néedes thruste in so long a tale and the same to dilate with all the circumstaunces whereas you had no leasure to note the places of your Doctours that ye alledge in good earneste But now sir sauyng your tale and to applie it to the purpose If maister Molande as he rehersed some faultes of whiche perhappes his horse was free so he had recited all the faultes that maie be in any horse and denied theim all to bee in his horse might not Clare the Butcher haue boughte a good horse of him by negatiues But maister Molande like a subtile Sophister repeateth a many of his defaultes and suppresseth as many or more and so he begileth poore Clare the Butcher And this Sophistrie of maister Molande is youre Logike throughout all your treatise of a fewe particulars to inferre an vniuersal And this your Iade belike you thoughte to sell vnto some as simple as Clare the Butcher that could no more discerne of your diuinitie then Clare the Butcher could sée of maister Molandes Sophistrie Or els if you mente good faithe as you do pretende I must nedes saie to quitte your tale that if Clare wer not a better Butcher then you shewe your self to be a Logicien or diuine you might bothe procede in one facultie and maister Molande bee your presenter For as he solde his horse by negatiues so you haue proued that all our Religion standeth wholie vppon negatiues that we denie all thinges and affirme nothyng The Papiste Dewe obiections made againste the premisses For wheras ye haue saiede the religion of this newe reformed Churche to stande wholy by negatiues in affirmynge no one thyng more then was before vsed in the Catholike churche of Christe howe vntrue this is who seeth not when the religion of this newe reformed Church doth affirme and hath brought in many thinges as good godly and lawfull whiche before were straightly denied The aunswere It must néedes be a clerkely disputatiō wher you maie be both opponent respōdent your self wher you maie make argumētes for vs and make answere for your self But as he that aunswereth if he gett the victorie ouerthroweth him that opposeth so you taking vpon you to oppose and aunswere your self you can ouerthrowe none other but your owne self But neuer a one of these fiue obiections is holden of vs in maner and forme as it is propounded of you And therfore I would desire you henceforwarde to defende youre owne matters aswell as you can for you shall gette neither money nor thankes to plaie the Proctor for vs. The Papiste Firste it dooeth affirme that it is lawfull and bothe good and godly that Priestes shoulde take wiues and beyng firste made Priestes it is lawfull to marie The aunswere We affirme that it is vnlawfull that any manne should bee bounde to sole life whiche hath not the gifte of continence And that marriage is as honourable in ecclesiasticall ministers as in al other men whether thei were married before thei were called to that office or to whether thei marrie afterwarde Hebre. xiij j. Timoth. iij. and Tite j. The Papiste Seconde it dooeth affirme that Freers Monkes and Nonnes after their vowes made solemnely vnto God of their chaste and cōtinent life that it is lawful for theim to mary together and holde the same to be good and lawfull wedlocke The aunswere Wee affirme that who soeuer hath made a rashe and vnaduised vowe of continence whiche he is not able to keepe ought to repente him of his rashenes and rather to marrie then to burne j. Cor. 7. The Papiste Thirde it doeth affirme that a man beyng deuorced from his wise for fornicatiō may therupon marie againe and take another and so it is lawfull for hym to haue twoo wiues a liue the one in the bedde the other diuorced The aunswere Wee affirme that thei whiche are lawfully deuorced for adulterie are no more housebande and wife For the knot of marriage by lawfull deuorsemente is cleane dissolued and therefore a manne so deuorsed maie marrie and not haue twoo wiues at ones accordyng to the doctrine and right vnderstandyng of our Sauiour Christes wordes Math. v. and xix The Papiste Fowerth it doeth affirme Breade ad wine to bee the whole substaunce of the Eucharistie after the consecration The aunswere Wee affirme accordyng to the scriptures and faithe of the Churche for a thousande yeres after Christe that breade and wine remaine in the Sacrament and are necessarie there to remaine that it maie bée a Sacramente for the woorde muste come to the Elemente and so make it a Sacrament But we doe not affirme that breade and wine is the whole substaunce of the Sacrament but the bodie and blood of Christe receiued by faithe is the principall parte thereof as in Baptisme the outward Element is water but the principall part thereof is the pourgyng of our sinnes by the secrete and wōderfull workyng of the holie ghoste the Papiste Fifte it doth affirme that onely faieth iustifieth and that faieth alone is sufficient to procure and purchase for vs gods grace and mercie for the time of this present life and at the ende and terme therof life euerlastyng Beside many other like diuerse thinges that the religion of this newe reformed churche doth affirme as thinges lawfull and haue brought theim into this realme as thinges good and godly The aunswere Wee affirme that the free mercie of God in Christ is the efficient cause of our iustification whiche mercie we apprehēde by none other hande or instrumente but by faithe But that either faithe dooeth procure or purchase Gods grace or mercie by any whorthinesse of it wee vtterly denie as also that onely faithe is sufficiēte for a christian man when we teache that this faith by which we are iustified is not a solitarie faith but of necessitie accompanied with many vertues good workes although by receiuyng Goddes mercie no workes but onely faithe doeth iustifie vs. The Papiste An answere against the obiections For aunswere beside that there is no one of their affirmatiōs now by theim brought that maketh any thing ad cultum diuinum to the seruice and honouryng of god wherin true religion doth consiste as it is before proued by the diffinition therof geuen by Augustine al their affirmations doe include some negatiōs of a farre more better thing then is brought in by their affirmations The aunswere But euen nowe in the latter ende of the firste obiection you confesse that wee affirme many other thynges beside these fiue whiche you haue rehersed And now as though we had no other affirmations you conclude as your maner is that no one of our affirmatiōs maketh any thyng ad cultum diuinum to gods seruice and that all our affirmations doe include a negation of a farre better thing then is brought in by them So that when wee affirme all the articles of the Crede none of theim perteineth to Goddes seruice but rather include a negation of a farre better thing When we affirme
