but of that wicked Symon Peter knew that Repentance and Prayer to God was a speciall meanes to procure pardon of sinnes and therefore exhorts Symon to repent and pray yet withall Peter knew that not euery repentance obtaineth pardon at Gods hands no more than that of Iudas or that of Esan who for all his teares was reiected But let vs heare Vega's iudgement vpon this place Cur Prophetae esti Petrus qui constantissimè praedicabant Deum misericordem esse valdè praestabilem super hominum malitijs istis haeâ—itationis notis vtebantur nisi vt docerent non leuiter oportere credere nos esse iustificatos neque statim ad qualemcunque poenitentiam debere nobis-mâ—tipsis promit lere remissionem peccatorum that is Why did those Prophets and Peter who most constantly preached that God is mercifull and very ready to forgiue the sinnes of men vse these notes of hesitation or doubting but to teach vs that we should not lightly beleeue that wee are iustified nor presently vpon any kinde of Repentance that we ought to promise to our selues pardon of our sinnes Thus farre Vega's inference is pretty tolerable referring his vncertainty of the pardon of sinnes to any sleight or ouerly Repentance Herein hee jumps with that which wee said euen now of Iudas and Esan's repentance And besides faith of iustification is not a light beleefe But shall we heare Vega expresse his minde cleerely and ingenuously without any ambiguity He addeth Mihi quidem vt ingenâ—è diâ—am quod sentio sic olim locâ—ti Prophetae isti videntur vt iam tum deterrerent iustos ab ista certitudine remissionis suorum peccatorum quam quidam his temporibus iustificatis omnibus perswadere moliti sunt ea forma loquentes arma nobis subministrasse videntur quibus omnes hos vt sic dicam certitudinarios reâ—inceremus that is It seemeth to me that I may ingenuously speake what I thinke those Prophets did heretofore speake thus that they might then skare righteous men from that certainety of the remission of their sins which certainty certaine in these times haue laboured to perswade all those that are iustified of and speaking in that forme they seeme to conuey weapons into our hands whereby wee should vanquish all these certitudinaries as I may so say or patronizers of the certainty of faith Now well-fare Vega yet for his candid ingenuity that he vtters his minde plainely as he thinkes How is it possible else that euer we should haue discouered the corruption of his heart in this point as first to make no difference betweene the righteous and the wicked and to draw an argument from the example of wicked men as Nabuchadnezzar Symon Magus and such like that because their repentance was doubtfull and so consequently the pardon of their sinnes that therefore the righteous and godly men should be deterred and affraid of the certainety of the remission of their sinnes vpon their true faith and repentance And whereas he thereupon triumphs that these kindes of formes of speech vsed by the Prophets and the Apostles are weapons put into the hands of Pontificians wherewith to beate downe the maintainers of certainety what are these weapons but such Withes and flaxen Coards wherewith Dalilah thought to binde Sampson and so to betray him into the hands of the vncircumcised But as Sampson hauing his seuen Nazaraicall lockes still vpon his head brake them all as rotten tow so the truth of Faith cannot bee bound hauing the seuen spirits of God whereby it retaines vnuincible strength But the best is Vega dare not peremptorily conclude it but only saith out of his ingenuity that the Prophets seemed to him to speak so and that they seemed to conuey such weapons into the Pontificians hands Wee will therefore let these passe as seeming arguments well beseeming Pontificians to vse as their best weapons To these he addes a place out of Ecclesiasticus as the maner of Pontificians is to equall Apocryphall Bookes with Canonicall Scriptures accounting them equally Canonicall as they do also with as good reason their Apostolick Traditions But wee will not here take vp the quarrell with them in this point Nor neede we to bee affraid of the place which Vega alledgeth which is De propitiato peccato noli esse sine metu Of sinne pardoned bee thou not without feare This place also was answered in the Councell by Catarinus as wee haue recited before out of the History For it is not spoken of sin already pardoned but de propitiatu peccatorum of the future pardoning of sinnes as the vulgar Latine set forth by the Doctors of Louan hath noted in the Margin and Vega himselfe addeth the same in the variety of reading And the sequell of that place is cleare and euident that a sinner must not bee bould to commit sinne vpon presumption of pardon And therefore it is expressed in the future tense euen in the vulgar Et ne dicas miseratio Dei magna est multitudinis peccatorum meorum miserebitur And say not thou the mercy of God is great hee will pardon the multitude of my sinnes So little makes this place for Pontifician vncertainty as it also no whit crosseth the certainty of faith whose property is not to presume that God will be mercifull though I sinne but to beleeue that God is mercifull to mee vpon my present repentance And for that of the Apostle I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified vrged by Vega for his vncertainty in his 12. Chapter I referre the Reader to the answer made before in the History of the Councell which is sound and good and needes not any thing to be added vnto it although Vega spend a whole large Chapter about it but all to no purpose in the world but to exercise his vnlimited liberty to say what he list But hauing thus raked the Scriptures together to make a heape of testimonies for the confirmation of his vncertainty he proceeds in his 13. Chapter to the authorities of the ancient Fathers To which in briefe to auoide tediousnesse we may answer in generall as the History hath well noted that the Fathers sometimes did attemper their speech to the depressing of the proud and presumptuous as if eyther men had no sinne at all in them or that sinning they had Gods mercy at command And we are to note also that where the Fathers speake of the vncertainty of mans iustification or rather of the certainty of their vnrighteousnes it is most euident and cleare that then they speake of mans righteousness of sanctification wherein they are neuer perfect in this life But I cannot here omit to set down one speciall place wherein Vega much triumpheth taken out of St. Augustine Vega's words are these Inter omnia quae legerim in Augustino apertissimè proposito nostro fauent quae c. Among all which I haue read in Augustine those words doe most clearely fauour our purpose which hee
Regnum Dei eorum ita certus est numerus vt nec addatur eis quisquam nec minuatur ex eis The number of them that are predestinate vnto the Kingdome of God is so certaine that neyther any can bee added vnto them nor diminished of them This is according to the truth of God 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God stands sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his If the Lord know who are his hee knoweth how many are his and if how many there is a certaine number of them else the Lords knowledge were vncertaine Christ saith also I know mine and am knowne of mine yea he calleth his owne sheepe by name Christ knoweth the certaine number of sheepe that belong vnto his fold And their names are inrolled in Heauen Heb. 12. 23. And Christ saith few are chosen in comparison of the residue And Pauperis est numerare pecus Christ the Shepheard can easily number his little flocke Yea hee that numbereth our haires doth he not number the persons of his elect Therefore the seruants of God are sealed in their fore-heads and the number of them is set downe of all the Tribes of Israel Reuel 7. Indeed in the 9. Verse a great multitude did Iohn see which no Man could number But they are certaine with God So the number of Gods elect is certaine as certaine to God as the number of the Starres of Heauen which God calleth all by their names So great is the Lord so great his power and his vnderstanding infinite Obiect But it may be obiected that election appertaineth to all indifferently as being left to euery ones choice For the Scripture saith that God would haue all men to be saued as 1. Tim. 2. 4. and Rom. 11. 33. God hath shut vp all in vnbeliefe that hee might haue mercy vpon all But these places proue not that Gods election belongeth to all for then the Scripture should bee opposite to it selfe which saith elsewhere That few are chosen But as St. Augustine well noteth this All is simply meant of all the Elect. As he saith Omnes â—ommes vult saluos fieri vt intelligantur omnes praedestinati quia omne genus hominum in eis est sicut dictum est Pharisaeis Decimatis omne olus Luc. 11. 42. vbi non intelligendum est nisi omne quod habebant that is God would haue all men to bee saued meaning all the predestinate because in them is all sorts of men as it was said to the Pharisees Yee tithe all kinde of herbes where we are not to vnderstand but all that they had As also St. Ambrose saith Quamuis magna pars hominum Saluantis gratiam repellat aut negligat in electiâ— tamen praesoitis atque ab Omnium generalitate discretis specialis quaedam câ—nsetur vniuersitas Pro parte mundi totus mundus pro parte hominum omnes homines nominâ—ntur Although a great part of men reiect or neglect the grace of the Sauiour yet a certaine speciall vniuersality is accounted in those that are elect and fore-knowne and separated from the generality of All. For a part of the world the whole world and for a part of men all men are named Next this certaine number is elected out of the corrupt masse of mankinde all corrupt in Adams loynes after his fall Therefore the elect are called vessels of mercy and mercy implyes misery Hence the Apostle very aptly compares the corrupt masse of mankinde to a lumpe of Potters clay and clay is nothing but dirt Also an example of Gods election we haue in Iacob and Esau in the same place Rom. 9. which two are set out as types of all mankinde Iacob of the Elect and Esau of the Reprobate Now to what time or condition had Gods act or purpose of separating these two one from the other speciall reference Namely while they were yet vnborne and before they had done good or euill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth it was said vnto her The elder shall serue the younger Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated So that God did in his eternall purpose elect Iacob and reiect Esau in their Mothers wombe before they had actually done good or euill but not before they had both of them alike contracted the corruption of originall sinne in their Mothers wombe Hence it is that presently after mans fall Gen. 3. the Lord God first reuealeth the mysterie of his will in his eternall purpose towards mankinde in putting an enmity betweene the Serpents seed and the Womans seed both Angels and Men. The Serpents seede are the Reprobate a generation of Vipers of their Father the Deuill The Womans seede there are the Elect first Christ and in him all the Elect who are blessed in him and who with Christ are at continuall enmity with the Serpent and his seede Michael and his Angels fighting against the Dragon and his Angels the bond-womans sonne persecuting the free-womans sonne in an allegory Gal. 4. Thus Gods election had a speciall reference to the corrupt masse out of which he chose vs to saluation So Ezech. 16. Abraham the Father of the faithfull for his natiuity and birth was an idolatrous Amorite Ierusalem the type of Gods Elect was chosen in her bloud ver 5. as the Lord saith None eye pitied thee but thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast borne and when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud I said vnto thee when thou wast in thy bloud Liue yea I said vnto thee when thou wast in thy bloud Liue. Now this election of God in choosing out of the coâ—â—â—â— masse and lumpe of mankinde such as shall be saued doth necessarily imply that this election is of his free grace as is expressed in the definition which is a point worthy our speciall consideration although indeed this free grace of God is the very life-bloud as it were which â—unneth through the whole body and filleth euery veine of the definition It is called an election of grace Rom. 11. 5. To this grace it is that the Apostle â—auished with the admiration of Gods incomprehensible loue breaking forth into a gratefull acclamation and benediction of God for it as if now hee had but â—â—â—â—ly come forth or were still in his rapture in the third Heauen referreth and ascribeth the whole worke of our saluation To the praise of the glory of his grace saith he wherein he hath made vs accepted in the Beloued Ephes. 1. 6 And in the seuenth Verse In whom we haue redemption through his bloud the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace And Chapt. â— 4. c. God who is rich in mercy for his great loue wherewith hee loued vs euen when we were dead in sinnes hath quickned vs together with Christ by grace ye are saued and
