illustrate the former point concerning the subiect of Faith and the manner of inherency which it hath in a beleeuer and to cleare the truth of it by Scriptures and by ancient Fathers of the Church The Romane-Catholicke doctrine is no lesse absurd and erroneous in the obiect of sauing Faith than in the subiect of it They run from one extreame to another as the Poet saith Dum vitant stulti vitiae in contraria currunt Fooles from one extremity of folly runne into the contrary But as the true Catholicke doctrine although it exclude no part of Gods Word as the obiect of Faith in generall but yet restraineth the speciall obiect of sauing Faith to Christ and the promises of God in him so though it deny not Faith to haue a place of inherency in the vnderstanding yet it intitleth it not onely to the vnderstanding but to the will to the memory to the affections and all the faculties of the soule as so many Manfions to intertain this noble Queene Faith where she may keepe her Court of residence for her selfe and all her train of Graces that attend her Or wee may compare the seuerall faculties of the soule to so many roomes or chambers in the soule wherein as in a magnificent Palace Faith resideth whose presence as a Prince puts life into euery part whose prerogatiue it is to prescribe to each of her virgin hand-maide Graces their proper taskes her selfe putting her owne hand to euery work acting directing assisting adorning the office of each Grace whereby it is made both acceptable to God and profitable to men The Catholicke Doctrine then concerning the subiect of Faith is That Faith inhereth or resideth not onely in the vnderstanding but also in the will in the memory in the affections and in euery faculty of the soule This is the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures and therefore Catholicke The Scripture saith Corde creditur ad iustitiam With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse And againe it saith Ephes. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith And againe Acts 8. 37. Philip said to the Eunuch If thou beleeuest with all thy heart And againe Acts 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by faith By these and such like places of Scriptures it is euident that the proper subiect of Faith is the heart of man Now by the heart is meant euery power and faculty of the soule and not onely the vnderstanding as Aquinas vnderstandeth the forenamed place of Acts 15. 9. that by purifying of the heart is meant the illuminating of the vnderstanding but also the will the memory the affections and euery faculty of the soule of man First the Sriptures oftentimes by naming the heart meaneth the vnderstanding As Ephesians 1. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar Latine rendreth it word for word Illuminatos oculis cordis vestri The eyes of your heart being illuminated but our English translation hath it The eyes of your vnderstanding being enlightened thereby giuing the true meaning of the place that by the heart there is meant the vnderstanding So the Lord faith Matth. 13. 15. Ne corde intelligant Lest they vnderstand with their heart In 1. Kings 3. 9. Salomon askes an vnderstanding heart In 2. Cor. 3. 15. the vaile ouer the Iewes heart was a note of their blindnesse and ignorance in the mysterie of Christ. Secondly heart in Scripture is often taken for the will As Acts 7. 39. The Israelites in their hearts turned back into Egypt that is their will was so if they had had power So Acts 11. 23. Barnabas exhorts that with purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord that is with a ready will and constant resolution So 1. Cor. 7. 37. He that stands firme in his heart hauing power ouer his owne will and hath decreed in his heart Thirdly the heart is taken for the memory Luke 1. 66. All that heard laid vp those things in their hearts that is in their memory So Deut. 4. 9. Take heede to thy selfe lest thou forget the things which thine eyes haue seene and lest they depart from thy heart that is from thy memory And Deut. 11. 18. Ye shall lay vp these my words in your heart c. that is ye shall remember them continually as signes bound vpon your hands and as front-lets betweene your eyes Hence it is that the Latines vse Recordari for to remember or to record implying that remembrance is an act springing from the heart Hence also doth our Sauiour call the heart the treasury Matth. 12. 35. which agreeth with the memory called Thesaurus rerum the Treasury of things Fourthly heart in Scripture is also taken for the affections and passions of the soule Matth. 6. 21. Where your treasure is there will your heart be also that is your affection So Rom. 1. 24. God gaue them vp to their owne hearts lusts And Psal 62. 10. If riches increase set not your heart vpon them Thus all the motions and inclinations and cogitations in man are referred to the heart as the prime fountaine whence they all originally flow So all the vertues intellectuall and morall are said to be in the heart we say A wise heart a good heart a valiant heart an humble heart an honest heart c. And the contrary as wee say A foolish heart a wicked heart a faint heart a proud heart a deceitfull heart c. Of a valiant man we say He hath a Lyons heart and of a coward He hath the heart of a Hare and of a meeke man He hath a Lambes heart As Nabuchadnezzar for his pride had a Beasts heart giuen him that is a bruitish disposition to liue like a Beast as hee did Now the issue of all this is that faith is that same radicall grace wherein the whole life of the Saints of God all holy graces haue their being and existence of holinesse and from whence they grow and flow euen as