〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the love of God alone wherewith he loved us of Hieromâ—… and likewise of Primatius Quomodo nos Deus diligat ex hoc cognoscinous how God doth love us hereby wee know To these from among the Popish Writers we may adde Cardinal Cajetan who saith the Apostle manifesteth the solid foundation of hope from the love of God towards us and againe whereby it appeareth that he setteth forth the love of God towards us as the chiefe foundation of hope Cardinal Tolet charitatem Dei appellat qua diligit nos Deus he calleth it the love of God wherewith hee loveth us Arias Montanus that our hope is rooted in that love wherewith God hath loved us B. Iustitian who expoundeth the words thus because that divine charity wherewith God imbraced us is shed into our hearts § III. Thirdly wee oppose evident reasons from the whole context that is not onely from the words of the text it selfe but also from those which either goe before or follow after For first touching the words of the Text By the holy Spirit is meant the Spirit of Adoption as Bellarmine confesseth in his next proofe viz. that the Apostle speaking Rom. 8. 15. de hoc ipso Spiritu of this selfe same Spirit saith you have received the Spirit of Adoption who is then said to shed abroad Gods love in our hearts when he doth perswade our soules of Gods love towards us in Christ testifying with our Spirits that wee are the sonnes of God and making us to cry in our hearts Abba Father with whom being the Spirit of promise and the earnest of our inheritance so many as beleeve are sealed unto the day of our â—…ull redemption Thus by sealing unto our soules the assurance of Gods love he is said to shed abroad the love of God in our hearts Secondly that love of God which he sheddeth abroad in our hearts and sealeth unto us as the ground whereupon our sound hope which never maketh ashamed is founded is Gods eternall and immutable love from the assurance whereof sealed unto us by the Holy Ghost our assured hope doth flow And therefore if we speake as the Apostle here doth of such a love of God as is both the Object of our faith and the ground of our hope we must say with Saint Iohn herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sinnes For that is it whereby especially God hath commended this his love towards us as it is here said vers 8. and as Saint Iohn also saith in the same place 1 Ioh. 4. 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because God sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world that we might live through him As for us wee love God because he loved us first 1 Ioh. 4. 19. For when we are by the holy Ghost shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts perswaded of Gods love towards us in Christ then and never till then our hearts are inflamed to love God againe and our neighbour for Gods sake But why is this love of God said to be shed forth in our hearts for this some doe urge I answere either in respect of the knowledge and assurance thereof wrought in us by the holy Ghost as I have said for therefore the holy Ghost is given unto us that we might know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things freely given or vouchsafed unto us of God among which the principall is his love or as those of the Church of Rome who consent with us in this point do speak it is said to be effused either as the cause is said to be effused by the effects which are the gifts proceeding from Gods love the chiefe whereof is the Spirit which is given unto us even the Spirit of adoption which as Chrysostome saith upon this place is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest gift or as the bounty of a Prince is shed abroad by his Almoner distributing the princes goods for even so the love and gracious bounty of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit of grace the dispenser of Gods gifts unto us 1 Cor. 12. 11. § IV. In the words going before the Apostle setteth downe the fruits of justification by faith first that being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ secondly by him we have through faith accesse into this grace wherein wee stand or as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 3. 12. by him we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence through faith in him thirdly joy in the holy Ghost rejoycing in hope of the glory of God And in these three the kingdome of grace consisteth viz. in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. And this joy the Apostle amplifieth because we glory and rejoyce in hope of glory not onely when all things goe with us according to our minds but also in affliction and tribulation Knowing that affliction being sanctified to them who have peace with God worketh patience and patience worketh probation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Chrysostome very well expoundeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it maketh him approved who is tryed for by patient bearing of afflictions which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tryals a man is by experience found to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sound and upright Christian as Saint Iames saith and when hee is so found hee shall receive the Crowne of life And therefore hath cause to hope as Saint Paul here saith that probation worketh hope and the hope of him that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maketh not ashamed whereas contrariwise the hope of the hypocrite maketh him ashamed but what is the ground of all this how come wee to have this peace this confidence this joy this undaunted hope Can wee have it by the bare assent of faith without application or desire thereof which is the onely faith which the Papists acknowledge Can wee have it by our owne charity when wee cannot know as the Papists teach that we have charity Nothing lesse but the ground and foundation of all our peace and comfort is this because the spirit of God teaching those that beleeve to apply the promises of the Gospell to themselves which cannot be done without special faith the love of God is shed forth into their hearts that is by the Spirit of adoption sealing those that do beleeve they are perswaded in some measure assured of the eternall love of God towards them in Christ upon which doe follow peace of conscience accesse with confidence and joy in the holy Ghost I conclude with Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith hee the Apostle having said that hope maketh not ashamed hee ascribeth all this not to our good workes but to the love of God not that whereby wee love him for that is our chiefe
keepe his Commandements Exod. 20. 6. Iohn 14. 15. 1 Iohn 5. 3. If any man say hee loveth God and keepeth not his Commandements he is a lyar that is to say an hypocrite whose love is not sincere and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but fained and counterfeit Now they are said to keepe Gods Commandements not who perfectly fulfill them for such keepers of the Law are no where to be found but such as keepe them with their soule Psal. 119. 167. or with their whole heart Psal. 119. 34. that is with a sincere and upright heart They therefore who have an upright desire an unfained purpose a sincere endevour to walke in the obedience of all Gods Commandements are said to keepe them This studium pietâ—…tis is the perfection of a Christian in this life which whosoever hath attained unto is most willing and ready to acknowledge his imperfection § VII His third proofe is out of such places as speake of performing of duties as namely of loving God with the whole heart as Ecâ—…l 47. 8 David praised the Lord with his whole heart and loved him that made him Deut. 30. 6. this perfection of Charity is promised the Lord will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed that thou maist love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule Answ. By that phrase as I have said nothing else is meant but the integriry and uprightnesse of heart David praised God with his whole heart that is Psal. 119. 7. with uprightnesse of heart hee served God with his whole heart that is he walked before him in truth and uprightnesse of heart 1 King 3. 6. § VIII In the fourth and last place hee produceth those places wherein mention is made of perfection as Mat. 5. 48. Be you perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect The Apostle acknowledgeth himselfe and some others to be perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. wee speake wisedome among those that are perfect Phil. 3. 15. so many of us therefore as are perfect c. Now saith he it is evident that perfection 〈◊〉 in Châ—…rity for asmuch as it is the bond of perfection Col. 3. 14. Answ. First in generall to all such places by distinguishing perfection for there is a perfection in respect of parts and so an infant having all his parts is a perfect man And such are all upright persons who walke in all Gods Commandements making Conscience of all their wayes and there is a perfection in respect of degree which no man attaineth unto in this life Againe there is an absolute perfection which none attaine unto here and a relative perfection in relation and comparison to others so those who are adulti growne men in religion are called perfecti in respect of babes Thirdly there is a perfection legall which in respect both of parts and degrees is absolutely conformable to the Law which is the perfect rule of righteousnesse Of this there is no example but Christ himselfe and there is a perfection evangelicall commended in the covenant of Grace which consisteth not in the perfect and totall performance but in the integrity and uprightnesse of the heart that is in the sincere desire unfained purpose and upright endevour aspiring towards perfection which in the Scriptures in many places goeth under the name of perfection as I have shewed else where so that what is done with an upright heart is said to bee done with a perfect heart and with the whole heart and the man who is upright though subject to many imperfectious is called perfect § IX To the places in particular I answer and first to that Matth. 5. verse last which according to the wicked Doctrine of the Papists is not a precept of Charity but a counsell of perfection which doth not belong to all that are justified buâ—… is peculiar to those who professe themselves to live in a state of perfection I call it wicked because as appeareth verse 45. our Saviour requireth this perfection as a necessary duty to be performed of all the Sonnes of God who are to imitate the unpartiall bounty of God their heavenly Father in doâ—…ng good both to good and bad which in this conclusion in Matthew is termed to be perfect and in Luk. 6. 36. to bee mercifull as our Father is mercifull But though wee imitate this unpartiall bounty of God yet it doth not thereupon follow that wee have attained to the perfection thereof § X In the other two places by men perfect are understood adulâ—…i growne men opposed to younglings and infants who must be sedde with milke being not capable of strong meat for every one that useth milke is unexpert in the word of righteousnesse for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a babe but strong meate which 1 Cor. 2. 6. is called wisedome belongeth to them that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adulti who are come to yeres of difcretion evensuch as by reason of use have their senses excercised to discerne both good and bad where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are opposed so 1 Cor. 14. 20. bee not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 children in understanding howbeit in malice be yee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in understadning be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is adulti such as are come to yeres of discretion understanding Not that any in this life wherein we are alwaies in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is our growing age wherein we are to be renewed from day to day doe attaine to that ripenesse of age and stature or to that perfection of growth as that we should not need to grow any more For as the Apostle sheweth in the next place viz. Phil. 3. 15. which Bellarmine had cited against himselfe if hee had recited the whole verse and much more if the whole context wherein the Apostle confesseth of himselfe that hee had not attained to perfection but that hee did strive and preasse towards it and thereupon inferreth verse 15. Let us therfore so many as are perfect bee thus minded that is as wee heard before out of Augustine let us bee of this mind that we are not yet perfect but still should strive towards perfection And whereas the Apostle Col. 3. 14. calleth charity the bond of perfection his meaning is that it is the most perfect bond which is among men to unite them together for according to the Hebrew phrase which is usuall in the writings of the Apostle viâ—…culum perfectionis is vinculum perfectissimum quâ—… plures inter se colligantur for it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Cajetan speaketh vinculum conjungens amantes or as B. Iustinian perfectissimum quoddam vinculum § XI From these weake premises Bellarmine inferreth a stout conclusion If saith he we may have perfect Faith Hope and Charity and consequently perfect inherent justice in vaine dâ—… the hereticks gâ—…e
that justified her but her faith our Saviour who had so highly commended her love doth in expresse termes testifie thy faith hath saved thee goe in peace upon which wordes of our Saviour shee who was formerly justified before God by a true justifying faith which our Saviour professeth and which shee testified by her love and by her repentance departed home justified in the Court of her owne conscience by speciall faith and being justified by faith had peace with God 4. As for his allegation out of Gal. 5. 6 that faith worketh by love it hath no colour of proofe that love disposeth unto justification but rather the contrary For he that is indued with faith working by love is already justified § IV. The Councell of Aurenge hee alleageth against himselfe For if God doe first inspire faith and love it speaketh of those who are adultâ—… that wee may faithfully require the sacrament of Baptisme then are we first justified by faith and afterwards receive the sacrament as Abraham did circumcision as the sacâ—…ament and sealâ—… of justification by faith And this is generally to be understood of Sacraments received by them who are come to yeares of discretion that they must be endued with justifying faith when they come to receive the Sacraments otherwise they receive no benefit by them For as touching Baptisme our Saviour saith hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but hee that beleeveth not whether hee be baptized or not baptiâ—…ed he shall bee condemned And as touching the Eucharist it is certaine that no man can receive Christ therein without faith which is both the hand of the soule to receive him and as it were the mouth of the soule to eat his body and to drinke his bloud And further Sacraments are seales anneâ—…ed to the letters patents of Gods promises in the Gospell and therefore confirme or assure nothing but what is contained in the promise and upon the same conditions The condition is faith Obiect But you will say if a man must be justified before he receive the Sacrament to what end doth hee then receive it Answ. that hee who is justified before God by the former degree of faith may by speciall faith confirmed by the Sacrament bee justified in his owne conscience that is that hee may in some measure be assured thereof § V. Bellarmine having produced his owne arguments hee commeth now to answer such as he saith are ours The first out of 1 Ioh. 4. 19. wee love God because he first loved us Now God loveth no man actually whom hee doth not justifie and reconcile unto himselfe in Christ for untill then wee are in the state of enemies Neither doth any that is not justified nor reconciled to God in Christ love him or if hee doe then doth hee love God before God loveth him Gods love therefore goeth before our justification and our justification goeth before our love of God Neither is this onely true that God loveth us before wee love him but before wee can love him aright wee must bee perswaded of his love towards us which perswasion is faith from which love proceedeth 1 Tim. 1. 5. Bellarmine answereth that God indeed loveth men first and by loving them maketh them just but by little and little and by certaine meanes For whom hee loveth hee first calleth to faith then he inspireth into them hope and feare and love inchoated lastly he justifieth and infuseth perfect charity Reply First that which he speaketh of making just by little and little may agree to sanctification but to justification it agreeth not for thereof there are no degrees Secondly It would bee knowne whether this beginning of charity which he saith goeth before justification bee the same which in justification is infused differing only in degree If it be not the same how is it charitas inchoata and if it be not infused as well as that in the act of justification why doth he say it is inspired If it bee the same then gratia gratum faciens is inspired before regeneration before which wee are nothing but flesh and in our flesh there is no good thing And by this reason justification shall bee nothing else but the perfecting of that charity which before was begun neither can a man bee truely said to bee justified by charity who is not enduâ—…d with perfect charity perfectly and fully expelling all sin which in this life is never perfect much lesse in incipients nor ever doth so expell sinne but that allwayes whiles wee are in our mortall bodies sinne remaineth in us Wherefore the Papists doe never attaine to that which they call justification which indeed is not justification but the perfection of sanctification Or if they say they doe attaine unto it and that they have no sinne they are lyars and there is no truth in them § VI. Our second argument no man can love God in any acceptable measure unlesse hee have the Spirit of God dwelling in him for love is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. to this purpose hee citeth for us Rom. 5. 5. which allegation hee cannot answere because he understandeth the place of our love of God which is shed abroad into our harâ—…s by the holy Ghost Now no men have the Spirit of God but they who are regenerated and justified for the Spirit of truth the world cannot receive Ioh. 14. 27. Bellarmine saith this is true of perfect love but imperfect love and inchoated which even now out of the Counsel of Aureng he confessed to be inspired of the holy Spirit may be had without the Spirit but not without Gods speciall helpe Which words discover unto us one of the depthes of Satan in the mystery of iniquity For the Papists as they doe wonderfully extenuate originall sinne so doe they use to magnifie the strength of nature corrupted They doe not acknowledge that which the Scriptures plainely teach that by nature wee are dead in sinne onely they say that we are diseased with sinne and entangled and bound with the chaines of sinne so that if wee bee not holpen of God wee are not able to doe that which is good But if God doe afford uâ—… his speciall helpe then we can have faith and feare and hope and love and the other preparations And further the privative corruption which they cannot deny to be in originall sinne they confesse by the halves or not so much for the privation which is in originall sinne is not onely of the act which they doe not wholly confesse but of the power and the habit it selfe So that in us by nature there is a meere impotencie to that which is spiritually good in respect whereof wee have lost bonum possibilitatis as Augustine teacheth Wherefore that wee may bee enabled to beleeve to hope to love to feare God to purpose amendment of life c. it is necessary that wee should bee not holpen or loosed but renewed regenerated created a new and raised from the
obedience by that which wee suffer David therefore professeth that it was good for him that hee had been afflicted that hee might learne the statutes of the Lord and confesseth that before hee was afflicted hee went astray but now saith hee I have kept thy word This also is a yoke which Ieremy saith it is good for a man to beare even in or from his youth Lam. 3. 27. For to the Godly it is made an easy yoke and light burden First In comparison of that superexcellent eternall weight of glory wherewith the Lord doth recompence our momentany and light afflictions which are no way comparable to the glory which shall be revealed Secondly because affliction worketh patience and patience probation and probation hope and hope of eternall glory makethus to swallow all the difficulties of this life and with patience and comfort to beare afflictions yea to rejoyce and to triumph in them Rom. 5. 3. 8. 37. Looking unto IESVS the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse despising the shame and is set downe at the right hand of the throne of God Wherefore Saint Iames and Saint Peter in their Epistles doe teach it to be a matter of joy to the faithfull when they are afflicted Thirdly because the nature of afflictions to the faithfull is changed being not evill not punishments to them but rather blessings as being either fatherly chastisements or tryals for their good which proceeding from Gods love are so moderated by his mercy that they doe not exceed their strength 1 Cor. 10. 13. and are through Gods providence made to worke for their good Rom. 8. 28. and profit that they may be partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12. 10. Affliction therefore to the faithfull is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a commodious or easie yoake Fourthly because Christ by his Spirit doth minister such comfort to the faithfull in their afflictions that as their sufferings increase so their consolation aboundeth by Christ 2 Cor. 1. 4 5. § VIII So much of his first Testimony In the second place 1 Ioh. 5. 3. The Holy Ghost setteth downe two notes whereby wee may know that we love God For this saith he is the Love of God first that we keepe his commandements for this in other places also is made the proper note of his Love viz. to keepe his Commandements Exod. 20. 6. Iohn 14. 15. the second that his Commandements are not grievous for nihil difficile amanti Nothing is difficult to him that loveth And so Augustine answereth the Pelagian urging this place quis nesciat non esse grave quod diligendo fit non timendo So that if we truely love God we will out of love and not out of servile feare and constraint yeeld willing obedience to the Commandements of God So that this is the meaning to him that loveth God the Commandements of God are not grievous but he delighteth in them according to the inner Man yeelding voluntary and cheerefull obedience thereto not in perfection but according to the measure of grace received For when the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit of God assuring us in some measure of Gods love towards us then are our hearts enlarged to love God againe and being enlarged we doe not onely walke but runne also in the way of Gods commandments that is willingly and cheerefully according to the measure of our faith and love wee obey them But though the faithfull doe willingly obey Gods commandements so according to their ability yet they cannot perfectly fulfill them § IX His second sort of testimonies is of such as teach that the Law is kept by them that Love Of this sort he citeth three testimonies the first concerning the Love of God Ioh. 14. 23. If a man love me he will keepe my word The other 2. concerning the love of our neighbor Rom. 13. 8. he that loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the Law Gal. 5. 14. all the Law is fulfilled in one word thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe From hence he argueth thus They that are able to love God and their neighbour are also able to fulfill the Law the faithfull are able to love God and their neighbour therefore they are able to fulfill the Law The proposition hee proveth by these three testimonies of Scripture The assumption thus If we cannot love God and our neighbour then can wee not be the disciples or friends of Christ but it is absurd to say that none can be the disciples or friends of Christ therefore we are able to love God and our neighbour The proposition of this prosyllogisme he proveth out of Ioh. 15. 35. Hereby shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one to another and Iohn 15. 14. you shall be my friends if you doe the things that I command you Now the thing which he did command was that they should love one another To this long discourse a short answere may suffice we doe confesse that all they who love God and their neighbour doe keepe Gods commandements according to the measure of their love but wee deny that any can fulfill the Law of God who have not a full and perfect love and that to the perfection of love such as the Law requireth none can attaine in this life For our knowledge is but in part therefore our love our regeneration is but in part wee being but partly spirituall and partly carnall and therefore our love The Law is impossible by reason of the flesh therefore whiles the flesh remaineth in us the Law is not possible unto us § X. Bellarmine confesseth that our charity in this life is unperfect because it may be increased and because it shall bee greater in our country Notwithstanding he holdeth that it is so perfect as may suffice for the fulfilling of the Law But David saith that the Law of God is perfect and so perfect as nothing may be added thereto and therefore requireth perfect righteousnesse not onely in respect of the parts but also of the degrees unto which nothing can be added For if any thing can bee added to it then something is wanting which is required to perfection and what is wanting is a fault Peccatum est saith Augustine cum vel non est charitas quâ—… esse debet vel minor est quà m debet It is a sin either when there is not Charity which ought to be or when it is lesse than it ought to be And no doubt but it is lesse than it ought to be when it is not so great as the Law requireth and it is not so great as the Law requireth whiles it may be increased For as Augustine saith quamdiâ—… augeri potest charitas profectò illud quod minus est quam debet ex vitio est Whiles Charity may be increased assuredly
