brute sēseles nature is not capable thereof and the soule we receyue not of our parentes but of god How then commeth it that from our parentes we shoulde receyue this corruption The which is thus by some learned fathers answered that the soule is not by hys creation sinfull but forasmuch as mans disobedience hath vtterly spoyled hys whole nature of original righteousnesse and forasmuch as the soule is in the creation knit vnto a body subiect vnto that losse and made a part of the accursed man Therfore it is forthwith both depriued of the original grace and vertue wherwith by creatiō it was indued and wherewith it should haue gouerned the body And also it hath no meanes to vse it selfe but by the instrumentes or organes of the body whiche through the curse are naturally indewed with nothing but filthines and vtterly vnapte to all spirituall woorkes wherby it stubburnlye resisteth and impugneth the spirit who beyng now depryued of many of those vertues wherwith it was by creation indued is vnable to encounter the corruption of the fleshe and specially in her owne organs or instrumentes and therefore yeldeth vnto the inclinations thereof so that where it shoulde haue raygned ouer the bodye now contrarywise the body raygneth ouer it and suppresseth it and carieth it away captiue vnto the lusts aunswerable to the body And euen naturall Philosophy teacheth this that betwéene the soule and the body there is a certaine sympathy or knitting of affection for who seeth not that in melancholy bodyes the mynde is heauy and solitary in sanguine bodies mery and lyght c. whereby it appeareth that the mynde beyng thus inclosed in thys house of corruption is greatly blinded and drowned in the perfection thereof and so caryed away vnto the delight thereof Surelye thys curious searche of the propagation of originall sinne as it is very hard and difficulte so it is more then vaine and vnto saluation nothyng at all necessary Wherefore the aduersaryes ought rather in following the counsell of Saint Augustine in thys matter to labour and study to finde the way howe they must be drawen out of the danger of this originall filth corruption then curiously to stand questioning how they fell into it he rehearseth a pretye story how a certayne man chauncyng to fall into a déepe pitte lying there shouting crying an other hearing him came to the pitte and began very diligently to ēquire of him how hée fell in I pray thée saith he neuer aske me how I fell in but study diligentlye how thou mayst helpe me out Hauing thus briefly spoken of originall sinne I thinke it not conuenyent because thys deuysion is receaued to speake now of actuall sinne whiche in déede is nothyng els but a fruite or effect of the other Wherefore it may bée thus defined actuall synne is euery thought woorde and déede or whatsoeuer is contrary to the lawe and wyll of God and what soeuer is not of fayth The truth of this definition is thus gathered forasmuch as it is already proued that the whole nature of man is by original sinne vtterly corrupted Therefore the same synne triumphyng in his nature as a cause continually woorkyng can not but bring forth her effectes or fruites And by the woordes of Christ the fruite must bée aunswerable to the trée therefore all thoughtes woordes déedes what soeuer procedeth frō that corrupt nature is corrupt vncleane so actuall sinne and that thoughtes be herein cōprehended it is playne for that they bée the effectes of the originall corruption For Christ himselfe sayeth Out of the heart goeth euill thoughtes and if any acte beside be not comprehended vnder these woordes thought woorde or déede the same is comprehended vnder these generall wordes of Paule whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne Whereby it appeareth that not onely euyll thoughtes wordes and déedes be actuall sinne but also those thoughtes wordes déedes which otherwise morally of their owne nature be honest and good yf they bée done out of fayth that is to say if they be done by enuy not through fayth acceptable vnto God in Christ euen those thoughtes wordes déedes séeme they neuer so holy bée sinne Now forasmuch as there is a deuision of actuall synne which hath bene of long tyme receyued it is expedient that somewhat bée sayde concerning the same The deuision is thys into deadly sinne and into veniall sinne About both which partes not only how triflingly but also how wickedly the scoolemen do holde shal partly be shewed Wherfore first touching deadly sinne in that they bynd them to a certayne number affirming onely seuen sinnes to be deadly they doe not onely geue vnto man securitie in that hys enemy hath but seuen wayes to assaulte hym vnto death from which if hée can imagine hym free he thinketh hymselfe in any other offence not to synne deadly whereby all other synnes are extenuate and all wicked inclinations affections and thoughtes excluded from the number of deadly sinnes And yet sinnes be called deadly for no other cause but because death is due vnto them And therefore vnto what sinne soeuer death is due that sinne is consequentlye deadlye but death is due to all synne For Paule sayth generally the rewarde of sinne is death and therefore all synne is in respecte of hys owne nature deadly And though there bée synnes whyche God imputeth not to man yet that commeth not through the smalnes and lyghtnes of