the pulse of the arme so iudgement is made of the spirituall soundnesse of the heart not so much by wordes and lookes as by the fruits of the hands He shall enter into the kingdome of heauen which doeth the will of my father which is in heauen saith our Sauiour Mat. 7.21 And if yee know these things happy are ye if you doe them Iohn 13.17 S. Aug. De civit Dei l. 6.6.2 reporteth that Varro the great Philosopher did read so much that it was admired how he could write any thing againe he wrote so much that another could hardly read now admit a man had as great knowledge in Diuinity as he in Philosophie that hee could speake with the tongue of men and Angele and had not loue whereby to doe good he were as an inane nihil sounding brasse a tinckling cymball 1. Cor. 13.1 Lastly the Apostle in the cited place telleth vs that faith must worke by loue else it is no faith So here our Prophet requireth the same First faith trust in the Lord. But let it worke by loue in doing good In which sentence both the Prophet and the Apostle set forth the perfection of a Christian in this life which consisteth in 2. parts Inwardly in sayth to God Outwardly in doing good to men 1. Inwardly to God by faith which needeth not our good workes Psal 16.2 O God my goodnesse extendeth not to thee 2. Outwardly to men by good workes which neede not our faith as it is written in the named place But to the Saints that dwell vpon the earth In which respect S. Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 10. c. 1. sayth that doing of good is pro sacrificijs accepted of God as a Sacrifice Heb. 13.10 Yea prae sacrificijs more then sacrifice Hosea 6.6 I will haue mercy and not sacrifice For to be mercifull is the sole work common to man with God as Synes nor indeed can we any way more neerely resemble God which is most good then in our doing of good Greg. To the necessary performance whereof in the next place we are inuited by many and those most forcible reasons first Reason 1 Because in doing of good wee shall so shew our loue to God So Christ testifieth in Iohn 14.16 If yee loue mee keepe my commandements Heerein our loue to God is made manifest in walking as it becommeth his children The comparison is mod proper if we marke it for as in nature when children are neither in outward feature of the body nor inward qualities of the minde like to their parents which begat and brought them foorth wee say that such children degenerate and grow out of kinde neither can they be outwardly iudged to belong to their parents by reason of that great dissimilitude and vn likelines of maners Euen so on the contrary when we see in the world men walking in by-paths of their own and no way like to their heauenly father in holinesse and righteousnesse no way resembling him which hath begot them in Christ in doing of good we may and iustly say of such that they degenerate and grow out of kinde they do not patrizare tread in their fathers steps going about alwayes doing of good after the example of Christ Iesus our elder brother Againe although we must walke yet it is as children and therefore weakly yet notwithstanding they shew their loue in that they walke and follow so well as they can desirous to goe on further if they could And this is kindly accepted of a louing father So is it with Almighty God whose mercies are far greater then our desires or endeuors are or can be who when hee seeth vs like louing children following in the same way which he leadeth vs accepteth our will for the deed crowning his owne worke in vs. For although wee as children cannot tread in the same steps as he speaketh of Ascanius in the Poet sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis Yet we tread and as we can goe along the very same way and in this true and childlike resemblance of him wee shall much delight our holy father This is the very argument which our Sauiour vseth to the Iewes Iohn 8.39 which stood much vpon their prerogatiues nil nisi Cecropides they boasted themselues to bee Abrahams seede but hee telleth them that their boasting was in vayne of their father since they were so much degenerated from him that they were no longer to bee accounted and called the children of Abraham For when they tolde him Abraham is our father Iesus answered them if yee were Abrahams children yee would doe the workes of Abraham For Abraham by his good workes glorified God and shewed his loue to him in walking as his childe so must all the true seed of Abraham be doing of good to shew their loue to God Whereby moreouer God is glorified For like as when a childe obserueth in most dutifull maner what his father commandeth this redoundeth to the prayse of the father Omnet enim omnia bona dicere laudare fortunas meas qui filium haberem tali ingenio praditum So the Lord is glorified in his children when they intend and seeke his honor and glory by their obseruing him in doing good The costly