is nothing else but to trust to the free mercy of God he addeth further This is the true Faith whereby the iust man liueth But that which iustifieth not and is destitute of good works is tearmed a dead Faith by the Apostle Yea as the body is dead without the spirit so is faith dead without workes But the Rhemists Cardinall Bellarmine Coster the Iesuite and others doe answere that the Apostle doth not compare a dead faith with a dead man but with a dead body And therefore as a dead body is a true body so a dead faith is a true faith But they must knowe that although the Apostle compare a dead faith not to a dead man but to a dead body yet he compareth it to the dead body of a man which is no true humane body indeed because it wanteth the soule which is the forme of it The Philosopher will teach them That when the bodye is dead there is neyther foote nor hand but onely by equiuocation for all the parts of the body are defined by their office and facultie therefore when they lye dead they are not the same but onely retaine the shadow and shew of the name Though a dead body haue the earthly and materiall parts yet it is not the true body of a man nor the same body that it was before seeing it wanteth his forme life and actiuitâ—e operation and motion So a dead faith hath some materiall parts of a true faith as knowledge vnderstanding and assent yet it is not a true faith indeed because it wanteth speciall application which is the soule of faith It wanteth actiuitie charitie and obedience which are the life of it Didimus Alexandrinus did othâ—rwise take the words of S. Iames then these papists doe for thus he writeth It is to be marked that seeing faith is dead without good workes it is now no faith at all for a dead man is not a man at all Their owne friend Ferus is as peremptorie against them and for vs. Faith without charitie saith he hath indeed the tytle of faith but if thou wilt not speake obscurely of that matter it is not in that sort faith as a body without a soule is a man as a candle put out is light or as a tree cut downe is a tree What kind of light is that which doth not shine and giue light what kinde of fire is that which is not kindled what kinde of man is that which neyther seeth nor heareth nor feeleth nor moueth What kinde of tree is that which hath neyther rootes nor boughes nor bringeth forth fruite Such a kinde of faith is that which is without charitie namely a dead Faith as Iames nameth it How then can any man iustly say that these two are both one and the same faith Lastly they differ in their effects because the one procureth the saluation of our soules namely that liuely and speciall faith which worketh by loue for of that it is sayde Whosoeuer beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life And by grace wee are saued through faith and not of our selues But the other the Historical faith destitute of works cannot saue any man so teacheth the Apostle And that all those places cannot bee vnderstood of one the same faith all writers giue euidence Augustine said not that faith of the Diuels who beleeue and tremble and confesse Iesus to bee the Sonne of God is that foundation which suffereth none to perish but that faith which the Apostle saith worketh by loue Now what he took to be the faith of the Diuels I haue before shewed Credunt Deum credunt Deo they haue an historicall faith to beleeue all things to be true which hee hath reuealed Non credunt in Deum they put no confidence in him so want a speciall iustifying faith that should saue them So Bernard writeth He that beleeueth in God shall not be confounded And therevpon inferreth that the Diuels though they beleeue God yet they doe not beleeue in God in whom whosoeuer beleeueth shall not be confounded because they doe not put their hope in him Now who that hath any vnderstanding in Religion will say that the faith which is able to saue a mans soule and the faith which is not able to saue a mans soule are both one in kind in nature and substance And that those who are tormented in hell can truely say that while they were on earth they had the very same faith which brought the Saintes to the Kingdome of heauen By that which hath bene spoken touching this point you may vnderstand what a kinde of faith is taught by the greatest Doctors in the Romish church what is the best faith which they require of the people euen an hystoricall faith to giue assent to the truth of things reuealed Which faith as hath bene prooued may be in wicked men in Reprobates in men out of the state of grace in men that shall goe to hell Yea such a faith as is found in the very diuels of Hell What saluation can be obtained in that Church whose preachers teach no better faith Who would be ledde by such guydes I knowe that they would make a difference betwixt the faith of their right Catholickes and the faith of diuels because the one hath Charitie alwayes accompanying it the other wanteth Charity But they might consider that according to their doctrine this maketh no essentiall but a meere accidentall difference Seeing they teach that the same assent to the truth of things reuealed is in some with charitie and in others without charitie it euideÌ„tly appeareth that according to their doctrine Charitie is not a proper immediate necessary and essentiall propertie of it but meerely accidentall Indeed wee hold that Charitie is a proper necessary effect of a iustifying faith so as faith is no sooner wrought in the heart of any but forthwith hee is endued with loue He cannot but loue him in whom he belieueth and of whose loue and fauour he is perswaded And therefore charitie though it do not make yet it may declare the essentiall difference and the nature of this faith But seeing it is no such necessary effect of their assenting faith it can neyther make nor declare any essentiall difference of it And therefore he who wanteth charitie may haue the same faith in substance that hee hath who is endued with Charitie Bellarmine going about to proue that true faith meaning theyr assenting faith may bee separated from loue draweth one Argument from the proper reason nature of them both If they cannot be seuered saith he 46 It is eyther because the one is of the reason or being of the other or that the one doth necessarily arise from the other Not the first because Faith charitie are not one vertue but two And besides that haue diuers subiectes actes and obiectes For faith is in the vnderstanstanding Charitie in the will Faith belieueth
he groweth in yeeres 5. The fift degree of this temporary faith is outwarde profession of the Gospell A man may haue an hystoricall or dogmaticall faith yet neuer make profession of it As many of the chiefe Rulers among the Iewes beleeued in Christ but because of the Pharisies did not confesse him But they who haue this temporary faith do professe Christ as long as they keepe it So did Iudas he called Christ his Master did follow him was content to acknowledge himselfe to be one of his Apostles and at his sending to go abroad to preach the Gospell So did Simon Magus he was baptized into the Name of Christ and continued with Philip as a Disciple of Christ. And so doe all those who be called and not chosen 6. The last degree of this temporary faith is outward obedience vnto the Gospell This was likewise in Iudas His cariage was so honest among the Apostles all the time of Christs passion that when Christ told them that one of them should betray him they did not suspect him any more then any of the rest yea euery one did as much suspect him selfe as Iudas and therefore euery one sayd Master is it I Yea they caused Iohn who then leaned on Iesus brâ—st to aske him who it was And Christ did manifest him by giuing him a soppe before they could tell who it was And so this faith doeth farre excell that dead faith whereof S. Iames speaketh which is destitute of good works Yet euen in this respect is it much inferior to a true iustifying faith In regard of outward obedience they differ three wayes 1. In the cause or fountaine whence it proceedeth The obedience of the one proceedeth from an heart which hath the corruption of it suppressed and restrayned but not mortifyed and the affections builded but not changed by regeneration But the obedience of the other proceedes from a pure heart and a good conscience the corruption whereof is not onely repressed and kept vnder but likewise mortifyed and the affections not onely brydeled but also changed by regeneration Yea and the man himselfe is in Christ become a new creature 2. In the measure for the one may yeeld obedience in many things yet seldome in all things he vsually taketh libertie to liue in some one grosse sinne or other eyther openly or secretly As Herode did many things which Iohn Baptist taught him yet continued still his whoredome hee would not put away his brothers wife though he was taught so to doe But the other is carefull to avoyde all manner of sinnes whatsoeuer and to performe all duties alike knowing that if hee faile in one point hee is guiltie of all And though sometime he fall by infirmitie yet he lyeth not long he riseth againe by repentance 3. In the continuance for the one continueth not long in his innocencie at last by one occasion or other his corruption will breake forth and carry him to some grosse sinne or damnable apostacie Iudas for a while liued ciuilly but at last was drawne through couetousnesse to betray his Maister Simon Magus for couetousnesse would haue bought and solde the giftes of the holy Ghost and beeing reprooued for that fault became a notorious apostate And therefore the righteousnesse of such is fitly resembled to the morning deaw which is dryed vp and gone as soone as the Sunne ascendeth on high But the other perseuereth in his vprightnesse vnto the ende hee hath a good begining and a good ending Euen as Iob who neither by the suggestions of Sathan nor by the losse of his goods nor death of his children nor diseases of his body nor aduise of his wife nor vncharitable censures of his friends coulde bee induced to sinne against God Now then seeing heereby you may discerne what this faith is how it differeth from a sauing faith examine yourselues of your faith to see whether it be this or no doe not content your selues with such a faith as is not able to saue your soules Aboue all things see that you haue a special application inward renouation for therein consisteth the very life and soule of sauing faith As you haue seene the nature and degrees of this faith so now see the continuance for it is here sayd They beleeue for a time A while they receiue this faith not alwayes they lose it in the end As they are hypocrites for want of synceritie in the bottome of their hearts so likewise are they temporizers for want of continuance in their courses The Rhemistes in their marginall notes on these wordes would haue this to be obserued against the heretikes as it pleaseth them to terme vs that say Faith once had cannot be lost and that he which now hath not faith neuer had Bellarmine and other Papists alleadge this place to prooue that true faith once had may be quite lost But we answere that the faith whereof Christ heere speaketh may be quite lost so as a man which once had it may want it afterward yet Christ doth not here speake of the true iustifying faith of Gods elect but of the temporary faith which may be in the reprobate as hath beene shewed before And this is apparant out of the words of the text For the persons who thus beleeue are compared to stony ground who by reason of the hardnesse of their hearts are no more able to bring forth fruite then stony ground is able to yeelde a good croppe of corne God forbidde that wee should imagine that any of the elect in the state of grace should be no better then these In the 15. verse Christ speaketh of them resembleth them to good ground and sayeth they heare the word with a good and honest heart do keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Againe the persons here spoken of are sayd to want rootes and so their graces are like corne sowne on the top of a rocke which wanteth depth of earth to send downe and feede the rootes Now dare they say that true iustifying faith wanteth rootes or is it in any mans heart where it hath nothing to grow vpon Doeth not the Apostle teach that they in whose hearts Christ doth dwell by faith are rooted and grounded in loue And that they who haue receiued Christ Iesus the Lord are rooted and built in him and stablished in the faith True iustifying faith is the roote of all vertues on which they grow and from which they receiue life nourishment efficacy Augustine said of Abrahams offering of his sonne I commend the fruit of the good worke but I acknowledge the roote in faith And shall we then say that it hath no rootes it selfe Certaine it is that a true iustifying faith once had can neuer be lost for it is called a stedfast faith in Iesus Christ. It belongeth to that calling and is one of those giftes of God which are without repentance And so it hath beene reckoned long
