the olde came to seke and saue that was loste and to repaire that was by him decayed And then as Adam loste Faith Continence Charitie Wisedome and vnderstanding Counsell and strength Prosp suprà hope and humilitie so must all that companie of vertues with â—ther by him lost be restored in such as Christ of his especial grace reneweth and iustifieth For as Christ saieth of one man whome he healed so is it true in al whom he restoreth that he healeth not one part but the whole man. Ioan. 7. Deut. 32. Esai 53. His workes are perfecte and neither lacketh he power to cure all our griefes being God neither wil to doe it who for that cause became man. And as a man diseased deadly in al the principal partes of his body is not called a sound and whole man vntil the partes be al cured So the soule corrupted and made olde in Adam decayed in grace and bereft of Iustice can not be called a new creature vntil the salues of these vertues by the hand of our Phisition be laid vnto it and shew their operation in it For it is not said as many of you as haue ben baptised in Christe haue beleeued in Christe thought vppon him or heard of him Galat. 3. but it is said Christum induistis ye haue put on Christ that is to saie haue taken into you the vertues of Christ as before ye had the qualities and conditions of Adam Ephes 4. For that saith S. Paule is the true receiuing of Christ and his Gospel to put of the olde man and olde conuersation and to be renewed in spirite and minde putting on the newe which was created after the Image of God in iustice and holines Libro 1. cap 9. de pec meri remiss Christe saith S. Augustine Dat sui spiritus occultissimam fidelibus gratiam Geueth vnto his faithful a most secrete grace of his spirite which priuily he powreth euen into babes As Adam by a secret infection of carnal concupiscence infected and consumed all that came of his race He saith in the same booke Legimus iustificari Ibid. c. 10. c. We read that such be iustified in Christ as beleue in him through a secrete geauing and inspiring of spiritual grace whereby who so euer cleaueth vnto our Lord is made one spirite with him What Iustification is By all this we vnderstande that our Iustification importeth not onely an assente of minde and faith to beleue the Gospell of Christe neither standeth onely in remission of sinnes past which God mercifully forgeueth but requireth also a renewing of spirit and minde a change of lyfe and conditions â—it 3. that as in Adam we were disobedient seruinge sundrie lustes and pleasures leading our lyfe in malice and enuie hatefull hating one an other So in Christe forsaking vngodlines and worldely desires Tit. 2. we must liue soberly iustly and godly putting on vs as the chosen of God holie and beloued Coloss 3. the bowels of compassion mercie and gentlenes humilitie modestie and patience This it is to leaue of Adam and put on Christe which is our renewing and Iustification The kingdome of heauen is like vnto leauen Matth. 13 whiche a woman taketh and hideth in three measures of flower vntil the whole be leauened But as the whol paste is not leauened as long as any parte thereof remaineth in his olde tallage and taste euen so is not man translated from death to lyfe nor made a newe creature 1. Ioan. 3. Galat. 6. 2. Cor. 5. vntill the whole estate of his soule be refourmed And surely vntil he be made a newe creature he is not iustified Sicut fuit vetus Adam c. As the olde Adam was powred through the whole man and possessed the whole Bernard serm 5. de Aduent So nowe lette Christe haue the whole who hath created and redeemed the whole and shall glorifie the whole who in the Sabboth daie cured all the whole man. The olde man was sometime in vs that transgressour of Gods commaundemente he was in vs as well in hande and woorke as in mouth and heart But nowe if there be any newe creature in him the olde is past and contrarie to lewdnes in hande there is innocente life in the mouth contrary to arrogante pride there is the woorde of confession in the heart contrary to fleshly lustes there is charitie contrary to worldly glorie there is humilitie By which wordes of Sainct Bernarde we see sette before vs a true description of our Iustification by comparing togeather the corrupte estate of man in Adam and the repairing of the same through the Mediator of God and menne 1. Timo. 2. the man Iesus Christe For this repairing of mans corrupt estate Christe is often times in the Scripture compared with Adam and called an other Adam and the last man. Rom 5. 