Spirit of zeale and piety vpon all the Ministers of thy Word and Sacraments especially vpon the reuerend Arch-Bishops Bishops that standing in the place of Pillars in thy Temple of the salt of the earth of the light of the world they may strongly support thy true Religion season and lighten those places which are dark and vnsauory and all for want of faithfull Ministers thus shall they highly magnifie their office and discharge their stewardship by prouiding and sending painfull labourers into euery corner of thy field Inspire and inflame them Lord with that zeale of thine own wherewith thou didst purge thy Temple from profane merchandize that so they may with the whip-cords of sound Doctrine and wholesome Discipline chase out of thy Church all Herefie and Idolatry Why should the world O Lord complaine and cry Where is the spirit of those aâ—cient Bishops and Martyrs and 〈…〉 Champions of thy truth as of Cranmer â—â—â—mer Hooper Bucer Peter Martyr Iewel and other faithfull witnesses whose eyther bloud hath beene the seed or preaching and writing the watering of this thy noble Vineyard O keepe farre from vs the spirit of cowardise and lukewarmnesse of ambition and loue of the world lest these infeebling and infatuating our soules wee should proue a generation of peruerse and foolish children pulling downe what our religious fore-fathers with such care and paines mature iudgement and sound knowledge in the truth haue built Stirre vp O Lord the noble hearts of the two honourable Chancellors of our Vniuersities that with the ayde of soueraigne authority they may zealously set themselues to preserue those Fountaines and Nurceries from the mudde of Heresie and the bitter root of Impiety Infuse the spirit of courage zeale vprightnesse and hatred of couetousnesse in aboundance vpon all the reuerend Iudges and Iustices of the Land that they may duely execute the Lawes by freeing the poor innocent from the potent oppressor by cutting downe sinne and cutting off the traiterous ring-leaders to Idolatry Thus thy Church being purged Iustice executed Religion maintained sinne reformed our Couenant with thee renewed our vowes of better obedience and thankfulnesse performed and we through thy merits reconciled to thy Father of mercies thou the great Captaine and Lord of Hosts mayst againe take thy peoples part turne the edge of thy Sword against thine enemies and fill our mouthes with a new song of praise thankâ—giuing to thee which sittest vpon the Throne with the Father and the Holy Ghost God blessed for euer Amen The Preface to the Reader CHristian Reader loe here the two great mysteries laid open the one of Godlinesse the summe where of is Christ beleeued on in the World the other of Iniquity the head whereof is Antichrist beleeued on of the World Two Mysteries incompatible as light and darknesse They are the two bounders disterminating Ierusalem from Babylon This Mysterie of iniquity I meane the Romish doctrine of Iustification is the head-doctrine or source whence all their meritorious satisfactions doe flow And Bellarmine with other Pontificians confesseth Iustification to bee the maine Cardo or hinge whereon hangeth the whole body of controuersies betweene them and the Pretestants Nor was it for nothing that the Councell of Trent so improued all their skill and strength to oppose and oppresse the true Catholicke doctrine of Iustification as whereby the Papall magnificence and the gaine of the Romish Craftsmen for their Diana was endangered So that this their Abortiue was a hatching for seuen moneths so long was this Babylonish Raâ—â—â—â— wherewith they would force heauen gates a hammering in the Trent-forge so as the History noteth that the most expert in the Church affirmed That if all the 〈…〉 assembled from the Apostles times to that were summed vp together they could not make vp so many Articles as the Trent-Fathers had amassed together in this one sixt Session of that Synod the best part whereof also they were beholden to Aristotle for And no maruaile they were so puzzled for they were to encounter sundry difficulties as first the euidence of Scriptures secondly the concent of ancient Fathers thirdly the powerfull preaching and writings of Luther fourthly the dissent of their Schoolemen and fiftly the diuision of the Councell it selfe some being Thomists some Scotists some Dominicans some Franciscans To satisfie and reconcile all which was more than an Herculean labour But what could be difficult to the Papall Omnipotencie who could send his holy Ghost post from Rome to Trent in a Cloake-bagge which loosed all knots and decided all doubts Nor had the Pope wanting in that Councell the most pregnant wits in the Pontifician world beâ—â—aes a numerous multitude of new titular Bishops as titular for learning as liuing to lay on load of down right voyces to conclude and ratifie whatsoeuer the Pope with his Cardinals in their Conclaue at Rome and his dextrous instruments in the Councell had with no lesse sweat than artifice contriued For the first maine obstacle the euidence of Scripture they are faine to collegue and speake it faire and borrow from it certaine broad Phylacteries wouen with Scripture phrases wherewith the Babylonish where partly decks her shamelesse forehead and partly adornes the cobwebbe Robe of her counterfeit selfe-Iustification as Coelestis Pater Iesus Christ the Sun of righteousnesse the author and finisher of our faith The Father of mercies and God of all consolation sent his sonne to redeeme Iewes and Gentiles and that all might receiue adoption of sonnes Him hath God sent forth to be apropitiation for our sinnes in his bloud for this Redemption we ought to giue thanks And ch 7. The Meâ—itorious cause of our Iustification is our Lord Iesus Christ c. O holy Councell Will any suspect the Serpent to lurke vnder such flowers of Paradise Or that they goe about to betray Christ with Hâ—yle Master But in this their profound hypocrisie lyeth the whole Mysterie of Iniquity Sitamen hypocrisis dici debet quae iam latere prae abundantia non valet prae impudentiâ non quaerit as Bernard saith of Romes Clergy in his time If that may be called hypocrisie which neither for the abundancy of it can nor for the impudencie of it cares to conceale it selfe Thus by egregious hypocrisie Arrius deluded the Councell of Nice confessing Christ to be God of God yet denyed his consubstâ—ntiality with the Father Thus the second Councell of Nice summoned to decree the erection and veneration of Images makes a goodly Preface giuing thankes to God that they were deliuered from Idols Thus Augustine confesseth how he was seduced by the Manichaean hypocrisie Thus dealeth the Trent Councell And besides her hypocrisie her impudencie displayes it selfe while in this Councell Rome alters the Rule of Faith addes her Traditions Decretals and Canons as a party and equall rule with Scripture guelds the Scriptures of their masâ—uline authoritie and genuine sense closing vp all in the Cabinet of the Popes breast where
opposition to this truth or any other by me deliuered in speciall against the Synagogue of Rome I shall be ready to maintaine if occasion require in ampler maner if I may haue alike liberty with my Antagonists I say no more for the present but commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and to giue you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Thine in Christ H. B. TRVTHS TRIVMPH Ouer TRENT CHAP. I. Of mans workes done before grace or of preparation in man vnto Iustification commonly called the merit of Congruitie The Romish Faith THE title of the fift Chapter of the sixt Session of the Councell of Trent is Of the necesitie of preparation to Iustification in men of ripe age where they say That by their free-will stirred vp and helped by grace they are disposed to conuert themselues to their Iustification by free assenting and cooperating with the same grace The ground of which disposition to Iustification is freewill which cooperating with grace produceth fixe seuerall workes of preparation laid downe by the Councell here and reckoned vp by Vega one of the Councels chiefe champions First an Historicall â—aith conceiued by hearing beleeuing the truth of Gods promises to a sinner in generall Secondly a feare of Gods iustice arising from the apprehension of their sinnes whence they arise thirdly to a hope by conuerting themselues to the consideration of Gods mercy trusting that God for Christs sake will be fauourable vnto them whom they then begin fourthly to loue as the fountaine of all righteousnesse and therefore are moued by a hatred and detestation against sinne that is fiftly by that Penance which they are to doe before Baptisme while sixtly they resolue to receiue Baptisme to begin a new life and to keepe the Commandements of God And Can. 1. If any man shall say that a man may be iustified before God by his owne workes which are done either by the power of mans nature or by the doctrine of the Law without diuine grace by Iesus Christ let him be accursed CHAP. II. Wherein the doctrine of Romish preparation is examined IT being the maine drift of this Councell to establish a righteousnesse inherent in a mans selfe and not finding how to dimme the bright sun-shine of truth against this doctrine but by an artificiall shadow of the second beames of grace medled and mingled with blinde or at the best bleare-eyed nature therefore the iudicious Reader may obserue how while this Councell would seeme in part to ascribe the worke of Iustification to Gods grace it doth in deed and in the maine attribute it to mans nature as may appeare in laying the first stone of this Baby lonish building Of the necessitie of preparation to Iustification The whole frame of which preparation composed according to the modell of their Schoole-diuinitie as Gabriel Biel one of their chiefe Sententiaries who liued about fifty yeares before this Councell hath laid it downe as That the Act of the will presupposeth the Act of the vnderstanding and the Act of faith goes formost to apprehend the abomination of sinne and the wages of it hence a feare of Gods wrath and of hell fire hence a dislike and detestation of sinne And this saith he is a disposition of Congruity neither immediate nor sufficient but very remote Then faith turnes it selfe to the consideration of Gods mercy and resolueth that God is ready to remit sinne through the insusion of charity to those that are sufficiently prepared and disposed Vpon that consideration followeth the act of hope whereby a man begins to couet after God as the soueraigne good and from this act of hope he riseth to loue God aboue all things euen out of pure naturals From this loue issueth another dislike and detestation of sinne not for feare of damnation but for God finally aboue all things beloued And all these acts are followed with a purpose of amendment And so at length this comes to be a sufficient merit of Congruity being the immediate and finall disposition to the infusion of grace And this is such a preparation as doth necessarily as by a chaine of so many infolded linkes draw after it the infusion of grace whereby a man is iustified Thus wee see by what perplexed pathes they would leade men towards their iustification But note here what a power they giue to this preparation as euen to necessitate and inforce the infusion of grace because saith Biel to a man that doth as much as lyes in him God hath determined infallibly to giue grace And Aquinas saith it is a merit of Congruity that when a man doth well vse his vertue God according to his super-excellent vertue should worke more excellently in him Videtur Congruum saith he It seemes Congruous and agreeable to reason that a man operating according to his vertue God should recompence him according to the excellencie of his vertue Yea such is the force of this merit of Congruity that according to Thomas it will merit not onely grace for a mans selfe but also for another man for because saith he a man in the state of grace doth fulfill the will of God it is Congruous or fitting that according to the proportion of friendship God should fulfill mans will in the saluation of another man Such is the nature of their doctrine of Congruitie of which sort are their workes of preparation disposing and fitting a man for grace And this is the sense and summe of the Trent doctrine touching preparation Now to cut off this Goliahs head we neede no other than his owne sword First concerning the title it selfe of the necessity of preparation in the Adulti or men growne as we call them note here the vanity of this doctrine how therein they confound themselues For I would aske them whom they meane by their Adulti or men of yeares Those within their owne Church such as are baptized or Heathens and Pagans without the pale of the Church such as are not yet baptized as Turkes Iewes or Indians Surely they mention those Adulti that are not yet baptized But it must needs be that they include their owne Adulti for else what vse is there in their Church of this doctrine of preparation which they so highly aduance commend vnlesse it be among the barbarous Indians But their Adulti haue already according to their doctrine receiued the grace of Iustification in their Baptisme conferring grace as they say ex opere operato which grace being once by any mortall sin afterwards lost there can be no more merit of Congruitie to merit a reparation of grace as it is in the preparation vnto grace as Thomas teacheth But leaue we the title and let vs come to the thing Popish preparation vnto grace hangs vpon two speciall hinges First free-will secondly that this free-will is moued by grace which their Schoole-men call the first grace implyed
