writing in Greeke but also the holy Apostles and Evangelists have received the same And therefore these words are no otherwise to be understood than as the translations of the said Hebrew words signifying no other thing than what the Hebrew words import which as I have shewed doe never signifie to make or to be made righteous by inherent righteousnesse § II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used by the Apostle and by the Evangelist Luke sometimes as the translation of Tsiddiq in Piel as Luk. 7. 29. the people and Publicans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justified God The Lawyer Luk. 10. 29. willing to justifie himselfe The Pharisies Luk. 16. 15. justified themselves before men And so is the word used sometimes by the sonne of Sirach as Ecclus. 10. 29. who will justifie him that sinneth against his owne soule Cap. 13. 26. alias 22. A rich man speaketh things not to be spoken and yet men justifie him Sometimes the Apostle useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the translation of Hitsdiq as alwaies he doth in the question of justification and alwayes as the action of God as Rom. 3. 26. who justifieth him that beleeveth in Iesus how vers 24. gratis without any cause or desert of justification in the party without workes that is without respect of any righteousnesse inherent in him or performed by him vers 28. who justifieth the Circumcision and uncircumcision that is both Iewes and Gentiles not of workes or by inherent justice but by and through faith vers 30. who justifieth the ungodly that is the beleeving sinner that worketh not Rom. 4. 5. and therefore not by inherent righteousnesse how then by imputing righteousnesse without workes vers 6. who Rom. 8. 30. whom he calleth he justifieth namely by faith and whom he justifieth hee also glorifieth using the word in the same sense vers 33. who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who shall condemne where most manifestly the word is used as a judiciall word opposed to accusing and condemning Neither can any colour of reason be alleaged why the word in these places should signifie contrary to the perpetuall use both of it selfe and of the Hâ—…brew word whereof it is a translation to make righteous by righteousnesse inherent § III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used sometimes as the translation not of the passive verbe but as of the Neuter in Cal as I have shewed before out of the Greeke translation of the 〈◊〉 So Ecclus. 7. 5. bee not just before God not wise before the king or as it is usually translated doe not justifie thy selfe before God So also in the new Testament Rom. 3. 4. cited out of Psalm 51. 6. where the Hebrew word is not a passive but a neuter And so Apoc. 22. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him that is just be just still As the translation of the passive it is often used But as it never signifieth to be made just by inherent justice as I will shew when I come to answere the objections of the Papists so it alwayes signifieth either to be declared or pronounced just or to bee absolved and made jusâ—… by imputation In the former sense wisedome is said to bee justified of her Children Luk. 7. 37. who vers 29. justified God Christ who is God was manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3. 16. Thus by our words we shall bee justiâ—…ed not made just formally or by inherent righteousnesse but in the sense opposed to condemnation For as by thy words thou shalt bee justified so by thy words thou shalt be condemned Matth. 12. 37. Thus not the hearers alone but the doers of the Law shall bee justified that is pronounced just Rom. 2. 13. and in this sense the faithfull are justified by workes that is declared approved and knowne to bee just Iames 2. 21 23. 24 25. cum Genes 22. 12. â—…n the latter sense Ecclesiast 1. 28. alias 22. the famous man Chap. 31. 5. The lover of Gold Chap. 23. 14. alias 11. The rash swearer shall not bee justified that is as it is in the Commination of the third Commandement shall not bee held guitlesse but most plainely Chap. 26. the last verse the huckster shall not bee justified from sinne that is not absolved from sinne nor accepted as righteous So Act. 13. 38 39. where most plainely to be â—…ustified from sinne doth signifie to be absolved or freed from the guilt of sinne and is used promiscuously with remission of sinne And this sense oâ—… freedome from the guilt is â—…ometimes extended to signifie a totall freedome as Rom. 6. 7. He that is dead is justified that iâ—… as Chrysostome and Oâ—…umenius expound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is freed from sinne As these places are plainely repugnant to the Popish sense so none of the rest where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used doth favour it For either they import remission of sinnes and acceptation as righteoâ—…s as Luk. 18. 14. The Publican who had humbled himselfe and craved pardon went home justified that is obtained pardon and was accepted as righteous rather than the Pharisee who had justified himselfe or distinguish betweene justification and sanctification as 1 Cor. 6. 11. or exclude justification by inherent righteousnesse as Rom. 3. 20. Rom. 4. 2. 1 Cor. 4. 4. Gal. 5. 4. Or imply imputation as where we are said to be justified either by his blood as Rom. 5. 9. Or by faith as Rom. 5. 1. Gal. 3. 24. Or by grace as Tiâ—… 3. 7 Or both exclude the one and imply the other as Rom. 3. 24. 28. Gal. 2. 16 17. 3. 11. § IV. There remaine these two words which I mentioned before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used onely in two placâ—…s Rom. 4. 25. 5. 18. In the former it is said that Christ was delivered to death for our sinnes and was raised againe for our justificâ—…tion to whom as it is in the precedent verse righteousnesse shall bee imputed if wee beleeve on him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead for as our Saviour by his death and obedience untâ—…ll death merited for us remission of sinnes and the right to eternall life so by the acts of Christ restored to life as namely by his resurrection his merits are effectually applied and imputed to our justification For if Christ had not risen againe wee had beene still in our sinnes 1 Cor. 15. 17. In the latter place justification is in direct termes opposed to condemnation For as by the offence or transgression of one viz. the first Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the guilt which is to be supplied out of the sixteenth verse came upon all men the offspring of the first Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto condemnation so by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
upon it be cured And although their eye could not properly bee said to cure them yet because it was the onely instrument to apprehend that object which God had ordained as the onely remedy to salve them it is truely said that by onely looking upon that object they were cured Even so our Saviour Christ was lifted up upon the Crosse it is his owne similitude Ioh. 3. 14 15. that whosoever being stung by the old serpent doth but looke upon him with the eye of faith Ioh. 6. 40. may be justified and saved for although this eye of the of the soule which is faith cannot be said properly to justifie them who are sinners yet because it is â—…he onely instrument to apprehend that object which God hath ordained as the onely remedy and propitiation for our sinne it is truely said that by beleeving onely in Christ we are Iustified § IV Secondly whereas faith it selfe doth not justifie properly but the object which it doth apprehend which is Christ and his righteousnesse our meaning therefore when wee say that faith alone doth justifie can be no other but this that the righteousnesse of Christ alone which is onely apprehended by faith doth justifie us And forasmuch as this is a necessary disjunction that wee are justified either by that righteousnesse which is inherent in our selves or by that which is out of us in Christ for by some righteousnesse wee are justified and a third cannot be named it followeth therefore necessarily that if we be not justified by inherent righteousnesse then by Christs righteousnesse alone because a third righteousnesse by which we should bee justified cannot be named § V. Thirdly where wee say that Christs righteousnesse alone which is apprehended by faith alone doth justifie wee doe not meane absolutely that nothing else doth justifie but nothing in that kind viz. that the righteousnesse of Christ is the only matter of our justification and faith the onely instrument on our part by which wee are justified For otherwise as hath before beene shewed wee confesse that many things else doe justifie viz. God as the Author and principall efficient of our justification who imputethunto us the righteousnesse of his Son The holy Ghost also doth justifie us by working in us the grace of faith hy which he applyeth Christs righteousnesse unto us The Ministers also doe justifie as the instruments of the holy Ghost both by the ministry of the Gospell by which faith is begotten in us and of the Sacraments whereby the promises of the Gospell are sealed unto us And lastly good workes doe justifie as the signes and evidences whereby our faith and justification is manifested But as the matter nothing doth justifie but Christs righteousnesse and as the instrument on our part nothing but faith And in this sense wee doe constantly affirme that by Christs righteousnesse alone apprehended by faith alone wee are justified § VI. For the demonstration of our assertion I shall not need to bring many new proofes seeing that all those arguments which before I have produced but especially those which concerne the matter and forme of justification doe invincibly prove that wee are justified by the righteousnes of Christ alone being apprehended by faith alone and imputed to them that beleeve For if we be justified by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ alone and if in us there bee nothing which receiveth or maketh us partakers of Christs righteousnesse but faith onely then there is nothing in us by which we are justified but onely faith But because the Papists object heresie and novelty against us in this point I will besides some few places of Scripture and some other reasons briefly propounded produce the testimonies of the Fathers and others who have in all ages lived in the Church before these times § VII First therefore Rom. 3. 24. the word gratis freely being an exclusive particle doth import that we are justified by the grace of God and merits of Christ through faith without righteousnesse in us and therefore by faith alone Secondly Gal. 2. 16. We know that by the workes of the Law that is the righteousnesse and obedience prescribed in the Law in which all inherent righteousnesse is fully and perfectly described a man is not iustified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no otherwise but by faith non nisi per fidem as Bishop Iustinian or by faith onely as Henry Steven who well understood the Greek translateth it sed tantùm per fidem Thirdly Rom. 4. 5. the exclusive is implyed To him that worketh nor but hath beleeved that is hath onely beleeved in him who justifieth sinners his faith is imputed unto righteousnesse and so the Syriack Paraphrast readeth but hath onely beleeved Fourthly Mar. 5. 36. Luk. 8. 50. Onely beleeve To this Bellarmine answeareth That Christ speaketh of the miraculous raising of a dead body and not of the justification of a sinner for as for the obtaining of a miraculous cure he confesseth that faith doth suffice alone Thus Bellarmine in that place to serve his present tume But in the seventeenth Chapter of the same booke where hee would prove that faith doth justifie not relatively in respect of the Object but by its owne efficacie hee alleageth that the woman of Canaan procured her daughters health by the efficacie of her faith and rejecteth his owne answere in the other place Neither may it bee answered saith he that it is one thing to speake of justification and another of the curing of a bodily disease For our Lord by the very same words attributeth Vtramque sanitatem the health both of the body and the soule to faith For as he said to the woman who was a sinner Luk. 7. 50. thy faith hath saved thee so to the woman which had the bloudy issue Mat. 9. 22. thy faith hath saved thee and to the blinde man whom he restored to sight Mar. 10. 52. thy faith hath saved thee And further it is to bee thought that our Saviour when he telleth them whom he cured that their faith had saved them that is himselfe through faith had saved them looked higher than to the cure of their bodies as Mat. 9. 2. sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiven thee for sinne being the cause of their maladies the Lord to cure them tooke away the cause thereof which was the guilt of sinne § VIII All those places which exclude workes from justification doe by necessary consequence teach justification by faith alone For that we are justified by some righteousnesse is confessed of all This righteousnesse is either the righteousnesse of faith or of workes that is either the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith and that is the righteousnesse of God which without the Law is revealed in the Gospell or that righteousnesse which is inherent in our selves prescribed in the Law For neither can a third righteousnesse bee named by which we should be justified neither can wee be justified by both
God the formall cause in the word Grace the meritorious cause in the word redemption the disposing cause in the word faith all of them almost depraved or misapplyed by Bellarmine For neither is the true efficient cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he calleth vocabulo nimis diluto Gods liberality signified by the word gratis but the false 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or meritorious cause is by this word excluded and the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the merit of Christ included in the word redemption As if he had said we are justified gratâ—…s in respect of us that is without any cause or desert in us without any worthinesse of ours but not gratis in respect of Christ by whose pretious death and merits we are justified Neither by Grace is meant iustice given and infused of God which hee saith is the formall cause of justification but the grace of God as I have shewed signifieth the gracious favour of God which is not the formall cause of justification but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the efficient or moving cause Neither is redemption passively understood the meritorious cause of our justification for that as well as reconciliation or justification it selfe is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruit and effect of Christ his death and obedience which as they are the matter and meritorious cause of our justification so also the price and merit of our redemption How then are we said to be justified through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus either by a metonymy of the effect for the cause redemption being put for Christs satisfaction or paying of a price of ransome for us by which we were redeemed or else we are said to be justified by his redemption as we may be said to be justified by remission of sinnes For by Christ wee have redemption that is remission of sinnes Col. 1. 7. Ephes. 1. 14. and so Occumenius expoundeth these words by the redemption c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But how is he justified by the forgivenesse of sinnes which wee obtaine in Christ Iesu. Neither is faith the disposing cause as he saith for then a man might have a true lively justifying faith and not bee actually justified which is contrary to the Scriptures Act. 13. 39. Ioh. 5. 24. 6. 47. but the instrumentall cause which is therefore said to justifie because the object which it receiveth doth justifie in which sense the same benefits which wee receive from Christ are ascribed to faith Now the object of faith being the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him it is evident that when wee are said to bee justified by faith it is meant that wee are not justified by righteousnesse inherent but by that righteousnesse which faith doth apprehend § II. Yea but Bellarmine will prove by divers arguments that Grace in this place doth not signifie the gracious favour of God first because the favour of God was sufficiently signified by the word gratis For hee that justifieth freely doth it out of good will and liberality therefore that addition by grace doth not signifie the favour it selfe but some thing else that is to say the effect of that favour I answere that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Hebrew Chinnam is a particle exclusive of any cause price worth or desert in us which may be shewed by many examples Where it signifieth first without cause or desert As where it is said they hated me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without any cause in me or desert of mine Ioh. 15. 25. ex Psalm 35. 19. and vers 7. where Symmachus readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalm 69. 4. So Ezech. 14. 23. 1 Sam. 19. 5. 25. 31. 1 King 2. 32. Psalm 109. 3. 119. 161. Lam. 3. 52. Secondly freely without paying any price as Exod. 21. 11. Numb 11. 5. 2 Sam. 24. 24. Esai 52. 3. 5. Mat. 10. 8. Apoc. 21. 6. 22. 17. So that this exclusive particle was inserted not to set downe the true cause of justification but to exclude the false that we are justified freely without any cause in us or desert of ours or price paid by us meerely by the grace of God through the redemption which is in Iesus Christ. And thus is the word expounded by all Writers almost both Old and New and those as well Papists as Protestants Ambrose as you heard gratis saith he quia nihil operantes nec vicem reddentes sola fide justificati sunt dono Dei freely because working nothing nor making any recompence they are justified through faith alone by the gift of God Augustin Prorsus gratis das gratis salvas qui nihil invenis unde salves multum invenis unde damnes Altogether freely thou givest and freely thou savest because thou findest nothing for which thou shouldest save and thou findest much for which thou maist condemne Oecumenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely that is without any good deeds of thine thou art saved and againe as bringing nothing else but faith and after because all have sinned therefore all that beleeve in Christ are justified freely bringing onely faith to their justification Hugo Cardinalis glossa interlin gratis i. sine meritis So Thomas Aguinas and other Popish Writers yea Bellarmine himselfe to bee justified freely is to bee justified without merit without workes This particle therefore sheweth not by or for what wee are justified but by or for what wee are not justified § III. His second reason because the preposition per when it is said per gratiam being not a note as hee saith of the efficient cause is not rightly applied to the favour or good will of God which is the efficient cause but either to the formall cause or to the meritorious cause or to the instrument For wee could not well say that God doth justifie us per favorem aut per suam benevolentiam by his favour or by his good will but wee say well by grace inherent though not very well by his grace inherent for that which is inherent is ours though from him by the merit of his sonne by faith by the sacraments First I answere that the preposition is not in the originall text where the Apostle doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as noting in Bellarmines conceit the formall cause but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as noting the antecedent or moving cause which is principium actionis as is usuall in the like actions which the efficients working per se are done naturâ arte consilio or voluntate c. in which wee doe not say per naturam per artem c. And therefore this objection is very frivolous Secondly I answer that per in Latine and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke are very often applyed to the efficient cause whereof even in the New Testament there are as I suppose more examples than there bee leaves whereof some are attributed to God as Rom. 11. 36.
that most miserable had beene our estate if God had not most mercifully fuccoured us in his Son nostrâ justitiâ vacuos ejus involvisset justitia and being void of our owne righteousnesse had inwrapped us in his righteousnesse and a little after nisi ipse sua impartiretur justitia qui nostra planè destituimur quae nostram iniquitatem injustitiam tegeret David doth not say the man is blessed who hath not committed sinne nor done iniquity but blessed are they whose iniquities are mercifully forgiven of God whose sinnes he doth cover and hide with his justice Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne which he can scarcely be without or at least never is without and againe In illo c. in Christ therefore wee are justified before God not in ourselves not with our righteousnesse but with his which now is imputed to us having communion with him wanting righteousnesse in our selves we are taught extra nos in illo justitiam quaerere to seeke for righteousnesse out of ourselves in him Now saith he that our righteousnesse standeth in Christs obedience hence it is because wee being incorporated into him it is accepted of God in our behalfe as if it were ours insomuch that by it selfe we are held just And even as Iacob when not being the first borne but hiding himselfe under the habit of his brother and clothed with his garment which sent forth a fragrant smell obtayned the blessing from his Father so we that we may obtaine the blessing of righteousnesse from our heavenly Father it behoveth us to lye hid under the pretious purity of our eldest Brother to smell sweet with his odour and to have our sinnes covered with his perfection And finally he saith that if wee speake formally and properly wee are justified neither by faith nor charity but by the onely righteousnesse of God in Christ by the onely righteousnesse of Christ communicated to us and by the onely mercie of God forgiving our sinnes which saith he I have before made evident 11. Conradus Clingius maketh justification to be either imputative which we call justification or active which we call sanctification the righteousnesse of the former being wholly in Christ of the latter in us so that he differeth but in termes from us 12. The Auâ—…hors of the Booke called Antididagm Coloniens say that the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us is the principall and châ—…efe cause of our justification upon which chiefly we ought to rely and trust 13. To these we may adde the confession of our adversaries who cannot deny but that Christ his satisfaction is imputed to all that are justified or shall be saved as I have shewed before Yeâ—… this is the confession of all Christians who professe Christ to be our Saviour that the Lord accepteth the merits of Christ that is his obedience and sufferings in their behalfe as if they had performed the same in their owne persons And what is this but to impute the obedience of Christ and his sufferings unto us Doth not God accept Christs righteousnes for us or did hee not thereby satisfie for us To what end then as Bellarmine well inferreth did Christ take upon him our nature to what end and purpose did he humble himselfe to doe and to suffer so great things for us For this confession I argue thus What righteousnesse and obedience of another the Lord accepteth for us that hee imputeth to us for righteousnesse for by imputation we meane nothing else But the righteousnesse and obedience of Christ the Lord accepteth for us otherwise he could not have been our Saviour Therefore the righteousnesse and obedience of Christ is imputed to us for righteousnesse CHAP. V. The objections of the Papists against imputation § I. FIrst they cavill at the word and that in divers respects for first they say it is new Secondly they deride it calliug it justitiam putatitiam an imaginary justice Thirdly they say this assertion that wee are justified by imputation of Christs righteousnesse is no where to bee found To the first concerning novelty I answere that the word is used tenne times Rom. 4. and in the same sence that wee doe use it for accepting a man as righteous who in himselfe is a sinner verse 5. or imputing to a man righteousnesse that worketh not vers 5. or without workes vers 6. that is without respect of any righteousnesse inherent in him or performed by him besides other places of the Scriptures both in the Old Testament and in the New where the Hebrew Chashab is read with Lamed or the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a dative of the person whether in the Greeke translation of the Old Testament or in the Greeke Text of the New Examples of the Old Testament both in the Hebrew text and in the Greeke translation may bee these Gen. 15. 6. Levit. 7. 18. 17. 4. Nâ—…m 18. 27. 30. 2 Sam. 19. 19. Hebr. Psal. 32. 2. 105. 31. Prov. 17. 28. Graec. Examples of the New Testament besides those in the Epistle to the Romanes 2 Cor. 5. 19. Gal. 3 6. 2 Tim. 4. 16. Iam. 2. 23. In the Latine vulgar translation not onely the Verbe imputare and imputari are used in the same sense as 2 Chron. 30. 19. Iob 42. 8. Psalm 32. 2. Sap. 12. 1â—… Eâ—…ek 33. 16. Rom. 4. 4. 8. 5. 13. 2 Tim. 4. 16. Philem. 18. but also reputure and râ—…putari construed with a dative as Gen. 15. 6. Numb 18. 27. 30. Deut. 21. 8. â—…bsque dativo Deut. 23. 21. 24. 15. Iud. 4. 9. 2 Sam. 19. 19. 1 Chron. 21. 3. Psal. 106. 31. 1 Mac. 2. 52. Rom. 4. 3. 5. 9. 10. 11. 22. 24. Galath 3. 6. Iam. 2. 23. But say they the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a simple Verbe and the Hebrew chashab doth signifie pâ—…rare not imputarâ—… to thinke esteeme or account not to impute I answer when the Hebrew Verbe is read with Lamed or the Greeke with the dative of the person it signifieth properly to impute as in the places even now quoted and is all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word also is used by the Apostle Rom. 5. 13. Phile. 18. or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Variâ—…us doth expound it producing this example 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sinnes of the children of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Fathers that is imputeth or layeth them to their charge and so the vulgar Latine translateth the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Latine imputare as Rom. 4 4. 8. or reputare with a dative as Rom. 4. 3. 5 c. or accepta ferre as Rom 4. 6. which are all one even in the opinion of that Latine interpeter Neither should this act of imputation seeme strange seeing the practise thereof is usuall among men For as when the debtour being not able to make payment if the surety shall pay the whole summe or satisfie for the
by Faith Act. 15. 9. We overcome the world by Christ Ioh. 16. 33. We overcome the world by Faith 1 Ioh. 5. 4 5. We are the Sons of God by Christ Ephes. 1. 5. We are the Sons of God by Faith Gal. 3. 26. We have an heavenly inheritance by Christ Gal. 4. 7. We have an heavenly inheritance by Faith Act. 26. 18. We attaine to Eternall life by Christ 1 Ioh. 5. 11 12. We attaine to Eternall life by Faith Ioh. 3. 16. 5. 24. 6. 47. We are saved by Christ Ioh. 3. 17. Matth. 1. 21. We are saved by Faith Ephes. 2. 8. All which benefits are attributed to faith not absolutely but relatively in respect of the object which it doth receive being no otherwise caused or procured by faith but as it is the hand and instrument whereby we receive Christ who is our life Ioh. 14. 6. Col. 3. 6. our righteousnesse Ier. 23. 6. 1 Corinth 1. 30. our propitiation Rom. 3. 25. 1 Ioh. 2. 2. our peace Ephes. 2. 14. our sanctification Tit. 2. 14. our victorious conqueror of all the enemies of our salvation Col. 2. 14 15. our Redeemer and Saviour who also is eternall Life 1 Ioh. 5. 20. whom whosoever hath he hath eternall life 1 Ioh. 5. 11 12. § VII But if we doe not receive and embrace Christ by a lively assent at the least working in our hearts an unfained desire to be made partakers of him and in our wils a settled resolution to acknowledge him to bee our Saviour and to rest upon him alone for Salvation without this speciall apprehension and application at least in desire and intent Christ and his merits doe not availe them that are adulti and come to yeeres of discretion unlesse it be to their greater condemnation who not caring to lay hold upon Christ and to apprehend and apply his merits unto them suffer as much as in them lyeth his precious blood to be spilt in vaine as it is in vaine to them who doe not apprehend and seeke to apply it to themselves For though the obedience of Christ both active and passive bee a robe of righteousnesse and our very wedding garment to cover our nakednesse and our sinnes yet it will not cover us unlesse it bee put on Though his stripes and sufferings be a soveraigne salve to cure our soules yet it will not cure them unlesse it be applyâ—…d Though his Body be meate indeed and his Bloud bee drinke indeed to nourish us unto eternall life yet they will not yeeld nourishment unto us unlesse we eate his Body and drinke his Bloud all which is done by faith apprehending and applying Christ whereby we put on him and his righteousnesse apply the salve of his sufferings eate his Body and drinke his Bloud The which because the Papists want and wanting reject they are faine to flee to their outward formalities wherein their religion consisteth and to their opus operatum in the Sacraments as if they without a true and lively faith were able to justifie and to save them without which notwithstanding our blessed Saviour himselfe doth not availe men to salvation He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not being adultus though hee bee baptized and receive all the Sacraments of the Romance Church hee shall notwithstanding be condemned Mar. 16. 16. Ioh. 3. 18 36. It is therefore plaine and evident that the faith which doth justifie must not bee a bare assent but a lively beleefe or assent specially apprehending and embracing and in desire at the least and purpose applying Christ unto us For actuall application cannot bee made untill wee finde our selves to have the condition of the promise which is that former degree of faith which being had and finding our selves to have it wee are actually to apply the promise and by application to gather assurance which some call speciall faith § VIII Now let us see what the Papists can object against this cleare truth There are two things or rather names which they dispute against viz. fides specialis and fiducia speciall faith and affiance which dispute notwithstanding hindreth not anything which I have spoken of the nature of justifying faith as it justifieth us before God For of justification taken in a large sence there are two degrees though of that which properly is called justification before God there neither are nor can bee any degrees as I have shewed The former is the justification of a sinner before God in the Court of Heaven by imputation of Christs righteousnesse apprehended by a lively assent or beleefe The second is our justification in the Court of our owne Conscience when wee are perswaded and in some measure assured of our justification which assurance of some is called fides specialis by which wee are not first justified before God but is then wrought in us when being already justified by faith the holy Ghost the Spirit of promise shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts sealeth us after wee have beleeved Eph. 1. 13. How beit the former degree of faith is also truely called speciall both in respect of the speciall object which is Christ and in regard of the speciall effect which is the speciall apprehension or embracing of Christ not onely in the judgement by a lively assent but also in the heart that is the will and affections by a desire to bee made partaker of him and his merits and by a setled will and resolution to acknowledge him to bee our Saviour and to rely upon him alone for salvation And in this sence that faith by which we are justified before God is a speciall faith But if that onely be called speciall faith by which we are justified in our owne Consciences that is assured of our justification that assurance arising from the actuall application of the promise to our selves then I say and avouch that this speciall faith is not that by which we are justified before God For we must have a justifying faith being the condition of the promise before we can proceed to application and first wee must bee justified before God before wee can have any assurance thereof in our owne Consciences when as therefore the Papists dispute against tâ—…is speciall faith proving that by it we are not â—…ustified before God they plead besides the purpose And yet for all their proofes it is truely called a justifying faith because by it we are justified in the Court of our owne Conscience § IX The like is to be said of Fiducia or affiance which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against which the Papists hotly dispute proving that it is not of the essence of justifying faith when notwithstanding divers of their owne Writers as well as of ours have expounded credere by fidere and fides by fiducia But they should understand that many of our Writers by affiance meane assurance which is the plerophorie of faith unproperly I confesse but