you and suche as you are that boaste of your free will to bee so obstinately blinde that you will not see the truthe but that wee dooe acknowledge the iuste iudgement of God in those that striue against him But to auoide al your cauilling of free will where by you goe about to amase the vnderstandyng of suche as bee simple I will firste shewe what we teache of free will and then aunswere your peuishe Sophistrie And because the name of free will is ambiguous and of diuers significations it is expediente to sette foorthe the sonderie meanynges thereof Free will is sometymes taken as it is contrary to coacted or constrained will. Sometymes as it is contrary to a seruile or bonde wille And sometymes as it is the election of that whiche seemeth good and is contrary to refusyng But in the ambiguitie of the twoo former significations all the doubte of this controuersie dooeth consiste wherof we determine after this maner That manne before his falle had free will in euery respecte he might haue chosen freely without any lette or compulsion that whiche was good in deede and acceptable to God For there was in his nature nothyng to prouoke hym to euill But man after his falle bothe in hymself and in all his posteritie hath vtterly loste that free will whiche I make the seconde meaning of the woorde and hath his will now altogether seruile and bounde so that he can will nothyng of hym self that is good and acceptable before god And therefore the scripture saieth Genesis the. vj. and viij That all the immaginations of the thoughtes of mennes hartes are onely euill continually Our sauiour Christ also Matth. xv teacheth that out of the corrupte harte of manne proceadeth all wickednesse And saincte Paule ij Corin. iij. affirmeth that we are not apte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our selues as of our selues to thinke any thyng that perteineth to the glorie of god With an infinite noumber of places beside to the same effect through out the Scripture declaryng that before we be regenerate and borne a newe wée can will nothyng but that whiche is well Neuerthelesse wee dooe not deny that a manne hath free will in the firste meanyng for although his wille is bonde and slaue vnto synne before it bee made free by the grace of God yet is it not compelled nor enforced by any externall coaction or Stoicall necessitie vnto euill but volūtarily embraceth that whiche is euill and delighteth therein and voluntarily doeth refuse goodnesse and pleaseth it self in ille doyng As for the thirde kinde of free will whiche is an appetite or election of that whiche seemeth good continueth in man after his fall but yet subiecte to Gods prouidence whereby he guideth all his externall actions but this is vnproperly called free wille and therefore maie bee well omitted in this disputation The whole matter of doubte resteth therefore in this whether a manne hath his will so free and vncorrupted that he can discerne any thyng in true godlinesse and applie hym selfe to receiue it And here in this your discourse a manne can hardely perceiue whether you defende free will simplie with the Pelagians or partly with the Papistes But this is the maner of you all to shewe your self where you dare for shame plaine Pelagians in deede for all your diuinitie of free wil is out of Aristotle and not out of Gods woorde but when you be pressed with the aucthoritie of scripture to flie to some sorie shift of defence But it is all one in a maner to confute the Pelagians and you when it is proued out of the woorde of God that the grace and goodnesse of God woorketh all together whatsoeuer is good in them that are regenerate For it is neither of hym that willeth nor of hym that runneth but of GOD onely that sheweth the mercie Therefore it is no harde mater to auoide moste of your cauillations with that one distinction of free will whiche is either free from coaction and compulsion or free from corruption and bondage vnto synne As when you wrangle of the receiuing of faithe that no manne beleueth but he that will I aunswere no manne is compelled to beleue but he that beleueth dooeth beleue willingly and of his owne accorde but that he hath a wille to beleue is not of hymself but of god For GOD dooeth not onely offer mercie to our wille but also geueth vs a wille to receiue it As saincte Paule testifieth God woorketh in vs bothe to will and to performe whatsoeuer is good and pertainyng to our saluation Phili. ij And where God giueth not a will there menne can not beleue though grace and mercie bee offered vnto theim As saincte Ihon testifieth in the. xij Chapiter of his Gospell that the Iewes after so longe preachyng and so many miracles woorkyng emong thē did not beleue in him and thei did not beleue because thei could not beleue in hym for that God accordyng to the Prophecie of Esaie had geuen theim ouer into a reprobate mynde But if euery man had free will as you defende it it mighte not bee truely saied of any menne thei could not beleue because God had blinded their iyes and hardened their harte For you holde that euery manne maie beleue that wille and that euery manne hath this wille in his owne power And the firste parte of the sentence in some respect maie be graunted that eche manne maie beleue that wille but the seconde parte is altogether false that eche manne hath this wille in his power But those onely whom God hath appoincted to saluation he maketh willyng to beleue that thei maie bee saued And whereas you quarell that Christe would haue gathered and Hierusalem would not it maketh nothyng to proue that the Iewes had power of their wille to receiue Christe whiche sainct Ihon vtterly denieth saiyng thei could not beleue And concerning the will of God and Christe you should not bee ignoraunte of that distinction whiche youre Sentiaries dooeth acknowledge That there is one will of Goddes determination and an other of his precepte or commaundement whiche thei call voluntatem signi As when GOD commaunded Abraham to kill his soonne he declared one wille by his commaundemente and yet the ende declared that he willed not the deathe of Isaac These diuerse willes are not repugnant in God neither dooeth he intende contrary thynges by theim but suche as maie well stande together For he determined to saue Isaac for his promise sake and yet to trie the obedience of Abraham by the commaundemente So when Christe preached to Hierusalem he determined to call those onely that were elect of God and yet to make the other inexcusable when he offered mercie vnto theim and they by no meanes would receiue it The reste that you adde of the consent of mannes will to bee necessarie vnto iustification is so impertinent that I muse what you meaned to speake one woorde of it For who euer saied that God woorketh in the faithe of