all the branches from the roote and the streames from the fountaine For as the heart is the fountaine of all the faculties of the soule of the vnderstanding of the will of the memory of the affections motions cogitations c. all which are signified by the heart in Scripture so Faith beeing in the heart as in the proper seate and subiect and being said to purifie the heart it giues vs to know the excellent nature of Faith which is to diffuse its vertue to the purifying and possessing of euery part and faculty of the soule For possessing the heart it possesseth and filleth the whole soule It illuminates and informes the vnderstanding it reformes and conformes the will it confirmes it with hope it inflames it with loue it prompts the memory with holy meditations and remembrances of Gods loue and goodnesse it moderates and tempers all the affections and passions it directs the motions and cogitations of the soule to their right end and scope and in a word the office of this faith is to
as vnto euery faithfull receiuer wheresoeuer the visible signe is administred the inuisible grace signified is together exhibited by vertue of the Sacramentall vnion hauing dependance on Christs promise and reference to the condition of faith in the Communicant So such is the vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer that wheresoeuer faith is there also is Christ with all his graces present to the beleeuer for hee dwels in our hearts by faith Ephes. 3. 17. Fourthly this vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer is not naturall or natiue as Bernard cals it as that betweene the soule and the body in man because the one of them may be separated from the other by death but Christ and the beleeuer are neuer separated no not in death for to me to liue is Christ and to dye is gaine Phil. 1. 21. For who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Rom. 8. 35. vers 38. I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. But herein they agree as the body hath no life but from the soule so the soule of euery faithfull man hath no life but in and from Christ as the Apostle saith Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ Neuerthelesse I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued mee and gaue himselfe for me And as the soule and the body make one naturall man so Christ and the beleeuer make one spirituall and mysticall Christ and all beleeuers both of Iewes and Gentiles are made one new man not naturall but supernaturall in him Ephes. 2. 15. Fiftly this vnion between Christ and the beleeuer is not â—n artificiall vnion as that betweene the hand and the instrument of the Artificer for the instrument is subiect to wearing to breaking and at length to casting away when there is no more vse of it but we are so in the hand of Christ as we are preserued for euer as Ioh. 10. 28. I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand yet herein it agreeth that as the instrument can do nothing of it selfe not moue not work without the hand of the Artificer so we can do no good thing without the hand of Christ mouing and directing vs as himselfe saith Without mee ye can doe nothing for hee worketh in vs both to will and to worke of his good pleasure That as the Hatchet may not exalt it selfe against him that heweth with it but yeelds the praise of the worke to his workeman so saith euery faithfull soule as Esa. 26. 12. Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for vs for thou also hast wrought all our workes in vs or for vs. Sixtly this vnion betwixt Christ and euery beleeuer is not an accidentall vnion as betweene a man and learning whereby he becomes a learned man for an accident may be both present and absent without the destruction of the subiect as a man may be learned or vnlearned he may get learning and lose it againe and be a man still but the learning of the holy Ghost wherewith all the faithfull are inspired cannot be missing without destruction to the soule He is no faithfull man that wanteth the knowledge of God in Christ whom to know is eternall life and not to know is eternall death for all the faithfull are taught of God as Ier. 31. 33. 34. verses Yet herein doth our vnion with Christ resemble the accidentall vnion because as no man is borne learned or borne a Philosopher but is made so by education and instruction so no man is borne by nature the childe of God the scholar of Christ but in time becomes a Christian Philosopher by the instruction of the Word of God and the inspiration of the Spirit of God whereby hee is made a faithfull man and a Disciple of Christ. Seuenthly this vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer is not a morall vnion such as is between friends which though it be founded at the best vpon vertue yet it is no lesse mortall than it is morall for if the friendship dye not before the friend dye yet death makes a separation as Dauid lamented the death of his louing friend Ionathan the memory of whom lasted for a while in Dauids kinde vsage of Mephibosheth Ionathans sonne but it soone cooled vpon a small occasion of Mephibosheths false seruant Ziba who by belying his master to Dauid got halfe his masters inheritance from him when himselfe deserued rather to haue beene punished for wronging his master than so rewarded for his dissembling officiousnesse in bringing a present to Dauid of his masters store So friendship is very mortall it dyes often in a mans life time or seldome suruiues death And therefore the Poet said well Foelices ter amplius Quos irrupta tenet copula Nec malis dâ—â—ulsus querimonijs Suprema citiùs soluet amor die O happy and thrice happy they Whom loues knot holds inuiolate Nor loosened till lifes last day By back-complaints begetting hate But the vnion betweene Christ and his faithfull ones though it be somewhat like that betweene morall friends but mortall men as being betweene Christ and his friends as he calleth his faithfull Ioh. 15. 