Photius apud Occumenium in Rom. 4. 1. speaking of Abraham you see that he hath not so much as any footstep of works unto so great gifts from God whence then was he vouchsafed them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of faith alone 2. In Gal. 3. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherefore by faith alone they are able to obtaine the promises XXVIII Smaragdus In Gal. 3. Necesse est sola fide Christi salvari credentes XXIX Oecumenius in Gal. 3. 11. Because the righteous shall live by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for there is but one way saith hee to justifie and that is by faith 2. In Col. 2. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it is fufficient saith he to beleeve onely XXX Theophylact in Rom. 4. 5. Doth he that is to be justified bring any thing Faith onely 2. In Rom. 9. ult Fides itaque sola est faith therefore is alone and not workes with it it worketh all things and it justifyeth 3. In Gal. 3. 11. Now hee doth plainely demonstrate that faith it selfe alone hath in it the power of justifying Bellarmine answereth for this is the third place which hee would seeme to afford us out of his owne store that his meaning is that without faith nothing doth justâ—…fie But the meaning is plaine not that other things cannot justifie without faith but that faith alone without the helpe of other things is able to justifie 4. In 2 Thes. 2. 17. that God pro sola fide for faith alone will give yea those eternall good things XXXI Anselmus Cantuariensis in Rom. 4. 5. but to him that doth not the workes of the Law but without any precedent worke doth come to faith sufficit ipsa fides adjustitiam faith it selfe sufficeth unto righteousnesse 2. In 1 Cor. 1. 4. For grace is given in Christ because this is ordained of God that he which beleeveth in Christ should be saved without worke sola fide gratis by faith alone and freely receiving remission of sinnes XXXII Rupertus Tuitiensis lib. 2. in libros Regum cap. 39. The obstinate Iew persisteth in contention and contemning the faith of Christ qua sola justificare potest which alone can justifie arrogateth to himselfe numerous justice out of his workes XXXIII Bernard out of whom Bellarmine in the fourth place produceth a twofold testimony in our behalfe the former in Canticles serm 22. Whosoever hauing compunction for his sinnes doth hunger and thirst after righteousnesse let him beleeve in Thee who dost justifie the sinner solam justificatus per fidem and being justified by faith alone he shall have peace with thee 2. The other Epist. 77. speaking of Mark. 16. 16. Courteously he did not repeate but he that is not baptized shall bee condemned but onely he that beleeveth not intimating that faith sometimes alone is sufficient to salvation but without it nothing doth suffice To the former hee answereth that Bernard speaketh de viva fide of a lively faith c. as though we spake of any other If hee confesse that a lively faith doth justifie alone it is all that wee seeke For as for the dead faith wee confesse that it justifieth neither alone nor at all And therfore attribute lesse unto it than the Papists themselves To the other hee answereth that the word solam excludeth onely the necessity of Baptisme in the case of necessity Reply if sometimes it doth suffice alone to salvation then much more to justification and if baptisme which is manus dantis bee excluded then by the like reason all other things which are in us are excluded from the act of justification XXXIV Thomas Aquinas in 1 Tim. 1. lect 3. there is not therefore any hope in the morall precepts sed in sola fide but in faith alone 2. In Gal. 3. 26. Sola fides faith alone maketh men the adoptive sons of God Now that which alone maketh men the sonnes of God by adoption that alone doth justifie them XXXV Boâ—…aventure in 4. Sent. dist 15. part 1. q. 1. because man could not satisfie for so great offence therefore God gave unto him a Mediatour who should satisfie for the offenee whereupon in sola fide in the only faith of his passion all fault is remitted and without faith therof none is justified XXXVI Nicholas Gorrham in Rom. 4. If hee beleeve onely in Christ though he doe not worke his faith alone is reputed for sufficient justice XXXVII Couradus Clingius loc commun lib. 5. cap. 42. Deuâ—… justos nos reputat propter solum fidem in Christum and in the old edition cap. 117. sola fides bene sufficit adjustificationem XXXVIII The judgement of Cardinall Contarenus we heard before that wee are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to those that beleeve whereupon it necessarily followeth that in us nothing is required unto justification before God but onely faith Thus in all ages of the Church justification by faith alone was a received Doctrine untill the accursed Councell of Trent which denounceth a curse against all those who shall say that a man is justified by faith alone And yet even since that Councell the force of this truth hath expressed from the professed enemies of the Gospell a confession thereof Ben. Iustinianus in his paraphrase on Gal. 2. 16. hee rendreth it thus And yet wee are not ignorant that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law sed per unum Iesu Christi fidem but by the only faith in Christ and in his explanation he giveth this sence because we who are by nature Iewes cannot be justified by the Law sed per solam fidem but by faith alone it followeth that no mortall man can obtaine righteousnesse by the workes of the Law sed solâ—…m ex Iesu Christi fide but only by the faith of Iesus Christ. Yea Bellarmine himselfe saith that to us the merits of Christ are applyed by the Sacraments Hebrâ—…is per solum fidem to the Hebrewes by faith alone But the faithfull among the Hebrewes were justified no otherwise than Abraham was justified And as Abraham the Father of all the faithfull who was the forme and samplar of this thing was justified so are wee But Abraham was justified by faith alone therefore wee also are justified by faith onely Neither is the justification by Sacraments repugnant to justification by faith alone the meaning of our assertion being this that in us nothing concurreth to the act of justification as any cause thereof but faith onely For being justified by faith alone as Abraham was the Sacraments are added as circumcision was to him as seales of that righteousnesse which we have by faith So that faith onely justifieth before God as the hand of the receiver but the Sacraments serve to justifie the faithfull in the court of their Conscience by sealing and assuring unto them their justification CHAP. X. Bellarmines arguments that faith
renounceth speciall faith For canst thou love Christ and rejoyce in him as thy Saviour if thou be not by speciall faith perswaded that thou shalt be saved by him Seeing then unto our justification before God we are to receive Christ as hath beene said by a true and lively assent and unto justification in the court of our owne conscience by a plerophory or assured perswasion we are to apply the promises to our selves which are the peculiar acts of faith and cannot be attributed to any other grace it followeth therefore from the proper nature of faith that by it alone we are justified § VIII His second cavill is taken from the Sacraments which by our confession as he saith doe apply the promises and justification it selfe to the receiver therefore saith he faith doth not justifie alone after the manner of an instrument applying In this argument he greatly pleaseth himselfe but without cause For first when we say that faith alone doth justifie we meane that in us nothing concurreth to the act of justification with faith but without us we acknowledge many things to justifie Secondly faith justifieth alone ut manus accipientis the Sacraments ut manus dantis Thirdly faith doth actually justifie before God the Sacraments doe not justifie before God but serve to seale our justification to our owne consciences neither doe they actually conferre grace but confirme it as the seales of that righteousnesse which is by faith When as therefore the termes of washing cleansing sanctifying saving are attributed to Sacraments these phrases are to be understood Sacramentally And this is our answere as for those which Bellarmine frameth for us hee hath good leave to make or to marre them at his pleasure CHAP. XV. Bellarmines fourth principall argument taken from the manner how faith doth justifie and the fifth from the formall cause of justification § I IF Faith saith hee doth justifie as a cause as the beginning as the merit of justification then faith doth not justifie alone for love and penance and other good acts doe the like but the antecedent is true therefore the consequent I deny first the consequence of the proposition and the proofe thereof For neither love or penance nor other good acts doe either cause begin or merit justification And therefore though faith did justifie as a cause as the beginning as the merit whereby justification is obtained it might for all them justifie alone This were sufficient to overthrow his whole Dispute But all his care is to prove the assumption which hee endeavoureth in all the parts thereof And first that faith is a cause of justificatition which we doe not deny yea we affirme that nothing in us doth concurre to the act of justification as a cause thereof but faith onely But you will aske what cause We say the instrumentall onely If Bellarmine meane any other cause as no doubt but he doth he should have done well to have named it and to have proved it § II. He proveth faith to be a cause by the prepositions ex and per by and through attributed to faith whereto I answere that these particles sometimes are used to signifie the instrumentall cause As namely when we are said to be justified or saved through or by the word or the Sacraments Rom. 6. 4. Tit. 3. 5. Ioh. 17. 20. 1 Cor. 1. 21. 15. 2. Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 17. Preachers are Ministers by whom you doe beleeve 1 Cor. 3. 5. Ephes. 3. 6. And first for those plà ces wherein it is said that we are justified by faith or saved by faith Rom. 3. 28. 30. 5. 1. Ephes. 2. 8. In these and the like places saith he the preposition by or through doth signifie a true cause But he should have done well to have set downe what cause for an instrumentall cause is also a true cause The preposition per saith Bâ—…llarmine in another place is not fitly accommodated to the favour of God which is the efficient cause of justification but either to the formal as per gratiam or meritorious as permeritum filii or instrumentall cause as per fidem Sacramenta where you see by Bellarmines confession per is attributed to faith as to the instrumentall cause It is also attributed to the matter and merit as Rom. 5. 10 19. When as therefore it is also attributed to faith it cannot be attributed in the same sense as to the death and obedience of Christ in propriety of speech but of necessity it is to bee understood by a metonymy faith being put for the object of faith which is Christs righteousnesse And this manifestly appeareth when justification by the preposition is attributed both to Christ and to faith as Rom. 3. 24. 25. wee are justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the redemption which is in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith in his blood by Christ we have accesse to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith in him Eph. 3. 12. By the name of Christ we have remission of sinnes by faith in his name Act. 10. 43. 26. 18. As it is said of the cure of the creeple Act. 3. 16. that the name of Christ by faith in his name had healed him Thus I have shewed before that the same benefits of justification and salvation which properly we receive from the death and obedience of Christ are attributed to faith not properly but relatively and metonymically Not that faith it selfe worketh them but the object which it as the instrument apprehendeth § III. But Bellarmine will prove that in these and such like places the prepositions by and through doe signifie a true cause first by the contrary For when the Apostle Rom. 3. 4. Gal. 2. 3. and elsewhere doth prove that a man is not justified by workes nor by the Law without doubt he excludeth the force and efficacie of workes and of the Law in justifying and not a relative apprehension alone For no man could doubt but that the Law and works did not justifie by apprehending righteousnes relatively And therfore the saying of the Apostle had been very foolish if his meaning had beene that justice is apprehended by faith and not by the Law or workes Even as a man should speake foolishly who should say that the almes is received by the hand and not by the heele Neither did they whom the Apostle confuteth looke to be justified by their workes relatively but by the merit of them And therefore that which the Apostle denyeth to works he ascribeth to faith Answ. This manifestly proveth that the question of justification by faith or by workes is thus to bee understood whether wee are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ alone apprehended by faith which is the righteousnesse of the Gospell the righteousnesse of faith or by a righteousnesse inherent in our selves which is the righteousnesse of the Law or of workes For if the question should bee understood of faith
that the eye of the body did cure those who were stung but the brasen Serpent which was a figure of Christ beheld with the eye Nor the eye of the soule which is faith doth absolutely and by it selfe justifie or save but relatively in respect of the object which it doth behold that is to say the Lord Iesus whom God hath propounded to be a Saviour to all that see him and receive him by faith § XII His second proofe is from the speech of Christ to the woman of Canaan who had earnestly prayed unto him and would take no repulse Matth. 15. 28. O woman great is thy faith and Mar. 7. 29. for this saying goe thy way the Devill is gone out of thy daughter for here plainely saith he the efficacie of obtayning health is attributed to faith Neither may it be answered that it is one thing to speake of justification and another to speake of the cure of a bodily disease For our Lord in the very same words attributeth to faith both the one and the other For as hee said to the woman which was a sinner Luk. 7. 50. thy faith hath saved thee so in like manner to the woman whom hee cured of a bloudy issue Matth. 9. 2â—… and to the blind man whom hee restored to sight Mark 10. 52. Answer Though the woman of Canaan and the blind man by prayer obtained their desires yet it was the prayer of faith as Saint Iames calleth it which was effectuall and prevailed with Christ Iam. 5. 16. and therefore to faith I confesse the efficacie is to be ascribed And although it may well be thought that our Saviour when hee used the same words thy faith hath saved thee to the woman which had the issue of bloud and to the blind man which hee used to the sinner whose sins he had forgiven that he being the Physitian of the soule used them in the same sence to assure them of a greater blessing than the bodily cure Matth. 9. 2. yet I doe not deny but that by faith and by the prayer of faith the health both of the body and soule is obtained for as by beleeving or apprehending by faith the righteousnesse of Christ which hee had and performed for us wee are justified so by beleeving the divine power and goodnesse of Christ many were cured of their bodily diseases And yet as it was not their faith apprehending the power and goodnes of Christ which did heale them but the power and goodnesse of Christ which by faith they apprehended as it is said Act. 3. 16. his Name by faith in his name hath made this man strong so is it not our faith absolutely whereby wee apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ which doth justifie us but the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith And whereas Bellarmine will have the like efficacie to be ascribed in justifying unto faith as in obtaining bodily health I take him at his word for hereby it is evidently proved that faith alone doth justifie for our Saviour for the obtaining of bodily health required faith onely Luk. 8. 50. Mar. 5. 36. Bee not affraid Only beleeve and the like may bee gathered out of Matth. 9. 28 29. Mark 9. 23. Iohn 11. 40. § XIII His third proofe is from the example of Abraham Rom. 4. 20 21 22. In the promise also of God he staggered not by distrust but was strengthened in faith giving glory to God most fully knowing or being fully perswaded that whatsoever he promiâ—…ed he also is able to performe therefore it was also reputed to him for righteousnesse Here saith Bellarmine the Apostle rendreth tâ—…e cause why faith was reputed to Abraham for righteousnesse because by beleeving he gave glory to God Therefore that faith pleased God by which he was glorified and therefore by the mâ—…rit of that faith which notwithstanding was the gift and grace of God hee justified Abraham His reason may thus be framed Whatsoever pleaseth God meriteth justification Abrahams faith pleased God because he was glorified thereby Therefore Abrahams faith merited justification The proposition is to bee denyed for before men can please God they must bee reconciled unto him and justified by faith therefore our pleasing of God is not a cause but a fruit of our justification and it is evident that before that promise was either made to him by God or beleeved by him Abraham was justified and therefore not by the merit of that beleefe Againe where men or their actions doe please God not in and for themselves but in and for Christ in whom alone hee is well pleased there mercie is to bee ascribed unto God but not merit to them Yea but the Apostle inferreth therefore it was reputed to him for righteousnesse That argueth Gods acceptation not his merit Howbeit that place may bee understood as that Iam. 2. 23. that this was an evidence of the true faith of Abraham which was imputed to him for righteousnesse not that Abraham did then first beleeve or was then first justified and much lesse that he merited by that act of faith his justification which he had long before § XIV His fourth proofe is out of Rom. 10. 13 14. to which I answered before the thing which here hee would but doth not prove though indeed it needs no proofe is that faith by invocation obtaineth justification Howbeit the Apostle doth not there set downe the order of our justification but the series and order of the degrees of salvation beginning at our vocation unto which three degrees are referred viz. hearing of the word which presupposeth preaching and that sending upon which followeth faith and justification thereby faith bringeth forth the dueties of â—…anctification and namely invocation which sometimes and namely in that place of Ioel is put for the whole worship of God which is the forerunner of salvation but here is no snch thing either mentioned or meant that by invocation faith obtaineth justification and therefore little reason had he from thence to inferre that therfore faith doth not justifie relatively by receiving for sooth justification offered but by seeking knocking asâ—…ing and finally by invocating and impeâ—…rating it doth justifie but passing by the weakenesse of his argument I answere to that which hee inferreth that faith beggeth justification no otherwise but with relation to Christ and his merits by it received For as God forgiveth no sinnes for which Christ hath not satisfied nor accepteth any man to life for whom Christ hath not merited it so are not we to beg justification at the hands of God but in the name and mediation of Christ beseeching God for Christ his sake that forasmuch as Christ hath satisfied the justice of God for the sinnes of all that beleeve in him and hath merited salvation and all spirituall blessings in heavenly things for them that it would therefore please God to accept of Christs satisfaction and merits in our behalfe imputing unto us both his sufferings for the remission
Abraham was that is by them as by fruites and effects hee is declared and approved to bee just and not by faith professed onely Hee doth not say a man is justified by workes as causes but as the effects For that and not the other is deduced from the example of Abraham § XIII The other example is of Rahab Verse 25. For though you may thinke that you need not compare with Abraham and yet have a true justifying faith yet you will bee ashamed to bee behinde Rahab the harlot who was no sooner justified before God by faith but she was also justifyed that is declared and knowne to bee just by her worke of charity towards the Espyes which shee wrought by faith Heb. 11. 31. Concerning this example of Rahab Bellarmine hath foure Assertions of which never an one agreeth with another First That Rahab was not declared to bee just because shee was an harlot which is false For though shee had beene an harlot yet now she beleeved and by her faith was justifyed before God and by her worke which shee wrought by faith was justified as Saint Iames saith that is declared to bee just Secondly That Iames briâ—…geth the example of Rahab to prove that by good workes a righteous person is made more righteous which also is false and contrary to his former Assertion Thirdly That by this worke of mercy shee was truely justified and of a sinner made just But Rahab as Bellarâ—…ine saith was an example of the first justification and therefore of a sinner not made just by her worke but by the habit of grace infused The trueth is by faith shee was justifyed before God and by her worke shee was declared to bee just before men Fourthly That by that worke as a disposition she was prepared unto justificaâ—…ion Which agreeth neither with his third where he said that by this worke shee was truely justifyed and of a sinner made just nor with Saint â—…mes whose meaning plainely is not that shee was prepared unto justification by this worke no more than Abraham was by his but that she was declared by this worke as a fruite of her faith and a consequent of her justification as Abraham was by his workes to be justifyed before God And thus much of the two examples § XIV There remaâ—…eth his fifth Argument which is a similitude Verse 26. For as the body without the Spirit is dead so faith without workes or that faith which is without workes is dead which words also may bee two wayes expounded For either the Apostle Iames speaketh of the habit of faith or of the profession of it If of the habit then the comparison standeth thus As the body of man without the Spirit that is without breath which is the prime signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to breathe in which sense it is called the spirit of the mouth and spirit of the nostrils I say as the body without breath is dead so that saith which is without workes which are as it were the breathing of a lively faith is judged to be dead For as Bernâ—…rd also saith As we discerne the life of this body by its motion so the life of faith by workes If therefore faith it selfe be here meant wee must by Spirit understand breath and not the soule For although the Papists absurdly make charity which is a fruite of faith 1 Tim. 1. 5. to be the forme of it yet me thinkes they cannot bee so absurd as to compare faith to the body and workes to the soule as though workes which are the fruites and effects both of faith and of charity were the forme and as it were the soule of faith If by faith we understand faith professed or the profession of faith as in this discouse hitherto it hath beene used and as it is used elsewhere as Act. 14. 22. Râ—…m 1. 8. then you may understand the similiâ—…de thus As the body of man without the Spirit that is the â—…oule is dead so the profession of faith without a godly life which is as it were the life and â—…oule of our profeâ—…on is also dead For hypocrites whose life is not conformable to their profession though they have a â—…ame that they live yet they are dead Apâ—…c 3. 1. Thus by five arguments Saint Iâ—…mes hath proved that the faith which is alone and without workes is not a true and a lively but a dead and counterfeit faith and yet 〈◊〉 both here and Lib. 1. dâ—… justif cap. 15. will needs have Saint â—…ames to speake of a true faith as if he supposed that a true faith might be without workes Therefore the Popish Doctrine of justification by workes as causes thereof cannot be grounded on this Tâ—…xt of Saint Iames. § XV. Yea but will some say the contradiction is not yet salved For Saint Paul affirmeth as you say that faith alone doth justify and Saint Iames in plaine termes denyeth that a man is justifyed by faith onely I answere when we say that faith onely doth justify we doe not meane absolutely that nothing doth justify but faith in no sense whatsoever For many things may truely bee said to justify aliâ—… atque aliâ—… sensu in divers senses as I have shewed heretofore God the Father as the prime efficient Christ as the meritorious cause God as the Iudge Christ as the Advocate God as the Creditour Christ as the Surety The grace of God as the moving cause the righteousnes of Christ as the matter the imputation thereof as the forme the holy Ghost as the applying cause the Word and Sacraments as the instruments of the holy Ghost Faith as the hand of the receiver works as testimonies and signes c. but our meaning is that we are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ onely which is apprehended by faith alone and that in us nothing doth concurre to the act of justification but faith alone it being the onely instrument whereby wee receive Christ. And thus have you heard what is to be alleaged against the Papists First that their doctrine concerning justification by workes which they would build upon this Text is repugnant to the Scriptures Secondly that by their exposition they make Saint Iâ—…mes to contradict Saint Paul Thirdly that their doctrine cannot bee grounded on this Text. § XVI Now for our selves I will shew that by our exposition the seeming difference betweene the two Apostles is manifestly reconciled and that by our Doctrine their Assertions not oâ—…ely may well stand together but also must necessarily goe together The reconciliation is easily made if we consider two things first the diversity of the Parties with whom the two Apostles had to deale For the Apostle Paul having to deale with Pharisaicall Iustitiaries who sought to bee justified by a righteousnesse inherent in themselves and by an obedience performed by themselves proveth by invincible arguments that a man is justified by faith without
9 19. p Joâ—… 14. 2. q Ephes. 4. 8. r Ioh. 14 3. s Ephes. 1. 14. Luk. 21. 28. Bellâ—…rmines second cause why Christ is said to be our righteousnesse because he satisfied for us t Epist. 190. Bellarmines confession overthroweth the popish doctrine of iustification Arg. 4. because we are iustified by the bloud of Christ and by his obedience Arg. 5. because by Christs righteouinesse out sinnes are covered u ad Diognâ—…m * De iustif l. 2. cap. 11. Bellarmines first answere His second answere Reply to Bellarmines answere Conclusion a De iustif lib. 2. cap. 3. Bellarmines first allegation out of Rom. 5. 17. 18 19. b Lib. 2. c. 5. §. 1. c Ibid. §. â—… 3 c d Non in iustitia Adaminobis imputata e In locum Whether Adams sinne bee imputed e Controv. a. de orig peâ—…cat f In Râ—…m 5. in opuse de lapsu â—…ominis orig peccat c. 6. g De amiss gratiae stat pec l. 5. c. 16. h 2 Senâ—… dist 30. i De amiss gratiae 〈◊〉 peccaâ—… l. 5. c. 17. k Ibid. §. itaque l Ibid. c. 18. Reatus cum sit relatio consequens actionem qua ratione fieri potest ut existat in eo qui non est particeps actionis 〈◊〉 sio babitualis nisi precesserit actualiâ—… ne inâ—…elligi quâ—…dem potest m De amissi gratiae sâ—…atu peccat l. 4. c. 10. n Serm. de Dominica 1. poâ—…t octavas Epiphaâ—…iae o De 〈◊〉 st at pecl 4. c. 12. § est alia â—…x Anselm de conceptu c. 7. Virg. 10. ex â—…h in 1. 2. q. 81. art 1. ex Scotâ—… Durando c. in 2. sent dist 51. p Ibid. §. porro vere Whether originall corruptâ—…on be traduced from Adam q De amiss gra statu pec l. 5. c. 17. 〈◊〉 the transgrâ—…ssion be after the same mannâ—…r communicated r De iustif l. 2. c 9 §. Quartum Comparison betwixt thâ—… first and second Adam s Heb. 2. 13. This place alleaged by Bellarmine maketh not for him but most strongly against him Lib. â—… c. 2. § 1. Testimome 2. Rom. 3. 24. t Lib. 2. c. 3. §. 3. Testimonie 3. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Testimony 4. Tit. 3. 5 6 7. u Esfici mereamur * 1 Pet. 3. 21. x Rom. 4. 11. y Rom. 6. 4. 6. z Ephes. 2. 10. a Heb. 12. 14. b Act. 26. 18. Testimonie 5. Heb. 11. c. where some men have been absolutely called iust c Heb. 11. 6. d Act. 15. 9. e Gal. 5. 6. f Iaâ—… 2. 18. Bellarmines obiect that some men have been perfect g 2 Chron. 19. 7. 10. 1â—… h Luk. 1. 20. 62. Bellarmine proveth that they who are said to have been iust were endued with inherent righteousnesse i 1 Iob. 3. 7. k 1 King 3. 6. l Psal. 143. 2. m Rom. 7. 14. 23 Testim 6. Rom. 8. 29. 1 Cor. 15. 49 from whence three reasons are collected The first reason Answ. 1. to the proofe of the proposition n 1 Cor. 15. 49 Answer to the proposition it selfe o 1 Cor. 11. 32. p Deut. 8. 16. q Phil. 1. 29. r 2 Sam. 12. 14. s 2 Cor. 5 17. We doe not bearâ—…the image of Christ in râ—…spect of the righteousnesse of iustification His second reason t Rom. 16. 15. 1 Cor. 1. 2. 2 Cor. 1. 1. Phil. 1. 1. 4. 22. 1 Tim. 5. 10. His third reason Bellarmines seventh allegation Rom. 6. 4. 6. u Lib. 2. * Lib. 2. c. 2. §. â—… Bellarmines eighth allegation Such as is our adoption â—… sâ—…ch is our iustification x Lib. 3. c. 5. §. 5. 6. Bellarmines two adoptions As adoption is imputative so iustification y Lib. â—… c. 1. and lib. 2. c. 6. De iustif l. 2. c. 4. Bellarmines arguments proving iudirectly iustification by inherent iustice a Luther onely saith that faith that is Christ apprehended by faith is our righteousnesse â—…nd in the same sence 〈◊〉 that faith is inâ—…puted unto righteousnesse Bellarmines allegation of Gal. 5. 5 6. answered b Iam. 2. 14 â—… His wilfull depraving of Gal. 5. 6. c De iustif l 2. c. 5 Bellarmines corrupt interpretation refuted d Rom. 7. 5. 2 Cor. 1. 6 4. 12. Gal. 5 6. Eph 3. 20. Col 1. 29. 1 Thess. 2. 13. 2 Thess. â—… 7. Iam. â—… â—…6 e Prov. 3. 21. f Summi 1. q. 48. art 5. g â—…â—…im 1. 5. 2 Tim. 1. 5. Rom. 21. 9. Iam. 3 17. h Th ibid. Charity not the forme of faith Of the distinction of faith into 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 In the popish sence it is to be reiected for three reasons i Tit. 1. 16. k 1 Iohn 1. 4 l Iam. 2 14. The second Reason The third Reason De iustif lib. c. 6. Iustificationem nostram non constare sola remissione peccatâ—…rum a â—…ib 2. c. 1. §. Ioan Calvin Transitus à peccaâ—…o ad iustitiam c Bellarm. de iustif l. 2. c. 7. §. quar to c. 10. Deinde c. 5. §. quar to §. quòd verâ—… Bellarmines proofe that iustification con sisteth in renovation The first Rom. 4. 25. He proveth his assumption * This is denied by Cardinall Tolet in Rom. 4. annot 25 Christ. non est traditus propter deâ—…icta tanquam examplar sed tanquam vera satisfactio igitur nec resurrexisse proâ—… ter iustifi cationem dicitur tanquam exemplar sed propter ipsum iustificationem quem non essâ—…mus consecaâ—… nisi surrexisset d Rom. 5. 9. 19. e Rom. 1. 4. f Psal. 2. 7. Heb. 1. 5. Act. 13. 33. g Act. 5. 3. 31. h Rom. 5. 10. i Rom. 8 33 34. Whether renâ—…ssion and renovation be two distinct actions k Phil. 3. 9. Testimonie 2. Rom. 5. 21. l Mat. 6. 33. Testim 3. Rom. 6. 13 Testim 4. Rom. 8. 10. Testim 5. Gal. 3. 21. m Rom. 8 3 4. Testim 6. Eph. 4. 23 24. The testimony of Augustine n Lib. 6. cap. 9. o See to this purpose divers testimonies of Augustine citedby Gratian. Dist. 9. Bellarmines reasons The first His second reason p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q Rom. 8. 30. r in Psal. 100. s Degratiam lib. arb u Rom. 5. 26. His third reason Testimonies of Fathers * Lib. 2. c. 6. 8 x Lib. 4. cap. 3 §. 5. 16. x Lib. 6. c. 9. z Lib. 7. c. 6 De paritate justitiâ—… Bellarm. de iustif l. 3. c. 16. The calumniation of the Papists All the faithfull equall in righteousnesse iâ—…puted a 2 Pet. 1. 1. b Ambr. lib. 7. in Luc. c. 15. nam undecima conducis bora eqnalem dignaris mercedem solvere â—…qualem mercedem vita groriâ—… c Adv. Jovin lib. 2. d Moral l. 4. c. 42. quia una cunctis erit beatitudo laetitiae quamvis non una sit omnibus sublimitas vitâ—… Bellarmines proofe impertinent The state of the controversie The three first proofes The first a Lib. 1. c. 3. §. 7 8
A TREATISE OF IVSTIFICATION BY GEORGE DOVVNAME DOCTOR OF DIVINITY and Bishop of Dery IEREMIAH 23. 5 6. I will raise unto David a righteous branch and this is his name wherby he shall be called Iehovah our righteousnesse 2 CORINTH 5. 21. Him that knew no sinne God made sinne for us that we might become the righteousnesse of God in him LONDON Printed by Felix Kyngston for Nicolas Bourne and are to be sold at his shop at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange 1633. REVERENDISSIMO IN CHRISTO PATRI AC DOMINO D. GEORGIO ABBATO ARCHIEPISCOPO Cantuariensi dignissimo totius Angliae Primati ac Metropolitae amplissimo GEORGIVS DOVNAMVS EPISCOPVS DERENSIS HOC QVICQVID EST VOLVMINIS DE JVSTIFICATIONE Peccatoris ceu grati Animi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 summaeque observantiae amoris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicat consecratque A Preface concerning the Apostasie of the now Church of Rome THis ensuing Treatise as it cleareth the Doctrine of the Gospell in that high point concerning our title to the Kingdome of Heaven so it helpeth to discover the Apostasie of the now Church of Rome from the faith For though the Papists doe vaunt that their Church meaning especially the See of Rome is so farre from falling away from the faith that it cannot fall into errours in matters of faith yet they cannot deny but that in the latter times and namely in the time of Antichrist there should be a great defection from the faith and as it were a Catholike Apostasie whereof Antichrist was to bee the head Of this Apostasie the holy Ghost hath prophesied in divers places of the Scriptures as 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Thess. 2. 3. Mat. 24. 24. Apoc. 13. 12 14 15 16. And hath also set downe the notes and markes whereby they may bee knowne who make this Apostasie from the faith As 1. to forbid marriage 2 To command abstinence from meates both of them for religion and conscience sake 3 Idolatry for that is by spirituall fornication to fall from God Psal. 73. 27. Hos. 1. 2. 9. 1. which by the Septuagint is thus expressed Hos. 4. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. Ostentation of miracles the proper badge of the Antichristian Apostasie in these latter times 2 Thess. 2. 9. Mar. 24. 24. Apoc. 13. 14. All which notes I have proved in my Latine Treatise of Antichrist properly to agree to the now Church of Rome the forbidding of marriage and commanding abstinence from meates part 1. lib. 3. cap. 2. 3. Idolatry ibid. cap. 3. § 5. Miracles lib. 6. cap. 1. § 5. whereby it is evident that the new Church of Rome hath made this Apostasie Now let us consider in what respects the Church of Rome is revolted from the faith By faith in this question we understand not the habit or grace of faith but the Doctrine of faith Non id quo creditur not that by which we beleeve sed illud quod creditur buâ—… that which we doe beleeve In which sense the word faith is often used both in the Scriptures and also in the monuments of Ecclesiasticall writers Now the Doctrine of faith is either generall or speciall The generall are the whole canonicall Scriptures or the written Word of God in generall which is objectum fidei adaequatum the even object the rule and foundation of faith so that whatsoever doctrine is contained in the Scriptures either expressely or by necessary consequence is to bee received as a doctrine of faith and whatsoever is not so contained in the Scriptures is not dogma fidei From the holy Scriptures which God hath propounded to be the only rule of faith they are revolted unto the doctrines devices of men by changing the rule of faith which they have done divers wayes For first whereas the rule the foundation and chiefe principle of faith whereinto it is last resolved is the authority of God speaking in the holy Scriptures they have set up another rule which is the authority of the Romane Church and therein of the Pope which they make the superiour rule from which the authority of the Scriptures themselves dependeth and into which their faith is last resolved For the Pope is as they say virtually the Church and what they say in this kinde to magnifie the authority of the Church is specially to bee under stood of the Pope who onely for sooth hath an infallible judgement and not subject to errour for if you will beleeve them a generall or oecumenicall Councell without the Pope may erre but the Pope alone without a Councell cannot erre yea the authority of the Pope and Councell together is no greater than the authority of the Pope alone from whom all Councels have their authority for ab arbiâ—… pontificis tota conciliorum authoritas pendet quae tantam habent quantam Papa indulget and thus Bellarmine denieth this assertion aliquid majus est concilium cum pontifice quam pontifex solus If therefore the authoritie of the Church be greater than that of the Scriptures as they teach and if the authority of the Pope be absolutely above the Church universall as they also teach then much more is the authoritie of the Pope above the Scriptures Now whosoever taketh upon him authority above the Scriptures which are the undoubted Word of God hee is undoubtedly Antichrist whose judgement to make as the Papists plainely doe the chiefe principle of faith into which their faith is last resolved is no better thâ—…n to revoli from Christ to Antichrist Secondly they change the rule of faith by making their traditions that is such doctrines and observations as are taught and observed in the Church of Rome having no ground nor warrant in the holy Scriptures to bee the Word of God the word unwritten and a rule of faith which also they doe not onâ—…ly match with the holy Scriptures but even in many respects preferre before them and acknowledge them to bee the more entire and perfect rule of faith Thirdly they have changed the rule of faith by making those bookes canonicall which all antiquity almost yea and all succeeding ages untill the Councell of Trent following therein the judgement of Hierome did hold Apochryphall or at the most but Eeclesiasticall which might bee read in the Church for morall instruction but not as rules of faith Fourthly they change the rule of faith when in stead of the originall Text of the old and new Testaments which were penned by the Prophets and Apostles themselves they make a corrupt and that sometimes a barbarous translation of I know not whom to be the authentike text and the rule of faith preferring the vulgar Latine translation before the originall text which the penmen of the holy Ghost did write Fifthly they change the rule of faith when in stead oâ—… the true sense and mâ—…aning of the holy Scriptures expounded by the Scriptures according to the analogâ—…e of faith they obtrude the
