art 1. Darand in 3. sentent Distinct 13. q 1. 1. Gratias gratis datas graces freely bestowed 2. Gratias gratos facientes graces that make vs acceptable Of the 1. sort are those 9. graces which the Apostle reckoneth 1 Cor. 12. 14. and are giuen for the good of others more then of our selues as when I preach to others and am my selfe a cast away and they are called graces freely giuen because they be onely giuen vnto vs and yet doe not make vs any whit the more acceptable in the sight of God no more then Iudas was for all his Apostleship And Of the second sort are 1. And principally the free fauour of God forespoken of that doth chiefly make vs acceptable in the sight of God and 2. Those infused graces and effects of this first grace that are wrought in our hearts by his holy spirit as faith hope repentance and such like And these are called gratiae gratos facientes graces that make vs acceptable not because they are sufficient to iustifie vs or to make vs worthy of eternall life as the Schoolemen doe imagine but because God is delighted and wel pleased with the workes of righteousnesse And these graces which make vs thus acceptable before God are diuided into 1. Habituall graces as faith hope charity 2. Transient which are called the grace of speciall aide which is a certaine motion of Gods spirit inducing vs to the workes of piety And it is 1. Excitans 2. Adiunans 1. Inciting man to doe well and 2. Helping him forward to doe that good which before it had incited him vnto And this grace of speciall aide is either 1. sufficient 2. effectuall 1. Sufficient whereby a man may will and doe well if he please 2. Effectuall whereby a man is conuerted indeed and doth will and doe that which is good and this effectuall grace is also two-fold 1. Working which is also called preuenient 2. Coworking called subsequent The 1. preuenteth a man from sinning and prepareth his heart to will that which is good The 2. doth effect that a man shall doe and performe indeed that good which before he willed and desired and vnder these heads may all other diuisions of grace be comprehended and subdiuided and therefore so much shall serue for the diuision of grace 3. Touching the necessitie of grace there be two speciall things that doe declare the same 1. The deuils great subtiltie 2. Mans great infirmitie 1. Indeed we haue many enemies but The deuill is our great enemie the deuill is the chiefe of all for he is not only draco 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that great dragon but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest enemie that we haue like Iobs Leuiathan the greatest among creatures neither is he only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the busiest enemie that we haue like S. Peters roaring lyon that seeketh at all times and by all means to deuoure vs and therefore laqueos ponit in diuitijs laqueos in paupertate Aug. solil q. ca. 16. he laieth snares vpon riches snares vpon pouertie and snares vpon euery thing as Antonie saw in a vision the whole world ouerlaied with nets that thereby he may intrap vs. 2. If we looke into our selues we Man is wonderfull fraile shall finde our selues fragiles ad resistendum debiles ad operandum faciles ad seducendum vnable to resist vnwilling to doe good and ready to be seduced as S. Bernard saith and therefore Bern. de aduent dom ser 7. haue we not neede of grace haue we not neede of helpe but because contraria iuxta se posita magis elucescunt the necessitie of light is seene by the horror of darknesse we must looke a little further into the infirmitie of man that we may thereby see the necessitie of grace But a man without the helpe of grace 1. Cannot doe good 2. Cannot auoid sinne 3. Cannot rise from sinne De 1. S. Augustine saith that sine Aug. in l. de corrept gratia gratia nullum prorsus sine cogitando siue volendo siue agendo faciunt homines bonum without grace we can neither doe nor will nor thinke any good thing and therefore Anselmus saith that as the earth though it may bring forth of it selfe thornes and thistles yet cannot bring forth foode fit for man without the sowing of good seede therein euen so man though Anselm l. 1. de corrupt grat of himselfe he may produce euill workes and idle thoughts yet can he bring forth no good thing without the good seede of the grace of God And as the eie of the body saith Raynerius though it be perfectly whole and sound yet can it not see any thing vnlesse it bee holpen with the brightnesse of the light so a man though he were perfectly iust yet can he not liue iustly vnlesse he be holpen by Rayner tit de gratia the eternall light of grace and so our Sauiour himselfe testifieth sine me nil potestis facere without me ye can doe nothing De 2. As we can doe no good so we cannot auoid euill for the grace of God is the light of a Christian and therefore without grace we are in darknesse and they that walke in darkenesse know not whither they goe And this the Apostle sheweth that before we haue grace to direct vs we are darkened in our vnderstandings and therefore when our blinde iudgements doe leade our blinde affections they must both fall into the ditch De 3. Being fallen into sin we cannot possibly rise from sinne for si stare non potuit humana natura adhuc integra quo minus resurgere iam corrupta if man could not stand when he was in his integritie how can he now arise being full of all infirmitie saith S. Bernard Besides the iustice of God required that he which would not stand in grace when he might should not rise when he would And therefore the glosse vpon the words of the Psalmist Spiritus vadens non rediens