the synne but through the mercye of god And where agayne they affirme that deadly sinne doth not exclude fayth but that they maye both stande together they no lesse deceaue you as hereby appeareth for S. Paule sayth they that walke after the flesh can not please God wherefore who so pleaseth God walketh not after the fleshe but whosoeuer walketh in fayth pleaseth god Therefore whosoeuer walketh in fayth walketh not after the fleshe but to walke after the fleshe is to walke in deadly sinne Therefore they that walke in fayth walke not in deadly sinne whereby it followeth that faith and deadly sinne cā not stande together Agayne whosoeuer is dead hath no lyfe in hym but whosoeuer hath no life in hym hath no fayth in hym For the iuste do liue by fayth Therefore whosoeuer is dead hath no fayth in him but they are dead in whom deadly synne raygneth For hee that synneth is the seruaunt vnto synne Therefore they in whō there is deadly synne haue no fayth in thē Let thys for a touch or say of their errours concernyng deadly sinne suffice Now touching veniall or remissible sinnes they may thus be defined Ueniall synnes are all those synnes whiche through fayth are forgéeuen The truth of thys definityon is euident by these woordes of Peter in the .x. of the Actes To hym geeue all the prophets witnes that through hys name all that beleeue in hym shall receaue remyssyon of synnes but whatsoeuer is remytted is
also admit another deuision For some of them be onely inward workes or workes of the mynde as to beleue to hope to feare to loue and such like And some other are from the mynde produced into external or outward acte to geue geue almes to succor to preach to teach and such lyke All which be called outwarde workes And workes in both these latter significations be those whereof in thys matter is spoken but for so much as some of them be good and some euill therefore that the difference may appeare good workes may thus be defined Good workes are onely such workes as in the commaundementes of God be required or in any other place of Scriptures for the further explication of them expressed which tend to the true worship of God and outward witnessing of mans election in Christ The truth of thys definition is thus proued for the firste parte Namely that all the workes be good whiche in the commaundementes or any other place of the Scriptures for theyr further explication be appointed It is euident for so muche as hereby we know them to be good workes for that by God the doyng of them is commaunded Secondly that they tende to the true worshippyng of GOD it is thus proued by Christ hymselfe where he sayth Let your lyght so shyne before men he telleth the ende wherefore it should shine namely that others seeing your good woorkes may glorifie your father which is in heauen Here is the ende of good workes namely the glory and worship of god And for asmuch as God is not worshipped vnles he be truely worshipped for he is worshipped in spirite and truth therefore they onely be good workes which tende to the true worship of God which secondly was to be proued Nowe touching the last part that they be a testimony of mans election in Christ it is euident by these wordes of Peter Brethren sayth he be more diligent by good woorkes to make your election sure whereby it appeareth that good works are a testimony of the assurance of his election in Christ whereby the truth of the definition appereth and by this definition it is plaine that all superstitious workes of mans inuention be no good woorkes forasmuch as they tende not to the true worship of god Here resteth againe somewhat to bee opened of the erroures of the papistes aboute woorkes whereof they haue for their purpose deuised diuers strange distinctions as theyr preparing workes of congruent merite their Opus operantis or worke of the woorker their Opus operatum or acte of outward execution and their vndue woorkes or woorkes of supererogation Wherefore first touching their preparing worke of congruent merite wherof somwhat hath bene sayd before in the discourse about iustification first what they feigne them it appeareth namely the fruites of that theyr preuenting grace which they imagine to reduce a man into such a traunce as they faygne him therin as a man might say neyther dead in sinne nor aliue in Christ whereby all morall or ciuill woorks wrought though of nature they be not absolutely worthy workes to merite full righteousnes yet by a certayne conueniency as they terme it in equity they deserue fauour and so prepare toward the full attaynment of iustification and these be all the morall workes which be wrought by such as be not regenerate The error of which drowsie dreame is more then palpable for the scripture of God can acknowledge no middle estate betwene God and the deuill He that is not against him is directly with him he that gathereth not together letteth not thinges lye vntouched but he scattereth abrode He that is not aliue in Christ is dead in sinne S. Paule could paynt out no meane estate betwéene both he consessed all eyther quicke in Christ or dead in sinne The rewarde saith he of sinne is death And again You hath he made aliue that were dead in trespasses and sinne And agayne to the Colossians And ye which were dead in sinne and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened with him so that there is no