For all they who have true faith are borne of God 1 Iohn 5. 1. Iohn 1. 12 13. And those who are once borne of God are never unborne againe but being made sonnes by faith as all the faithfull are Gal. 3. 26. they are also made heires of God and coheires with Christ Rom. 8. 17. As faith therefore is never utterly lost no more is justification For so long as wee have faith so long wee are justified But the habit of faith wee never lose though perhaps some act of faith may sometimes bee interrupted Therefore our justification is but one continued act and in that sense we are justified but once § VIII Now whereas we have defined and defended according to the Scriptures that justification is an action of God and such an action as is without us and a continued act hence we may conclude against the Papists first that neither their first nor second justification is that justification which is taught in the Scriptures Not the second for that is not Gods action but their owne who being justified before by habituall righteousnesse infused from God doe themselves as they â—…each by practising of good workes increase their righteousnesse that is justifie themselves by actuall righteousnesse as the merit of their second justification Not that wee deny that inherent righteousnesse is by practise of good workes increased but that wee hold that justification is not our owne act neither that we are justified by any righteousnesse inherent in our selves or performed by our selves nor that the righteousnesse of justification which is indeed the righteousnesse of Christ can be increased and therefore no degrees of justification Not the first which they make to bee an action of God within us working in us a reall change or positive mutation by infusion of the habits of grace and specially of charitie and confound it with habituall sanctification from which notwithstanding it is necessarily to be distinguished Secondly justification being an action of God is not to bee confounded with justification passively understood and much lesse with justice it selfe But the Papists not onely understand it passively but also confound it with inherent Iustice. Thirdly they doe not hold justification to bee one continued act from our vocation to our glorification But such an act as may not onely be interrupted ostentimes and lost for a time as they say it is by every mortall sinne and againe be renewed so oft as they goe to shrift but also that it may totally and finally bee lost Which error I have confuted at large in my Treatise of perseverance CAP. II. The efficient causes of Iustification § I. BUt in this definition besides the Genus not onely all the causes of Iustification but also the essentiall parts thereof are briefly comprised which I will now distinctly propound The causes because in the knowledge of them standeth the science of every thing the essentiall parts because in them justification it selfe consisteth The causes of justification as of all other things are foure The Efficient the Matter the Forme the End The Efficieâ—…t causes are of two sorts either principall or instrumentall The principall is God which I noted in the definition when I said it is an action of God For it is God that justifieth as the Scriptures in many places doe testifie as namely Rom. 3. 26 30. 4. 5 6. 8. 30 33. Gal. 3. 8. God I say the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost For it being an outward action of God or as the Schoolemen speake ad extra respecting the Creatures it is the common action of the whole Trinity And thus God alone as the Iudge doth justifie For he alone is the Lawgiver who hath power over our soules against whom wee sinne and by our sinne become his debtours when we transgresse his law And therefore he alone properly forgiveth sinnes as himselfe professeth Esay 43. 25. and as the Scribes and Pharisees confesse as a received truth Luk. 5. 21. For who may take upon him to remit those debts which wee owe to God It is he who reconcileth us unto himselfe in Christ not imputing our sinnes 2 Cor. 5. 19. and accepting of us in his beloved Ephes. 1. 6. It is he alone that forgiving our sinnes freeth us from hell and giveth us right to his heaveâ—…ly kingdome Which doctrine serveth first for our direction and instruction where to seeke and to sue for justification and remission of sinnes Not to any creature but to God alone in the name and mediation of Christ to whom alone our Saviour directeth us to sue for pardon Secondly it ministreth strong consolation to all the faithfull For seeing it is God that justifieth them who shall lay any thing to their charge Who shall condemne c Thirdly it sâ—…rveth for the confutation or rather condemnation of the Pope and all popish priests who take upon them power not as Ministers of the Gospell to declare and pronounce remission of sinnes but as Iudges to remit them it being a proper attribute of God Exod. 34. 7. which he appropriateth to himselfe Esay 43. 25. and which no meere man can without blasphemy arrogate to himselfe Mark 2. 7. § II. With the principall cause we are to joyne the consideration of the motives or moving causes both without God which of some are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also within himselfe which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are indeed principia agendi The former are mans misery which though it be not properly a cause but the object of mercy yet is said to bee a motive and is used as a reason to move to mercy and thence misericordia hath its name and Christs merits which properly are the procatarcticke cause of our justification besides which there is no other merit The moving causes within God are his Mercy and his Iustice which I signified in the definition when I said that justification is a most grâ—…cious and rightâ—… action os God For as in many if not in all the workes of God his mercy and justice meet together so especially in the worke of our Iustification and redemption which Cardinall Câ—…jetan e well observed The holy Scripture saith he doth not say that we are justified by grace alone but by grace and justice together but both of God that is by the grace of God and by the justice of God and not by the righteousnesse of men By grace I understand the gracious love and favour of God in Christ vouchsafed unto us in him before all secular times 2 Tim. 1. 9. in which he hath graciously accepted us in his beloved by which as we are elected and called and shall be saved so by the same we are justified and that freely without any cause in us Rom. 3. 24. Now the Lord is said to justifie us by his grace first because of his free-grace hee gave his owne Sonne to
conscience of the faithfull in the assumption according to Gods Word contained in the proposition therefore I have remission of sinnes therefore I shall be saved And in this sense Ministers are said to remit sinnes Ioh. 20. 23. and consequently to justifie when they doe pronounce remission of sinnes to them that beleeve and repent And whatsoever they doe in this behalfe upon earth according to the Word is ratified in heaven § VI. As touching the Sacraments in them first the benefit of the Messias is represented before our eyes by the outward signes whereupon the Sacrament is called Verbum visibile Secondly such is the Sacramentall union betweene the signe and the thing signified that together with the signe the thing signified that is Christ with all his merits is offered in the lawfull use of the Sacrament Thirdly the benefit of the Messias is not only offered in the lawfull use together with the signe but also conferd and given to every faithfull and worthy receiver And hereof the Sacrament is a pledge given to the beleever to assure him that as the Minister doth give unto him the signe so the Lord doth give unto him the thing signified And in this sense every Sacrament is a seale of that righteousnesse which is by faith Rom. 4. 11. annexed to the promise of the Gospell which by delivery of the Sacrament is particularly applyed to every faithfull receiver to assure him in particular of his justification and salvation by Christ. Thus the ministery of the Gospell is the meanes to beget faith and the Sacraments the instruments to confirme the same But the Papists deny both for that faith is begotten in the ministery of the Word and that so men attaine to remission of sinnes and justification they say it is a fiction of the heretikes of these times Neither doe they grant that Sacraments are seales of righteousnesse or that they were ordained to seale the promises unto us But they hold them to bee such effectuall instruments as doe by vertue inherent in themselves conferre justifying grace which they call gratiam gratum facientem ex opere operatâ—… By which doctrine a they have turned Religion into a meere outward formality according to the prophecy of them 2 Tim. 3. 5. ascribing all the degrees of salvation to be atchieved in this life viz. Vocation Iustification Sanctification to the externall use of the Sacraments so they have made their doctrine of justification to bee an idle speculation whereof in their practice there is little or no use For to what purpose doe they dispute of justification by vertuous preparations and gracious dispositions when they teach that the Sacraments doe ex opere operato that is by the very performance of the outward act justifie the receiver requiring in him neither any vertuous preparation or gracious disposition for without them hee is justified Onely this caution they doe interpose that hee doe not ponere obicem mortalis peccati that hee put not the obstacle of mortall sinne For if those things should necessarily be required then the Sacraments should conferre grace not ex opere operato as they stifly hold but ex opere operantis So much of the hand of the giver § VII The instrument on our part which is as it were manus accipientis the hand of the receiver is the grace of justifying faith which I noted in the definition when I said that the Lord imputeth the righteousnesse of Christ to a beleeving sinner Now as touching saith divers things are to be considered For first it is said to justifie not as it is a qualitie or habite in us as the Papists teach ipsa fides saith g Bellarmine censetur esse justitia faith it selfe is accounted to be justice and it â—…elfe is imputed unto righteousnesse Rom. 4. 5. for so it is a part of sanctification but as it is the instrument and as it were the hand to receive Christ who is our righteousnesse For if we should be justified by faith as it is an habit in us properly then we should be justified by habituall and inherent righteousnesse which hereafter I shall fully disproveAnd if we be not justified by it as it is an habit then much lesse as it is an act as 〈◊〉 and his followers teach as though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsum credere did properly justifie Which opinion is worse than the other For faith doth justifie as hereaster shall be proved as the instrument only but it is the instrument not as it is an act but as it is an habit producing that act and therefore it is said that we are justified by faith and that faith is imputed unto righteousnesse But if wee should bee justified by it as it is an act then we should be justified by our owne workes which hereafter is also to be confuted and further if we were justified by it as it is an act then we should be no longer justified actually than we doe actually beleeve 〈◊〉 so there should bee an intercision of justification which I proved before to be a continued act so ost as there is an intermission of the act of faith which is ridiculous Againe if wee should be justified by faith either as it is an habit or an act in sensu proprio as they speake and not relatively or metonymically then should we be justified by one habit alone or by the act of one habit and consequently by a partiall and most unperfect righteousnesse When it is certaine that all the habits and acts of grace which are in the best concurring together are not sufficient to justifie a man before God for the reasons hereafter to be delivered lib. 4. 7. It is true that faith is imputed for righteousnesse and is accepted of God as the perfect performance of the whole law but this is to bee understood relatively in respect of the object received by faith that is Christ who is the end and complement of the Law to all that beleeve insomuch that whosoever truly beleeveth in Christ hath fulfilled the Law § VIII 2. is the consequent of the former For if faith doth justifie onely as it is an hand or instrument to apprehend and receive Christ then justifying faith must be such a faith as doth apprehend receive and embrace Christ which is not done neither by the implicite nor the unformed nor the bare historical and generall faith of the Papists but it is done first by a lively and effectuall assent to the speciall doctrine concerning justification and salvation by Christ which is the condition of the Evangelicall promise and then by a sound application of the promise to our selves as having that condition For by a lively and effectuall beleefe we receive and embrace Christ not only in our judgements by a willing and firme assent being undoubtedly perswaded and assured thathe is the Saviour of all that truly beleeve in him but also in our hearts by an hungring desire
to be made partakers of him and in our wils by resolving both to acknowledge him to be our Saviour and also to rest upon him for salvation Having this lively assent which is the condition of the promise we are to apply the promise to our selves as belonging to us By the former degree we are justified before God in foro coelesti by the latter we are justified in foro conscientiae in the court of our owne conscience By the former we are justified properly by the latter we are not properly justified but are in some measure assured of our justification By the former I doe effectually beleeve that Iesus is the Saviour by the latter I doe truely beleeve that hee is my Saviour That faith therefore which doth justifie doth specially apprehend and apply Christ and the proper object of faith as it justifieth is Christ or the promise of salvation by Christ and therefore is often called faith in Christ or the faith of Christ. For although by that faith which justifieth I beleeve all the articles of Christian religion and every truth revealed by God in his word yet I am not justified properly by beleeving any other truth but onely by beleeving the truth neither is the promise of justification and salvation made to any other beleefe but onely to faith in Christ. § IX Thirdly by this faith apprehending and receiving Christ we are not prepared onely and disposed to justification as the Papists absurdly teach affirming that faith doth justifie even as servile feare doth by preparing onely and disposing for then a man indued with justifying faith might be as farre from justification as he that is possessed with servile feare But how can these two assertions be reconciled that faith doth justifie by disposing onely as a preparative diâ—…position and yet that it justifieth formally as an habit infused and as a part of inherent â—…ustice But the truth is that by a true justifying faith we are not prepared onely but wee are actually justified For no sooner doth a man beleeve by a true justifying faith but he is justified and entitled unto the kingdome of heaven As soone as he doth beleeve he is translated from death to life yea so soone he hath eternall life that is hee hath jus right unto the heavenly kingdome § X. Fourthly when wee say that faith doth justifie wee doe not meane that it justifieth absolutely or in respect of its owne worth and dignity and much lesse that it doth merit justification either as it is an habit or as it is an act but relatively in respect of the object which it doth apprehend that is Christ who is our righteousnesse For seeing faith doth receive Christ and make us partakers of him therefore all those benefits which wee receive from Christ are attributed in the holy Scriptures to Faith as to justifie to save c. not that these effects are to bee ascribed to the vertue of faith absolutely but relatively in respect of the object So when it was said to the woman thy faith hath saved thee the meaning is Christ received by faith hath saved thee Thus by the faith of Peter and Iohn the Creeple was cured Act. 3. 6. yet not by any power or holinesse of theirs vers 12. But the name of Christ that is Christ himselfe by faith in his name as the instrument did cure him vers 16. so the name of Christ by faith in his name doth justifie and save Act. 10. 43. Iohn 20. 31. And that faith doth not justifie in respect of its owne worth appeareth by this evidence because the faith of divers men though unequall in degrees doth justifie alike and therefore is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of equall value as Saint Peter speaketh of all the faithfull to whom he writeth 2 Pet. 1. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as the Latine interpreter translateth to them that have obtained coequall faith with us in the righteousnesse of our God and Saviour Iesus Christ. For it is not faith properly which doth justifie but the righteousnesse of Christ received by faith The almes received by a weake hand releeveth the party as well as that which is received by a strong hand because it is not the hand properly which releeveth but the almes And for the same cause the righteousnesse of justification is equall in all that are justified neither doth it in the same persons admit of degrees For it is the most perfect righteousnesse of Christ to which considered as created and finite nothing can bee added § XI Fifthly from hence we learne the true meaning of that question whether we be justified by faith or by workes not as opposing the inward grace of faith to the outward acts of obedience which indeed are the fruits of faith but as opposing the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith to that righteousnesse which is inherent in our selves and performed by our selves § XII Sixthly when we say that faith doth justifie alone two things are implyed First that we are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ alone apprehended by faith and not by any righteousnesse in herent in us Secondly that this righteousnesse of Christ by which alone wee are justified is apprehended by faith onely Not that justifying faith is or can bee alone but because there being many graces in the faithfull which all have their severall commendations yet none of them serveth to apprehend Christs righteousnesse but faith onely and yet that faith which is alone severed from all other inward graces and outward obedience doth not justifie either alone or at all because it is not a true and â—… lively but a counterfeit and a dead faith For even as the eye among all the parts of the body which all have their severall uses hath onely the faculty of seeing and yet that eye which is separated from the rest of the parts doth see neither alone nor at all because it is but the carcase of an eye So among all the graces of the soule it is the office of faith alone as the eye of the soule to looke upon him that was figured by the brazen Serpent yet if it should bee severed from the rest it were dead For as Saint Iames saith that faith which is alone and by it selfe is dead And as the eye in respect of being is not alone yet in respect of seeing it is alone so faith which is not alone doth justifie alone § XIII Seventhly and lastly when we say that faith doth justifie alone wee were never so absurd as the Papists absurdly charge us as if wee meant that faith alone doth sanctifie For although nothing in us doth conferre with faith to the act of justification as any cause thereof in which sense wee say it justifieth alone yet in the subject that is the party justified many graces doe concurre with faith as the necessary fruits thereof wherein as also in
〈◊〉 of one whereby hee fulfilled the Law viz. the second Adam the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or free gift opposite to the guilt of damnation which is our title and right to the kingdome of heaven commeth to all men that belong to the second Adam unto justification of life § V. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is diversâ—…y used both in the plurall number and in the singular In the plurall it hath three significations for first it signifieth Iura the Lawes or Commandements of God either in generall and indefinitely as namely where no other word of the like signiâ—…cation is joyned with it as Psalm 119. 8 12. Rom. 2. 26. Or more particularly the precepts of the ceremoniall Law And this sense is most usuall when it is joyned with words signifying other lawes or precepts For the whole Law which is called mishmereth Iehovah the observation of the Lord that is all that the Lord requireth to bee observed is often distinguished into three parts Mitsvoth whiâ—…h the Septuagint translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Commandements of the morall Law Mishpatim which they translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the precepts of the judiciall Law Chuqqim which they translate sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the statutes and ordinances of the Ceremoniall Law Insomuch that the vulgar Latine for Chuqqim rendreth many times even where the 72. have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ceremonias as Gen. 26. 5. Deut. 4. 8 14 45. 5. 1 31. 6. 1. 17. 8. 11. 10. 13. 11. 1. c. The Apostle Rom. 9. 4. calleth the Morall Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Iudiciall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ceremoniall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and accordingly the precepts of the Ceremoniall Law are called Heb. 9. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The ordinances of divine service and because they were but externall observations vers 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnall ordinances Secondly it signifieth the judgements of God Apoc. 15. 4. which by the vulgar Latine and others is translated Iudicia And as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifieth the just workes of God which are the acts of his justice so in the last place some expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc. 19. 8. to bee the just workes of the Saints and as the author of the Homilies in Saint Augustine justa facta or justè facta as the Greeke writers sometimes use the word which the Papists will needs translate justifications meaning thereby just workes and hoping thereby to prove that men are justified by them which we deny not in that sense wherein Saint Iames saith we are justified that is declared and knowne to bee just by them But if justifications bee the true translation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place then we are thereby to understand the merits of Christ by which the Saints are justified which are more fitly resembled by a garment than either inherent righteousnesse or righteous workes And is indeed called Matth. 22. 11 12. the wedding garment which garment is put on by a true faith by which the faithfull as they are exhorted Rom. 13. 14. put on Christ. Whereof Baptisme is a seale Gal. 5. 27. And this is that white garment which is to bee had from Christ to cover our nakednesse Apoc. 3. 18. Sometimes indeed the white robes doe signifie the glorious and happy estate promised to the faithfull as Apoc. 3. 4. 6. 11. 7. 9. which is purchased by the merits of Christ for which cause their robes are said to bee made white in the blood of the Lambe But here the holy Ghost expoundeth the fine linnen wherewith the Saints are arrayed to bee the justifications of the Saints which as I said are the merits and obedience of Christ put on by a true faith which being without us as garments use to be and yet being applyed unto us and put on by faith doe cover our nakednesse and therefore are more fitly resembled by fine linnen pure and shining than our owne righteousnesse which neither is without us as a garment nor yet pure but Christs righteousnesse imputed is both as a garment pure and perfect in it selfe and shineth forth by the light of good works Mat. 5. 16. § VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a verball derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to be just in which sense the precepts of God are said to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalm 19. 10. or as it signifieth to be justified In the former sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth that which is just either as the Law of God prescribing righteousnesse so the Law of nature written in the hearts of men is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 32. or as the whole righteousnesse which in the Law is prescribed and so it is used Rom. 5. 18. For as by the transgression of one viz. the first Adam whereby the whole Law was violated guilt came upon all men that were in him unto condemnation so by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one the second Adam whereby he fulfilled the whole Law the free gift which is our right and title to heaven came upon all men who are in him unto justification of life and Rom. 8. 4. God sent his Sonne the Law being impossible to be fulfilled by us in the likenesse of sinfull flesh that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that the Law requireth to justification might in our nature bee performed and fulfilled In the latter sense it is once onely used viz. Rom. 5. 16. in the same signification with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is justification vers 18. both of them being opposed to condemnation If therefore the words which the holy Ghost doth use to expresse the benefit of justification doe never signifie justification by inherent righteousnesse but the contrary as hath beene â—…hewed then that justification which the Papists teach is not that which is taught in the holy Scriptures but contrary to it § VII And the same is proved by these two reasons first because the Apostles when they expresse the benefit of justification in other termes they doe signifie the same not by such words as import infusion of righteousnesse but by such as plainely signifie either absolution from sinne which is the not imputing of sinne or imputation of righteousnesse Rom. 4. these phrases are used to signifie one and the same thing to justifie to impute righteousnesse without works vers 6. to remit sin to cover sins vers 7. not â—…o impute sin vers 8. to be justified and to be blessed and to be blessed is to have their sins remitted or covered vers 6. Rom. 5. 9 10. to bee justified by the blood of Christ and to be reconciled unto God by his death all one 2 Cor. 5. 19. to reconcile us unto himselfe not imputing our offences unto
justifications of the Saints then they justifie the Saints So may I say if the precepts of the Law be the justifications of the Lord then belike they justifie him but neither are fitly called justifications though the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may not unfitly be given both to the Law of God as the rule of justice and to the judgements of God as the acts of justice and to the good deeds of the Saints as workes of justice and also to the merits of Christ which notwithstanding doe not justifie him but us unlesse they meane that as by good workes the faithfull so by righteous commandements and just judgements God is declared and manifested to bee just And farther the law of Nature knowne to the Gentiles is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notwithstanding doth not justifie either him or them and is by the Latine interpreter unfitly translated the justice of God And moreover Bellarmine himselfe as we have heard noteth that the Law is called justification because it teacheth righteousnesse and yet not that righteousnesse by which we are justified for that without the Law is manifested in the Gospell being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that beleeve But to conclude Bellarmine had no reason to make this the first signification of the word in the Scriptures for the Hebrew word which the vulgar Latine translateth sometimes iustificationes and sometimes ceremonias in the same sense doth signifie no such matter and the Greeke which twice at the most in the Scriptures signifieth justification doth usually signifie the Law of God and his statutes and ordinances but more especially those of the ceremoniall Law which if they be any where called justifications it is to bee imputed to the corrupt translation and not to the originall truth § III. So much of the first signification The two next whereof there is no example in the Scriptures hee hath coined to fit their new-found distinction of justification it selfe which they distinguish into the first and the second The first when a man of a sinner is made just by infusion of habituall righteousnesse The second when a just man is made more just by practise of good workes Accordingly justification saith Bellarmine in the second place signifieth acquisition of righteousnesse viz. inherent which is their first justification and in the third place incrementum justitiae the encrease of justice which is their second justification which distinction if it were applied to sanctification were not to be rejected For that which they call their first justification is the first act of our sanctification which the Scriptures call â—…eration in which the holy Ghost doth ingenerate in the soule of the Elect the grace of faith and with it and by it other sanctifying graces wherein their justification which is habituall consisteth And that which they call their second justification being actuall is our new obedience by which our sanctification is continued and encreased But to justification it cannot truly be applyed for first justification is an action of God for it is God that doth justifie Their second justification is their owne act whereby they being just already make themselves more just Secondly justification as hath been said is an action of God without us not implying a reall mutation in us but relative such as is wrought by the sentence of a Iudge and is opposed to condemnation Thirdly because it is the righteousnesse of Christ by which wee are justified which is a perfect righteousnesse whereunto nothing can bee added Therefore of justification it selfe there are no degrees though of the assurance thereof there are degrees according to the measure of our faith § IV. But let us see how Bellarmine proveth his second signification To that purpose he alledgeth three testimonies of Scripture which prove nothing else but that the Papists have no sound proofe for their erronious conceit The first is taken out of 1 Cor. 6. 11. And such were you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified Where indeed the word is used but in a sense distinguished from sanctification The scope and intendment the Apostle is to exhort the Corinthians being now Christians to abstaine from those sinnes whereunto they were addicted whiles they lived in Gentilisme Such you were then saith the Apostle but now since you gave your names to Christ you were baptized into his Name and in your Baptisme were washed from those sinnes being sanctified from the corruption of them by the Spirit of God and iustified from the guilt of them in the Name of Iesus Christ that is by faith in his Name Thus therefore these three words are to bee distinguished The washing of the soule which is represented by the washing of the body is the generall word whereby the purging of the soule from sinne is generally signified Act. 22. 16. But as in sinne there are two things from which we had need to be purged that is the guilt of sinne and the corruption thereof so this ablution or washing of the soule hath two parts ablution from the guilt of sinne which is our justification ablution from the corruption of sinne which is our sanctification Both which are represented and sealed in the Sacrament of Baptisme wherein as the outward washing of the body doth represent the inward washing of the soule both from the guilt and corruption of sinne so the Element of water whereby the body is washed or sprinckled is a signe of the water and blood which issued out of Christs side whereby the soule is washed that is to say the blood of redemption and the water of sanctification for by the blood that is the merits of Christ wee are freed from the guilt of sinne and by the water that is the Spirit of sanctification wee are freed in some measure from the corruption And both these as I said are signified in Baptisme For wee are baptized into the remission of sinnes Act. 2. 38. Mar. 1. 4. Our soules being washed with the blood of Christ according to that in the Nicene Creed I beleeve one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes and wee are baptized unto the mortification of sinne and rising unto holinesse of life Rom. 6. 3 4. our soules being washed by the water of the holy Ghost For wee are baptized into the death of Christ and similitude of his resurrection that as Christ dyed and rose againe so wee that are baptized should dye unto sinne and rise to newnesse of life for which cause Baptisme also is called the Laver of regeneration Tit. 3. 5. This then is the summe and effect of the Apostles exhortation that seeing they having given their names unto Christ had been baptized into his Name and were therefore Sacramentally at the least washed and consequently both in their owne profession and opinion of others judging
