the Lord who freelygiveth what he had freely promised Thirdly when a superaboundant reward is promised to a small worke and the party to whom it is promised is no way able either to doe or so much as to will the performance of it but receiveth wholly his will and ability to performe it from his Lord the thing promised cannot be ascribed to his merit but to the gracious bounty of his Lord. § V. The seventh and last condition is that a meritorious work must proceed from charity which we acknowledg to be required in every good worke But in the proofe hereof he falleth into a nice dispute proving against Guihielmus 〈◊〉 that the vertue of meriting is to be ascribed more principally to Charity than to faith And although this bee but an idle dispute seeing neither faith nor charity doth truely and properly merit yet I durst be bold to affirme that if to either merit were to be ascribed that it were rather to bee attributed to faith For by faith the merits of Christ are applyed unto us and not by charity By faith we are entitled to Gods Kingdome by 〈◊〉 wee are not By faith wee obtaine the inheritance which by charity we doe not By faith we are saved and not by charity Faith is the condition of the covenant of grace upon which and no other grace salvaâ—…ion is promised Those that truly love are also saved it being the proper cognizance and as Basiâ—… speaketh the character of the faithfull and none are saved without it but yet they are not saved by it nor for it but onely by the merits of Christ which are apprehended by faith alone Salvation which is purchased by the merits of Christ is promised to faith as that whereby we are made partakers of Christs merits and are therefore said to be justified and saved by faith alone but charity and the fruits thereof are the evidence according to which God will save us Christ is the foundation of our happinesse yea he is eternall life Faith is the onely instrument wherby wee are made partakers of Christ all other graces are but notes and signes of our union which we have with Christ and of happinesse by him By faith we have this inheritance but it is had among those that are sanctified When it is said happy is shee that beleeved there the cause of happinesse is noted but when it is said happy is he that loved orfeared not the cause of happinesse is signified but a note or signe of it Both faith and charity must concurre to every good act for as a worke without charity is not good so without faith it is sin But if you compare the graces together it is certaine that charity proceedeth from faith 1 Tim. 1. 5. and according to the measure of our faith such is the measure of our love for faith is the Mother-grace from which charity and all other graces as from the root and fountaine doe spring and flow It may seeme indeed that sanctification and inherent righteousnesse doth more principally consist in love because charity is the fulfilling of the Law yet sanctification it selfe doth flow from faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by love But as for the grace of justification whereunto merit if wee had any ought to bee referred for justification is the entitling of us to the kingdome of heaven neither charity nor any other grace in us doth concurre unto it but faith is all in all I will not follow him in his idle dispute I confesse the point that to every rewardable or as he calleth it meritorious worke charity is required § VI. Now let us recapitulate his seven conditions And because he shall not finde me refractary I doe confesse that all and every of these conditions are required to every rewardable worke For first it must be good Secondly it must be done in obeysance to God Thirdly it must be done by men in this world Fourthly it must bee voluntary and not forced Fifthly it must bee performed by a man who is in the state of grace Sixthly the expectation of the reward is to bee grounded on Gods promise And lastly it must proceed from charity But now say I that not any one of these conditions nor all of them put together can make a worke meritorious of eternall life before God They are common notes and markes of all good workes whatsoever but the proper notes of merits are such as I set downe in the beginning of this discourse concerning merits For workes are not therefore meritorious because they are materially good nor because they are in obeysance to God for that is our duty and debt which wee owe to God nor for that they are performed by such as are viatores and pilgrims in this world nor because they are wrought by men in state of grace nor because the expectation of the reward is grounded on Gods promise which is of a free reward and not of wages merited by us nor lastly because they proceed from charity For our charity by reason of the imperfection thereof cannot stand in judgement to satisfie the justice of God and much lesse to merit And whatsoever or how great soever it is it is not only a duety which we owe to God but the onely debt which wee owe or ought to owe to our brethren and that for Gods sake to omit that we receive it as a free gift from God and therefore by it we cannot merit of him CHAP. IX Bellarmines dispute that good workes are meritorious ex condigno not onely ratione pacti but also ratione operis examined § I. IN the fourth place Bellarmine discourfeth how farre forth good workes are either meritorious or are rewarded Meritorious whether ex condigno and if so whether ratione pacti solum or ratione operis also That good workes are meritorious ex condigno which is the matter that hitherto hee hath proved hee now maintaineth against Durandus affirming that his Assertion as it is refuted by the common consent of all almost Divines so also by all the arguments which formerly hee hath used against us to prove that the workes of the godly are truely and properly meritorious which I desire the Reader to take notice of because some draw-backs who notwithstanding would seeme stiffe defenders of merits doe beare the simple in hand that it is but a Schoole-point to say that workes are meritorious either ex condigno or ex congruo When as in very trueth it is the received Doctrine of that Church that the good workes of the godly are truely and properly meritorious of everlasting life Now it is evident that meritum ex congruo is not truely and properly meritorious § II. In the next place Bellarmiâ—…e now taking it for granted that good workes are meritorious ex condigno hee disputeth whether they bee so ratione pacti tantum or ratione operis tantum or ratione utriusque whereunto I answere
confute himselfe Now in the sixt verse the Apostle sheweth what manner of faith that is which justifieth viz. not a dead or a counterfeit but a lively and effectuall faith a faith which is effectuall or effectually worketh by love a faith which as Saint Iames saith is not without workes but is demonstrable by good workes § III. But these words Bellarmine doth wilfully deprave For in other places hee readeth and understandeth the wordes as wee doe following the vulgar Latine translation unto which hee is tyed by the decree of the Councell of Trent reading fides quae per charitatem operatur faith that worketh by charity as our English Rhemists also translate the words And to seeke no further in the very beginning of the next chapter where hee confuteth the erroneous opinion of Osiander who held that the righteousnesse of Christ whereby wee are justified is the essentiall righteousnesse of the Deity dwelling in us saith that this errour is manifestly refuted by the Apostle Rom. 4. proving the righteousnesse by which wee are justified to bee faith vivam viz. per dilectionem operantem to wit a lively faith and working by love and likewise Gal. 5. 5 6. we by faith expect the hope of righteousnesse for in Christ Iesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Whereupon hee inferreth quòd si fides per dilectionem operans c. but if faith working by charity be that righteousnesse c. But here for a poore shift and to serve his present turne hee interpreteth the Greeke Participle of the middle voice as if it were passive fides quae agitur faith which is acted moved formed and as it were animated by love And therupon inferreth that charity isthe forme of faith and that faith justifieth formally as it is formed by charity and not otherwise and consequently that charity justifieth much more and hereupon also he buildeth afterwards that distinction of faith that it is either formata when it is acted by charity or informis when it is severed from it where also to helpe out the matter hee saith that the Latine word operatur is passively understood whereof as I suppose no example can bee given thereby making the translation barbarous and understanding it as never any before him understood iâ—… § IV. But to begin with the last it were a strange speech if a man signifie that the matter is acted by the form or that the body is acted by the soule should say corpus per animam operatur And no doubt if the old interpreter had meant so he would have said agitur and not operatur As for the Gâ—…eeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifieth effectuall or effectually working and so both the Verbe and the Participle which are used nine times at the least in the new Testament are or ought to be effectuall namely in it selfe or effectuall to worke according to the twofold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or act whereof the Philosophers and Schoolemen use to speake to wit the first and the second c. which distinction may be applied to habits of grace or gracious habits The first act which is the forme of faith or of any other grace is that Tushijah that essence or entity whereof Salomon speaketh wherby any grace is that which it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed and in truth which is the integrity of it and so saith Thomas actus primus est forma integritas rei in respect whereof faith and so every other grace is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unfained This is that principium agendi that inward act or efficacie whereby faith or any other grace is effectuall in it selfe lively active operative apt to produce operations according to their severall kinds without which faith or any other grace is dead and counterfeit and not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeede and in truth whereof it beareth the name but aequivocè even as the counterfeit of any man is called by his name The second act of faith or of any other grace is the actuall working thereof actus secundus saith Thomas est operatio And these acts are either immediate and eliciti as the Schoolemen speak or mediate and imperati As for example the immediate or elicite acts of justifying faith are first to beleeve truly and effectually and by a lively assent that Iesus the Sonne of the blessed Virgin is the eternall Sonne of God the Messias and the Saviour of all that beleeve in him Secondly because I so beleeve in Christ to beleeve that hee is my Saviour Thirdly by these acts faith receiving Christ who is our righteousnesse doth justifie The mediate acts which are called imperati are these acts which the immediate acts doe produce mediantibus aliis virtutibus by the mediation of other vertues For if I beleeve that Iesus is the Sonne of God and the Saviour of all that beleeve in him and consequently that hee is my Saviour hereupon I shall be moved to trust in him as my Saviour which is the act of affiance but commanded by faith and to expect salvation from him which is the act of hope but commanded by faith and likewise to love him and by love to obey him which are the acts of charity but commanded by faith as here it is said faith working by love § V. Now those graces by which faith worketh as namely charity have not the respect of the formall cause unto faith but rather of the instrumentall Neither doth faith worke by them as its forme but as its instruments as the soule by the body and the members thereof But that charity is not indeed the forme of faith whereby it is acted and formed it may appeare evidently by these reasons First because those which hold it to be the forme of faith deny it to bee the inward and intrinsecall forme whereby faith is that which it is which onely is the formall cause and as it were the soule of faith but extrinsecall whereby as they imagine the acts of faith are informed and so they make it by a strange kinde of Logicke the forme of all vertues as well as of faith Secondly because one habit disparated from another as the three Theologicall vertues faith hope and charity being also as themselves say seated in diverse subjects as the seat of faith is the mind of love the heart cannot possibly be the forme of the other Thirdly that habit which proceedeth from another as the fruit and effect thereof cannot bee the forme of that other But charity which is the fulfilling of the Law proceedeth from faith unfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. For therefore doe wee love God and our neighbour for his sake because by faith wee are peâ—…swaded of his love towards us and therefore doe wee love him because hee loved us first 1 Ioh. 4. 19 Fourthly if charity be the forme of faith then faith is the
those who have not Charity have not faith who as the same Apostle saith professe themselves to know God but in deeds deny him which also is against himselfe for how saith Chrysostome can such a man be said to beleeve that denieth God Therefore saith he the wicked deny the faith not in heart or mouth but indeed and of them saith he writeth Saint Gregory whose testimony he alleageth directly against himselfe Eos non veraciter credere non habere veram fidem quinon bene operantur that they doe not truely beleeve nor have a true faith who doe not worke well And therefore those that worke ill as those doe who are without Charity and namely those who provide not for their domesticks shew that they have no true faith But this he salveth with another testimony of the same Gregory that many enter into the Church because they have faith and yet want the wedding garment because they have not Charity Where by faith we are to understand the profession of faith which many make who have not Charity But by the wedding garment we are according to the Scriptures to understand rather Christ and his righteousnesse as I have shewed heretofore put on by a true and lively faith for he that was without the wedding garment wanted faith as well as charity The Authour of the unfinished Worke in Chrysostome faith Nuptiale vestimentum est fides vera quae est per Iesum Christum justitiam ejus the wedding garment is the true faith which is by Iesus Christ and his righteousnesse But will you heare one of their owne Writers upon Matth. 22. what is saith he that wedding garment to wit that whereof Paul speaketh when he saith put on the Lord Iesus Christ. This garment is inwardly put on by faith when thou puttest on Christs righteousnesse to cover thy sinnes c. § VII The second out of Ioh. 6. 64. Iudas though he professed the faith is yet said not to have beleeved because he wanted Charity and therefore they who want Charity want faith Bellarmine answereth that he is said not to beleeve because at that time he had lost his faith I reply Iudas though he professed the faith yet he never had true faith and therefore never lost it For from the beginning Iesus knew who they were that beleeved not and who should betray him for this cause saith he in the next verse I said unto you that no man can come to me that is beleeve in me vers 35. and 64. unlesse it be given unto him of my Father which hee insinuateth had not been given to Iudas whom from the beginning he knew to be no beleever § VIII Hee that saith hee knoweth God namely by faith and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar Bellarmine answereth that he speaketh of the knowledge of familiarity and friendship of which the Lord speaketh to the wicked Matth. 7. 25. I know you not whereunto I reply that if he speake of such knowledge it is the knowledge of faith and cannot be had but by faith and so the argument standeth in force Howbeit unfitly doth he alleage the Lords not knowing of the wicked to prove the meaning of our knowing of him If he speake not of the knowledge of faith the argument is the stronger for if he be a lyar that only saith that he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandements then much more is hee a lyar that saith hee knoweth God by faith and keepeth not his commandements Beda indeed expoundeth this knowledge of God of the love of God which is a fruit and consequent of our faith hocest Deum nosse quod amare but others of faith as Gregory speaking of this place notitia quippâ—… Dei ad fideâ—… pertinet Oecumenius maketh this verse to bee of the same signification with the sixth verse of the first Chapter If we say that we have fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we are lyars and that which Saint Iohn there calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communion here hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commixtion or conjunction Thus therefore hee saith Saint Iohn having said before that those which beleeve in the Lord have communion or fellowship with him here hee setteth downe evidences of our communion with him In this wee know that wee know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that which hee had said before that wee have conjunction or communion with him if wee keepe his Commandements And this saith hee hee more fully sheweth by the contrary but hee that saith I know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or I have communion with him and keepeth not his Commandements he is a lyar This then is â—…is meaning he that saith I know God that is I have Communion with him by faith and doth not keepe his Commandements hee is a lyar But whether wee understand the words of communion by faith or of faith according to the usuall pâ—…rase of the Scriptures puting knowledge for faith as I noted before or of knowledge it selfe the argument is unanswerable For if wee cannot truely bee said to know Christ that is to beleeve in him unlesse wee keepe his Commandements then it is evident that true faith cannot be severed from Charity For this is love if we keep his Commandements 1 Ioh. 5. 3. againe if hee that saith hee knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandemenes bee a lyar much more he that saith hee beleeveth in God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar as I said before To this adde Tit. 1. â—…6 which Bellarmine cited against himselfe those that professe themselves to know God but in workes deny him they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unbeleevers Ioh. 3. 36. or as the vulgar Latine incredibiles or as Thomas Aquinas non apti ad credendum § IX Fourthly 1 Ioh. 5. 1. Every one that bâ—…leeveth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of God and therefore undoubtedly hath charity Bellarmine answereth that he speaketh de fide formata as Saint Augustine expoundeth and so doe wee for whosoever truely beleeveth hath fidem formatam For the Apostle no doubt speaketh of a true lively saith and such there is none but that which the Papists call formatam which worketh by love And therefore the argument holdeth that whosoever hath a true lively iustifying faith is borne of God or regenerated by the Spirit of sanctification and therefore is undoubtedly endued with charity § Fifthly Iam. 2. That faith which iâ—… without workes is dead A true lively justifying faith is not dead Therefore â—… true livâ—…ly â—…ustifying faith is not without works Bellarmine saith he hath explaned this in his third argument that faith is said to be dead not as a mâ—… is said to bee dead who after death is not but as a body is said to bee dead which after death is but liveth not For saith he Life is not of the
