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A17306 A plea to an appeale trauersed dialogue wise. By H.B. Burton, Henry, 1578-1648. 1626 (1626) STC 4153; ESTC S106969 84,171 122

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will in the state of nature hath such a vast disproportion to the grace of Christ as it hath no disposition at all vnto it This is a mystery hid from Nature a Transcendent far aboue the capacity of Natures reach To this grace nature is not bleareeyd but blinde not a sleepe but dead not lame but a senslesse stocke So that more then a slender mouing or stirring vp of I wot not what first grace I wot well no grace is requisite to set the will a foote to the setling of it in the state of grace of that grace I say of true iustification to which Romes first grace hath no more proportion then her free-will in her pur●st naturalls But the grace whereof the Scripture speakes and the worke of it in mans conuersion is no such grace as Romes first grace for that is no other but the true and effectuall sauing iustifying and sanctifying grace of God the first act and worke whereof in the soules conuersion to God is not a faint and impotent mouing and stirring or awakening of the sleepy will which then begins to dispose it selfe to grace but it is a powerfull and effectuall worke vpon the will and the whole soule with euery faculty thereof and that not to the disposing vnto but to the present possessing of the state of grace and true iustification apprehended by sauing faith the free gift of this grace Besides this effectuall grace of God for mans conuersion the Scripture knows none Nor is the Scripture acquainted with such ieiune and faint termes as Rome vseth in setting forth the worke of grace in our conuersion The Scripture flyes in a more lofty stile to giue Gods grace the full prayse in the effectuall worke of our conuersion Ezech. 11. 19. I will giue them one heart and will put a new spirit within you I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will giue them an heart of flesh that they may walke in my statutes So Ezech. 36. 26 A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you c. and cause you to walke in my statutes And this is as Augustine saith the taking away of our stony heart and the giuing of a heart of flesh when the Father is heard within and teacheth vs to come and draweth vs to his Sonne by giuing vs a sauing faith in Christ. By which places wee see what a noble and powerfull worke of grace is wrought in vs by Gods holy Spirit in our conuersion not a bare stirring vp or mouing or helping the old decrepit stiff-limd will of the naturall mans stony heart but a mighty remouing of it cleane away and insteed therof putting a new heart a heart of flesh a flexible and obedient heart and a new spirit into vs by the vertue and power whereof we are effectually inabled to walke in Gods statutes and to keepe them And this worke of grace where begins it but at the very first act of our effectuall calling and conuersion of our iustification and sanctification from our sinnes and against our sinnes As in the forecited place of Ezechiel Then will I sprinkle pure water vpon you and yee shall be cleane from all your filthinesse for a new heart will I giue you c so in Ieremy The Lord ioynes his grace and remission of sinnes together saying I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall bee my people For I will forgiue their iniquity and will remember their sinnes no more The Lord in the Gospell compares the state of a naturall man vnregenerate to a house possessed by a strong man This strong man is Satan the spirit that ruleth in the children of disobedience such as all vnregenerate are who in that state are dominered ouer and captiuated of the tyrant Diuel at his will Who then shall binde this strong man and dispossesse him of his house and strong hold euen the heart of a naturall man vnregenerate Surely none but a stronger then he euen Christ. And is this done so slightly as by stirring vp the will by some first grace No more but so The strong man will not so easily forgoe his hold He must bee driuen out by strong hand When the Disciples could not by all their delegated power Christ must be faine to put to his immediate power authority to driue the Diuel out A sinner vnregenerate is as Peter fast asleepe and fast chained in the dungeon And to free him did the Angel no more but with a iogge awake him How fell his chaines so easily of How came the prison dores open How the iron gate leading into the citie to open of it owne accord Surely here was no small power vsed Nay the vnregenerate is like Lazarus fast bound and lying dead in the graue And is it so easie a matter to raise him vp to giue him life and to free him from the bonds of death But you hath hee quickned who were dead in trespasses and sinnes wherein once yee walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the ayre the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also wee had our conversation in time past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind c. Eph. 2. 