that thou hast not lived so well as thou ought Doth it repent thee hast thou a will to amend if thou hadd'st space of life Dost thou beleeve that our Lord Iesus Christ dyed for thee doest thou beleeve that thou canst not bee saved but by his death and having received affirmative answers to every question he inferreth this exhortation that whiles his soule remaineth in him he should place his whole affiance in the death of Christ and in no other thing and that if God will judge him if hee shall say unto him thou art a sinner that thou hast deserved damnation that hee is angry with thee he should say O Lord I interpose the death of thy Sonne betweene me and thy judgement betweene my sinnes and thee betweene mee and my bad deserts betweene me and thine anger In the edition printed at Venice there are these two questions dost thou beleeve that thou shalt come to glory not by thine owne merits but by the vertue and merit of Christs passion And a little after dost thou beleeve that our Lord Iesus Christ died for our Salvation and that no man can bee saved by his owne merits or by any other meanes but by the merit of his passion unto both which an affirmative answere was made but both blotted out in the Index expurgatorius set forth by Cardinall Quiroga CAP. VIII The disproofe of the Popish assertion affirming that we are not justified by righteousnesse inherent § I. NOw we are severally to disprove the Popish assertion and to prove ours As touching the former that wee are not justified by righteousnesse inherent Our first argument may bee this That righteousnesse of God by which we are justified is not prescribed in the Law as before hath beene proved Rom. 3. 21. nor is that righteousnesse which is of the Law Phil. 3. 9. All inherent righteousnesse is prescribed in the Law and is that which is of the Law Therefore inherent righteousnesse is not that righteousnesse of God by which we are justified That all inherent righteousnesse is prescribed in the Law it is manifest first because the Law is a perfect rule of all inherent righteousnesse whether habituall or actuall secondly because charity wherein they place their inherent righteousnesse even that charity whereby they are to love God withall their soules and their neighbour as themselves that charity which proceedeth from a pure heart from a good conscience and from faith unfained is prescribed in the Law as the summe and complement thereof Matth. 22. 37. 39 40. 1 Tim. 1. 5. § II. To avoid this most evident truth Bellarmine bringeth a frivolous distinction as he applieth it to wit that there is justitia legis and justitia in lege or exlege The justice of the Law the justice in the Law or of the Law The justice of the Law is that very justice which the Law prescribeth or that justice
we say it doth The exclusive particle used by some of our Divines doth exclude infusion not imputation of righteousnesse as Bellarmine confesseth For wee doe hold though all perhaps have not so plainely expressed their meaning and some few have delivered their private opinions that remission of sinne is but a part of justification and that by imputation of Christs righteousnesse we are both absolved from our sinnes and also accepted as righteous in Christ and as heires of eternall life But Bellarmine howsoever he would seeme to acknowledge the concurrence of remission of sinne unto justification yet indeed excludeth it For by remission of sinne concurring to justification hee doth not understand the not imputing or forgiving of sinne but the extinction and abolition thereof wrought by the infusion of habituall righteousnesse which expelleth its contrary as heat doth cold and light darkenesse And howsoever there bee duo termini two termes in this motion or mutation as he conceiveth of justification as being a passage b or change from sinne to righteousnesse yet there be not two causes nor yet two distinct actions but the onely cause is justice infused and the action is but one and the same the infusion of righteousnesse expelling sinne Even as in creation which is transitâ—…s à non esse ad esse in illumination which is transitâ—…s à tenebris ad lâ—…cem in calefaction which is a passage from cold to heat But if this be all that is required in the Popish justification as undoubtedly it is the whole and onely forme thereof being infused of righteousnesse or as they love rather to speake righteousnesse infused their justification also not differing from that which the Scriptures call sanctification saving that they dreame of a totall mortification or deletion of sinne and of a perfect renovation then what is become of the absolving of â—…â—…tom the guilt of sinne by which wee are freed from hell and the acceptation of us as righteous in Christ by we are intitled to the kingdome of heaven Both which are wrought by imputation of Christs righteousnesse in which true justification doth consist For infused righteousnesse though it were perfect could not discharge us from our former debts and being unperfect as their owne consciences cannot but tell them it cannot entitle them to the kingdome of heaven Wherefore if they will be saved they must of necessity flee to the righteousnesse or satisfaction of Christ who hath fully satisfied the Law both in respect of the penalty by his sufferings and also in regard of the commandement by his obedience which obedience and sufferings being transient and gone so long since can no otherwise bee communicated unto them but by imputation Now if they can be content to acknowledge the imputation of Christs satisfaction which sometimes they doe and must doe if they will bee saved for there is no other meanes either to escape hell or to come to heaven then let them according to the Scriptures acknowledge this imputation of Christs satisfaction by which they are to bee acquitted and freed from the guilt of sinne and damnation and also accepted as righteous in Christ and heires of eternall life to be their justification As for the mortification of sinne and the renovation of us according to the image of God in true holinesse and righteousnesse both which are but in part and by degrees wrought in us by the Spirit of regeneration let them bee acknowledged to bee the two parts of our sanctification § II. But Bellarmine will needs have our renovation to be the righteousnesse of justification And this he indevoureth to prove by Testimonies of Scripture by the authority of Saint Augustine and by reason The texts of Scripture which he citeth are six The first Rom. 4. 25. who was delivered up for our sinâ—…es and rose for our justification From whence Bellarmine argueth thus to what the Apostle giveth the name of justification in that justification consisteth rather than in that unto which hee doth not give the name But to renovation in this place the Apostle doth give the name of justification and not to remission of sinne Therefore justification consisteth rather in renovation than in remission of sinne Before I answere I thinke good to advertise the reader againe that Bellarmine here by remission of sinne doth not understand the not imputing of sinne or as we in plaine English call it forgivenesse of sinne but the utter deletion the extinction the totall mortification of sinne And that hee doth foure times at the least signifie in this one passage Now I answer by denying his assumption because the Apostle in this place doth give the name of justification neither to remission nor yet to renovation which is not mentioned so much as once in all the Chapter Indeed in some other places the Apostle and his Disciple Saint Luke doe give the name to remission of sinnes that is to the not imputing of sinne or to the absolving and acquitting from sinne Rom. 4. 6 7 8. 〈◊〉 13. 38 39. but never to renovation § III. His assumption Bellarmine proveth because it cannot be doubtâ—…d but that the Apostles meaning was that Christ his death was a samplar or patterne of the death of sin that is saith he of remission or deletion of sins and that his resurrection was a samplar or patterne of our renovation and inward regeneration by which we walke in newnesse of life And is this the meaning of the Apostle Then be like wee are justified by imitation and not by imputation of Christs death and by imitation of his resurrection and then also by the same reason we are made sinners by imitation and not imputation of Adams transgression But indeed in this place the Apostle doth not propound by way of exhortation the death and resurrection of Christ as an example to bee followed in dying to sinne and rising to righteousnesse represented in Baptisme as hee doth in the sixth to the Romans where he exhorteth to sanctification as an inseparable consequent and companion of justification but by way of Doctrine hee speaketh of the death and resurrection of Christ as the cause of our justification of which he had spoken in the whole Chapter and even in the verses next going before that righteousnesse shall bee imputed to us as well as to Abraham if wee beleeve in him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead who was given by his father and by himselfe to us and for us that by the obedience of his life untill death but especially at his death he might satisfie for our sinnes and was raised from the dead that we might be justified and saved by his life which he liveth after his death Christ by his death and obedience did satisfie for our sinnes paying a full ransome for them and so did justifie us meritoriously and in that sense we are said to bee justified by his bloud and by his obedience both as the
whereby we are entitled or have right to his kingdome being saved in hope the other as the consequent and fruit of the former whereby we being entitled to Gods kingdome are prepared and fitted for it without which though none who are adulti are saved Heb. 12. 14. yet none are saved by it or for it it being the way to the kingdome but not the cause of it nor the title that we have unto it and therefore necessary as I have said necessitate presentiae as causa sine qua non but not necessitate efficientiae as any true or proper cause thereof § V. These things thus premised it will be easy to answere Bellarmines arguments taken from the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell to prove the necessity of good workes And they are two the former disproving the supposed false difference the other proving the pretended true As touching the former having first propounded an idle distinction of the divers acceptions of the word Gospell that it signifieth either the doctrine which Christ and his Apostles taught or the grace of the new Testament which is the quickning Spirit or the efficacie of the holy Ghost working in the hearts of the elect or the Law written in the heart which I therefore call idle because as soone as he hath propounded it he confesseth that the word Gospell in the Scripture doth never signifie any other but the Doctrine hee proveth that in the Gospell is contained the Doctrine of good workes and divers Laweâ—… divers comminations and divers promises made upon condition of good workes All which we doe confesse to be true as the word Gospell is taken in the larger sense But as those promises and Doctrine of grace contained in the Bookes of the old Testament did not belong to the Law properly which is the covenant of works but to the Gospell which is the covenant of grace so in the books of the new Testament divers precepts comminations and promises are contained which belong not properly to the Gospell which is the covenant of grace and Law of Faith but to the Law of works For even as the Preachers of the Gospell at this day doe in their preaching intermingle many things appertaining to the Law either for the preparing of their auditours who are not yet justified by the terrour of the Law or for directing those that doe beleeve to lead their life according to the rule of the Law Even so our Saviour Christ and his Apostles in their doctrine intermixed legall precepts legall promises and threatnings as the necessity of their auditours required But upon all this being granted what will he inferre he saith in the title of this Chapter though in the Chapter it selfe he doth not expresse it that from hence is proved the necessity of good works which we deny not So pertinent a disputer is this great Master of controversies § VI. And forasmuch as the promise of eternall life as of a reward made to our obedience is the principall ground whereon the Papists build their Antichristian doctrine of the efficiencie and merit of good workes I will endeavour to cleare this point We are therefore to understand that eternall life is vouchsafed to the faithfull in three respects First as the free gift of God without respect of any worthinesse in us Secondly as our inheritance purchased by Christ. Thirdly as a free reward promised and given to our obedience In the first respect our salvation and all the degrees thereof is wholy to be ascribed to the gracious favor of God in Christ. In the second to the mercy of God and merit of Christ. In the third to the mercies of God redoubled and multiplied upon us and not to any desert of ours For as touching the first God before the foundation of the world was laid of his free grace Elected us in Christ graciously accepting of us in his beloved without respect of any goodnesse in us whom when he foresaw fallen into the state of perdition ex massa perdita humani generis did chuse us in Christ in him and by him to be justified and saved And as out of his undeserved love he did chuse us so by the same grace whom he hath elected he hath called whom hee hath called he hath justified whom hee hath justified hee hath sanctified and whom hee hath called justified and sanctified he hath glorified according to the purpose of his grace given unto us in Christ before the world began As therfore all the degrees of salvation are wholly to be ascribed to the grace that is the gracious favour of God in Christ for by his grace we were elected called justified regenerated and sanctified so also by his grace wee are saved and not of works For although eternall death be the wages deserved by sin yet eternall life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord no way deserved by us Rom. 6. 23. This his purpose of grace God revealed by his gracious promise to our first parents and aâ—…ter to Abraham and others viz. that in the promised seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed § VII Now that this his purpose of grace might be put in execution and this his gracious promise concerning â—…he promised â—…eed might be performed to the illustration of the glory both of his mercie and also of his justice God in the fulnesse of time out of his infinite goodnesse and love to mankind sent his owne and his only begotten Sonne into the world that hee taking our nature upon him might not onely in the state of humiliation by his sufferings redeeme us from hell and by his meritorious obedience purchase heaven for us but also that in the state of exaltation he having conquered all the enemies of our salvation in and before his resurrection might by his ascension take possession for us of that kingdome which he had by his merits procured for us and by his sitting at the right hand of his Father might make us to sit together with him in heavenly places and by his comming from thence againe might put us both in body and soule in possession oâ—… that heavenly inheritance which he had purchased for us And to the end that the benefit of our blessed redeemer and Saviour might be applyed and communicated unto us the â—…ord according to the purpose of his grace givâ—…n unto us in Christ before all secular times doth in his good time call those whom hee hath elected by miniâ—…tery of the Gospell maâ—…e effectuall by the gracious operation of his hâ—…ly Spirit working the grace of faith in us whereby wee receiving Christ with all his merits are actually made partakers of redemption and are actually reconciled unto God justified and adopted and by our justification entituled to the Kingdome of heaven and by our adoption made heires thereof and coheires with Christ insomuch that being justified by faith wee
matter and merit of our justification But neither his death nor obedience had beene effectuall to our justification if he had not risen from the dead As the Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 15 17. If Christ bee not raised your faith is vaine yee are yet in your sinnes For if Christ had not risen againe it had beene an evidâ—…nce that he was not the Sonne of God and then could not his obedience or sufferings have beene meritorious for us But by his resurrection hee was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God in regard whereof it was said Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee and being God his obedience and sufferings are of infinite and all sufficient merit and value vertue and efficacie for the justification and salvation of all that beleeve in him And againe what benefits Christ merited for us by his obedience even untill death the same being risen he applyeth and giveth to those that beleeve God having raised him and exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and remission of sinnes Christ therefore was given unto death that hee might by his sufferings satisfie for our sinnes the penalty thereunto belonging and he did rise againe that by application of his merits we might bee justified Righteousnesse therefore shall be imputed to those that beleeve in the resurrection of Christ or rather in Christ raised againe who as he gave himselfe to bee a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or price of ransome for our sinnes so he did arise againe that by effectuall application of his merits we might bee justified So that whom by his death and obedience he redeemed meritoriously then he doth effectually justifie and save by his life and the severall actions thereof viz. his resurrection ascension sitting at the right hand of his Father as our King and Priest his comming againe to judgement who therefore shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods children it is God that justifieth who is hee that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intorcession for us § IV. In the words following Bellarmine answeareth a secret objection if remission of sinnes be ascribed to Christs death and renovation to his resurrection then belike remission and renovation be two severall actions proceeding from divers causes contrary to that which hath beene delivered For prevention whereof he saith It is to be noted that the death of Christ which is the price of our redemption was not onely the cause of the remission of sinne but also of internall renovation And the like as he saith afterwards may bee said of the reâ—…urrection For according to the doctrine of the Catholike Church these two cannot bee severed fâ—…rasmuch as one and the same grace viz. charity being through the merit of Christ infused and inherent in us doth both blot out or extinguish our sinnes and also adorneth the soule with righteousnesse wherefore though the Apostle might have ascribed both remission and renovation either to Christs death or to his resurrection yet he chose rather distinctly to attribute remission to his death and renovation to his resurrection propter similitudinem because of the likenesse which the extinction of sinne hath with the death of the body and spirituall renovation with the resurrection of the body whereunto I answer briefly first that though the death and resurrection of Christ in respect of their efficacie though remission and renovation alwayes goission and renovation then in justification there are two actions proceeding from two causes secondly that these foure distinct benefits remission of sinne and acceptation of us as righteous in Christ which are the parts of justification wrought both of them by imputation of Christs righteousnesse which is the one and onely forme of justification likewise the dying unto sinne or mortification and the rising of the Sonle from the grave of sinne which is our first resurrection or vivification which are the two parts of sanctification those foure actions I say proceed from two causes and that in twofold respects For remission of sinne is procured by the merit of Christs death and dying unto sinne is ascribed to the vertue of his death the imputation of Christs merits whereby wee are both absolved from sinne and accepted as righteous is ascribed to his resurrection whereby his merits are applyed unto us for our justification and the grace of rising from the grave of sinne to the vertue of his resurrection for by the same power whereby Christ did rise againe are wee raised from sinne to newnesse of life § V. His second allegation is Rom. 5. 21. That as sinne reigned unto death so grace may reign by justice to life everlasting through Iesus Christ our Lord where by justice opposed to sin he saith is meant inward renovation Ans. 1. We deny not but that in all the faithful there is a two fold righteousnesse the one imputed which is the righteousnesse of justification the other infused and inherent which is the righteousnesse of sanctification which he calleth renovation If therfore the Apostle did speake here of righteousnesse inherent yet this place would make nothing against us For we confesse that as sin reigneth in the children of disobedience by producing the workes of iniquity so the grace of God or the Spirit of grace doth reigne in the faithful by bringing forth the fruits of righteousnes But this is not the righteousnesse of justification but that wherein our sanctification doth consist But indeed the Apostle here doth not speake either only or chiefly if at all of inherent righteousnesse Neither doth hee in this place make an opposition or antithesis betweene sinne and righteonsnesse to which supposition Bellarmines argument is grounded but betweene the kingdome of sinne reigning unto death and the kingdome of grace reigning by righteousnesse unto everlasting life through Iesns Christ our Lord. Now the righteousnesse wherein the kingdome of grace especially consisteth is the righteousnesse of justification by faith whereupon followeth peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. compared with Rom. 5. 1. 2. which being not our righteousnesse as all inherent justice is but the righteousnesse of God is chiefly yea in the cause of justification is onely to bee sought after Phil. 3. 8 9. Rom. 10. 3. Secondly as in all the chapter from the twelfth verse to the end the opposition which is made is of Adams sinne to Christs obedience so in this place as the sinne of Adam was the cause of death so Christs obedience of life the opposition is not of inherent righteousnesse to inherent sinne but of Christs righteousnesse to Adams sinne § VI. His third allegation is out of Rom. 6. 13. Doe not ye exhibit your members as instruments of iniquity unto sinne but exhibit your selves to God as of dead men alive and your members
is For they professe that by inherent righteousnesse no man living can be justified in Gods sight as I have shewed in this third controversie and in the fifth and sixth CAP. XIII An appendice to this third controversie concerning the parity of justice § I. VPon this controversie concerning the matter of justification dependeth another which is scarce worth the mentioning but onely to shew the blinded malice of the Papists in propounding it and to vindicate our selves from their calumniations Bellarmine therefore de justif l. 3. c. 16. propoundeth the question de paritate justitia of the parity or equality of justice whether all just men be in justice equall among themselves For faine would hee have the world to thinke that we are like to Iovinian or the Stoiks calumniating us against the light of his owne conscience For he cannot be ignorant but that wee doe acknowledge degrees of righteousnesse inherent and of the graces of sanctification not onely in divers men according to the measure of grace bestowed upon them some being incipients some proficients and some growne men but also in the same men every man being bound to labour that they may grow in grace and proceed from Faith to Faith untill hee come to a perfect man in Christ. § II. Indeed if the question bee concerning righteousnesse imputed we doe teach that in respect thereof all the faithfull are equally just Because as they are justified they stand just before God in the most perfect righteousnesse of Christ by which the weake Christian is justified as well as the strong And in this regard the faith of Gods children though unequall in degrees in some weaker in some stronger in some more and in some lesse is said by the Apostle Peter to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a like pretious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the righteousnesse of God and our Saviour Iesus Christ that is in that righteousnesse of God by which we are justified And as the merit of Christ is equally imputed to all that beleeve so the reward in respect of the substance which is eternall life shall be equally given to all that beleeve yet I doubt not but that whom God in this life hath adomed with greater graces he will in them crowne his greater graces with greater glory And therefore as Saint Ambrose faith he giveth â—…qualem mercedem vitae â—…on gloriae the equall reward of life but not of glory and 〈◊〉 unus denarius non est unum prâ—…mium sed una vita una de gâ—…enna liberâ—…tio and Gregory there be many mansions with the father and yet unequall labourers receive the same peny because unto all there shall bee one equall blesseduesse of joyfulnesse though the sublimity of life be not one and the same to all § III. But Bellarmine though he confesseth that we doe not hold that either vertues or sinnes are equall and that we doe not deny but that both the same men may and ought to increase in faith hope and charity and in other vertues and that also divers men may bee more just than others in respect of such vertues as be in them but that wee hold that men being not justified before God by these vertues but onely by the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith wee are in respect of this righteousnesse by which wee are justified equally just Yet all his proofes are to prove the inequality and degrees of sanctity or inherent righteousnesse as though we denyed the same or held that paradox which may in respect of habituall righteousnesse more justly be imputed to the Papists For if incipients in Religion yea infants in age be justified or made just as they teach with perfect righteousnesse infused what difference shall there bee betwixt Baptized infants and the greatest Proficients among them who dreame of perfection in regard of habituall righteousnesse saving that the infants justice may seeme to bee more pure from actuall concupiscences But of this question more hath beene said than enough A TREATISE OF IVSTIFICATION THE FIFTH BOOKE Concerning the formall cause of justification CAP. I. Containing five proofes that we are justified by imputation of Christs righteousnesse § I. THE fourth grand errour of the Papists in the article of justification is concerning that which wee call the forme thereof For they denying and deriding the imputation of Christs righteousnesse without which notwithstanding no man can bee saved doe hold that men are justified by infusion and not by imputation of righteousnesse we on the contrary doe hold according to the Scriptures that we are justified before God onely by imputation of Christs righteousnesse and not by infusion And our meaning when wee say that God imputeth Christs righteousnesse unto us is nothing else but this that hee graciously accepteth for us and in our behalfe the righteousnesse of Christ both active that is his obedience which in the dayes of his flesh hee performed for us and passive that is his sufferings which he sustained for us as if we had in our owne persons both performed and suffered the same for our selves Howbeit we confesse that the Lord doth infuse righteousnesse into the faithfull yet not as he justifieth but as hee sanctifieth them and consequently wee acknowledge that in all the faithfull there is true righteousnesse inherent but we deny that they are justified by it How I am first to prove our assertion and to maintaine our proofs against the exceptions and cavils of the Papists And then will I answer their allegations § II. My three first proofes shall bee taken from those things which have already beene proved And first those reasons which before I alleaged to prove the formall cause of our justification to bee the imputation of Christs righteousnesse Secondly If to justifie in the Scriptures doth never signifie to make righteous by infusion of righteousnesse or to make a man righteous formally by inherent righteousnesse then it is evident that the justification which the Scriptures teach is not by infusion of righteousnesse And if not by infusion then by imputation for a third thing cannot be named But the former I have most evidently proved therefore the latter cannot be denyed Thirdly If we be justified by the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him and not by any righteousnesse infused or inherent in us then it is evident that we are justified not by infusion of righteousnesse but by imputation But the former I have fully demonstrated therefore the latter must be confessed For wee are justified either by inherent righteousnesse or imputed not by inherent as hath beene shewed therefore by righteousnesse imputed § III. My fourth proofe shall be taken from the confession of our Adversaries who doe confesse that Christ his satisfaction is imputed unto us which they understand but of the one halfe of his satisfaction and not all that viz. in respect onely of the everlasting
than of the Pope alone It is the Pope therefore alone that cannot erre who hath an heavenly and infallible judgement who is the supreame Iudge in all controversies the chiefe and onely authenticall interpreter of the Scriptures so that no point of religion is to be held for truth but what he determineth no text of Scripture to be held the word of God in any other sense than hee holdeth yea that a text of Scripture urged against them in another sense than he holdeth is not the word of God but rather of the devill By which meanes the Pope is stept into the roome of Christ and and is undoubtedly become Antichrist So that the implicite faith of the Papists whereby they professe themselves to beleeve what is propounded by the Church meaning especially the See of Rome that is to say the Pope to be beleeved and consequently whereby they professe themselves to beleeve in the Pope as the principall rule principle and foundation of their faith is the very character and marke of the Beast whereby men are branded to destruction § XVIII The which doth also prove the other point viz. how pernicious the doctrine of implicite faith is as tending to the perdition of the seduced people which I will also prove by other reasons For under the name of implicite faith they commend unto the Laity damnable ignorance that having blindfolded them they may lead them as it were by the nose whither it pleaseth them To them it is sufficient to beleeve what the Church beleeveth though they know little or nothing of the Churches beleefe If one of them be called before the Commissioners hee shall say enough and defend himselfe sufficiently when he answereth that he is a Catholike and that he will live and dye in that faith which the Catholike Church doth teach and that this Church can give them a reason of all those things which they demand And thus according to Christs promise Luk. 12. 12. the holy Ghost for sooth teacheth every unlearned Catholike to give sufficient reason of his faith But it is evident that those who live in ignorance doe live in a state of damnation or as the Scripture speaketh doe sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death First because they live without God as it were Atheists in this world For they that know not God have not God Secondly because they are void of all grace whereby they might hope to be saved For knowledge being the first of all graces where that is wanting all the rest are absent Againe without faith there is no saving grace for faith is the mother and roote of all other graces and without knowledge there is no faith as I have already shewed For how can t they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and by hearing knowne Knowledge is as it were the first step towards faith and all other graces and therefore he that hath not that in some measure hath not made one steppe in the way that leadeth to eternall life Thirdly because they are not Christs sheepe nor Gods children For I saith our Saviour know mine and I am knowne of mine Ioh. 10. 14. They shall know me every one of them saith the Lord from the greatest to the least of them Ier. 31. 34. All Gods children shall be taught of God Esai 54. 13. Ioh. 6. 45. every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth to mee saith our Saviour and none else All Gods children have the unction from the holy One and they know all needfull things 1 Ioh. 2. 20. 27. Ioh. 16. 13. Fourthly because it hath all the respects of evill in it For it is not one ly a sinne but the cause of all sinne and errour a punishment and the cause of punishment both in this life and in the world to come A sinne repâ—…oved and condemned Ier. 4. 22. 9. 3. Hos. 4. 1. â—… Cor. 15. 34. For it a sacrifice was ordained Levit. 4. 2. yea all the sinnes for which sacrifices were offered were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… that is ignorances Heb. 9. 7. The cause of sinne Errant qui operantur mulum They erre that sinne and none erre but by ignorance as Augustine saith Non erratur nisi per ignorantiam whence sinners are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are ignorant and doe erre Heb. 5. 3. Ignorance is the mother of all errours Regnum ignorantiae saith Augustine regnum erroris Ignorance also is a fearefull punishmentâ—… when God doth punish men with blindenesse of heart Esai 6. 9 10. and sendeth upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the efficacy of errour 2 Thâ—…s 2. 11. It is also the cause of punishment for the people that understandeth not shall bee punished Hos. 4. 14. as of captivityâ—… Esai 5. 13. of destruction Hos. 4. 6. it maketh men subject to the curse of God Psal. 79. 6. Ier. 10. 25. and to eternall damnation 2. Thes. 1. 8. If our Gospell bee hid saith the Apostle it is hid to them that perish 2 Cor. 4. 3. For if it bee eternall life to know God and Christ our Saviour then not to know God and our Saviour is to misse of eternall life Qui ea quâ—… sunt Domini nesciunt a Domino nesciuntur saith Gregory Paulo attestante qui ait si quis autem ignorat ignorabitur The Councell of Rhemes denyeth that they can bee saved who doe not understand the Creed and the Lords Prayer And againe no man can bee saved without faith and no man can beleeve that which he doth not know nor hath heard Augustine ipsa ignorantia in ets qui intelligere noluerunt sine dubitatione peâ—…catum â—…st in eis autem qui non potuerunt pâ—…na pecâ—…ati Ergo in utrisque non â—…st justa excusatio sed justa damnatio Hierome Ignoratio Scripturarum ignoratio Christi Origen â—…aith the Devills possesse all those that live in ignorance § XIX All this notwithstanding the popish Impostors detaine the people in ignorance they have taken away the Key of knowledge and shut up the Kingdome of Heaven against their followers for neither they goe in themselves neither suffer them that faine would enter to goe in They forbid them to reade the Scriptures which are able to make them wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. which our Saviour therefore commandeth them to search Ioh. 5. 39. They suffer them not to heare them nor yet the divine service otherwise than in an unknowen tongue contrary to the rule of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. and wherefore all this partly that their errours and abominations should not be seene for he that evill doeth hateth the light and as theeves by night wish the light of Gods Word to bee put out or at least to bee hid under a Bushell and partly that they may bee Lords over the peoples faith and may make them beleeve what they list
soever wee doe is profitable to our selves but not to God Reply Beda giveth two reasons though Bellarmine conceale the better why we doing that which is commanded are notwithstanding called unprofitable servants The former quia Dominus bonorum nostrorum non indiget because the Lord hath no need of our good things Which though true yet doth neither so well fit the comparison wherein the servant though usefull to his master both abroad and at home could not by all his endevour deserve to himselfe so much as thankes neither agreeable to the reason which our Saviour rendreth because we have â—…one what is our duty to doe The latter we are unprofitable servants because saith he Non sunt condignae c. The sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be reavealed that is because we cannot deserve the reward of eternall life by our service But as it is elswhere said saith he who crowneth thee in mercie and loving kindenesse hee doth not say in thy merits and workes because by whose mercie wee are prevented that we may in humility serve God by his gift we are crowned that in sublimity we may reigne with him So Bede § XI The third exposition he saith is Augustines viz. That we may be called unprofitable servants when we have kept all Gods Commandements because we doe no more than our duty which indeed is the reason which Christ himselfe doth render neither can wee from thence demand any just reward unlesse God had made a liberall Covenant with us For by our condition we are the bond-servants of God and if he will he may bind us to performe all manner of workes as it pleaseth him without reward This our condition Christ for the preservation of humility would have us to acknowledge Howbeit by his gracious covenant we may expect reward 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Matth. 20. 13. Which God in his great bounty hath promised to this end that thereby he might draw us to performance of our duety as Augustine teacheth Replpy This answere of Bellaamine is worthy to be observed or rather admired first for the impudencie of it in that he fathereth this exposition upon Augustine who in the place by him quoted doth not once mention this Text of Luk. 17. 10. nor hath one word to that purpose for which this exposition is alleaged excepting the clause of Gods bounty which as it proveth this to bee that very testimony of Augustine which he quoteth so doth it evidently exclude merit Secondly for the force of truth which forceth him to contradict his owne assertions both here and in other places For first hee confesseth that hee which doth no more but his duty doth not merit and that wee doe no more but our duty Whereupon it followeth that we doe not merit Secondly where hee confesseth that wee can doe no more than our duty he renounceth all workes of supererrogation And thirdly in that he confesseth that for the same cause wee are unprofitable servants he taketh away all merit of condignity Fourthly he confesseth that without Gods gracious promise we could expect no reward Which proveth that the reward is due onely ratione pacti and not ratione ipsius operis which afterward he denyeth Fifthly he confesseth that such is the bounty and goodnesse of God that to allure us to the performance of our duty hee doth freely promise a reward Now what God doth freely promise to give he giveth freely and without desert For eternall life which in his word hee hath promised as a reward in his eternall counsell hee purposed freely without any respect of our worthynesse to bestow upon us and what in mercy hee either purposed or promised Christ by his merit hath purchased for us So that we attaine to heaven by a threefold right By Gods free donation electing us in Christ as his free gift Secondly by Christs merit as our inheritance Thirdly by Gods free promise as his gracious reward whereby he crowneth not our merits but his owne gifts and graces in us God indeed hath promised freely to reward our workes but that our workes should merit the reward he hath no where promised or taught § XII His fourth exposition is of Chrysostome that the Lord doth not say ye are unprofitable servants but biddeth them say so which is true But what will Bellarmine inferre therefrom that therefore they were not so God forbid For then our Saviour should have taught his Disciples to lye Neither doth God allow of counterfeit humility But the meaning of our Saviour was to teach his Disciples in humility to confesse the truth that because they had but done their duty if they had done all that is commanded they should not bee lifted up with a proud conceite that thereby they had merited but should no lesse truly than humbly confesse that they were unprofitable servants who by doing no more than their duty could not merit of God And this objection is also answered by Bernard Sed hoc inquies propter humilitatem monuit omne dicendum Planè propter humilitatem numquid contra veritatem But you will say that for humility sake hee admonisheth them thus to say No doubt for humilitie But did hee bid them speake against verity And the same is taught by Chrysostome elsewhere No man saith hee doth shew foorth such a conversation as to be worthy of the kingdome but it is wholly of his gift therefore hee saith when you shall doe all that is commanded say we are unprofitable servants we have done what is our duty to doe And againe in another place where he sheweth that what the Sonne of God did for us hee did not of duty but what good we doe wee doe it of duty Wherefore himselfe said when you shall have done all say ye are unprofitable servants for wee have done what was our duty to doe If therefore wee shew foorth love if we give our goods to the poore we performe our duty c. Object Yea but the servants which imployed their Talents well were commended as profitable servants Answ. They were commended as good servants and faithfull to their master And of him because they profitably imployed their Talents were graciouslie rewarded But of their merit nothing is said If they had not imployed their Talents well they should have beene punished And in that they did imploy them well they did but their duty and that also by assistance of Gods grace who both gave them the Talents and grace to imploy them well and therefore though they had reward yet they did not merit it § XIII Our fourth Testimonie is Rom. 6. 23. For the stipend of sinne is death but the free gift of God is eternall life through IESVS CHRIST our LORD where is an antitheâ—…is or opposition betweene death meaning eternall death the reward of sinne and eternall life the reward of righteousnesse that death is the stipend of sinne justly merited by it but
are indeed two principall arguments which he bringeth to prove the merit of good workes which it shall suffice to answere in their due place For I doe not thinke them worthy of double paines Only for the present I answer to the first that where is speech of our dignity it is to bee ascribed to Gods dignation as Bernard well saith Digni nos sumus sedipsius dignatione non dignitate nostra wee are worthy but by his dignation or deigning to accept of us as worthy not by our own worthines secondly the words dignus and dignè sometimes do signifie not the equality of worth but that which is convenient meet or becomming as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess. 2. 12. 3 Ioh. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 1. 27. To the second thatthere are rewards free liberal and undeserved as wel as those which be mercenary and deserved and therfore the name of reward doth not alwaies presuppose merit or desert To which purpose let the reader compare these paralell places Mat. 5. 46. Luk. 6. 32. where the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are used in the selfe same sense For if you love those that love you what reward have you quam mercedem habetis saith Matthew quae vobis est gratia saith Luke what thankes have you in the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus much of the name § IV. For the thing Bellarmine bringeth three sorts of proofes Authority of Scripture Testimonies of Fathers and reason The authorityes of Scripture he reduceth to seven heads The first is of those places whâ—…re eternall life is called merces reward His reason is thus framed If eternall life be the reward of good workes then good workes doe merit it but the former is true viz. that eternall life is the reward good workes therefore the latter viz. that good workes doe merit eternall life Answ. The proposition he taketh for granted all his proofe in this place being that sine dubitatione without doubt it is true But in his second Chapter he proved it by this which goeth for a maxiâ—…e among them that merces and meritum are relatives But I answere by distinction That merces reward is of two sorts It is either debita due as justly deserved or gratâ—…ita as freely bestowed and without desert as Ambrose also distinguisheth Alia est merces saith hee liberalitatis gratia aliud virtutis stipendium laboris remâ—…neratio which distinction is insiunated by the Apostle Rom. 4. 4. for reward is either imputed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to grace as the inheritance of an adopted sonne or rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to debt or duty as the hire or wages of an hired servant or labourer who is worthy of his hire And is acknowledged by Bellarmine For when the Apostle saith to him that worketh the reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt satis aperitè indicat esse quandam mercedem qua imputari possit secundum gratiam non secundum debitum he doth plainely enough shew that there is a certaine reward which may bee imputed according to grace not according to debt Merces noftra saith Augustine gratia vocatur Si gratia est gratis datur Our reward is called gratia so the Latine translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it be grace it is freely given And againe God hath sent a Physitian hee hath sent a Saviour hee hath sent him who should heale freely that is but little that hee should heale freely who should also give reward to them that are healed Nothing can be added to this benevolence Who is he that will say let me heale thee and I give thee a reward Of this free reward wee have examples and Testimonies in the holy Scriptures as first that which Bellarmine in the first place citeth very impertinently to prove the name merit Gen 15. 1. where the Lord saith to Abraham I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward Psalm 127. 3. heritage and reward used promiscuously Children are an heritage from the Lord and the fruit of the wombe is his reward And so merces and gratia as was noted before out of Matth. 5. 46. and Luk. 6. 30. Such a reward is our inheritance in heaven which is therefore called the reward of inheritance Col. 3. 24. And this most plainely appeareth in the antithesis which the Apostle maketh betweene the reward of sinne and the reward of piety The wages of sinne is death but eternall life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free gift of GOD in IESVS CHRIST our LORD Rom. 6. 23. But of this place we have spoken in our fourth Testimonie whereby it appeareth that howsoever merces debita that is wages and meriâ—…um are relatives yet merit and the reward of eternall life or any other free reward are not relatives Among men wages hath place because the labourer deserveth it and he that hireth him is benefited by the labour and there is ordinarily a due proportion betweene the labour and the wages But with God it is otherwise we can deserve nothing of him neither is hee benefited by our labours neither is there any proportion betweene our workes and the reward of eternall life The proposition therefore though by him taken for granted is by us to be denyed § V. The assumption that eternall life is the reward of good workes wee freely confesse so it bee understood of a free reward which as it was graciously promised so it is freely and undeservedly given Bellarmine therefore should have proved that eternall life is a mercenary and on our part a deserved reward But of all the places which he quoteth both in the second and third Chapters where the word merâ—…es is used not one doth prove eternall life to bee a deserved reward or imply the merit of condignity As Genes 15. 1. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward 2 Chron. 15. 7. Your worke shall be rewarded Prov. 11. 18. To him that soweâ—…h righteousnesse there shall bee a sure reward For as Hos. 10. 12. Hee that soweth in righteousnesse shall reape in mercie Wisd. 5. 16. The righteous shall live for ever and their reward is with the Lord Eccl. 18. 22. The reward of the Lord abideth for ever Esai 40. 10. Behold the Lord will come and his reward with him so Apoâ—… 22. 12. Matth. 5. 12. great is your reward in heaven 1 Cor. 3. 8. Every one shall recive his owne reward according to his owne labour § VI. Onely there may bee question of that place Matth. 20. 8. Call the labourers and give them their wages which Bellarminâ—… citeth in the third Chapter and afterwards urgeth both in the same Chapter and in the seventeenth and also nineteenth And for
truely beleeve Secondly it is one and the same objectivè in respect of the same object it being the vision or fruition of the same God who is the chiefe good Thirdly in respect of continuance in regard whereof it is called eternall life which is one and the same to all being the same everlasting inheritance and the same â—…ternall fruition of God and Fellowship which we shall ever have with Christ and by him with the whole Trinity But however eternall life in respect of the substance be onâ—… and the same equally procured by the merit of Christ yet it is not to be doubted that there are divers degrees of glory where with God doth crowne the divers degrees of grace which he hath bestowed on his children in this life For although all that shall bee saved shall have fulnesse of felicity so much as they are capable of yet some are more capable than others Even as vessels of divers measures being put into the sea will all be fâ—…ll of liquor according to their capacity yet some will containe a greater quantity than others So all the Saints though all full of happinesse yet shall not all bee endued with the same measure of glory but according to their capacity This is that which heretofore I alleaged out of S. Ambrose that god doth give to all that are saved aequalem mercedem vitâ—… non gloriae equall reward of life not of glory These things thus premised I answere first by denying his proposition For although according to the proportion both of habituall grace and of actuall obedience which we call good workes the degrees of glory in the life to come shall bee bestowed yet these degrees are not thereby merited but God doth graciously crowne his greater graces which hee freely bestowed in this life with a greater measure of glory in the life to come Besides Bellarminâ—… and other Papists doe teach that God crowneth our good workes supra condignum therefore those crownes cannot be merited ex condigno Secondly I deny his assumption averting that eternall life it selfe is not bestowed according to the proportion of our workes but as it is wholly merited by the obedience of Christ so is it equally bestowed upon all the faithfull who are equally justified by the merits of Christ. § XII But here Bellarmine cavilleth with two answeres given as he saith by our Divines the former that divers rewards are given to good workes both in this life and in the world to come but not eternall life it selfe against which he proveth that good workes are rewarded with eternall life and that there are no rewards in the world to come which doe not belong to eternall life Whereas no doubt the meaning of those who gave that answere was this that there are divers degrees of rewards given both in this life and in the world to come as namely the divers degrees of glory but there are not divers degrees of eternall life that is one and the same to all that are saved We doe not deny but eternall life is the reward of good workes and therefore Bellarmine might have spared his paynes in proving that which we doe not deny but we deny it to be given in divers degrees according to the proportion of mens workes The other answere that etâ—…rnall life is to bâ—… given to good workes no otherwise bâ—…t as they are signes of faith which also hee solemnely disputeth against utterly mistaking the matter For first wee say that God doth graciously reward the virtues and obedience of his owne children not as their merits but as his graces Secondly we say indeed that in the Gospell eternall life is promised to those that beleeve without respect of workes and damnation denounced â—…gainst those that beleeve not but because both faith and infidelity are inward and hidden and many deceive themselves with an inward opinion and an outward profession of faith therefore the Lord at the last day will proceed in judgement according to the evidence of mens workes So that the Lord pronounceth the sentence according to workes as the signes and evidence of faith but rewardeth both faith and them as his owne gifts and graces Howbeit more properly eternall life it selfe is rendred to the righteousnesse of faith which is the righteousnesse and merits of Christ imputed to them that beleeve by which the faithfull are equally justified and equally entituled to the kingdome of heaven but the degrees of glory are given according to the degrees of our sanctification that is to the degrees both of the habits of faith and other graces and of the acts and exercise thereof which wee call good workes All which being Gods owne free gifts hee doth freely reward crowning his greater graces with greater glory § XIII As for the places of Scripture which testifie that God will reward men according to their workes I answere that secundum opera according to workes doth not signifie the proportion but the quality of workes as I have shewed before out of Gregorie that is as in some of the places it is expressed good workes are to be rewarded with glory evill with punishment Rom. 2. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 5. 10. c. And so is that Gal. 6. 7. to be understood as the Apostle explaineth himselfe vers 8. that as every man doth sowe so he shall reape viz. he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape everlasting life The allegation out of Luk. 6. 38. is impertinent as appeareth by his paralell Mat. 7. 1 2. Iudge not that you be not judgâ—…d for with what judgement ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you againe For first it seemeth to speake of humane judgement that as wee judge others so we shall be judged of others according to the law of like for like Secondly it speaketh of active judging in the worse sense which is therefore forbidden and the reason is from the like judging passive as an evill though just reward thereof so farre is it from speaking of the reward of eternall life Or if the place should be generally understood of mens judging well or ill and of their being judged according either by God or man nothing else can necessarily be gathered but the like judgement in quality that is either good or bad And the like is to be said of 1 Cor. 3. 8. where the Apostle doth not spâ—…ake of the eternall reward either of life or death rendred to good or evill workes according to the proportion thereof but of the blessing of increase which God giveth to those that are planters or waterers in his garden as a reward of their labours By planters he understandeth himselfe and other Apostles who were the planters of the Church by waterers Apollo and other Evangelists and Preachers who fed the Church with their doctrine The