1. Cor. 15. Not an other Adam like vnto the firste but an other contrary to the firste suche as came to restore that which was lost by the first Rom. 5. For as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made iuste And as in Adam all men die so in Christe all shal be reliued And as by the synne of one all men came to damnation so by the Iustice of one all come to the Iustification of lyfe But as we were all condemned in Adam bicause we were naturally borne of him and thereby tooke his conditions so to be saued by Christe we must also be newe borne in him and put on vs his qualities And so do we see that our true Iustification is the recouering of that which we lost in Adam and what that was I haue shewed before The whiche Christe hath fully restored in such as truely take a new birth of him In the secoÌ„d boke the .xviij Chapter as I shall shewe toward the ende of this woorke where place shal serue to speake of the vertue and strength of our Iustification by Christe It is now to be shewed particularly how such as are borne in synne come to be iustified in Christ what the causes of our Iustification be by what meane God worketh it in vs and how we receiue it Of the causes of our Iustification The V. CHAPTER Ioan. 3. THE chiefe and principall cause of our Iustification is the great loue that God beareth vnto man who so tendred the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne Galat. 4. And to make vs his children sent the spirit of his Sonne into our hartes that is the holy Ghoste wherewith he hath sealed vs vp Ephes 1. and geuen it as a pledge of our inheritance And this hath he wrought Tit. 3. not for the workes of iustice that we did but according to his owne mercie The cause that deserued this owre Iustification at his handes was the death of his sonne Iesus Christe Rom. 5. Coloss 1. 1.
is not able to worke the effecte of saluacion for which purpose it serueth vnlesse it be accumpanied with charitie the Mother of al vertues of which wordes S. Augustine gathereth a rule that when we find in the Scriptures faith commended for Iustificacion or saluacion we should euer vnderstād it meant of faith which worketh through charitie saying Hanc fidem definiuit Apostolus c. This faith hath the Apostle defined and determined to be it And in that sense both S. Augustine and other aunciente fathers cal that many times the trewe faith the Christian mannes faith and the faith in deede The trewe faith in respecte of the ende whiche is saluacion not bicause the faith whereby we onely beleue the Scriptures is not a trewe Faith. For we saie in the Creede of Athanasius that the Catholique Faith is a full perfecte and inuiolable Faith. A beleeuing faith and a sauing faith But it is perfecte in beleuing not perfecte in sauing And therefore it is not saide in the ende who so beleueth it shal be saued but vnlesse a man beleue and keepe it inuiolable he shal without doubte be damned For though he beleue the Scriptures in profession and keepe them not in deede that is if he beleue them in worde and mouth and trangresse them in acte and deede he shall not be saued Faith alone and of it selfe maie be perfecte for beleuing but the faith that is trewe and perfecte for sauing is euer accompanied neuer alone It is one thing then to haue trewe faith in assente and opinion which is faith in his owne nature and an other thing to haue faith in obedience of harte and affection which is faith accompanied with charitie and other vertues of whiche difference I onely putte the Reader in remembrance bicause I will more largely speake thereof in the. 7. Chapter of the second booke to the whiche I referre him Thus haue I thought good to open vnto the Reader what is properly meante by the name of faith alone August de Trinitate Lib. 15. cap. 18. in Euchirid cap. 8. and what it taketh of other vertues Sine quibus esse potest sed prodesse non potest Without the whiche it may be but it can not auaile nor attaine to the life euerlasting Faith properly is to beleue and to beleue is to assente to trewth This faith the age of S. Augustine S. Chrysostome and Vincentius Lirinensis did knowe and teache willing men for their saluation to ioyne vnto it charitie with other vertues If any man deuise an other faithe beside this he bringeth vs not the consent of Antiquitie but an inuention of noueltie As concerning the faith whereby miracles and wunderous actes are wroughte it is none other but the Catholique faith whereof I haue spoken Ioan. 20 which to aduance and commende God doth miracles in some that professe it through his name Whiche faith as both a good and ill man may haue so may both a good and ill man doo miracles as appeareth plainely by the wordes of Christe in S. Mathew and by S. Paule to the Corinthianes Math. 7. 