lib. 4. cap. 4. § 5. 4. 4. I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby justified lib. 4. cap. 4. § 17. 6. 11. But ye are washed but yee are sanctified but ye are justified c. lib. 2. cap. 3. § 4 lib. 4. cap. 10. § 7. 12. 9. To another faith lib. 6. cap. 1. § 6. 13. 2 Lib. 6. cap. 1. § 6. cap. 3. § 2. 3 4. 13. 13. Now abideth faith hope and charity c. lib. 6. cap. 3. § 4. 15. 49. We shall also beare the image of the heavenly lib. 4. cap. 10. § 12. 16. The second to the Corinthians 4. 17. Lib. 7. cap. 5. § 7. lib. 8. cap. 2. § 21. 5. 21. Him that knew no sinne hee made sinne for us that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him lib. 1. cap. 3. § 10. lib. 5. cap. 1. § 4. c. ad finem capitis 7. 1. Perfecting holinesse in the feare of God lib. 7. cap. 8. § 20. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh repentance c. lib. 7. cap. 5. § 6. 9. 10. He that ministreth seed multiply your seed and increase the fruits of your righteousnesse lib. 7. cap. 8. § 21. The Epistle to the Galatians 1. 8 9. If we or an Angell from heaven preach any other Gospeâ—…l c. lib. 1. cap. 1. § 1. 2. 16. Knowing that a man is noâ—… justified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ c. lib. 7. cap. 3. § 8 c. ad 13. 3. 21. If there had beene a Law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have beene by the Law lib. 4. cap. 12. § 8. 5. 5. 6. We waite for the hope of righteousnesse by faith which workâ—…th by lo ve lib. 4. cap. 11. § 2 3 4. cap. 12. § 3. in fine lib. 6 cap. 12. § 3. â—… 4. 6. 7. Whatsoever a man soweth that he shall reape lib. 8. cap. 5. § 13. The Epistle to the Ephesians 2. 8. 9. By grace ye are saved through faith not of workes c. lib. 7. cap. 3. § 13. 5. 8. Now we are light in the Lord. lib. 2. cap. 8. § 6. 5. 26 27. That hee might sanctifie and cleanse it that hee might present it unto himselfe c. lib. 2. cap. 8. § 6. The Epistle to the Philippians 1. 9. VVherefore God hath exalted him lib. 1. cap. 4. § 11. 12. 2. 12. VVorke out your salvation in feare lib. 7. cap. 5. § 5. 3. 8 9. I account all things dung that I may winne Christ and may be found in him not having mine owne righteousnesse c. lib. 7. cap. 3. § 15. lib. 8. cap. 2. § 22. 3. 15. Let so many as perfect be thus minded lib. 5. cap. 7. § 10 The second to the Thessalonians 1. 5 6. That ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdome of God seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence c. lib. 8. cap. 5. § 20. 22. The first to Timothie 2. 14 15. Notwithstanding sâ—…e shall be saved in child bearing if they continue in faith c. lib. 7. cap. 5 § 4. 5. 8. If any provide not for his owne he hath denyed the faith and is worse than an infidell lib. 6. cap. 2. § 6. The second to Timothy 2. 11 12. If wee bee dead with him we shâ—…ll also live with him if we suffer we shall also reigne l. 7. c. 4. § 11. 16. 2. 21. If a man purge himselfe from these he shall be a vessell unto honour sanctified and meetâ—… for the Masters usâ—… lib. 8. cap. 2. § 9. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good fight henceforth is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse c. lib. 8. cap. 5. § 20. To Titus 2. 14. That hee might redeeme us from all iniquity and might purge untâ—… himselfe a peculiar people zelous of good workes lib. 4. cap. 4. § 19 3. 5 6 7. Not by workes of righteousnesse wâ—…n we have done but according to his mercie he saved us by the lâ—…ver of regeneration that being justified c. lib. 4. cap. 10. § 8. lib. 7. cap. 3. § 14. To the Hebrewes 5 9. He became the author of salvation eternall to them that obey him lib. 7. cap. 7. § 12. 6. 10. God is not unrighteous to forget your worke c. lib. 8. cap. 5. § â—…0 9. 28. Christ was once offered to beare the sinnâ—…s of many lib. 2. cap. 8. § 2. 10. 36. Ye have need of patience lib. 7. cap. 5. § 3. 11. 4. 7 c. lib. 4. cap. 10. § 9. 11. 6. He that commâ—…th to God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder c. lib. 6. cap. 10. § 7. cap. 15. § 15. 13. 16. VVith such sacrificâ—…s God is well pleased lib. 8. cap. 5. § 2. Iames. 1. 25. Being a doer of the word this man shall be blessed in his deed lib. 7. cap. 5. § 12. 2. 14. 17. If a man say he hath faith and have not workes c. lib. 6. caâ—… 2. § 5. 10 c. cap. 3. § 5. lib. 7. cap. 5. § 12. 2. 24. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith onely lib. 2. cap. 4. § 4. 2. 14. c. ad finem capitis lib. 7. â—… 8. § 2 c. 2. 26. As the body without the Spirit is dead c. l. 4. c. 11. § 7. The second of Peter 1. 1. Who have obtained like precious faith with us in the righteousnesse of God and our Saviour IESVS CHRIST lib. 4. c. 2. § 2. The first of Iohn 2. 4. He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar lib. 6. â—… 2. â—… 8. 2. 5. He that keepeth his word in him the love of God is perfected lib. 5. cap. 7. § 6. 3. 14. We know that wee are passed from death unto life because wee love the brethren l. 6. c. 12. § 3. 4. 19. Wee love him because he first loved us l. 6. c 12. § 5. 5. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of God lib. 6. cap. 2. § 9. 5. 3. And his Commandements are not grievous l. 7. c. 6. § 8. The Revelation 7. 14 15. These are they that came out of great tribulation therefore are they before the throne of God lib. 8. cap. 5. § 16. 19. 8. The fine linnen is the righteousnesse of Saints lib. 2. c. 2. § 5. 22. 11. He that is righteous let him bee righteous still l. 2. c. 4. § 5. c. 5. § 10. l. 7. c. 8. § 23. 22. 12. I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man as his worke shall be The end of the Table of the places of Scriptures expounded in this Treatise A Table of things contained in this Treatise of Iustification A Abraham THough he abounded with good works yet he was justified by faith without workes lib. 4. cap 8. § 15. lib. 7. cap. 3. §
before all secular times but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour 2 Tim. 1. 9. By his gracious favour in Christ God hath redeemed us reconciled us unto himselfe adopted us and not by our charity or any thing in us And finally by his gracious favor we are saved through faith and not of works or of any grace or righteousnesse iuherent in us that he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Iesus Christ Eph. 2. 7 8. Therefore by the gracious favour of God in Christ and not by any grace inherent in us the Lord doth justifie us and therfore the sacred fathers of Trent must take home to themselves according to the censure of the Apostle Gal. 1. 8. 9. that Anathema which they denounce against those who say that the grace whereby wee are justified is onely the gracions favour of God in Christ. § V. Against the proposition if it bee objected that the grace of election is eternall but the benefit of vocation and the rest is temporall and therefore not the same I answer that although the benefit of vocation and of the rest be given us in time yet the grace by which we are called justified and saved is eternall 2 Tim. 1. 9. And therefore Bellarmines distinction of grace into eternall by which wee were elected and temporary by which wee are called and justified is idle and to no purpose § VI. If againe it be objected that by what grace we are sanctified by the same we are justified by inherent grace we are sanctified therefore by inherent grace we are justified I answer by distinction of the phrase by grace for if therby be meant the efficient cause then I confesse the proposition to wit that by what grace we are sanctified we are also justified For the same gracious favor of God is the efficient cause as wel of our sanctification as of our justification and I deny the assumption But if by that phrase be meant the essentiall câ—…use that is the matter or the forme of our sanctification then I confesse the assumption and deny the proposition For by the inherent graces wherin our habitual sanctification consisteth we are sanctified but we are justified not by any grace inherent but onely by the righteousnesse of Christ as I have shewed before and hereafter shall fully prove in its due place For wee are justified by the grace that is the gracious favour of God in Christ gratis in respect of us that is without any cause or desert in us through the redemption which is in Christ without the works of the Law that is without respect of any obedience performed by us or righteousnesse inherent in us that is prescribed in the Law which is the perfect rule of all inherent righteousnesse § VII If in the third place it be objected that faith is a grace inherent but we are justified by faith Or thus faith doth justifie faith is a grace inherent therefore some grace inherent doth justifie I answer againe by distinction that faith doth not justifie as it is a grace or quality inherent or as it is a part of our inherent righteousnesse but relatively as it is the instrument as hath beene said before to receive Christ who is our righteousnesse neither doth faith properly but the object thereof which it apprehendeth justifie As it is the almes properly which releeveth the poore man not the hand which receiveth it For when we say that a man is justified by faith without workes or by faith alone our meaning is that we are justified by the righteousnes of Christ alone which is apprehended by faith onely without respect of any righteousnesse inherent in us or obedieuce performed by us § VIII Fourthly the justifying and saving grace is expressed many times by other words of like signification to the gracious favour of God which cannot be drawne to signifie our charity or any grace inherent in us As appeareth both by such synonyma as are joyned with it in the same places as grace and love 2 Cor. 13. 14. Grace and mercie 1 Tim. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 2. Tit. 1. 4. 2 Iohn 3. and also by parallelling other places as where it is said Tit. 2. 11. When the grace of God appeared the same is expressed thus chap. 3. 4. When the kindnesse of God and his love towards man appeared And where in some places it is said that wee are justified or saved by his grace or according to his grace in others it is said according to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his good will and pleasure Eph. 1. 5. 9. Phil. 2. 13. according to his mercy Tit. 3. in which place these foure words are used as Synonyma signifying the same thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kindnes or bounty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love of mankind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace This grace of God is notably expressed Eph. 2. 4. 5. 7. 8. by divers words of the like signification God who is rich in mercie for his great love wherewith he loved us hath when wee were dead in our sinnes quickened us together with Christ by grace you are saved that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Iesus Christ for by grace yee are saved through faith c. here is the riches of his mercie the exceeding riches of his grace his greatlove wherewith hee loved us his bounty towards us in Christ and all to set forth his saving grace So in the Old Testament mercie and grace are used as words of the like signification Exo. 33. 19. I will bee gracious to whom I will bee gracious and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy which text the Apostle rendreth thus Rom. 9. 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercie and I will have compassion of whom I will have compassion Exod. 34. 6. where the Lord proclaiming his goodnesse or bounty before Moses as hee had promised chap. 33. 19. expresseth it in these termes The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious slow to anger abundant in chesed ve emeth in bounty and truth which in the New Testament are translated grace and truth keeping mercie for thousands forgiving iniquity c. So Psal. 86. 15. Thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long suffering and plenteous in mercie and truth Likewise Psal. 130. 8. 2 King 13. 3. So also Psal. 145. 8 9. the Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy the Lord is good to all and his mercies are over all his workes And in like manner Nehem. 9. 17. thou art a God of condonations that is ready to pardon gracious and mercifull slâ—…w to anger and of great bounty § IX Fifthly if justifying grace were inherent there would be no such opposition as the Apostle
which without the Law is revealed in the Gospell even the righteousnesse of God that is of Christ who is God apprehended by faith But all men without exception both Iewes and Gentiles are in themselves sinners and by their sinne obnoxious to the judgement of God Therefore seeing all have sinned and are fallen short of the glory of God that is excluded from eternall glory they are not justified by righteousnesse inherent which is prescribed in the Law but they are justified by a righteousnesse which without the Law is revealed in the Gospel to wit the righteousnesse of God that is of Christ who is God apprehended by faith And that is it which is said in this text that those who have sinned and are fallen short of Gods glory and from their title to heaven are justified that is acquitted from their sinnes and entituled unto the Kingdome of heaven freely without respect of any grace or righteousnesse in themselves by the meere gracious favor of God when they had deserved the contrary through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to bee a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse c. To the same purpose the Apostle disputeth Gal. 3. as hereafter wee shall heare § III. Secondly it is proved by the words of the text alleaged the first wherof is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being justified Now the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I have proved heretofore doth never in al the Scriptures signifie to make righteous by infusion of righteousnesse and therfore here it is not meant that wee are justified by grace infused Neither doth justification import a reall or positive change in the subject but relative and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as hath beene shewed And wee must remember that as it is called so it is justificatio impii the justification of a sinner not onely because before justification men are sinners but also because being justified they still remaine sinners in themselves though in Christ they are made righteous And we are to conceive of justification as a continued act of God from our vocation to our glorification whereby hee doth accept of a beleeving sinner as righteous in Christ not onely at his first conversion but also afterwards whiles hee beleeveth in Christ though still in himselfe hee bee a sinner And to that end doth our Saviour make continuall intercession for us that the merit of his obedience may beâ—… continually imputed unto us As for the Papists they being in their owne conceit justified as they all are after they have beene either baptized in their infancie or absolved when they come to yeares they are no sinners neither is there any thing in them which God hateth or which may properly bee called sinne But justification being of sinners and they being no sinners but â—…aying they have no sinne and avouching that hee onely is a just man in whom there is no sinne hereby it appeareth that neither are they justified neither is there any truth in them § IV. The next word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an exclusive particle excluding the false causes of justification and signifying that wee are justified without any desert or worthinesse in our selves without works without respect of any righteousnesse inherent in us which directly overthroweth the assertion of the Papists for proofe whereof this place was alleaged § V. The third word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his grace that is by the gracious favour of God in Christ which is out of us in him as hath beene proved that is by his love of us and not by our love of him Neither is there any shew of reason why it should in this place above all others signifie as it never doth an habit of justifying grace inherent in us especially if that bee true which hereafter I shall plainely demonstrate that wee are not justified by that which is inherent And thus Saint Ambrose expoundeth these words gratia Dei gratis justificati sunt gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide justificati sunt dono Dei they are justified freely because neither working before their justification nor rendring any recompence after their justification they are by faith onely justified by the grace that is as he expoundeth it the gift of God And on those words by the redemption which is in Christ Iesu he testifieth saith hee that the grace of God is in Christ but not in us because by the will of God we were redeemed by Christ. Pererius likewise a learned Iesuit The name of Grace saith he when it is here said justified freely by his grace though it may signifie that supernaturall and divine quality infused into the soule of man and inherent therein yet rather it seemeth in this place to signifie gratuitam Dei bâ—…nitatem benignitatem erga hominem the free or gracious goodnesse and bounty of God towards man Grace therefore doth not signifie either the matter or the forme but the efficient cause of our justification § VI. The fourth word is through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whereby is meant Christs whole satisfaction made to the Law both in respect of the precept and of the penalty by which being as the Papists themselves confesse imputed unto us we are redeemed and justified as being the matter and merit of justification § VII The fifth word is by faith whereby is noted the instrument by which we apprehend and receive that satisfaction or righteousnesse of Christ by which we are justified which is indeed out of us in him but imputed to those that beleeve The righteousnesse therefore by which we are justified is the righteousnesse of faith that is the righteousnesse of God or of Christ apprehended by faith § VIII The sixth and last is the end why God did give his Sonne to be a propitiation for our sinnes to shew forth his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes and that hee might bee just and the justifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus For in the worke of our redemption and justification Gods justice is declared to be such that he forgiveth no sinnes but those onely for which his justice is satisfied by Christ neither doth he justifie any but those whom by communication of Christs righteousnesse unto them he maketh just But how should the satisfaction of Christ that is his obedience and sufferings being transient and so long agoe performed bee communicated unto us for our justification otherwise but by imputation And if wee bee justified by imputation of Christs righteousnesse then not by inherent grace or infused righteousnesse CAP. IV. Bellarmines dispute out of Rom. 3. 24. refuted § I. NOw let us see what Bellarmine inferreth upon this place Here saith he all the causes almost of justification are set forth together The efficient cause is noted in the word gratis freely importing the liberality of
