themselues both beauty and wit wit to inâ—â—nt and compose a new plat-forme of vertue a new way to Heauen and beauty to expresse this vertue and to demonstrate this way with the very hand of their owne immaculate exemplary life Let them therefore come forth vpon the Stage and act before vs but a Scene of their Christian life Wee are willing to be Spectators of this rare spectacle and will be as beneuolous to giue them a Plaudite if they deserue it as by their fame and claime we are erected to a high expectation of their performance for we expect to see them act the parts not as common Actors and Comedians act others good parts vpon the Stage whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Hypocrites haue their names as Gregory saith Haereticorum hypocrisis decoros ipsos hominibus ostendit The hypocrysie of Heretickes makes them appeare beautifull vnto men wee expect I say to see them act the parts not of the ordinary ranke of morall men but as they professe to goe before others in learning and wit so let them goe before all men in sanctity of life and conuersation which if they doe not their owne Doctrine shall turne to their greater condemnation For seeing they attribute so much to their naturall abilities if they make it not good in their owne practice God will say vnto them Out of thine owne mouth will I condemne thee thou euill seruant Hast thou so much power to doe good and dost it not If the Lord condemne that feare at the best which is taught towards him by the precepts of men how shall hee confound those that for all their humane politicke precepts come infinitely short of the feare of God in their liues But if not only defect of the true feare of God be found in them but excesse of all corruption doe beare sway in their lusts if they be extreame proud couetous ambitious malicious contemners of the true seruants of God if back-biters selfe-louers louers of pleasures more than louers of God hauing a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof what reward shall they haue for all their new deuices and quaint doctrines What honour with God What credit with men What comfort in themselues but horrour of conscience What else can bee expected of such as haue lost or neuer had the true faith Can a bad tree bring forth good fruit saith Christ Gregory compareth such to brazen Pipes Sonum bene loquendi habent sed sensum bene viuendi non habent They haue the sound of saying well but they haue not the sense of liuing well But take their workes at the best yet seeing they flowe not from the holy roote of sound faith they are but as many flowers whose colour is beautifull but their sauour banefull Such do stincke odious in the pure nostrils of God yea they are abominable to the Church of God As the same Gregory saith Quia nonnunquam haeretici quanto magis in perfidiae errorem dilabuntur tanto amplius in exteriori sese operatione custodiunt ita vt agere prae caeteris magna videantur sancta vniuersalis Ecclesia cuncta eorum opera despicit quae ex authoritate fidei non prodire perpendit Because some times hereticks the more they sinke into the errour of perfidiousnesse so much the more warily doe they keepe themselues in their exteriour operation so that they may seeme in comparison of others to doe great things the holy vniuersall Church doth despise all their workes which it confidereth not to proceede from the authority of faith Now hauing spoken of the nature of Predestination according to the expresse tenure of the holy Scriptures come wee to set downe the certainty of Catholicke and true iustifying Faith in regard of the certainty of predestination vnto grace and of perseuerance therein vnto glory The Pontificians alledge and obiect That we cannot be certaine of our saluation but depend alwayes doubtfull because say they we cannot know who is predestinate and who shall perseuere in grace without speciall reuelation Now true it is that no beleeuer can know whether another be predestinate or shall perseuere but by speciall reuelation Samuel came to know King Saul to be a reprobate by speciall reuelation Ananias came to know persecuting Saul to bee an elect vessell by speciall reuelation So Paul came to know that Clement and other his fellow-labourers had their names written in the Booke of life Againe no man how wicked souer can know or conclude with himselfe that he is a reprobate but eyther by diuine reuelation as Saul came to know this by Samuel from God or else by the effects of finall impenitency and desperation such as commit the sinne of the Holy Ghost especially But that euery true beleeuer may and doth come to know himselfe to be of the number of Gods elect and predestinate vnto life and that not onely by extraordinary reuelation from the Spirit of God but by the illumination of iustifying Faith and consequently is hereby assured of his perseuerance in grace vnto glory is a Doctrine most euident in the holy Scriptures Two generall points therefore come here to be handled First that euery true beleeuer in Christ may and doth certainly know that hee is one of the number of Gods Elect. Secondly that euery true beleeuer may and doth know certainly that he shall perseuere in grace vnto glory For the first of these Euery true beleeuer in Christ may and doth certainly know that hee is one of the number of Gods Elect. And this hee knoweth first by Faith The Faith of Gods Elect is as a chrystall perspectiue glasse though which euery true beleeuer clearely seeth himselfe enrolled in the Booke of life Reioyce in this saith Christ that your names are written in Heauen Now how can any man reioyce of that whereof hee is vncertaine and doubtfull and which he knoweth not So that for the Elect to reioyce that their names are written in Heauen in the Booke of life must needes imply a certaine knowledge that we are of the number of those whose names are written in the Booke of life as also some in the Trent-Councell iudiciously alledged from this very place But the aduersaries obiect that this was spoken in especiall to the elect Disciples to whom Christ gaue a speciall reuelation of their election I answer with Augustine vpon these very words of the Gospell of Christ In this reioyce that your names are written in Heauen Nullus fidelis habet spem si nomen eius non est scriptum in coelo No faithfull man hath any hope if his name bee not written in Heauen So that Augustine applyeth this speech of Christ to all the faithfull As hee there saith Non eos voluit gaudere ex eo quod proprium habebant sed exeo quod cum caeteris salutem tenebant Inde voluit gaudere Apostolos vndo gaudeâ— tu Christ would not haue his Disciples to reioyce of