meane estate Eyther the woorkers of theyr preparing woorkes be aliue in Christ or dead in sinne But a liue in Christ they cannot be by these woordes of Paule for all before regeneration are dead wherefore euen as a dead man hath in him selfe no power at al to prepare himselfe towardes life againe so al being before regeneration dead in sinne haue no power at all to woorke any worke that may prepare them vnto lyfe or regeneration And for that cause doth Paule call them dead in sinne that they might know themselues as vtterly vnable to helpe towardes their own regeneration as a dead carcas is to helpe it selfe to the attaynment of life agayne Whereby the vilenes of this presumptuous inuention of preparing woorkes appeareth Now touching their workes called Opus operantis or worke of the worker after theyr meaning it is thys namely the acte and holy purpose of the minde wherewith the worker goeth about any worke which they counte holy and theyr Opus operatum or acte executed is the outward execution of the same woork Now touching theyr vndue workes or workes of superogation it is necessary for playne vnderstanding what they meane to rehearse the inuention of the forged fable thereof For the grounde wherof they begin wyth a goodly and bewtifull shewe of aduauncemente of Gods vnspeakable sauour towardes vs God say they who might haue prescribed vs such straight and seuere precepts to haue bene obserued as had ben vtterly to vs impossible hath notwithstanding delt more fauourably with vs and commaunded vs nothing but that which if we list we be able to perform and a great deale more And yet notwithstanding he demaundeth no farther of vs but to performe the same by the doing whereof we shall deserue saluation though we do no more But if any be towardes God so liberally minded that he will of hys francke disposition do more neyther shall he lose the prayse nor reward of the same And this ouerplus aboue the fulfilling of the cōmaundementes is that they call theyr vndew workes or workes of supererogation superabhominatiō I should say Who euer heard a more presūptuous blasphemy Doth not the commaūdemēt require a full obediēce willing desire natural pronenes of the whole man as in the 4. chapter is euidently shewed Now then if the whole indeuour of all the parts of man be thus tyed by iust bond of dutie vnto the cōmaundement from whence then commeth theyr ouerplus of vndue woorkes Nay is it not both there and in the v. chapter euidently proued that man is vtterly vnable to fulfill the commaundement and that the Lawe was not by Moyses deliuered vnto man to the ende he should enable him selfe to the fulfilling thereof but contrariwise by vew of his insufficiency to driue him to Christ But will ye know why these men inuented this
conspicit tanto amplius expugnare contendit eos autem pulsare negligit quos quieto iure possidere se sentit Our enemy so long as wee bee in this lyfe howe muche the more hee seeth vs rebell agaynst hym so muche the more he stryueth to vanquyshe vs but hee neglecteth to smyte those whom hee féeleth hymselfe to possesse wyth quyettytle So that forthwith vpon his entry into newnesse of lyfe hée féeleth iust cause to crie with holy Paule I knowe the lawe is spirituall but I am carnall solde vnder sinne for I alow not that which I do what I woulde that do I not but what I hate that do I c. These conflictes attende continually vppon true fayth whiche can no more from her be seperate then heat from fire and moysture from water Hereby shée be wayeth her selfe these propertyes declare where shee dwelleth Wherfore whosoeuer findeth in himselfe an vndoubted perswasion of the frée fauour of God onely in the merits or deserts of Chryst hauing that confirmed in hym by the testimony of the holy ghost bréedyng a desire of continuall wrestlyng agaynst sin and the irkesome lothyng of hys often falles the hunger of well doyng though through corruption of nature he want the abilitie to performe in suche sorte as he wisheth whosoeuer I saye hath thys fayth thus confirmed hée assuredlye is possessed of righteousnesse and hath the true apprehension of the death of Christ and the earnest penny or pledge of hys election And to thys ende cryeth Peter Brethren geeue more dyly gence to make your callyng and election sure by good workes as though he shoulde haue said Brethren be diligent and labour continually in good workes that they may be to you a sure pledge witnesse that you are the elect of God in Chryst For that onely is the true fayth whereunto righteousnes is imputed which maketh herself known by good works without whyche yée can neyther shewe the obedyence of Gods chyldren nor yelde testimonye of your fayth nor outward witnes of your election in Chryst And againe S. Paule to the same effect vnto Titus This is a true saying and of these thynges I wyll thou shouldest certyfie that they whyche haue beleeued in GOD myght bee diligent to mayntayne good works These thynges are good and profitable vnto men Surely good woorkes are so profitable as I sayde before that wythout them we can neyther shew our obedience to God nor geue certayn testimony that true fayth dwelleth in vs without which fayth we can pretende no iust tytle to the kyngdome of god Where-Fore aboue all thynges it behoueth euery man that maketh claime thereunto to declare his fayth by these euydente fruites for