of a sinner For saith hee Penance is the immediate cause or immediate disposition and as it seemeth sufficient with Gods grace to our iustification yea it perfecteth and consummateth our iustification But Faith is not such a neer disposition to iustification and it remaineth in sinners and our iustification is but as it were initiated by it It is euident therefore that the most potent cause of our iustification is penance and therefore that we are iustified it is to be imputed to it and not to faith So he Nay such is the Pontifician hatred against Faith that Vega Trents Interpreter denyes euen Faith that is formed by grace and charity as they say to bee sufficient to iustification As he saith Quamuis eo ipso quod aliquis per fidem iustificetur fiat fides illius formata tamen non sequitur quod per eam vt formatam acquiratur iustitia Et ideo neque debent loca quae tribuunt iustitiam fidei restringi ad fidem formaetam Although a mans iustification by Faith implyeth that his Faith is formed to wit a true Faith yet it followeth not that by it as it is formed righteousnesse is obtained And therefore neyther those places which attribute righteousnesse to Faith ought to bee restrained to true Faith or Faith that is formed Such a hard conceit haue the Pontificians of Faith formed or vnformed But now forasmuch as the Scriptures doe euery where ascribe so much to faith in the point of iustification how doe they answer the Scriptures in this point Surely Vega according to his rare dexteritite vndertakes that taske too produceth fiue reasons why the Apostle hath done most prudently oftner to attribute iustification to faith than to any other vertue The first is Because faith is the foundation and fountaine the prime cause and roote of our saluation which saith he St. Augustine hath shewed in his Booke of the Predestination of Saints alledging Cornelius for an example whose Prayer and Ames-deeds were done in faith that by them saith Vega he might be brought to the Faith of Christ. Now note here I pray you a notable tricke of legier-demain in this Tridentine Champion who was of one spirit with that Councell For doth he giue these titles to faith calling it with the Councell the fountaine and foundation the roote and originall of our saluation for any good will hee beares faith or that herein he preferres it before other graces Nothing lesse For a little before hee had giuen faith such a blow and that with Aristotles philosophicall fist as that hee hath made this very foundation to stagger againe Plus enim quam omnia c. For saith he this is of more weight than all that are brought for the commendation of faith towards God that we are more straitly vnited to him by our louing of him and by sorrow for offending of him and a purpose to our vtmost endeauour to please him for the time to come then we are vnited by faith Which being the formost in our iustification it comes hindmost and furthest off from perfection according to that axiome in Philosophy Priora generatione posteriora perfectione The first in generation the last in perfection But passe wee to his second reason which is much like the former Because saith he all our workes which concurre to iustification haue their meritorious force from faith and faith from none else besides Thirdly Therefore is our saluation fitly attributed to faith because there is no stronger cause to moue a sinner to those things which on his part are requisite to his iustification Fourthly It was conuenient that the Apostles in their Epistles and Sermons should commonly impute and attribute our iustification vnto faith Indeede Vega's copie hath sanctification haply mis-printed sauing that they confound iustification and sanctification together But why so commonly impute iustification to Faith namely because forsooth the Apostles had to doe with sundry sects and therefore were so to attemper their exhortations as to draw them from their sect to the Christian Faith Nor is it lawfull saith Vega hence to inferre that there are no other things better than those which are more often commended So by this reason we are to vnderstand that the doctrine of iustification by Faith so often commended and preached by the Apostles in their Epistles was not therefore so much and so often pressed and preached as if it were the best doctrine but that other doctrines according to Vega's estimate might be better but as if the Apostles only temporized with those times and persons with whom they had to doe As if it appertained not to all Abrahams seede by promise to whose Faith righteousnesse was imputed nor was it written saith the Apostle for him onely that it was imputed to him but for vs also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeue on him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead Therefore it is by Faith that it might bee by grace to the end the promise might bee sure to all the seede both Iewes and Gentiles which walke in the steps of that Faith of our Father Abraham O Vega be not so impiously iniurious yea sacrilegious to rob vs of the inheritance of our Faith vnder a colour as if iustification by Faith had beene a temporary purchase and merchandize for those Apostolicall times and as if now the intaile were quite cut off from Abrahams race Or if yee Pontificians will bee such malignant enemies to iustifying Faith whereby Abraham and all his seede are and shall bee iustified to the worlds end then confesse your selues to bee quite cut off from being Abrahams seede His fift reason why iustification is most commonly ascribed to faith is because Faith is that only disposition to which among all our workes it might principally bee attributed without perill of our pride and the iniurie and derogation of Gods grace For seeing faith is the gift of God and a kinde of testimony of Gods grace towards vs in as much as it is attributed to our faith it is attributed to the grace and mercy of God and not to our strength that no flesh shall glory in his presence But why then Vega do you teach the doctrine of iustification another way and the onely way to puffe men vp with pride and so to empty them of all grace As Bernard saith Non est quâ— gratia intret vbi iam meritum occupauit Grace findes no way to enter where merit hath already taken vp the roome And againe Deest gratiae quicquid meritis deputas That is detracted from grace whatsoeuer is imputed to merits Dost thou commend the admirable wisedome of God in teaching man to ascribe the iustification of Faith to the mercy and glory of God and yet dost thou adde iustification of thine owne workes to robbe God of his glorie and thy selfe of all grace puffing vp thy selfe with pride in steade thereof But leaue we these puddles of errour and come
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 faith 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 haeredes Patriarcharum plantati in terra repromissionis non suis hoc 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 cos induxit ne Legis hoc existimetur esse sed gratiae 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 forso 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 quòd non facta sua vnumquemque iustificant sed fides prompta dicit Domino Tues 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 fide quonâ—am 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 formerly that sole faith is not sufficient but a good life must be added and it will plainly appeare that he speakes of faith alone as sufficient to iustifie vs in the sight of God and to
Gods Word no more than the eye of the body doth shut it selfe from seeing any other thing present before it than that particular obiect to which the radius or beam directly pointeth What need more testimonies yet the ancient Fathers of the Church haue not left vs without witnesse in this point I will vse but one or two for breuity Chrysostome saith This is the propertie of true Faith when as the promise being made not after a manner customary or familiar with men we confidently beleeue the power of the promiser Thou seest how euen before the euent and accomplishment of the â—â—omises Abraham in as much as he beleeued receiueth a sufficient reward For to beleeue the promise of God was imputed to him for righteousnesse Therefore to beleeue Gods promise is both able to make vs iust and shall cause vs to obtaine the promises By Faith we procure righteousnesse and obtain the good promises And the same Father vpon the tenth to the Romanes saith Hoc potissimum peculiare est fidei vt promissa Dei cuncta complectamur This is chiefly peculiar to Faith that we embrace all the promises of God Thus we see this holy man placeth the promises of God in Christ as the prime obiect of iustifying Faith St. Ambrose saith Si exclusa fuerit promissio sine dubio frustratur Fides Abrahae Quod ne audire quidem se patiuntur Iudaei scientes quia promissio ex Fide est Abrahae Quae promissio ex Fide iustificat non per Legem sicut Abraham iustificatus ex Fide est Hi ergo haeredes sunt promissionis Abrahae qui illi succedunt suscipientes Fidem in qua benedictus iustificatus est Abraham Testimonium ergo promissionis Abrahae testamentum appellatur vt post mortem eius Haeredes essent in promissione Filij eius facti per Fidem That is If the promise be excluded without doubt the Faith of Abraham is made voyde which not euen the Iewes themselues endure to heare knowing that the promise is of the Faith of Abraham Which promise doth iustifie by Faith not through the Law as also Abraham is iustified by Faith They therefore are Heires of the promise to Abraham which succeede him by entertaining the Faith wherein Abraham is blessed and iustified Therfore the testimonie of the promise to Abraham is called a Testament that after his death they might bee Heires in the promise beeing made his Sonnes by Faith So Ambrose Thus wee haue the testimonies of two faithfull witnesses testifying this most Catholicke doctrine of Faith not onely of Abraham but