being certaine that he is faithfull râ—…joyce where observe that those are faithfull not that are baptized but that keep their vow of Baptism and that those that live wickedly are falsi fideles falsly called faithfull Againe qâ—…antum crediâ—…s tantum amamus Ansâ—…lm fides quâ—… non habet charitaâ—… opera bona fidâ—…s Dâ—…monum est non Christianorum Faith which hath not charity and good workeâ—… is the faith of Divels not of Christians And againe fides sine operibus noâ—… est vera fides Bernard faith maketh a true Catholike not that which iâ—… common to Devils and men but that which is common to men and Angelicall Spirits and which is that that which worketh by love CHAP. III. Bellarmines proofes that true faith may bee severed from Charity first from the Scriptures and then from Fathers § I. NOw let us examine Bellarmines proofes And first out of the Scriptures 1. Ioh. 12. 42 43. Many of the princes or rulers beleeved in Christ but they did not confessâ—… for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God Herâ—… saith â—…ee the Evangelist testifieth that in these Princes there was Faith without Charity His reason is thus to be framed The Princes which did not confesse Christ were void of Charity The same Princes beleeve in Christ. Therefore some that beleeve in Christ are void of Charity The proposition is proved because they loved the glory or praise of men more than of God Answ. If they did absolutely and altogether preferre the glory of men before the glory of God then hâ—…d they neither love of God nor faith in Christ see Ioh. 5. 42 44. But if by force of temptation or by humane frailty as feâ—…refulnesse and too much love of the World which are corruptions incident to the best they were for a time hindered from professing Christ I dare not say they were void of Charity For Saint Peter when he both loved Christ and beleeved in him did deny him which was worse than not confessing him And it may be that among those rulers were reckoned Nicodemus and Ioseph of Arimathâ—…a who though they had not for â—… time openly professed Christ yet when there was greatest cause of feare and of doubt and least encouragement to professe him they expressâ—… their love towards him Ioh. 19. 31 39. To the assumption I aâ—…swere those princes who being void of Charity loved the glory of men more than the glory of God by the testimony of Christ neither did nor could beleeve Ioh. 5. 42 44. Neither did all they truely beleeve in Christ who in the Scriptures are said after a sort to have beleeved in him For Ioh. 2. 23. many are said to have belâ—…ved in his name to whom our Saviour would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concredit himselfe because hee knew what was in them vers 24. 25. § II. His second proofe is out of 1 Cor. 13. 2. If I had all faith so that I could remove mountaines and have not charity I am nothing therefore faith may bee severed from Charity Answ. This place is either generally understood of all faith or particularly of the whole faith of working miracles but in neither sense doth it favour the popish sancie If generally then the Apostle must bee understood as speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of supposition and not as positively affirming that either he or any other having all faith wanted Charity therefore this supposition quâ—… nihil ponit proveth nothing Yea in suppositions and fained comparisons a man may suppose things incredible and impossible and much more improbable as in this place it selfe if I should speake with the tongues of men and Angels and have not love if I had all faith so that I could remove mountaines and have not love and though I bestow all my goods as it were by morsels to free the poore and though I gave my body to be burnt and have not Charity and yet those suppositions whether improbable or incredible are of no lesse force in arguing than if they were absolutely true Indeed if the adversary could from this hypotheticall proposition truly assume the antecedent as he cannot then might hee urge this place to some purpose but if it may more truely be denied or taken away as for example if I or any other had all faith and yet had not love as nâ—…ver man yet had then is this allegation to no purpose To this Bellarmine replyeth that the Apostle doth not argue from a condition impossible but usâ—…th an hyperbolt when notwithstanding it is most evident that the Apostle speaketh not in a simple hyperbolicall speech as Bellarmine maketh him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if I had which I have not but this supposall or fiction of a condition incredible doth no lesse prove the necessity of Charity than if it were absolutely true If the place be understood particularly of the faith of miracles the particle all being not universall but integrall as if it had beene said the whole faith including all the degrees of it which is very probable not onely in respect of the authority of the Fathers heretofore mentioned but also by the words themselves first because he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as speaking of a particular secondly because hee doth instance in a high degree of that particular so that I could remove mountaines then this alegation is impertinent For the question is not of the faith of miracles whether it may be severed from Charity which we confesse but of the true justifying faith which not all they have who have the faith of miracles For that hath beene bestowed upon Iudas and other reprobates Matth. 10. 1. 7. 22 23. which plainely overthroweth Bellarmines conceit that the faith of miracles is the same with jâ—…stifying faith but excelling which is false in two respects for first it would then follow that all they who have had this faith should have beene endued with justifying faith and that all who have excelled in the greatest measure and degree of justifying faith should have beene adorned with the faith of miracles Both which are untrue Secondly the Schoole men when they distinguish grace into gratia grâ—…tum 〈◊〉 which is the justifying and sanctifying grace tending to the good and Salvation of the party who hath it and gratia gratis data tending to the good of others the faith of working miracles is reckoned in the later ranke 1 Corinthians 12. 8 9 10. § III. Yea but it is promised Mark 16. 17. that signes should follow them that beleeve namely by a justifying faith whereof is mention vers 16. But not say I that all beleevers should be workers of miracles but some for all From whence nothing can be proved but that to some which did beleeve the gift of working miracles should bee granted for the confirmation of the faith Yea but by saith in forâ—…r times the faithfull stopped the mouths of Lyons quenched the
that was their meaning As for affiance though it be not of the proper nature and essence of faith yet it is an unseparable fruit of speciall faith in so much that sometimes it seemeth to be implyed in the signification of beleeving in Christ For hee that doth beleeve in Christ doth first by a lively assent acknowledge him to bee the Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him and secondly so beleeving hee is perswaded that he is a Saviour to him and thirdly beleeving Christ to be his Saviour doth therefore repose his affiance and trust in him for salvation But howsoever so much sometimes is implyed in the phrase of beleeving in Christ yet in the most ordinary and usuall acception of the Word in the Scriptures of the New Testament no more is signified than the lively assent and acknowledging of Christ yea sometimes the phrase is used of those who did not so much as give a lively assent or beleeved with their heart Howsoever being convicted by the evidence of truth sealed by miracles they assented to the truth and acknowledged Christ to be the Messias Such were those Ioh. 2. 23. who are said to have beleeved on his name when they saw the miracles which hee did to whom notwithstanding our Saviour would give no credit because hee knew what was in them Such a beleever was Simâ—… Magus who being convinced by the evidence of truth confirmed by miracles assented in his judgement but beleeved not with his heart for his heart was not right within him Act. 8. 13. 21. And such a one was Iudas Ioh. 6. 64. who though he beleeved as being a Disciple yea an Apostle of Christ yet beleeved not in deed and in truth § X. But that the phrase is used ordinarily of those which received Christ by a true and lively assent I could prove by multitude of testimonies divers whereof I have elsewhere mentioned But I will content my selfe with two instances of the Samaritanes and of the Eunuch Of the Samaritanes it is said Iohn 4. 39. That many of them beleeved in Christ for the saying of the woman who could beleeve no more than she had told them which at the most was that hee was Christ. And after when they professed that they beleeved because of his owne word all that they beleeved was this that he was indeed the Châ—…ist the Saviour of the world verse 41. 42. The Eunuch when Philip told him that hee might bee baptized if hee beleeved with his whole heart maketh this profession of his faith I beleeve that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God § XI Now that affiance is not faith I briefely shew thus First because it is a fruit and effect of faith For by faith wee have affiance Ephes. 3. 12. Faith therefore is the cause affiance the effect and the same thing cannot be both the cause and the effect For whereas some deny this consequence trusting to an unlike example for say they as naturall Philosophy is the science of naturall things and yet by it wee attaine to the science of naturall things so though affiance be faith and faith affiance yet by faith wee attaine to affiance I answere that there is an homonymie in the word science which in the former part of the example signifieth the art or doctrine which is a comprehension of precepts in the latter the habit of the knowledge of naturall things which by the doctrine holpen with the gifts of nature and confirmed by exercise we attaine unto Secondly because faith is an habit of the minde affiance an affection of the heart and so also differ in the subject For faith being a perswasion is seated in the minde though working upon the heart affiance or trust being an affection is seated in the heart though proceeding from the perswasion of the minde Thirdly because they differ not onely in the Subject but also in the Object The Object of faith is verum that which is true the Object of affiance is bonum that which is good Yea but say some the Promise is good and therefore the Object of â—…aith is good I answer the thâ—…ng promised is good and therefore I conceive affiance or hope which two in respect of the time to come differ not But be the thing promised never so good yet I beleeve not the promise unlesse I bee perswaded that it is true Faith therefore layeth hold on the Promise as being true affiance or hope expect the thing promised as being good Those therefore who hold that affiance properly so called is faith or faith affiance are not to bee defended Those which by affiance understand assurance and say that justifying faith is affiance doe speake the truth if they understand by faith not that by which we are justified before God but that by which we are justified that is assured of our justification in our own conscience Concerning which there needs not to be any other controversie betweene us and the Papists than this whether there bee any such certaintie or assurance to be had But that is a different question not pertinent to the poynt in hand which I have elsewhere cleared And so much of the nature of justifying faith CHAP. V. Of the Subject of justifying Faith § I. NOw I come to the Subject that is both the parties to whom it belongeth and the part of the Soule wherein it is As touching the parties in whom it is the Papists hold First that it is common to the godly with the wicked Secondly that it is common to the Elect with the reprobate The former is the same in substance with that which I have already handled whether true faith may be severed from charity and other graces the negative part of which question I have proved and consequently of this that justifying faith is not common to the godly with the wicked As touching the second whether it bee common to the Elect with the Reprobate Bellarmine propoundeth the Romish tenet to be this fidem justitiam non esse propriam electorâ—…m semel habitam amitti posse that faith and justice is not proper to the Elect and that it being once had it may be lost which is the very question of perseverance whereof I have written a full treatise against Bellarmine proving that true justifying faith is proper to the Elect and that being once had it is never lost either totally or finally § II. Now as touching the part of the soule wherein justifying faith is seated Bellarmine and many other Papistâ—… hold that it is seated in the understanding onely and of us they report that we hold it to be seated in the will onely which they doe report against their owne knowledge knowing that wee hold faith to bee a perswasion of the minde and an assent and finding fault with Calvin for defining faith to be a kinde of knowledge as it is indeed that kind of knowledge which we have by report or relation from
respect of the almes which it doth receive And yet I doe not conceive that therefore the hand and the almes be relatives But we confesse that justifying faith is not without his object yet that object by apprehenâ—…ing wherof it 〈◊〉 justifie relâ—…tively is not righteousnesse inherent as here Bellarmine against his owne conscience doth suggest but the righteousnesse of Christ by which wee are justified betweene which and faith there is such a relation that as justifying faith is called the faith of Christ or faith in Christ faith in his bloud so the righteousnesse of Christ by which wee are justified is called the righteousnesse of faith And further I confesse that whosoever is justified by righteousnesse imputed is also in some measure just by righteousnesse inherent though he be not justified before God thereby But whereas he saith that wee will easily admit this argument that where faith is there is also inherent justice and consequently that justifying faith cannot be severed from other virtues because wee teach that by every sinne faith is lost I doe much marvell at his impudency for though he and his consorts doe wickedly teach that by every act of infidelity faith is lost yet wee are so farre from granting that faith is lost by every sinne that we confidently hold that true justifying faith is never totally or finally lost by any sinne whatsoever that is incident to the faithfull and regenerate man Some indeed have taught that by hainous offences which doe vastare conscientiam waste the conscience faith is lost yet that is farre from saying it is lost by every sinne Secondly againe saith he if faith doth justifie relatively then it cannot be in a mans minde but justice also must be there and without love there is no justice Answ. Without love there is no justice inherent but that is not it to which faith when it justifieth hath relation but that which faith having justified us bringeth forth in us as a consequent of justification Thirdly moreover saith he if faith severed from all other virtues doe justifie alone then it may also justifie being accompanied with those vices which are contrary to those virtues But this cannot be imagined that a man should be justified and yet remaine a wicked man Answ. If by vices he understand certaine vicious dispositions which though they doe not reigne in the faithfull yet remaine in them as their infirmities I confesse that justifying faith may and doth stand with such But if he meane the contrary habits of sinne which reigne in the hearts of the wicked and impenitent sinners I professe that justifying faith cannot stand with such For where these doe reigne the man is wholly unregenerate and where regeneration is not there faith which by regeneration is wrought cannot be It is therefore against the nature and being of a true justifying faith to harbour in a soule unregenerate § IV. To this argument he saith we answere that they assume that which is impossible viz. that faith may be alone which I beleeve not to have beene the answere of any of our Doctors for a man arguing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may suppose that which is impossible and yet the argument be of no lesse force But our assertion that faith cannot be alone which before I have made good in the second Chapter of this booke and defended against Bellarmines objections Chap. 3. hee laboureth here to take away by three reasons first by cavilling with Luther and Calvin First Luther saith that faith justifieth both before and without Charity I rejoyne it justifieth before because in order of nature it goeth before without because though Charity be present with it yet it justifieth without it even as the eye though the eare be with it yet seeth without it Secondly Calvin saith that the seed of faith remaineth in the greatest falles of the faithfull and therefore without Charity I rejoyne Calvin saith no more than S. Iohn doth that the seed of God doth alwaies remaine in those that are borne of God which seed of God is as well the seed of Charity as of Faith and both the one and the other remaine in the greatest fals of Gods children as wee see in Peter in whom though he fell most grievously in denying and sorswearing his Lord yet the seeds yea the habits of faith and love did remaine as I have proved elsewhere Secondly saith he because our argument assumeth not that faith may be alone but that if faith did justifie alone it would doe so though it were alonâ—… this reason doth not confute our assertion that faith cannot be alone but taketh away that answere which he falsely I thinke assigneth to us But this consequence of his I have denied and disproved His third reason which is but the second to disprove our assertions if it bee true saith he that true faith is never alone then it is because faith begetteth those other graces even as a good Tree bringeth forth good fruit And if this were so then faith should goe before love and other graces if not in time yet in nature But faith cannot be conceived to be in nature before justification or justice infused or those graces wherein justification consisteth because these are relatives as they say God justifying and faith receiving justification for relatives are simulnatura c. Answ. The relatives that we meane are Christs righteousnesse imputed of God and faith apprehending or receiving it which though they bee simul natura in respect of the one to the other yet both of them are before the other graces in order of nature But if justifying faith be before charity and there be no righteousnesse without charity then saith he the same man may be just and not just at the same time Answ. It followeth not For though in order of nature faith be before love 1 Tim. 1. 5. yet in time they goe together Neither is that such an absurdity as he imagineth that the same man at the same time should be a sinner in himselfe and righteous in Christ a sinner according to the Law because he hath broken it but righteous according to the Gâ—…spell because in Christ he hath fulfilled the Law Christ being the end of the Law to every one that beleeveth Insomuch that every one that beleeveth in Christ is reputed as if he had fulfilled the Law Lastly because saith he it is false which they hold that faith cannot be severed from Charity and other virtues and this he taketh upon him to prove in the next Chapter unto which I have fully answered in the second question concerning the nature of faith CHAP. XIV Bellarmines third principall argument from the removall of those causes which may be given why faith doth justifie alone § I. HHis third principall argument is taken from the removall of those causes he meaneth reasons which may be given why faith alone doth justifie All which as he saith may be reduced