1 c. Our will being then captiuated chained imprisoned in the dungeon of death kept and possessed by the strong man the Diuel are we so easily freed Saint Chrysostome amplifieth this by an excellent comparison or two All men saith hee before sinne as once in Adams loynes before his fall haue free will to follow the Diuels will or not but when once by sinne wee haue captiuated our selues to his workes wee cannot now free our selues But as a ship the rudder being broken is carried whither the tempest will so man having by sinne lost the helpe of divine Grace doth not that which himselfe willeth but which the Divell willeth and vnlesse God with a strong hand of mercy loose him hee shall abide in the bonds of his sinnes even vnto death And in the same place he compareth mans will before sinne namely in the state of Adams innocency to a free people or stare in whose power and election it is to chuse what King they will but hauing once chosen him whom they best like it is not now in their power vpon any dislike to depose him againe although hee tirannize ouer them neuer so much none can free them from this grieuous bondage but onely God So it being once in the power of mans will in the free state of innocency to chuse a King God or the Diuel hauing once by consent of sin made choise of the Prince of darknesse who tyrant-like ruleth in the children of disobedience it appertaines now onely to the mightie power and infinite goodnesse of God to set
them to his sh●●pe eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand My Father which gaue them me is greater than all and no man is able to plucke them out of my Fathers ●and I and my Father are one And Saint Peter said we are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation 1. Pet. 1. 5. And the Prophet Dauid sheweth by this reason that the righteous shall neuer fall totally away because Gods band euer supporteth them as Psal. 37. 24. Though he fall hee shall not bee vtterly cast downe for the Lord vpholdeth him with his band Which place Aquinas applies to the same purpose in Rom. 8. A fourth reason from the will of God Ioh. 6. 39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me that all which he hath giuen me I should loose nothing but should arise is vp at the last day And this is the will of him that sent me that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth on him should 〈◊〉 euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day A fifth reason drawne from the efficacie of Christs prayer Ioh. 17. 20. and so to the end of the Chapter A sixth reason from the impossibilitie of seducing the Saints from Christ by Antichrist and false Prophets Mat. 24. 24. A seuenth reason from the perpetuall mansion and inhabitation of Gods Spirit in all the faithfull 1. Ioh. 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not that is not vnto death as chap. 5. ●6 For his seede remaineth in him and be cannot sinne because he is borne of God An eight reason from the infallibility of Gods knowledge of all his called Gods foundation 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth them that are his whereupon Saint Augustine concl deth thus If the elect may perish and fall away then God may be deceiued But God cannot be deceiued therefore his elect cannot perish nor fall away And if at any time the elect doe exorbitate or decline out of the way vpon reproofe they are reformed and returne into the way from which they had digressed As Aquinas cites the glosse on Rom. 8. verse 28. Vsque adeo c. To such as loue God he doth so cause all things to cooperate for good as if any of them stray or straggle euen this also hee causeth to turne to their further good yea euen their sinnes cooperate to their greater good in causing them to walke more humbly and carefully A ninth reason is from the inseperable vnion betweene Christ and euery true beleeuer Christ himselfe expresseth this sweetly applying it as a speciall tye and token of the saints continu●ance in him Ioh. 17. 20. I pray not for these alo●● but for them also which shall beleeue in mee thorow their word that they may all be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. And that glory which thou hast giuen me I haue giuen them that they may be one euen as wee are one I in thee and thou in met that they may be made perfect in one So that as not a bone of his naturall body was broken so neither a bone of his mysticall body For he keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken Psal. 34 20. Not a haire of their head shall perish that are his members I will adde but one reason●more of many vsed in Scripture to confirme the Doctrine of the Saints perseuerance and it is taken from Gods eternall election and effectuall vocation of his elect vnto eternall life As Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did praedestinate them he also called and whom hee called them he also iustified and whom hee iustified them hee also glorified This is such a golden chaine as all the Diuells of hell can neuer breake Christ vseth the same reason Ioh. 15. 16. Yee haue not chosen mee but I haue chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruite and that your fruite should remaine which place Saint Augustine sweetly applyeth to Gods eternall election whence springeth th● perseuerance of his elect whose fruite remaineth for euer As also the same Augustine applieth that other place to the Romans to the Saints perseuerance and onely to the elect Saints quorū it a certus est numerus c. whereof the number is so certaine that none of them can perish no more than any of the reprobate can be saved And so hee concludes the Saints perseverance from the foundation of Gods eternall election and praedestination Quis c. What one could be ordained to eternall life but with the gift of persence rāce This is the Doctrine also of the Church of England Arti● 17. So then if God can breake his euerlasting covenant with his people if his sauing feare be such