Gal. 1. 1. Heb. 7. 21. to the Sonne Ioh. 1. 3. Col. 1. 16. Heb. 1. 6 c. to the holy Ghost Rom. 5. 5. 1 Cor. 12. 8 9. And to omit other examples which are innumerable to the attributes of God which are the prime motive causes of all his actions as by the will of God 1 Cor. 1. 1. Eph. 1. 1. Col. 1. 1. Rom. 5. 32. 2 Cor. 8. 5. by the grace of Iesus Christ wee shall bee saved Act. 15. 11. who beleeved by Grace Act. 18. 27. called by his grace Galath 1. 15. by the tender mercies of our God Luk. 1. 78. Thirdly to Bellarmine in this place denying the preposition per to be rightly applied to the efficient cause I oppose Bellarmine in the twelfth chapter of the same booke affirming that the particle per doth signifie the cause efficient as Pro. 8. per me Reges regnant c. His third argument The good will of God cannot bee in vaine but alwayes performeth and worketh that good which hee willeth to any For whatsoever he willeth that he doth Psal. 115. 3 c. Answ. All this is true in respect of his will decreeing any thing which is absolute and is called voluntas beneplaciti but not in respect of his will prescribing or requiring any thing which is conditionall and is called voluntas signi of which will the Apostle speaketh in the place cited by Bellarmine 1 Th. 4. 3. This is the wil of God even your sanctification Otherwise by Bellarmines argument all men should bee holy because as hee saith God would have them truely just and holy Therfore saith he if justifying grace be the favour and goodwill of God and God doth not favour nor wish well in vaine but maketh us holy and blamelesse such as he would have us to bee then it followeth that to be justified by grace is not onely to bee reputed just and not to bee so but to be truly just holy and blamelesse Answ. This argument doth not prove the particular point for which it is brought namely that by grace is meant grace inherent and not the gracious favour of God But if it were ought worth it would serve to prove the maine question that although grace did signifie the favour of God when it is said that wee are justified by his grace yet this place would prove that wee are also made just by grace inherent For whom the Lord favoureth and wisheth well unto his benevolence is not in vaine to him but to whom hee willeth good hee worketh it making them truely just and holy whom by his grace hee justifieth For hee hath elected us that wee might bee holy Eph. 1. 4. and this is his will our â—…anctification All this wee freely confesse that whom God justifieth he maketh just first by imputation and truly and perfectly as hee justifieth secondly by infusion as hee sanctifieth But the Papists must at length learne to distinguish betwixt justification and sanctification For as wee have said before wee are justified by grace as it signifieth the gracious favour of God onely but wee are sanctified not onely by his gracious favour as the efficient but also by his graces infused and inherent in us as the matter § V. His fourth argument consisteth of sixe slender proofes put together which are scarce worth the answering That justifying grace â—…aith hee is not onely the favour of God but a gift inherent in the soule it may bee understood by the divers attributes and names thereof As first that it is called a gift a gift which wee receive a gift given by Christ a gift given by measure Secondly that it is compared to essence Thirdly that it is compared to light To the first I answere that the gracious love and favour of God is said in the scriptures to bee given that is vouchsafed unto us even the grace whereby wee were elected and predestinated to the adoption of children according to the good pleasure of his will by which wee are called justified and saved 2 Tim. 1. 9. God hath saved and called us with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which grace was given us in Christ Iesus before secular times having thereby graciously accepted us in his beloved Eph. 1. 6. Behold saith Saint Iohn how great love the Father hath given us that wee should be called the children of God 1 Ioh. 3. 1. For to so many as received Christ hee gave power to bee the sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name Ioh. 1. 12. § VI. Yea but it is such a gift as wee doe receive Very like for giving and receiving are relatives and therefore what God giveth us we doe receive namely as hee giveth it but hee doth not give all things by infusion and therefore hereof it doth not follow that what we receive in inherent but that onely which hee giveth by way of infusion Now hee hath vouchsafed us his grace whereby hee elected redeemed adopted justified us not by infusion but by acceptation in Christ which grace wee receive by the hand of faith and whom hee hath graciously accepted in his beloved they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made partakers of that grace which notwithstanding is in God and not in them But let us consider his proofe Rom. 5. 11. receiving the abundance of grace and of the gift os righteousnesse Answ. By grace here is meant gracious favor neither doth the Apostle here say the gift of grace but the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse For where these two are joyned together grace and gift grace signifieth gracious favour the gift of grace the fruit and effect of that favour being some benefit bestowed whether reall or relative The former is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grace of God the latter is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is prooved out of the 15. verse where is mention both of the grace of God and of the gift by grace and that which is here called the abundance of grace and vers 15. the abounding grace is elsewhere called the superabundant riches of his grace Ephes. 2. 7. that is of his gracious favour which in the same Chapter to the Romans vers 20. is said to have superabounded where sinne did abound which without great absurdity cannot bee understood of grace inherent Neither is the gift of grace or of righteousnesse here mentioned inherent but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which came upon us to justification is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 guilt which came upon all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto condemnation that is to say the merit of Christs obedience opposed to the guilt of Adams fall as the whole context doth prove But as wee were made sinners by Adams fall the guilt thereof being imputed unto us so we are made righteous by Christs obedience the merit thereof being imputed unto us §
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good works but that wherby he loveth us § V. Now let us come to the words which follow which as Cornelius à Lapide confesseth Valde favent doe very much favour our exposition wherein the Apostle sheweth how this love of God whereon our hope c. is grounded is both manifested and assured unto us It is manifested by this verse 6. that when wee were of no strength yea dead in our sinnes the Son of God dyed for us for so saith the Apostle Eph. 2. 4 5. God who is rich in mercie for his great love wherewith he loved us even when wee were dead in our sinnes hath quickened us together with Christ by whose grace wee are saved which wonderfully setteth forth the love of God towards us for scarcely as it is vers 7. for a righteous man will one dye And greater love no man hath than this that a man lay downe his life for his friend Ioh. 15. 13. But God saith the Apostle vers 8. commendeth his love towards us even that love mentioned verse 5. in that whiles wee were yet sinners and by our sinnes his enemies Christ dyed for us It is assured by an argument from the lesse to the greater For if when we were sinners we were redeemed and justified by the bloud of Christ much more being justified wee shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled wee shall bee saved by his life I conclude therefore that notwithstanding the testimony of Augustine which as himselfe confesseth deserveth no credit further than it is warranted by the authority of Gods word or sound reason by the love of God in this place is meant Gods love towards us I come to his two other arguments § VI. The former which is a very weake one is by paralleling that place with Rom. 8. 15. For saith hee the same Apostle speaking of the same spirit given unto us saith You have received the Spirit of adoption of sonnes by which we cry Abba Father Now saith hee wee cry Abba Father by that charity whereby we love God not by that whereby he loveth us Which reason if it bee reduced into a syllogisme will not conclude his assertion but the erroneous opinion of Lombard the master of sentences which Bellarmine himselfe elsewhere confuteth namely that the charity whereby wee love God is the holy Ghost That whereby wee cry in our hearts Abba Father is the holy Ghost By that charity wherewith wee love God we cry in our hearts Abba Father Therefore that Charity wherewith wee love God is the holy Ghost This conclusion Bellarmine knoweth to bee false Therefore either the proposition is false or the assumption for it is impossible that a false conclusion should bee inferred from true premisses in a formall syllogisme as this is But the proposition is the Apostles both Rom. 8. 15. and Gal. 4. 6. therefore the assumption is false Neither is charity that fruit of the holy Ghost whereby the Spirit of adoption causeth us to cry Abba Father but faith For although by charity wee may bee declared or knowne to bee the sonnes of God yet wee become the sonnes of God not by charity but by faith Ioh. 1. 12. Gal. 3. 26. And consequently not by charity but by faith wrought in us by the Spirit of adoption testifying with our Spirits that wee are the sonnes of God the said spirit maketh us to cry in our hearts Abba Father § VII His second proofe is out of Rom. 8. 10. where it is said that by justifying grace we doe live The body indeed is dead by reason of sinne Spiritus autem vivit propter justificationem as the vulgar Latine readeth but the Spirit liveth because of justification But wee cannot well be said to live by the externall favour of God seeing nothing is more inward than life Answ. In this argument nothing is sound for first it proveth not the point for which it is brought viz. that by the love of God Rom. 5. 5. is meant our love of God Neither is it said Rom. 8. 10. that wee live by justifying grace for neither is justifying grace mentioned but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justice neither is it said that we live by it though it bee true that by justifying faith we live but that the Spirit is life propter justificationem for or by reason of righteousnesse And further it is well said that our Spirit liveth the spirituall and eternall life by the gracious favour of God which is out of us in him by which wee are saved as also for and by reason of the righteousnesse and merits of Christ which also are out of us in him Neither doth it follow that because life is inward that therefore it propter quod for which or by reason whereof wee doe live should also be inward § VIII But to let passe his impertinent allegation of this place and to explaine the true meaning thereof which is to set downe in this verse and that which followeth two priviledges of those in whom Christ dwelleth by his Spirit the one in respect of the soule vers 10. that howsoever by reason of sinne the body is dead that is mortall or subject to death yet the soule is life that is designed unto life by reason of righteousnesse The other in respect of the body vers 11. that if Christ dwell in us by his Spirit then hee which raised up Christ from the dead shall also by the same Spirit quicken that is raise up unto life eternall our mortall bodies Now as our bodie is dead that is subject to death by reason of Adams sinne in whom as the roote all sinned so our soule is life or intituled to life by reason of Christs righteousnesse in whom as our head wee satisfied the justice of God The sinne of the first Adam and the righteousnesse of the second being both communicated unto us by imputation And this is all that Bellarmine hath alleaged to prove that justifying grace is inherent all which is as good as nothing CAP. VI. The use of the word Grace in the writings of the Fathers § I. HAving shewed how the word grace is used in the Scriptures something is to be added concerning the use thereof in the writings of the Fathers whose authority the Papists are wont to object against us Howbeit as in the Scriptures so also in the Fathers there are two principall significations of the word Grace the one proper signifying the gracious favour of God in Christ by which they acknowledge us to be elected called justified and saved The other metonymicall signifying the gift of grace and namely the grace of regeneration or sanctification which in the Scriptures is called the Spirit opposed to the flesh and the new Man or new creature which is renewed and as it were recreated according to the Image of
Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde c. Nam cùm est adhuc aliquid carnalis concupiscentiae quod vel continendo frenetur non omnimodò ex tota anima diligitur Deus So much of Augustine § III. Divine Testimonies saith he we meet with every where For first our Lord saith Greater charity hath no man than this that a man lay downe his life for his friends Ioh. 15. 13. but it is evident that very many that is to say all the Martyrs haue attained to this perfection of charity Answ. So to lay downe a mans life for others as Christ did lay down his for us is the perfection of Charity But the love of Martyrs though great commeth farre short of this perfection For as Cardinall Tolet hath well observed upon this text the quantity or measure of charity may bee considered three wayes By way of Estimation or appreciation Intension Extension In all which respects the love of Christ doth farre surpasse the love of Martyrs First by way of appreciation because he gave that for us which is more and of greater value than what is given by Martyrs First because of the dignity of his person For hee being the great God and our Saviour gave himselfe for us and therefore gave for us a greater gift than all the Martyrs put together can give Secondly because where Martyrs give their bodies only that they may save their owne soules Christ gave himselfe that is both body and soule for us that hee might redeeme both our bodies and soules which both hee did assume that hee might give both for us not onely in his body suffering death even the death of the Crosse but in his soule undergoing as our surety the wrath of God for us the feare whereof brought him into that agony which made him sweat drops of bloud and the sence of it upon the Crosse made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me being for a time in his owne sence as a man separated from God which separation from God is the death of the soule Now that Christ did thus farre give his soule as well as his body for us divers of the Fathers especially those which confute the heresie of the Apollinarists who denied that Christ had an humane soule doe teach Cyrill saith that Christ gave his flesh a price of ransome for the flesh of all and his soule likewise a price of ransome for the soules of all Theodoret the good Shepheard gave his body and soule for his sheep who have both body and soule And againe the nature of men consisteth of body and soule both which being lost by sinne our Lord having taken upon him both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our bodies hee gave his body and for our soules also his soule Irenaeus that Christ redeeming us by his bloud that is by the sufferings of his manhood gave his soule for our soules and his flesh for our our flesh Ambrose the Divinity of the Word was not offered in sacrifice for that which hee had put on he offered in himselfe and hee put on that which before hee had not that is his whole manhood For Christ our Priest both God and man upon the Altar of his Deity for it is the Altar which sanctifieth the sacrifice did offer his whole manhood consisting both of body and soule as a whole burnt offering for us Wheras therefore in the Doctrine of redemption mention is made either of his body alone as Col. 1.22 1 Pet. 2.24 or of his soule onely as Esa. 53. 10 that his soule was made an offering for sinne and in this place Ioh. 15. 12. greater love hath no man than this that a man lay downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animam suam his soule for his friends wee are by a Synechdoche to understand the whole manhood that is himselfe as hee was man Now it is a greater love for a man to give both body and soule for another than to give his body onely § IV. Secondly in respect of intension it argueth greater love when a man is willing of his owne accord and desirous to lay downe his life for others than when necessity is laid upon him Christ was willing of his owne accord yea and earnestly desirous for so he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lay downe his life for us Martyrs doe not yea ought not ordinaâ—…ily offer themselves to death for quâ—… amat periculum peribit in eo and our Saviour hath taught them when they are persecuted in one city to flee to another But they are and ought to bee willing to lay down their lives rather than deny The Truth Our Saviour prophecying of Saint Peters Martyrdome Iohn 21. 18. saith when thou wast young thou diddest gird thy selfe and walke whither thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not Againe when a man doth lay downe his life freely as Christ did without either tye of duty or expectation of recompence it argueth greater love than what is so done out of duety as that if hee did it not hee should sinne and so lose his soule by seeking to save his life or out of love to himselfe to lay downe his life to save his owne soule which is the common case of Martyâ—…s § V. Thirdly in respect of extension his love is greater that layeth downe his life not onely for his friends and well willers and such as have beene good unto him for peâ—…adventure for such as the Apostle saith Rom. 5. 7. some though hardly would adventure to dye and some few examples in that kind wee read of but also for sinners and for his enemies who though they doe not love him yet are beloved of him and therefore in respect of his affection are his friends as beloved of him though in respect of their affection enemies Thus our Saviour having loved us commendeth his love towards us Rom. 5. that when we were sinners verse 8. and by our sinnes enemies vers 10. hee dyed for us But Martyrs when they dye for others they lay downe their lives not for their enemies but for their brethren in Christ 1 Iohn 3. 16. § VI. His second proofe is out of 1 Ioh. 2. 5. Hee that keepeth the Word of God in him verily the love of God is perfected But that the Word of God may be kept the same Apostle in the same Epistle teacheth 1 Ioh. 5. 3. and his Commandements are not grievous unto us Answ. The keeping of the Commandements being an effect and fruit of Love Charity is said to bee perfected by it that is perfectly knowne as a good Tree by his fruit and as Faith is said Iam. 2. 22. to bee made perfect by good workes and as Gods strength is perfected in our weakenesse for hereby men are knowne to love God if they
what Pharisaicall conceit the Papists have of themselves that being once ex opere operato justified by their Sacraments though they neither have knowledge nor faith nor repentance nor any sanctifying grace in them yet they are not truely and indeed sinners in themselves neither is there any sinne in them And therefore unlesse they will play the hypocrites and dally with God they ought not to pray as Christ taught his owne Apostles to pray forgive us our sinnes But by saying there is no sinne in themselves it is evident that there is no truth in them 1 loh. 1. 8. § VIII His eighth argument is taken out of the Canticles where Christ is compared to the Husband or Bridegrome the Church or justified soule to the Spouse which Spouse is said to bee most faire and beautifull yea tota pulchra viz. by beauty inhereâ—…t in her selfe and not by the beauty of her Husband imputed to her Answ. From allegoricall Scriptures no sound argument can bee drawne especially when they are not understood But be it that by the Spouse is meant the Church of Christ. Is it the Church triumphant as it mayseeme when she is said to be tota pulchra then is it to no purpose alleaged As for the Church militant that commendation cannot be verified of it by reason of many deformed members which be alwayes in the visible Church besides which the Papists acknowledge no other But if the Church militant bee meant then of what time for it may not be thought that what is spoken in the Canticles doth agree to the Church at al times The Spouse which somtimes is said to be tota pulchra in other places is said to be blacke sometimes She enjoyethher Beloved somtimes She is at a losse sometimes she adhereth to her Love sometimes She neglecteth him But suppose she be alwaies and altogether beautiful which me thinks should hardly be verified of the Church of Rome besides which they acknowledg no other true Church especially when the visible Head therof the Popes have beene monsters of men their Clergie Sodomiticall their Laity void of all truth and power of Religion their whole Church in respect of her faith hereticall in regard of her religion idolatrous and in respect of both apostaticall but suppose I say the true universall Church which is the company of the elect to be wholly beautifull This totall beauty cannot be understood of her inherent righteousnesse which is stayned and unperfect but of that righteousnesse which her husband hath imputed and imparted to her as we heard before out of Gregory Nyssen § IX Yea but Bellarmine will prove that this beauty is inherent first because her beauty is described as that which is proper to women and his as that which is proper to men and therefore that his beauty is one and hers another Secondly because it is absurd to imagine hee absurdly chargeth us that the Spouse of Christ is deformed in herselfe being onâ—…ly adorned outwardly with her Husbands garment But this labour Bellarmine might have spared For wee doe acknowledge that the true Church is beautifull and that by a twofold beauty the one the perfect beauty of her Husband communicated to her by imputation the other unperfect and inherent which being but begun in this life is to be perfected in the life to come but howsoever this inward beauty be unperfect yet because it is upright her Husband is delighted therewith and in regard of this inward uprightnesse and integrity she is said to be glorious within In which respect the Tabernacle of the Congregation was a fit type of the Church militant which in outward appearance is black and brown like the tents of Kedar but within faire and beautifull like the hangings of Salomon even as the tabernacle which outwardly made but a homely shew being covered with Rams skinnes and Badgers skins was inwardly glorious wee acknowledge therefore that there is inherent righteousnesse in the true Church and in all the true and lively memâ—…ers thereof In regard whereof in the Creed we professe our selves to beleeve that she is holy and that the communion of her members among themselves and with their head is the communion of Saints But that by this inherent righteousnesse either the Church or any member thereof is justified before God we doe utterly deny § X. His ninth and tenth arguments I will put together because one answere may serve for both His ninth reason is this by justification the heart is cleansed that it may be prepared for the vision of God for untill it be cleane it cannot see God The tenth Christ suffered and gave himselfe for his Church that he might sanctifie it Heb. 13. 12. Ephes. 5. 26. Tit. 2. 14. loh. 17. 19. which is not done by imputation c. Both those objections arise from the wilfull ignorance of the Papists who will not distinguish justification from sanctification The righteousnesse of sanctification of which these places speake wee acknowledge to be inherent though that of justification be imputed and that which I have shewed heretofore as wee are by justification entitled to the kingdome of heaven so by sanctification we are fitted and prepared for it We confesse that the heart must be cleane and pure before it can see God and that by sanctification begun in this life the heart is prepared but never fully cleansed untill it come to see God wee acknowledge that our sanctification is the end not onely of our redemption but also of our Election Ephes. 1. 4. of our creation and recreation according to Gods image Ephes. 4. 24. of our vocation 1 Thes. 4. 7. of our justification and reconciliation Col. 1. 22. Luk. 1. 74. 75. That sanctification is the way wherein men being elected called justified are to walke to their glorification But though it bee via regni yet it is not causa regnandi that our Saviour by his Spirit doth truly really and inherently worke the worke of sanctification in all those that are justified But I beseech you what is the force of both these arguments Our hearts must be cleansed by inherent purity therefore we are not justified by imputed righteousnesse Christ dyed and gave himselfe for us that wee might bee sanctified with true inherent grace therefore we are not justified by righteousnesse imputed Christ gave himselfe for us that he might redeeme and justifie us that being reedeemed and justified wee might worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him Finally Bellarmine telleth us that many other arguments might bee produced but these he saith were the principall which notwithstanding for the most part were such as deserved with scome to bee rejected rather than to bee in good earnest refuted which neverthelesse argueth not the insufficiencie of the disputant but the badnesse of the cause which admitteth no better proofes A TREATISE OF IVSTIFICATION THE SIXTH BOOKE Concerning Faith CAP. I. What Faith is and that it is not without knowledge § I. THâ—…