ne loquentibus nobis 〈◊〉 qâ—â— veritatem non potest capere non timemus ne tacentibus nobis qui veritatem potest capere falsitate capiatur Aut enim sic praedestinatio praedicandâ— est quemadmodum eam sancta Scriptura euidâ—â—ter loquitur vt in praedestinatis sine poenitentia sint dona vocatio Dei aut gratiam Dei secundum nostra dari merita confitendum quod sapiunt Pelagiani that is Is not the truth rather to be spoken that he which can receiue it may receiue it than to be concealed that not onely neyther can receiue it but also he that is more intelligent may be made worse The enemy of grace is instant and vrgeth by all meanes that it might be beleeued it is giuen vnto vs according to our merits and so grace should now bee no more grace And yet wee will not speake that which by the testimony of the Scripture we may speake for we feare forsooth lest if we speake he be offended that cannot receiue the truth and we doe not feare lest while we are silent he which is able to receiue the truth may be deceiued by errour For eyther is predestination so to bee preached as the holy Scripture doth euidently declare it that in those that be predestinate the gifts and calling of God may bee without repentance or else we must confesse that the grace of God is giuen according to our merits which is the opinion of the Pelagians And againe in the same booke Chapt. 21. Nimiâ— contentionis est praedestinationi contradicere vel de praedestinatione dubitare It is too much peruersnesse to contradict predestination or to call it into question Yet Saint Augustine denies not but that wisedome and discretion is to be vsed in the preaching of it For saith he it is not so bee preached to the ignorant multitude as that the preaching of it may seeme worthy of reproofe For dolosi vel imperiti medici est etiam vtile medicamentum sic allegare vt aut non profit â—ut obâ—â—t It is the property of a deceiptfull or an vnskilfull Physitian so to apply euen a wholesome plaster as that either it doe no good or else hurt Which was the prouident wisedome of his sacred Maiesty our gracious Soueraigne in his late inâ—unction to Ministers not to debarre them from the free and lawfull yea the most vsefull and comfortable preaching of that diuine Doctrine of predestination as occasion serued but rather to giue direction at least to younger Diuines lest through want of mature iudgement in the manner of opening that mysterie and applying of it they might haply put a stumbling blocke before the iniudicious and ignorant hearer For otherwise his excellent Maiesty doth himselfe beare royall record to this diuine Doctrine in his learned Paraphase of the Reuelation the 20. Chapter in the latter end in these words The booke of life was opened to the effect that all those whose names were written in it to wit predestinated and elected for saluation before all beginnings might there be selected for eternall glory Now haue not wee in these times the same iust cause of speaking this truth in regard of those Pelagianizing enemies of the grace of God the Pontificians and their complices as Augustine had against the Pelagians both of them contending to ouerthrow the truth of predestination being the ground of the free grace of God in sauing mankinde and to establish mans merits and righteousnesse as the motiue cause of the grace of God Therefore in this so important a cause hauing to deale with so many importunate aduersaries of this fundamentall truth we must not be meale-mouthed lest we come to verifie that of our selues which Gregory once said of some Nonnulli dum veritatis Discipuli esse humiliter negligâ—â—â—â— Magistri errorum fiunt Many while out of a kind of humility they neglect to be the Disciples of the truth they become the Masters of errors Come we then in the feare of God to free our selues of the enuie of his great glory in setting down this great mysterie wherein the glory of Gods rich grace doth most clearly shine and shew it selfe Predestination then is an vnchangeable act of Gods good pleasure and will whereby he hath from all eternity of his free grace elected out of the corrupt masse of mankinde fallen in Adam a certaine number of men whom hee hath purposed effectually to bring to eternall saluation by the only absolute meanes and merits of Iesus Christ and by other conditionall and subordinate meanes appointed by him for the receiuing and applying of Christ and walking in him â—â—en vnto the end leauing the rest of men in their originall corruption to their further and finall condemnation The Scripture makes good euery part of this definition First for the subiect of it which is predestination the * word is there often vsed which signifieth a fore-determining or appointing or preordaining of a thing But about the name or the thing there is no great question made The very aduersaries are forced to confesse it at least in part Now for the Predicate of the definition it is an act or decree called sometimes in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Councell as Ephes. 1. 11. sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Purpose as Rom. 8. 28. sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 1. Pet. 1. 2. which is such a fore-knowledge as is not onely a bare prescience but a Praescitum an established or decreed fore-knowledge as the Latines call a decree of the people Plebiscitum and also the decree or iudgement of a cause Cognitio or tryall or knowledge So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or praecognitio or fore-knowledge of God is his witting and willing act or decree The Apostle therefore in the forenamed place Rom. 8. doth ioyne the purpose of God and his fore-knowledge together as one and the same thing vers 28. 29. For wee know that all things cooperate or worke together for good to them that loue God being the called according to his purpose and hee addes For whom he fore-knew those hee also predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Sonne So that to predestinate to a conformity vnto Christ is an act of Gods fore-knowledge or fore-decree conducing vnto or producing the end to the which God decreed or purposed Which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fore-knowledge or fore-decree of God is very emphaticall and significant containing in it as wee said before not a bare prescience much lesse that this fore-knowledge in God was led or moued by the euent of those things which he saw would come to passe in the creature according to which euent he should predestinate men to saluation or damnation because he fore-saw they would be such such as the Pontificians whosoeuer symbolize with them in this matter possessed or tainted with the spirit of the Pelagians of which Augustine speaketh but this fore-knowledge in God here hauing speciall and sole reference