in the state of grace hee is for all that faith of his a meere naturall man still And therefore that faith which they speake of going before iustification is not freed from the imputation of sin whereas that sauing faith whereof St. Augustine speaketh is that which doth actually not dispose vnto but possesse a man of the state of grace which is the verie state of iustification as we shall see in the due place hereafter Therefore Popish preparation vnto iustification is nothing else but meere Pelagianisme both Pelagians and Pontificians ioyntly holding that all workes done without or before iustification are no sins CHAP. III. The Catholicke faith touching preparation to iustification THe Romish faith concerning such preparatorie workes to iustification the Catholicke faith of Christs Church doth renounce and disclaime as hereticall and antichristian for these reasons First because the holy Scriptures teach no such thing but the cleane contrarie The Scriptures teach no merit of Congruitie they teach not that free will being stirred vp and helped by I wot not what first grace a man is thereby disposed to receiue iustification but the flat contrary Ioh. 1. 12. As many as receiue Christ and such are they as beleeue in him are made the Sonnes of God But doth not this grace come by some disposition in mans nature as by his free will assisted and so cooperating with the grace of God for the attaining of iustification No such thing For verse 13 Christ teacheth that those Sonnes of God are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Where note a direct opposition betweene Gods grace and mans will in the worke of Regeneration or Iustification mans will being by a negatiue vtterly excluded from any copartnership with God Not of the will of man but of God So Titus 3. 5. Not by workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to his mercie he saued vs c. Where all humane workes going before Iustification all merits of congruitie are excluded from disposing a man to receiue iustification for not by the workes of righteousnesse which wee haue done but according to his mercie hee saueth vs. And Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his Faith is counted for righteousnesse Note God iustifieth the vngodly therefore not the righteous not the meritorious by Congruitie vnlesse vngodlinesse and sinne can merit iustification at Gods hand as St. Augustine said of Adams sinne Foelix culpa quâ— talem meruit Redemptorem It was a happie sinne that merited such a Redeemer Whereas besides some places of Scripture which they peruert to their purpose they obiect the examples of the Eunuch Acts 8. and of Cornelius Acts 10. by which they would proue their workes of Congruitie as Vega alledgeth them Vega may remember what he said in another place before where hee produceth St. Augustines authoritie to proue that these two were true beleeuers before the Apostles came and preached vnto them which also Vega himselfe subscribeth vnto confessing that these two had grace and faith before sauing onely the difference is in the acception of grace and faith wherein the Pontifician egregiously equiuocateth the true nature whereof wee shall hereafter discouer But say that neither the Eunuch nor Cornelius before they were instructed by the Apostles had the grace of iustification doth it therefore follow that those workes of theirs did by Congruity merit iustification at Gods hands or that they were thereby prepared to iustification Why did not then Esau's teares merit the blessing ex congruo or why did not Ahab's repentance merit by Congruity not onely a repriuall of punishment but an absolute pardon of his sinne for they did quantum in se fuit as much as in them lay Or else according to Romes doctrine God must be vniust or at least wanting in his natiue goodnesse For further cleering of this point come we to the ancient Fathers to whom also this doctrine of merit of Congruity and of Condignity was altogether vnknowne This Vega himselfe is forced to confesse where making this obiection Why did the Fathers saith hee no where vse this distinction of merit of Congruity and Condignity to which he answereth If all things which neuer were in vse among the Fathers are to be condemned we shall be forced to condemne many things which all Catholickes now receiue And the Philosopher should haue said in vaine Scientias fieri per additamenta that Sciences are brought to passe by addition But he addeth Neither are we to grant that this distinction of merit of Congruity and Condignity was altogether vnknowne to the Fathers They acknowledged the things although they vsed not the termes saith Vega seâ—ing they diuersly vsed the word of Merit as either strictly or largely whereof we shall speake more largely hereafter In the meane time let vs see what workes of preparation the ancient Fathers taught or inioyned as necessarie to dispose a man to iustification by way of merit taken in the largest sense as Vega at least would haue it But before we come to set downe the ancient doctrine of the Church concerning this point I must premonish the Reader seriously to note this one thing in the Fathers That when they speake of grace and faith whereby a man is iustified they meane nothing else but sauing grace and iustifying faith not now preparing a man vnto but actually placing and possessing him in the state of iustification and saluation They meane nothing lesse than any such first grace preparatory and euen common to wicked men which neuer come to partake of the second grace as the Romanists doe teach The Fathers admit of no such meane betweene sauing grace and faith and betweene sauing faith and iustification betweene any first second grace as differing in kinde but vnderstand one sauing effectuall grace Indeede St. Augustine speaketh of a first and second grace but by the first he meaneth that of iustification by the second that of sanctification differing no more but as the roote and the branch the tree and the fruit Or St. Augustine acknowledgeth no other first grace but that which is giuen to the elect in this life saying Coronat in nobis Deus dona misericordiae suae sed si in ea gratia quam primam accepimus perseueranter ambulemus God crowneth the gifts of his mercie in vs but if in that first grace which we haue receiued we walke with perseuerance Ambrose saith He that dare preach that the grace of God is giuen according to mens merits preacheth against the Catholike faith Therefore this doctrine of merit of congruity was no Catholicke doctrine in Saint Ambrose his dayes nor doth he meane any other grace but that of iustification All the preparation this holy man alloweth is where he saith Duce Deo venitur ad Deum by God leading vs we come vnto God And St.
free will and thereby merit the grace of God which he confesseth to be rendred as due to their free will This accordeth with Romish Schoole diuinitie teaching That homini operanti secundum suam virtutem videtur congruum vt Deus recompenset secundum excellentiam suae virtutis To a man working according to his naturall power and vertue it seemeth meet that God render a recompence according to the excellencie of his vertue Therefore the Catholicke Church of Christ whereof the Church of England is a member reiecteth this Pontifician preparation to iustification as a doctrine repugnant to the holy Scriptures and to the Writings of the Catholicke Doctors and Fathers in the Primitiue Church This doctrine of Rome tending also howsoeuer they would dissemblingly disclaime it in words to a flat derogation from the glorie of Gods grace while it would make man an equall sharer with God in the atchieuement of so great a worke for though they seeme to ascribe the glory to God because say they he stirreth vp the will whereby it beginneth to prepare and dispose it selfe to grace yet this is nothing else but a mocking of God As deuout Bernard speaking of this diuine stirring vp of free will saith Nefas est Deo quod minus nobis quod excellentius sit attribuere It is iniquitie to attribute to God that which is lesse and to our selues that which is the more excellent Now to stirre vp what is it else but as it were to awaken one from sleepe The will is asleepe and God must awaken it before it can do any thing that is good and being thus awakened it sets it selfe a working As Sampson awakened by Dalilah shewed his great strength the glorie of which action is it to be ascribed to Dalilah for awakening and stirring him vp or to Sampson who being asleep wanted nothing but stirring vp to giue him occasion to exercise his strength Mans will therefore beeing but stirred vp of God and Sampson-like doing workes of wonder euen aboue humane strength and naturall force as to prepare and dispose it selfe for that great worke of iustification how shall it not bee honoured much aboue God by how much mans worke herein is greater than Gods worke The Church of Rome is very nice and strait laced in setting out the manner of Gods mouing of mans will in the first grace as they call it as fearing lest more glorie might bee giuen to God than to man for they ascribe no more to God but a certaine stirring vp and helping of the will whereby it should freely dispose it selfe to iustification Whereas Bernard speakes home and like a downe-right honest man in this point Facit Deus voluntarios quatenus dum de mala mutat voluntatem in bonam God makes men willing whole of euill he changeth the will into good So it is one thing to stirre vp and helpe another to change the nature of a thing from euill to good St. Ambrose Voluntas nihil habet in suis viribus nisi periculi facilitatem The will hath no power at all but a propension to perill And St. Chrysostome Omnes homines antequam peccâ—mus liberum quidem habemus arbitrium si volumus sequi voluntatem Diaboli an non Quod si semel peccantes obligauerimus nos operibus eius iam nostra virtute â—uadere non possumus Sed sicut Nauis fracto gubernaculo illuc ducitur vbi tempestas voluerit sic homo diuinae gratiae auxilio perdito per peccatum agit quod non vult ipse sed quod Diabolus vult nisi Deus valida manu misericordiae soluerit eum vsque ad mortem in peccatorum suorum vinculis permanebit All men saith he before sinne haue free will to follow the Diuels will or not When once by sinne wee haue captiuated our selues to his workes wee cannot now by our owne power free our selues But as a Ship the Rudder being broken is carried whither the tempest will â— so 〈…〉 â—â—uing by sinne lost the helpe of diuine grace doth not that whâ—â—â— himselfe willeth but which the Diuell willeth 〈…〉 God with a strong hand of mercie loose him hee shall abide in the bonds of his sinnes euen vnto death So then this strong hand is more than a bare stirring vp St. Augustine here seemeth to allude to that in the Gospell where our Sauiour resembleth the state of sinfull man to a house kept and possessed by a strong man when the will is wholly capituated by Sathan and cannot befreed but by the power of Christ a stronger than that strong man But the Councell of Trent wants the ingenuitie to acknowledge the mightie power of God in freeing mans captiue-wil from the tyrannie of the strong Diuell Also St. Chrysostome in the prosecution of that his former Treatise compareth mans will before sinne to wit in the state of innocencie to a free-people or state in whose power and election it is to chuse what King they wil but hauing once elected such a one for their King it is not now in their power vpon any dislike to depose him againe although he tyrannize ouer them neuer so much none can free them from this grieuous bondage but only God So it being once in the power of mans will in the free state of innocencie to choose a King God or the Diuell hauing once by the consent of sinne made choyce of the Prince of darkenesse who tyrant-like ruleth in the children of disobedience taking them captiue at his will it appertaines only to the mightie power and infinite goodnesse of God to set free these miserable Captiues out of that Tyrants more than Egyptian bondage A worke no lesse if not infinitely more miraculous than the deliuerance of those Israelites through the middest of that Red Sea Howsoeuer the Trent Fathers mince the matter and obscure the power of Gods mighty worke in mans conuersion parting the glorie of it betweene mans nature and Gods grace as wee haue heard Like the Whoore that would haue the child diuided between her selfe and the true Mother But that the glorie of Gods powerfull grace in mans conuersion may not lye thus smoothered vnder the dampe of earthy and deepe hypocrisie let vs see a little what this free-will of man is in the state of corruption Vega highly commends that saying of Richardus as we noted before Doctè Richardus inquit Cum audis liberum arbitrium esse captâ—â—um nihil aliud intellige quam infirmum natiuae virtutis potestate priuatum Learnedly said Richardus saith he When thou â—e arest that free-will is a captiue vnderstand it no otherwise than that it is weak depriued of the vertue of its natiue power I wote well these Pontifician spirits would gladly bring mans free-will into credit by filing and smoothing that rougher language which the Fathers haue left vpon it And I dare be bold herein to gratifie the Trent-Councell Let free-will in mans corrupt heart be not