obserueth a double infirmitie in man 1. A passing away from the world A twofold infirmitie of man by death and not able to returne againe 2. A passing away from grace to sinne and not able to rise againe And S. Augustine saith that non omnino inueniretur ouis aberrata nisi pastoris misericordia quaereretur the lost sheep had neuer returned to the sheepfold had she not beene sought and brought againe by the sheepheard for as a man that is fallen into a deepe dungeon can neuer be deliuered vnlesse he be helped so a man that is fallen into sinne can neuer rise from sinne vnlesse he be helped by grace and so you see the greatnesse of mans infirmitie he can doe no good he must needes fall and then he cannot rise and therefore as Cassiodorus speaketh mouet pium iudicem Cassiod in Psal fragilitas considerata peccantium the frailtie of sinners being considered it
the same Dauid and Peter lost not all graces Bucerus de lapsu Petri. I answer that Dauid and Peter did highly offend and grieue the Spirit of God and lost the comfort and sense of grace but not all grace vigor Spiritus repressus sed non extinctus mota fides non amota the strength of the Spirit was repressed not extinguished his faith was shaken and moued but not remoued For if Peter lost all grace and all faith then that faith did faile which confessed Christ to bee the Sonne of God and for which our Sauiour prayed that it should not faile and another faith different from the first was giuen vnto him which is most absurd And therefore Tertullian and S. Augustine Aug. de Cor. gr c. 7. doe expound the Prayer of Christ that Peters faith should not faile of his constant firme perseuering in faith vnto the end and S. Chrysostome saith that Christ did not onely pray that his faith should not finally faile sed etiam vt ne euanesceret aut penitus extingueretur but also that it should not vanish or bee quite extinguished But Dauid prayed to create a new Ob. 3 heart in him and to restore the Spirit of God vnto him therefore there was no grace in the old corrupted heart but the Spirit was quite taken from him and his graces quite extinguished I answer that Dauid had diminished the graces of Gods Spirit in him and quite lost many of them as the cleannesse of heart the ioy of the Spirit and inherent sanctity and faith it selfe in respect of the act or sense of it for that it did sleepe in him but not in respect of the substance or habit of it for else how could hee pray for grace if all grace had been taken from him grace therefore still lurked in the secret corners of his heart and seemed asleepe as Christ was in the ship and therefore Dauid awaked it and desired it might bee restored in respect of the sense and feeling of it and that this grace which was now like the fire that is in the sinders might bee kindled and therefore Dauid lost not all grace though hee lost the sense and feeling of all grace But yet againe it may be obiected Ob. 4 that sin and the Spirit of God cannot dwell together for the holy spirit of discipline Sap. 1. flyeth from deceit and dwelleth not in the body that is subiect vnto sinne and S. Iohn saith hee that committeth sinne is of the Diuell 1. Ioh. 3. and againe the Scripture saith he that committeth sin is the seruant of sin and therfore we lose Gods grace when we commit our sins I answer that there are fiue degrees How sinne and grace may stand together of sinnes 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thought of committing sinne 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inticing in the affection 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a consent and purpose to doe it 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an actuall commission of it 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a continuation together with delectation In the 4. former wayes wee may sinne and doe often sinne and yet not lose the Spirit of grace euen when wee sinne for a man may sinne and yet loath this sinne while hee is in the very acting and doing of that sinne euen as S. Paul testifieth that euill that I would Rom. 8. not doe that doe I the doing of the sin is from the weaknesse and corruption of nature the loathing and disliking of it is from the power of grace But sin in the latter place with continuation and delectation and the grace of God cannot stand together and that is the meaning of the Holy Ghost in the first of Wisdome for he saith not hee dwelleth not in a bodie that is tainted with sinne but in a body that is subiect vnto sinne i. where sinne doth rule and raigne as it doth in the wicked but not in the godly for he that is borne of God sinneth not i. with delight and a full desire of sinning And S. Gregorie saith sinne is committed Greg. lib. 25. cap. 34. in Iob. three wayes 1. Out of ignorance as Paul persecuted the Church 2. Out of infirmitie as S. Peter denied Christ for tenuit corde quem denegauit ore whom he denied with his mouth he beleeued in him with his heart 3. Out of malice and of set purpose as the Iewes which saw Christ and hated him and his Father also as our Sauiour saith In the two first senses sinne may be committed and grace not excluded In the latter sense sinne and grace cannot stand together But the godly neuer sinne of studie or set purpose and malice with a full heart and will and delight in the sinne and therefore though they sinne yet doe they not lose all grace Or to answer in a word I say sinne and grace may thus remaine together in the godly when sinne is committed grace is throwne downe but not throwne away it hath a fall but it is not dead when sinne is repented of grace is quickned and risen and sinne is vanquished but not extinguished Further it may be obiected that the Saints doe feare the losing of all grace and Ob. 5 falling to destruction therefore they may lose it I answer that there is a two-fold feare 1. A seruile feare 2. A filiall feare The first is a feare of damnation and that is only in the wicked and is a feare forbidden and not commanded as you may see Rom. 8. 