1. Cor. 13. th one saying that many hauing done miracles shal be shutte owt of the kingdome of heauen The other affirming that a man maie be able to remoue mountaines and yet lacke charitie without the whiche he is nothing VVherein the controuersie of Iustificacion resteth and what is the rediest way to know how the same is wrought in vs. THE III. CHAP. THERE is emong parties at this time no greate controuersie touching the original cause of our Iustificacion For the Scriptures plainely shew and al men agree that it is God that iustifieth Rom 8. But the controuersy resteth specially in two pointes the first point first what our Iustification is and wherein it standeth whether it be onely a forgeuenes of sinnes paste or whether there be also required in it a change of the man and a newnes of life the secōd point The other pointe is how our Iustification is wrought in vs to witte albeit God iustifie vs yet how he worketh it in vs and by what meanes we comme to it by faith alone or by faith ioined with other vertues and Sacramentes which doubtes I thinke shal be much cleared if we consider our owne corrupte and sinfull estate and the cause thereof whiche is our carnall Birthe and descente from Adam By whom sinne entred into the worlde Rom 5. and by sinne death and so wente through all in whom all haue sinned Seing then that his fall was our fall and the cause of our vniustice if we vnderstande in what case he was created and what was in him loste wounded and weakened by sinne cōtraries being knowen by one rule and teaching we know also what our Iustification is Aristotle For the repairing of that which was in him loste is our restoring and the saluing of that which was in him wounded is our health the changing of the olde estate wherein through him we were borne is our renewing And our restoring healing and renewing is our Iustification Esai 53. Luc. 19. For Christ that came to iustifie sinners came to seeke and saue that which was loste and to make whole that which was wounded VVhat was loste in Adam by sinne and what is restored by Christe in our Iustification the comparing of Christ with Adam And in what thinges our Iustification standeth THE IIII. CHAPTER IT is a matter of vndoubted trewthe and confessed of all right beleuers that God created Adam in most excellent and perfecte estate For the Scripture saith in the person of God Gen. 1. Faciamus hominem ad imaginem similitudinem nostram Lette vs make manne after our image and lykenes Wherefore as God him selfe is wisedome trueth rightuousenes temperance loue strength vertue and in goodnes moste free so made he manne wise trewe rightuous and iuste temperate strong indued with perfecte loue vertuous and to all goodnes willinge and free Psal 48. But man vnderstanding not when he was in honor abusing his libertie to ill and transgressing Goddes commandement did not onely lose that perfect estate and beautie of vertues but broughte him selfe also into a base mortall and miserable condition fell into vices contrarie to the former vertues and became displeasant and hatefull vnto God his bodie condemned to death and his sowle vnlesse mercie had deliuered him to endlesse damnation And albeit it might suffise to say that he loste all the vertues wherewith he was by God indued yet to expresse some parte thereof particularly Prosper Aquitanus sayth Perdidit primitus fidem c. Contra Collatorē cap. 10. He loste first and chifely faith He loste continence he loste charitie he was berefte of wisedome and vnderstanding He was lefte without counsell and strength he dranke the poison of all vices and with the dronkennesse of his intemperance wetted through and soked the whole nature of man he loste profitable and
right and constant hope in God that nothing perteining to saluatiō can be auaileable to him that wanteth it Aug. Enchi cap. 8. No true charitie can be without it No faith can iustifie but by the helpe and direction of it A good mans faith is the substance of things that are to be hoped Hebr. 11. Take awaie hope then from faith and faith must nedes fainte and quaile The thing that kepte the Fathers of whome S. Paule speaketh so faithfull to God was that they had a strong hope and trust to enioye his promises And that which was said of Moyses may be truely said of them al Hebr. 11. Aspiciciebat ad remunerationem They looked to the rewarde which can not be without hope The Diuelles beleue and tremble Aug. Enchi cap. 8. but as S. Augustine saith they neither hope nor loue In like manner euil Christians may beleue and yet remaine stil vngodly and voide of iustice bicause they want hope and loue I haue proued before that faith without charitie iustifieth no man Propter quod Apostolus Paulus Aug. ibid. For which cause the Apostle Paule commendeth the faith which hath her woorking through charitie Quae vtique sine spe esse non potest Which can in no wise be without hope For sith a man may beleeue that whiche he hopeth not for what auaileth him to beleeue 1. Timo. 2. that Christe is the Sauiour of all men vnlesse he hope also to be partaker of that saluation Or howe shoulde he be moued to loue him for the benefite of our redemption if he trust not to enioy it And therefore saith S. Augustine Nec amor sine spe Euch. c. 8 nec sine amore spes nec vtrumque sine fide Neither is there loue without hope nor hope without loue nor both without faith And so doth