rayment wherwith others are clothed maketh to the praise of the worker so it is sayd of the good huswife giue her of the fruit of her hands and let her workes prayse her in the gates Prou. 31.31 So the doing of good redoundeth vnto God whose glory ought to be the end of our life and scope of all our actions as Paul teacheth Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe let all be done to the glory of God 1. Cor. 10.30 Reason 2 2. Because in doing good we shall so shew our loues to our selues and that in a two fold respect 1. in quieting our owne conscience 2. in making our election certayne As touching the first namely the peace of conscience S. Paul to Timothy 1.1.19 counselleth him to hold fast the fayth and keepe a good conscience now indeed what greater peace can be brought to the conscience then that which ariseth out of our doing of good through a liuelie fayth And As touching the second S. Peter carnestly exhorteth 2. Pet. 1.10 Giue diligence to make your calling and election sure which cannot bee more effectually performed then by our doing of good This alone was the reioycing of the holy Apostle What Not that he had preached not that hee had wrought miracles or done extraordinary workes but that in obedience to Gods commandements and in sincerity of heart hee had his conuersation in the world So likewise his comfortable farewell to the world is grounded vpon his fayth which was shewed by loue through both concluding the peace of his conscience and the assurance of his election I haue fought the good fight I haue kept the fayth I haue finished my course henceforth is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse 2. Tim. 4.7
But they say therefore of grace because of works Not of works lest any man should boast saith the spirit But of workes and yet a man shall boast in the Lord saith Bellarmine This may seeme to sound well to an ignorant eare to say God hath giuen this to me whereby I am iust but well considered vnder pretence of piety spoiles Christ of his glory Why doth not the Papist as well say he hath giuen me wherewith to redeeme my selfe for by the same wherewith we are iustified wee are redeemed as it is written being iustified by his blood Rom. 5.9 Behold the blood of him that is God and man iustifies vs and that redeemes vs for in vaine had Christ died for vs if by meat and drinke we our selues might haue purchased the Kingdome of God But the matter is farre otherwise for all saith S. August which are iustified by Christ are iust not in themselues but in him That which is Christs because it is his is most perfect that which is ours because ours is weake and vnperfect Iustly doth Hierome deride Câ—esiphon in the like case as we may these merit-mongers O blessed O happy men if that iustice which can be found no where but in heauen may be found with you only vpon earth Therefore let them boast of their good works of arrogance and superarrogance let vs in humility take vp that notable speech of Saint Ambrose I will not boast because I am iust but because I am redeemed I will not boast because I am voyd of sinne but that my sinnes are forgiuen Contrary boasting for that wee haue nor can finde iust cause in our selues nor warrant from the word we shall leaue to Enagrius Priscillian Iovinian the Messalians Pelagians and the rest of that rout which magnifying their own foolish fancies make the word of God of none effect The humble confession of the poore publican liketh vs well O Lord bee mercifull vnto me a sinner But for the further opening of the difference betweene the Papists and vs and for the more full cleering of our selues from their false accusation of vs you shall vnderstand that the Rhemists haue gathered two princip all conclusions against vs both out of these words of Paul If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mountaines and haue not charity I am nothing 1 Cor. 13. The first is that True faith may bee without loue works The second that Faith alone doth not iustifie without good works To the first we answere them that speech of Paul is nota categoricall proposition but an hypotheticall supposition as if it were possible that faith could bee without workes it were nothing Secondly the faith which Saint Paul here speaketh of is not a iustifyng or a sauing faith but a miraculous faith of which our Sauiour in the Gospell If yee had faith as much as a graine of mustard feed c. This he spake to the beleeuing Apostles and therefore cannot be vnderstood of a sauing faith as also S. Ambrose interpreteth that Text to doe wonders and to cast out Deuils by faith is nothing worth except a man be a follower of God by good conuesation thus he thus we There is a dead faith Iam. 2.20 There is a liuely faith Gal. 2.20 There is a faith of Deuils Iam. 2.19 There is a faith of Gods elect Tit. 1.1 There is an enduring faith Iohn 3.15 There is a perishing faith Luke 8.13 There is