15. I haue called you friends c. yet this friendship between Christ and his excelleth all other friendship The Philosophers could say Amicus est alter idem A friend is another selfe And Animus est non vbi animat sed vbi amat The soule is not where it liueth but where it loueth And Amicorum omnia sunt communia Betweene friends all things are common Now these in comparison as they are in practice amongst men are but in a manner meere sayings nominals rather than realls For as Salomon saith Most men will proclaime euery one his own goodnes but a faithfull man who can find Salomon found one among a thousand which I thinke was the Prophet that told him freely of his folly Such friends few can finde especially such as Salomon was But now whatsoeuer can be spoken in praise of friendship is really true betweene Christ and the beleeuer his faithfull man for they are so mutually each of them alter idem another selfe as that they are indeed oneselfe Their soules and spirits are so interchangeably in each other as the spirit of Christ doth really liue in vs and our soules doe liue in him Wee are in the Spirit and the Spirit of Christ in vs Rom. 8. 9. And Now I liue saith the Apostle yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued mee and gaue himselfe for mee Here is true loue indeede where the soule is not where it liueth but where
to Abrahams Faith without workes for hee vseth the very same Scripture which Paul vseth to shew iustification by Faith without workes Yea but he addeth in the next verse Ye see then how that by workes a man is iustified and not by Faith only This conclusion seems to smile vpon the Papists but in truth it derides their folly for we see the Apostle doth no other here but conclude the former premises shewing what is that Faith which is imputed to a man for righteousnesse to wit not a dead and idle Faith but a liuing and working Faith testified by the proper fruits and effects of it good workes So that Abraham being said to be iustified by workes and not by Faith onely it is but to proue his Faith by his workes and that hee was declared to be iustified by Faith through the euidence of his workes whereby hee was declared iust in the sight of men to whom Faith comes to be testified only by good workes The like is to bee vnderstood of Rahabs iustification by workes for it is another instance seruing to the same purpose of the Apostle to distinguish a liuing and sauing Faith from a dead and vnprofitable Faith And this the Apostle concludeth together with the Chapter with a reason drawne from a similitude For saith hee as the body without the Spirit is dead euen so Faith without workes is dead also Note here how the Apostle most aptly concludeth the constant and vniforme current of this Chapter concerning the difference betweene a dead and a lining Faith which are as it were the two hinges of the Chapter As the body without the spirit is dead euen so Faith without workes is dead also The Pontificians vpon this place doe ground their informing of Faith by charity as if Faith were altogether without forme and life vntill charity be infused into it but their collection is most improper and swarueth not onely from the property of the comparison but also from the maine purpose of the Apostle For the Apostle saith As the body without the Spirit is dead he saith not As the body without the soule is dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without spirit or breath for so the word signifieth Now if they would herein as they doe vpon other occasions altogether impertinent consult with Philosophy it would tell them that there are three things concurring to the composition of a liuing man the soule the body and the spirit The soule is that which informeth and giueth life to the body but the spirit by which they say the soule body are vnited is that whereby also the man doth breathe and whereby he is knowne to liue For so long as there is breath in a man wee know him to be aliue when a man lyes in a swoune or trance without any motion to know whether he be dead or no we take a Chrystall glasse or such like to discerne whether hee breathe or no if he breathe not we giue him for dead but if he breathe neuer so little we know hee is yet a liuing man To this purpose doth our Apostle apply this comparison that as we cannot know a man from a dead carkasse but by his spirit or breathing so no more can wee know a liuing Faith from a dead Faith but by good workes which are as it were breathed from it Obiect But will some say The word vsed by St. Iames for spirit may be as well taken for the soule which giues life to the body for so it is often taken in Scripture for the soule as Luke 23. 46. and elsewhere Besides doe not most Interpreters take it generally for the soule Why should wee not then rather take it for the soule and spirit of a man that is within him than only for the breath which proceedeth from him Answ. I answer First as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken sometimes for the soule as well as for the spirit so also it is vsed sometime for breath or winde as our Sauiour alludeth Ioh 3. 8. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for the praecordia or lungs whence the breath is deriued But the question is how it is to be taken in this place of St Iames. For the true meaning of this word in that place wee must as in the true interpretation of other Scriptures obserue the tenure of the text and context Now the tenure of that whole Chapter of St. Iames is chiefly to discerne true Faith from counterfeit To demonstrate this he instanceth the body of a man Now by what speciall signe is the body of a man known to liue By the spirit saith S. Iames. What spirit the soule or the spirit within a man or his spirit to wit his breath for Spirit may signifie all these By that spirit which doth most liuely plainly shew a man to be aliue that is the breath For when all other signs do faile as speech and motion of any limbe or member in so much as a man is senselesse lyes for dead yet if he breathe it is an euident token that he yet liueth But when he comes once to be as the same Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without this spirit or breath then he is certainly dead Euen so Faith without the breathing of good workes is dead And this agreeth with that he saith there Shew mee thy Faith by thy workes The soule indeede giues the body to liue but it is the breath that shewes the body to liue when the soule cannot Therefore it seemeth to my reason an vndeniable conclusion that Saint Iames speakes there of the breath of the body the most demonstratiue signe of life And deuout Bernard also excellently to this purpose and place of Iames Vt corporis huius vitam ex motu suo dignoscimus ita fidei vitam ex operibus bonis As we discerne the life of this body of ours by the motion of it so also the life of faith by good workes Nor are we ignorant that St Augustine Lib. 83. quaestionum quaest 76. to reconcile these two Apostles saith that Paul speakes of workes done before faith and Iames of workes after faith which opinion and conceit of his although it not onely want but crosse the euidence of Scripture sith Abrahams offering vp his Sonne was a worke of and so after faith and yet did not iustifie him before God as Paul plainely teacheth and where Augustine doth neuer so little swarue from the Scripure we must craue leaue there to leaue him being else followers of him as he is of the Scriptures according to his owne law yet St. Augustine going about to reconcile Iames with Paul saith not there nor any where else in all his writings that good works done after Faith doe iustifie vs in the sight of God but only that they are necessary duties of euery true beleeuer Wee know also that Body in Scripture is often taken for the whole Compositum or the whole man or person consisting of soule and
body as Heb 10. 5. A body hast thou prepared me meaning the whole humanity of Christ. So Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you Brethren by the mercy of God that ye present your bodies a liuing sacrifice c. meaning the whole man the soule as well as the body for the body without the soule is not a liuing but a dead sacrifice So the Apostle here telleth vs that as the body to wit a man without the Spirit or without breathing is dead that is is knowne to be dead Euen so faith without workes is knowne to be a dead faith And so our Apostles conclusion here is a pregnant confirmation of what he had formerly said concerning the proofe and euidence of a sauing and liuing faith which is knowne and distinguished from an idle and dead faith onely by good workes by the working whereof faith is knowne to liue as a man by breathing So then it is cleare that Pauls iustification by faith excluding workes is that whereby wee are iustified truly and really in the sight and account of God and that other iustification which Iames speakes of wherein hee ioyneth workes with faith is onely a declaratiue iustification in the fight and account of men to whom wee manifect the truth of that faith whereby we are iustified in the sight of God by our good workes whereby men take notice that wee are true no counterfeit beleeuers Wee will conclude this place of St. Iames with the interpretation of Aquinas In Epist. Iacobi Cap. 2. Iacobus loquitur de operibus sequentibus fidem quae dicuntur iustificare non secundum quod iustificare dicitur infusio sed secundum quod dicitur iustitiae exercitatio vel ostensio vel consummatio res enim fieri dicitur quando perficitur innotescit Iames saith he speaketh of workes following faith which are said to iustifie not in that sense that iustification is called infusion but in that it is called the exercise or manifestation or perfection of righteousnesse for a thing is said to be done when it is perfected and made manifest In the last place the Pontificians alledge Paul to the Galathians where say they speaking of iustification by faith without the workes of the Law hee meaneth yea and mentioneth the ceremonials of the Law as Circumcision therfore hee doth not thereby exclude from Iustification the workes of grace done in vs and by vs. I answer first their allegation is false for the Apostle thereby the Law or the workes of the Law meaneth not only the ceremonials but the very morals of the Law as Gal. 3. 10. for it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them All things exclude nothing Secondly he speaketh of the workes of the Law both ceremoniall and morall as they are done euen by the faithfull and regenerate also and not onely by others that euen in that respect they iustifie not in the sight of God To this end the Apostle saith Gal. 3. 11. But that no man is iustified by the Law in the sight of God it is euident for the iust shall liue by faith No man is iustified by the Law therefore not the regenerate not Abraham though hee did workes of the Law for he had the Law already written in the tables of his heart before it came to be written in stone But say they Abraham was iustified through workes True But how iustified In the sight of God No saith our Apostle No man is iustified by the Law in the sight of God In the sight of man he may as St. Iames meaneth but not in the sight of God as St. Paul plainely expresseth both here in the forenamed place to the Romanes Rom 4. 