nothyng to dooe with a Sacrifice by those woordes it is easie to proue that you can offer vp no Sacrifice in the celebration of the Sacramente For by this woorde of Christe dooe this you can dooe no more but that whiche Christe then did But Christe did then offer no Sacrifice of his bodie therefore you can offer no Sacrifice of his bodie That Christe did then offer no Sacrifice of his bodie is manifeste by the Apostle to the Hebrues whiche often tymes testifieth that he offered hym self but ones whiche was on the Crosse Chapit vij ix x. therefore he did not offer hym self on the table at his supper as you moste falsely surmise The Papiste Fifte it dooeth denie the Sacramentes of christes churche The aunswere Wee receiue the Sacramente of Baptisme and of the Lordes Supper which onely wee finde in the scripture the other fiue whiche you call Sacramentes because we finde theim not in the scripture instituted of Christe in the nature of Sacramentes we dooe not receiue theim as Sacramentes Matrimonie Confirmation election of Ecclesiasticall ministers with their aucthoritie as wee finde theim by the woorde of God so wee retaine the pure institution of theim refusyng the corruption and superstition builded vpon them by Antichriste Extreme vnction is an idle Ceremonie and nothyng pertainyng to our tyme as I haue declared before for that cause is iustely abrogated The Papiste Sixte it doth denie the real presence of christes bodie and blood in the holy Eucharist The aunswere Wée dooe not denie the reall presence of Christes bodie to the faithe of him that receiueth worthely But the carnall and grosse immagination of transubstanciation whiche is contrary to the scriptures whiche teacheth that the bodie of christe is like vnto our bodies in all thynges synne excepted and therefore can not bee in diuerse places at one tyme and is also contrary to the doctrine openly taught in the Churche for seuen or eight hundreth yeres after Christe For Bertramus did write his treatise as some thinke to Carolus Caluus whiche liued eight hundreth yeres after Christe The Papiste Seuenth it dooeth denie that Christes Churche is visible or possible heare to bee knowen The aunswere We denie that the Churche of Christ is visible to the worlde at all tymes because our sauiour Christ prophecieth that the moste parte of the worlde should bee deceiued by false Prophetes Math. xxiiij and S. Paule prophesieth of the generall apostasie that should bee made by Antichriste Sainct Ihon also in the Reuelation sheweth that the Churche should flie into the wildernesse and all the worlde should worshippe Antichriste Apoca. xij and. xiij Wherefore the Churche is not alwaies in sight of the worlde although it bee sometyme deliuered from suche extreme persecution as it is God bee thanked at this tyme. The Papiste Eight it doeth denie the free choise and will of man. The aunswere Wée affirme that Adam by his falle loste the fredome of his will bothe in him self and from his posteritie So that a mā hath nowe no freedome of will so muche as to thinke a good thoughte ij Corin. iij. much lesse to do we any good of our selues Whiche seeyng it is the iuste iudgemente of God vpon Adam and his posteritie for synne we make not God aucthour of euil as prophane dogges doe barke against vs or rather against God but iuste in all his iudgementes and holie in all his waies But of free wille I shall haue occasion to speake more hereafter toward the latter ende of your discourse The Papiste Ninth it dooeth denie our iustification by penance by Baptisme by hope by charitie and good workes The aunswere Wée affirme with saincte Paule that a manne is iustified before God by faithe without the deedes of the lawe Rom. iij. not that deade faithe whiche saincte Iames speaketh of but a liuely and fruictefull faithe that woorketh by loue But of iustification I muste speake more hereafter The Papiste Tenth it dooeth denie the merites of all good workes Gods promises made to the contrarie notwithstandyng The aunswere Wee affirme that all good woorkes shall be rewarded by God for his promise sake but neither for worthines of them nor for the worthines of vs For the worthinesse of theim deserueth nothyng because thei are vnperfecte And our worthinesse in doyng theim dooeth merite nothyng because thei proceade of God and not of vs and secondly because our synnes are many more in noumber then our good deedes And when we haue dooen all that wee are bidden wee are vnprofitable seruauntes Luke the. xvij therefore wee deserue nothyng by theim but that GOD of his infinite mercie vouchsaueth for his promise sake in Christe to accepte them and reward them The Papiste Eleuenth it doeth denie fastyng from any one kinde of meate more then an other or vpon this daie more then an other The aunswere To teache men to abstaine from meates and marriage is the doctrine of Deuilles j. Timo. iiij Otherwise true faste we deny not but affirme and commende as hath been declared ones or twise before The Papiste Twelft it doeth denie tyme and daies of watches and praiers The aunswere We deny the superstitious obseruation of daies and tymes but wee affirme allowe and vse certaine daies and tymes appoicted for praier and godlie exercises By watches if you meane your vigiles of sainctes daies you your selues vse onely the name and not the obseruatiō of those watches Whiche although thei were vsed of olde in the Churche yet for diuers inconueniences thei were lefte of and by decree of the Counsaile Elibertinū abrogated Can. 35. The Papiste Thirtene it doeth denie the obseruation of holy and solemne promises and vowes made vnto God. The aunswere We doe not denie the obseruations of any lawfull promises made vnto GOD that are possible to bee kepte of those that make theim But wee teache menne not to bee rashe in makyng promises before thei bee sure that thei are able to performe them And if thei haue made a rash or vnaduised vowe as to abstaine from Marriage whiche thei are not able to obserue but by committyng fornication and vncleannesse wee counsaile theim to repente of their rashenesse and to retourne to the ordinaunce of GOD whiche is the remeadie of incontinence rather then to leade an abhominable life in filthinesse The Papiste Fowertene it dooeth denie the chaste life apertainyng to the order of Priesthode The aunswere We affirme that chaste life appertaineth to all menne and especially to Ecclesiasticall ministers But we do not compt marriage an vnchaste life as you doe but holie and honourable in all menne and the marriage bedde to be vndefiled Hebr. xiij And seeyng that the holie ghoste by sainct Paule in his Epistles to Timothe and Titus describyng the beste qualities required in Bishoppes and Deacons allowed marriage wee dare not presume to disalowe it or to forbidde any man from it leaste wee should teache the doctrine of Deuilles as you doe The Papiste Fiftene ie doth deny the inuocation and