15. Ye haue not receiued Rom. 8. 15. the spirit of bondage to feare The A religious feare of falling doth preserue men from falling second is a feare of offending Gods Maiestie and is euer ioyned with loue and humilitie and a great care of auoiding sinne and this is a speciall fruit of grace and doth perserue them from sinne as the Scripture speaketh Timor Domini expellit peccatum And therefore this feare doth not take away but rather cherish and increase the plerophorie and full assurance of faith and grace in the Saints of God And yet I denie not but the Saints may many times feare the losing of the same by reason of their sinnes and the infirmities of the flesh for euerie Saint consisteth both of flesh and spirit and therefore although the spirit be willing to beleeue yet the flesh is weake and by reason of its weaknesse it so weakneth our faith our hope our assurance of grace and all other fruits of grace that there is alwayes carentia perfectionis fructus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a want of perfection and a defect of that faith which should be in the best men while they are in this world yet that doth not proue that because they cannot perfectly beleeue the same that the same is not true they beleeue it according to the measure of faith that is giuen vnto them Lastly it may be obiected that if Ob. 6 we cannot fall away from grace then the Spirit
of God doth worke so irresistably in the hearts of men that wee cannot fall though we would but we doe often resist the Spirit of God as S. Steuen saith vnto the Iewes Ye haue alwayes Acts 7. resisted the Holy Ghost And our Sauiour saith vnto Ierusalem How often would I haue gathered thy children as a hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and ye would not And therefore the Spirit of God doth not worke so irresistably in the hearts of men but that they may fall if they will and doe fall when they please I answer That the working of Gods That the Spirit of God worketh not in the wicked as it doth in the Saints Spirit in the hearts of men is two-fold 1. Remissely in the wicked For in them the good motions of Gods Spirit are so wrought that they may either yeeld vnto them or resist them for God doth but only shew them what they should doe or beleeue and not effectually cause them to doe or to beleeue the same for otherwise if he did effectually worke the same in their hearts how could they resist it For who hath Rom. 9. euer resisted his will therefore he doth no more but only illuminate their mindes and set the good motions of his Spirit before the eyes of their hearts whereby they may accept and follow the same if they will but they because of their pronenesse to all euill and vnaptnesse to any good doe alwayes resist the Spirit of God and refuse those good motions of grace and therefore they are made without excuse 2. Effectually in the godly for in them the Spirit of God doth so powerfully worke that they cannot resist but doe most willingly yeeld vnto the same And yet this effectuall and irresistable working of Gods Spirit in the godly is done leni spiritu non dura manu rather by a sweet influence then any extreme violence by way of secret alluring not coacting inclinando voluntatem non intrudendo potestatem by inclining the will and affection and not compelling it to anie action for as loue creepes into the heart of man hee knowes not how saith the Poet Nam coeco carpitur igni And he cannot resist it so is the loue of God and all other graces wrought in the hearts of the elected Saints of God so powerfully so effectually and so irresistably that they doe most willingly yeeld vnto all good motions and adhere vnto God for euer and that I say by a most voluntarie yeelding and delighting in that sweet and effectuall working of grace in their hearts And so I hope you see this doctrine of the certaintie and assurance of the continuance of grace in the elected Saints sufficiently cleered confirmed This sheweth the exceeding greatnesse of Gods loue vnto his elected Saints aboue all other men in the world for that he doth not only offer and giue his grace vnto them as hee doth vnto others but also he doth in a more speciall manner worke the same so effectually in them as to make them alwayes retaine the same and perseuere therein vnto euerlasting life O that therefore we would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and shew the wonders that hee doth for these children of men And that this might teach vs 1. To praise God for his goodnesse and his exceeding great mercy vnto vs not only in making vs good but also for giuing vs his grace to perseuere in good for it is he only saith S. Augustine qui Aug. de bono perseuer fecit bonos faciet perseuerare in bono that hath made vs good can and will make vs perseuere in good qui iubet credere facit vt credamus and therefore wee may boldly say with S. Augustine da Domine quod iubes iube quod vis giue vs grace ô Lord and abilitie to doe what thou commandest vs and command vs to doe what thou wilt 2. To pray vnto God that he would giue vs grace to serue him and grace to perseuere in his seruice all the daies of our life quia incassum bonum agitur si ante vitae terminum terminatur because that good