in due season and without delay and not alwayes and that the clause concerning the reward of the Lord is not in the Greeke Text then can it not be denied but that Bellarmine endevoured against his owne conscience to father his errour upon the Sonne of Sirach howbeit the reason which he rendreth is Pharisaicall For unto the first justification saith he of sinners not reward but indulgence agreeth as though there were any reward of our righteousnesse which alwayes in this life is impure and imperfect Esai 64. 6. but by indulgence If thou Lord should'st marke what is amisse O Lord who shall stand but with thee there is mercy or indulgence that thou maist be feared Psal. 130. 3 4. To them that love God and keepe his Commandements the Lord sheweth mercy Exod. 20.6 To thee Lord mercie for thou reward'st a man meaning the godly man according to his works Psalm 62. 12. which plainely sheweth that the reward of good workes is to be ascribed to Gods mercy and indulgence and not to our defect for it is great mercy that hee pardoneth the imperfection and iniquity of our good workes greater that he accepteth of them in Christ but greatest that hee graciously rewardeth them and who knoweth not that eternall life it selfe which is the reward that endureth for ever is the free and undeserved gift of God not rendred to our merits but given of his free grace § IV. His second testimony is Iam. 2.24 You see then that a man is justified by workes and not by faith onely Answ. Of this place wee are hereafter to treat more fully Now we are onely to cleare the signification of the word which in this place most evidently signifieth not to bee justified before God or made just but to bee approved or declared just In which sense the Schoolemen themselves doe teach that good workes doe justifie declarativè But here it may be objected that Saint Iames in this place speaketh of that justification whereunto faith concurreth with good workes and good workes with faith But to declare a man to bee justified faith being an inward and hidden grace of the heart hath no use or efficacy but it selfe is to be declared and manifested by workes as it is verse 18. Answ. The Apostle doth not speake of justifying faith it selfe but of the profession thereof or of saith professed onely as appeareth by the fourteenth verse where the question is propounded What doth it profit my brethren if a man shall say hee hath faith and have not workes can that faith which is in profession onely save him Now to the justification of a man before men and declaration of him to bee a man justified before God two things are requisite the profession of the true faith and a godly conversation answerable to that profession For neither good workss declare a man to bee justified if they bee not joyned with the profession of the true faith neither doth the profession of faith justifie a man before men if his faith cannot bee demonstrated by good workes And in this sense it is said that a man is justified that is knowne to bee just by workes and not by faith onely § V. His third testimony is Apoc. 22.11 Qui justus est justificetur adhuc hee that is just let him bee justified still Answ. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place doth not signifie to bee justified but to be just as the word is often used not onely in the translation of the Septuagints but also in the new Testament as I have shewed before as being the translation not of the passive but of tsadaq the verbe neuter in Cal which signifieth not to bee justified but to bee just And this exposition is confirmed first by the words going before He that doth wrong let him doe wrong still hee that is filthy let him bee filthy still and so hee that is just let him bee just still Secondly by the authority of the Complutensis editio of the Kings Bible of Andraeas Caesariensis and of Arethas in Apoc. who instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him worke righteousnesse of some Latine editions of the vulgar translation which instead of justificetur read justitiam faciat and lastly of Cyprian who rendreth the place thus justus adhuc justiora faciat This place therefore doth not speake of the encrease of our justification before God which cannot bee encreased and much lesse are wee exhorted unto it for as soone as a man is justified hee standeth righteous before God in the most perfect righteousnesse of CHRIST which admitteth no encrease but of perseverance in righteousnesse Moreover the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still doth not signifie encrease but continuance § VI. And these were Bellarmine his three first significations of the word justification whereof not any one can bee proved out of the word of God Fourthly saith he It is taken for the declaration of justice after a judiciall manner in which sense hee â—…s said to be justified who when he had beene by the accuser made guilty of some iniquity is by the sentence of the Iudge declared iust and absolved And to this purpose hee alleageth not onely Prov. 17. 15. hee that justifieth the wicked and condemneth the just c. And Esay 5. 23. But which are not so pertinent Luk. 7. 35. and Luk. 10. 29. Now saith hee of the foure acceptions of the word our adversaries teach this fourth to be most proper As for the â—…econd and the third which ariseth from the second they say it is improper and not to bee found in any approved Authors But of this matter saith hee wee will discourse Libro 2. Cap. 3. whether wee will follow him In the meane time let it bee observed that the Papists who cannot approve their owne acceptions of the word by any one place of Scripture doe neverthelesse acknowledge that use of the word which we doe maintaine But whereas hee doth insinuate that we doe therefore reject the second and third significations because the word is not so used in approved Authors I answer if hee speake of the Latine word as hee doth that it is not used of the Authors of the Latine tongue at all and in the Latine edition of the Scriptures and from thence in other Ecclesiasticall writers it is used as the translation of the Hebrew and the Greeke and must accordingly bee understood And if of the Greeke that it is not used indeed of the Authors of the Greeke tongue in the Popish sense But that is not the reason why wee reject those senses but because they are not to bee found in the holy Scriptures CAP. V. Bellarmines discourse concerning the signification of the word justification de Iustif. lib. 2. cap. 3. examined § I. BVT let us examine Bellarmines disputation concerning the signification of the word Lib. 2. Cap. 3. where alleaging 〈◊〉 5. 17 18 19. to prove
have said before Christ justifieth not onely as hee is our Iudge but also as our Surety paying our debt and as our Advocate pleading for us The holy Ghost justifieth both as he is the Spirit of regeneration working in us the grace of faith and as the Spirit of adoption by applying unto us the merits of Christ assuring us of our justification and adoption The Ministers of the Gospell justifie as they are also said to forgive sinnes to beget men unto God and to save them ministerially as the Embassadours of Christ whose office it is to reconcile men unto God to preach and to pronounce remission of sinnes to them that beleeve and also instrumentally as the instruments of the holy Ghost to worke in them the grace of faith by which they are justified for faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 14 17. and Preachers are said to bee Ministers by whom you beleeve 1 Cor. 3. 5. Sacraments doe justifie as seales of that righteousnesse which is by faith Rom. 4. 11. And as the Ministery of the Word and Sacraments doe justifie ut manus dantis as the hand of God giving and applying Christ and his righteousnesse to the faithfull receiver so faith is manus accipieâ—…tis the hand of the beleever receiving Christ and his righteousnesse unto justification § VII But the second place is in his conceit more cleare viz. Esai 53. 11. where the Lord speaking by his Prophet concerning Christ saith My righteous servant shall by his knowledge justifie many and he shâ—…ll beare their sinnes where the verbe is in Hiphil Iatsdiq which signifieth shall make just Chemnitius indeed saith he goeth about to wrest this place also to the judiciall signification But in vaine for there are foure words which are manifestly repugnant to his interpretation But before wee speake of those foure words let us heare what Chemnitius saith Whereas Andradius saith he wresteth that sentence of Esay to prove that to justifie is to endue the minde with the quality of inherent justice it is great impudencie for there is presently added an exposition how that justification is to be understood because he shall saith Esay beare their iniquities where Chemnitius doth not so much as mention the judiciall signification of the word justifying after the manner of a Iudge but rather signifieth that Christ at his first comming did not justifie the Elect after the manner of a Iudge but as a surety in taking upon himselfe our debt and bearing our iniquities and as a Redeemer paying our ransome and so di charging us from our debt and from our bondage Neither doth it follow that it is not a judiciall word because in that place it signifieth not to justifie as a Iudge for besides the Iudge there are other parties also who doe justifie in a judiciall sense as namely sureties and advocates § VIII Now let us examine those foure words all which serve to prove that Christ in that place is not said to justifie after the manner of a Iudge which no man affirmeth and therefore Bellarmine fighteth with his owne shadow For we doubt not but that Christ may be said to justifie divers wayes first by his doctrine as our Prophet and Teacher in which sense Teachers are said to justifie Dan. 12. 3. secondly as our Priest both by his satisfaction and sacrifice propitiatory as Esai 53. 11. for so he saith and he shall beare their iniquities so Heb. 9. 26 28. and also by his intercession as our Advocate 1 Ioh. 2. 2. Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 9. 24. thirdly by his sentence as our king and judge at the last day Matth. 25. 34. The first word is by his knowledge that is as he expoundeth it out of Hierome by his doctrine Answ. Wee deny not but that Christ by his doctrine did justifie many working in them the grace of faith for even other Teachers who are but his Ministers doe also justifie others as Daniel speaketh not by infusion of righteousnesse but as the instruments of the holy Ghost to beget faith in the hearers or being as Saint Paul speaketh Ministers by whom they doe beleeve and beleeving are justified in the judiciall sense But Esay speaketh not of his doctrine but of his knowledge and that passively understood not for that knowledge whereby he knoweth all things but whereby hee is acknowledged to bee the Messias that is to say faith and so Pagnine Vatablus and Tremellius read scientia sui or agnitione sui that is by faith in him for so is faith often termed as 2 Pet. 1. 2 3. and 1 Tim. 2. 4. c. by which as it is said in this place of Esay hee doth justifie La rabbim that is as Paul speaketh Rom. 5. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the multitude of the Elect who beleeve in him how by bearing their iniquitiâ—…s that is the punishment due for their sinnes his sufferings being imputed to them if therefore justifying by faith doe prove justification by works or by inherent righteousnesse then this word proveth it § IX The second word is ipse justus by which word saith he is signified that Christ doth justifie not onely by teaching but also by just working and by imparting his righteousnesse unto us Answ. Christ his obedience or just working is proper to his person and inherent in him and therefore that righteousnesse which he performed in his owne person being both active and therefore transient and proper to his person and therefore without us cannot be imparted to us otherwise than by imputation To what purpose then doth he urge this word seeing Christ is just in justifying us as well by imputation as by infusion Forsooth to shew that Christ by his obedience and sufferings doth not justifie after the manner of a Iudge which no man affirmeth But what is his reason because it is not required to justifying after a judiciall manner that he who justifieth others should himselfe be just as if he should say it is not required that a Iudge should bee just contrary to that Gen. 18. 25. But God doth justifie us after the judiciall manner as a Iudge through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus and by forgivenesse of sinnes and that to this end to shew forth his justice that hee might bee just and the justifier of him who beleeveth in Iesus Rom. 3. 25 26. But this might better have beene objected against his owne exposition of the former word seeing he who is not just himselfe may by his doctrine justifie others Notwithstanding that which Bellarmine here áffirmeth concerning Christ is most true that it was necessary that he who should justifie others by his obedience should bee just himselfe howbeit he impertinently alleageth Rom. 3. 26. which speaketh of God justifying us not as a Mediator by his obedience but as a Iudge by his sentence But the true reason why the Prophet useth this word is in respect of the words following to signifie that Iesus Christ the righteous was made
a propitiation for our sinnes 1 Ioh. 2. 2. and that Christ who was just and knew no sinne was made sinne for us that wee might bee the righteousnesse of God in him as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 5. 21. and Esai 53. 5 6 6. § X. The third word is my servant which signifieth that Christ did serve his Father in the worke of justification and consequently did justifie men not by judging but by ministring as himselfe saith Matth. 20. 28. and is therefore called the Minister of Circumcision that is of the Iewes The fourth word and he shall beare their iniquities which signifieth the manner how Christ by ministring doth justifie that is by bearing the burden of our sinnes upon his shoulders that is by suffering the punishment due for our sinnes Answ. The thing which hee indevoureth to prove viz. that Christ as he performed the office of Mediation in the dayes of his flesh did not justifie us aâ—…ter the manner of a Iudge is true But his reasons are not sufficient Not the former for he might bee Gods Minister or servant as all Kings or Iudges are and yet our Iudge Not the second for although he were our Priest to offer himselfe for us and by his obedience and sufferings to justifie us yet is he also our King and our Iudge who by his sentence will justifie us at the last day But although Christ did not justifie us after the manner of a Iudge yet it followeth not either that the word doth signifie infusion of justice to which purpose Andradius alleaged this place or that it is not a judiciall word For it is a judicial word as it is attributed not only to Iudges but also to sureties and advocates Christ as our Advocate justifieth by pleading for us as asurety by bearing the punishment judicially imposed upon us And whereas Bellarmine would prove out of 1 Pet. 2. 24. that inherent righteousnesse is an effect of Christs satisfaction or bearing our iniquities he proveth nothing but what we teach viz. that the fruits and end of our justification and redemption by Christ is our sanctification Luk. 1. 74 75. Rom. 6. 22. Tit. 2. 14. And consequently that our sanctification or inherent righteousnesse being the fruit and effect of our justification cannot bee the cause thereof no more than it is the cause of redemption For By what righteousnesse wee are redeemed by the same wee are justified for redemption and justification in substance differ not Rom. 4. 6. 7. 3. 24. 25. Col. 1. 14. Eph. 1. 7. By the righteousnesse of Christ wee are redeemed which is out of us in him and not by righteousnesse inherent Therefore By that righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him wee are justified and not by righteousnesse inherent His third place is Apoc. 22. 11. which I have fully answered before and is here impertinently recited to prove the signification of the Hebrew word being not sufficient to cleare the Greeke Seeing their owne best editions in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I have shewed before § II. The third and fourth reason which Bellarmine alleageth out of Calvin and Chemnitius and answereth them together are concerning the signification and composition of the Latine word justificare which indeed are not used as arguments to prove the true signification of the word in this controversie but as just exceptions against the arguments of the Papists who rely too much upon the signification and composition of the Latine word wherein they were justly reprooved by Chemnitius first because the controversie being what is the use and signification of the word in the Scriptures it is not materiall what the Latine word doth signifie in other authors but what is the signification of the Hebrew word in the Old Testament and of the Greeke in the New whereof the Latine is meerely a Translation And therefore the Latine if it be a right Translation must in this controversie bee understood to signifie the selfe same thing with the Hebrew and the Greeke the use and signification whereof in the Scriptures is judiciall and is neuer used in the Popish sense wherefore though the use of the word in other authors did favour the Popish conceipt yet would it not disadvantage us secondly though the Latine words do signific to make just which is all that can be enforced from the signification and composition thereof and be so expounded by Augustine whom Bellarmine to that purpose alleageth yet this maketh nothing against us Not onely because Bellarmine hath confessed men may be made just either inwardly by obtaining of righteousnesse inherent or outwardly after a judiciall manner but also because we freely professe that whom God doth justifie he maketh righteous by imputation of Christs righteousnesse It is true indeed that some of our Divines deny the word to signifie making righteous but their deniall is to be understood according to the meaning of the Papists viz. by infusion thirdly the Latine word justificare and so the English as in the translation of the Scriptures it hath alwayes the judiciall signification and never signifieth to endue with righteousnesse inherent no more than the Hebrew and the Greeke whereof it is a translation so oftentimes in the Fathers and many times in the Popish writers and alwayes almost in the common use of speech it signifieth to cleare from guilt to free from imputation of fault to approve to declare or pronounce just Or if at any time it be used in the sense of induing with righteousnesse inherent it is contrary to the use of the Scriptures which in the doctrine of justification is to be retained § XII Yea but the Fathers interpret justifying to be making righteous whom to refuse in an ecclesiasticall question and to appeale to the judgement of the Latine authors as Tully and Terence is a great importunity saith Bellarmine especially seeing the Apostle hath taught that to be justified is to be constituted or made just according to the composition of the word Answ. That which is said of the Authors of the Latine tongue is a meere calumniation for in them the word is not used at all The interpretation of the Fathers according to the doctrine of Saint Paul wee approve acknowledging that whom God doth justifie hee maketh them just by imputation of Christs righteousnesse Yea but say they the Fathers meane by inherent justice Answ. Though some of the Latine Fathers who were ignorant of the Hebrew and not skilfull in the Greeke sometimes under the terme of justification include the benefit also of sanctification being led thereunto by the notation of the Latine word yet sometimes they exclude it as first when they place justification in remission of sinnes as many times they doe secondly when according to the Scriptures they oppose it to condemnation thirdly and especially when with one consent they plainely teach that we are justified by faith alone as hereafter shall be shewed
debt Matth. 6. 12. The subject where it remaineth are the bookes of Gods providence and of our own consciences The act of God in remitting our debts is the wiping them out of his remembrance as it were his debt-bookes The debt is the sinne it selfe which maketh us debtors unto God And therefore sinnes are called debts and sinners debtors Matth. 6. 12. cum Luk. 11. 4. Matth. 23. 16 18. Luk. 13. 4. cum 2. which also appeareth by the parables of the debtors Luk. 7. 41. Matth. 18. 23 35. and therefore sinners are called debtors because for their sinnes they owe punishment unto which by the just ordination of God they are obliged This obligation whereby sinners are bound over to punishment is called reatus that is guilt When as therefore God remitteth sins he forgiveth the debt hee remitteth or releaseth the punishment hee taketh away the guilt whereby we were bound over to punishment And è converso when God forgiveth the debt releaseth the punishment taketh away the guilt he is said to remit sinne Now sinnes are either habituall or actuall An habituall sinne God doth remit when hee doth take away the guilt of it and cover the Anomy of it not that it should not be at all but that it should not bee imputed as Augustine saith of concupiscence or originall sinne whereof all particular habituall â—… sinnes are members and branches Actuall sinnes God doth remit when he doth forgive the sinfull act it selfe and the guilt also which remaineth after the act is past and gone § VI. But here the Papists have found out a new devise to confirme their error in confounding justification and sanctification that whereas there are two things which as themselves doe teach remaine in the soule after the act of sinne hath been committed viz. reatus macula the guilt and the blemish or spot they teach against sense that it is properly the macula which is remitted in justification But then say I what becometh of the punishment the guilt binding over to punishment It is certaine that the infusion of righteousnesse doth not take away the guilt nor free us from punishment Neither can we be freed either â—…rom the one or the other but only by the satisfaction of Christ imputed unto us Hence therfore they should have learned to distinguish between justification and sanctification rather than to confound them that whereas there are two things remaining after sinne committed the guilt and the pollution the guilt is taken away by imputation of Christs righteousnesse in our justification the pollution is in some measure cleansed in our sanctification § VII And how soever that which they say of the macula or pollution remaining is true in respect of Originall sinne wherein upon the guilt of Adams transgression imputed there followeth an universall macula or corruption consisting of two parts the privation of Originall righteousnesse and an evill disposition and pronenesse to all manner of sinne by which twofold corruption all the parts and faculties of the soule are defiled yet it seemeth not to be altogether true in regard of mens personall sinnes in respect of either part for as touching the former part which is the privation neither are the unregenerate by their actuall sinnes deprived of grace or righteousnesse infused which they had not before they sinned neither are the regenerate utterly deprived of grace by such sinnes as they commit as I have elsewhere proved and as touching the latter part which is the evill disposition this macula whereof they speake is no new evill disposition making him a sinner who before was not but an evill disposition remaining of the old man which by committing of actuall sinnes is increased Insomuch as where the same actuall sinne is often committed and reiterated that evill disposition groweth to bee an habit For all evill dispositions or habituall sinnes which are in men are either the reliquia or remnants of originall sinne in some measure mortified or the increments thereof when by the committing of actuall sinnes they receive increase And such a thing is that macula whereof they speake which remaining in the soule per modum habitus is to bee taken away as all other habituall sinnes are as they are pollutions by the mortification of them which is a part of sanctification and not of justification Neither is the mortification of sinne a totall deletion or abolition thereof in this life as if no sinne or corruption remained in the party justified or sanctified for though in the forgiving or remitting of originall sinne the guilt bee wholly taken away yet the corruption which is called concupiscence remaineth more or lesse mortified § VIII Now followeth the subject where that which is to bee remitted doth remaine and from whence when it is remitted it is wiped or blotted out that is Gods remembrance and our conscience which are as it were the Lords debt-bookes according to which bookes he will judge Apoc. 20. 12. the former is the booke of Gods providence Psalm 56. 8. 139. 15. wherein all offences are written and wherein they remaine upon record Hos. 7. 2. 8. 13. Ier. 17. 1. The other is the booke of our conscience which is as it were the Lords atturney indicting us of sinne In regard whereof David saith Psalm 51. 3. I doe know or am conscious to my transgressions and my sinne is ever before mee Out of the former booke the Lord doth wipe out sinnes when he justifieth us in the Court of Heaven out of the latter when we are justified in the Court of our owne Conscience § IX And hereby the third thing appeareth namely by what act of God our sinnes are remitted For if that which is remitted be a debt which is recorded in Gods booke then this debt is remitted not by any act of God within us either really wiping the pollution out of our soules or infusing grace into them both which are done in some measure after the debt is remitted in our sanctification but by an act of God without us wiping our sinnes out of his booke blotting them out of his remembrance Esai 43. 25. casting them behinde his backe Esai 38. 17. turning his face from them Psalm 51. 9. not remembring Ier. 31. 34. nor imputing them Rom. 4. 8. ex Psal. 32. 2. but forgiving and forgetting them and accepting of Christs satisfaction for them in the behalfe of all that truely beleeve in Christ Rom. 3. 24 25. § X. Our fifth argument may be this The utter deletion of sinne is not granted in this life Remission of sinne is granted to the faithfull in this life Therefore remission of sinne is not the utter deletion of it The proposition is certaine For during this life sinne remaineth in the best Rom. 7. 17. 20. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. The assumption is undeniable as being an Article of our faith testified in many places of Scripture Or thus If in justification there
by some inherent gift The proposition which no man denieth he laboreth to prove by three arguments which he might very well have spared but that he would have the world to thinke that we deny sanctification to be inherent The assumption which do we deny he proveth by his own authority alleaging that in the fifth and the sixth verses The Apostle describeth justification which indeed he doth not to be regeneration and renâ—…vation wroughâ—… in us out of the bounty of God by the laver of Baptisme and effusion of the holy Ghost This we deny first because the word justifie never in the whole Scriptures is used in that sense secondly here the Apostle in plaine termes saith that we are justified and saved not by works of righteousnesse whereby is excluded all justice inherent but by Gods grace How then doth he prove it because in these words vers 7 that being justified by his grace wee might bee heires in hope of eternall life the Apostle rendreth a reason why God by the laver and by the Holy Ghost did regenerate and renew us and saith the cause was that being justified that is saith he that being by that regeneration and renovation justified we might deserve to be made heires of the kingdome and of life everlasting Answ. This glosse maketh the Apostle not like himselfe but like a popish merit-monger corrupteth the text which indeed doth paralell that 1 Cor. 6. 11. shewing how men converted from Gentilisme to Christianity shuld be exhorted to the performance of Christian duties For howsoever whiles they were Gentiles they were addicted to many vices and sinnes yet after they were called which the Apostle expresseth thus after that the bounty and humanity of God was manifested viz. by the preaching of the Gospel God not out of any desert of theirs but out of his meere mercy saved them by Baptisme as Saint Peter also speaketh that is justified them for that is the salvation we have here to bee intitled to salvation or saved in hope that being justified by his grace that is as he said before by his undeserved mercy they should be made heires according to hope of eternall life that is they might be saved in hope Of this sentence therefore stripped of its amplifications as it were its garments the naked substance is this But after we were called God by Baptisme justified us that being justified by his grace we might be saved in hope The amplifications which are added are to set forth and describe Baptisme unto us which as hee had noted to be the seale of that righteousnesse which is by faith when he saith that God justified or saved us by it so he calleth it the laver of regeneration and of the renovation wrought by the Spirit which God hath plentifully bestowed upon us So that these words are not a description of justification as Bellarmine dreameth waking but of Baptisme And they are added according to the purpose of the Apostle in this place as arguments to move men to Christian duties Why Because Baptisme as it was a seale unto them of their justification so also a Sacrament of their regeneration and renovation of the Spirit which Spirit God hath poured forth plentifully upon the faithfull which he speaketh to this end that the faithfull which are Baptized should make this use of their Baptisme not onely as of a seale to assure them of their justification and salvation but also to be a Sacrament token memoriall of their regeneration and renovation wrought by the Spirit plentifully poured upon them To which purpose the Apostle telleth the Romans that so many as were baptized into Christ were baptized into the similitude of Christs death and resurrection whereupon the Apostle inferreth in the next words vers 8. this is a faithfull saying and these things I will thou shouldest affirme and confirme that they which have beleeved in God ought to bee carefull precedents of good workes The Aposâ—…le therefore doth not say as Bellarmine maketh him speake that we are justified or saved or made heires of salvation by regeneration or renovation and much lesse that thereby we merit our inheritance but that God hath justified or saved us Sacramentally by Baptisme which as it is the seale of our justification and salvation so it is also the laver of regeneration and renovation wrought by the Spirit that being justified by his grace we might according to hope bee made heires of eternall life For howsoever we are neither justified nor saved nor made heires of eternall life by our Sanctification yet Sanctification is both the way wherein from our justification wee are to walke unto glorification For God hath chosen us to salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes. 2. 13. and therefore sanctification as it is a necessary consequent of our justification so it is a necessary fore-runner of glorification a necessary marke and cognizance of all that are justified and to be saved And therefore ouâ—… Saviour saith that by faith in him wee receive remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified and so the Apostle also Act. 20. 32. § IX His fifth testimony is Heb. 11. and some other places of the Scripture which doe give testimony to some men that they were truly and perfectly just and that not by an imputative justice but inherent his reason is because the Scriptures would not call them absolutely just if they were not absolutely just Answ. To omit that it is one thing to be absolutely called just and another to be just absolutely and perfectly I answere that the faithfull who are commended in the Scriptures for righteous were righteous by a twofold justice both imputative and inherent The former being the righteousnesse of justification the latter of sanctification the former absolute and perfect the latter inchoated and unperfect By the former they were justified before God in respect of the latter though they were also called just yet they were not justified thereby that is they were neither absolved thereby from their sinnes past nor intitled to the kingdome of heaven as may appeare by all those Arguments which before I produced against justification by inherent righteousnesse As for those examples which hee alleageth out of Heb. 11. which is the Chapter of saith namely of Abel vers 4. and Noah vers 7. c. it is evident that they were justified by the righteousnesse which is of faith as is expresly said of Noah vers 7. that is by the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith and imputed to them that beleeve for the righteousnefse which is of faith is imputative Rom. 4. 5. And when it is said that without faith they could not possibly have pleased God it is plainely intimated that by faith they pleased God and that they being besore justified by faith brought forth the fruits of faith acceptable unto God by which their faith was approved But as they were just by imputation that
of charity for the mater is that which is formed and as it were animated by the forme but the consequent is absurd therefore the antecedent And againe howsoever faith worketh those acts which I called mediate or imperatos by meanes of other graces which acts doe tend to sanctification for which cause faith doth not sanctifie alone yet the actus eliciti or immediate acts of faith which are to believe in Christ and by beleeving to receive and by receiving him who is our righteousnesse to justifie faith worketh neiby charity nor by any other grace and therefore it justifieth alone § VI. Yea but without charity faith is informis with it it is formata Answ. This distinction of faith that it is either formata or informis in a right sence may bee admitted as namely if by forme bee understood the integrity or inward efficacie and if that be called formata which is sound unfained lively and effectuall and that informis which iâ—… uneffectuall dead and counterfeit For that distinction is intimated by the Apostle when he speaketh either of faith unfained or contrariwise of a dead faith for in the former it is implyed that there is also a fained and a counterfeit faith and in the latter that there is also a lively faith And so wee admit this distinction that faith is either Formata which is lively and unfained Informis which is dead and counterfeit But in the popish sence it is to be rejected and that in three respects First because they propound this distinction as agreeing to a true justifying faith as if a true faith might be without forme when as that which is without forme is dead and counterfeit and no more to bee called a true justifying faith than the carcase or counterfeit of a man is to be called a man For howsoever such a faith may perhaps be true in respect of the object because it is of the truth yet it is not true in respect of the integrity efficacy and soundnesse thereof and that which is not truely faith is not faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or indeed Hee that saith either that he beleeveth that there is a God and in deeds doth deny him and that he is just and feareth not to offend him or good and doth not love him or omniprâ—…sent and omniscient and feareth not to play the hypocrite before him c. such a one doth not indeed and in truth beleeve that which he proâ—…esseth himselfe to beleeve He that saith he knoweth Christ that is beleeveth in him and hath not a desire and care to keep his Commandements hee is a lyar and the truth is not in him That faith which is dead and counterfeit cannot justifie or save a man as Saint Iames sheweth For howsoever faith alone doth justifie yet that faith which is alone doth not justifie neither alone nor at al becauseit is not a true and lively but a dead and counterfeit faith Neithercan that be a true justifying faith which is common to the wicked both men and Angels Neither may wee omit Bellarmines confession in this place Here saith hee the Apostle to prevent occasion of errour explaineth what manner of faith that is that justifieth non quaecunque fides sed quae per dilectionem operatur not every faith but that which worketh by love § VII Secondly this distinction is to bee rejected being understood in the popish sense wherein it is implyed that charity is the forme and as it were the soule of faith which opinion I have already confuted Neither can they ground it upon Iames 2. 26. As the body without the Spirit is dead so faith without workes is dead For if the habit of charity cannot bee the forme of faith as I have shewed then much lesse can good workes which are the outward fruits both of faith and of charity bee the soule of faith it selfe Of the profession indeed of faith a godly life is as it were the soule and without which it is dead but of faith it selfe it is not anima the soule but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the breath as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to breath doth properly fignifie in which sense it is often used being called the Spirit of the mouth the spirit of the nostrils And in this sense it may be said that as the body without breathing is judged to bee dead so faith without workes which are as it were the breathing of a lively faith is also judged to be dead not because it ever had lived but because it wanteth life § VIII Thirdly this distinction is to bee rejected because as Bellarmine saith it is to be understood of one and the same faith which being informis may become formata and being formata may become informis againe remayning still the same But fides informis is not of the same kinde with that which is formata or justifying faith as things which be without life are not of the same kinde with those that are living or as counterfeits are not of the same kinde with those things which they doe resemble Besides justifying faith is divine the informis is humane that infusa infused and supernaturall this acquisita required by the strength of nature in the use of meanes that a grace of regeneration proper to the Elect this a gift of illumination onely common to the reprobate that is vera being truely that whereof it beareth the name this simulata not being that truly which it is called but aequivocè that doth so beleeve in Christ that it doth imbrace him and willeth and desireth at the least to apply him to the beleever this so beleeveth Christ that either it is joyned with horrour as in the Devils and desperate sinners or is severed from any will or desire of application this is without fruit and root and therefore is temporary that hath both root and fruit and never faileth And howsoever that which is informis may by Gods grace bee changed into formatam yet that which is formata can never be informis No more than hee who is once borne of God can be unborne againe The rest of his arguments serve to prove that faith is not the whole formall cause of justification that is as wee speake according to the Scriptures of sanctification which we deny not for wee doe acknowledge a concurrence of many graces with faith unto sanctification As for justification we deny faith either in whole or in part to bee the formall cause thereof Neither doth any other of his arguments prove that either charity or any other grace doth with faith concurre unto justification CAP. XII That justification doth nâ—…t câ—…nsist in renâ—…vation § I. HIs second ranke of arguments proving indirectly justification by righteousnesse inherent is propounded in his sixt Chapter the title whereof is this That oâ—…r justification doth not consist in the remission of sinnes alone Neither doe we
