bestowed Roma 6. 23 doron a gifte Ephe. 2 8. kecharistai Ho Theos God gaue it freely Galathians 3 18. 19. 3. The word One by the grace of one Rom 5 15 with one offering c Heb 10 14. 4 Without the Law Rom 3 21 not by the lawe Galat 2 21 3 11. 5 The exclusion of workes without works Romans 4 6. not by workes Titus 3 5 not according to our workes 2 Timo 1 9. not of your selues Ephes 2 8. Not hauing mine owne righteousnesse Philip 3. 9. going about to stablisâ— their own righteousnesse haue not c. Rom 10 3. 6 The word Imputation which is opposed vnto merites Rom 4 3 4. 6 c. 7 The forgiuenesse of sinnes and the not recompensing for them by workes Psalm 32 1 Rom 4 7. 8 Not but by the faith of Iesus Christ Gala 3 16. The force of which exclusiue what it is is plaine by the like Phrase and manner of speech Ioh. 6 44. No man commeth vnto mee except the Father drawe him and No man commeth to the Father but by Mee Ambro in Epist ad Roma ca. 3 14. August in Ps â—8 et in Ioh. tract 42. et de â—empore Ser. 68. Basil homil de Humil. Chrys in Epist ad Gal. cap 3 c. Therfore exclusiue words which exclude all things in vs from iustification but faith are fully contained in Scripture Neither can it be denied but the Fathers have vsed the word onely by faith or by faith alone 10. If iustification be ascribed to faith alone there will be made too too easie a way to eternal life Ans 1. To belieue is not so easie a thing For faith is the gift of GOD and it is not in the power of man to belieue when he will 2 We require good workes to saluation as necessarie conditions but not as causes of iustification or saluation 3 Nay the Papists do make the way to HeaueÌ„ much more easie while first they place it in the free-will of man and then expounde it that Heauen is to bee purchased with money QVESTION 5. Our Aduersaries moue vs a fift question while they seeke for themselues a starting hole affirming that by the workes of the lawe in the places before cited Paul vnderstandeth the Ceremoniall law onelie and not the morall And secondlie that the workes of the Lawe are opposed to the workes of the Gospell as if the commandements of the Gospel were diuerse from those which are contained in the ten commandements The places of the Scripture following do most manifestlie contradict this opinion The righteousnesse of the Lawe is denied vnto Abraham Rom 4 where doubtles the Ceremoniall law cannot be vnderstood for that it had then no being but the morall law is meant Paul vseth the word Works absolutely without anie restraint as Ephes 2 9. Rom 4 6. and 11 6 c. in which places the nature of the thing will not suffer the word works to bee restrained to the Ceremoniall lawe onely So in like sorte he reiected the workes of Righteousnesse Tit. 3 5. Hee convinceth the Iewes to be sinnefull by the morall lawe as before hee conuicted the GENTILES by the morall lawe written by nature in the heart of man Paul decreede the morall lawe to be the rule of good workes euen in the regenerate also Therefore he doth vnderstand not the Ceremoniall onely Wee establish the lawe sayth Paul Romans 3 31. But the Ceremoniall lawe is not established for it is abrogated by the Gospell By the lawe commeth the knowledge of sin which seeing it is a general speech appertaining as well to vs as to the Iewes it cannot be vnderstood of the Ceremoniall but of the morall law Rom 3 20. 8 I knew not sinne but by the lawe but what law was that heare some particular commandement by way of instance out of that lawe I had not knowne lust except the law c. Rom. 7. 7 but the Ceremoniall law containeth nothing concerning lust It is evident therefore that Paul doth speake principally of the morall law although hee doe sometimes adioyne the Ceremoniall law too but hee bereaueth both morall and Ceremoniall of all power to iustifie Contrariwise our Aduersaries do reason 1 Paul maketh an opposition beetweene the law of workes and the law of faith Rom 3. 27. therefore we are to accept of this distinction Answere Paul doth in that place vse the worde law in a generall signification for a doctrine And whilest he denieth iustification to the law of workes hee doth certainly denie it to works therefore this is nothing to the purpose And our Aduersaries doe not or wil not vnderstand the phrase and manner of speach of the Hebrewes whereby the word law Thorah is taken for a doctrine 2 Paul speaketh of some things that are Ceremoniall as of the Sabbaoth of the new moones of Circumcision in the Epistle to the Galatians therfore he vnderstandeth not the morall lawe Ans 1 Paul passeth sometimes from the particular to the generall and sometime from the generall to the particular that hee may make it manifest that no workes of the whole law doe iustifie a man 2. Wee haue alreadie proued that he speaketh of all parts of the law and not only of the Ceremoniall 3 In the Acts of the Apostles Chap 15 the Ceremoniall lawes only are handled Ans 1 Be it neuer so true that the Ceremoniall law is there only haÌ„dled yet we may not argue thus Iustification is denied to the Ceremoniall law therefore it is not denied to the morall Now in that place the mention was of the Ceremoniall lawe because there was expressely moued a coÌ„trouersie