faith woorke our Iustification through hope and loue So is it true that fides spes August epist 121. charitas ad Deum ducunt faith hope and charitie leade vs to God to whom we are assured not to come if either of the three want in vs. And therefore as it is saied Ephes 2. Rom. 8. by grace are ye saued through faith So is it also said Spe salui facti sumus By hope are we saued Hope ioyning with faith and charity ingēdreth an affiance in God and maketh a strong hoping faith vnto whiche affiance euerlasting life is promised Qui habet fiduciam mei haeredit abit terram Esai 57. possidebit montem sanctum meum He that hath affiance in me shall inherite the earth and possesse my holie Hill. So dothe S. Paule call hope the safe and sure anker of the sowle Heb. 6. Whervnto as many as flee for refuge haue a most strong comforte For as the ancor staieth the shippe so doth hope the sowle faith would be weake and charitie colde if hope mainteined and staied them not S. Paule saieth to the Colossians Coloss 1. Gratias agimus Deo Patri We geue thankes to God and the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe euer praying for you For that we heare of your faith in Christe Iesu and of the loue you beare towarde all the holie Propter spem quae reposita est vobis in coelis For the hopes sake that is laid vppe for you in heauen He maketh the ende of our hope the marke wherevnto both faith and charitie haue their respecte And if the Philosophers sayinges be true that the ende is it whiche is last done Hope by some reason is the principall vvorker in our Iustification and first in our intente a man may reason vppon this place that in the acte of our Iustification Hope dothe not onely worke but hath the chiefe place and principal woorking Bicause his obiecte is the ende wherevnto faith and charitie referre all their dooinges and consequently the cause that moueth faith to beleeue and charitie to loue without the direction of hope faith and loue may be fruitlesse A man may haue faith and doe good woorkes August in Praefat. Psal 31. and yet lacking a right hope he shall not be a good man For saith S. Augustine Quid si de ijs omnibus bonis operibus c. What if by all these good woorkes either thou hope for that is to be hoped but not at his hande of whom it shoulde be hoped or hope after that is not to be hoped though it be at his hande of whome euerlasting life is to be hoped To put an Example For thy good workes thou hopest to get thy selfe a worldly felicitie Thou arte a wicked man. And therfore he saith in the same place Corrige fidem dirige fidem Correcte thy faith directe thy faith And what is the direction of faith but to referre and applye it to life euerlasting which we ought to hope and trust for in al our doinges If faith then can not iustifie vnlesse it be rightly directed and direction of faith is hope howe shoulde faithe iustifie without hope Ser. 16. de ver apost Adde ergo fidei spem Therefore put hope to faith saieth S. Augustine And what hope is there without some good conscience put charitie then also to hope These three ioyntly together beginne to woorke our iustice These three increase our iustice These three bring vs to the rewarde and perfection of iustice faith hope and charitie leade vs to God fide spe charitate colendus est Deus By faith hope and charitie God muste be serued Et nos fide spe Aug. epistol 121. charitate cum capite nostro sumus in coelo By faith hope and charitie we be in heauen with Christe our heade Ench. ca. 2 6. August in Psalm 26 enarr 2. let vs make no diuorce betwene these vertues whome God hath so ioyned to worke our iustice and saluation But as we be assured that without hope the acte of our Iustification is not wroughte so it behoueth vs to vnderstande howe hope muste be nurisshed and mainteyned The lesson is shorte but of greate proffite vttered by him that had good experience thereof August in praefation Psalm 31. Cupiditas refrenetur charitas excitetur Lette luste be brydeled lette charitie be stirred vp The very charitie of a man that worketh well geueth him the hope of a good conscience For good conscience is it that beareth hope As an yll conscience is all in dispayre so the good conscience is all in hope We see then that it is charitie and godly life which fostereth and mainteyneth hope And as without hope faithe suffiseth not for whiche cause it is saied by S. Augustyne Putte hope vnto faith Augu. ser 16. de ver Apost so hope without charitie wil not be had For what hope is there without some good conscience Put charitie then to hope also Thus is faith directed and stayed by hope hope mainteyned by charitie and a man made acceptable to God by all three