as to whom it is giuen it will not suffer them to depart from God if Gods loue in Christ to his owne be immutable and endlesse if Christs power and his Fathers be so great that none can plucke his elect out of his hands if it be the Fathers will that none of his elect shall perish but haue eternall life if Christs prayer for his elect cannot bee in vaine if it be impossible for all Antichrists power and policie and lying wonders to seduce Gods elect if the perpetuall residence of Gods holy Spirit in his regenerate preserue them from sinning vnto death if Gods infallible knowledge of his owne cannot be deceiued but remaineth as a sure and sealed foundation if all things cooperate for their good and nothing can seperate them from the loue of Christ if Gods eternall election and praedestination of his to grace and so to glory cannot be frustrate then who dare be so bold as to affirme that the Saints may fall away either totally or finally from grace so fall short of glory Babylonius But my authour instanceth two examples of totall falling away from grace the one of King Dauid the other of the prime Apostle Saint Peter now if these did fall totally from grace at least for a time then is it possible for any in the state of grace to fall totally from that state● and so come short of finall perse●●rance And to proue thier totall fall he argueth thus 〈◊〉 ●ter fell now if he fell he must needs full totally or finally for Cedo tertium And saith hee if Dauids and Peters repentance had beene preuented by death they should haue perished eternally And you know that a supposition must necessarily imply a possibilitie of the thing supposed else it were absurd so that it was possible they might haue beene preuented by death before they had repented and so haue perished eternally As the Authour saith elsewhere * cap. 4. that it is possible for the fallen away to arise againe possible but not certaine and necessary Orthodoxus By mentioning this last
A PLEA TO AN APPEALE Trauersed Dialogue wise By H. B. August De Tempore Sermo 98. Idcirco Doctrinam Catholicam contradicentium obsidet impugnatio vt fides nostra non otio torpescat sed multis exercitationibus elimetur Ibid. There must be heresies euen among you that they which are approued may bee made manifest among you 1. Cor. 11. 19. Printed at London by W. I. 1626. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE CHARLES KING OF GREAT Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. Most gratious Soueraigne IF it be a mans glory to passe by an offence how much more a Kings who being armed with power to reuenge his pardon is the more glorious the more gratious This is Your Maiesties glory that You haue passed by the offence of Your seruant and Your glory how beautifully shall it shine forth if Your noble pardon shall be sealed with Your Royall Patronage of this poore Plea which if it passe not vnder the Priuiledge of the Caesarean Maiestie it is like to fare the worse for the Atturneys sake whom besides his many personall imperfections the very scarres of his late disgrace with so gracious a Maister expose with his Plea as no lesseridiculous to the Antagonists then Dauids sling was to Golia● and his Philistims Who if they aske me vpon what hope I presumed to impleade an Appeale to Caesar I cannot answere with Solon vpon old age rather vpon pouerty rather vpon Caesars equity rather vpon the causes verity Yea my duty to God to your Maiestie to the sacred memory of your Royall Father to the Church of God to my Mother Church of England to the State to my Reuerend Fathers to my reproached Brethren all these summon me from my sweete safe Priuacy to runne a hazzard vpon the Theater of importune opposition And see also Dread Soueraigne how deeply You stand ingaged in this Plea Therein seuen Plaintifes sollicite Your Grace for justice First Truth she complaines of hard vsage how shee is driuen to seeke corners sith shee cannot passe the Presse Cum Priuilegio but must be silēced yea Gagged least while shee refuseth to subscribe to An Appeale she should by writing cleare her Doctrines from the infamous terme of Puritanisme and her selfe from being reproached for a Puritan The next Plaintife is Gods Glory Grace Gospell complaining they are vndermined ouerturned by an Appeale wherein Gods foundation of his free grace and mercy in electing vs in his Son to saluation is laid vpon the sandy ground of Mans freewill his eternall and vnrepentant loue to his Elect made to depend vpon the haire of humaine mutability standing on its owne vnsteddy bottome to fall totally finally The third Plaintife is the Sacred Ashes of Your Royall Father of famous memory complaining His honor is polluted prophaned in a high degree by An Appeale so much depressing the Synod of Dort which His Maiestie so much graced and exalting Arminianisme which His sacred Maiestie so much detested The fourth Plaintife is Gods Church especially our Mother Church of England iustly complaining how impiously she is abused and her Doctrines traduced by an Appeale as if in the very Fundamentalls as Praedestination Election Freewill Iustification Faith Perseuerance in sauing grace Certainty of saluation and the like shee iumped with the Apostatized Church of Rome and her confederate Arminians as if her Doctrines were not the same with the holy Scriptures as if they must be rated by a few priuate spirits ingrossing as by a Monopoly the name of the Church of England reducing Ecclesia Romana to Curia Romana as if her Doctrines were as mutable as their vniust Iudges who Cameleon like will change colour with euery obiect of time The fifth Plaintife is the State complaining of a ruefull distraction and rent it suffereth by a most factious and seditious Appeale which coming very vnseasonably like a disastrous Comet portendeth vniuersall ruine both to Church and State if the vast breach made thereby for the grand enemy to enter bee not all the sooner and surer if possible made vp againe The sixth Plaintife is the Ghost of some of the Reuerend forefathers of our Church as Doctor Bancroft once Bishop of London and Doctor Ouerall once Deane of Pauls and Bishop of Norwich complaining that their speeches in the Conference at Hampton Court Ianua 14. 