are yet tangled againe therein and ouercome whose latter ende is worse then the beginning Fulfilling the Prouerbe The Dogge is turned to his owne Uomite the Sowe that was washed to the wallowing in the myre Now these doe not fall away in part only and for a time as the Apostles did at Christs Passion but wholly and perpetually This is a fearefull falling away Corporal relapses into naturall diseases are not so dangerous to the body as these relapses into errour and sinne are dangerous to the soule For by them men procure to themselues a double punishment Poenam damni poenam sensus A punishment of losse For they loose the reward of their former profession and obedience If the Righteous forsake his righteousnes and commit iniquitie all his righteousnes shall be forgotten and he shall die in his iniquitie saith the Lord. Likewise a punishment of sense and that so greeuous as it had bene better for them neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnes theÌ„ after they haue knowne it to turne away from the holy coÌ„maundement giuen vnto them By their backsliding they more dishonour God and offend others then if they neuer had made any profession at all And therefore their punishment shall be greater then if they had neuer knowne the Gospell Here then see the danger of persecution it driues many from Christ Such is the disposition of some as they will not suffer any thing for the Gospell they like and loue it when it brings peace and prosperitie with it but they bid iâ— farewell when it brings persecutioÌ„ Though Christ hath suffered much for them yet will they not suffer any thing for him they would faine raigne with him but they will not suffer with him nor for him And therefore if they be called to beare the crosse they will rather renounce the Gospell then beare the waight of it But let them know that if they deny Christ or his word before men he will deny them before his father in heauen he that setteth his hand to the plough and looketh backward is vnfit for the kingdome of God Let vs arme our selues against this danger that we may continue constant in the day of triall Let not any crosses make vs wearie of well doing knowing that in due season we shall reape if we faint not And because persecution can neuer harme vs if our hearts be good let vs take heede as we are exhorted by the Apostle left there be in any of vs an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away froÌ„ the liuing God but exhort one another daily lest any be hardened with the deceitfulnes of sin If any of your hearts be not yet mollified so as the word of God cannot take deepe rooting in the bottome of them troubles for the Gospell can no sooner befall you then you will renounce it but if your heartes bee throughly mollified if the word take deepe rooting and worke iustifying faith in you neither tribulation nor anguish nor persecution nor famine nor nakednes nor perill nor sword shall separate you from the loue of Christ but in all these things you shall be more then conquerours And finally if it be such an hainous offence to fall away in time of persecution what shall we say of them who fall away in time of peace those doe it by compulsion by force and violence these of their owne accord those doe it halfe against their will but these most willingly those to saue their own goods and preserue their liues these to saue neither being in danger of neither those by constraint these through contempt Those among their enemies who were readie to hurt them if they would not recant these among their friends who will helpe them if they abode constant Those in the field where they feared an ouerthrow these in a laÌ„d of peace where they expected no combat These must needes be more faultie and more inexcusable Those subiects who yeeld to the enemies through feare and for safegard of their liues are more fauoured and more easily pardoned then they who being in no danger did willingly run to the enemies and of their owne accord ioyne with them against their lawfull Prince Oh then what fauour can those expect at Gods hand who in these our happie daies and in this our peaceable land doe fall away from the truth of the Gospell to poperie and profanenesse These are farre worse then dastardly cowards for they yeeld not till they see some danger these yeeld before any danger appeareth These are like those wicked ones who flie when none pursueth them We should resist vnto blood striuing against sinne As Christ shed his blood for the saluation of our soules so should we be readie to shed our blood for the maintenance of his Gospell How farre are they from this who fall away before they sawe any enemies to resist what hope can they haue of mercy from Christ who are so easily turned from the sincerity of his Gospell which they should defend with their dearest blood Thinke seriously of this and take heede of declining in such an happie season Remember Lots wife as Christ biddeth you And consider that she for looking backe toward Sâ—dome was turned into a pillar of salt and that to season vs withall as Augustine thought Deceiue not your selues but knowe for a certaintie that the hearing of the Gospell will not further your saluation but rather aggrauate your condemnation if you fail away from it either in the time of persecution or in the time of peace Vers. 14. And that which fell among thornes are they which haue heard and after their departure are choaked with cares c. NOw followeth the exposition of the third kind of ground which noteth vnto vs a third kind of hearers And those also are bad hearers The ground is full of thornes There is some reasonable depth of soyle yet the seede and the corne sprouted is choaked by thornes and bryars that come vp among it so as it yeeldeth no good crop at haruest In like sort there be some hearers whose hearts are not so hard as the former and who are not tryed by tentation and persecution as they weâ—e whose hearts seeme to be much mooued and deepely pierced with the word and liue in such peaceable times and places that they are neuer called to suffer for the word and yet all is afterward marred by corrupt affections which are not yet mortified but still liue and raigne in their hearts And so these hearers suffer much from both the former kindes The first sort were hindered in their fruitfulnesse by the Diuell who tooke the word out of their hearts The second sort were hindered by other meÌ„ who persecuted them for the Gospell But this sort are hindered by their own carnall and worldly lustes They differ from the first kind because those vnderstood not the word but these vnderstand it and would haue embraced and obeyed it but that it crossed
his household hee denieth the faith and is worse then an Infidell This care ought to be in all There is also a care of diffidence and distrust which is an inordinate care when we keepe no measure in our care when we are not content to vse lawful but also vse vnlawfull meanes and when wee will not depend on Gods mercifull prouidence for a blessing on the meanes but forecast before hand what shall bee the successe and disquiet our mindes with thinking what shall be the issue and with fearing an ill euent This care wee must renounce as a fruit of vnbeliefe and as a thorne that will choake the seede of the word We must with diligence and care vse necessarie and lawfull meanes but leaue the issue to him who knoweth best what to doe We must cast this burden on the Lord as the Psalmist teacheth vs and hee shall nourish vs. Wee must cast all our care on him as the Apostle exhorteth for hee careth for vs. Let vs rest in his good pleasure and be content to take in good part whatsouer hee sendeth knowing that all thinges worke together for the best to them that loue God And so our care shall not hinder the fruitfulnesse of the word 2. But to proceede in the text what is the second thorne that choaketh the word Christ here nameth riches they are as dangerous this way as worldly cares Though some confound these two and make both but one thorne yet is there indeede great difference betwixt them They are heere distinguished one from the other as well as voluptuous liuing is distinguished from them both And in truth they are oftentimes seuered and not found together in some persons A man may be perplexed with worldly care yet not grow rich thereby The poore are oftentimes as carefull how to liue and to get wealth as the rich yea sometime more carefull because their charge is greater and their wantes more but their meanes be fewer and weaker It may bee GOD doth plague their great care with great want the more carefull they are the more needfull they bee If they woulde bee lesse carefull They might bee lesse needfull Againe rich men are sometime without care As is seene in the godlie Abraham was rich so was Iob both in the beginning and also in the later end of his daies and yet both of them free from distrustfull care yet are riches as pricking thornes to choake the word as well as those cares Not onely they who vexe themselues with griping cares how to get and how to exercise their wealth but likewise those who thinke they haue enough already and care not much for more but like the rich man in the Gospell say to their soules Liue at ease eate drinke and take your pastime you haue much goods laid vp for many yeares may be vnprofitable hearers Although this Euangelist nameth riches simply and absolutely without any addition yet is he to be expounded by Mathew and Marke who call this thorne the deceitfulnes of riches And that declareth the manner how they choake the word namely by deceiuing the owners Then bee they thornes when they deceiue If thou enioy them and vse them in great plentie yet shall they not choake the word in thy heart vnles they first deceiue thy soule but if they once deceiue thee they will choake thee Not the world but the cares of