to three heads The first is the authority of Gods word For if the Scriptures any where expresly say that faith alone doth justifie it must he beleeved though no other cause could be rendred The second is the will of God justifying namely because it hath pleased God to grant justification upon the onely condition of faith The third is the nature of faith it selfe because it is the properâ—…y of faith alone to apprehend justification and to apply it unto us and to make it ours Besides these I have rendred other causes the chiefe and principall whereof is this because we are justified not by any righteousnesse inherent in our selves but onely by the righteousnesse of Christ which being out of us in him is imputed onely to them that beleeve and is received onely by faith § II. But these three causes or reasons which he mentioneth will not easily be remov'd the first the authority of the Scriptures this being the maine doctrine of the Gospell Yea but saith Bellarmine it is no where said in expresse termes that faith alone doth justifie when we saith he have expresse termes that a man is justified by workes and not by faith onely Iam. 2. 24. Answ. To the place in the Epistle of Iames I shall answere fully in his due place Onely here I say thus much That Saint Iameâ—… speaketh not of the justification of a sinner before God by which he is made or constituted just of which our question is but of that whereby a just man already justified before God may be approved declared and knowne both to himselfe and others to be just And that the Apostle Iames speaketh not either of workes as causes but as signes of justification or of the habit of true faith but of the profession of faith or faith professed onely and concludeth that a man is justified that is knowne and approved to be just not onely by the profession of the true faith but by workes also a godly conversation being as it were the life and soule of the profession and without which it is dead But though in expresse tearmes it be not said in so many words and Syllables that faith doth justifie alone yet this doctrine is by most necessary consequence deduced from the Scriptures And what may by necessary consequence be deducted out of the Scriptures that is contained in the scriptures as all confesse Wherunto may be added that the Fathers so conceived of the doctrine of the scriptures who with one consent as you have heard have taught according to the scriptures that by faith we are justified alone And the Papists must remember that by oath they are bound to expound the scriptures according to the coÌ„sent of the fathers § III. Now that this doctrine is contained in the Scriptures I have plentifully proved before and something here shall bee added There are but two righteousnesses onely mentioned in the Scriptures by which wee can bee justified either that which is prescribed in the Law which is a righteousnesse inherent in our selves and performed by our selves or that which is taught in the Gospell which is the righteousnesse of Christ inherent in him and performed for us The former is the righteousnesse of the Law or of workes the latter is the righteousnesse of faith A third righteousnesse by which wee should bee justified cannot be named And betweene these two there is such an opposition made in the Scriptures that if wee bee justified by the one we cannot by the other If therefore the Scriptures teach that wee are justified by faith and not by workes it is all one as if they said that wee are justified by faith alone If it bee all one to say by faith and not by the workes of the Law or by faith alone then saith Bellarmine I demand whether all workes and every Law be excluded or not For if all workes be excluded then faith it selfe which Ioh. 6. 29. is the worke of God and if every Law then the Law of faith and consequently faith it selfe and so to be iustified by faith shal be nothing else but to be justified without faith Answ. it is plaine that by the Law is meant the Law of workes and by the workes of the Law all that obedience which is prescribed in the Law Now in the Law which is the perfect rule of righteousnesse all inherent righteousnesse is prescribed Then saith Bellarmine faith it selfe and the act of faith is excluded from the act of justification I answere first in this question the Apostle opposeth faith to workes and therefore faith is not included under workes Secondly faith as it is either an habit or an act and so part of inherent righteousnesse doth not justifie but as hath beene said relatively in respect of the object which being received by faith doth justifie as it was the brâ—…sen serpent apprehended by the eye which did heale and not the eye properly § IV. Againe the Scriptures teach that we are justified gratis gratiâ per sanguinem Christi per fidem Gratis that is freely without respect of any good workes done by us no not by the workes of righteousnesse which wee have done Tit. 3. 5. but by his meere grace and favour when we had deserved the contrary through the bloud and alone satisfaction of Christ received onely by faith To the word gratis Bellarmine answereth that it excludeth our owne merits which indeed can be none but not the free gifts of God as love and penitencie and the like for then faith also should be excluded That followeth not for when wee are justified by faith onely we are justified gratis gratis saith the Apostle freely by his grace through the merits of Christ by faith bringing onely faith to justification as the Fathers have taught and that not to bee any essentiall cause of our justification but onely to be the instrument and hand to receive Christ who is our righteousnes and therfore it is the condition required on our part in the covenant of grace The rest as love and hope and repentance c. being not the conditions of the covenant but the things by covenant promised to them that beleeve Vpon the condition of faith which is also the free gift of God the Lord promiseth remission of sins and justification and to those who are redeemed and justified by faith he doth by oath promise the graces of sanctification So that faith only on our part is required to the act of justification besides which we bring nothing else thereunto but love and the rest of the graces as Augustine saith of workes non precedunt justificandum sequuntur justificatum and therefore wee are justified by faith alone § V. And by this the second head is also proved namely that it is the good pleasure of God to grant justification upon the condition of faith alone If ye looke into all the promises of the Gospell ye shall find that they interpose only the
condition of faith See Act. 8. 37. 10. 43. 13. 38 39. Ro. 4. 5. Gal. 2. 16. and so every where Before the incarnation of Christ it was the good pleasure of God by faith onely to justifie the faithfull as Bellarmine himselfe hath confessed And doth he require any other condition of us are not we justified as they were By his knowledge that is by faith in him my righteous servant shall justifie many Yea but the Scriptures saith Bellarmine much more plainely exact the condition of Penance and of the Sacraments to justification than of faith as Ezek. 18. 27. The wicked if hee repent of his sinnes shall live Luk. 13. 4. unlesse yee repent ye shall likewise perish Ioh. 3. 5. unlesse a man be borne a-new of water and the holy Ghost he shall not enter into the Kingdome of God Answ. Many things are required to salvation which are not required to justification which as they be necessary forerunners of glorification so are they the fruits of faith and consequents of justification viz. repentance and newnesse of life which is the thing mentioned in these places Againe happinesse which consisteth partly in justification or remission of sinnes which is beatitudo viae and partly in eternall life which is beatitudo patriâ—… is oftentimes attributed to those things which are not the causes of happines but the notes and markes of them that be happy There is but one happinesse properly and that is to be in Christ who is eternall life whom whosoever hath hath eternall life Of this happinesse Christ alone is the foundation and the cause and faith the instrument of our union and communion with Christ. All other virtues and graces are but the fruits and consequently the signes and markes of faith or of our being in Christ by faith And therefore are not so many beatitudes though they are blessed that have them but so many notes of one and the same happinesse It is true that if we be sorry for our sinnes because by them we have displeased him who hath been so gracious a God unto us if we confesse them crave pardon for them and forsake them all which are duties of repentance the Lord hath promised to forgive them And yet these are not causes of our justification before God but fruits of faith by which we come to be justified in our owne conscience By faith we obtaine remission of sinnes and by these duties of repentance which are the fruits of justifying faith we attaine to the assurance of it That prayer which somuch prevaileth with God is the prayer of faith That repentance which is to life is caused by faith without which it is impossible to please God and therefore the Disciples when they understood that the Gentiles were brought to beleeve in Christ conclude that God had given them repentance unto life Act. 11. 18. As for the Sacraments the justification which is assigned to them doth not hinder justification by faith onely but serveth to seale and to assure it § VI. The third cause or reason proving that faith doth justifie alone is because it is the property of faith to apprehend and to apply the promise of justification to our selves For the clearing whereof I desire the reader to call to minde what hath beene said concerning the two degrees of justifying faith For by the former wee apprehend receive and embrace Christ who is our righteousnesse offered in the promises of the Gospell to our justification before God By the other wee apply the promises of the Gospell to our selves that we may be justified in our owne consciences Both which actions of receiving and applying the promises to our â—…elves cannot be ascribed to any other grace but are proper to faith onely To this argument Bellarmine shapeth two answeres the former whereof is a meere cavill at the word apprehension which wee make proper to faith as if by apprehending we did meane the first act of the understanding when it conceiveth the object But this point I cleared before in the first question concerning the nature of faith where I shewed that this apprehension whereof Bellarmine speaketh goeth before all judgement of the minde And that the understanding having first conceived and apprehended the object judgeth of it either by withholding the assent if it be doubtfull which is called doubting or by giving assent either weakely which is opinion or firmely which is knowledge this firme assent or knowledge is grounded either upon the evidence of the thing which is either manifest in it selfe and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cleare intelligence or manifested by discourse which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or science or else the thing being not evident either to sense or reason upon the infallible authority of God speaking in his word which is Faith By this beleefe we receive Christ not onely in our judgements by assent but also if this assent be lively and effectuall we receive embrace and lay hold upon him as our Saviour with all our soules acknowledging him in our judgements in our hearts desiring to bee made partakers of him in our wils resolving to professe him to bee our Saviour and to obey him as our Lord c. § VII This is the apprehension whereof we speake and which is peculiar to faiâ—… as it is evident Be it saith Bellarmine that justification after a sort is apprehended by faith Surely it is not so apprehended that indeed it is had and doth inhere but onely that it is in the minde after the manner of an object apprehended by an action of the understanding and will and so saith he love and joy apprehend In these things Bellarmine sheweth himselfe to be a diviner rather than a divine we doe not say that in our justification before God justification is apprehended by faith but the righteousnesse of Christ unto justification And that this righteousnesse of Christ though not inherent in us is as truely and really made ours by imputation as our sinnes though not inherent in him were made his when he truely and really suffered for them By this hand of faith we receive Christ Ioh. 1. 12. by it we receive and embrace the promises Heb. 11. 16. by it we receive remission of sinnes Act. 10. 43. 26. 18. By this mouth as it were of the soule we eate the body of Christ and drinke his bloud That which hee speaketh of justification being in the minde after the manner of an object apprehended by an action of the understanding and the will may in some sort be verified of the apprehension of speciall faith applying justification to the beleever But to say that after this manner love and joy apprehend it is against sense For faith apprehendeth it by a perswasion yea by a firme perswasion upon which follow love and joy not apprehending but loving and rejoycing at that which faith doth apprehend But these two are not incident unto a Papist who
renounceth speciall faith For canst thou love Christ and rejoyce in him as thy Saviour if thou be not by speciall faith perswaded that thou shalt be saved by him Seeing then unto our justification before God we are to receive Christ as hath beene said by a true and lively assent and unto justification in the court of our owne conscience by a plerophory or assured perswasion we are to apply the promises to our selves which are the peculiar acts of faith and cannot be attributed to any other grace it followeth therefore from the proper nature of faith that by it alone we are justified § VIII His second cavill is taken from the Sacraments which by our confession as he saith doe apply the promises and justification it selfe to the receiver therefore saith he faith doth not justifie alone after the manner of an instrument applying In this argument he greatly pleaseth himselfe but without cause For first when we say that faith alone doth justifie we meane that in us nothing concurreth to the act of justification with faith but without us we acknowledge many things to justifie Secondly faith justifieth alone ut manus accipientis the Sacraments ut manus dantis Thirdly faith doth actually justifie before God the Sacraments doe not justifie before God but serve to seale our justification to our owne consciences neither doe they actually conferre grace but confirme it as the seales of that righteousnesse which is by faith When as therefore the termes of washing cleansing sanctifying saving are attributed to Sacraments these phrases are to be understood Sacramentally And this is our answere as for those which Bellarmine frameth for us hee hath good leave to make or to marre them at his pleasure CHAP. XV. Bellarmines fourth principall argument taken from the manner how faith doth justifie and the fifth from the formall cause of justification § I IF Faith saith hee doth justifie as a cause as the beginning as the merit of justification then faith doth not justifie alone for love and penance and other good acts doe the like but the antecedent is true therefore the consequent I deny first the consequence of the proposition and the proofe thereof For neither love or penance nor other good acts doe either cause begin or merit justification And therefore though faith did justifie as a cause as the beginning as the merit whereby justification is obtained it might for all them justifie alone This were sufficient to overthrow his whole Dispute But all his care is to prove the assumption which hee endeavoureth in all the parts thereof And first that faith is a cause of justificatition which we doe not deny yea we affirme that nothing in us doth concurre to the act of justification as a cause thereof but faith onely But you will aske what cause We say the instrumentall onely If Bellarmine meane any other cause as no doubt but he doth he should have done well to have named it and to have proved it § II. He proveth faith to be a cause by the prepositions ex and per by and through attributed to faith whereto I answere that these particles sometimes are used to signifie the instrumentall cause As namely when we are said to be justified or saved through or by the word or the Sacraments Rom. 6. 4. Tit. 3. 5. Ioh. 17. 20. 1 Cor. 1. 21. 15. 2. Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 17. Preachers are Ministers by whom you doe beleeve 1 Cor. 3. 5. Ephes. 3. 6. And first for those plà ces wherein it is said that we are justified by faith or saved by faith Rom. 3. 28. 30. 5. 1. Ephes. 2. 8. In these and the like places saith he the preposition by or through doth signifie a true cause But he should have done well to have set downe what cause for an instrumentall cause is also a true cause The preposition per saith Bâ—…llarmine in another place is not fitly accommodated to the favour of God which is the efficient cause of justification but either to the formal as per gratiam or meritorious as permeritum filii or instrumentall cause as per fidem Sacramenta where you see by Bellarmines confession per is attributed to faith as to the instrumentall cause It is also attributed to the matter and merit as Rom. 5. 10 19. When as therefore it is also attributed to faith it cannot be attributed in the same sense as to the death and obedience of Christ in propriety of speech but of necessity it is to bee understood by a metonymy faith being put for the object of faith which is Christs righteousnesse And this manifestly appeareth when justification by the preposition is attributed both to Christ and to faith as Rom. 3. 24. 25. wee are justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the redemption which is in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith in his blood by Christ we have accesse to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith in him Eph. 3. 12. By the name of Christ we have remission of sinnes by faith in his name Act. 10. 43. 26. 18. As it is said of the cure of the creeple Act. 3. 16. that the name of Christ by faith in his name had healed him Thus I have shewed before that the same benefits of justification and salvation which properly we receive from the death and obedience of Christ are attributed to faith not properly but relatively and metonymically Not that faith it selfe worketh them but the object which it as the instrument apprehendeth § III. But Bellarmine will prove that in these and such like places the prepositions by and through doe signifie a true cause first by the contrary For when the Apostle Rom. 3. 4. Gal. 2. 3. and elsewhere doth prove that a man is not justified by workes nor by the Law without doubt he excludeth the force and efficacie of workes and of the Law in justifying and not a relative apprehension alone For no man could doubt but that the Law and works did not justifie by apprehending righteousnes relatively And therfore the saying of the Apostle had been very foolish if his meaning had beene that justice is apprehended by faith and not by the Law or workes Even as a man should speake foolishly who should say that the almes is received by the hand and not by the heele Neither did they whom the Apostle confuteth looke to be justified by their workes relatively but by the merit of them And therefore that which the Apostle denyeth to works he ascribeth to faith Answ. This manifestly proveth that the question of justification by faith or by workes is thus to bee understood whether wee are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ alone apprehended by faith which is the righteousnesse of the Gospell the righteousnesse of faith or by a righteousnesse inherent in our selves which is the righteousnesse of the Law or of workes For if the question should bee understood of faith