is performed in infantes by the Sacramente of Baptisme And therfore to ascribe our iustification to onely faieth is not onely to deny with the Anabaptistes Baptisme of infantes but also that the Sacrament of Baptisme is needefull or necessarie for oure health and saluation Seconde iustification is qua ex homine lapso post baptismum fit conuersio ad deum wherby a man beyng fallen into sinne after Baptisme doeth retourne backe againe vnto God the whiche iustification is performed in vs by the Sacrament of penaunce and therfore the affirmation of our iustificatiō by onely faieth is a plaine denial of the Sacramente of penaunce Thirde iustification is qua ex iusto redditur quis iustior wherby a man hath increase of rightousnesse and of a rightous man before is made more rightous in the sight of God wherof speaketh sainct Ihon in his Apocalipse saiyng that he whiche is rightous muste be made more rightous VVhiche iustification is performed in vs partely by the Sacramente of Confirmation partly by the rest of Christes Sacramentes and chiefly by the Sacramente of the holy Eucharistia and more generally by al kind of good workes wherof speaketh the Apostle sainct Paule Saiyng to the Philippians doe you worke your owne saluation with feare and tremblyng And the Apostle saincte Peter in confirmation therof willeth vs to geue all diligence for to minister in our faieth vertue and in vertue knowledge in knowledge temperaunce and in temperance patience in pacience godlines in godlines brotherly loue and in brotherly loue charitie for if these are among you and plenteous they will make you that you shall be neither idle nor vnfructful in the knowledge of our lorde Iesus Christ. But he that lacketh these thinges is blinde as saieth the Apostle sainct Peter and gropeth for the waie with his hande and hath forgottē that hee was pourged from his oulde sinnes VVherefore bretheren saieth the Apostle saincte Peter geue you more diligence for to make your callyng and your election by your good workes more suer for if you doe suche thinges you shall not sinne yea and by this meanes an entring in shall be ministred vnto you abundantly in the euerlastyng kingdome of our lorde Iesus christe And by the affirmation of our iustificatiō by faieth alone they doe denie not onely the Sacrament of Baptisme of penaunce of the holie Eucharistia with the rest of Christes Sacramentes but more generally they doe denie all kinde of Good woorkes here commended and tought both by saincte Peter and sainct Paule Saincte Augustine in his booke de fide operibus gaue to vs sufficient admonition how daungerous an errour and heresie it was to put our whole iustification to faieth onely and faieth alone and saieth how vppon the mistakyng of the wordes of sainct Paule of our iustification by faieth vppon these woordes misconstrued certaine persones denied the merite of good workes vprising and springyng of faieth promising to them selues safetie and securitie of saluatien by onely faieth and faieth alone for reformation of the whiche errour Augustine saieth that the Apostles sainct Iames sainct Peter and sainct Ihon did write their Canonicall Epistles whiche admonition therof geuen by S Augustine shoulde haue sufficed both learned and Christen men The aunswere By affirmyng that onely faithe doeth iustifie we neither denie the Sacramentes to be receiued nor any good worke to be exercised as GOD and all the worlde doeth knowe For ascribyng to faith that whiche is her peculier office wee dooe not deny the offices of any other thinges that belong vnto theim As if I affirme that onely the eye doeth see I doe not denie the eare to heare or the tounge to tast or the hande to handle or the foote to goe but I denie that the eare or any other member dooeth sée saue onely the iye So affirmyng that onely faithe dooeth iustifie wee dooe not denie the Sacramentes to be seales of Goddes promises nor good woorkes to be fruites of our iustification by whiche God is glorified and our election in vs established and yet we deny that the Sacramentes or good woorkes or any other thyng in vs dooeth iustifie saue onely faithe that taketh holde of Goddes mercie by beleuyng Gods promises As it is written of Abraham not for hym onely as saincte Paule testifieth but for vs also Abraham beleued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse so that faithe doeth not iustifie vs by the merite or worthinesse therof but by Goddes imputation of righteousnes therevnto For to be iustified before GOD is not to bee righteous by any qualitie that is in vs but to be accoumpted righteous of GOD for Christes sake hauing our synnes purged by his passion But whereas you take vpon you to talke of iustification and that so substancially that you wil tell vs what all learnyng agreeth thereof you declare that youre learnyng and discretion are bothe a like For it were enough for you to speake of all your owne learning whiche you knowe and not of all learnyng in generall whiche you knowe not It is not by and by all lernyng that the Maister of the Sentence and after hym all the sentenciaries and whole rable of Papistes also doe holde There is some learnyng of the olde writers and there is some learnyng of the newe writers And the Protestantes I trust bee not voide of all learnyng It were sufficiente for you to challenge truthe though you did not boaste of all learning But seyng all learnyng is on your side as you saie your self will you giue a poore manne of small learnyng leaue to aske you one question concernyng that diuision whiche all learnyng dooeth agree of Is this your diuision of the worde of iustification Or of the thing it self whiche is Iustification If it be onely of the woorde iustification sauyng the correction of all learnyng I finde in scripture three other diuerse kindes of iustification of whiche neuer a one can be comprehended in any of your three kindes of iustification The firste is in the. Lj. Psalme Vt iustificeris in sermonibus tuis vincas cum iudicaris That thou maiest bee iustified in thy saiynges and gette the vpper hande when thou art iudged The seconde is in the eleuenth chapiter of sainct Matthew Iustificata est sapientia a filijs suis. Wisedome is iustified of her own childrē The thirde is j. Timo. iij. Deus manifestatus est in carne iustificatus est in spiritu c. God was shewed in the fleshe iustified in the spirite c. Loe heare are three seueral iustifications more then your learned diuision dooeth conteine But if you vnderstande your diuision not of the diuerses acceptions of the worde but of the thyng it self I would demaunde by what kinde of iustification the Publicane was iustified of whom our sauiour Christe dooeth testifie that he departed iustified rather then the Pharisie Luke xviij The firste kinde you saie is by Baptisme but he was not baptised the seconde you make by penaunce but he