is of no validitie that wanteth perpetuitie sed perseuerantia est virtus quae coronat omnem virtutem but perseuerance is a vertue that crowneth euery vertue and without which no vertue will auaile vs any thing And therefore we must not begin in the spirit and end in the flesh but we must continue vnto the end if we would be saued and therefore wee should pray vnto God that he which hath begun a good worke in vs would continue the same vnto the end 3. To make vs afraid to commit sin with greedinesse as the wicked doe whose feet are swift to shed bloud as the Prophet speaketh for he that so committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne and the grace of God is not in him 4. To assure vs that all those which appeared glorious for a while and serued God for a time and then fell away from God and started aside like a broken bow were neuer the elected Saints of God but were only among vs and not of vs as the Apostle speaketh for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued euen as we doe And so much for the first thing that S. Paul wisheth vnto the Saints Grace be vnto you De 2. Peace be vnto you is the second thing that the Apostle wisheth a companion of grace and therefore sure a most excellent thing being one of the two most excellent things that can be wished and the only thing which our Sauiour alwaies wished vnto his Disciples for when he came vnto them he said but pax vobis peace be vnto you and when he went away from them he said but my peace I leaue with you and he needed to say no more for where peace is there must needs be grace because peace is the fruit of grace But that you may the betrer vnderstand what the Apostle meaneth you must consider that there are two kindes of peace 1. Pax benedicta a blessed peace That there is a twofold peace 2. Pax maledicta a cursed peace if I may giue it the name of peace The first is proper to the Saints the second to the wicked and therefore let vs consider First of the blessed peace and that is two-fold 1. Perfect Thom. 2. 2 ae q. 29. 2. Imperfect The first is not heere to be found on earth but only in beatis among the blessed Saints of heauen saith Aquinas and therefore we should long for that place where there is perfect peace pax super pacē pax quae exuperat omnem sensū Bern. ser 23. de verbis Psal peace vpon peace peace which passeth all vnderstanding peace in minde peace with our owne flesh peace from wicked men peace with all our neighbours peace from the very deuils peace with God and there shall be no end of peace but peace will be the end of all our
c. 1. ◠3 therefore the Apostle wisheth grace to release vs from sinne and peace to quiet our conscience and because there can bee no peace with God except wee haue the grace of Christ therefore first and chiefly he desireth grace and then peace Now touching grace I will onely obserue these 4. points viz. The 1. Acceptation 2. Diuision 3. Necessity 4. Certainty of God 1. To omit all acceptations of small purpose to know set downe by Bellarmine Bel. l. de grat lib. arbit Tho. 1. 2 a. q. 110. ar 1. Grace is diuersly taken and Aquinas and others I say grace is taken two wayes 1. For the free fauour of God whereby hee pardoneth our sinnes and receiueth vs into his grace and so it is vnderstood in Gen. 6. 2. that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and so in Luk. 1. 30. that Mary found grace with God and in this sense wee are said to bee iustified by grace for that nihil boni Aug in Ps 31. fecisti datur tibi remissio peccatorum thou hast done no good and yet thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and so Fulgentius saith God giueth grace freely Fulgent l. 1. ad Monimum to the vnworthy for his iustification datur ex prima gratia non solum iustificatis vita beata sed etiam glorificatis vita aeterna So that all our happines iustification and glorification doe proceed onely from this first grace that is the free loue and fauour of Almighty God 2. It is taken for all those gifts that are giuen vnto vs by grace whether they pertaine to saluation as faith hope and charity or onely for the edification 1 Cor. 13. of others as the gift of tongues of miracles of healing and such like and so it is taken in Acts 11. 23. 2. Cor. 6. Ephes 4. 7. And in this sense doe almost all the Schoolemen expound the word grace wheresoeuer they finde it which made them ascribe our iustification to these gifts of grace and not to the free fauour of God from whence proceede all those gifts and graces We say these gifts are means whereby wee are brought to eternall life but that by them wee are iustified or made worthy of eternall life we vtterly denie That wee are iustified only by the free loue fauour of God For the Apostle after hee had proued all to be sinners hee addeth as many as are iustified are iustified freely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through his grace by the redemption which is in Christ Iesus where by the name of grace is vnderstood the free fauour of God without any our dignities either naturall or supernaturall For the word iustified hee opposeth to the two former things that hee had proued 1. That all were sinners 2. That therefore depriued of the glory of God And the word grace hee opposeth to all our workes yea though done by the helpe of Gods spirit so that workes and grace cannot agree to iustifie for if of grace then not of works otherwise grace were no more grace Aug. in Ps 34. quia gratia nullo modo gratia nisi sit gratuita omni modo it can bee grace no way vnlesse it bee freely euery way and by the name of workes hee doth not only meane externall workes