per gratiam ipsius ne fides ipsa superba sit Nec dicat sibi quis si ex fide quomodo gratis quod enim fides meretur cur non potius redditur quà m donatur Non dicat ista homo fidelis quia cum dixerit vt merear iustificationem habeo fidem respondetur ei Quid enim habes quod non accepisti Being iustified freely by his grace lest faith it selfe should be proud Nor let any man say to himselfe if it be of faith how is it freely for that which faith meriteth why is it not rather rendred as due than freely giuen Let no beleeuer speake thus for when he shall say I haue faith that I may merit iustification it is answered him For what hast thou that thou hast not receiued Thus this holy man disclaimes all merit of workes in vs yea euen of faith it selfe though it bee the instrument to apply the righteousnesse of God in Christ vnto vs whereby we are truely iustified And it stands with good reason For faith iustifieth not by vertue of the act of beleeuing but as the instrument in applying the obiect which is Christ. As the hand is said to heale onely by applying the medicine or to inrich by receiuing a treasure or to feed by putting meat into the mouth as we say a childe is fed with a spoone when the milke onely feedeth So faith by applying Christ the true balme healeth by receiuing Christ the true treasure inricheth by conuaying Christ the true bread and water of life feedeth the soule St. Augustine also in his first Sermon vpon the 70. Psalme saith In eum credo qui iustificat impium vt deputetur fides mea ad iustitiam I beleeue in him that iustifieth the vngodly that my faith may be deputed hee comes very neare Imputed for righteousnesse It would fill a large volume to set downe the Tracts and sayings of this holy Father to this purpose seeing all his workes are euery where perfumed with this most sweet and Catholicke doctrine of iustification through the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs not for any grace inherent in vs though it be the gift of God bestowed on vs for Christs sake I will onely adde one or two sayings more of this holy man Per fidem induendo Christum omnes fiunt filij non natura sicut vnicus Filius sed filij fiunt participatione sapientiae id praeparante atque praestante Mediatoris fide quam fidei gratiam nunc indumentum vocat vt Christum induti sint qui in eum crediderunt ideo filij Dei fratresque eius Mediatoris effecti sunt In putting on Christ by faith all are made sonnes not sonnes by nature as is the onely begotten Sonne but they are made sonnes by the participation of wisedome being prepared and performed by the faith of the Mediator which grace of faith hee now calleth a clothing or putting on so that they haue put on Christ that haue beleeued in him and therefore they are made the sonnes of God and brethren of the Mediator What plainer words could this holy Father haue vsed to expresse the nature of iustification in the imputatiue righteousnesse of Christ than by calling imputation a participation of Christ by the meanes of faith in which respect hee calleth faith a putting on because thereby Christ with all his righteousnesse is put vpon vs and so wee are made the sonnes of God Iustin Martyr saith Quid aliud peccata nostra potuisset tegere quà m Christi iustitia O beneficia expectationem omnem exuperantia vt iniquit as quidem multorum in vno iusto abscondatur iustitia autem vnius faciat vt multi iniusti pro iustis habeantur What else could haue couered our sinnes but Christs righteousnesse O blessings exceeding all expectation that the iniquity of many should bee couered in one righteous person and that the righteousnesse of one should cause that many vniust should be accounted iust And of later times deuout Bernard Mors in Christi morte fugatur Christi nobis iustitia imputatur Death is vanquished in Christs death and Christs righteousnesse is imputed to vs. And againe Qui nostram induit carnem subijt mortem put as suam nobis negabit iustitiam voluntariè incarnatus voluntariè passus voluntariè crucifixus solam à nobis retinebit iustitiam Christus peccati meritum tulit suam nobis donando iustitiam Hee that both tooke vpon him our flesh and vndertooke death will hee trow you denie vs his righteousnesse voluntarily incarnate voluntarily suffering voluntarily crucified will hee keepe from vs his onely righteousnesse And writing to Innocentius he saith Homo qui debuit homo qui soluit Nam si vnus pro omnibus mortuus est ergo omnes mortui sunt vt videlicet satisfactio vnius omnibus imputetur sicut omnium peccata vnus ille portauit It was man that was indebted and man that paid it For if one died for all then were all dead to the end that the satisfaction of one should be imputed to all euen as he alone bore the sinnes of all Ambrose also vpon these words of the Apostle Christ was made a curse for vs as it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree saith Non ille maledictus sed in te maledictus Christ was not accursed but in thee was hee accursed Iust so are we in him blessed Saint Cyril also vpon these words of Esay The Deliuerer shall come forth of Sion and shal turn away iniquities from Iacob c. concludes thus from Rom. 10 10. For with the heart c. With the heart saith he man beleeueth to righteousness with the mouth confession is made to saluation We haue therefore receiued of God the word of faith and confession Which word bringeth saluation and procureth righteousnesse For Christ doth so iustifie the vngodly that hee proclaimeth Behold I haue remoued thine iniquities as a cloud and thy sinnes as a mist. For this word of faith shall be for euer in vs and shall neuer cease from our mouth but wee shall transmit and conuay it euen vnto posterity For thus also shall posterity be iustified For if Christ bee for euer both God and Lord the confession of this his faith shall neuer faile with those who haue acknowledged his appearing So Cyril This therefore was among the ancient Fathers of the Church and they haue sent it downe to vs their posterity as the Catholicke faith to bee confessed of all Gods children vntill the appearing of Iesus Christ that our iustification stands in the merits of Christ and the mercies of God in the remission of our sinnes and the not imputing them vnto vs. But the Trent-Fathers and the Church of Rome as being not the legitimate posterity but the bastard brood falsly pretending from those holy Fathers disclaime this Catholick faith concerning iustification in the remission of sinnes which God in the forenamed place
erant ad vtendum venerati sunt ad colendum They are become inexcusable who of Gods gifts haue made Gods to themselues and those things which were created to bee vsed they adore them as an Idoll Onely Christ is that sacred and mysticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that fish in whom is found our tribute-money to satisfie the Maiesty of God This money must bee stamped no where but in Gods owne Mint as the pure siluer Oare of it is no where found but in Gods owne Mynes the holy Scriptures no other Image or Superscription must be vpon it but that of Iesus Christ and none may tender or offer it vp to God but onely Christ. 1. Tim. 2. 6. There is one God and one Mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a ransome for all This pure ransome more pure more precious than gold will endure no mixture no allay of any other mettals much lesse of any drosse But inherent righteousnesse in vs though dipped in Christs bloud as hauing receiued a tincture from it as they say if wee offer it to God for currant payment hee will easily perceiue it counterfeit coine of our owne mynting of our owne inuenting no better than Alcumy little siluer but much drosse in it euen the drosse of humane inuention and corruption which if it bee brought to Gods touch turnes colour if put in the Skale of the Sanctuary is found too light if cast into the Test of Gods fiery iustice it is blown all away in smoke As Esay saith Thy siluer is become drosse thy wine mixt with water And as Ieremy saith Reprobate siluer shall men call them because the Lord hath reiected them Our inherent righteousnesse call it Christs merits or what you will is at the best but as Piscis in arido The fish while it is in the sea liueth moueth is full of strength and agility but vpon the dry land it straight loseth all his vigour motion and life it selfe and quickly putrefieth euen so the merits and righteousnesse of Christ being in him as in their proper element are most liuely and vigorous strong and auaileable to satisfie Gods iustice and to plunge all our sinnes into the deepe bottome of the bottomlesse deepe of his mercies by that sweete smelling sacrifice of himselfe once offered but take any part of these merits of Christ out of him and put them into our dry and parched sandy soules and they become of no life of no validity to make the least satisfaction for the least sinnes yea in this respect they stinke in the nostrils of God Our soules are but broken Cisternes to contain this pure water of life God could neuer yet finde any thing in vs in vs I say but onely faith whereby to iustifie vs and this faith not as a worke of ours iustifying vs but as an instrument applying Christ by whom in whom and for whom wee are iustified If God iustifie vs for righteousnesse inherent or dwelling in vs then God should bee said to iustifie the godly but the Scripture saith otherwise That God iustifieth the vngodly Rom. 4. 5. Now to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse where faith being opposed to working cannot be said to iustifie as it is a work A notable testimony to proue that our iustification is not from within vs but from without vs not in vs but on vs not of him that worketh but of him that beleeueth in him that iustifieth Whom the godly Nay but the vngodly As Augustine saith Tu Domine benedicis iustum sed eum prius iustificas impium Thou Lord doest blesse the iust but first he being vngodly thou iustifiest him As if hee had said Being first vngodly thou diddest iustifie him and then being iust thou Lord doest blesse him How then comes this forraine righteousnesse vpon an vngodly man The Apostle sheweth His faith is counted for righteousnesse How His faith layes hold on Christ who is the Lord our righteousnesse being made vnto vs of God wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. But will the Pontifician say Doe you call the graces of Christ in vs counterfeit coyne drosse reprobate siluer c. Yes if ye reckon it for pay to satisfie Gods iustice withall in this sense in vs it is meere counterfeit drosse reprobate siluer coyned in the Mint of Satans forgeries It is but as the Sunne-beame vpon a dung-hill raysing vp a stinking vapour in stead of a sweete odour in Gods nostrils But the graces of God in vs flowing from our head Christ Iesus in whom wee are first iustified by faith are the matter of our sanctification and the consequent fruits and effects of our iustification Thus they are a Well of liuing waters springing vp in vs vnto eternall life Thus they are a garden of spices yea of costly Spicknard yeelding a fragrant smell while the Sunne of righteousnesse shines vpon them Thus are they more pure and precious than gold yea than much fine gold Thus are they so many precious stones to paue our way that leades to the Kingdome of Heauen Yea thus so many peerelesse Pearles which adorne our Crowne of grace here and shall much more gloriously imbellish and beautifie our Crowne of glory hereafter Thus all our good works and words and thoughts are precious euen in Gods sight through Christ. They will stand before his mercy seate but they dare not stand before the Tribunall of his strict and seuere iustice They dare come before God as a proofe of our faith and obedience but not as a price of our sinne and disobedience And at the best cause we haue to pray Gods mercy for them but in no case to pay his iustice with them Now there be many reasons why inherent righteousnesse is no formall cause of our iustification in the sight of God First because it is a meere humane inuention It hath no warrant in Gods Word and consequently no warrant at all Will the Pontificians herein as they are willing in other things stand to the iudgement of their father Aristotle Hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are better determined according to the Law than according to mans will for it is no sure rule Tertullian said of an errour of Hermogenes about the creation of the world of a pre-existent matter Scriptum esse doceat Hermogenis officina Si non est scriptum timeat Let the shop of Hermogenes shew this to be written If it be not written let him feare Now iustification is a fundamentall doctrine that cannot stand but vpon the Scriptures Iustification is by faith and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God The word is neare thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach for with the heart man beleeueth to