whereof he is just in justifying us Rom. 3. 25 26. and in remitting our sinnes Psal. 51. 14. 1 Ioh. 1. 9. and accepting of us as righteous in Christ unto eternall life and to this justice of Christ and not to ours doth the Lord in justice as a just Iudge render eternall life being no lesse just than mercifull in saving us And in this justice of God as well as his mercie are wee to repose our affiance both for our justification and salvation For if wee truely beleeve in Christ we have in him satisfied Gods justice in him we have fulfilled the Law and therefore remission of sinnes and eternall life is in justice due unto us not for any merits of ours but for the merits of Christ. There remaineth the remunerating or distributive justice of God as a just Iudge judging the world in righteousnesse Psal. 9. 4 8. and rendring to every one according to the quality of their works Psal. 62. 12. Rom. 2. 6. Ier. 32. 19. For it is just with God to reward the righteousnesse of the righteous and to punish the sinnes of the wicked as in the place alleaged 2 Thess. 1. 5 6. and Psal. 18. 20 24. Mat. 10. 41 42. 2 Tim. 4. 8. Exod. 34. 7. And this justice is distinguished according to the quaâ—…ity of the persons towards whom it is exercised for towards the godly it is justitia liberans beans of which Psa. 31. 1. 71. 2. deliver me in thy righteousnesse and towards the wicked vindicans or puniens Psal. 94. 1 2. Exod. 34. 7. 〈◊〉 1. 2 3. The proposition therefore is not true unlesse it bee understood of commutative justice which belongeth not to God For the reward which God giveth to good workes if it bee according to his universall justice it is to bee ascribed not to our merits but to his goodnesse If according to his justice in word not to our merits but to his fidelity If according to his justice as he is absolute Lord not to our merits but to his good pleasure If according to his justice as he is Creator c. not to our merits but to his bounty If according to his justice as hee is the God of our righteousnesse not to our merits but to the merits of Christ. If according to his remunerating justice not to our merits but to his liberality Answ. 2. God may bee said in justice to render reward either in respect of the worthinesse or desert of the worke or in some other respect If not in that respect or if in any other respect it argueth not merit But not in that respect for all our workes are unperfect and stayned with the flesh and no way in worth comparable to the reward but in other respects as first in regard of his promise which it is just with him to performe secondly in regard of Christs merit applyed to us § XX. I come to the assumption which understood of commutative justice is not true of others it is to no purpose Let us then examine his proofes whereof not one doth prove the question For as touching the first viz. 2 Thes. 1. 6. we have said that it is just in respect of Gods remunerative justice by which hee rendreth to every one according to the quality of their workes to recompense tribulation to the wicked which persecute the Church and to the godly who are troubled rest with the Saints The second 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. It is just with God when the faithfull have fought a good fight have finished their course have kept the faith that he should render unto them the crowne of righteousnesse both according to his fidelity in performing his promise for it is just that the crowne which hee hath promised to the faithfull hee should give them having kept the faith and also according to that righteousnesse as he is the God of our righteousnesse that is the justifier and Saviour of all that beleeve For it is just that the righteous judge should give to the Apostle having kept the faith that crowne of righteousnesse which God hath promised and which Christ hath purchased and which in respect of Christ his merit and righteousnesse imputed is in justice due not onely to the Apostle but to all the faithfull who are described by this note that they love his comming If it bee demanded why it is called the crowne of righteousnesse Bernard shall informe us Est ergo quam Paulus expectat corona justiâ—…iae sed justitiae Dei non suae It is therefore a crowne of justice which Paul expecteth but of Gods justice not his owne For it is just that he should render what he oweth and he oweth what he hath promised And this is the justice whereof the Apostle presumeth the promise of God The third Heb. 6. 10. God having promised that he would be mindefull of his servants he is not unfaithfull to breake his promise nor unjust to forget them But what is this to the purpose or that which followeth Iam. 1. 12. that when a man is by bearing affliction found to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 approved he shall receive the crowne of life which God hath promised to all that love him or that Apoc. 20. 10. where to him that is faithfull unto death the Lord promiseth to give out of his gracious bounty a crowne of life As touching those places which concerne loane the prize and the depositum in all three it is presupposed in the very nature of the contracts that a promise is made by the borrower by the master of the game by the depositary that the thing borowed is at the day of payment to be restored the prize is to bee given to him that winneth it and the depositum is to be rendred when the depositor doth demand it and therefore that it is just that the promise in every one should be performed And even so Paul in the last place as Bernard hath well observed Dei promissum suum appellat depositum quia credidit promittenti fidenâ—…er promissum repeâ—…it promissum quidem ex misericordia sed jam ex justitia persolvendum calleth Gods promise or that which he promised his deposâ—…um and because he beleeved the promiser he doth confidently call for the thing promised promised indeed in mercie but now in justice to be rendred § XXI His fifth argument is taken from those Testimonies wherein eternall life is promised to good workes as Maâ—…th 19. 17. If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements and vers 29. Every one that shall leave house or father c. hee shall receive an hundred fold and shall possesse eternall life 1. Tim. 4. 8. Godlinesse is profitable for all things having the promise of this life and of that which is to come Iam. 1. 12. he shall receive the crowne of life which God hath promised to them that love him Now saith hee a promise made with the condition of
made partakers of our Lord in the heavenly Kingdome Therefore the Apostle rightly saith I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy of the future glory Augustine Debita redditur poenâ—… damnato indebita gratia liberato â—…t nec ille se indignum queratur nec â—…ignum se iste glorietur In Psal. 30. 17. Salvum me fac non in mea justitia nâ—…n in meis meritis sed in tua misericâ—…rdia non quia ego sum dignus sed quia tu misericors es So in Psal. 41. 7. and 43. 26. Quicquid promisit indignis promisit ut non quasi operibus merces prâ—…mitteretur sed gratia à nomine suo gratis daretur Eusebius Emissenus professeth that wee can neither suffer nor doe any thing worthy of the heavenly good things Gregorie the great Illi beata vita in quâ—… câ—…m Deo dâ—… Deo vivitur nâ—…llus pâ—…test aequari lâ—…bor nulla opera comparari presertim cùm Apostolus dicat non sunt condignâ—… passiâ—…nes c. Anaâ—…tasius Sinaita This is true humility to practise good things and to esteeme himselfe uncleane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and unworthy of God thinking to bee saved by his goodnesse alone Oecumenius He sheweth that we are not able either to suffer or to conferre any thing worthy of that remuneration which shall bee there Anselme professeth that a thousand yeeres devout service of God doth not condignely merit the being in the Kingdome of Heaven halfe a day Bernard Fateor non sum dignus ego nec propriis possum meritis regnum obtinere coelorum and elsewhere Nihil sumus in cordibus nostris fortè in corde Dei potest aliud latere de nobis Lege homo in corde tuo lege intra teipsum de teipso testimonia veritatis etiam hac communi luce judicabis te indignum Againe Nos sumus sponsa Dei sed in corde Dei Nos sumus sed ipsius dignatione non dignitate nostra quod etsi nâ—…s puerili animositate gratis servari nolumus meritò non salvamur excludit miseriae dissimulatio miserationem nec dignatio locum habet ubi fuerit praesumptio dignitatis The faithfull indeed are digni worthy as it is said Apoc. 3. 4. Sap. 3. 5. but it is dignatione divina non dignitate sua worthy not in themselves but in Gods acceptation in Christ even as they are just not in themselves but in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 21. Augustine Propter nomen tuum h. e. gratis propter nomen tuum non propter meritum meum quiatu dignatus es facere non quia ego dignus cui facias And this is signified in the places alleaged Luk. 20. 35. 2 Thess. 1. 5. which speake not of being worthy but of being accompted worthy in Gods acceptation To the proposition I answere that they who are worthy not in themselves but in Christ not in respect of their owne dignity but of Gods dignation which is the case of all the faithfull though they be accompted worthy of eternall life yet they doe not merit it themselves but the merit of Christ is imputed unto them which excludeth our merit To that of Luk. 10. 7. and likewise 1 Tim. 5. 18. The workman is worthy of his hire hath place among men who can deserve and earne their wages one of another so that the one bee not the bond-servant of the other but Gods workemen of whom those places speake though they deservâ—…â—…heir hire of them among whom they labour yet cannot being not their owne men but the bond-servants of God deserve any thing at his hands Againe even among men the labourer is not worthy of his hire who hath but begun and not perfected his worke but our obedience our righteousnesse our charity whereby we serve God is but inchâ—…ata non perfecta justitia § XXIII His seventh argument is taken from those places where it is said that God is a righteous judge and no accepter of persons as Rom. 2. 11. Gal. 2. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 17. Act. 10. 34. but acception of persons is a vice contrary to distributive justice viz. when a judge giveth reward without merits or a greater reward to lesse merits or a lesse reward to greater merits God therefore in the retribution of rewards considereth the merits of men and according to the diversity of merits he assigneth the mansions of eternall life This argument if it shall conclude the question must thus bee framed If God doe render to men the rewards of eternall life neither without their merits nor greater rewards to lesse nor lesse to greater merits than God in the retribution of rewards considereth the merits of men and consequently the good workes of the faithfull are meritorious of eternall life but the antecedent is true therefore the consequent The assumption hee proveth because the contrary is repugnant to distributive justice Thus therefore he proveth it If God doe render rewards to men without their merits or greater rewards to lesse merits or lesse rewards to greater merits then is he an unjust judge and an accepter of persons which God forbid But God is a righteous judge and no accepter of persons as is proved by the testimonies alleaged therfore he doth not render to men rewards without their merits neither doth he give greater rewards to lesse nor lesse rewards to greater merits Answ. I deny the assumption of the former syllogisme and the proposition of the second The assumption was that God doth not render to men rewards of eternall life without their merits c. For that God doth give the reward of eternall life to some at the least without their merits it is evident in the elect infants who having no merits of their owne are saved only by the merits of Christ. And the like is to be said of all other beleevers for whom our Saviour by his merits hath purchased everlasting life Therefore that assumption is so farre from being true that the contrary thereof is alwaies true viz. that God doth give the reward of eternall life as his free gift to all that are saved without any merit of theirs Neither is there any other merit of eternall life but the merit of Christ which is more than sufficient for all that beleeve The proposition of the prosyllogisme hath two branches in both the parts thereof of both which I deny the consequence for as touching the first although God doe render to men the reward of eternall life without their merits yet hee is not an unjust Iudge For though they have no merit of their owne yet they have the all-sufficient satisfaction and the infinite merit of Christ unto which eternall life is in justice due For the second Although the Lord should give greater rewards to lesse offices and graces and lesse to greater yet were hee not unjust nor an accepter of persons For by the parable of the workmen Mat. 20. Wee learne that the
whole Word of God when he commanded us to heare the Church Mat. 18. 17. Luk. 10. 16. and which surpasseth all impudencie that the Fathers sometimes in this sence do say that all the doctrines of faith are contained in the holy Scriptures to wit as in a generall principle quatenus illae monent credendum esse Ecclesiae in that they admonish that the Church is to be bâ—…leeved in all things And further that the implicite faith which is implied in this one article I beleeve the Romane Church and whâ—…tsoever that Church beleeveth or propoundeth to be beleeved is the most entire faith and most safe not onely for the lay people though they know or beleeve no more but also for the learned For whom it is not so safe when Satan contendeth with them to defend their faith by the Scriptures as to professe onely that they beleeve as the Church beleeveth But indeed this implicite faith whereby men doe beleeve or professe themselves to beleeve as the Church of Rome and therein the Pope beleeveth or propoundeth to be beleevâ—…d acknowledging him to be the principle yea the chiefe and last principle into which there is ultima resolutio fidei upon which the authority of the Scriptures dependeth is to take upon them the very marke of the beast and to revolt from Christ to Antichrist which is the miserable condition of all resolute Papists For Antichrist prevaileth in them only that perish whose names are not written in the booke of life See Mat. 24. 24. 2 Thess. 2. 10. Apoc. 14. 9 10 11. and 17. 8. Let not therefore the popish priests and Iesuits the Emissaries of Antichrist like egregious imposters terrifie any longer the people with these bug-beares that there is no salvation but in the communion with the Church of Rome and in subjection under the Pope untill they have proved which they will never be able to doe that their Church is not Apostaticall and that their Pope who is the head of the Catholike Apostasie is not as about twelve yeeres agoâ—… I proved him to be Antichrist To conclude let the popish Rabbins either vindicate their Church from Apostasie and their Pope from Antichristianisme or else for ever hereafter hold their peace A Table of the places of Scriptures alleaged expounded or vindicated in this Treatise Genesis 15. 6. ABRAHAM beleeved God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Lib. 7. Cap. 8. § 11. Exodus 28. 36. 38. Lib. 1. Cap. 4. § 22. Lib. 4. Cap. 3. § 11. Of â—…he golden plate which the high priest did weare on his forehead Deutronomie 30. 6. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart c. Lib. 5. Cap. 7. § 7. Ioshuah 11. 14 15. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses Lib. 7. Cap. 6. § 13. 1. Chronicles 21. 8. Take away the iniquity of thy servant Lib. 2. Cap. 8. § 2. Iob. 1. 22. In all this Iob sinned not Lib. 4. Cap. 4. § 1. 2. Psalmes 4. 4. Sinne not Lib. 4. Cap. 4. § 7. 7. 4. 9. 16. 1 2 3. 18. 21. 261. 119. 121. in which David pleadetâ—… his owne innocenciâ—… Lib. 4. Cap. 4. § 5. 10. 15. And he shall not be found Lib. 2. Cap. 8. § 5. 32. 1 2. Blessed is hee whose transgression is forgiven and whose sinne is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not 〈◊〉 Lib. 5. Cap. 3. § 2. 3. c. ad 14. 37. 40. Hee shâ—…ll save thâ—…m because they trust in him Lib 6. Cap. 11. § 7. 51. 2. 7. Wash mee throughly from mine iniquity purge me with bysope and I shall be cleane c. L. 2. C. 8. § 4. 62. 12. To thee O Lord mercie Lib. 8. Cap. 2. § 1. for thon rendrest to every man according to his worke Lib. 8. Cap. 5. § 13. 78. 34. When hee slâ—…w them they sought him Lib. 6. Cap. 11. § 4. n. 3. 91. 14. Because hee hath loved me therefore I will deliver him Lib. 6. Cap. 11. § 7. 111. 10. The feare of the Lorâ—… is the beginning of Wisedome Lib. 6. Cap. 11. § 3. Proverbes 1. 7. The feare of the Lord â—… the beginning of Wisedome Lib. 6. â—…ap 11. § 3. 14. 27. The feare of the Lorâ—…â—… a sountaine of Life Lib. 6. Cap. 1. § 4. n. 5. 28. 25. Hee that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made â—…at Vulg. lat qui sperat in Domino salvabitur Lib. 6. Cap. 11. § 7. Ecclesiastes 7. 20. There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and â—…inneth not lib. 4. cap. 3. § 12. Esay 7. 9. If you will not beleeve you shall not be established Lat. cited by Bellarm. non intelligâ—…tis l. 6. â—… 1. § 6. 26. 18. From thy â—…eare as Bellarmine readeth wee have conceived and brought forth the Spirit of salvation lib. 6. c. 11. § 4. n. 4. 53. 11. My righteous servant by his knowledge shall justifie many lib. 2. cap. 5. § 7 8 9 10. 55. 1. Buy without mony and without price lib. 8. c. 2. § 4. 64 6. Our righteousnâ—…sses are like menstruous clouts l. 4. c. 3. § 4 5 c. Ieremie 23. 6. This is his name wherâ—…by hee shall be called Iâ—…HOVAH our righteousnesse lib. 1. cap. 3. § 5. lib. 4. cap. 2. § 2. Ezechiel 18. 21. If the wicked shà ll turne from all his sinnes hee shall live lib. 7. c. 4. § 17. Daniel 9. 18. Wee doe not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies lib. 8. cap. 2. § 4. 12. 3. They that justifie mâ—…y lib. 2. cap. 5. § 6. Habakuk 2. 4. The just by faith shall live lib. 1. c. 1. § 1. l. 6 c. 2. § 11. Malachy 3. 4. The offerings shall bee pleasant to the Lord. lib. 4. cap. 4. § 8. Apochrypha Ecclesiasticus 1. 28. Lib. 6. cap. 11. § 2. Lib. 6. cap. 12. § 1. 16. 14. Lib. 8. cap. 1. § 1. 18. 21. Lib. 2. cap. 4. § 2. 3. 47. 8. Lib. 5. cap. 7. § 7. Matthew 5. 16. That they seeing your good workes lib. 4. cap. 4. § 9. 5. 20. Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes c. lib. 7. cap. 4. § 14. 5. 48. Be you therefore perfect c. lib. 5 â—…p 7. § 9. 6. 10. Thy will be done c. lib. 7. cap. 7. § 12. 6. 22 If thine eye be single the whole body shal be full of light lib. 4. 〈◊〉 4. § 4. 9. 2. Bee of good cheere thy sinnâ—…s are fâ—…rgiven thee lib. 6. cap. 11. § 8. 11. 30. My yoke is easie and my burden is light l. 7. c. 6. § 8. 15. 28. O Woman great is thy faith c. l. 6. c. 15 § 12. 16. 27. Hee shall reward every man according to his workes l. 8. c. 5 § 13. 19. 17. If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements l. 7.
bee our righteousnesse Secondly because of his owne free grace he hath given us those meanes whereby the righteousnesse of Christ might bee communicated unto us as namely the Ministery of the Word and of the Sacraments Thirdly because of his grace hee blesseth those meanes unto us working and encreasing in us the grace of faith by which we are justified and lasâ—…ly when we doe by faith which is his gift bâ—…leeve hee freely imputâ—…th unto us the righteousnesse of Christ accepteth of us in him and in him adopteth us to be his sonnes and heires of eternall life § III. But as the Lord is gracious in justifying a beleeving sinner so hee is also righteous Rom. 3. 25 26. For thâ—…refore hath the Lord set forth his sonne and our Saviour to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse through the remission of sinnes that are past by the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousnesse that he might be just and the Iustifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus For such is the righteousnesse of God that hee forgiveth no mans sinne for which his Iustice is not fully satisfied by Christ neither doth hee accept of any as just but such as by imputation of Christs righteousnesse are made just in him The consideration of this justice of God in forgiving sinnes doth afford singular comfort to the faithfull For seeing the Lord forgiveth no sinne for which his justice is not satisfied and seeing our Saviour hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father for the sinnes of all that beleeve in him from hence we may be assured that as there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus so no punishment properly so called that is such a penalty as is inflicted in ordine justitiae and by way of vengeance because it cannot stand with the justice of God to punish the second time those sinnes in us for which his justice is already fully satisfied in Christ. § IV. But the actions of God the principall efficient of justification are to bee distinguished according to the distinction of the three Persons For God the Father justifieth as the primary Cause and Authour the Sonne as the meritorious cause the holy Ghost as the cause applicatory that is to say God the Father through the Sonne doth justifie us by the holy Ghost The Father I say as primary cause and that in two respects first in that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne for us and set him forth to be a 〈◊〉 through fâ—…ith in his blood that all who beleeve in him should bee iustified Rom. 3. 25. Ioh. 3. 16. Secondly as the Iudge in absolving those that beleeve and pronouncing them just in Christ. The Sonne as the Mediatour and meritorious cause and that also in two respects First as he is our Surety who paid our debt and our Redeemer who laid downe the price of our redemption for us Esay 53. 11. affording unto us the matter and merit of our justification Secondly as hee is our Intercessour and Advocate to plead for us that his merits may be imputed to us Rom. 8. 34. 1 Ioh. 2. 2. Heb. 7. 25. 9. 24. God the Father therefore justifieth as the primary cause per authoritatem as the Schoolemen speake the Sonne as the secondary cause per ministerium For so it is said Esa. 53. 11. My righteous servant shall justifie many The Father as the Iudge the Sonne as the Mediator and Advocate The Father as the Creditour accepting Christs satisfaction for us the Sonne as the Surety paying our debt for us But howsoever God the Father hath given his Soâ—…ne and the Sonne hath given himselfe for us and hath paid that price and performed that obedience which is sufficient for our justification notwithstanding none are actually justified by the merits of Christ but they onely to whom they are applyed For although the sufferings of Christ be a precious salve to cure our soules yet they will not heale us unlesse they bee applyed And although his righteousnesse bee as a wedding garment to cover our nakednesse yet it will not cover us unlesse it bee put on In the third place therefore the holy Ghost may also be said to justifie us because hee doth apply unto us Christs merits unto our justification both as he is the Spirit of regeneration working in us the grace of faith by which we receive Christ unto our justification in foro coelesti and also as hee is the Spirit of adoption confirming our faith and working in us the assurance of our justification by which wee are justified in foro Conscientiae § V. Now the meanes of this application are instrumentall causes of our justification and doe justifie instrumentally And these are of two sorts viz. on Gods part and on ours For to effect this application there must bee manus Dei offerentis the hand of God offering and manus accipientis the hand of the receiver The instruments on Gods part are the ministery of the Word and Sacraments whereby the holy Ghost doth beget and confirme faith in us In respect whereof Ministers are said to justifie men Dan. 12. 3. For as touching the ministery of the Gospell first in it the benefit of the Messias as namely reconciliation adoption and justification c. is revealed and offered to all that shall beleeve and by it wee are stirred up to receive and embrace it In which respect the preaching of the Gospell is called the ministery of reconciliation and the Ministers are Gods Embassadours sent to entreat men in Gods name and in Christs stead that they would be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 18 20. Secondly the holy Ghost having thus by the ministery of the Gospell knocked at the doore of mens hearts in his good time maketh it effectuall opening their hearts to give a lively and effectuall assent to the Gospell whereby they receiving Christ and beleeving in him are justified Thus faith commeth by hearing the Word And in this respect Preachers of the Gospell are said to be the Ministers by whom men doe beleeve 1 Cor. 3. 5. Thirdly in the preaching of the Gospell seconded and made powerfull by the operation of the holy Ghost the sentence of justification and remission of finnes and consequently of salvation is pronounced and concluded in the conscience of the faithfull when as out of the generall promise of the Gospell Whosoever truely belâ—…eveth in Christ hath remission of sinnes being by the Minister conditionally applyed to the hearer and absolutely assumed by the beleever after this manner If thou saith the Minister doest truely beleeve in Christ thou hast remission of sinnes and thou shalt be saved Rom. 10. 9. But I saith the faithfull hearer doe truely beleeve in Christ my conscience bearing mee witnesse in the holy Ghost this conclusion is inferred as the verdict of the holy Ghost testifying with the
to be made partakers of him and in our wils by resolving both to acknowledge him to be our Saviour and also to rest upon him for salvation Having this lively assent which is the condition of the promise we are to apply the promise to our selves as belonging to us By the former degree we are justified before God in foro coelesti by the latter we are justified in foro conscientiae in the court of our owne conscience By the former we are justified properly by the latter we are not properly justified but are in some measure assured of our justification By the former I doe effectually beleeve that Iesus is the Saviour by the latter I doe truely beleeve that hee is my Saviour That faith therefore which doth justifie doth specially apprehend and apply Christ and the proper object of faith as it justifieth is Christ or the promise of salvation by Christ and therefore is often called faith in Christ or the faith of Christ. For although by that faith which justifieth I beleeve all the articles of Christian religion and every truth revealed by God in his word yet I am not justified properly by beleeving any other truth but onely by beleeving the truth neither is the promise of justification and salvation made to any other beleefe but onely to faith in Christ. § IX Thirdly by this faith apprehending and receiving Christ we are not prepared onely and disposed to justification as the Papists absurdly teach affirming that faith doth justifie even as servile feare doth by preparing onely and disposing for then a man indued with justifying faith might be as farre from justification as he that is possessed with servile feare But how can these two assertions be reconciled that faith doth justifie by disposing onely as a preparative diâ—…position and yet that it justifieth formally as an habit infused and as a part of inherent â—…ustice But the truth is that by a true justifying faith we are not prepared onely but wee are actually justified For no sooner doth a man beleeve by a true justifying faith but he is justified and entitled unto the kingdome of heaven As soone as he doth beleeve he is translated from death to life yea so soone he hath eternall life that is hee hath jus right unto the heavenly kingdome § X. Fourthly when wee say that faith doth justifie wee doe not meane that it justifieth absolutely or in respect of its owne worth and dignity and much lesse that it doth merit justification either as it is an habit or as it is an act but relatively in respect of the object which it doth apprehend that is Christ who is our righteousnesse For seeing faith doth receive Christ and make us partakers of him therefore all those benefits which wee receive from Christ are attributed in the holy Scriptures to Faith as to justifie to save c. not that these effects are to bee ascribed to the vertue of faith absolutely but relatively in respect of the object So when it was said to the woman thy faith hath saved thee the meaning is Christ received by faith hath saved thee Thus by the faith of Peter and Iohn the Creeple was cured Act. 3. 6. yet not by any power or holinesse of theirs vers 12. But the name of Christ that is Christ himselfe by faith in his name as the instrument did cure him vers 16. so the name of Christ by faith in his name doth justifie and save Act. 10. 43. Iohn 20. 31. And that faith doth not justifie in respect of its owne worth appeareth by this evidence because the faith of divers men though unequall in degrees doth justifie alike and therefore is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of equall value as Saint Peter speaketh of all the faithfull to whom he writeth 2 Pet. 1. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as the Latine interpreter translateth to them that have obtained coequall faith with us in the righteousnesse of our God and Saviour Iesus Christ. For it is not faith properly which doth justifie but the righteousnesse of Christ received by faith The almes received by a weake hand releeveth the party as well as that which is received by a strong hand because it is not the hand properly which releeveth but the almes And for the same cause the righteousnesse of justification is equall in all that are justified neither doth it in the same persons admit of degrees For it is the most perfect righteousnesse of Christ to which considered as created and finite nothing can bee added § XI Fifthly from hence we learne the true meaning of that question whether we be justified by faith or by workes not as opposing the inward grace of faith to the outward acts of obedience which indeed are the fruits of faith but as opposing the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith to that righteousnesse which is inherent in our selves and performed by our selves § XII Sixthly when we say that faith doth justifie alone two things are implyed First that we are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ alone apprehended by faith and not by any righteousnesse in herent in us Secondly that this righteousnesse of Christ by which alone wee are justified is apprehended by faith onely Not that justifying faith is or can bee alone but because there being many graces in the faithfull which all have their severall commendations yet none of them serveth to apprehend Christs righteousnesse but faith onely and yet that faith which is alone severed from all other inward graces and outward obedience doth not justifie either alone or at all because it is not a true and â—… lively but a counterfeit and a dead faith For even as the eye among all the parts of the body which all have their severall uses hath onely the faculty of seeing and yet that eye which is separated from the rest of the parts doth see neither alone nor at all because it is but the carcase of an eye So among all the graces of the soule it is the office of faith alone as the eye of the soule to looke upon him that was figured by the brazen Serpent yet if it should bee severed from the rest it were dead For as Saint Iames saith that faith which is alone and by it selfe is dead And as the eye in respect of being is not alone yet in respect of seeing it is alone so faith which is not alone doth justifie alone § XIII Seventhly and lastly when we say that faith doth justifie alone wee were never so absurd as the Papists absurdly charge us as if wee meant that faith alone doth sanctifie For although nothing in us doth conferre with faith to the act of justification as any cause thereof in which sense wee say it justifieth alone yet in the subject that is the party justified many graces doe concurre with faith as the necessary fruits thereof wherein as also in
us This righteousnesse of Christ that I may speake more distinctly of it is either negative if I may so speake or positive By the negative I understand an absence of all sinnes and vices forbidden in the Law By the positive I meane both a presence of all vertues and duties required to the perfect fulfilling of the Commandements and also of the voluntary suffering of the penalty to satisfie the commination and curse of the Law The Negative is that which wee call the innocencie of Christ whereof the Scriptures speake in many places signifying that he was not onely blamelesse free in himselfe from all imputation of sinne being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unreproveable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unblameable Iohn 8. 46. 1 Pet. 1. 19. but also spotlesse free from all infection of sinne as being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without spot 1 Pet. 1. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 harmelesse and undefiled Heb. 7. 26. one who never did nor spâ—…ke evill 1 Pet. 2. 22 23. nor ever offended in thought but was absolutely and in all respects 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without sinne Heb. 4. 15. as one who knew no sinne § IV. The positive righteousnesse of Christ is twofold his perfect fulfilling of all things commanded in the Law and his perfect satisfaction in respect of the punishment threatned The former is the holinesse of Christ which the Apostle calleth the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Rom. 8. 2. which is also twofold the holinesse of his nature which is his habituall righteousnesse the holinesse of his life and conversation which is his actuall obedience The holinesse of his Nature in that being conceived of the holy Ghost and sanctified by him Matth. 1. 22. Luk. 1. 35. hee was also adorned with all vertues and graces and that without measure Iohn 3. 34. In respect whereof hee was said to be annointed with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes Psalm 45. 7. for he was full of the Spirit Esai 11. 2. full of grace and truth Iohn 1. 14. full I say not plenitudine vasis in which sense fome of the faithfull have beene said to have beene full of the holy Ghost and full of grace but plenitudine fontis for of his fulnesse wee receive even grace for grace Iohn 1. 16. according to the measure of the donation of Christ Ephes. 4. 7. The holinesse of Christs life was that whereby he continued in all the things which were written in the booke of the Law to doe them and that for us For he came not to breake the Law but to fulfill it Matth. 5. 17. He fulfilled all righteousnesse Matth 3. 15. and alwayes did those things which please God Ioh. 8. 29. Hee performed in his flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever the Law requireth to justification Rom. 8. 4. and therefore most worthily is hee often called in the Scriptures not only righteous and holy as Esay 53. 11. Act. 4. 27. Heb. 7. 26. 1 Ioh. 2. 20. Apoc. 3. 7. but also the just and the holy Act. 3. 14. the just 1 Ioh. 2. 2. the holy one of God Act. 2. 27. the holy of holies Dan. 9. 24. The other part of Christs positive righteousnesse is his passive obedience which is called Obedientia Crucis the obedience of the Crosse wherein hee willingly submitted himselfe to endure those punishments for us which might satisfie the Iustice of God and the sentence of the Law for our sinnes as it is said Phil. 2. 8. Hee humbled himselfe and became obedient to the death even the death of the Crosse and Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law himselfe being made a curse for us Now this passive obedience appeareth not onely in his death and passion though in that principally but also in all other his sufferings which hee voluntarily sustained for us in the whole course of his life as poverty shame sorrow c. The matter therefore of our justification is that whole righteousnesse which was either inherent in the man Christ or performed by him whether to fulfill the commandements or to satisfie the curse of the Law for us § V. This righteousnesse of Christ our Mediatour though inherent in the humane nature and performed by it yet is most truely and to us most comfortably called according to that kinde of phrase which is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the communication of properties the righteousnesse of God because it is the righteousnesse of that Person which is God who though a branch of David according to the flesh is Iehovah our righteousnesse Ier. 23. 6. God above all blessed for evermore Rom. 9. 5. In this sense the Iewes are said to have killed the Author of life Act. 3. 15. and to have crucified the Lord of Glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. For as the blessed Virgin is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God because she is the Mother of that Person who is God so the righteousnesse of our Mediator who is both God and man is called the righteousnesse of God because it is the righteousnesse of that Person who is perfect God Thus that blood by which wee are redeemed is called the blood of God Act. 20. 28. or which is all one the blood of the Sonne of God 1 Ioh. 1. 7. The life which was laid downe for us was the life of God 1 Ioh. 3. 16. the death by which wee are reconciled to God is the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 10. the obedience by which wee are constituted just Rom. 5. 19. is the obedience of the same Sonne of God who being God coequall with his Father humbled himselfe and became obedient to his Father even unto death Phil. 2. 6 8. and being the Sonne of God was made subject to the Law that hee might redeeme those that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4. 4. 5. § VI. This doctrine of the Gospell that the righteousnesse by which we are justified is the righteousnesse of God is the chiefe stay of our faith and the principall foundation of our comfort For hereby wee understand his sufferings to bee an all-sufficient satisfaction to redeeme us from hell and his obedience of all-sufficient merit to entitle us unto the kingdome of heaven And that wee might know undoubtedly that his sufferings were the sufferings of God and his obedience the obedience of God that is of him that is God therefore by his divine Spirit by which hee had offered himselfe to God he raised himselfe from death to life and to glory by which his resurrection hee was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God that our faith and hope might bee in God For had not Christ risen from the dead it had beene a plaine evidence of his not being God and then our faith were vaâ—…ne and
it will follow that Christ by his obedience and sufferings in the humane nature had merited to bee God but this hee had not by purchase but by nature and therefore himselfe prayed a little before his death Ioh. 17. 5. And now Father glorifie mee with the glory not which I have merited by my death but with that glory which I had with thee before the world waâ—… And it is evident that the glory whereunto Christ in this place is said to be exalted is proper to God himselfe Esay 45. 22. And this may suffice for this point for I will not trouble the Reader with those two other allegations of our Rhemists the one out of Apoc. 5. 12. that the Lambe which was slaine was worthy to receive power and as they read Divinity from whence they should prove if they prove any thing that Christ by his sufferings in his humanity merited his Divinity The other Heb. 2. 9. that Christ because of the passion of death was crowned with glory and honour where the words are thus to be construed according to the distinction and interpretation of the Fathers wee see Iesus crowned with glory and honour who for a shorâ—… time was made lesse than the Angels viz. by hiâ—… incarnaâ—…ion for the suffering of death that is that hee might suffer death or as the Apostle speaketh that by the grace of God hee might viz. in the humane nature assumed tast of death for all § XIII Object 3. If Christ obeyed the Law for us that by his obedience we might be justified then shall not wee need to obey the Law but the consequent is absurd therefore the antecedent I answere that we need not to obey the Law to that end that we may thereby be justified for from that yoke of most miserable bondage excluding us from 〈◊〉 if we doe noâ—… perfectly fulfill the Law in our owne persons our Saviour Christ hath freed us the condition which the Law requireth to justification being utterly impossible to us by reason of the flesh But howsoever we cannot perfectly fulfill the Law that we must thinke our selves bound sincerely to keepe it that is we must have an 〈◊〉 desire an unsained purpose a serious care an upright endevour to walke in the obedience of Gods commandements in this study and practice of piety consisteth our new obedience which we must be carefull to performe not to be justified thereby but to glorifie God to obey his will to restifie our thankfulnesse towards him to edifie our brethren to gather sound testimonies to our selves and assurance of our justification and so to make our calling and our election sure § XIV Object 4. If wee be justified by the obedience of Christs life what needed he to dye for us Answ. the chiefest part of his obedience was to be performed at his death His totall obedience was his fulfilling of the whole Law for us The Law since the fall is fulfilled neither by an obedience conformable to the commandements alone because wee are all sinners nor by suffering the punishment alone but by both And therefore Christ performed both for us that by both we might be justified But this objection I will requite with § XV. Our fourth reason If wee bee justified altogether by the death and passion of Christ onely to what end and purpose serveth his habituall righteousnesse and actuall obedience by which hee was obedient to the Law in the whole course of his life doing alwayes those things which are pleasing to God performing all righteousnesse fulfilling the Law and whatsoever the Law requireth to justification These things as I shewed before he did not for himselfe therefore for us and in our stead To this some of our aforesaid Divines doe answer that Christ indeed fulfilled the Law for our sakes but they put a difference betweene pro and propter saying that Christ obeyed the Law pro se not pro nobis sed propter nos that is for our sakes but not for us or in our stead which some expresse thus that he might be sanctus Ponâ—…ifex and sacra Victima an holy Priest and an holy Sacrifice Others thus that these things are required in Christ that in his blood hee may bee righteousnesse unto us Answ. 1. That there is no such distinction in the Scriptures but the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this very point of Christs doing or suffering for us are used indifferently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 8. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 17. 19. Rom. 5. 8. Luk. 22. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 26. 28. Mark 14. 24. 1 Ioh. 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 20. 28. Mark 10. 45. Neither is this distinction acknowledged by the Fathers who acknowledge that Christ obeyed pro nobis Cyril de rect â fide ad Reginam Theodoret. therapeut 10. pag. 148. that hee was baptized pro nobis Aug. tract 4. in Ioan. tract 111. that he who dyed for us liveth pro nobis Cyril Thesaur lib. 9. cap. 2. That he was made a Priest pro nobis Idem in Ioan. lib. 2. cap. 1. pro omnibus mortuus pro omnibus resurrexit c. Answ. 2. This to me seemeth but a shallow conceit For who is the Priest and what is the Sacrifice Was not the Priest the Son of God both God and Man Was not the Sacrifice the flesh or human nature of the Son of God Surely if Christ had never submitted himselfe to obey the Law yet he being God had been a most holy Priest his body and blood being the body and blood of God had beene a most holy and all-sufficient Sacrifice Neither was it the holinesse of the humanity that sanctified the sacrifice or gave the vertue of satisfaction unto it but the dignity of the person and the vertue of the Godhead which made the righteousnesse of the Man Christ as well active as passive to bee meritorious and satisfactory for others Iesus Christ therefore being both God and Man was and is our high Priest who offered the sacrifice of his humanity upon the altar of his Deity which sanctified the sacrifice and made it an all-sufficient satisfaction for the sinnes of all that beleeve It is the Spirit saith our Saviour Christ that giveth life the flesh by it selfe profiteth nothing Ioh. 6. 63. the sufferings or obedience of Christ as hee is Man considered apart from the Godhead are neither satisfactory nor meritorious for others but being the sufferings of God they are a sufficient price of ransome to free us from hell and being the obedience of God is of sufficient merit to entitle us unto the kingdome of heaven § XVI Our fifth reason There are two parts of justification the one the absolving from the guilt of sinne and damnation the other the accepting of a beleeving sinner as righteous unto life the former is wrought by the sufferings of Christ
our justification and sanctification to both And therefore as we are first above all things to desire that God may bee glorified so that hee may bee glorified wee are first among those things which wee desire for our owne good to seeke his Kingdome and his righteousnesse that his Kingdome of glory and the Kingdome of Grace which consisteth in the righteousnesse of justification and the two companions thereof peace and joy in the holy Ghost may come upon us and next that his will may be done upon earth as it is in heaven by our new obedience for this is the will of God even our sanctification Salvation I say is the end both of our justification and sanctification for being made free from sinne and become servants to God we have our fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life The end of our faith by which we are justified is the salvation of our soules unto which by justification wee are entituled and saved in hope that being justified by his grace wee should bee made heires according to hope of eternall life for all that be justified shall be glorified And this also I noted in the definition when I said that those whom the Lord doth justifie by imputation of Christs righteousnesse he accepteth as righteous in Christ and as heires of eternall life for by faith we have remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified § III. But we are justified by faith not onely that in the end wee may be saved but also that in the meane time our salvation being of Grace might be certaine and sure and that being justified by faith we might have peace and joy in the holy Ghost Whereas if it depended upon our workes or worthinesse it would be uncertaine For the promise of this inheritance was not made to Abraham and his seed through the Law in respect of any righteousnesse therein prescribed but through the righteousnesse of Faith And therefore it is of faith that it might bee by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4. 13. 16. § IV. The other end which is subordinate not onely to Gods glory but also to our Salvation is our sanctification as being the way to eternall life for though we be saved by grace through faith and not of workes yet we are the workmanship of God created in Christ Iesus unto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in them We are therefore justified First that God may be glorified Secondly that wee may bee saved in the life to come Thirdly that in this world we may lead a godly life See Luk. 1. 74 75. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Tit. 2. 11 12 13. So much of the causes § V. There remaine the essentiall parts of justification which I expressed in the definition when I said that God doth justifie a beleeving sinner when imputing unto him the righteousnesse of Christ he doth absolve him from his sinnes and accepteth of him in Christ as righteous and as an Heire of Eternall Life The parts therefore of justification are two absolution from sinne and acceptation as righteous in Christ both which the Lord granteth by imputation of the full and perfect satisfaction of Christ whereby he fully satisfied the Law both in respect of the penalty which he satisfied by his sufferings and also in respect of the precept which he satisfied by his perfect righteousnesse both habituall and actuall As therefore there were two branches of the Law to be satisfied the commination and the Commandement and two parts of Christs satisfaction answerable thereunto so there are two parts of justification absolution from the curse of the Law by imputation of Christs sufferings wherein he became a curse for us and acceptation as righteous in Christ by imputation of Christs most perfect righteousnes both habituall actuall in respect of both which parts of his satisfaction Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes that is doth justifie all that truly beleeve in him § VI. And hereby it may appeare that those three benefits of Redemption Reconciliation and Adoption are all comprehended under this maine benefit of justification the two former being all one in substance with the former part for as touching the former In Christ wee have Redemption through his bloud even remission of sinnes Eph. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. And as touching the latter God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing unto them or remitting their sinnes 2 Cor. 5. 19. and therefore all three Remission of sinnes Redemption and Reconciliation are ascribed to the bloud and to the death of Christ. The third is all one in substance with the second part For what is it to be adopted but to be accepted of God in his beloved as righteous and as an Heire of Eternall Life and this is ascribed to the righteousnesse and obedience of Christ both in his life and death For therefore was the Sonne of God made under the Law namely to obey and to fulfill and to satisfie it that hee redeeming us from the yoke of the Law requiring perfect obedience in us to justification we might receive the Adoption of sonnes § VII Now follow the consequents and fruits of justification which are the Grace of Sanctification and the parts therof consisting partly in righteousnesse inherent and partly in outward obedience called good workes which I doe the rather mention in this place because the Papists though they cannot deny that they are the effects and fruits of justification which as they use to alleage out of Augustine Non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur justificatum not goe before as causes but follow as effects yet notwithstanding most absurdly contend that they concurre with faith unto justification as the causes thereof wee acknowledge them to be necessary in the subject that is the party that is justified and to bee saved necessitate praesentiae as the necessary fruits and consequents of justification and as necessary antecedents to glorification but we deny their necessity of efficiencie as causes concurring to the act of justification or merit of salvation We acknowledge them as the necessary fruits of Redemption and Iustification as the markes and cognizances of them that shall be saved the necessary forerunners of glorification the onely true way to our heavenly countrey the evidence according to which wee shall be judged at the last day yet we are not justified by them nor saved for them as hereafter I shall plainely and plentifully prove but onely by and for the righteousnesse and merits of Christ apprehended by Faith A TREATISE OF IVSTIFICATION THE SECOND BOOKE That Justification and Sanctification are not to bee confounded CAP. I. Setting downe the heads of the Controversies the first whereof is that Iustification and Sanctification are not to be confounded The first proofe