1603. now lately printed the one about Praedestination the other Perseuerance in grace are pitifully and palpably peruerted in An Appeale to the great reproach of their owne Credits and in them the scandall of the Church of England The seuenth Plaintife is the Communion of Saints militant in this Church and elswhere yea some now Triumphant in heauen complaining that notwithstanding they striue both in faith and practise to come as neere as is possible for humaine frailtie to Christ and his Apostles yet for that very cause they are persecuted and reproached in An Appeale with the odious name of Puritan and what not Now all these Plaintifes most noble King do as by speciall interest craue iustice at Your Maiesties hands Truth claimes it as You are King of England Defender of the faith that as It makes You free so You would it with full priuiledge to plead its owne cause Gods glory claimes it of You as whom aboue all Princes in Christendome He hath put such a rich crowne of grace and glory vpon that thereby Your Maiestie might learne how highly to prize His infinite glory which the more You stand for against its enemies the more firmely it shall make You to stand against all Your Aduersaries The Sacred Ashes of Your royall Father of pious memory require justice of You not onely as you are a King but as the most pious Son of such a Father that as by An Appeale You are called to be an vmpire You would accordingly determine whither in Your judgement the Synod of Dort with the Decrees of it be rather to be reiected and set at nought for the Appealers vilifying and disclaming of it or religiously maintained by Your Maiestie at least for the incomparable judgement of King IAMES who both sent thither a learned select representatiue Church of England and Himselfe also gaue His royall assent to all the conclusions of it as being in all points consonant to the Doctrine of the Church of England The Church of England with the State like Hipocrates twinnes mutually affected with each others weale or woe both liuing together both dying together with one heart and voyce humbly craue justice of Your Maiestie as being next vnder Christ ouer both in all causes ouer all persons the onely supreme Gouernour that You would chastise their contumacious children who fasten reproaches and hasten ruines to both The fame of our Forefathers craveth justice of Your Maiestie to free them from the false aspersion of blasphemy and from the opinion of being Arminians All Gods children co-heires with Your Maiestie of the same Kingdome of glory implore Your iustice to rescue their innocency
for losse of faith he must meane iustifying and sauing faith and not that faith of the Romane Church hee alledgeth the 16. Article in these words After we haue receiued the holy Gh●st we may depart from grace giuen fall into sinne and by the grace of God wee way rise againe and amende our liues Now in all due remembrance to my blessed mother the Church of England is it not as lawfull for mee her Sonne to take her in a good sense as for another in a bad And if it be lawfull for me to interpret her words according to the letter it is one thing reced●re a gratia another excidere one thing to depart aside as out of the way erroniously another 〈◊〉 fall quite away and to abandon the way at least for the time to fall quite away from grace nor doth the Article speake of a totall falling away but of such slips as are recouered by repentance against the Doctrine of N●●atus as is there expressed It being one thing to fall into sin of infirmitie another to fall away from grace totally But if by departing be meant a totall falling away then how doth this accord with the Scripture that saith If such as were once enlightned c doe fall away it is impossible they should be renewed againe to repentance Againe for the words of the Homilie alledged by the Appealer they containe a wholsome admonition to pietie and perseuerance therein but they mention no totall falling away from true and sauing grace in any one particular true beleeuer Therefore by departing is meant some other thing then any totall falling away from grace so that howsoeuer wee imbrace and adore the generall Doctrine of the Church of England our deare Mother yet whatsoeuer she saith we must not presently take it at the first rebound according to our priuate fancie which what it affects and inclines to it can easilie as the corrupt stomacke assimilate euen wholesome meates and cause them to corrupt or as the Naturall thinkes the bells ring that which hee imagines so apt is mans fancie to take words rather by the sound then by the sense to feede his pre-conceiued opinion yet as neither the Church of England her selfe auoucheth or concludeth any thing for Doctrine and matter of Faith but so farre as is consonant to the word of God so that her