define it a Rest of the Will vpon Christ and his merits for Iustification and consequently Saluation In which Definition 1 That the Obiect of it is the Person or Personall merit of Christ the whole tenor of Scripture proues which runs thus Hee that beleeueth in mee shall not perish Ioh. 3.16 Ioh. 14.1 Ioh. 1.12 and Yee belieue also in me and As many as receiued him to them hee gaue power to bee the Sonnes of God that is to them that belieued in his Name and in six hundred places besides But if thou wilt be further informed see M. Foxe in the booke before quoted 2 That the Act of it is Fiducia Affiance I report me to all the words vsed in the originall of the old Testament as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to retire vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to deuolue or Roll vpon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to trust or put confidence in and all the rest and to the forme of words vsed in the new as Credere in Sperare in to beleeue and hope in or vpon 3 That it is Subiectiuely in the Will appeares by the Act for Fiducia Affiance without controuersie is in the Will as also by the Obiect Christ which implies not a Knowledge but Fiducia or Rest Ob. Fiducia Affiance is Spes roborata a confirmed Hope therefore if you make Faith to be Fiducia Affiance you make it likewise to be hope and vnskilfully confound two distinct vertues Ans I denie Fiducia Affiance to bee Hope although the Prince of Schoolemen Thomas of Watering and his followers haue heretofore taught it For 1 Hope looks to the End which is Saluation Affiance to the meanes which is Christs personall merit 2 The Act of Hope is expectare to looke out for the Act of Affiance is tuniti to leane on or rest vpon 3 Hope is of things that are future but Affiance of that which is present So yet Faith is Fiducia Affiance which I further confirme by S. Augustins authority Credere est amare In Ioh. 7. tract 29. amando in Deum tendere To belieue is to loue and by louing to moue vnto God expounding Amare by Confidere Loue by Affiance according to that Fathers vsuall phrase in his Tractates vpon Iohn Ob. Faith may be both Notitia Fiducia Knowledge and Affiance and so both in the Will and in the Understanding Ans It cannot bee because it is impossible for one and the same Habit to bee Subiectiuely in two seuerall Faculties of so different natures Indeed Bonauenture saith Hope is in both being Certi expectatio In 3. Scut citante Kemnit loco de iustif a certaine expectation Expectation being in the will certitude in the Vnderstanding But I answer that Certainty is the ground of diuine Hope but no part of the nature thereof as knowledge of a thing to be loue-worthy is the ground of loue for Ignoti nulla cupido no desire of that which is vnknowne but not of the nature of it and therefore as you cannot place Loue both in the Mind and Will no more may you Hope or Faith Ob. If Faith bee Fiducia Affiance then the wicked may haue it for Balaam desired the death of the righteous Num. 23.10 Mat. 13.20.21 and some receiue the Word with ioy belieuing but for a time Ans There is a double Affiance the one is sleight and superficiall and grounded on no other foundation then a generall apprehension that it is good to bee saued by Christ but leaue not their former course and embrace a new the other is setled and grounded hauing these precedents 1 A particular knowledge of our sinfull estate examined by the rule of Gods Word 2 An apprehension of Gods wrath and eternall death deserued by sinne 3 Vnfained sorrow for sinne with resolution of new life 4 A knowledge of Christ and here 1 Of his sufficiencie 2 His louing inuitation of all to rest on him for Iustification and Saluation These foure things going before if by the operation of Gods spirit shall afterward follow a rest vpon Iesus Christ for Iustification Saluation I pronounce this Rest to bee that Act which doth iustify before God So that these three Faiths shall bee as the three Propositions of a Categoricke Syllogisme Faith of Story being the Maior Faith of Person or Personall merit being the Assumption and Faith of Promises being the Conclusion on this wise De Whosoeuer shall as formerly is declared rest vpon the merits of Christ for his Iustification and Saluation he shall be iustified and saued This the Scripture affirmeth and to acknowledge the truth thereof is Historicall Faith ri But I doe so rest vpon Christ This the Conscience priuy to the sincerity of the heart assumeth which act of Resting I tearme Iustifying Faith j. Therefore I am iustified shall be saued And this is the Faith of Promise concluded of the former premisses and is the Assurance before mentioned To draw to a Conclusion concerning these three Faiths I adde farther that to the Faith of Story many doe not aspire namely such Paynims and Gentiles to whom God hath not vouchsafed the Ministery of the Word and meanes of knowledge yet many Reprobates doe liuing within the compasse and territory of the Church and remaine for all that vniustified Vnto the Faith of Person and that Affiance which I call sleight and superficiall many likewise of the vessels of wrath doe attaine but cannot goe one step farther whereas all and euery of the Elect rest on Christ in the second manner and vpon the precedents before specified and are thereby iustified Vnto the Faith of promise though the children of God may come and most do come yet some doubtlesse partly through the strength of flesh and mixture of infidelity with their Faith partly through the force and violence of temptation doe not nor dare not inferre the Conclusion and yet may be iustified Lastly and finally whereas Faith is distinguished into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full Faith and little Faith I take it that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to bee restrained to Faith of Promise onely but that both are common to all three so that a weake assent vnto the story is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a strong assent is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a strong Affiance is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a weake Affiance is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bold and confident inference of the Conclusion is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fearefull and timerous inference is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But yet neither of them in the first doth iustifie although one of them of necessity must goe before Iustification nor yet in the third although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may and ought to follow but in the second the least dramme of Affiance though it bee but as a graine of mustard-seed doth iustifie as perfectly as the greatest quantity because it receiues all Christ who is not capable of magis and minus more and