that they may rule them at their pleasure that they may lead them whither they please For hee that walketh in darkenesse knoweth not whither he goeth may as easily bee led up and downe as Sampson after his eyes were put out But those that are of God doe wish that the people of God may increase in knowledge of God 1 Thes. 1. 10. that they may be perfect in understanding 1 Cor. 14. 20. that they may abound more and more in knowledge Phil. 1. 9. For not to be proficients in knowledge they esteeme a great fault Heb. 5. 11 12. 2 Tim. 3. 7. that the Word of Christ may dwell in them richly in all Wisedome Col. 2. 2. 3. 16. that they may bee able and ready to give an answere to every man that asketh a reason of that hope that is in them 1 Pet. 3. 15. for where men of all other professions can give a reason of that which they doe professe it is a great absurdity as Chrysostome testifieth for a man professing himselfe a Christian not to bee able to give an account of his faith that they may trye all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thes. 5. 21. that Husbands may be able to instruct their Wives and housholders their families Deut. 6. 7. 11. 19. Yea Moses the Man of God wished that all the Lords people were Prophets Num. 11. 29. § XX. And as the godly have wished so the Lord hath promised that in the Church of Christ there should bee plenty of knowledge Esa. 11. 9. Ier. 31. 34. and that all the faithfull should bee taught of God Esai 54. 13. And this was verified in times past in the primitive Churches and is at this day in all true Churches and where it is not in some measure verified as it is not in the Church of Rome that is not a true Church Not to speake of the present times I will produce one Testimony of the ancient Churches In which it was usuall to bee seene that the points of Christian Religion were knowne not onely to the Teachers of the Church but also to all manner of artificers and handicrafts men of women likewise not onely such as were lettered but those of the meanest sort even servants and handmaids and not onely Citizens but also Countrey people as Husband-men and laborers had this knowledge who might bee found conferring of the Divine Trinity of the Creation of all things and having better knowledge of the nature of man than Plato or Aristâ—…tle Finally the Papists by their doctrine of implicite faith do bereave the faithfull of their chiefe rejoycing For thus saith the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth mee that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. So much of the first question CAP. II. Prâ—…ving that a true justifying faith cannot bee severed from Charity and other graces § I. THE second question concerning the nature of faith is whether a true justifying faith may be severed from Charity and from all other graces of Sanctification The Papists hold the affirmative we the negative The reasons of our assertion that true justifying faith is ever accompanied with Charity and other graces and cannot indeed be severed from them are manifold and manifest My first reason is this All that are regenerate and borne of God have Charity and other graces of sanctification All that truly beleeve in Christ or which is all one that have a true justifying faith are regenerate and borne of God Therefore all that truely beleeve in Christ have charity and other graces of sanctification The proposition is thus proved Regeneration consisteth in the infusion of graces of sanctification and therfore they who are regenerate are indued with those graces Seondly regeneration is the renewing of a man according to the image of God in true holinesse and righteousnesse Ephes. 4. 24. both which are comprehended in Charity The former being the love of God the other of our neighbour Thirdly the Papists themselves doe teach that when men are regenerated in baptisme there is with faith infused Charity Fourthly as he that hath Charity is borne of God and knoweth him so he that hath not Charity knoweth not God and much lesse is borne of him 1 Ioh. 4. 8. The assumption All that have a true justifying faith are regenerate and borne of God For first whosoever beleeveth that I â—…â—…vs is the Christ is bome of God 1 Ioh. 5. 1. Secondly as many as receive Christ by faith to them he gave this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this priviledge or prerogatiye to be the sonnes of God even to them that beleeve on his name who are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1. 12. 13. Thirdly All that doe truely beleeve are the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3. 26. Fourthly Faith is a grace of regeneration which the holy Ghost doth ingenerate and infuse when hee doth regenerate as the Papists themselves confesse Neither is it of nature or from our selves but it is the speciall gift of God Ephes 2 8. for no man can truly say that is with a lively and unfained assent of the heart that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. To beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of the living God flesh and bloud hath not revealed to any man but God the Father who is in heaven Matth. 16. 16 17. No man saith our Saviour can come to me that is beleeve in me Ioh. 6. 35. except the Father who hath sent me draw him Iohn 6. 44. and except it be given unto him by my Father vers 65. and how given as a proper fruit of election For justifying faith is the faith of the elect 7 〈◊〉 1. 1 given unto us when we are called according to the purpose of God and his grace given unto us in Christ before all secular times 2 Tim. 1. 9. For those whom God giveth to Christ by election they come unto him by faith Ioh. 6. 37. and so many as are ordained to eternall life beleeve Act. 13. 48. § II. Secondly Whosoeverâ—…have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them are â—…udued with Charity and other graces which all are the fruits of the Spirit who is the Spirit of grace and contrarywise they who have not Charity have not the Spirit of Christ. For the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of love God is love and he that abideth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 Ioh 4. 16. but he that loveth not knoweth not God and much lesse dwelleth in him vers 8. All that
have true faith have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them by which Christ dwelleth in them and those which have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his Rom. 8. 9 Faith is the proper worke of the Spirit who is therefore called the Spâ—…rit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. And therfore those who are endued with true faith have the Spirit by both which Christ dwelleth in us Againe all that are the sonnes of â—…od have the Spirit of Christ Gal. 4. 6. all that truly beleeve are the sonnes of God as hath been shewed All that be Christs they have his Spirit for those that have not his Spirit are none of his Rom. 8. 9. All that truely beleeve are Christs 1 Cor. 3. 23. both because God hath given them unto him Iohn 6. 37. 17. 9 24. and because he hath bought them with a great price 1 Cor. 6. 19. and because by faith they are engrafted and united unto him as his members Therefore all that have true faith are endued with Charity and other graces § III. Thirdly all that are sanctified are endued with Charity and other graces for in them our sanctification doth consist All that have true faith are sanctified For first by faith the heart is purified Acts 15. 9. and true faith worketh by love Galathians 5. 6. Secondly because all that are justified are also sanctified All that have a true faith are justified therefore all that have a true faith are sanctified The proposition can in no sort be denied by the Papists who confound justification and sanctification But though they must necessarily be distinguished yet they may not they cannot be severed They are such unseparablecompanions that whosoever hath the one hath the other and whosoever hath not both hath neither whosoever is in Christ as all the faithfull are is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. he liveth not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. 1. He crucifieâ—…h the flesh with the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. This truth is confirmed by the oth of God whereby he hath promised in the covenant of grace that to all the faithfull the sonnes of Abraham he will give them redemption and justification and being redeemed hee will give them grace to worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life Those therefore whom God doth justifie by faith he doth sanctifie by his Spirit But all that have a true justifying faith are justified and by their justification have right or are entituled to the Kingdome of heaven Act. 13. 38 39. yea the Gospell teacheth not onely that they which truely beleeve shall bee saved but also that they are translated from death to life and that they have eternall life Ioh. 5. 24. 6. 47. 1 Ioh. 5. 11. 13. § IV. Fourthly all true disciples of Christ are endued with charity Ioh. 13. 35. All that truly beleeve in Christ are his true disciples therefore c. Fifthly that which worketh by Charity is not without it True faith worketh by Charity Gal. 5. 6. Sixthly The formed faith is not severed from Charity as the Papists themselves teach True justifying faith is the formed faith for that which is without forme is neither atrue nor justifying but a dead and counterfeit faith Seventhly If faith without Charity doe not justifie then a true justifying faith is not without Charity But the former is true for that faith which is without Charity profiteth nothing 1 Cor. 13. 2. therefore the later Eighthly out of 1 Iohn 4. 8. hee that beleeveth knoweth God they that love not know not God ergo they that love not beleeve not § V. To these eight arguments wee will adde seven more out of the Epistle of S. Iames Chapter 2. beginning at the 14. verse where he doth not goe about to prove that a true justifying faith doth not justifie alone but that that faith which is alone without Charity without good workes doth neither justifie alone nor at all And that hee proveth by these reasons First verse 14. True faith doth justifie and save a man that faith which is in profession onely being void of Charity or as Saint Iames speaketh when a man saith he hatâ—… faith and hath not workes doth not justifie or save a man and therefore is not a true faith Secondly à pari verse 15 16 17. Charity which is onely in words and profession and not indeed and truth is unprofitable and vaine so pari ratione faith which is onely in profession being alone void of Charity and of good workes is dead Thirdly verse 18. True faith may be demonstrated by good workes but that faith which is in profession onely and void of Charity cannot be demonstrated by good workes therefore it is not a true faith Fourthly ver 19. that faith which is common to devils is no true justifying faith for they beleeve that which they abhorre whereupon Augustine saith Fides Christiani cum dilectione est daemonis autem sine dilectione Fifthly vers 20. the dead faith of a vaine man is not a justifying faith that faith which is without charity is the dead faith of a vaine man therefore not a justifying faith Sixthly ver 21. 22. 23. 24 25. True justifying faith is such a faith as was that of Abrâ—…ham or at least as was that of Rahab that is fruitfull of good workes but that which is without Charity and without good workes is not such a faith as that of Abraham or of Rahab Seventhly vers 26. â—… simili as the body without spirit is dead so that faith which is without good workes is dead Vpon these arguments of Saint Iames it doth inevitably follow that seeing that faith which is severed from Charity and destitute of good workes is not a true justifying faith therefore a true justifying faith is not severed from Charity nor destitute of good workes § VI. These fifteene Arguments are as I suppose without exception Those which Bellarmine thought he could best answere hee hath propounded as our best Arguments and cavilled with them they are in number six the first out of 1 Tim. 5. 8. That for want whereof a man declareth himselfe to be without true faith and to be worse than an infidell cannot be separated from a true faith For want of Charity yea for want of one branch thereof which is to provide for a mans owne especially those of his owne house whom the very insidels are wont to provide for a man declareth himselfe to be without true faith that is in Saint Paules phrase hath denyed the faith and is worse than an infidell in that particular therefore Charity cannot be separated from true faith To this Bellarmine frameth an answere against himselfe that as Chrysostome and other interpreters doe witnesse the Apostle speaketh of such who are said to deny the faith because they doe not live as faith doth teach men to live as none doe who have not Charity and therefore
those who have not Charity have not faith who as the same Apostle saith professe themselves to know God but in deeds deny him which also is against himselfe for how saith Chrysostome can such a man be said to beleeve that denieth God Therefore saith he the wicked deny the faith not in heart or mouth but indeed and of them saith he writeth Saint Gregory whose testimony he alleageth directly against himselfe Eos non veraciter credere non habere veram fidem quinon bene operantur that they doe not truely beleeve nor have a true faith who doe not worke well And therefore those that worke ill as those doe who are without Charity and namely those who provide not for their domesticks shew that they have no true faith But this he salveth with another testimony of the same Gregory that many enter into the Church because they have faith and yet want the wedding garment because they have not Charity Where by faith we are to understand the profession of faith which many make who have not Charity But by the wedding garment we are according to the Scriptures to understand rather Christ and his righteousnesse as I have shewed heretofore put on by a true and lively faith for he that was without the wedding garment wanted faith as well as charity The Authour of the unfinished Worke in Chrysostome faith Nuptiale vestimentum est fides vera quae est per Iesum Christum justitiam ejus the wedding garment is the true faith which is by Iesus Christ and his righteousnesse But will you heare one of their owne Writers upon Matth. 22. what is saith he that wedding garment to wit that whereof Paul speaketh when he saith put on the Lord Iesus Christ. This garment is inwardly put on by faith when thou puttest on Christs righteousnesse to cover thy sinnes c. § VII The second out of Ioh. 6. 64. Iudas though he professed the faith is yet said not to have beleeved because he wanted Charity and therefore they who want Charity want faith Bellarmine answereth that he is said not to beleeve because at that time he had lost his faith I reply Iudas though he professed the faith yet he never had true faith and therefore never lost it For from the beginning Iesus knew who they were that beleeved not and who should betray him for this cause saith he in the next verse I said unto you that no man can come to me that is beleeve in me vers 35. and 64. unlesse it be given unto him of my Father which hee insinuateth had not been given to Iudas whom from the beginning he knew to be no beleever § VIII Hee that saith hee knoweth God namely by faith and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar Bellarmine answereth that he speaketh of the knowledge of familiarity and friendship of which the Lord speaketh to the wicked Matth. 7. 25. I know you not whereunto I reply that if he speake of such knowledge it is the knowledge of faith and cannot be had but by faith and so the argument standeth in force Howbeit unfitly doth he alleage the Lords not knowing of the wicked to prove the meaning of our knowing of him If he speake not of the knowledge of faith the argument is the stronger for if he be a lyar that only saith that he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandements then much more is hee a lyar that saith hee knoweth God by faith and keepeth not his commandements Beda indeed expoundeth this knowledge of God of the love of God which is a fruit and consequent of our faith hocest Deum nosse quod amare but others of faith as Gregory speaking of this place notitia quippâ—… Dei ad fideâ—… pertinet Oecumenius maketh this verse to bee of the same signification with the sixth verse of the first Chapter If we say that we have fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we are lyars and that which Saint Iohn there calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communion here hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commixtion or conjunction Thus therefore hee saith Saint Iohn having said before that those which beleeve in the Lord have communion or fellowship with him here hee setteth downe evidences of our communion with him In this wee know that wee know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that which hee had said before that wee have conjunction or communion with him if wee keepe his Commandements And this saith hee hee more fully sheweth by the contrary but hee that saith I know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or I have communion with him and keepeth not his Commandements he is a lyar This then is â—…is meaning he that saith I know God that is I have Communion with him by faith and doth not keepe his Commandements hee is a lyar But whether wee understand the words of communion by faith or of faith according to the usuall pâ—…rase of the Scriptures puting knowledge for faith as I noted before or of knowledge it selfe the argument is unanswerable For if wee cannot truely bee said to know Christ that is to beleeve in him unlesse wee keepe his Commandements then it is evident that true faith cannot be severed from Charity For this is love if we keep his Commandements 1 Ioh. 5. 3. againe if hee that saith hee knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandemenes bee a lyar much more he that saith hee beleeveth in God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar as I said before To this adde Tit. 1. â—…6 which Bellarmine cited against himselfe those that professe themselves to know God but in workes deny him they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unbeleevers Ioh. 3. 36. or as the vulgar Latine incredibiles or as Thomas Aquinas non apti ad credendum § IX Fourthly 1 Ioh. 5. 1. Every one that bâ—…leeveth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of God and therefore undoubtedly hath charity Bellarmine answereth that he speaketh de fide formata as Saint Augustine expoundeth and so doe wee for whosoever truely beleeveth hath fidem formatam For the Apostle no doubt speaketh of a true lively saith and such there is none but that which the Papists call formatam which worketh by love And therefore the argument holdeth that whosoever hath a true lively iustifying faith is borne of God or regenerated by the Spirit of sanctification and therefore is undoubtedly endued with charity § Fifthly Iam. 2. That faith which iâ—… without workes is dead A true lively justifying faith is not dead Therefore â—… true livâ—…ly â—…ustifying faith is not without works Bellarmine saith he hath explaned this in his third argument that faith is said to be dead not as a mâ—… is said to bee dead who after death is not but as a body is said to bee dead which after death is but liveth not For saith he Life is not of the
essence of faith as it 〈◊〉 of the essence of a man but by a metaphor saith is said to live when it worketh and to bee dead wheâ—… it worketh not Even as water is said to bee living which continually floweth as in Foâ—…ntaines and Rivers dâ—…d which moveth not as in standing pooles and yet both is truely and properly water Whereunto I reply that the body of a man being dead is a true body in respect of the generall nature of a body both because it consisteth of three dimensions as all true bodies doe and because it consisteth of all the Elements as all perfectly compounded bodies doe But wheras bodies perfectly compounded are subdivided in corpor a in animata animata the dead body of a man or of a beast or of a plant is not a true body in genere aniâ—… no more than the severall parts thereof as the eye the care c. because it is deprived of his forme which is the anima thereof according to his kind So faith which is dead may in respect of the generall nature of faith bee called a true faith because it is an assent to the truth revealed by God yet whereas assent is either forced or voluntary and that either to the Law which is the legall â—…or to the Gospell which is the Evangelicall faith and this either unfained lively and effectuall or counterfeit idle and uneffectuall therefore the dead faith being either not voluntary such as is in the Devils and some wicked men who beleeve that which they abhorre or not Evangelicall as in the Iewes or not unfained lively and effectuall as in hypocrites and unsound Christians is not a true justifying faith because it wanteth the forme and as it were the anima of a true justifying faith which is the inward integrity for that is actus primus the inward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or efficacie thereof whereby it doth effectually receive that is apprehend and apply Christ to the beleever It is true that by a metaphor taken from men faith is said to be either alive or dead though herein is a dissimilitude because a man is said to be dead who before had lived buâ—…faith is onely said to be dead not because it ever had lived but because it is without life as many things also are by a metaphore said to bee dead blind or dumbe which never did live see or speak But saith he faith is said to be alive when it worketh and dead when it worketh not I â—…ad rather say it is alive when it is operative and energetical though it do not alwaies actually work as in sleep and dead when it is idle uneffectuall and unprofitable But this is nothing to our argument for if faith without charity or without workes bee said to bee dead then a true lively justifying faith cannot be without charity or good workes and that which is is not a true justifying faith no more than a dead man is a man and yet as a dead â—…n which is but a carcase is called by the name of that man whose carcase it is even so dead faith which is but a carcase or rather a counterfeit of faith is called faith not properly and truely but 〈◊〉 § XI That faith by which a righteous man shall live is not without Charity By a true justifying faith a righteous man shall live Therefore a true justifying faith is not without charity To the assumption Bellâ—…mine answereth two wayes First that a righteoâ—…s man is said to live by faith because by faith which is the substance of things hoped for he patiently supporteth himselfe in expectation of eternall life To which I reply that the words are the just shall live and that the Apostle more than once alleadgeth that testimony in the question of justification as Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 3. 11. to prove that by faith a man is justified that is entituled to eternall life Secondly hee answereth that the Prophet speaketh of fides formata per charitatem such as is in the just who by such a faith as worketh by love doe live a spirituall life which answere maketh wholly for us For if the true faith whereby the just man shall live is formed by charity as the Papists speake and worketh by charity as Saint Paul saith then it followeth that the true justifying faith is never severed from Charity § XII To these arguments grounded on the holy Scriptures I will adjoyne some Testimonies of the Fatherâ—… Chrysostome so soone as you beleeved you brought forth good workes for faith in it owne nature is full of good worâ—…s and so Cleâ—…ens Alex. strom l. 5. that faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worker of good things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the foundation of just working Augustine Inseparabilis est bona vita à fide qâ—…a per dilectionem operatur mo verò â—…a ipsaest bona vita a good life cannot be severed from faith which worketh by love yea it selfe is a good life 2 Fides Christiani saith he cum dilectione est dâ—…monis autem siâ—…e dilectione and accordingly he calleth fâ—…ith without workes the faith not of Christians but of Devils Againe to beleeve in Christ it is not this to have the faith of Devils which worthily is esteemed to bee dead but to have that faith which worketh by love And so he and some others expound that phrase of beleeving in Christ. 3. I lle eâ—…im credit in Christâ—…m qui sper at in Christum diligiâ—… Christâ—… Nam credere in Christum est credâ—…ndo amare In Christum credere est amando in ipsum tendere Piâ—…fides siâ—…e spe charitate esse non vult 4. Si fidem habâ—…t sine spe dilectione Christum esse credit non in Christum credit Isidorus Pelusiâ—…ta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither doe thou thinke that faith if that ought to be called faith which is convinced or reproved by thine own workâ—… câ—…n save thee Oecumenius that faith accreweth not to an uncleane person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I meane a true faith who will deny for neither may ointment bee put up into a vessell full of filth neither can the faith of God bee ingendred in an uncleane man Gregory as we heard before denyeth them truely to beleeve or to have a true faith who doe not live well For thâ—…t is true faith saith â—…e which that which it saith in words it doth not gainesay in manners Hence it is that Paul speaketh of certaine falsis fidelibâ—…s falsly called faithfull men who confesse that they know God but in deeds deny him Hence Iohn saith he that saith hee knoweth God and doth not c. the which seeing it is so wee ought to acknowledge the truth of our faith in consideration of our life For then are we truely faithfull if what wee promise in words wee performe in deeds if a man after Baptisme keepe â—…hat which he promised before baptisme let him now