vnlesse the same bée wytnessed by hys woorkes and fight agaynst sinne if death preuent him not assuredlye he hath but a vayne opinion and no fayth in déede Hereby I trust the indifferent reader can not but sée how wroÌ„gfully the aduersaries vsurping the name of catholickes charge them of our profession vnder the scorned name of gospellers some wyth the contempt of good woorkes and some others saye that though wée mayntaine good woorkes yet wée géeue the people no encouragement thereunto séeyng we say they help not to iustification And therefore wée talke of good woorkes but as it were to no ende In deede any such end by them as a price of our redemptyon we knowe none wée leaue the glorye of that triumphe to God alone Seyng hée hath by playne wordes reserued the same for the prayse and glorye of his grace and fauour But if they will alow thys for an ende thus muche we constantly affirme that what soeuer he be that seeketh not by continuall labour in good workes and detestation of hys owne former wickednes as the true and inseparable frutes of fayth to declare hys obedience to God that GOD therby may be glorified and the truth of hys fayth touchyng hys saluation witnessed assuredly as I sayd before he hath but a vayne opinion and no fayth in deede neither anye sure warrant to make title to the death of Christ We constantly affirme that as the Sunne caÌ„ be sene by no other light but by that which he geueth hymself So can faith by no other means be discerned but by the fruits or works proceding from her self We say with Ambrose Proprium hoc habet noua creatura per gratiam vt qui figmentum Dei sunt et natiuitate coelesti conduntur in Christo non otio torpeant nec desidia resoluantur sed de virtute in virtutem proficiant per viam bonorum operum ambulando This hath the new creature through grace proper vnto him that they which be the workemanshyp of GOD and in Christe are builded in the heauenly birth maye not slugge in idlenes not be resolued in slouthe but muste goe forwarde from vertue to vertue walkyng by the waye of good workes and agayn with the same Ambrose Gratia Dei a timore liberati accipimus spiritum adoptionis filiorum vt considerantes quid eramus quid dono Dei sumus adepti magna cum diligentia vitam nostram ordinemus ne â—nomen Dei patris in nobis iniuriam patiatur ea omnia quae euafimus veluti ingrati incurramns Beyng deliuered from feare throughe the fauor of God we receaue the spirite of children of adoption that consideryng what we were and what by the gift of God we haue attayned we should order our lyfe with great diligence least the name of God the father should in vs suffer iniurie and least as ingratefull we runne into all those mischiefs which we haue escaped We say also with Cyprian Igitur Christianus qui nominis Christi similitudinem tenet morum quoque eius similitudinem habere decet Christianus nemo dicitur rectè nisi qui Christo moribus cooequatur Therefore it becommeth a Christian man that holdeth the similitude of the name of Christe to haue also the similitude of his maners No man is rightly called a Christian but he that imitateth Christ in his conditions If this be no end of good workes gentle reader iudge indifferently But now if wee should ioyne handes with our aduersaries to examine whether the good workes of the faythful be able to satisfie the rigor of the law as though we suspected the matter this cannot be denied that we must way them in the ballance agaynst the workes required in the law to try whether they aswel kepe the inward weight as the outward fashion And if there they also be found to light then shall good workes still remaine for a witnes of our fayth and obedience that God by them may be glorified and passe for no penny payment in the price of the purchase of righteousnes Wherfore for the triall of this matter it is necessary we séeke the definition of faythfull workes gathered out of the definition of fayth expressed in the viij Chapter in this sorte The good workes
righteousnes vnto workes haue not we our iustification of fayth and workes and not yours of faith onely It is sayde of Phinées in the 106. Psal that his acte was imputed to him for righteousnes And likewise in Deutronomy of hym that deliuered his neighbors pledge that it shal be righteousnes vnto him before the Lord his god And likewise S. Iames saith was not Abraham our father iustified by workes in offering his sonne Isaac vpon the aulter Whereupon they conclude that as man is not iustified by workes so is he not iustified by faith without workes flatly agaynste S. Paule who concludeth playnely that man is iustified of fauour through fayth without workes where he telleth both the finall cause of that liberall gifte namely the prayse and glory of the grace or fauor of God and also he telleth the reason why he so vehemently excludeth workes namely least any man shoulde beast that is through blinde presumption should challenge any part of the glory of that worke which God hath reserued to himselfe for his speciall triumph Now if the aduersaries will néedes vrge that the worde righteousnes or iustification hath the same signification in these places by thē alleged that it hath in Paule Doe they not teare in sunder the spirite of truth and set him at warre with hymselfe forasmuch as by the rigor of wordes they be contrary Paule sayth fiatly and affirmeth it by