it selfe there would be no more opposition betweene faith and workes than is betweene the first and second justification of the Papists which are so farre from opposition that they are sub-alternall the one proving the other For if we be justified by righteousnesse inherent wee must bee justified both by habituall and actuall righteousnesse neither of them alone sufficing in adultis and therefore if by the one then by the other also Againe Faith being but one grace among many cannot as it is an habit inherent in us by it owne worthinesse or merit justifie or sanctifie alone but there must be a concurrence of charity and of other graces neither can the habits of grace suffice to the sanctification of one come to yeares unlesse they bring forth the fruits of obedience neither are the fruits of obedience called good works of any account before God unlesse they proceed from the inward habits of faith and love But faith considered relatively as the instrument apprehending Christs righteousnesse it self alone sufficeth to justification as the Fathers before have testified This is the worke of God which with God is in stead of all workes that wee beleeve on his Sonne For hee that truely beleeveth is reputed as if he had fulfilled the whole Law Christ being the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he therefore saith the Apostle that beleeveth in Christ fulfilleth the Law because Christ hath fulfilled it for him Christs obedience being imputed to him and accepted of God in his behalfe as if hee had performed the same in his owne person § IV. Secondly Bellarmine by other places where the preposition is used indevoureth to prove that faith is deciphered as a true cause For if saith he in all other places the preposition by or through doth signifie a cause why should it not betoken a cause when a man is said to be iustified by or through faith I answer first that the preposition is often used to signifie no cause at all as where it is attributed to wayes and meanes occasions and times waies as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 2. 12. by another way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 12. 1. through the corne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through dry places vers 43. so through windowes Gen. 26. 8. 2 Cor. 11. 33. dores Mat. 7. 13. Ioh. 10. 1. walls as Act. 9. 25. tiles Luk. 5. 19. Sea 1 Cor. 10. 1. afflictions Act. 14. 22. meanes as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by word Act. 15. 27. 32. by parable Luk. 8. 4. by vision Act. 18. 9. through a glasse 1 Cor. 13. 12. by Epistle 2 Thâ—…s 2. 15. by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. Occasion as our corruption by the Law worketh sinne Rom. 7. 5 13. for so it is said verse 8 11. it tooke occasion by the Commandement c. infirmity laid upon Lazarus that by it the Sonne of God might be glorified Ioh. 11. 4. Time whether all time as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 18. 10. 2. 25. Or set times as three dayes Mat. 26. 61. fortie dayes Act. 1. 3. by night Luk. 5. 5. Mat. 5. 19. Secondly that the preposition is often used to signifie the instrumentall cause as in that Hebrew phrase by the hand of his servants Gen. 32 16. as God commanded by the hand of Moses Exod. 9. 35. 35. 29. Levit. 8. 36. 10. 11. 26. 45. Numb 4. 37 45 c. By the hand of Moses and Aaron Psal. 77. 20. 1 Sam. 16. 20. Iesse sent by the hand of his sonne David So God speaketh by the hand of his Prophets 1 Sam. 28. 15. 2 Sam. 12. 25. 2 Chr. 29. 25. By the mouth of his Prophets Luk. 1. 70. So by his Prophets viz. as his instruments Mat. 1. 22. 2. 15. Thus God wrought miracles by the hands of Paul Act. 19. 11. or as himselfe speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his ministery Act. 21. 19. Rom. 15. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by me Thirdly that faith is no such cause of justification as is usually meant by the preposition joyned either with other causes of justification or with faith upon other occasions And first to mention those which Bellarmine saith he will here omit as that we are justified by Christ by his blood by his death by his obedience it may not be thought that when it is said that wee are justified by or through Christ and by or through faith or by or through the bloud the death the obedience of Christ and by or through faith that faith though the same preposition be prefixed before it should signifie the same kind of cause When the Apostle saith Rom. 3. 24. that we are justified by the grace of God there Bellar. noteth the formall cause of our justification confounding Gods grace and our charity freely that is saith he by the bounty of God noting the efficient by the redemption wrought by Christ Iesus which noteth the meritorious cause by faith in his blood we must needs conceive that faith is a distinct cause from the rest For neither is it the formall for there is but one and that one is charity as they teach nor the efficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that is Gods bounty and justice nor the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the meritorious cause for thath onely is the merit of Christ. It remaineth then that it is the instrumentall which is plainely signified when it is said that we are justified through the redemption or satisfaction of Ghrist by faith or when the preposition is attributed both to Christ and to faith as I noted before § 2. § V. Bellarmine saith that in that place Rom. 3. 24. faith is there noted to be the dispositive cause which I have allready disproved The truth is that for all this flourish which Bellarmine here maketh hee maketh faith to be no cause at all of justification but a remote disposition which disposeth to justification no otherwise thâ—…n servile feare doth which is farre enough from being a cause of justification If it bee said that he maketh it a part of the formall cause of justification I answer that according to the Councell of Trent they constantly hold that there is but one formall cause of justification and that is charity which being lost justification is lost though faith remaineth The habit of faith infused â—…s indeed a chiefe part of our sanctification as a mother grace and root of the rest but of justification it is no part but an instrument For justification consisteth wholly upon imputation of Christs righteousnesse which faith as the hand doth receive § VI. For the better understanding the manner how faith doth justifie wee are to distinguish the acts of faith both in justifying and sanctifying The act of faith in justifying is the elicite and immediate act of faith which is credere credendo Christum recipere amplecti to beleeve
that the eye of the body did cure those who were stung but the brasen Serpent which was a figure of Christ beheld with the eye Nor the eye of the soule which is faith doth absolutely and by it selfe justifie or save but relatively in respect of the object which it doth behold that is to say the Lord Iesus whom God hath propounded to be a Saviour to all that see him and receive him by faith § XII His second proofe is from the speech of Christ to the woman of Canaan who had earnestly prayed unto him and would take no repulse Matth. 15. 28. O woman great is thy faith and Mar. 7. 29. for this saying goe thy way the Devill is gone out of thy daughter for here plainely saith he the efficacie of obtayning health is attributed to faith Neither may it be answered that it is one thing to speake of justification and another to speake of the cure of a bodily disease For our Lord in the very same words attributeth to faith both the one and the other For as hee said to the woman which was a sinner Luk. 7. 50. thy faith hath saved thee so in like manner to the woman whom hee cured of a bloudy issue Matth. 9. 2â—… and to the blind man whom hee restored to sight Mark 10. 52. Answer Though the woman of Canaan and the blind man by prayer obtained their desires yet it was the prayer of faith as Saint Iames calleth it which was effectuall and prevailed with Christ Iam. 5. 16. and therefore to faith I confesse the efficacie is to be ascribed And although it may well be thought that our Saviour when hee used the same words thy faith hath saved thee to the woman which had the issue of bloud and to the blind man which hee used to the sinner whose sins he had forgiven that he being the Physitian of the soule used them in the same sence to assure them of a greater blessing than the bodily cure Matth. 9. 2. yet I doe not deny but that by faith and by the prayer of faith the health both of the body and soule is obtained for as by beleeving or apprehending by faith the righteousnesse of Christ which hee had and performed for us wee are justified so by beleeving the divine power and goodnesse of Christ many were cured of their bodily diseases And yet as it was not their faith apprehending the power and goodnes of Christ which did heale them but the power and goodnesse of Christ which by faith they apprehended as it is said Act. 3. 16. his Name by faith in his name hath made this man strong so is it not our faith absolutely whereby wee apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ which doth justifie us but the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith And whereas Bellarmine will have the like efficacie to be ascribed in justifying unto faith as in obtaining bodily health I take him at his word for hereby it is evidently proved that faith alone doth justifie for our Saviour for the obtaining of bodily health required faith onely Luk. 8. 50. Mar. 5. 36. Bee not affraid Only beleeve and the like may bee gathered out of Matth. 9. 28 29. Mark 9. 23. Iohn 11. 40. § XIII His third proofe is from the example of Abraham Rom. 4. 20 21 22. In the promise also of God he staggered not by distrust but was strengthened in faith giving glory to God most fully knowing or being fully perswaded that whatsoever he promiâ—…ed he also is able to performe therefore it was also reputed to him for righteousnesse Here saith Bellarmine the Apostle rendreth tâ—…e cause why faith was reputed to Abraham for righteousnesse because by beleeving he gave glory to God Therefore that faith pleased God by which he was glorified and therefore by the mâ—…rit of that faith which notwithstanding was the gift and grace of God hee justified Abraham His reason may thus be framed Whatsoever pleaseth God meriteth justification Abrahams faith pleased God because he was glorified thereby Therefore Abrahams faith merited justification The proposition is to bee denyed for before men can please God they must bee reconciled unto him and justified by faith therefore our pleasing of God is not a cause but a fruit of our justification and it is evident that before that promise was either made to him by God or beleeved by him Abraham was justified and therefore not by the merit of that beleefe Againe where men or their actions doe please God not in and for themselves but in and for Christ in whom alone hee is well pleased there mercie is to bee ascribed unto God but not merit to them Yea but the Apostle inferreth therefore it was reputed to him for righteousnesse That argueth Gods acceptation not his merit Howbeit that place may bee understood as that Iam. 2. 23. that this was an evidence of the true faith of Abraham which was imputed to him for righteousnesse not that Abraham did then first beleeve or was then first justified and much lesse that he merited by that act of faith his justification which he had long before § XIV His fourth proofe is out of Rom. 10. 13 14. to which I answered before the thing which here hee would but doth not prove though indeed it needs no proofe is that faith by invocation obtaineth justification Howbeit the Apostle doth not there set downe the order of our justification but the series and order of the degrees of salvation beginning at our vocation unto which three degrees are referred viz. hearing of the word which presupposeth preaching and that sending upon which followeth faith and justification thereby faith bringeth forth the dueties of â—…anctification and namely invocation which sometimes and namely in that place of Ioel is put for the whole worship of God which is the forerunner of salvation but here is no snch thing either mentioned or meant that by invocation faith obtaineth justification and therefore little reason had he from thence to inferre that therfore faith doth not justifie relatively by receiving for sooth justification offered but by seeking knocking asâ—…ing and finally by invocating and impeâ—…rating it doth justifie but passing by the weakenesse of his argument I answere to that which hee inferreth that faith beggeth justification no otherwise but with relation to Christ and his merits by it received For as God forgiveth no sinnes for which Christ hath not satisfied nor accepteth any man to life for whom Christ hath not merited it so are not we to beg justification at the hands of God but in the name and mediation of Christ beseeching God for Christ his sake that forasmuch as Christ hath satisfied the justice of God for the sinnes of all that beleeve in him and hath merited salvation and all spirituall blessings in heavenly things for them that it would therefore please God to accept of Christs satisfaction and merits in our behalfe imputing unto us both his sufferings for the remission
to forbeare swearing in ordinary talke not to give a mans goods to the poore and to follow Christ when hee is thereunto required Mat. 19. 23. Mar. 10. 23. These things are so manifest that Bellarmine in the end of the next Chapter doth confesse them viz that our Saviour doth not say except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Law and the Prophets but of the Scribes and Pharisees to signisie that his meaning was not so much he should say not at all to adde to the burden of the precepts as to take away the corruptions of the Scribes Pharisees And again those things which seem to be most heavie in the new Law are to be found in the old as the loving of our enemyes the restrayning of concupiscence such like For proofe wherof he quotes Augustine lib. contr Adimant cap. 3. lib. 19. contr Faustum c. 28. In the former place Augustine saith Nulla in Evangelica atque Apostolica disciplina reperiuntur quamvis ardua divina precepta promissa quae illis etiam libris veterib desint In the latter Vel omnia vel penè omnia quia monuit sâ—…u praecepit Christus ubi adjungebat Ego a. dici vobis inveniuntur in illis veterib libris And so much of the first difference § XXI The second difference is that the Law commeth alone but the Gospell is accompanied with grace Which is not a difference of the doctrine and letter of the Gospell from the Law but of the covenant of grace from the covenant of works For in the covenant of grace as justification is promised to them that being called doe beleeve so sanctification to them that are justifyed Which as it proveth the concurrence of Good workes with faith in the party justified as consequents thereof so it excludeth them from being any causes of justification But as touching this second difference two popish errours are to bee avoided First in respect of the covenant of workes For though that covenant doth not promise nor afford the grace of sanctification wherby a man should be enabled to performe the covenant which grace is promised in the covenant of grace and given to them that beleeve yet wee are not so to conceive that they who lived in the time of the law were void of grace nor all that live under the Gospell are endued with grace For the covenant of grace hath alwayes bene in force from the beginning so that to the faithfull who beleeved in the Messias which was to come the grace of sanctification was given according to the covenant of grace so that in the old Testament even under the Law there were as excellent examples of holynesse as have bene in the time of the new under the Gospell So also the Law hath its use even among those that live under the Gospell insomuch that untill men doe beleeve they are under the Law and not under grace Secondly in respect of the grace of the new Testament that it is not promised in such perfection in this life where wee receive but the first fruits of the Spirit as that wee may expect to be justified by it or saved for it § XXII From these two difference the rest as hee saith arise viz. from the first arise the third the fourth and the fifth The third is this that the Law of Moses was given to one Nation the Law of Christ to all Nations The fourth that the Law of Moses for the most part contayned shadowes and figures of things to come the Gospell exhibiteth the body and truth The fifth that the Law of Moses because it was not perfect was to be changed by the Law of Christ but the Law of Christ was not to be changed by any succeeding Law These three differences of the Law doe not agree to the Law Morall which belongeth to all nations which did not consist of shadowes and figures which was not to be changed no not by addition because it was and is a perfect immutable and perpetuall rule of righteousnesse The other three viz. the sixth seventh and eigth arise as hee saith from the second The sixth that the Law of Moses had no power to justifie neither was it given that it might justifie but that it might shew the disease and stirre up men to seeke the physitian But the Law of Christ that is the Gospell hath power to justifie and was given to that end For as hee alleageth out of Rom. 1. 16. it is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth he doth not say that worketh For therein is revealed the righteousnesse of God from faith to faith as it is written the just man shall live by faith This is a true difference of the Law of faith from the Law of workes but agreeth not to Bellarmines new Law which is a Law of workes as well as the old conteyning the very same morall precepts with the morall Law in the observation whereof not our justification but our sanctification consisteth prescribing also the same righteousnesse viz Charity which is the summe of the Law The seventh that the Law of Moses is a Law of fearefullnesse and bondage but the Gospell the Law of love and of liberty which is true For the obedience of men who are under the Law is forced by the terrour and coaction of the Law working servile feare in them But the obedience of men who are under grace that is of men justified is voluntary and cheerfull proceeding from faith and from some measure of assurance of Gods love and favour to them in Christ. Therfore this voluntary obedience is no cause but a consequent of justification not onely before God but also in the court of our owne conscience that is not onely of justification it selfe but also of the assurance thereof in some measure Of the eigth which confuteth the first I have already spoken § XXIII So much of the first thing which Bellarmine undertooke to demonstrate for the proofe of the necessity of good workes which we hold as well and urge as much as he Now followeth the second which is to prove that the justare not free from the observation of the Law of God For hee saith that we place Christian liberty in this that we are not subject in our conscience and before God to any Law and that the decalogue it selfe doth not belong unto us Which is a most devillish slander We professe that we so many as truly beleeve are by Christ freed from the curse of the Law from the rigour and exaction of the Law requiring perfect righteousnesse in us unto justification from the terrour and coaction of the Law from the irritation of the Law as I have shewed in my treatise of Christian liberty but not from the obedience of it For freedome from obedience is the servitude of sinne But wee being freed from sinne become the servants of righteousnesse And we doe
bee our righteousnesse Secondly because of his owne free grace he hath given us those meanes whereby the righteousnesse of Christ might bee communicated unto us as namely the Ministery of the Word and of the Sacraments Thirdly because of his grace hee blesseth those meanes unto us working and encreasing in us the grace of faith by which we are justified and lasâ—…ly when we doe by faith which is his gift bâ—…leeve hee freely imputâ—…th unto us the righteousnesse of Christ accepteth of us in him and in him adopteth us to be his sonnes and heires of eternall life § III. But as the Lord is gracious in justifying a beleeving sinner so hee is also righteous Rom. 3. 25 26. For thâ—…refore hath the Lord set forth his sonne and our Saviour to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse through the remission of sinnes that are past by the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousnesse that he might be just and the Iustifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus For such is the righteousnesse of God that hee forgiveth no mans sinne for which his Iustice is not fully satisfied by Christ neither doth hee accept of any as just but such as by imputation of Christs righteousnesse are made just in him The consideration of this justice of God in forgiving sinnes doth afford singular comfort to the faithfull For seeing the Lord forgiveth no sinne for which his justice is not satisfied and seeing our Saviour hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father for the sinnes of all that beleeve in him from hence we may be assured that as there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus so no punishment properly so called that is such a penalty as is inflicted in ordine justitiae and by way of vengeance because it cannot stand with the justice of God to punish the second time those sinnes in us for which his justice is already fully satisfied in Christ. § IV. But the actions of God the principall efficient of justification are to bee distinguished according to the distinction of the three Persons For God the Father justifieth as the primary Cause and Authour the Sonne as the meritorious cause the holy Ghost as the cause applicatory that is to say God the Father through the Sonne doth justifie us by the holy Ghost The Father I say as primary cause and that in two respects first in that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne for us and set him forth to be a 〈◊〉 through fâ—…ith in his blood that all who beleeve in him should bee iustified Rom. 3. 25. Ioh. 3. 16. Secondly as the Iudge in absolving those that beleeve and pronouncing them just in Christ. The Sonne as the Mediatour and meritorious cause and that also in two respects First as he is our Surety who paid our debt and our Redeemer who laid downe the price of our redemption for us Esay 53. 11. affording unto us the matter and merit of our justification Secondly as hee is our Intercessour and Advocate to plead for us that his merits may be imputed to us Rom. 8. 34. 1 Ioh. 2. 2. Heb. 7. 25. 9. 24. God the Father therefore justifieth as the primary cause per authoritatem as the Schoolemen speake the Sonne as the secondary cause per ministerium For so it is said Esa. 53. 11. My righteous servant shall justifie many The Father as the Iudge the Sonne as the Mediator and Advocate The Father as the Creditour accepting Christs satisfaction for us the Sonne as the Surety paying our debt for us But howsoever God the Father hath given his Soâ—…ne and the Sonne hath given himselfe for us and hath paid that price and performed that obedience which is sufficient for our justification notwithstanding none are actually justified by the merits of Christ but they onely to whom they are applyed For although the sufferings of Christ be a precious salve to cure our soules yet they will not heale us unlesse they bee applyed And although his righteousnesse bee as a wedding garment to cover our nakednesse yet it will not cover us unlesse it bee put on In the third place therefore the holy Ghost may also be said to justifie us because hee doth apply unto us Christs merits unto our justification both as he is the Spirit of regeneration working in us the grace of faith by which we receive Christ unto our justification in foro coelesti and also as hee is the Spirit of adoption confirming our faith and working in us the assurance of our justification by which wee are justified in foro Conscientiae § V. Now the meanes of this application are instrumentall causes of our justification and doe justifie instrumentally And these are of two sorts viz. on Gods part and on ours For to effect this application there must bee manus Dei offerentis the hand of God offering and manus accipientis the hand of the receiver The instruments on Gods part are the ministery of the Word and Sacraments whereby the holy Ghost doth beget and confirme faith in us In respect whereof Ministers are said to justifie men Dan. 12. 3. For as touching the ministery of the Gospell first in it the benefit of the Messias as namely reconciliation adoption and justification c. is revealed and offered to all that shall beleeve and by it wee are stirred up to receive and embrace it In which respect the preaching of the Gospell is called the ministery of reconciliation and the Ministers are Gods Embassadours sent to entreat men in Gods name and in Christs stead that they would be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 18 20. Secondly the holy Ghost having thus by the ministery of the Gospell knocked at the doore of mens hearts in his good time maketh it effectuall opening their hearts to give a lively and effectuall assent to the Gospell whereby they receiving Christ and beleeving in him are justified Thus faith commeth by hearing the Word And in this respect Preachers of the Gospell are said to be the Ministers by whom men doe beleeve 1 Cor. 3. 5. Thirdly in the preaching of the Gospell seconded and made powerfull by the operation of the holy Ghost the sentence of justification and remission of finnes and consequently of salvation is pronounced and concluded in the conscience of the faithfull when as out of the generall promise of the Gospell Whosoever truely belâ—…eveth in Christ hath remission of sinnes being by the Minister conditionally applyed to the hearer and absolutely assumed by the beleever after this manner If thou saith the Minister doest truely beleeve in Christ thou hast remission of sinnes and thou shalt be saved Rom. 10. 9. But I saith the faithfull hearer doe truely beleeve in Christ my conscience bearing mee witnesse in the holy Ghost this conclusion is inferred as the verdict of the holy Ghost testifying with the