theim whō he hath so called he hath iustified and whom soeuer he hath iustified he will glorifie eternally Roma viij And in this iustification whereby God receiueth vs into his fauour and pardonyng our sinnes imputeth rightousnes vnto vs there is no degrees for whē he doeth iustifie vs he maketh vs his children and so his children that wee are his heires and heires by adoption annexed with Christe his onely begotten soonne by nature Roma viij Wherefore althoughe faithe and good woorkes the one beyng the instrument to receiue the other beyng the fruites to shewe our iustificatiō maie ought to increase daiely in vs that are iustified Yet our iustification before GOD is not thereby increased who imputeth righteousnesse vnto vs for Christes sake alone and not for our owne worthines Wherby it is euidente how vnlike youre thirde kinde of iustification is to the iustification of God who iustifieth not the righteous but the vngodlie manne that beleueth in hym And as for the testimonie that you alledge out of the Apocalipse although it maie haue a true meanyng that he which is iuste maie bee made more iuste and he that is holie maie bee made more holie whiche is of the increase of vertues and not of iustification yet the beste interpretation accordyng to the Greke phrase is rather of continuance then increase and so it is beste translated he that is righteous lette hym be righteous still and he that is holie let hym be holie still Wherfore you se vpō how weake a foundation youre thirde kinde of iustification dooeth leane namely vpon a corrupte translation But admitte it bee so as you dooe take it there is greate difference betwene a iuste manne and a manne iustified For a iuste manne is he that is indued with the vertue of iustice whiche maie increase or diminishe in hym But a iustified manne is he whose synnes are forgiuen hym and he accoumpted rightous not for his owne worthinesse but for Christes sake therefore although the vertue of iustice which is a qualitie in hym may increase yet because in Goddes sight there is no respecte of his worthines his iustification can not increase therby For what can he be more then the soonne of GOD and inheritour with Christ of the kyngdome of heauen If you saie he maie haue greater reward that hath greater vertues I will not contende againste you so that this bee remēbred that his vertues are rewarded not as his merites but as Gods giftes for his promise sake So that a iuste or righteous man is he that exerciseth hymself in the kepyng of Goddes commaundementes so neare as God shall giue hym grace and the infirmitie of mannes corrupt nature will admitte But a iustified manne is he that hauyng no iustice or righteousnesse in hym before is accepted of God for iust his iniquities being pardoned and his sinnes couered And for them that be simple an example will make the matter plaine There are twoo menne standyng before a prince the one that hath not transgressed the princes lawes whiche maie be called a iuste manne The other that hath greuously offended and is pardoned of the prince whiche maie well bee termed a iustified manne But this difference there is to be noted in this example that before God none can bee iuste or righteous but he that is firste iustified neither can any manne be so iuste but that he offendeth in many thynges and hath neede of greate mercie Thus it is cleare how impertinētly the increase of faithe and good woorkes with tertes of Scripture belongyng thereto are of you drawne to iustification before god Wherefore by our affirmation that onely faithe iustifieth we neither denie the exercise and commoditie of christes Sacramentes nor yet the studie and practise of all good woorkes commaunded of God but rather established them when we teache that the Sacramentes are seales and confirmation of this faithe and good workes are the fruites of the same firste to the glorie of God secondly for the example af others and thirdly for assuraunce of our election to vs warde and increase of our rewarde before god And as for that whiche you alledge out of saincte Augustine whiche of all other writers is moste cleare of our iudgemente for election iustification and sainctification maketh nothyng in the worlde againste vs. For wee dooe not teache as I haue often saied that a bare faithe alone whiche is voide of good woorkes is sufficiente for our saluation but that a true liuely and fruitefull faithe onely dooeth iustifie vs before God that GOD maie haue all the glory of our saluation in Christ And that sanctification or good woorkes of necessitie must followe a iustified man whereby God maie bee glorified his neighbour profited and himself rewarded not of merite due to his woorkes but of mercie accordyng to Goddes promise And that whiche sainct Iames speaketh of faieth that it dooeth not iustifie alone he meaneth as he himselfe expoundeth of a deade faithe whiche is voide of good woorkes of an historicall faith that there is one god c. whiche the diuell beleueth not of a liuely faithe whiche worketh by charitie nor of a iustifiyng faithe whiche embraceth the mercie of God set forthe in his promises So that this saiyng of sainct Iames a man is not iustified by faithe onlie is all one with this a deade faith or an historicall faieth doth not iustifie whiche we doe alwaies affirme And whereas he speaketh of iustification by woorkes hee meaneth of argumentes proues and certeine signes to the worlde of iustification before God as it is manifest by his examples For Abraham was iustified before God by faith without respect of his workes as sainct Paule doth testifie when he beleued the promise and that the scripture saied his faithe was imputed to hym for rightousnes whiche was long before he offered his soonne Isaake but this his obedience was a triall and manifest testimonie of his iustification by faithe to all the worlde whereuppon as saincte Iames concludeth it was euident to al men how this scripture was fulfilled Abraham beleued God and it was imputed to hym for righteousnes Likewise the harlot Rahab as witnesseth the Apostle to the Hebrues the. 11. was iustified by faith when she beleued the worde of God concernyng the destruction of her Countrie and all them that did not ioigne theimselues to the people of god but she shewed the fruict of this faith when she enterteined and dismissed the spies that came to her house So that by this distinction of faithe and iustification sainct Iames agréeth with S. Paule whiche without it can neuer by reconciled For that confusion of faithe and workes which the papistes make to concurre in iustification can neuer make theim agree for sainct Paule doth flattly exclude workes from that office Wee determine saieth he that a man is iustified by faithe without the workes of the lawe Rom. 3. But this is the iudgement of both the Apostles that a liuely faithe alone doth iustifie The one