justifications of the Saints then they justifie the Saints So may I say if the precepts of the Law be the justifications of the Lord then belike they justifie him but neither are fitly called justifications though the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may not unfitly be given both to the Law of God as the rule of justice and to the judgements of God as the acts of justice and to the good deeds of the Saints as workes of justice and also to the merits of Christ which notwithstanding doe not justifie him but us unlesse they meane that as by good workes the faithfull so by righteous commandements and just judgements God is declared and manifested to bee just And farther the law of Nature knowne to the Gentiles is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notwithstanding doth not justifie either him or them and is by the Latine interpreter unfitly translated the justice of God And moreover Bellarmine himselfe as we have heard noteth that the Law is called justification because it teacheth righteousnesse and yet not that righteousnesse by which we are justified for that without the Law is manifested in the Gospell being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that beleeve But to conclude Bellarmine had no reason to make this the first signification of the word in the Scriptures for the Hebrew word which the vulgar Latine translateth sometimes iustificationes and sometimes ceremonias in the same sense doth signifie no such matter and the Greeke which twice at the most in the Scriptures signifieth justification doth usually signifie the Law of God and his statutes and ordinances but more especially those of the ceremoniall Law which if they be any where called justifications it is to bee imputed to the corrupt translation and not to the originall truth § III. So much of the first signification The two next whereof there is no example in the Scriptures hee hath coined to fit their new-found distinction of justification it selfe which they distinguish into the first and the second The first when a man of a sinner is made just by infusion of habituall righteousnesse The second when a just man is made more just by practise of good workes Accordingly justification saith Bellarmine in the second place signifieth acquisition of righteousnesse viz. inherent which is their first justification and in the third place incrementum justitiae the encrease of justice which is their second justification which distinction if it were applied to sanctification were not to be rejected For that which they call their first justification is the first act of our sanctification which the Scriptures call â—…eration in which the holy Ghost doth ingenerate in the soule of the Elect the grace of faith and with it and by it other sanctifying graces wherein their justification which is habituall consisteth And that which they call their second justification being actuall is our new obedience by which our sanctification is continued and encreased But to justification it cannot truly be applyed for first justification is an action of God for it is God that doth justifie Their second justification is their owne act whereby they being just already make themselves more just Secondly justification as hath been said is an action of God without us not implying a reall mutation in us but relative such as is wrought by the sentence of a Iudge and is opposed to condemnation Thirdly because it is the righteousnesse of Christ by which wee are justified which is a perfect righteousnesse whereunto nothing can bee added Therefore of justification it selfe there are no degrees though of the assurance thereof there are degrees according to the measure of our faith § IV. But let us see how Bellarmine proveth his second signification To that purpose he alledgeth three testimonies of Scripture which prove nothing else but that the Papists have no sound proofe for their erronious conceit The first is taken out of 1 Cor. 6. 11. And such were you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified Where indeed the word is used but in a sense distinguished from sanctification The scope and intendment the Apostle is to exhort the Corinthians being now Christians to abstaine from those sinnes whereunto they were addicted whiles they lived in Gentilisme Such you were then saith the Apostle but now since you gave your names to Christ you were baptized into his Name and in your Baptisme were washed from those sinnes being sanctified from the corruption of them by the Spirit of God and iustified from the guilt of them in the Name of Iesus Christ that is by faith in his Name Thus therefore these three words are to bee distinguished The washing of the soule which is represented by the washing of the body is the generall word whereby the purging of the soule from sinne is generally signified Act. 22. 16. But as in sinne there are two things from which we had need to be purged that is the guilt of sinne and the corruption thereof so this ablution or washing of the soule hath two parts ablution from the guilt of sinne which is our justification ablution from the corruption of sinne which is our sanctification Both which are represented and sealed in the Sacrament of Baptisme wherein as the outward washing of the body doth represent the inward washing of the soule both from the guilt and corruption of sinne so the Element of water whereby the body is washed or sprinckled is a signe of the water and blood which issued out of Christs side whereby the soule is washed that is to say the blood of redemption and the water of sanctification for by the blood that is the merits of Christ wee are freed from the guilt of sinne and by the water that is the Spirit of sanctification wee are freed in some measure from the corruption And both these as I said are signified in Baptisme For wee are baptized into the remission of sinnes Act. 2. 38. Mar. 1. 4. Our soules being washed with the blood of Christ according to that in the Nicene Creed I beleeve one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes and wee are baptized unto the mortification of sinne and rising unto holinesse of life Rom. 6. 3 4. our soules being washed by the water of the holy Ghost For wee are baptized into the death of Christ and similitude of his resurrection that as Christ dyed and rose againe so wee that are baptized should dye unto sinne and rise to newnesse of life for which cause Baptisme also is called the Laver of regeneration Tit. 3. 5. This then is the summe and effect of the Apostles exhortation that seeing they having given their names unto Christ had been baptized into his Name and were therefore Sacramentally at the least washed and consequently both in their owne profession and opinion of others judging
in due season and without delay and not alwayes and that the clause concerning the reward of the Lord is not in the Greeke Text then can it not be denied but that Bellarmine endevoured against his owne conscience to father his errour upon the Sonne of Sirach howbeit the reason which he rendreth is Pharisaicall For unto the first justification saith he of sinners not reward but indulgence agreeth as though there were any reward of our righteousnesse which alwayes in this life is impure and imperfect Esai 64. 6. but by indulgence If thou Lord should'st marke what is amisse O Lord who shall stand but with thee there is mercy or indulgence that thou maist be feared Psal. 130. 3 4. To them that love God and keepe his Commandements the Lord sheweth mercy Exod. 20.6 To thee Lord mercie for thou reward'st a man meaning the godly man according to his works Psalm 62. 12. which plainely sheweth that the reward of good workes is to be ascribed to Gods mercy and indulgence and not to our defect for it is great mercy that hee pardoneth the imperfection and iniquity of our good workes greater that he accepteth of them in Christ but greatest that hee graciously rewardeth them and who knoweth not that eternall life it selfe which is the reward that endureth for ever is the free and undeserved gift of God not rendred to our merits but given of his free grace § IV. His second testimony is Iam. 2.24 You see then that a man is justified by workes and not by faith onely Answ. Of this place wee are hereafter to treat more fully Now we are onely to cleare the signification of the word which in this place most evidently signifieth not to bee justified before God or made just but to bee approved or declared just In which sense the Schoolemen themselves doe teach that good workes doe justifie declarativè But here it may be objected that Saint Iames in this place speaketh of that justification whereunto faith concurreth with good workes and good workes with faith But to declare a man to bee justified faith being an inward and hidden grace of the heart hath no use or efficacy but it selfe is to be declared and manifested by workes as it is verse 18. Answ. The Apostle doth not speake of justifying faith it selfe but of the profession thereof or of saith professed onely as appeareth by the fourteenth verse where the question is propounded What doth it profit my brethren if a man shall say hee hath faith and have not workes can that faith which is in profession onely save him Now to the justification of a man before men and declaration of him to bee a man justified before God two things are requisite the profession of the true faith and a godly conversation answerable to that profession For neither good workss declare a man to bee justified if they bee not joyned with the profession of the true faith neither doth the profession of faith justifie a man before men if his faith cannot bee demonstrated by good workes And in this sense it is said that a man is justified that is knowne to bee just by workes and not by faith onely § V. His third testimony is Apoc. 22.11 Qui justus est justificetur adhuc hee that is just let him bee justified still Answ. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place doth not signifie to bee justified but to be just as the word is often used not onely in the translation of the Septuagints but also in the new Testament as I have shewed before as being the translation not of the passive but of tsadaq the verbe neuter in Cal which signifieth not to bee justified but to bee just And this exposition is confirmed first by the words going before He that doth wrong let him doe wrong still hee that is filthy let him bee filthy still and so hee that is just let him bee just still Secondly by the authority of the Complutensis editio of the Kings Bible of Andraeas Caesariensis and of Arethas in Apoc. who instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him worke righteousnesse of some Latine editions of the vulgar translation which instead of justificetur read justitiam faciat and lastly of Cyprian who rendreth the place thus justus adhuc justiora faciat This place therefore doth not speake of the encrease of our justification before God which cannot bee encreased and much lesse are wee exhorted unto it for as soone as a man is justified hee standeth righteous before God in the most perfect righteousnesse of CHRIST which admitteth no encrease but of perseverance in righteousnesse Moreover the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still doth not signifie encrease but continuance § VI. And these were Bellarmine his three first significations of the word justification whereof not any one can bee proved out of the word of God Fourthly saith he It is taken for the declaration of justice after a judiciall manner in which sense hee â—…s said to be justified who when he had beene by the accuser made guilty of some iniquity is by the sentence of the Iudge declared iust and absolved And to this purpose hee alleageth not onely Prov. 17. 15. hee that justifieth the wicked and condemneth the just c. And Esay 5. 23. But which are not so pertinent Luk. 7. 35. and Luk. 10. 29. Now saith hee of the foure acceptions of the word our adversaries teach this fourth to be most proper As for the â—…econd and the third which ariseth from the second they say it is improper and not to bee found in any approved Authors But of this matter saith hee wee will discourse Libro 2. Cap. 3. whether wee will follow him In the meane time let it bee observed that the Papists who cannot approve their owne acceptions of the word by any one place of Scripture doe neverthelesse acknowledge that use of the word which we doe maintaine But whereas hee doth insinuate that we doe therefore reject the second and third significations because the word is not so used in approved Authors I answer if hee speake of the Latine word as hee doth that it is not used of the Authors of the Latine tongue at all and in the Latine edition of the Scriptures and from thence in other Ecclesiasticall writers it is used as the translation of the Hebrew and the Greeke and must accordingly bee understood And if of the Greeke that it is not used indeed of the Authors of the Greeke tongue in the Popish sense But that is not the reason why wee reject those senses but because they are not to bee found in the holy Scriptures CAP. V. Bellarmines discourse concerning the signification of the word justification de Iustif. lib. 2. cap. 3. examined § I. BVT let us examine Bellarmines disputation concerning the signification of the word Lib. 2. Cap. 3. where alleaging 〈◊〉 5. 17 18 19. to prove
debt Matth. 6. 12. The subject where it remaineth are the bookes of Gods providence and of our own consciences The act of God in remitting our debts is the wiping them out of his remembrance as it were his debt-bookes The debt is the sinne it selfe which maketh us debtors unto God And therefore sinnes are called debts and sinners debtors Matth. 6. 12. cum Luk. 11. 4. Matth. 23. 16 18. Luk. 13. 4. cum 2. which also appeareth by the parables of the debtors Luk. 7. 41. Matth. 18. 23 35. and therefore sinners are called debtors because for their sinnes they owe punishment unto which by the just ordination of God they are obliged This obligation whereby sinners are bound over to punishment is called reatus that is guilt When as therefore God remitteth sins he forgiveth the debt hee remitteth or releaseth the punishment hee taketh away the guilt whereby we were bound over to punishment And è converso when God forgiveth the debt releaseth the punishment taketh away the guilt he is said to remit sinne Now sinnes are either habituall or actuall An habituall sinne God doth remit when hee doth take away the guilt of it and cover the Anomy of it not that it should not be at all but that it should not bee imputed as Augustine saith of concupiscence or originall sinne whereof all particular habituall â—… sinnes are members and branches Actuall sinnes God doth remit when he doth forgive the sinfull act it selfe and the guilt also which remaineth after the act is past and gone § VI. But here the Papists have found out a new devise to confirme their error in confounding justification and sanctification that whereas there are two things which as themselves doe teach remaine in the soule after the act of sinne hath been committed viz. reatus macula the guilt and the blemish or spot they teach against sense that it is properly the macula which is remitted in justification But then say I what becometh of the punishment the guilt binding over to punishment It is certaine that the infusion of righteousnesse doth not take away the guilt nor free us from punishment Neither can we be freed either â—…rom the one or the other but only by the satisfaction of Christ imputed unto us Hence therfore they should have learned to distinguish between justification and sanctification rather than to confound them that whereas there are two things remaining after sinne committed the guilt and the pollution the guilt is taken away by imputation of Christs righteousnesse in our justification the pollution is in some measure cleansed in our sanctification § VII And how soever that which they say of the macula or pollution remaining is true in respect of Originall sinne wherein upon the guilt of Adams transgression imputed there followeth an universall macula or corruption consisting of two parts the privation of Originall righteousnesse and an evill disposition and pronenesse to all manner of sinne by which twofold corruption all the parts and faculties of the soule are defiled yet it seemeth not to be altogether true in regard of mens personall sinnes in respect of either part for as touching the former part which is the privation neither are the unregenerate by their actuall sinnes deprived of grace or righteousnesse infused which they had not before they sinned neither are the regenerate utterly deprived of grace by such sinnes as they commit as I have elsewhere proved and as touching the latter part which is the evill disposition this macula whereof they speake is no new evill disposition making him a sinner who before was not but an evill disposition remaining of the old man which by committing of actuall sinnes is increased Insomuch as where the same actuall sinne is often committed and reiterated that evill disposition groweth to bee an habit For all evill dispositions or habituall sinnes which are in men are either the reliquia or remnants of originall sinne in some measure mortified or the increments thereof when by the committing of actuall sinnes they receive increase And such a thing is that macula whereof they speake which remaining in the soule per modum habitus is to bee taken away as all other habituall sinnes are as they are pollutions by the mortification of them which is a part of sanctification and not of justification Neither is the mortification of sinne a totall deletion or abolition thereof in this life as if no sinne or corruption remained in the party justified or sanctified for though in the forgiving or remitting of originall sinne the guilt bee wholly taken away yet the corruption which is called concupiscence remaineth more or lesse mortified § VIII Now followeth the subject where that which is to bee remitted doth remaine and from whence when it is remitted it is wiped or blotted out that is Gods remembrance and our conscience which are as it were the Lords debt-bookes according to which bookes he will judge Apoc. 20. 12. the former is the booke of Gods providence Psalm 56. 8. 139. 15. wherein all offences are written and wherein they remaine upon record Hos. 7. 2. 8. 13. Ier. 17. 1. The other is the booke of our conscience which is as it were the Lords atturney indicting us of sinne In regard whereof David saith Psalm 51. 3. I doe know or am conscious to my transgressions and my sinne is ever before mee Out of the former booke the Lord doth wipe out sinnes when he justifieth us in the Court of Heaven out of the latter when we are justified in the Court of our owne Conscience § IX And hereby the third thing appeareth namely by what act of God our sinnes are remitted For if that which is remitted be a debt which is recorded in Gods booke then this debt is remitted not by any act of God within us either really wiping the pollution out of our soules or infusing grace into them both which are done in some measure after the debt is remitted in our sanctification but by an act of God without us wiping our sinnes out of his booke blotting them out of his remembrance Esai 43. 25. casting them behinde his backe Esai 38. 17. turning his face from them Psalm 51. 9. not remembring Ier. 31. 34. nor imputing them Rom. 4. 8. ex Psal. 32. 2. but forgiving and forgetting them and accepting of Christs satisfaction for them in the behalfe of all that truely beleeve in Christ Rom. 3. 24 25. § X. Our fifth argument may be this The utter deletion of sinne is not granted in this life Remission of sinne is granted to the faithfull in this life Therefore remission of sinne is not the utter deletion of it The proposition is certaine For during this life sinne remaineth in the best Rom. 7. 17. 20. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. The assumption is undeniable as being an Article of our faith testified in many places of Scripture Or thus If in justification there
§ XIV Fourthly actions absolutely good may stand in judgement before God But our workes cannot stand in judgement The best of us have need to pray with him who had lesse neede than wee Enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord. If thou Lord shouldest marke what is amisse even in our best actions who should be able to stand Noliergo intrare mecum in judicium Domine Deus meus wherefore enter not into judgement with me O Lord my God Quantumlibet rectus mihi videar producis tu de the sauro tuoregulam coaptas me adeam pravas invenior For though I seeme to my self never so right thou bringest forth of thy treasury a rule thou examinest mee by it and I am found wicked This which David and Augustine expounding him speake in respect of the person may bee applyed to his best actions as namely to his prayer unto which more specially David in both places doth seeme to have relation Lord heare my prayer c. and enter not into judgement with thy servant Lord heare my voice c. if thou shouldest marke what is amisse who should stand For though my prayer may the best of us say seeme to my selfe never so godly yet thou hast a rule according to which if thou shouldest exactly examine my prayer it would bee found sinnefull Alas Lord I doe not pray with that humility in respect of mine unworthinesse nor with that feeling of my want nor with that reverence of thy great and glorious Majesty nor with that attention of minde nor with that devotion and fervencie of Spirit nor with that assurance of faith c. that I ought to doe Therefore I come unto thee not in any conceit of mine owne righteousnesse or of the worthinesse of my prayer but I come unto thee in the name and mediation of Christ appealing from thy tribunall of justice to the throne of thy grace desiring and beleeving that the incense of my prayers being perfumed with the odours of his merits may and shall bee acceptable unto thee § XV. But if any popish pharisee doth thinke that hee needeth not thus to pray I shall desire his Conscience thus to speake unto him Doest thou thinke that for the worthinesse of thy prayer thou shalt bee heard and that if the Lord should enter into judgement with thee according to his exact rule he could finde no fault with thy prayer Alas besides those blemishes and imperfections even now mentioned whereof the most godly have just cause to complaine thou directest thy prayer not to God alone but to Saints and Angels and so committest horrible idolatry and when thou dost direct thy prayer unto God thou dost conceive of him under some bodily shape whereby thou doest circumscribe him and make him finite and so no God but an idoll of thine owne braine Thou doest not come unto God in the name and mediation of Christ alone who is the onely mediatour betwixt God and man but in the mediation of many others by whose merits and intercession thou hopest and desirest to be heard Thou cravest not the helpe of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of grace and supplication whose helpe thou findest not thy selfe to need for such a prayer as thou doest make Thy prayer is but a formall recitall of a certaine taske of words uttered for the most part without understanding without feeling without devotion without faith Thou if unlearned as the most are thou prayest in an unknowne language speaking like a Parrat thou knowest not what thy prayer is a meere lip-labour thou hopest by the multitude of thy words and the often repetitions of thy Ave-maries thy Pater-nosters and thy Creeds most ridiculously and odiously reiterated upon thy Beads by most superstitious Battology And notwithstanding all this wilt thou bee so wickedly impudent as to obtrude thy orisons unto God not only as an acceptable service wherewith though he should enter into judgement with thee he could finde no fault but also impetratory of thy desires satisfactory for thy sinnes and meritorious of eternall life Nay I assure thee that thy prayer to God with the opinion of satisfaction and merit though it were otherwise well qualified as it is farre from it there being nothing almost performed in it which is required in prayer it were abominable in the sight of God what shall I say more The acceptable and effectuall prayer is the prayer of faith Iam. 5. 16. whereby a man doth specially beleeve that his requests are or shall bee granted to him as namely for remission of sinnes and eternall life but thou I speake to the best and most learned of the Papists thou I say dost scorne and detest this speciall faith and so thy prayer wanting faith besides all other the abominations thereof is turned into sinne § XVI So in like manner in respect of the rest of our actions though seeming laudable unto us wee must pray that the Lord will not enter into judgement with us To which purpose manifold testimonies of the Fathers might be alleaged These few may serve Hilarie what living man can bee justified in the sight of God In whom there is a mixture of anger of sorrow of concupiscence of ignorance of forgetfulnesse of casualty of necessity happening either through the nature of the body or the motion of the soule alwaies wavering Ambrose hee that thinketh hee hath gold hath lead and hee who thinketh himselfe to have the graine of Wheat hath chaffe which may bee burnt Augustine woe to the very laudable life of men if mercie being removed thou dost examine it Gregory in many places of his Morals lib. 5. c. 7. quia sâ—…pe ipsa justitia nostra ad examen divinae justitiae deducta injustitia est sordet in districtione judicis quod inestimatione sulget operantis lib. 5. cap. 18. ipsa nostra perfectio culpâ non caret nisi hanc severus judex in subtili lance examinis misericorditer penset Lib. 9. cap. 1. Sancti viri omne meritum vitium est si ab aeterno arbitriâ—… districtè judicetur Lib. 9. cap. 2. omne virtutis nostrae meritum esse vitium lib. 9. c. 11. Si remota pietate discutitur in illo examine etiam justorum vita succumbit cap. 14. on those words of Iob. Si habuero quippiam justum non respondebo he saith ut enim sape diximus omnis humana justitia injustitia esse convincitur si districtè judicetur prece ergo post justitiam indiget ut quae succumbere discussa poterat ex sola judicis pietate convalescat lib. 1. cap. 27. Si remota pietate discutimur opus nostrum poenâ—… dignum est quod remunerari praemiis prestolamur cap 28. quousque poena corruptionis astringimur quamlibet rectis operibus insudemus veram munditiem nequaquem apprehendimus sed â—…mur lib. 27. cap. 15. Sciunt Sancti quia omnis humana justitia injustitia
whole body shall bee lightsome where Bellarmine without any probability by the body understandeth a good worke and by the single eye a right intention for who knoweth not that many times workes are done with good intentions that are not good This place in Matthew is diversly expounded and may bee applied to many purposes But the proper true meaning may be gathered out of the coherence as I have shewed elsewhere for in the latter part of that Chapter our Saviour sheweth both what in our judgements wee should esteeme out chiefe good vers 19. c. and consequently what in our afflictions and endeavours wee should chiefly desire and labour for vers 25. c. 33. As touching the former he exhorteth us not to lay up our treasure upon earth but in heaven that is that we should place our happinesse not in earthly but in heavenly things For where our treasure is there will our heart bee also That is whatsoever wee esteeme our chiese good upon that our hearts and affections will be set This judgement concerning our chiefe good is by our Saviour compared to the eye whereunto whether it be right or wrong the whole corps or course of our conversation which he compareth to the body will be sutable If we repose our happinesse in heaven our conversation will bee religious and heavenly but if we place our paradise on earth our conversation will be answerable As for example if pleasure be our chiefe good our conversation will be voluptuous if profit it will bee covetous if honour it will be ambitious Such therefore as our judgement is concerning happinesse such will be our desires our endeavours and in a word such will bee our whole conversation But as his allegation is to no purpose so his conclusion is besides the question as if wee held that good workes were in their owne nature mortall sinnes when notwithstanding wee acknowledge them to be good per se and in their kinde as namely prayer and almes-giving but sinfull by accident as being stained with the flâ—…sh § V. His fourth testimony is 1 Cor. 3. 12. If any man build upon this foundation gold silver stones of price c. where he supposeth by gold and silver good workes are understood c. Answ. If they were they might be good and yet not purely good Even as a wedge of gold or of silver is truely called gold or silver though there bee some drosse therein But the Apostle speaketh not of workes but of doctrines for he comparing himselfe and other preachers of the Gospell to builders saith that he as a master-builder had laid the foundation whereon others did build either sound and profitable doctrines which he compareth to gold and silver c. or unsound and unprofitable compared to hay and stubble § VI. His fifth testimony is Iam. 3. 2. In many things we offend all Why I pray saith he doth he not say in all things wee offend all for if all the works of the righteous be sinnes then not onely in many things but in all we offend But Saint Iames knew what to say for in the second chapter hee had distinguished good workes from sinnes If you performe the royall Law according to the Scriptures thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe you doe well but if you accept persons you commit sinne and are reproved of the Law as transgressours Answ. The advise of Saint Iames in this place is that wee should not bee many Masters that is Censurers of our brethren knowing that by censuring and judging of others wee shall receive the greater judgement according to Matth. 7. 1. Rom. 2. 1. For he that will take upon him to censure other mens offences had need to be free from offence But we saith Saints Iames 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we all of us offend many wayes we are subject to manifold sinnes and corruptions For the Apostle doth not speake of the singular individuall acts but of the divers sorts of sinne As sinnes against God our neighbour or our selves sinnes of omission and commission sinnes in deed in thought and in word which last kinde being the fault of Censurers is as hee noteth in the next words most hard to bee refrained when as the Apostle therefore speaking of all and including himselfe though hee were worthily called Iames the just saith that many wayes wee offend all hee signifieth that even the best of us are subject to manifold corruptions causing us many wayes to offend according tâ—… the severall kinds thereof which is a manifest evidence that wee being sinners cannot bee justified by inherent righteousnesse especially if that bee added that as wee sinne many wayes according to the severall kinds of sinne so in our good workes which are good in their kind as in prayer almes giving c. wee offend by reason of the flesh which polluteth all our best actions But howsoever wee say that our righteousnesses are stained with the flesh yet wee distinguish them from our unrighteousnesses and with Saint Iames we distinguish good workes from sinnes things commanded from things forbidden things according to their kind good but by accident sinnefull from things which according to their kind are absolutely evill § VII His sixth testimony is from those places which exhort us not to sinne as Psalm 4. 4. Esa. 1. 16. Iohn 5. 14. 2 Pet. 1. 10. 1 Iohn 2. 1. For to what purpose serve these exhortations or admonitions if in every good worke wee cannot but sinne Answ. These exhortations doe not shew what wee are able to doe but what wee ought to doe Neither are they to no purpose for first they restraine men and especially the children of God from many particular sinnes Secondly though they exhort us to those things which in this corrupt estate wee are not able perfectly to performe as generally to abstaine from all manner of sin and to avoid all imperfectionsand defects which are incident unto our best actions yet they are to very good purpose For they serve to discover unto us our imperfections and to shew that perfection wherunto we ought to aspire to moveus not to performe our duties perfunctorily but to walke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accurately making conscience of all our waies to admonish us not to rely upon our owne righteousnesse which is so unperfect but to bewaile our imperfections and to crave pardon to teach us what need wee have of the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and of his intercession for us and lastly to move us with an upright endevour to keepe all Gods Commandements with our whole heart and to strive towards that perfection which in this life wee cannot attaine unto which if wee doe our labour shall not bee vaine in the Lord. For the Lord in his children accepteth of the will for the deed and of their upright endeavours for perfect performance So long therefore as we are upright before God our imperfections
performed as well as we can because commanded knowing that God will accept of our upright though weake indevour § XXI The sixth and the last who seeth not that these words good workes are mortall sinnes imply a contradiction for they shall be good and not good c. Answ. We doe not affirme that good workes are mortall sinnes neither doe we deny them to be truly good Onely we deny them to bee purely and perfectly good And we acknowledge the impurity and imperfection concurring with them to bee a sinne and consequently that the good workes of the faithfull are good per se as being commanded as being the fruits of the Spirit and of faith working by love but sinfull per accidens as being stained with the flesh yea but saith Bellarmine Bonum non existit nisi ex integra causa malum verò ex quolibet vitio that is that is not to bee accounted a good worke whereunto all things doe not concurre which are requisite but that is evill wherein there is any defect therefore if there be any defect or imperfection to bee found in any worke that worke is not to be accounted good but evill Answ. that rule of Diony sius is true according to the rigour of the Law which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from which our Saviour hath delivered us but it is not true according to the covenant of grace wherein the Lord accepteth the sincere and upright indevours of his children though defective and unperfect for perfect performance their wants being not imputed unto them but covered with the robe of Christs perfect righteousnesse As therefore their persons though in themselves sinners are in Christ accepted as righteous so their actions though in themselves defective are acceptable in Christ. Here therefore wee may justly retort both the accusation it selfe and all these absurdities upon the Papists who be necessary consequence are proved to hold that all the workes of the righteous are simply evill and so absolutely to be called sinnes Those works wherein is found any defect or imperfection are not good but absolutely they are to bee called sinnes as the Papists teach But in all even the best works of the righteous there is to be found some defect imperfection or blemish as being stained with the flesh This assumption is plainely taught in the holy Scriptures as I have proved heretofore Therefore all even the best actions of the righteous are absolutely to be called sinnes as the Papists teach Here then let all men againe take notice of the Popish pharisaisme or pharisaicall hypocrisie of Papists with whom no man is just or justified in whom is any sinne no action good but simply evill in which is any defect and yet their persons are just and their actions not onely good but also meritorious and that ex condigno and that ratione operis of eternall life CHAP. V. Our fourth Argument that the righteousnesse by which wee are justified satisfieth the Law so doth Christs righteousnesse so doth not that which is inherent in us § I. NOw I returne to our owne proofes The fourth argument therefore to prove joyntly that we are justified by Christs righteousnesse and not by ours may be this By that righteousnesse alone and by no other we are justified by which the Law is fully satisfied By the righteousnesse of Christ alone the Law is fully satisfied and not by any righteousnesse inherent in us or performed by us Therefore wee are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ alone and not by any righteousnesse inherent in us or performed by us For the proofe of the proposition three things are to be acknowledged first that whosoever is justified is made just by some righteousnesse for as I have shewed heretofore to thinke that a man should be justified without justice is as absurd as to imagine a man to be clothed without apparell secondly that all true righteousnesse is a conformity to the law of God which is the perfect rule of righteousnesse insomuch as what is not conformable to the Law is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is iniquity and sinne thirdly that there can be no justification without the Law be fulfilled either by our selves or by another for us For our Saviour when he came to justifie us and save us protested that hee came not to breake the Law but to fulfill it and professeth that not one jot or tittle of the Law should passe unfulfilled Matth. 5. 17 18. Saint Paul likewise avoucheth that by the doctrine of justification by faith the Law is not made void but established Rom. 3. 31. The proposition therefore is undenyable The assumption hath two parts the former affirmative that by the righteousnesse of Christ the Law is fully satisfied the other negative that by any righteousnesse inherent in us or performed by us the Law neither is nor can be fully satisfied For the clearing of the assumption in both the parts wee are to understand that to the full satisfying of the Law since the fall of Adam two things are required the one in respect of the penalty unto the suffering whereof sinne hath made us debtours the other in respect of the precept to the doing wherof the Law doth bind us The former to free us from hell and damnation the other to entitle us to heaven and salvation according to the sanction of the Law If thou dost not that which is commanded thou art accursed if thoudoest it thou shalt be saved In respect of the former the Law cannot be satisfied in the behalf of him who hath oncetransgressed it but by eternal punishment or that which is equivalent in respect of the latter it is not satisfied but by a totall perfect and perpetuall obedience § II. Now our Saviour Christ hath fully satisfied the Law for all them that truly beleeve in him in both respects For hee hath superabundantly satisfied the penalty of the Law for us by his sufferings and by his death and he hath perfectly fulfilled the Law for us by performing all righteousnesse in obeying his Father in all things even unto death and by them both he hath justified us freeing us from hell by his sufferings and entituling of us unto heaven by his obedience And therefore the holy Ghost affirmeth that wee are justified by his bloud Rom. 5. 9. and by his obedience verse 19. For his sufferings were the sufferings of God in which respect they who put him to death are said to have killed the Author of life Act. 3. 15. and to have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8 and for the same cause the bloud by which we are redeemed is called the bloud of God Act. 20. 28. or which is all one the bloud of the Sonne of God 1 Iohn 17. His obedience likewise was the obedience of God For Iesus Christ the word that is the second person in Trinity being in the forme of God God coequall with his Father for our sakes
inherent that he might be found in Christ indued with his righteousnesse And â—…o these we might adde Iob Esay and Daniel who as well as the former had that righteousnesse which is à Domino I meane righteousnesse inherent but were not justified thereby see Iob 9. 2 3. 15. 20. 10. 15. 42. 6. Esai 6. 1. 5. Dan. 6. 7. 18. § XVI Our foureteénth argument The righteousnesse by which we are justified is the righteousnesse and obedience of one and but of one Rom. 5. 18 19. Inherent righteousnesse is not of one but of so many as are indued therewith Therefore inherent righteousnesse is not that whereby we are justified CAP. IX The severall proofe of our assertion that wee are justified by that righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him § I. _â—…Ow I am to prove severally our assertion that we are justified by Christs righteousnesse And first I prove it by that argument which Bellarmines useth against Osiander what righteousnesse God accepteth in our behalfe by that we are justified The righteousnesse of Christ which he performed for us in the dayes of his flesh God accepteth in our behalfe otherwise saith hee why did the Sonne of God take our flesh upon him why did hee humble himselfe to become obedient untill death c. Therefore by the righteousnesse of Christ performed in his manhood wee are justified c. § II. Hereunto I adde a second out of the same place for Bellarmine though he holdeth against Osiander that wee are not justified by the essentiall righteousnesse of the Godhead yet he confesseth that the Lord accepteth of no righteousnesse as a satisfaction for sinne but that which is of infinite value such is the righteousnesse of Christ onely in regard of the dignity of his Person being the true God the great God God above all blessed for evâ—…rmore therefore by his righteousnesse only we are justified but of this see more in the seventh Chapter here I argue thus what righteousnesse the Lord accepteth as a full satisfaction for our sinnes by that we are justified The righteousnesse of Christ the Lord accepteth as a full satisfaction for our sinne Therefore by Christs righteousnesse we are justified By Christs righteousnesse I say imputed and accepted of God in our behalfe The assumtion is thus proved What righteousnesse is of iâ—…finite value that and that alone the Lord accepteth as a full satisfaction for our sinnes The righteousnesse of Christ is of infinite value as being the righteousnesse of God as it is often called It therefore and by it alone the Lord accepteth as a full satisfaction for our sinnes § III. My third argument shall be from those places wherein either it is said that our righteousnesse is in Christ Esai 45. 24 25. and that we are righteous in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. Phil. 3. 8 9. or our Saviour Christ himselfe is said to bee our righteousnesse Ieremy prophecying of the Messias the righteous Branch whom God would raise to David saith In his daies Iuda shall be saved and Israel shall dwell sasely and this is the name whereby he shall be called IEHOVAH our righteousnesse Ier. 23. 6. and the very same prophecy is repeated Iâ—…r 33. 16. that the Branch of righteousnesse should grow up to David in whose dayes Iuda should be saved and Ierusalem shall dwell safely and he who shall call her that is Ierusalem his Church for so it ought to be read is IEHOVAH our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. But of him ye are in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption where Christ is said to bee made our righteoâ—…snesse To this Bellarmine answereth that Christ is rightly called our righteousnesse for two causes first because he is the efficient cause of our justice For as God in the Psalmes is called our strength and our Salvation because it is God that strengthneth and saveth us and in this place as Christ is said to bee made our wisedome and redemption because he maketh us wise and redeemeth us So Christ is called our rightâ—…ousnesse because he maketh us just viz. by infusion of righteousnesse § IV. Reply It is true that Christ when hee doth sanctifie us by his Spirit is the Author of inherent righteousnesse in us but this is that which followeth in the text that he is our Sanctification These two benefits as they are here distinguished so they ought not to bee confounded Bernard in a Sermon of his doth oftentimes very eleganâ—…ly goe over these foure unctions as he calleth them distinguishing justification and sanctification as we doe Christ saith hee was made unto us wisedome in preaching justice in absolution of sinnes sanctification in his conversation redemption in his passion the shadow of thine ignorance hee hath driven away with the light of his wisedome and by that righteousnesse which is of faith hee hath loosed the cords of sinne freely justifying the sinner by his godly conversation he hath given a forme of life and by his death he hath given a price of satisfaction he freeth from errour by his wisedome he covereth faults by his righteousnesse he giveth merits that is ability of working well by his life and rewards by his death enlighten mine eyes O Lord that I may bee wise remember not the sinnes of my youth and mine ignorances and I am just lead me O Lord in the way and I am holy but unlesse thy bloud mediate for mee I am not safe hee was made unto us of God wisedome teaching prudence justice forgiving sinnes c. They onely are wise who are instructed by his doctrine they onely just who of his mercie have obtained pardon of sinne those onely temperate or holy who study to imitate his life they onely valiant who imitate his patience § V. And that they are here to bee distinguished appeareth by this consideration that in this text all the benefits which we have by Christ besides our election which is also noted in the first words of him yee are in Christ are reduced unto foure heads For of God wee were elected in Christ who of God is made unto us wisedome in our vocation righteousnesse in our justification holinesse in our Sanctification full redemption in our glorification that so we may learne not to boast in our selves but to ascribe the whole glory of our salvation and of all the degrees thereof to Iesus Christ our alone and perfect Saviour To the like purpose Theophylact observeth the order here used by the Apostle first he exempteth from errour and making men wise instructeth them to the knowledge of God then hee giveth the pardon of sinnes and by his holy Spirit indueth them with holinesse and then granteth perfect deliverance from all evils which hee calleth redemption as Chrysostome also and Oâ—…cumenius who observe the same order And likewise Theoderet he gave you true wisedome he gave unto you
the punishment thereof be inflicted upon us which is both our originall corruption and death it selfe besides many other calamityes then is it to be presupposed that the sin it selfe is imputed to us For if the sin it selfe had not been imputed then as Bellarmine himselfe somewhere argues neither the guilt nor the corruption had belong'd unto us Again things that are transient when they are once past and gone cannot bee communicated otherwise than by imputation That transgression of Adam as all other actions was transient and therefore if it be demanded how it being so long past and gone can bee communicated to us Bellarmine truly answeareth it is communicated unto us by generation eo modo quo communicari potest id quod transiit nimirâ—…m per imputationem in that manner according to which that may be communicated which is transient and gone to wit by imputation If it be objected which was Bellarmiâ—…es prime argument for inherent righteousnesse that through the disobedience of the first Adam wee were made sinners by inherent unjustice and therefore by the like reason through the obedience of the second Adam wee are made just by righteousnesse inherent I answere that from Christ we have both justification and sanctification the former answering to the guilt of Adams transgression imputed the latter answerable to the originall corruption by generation derived but though wee have them both from Christ yet not after one manner the former wee have by imputation the latter by infusion But of this place I have spoken heretofore at large § II. Our seventh argument Whosoever is a sinner in himselfe and so continueth whiles he remaineth in this life cannot bee justified otherwise than by imputation This I take to bee a most certaine and undeniable truth But every many whatsoever Christ onely excepted is in himselfe a sinner and so continueth whiles hee remaineth in this life Therefore no man whatsoever can othervise bee justified but by imputation Or thus The justification of a sinner is imputative for to a sinner the Lord when hee justifieth him imputing not sinne imputeth righteousnesse without workes Rom. 4. 6. 8. The justification of every Christian is the justification of a sinner and so is called of all writers boâ—…h old and new both Protestants and Papists Therefore the justification of every Christian is imputative The assumption of the former syllogisme is denyed by the Papists but against the testimony of their owne Conscience and against the common experience of all men in all times and places But this I prove it briefly All that sometimes doe sinne or have sinne abiding in them are sinners all men sometimes do sinne and have sinne remaining in them therefore all men are sinners the assumption is proved by Iames the just and by the holy beloved Apostle including themselves in many things wee offend all of us and if wee say wee have no sinne wee deceive our selves and there is no truth in us But that all mortall men are sinners I have sufficiently proved before Vnlesse therefore the Papists will say they are no sinners and that in them there is no sinne which if they doe say wee may bee bold to tell them that there is no truth in them they must confesse justification by imputation of Christs righteousnesse § III. Our eigth argument To whom faith is imputed unto righteousnesse without workes hee is not justified by workes that is by righteousnesse inherent but by imputation of Christs righteousnesse To Abraham and all the faithfull faith is imputed unto righteousnesse without workes Therefore they are not justified by workes but by imputation of Christs righteousnesse The former part of the proposition is proved by opposition of faith to workes in the question of justificâ—…tion and by the testimony of the the Apostle Rom. 4. 3 4 5 6 7 8. The latter part is proved by the former for if not by inherent righteousnesse then by imputed and if by faith and yet not by inherent righteousnesse then not by faith in respect oâ—… it selfe as it is an habit inherent in us but in respect of the object which it apprehendeth Of which that is verified properly which by a trope viz. a Metonimy is ascribed to faith namely that it justifieth and saveth that by it wee have remission of sinne and the inheritance c. that is Christ received by faith doth justifie and save c. The assumption in expâ—…esse termes is delivered Rom. 4. 3. 5 6. 22 23 Here Bellarmine confesseth that faith indeed is imputed unto righteousnesse and that is our righteousnesse which confession doth not well agree with his assertions elsewhere that faith doth but dispose unto justification and that our formall righteousnesse is our charity that faith is an habit of the Vnderstanding but justice is an habit of the Will But our glosse hee doth not allow when wee say by faith that is by Christs righteousnesse apprehended by faith because it is repugnant to the Apostle for two causes For first hee doth not say Christs righteousnesse but faith is imputed Now faith is not Christs righteousnesse but ours by Gods gift Which notwithstanding is the maine doctrine of the Gospell revealing the righteousnesse of God that is of Christ who is God from faith to faith the righteousnesse of God by faith that is which is apprehended by faith For faith it selfe is not the righteousnesse of God which doth justifie or save us but the instrument to receive Gods righteousnesse and therefore doth not justifie or save properly but relatively in respect of the object which it doth receive that is to say the righteousnesse of Christ which doth justifie and save those which receive it by faith and therefore when it is said in the Gospell more than once thy faith hath saved thee the meaning is that Christ received by faith hath saved those which did beleeve in him Act. 3. 16 it is said that faith in Christ had cured the lame man but it is thus to be understood that the name of Christ by faith in his name did cure him For we are justified and saved by a perfect righteousnes which is of infinite value and merit which is not faith nor any other grace or graces inherent but onely the righteousnesse of Christ. And yet because by faith wee are united to Christ and by it are made partakers of his benefits therefore all the benefits which wee receive from Christ are attributed to faith as elsewhere I have shewed To faith metonimically but properly to Christ himself His second reason because the word imputare in this place doth not signifie a bare reputing but a reputing unto which the truth is answer able in the thing it selfe as is plaine by these words Ei qui operatur merces imputatur c. for it is certaine that to him that worketh not onely in opinion and conceipt but truely and indeed the reward is due Answ. This reason doth not