writing in Greeke but also the holy Apostles and Evangelists have received the same And therefore these words are no otherwise to be understood than as the translations of the said Hebrew words signifying no other thing than what the Hebrew words import which as I have shewed doe never signifie to make or to be made righteous by inherent righteousnesse § II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used by the Apostle and by the Evangelist Luke sometimes as the translation of Tsiddiq in Piel as Luk. 7. 29. the people and Publicans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justified God The Lawyer Luk. 10. 29. willing to justifie himselfe The Pharisies Luk. 16. 15. justified themselves before men And so is the word used sometimes by the sonne of Sirach as Ecclus. 10. 29. who will justifie him that sinneth against his owne soule Cap. 13. 26. alias 22. A rich man speaketh things not to be spoken and yet men justifie him Sometimes the Apostle useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the translation of Hitsdiq as alwaies he doth in the question of justification and alwayes as the action of God as Rom. 3. 26. who justifieth him that beleeveth in Iesus how vers 24. gratis without any cause or desert of justification in the party without workes that is without respect of any righteousnesse inherent in him or performed by him vers 28. who justifieth the Circumcision and uncircumcision that is both Iewes and Gentiles not of workes or by inherent justice but by and through faith vers 30. who justifieth the ungodly that is the beleeving sinner that worketh not Rom. 4. 5. and therefore not by inherent righteousnesse how then by imputing righteousnesse without workes vers 6. who Rom. 8. 30. whom he calleth he justifieth namely by faith and whom he justifieth hee also glorifieth using the word in the same sense vers 33. who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who shall condemne where most manifestly the word is used as a judiciall word opposed to accusing and condemning Neither can any colour of reason be alleaged why the word in these places should signifie contrary to the perpetuall use both of it selfe and of the Hâ—…brew word whereof it is a translation to make righteous by righteousnesse inherent § III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used sometimes as the translation not of the passive verbe but as of the Neuter in Cal as I have shewed before out of the Greeke translation of the 〈◊〉 So Ecclus. 7. 5. bee not just before God not wise before the king or as it is usually translated doe not justifie thy selfe before God So also in the new Testament Rom. 3. 4. cited out of Psalm 51. 6. where the Hebrew word is not a passive but a neuter And so Apoc. 22. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him that is just be just still As the translation of the passive it is often used But as it never signifieth to be made just by inherent justice as I will shew when I come to answere the objections of the Papists so it alwayes signifieth either to be declared or pronounced just or to bee absolved and made jusâ—… by imputation In the former sense wisedome is said to bee justified of her Children Luk. 7. 37. who vers 29. justified God Christ who is God was manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3. 16. Thus by our words we shall bee justiâ—…ed not made just formally or by inherent righteousnesse but in the sense opposed to condemnation For as by thy words thou shalt bee justified so by thy words thou shalt be condemned Matth. 12. 37. Thus not the hearers alone but the doers of the Law shall bee justified that is pronounced just Rom. 2. 13. and in this sense the faithfull are justified by workes that is declared approved and knowne to bee just Iames 2. 21 23. 24 25. cum Genes 22. 12. â—…n the latter sense Ecclesiast 1. 28. alias 22. the famous man Chap. 31. 5. The lover of Gold Chap. 23. 14. alias 11. The rash swearer shall not bee justified that is as it is in the Commination of the third Commandement shall not bee held guitlesse but most plainely Chap. 26. the last verse the huckster shall not bee justified from sinne that is not absolved from sinne nor accepted as righteous So Act. 13. 38 39. where most plainely to be â—…ustified from sinne doth signifie to be absolved or freed from the guilt of sinne and is used promiscuously with remission of sinne And this sense oâ—… freedome from the guilt is â—…ometimes extended to signifie a totall freedome as Rom. 6. 7. He that is dead is justified that iâ—… as Chrysostome and Oâ—…umenius expound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is freed from sinne As these places are plainely repugnant to the Popish sense so none of the rest where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used doth favour it For either they import remission of sinnes and acceptation as righteoâ—…s as Luk. 18. 14. The Publican who had humbled himselfe and craved pardon went home justified that is obtained pardon and was accepted as righteous rather than the Pharisee who had justified himselfe or distinguish betweene justification and sanctification as 1 Cor. 6. 11. or exclude justification by inherent righteousnesse as Rom. 3. 20. Rom. 4. 2. 1 Cor. 4. 4. Gal. 5. 4. Or imply imputation as where we are said to be justified either by his blood as Rom. 5. 9. Or by faith as Rom. 5. 1. Gal. 3. 24. Or by grace as Tiâ—… 3. 7 Or both exclude the one and imply the other as Rom. 3. 24. 28. Gal. 2. 16 17. 3. 11. § IV. There remaine these two words which I mentioned before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used onely in two placâ—…s Rom. 4. 25. 5. 18. In the former it is said that Christ was delivered to death for our sinnes and was raised againe for our justificâ—…tion to whom as it is in the precedent verse righteousnesse shall bee imputed if wee beleeve on him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead for as our Saviour by his death and obedience untâ—…ll death merited for us remission of sinnes and the right to eternall life so by the acts of Christ restored to life as namely by his resurrection his merits are effectually applied and imputed to our justification For if Christ had not risen againe wee had beene still in our sinnes 1 Cor. 15. 17. In the latter place justification is in direct termes opposed to condemnation For as by the offence or transgression of one viz. the first Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the guilt which is to be supplied out of the sixteenth verse came upon all men the offspring of the first Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto condemnation so by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Gal. 1. 1. Heb. 7. 21. to the Sonne Ioh. 1. 3. Col. 1. 16. Heb. 1. 6 c. to the holy Ghost Rom. 5. 5. 1 Cor. 12. 8 9. And to omit other examples which are innumerable to the attributes of God which are the prime motive causes of all his actions as by the will of God 1 Cor. 1. 1. Eph. 1. 1. Col. 1. 1. Rom. 5. 32. 2 Cor. 8. 5. by the grace of Iesus Christ wee shall bee saved Act. 15. 11. who beleeved by Grace Act. 18. 27. called by his grace Galath 1. 15. by the tender mercies of our God Luk. 1. 78. Thirdly to Bellarmine in this place denying the preposition per to be rightly applied to the efficient cause I oppose Bellarmine in the twelfth chapter of the same booke affirming that the particle per doth signifie the cause efficient as Pro. 8. per me Reges regnant c. His third argument The good will of God cannot bee in vaine but alwayes performeth and worketh that good which hee willeth to any For whatsoever he willeth that he doth Psal. 115. 3 c. Answ. All this is true in respect of his will decreeing any thing which is absolute and is called voluntas beneplaciti but not in respect of his will prescribing or requiring any thing which is conditionall and is called voluntas signi of which will the Apostle speaketh in the place cited by Bellarmine 1 Th. 4. 3. This is the wil of God even your sanctification Otherwise by Bellarmines argument all men should bee holy because as hee saith God would have them truely just and holy Therfore saith he if justifying grace be the favour and goodwill of God and God doth not favour nor wish well in vaine but maketh us holy and blamelesse such as he would have us to bee then it followeth that to be justified by grace is not onely to bee reputed just and not to bee so but to be truly just holy and blamelesse Answ. This argument doth not prove the particular point for which it is brought namely that by grace is meant grace inherent and not the gracious favour of God But if it were ought worth it would serve to prove the maine question that although grace did signifie the favour of God when it is said that wee are justified by his grace yet this place would prove that wee are also made just by grace inherent For whom the Lord favoureth and wisheth well unto his benevolence is not in vaine to him but to whom hee willeth good hee worketh it making them truely just and holy whom by his grace hee justifieth For hee hath elected us that wee might bee holy Eph. 1. 4. and this is his will our â—…anctification All this wee freely confesse that whom God justifieth he maketh just first by imputation and truly and perfectly as hee justifieth secondly by infusion as hee sanctifieth But the Papists must at length learne to distinguish betwixt justification and sanctification For as wee have said before wee are justified by grace as it signifieth the gracious favour of God onely but wee are sanctified not onely by his gracious favour as the efficient but also by his graces infused and inherent in us as the matter § V. His fourth argument consisteth of sixe slender proofes put together which are scarce worth the answering That justifying grace â—…aith hee is not onely the favour of God but a gift inherent in the soule it may bee understood by the divers attributes and names thereof As first that it is called a gift a gift which wee receive a gift given by Christ a gift given by measure Secondly that it is compared to essence Thirdly that it is compared to light To the first I answere that the gracious love and favour of God is said in the scriptures to bee given that is vouchsafed unto us even the grace whereby wee were elected and predestinated to the adoption of children according to the good pleasure of his will by which wee are called justified and saved 2 Tim. 1. 9. God hath saved and called us with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which grace was given us in Christ Iesus before secular times having thereby graciously accepted us in his beloved Eph. 1. 6. Behold saith Saint Iohn how great love the Father hath given us that wee should be called the children of God 1 Ioh. 3. 1. For to so many as received Christ hee gave power to bee the sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name Ioh. 1. 12. § VI. Yea but it is such a gift as wee doe receive Very like for giving and receiving are relatives and therefore what God giveth us we doe receive namely as hee giveth it but hee doth not give all things by infusion and therefore hereof it doth not follow that what we receive in inherent but that onely which hee giveth by way of infusion Now hee hath vouchsafed us his grace whereby hee elected redeemed adopted justified us not by infusion but by acceptation in Christ which grace wee receive by the hand of faith and whom hee hath graciously accepted in his beloved they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made partakers of that grace which notwithstanding is in God and not in them But let us consider his proofe Rom. 5. 11. receiving the abundance of grace and of the gift os righteousnesse Answ. By grace here is meant gracious favor neither doth the Apostle here say the gift of grace but the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse For where these two are joyned together grace and gift grace signifieth gracious favour the gift of grace the fruit and effect of that favour being some benefit bestowed whether reall or relative The former is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grace of God the latter is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is prooved out of the 15. verse where is mention both of the grace of God and of the gift by grace and that which is here called the abundance of grace and vers 15. the abounding grace is elsewhere called the superabundant riches of his grace Ephes. 2. 7. that is of his gracious favour which in the same Chapter to the Romans vers 20. is said to have superabounded where sinne did abound which without great absurdity cannot bee understood of grace inherent Neither is the gift of grace or of righteousnesse here mentioned inherent but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which came upon us to justification is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 guilt which came upon all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto condemnation that is to say the merit of Christs obedience opposed to the guilt of Adams fall as the whole context doth prove But as wee were made sinners by Adams fall the guilt thereof being imputed unto us so we are made righteous by Christs obedience the merit thereof being imputed unto us §
VII Yea but it is a gift given by Christ. It is very true for in and by Christ all grace and favour is vouchsafed unto us for in him hee hath graciously accepted us And therefore as it is called the grace of God so in many places it is called the grace of Christ not onely because in and by him it is granted to us but also because he doth bestow it But doth it hereof follow that this grace is inherent what spirituall favour or grace tending to salvation hath God vouchsafed unto us otherwise than in and by Christ In him he vouchsafed us grace in generall and in particular the grace of election for in him wee were chosen Ephes. 1. 4. The grace of vocation and salvation given us in Christ. 2 Tim. 1. 9. the grace of adoption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Iesus Christ Ephes. 1. 5. The grace of reconciliation in and by Christ Rom. 5. 1. 11. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Col. 1. 20. The grace of redemption by Christ Rom. 3. 24. Ephes. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. The grace of justification by Christ Rom. 5. 9. 17 18 19. And how is this proved which no man doubteth of that grace is given by Christ because it is said Ioh. 1. 17. Gratia veritas per Iesum Christum facta est grace and verity was made by Iâ—…sus Christ where leaving his hold that it is given he urgeth as if he had forgot himselfe the phrase facta est is made for saith he it is not well said that the favour and benevolence of God is made § VIII Answ. The word in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not alwayes signifie was made but many times is expressed by the Verbe substantive fuit or extitit as Mark. 1. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 11. 26. 26. 6. Iohn 1. 6. sometimes by the Verbe became as Ioh. 1. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word became flesh so Mark. 1. 17. 1 Cor. 9. 20. 13. 1. and sometimes by the Verbe came and that in the sense either of happening Rom. 11. 25. 2 Tim. 3. 11. or of growing Matth. 21. 19. 1 Tim. 6. 4. or of being present Ioh. 6 21. 25. Act. 21. 17. 35. 27. 7. Now the sense of the word varying it is to be fitted to the place wherein it is used but the sense that grace and truth was made by Christ fitteth not But either we are to say extitit it was by Christ as Valla and sometimes Beza translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that it came by him as our translation readeth or that it was exhibited or given by Christ as the law both morall shewing sinne and denouncing the curse opposed to grace and also ceremoniall consisting of shadowes and types opposed to truth was given by Moses And thus Bellarmine himselfe understood this place for to prove that grace was given by Christ he alleaged this text But though grace and truth were given by Christ doth it follow that therefore grace doth signifie grace inherent or if it did that that inherent grace is justifying grace Howbeit the true meaning of the word is either according to the proper signification which is most usuall especially when these two Chased and Emeth grace and truth goe together or because grace and truth given by Christ are opposed to the Law given by Moses by grace and truth wee may understand the doctrine of grace and truth For as the doctrine of grace that is to say the Gospell which is the word of grace and the Gospell of Gods grace especially when it is opposed to the Law is termed grace Rom. 6. 14 15. Gal. 5. 4. Ephes. 3. 2. 1 Pet. 5. 12. so also the doctrine of salvation by Christ which is the word of truth Ephes. 1. 13. 2 Tim. 2. 15. Iam. 1. 18. the truth of the Gospell Gal. 2. 5. 14. or the word of the truth of the Gospell Col. 1. 5. is oftentimes called the truth Iohn 5. 33. and in many other places as hereafter shall be shewed § IX Fourthly he alleageth that this grace is given by measure from Christ himselfe Ephes. 4. 7. To every one of us grace is given according to the measure of the donation of Christ. But the favour of God saith hee is not given by measure nor by Christ. Answ. This place is not understood of justifying grace which is the gracious favour of God in Christ which is out of us in him but of the severall gifts of grace in us which by a Metonymy are called graces but properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Oecumenius upon that place hath well observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to every one is given grace that is a gift of grace whether they bee the graces of sanctification which are the proper fruits of saving grace or those which by the Schoolemen are called gratiae gratis datae of which the Apostle seemeth to speake in that place as hee explaineth himselfe in the verses following vers 8. 11 12. In which sense the Apostle Peter useth the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 4. 10. As every one hath received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gift of grace even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God Of these gifts of grace it is true which Bellarmine saith that they are given by Christ and that they are given by measure But will hee from thence prove that what grace is either given by Christ or in measure is not Gods favour I had thought that the saving grace of God according to his last allegation out of Ioh. 1. 17. had beene given by Christ and that it is from the Father through the Sonne by the Holy Ghost And therefore as it is called the grace of God who is the God of all grace 1 Pet. 5. 10. so also the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the grace of the holy Spirit who is the Spirit of grace Heb. 10. 29. And I had also thought that the favour of God though not that which justifieth is in divers degrees vouchsafed unto his creatures God loveth and favoureth all his creatures hee is good to all and his mercies aâ—… over all his workes Psal. 145. 9. giving all things to all Act. 17. 25. yet among the bodily creatures hee respecteth and favoureth men chiefely 1 Cor. 9. 9. Psal. 8. 4. Mat. 6. 26. 30. Prov. 8. 31. for which cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love of mankind is attributed to him Among men he favoureth the faithfull more than the rest 1 Tim. 4. 10. who are therefore called the favourites of God as I have shewed before Among them the Lord especially favoureth Ministers and Magistrates Psal. 105. 15. who are also called the favourits of God not onely in respect of justifying grace which is â—…quall in all to whom it is vouchsafed but also in respect of their functions