man which onely hope O Kyng thou hast geuen to miserable sinners From hym dissenteth not Basilius Magnus de humilitate hom 51. Haec enim est perfecta ac integra gloriatio in deo quando neque ob iusticiam suam quis se iactat sed nouit quidem seipsum verae iusticiae indigum esse sola autem fide in Christum iustificatum esse This is a perfecte and full reioysyng in GOD when a manne doeth not boast hymselfe of his owne rightousnes but knoweth hymselfe to be voide of true rightousnes and to bee iustified by faithe onely in christ The Papistes now adaies saieth it is greate pryde and presumption whiche Basile acknowledgeth to be true humilitie Saincte Ambrose in many places sheweth hymself to bée of the same minde as in his exhortation Ad virgines speaking of the dowrie that Christ requireth of vs to ioigne with hym in marriage Sola est fides vtrique indiscreta sexui census virorum dos virginum It is faithe onely whiche is indifferente to bothe sexes the substance of men the dowrie of virgines Also in the same worke Nam vnde mihi tantum meriti est cui indulgentia pro corona est For wheÌ„ce should I haue so greate merite when mercie is my croune And againe Non ex operibus sed ex fide vnusquisque iustificatur à domino Not by workes but by faith is euery one iustified of the lorde And in his Epistle 82. Ad Vercellenses Sola vos comitabitur fides Erit sanè etiaÌ„ iustitia comes si fides praeuia sit Onely faithe shall beare you compaignie And righteousnes also shal be your companion if faithe goeth before Also in Lucam lib. 2. Capit. 2. Nihil in hoc censu verearis terribile nihil immite nihil triste sola vnumquemque fides signat Feare nothyng in this taxyng that should bee terrible nothyng cruell nothyng sadde or heauie onely faithe doeth marke euery manne But these places you will saie are somewhat darcke You shall haue therefore them that are plaine enough Vpon the Epistle to the Romaines Chapit iij. vpon these wordes Iustificati gratis per gratiam ipsius that is Beyng iustified freely by his fauoure he writeth thus Iustificati sunt gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono dei Thei are iustified freely because without any woorkyng or requitynge thei are iustified by faithe alone by the gifte of god And vpon the iiij Chapiter Quomodo ergo Iudaei per opera legis iustificari se putant iustificatione Abrahae cum videant Abraham non ex operibus legis sed sola fide iustificatum Non ergo opus est lex quando impius per solam fidem iustificatur apud deum secundum propositum gratiae dei Sic decretum dicit à deo vt cessante lege solaÌ„ fidem gratia dei posceret ad salutem That is How dooe the Iewes thinke that thei maie bee iustified through the woorkes of the lawe by the iustification of Abraham when thei see that Abraham was not iustified by the woorkes of the lawe but by faithe alone Therefore the lawe is not necessarie seeyng the vngodly manne is iustified before GOD by faithe onely accordyng to the purpose of the grace of God for so he saith it is decreed of God that the lawe ceasyng the grace of God requireth faithe alone to saluation And in the same Chapiter Beatos dicit de quibê° hoc sanxit deus vt sine labore et aliqua obseruatione sola fide iustificentur apud deum He saieth thei are blessed of whom GOD hath decreed this thyng that without labour and any obseruation thei should bee iustified before God by faithe alone And againe Manifeste beati sunt quibus sine labore vel opere aliquo remittuntur iniquitates peccata teguntur Nulla ab his requisita poenitentiae opera nisi tantum vt credent It is manifeste that thei are happie to whoÌ„ their iniquities are forgiuen and their synnes hidde without any laboure or woorke of theirs and no workes of repentaunce required of them but onely that thei should beleue And in the. 10. chapiter Nullum opus dicit legis sed solam fidem dandam in causa Christi He saieth that no woorke of the lawe but onely faithe muste bee giuen in the cause of Christe And in the eleuenth chapiter Et quoniam versutia aduersarij cumulari peccata coeperunt vt per interdictum magis reus homo constitueretur deus clementia bonita tis suae semper homini procurans vt quod sine lege erat peccatum in lege non possit deleri hoc decreuit vt solam fidem poneret per quam omnia peccata abolerentur vt quia nulla spes per legem omnibus hominibus erat dei misericordia saluarentur And because through the subtiltie of the aduersarie synnes beganne to bee increased so that through the forbiddyng a manne was made more giltie God prouidyng alwaie for manne by the mercie of his goodnes so that that whiche was synne without the lawe and by the lawe could not bee putte awaie he decreed this to prepare onely faithe by whiche all synnes should be taken awaie that because there was no hope to all men by the lawe thei might bee saued by the mercie of god And vpon the j. Cor. Cha. j. Datam dicit gratiaÌ„ à deo in Christo Iesu quia gratia sie data est in Christo Iesu quia hoc constitutum est à deo vt qui credit in Christum saluus sit sine opere solae fide gratis accipiens remissionem peccatorum He saieth that grace is giuen from God in Iesus Christe because grace is so giuen in Christe Iesus for that it is so appoincted of God that he whiche beleueth in Christe shall bee saued without workes receiuyng forgiuenesse of his synnes freely by faithe alone And vpon the ij Cor. Chap. iij. speaking of the lawe of the Gospell Haec lex dat libertatem solam fidem poscens This lawe giueth libertie requiryng faithe alone And in the Preface before the Epistle to the Galathians Si ergo haec dicta intelligerent à lege recederent scientes à praedicatione Ioannis Baptistae legem iam cessare vt sola fides sufficiat ad salutem abbreuiata ex lege If therefore thei did vnderstande these saiynges thei would depart from the lawe knowyng that since the preachyng of IhoÌ„ the Baptiste the lawe is now ceased and faithe alone sufficeth whiche is an abbridgemente of the lawe Also vpon the third Chapiter of the Epistle to the GalathiaÌ„s Sed aliud aduersum improuida praesumptione defendunt putantes iustificationem sine operibus legis prouenire non posse cum sciant Abraham qui forma eius rei est sine operibus legis per solam fidem iustificatum But thei maintaine an other contrary thyng by vnskilfull presumption thinkyng that iustification can not bee obteined without the workes of the lawe whereas thei knowe