Faith doth merit iustification his meaning is faith obtaineth iustification sine aliqua ratione meriti without any respect of merit Here let mee insert by the way a worthy annotation of George Cassander vpon the word Mereri or Merit in his second Scholia vpon his Ecclesiasticke hymnes printed at Paris 1616 for in other later impressions haply you shall finde this Scholia is quite purged out by the Index Expurgatorius composed by the commandement of the Catholike King Philip the second and by the aduice also of the Duke of Albany the copy whereof was printed at Strasburgh The words of the Index are these Scholium incipiens Vocabulum merendi apud veteres c. deleatur totum The Scholium of George Cassander beginning thus c. Let it be wholly cancelled But being notwithstanding preserued from this Purgatory fire let vs note it Vocabulum merendi apud veteres Ecclesiasticos Scriptores ferè idem valet quod consequt seu aptum idoneumque fieri ad consequendum Id quod inter caetera vel ex vno Cypriani loco apparet Nam quod Paulus inquit 1. Tim. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod vulgò dicitur Misericordiam consecutus sum vel vt Erasmus vertit Misericordiam adeptus sum id Cyprianus ad Iubaianum legit Misericordiam merui Et multa loca sunt in Ecclesiasticis officijs precibus vbi hoc vocabulum hoc intellectu accipi debeat Quae vocis notio si retineatur multa quae duriùs dici videntur mitiora commodiora apparebunt The word Merit saith Cassander among ancient Ecclesiasticall Writers doth commonly import as much as to attaine or to be made apt and fit to attaine or obtaine That which among others doth appeare out of one place of Cyprian For that which Paul saith 1. Tim. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the vulgar latine rendreth But I obtained mercie or as Erasmus rendreth it I got or receiued mercie The same doth Cyprian to Iubaianus reade I merited mercie And many other places saith hee there are in the Ecclesiasticall offices and prayers where this word Merit ought to bee taken in this sense Which sense of the word if it bee retained many things which seeme to be spoken harshly will appear more gentle and accommodate Thus Cassander But this among sundry other sayings of Cassander being condemned by the Index to bee purged out of his workes doth plainly shew what opinion the Pontificians haue of Merit aduancing it to a sense of a higher straine than the ancient Fathers of the Church were euer acquainted withall Or let the Pontificians themselues interpret vnto vs the meaning of this word Merit vsed by St. Augustine speaking of the sinne of our first Parents Foelix culpa quae talem meruit Redemptorem Will they say that Adams sinne merited either by Congruity or by Condignity Christ the Redeemer And againe where hee saith Nemo de sui peccati dimissione desperet quando illi veniam meruerunt qui occiderunt Christum Let none despaire of the pardon of his sinne when as they merited pardon which killed Christ. Will they therefore say that they which murthered Christ merited pardon either Congruously or Condignly Or what meant Gregory sirnamed the Great Bishop of Rome when he vsed the word Merit to Sauls persecuting the Church of Christ saying Illi dictum est Quid me persequeris Iste verò audire meruit Dimissum est tibi peccatum tuum To him it was said Why doest thou persecute me But he merited to heare Thy sinne is forgiuen thee What merit was this trow we And the same Gregory speaking of the theefe vpon the Crosse saith Latro cruentis manibus audire meruit c. The theefe with his bloudy hands merited to heare This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise What merit was in his bloudy hands But thus we see the meaning of the word Merit in these purer and ancient times vsed for to obtaine or such like But to returne whence we digressed we see Vega and Soto two grand Captaines in the Trent Councell one directly opposite to the other in the matter of merit of Congruity But the Councell through the dexterity of Sancti Crucij hath so composed the decrees and namely this of preparation as that by profound equiuocations euen flat contradictions are reconciled But the conclusion is that merit of Congruitie is ratified by the Councell in the necessity of preparatorie workes to iustification but inuolued in such generall termes that Soto and his side holding the contrary may not take offence at it but be made to beleeue that the Councell is for them In so much as Soto in his three bookes de Natura Gratia which he writes as a Commentary of this Session of the Councell sets downe all the Decrees and Canons of the same as the ground and text of his Commentary Take one notable instance of their egregious equiuocation in the first Canon of this Session before alleadged If any man shall say that a man may bee iustified before God by his owne workes which are done either by the power of mans nature or by the doctrine of the law without diuine grace by Iesus Christ let him be accursed Note here what variety of senses this Canon is full charged withall Would Vega and his side haue their merit of Congruity decreed Here is a Canon leueld against all those that shall say that a man by his own works may be iustified before God without the grace of God implying that by and with the grace of God assisting a man he may be iustified before God by his owne works done by the power of nature as his free-will or by the doctrine of the law Yea but thus Soto may feare that the Anathema the deadly bullet of this Canon will hit himselfe for denying all merit of Congruity done by the power of nature assisted by grace going before iustification Then let Soto but view ouer the Canon againe hee shall see it turned and leuelled against the Pelagians who taught that a man by his owne workes done by the power of nature may be iustified before God without diuine grace by Iesus Christ. Or against the vnbeleeuing Iewes who thought to be iustified before God by the obseruation of Moses law sauing onely that the Councell hath cautelously and correctedly expressed this vnder the name of the letter of Moses law Chapt. 1. as here vnder the name of the doctrine of the law lest as the History of the Trent-Councell hath well obserued if it had passed as at the first draught in these words per legem Mosis by Moses law then exception might haue beene taken in the behalfe of Circumcision to which some ascribing remission of sinnes this Canon or that Decree might haue been a preiudice to their opinion Thus all parties euen the contrary factions of that Councell were well satisfied while one side conceiued the Decree made expresly for them