consequently of all the faithfull That the promises of God in Christ are the maine obiect of sauing and iustifying Faith And these witnesses shall stand in stead of many Hence it is that Faith in Scripture is called Confidence or Affiance because it embraceth the promise of God in Christ as the proper obiect of it as we touched before In a word those famous ancient Creeds vniuersally receiued in the Church especially the Apostolicall the Nicene and Athanasius his Creede all of them called the obiect of Faith as being the abridgement of the Word of God what do they commend vnto vs as the maine and sole obiect of sauing and iustifying Faith but Iesus Christ his incarnation passion resurrection ascention session at Gods right hand c. together with the fruits we reape from this tree of life as to bee made his liuing members beleeuing the holy Catholicke Church the Communion of Saints the Remission of sinnes the Resurrection of the body and the life euerlasting all the effects and fruits of Gods promises in Christ. But say the Pontificians faith is an act of the vnderstanding as being seated in the intellectuall part of the soule and not in the will and therefore it is but a bare assent to the truth of Gods word in generall and so also of the promises contained therein and no speciall affiance in the goodnesse of God particularly towards a mans selfe And so they make onely the truth of God reuealed as being apprehended and assented vnto by the vnderstanding to be the obiect of faith and not the goodnesse of God contained in his promises as being entertained and embraced by the will But for the clearing of this point we may frist obserue how the Church of Rome as in other points of doctrine so in this maine point of Faith doth most pitifully interfeere For which cause let me here insert a passage in the Prouinciall Councell of Colen celebrated Anno 1536. some nine years before the Councell of Trent which will partly confirme what hath beene formerly said concerning the nature of true Faith and confront this Pontifician obiection now in hand This Prouinciall Synod setteth downe a three-fold kinde of beleeuing following therein St Augustine vpon the Creed Credo in Deum which we haue a little before cited We will set down the very words of the Synod which acknowledgeth Duplicem seu triplicem esse fidei seu credendi rationem Siquidem vna est qua Deum esse ac caetera quae Scriptura commemorat non aliter quam historica quadam fide recitata vera credimus Vnde historica fides appellatur quam nobiscum Daemones communem habent Altera qua Deo credimus quae persuasio constans opinio est qua fidem promissionibus comminationibus diuinis adhibemus quam habent iniusti cum iustis communem Tertia fidei ratio est qua in Deum credimus solis pijs peculiaris quae certissima quaedam fiducia est qua totos nos Deo submittimus totique à gratia misericordia Dei pendemus Haec spem complectitur charitatenâ— indiuiduam comitem habet Prima credendi ratio seu fides illa Historica si solam accipias informis est veluti adhuc mortua Altera verò qua Deo tantum credimus nec dum tamen erga Deum religiosa pietate assicimur manca Sed tertia qua in Deum credimus pioque affectuin eum tendimus ea demum viuida atque integra fides est c. That is There is a two-fold or three-fold sort of faith or beleeuing One is whereby wee beleeue that God is as also other things which the Scripture relates wee beleeue to be true no otherwise than by a kinde of Historicall faith recorded whence it is called an Historicall faith which the Deuils haue in common with vs. The second is whereby wee beleeue God which is a perswasion and constant opinion whereby wee giue credit both to Gods promises and threatnings which faith the wicked haue in common with the righteous The third sort of faith is that whereby wee beleeue in God which is peculiar onely to the godly being a kinde of most certaine confidence or affiance whereby wee wholly submit our selues vnto God and depend wholly vpon the grace and mercy of God This faith doth also comprehend hope and hath in it charity
as an indiuiduall companion The first sort of beleeuing or that Historicall faith if you take it alone is without forme and as yet in a manner dead The second whereby we onely beleeue God and are not yet affected towards him with a religious piety is lame But the third whereby we beleeue in God and are carried by a pious affection towards him this is that liuely and intire faith Thus the Councell of Colen How different from the Councell of Trent yea the two first kindes of faith the same Synod vpon the Apostles Creed puts into one as common with Deuils and wicked men which beleeue and tremble Sciunt enim Daemones Illum mentiri non posse For euen the Deuils doe know that God cannot lye So that by the confession of Colen the Pontifician faith by their owne confession being no other of it selfe but an Historicall faith is no other faith but that which in the very Deuils and Damned And whereas the Synod of Colen acknowledgeth a third kind of faith peculiar to the godly which alwayes hath hope and charity inseparably with it this crosseth the doctrine of Trent which alloweth no speciall or peculiar faith to the godly but such a faith as is common to the wicked and which is and may be altogether voide of hope and charity And whereas Colen calleth this peculiar faith of the godly fiducia or an affiance and confidence in the grace and mercy of God in especiall manner to euery beleeuer the Pontifician Councell of Trent vtterly disclaimeth this fiducia or strong affiance in Gods fauour and mercy allowing Gods gracious promises but the least part in the generall obiect of their faith which faith of theirs they make to be onely an assent to the truth of God and no affiance in the promises of God for as much as the Pontificians place their faith in the vnderstanding and not in the will Although otherwhiles as lyars vse to doe forgetting themselues when they would aduance the blindnesse of their implicite faith they deny it a place in the vnderstanding and seate it rather in the will though not for any good will For Bellarmine would haue faith to be defined rather from ignorance than from knowledge yet because of the two they had rather exclude confidence from faith than science or knowledge they consent in generall to make choice rather of the vnderstanding than of the will wherein to seate their faith Now the occasion as I said of mentioning the Councell of Colen was chiefly to shew their iudgement concerning the subiect of Faith to wit in what part of the soule it is inherent as in the proper subiect whether in the vnderstanding or the will c. The Synod of Colen vndertaking to decide this point saith Noc hoc omittendum est fidem secundum duas priores credendi rationes in intellectu consistere secundum tertiam verò etiam in voluntate quòd actio fidei sic acceptae quod est credere fidere adhaerere Deo non solo intellectu quem fides illuminat sed voluntate quam accedente charitate inflammat perficiatur Nor is this to be omitted that faith according to the two first sorts of beleeuing doth consist in the vnderstanding but according to the third sort also in the will because the action of faith in this acception which is to beleeue confide and adhere vnto God is accomplished not in the vnderstanding onely which faith illuminateth but also in the will which by the accesse of charity it inflameth So by the iudgement of this prouinciall Synod this sola efficax syncera integra salutifera fides as the Synod cals it ibidem this onely effectuall sincere intire and sauing faith is resident not only in the vnderstanding which faith informeth but also in the will which faith by loue inflameth And whereas the Pontificians would vtterly exclude faith from hauing any place in the will because say they faith may bee separated from charity the same Synod ibidem saith Hoc constat eam fidem qua in Deum credimus quae sola efficax syncera integra salutifera est nec infundi nec accipi sine spe charitate This is euident that that faith whereby we beleeue in God which onely is the effectuall sincere intire and sauing faith can neyther be infused nor receiued without hope and charity For as the same Synod addeth out of the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. a place which the Pontificians vrge to proue that their Romane-Catholicke faith may bee voyde of charity Nam quod alibi Apostolus ait Si habuero omnem fidem c. For that which the Apostle saith If I had all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and had not charity I am nothing is not so to be vnderstood saith the Synod of Colen as if the intire and sincere faith could bee receiued without charity but rather it seemes to be spoken Hyperbolically by way of exaggeration and aggrauation as Chrysostome and Theophilact take it the more to enforce the practice of charity consisting of so many excellent dueties and perfections Thus haue we cited this Synod of Colen not that we hold it any standard rule for the Doctrine of Faith although Vega blame it for speaking too broad of iustification and especially of imputation but to shew how in this point of Faith this Synod a little more ancient than the Councell of Trent doth differ from the Doctrine of that Councell in many things wherein this Synod is not farre from the true way to the Kingdome of God sauing that now whatsoeuer is in this Synod or any other contained must submit it selfe to the censure examination interpretation and approbation of the Councell of Trent whose definitiue sentence hath irrefragably passed vpon all Catholicke Doctrine binding it to good behauiour that it should not carry the least weapon that might indanger the throat of Romane-Catholicke Religion To this Synod also we may adde the authority of the learned honest Cardinall Contarenus who liued at the same time and a little before the Councell of Trent wrote of Iustification in which Treatise he faith Notus Fidei incipit à