adminiculo euehere reuera gloria est ac misterij huius diuitiae The greate glorie of this misterie truely appeareth in the rest but muche more in these For to aduance men that are more doltishe then stones sodenly to the dignitie of Angelles simplie with bare woords and faith alone with out all helpe of workes is glorie in deede and the riches of this misterie And in the 6. Hom. Per fidem operationis dei qui exitauit eum ex mortuis Benedixit totum enim fidei est Credidistis deum exitare posse atque ita exitati estis By faith of the operation of God which raised him from the deade He hath saied well For it is all of faithe You haue beleued that God can raise you and so you are raised Againe In decretis inquit quibus decretis fide satis est credere non operibus opera sed fidei adiunxit opera In the decrées he saieth whiche decrees In faithe for it is sufficiet to beleue he ioygneth not works to workes but workes to faithe Also vppon 2. Thess. Hom. 4. Quo modo in salutē vt sanctificaret nos per spiritum Ab istis namque salutis nostrae summa dependet nusquam ab operibus nusquam à recte factis sed per fidem veritatis Howe vnto saluation that he might sanctifie vs by his spirit For herof dependeth the sume of our saluation not at al of woorkes not at all of good deedes but by faithe or belefe of the truth Also vpō the 1. Tim. Hom. 3. Id solum inquit attulimus nos quia credidimus christū nos posse saluare This onely saith he haue wee brought namely that we haue beleued that christ is able to saue vs And in the. 4. Hom. Quid igitur est ita cui difficilis habebatur fides quod inimici quod peccatores quod hi qui in lege non iustificantur neque per opera hi continuo ex fide sola primas partes meritorum consecuti sunt c. what is it ihen so that to whom faiethe seemed a harde matter because that enimies because that sinners because that they whiche colde not bee iustified by the lawe nor yet by workes these immediatly by faithe alone obtained the chief worthines And in the same place Incredibile enim videbatur siquidem homo qui omnem priorem vitam frustra atque inaniter consumpsisset duxissetque per mala opera post modum ex fide sola saluandus diceretur For it séemed an incredible thing that a manne whiche had spent all his former life vainely and to no purpose but passed it awaie in euill workes shoulde afterwarde be saide to be saued by faith alone Also the Epistle to Titus Hom. 3. Si enim credis fidei cur alia infers quasi fides iustificare non sufficiat sola If thou truste vnto faithe why bryngeste thou in other thinges as though faieth alone were not sufficient to iustifie Likewise vppon the Epistle to the Hebrues Cap. 4. Hom. 7. Accedamus cū fiducia petentes Tantum fidem adferamus omnia tribuet Lette vs approache neare with confidence makyng our petition let vs bring foorth faith onely and he geueth all thinges These testimonies dooth aboundauntly declare what Chrisostome thought of iustificatiō by faith alone Let vs now sée what sainct Ierome wil saie to the same matter First therfore against the Pelagians lib. 1. Hee writeth thus Ergo iusti sumus quando nos peccatores fatemur iustitia nostra nō ex proprio merito sed ex dei consistit misericordia Then are we rightous when we confesse our selues to bee sinners our vnrighteousnes consisteth not of our owne merite but of the mercie of god And in the. 2. boke of the same worke Manifestè ostendit non in hominis merito sed in dei gratia esse iusticiā qui sine legis operibus credentium suscipit fidem He sheweth manifestly that rightousnes is not in the merite of a manne but in the grace of God whiche receiueth the faieth of beleuers without the woorkes of the lawe Also in his Commentarie vppon Marke Chap. 14. Gratia non meritis saluati sumus à deo we are saued of God by grace and not by merites And oftentymes els where he speaketh to the same effecte but especially in the Commentarie vpon the Epistle to the Romaines whiche beareth his name Cap. 4. Conuertentem impium per solam fidem iustificat deus non opera bona quae non habuit God iustifieth the vngodly man when he conuerteth by faith alone not by good workes whiche he had not And Cap. 10. Ignorantes quod deus ex sola fide iustificat iustos se ex legis operibus quā nō custodiebant putantes c. Not knowyng that God doth iustifie by faithe alone and thinking them selues iuste by the woorkes of the lawe whiche they did not kepe Againe Talis est ille qui Christum credidit die qua credidit qualis ille qui vniuersam legem impleuit He that beleueth in christ is such a one the first daie in which he beleueth as he is that hath fulfilled all the lawe And againe Moyses distinxit in leuitico inter vtramque iusticiam fidei scilicet atque factorum quod altera operibus alterae sola fidei credulitate accedente fiat Moses in Leuiticus made distinction of both kindes of righteousnes namely of faith of déedes that the one is brought to passe by workes the other by onely beliefe of faith commyng vnto it yet againe in the same Chapiter Ergo si fides sufficit ad iusticiam confessio ad salutem inter Iudeum Gentiles credētes nulla est discretio Therfore if faith suffice to righteousnes and cōfession to saluation there is no difference betwene the Iewe and the Gentile that are beleuers And vpon the Epistle ad Gal. Cap. 1. Gratia vobis qua sola estis fide saluati Grace to you by whiche alone through faithe you are saued And Cap. 2 Non ex operibus legis sed sola fide sicut Gentes vitam in Christo inuenisse te nosti He maketh Paule speakynge to Peter saiynge Thou knowest that thou thy selfe haste founde life in Christe not by the woorkes of the lawe but by faithe alone as the Gentiles haue Again Si enim gentes fides sola non saluat nec nos quia ex operibus legis nemo iustificatur If faithe alone doth not saue the Gentiles no more doth it saue vs for no manne is iustified by the workes of the lawe And vpon these wordes of Paule In fide vino filij dei In sola fide quia nihil debeo legi antiquae Abiecta enim est gratia si mihi sola non sufficit I liue saieth Paule by the faithe of the soonne of God that is saieth Ierome by faithe alone for I owe nothing to the olde lawe For grace is cast awaie if it alone bee not sufficient for me And Cap. 3. Spiritum sanctū