remission of their sins when notwithstanding they certainely knew that that certainety was rather a most vaine perswasion of their Iustification And so Vega concludes Neque dubium quin latinè possimus dicere apud Haereticos nostrae tempestatis non esse suae gratiae opinionem sed certitudinem Nor do we doubt but that we may say in plaine termes that the Heritiques of our time haue not an opinion of their grace or iustification but a certainety Note here iudicious Reader that the Pontificians doe allow of a certaine vncertaine particular certainety of Faith namely such as may bee eyther true or false They might better haue said iust nothing sauing that they cautelously put this clause by way of preuention that if a particular certainty of Faith bee neuer so manifestly proued yet it may proue at hap-hazzard eyther true or false And this Vega would demonstrate by a distinction saying There is a two-fold certainty Per se or Quoad nos Eyther a certainty in regard of the truth it selfe beleeued or in respect of our apprehension which may be deceiued according to the Councels own Text. In a word in his fift Chapter following hee sets downe foure limitations of certainety that are extra controuersiam without all controuersie allowed of the Pontificians First that euery man may haue a knowledge of his iustification by diuine reuelation and that this hath been truly reuealed to some holy men although but to few and them Gods greatest familiars as the blessed Virgin and the Apostles Secondly it is certaine that all righteous men may by some certaine signes and probable arguments or tokens and coniectures attaine to a probable notice and opinion or as they call it a coniecturall certitude of their iustification Thirdly saith he it is certaine that no mortall man without diuine reuelation can attaine in this life to the certainety of euidence of his iustification Fourthly it is also certaine that no man can without diuine reuelation certainely know anothers iustification vnlesse haply when he shall haue baptized a childe To these limitations wee may here adde the substance of that which Vega sets downe in the 46. Chapter of the same booke the title whereof is Possunt vir◠spirituales certitudinem assequi de sua gratia Spirituall men may attaine a certainty of their grace and iustification By spirituall men he vnderstandeth those that liue in a state of perfection as they terme it Yet this certainety is so rarely found among such as after much adoe and wauering this way and that way Vega being vncertaine what to thinke of this certainety at length hee is resolued vpon the point and giues vs a rare instance of Saint Anthony whose birth of faithull and religious Parents whose Christian and holy education whose firme faith in beleeuing all which the Church of Rome beleeueth whose care not to offend but to please God in all things whose voluntary pouerty whose inoffensiue and innocent life full of charity whose humility whose dayly comming to Masse and frequent Shrifts whose watchings and fastings and other infinit deuotions induced Vega to thinke that this certainty of saluation may haply bee found in some spirituall men But hee must bee a St. Anthony at the least who is possest with this certainety So few receiue this gift as Christ said of continency No not Martyrs themselues saith Vega Chapter 43. His words are Neque adduci possum vt credam aliquem Martyrem aut babuisse aut habere potuisse certitudinem de sua iustificatione c. Nor can I bee induced to beleeue saith hee that any Martyr eyther had or could haue the certainety of iustification vnlesse God reuealed it vnto him as also their perseuerance and crowne of blessednesse layd vp for them that so they might the more cheerefully and couragiously persist in their confession With these limitations doe the Pontificians confine their allowance of the certainty of Iustification First it is only generall not speciall or particular Secondly if particular there be any they say it may be true or false Thirdly this speciall certainty is giuen to none but by speciall reuelation and that to some speciall choyce persons as the blessed Virgin and the Apostles Fourthly iust men may haue some coniectural signes and probable opinions of their iustification Fifthly if any had this speciall certainty then certainly St. Anthony a priueledge which not euen the holy and faithfull Martyrs are capable off without speciall reuelation saith Vega. His reason is because euen Heretickes may be Martyrs and constantly dye for Christ. This is the state of Pontifician doctrine about certainety and vncertainety of faith in iustification Against which we oppose the truth of Catholick doctrine concerning the certainety of Faith First to their first limitation we oppose That the certainty of Faith is not generall but particular and speciall Secondly to the second that this certainty cannot be false but alwayes infallibly true and that not onely in regard of the truth of Gods word in generall which certainty may be in dogmaticall and historicall Faith but also of Gods speciall promises in Christ which it is the property of sauing faith certainely to apply and appropriate to the beleeuer that vndoubtedly they belong to him in particular Thirdly to the third that neyther this certainety is simply and only a speciall diuine reuelation nor peculiar onely to a few but it is the proper vertue of sauing and iustifying Faith and is in euery true beleeuer in whom true sauing faith is found Fourthly to the fourth that this certainety in euery man iustified is no coniecturall matter gathered by probable signes but a certaine cleare firme euidence of Faith Fiftly to the fift As for St. Anthony much might his priueledge be as hauing the Patronage of Pigs Cattel which the Priests do solemnly on St. Anthonies day blesse in his name and so they are free from all diseases and disasters all the yeare after and therefore the Pigges Masters or Dames are very Hogs if they requite not the Priests paines with the best Pigge But for all St. Anthonies workes of deuotion if they had beene of a far higher and holier nature they make but little for this euidence of certainety but rather the contrary For the more a man confides in his good workes the more vnsettled he is in the certainety of iustification And for Martyrs I meane Christs Martyrs if they haue not this certainty then none euer had it As for Heretickes they cannot dye for Christ while they dye in the quarrell of their Heresie Thus we haue the state of the question on both sides As for Veg's fourth allegation in his fifth Chapter forementioned That no man can certainely know but by speciall reuelation whether another man be iustified or no this is impertinent to the present purpose and so we leaue it extra controuersiam But display wee our forces now in the open field and try we our cause by the dint of truth First that