of an implicit or couched ignorance Of an implicit Faith we haue often heard and of a rude and confused apprehension the Iesuit in the place by you quoted speaketh but an implicit ignorance was neuer yet heard of and what meaning it may haue for my part I cannot see De iustif lib. 1. ca. 7. Bellarmines right words are these Faith is better defined by ignorance then knowledge which saying of his how my speech helpeth I would you had taken a little more paines to make it manifest For whence and how you should collect it I cannot tell except perhaps it bee thus I say that Faith is not a knowledge Ergo I say also it is an ignorance I answer therefore secondly that Bellarmine and I speake not of the same Faith for hee speaketh of Faith of Story and I of Faith of Person so that when I say Faith of Person is not a knowledge I cannot help him who saith Faith of Story is not a knowledge For as for Faith of Story you cannot bee ignorant that contrary vnto Bellarmine in my Treatise I haue called it a Generall knowledge so farre am I from defining it by ignorance with him And yet I would haue you to know also that when I say Faith of Story is a knowledge I meane not thereby Science of Conclusions acquired and gotten by demonstratiue proofe out of such principles as are of themselues knowne and euident For how can a man by the light of naturall reason aspire to the knowledge of that which is supernaturall and aboue reason But I vnderstand an explicit and distinct apprehension of the necessary Articles of Faith opposite vnto that brutish ignorance which Papists call implicite Faith and Blind obedience which distinct apprehension Bellarmine in the place before alledged denieth necessarily to bee required vnto Faith Farthermore I would faine know how this followes Faith is not knowledge Ergo it is Ignorance for by the same reason you may conclude Faith is not Hope Ergo it is Despaire or thus Earth is not fire Ergo it is water and so by your creation all things in the world shall bee one of two fire or water Metaph. 12. But you should remember that simple negation is positiue of nothing and that Priuations are reduced vnto that subiect whereunto their Habits doe belong whence it followeth that denying Faith to be in the Vnderstanding and so to be knowledge I deny it also to bee Ignorance N. B. Againe whatsoeuer bringeth life eternall bringeth iustification and is Faith But true knowledge of Iesus Christ bringeth life eternall Therefore true knowledge of Iesus Christ bringeth iustification and is Faith The Minor I proue out of the Words of Christ in S. Iohn Ioh. 17.3 Mel. Pez Arg. Theol. p. 3. notitia Es. 53. significat non solum agnitionem personae beneficiorum Christised etiam fiduciam quiescentem in Christo sicuti Ioh. 17. This is life eternall to know thee to bee the onely true Lord and him to bee Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent into the world The Maior is plaine whatsoeuer apprehendeth that last which is life Eternall apprehendeth the former as election and iustification c. But the knowledge of Christ apprehendeth eternall life Therefore it apprehendeth iustification But hence it followeth whatsoeuer apprehendeth iustification is Faith True knowledge of Jesus Christ apprehendeth iustification Therefore true knowledge of Christ is Faith and so consequently and conuersiuely Faith is knowledge and this knowledge is Faith Ioh. 19.25 Eph. 3.14.15.16.17.18 1 Cor. 13. And by this meanes Particular knowledge commeth not in time after faith but is Faith and is knowledge in the beginning in proceeding is knowledge and in the end is knowledge I. D. The Maior of your first Syllogisme that whatsoeuer bringeth life eternall bringeth iustification I deny You say it is plaine because whatsoeuer apprehendeth the last such as is eternall life apprehendeth the former also which is iustification But first what rule of Logicke allowes you thus to shift tearmes and to turne bringing of life and iustification into apprehending life and iustification For howsoeuer you seeme to vse them indifferently yet are they words of different significations and therefore confounding them thus you make not so much the truth of the Maior plaine as obscure the meaning thereof Againe chuse whether of these tearmes you please yet is it palpably false that Whatsoeuer bringeth or apprehendeth the last bringeth and apprehendeth also the former Rhetoricke brings a man to speake eloquently which is the latter yet it is Grammar not Rhetoricke that brings a man to speake congruè which is the former Physicke brings a man to the faculty of curing diseases which is the latter yet brings not to the knowledge of the nature of things for that belongs vnto the naturall Philosopher and according to the old saying where the Physiologer ends there the Physician begins So also in diuine matters Hope apprehends eternall life which is the latter for it is the proper obiect about which it is occupied it apprehendeth not iustification which is the former for then by your rule it should bee Faith it selfe that being faith as you say which apprehends iustification As therfore when diuerse needles are by the Loadstone trained one after another the vertue of the stone moueth the first the first the second and so of the rest but the third or second is no way the cause of the dependency of the first so in the concatenation of the causes of our saluation reckoned vp by the Apostle to wit Election Rom. 8.30 Vocation Iustification Glorification the former are mouers as it were vnto the latter but not the latter vnto the former The reason of all in a word is this because as I haue already shewed more is required vnto the maine end then vnto the subordinate meanes and therefore seeing saluation is the end Iustification the meanes not whatsoeuer is requisite vnto that is presently necessary vnto this The Minor that true knowledge of Iesus Christ bringeth eternall life I also deny For Particular assurance which is the knowledge you must here vnderstand or else you conclude not to the purpose bringeth not eternall life in as much as a man may be saued without it as we haue already sufficiently proued Neither doe the words of Christ in S. Iohn verify your Minor Ioh. 17.3 for by knowledge there he meaneth not your particular assurance and perswasion by which a man knowes he is iustified shall be saued but such a knowledge of Christ and his Gospell as is mingled with faith and worketh our wils to accept of Iesus Christ for our onely mediator And this knowledge is said to bee eternall life not because euery one that barely and nakedly knowes liues eternally for as wee haue shewed Reprobates and Diuels haue Historicall Faith but partly because no man can liue without it partly because by it the Spirit of God worketh in the Elect that Faith by which they are iustified and so come to eternall life But