you And he will shewe the cause Chrysosto Hom. 41. in Gene. August Serm. 49. de verb. Dom. for that they haue done the woorkes of mercie there rehearsed But bycause neither all these Scriptures nor anye one syllable of them can be false therefore it is false that fayth alone iustifieth meaning by fayth alone to shutte out eyther hope charitie penaunce the holye Sacramentes or vertuouse life and good workes from our perfyte Iustification VVhat they were who in sundrye ages haue taught that men should be saued without good workes THE XII CHAPTER IF nothing els could make vs think that godly life were nâ—cessarily required in a Christian man and workes of faith a greate and singular helpe to the atteyning of our saluation the diligente practise of the Diuel were sufficiente to make vs beleue it who beside his particular trauayle and persuasion whiche he vseth seuerally with euery man to turne him from wel doing hath also in sundry ages moued such as by his sleyghtes he coulde abuse to teach and openly persuade in derogation of good workes that the same were not auayleable August de fid ope cap. 14. De praedestin SaÌ„ct cap. 7. Euseb Eccles histo lib. 2. ca. 1 cap. 13. Theodore here fabis compen lib. 1. Iren li. 1. cap. 20. or not necessary for a Christian mannes saluation When S. Paule was most diligent to sowe the good feede teaching the right faith of true Iustification the Diuel was as busie to intermengle his cockle and darnel emong it making men that vnderstode not S. Paule beleue that he sayde it was sufficiente for a man to haue faith though he lyued yll and dyd no good woorkes Symon Magus who was taken for a God taught his followers to care litle for the Prophetes nor to feare the threatninges of the lawe but bad them like free men to doo what them lysted for they shoulde atteyne saluation not by good doing but by grace Whereupon suche as were of his secte boldelye gaue them selues to all luste and intemperate life Carpocrates saied men should be saued by faith and loue Theodo ib. Iren. li. 1. cap. 24. as for all other thinges they were of them selues indifferent and by opinion of men sometyme were taken for good sometyme for yl but nothing was naturally euill Valentinus and his scholers say Theod. vbi suprà Iren. li. 1. cap 1. they neede no works for that knowlege may suffice to saluation and therefore such as be emong them moste perfite without all care and feare doo what so euer is by Gods lawe forbidden It is saied of Eunomius August de here ad Quodvult De. ca. 54 that he was so farre an enemy to good conuersation that he plainely auouched no man shoulde take hurte by any sinne what soeuer he commmitted or continued in so that he were partaker of the faith that he taught Euen in S. Augustines tyme th' enemy of good life persuaded carnal and dissolute men to think Note August de fid ope cap. 1. cap. 27. that liued they neuer so il continuing in great sinne and not so much as professing amendement yet if they beleued in Christe and receiued his Sacramentes they should be saued But as the serpente in all these tymes wente aboute by his craftie to seduce whome he coulde 2. Cor. 11. Ioan. 17.18 so did not the holy Ghoste withdrawe his care and helpe from the Churche mouing at the first S. Peter S. Iames and S. Iohn to redresse by their Epistles the errour which vnstable heades had falsely gathered of S. Paules true preaching and afterwarde inspiring the learned Bisshoppes of euerye age to note and condemne the heretiques aboue named moued also S. Augustine againste the corrupte opinion of sundry in his age to write this learned Booke Of faith and woorkes whiche is delyuered thee herewith to put thee in remembraÌ„ce of the enemies craftes and sleightes For as by enuye of hym deathe came into the woorlde Rom. 5. so by the same enuye to turne Christian men from life euerlasting Ephes 2. he hath gone aboute in sundrye ages and yet doth to pul from them good workes which God hath prepared for vs to walke in His desyer is specially to take from vs faith and the professing of Christe but bicause he dareth not attempte that by playne and open meanes Leo. ser 4 de collect Sciens Deum non solùm verbis c. Knowing that God is denyed not onely by woordes but also by deedes he hath taken charitie from many men from whom he could not take awaye faith Note He vnderstandeth to well that as charitie is the life and strength of faith so pulling awaye the one he shal be able either to drawe the other after or els to make it deade and vnprofitable to him that keepeth it Which if he may obteyne and make vs beleue that faith alone iustifieth taking away hope charitie penance and the vertue of Christes Sacramentes from woorking our Iustification and good workes from helping our saluation what doth he els but bring the Gospel which S. Paule calleth the stronge and mightie power of God Rom. 1. to a naked and bare name Therefore seing we knowe his slyghtes and haue learned them not only by report of other ages 2. Cor. 2. but also by the lamentable experience of our owne let vs to resiste him put on al the whole armor of God Ephes 6. 