voluntate quaeobediens Deo Fidei efficit vt intellectus assentiatur absque haesitatione traditis à Deo ideo promissionibus diuinis confidat concipiat ex illis firmam fiduciam quae pertinet ad voluntatem quasi circulo quodam iucipiat à voluntate haec Fides desinat in voluntate The first act or motion of Faith begins at the will which obeying God and Faith causeth the vnderstanding to assent to the things deliuered of God without doubting and so to trust in Gods promises and of them to conceiue a firme affiance which pertaines to the will and that this Faith as it were in a circle begins at the will and ends in the will So that we see this good Cardinall held the will to be the prime subiect of sauing Faith But now a little 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 bearest 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 hislife 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 exquibus 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 for as much 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 viuit Faith which beleeueth in God is the life of the soule and by this faith the iust man liueth And elsewhere 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 tota est 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 sed crede 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 se abstrabit à peccato fidelis est quia iustus ex fide viuit Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne And therefore the good will which withdrawes it selfe from sinne is faithfull because the iust man liueth by Faith Hence it is that Bernard saith Credere in Deum est in eum
it be called faith but when a man hath certainty concerning those things which are not seene more than concerning those things which are seene For because those things which are yet in hope are reputed as yet without substance or subsistence and faith giueth vnto them their substance not that it addes any thing vnto them but it selfe is the substance or subsistence of them For the purpose the resurrection is not yet fulfilled not yet present or subsistent but faith makes it to subsist in our soule this is it which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or substance So Chrysostome Yea this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it importeth a subsisting signifieth also animum praesentem a confidence or full assurance of the mind And it is sometimes vsed in authors for a fastening or a close ioyning together as a ioynt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fast iuncture And such is faith which ioyneth the obiect the subiect together making the things hoped for to be as it were in our present possession It is also the euidence of things not seene presenting them visibly and sensibly before vs like a most cleare perspectiue glasse which presents and attracts as it were the most remote obiect nearer to the eye for the clearer view of it Thus Abraham and those other Saints of the Old Testament saw these inuisible things afarre off with the eye of Faith Heb. 11. 13. and were perswaded of them and imbraced them as the Apostle excellently declareth Thus if sauing and iustifying Faith bee the substance the subsistence the assurance the confidence the coherence of things hoped for if the euidence the argument and demonstration of things not seene prepared for such as loue God reuealed to vs by the Spirit how then is not this Faith most sure certain of iustification eternall saluation This is further confirmed by sundry other authorities of holy Scripture as Ephes. 3. 12. In quo habemus fiduciam accessum in confidentia per fidem ipsius as the vulgar Latine renders it well that is In whom to wit Christ we haue boldnesse and accesse with confidence through the faith of him Now what boldnesse or confidence can a man haue without assurance and certainty And Heb. 3. 6. Christus tanquam Filius in domo sua quae domus sumus nos si fiduciam gloriam spei vsque ad finem firmam retineamus Christ as a Sonne ouer his owne house which house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the reioycing of the hope firme vnto the end Now the strength of a house doth mainly stand vpon the firmenesse of the foundation And the Apostle as wee haue heard cals Faith the foundation of things hoped for And Heb. 4. 16. Adeamus ergo cum fiducia ad Thronum gratiae vt misericordiam c. Let vs therefore come with boldnesse vnto the Throne of grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to help in time of neede And Heb. 10. 19. Habentes itaque fratres fiduciam c. Hauing therefore brethren boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the bloud of Iesus c. accedamus cum vero corde in plenitudine fidei c. let vs draw neare with a true heart In full assurance of Faith hauing our hearts sprinkled from an euill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water let vs hold fast the professioe of our Faith without wauering for he is faithfull that promised c. And 1. Ioh. 5. 13. 14. Haec scribo vobis c. These things I write vnto you that beleeue on the Name of the Sonne of God That yee may know that ye haue eternall life c. Et haec est fiducia quam habemus ad eum And this is the confidence that wee haue in him c. Thus we see what glorious Elogies or Prayses the holy Ghost giueth to sauing Faith the proper effects whereof are assurance truth confidence boldnesse which the vulgar Latine so often translateth Fiducia a word much enuied by the Councell of Trent and extreamely inueighed against yea and shamelessly iniured by Vega who taking vpon him to interpret the meaning and to measure out the latitude of Fiducia doth pitifully mangle and mince it saying that it hath some certaine agreement with Faith but so as it is distinct from certainty and that it is a kinde of motion of the appetite and that it may be in deadly sinners trusting that they are iustified when they are not and that it is a probable perswasion of obtaining our desire and that this probable perswasion of obtaining the mercy of God is a most fit meanes to the obtaining of Faith So that in the conclusion this Fiducia is by Vega preferred to be set in the ranke of preparatory graces sauing that I doe not see how Fiducia can be a meanes to beget Faith seeing he puts Faith also among his preparatiues and also in another place saith That Theologicall Faith is the beginning of Iustification which Faith may be in those that sleepe and want the vse of reason and Fiducia is onely an act or a consequent passion issuing from it O miserable perplexities How doe these Pontificians torment their wits in making infinite doublings to make men lose the right path like the Lapwing which wearieth her selfe partly with her owne plaining voice and partly with her deuious and extrauagant fluttering about farre enough from the marke yet so as if shee were still about it and all to deceiue and diuert the Fowler from comming neare her nest But the Doctrine of the certainty of sauing Faith is further confirmed by the holy Ghost As Ioh. 3. 33. The Lord saith Hee that hath receiued his testimony hath set to his seale that God is true What seale is this but the seale of Faith So the Lord applies it vers 36. Hee that beleeueth on the Sonne hath euerlasting life And St. Iohn ioynes them both together setting the seale of Faith to the testimony 1. Iohn 5. 9 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the testimony of God which he hath testified of his Sonne Hee that beleeueth on the Sonne of God hath the testimony in himselfe Faith then is the seale of Gods testimony and what greater certainty or assurance can be than in a seale Also Matth. 9. 2. Confide fili c. Sonne be of good comfort or be confident as the originall word signifieth thy sinnes be forgiuen thee So vers 22. Confide filia c. Daughter bee confident thy Faith hath saued thee So that the confidence of sauing Faith in the remission of sinnes is not onely in the masculine sexe Sonne be confident but euen in the female and weaker sexe Daughter be confident thy Faith hath saued thee goe in peace This certainty of Faith is also confirmed by a comparison taken from building Christ Iesus is the Rocke whereon euery beleeuer as a house is built This building is so strong as no flouds of
reach He may say Who shall fetch Christ from aboue that I may haue him within my reach What reach The Deuill had him within his reach when he carryed him vp to a high mountaine But thou wilt say God reacheth out Christ vnto thee in his Word The Word is neare thee True But where is thy hand to put forth to receiue him Thy hand must bee a liuely faith for to beleeue in Christ is to receiue him as Gods gift But faith also is the speciall gift of God Therefore saith the Apostle By grace are ye saued through faith and not of your selues it is the gift of God Now herein doth the glory of Gods grace shine forth and gloriously display it selfe that he hath not only in his rich mercy prouided vs the means of saluation making tender of it vnto vs in his Word but hee effectually also giueth it vnto vs giuing vs a minde and meanes to receiue it As St. Iohn saith Hee hath giuen vs a minde to know him that is true And Christ No man can come vnto mee except the Father which hath sent mee draw him And againe No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne will reueale him And Matth. 16. 17. Peter hauing confessed Christ to be the Sonne of the liuing God Christ answered him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Iona for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my Father which is in Heauen As the Apostle also 1. Cor. 12. 