the Pontificians should so stiffly stand for their vncertainty of Faith they haue great reason in regard it is the strongest supporter vncertaine as it is of the Tower of Babell as we touched before It is the troubled Sea where Romes Peter-men finde the best fishing As the Iewes said of Christ if we let him thus alone all the world will goe after him and the Romanes will come and take away our kingdome so the Romane Pontificians may say If we should allow of certainty of Faith all the people would forsake vs and wee should lose our Kingdome What would become then of the merchandise of soules of Purgatory-Masses and Dirges and Trentals so rich a trade in Romes Court if the People might purchase saluation by faith yea and rest assured of it without any dependance of humane inuentions But let vs examine the former limitations of Pontifician certainty apart First they admit only of a generall certainty but no particular And reason good for as wee said their Faith is onely generall And this their certainty they place in the vnderstanding as they do also their faith The obiect of this certainty is the generall truth of Gods Word So that this is such a certainty as the very Diuels and damned may haue for they beleeue and tremble Why but because they are certainly perswaded of the truth of Gods Word And as the Pontifician faith is common with the wicked so also their certainty which is the fruite of such faith Secondly in that they say that certainty may bee true of false according to the disposition of him in whom it is this is absurd For how can a thing be certaine yet false vnlesse it be certainly false or a false certainety Certainety and falshood are incomparible and meerely opposite Indeede it is one thing to bee certaine another to seeme certaine which seeming certainty is nothing else but opinion Thirdly that they deny certainty of faith in iustification but by speciall reuelation this agreeth with their maine doctrine of faith which indeed hath no other certainty in it than such as is in the reprobate and whereas they restraine their speciall reuelation to some few this shewes the iniquity of Pontificians in making a Monopoly of Gods grace and indeede a meere nullity of sauing Faith Fourthly their probable coniectures of their iustification are altogether abhorrent from the nature of Faith in Christ and meere illusions Such probabilities are impossibilities of saluation But it is a good reason for the Pontificians why they should deny certainty of Faith if the best certainty be onely coniecturall probability Fiftly say they only spirituall men liuing in the state of perfection as deuout St. Anthony may haue a certainety of saluation built vpon his good life This is another strong reason why Pontificians exclude certainty of Faith of saluation seeing it is rather grounded vpon good workes To these they adde two other reasons why no man can be certaine of his iustification because say they no man by the euidence of faith can bee certaine of his predestination For indeede if a man cannot by faith be certaine of his predestination he cannot bee certaine of his iustification The reason is good Lastly say they a man cannot be certaine of his iustification that is not certaine of his perseuerance in grace to the end But no man say they can be sure of perseuerance Therefore no man can bee sure of his saluation These two last reasons are inferred vpon the fifteenth and sixteenth Canons of the Councell of Trent Thus haue we in generall as it were in a light velitation or skirmish spent a small volley vpon the Pontifician forces which march against certainety of faith Come wee now to ioyne the maine battaile wherein wee will obserue this order of sight first wee will shew the weakenesse of those arguments they bring for their vncertainety secondly we will make good and fortifie those arguments authorities and reasons wherewith the Catholike truth of the certainty of faith is maintained and confirmed First for the Pontifician reasons and allegations for their vncertainty of faith wee finde sundry of them set downe in the history of the Councell of Trent together with the answers vnto them forced from the Canuase of the opposite parties some holding that the opinion of certainety of grace was an intolerable arrogancy others that that certainty in its kinde was meritorious The first of these were for the most part Dominicans grounding their opinion of vncertainty vpon the authority of Thomas Aquinas Bonauenture and the Schoole-men Also vpon reason saying That God would not make man certain of grace lest swelling with pride and opinion of himselfe he should dispise others as knowing himselfe to bee righteous and others notorious sinners Also that Christians would grow sleepy sloathfull and carelesse of good workes In which respect incertitude of grace was profitable yea meritorious For perturbation or trouble of minde is that which at first afflicts men but to those that haue learned to beare it it becomes at length meritorious Besides they cite places of holy Scripture as out of Saloman That man knowes not whether hee be worthy of hatred or loue out of the Booke of Wisedome That a man must neuer be free from feare of sinne that it is pardoned out of the Apostle That wee must worke out our saluation with feare and trembling and that St. Paul professeth of himselfe that though his conscience did not accuse him yet he was not therfore iustified These reasons and testimonies besides many others saith the History did chiefly Seripandus Vega and Soto alledge and amplifie out of the Fathers On the other side saith the History Catarinus with Marinarus did out of the same Fathers alledge places to the contrary that it might appeare that the Fathers as they saw occasion did attemper their Sermons to the present occasions sometimes to animate the doubtfull and deiected sometimes to represse the presumptuous still submitting themselues to the authority of the Word of God They said to wit Catarinus and Marinarus that as often as Christ is obserued in the Gospell to forgiue sins so often he said Be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And that it seemed absurd that Christ would minister to any man occasion of presumption or pride or to depriue all of that which might be matter of profit or merit Also that the Scripture bound vs to giue thankes to God for our iustification which vnlesse â—e before we haue receiued with what face yea with what affection shall we giue thankes Sith it is folly to acknowledge a benefit which thou knowest not whether it bee giuen thee or no. Surely St. Paul doth clearely enough affirme this certainety when he would haue the Corinchians sensible that Christ is in them vnlesse they be reprobates and when he saith that therefore wee haue receiued the spirit of God that by him wee might vnderstand what is giuen vs of God