but also all inward vertues and faith it selfe as it is a certaine act of the vnderstanding and will And this our Sauiour confirmeth saying when you haue done all that are inioyned you that is whatsoeuer the Luk. 17. law requireth and it requireth faith loue c. when you haue done it not attempted to doe it and when you haue done all this not some part of this but all both the inward and the outward workes yet euen then say that you are vnprofitable seruants and what is that but vnworthy of eternall life And this might bee proued further by the example of Abraham and by many other arguments but that I hope this is sufficient to proue that the Apostle exludeth from our iustification not onely outward workes but also all inward graces and vertues and by being iustified by grace doth vnderstand this free fauour of God which is residing in God and not in vs as the Philosophers say honour resideth in the Arles aethic l. 1. c 5. person honouring and not in the person honoured and doth not vnderstand any vertue infused into vs by grace for that all such graces and vertues be they neuer so excellent yet are they imperfect and tainted by our infirmities and therefore cannot iustifie vs and make vs worthie of eternall life And yet we must vnderstand that That he which is iustified cannot be without good workes it is one thing to say faith iustifieth and not workes and another thing to say that iustifying faith may be without works And that it is one thing to say the free grace and fauour of God iustifieth and not the gifts of grace i. regeneration or renouation of workes and another thing to say that this free grace of God doth iustifie vs without renouation of good workes For as the fire hath heat and light both inseparable in it and yet warmeth vs by the heat and not by the light so the free grace of God and the gift of grace are inseparably conferred vpon a true christian man and yet we are iustified by the former and not by the latter and therefore whosoeuer saith he is iustified by grace and yet is voide of good workes he deceiues himselfe and there is no truth in him For as the fire doth euer yeeld forth his heat and light so the loue and fauour of God doth euer infuse his graces and effects of his loue into our hearts though not thereby to make vs worthy of eternall life but thereby as by externall meanes to bring vs to eternall life These being via ad regnum non causa regnandi the way that leadeth vs but not the cause that procureth vs eternall life as S. Bernard speaketh And so much for the acceptation of grace De 2. Hauing spoken of the first The diuers sorts of infused graces grace i. the free fauour of God from whence all other gifts and graces doe spring we are now to consider of the infused graces or the effects of the fauour of God touching which we must vnderstand that the fauour of God is distinguished into 1. Grace purposing 2. Grace working The 1. is the grace of election wherby he hath chosen vs to saluation before the beginning of the world The 2. is the actuall execution of Ephes 1. 4. this decree generally by creating the world and sending his Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might haue eternall life And particularly by giuing vnto euery one those helpes that are necessary for to bring them to saluation and these helpes the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gift by grace And they are distinguished by the schoolemen into Aquinas 1. 2 ae q. 3.
inward testimonie of the Spirit for we haue not receiued the spirit 1 Cor. 2. 12. Rom. 8. 15. of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God And so S. Augustine saith persuasisti mihi Domine thy Spirit ô God perswadeth me that I am thy sonne and that thou hast giuen me thy grace and therefore teacheth me to crie Abba father 2. Because we are not to beleeue euery How to know whether we haue the Spirit of God spirit but are to try them whether they be of God wee may know the same by the outward fruits of the Spirit wherof S. Iohn setteth downe three as the true signes and touch-stone whereby wee may know the Spirit of truth from the spirit of errour 1. By the confession of the truth 1 Ioh. 1 Ioh. 4. 2. 3. 2. And this S. Paul likewise sheweth when he saith that with the mouth confession Rom. 10. 10. is made vnto saluation for whosoeuer confesseth Christ before men him will Christ acknowledge before his Father which is in heauen And therefore whosoeuer is ashamed of his profession or conceales the truth of Christian religion he may assure himselfe he wants grace and is as yet void of the Spirit of God 2. By the receiuing of the testimonie of Vers 6. the Sonne of God i. by the hearing of the word of Christ And this our Sauiour toucheth when hee saith My Ioh. 10. sheepe heare my voice And therefore they are not of God that will not heare the word of God 3. By loue and charitie towards our Vers 7. brethren and so our Sauiour saith Hereby shall all men know that you are my disciples if you loue one another and S. Iohn saith Hereby wee know that wee 1 Ioh. 3. 14. are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren And S. Paul doth more largely set downe the fruits of the Spirit of God viz. loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenesse Gal. 5. 22. goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance c. These and the like graces vnto these are the fruits of the Spirit of God whereby a man may know whether he hath the Spirit of God or not For so S. Iohn sheweth plainly In this the 1 Ioh. 3. 