2. If Abraham were iustified by workes hee hath whereof to glory but not before God So that the Scripture in two most euident and pregnant testimonies excludes all iustification by workes yea by any workes in the sight of God and before God that by two witnesses of holy Scripture this word of grace of iustification by Faith excluding all workes whatsoeuer ceremoniall or morall yea euen in the regenerate themselues as was faithfull Abraham the type of all the faithfull might be established against all Popish Sophistrie and doctrines of Diuels Thirdly admit the Apostle meant only legall Ceremonies not morall Duties though the contrary is manifest yet of those Ceremonies Circumcision is nominated by the Apostle for one speciall one Of which he saith Gal. 5. 2. Behold I Paul say vnto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Circumcision then is vtterly excluded from Iustification and to depend vpon it makes a man a debtor to the whole Law Gal. 5. 3. But will some say for a Christian as these Galathians were to hold the necessity of Circumcision still together with Baptisme makes Christ vnprofitable and himselfe a debtor to the whole Law But did not Circumcision iustifie the Iewes before the vse of Baptisme as Baptisme doth now iustifie comming in the stead of Circumcision Surely much alike For if Baptisme now iustifieth as Pontificians teach ex opere operato then Circumcision once iustified which the same Pontificians deny But if Circumcision did not iustifie the Iewes as the Apostle affirmeth and Papists themselues confesse then Baptisme doth no more iustifie Christians Seeing that Baptisme is the same and no other to vs than Circumcision was to the Iewes though Papists put a great difference betweene them saying that the Sacraments of the New Testament do conferre grace ex opere operato but the Sacraments of the Old not so Wherein as in other doctrines of the mysterie of godlinesse they bewray their grosse ignorance But this by the way But now if circumcision and other ceremonials of the Law of God be excluded from hauing any thing to doe in our iustification in the sight of God by the obseruation of them then what part can Popish Ceremonies beeing not the ordinances of God but the inuentions of men yea most of them the doctrines of Diuels what part I say can these challenge in the worke of Iustification How shall the going a Pilgrimage to such a Shrine or to Rome in their yeare of Iubilee or the obseruation of Canonicall houres for reciting prayers not vnderstood or saying ouer by the Bead row so many Pater-nosters and Aue-Maries before such or such an Image or buriall in a Friars Cowle and a thousand such trumperies and meere mockeries yet all of them very meritorious with that notorious Meretrix of Rome how shall these things come-in for a share in Iustification Lastly wee may obserue how the Apostle as to the Romanes so to the Galathians doth oppose the Law and Faith as Gal. 3. 12. The Law is not of Faith But in what respect doth he oppose them first in respect of their natures the one consisting in working the other in beleeuing as Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not
this diminitiue enough but hee must put small yea perexigua very small vnto it and so leaue a very small not part but diminitiue particle for faith in the promises of God But Romane-Catholikes must bee content with this poore pittance of faith no otherwise beleeuing Gods promises but as other Histories reuealed in the Word as the Councell of Trent teacheth in her sixt Session and sixt Chapter But else she makes no mention at all of beleeuing in the promises of God and by faith applying them to our owne soules No the Church of Rome is of another spirit she wants that can did ingenuity to acknowledge this gracious mysterie of Christ and of the Gospell So that these Pontifician Romane-Catholickes place onely the truth of God and well too if they ioyned not their owne lying traditions as the generall obiect of faith namely as a true History to be beleeued As Soto commenting vpon the forenamed place of the Councell saith Ratio Christianis credendi est summa infallibilisque Det veritas haec autem eadem perlucet in reuelatis omnibus siue ad Historiam pertineant siue ad Promissiones The reason inducing Christians to beleeue is the soueraigne and infallible truth of God and this same shineth in all those things that are reuealed whether they pertaine to the History or to the Promises But how doth he vnderstand the faith of these promises Sanè quas credimus saith hee non solum verè esse factas sed esse firmissima◠quantum ex parte Dei nisi nos reuitamur which promises indeed we beleeue that not only they were truely made but are most firme as touching Gods part vnlesse we resist But as for speciall Faith in beleeuing and applying the promises of God quòd non pertineat that it appertains not to Catholick Faith saith Soto is most easie to demonstrate Fides enim Catholica ex sola diuina assertione vel promissione pendet quod autem quisque aptus sit idoneus promisso beneficio suscipiendo ex humano sensu cooperatione etiam pendet For saith he the Catholick Faith depends vpon Gods onely affirmation or promise but that any man may be apt or fit to receiue the benefit promised doth depend vpon the sense and also the cooperation of man And so he concludes Ergo huius Fides non est Catholica therefore this mans Faith is not Catholicke So that by Romane-Catholicke Doctrine