circumcised to whom circumcision was a signe of regeneration and of Gods Couenant of grace and a seale of faith and Esay puts himselfe in the number Was Esay now vnregenerate And in the name of himselfe and the whole Church of the Iewes hee renounceth all inherent righteousnesse as filthy rags in no sort to bee patched and pieced to that garment of saluation to that robe of righteousnesse namely Christs righteousnesse imputed and put vpon vs by the hand of faith wherein Esay and all the faithfull reioyce as hee saith Esa. 61. 10. I will greatly reioyce in the Lord my soule shall be ioyfull in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of saluation he hath couered me with the robe of righteousnesse as a Bridegroome decketh himselfe with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her selfe with her Iewels And in the 43. of Esay vers 25. 26. there is a flat opposition betweene Gods mercy and our workes in iustification I euen I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sins But may not our workes come in as sharers with Gods mercies What workes The Prophet addeth in Gods person Put me in remembrance let vs pleade together declare thou that thou mayst be iustified If God pleade with vs in iudgement we haue no euidence of any workes in vs whereby to be iustified in his sight But our workes and obedience to Gods lawes are called our righteousnesse As Matth. 5. 20. Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees yee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God I answer this place may well be vnderstood of Euangelicall righteousnesse opposite to that legall righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees and so Christ points vs to the righteousnesse of faith in him But admit our workes be called our righteousnesse what then doth it follow that this is our righteousnesse to iustifie vs in the sight of God Nothing lesse For Moses saith speaking of obedience to Gods commandements Deut. 9. Speake not thou in thy heart after that thou art come to possesse that good Land saying For my righteousnesse the Lord hath brought me in to possesse this Land No saith Moses vnderstand that the Lord thy God giueth thee not this good Land to possesse it for thy righteousnesse Now the Land of Canaan was a type of Gods Kingdome which wee cannot come to possesse by our own inherent righteousnesse Whereupon St Ambrose in his enarration vpon the 43. Psalme but according to our accompt 44. v. 3. They got not the Land in possession by their owne sword c. saith Patres nostri vtpote proximi haredes Patriarcharum plantati in terra repromissionis non suis â—oâ— meritis vindicabant Our fathers to wit the next successours and heires of the Patriarches beeing planted in the Land of promise did not claime this as due to their merits Ideo nec Moses eos induxit ne Legis hoc existimetur esse sed gratiâ— Lex enim merita examinat gratia fidem spectat Therefore saith he neither did Moses bring them in thither that it might not be reckoned as the worke of the Law but of Grace for the Law examineth workes or merits but Grace respecteth faith Therefore as not Moses but Iosua or Iesus for so was his Name was appointed to bring the children of Israel into the possession of Canaan the Land of promise which importeth also the Land of mercy or of grace So not the Law giuen by Moses but Iesus Christ by whom came grace and truth hee our true Ioshua bringeth his people into the possession of grace and glory Ergo qui non in brachio suo hoc est in sua operatione praesumit sed in Dei gratia credens quod non facta sua vnumquemque iustificant sed fides prompta dicit Domino Tu es ipse Rex meus Deus meus qui mandas salutes Iacob Therefore saith holy Ambrose he that presumeth not in his owne arme that is in his workes but in the grace of God beleeuing that not a mans workes but his prompt and cleare faith doth iustifie him this man saith vnto the Lord Thou art my King and my God that commandest saluation for Iacob True it is that the same Father in another place saith Sola fides non sufficit operari per dilectionem c. Sole faith is not sufficient it is necessary that faith worke by loue and conuerse worthy of God And a little after Festinemus c. Let vs hasten to enter into that rest because faith is not sufficient but a life beseeming faith must be added and great care vsed that faith bee not idle For it is necessary for euery one that would possesse Heauen to adorne his faith with good workes So he True a most pious and Christian speech but in all this he saith not that faith alone is not sufficient to iustifie vs in the sight of God and so to bring vs to the possession of Heauen for then hee should contradict himselfe elsewhere where hee saith Sublatis omnibus operibus legis sola fides posita est ad salutem All the workes of the law being remoued onely faith takes place in our saluation Marke he saith Sola fides onely faith And againe the same Father saith elsewhere Non operibus iustificamur sed fidâ— quoniam carnalis infirmitas operibus impedimento est sed fidei claritas factorum obumbrat errorem quae meretur veniam delictorum We are not iustified saith he by workes but by faith because the infirmity of the flesh is an impediment to workes but the glory of faith doth couer the errour of our workes which faith obtaineth remission of sinnes And againe Infirmitas excludit à venia fides excusat à culpa Our infirmity excludeth vs from pardon and faith excuseth vs from blame And setting downe his peremptory iudgement grounded vpon Scripture he saith Arbitramur secundum Apostolum iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus legis Iustificetur ergo ex fide Dauid qui per legem peccatum agnouit sed peccati veniam ex fide credidit Wee definitiuely conclude saith hee according to the Apostle that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Therefore let Dauid be iustified by faith who by the law acknowledged his sinne and by faith beleeued the pardon of his sinne And againe elsewhere Deus clementia bonitatis suae semper homini procurans vt quod sine lege peccatum erat in lege posset deleri hoc decreuit vt solam fidem poneret per quam omnium peccata abolerentur That is God by the clemency of his goodnesse alwayes prouiding for man that both sinne committed without law and in the law might be blotted out hath made this decree to appoint sole faith whereby all mens sinnes might be abolished Now compare these iudicious sayings of this holy man with that hee said
thy self-loue the loue of yaine glory the loue of thine own felicity more than of the glory of God a thousand secret corruptions lurking in the secret corners of thy selfe-deceiuing heart Nay besides this thou canst not number vp so many good dueties which thou hast done as this all-seeing Iudge can number and set before thee greater and weightier duties which thou hast altogether omitted And more than that too this Iudge can muster vp vnto thee whole Legioâ—s of sins which thou hast committed the least whereof all the men in the world with all their merits their arrogant works of supererogation the fained treasure of the Church with Masses and Dirges and whatsoeuer else man or Angel can deuise cannot possibly appease the wrath and satisfie the iustice of this Iudge for For if all the Creatures in the world could satisfie Gods iustice for one sinne wherefore dyed the innocent Lambe and the only Sonne of God Well thâ—n in this case what wilt thou doe whither wilt thou flye where wilt thou seeke reliefe for thy perplexed spirit where comfort for thine appalled conscience where a sanctuary for thy soule now pursued with the hue and cry of diuiâ—â— iustice and reuenge of hell and Satan of the guilt of thy tormenting conscience for sinne Thy good workes and merits They cry guilty before Gods throne of many imperfections defects corruptions If thy actuall transgressions which are many if thy totall omissions of dueties which thou oughtest to haue done should bee silent yet euen thy best actions which thou bringest to pleade for thee would and must tell the truth and become a full grand Iurie to bring-in the verdict of thy condemnation And then thou shalt be found such as the Gospell hath doomed who pleading their great workes before the Iudge receiued this sentence I know you not depart from mee yee workers of iniquitie Dost thou not thinke it safest now to bee of thy Brother or thy Father Bellarmines minde who howsoeuer as a member of the Papall State he writ mainely against the truth of iustification yet one time speaking his conscience and vttering his priuate iudgement said Propter incertitudinem propriae iustitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere Because of the vncertainty of our owne righteousnesse and the perill of vaine glory it is most safe to repose our confidence in the only mercy and fauour of God Only herein be vnlike this Brother or Father of thine For this sentence of his standing in his workes shall rise vp in iudgement against him at the latter day for all his lyes spoken through hypocrisie but let it teach thee so to renounce all thy supposed merits as reposing thy selfe in the only mercies of God and merits of Christ thou mayst flying from Babylon finde mercy and saluation in the great day of the Lord Iesus Let me hereunto adde a passage or two one out of Augustine his Manual which Booke though it bee fathered vpon some other Author yet the chiefe matter of it is confessed to bee collected out of Augustines Workes In omnibus aduersitatibus non inâ—eniâ— tâ—m efficax remedium quà m vulner a Christi in illis dormio securâ—s requiesco intrepidus Christus mortuus esh pro nobis Nihil tam ad mortem amarum quod morte Christi non sanetâ—r Tâ—ta spes mea est in morte Domini mei Mors eius meritum meum refugium meum sâ—luâ— vita resurrectio mea meritum meum miseratio Domini Non sum meriti inops quamdiâ— ille miserationum Dominus non defuerit Et misericordiae Domini multâ— multus ego sum in meritis Quanto ille potentior est ad saluandum tanto ego securier Peccaut peccatum grande multorum sum mihi conscius delictorum nec sic despero quia vbi abundauâ—runt delicta superabundauit gratia In all aduersities saith hee I find not a more effectuall remedy than the wounds of Christ in them I sleepe securely in them I rest without feare Christ dyed for vs. There is nothing in death so bitter which cannot be cured with the death of Christ. All my hope is in the death of my Lord. His death is my demerit my refuge my saluation life and resurrection my merit is the Lords mercy I want no merit so long as the Lord of mercies is not wanting And while the Lord is rich in mercies I am rich in merits The more able he is to saue the more am I secure I haue committed some haynous sin and am guilty of many trespasses yet I despaire not because where sins haue abounded there grace hath also superabounded And in the 23. Chapter Inter brachia Saluatoris mei viuere volo mori â—upio Betweene the armes of my Sauiour it is both my will to liue and my wish to dye Another passage to this purpose I finde in Gregory in the conclusion of that singular worke of his Morals where speaking of mans good workes and good intentions concludeth thus Si de his diuinitus districtè disâ—ntimur quis inter ista remanet salutis locus quando mala nostra pura mala sunt bona quae nos habere credimus pura bona esse nequaquam possunt If saith he we be strictly-sifted by God concerning these things what place would bee left for saluation in them seeing that both our euill actions are simply euill and the good things which we beleeue we haue cannot be simply good Which place of Gregory beeing alledged by Luther to proue none can bee certaine that hee doth not alwaies mortally sinne although Iohn Bishop of Rochester would haue Gregory to meane not all workes but only such as we vainely boast of as Sixtus Senensis relateth Yet Gregories meaning is easily discouered by the title or contents prefixed to the said Chapter in these words Quod Sâ—nctus Grâ—gorius in his quae iam recta intentione protulit vanae gloriae vel laudis humanae fauorem subrepsisse sibi formidat pro recompensatione operis postâ—lat orationem loctoris that is That St. Gregory in those things which he did with a right intention feareth lest some affectation of vaine glory or humane applause might haue crept in vpon him and for a recompence of his worke desireth the Readers prayers And it is plaine also by the whole tenure of that Chapter that Gregory durst not trust his best workes vpon the tryall of Gods strict iudgement seeing that a mans best intentions are subiect to bee tainted with secret pride and vaine glory And the said Bishop of Rochester may seeme too sharpe in his censure the sequell whereof tends to a flat condemnation of Gregories best intentions as if he had beene directly conscious of pride in them whereas Gregory onely feareth least some such corruption might haue secretly stollen in vpon him And to confirme this and put it out of all