in the first imaginary justification of the Papists or as we speake in our first regeneration is perfect seeing in our best estate in this life wee receive but the first fruits of the Spirit and in our first regeneration which is as it were our conception wee receive but the seeds as it were of Gods graces And therefore to imagine that in Infants newly Baptized having not so much as the use of reason there is perfection or full growth of Faith Hope and Charity when actually they neither can beleeve hope or love surpasseth all absurdity Especially when they acknowledge a great difference not onely betweene viatores which are in via that is the faithfull in this life and comprehensores which are in paâ—…ria that is the Saints in heaven but also among viatores themselves whom they distinguish into three degrees incipientes which are as infants proficientes which are as adolescentes and perfecti which are as adulti among whom none are so perfect but that still something may and ought to bee added their inner man being renewed from day to day 2 Cor. 4. 16. untill they come to full peâ—…fection which is not to bee attained unto in this life Shall then not onely other viatores be perfect but incipientes also Now it is apparant that their justification is incipientium even of infants in Baptisme in whom if there be a totall deletion of sinne by infusion of righteousnesse then that righteousnesse which in Baptisme is infused is perfect neither can any thing be added to their Faâ—…th Hope and Charity But that there is no perfect inherent righteousnesse in this liâ—…e in any meere man whatsoever may thus briefly be proved In whomsoever is sinne in them is not perfect righteousnesse for perfect righteousnesse and sinne cannot stand together But in all mortall men there is sinne therefore in no meere or mortall man is perfect righteousnesse inherent CAP. VI. Bellarmines third argument that because the righteousnesse infused in iustification is perfect refuted § I. BELLARMINE his third argument whereby in the second place hee would prove the imputation of Christs righteousnesse to bee needlesse unto justification is because the righteousnesse which in justification is infused is perfect But his argument is unsufficient and his disputation is â—…ophisticall Vnsufficient for although our righteousnesse for the time to come should be perfect yet for the temission of sinnes past wherein in justification partly consisteth the imputatâ—…on of Christs satisfaction is absolutely necessary His disputation is Sophisticall wherin he argueth à posse ad esse and worse than so for where he ought to prove that the righteousnesse infused in our justification is perfect in all that are justified and so soone as they are justified hee proveth that in some men whom he accounteth perfect it may in some part of their life after thay have been good proficients be perfect But that is not the question but whether the righteousnesse which in the justification of a sinner is infused which they call their first justification be perfect or not for if it be unperfect and but begunâ—… it cannot possibly justifie a sinner before God but for all it the imputation of Christs righteousnesse will be most necessary But let us follow him in his proofe such as it is Inherent righteousnes saith he â—…onsisteth in these three especially faith hope charity if therefore these may be perfect in this life then oâ—…r inherent righteousnesse may be perfect Here againe he disputeth sophistically First because when he should prove that these habits of grace when they are infused to justify men as namely in baptisme are perfect and therefore that the imputation of Christs righteousnesse is needlesse hee proveth that they may bee perfect in some men in some part of their life secondly whiles hee proveth severally the perfection or rather the possibility of the perfection of this or that vertue for perfection of inherent righteousnesse is not proved by the perfection of any of these severally but of them and of all others joyntly For if there bee imperfection in any of those vertues or graces wherein inherent righteousnesse consisteth then is not the inherent righteousnesse perfect But let us see how he proveth them severally And first for Faith which he proveth may bee perfect in this life what it may bee in some choise men and in some part of their life it is not here questioned but whether it be perfect when men are first justified thereby The Apostles in some part of their life had a great and a strong faith yet for some time even after they were justified were by the censure of our Saviour but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of little faith § II. But yet let us see how he proveth it may be perfect in this life This he endevoureth to prove by sixe arguments his first proofe is this If faith cannot be perfect in this life then it can never be perfect but it is not to be beleeved that so excellent a vertue shall never be perfect The consesequence of the proposition he proveth because in the life to come it shall not be perfected but evacuated or made void I answer first to the prosyl logisme or proofe of the proposition for first that which hee calleth the evacuating of faith is the perfecting of it It is eternall life to knâ—…w God but in this life wee know him by faith in the life to come by vision here as it were in a looking-glasse and obscurely there face to face here wee are in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or growing age wherein wee must still grow towards perfection there we come to our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perfection here wee lead a mortall life there an immortall As therefore our mortall life is swallowed up of immortality wherby it is perfected and our growing yeeres by perfect age our obscure knowledge and as it were in a glasse by intuitive aspect so our faith in the life to come is to bee swallowed up in vision and our hope in fruition For faith and hope are not of things seen and enjoyed But when the things beleeved are seen and the things hoped for enjoyed then are faith hope broght to their consummâ—…tion and perfection Secondly if our faith shall be evacuated as hee speaketh in the life to come that is an evidence that in this life it is unperfect The Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 8. saith that our knowledge meaning the knowledge of faith shall bee evacuated or made void and of no further use for wee know saith hee in part verse 9. and wee prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be evacuated that is saith Augustine ut 〈◊〉 jam ex parte sit sed ex toto when I was a child I spake as a childe I understood as a child I reasoned as a child but when I became a man I evacuated
childish things for now to wit by faith wee see and know as it were in or by a looking-glasse and as it were in a riddle or in a dâ—…rke speech but then wee shall see face to face Now I know in part but then I shall know even as also I am knowne If therefore faith shall bee perfected by vision the consequence of the proposition with the proofe thereof is to be denyed and the evacuating of it by vision is a pregnant proofe that in this life it is but in part As touching the assumption I say that faith which is the evidence of things not seene and the substance of things hoped for shall never bee perfected untill the things which are beleeved shall bee seene and the things hoped for shall be enjoyed § III. His second reason to prove that faith may be perfect in this life is this because that faith which hath bene tryed in the forâ—…ace of temptation is perfect whereto if hee assume that the faith which in justification is first infused either in infants when they are baptized or in others in their first justification hath beene tried in the Fornace of temptation hee shall be ridiculous for it must be before by tryall it bee approved but supposing him to speak of the faith of men being adulti and already justified his impertinent proofe standeth thus That faith which is more precious than gold tryed in the fire is perfect That faith which hath beene tryed and approved by temptation is more precious than gold tryed in the fire witnesse Saint Peter 1 Epist. 1. 7. therefore that faith is perfect Answ. The proposition is to bee denyed For temptations and afflictions are trialls not of the perfection but of the soundnesse and unfainednesse of faith All faith which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is true and unfained though not perfect endureth temptations Heresies are trialls whereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the perfect but the sound and upright Christians may be knowne Affliction worketh patience and patience worketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 probation that is sheweth them to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is sound and approved who patiently beare afflictions Wherefore blessed is the man that endureth temptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because when hee shall be found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not a perfect but a sound and approved Christian hee shall receive the Crowne of life Temptation therefore is fitly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the triall of our faith because it tryeth those who professe the faith whether they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sound and upright Christians or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hypocrites But not all that be not perfect are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor any perfect though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but all those that are not upright are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say hypocrites § IV. His third reason whosoever beleeve with all their heart or their whole heart their faith is perfect some do beleeve with their whole heart as namely the Eunuch Act. 8. 37. therefore the faith of some is perfect To helpe him I will confesse that not onely some but all who have faith unfained beleeve with their whole heart But the proposition is to bee denyed For to beleeve with the whole heart being not legally but evangâ—…lically understood is to beleeve not with an heart and an heart that is an heart divided but with an entire and upright heart wherein there is no guile that is hypocrisie So that hee which beleeveth integro corde with an upright heart or with faith unfained is said according to the scriptures to beleeve with his whole heart which proveth not the perfection but the soundnesse of faith Neither is it credible either that Philip would require perfect faith in men before they be baptized for to such Baptisme were needelesse or that the faith of the Eunuch being a new convert not yet baptized was at that time perfect For what I pray you was his faith Was it not this I beleeve that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God which is the very first degree of justifying faith § V. His fourth reason because the faith of Abraham was altogether perfect What will hee from thence inferre Ergo the faith of all when they are first justified is perfect but hee commeth farre short of that conclusion All that can bee concluded if the premisses were true is this Abraham had perfect faith Abraham was justified therefore some justified person hath a perfect faith The proposition hee proveth out of Rom. 4. 19. 20. where it is said that hee was not weake in faith as many are who notwithstanding are justified neither staggered at the promise of God through unbeleefe as Zacharias did Luk. 1. 20. who notwithstanding his unperfect faith was a man justified but was strong in faith being fully perswaded and therefore had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fidei the full perswasion of faith which few or none have when they are first justified Now saith he this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the perfection of faith Answ. first to the proposition that Abrahams faith when hee was first justified was not perfect whatsoever it was afterwards secondly to the proofe of it out of Rom. 4. 20. 21. from which testimony it is indeed proved that the faith of Abraham after he had beene for a long time justified was strong but not perfect Neither is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full perswasion of this point that God is omnipotent which here is adscribed to Abraham the perfection of faith nor yet every full perswasion of the truth of God concerning Christ. For first there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a full perswasion of assent to any truth of God but especially to the truth that Iesus the Sonne of the Virgin Mary is the eternall Sonne of God and the Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him which though it justifie if it be a lively and effectual assent joyned with an earnest desire and settled resolution of application yet is farre from the perfection of faith For there is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the full perswasion of speciall faith which goeth beyond the ordinary faith of all Papists when thou certainely beleevest not onely that Christ is the Saviour of all the faithfull but also that he is thy Saviour and that by him thou shalt be saved Now every assurance or assured perswasion is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which there are many degrees through which we must strive proceeding from faith to faith towards a full assurance which yet is never so full but that still more and more may and ought to be added to it As for Abraham though his faith were strong and excellent yet was it not perfect which appeareth by many signes For if his faith had beene perfect then it had not needed to have beene strengthened and confirmed Why then did the
keepe his Commandements Exod. 20. 6. Iohn 14. 15. 1 Iohn 5. 3. If any man say hee loveth God and keepeth not his Commandements he is a lyar that is to say an hypocrite whose love is not sincere and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but fained and counterfeit Now they are said to keepe Gods Commandements not who perfectly fulfill them for such keepers of the Law are no where to be found but such as keepe them with their soule Psal. 119. 167. or with their whole heart Psal. 119. 34. that is with a sincere and upright heart They therefore who have an upright desire an unfained purpose a sincere endevour to walke in the obedience of all Gods Commandements are said to keepe them This studium pietâ—…tis is the perfection of a Christian in this life which whosoever hath attained unto is most willing and ready to acknowledge his imperfection § VII His third proofe is out of such places as speake of performing of duties as namely of loving God with the whole heart as Ecâ—…l 47. 8 David praised the Lord with his whole heart and loved him that made him Deut. 30. 6. this perfection of Charity is promised the Lord will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed that thou maist love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule Answ. By that phrase as I have said nothing else is meant but the integriry and uprightnesse of heart David praised God with his whole heart that is Psal. 119. 7. with uprightnesse of heart hee served God with his whole heart that is he walked before him in truth and uprightnesse of heart 1 King 3. 6. § VIII In the fourth and last place hee produceth those places wherein mention is made of perfection as Mat. 5. 48. Be you perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect The Apostle acknowledgeth himselfe and some others to be perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. wee speake wisedome among those that are perfect Phil. 3. 15. so many of us therefore as are perfect c. Now saith he it is evident that perfection 〈◊〉 in Châ—…rity for asmuch as it is the bond of perfection Col. 3. 14. Answ. First in generall to all such places by distinguishing perfection for there is a perfection in respect of parts and so an infant having all his parts is a perfect man And such are all upright persons who walke in all Gods Commandements making Conscience of all their wayes and there is a perfection in respect of degree which no man attaineth unto in this life Againe there is an absolute perfection which none attaine unto here and a relative perfection in relation and comparison to others so those who are adulti growne men in religion are called perfecti in respect of babes Thirdly there is a perfection legall which in respect both of parts and degrees is absolutely conformable to the Law which is the perfect rule of righteousnesse Of this there is no example but Christ himselfe and there is a perfection evangelicall commended in the covenant of Grace which consisteth not in the perfect and totall performance but in the integrity and uprightnesse of the heart that is in the sincere desire unfained purpose and upright endevour aspiring towards perfection which in the Scriptures in many places goeth under the name of perfection as I have shewed else where so that what is done with an upright heart is said to bee done with a perfect heart and with the whole heart and the man who is upright though subject to many imperfectious is called perfect § IX To the places in particular I answer and first to that Matth. 5. verse last which according to the wicked Doctrine of the Papists is not a precept of Charity but a counsell of perfection which doth not belong to all that are justified buâ—… is peculiar to those who professe themselves to live in a state of perfection I call it wicked because as appeareth verse 45. our Saviour requireth this perfection as a necessary duty to be performed of all the Sonnes of God who are to imitate the unpartiall bounty of God their heavenly Father in doâ—…ng good both to good and bad which in this conclusion in Matthew is termed to be perfect and in Luk. 6. 36. to bee mercifull as our Father is mercifull But though wee imitate this unpartiall bounty of God yet it doth not thereupon follow that wee have attained to the perfection thereof § X In the other two places by men perfect are understood adulâ—…i growne men opposed to younglings and infants who must be sedde with milke being not capable of strong meat for every one that useth milke is unexpert in the word of righteousnesse for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a babe but strong meate which 1 Cor. 2. 6. is called wisedome belongeth to them that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adulti who are come to yeres of difcretion evensuch as by reason of use have their senses excercised to discerne both good and bad where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are opposed so 1 Cor. 14. 20. bee not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 children in understanding howbeit in malice be yee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in understadning be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is adulti such as are come to yeres of discretion understanding Not that any in this life wherein we are alwaies in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is our growing age wherein we are to be renewed from day to day doe attaine to that ripenesse of age and stature or to that perfection of growth as that we should not need to grow any more For as the Apostle sheweth in the next place viz. Phil. 3. 15. which Bellarmine had cited against himselfe if hee had recited the whole verse and much more if the whole context wherein the Apostle confesseth of himselfe that hee had not attained to perfection but that hee did strive and preasse towards it and thereupon inferreth verse 15. Let us therfore so many as are perfect bee thus minded that is as wee heard before out of Augustine let us bee of this mind that we are not yet perfect but still should strive towards perfection And whereas the Apostle Col. 3. 14. calleth charity the bond of perfection his meaning is that it is the most perfect bond which is among men to unite them together for according to the Hebrew phrase which is usuall in the writings of the Apostle viâ—…culum perfectionis is vinculum perfectissimum quâ—… plures inter se colligantur for it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Cajetan speaketh vinculum conjungens amantes or as B. Iustinian perfectissimum quoddam vinculum § XI From these weake premises Bellarmine inferreth a stout conclusion If saith he we may have perfect Faith Hope and Charity and consequently perfect inherent justice in vaine dâ—… the hereticks gâ—…e
have true faith have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them by which Christ dwelleth in them and those which have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his Rom. 8. 9 Faith is the proper worke of the Spirit who is therefore called the Spâ—…rit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. And therfore those who are endued with true faith have the Spirit by both which Christ dwelleth in us Againe all that are the sonnes of â—…od have the Spirit of Christ Gal. 4. 6. all that truly beleeve are the sonnes of God as hath been shewed All that be Christs they have his Spirit for those that have not his Spirit are none of his Rom. 8. 9. All that truely beleeve are Christs 1 Cor. 3. 23. both because God hath given them unto him Iohn 6. 37. 17. 9 24. and because he hath bought them with a great price 1 Cor. 6. 19. and because by faith they are engrafted and united unto him as his members Therefore all that have true faith are endued with Charity and other graces § III. Thirdly all that are sanctified are endued with Charity and other graces for in them our sanctification doth consist All that have true faith are sanctified For first by faith the heart is purified Acts 15. 9. and true faith worketh by love Galathians 5. 6. Secondly because all that are justified are also sanctified All that have a true faith are justified therefore all that have a true faith are sanctified The proposition can in no sort be denied by the Papists who confound justification and sanctification But though they must necessarily be distinguished yet they may not they cannot be severed They are such unseparablecompanions that whosoever hath the one hath the other and whosoever hath not both hath neither whosoever is in Christ as all the faithfull are is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. he liveth not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. 1. He crucifieâ—…h the flesh with the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. This truth is confirmed by the oth of God whereby he hath promised in the covenant of grace that to all the faithfull the sonnes of Abraham he will give them redemption and justification and being redeemed hee will give them grace to worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life Those therefore whom God doth justifie by faith he doth sanctifie by his Spirit But all that have a true justifying faith are justified and by their justification have right or are entituled to the Kingdome of heaven Act. 13. 38 39. yea the Gospell teacheth not onely that they which truely beleeve shall bee saved but also that they are translated from death to life and that they have eternall life Ioh. 5. 24. 6. 47. 1 Ioh. 5. 11. 13. § IV. Fourthly all true disciples of Christ are endued with charity Ioh. 13. 35. All that truly beleeve in Christ are his true disciples therefore c. Fifthly that which worketh by Charity is not without it True faith worketh by Charity Gal. 5. 6. Sixthly The formed faith is not severed from Charity as the Papists themselves teach True justifying faith is the formed faith for that which is without forme is neither atrue nor justifying but a dead and counterfeit faith Seventhly If faith without Charity doe not justifie then a true justifying faith is not without Charity But the former is true for that faith which is without Charity profiteth nothing 1 Cor. 13. 2. therefore the later Eighthly out of 1 Iohn 4. 8. hee that beleeveth knoweth God they that love not know not God ergo they that love not beleeve not § V. To these eight arguments wee will adde seven more out of the Epistle of S. Iames Chapter 2. beginning at the 14. verse where he doth not goe about to prove that a true justifying faith doth not justifie alone but that that faith which is alone without Charity without good workes doth neither justifie alone nor at all And that hee proveth by these reasons First verse 14. True faith doth justifie and save a man that faith which is in profession onely being void of Charity or as Saint Iames speaketh when a man saith he hatâ—… faith and hath not workes doth not justifie or save a man and therefore is not a true faith Secondly à pari verse 15 16 17. Charity which is onely in words and profession and not indeed and truth is unprofitable and vaine so pari ratione faith which is onely in profession being alone void of Charity and of good workes is dead Thirdly verse 18. True faith may be demonstrated by good workes but that faith which is in profession onely and void of Charity cannot be demonstrated by good workes therefore it is not a true faith Fourthly ver 19. that faith which is common to devils is no true justifying faith for they beleeve that which they abhorre whereupon Augustine saith Fides Christiani cum dilectione est daemonis autem sine dilectione Fifthly vers 20. the dead faith of a vaine man is not a justifying faith that faith which is without charity is the dead faith of a vaine man therefore not a justifying faith Sixthly ver 21. 22. 23. 24 25. True justifying faith is such a faith as was that of Abrâ—…ham or at least as was that of Rahab that is fruitfull of good workes but that which is without Charity and without good workes is not such a faith as that of Abraham or of Rahab Seventhly vers 26. â—… simili as the body without spirit is dead so that faith which is without good workes is dead Vpon these arguments of Saint Iames it doth inevitably follow that seeing that faith which is severed from Charity and destitute of good workes is not a true justifying faith therefore a true justifying faith is not severed from Charity nor destitute of good workes § VI. These fifteene Arguments are as I suppose without exception Those which Bellarmine thought he could best answere hee hath propounded as our best Arguments and cavilled with them they are in number six the first out of 1 Tim. 5. 8. That for want whereof a man declareth himselfe to be without true faith and to be worse than an infidell cannot be separated from a true faith For want of Charity yea for want of one branch thereof which is to provide for a mans owne especially those of his owne house whom the very insidels are wont to provide for a man declareth himselfe to be without true faith that is in Saint Paules phrase hath denyed the faith and is worse than an infidell in that particular therefore Charity cannot be separated from true faith To this Bellarmine frameth an answere against himselfe that as Chrysostome and other interpreters doe witnesse the Apostle speaketh of such who are said to deny the faith because they doe not live as faith doth teach men to live as none doe who have not Charity and therefore
Rom. 4. 16. And because they beleeve that justification consisteth in this certaintie therefore it woâ—…ld follow that justification is impossible But if faith necessarily must bee joyned with charitie and good workes so that otherwise it is not faith but a shadow or counterfeit of it then it followeth that justification in that it dependeth upon a true faith doth also depend upon works and upon love which is the fulfilling of the Lawe and consequently that no man can be certaine of his justification but that justification is a thing altogether impossible And in this argument he doth so please himselfe that he concludeth with this Epiphonema forsooth so stable is the dogmaticall building of heretikes that on each side it threatneth ruine I answere briefly by distinction that justification is either before God in foro coelesti or in the Court of our owne Conscience Before God when the Lord imputing the perfect righteousnesse of Christ to a beleeving sinner absolveth him from the guilt of his finne and from damnation and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ and as an heire of eternall life and this properly is the justification of a sinner That justification which is in the Court of Conscience is not justification it selfe but the assurance of it Howbeit commonly men are then said to bee justified and to have pardon of sinne when the pardon is sealed to their owne Conscience I deny therefore that our justification before God consisteth in the assurance thereof in our owne conscience for those which truely beleeve are justified and blessed whether they be assured thereof or not or that it dependeth upon our charitie or our owne good works but that without respect of our charitie or any worthinesse in us the Lord doth freely and of his meere grace even when wee deserve the contrary justifie us so soone as wee truely beleeve in Christ that and no other being the condition of the covenant And howsoever the assurance of our justification before God if we were to be justified by our owne obedience were impossible because to our justification before God perfect and complete obedience is required which to us by reason of the flesh is impossible yet the assurance of our justification in our owne conscience is not impossible but is ordinarily obtained by the children of God by some more by some lesse because it doth not depend upon the perfection but upon the uprightnesse of our obedience If wee have a true desire an unfained purpose a sincere endevour to walke before God in the obedience of his commandements though wee faile contrary to our desire and purpose in many particulars wee may thereby make our election our calling our justification sure unto us For by our works our faith is demonstrated and our justification knowne to our selves and others in which sence Saint Iames saith we are justified by works § XI In the seventh place Bellarmine addeth the consent of the Fathers into whose minde hee saith this absurditie never entred that faith cannot be where charitie is not And yet for all this bragge he is not able to produce any one pregnant testimony plainely affirming that true faith or justifying faith may bee without charitie wee doe not deny but that the faith of Hypocrites and of all other wicked and impenitent sinners which is not a true and a lively but a counterfeit and dead faith which not properly but catachrestically or rather equivocally is called faith is severed from charitie and from all other graces of sanctification And such is the faith which the Fathers say may bee severed from charitie But though hee hath not cited any one pregnant testimony against us yet one hee hath cited for us in plaine termes avouching that they doe not truely beleeve nor have true faith who doe not live well and to the same purpose I cited Augustine and divers others of the Fathers CAP. IV. Whether justifying faith may be without speciall apprehension of Christ. § I. THe third error of the Papists concerning the nature of justifying faith is that they hold it may be as without knowledge and without charity so also without any speciall apprehension or application of Christ to the beleever But the Scriptures unto justification require that wee should beleeve in Christ. For howsoever by that faith which justifieth wee doe beleeve whatsoever God hath revealed in his Word neither hath any man a justifying faith who denyeth credit to any thing which hee findeth to bee revealed by God notwithstanding as it justifyeth it onely respecteth Christ either directly and expressely or indirectly and by consequence Christ himselfe being as I shall hereafter shew the proper object of justifying faith For the promise of justification and salvation in the Gospell is not made to the beliefe of other things but onely to true faith in Christ. For God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildernesse that they who were bitten of the fiery serpents by looking on the brasen Serpent which was a figure of Christ should bee healed even so the Sonne of man was to be lifted up upon the Crosse that whosoever being stung by the old serpent the Devill looketh upon him with the eiâ—… of a true faith that is beleeueth in him should not perish but have eternall life which truth is acknowledged by the Master of the sentences quem Deus proposuit propitiatorem per fidem in sanguine ipsius i. per fidem passionis ut â—…lim aspicientes in Serpentem aneum in lignâ—… erectuÌ„ à morsibus serpentum sanabantur Si ergo recto fidei intuitu in illum respicimus qui pro nobis pependit in ligâ—…o à vinculis Dâ—…laboli solvimur i. peccatis As therefore they who were bitten by the same eyes wherewith they looked upon the brasen serpent beheld all other things which were subject to their view but were cured by looking upon the serpent and not by beholding any other thing so wee by the same eye of the soule which is faith doe beleeve all other things which God hath propounded to bee beleeved his Word being the objectum adâ—…quatum of our faith but we are justifyed and saved by beleeving in Christ and not by beleeving of any other thing In so much that if we should beleeve all other things and did not beleeve in Christ our faith would not justifie us And therefore in the Scriptures justifying faith is ordinarily called faith in Christ and sometimes the faith of Christ and sometimes his knowledge whereby is meant not that Christ is the subject but the proper object of justifying faith which is a truth so manifest that no Christian ought to doubt of it For all true Christians are so called because they beleeve in Christ and by beleeving in him doe hope to bee saved by him § II.
second For if thou doest truely beleeve that Christ is the Saviour thou art bound to beleeve that hee is thy Saviour otherwise thou makest God a lyar That therefore thou mayest learne to apply Christ unto thy selfe God by his minister delivereth to thee in particular the Sacrament as it were a pledge to assure thee in particular that as the Minister doth deliver unto thee the outward signe so the Lord doth communicate unto thee that beleevest according to the first degree of faith the thing signified that is to say Christ with all his merits to thy justification sanctification and salvation § IV. This distinction of the degrees of faith as it is most comfortable for hereby we are taught how to attaine to assurance of salvation as elsewhere I have shewed for having the first degree which is the condition of the promise thou maiest apply the promise to thy selfe and by application attaine to assurance so it is most true and most necessary to bee held And first as touching the former degree which is the speciall apprehension and embracing of Christ by a lively assent accompanyed with the desire of the heart and resolution of the will as I have said that it is that faith which is the condition of the promise and by which wee are justified before God I have proved by plaine testimonies of Scriptures and other pregnant proofes The places of Scripture which I alleaged were these Mat. 16. 16. 17. Ioh. 20. 31. Act. 8. 37. 38. Rom. 10. 9. 10. 1 Ioh. 5. 1. 5. Whereunto may bee added 1 Ioh. 4. 15. Among the manifold proofes which I produced this is one that if there bee no other justifying faith but the speciall faith whereby wee are assured of the remission of our sinnes then two absurdities will follow The one that wee must apply the promises to our selves before wee have the condition thereof which as wee ought not to doe lest wee play the hypocrites so wee cannot doe unlesse wee will perniciously deceive our selves The promise is whosoever beleeveth in Christ hath remission of sinne whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall bee saved c. This promise is made to none but to those who truely beleeve and are endued with a justifying faith which is the condition of the promise It is evident therefore that a man must bee endued with justifying faith before hee can apply the promise and hee must apply the promise before hee can have any assurance by speciall faith The second absurdity is that a man must bee assured that his sinnes be forgiven before they be forgiven and so must beleeve a lie yea that a man must bee assured that they are forgiven to the end that they may be forgiven which is a great absurdity This therefore is an undeniable truth that before we can either apply the promises or attaine to assurance of remission of sinne we must be endued with true justifying faith which is the condition of the promise and the meanes to obtaine remission I must beleeve therefore by a justifying faith before I can have remission of sinnes I must have remission of sinnes before I can have any assurance thereof and I must ascend by many degrees of assurance before I come to full assurance which yet in this life is never so full but that still more may and ought to be added to it § V. As touching the second which by some is called speciall faith not onely in respect of the object which is Christ for so the former is also speciall but in respect of the effect which is by actuall application of the Promises to a mans selfe to assure him in particular of his justification and salvation It is by some both protestant and popish writers called fiducia that is affiance Howbeit the most of our Writers by it meant assurance But unproperly howsoever for neither is faith affiance nor affiance assurance This speciall apprehension application of Christ though scorn'd by the Papists yet is it of all graces the most comfortable most profitable most necessary Most comfortable for the very life of this life is the assurance of a better life Most necessary because without this speciall receiving of Christ first by apprehension and then by application we can have no other saving grace How can we love God or our neighbour for Gods sake how can we hope and trust in him how can we rejoyce in him or be thankefull to him if we be not perswaded of his love and bounty towards us and so of the rest Most profitable because from it all other graces proceed and according to the measure of it is the measure of all other graces as I have elsewhere shewed For if the love of God bee shed abroad in thy heart by the Holy Ghost that is if by faith thou art perswaded of Gods love towards thee thou wilt be moved to love the Lord and thy neighbour for his sake then wilt thou hope and trust in him then wilt thou rejoyce in him and bee thankefull unto him and so forth And the greater thy perswasion is of his love and goodnesse towards thee so much the greater will be thy love thy hope thy trust thy thankefulnesse thy rejoycing in him c. When as therefore the Papists detest and scorne our Doctrine concerning speciall faith they doe plainely bewray themselves to have no saving grace nor any truth or power of Religion in them § VI. But that this speciall receiving and embracing of Christ by faith is necessary to justification and that faith doth not justifie without it it doth evidently appeare by the third and fourth points before handled in the fourth and fifth Bookes For if we be justified only by the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him then are we not justified by faith as it is an habit or quality inherent in us but as it is the hand and instrument whereby we receive Christ his righteousnesse which as it is imputed to us by God so we apprehend it by faith And because faith alone doth receive Christ and all his merits therefore the same benefits which we receive from Christ and are properly to bee ascribed unto him as the Authour of them are in the Scriptures attributed also to faith because by faith we receive Christ. By Christ we live Ioh. 6. 57. We live by faith Gal. 2. 20. Hab. 2. 4. By Christ we have remission of sinnes Eph. 1. 7. Act. 13. 38. By faith wee have remission of sinnes Act. 8. 39. 26. 18. By Christ wee are justified Esai 53. 11. Wee are justified by faith Rom. 3. 28. Gal. 3. 24. By Christ we have peace with God Col. 1. 20. We have peace with God by faith Rom. 5. 2. We have free accesse to God by Christ Eph. 2. 18. 3. 12. Heb. 10. 19. We have free accesse to God by Faith Rom. 5. 2. Eph. 3. 12. We are sanctified by Christ 1 Cor. 1. 30. Heb. 10. 14. We are
most worthy to be urged and beat upon as being that thing which above all other things in this world is to be desired and laboured for according to the â—…xhortation of the Apostle Peter Give diligence to make your calling and election sure But this speciall faith the Papists above all things deridâ—… and detesâ—… â—…thereby discovering themselves to bee as I have elsewhere shewed voide of all truth and power of Religion It being as I have said and proved a thing most profitable most comfortable most necessary without which no Christian can have any true pâ—…ce or sound comforâ—… or ougâ—… to have contentment in his present estate untill â—…e have â—…tained unto it in some measure And when hee 〈◊〉 attained to some measure he must endevour more and moâ—…e to increase it But hereof I have treated in another place wherâ—…unto I referre the Christian Reader CAP. VII Of the acts or effects of faith and first whether faith doth justifie or only dispose to justification Secondly whether it doth justifie formally § I. THe next controversie is concerning that act or effect of justifying faith in respect whereof it is called justifying faith Of this there are three Questions the first whether Faith doth indeed justifie or onely dispose a man to justification Secondly whether it justifie formally as part of inherent righteousnesse or instrumentally as the hand to receive Christ who is our righteousâ—…esse Thirdly whether it justifie alone The assertions of the Papists in the two former questions doe not seeme to â—…ang well together For if faith goe before justification disposing a man thereto how doth it justifie formally as part of that righteousnesse whereby a man is as they speake formally just And if no dispositions bâ—…e required to justification to what purpose doe they tell us that a man must be disposed and prepared by faith and other virtues For howsoever in their speculations they require preparative dispositions to justification yet in their practise they seeme to require 〈◊〉 For their justification which is in fact and in deed is restrained to their Sacraments as namely to Bapâ—… And their Sacraments justifie ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore without necessity of any foregoing dispositions For if any virtuous or good disposition were required then should their Sacraments justifie not ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onely they require that he who is by the Sacrament to be justified doe not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…lis 〈◊〉 that is interpose the obstacls of some mortall sinne And what be these dispositions which must goe before justification § II. Forsooth there are seven which according to the decree of the Councell of Trent Bellarmine reckoneth De justif lib. 1. ca. 13. to prove that faith doth not justifie alone because the other sixe also doe dispose men thereunto The seven are faith feare hope love penitencie a purpose and desire to receive the Sacrament a purpose of amendment of life All which doe but prepare and dispose a man But it is the Sacrament as namely of Baptisme that doth actually justifie and without which no man is justified But I would gladly know whether these seven preparatives be fruits of grace or works of nature Not of grace for as they teach no man hath grace before Iustification What then they are the fruits of nature holpen I wot not by what grace which if it were true would not onely prove the maine assertion of the Pelagians Gratiam secundùm merita dari or as in other words it is expressed in the Councell of Trent Secundùm propriam cajusque dispositionem operationem For though according to their doctrine these preparations are not merits of condignity as they say yet they bee of congruity but also disprove the doctrine of the Apostle that we are justified freely by his grace But this seemeth to me absurd that men should have one justifying faith and so one hope and one love c. going before justification and another infused in our justification and that by the one justifying faith going before we should be prepared to justification and by the other infused in our justification we should in part be formally justified But this is certaine that that faith which in order of time goeth before justification is no true justifying faith For that which goeth before justification goeth also before regeneration and what goeth before regeneration is of nature and not of Grace But faith in order of time goeth not before justification though in order of nature it doth for so soone as a man beleeveth he is justified as Hierome saith Talis est ille qui in Christum credidit die qua credidit qualis ille qui universam legem implevit Such a one is hee that beleeveth in Christ the very day that hee beleeveth as hee that hath fulfilled the whole Law nor in order of nature before regeneration for in our regeneration it is wrought As therefore no man hath faith who is not regenerated so no man hath faith who is not thereby justified The Scripture is plaine that in Christ whosoever beleeveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is justified Act. 13. 39. He that beleeveth in Christ is passed from death to life Ioh. 5. 24. 6. 54. which passage from death to life is justification whereby as themselves teach a man is translated from the state of death and damnation into a state of Grace and Salvation Faith therefore actually justifieth and not disposeth onely to justification § III. The other question is whether faith doth justifie formally as they speake as being a part of inherent righteousnesse or instrumentally only as the hand to receive Christ who is our righteousnesse The Romane Catholikes hold â—…he former the true Catholikes the latter But the former I have sufficiently disproved before and proved the latter For if we be not justified by any grace or righteousnesse inherent in our selves or performed by our selves which I have before by many undeniable arguments demonstrated then it followeth necessarily that we are not justified by faith as it is a gift or grace an act or habit or quality inherent in us or performed by us And if we be justified by the righteousnesse of Christ onely which being out of us in him is imputed to those who receive it by faith which also before I invincibly proved then also it followeth by necessary consequence that wee are justified by faith onely as it is the instrument or hand to apprehend or receive Christ who is our righteousnesse Wherefore where faith is said to justifie or to bee imputed to righteousnesse it must of necessity be understood relatively and in respect of the object to which purpose both justification and all other benefits which we receive by Christ are attributed to faith as I have shewed before Not that faith it selfe worketh these things but because by it wee receive Christ and with him all his merits and benefits And for the same cause the
the holy Ghost perpetually making such an opposition betweene them as that they cannot stand together If therefore we be not justified by the righteousnesse of workes prescribed in the Law as all inherent righteousnesse is then we are justified by the righteousnesse of faith alone Or thus The righteousnesse whereby wee are justified is either inherent in our selves and performed by our selves which the Scriptures call the righteousnesse of workes or that which being out of us is inherent in Christ and by him performed for us which is the righteousnesse of faith A third cannot be named and by both wee cannot be justified If therefore we be not justified by the former which I have sufficiently or rather abundantly proved heretofore then are we justified by the latter alone For if of two and no more but two you take away one you leave the other alone So is it in all dis-junctions consisting of two opposites sine medio The one being removed the other only remaineth § IX That by which alone the promise of justification by which alone justification by which alone Christ himselfe who is our righteousnesse is received that alone justifieth By faith alone the promise by it alone justification by it alone Christ himselfe is received For that is the proper office of faith For if faith receive the Promise and justification and Christ himselfe which no other grace in us can doe then it is the proper office of faith But faith receiveth the promise wherein justification is offered Gal. 3. 22. it receiveth remission of sinnes or justification Act. 10. 43. 26. 18. 13. 39. it receiveth Christ himselfe Ioh. 1. 12. which no other grace can doe as it is evident therefore faith alone doth justifie § X. That which is the onely condition of the Covenant of Grace by that alone we are justified because to that alone justification is promised Faith is the onely condition of the Covenant of grace which is therefore called lex fidei therefore by faith alone we are justified If against the assumption it be objected that charity and obedience and other virtues are also required I answere that these are not the conditions of the Covenant but the things by Covenant promised to them that beleeve If we beleeve God hath promised to justifie us and being justified or redeemed to sanctifie and to save us See Luk. 1. 73 74 75. Ier. 31. 33 34. Heb. 8. 10 11 12. Gal. 3. 9. 14. 22. Charity obedience c. are the conditions of the Covenant of workes Doe this and thou shalt live but the condition of the Covenant of grace is Beleeve and thou shalt bee inabled to walke in the obedience of the law thou shalt receive the gift of the Spirit and finally thou shalt bee saved For being by faith freed from sinne and become Servants to God you have your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. § XI The holy Scriptures wheresoever they speake of that by which wee are justified mention nothing in us but faith not workes nor other graces unlesse it bee to exclude them from the act of justification Which is a plaine evidence that faith doth justifie alone Bellarmine answereth that it doth not follow that because faith onely is mentioned therefore it justifieth alone For sometimes other things as not only other virtues but the Sacraments also are mentioned which notwithstanding doe not justifie alone Whereunto I answere first that in the point of justification faith is mentioned alone and no other grace with it even where the holy Ghost treateth ex professo of justification and of the causes thereof Secondly that to no other grace mentioned either alone or with others is justification any where ascribed Neither are the Papists able to produce any testimony out of the holy Scriptures to prove it As for those which Bellarmine alleageth out of Tit. 3. 5. Ephes. 5. 26. they are not to the purpose as speaking of the outward meanes which we deny not to concurre with faith That out of Luk. 7. 47. hath already beene cleared that love there noteth not the cause but the signe of forgivenesse That out of Rom. 8. 24. sheweth that in this life we are not saved re but spe not in fruition but in expectation Which hope or expectation as it is termed vers 23. is no cause either of justification or of salvation Thirdly that the justification attributed to Sacraments doth not hinder justification by faith alone For when wee say that faith doth justifie alone we meane that nothing in us doth concurre to the act of justification as any cause thereof but faith onely as hath beene shewed As for the Sacraments we acknowledge them to be externall meanes and as it were manus offerentis as faith is manus recipientis And that the Sacraments bee so farre srom hindering justification by faith alone as that they doe confirme it as being the sealâ—…s of that righteousnesse which is by faith CHAP. IX Testimonies of the Ancient Fathers and of others in all ages for justification by faith alone § I. NOw that this Doctrine is no novelty but that which in all ages hath been the received Doctrine of the Christian Churches I will prove by the Testimony of the Christian Writers in all ages but chiefly of the ancient Fathers I. Iustin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To see God it is granted men by faith alone And by what alone wee see God by that alone wee are justified Againe what other thing could cover our sinnes but his righteousnesse In whom could we being sinners and impious bee justified but in the onely Sonne of God By the righteousnesse therefore of Christ onely which is received and put on by faith onely are our sinnes covered In Christ alone those that are sinners in themselves are justified therefore not by righteousnesse inherent but onely by the righteousnesse of faith II. Irenaeus whom I finde cited and approved by Augustine Men can no otherwise be saved from the stroke of the old serpent but by beleeving in Christ Even as the Israelites who were bitten by the fiery serpents could no otherwise be healed but by looking on the brasen serpent III. Clemens Alex. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith alone is the Catholike salvation of mankinde Againe the power of God alone without demonstrations is able to save 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith alone IV. Origen more plainely The Apostle saith that the justification which is by faith alone is sufficient so that a man beleeving only is justified and instanceth in the examples of the penitent theefe Luk. 23. and of the penitent woman Luk. 7. both which were justified by faith alone And in that place as hath beene observed by others Origen useth the exclusive particle sola seven times Bellarmine answereth that Origen only excludeth externall workes when power and occasion is wanting as in the