1. Thess 5. that we may be able to stand against him that lyeth in wayt for vs. Let vs not only take in hande for our defence the buckler of faith but also to saue the whole body put on the lacke of faith and charitie and take for an helmet hope of saluation not leauing of the breaste plate of iustice Ephes 6. nor the gyrdle of truth For he that goeth to that fraye hauing but a buckler maye take a deadely wounde for lacke of a helmet or breast plate and if he so doe he may be founde giltie of his owne death bicause he was warned to arme him selfe in all partes and to put on a complete harnesse The cause whye good woorkes are donne and that they are rewarded in this life with increase of grace and in the worlde to come with life euerlasting And why they be so rewarded THE XIII CHAPTER AS I haue shewed that good workes must necessarily be done of such as wil be saued so wil I now declare for what ende they should be done and what fruite and profite they bring to the doers Vt curent bonis operibus praeesse qui credunt Deo. Tit. 3. To the intent that suche as beleue God may haue a care to be chiefe doers of good woorkes The holie Ghost saith of them Haec sunt bona vtilia hominibus They be good and profitable for men Tit. 3. If we aske to what ende he saith Pietas ad omnia vtilis est 1. Tim. 4. promissionem habens
hath chosen vnto him selfe Of the gifte of perseuerance THE XIII CHAPTER THE like maie be saied of the gifte of perserance wherof it is writen Matth. â—0 24. who so perseuereth vntil the ende he shall be saued the whiche thing can not be had from anie other then from him which is able to stay him that standeth that he maie continually stand and to set him vp againe that falleth No man maie promise him selfe any thing of certaintie with an absolute certaintie although all men ought to settle and repose a most sure hope in the helpe of God. For God excepte they do not their parte according to his grace as he hath begon a good woorke Philip. 1. so will he ende it woorking in them to will 1. Cor. 8. 1. Cor. 10. Philip. 2. and to make perfecte How be it let them that thinke them selues to stande take heede that they fall not And let them with feare and trembling woorke their saluation in labours in watchinges in almesdeedes in praiers and offeringes in fastinges and chastitie For knowing that they are regenerated in hope of glorie and not as yet in glorie they haue cause to misdoubt of the battaile whiche remaineth with the flesh with the worlde and with the diuel in the whiche battaile they can not be conquerers vnlesse with the grace of God they obey the Apostle Rom. 8. saying We be debters not to the flesh to liue according to the flesh for if you liue according to the flesh you shall die but if you shall mortifie the deedes of the fleshe by the spirite you shall liue Of them that are fallen and of their recouer THE XIIII CHAPTER NOW such as are through sinne fallen from the grace of Iustification whiche they had receiued maie be iustified againe if when God stirreth them to rise they will procure through the merite of Christe to recouer the grace loste by the Sacrament of Penance For this manner of Iustification is the recouering of him that is fallen whiche the holie Fathers aptly termed the second boord after shipwracke of grace lost For in deede for them that fal into sinnes after Baptisme Ioan. 20. Christ Iesus hath instituted the Sacrament of Penance when he saied Take ye the holie Ghoste whose sinnes ye forgeaue they are forgeauen them and whose ye reteine they are reteined Wherfore it is to be declared that the penance of a Christian man after his fall differreth verie much from that whiche is done before Baptisme and that in this penance is conteined not only a ceasing from sinnes and a detestation of them or a contrite and humbled hart but also a Sacramentall confession of the saied sinnes at the leste in purpose and to be made at time conuenient and the absolution of a Priest There is also conteined in this penance a satisfaction by fastinges almesdeedes praiers and other godlie exercises of spiritual life not for the paine euerlasting which is forgeauen either by the Sacrament or els by purposing of the Sacrament together with the offence but for the temporall paine the whiche as the holie Scriptures teache vs is not alwaies forgeauen wholly as it is in Baptisme to suche as being vnthankefull for the grace of God Ephes 4. whiche they haue receiued haue sorrowed the holie Ghost and haue not ben afraied to violate the temple of God. Of this penance it is writen be mindefull from whence thou art fallen Apocal. 2. 