10. children of God are manifest and the children of the deuill whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither hee that loueth not his brother but hee that loueth his brother abideth in the light and he that doth righteousnesse is righteous Vers 7. euen as God is righteous And so we finde that the Saints of God did assure themselues of the grace of God by the fruits of the Spirit of God as Iob saith I know that my redeemer Iob 19. 25. liueth And S. Paul I liue by the Gal. 2. 20. faith in the Sonne of God And lest any man should say that these men knew it by speciall reuelation and not by any outward examination we finde the fathers of the same minde For Epiphanius saith Christ was sent to be a Sauiour that hee might redeeme from bondage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan in anchor pag. 496. Basil in definitionibus and was made vnto me righteousnesse sanctification and redemption But how knew he this S. Basil sheweth Certo quis persuaderi potest sibi dimissa esse peccata si odit iniquitatem amat iustitiam Any man may know this if hee hateth sin and loueth righteousnesse And so Ferus sheweth the same thing saying In Christo si te per fidem dilectionem inueneris certus esto te esse à Deo iustificatum whosoeuer findeth himselfe to be in Christ by faith and charity he may assure himselfe that he hath grace and is iustified by that grace and so you see that by the fruits of grace we may know we haue grace Yet I say this knowledge of hauing All our knowledge of hauing grace is verie weake grace is weake and full of imbecillitie 1. Because all our knowledge our hope our faith and all other things that we haue are but imperfect and only in part as the Apostle speaketh 2. Because the works of nature are so like the works of grace the faith of hypocrites so hardly to be distinguished from the faith of Gods chosen the spirit of errour so like the Spirit of truth vt nec ovum ouo similius that without diligent search and examination we cannot discerne the one from the other 3. Because all of vs and the best of vs are so prest and almost opprest with sinnes and the cares of this world that we are carelesse and negligent in trying the spirits and examining the certaintie of our estate or of hauing grace by these fruits of grace But they that will trie and examine the same may know the same and the more they trie the better they may know and knowing the same they may speake of the same to the glorie of God and the comfort of themselues for Dicere se esse iustificatum Aug. in Psal 85. non est superbia elati sed confessio non ingrati For a righteous man to say he is iustified is no token of pride and arrogancie but of thankfulnesse true humilitie to confesse to others what he receiued from God But the boasting of the wicked is meere presumption a wonder to see they are so sure of grace and yet the world sees they are full of sinnes And therefore this should teach vs to worke our saluation with feare and trembling and not to be too presumptuous or too cocke-sure of grace but sometimes to be dubious for Is qui nil dubitat nil capit inde boni he that neuer doubts of his estate neuer trieth his estate whereas they that feare and doubt will bee willing to examine themselues and to vse all diligence to know their owne estate whether they haue grace or not for God will not make vs too too certaine causa solicitudinis Bernard lest we should be too too carelesse and yet he would not leaue vs altogether vncertaine gratia consolationis lest we should be deiected But what he denied vs à priori he granted à posteriori that by the fruits and effects of grace we might know whether we haue anie grace De 2. We must consider the certaintie of the continuing or not losing of grace a point of more difficultie and no lesse necessitie to bee knowne then the former For I finde concerning the same three opinions 1. Some say that both good and Whether sauing grace once had may afterward be vtterly lost bad may receiue grace and yet both good and bad by their sinnes may lose the same both totally wholly and finally 2. Others say that both good and bad may haue grace and that both of them may lose it totally but that both of them cannot lose it finally for that the Saints cannot finally lose grace though many
times by reason of their sinnes they may totally fall from grace or lose all grace vntill the same bee renued in them againe 3. Others say that those which haue once receiued grace can neuer lose the same finally nor yet totally But touching this point de amissione vel retentione gratia of the losing or retainign of grace I thinke all must confesse that whosoeuer findeth grace that is the loue and free fauour of God can neuer lose it because this is in God residing and not in man and therefore is this grace immutable and vnchangeable and so the Scripture sheweth whom hee loâ—â—d hee loued vnto the end for the gifts and graces of God are Rom. 11. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without repentance The question therfore as I take it is of the infused graces faith hope charity and such like whether a man may haue these graces and afterwards lose them either finally or totally To this I answer that as there bee two sorts of Saints 1. Outwardly by profession onely before the world 2. Inwardly and truely before God So there bee two sorts of graces 1. Common to all Professors 2. Speciall to the elect onely Or to speake more properly I say God giueth his grace two manner of wayes that God giueth the graces of his Spirit two manner of waies 1. Generally and more remissely to all Professors or to all that haue them to make them see the greatnesse of his loue and to make them able thereby if they would themselues wel vse the same to seeke for more grace to continue and bee saued or if they neglected the same to make them without excuse 2. Specially and more effectually to the Elect to make them not onely to see his loue but also by this more speciall and effectuall working of his grace to make them continue therein and retaine the same indeede vnto euerlasting life De. 1. Many doe affirme that the outward Professors haue no true graces at all neither faith hope nor charity but onely a shew and an apparance of grace so S. Gregory seems to affirme Greg. moral l. 34. c. 13. when speaking of such men hee saith quasi habitam sanctitatem aute oculos hominum videntur amittere sed eam ante oculos Dei nunquam habuerunt they seeme to lose that sanctity which they seemed to haue in the sight of men but in very deed they neuer had any in the sight of God and S. Paul seemes to meane the same thing when hee saith qui videtur stare videat ne cadat hee that seemes to stand let him take heed lest hee fall as if hee meant that he did not stand indeed But I answer to the saying of S. Whether the wicked and hypocrites haue any true graces or not Gregory that this and the like speeches may bee vnderstood of the faigned shew of Hypocrites that do seeke thereby to deceiue the world but not of those that thinke themselues to haue faith and repentance indeed and doe many seruices vnto God for a time vntill they fall away through the infirmities of their owne flesh and that the sequent saying of the Apostle videat ne cadat let him take heed lest hee fall doth in my iudgement proue that hee did stand or else how could hee fall And therefore considering what the Scripture saith Ezech. 18. that the righteous may leaue his righteousnes that the charity of many shall waxe cold Mat. 24. 12. 13. that their talent shall be taken from them Mat. 25. 29. that they receiue the word with ioy Luk. 8. 13. that they make shipwrack of faith and a good 1 Tim. 1. 19 Heb. 3. 6. conscience that they taste of the heauenly gift and are partakers of the holy Ghost and haue knowne the way of righteousnes 2. Pet. 2. 1. vers 20. and many such like speeches of their relapse I doe not see but as their knowledge and vnderstanding of the truth and assent vnto the same are reall and not in appearance onely so the other graces that they haue are true graces and not seeming graces onely and indeede quicquid est dum est vere est in suo genere And therefore I must confesse that many hypocrites and worldlings and outward Professors may haue faith hope and charity and such other infused graces of Gods Spirit in that generall manner and to those ends that God bestoweth them vpon outward Professors and that they doe vtterly lose the same as wofull experience daily proueth in all reuolters but that hypocrites or worldlings may haue sauing faith or iustifying grace or any other fruits of grace in that speciall and more effectuall manner as they are giuen vnto the elect I vtterly denie for if they had beene giuen them in that manner as they are vnto the elect then could they not leese them no more then the elect doe De 2. I say that the elect only haue That the elected Saints cannot leese wholly the sauing grace once receiued the true sauing graces in the speciall and more effectuall manner giuen vnto them and that they cannot leese them after they haue once receiued them and this may be proued 1. By apparant Scriptures 2. By the consent of learned Fathers 3. By reasons drawne from Scriptures 1. The holy Scripture is most plentifull of proofe to confirme this point I will only vse these few and will be readie to bâ—ing more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we must needes striue with number My first proofe shall be that of Esay c. 59 v. 21. I will make this my Couenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is vpon thee my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed saith the Lord from henceforth euen for euer What can be plainer for this is a promise made vnto the Church of Christ and what is true of the whole must be true in euery member and therefore in what true member soeuer the Spirit of God is once put it shall neuer depart from thence euen for euer 2. The Prophet Ieremy saith I will Ier. 32. 40. put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me i. my feare shall be such and so great in them that they will sticke and perseuere in my fauour euen for euer saith Saint Augustine Aug. de bono perseuer ca. 2. 3. The Prophet Amos saith I will plant them vpon their owne land and they shall no more be pulled vp againe out of their owne land which I haue giuen them saith the Lord thy God where we may obserue 1. Who planteth them I saith the Lord which planteth and watereth and giueth the increase 2. Who shall be planted the elect only them but not all 3. Where in their owne land and what is that in the mysticall body of Christ in the