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he which adhereth to faith alone is blessed Seventhly In Ephes. 2. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith alone hee saved Eightly In Col. 1. 27. For at once to bring men more senselesse than stones to the dignity of Angels simply by bare words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by faith alone without all difficulty it is indeed the glory and riches of the mystery Ninthly In Tit. 1. 13. For if thou doest give credit to thy faith why doest thou bring in other things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if faith were not sufficient to justifie Bellarmine by other things understandeth the ceremonies of the Law When Chrysostome indeed rejecteth al other things because faith it selfe is sufficient to justifie Tenthly There is a notable testimony cited by Bishop Iustinian out of Chrysostome in Psal. 14. which doth not only conclude this question against the Papists but also putteth a manifest difference betwixt sanctification which consisteth of many virtues and justification unto which faith onely is required Iustitia conflatur ex multis virtutibus â—…na virtus activa non facit justitiaâ—… quemadmodum nec una tabula perficit navigium nec unus lapis domum Vna sola virtus justificat fides quae est virtutum fastigium Righteousnesse is compounded of many virtues and one active virtue maketh not righteousnesse Even as one planke doth not make a ship nor one stone an house onely virtue justifieth namely faith which is the top of all virtues 11. Serm. de fide lege naturae Without faith no man hath aâ—…tained to life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the thiefe on the Crosse beleeving onely was justified and afterwards twice he affirmeth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith by it selfe saved Bellarmine answereth that Chrysostome teacheth that sometimes faith alone that is without externall workes doth suffice which cannot be applyed to the penitent thiefe who as I shewed before wanted not for the time externall workes and yet not by them but by faith alone he was justified XIII Hesychius in Leviticum Grace is given out of mercie and compassion and is apprehended by faith alone fide comprehenditur solâ—… not out of works as the Apostle saith for then grace shall not be grace XIV Augustine Nam sine bonorum operum meritis per sidem justificatur impius quidem solam For without the merits of good workes a sinner is justified and that by faith alone 2. Apud Gratianum this is the faith which worketh by love huic duntaxat remissio delictorum promittitur to this onely remission of sins is promised cui soli venia promitoitu to which alone parâ—…on is promised quâ solâ peccata relaxantur by which alone sinnes are released 3 In Psal. 88. conc 2. sola fides Christi mundat The faith of Christ doth cleanse alone 4. Serm de tempore 68 Abraham beleeved God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse Ecce sine opere justificatur exfide quicquid illi legali posset observatione conferri totum credulitas sola dâ—…navit Behold without workes he is justified by faith and whatsoever might bee conferred upon him by the observation of the Law all that faith alone bestowed 5. In Ioan. 8. On those words you heare not because you are not of God this was spoken to them who where not onely vicious by sinne but also foreknowne that they were not to beleeve ea fide qua solâ possent à peccatorum obligatione liberari with that faith by which alone they might be delivered from the bond of their sinnes 6. Out of his sermons De verbis Domini this testimony is usually cited Medicina animae omnium vulnerum una propitiatio pro delictâ—…s credere in Christum The medicine for all wounds of the soule and the onely propitiation for all sinnes is to beleeve in Christ. 7. Ad duas Epistolas Pelag. quantaelibet fuisse virtutis â—…ntiquos praedices justos non eos salvos fecit nisi fides mediatoris qui in remissionem peccatorum sanguine fudit Bellarmiâ—…e answereth that in this place are excluded onely Nature and the Law of Moses Reply But the place is plaine that though the virtue of the ancient Fathers were never so great yet neither it nor any thing else could save them but onely faith in Christ. 8. Lib. 83. quaest If any when hee hath beleeved shall presently depart out of this life the justification of faith abideth with him neither for his precedent good workes because not by merit but by grace hee came unto it nor for the subsequent because he is not suffered to remaine in this life And therefore say we by faith alone To this Bâ—…llrrmine answereth that Augustine speaketh of a lively faith as though wee spake of any other for Augustine there saith that a man is justified without workes going before faith but that justifying faith is such a faith as worketh by love Bellarmine then confesseth that a lively faith which worketh by love doth justifie alone As for that which is not lively nor accompanied with charity we teach that it justifieth neither alone nor at all Thus hath hee indevoured in vaine to answere some allegations out of six of the Fathers The rest either of the same Authors or of others either before named or now to bee cited remaine unanswered saving foure others which because he would have men thinke we want Testimonies of Antiquity hee hath afforded us out of his owne store Which wee will examine in their due place And in stead of the first which hee citâ—…th out of XV Cyrill of Alexandria being to no purpose and yet falsified by him for Cyrill doth not say hominem per solam fidem inhaerere Christo as Bellarmine citeth him and being also false in that sense for which indeed our prevaricator doth alleadge him that a man may abide in Christ by faith and yet want love and perish But in stead of this I will requite him with another of the same Authour in the same Commentaries upon Iohn on those words Ioh. 14. 1. Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me per fidem namque saith he non aliter servamur by faith we are saved and not otherwise that is by faith alone XVI To Cyrill we adjoyne Sedulius as being of the same time as Bellarmine following Trithemius supposeth hee wrote saith Bellarmine an explanation upon all the Epistles of Saint Paul taken out of Origen Ambrose Hierome and Augustine meaning those Commentaries of Ambrose and Hierome which before I cited Whereby it may appeare that those Commentaries in the time of Sedulius were of good esteeme for out of those very Commentaries of Hierome he hath collected many briefe passages as in other matters so in this particular As Hierome therefore had said in Rom. 1. 16. so saith hee almost in the same words justiâ—…ia Dei est quod
justum fuerat ut quomodo Abraham credens ex Gentib per solam fidem justificatus est ita caeteri fidem ejus imitantes salvarentur 2. In Rom. 4. 5. Convertentem impium per solam fidem justificat Deus And on those words of the Latine Edition secundum propositam gratiam that is saith he as Hierome had said before quo gratis proposuit per solam fidem dimittere peccata 3. In Rom. 4. 6. the blessednesse of man he calleth remission of sins by faith It is a great blessednesse without the labour of the Law and penitence to obtaine the Grace of God by faith alone Which words are in part taken out of S. Ierome on the same place 4. In Rom. 8. 28. On those words secundum propositum secundum quod proposuit salvare sola fide according to which he purposed to save by faith alone those whom he foreknew should beleeve whom also he freely called to salvation Which word for word are taken out of Ierome 5. In Rom. 10. 5. Moses put a difference betweene either justice to wit of faith and of workes because the one by workes the other sola credulitate justificet accedentem by faith alone justifieth him that commeth and so Ierome on the same place out of whom also hee reciteth word for word that which before I cited out of him in Rom. 10. 16. Ergo si fides sufficit adjustitiam c. 7. In Gal. 2. 20. In fide vero filii Dei i. in sola fide quia nihil debeo legi so Ierome 8. In Gal. 3. 14. ex fide i. ut sola fide salvarentur credentes c. XVII Theodoret in Rom. 3. 24. sola enim fide allata peccatorum remissionem accepimus We have received remission of sinnes having brought faith onely 2. In Rom. 3. 25. Our Lord Christ is both God and the propitiatory and the high Priest and the Lambe and by his bloud he procured our salvation Solam à nobis fidem exigens requiring of us faith alone 3. In Eph. 2. 8. By grace c. for we brought onely faith Neither did we of our owne accord beleeve but being called we came and when we were come hee did not exact of us the purity and innocencie of life sed sola fide suscepta condona vit peccata but hee forgave our sinnes accepting of our faith alone 4. And in the seventh of his Therapeutickes after he had cited that of Esai 45. 23. I blot out your iniquities c. he addeth for not by any praise-worthy workes of ours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by faith alone wee have obtained the mysticall or spirituall good things XVIII Prosper Aquitanicus in his Epigrammes Inde i. ex doctrina Apostolica capit quisque vitam quam parit una fides From the Doctrine of the Apostles a man receiveth life which faith alone doth beget or procure XIX Claudius Marius Victor s At ille Abraham Credidit nuda fidei confessio sola Plenam adjustitiae et meriti reputata coronam est XX. Petrus Chrysologus Christus mulieris haemarrhoissae docuit exemplo quà m fides sola totam proficiat ad salutem The Testimonies which Bellarmine in the second place out of his owne store produceth for us out of Leo are impertinent for they speak of the work of faith not in justifying but in sanctifying of us XXI Primasius in Rom. 4. 3. Tam magna fuit donâ—… Dei fides Abrahâ—… ut pristina ei peccata donarentur sola ei pro omni justitia duceretur accepto The same had Ierome saving that here is a divers reading for that which we reade in Ierome prae omni justitia doceretur accepta reputatum est illi ad justitiam compensatum sola fides 2. In Rom. 4. 5. Impâ—…um per solam fidem justificat non per opera quae non habuit si enim secundum opera puniendâ—…s est non liberandus 3. In Rom. 4. 12. ut omnes qui ex Gentib credunt secundum fidem filii sint Abrahae dum illis sola fides adjustitiam repetatur the very same had Ierome 4. In Rom. 5. 1. Fides facit filios Abrahae qui ante circumâ—…isionem exsola credulitate justificatâ—… est 5. In Rom. 8. 28. Propositum Dei est ut sine â—…peribus Legis vel quibuscunque aliis meritis per fidem solam justificaret impios 6. In â—… Cor. 5. 19. Non reputans illis delicta ipsorum h. e. indulgens per solam fidem quae gratis donata est 7. In Gal. 1. 3. Sola fide salvati est is per gratiam Dei 8. In Gal. 2. 14. Non ex operib sed sola fide per gratiam vitam habere te nosti Hierome 9. In Gal. 2. 17. Si enim gentes fides sola non salvavit nec nos quia ex operibus nemo justificabitur Hierome 10. In Gal. 2. 20. In fide verò Filii Dei in sola fide Hier. 11. In Gal. 3. 6. Abraham credidit Deo c. ita vobis fides sola sufficit adjustitiam Hier. 12. In Gal. 3. 14. Vt in Geâ—…tib benedictio Abrahae fieret in Christo Iesu ut sola fide Gentes benedicerentur in Christo sicut promissum fuerat Abrahae Hierome ut pollicitationem Spiritus accipiamus per fidem solam 13. In Gal. 3. 22. Vt necesse esset sola fide per gratiam salvari credentes 14. In Gal. 3. 26. Omnes enim Filii Dei estis per fidem in Christo Iesu â—…nes enim â—…qualiter Iudai Gentes per fidem solam quae 〈◊〉 Dei creditis Christo. Hierome XXII Theodulus Caelo-Syriae presbyter in Rom. 4. 13. Lex ob quam gloriaris nihil profuit adpromissiones ipsi Abraham factas sed sola fides 2. In Rom. 5. 2. ad iâ—…narrabilia dona beneficia Dei in nos collata nos 〈◊〉 prâ—…er fidem attulimus XXIII Genâ—…dius apud Oecumen in Rom. 3. 24. freely that is without any good workes of thine thou art saved And againe as having brought with thee nothing but faith Wherefore all that beleeve in Christ are justified freely bringing with them onely to beleeve XXIV Venantius Fortunatus in expos-symboli in artic de remissione peccatorum Nobis in hoc sermone sola credâ—…litas sufficit XXV Venerabilis Beda in Psa. 77. 7. per justitiam factorum nullus salvabitur sed per solam justitiam fidei XXVI Haymo in Gal. 3. 12. Lex non complebatur fide sed opere Evangelium â—…utem completur fide magis quà m operibus quia sola fides salvat 2. In Rom. 1. Pluribus modis ostendit Paulus justitiam salutem non esse per legem sed per fidem in Christum ut a lege abducat in sola fide Christi eos constituat 3. In Evâ—…ngel de circumcisione Christi sola tantummodo fide salvabuntur gentâ—…s siout scriptum est justus exfide vivet XXVII
and of the true worship of God Sometimes it signifieth affiance in God Psal. 9. 10. Esa. 11. 10. compared with Rom. 15. 12. Psal. 69. 6 And so faith is the cause of affiance for by faith wee have affiance Eph. 3. 12. Sometimes it signifieth invocation and calling upon the name of God So David sought God 2 Sam. 12. 16. that is besought him So Esa. 55. 6. Psal. 34. 4. Matth. 7. 7 8. Ier. 29. 12 13. Zach. 8. 21. 22. 2 Chron. 2. 3 4. and thus faith is the cause of prayer which if it bee effectuall is called the prayer of faith Iam. 5. 16. And this is â—…ignified in § VIII The next place which Bellarmine alleageth viz. Rom. 10. 13. 14. whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall bee saved How then shall they call upon him in whom they have not beleeved and how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how should they heare without a preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Where Bellarmine observeth this order of justification he should have said of salvation First sending of Preachers Secondly preaching Thirdly faith Fourthly invocations Fisthly salvation that is saith he justification which is as he saith the healing of the soule from the disease of sinne Of these saith he sending and preaching are without us therfore the first beginning of justification within us is faith which invocation doth follow and the rest in their order I answere first that the Apostle setteth downe in order the degrees not of justification but of salvation Whereof the first after election is vocation unto which three of these degrees are referred First sending of Preachers Secondly Preaching Thirdly hearing by which faith commeth The second is justification by faith Thirdly sanctification whereof one principall duety is mentioned viz. invocation which seemeth to bee put as sometimes it is for the whole worship of God or religion Fourthly salvation Secondly in reckoning these degrees he omiâ—…teth one in favour of their implicite faith For where the Apostle saith how shall they callupon him in whom they have not beleeved how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and consequently by hearing knowne this degree he leaveth out which proveth that men cannot beleeve in God who have not heard of him nor by hearing knowne him Thirdly his inference is of no force at all For by this place it is not proved that faith is the first beginning of justification but this is proved that as the word begetteth faith which doth justifie or as the Apostle speaketh in other words Rom. 8. 30 whom the Lord doth call them he doth justifie so faith begetteth invocation and all other dueties of sanctification for whom God doth justifie hee doth sanctifie Now sanctification is the beginning of glorification in this life for by it the Lord beginneth in us a spirituall and eternall life and as glory is gratia consummata so grace is gloria inchoata So that from this place compared with Rom. 8. 30. and 2 Thess. 2. 13 14. wee may be bold to set dowue the degrees of salvation in this order Election Vocation Iustification Glorification and that either begun in this life which is sanctification or consummate in the life to come which is our eternall salvation § IX His third testimony is Ioh. 1. 12. So many as received him to them hee gave power to be made the sonnes of God to them which beleeve in his name Where saith he Saint Iohn plainly teacheth that these who receive Christ by faith are not yet the Sonnes of God but may bee made the Sonnes of God if they goe on further so that they begin also to hope and to love for love properly maketh men the Sonnes of God Answ. The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where Bellarmine by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the vulgar Latine readeth potestatem understandeth possibility as if he had said potentiam and the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the aorist hee understandeth as if it were the future as if the meaning were that those who receive Christ by faith are in a good possibility to become hereafter the Sonnes of God if to their faith they shall adde hope and love for it is love properly saith he and not faith that maketh men Gods children But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never signifieth possibility but as in other places it is translated power or authority so here as also 1 Cor. 8. 9. 9. 12. right or priviledge or as Iansenius interpreteth authoritatem dignitatâ—…m jus And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie not that they may be made hereafter but that so soone as men beleeve they are already the Sonnes of God hee gave them this right or priviledge this prerogative dignity or preheminence to bee the Sonnes of God And so Iansenius the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bee rendred not onely fieri to bee made but also esse to be that is now saith hee may bee the sense hee gave them that authority right and dignity ut sint Dei filii that they are the Sonnes of God not onely after but when they doe receive him For of them that receive Christ even by the first degree of faith it is said that they are borne of God 1 Ioh. 5. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God hee doth not say is in possibility to bee hereafter but hee speaketh in the time past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is already borne of God and in this very place Ioh. 1. 12 13. they that beleeve in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are borne of God For indeed regeneration in order of nature though not in time goeth before faith which the Spirit when hee doth regenerate us worketh in us Iansenius well observeth that the parts of this text understood according to Bellarmines sence cannot well stand together that those who are said to have received Christ should have power given them wherby they may be made the Sonnes of God For if they have received him they are already the Sonnes of God and need not to bee made Sonnes of God And on the contrary if they are in possibility to be made Sons then now they are not and if they be not Sonnes then they have not yet received him And further he observeth that of them who are here said to have power given them to be the Sons of God in the next verse it is said that they are born of God Besides those who have not yet received Christ by faith are notwithstanding in possibility to be made the Sons of God whiles they are capable of faith and are in possibility to beleeve The place to which he referreth us is 1 Ioh. 2. 19. Ye know that hee who worketh righteousnesse is borne of God from whence this may be gathered that working of righteousnesse is an evident signe or marke of him that is borne of
God not that working righteousnesse is the cause to make a man Gods child but an evidence to declare that hee is the child of God For he that is borne of God committeth not sinne 1 Ioh. 3. 9. as a servant of sinne Ioh. 8. 34. and hereby we doe know that we are passed from death to life that is that wee are justified because wee love the brethren 1 Ioh. 3. 14. Hereby the sonnes of God are manifest and the sonnes of the Devill hee that worketh not righteousnesse is not of God nor hee that loveth not his brother vers 10. Hereby saith our Saviour shall men know you to be my disciples if you love one another Ioh. 13. 35. I conclude with Saint Paul Gal. 3. 26. By faith in Iesus Christ hee doth not say by love but by faith yee are hee doth not say yee may bee but yee are all that beleeve the Sonnes of God upon which words as I noted before Thomas Aquinas observeth Faith alone maketh men the adoptive Sonnes of God § X. To these places of Scripture Bellarmine addeth the testimonies of the Fathers who if they speake as Bellarmine citeth them they say nothing but what wee willingly confesse to wit that faith is as Clemens Alexandrinus speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first propension or inclination to salvation that it is as it were the eye of the soule and the Lampe to finde the way to salvation as Cyrill of Hierusalem that it is the light of the soule the dore of life the foundation of salvation as Eâ—…sebius Emissemus that it is the beginning of righteousnesse inherent as Chrysostome that it is the gate and the way unto life as Cyrill of Alexandria that it is the first grace in a Christian as Ambrose that it is the beginning and originall of asâ—…iance and accesse to God as Ierome that wee are made the sonnes of Wisedome the faith of the Mediatour preparing and working it that it is first given and by it the rest that to a Christian the true beginning is to beleeve in Christ that by faith wee obtaine grace and by grace the health of the soule that the house of God whereby is meant the whole oeconomy of our salvation in this life is founded on faith raised by hope and perfected by charity as Augustine That faith is the foundation of righteousnesse which no good workes precede and from which all proceede that it is the foundation of all vertues as Prosper That if faith bee not first begotten in the heart the rest cannot bee good as Gregory All this and more wee affirme concerning faith But although many other graces besides faith are required unto sanctification as forerunners fitting us unto salvation yet none concurre with it to the act of justification And although it be the beginning of sanctification and of all other graces yet it is not onely the beginner but the continuer also of sanctification purifying still the heart and working by love by which we stand by which wee live being by the power of God through faith preserved unto salvation And although it be termed by some the beginning as it is of inherent righteousnesse yet it alone as I shewed before by diuers testimonies of the Fathers sufficeth to justification And therefore by it wee have not a partiall or inchoated but a perfect and plenary justification § XI To these testimonies saith he naturall reason may be added and well may hee call it naturall for there is little art in it and although it bee very simple yet it is double containing two slender proofes The former because faith is the foundation of hope and charity but neither hope nor charity is the foundation of faith For a man may beleeve that which hee neither hopeth for nor loveth but hee cannot hope for or love that which hee doth not beleeve And what then therfore faith is the beginning of other graces And what then therefore it followeth that it doth not sanctifie alone for it is but one among many but it doth not follow that therfore it doth not justifie alone And where hee saith that faith is the foundation of hope and that a man cannot hope for that which he doth not beleeve this overthroweth a maine Doctrine of the Church of Rome maintained by Bellarmine in other places that a man may hope well for the remission of his fins and for his salvation but without speciall revelation he may not beleeve it His second reason hath no soundnesse in it In bodily diseases saith hee the beginning of health is for a man to beleeve that hee is sicke and to beleeve the Physitian that taketh upon him to cure him and yet not that faith alone is entire health Where Bellarmine compareth justification to health recovered from sicknesse to which not justification may bee compared but sanctification For the disease of the soule as well as of the body is not onely a privation or absence of health but also an evill disposition or habit which is cured by the contrary disposition or habit for as the whole body of sinne is cured in some measure by the grace of regeneration or sanctification so the severall members thereof as infidelity by faith despaire by hope hatred by charity pride by humility uncleannesse by chastitie drunkennesse by sobriety c. Secondly he compareth the beleefe of a sicke man beleeving that the Physitian will cure him which is no health at all nor meanes of health but in conceit for many times it proveth otherwise the promise of the Physitian being deceiveable and the event uncertaine to the faith of an humbled sinner grounded on the infallible promises of God which are alwayes performed to them that beleeve CAP. XI Of Feare and Hope being his second and third dispositions § I. HIs second disposition is feare which he proveth to dispose unto justification and to concurre thereuntn in the same manner almost as faith doth But first this discourse is impertinent For we deny and our deniall we have made good that justâ—…ying faith doth not justifie by way of disposing And therefore if it be proved that feare doth dispose a man to justification yet that doth not disprove justification by faith alone For we have confessed that ordinarily in adultis there are preparative dispositions going before faith and justification whereof feare is one But these preparatives doe not justifie and therefore for all them faith may and indeed doth justifie alone Secondly you are to understand that this feare which goeth before grace is no grace neither is it that sonne-like feare which is the daughter of faith and love but the servile feare as he confesseth which is an effect and fruit of the Law working on those who are under the Law and keeping them in some order for feare of the whippe Neither is it properly timor Dei the feare of God but metus supplicii the object whereof
or the thing feared is not God but punishment or if it be of God it is not to feare him but to be affraid of him From which our Saviour hath redeemed those that beleeve that they may worship God in some measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without this feare Neither doth it per se and in its owne nature tend to justification which is the exaltation of a sinner but rather to despaire which is the lowest dejection of a sinner Notwithstanding as the Law by working this feare is a Schoolemaster unto Christ for when 〈◊〉 by the paedagogie of the Law have learned to know their 〈◊〉 damnable estate in themselves for feare of damnation they are forced to seeke for salvation out of themselves so this feare which in it selfe tendeth to despaire and in it owne nature affrighteth men from God as we see in the example of our first parents Gen. 3. 10. is by God made a meanes to draw them unto him But to say that feare doth concurre unto justification in the same manner as faith doth is against reason and against common sence unlesse hee speaketh onely of the legall faith which as it is wrought by the Law so it worketh feare For feare driveth to the humiliation faith tendeth to the exaltation of the humbled soule and by it indeed the soule is exalted Therefore as humiliation goeth before exaltation so feare before faith Againe as feare goeth before faith so sinne goeth before feare For sinne maketh a man guilty the Conscience being by the Law convicted of guilt terrifieth the soule the soule terrified either sinketh in despaire being left to it selfe or prevented by God according to the purpose of his grace by which it was elected in Christ seeketh to God who is found of them that sought him not So that by this reason sinne it selfe may bee said to bee a necessary forerunner of justification disposing a man to â—…feare more than feare doth to justification for that is a cause this but an occasion § II. But as this discourse proving that feare is a disposition to justification is impertinent and affirming that feare concurreth to justification in the same manner that faith doth is false so are some of his allegations also impertinent Because they belong not to this servile feare which goeth before faith and and justification but to the Sonne-like feare which is a fruit both of faith and love and a consequent of justification As namely his first place iâ—… it were rightly alleaged Eccl. 1. 28. hee that is without feare cannot be justified or reputed just For the feare of God which the Sonne of Syrach in that chapter from the tenth verse to the end doth so highly extoll is not this servile feare but the filiall feare by which is meant true piety it selfe which as he calleth it there the beginning so also the Crowne and fulnesse of Wisedome But the place is not rightly translated in the Latine which Bellarmine doth follow For the Greeke text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wrathfull man cannot be justified or as some editions doe read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unjust wrath cannot be justified according to that of S. Iames the wrath of man doth not worke the righteousnesse of God And that the former part of the vers speaketh of wrath is proved by the latter which is the reason of the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the sway of his wrath is his ruine and by the words going before where the feare of the Lord is present it turneth away wrath and represseth anger § III. So his second Psal. 111. 10. and third Prov. 1. 7. where it is said that the feare of the Lord is the beginning of Wisedome and by Wisedome saith Bellarmine is meant perfect justification hee should say sanctification or godlinesse For as the wicked man is Salomons foole so the godly man is the onely wise man And in this sense Moses prayeth Psal. 90. 12. Teach us O Lord so to number our daies that wee may apply our hearts to Wisedome that is to true godlinesse and to the same purpose Iob speaketh c. 28. 28. the feare of the Lord it selfe is Wisedome and so Eccl. 1. 27. Now in these places the Hebrew word Reshith which is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beginning may fitly as in many other places bee translated the head that is a chiefe or principall part or the top and the meaning is that the feare of God is a principall part of godlinesse and as you heard even now Eccl. 2. 18. the Crowne of Wisedome Otherwise I cannot conceive how feare which is a fruit both of faith and of love should truely be said to bee the beginning of godlinesse which by consent of all is the prerogative of faith And yet faith it selfe doth not justifie as it is the beginning of inherent righteousnesse and much lesse feare which concurreth with it not to justification but onely to sanctification Now that servile feare is not meant in these places it is evident not onely because such commendations are given unto it as belong not to servile feare but also because they that are indued with this feare are pronounced blessed Psalm 112. 1. 128. 1. Prov. 28. 14. whereas those who have the greatest measure of servile feare are accursed and contrariewise they are happy who are most freed from it The blessednesse promised to Abraham and all the faithfull in his seed is by Zachary expounded Luk. 1. 73 74 75. to be this that being redeemed from the hand of our enemies wee should worship the Lord without feare And Saint Iohn testifieth that there is no feare in love but perfect love casteth out feare 1 Iohn 4. 18. Fourthly the feare mentioned Prov. 14. 27. where it is said The feare of the Lord is a well-spring of life to avoid the snares of death is the sonne-like feare of which Salomon speaketh in the words next going before In the feare of the Lord there is strong confidence Fifthly the feare of the Lord mentioned Eccl. 1. 21. is the son-like feare which in that Chapter from the tenth verse is highly commended Of this feare it is said among other things that it is gladnesse and a crowne of rejoycing that it maketh a merry heart and giveth joy and gladnesse verse 11 12. which are things repugnant to servile feare § IV. But let us see how he proveth his unlike likenesse that servile feare doth in a manner justifie as faith doth viz. by Scriptures by Fathers by Reason First because as it is said of faith Heb. 11. 6. so without feare we cannot please God Answ. This is true of the sonne-like feare which is an unseparable companion of justification though Bellarmines allegation of Eccles. 1. 22. proveth it not as I have shewed But of the servile feare it may be truly said that they who please God most have the least of it For the greater a mans love is the lesse is his feare
that justified her but her faith our Saviour who had so highly commended her love doth in expresse termes testifie thy faith hath saved thee goe in peace upon which wordes of our Saviour shee who was formerly justified before God by a true justifying faith which our Saviour professeth and which shee testified by her love and by her repentance departed home justified in the Court of her owne conscience by speciall faith and being justified by faith had peace with God 4. As for his allegation out of Gal. 5. 6 that faith worketh by love it hath no colour of proofe that love disposeth unto justification but rather the contrary For he that is indued with faith working by love is already justified § IV. The Councell of Aurenge hee alleageth against himselfe For if God doe first inspire faith and love it speaketh of those who are adultâ—… that wee may faithfully require the sacrament of Baptisme then are we first justified by faith and afterwards receive the sacrament as Abraham did circumcision as the sacâ—…ament and sealâ—… of justification by faith And this is generally to be understood of Sacraments received by them who are come to yeares of discretion that they must be endued with justifying faith when they come to receive the Sacraments otherwise they receive no benefit by them For as touching Baptisme our Saviour saith hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but hee that beleeveth not whether hee be baptized or not baptiâ—…ed he shall bee condemned And as touching the Eucharist it is certaine that no man can receive Christ therein without faith which is both the hand of the soule to receive him and as it were the mouth of the soule to eat his body and to drinke his bloud And further Sacraments are seales anneâ—…ed to the letters patents of Gods promises in the Gospell and therefore confirme or assure nothing but what is contained in the promise and upon the same conditions The condition is faith Obiect But you will say if a man must be justified before he receive the Sacrament to what end doth hee then receive it Answ. that hee who is justified before God by the former degree of faith may by speciall faith confirmed by the Sacrament bee justified in his owne conscience that is that hee may in some measure be assured thereof § V. Bellarmine having produced his owne arguments hee commeth now to answer such as he saith are ours The first out of 1 Ioh. 4. 19. wee love God because he first loved us Now God loveth no man actually whom hee doth not justifie and reconcile unto himselfe in Christ for untill then wee are in the state of enemies Neither doth any that is not justified nor reconciled to God in Christ love him or if hee doe then doth hee love God before God loveth him Gods love therefore goeth before our justification and our justification goeth before our love of God Neither is this onely true that God loveth us before wee love him but before wee can love him aright wee must bee perswaded of his love towards us which perswasion is faith from which love proceedeth 1 Tim. 1. 5. Bellarmine answereth that God indeed loveth men first and by loving them maketh them just but by little and little and by certaine meanes For whom hee loveth hee first calleth to faith then he inspireth into them hope and feare and love inchoated lastly he justifieth and infuseth perfect charity Reply First that which he speaketh of making just by little and little may agree to sanctification but to justification it agreeth not for thereof there are no degrees Secondly It would bee knowne whether this beginning of charity which he saith goeth before justification bee the same which in justification is infused differing only in degree If it be not the same how is it charitas inchoata and if it be not infused as well as that in the act of justification why doth he say it is inspired If it bee the same then gratia gratum faciens is inspired before regeneration before which wee are nothing but flesh and in our flesh there is no good thing And by this reason justification shall bee nothing else but the perfecting of that charity which before was begun neither can a man bee truely said to bee justified by charity who is not enduâ—…d with perfect charity perfectly and fully expelling all sin which in this life is never perfect much lesse in incipients nor ever doth so expell sinne but that allwayes whiles wee are in our mortall bodies sinne remaineth in us Wherefore the Papists doe never attaine to that which they call justification which indeed is not justification but the perfection of sanctification Or if they say they doe attaine unto it and that they have no sinne they are lyars and there is no truth in them § VI. Our second argument no man can love God in any acceptable measure unlesse hee have the Spirit of God dwelling in him for love is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. to this purpose hee citeth for us Rom. 5. 5. which allegation hee cannot answere because he understandeth the place of our love of God which is shed abroad into our harâ—…s by the holy Ghost Now no men have the Spirit of God but they who are regenerated and justified for the Spirit of truth the world cannot receive Ioh. 14. 27. Bellarmine saith this is true of perfect love but imperfect love and inchoated which even now out of the Counsel of Aureng he confessed to be inspired of the holy Spirit may be had without the Spirit but not without Gods speciall helpe Which words discover unto us one of the depthes of Satan in the mystery of iniquity For the Papists as they doe wonderfully extenuate originall sinne so doe they use to magnifie the strength of nature corrupted They doe not acknowledge that which the Scriptures plainely teach that by nature wee are dead in sinne onely they say that we are diseased with sinne and entangled and bound with the chaines of sinne so that if wee bee not holpen of God wee are not able to doe that which is good But if God doe afford uâ—… his speciall helpe then we can have faith and feare and hope and love and the other preparations And further the privative corruption which they cannot deny to be in originall sinne they confesse by the halves or not so much for the privation which is in originall sinne is not onely of the act which they doe not wholly confesse but of the power and the habit it selfe So that in us by nature there is a meere impotencie to that which is spiritually good in respect whereof wee have lost bonum possibilitatis as Augustine teacheth Wherefore that wee may bee enabled to beleeve to hope to love to feare God to purpose amendment of life c. it is necessary that wee should bee not holpen or loosed but renewed regenerated created a new and raised from the
condition of faith See Act. 8. 37. 10. 43. 13. 38 39. Ro. 4. 5. Gal. 2. 16. and so every where Before the incarnation of Christ it was the good pleasure of God by faith onely to justifie the faithfull as Bellarmine himselfe hath confessed And doth he require any other condition of us are not we justified as they were By his knowledge that is by faith in him my righteous servant shall justifie many Yea but the Scriptures saith Bellarmine much more plainely exact the condition of Penance and of the Sacraments to justification than of faith as Ezek. 18. 27. The wicked if hee repent of his sinnes shall live Luk. 13. 4. unlesse yee repent ye shall likewise perish Ioh. 3. 5. unlesse a man be borne a-new of water and the holy Ghost he shall not enter into the Kingdome of God Answ. Many things are required to salvation which are not required to justification which as they be necessary forerunners of glorification so are they the fruits of faith and consequents of justification viz. repentance and newnesse of life which is the thing mentioned in these places Againe happinesse which consisteth partly in justification or remission of sinnes which is beatitudo viae and partly in eternall life which is beatitudo patriâ—… is oftentimes attributed to those things which are not the causes of happines but the notes and markes of them that be happy There is but one happinesse properly and that is to be in Christ who is eternall life whom whosoever hath hath eternall life Of this happinesse Christ alone is the foundation and the cause and faith the instrument of our union and communion with Christ. All other virtues and graces are but the fruits and consequently the signes and markes of faith or of our being in Christ by faith And therefore are not so many beatitudes though they are blessed that have them but so many notes of one and the same happinesse It is true that if we be sorry for our sinnes because by them we have displeased him who hath been so gracious a God unto us if we confesse them crave pardon for them and forsake them all which are duties of repentance the Lord hath promised to forgive them And yet these are not causes of our justification before God but fruits of faith by which we come to be justified in our owne conscience By faith we obtaine remission of sinnes and by these duties of repentance which are the fruits of justifying faith we attaine to the assurance of it That prayer which somuch prevaileth with God is the prayer of faith That repentance which is to life is caused by faith without which it is impossible to please God and therefore the Disciples when they understood that the Gentiles were brought to beleeve in Christ conclude that God had given them repentance unto life Act. 11. 18. As for the Sacraments the justification which is assigned to them doth not hinder justification by faith onely but serveth to seale and to assure it § VI. The third cause or reason proving that faith doth justifie alone is because it is the property of faith to apprehend and to apply the promise of justification to our selves For the clearing whereof I desire the reader to call to minde what hath beene said concerning the two degrees of justifying faith For by the former wee apprehend receive and embrace Christ who is our righteousnesse offered in the promises of the Gospell to our justification before God By the other wee apply the promises of the Gospell to our selves that we may be justified in our owne consciences Both which actions of receiving and applying the promises to our â—…elves cannot be ascribed to any other grace but are proper to faith onely To this argument Bellarmine shapeth two answeres the former whereof is a meere cavill at the word apprehension which wee make proper to faith as if by apprehending we did meane the first act of the understanding when it conceiveth the object But this point I cleared before in the first question concerning the nature of faith where I shewed that this apprehension whereof Bellarmine speaketh goeth before all judgement of the minde And that the understanding having first conceived and apprehended the object judgeth of it either by withholding the assent if it be doubtfull which is called doubting or by giving assent either weakely which is opinion or firmely which is knowledge this firme assent or knowledge is grounded either upon the evidence of the thing which is either manifest in it selfe and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cleare intelligence or manifested by discourse which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or science or else the thing being not evident either to sense or reason upon the infallible authority of God speaking in his word which is Faith By this beleefe we receive Christ not onely in our judgements by assent but also if this assent be lively and effectuall we receive embrace and lay hold upon him as our Saviour with all our soules acknowledging him in our judgements in our hearts desiring to bee made partakers of him in our wils resolving to professe him to bee our Saviour and to obey him as our Lord c. § VII This is the apprehension whereof we speake and which is peculiar to faiâ—… as it is evident Be it saith Bellarmine that justification after a sort is apprehended by faith Surely it is not so apprehended that indeed it is had and doth inhere but onely that it is in the minde after the manner of an object apprehended by an action of the understanding and will and so saith he love and joy apprehend In these things Bellarmine sheweth himselfe to be a diviner rather than a divine we doe not say that in our justification before God justification is apprehended by faith but the righteousnesse of Christ unto justification And that this righteousnesse of Christ though not inherent in us is as truely and really made ours by imputation as our sinnes though not inherent in him were made his when he truely and really suffered for them By this hand of faith we receive Christ Ioh. 1. 12. by it we receive and embrace the promises Heb. 11. 16. by it we receive remission of sinnes Act. 10. 43. 26. 18. By this mouth as it were of the soule we eate the body of Christ and drinke his bloud That which hee speaketh of justification being in the minde after the manner of an object apprehended by an action of the understanding and the will may in some sort be verified of the apprehension of speciall faith applying justification to the beleever But to say that after this manner love and joy apprehend it is against sense For faith apprehendeth it by a perswasion yea by a firme perswasion upon which follow love and joy not apprehending but loving and rejoycing at that which faith doth apprehend But these two are not incident unto a Papist who
The second thing is that in the word the Lord revealeth his purpose concerning those that live well or ill Thou thinkest because thou hast a conceit that thou art elected thou canst not be damned though thou live never so wickedly But be not deceived for God hath revealed his purpose concerning impenitent sinners who live and dye in sinne unrepented of that there is no inheritance for them in the kingdome of God As for example thou art a drunkard and wilt not be reclaimed from this sinne and yet presumest that thou shalt be saved because thou hast a conceit that thou art elected But be not deceived no drunkards shall inherit the kingdome of God On the other side thou hast a conceit that because thou art not elected thou canst not be saved though thou shouldest live never so godly But the Scripture is plaine that whosoever truely beleeveth in Christ whosoever unfainedly repenteth him of his sinnes whosoever walketh uprightly before God making Conscience of his wayes hee shall bee saved Therefore whatsoever thy concâ—…it may bee concerning thine election or not election if thou doest truely beleeve in Christ and repenting of thy sinnes doest endevour to lead a good life as sure as God is true thou shalt be saved § IV. Secondly in respect of Gods Word which is infallibly true Now the word plainely testifieth that whosoever is in Christ is a new creature that those who are in Christ live not after the flesh but after the Spirit that they who are Christs doe crucifie the flesh with â—…he lusts thereof that Christ was made unto us not onely righteousnesse and redemption but also sanctification that Christ came not with water alone or bloud alone but with water and blood the bloud of redemption to cleanse us from the guilt of sinne and the water of ablution to purge us from the pollution of sinne that in whom Christ dwelleth by faith hee dwelleth in them by his Spirit and that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his that faith being a fruit of the Spirit and a grace of regeneration it cannot bee where the Spirit of grace and regeneration is not and that unlesse men bee regenerate and borne a-new they cannot see the Kingdome of God § V. Thirdly in respect of Gods Oath in which it is impossible that he should lye Now God hath sworne that whom he redeemeth from the hand of their spirituall enimies he will give them to worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life For redemption is as well from the dominion of sinne as from the guilt of it As for those who commit sinne that is in whom sinne raigneth they are the servants of sinne and therefore not actually redeemed by Christ for whom the Sonne freeth they are free indeed Those that are freed from sinne become the servants of righteousnesse Those that are delivered from the hand that is the power of their spirituall enemies are ipso facto made the servants of God whose service is true freedome Thus much of the necessity of infallibility § VI. Secondly they are necessary necessitate pracepti imposing a necessity of duety towards God Our Neighbour Our Selves Towards God that wee may bee not onely obedient obsequious and well pleasing unto him but also which ought to be the chiefe respect of all our actions that wee may shew our selves thankefull unto him who hath been so gracious unto us First by loving him againe who hath lovedus first For when the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by his spirit that is when by faith wrought in us by his spirit we are perswaded of Gods infinite and unspeakable love towards us it cannot be but that our hearts should reflect some love towards him which is to be shewed in a willing observation of his Commandements Secondly in bringing forth those fruits which God expecteth and in atchieving that end which God propoundeth to himselfe in all his benefits bestowed upon us This is the will of God even our sanctification that fruit which he expecteth that end whâ—…ch hee aimeth at in all his blessings This is the end of our elâ—…ction that we may bee holy of our vocation 1 Thess. 4. 7. of our redemption 1 Pet. 2. 24. Tit. 2. 14. Ephes. 5. 26 27. Of our reconciliation Col. 1. 21 22. Of our regeneration Ephes. 2. 10. Of all his temporall benefits Psal. 105. 45 Thirdly by adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour Tit. 2. 10. Fourthly and principally by glorifying God who hath been so good unto us and propounding his glory unto us in all things For herein God is glorified if we bring forth much fruit Ioh. 15. 8. § VII Secondly towards our Neighbour first for avoiding of offence 1 Cor. 10. 32 Phil. 1. 10. making straight pathes unto our feet that others treading in our steppes need not stumble or fall providing things honest in the sight of all men labouring and endevouring to have a good conâ—…cience void of offence towards God and towards men Secondly that wee may edifie our neighbours by a godly example and provoke them to good workes and winne them unto Christ 1 Pet. 3. 1. Thirdly that wee may stoppe the mouthes of the adversaries which otherwise would bee open to blasphemâ—… the truth Tit. 2. 5. Fourthly that wee may cause them also to glorifie God Matth. 5. 16. Fifthly that wee may doe them good in exercising judgment and in practising the dueties of charity and mercie towards them Thirdly towards our Selves First that wee may avoid those judgements which are threatned against all sinnes both of omission and commission Deut. 28. 15 c. Matth. 3. 10 25. 41 42. Secondly that wee may be made partakers of those blessings which are promised to those who aâ—…e obedient to the will of God Psal. 84. 11. § VIII Thirdly they are necessary necessitate signi as necessary signes and evidences whereby wee are to gather assurance to our selves of our justification whereby our faith is to bee demonstrated whereby wee are to make our calling and our election sure Our election can not bee knowne à priori by any foregoing thiâ—…gs but à posteriori and namely by the fruits of sanctification which are also the fruits of our election For by a godly life our faith and justification is manifested 1 Ioh. 3. 7. â—…n respect wherof the faithfull are said to be justified by their workes Iam. 2. 21 25. being justified it is certaine that they are called according to his purpose and iâ—… so called then elected are they elected then undoubtedly they shall bee saved They are the cognizances of them that are to bee saved for by faith wee receive the inheritance among them that are sanctified They are the evidences by