coÌ„cerning the keeping of ceremonies 2 And yet that that place doth not only treate of the Ceremonial law is prooued by these words which wee were neither able to beare neither our fathers amongst whom the fathers that liued before Moses without the Ceremoniall lawe may be understood but we beleeue through the grace of the Lorde Iesus Christ to be saued euen as they Act 5 10 11. In which words Saint Peter had reference to the fathers which were not able to beare the burden of the morall law so that they might perfectly satisfie and fulfill the same And Peter doth expressely oppose the grace of Iesus christ and faith in Christ to the fulfilling of the lawe that which the whole course and order of the place doth manifestly declare to be true CHAP. 11. Of Faith Question 1. IT is no marvaile that our Aduersaries doe deny iustification by faith alone seeing they doe not acknowledge faith and those which bee the necessarie conditions thereof Wherefore now let vs treat of the conditions of faith what they be wherein our aduersaries doe dissent from vs. We consider faith not as our Aduersaries doe Condition 1 as a worke vertue habite or qualitie but we vnderstand it relatiuely according to the meaning of the Scriptures as it hath respect and relation vnto Christ and iâ— grounded vpon him * that
make coÌ„parison between a vaine and true faith and desire to haue the true faith to bee shewed or proved to bee such by workes 3. That which hee doth derogate from a dead faith is wrongfully wrested to a iustifying faith 2 Yet the Protestants cannot endure this proposition Good workes are necessarie to Saluation therefore they beleeue that iustifying faith is without good workes Ans That which we deny in some respect and consideration only that our Aduersaries take as simplie and absolutely spoken in all respects We distinguish between faith works as betweene the cause and effects of iustification we denie good workes to be necessarie as causes of iustification or saluation but wee require them as necessarie conditions of them which are iustified and shall be saued Our Aduersaries maintaine that faith is informed Condition 5 by charitie but we say that charitie is rather informed by faith Because faith doth not please God in iâ— selfe but for and because of Christ whome it layeth hold on In euerie Relation two things doe concurre nowe faith in that respect in which it iustifieth is in the predicament of Relation first the foundation which is the matter or materiall parte and secondly the forme or formall part which is the destinating or referring of it to an other thing which it respecteth So faith as it is taken in a generall acception is the foundation or materiall part or the thing in which this Relation is the formall part is the ordaining or referring of it to an other thing to wit vnto Christ Because the efficient cause doth informe the effect and not contrariwise therefore because charitie is the effect of faith and faith the efficient cause of charity faith cannot bee informed by charity Contrariwise our Aduersaries doe reason 1 Paul makes faith to be of no reckoning without charitie 1. Corinth 13 therfore charitie doth â—nforme faith Ans 1. Paul speakes there of the saith of miracles not of iustifying faith 2. He doth not say that faith is informed by charitie but commendeth the necessitie oâ— charitie in some respect because that the faith that hath not charitie following it is not the true and sauing faith 2 Faith worketh by charitie Galat. 5. 6 therefore charitie doth informe faith Ans 1 Charitie is heere placed for the meanes and instrument by which saith worketh Now meanes and instruments are not the forme of that thing by which they are moved but are said rather to bee informed by that which moueth or worketh by them 2. Paul heere describes a true and iustifying faith by the effects thereof Therefore our Aduersaries vnderstand not what faith is Question 2. Of the certainetie of saluation Because in the handling of this question the Author hath many thinges throughout which might â—rooue offâ—nsiue I thought it better to referre the reader to the writings of our Countrey-men then to leaue â—â— things scandalous or to make it vp with many patches which the reader may haue exactly done otherwhere if he please to reade Maister Perkins in his Reformed Catholicke and in his treatise of Conscience and Maister Downham Christian warfare booke 2 Chap 6 7 8 c. CHAP. 12. Of good Workes VVHat we are to thinke of iustification by workes hath beene declared in the former chapter there remaine yet two principall errors of our Aduersaries one of the worke wrought an other of good workes themselues to the doing whereof Christians are bounde Now let vs treate of them in generall and in particular Question 1. Whether a good worke doe please GOD by vertue of the worke wrought though it be done without a good and sanctified minde as for example while they vse the Sacraments heare Masse singe Canonicall houres c. without deâ—â—tion Our Aduersaries affirme it but wee denâ—â— it and teach that the worke doth not please goâ— vnles it bee done by a man that is iustified and when that the person is in sauour with God then that the worke is accepted