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the love of God alone wherewith he loved us of Hieromâ—… and likewise of Primatius Quomodo nos Deus diligat ex hoc cognoscinous how God doth love us hereby wee know To these from among the Popish Writers we may adde Cardinal Cajetan who saith the Apostle manifesteth the solid foundation of hope from the love of God towards us and againe whereby it appeareth that he setteth forth the love of God towards us as the chiefe foundation of hope Cardinal Tolet charitatem Dei appellat qua diligit nos Deus he calleth it the love of God wherewith hee loveth us Arias Montanus that our hope is rooted in that love wherewith God hath loved us B. Iustitian who expoundeth the words thus because that divine charity wherewith God imbraced us is shed into our hearts § III. Thirdly wee oppose evident reasons from the whole context that is not onely from the words of the text it selfe but also from those which either goe before or follow after For first touching the words of the Text By the holy Spirit is meant the Spirit of Adoption as Bellarmine confesseth in his next proofe viz. that the Apostle speaking Rom. 8. 15. de hoc ipso Spiritu of this selfe same Spirit saith you have received the Spirit of Adoption who is then said to shed abroad Gods love in our hearts when he doth perswade our soules of Gods love towards us in Christ testifying with our Spirits that wee are the sonnes of God and making us to cry in our hearts Abba Father with whom being the Spirit of promise and the earnest of our inheritance so many as beleeve are sealed unto the day of our â—…ull redemption Thus by sealing unto our soules the assurance of Gods love he is said to shed abroad the love of God in our hearts Secondly that love of God which he sheddeth abroad in our hearts and sealeth unto us as the ground whereupon our sound hope which never maketh ashamed is founded is Gods eternall and immutable love from the assurance whereof sealed unto us by the Holy Ghost our assured hope doth flow And therefore if we speake as the Apostle here doth of such a love of God as is both the Object of our faith and the ground of our hope we must say with Saint Iohn herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sinnes For that is it whereby especially God hath commended this his love towards us as it is here said vers 8. and as Saint Iohn also saith in the same place 1 Ioh. 4. 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because God sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world that we might live through him As for us wee love God because he loved us first 1 Ioh. 4. 19. For when we are by the holy Ghost shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts perswaded of Gods love towards us in Christ then and never till then our hearts are inflamed to love God againe and our neighbour for Gods sake But why is this love of God said to be shed forth in our hearts for this some doe urge I answere either in respect of the knowledge and assurance thereof wrought in us by the holy Ghost as I have said for therefore the holy Ghost is given unto us that we might know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things freely given or vouchsafed unto us of God among which the principall is his love or as those of the Church of Rome who consent with us in this point do speak it is said to be effused either as the cause is said to be effused by the effects which are the gifts proceeding from Gods love the chiefe whereof is the Spirit which is given unto us even the Spirit of adoption which as Chrysostome saith upon this place is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest gift or as the bounty of a Prince is shed abroad by his Almoner distributing the princes goods for even so the love and gracious bounty of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit of grace the dispenser of Gods gifts unto us 1 Cor. 12. 11. § IV. In the words going before the Apostle setteth downe the fruits of justification by faith first that being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ secondly by him we have through faith accesse into this grace wherein wee stand or as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 3. 12. by him we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence through faith in him thirdly joy in the holy Ghost rejoycing in hope of the glory of God And in these three the kingdome of grace consisteth viz. in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. And this joy the Apostle amplifieth because we glory and rejoyce in hope of glory not onely when all things goe with us according to our minds but also in affliction and tribulation Knowing that affliction being sanctified to them who have peace with God worketh patience and patience worketh probation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Chrysostome very well expoundeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it maketh him approved who is tryed for by patient bearing of afflictions which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tryals a man is by experience found to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sound and upright Christian as Saint Iames saith and when hee is so found hee shall receive the Crowne of life And therefore hath cause to hope as Saint Paul here saith that probation worketh hope and the hope of him that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maketh not ashamed whereas contrariwise the hope of the hypocrite maketh him ashamed but what is the ground of all this how come wee to have this peace this confidence this joy this undaunted hope Can wee have it by the bare assent of faith without application or desire thereof which is the onely faith which the Papists acknowledge Can wee have it by our owne charity when wee cannot know as the Papists teach that we have charity Nothing lesse but the ground and foundation of all our peace and comfort is this because the spirit of God teaching those that beleeve to apply the promises of the Gospell to themselves which cannot be done without special faith the love of God is shed forth into their hearts that is by the Spirit of adoption sealing those that do beleeve they are perswaded in some measure assured of the eternall love of God towards them in Christ upon which doe follow peace of conscience accesse with confidence and joy in the holy Ghost I conclude with Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith hee the Apostle having said that hope maketh not ashamed hee ascribeth all this not to our good workes but to the love of God not that whereby wee love him for that is our chiefe
is true God This righteousnesse of Christ which is called the righteousnesse of God by which we are justified the Papists even Bellarmine himselfe sometimes confesse to be a plenary satisfaction to God and by him imputed to them that beleeve and that this righteousnesse of Christ is the meritorious cause of our justification and that by the merit of Christs righteousnesse we are justified and yet they cannot abide to heare that it is the matter of justification when as wee by the matter of justification understand nothing but that righteonsnesse which is imputed to justification Now it is certaine that the righteousnesse of Christ neither active nor passive which were transient nor the merit thereof can otherwise be communicated to us but by imputation Even as the actuall transgression of Adam and the guilt thereof were by imputation communicated to us Neither could inherent righteousnesse bee merited for us unto our sanctification unlesse his righteousnesse it selfe and the merit thereof were first imputed to us unto justification no more than the actuall sinne of Adam could have infected us with originall corruption if his sinne and the guilt thereof had not first beene imputed to us § V. The fecond part of the assumption was that the righteousnesse inherent in us is our righteousnesse which one would thinke should need no proofe For though we receive it from God as wee doe all other good things which wee have yet it as well as all other good things even our daily bread which we have received from God is to be called ours All good things which we have are Gods gifts and yet they are not called his but ours As our bodies our soules our life our liberty our learning our wisedome our charity our temperance our piety c. and so our righteousnesse The Papists and some others doe teach that that righteousnesse is called Gods righteousnesse which wee shall have from God and that ours which wee have from our selves and by the strength of nature whereto I answer first there can bee no righteousnesse which is not the gift of God from whom all gifts doe come Neither is it credible that the Iewes who were instructed in Gods word should ever looke to bee justified by a righteousnesse not received from God The Pharisee himselfe who trusted unto his owne righteousnesse and thought as the Apostle speaketh of the Iewes to be justified by his owne righteousnesse acknowledged it to be the gift of God and therefore thanked him for it And hereunto Bellarmine elsewhere accordeth endeavouring by the example of the Pharisee who trusted in himselfe as being righteous to prove that men are not justified by speciall faith or by affiance in Gods speciall mercie And lest any should object that hee trusted to a righteousnesse which he had of himselfe hee addeth Neither can it bee said that the Pharisee had faith or affiance of Gods benevolence by reason of his owne merits as though hee â—…eleeved that he had his righteousnesse from himselfe Nam agebat gratias Deo de sua justitia proinde à Deo eam se habere credebat for he gave God thankes for his righteousnesse and therefore beleeved that he had it from God Secondly the righteousnesse of God by which wee are justified is without the Law revealed in the Gospell but all that righteousnesse which is from God within us is fully and perfectly described in the Law § VI. Thirdly as the severall parts of inherent righteousnesse though received from God as being his gifts of grace are notwithstanding called ours as our faith Matth. 9. 2 22. Rom. 1. 8. Hab. 2. 4. â—…am 1. 3. Our charity 2 Cor. 8. 8 24. 1 Cor. 16. 24. Philem. 1. and 7. Our hope Phil. 1. 20. 1 Thess. 2. 19. Our good workes Mat. 5. 16. Apoc. 2. 2. Our patience Luk. 21. 19. 2 Thess. 1. 4. Apoc. 2. 2. 3. 10. 13. 10. So righteousnesse inherent is in very many places of Scripture called ours whereof I will quote some Gen. 30. 33. 1 Sam. 26. 23. 2 Sam. 22. 21 25. 1 King 8. 32. Iob 33. 26. Psalm 7. 8. 18. 20 24. 35. 27. 112. 3 9. Prov. 11. 5 6. Eccl. 7. 16. Esa. 5. 23. 64. 6. Ezech. in his 3. 4. 18. and 33. chapters foureteene times Matth. 5. 20. and 6. 1. according to the Latine 2 Cor. 9. 9 10. but there are two which are most remarkeable Psalm 4. 1. where David thus calleth upon the Lord O God of my righteousnesse that is saith Bellarmine à quo est omnis meâ—… justitia acknowledging all his righteousnesse to bee from God and yet calleth it his owne righteousnes Esa. 54. 17. their righteousnesse is from me saith the Lord from God but yet theirs If it bee objected out of Augustine that it is called the righteousnesse of God non qua justus est sed qua nos justos facit not whereby hee is just but whereby hee maketh us just I answer that Christs righteousnesse both habituall and actuall both active and passive is such for it is not that whereby God that is the Godhead is just but that whereby hee maketh us just Fourthly whereas the Papists will needes have the righteousnesse of God by which wee are justified and which is the principall matter taught in the Gospell to be inherent in us though from God they confound Gods righ teousnes and ours and thereby confound the Law and the Gospell and by confounding them abolish the righteousnes of God as before by confounding justification with sanctification they abolished the benefit of justification and evacuate the Gospell or at least with the false Apostles Gal. 1. teach another Gospell whiles they teach another righteousnesse whereby to bee justified than the righteousnes of God which whosoever doth though hee were an Apostle though an Angel from heaven he ought to be held accursed § VII Our second argument That is the matter of our justification besore God by which wee being sinners in our selves for that justification which the Scriptures teach is the justification of a sinner doe stand righteous before God which wee being sinners may oppose to the judgement of God why he should not condemne us which wee being sinners may interpose betwixt Gods justice and us and which we may plead as a full satisfaction to God for us Such is the righteousnes of Christ for being sinners in our selves yet beleeving in Christ we are in him accepted and constituted righteous The righteousnesse of Christ is that which we being sinners in our selves may oppose to Gods judgement or interpose betwixt Gods justice and us which wee may plead as a full satisfaction made in our behalfe For though by our sins wee have deserved to bee condemned and to be excluded from heaven yet if wee beleeve in Christ his sufferings are accepted in our behalfe to free us from hell and his obedience to entitle us unto heaven In him we have borne the penalty in him
Flesh and the Flesh lusting against the Spirit So that though Will be present with us that wee cannot doe what we would and much lesse after what manner wee would that is with our whole soules with our whole mind heart and affections For what good wee minde or will as wee are Spirit the same wee will as wee are Flesh. This concupiscence the Apostle had not knowne to bee a sinne had not the Law said non concupisces that is thou shalt have none evill concupiscence neither habituall nor actuall Neither is it onely a sinne as the Apostle oftentimes doth cal it but also it is the mother-sinne Iam. 1. 13 Rom. 7. 17. which taking occasion by the Law to produce ill concupiscences therein forbidden is convinced not onely to bee a sinne but exceedingly sinnefull Rom. 7. 13. But of this I have spoken before and proved by the testimony of Augustine that concupiscence against which the good Spirit lusteth viz. in the regenerate for in the unregenerate the Spirit is not is both a sinne and the cause of sin and a punishment sinne § XIII And as touching the second the summe of the Law is that we should love God with all our heart and with all our soule c. but where is any defect of love there God is not loved with all the heart c. it being legally understood and therefore every defect is an aberration from the Law and consequently a sinne I have also proved out of Augustine that it is a fault where love is lesse than it ought to bee from which fault it is that there is not a righteous man upon earth which doth good and sinneth not For which also though wee bee never so good proficients wee must of necessity say forgive us our debts Therefore every defect is a debt that is a sinne whereunto wee may adde that of the same Augustine It is a sinne either when there is not charity where it ought to bee or is lesse than it ought to bee whether this may or may not bee avoided by the Will § XIV And as to the third If those which the Papists call veniall sinnes bee not contrary to the Law then they are not forbidden in the Law and without doubt they are not commanded therein Now if neither they bee commanded nor forbidden then they are things indifferent but that is absurd yea but saith hee veniall sinnes hinder not justice And the Scripture absolutely calleth some men just and perfect notwithstanding their veniall sinnes I answere they hinder not imputative justice nor evangelicall perfection which is uprightenesse for to them that beleeve and repent they are not imputed Neither can it be denied but that the most upright men have their imperfections infirmities and slippes which though in themselves and according to the Law are mortall sinnes for if they should not bee forgiven they would as Bellarmine himselfe confesseth exclude men from heaven yet to them that are in Christ Iesus thâ—…y become veniall by the mercie of God through the merits and intercession of Christ. § XV. His second reason is taken from divers absurdities which hee conceiveth doe follow upon our assertion when as indeed they follow not upon our doctrine but upon his malicious misconceiving and misreport thereof as if wee held that all even the best workes of the righteous are mortall sinnes But wee acknowledge that the good workes of men regenerate are truly good and so to bee called notwithstanding the imperfection thereof Onely wee deny them to be purely good wherin we have the consent of holy Scriptures and of the ancient Fathers some whereof I before alleaged to whom I added Gregory and Bernard Gregory in the conclâ—…sion of his Moralls saith thus Mala nostra pura mala sunt bona quae nos habere credimus pura bona esse uequaquaÌ„ possunt Our evill things are purely evill and the good things which we suppose our selves to have can by no meanes bee purely good Bernard t Our lowly justice if we have any is perhaps true but not pure Vnlesse peradventure wee beleeve our selves to bee better than our fore-fathers who said no lesse truely than humbly all our righteousnesses are as it were the cloth of a menstruous woman wee doe not say that the good workes of the faithfull are sins and much lesse mortall sins For we hold that the sins of the faithful become to them venial But this we say with Salomon that there is not a righteous man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not which in effect is the same with that assertion of Luther Iustus in omni opere bono peccat § XVI Now let us examine the absurdities which hee absurdly upon his owne malitious misconceit objecteth against us In all which it is supposed that wee call the good workes of the righteous sinnes yea mortall sinnes The first if all the workes of the faithfull bee sinnes then the worke of faith whereby we are justified and that prayer whereby we begge remission of sinne should be sinnes Answ. The worke of faith and the act of prayer are good but not purely and perfectly good Neither are we justified by the worthinesse or by the worke of our faith but by the Object which it doth receive nor obtaine our desires by the merit of our prayer but by the mediation and intercession of Christ our Saviour Our faith is such that wee have need alwayes to pray Lord increase our faith Lord I beleeve help mine unbeleefe and our prayer such that when wee have performed it in the best manner we can wee have neede to pray that the wants and imperfections of our prayer may bee forgiven us § XVII The second If all the works of the righteous be sinnes with what face could the Apostle say that hâ—… knew nothing by himselfe And what boldnesse was that for his good workes that is for his mortall sinnes to expect a Crowne of righteousnesse Answ. Though the Apostle had no doubt sometimes offended after his conversion yet he was not conscious to himselfe in particular of any actuall sinne or crime committed by him for as the Psalmist saith who can understand his errors No man saith Basil is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free from sinne but God for of those many things wherein we offend the most wee understand not for which cause the Apostle saith I know nothing by my selfe but in that I am not justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in many things I offend and doc not perceive whence also the Prophet saith who understandeth his trespasses But though hee was not conscious to himselfe of his slippes and oversights yet hee was not ignorent of his owne corruptious and infirmities against which when hee had prayed to God hee received this answere My grace is sufficient for thee and in weakenesse my power is made perfect Neither did the Apostle expect the reward for