3. No man can say that Iesus is Christ but by the holy Ghost that is No man can truly acknowledge him to be his Christ but by the holy Ghost Otherwise the very Deuill seeing his miracles feeling his power euen ouer them confessed saying I know who thou art the holy one of God and Thou art Christ the Sonne of God Yet the Deuill did not this by the holy Ghost nor was it by any power of Gods grace But herein stands that grace of God first in choosing vs freely of his meere loue and mercy not fore-seeing vs to be good but finding vs to be euill shut vp in vnbeleefe that he might haue mercy vpon vs. Secondly not only in prouiding and offering meanes of grace but also in effectuall giuing and bestowing grace vpon all those whom he hath chosen giuing them grace to receiue grace that of his fulnesse we might all receiue and grace for grace as it followeth in the definition Now as God out of his meere loue grace and fauour did from all eternity elect and appoint a certaine number of men fallen in Adam vnto saluation So for the effecting of this his eternall purpose in time hee did also appoint the meanes whereby hee would bring those vnto the end of their saluation The meanes is twofold First the only absolute meane◠which is Iesus Christ Secondly an inferiour and conditionall means whereby we are made capable to receiue Christ with all his benefits First then Christ is that only all-sufficient and absolute meanes whereby God would effectually worke saluation vnto vs vpon and to whom the eye of his grace principally and immediately reflecteth in his electing of vs. So Eph. 1. 4. He chose vs in him and Ephes. 3. 11. according to the eternall purpose which he purposed in Christ Iesus our Lord Now there is no other name vnder Heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued neyther is there saluation in any other And other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 3. 11. Iesus Christ God-man is the Centre in whom all the lines of Gods loue and mercy to mankinde doe meete Thus are wee chosen in him before the foundation of the world Ephes. 1. 4. Thus are we blessed with all spirituall blessings in heauenly places in Christ ver 3. Thus are wee predestinated vnto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ vers 5. Thus hath God made vs accepted in the Beloued to wit Iesus Christ in whom the Father is well pleased vers 6. Thus haue we redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace vers 7. Thus in the dispensation of the fulnesse of time God doth gather in one all things in Christ both which are in heauen and which are in earth euen In him vers 10. Thus in him we haue obtained an inheritance to which wee are predestinated vers 11. Thus in him beleeuing we are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Now in that God did of his meere grace elect vs vnto saluation therein appeareth the wonderfull mercy and loue of God towards vs in that hee made choice of his owne Sonne to bee the onely soueraigne meanes of this our saluation therein appeareth also the infinite wisedome of God to seale vp and to reueale vnto vs his incomprehensible loue Thus is Christ called the power of God and the wisedome of God In him are hid all the treasures of Gods wisdome This is that deepnesse of the riches of the wisdome knowledge of God wherein the Apostles admiration was swallowed vp and wherewith the blessed Angels themselues were transported with rauishment Luke 2. 13 14. This wisedome of God in Christ God-man all the Deuils could not for all their subtilty comprehend neyther can all the wisedome of flesh and bloud conceiue it it is foolishnesse to the Gentile and a stumbling blocke to the Iew. Who can conceiue that the Sonne of God could suffer and dye Yet this did Iesus Christ in that Hypostaticall vnion of his two natures Who can conceiue that a man should fully satisfie the iustice of God for the sinnes of the world And yet this did the man Iesus Christ that one Mediator betweene God and Man the Man Iesus Christ saith the Apostle 1. Tim. 2. 5. Nothing but the precious bloud of God could reconcile vs to God in appeasing his iustice towards vs nothing but the bloud of God could purchase for vs the fauour of God and eternall life So that in Iesus Christ is reuealed vnto vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the manifold wisedome of God as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 3. 10. In him alone and none but him is the Father well pleased with vs. So is Christ the only soueraigne absolute meanes in whom as wee are elected so we are also saued Yet to the end that all the elect might be made effectually partakers of the loue and fauour of God in Christ the wisedome of God hath also ordained subordinate conditionall and ordinary meanes whereby we should receiue Christ for ours These meanes are the Word of God preached whereby faith is begotten in vs through the operation of Gods Spirit and the holy Sacraments administred whereby our faith in Christ is sealed and confirmed in vs. By this faith it is that we lay hold vpon Christ wherby he is made ours and we made his being mystically vnited vnto him so in him adopted the Sonnes of God by grace as
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 Heresie and Idolatry Why should the world O Lord complaine and cry Where is the spirit of those ancient Bishops and Martyrs and learned Champions of thy truth as of Cranmer Ridley Latimer 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 thanksgiuing 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 whereof 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 Ramme 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 Councels 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 besides 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 collogue and speake it faire and borrow from it certaine broad Phylacteries wouen with Scripture phrases wherewith the Babylonish Whore 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 a propitiation for our sinnes in his bloud for this Redemption we ought to giue thanks And ch 7. The Meritorious 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 Hayle Master But in this their profound hypocrisie lyeth the whole Mysterie of Iniquity Si tamen 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 consubstantiality 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 masculine authoritie and genuine sense closing vp all in the Cabinet of the Popes breast where lodgeth his Infallibilitie And thus the sacred Scriptures which till that Idolatrous Councell of Trent were held the sole and entire Catholicke Canon and rule of Faith must now draw in
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 necessitie 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 faith 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 Babylonish building Of the necessitie of preparation to Iustification The whole frame of which preparation composed according to the modell of their Schoole-diuinitie as Cabriel 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 infusion 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 wellvse 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 this Councell A free-will they must haue though they confesse it to be weake and feeble And such a free-will wee easily grant them as loth to incurre their Anathema for
further he explaines himselfe thus Inter gratiam praedestinationem c. Betweene grace and predestination this is the onely difference that predestination is the preparation of grace and grace is the gift or donation of predestination Or as a little after Grace is the effect of predestination But will the Pontifician say Mans free-will is not for all this excluded from being an ingredient at least in preparation Augustine in the same place snuts free-will quite out of doores yea from setting one foot vpon the threshold or entry to iustification Ideo ex fide vâ— secundum gratiam firma sit promissio omni semini non de nostrae voluntatis potestate sed de sua praedestinatione promisit Promisit enim quod ipse facturus erat non quod homines quia et si faciant homines bona quae pertinent ad colendum Deum ipse facit vt illi faciant quae praecipit non illi faciunt vt ipse faciat quod promisit Alioquin vt Dei promissa compleantur non in Dei sed in hominum est potestate quod à Domino promissum est ab ipsis redditur Abrahae Non autem sic credidit Abraham sed credidit danc gloriam Deo quoniam quae promisit potens etiam facere non ait praedicere non ait praescire nam aliena facta potest praedicere atque praescire sed ait potens etiam facere ac per hoc facta non aliena sed sua That is It is therefore of faith that according to grace the promise might be sure to all the seede he promised not out of any respect to the power of our will but of his predestination For he promised not that which men but which himselfe was about to doe because though men doe those good things which belong to Gods worship hee causeth them to doe those things which hee hath commanded they doe not causâ— him to doe that which hee promised Else that the promises of God should bee performed it is not in the power of God but of men and that which the Lord hath promised is by them performed to Abraham But Abraham did not so beleeue God but hee beleeued giuing glory to God because what he had promised he was able also to doe he saith not to fore-tell he saith not to fore-know for hee is able to fore-tell and fore-know other mens workes but hee saith hee is able to doe meaning hereby not others workes but his owne So this holy man For otherwise saith he a little after Per hoc vt promissa sua Deus possit implere non etiam in Dei sed in hominis potestate hereby it should come to passe that it rested not in Gods power to bee able to fulfill his promises but in mans power St. Augustine therefore admits of no mixture of mans free-will concurring with Gods grace in preparing him to receiue the promise of God touching iustification as being built vpon the eternall decreâ— of Gods predestation as an effect springing from the cause And Epist. 