thou shouldst me reiect And yet I claime the crowne of thine elect Alas how may so bold a sute be heard And sinfull wretch obtaine a Saints reward Nay shall I not thy kindled wrath inflame Crauing all good deseruing nought but shame Sin bids me feare yet still I hope for grace Grace bids me hope yet still I feare disgrace While feare doth hope and hope doth feare restraine 'Twixt feare and hope my heart is rent in twaine Wilt thou sweet Iesus plead my cause for me Alas my bare estate affoords no fee Yet if in forme of poore to thee I flie Thy word is past thou canst me not deny Thee then mine aduocate I entertaine By thee an easy sute I shall obtaine So double comfort shall my heart enioy Of present grace and hope of future ioy Hope of Pardon SHould I O Lord excuse or cloake my sin Are thine eyes so dim that thou canst not see Can guilty soule thy gracious fauour win Or by righteous doome iust reputed be Thy crystall eyes my secret thoughts behold Yea thou knowst them long ere they be conceiued Thou art not man to be corrupt with gold Not by vaine excuse canst thou be deceiued Yet will I not despaire to gaine Pardon for my great offences Though iustice doome eternall paine With iustice mercy still dispences When shall I then to those high ioyes aspire Which in heauen aboue thou reserust for me Mount vp my soule with wings of high desire Till thou heauen enioy what ioy can there be On barren earth sin is the seed we sow And the crop we reape is but sorrowes gaine And if sometime from sin short pleasures grow Sinfull pleasures end in the eternall paine Then sith on earth we reape no graine But short ioyes long sorrowes bringing O let me liue where Angels raigne Then endles Alleluiah singing The Epicure and Christian Time doth haste Life as a shadow flies Breath as a vapor soone doth wast And none returns that dies Come let vs banish woes And liue while life doth last Crowne we our heads with budding rose And of each pleasure tast What though precise fooles do vs blame Shall wee forgoe content Pleasure is substance vertue name And life will soone be spent Time shall cease Archangels tromp shall sing Death shall his prisoners all release And them to iudgement bring Then shall these sinfull ioyes To endles wayling turne And they that scorned vertues choice In brimstone flames shall burne Then they that erst fond Stoicks Shall wisedomes children proue When they among the Saints esteemed Shall raigne with Christ aboue A Sinners appeale from Iustice to Mercy AY me from me my wonted ioyes are fled And saddest greefe on my poore hart hath seazd Thy mortall sting ô sin this wo hath bred And dreadfull wrath of my deare Lord displeased I see his sword vpreard me to confound And guilty soule attends her deadly wound Oh then my soule where canst thou rest secure Where wilt thou flie from his reuenging ire If vp heauen there enters nought impure If downe to hell there flames eternall fire Nor deepest sea nor shade of darkest night Can secret thee from his al-seeing spright Yet from thy selfe thy selfe a refuge art When from thy iustice to thy grace we flie O gracious Lord to thee my pensiue heart With teares of true remorse for grace doth crie Thy mercy Lord my soule from death may saue O rid my dying soule from lowest graue A Caroll for the Natiuity A Wonder strange this day was wrought Exceeding mans and Angels thought Though domb haue spoke and blind haue seene And they reuiu'd who dead haue beene Yet neuer vertue like to this Whereby was wrought mans endlesse blisse Behold then and amazed stand This is the finger of Gods hand A virgin pure without mans aide Hath borne a child yet still a maide Which babe this day began to be Yet was from all eternity A King of Kings and yet a thrall Possessing nought yet Lord of all Creator yet a creature Light of the world and yet obscure Most beauteous and yet without forme Ador'd of Angels yet a worme Omnipotent yet fraile and weake Th' eternall Word yet could not speake Most quiet calme yet without rest The food of Saints yet suckt the brest Embracing all yet but a span Immortall life yet mortall man Man yet in God subsisting aye God yet confined to case of clay Both God and man 'twixt both to treat And firmest league 'twixt them to set That mercy might with iustice meet And peace and truth each other greet O blessed dame whose lips might kisse whose paps did nurse this babe of blisse O blessed babe whose ioyfull birth Hath chang'd our sighs to tunes of mirth Who now thy sweets may tast and proue By faith on earth in heauen by loue Christ comforting a distressed soule SIgh no more soule oh sigh no more Despaire not thou thus euer Thy God hath grace for thee in store His mercy faileth neuer Then sigh not so Let sorrowes go Sing in the highest Hosanna And change thy dolefull sounds of woe Into Halleluiah Manifold are thy sins I know And deep in crimson died Yet whiter shalt thou bee then snow In my blood purified Then sigh not so c. Heauen against thee shut by sin Haue I for thee vnlocked Since thou so kindly letst me in When at thy heart I knocked Then sigh not so c. Come to me lo thy Sauiour cryes Thou canst not be refused For neuer did I yet despise A broken heart and bruised Then sigh not so c. There in peace shalt thou liue and raigne And neuer more be sory Aboue the measure of thy paine Shall bee thy weight of glory Then sigh not so Let sorrowes go Sing in the highest Hosanna And change thy dolefull sounds of woe Into Halleluiah THE FIRST PSALME BLessed yea thrice blest are they That lewd counsels haue not traced Nor haue stood in sinners way Nor in scorners chaire are placed But in Gods lawes they delight Them they study day and night These like trees stand euermore By the riuers freshly springing Pleasant fruit in plenteous store Duly in their season bringing Neuer shall their leafe decay What they doe shall prosper aye But the wicked are like dust To and fro with tempest driuen Neither shall they with the iust Stand when iudgement shall be giuen For God knowes the iust mans way And them stroyes that from him stray Psalme 12. SIth on earth all friends doe faile Prouing faythlesse and vnkind Sith now euery where preuaile Flattring lips and double mind Lord send help from heauen aboue Who alone art perfect loue But these false dissembling tongues God eftsoones will root them out Those that triumph in their wrongs Vttering proud words and stout Who shall curb our tongues say they Ours they are and they shall swayâ—s For when once the poore doth crie And to God his vowes addresse Now saith God arise will I Him to saue them to