who dissenteth from the truth even from that which the Church doth hold § V Secondly they are absurd in saying that faith may better be defined by ignorance than by knowledge For notitia knowledge is the genus both of faith and of science whereas ignorance is a privation of knowledge It were therefore very strange if faith which is an habit of the mind should be defined by a privation and namely of that habit which is the genus of it Yea but saith Bellarmine faith is opposed to science and therefore better to be defined by ignorance than by knowledge I answere it is opposed to science not as a privation that it should bee defined by ignorance but as a species of the same kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contra divided for notitia as the genus is divided into science and faith the former being a knowledge of things either manifest in themselves which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or made manifest by discourse of reason which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter being a knowledge of things neither manifest to sence nor reason but knowne onely by relation from God where by the way you are to observe that the knowledge required in faith is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the cause such as is in science but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to beleeve the relation to be true and that whatsoever God revealeth is infallibly true And therfore by faith our judgements are captivated to yeeld assent to divine revelations though either they may be above reason or may seeme to be against sence or reason For though sence and reason may bee deceived yet the ground of our faith which is the authority of God cannot be deceived nec fidei falsum subesse potest neither can the subject of faith be false As for example the mysteries of the Trinity and of the incarnation of our Saviour bee above our reason the articles of the creation of all things from nothing and of the resurrection of the body seeme contrary to reason the article of eternall life contayneth such things as never eye did see nor eare heare neither did they ever enter into the heart of man and so of other articles of Christian religion which notwithstanding we doe firmely beleeve and undoubtedly know to be true as God hath revealed the same grounding this our faith and knowledge on the authority of God speaking in his Word This distinction of knowledge being acknowledged that the knowledge of faith is neither the certaine intelligence of things in themselves manifest to sense or reason nor that science which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the causes or attained by discourse of reason but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the things revealed by God are infallibly true by reason of his authority who is Truth it selfe might serve as a sufficient answer to so many of Bellarmines arguments and allegations as seeme worth the answering But I will briefly examine his proofes which are allegation of Scriptures reason and testimonies of Fathers § VI. As for his allegation of Scripture the first place alleadged out of Esa. 7. 9. is not as Bellarmine alleageth it unlesse you beleeve you shall not understand but if you beleeve not you shall not be established or as the vulgar Latine which Bellarmine ought to stand to non permâ—…nebitis as contrariwise 2 Chron. 20. 20. if you beleeve in the Lord you shall be established or as the Latine securieritis Neither doth it follow that faith is not knowledge because without faith we cannot come to the certaine intelligence of that which we beleeve For as knowledge of the thing revealed goeth before faith so faith goeth before the exact understanding and comprehension In the two next places 1 Cor. 13. 2. 12. 9. where faith as he saith is distinguished as a severall gift from knowledge by faith is not meant justifying faith but the faith of miracles as I have else where shewed Neither doe wee deny but that knowledge may be a distinct gift from faith As that knowledge which is either principiorum or conclusionum which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither is knowledge alwayes joyned with acknowledgement which is faith though acknowledgement implyeth knowledge alwayes Knowledge therefore may be without faith but faith cannot be without knowledge To the fourth out of 2 Cor. 10. 5. that where knowledge is there needs no captivating of the understanding I answere that faith being onely notitia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and giving firme assent to that whereof it knoweth no reason yea though perhaps it seeme above or against reason subjecteth or captivateth the understanding to the authority of God The last is from those places wherein the obedience of faith is mentioned For saith he obedience in beleeving were not needfull if by faith knowledge were given to men I answere that in those places faith doth signifie the doctrine of faith that is the Gospell the truth which men are then said to obey Rom. 10. 16. Gal. 3. 1. Act. 6. 7. when they beleeve and professe it As contrariwise those who doe not beleeve are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to disobey and that in opposition to beleefe Ioh. 3. 36. Act. 14. 2. 17. 5. 19. 9. Rom. 11. 30 31 32. 15. 31. Heb. 3. 18 19. 1 Pet. 2. 7. Neither should it seeme strange to Bellarmine that by faith men attaine to knowledge I meane to greater knowledge when he urging even now that place Esai 7. 9. said faith is a degree and way to knowledge § VII To the Testimony of Irenaeus if it were entirely cited I would subscribe For speaking of those words 1 Cor. 8. Scientia inflat dilectio autem adificat and having thereupon inferred that it were better to know but a little and to love God than in a conceit of great knowledge to bee found blasphemous against God hee repeateth the same againe Melius itáque est sicuti predixi nihil omnio scientem quempiaâ—… ne quidem unam causam cujusllbet eorum quae facta sunt cur factum credere Deo persever are in ejus dilectione quae honorem vivificat nec aliud inquirere adscientiam nisi Iâ—…SVM Christum filium Dei qui pro nobis crucifixâ—…s est quà m per quaestionum subtilitates multiloquium in impietatem cadere Where first observe that the knowledge whereof he speaketh is that whereby the causes or reasons of things are knowne And wee doe confesse that a man may and ought simply to beleeve God without such knowledge and secondly that he speaketh by way of comparison that it is better for a man to content himselfe with the knowledge of Christ alone joyned with love which is not to be accounted implicite faith for the Apostle himselfe determined to know nothing among the Corinthians but Christ and him crucified than affecting the knowledge of subtile and curious questions to fall into
according to the perfection of it and as it is in it selfe considered in the abstract Otherwise we acknowledge degrees of assurance And if any of our Divines have held the speciall faith to be the onely justifying faith they are to be understood as speaking of justification in the court of conscience and as judging them onely to be justified and to have remission of sinnes who are in their owne consciences perswaded and in some measure assured thereof But besides and before the speciall faith whereby wee are justified in our owne conscience applying the promise of the Gospell to our selves a formall degree of faith is to bee acknowledged being the condition of the Evangelicall promises by which we aprehend receive and embrace Christ as hath been shewed and by which we are justified before God This degree of faith in order of nature goeth before repentance though in time repentance seemeth to goe before faith as being sooner discerned But in order of nature as well as of time repentance goeth before speciall faith Because no man can be assured of Gods favour in remitting his sinnes who hath not repented thereof CAP. XII Of foure other dispositions viz. love penitencie a purpose and desire to receive the Sacrament the purpose of a new life § I. HIs fourth disposition is Love for so soone as a man doth hope for a benefit from another as namely justificacation from God hee beginneth to love him from whom hee doth expect it In which words there is some shew that hope disposeth to love but that love doth dispose to justification not so much as a shew But that some love goeth before justification and disposeth thereto he endeavoureth to prove which if he could performe were to little purpose â—…or so long as this love doth not justifie his assertion doth not disprove justification by faith alone but indeed he proveth it not though to that purpose hee produceth besides foure testimonies of Scripture the authority of the Councell of Aurenge His first testimony is a supposititious senrence of an Apocryphall Booke For neither is the sentence in the originall Greeke nor the Booke canonicall neither is the sentence it selfe to the purpose Yee that feare the Lord love him and your hearts shall be he doth not say justified but enlightened that is as Iansenius expoundeth comforted For they that feare God and love him are already justified by faith from which both feare and love doe spring § II. His second testimony Luk. 7. 47. Many sinnes are forgiven her because she loved much therefore love is the cause of forgivenesse I answer by denying the consequence For here in the Papists are many times grossely mistaken who thinke that in every aetiologie the reason which is rendred is a cause so properly called when as indeed it may be any other argument or reason as well as the cause For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause in a large sense doth not onely fignifie that which causeth the effect which properly is called the cause of a thing or action but also any reason which proveth the thing propounded which is a cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of the action or thing it selfe but of the reasoning or conclusion or as wee use to say consâ—…quentiae non consequentis of the consequence not of the consequent Thus it is called the fallacie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non causa pro causa when that is brought for any argument which it is not So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is traÌ„slated redditio causae is the rendring of any reason from any argument whatsoever For in any syllogism that which is the medium though it bee the effect of the thing is the cause of the conclusion because it is the reason which proveth it and in this sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for which cause and wherefore is all one Thus the Papists prove Christs humiliation to have beene the cause of his exaltation as wee heard before because â—…he Apostle saith therefore God exalted him c thus they prove the workes of mercie to bee the cause of salvation because our Saiour saith for I was hungry c so here that love is the cause of forgivenesse because it is said for she loved much when indeed our Saviour argueth not from the cause to the effect but from the effect to the cause as is most evident First by the parable of a creditour who having two debtors whereof the one owed him five hundred pence the other fiftie and neither of them having any thing to pay he freely forgave them both their debt Our Saviour therâ—…fore demanding of the Pharisee who had invited him which of these debtours would love the creditour most the Pharisee truely answered I suppose he to whom he forgave most which answer approved by our Saviour plainely proveth that love was not the cause of forgivenesse but forgivenesse of love and the forgiveing of more the cause of greater love and the forgivenesse of lesse the cause of lesse love and consequently that the greater love was not the cause of greater forgivenesse but the effect of it This parable our Saviour applying to the Pharisee that invited him as the lesse debtour and to the woman which had been a notorious sinner as the greater debtor to both which he had forgiven their debts they having nothing to pay sheweth that her greaâ—…er love was an evidence of her greater debt forgiven Secondly by the antithesis in the same verse but to whom little is forgiven hee loveth but a little It is therefore plaine that the forgivenesse is the cause of love and the forgiving of more of more love and the forgiving of lesse of lesse love And as lesse love is a token of the lesse debt forgiven so greater love of more forgiven hee speaketh therefore of her love not as the cause going before but as the effect following after justification § III. And such is Bellarmines argument out of 1 Ioh. 3. 14. we are translated from death to life that is we are justified because we love the brethren therefore the love of the brethren is the cause of justification I deny the consequence the love of the brethren is not the cause but the fruit of our justification whereby it may be knowne And this appeareth manifestly out of these words which Bellarmine hath fraudulently omitted Nos scimus quia translati sumus c. wee know that wee are translated from death to life because wee love the brethren Our loue then is not the cause of justification but a manifest signe and evidence whereby it is knowne that we are already justified for so he saith speaking in the time past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we are already passed or translated from death to life And to the like effect our Saviour speaketh Luk. 7. 47. as if hee had said hereby it appeareth that many sinnes are forgiven her because shee loved much But that it was not her love
of the most regenerate is not yet wholly renewed and how much he is not yet renewed so much he is in his old estate c. 6. It is the fulnesse of virtue which the Law saith thou shalt not covet hoc modò impleri non potest this now cannot bee fulfilled 7. So long as love may and ought to bee increased as in this life alwayes it may and ought certainely that which is lesse than it ought to be is faulty by reason of which faultinesse there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not By reason of which faultinesse no man living shall be justified in Gods sight c. VII Sedulius upon those words for Christ is the end of the Law c that is saith he perfectionem legis habet qui credit in Christâ—… hee hath the perfection of the Law who beleeveth in Christ. For seeing no man was justified by the Law quia nemo impleâ—…at legem because none did fulfill the Law c. VIII Oecumenius for this cause they who adhere to the Law are accursed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they are not able to fulfill the Law IX Bernard neither was the Law-giver ignorant that the weight of the Commandement did exceed the strength of men but hee judged it profitable that by this meanes they might bee admonished of their insufficiencie and that they might know unto what end or perfection of righteousnesse they ought according to their ability strive wherfore mandando impossibilia by commanding things impossible hee made not men transgressours but humble c. 2. Therefore he hath straightly comanded his Commandements to be kept that seeing our imperfection to be defective non posse implere quod dâ—…bet that it cannot fulfill what it ought we might flee to mercie X. Thomas Aquinas on those words Gal. 3. 10. For it is written Cursed c. he proveth saith hee his purpose viz. that no man can be justified by the workes of the Law quia nullus potest servare legem because no man can keepe the Law in that manner that the Law prescribeth Deut. 27. because every one is accursed who doth not continue in all things which arâ—… written in the booke of the Law to doe them that is who doth not fulfill the whole Law Sed implere totam legem est impossibile but to fulfill the whole Law it is impossible XI Cardinall Câ—…sanus Nemo vunquam adimplevit legem never any man fulfilled the Law which consisteth in love but Christ only who came not to breake the Law but to fulfill it Against all these the sacred Councell of Trent denounceth Anathema CAP. VII Bellarmines sixe reasons to prove that the Law of God is absolutely possible answered and refuted § I. NOW I come to Bellarmines Reasons which are in number sixe The first A man may doe more than is commanded therefore much more hee is able to fulfill the Commandement The antecedent hee proveth by three testimonies The first of Christ Matth. 19. Who after he had said if thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements and the party had answered all these I have kept from my youth he saith unto him againe if thou wilt be perfect goe and sell all that thou hast c. The second of Chrysostome who saith that many exceed the Commandements The third of Augustine who saith no great burden is imposed upon Virgins greater love hath imposed a greater weight As if they should say what dost thou command that we should not bee adultresses Is this that which thou commandest In love to thee we doe more than thou commandest I answere by distinction For when he saith a man may doe more than is commanded that more may be understood either extensivè to things not commanded at all or inteâ—…sivè in respect of things commanded but done in greater perfection than is commanded And thus he meaneth either some speciall Commandement or the whole Law If he meane the whole Law I deny the antecedent For I have proved that no mortall man is able to fulfill the whole Law and much lesse to doe more The Law of God is a perfect rule of righteousnesse unto which nothing can or ought to bee added And to him that goeth about to adde to Gods Law God will adde his judgements because hee addeth nothing but will-worship and sinne And to such it will be said Who required these things at your hands Neither is that obedience to God which God hath not required And this is the case of all the religious Orders among the Papists who professe greater perfection than God hath required the severall Religions being so many by-wayes misleading them from that way which leadeth to heaven And this overthroweth all their superarrogant workes of supererogation For there can bee no workes of supererogation over and above the Law unlesse first the whole Law be fulfilled and then more bee added thereunto Neither of which can bee done If hee meane either things not commanded or the duties of any one speciall Commandement then I deny the consequence For as touching things not commanded it is manifest that they who are addicted to will-worship doe many things not commanded who notwithstanding neglect the things commanded making the Commandements of God of none effect through their traditions And this is the condition of all popish Votarles who though they should fully observe the rules of their severall Orders yet would bee very farre from fulfilling the whole Law of God If hee meane some speciall Commandement as by his proofes it seemeth hee doth then also I deny the consequence For though â—… man should doe more than is required in some speciall Commandement yet hee would bee defective in respect of others and hee that faileth in any is guilty of all § II. But I suppose it would be hard for any Papist to shew that in respect of any necessary morall duety more can bee laudably performed than is by duety required For whatsoever can be done it is either commanded of God or forbidden or neither commanded nor forbidden If it be forbidden it is evill and not to be done If it bee commanded it cannot bee done in greater perfection than God in his Law doth require it to be done If it be neither commanded nor forbidden then it is in it owne nature indiâ—…erent and therefore in respect of our Christian liberty free either to bee done or to be left undone But because our liberty is not a loose licentiousnesse but a true liberty bounded with the Lawes of piety and charity therefore we are so to use or forbeare the use of these things as that therein wee doe not offend against either piety or charity If therefore wee shall use these things as meanes or helpes to performe the dueties either of piety or charity or refuse them as impediments to either having either in the using or refusing