being certaine that he is faithfull râ—…joyce where observe that those are faithfull not that are baptized but that keep their vow of Baptism and that those that live wickedly are falsi fideles falsly called faithfull Againe qâ—…antum crediâ—…s tantum amamus Ansâ—…lm fides quâ—… non habet charitaâ—… opera bona fidâ—…s Dâ—…monum est non Christianorum Faith which hath not charity and good workeâ—… is the faith of Divels not of Christians And againe fides sine operibus noâ—… est vera fides Bernard faith maketh a true Catholike not that which iâ—… common to Devils and men but that which is common to men and Angelicall Spirits and which is that that which worketh by love CHAP. III. Bellarmines proofes that true faith may bee severed from Charity first from the Scriptures and then from Fathers § I. NOw let us examine Bellarmines proofes And first out of the Scriptures 1. Ioh. 12. 42 43. Many of the princes or rulers beleeved in Christ but they did not confessâ—… for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God Herâ—… saith â—…ee the Evangelist testifieth that in these Princes there was Faith without Charity His reason is thus to be framed The Princes which did not confesse Christ were void of Charity The same Princes beleeve in Christ. Therefore some that beleeve in Christ are void of Charity The proposition is proved because they loved the glory or praise of men more than of God Answ. If they did absolutely and altogether preferre the glory of men before the glory of God then hâ—…d they neither love of God nor faith in Christ see Ioh. 5. 42 44. But if by force of temptation or by humane frailty as feâ—…refulnesse and too much love of the World which are corruptions incident to the best they were for a time hindered from professing Christ I dare not say they were void of Charity For Saint Peter when he both loved Christ and beleeved in him did deny him which was worse than not confessing him And it may be that among those rulers were reckoned Nicodemus and Ioseph of Arimathâ—…a who though they had not for â—… time openly professed Christ yet when there was greatest cause of feare and of doubt and least encouragement to professe him they expressâ—… their love towards him Ioh. 19. 31 39. To the assumption I aâ—…swere those princes who being void of Charity loved the glory of men more than the glory of God by the testimony of Christ neither did nor could beleeve Ioh. 5. 42 44. Neither did all they truely beleeve in Christ who in the Scriptures are said after a sort to have beleeved in him For Ioh. 2. 23. many are said to have belâ—…ved in his name to whom our Saviour would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concredit himselfe because hee knew what was in them vers 24. 25. § II. His second proofe is out of 1 Cor. 13. 2. If I had all faith so that I could remove mountaines and have not charity I am nothing therefore faith may bee severed from Charity Answ. This place is either generally understood of all faith or particularly of the whole faith of working miracles but in neither sense doth it favour the popish sancie If generally then the Apostle must bee understood as speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of supposition and not as positively affirming that either he or any other having all faith wanted Charity therefore this supposition quâ—… nihil ponit proveth nothing Yea in suppositions and fained comparisons a man may suppose things incredible and impossible and much more improbable as in this place it selfe if I should speake with the tongues of men and Angels and have not love if I had all faith so that I could remove mountaines and have not love and though I bestow all my goods as it were by morsels to free the poore and though I gave my body to be burnt and have not Charity and yet those suppositions whether improbable or incredible are of no lesse force in arguing than if they were absolutely true Indeed if the adversary could from this hypotheticall proposition truly assume the antecedent as he cannot then might hee urge this place to some purpose but if it may more truely be denied or taken away as for example if I or any other had all faith and yet had not love as nâ—…ver man yet had then is this allegation to no purpose To this Bellarmine replyeth that the Apostle doth not argue from a condition impossible but usâ—…th an hyperbolt when notwithstanding it is most evident that the Apostle speaketh not in a simple hyperbolicall speech as Bellarmine maketh him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if I had which I have not but this supposall or fiction of a condition incredible doth no lesse prove the necessity of Charity than if it were absolutely true If the place be understood particularly of the faith of miracles the particle all being not universall but integrall as if it had beene said the whole faith including all the degrees of it which is very probable not onely in respect of the authority of the Fathers heretofore mentioned but also by the words themselves first because he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as speaking of a particular secondly because hee doth instance in a high degree of that particular so that I could remove mountaines then this alegation is impertinent For the question is not of the faith of miracles whether it may be severed from Charity which we confesse but of the true justifying faith which not all they have who have the faith of miracles For that hath beene bestowed upon Iudas and other reprobates Matth. 10. 1. 7. 22 23. which plainely overthroweth Bellarmines conceit that the faith of miracles is the same with jâ—…stifying faith but excelling which is false in two respects for first it would then follow that all they who have had this faith should have beene endued with justifying faith and that all who have excelled in the greatest measure and degree of justifying faith should have beene adorned with the faith of miracles Both which are untrue Secondly the Schoole men when they distinguish grace into gratia grâ—…tum 〈◊〉 which is the justifying and sanctifying grace tending to the good and Salvation of the party who hath it and gratia gratis data tending to the good of others the faith of working miracles is reckoned in the later ranke 1 Corinthians 12. 8 9 10. § III. Yea but it is promised Mark 16. 17. that signes should follow them that beleeve namely by a justifying faith whereof is mention vers 16. But not say I that all beleevers should be workers of miracles but some for all From whence nothing can be proved but that to some which did beleeve the gift of working miracles should bee granted for the confirmation of the faith Yea but by saith in forâ—…r times the faithfull stopped the mouths of Lyons quenched the
violence of fire Heb. 11. 33. 34. Answ. These examples recorded in the Scriptures were not wrought by the faithfull themselves but the Lord because they â—…id beleeve and trust in him sent his Angell to stoppe the mouths of Lions Dan. 6. 22. 23. and to quench the violence of fire Dan. 3. 17. 25. Howbeit if themselves had wrought these miracles it would prove no more but that some who had justifying faith had also the faith of working miracles Neither doth our Saviour Luk. 17. say that if a man had the justifying faith like a graine of mustard seed hee should be able to remoove mountaines for those who have had a great and a strong faith as namely Abraham have had no such power Yea but he speaketh of that faith which the disciples prâ—…ied him to increase Luk. 17. 5. But say I if you compare the place with his parallell Matth. 17. 20. it will appeare that both our Saviour and his Apostle speake of the faith of miracles For when our Saviour reproved them for their want of faith in that they were not able to cure the Lunaticke who notwithstanding were endued with justifying faith as many others are who though they have a strong faith yet are not able to worke such a cuâ—…e they desire our Saviour to increase or as the word is adde unto them faith Whereupon our Saviour returneth this answeare if you had faith as a graine of mustard seed c. doth hee meane justifying faith God forbid for then no man living could bee said to have so much of justifying faith as is a graine of mustard seed § IV. And whereas in the last place hee would prove by the conjunction of these three Faith Hope and Charity verse 13. that hee speaketh of the same faith whereof he had spoken verse 2. I answere first that it followeth not for here the Apostle maketh a new comparison of of Charity with Faith and Hope preferring it before them as greater both in respect of the breadth or 〈◊〉 for whereas the benefit of Faith and Hope respecteth habentem him that hath them Charity is extended to others and also in respect of the length or continuance For whereas Faith and Hope doe cease in the life to come faith being swallowed up in vision and hope in fruition love neverthelesse is continued with increase Secondly this place maketh rather against him Now saith the Apostle that is during this life these three abide none of them failing altogether in this life and therefore they alwayes goe together insomuch that whosoever hath any one of them hath alâ—…o the other two No man can have love or hope unlesse he have faith and no man hath true saith but he hath both love and hope and according to the measure of his faith such is the measure both of his love and of his hope For as that of Gregory is most true quantum credimus â—…antum amamus so it is no lesse true quantum credimus tantum speramus As for his allegation out of Augustine affirming that faith may be without charity I deny not but that the faith of hypocrites which beareth the name of faith as a carcase or counterfeit do of the man whose they are is without charity but profiteth not But that justifying faith may be without charity he saith not for how can it bee a justifying faith and not profit § V. His third testimony is Iaâ—… 2. 14. c. Where saith he Saint Iames not onely teacheth but also proveth that faith without workes doth not justific and that it may be without workes We answer that hee doth not speake of a true justifying faith but of faith professed onely or of the profession of faith which I proved before And this appeareth vers 14. where the question disputed in that discourse is propounded What doth it profit my brethren if a man shall say that hee hath faith or professeth himselfe to beleeve and hath not workes can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that faith of his which is in profession onely and without workes save him or justifie him No by no meanes for this affirmative interrogation is a most emphaticall negation This place therfore prooveth the contrary viz. that faith which is wiâ—…hout workes is not a true justifying faith and therefore a true justifying faith cannot be without workes But that Saint Iames speaketh of a true faith Bellarmine endevoureth to prove by five reasons against the maine drift of the Apostle in that place which as I shewed before was to prove that such a faith as is without workes is not a true justifying faith His first reason is because Saint Iames calleth it absolutely faith which name in the Scriptures alwâ—…yes signifieth the true faith that is or else hee speaketh to no purpose the true justifying faith First I answer that Saint Iames verse 14. doth not absolutely call it faith for he doth not say if a man have faith meaning a true faith but if a man shall say that hee hath faith can that faith which is in profession only save him And so in the verses following the faith which hee impleadeth doth not signifie the habiâ—… of true faith but the bare profession of faith But doth this word faith alwaies in the Scriptures fignifie the true justifying faith Nothing lesse for many times in the New Testament and almost alwayes in the Old faith is taken for fidelâ—…ty or faithfulnesse as Tit. 2. 10. sometimes for the doctrine of faith which is beleeved which the Papists themselves call the Catholike faith As Act. 6. 5. they obeyed the faith Act. 14. 27 the doore of faith Rom. 12. 6. the analogie of faith c. sometimes the profession of faith as Act. 14. 22. Rom. 1. 8. and so as hereafter I am to shew Iam. 2. 14. 24. And in this sence many are said to beleeve that is to have faith and are called fideles that is beleevers who onely professe the faith and are in their owne profession or opinion of others beleevers So Ioh. 2. 23. 8. 30 31. 33. Act. 8. 13. 21. and in this sence all that professe the name of Christ are called after his name Christians and are termed Fideles the faithfull not that all who are so called have the true justifying faith which is not of all nor yet of all that are called but onely of the elect For among those who are called the Faithfull there are many falsi fideles who are so falsly called as wee heard before out of Gregory sometimes for the faith of miracles as 1 Cor. 12. 9. 13. 2. Mat. 17. 20. Mar. 11. 22 23. Luk. 17. 5 6. Secondly hee saith that Saint Iames in the same chapter speaking of the sâ—…me faith saith that Abrahams faith wrought with his workes Ans. this is also contrary to the drift of Saint Iames who by this argument proveth the faith which is without workes to bee no true justifying faith because it is
Now to beleeve in Christ is to receive him Ioh. 1. 12. and not to receive him is not to beleeve in him vers 11. For to receive Christ being so farre removed from us is a spirituall action of the soule that is to say of the mind and of the heart whereby we first apprehend and after apply Christ unto our selves If therefore it bee asked quâ—…modo tenebo absentem quomodo in coelâ—…m manum mittam ut ibi sedentem teneam how should I lay hold upon him that is absent how should I send up my hand into heaven to lay hold on him sitting there Augustine answereth fidem mitte tenuisti Send up thy faith and thou hast laid hold on him But first wee receive Christ in our minde and judgement by assent which if it bee a bareâ—… and as it were a literall and uneffectuall assent wee receive him at the most as the Saviour of the World but not as our Saviour which is the faith of hypocrites yea and of Devils and is all that thâ—… Papists require as necessary to true faith But if it bee a spirituall lively and effectuall assent it worketh upon the heart that is both the affections and the will so that hee which in his judgement truely and effectually assenteth to the truth of the Gospell that Iesus the Sonne of the Blessed Virgin is the eternall Sonne of God the Messias and Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him doth also in his heart embrace him heartily desiring to bee made partaker of him and in his will unfainedly purposing and resolving to acknowledge him to bee our Lord and Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation By the former which is onely a bare assent we doe after a sort credere Christum acknowledging him to bee the Saviour of those that beleeve in him by the latter which is the lively and effectuall assent working upon the heart we doe credere in Christum and receive him to bee our Saviour whereupon necessarily followeth affiance in Christ and love of him as our Saviour Thus then by a true belief we receive and embrace Christ in our judgements by a lively assent in our hearts desiring earnestly to be partakers of him which desire wee expresse by hearty prayer and in our willâ—… resolving to acknowledge and professe him to be our only Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation So that a true lively and effectuâ—…ll faith is the worke of the whole soule that is to say as well of the heart as of the minde for which cause the Apostle saith corde creditur adjustitiam with the heart man beleeveth to righteousnesse Rom. 10. 10. and Saint Luke that the Lord opened the heart of Lydia to assent to the Gospell Act. 16. 14. And Philip requireth the Eunuch to beleeve with his whole heart Act. 8. 37. The former is common to the wicked yea to the Devils the later is proper to the children of God For those who so beleeve are born of God Ioh. â—… 12 13. 1 Ioh. 5. 1. The former is a literall a dead a counterfeit a not justifying faith the latter is a lively true and justifying faith This distinction Augustine maketh betweene Saint Peters faith and that of the Devils though their confessions were alike Thou art the Sonne of the living God Hoc dicebat Petrus ut Christum amplecteretur hoc dicebant Daemones ut Christus ab eis recederet This said Peter that hee might embrace Christ this spake the Devils that Christ might depart from them Oecumenius endeavouring to reconcile the seeming differences betweene the two Apostles Paul and Iames saith there are two significations of the word Faith the one as it signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a simple and bare assent in which sence the Devils are said to beleeve that there is one God the other as it importeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the accompanying of the disposition or affection with the firme assent Of the former Saint Iames speaketh and saith that the simple and bare assent is a dead faith but Paul of the latter which is not destitute of good workes which after hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is faith indeed § III. Of this faith whereby wee receive Christ to bee our Saviour there are two degrees the former of speciall apprehension whereby wee receive and embrace Christ consisting in a lively and effectuall beleefe whereby we truly receive Christ in our judgement by a willing assent in our affections by an earnest desire to bee made partakers of him and of his merits which is the desire of application in our will by a setled resolution to acknowledge him to bee our Saviour and to rest upon him for salvation which is the unfained purpose and endeavour of application So that in this first degree though we are not able actually to apply the promise of the Gospell unto our selves yet that application is both desired and intended The other is of actuall and speciall application of the promise to our selves as having the condition of the promise The former is fides principiorum being grounded on the expresse Word of God whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall bee saved The other is fides conclusionum necessarily deduced from the Word by application in a practicall syllogisme after this manner whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall be saved which generall is true in every particular as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 10. 9. 〈◊〉 therefore thou doest beleeve in Christ thou shalt bee saved but I saith the faithfull man doe beleeve in Christ therefore I shall be saved which conclusion cannot be false the premisses being true To the former all men are necessarily tied under paine of damnation Iohn 3. 18. Mark 16. 16. to the latter none are tied but they onely who have the former For the former is the condition of the promise which whosoever hath not he ought not to apply the promise to himselfe unlesse hee will perniciously deceive himselfe By the former wee are justified before God in the court of Heaven which is properly called justification by the latter we are justified in the court of our conscience which is not properly justification but the assurance of it The former goeth before remission of sinne the latter followes after The former is the worke of Gods Spirit as he doth regenerate us in our first effectuall calling the latter as hee is the spirit of adoption sealing us after wee have beleeved The former is ordinarily wrought by the hearing of the Word the holy Ghost opening the heart of the hearer to assent thereto and not by the ministry of the Sacraments which being the seales of that righteousnesse which is by faith were ordained to this purpose to confirme our faith in the application of the promise in particularunto our selves and in the particular assurance of our justification and salvation by Christ that those who have the first degree offaith may proceed to the