2. Cor. 7. Matth 3. Luca 3. do penance and do the former woorkes And againe That sorrowe whiche is according to God woorketh penance towardes a stable saluation And againe Do ye penance and do ye the woorthie frutes of penance That by euerie mortal sinne grace is lost but not Faithe THE XV. CHAP. AGainst the craftie wittes of certaine men whiche through swete talke and faire wordes do seduce the hartes of innocentes Rom. 16. it is to be holden that the grace of Iustification once receiued is lost not only by infidelitie by the whiche Faith it selfe is lost but also by any other mortal sinne although faith be not lost Herein do we defend the doctrine of Gods lawe which excludeth from the kingdome of God not onely Infidels but also the faithfull 1. Cor. 6. being fornicatours adulterrers wantonnes buggerers theeues couetouse drunkerdes euillspeakers extorcioners and al others which do commit mortal sinnes from the which they maie with the assistance of Gods grace absteine and for which they are seperated from the grace of Christ Of the fruicte of Iustification that is to saie of the merite of good woorkes and of the consideration of merite THE XVI CHAP. WHEN men therfore are by these meanes iustified whether they do continually keepe the grace once receiued or whether they do leese it and recouer it againe the wordes of the Apostle are to be set before them Abound ye in euerie good woorke Hebr. 10. knowing that your labour is not void in our Lord. For God is not vniust that he will forget your woorke and loue whiche ye haue shewed in his name And 1. Cor. 15. Leese not your affiance which hath a great reward And therefore to such as woorke well to the ende and hope in God we ought to set foorth life euerlasting both as a grace mercifully promised vnto the Sonnes of God through Christ Iesus and as a wages faithfully to be paied according to the promise of God him selfe to their good woorkes and merites For this is that crowne of Iustice whiche the Apostle saied 2. Tim. 4. was laied vp for him after his conflicte and running whiche he saied should be rendered vnto him by the iuste iudge And not onely to him but also to all them that loue the comming of Christe For seing that the selfe same Christe Iesus doth continually sende downe by influence into them that are iustified as the head into the members and as a vine into his branches a vertue the whiche vertue goeth before accompanieth and foloweth their good woorkes without the whiche their woorkes could not possibly be acceptable to God and meritorious we ought to beleeue that there lacketh nothing els in such as are iustified wherfore they maie not be thought by their good woorkes whiche are done in God to haue satisfied the lawe of God so muche as the state of this life requireth and truly to haue deserued life euerlasting which they shal enioy when the time cometh if so be that they depart out of this life in grace for so much as Christe our Sauiour saieth Ioan. 4. If any man shall drinke of this water which I shall geaue him he shall not thirst for euer but it shall be made in him a fountaine of water springing to life euerlasting And thus neither is our owne proper iustice so taken to be our owne as though it proceded from our owne selues neither is the Iustice of God either vnknowen or resused For that Iustice which is called ours bicause
Gods mercy and to doe no good workes Fol. 33. b. Chap. 2 VVhence the opinion came that onely Faith iustifieth And of diuers kindes of mainteining the same Fol. 34. b. Chap. 3 That Faith excludeth not Charity in our Iustification 36. a Chap. 4 An Aunswere to Obiections that be made to proue that Faith alone iustifieth without Charitie Fol. 40. a. Chap. 5 That Faith excludeth not Hope in the acte of our Iustification Fol. 41. b. Chap. 6 That Faith excludeth not the working of Sacramentes in our Iustification Fol. 43. b. Chap. 7 VVhat is the true meaning of these woordes in the Scripture VVe are iustified by Faith or saued by Faith. Fol. 47. a. Chap. 8 That S. Paule teacheth not Iustification by onely Faith excluding Charitie And in what sense the Fathers sometime saie Faith alone iustifieth Fol. 51. a. Chap. 9 How Abraham was iustified VVhat his Faith was and who be the true children of Abraham Fol. 56. a. Cha. 10 That there is no contrarietie betwene S. Paul and S. Iames concerning the Doctrine of Iustification Fol. 60. a. Cha. 11 That Faith alone without good workes saueth not And what it is to be iustified freely by Grace Fol. 62. b. Cha. 12 VVhat they were who in sundrie ages haue taught that men should be saued without good vvorkes Fol. 65. b. Cha. 13 The cause why good works are don and that they are rewarded in this life with increase of grace and in the world to come with life euerlasting and why thei be so rewarded 67. a Cha. 14 An Answere to certaine Obiections made against the reward of good workes Fol. 72. a. Cha. 15 VVhat assurance of his Iustification and saluation a Christian man may haue in this life Fol. 75. b. Cha. 16 Of the fruites and ende of our Iustification and what strength in wel doing God geueth thereby where it is truely receiued and effectually put in vre and the waie to come