the world not riches but the deceitfulnes of riches make the word fruitles And certaine it is that they deceiue many because they make many vnfruitfull hearers In regard whereof Christ said we cannot serue God and riches And that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen And Paul said they that will be rich fall into tentations and snares and into many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition And while some haue lusted after them they erred from the faith and pierced themselues through with many sorrowes And Iames said Whosoeuer will be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God And Iohn said If any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in him But how doe they deceiue men we would faine knowe that will some say I answere that riches deceiue men foure waies 1. In respect of the cause of them They make the owner beleeue that God in speciall fauour and mercy did bestowe them vpon him and that he would neuer haue giuen him such abundance vnles he had dearely loued him And therefore imagineth that he is deepe in Gods bookes and in greater fauour then those that sustaine losses and endure wants This is a grosse deceit Salomon teacheth that a man knoweth neither loue nor hatred of all that is before him that is he neither knoweth whether God loue him or hate him by his outward estate neither by his riches nor by his pouertie And he giueth a reason because all things come alike to all men And the same condition is to the iust to the wicked to the pure and to the polluted to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not As is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an oathe And Christ sheweth that by doing good to al we may be children of our heauēly father who dealeth so in making his sunne to shine on the euill and good and sending a raigne on the iust and vniust Hereby a man may be led into a fooles paradise and made to thinke that he is happy when he is miserable and that God is his friend when he is his foe And a most dangerous deceit this is hurtfull to himselfe and odious to God hurtfull to himselfe because it will make him secure and to content himselfe with his present estate and neuer seeke to better it yea it will cause him to contemne the word which should make him better and to thinke that he is already as good as the word can make him And therefore he will refuse to heare it often and when he heareth it is without profit he deceiueth himselfe in his owne imagination seeming to himselfe that he is somewhat when he is nothing And therefore putteth off from him the curses of the law as not deserued by him but applyeth to himselfe the blessings of the Gospell as if they properly belonged vnto him I would we had none such deceiued rich mē in this our age Those that be such let them know that this fond conceit is odious to God for he threatneth that when a man heareth the curses of the law and blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubbornenes of mine owne heart thus adding drunkennes vnto thirst The Lord will not be mercifull vnto him but then the wrath of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and euery curse that is written in his booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out
was endued with that power that he was able to heale him and trusted that such was his goodnes that he would cure him Cardinall Bellarmine after hee had written very much to prooue that Faith is only an assent to the truth of things reuealed and not an assurance or speciall application of the promises doth at last ouerthrowe all and yeelde to vs. For thus hee writeth of vs they say rightly that euery one may by faith applye to himselfe the generall promises For as I doe belieue by the Catholicke faith that Christ dyed for all So by the same faith I doe belieue that hee dyed for me who am one of them What need we any better witnes then hee who before was our greatest aduersarie Doth not this lay open the nature of Iustifying faith to bee the same that wee teach Is a particular application of generall promises no more then a bare assent to the truth of things reuealed By that faith whereby I beleeue Christ dyed in generall for all doe I also beleeue that hee dyed in particular for me And yet shall wee say that a speciall faith is a forged faith that it is against the nature of faith to apprehend and apply particularly to my selfe the promises of God and the merits of Christ Yet for all this the Cardinall will not graunt that any man is to beleeue the pardon of his owne sinnes in particular because the generall promises are not absolute but conditionall euen with the condition of faith as we acknowledge And therefore demaundeth how a man can absolutely beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen him seeing he caÌ„not learne by any worde of God that hee hath such a faith as is required for the obteyning of the pardon of sinnes And saith that none which beleeue are saued vnlesse they beleeue as they ought to beleeue But therein the Cardinall doth not onely contradict himselfe but likewise many of his fellowes who teach that there is but one faith at all that the dead and Catholicke faith are all one as was shewed before If some beleeue as they ought to beleeue and some beleeue not as they ought haue they all one and the same faith If some so beleeue as by beleeuing they shal bee saued and some so beleeeue as by beleeuing they cannot be saued shall wee say they haue all one and the same faith Then may wee also say that Peter and Iudas had one and the same repentance The Cardinall here sheweth that they do indeede beleeue as they ought to beleeue who haue faith which worketh by loue Yet else-where he laboureth to prooue that a true and Christian faith which by way of disposition iustifyeth the vngodlie may be separated from charitie and from other vertues How repugnant are these things one to another Againe hee that beleeueth may know that he hath faith orherwise Paul would not haue bidden the Corinthians to proue themselues whether they were in the faith Augustine sayd Euery one doth see faith to be in his owne heart if he do belieue or not to be if hee doe not beleeue And that no man can see faith in another but euery one may see it in himselfe The Cardinall saith They beleeue as they ought who haue faith working by loue yet may a man easily know whether hee haue loue or not Therefore sayd Augustine Let a man looke to his heart and see if he haue charitie and then let him say I am borne of God Yea let not any one aske another let euerie one returne to his owne heart if he there finde brotherly charitie hee may bee sure hee hath passed from death to life Would hee haue sayd thus if a man could not haue knowne whether he had charitie or not Michael Medina as Sixtus Senensis testifyeth in defending Ferus against Soto saith There is no man which doubteth but that wee may know true loue and faith to be in vs. Seeing then that by charitie a man may know as the Cardinall teacheth whether hee beleeue as hee ought to beleeue and seeing a man may know whether he haue charitie or not hee may also know whether hee beleeue as he ought and if he beleeue as he ought then by the Cardinals owne confession he may particularly apply to himselfe the generall promises and certainely beleeue that his owne sinnes are pardoned And to conclude this poynt seeing this speciall faith hath such testimony not onely from the diuine Scriptures but likewise from the ancient Doctors of the Church and also from the late Romish writers doe not condemne it as hereticall but seeke earnestly for it as the speciall meane of your saluation SECT VIII THere remaineth another point to be considered touching the persons that be endued with a iustifying faith I taught that it is proper to the Elect. Notwithstanding I knowe that Cardinall Bellarmine goeth about to confute Caluine for holdin that Faith and true righteousnes is proper to the Elect Yet doth he not bring any one argument to proue that it is not proper to them but onely laboureth to proue that faith may be lost Touching this point we will acknowlâ—dge that the best faith which many of the popish prelates doe teach is common both to the reprobate and Elect. The reprobate may giue an assent to the trâ—th of things reuealed as well as the Elect. But there is another faith besides that and more excellent then it as I haue proued before and that is peculiar to Gods Elect. No maruaile though those papists who knowe it not or will not acknowledge it doe hold that there is no faith peculiar to Gods Elect. If they knew the nature of a iustifying faith they would not contend with vs about the persons who haue it Though many haue not written of this point yet besides the texts of scripture alleadged we haue the testimonies of some Augustine as was declared before saith that the faith which worketh by loue onely the seruants of God haue only the Saints of God onely the sonnes of Abraham by faith onely the sonnes of loue the sonnes of promise Will any say that the reprobate are the seruants and saints of God or the beloued sonnes of God or sons of promise If once they were such they should alwaies continue such For as the Apostle teacheth whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not yea he keepeth himselfe and the wicked toucheth him not Is God the father of the wicked said Augustine God forbid The same father said that the faith of the praedestinate either doth not fayle at all or if there be any of them whose faith fayleth it is repayred againe before this life be ended But as for those that finally fall away from faith out of doubt saith he at that time when they liued well and godly they were not to be reckoned in that number for they were not seuered from that masse of perdition by the prescience predestination of God And therefore