107. Vital The will is prepared of the Lord saith he How Quia praeuenit hominis voluntatem bonam nec cam cuiusquam inuenit in corde sed facit For God preuents the good will of man nor doth hee finde thie good will in anie mans heart but makes it se. And the same Father in his exposition of the Epistle to the Galathians vpon these words Induerunt Christum They haue put on Christ saith thus Filii fiunt participatione sapientiae id praeparante atque praestante Mediatoris fide quam fidei gratiam nunc indumentum vocat Vt Christum induti sint qui in eum crediderunt They are made sonnes by the participation of wisedome which is prepared and performed by faith in the Mediator which grace of faith he now calleth a putting on So that they haue Christ put on them which haue beleeued in him Faith then so prepares as it also performes the worke of iustification whereas Popish faith may as they say prepare and yet faile to performe And writing to Simplicianus he comes directly to the point Quaeritur vtrum vel fides mereatur hominis iustificationem an verò nec fidei merita praecedant misericordiam Dei sed sides ipsa inter dona gratiae numeretur Misericors Deus vocat nullis hoc vel fidei meritis largiens quia merita fidei sequuntur vocationem potius quam praecedunt It is demanded whether faith doe merit mans iustification or else neither the merits of faith do go before the mercie of God but euen faith it selfe is reckoned among the gifts of grace The mercifull God calleth bestowing this grace no not vpon any merits of faith because the merits of faith rather follow vocation than goe before it And againe in another place Ante fidem non debentur homini nisi mala pro malis retribuit autem Deus indebitam gratiam bona pro malis Before faith nothing is due to a man but euill for euill but God doth reward a man with vndeserued grace to wit good for euill Where hee speakes of sauing faith iustifying not of common faith preparing And in his one hundred and fifth Epistle to Sixtus his fellow Priest Restat vt gratuitum Dei donum esse fateamur si gratiam veram idest sine meritis cogitamus Wee are to confesse that to bee a free gift of God if we consider the true grace that is without merits Now the true grace is that whereby a man is iustified and saued but this grace is a free gift without merits therefore no merits goe before the grace of iustification And Bernard sweetely Non est quò gratia intret vbi iam meritum occupauit Et deest gratia quicquid meritis deputas Grace hath not where to enter where merit hath already taken up the roome And you detract from grace whatsoâ—uer you attribute to merits And againe Ergo iam plena confessio gratiae ipsius gratiae plenitudinem signat in anima confitentis Now then a plenary acknowledgement of grace is a signe of the fulnesse of grace it selfe in the soule of him that thus confesseth it And thus consequently out of the Fathers wee conclude as the Catholicke doctrine of the Church in those primitiue times That there is in man no worke of preparation whereby to merit by congruitie the grace of iustification which is the freegift of God without our merits And St. Augustine plainely discouers vnto vs the puddle whence this doctrine of merit of congruitie first issued namely from Pelagius Qui cos remunerandos dicit qui bene vtuntur libero arbitrio ideo mereri Domini grattam debitum cius reddi fatetur who saith they are to bee rewarded which vse well their free will and thereby merit the grace of God which he confesseth to be renared as due to their free will This accordeth with Romish Schoole diuinitie teaching That homini operanti
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 sides 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 iniquitas 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 Mor◠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 putas 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 lust 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 of Esay cals his new Couenant or Testament and doth anathematize and curse to the pit of hell all those that haue or shall place our iustification in the onely
many fruits of faith many good workes of charity piety mercy hospitality obedience humility and the like yet none of these come within the account of his iustification in the sight of God For to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Therefore though the Pontificians would neuer so faine foist and croud in by head and shoulders their workes comming after faith whereby they may be iustified yet they are all thrust out by the Apostle as those workers were shut out of Heauen by Christ Mat. 7. 22. 23. except they could either bring the Text within the compasse of their Index expurgatorius as they haue done the glosse and sentences of Fathers in the like kind or proue Abraham an vnregenerate person or force the Apostle to say that though Abraham were not iustified by workes but by faith yet Abraham was iustified first by faith and then by workes Yea but say they although Paul make no mention of Abrahams iustification by workes yet Iames another Apostle saith plainly Was not Abraham our father iustified by works when he had offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar Therefore Abraham was iustified not onely by faith but by works also Therefore to loose this Gordian knot wherein the Pontificians so much triumph wee will vse no other sword not Alexanders but the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God to cut it asunder At the first sight Paul and Iames seeme to be at great oddes the one ascribing iustification to faith without workes the other to faith and workes In both the Pontificians vnderstand one and the same iustification in kinde but to differ only in degree or order as Pauls iustification to be the first and that of Iames the second but both iustifying in the sight of God But we shall finde it far otherwise namely that these two Apostles doe speak of two different iustifications differing not in degree or order but in kinde and quality So that Paul speakes of that iustification whereby a man stands iust in the presence of God which is attributed to faith and not to workes at all and Iames of another iustification namely of a testification of a mans saith declaring a man to be a true beleeuer by good workes which are the proper fruits and effects of sauing and iustifying faith For if Iames should vnderstand by being iustified by faith and workes together such a iustification as makes a man iust in the sight of God then he should directly crosse his fellow-Apostle who shuts out all workes from hauing any thing to doe in our iustification in Gods sight For Paul saith Rom 4. 2. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God But Iames saith Abraham was iustified by workes therefore this iustification of Abraham by workes was not that iustification which makes a man to reioyce before God to wit the iustification by faith which Paul directly opposeth to iustification by workes Rom. 4. Now that Iames speaketh of iustification by â—orkes and not by faith onely as vnderstanding a testification and demonstration of sound and sauing faith is euident by the whole passage of his second Chapter where the Apostle exhorting to workes of mercy and charity and meeting with false professors that turned the grace of God into wantonnesse professing they had faith but made no conscience of a Christian conuersation to testifie the truth and life of their faith by good workes hereupon he inferreth ver 14. What doth it profit my brethren though a man say hee hath faith and haue no workes can the faith saue him No that faith which is without workes is dead and cannot saue a man Yea such a faith is no better than that of Diuels Well yet thou saist thou hast faith But there is as well a dead faith as a liuing faith a faith common with Diuels as a faith proper to beleeuers a sauing faith as a deceiuing faith Shew mee therefore whether thou hast that liuing sauing faith of true beleeuers or no. It is not enough to say thou hast this faith vnlesse thou canst proue it It is one thing to say it another to haue it Now the proofe of it is by the fruits of it to wit good workes as the tree is knowne by the fruits For the liuing sauing Faith is not an idle but an operatiue working Faith it is a Faith euer working by loue Therefore as the man saith to his Neighbour vers 18. Thou hast Faith and I haue workes shew me thy Faith without thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes In which words the Apostle puts a plaine difference betweene a dead and a liuing faith which yet we are not able to iudge of or to discerne one from another but by good workes and so speakes here of no other iustification by workes but only such as is declaratiue or demonstratiue in the sight of men as it is said here Shew me thy Faith by thy workes So that wee see here how it is the Apostles drift to discouer the true sauing liuing Faith from a false counterfeit and dead faith which notwithstanding vaine professors so much glory of Hereupon the Apostle instanceth the Faith of Abraham and Rahab which was proued to bee a liuing and sauing Faith by the fruits and effects of it Note the Apostles Context seriously and with iudgement In the 20. vers Wilt thou know O vaine man that Faith without workes is dead Was not Abraham our father iustified by workes when hee had offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar Seest thou how Faith wrought with his workes and by workes was Faith made perfect And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God Ye see then how that by workes a man is iustified and not by Faith onely First Faith without workes is dead But Abraham was iustified by Faith But by what Faith Was it a liuing and sauing Faith that Abraham had Yes How doth that appeare By his workes euen by the workes of Faith which gaue testimony to his Faith that it was a liuing sauing and iustifying Faith for by workes his Faith was made perfect not that his workes added any being of perfection to his Faith but by way of demonstration and testimony onely As we haue the like phrase in Matth. 21. 16. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfited praise not that Gods praise and glory receiued any addition of perfection by the mouth of those babes but onely in respect of the promulgation and declaration of his praise So here As also the Apostle inferreth in the next words vers 23. Thus the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse Note here how Iames varieth not one iot from the truth of the Scripture which ascribeth iustification