lesse as a palsie hand may receiue as much though shakingly as doth the hand of a strong man stedfastly And thus with as much breuity as I could with auoiding of obscurity I haue deliuered my mind concerning the true nature and definition of iustifying Faith which whether wee haue or no how easie it is to finde out how full of sweet vse and comfort it is in comparison of the common receiued opinion not Eagles onely but Moles may see If any notwithstanding the euidence of my reasons shall persist in his former iudgement suo fruatur per me iudicio Let him abound in his owne sense but for my selfe my word shall alwayes bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the right is on my side Neuerthelesse if any by sound and substantiall arguments shall conuince mee I will not proue refractary or opinionate Ep. 9. ad Hier. In Retract but according to S. Augustins counsell vnto Hierome and his owne heroicall practice I will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and retract all I haue said or written For I count it a plaine token of a peruerse and illiberall mind for a man seeing his errour whereby he was misled rather to bend his wit for to find reason that he was not in error and so to bee mad with reason then to frame his wit and will to assent and yeeld to truth being demonstrated vnto him Hor. l. 1. ep 6. ad Numie But vntill that be giue me leaue to conclude with the Poët Si quid nouisti rectius istis Candidus imperti si non his vtere mecum If ought you know righter then here you see Impart it friendly els this vse with me I. D. A DEFENCE OF THE FORMER TREATISE OF IVSTIFYING FAITH Against the answer of N. B. N. B. IT had been good M. Downe you had been aduised and warned by Diphilus in Athenaeus who said Lib. 15. in fabula cui titulus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acceptâ candelâ candelabrum quaerebamus we tooke the candle before wee had the candlesticke meaning that it sauoureth not of prouidence to light the one before wee bee sure of the other Without doubt you would not then haue builded your doctrine here in this Cittie till you had layd a good foundation for the same euen Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 Apoc. 1. who standeth in the midst of the seuen golden Candlesticks and is the sole foundation of the eternall verity But such was the iudgement of God cast vpon vs for our sinnes Mat. 18. that refusing the wholesome doctrine of his Word and following fantasies and nouelties of our owne inuentions we should now giue heed to lying spirits and be led away with the spirit of error But we be to them by whom offences come you cannot escape the hand of God except you speedily repent and make satisfaction to this offended flock I. D. Indeed M. Baxter if I haue presumed to determine a question meerly Theologicall by such principles as are heterogeneall and Improper vnto the science of Diuinity I must needs confesse I haue foully faulted and iustly deserued the blame of Improuidence you lay vpon me Poster l. 1. c. 7. §. 1. 4. For it is impossible to demonstrate saith the Philosopher passing from one kind to another as for Arithmetike to demonstrate a probleme or conclusion in Geometrie Eccles 2.14 But had your eyes been where Solomon sayth a wise mans eyes should be when you read my writing you could not but perceiue that I had builded my doctrine vpon that very same good foundation you speake of euen Iesus Christ and his blessed word For whatsoeuer I haue affirmed throughout that whole discourse I haue sufficiently warranted either by expresse testimony of Scripture or which is equiualent by necessary collection from it Vnto your aduice therfore out of Diphilus in Athenaus I answer with the like but more sanctified words of Athanasius Orat. contra Arrian Loe we speake boldly out of the sacred Scriptures of holy and religious Faith and setting the candle as it were vpon the candlesticke doe wee thus pronounce of the nature and definition of Iustifying Faith But put case M. Baxter I had been mistaken either in the truth of the conclusion or in the proofes thereof yet considering at least wise the probability of the one and the comfortablenes of the other Charity I am sure would haue iudged the publishing thereof to haue proceeded to vse the words of Augustin rather from the errour of loue then the loue of error The more vncharitable are you that being not able to conuince mee of the least vntruth ranke me notwithstanding in the number of lying spirits and so peremptorily denounce wo and iudgement against me 1 King 19.12 Wherein as you bewray how little you fauour of his mild spirit who chose rather to come in a still and soft voice then in a tempest and whirlewind so greatly are you deceiued if you thinke such causes and idle meanes either affright or affect me No no I am not so simple to belieue that the earthquakes when moles beginne to heaue or that thunderbolts presently flie abroad the world when euery hot braine threatens fire from heauen Prou. 26.2 For as the bird by wandring and the swallow by flying escapeth so the vndeserued curse shall not come saith Solomon Act. 4.36 And therefore vnlesse you can proue mee in deliuering this doctrine to haue beene an vnaduised Barnabas I haue no cause to feare when you proue yourselfe but a rash and hasty Boanerges Mar. 3.17 N. B. Your Sermon made here in Bristol Nouemb. 5. 1601. stuffed with quirks full of elenchs and subtle distinctions wholly bent it selfe against the truth of God and hath shaken the well affected minds of many who by your Sophismes seduced scarce know by what means they shall bee saued Demosth in Philip. You gaue vs Mandragor as to drinke and vnder a sugred potion of your owne sole contriuing cast vpon vs the spirit of slumber Aristoph in Pluto Was it not a bold part thus in peace to play the Lion and rent in sunder vnder pretence of truth the blessed vnion of holy piety to deliuer such new coined strange vncouth and singular definitions diuisions or distinctions of Iustifying Faith being indeed Callida mendacia craftie vntruths Plaut Mostel Athen. Dipnos li. 3. Cic. pro Cluent as Apollo himselfe could by no meanes vnderstand to vse the phrase of Antiphanes and then to boast that scarce Archimedes could better and more liuely haue depainted his Theoremes then you iustifying Faith Theocrit hodaep then you forsooth had then against all writers old and new in one sole and sillie Sermon walking without fire in the darke delineated yea demonstrated as you say true Iustifying Faith the comfort of a Christian man I. D. Three heinous faults you charge my Sermon withall Vntruth in the Matter Sophistrie in the Manner and Breach of peace in the