our hearts condemne vs not of sinne as the Apostle sheweth 1 Iohn 2. A good name and report ariseth hence when we giue none occasion vnto men to suspect ill of vs. And therefore as he that committeth sinne and therefore can haue no good conscience towards God may notwithstanding through the concealing and close cariage of the same retaine a good report with men and continue in the good opinion of the world so he that committeth not sinne and therefore hath a good conscience towards God may notwithstanding by his indiscretion and want of circumspection giue many causes of iust suspitions of guiltinesse and so lose his reputation and good esteeme in the world And therefore that we may haue a good conscience towards God we must abstaine from all euill and that wee may Hee that would haue a good name must auoid all appearaÌ„ce of euill 1 Thes 5. 22. haue a good report in the world wee must abstaine from all appearance of euill and giue no cause to any man to suspect ill of vs for as the prouerbe is He that will auoid an ill name Must auoid all that cause the same And He that will no euill doe Pro. 15. 15. Must doe nothing that belongs thereto And so when our hearts and consciences tell vs that wee neither did the euill nor gaue any cause in the world for any man to suspect vs of euill then shall we be happie indeed our hearts will be at peace and our consciences better then a continuall feast And thus you see the kindes of peace and you see the goodnesse of each kinde of peace that nothing can be more excellent then this blessed peace nor any thing in the world more miserable then to want the same And therefore nec vidisse satis est iuuat vsque morari I am loth to part yet from this point of The meanes to procure each kinde of peace peace and I hope we shall not lose our labour if we stay a little longer to consider how we may obtaine each kinde of peace that makes the obtainer happie and therefore I say 1. That we may finde peace with God 1. How to finde peace with God we must doe three especiall things 1. To beleeue in Christ 2. To auoid sinne 3. To doe good 1. We must beleeue in Christ for he is the Prince of peace and the only Esay 9. 6. Peace-maker betweene the mortall sinner and the immortall God but Christ dwelleth Eph. 3. 17. Aug. de Agon Christ ca. 12. in our hearts by faith saith the Apostle Et fides est prima quae subiugat animam Deo And our faith in Christ is the first thing that subiecteth our soule to God saith S. Augustine and so by faith in Christ we liue by faith in him Rom. 1. 17. we are reconciled to God we are iustified Rom. 3. 25. 28. sanctified saued And therefore without faith it is vnpossible to please God it is vnpossible to Act 15. 9. be at peace with God for as he that beleeueth Ephes 2. 8. on him is not condemned so he that beleeueth not on him is condemned already because hee hath not beleeued in the Iohn 3. 18. name of the only begotten Sonne of God and because in not beleeuing on him he maketh God alier and beleeueth not the record that God gaue of his Sonne 1 Ioh. 5. 10. 11. 12. which is that God hath giuen vs eternall life and that this life is in his Sonne and that whosoeuer hath the Sonne hath life and whosoeuer hath not the Sonne hath not life And therefore this should teach vs Faith is obtained increased by 3. especiall meanes all carefull diligence to get to preserue and to increase this precious gift of faith and that by three speciall means 1. By the hearing of the word 2. By the recouring of the Sacraments 3. By the feruencie of our prayers For 1. Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 17. and hearing by the word of God saith the Apostle Et accenditur fidei lampaâ—igne diuini verbi And the lampe of faith is kindled by the fire of the heauenly word saith S. Chrysostome And so the Chrys in Matth. 25. Eph. 1. 13. Ephesians are said to haue beleeued in Christ after they had heard the word of Christ And therefore wee should bee euer willing and alwayes readie to heare the preaching of the word of God for the more we heare the more we shall increase our faith and the lesse we heare the lesse faith we shall be sure to haue 2. The Sacraments are Sigilla Dei the great seales of God that ratifie vnto vs the word of God that by two immutable Heb. 6. 18. things viz. Gods writing and Gods seale we might haue a strong consolation And they bee verba visibilia Euangelij the visible words of the Gospell that doe set before our eyes the sacrifice of Christ and shew in a visible manner how Christ was crucified for vs and shed his bloud for the remission of our sinnes And therefore wee should not neglect the frequent vse of these blessed meanes that God hath giuen vs to increase our faith 3. The prayer of a faithfull man auaileth James 5. 16. much to procure any thing at the hands of God if it be feruent saith the Apostle And therefore as Christ prayed Luke 22. 32. for S. Peter that his faith should not faile so should wee pray to God that hee would preserue and increase our faith and because the preaching of the word is but the demonstration of the Spirit and 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. faith is in the power of God therefore we should the rather pray that when Act. 16. 14. Christ is preached the Lord would sanctifie our hearts and open them as he did the heart of Lidia that we might beleeue in Christ 2. We must auoid sinne for sinne is the continuall make-bate betweene the righteous God and the vnrighteous man sinne writeth bitter things against Iob 13. 26. vs sinne layeth vs open before the face of God and sinne moueth his iealousie to burne like fire against vs for Psal 4. hee hateth all those that worke wickednesse And therefore if we would be at peace with God wee must be at warre with sinne as I said before and we must not only repent vs of the old sinnes that we haue committed but we must also resist all those new sinnes whereunto we shall be enticed for sinne is like Antaeus the gyant as oft as it is throwne downe viresque animumque resumit It will presently set a fresh vpon vs and the more eagerly seeke our ouerthrow and therefore we must manfully resist all the inticements of sinne or else our sinnes like those wilde horses Qui circum illiacos raptarunt hectora Virgilius muros will teare vs in peeces while there is none to helpe vs. 3. We must doe good for righteousnesse and peace haue kissed