transient or the sinfull blemish remaining in the soule which is a vicious disposition and pronenesse to sinne left as the remainder of originall sinne and increased by our owne actuall transgressions as it is a fault and the offence of God bringging with it reatum culpae to a beleever and is not imputed to whom Christs obedience is imputed but covered with the robe of Chrisâ—…s righteousnesse by imputation wherof he is not only freed from the guilt both of the punishment and of the fault but also accepted as righteous in Christ but as the maculâ—… is an habituall sinne or sinfull disposition polluting the soule as a remainder of originall sinne increased by our actuall transgressions it is not wholly abolish'd in this life and much lesse at once but it is mortified by degrees in those that repent of their sinnes who day by day are renewed in the innerman As for those places which Bellarmine alleageth to prove remission of sinne to be the totall abolition of sinne I have fully answered heretofore in the second question of the first controversie shewing that divers of them are to be understood in respect of the guilt which in remission is totally abolished The other which are to bee expounded of the corruption are understood of the cleansing and purging of our soules from them either begunne in this life or finished at the end of this life For the death of the body bringeth with it in the children of God the death and utter extinction of sinne And therefore death which was brought in as a punishment of sinne becommeth a remedy to extinguish sinne For whiles we live in the mortall body sinne liveth in us but when the body dyeth sinne is extinguished CAP. III. Containing our two last Arguments § I. OVR foureteenth Argument If redemption reconciliation and adoption be imputative then justification also is by imputation For I have shewed heretofore that these three in substance differ not from justification for as all these three benefits are comprised under justification so in them the whole nature of justification doth consist For what is it to be redeemed and reconciled but to have our sins remitted or not imputed by the imputation of Christs sufferings which is the first part of justification and what is it to be adopted but to bee accepted in the beloved as righteous and as an heire of eternall life by imputation of Christs obedience which is the second part of justification But those three benefits are imputative all of them wrought by the not imputing of sinne which had made us the bond-slaves of sinne and Satan enemies to God and children of the devill and by the imputation of Christs merits whereby of the slaves of sinne and Satan wee are made Gods servants of enemies his favourites of the children of the devill the sonnes of God § II. Our fifteenth Argument out of Psalm 32. and Rom. 4. If the Holy Ghost describe justification to bee the forgiving of iniquities the covering of sinne the not imputing of sinne to the sinner the imputing of righteousnesse not to him that worketh but to him that beleeveth in Christ or imputing of righteousnesse without workes then justification standeth not in deletion of sinne by infusion of righteousnesse but in imputation of Christs righteousnesse by which the sinner is both freed from his sinne and also accepted as righteous But the Holy Ghost doth so describe justification Rom. 4. 6 7 8. â—…x Psalm 32. 1 2. To both parts Bellarmine doth answere The assumption hee first denieth and then cavills with it For first whereas Calvin as he saith demandeth whether this bee a full definition of justification or but halfe he likewise demandeth when either the 〈◊〉 saith Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and Blessed are they who f are upright in the way or when our Saviour saith Blessed are the poore in Spirit blessed are the meeke c. whether each of these bee a perfect definition For if it be where is then remission of sinne Secondly he saith that Paul alleageth this testimâ—…ny out of the Psalme not that hee might thereby define fully justification but onely to prove that true justification is the gift of God and not gotten by our owne strength And that hee fitly proveth from thence that David calleth him blessed whose sinnes God remitteth that is whâ—… by the gift aâ—…d grace of God is justified § III. To the former I reply that there is not the like reason betweene these places cited by us and those alleaged by him For those containe but certaine notes and markes of Blessednesse though the Papists absurdly make eight beatitudes of the eight notes of one and the same blessednesse Matth. 5. But here the Apostle out of Psalm 32. sheweth that blessednesse it selfe whereby as appeareth by the former verse he meaneth justification which is the onely 〈◊〉 viae because by it we are intitled to the eternall happinesse which is beatitudo patriae all other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being but notes and signes of this is so defined or described For somuch those words import David doth describe the blessednesse as our translation fitly rendreth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place The second is a meere depravation of the Apostles meaning and intenâ—…ion which was not to prove that justification is the gift of God which he had already taught to be a gracious action of God freely justifying by his grace those that beleeve in Christ but by a new supply of Arguments to prove the same question which in the former Chapters hee had disputed concluding that a man is justified by faith and not by workes which question here hee proveth by the example of Abraham and by the testimony of David The Argument drawne from Abrahâ—…ms example is an excellent proofe which Chrysostome well observed as Cardinall Tâ—…let doth acknowledge For Abraham had both faith and workes and yet he was justified not by his workes but by his faith If Abraham had had no workes or not such notable workes it might have beene said that he was justified by faith without workes because he wanted workes But seeing he abounded with store of excellent works and yet was not justified by them but onely by faith this is an invincible argument to prove that a man is justified by faith and not by workes For Abraham though hee had works yet was justified by faith without workes Likewise David describeth or if you will declareth the blessednesse of the man that is that a man is blessed that is to say justified to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes § IV. This was his denyall of the assumption But now he cavilleth that it may bee that in these words is contained the full definition of justification implicitè For there cannot be remission of sinne in Bellarmines sense that is deletion of sinne unlesse righteousnesse be infâ—…sed as darkenesse is not driven
away unlesse light come in place And this saith he The Apostle manifestly sheweth when he saith David explaineth the blessednesse of a man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes Blâ—…ssed are they whose sinnes are forgiven Vbi saith Bellarmine ex non imputatione peccatorum colligit imputationem justitiae where the Apostle from the not imputing of sin gathereth the imputing of justice which is very true and proveth that here is a full definition of justification containing these two parts the not imputing of sinne to the beleever and imputing of righteousnesse or accepting of him as righteous But where is either the popish deletion of sinne or infusion of righteousnesse unlesse as they have turned remission into deletion so also imputation bee converted into infusion § V. To the proposition also Bellarmine answereth in part and first to the word covering that although to cover and not to impute sinnes is not if you respect the force of the word to abolish or to extinguish sinne yet if they be referred to God the sense importeth so much For nothing can bee bid from God unlesse it bee â—…tterly taken away for all things are naked and open before his eyes Reply Nothing can bee hid from God which hee would not have hid But if it please God to cover our sinnes that hee will not behold them Psalm 85. 2. or to hide his face from them Psal. 51. 9. to cast them behinde his backe Esai 38. 17. not to marke what is done amisse Psalm 130. 3. then hee is said not to see them because he taketh no notice of them but passeth by them Mic. 7. 18. In which sense Charity is said to cover sinnes Prov. 10. 12. § VI. To the word not imputing he saith that God cannot but impute sinne to him that remaâ—…neth a sinner neither can hee repute him righteous unlesse he be made righteous therefore â—…he not imputing of sinne draweth with it veram peccati remissionem that is the extinction of sinne and infusion of righteousnesse Reply he should have said as he said before the not imputing of sinne draweth with it imputing of righteousnesse or the acceptation of a man as righteous both which alwayes goe together because both are wrought together by imputation of Christs righteousnesse whereas therefore hee saith that God cannot but impute sinne where sinne still remaineth it is true of unbeleevers and impenitent sinners who are out of Christ but for them that bee in Christ that is to say beleeving and repentant sinners for whose sinnes Christ hath fully satisfied and whom though in themselves sinners hee hath accepted as righteous in Christ and for whom our Saviour maketh intercession that their sinnes may not be imputed to them hee cannot truly be said to impute sinne unto them It is true also that the Lord reputeth none righteous but such as he maketh righteous both by imputation of Christs righteousnesse and also by regeneration by imputation perfectly and at once by regeneration in part and by degrâ—…s they being not onely Spirit but flesh also in regard whereof though they be righteous in Christ yet in themselves they are sinners by reason of sinne remaining in them though in some measure mortified and not at all imputed So that a regenerate man in divers respects is both a righteous man and a sinner righteous not onely in Christ by imputation of his perfect righteousnesse but also in himselfe by inherent righteousnesse begun in him from which as is from the better part 〈◊〉 hath his denomination in the Scriptures a sinner also in himselfe both in respect of habituall sinnes remaining in him as the remnants of originall sinne and also in respect of actuall transgressions both of commission and of omission whereinto hee doth dayly fall § VII And whereas he saith that these phrases almost alwaies goe together and to that purpose citeth Nehem. 4. 5. Psal. 51. 9 85. 2 and so Psal. 32. 1 2. I answere that deletion of sinne covering of sinne forgiving of sinne and the not imputing of it are used as synonima that is as words of the same signification and that in all such places deletion of sin doth signifie the blotting of them our of Gods remembrance which is as it were his record or debt booke Out of which when God forgiveth sinnes he blotteth or wipeth them out Thus to forgive sins is not to remember them Esai 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and wil not remember thy sinnes Ier. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sinne no more And to remember them is not to forgive them Ps. 109. 14. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembred with the Lord and let not the sinne of his Mother bee blotted out namely of remembrance that is let it not bee forgotten So Neh. 4. 5. Cover not their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before thee Ps 51. 9. hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities and to the same purpose Psal. 85. 2. forgiving and covering are used in the same fence Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all theiâ—… sinne and so Psal. 32. 1. 2. forgiving covering not imputing Deletion therefore of sinnes according to the Scriptures is the blotting of them out of the Booke of Gods remembrance In this sense many things are said deleri to bee blotted out or wiped away by oblivion whose memory is wiped out as it is said of the Amalekites Exod. 17. 14. and according to the vulgar Latine translation Deut. 31. 21. nulla delebit oblivio Esth. 9. 28. Eccl. 6. 4. Ierem. 20. 11. 23. 40. 50. 5. So that non imputare is all one with ignoscere 2 Tim. 4. 16. So Iob 42. 8. according to the vulgar Latine 2 Cbro 30. 19. Ezek. 33. 16. § VIII Now if not to impute sinne bee as Bellarmine sâ—…ith to expell sinne by infusion of righteousnesse for according to his concelt infusion of righteousnesse is not a consequent of the expulsion of sinne as here for a poore evasion he saith but expulsion of sinne is a consequent of infusion of righteousnesse for according to his assertion by infusion of righteousnesse sinne is expelled as by accession of light and heat cold and darkenesse is expelled I say if not to impute sinne bee to expell sinne by infusion of justice then by the rule of contraries which is Contrariorum contraria sunt consequentia to impute sinne shall bee to expell righteousnesse by infusion of sinne as it was well objected by Chemnitius To him Bellarmine objecteth want of Logicke for calling those contraria which are contradicentia Where by Bellarmines Logick adversa onely are contraria whereof notwithstanding there are foure sorts for if contraries bee such opposits as are opposed one to one onely then besides adversa as Tully termeth those which Aristotle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are three
fifth Capitall errour of the Papists in the Article of justification is concerning justifying faith which hath many branches 1. Concerning the nature of it viz. what it is and therein also they erre diversly 2. Concerning the subject of it both â—… and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the parties whose it is and the parts of the man wherein it is 3. Concerning the object of Faith 4. Concerning the act or effect of it which is to justifie where are three questions the first concerning the act it selfe whether it doth indeed justifie or onely dispose to justification the other two concerning the manner how it justifieth the former whether instrumentally as the hand to receive Christ who is our righteousnesse or formally as part of inherent righteousnesse The other whether faith doth justifie alone § II. As touching the first what faith is they hold justifying faith to be but a bare assent to all or any truth revealed by God which as it is in their opinion without speciall apprehension of Christ so it may be void of knowledge and severed from charity as they teach That faith in generall is an assent and that it may be defined to bee a firme and willing assent to every truth revealed by God grounded on the authority of God revealing it we willingly agree For hereby faith is distinguished from all other acts or habits of our minde And first from doubting in that it is an assent for in doubting the assent is withheld which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as contrariwise to assent is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that faith is assent it is evident because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith is a perswasion derived from the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to bee perswaded or to beleeve and a man is said to assent unto or to beleeve that of the truth whereof he is perswaded hence it is that the act of faith which is to beleeve is expressed sometimes by the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17. 4. 27. 11. Heb. 11. 13. but most plainely Act. 28. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some beleeved the things which are spoken but some beleeved not Secondly from opinion in that faith is a firme assent or as Basil speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an undoubted assent for he that beleeveth the truth of God hath as it were put his seale unto it But opinion is the judgement of things contingent which may happen to bee false Sed fidei falsum subesse non potest but the subject of faith cannot be false Thirdly in that it is a willing assent from the forced beliefe of Devils and some desperate wicked men who beleeve that which they abhorre or as Saint Iames speaketh beleeve and tremble Iam. 2. 19. Mat. 8. 29. Fourthly from all other knowledge in that it is an assent to truth revealed or related by God and grounded upon the authority of God speaking in his Word for faith commeth by the hearing of the word So saith Saint Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith therefore is an undoubted assent of things heard in the assured perswasion of things preached by the grace of God And that is it which Bellarmine citeth out of Augustine quòd intelligimus aliquid rationi debemus quòd autem credimus authoritati that we understand any thing we owe to reason but that wee beleeve to authority All other firme assent is given to things either in themselves evident to sense or reason or to such as are manifested by discourse But the object of faith is not discerned by sence nor sounded by reason such as is the mystery of the holy Trinity and of the incarnation of Christ c. neither is faith of things seene Eye hath not seene nor Eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him And wheras the certainty of all other knowledge is grounded upon sence or experience and reason the certainty of this knowledge is grounded upon the authority of God speaking in his word For which cause the certainty of faith is greater than of any other knowledge For howsoever sense and reason may be deceived yet the ground of faith is unfallible which is the authority of God who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that cannot lye a God of truth yea truth it selfe whereupon Clemens Alexandrinus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore it selfe is a firme demonstration because truth accompanieth Faith those things which are delivered God and Basill what is the property of faith an undoubted plerophorie or full perswasion of the truth of the words inspired of God which is not shaken with any reasoning either induced from naturall necessity or formed to piety And such is the certainety of faith that the Apostle defineth it that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the subsistence which giveth a being to things which now have not a being which is nothing but an assured beleefe as the word is used 2 Cor. 9. 4. 11. 17. Heb. 3. 14. and the evidence of things not appearing or not seene which the Greeke Sholiast in mine opinion very well explaneth Faith it selfe is the subsistence or substance of things hoped for For because those things which are in hope are without subsistence as yet not extant faith becommeth the substance and subsistence of them making them after a sort to exist and to be present because it doth beleeve they are Faith also is the evidence and demonstration of things not seene And faith sheweth things to be visible which are not seene How in the minde and in hope beholding things which doe not appeare § III. But howsoever faith is an assent and is in generall so to be defined as I have said yet justifying faith is not a bare assent either destitute of knowledge or severed from charity or without speciall apprehension and application for these are three errors of the Papists now in order to be confuted As touching the first The Papists doe not onely hold that justifying faith may be without knowledge but that also it may better bee defined by ignorance than by knowledge This faith which is without knowledge they call implicite faith because they beleeving some one common principle as namely I beleeve the bâ—…ly Catholicke Church doe thereby beleeve implicitè whatsoever is to be beleeved that is whatsoever the Catholicke Church beleeveth and propoundeth to bee beleeved And therefore this they call also an entire faith because thereby a man doth not onely beleeve the written word but also unwritten verities which are the traditions of the Church of Rome and both of them not for themselves but for the authority of the Church propounding them to bee beleeved Now they teach that not only for Lay men it is sufficient to beleeve as the Church beleeveth which was
who dissenteth from the truth even from that which the Church doth hold § V Secondly they are absurd in saying that faith may better be defined by ignorance than by knowledge For notitia knowledge is the genus both of faith and of science whereas ignorance is a privation of knowledge It were therefore very strange if faith which is an habit of the mind should be defined by a privation and namely of that habit which is the genus of it Yea but saith Bellarmine faith is opposed to science and therefore better to be defined by ignorance than by knowledge I answere it is opposed to science not as a privation that it should bee defined by ignorance but as a species of the same kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contra divided for notitia as the genus is divided into science and faith the former being a knowledge of things either manifest in themselves which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or made manifest by discourse of reason which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter being a knowledge of things neither manifest to sence nor reason but knowne onely by relation from God where by the way you are to observe that the knowledge required in faith is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the cause such as is in science but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to beleeve the relation to be true and that whatsoever God revealeth is infallibly true And therfore by faith our judgements are captivated to yeeld assent to divine revelations though either they may be above reason or may seeme to be against sence or reason For though sence and reason may bee deceived yet the ground of our faith which is the authority of God cannot be deceived nec fidei falsum subesse potest neither can the subject of faith be false As for example the mysteries of the Trinity and of the incarnation of our Saviour bee above our reason the articles of the creation of all things from nothing and of the resurrection of the body seeme contrary to reason the article of eternall life contayneth such things as never eye did see nor eare heare neither did they ever enter into the heart of man and so of other articles of Christian religion which notwithstanding we doe firmely beleeve and undoubtedly know to be true as God hath revealed the same grounding this our faith and knowledge on the authority of God speaking in his Word This distinction of knowledge being acknowledged that the knowledge of faith is neither the certaine intelligence of things in themselves manifest to sense or reason nor that science which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the causes or attained by discourse of reason but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the things revealed by God are infallibly true by reason of his authority who is Truth it selfe might serve as a sufficient answer to so many of Bellarmines arguments and allegations as seeme worth the answering But I will briefly examine his proofes which are allegation of Scriptures reason and testimonies of Fathers § VI. As for his allegation of Scripture the first place alleadged out of Esa. 7. 9. is not as Bellarmine alleageth it unlesse you beleeve you shall not understand but if you beleeve not you shall not be established or as the vulgar Latine which Bellarmine ought to stand to non permâ—…nebitis as contrariwise 2 Chron. 20. 20. if you beleeve in the Lord you shall be established or as the Latine securieritis Neither doth it follow that faith is not knowledge because without faith we cannot come to the certaine intelligence of that which we beleeve For as knowledge of the thing revealed goeth before faith so faith goeth before the exact understanding and comprehension In the two next places 1 Cor. 13. 2. 12. 9. where faith as he saith is distinguished as a severall gift from knowledge by faith is not meant justifying faith but the faith of miracles as I have else where shewed Neither doe wee deny but that knowledge may be a distinct gift from faith As that knowledge which is either principiorum or conclusionum which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither is knowledge alwayes joyned with acknowledgement which is faith though acknowledgement implyeth knowledge alwayes Knowledge therefore may be without faith but faith cannot be without knowledge To the fourth out of 2 Cor. 10. 5. that where knowledge is there needs no captivating of the understanding I answere that faith being onely notitia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and giving firme assent to that whereof it knoweth no reason yea though perhaps it seeme above or against reason subjecteth or captivateth the understanding to the authority of God The last is from those places wherein the obedience of faith is mentioned For saith he obedience in beleeving were not needfull if by faith knowledge were given to men I answere that in those places faith doth signifie the doctrine of faith that is the Gospell the truth which men are then said to obey Rom. 10. 16. Gal. 3. 1. Act. 6. 7. when they beleeve and professe it As contrariwise those who doe not beleeve are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to disobey and that in opposition to beleefe Ioh. 3. 36. Act. 14. 2. 17. 5. 19. 9. Rom. 11. 30 31 32. 15. 31. Heb. 3. 18 19. 1 Pet. 2. 7. Neither should it seeme strange to Bellarmine that by faith men attaine to knowledge I meane to greater knowledge when he urging even now that place Esai 7. 9. said faith is a degree and way to knowledge § VII To the Testimony of Irenaeus if it were entirely cited I would subscribe For speaking of those words 1 Cor. 8. Scientia inflat dilectio autem adificat and having thereupon inferred that it were better to know but a little and to love God than in a conceit of great knowledge to bee found blasphemous against God hee repeateth the same againe Melius itáque est sicuti predixi nihil omnio scientem quempiaâ—… ne quidem unam causam cujusllbet eorum quae facta sunt cur factum credere Deo persever are in ejus dilectione quae honorem vivificat nec aliud inquirere adscientiam nisi Iâ—…SVM Christum filium Dei qui pro nobis crucifixâ—…s est quà m per quaestionum subtilitates multiloquium in impietatem cadere Where first observe that the knowledge whereof he speaketh is that whereby the causes or reasons of things are knowne And wee doe confesse that a man may and ought simply to beleeve God without such knowledge and secondly that he speaketh by way of comparison that it is better for a man to content himselfe with the knowledge of Christ alone joyned with love which is not to be accounted implicite faith for the Apostle himselfe determined to know nothing among the Corinthians but Christ and him crucified than affecting the knowledge of subtile and curious questions to fall into
being certaine that he is faithfull râ—…joyce where observe that those are faithfull not that are baptized but that keep their vow of Baptism and that those that live wickedly are falsi fideles falsly called faithfull Againe qâ—…antum crediâ—…s tantum amamus Ansâ—…lm fides quâ—… non habet charitaâ—… opera bona fidâ—…s Dâ—…monum est non Christianorum Faith which hath not charity and good workeâ—… is the faith of Divels not of Christians And againe fides sine operibus noâ—… est vera fides Bernard faith maketh a true Catholike not that which iâ—… common to Devils and men but that which is common to men and Angelicall Spirits and which is that that which worketh by love CHAP. III. Bellarmines proofes that true faith may bee severed from Charity first from the Scriptures and then from Fathers § I. NOw let us examine Bellarmines proofes And first out of the Scriptures 1. Ioh. 12. 42 43. Many of the princes or rulers beleeved in Christ but they did not confessâ—… for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God Herâ—… saith â—…ee the Evangelist testifieth that in these Princes there was Faith without Charity His reason is thus to be framed The Princes which did not confesse Christ were void of Charity The same Princes beleeve in Christ. Therefore some that beleeve in Christ are void of Charity The proposition is proved because they loved the glory or praise of men more than of God Answ. If they did absolutely and altogether preferre the glory of men before the glory of God then hâ—…d they neither love of God nor faith in Christ see Ioh. 5. 42 44. But if by force of temptation or by humane frailty as feâ—…refulnesse and too much love of the World which are corruptions incident to the best they were for a time hindered from professing Christ I dare not say they were void of Charity For Saint Peter when he both loved Christ and beleeved in him did deny him which was worse than not confessing him And it may be that among those rulers were reckoned Nicodemus and Ioseph of Arimathâ—…a who though they had not for â—… time openly professed Christ yet when there was greatest cause of feare and of doubt and least encouragement to professe him they expressâ—… their love towards him Ioh. 19. 31 39. To the assumption I aâ—…swere those princes who being void of Charity loved the glory of men more than the glory of God by the testimony of Christ neither did nor could beleeve Ioh. 5. 42 44. Neither did all they truely beleeve in Christ who in the Scriptures are said after a sort to have beleeved in him For Ioh. 2. 23. many are said to have belâ—…ved in his name to whom our Saviour would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concredit himselfe because hee knew what was in them vers 24. 25. § II. His second proofe is out of 1 Cor. 13. 2. If I had all faith so that I could remove mountaines and have not charity I am nothing therefore faith may bee severed from Charity Answ. This place is either generally understood of all faith or particularly of the whole faith of working miracles but in neither sense doth it favour the popish sancie If generally then the Apostle must bee understood as speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of supposition and not as positively affirming that either he or any other having all faith wanted Charity therefore this supposition quâ—… nihil ponit proveth nothing Yea in suppositions and fained comparisons a man may suppose things incredible and impossible and much more improbable as in this place it selfe if I should speake with the tongues of men and Angels and have not love if I had all faith so that I could remove mountaines and have not love and though I bestow all my goods as it were by morsels to free the poore and though I gave my body to be burnt and have not Charity and yet those suppositions whether improbable or incredible are of no lesse force in arguing than if they were absolutely true Indeed if the adversary could from this hypotheticall proposition truly assume the antecedent as he cannot then might hee urge this place to some purpose but if it may more truely be denied or taken away as for example if I or any other had all faith and yet had not love as nâ—…ver man yet had then is this allegation to no purpose To this Bellarmine replyeth that the Apostle doth not argue from a condition impossible but usâ—…th an hyperbolt when notwithstanding it is most evident that the Apostle speaketh not in a simple hyperbolicall speech as Bellarmine maketh him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if I had which I have not but this supposall or fiction of a condition incredible doth no lesse prove the necessity of Charity than if it were absolutely true If the place be understood particularly of the faith of miracles the particle all being not universall but integrall as if it had beene said the whole faith including all the degrees of it which is very probable not onely in respect of the authority of the Fathers heretofore mentioned but also by the words themselves first because he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as speaking of a particular secondly because hee doth instance in a high degree of that particular so that I could remove mountaines then this alegation is impertinent For the question is not of the faith of miracles whether it may be severed from Charity which we confesse but of the true justifying faith which not all they have who have the faith of miracles For that hath beene bestowed upon Iudas and other reprobates Matth. 10. 1. 7. 22 23. which plainely overthroweth Bellarmines conceit that the faith of miracles is the same with jâ—…stifying faith but excelling which is false in two respects for first it would then follow that all they who have had this faith should have beene endued with justifying faith and that all who have excelled in the greatest measure and degree of justifying faith should have beene adorned with the faith of miracles Both which are untrue Secondly the Schoole men when they distinguish grace into gratia grâ—…tum 〈◊〉 which is the justifying and sanctifying grace tending to the good and Salvation of the party who hath it and gratia gratis data tending to the good of others the faith of working miracles is reckoned in the later ranke 1 Corinthians 12. 8 9 10. § III. Yea but it is promised Mark 16. 17. that signes should follow them that beleeve namely by a justifying faith whereof is mention vers 16. But not say I that all beleevers should be workers of miracles but some for all From whence nothing can be proved but that to some which did beleeve the gift of working miracles should bee granted for the confirmation of the faith Yea but by saith in forâ—…r times the faithfull stopped the mouths of Lyons quenched the