same words doth in his owne name expound it of the same faith and distinguisheth it from the other faith saying Faith is here taken not for that vertue whereby wee are called belieuers as it is taken of Paul when hee saith there are three vertues Faith Hope Charitie which faith all Christians haue and then the Apostles had But it is taken for the faith of miracles which Paul putteth 1. Cor. 12. among the diuision of Graces which the holy Ghost imparteth to diuers men diuersly euen as he will And this kinde of faith is no hing else but a Confidence of obtaining or working miracâ—es when it is needfull or profitable by calling vpon the Name of God Caietane doth put as great difference betwixt them writing vpon those words 1. Cor. 12. Alteri fides in eodem spiritu saith thus There is no speech heere concerning the faith of things to be belieued but concerning the faith of thinges to be done For that is common to all Christians but this agreeth onely to some certaine persons Pighius also writeth that the faith which is Fiducia an Assurance or Confidence is in the whole kinde diuerse from that Catholike faith where vnto the power of miracles was adioyned For the one doth properly respect the truth of God for the obiect the other respecteth the goodnes of God as made ours after a manner by mutuall loue That goeth before the loue of God and is separable from it so as the Apostle affirmed that he might haue all faith of that kinde though hee had not loue But this doth follow loue and is a bud of it That may be euen in the workers of iniquitie who at the day of iudgement shall heare Christ say to them I neuer knew you But this belongeth onely to iust and holymen who haue already sanctified or Dedicated their soules to God through the obedience of Charitie So many wayes doth hee distinguish them and so farre was he from making them one and the same kinde of faith or making the one to be a degree of the other Consider then I pray you how the Rhemistes and Bellarmine are singular in this their conforming of a miraculous faith with a iustifying faith hauing not only the scriptures but also all sorts of writers gainsaying them And therefore it may well be supposed that rather a desire to contradict vs then any consent of theyr owne Church or any sound reason to warraÌ„t them hath moued them to make that confusion of two distinct gifts And will you giue credite to such spitefull and partiall writers SECT X. Of Hystoricall Faith THe first kind of ordinary faith which is common both to the Elect and reprobate I called an historicall or dogmaticall faith yet I knowe there be many who neither can abide the name and tytle of historicall faith nor yet will acknowledge any difference betwixt the thing signified thereby and a iustifying faith but make them both one Touching the name Gregory Martine said that historicall and speciall faith are hereticall tearmes newly deuised Cardinall Bellarmine saith that Catholikes do not vse the name of historicall faith least they should seeme to thinke that the deedes of the Saints which are recorded in scripture are not beleeued but for the authoritie of the historie writers And that there is but one faith which is neither to be called historicall nor miraculous but a Catholike faith Yet the thing feared by the Cardinall to arise vppon the vse of the Name is but a vaine pretence If he and his fellowes had feared the like daunger in the vse of other Names they would neuer haue allowed the name of Transubstantiation lest any should thinke that they holde a reall Conuersion of the substance of the Bread and Wine into the substance of Christs bodie for so much doth the proper signification of the word import when as the name of hystoricall faith importeth no such thing as he feareth The onely reason why hee and his fellowes contemne the tytle is because we sometime vse it Such is their hatred to vs that they are vnwilling to vse anie Terme of ours though it bee neuer so fitting and proper But first let them knowe that we may lawfully vse terms and tytles to expresse our meaning if the thing meant thereby may be prooued by the Scripture though the Terme it selfe bee not expressely found in the Scripture The ancient Fathers gaue to CHRIST the name and Tytle of omousios consubstantiall to expresse the equalitie of his Godhead with the Father The Arians misliked it because they found it not in the Scriptures Yet the Fathers one after another defended it and vsed it still because though the Name it selfe were not there yet the thing signified thereby was found there Euen as the Arians themselues gaue to the Father the tytles of Unbegotten Incomprehensible Incircumscriptible Incorporall and such like which words were not found in the Scripture yet were the things meant thereby The Cardinall relateth this at large with many testimonies And acknowledgeth that in expressing the mysterie of the Trinitie they vse many names and words which although they be not found in scripture yet their seedes and equiualents are there found And the Rhemists graunt that wee may not measure the newnesse or oldenesse of wordes and tearmes of speaking in Religion by holy Scriptures onely as though all those or onely those were newe and to be reiected that are not expresly found in holie Writte but we must esteeme them by the agreeablenesse or disagreeablenesse they haue to the true sense of Scripture Now wee meane nothing by this Hystoricall Faith but that firme assent which men doe giue to the thinges written in Scripture Not onely to the hystories of Acts done but likewise to all doctrines of faith manners there taught And therefore we also call it a Dogmaticall Faith a faith whereby wee beleeue all the Doctrines of the Scriptures to bee true By which tytle the Cardinall confesseth Cyrill and Chrysostome haue called this faith And hee himselfe calleth that a Dogmaticall Faith which hee saith wee call an Hystoricall Faith And the faith which we meane by the Hystoricall Faith wee prooue out of Scriptures as may be seene in my former Sermons Yea the Papists will not deny but that there is such a faith taught in the Scriptures Yea this is the onely faith which they require Yea Bellarmine though he scarce dare vse the name yet he acknowledgeth that by our Historicall faith wee meane that faith which they call An assent which they giue to the narration of things past not for the authoritie of men but of God himselfe who hath reuealed them And that faith he proueth by Scripture If then they agree with vs about the thing why doe they wrangle with vs about the name It is a folish thing saith Bellarmine to striue about the name when men are agreed of the thing Moreouer not onely the old Doctors
God here bestoweth on man yet are they greater enemies to it and seeke more to disgrace it then any other gift or grace whatsoeuer Some haue thought so basely of it as they haue taught it was too mean a grace for the Virgine Mary to be endued withal Though Augustine sayd Mary was more blessed by perceiuing the faith of Christ then by conceiuing the flesh of Christ. Yet Albertus Magnus who as Hosius saith was not without cause called Gteat goeth about to proue that she had not faith at all but a certaine kinde of knowledge aboue faith Such a knowledge and puritie as neuer any had in the way but the Angels haue in heauen Oh consider that this is the Dâ—uels pâ—llicie and practise that if he cannot make men otherwise to thinke then that faith is absolutely necessarie to saluation hee then stirreth vp some to teach them a false and insufficient faith because hee knoweth that will no more profite them then no faith as all Wherefore searce out the true faith and seeke for it SECT XIII IN speaking of that Faith which is called Temporary and may be lost I touched a question whether true Iustifying Faith may be quite lost And the rather because some popish writers alleadge that place to proue that it may bee lost Not to say any thing of those reasons and texts of Scripture then produced by me to proue that true faith cannot be lost I will now for your further satisfaction set downe the testimonies of diuers learned men approoued by your side who consent with mee in this poynt Augustine taught that those who haue this faith shall neuer perish but shall certainely be saued The Faith which worketh by loue suffereth no man to perish said he So in another place when he exhorted men to a true and right faith so to beleeue in Christ as that they loued him Not to beleeue in him as the Diuels did who though they beleeued yet did not loue Christ and therefore saide to him What haue wee to doe with thee thou Sonne of God But so to beleeue him as wee loue him and say not What haue wee to doe with thee but rather say Wee belong to thee thou hast redeen ed vs. He therevpon inferreth that all they which thus beleue are as liuely stones of which the Temple of God is built and as those neuer putrifying plancks and timber of whieh the arke was made that could not bee drowned in the Flood If they that thus beleeue cannot perish then their faith cannot be lost for they are kept and saued by faith If any will answere that if they keepe their faith they shall not perish but they may lose their faith and so perish Let them heare the same Father in plain tearms denying that For speaking of the praedestinate he saith These mens faith which worâ—eth by loue eyther doth not fayle at all or if there be some of them whose faith fayleth it is repayred before this life bee ended and the iniquitie which came betwixt being blotted out they are reputed to haue perseuerance vnto the end And further teacheth that they whose faith finally faileth were neuer of the number of the elect nor of the number of Christs Disciples Yet more plainely afterward Christ therefore praying for these that their faith might not faile without doubt it shall not fayle vnto the end and therefore it shall continue vnto the end neyther shall the end of this life finde it otherwise then continuing This hee speaketh of them who were called according to Gods purpose as the words immediately going before doe testifie In whom as there hee saith the gifts and calling of God are without repentance And in this respect hee there preferreth the state of the praedestinate aboue the estate of Adam in Paradise And sheweth that this gift of perseuerance is more needfull for the praedestinate now because they are assaulted with so many and so great Tentations And at last concludeth the faithfull man not onely because he hath obteyned mercy that he may be faithfull but also because his faith it seâ—fe fayleth not When he glorieth let him glorie in the Lord. Beda rehearseth the words of Augustine touching the efficacie of Christs prayer in keeping the faith of them who be called according to Gods putpose from fayling reckoneth faith as one of those gifts of God that are without repentance and faith they are without repentance because they are stedsastly fastened without changing And those who beleeue are taught of God and none of them shall perish because Christ looseth none of those whome the father hath giuen him Gregory the great did very fitly distinguish of Gods gifts and shewed the difference betwixt them in regard of continuance There be some gifts of his without which a man cannot attaine to life There be others by which holines of life is declared for the profit of others for meekenes bumilitie patience faith hope charitie are his gifts but those without which men can neuer come to life but prophecie the gift of healing diuersitie of tongnes interpretation of speech are his gifts yet such as shew the presence of his power for the correction of the beholders In those giftes therefore without which men cannot come to life the holy Ghost doth alwayes abide in his preachers or in all the elect But by the other he doth not alwayes abide To the same effect hee likewise speaketh else-where saying The holy Ghost according to certain vertues doth alwayes abide in the harts of the Saintes But according to other hee doth come and goe away goe away and come againe For by Faith Hope and Charitie and other graces without which a man cannot come to Heauen he neuer forsaketh the hearts of the perfect Bernard propouâ— ded a question How any of those who are vnited to Christ by faith can be cut off from him as vnfruitfull branches are cut off from the Vine Seeing be that is coupled with Christ is one spirite with him And answered it by distinguishing of faith that there is a dead faith a fained faith a perueâ—se faith and a right faith And therevpon inferred that hee whoÌ„ had any of the three former might be cut off but he who had the last could not be cut off from that Vine Hee shall abide in Christ and beare fruite and the Father will purge him that hee may beare more fruite Most of the learned Papists seeme to come neere vnto vs in this point Though Stapleton teach that saith cannot be lost by euery mortall sinne but by sinning often and falling often into the same sinnes it may be lost As the rootes of a Tree will not wither if onely one twig be pluâ—ked away but if all be plucked away they will dye Yet is he contradicted by all his fellowes Thomas Aquinas acknowledgeth that faith remaineth in men when they fall from holynes to sinne Whereas some helde that man sinning