alleadged Wee saith the Apostle speaking of himselfe and Saint Peter knowing that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law but onely by the faith of Iesus Christ even we have beleeved in Iesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the Law For by the workes of the Law shall no flesh be justified For if the faithfull such as Peter and Paul bee justified by faith and not by workes then are they justified without workes Neither doe the workes of the faithfull concurre unto their justification § IX But for all this Bellarmine will prove that in the Epistle to the Galathians the workes only done without faith are excluded from justification by certaine consequences which the Apostle inferreth which saith he are most strong against workes done without faith but most weake against workes wrought by faith That they are strong against the workes of nature I doe confesse but that they be weake against justification by workes of grace they being equally strong against all I doe deny For the Apostle when in the question of justification hee excludeth workes doth not distinguish of workes whether proceeding from nature or from grace as if by the one wee were justified and not by the other but generally excludeth all even those which are commanded in the Law of God thereby meaning all inherent righteousnesse whatsoever even charity it selfe which is the end of the Law and proceedeth from faith unfained For the Law is a perfect rule of all inherent righteousnesse whencesoever it proceedeth Neither are the Papists able to produce any one place of Scripture wherein the Apostle either affirmeth that wee are justified by workes proceeding from grace or propoundeth this question to bee disputed whether workes doe justifie without faith but even whether faith doth justifie without workes alwaies concluding the affirmative that wee are justified by faith without workes thereby teaching that workes doe justifie before God neither without faith nor yet with it § X. For the better understanding of this needfull point worthy to be insisted upon and for the satisfying of Bellarmines objections wherein hee pleaseth himselfe wee are to take notice that there are two wayes to life eternall which God hath propounded to man the one in the state of innocencie the other after his fall The former was the covenant of workes or of inherent righteousnesse to be performed by himselfe the Sacrament whereof was the Tree of life But when man had broken this covenant and was fallen from the state of integrity into the state of disobedience and corruption it being now not possible that he should be justified or saved by inherent righteousnesse according to the covenant of workes the Lord therefore in his infinite mercie and love of mankind made with man being now a sinner the covenant of grace in the promised seed that whosoever truly beleeveth in him though in himselfe a sinner as since the fall all are should bee justified and saved by his righteousnesse The faith in this covenant concerning the justification of sinners and salvation by Christ was professed from the beginning after the promise was once made by all the Patriarches and ancient beleevers who had testimony that they pleased God and by faith in the Messias wrought those things which were pleasing to God which without faith in Christ they could not have done And it was represented and figured in the sacrifices which were types and figures of Christs sacrifice even from the beginning And the same was afterwards confirmed by Sacraments viz. Circumcision which was ordained to bee a seale of that righteousnesse which is by faith and the passeover which was a type of Christ our passeover who is immolated for us and prefigured by the propitiatory which covered the Arke in which were the two tables of the Law by the Scape-goate which did beare away the sinnes of the people by the high Priest who was a type of Christ in many respects but most plainely by the brasen Serpent c. But lest men should either through ignorance or pride neglect the benefit of the Messias and consequently their owne salvation which is the common corruption of all naturall men it pleased the Lord to renew the covenant of workes by publishing the Morall Law not with purpose that any should by the obedience thereof be justified or saved which Bellarmine himselfe confesseth but partly that to naturall and unregenerate men it should bee a Schoolemaster unto Christ discovering unto them their owne damnable estate in themselves both in respect of their sinnes and of the curse belonging unto them for the same that so they might be forced to seeke for salvation out of themselves in Christ and partly that to men regenerated and justified it should bee a rule whereby to frame their lives and as it were a councellour and a guide to direct them in the way which God hath appointed them to walke in towards our country in heaven § XI Those therefore which looked to be justified by the observation of the Law as the Galatians were taught by their false teachers were in a pernicious errour both because none can bee justified by the obedience of the Law all men without exception being sinners and subject to the curse and also because there is such an opposition betweene these two covenants in the matter of justification that to bee justified according to the Covenant of workes by inherent righteousnesse is a disanulling of the covenant of grace which cannot bee disanulled in it selfe though to him that seeketh to be justified by works it is made void as the Apostle proveth Gal. 3. and therefore with him I say that if justification be by the works of the Law whatsoever then the covenant of grace is disanulled and made void then is the promise made of none effect then Christ died in vaine Gal. 2. 21. then is the inherent no more of promise Gal. 3. 18. but faith is made void and the promise made of none effect Rom. 4. 14. then men are made debtours to the whole Law and consequently Christ is become of none effect to them And finally they that seeke to be justified by the Law are fallen from grace Gal. 5. 2 3 4. according to all the consequences alleaged by Bellarmine From when I argue thus To them that are debtours to the whole Law Christ is become of none effect to them the covenant of grace is disanulled and the promise made of none effect c. They that seeke to be justified by the workes of the Law that is by righteousnesse inherent whatsoever whether before or after grace are debtours to the whole Law Therefore to them that seeke to bee justified by righteousnesse inherent Christ is become of none effect c. The proposition is thus proved Those that are debtors to the whole Law are subject to a double yoake of most miserable bondage opposite
but the question is of justification Now many things are required to salvation which doe not concurre to justification as namely confession holinesse of life patience perseverance c. which though they goe before salvation yet they follow after justification and therefore cannot be causes thereof In all this discourse therefore Bellarmine is farre from concluding the point in question Notwithstanding it will not be unprofitable if I shall make a short excursion to follow him in his discourse but not to answere every particular which is not worth the answering That therefore he may confute our most pernicious errour as he calleth it he saith he will prove three things first that in the Gospell is contained the doctrine of workes and divers Lawes and that the promises thereof require the condition of fulfilling the Law Secondly that the just are not free from the observation of the Law of God Thirdly that good workes are simply necessary to Salvation § III. His intent in the first is to disprove that difference which we make betweene the Law and the Gospell from whence he had collected in the former Chapter that we deny the necessity of good works The difference was this That the Law propoundeth justification and salvation upon the condition of our fulfilling the whole Law But the Gospell promiseth justification and salvation upon the condition of faith only excluding works as the causes by which we are justified or for which we be saved which difference if it be true as it is most true plainely proveth justification by faith only and disproveth justification by workes For the better understanding whereof wee are to distinguish the termes both of the Law and Gospell which are used sometimes more largely sometimes more strictly and properly More largely Thorah the Law signifieth the whole doctrine of the old Testament whether written and contained in the bookes of Moses the Prophets and the Psalmes or Preached Written thus it is said to have beene written in the Law Ioh. 10. 34. which is written Psalm 82. 6. so Ioh. 12. 34. which is written Psalm 110. 4. so Ioh. 15. 25. which is written Psalm 35. 19. The Law saith those things Rom. 3. 19. which are cited out of the Psalmes and out of the Prophet Esay vers 10 11 12. Thus 1 Cor 14. 21. out of Esai 28. 11. thus Gal. 4. 21. out of Gen. 21. 10. And thus by the Law in many places is understood the whole doctrine of God contained in the Scriptures of the old testament and is often used in the same sense promiscuously g with Gods word insomuch that the Septuagints sometime translate Dabar which signifieth the word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preached as Esai 30. 9 10. Psalm 78. 1. Ier. 18. 18. Prov. 28. 9. 29. 18. In this large sense the Evangelicall promises made in the old testament are contained in the Law though properly belonging to the Gospell as Bellarmine confesseth the promises of remission of sinnes though they be in the Prophets they doe not belong to the Law but to the Gospell And so the covenant of grace it selfe which the Lord made with Abraham in making whereof he is said Gal. 3. 8. to have preached before the Gospell to Abraham Of the Doctrine of the Gospell which was to begin at Ierusalem Luk. 24. 47. it is said Esai 2. 3. Mic. 4. 2. out of Sion the Law shall goe foorth So more largely the Gospell is taken for the whole Doctrine of the new Testament whether written by the Apostles and Evangelists or preached Mark. 13. 10. Rom. 10. 16. Gal. 2. 5 14. Ephes. 6. 19. Col. 1. 5. Phil. 1. 27. 2 Thes. 1. 8. Thus the histories of the life and death of CHRIST are called Gospels Mark 1. 1. Mat. 26. 13. Preached Rom. 2. 16. 16. 25. 1 Cor. 4. 15. 9. 18. Gal. 2. 7. 1 Thes. 1. 5. 2. 4. 2 Thes. 2. 14. 2 Tim. 2. 8. In respect of this large sense it is truely said that the Precepts Promises and Comminations of the Law are contained in the Gospell § IV More strictly and properly the Law signifieth the Covenant of workes which is also called the Law of workes Rom. 3. 27. which upon condition of perfect and perpetuall obedience promiseth justification and salvation to the observers thereof Rom. 10. 5. Gal. 3. 12. Levit 18. 5. Ezek. 20. 11. Act. 13. 38. Rom. 3. 20 28. Likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospell which importeth good tydings signifieth more strictly and properly the Covenant of Grace which is also called the Law of faith Rom. 3. 27. and the word of faith Rom. 10. 8. which freely promiseth justification and right of salvation to all that beleeve in Christ Ioh. 3. 15 16 36. 6. 47. 11. 25. 20. 31. Act. 16. 31. Rom. 3. 24. 10. 6 9. Eph. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. 1 Ioh. 5 13. This doctrine of God concerning Salvation by Christ through faith which properly is the Gospell Luk. 4. 18. Matth. 11. 5. Rom. 1. 16 17. Act. 15. 7. Gal. 1. 6. 3. 8. Act. 10. 36. is called the Gospell of grace Act. 20. 24. the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 18. the Gospell of peace Ephes. 6. 15. the Gospell of salvation Ephes. 1. 13. the Gospell of glory 1 Tim. 1. 11. the Gospell of the glory of Christ that is the glorious Gospell of Christ 2 Cor. 4. 4. the Gospell of the Kingdome Matth. 4. 13. 24. 13. This doctrine teacheth us that our gracious God out of his meere grace having elected his children in Christ before all times did in the fulnesse of time send downe his Sonne to save us and that the benefit of the Messias might be applyed unto us vouchsafeth unto us the Gospell of grace by which according to the purpose of his grace given unto us in Christ before all secular times he calleth us working in us the grace of faith being endued with faith hee imputeth unto us the righteousnesse and merits of Christ making us partakers of redemption reconciliation justification and adoption and so freeing us from hell and from all the enemies of our salvation hee entituleth us unto the kingdome of heaven And that wee may be fitted and prepared for his Kingdome into which no unholy thing may enter Apoc. 21. 27. hee hath promised to them that beleeve that being redeemed reconciled justified adopted and so entituled to the kingdome of heaven hee will give them grace to worship him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life that is in the voluntary upright and constant obedience of his Law Luk. 1. 73 74 75. It is true that the things which God in this Covenant of grace hath promised to give as namely faith and new obedience are also required of us Deo dante quod jubet God giving to us what he requireth of us the one as the antecedent condition
have thereby not onely remission of sinnes but also the inheritance or at least the right and title to it in respect whereof it is said in the Scriptures of so many as truely beleeve that wee are saved Ephes. 3. 5 8. that we are passed from death to life and that we now have eternall life Ioh. 5. 24. 6. 47. 1 Ioh. 5. 12 13. And in this respect eternall life is our inheritance which Christ hath purchased â—…or us And according to this tenure Christ will put us in possession thereof at the last Day when hee shall say unto us Come yee blessed of my Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world Matth. 25. 34. for you I say who before the beginning of the world were in Christ elected to be heires of this kingdome which is not to he attained unto by any purchase or merits of ours but shall bee given us as an inheritance intended from the beginning and prepared for the elect for whom Christ by his merits hath purchased it § VIII Now to those who by Gods speciall grace doe beleeve in Christ and by faith receive him by whom so received they are justified and adopted and by their justification and adoption are in such â—…ort entituled to this kingdome as heires apparent thereof that they are allready said to bee saved and to be set in heavenly places with Christ to these I say that they might be fitted and prepared for this inheritance unto which no uncleane thing can come hâ—…e hath in the covenant of grace freely and out of his undeserved mercie promised the grace of sanctification by his holy Spirit whereby wee are enabled according to the measure of grace received to worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him And to the end that we might be moved to performe the dueties of sanctification hee doth not onely in his word seconded and made effectuall by his Spirit invite by exhortations and precepts to these dueties but also that hee might encourage us thereunto in his redoubled and multiplied mercies he hath promised not only the blessings of this life unto us but also eternall life it selfe as a gracious reward of our piety and obedience Here therefore in admiration of Gods bounty towards us we have just cause to exclaime with Augustine O the great goodnesse of God to whom when in respect of our condition we ought to render unto him the duties of obedience as servants to our Lord and God as subjects to the Almighty as captives saved to our redeemer he doth promise unto us the rewards of friendship that hee might draw from us the dueties of service which wee doe owe unto him It was of Gods free grace that hee elected any of us that being elected hee called us that being called and endued with faith hee justifieth and adoptetâ—… us and thereby giveth us right to his kingdome it was also of his free grace that to them whom hee redeemeth and justifieth hee hath promised to bestow his graces upon them whereby they are enabled to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse and are fitted for his owne kingdome But this is a multiplication of his grace upon us that to encourage us to the Practice of Piety whereby wee are fitted for the kingdome of heaven he doth promise to reward our good works with everlasting happinesse and in the end doth crowne his owne blessings with blessednesse which though hee bee pleased for our encouragement to call a reward yet is it not deserved by us but freely bestowed by him as his free gift granted unto us in Christ before all times as our inheritance purchased by Christ as his bountifull reward of his owne gifts which as hee freely promiseth so in his good time hee freely bestoweth as his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is free gift § IX To this purpose let us consider the Lords dealing with Abraham to whom the Lord at his first comming towards the Land of promise made divers gracious promises which afterwards hee often repeated But when upon that Commandement of tryall to offer up his onely sonne Abraham had by Gods speciall grace notably approved his faith and obedience hereupon the Lord doth sweare that he will bestow upon him the things which before hee had promised as the reward of that his obedience for so hee saith because thou hast done this thing and againe because thou hâ—…st obeyed my voice Can any man hereupon inferre that Abraham by his obedience had deserved these promises which God long before had made unto him and oftentimes repeated Nothing lesse so God in his eternall Counsell hath to the Elect designed eternall life as his free gift by Christ Christ by his merits hath purchased it to bee our inheritance God hath graciously promised to bestow freely this inheritance on them that beleeve in Christ when as therefore God doth promise to reward our piety with eternall life wee may not thinke that by our piety it is deserved which God long before had decreed and promised and Christ our Saviour had purchased for us But though it bee a reward yet it is a most free and undeserved reward § X. When the Papists therefore object that if eternall life be the reward of our obedience then our obedience doth deserve it I answere first thou canst deserve nothing at Gods hand by that which he hath freely given and much lesse that which hee freely bestoweth on thee Secondly if thou shouldest doe all that is required of thee thou couldest deserve nothing thereby for where is debt and duty there is no merit Luk. 17. 10. Thirdly we doe not all that is commanded but come short of our duty and that which we doe is unperfect and defective in respect of manner and measure and therefore in justice deserveth punishment rather than reward and consequently the reward when it is given is to bee ascribed to Gods undeserved mercie and not to our merit Fourthly Sanctification and the duties thereof are not causes of Salvation and therefore in serie causarum in the chaine of the causes of Salvation Rom. 8. 30. they are left out and where they are mentioned they are inserted not as a cause of Salvation but either as the way unto it Ephes. 2. 10. or as the markes and cognizances of them that shall be saved or as the evidences according to which God will judge As marks I say for they are occulta praedestinationis indicia futurae faelicitatis praesagia as Bernard speaketh Our Saviour setting downe the end of the ministery of the Gospell saith that a man being thereby called may by faith obtaine remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified Act. 26. 18. so also Act. 20. 32. § XI And thus are wee to expound many Testimonies of Scripture as speaking of notes which the Papists expound as speaking of causes Thus Rom. 8. 16 17. The
to forbeare swearing in ordinary talke not to give a mans goods to the poore and to follow Christ when hee is thereunto required Mat. 19. 23. Mar. 10. 23. These things are so manifest that Bellarmine in the end of the next Chapter doth confesse them viz that our Saviour doth not say except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Law and the Prophets but of the Scribes and Pharisees to signisie that his meaning was not so much he should say not at all to adde to the burden of the precepts as to take away the corruptions of the Scribes Pharisees And again those things which seem to be most heavie in the new Law are to be found in the old as the loving of our enemyes the restrayning of concupiscence such like For proofe wherof he quotes Augustine lib. contr Adimant cap. 3. lib. 19. contr Faustum c. 28. In the former place Augustine saith Nulla in Evangelica atque Apostolica disciplina reperiuntur quamvis ardua divina precepta promissa quae illis etiam libris veterib desint In the latter Vel omnia vel penè omnia quia monuit sâ—…u praecepit Christus ubi adjungebat Ego a. dici vobis inveniuntur in illis veterib libris And so much of the first difference § XXI The second difference is that the Law commeth alone but the Gospell is accompanied with grace Which is not a difference of the doctrine and letter of the Gospell from the Law but of the covenant of grace from the covenant of works For in the covenant of grace as justification is promised to them that being called doe beleeve so sanctification to them that are justifyed Which as it proveth the concurrence of Good workes with faith in the party justified as consequents thereof so it excludeth them from being any causes of justification But as touching this second difference two popish errours are to bee avoided First in respect of the covenant of workes For though that covenant doth not promise nor afford the grace of sanctification wherby a man should be enabled to performe the covenant which grace is promised in the covenant of grace and given to them that beleeve yet wee are not so to conceive that they who lived in the time of the law were void of grace nor all that live under the Gospell are endued with grace For the covenant of grace hath alwayes bene in force from the beginning so that to the faithfull who beleeved in the Messias which was to come the grace of sanctification was given according to the covenant of grace so that in the old Testament even under the Law there were as excellent examples of holynesse as have bene in the time of the new under the Gospell So also the Law hath its use even among those that live under the Gospell insomuch that untill men doe beleeve they are under the Law and not under grace Secondly in respect of the grace of the new Testament that it is not promised in such perfection in this life where wee receive but the first fruits of the Spirit as that wee may expect to be justified by it or saved for it § XXII From these two difference the rest as hee saith arise viz. from the first arise the third the fourth and the fifth The third is this that the Law of Moses was given to one Nation the Law of Christ to all Nations The fourth that the Law of Moses for the most part contayned shadowes and figures of things to come the Gospell exhibiteth the body and truth The fifth that the Law of Moses because it was not perfect was to be changed by the Law of Christ but the Law of Christ was not to be changed by any succeeding Law These three differences of the Law doe not agree to the Law Morall which belongeth to all nations which did not consist of shadowes and figures which was not to be changed no not by addition because it was and is a perfect immutable and perpetuall rule of righteousnesse The other three viz. the sixth seventh and eigth arise as hee saith from the second The sixth that the Law of Moses had no power to justifie neither was it given that it might justifie but that it might shew the disease and stirre up men to seeke the physitian But the Law of Christ that is the Gospell hath power to justifie and was given to that end For as hee alleageth out of Rom. 1. 16. it is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth he doth not say that worketh For therein is revealed the righteousnesse of God from faith to faith as it is written the just man shall live by faith This is a true difference of the Law of faith from the Law of workes but agreeth not to Bellarmines new Law which is a Law of workes as well as the old conteyning the very same morall precepts with the morall Law in the observation whereof not our justification but our sanctification consisteth prescribing also the same righteousnesse viz Charity which is the summe of the Law The seventh that the Law of Moses is a Law of fearefullnesse and bondage but the Gospell the Law of love and of liberty which is true For the obedience of men who are under the Law is forced by the terrour and coaction of the Law working servile feare in them But the obedience of men who are under grace that is of men justified is voluntary and cheerfull proceeding from faith and from some measure of assurance of Gods love and favour to them in Christ. Therfore this voluntary obedience is no cause but a consequent of justification not onely before God but also in the court of our owne conscience that is not onely of justification it selfe but also of the assurance thereof in some measure Of the eigth which confuteth the first I have already spoken § XXIII So much of the first thing which Bellarmine undertooke to demonstrate for the proofe of the necessity of good workes which we hold as well and urge as much as he Now followeth the second which is to prove that the justare not free from the observation of the Law of God For hee saith that we place Christian liberty in this that we are not subject in our conscience and before God to any Law and that the decalogue it selfe doth not belong unto us Which is a most devillish slander We professe that we so many as truly beleeve are by Christ freed from the curse of the Law from the rigour and exaction of the Law requiring perfect righteousnesse in us unto justification from the terrour and coaction of the Law from the irritation of the Law as I have shewed in my treatise of Christian liberty but not from the obedience of it For freedome from obedience is the servitude of sinne But wee being freed from sinne become the servants of righteousnesse And we doe
either godly sorrow or repentance doth worke salvation But the Apostle saith that godly sorrow worketh repentance even such repentance as is a forerunner unto salvation or as the faithfull speake Act. 11. 18. That God had given the Gentiles repentance unto life and therefore such a repentance as was not to bee repented of For the Apostle seemeth to have relation unto his owne words verse 8. that he had repented that hee had made them sorry But when hee understood that their sorrow had brought forth in them repentance he did not repent thereof Repentance therefore which is unto salvation is indeed a necessary and undoubted forerunner of salvation and salvation a certaice consequent of repentance necessary I say because without it a sinner cannot bee saved Luke 13. 3. Undoubted because to whom God hath given grace truely to repent it is an infallible token that such an one shall be saved Acts 11. 18. but a cause of salvation it is not neither can bee unlesse hee meane Causa sine qua non § VII His fifth Testimony 2 Cor. 4. 17. For that our tribulation which presently is momentany and light worketh above measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glory in us What could bee spoken more plainely If patience in tribulation doth worke a weight of eternall glory who can deny but that there is some relation betweene patience and salvation Vnlesse perhaps to worke salvation be not to worke something or that upon the working there followeth no relation Answ. If the Apostle had said that patience in affliction doth worke an eternall weight of glory hee might from thence have had some colour that patience hath a relation of efficiency to salvation and yet but a colour But when the Apostle doth not once mention patience how could hee bee so confident as to aske what could bee spoken more plainely The Apostle speaketh of affliction both light and momentany and saith that it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worketh unto us an eternall weight of glory Here then wee are to consider in what sence affliction which in it selfe is evill and miserable should worke glory and happinesse being light should worke that which is most ponderous being momentany should worke that which is eternall whether as a cause properly and in it owne nature causing or working or as an occasion which besides or rather contrary to it owne nature which is evill is to us sanctified of God to be a meanes and occasion of our so great good And to this purpose let us consult with other places of holy Scripture as Rom. 5. 3 4. and Iam. 1. 12. In the former place the Apostle saith wee rejoyce in afflictions knowing that affliction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worketh patience and so Saint Iames 1. 3. Not that affliction in it selfe worketh patience but rather the contrary as appeareth in men unregenerate whom it maketh to murmure and sometimes to blaspheme God which the Divell by experience well knew when hee moved God to â—…fflict Iob Chap. 1. 11. 2. 5. Doe but touch all that he hath saith he and againe touch his bone and his flesh and hee will curse thee to thy face But afflictions are said to worke patience in the faithfull because the holy Ghost sanctifieth their afflictions to them and excercising them thereby worketh in them patience and what followeth Patience worketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 probation that is as I have formerly expounded it maketh him that by affliction is tryed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not that patience maketh him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that by patient bearing of affliction hee is found and knowne to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sound approved and upright Christian. For therefore God sendeth tryals of all sorts that those who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bee knowne Now when men have beene by patient bearing of afflictions found to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are crowned with eternall life as Saint Iames saith Chap. 1. 12. Blessed is the man who patiently beareth temptation that is affliction for when hee shall bee found to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee shall receive the Crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him The meaning therefore of this place is neither that affliction causeth patience nor patience salvation but that when the godly are afflicted the holy Ghost by affliction where with they are exercised worketh patience in them and patience worketh probation because by patience when they are tryed they are knowne to bee sound and approved and probation worketh hope of salvation For when upon try all men are found to bee approved they shall receive the Crowne of life which God hath freely promised to give them And it is to be observed that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated to worke is given not onely to causes but also to occasions And therefore in such places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie it occasioneth as when it it said Rom. 4. 15. the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worketh anger § VIII His sixth Testimony Rom. 8. 13. If by the Spirit yee mortifie the deeds of the flesh you shall live whence hee would prove That the mortification of carnall concâ—…piscence is necessary to salvation as a condition and cause and therefore hath relation to salvation from the conditionall particle If and from the antithesis of the words going before if you live according to the flesh you shall die Answ. The conditionall particle used in conditionall or connexive propositions alwayes pretendeth a necessity of consequence insomuch that the connexion if it bee not necessary is not absolutely true but the necessity of efficiency it implyeth none And as for the necessity of consequence that ariseth not onely from causes but from all other arguments And whereas from the Antithesis hee would prove that as to live according to the flesh causeth death so to mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit causeth life I answere that in both the parts the connexion or consequence is equally that is necessarily true for if it were not necessary it were not absolutely true but it is absolutely true because of the authority of the Scriptures which are infallible which is sufficient to make good the Antithesis But hence it followeth not that the condition of either part should be taken from the same arguments seeing it may bee taken from any other This sufficeth for the Antithesis that if by the Spiriâ—… ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh it is an evident argument that you shall live but if you live according to the flesh it is an evident argument that you shall dye therefore though the condition of the latter part bee the cause of the consequent yet it is not so in the former for sinne is the meritorious cause of damnation but our obedience being a duety and yet but unperfect cannot merit salvation A servant not doing his duety but the contrary is punished A
all but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things indifferent § XIX But let us examine his testimonies two whâ—…reof are scarce worth the examining the one out of Origâ—…n the othâ—…r out of Cyrill and yet both of them so little to his purpoâ—… as theâ—…seeme to make against him rather than for him Origâ—… compareth â—…to women such men as say they are not able to observe certaine pâ—…epts of Christ which the Papists doe not call precepts but Counèlls and therefore belong not at all as they teach but to those who would be thought to live in a state of perfection Besides which notorioâ—…s hypocrites all in the Church of Rome are by this testimony to be â—…ompared to women who not onely say they cannot but also thinke â—…hey need not to observe them as to sell all that a man hath and give it to the poore which indeed is neither a commandemenâ—… nor counsell given by Christ unto all but a precept of tryall to that one wealthy justitiary to him that striketh thee on the one cheeke turne to him the other also blesse him that curseth thee pray for him that persecuteth thee and such like which are indeed precepts given to all the faithfull and not counsailes directed onely to such as are or would seeme to be perfect Cyrill saith hee affirmeth that the precept it self thou shalt not lust which is noted to be most difficâ—…lt may through grace be fulfilled Answ. That place of Cyrill as it is translated into Latine is in a maner without sence neither can any thing be soundly inferred from it Heâ—… seemeth to say that Christ restoring mans nature to his originall perfection which is but begunne in this life said To them of old it was said thou shalt not commit adultery but I say unto you thou shalt not lust quamvis res sit ut â—…pinor ad quâ—…m pertingi nequeat though it be a thing as I suppose which cannot be attained unto namely in this life yet to this perfection Christ hath reformed or restored us viz. inchoative in this life and perfectly in the life to come § XX. The rest of the testimonyes are of â—…wo sorts for either they deny the commandements of God to be impossible as Bâ—…sil orat in illud attende tibi Deut. 15. 9. Hierâ—…e â—…dvers Pelag. lib. 3. in Matth. 5. 〈◊〉 de Natura gratia Cap 43. c. or else they affirme that they are possible if men would as Câ—…ncil Arâ—…sican 2. Can. ult Hilâ—…ru in Psalm 118. Chrysâ—…stom in Matth â—…om 39. in Hebr. homil 16. c. Answ. To preserve these fathers from contradicting themselves certaine distinctions are to be admitted For the same men who deâ—…y the law to be impossible doe conâ—…esse that God commandeth some things which wee cannot doe aâ—…d that never any since the fall of Adam did or could fulfill the whole law of God and that there is no man that liveth without sinne Their meaning therfore is that although no man can fulfill the law yet it is not impossible The first distinction is that which I mentioneâ—… before bâ—…twixt the perfect fulfilling and the upright keeping of Gods commandments for although they cannot in this life be fulfilled in thâ—…t pâ—…rfection which the law requireth yet they may and usually are kept of the faithfull in sincerity and uprightâ—…esse which the Lord in the covenant of grace acceptech The second is conserâ—…ing impossibility For when it is said that the law is impossible to be fulfilled pâ—…ctly it is either understood simply per se as the fathers understood it as it is impossible saith Basil for the eye of a man to see his owne backe or conditionally and per accidens in respect of mans condition or estate For the law was possible to man in his integrity when he was in the earth by Paradise before his fall and shall be possible againe when hee shall be fully renewed in the heavenly Paradise But to man being fallen into the state of disobedience the fulfilling of the law is impossible by accident For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fleshly disposition of our corrupt nature is not subject to the law of God neither can it be The third distinction is in respect of the persons for men are either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unregenerate or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 regenerate The regenerate man by the grace of God is both willing and able to keepe the law according to the measure of grace received The unregenerate man is not able to keepe the law because hee will not the very frame of his will being enmity against God Rom. 8. 7. Gen. 6. 5. 8. 21. And here it is to be observed that those fathers which had to doe with the Pelagians who held that men by strength of nature were able to fulfill the Law of God or else the Lord commandiug them unpossible things should be unjust neither should the fault be in men who cannot obey but in God who enjoyneth impossible things did grant unto them that God did not command impossibilityes yet they did hold which the Papists also confesse that no man without grace could performe them For indeed to an unregenerate man who is dead in sinne it is as unpossiâ—…le to fulfill the wâ—…ole law of God which is spirituall as it is for a dead man to perfâ—…rme the actions of the naturall life For as I said before out of Augustine man by his sinne hath lost not onely bonum possibilitatis so that â—…ee can doe no good but also possibilitatem non peccandi so that hee cannot but sinne though hee sinne most freely For this is the freedome of a man not regenerate quâ potest peccare non potest non peccare 〈◊〉 dam nabiliur saith the Master of the sentences whereby hee is able to sinne and can doe no other but sinne and that damnably § XXI And further to those testimonies which affirme that men may fulfill the commandements if they will I answeare that nothing can be inferred from thence uâ—…lesse it be proved that men at all times are willing to fulfill them For if they be not willing they are not able and much lesse doe they actually performe them Thus therefore they must argue To them that are allwaies willing to keepe the commandements the Law is not impossible But all men are alwaies willing to keepe the Commandements Therefore to no man is the Law impossible The proposition is not generally true in respect of the regenerate themselves unto whom to will is oftentimes present when how to performe that which is good they find not Râ—…m 7. 18. For the good that they would they doe not and the evill which they would not that they doe v. 19. But the assumption is manifestly false and the contrary is generally true No man is allwaies willing c. And therefore from those Testimonyes wherein the condition of the will is interposed nothing can be concluded
curse Thirdly Whatsoever is not agreeable or conformable to the Law is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sinne But that which is besides the Law is not conformable unto it therefore it is a sinne and a transgression of the Law which whosoever committeth hee doth not fulfill the Law Fourthly Things forbidden in the Law are against the Law Those which they call veniall sinnes are forbidden in the Law For either they are forbidden or commanded or neither forbidden nor commanded If they be commanded then are they duetyes and not sinners if neither commanded nor forbidden then are they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things indifferent it remayneth therefore that they are forbidden § XXIV Now because the proofe of this point that the fulfilling of the Law is not possible unto us is a matter of great consequence for thereby the popish doctrine of justification by inherent righteousnesse in generall and by workes in particular is evidently confuted I will to those arguments heretofore used adde the testimonies of antiquity in requitall of Bellarmines allegations out of the Fathers First Therefore Iustin Martyr saith that never any man did accurately performe all the things that are commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly Eusebius Caesariensis demonstrates that things required in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all men impossible Thirdly Ambrose Tanta mandata sunt ut impossibile sit servari ea so great things are commanded that it is impossible they should be kept whence Peter in the Acts of the Apostles saith why doe you impose a yoke upon the brethren which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare Fourthly Chrysostome what did the Law intend to make a man just but it was not able 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for no man did fulfill it 2. No man could be justified by the Law unlesse hee fulfilled all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But this was not possible to any man therfore that righteousnesse it self is quashit 3. That the Apostle by Testimony cited out of Deut. proveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no man hath fulfilled the Law Hierome and Augustine in this point deliver the same things against the Pelagians which wee doe against the Papists Fifthly Quoniam a. saith Hierome nemo potest implere legem that no man can fulfill the Law and doe all things that are commanded the Apostle testifieth also elsewhere For that which was impossible of the Law in that it was weake through the flesh Rom. 8. 3. c. 2. This is the onely perfection of men if they know themselves to be unperfect And you saith hee when you have done all say wee are unprofitable servants wee have done what was our duety to doe If hee be unprofitable who hath done all what is to be said of him who was not able to fulfill 3. And againe thou saist the Commandements of God are easie tamen nullum proferre potes qui universa compleverit and yet canst bring forth none that hath fulfilled them all 4. God saith the Pelagian hath given possible Commandements and who denyeth this but how this sentence is to bee understood the vessell of election most plainely teacheth that which was impossible of the Law in that it was weak through the flesh c that is that the Law is not simply impossible but by reason of the flesh that which was possible before the fall is since the fall impossible by reason of mans coruption 5. When the Pelagians said that although no man bee without sinne yet he might be without sinne what kinde of arguing saith he is this posse esse quod nunquam fuerit that that may be which never was posse fieri quod nullum fecisse testeris that that may be done which your selfe testifie never any man did and to attribute that I know not to whom which you can never prove to have beene in the Patriarches or Prophets or Apostles 6. That which our Saviour Christ saith if thou wilt be perfect is said to him who could not yea would not and therefore could not 7. Then are we just when we confesse our selves to be sinners and our righteousnesse consisteth not of our owne merit but of Gods mercie 8. If wee doe not that which we would but worke that which wee would not how say ye that a man may be without sinne if he will Behold the Apostle and all beleevers are not able to accomplish what they would 9. Having cited many testimonies to prove that no man is justified by the workes of the Law all these saith he I runne through ut ostendam a nullo legem esse imâ—…letam that I might shew that the Law is fulfilled of none meaning by the Law all the Commandements which are contained in the Law 10. If you can shew the man who hath fulfilled all then may you shew a man who needeth not Gods mercie 11. The Law is made weake quoniam nemo potest iâ—…plere eam nisi Dominus because none but our Lord can fulfill it VI. Augustine saith that to that immortall life appertaineth that precept thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy might but to this life let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies to obey the lusts thereof to that life thou shalt not lust to this thou shalt not goe after thy lusts 2. God doth so worke righteousnesse in his Saints labouring under the temptation of this life that notwithstanding there remaineth both what he may largely adde to them when they aske and also what he may mercifully forgive when they confesse 3. In the same chapter hee had said that the two Commandements of loving God with all our heart and our neighbours as our selves wee shall fulfill when we shall see face to face But saith he the same is now commanded us ut admoneremur quid fide exposcere quò spem praemittere ut oblivisâ—…endo quaeretro sunt in quae anteriâ—…ra nos extendere debeamus that wee might be admonished what by faith to desire whether to send before our hope unto what things which are before we should preasse forward forgetting what is behind 4. That the virtue which now is in a just man is so farre to be called perfect that to the perfection thereof there belongeth the acknowledgment of its imperfection in verity and the confession thereof in humility for then this petite justice is according to its small measure infirmely perfect when it understandeth what is wanting to it selfe And therefore the Apostle saith both that he is unperfect and that hee is perfect unperfect considering how much he wanted unto justice the fulnesse whereof he did as yet hunger after and thirst perfect both because he is not ashaâ—…ed to confesse his imperfections and goeth forward well that he may attaine unto it 5. Surely hee that is renewed from day to day which is the cause
the flesh but after the Spirit § XI As if the Apostle had said Although the body of sinne and death remaine in us who are both justified which made mee cry out chap. 7. 24 yet forasmuch as wee are delivered therefrom by Iesus Christ our Lord to whom all thanks is therefore due vers 25. I doe therfore now assure all the faithfull and true members of Christ who may be knowne by this marke that they live not after the flesh but after the Spirit that they are delivered from damnation and their salvation is sure Now there are 2. things whereby Christ hath delivered us from the law of sin and death that is from the power or guilt of sin and of death the former is the power and merit of Christs perfect obedience and holynes which is called the law of the Spirit of life in Christ the other his sufferings wherein he yeelded an all-sufficient satisfaction by bearing the punishment whereby sinne was condemned in our nature which had sinned which nature though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free from sinne as Chrysostâ—…me speaketh yet like to the sinfull flesh that is to say passible hee therefore tooke upon him that because by the observation of the law in our owne persons it was impossible by reason of our flesh to be justified all which the Law required to justification might â—…ee doth not say by us but in us that is in our nature be performed by Christ for it is Christ as Chrysostâ—…me saith that fulfilled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in us and for us who are his true members and are to be knowne as I said by this marke that live not after the flesh but after the Spirit And therefore this place proveth that because it is impossible by reason of the flesh to bee justified by that righteousnesse which is prescribed in the Law therefore God in his mercy sent his Sonne to take our nature upon Him that therein he might performe for us whatsoever the Law it selfe required to justification Thus this place is expounded by Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be subject to the curse and that Christ fulfilled it for us Oecumenius in like maner If any man should say what is this to us He saith these things Christ did that the scope of the Law for that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might be fulfilled in us And what is the scope of the Law That wee should not bee obnoxious to the curse Or as Chrysostome in another place the end of the Law is that a man might be justified For what did the Law intend To make a man just but it was not able because no man fulfilled it Theodoreâ—… when the Law was not able to performe what it intended by reason of their weakenesse to whom it was given the onely begotten Word of God made man by the humane flesh overcame sinne having fulfilled all righteousnesse And being not infected with any blemish of sinne and having undergone the death of sinners as if hee had been a sinner c. And on those words that the righteousnesse of the law might bee in us hee paid our debt saith hee and performed the end and scope of the law What was that That he might declare them to be just that is that hee might justifie them to whom the law was given Ambrose Quando impletur in â—…bis justificatiâ—… Legis nisâ—… cum datur remissiâ—… omnium peccatorum when is the justification of the law fulfilled in us but when the remission of all our sinnes is granted to us for as I have before alleaged out of Augustine All the Commandements are reputed done when that which is not done is pardoned If therefore this place were to bee understood of our fulfilling the righteousnesse of the law in or by our selves Christ had not obtained his end for so long as the flesh that is our inbred cotruption by reason whereof it is impossible for the law to justifie remaineth as in this life it alwayes doth even in the best so long it is not possible either to fulfill the law or to be justified by the observation of it § XII To the second place which is the third petition of the Lords Prayer I answere that wee pray not that we upon earth may in equality of obedience match the Angels in heaven but that we may imitate their obedience and bee like to them in doing the will of God willingly readily faithfully constantly For the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as signifieth not parity but likenessâ—… In the life to come wee shall indeed be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 22. 30. as the Angels but here wee may not dreame of Angelicall perfection To the third I answere that our Saviour is Authour of salvation to all that obey him which is to bee understood both of the obedience of faith which is the principall for this is the worke of God by which in Christ wee fulfill the law that wee beleeve in Christ and also of our new obedience But neither of both doth argue the perfect fulfilling of the law in our owne persons This threefold cord therefore is easily dissolved § XIII His fifth reason Whosoever have the holy Spirit they fulfill the Law All that are truely justified have the holy Spirit Rom. 5. 5. 8. 15. 1 Cor. 3. 16. Gal. 3. 2. Tit. 3. 6. Therefore all that are truely justified fulfill the Law The proposition hee proveth thus Whosoever have the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. they fulfill the Lawe All that have the Spirit have the fruits of the Spirit Therefore all that have the Spirit fulfill the Law This second proposition hee proveth because against those who produce the fruits of the Spirit as charity joy peace c. There is no Law that is the Law hath not whereof to accuse them as the breakers thereof Therefore whosoever is justified by the helpe of the Spirit he fulfilleth the Law and if he doe not fulfill the Law then hath he not received the Spirit neither is he truely justified To the proposition of the first syllogisme I answere that those who have received the Spirit doe keepe the Law But none fulfill the Law who have not the fulnesse of the Spirit and none have the fulnesse of the Spirit in whom the flesh remaineth lusting against the Spirit In whom this conflict is as it is in the best They cannot doe the things that they would Gal. 5. 17. And much lesse can they fulfill the Law from which they are so farre as that the good things they would they doe not and the evill things which they would not they doe Rom. 7. 19. And so to the proposition of the second syllogisme that those who have the Spirit have the fruits of the Spirit but not without measure nor in full measure but according to the measure of the gift of Christ Ephes. 4. 7.