Doctrines are to be called the Doctrines of God rather than of the Church so neither are we to measure her Doctrines but by the onely line and rule of the Scriptures But by the Scriptures there is either no totall falling away from grace or if there be as from the common grace it must necessarily be finall too for it is impossible saith the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 such as fall away should be renewed againe to r●pentance Therefore the Church of Englands words speaking of d●p●●ting from grace and yet of returning againe cannot be understood of a totall falling away of particular persons from 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 grace so that it appea●es the Appeall●r hath wrested the words of the Article to his owne fancie he should first conclude out of the Scriptures that there is a falling away from grace totally But if the Scriptures teach the contrary let no man fasten such a reproach vpon the Church of England casting durt in his Mothers face as teaching otherwise then her heauenly Husband hath taught in his Word Babylonius But where doe the Scriptures teach that a man cannot fall away from grace and sa●ing 〈◊〉 after he once hath it Orthodoxus In many places and that so pregnantly and definitiuely as the very Aduersaries of this truth confesse it may be waued and taken indifferently either way whither for a penny as we say their Opiniō or Gods Truth Babylonius But if Scripture say and gainsay how shall we beleeue them or how shall we reconcile them Orthodoxus Very easily for as there is but one truth so if wee first pitch vpon that truth where wee finde it clearely and positiuely laid downe in the Scripture then whatsoeuer places of scripture seeme to contradict yet the sense thereof must of necessitie bee reduced to that positiue truth For the purpose 1 Iohn 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seede remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because h● is borne of God Here is set downe a positi●e truth Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sinne and the reasons are annexed first for the seede of God remai●eth in him and secondly because he is borne of God he cannot sinne But this seemes a hard and a darke saying doe not Gods 〈…〉 sinne yo● sur●ly for In many things we 〈◊〉 all saith Saint 〈◊〉 but the same Apostle cleares the sense in his 5. Chapter of the Epistle Verse 16 17. There is a sinne vnto death and there is a 〈◊〉 not vnto death now Gods children commit sinne which is not vnto death whereof ver 16. If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not vnto death he shall aske and he shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death But of the sinne that is vnto death of that the Apostle speakes ver 18. Wee know that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not that is not vnto death Now Gods child sinneth not vnto death that is falleth not from faith as Saint Augustin● vnderstands this sin vnto death neither totally nor much lesse finally for the seede of God remaineth in him The seede of God is the holy Spirit of God by which as a holy and liuing seede wee are begotten and borne of God This seed● is that annointing whereof the Apostle speakes 1 Iohn 2. 27. The annointing which yee haue receiued of ●im abideth in you and therefore yee shall abide in him Therefore none shall be able to seduce you v. 26. Now if th● the annointing abide in vs if the seede of God remaines in vs how then can we fall totally much lesse finally from grace for the Spirit of grace remaineth in vs. So long as this seed of God remaines in vs and being once receiued it abideth with vs Gods regenerate cannot so degenerate as by falling from grace to cease to be his sonnes He that is of the blood royall yea who is descended immediately from the Kings owne loynes cannot cease to bee the Kings sonne for the seede and blood of the King is in him And yet though a Kings sonne may degenerate from his Fathers vertues notwithstanding his Fathers blood bee in him yet the b●gotten of God as they haue his seede alwaies remaining 〈◊〉 them so it is an actiue quickning and pregnant seede springing vp to life eter●all wherin Gods child groweth in grace till he be a perfect man in Christ Iasus Againe this seede of God is immortall as the Father is immortall Now as a mortall father begets a mortall son So the immortall God can beget no sonne but is immortall as his Father is It is impossible for the
vnderstanding onely or to any one faculty of the soule though hee place it principally in the will in regard of those natiue and inseporable qualities of true sauing saith namely confidence and affiance in Gods promises So that I wonder how this Doctrine of that good Cardinall hath escaped the flames of their Purgatory Index But his owne life paid for it when he with his fellow Cardinall Fregosus being suspected too much to fauour the Doctrine of Luther were both quickly taken out of the way non sine veneni suspicione not without suspicion of poyson But those Diuines that liued in more ancient ages contented themselues with the most simple but most e●phaticall tearmes of the Scripture not troubling their heads with quirks and questions of this nature whether faith were in the vnderstanding or in the will c but with the Scripture they include altogether in the heart the seate and confluence of all the powers of the soule Bernard saith that first the s●●ncere roote of holy faith is planted in the ground of mans heart and when faith is fully growne vp it