and growe for a while but not long if heate drought doe come it will be parched and wither away for lacke of moysture Such is the case of some hearers their hearts being mollified in part somewhat soft aboue but very hard below toward the bottome will not suffer the word to take any deepe rooting in them It may enter into their harts yet it cannot pearce into the bottome of them It may be some rooting yet very ebbe and shallow It may prosper for a while and they make some profession of it yet not long And in regard hereof they become vnprofitable hearers So as from hence we may obserue a double danger and inconuenience of an heart that is not throughly mollified to the bottome It both hindereth the rooting of the word and also the fruitfulnes of it 1. It hindereth the rooting of the word so as it cannot possibly go deepe enough the word should descend to the bottome of the heart and there take rooting and be continually nourished with the moysture of it but it cannot descend so farre vnles it be throughly mollified Not onely they whose hearts are altogether hard as was the hart of Pharaoh when he heard Moses and Aaron and the Scribes and Pharises when they heard Christ but also they whose hearts are softened onely in part are vnprofitable hearers As not onely those rockes which be bare on the top and altogether hard and haue no manner of soyle and moysture aboue but likewise those which be couered with a litle moysture and earth aboue but not much are vnfit to receiue seede The one will not receiue the seede at all nor suffer it to sprout or shoote forth a blade the other will cause it to sproute and shoote forth a blade but neuer to beare a ripe eare So they who haue hearts altogether hardened will not heare or at least not receiue the word of God at all into any part of their hearts but those who haue hearts partly soft and partly hard may receiue the word and retaine it for a time but will neuer bring forth the fruites of it Wherefore the holy Ghost saith in the Psalmes and it is applyed by the Apostle to the hearers of the Gospell To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Because the hard hearted can neuer heare the word of God so reuerently and effectually as they ought to doe the Lord biddeth vs not to harden but to soften our hearts if we will heare his voyce The harder the heart is the more vnprofitable shall be the hearing the softer the heart is the more profitable shall the hearing be Againe this hardnes will cause men to deny the word in time of tentation The moysture and softnes aboue is the cause of receiuing the word with ioy and beleeuing for a time but the hardnes and drinesse below is the cause of reuolting afterward When Gods hand was heauie on Pharoh he somewhat relented humbled himselfe and confessed his sinne but as soone as it was remoued he returned with the dogge to his vomit and became as obstinate as euer he was before So if a mans heart be mollified onely in part he may relent while he heares the word and may embrace it with peace but in time of persecution may grow as hard as euer he was before euen as yron is soft in some measure while it is in the fire but becommeth hard againe when it is cold Let vs not therefore content our selues with an vpper softening but see that our hearts be softened to the very bottome that they may melt like waxe at the fire as good king Iosiahs heart did when he heard the lawe read I knowe that none of our hearts are so soft as they should be But if thou feelest thine owne hardnes doest mislike it desirest earnestly that it may be more and more mollified and doest vse all good meanes for the further mollifying of it thy heart either is alreadie or shall be within a while so softened as it may receiue the word profitably to thy saluatiō If Goates blood being warme can soften the hard Adamant doubt not but the blood of Christ can sufficiently mollifie thy heart though it were as hard as a rocke If thou pray earnestly vnto God to take away the stony heart of thy body and to giue thee an heart of flesh be assured that he will performe it seeing he hath promised it by his holy Prophet 3. Let vs now come to the third propertie of these hearers They belieue for a time Mathew and Marke say they endure for a season that is they endure in their faith but a while They doe belieue yet not long But it is to be considered what kinde of faith this is Though the Papists teach that there is but onely one kinde of faith yet may we find many seuerall distinct kindes thereof in the holy scriptures There be foure kindes of faith One is proper and peculiar to Gods elect and to the regenerate The rest are common both to the elect and the reprobate That which is proper and peculiar to the elect is a true iustifying faith whereby a man doth apprehend and apply to himselfe all the promises of God in Christ and all the merits of Christ for the pardon of his sinne and the saluation of his soule This is called by S. Paul the faith of Gods Elect because onely they and all they be endued with it And therefore it is said that as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued Though all of them doe not receiue it at the same time but some sooner some later yet is there not any of the Elect but at one time or other they doe receiue it This is called an vnfayned faith or a faith without dissimulation or hypocrisie because it is not counterfaited and is a faith in deed and in truth and is seated not in the tongues or the head but in the bottome of the heart This faith is said to purifie the heart and is called the faith of the Saints because none haue it but those who be sanctified By this faith are we now iustified without the workes of the law and by this must we be saued as the Apostle proueth at large in his Epistles But this is not the faith here spoken of Againe there be other kindes of faith which be common both to the Elect and reprobate And these are either extraordinarie or ordinarie Extraordinarie as the faith of working miracles whereof the Apostle speaketh saying If I had all faith sothat I could remoue mountaines and had not loue I were nothing Iudas the childe of perdition had this faith as well as the rest of the Apostles for he wrought miracles as well as they And many shall say to Christ haue not we in thy name cast out diuells and by thy name done many great miracles to whom he shall answere I neuer knew you depart from
disposition of their hearts And therefore a maried person hearing in a better manner and receiuing the word with a better heart then a virgine then a widowe shall bring forth more fruites of the word and receiue more benefite by his hearing 3. Againe God will neither respect nor reward any for their outward estates and conditions but for the right vse of them and for their good cariage and godly behaulour in them And therefore Augustine said Mâ—lior est maritata humilis quam virgo superba An humble maried woman is better then a proud virgin And Cyril compared virgins which had chastitie of body without puritie of minde without grace in the heart and obedience in their liues vnto those fiue foolish virgins that had lampes without oyle and were not suffered to enter into the bridegromes wedding chamber And Augustine preferred maried martyrs before chaste virgins But to leaue them with their absurd collection and to come to the doctrine here entended by Christ we are here taught that many may heare the word of God together and all be profitable hearers and all be saued by their hearing yet all doe not profite alike nor bring forth the same fruites of obedience in their liues but some fewer some more according as their hearts are prepared and according as it pleaseth the Lord to bestowe his graces Yea though they all heare one and the same man and the same sermons and one heare as often as another yet may one be more plentifull in the fruites of the word then is another All furrowes of the same land doe not bring forth an equall number of eares and all eares of the same furrowe doe not beare an equall number of graines but some more some lesse as it pleaseth the Lord to giue an encrease The consideration whereof serueth for the instruction of all sorts of good hearers whatsoeuer measure of fruits they doe bring forth 1. First this may comfort those good hearers who profite not so much in hearing as some others doe doe not attaine to such a measure of knowledge nor are able to yeelde such aboundance of fruite as others doe If theyr hearts bee holy and good if they doo all of Faith and sinceritie and desire to bring forth more fruites God will account them profitable Hearers and accept of theyr obedience And the Worde which they heare shall saue theyr soules As Husbandmen are glad of all Eares which haue Corne in them though some bee longer some shorter some containe more graines some contayne fewer yet will they gather all into the Barne So God doth accept of all persons that bring foorth the fruites of the word and will bring to Heauen as well those that haue lesser as those that haue more fruits Such is his Mercie and Bountie that although hee requyre the same measure of all yet finding difference among them because of the diuersitie of his grace hee doth so receyue the first and the best as hee doth not refuse the second and middle-sorte nor yet reiect the last and least Vnder the Lawe there were some Sacrifices cheaper some more costly If men or womeÌ„ by reason of theyr pouertie were not able to offer the better the Lord was coÌ„tent to take the meaner And therefore CHRIST commended the pore widdowes two mytes aboue all the great gifts which rich men cast into the treasurie And vnder the Gospell the Seruant which receyued two Talents and by employment made them foure was commended and rewarded of his Maister as well as he that had receiued fiue and made them tenne And they that wrought but one houre in the Vineyard receiued the same penny at night with them that had borne the heate and burden of the day Wherefore let not thyne owne penurie and other mens plentie of fruite dismay thee but consider That if thou practise what thou knowest doest as many good workes as the Lord doth enable thee and art willing and desirous to doe more if ability were afforded and occasion offered thou art a good hearer and mayest goe to heauen with those that farre exceede thee in the number of their fruites Yet let not any take occasion hereby to be more backward and sparing in their fruits as if a small quantitie would serue the turne All of vs ought to striue to bring forth abundance yea each yeere more then other Those which be planted in the house of the Lord do flourish and bring forth in their olde age It is to be feared that he who desireth to be no better is not good at all and he that desireth to bring forth no more fruites bringeth forth none at all that be good Let them vnderstand that none bring forth such store of fruit as they ought And that he which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly he that soweth liberally shall reape liberally God will crowne his owne gifts in vs. The more fruits they beare heare the more glorie shall they enioy in heauen Let them therefore striue to abound more more in all good fruits knowing that this consolation