violence of fire Heb. 11. 33. 34. Answ. These examples recorded in the Scriptures were not wrought by the faithfull themselves but the Lord because they â—…id beleeve and trust in him sent his Angell to stoppe the mouths of Lions Dan. 6. 22. 23. and to quench the violence of fire Dan. 3. 17. 25. Howbeit if themselves had wrought these miracles it would prove no more but that some who had justifying faith had also the faith of working miracles Neither doth our Saviour Luk. 17. say that if a man had the justifying faith like a graine of mustard seed hee should be able to remoove mountaines for those who have had a great and a strong faith as namely Abraham have had no such power Yea but he speaketh of that faith which the disciples prâ—…ied him to increase Luk. 17. 5. But say I if you compare the place with his parallell Matth. 17. 20. it will appeare that both our Saviour and his Apostle speake of the faith of miracles For when our Saviour reproved them for their want of faith in that they were not able to cure the Lunaticke who notwithstanding were endued with justifying faith as many others are who though they have a strong faith yet are not able to worke such a cuâ—…e they desire our Saviour to increase or as the word is adde unto them faith Whereupon our Saviour returneth this answeare if you had faith as a graine of mustard seed c. doth hee meane justifying faith God forbid for then no man living could bee said to have so much of justifying faith as is a graine of mustard seed § IV. And whereas in the last place hee would prove by the conjunction of these three Faith Hope and Charity verse 13. that hee speaketh of the same faith whereof he had spoken verse 2. I answere first that it followeth not for here the Apostle maketh a new comparison of of Charity with Faith and Hope preferring it before them as greater both in respect of the breadth or 〈◊〉 for whereas the benefit of Faith and Hope respecteth habentem him that hath them Charity is extended to others and also in respect of the length or continuance For whereas Faith and Hope doe cease in the life to come faith being swallowed up in vision and hope in fruition love neverthelesse is continued with increase Secondly this place maketh rather against him Now saith the Apostle that is during this life these three abide none of them failing altogether in this life and therefore they alwayes goe together insomuch that whosoever hath any one of them hath alâ—…o the other two No man can have love or hope unlesse he have faith and no man hath true saith but he hath both love and hope and according to the measure of his faith such is the measure both of his love and of his hope For as that of Gregory is most true quantum credimus â—…antum amamus so it is no lesse true quantum credimus tantum speramus As for his allegation out of Augustine affirming that faith may be without charity I deny not but that the faith of hypocrites which beareth the name of faith as a carcase or counterfeit do of the man whose they are is without charity but profiteth not But that justifying faith may be without charity he saith not for how can it bee a justifying faith and not profit § V. His third testimony is Iaâ—… 2. 14. c. Where saith he Saint Iames not onely teacheth but also proveth that faith without workes doth not justific and that it may be without workes We answer that hee doth not speake of a true justifying faith but of faith professed onely or of the profession of faith which I proved before And this appeareth vers 14. where the question disputed in that discourse is propounded What doth it profit my brethren if a man shall say that hee hath faith or professeth himselfe to beleeve and hath not workes can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that faith of his which is in profession onely and without workes save him or justifie him No by no meanes for this affirmative interrogation is a most emphaticall negation This place therfore prooveth the contrary viz. that faith which is wiâ—…hout workes is not a true justifying faith and therefore a true justifying faith cannot be without workes But that Saint Iames speaketh of a true faith Bellarmine endevoureth to prove by five reasons against the maine drift of the Apostle in that place which as I shewed before was to prove that such a faith as is without workes is not a true justifying faith His first reason is because Saint Iames calleth it absolutely faith which name in the Scriptures alwâ—…yes signifieth the true faith that is or else hee speaketh to no purpose the true justifying faith First I answer that Saint Iames verse 14. doth not absolutely call it faith for he doth not say if a man have faith meaning a true faith but if a man shall say that hee hath faith can that faith which is in profession only save him And so in the verses following the faith which hee impleadeth doth not signifie the habiâ—… of true faith but the bare profession of faith But doth this word faith alwaies in the Scriptures fignifie the true justifying faith Nothing lesse for many times in the New Testament and almost alwayes in the Old faith is taken for fidelâ—…ty or faithfulnesse as Tit. 2. 10. sometimes for the doctrine of faith which is beleeved which the Papists themselves call the Catholike faith As Act. 6. 5. they obeyed the faith Act. 14. 27 the doore of faith Rom. 12. 6. the analogie of faith c. sometimes the profession of faith as Act. 14. 22. Rom. 1. 8. and so as hereafter I am to shew Iam. 2. 14. 24. And in this sence many are said to beleeve that is to have faith and are called fideles that is beleevers who onely professe the faith and are in their owne profession or opinion of others beleevers So Ioh. 2. 23. 8. 30 31. 33. Act. 8. 13. 21. and in this sence all that professe the name of Christ are called after his name Christians and are termed Fideles the faithfull not that all who are so called have the true justifying faith which is not of all nor yet of all that are called but onely of the elect For among those who are called the Faithfull there are many falsi fideles who are so falsly called as wee heard before out of Gregory sometimes for the faith of miracles as 1 Cor. 12. 9. 13. 2. Mat. 17. 20. Mar. 11. 22 23. Luk. 17. 5 6. Secondly hee saith that Saint Iames in the same chapter speaking of the sâ—…me faith saith that Abrahams faith wrought with his workes Ans. this is also contrary to the drift of Saint Iames who by this argument proveth the faith which is without workes to bee no true justifying faith because it is
Rom. 4. 16. And because they beleeve that justification consisteth in this certaintie therefore it woâ—…ld follow that justification is impossible But if faith necessarily must bee joyned with charitie and good workes so that otherwise it is not faith but a shadow or counterfeit of it then it followeth that justification in that it dependeth upon a true faith doth also depend upon works and upon love which is the fulfilling of the Lawe and consequently that no man can be certaine of his justification but that justification is a thing altogether impossible And in this argument he doth so please himselfe that he concludeth with this Epiphonema forsooth so stable is the dogmaticall building of heretikes that on each side it threatneth ruine I answere briefly by distinction that justification is either before God in foro coelesti or in the Court of our owne Conscience Before God when the Lord imputing the perfect righteousnesse of Christ to a beleeving sinner absolveth him from the guilt of his finne and from damnation and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ and as an heire of eternall life and this properly is the justification of a sinner That justification which is in the Court of Conscience is not justification it selfe but the assurance of it Howbeit commonly men are then said to bee justified and to have pardon of sinne when the pardon is sealed to their owne Conscience I deny therefore that our justification before God consisteth in the assurance thereof in our owne conscience for those which truely beleeve are justified and blessed whether they be assured thereof or not or that it dependeth upon our charitie or our owne good works but that without respect of our charitie or any worthinesse in us the Lord doth freely and of his meere grace even when wee deserve the contrary justifie us so soone as wee truely beleeve in Christ that and no other being the condition of the covenant And howsoever the assurance of our justification before God if we were to be justified by our owne obedience were impossible because to our justification before God perfect and complete obedience is required which to us by reason of the flesh is impossible yet the assurance of our justification in our owne conscience is not impossible but is ordinarily obtained by the children of God by some more by some lesse because it doth not depend upon the perfection but upon the uprightnesse of our obedience If wee have a true desire an unfained purpose a sincere endevour to walke before God in the obedience of his commandements though wee faile contrary to our desire and purpose in many particulars wee may thereby make our election our calling our justification sure unto us For by our works our faith is demonstrated and our justification knowne to our selves and others in which sence Saint Iames saith we are justified by works § XI In the seventh place Bellarmine addeth the consent of the Fathers into whose minde hee saith this absurditie never entred that faith cannot be where charitie is not And yet for all this bragge he is not able to produce any one pregnant testimony plainely affirming that true faith or justifying faith may bee without charitie wee doe not deny but that the faith of Hypocrites and of all other wicked and impenitent sinners which is not a true and a lively but a counterfeit and dead faith which not properly but catachrestically or rather equivocally is called faith is severed from charitie and from all other graces of sanctification And such is the faith which the Fathers say may bee severed from charitie But though hee hath not cited any one pregnant testimony against us yet one hee hath cited for us in plaine termes avouching that they doe not truely beleeve nor have true faith who doe not live well and to the same purpose I cited Augustine and divers others of the Fathers CAP. IV. Whether justifying faith may be without speciall apprehension of Christ. § I. THe third error of the Papists concerning the nature of justifying faith is that they hold it may be as without knowledge and without charity so also without any speciall apprehension or application of Christ to the beleever But the Scriptures unto justification require that wee should beleeve in Christ. For howsoever by that faith which justifieth wee doe beleeve whatsoever God hath revealed in his Word neither hath any man a justifying faith who denyeth credit to any thing which hee findeth to bee revealed by God notwithstanding as it justifyeth it onely respecteth Christ either directly and expressely or indirectly and by consequence Christ himselfe being as I shall hereafter shew the proper object of justifying faith For the promise of justification and salvation in the Gospell is not made to the beliefe of other things but onely to true faith in Christ. For God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildernesse that they who were bitten of the fiery serpents by looking on the brasen Serpent which was a figure of Christ should bee healed even so the Sonne of man was to be lifted up upon the Crosse that whosoever being stung by the old serpent the Devill looketh upon him with the eiâ—… of a true faith that is beleeueth in him should not perish but have eternall life which truth is acknowledged by the Master of the sentences quem Deus proposuit propitiatorem per fidem in sanguine ipsius i. per fidem passionis ut â—…lim aspicientes in Serpentem aneum in lignâ—… erectuÌ„ à morsibus serpentum sanabantur Si ergo recto fidei intuitu in illum respicimus qui pro nobis pependit in ligâ—…o à vinculis Dâ—…laboli solvimur i. peccatis As therefore they who were bitten by the same eyes wherewith they looked upon the brasen serpent beheld all other things which were subject to their view but were cured by looking upon the serpent and not by beholding any other thing so wee by the same eye of the soule which is faith doe beleeve all other things which God hath propounded to bee beleeved his Word being the objectum adâ—…quatum of our faith but we are justifyed and saved by beleeving in Christ and not by beleeving of any other thing In so much that if we should beleeve all other things and did not beleeve in Christ our faith would not justifie us And therefore in the Scriptures justifying faith is ordinarily called faith in Christ and sometimes the faith of Christ and sometimes his knowledge whereby is meant not that Christ is the subject but the proper object of justifying faith which is a truth so manifest that no Christian ought to doubt of it For all true Christians are so called because they beleeve in Christ and by beleeving in him doe hope to bee saved by him § II.
Now to beleeve in Christ is to receive him Ioh. 1. 12. and not to receive him is not to beleeve in him vers 11. For to receive Christ being so farre removed from us is a spirituall action of the soule that is to say of the mind and of the heart whereby we first apprehend and after apply Christ unto our selves If therefore it bee asked quâ—…modo tenebo absentem quomodo in coelâ—…m manum mittam ut ibi sedentem teneam how should I lay hold upon him that is absent how should I send up my hand into heaven to lay hold on him sitting there Augustine answereth fidem mitte tenuisti Send up thy faith and thou hast laid hold on him But first wee receive Christ in our minde and judgement by assent which if it bee a bareâ—… and as it were a literall and uneffectuall assent wee receive him at the most as the Saviour of the World but not as our Saviour which is the faith of hypocrites yea and of Devils and is all that thâ—… Papists require as necessary to true faith But if it bee a spirituall lively and effectuall assent it worketh upon the heart that is both the affections and the will so that hee which in his judgement truely and effectually assenteth to the truth of the Gospell that Iesus the Sonne of the Blessed Virgin is the eternall Sonne of God the Messias and Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him doth also in his heart embrace him heartily desiring to bee made partaker of him and in his will unfainedly purposing and resolving to acknowledge him to bee our Lord and Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation By the former which is onely a bare assent we doe after a sort credere Christum acknowledging him to bee the Saviour of those that beleeve in him by the latter which is the lively and effectuall assent working upon the heart we doe credere in Christum and receive him to bee our Saviour whereupon necessarily followeth affiance in Christ and love of him as our Saviour Thus then by a true belief we receive and embrace Christ in our judgements by a lively assent in our hearts desiring earnestly to be partakers of him which desire wee expresse by hearty prayer and in our willâ—… resolving to acknowledge and professe him to be our only Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation So that a true lively and effectuâ—…ll faith is the worke of the whole soule that is to say as well of the heart as of the minde for which cause the Apostle saith corde creditur adjustitiam with the heart man beleeveth to righteousnesse Rom. 10. 10. and Saint Luke that the Lord opened the heart of Lydia to assent to the Gospell Act. 16. 14. And Philip requireth the Eunuch to beleeve with his whole heart Act. 8. 37. The former is common to the wicked yea to the Devils the later is proper to the children of God For those who so beleeve are born of God Ioh. â—… 12 13. 1 Ioh. 5. 1. The former is a literall a dead a counterfeit a not justifying faith the latter is a lively true and justifying faith This distinction Augustine maketh betweene Saint Peters faith and that of the Devils though their confessions were alike Thou art the Sonne of the living God Hoc dicebat Petrus ut Christum amplecteretur hoc dicebant Daemones ut Christus ab eis recederet This said Peter that hee might embrace Christ this spake the Devils that Christ might depart from them Oecumenius endeavouring to reconcile the seeming differences betweene the two Apostles Paul and Iames saith there are two significations of the word Faith the one as it signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a simple and bare assent in which sence the Devils are said to beleeve that there is one God the other as it importeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the accompanying of the disposition or affection with the firme assent Of the former Saint Iames speaketh and saith that the simple and bare assent is a dead faith but Paul of the latter which is not destitute of good workes which after hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is faith indeed § III. Of this faith whereby wee receive Christ to bee our Saviour there are two degrees the former of speciall apprehension whereby wee receive and embrace Christ consisting in a lively and effectuall beleefe whereby we truly receive Christ in our judgement by a willing assent in our affections by an earnest desire to bee made partakers of him and of his merits which is the desire of application in our will by a setled resolution to acknowledge him to bee our Saviour and to rest upon him for salvation which is the unfained purpose and endeavour of application So that in this first degree though we are not able actually to apply the promise of the Gospell unto our selves yet that application is both desired and intended The other is of actuall and speciall application of the promise to our selves as having the condition of the promise The former is fides principiorum being grounded on the expresse Word of God whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall bee saved The other is fides conclusionum necessarily deduced from the Word by application in a practicall syllogisme after this manner whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall be saved which generall is true in every particular as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 10. 9. 〈◊〉 therefore thou doest beleeve in Christ thou shalt bee saved but I saith the faithfull man doe beleeve in Christ therefore I shall be saved which conclusion cannot be false the premisses being true To the former all men are necessarily tied under paine of damnation Iohn 3. 18. Mark 16. 16. to the latter none are tied but they onely who have the former For the former is the condition of the promise which whosoever hath not he ought not to apply the promise to himselfe unlesse hee will perniciously deceive himselfe By the former wee are justified before God in the court of Heaven which is properly called justification by the latter we are justified in the court of our conscience which is not properly justification but the assurance of it The former goeth before remission of sinne the latter followes after The former is the worke of Gods Spirit as he doth regenerate us in our first effectuall calling the latter as hee is the spirit of adoption sealing us after wee have beleeved The former is ordinarily wrought by the hearing of the Word the holy Ghost opening the heart of the hearer to assent thereto and not by the ministry of the Sacraments which being the seales of that righteousnesse which is by faith were ordained to this purpose to confirme our faith in the application of the promise in particularunto our selves and in the particular assurance of our justification and salvation by Christ that those who have the first degree offaith may proceed to the second
and of the true worship of God Sometimes it signifieth affiance in God Psal. 9. 10. Esa. 11. 10. compared with Rom. 15. 12. Psal. 69. 6 And so faith is the cause of affiance for by faith wee have affiance Eph. 3. 12. Sometimes it signifieth invocation and calling upon the name of God So David sought God 2 Sam. 12. 16. that is besought him So Esa. 55. 6. Psal. 34. 4. Matth. 7. 7 8. Ier. 29. 12 13. Zach. 8. 21. 22. 2 Chron. 2. 3 4. and thus faith is the cause of prayer which if it bee effectuall is called the prayer of faith Iam. 5. 16. And this is â—…ignified in § VIII The next place which Bellarmine alleageth viz. Rom. 10. 13. 14. whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall bee saved How then shall they call upon him in whom they have not beleeved and how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how should they heare without a preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Where Bellarmine observeth this order of justification he should have said of salvation First sending of Preachers Secondly preaching Thirdly faith Fourthly invocations Fisthly salvation that is saith he justification which is as he saith the healing of the soule from the disease of sinne Of these saith he sending and preaching are without us therfore the first beginning of justification within us is faith which invocation doth follow and the rest in their order I answere first that the Apostle setteth downe in order the degrees not of justification but of salvation Whereof the first after election is vocation unto which three of these degrees are referred First sending of Preachers Secondly Preaching Thirdly hearing by which faith commeth The second is justification by faith Thirdly sanctification whereof one principall duety is mentioned viz. invocation which seemeth to bee put as sometimes it is for the whole worship of God or religion Fourthly salvation Secondly in reckoning these degrees he omiâ—…teth one in favour of their implicite faith For where the Apostle saith how shall they callupon him in whom they have not beleeved how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and consequently by hearing knowne this degree he leaveth out which proveth that men cannot beleeve in God who have not heard of him nor by hearing knowne him Thirdly his inference is of no force at all For by this place it is not proved that faith is the first beginning of justification but this is proved that as the word begetteth faith which doth justifie or as the Apostle speaketh in other words Rom. 8. 30 whom the Lord doth call them he doth justifie so faith begetteth invocation and all other dueties of sanctification for whom God doth justifie hee doth sanctifie Now sanctification is the beginning of glorification in this life for by it the Lord beginneth in us a spirituall and eternall life and as glory is gratia consummata so grace is gloria inchoata So that from this place compared with Rom. 8. 30. and 2 Thess. 2. 13 14. wee may be bold to set dowue the degrees of salvation in this order Election Vocation Iustification Glorification and that either begun in this life which is sanctification or consummate in the life to come which is our eternall salvation § IX His third testimony is Ioh. 1. 12. So many as received him to them hee gave power to be made the sonnes of God to them which beleeve in his name Where saith he Saint Iohn plainly teacheth that these who receive Christ by faith are not yet the Sonnes of God but may bee made the Sonnes of God if they goe on further so that they begin also to hope and to love for love properly maketh men the Sonnes of God Answ. The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where Bellarmine by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the vulgar Latine readeth potestatem understandeth possibility as if he had said potentiam and the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the aorist hee understandeth as if it were the future as if the meaning were that those who receive Christ by faith are in a good possibility to become hereafter the Sonnes of God if to their faith they shall adde hope and love for it is love properly saith he and not faith that maketh men Gods children But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never signifieth possibility but as in other places it is translated power or authority so here as also 1 Cor. 8. 9. 9. 12. right or priviledge or as Iansenius interpreteth authoritatem dignitatâ—…m jus And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie not that they may be made hereafter but that so soone as men beleeve they are already the Sonnes of God hee gave them this right or priviledge this prerogative dignity or preheminence to bee the Sonnes of God And so Iansenius the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bee rendred not onely fieri to bee made but also esse to be that is now saith hee may bee the sense hee gave them that authority right and dignity ut sint Dei filii that they are the Sonnes of God not onely after but when they doe receive him For of them that receive Christ even by the first degree of faith it is said that they are borne of God 1 Ioh. 5. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God hee doth not say is in possibility to bee hereafter but hee speaketh in the time past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is already borne of God and in this very place Ioh. 1. 12 13. they that beleeve in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are borne of God For indeed regeneration in order of nature though not in time goeth before faith which the Spirit when hee doth regenerate us worketh in us Iansenius well observeth that the parts of this text understood according to Bellarmines sence cannot well stand together that those who are said to have received Christ should have power given them wherby they may be made the Sonnes of God For if they have received him they are already the Sonnes of God and need not to bee made Sonnes of God And on the contrary if they are in possibility to be made Sons then now they are not and if they be not Sonnes then they have not yet received him And further he observeth that of them who are here said to have power given them to be the Sons of God in the next verse it is said that they are born of God Besides those who have not yet received Christ by faith are notwithstanding in possibility to be made the Sons of God whiles they are capable of faith and are in possibility to beleeve The place to which he referreth us is 1 Ioh. 2. 19. Ye know that hee who worketh righteousnesse is borne of God from whence this may be gathered that working of righteousnesse is an evident signe or marke of him that is borne of
or the thing feared is not God but punishment or if it be of God it is not to feare him but to be affraid of him From which our Saviour hath redeemed those that beleeve that they may worship God in some measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without this feare Neither doth it per se and in its owne nature tend to justification which is the exaltation of a sinner but rather to despaire which is the lowest dejection of a sinner Notwithstanding as the Law by working this feare is a Schoolemaster unto Christ for when 〈◊〉 by the paedagogie of the Law have learned to know their 〈◊〉 damnable estate in themselves for feare of damnation they are forced to seeke for salvation out of themselves so this feare which in it selfe tendeth to despaire and in it owne nature affrighteth men from God as we see in the example of our first parents Gen. 3. 10. is by God made a meanes to draw them unto him But to say that feare doth concurre unto justification in the same manner as faith doth is against reason and against common sence unlesse hee speaketh onely of the legall faith which as it is wrought by the Law so it worketh feare For feare driveth to the humiliation faith tendeth to the exaltation of the humbled soule and by it indeed the soule is exalted Therefore as humiliation goeth before exaltation so feare before faith Againe as feare goeth before faith so sinne goeth before feare For sinne maketh a man guilty the Conscience being by the Law convicted of guilt terrifieth the soule the soule terrified either sinketh in despaire being left to it selfe or prevented by God according to the purpose of his grace by which it was elected in Christ seeketh to God who is found of them that sought him not So that by this reason sinne it selfe may bee said to bee a necessary forerunner of justification disposing a man to â—…feare more than feare doth to justification for that is a cause this but an occasion § II. But as this discourse proving that feare is a disposition to justification is impertinent and affirming that feare concurreth to justification in the same manner that faith doth is false so are some of his allegations also impertinent Because they belong not to this servile feare which goeth before faith and and justification but to the Sonne-like feare which is a fruit both of faith and love and a consequent of justification As namely his first place iâ—… it were rightly alleaged Eccl. 1. 28. hee that is without feare cannot be justified or reputed just For the feare of God which the Sonne of Syrach in that chapter from the tenth verse to the end doth so highly extoll is not this servile feare but the filiall feare by which is meant true piety it selfe which as he calleth it there the beginning so also the Crowne and fulnesse of Wisedome But the place is not rightly translated in the Latine which Bellarmine doth follow For the Greeke text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wrathfull man cannot be justified or as some editions doe read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unjust wrath cannot be justified according to that of S. Iames the wrath of man doth not worke the righteousnesse of God And that the former part of the vers speaketh of wrath is proved by the latter which is the reason of the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the sway of his wrath is his ruine and by the words going before where the feare of the Lord is present it turneth away wrath and represseth anger § III. So his second Psal. 111. 10. and third Prov. 1. 7. where it is said that the feare of the Lord is the beginning of Wisedome and by Wisedome saith Bellarmine is meant perfect justification hee should say sanctification or godlinesse For as the wicked man is Salomons foole so the godly man is the onely wise man And in this sense Moses prayeth Psal. 90. 12. Teach us O Lord so to number our daies that wee may apply our hearts to Wisedome that is to true godlinesse and to the same purpose Iob speaketh c. 28. 28. the feare of the Lord it selfe is Wisedome and so Eccl. 1. 27. Now in these places the Hebrew word Reshith which is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beginning may fitly as in many other places bee translated the head that is a chiefe or principall part or the top and the meaning is that the feare of God is a principall part of godlinesse and as you heard even now Eccl. 2. 18. the Crowne of Wisedome Otherwise I cannot conceive how feare which is a fruit both of faith and of love should truely be said to bee the beginning of godlinesse which by consent of all is the prerogative of faith And yet faith it selfe doth not justifie as it is the beginning of inherent righteousnesse and much lesse feare which concurreth with it not to justification but onely to sanctification Now that servile feare is not meant in these places it is evident not onely because such commendations are given unto it as belong not to servile feare but also because they that are indued with this feare are pronounced blessed Psalm 112. 1. 128. 1. Prov. 28. 14. whereas those who have the greatest measure of servile feare are accursed and contrariewise they are happy who are most freed from it The blessednesse promised to Abraham and all the faithfull in his seed is by Zachary expounded Luk. 1. 73 74 75. to be this that being redeemed from the hand of our enemies wee should worship the Lord without feare And Saint Iohn testifieth that there is no feare in love but perfect love casteth out feare 1 Iohn 4. 18. Fourthly the feare mentioned Prov. 14. 27. where it is said The feare of the Lord is a well-spring of life to avoid the snares of death is the sonne-like feare of which Salomon speaketh in the words next going before In the feare of the Lord there is strong confidence Fifthly the feare of the Lord mentioned Eccl. 1. 21. is the son-like feare which in that Chapter from the tenth verse is highly commended Of this feare it is said among other things that it is gladnesse and a crowne of rejoycing that it maketh a merry heart and giveth joy and gladnesse verse 11 12. which are things repugnant to servile feare § IV. But let us see how he proveth his unlike likenesse that servile feare doth in a manner justifie as faith doth viz. by Scriptures by Fathers by Reason First because as it is said of faith Heb. 11. 6. so without feare we cannot please God Answ. This is true of the sonne-like feare which is an unseparable companion of justification though Bellarmines allegation of Eccles. 1. 22. proveth it not as I have shewed But of the servile feare it may be truly said that they who please God most have the least of it For the greater a mans love is the lesse is his feare
