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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17308	Truth's triumph ouer Trent: or, the great gulfe betweene Sion and Babylon That is, the vnreconcileable opposition betweene the Apostolicke Church of Christ, and the apostate synagogue of Antichrist, in the maine and fundamentall doctrine of iustification, for which the Church of England Christs spouse, hath iustly, through Gods mercie, for these manie yeares, according to Christs voyce, separated her selfe from Babylon, with whom from henceforth she must hold no communion. By H.B. rector of S. Mathews Friday-Street.	Burton, Henry, 1578-1648.	1629 (1629)	STC 4156; ESTC S107077	312,928	398

ne loquentibus nobis 〈◊〉 q●● veritatem non potest capere non timemus ne tacentibus nobis qui veritatem potest capere falsitate capiatur Aut enim sic praedestinatio praedicand● est quemadmodum eam sancta Scriptura euid●●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. Nimi● 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 ●ut ob●●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 in●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 neglig●●●● 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 ●●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

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

themselues both beauty and wit wit to in●●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 gaude● tu Christ would not haue his Disciples to reioyce of

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

owne saluation and the like these are the signes and fruits of a true Conuert say I. No say you The matter now standing betweene your No and my Yea who shall be the vmpire Nay let vs decide it betweene vs by the rule of Gods word Either make the tree good and the fruit good or else the tree euill and the fruit euill saith Christ. An euill tree cannot bring forth good fruit contra Now a man before his effectuall conuersion before he be in Christ is an euill tree and therefore cannot bring forth any fruit of true grace or vertue But if a man begin once to bring forth such fruits shew me if you can any reason why such a man is not already a true Conuert For ought you know hauing these signes and symptomes of true conuersion he is a true Conuert Nay that he is without question a true Conuert I proue by two reasons First because till a man be a true Conuert he cannot be truely humble he cannot truely renounce himselfe his sins confesse his vnworthinesse feele the hardnesse of his heart to complaine of it and the like Secondly because all these things are common and proper to the regenerate man Both these together I p●●●e thus 1. No dead man can performe the workes of a liuing man but these forementioned be the workes of a liuing man therefore no dead man therefore no man before his conuersion can performe such workes But you will say these things are not so the workes of a man conuerted but that also as morall workes they may be performed of a morall or naturall man before his conuersion To which I answer that all these things are not of a morall but of a spirituall nature are the proper gifts of the spirit of grace which no naturall man hath till he become spirituall which is by conuersion when hee rec●●●eth spirituall life God giues grace to the humble but first he giues grace to be humble God giueth more grace saith St. Iames and what followeth He giues grace to the humble that is more grace to him whom first he hath made humble by grace This humility comes only from Christ to those that are in Christ. True humility St. Augustines compares to the water of life and of grace which floweth from the inward fountaine of the pure veine of truth This is the water of confession of sinnes this the water of humiliation of the heart this the water of sauing life of him that casts downe himselfe that presumes nothing of himselfe that proudly attributes nothing to his owne power This water is in no Forreiners bookes not in the Epicures not in the Stoickes not in the Manichees not in the Platonicks Wheresoeuer other precepts of manners and discipline are found yet this humility is not found The way of this humility flowes from no where else it comes from Christ c. So Augustine This Humility is the Herbe-grace and growes no where but in the garden of grace euen the heart of the true Conuert It growes not in the whole field of nature though neuer so well tilled with the doctrine of Philosophy And for hardnesse of heart it is in euery impenitent man but when once it comes to be felt and to be mourned for this is the proper effect of a man renued by grace whose not onely vnderstanding is inlightened to see but his will and affections touched with a godly sense and feeling of his spirituall miseries which a dead man cannot doe Now till a man be in Christ by faith he is a dead man Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drink his bloud that is Except ye beleeue in the son of man ye haue no life in you Ioh. 6. 53. And saith the Apostle Now I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and in that I now liue I liue by the faith of the sonne of God c. Gal. 2. 20. Now a dead man knowes not that he is dead but when he is restored to life he then knowes that he was dead So a man till hee be in Christ that is truely conuerted he is dead and knowes it n●● much lesse can bewaile or so much as see and feele his spirituall death but being in Christ and so made aliue he knowes then that he was a dead man and feeling some reliques of spirituall mortality in him as corruption of sinne hardnesse of heart and the like he is truely humbled for it he heartily bewailes and confesseth it and prayeth against it which humility which bewayling and confessing of his spirituall misery is no lesse an infallible signe of a man restored from spirituall death to spirituall life by Christ than the seuen times neezing of the widowes son was a true token of his restitution from death to life againe But as the clause comes in but obiter so let it suffice to haue touched it by the way And this I haue said I am sure will stand good till any shall be able to proue That a man doth spiritually liue before he be in Christ before he be a true Conuert CHAP. IV. The Romish Doctrine of the Iustification of a sinner what it is and wherein it consisteth NOw after all this adoe about preparation to iustification which the more they magnifie the further off they are from attaining vnto it what is that iustification which the Romish Church stands vpon Let vs see if it bee worth all that labour and merit whereby they must come by it The foolish Virgins while they went to bestow their paines and cost to prepare oyle for their empty Lampes to meete the Bridegroome lost all their paines and expence for when they came Heauen gate was shut against them The Romish Virgins for such they would bee accounted wanting oyle in their Lampes to wit the pure oyle-oliffe of grace distilling from the true Oliffe Tree Iesus Christ while they goe about to prepare artificiall oyle made by humane inuenti●● they may iustly feare to find the gate of righteousnesse and mercie barred vp against them If they proue not rather like the men of Sodome who pressing vpon righteous Lot to surprise euen his Angel-guests were strucke with blindnesse that they could not finde the right doore where they would haue entred So these seeking to enter the gate of the righteous as if they would surprise Heauen the lodging of Angels by a strange and new inuented violence it will proue a matter of high admiration if euer by their new way of preparation choaked with so many mists of foggie errours and blinde inuentions they hit vpon the gate of iustification and so come promiscuously to ioyne themselues to the sacred society of righteous Angels But now let their iustification speake and iustifie it selfe The Councell of Trent in the seuenth Chapter saith thus Hanc dispositionem seu praeparationem iustificatio ipsa consequitur quae non est sola peccatorum remissio sed

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 ●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 ●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