manye discourses that faith without worke iustifieth and that by workes no man liuing shall be iustifyed but these aucthorities affirme the contrary that these men by workes were iustifyed Now if they will néedes affirme that both in Paul and in these places which they alledge the worde righteousnes or iustifycation hath one sense is not this a doctrine that eyther must accuse Paule of ignorance of the sense of the auncient scriptures or of error in his owne and robbe God of his finall triumph namely of his glorie and vtter spoylinge man of the assuraunce of Gods fauour in Christ for if his assuraunce therof bee once ioyned with the condition of hys owne desert or workes surely he falleth by and by into one of our Phisitions new found Agewes A triple tertian quotidian he can neuer know when he is without a fitte Surely it were to hard for Peter Lumbard him selfe with both his foundations of hope to spy out a time to finde him selfe cleare from a fitte if for one masse whyle on the Sunday his imagination coulde mocke him that he were créeping to godward The true testimony of his conscience might assure him that all the rest of the wéeke after he were gallopping to the deuilward The Lord hath blessed hys elect from such assuraunce Wherefore let vs now reuerently with Paule haue respect vnto the finall ende of Gods woorke in this cause Namely to hym onely to yelde all the glorie and to man assuraunce and vndoubted possession of his fauour in Christ And we shall easely sée in these places no contrarictie but most swéete consent Let vs follow the rule of the auncient fathers in serching the truth of doubtfull sentences Thus sayth Hillarius Intelligentia dictorum ex causis est assumenda dicendi quia non sermoni res sed reiest sermo subiectus The meaning of wordes is to be gathered by the causes of the speaking for the matter is not subiecte to the worde but the worde to the matter Agayne Ierome vppon the Epistile to the Galathians saith thus Nec putemus in verbis Scripturarum esse Euangelium sed in sensu non in superficie sed non medulla non in fermonum folus sed in radice rationis Neither let vs thincke that the gospel consisteth in the wordes of the Scripture but in the meaning not in the barck but in the pith not in the leaues of wordes but in the roote of the meanyng Wherfore let vs in folowing the Coūfell of these auncient fathers séeke such meanynges and sense of these Scriptures as may expresse their consent with the rest of the Scriptures And haue respect vnto the finall cause of Gods purpose Namely as I haue often said that vnto hys fauour and grace for this so frée a benifite all prayse and glory may redoūde That al workes wrought by man before iustification be nothing els but the euill fruite of an euill tree it is before euidently proued And so vtterly vnable to abide the presence of gods iustice Wherby it foloweth of necessitie that the woorkes alleged in these their authorities were not there meant for works going before iustification as causes therof but in déede for such workes as folowyng the same declared manefestly the righteousnesse which to the doers of them was offrée fauour through fayth imputed For that the workes of a man by fayth already iustified be in the sight of God allowed for ryghteous by not hauing sinne imputed vnto them it is not onely not denyed but most constantly affirmed For how can it be otherwise but that God in beholdyng in them hys owne moste glorious Image wherewith throughe grace in respect of fayth they be clothed He muste both acknowledge it and delight therin But that their spottes and blemishes are nowe couered wyth the righteousnes of Christe this commeth not to them either by them selues or in respect of them selues but onely by grace or fauour through fayth as is shewed before For they beinge the workes of a man already by fayth iustified and clothed in the righteousnes of Christ Therfore they thereby clothed in the same righteousnes hauing theyr spottes and blemishes through mercye therewith couered are acknowledged for righteous They are accepted for good fruite because they were brought forth by a good frée So that fayth by apprehendyng of Christ and his righteousnes in the promise through grace and fauour attayneth mans iustification So the workes or fruites of the righteousnes of the same faith do manyfestly declare and witnes the doer of them to be righteous That is as fayth apprehēdeth righteousnes in the frée promise for man so the workes or fruites of that righteousnes of fayth doe declare and testifie that hee is iustifyed Wherefore whersoeuer in the Scriptures man is sayd to be iustifyed by workes the meaning is that he is by workes declared and knowen to bée a righteous man And not that the workes were the cause of his righteousnes This being thus considered ther appeareth betwene Paule and the aucthorities by them alledged no strife but most swéete agréement For as Paule telleth the meanes howe a man is iustifyed so the other shew and declare howe man is openly knowne to bee righteous or iustifyed Now marke gentle reader how this doctrine tendeth fully to that end where unto Saint Paule directeth hys course Namely that the whole glorie may redound to GOD alone and that man may haue a sure possession of Gods fauour in Christ Firste in that by iustifycation of workes this onely is to be vnderstand that man