is conditionall you denyed in your answer to the former argument now also you deny that Belieuing is commanded Whereby you bewray how inexpert you are in the Word of righteousnesse as the Apostle speaketh and that whereas by office you are Heb. 5.12 13. and concerning the time ought to be a teacher yet haue you need your selfe to be taught the very elements of the Christian Religion That therefore the Promise is conditionall I haue in the due place demonstrated now that Belieuing is commanded remaineth to bee poued or rather it is already proued thus No condemnation but for breach of a Commandement Condemnation for vnbeliefe for for vnbeliefe the world shall bee condemned Ergo Beliefe commanded But this reason according to your wont you cunningly suppresse and hauing found out a new Art of disputation thinke it enough to scorne the premisses and with a bold face to deny the Conclusion Yet for your further confusion vnto necessary consequence I adde the expresse words of Scripture This saith Iohn is his commandement that wee belieue in the Name of his Sonne Iesus Christ 1 Ioh. 3.23 And vnto diuine authority I adde the humble consent of holy men of God Beza expoundeth that place of Saint Iohns Gospell Ioh. 6.29 This is the worke of God that yee belieue in me De gra vniuer De Praedest gratia on this wise This is that which God requireth of you that yee belieue in me The Lord commandeth saith Hemingius that we belieue Together with the Promise saith Master Perkins is conioined the Exhortation or Commandement to Belieue which is more generall then the Promise because the promise belongs only to Belieuers but the Cōmandement both to Belieuers vnbelieuers Harm Conf. Sax. of remission of sins iustif Finally the whole Church of Saxony thus confesseth It is the eternall immutable commandment of God that we should belieue in the Son of God according to this saying which is my very ground the Spirit shall conuince the world of sinne because they Belieue not in mee Nay see the lucke of it that which here you affirme to be an vntruth not many lines before you haue auowed to bee a truth saying God commandeth all to Belieue and therefore the Reprobates Yea doe you not in this place vnsay that which you say saying it is vntrue that God commandeth when hee biddeth a Reprobate to Belieue For hee that Biddeth in my vnderstanding commandeth vnlesse you that complaine of nice and subtle Distinctions in others haue learned of late by some new-found nicetie to distinguish there where the letters and syllables onely differing there is otherwise an identie of nature and definition A man would wonder how you could so soone forget your selfe but that it is commonly seene a liar hath seldome or neuer a good memory But to proue that God commands not a Reprobate to belieue you come vpon mee with a most mighty and insoluble Enthymem What is that I beseech you Marie this A Reprobate if he could belieue he should then without doubt bee saued Ergo God doth not command him to Belieue A desperate Demonstration I promise you for by the same reason you may conclude that God commands him not to obey the Precepts of the Morall law neither Because if hee could keepe them he should bee saued What you conceiue may bee the knot and sowlder as it were of this Consequence I cannot well imagine vnlesse it be one of two either this God promiseth the Reprobate hee shall bee saued if hee Belieue Ergo hee commandeth him not to Belieue or this The Reprobate cannot belieue Ergo God commandeth him not to Belieue for your words seeme to bee indifferent either way If you intend the former first you contradict your owne selfe for in your answer to the former argument you deny Iustification and Saluation to bee promised vpon condition of Faith Secondly euery Catechumenus and Nouice in Diuinity knowes that God vnto Commandement vsually annexeth Promise to draw on Obedience as in the Couenant of works first hee Commandeth Doe this and then Promiseth if thou doe it thou shalt liue and in the Couenant of Grace also first hee Commandeth Belieue and then addeth the Promise if thou belieue thou shalt bee saued So that Promise and Commandement exclude not one the other neither doth it follow Faith is the condition of a Promise Ergo it is not commanded If you vnderstand the latter then know that as Augustin and Barnard and all Diuines not infected with Pelagianisme say God commandeth some things which man cannot doe to the end that knowing his owne insufficiency hee may craue of him the helpe of grace that hee may doe them And if God doe command any supernaturall action vnto the Reprobate as without doubt hee doth then doth hee also command some thing aboue his power for being meerely naturall he cannot produce any supernaturall operation Whereupon it followeth euidently that although a Reprobate cannot belieue yet neuerthelesse hee may bee commanded to Belieue Well yet you will proue that a Reprobate cannot Belieue To what end for it is not denied and you should rather strengthen your Consequence and proue that therefore Faith is not commanded Notwithstanding let vs heare your reason for it seemeth to bee very remarkable That hee cannot Belieue say you the reason is Christ hath not washed him If you had said as followeth Christ hath not opened his heart to Belieue or it is to bee imputed to the hardnes of his owne heart and had stopt there I should easily haue yeelded vnto you but now that you say the reason is because Christ hath not washed him I must needs tell you it is vnreasonable reason for it implies that wee are first washed and then Belieue whereas both Scripture and the analogie of Faith teach vs that we first belieue and then afterward are washed Search the booke of God Rom. 3.28 Act. 15.9 Rom. 3.25 and there shall you read that wee are iustified by Faith that the heart is purified by Faith that God hath set forth Iesus Christ to bee a reconciliation through Faith in his Blood Which Blood although it haue in it sufficient vertue and force to cleanse vs from the leprosie of all our sinnes yet doth it not actually wash or purge any vnlesse it bee particularly applied and accepted by Faith Otherwise as Ambrose excellently speaketh if thou belieue not Christ descended not for thee Christ suffered not for thee De fide ad Gratian. Wherby it manifestly appeareth that Remission of sinnes is an effect or consequence of Faith and that therefore the reason of the Reprobates vnbeliefe is not because Christ hath not washt him but rather the reason why Christ hath not washed him is because hee doth not belieue nor hath by Faith applyed the blood of Christ to himselfe for the remission of his sinnes Where you adde negatiuely that the Reprobates vnbeliefe is not to bee imputed to the falsity