also And this is proved by this reasons following Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom 14 23 But that which is by the work wrought onely is not of faith therefore c. Woe bee to you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites for ye tithe mint and anise cummin and leaue the waightier matters of See a work otherwise commanded tithing with out mercy and faithfulnesse the lawe as iudgement and mercie and fidelitie Matt 23 23 This people draweth neere vnto me with their mouth and honoureth mee with their lipps but there hart is farre of from me Matt 15 8 Isai 29 13. The same thing is proued by the example of the Israelites and others whereas their works no not those which were commanâ—â—d theÌ„ did please God any longer because of want of faith in the persons that did â—hem 1. Sacrifice was a worke acceptable to God Abel sacrificed and Cain sacrificed but his worke was not accepted the reason whereof is given in the Epistle to the Hebrewes cap. 11. ver 4. By faith Abel offered vnto God a greater sacrifice than Cain by the which faith he obtained witnesse that he was righteous c. 2. To him will I looke even to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words Hee that killeth a bullock See works what they are by the worke wrought is as if he flew a man hee that sacrificeth a sheep as if he cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an Oblation as if he offered Swines bloud hee that remembreth Incense as if hee blessed an Idoll Isa 66 2. 3 4. 3. VVhat haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of Ramms and of the fatte of the fed beastes and I desire not the bloud of bullocks nor Heere is a large Catalogue of works done without faith and an honest hart of Lambes nor of Goates When yeâ— come to appeare before mee who required this at your handes to tread in my Courts Bring no moe oblations in vaine Incense is an abhomination vnto mee I cannot suffer your new moones nor Sabbaths nor solemne daies it is iniquitie nor solemne assemblies My soule hateth your new Moones and your appointed feasts they are a burden vnto mee I am wearie to beare them And when yee shall stretch out your handes I will hide mine eyes from you and though yee make many praiers I will not heare for your The cause why they displeased God hands are full of bloud Wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to doe well seeke iudgment relieue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widowe And come now let vs reason together faith the Lord though your sinnes were as crimsin they shal be made white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be as wooll Isa 1 11 12 c. 4. The same is witnessed Psalm 50.
simply absolutely spoken 2 And Christ would that the young man should have tryall of the weakenesse of his strength in fulfilling the law 5 Not everie one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of Heauen but hee that dooth my fathers will which is in Heaven Matthew 7. 21. Therefore wee are justified by workes which we are to doo Answ 1 This is my Fathers will that every one that seeth the Son and belieueth in him should haue eternall life sayth Christ The Heavenly Father therefore willeth that we believe in his Sonne and by faith obtaine eternall life For this is the worke of GOD which is required at our hands that wee believe in him whom the Father hath sent Ioh 6 29 2. Wee denie that those which bragg of their faith in Christ and yet doo no good workes are the heires of eternall life because they haue not true faith which worketh by love Galat 5 6. But it dooth not hereof follow that we deserue eternall life by our good workes For we are saved by grace not of workes least anie man should boast Eph 2 8. 9. And good works are not pleasant to God but onely in them which bee iustified 6 VVorke out your saluation with feare trembling Philip. 2 12. Ans Hee speakes of sanctification or renovation in men alreadie regenerate And warneth them that they doo not through securitie let goe the meanes of their saluation but inure themselues dayly to the exercise of piety and the works of sanctification Now to apply this to iustification is to confound iustification with sanctification The argument therefore hangeth not together 7 With such sacrifices God Promeretur is promerited Heb 13 16. Ans 1 The Author of that Epistle speaketh of men which are iustified they doe then wrongfully wrest it to men which are to be iustified 2 That translation is corrupt For the text according to the Greeke is with such sacrifices God is well pleased which is not all one as to be iustified For good works doo please God as beeing a begunne and vnperfect obedience in them which are iustified although those workes doo not iustifie 8 God is not vnrighteous that hee should forget your worke and labour of loue c Heb 6. 10. An 1 There is more in the consequent than in the Antecedent for it followeth not God will recompense the good workes of them which are justified in the life to come Therefore those good workes deserue iustification 2 It is a fallacie making many questions where there is but one For it is one question whether good workes doe iustifie and an other whether God will reward the good workes of the iustified 9. Redeeme thy sinnes by almsdeedes and thine iniquities by mercy to ward the poore Dan 4. 