affections and passions it directs the motions and cogitations of the soule to their right end and scope and in a word the office of this faith is to be the immediate instrument of Gods holy spirit to sanctifie the whole soule and body as the Scripture ascribes the worke of sanctification to faith as the immediate Instrument Acts 26. 18. Sanctified by Faith in me said Christ to his new conuert Apostle The Councell of Trent it selfe confesseth that faith is the roote of other graces Faith say they is the roote of all Iustification placing their iustification in hope and loue c. How then is Faith the roote If it be the roote the roote is not a bare disposition to a tree as they would haue Faith to bee to their iustification A dead roote cannot beare a liuing tree but like roote like tree But a roote naturally produceth and shooteth forth the tree for the life and substance of the tree is originally in the roote and comes from the roote Take away the roote and the tree witherereth for it liues in the roote And the roote giueth life to the tree not the tree to the roote As the Apostle said to the ingraffed Gentile once the Wilde Oliffe Thou hearest not the roote but the roote thee With what reason then can the Pontificians say That charity which is the branch not the roote giues life to the root which is Faith Herein how far themselues differ from senslesse stockes or come short of the vegetable trees I define not Now as the whole tree drawes his life and nourishment from the roote so all the fruits of holinesse haue their life and nourishment from faith for faith is the roote of them all And as the Apostle saith If the roote be holy so are the branches But Faith the roote of other graces is holy yea most holy as Iude speaketh therfore hope loue and all other graces growing in and from Faith are sanctified by and from Faith for as much as Faith is rooted in Christ from whom it receiues the life as of iustification so of sanctification Hence it is that deuout Bernard saith excellently to this purpose Primum syncera radix sancta fidei in terra humani cordis plantatur cumque fides plenè adulta fuerit velut quaedam magna est Arbor diuersa in se habens poma ex quibus reficitur anima plena Deo First the sincere roote of holy Faith is planted in the ground of mans heart and when faith is fully growne vp it becomes as a great Tree hauing in it sundry sorts of Apples wherewith the soule being full of God is refreshed Without Faith saith the Apostle it is impossible to please God But whatsoeuer action proceedeth from Faith therein it pleaseth God By Faith was Abels sacrifice made acceptable to God By Faith Enoch walking with God pleased God And are not all those actions of the Patriarches and Saints of God related in that eleuenth Chapter to the Hebrewes all referred to Faith as the roote from whence they sprang and receiued their life and louelinesse It is Faith that graceth euery action of the iust man for the iust man shall liue by his Faith Whatsoeuer fruite growes not from this roote it is sinne Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne is as true in generall of sauing Faith as it is in particular of the Conscience called Faith by the Apostle Rom. 14 23. Now the reason of all this that Faith giues life and beeing to euery grace forasmuch as euery grace is radically in faith is because where faith is Christ is Now Faith is in the heart and consequently Christ dwelleth in the heart by Faith And if in the heart then in euery part and faculty of the soule and body So that as the soule quickneth euery part of the body so Faith quickneth and sanctifieth euery faculty of the soule As St. Augustine saith Fides quae credit in Deum vita animae existit per hanc iustus viâ—it Faith which beleeueth in God is the life of the soule and by this faith the iust man liueth And else where he saith Vnde mors in anima quia non est fides Vnde in corpore quia non est ibi anima Ergo animae tuae anima fides est Whence is death in the soule because faith is not there Whence in the body because the soule is not there Therefore the soule of thy soule is Faith And as the soule is in the body Tota in toto tota in qualibet parte The whole soule is in the whole body and whole in euery part So Fides totaest in toto tota in qualibet parte Whole faith is in the whole heart and whole in euery faculty of the soule Hence the Apostle making himselfe the instance of the life of faith saith I am crucified with Christ. Neuerthelesse I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Son of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me Christ therefore is not to be found in that part or faculty of the soule where faith is not If Faith bee not in the will Christ is not there and so in the rest And where Christ is not there is no life no sanctification Our wils therefore our memories our affections our motions and cogitations are dead prophane all out of order if Christ be not and liue not in euery one of them And Christ is not in any of them if Faith be not there Hence it is that Faith is all because as the roote it containes all graces In the vnderstanding it knoweth God in the will it hopeth and loueth God in the memory it thinketh of God with thankefulnesse for his mercies in the affections it feareth God it sorroweth for sinne it patiently suffereth it reioyceth in God in all it serueth God How so From Faith it is that the vnderstanding knoweth God in his Sonne Iesus Christ the knowledge of whom is eternall life And therefore Diuines by knowledge in that place vnderstand Faith And St. Augustine saith Intellectus merces est fidei Ergo noli quaerere intelligere vt credas sedcrede vt intelligas Vnderstanding is the reward of Faith Doe not therefore seeke to know that thou mayst beleeue but beleeue that thou mayst vnderstand From Faith it is that the will hopes in God loues God and cleaueth vnto him and so in the rest And therefore St. Augustine placeth Faith in the will saying A Domino praeparatur voluntas hominis vt sit fidei receptaculum The will is prepared of the Lord to be the receptacle of faith And againe Omne quod non est ex fide peccatum est Ac per hoc bona voluntas quae sâ— abstraâ—it à peccato fidelis est quia iustus ex fide viuit Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne And therefore the good will which withdrawes
testified by those scarres in his sacred side My Lord and my God In a word all those Creeds vsed in the Church from all antiquity do vnanimously and with one ioynt consent confirme this Catholicke truth of that speciall explicit cleere particular Faith in Christ required in euery true beleeuer For first of all they do all say I beleeue in God c. not We beleeue So the Apostles Creed the Nicene Creede saith I beleeue in one God c. not We beleeue Athanasius his Creede saith Whosoeuer will be saued before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholicke Faith c. that is Euery man in particular must beleeue And this particular Faith is required not only in regard of euery beleeuer but also in regard of the speciall obiect of Faith which is no confused or vniuersall I wot not what obiect but a speciall obiect to wit the sauing knowledge of God in Christ and the promise of life in him Looke vpon all the Creeds which the Fathers call the obiect of Faith as containing the summe of that which we are to beleeue to our saluation and doe they not mainely present to our Faith Iesus Christ and him crucified Nor this onely in generall that Christ is the redeemer of the world but the specialties of this redemption are set downe to teach vs That not a generall implicit faith will serue the turne but it must bee a particular explicit faith comprehending all those particulars in the Creede declared at large in the Word of God Thus the foundation of Popish vncertainty of Faith being remoued to wit a certaine vncertaine implicit general faith the building it selfe threatneth immediate ruine CHAP. XIV Of the vncertainety of Romane-Catholicke Faith THe Councell of Trent being in generall an enemie to the certainety of Faith which giueth a true beleeuer an assurance of his saluation and withall considering how euident both Scriptures and Fathers were in this point so strongly propugned and maintained by Luther and thirdly the Councell it selfe in the canuase of this point while it was in consultation or rather in contention being diuided into contrary parties and sides some holding for certainety as Catarinus and others for vncertainety as Vega and others as the History of the same Councell doth notably discouer Therefore it became the politicke spirit of the Councell to vse all cautelous circumspection in the definite concluding of this point contriuing it vnder such vmbratilous and sub-obscure termes as that they might seeme neither grossely to oppose the open truth nor yet displease that party of the Councell that seemed to encline to the truths side nor yet leaue Luther vncondemned for defending the truth nor yet betray their owne cause which was to aduance the vncertainty of Romane-Catholicke Faith Vncertainety being the very hint which gaue occasion to the Serpent boldly to insult and so to ouerthrow mankinde For when Eue said lest yee dye the Serpent finding her staggering takes the aduantage strikes her with a down-right blow to the ground Yee shall not dye at all But let vs see the mystery of Trents iniquitie in their wily winding vp this bottomlesse bottome of their implicite Faith in the vncertaintie of it In the ninth Chapter of the sixt Session they haue these words Quamuis necessarium sit credere neque remitti neque remissa vnquam fuisse peccata nisi gratis diuina misericordia propter Christum nemini tamen fiduciam certitudinem remissionis peccatorum suorum iactanti in ea sola quiescenti peccata dimitti vel dimissa esse dicendum est cum apud Haereticos Schismaticos possit esse imo nostra tempestate sit magna contra Ecclesiam Catholicam contentione praedicetur vana haec ab omni pietateremota fiducia Sed neque illud asserendum est oportere eos qui verè iustificati sunt absque vlla omnino dubitatione apud semetipsos statuere se esse iustificatos neminemque à peccatis absolui nisi eum qui certò credat se absolutum iustificatum esse atque hac sola fide absolutionem iustificationem perfici quasi qui hoc non credidit de Dei promissis deque mortis resurrectionis Christi efficacia dubitâ—t Nam sicut nemo pius de Dei misericordia de Christi merito de Sacramentorum virtute efficacia dubitare debet sic quilibet dum seipsum suamque propriam infirmitatem indispositionem respicit de sua gratia formidare timere potest Cum nullus scire valeat certitudine fidei cui non potest subesse falsum se gratiam Dei esse consequutum Thus farre the whole ninth Chapter That is Although it be necessary to beleeue that sins neyther are nor euer were remitted but freely by diuine mercy for Christ yet no man boasting of confidence and certainty of the remission of his sinnes and therewith wholly * resting ought to say that his sinnes are or haue been remitted seeing this vain confidence voide of all piety both may be amongst Heretickes and Schismatickes yea and is now in these our dayes and is preached with great contention against the Catholicke Church But neither is that to be affirmed that they who are truely iustified ought without any doubting at all to conclude with themselues that they are iustified and that none is absolued and iustified from sins but he that certainly beleeueth that he is absolued and iustified and that in this sole faith absolution and iustification consisteth as if a man not beleeuing this should doubt of the promises of God and of the efficacy of Christs death and resurrection For as no godly man ought to doubt of the mercy of God of the merit of Christ and of the power and efficacy of the Sacraments so euery man while hee looketh vpon himselfe and his owne proper infimity and indisposition may be affraid and fearfull of his owne grace seeing no man can know by the certainty of faith wherein there may not lye some error that he hath obtained the grace of God Now I desire the Christian iudicious Reader to obserue the sundry passages and as it were the seuerall threads of this Copwebbe First like the painted Whoore she sets a faire face or preface vpon the matter as attributing remission of sinnes to Gods mercy for Christ which euery one must necessarily beleeue she could say no lesse though in the vp-shot of the matter she would haue men to beleeue nothing lesse but in the next place shee comes with a by-blow and condemnes the confidence and assurance of faith vnder the termes of boasting And therefore prefixeth this a title before the Chapter Contra inanâ—m Haereticorum fiduciam Against the vaine confidence of Heretickes A notable packe of cunâ—â—ng well beseeming the mysterie of iniquity They doe not goe bluntly to worke to beate downe-right that confidence and certaine assurance which is in a true iustifying faith but slily they wound