that is beleeved them and embraced them were justified by faith in Christ the promised seed so are we and by nothing else And further we are to note that before those words recorded Gen. 15. 6. Abraham had by faith embraced the maine promise of the Gospell Gen. 12. 3. in thee that is in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed and by that faith was justified by which also he obeyed God leaving his owne countrey and by the same faith sojourning in the land of promise as a Pilgrime sought a better countrey that is an heavenly Therefore as S. Iames saith when Abraham in his great triall had approved himselfe to be a faithfull man that then the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeved God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Not that then Abraham first beleeved but that then by that notable fruit of faith hee approved the truth of his faith and manifested the truth of that oracle which then by good proofe was verified of him So by the like reason may that place Gen. 15. 6. be understood that Abraham beleeved in the Lord and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Not that then Abraham either first beleeved or was then first justified for hee had beleeved the grand promise of the Gospell before and by it was justified and before this time had brought forth excellent fruits of faith Gen. Chap. 12 13 14. but that by this new act of beleeving the Promises renewed which the Apostle amplifieth Rom. 4. 18. the truth of his faith was manifested And thus Bellarmine himselfe expoundeth those words Gen. 15. 6. affirming that as S. Iames applieth them to that act â—…en 22. so they may be applied to all notable acts of the faith of Abraham Againe justification or imputation of righteousnesse is actus continâ—…us which is not to be restrained to the instant of our first conversion and justification but continued to them that beleeve And therefore so long as they have faith God imputeth righteousnesse unto them § VI. But for the better clearing of this point we are to take notice that Christ and his benefits or the doctrine of salvation by Christ are the proper object of justifying faith in two respects both as it justifiâ—…th befoâ—…e God and as in the Court of our owne Conscience Before God when by a lively and effectuall assent or beleefe as hath beene said wee receive and embrace Christ our Saviour with all his merits or which is all one the promises of the Gospell concerning justification and salvation by him Such was the faith of Saint Peter Math. 16. 16. and of the rest of the Apostles Ioh. 6. 69. Of Nathaniel Ioh. 1. 49. Of Martha Ioh. 11. 27. Of the Samaritanes Ioh. 4. 42. Of the Eunuch Act. 8. 37. With which whosoever are endued are borne of God 1 Ioh. 5. 1. they dwell in God and God in them 1 Ioh. 4. 14. 15. they overcome the world 1 Ioh. 5. 5. and unto them blessednesse Mat. 16. 17. Ioh. 20. 29. justification Rom. 10. 9. 10. and salvation is promised Ioh. 20. 31. Act. 16. 31. In the Court of our owne Conscience it doth justifie when wee finding that wee have the former degree which is the condition of the promise doe soundly apply the promise to our selves For hee who knoweth that hee hath the condition not onely may but must apply the promise of the Gospell to himselfe otherwise he maketh God a lyar 1 Ioh. 5. 10. This application as hath been â—…aid is made by a practicall syllogisme the proposition whereof or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is this whosoever doth truely beleeve in Christ hee shall be saved the assumption or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but I saith the faithfull man do beleeve in Christ the conclusion or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore I shall be saved This conclusion is the voice of speciall faith Such was the faâ—…th of Iob chap. 19. 25. Of David Psal. 103 3. Of Thomas Ioh. 20. 28. Of Saint Paul Gal. 2. 20. and of all the faithfull in the Scriptures who in many places have applyed and as it were appropriated to themselves the mercies of God in Christ. And such is and ought to be the faith of all that truely beleeve For the generall alwaies includeth the particular If therefore thou doest truely beleeve that Iesus is the Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him thou art then bound to beleeve that he is thy Saviour Of this point I have treated elsewhere and have answered the objections so many as I thought worth the answearing § VII Now I come to Bellarmines dispute concerning the object of faith wherein hee endevoureth to prove and to maintaine three things First that the object of faith is not Gods speciall favour in Christ but whatsoever God hath reveâ—…led Secondly that men may be justified without speciall faith Thirdly that men are not justified by speciall faith As touching the first wee doe freely confesse that by the justifying faith we doe beleeve whatsoever wee understand to bee revealed by God And further we professe that by the virtue of justifying faith all articles of Christian Religion become after a sort the objects of speciall faith For as he who hath the Philosophers stone is said by virtue thereof to turne other metals into Gold so it may more truely be said of him who is indued with that faith whereby we are justified before God that he may and ought to make all the Articles of the catholike or dogmaticall faith the precious objects of speciall faith by applying them to his owne good and comfort which being a matter of singular use and comfort I will a little insist upon it Doest thou then beleeve by a true and a lively assent as hath been said that Iesus the Sonne of the Blessed Virgin is the erernall Sonne of God and the Saviour of all those that truely beleeve in him Thou art then bound to beleeve that hee is thy Saviour Doest thou beleeve that Christ is thy Saviour then must thou beleeve that God the Father is thy gracious and mercifull Father in Christ that he is all sufficient to bestow upon thee all good things that hee is omnipotent to protect and defend thee from all evill riding upon the heavens for thy helpe and so of the other attributes that hee is eternall to Crowne thee with everlasting happinesse that he is immutable in his love towards thee that hee is omniscient and therefore knoweth thy wants omnipresent that thou maist powre thy requests into his bosome true and faithfull to performe all his promises to thee just to forgive thee thy sinnes when thou doest confesse them and to justifie thee seeing Christ hath satisfied his justice for thee good gracious and mercifull unto thee that hee hath loved thee in Christ with an everlasting love and in him hath adopted thee to bee his Sonne and if a Sonne then also an
or the thing feared is not God but punishment or if it be of God it is not to feare him but to be affraid of him From which our Saviour hath redeemed those that beleeve that they may worship God in some measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without this feare Neither doth it per se and in its owne nature tend to justification which is the exaltation of a sinner but rather to despaire which is the lowest dejection of a sinner Notwithstanding as the Law by working this feare is a Schoolemaster unto Christ for when 〈◊〉 by the paedagogie of the Law have learned to know their 〈◊〉 damnable estate in themselves for feare of damnation they are forced to seeke for salvation out of themselves so this feare which in it selfe tendeth to despaire and in it owne nature affrighteth men from God as we see in the example of our first parents Gen. 3. 10. is by God made a meanes to draw them unto him But to say that feare doth concurre unto justification in the same manner as faith doth is against reason and against common sence unlesse hee speaketh onely of the legall faith which as it is wrought by the Law so it worketh feare For feare driveth to the humiliation faith tendeth to the exaltation of the humbled soule and by it indeed the soule is exalted Therefore as humiliation goeth before exaltation so feare before faith Againe as feare goeth before faith so sinne goeth before feare For sinne maketh a man guilty the Conscience being by the Law convicted of guilt terrifieth the soule the soule terrified either sinketh in despaire being left to it selfe or prevented by God according to the purpose of his grace by which it was elected in Christ seeketh to God who is found of them that sought him not So that by this reason sinne it selfe may bee said to bee a necessary forerunner of justification disposing a man to â—…feare more than feare doth to justification for that is a cause this but an occasion § II. But as this discourse proving that feare is a disposition to justification is impertinent and affirming that feare concurreth to justification in the same manner that faith doth is false so are some of his allegations also impertinent Because they belong not to this servile feare which goeth before faith and and justification but to the Sonne-like feare which is a fruit both of faith and love and a consequent of justification As namely his first place iâ—… it were rightly alleaged Eccl. 1. 28. hee that is without feare cannot be justified or reputed just For the feare of God which the Sonne of Syrach in that chapter from the tenth verse to the end doth so highly extoll is not this servile feare but the filiall feare by which is meant true piety it selfe which as he calleth it there the beginning so also the Crowne and fulnesse of Wisedome But the place is not rightly translated in the Latine which Bellarmine doth follow For the Greeke text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wrathfull man cannot be justified or as some editions doe read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unjust wrath cannot be justified according to that of S. Iames the wrath of man doth not worke the righteousnesse of God And that the former part of the vers speaketh of wrath is proved by the latter which is the reason of the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the sway of his wrath is his ruine and by the words going before where the feare of the Lord is present it turneth away wrath and represseth anger § III. So his second Psal. 111. 10. and third Prov. 1. 7. where it is said that the feare of the Lord is the beginning of Wisedome and by Wisedome saith Bellarmine is meant perfect justification hee should say sanctification or godlinesse For as the wicked man is Salomons foole so the godly man is the onely wise man And in this sense Moses prayeth Psal. 90. 12. Teach us O Lord so to number our daies that wee may apply our hearts to Wisedome that is to true godlinesse and to the same purpose Iob speaketh c. 28. 28. the feare of the Lord it selfe is Wisedome and so Eccl. 1. 27. Now in these places the Hebrew word Reshith which is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beginning may fitly as in many other places bee translated the head that is a chiefe or principall part or the top and the meaning is that the feare of God is a principall part of godlinesse and as you heard even now Eccl. 2. 18. the Crowne of Wisedome Otherwise I cannot conceive how feare which is a fruit both of faith and of love should truely be said to bee the beginning of godlinesse which by consent of all is the prerogative of faith And yet faith it selfe doth not justifie as it is the beginning of inherent righteousnesse and much lesse feare which concurreth with it not to justification but onely to sanctification Now that servile feare is not meant in these places it is evident not onely because such commendations are given unto it as belong not to servile feare but also because they that are indued with this feare are pronounced blessed Psalm 112. 1. 128. 1. Prov. 28. 14. whereas those who have the greatest measure of servile feare are accursed and contrariewise they are happy who are most freed from it The blessednesse promised to Abraham and all the faithfull in his seed is by Zachary expounded Luk. 1. 73 74 75. to be this that being redeemed from the hand of our enemies wee should worship the Lord without feare And Saint Iohn testifieth that there is no feare in love but perfect love casteth out feare 1 Iohn 4. 18. Fourthly the feare mentioned Prov. 14. 27. where it is said The feare of the Lord is a well-spring of life to avoid the snares of death is the sonne-like feare of which Salomon speaketh in the words next going before In the feare of the Lord there is strong confidence Fifthly the feare of the Lord mentioned Eccl. 1. 21. is the son-like feare which in that Chapter from the tenth verse is highly commended Of this feare it is said among other things that it is gladnesse and a crowne of rejoycing that it maketh a merry heart and giveth joy and gladnesse verse 11 12. which are things repugnant to servile feare § IV. But let us see how he proveth his unlike likenesse that servile feare doth in a manner justifie as faith doth viz. by Scriptures by Fathers by Reason First because as it is said of faith Heb. 11. 6. so without feare we cannot please God Answ. This is true of the sonne-like feare which is an unseparable companion of justification though Bellarmines allegation of Eccles. 1. 22. proveth it not as I have shewed But of the servile feare it may be truly said that they who please God most have the least of it For the greater a mans love is the lesse is his feare
and perfect love expelleth this feare 1 Iohn 4. 18. But though without the true feare of God we cannot please him yet that doth not prove that feare doth justifie For the like may be said of the obedience of the Law of humility of charity of repentance of perseverance Heb. 10. 38. and of the like Neither doth faith justifie because without it no man can please God but because by it alone wee receive Christ in whom God is well pleased and reconciled unto us that is because by it alone wee are justified Secondly because as faith is the beginning of justice so seare is the beginning of wisedome Answ. of this comparison neither part is to be understood of justification but of sanctification or righteousnesse inherent For as faith is the mother of grace of all both internall graces and also of externall obedience so the true sonne-like feare of God is a principall part of true piety But what doth this make for servile feare which is found in them who have no grace Thirdly because as faith doth justifie by making us seeke God and to come unto him so also feare Answ. If by seeking of God be meant the worship of God then that which causeth it is the cause of sanctification But servile feare in it selfe serveth rather to drive men from God though in the gracious dispensation of Gods providence it be made sometimes a meanes to draw them to him And this he proveth by Psal. 78. 34. when he he slew them they sought him and Psalm 83. 16. fill their faces with shame and they shall seeke thy name and Ion. 3. 5. from the example of the Ninivitâ—…s The thing I consesse that by servile feare men are often times forced to seeke God how beit that which is forced many times is fained as we see in the example of the Israelites Psal. 78. 36. who though by the judgements of God were brought to make semblance of repentance yet they did but dissemble for their hart was not upright with God neither were they stedfast in his covenant vers 37. But his proofes I allow not For the first place speaketh of Gods judgments the second of shame the third of the faith of the Ninivites none of feare Fourthly because as by faith Christ is formed in us so by feare the protasis he proveth because Paul saith Gal. 4. 19. my little children of whom I travell in birth againe untill Christ be formed in you But Christ is not formed in us by justification but by regeneration whereby we are renewed according to his image the apâ—…dosis because Esay saith C. 26. 18. according to the Septuagint from thy feare we have conceived and have brought forth the Spirit of Salvation But why doth hee flee from the Latine translation unto which hee is bound which maketh no mention of feare but onely saith we have conceived and have brought forth the Spirit of health as some editions read which last words are not read together in the Greeke nor in the true editions of the Latine but divided by a note of distinction peperimus Spiritum salutes non fecimns Thus Bellarmine for his owne advantage eiteth the fomer part out of the Septuagint and the later out of the vulgar Latine and that corrupted when neither of both agreeth with the originall From which if Bellarmine would argue he should make himselfe very ridiculous The words are we have conceived we have travailed we have as it were brought forth wind so Pagninus Vatablus Tremellius c. Salutes non fecimus in terra no salvations have we wrought on the earth which words being a complaint cannot import that they had from the feare of God which is not here mentioned brought forth the Spirit of salvation So farre is this place from proving that Christ by feare is formed in us Fifthly as faith doth justifie because the just man shall live by his faith Hab. 2. 4. so of feare it is written that the feare of the Lord is the fountaine of life Prov. 14. 27. Answ. The former place speaketh both of the life of grace which is our vivification and the life of glory to which wee are intitled by faith The latter as I have shewed speaketh of sonne-like feare which as all other habits of grace may bee called fountaines of living well which all arise from one common spring which is faith and are all not causes and much lesse preparations but fruits of faith and consequents of justification Sixthly as faith doth justifie by purging of sinnes so feare Answ. To the proposition Faith doth justifie by absolving from sins Act. 13. 38. Rom. 3. 25. and removing the guilt And it purgeth also from the corruptions by sanctifying and purifying the heart Act. 15. 9. To the reddiction that feare which expelleth sinne Eccles. 1. is as I have shewed the feare of sonnes and not of slaves neither doth it concurre to justification but to sanctification § V. To the testimonies of the Fathers affirming some of them that feare serveth to prepare and to dispose men to sanctification and likewise to his reason that it is the nature osfeare to flee from evill and to seeke remedies whereby evill may be avoided I willingly subscribe But though feare be one meanes among many to dispose or prepare men for sanctification or yet for justification yet neither it nor any of the rest doth justifie and therefore doth not disprove justification by faith alone Legall faith working feare is a preparative to the Evangelicall justifying faith but is so farre it selfe from justifying that it pronounceth accursed those that are endued therewith § VI. His third disposition is Hope which he saith ariseth of faith no otherwise than feare doth But yet by his leave with this difference that servile feare is the fruit of a legall faith applying the threatnings of the Law to a mans selfe but hope of salvation is the fruit of Evangelicall faith apprehending the promises of the Gospell and is therefore called the hope of the Gospell Col. 1. 23. Neither can there be any sound hope of eternall life untill a man doth truely beleeve that the promise of salvation doth belong unto him and that he cannot beleeve untill he have the condition of the promise which is justifying faith and therefore of necessity justifying goeth before hope As for that hope which goeth before justifying faith it is evident that it doth not justifie neither is it an habit of grace infused but a naturall affection such as is in all men who attempt any thing As the Apostle saith he that ploweth ploweth in hope and hee that thresheth thresheth in hope Although therefore this hope doe dispose men to justification and sanctification as after a sort it doth in animating of men to use the meanes of grace and salvation in hope that their labour shall not bee in vaine yet for all this hope which doth not justifie at all faith doth justifie alone § VII But let us examine his proofes
renounceth speciall faith For canst thou love Christ and rejoyce in him as thy Saviour if thou be not by speciall faith perswaded that thou shalt be saved by him Seeing then unto our justification before God we are to receive Christ as hath beene said by a true and lively assent and unto justification in the court of our owne conscience by a plerophory or assured perswasion we are to apply the promises to our selves which are the peculiar acts of faith and cannot be attributed to any other grace it followeth therefore from the proper nature of faith that by it alone we are justified § VIII His second cavill is taken from the Sacraments which by our confession as he saith doe apply the promises and justification it selfe to the receiver therefore saith he faith doth not justifie alone after the manner of an instrument applying In this argument he greatly pleaseth himselfe but without cause For first when we say that faith alone doth justifie we meane that in us nothing concurreth to the act of justification with faith but without us we acknowledge many things to justifie Secondly faith justifieth alone ut manus accipientis the Sacraments ut manus dantis Thirdly faith doth actually justifie before God the Sacraments doe not justifie before God but serve to seale our justification to our owne consciences neither doe they actually conferre grace but confirme it as the seales of that righteousnesse which is by faith When as therefore the termes of washing cleansing sanctifying saving are attributed to Sacraments these phrases are to be understood Sacramentally And this is our answere as for those which Bellarmine frameth for us hee hath good leave to make or to marre them at his pleasure CHAP. XV. Bellarmines fourth principall argument taken from the manner how faith doth justifie and the fifth from the formall cause of justification § I IF Faith saith hee doth justifie as a cause as the beginning as the merit of justification then faith doth not justifie alone for love and penance and other good acts doe the like but the antecedent is true therefore the consequent I deny first the consequence of the proposition and the proofe thereof For neither love or penance nor other good acts doe either cause begin or merit justification And therefore though faith did justifie as a cause as the beginning as the merit whereby justification is obtained it might for all them justifie alone This were sufficient to overthrow his whole Dispute But all his care is to prove the assumption which hee endeavoureth in all the parts thereof And first that faith is a cause of justificatition which we doe not deny yea we affirme that nothing in us doth concurre to the act of justification as a cause thereof but faith onely But you will aske what cause We say the instrumentall onely If Bellarmine meane any other cause as no doubt but he doth he should have done well to have named it and to have proved it § II. He proveth faith to be a cause by the prepositions ex and per by and through attributed to faith whereto I answere that these particles sometimes are used to signifie the instrumentall cause As namely when we are said to be justified or saved through or by the word or the Sacraments Rom. 6. 4. Tit. 3. 5. Ioh. 17. 20. 1 Cor. 1. 21. 15. 2. Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 17. Preachers are Ministers by whom you doe beleeve 1 Cor. 3. 5. Ephes. 3. 6. And first for those plà ces wherein it is said that we are justified by faith or saved by faith Rom. 3. 28. 30. 5. 1. Ephes. 2. 8. In these and the like places saith he the preposition by or through doth signifie a true cause But he should have done well to have set downe what cause for an instrumentall cause is also a true cause The preposition per saith Bâ—…llarmine in another place is not fitly accommodated to the favour of God which is the efficient cause of justification but either to the formal as per gratiam or meritorious as permeritum filii or instrumentall cause as per fidem Sacramenta where you see by Bellarmines confession per is attributed to faith as to the instrumentall cause It is also attributed to the matter and merit as Rom. 5. 10 19. When as therefore it is also attributed to faith it cannot be attributed in the same sense as to the death and obedience of Christ in propriety of speech but of necessity it is to bee understood by a metonymy faith being put for the object of faith which is Christs righteousnesse And this manifestly appeareth when justification by the preposition is attributed both to Christ and to faith as Rom. 3. 24. 25. wee are justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the redemption which is in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith in his blood by Christ we have accesse to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith in him Eph. 3. 12. By the name of Christ we have remission of sinnes by faith in his name Act. 10. 43. 26. 18. As it is said of the cure of the creeple Act. 3. 16. that the name of Christ by faith in his name had healed him Thus I have shewed before that the same benefits of justification and salvation which properly we receive from the death and obedience of Christ are attributed to faith not properly but relatively and metonymically Not that faith it selfe worketh them but the object which it as the instrument apprehendeth § III. But Bellarmine will prove that in these and such like places the prepositions by and through doe signifie a true cause first by the contrary For when the Apostle Rom. 3. 4. Gal. 2. 3. and elsewhere doth prove that a man is not justified by workes nor by the Law without doubt he excludeth the force and efficacie of workes and of the Law in justifying and not a relative apprehension alone For no man could doubt but that the Law and works did not justifie by apprehending righteousnes relatively And therfore the saying of the Apostle had been very foolish if his meaning had beene that justice is apprehended by faith and not by the Law or workes Even as a man should speake foolishly who should say that the almes is received by the hand and not by the heele Neither did they whom the Apostle confuteth looke to be justified by their workes relatively but by the merit of them And therefore that which the Apostle denyeth to works he ascribeth to faith Answ. This manifestly proveth that the question of justification by faith or by workes is thus to bee understood whether wee are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ alone apprehended by faith which is the righteousnesse of the Gospell the righteousnesse of faith or by a righteousnesse inherent in our selves which is the righteousnesse of the Law or of workes For if the question should bee understood of faith