24. Ans 1 Hee speaketh of the escaping of temporall punishments and not of the manner of iustification His words haue this sense Repent and bee mercifull to the poore that God may turne from thee the temporall punishments of thy sinnes which now hang over thy head 2 His speech is a Sermon of Repentance which doth include faith in it by the figure Synechdoche 3 The place is corruptly translated The proper signification of the word true meaning of the place is rightly rendred thus Breake of thy sinnes by righteousnesse c. that is cease thy woonted sinnes and begin a new life c. 10 Almes do deliuer from all sinne and from death and will not suffer the soule to come into darknesse Tobit 4 11. Answ 1 The booke of Tobit is Apocriphall and therefore can prooue no point in controversie 2 He speaketh not of iustification but of temporall death and of the temporall punishments of sinne which are meant in this place by the word Sinne after the phrase of the Hebrues And he teacheth here the same that is in Psal 41 1. Blessed is hee that iudgeth wâ—â—ely of the poore the Lord c. 3. By a Synechdoche faith is included also in the wordes going before set the Lord God alwaies before thine eyes c. Verse 6 4. The worke cannot please God vnlesse it bee done of one that is iustified 11 The hearers of the Lawe are not righteous before God but the doers of the Lawe shall be iustified Rom 2 13. An It is a fallacie from that which is spoken but in some respect only to the same taken absolutely and in all respects For Paul speakes vpon supposition If iustification be by the law then not the hearers but the doâ—ers of the Lawe shall be iustified and so hee expresseth represseth the insolencie of the Iewes who would be iustified whereas notwithstanding they kept not the law as if he should say If iustificatioÌ„ be by the law then not the hearers but the dooers of the lawe shall bee iustified But there can no man bee found either amongst the Iewes or the heathen which is a perfect doer or keeper of the lawe as Paul prooves it in the first second third Chapters to the Romans therefore if iustification be by the lawe no man liuing shall be iustified looke the placeâ— Euen as Paul also doth ouerturne this supposition Gala 3. Therefore this sophisme of our Aduersaries falleth to the ground 12 VV as not Abraham our Father iustified through workes Iames 2 21. Ans If the words bee vnderstoode as they sound according to the letter they are repugnant to other Scriptures 1. in the meaning because they speake cleane contrarie concerning the iustification of Abraham Romans 4 3. Genesis 15. 6. Secondly in the historie Because Iames saith thaâ— Abraham was iustified after the offering vp of his sonne whereas it appeareth by the former places that hee was iustified about some twentie fiue yeares before The meaning then of Saint Iames is that they which are iustified are not without good workes but that they doo so manifest their faith by their workes that by the effects they may bee knowne of others to be iustified which is nothing els but to bee declared iust or righteous 13 Loue couereth the multitude of sinnes 1. Peter 4 8. Answ In the proper place whence this sentence is cited Prou 10 12. it appeares that it is meant of that hiding of sinns which is before men not before God Therefore it is impertinently alleadged for iustificatioÌ„ 14 Many sinnes are forgiuen her for shee loved much Luke 7. 47. Therefore loue meriteth forgiuenesse of sinns Answ 1. In the Parable going before Christ sheweth that wee may gather by the love that followeth in the partie who hath had manie sinnes forgiuen and who fewe in their iustification going before seeing hee will loue more for the time to come to whom manie than he to whom few sinnes have beene forgiven This is therefore a changing of the consequent into the Antecedent and of the effect and that which followes after into the cause and that which goes before 15 The chiefest vertue dooth chiefely iustifie But Charitie is preferred before faith 1 Cor
13. 13. Therefore Charitie doth iustifie An. 1 Paul compareth loue or charity with faith not in respect of iustification but of duration and continuance Therefore this is a fallacie from that which is spoken in some respect to the same taken absolutely and in all respectes 2 Faith dooth not iustifie as it is a vertue or habit for it own worth but as it is considered respectively in respect of Christ whose merits it applyeth vnto vs and so doth iustifie vs for his sake There are therefore in this argument more than three tearmes and it hangeth together like a rope of sande 16 If iustificatioÌ„ be takeÌ„ away froÌ„ good works no man will thence forward bee mooued to doo good workes Ans 1. It is a fallacie supposing that for the cause which is not the cause for the true doctrine of iustification is not the cause why some men doe not good workes 2 Neither may we doe evill that good may come of it that is we may not falsely ascribe iustification to works that men may thereby be stirred vp to good works 3 There are notwithstanding many most waighty causes besides why we should doe