sed viua illa intelligatur fides quae per dilectionem operatur In these twoo the whole lawe and the Prophetes depēdeth although it maie bee well saied that the commaundementes of God pertaine to faithe alone if not a deade faithe bee vnderstoode but that liuely faithe whiche worketh by loue And in his treatise Octoginta trium questionum lxviij Ipsa eutem gratia quae data est per fidem nullis nostris meritis data est The same grace whiche is geuen through faith is geuen to none of our merites Also Quest. lxxvi Quapropter non sunt contrariae duorum Apostolorum sententiae Pauli Iacobi cum dicit vnus iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus alius dicit inanem esse fidem fine operibus quia ille dicit de operibus quae fidem praecedunt iste de ijs quae fidem sequuntur vt etiam ipse Paulus multis locis ostendit Wherefore the sentences of the twoo Apostles Paule and Iames are not contrary when the one saieth that a manne is iustified by faithe without workes and the other saieth that faithe without workes is vaine because the one speaketh of woorkes goyng before faithe the other of suche as followe faithe as Paule hymself sheweth in many places And that true faithe can not bee without good woorkes he sheweth in his booke De fide operibus Capi. xxiij Inseperabilis quippe est bona vita a fide quae per dilectionem operatur Good life can not be separated from faith whiche worketh by loue Also in his booke De natura gratia Cap. xi Fateor dilectioni vestrae cum ista legerem repente laetitia perfusus sum quod dei gratiam non negaret per quam solam homo iustificari potest Hoc enim in disputationibus talium maximè detestor horreo I confesse vnto your charity that whē I reade these thynges I was sodainly filled with gladnes because he denighed not the grace of God by whiche a lone a man can bee iustified for that thyng in suche mennes disputations I dooe moste of all deteste and abhorre And in the Chapiter xvj Haec est fides ad quam praecepta compellū◠vt lex imperet fides impetret This is faith vnto whiche the commaundemētes doeth driue a man that the lawe commaūdeth and faithe obteineth Also vpon the. lxvij Psalme Sine bonorum operum meritis per fidem iustificatur impius The vngodlie man is iustified by faithe without the merites of good workes And vpon the 88. Psalme Et quia sola fides in Christum mundat nō credentes in Christum soluti sunt ab emundatione And because faithe alone in Christ doeth clense thei that beleue not in Christe are free from clensing But what should I tary longer in rehearsyng sentences of Augustine when so many bookes Epistles and Homelies of his are extante whiche wholie and purposely were composed for the same matter against the Pelagians Paulinus also a learned manne in saincte Augustines tyme in an Epistle written to Augustine Episto 58. Hath these woordes Quid enim sis ad salutem quae sola fide quaentur prodest in legis memoria et meditatione versari c. What doeth it profite them to bee conuersante in the remembraunce and meditation of the lawe towardes saluation whiche is sought by faithe alone Marcus Heremita an aūcient gréeke writer in his treatise of them that thinke they maie bee iustified by their woorkes writeth on this wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lorde willing to shewe that euerie commaundement is of duety and that the adoption is of gifte by his owne bloode saieth When you haue doone all thinges that are commaunded you then saie you we are vnprofitable seruauntes and wée haue doone that whiche we ought to haue doone Therfore the kingdome of heauen is not the rewarde of workes but the free gifte of the Lorde prepared for faithefull seruauntes Faustus also an auncient Bishoppe in Fraunce writyng a boke de gratia meritis libero arbitrio hath these wordes Tempus gratiae in quo redempti sumus merita hominum non expectauit opera penitus non quae siuit sola deus fidei nostrae deuotione cōtentus fuit iuxta illud apostoli credidit Abraham deo reputatum est ei ad iustitiam The tyme of grace in whiche wee are redemed did not tary for the merites of men did not require woorkes at all But god was content with the onely deuotion of our faith accordyng to the saiyng of the Apostle Abraham beleued god and it was imputed to hym for rightousnes And although Claudianus Mamertus Bishoppe of Gallia Viennensis for his error concernyng Angelles in whiche he followed sainct Augustine dooeth confute hym and Ioannes Maxentius Archebishop of Constantinople for his opiniō of grace and merites in whiche he disagréeth from S. Augustine reproueth him in his answere against the Epistle of Hormisda Archbishop of Rome yet for excludyng merites from iustification no man findeth faulte with him For the same Ioannes Maxentius cōcerning the free will of man whereupon all merites are grounded hath this catholike confession Liberum autem naturale arbitrium ad nihil aliud valere credimus nisi ad discernenda tantum desiderāda carnalia siue saecularia quae non apud deum sed apud homines possunt fortasse videri gloriosa Ad ea vero quae ad vitā aeternam pertinent nec cogitare nec velle nec desiderare nec perficere posse nisi per infusionē inoperationē intrinsecus spiritus sancti We beleue that naturall free will auaileth to nothing els but onely to discerne and desire carnal or worldly thinges which may perchaūce séeme glorious before men but not before god But for those thinges that pertaine to life euerlastynge that it can neither thinke of them nor will them nor desire thē nor performe thē but by the inward infusiō working of the holy ghost And leste the iudgemente of this Ioannes should be doubted of because he wrote againste the B. of Rome This is the same Ioannes whose confession the same Hormisida sent vnto the Bishoppes of Spaine as catholike and true Albinus the schoole maister of Carolus magnus muche later in tyme but in sentence all one with him vpon the. 119. Psalme part 19. writeth in this maner Definit in nullo homini esse praesumendum nisi in sola dei pietate quae ex miserit beatos facit ex mortuis viuos He determineth that a man must presume in nothing but in the only mercie of god which of miserable maketh vs happy of deade mē aliue Another godly man of good antiquitie not so famous in name whiche of purpose he suppressed to auoide vaine glorie in all his writinges callyng hymself Idiota is neuerthelesse of the same opiniō in diuers places of his workes especially in Regulis sancti viri Quinta regula quod in illis duodecim armis nec in quocunque alio humano remedio confidas sed in