a faith which the world destroyeth 2 Tim. 2.18 There is a faith which destroyeth the world I Iohn 5.4 There is a faith whereby we beleeue a God Iam. 2.19 There is a faith whereby we beleeue in God Ioh. 14.1 According to the differences of faith in scripture there is a faith without workes and a faith with workes hence Diuines haue a fourefold consideration of faith as it is historicall miraculous temporarie iustifying Three of which kinds may be in the reprobate but that other iustifying faith can be in none but Gods eiect whereby we doe not only beleeue a God nor beleeue God only Credere 〈◊〉 Deo Deum in Deum but beleeue in God to which the promise of iustification of saluation is made of this faith once againe if they will heare vs we say it cannot be separated from charity but wheresoeuer it is it bringeth forth good works to the praise and glory of God of this in S. August words we conclude Inseparabilis est bona vita à fide quaper dilectionem operatur imo verò ea ipsa est bona vita in his booke de fide operibus Whereunto accordeth Irenaus lib. 4. cap. 14. to beleeue is to Doe as God will To the second conclusion viz. That faith alone iustifieth not We answere Although faith be not solitaria yet in our iustification it is sola A worthy Diuine of ours hath a worthy saying to this purpose Euen as the eye in regard of being is neuer alone from the head yet in respect of seeing it is alone for it is the eye only that doth see So faith subsisteth not without other graces of God as hope loue c. yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without all considered by it selfe To make this plaine we must know that the separating of things is or reall in subiecto the subiect mentall in anime the vnderstanding The first reall separation of faith and charity wee really wholly deny and Bellarmine honestly eleereth Luther Melancthou Chemnitius Calvin and other learned Protestants herein who he confesseth teach good works to be necessary to saluation de iustificat lib. 4. cap. 1. § ac primum confessio c. The second mentall separation which Is negatiue when in the vnderstanding one thing is denied another affirmed Is priuatiue when of things that cannot bee parted yet a man vnderstands one and omits the other Viz. Light and heat cannot be separated in fire yet a man may consider the light and not the heat Briefly negatiuely we doe not separate good works from fayth but priuatiuely we make them not concurring causes but effects and consequents of our iustification our assertion then faith considered without good workes doth iustifie Operasunt via non causa regnandi sayth Bernard and with Aug. Opera non pracedunt iustificandum sed sequuntur iustificatum not goe before but after iustification Euen as our Church speaketh the wheele turneth round Homily of good works nor to the end to be made round but because it is first made round therefore it turneth round so men are sanctified because first iustified not iustified because first sanctified neither is this conclusion ours alone but the Fathers and the Reformed Churches yea of some of the Papists and those also of the greatest Clerks among them as it may appeare viz. If we cast our eies backe to the ancient Doctors they are all for vs in this point Not according to the worth of our workes saith Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
neglected euen in many of vs who neither feed liberally by charity nor soundly by Doctrine nor religiously by life which made that proud fugitiue Campian as malitiously as spitefully to say ministris illorum nihil vilius Heauen and earth can beare witnesse that the Sunne neuer beheld a more learned amore religious Cleargie yet among so many pots of the Temple what maruell is it Doctor Hall if some be drie for want of liquor others rusty for want of vse others full of liquor without meat others so full of meat that they want liquor woe to those corrupted sonnes of Heli which through insufficiency or vnconscionablenesse poure contempt on their owne faces Againe for other degrees of men how farre in their places from Doing that which is good is plaine to behold The Lawyer bee it knowne vnto all men vseth the Law vnlawfully not making it a speciall and speedy remedy of wrongs but an Engine or trap to ensnare the weake and simple trebling their fees of vniust gaine and troubling the world with vniust suites The Shopkeepers also as we passe along to cast an eye of obseruance on them how righteous he is in his dealing is easie to iudge their houses are as full of deceit as a cage of birds if either lies and oathes or false lights false measures vniust and unconscionable gaines may make men righteous then there is no vnrighteousnesse in them Lastly what doing of good our rich men practise now a daies he that hath but halfe his sight with one-eyed Phocion may cleerly see for they are better a great deale at the rake then at the pitchforke