a speciall Faith in the promises of God in Christ is not the Catholicke Faith for by Catholicke Faith they vnderstand a generall Faith such as is the Catholicke Faith of all Romane-Catholickes And hence it is also that they place Faith onely in the vnderstanding as assenting vnto the truth of God in his Word and not in the will in applying and apprehending the goodnesse and grace of God reuealed in the Word Now to cleare the truth in this point The Catholick Faith is so called not in respect of the generality of it as if iustifying Faith were onely a generall Faith or because the generall obiect of it is whatsoeuer is reuealed in the Word as a Historie but because the true Catholicke Faith is the Faith of all the Elect of all times to the end of the world and because this Faith comprehends all Faith in it For the true Catholicke Faith doth both credere Deum beleeue that God is and credere Deo beleeue that whatsoeuer is contained in the holy Word of God written is true and also credere in Deum beleeue in God that is in especiall beleeue the promises of God in Christ reuealed in the Gospell that they are not onely true in respect of God who promiseth but that they doe belong to euery beleeuer in Christ in particular As Saint Iohn saith speaking of the blessed estate of Gods children both here in that they are now the Sonnes of God and hereafter in the perfect vision of God Euery man that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe euen as he is pure The Apostle Paul setting forth the nature of iustifying Faith in the example of faithfull Abraham hee bounds it mainely vpon the promise of God in Christ as the speciall obiect of Faith As Rom. 4. 13. The promise that Abraham should be the heire of the world was not to him or to his seede through the Law but through the righteousnesse of Faith for if they which are of the Law bee heires Faith is made voide and the promise made of none effect Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seede not to that onely which is of the Law but to that also which is of the Faith of Abraham who is the father of vs all And vers 20. Hee staggered not at the promise of God through vnbeliefe but was strong in Faith giuing glory to God So wee see that the promise of God is the speciall obiect of iustifying Faith And hence it is that all true beleeuers who are the children of Abraham are called the children of the Promise Rom. 9. 8. They which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the seed heires of the Promise Heb. 6. 17. Yea the promises of God in Christ are the very sum of the Gospel as the Apostle declareth very amply in the third Chapter to the Galathians As vers 8. The Scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospell vnto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed So we see plainly that the speciall obiect of Faith is the Gospell of God and the Gospel of God is the promise of God in Christ. This was the summe of all Christs preaching The Kingdome of God is at hand repent yee and beleeue the Gospell And so Gal. 3. 22. the Apostle sweetly concludeth this heauenly Doctrine The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sin that the promise by faith of Iesus Christ might be giuen to them that beleeue Hence also was the Land of Canaan being a type of the Kingdome of Christ called the Land of Promise and Abraham and his sonnes coheires of the same Promise What Promise For hee loooked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11. 10. And by faith he waited for this promise vers 9. The Pontificians would faine haue that faith whose prayses are so predicated in that 11. Chapter to the Hebrewes to be vnderstood of their kinde of Catholicke faith to wit a generall historicall faith And they alledge the third Verse and the sixt Verse c. Vers. 3. Through faith wee vnderstand that the worlds were framed by the word of God Hence they conclude their Historicall faith And Vers. 6. He that commeth to God must beleeue that God is c. Hence they inferre that Faith is nothing else but a certaine assent concerning the truth of God in his
it loueth And between these friends all things are most freely common He partakes of our flesh we of his spirit Hee of our nature we of his grace He of our infirmities we of his perfections He of our pouerty we of his riches yea Hee of our sinnes which hee bare vpon the Tree wee of his righteousnesse the best Robe He is called the sonne of man we the Sonnes of God He the Lord our righteousnesse and we the Lord our righteousnesse yea He and we one Christ. O incomparable communion O incomprehensible vnion Neuer such an immediate intercourse and community betweene friends And this not for a day or a yeare or for terme of life but for life without terme For as Christs loue to his is from euerlasting so it is to euerlasting it is without beginning and therefore without ending Ioh. 13. 1. So that of this loue betweene Christ and his faithfull friends and brethren we may sing the Psalme of Dauid the burthen whereof is principally the loue between Christ and his brethren Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in vnity It is like the precious oyntment vpon the head that ran downe vpon the beard euen Aarons beard and went downe to the skirts of his garments As the deaw of Hermon and as the deaw that descended vpon the mountaines of Sion for there the Lord commanded the blessing euen life for euermore This Psalme is a mirrour and cleare type of that vnion and communion of grace betweene Christ and the faithfull Behold therefore it is Christ that maketh his faithfull ones to dwell together in vnitie to bee of one minde in the house of God Psalme 68. 