which the authors themselues were carefull to commit to print vpon this argument would scarce beleeue how many things were discussed about this Article and with what ardency not onely of the Diuines but also of all the Bishops who were perswaded that their opinion was right that they had hit vpon the truth So that the Cardinall of St. Crosse saw that many had more neede of a bridle than of spurres and by frequent digressions from the purpose and passages to other questions he often would expresse his desire of putting an end to this controuersie It was twice propounded in the Synod of the Prelates to relinquish altogether this question as being ambiguous long and tedious yet affection bearing sway they fell backe vpon it againe Thus farre the History which though somewhat long yet I hope the Reader will not thinke it more tedious in the reading of it than I haue done in the inserting of it which I haue the rather done that it might the more appear how this point of certainty hauing on the one side euidence of truth to confirme it and on the other humane wit and affection to oppugne it did puzzle and perplexe the whole Synod and fill them full of vncertainties Wee see those reasons and authorities alledged by the aduerse faction who were for vncertainty very acutely and pregnantly answered by Catarinus and those with him Also whereas they catched here and there at some passages of the Fathers seeming to fauour their doctrine of vncertainty it is well noted by the History that the Fathers might sometimes by accommodating their exhortations to the people as the occasion required represse the insolency of such as were presumptuous and vainly confident in the assurance of their saluation howsoeuer they continued in sinne whereas the Fathers in their maine discourses of faith speake most clearely in the confirmation of the certainty of iustification as we shall see hereafter Come wee now to Vega's incounters with the certainty of faith he takes great paines to beate the ayre what with answering what with vrging arguments for his Pontifician Goddesse Vncertainty now an Article of Romes faith Hee vndertakes according to his rare dexterity to answer all opposites and to expound or moderate the meaning of such authorities as are alledged out of the Scriptures or Fathers making them by some pretty quaint distinction to speake iust as him listeth The first place he bringeth for his vncertainty is out of Iob 9. 20. If I iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne mee if I say I am perfect it shall also proue me peruerse Vega makes much adoe about this place fending and prouing but the very sight of the Text is sufficient to confute his folly in applying it to his vncertainty of iustification when as this place doth giue such a deadly wound to their iustification it selfe by their inherent righteousnesse which holy Iob here vtterly disclaimeth But doth Iob here vtter one syllable of the vncertainty of his faith in God his Sauiour and Redeemer Nay doth he not protest the contrary Though he slay mee yet will I trust in him And vers 18. Behold now I haue ordered my cause I know that I shall be iustified Who is he that will pleade with mee What clearer testimony could this holy man giue of his strong confidence and assurance of his iustification by faith in God So that I maruaile Vega would at all meddle with the example of Iob who throughout his booke is such a cleare mirrour of a true beleeuer whose faith is fortified with all confidence and assurance sauing that hee can easily impute Iobs certainty to a speciall reuelation and not to the property of faith But let not Vega with his iugling by casting a false myst think so easily to eclipse the clear beames of truth With the like successe he is tampering with Dauid and Salomon He alledgeth that of Dauid Who can vnderstand his errors Hereupon he inferreth if a man doe not know his sins how can he be sure of his iustification To this allegation we neede vse no other answer but Bernards exposition which Vega himselfe both obiecteth and takes vpon him to answer that these words of Dauid are vnderstood onely of veniall sinnes not of mortall This Vega confessing to be verisimile very probable and likely to be true yet answereth that seeing mortall sinnes are more truely and properly sinnes and do more defile the soule than veniall sinnes why should these words bee restrained onely to veniall sinnes I will not now enter into a discussion of veniall and mortall sinnes a distinction most grosly and impiously abused by the Pontificians but this I say that according to the iudgement of Pontificians of veniall sinnes they must needes confesse that these words of Dauid must bee meant onely of veniall sinnes that is such as the Pontificians call veniall The very word in the vulgar Latine will beare no other sense Delicta which signifieth slippes or errors or certaine defects and omissions such as the Pontificians ranke amongst their veniall sinnes But this place of Dauid makes nothing at all against certainty of faith For what if a man yea the holiest man if Dauid doe not know his sinnes his slippes and errors yet while he complaines hereof and confesseth them in generall vnto God praying O cleanse thou me from my secret faults what hindreth but that God cleansing him from all his faults should seale vnto him the certainty of the remission of all his sins apprehended by a liuely faith As Dauid saith in the 32. Psalme Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered c. But how shall a man come to be certaine of this his blessednesse Dauid instanceth it in himselfe vers 5. I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquity haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne How did Dauid know that God had forgiuen his sinnes seeing he saith peremptorily Thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne Did not Dauid know this by the certainty of faith Vega I know hath his answer at his fingers ends and will say that Dauid came to know this eyther by speciall diuine reuelation or else by Nathans pronouncing Dauids absolution saying The Lord hath put away thy sinne Yea but Dauid tels vs in the next words that this was not his case alone but it was common to euery godly man in particular For this saith Dauid shall euery one that is godly pray vnto thee in a time when thou mayst be found that is Euery godly man should haue the like comfortable successe vpon his repentance as Dauid had and say with confidence as Dauid did Thou forgauest the transgression of my sinne But Vega suspecting the strength of the Father's authority he addes thereto the Sonnes to wit Salomons Pro. 20. 9. Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am pure from my sin Quis Who