to it Fol. 80. a. FINIS CERTAINE TREATIES OF THE AVNCIENT HOLY FATHERS TOVCHING THE DOCTRINE OF good woorkes Namely A Treatie of S. Augustine whiche he Intituled Of Faith and VVorkes Item a Sermon of S. Chrysostome of Praying vnto God. Item a Sermon of S. Basil of Fasting Item certaine Sermons of S. Leo the Great of the same matter Last of al a notable Sermon of S. Cyprian of Almes dedes Al newly translated into English by Thomas Coppley esquier Tobia 12. Bona est Oratio cum Ieiunio Eleemosyna magis quà m Thesauros auri recondere Quoniam Eleemosyna à morte liberat ipsa est quae purgat peccata facit inuenire vitam aeternam Prayer is good with Fasting and Almes better then to hide vppe treasures of golde For Almes deliuereth from death and shee it is which purgeth sinnes and maketh to finde life euerlasting LOVANII Apud Ioannem Foulerum Anno. 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO The Translatour to the Reader THE loue that naturally men beare to peace and quiet is so great that there can fall no controuersie emong such as be of the better sorte but they seeke meanes euer to compounde and pacifie it Either they referre the decision of it to the Iudge ordinarie of the lawe or if they mistruste th' execution thereof either bicause the iudge doth not fullie vnderstande the matter or els for that they thinke him partiall of either side they seeke the arbitrement and sentence of some good man whome they thinke bothe to vnderstande perfitely right and iustice and take him to be affectionate of neither parte In which doing they flee not from the lawe but seeke the true and right vnderstanding thereof without affection at his handes I considering this order Christian Reader and moued with the Charitie that should binde vs all 2. Cor. 5. waying with my selfe the great controuersie that hath benne in this age about sundrie pointes of Religion namely in the article of our Iustification seing also that the matter tendeth not to the losse of patrimonie or landes but to the plaine disherison of life euerlasting and that emong vs who all professe to be the children of peace I haue bene desirouse to propounde some meane of Pacification And bicause I see the trauaile that sundrie men haue taken as it were pleading in this cause hath not ended the controuersie either bicause the doers were thoughte to be parties of the one side and thereby affectionat either bicause being borne in this age and liuing in the time of the controuersie they had not the autoritie and credite of Iudges I haue thought good to moue all such as finde in them selues either controuersie or doubt concerning that matter to putte their owne opinion in arbitrement and compromisse Not calling them hereby from the holy Scriptures which as a Soueraine lawe the diuine wisedome hath lefte vnto vs but leading them to the true vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures vttered by such as God hath placed in his Churche Ephe. 4. Danie 12. to be Pastor us and teachers to instructe manie to rightuousnes I offer for Arbitrators not men of this age such as may be thought any waie partiall or suspected but such as in all mens iudgementes and for all respectes be or should be without exception For the principall pointe of Iustification I offer S. Augustine a reuerend and most lerned Bishop in the Catholike Churche not onely in high estimation in all Christian Regions emong all estates and degrees during his life but also for his excellent vertue worthely after his death taken for a Saincte and for his singuler learning and knowledge in holy Scriptures taken for one of the foure Doctours and that the principallest of the Latin Churche as one meete whome all learned menne should followe as a lanterne and light in decision of matters of greatest weight Who also in expounding of the holy Scriptures may be the more safely trusted for that he had in all his writinges a speciall care not to seeke his priuate and singular opinion in the vnderstanding of them Lib. Confess 12. cap. 25. as appereth by his owne woordes saying that God hath terribly geuen vs warning that wee should not drawe his truthe to our owne priuate construction leste wee were depriued of it Luther in Sermone Germa ad mulieres partus Infelicita afflictas Phi. Melanc in decla de S. Augustino Caluinus Institut cap. 18. And therefore hauing his opinion thou arte sure to haue the opinion of that moste learned age that he liued in Againe bicause that time framed vnto it selfe no newe doctrine thou knowest also by him what was the opinion of the Church before his time euen from the Apostles vnto his age And bicause he hath not ben contraried in that matter of any godly and learned before this oure age yea and in this our age is highly commended of suche as haue bene of greatest credite euen of the contrary side thou knowest by him what hath bene the opinion of the Churche in all times