not looke either God or man in the face So then seeing this is the right sense and meaning of this word in this place and it is in no place found to signifie my Affiance you cannot with any probability hence conclude that such Affiance is the Effect of Faith and not Faith Vnto these three passages thus vouched by Bellarmine Heb. 11.1 Col. 2.2 Ro. 4.21 Rom. 5.1 Ro. 14.17.5.2 you may if you please adde sundry others of the like nature as namely those which attribute vnto Faith Subsistence of things hoped for euidence of things not seene Plerophorie or fulnesse of Assurance Peace with God Ioy in the Holy Ghost Spirituall glorying and boasting obsignation by the Spirit Eph. 1.13 Mat. 11.29 and finally Tranquillity and quietnesse of the soule all which I cannot but acknowledge to bee the fruits and effects of â—ustifying Faith But yet I deny that either they all or any of them haue the same definition with that Affiance which I haue made to bee the proper Act of that Faith And therefore to end this discourse whereunto not the force of your Conclusion which being barely affirmed might as easily haue beene reiected but onely the sincere desire I haue to leaue nothing vnsatisfied drew me I still pronounce that for any thing hitherto hath beene said Iustifying Faith is an Affiance Yet before I proceed any farther I must bee so bold as to plucke you by the eare and to call to your remembrance what erewhile you said namely that a man may rest his will vpon Christ and his merits and yet bee damned Which how it may agree with that which here you say that Rest on Christ is an effect of iustifying Faith I cannot such is my blindnesse see For it seemeth that where the effects of Iustifying Faith are there iustifying Faith also is whereupon it followeth that either this Resting on Christ cannot be in those that are to be damned because they want Iustifying Faith to worke this effect in them or that a man may bee damned hauing Iustifying Faith together with the effects thereof in him which by your owne confession is absurd or lastly that this Resting vpon Christ is not a fruit or effect of Iustifying Faith which is diametrally opposite vnto your Conclusion I beseech you Sir let vs at your leasure heare from you how either these strange Paradoxes may be verified or these seeming contradictions reconciled N. B. Besides this word Rest is ambiguous and may bee taken in ill part and may bee in many negligent and carelesse Christians which euery day and for euery sinne bring Christ to the Crosse and say wee will rest vpon Christ and in the meane time worke nothing worthy of the Name of a Christian but rather wallow in all kind of filthinesse And in this sense onely doe I say a man may bee damned with such a Rest vpon Christ I speake this to preuent your captious cauils It is fit for you therefore that take vpon you to see more then euer any learned man saw before your time to beware of all equiuocations and words doubtfull I. D. That the word Rest is ambiguous I saw well inough and therefore in my Treatise carefully distinguished the equiuocation thereof where if you marked it not you must blame your owne ouersight and not my Vnwarinesse For two kinds of Resting vpon Christ I said there were the one Sleight and Superficiall the other Setled and well grounded and this Setled and grounded Affiance I made to bee the Act of Iustifying Faith as there you may read more at large Now you to preuent captious cauils tell me that when you say a man may bee damned notwithstanding his Resting vpon Christ you vnderstand it of that which may bee in many negligent and carelesse Christians that is to say of Sleight and superficiall Affiance onely Wherein you shew your selfe too too both ridiculous and idle ridiculous in saying you speake this to preuent my captious cauils whereas indeed this very captious cauill of yours was in my Treatise as appeareth so manifestly preuented by mee Idle in arguing from sleight and superficiall Affiance vnto that which is Setled and Grounded on this manner for so in effect you confesse Sleight Affiance may bee in the Damned Ergo setled Affiance is not Iustifying Faith as if you should say An asse may haue a shadow Ergo the Body of a man is not a solid substance And thus to requite you with your owne Prouerbe you perish like the rat by bewraying your selfe for hauing vrged this argument now twice against mee and that with such confidence as if it alone were sufficient to batter downe the bulwarke of my Definition at length you tell ys very grauely and sadly that it is but paper shot which hitherto you haue discharged and that all the breaches you haue made may easily bee repaired by distinguishing an equiuocation Where you say I take vpon mee to see more then euer any learned man saw before my time it hath beene already sufficiently answered both in my Treatise in this Defence thereof Neuerthelesse because you harpe so often vpon this string this I adde that vnlesse you can demonstrate that it is impossible for a man of meane parts and gifts to see and obserue that which men of greater learning and deeper vnderstanding haue not obserued I know no reason why a man may not without taxation of modesty take vpon him in some things to see that which others haue not seene before him It is true that a Giant by reason of his tallnesse must needs see farther then a dwarfe or one that is but of a meane stature yet if you place a dwarfe aloft vpon the shoulders of a giant hee shall then bee able to see farther then the Giant himselfe can I am I confesse not vnto your seeming onely but in very deed a dwarfe as it were in Diuinity euen the least and meanest often thousand and those our Predecessors hauing beene so eminently and incomparably qualified with all kind of graces and endowments are as it were Giants in comparison of vs. And therefore it would bee intolerable both pride to thinke and impudence to say that of my selfe I could see as farre into the mysteries of Religion as they could But now being aduanced as it were vpon their shoulders and hauing the benefit of all those volumes which they wrote and in them of all whatsoeuer they knew why should it seeme strange that something comes within the compasse of my ken which they though eagle-sighted perceiued not And yet by your fauour Sir I take no such matter vpon mee or if I seeme to doe so I hope I doe it with all modestie and it can bee no more then this that out of such Premises as they haue taught mee I gather a Conclusion which they attended not N. B. For I tell you this if Master Perkins whom you say you blanked with your rare cunning dispute were desirous to sift this Genus