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 iustificaa 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 Sciptures 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 righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made to saluation Let Pontificians feare to frame such a iustification as they finde not in the Scriptures Secondly because inherent righteousnesse doth not only
angry Iudge within the conscience boyling without the world burning The righteous shall scareely be saued the sinner taken tardy where shall hee appeare To lurke shall be impossible to appeare intolerable Who shall aduise me Whence shall I expect saluation Who is he that is called the Angell of great counsell The same is Iesus The same is the Iudge betweene whose hands I tremble Pause awhile O sinner doe not despaire Hope in him whom thou fearest flye to him from whom thou hast fled O Iesus Christ for this thy name sake deale with mee according to this name looke vpon this wretch calling on thy name Therefore O Iesus bee my Iesus for thy names sake If thou shalt admit me into the large bosome of thy mercy it shall be neuer a whit the narrower for me True it is my conscience hath deserued damnation and my repentance sufficeth not for satisfaction but certaine it is that thy mercy surpasseth all misdeedes c. It is recorded of Edward the Confessor once King of this Island that lying on his death-bed his friends about him weeping he said If ye loued mee ye would forbeare weeping and reioyce rather because I goe to my Father with whom I shall receiue the ioyes promised to the faithfull not through my merits but by the free mercy of my Sauiour who sheweth mercy on whom he pleaseth Thus by these and such like testimonies of holy and deuout men not in their Rhetoricall declamations to winne applause with men but in their saddest meditations as standing in the presence yea before the dreadfull Tribunall of that iust God it may easily appeare what confidence is to be put in the best mans workes or inherent righteousnesse All these will proue but dry fewell and stubble when they come to that consuming fire to those euerlasting burnings It is an easie matter for a carnall man seduced with errour and possessed with the spirit of pride while hee is in his prosperitie and senslesse securitie as little considering as conceiuing the power of Gods wrath as Dauid speakes as little knowing the nature of sin as the terrour of Gods strict iustice to be pussed vp with an opinion of a few poore beggarly supposed good deeds Iust like our first Parents who when they had sinned and so incurred Gods eternall wrath got a few figge-leaues to couer their nakednesse and shame thinking themselues now safe and secure enough But no sooner did they heare the voyce of the Lord God comming as a Iudge towards them but for all their figge-leaues they runne and hide themselues among the Trees of the Garden Their figg-leaues quickly beganne to wither when once the fire of Gods iealousie beganne to approach But let now the brauest Pontifician of them all standing so much vpon the pantofles of inherent righteousnesse let him lav aside his carnall security his loue of the world his wilfull blindnesse hauing looked his face in the glasse of Gods Law and catechised himselfe according to the strict Canon thereof c. and let him now bethinke himselfe of an account he is to make and that presently before a most seuere and vnpartiall vncorrupt Iudge of all his thoughts words workes omissions commissions let him take into his consideration if hee haue so much grace and iudgement to consider the nature of sinne which is such as the least sinne is sufficient to damne him soule and body for euer for Hee that keepeth the whole Law and yet faileth in one point is guilty of all And the Law saith Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them Mark In all things yea such is sin as it could not be purged nor mans soule redeemed from it nor Gods wrath appeased nor his iustice satisfied but by the only death of the only son of God Tel me what that iustice is which will not be satisfied Tell me what that sin is which will not be expiated but by the extreame humiliation bloud-shedding death passion of the deerest son of the eternall God Tell me how seuere is that iustice how implacable that indignation against sin which would not spare the most immaculate Lambe of God the pure spotlesse Sonne of righteousnes euen righteousnes holines innocency it selfe These things well weighed digested in thy more refined iudgment according to the standard of the Sanctuary come now Pontifician glittering in thy white linnen of thine inherent righteousness set thy self before Gods dreadful Tribunall to receiue thy eternal doom according to thine own deseruings bring with thee all thy merits number now before the iudge of heauen earth thy many pilgrimages thy many Prayers Pater-nosters Aue-Maries Canonicall houres Shrifts Shrines adored Saints inuoked and the like But thy conscience will giue thee that all these being but will-worship and humane inuentions of which God wil say Who required these things at your hands condemned also in Esay saying Their feare towards me was taught by the precept of men they will vanish into smoke when they are tryed in Gods Test. Therefore howsoeuer the Romane-Catholicke Church preferres these her own Rites and Ceremonies and Ecclesiasticall obseruances of her own inuention as beeing more holy and more meritorious than those duties of Christian holinesse commanded and prescribed in Gods Word yet in the more sober iudgement of thine vnpartiall Conscience know that if God respect any righteousnesse at all in vs it must be that especially which himselfe hath commanded If therefore thou hast any store of these bring them with thee If thou canst Tell this Iudge that thou hast dealt truely and iustly with all men that thou hast beene liberall to the poore giuen much Almes yea perhaps bequeathed all thy goods and possessions to pious vses euen in thy life time and that not to the maintenance of a Monasticall Society of lazie and lustfull Abbey-lubbers but vpon the truly poore indigent Brethren of Christ that thou hast dispossessed and diuested thy selfe of all earthly preferment and honor so become poore for Christs sake thou hast exercised thy self with watchings fastings not as man but as the Lord hath commanded and much more than all this if thou canst alledge for thy selfe Well But all these things must now bee weighed in a iust and euen ballance not of mans imagination but of Gods strict iudgement Now will not he finde thinkest thou an infinite lightnes in thy best works will not his most pure eyes easily discerne thy most pious actions to be fraught with many imperfections defiled with the mixture of manifold corruptions as water running through a puddly chānel he will discouer in all these works of thine besids infinite defects faylings in all thy many sinister ends the pride of thy heart thy self-loue the loue of vaine 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
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 remitts neque remissa vnquam fuisse peccata nisi gratis diuinae misericordia propter Christum nemini tamen fiduciam certitudinem remissionis peccatorum suorum iactanti in ea sola quiâ—scenti 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 pietate remota 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 dubitet 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 indicious Reader to obserue the sundry passages and as it were the seuerall threads of this Copwebbe First like the painted Whoore she sets afaire 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 title before the Chapter Contra inanem Haereticorum fiduciam Against the vaine confidence of Heretickes A notable packe of cunning 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 Abâ—er 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 finnes 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 hominiad remissionem peccatorum assequendam necessarium esse vt credat certò absque vlla haesitatione propriae infirmitatis indispositionis peccata sibi esse remissa 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 á peccaetis absolui ac iustificari ex eo quod se absolui ac iustificari certò credat aut neminem verè esse iustificatum nisi qui credat se esse iustificatum hac sola 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 habiturum absoluta infallibili certitudine dixerit nisihoc 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 cansae 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 thousand such like being all but vntempered mortar to build their Castle of Vncertainty in the Ayre The conscience in this case being like the vncleane spirit in
wisedome Whereupon Augustine saith Quae incerta Quae occulta Quia Deus ignoscit talibus peccatoribus confitentibus 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 Peccaui 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 Boh◠or emptinesse whereon to build his vncertainty Besides sith 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 occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi they be the words of his vulgar Text. Whereupon he inferreth Quae occulta Quae incerta Quia Deu◠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