to repent and humble themselues but after vpon their true repentance God being mercifull in pardoning their sins they finde now certam misericordiam certaine mercy the certainty whereof is the very effect of Gods mercy applied sealed to the conscience by a liuely faith no less assured of the pardon of sin than the Niniuites were of the preseruation of their Citie Thus Vega's triumph is like his Country-treaties very plausible and currant will gaine much if but beleeued the cunning conueyances be not discouered And by this successe of Vega in this one authority which he sets down as a master-peece wee may easily sum vp the account of all his other allegations out of the Fathers for this purpose what will they amount to To the Fathers he addes the authority of Schoole-men for vncertainty of grace in his 14. Chapter and so forwards to the 19. Chapter But let him take his Schoole-men we doe not enuie the Councell of Trent their authority as out of whose Channels is gathered the Sinke of Romane-Catholick faith So that while Vega alledgeth his Schoole-men hee is as the Fish in the sea or a Cocke vpon his owne dunghill Herein I will doe as Christ directeth concerning the Pharisees let them alone they are all blinde leaders of the blinde And for Philosophers as Aristotle c. Vega will haue them all of his side and takes it in great snuffe that any aduersaries of Pontifician vncertainty should alledge any Philosopher to be for them As hee saith in his 44. Chapter in answer to those that produce euen Philosophicall reasons to oppugne vncertainty Laterem lauant cum nobis putant aduersari Aristotelem as much to say as in the Prouerbe They but wash the Blackamore when they thinke to haue Aristotle to be our aduersary Well let them take Aristotle the Schoole-Doctors Chapt. 14. Scotus Chapt. 15. famous Schooles Chapt. 16. Diuines Chap. 17. yea the infallible definition of the See Apostolique Chap. 18. when they haue done all what will they gaine but incertainty imbracing as Ixion an empty cloud of feare and perplexity in stead of Iuno the true substance of folid comfort They may be certain of keeping their weak fort of vncertainty vnsurprised the maintaining whereof brings vnto themselues in the end certaine ruine and sudden destruction Let Popish faith bee alwayes vncertaine doubtfull fearefull perplexed wauering with euery winde of errour of terror let it be such sith it will not sith it cannot bee any other than of those that beleeue and tremble as can neuer be perswaded of the remission of sinnes of Gods fauour and mercy in Christ. Seeing they will needs bee vncertaine let them be vncertaine as the Apostle saith Hee that is ignorant let him be ignorant In the meane time as we yeeld to the Pontificians the vncertainty of their faith so let them suffer vs to maintaine the certainty of true and sauing Catholick faith which is such as the gates of Hell shall neuer preuaile against True it is that Vega hath spent at the least 20. Chapters from the 19. to the 39. wherein he moyles in sweate and dust labouring to answer all obiections that his aduersaries bring for the confirmation of certainty of saluation wherein hee dealeth like a cunning theefe who knowing which way the Bloud-Hound will pursue him strawes saw-dust or some such like thing to sully the tract and dead the sent and at least to retarde and fore-slowe the pace of the pursuer while himselfe in the meane time may escape the more easily Or like the female Foxe which being pursued at the heeles with her traine dasheth her vrine into the dogs eyes that vneath they are able to pursue any further Such is Vega's holy water which he sprinckleth in our way thinking thereby to inueagle euen the most sagacious Or else he would put vs to our shifts as the Philistims did the Israelites who hauing taken all their armour and weapons from them would not suffer them the vse of any iron toole but such as they must frame in their Forge and sharpen with their tooles But blessed be God we are long ago freed from the spirituall bondage of these spirituall Philistims we can tell better how to weald our owne weapons and handle them better in our owne hands than according to the direction and limitation of these vsurpers and taking our owne weapons into our own hands wee shall the better defend the truth against all those oppositions which Vega with all his Pontifician power makes against it And when we haue spoken then as Iob said Mock on But fearing lest I haue tyred the Reader by leading him through the many windings of Pontifician Vncertainties which like an ignis fatuus may easily diuert the Traueller from his plaine path by leading him through inuious and wilde Wasts let vs here pawse and breathe a little and so pursue our purpose in an entire discourse by it selfe wherin also we must looke for sundry skirmishes and assaults which the aduersary will not let to make vpon our very Tronches CHAP. XV. Of the Certaintie of true sauing iustifying Catholicke Faith LEauing the Vncertainty of Saluation to the Pontificians as their vncertainty of Faith in regard of their incertainty in their grace incertainty in their baptisme incertainty in their Sacraments incertainty in their absolution incertainty in their Masse incertainty in their Priests disposition incertainty in their penance and conuersion incertainty in their contrition incertainty in their satisfaction and merits incertainty in their Monastical life incertainty in their Saints incertainty in their charity incertainty in their righteousnesse incertainty in their holy Ghost inhabiting in them incertainty in their inucation incertainty in their laying downe their life for Christ their incertainety in purgatory while they acknowledge none other certainty but a morall coniecturall certainety which at the best is doubtfull and deceitfull all which not only Soto and Vega but also Bellarmine in his Bookes of iustification iustifying all that eyther the Councell of Trent or her Commentators Vega and Soto or Andradius and others their fellowes haue writ concerning this point yea and much more but that I would not goe out of my Text and prefixed bounds of the Councels proper Commentaries haue amply set down Come we now to encounter this Romane Catholique vncertainty with the Catholique doctrine of the certainty of Faith But before we can come to lay a firme foundation of this certainty of Faith which Pontificians call nothing else but a vaine hereticall presumption wee must digge vp and remoue one maine heape of Rubbish and Sand which the Pontificians haue put to choke vp the hauen of true rest and to vndermine all certainty of Faith and whereon they haue cobbled vp their tottering Tower of vncertainty for the maine ground of their vncertainty is the authority of the Church on which must depend the verity and certainty of the Scriptures themselues Which being so what maruaile is it if