no man lay besides that which is laid which is Christ Iesus By foundation saith hee Augustine and other interpreters understand faith in CHRIST But Paul himselfe say I in expresse termes saith that this foundation is Christ himselfe who most properly is called the foundation of his Church If therefore saith bee but the beginning and a part of justification because in Bellarmines conceit it is called the foundation then Christ himselfe the author and finisher of our faith and our perfect Saviour who most properly is the foundation shall afford us but a beginning and a part of our justification But be it that faith is called the foundation yet I would rather thinke that it is called the foundation relatively because Christ whom it apprehendeth is the foundation than that Christ should bee called the foundation because faith is Sometimes faith is put for the object of it and so is hope and thus some understand Gal. 3. 23 25. But that Christ should bee put for faith I suppose is not usuall But whereof is it the foundation it is the foundation the beginning the root the fountaine of Sanctification and of all inherent righteousnesse yet of justification it is not but Christ onely who alone is the foundation of all our happinesse Augustine indeed by foundation understandeth not onely Christ himselfe but faith also working by love which as Bellarmine said in the last argument is not as here he speaketh the beginning but the perfection of justice Chrysostome and Theophylact whom hee quoteth speake not of faith but of Christ onely Howbeit if faith must be held to be this foundation I doubt not but that according to the Scriptures we are to understand the doctrine of faith concerning Christ which often times is called faith which foundation the Apostle laid when hee preached the Gospell and whereupon other preachers are to build This argument therefore was farre fetched and cannot be brought to conclude the point The foundation is Christ and not faith Or if faith then either the habit of faith working by love which is not the beginning or foundation of justification but of sanctification or the doctrine of faith of which the question is not understood § IX His third testimony is Act. 15. 9. purifying their hearts by faith which plainely speaketh not of justification but of sanctification For we having received Christ by faith hee dwelleth in our hearts by faith and by his Spirit applying unto us not onely the merit of Christ his death and resurrection to our justification but also the virtue and efficacie of his death to mortifie sinne in us and of his resurrection to raise us to newnesse of life The testimonies of the Fathers serve all to prove that saith is the foundation and beginning of a godly life which because we doe freely confesse he might have forborne to prove § X. The third part of his assumption was that faith doth obtaine remission of sinnes and after a sort merit justification and therefore justifieth not by receiving and apprehending the promise Answ. In the antecedent of this reason Bellarmine contradicteth the Councill of Trent which hath decreed nihil eorum quae justificationem precedunt sive fides sive opera ipsam justificationis gratiam promeretur None of those things which goe before justification whether faith or workes doe merit the grace of justification But here Bellarmine ought to have proved three things which because he could not prove he taketh for granted The first is that by other things besides faith we doe merit justification which notwithstanding God doth grant us gratis that is freely and without merit For if faith did merit it which nothing else in us can doe it would follow that faith doth justifie alonâ—… The second that faith doth not obtaine remission of sinnes by receiving and apprehending the object which is Christ. But the Scriptures say plainely that by beleeving in Christ that is by receiving of him we receive remission of sinne The third that impetrare est quodammodò mereri to impetrate is after a sort to merit for then what by faithfull prayer we begge of God we should be said to merit and in like manner the beggar should by begging merit his almes But what saith Bellarmine elsewhere Multum inteâ—…esse inter meritum impetrationem that there is great difference betweene merit and impetration and Thomas Impetramus ea quâ—… non meremur Meritum nititur justitia Dei impetratio benignitate wee impetrate those things which we doe not merit Merit relieth upon Gods justice Impetration on his bounty But let us examine his proofes § XI The first out of Luk. 7. 50. where our Saviour telleth the Woman to whom he had said thy sinnes are forgiven thee that her faith had saved her for saith he it could not wel be said that her faith had saved her from her sinnes that is justified her if it conduced no more to justification than onely to receive the pardon For who would say to a poore man who onely put forth his hand to receive the almes thine hand hath releeved thee or to a sicke man who received a medicine with his hand thy hand hath cured thee Answ. Bellarmine before Chap. 13. alleaged this place to prove that the great love of this Woman towards Christ had procured the remission of sinnes which if it had beene true would have proved that not her faith but her love had saved her Secondly when our Saviour saith thy faith namely in me hath saved thee his meaning is that himselfe being received by faith had saved her As for the similitude of the hand I say thus that if releefe by almes or cure by Phyâ—…cke were promised upon this condition onely that whosoever would but put forth his hand to receive the almes or the Physicke should be releeved or cured it might truely be said that by the hand as the instrument â—…elatively the party is releeved or cured For such gracious promises hath God made to us that if we shall but put foorth the hand of faith to receive Christ wee shall bee justified and saved from our sinnes And such is the accompt that he maketh of this instrument by which onely we receive Christ that for our comfort he may say unto any true beleever as hee did to the woman thy faith hath saved thee For as when the people of Israell were bitten by the fiery Serpents the Lord having promised safely to all that should but liâ—…t up their eyes to behold the brasen Serpent which Moses had set on high to that purpose it might then have beene said of those that were saved that their eye had cured them So our Saviour was lift up upon the crosse that whosoever doth but looke upon him with the eye of faith shall be saved Not that the hand absolutely doth releeve or cure but relatively in respect of the almes or of the medicine which it doth receive Nor
to forbeare swearing in ordinary talke not to give a mans goods to the poore and to follow Christ when hee is thereunto required Mat. 19. 23. Mar. 10. 23. These things are so manifest that Bellarmine in the end of the next Chapter doth confesse them viz that our Saviour doth not say except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Law and the Prophets but of the Scribes and Pharisees to signisie that his meaning was not so much he should say not at all to adde to the burden of the precepts as to take away the corruptions of the Scribes Pharisees And again those things which seem to be most heavie in the new Law are to be found in the old as the loving of our enemyes the restrayning of concupiscence such like For proofe wherof he quotes Augustine lib. contr Adimant cap. 3. lib. 19. contr Faustum c. 28. In the former place Augustine saith Nulla in Evangelica atque Apostolica disciplina reperiuntur quamvis ardua divina precepta promissa quae illis etiam libris veterib desint In the latter Vel omnia vel penè omnia quia monuit sâ—…u praecepit Christus ubi adjungebat Ego a. dici vobis inveniuntur in illis veterib libris And so much of the first difference § XXI The second difference is that the Law commeth alone but the Gospell is accompanied with grace Which is not a difference of the doctrine and letter of the Gospell from the Law but of the covenant of grace from the covenant of works For in the covenant of grace as justification is promised to them that being called doe beleeve so sanctification to them that are justifyed Which as it proveth the concurrence of Good workes with faith in the party justified as consequents thereof so it excludeth them from being any causes of justification But as touching this second difference two popish errours are to bee avoided First in respect of the covenant of workes For though that covenant doth not promise nor afford the grace of sanctification wherby a man should be enabled to performe the covenant which grace is promised in the covenant of grace and given to them that beleeve yet wee are not so to conceive that they who lived in the time of the law were void of grace nor all that live under the Gospell are endued with grace For the covenant of grace hath alwayes bene in force from the beginning so that to the faithfull who beleeved in the Messias which was to come the grace of sanctification was given according to the covenant of grace so that in the old Testament even under the Law there were as excellent examples of holynesse as have bene in the time of the new under the Gospell So also the Law hath its use even among those that live under the Gospell insomuch that untill men doe beleeve they are under the Law and not under grace Secondly in respect of the grace of the new Testament that it is not promised in such perfection in this life where wee receive but the first fruits of the Spirit as that wee may expect to be justified by it or saved for it § XXII From these two difference the rest as hee saith arise viz. from the first arise the third the fourth and the fifth The third is this that the Law of Moses was given to one Nation the Law of Christ to all Nations The fourth that the Law of Moses for the most part contayned shadowes and figures of things to come the Gospell exhibiteth the body and truth The fifth that the Law of Moses because it was not perfect was to be changed by the Law of Christ but the Law of Christ was not to be changed by any succeeding Law These three differences of the Law doe not agree to the Law Morall which belongeth to all nations which did not consist of shadowes and figures which was not to be changed no not by addition because it was and is a perfect immutable and perpetuall rule of righteousnesse The other three viz. the sixth seventh and eigth arise as hee saith from the second The sixth that the Law of Moses had no power to justifie neither was it given that it might justifie but that it might shew the disease and stirre up men to seeke the physitian But the Law of Christ that is the Gospell hath power to justifie and was given to that end For as hee alleageth out of Rom. 1. 16. it is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth he doth not say that worketh For therein is revealed the righteousnesse of God from faith to faith as it is written the just man shall live by faith This is a true difference of the Law of faith from the Law of workes but agreeth not to Bellarmines new Law which is a Law of workes as well as the old conteyning the very same morall precepts with the morall Law in the observation whereof not our justification but our sanctification consisteth prescribing also the same righteousnesse viz Charity which is the summe of the Law The seventh that the Law of Moses is a Law of fearefullnesse and bondage but the Gospell the Law of love and of liberty which is true For the obedience of men who are under the Law is forced by the terrour and coaction of the Law working servile feare in them But the obedience of men who are under grace that is of men justified is voluntary and cheerfull proceeding from faith and from some measure of assurance of Gods love and favour to them in Christ. Therfore this voluntary obedience is no cause but a consequent of justification not onely before God but also in the court of our owne conscience that is not onely of justification it selfe but also of the assurance thereof in some measure Of the eigth which confuteth the first I have already spoken § XXIII So much of the first thing which Bellarmine undertooke to demonstrate for the proofe of the necessity of good workes which we hold as well and urge as much as he Now followeth the second which is to prove that the justare not free from the observation of the Law of God For hee saith that we place Christian liberty in this that we are not subject in our conscience and before God to any Law and that the decalogue it selfe doth not belong unto us Which is a most devillish slander We professe that we so many as truly beleeve are by Christ freed from the curse of the Law from the rigour and exaction of the Law requiring perfect righteousnesse in us unto justification from the terrour and coaction of the Law from the irritation of the Law as I have shewed in my treatise of Christian liberty but not from the obedience of it For freedome from obedience is the servitude of sinne But wee being freed from sinne become the servants of righteousnesse And we doe
the necessity of good workes though they bee impertinent to the maine Question because they prove not that which is in controversie betwixt us yet are not impertinent to his purpose which was to calumniate us and to beare the world in hand that wee are such as deny the necessity of good workes But if the question were tryed by voices of the Fathers innumerable testimonies might bee produced out of their writings wherein they teach that wee are justified by faith and not by workes yea in direct termes affirming that which is the question betweene us that we are justified by faith alone But that workes are necessary as causes either to salvation or which is the question to justification not any one pregnant testimony out of the ancient Fathers is or as I suppose can bee produced But to prove the necessity of good workes by way of presence I shall not need to recite the severall testimonies seeing I have my selfe delivered more to prove and to urge the necessity of good workes than can be gathered out of all these testimonies put together § XV. In the third and last place he bringeth a reason like to that which he framed l. 1. cap. 14. that faith alone doth not justifie But doth he not dispute the same question here did he not propound five principall arguments to prove that faith doth not justifie alone the fifth and last wherof was from the necessity of good works the handling whereof hee put off to this place Should he not then from the necessity of good workes prove that faith doth not justifie alone But in stead of proving that hee endevoureth to prove that faith doth not save alone Thus craftily hee glydeth from one question to another for his owne advantage because hee knew that more is required to salvation than was required to justification For sanctification commeth betwixt justification and salvation And although we are justified without works going before justification yet we are not saved without workes going before salvation they being the way which God hath prepared for them that are justified to walke in towards their glorification I might therefore according to the Lawes of disputation hold him to the question or refuse to give him answere But he is so farre from proving that faith doth not justifie alone that hee is not able to prove that it doth not save alone disputing in that sence according to which we doe hold that faith doth justifie alone Now for the understanding of our sence and meaning certaine distinctions heretofore propounded must for avoiding of calumniations bee here repeated First that wee doe not meane that faith is the onely grace which doth sanctifie as the Papists will needes misunderstand us but that to sanctification not only other graces doe concurre with faith but good workes also And consequently that besides faith the said graces and good workes be forerunners of our salvation Secondly when wee say faith alone wee doe not meane that faith which is alone being a solitary an idle a counterfeit and dead faith severed from charity and other graces and destitute of goodworks but we meane a true and lively â—…aith which purifieth the heart and worketh by love which cannot be severed from charity and other graces as I have heretofore proved And therefore wee hold that although in respect of the act of justifying or saving it alone yet in respect of the being thereof it never is nor if it be a true justifying and savingfaith can be alone Thirdly when we doe say that faith alone justifieth and saveth wee speake with relation to the object or relatively meaning that the object which faith alone receiveth doth justifie and save us when wee say therefore that we are justified or saved by faith alone our meaning is that we are justified only by the righteousnesse of Christ which is apprehended by faith alone and not by our owne righteousnesse and that wee are saved by the merits of Christ alone received by faith and not by our owne workes or merits and consequently that Christ received by faith is the onely meritorious cause of our salvation § XVI Now let us heare Bellarmines dispute Iffaith alone did save and that workes were not otherwise â—…ecessary than in respect of presence as the fruits and signes of faith then it would follow that faith could save though it wanted all maner of good workes and were joyned with all maner of vices and sinnes but the consequent is false therfore saith hee faith alone doth not save and good workes are necessary not onely in regard of presence but also of some efficiencie To the proposition I answere first that it is senselesse and implyeth a contradiction For if good workes must necessarily be present with saving faith which hee confesseth wee doe hold how can it be supposed without implying a contradiction that it can save being not onely destitute of all good workes but also accompanied with all maner of sinne this is sufficient to overthrowe his whole dispute Secondly I deny the consequence of his proposition For justifieing and saving faith though it justifie and save alone yet it never is nor can be alone Even as the eye in respect of his being cannot if it be a true living eye be alone severed from other parts of the body yet in respect of the act of seeing unto which no other part doth concurre it seeth alone Even so faith which is the spirituall eye of the soule in respect of its being cannot if it be a true lively faith be alone severed from the other graces which are with it fellow members of sanctification but yet in respect of the Act of justifying and saving unto which no other graces concurre with it as any causes therof it justifyeth and saveth alone because it alone and no other grace doth receive Christ unto justification and salvation Thirdly we do not say that the presence of good workes is necessary to salvation onely as they are the fruits and signes of faith but also as necessary forerunners as causa sine qua non as the way to salvation and as the evidence according to which the sentence shall be pronounced Which consideration disproveth the proofe of his consequence which is that according to our doctrine good workes are required to the act of saving onely by accident whose presence addeth nothing to the virtue of faith in justifying and saving and so their absence detracteth nothing from it and therefore being taken away faith never the lesse saveth Answ. Things whose presence is necessary cannot be said to bee present by accident For such may be present or absent but that which is necessary cannot be otherwise the thing being safe But we hold the presence of workes not to be contingent but necessary both in respect of salvation as the way to it and as Causa sine qua non and of faith as the unseparable fruits of it without which it is said to be dead