becomes as a great tree hauing in it sundry sorts of apples wherewith the soule being full of God is refreshed St. August takes no more care but to place faith in the soule Vnder whence comes death in the soule because faith is not there whence in the body because the soule is not there therefore the soule of the soule is faith Againe Fides quae credit in Deum vita anima existit per hanc iustus viuit Faith which beleeueth in God is the life of the soule and by it the iust man liueth And speaking of the vnderstanding hee saith Intellectus merces est sides c. The vnderstanding is the reward of faith doe not then seeke to vnderstand that thou maist beleeue but beleeue that thou maist vnderstand And againe Intellectui fides viam aperit infidelitas claudit faith opens the way to the vnderstanding but infidelity shuts it And speaking of the will he saith Fides excitat ad exercitium voluntatem Faith stirreth vp the will to excercise And in a word Fides sic est in anima vt radix bona quae pluuiam in fructum ducit Faith is so in the 〈◊〉 as a good roote which peoduceth the raine into fruit I might adde many others but this may suffice Babylonius But Sir whereas you seeme to oppugne the Councell of Trent doth it not also acknowledge faith to be the roote of all other graces Doe the Church of Rome right I 〈◊〉 you Orthodoxus God forbid else The prouerbe is Giue the Diuel his due Indeede the Trent Councell confesseth that faith is the beginning of mans saluation the foundation and roote of all iustification But vnder this painted Sepulcher she buries the bones of true sauing faith which she hath slaine there to ly rotting as the Iewes did with Gods Prophets whom their Fathers had slaine and vpon the foundation they erect the Monument and Trophe of their Pageantfaith For vndertaking to gl●sse vpon the Apostles wordes A man is iustified by faith and gratis freely she saith These wordes are to be vnderstood in that sense which the perpetuall consent of the Catholicke Church hath holden and expressed to wit that we are said therefore to be iustified by faith because it is the beginning of mans saluation the foundation and root of all iustification So that they attribute iustification to faith not simply for it selfe but relatiuely as it hath reference to the fruits whereof they say faith is the roote namely their inherent righteousnesse But the truth is this restrained yea constrained sense of theirs is most absurd and senslesse as hauing neither foundation nor roote of reason to support and maintaine it All is but wordes They neither meane nor will nor can maintaine it For how is faith a beginning of grace if grace be no necessary consequent of their faith For they confesse they may haue faith and want grace which is the Diuels case Or how is faith the roote of grace and iustification sith it is impossible for this roote to produce any fruite at all For how can a dead roote bring forth any liue-fruite And they confesse their faith to be a dead and dry roote of it selfe vntill the sap of charity be powred into it to actuate and quicken this otherwise dead roote So that by Babylons Doctrine the fruite must giue life to the roote not the roote to the fruite And yet forsooth faith must be the roote of iustification the foundation of mans saluation Surely the Prouerbe may here well be verified Dignum patella operculum like roote like iustification both dead like foundation like building both sandy yea meere aery and imaginary Babylonius But is not faith dead and vnformed vntill it be inliued and formed by charity Doth not St. Iames say that as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without workes is dead also Therefore the good workes of charity giue life vnto faith as the soule to the body Orthodoxus Doth charity giue life to faith How is then faith the roote your owne reason may teach you the contrary as wee haue showed But to that place of Saint Iames it is too commonly abused For marke first hee saith not As the body without the soule is dead but as the body without the spirit is dead The spirit is the breath by which the body is knowne to liue So that the body receiueth life from the soule but sheweth it by the spirit which it breatheth The spirit then is an effect and signe not a cause of the life of the body So charity and the workes therof are a fruite and effect breathing from sauing faith testifying that it is a liuing faith not causing it so to be for that were to turne the tree vpside downe as if the roote which is faith should receiue life sap and groweth from the branches And it is plaine by the whole analogy and tenure of the chapter that the Apostle speakes of good workes as they are demonstratiue signes and fruits of a liuing faith not as causes of it Againe he putteth a distinct difference betweene the true sauing faith which alwaies shewes it selfe to liue by the fruits of it for it is that faith euer working by loue and betweene a false counterfeit faith such as is dead and knowne to bee so by the not breathing out of good workes So that the true sauing iustifying faith is that which worketh by loue So the Apostle saith But how by loue as by the efficient mouing cause of the working of it or rather as the instrumentall cause moued by the hand of faith Loue is faiths instrument whereby it worketh Yea it is an inseparable quality of sauing faith whereby faith workes as the heat is the inseperable quality of the fire whereby the fire worketh This is the Doctrine also of the ancient Fathers They so make faith the roote as