iustification we affirme against all Pontificians That this certainty is no probable coniecture no generall hope no plausible opinion no deceiueable perswasion no vaine and hereticall presumption no speciall reuelation no peculiar donation to this or that Saint but that this certainety is the natiue and inbred propertie of a true iustifying Faith a perswasion that cannot be deceiued common to euery true beleeuer though after a different degree and measure in some greater in some lesser in some stronger in some weaker according to the measure of Faith and the mixture and allay of humane frailty fighting one against another in euery regenerate man as lacob and Esau in the same wombe shaken with temptations not subdued sustaining long fight but euer at length victorious and when at the weakest yet it is certaine beeeuing though with vnbeliefe against hope beleeuing in hope aboue hope vnder hope For the confirmation of this truth we call the two Testaments to witnesse The Hebrewes haue three speciall words whereby they expresse the nature of true iustifying Faith as touching the certainety of it One is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Emun which signifieth Faith the roote where of is Aman which signifieth to nourish to which Dauid alludes Psal. 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and doe good so shalt thou dwell in the Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thou shalt be sed by Faith word for word as Tremelius renders it And in the sixt of Iohns Gospell the Lord ioyneth beleeuing on him and feeding on him together as both one◠As St. Augustine saith Crede manducasti Belecue and thou hast eaten Now this word which the Hebrewes vse for faith signifieth also truth or that which is firme stable or settled And what can bee more firme or certaine than truth The Prophet Esay hath a very elegant exposition of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if ye beleeue not ye shall not be established To beleeue and to bee established both comming of the same roote in the originall Hence also comes the word Amen vsed in all languages which is a note of beleeuing and assenting to the truth and as it were sealing it vnto vs. And the Apostle vseth it for a note of certainty 2 Cor. 1. 20. For all the promises of God in Christ are Yea and in him Amen c. that is Most true and certaine Faith therefore is no doubtfull coniecture or wauering hope but a most certaine beleefe firme as truth it selfe Another word vsed by the Hebrewes for Faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betach which signifieth trust security confidence and affiance This word is vsed by Esay notably to set forth the confidence and securitie of Gods Saints as Esay 32. 17 where speaking of the full reuelation of the Gospell in the comming of Christ in the flesh hee saith Then the worke of righteousnesse shall be peace and the effect of righteousnesse quietnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and assurance or securitie for euer as the vulgar Latine renders it Note here that the effect of the righteousnesse of Gods Saints is assurance and security in beleeuing The third word vsed in the Old Testament for beleeuing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chassah which signifieth so to beleeue trust or confide in God as to make him our sure sanctuary and resting place vnder whose protection the Beleeuer is safe and secure as the Chicken vnder the wing of the Hen as we reade this word vsed in Ruth 2. 12. they are the words of Boaz to Ruth The Lord recompence thy worke and a full reward be giuen thee of the Lord God of Israel vnder whose wings thou art come to trust And Dauid vseth the same word in the same phrase of speech Psal. 36. 7. How excellent is thy louing kindnesse O God! therefore the childen of men put their trust vnder the shadow of thy wings As the Lord vseth the same comparison to the vnbelceuing Iewes How often would I haue gathered you together as the Hen gathereth her Chickens vnder her wings and yee would not Thus we see the true nature of Faith as it is expressed by significant words in the Old Testament all of them setting forth the certainty and assurance of Faith in God So that the certainty which beleeuers haue of their iustification is not by any extraordinary reuelation bestowed vpon this or that Saint in particular but it is of the very essence nature of iustifying Faith it selfe and therefore in whomsoeuer this faith is there also is the certainty of Faith securely reposing it self in the bosome of Gods mercy and vnder the wings of his holy protection Come we to the new Testament where let vs begin with that excellent description which the Apostle makes of sauing and iustifying faith peculiar to the Saints of God of whom he setteth downe an ample Catalogue in the 11. Chapter to the Hebrewes Faith saith he vers 1. is the substance of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene The Greeke Text is very emphaticall and significant First therefore to acquit this faith from being that which the Pontificians would haue to be to wit a meere Historicall faith common with Reprobates and Deuils the Apostle shewes the obiect of it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things hoped for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things not seene such as the Apostle meaneth 1. Cor. 2. 9. the things which the eye hath not seene which God hath prepared for them that loue him which fall not within the reach of that faith that is common to the wicked who are altogether hopelesse and loue not the Lord Iesus Christ. Therefore the faith here described by the Apostle is the faith of Gods elect alone who onely haue the hope of eternall life Secondly this faith is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the substance as also the vulgar Latine hath it or subsistence of things hoped for that is Faith makes those things that are hoped for to be so sure and certaine as if they were already in our possession Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as an vnder-proppe or basis supporting and sustaining vs with constant patience in the assured expectation of those things hoped for as yet vnseene So that it signifieth a most stedfast vnmoueablenesse of faith As 1 Cor. 15. 58. It is called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an euidence demonstration or argument as the vulgar Latine of things not seene Now what is more sure and certaine than an euidence or plaine demonstration Whereupon St. Chrysostome vpon these words saith O what an admirable word he vseth saying the argument of things not seene for an argument or demonstration is in things most manifest Therefore faith is a vision of things not appearing and it brings vs to the same certainty to the which wee are brought by things which are seene So that neyther about the obiect of things which are seene can it bee called credulity or incredulity nor againe can
adult ad iustif cap. 19 Ignorantia prauae dispositionis cap. 18. ibid. in fine 1. Pet. 1. 19. Orig. in Leuit. Maimony in tract de sacrif offerend cap. 3. Ephes. 2. 12. Acts 8. 37. Origen super â—euit Iob 19. 27. Iohn 3. Aug. in Ioan. tract 12. c. 3. Abac. 2. 4. Iohn 20. 28. 29 * The most ancient and authenticke Creeds require explicit faith in Christ and the promises of God in him Histor. Concil Trid. lib. 2. Concil Trid. Sess. 6. cap. 9. * No rest or peace to the wicked * Certainty of faith a great aduersary to Romane-Catholickes a The Pontifician Opus operatum yoaked with Gods mercy and Christs merit b Faith of fearfull Diuels approued and commended Concil Trid. Sess. 6. Can. 12. Can. 14. Chemnitij Examen de fide Iustisic Ier. 2. 24. Soto de nat grat lib. 3. c. 10. Luther in Gen. cap. 4â— Liu. lib. 1. Doâ— 1. Soto de nat grat lib. 3. c. 10. Iudges 8. 21. Vega lib. 6. de incertitud grat cap. 2. Certainety of the true Catholicke faith opposite to Romish vncertainety Non poena sed causa facit Martyrium Euangelium facit Martyrium Cypri A troubled vnsettled conscience like the troubled sea Iude 13. Vega de incertitud grat c. 25. Concil Trid. Sess. 6. can 15. * The reason is naught if he meane that the knowledge of predestination must precede the knowledge of our iustification For we do not therefore beleeue our iustification because we must first know our predestination but we come to know our predestination by the fruit of it iustification Histor. Concil Trid. lib. 2. * Note the iudgement of some Pontificians themselues concerning their Schoole-men * As we noted before out of Vega reiecting the vulgar latine when it makes not for his turne * In this Councell of Trent if the most learned and iudicious of them had not beene ouerswayed by humane affection no doubt but the truth had preuailed in a great measure Vega lib. 9. de incertitud grat Iob 13. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Concil Trid. Sess. 6. c. 12. quoted in the Margent Rom. 〈…〉 Pro. 28. 1. Vega l. 9. de incert grat c. 11. * So Pagnin himselfe rendreth it by Vega's own confession ibid. Note here how impertinent this place is for Vega sith hee would proue by it vncertainty of faith of a mans own saluation whereas the place speakes of Daniels vncertainty of anothers saluation Multa videntur non sunt Eccle 5. 5. Aug. in Psal. 50 or 51. vers 8. * As Aug. de vera falsa poeâ—itentia c. 19 expresseth himselfe saying Poenitere est poenam tenere vt semper puniat in se vlciscendo quod commisit peccando ille poenam tenet qui semper punit quod commisisse dolet tom â— Vâ—e saâ—huumÌ„ Choâ—mah Thodâ—igneni Psal. 91. 11. Matth. 4. 6. * Though the Text be Yet 40. dayes * Deuils Iames 2. * Bulla Pii Quarti super forma iuramenti professionis fidei Affixed to their Councell of Trent a Bulla Pii Quarti P. R. super confirmatione Consilii Triden Sexti de officio delegati lib. 1. Papa est Lex animaâ—a in terris The Pope is aliuing Law vpon earth And hee is said to haue all Lawes in the cabinet of his brest as their extrauagants say Ephes. 2. 20. Reuel 8. 10. 11. Aug. Epist. lib. Epist. 130. Cirtensibus Aug. de vnitate Eccles. c. 16 Aug. de Baptismo contra Donat lib. 2. c. 3. * He excepts none no not the Bishop of Rome * Not a word of the Bishop of Romes authority ouer general Councels Those former ages were ignorant of it Aug. contra faustum Manichaeum lib. 32. cap. 19. Aug. contra Epist. Manich. quam vocant sundamenti lib. cap. 5. tom 6. Iohn 4. 