it as Ioab did Abner vnder the fift ribbe as being in none but him that vainely boasteth and braggeth of the assurance of his iustification Indeede if this assurance were nothing else but a vaine confidence and boasting they say something But while they ioyne this certainty and assurance of Faith with vaine boasting they plainly discouer their masked hypocrisie by mixing and confounding the pure gold of Faith with mans drosse as if they were both one to be faithfully assured and vainly confident But this assurance whatsoeuer it is it must be in Heretickes and Schismatickes Catholickes must haue nothing to doe with it as being a vaine confidence Yet vaine as it is they confesse it to be a great and vehement enemy to the Catholicke Church to wit the Romane-Catholicke Church In which Church none must so certainly beleeue the remission of his sinnes as to exclude all doubting especially in regard of his owne indisposition and infirmity being fearfull of his owne grace and no maruaile if such be full of fearfull doubtings that build their saluation and iustification vpon their inherent grace But the conclusion is peremptory iust like the Serpent's in the third of Genesis beginning smoothly but ending roughly like the Sotherne winde Yee shall not dye at all So Trents conclusion is that no man can know by the certainty of faith whether he haue the grace of God or no. Furthermore the same Councell for the confirmation of the said Chapter to vphold their tottering vncertainty of faith hath planted three or foure Canons full charged with Anathemaes As Can. 12. Si quis dixerit Fidem iustificantem nihil aliud esse quam fiduciam diuinae misericordiae peccata remittentis propter Christum vel eam fiduciam solam esse qua iustificamur anathema sit If any man shall say that iustifying Faith is nothing else but a trust or confidence in the mercy of God remitting sinnes for Christ or that this confidence or trust is that onely whereby we are iustified let him bee accursed Faith is then something else than a trust or confidence in Gods mercy What else namely a diffidence in Gods mercy And Can. 13. Si quis dixerit omni homini ad remissionem peccatorum assequendam necessarium esse vt credat certò absque vlla haesitatione propriae infirmitatis indispositionis peccata sibi esse remissae anathema sit If any shall say that it is necessary for euery man for the attainining the remission of sinnes to beleeue certainly and without any doubting of his owne infirmity and indisposition that his sinnes are remitted let him be accursed Note here another by-blow at the certainty of Faith but seeming to bee laid vpon the shoulders of humane frailty and indisposition as if remission of sinnes depended vpon our owne strength and disposition But I maruaile why the Pontificians so much distrust their owne indisposition about the certainty of iustification when they so much dignifie their naturall disposition vnto iustification saue onely that for the loue of their worldly pompe pleasure and profit one speciall proppe whereof is their vncertainty causing the simple seduced people to rest wholly vpon their Priest Pope and Purgatory as their last Sanctuary of their troubled soules they are not disposed to giue God the glory and to seale to themselues the comfort of iustification by the certainty of Faith which certainty of Faith they must needes extreamely hate when to disgrace it they are faine to disparage their owne strength and disposition which otherwise they do so much deifie adore And as if mans disposition in the state of grace being accompanied and assisted with grace came short of that disposition which goes before grace and as if mans disposition were not as able to confirme him in grace as to prepare him vnto grace But wee will not enuie them their indisposition to the assurance of grace no more than wee admire that grace of theirs which can giue no solid comfort and assurance to the soule and conscience But let vs heare what Trent further saith Can. 14. Si quis dixerit hominem à peccatis absolui ac iustificari ex eo quod se absolui ac iustificari certò credat aut neminem verè esse iustificatum nisi qui credat se esse iustificatum hac solâ— fide absolutionem iustificationem perfici anathema sit If any shall say that a man is absolued and iustified from sinnes in that respect that hee certainly beleeueth hee is absolued and iustified or that none is truely iustified but hee that beleeueth he is iustified and that absolution and iustification is perfected by this sole faith let him be accursed Note here that the Councell of Trent differeth not one haires breadth from denying faith it selfe to bee absolutely necessary to iustification as wee shall more plainly discouer her minde herein hereafter And Can. 15. Si quis dixerit hominem renatum iustificatum teneri ex fide ad credendum se certò esse in numero praedestinatorum anathema sit If any shall say that a man regenerate and iustified is bound by faith to beleeue that hee is certainly in the number of the predestinate let him bee accursed And to conclude the 16. Canon is also annexed as a blade in this reede Si quis magnum illud vsque in finem perseuerantiae donum se certò hâ—bitâ—rum absoluta infallibili certitudine dixerit niâ—i hoc ex specialireuelatione didicerit anathema sit If any shall say by an absolute and infallible certainty that he shall certainly haue that great gift of perseuerance vnto the end except he shall know this by speciall reuelation let him be accursed Thus haue we set downe the whole mysterie of Pontifician vncertainty of faith in grosse as wee finde it ingrossed in the Councell of Trent For the further vnfolding whereof let vs consult the authenticke Commentaries of the Councell But first obserue we here what a deale of paines they haue bestowed about this one point of Vncertainty and that partly for the reasons formerly alledged in the beginning of this Chapter but principally doe they impugne this bulwarke of the Certainty of faith because it is a maine opposite to all their humane inuentions wherewith as so many ragges they haue patched vp their meritorious Capuchin-garment of iustification As the learned Chemnitius hath well obserued in his Examen vpon this point saying Nec sanè nullae sunt causae c. Nor is it without cause saith hee that the Pontificians doe so eagerly contend for the maintenance of their Vncertainty for they well perceiue that the whole negotiation of Pontifician Merchandize is sustained by this meanes For the conscience seeking some certaine and firme consolation when it heares that faith it selfe euen when it apprehendeth Christ the Mediator ought to doubt of the remission of sinnes it begins to deuise a masse of inuentions as vowes pilgrimages inuocations of Saints Pardons Dispensations Croisadoes Buls Masses and a
That is few or none saith Vega sith interrogations in Scripture and in the Fathers are commonly taken for negations And he produceth Hieromes exposition vpon the second of Ioel Who knoweth if God will repent and pardon Quodait Quis c. That he saith Who it is to be thought eyther impossible or very hard For Salomons saying Who can say I haue made my heart cleane True who can say it yea I challenge all the Pontificians in the world which of them for all his satisfactory merits can assure himselfe that he hath made his heart cleane Vega shall not neede to seeke out authorities to proue that by Who is meant none or scarce any For wee will easily grant to Vega that neuer a Pontifician of them all not one can say and that truely and with assurance of his owne conscience that hee hath made his heart cleane But Vega as it seemeth distrusting the former euidences as not clear and certaine enough to confirme his vncertainty he addes an impregnable argument saying Si hoc non sufficiat testimonium c. If this testimonie be not sufficient certainely that which Salomon writes in his Ecclesiastes should satisfie all men What is that Eccles. 9. 1. Sunt iustiatque sapientes opera corum in manu Dei tamen nescit homo vtrum amore an odio dignus sit sed omnia in futurum seruantur incerta eò quod vniuersa eueniant iusto impio c. So runnes the vulgar Latine that is There are righteous and wise men and their workes are in the hands of God and yet man knoweth not whether he be worthy of loue or hatred but all things for the time to come are kept vncertaine seeing that all things come alike to the iust and to the wicked c. First concerning this place which Vega brings to satisfie all men any reasonable man would haue thought Vega himselfe had been satisfied with the pregnant answer of Catarinus and others in the Councell to this very place Wel but let vs see further the vanitie of Vega's argument gathered from this place First we must know that here as elsewhere in infinite places the vulgar Latine swarueth extremely and senslesly from the originall The originall goes thus word for word No man knoweth eyther loue or hatred by all that is before them as our last English Translation the most exact of all other hath rendred it So that the sense is cleare That no man by these outward things which are before vs or in our sight can know eyther the loue or hatred of God towards him and the reason is added All things come alike to all and there is one euent to the righteous and to the wicked c. But whereas the vulgar Latine saith All things for the time to come are kept vncertaine first there is no such thing in the originall and besides to straine these words to Vega's sense or the Councell of Trents to proue the vncertainty of mans saluation is to wring blood from them and to turne a mans inside outward as if the certainty of saluation depended vpon the vncertainty of outward worldly things as pouerty and riches health and sicknesse prosperity and aduersity which come alike to all men righteous and wicked yea Heathen and Christians yea and if Vega's sense stood good then it should follow as we alledged before out of the History that the most wicked men liuing and continuing and obstinately persisting in sinne and impenitency should not know whether they were worthy of Gods hatred or no whereas euen the most ignorant Heathen hath an accusing and condemning conscience within him that tels him hee is worthy of the hatred and not of the loue of God So that Vega for all his winding wit and wrangling about this place doth but laterem laâ—are spend his labour in vaine thinking to winne credit and authority to his vncertainty from this place of Salomon As if Salomon in his Ecclesiastes should recant what he had writ in his Prouerbes where he saith That the wicked flye when no man pursueth but the righteous are bold as a Lyon If the righteous and none are righteous but those that be iustified be as bold as a Lyon then certainely they are not appalled with feares and doubts and the vncertainety of their estate for that were with the wicked to flye when none pursueth beeing affraid at the very shadow of their guilty conscience Vega runnes on in his Vncertainty he fights as one that beateth the ayre to vse that phrase of the Apostle and in his eleuenth Chapter of the same Booke hee heapeth vp sundry testimonies first out of Daniel 4. 27. Peccata tua elâ—emisynis redime iniquitates tuas misericordiâ—â— pauperum for sitan ignascet delictis tuis So runnes the vulgar Latine But the Originall runnes thus Breake off thy sins by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore if it may bee a lengthening of thy tranquility But we need not in this place quarrell the vulgar Latine that is Redeeme thy sinnes by almes and thine iniquities by mercy to the poore perhaps God will pardon thy sinnes What makes all this for Vega's vncertainty of Faith For it is not required that the certainty of Faith should extend to the certaine discouery of anothers iustification suffice it that true Faith doth assure a mans selfe of his owne iustification But Daniel there speaks not of any vncertainety of remission of sinnes in him that hath it but in a wicked man that as yet hath it not Again by redeeming of a mans sins by Almes is not meant a meritorious expiation of sinne by satisfaction to God but this redeeming may bee vnderstood of making restitution to the wronged which is a testimony of Repentance as we see in the example of Zacheus Or this redeeming might bee in regard of preuenting temporall iudgements Ahab vpon his hypocriticall humiliation obtained a repriuall of Gods sentence against him though not an absolute discharge So propitious is God to the true humiliation of a faithfullman when not euen the painted image of piety goes vnrewarded The like place he produceth out of Iâ—el 2. 14. Quis scit si conuertatur ignoscat c. Who knoweth whether he will returne and repent and leaue a blessing behinde him The like also out of Ionah 3. 9. Who knoweth if God will returne and repent and turne away from his fierce anger that we perish not Both these places are of one nature with that of Daniel being vnderstood of temporall punishments and that threatned to others nothing concerning the certainty of Faith in the remission of a mans owne sinnes Nor vnlike is that place he alledgeth out of Acts 8. 22. where Peter saith to Symon Repent of this thy wickednesse and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiuen thee Peter speakes not of the vncertainety of his owne Faith in the remission of his own sins