that which they had proper to themselues namely of casting out Deuils and of doing miracles but of their owne saluation which they had common with others For that very cause would hee haue his Disciples reioyce for which thou also reioycest Omnium fidelium qui diligunt Christum qui ambulant viam eius humiliter quam ipse docuit humilis nomina scripta sunt in Coelo Cuiusuis contemptibilis in Ecclesia qui credit in Christum diligit Christum amat pacem Christi nomen scriptum est in Coelo cuiuslibet quem contemnis c. The names of all the faithfull which loue Christ which humbly walke in his way which his humble selfe prescribed are written in Heauen The name of euery contemptible one in the Church which beleeueth in Christ and loueth Christ and loueth the peace of Christ is written in Heauen euen of euery one whom thou contemnest And what comparison between such a one and the Apostles who did so great miracles And yet the Apostles are checked because they reioyced in a priuate good and are charged to reioyce of that whereof euen that contemptible one reioyceth So Saint Augustine So that the Apostles reioycing that their names were written in Heauen was not peculiar to them but common to euery true beleeuer the most contemptible whereof is no lesse commanded to reioyce that his name is written in Heauen than the Apostles themselues were If therefore all the faithfull must reioyce that their names are written in Heauen then they must needes certainly know not coniecturally suppose or vainely presume that they are of the number of Gods Elect. For else to reioyce of that whereof they haue no certaine knowledge were but the flash of a false ioy But Christ bids vs reioyce truely and really All therefore whose names are written in Heauen know it to bee so sith they are bid to reioyce or it And if this knowledge come not but by reuelation yet it is no speciall reuelation to some few beleeuers onely but it is giuen to all true beleeuers in common Yea all the elect euen euery true beleeuer knoweth this by his Faith and the fruits of it as Hope and Loue c. This the Apostle sheweth 2. Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selues whether yee be in the Faith prooue your owne selues Know yee not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except yee be Reprobates A most emphaticall speech Examine What your selues Wherein Whether yee be in the Faith yea Prooue your owne selues herein And let this be the proofe of your Faith to know your selues to be in Christ and Christ to be in you For this is proper to the elect of God yea to all the elect in Christ to know themselues to be of that number euen by the proofe and testimonie of their Faith Which knowledge hee who neuer hath is a Reprobate by the Apostles Sentence For if Christ be in you then are you of the number of Gods elect and Christ dwelleth in vs by Faith and by Faith wee know that Christ dwelleth in vs by which wee know that wee are not Reprobates And if wee know wee are no Reprobates then wee know certainely that wee are of Gods elect Hereupon Saint Augustine sayth Fides quae per dilectionem operatur si est in vobis â—am pertinetis ad praedectinatos vocatos iustificatos ergo crescat in vobis Faith which worketh by loue if it be in you you doe now belong to the number of the Predestinate of the Called of the Iustified therefore let Faith grow in you Saint Iohn also sheweth this excellently saying Hee that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe So that our Faith in Christ is our infallible witnesse that wee are Christs and Christ is ours and so consequently that wee are predestinate and elect in Christ. For if any man doubt of this Record of Faith what it is and wherein it consisteth the same Apostle makes it yet more euident Verse 11. saying And this is the Record that God hath giuen to vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne And can wee haue this Witnesse this Record of Faith in our selues and not thereby certainely know that wee are of the number of Gods elect when wee thus finde the infallible proofe and effect of it in vs Eternall life is the infallible effect of our election But by Faith wee know that wee haue eternall life For this is the Record euen our Faith Yea this infallible knowledge is that which the Apostle doth purposely write to informe vs of For Verse 13. he sayth These things haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the Name of the Sonne of God To what end That yee may know What That yee may know not that yee may haue some probable coniecture but that yee may know What that yee haue eternall life Not onely that yee shall haue it but that yee alreadie haue it than which nothing is more sure and certaine and that yee may beleeue on the Name of the Sonne of God And this is the confidence that wee haue in him c. Now hath euery true Beleeuer eternall Life And doth hee know this by Faith And doth hee not then know that hee is of the number of Gods elect Let all Pontifician Sophistry heere stoppe the Mouth of Contradiction Let it submit to the inuincible and cleare Truth of God Thus hauing declared the infallible certaintie of Saluation sealed vnto vs by a liuely iustifying Faith which makes a man so perswaded of his Election and Predestination as that it makes him to reioyce that his name is written in Heauen it followeth now in the next place to shew the certaintie of Faith as touching our perseuerance vnto the end Now our perseuerance in Grace is a necessarie consequent effect of our Election and Predestination in Christ vnto Glory So that being sure wee are of the number of Gods Elect wee are also sure that wee shall also continue and perseuere in Grace vnto the end whereunto wee are elected As Augustine sayth Quis in â—ternam vitam potuit ordinari nisi perseuerantiae dono Who could be ordained to eternall Life without the gift of Perseuerance So that for a man to know hee is written in the Booke of Life of Gods Election is consequently to know that hee shall perseuere vnto the end Doe wee know that God loues vs in Christ Then doe we also know that vnto the end hee loueth vs. Wee know that he that hath begun the good worke of Grace in vs will also performe it vnto the end Wee know with the Apostle that nothing shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The Pontificians would faine restraine the Apostles perswasion and extend it no farther than to himselfe as a speciall reuelation of the certaintie of his owne saluation But hee sayth expressely Nothing shall separate Vs hee sayth not Mee alone but