belongeth not to the which will not abound with more though they might but onely to those which would abound with more and cannot being hindered by their infirmities or through want of abilitie and opportunitie In them GOD will take the will for the deede and will no lesse reward them then those who hauing more meanes and better abilitie haue brought forth more fruits 2. Lastly this diuersitie of fruit in good hearers may teach them that bee more plentifull in hearing them then others be not to be proud of theÌ„selues nor to despise those that bring forth fewer for both of them are reckoned in the number of good and profitable hearers They which bring forth some lesser fruits may haue good hearts may be iustified may be sanctified may be in fauour with God and at last enter into heauen as wel as thou who aboundest with more Paul laboured more abundantly then all the Apostles and suffered more then any of them And therefore farre more then any common Christian. Though toward his end the remembrance therof did much comfort him so as he could say I haue fought a good sight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth is layde vp for me the Crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge will giue vnto me at that day Yet hee addeth these words concerning his copartners in the reward And not onely vnto mee but vnto all them also that loue his appearing Because many others who came short of him in the abundance of labours and sufferings should be crowned as well as he Dost thou surpasse others in the multitude of fruites be not high minded doe not despise them for what hast thou which thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou of it as if thou hadst not receiued it If thou abound more then others thou mayst
And therefore Augustine thus distinguished them Credere Deo To giue credit to GOD is to belieue that those things are true which he speaketh Credere Deâ— is to belieue that he is God Credere in illum to belieue in him is to loue him So else-where hee saith of two of them There is great difference whether a man belieue him to bee Christ and whether hee belieue in Christ For the Diuels belieue him to be Christ yet did not belieue in Christ. Hee belieueth in Christ who both trusteth in Christ and loueth CHRIST He that belieueth in CHRIST by belieuing in Christ CHRIST shall come into him he after a sort is vnited vnto him and is made a member in his body To the same effect speaketh Eusebius Emissenus Credere Deo is one thing Credere Deum is another Credere in Deum is another which none is proued to doe but he who deuoutly trusteth in him The like difference doeth Bernard put betwixt them Credere Deo is to giue credit to his wordes Credere Deâ— is to confesse him to be euery where Credere in Deum is to direct all his hope vnto him Bernardine likewise saith that credere Deo credere Deâ—may be acts both of a dead liuing faith but the third onely Credere in Deum is an act of a liuely faith Seeing there is a faith Quacredimus Deo and a faith Qua credimus Deum and a faith Qua credimus in Deum and all these three doe so much differ one from another in their naturall properties how can they al be one and the same faith Againe the same Authours shew a difference betwixt them because some of them be sometime giuen as well to the creature as to the Creator another belongeth onely to the Creator It is to be knowne said Augustine that we ought to beleeue the Church but not in the Church because the Church is not God but the house of God And in another place That wee may say of the Apostles We beleeue Paul but we doe not beleeue in Paul Wee beleeue Peter but we doe not beleeue in Peter Ruffinus likewise obserued that in the Creede we are taught not to say In Sanctam Ecclesiam I beleeue in the Church for then we should haue the same saith toward it that we haue toward God And further noteth That in all Articles which concerne the Godhead the praeposition In is added but in those that concerne the creatures it is omitted And by it is put a difference betwixt the Creator and the creatures betwixt diuine and humane things Though the Rhemistes finding that they can call on none but in whom they doe beleeue doe teach that we may beleeue in the Saints that so they my bee inuocated Yet is that their assertion condemned not onely by the Fathers of former ages but also by their owne fellowes of late time who with one consent doe teach that though we may beleeue others yet we must beleeue in none but God alone As therefore that feare and reuerence that seruice and worshippe which we owe to men as well as to God doth differ in kinde from that which wee doe giue onely to God So that faith which wee haue as well toward men as toward God must needs differ in kind from that which we haue in God onely Lastly many writers teach a manifest difference of these three in respect of the persons in whom they are found Augustine sayeth that the saith which worketh by loue namely Credere in Deum onely the seruants of God haue onely the Saints of GGD onely the sonnes of Abraham by faith onely the sonnes of loue onely the sonnes of promise And when I come to speake of Iustifying faith in particular I shall prooue that this belongeth onely to the elect But the other kindes are found in others Saint Iames teacheth that the Diuels belieue there is a God and but one God they knew Christ when hee was euen the holy one of God Augustine sayd the Diuels belieued ipsum esse Christum that he was the Christ nec tamen in Christum crediderunt yet they did not belieue in Christ. Likewise Credere ipsum esse Deum Daemones possunt Yea hee further saith Not onely the Diuels but likewise the Pagans credunt Deum Bernard writeth thus Deum Deo credunt Daemones non in Deum The Maister of Sentences that Diuels and wicked men and false Christians may credere Deum credere Deo Ferus that it is not all one thing Credere Deum credere Deo and credere in Deum vngodly men can doe the two former but onely godly men do the last Thomas Aquinas hauing distinguished all three sayth the two first suffices not because all men credunt Deum and Heretickes credunt Deo because they beleeue those thinges to be true which be written by the Prophets and Euangelists concerning God Christ. Who then can thinke that the faith which Diuels Pagans wicked men vngodly men false and counterfaite Christians and Heretickes haue is the selfe same in kind in nature substance with that faith which God bestoweth on the elect on them which be his children be holy and iust As they are better beloued of God and in more fauour with God so assuredly they be endued with a better kinde of faith whereby they are made partakers of that his fauour and grace SECT VI. BVt to leaue those Authours and that distinction let vs come to other writers who in other termes set forth diuers kinds of faith Bernard saith that there is a fourefold faith A dead faith a fayned faith a peruerse faith and a right faith which he also called a Catholicke faith In the first saith he are proud men riotous couetous theeues robbers and such like In the second are men disobedient to spirituall Fathers vnthankfull for heauenly gifts who are without brotherly affectioÌ„ without peace of charity accusers-of their brethreÌ„ louers of pleasures more theÌ„ louers of God hauing a shew of godlinesse but denying the power thereof In the 3. are Hereticks lifted vp against God proud of their errors and blasphemers against God In the last are meeke men patient gentle humble chast louers of God their neighbours ready to euery good worke waiting for the redeÌ„ption of the sons of God And her eckoneth euery one of these as a faith of some Christians Will any man say that all these are one and the same faith in substance and kinde and differ onely in degrees hee might as well say that crooked and straight heate and cold are the same qualities Tollet the late Cardinall in plaine tearms acknowledgeth diuers kinds of faith There is one kinde of faith whereby we beleeue and doe assent to the doctrines reuealed and propounded by the Church to be beleeued which Cyrill called a dogmaticall faith There is another kinde of faith whereby we doe not
things reuealed the other respecteth the mercy and goodnes of God in Christ offered to penitent sinners Bernardinus de Senis out of Alexander Halensis saith that credere Deo hath the truth of God for his obiect and so we beleeue him because we thinke those things to be true which he speaketh but credere Deum respecteth his power as he is omnipotent and the Creator but credere in Deum hath respect to his goodnes wherevnto we come through loue Pighius naming but two of these three for he ioyneth two of them together saith the one doth properly respect the truth of God for an obiect the other doth rather respect the goodnes of God as it is after a sort through naturall loue now made ours The faith which made Abels sacrifice acceptable to God was a iustifying faith yet Erasmus said God accepted his sacrifice because he did with a sincere heart trust his goodnes And we heard before out of Iansenius that the faith by which meÌ„ are saued obtaine their requests doth not onely comprehend a firme assent in things to be beleeued but likewise an assurance conceiued and arising from his goodnes Can these be one and the same habite who differ so much in their speciall and proper obiects 4. They differ in their proper and immediate effects For first the one iustifieth the other doth not iustifie That there is a faith which iustifieth Paul teacheth at large and in many places We conclude saith he â—hat a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law And to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnes And know that a man is not iustifyed by the workes of the lawe but by the faith of Iesus Christ. I need not proue this seeing the papists confesse with vs that there is a Faith which iustifieth though they contend with vs about the maner how it iustifieth That there is a Faith that iustifieth not the Apostle Iames teacheth Namely a dead Faith a faith without works such a faith as the diuels haue Augustine teacheth vs which is the Faith which iustifieth Namely the faith qua credimus in Deum whereby we belieue in God and which is the Faith which iustifieth not namely Fides quacredimus Deo wherby we giue credit to God wheÌ„ he saith we belieue the Apostle but wee belieue not in the Apostle because the Apostle doth not iustifie the vngodly but vnto him that belieueth in him who iustifieth the vngodly his faith shall be reputed for Righteousnesse As if Credere Deo which is an historicall and dogmaticall faith were not sufficient to â—…stifie vs but credere Deum which is to haue a special confidence in God as before was declared Not only Augustine but likewise Bernard and the M of sentences doe teach that the diuels credunt Deo doe belieue all things to be true which God hath reuealed which is a right historical faith And yet I hope the Papists will not say that the diuels are iustified For then might they holde with Origen that they shall be saued Lumbard hauing shewed the difference betwixt these three Credere Deo credere Deum and credere in Deum doth say of the last By this faith the vngodly is iustified that afterward Faith it selfe may beginne to worke by loue Because a man is iustified by it and not by eyther of the other two and because it doth worke by loue not before it iustifie but rather begins to worke by loue when it