writeth vpon the exposition of those words Incerta occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi that is Thou hast reuealed vnto mee the vncertaine and hidden things of thy wisedome Whereupon Augustine saith Quae incerta Quae occulta Quia Deus ignoscit talibus peccatoribus conâ—itentibus punientibus sua peccata What vncertainty What hidden things Because God doth pardon such to wit sinners confessing and punishing or repenting of their sinnes And Augustine addes as Vega also alledgeth Nihil tam occultum nihil tam incertum Nothing so secret nothing so vncertaine And Vega here leaping ouer Augustines amplification and exposition of his meaning he onely addes Augustines conclusion Hoc incertum patefecerit Deus seruo suo Dauid c. This vncertaine thing God reuealed to his seruant Dauid For when standing and accusing himselfe hee said Peccaâ—i I haue sinned forthwith hee heard of the Prophet that is of the Spirit of God which was in the Prophet The Lord hath put away thy sinne Well now let vs a little insist vpon these words of Augustine which Vega ingeniously confesseth doe most clearely fauour their cause of Pontifician vncertainty of all other that hee hath read in all Augustines workes First whereas Augustine taking the vulgar Latine for the onely Text which hee followeth vseth the word incerta I answer there is no such word in the Originall for incertum The words in the Originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is word for word And in the secret or in the hidden part as our last translation well renders it thou shalt make me to know wisedome Not a word of vncertainty Therefore Vega takes a very vncertaine ground yea rather a meere Bohu or emptinesse whereon to build his vncertainty Besides â—â—th Augustine going vpon an vnwarrantable ground taking that for Text which Gods Word knoweth not are we therefore bound presently to take his exposition for Gospell And whereas hee applies those vncertaine and hidden things to the remission of sinnes wee know Augustine oftentimes abounds with rare conceits but else how this application or exposition should result from the Text vnlesse raised vp by the strength of conceit the Text it selfe giues vs no euidence to see But that wee may not seeme too strait-laced in limiting the ouer-lauish liberty of the vulgar Latine if wee take downe both the Text and Augustines Glosse at one bit together it will not choake vs nor cause vs to surfeit especially if we take all the ingredients of it For it is with Scriptures and Fathers as with Physicke if the Dosis haue eyther moe or fewer ingredients than the wise Physitian prescribeth it may alter the whole nature of the Physicke and in stead of health procure more hurt to the body And here I must tell you that Vega deales with St. Augustine as eyther a negligent or rather malicious Apothecary who for some sinister respects leaues out some speciall ingredient out of the composition Or else to goe no further than the Scripture hee treades in the very steppes of the Tempter who craftily left out the most materiall word in all the Text which was In all thy wayes without which we haue no warrant of Gods protection and so Sathan by his false fingering would haue made the promise of God of none effect So playeth Vega. For as we noted euen now Vega in relating Augustines exposition leaues out the most materiall thing which Augustine noteth in his explaning and applying those Incerta or vncertaine things to remission of sinnes And that is the instance he giueth of the Niniuites That we may recollect all to one intire head which Vega hath so torne asunder wee will set downe Augustines words whole together Incerta occulia sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi they be the words of his vulgar Text. Whereupon he inferreth Quae occulta Quae incerta Quia Deus ignoscit talibus id est poenitentibus Nihil tam occultum nihil tam incertum Ad hoc incertum Niniuitae poenitentiam egerunt dixerunt enim c. What hidden what vncertaine things Because God pardoneth euen such that is penitent persons Nothing so hidden nothing so vncertaine Vpon this certainty the Niniuites repented for they said though after the Prophet had threatned though after that voice * Three dayes and Niniuie shall be destroyed they said among themselues that the mercy of God was to be intreated They said thus reasoning with themselues Who knoweth if God will returne and shew mercy It was vncertaine when they said Quis nouit Who knoweth But hauing once repented they reaped certaine mercy c. So Augustine Do we not see here a manifest difference between Augustines owne application of vncertainty Vega's strained application Vega would apply this vncertainty of the remission of sins to the time past vnderstanding it of sins already pardoned as if a man were altogether vncertaine that his sins are pardoned when they are already pardoned But Augustine tels vs plainly that he vnderstands this vncertainty of remission of sins in the future tense that is concerning the vncertainty of sins to be pardoned for which God denounceth expresse iudgments as in the example of the Niniuites God hath threatned peremptorily that within forty dayes Niniuie should be destroyed What should the Niniuites now doe in this case They beleeue God that hee was true in his word Yet they resolue to repent speedily But to what purpose when now the sentence was already pronounced of him that cannot lye Yes as knowing that such like threatnings are conditionall they would at least put it to an aduenture Who knoweth if God will returne and pardon It may be God will shew mercy No maruell if the Niniuites were doubtfull of the pardon of those sins which they knew they had committed but had not yet repented of But whence proceeded this their vncertainty From their faith No but Augustine tels vs the reason Quia peccata magna erant Niniuitarum dixerunt Quis nouit Because the Niniuites sins were great they said Who knoweth So that their vncertainty proceeded not from the defect of faith but from the excesse of their sins But as they were vncertaine before they repented after they had repented they found certam misericordiam certaine mercy saith Augustine witnesse the preseruation of themselues and their Citie As therefore the Niniuites were vncertaine in regard of the grieuousnesse of their sinnes and the greatnesse of Gods iudgement already peremptorily threatned whether they should finde God fauourable or no in reuersing his sentence and preseruing their Citie but afterwards vpon their repentance found the certainty of Gods mercy in sparing them whereof the sparing of their City was a certaine and infallible argument So sinnefull men burthened with the guilt and horrour of sinnes and borne downe with the terrour of Gods wrath threatned in his Word may well bee doubtfull and vncertaine how God may deale with them although they resolue with themselues
to repent and humble themselues but after vpon their true repentance God being mercifull in pardoning their sins they finde now certam misericordiam certaine mercy the certainty whereof is the very effect of Gods mercy applied sealed to the conscience by a liuely faith no less assured of the pardon of sin than the Niniuites were of the preseruation of their Citie Thus Vega's triumph is like his Country-treaties very plausible and currant will gaine much if but beleeued the cunning conueyances be not discouered And by this successe of Vega in this one authority which he sets down as a master-peece wee may easily sum vp the account of all his other allegations out of the Fathers for this purpose what will they amount to To the Fathers he addes the authority of Schoole-men for vncertainty of grace in his 14. Chapter and so forwards to the 19. Chapter But let him take his Schoole-men we doe not enuie the Councell of Trent their authority as out of whose Channels is gathered the Sinke of Romane-Catholick faith So that while Vega alledgeth his Schoole-men hee is as the Fish in the sea or a Cocke vpon his owne dunghill Herein I will doe as Christ directeth concerning the Pharisees let them alone they are all blinde leaders of the blinde And for Philosophers as Aristotle c. Vega will haue them all of his side and takes it in great snuffe that any aduersaries of Pontifician vncertainty should alledge any Philosopher to be for them As hee saith in his 44. Chapter in answer to those that produce euen Philosophicall reasons to oppugne vncertainty Laterem lauant cum nobis putant aduersari Aristotelem as much to say as in the Prouerbe They but wash the Blackamore when they thinke to haue Aristotle to be our aduersary Well let them take Aristotle the Schoole-Doctors Chapt. 14. Scotus Chapt. 15. famous Schooles Chapt. 16. Diuines Chap. 17. yea the infallible definition of the See Apostolique Chap. 18. when they haue done all what will they gaine but incertainty imbracing as Ixion an empty cloud of feare and perplexity in stead of Iuno the true substance of folid comfort They may be certain of keeping their weak fort of vncertainty vnsurprised the maintaining whereof brings vnto themselues in the end certaine ruine and sudden destruction Let Popish faith bee alwayes vncertaine doubtfull fearefull perplexed wauering with euery winde of errour of terror let it be such sith it will not sith it cannot bee any other than of those that beleeue and tremble as can neuer be perswaded of the remission of sinnes of Gods fauour and mercy in Christ. Seeing they will needs bee vncertaine let them be vncertaine as the Apostle saith Hee that is ignorant let him be ignorant In the meane time as we yeeld to the Pontificians the vncertainty of their faith so let them suffer vs to maintaine the certainty of true and sauing Catholick faith which is such as the gates of Hell shall neuer preuaile against True it is that Vega hath spent at the least 20. Chapters from the 19. to the 39. wherein he moyles in sweate and dust labouring to answer all obiections that his aduersaries bring for the confirmation of certainty of saluation wherein hee dealeth like a cunning theefe who knowing which way the Bloud-Hound will pursue him strawes saw-dust or some such like thing to sully the tract and dead the sent and at least to retarde and fore-slowe the pace of the pursuer while himselfe in the meane time may escape the more easily Or like the female Foxe which being pursued at the heeles with her traine dasheth her vrine into the dogs eyes that vneath they are able to pursue any further Such is Vega's holy water which he sprinckleth in our way thinking thereby to inueagle euen the most sagacious Or else he would put vs to our shifts as the Philistims did the Israelites who hauing taken all their armour and weapons from them would not suffer them the vse of any iron toole but such as they must frame in their Forge and sharpen with their tooles But blessed be God we are long ago freed from the spirituall bondage of these spirituall Philistims we can tell better how to weald our owne weapons and handle them better in our owne hands than according to the direction and limitation of these vsurpers and taking our owne weapons into our own hands wee shall the better defend the truth against all those oppositions which Vega with all his Pontifician power makes against it And when we haue spoken then as Iob said Mock on But fearing lest I haue tyred the Reader by leading him through the many windings of Pontifician Vncertainties which like an ignis fatuus may easily diuert the Traueller from his plaine path by leading him through inuious and wilde Wasts let vs here pawse and breathe a little and so pursue our purpose in an entire discourse by it selfe wherin also we must looke for sundry skirmishes and assaults which the aduersary will not let to make vpon our very Tronches CHAP. XV. Of the Certaintie of true sauing iustifying Catholicke Faith LEauing the Vncertainty of Saluation to the Pontificians as their vncertainty of Faith in regard of their incertainty in their grace incertainty in their baptisme incertainty in their Sacraments incertainty in their absolution incertainty in their Masse incertainty in their Priests disposition incertainty in their penance and conuersion incertainty in their contrition incertainty in their satisfaction and merits incertainty in their Monastical life incertainty in their Saints incertainty in their charity incertainty in their righteousnesse incertainty in their holy Ghost inhabiting in them incertainty in their inucation incertainty in their laying downe their life for Christ their incertainety in purgatory while they acknowledge none other certainty but a morall coniecturall certainety which at the best is doubtfull and deceitfull all which not only Soto and Vega but also Bellarmine in his Bookes of iustification iustifying all that eyther the Councell of Trent or her Commentators Vega and Soto or Andradius and others their fellowes haue writ concerning this point yea and much more but that I would not goe out of my Text and prefixed bounds of the Councels proper Commentaries haue amply set down Come we now to encounter this Romane Catholique vncertainty with the Catholique doctrine of the certainty of Faith But before we can come to lay a firme foundation of this certainty of Faith which Pontificians call nothing else but a vaine hereticall presumption wee must digge vp and remoue one maine heape of Rubbish and Sand which the Pontificians haue put to choke vp the hauen of true rest and to vndermine all certainty of Faith and whereon they haue cobbled vp their tottering Tower of vncertainty for the maine ground of their vncertainty is the authority of the Church on which must depend the verity and certainty of the Scriptures themselues Which being so what maruaile is it if