condition of faith See Act. 8. 37. 10. 43. 13. 38 39. Ro. 4. 5. Gal. 2. 16. and so every where Before the incarnation of Christ it was the good pleasure of God by faith onely to justifie the faithfull as Bellarmine himselfe hath confessed And doth he require any other condition of us are not we justified as they were By his knowledge that is by faith in him my righteous servant shall justifie many Yea but the Scriptures saith Bellarmine much more plainely exact the condition of Penance and of the Sacraments to justification than of faith as Ezek. 18. 27. The wicked if hee repent of his sinnes shall live Luk. 13. 4. unlesse yee repent ye shall likewise perish Ioh. 3. 5. unlesse a man be borne a-new of water and the holy Ghost he shall not enter into the Kingdome of God Answ. Many things are required to salvation which are not required to justification which as they be necessary forerunners of glorification so are they the fruits of faith and consequents of justification viz. repentance and newnesse of life which is the thing mentioned in these places Againe happinesse which consisteth partly in justification or remission of sinnes which is beatitudo viae and partly in eternall life which is beatitudo patriâ—… is oftentimes attributed to those things which are not the causes of happines but the notes and markes of them that be happy There is but one happinesse properly and that is to be in Christ who is eternall life whom whosoever hath hath eternall life Of this happinesse Christ alone is the foundation and the cause and faith the instrument of our union and communion with Christ. All other virtues and graces are but the fruits and consequently the signes and markes of faith or of our being in Christ by faith And therefore are not so many beatitudes though they are blessed that have them but so many notes of one and the same happinesse It is true that if we be sorry for our sinnes because by them we have displeased him who hath been so gracious a God unto us if we confesse them crave pardon for them and forsake them all which are duties of repentance the Lord hath promised to forgive them And yet these are not causes of our justification before God but fruits of faith by which we come to be justified in our owne conscience By faith we obtaine remission of sinnes and by these duties of repentance which are the fruits of justifying faith we attaine to the assurance of it That prayer which somuch prevaileth with God is the prayer of faith That repentance which is to life is caused by faith without which it is impossible to please God and therefore the Disciples when they understood that the Gentiles were brought to beleeve in Christ conclude that God had given them repentance unto life Act. 11. 18. As for the Sacraments the justification which is assigned to them doth not hinder justification by faith onely but serveth to seale and to assure it § VI. The third cause or reason proving that faith doth justifie alone is because it is the property of faith to apprehend and to apply the promise of justification to our selves For the clearing whereof I desire the reader to call to minde what hath beene said concerning the two degrees of justifying faith For by the former wee apprehend receive and embrace Christ who is our righteousnesse offered in the promises of the Gospell to our justification before God By the other wee apply the promises of the Gospell to our selves that we may be justified in our owne consciences Both which actions of receiving and applying the promises to our â—…elves cannot be ascribed to any other grace but are proper to faith onely To this argument Bellarmine shapeth two answeres the former whereof is a meere cavill at the word apprehension which wee make proper to faith as if by apprehending we did meane the first act of the understanding when it conceiveth the object But this point I cleared before in the first question concerning the nature of faith where I shewed that this apprehension whereof Bellarmine speaketh goeth before all judgement of the minde And that the understanding having first conceived and apprehended the object judgeth of it either by withholding the assent if it be doubtfull which is called doubting or by giving assent either weakely which is opinion or firmely which is knowledge this firme assent or knowledge is grounded either upon the evidence of the thing which is either manifest in it selfe and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cleare intelligence or manifested by discourse which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or science or else the thing being not evident either to sense or reason upon the infallible authority of God speaking in his word which is Faith By this beleefe we receive Christ not onely in our judgements by assent but also if this assent be lively and effectuall we receive embrace and lay hold upon him as our Saviour with all our soules acknowledging him in our judgements in our hearts desiring to bee made partakers of him in our wils resolving to professe him to bee our Saviour and to obey him as our Lord c. § VII This is the apprehension whereof we speake and which is peculiar to faiâ—… as it is evident Be it saith Bellarmine that justification after a sort is apprehended by faith Surely it is not so apprehended that indeed it is had and doth inhere but onely that it is in the minde after the manner of an object apprehended by an action of the understanding and will and so saith he love and joy apprehend In these things Bellarmine sheweth himselfe to be a diviner rather than a divine we doe not say that in our justification before God justification is apprehended by faith but the righteousnesse of Christ unto justification And that this righteousnesse of Christ though not inherent in us is as truely and really made ours by imputation as our sinnes though not inherent in him were made his when he truely and really suffered for them By this hand of faith we receive Christ Ioh. 1. 12. by it we receive and embrace the promises Heb. 11. 16. by it we receive remission of sinnes Act. 10. 43. 26. 18. By this mouth as it were of the soule we eate the body of Christ and drinke his bloud That which hee speaketh of justification being in the minde after the manner of an object apprehended by an action of the understanding and the will may in some sort be verified of the apprehension of speciall faith applying justification to the beleever But to say that after this manner love and joy apprehend it is against sense For faith apprehendeth it by a perswasion yea by a firme perswasion upon which follow love and joy not apprehending but loving and rejoycing at that which faith doth apprehend But these two are not incident unto a Papist who
and by beleeving to receive and embrace Christ. The acts of faith in sanctifying and producing morall dueties are immediate acts or imperati which faith produceth by meanes of other virtues commanded by faith such are sperare confidere amare timere obedire pati c Of justification the man indued with faith is not the efficient but the subject and the patient who receiving by faith which is his onely act the righteousnesse of Christ is thereby justified God imputing to the beleever the righteousnesse of his Sonne and therefore though to beleeve bee his owne act yet hee is not said in the active to justifie himselfe by faith but in the passive to bee justified by faith Rom. 3. 24. 28. 5. 1. But in the duties of sanctification and in all morall duties the faithfull man is the efficient of them and his faith as it is said of arts other habits is the principium agendi the principle wherby he worketh and of them faith under God is the prime cause and as some call that which is principium agendi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such actions are the most of those which Heb. 11. are so highly commended which though they were the fruits of justifying faith yet were the acts of faith not as it justifieth but as it sanctifieth fortifieth or otherwise qualifieth them who are endued with it and this efficiencie of faith in Greeke and Latine is oftner signified without the prepositions than with As Heb. 11. though the sence be the same Of justification therefore faith is but the instrumentall cause justifying relatively that is in respect of the object which it doth receive being the onely instrument to receive that object which alone doth justifie But of the dueties of sanctification and other morall actions such as for the most part are mentioned Heb. 11. whereof the faithfull man is the efficient justifying faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by love and other virtues as affiance c. is the prime cause working them not relatively by apprehending the object but effectually producing them as principium agendi wherby Bellarmines dispute out of Heb. 11. is confuted For there it is said saith hee that by faith the Saints overcame Kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained the promises stopped the mouths of Lyons c. Where the particle by doth not signifie apprehension but the true cause For faith was the cause of Abels religious offering of Noahs preparing the Arke of Abrahams obedience c. All this I confesse but that which he would inferre therupon that faith therefore doth not justifie relatively by way of apprehending the object I have already answered for that which hee spake before of apprehending relatively was idle and frivolus § VII The second part of his assumption was that saith is the beginning of justice and consequently the inchoated formall cause of justification So that now belike the seven dispositions shall be the inchoated formes of justification the entire forme being but one viz. charity and consequently the disposing faith and the disposing feare and so of the rest shall be inchoated charity which is ridiculous Bellarmine in this argument as allwayes by justification understandeth sanctification whereof and of all inherent righteousnesse wee acknowledge faith to bee the beginning and consequently the beginning of that righteousnesse by which we are formally just But of justification not the beginning only but the accomplishment and perfection is to be attributed unto faith because no sooner doe we by faith lay hold upon the righteousnesse of Christ which is most perfect but wee are perfectly justified thereby And therefore the Fathers as you heard before â—… acknowledge faith alone to suffice unto justification So Origen in Rom. 3. lib. 3. Hierome and Sedulius in Rom. 10. 10. in Gal. 3. 6. Chrysost. in Gal. 3. 6. in Tit. 1. 13. Augustin de tempore Serm. 68. Chrysâ—…log serâ—… 34. Primasius in Gal. 2. Oecumen in Col. 2. Theophylact in Gal. 3. Anselm in Rom. 4. If faith alone sufficeth unto justification then doth it not onely begin but also perfect and accomplish it For Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith wee have peace with God But Bellarmine endeavoureth to prove his assertion by authority of Scriptures and testimonies of Fathers His first testimony out of the Scriptures is Rom. 4. 5. to him that beleeveth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Where saith he faith it selfe is counted righteousnesse and consequently faith doth not apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ but faith in Christ is it selfe justice And if it be lively and perfected by Charity it shall be perfect justice if not it shall at the least be unperfect and inchoated justice Answ. If the question were concerning the approbation or justification of the act of faith or the habit I would acknowledge that the Lord doth accept the same though unperfect in it selfe as righteous As the zealous act of Phinehas was counted unto him for righteousnesse throughout all generations But the Apostle speaketh of the justification of the person who cannot by one habit and much lesse by one act of faith be formally just But forasmuch as by faith in Christ the beleever receiveth the perfect righteousnesse of Christ this faith in respect of the object doth fully justifie the beleever and is therefore counted to him for righteousnesse not that it selfe is his righteousnesse nor that he is righteous in himselfe who still in himselfe remaineth a sinner but in Christ. And such was the faith of Abraham and of all the faithfull that not in themselves but in the promised seed all that beleeve in him should be blessed that is justified The Greeke word used sometimes by the Septuagint as Gen. 18. 18. 28. 14. and retained by the Apostle Gal. 3. 8. is very significant viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie that not in themselves but in the promised seed they should be justified and blessed for so the Apostle Rom. 4. 5 6 7. useth these words promiscuously as also Gal. 3. 8. The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospell unto Abraham saying in thee that is in thy seed shall all nations be blessed This blessednesse therefore this justification is obtained by faith and therefore is faith counted righteousnesse because it receiveth it As for faith it selfe absolutely considered without relation to its object we according to the Popish doctrine are justified by it neither in the act of justification nor before Not before for untill it be as they speake formed with Charity it cannot justifie nor in the act for charity alone is the formall cause of justification and then only are we formally justified when Charity is infused or else there are more formall causes of justification than one which Bellarmine according to the doctrine of the Councill of Trent doth utterly deny § VIII His second testimony 1 Corinthians 3. 11. another foundation can
of sinnes and his obedience for the acceptation unto life of us who receiving him by faith desire to be made partakers of his merits to our justification For as in our mindes we receive Christ by a lively assent or beleefe as hath beene shewed so in our hearts we receive him by an earnest desire expressed in our prayers to be made partakers of him and his merits Neither doth it follow that if by faith we impâ—…trate or obtaine remission of sinnes that therefore faith is the meritorious cause of justification unlesse it bee understood relatively in respect of Christ who is the onely meritorious cause both of our justification and salvation whom faith as the instrument doth apprehend § XV. His fifth and last reason is out of Heb. 11. Where the Apostle by many examples teacheth that by faith men doe please God and consequently that faith is of great price and merit with God Answ. That faith doth please God and is of high account with God I meane a true lively justifying faith not the faith of Papists hypocrites and Devils wee freely acknowledge to the honour of God the giver of it and to the shame of the Papists who for all their saire pretences here doe much vilifie it Howbeit merit wee ascribe none to it unlesse it be relatively by apprehending Christs merits to our justification and salvation That Abel Henoch and others mentioned Heb. 11. did please God by faith doth not disprove our justification relatively but proves it For God is pleased with none but in Christ in whom he is well pleased He is pleased with none in Christ but with them only that by faith receive him § XVI To these places of Scripture Bellarmine addeth tenne testimonies out of Augustine nine whereof doe testifie that by faith righteousnesse is impetrated that is by request obtayned and the righteousnesse which hee speaketh of is not the righteousnesse of justification but of sanctification Neither doe they prove any thing in this point but what wee confesse that by faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by love wee obtaine for that Augustine meaneth by merits both the graces that is the habits and the fruits that is the acts of sanctification which we call good workes The testimonies are these fides inchoat meritum ut per munus Dei bene operâ—…tur where by merit he understandeth the grace of living well that faith doth merit that is obtaine the grace of working well Lex adducit ad fidem fides impetrat Spiritum largiorem diffundit Spiritus charitatem charitas implet legem Quod factorum lex minando imperat hoc fidei lex credendo impetrat Per legem cognitio peccati per fidem impetratio gratiae contra peccatum per gratiam sanatio animae Violentia fidei Spiritus sanctus impetratur per quem diffusa charitate in cordibus nostris lex non timore poenae sed justitiae a more completur In novâ—… testamento fides impetrat charitatem Ex fide ideo dicit Apostolus justificari hominem non ex operibus quia ipsa prima datur ex qua impetrentur caetera quae proprie opera nuncupantur in quibus justè vivitur Fidès non potita conceditur ut ei potenti alia concedantur His tenth testimony which in order is the second Nec ipsa remissio peccatorum sine aliquo merito est si fides hanc impetrat neither is the remission of sinnes it selfe without any merit if faith doe obtaine it Neither is there no merit of faith by which faith hee said O God bee mercifull to mee a sinner and worthily did that faithfull man being humbled goe home justified because hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Where Augustine abusively useth as other Latine Fathers often doe the word merit in the sence of obtaining and that by request and that appeareth by Bellarmines owne confession that Augustine doth use to call merit any good worke in respect whereof we obtaine some other thing and by the place it selfe In which sence hee saith the Publican by his humble and faithfull prayer having obtained remission of sinnes went home justified For if merit properly so called did goe before remission of siune then men should merit before they bee in state of grace which Bellarmine denyeth then should wee not bee justified either gratis that is as all even Bellarmine himselfe expound it sine meritis or by the grace that is the gracious and undeserved favour of God when wee deserved the contrary Againe beâ—…ore remission of sinnes and justification all men bee sinners and unjust Now as Augustine saith in the very next words going before quid habere boni meriti possunt peccatores What good merit can sinners have and a little before that meritis impii non grattam sed poena debetur To the merits of a wicked man not grace but punishment is due Finally the Papists themselves ordinarily confesse that their first justification cannot be merited which is grace onely and not reward Though some of them sometimes doe talke of merits of congruity which properly are no merits or if they be Pelagius his maine errour must take place gratiam secundum merita dari that grace is given according to merits Bellarmine here saith that hee hath proved elsewhere that faith and contrition and other dispositions doe merit the grace of justification which the Councill of Trent expressely denieth § XVII His fifth principall argument to prove that faith alone doth not justifie consisteth of two arguments drawne from two principles which he will but point at now but hereafter demonstrate The one is from the formall cause of justification the other from the necessity of good workes unto salvation For if the formall cause of our justification bee a righteonsnessâ—… infused and really inherent in us and not the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith then faith alone doth not justifie but the former is true therefore the latter The consequence of the proposition we grant for unto sanctification faith alone doth not suffice but there must be a concurrence not onely of other habituall graces thereunto but also of actuall obedience But justification is not to be confounded with sanctification Neither doe we say that the righteousnesse of Christ is the formall cause of justification but the matter by imputation whereof we are justified The assumption namely that we are justified by a righteousnesse infused and really inherent in us he saith hee will fully prove in the next booke But all his proofes I have already fully answered and confuted in the third and fourth controversies concerning the matter and forme of justification and have by necessary arguments both disproved the negative to wit that wee are not justified by any righteousnesse inherent in us or infused into us and proved the affirmative viz. that we are justified onely by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us
but the question is of justification Now many things are required to salvation which doe not concurre to justification as namely confession holinesse of life patience perseverance c. which though they goe before salvation yet they follow after justification and therefore cannot be causes thereof In all this discourse therefore Bellarmine is farre from concluding the point in question Notwithstanding it will not be unprofitable if I shall make a short excursion to follow him in his discourse but not to answere every particular which is not worth the answering That therefore he may confute our most pernicious errour as he calleth it he saith he will prove three things first that in the Gospell is contained the doctrine of workes and divers Lawes and that the promises thereof require the condition of fulfilling the Law Secondly that the just are not free from the observation of the Law of God Thirdly that good workes are simply necessary to Salvation § III. His intent in the first is to disprove that difference which we make betweene the Law and the Gospell from whence he had collected in the former Chapter that we deny the necessity of good works The difference was this That the Law propoundeth justification and salvation upon the condition of our fulfilling the whole Law But the Gospell promiseth justification and salvation upon the condition of faith only excluding works as the causes by which we are justified or for which we be saved which difference if it be true as it is most true plainely proveth justification by faith only and disproveth justification by workes For the better understanding whereof wee are to distinguish the termes both of the Law and Gospell which are used sometimes more largely sometimes more strictly and properly More largely Thorah the Law signifieth the whole doctrine of the old Testament whether written and contained in the bookes of Moses the Prophets and the Psalmes or Preached Written thus it is said to have beene written in the Law Ioh. 10. 34. which is written Psalm 82. 6. so Ioh. 12. 34. which is written Psalm 110. 4. so Ioh. 15. 25. which is written Psalm 35. 19. The Law saith those things Rom. 3. 19. which are cited out of the Psalmes and out of the Prophet Esay vers 10 11 12. Thus 1 Cor 14. 21. out of Esai 28. 11. thus Gal. 4. 21. out of Gen. 21. 10. And thus by the Law in many places is understood the whole doctrine of God contained in the Scriptures of the old testament and is often used in the same sense promiscuously g with Gods word insomuch that the Septuagints sometime translate Dabar which signifieth the word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preached as Esai 30. 9 10. Psalm 78. 1. Ier. 18. 18. Prov. 28. 9. 29. 18. In this large sense the Evangelicall promises made in the old testament are contained in the Law though properly belonging to the Gospell as Bellarmine confesseth the promises of remission of sinnes though they be in the Prophets they doe not belong to the Law but to the Gospell And so the covenant of grace it selfe which the Lord made with Abraham in making whereof he is said Gal. 3. 8. to have preached before the Gospell to Abraham Of the Doctrine of the Gospell which was to begin at Ierusalem Luk. 24. 47. it is said Esai 2. 3. Mic. 4. 2. out of Sion the Law shall goe foorth So more largely the Gospell is taken for the whole Doctrine of the new Testament whether written by the Apostles and Evangelists or preached Mark. 13. 10. Rom. 10. 16. Gal. 2. 5 14. Ephes. 6. 19. Col. 1. 5. Phil. 1. 27. 2 Thes. 1. 8. Thus the histories of the life and death of CHRIST are called Gospels Mark 1. 1. Mat. 26. 13. Preached Rom. 2. 16. 16. 25. 1 Cor. 4. 15. 9. 18. Gal. 2. 7. 1 Thes. 1. 5. 2. 4. 2 Thes. 2. 14. 2 Tim. 2. 8. In respect of this large sense it is truely said that the Precepts Promises and Comminations of the Law are contained in the Gospell § IV More strictly and properly the Law signifieth the Covenant of workes which is also called the Law of workes Rom. 3. 27. which upon condition of perfect and perpetuall obedience promiseth justification and salvation to the observers thereof Rom. 10. 5. Gal. 3. 12. Levit 18. 5. Ezek. 20. 11. Act. 13. 38. Rom. 3. 20 28. Likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospell which importeth good tydings signifieth more strictly and properly the Covenant of Grace which is also called the Law of faith Rom. 3. 27. and the word of faith Rom. 10. 8. which freely promiseth justification and right of salvation to all that beleeve in Christ Ioh. 3. 15 16 36. 6. 47. 11. 25. 20. 31. Act. 16. 31. Rom. 3. 24. 10. 6 9. Eph. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. 1 Ioh. 5 13. This doctrine of God concerning Salvation by Christ through faith which properly is the Gospell Luk. 4. 18. Matth. 11. 5. Rom. 1. 16 17. Act. 15. 7. Gal. 1. 6. 3. 8. Act. 10. 36. is called the Gospell of grace Act. 20. 24. the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 18. the Gospell of peace Ephes. 6. 15. the Gospell of salvation Ephes. 1. 13. the Gospell of glory 1 Tim. 1. 11. the Gospell of the glory of Christ that is the glorious Gospell of Christ 2 Cor. 4. 4. the Gospell of the Kingdome Matth. 4. 13. 24. 13. This doctrine teacheth us that our gracious God out of his meere grace having elected his children in Christ before all times did in the fulnesse of time send downe his Sonne to save us and that the benefit of the Messias might be applyed unto us vouchsafeth unto us the Gospell of grace by which according to the purpose of his grace given unto us in Christ before all secular times he calleth us working in us the grace of faith being endued with faith hee imputeth unto us the righteousnesse and merits of Christ making us partakers of redemption reconciliation justification and adoption and so freeing us from hell and from all the enemies of our salvation hee entituleth us unto the kingdome of heaven And that wee may be fitted and prepared for his Kingdome into which no unholy thing may enter Apoc. 21. 27. hee hath promised to them that beleeve that being redeemed reconciled justified adopted and so entituled to the kingdome of heaven hee will give them grace to worship him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life that is in the voluntary upright and constant obedience of his Law Luk. 1. 73 74 75. It is true that the things which God in this Covenant of grace hath promised to give as namely faith and new obedience are also required of us Deo dante quod jubet God giving to us what he requireth of us the one as the antecedent condition
the necessity of good workes though they bee impertinent to the maine Question because they prove not that which is in controversie betwixt us yet are not impertinent to his purpose which was to calumniate us and to beare the world in hand that wee are such as deny the necessity of good workes But if the question were tryed by voices of the Fathers innumerable testimonies might bee produced out of their writings wherein they teach that wee are justified by faith and not by workes yea in direct termes affirming that which is the question betweene us that we are justified by faith alone But that workes are necessary as causes either to salvation or which is the question to justification not any one pregnant testimony out of the ancient Fathers is or as I suppose can bee produced But to prove the necessity of good workes by way of presence I shall not need to recite the severall testimonies seeing I have my selfe delivered more to prove and to urge the necessity of good workes than can be gathered out of all these testimonies put together § XV. In the third and last place he bringeth a reason like to that which he framed l. 1. cap. 14. that faith alone doth not justifie But doth he not dispute the same question here did he not propound five principall arguments to prove that faith doth not justifie alone the fifth and last wherof was from the necessity of good works the handling whereof hee put off to this place Should he not then from the necessity of good workes prove that faith doth not justifie alone But in stead of proving that hee endevoureth to prove that faith doth not save alone Thus craftily hee glydeth from one question to another for his owne advantage because hee knew that more is required to salvation than was required to justification For sanctification commeth betwixt justification and salvation And although we are justified without works going before justification yet we are not saved without workes going before salvation they being the way which God hath prepared for them that are justified to walke in towards their glorification I might therefore according to the Lawes of disputation hold him to the question or refuse to give him answere But he is so farre from proving that faith doth not justifie alone that hee is not able to prove that it doth not save alone disputing in that sence according to which we doe hold that faith doth justifie alone Now for the understanding of our sence and meaning certaine distinctions heretofore propounded must for avoiding of calumniations bee here repeated First that wee doe not meane that faith is the onely grace which doth sanctifie as the Papists will needes misunderstand us but that to sanctification not only other graces doe concurre with faith but good workes also And consequently that besides faith the said graces and good workes be forerunners of our salvation Secondly when wee say faith alone wee doe not meane that faith which is alone being a solitary an idle a counterfeit and dead faith severed from charity and other graces and destitute of goodworks but we meane a true and lively â—…aith which purifieth the heart and worketh by love which cannot be severed from charity and other graces as I have heretofore proved And therefore wee hold that although in respect of the act of justifying or saving it alone yet in respect of the being thereof it never is nor if it be a true justifying and savingfaith can be alone Thirdly when we doe say that faith alone justifieth and saveth wee speake with relation to the object or relatively meaning that the object which faith alone receiveth doth justifie and save us when wee say therefore that we are justified or saved by faith alone our meaning is that we are justified only by the righteousnesse of Christ which is apprehended by faith alone and not by our owne righteousnesse and that wee are saved by the merits of Christ alone received by faith and not by our owne workes or merits and consequently that Christ received by faith is the onely meritorious cause of our salvation § XVI Now let us heare Bellarmines dispute Iffaith alone did save and that workes were not otherwise â—…ecessary than in respect of presence as the fruits and signes of faith then it would follow that faith could save though it wanted all maner of good workes and were joyned with all maner of vices and sinnes but the consequent is false therfore saith hee faith alone doth not save and good workes are necessary not onely in regard of presence but also of some efficiencie To the proposition I answere first that it is senselesse and implyeth a contradiction For if good workes must necessarily be present with saving faith which hee confesseth wee doe hold how can it be supposed without implying a contradiction that it can save being not onely destitute of all good workes but also accompanied with all maner of sinne this is sufficient to overthrowe his whole dispute Secondly I deny the consequence of his proposition For justifieing and saving faith though it justifie and save alone yet it never is nor can be alone Even as the eye in respect of his being cannot if it be a true living eye be alone severed from other parts of the body yet in respect of the act of seeing unto which no other part doth concurre it seeth alone Even so faith which is the spirituall eye of the soule in respect of its being cannot if it be a true lively faith be alone severed from the other graces which are with it fellow members of sanctification but yet in respect of the Act of justifying and saving unto which no other graces concurre with it as any causes therof it justifyeth and saveth alone because it alone and no other grace doth receive Christ unto justification and salvation Thirdly we do not say that the presence of good workes is necessary to salvation onely as they are the fruits and signes of faith but also as necessary forerunners as causa sine qua non as the way to salvation and as the evidence according to which the sentence shall be pronounced Which consideration disproveth the proofe of his consequence which is that according to our doctrine good workes are required to the act of saving onely by accident whose presence addeth nothing to the virtue of faith in justifying and saving and so their absence detracteth nothing from it and therefore being taken away faith never the lesse saveth Answ. Things whose presence is necessary cannot be said to bee present by accident For such may be present or absent but that which is necessary cannot be otherwise the thing being safe But we hold the presence of workes not to be contingent but necessary both in respect of salvation as the way to it and as Causa sine qua non and of faith as the unseparable fruits of it without which it is said to be dead
mainetaine the contradictory of our assertion and maketh the question to be this whether by good workes men are justified that is to say made more just viz. in respect of righteousnesse inherent But we deny that there are any degrees of justification or that a man may be more justified or that justification doth ever signifie increase of righteousnesse wee reject their new found distinction of justification into the first and second and acknowledge no other justification but that which in the Scriptures and Fathers is called the justification of a sinner and thereby wee understand a continued act of God who as when we being sinners did first beleeve did justifie us so remaining sinners in our selves he doth still justifie us by imputation of Christs righteousnesse acquitting us from our sinnes and accepting of us as righteous in Christ. And this justification which is onely acknowledged by the Scriptures and Fathers is every where ascribed to faith Whereas the first justification of the Papists is ascribed to charity as the onely forme the second to workes as to the merit thereof But all this ariseth from their erroneous and wilfull confounding of justification and sanctification For their first justification is that which the Scriptures call regeneration and is the first act of Sanctification by which we are habitually sanctified for they make it to be nothing else but the infusion of the habits of grace Their second justification is their actuall fanctification or exercise of good workes whereby their inherent righteousnesse or sanctification is increased But the question is not of sanctification but of justification which the Papists by their wicked doctrine confounding it with sanctification have wholly abolished it being the maine benefit of the Messias by which we are both freed from hell and entitled to heaven Neither is the question understood of justification before men but before God For before men we doe confessâ—… that by good workes men are justified that is declared and knownâ—… to be just as by the fruits effects consequents and signes of justification by faith but before God we are not justified that is made or constituted just by workâ—…s as any cause thereof for good workes goe not before justification but follow after which is a plaine evidence that they are no cause of it § II. But let us examine his proofes the first and principall is out of Iames 2. which being the onely place of Scripture whereupon with any shew of probability they ground their doctrine of justification by workes I will not content my selfe to answere Bellarmines cavils alone but I will endevour to stop the mouthes of all the Papists who use to vaunt of this place especially of the 24. verse where they bragge that their assertion is expressed and ours confuted in plaine termes yee see then that a man is justified by workes and not by saith onely Which words are a consectary or conclusion deduced from the example of Abraham who though he were justified by faith without works as Saint Paul teacheth yet was hee also justified by workes and not by faith onely as Saint Iames affirmeth A conclusion therefore in shew of words contradictory to that of the Apostle Paul Rom. 3. 28. wee conclude that a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law and Gal. 2. 16. we know that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is but onely by faith which no doubt was the Apostles meaning For as I have shewed heretofore if this be a good disjunction that we are justified either by faith or by works that is either by the righteousnes of Christ which is out of us in him apprehended by faith or by the works of the Law that is by righteousnes inherent in our selves all which is prescribed in the Law as undoubtedly it is for a third thing cannot be named whereby we might be justified and by both we cannot for if by faith then of grace and if of grace then not of works and contrary wise Rom. 4. 4 5. 11. 6. then it followeth necessarily that if we are not justified by workes we are justified by faith alone Hence ariseth this great controversie between the true Catholiks and the Papists we affirming that we are justified by faith without works or by faith alone The Papists contending that wee are justified by workes and not by faith only we alleaging the authority of Saint Paul in his Epistles to the â—…omanes Galatians Ephesians the Papists this Testimony of Saint Iames. § III. The way to determine this weighty Controversie is to reconcile the seeming difference betweene the two Apostles Some a when they were not able to untye this Gordian knot have sought with Alexander to cut it by questioning without just cause the authority of that Epistle of Saint Iames. But the Papists and wee are thus farre agreed First as they doe not deny those Epistles of S. Paul which were never questioned so we acknowledge this of Saint Iames though it hath beene questioned to bee canonicall Secondly that the two Apostles acted by the same Spirit of truth in penning their Epistles could not possibly deliver contrary assertions and consequently that they onely are to bee esteemed to hold the truth who fitly reconciling the seeming variance betweene the two Apostles doe teach that doctrine which is agreeable to both Here then I am to demonstrate both against the Papists and for our selves against the Papists three things First that the doctrine which they ground upon this place of Saint Iames is contrary to that of Saint Paul Secondly that their exposition of Saint Iames they make him contradict the Apostle Paul Thirdly that their doctrine cannot be grounded upon this Text. For our selves two things First that by our exposition the two Apostles are easily reconciled Secondly that the assertion of the two Apostles according to our doctrine not onely may well stand together but also of necessity must goe together For the first wee have the same controversie with the Papists as I have noted before which the Apostle maintayned against the justiciaryes of his time And their opposite doctrine to Saint Paul which they would gladly father upon Saint Iames standeth in those six maine errours which I have plainely and fully confuted in this treatise And namely in this particular they affirming that men are justified by workes which the Apostle every were constantly denyeth To the second whiles they understand the two Apostles to speake in the same sense of faith of workes of justifying as namely that both speake of a true justifying faith of workes as causes of justification of justifying as making just by righteousnesse inherent they make the one directly to contradict the other For if Paul affirme that men are justified by a true faith without workes and Iames deny it If Paul deny that we are justified by workes as the causes of justification and Iames affirme it If Paul deny that wee are