workes Saint Iames having to deale with carnall Gospellers vaine men turning the grace of God into wantonnesse who having heard that faith doth justifie without workes did cast off all care of good workes thinking it sufficient to professe themselves to beleeve though their life were dissolute Against these Saint Iames proveth that vaine is the profession of faith without good works â—… that the faith which is without works is not a true liuely justifying faith but a dead and counterfeit faith that whosoever is justified before God by faith must also be justified that is declared and approved to bee just not onely by profession of his faith but also by the practise of good workes Wherefore in this respect there is no more difference betweene the two Apostles Paul and Iames than betweene Lâ—…ther and us who are Preachers of the Gospell at this day For as Luther having to deale with Popish justitiaâ—…ies who taught justification by workes urgeth most zelously justification by faith alone and in the question of justification after the example of Saint Paul speaketh contemptuously of workes so we having to dâ—…le with Libertines and carnall gospellers insisting in the steppes of Saint Iames urge the necessity of good workes § XVII Secondly wee are to consider the divers acceptions of the words faith workes justifie in the writings of the two Apostles Paul speaking of a true lively faith which worketh by love saith in effect that faith alone doth justifie Iames speaking of the faith of hypocrits which is in profession only sâ—…vered from the grace of sanctification and destitute of good workes â—…aith that such a faith doth neither justifie alone nor at all as being not a true but a dead and counterfeit faith Paul speaking of the câ—…uses of justification before God denyeth workes to concurre to the act of justification as any cause thereof Iames speaking of the effects and â—…ignes of justificatiâ—…n whereby it may beâ—… knowne affirmeth that workes must concurre in the parties justified that by them our faith may be demonstrated â—…nd our justification manifested Paul therefore rejecteth workes obtruded as causes of justification Iames urgeth thâ—…m as effects and signes thereof Paul speaking of Iustification in the proper sense as it signifieth that gracioâ—…s action of God whereby wee are made or constituted just affirmeth that wee are justified by faith without workes Iames speaking of thâ—…t justificâ—…tion whereby we are not mâ—…de just before God but declared and 〈◊〉 to God our 〈◊〉 and our conscience to bee just and indued with a true faith 〈◊〉 that we are so justified not onely by the profession of faith but also by good workes Now these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very well stand together For although it be most true which Saint Paul affirmeth that true faith doth just fie alone yet it is 〈◊〉 true which Saint Iames faith that the faith which is alone doth not justifie neither â—…lone nor at all because it is not 〈◊〉 true and a lively but a 〈◊〉 and dead faith For 〈◊〉 the living eye though it see alone yet is not alone so a liuely fâ—…ith though it justifie alone yet never iâ—… alone though it justifie without workes yet it is not without workâ—…s Though good workes doe not 〈◊〉 to the act of justification aâ—… any cause therâ—…of according to Saint Pauls doctrinâ—… yet they must concurre in the same subject that is the party justified as necessary fruitâ—… and 〈◊〉 of â—… true justifying â—…aith 〈◊〉 Saint Iaâ—…esâ—…cheth â—…cheth Though we be justified before God that is both absolved from our 〈◊〉 and accepted in Christ as righteous by faith alone without respect of workâ—… as Saint Paul teacheth yet according to the doctrine of â—…aint Iames weâ—… are to bee justified that is declared and approved to be just not onely by faith professed but also by good workes Finally though good workes nâ—…n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet 〈◊〉 justificaâ—… as Augustinâ—… useth to speake or as he also saith non prâ—…edunt iustifiâ—…andum sed justificatâ—… 〈◊〉 though they doe not goâ—… before justification as causâ—…s 〈◊〉 Pâ—…l teacheth yet they must follow in the parties justified as effects according to Saint Iames his doctrine § XVIII But the assertions of the 2. Apostles not only may wel stand togeâ—…her but also according to our doctrine they must necessarily goe together For if we shall be altogether conversant in setting forth the commendation of good works and in urging the necessity thereof not informing the people in the doctrine of justification by faith alone they will be ready to place the matter of their justification and the merit of their salvation in themselves as the Papists doe And so being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and seeking to establish their owne righteousnesse they doe not submit themselves to the righteousnes of God But wee must so urge the necessity of good workes in the doctrine of sanctification that wee remember that in the question of justification they are of no value On the other side if wee shall be wholly taken up in the doctrine of justification by faith alone teaching that in the question of justification they are of no worth and doe not withall informe the people of the profit and necessity of good works in other respects how ready will they bee to cast off all care of good workes and content themselves with a bare profession of faith But wee joyne these assertions together after the doctrine and practise of the Apostles in their Epistles Wee teach that justification and sanctification are unseparable companions And theresore as they who are sanctified may bee assured of their justification so without sanctification none can bee assured of their justification It is true that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus but who are they that live not after the flesh but after the Spirit Râ—… 8. 1. that are new creatures 2 Cor. 5. 17. that crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. It is true that a true lively faith doth justifie alone but what manner of saith is that that purifieth the heart Act. 15. 9. and worketh by love Gal. 5. 6. and may be demonstrated by good workes Iam. 2. 18. It is true that wee are not justified by our workes nor saved for them yet those are neither justified nor saved that are without them for as they are necessary consequents of justification so they are necessary antecedents of salvation For though they be not the cause of our salvation yet they are the way by which we are to come to salvation though they be not causa regâ—…andi as Bernard saith yet they are via regni Though they bee not the merit of salvation yet they are the evidence according to which God will judge us By faith wee have our inheritance and our title to Gods Kingdome but it is to be inherited among those that are sanctified A godly conversation though it be not properly a cause of our glorification yet it is
wee ought to thinke our selves mercifully dealt with if wee escape the punishment which by the Law of God is due unto us But here it will bee said if the master shall bee pleased to promise rewards unto the servant for his service well performed may not the servant expect the promised reward I answere that what reward soever shâ—…ll in this kinde be either promised or given it is wholly to be ascribed to the Masters bounty and not to the servants merit § VII For the third That which is done of meere duty by a servant to his Lord there belongeth no reward in justice as deserved by him But all that we who are the servants of God can doe though we should doe all that is commanded is done of meere bounden duety to our Lord. Therefore to all that we can doe though we should doe all that is commanded there belongeth no reward as justly deserved by us But when we have done all that is commanded I speak by supposition as our Saviour doth we must no lesse truely than humbly confesse that wee are unprofitable servants that is as is manifestly gathered out of the parable such as cannot deserve so much as thankes of our Lord. If therefore our gracious Lord shall be pleased out of his bounty freely to promise and according to his promise graciously to reward our imperfect obedience which he might justly punish it is not our merit but his great mercie that he doth not punish it more that he doth accept of it as well pleasing unto him in his welbeloved but most of all that he doth most graciously and undeservedly reward it From whence I reason thus Whosoever are unprofitable servants they doe not merit noâ—… deserve the reward of eternall life of their Lord. All the faithfull though they should doe all that is commanded are unprofitable servants Therefore none of the faithfull though they should doe all that is commanded doe merit or deserve at the hands of God the reward of eternall life And if they who doe all that is commanded cannot merit then much lesse they whose obedience is defective as the obedience even of the best is So saith Hierome si inutilis est qui fecit omnia quid de illo dicendum qui explerenon potuit § VIII The assumption is proved first because our Saviour commandeth his Apostles to confesse as the truth is that when they have done all that is commanded they are unprofitable servants and therefore they who neither doe nor can doe all are impudent lyars when they professe themselves to be profitable servants Secondly by a comparison of earthly Lords and servants For if earthly Lords and masters owe not so much as thankes to their servants who are indeed their fellow servants for all the service which they can doe though they doe not give them the will and the power to doe them acceptable service how much lesse doth God who being our absolute Lord doth also give us will and power to serve him owe unto his servants the reward of the kingdome of heaven And if servants by doing all possible service to their earthly masters who are but their fellow servants cannot deserve so much as thankes at their hands how much lesse can wee who serve the Lord of Lords deserve the kingdome of heaven at his hands by our unperfect and defective service of him Thirdly from the antithesis or opposition that is betweene debitum and meritâ—…m duety and merit For hee that doth but his duety though he performe his whole duty cannot merit a reward of his Master but must confesse himselfe to be an unprofitable servant how much lesse can they merit an heavenly reward at the hands of God who performe not their whole duty but faile in many particulars both by omission and commission as the very best of us doe § IX To avoid the force of this unavoidable argument Bellarmine seeketh many evaâ—…ions which he would gladly father upon the Fathers of the Church For he saith there be foure egregious expositions given by the Fathers none whereof make against the merit of good workes The first of Saint Ambrose that of our selves and by nature we are unprofitable servants â—…apt and unable to fulfill Gods Commandements which our Saviour would have us humbly to acknowledge though by grace we become profitable and therefore as he saith agnoscenda est gratia sed non ignoranda natura Reply Ambrose doth not speake of our corrupt nature neither is it his meaning that by nature wee are unprofitable servants by grace profitable but that by nature wee are servants and by grace sonnes For by nature corrupted wee are not the servants of God but of sinne and Satan But he understandeth the meaning of our Saviour to be that the children of God who are in the state of grace should not glory in their workes as if by them they did merit any thing of God quia jure Domino debemus obsequium because by right we owe obedience to God Neither should we thinke our selves exempted from continued obedience because we are sonnes for as we are sons by the grace of adoption which we are to acknowledge so by nature and creation whereof we are not to be ignorant we are servants As therefore thou who art a master dost not content thy selfe with one worke of thy servant and then biddest him sit downe and eate but having done one worke thou exactest of him another vers 8. So God doth not require the use of one worke in thee but whiles we live we must alwaies work Secondly our Saviour doth not speake of naturall men as being unprofitable because unapt to fulfill Gods Commandements but directeth his speech to the faithfull and namely to his owne Apostles and Disciples who study and endeavour to keepe all Gods Commandements which without grace cannot be done requiring them to make this humble and true confession that even when they have done all that is commanded they are but unprofitable servants such as are described in the parable who deserve nothing at the hands of their master because in doing all that is commanded they doe but their bounden duty and that excludeth merit For debitum non est meritum Yea but Bellarmine proveth out of 2 Tim. 2. 21. that by grace men become profitable to God For he that purgeth himselfe shall become a vessell profitable unto the Lord. Answ. The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fit for the master of the house to use for the benefit of the houshold and fitted for every good worke But that our piety or obedience bringeth no profit to God I have shewed before And this is the very second exposition of this place which though repugnant to this present assertion Bellarmine himselfe doth commend in the second place For so hee saith § X. We are commanded as Bede expoundeth this Text to acknowledge that we bring no profit to God but that what good thing
eternall life is not a stipend or wages merited by us but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free gift of God which is a most pregnant place for if the Apostle had supposed eternall life to be a stipend or wages or merited reward he would have said that as death is the stipend of sinne so eternall life is the stipend of righteousnesse But the Apostle making an opposition between the reward of sinne and the reward of righteousnesse saith that the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a military stipend due to those who serve under Satans colours the other is not a stipend or wages deserved but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free gift of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a military stipend or wages due to souldiers As when Iohn Baptist biddeth the souldiers to bee content 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with their stipend Luke 3. 14. So 1 Cor. 9. 7. For as Augustine saith Quod est merces operanti hoc militanti stipendium and worthily saith hee is death called a Stipendium Quia militiae diabolicae mors aeterna tanquam debitum redditur The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the vulgar Latine translateth Gratia signifieth a free gift not rendred as due to the merit of the receiver but vouchsafed freely out of the free bounty and undeserved favour of the giver For as Primasius saith Non est gratia si non gratis datur si debita merentibus redditur quod absit And Augustine Non erit Dei gratia ullo modo nisi gratuita fuerit omni modo wherefore it is called Gratia that we may understand it is of grace and not not of merits The Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence it is derived signifieth freely to bestow to gratifie or graciously to give And therefore is eternall life called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth freely bestow it The Argument standeth thus A free gift which is opposed to stipend or wages is not merited by us Eternall life is the free gift of God and is opposed to stipend or wages therefore it is not merited by us § XIV Bellarmine answereth that Augustine hath diligently answered this argument Epist. 105. Enchirid. â—…ap 107. But chiefly In libro de gratia lib. arb cap. 8. 9. From whence hee gathereth two Assertions First That the Apostle might well have said eternall life is the stipend of righteousnesse even as he said The stipend of sinne is death which confession of Augustine cutteth the thrâ—…at hee saith of our Assertion Sâ—…condly That the Apostle did not say Eternall life is the stipend of righteousnesse as he said Death is the stipend of sinne least any man should thinke that we so have righteousnesse of ourselves as we have sinne of our selves therefore eternall life is called grace not because it is not the reward of merit but that we have the merits themselves from grace To the former I reply that when Augustine saith that eternall life might well be called a stipend which hee maketh to bee all one with merces hee meaneth a stipend or reward freely given as if there were stipendium gratâ—…itum as well as merces gratuita And that this was his meaning I demonstrate out of the same places which Bellarmine doth quote and first out of Epist. 105. Debita redditur pâ—…na demnato indebita gratia liberato â—…t nec ille se indignum queratur nâ—…c dignum se iste glorietur Si antem gratia atque null is meritis reddits sed gratuita bâ—…nitate donata ipsa aterna vita gratia nuncupatur nâ—…n ob aliâ—…d nisi quia gratis datur Secondly Enchirid. cap. 107. Ipsam vitam aeternam quae certa merces est operum bonorum gratiam Dei appellat Apostolus stipendium enim inquit pâ—…ccatimors gratia autem Dei vita aeterna in Christo Iesu Dominâ—… nâ—…stro stipendium pro opere militiae debitum redditur non donatur Idâ—…ò dixit stipendium peccatimors ut mortem peccato non immeritò illatam sed debitam demonstraret Gratia verò nisi gratis sit gratia non est Thirdly Praefat. in Psal. 31. Merces nostra gratia vocatur figratiâ—… est gratis datur quid est gratis datur Gratis câ—…nstat Si reddatur tibi quod debetur puniendus es quid ergò fit Non tibi Deus râ—…ddit debitam poenam sed donat indebitam gratiam Fourthly Degratia lib. arbitr cap. 9. Cum Apostolus prius dixisset stipendium peccatimâ—…rs meritâ—… inquit stipendium quia militiae diabolicae mors aeterna tanquam debitum redditur Vbi cum posset dicere rectè dicere stipendium autem justitiae vita aeterna maluit dicere Gratia autem Dei vita aeternâ—… ut hinc intelligamus non meritis nostris Deum nos ad aeternam vitam sed pro sua miseratione perducere Whereby it appeareth that although hee saith that eternall life may bee called a stipend yet hee meaneth not a stipend or wages deserved or merited by us but a reward freely given us of God § XV. And as the former Assertion maketh not against us so the later maketh wholly for us against both the Pelagians and the Papists The Pelagians held that their good workes were done not by the helpe of grace but by the strength of their owne free will and so in that respect a reward was due unto them whereas they who bring forth good workes ex donâ—… gratiae had neither commendation nor merit Against them Augustine in many places disputeth proving that eternall life which is the reward of our good workes is called by the Apostle Gratia not onely because it selfe is freely given but also because the good workes whereof it is the reward are to be ascribed to Gods grace And that therefore the Lord when he rewardeth the godly life of the faithfull with eternall life hee giveth them gratiam progratia and that when he rewardeth our merits thereby meaning our good workes hee doth crowne not our merits but his owne graces Thus hee writeth Epist. 105. Omne meritum nostrum non in nobis facit nisi gratia cum Deus câ—…ronat meritâ—… nâ—…stra nihil aliud 〈◊〉 quà m munerâ—… suâ—… Sicâ—…t enim ab initio fidei misericordiam consecuti sumus non quia fideles eramus sed ut esseâ—…us sic in finâ—… quod erit in vita aeterna câ—…ronabit nos sicut scriptum est in miseratione misericordia Vndè ipsa vita aeterna quâ—… utique in fine sine fine habebitur ideò merit is praecedentibus redditur tamen quiâ—… eadem merita quibus redditur non à nobis parata sunt per nâ—…stram sufficientiam sed in nobis facta per gratiâ—…m etiam ipsa grâ—…tia nuncupatur Non ob aliud niâ—…i quia gratis datur nec ideò quiâ—… meritis non datur sed quia data sunt ipsa merita quibus datur Stipendium peccati mors rectè stipendium
sinne he hath deserved And how then can he by the sufferings of this life wherby he is not able to â—…atisfie for his sinne deserve eternall life The third out of Bernard we doe know saith he that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to the future glory nec si unas omnis sustineat No that they are not though one man should sustayne them all which though it be a very great yet is a very true amplification that if one man should beare all the afflictions of all men in this world yet his afflictions of this time would not be worthy of the glory that shall be revealed Such amplifications are used no lesse truely by Chrysostome and Anselm Chrysostome saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If we should dye ten thousand deaths and if wee should shew forth al virtue yet could wee not recompence the least part of those honours that God hath already bestowed upon us And if wee cannot by all such meanes be answearable to God for his favours â—…ouchsafed in this world by what meanes might we hope to merit eternall life in the world to come If a man should serve God most devoutly a thousand yeares yet he should not condignely merit to bee in the kingdome of heaven halfe a day saith Anselme § XXII In the sixth place Bellarmine alleageth three testimonies as objected by us viz. Phil. 3. 7 8 9. Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5 7. The first we doe not use to produce against merit of salvation but against justification by inherent righteousnesse and was the sixth Testimony of ours which Bellarmine endevoured to answere as hee doth here See Lib. 7. Cap. 3. § 15. The second was the fourth Testimony which he tooke upon him to answer See my reply Lib. 7. Cap. 3. § 13. The third was the fifth Testimonie of which see Lib. 7. Cap. 3. § 14. But though we doe not alleage the first against merit of workes yet by by consequent it doth disprove it For if workes doe not concurre to justification as the matter therof then can they not be the merit of salvation as hath beene said Secondly if in the question of justification which concerneth our title to Salvation they are to be accounted as things of no worth yea as losse then are they not meritorious of eternall life And whereas Bellarmine challengeth us to alleage any one Father that understandeth Paul to speake of workes done after grace I alleaged before Saint Chrysostome upon the place who understandeth the Apostle as speaking of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he said all both old and new both past and present and that I confirmed by reason And when he saith that Augustine calleth the righteousnesse of the faithfull Eminentissimam it is apparant that he speaketh not of that which wee have by our obedience performed to the Law but of that most eminent righteousnesse which wee have by faith The other two places exclude workes from being any causes as well of Salvation as of justification And it is plaine that the Apostle speaketh of salvation and of all the degrees thereof that it is wholly to bee ascribed to the grace of God and not our worthinesse His words in the former By grace you are saved through faith noâ—… of workes The latter not by workes of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercie he saved us Whence ariseth this argument If by our merits we are saved then by workes but not by our workes therefore not by merits Or thus If not by workes we are saved because we are saved by grace then much lesse are we saved by our owne merits CAP. III. A new supply of reasons produced against merits and maintayned against Bellarmines cavills § I. OVr first reason The true Doctrine of justification and Salvation taketh from us all cause of boasting in our selves that he which glorieth may glory in the Lord and contrariwise that which doth not take away all cause of boasting in our selves is not the true Doctrine The Doctrine of justification by faith without workes and of salvation by Gods free grace without our merit taketh from us all cause of our boasting in our selves but the Doctrine of justification by workes and of salvation by our owne merits doth not take away all cause of boasting in our selves Both proved Rom. 3. 27. 4. 2. Ephes. 2. 8 9. The effect of Bellarmines answere is that they who plead their owne merits as proceeding from grace doâ—… not glory iâ—… themselves but in the Lord. Reply First so long as they bee ours though given of God as all other good things are we are apt to glory in them as appeareth by the Pharisee who boasteth of his merits though he acknowledgeth that hee received them from God and therefore rendreth thankes for them Secondly the pleading of merit is it selfe a proud boasting Matth. 20. 12. Thirdly the Papists plead merit as proceeding from their owne free will which they require as a necessary condition of merit Fourthly If the good worke proceed meerely from Gods grace then can we not by it merit any thing of God But the Papists teach that by it they merit of God and consequently deny it so farre forth as it meriteth to proceed fâ—…om the grace of God and therefore when they plead merit they glory in themselves rather than in the Lord. § II. Our second reason That doctrine which derogateth from the infinite and all-sufficient merit of Christ is to bee renounced as false and Antichristian The Popish doctrine of merits viz. that we are to be saved by our owne merits and that the faithfull by their owne workes doe truely and condignely merit eternall life derogateth from the infinite and all-sufficient merit of Christ. Therefore it is false and Antichristian The assumption they deny yea though indeed they doe derogate from the merit of Christ yet they denounce anathema against them that shall say so But we not only say it but prove it For first If Christ hath already most sufficiently and fully merited heaven for us then our merits are needlesse or if our merits bee needfull as they teach then are not Christs sufficient for us which is no better than blasphemie Secondly they who teach that Christ hath not merited for all that beleeve and as soone as they truely beleeve the right of eternall life doe greatly derogate from the merit of Christ. For the Scriptures doe teach that Christ hath so merited the right of eternall life to all the faithfull that by him they have alreadie eternall life being alreadie translated from death to life But they who teach that the faithfull are to merit the right of eternall life by their owne good Workes doe in effect teach that CHRIST hath not merited it to the faithfull Therefore they who teach that the faithfull are to merit the right of eternall life by their owne good workes doe greatly derogate
calleth merits yet because these good works or merits unto which it is rendred are not from our selves but from grace it selfe therefore is called grace non ob aliud nisi quia gratis datur for no other cause but because it is freely given nor for that it is not given to merits or good works but because they themselves are given to which it is given And againe that eternall life is the reward of true righteousnesse to which righteousnes if it were from our selves and were to bee found in us the reward should be due as the stipend thereof but being not from our selves but from the grace of God therefore to us eternall life is grace as being the free reward of grace to which as it is freely promised so it is freely given And the like is to be said of the other places some wherof I have before alleaged as being pregnant to our purpose Wherein as in innumerable other places Augustine doth not speake of the workes of naturall men but of the workes of the faithfull and regenerate proceeding from grace to which not as to merits but as to the free gifts of God eternall life is freely given And it is apparent that he speaketh of the faithfull who are in the state of salvation even then when they are to be saved ut intelligeremus non pro meritis nostris Deum nos ad eternam vitam sed pro sua miseratione perducere And againe cum pr aemium venerit sua dona coronabit non merita tua And againe pro nihilo salvos facies illos nihil invenis unde salves multum invenis unde damnes To these three I will out of very many places which might be alleaged out of Augustine against the condigne merit of our workes adde a few more 4. For writing on those words Psal. 142 Propter nomen tuum Domine vivificabis me in justitia tua spoken in the future tence of a faithful and regenerate man viz. the Authour of that Psalme in â—…ua justitia saith he non in mea non quia egâ—… merui sed quia tu miser eris nam si meum ostenderem meritum nihil abs te mererer nisi supplicium In thy righteousnesse not in mine not because I have merited but because thou hast mercie For if I should shew my merit I should deserve of thee nothing but punishment 5. Againe writing on those words of the 62. Psalme Melior est misericordia tua super viâ—…as he saith multa sunt vitâ—… humana sed Deus unicam vitam 〈◊〉 noâ—… illam dat nobâ—… qâ—…asi propter merita nostrâ—… sed propter misericordiam suam 6. Si vellet pro meritis agerâ—… non inveniret nisi quos damnaret 7. Promisit enim bâ—…minibus divinitatem mortalibus immortalitatem peccatoribâ—…s 〈◊〉 abjectis glorificationem quicquid promisit indignis 〈◊〉 â—…t non quasi operibâ—…s merces promitteretur sed gratia à nomine sâ—…o gratis 〈◊〉 quta hoc ip sum quòd justè vivit in quantum â—…mo potest justè vivâ—…re non meriti â—…ani sed beneficii est divini 8. Meâ—…itis suis niâ—…il tribunt justâ—… non tribuerat â—…tum nisi misericordia 〈◊〉 O Deâ—…s 9. Noâ—… pro merito quidem accipies vitam aterâ—…am sed tantum pro gratia 10. Debita redditur poena damnato indebita gratia liberato ut nec ille se indigâ—… quer atur nec dignum se iste glorietur Si autem gratia utique nullis meritis reddita sed gratuita bonitate donata 12. And againe Gratia evacuatur si non gratis donatur sed meritis redditur § IV. In the fourth place he citeth for us Prosper by the halves or not so much for in the beginning of that Chapter which Bellarminâ—… citeth he speaketh of those who having lived in wickednesse are converted a little before their end and saith this happeneth ut indubitanter agnoscas gratuita esse Dei munera â—…icut nulla sunt tam detestanda faeinora quae possunt gratiae arcere donum ita nulla posse tam praeclara opera existere quibus hoc quòd gratis tribuitur per retributiâ—…nis judicium debeatur Therefore no debt due to us from God no merit in us afterwards he saith that those who were sent into the vineyard at the eleventh houre did represent those who are called in the end of their life and that the Lord did make them who came at the eleventh houre equall with those who wrought all day non lâ—…bori pretium solvens sed divitias bonitatis suae in eâ—…s quos sine operibus elegit â—…ffundens ut etiam hi qui in multo labore sudarunt nil amplius quà m novissmi acceperunâ—… intelligant donum se gratiae non operum accepisse mercedem not paying an hiâ—…e to the labour but powring forth the riches of his bounty on them whom hee chose without workes that they also who tooke great paines and received no more than the last should understand that they received a gift of grace and not the wages of their worke By the day-peny the equality of eternall life is signified as Prosper teacheth as Bellarmine himselfe confesseth And therefore it is not rendred as an hire or wages to mens labours for then the reward should have beene proportionable to the labour but as a gift of grace which the Lord bestoweth according to his good pleasure Matth. 20. 15. Heâ—…e Bellarmines threed-bare answere that Prosper denieth eternall life to be the wages of such workes or merits as goe before grace but granteth it to be wages of those which proceed from grace is not worth the refuting for the workes to which the day-penney was given were the workes of the labourers which they performed after their calling Unto which notwithstanding it was given not as the price or hire of the labour but as a gift of grace for if the reward was not the deserved wages of their workes but the free gift of their Lord then their workes were not merits of their reward But that Prosper did not deny true merits which proceed from grace Bellarmine saith it is plaine by the same place where he saith Bona merita sequi in homine post adeptam gratiam non autem praecedere I answere If hee had said so his meaning had beene the same with that which he learned of Augustine that good workes doe not goe before but follow grace But indeed there is no such saying of Prosper in that place § V. The fifth is Gregory the great On those words of Iob Si habuerâ—… quippiam justum non 〈◊〉 sed meum judicem depreâ—…abor which it selfe is an excellent testimony against merits commenteth thus Velut si apertius fateaâ—…ur dicens si ad â—…pus virtutis excrâ—…'vero ad vitam non ex meritis sed ex venia convalesco as if he should more plainely confesse and say though I grow up to the worke
2 Tim. 4. Heb. 6. I shall answere in their due place Unto this Testimony Bellarmine might have added another out of the same Sermon It is necessary first of all to beleeve that thou canst not have remission of sinnes but by the indulgence of God then that thou canst have no good worke unlesse he also give it lastly that by no good workes thou canst merit that is obtaine eternall life unlesse it also be freely given thee nisi gratis detur illa § VII The other three places are these First Totum hominis meritum est si totam spem suam ponat in eo qui totum hominem salvum facit Secondly Proinde meritum meum miseratio Domini Thirdly Fateor non sum dignus ego I confesse I am not worthy neither can I by mine owne merits obtaine the Kingdome of heaven But my Lord possessing it by a double right the inheritance of his Father and the merit of his passion contenting him selfe with the one hee giveth mee the other To these three together Bellarmine frameth two mis-shapen answeres First that Bernards meaning was that our merits are not of our selves but from Gods mercy and that hee would prove out of his 68. Sermon on the Canticles Merita habere cures habita data noveris And therefore say I his meaning was that our good workes doe not merit For being his free gifts they make us indebted to God as he teacheth and not him to us But indeed Bernard doth not speake of our workes or merits either as from us or as in us but of the mercy of God in pardoning our sinnes for the merit of his Sonne And therefore whiles God aboundeth with mercies in Christ he saith hee cannot want merits For mans justice is Gods indulgence and therefore blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne O solus verè beatus cuinon imputavit Dominus peecatum omnes enim peccaverunt sufficit mihi ad omnem justitiam solum habere propitium cui soli peccavi Omne quod mihi ipse non imputare decreverit sic est quasi non fuerit Nâ—…npeccare Dei justitia est hominis justitia indulgentia Dei His second answere is conjecturall that perhaps Bernard out of humility and perhaps not was ignorant of his merits and out of the uncertainty of his owne grace did not trust in his merits but in the mercie of God alone Reply He knew that he had no merits but Gods mercies in Christ because he was not ignorant that he had many sins which notwithstanding he was confident in the mercies of God and merits of Christ. Neither was he so uncertaine of such inherent righteousnesse in himselfe as whereby he might hope to be justified and saved as hee was certaine of the contrary As for his allegation out of the 68. serm in Cantic It is evident thâ—… Bernard by merits understandeth nothing but good workes and not merits properly so called as appeareth by that before alleaged ex serm 1. de annunciat and out of the same 68. serm in cantic Non est quod jam quaeras quibus meritis speremus bona presertim cum andias apud Prophetam Non propter vos sed propter me ego faciam dicit Dominus which is no lesse than to deny merits and in one of the places by Bellarmine cited Meum proinde meritum miseratio Domini Non planè sum meriti inops quandiu ille miserationum non fuerit quòd si misericordiae Dei multae multâ—…s nihilominusâ—… ego in meritis sum But that famous Testimony of his I may not omit though I have mentioned it before in the end of his booke Degratia l. arbitr where he distinguishing the gifts of God into merita and praemia and therefore speaking of merits as proceeding from grace hee saith those things which wee call our merits that is to say good workes spei quaedam sunt seminaria charitatis incentiva occulta praedestinationis indicia suturae faelicitatis prâ—…sagia viâ—… regni non causâ—… regnandi they are certaine seminaries of hope motives of Charity tokens of secret predistination presages of future felicity the way of the kingdome not the cause of reigning and therefore no meritorious cause of salvation § VIII And these were all the Testimonies which Bellarmine taketh notice of as alleaged by us out of the Fathers But I have not so done with them For as in the question of justification by faith alone I produced a multitude of Testimonies to proveâ—… the consent of the ancient Church with us So in this place that good workes are not truely meritorious of eternall life I doe prove not onely by all those Testimonies for if we be not justified by them wee are not saved for them but also by a new supply of Testimonies which by divers learned men have been collected but chiefly by our most learned Primate whereof I will recite so many as his adversary hath meddled with that I may briefly and as it were in transcursu vindicate them from his cavils Of these the first is Origen I can hardly perswade my selfe that there can be any worke which may of duty or debt require the remuneration of God Seeing even that that we are able to doe to thinke or to speake wee doe it by his gift and bounty What debt then shall there be of his whose grace hath gone before from whence I reason thus To no gifts of his God is a debtour or oweth reward as due All our good workes are his gifts therefore to none of our good workes is God a debtour or oweth reward as due Wherof the reason being because they are the gifts of God proceeding from his grace which precedeth our good workes hee is proved to bee ridiculum caput who answereth that Origen speaketh of such workes as are done by the sole power of mans free will without grace § IX Hilarie writing upon the parable of the Workemen Matth. 20. having said that the Gentiles who upon the preaching of the Gospell were to bee saved by the justification of faith were meant by those who being called at the eleventh houre were the first that in the evening received the gift of the wages appointed for the labour of the whole day he addeth these words Merces quidem ex dono nulla est quia debetur ex opere sed gratuitam Deus omnibus ex fidei justificatione donavit Wages indeed by gift there is none because by the worke it is due but to all by the justification of faith God hath given the same free Whence I argue No wages is of free gift Why because it is due to the worke Eternall life is of free gift which God giveth to all that beleeve by the justification of faith Therefore eternall life is not wages Mat. Yea but Hilarie elsewhere saith that the kingdome of God is the wages of such as live well Answ. It is merces indeed
worke but to give them what to him should seeme just according to the Covenant of grace which promiseth the reward of keeping the whole Law to them that truely beleeve who expecting reward not according to their owne merit but according to the grace and good pleasure of God in whom they â—…trusted were of the last made the first So farre is this parable from proving thatet ernall life is given to men according to the merit of their workes that it proveth that the reward which is given is freely given and that those who seeke â—…o obtayne eternall life by their owne desert doe misse of it § VIII But here Bellarmine cavilleth with the answeres of Melancthon and Calvin who as is it seemeth understanding as the most doe by the day-pennie the equall reward of eternall life doe answere First that it may be called merces a reward in regard of the promise which it selfe is free of that which is freely given and therefore is a reward of grace and not of merit Secondly because it is the reward of the inheritance which though given in Gods purpose before all times to those whom hee hath elected in Christ without respect of workes yet to draw us unto obedience and to fit us for our inheritance he hath promised it as a free reward of our faith and obedience To the first Bellarmine replyeth that the reward is given to the workes which is the condition of the promise and not to the promise it selfe I rejoyne that it is given to the works according to the promise that is as a free reward To the second hee saith that eternall is more properly called reward than inheritance c. I answere primarily it is the inheritance intended before all time in Christ without respect of workes and in the fulnesse of time purchased by Christ and so promised to all the faithfull and yet in a secondary respect that we might be allured to obedience and to good workes by which we might be fitted for that heavenly inheritance into which no uncleane thing can enter it is also promised as a gracious reward freely given of God not merited by us Even as a father having adopted a sonne thereby intending to him and indeed entitling him to his inheritance should upon his obedience either already performed or to be performed promise to make him his heire In this case who seeeth not that although the sonne come to his fathers patrimonie both as his inheritaâ—…ce and as a reward Yet the prime title is the right of inheritâ—…nce the second is the title of free donation But of merit though the sonne behave himselfe never so well no title at all Neither is that the more honourable title as Bellarmine here absurdly avoucheth unlesse that we rre to thinke that the mercenary title of an hired servant is more honourable than the hereditary title of a sonne For this is all the honour which by their doctrine accrueth to the children of God that they turne the adopted sonnes of God into mercenary servants and the inheritance of sonnes into the wages of servants But of this heretofore § IX Others perceiving that the equality of reward rendred to labours so unequall as of twelve houres and of one cannot stand with justice if rendred as in justice due for it is just where the reward is of duety that the greater labour should receive the greater reward howbeit as you heard out of Ferus where all is of grace no wrong is done for may I not doe with mine what pleaseth mee saith the Master of the vineyard have sought out another evasion That they who were called at the eleventh houre and so wrought but one houre laboured as much as the first who laboured all the day which is not worth the confuting For if in one houre they laboured as much as the other in twelve then deserved they as great a reward at the least Why then did their fellow labourers expect a greater reward Why did they murmure at their Lords unequall dealing And why did not the Lord himselfe plead that equall reward was to bee given to equall labours â—… Why did he plead his right to doe with his owne what he pleaseth â—… but that he would have it understood that the reward by him given was not of duety but of grace not rendred as a debt out of duety but given as a free reward out of his owne bounty and as Bellarmine himselfe saith non ex justitia sed ex liberalitate This fiction therefore never heard of before was by Maldonate devised for a poore shift in a desperate cause § X. Bellarmines second argument is taken from those places wherein it is taught that the heavenly reward is given to men according to the measure and proportion of their workes and labour His argument is thus to be framed What is given according to the measure and proportion of workes that the workes doe merit Eternall life is given according to the measure and proportion of workes therefore workes doe merit eternall life The proposition he proveth because if the reward be given according to the proportion of workes then there is regard had in giving that reward not onely of the promise or of the bounty of the rewarder but also of the dignity of the workes The assumption he confirmâ—…th by divers texts of Scripture as Psalm 62. 12. thou shalt render to every man according to his workes Mat. 16. 27. The sonne of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall render to every one according to their workes Luk. 6. 38. with the same measure that you mete it shall be measured to you againe Rom. 2. 6. who will render to every man according to his workes 1 Cor. 3. 8. every man shall receive his reward according to his owne labour Gal. 6. 7. what things a man shall sâ—…w those also he shall reape Apoc. 22. 12. Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to render to every man according to his workes § XI Before I apply mine answer to the parts of his Syllogisme I am to propound a twofold distinction concerning the reward of our inheritance First that it may bee considered either as our inheritance or as our reward Secondly that it may be considered in respect either of the substance of it as it is eternall life or of the degrees of glory therein As it is our inheritance as it is eternall life it is one and the same equally given to all that aâ—…e saved and not given unequally according to the proportion of our virtues or workes It is one and the same first in respect of the same meritorious cause which is the merit of Christ. For as by his righteousnesse we are equally justified so by his merits we are equally saved equally made partakers of that inheritance which by the same price of his mâ—…rits is equally purchased for all that
Christ will judge And thus his reasoâ—… standeth those who are blessed of God that is justified for whom this kingdome waâ—… prepared and this iâ—…heritance purchased they are to inheriâ—… this kingdome But you are such as appeareth by the fruits for your excercising the workes of charity and mercy towards my poore members and that for my sake is a plaine evidence of your election justification and redemption and accordiâ—…g to this evidence I judge of you come therefore inherit the kingdome c. But to this allegation I have answered twice before The second place is out of the same Chapter Verse 21. In which there is no causall particle eâ—…pressed in the originall neither is it any desert but duety of the servant to be faithfull neither any debt or duety of his Lord but his houâ—…y and largesse in rewarding of his fidelity in few things with making him ruler over many things The third place is Apoc. 7. 14. Thesâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…hey who came out of great tribulation c. therefore they are 〈◊〉 the Throne of God In alleaging whereof Bellarmine leaveth out that which is most maâ—…riall that they had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore they are before the Throne of God which sheweth that they stood before the Throne of God not in their owne merits but in the merits of Christ by which they were justified That which is said of their tribulation doth not insinuate their desert as though thereby they had deserved to bee before the Throne of God but the order of their afflictions going before their glorification and the consecution of eternall life following thereupon for as it is said of our Saviour Phil. 2. that hee having humbled himselfe unto death the Lord did therefore exalt him Verse 9. and Luke 24. 26. that hee was first to suffer those things and so to enter into his glory so of the faithfull it is likewise said that through much tribulation they must enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. And this is the answere which Calvin giveth to some of these places that they signifie ordinem consequentiae magis quam causam For whom God haâ—…h appointed to salvation for them he hath prepared the way of obâ—…dience and patience that therein they make walke towards their Countrey which is â—…eaven good workes therefore and afflictions are not the cause of salvation but the way to it § XVI But saith Bellarmine Christ could not more plaiâ—…ely have expressed that good workes are the causâ—…s of salvation than when hee said for when I was hungry you did c. especiâ—…lly seeing hee â—…seth the same forme of fpeech against the wicked for I was hungry and you did not c. In which the cause of damnation is noted I answere that our Saviour if hee had meant that good workes are the meriâ—…orious cause of salvation hee was able to have expressed it in as plaine termes as Bellarmine dothBut his intent in these reasons which hee giveth was not to set downe the causes of salvation or damnation but the notes and markes of them who are to bee saved or condemned as the evidence according to which hee pronounceth sentence Yea but Bellarmine will prove that the particles for and because are truely causall By what reason Forsooth by a circular augmentation becâ—…se good workes are causes And how did hee prove good workes to be causes Because these particles are causall To prove that workes be causes meaning meritorious causes he alleageth three Texts of Scripture 2 Cor. 4. 17. Gal. 6. 8. Phil. 2. 12. Two whereof I discussed before in their due place where he endevoured to prove that good workes aâ—…e necessary necessitate efficiâ—…tiae as causes of salvation viz. 2 Cor. 4. 17. lib. 7. cap. 5. § 7. and of this eighth booke cap. 2. § 21. and Phil. 2. 12. lib. 7. cap. 5. §5 That of Gal. 6. 8. he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape life everlasting maketh against him rathâ—… than for him For as in the naturall harvest the increase is not to be ascribed to the ploughing and sowing but to the blessing of God so much more in the spirituall § XVII But that these particles are not alwaies truely and properly causall Calvin sheweth by a notable instance God had promised Abraham when hee first called him out of Vr that in him that is in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed This promise the Lord often renewed as appeareth in his story which againe hee confirmeth by oath Gen. 22. 16. 18. When Abraham had upon tryall in an excellent manner and measure approved both his faith and obedience unto God By my selfe have I sworne saith the Lord that because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy sonne thine onely sonne in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed becausâ—… thou hast obeyed my voice Here both in the beginning of the oath and in the end the causall particle is used shall wee therefore say that Abrahâ—…ms obedience did merit that all the nations of the earth that is Abraham himselfe and all the faithfull in all nations should bee blessed in the promised seed God had long before made this gracious promise to Abraham without respect of this or any other his workes and had this act of obedience never beene the promise of the promised seed in his posterity would have beene performed so that the grace and love of God was the onely cause why hee promised to send his owne Sonne who should take on him the seed of Abraham and not Abrahams obedience All that can truely bee said is that upon this obedience God tooke occasion to renew his promise and to confirme it by oath for the further confirmation of Abrahams faith So that his obedience was so farre from being the cause of the thing promised as it was but the occasion of renewing the promise But Bellarmine in this example mentioneth onely that inferiour promise concerning the multiplication of Abrahams seed and saith that as God did promise it so he would have him to merit it by his good workes even so the Lord having predestinated all the Elect unto Glory yet his pleasure is that they should attaine unto it by their owne merits Which cleane overthroweth the grace of election which which was without respect of workes and also of salvation For if our election or salvation be of workes or merits then is it not of grace And if this answere of Bellarmine be good then may it in like manner bee applyed to that part of the Oath concerning the promised seed namely that Abraham by his obedience had merited that in the promised seede the faithfull of all nations should bee blessed which is no better than blasphemy It is true that God hath elected us that wee might bee holy and that by the