hath iustified And therefore doth not iustifie by vertue of charitie whereby it worketh Are you then so simple to belieue that the Faith which iustifieth and the faith which iustifieth not are all one That two men hauing one and the same Faith the one of them should bee iustified by his Faith and the other should not be iustified by his If they bee one and the same Faith whence comes this great difference in theyr proper and immediate effects But the other faith is without good workes as Saint Iames teacheth and this is called by him a dead faith The Councell of Trent acknowledgeth that it may most truely be said Faith without Workes is dead and idle And what faith is this but euen an hystoricall faith Ferus wrote that by Faith whereby wee assent to those things which be deliuered in the diuine hystories and which the Church propoundeth to be belieued the schoolmen call vnformed Faith and Iames calleth a Dead-faith But what faith is that which is dead and wanteth his substantiall forme Truely saith he it is no faith but a vaine opinion And then afterward describeth a iustifying faith as being another kinde of faith Though Dominicus Soto went about to confute his description of a iustifying faith yet did he not mislike any thing which hee spake of the hystoricall vnformed and dead faith And so by his silence doth iustify him heerein as may appeare in Sixtus Senensis Now the faith with workes and the faith without works doe so much differ that the one is properly called a faith and a true faith the other is not called a faith but only by equiuocation Therefore Augustine said hee doth not belieue Jesus to be Christ who doth not so liue as Christ hath commanded Iames saith 26 Shewe me thy faith by thy workes and I will shewe thee my faith by my workes As if neyther of them had any true faith vnlesse they could shewe it by their workes Whervpon Thomas Aquinas gaue this glosse Shew me thy faith As if hee should say Prooue vnto mee by some certaine signes that thou hast Faith thou canst not proue it when workes be wanting wordes are no sufficient witnesses And in another place hee saith That vngodly men seeme to haue true faith when indeede they haue not Gregory 1. once Bishop of Rome telleth vs That we ought to make knowne the truth of our faith by the consideration of our life for then are wee beleeuers in truth if that which we promise in words we fulfil in works And froÌ„ him the Councell of Mentz protested that hee doth truely beleeue who exerciseth by working that which he beleeueth If then the one of these bee a true Faith indeede and is truely and properly so to be called and the other is not a true faith indeede and improperly so called how can they be one and the same faith No more then a working horse and an idle painted horse are one and the same Againe these two doc so differ as that the one is called a liuing Faith the other is called a dead Faith That which iustifieth and bringeth forth good works is called a liuing Faith So the iust man is sayd to liue by Faith And Paul sayd I liue by the Faith in the Sonne of God Ferus hauing described the nature of a true Iustifying faith that it
charitie loueth Faith respecteth the first trueth Charitie the chiese good Not the second because although charity arise of faith yet it doth not arise as a proper passion which doth necessarily flowe from the subiect but as a vertue vnto which an other doth dispose and encline And Thomas Aquinas saith Seeing Charitie is without the essence of faith by the comming or departure of it the substance of faith is not changed And although Bellarmine holde with the school-men that Charitie is the forme of faith yet he tteacheth that it is an outward not an inward forme And such a forme as doth not giue beeing vnto it but motion Howe then can it make it make any essentiall differēce betwixt that faith which hath it and that faith which wanteth it I know that the Fathers do sometime note loue as a difference betwixt the faith of Christians and diuels and betwixt the faith of good Christians and bad Yet do they not make it the onely difference betwixt them they teach an essentiall differēce by belieuing in God with trust and confidence Againe they might better make it a difference of theyr faith then the Papists can make it a difference of the faith which they teach because it was a necessary and proper effect proceeding from that their faith not from any other For those that do so belieue in God with hope and confidence of his mercie and goodnes towards them cannot but loue him But papists haue no such confidence nor assurāce in their faith which should make them to loue God they may haue all theyr faith without loue And therefore loue cannot distinguish it essentially from the faith of diuels So then to shut vp this point it still remaineth apparent that in the nature and substance there is no difference at all betwixt popish assenting faith and the faith of diuels And surely those that now content themselues with such a faith as is no better in substance then the faith of diuels may iustly feare least hereafter they shall haue no better estate in substance then the deuils haue SECT XII THe last kinde of faith which I mentioned I called a Temporary faith which differeth from a dead faith because while it lasteth it bringeth forth outward fruites And yet is not the same with a iustfying faith because it commeth short of it by many degrees doth not saue any and continueth not vnto the end This faith is scarce knowne to the papists very fewe of their writers make any mention of it Yet lest any should thinke that it is a new coyned tearme and a newly inuented faith I will shew what authors write of it Augustine long agoe vsed the name and tytle together with the name of Historicall faith as before I declared Bernard doth at large describe it and sheweth the difference betwixt it and other kindes of faith he maketh a diuisiō of a threefold faith There is a dead faith a fained faith and a tried faith The dead faith the Apostle defineth to be a faith without workes which doth not worke by loue The fained faith saith he I thinke that is called which hauing receiued life from charitie begins to be moued to worke well but not perseuering doth faile and die as an vntimely birth In the same sense indeed I may call it fained or fashioned that we call the potters vessels fictilia non because they are not profitable so long as they last but because seeing they are brickle they doe not last long Of this fayning of faith I thinke they are noted in the Gospell who beleeue for a while and in time of tentation goe away When and whither doe they depart surely from faith to infidelitie And these saith Christ haue no rootes He doth not deny but they haue that which is good but he rather blameth them that they were not rooted in that which is good Such are the soules hauing as yet a little and tender charitie and for this cause their faith though liuely yet fained or fraile must needes faile in tentation What kinde of faith euery mans is tribulation doth try If any man faile it is knowne to be fained If any mans continue it is iudged to be a tried and a perfect faith c. So likewise in another place he hauing described what is an vnfained faith he addeth that it is called an vnfained faith to shew the difference of it from a dead faith and a fained faith A dead faith is that which is without workes A fained faith is that which beleeueth for a season and in time of tentation goeth away whence it is called ficta fayned that is fraile or brickle Bernardine hath the same distinction and almost the very same wordes with Bernard in the former place and proueth the difference of a fained and failing faith from a dead faith and a tried faith by the words of the Euangelist Luk. 8. 13. they beleeue for a time Michaell Medina was so farre from thinking that this temporarie faith was the same with a iustifying faith that he accounted it while it continued to be no true faith at all For this he writeth True faith is the faith of Gods elect onely I confesse the reprobate doe belieue but for a season For in the time of tentation they goe away Which faith because it hath no rootes the holie Scripture doth not call a true faith And that faith which doth not bring forth the fruite of glorie is no faith before Christ. In this respect the reprobate are accused of vnbeliefe Because although they seemed in outward appearance to belieue yet they did not truely belieue because they wanted eyther true Charitie or Constancie which is so annexed to true faith that in Scripture faith is taken for fidelitie and that hee proueth by the wordes of the Apostle 1. Pet. 2. 6. These wordes and many more to the same effect are related by Sixtus Senensis yet not confuted nor condemned and therefore seeme to be approued Doe not you therefore condemne me for teaching the temporary faith to be another faith then iustifying faith is Thus I hope you plainely see that there is not one only faith in all men as some of your teachers would bear you in hand but that there be diuers kindes of faith really distinct one from another in nature in degrees in efficacy and operation And that this hath beene the ancient doctrine of the true Church and still hath bene taught by some in the Romane Church I pray God that you may not deceiue your selues with a fained faith nor content your selues with that assenting faith which some doe falsely tell you is sufficient But that you may seeke and also obtaine that iustifying faith which is able to saue your soules Take heede of giuing too much credite to some late popish writers Their malice against vs prouoketh them to speake worse of faith then they ought Though it be the most necessary and most effectuall grace which