that which is lesse than it ought to be is faulty or vicious By reason of which vice there is not a righteous man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not By reason of which vice no man living shall be justified before God By reason of which vice if we shall say that we have no sinne we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And for which though we be never so good proficients we must of necessity say forgive us our debts c. § XI Secondly hee replyeth that the Law which prescribeth love requireth no more but that we should love with our whole heart But that this not onely may be done but also should be done in the new Testament the Scripture doth witnesse Deuâ—… 30. 6. Answ. The Phrase of loving with the whole heart being legally understood according to the perfection prescribed in the Law doth signifie as it soundeth neither can be performed by any mortall man though regenerate because he is partly flesh and partly Spirit Neither can more than the Law requireth in this behalfe be performed in our Country For as August saith in the life to come our love shal be not only above that which here we have but also far above that which we either aske or think Notwithstanding it can be no more than what the Law requireth with all our heart with all our soule and with all our minde For there doth not remaine in us any thing which may be added ad totum to that which is all for if any thing remaine which might bee added then it is not totum all But the phrase is many times Evangelically understood as in the place quoted to signifie not absolute or legall perfection but the integrity and uprightnesse of the heart which is the Evangelicall perfection as I have shewed elsewhere and shall againe ere long declare § XII Thirdly he replyeth that the Scriptures teach that men may bee perfect in this life And to this purpose alleâ—…geth Gen. 6. 9. 17. 1. Matth. 5. 48. 19. 17. Phil. 3. 15. 1 Iohâ—… 2. 5. The use of the word in these and some other places is to bee distinguished For in the most of them it is not opposed to imperfection and so many places are impertinently alleaged but either to hypocrisie and so it signifieth up right and sincere as Gen. 6. 9. 17. 1. Or to partiality when wee are good to some but not to others as Matth. 5. 48. Be you perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect doing good to men of all sorts both good and bad both friends and foes or to infancy and childhood and so it signifieth adultus a growne man and so it is used 1 Cor. 14. 20. Heb. 5. 14. and so in the place cited Phil. 3. 15. Where the Apostle acknowledging that he had not attained to perfection but still labouring to bee a good proficient exhorteth so many as are perfect to be of the same minde with him that is to strive towards perfection as having not yet attained to iâ—… In 1 Iohn 2. 5. the phrase is varied In him that keepeth Gods word the love of God is perfected that is perfectly knowne hereby we know that we are in him And so is the word used Iam. 2. 22. 2 Cor. 12. 9. There remaineth onely the answere of Christ to the justitiary Matth. 19. 17. If thou wilt bee perfect c. Which as I have shewed before our Saviour fitteth to the disposition of that justitiary whom having a great conceit of himselfe that he had kept all the commandements of God from his youth he thought good to discover and unmaske by a commandement of tryall If thou wilt saith hee bee perfect that is If thou wilt approve thy selfe to be a perfect observer of the Law as thou pretendest goe and sell that thou hast and give to the poore and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow mee For if thou refusest so to doe thou shalt bewray thy selfe to bee a meere wordling preferring the love of the world besore the love of God and desiring to retaine thy earthly wealth rather than to obtaine the heavenly treasure § XIII His third sort of testimonies is of such as doe testifie that some have kept the Commandements of God and namely those of loving with the whole heart and of not coveting And to to this purpose he alleageth the examples of David of Iosiah of Asa and his people of Iosuah and others whom hee doth but name of Zachary and Elizabeth of the Apostles and namely of Paul and in conclusion of Ezechias and of Abraham Answ. All these were sincere and upright keepers and observers of the Law but none of them were perfect and perpetuall fulfillers of it none of them wâ—…re wâ—…thout sinne David was a man according to Gods owne heart in respect of his uprightnesse and integrity 1 King 3. 6. and for that and not for any absolute perfection he is commended in the places alleaged Psal. 119. 10. 1 King 14. 8. Act. 13. 22. 1 King 15. 5. And yet for all this David was a sinner and in many of his Psalmes bewayleth his manifold sinnes desiring the Lord not to enter into judgement with him for if hee should neither he nor any other could be just in his sight placing his justification in the remission of his sinnes and in Gods acceptation of him imputing unto him righteousnesse without workes Iosias also was a godly and upright king but yet not without fault in that hee harkened not unto the Words of Necho from the mouth of God but presumptuously fought against him 2 Chron. 35. 22. Of the people under Asa no more can be gathered but that with upright hearts and willing minds they entred into a covenant to seeke the Lord in sincerity and truth Of Asa himselfe the Scripture indeed doth testifie that his heart was perfect that is upright before the Lord all his dayes Notwithstanding in the same place it is said that the high places were not taken away and in the next Chapter three sinnes of his are recorded that hee had relied on the King of Syria and not on the Lord that being reproved therefore by the Prophet Hanani he committed the Prophet to prison that in his sickenesse he sought not to the Lord but to the Physitians That which is said of 〈◊〉 doth not concerne the observation of the Morall Law but those politicke precepts which the Lord had given to Moses and Moses to Iosuâ—…h concerning the utter destruction of the Canaanites whom the Lord had delivered into his hands Of Zachary and Elizabeth it is said first that they were just before God that is upright and secondly that they walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse which latter they might doe and yet bee farre from that perfection which the Law requireth For Paul professeth of himselfe that even before
by faith without works If therefore St. Iames doe affirme that men are justified in the same sence that Paul denyeth the same and that Abraham was justified by his workes which Paul denyeth he is made to contradict the Apostle Paul § VI. But as the Popish doctrine is repugnant to the doctrine of the Apostle Paul so neither can it bee grounded upon this text which may appeare by a briefe Analysis thereof Where first you are to consider the occasion of this discourse and thereupon the scope of the Apostle therein The occasion was the dissolute life of many Christians who as Iude speaketh vers 4. did turne the grace of God into wantonnes vaine men as St. Iames calleth them vers 20. who when they had learned that a man is justified by faith without workes hereby tooke occasion to cast of all care of good workes As if it were sufficient for them howsoever they lived to professe them selves to believe The scope therfore and intendement of the Apostle is not to confute the doctrine of Paul concerning justification by faith alone but according to Pauls direction Tit. 3. 8. to perswade all those who professe themselves to believe to be studious of good workes And that hee doth by this argument because howsoever faith doth justifie alone yet the profession of faith alone without good workes will not justifie nor save a man but is altogether vaine and unprofitable The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or state of the question which hee propoundeth to argue manifestly appeareth by the proposition wherein the question is propounded and by the conclusion wherein the question is concluded the proposition vers 14. What profit my brethren if a man say hee hath faith and hath not workes will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that faith save him Marke the wordes if a man shall say hee hath faith that is if a man shall professe himself to believe and hath not works that is a conversation answerable in some measure to his profession will that faith which is in profession onely justifie or save him this interrogation implyeth a most Emphaticall negation wherein hee doth not onely deny that faith which is onely in profession and doth not worke by love doth justifie or save a man but also for the truth of his deniall hee doth appeale as it were to their conscience sor so much is meant by the interrogation The question then is not whether true faith doe justifie alone as Bellarmine would have it but whether that faith which is alone and by it selfe vers 17. without workes without a Christian conversation be a true justifying or saving saith This the Apostle denieth and so doe wee In the rest of the discourse hee proveth this negative assertion by an argument from the contrary namely that this fruitlesse faith is not a true faith because it is dead Where the Apostle argueth to this effect That faith which is dead doth not iustifie or save a man The faith which is profession onely and is alone without workes is dead Therefore that faith which is in profession onely and is alone without workes doth not iustifie or save a man The assumption hee proveth in this whole discourse where the conâ—…lusion is alwayes this that the faith which is alone and without workes is dead and therefore that is the question wich is disputed and concluded § VII Now that the faith which is alone and without workes is dead hee proveth by five arguments 1. The first à parâ—… That charity which is onely in word and not in deed is vaine and unprofitable vers 15. 16. Even so pariratione that faith which is in profession only having no works to accompany it is dead vers 17. 2. The second argument is taken from the effects For a true lively faith may bee demonstrated by good workes and that which cannot be demonstrated by good workes is but a dead faith And this hee proveth vers 18. against the carnall Gospeller as it were by the partyes owne testimony or forced confession provoking him to make experience which kind of proofe is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou professest the faith having no workes I also professe the faith and have workes come now to the tryall hee that hath a true faith may approve it by the fruits shewe then they faith if thou canst by thy workes which thou knowest thou canst not doe and I by my workes will approve my faith 3. The third argument is from the subject For a true justifying faith is not common to all men 2. Thes. 3. 2. and much lesse to Devils but is proper to the Elect Tit. 1. 1. But that faith which men professe without charity and without good workes is common to Devils vers 19. Thou professest that thou believest that there is one God thou doest well but if this thy beliefe be not accompanied with charity and good workes know this that the devils themselves who hate God doe though with horrour knowe and perforce believe the same 4. The fourth argument to prove that faith onely professed or which is in profession onely is not a true and a lively but a conterfeit and a dead faith is a twofold example of Abraham and of Rahab who were justified that is declared and knowne to be just by their workes For in this sence as the word is often used in the Scriptures as Mâ—…t 11. 19. Luk 7. 29. Râ—… 3. 4. 1. Tim. 3. 16 so of necessity it must bee taken in this place For by good workes which alwaies followe and never goe before justification wee are not made just but being already justified wee are by them declared and knowne to be just For hee is a righteous man that worketh righteousnesse And this the Schoolmen themselves doe teach that works doâ—… justifiâ—… â—…clarativè Thâ—…s Aquinas saith Opera nâ—…n sunt caâ—…sa quòd aliquiâ—… sit iâ—…tus apud Deum c. workes are not the cause why any man is just before God but rather they are the executions and manifestations of iustice Nam nullus per opera iustificatur apud Deum sed per habitum fidei For no man is iustified before God by workes but by the habit of faith And whereas it might bee obiected out of Iam. 2. that Abraham was iustified by workes hee answeareth the word to be iustified many be taken two wayes whereof the one is quantum ad executionem iustitiae manifestationem inrespect of execution and manifestation of iustice hoc mâ—…do iustificatur homo i. iustus ostenditur ex operib operatis and thus a man is iustified that is declared be iust by the workes which hee hath done And thus the ordinary glosse expoundeth the word in this place But let us come to the words vers 20. § VIII But wilt thou know O vaine man that faith that is that faith professed or in profession onely without workes is dead or that the faith which is without workes is knowne to be dead
workes Saint Iames having to deale with carnall Gospellers vaine men turning the grace of God into wantonnesse who having heard that faith doth justifie without workes did cast off all care of good workes thinking it sufficient to professe themselves to beleeve though their life were dissolute Against these Saint Iames proveth that vaine is the profession of faith without good works â—… that the faith which is without works is not a true liuely justifying faith but a dead and counterfeit faith that whosoever is justified before God by faith must also be justified that is declared and approved to bee just not onely by profession of his faith but also by the practise of good workes Wherefore in this respect there is no more difference betweene the two Apostles Paul and Iames than betweene Lâ—…ther and us who are Preachers of the Gospell at this day For as Luther having to deale with Popish justitiaâ—…ies who taught justification by workes urgeth most zelously justification by faith alone and in the question of justification after the example of Saint Paul speaketh contemptuously of workes so we having to dâ—…le with Libertines and carnall gospellers insisting in the steppes of Saint Iames urge the necessity of good workes § XVII Secondly wee are to consider the divers acceptions of the words faith workes justifie in the writings of the two Apostles Paul speaking of a true lively faith which worketh by love saith in effect that faith alone doth justifie Iames speaking of the faith of hypocrits which is in profession only sâ—…vered from the grace of sanctification and destitute of good workes â—…aith that such a faith doth neither justifie alone nor at all as being not a true but a dead and counterfeit faith Paul speaking of the câ—…uses of justification before God denyeth workes to concurre to the act of justification as any cause thereof Iames speaking of the effects and â—…ignes of justificatiâ—…n whereby it may beâ—… knowne affirmeth that workes must concurre in the parties justified that by them our faith may be demonstrated â—…nd our justification manifested Paul therefore rejecteth workes obtruded as causes of justification Iames urgeth thâ—…m as effects and signes thereof Paul speaking of Iustification in the proper sense as it signifieth that gracioâ—…s action of God whereby wee are made or constituted just affirmeth that wee are justified by faith without workes Iames speaking of thâ—…t justificâ—…tion whereby we are not mâ—…de just before God but declared and 〈◊〉 to God our 〈◊〉 and our conscience to bee just and indued with a true faith 〈◊〉 that we are so justified not onely by the profession of faith but also by good workes Now these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very well stand together For although it be most true which Saint Paul affirmeth that true faith doth just fie alone yet it is 〈◊〉 true which Saint Iames faith that the faith which is alone doth not justifie neither â—…lone nor at all because it is not 〈◊〉 true and a lively but a 〈◊〉 and dead faith For 〈◊〉 the living eye though it see alone yet is not alone so a liuely fâ—…ith though it justifie alone yet never iâ—… alone though it justifie without workes yet it is not without workâ—…s Though good workes doe not 〈◊〉 to the act of justification aâ—… any cause therâ—…of according to Saint Pauls doctrinâ—… yet they must concurre in the same subject that is the party justified as necessary fruitâ—… and 〈◊〉 of â—… true justifying â—…aith 〈◊〉 Saint Iaâ—…esâ—…cheth â—…cheth Though we be justified before God that is both absolved from our 〈◊〉 and accepted in Christ as righteous by faith alone without respect of workâ—… as Saint Paul teacheth yet according to the doctrine of â—…aint Iames weâ—… are to bee justified that is declared and approved to be just not onely by faith professed but also by good workes Finally though good workes nâ—…n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet 〈◊〉 justificaâ—… as Augustinâ—… useth to speake or as he also saith non prâ—…edunt iustifiâ—…andum sed justificatâ—… 〈◊〉 though they doe not goâ—… before justification as causâ—…s 〈◊〉 Pâ—…l teacheth yet they must follow in the parties justified as effects according to Saint Iames his doctrine § XVIII But the assertions of the 2. Apostles not only may wel stand togeâ—…her but also according to our doctrine they must necessarily goe together For if we shall be altogether conversant in setting forth the commendation of good works and in urging the necessity thereof not informing the people in the doctrine of justification by faith alone they will be ready to place the matter of their justification and the merit of their salvation in themselves as the Papists doe And so being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and seeking to establish their owne righteousnesse they doe not submit themselves to the righteousnes of God But wee must so urge the necessity of good workes in the doctrine of sanctification that wee remember that in the question of justification they are of no value On the other side if wee shall be wholly taken up in the doctrine of justification by faith alone teaching that in the question of justification they are of no worth and doe not withall informe the people of the profit and necessity of good works in other respects how ready will they bee to cast off all care of good workes and content themselves with a bare profession of faith But wee joyne these assertions together after the doctrine and practise of the Apostles in their Epistles Wee teach that justification and sanctification are unseparable companions And theresore as they who are sanctified may bee assured of their justification so without sanctification none can bee assured of their justification It is true that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus but who are they that live not after the flesh but after the Spirit Râ—… 8. 1. that are new creatures 2 Cor. 5. 17. that crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. It is true that a true lively faith doth justifie alone but what manner of saith is that that purifieth the heart Act. 15. 9. and worketh by love Gal. 5. 6. and may be demonstrated by good workes Iam. 2. 18. It is true that wee are not justified by our workes nor saved for them yet those are neither justified nor saved that are without them for as they are necessary consequents of justification so they are necessary antecedents of salvation For though they be not the cause of our salvation yet they are the way by which we are to come to salvation though they be not causa regâ—…andi as Bernard saith yet they are via regni Though they bee not the merit of salvation yet they are the evidence according to which God will judge us By faith wee have our inheritance and our title to Gods Kingdome but it is to be inherited among those that are sanctified A godly conversation though it be not properly a cause of our glorification yet it is
according to the perfection of it and as it is in it selfe considered in the abstract Otherwise we acknowledge degrees of assurance And if any of our Divines have held the speciall faith to be the onely justifying faith they are to be understood as speaking of justification in the court of conscience and as judging them onely to be justified and to have remission of sinnes who are in their owne consciences perswaded and in some measure assured thereof But besides and before the speciall faith whereby wee are justified in our owne conscience applying the promise of the Gospell to our selves a formall degree of faith is to bee acknowledged being the condition of the Evangelicall promises by which we aprehend receive and embrace Christ as hath been shewed and by which we are justified before God This degree of faith in order of nature goeth before repentance though in time repentance seemeth to goe before faith as being sooner discerned But in order of nature as well as of time repentance goeth before speciall faith Because no man can be assured of Gods favour in remitting his sinnes who hath not repented thereof CAP. XII Of foure other dispositions viz. love penitencie a purpose and desire to receive the Sacrament the purpose of a new life § I. HIs fourth disposition is Love for so soone as a man doth hope for a benefit from another as namely justificacation from God hee beginneth to love him from whom hee doth expect it In which words there is some shew that hope disposeth to love but that love doth dispose to justification not so much as a shew But that some love goeth before justification and disposeth thereto he endeavoureth to prove which if he could performe were to little purpose â—…or so long as this love doth not justifie his assertion doth not disprove justification by faith alone but indeed he proveth it not though to that purpose hee produceth besides foure testimonies of Scripture the authority of the Councell of Aurenge His first testimony is a supposititious senrence of an Apocryphall Booke For neither is the sentence in the originall Greeke nor the Booke canonicall neither is the sentence it selfe to the purpose Yee that feare the Lord love him and your hearts shall be he doth not say justified but enlightened that is as Iansenius expoundeth comforted For they that feare God and love him are already justified by faith from which both feare and love doe spring § II. His second testimony Luk. 7. 47. Many sinnes are forgiven her because she loved much therefore love is the cause of forgivenesse I answer by denying the consequence For here in the Papists are many times grossely mistaken who thinke that in every aetiologie the reason which is rendred is a cause so properly called when as indeed it may be any other argument or reason as well as the cause For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause in a large sense doth not onely fignifie that which causeth the effect which properly is called the cause of a thing or action but also any reason which proveth the thing propounded which is a cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of the action or thing it selfe but of the reasoning or conclusion or as wee use to say consâ—…quentiae non consequentis of the consequence not of the consequent Thus it is called the fallacie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non causa pro causa when that is brought for any argument which it is not So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is traÌ„slated redditio causae is the rendring of any reason from any argument whatsoever For in any syllogism that which is the medium though it bee the effect of the thing is the cause of the conclusion because it is the reason which proveth it and in this sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for which cause and wherefore is all one Thus the Papists prove Christs humiliation to have beene the cause of his exaltation as wee heard before because â—…he Apostle saith therefore God exalted him c thus they prove the workes of mercie to bee the cause of salvation because our Saiour saith for I was hungry c so here that love is the cause of forgivenesse because it is said for she loved much when indeed our Saviour argueth not from the cause to the effect but from the effect to the cause as is most evident First by the parable of a creditour who having two debtors whereof the one owed him five hundred pence the other fiftie and neither of them having any thing to pay he freely forgave them both their debt Our Saviour therâ—…fore demanding of the Pharisee who had invited him which of these debtours would love the creditour most the Pharisee truely answered I suppose he to whom he forgave most which answer approved by our Saviour plainely proveth that love was not the cause of forgivenesse but forgivenesse of love and the forgiveing of more the cause of greater love and the forgivenesse of lesse the cause of lesse love and consequently that the greater love was not the cause of greater forgivenesse but the effect of it This parable our Saviour applying to the Pharisee that invited him as the lesse debtour and to the woman which had been a notorious sinner as the greater debtor to both which he had forgiven their debts they having nothing to pay sheweth that her greaâ—…er love was an evidence of her greater debt forgiven Secondly by the antithesis in the same verse but to whom little is forgiven hee loveth but a little It is therefore plaine that the forgivenesse is the cause of love and the forgiving of more of more love and the forgiving of lesse of lesse love And as lesse love is a token of the lesse debt forgiven so greater love of more forgiven hee speaketh therefore of her love not as the cause going before but as the effect following after justification § III. And such is Bellarmines argument out of 1 Ioh. 3. 14. we are translated from death to life that is we are justified because we love the brethren therefore the love of the brethren is the cause of justification I deny the consequence the love of the brethren is not the cause but the fruit of our justification whereby it may be knowne And this appeareth manifestly out of these words which Bellarmine hath fraudulently omitted Nos scimus quia translati sumus c. wee know that wee are translated from death to life because wee love the brethren Our loue then is not the cause of justification but a manifest signe and evidence whereby it is knowne that we are already justified for so he saith speaking in the time past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we are already passed or translated from death to life And to the like effect our Saviour speaketh Luk. 7. 47. as if hee had said hereby it appeareth that many sinnes are forgiven her because shee loved much But that it was not her love