6. He it is that perswades Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem the Gentiles to become one Family with the Iew vnder Christ that one head whose type was Aaron From him our head our high Priest flowes downe the oyle of grace vpon vs vnto the skirts of his clothing euen vpon vs whose nakednesse hee hath couered with the skirts of the robes of his righteousnesse of whose fulnesse wee haue all receiued and grace for grace His head is full of the dew of grace distilling vpon the barren Mountaines of his Sion his Church and chosen to poure a blessing vpon it and there to giue life for euermore Such is the vnion betweene Christ his faithfull ones farre passing the loue betweene dearest friends euen that betweene Ionathan and Dauid passing the loue of women Eightly nor is this vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer a ciuill vnion such as is betweene the King and the Subiect for alas to what dis-vnion and diuision is this subiect too especially where the Pope is Lord Paramount whenas eyther his roaring Buls of excommunication and deposition of Kings or the poysoned steellettoes or pistols of his all-daring brats doe euen teare the head from the body as too lamentable experience hath proued True it is that Christ is our King and we his seruants hee commands vs wee obey him he is our Princely head we his members but his commandements are not grieuous his yoke is easie and his burden light He hath lightened the burden and sweetened the yoke vnto vs by both hauing borne the grieuousnesse and bitternes of it himselfe alone and for the remnant hee both beares it with vs and giues vs strength to beare it yea he hath so loued vs and so shed his loue abroad in our hearts by his holy Spirit giuen vnto vs that as hee can neuer deny vs the grace and protection of a louing Prince so hee hath giuen vs grace neuer to deny him our most humble homage and louing obedience So that neuer was there such a strait bond betweene Prince and People as betweene Christ and the Beleeuer Ninthly this vnion betweene Christ and the Beleeuer is not a coniugall vnion such as is betweene a man and his wife although this be a mysticall resemblance whereby Christ setteth forth his vnion with vs. For this Coniugall vnion suffereth dissolution and death giues the Suruiuer libertie to marry a new mate Not so with Christ and his Spouse This is a band indissoluble The marriage band is but during this life it holds not in heauen for there they neither marry nor are giuen in marriage but this with Christ suffereth no diuorse but death is a degree to the full consummation of it Also the man and the wife are but one flesh but Christ and the beleeuer one spirit In a word this vnion betweene Christ and the Beleeuer is not the vnion of dependency as between the Creature the Creator for this is common to all the Creatures who haue their being life and sustentation in a dependency from the Creator his raine showreth and his sunne shineth vpon the good and euill vpon the iust and the vniust indifferently All depend and waite vpon thee saith Dauid and thou giuest them their meate in due season when thou openest thine hand they are filled with good when thou withdrawest their breath they returne to their dust But the vnion betweene Christ and his although it be an vnion of dependency wherein the Beleeuers eternall well-beeing hath a necessary dependance on Christ yet this dependance is proper and peculiar to the faithfull and not common with any other Creature vnlesse with the elect Angels who depend vpon Christ for the perpetuation of their happinesse So that the faithfull haue their dependance on Christ not onely as their Creator being the eternall Word common with other Creatures but chiefly as their Redeemer and Sauiour proper to them only and that not only for the supply of things temporall but much more of graces spirituall and glory eternall Thus by shewing what kinde of vnion this between Christ and the Beleeuer is not wee come to see the more cleerely what it is The Scripture also setteth forth this vnion by sundry similitudes especially foure as betweene a house and the foundation betweene the vine and the branches or the oliue roote and the tree betweene the man and the wife betweene the head and the members What more neare the foundation and building make one house the vine and branches one tree the man and wife one flesh the head and members one body So Christ and the beleeuer are one spirit Being vnited to Iesus our head hee becomes the Sauiour of vs his body Ephes. 5. 23. Beeing vnited to Christ wee are annoynted with all his titles and graces we are made Kings and Priests to God his Father Beeing vnited to this foundation we become liuing stones growing vp to an holy Temple in the Lord. Being vnited to this Vine this Oliue we partake of the sweetnesse of the one and of the fatnesse of the other Being vnited to this Spouse wee are endowed with all his goods Being vnited to this head wee receiue the rich influence of spirituall life and motion quickning euery member Yea that which is