proued against the first that Faith is not a Knowledge or Assurance against the thirteenth that the onely proper Obiect of Faith is the Person of the Mediator and against the foureteenth that the Forme thereof is Affiance and not any such Relation or Certainty The ninth sixteenth and seuenteenth in part I deny the ninth where you make Faith and Knowledge to bee conuertible which I haue proued to haue different natures and Definitions the sixteenth where you affirme Resting vpon Christ to bee an effect of Faith which I haue demonstrated to bee the Forme and proper Act of Faith the seuenteenth where you say that the subiect of Faith is both the Vnderstanding and the Will against which I haue shewed that it is impossible for one and the same Habit to be subiectiuely in two seuerall faculties of the Soule The rest of your Positions sauing the inconuenience of some tearmes and setting a fauourable construction vpon them I acknowledge to bee true and because as the Apostle speaketh I can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth therefore I oppose them not but readily and willingly yeeld and subscribe vnto them But Master Baxter in all this long discourse of Faith hauing spoken so carefully of the Definition of Faith of the vnity of it in kind and difference of it in number and degree of the imperfection sufficiencie efficient principall and instrumentall of the obiect both in generall and speciall of the forme and end both Subordinate and Highest finally of the Effects Subiects and adiuncts thereof in all this long discourse I say how is it that wee heare not so much as a word of Iustification which notwithstanding is the immediate and proper Effect of Faith Immediate because it is the first fruite and benefit that springeth of it and commeth before Adoption and Sanctification proper because it is the Act of Faith onely and not of any other Grace which iustifies a man before God Whether it were of negligence or of policy that you haue omitted so materiall and necessary a point I cannot say If of negligence it deserues a seuere chastisement if of policy it was I think you foresaw what a dangerous consequence would follow thereupon For if you had placed Iustification as needs you must haue done if you had mentioned it among the Effects of Faith the Reader possibly might haue reasoned thus If iustification be an Effect of Faith and so follow after Faith then cannot Assurance of Iustification bee Faith because it is an effect of Iustification and followes after for it is necessary that a man bee iustified before hee can bee assured that hee is iustified And thus you had cast away your whole pot of broth 2 King 4.39 if you had not warily kept this Coloquintida out of it But vpon what ground soeuer you haue forborne to speake of this point I will by your leaue supply this defect and in a word or two shew you in what sense I affirme that Affiance iustifies and deny it of Assurance for in some sort Assurance also may bee said to iustifie Iustification is a law-tearme and is opposed vnto Condemnation As therefore Condemnation is the sentence of a iudge pronouncing a man to be guilty and deliuering him ouer to bee punished so is Iustification also the sentence of a iudge but absoluing and acquitting a man both from crime and punishment Now there are three barres at which all men are arraigned and three Iudges who at their seuerall barres either iustify vs or condemne vs that is to say the barre of God the barre of Conscience and the barre of Men. If wee bee condemned at all these barres and by all these Iudges wee are of all creatures the most miserable if wee bee absolued at them all and by them all of all men wee be the most blessed Againe if Men acquit vs what booteth it if our owne Conscience condemne vs and if our Conscience acquit vs what auaileth it if God condemne vs for who can deliuer the prey out of the pawes of that Lion On the contrary side if men condemne vs it mattereth not so as our Conscience doe absolue vs and if our Conscience also doe condemne vs yet happy are we if God absolue vs for God is greater then our Conscience What that is 1 Ioh. 3.20 for which sentence of Condemnation passeth vpon vs at any of these bars there is no question for it is well knowne to bee sinne sinne I say which is so indeed or at least is so in appearance For although nothing appeare vnto God otherwise then it is so that there can bee no error in his iudgement yet our owne consciences and other men may easily bee deceiued and mistaken and so without cause oftentimes pronounce sentence of Condemnation What then is that by which wee are iustifyed and absolued from our sins and the punishment of death due vnto them Surely that which is contrary vnto sinne euen Righteousnesse What Righteousnesse Phil. 3.9 for as the Apostle distinguisheth there is a Righteousnesse which is of the law and there is a righteousnesse which is of Faith by the former shall no flesh liuing bee iustified by the latter euery one that Belieueth is iustified God iustifieth vs at his barre when hee seeth our Faith that by firme Affiance wee rest and rely our selues vpon Christ to bee our Mediator accepting him to bee our Prophet Priest and King for then according vnto promise doth hee accept the Passiue obedience of Christ to satisfy for our sinnes past and imputeth vnto vs his Actiue obedience to supply the want of that perfect legall righteousnesse which should be in vs. Our Conscience iustifies vs at his barre when it is perswaded that God hath already iustified vs for as long as it is perswaded that God condemneth it cannot acquit vs. If the perswasion of the Conscience be built vpon a sandy and deceitfull foundation it is rather vaine presumption then true assurance and the iudgement that it giueth is erronious but if it bee grounded vpon infallible euidence euen the testimony of the Spirit of God Rom. 8.16 witnessing with our spirits that wee are the sons of God then is the Assurance sound and certaine and the sentence pronounced thereupon iust and rightfull Phil. 4.7 whence presently ariseth in our soules such vnconceiuable peace as passeth all vnderstanding and such durable ioy as nothing can take from vs. Finally Men iustify vs at their barre also Ioh. 16.22 Mat. 5.16 when our light so shineth before them that they see our good works which are the fruits of Faith and a good Conscience and thereby are moued to glorify our Heauenly Father as being perswaded in the iudgement of Charity that they are indeed as they seeme to bee euen iustified before God and borne againe of water and the Holy Ghost This iudgement because it is built vpon probability onely and not vpon certainty for who knowes whether the outward appearance come from