42. Aug Paulinae Epist. 112. August contra Maxim Arrian Epist. lib. 3. c. 14. August Tertul. aduersuâ— Hermog lib. Chrys. in Mat. 24. hom 49. ab incerto autore Rom. 2. 29. Chrys. in Mat. 23. homil 24. Acts 19. 35. Aug. contra literas Peâ—illiani Donaâ—istae lib. 3. cap. 6. * Marc. 9. 24. * Rom. 4. 18. Tremel pascere fide Esay 7. 9. * Heb. Lachasoth Mat. 23. 37. Heb. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. in Heb. 11. 1. homil 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Theophrast 〈◊〉 5. de causis plantarum * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vega lib. 14. de peccato mortali venâ—â—li Esay 28. 16. Pro. 28. 1. Psal. 112. 7. Matth. 9. * Psal. 19. Iosh. 10. Heb. 11. 35. a Bern. Epist. 190. b He meaneth the old Martyrs of the Church that suffered for the true religion not the new Martyrs of Rome that iustly suffer for rebellion and treason Concil Trid. Sess. 6. Can. 12 13. 14. Acts 27. Acts 28. 1. Psal. 1. Chrysost. in Heb. 10. bom 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrys in Rom. c. 4. serm 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil. Ethica in fine definitionis 80. Basil. in Psal. 115. Basil. in asceâ—ica Tertul. lib. de Baptismo * Vega de incertitud grat cap. 32. 33. 34. c. Where hee takes vpon him to interpret the authorities of the Fathers making against Pontifician vncertainty Bern. eâ—ist 19â— * To wit by Christ. Iohn 5. 39. Aug. in Psal. 144. 〈…〉 Ambros. de â—aâ—n â—â—â—â— lib. 2. caâ— 7. Ambr. in â—pist ad Rom. â—aâ— 1. Theoph. in Luâ— 16. Vega lib. 9. de incertitud graâ— cap. 41. 2. Chron. 30. 18. 19. 20. vers Ad Triarios res redijt The Priests intention a Supercedeas to all certainty of faith The testimonie of a good conscience â—â—ero Godly loue a seale badge of the certaintie of saluation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seneca Heb. 12. 6. 2. Cor. 12. * Concil Trid Scs. 6. cap. 13. Phil. 2. 12. 13. Aug. de nat grat contra Pelag. cap. 33. tom 7. Aug. in Psal. 130. concio 4. Esay â—â— Aug. in Psal. 147. in prooemio Psal. 107. Concil Trid. ses 6. Can. 12. 13 Plato in Phâ—done Vega. * To wit the Trent-Fathers so vsually termed by equiuocation * By some good chance doubtlesse Vega lib. 12. de incertitud praed stinat perseuerantiae c. 2 Saul one of Vega's Elect. Aug. lib. 2. â—â—â—implic qu. 1. Greg. lib. 4. ca. 3. in 1. Reg. 9. Salomon one of Vega's Reprobates though once Elect. Salomon fell not away totally Salomons fall as not totall so not finall Eccles. 2. 3. Aug confes lib. 6. cap. 7. Numb 20. 12. Example of Iudas Matth. 10. â— Iudas had not sauing grace Aug. quaest super Genes lib. 1. qu. 117. tom 4. Aug. in Psal. 55. Aug. de haeresibus ad Quod-vult-deum lib. 6. 18. Cainites Rom. 3. 22. 23. * We are too well acquainted with your Pontifician promises â— Pet. 2. Pro. 28. 14. Bern. in Septuages serm 1. Eccles. 9. 1. Psal. 137. Aug. de bono perseuer lib. 2. cap. 16. Greg. moral 6. Predestination defined * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
the summe of all wee put on Christ hee becomes wholly ours being made vnto vs of God wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption and all in all Now true it is that this vnion is not only internall inuisible reall and peculiar to Gods elect but also externall visible nominall and common to all Christians So that although all Christians in Common as well Hypocrites and false Professors as the sincere and faithfull may claime a share in this vnion so farre forth as it is externall and visible as beeing wrought by externall and visible instruments the Word and Sacraments wherof all Christians are in common partakers yet onely the Elect and Faithfull are partakers of the internall and true reall vnion with Christ as being wrought by a most powerfull Agent the Spirit of Christ and by a most actiue instrument the Faith of Christ. So that Faith in the hand of Gods spirit is the principall yea and sole immediate instrument and meane to vnite vs vnto Christ euen as the spirit in man is the meane to vnite the body and soule together CHAP. IX Of the other Romane Catholicke euasions to elude and frustrate the euidence of Scriptures concerning sole Faith in Iustification FOrasmuch as the holy Scriptures doe abound with cleare euidences to proue our Iustification by Faith alone in the only imputation of Christs righteousnesse apprehended and applyed by Faith altogether excluding workes from hauing any thing to doe in this worke it stood therefore the Church of Rome vpon to vse all art and wit of men and Angels I meane bad Angels to blunder these Chrystall fountaines by their distinctions and to sophisticate the pure simplicitie of truth with their faire false glosses and farre-fetcht interpretations To beginne with the Epistle to the Romanes where the Apostle in setting down the doctrine of Iustification doth so often attribute Iustification to faith without workes or without the works of the Law opposing faith against works grace against merit the Law of Faith against the Law of workes as being incompatible meanes or instruments to iustification The Pontificians can easily reconcile all by vnderstanding the opposition to bee betweene Faith and eyther those workes of the Law which are ceremoniall or those which are done before a man haue Faith but not of those workes which are done in the state of grace after a man haue receiued faith as is intimated in the eight Chapter of the Sixt Session of the Councell of Trent Wherupon* Vega reckoning vp sundry opnions as of some that take those workes excluded by Paul not only for legall and ceremoniall but morall and naturall of others that say St. Paul spake of workes going before Faith and St. Iames of workes comming after Faith c. At length addes his owne opinion spun like a copweb out of the subtiltie of his owne braine and all vpon the preposition Ex diuersly taken of Paul and Iames as this quaint Franciscan hath obserued For this preposition Ex saith he in Paul signifieth merit and debt but in Iames only co-operation and co-efficiency as where Paul saith that no man is iustified ex operibus by workes hee should meane none is iustified by the merits and due deserts of his owne workes And where Iames saith That a man is iustified ex operibus by workes and not ex fide tantum by faith only he should meane that workes do concurre vnto iustification and not faith alone But wee shall not want a broome to sweep downe this subtile webb But let vs adde first another of his webs which hee also fasteneth vpon his Trent-Fathers namely That Paul speakes of the first iustification from which precedent workes are excluded And Iames of the second Iustification in which subsequent workes are included Now for Vega's first reason and note vpon the preposition Ex it is no lesse really absurd than seemingly subtile For if Paul by saying Neminem ex operibus iustificari None is iustified by workes should meane by the merit or due desert of his workes then consequently by saying hominem ex fide iustificari that a man is iustified by Faith he should meane that man is iustified by the merit and due desert of his Faith which Vega himselfe in the selfe same place denyeth Thus the nimble Spider is wrapped and intangled in his owne webbe And as for the Trent-Fathers conceipt of Pauls first and Iames second Iustification wee shall by and by see the vanitie of it For indeede the iustification which Paul ascribeth to Faith without workes and that which Iames attributeth ioyntly to workes with Faith are so different as they differ not in degrees of first and second but in a most opposite respect as much as Iustification in the sight of God differeth from Iustification in the sight of man As wee shall more plainely shew anon Now for Pauls iustification by faith without workes it is cleare that all workes are excluded without exception not onely legall and ceremoniall and morall done before the state of grace but those also done in the state of grace none are excepted of what nature soeuer Paul shuts all out from iustification for if any be iustified by workes yea by workes of grace then Abraham for Abraham is propounded not onely as a particular beleeuer but as the father and figure of all the faithfull But Abraham was not iustified by workes not by any workes not by his best workes done in the state of grace This the Apostle proues manifestly Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not instancing of Abraham but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his Faith is counted for righteousnesse So that Abraham is iustified not by working but by beleeuing To this purpose Gregory surnamed the Great Bishop of Rome vpon the seuen penitentiall Psalmes in the fourth of them to wit Psalme 51. vpon these words Et exultabit lingua mea iustitiam tuam you must pardon the vulgar barbarisme of the Latine the true English is And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousnesse saith Iustitia Dei fides est the righteousnesse of God is faith And hee instanceth Abraham Abraham beleeued God saith he and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Quia iustus ex fide viuit Because the iust doth liue by faith Si ergo iusti vita fides est consequens est eandem fidem esse iustitiam sine qua quisque esse iustus non potest If therefore the iust mans life be faith it followeth that the same faith is that righteousnesse without which no man can be iust Or saith hee the righteousnesse of God is that he will not the death of a sinner For it seems iust with man to reuenge his wrong but it is the righteousnesse of God to pardon the penitent So he As therefore Abraham is iustified so euery sonne of Abraham to wit euery beleeuer is iustified namely by faith and not by workes Now was not beleeuing Abraham a regenerate person Did he not bring forth