be the immediate instrument of Gods holy spirit to sanctifie the whole soule and body as the Scripture ascribes the worke of sanctification to faith as the immediate Instrument Acts 26. 18. Sanctified by Faith in me said Christ to his new conuert Apostle The Councell of Trent it selfe confesseth that faith is the roote of other graces Faith say they is the roote of all Iustification placing their iustification in hope and loue c. How then is Faith the roote If it be the roote the roote is not a bare disposition to a tree as they would haue Faith to bee to their iustification A dead roote cannot beare a liuing tree but like roote like tree But a roote naturally produceth and shooteth forth the tree for the life and substance of the tree is originally in the roote and comes from the roote Take away the roote and the tree witherereth for it liues in the roote And the roote giueth life to the tree not the tree to the roote As the Apostle said to the ingraffed Gentile once the Wilde Oliffe Thou bearest not the roote but the roote thee With what reason then can the Pontificians say That charity which is the branch not the roote giues life to the root which is Faith Herein how far themselues differ from senslesse stockes or come short of the vegetable trees I define not Now as the whole tree drawes hislife and nourishment from the roote so all the fruits of holinesse haue their life and nourishment from faith for faith is the roote of them all And as the Apostle saith If the roote be holy so are the branches But Faith the roote of other graces is holy yea most holy as Iude speaketh therfore hope loue and all other graces growing in and from Faith are sanctified by and from Faith for as much as Faith is rooted in Christ from whom it receiues the life as of iustification so of sanctification Hence it is that deuout Bernard saith excellently to this purpose Primum syncera radix sancta fidei in terra humani cordis plantatur cumque fides plenè adulta fuerit velut quaedam magna est Arbor diuersa in se habens poma exquibus reficitur anima plena Deo First the sincere roote of holy Faith is planted in the ground of mans heart and when faith is fully growne vp it becomes as a great Tree hauing in it sundry sorts of Apples wherewith the soule being full of God is refreshed Without Faith saith the Apostle it is impossible to please God But whatsoeuer action proceedeth from Faith therein it pleaseth God By Faith was Abels sacrifice made acceptable to God By Faith Enoch walking with God pleased God And are not all those actions of the Patriarches and Saints of God related in that eleuenth Chapter to the Hebrewes all referred to Faith as the roote from whence they sprang and receiued their life and louelinesse It is Faith that graceth euery action of the iust man for the iust man shall liue by his Faith Whatsoeuer fruite growes not from this roote it is sinne Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne is as true in generall of sauing Faith as it is in particular of the Conscience called Faith by the Apostle Rom 14 23. Now the reason of all this that Faith giues life and beeing to euery grace for as much as euery grace is radically in faith is because where faith is Christ is Now Faith is in the heart and consequently Christ dwelleth in the heart by Faith And if in the heart then in euery part and faculty of the soule and body So that as the soule quickneth euery part of the body so Faith quickneth and sanctifieth euery faculty of the soule As St Augustine saith Fides quae credit in Deum vita animae existit per hanc iustus viuit Faith which beleeueth in God is the life of the soule and by this faith the iust man liueth And elsewhere he saith Vnde mors in anima quia non est fides Vnde in corpore quia non est ibi anima Ergo animae tuae anima fides est Whence is death in the soule because faith is not there Whence in the body because the soule is not there Therefore the soule of thy soule is Faith And as the soule is in the body Tota in toto tota in qualibet parte The whole soule is in the whole body and whole in euery part So Fides tota est in toto tota in qualibet parte Whole faith is in the whole heart and whole in euery faculty of the soule Hence the Apostle making himselfe the instance of the life of faith saith I am crucified with Christ. Neuerthelesse I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Son of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me Christ therefore is not to be found in that part or faculty of the soule where faith is not If Faith bee not in the will Christ is not there and so in the rest And where Christ is not there is no life no sanctification Our wils therefore our memories our affections our motions and cogitations are dead prophane all out of order if Christ be not and liue not in euery one of them And Christ is not in any of them if Faith be not there Hence it is that Faith is all because as the roote it containes all graces In the vnderstanding it knoweth God in the will it hopeth and loueth God in the memory it thinketh of God with thankefulnesse for his mercies in the affections it feareth God it sorroweth for sinne it patiently suffereth it reioyceth in God in all it serueth God How so From Faith it is that the vnderstanding knoweth God in his Sonne Iesus Christ the knowledge of whom is eternall life And therefore Diuines by knowledge in that place vnderstand Faith And St. Augustine saith Intellectus merces est fidei Ergo noli quaerere intelligere vt credas sed crede vt intelligas Vnderstanding is the reward of Faith Doe not therefore seeke to know that thou mayst beleeue but beleeue that thou mayst vnderstand From Faith it is that the will hopes in God loues God and cleaueth vnto him and so in the rest And therefore St. Augustine placeth Faith in the will saying A Domino praeparatur voluntas hominis vt sit fidei receptaculum The will is prepared of the Lord to be the receptacle of faith And againe Omne quod non est ex fide peccatum est Ac per hoc bona voluntas quae se abstrabit à peccato fidelis est quia iustus ex fide viuit Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne And therefore the good will which withdrawes it selfe from sinne is faithfull because the iust man liueth by Faith Hence it is that Bernard saith Credere in Deum est in eum