faith without works If therefore St. Iames doe affirme that men are justified in the same sence that Paul denyeth the same and that Abraham was justified by his workes which Paul denyeth he is made to contradict the Apostle Paul § VI. But as the Popish doctrine is repugnant to the doctrine of the Apostle Paul so neither can it bee grounded upon this text which may appeare by a briefe Analysis thereof Where first you are to consider the occasion of this discourse and thereupon the scope of the Apostle therein The occasion was the dissolute life of many Christians who as Iude speaketh vers 4. did turne the grace of God into wantonnes vaine men as St. Iames calleth them vers 20. who when they had learned that a man is justified by faith without workes hereby tooke occasion to cast of all care of good workes As if it were sufficient for them howsoever they lived to professe them selves to believe The scope therfore and intendement of the Apostle is not to confute the doctrine of Paul concerning justification by faith alone but according to Pauls direction Tit. 3. 8. to perswade all those who professe themselves to believe to be studious of good workes And that hee doth by this argument because howsoever faith doth justifie alone yet the profession of faith alone without good workes will not justifie nor save a man but is altogether vaine and unprofitable The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or state of the question which hee propoundeth to argue manifestly appeareth by the proposition wherein the question is propounded and by the conclusion wherein the question is concluded the proposition vers 14. What profit my brethren if a man say hee hath faith and hath not workes will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that faith save him Marke the wordes if a man shall say hee hath faith that is if a man shall professe himself to believe and hath not works that is a conversation answerable in some measure to his profession will that faith which is in profession onely justifie or save him this interrogation implyeth a most Emphaticall negation wherein hee doth not onely deny that faith which is onely in profession and doth not worke by love doth justifie or save a man but also for the truth of his deniall hee doth appeale as it were to their conscience sor so much is meant by the interrogation The question then is not whether true faith doe justifie alone as Bellarmine would have it but whether that faith which is alone and by it selfe vers 17. without workes without a Christian conversation be a true justifying or saving saith This the Apostle denieth and so doe wee In the rest of the discourse hee proveth this negative assertion by an argument from the contrary namely that this fruitlesse faith is not a true faith because it is dead Where the Apostle argueth to this effect That faith which is dead doth not iustifie or save a man The faith which is profession onely and is alone without workes is dead Therefore that faith which is in profession onely and is alone without workes doth not iustifie or save a man The assumption hee proveth in this whole discourse where the conâ—…lusion is alwayes this that the faith which is alone and without workes is dead and therefore that is the question wich is disputed and concluded § VII Now that the faith which is alone and without workes is dead hee proveth by five arguments 1. The first à parâ—… That charity which is onely in word and not in deed is vaine and unprofitable vers 15. 16. Even so pariratione that faith which is in profession only having no works to accompany it is dead vers 17. 2. The second argument is taken from the effects For a true lively faith may bee demonstrated by good workes and that which cannot be demonstrated by good workes is but a dead faith And this hee proveth vers 18. against the carnall Gospeller as it were by the partyes owne testimony or forced confession provoking him to make experience which kind of proofe is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou professest the faith having no workes I also professe the faith and have workes come now to the tryall hee that hath a true faith may approve it by the fruits shewe then they faith if thou canst by thy workes which thou knowest thou canst not doe and I by my workes will approve my faith 3. The third argument is from the subject For a true justifying faith is not common to all men 2. Thes. 3. 2. and much lesse to Devils but is proper to the Elect Tit. 1. 1. But that faith which men professe without charity and without good workes is common to Devils vers 19. Thou professest that thou believest that there is one God thou doest well but if this thy beliefe be not accompanied with charity and good workes know this that the devils themselves who hate God doe though with horrour knowe and perforce believe the same 4. The fourth argument to prove that faith onely professed or which is in profession onely is not a true and a lively but a conterfeit and a dead faith is a twofold example of Abraham and of Rahab who were justified that is declared and knowne to be just by their workes For in this sence as the word is often used in the Scriptures as Mâ—…t 11. 19. Luk 7. 29. Râ—… 3. 4. 1. Tim. 3. 16 so of necessity it must bee taken in this place For by good workes which alwaies followe and never goe before justification wee are not made just but being already justified wee are by them declared and knowne to be just For hee is a righteous man that worketh righteousnesse And this the Schoolmen themselves doe teach that works doâ—… justifiâ—… â—…clarativè Thâ—…s Aquinas saith Opera nâ—…n sunt caâ—…sa quòd aliquiâ—… sit iâ—…tus apud Deum c. workes are not the cause why any man is just before God but rather they are the executions and manifestations of iustice Nam nullus per opera iustificatur apud Deum sed per habitum fidei For no man is iustified before God by workes but by the habit of faith And whereas it might bee obiected out of Iam. 2. that Abraham was iustified by workes hee answeareth the word to be iustified many be taken two wayes whereof the one is quantum ad executionem iustitiae manifestationem inrespect of execution and manifestation of iustice hoc mâ—…do iustificatur homo i. iustus ostenditur ex operib operatis and thus a man is iustified that is declared be iust by the workes which hee hath done And thus the ordinary glosse expoundeth the word in this place But let us come to the words vers 20. § VIII But wilt thou know O vaine man that faith that is that faith professed or in profession onely without workes is dead or that the faith which is without workes is knowne to be dead
For the life of faith it self doth not depend upon workes as the cause but is thereby knowne as by the effects You see againe what the question is which hee will conclude namely that the faith which is without workes or which is in profession onely without workes is not a lively but a dead faith and consequently not a justifying faith For a justifying faith is like the faith of Abraham and of Rahab but that faith which is in profession onely and wanteth workes is not like the faith of Abraham and of Rabaâ—… For though Abraham was iustified by faith without workes as the Apostle Paul proveth yea by faith alone as the Papists themselves confesse yet the faith by which hee was justified was not alone but was fruitfull of good workes by which both hee and his faith were justified that is knowne to be just and upright § IX Vers. 21. was not Abraham our Father saith hee justified by workes when hee had offered his sonne Isaack upon the Altar Of which wordes the meaning is not that Abraham by that worke was justified before God or made just for long before the holy Ghost gave him this testimony Gen. 15. Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse not that then hee first believed or was then first justified for when hee first left his countrey which hee left by faith Heb. 11. 8. hee had believed and his faith no doubt was imputed to him for righteousnesse but that by that speciall worke after hee was proved hee was approved and knowne to be a righteous man For upon Abrahams approbation of his faith and obedience when he was tryed the Lord gave him this testimony Gen. 22. 12. Now I know that thou fearest God c. Did not God know it before Yea no doubt but hee speaketh after the maner of men He had tempted Abraham that is by a commandement of tryall hee had proved his faith and obedience not that hee did not know but that he would make it knowne to Abraham and others As on the contray God is said 2. Chron. 32. 31. to have left Ezechias to try him that hee might know that is that hee might make knowne all that was in his heart when as therefore Abraham being tryed had by that act of offering his sonne approved his faith and obedience the Lord saith Now I know that is now by this tryall it is made knowne that thou art a just man and one that feareth God And in this sence as it is most manifest hee is said by his workes to have been justified that is knowne declared approved to be a just man § X. Hereupon St. Iames inferreth vers 22. Doe you not see how faith did co-operate to or with his workes The verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be understood two wayes either that faith with other graces did co-operate to the bringing forth of this worke as namely with the feare of God and love of God Gen. 22. 12. though faith was the principall Heb. 11. 17. Or else that faith did co-operate with his workes not to justifie him before God but to manifest declare and approve his righteousnes In which sence we must understand the word Faith as in the proposition vers 24. for faith professed or the profession of faith which doth concurre together with workes to make a man truely justified to bee knowne And in this sence faith doth co-operate with works and may be said to justifie by declaring a man to be just though Bellarmine holdeth the contrary For that a man may bee acknowledged to be a man truely justified before God by faith two things must concurre the profession of the true faith and a Christian conversation neither of which alone is sufficient It followeth in the same verse and by workes was faith made perfect Which words saith Bellarmine cannot signifie any other but that his righteousnesse which was begunne by faith was perfected by good works Answ. But Iames doth not say that his righteousnesse but his faith was perfected and whereas hee saith the words cannot signifie otherwise I say they may be understood two other wayes First that faith by workes is perfected because by workes it is manifested and perfectly knowne in which sence Gods strength is perfected in our weakenesse 2. Cor. 12. 9. Secondly because workes bring the fruits and effects of faith to be perfected when it bringeth forth good fruits according to his kind For when any thing hath attayned to the end as it hath when it doth effectually produce those uses or fruits for which it was ordayned it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be perfect Now the end of our justification by faith is our sanctification For when faith was wrought in us that is to say in our regeneration we were the workemanship of God created unto good workes which God hath preordayned that wee should walke in them Eph. 2. 10. Faith therefore may then bee said to be perfected when it doth effectually bring forth the fruit of good workes whereby a man is not made but declared to be just § XI Vers. 23. And this appeareth yet more plainely by that which followeth And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse This Scripture was fulfilled Gen. 15. 6. above 30. yeares before his offering of Isaake and here againe it is said to have been fulfilled in this act that is the truth of that testimony which was given him so long before was then manifested when by this worke hee evidently declared that hee was indued with a true lively iustifying faith And to the like purpose the same sentence might as Bellarmine confesseth be applyed to Abraham in respect of any other notable fruit of his faith that then also that sentence was verified Abraham believed God c. For then it was declared and manifested that hee was indued with a true iustifying faith As for that conceipt of Bellarmine that if the Hebrew word be well scanned it will appeare that the meaning of the words is that Abrahams believing God was a â—…ust worke it is but a poore shift For Paul understandeth it of Abrahams person and maketh that text his principall ground of the iustification of the faithfull by imputation of righteousnesse without workes And Iames likewise understandeth it of Abrahams person shewing that by this act of offering his sonne the truth of that testimony was manifested that hee was indued with a true faith by which hee was iustified It followeth in the same verse and hee was called the friend of God 2. Chron. 20. 7. Esai 41. 8. that is by this act hee approved himselfe to bee such a one § XII Hereupon Saint Iames Verse 24. inferreth this consectary or conclusion you see then by this example of Abraham that a man who is justified before God by faith alone as Abraham was and that by imputation of righteousnesse without workes is also justified by workes as
workes Saint Iames having to deale with carnall Gospellers vaine men turning the grace of God into wantonnesse who having heard that faith doth justifie without workes did cast off all care of good workes thinking it sufficient to professe themselves to beleeve though their life were dissolute Against these Saint Iames proveth that vaine is the profession of faith without good works â—… that the faith which is without works is not a true liuely justifying faith but a dead and counterfeit faith that whosoever is justified before God by faith must also be justified that is declared and approved to bee just not onely by profession of his faith but also by the practise of good workes Wherefore in this respect there is no more difference betweene the two Apostles Paul and Iames than betweene Lâ—…ther and us who are Preachers of the Gospell at this day For as Luther having to deale with Popish justitiaâ—…ies who taught justification by workes urgeth most zelously justification by faith alone and in the question of justification after the example of Saint Paul speaketh contemptuously of workes so we having to dâ—…le with Libertines and carnall gospellers insisting in the steppes of Saint Iames urge the necessity of good workes § XVII Secondly wee are to consider the divers acceptions of the words faith workes justifie in the writings of the two Apostles Paul speaking of a true lively faith which worketh by love saith in effect that faith alone doth justifie Iames speaking of the faith of hypocrits which is in profession only sâ—…vered from the grace of sanctification and destitute of good workes â—…aith that such a faith doth neither justifie alone nor at all as being not a true but a dead and counterfeit faith Paul speaking of the câ—…uses of justification before God denyeth workes to concurre to the act of justification as any cause thereof Iames speaking of the effects and â—…ignes of justificatiâ—…n whereby it may beâ—… knowne affirmeth that workes must concurre in the parties justified that by them our faith may be demonstrated â—…nd our justification manifested Paul therefore rejecteth workes obtruded as causes of justification Iames urgeth thâ—…m as effects and signes thereof Paul speaking of Iustification in the proper sense as it signifieth that gracioâ—…s action of God whereby wee are made or constituted just affirmeth that wee are justified by faith without workes Iames speaking of thâ—…t justificâ—…tion whereby we are not mâ—…de just before God but declared and 〈◊〉 to God our 〈◊〉 and our conscience to bee just and indued with a true faith 〈◊〉 that we are so justified not onely by the profession of faith but also by good workes Now these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very well stand together For although it be most true which Saint Paul affirmeth that true faith doth just fie alone yet it is 〈◊〉 true which Saint Iames faith that the faith which is alone doth not justifie neither â—…lone nor at all because it is not 〈◊〉 true and a lively but a 〈◊〉 and dead faith For 〈◊〉 the living eye though it see alone yet is not alone so a liuely fâ—…ith though it justifie alone yet never iâ—… alone though it justifie without workes yet it is not without workâ—…s Though good workes doe not 〈◊〉 to the act of justification aâ—… any cause therâ—…of according to Saint Pauls doctrinâ—… yet they must concurre in the same subject that is the party justified as necessary fruitâ—… and 〈◊〉 of â—… true justifying â—…aith 〈◊〉 Saint Iaâ—…esâ—…cheth â—…cheth Though we be justified before God that is both absolved from our 〈◊〉 and accepted in Christ as righteous by faith alone without respect of workâ—… as Saint Paul teacheth yet according to the doctrine of â—…aint Iames weâ—… are to bee justified that is declared and approved to be just not onely by faith professed but also by good workes Finally though good workes nâ—…n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet 〈◊〉 justificaâ—… as Augustinâ—… useth to speake or as he also saith non prâ—…edunt iustifiâ—…andum sed justificatâ—… 〈◊〉 though they doe not goâ—… before justification as causâ—…s 〈◊〉 Pâ—…l teacheth yet they must follow in the parties justified as effects according to Saint Iames his doctrine § XVIII But the assertions of the 2. Apostles not only may wel stand togeâ—…her but also according to our doctrine they must necessarily goe together For if we shall be altogether conversant in setting forth the commendation of good works and in urging the necessity thereof not informing the people in the doctrine of justification by faith alone they will be ready to place the matter of their justification and the merit of their salvation in themselves as the Papists doe And so being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and seeking to establish their owne righteousnesse they doe not submit themselves to the righteousnes of God But wee must so urge the necessity of good workes in the doctrine of sanctification that wee remember that in the question of justification they are of no value On the other side if wee shall be wholly taken up in the doctrine of justification by faith alone teaching that in the question of justification they are of no worth and doe not withall informe the people of the profit and necessity of good works in other respects how ready will they bee to cast off all care of good workes and content themselves with a bare profession of faith But wee joyne these assertions together after the doctrine and practise of the Apostles in their Epistles Wee teach that justification and sanctification are unseparable companions And theresore as they who are sanctified may bee assured of their justification so without sanctification none can bee assured of their justification It is true that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus but who are they that live not after the flesh but after the Spirit Râ—… 8. 1. that are new creatures 2 Cor. 5. 17. that crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. It is true that a true lively faith doth justifie alone but what manner of saith is that that purifieth the heart Act. 15. 9. and worketh by love Gal. 5. 6. and may be demonstrated by good workes Iam. 2. 18. It is true that wee are not justified by our workes nor saved for them yet those are neither justified nor saved that are without them for as they are necessary consequents of justification so they are necessary antecedents of salvation For though they be not the cause of our salvation yet they are the way by which we are to come to salvation though they be not causa regâ—…andi as Bernard saith yet they are via regni Though they bee not the merit of salvation yet they are the evidence according to which God will judge us By faith wee have our inheritance and our title to Gods Kingdome but it is to be inherited among those that are sanctified A godly conversation though it be not properly a cause of our glorification yet it is causa
sense given by the Church of Rome and therein by the Pope who is as they say the supreme and onely authenticall interpreter of the Word from whom it is not lawfull to dissent So that in his sense any portion of the Scriptures though obscure must bee acknowledged the word of God but urged in any other sense it is the word of the Devill rather than the Word of God Now it is the sense of the Scriptures which is the Word of God rather than the letter the sense being the soule and life of the letter Non enim in legendo Scripturae sed in intelligendo consistunt saith Hierome The words saith Bellarmine are as the sheath the sense is the sword of the Spirit Thus hath the Church of Rome revolted from the generall doctrine of faith which is the written word of God or the holy Canonicall Scriptures The speciall doctrines of faith are the severall articles taught in the Scriptures which are the speciall objects of faith either quae justificat onely or qua justificat The justifying faith beleeâ—…h all the articles and doctrines of faith which are taught in the Word of God but the peculiar object of faith quatenus justificat is the doctrine of the Gospell As touching the speciall doctrines of Christian faith there are divers bundreds of errors wherein the Church of Rome hath revolted from the faith not at once but at diveâ—…s times and by degrees The number whereof is so great as that Popery or the Catholicisme of Papiâ—…ts may justly bee called the Catholike Apostasie But from the peculiar doctrine of faith quatenus justificat which is the doctrine of the Gospell concerning justification by faith in Christ alone the Church of Rome chiefly erreth as I have shewed in this Treatise and by their Antichristian doctrine in this point they are revolted from the Gospell which is Verbum fidei the Word or Doctrine of faith they are fallen from the comfortable doctrine of this grace and to them Christ is made of none effect as I have proved This assertion concerning the Apostâ—…sie of the now Church of Rome I â—…ppose as an antidote against the poison of their impudently depraved article concerning the Catholike Church wherein there is a double imposture or poysoâ—… both in respect of the object and also of the act of faith which two in every article of the Creed are to be considered For first in respect of the object whereas the Apostles Creed hath The holy Catholike Church they understand the Catholike Romane Church the mother for soâ—…th and mistresse of all Churches which they call â—…atholike not as it is one particular Church as every Orthodox Church was wont to bee called as the Catholike Church of Smyrna c. but as it comprehendeth all particular Churches which live in Communion with and in subjection to the See of Rome all which are as they say but one Church because they are subject to one visible head the Pope of Rome And they adde that out of this communion with the See of Rome and without this subjection to the Pope of Rome as the universall Bishop there is no salvation With this one nâ—…t they coâ—…y-catch those seduced soules which either they draw to their side or detaine in Communion with them Howheit it is a most shamelesse imposture For first can it bee imagined that the Apostles by Catholike understood the Romane Church which when they composed the Creede was not extant nor for divers yeeres after No doubt the Apostles meant that Church which then had a being and whereof themselves were members which also had been from the beginning of the world and was to continue for ever viz. the universall company of the Elect and that is the meaning of the word Catholike Secondly for the first sixe hundred yeares the Bishop of Rome did not challenge unto himsâ—…lse the Title or authority of universall Bishop but was onely the Archbishop or Patriarch of Rome unto whom the foure other Patriarches of Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Ierusalem were no more subject than hee to them every one of them having the primacy within their severall Patriarchicall jurisdictions And although after the grant of the Tyrant Phocas in the yeare sixe hundred seven the Pope challenged for himselfe to be the universall Bishop and for his See to be the head of all Churches yet by the Greeke and other Churches which were and are the better and greater part of Christendome this claime never was nor is at this day acknowledged All which Churches notwithstanding wherein were innumerable Saints and Martyrs and the most holy Fatheâ—…s of the Church by this Romish article are most wicâ—…edly and schiâ—…matically excluded from Salvation because they acknowledged no subjection to the See of Rome But if the now Church of Rome be the Apostaticall Church having revolted from the ancient Religion of Christians by their idâ—…latry will-worship and supersâ—…ition and from the Ancienâ—… faith of Christians contained generally in the holy Canonicall Scriptures and more particularly in the Gospell as by other almost innumerable errours of Popery so more especially by those which I confute in this booke and if the head of this Catholike Apostasie that is to say the Pope be Antichrist then let all Christians who have any care of their soules consider whether it bee safe for them to live in the Communion of that Sect and in subjection to that See where they must have the apostaticall Church even the whore of Babylon to be their mother from whom they are commanded to separate Apoc. 18. 4. and the Antichrist to be their father their head their universall Bishop who prevaileth in them onely that perish 2 Thes. 2. 10. 2. As touching the act of faith their coozenage in respect thereof is worse if worse may be For where the Apostles Creed hath Credo sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam they understand this article as if the words were not Credo Ecclesiam I beleeve that there is a Catholike Church and that there is a Communion of Saints the members of that Church c but credo Ecclesiae or in Ecclesiam I give credit to the Church or I beleeve in the Church making the Church whereby they understand the now Church of Rome not onely the materiall but also formall object of faith in which they beleeve and for which they beleeve whatsoever it beleeveth or propoundeth to be beleeved And in this exposition they are growne so impudent as that they say that the Church Catholike meaning the now Romane Church is the very principle of our faith for which we are to beleeve the holy Scriptures and all other articles that it is the chiefe priâ—…ciple wheron the authority of the Scriptures dependeth and the last principle into which their faith is to bee resolved that in this article is summarily contained the whole Word of God not onely written but also unwritten that Christ propounded unto us the
made just before God by workes and Iames affirme it how doe they not contradict one another § IV. Bellarm. hopeth to salve the matter with his new-found distinction of the first and second justification that Paul speaking of the justification wherein a man of a sinner is made just excludeth workes done by the strength of nature without faith and without grace and that Iames speaking of the second justification wherein a just man is made more just saith that by the workes of grace proceeding from faith a man is justified Answ. Such a distinction might be applyed to sanctification which is partly habituall the which they call their first justiâ—…cation consisting chiefly in charity and partly actuall which is their second justfication consisting in good workes but being applyed to justification it hath no ground either in the Scriptures or in the ancient fathers Neither can any such distinction possibly bee applied to that justification which the Scriptures teach as I have showed heretofore Secondly if there could be such a distinction I would say that Paul when hee denyeth Abraham to have been justified by workes did speake of the second justification wich Bellarmine himselfe confesseth For Abraham when he was said to be justified by faith without workes did abound which workes as Bellarmine confesseth and yet was not justifyed by them And that Iames when hee speaketh of Rahab the harlot whom hee affirmeth to have been justified by workes speaketh of the first justification as Bellarmine also affirmeth If therefore Paul say that in the first justification none are justified by workes and Iames affirme that some are as namely Rahab If the Apostle Iames say that Abraham in his second jâ—…stification was justified by workes and Paul doe as planiely deny it how are they reconciled Againe saith Bellarmine Paul from justification onely excludeth the workes done without grace Iames includeth onely the workes of grace I answeare that Paul excludeth from justification Abrahams workes which as else where hee testifieth he wrought by faith And Iames includeth the workes of Rahab the harlot which was done as Bellarmine saith without grace going before Where I desire the reader to observe what Bellarmine answeareth As Paul saith hee when he did speake of the first justification brought the example of Abraham which was indeed of the second that hee might prove as it were à majori from the greater that a sinner cannot bee justified by workes done without faith if righteous Abraham was not made more just by his workes done without faith even so Iames when hee did speake of the second justification brought the example of Rahab which is of the first justification that hee might prove à majori hee should say à minori if my logicke faile me not from the lesse that a just man is made more just by his workes and not onely by faith if Rahab of an harlot was made just by workes and not onely by faith Answ. Thus then hee maketh the Apostles to argue If Abrahams workes would not have justified him without faith much lesse would the good workes of the wicked And if Rahab by her worke of mercie was of an harlot made just how much more shall the good workes of the righteous make them more just § V. Where by the way you may note diverse absurdities which I have partly touched before First that the Apostle forsooth bringeth Abraham as an example of justification by workes when it is most evident that hee bringeth him as an example of justification by imputation of righteousnesse without workes and maketh his example the exemplar or patterne of all others who in like maner are justified by faith without workes or by imputation of righteousnes without workes Secondly That Paul produceth Abraham as an example to prove that a just man is more justified by his workes for which there is no colour praeter impudentiam asseverandi the contrary is proved that Paul speaking of the justification of a sinner applyeth what hee saith to Abraham For hee proveth that Abraham was not justified by workes because the Scripture saith Abraham beleeved God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt But to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that iustifieth the ungodly which was Abrahams case his faith is counted for righteousnesse Thirdly the Apostle when he excludeth Abrahams workes from iustification doth not exclude his good and gracious workes but such as hee did or might have done without grace that is to say gracelesse workes But no doubt the Apostles intent in producing the example of Abraham which Chrysostome also hath observed was this If Abraham who did abound with so many notable works which hee wrought by faith was not iustified by them but onely by faith then it is certaine that none are iustified by workes though their workes be never so gracious Fourthly He supposeth that gracious Abraham might have done good workes without grace and that the Apostle denyeth him to have bene iustified by such workes as hee might have done but did not Fifthly By an impudent devise whereof there is no colour hee maketh the Apostle from the example of Abraham to argue à majori If Abrahams workes would not have iustified him unlesse they had proceeded from faith then much lesse can the workes of sinners and unregenerate men done without faith iustifie them Sixthly He shamefally inverteth the Apostles question and perverteth his whole disputation As if the Apostle disputed this question whether workes doe iustifie without faith which hee doth never so much as mention and not whether faith doth iustifie without workes which is indeed the question Seventhly Where hee saith that the Apostle excludeth workes onely from their imaginary first iustification which is meerely habituall hee conceiveth that the Apostle tooke all these paines to prove that workes are no part of habituall righteousnesse Eightly Where hee saith that the Apostle excludeth from iustification workes of nature and not of grace it is as much as if hee should have said that the Apostle doth so seriously labour to prove that men are not justified by such workes as are not good but evill To conclude it is evident that the Apostle Paul excludeth from the act of justification all workes in geâ—…all whether done before grace or after of all men whether unregenerate or regenerate even of Abraham himself Yea more specially the workes of the faithfull and regenerate First Because he speaketh of good workes even the workes of righteousnesse which wee the faithfull have done Tit. 3. 5. Secondly The question being whether faith doth justifie without workes or whether faith and workes together the Apostle must be understood to exclude those workes from the act of justification which with faith concurre in the party justified Even as Abraham though his faith was accompanied with store of good works yet he was justified and so are all the faithfull by