your platforme and I am sure all orthodoxall Churches haue euer beene gouerned by the same officers that ours is Whence it followeth that if for want of such a Politie and such Officers as you dreame of we haue in England no true Church neither hath there beene for certaine hundred of yeares aboue a thousand any true Church through the whole world Which how it can agree with the word of God affirming that of his kingdome there shall be none end I cannot conceiue For by your reckoning the kingdome of Christ ceased soone after the departure of the Apostles and suffered an interruption of about fourteen hundred yeares vntill Browne and Barrow began to play the Schismatickes The second Proposition I acknowledge also to be true but withall denie that we haue set ouer our selues any Antichristian or forraigne Officers For as we haue aboue both sayd and shewed Archbishops Bishops Priests are of diuine institution and now I further adde that they were first bred in the kingdome of Christ and not taken from any other kingdome your assertion to the contrary without due proofe argues that you build to your selfe castles in the aire and haue no ground for your presumption Your fift argument followeth 5. Because the Church being Christs spouse kingdome and body must haue his Ministrie set and kept in it and no other And if no man can make a finger or the least member of a naturall humane body or adde any other limme thereto without deformity then God hath created and can much lesse giue life to any such counterfait member of his owne making how is it possible that he can set vp another Ministrie 1. Cor. 12.12.20 27.28 The argument is thus to bee formed The Ministrie of Christ and no other is to be set ouer and kept in the Church The Ministrie of Archbishops Bishops and Priests is not Christs Ergo it is not to be set ouer nor kept in the Church The Maior I grant confessing that no office may bee allowed in the Church but that which is from Christ eyther immediately or mediatly that is from those vnto whose wisdome and discretion hee hath delegated some part of his authority to order many things in the Church For as the Church may not alter that Ministry which Christ hath setled to continue for euer so may shee by vertue of her delegate authority ordaine such offices as are not forbidden and tend to edification And being so ordeined they are though not immediatly yet mediately from Christ Neither yet doth the Church so doing presume to make as you say either a finger or any other member or limme that is essentiall vnto the body much lesse to giue life thereunto but onely to prouide a gloue as it were for the finger or a sute of apparell for the body the better to preserue it in life The Minor that the Ministrie of Archbishops Bishops and Priests is not of Christ I deny affirming the cleane contrary that they are those Pastors and Angels authorized and allowed by Christ in his word It is the greatest vanity and idlenesse that can bee in disputing onely with boldnesse to affirme that which is denied and neuer to endeauour the proofe thereof which yet is your solemne fault almost in euery argument Your sixt reason 6 Because Christians are the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1. Cor. 3.16.17 2. Cor. 6.16 2. Thes 2.4 Col. 2.18 Act. 20.17.28 and their consciences wrought vpon by Ministrie in the Church and therefore may not be defiled by the Hierarchie of Arch-bishops c. whom the Holy Ghost neuer made Ouerseers The argument in forme stands thus Those offices that defile the Temples of the Holy Ghost and consciences of men may not bee set ouer nor retained in the Church But the Hierarchie of Arch-bishops Bishops and Priests defiles the Temples of the Holy Ghost and consciences of men Ergo the Hierarchie of Arch-bishops Bishops and Priests may not bee set ouer nor retained in the Church The Maior wee readily yeeld you but how proue you the Minor that these Officers defile the Conscience Forsooth because the Holy Ghost hath not made them Ouerseers And how proue you this againe Because the Pastors of Ephesus were made such Ouerseers An Herculean argument I promise you For what letteth but that hee that made the Pastors of Ephesus Ouerseers hath made the Pastors of England Ouerseers also Alas alas that vpon such friuolous and toying reasons so dangerous and offensiue Schismes should be made And take heed how you quench or grieue the Spirit of God who if you haue in you any measure of knowledge or sparke of grace hath wrought it in you by our Ministrie For preaching which is the ordinary meanes to beget faith I suppose you haue not had elsewhere and it is no lesse then blasphemie to call the working of Gods Spirit by his Holy Word vpon the soules of men the defiling of the Conscience The seuenth argument 7 Because Christ alone is the Head of the Church in whom all fulnesse of power dwelleth Eph. 1.22.23.4.11.16 Col. 1.18.19.2.8.9.10.18.19.1 Cor. 12.4.5.6.12.27.28 1. Tim. 3. 5.8.6.13.14 Rev. 11.13.18.8.14.8.17 18. 19. and from whom alone the Church receiueth her life and power so as none may bee subiect to any power or head in Religion saue onely to him And therefore no Ministers or Officers in the Church are to bee set vp or retained who deriue not their power and functions from Christ which the former doe not and therefore they are not c. but to bee abandoned as enemies of Christs soueraigne authority and making their hearers and submitters to them guilty of high treason against our Lord Christ Iesus It is true there is but one Head of the Church from whom shee receiueth life and Power yet are there also vnder Christ gouernors in the Church who by vertue of that power which they haue receiued from him may ordaine many things touching the well gouernment thereof and to submit our selues thereunto is not to bee subiect to another power or head but to the ordinance of Christ himselfe But it is false that Bishops deriue not their power and function from Christ as we haue already manifestly proued If you haue any thing to the contrary I hope wee shall heare of it another time for hitherto you haue onely said but shewed nothing As for those words that Bishops are to bee abandoned as enemies of Christs soueraigne authority c. they sauour more of passion then reason and deserue rather to bee pitied then answered The eigth argument 1. Cor. 18.27.28 Eph. 4.11.12.13 8 Because God onely must haue this preeminence to dispose the members euery one of them in the body of the Church at his owne pleasure so as either it must bee shewed that God hath placed the Hierarchie of Arch-bishops Bishops Priests or they are not to bee set vp or retained or approued We haue satisfyed you in this already if happily you will bee