and of a professed Christian become an Infidell but he who hath a true Justifying faith cannot quite loose it he may fall in outward shew onely still retayning faith in his heart so did Peter in his fall as shall afterward appeare but he who falleth away indeed and in truth totally and finally neuer had this iustifying faith Marcellinus Bishop of Rome seemed to fall into infidelitie when he sacrificed to Idols did he then loose his faith was he then become an Infidell indeed Then may the Bishop of Rome not onely erre in matters of faith but likewise quite loose his faith and become an Infidell yea an Infidell then may be the head of the Romane Church To auoyd this inconuenience Bellarmine answereth that he was neither Hereâ—icke nor Infidell but onely in outward acte for feare of death did sacrifice to Idolls As if he kept faith in his heart when he performed the outward act of an Infidell And of Liberius another Bishop of Rome he likewise saith That though it be true that he subscribed to the Arian heresie yet hee was no Hereticke but onely sinned in outward acte as Marcellinus did Why then may we not say that a Iustified beleeuer though hee through feare fall to the outward act of Infidelitie yet still keepeth faith in his heart Moreouer the testimonies which I alleadged out of the Fathers are absolute generall as well against the losing of faith by infidelitie as against the losâ—oâ—g of it by sinne But if any did fall to Infidelitie not onely in outward act but also in hart totally in deed in truth they were iudged by the Fathers neuer to haue had this faith Augustine said that those who doe not perseuere but so fall away from Christian faith and conuersation that the end of this life finde them such out of doubt at that time when they liued well and godly were not to be reckoned in the number of the elect and of them who are called according to his purpose So hee writeth of the Discciples which forsooke Christ at Capernaum That they were called Disciples the Gospell so speaking and yet they were not Disciples in truth because they abode not in his word According to that which he saith If yee abide in my Worde yee are verily my Disciples Therefore because they had not perseuerance As they were not truely the Diseiples of Christ So neyther were they truely the sonnes of God Euen when they seemed to bee and were so called And if they were not truely the Sonnes of God they had no faith For by Faith are we made the Sonnes of God as the scripture teacheth Yea the same Father professedly expoundsng the place of Iohn where those Disciples are mentioned saith They were to be reckoned among vnbelieuers though they were called Disciples If any suspect that I wrest his wordes contrary to his meaning Let him reade Maldonatus a Papist who writeth that 52 the Disciples which beleeued not when they followed Christ were Iudas and the murmurers And that Augustine and Beda doe thinke that those which went backe neuer had faith no more then those which S. Paul said were turned backe after Satan But of what faith must this be vnderstoode What faith did those Disciples and othe Reuolters want when they were taken for Disciples and Christians Was it an Hystoricall or assenting faith The Iesuites will not yeeld that Castor holdeth that all in the Church haue such a faith yea though they be as Tares among wheat bad fish among good foolish virgins wanting oyle in their Lamps as the guest wanting a wedding-Garment and like the incestuous Corinthian Bellarmine auoucheth that all in the Church are such beleeuers though they be wicked ones and instanceth in the forenamed Parables as if all the persons noted therein had that faith though they wanted charity good works Those Disciples and other reuolters before their backe-sliding were in the Church and yet wanted faith As Christ himself Augustine and others haue taught And therefore seeing that by the doctrine of the Iesuites they could not want an historicall and assenting faith they must needs want another faith namely a true iustifying faith But of all others Michael Medina is most plaine and copious in this point as in parte I declared when I spake of a temporary faith yet more may be added to shew his resolute opinion that none haue true faith but they which keepe it to the end According to Christian veritie saith he onely that is to be iudged a true faith which hath the efficacy of obtayning saluation According to that Hee that beleeueth in mee hath eternal life And afterward he addeth That true faith indeede doth consist with true loue but that onely is called true loue by a moral truth which hath perseuerance and continuance And that the Scripture neuer called the faith of them who beleeue for a time to be true saith And that those who are damned neuer had true faith And in conclusion he asked Soto whether he is to be called faithfull or a friend who should be ioyned vnto him for an houre by frieÌ„dship and faith which if he will not say because continuance and constancie is of the nature and being of true faith and charitie then cannot such offenders be called true beleeuers in Christ. Cardinall Bellarmine holdeth against some who then liued that Christ did not onely pray that Peter might continue in faith and in the fauour of God vnto the end but that he also prayed a little after for the perseuerance of all the Apostles yea also of all the elect Ioh. 17. Holy Father keepe them in thy Name whom thou hast giuen me How then can the Faith of any of the Elect faile Shall wee thinke that Christs Prayer was not heard Doth not hee else-where acknowledge that the Father heard him alwayes Was his prayer effectuall against the losse of grace and faith by sinne not against the losse of them by Infidelitie Then was his prayer heard but in part How can they proue that difference SECT XIIII IN prosecuting this point I produced Peuer for an Example who though he denyed his master with an Oath yet still kept Faith in his heart And least any should thinke that this was a speciall priuiledge in Peter I shewed that Christ prayed for others as well as for him Now if there be any who imagine that Christ prayed for them after a different maner and to another end let them remember what I alleadged before out of Augustine touching Christs prayer for all the elect namelie That Christ praying for them that their Faith might not fayle without doubt it shall not fayle vnto the end and therefore shall continue vnto the end neyther shall the end of this life find it otherwise then remayning But because that Bellarmine and others doe teach that Peter did quite loose his faith and the righteousnes thereof I will
let you see the testimonies of all sorts of writers to the contrary Tertullian said his name was changed and he was called Peter for the strength of his faith but he ill deserued that name and Christ erred in giuing him a name not agreeable to his nature if hee quite lost his faith Againe hee speaking of Christs prayer for him thus saith of those words That thy faith might not fayle that is that so much might not be permitted to the Diuel that his faith might be endangered Whereby it is shewed that both are with God both the shaking of faith and the protection seâ—ing both are asked of him The shaking is from the Diuâ—ll the protection is from the Sonne And surely the Son of God hath the protection of faith in his owne power which hee asked of his Father of whom hee receiueth all power in heauen and earth If his faith was not endangered by the diuel but protected and kept safe by God through the prayer of his Son how can any truely say that hee lost his faith Hillary taught as is testifyed by Sixtus Senensis that Peter in denying his Maister lost not the firmenesse of his faith because although through the trembling of his flesh which he could not brydle his tongue burst forth into the deniall of Christ yet a firme faith of confessing Christ vnto Martyrdome did not depart from his heart I might also vrge that which not onely he elsewhere but likewise Ambrose together with him hath written in excuse of Peters denyall That he denyed him not to be God but denyed that he was only a man Though Ierome Theophylact do confute them because so to excuse the Apostle were to make his Maister a lyar who told him before that hee should that night denie him thrice Yet doth Maldonatus excuse them both And thereby they plainely declared that they were farre from thinking that hee lost his faith Augustine alleadged the prayer of Christ for Peters faith against the Pelagians who held that man could not continue in grace and in faith vnlesse mans free will did concurre with Gods grace Dare thou say that Christ praying for Peter that his faith might not faile that it should haue failed if Peter would haue had it to faile that is if hee would not haue had it to continue vnto the ende As if Peter any way willed any other thing then Christ prayed for him that he might will But because the will is prepared of the Lord therefore his prayer for him could not be in vaine Therfore when he prayed that his Faith might not faile what else asked he but that hee might haue in faith a most free a most strong a most inuincible a most perseuering will Prudentius that ancient and Christian Poete thus wrote of Peters denyall With mouth his Maister who deny'd Hee for that cryme did weepe When innocent his minde remainde And Faith his heart did keepe Leo Bishop of Rome thus saith of Peter The right hand of the LORD IESVS CHRIST was present which took thee vp as thou was falling before thou was cast downe And thou receiuedst streÌ„gth to staÌ„d in the very danger of falling The Lorde saw in thee not that thy Faith was fained nor thy loue turned from him but that thy Constancie was troubled Weeping abounded when affection fayled not and the fountaine of Charitie washed the words of fearfulnes Neither was the remedie of abolishing deferred where there was not iudgement of will Theophilact doth make this paraphrase of the wordes of Christ to Peter Luke 22. 32. Although within a short time thou must be shaken yet thou hast the seedes of faith lying hid Although the spirit or winde of the inuader shall strike off the leaues yet the roote shal liue and thy Faith shall not fayle Bernard said Though Dauid be branded with the marke of horrible crimes though the chiefest of the Apostles bee plunged into the depth of denyall Yet is there none that can take them out of Gods haÌ„d And in an other place Peter when he sinned he lost not Charitie He sinned rather against veritie theÌ„ against charitie when he told a lye that hee was not his in deede whose wholly he was in heart And therefore the loue of Truth did presently wash away the denyall of falshood When hee could not be plucked out of Gods hands wheÌ„ he had charitie when he was wholly Christs in hart did hee euen then at that instant want faith Surely no. These things appertaine not to vnbelieuers Beda ascribed such vertue to Christs prayer for the confirmation of Peters faith that he thus expounds them I haue by praying kept thy faith safe that it shall not fayle when Satan tempteth thee The Maister of Sentences resoluing the question whether Peter had the faith of Christs Passion when hee saw with his owne eyes CHRIST as man to suffer Answereth That he had faith of his Passion not in that hee belieued that man suffered but in that he belieued hee was God that suffered thereby signifying that he had not lost his faith at the time of Christs Passion Caietane sayd Peters confession of faith failed when he thrice denyed Christ but his faith failed not because hee denyed through feare not through incredulitie Tollet also that Peter neither denyed him to be Christ nor cast away his faith but denyed that he knew him Catharinus likewise that Peter could not lose his faith for the Lord had peculiarly prayed for him that his faith might not faile And least it might be thoght that he praied for that Sea only and not for his person he called him by his old name Simon To wit for thee Simon particularly Maldonatus vpon these wordes All yee shall be offended by me this night saith that Christ did not signifie that the Apostles should loose theyr faith For none of them lost it No not Peter himselfe who denyed him Although some olde Authors were wont so to speake as if hee lost his faith Not distinguishing the confession of faith from faith it selfe and the denyall of Christ from the losse of faith which are farre different things And so afterward The vulgar error of them is to be taken heede of who thinke that Peter lost his faith For he lost not his faith but denyed it which diuines say is another thing And besides this he saith their opinion is false who think that Peter lost his faith by denying He denieth with his mouth but kepâ— it in his heart as we haue heard Ambrose teaching on Psalm 43. See then what a clowde of witnesses wee haue against Bellarmine But it would make any man to wonder to behold his inconstancy in this point For he plainely contradicteth himselfe eueÌ„ like a right Iesuite holding the affirmatiue or negatiue as it best serued his present purpose When hee would proue that faith and iustice may be lost