as it is in the prouerbe readier to pull and rake to them then to lay out or giue any thing Aurum habet Ecclesia non ut servet sed ut eroget but their greedy desires of mony increase faster then their mony our extortioners are not rooted in charity their mindes are on their mines that 's the root where they root but if the Apostle spake true Philargury is the root of all villany These sell the ayre take mony for time contract with Satan giue their soules for surety and the Deuill keepes the bond till they pay in themselues for the principalls Doe our rich men resemble Saint Bafil the great who in a famine did not only giue to the poore himselfe but exhorted others to open their barnes and doe the like Or William Warbam sometime Archbishop of Canterbury who was so liberall to the poore that hee left but thrity peeces of gold behinde him which pleased as Erasmus saith him so well that he said It is well I desired alway to dye no richer Or Philip Melancthon who was out of a meane estate so bountifull that euery houre some or other were relieued at his dore Or es Dorcas full of good works Or as the Captaine Cornelius and other holy men of God Abraham Lot c. Surely they are the greatest part so farre from going out to meet the poore as Abraham met the three Angels vnknowne that they turne their backs and shut the dore vpon them and instead of feasting and refreshing of them with churlish and crabbed words rate them away with hungry stomackes No no their care is to build faire houses and when they haue done to lock the dore and goe their waies and leaue them empty we haue a great many of these mockbeggars in England which where they should doe most good like butterflyes are to be seene but once in a yeere yet that is not to make a feast with Nabal at their sheepe-shearing nor to relieue their poore neighbours neere them but to rack their rents and enhaunse their fines to make themselues very fine finem facere to vndoe the poore Tenant to call Courts to fill carts to fence God out and hedge the Deuill in Giue they are so farre from giuing that like spunges good must be wrung out of them perforce like vnto Nabal churlish and euill in their doings which notwithstanding they haue good cause 1 Sam. 26.3 yet are so farre from helping that they say who is Dauid or what is the sonne of Iesse there be many seruants now a dayes that breake away euery one from his master shall I then take my bread and flesh that I haue killed for my shearers and giue it to these whom I know not whence they be Or like Cain nunquid ego fratris custos am I my brothers keeper Or like Iudas ad quid perditio haec to what end is this waste yea so farre are many from helping and relieuing them that because they are rich they presume they may tread them downe oppresse them by authority keepe back their maintenance take away their meanes as Ahab did poore Naboths Vineyard and their life too especially if mistris painted face Iezabel can beare rule what are they not rich art not thou a King art not thou a Lord of that Mannor are they not thy Tenants bridle them and saddle them and spurre them to death to keepe the slaues downe c. Yet I must confesse many rich men doe giue now adaies but it is according to that rule formerly set downe Surely no for First there are that regard not what they giue they giue that for which they deserue no thanks but shame they feed the poore at another mans table and make them free of another mans trencher such an almes-giuer was the Deuill who would giue the world to our Sauiour a liberall almes but out of Gods Exchequer yet as these hee said all is mine and to whom I please I giue it So Alexander the sixt gaue America to the King of Spaine as in 88. the Pope gaue England to him to a great gift but out of the Indians and Christians freehold and so indeed many an vpstart Gentleman giues by keeping of a good house for his company when like the lewes he crucifies Christ in his poore Tenants he feedeth some few poore as his wicket and hath made many poore to furnish his dresser his charity reliues ten his cruelty hath vndone ten thousand If euer the prouerbe be true t is true in this here is robbing of Peter to pay Paul Secondly there are that regard not why they giue not out of any care to obey Gods Commandements not out of any loue to their brethren not out of any loue chiefely to Gods glory or the like but to get a name to become famous for ostentation sake as the Scribes and Pharisees these are obstreperous benefactors which cackle like hens and blow a trumpet in the streets of their deeds haue not I done this giuen him that preferred him to his liuing or place did not I settle him yes but not out of any zeale to Gods glory but for some by-respect to make some other vse of him in such or such occasions and seruice but almes shold be like Oyle which is silent in pouring downe and maketh no noise yet it lies aloft So thou needest not