good works although iustification be not ascribed vnto them Question 4. Our Aduersaries denie that wee are justified by faith alone but to faith they joine hope and charity We on the contrary side ascribe justification to faith in Christ alone for these reasons Because in the former question all works are excluded from the acte of iustification and therefore faith onely is left Romanes 3 4. and 11 Chapter and a man is not iustified but by faith Galathians 2 and 3 Chapter 2 Timoth 1 Tit 3 Psalm 32 as the remooving of all other thinges hath sufficientlie beene proued by these places in the former question Because the holy Scripture wheresoeuer it speaketh of Iustification doth so describe it that it mentioneth none either work or affection but onely faith in Christ Let vs then briefly runne over the places of the new Testament 1 The Gospell of Iohn 1. As many as receaued him to them hâ—e gaue power to bee the sonnes of God even Let our Aduersaries shewe aniething but faith alone in all these sayings of Scripture to them that beleeue in his name Iohn 1 12. 2. As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernes c. That whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Iohn 3 14 15. 3 So God loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeveth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Ioh. 3 16. 4. Hee that beleeueth in him shall not bee condemned Ioh 3. 18. 5. Hee that beleeveth in the sonne hath euerlasting life Ioh 3 36. 6. The Iewes demaund what shall we do that wee might worke the works of GOD Christ answereth This is the worke of God that yee beleeue in him whom he hath sent Ioh. 6 28. 29. 7. This is the will of him which hath sent mee that euery one which seeth the sonne and beleeveth in him should haue euerlasting life Ioh 6. 40. 8. Verily verily I say vnto you he that beleeveth in me hath life euerlasting Ioh. 6. 47. 9. These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeving yee might haue life through his name Ioh. 20. 31. 2 The Acts of the Apostles 1. To him gaue all the Prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him should receaue remission of sinnes Act. 10 43. 2. By him euery one that beleeueth is iustified Act. 13. 39. 3. By faith the heart is purified Act 15 9. 4. The Iaylor asketh Sirs what must I doe to bee saved and they saide beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved thine houshold Act. 16 31 32. 3 The Epistle to the Romanes 1 The righteousnes of God by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that belieue Rom. 3 22. 2 Wee conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the works of the lawe Rom. 3 28. 3 Abraham beleeved GOD and it was counted to him for righteousnes Rom. 4 3. 4 To him that worketh not but believeth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnes Rom 4 5. 5 Therefore it is by faith that it might come by grace and the promise might bee sure to all the seede Rom 4 16. 6 This is written for vs also to whom it shall bee imputed for righteousnes which beleeue in him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead Rom 4 24. 7 Being iustified by faith wee haue peace toward God Rom 5 1. 8 If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt belieue in thine heart that God raised him vp from the dead thou shalt be saued Rom 10 11 9 VVith the heart man belieueth vnto righteousnes Rom 10 10 4 The first Epistle to the Corinthians It pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue 1 Corinth 1 21. 5 The Epistle to the Galatians 1 We know that a man is not iustified by the works of the law but note that he saith but or except by the faith of Iesus Christ and wee have beleeued in Iesus Christ that wee might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law Galathians 2. 16. 2 They which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham Galathians 3. 7. 3. God doth iustifie the Gentiles through faith Gal 3. 8. 4. They which bee of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham Gal. 3 9. 5. The iust shall liue by faith Galathians 3 11. 6. The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be given to them that beleeue Gal 3 22. 7. The law was our school maister to bring vs vnto Christ that we might be made righteous by faith Gal 3. 24. 8. Yee are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3 26. 6 The Epistle to the Ephesians By grace are yee saved through faith not of works least any man should boast Ephes 2 8 9. 7 The Epistle to the Philippians That I might be found in him not having mine own righteousnes which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ Philip 3 9. 8 The Epistle to the Hebrewes 1. By faith Abell obtained witnesse that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts by the which faith also hee being dead yet speaketh Heb 11. 4. 2. By faith was Enoch taken away that he should not see death Heb 11 5 3 He that commeth to God must beleeue that God is c. Heb 11 6 Finally that whole Chapter is spent in the commendation of faith alone Nowe whereas in these sayings of Scripture there is handled the way and meanes to attaine salvation iustification everlasting life forgiuenes of sinnes a testimonie of righteousnes c. Why if any other