sanctification of the Spirit we might bee fitted for his kingdome and receive the inheritance among those that are sanctified And this holinesse is so necessary a property and cognizance of them that shall bee saved as that without it no man shall see God wherefore â—…hough it bee not the cause as I have shewed heretofore yet it is the way to the Kingdome and consequently causa sine quâ—… non And therefore that wee may bee stirred up to seeke after holinesse which is so necessary the Lord in aboundant mercie hath promised eternall life thereunto as the reward whereby hee doth superaboundantly recompence all our service and obedience and most graciously crowne his owne gifts and graces in us Yea but saith toâ—…saack â—…saack yet his pleasure was that hee should obtaine them by the merit of prayer Reply that a man should merit by prayer is as absurd as to imagine that a poore man who hath nothing doth by his begging merit almes It is true that when God promiseth good things unto us as the end wee are to use those meanes which God hâ—…th preordained whereof prayer is a principall and to walke in that way which leadeth to that end but those meanes are no merits nor that way no cause of obtaining that which God as hee hath graciously promised so hee freely bestoweth § XVIII The fourth argument is from those testimonies where the reward is said to bee rendred to good workes out of justice as 2 Thess. 1. 4. we glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faâ—…th in all your persecutions and tribulations which you sustaine for an example of the just judgement of God and after vers 6. If yet it bee just with God to repay tribulation to them that vexe you and to you that are vexed rest with us 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good sight I have consummate my course I have kept the faith Concerning the rest there is laid up for me a crowne of justice which our Lord will render to me at that day a just judge Heb. 6. 10. God is not unjust that hee should forget your worke Iam. 1. 12. Blessed is the man that suffereth tentation for when he hath beene proved he shall receive the Crowne of life Apoc. 2. 10. Bee thou faithfull untill death and I will give thee the Crowne of life Hereto also saith hee belong those places Pro. 19. 17. foeneratur Domino he lendeth as it were upon usury to the Lord who hath piâ—…y on the poore 1 Cor. 9 24. Know you not thâ—… they which runne in the race all runne indeed but one receiveth the price so runne that you may obtaine 2. Tim. 1. 12. I am sure that he is able to keepe my depositum unto that day For he should doe wrong who should either not repay that which was lent or not pay the prize to him that overcommeth or not restore the depositum that is the thing which is committed to his trust For all these include justice His argument is thus to be framed That reward which God in justice rendreth to good works is merited by them Eternall life is a reward which God in justice rendreth to good works Therefore eternall life is merited by them The proposition he taketh for â—…ranted the assumption hee proveth by all those testimonies which he hath alleaged § XIX But first I answere to his proposition by distinguishing the word justice which is taken either universally comprehending all morall virtues and so it is all one with Gods goodnesse both as hee is good in himselfe and as hee is good to his creatures comprising the bounty and therein the love the grace and mercie of God as well as that which more properly is called his justice So that what good things is rendred accorâ—…ing to this justice is not therfore merited More particularly justice is either in word or deed God is just in his word both in respect of his precepts which are just as a just Law-giver and also in respect of his promises in performance whereof hee is faithfull and just For it is a just thing for any to stand to his promises yea as the Oratour saith fâ—…ndamentum est justitiâ—… fides Hence in the Scriptures faithfull and just are sometimes joyned as synonyma 1 Ioh. 1. 9 If wee confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes And in this sense God is said to be just when hee doth render unto us that which he hath promised So in the places alleaged 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Heb. 6. 10. Iam. 1. 12. Hee is just also in his workes Psal. 48. 10. 145. 17. For God doth whatsoever he willeth and whatsoever he willeth that is just This justice by Philosophers is distinguished into distributive and commutative both observing equality the former geometricall the later arithmeticall But this distinction doth not agree to the justice of God in respect of the later branch which consisteth in commutation that is in mutuall giving and receiving For God giveth all things to all Act. 17. 25. but receiveth not any thing from any Rom. 11. 35 as I have said before and therefore cannot be a debtour to any but to himselfe in regard oâ—… his promise Thus then the justice of God which is in fact may more fully be distinguished that it is either disponens or remunerans disposing either as a just but most free and absolute Lord of all or as he is the just God the Creatour Governour and Preserver of all things Remunerating as he is the just judge As a most free and absolute Lord hee disposeth things according to his absolute will and pleasure Who possessing all things by full and absolute right may according to his pleasure dispose of them doing with his owne what he pleaseth Rom. 9. 18 21. Matth. 20. 15. As hee is the just God that is the Creatour Preserver and Governour of all hee disposeth of all things according to his goodnesse Mat. 5. 45. 48. giving all good things to all not universa singulis but such as are agreeable and fitting to all according to their severall kind nature and quality And from this justice the order of the whole Vniverse dependeth This goodnesse os God sometimes in the Scripture is called his justice Psal. 116. 5. and so translated by the 72. Gen. 19. 19. 32. 10. Exod. 34. 7. Esai 63. 7. and this justice is by the said 72. rendred mercie Deut. 6. 25. 24. 13. Psal. 24. 5. 33. 5. 103. 6. Esai 1. 27. Dan. 4. 24. 9. 16. And as he is God of all and just to all in giving to all those good things which belong to them so is he after a more peculiar manner the God of the faithfull Gen. 17. 7. even the God of their righteousnesse Psa. 4. 1. as their justifier and Saviour by the righteousnesse of God and our Saviour Iesus Christ by imputation
of Heaven Fifthly that it is a most unjust thing to desire eternall life of God the most just judge before we merit to receive it Where faith he he plainely condemneth all Lutherans who will not by their workes merit eternall life and yet by assurance of faith they presume it shall be given them Answ. If by his word petere he meane desiring by prayer I say we must desire it before we be worthy of it in our selves But Augustine hath the word poscere meaning that no man ought to challeng or demand eternal life as his due before he hath deserved to receive it To which I answere that none can deserve to receive it by their owâ—…e merits and that none but Pharisees will challenge it But yet all that truely beleeve in Christ doe in him deserve it yea in him they have it and he that will not beleeve this he maketh God a lyar 1 Ioh. 5. 10 11. and therefore every one that knoweth himselfe to beleeve doth or ought to know that he hath eternall life 1 Iohn 5. 13. He might have added a sixt collection that nothing is more unjust than that God should give rewards to men before they deserve them But this sheweth the unsoundnesse of this Testimony not beseeming Augustine For what God giveth he freely giveth and in that which is gratâ—…itum free there is no unjustice May not God doe with his owne what pleafeth him and therfore no unjustice when he gave the whole dayes wages to them that had wrought but an houre and therefore to such as had not deserved it And if it be unjust with God to give the reward of eternall life to them that have not in their owne persons deserved it what will he say of Gods dealing with the elect infants who dying in their infancie are crowned with eternall life This Testimonie therefore was but the assertion of an ungrounded Divine And yet this Testimonie alone with our Braggadochio is sufficient to put us all to silence Eighthly His allegation of Prosper justificatus homo id est ex impio pius factus nullo praecedente bono merito accipit donum quo medio acquir at meritum maketh wholly against the merit of congruity which with the Pelagians the Papists doe hold but against us it hath nothing except perhaps the word merit which is not against us in that sense that he and Augustine use it for a rewardable worke which before justification men have not but with their justification they receive grace from which what good workes doe proceed are to bee rewarded with eternall life Ninthly the word merit being understood in that sense as undoubtedly it is in all the Latine Fathers we subscribe to the Testimonie of Caelestinus Bishop of Rome as making for us rather than against us For having said Dei gratiâ omnia hominis merita praeveniri that all the good workes of men are prevented by Gods grace hee addeth Tant a est enim erga omnes homines bonitas Dei ut nostra velit esse merita quae sunt ipsius Dono pro his quae largitus est aeterna premia sit donaturus which notably setteth forth the unspeakable goodnesse of God to us but not our desert towards him Tenthly the like is to be said of his allegation out of Gregory on those words of Iob c. 3. 19. Parvus magnus ibi sunt quia in hac vita nobis est discretio operum â—…rit in illa proculdubio discretio dignitatum ut quo hic alius alium merito superat illic aâ—…ius alium retributione transcenâ—…at where he using promiscuously the words opera and merita by merita understandeth opera bona proceeding from grace which hee acknowledged to bee the free gifts of God Wherefore his meaning is no more but this that on those to whom in this life God doth give greater grace he bestoweth in the life to come greater glory Eleventhly in the last place hee alleageth Bernard who in the whole controversie of justification and in this question of merits is wholly ours Out of him he citeth two Testimonies The former Merita habere cures habita data noveris perniciosa paupertas penâ—…ria meritorum Answ. Bernard useth ordinarily the word merit unproperly according to the use of the Latine Fathers meaning thereby good workes and that either simply or with relation to reward that is to say rewardable workes such workes or merits saith Bernard we must be carefull to have and having them we must acknowledge them to bee Gods gifts the penurâ—… of them is pernicious poverty The other Omne quod feceris bonum malúmve quod quidem non facere liberum sit meritò ad meritum deputatur Answ. That is worthily accounted merit that is a rewardable worke which is free for a man not to doe For what is not voluntary but forced it deserveth not reward But to speake of merits properly as justly and condignely deserving a due and proportionable reward for the workes sake Bernard acknowledgeth no merits but the mercies of God and the merits of Christ denying our workes to be our merits but Gods gifts nor to be merits properly or meritorious causes of our salvation as I have shewed before And these were all the testimonies of the Fathers which Bellarmine thought good to produce which when the Reader hath compared with those which I formerly alleaged let him pronounce secundum allegata probata whether wee or the Papists have the consent of Antiquitie in this great question of merits § IV. But to the testimonies of the Fathers Bellarmine adjoyneth the authority of foure Councels The first whereof is the second Councell held at Aurenge in France Debetur merces bonis operibus si fiant sed gratia qui non debetur praecedit â—…t fiant Reward is due to good workes when they bee wrought but grace which is not due goeth before that they may be wrought which Canon as all the rest is collected out of the writings of Augustine for the confutation of the Semi-pelagians and is to bee understood according to the constant and perpetuall doctrine of Augustine that reward is due to good workes not in respect of the dignity or worth of workes but in regard of Gods Promise Now there is great difference betweene that which is due by desert and that which is due by promise For where a great reward is promised to a small worke the reward is due by promise but not by desert But much more when eternall life is promised to our workes betwixt which there is no proportion Therefore though eternall life bee a reward due in regard of promise yet it is a free and undeserved reward and is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free gift of God or as Augustine useth to render it according to the vulgar Latine gratia and that in opposition to the wages or deserved reward of sinne Rom. 6. 23. and
us then our merits need not or if they need then Christ his merit is not sufficient for us We are therefore in the performance of good workes to have an â—…ye to the eternall reward they being the way wherein we are to walke towards it and the meanes whereby we may gather assurance to our selves that wee shall obtaine it But we are noâ—… to doe good workes to that end that by them we may merit eternall life which is purchased by the alone merit of Christ. CAP. VIII Questions which Bellarmine disputeth against other Papists concerning merits And first concerning the conditions of Merit § I. HItherto Bellarmine hath opposed the true Catholikes whom he calleth heretickes Now because merit as the Papists conceive of it is a fiction which hath no ground either in the Canonicall Scriptures or in the writings of the ancient Fathers it is not to be marvelled if in this question which is de non Ente they be miserably divided among themselves Bellarmine therfore in the Chaptâ—…rs following maintaineth that doctrine which he hath delivered against us as the received doctrine of their Church against the private opinions of some learned men among themselves who in some particulars either agree with us or at least disagree from the common tenes of the Papists And first against Holkot and a Doctor of Lovaine whose private opinions were censured and condemned by Pius the fifth and Guilielmus Alâ—…isiodorensis concerning the conditions required to a meritorious worke Which as Bellarmine saith are seven The first condition is that the worke be good For if it bee bad it meriteth nothing but punishment I suppose hee meaneth materially good as being a thing commanded or good ex genere suo in respect of his kinde as prayer almes c. For to a worke formally good he requireth all the conditions following Secondly that it be done in obedience to God and out of a desire to please him for so much the phrase in obsequium Dei seemeth to import otherwise we cannot expect a reward from him This as it is evident in the duties which immediately we performe unto God so it is true in those which we performe immediately to man and mediately to God whom we are to serve not onely in holines but in righteousnes also Thirdly the good works whereunto reward is promised are the works of men living in this world who are called viatores to whom alone as the commandeâ—…nts are directed so the promises are made For of those who are in heaven the question cannot bee understood seeing they are comprehensores who have already obtayned the reward These three are as he saith agreed upon the other foure are questioned § II. The fourth condition therefore is that it bee liberum free disputed against Robert Holkot This is indeed a proper condition if by liberum be meant indebitum For if it be debitum it is not meritâ—…m Luk. 17. 10. But by liberum Bellarmine understandeth that which is willingly performed meaning no more but that to merit is required free-will without which condition the worke indeed cannot bee so much as morally good for such proceed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from election and muchlesse meritorious But though without this condition a worke cannot merit yet neither it nor all the rest which he nameth are sufficient to make a worke truely meritorious of eternall life Howbeit Bellarmine should have done well to expresse himselfe whether hee speake of liberum à coactione or ab obligatione or necessitate officii and if the former whether he speake of arbitrium liberum or liberatum whether free by nature or freed by grace For if the good worke proceed from Gods grace it cannot merit at Gods hand as I have shewed before And it is the opinion of some Papists as it was of the Pelagians that the virtue of meriting which they conceive to bee in their workes proceedeth from the power of their owne free-will as I have shewed before Neither needed Bellarmine to have heaped up Testimonies of Scriptures and Fathers to prove that free-will is required to good workes unlesse hee dispute of free-will by nature For that all good workes doe proceed from the will free by grace and are voluntarily performed by the faithfull there is no doubt to be made § III. The fifth condition that he who must be thought to merit be in the state of grace and the childe of God by regeneration and adoption which he proveth against the aforesaid Doctor of Lovaine This condition is also necessarily required to every good worke not onely meritorious of heaven for how should he attaine to the inheritance of heaven who is not the sonne and heire of God but also good and acceptable unto God For without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. and without it whatsoever is done is sinne Rom. 14. 23. And it is certaine that untill the person be accepted his actions cannot bee acceptable Neither whiles the treâ—… is bad can the fruit be good Neither can a man doe any thing that is good and acceptable to God who is not in Christ as a branch cannot be fruitfull that is not in the vine Neither is any man in Christ but he that is endued with a true faith whereby he abideth in Christ and Christ in him And this we hold both against the Papists that no works of men not regenerate are good and with the Papists against the Pelagians that they are not meritorious which point good leave hath he had at large to dispute against the Pelagians and so I proceed to the sixth § IV. The sixt condition proved against the said Doctor of Lovaine that to the merit of eternall life is required the free and and gracious promise of God which condition I acknowledge to be required unto every rewardable worke For first seeing God is our absolute Lord to whom wee owe our selves and all that we have or can doe who may exact from us what he pleaseth without any reward we could not expect any remuneration from him unlesse it had pleased him for our encouragement unto well doing to promise a reward unto us But we must remember that his promise is not de debito but de gratuito not of rendring a debt but of giving a free reward for he needed not to make a promise for doing those things which he commandeth which without a promise we are bound to doe and therefore in that he promiseth a reward it is of his free grace and when according to his promise hee giveth the reward it is wholly of his grace and not of our merit Secondly when there is no proportion of equality betweene the worke and the reward but the reward incomparably exceedeth the worke it is evident that such a reward promised to such a worke can no way be due to the worke as merited thereby but is wholly to be ascribed to the bounty of
that they are not ex condigno meritorious at all as I have sufficiently proved before That they are condignely meritorious in respect of the worke it selfe onely and not in respect of the Promise or Covenant was the opinion of Cardinall Cajetan and of Dominicus à Soto That they are condignely meritorious not ex ratione operis but ex raâ—…ione pacti acceptatiotis divinae was the opinion of Scotus and some other Schoolemen and of Andreas Vega. But both these opinions Bellarmine rejecteth and embraceth the third that good workes are condignely meritorious not onely ratione pacti but also ratione operis Howbeit the former part of this Assertion seemeth to imply a contradiction For that which is due ratione pacti gratuiti cannot also bee due ratione operis ipsius unlesse there bee an equall proportion betweene the worke and reward If I promise to a Labourer in the vineyard for a dayes worke an hundred pounds the summe is due in respect of the promise or covenant but not deserved by the Labourer Such or rather greater is the disproportion betweene our workes and the heavenly reward Besides that which is due ratione pacti gratâ—…iti is freely and undeservedly bestowed but the reward which is rendred to condigne merit is justly deserved § III. And whereas Bellarmine propoundeth a distinction of eternall glory or happinesse saying that it may be considered either as it is an inheritance or as it is a reward and saith as it is an inheritance it is due to the persons of the faithfull by right of adoption but as it is a reward it is due to their workes by promise or covenant first I answere that this distinction is unperfect for eternall glory may be considered three waies either as a free gift given unto us in Christ before all secular times without respect of workes and prepared for us from the beginning of the world or as the inheritance purchased by Christ or as a reward of our piety Secondly this distinction contradicteth three of his assertions first the maine assertion which in this placâ—… he laboureth to prove viz. that the good workes of the godly doe condignely merit eternall life even for the workes sake For as it is our inheritance or as it is eternall life which hee calleth the first degree of eternall glory himselfe confesseth both here in the seventeenth Chapter as also before in the fourteenth that it is not rendred to the merit of our workes but is due to the persons of the faithfull jure adoptionis by the right of adoption as they are the sonnes and heires of God which right they have before they bring forth good workes which as hee truely saith doth manifestly appeare in regenerated infants which dye in their infancy And therefore it is evident by Bellarmines owne confession both in this place and also in the fourteenth Chapter that our heavenly inheritance which is eternall life it selfe is not merited by our workes but is purchased by the merits of Christs our Saviour and therefore is one and the same to all that are saved For as I have said heretofore as the merit of Christ is equally imputed to all that beleeve so the reward of Christs merit in respect of the substance as it is the eternall inheritance or eternall life shall equally be given to all that beleeve § IV. Againe as it is a reward it is given ex pacto gratuito by a free promise and therefore not merited by our workes but according to the promise freely given and not ratione operis as deserved thereby Secondly in explication of this distinction Bellarmine saith that whereas there are divers degrees of heavenly glory or happinesse yet the first onely which is our heavenly inheritance it selfe or life eternall is due to the persons of the sonnes of God by right of adoption the rest are due to workes by promise or covenant which contradicteth two other assertions For that which truely hee saith here and in the fourteenth Chapter that the first degree which is our heavenly inheritance or eternall life it selfe or salvation is due to the persons of the faithfull by right of adoption and not to their workes confuteth that assertion of his in his twentieth Chapter that eternall life even in respect of the first degree is rendred to the merit of good workes And againe that which he truely saith in his nineteenth Chapter that God doth reward good workes supra condignum above their desert and that incomparabiliter ineffabiliter as he citeth there out of Fulgentius confuteth that which here he laboureth to prove good works doe condignely merit the rewards of heavenly happinesse meaning thereby the degrees of eternall glory and that not onely ratione pacti sed etiam ratione operis It is true that there bee divers degrees of heavenly glory wherewith God doth crowne his children in mercie and loving kindnesse neither is it to be doubted but that to those whom God hath endued with greater measure of grace causing them to bee more fruitfull of good workes and making them more excellent instruments of his glory and of the good of his chosen he will give them a greater measure of glory crowning as I have said before his greater graces with greater glory For as all that beleeve in Christ are equally justified but not all equally endued with grace so all the faithfull shall bee equally saved but not all equally made partakers of glory And as the greater measure of grace is the free gift of God and not our merit so is the greater measure of glory wherewith he crowneth his greater graces wholly to bee ascribed to his grace and not to our merit § V. Now let us briefly examine his seven arguments which hee bringeth to prove that every good worke of the righteous in respect of the worke it selfe is condignely meritorious of eternall life Briefly I say for they are not worthy to be stood upon nor yeâ—… indeed to be mentioned but onely to shew the weakenesse of the Popish cause which admitteth no better proofes which evidently appeareth by this that our challenging Ieâ—…uit when hee taketh upon him to prove the merit of condignity contenteth himselfe with the very same arguments for want of better His first Reason Because life eternall is grace for grace Ioh. 1. 16. that is the grace of reward for the grace of merits or charity of our countrey for the charity of the way But betweene grace and grace sine dubio without doubt there is great likenesse and proportion No doubt but there is some likenesse betweene grace and glory for grace is gloria inchoata glory is gratia consummata But where is the equality on which condignity of merit should be grounded and which hee propounded to prove in the next words going before And if both the worke bee grace and the reward bee grace how can there bee merit of condignity in the
one to the other that which is given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4. 4. for debitum non est gratuitum If eternall life bee gratia gratis data si gratis datur then is not due by desert And if the good worke also be grace how can it deserve a reward and so great a reward from him that gave it For Bellarmine hath taught us in the beginning of this seventeenth Chapter that if the worke bee much lesse than the promised reward it should not be a merit of condignity in respect of the worke If saith hee the Master of the vineyard should promise to a labourer for his dayes worke not the day-peny but an hundred crownes and yet the heavenly reward given to a good worke doth incomparably surpasse the unequall proportion that is betweene an hundred crownes and a daies worke § VI. In his second argument he trifleth egregiously He saith there is a proportion betweene the fountaine and the river running from it Grace is the fountaine Ioh. 4. 14. and eternall life is the river which maketh glad the City of God Psal. 46. 5. where according to the Latine it is thus read Fluminis impetus laetificat Civitateâ—… Dei which Bellarmine himselfe expoundeth thus Fluminis impetus laetificat Civiâ—…taem Dei i. Non timebit populus Dei quando turbabitur terra ergo c. Literally the place is understood of the Brooke Kidron and of the city of Ierusalem But if it must bee allegorized then as by the fountaine grace is to be understood according to that of Ioh. 4. 14. so by the river should be understood perseverance and increase of grace running to eternall life as the sea wherein the course of all rivers endeth And therefore such as is the proportion of the fountaine to the sea such is of grace or of a gracious worke to eternall life This was his first analogy the second is no lesse ridiculous Moreover saith he there is a proportion betweene the ascent and descent of water for it doth ascend as high as it doth descend and therefore the grace of the Spirit which descended from heaven will ascend as high No doubt if it be conveyed in a close conduit pipe § VII His third Reason Eternall life is the day-peny of those that labour in the vineyard Matth. 20. But the day-peny is the just hire of the dayes labour So is eternall life The day-peny which was given to those that wrought but one houre doth signifie eternall life which is thereby proved not to bee an hire rendred as due to equall labour but as a free reward bestowed by the bounty of the Lord who â—… may doe with his owne what he pleaseth For if it were the just wages for the whole dayes labour then he that wrought but one houre should have had but one twelfe part of the wages His fourth Reason Seed in vertue physicall is equall to that thing wherof it is the seed and containeth it Grace is the seed and eternall life that whereof it is the seed therefore iâ—… vertue morall Grace is equall to glory Answ. This argument is grounded upon a similitude of grace and seed which are not like in those things for which this comparison is brought For neither is seede the meritorious cause of that whereof it is the seed as hee supposeth grace to bee nor grace the seminall cause of eternall life for seed is the materiale principium But grace meaning grace inherent is neither the materiale principium nor the meritorious cause nor any other cause of salvation unles it be 〈◊〉 sine qua non which is no cause Yea but gracâ—… saith he is called the seed of GOD 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Answ. The seede of God properly is Gods word sowne in our hearts as the seede of our new and spiriâ—…uall life in this world This seede conceived by the power of the Spirit is the grace of regeneration as the materiale principium of our spirituall life meant in that place of S. Iohn which alwaies abideth in the childe of God who being once borne of God is never unborne againe The fruits in respect whereof it is called seed are the fruits of a godly life For the seed of Gods Word being sowne in our hearts and there conceived and taking root fructifieth and bringeth forth increase in some thirty in some sixty in some aâ—… hundred fold The grace of regeneration therefore is called seed in respect of the fruit of good works which it bringeth forth in this life And further the doing of good workes is compared to sowing of seede which hath relation to the great harvest as also the committing of the dead bodies of the faithfull to the earth For even as he that casteth his seed into the ground doth it in hope of increase at the next harvest or as hee that committeth the dead body to the earth as seede doth it in hope of increase at the great harvest so hee which soweth in righteousnesse to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape everlasting life And as the seed cast into the ground is not cast away but is recompenced with increase at the harvest And as the body though sowne in corruption doth not perish but riseth in incorruption at the great harvest so he that soweth the seed of good workes though hee may seeme to cast them upon the waters as Salomon speaketh hee shall not lose thereby but hee shall bee rewarded an hundred-fold and at the great harvest hee shall inherit everlasting life But as the increase in harvest is not to bee asscribed to the merit of the sower but to the blessing of God and as the raising of the dead body to incorruption at the last day is not to bee attributed to the merit of committing it as seed to the earth but to the merit and power of CHRIST in whom wee are made alive againe so the reaping of everlasting life at the great harvest is not to bee asscribed to our merit but to the merit of Christ who hath purchased it for us and to the undeserved mercie of God who crowneth his owne graces in us So if wee sowe to our selves in righteousnesse wee shall reape in mercie as the Prophet speaketh § IX His fifth argument concludeth nothing to the purpose Eternall life saith hee is a certaine supernaturall action in respect of the Object and of the principles bâ—…th efficient and formall But merit which consisteth in love is also a supernaturall action in respect of the Object and of the principles both efficient and formall therefore they have aproportion betweene themselves and the one leadeth to the other as the right way to the end Answ. I grant that the grace of sanctification is the right way to glorification but no meritorious cause thereof That there is a proportion of likenesse in the respects mentioned but no proportion of equality And
is manifest both in respect of the affirmative that we are reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 10. Col. 1. 21 22 and also of the negative For we were enemies when we were reconciled and such enemies as whatsoever we minded was enmity against God Rom. 8. 7. Lastly the fourth branch needeth no proofe neither in respect of the affirmative unlesse it may bee thought needfull to prove that we are saved by the merits of Christ nor in respect of the negative the Scriptures so often testifying that we are saved by grace through faith not by workes no not by any workes of righteousnesse that we have done So much of this argument which if I should strive for number might stand for eight foure for the affirmative and foure against the negative CAP. VII Containing sixe other arguments proving joyntly that we are justified by Christs righteousnesse and not by ours § I. THe sixth argument The righteousnesse by which we are justified is the righteousnesse of faith and not of workes as Saint Paul constantly teacheth The righteousnesse which is out of us in Christ is the righteousnesse of faith or the righteousnesse which we receive and have by faith or the righteousnesse of God by faith The righteousnesse inherent is of workes By that justice therefore we are justified and not by this § 2. The seventh The righteousnesse of God by which wee are justified is not prescribed in the Law to justification but without the Law is revealed in the Gospell Rom. 3. 21. The righteousnesse which is out of us in Christ was not prescribed in the Law to justification but without the Law is revealed in the Gospell righteousnesse inherent is prescribed in the Law to justification which in the question of justification is renounced in the doctrine of the Gospell This being the maine difference betweene the Law and the Gospell that the Law to justification requireth perfect obedience to bee performed in our owne persons the Gospell propoundeth the obedience of Christ which hee performed for us to bee accepted in their behalf who beleeve in him Wherfore let him be held accursed though hee were an Apostle though an Angell from heaven who shall reach justification by the legall righteousnesse and not by the evangelicall Againe the Law was given as the Apostle saith foure hundred and thirty yeares after the covenant of Grace and promise of justification by faith in Christ was made to Abraham and therefore cannot disanull that covenant which was before confirmed in Christ that it should make the promise of none effect which it would if the promise of justification were made upon condition of fulfilling the Law § III. Eightly By what righteousnesse we are justified the justice of God is fully satisfied God being so mercifull in forgiving sinnes that he remaineth just Rom. 3. 25 26. For though he proclaime himselfe mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercie for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne yet he protesteth that absolving he will not absolve that is by no meanes will absolve such as ought not to be absolved that is such as for whom his justice is not satisfied Neither doth he indeed forgive any sinne for which his justice is not satisfied But as every sinne deserveth death so it is punished with death either with the death of the party for whom he hath no other satisfaction or with the death of Christ who hath satisfied the justice of God for the sinnes of all that truly beleeve in him By the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him the justice of God is fully satisfied as Bellarmine himselfe proveth g and therefore professeth that in him he is well pleased Finally saith Bellarmine Nothing more frequently doth all the Scripture testifie than that the passion and death of Christ was a full and perfect satisfaction for sinnes He made the attonement betweene God and us giving himselfe an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour But by that righteousnesse which it inherent in us the justice of God is not satisfied as Bellarmine confesseth Therefore wee are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ which is out us in him and not by righteousnesse inherent in us And here I will make bold with Bellarmine to borow a speech from him which he borrowed as it seemes from our Writers to the confusion of himselfe and all other Popish Iustitiaries For where Osiander had argued that God accepteth for a satisfaction no justice but that which is infinite and consequently none but his owne uncreated and essentiall righteousnesse Bellarmine answereth God indeed doth not accept as a true satisfaction for sinne any justice but that which is infinite because sinne is an infinite offence But that some justice may be finite that is of infinite price and valour it is not necessary that it should be the essentiall justice of God but it is sufficient that it be the justice of an infinite person such as Christ is God and man Therefore the obedience the passion and death of the Sonne of God though in it selfe and essentially it was a created justice and finite notwithstanding in regard of the person who obeyed suffered and died it was infinite and in the true rigour of justice it was a propitiation for our sinnes and not for our sinnes alone but for the sins of the whole world From whence I argue thus that justice which is of infinite value the Lord accepteth as a true satisfaction for sinne and that which is not of infinite value he doth not accept for the offence of sinne is infinite But the righteousnesse of Christ onely is of infinite value ours is not therefore the Lord accepteth Christs righteousnesse and not ours as a true satisfaction for sinne § IV. Ninthly they that cannot be justified without remission of sin are justified neither by inherent righteousnesse because they are sinners nor without the righteousnesse of Christ imputed without which as there can be no satisfaction for sinne so no remission of sinne But no man can be justified without remission of sinne Therefore no man is justified by righteousnesse inherent but onely by the righteousnesse of Christ. § V. The tenth that is to be esteemed the true doctrine of justification which doth minister sound comfort to the distressed conscience of the faithfull and that falfe which is a racke to the conscience of Gods children when they are humbled under the hand of God The doctrine of justification by the merits and obedience of Christ imputed ministreth singular comfort to the distressed conscience of the faithfull even in the agony of death assuring the beleeving sinner that howsoever the devill accuseth the Law convicteth the conscience confesseth his demerits yet notwithstanding if hee truly beleeve in Christ he shall be accepted of God as righteous in Christ and as
that the eye of the body did cure those who were stung but the brasen Serpent which was a figure of Christ beheld with the eye Nor the eye of the soule which is faith doth absolutely and by it selfe justifie or save but relatively in respect of the object which it doth behold that is to say the Lord Iesus whom God hath propounded to be a Saviour to all that see him and receive him by faith § XII His second proofe is from the speech of Christ to the woman of Canaan who had earnestly prayed unto him and would take no repulse Matth. 15. 28. O woman great is thy faith and Mar. 7. 29. for this saying goe thy way the Devill is gone out of thy daughter for here plainely saith he the efficacie of obtayning health is attributed to faith Neither may it be answered that it is one thing to speake of justification and another to speake of the cure of a bodily disease For our Lord in the very same words attributeth to faith both the one and the other For as hee said to the woman which was a sinner Luk. 7. 50. thy faith hath saved thee so in like manner to the woman whom hee cured of a bloudy issue Matth. 9. 2â—… and to the blind man whom hee restored to sight Mark 10. 52. Answer Though the woman of Canaan and the blind man by prayer obtained their desires yet it was the prayer of faith as Saint Iames calleth it which was effectuall and prevailed with Christ Iam. 5. 16. and therefore to faith I confesse the efficacie is to be ascribed And although it may well be thought that our Saviour when hee used the same words thy faith hath saved thee to the woman which had the issue of bloud and to the blind man which hee used to the sinner whose sins he had forgiven that he being the Physitian of the soule used them in the same sence to assure them of a greater blessing than the bodily cure Matth. 9. 2. yet I doe not deny but that by faith and by the prayer of faith the health both of the body and soule is obtained for as by beleeving or apprehending by faith the righteousnesse of Christ which hee had and performed for us wee are justified so by beleeving the divine power and goodnesse of Christ many were cured of their bodily diseases And yet as it was not their faith apprehending the power and goodnes of Christ which did heale them but the power and goodnesse of Christ which by faith they apprehended as it is said Act. 3. 16. his Name by faith in his name hath made this man strong so is it not our faith absolutely whereby wee apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ which doth justifie us but the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith And whereas Bellarmine will have the like efficacie to be ascribed in justifying unto faith as in obtaining bodily health I take him at his word for hereby it is evidently proved that faith alone doth justifie for our Saviour for the obtaining of bodily health required faith onely Luk. 8. 50. Mar. 5. 36. Bee not affraid Only beleeve and the like may bee gathered out of Matth. 9. 28 29. Mark 9. 23. Iohn 11. 40. § XIII His third proofe is from the example of Abraham Rom. 4. 20 21 22. In the promise also of God he staggered not by distrust but was strengthened in faith giving glory to God most fully knowing or being fully perswaded that whatsoever he promiâ—…ed he also is able to performe therefore it was also reputed to him for righteousnesse Here saith Bellarmine the Apostle rendreth tâ—…e cause why faith was reputed to Abraham for righteousnesse because by beleeving he gave glory to God Therefore that faith pleased God by which he was glorified and therefore by the mâ—…rit of that faith which notwithstanding was the gift and grace of God hee justified Abraham His reason may thus be framed Whatsoever pleaseth God meriteth justification Abrahams faith pleased God because he was glorified thereby Therefore Abrahams faith merited justification The proposition is to bee denyed for before men can please God they must bee reconciled unto him and justified by faith therefore our pleasing of God is not a cause but a fruit of our justification and it is evident that before that promise was either made to him by God or beleeved by him Abraham was justified and therefore not by the merit of that beleefe Againe where men or their actions doe please God not in and for themselves but in and for Christ in whom alone hee is well pleased there mercie is to bee ascribed unto God but not merit to them Yea but the Apostle inferreth therefore it was reputed to him for righteousnesse That argueth Gods acceptation not his merit Howbeit that place may bee understood as that Iam. 2. 23. that this was an evidence of the true faith of Abraham which was imputed to him for righteousnesse not that Abraham did then first beleeve or was then first justified and much lesse that he merited by that act of faith his justification which he had long before § XIV His fourth proofe is out of Rom. 10. 13 14. to which I answered before the thing which here hee would but doth not prove though indeed it needs no proofe is that faith by invocation obtaineth justification Howbeit the Apostle doth not there set downe the order of our justification but the series and order of the degrees of salvation beginning at our vocation unto which three degrees are referred viz. hearing of the word which presupposeth preaching and that sending upon which followeth faith and justification thereby faith bringeth forth the dueties of â—…anctification and namely invocation which sometimes and namely in that place of Ioel is put for the whole worship of God which is the forerunner of salvation but here is no snch thing either mentioned or meant that by invocation faith obtaineth justification and therefore little reason had he from thence to inferre that therfore faith doth not justifie relatively by receiving for sooth justification offered but by seeking knocking asâ—…ing and finally by invocating and impeâ—…rating it doth justifie but passing by the weakenesse of his argument I answere to that which hee inferreth that faith beggeth justification no otherwise but with relation to Christ and his merits by it received For as God forgiveth no sinnes for which Christ hath not satisfied nor accepteth any man to life for whom Christ hath not merited it so are not we to beg justification at the hands of God but in the name and mediation of Christ beseeching God for Christ his sake that forasmuch as Christ hath satisfied the justice of God for the sinnes of all that beleeve in him and hath merited salvation and all spirituall blessings in heavenly things for them that it would therefore please God to accept of Christs satisfaction and merits in our behalfe imputing unto us both his sufferings for the remission
of sinnes and his obedience for the acceptation unto life of us who receiving him by faith desire to be made partakers of his merits to our justification For as in our mindes we receive Christ by a lively assent or beleefe as hath beene shewed so in our hearts we receive him by an earnest desire expressed in our prayers to be made partakers of him and his merits Neither doth it follow that if by faith we impâ—…trate or obtaine remission of sinnes that therefore faith is the meritorious cause of justification unlesse it bee understood relatively in respect of Christ who is the onely meritorious cause both of our justification and salvation whom faith as the instrument doth apprehend § XV. His fifth and last reason is out of Heb. 11. Where the Apostle by many examples teacheth that by faith men doe please God and consequently that faith is of great price and merit with God Answ. That faith doth please God and is of high account with God I meane a true lively justifying faith not the faith of Papists hypocrites and Devils wee freely acknowledge to the honour of God the giver of it and to the shame of the Papists who for all their saire pretences here doe much vilifie it Howbeit merit wee ascribe none to it unlesse it be relatively by apprehending Christs merits to our justification and salvation That Abel Henoch and others mentioned Heb. 11. did please God by faith doth not disprove our justification relatively but proves it For God is pleased with none but in Christ in whom he is well pleased He is pleased with none in Christ but with them only that by faith receive him § XVI To these places of Scripture Bellarmine addeth tenne testimonies out of Augustine nine whereof doe testifie that by faith righteousnesse is impetrated that is by request obtayned and the righteousnesse which hee speaketh of is not the righteousnesse of justification but of sanctification Neither doe they prove any thing in this point but what wee confesse that by faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by love wee obtaine for that Augustine meaneth by merits both the graces that is the habits and the fruits that is the acts of sanctification which we call good workes The testimonies are these fides inchoat meritum ut per munus Dei bene operâ—…tur where by merit he understandeth the grace of living well that faith doth merit that is obtaine the grace of working well Lex adducit ad fidem fides impetrat Spiritum largiorem diffundit Spiritus charitatem charitas implet legem Quod factorum lex minando imperat hoc fidei lex credendo impetrat Per legem cognitio peccati per fidem impetratio gratiae contra peccatum per gratiam sanatio animae Violentia fidei Spiritus sanctus impetratur per quem diffusa charitate in cordibus nostris lex non timore poenae sed justitiae a more completur In novâ—… testamento fides impetrat charitatem Ex fide ideo dicit Apostolus justificari hominem non ex operibus quia ipsa prima datur ex qua impetrentur caetera quae proprie opera nuncupantur in quibus justè vivitur Fidès non potita conceditur ut ei potenti alia concedantur His tenth testimony which in order is the second Nec ipsa remissio peccatorum sine aliquo merito est si fides hanc impetrat neither is the remission of sinnes it selfe without any merit if faith doe obtaine it Neither is there no merit of faith by which faith hee said O God bee mercifull to mee a sinner and worthily did that faithfull man being humbled goe home justified because hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Where Augustine abusively useth as other Latine Fathers often doe the word merit in the sence of obtaining and that by request and that appeareth by Bellarmines owne confession that Augustine doth use to call merit any good worke in respect whereof we obtaine some other thing and by the place it selfe In which sence hee saith the Publican by his humble and faithfull prayer having obtained remission of sinnes went home justified For if merit properly so called did goe before remission of siune then men should merit before they bee in state of grace which Bellarmine denyeth then should wee not bee justified either gratis that is as all even Bellarmine himselfe expound it sine meritis or by the grace that is the gracious and undeserved favour of God when wee deserved the contrary Againe beâ—…ore remission of sinnes and justification all men bee sinners and unjust Now as Augustine saith in the very next words going before quid habere boni meriti possunt peccatores What good merit can sinners have and a little before that meritis impii non grattam sed poena debetur To the merits of a wicked man not grace but punishment is due Finally the Papists themselves ordinarily confesse that their first justification cannot be merited which is grace onely and not reward Though some of them sometimes doe talke of merits of congruity which properly are no merits or if they be Pelagius his maine errour must take place gratiam secundum merita dari that grace is given according to merits Bellarmine here saith that hee hath proved elsewhere that faith and contrition and other dispositions doe merit the grace of justification which the Councill of Trent expressely denieth § XVII His fifth principall argument to prove that faith alone doth not justifie consisteth of two arguments drawne from two principles which he will but point at now but hereafter demonstrate The one is from the formall cause of justification the other from the necessity of good workes unto salvation For if the formall cause of our justification bee a righteonsnessâ—… infused and really inherent in us and not the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith then faith alone doth not justifie but the former is true therefore the latter The consequence of the proposition we grant for unto sanctification faith alone doth not suffice but there must be a concurrence not onely of other habituall graces thereunto but also of actuall obedience But justification is not to be confounded with sanctification Neither doe we say that the righteousnesse of Christ is the formall cause of justification but the matter by imputation whereof we are justified The assumption namely that we are justified by a righteousnesse infused and really inherent in us he saith hee will fully prove in the next booke But all his proofes I have already fully answered and confuted in the third and fourth controversies concerning the matter and forme of justification and have by necessary arguments both disproved the negative to wit that wee are not justified by any righteousnesse inherent in us or infused into us and proved the affirmative viz. that we are justified onely by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us