bountyof God then are they fooles who repose affiance in their owne workes And no doubt but they are fooles who trust in their owne heart as Salomon saith Prov. 28. 26. For as Adrian saith who after was Pope Our merits are like astaffe of reed which not onely breaketh when it is leaned upon but also pierceth the hand of him that leaneth on it To trust in a mans owne righteousnessâ—… is the property of a proud Iustitiary and hypocrite Ezec. 33. 13. Luke 18. 9. and of one that is accursed because hee removeth his heart â—…rom God and putteth his trust in man that is to say hâ—…mselfe for as Bernard well faith for a man to trust in himselfe Non fidei sed per â—…dem est nec confidentiae sed diffidentiae magis in semetipso habere fiduciam But the true and upright Christian renouncing all confidence in his owne righteousnesse as being a beggar in spirit Matth. 5. 3. resteth wholly on the mercies of God and merits of Christ Psal. 130. 3 4. 143. 2. Dan. 9. 18. 1 Cor. 4. 4. Phil. 3. 8 9. according to the advice of our Saviour Luk. 17. 10. If it be objected that the godly in many places of Scripture doe alleage their owne innocency and integrity as seeming to put some affiance therein 2 King 20. 3. Nehem. 5. 19. Psal. 18. 21 24. 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I answere first it is one thing to place affiance in our good works as causes of our salvation as merit-mongers use to doe another from our good workes as tokens and signes of our election vocation justification and as presages of our glorification to gather comfort assâ—…rance and hope to our selves of our justification and salvation which the faithfull use to doe and to that end are they commanded to practise good workes that they make their calling and election sure 2 Pâ—…t 1. 10. This distinction is acknowledged by Bellarmine Sciendum est saith hee aliud esse fidâ—…ciam nasci ex 〈◊〉 aliâ—…d fiduciam esse ponendam in meritis It is one thing out of our good workes to gather assurance and affiance in God which the faithfull doe as they are exhorted in the Scriptures 2 Pet. 1. 10. Iob 11. 15. Rom. 5. 4. Probation worketh hope 1 Ioh. 3. 21. If our heart condemne us not then have wee confidence towards God and it is another thing to place affiance in our merits which none but proud Iustitiaries and Pharisaicall Hypocrites use to doe Secondly we must distinguish betwixt the innocency and justice of a mans cause and the innocency and justice of his person For the same men in the Scripture who for the justification of their persons desire the Lord not to enter into judgement with them for the justification of their cause have not feared to appeale to Gods judgement § XIII Our sixth reason those who cannot fully discharge their duety much lesse can they merit For they that merit must doe more than their duety For they that doe but their duety though they doe all that is commanded must acknowledge themselves to be unprofitable servants But if they faile in their duety and come short of that which is commanded then can they merit nothing but punishment at the hands of God But no mortall man is able fully to satisfie his duety Our duety is to abstaine from all sinne yea to be 〈◊〉 from all sinne and to doe the things commanded to doe all and to continue in doing all and that in that manner and measure which the Law requireth But those things no mortall man is able to doe as hath beene proved heretofore So farre is every mortall man from meriting any thing but punishment at the hands of God Our seventh reason If good workes doe merit salvation then wee are saved by them but we are not saved by good workes Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. therefore they doe not merit salvation Eightly the last reason The heavenly Canaan is a land of promise as the earthly Canaan was which the Lord gave to the Israelites not because of their merits Deut. 9. 5. Nor for the merit of their forefathers Iosh. 24. 2. but because he loved them and that for no other cause but because hee loved them Deut. 7. 7 8. In which love as hee freely promised it so in the same undeâ—…erved love he did freely bestow it And yet hee was just in giving it because hee had promised it Nehem. 9. 8. The same wee are to conceive of the heavenly Canaan whereof the other was a Type that it is a land of promise and noâ—… of merit freely promised and freely bestowed on the heires of promise CAP. IIII. Testimonies of Fathers disproving merits and first those which Bellarmine hath sought to answere and then others § I. TO the former testimonies and proofes I will adjoyne the testimonies of Fathers and other writers And first those which Bellarmine hath endeavoured to answere of which Hilarie is the first Spes in misericordia Dei in sâ—…culum in seculum seculi est Non enim illa ipsa justitiae opera sufficient ad perfectâ—… beatitudinis meritum nisi misericordia Dei etiam in hac justiâ—…ae voluntate hâ—…manarum demutationum motuum vitia non reputet hinc illud Prophetae dictum est melior est misericordia tua super vitam In tantum misericordia Dei muneratur ut miserans justitia voluntatem aeternitatis quoque suae justum quemque tribuat esse participem His intendement is that the hope of salvation is to bee placed in Gods mercy which is better than our righteous life For the workes of righteousnesse without Gods mercy in forgiving of sinnes will not suffice to obtaine the reward of blessednesse which the mercy of God pitying our will of righteousnesse bestoweth on the just But Bellâ—…mine maketh him speake what pleaseth him for to omit that for sufficient hee readeth Sufficerent Hilary saith hee doth teach that with our goodworkes are mingled certaine sinnes which though they make not a man unjust as being light â—…nd veniâ—…ll yet they need pardon and mercy because nothing that is defiled can enter into the kingdome of heaven Bellarâ—…ines meaning is that at the day of judgement the faithfull shall need Gods mercy for the pardoning of veniall sinnes as heretofore â—…ee hath taught But there is no such matter in Hilary neither is it tâ—…ue as I have shewed beforâ—… that at the day of â—…udgement the faithfull shall need remission of veniall or any other sinnes neither doth Hilary say that the sinnes which are forgiven by the mercy of God are light and such as the Papists call veniall Neither is it true that there bee any sinnes which doe not make them sinners in whom they are seeing Bellarmine here confesseth that men are so defiled by them that they being not remitted exclude them from heaven neither doth hee say with good merits are mingled sinâ—…es neither doth
reward of their labours who are Gods workemen vers 9. labouring for him and not for themselves is the blessing of increase which God giveth thereunto Even as the harvest is the reward of the earing not to be asscribed to the merit of earing but to the blessing of God And so it is here plainely said though the Planter and the Waterer shall have their owne rewards yet their reward is not to bee asscribed to the merit of their labour but to the blessing of God I have planted saith Paul and Apollâ—… hath watered but God gave the increase So then neither he that planteth is any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase Or if the place should generally be understood oâ—… all workes both good and bad the meaning would be that the reward would be answerable either good or bad That of the Psalmist Psal. 62. 12. To thee Lord mercie for thou rendrest to every man according to his worke is not generally to be understood of the workes of all men both good and bad for the bad works of the wicked hee doth not reward in mercie but judgement without mercie shall bee executed upon them but of the good workes of the godly onely which though they bee good and acceptable to God in Christ yet he rewardeth them not according to merit but according to his mercie The place Apâ—…c 22. 12. may be an exposition of the rest For whereas in the rest it is said that God will judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their dâ—…eds here Christ saith he will render to every one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his worke shall be viz. good or bad But here the Papists would seeme to bring a reason à pari that as the wicked are damned prâ—…pter peccata for their evill workes so the godly are saved propter opera bona for their good workes And as â—…vill workes merit hell so good workes pari ratione merit heaven Answ. it is impar ratio there is no equality in the comparison For first the Scripture plainely teacheth that by and for their evill works men are condemned and as plainely denieth that by or for good workes men are saved Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. Secondly any one sinne meriteth death because it is a breach of the Law yea of the whole law Iam. 2. 10. but not any one good worke can merit heaven because it is not the fulfilling of the whole law for there must be a concurrence of all duties In so much that if a man should performe all the Commandements and faile in one the breach of that one maketh him guilty of all Thirdly evill workes are purely and perfectly evill and therefore absolutely deserve death but the good workes are not purely and perfectly good as I have heretofore prooved therefore death is the due stipend of sinne but eternall life is the free gift of God Fourthly sinne is absolutely meritorious of damnation but so is not our obedience of Salvation For though we could performe all the commandements by a totall perpetuall and perfect obedience yet wee must acknowledge our selves unprofitable servants and much lesse could we merit thereby because we have done but our duety and where is no more but duety there can bee no merit Debitum non est meritum § XIIII His third argument is taken from those places which do so testifie eternall life to be rendred to good workes that they place the very reason why eternall life is given in good workes The places bee these Matth. 25. 34 35. Come ye blessed of my Father possesse the kingdome prepared fâ—…r you from the beginning of the world For I was hungry and you gave mee meat c. and in the same chapter vers 21. because thou hast beene faithfull in few things c. Apoc. 7. 14. These are they who came out of great tribulation c. therefore they are before the Throne of God In which places the particles enim quia ideo for because therfore are all causall His reason standeth thus To what things the causall particles are applied they are causes of that to which they have relation as namely of Salvation To workes of charity the causall particles are applied Therefore workes of charity are causes of Salvation To the proposition I answere that causall particles doe not alwaies nor for the most part signifie causes so properly called For that is a grosse erâ—…our of the Papists as I noted before The word cause sometimes is used properly to signifie that argument which hath relation onely to its effect by virtue whereof the effect hath its being either as from the efficient or as of the matter or as by the forme or as for the end Sometimes it is used generally to signifie any argument or reason whatsoever which is not the cause of the thing or of the being of that whereof it is said to bee a cause but of the consequence or conclusion and thus the rendring of any reason is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rendring of the cause though perhaps it bee from the effect or any other argument And forasmuch as persons are discerned and knowne by their effects for as our Saviour saith By their fruits you shall know them therefore it is usuall in the Scriptures from the effect to argue and declare the cause As thus God is mercifull for hee rewardeth the godly according to their workes God is just for hee rewardeth the wicked according to their sinnes This man is elect because he truely beleeveth and repenteth this man truely beleeveth because hee is fruitfull of good workes This is a good tree for it bringeth forth good fruite To the woman that was a sinner much was forgiven for shee loved much In those and infinite more examples the cause or reason which is rendred is from the effect Therefore the proposition is false § XV. Now let us consider the places of Scriptnre which hee alleageth and first Matth. 25. 35. for when I was hungry c. This reason which is alleaged is not from the cause as if good workes were the meritorious cause of our inheriting the kingdome of heaven but from the effect to prove the cause which is expressed Verse 34. as I have shewed before For for what cause are men to be saved First because they are blessed of the Father that is justified and therefore entituled to this kingdome Secondly because they are elected and therefore this kingdome was prepared for them from the beginning Thirdly because they arâ—… the heires of God for whom our Saviour purchased this inheritance noted in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ—…rit But how shall it appeare who they are that are blessed and justified for whom this kingdome is prepared for whom this inheritance is purchased By the fruits of justification election redemption and namely by the workes of mercy and chariâ—…y towards the poore members of Christ according to which as the evidence our Saviour
that which hee speakeâ—…h of love in which hee taketh for granted wâ—…ich wee deny that merit doth consist may bee verified not onely of the love of God but of faith and hope and the feare of God and affiance in him and other sanctifying graces which have relâ—…tion uâ—…to God § X. His sixâ—…h argument It is God in whom there is no want of power or wiseâ—…ome to 〈◊〉 what hee wâ—…eth who decreed to bring the Elect to life eternall as the prâ—…ze and as the crowne of justice by their meriâ—… Therefore without doubt hee giveth them such merits by which truely and properly and even ex condigno they may merit the crowne Answ. If God had decreed to bring us to eternall life by our merits no doubt but hee would have provided for us such merits of our owne as should truly and properly that is condignely merit the same But God hath not provided such merits for us as hath been before aboundantly proved neither hath hee purposed by our merits which indeed are none to bring us to heaven but onely by the merits of Christ which alone doe properly and condignely yea all-sufficiently and super-aboundantly merit eâ—…ernall life for us § XI His eventh argument Our merits depend upon the merits of Christ both because hee hath merited for us the virtue or power of meriting and also because wee merit as the lively members of Christ and by influence from him as our head therefore they detâ—…act from the glory of Christ who say that our â—…erits are so unperfect that they doe not merit ex condigno but in respect of Gods acceptation Answ. The power of meriting eternall life is proper and peculiar to Christ our head and not communicable to his members as I have hâ—…retofore shewed Neither doth it detract from his glory to say that our workes are not meritorious but on the contrary to give that to the members which is proper to the head Neither did hee merit for good workes that they should be meritorious which is an impudent fiction of these latter times Neither was it his purpose to save us by making us our owne saviours but in his owne person to merit our salvation by his owne obedience both active and passive which being in themselves most sufficient our merits are needlesse And these were Bellarmines proofes against his owne good Catholikes In the next place hee answereth their allegations which with many more I have urged before and maintained § XII After hee hath disputed how farre forth good workes are meritorious and hath after his manner proved them to merit ex condignâ—… and that also ratione operis now he questioneth how farre forth good workes are rewarded And hee telleth us that it is the common and received opinion of divines that good workes are rewarded by God supra condignum and evill workes citra condigâ—…um To the former I subscribe and from thence disprove the merit of condignity For if the heavenly reward even in respect of the first degree doth incomparably and unspeakeably exceed the worth of our best workes as hath beene proved then that it selfe because it is given supra condignâ—…m cannot bee merited ex condigno To the latter also I subscribe if it bee understood of the sinnes of the faithfull in respect of the faithfull themselves For the Lord doth not deale with us after our sinnes nor reward us according to our iniquities Psal. 103. 10. But in all his judgements he remembreth â—…ercie Lam. 3. 33. Hab. 3. 2. and ever correcteth us under our deserts Ezra 9. 13. I say in respect of themselves for in respect of Christ our surety hee exacted such a punishment as did fully satisfie his justice for our sinnes And therefore he never punisheth properly that is in ordine justitiae by way of vengeance to satisfie his justice the sinnes of the faithfull which he hath punished in Christ neither doth hee exact or expect any satisfaction from them for their sinnes for which our Saviour Christ hath fully satisfied his justice Notwithstanding it cannot bee denied but they are many times afflicted and the judgements of God inflicted upon them but yet when wee are judged wee are not punished by way of vengeance but wee are chastized of the Lord that wee should not bee condemned with the world Now if God from our Saviour hath exacted such a penalty is satisfied for the sinnes of all the Elect it may bee thought that hee will exact from the wicked a lesse punishment than will satisfie his justice Some say that God will not render to the wicked secundum rigorem justitiae quos justè posset annihilare but that also may bee questioned seeing of those who shall bee condemned our Saviour saith that it had beene better for them that they had not beene borne § XIII In the last place Bellarmine disputeth of the things which may bee merited or as hee speaketh quae cadunt sub meritum de condigno and first hee saith that the eternall life it selfe the essentiall reward which he calleth the first degree of heavenly glory and which before hee said was due not to the merit of workes but to the persons of the faithfull by right of adoption it selfe I say and not onely the degrees thereof which are incomparably and unspeakably supra condignum may bee condignely merited Secondly the increase of justice is condignely merited by good workes wee deny not but that by the practice of pietie and exercise of good workes mens inherent righteousnesse is increased according to that Luk. 19. 26. habenti dabitur to him that hath that is doth exercise his talents it shall bee given but that hee shall ex condignâ—… by his works merit his second justification as they call it and increase of justice which is Gods Blessing upon them wee have not learned out of the Scriptures neither doe wee acknowledge that wee can by our best endeavours merit any good thing at the hands of God § XIV And thus you see how in the last part of this controversie which is concerning workes the Papists have magnified and as it were deified their owne workes alleaging not onely that they are good but purely and perfectly good such as not onely doe fully satisfie the law of God but also supererrogate and therefore such as doe not onely justifie us before God but also merit and deserve eâ—…ernall life at his hands and that truely and properly that is condignely and that not onely ratione pacti but also ratione operis that is not onely by Covenant because God hath promised such a reward but also for the dignity of the worke which is in proportion equall to the reward insomuch that it were unjustice in God if he should not render heaven to their workes which doe as properly deserve heaven as the workes of the wicked deserve hell and that by their workes they deserve not onely eternall life it selfe which they caâ—… the first
one to the other that which is given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4. 4. for debitum non est gratuitum If eternall life bee gratia gratis data si gratis datur then is not due by desert And if the good worke also be grace how can it deserve a reward and so great a reward from him that gave it For Bellarmine hath taught us in the beginning of this seventeenth Chapter that if the worke bee much lesse than the promised reward it should not be a merit of condignity in respect of the worke If saith hee the Master of the vineyard should promise to a labourer for his dayes worke not the day-peny but an hundred crownes and yet the heavenly reward given to a good worke doth incomparably surpasse the unequall proportion that is betweene an hundred crownes and a daies worke § VI. In his second argument he trifleth egregiously He saith there is a proportion betweene the fountaine and the river running from it Grace is the fountaine Ioh. 4. 14. and eternall life is the river which maketh glad the City of God Psal. 46. 5. where according to the Latine it is thus read Fluminis impetus laetificat Civitateâ—… Dei which Bellarmine himselfe expoundeth thus Fluminis impetus laetificat Civiâ—…taem Dei i. Non timebit populus Dei quando turbabitur terra ergo c. Literally the place is understood of the Brooke Kidron and of the city of Ierusalem But if it must bee allegorized then as by the fountaine grace is to be understood according to that of Ioh. 4. 14. so by the river should be understood perseverance and increase of grace running to eternall life as the sea wherein the course of all rivers endeth And therefore such as is the proportion of the fountaine to the sea such is of grace or of a gracious worke to eternall life This was his first analogy the second is no lesse ridiculous Moreover saith he there is a proportion betweene the ascent and descent of water for it doth ascend as high as it doth descend and therefore the grace of the Spirit which descended from heaven will ascend as high No doubt if it be conveyed in a close conduit pipe § VII His third Reason Eternall life is the day-peny of those that labour in the vineyard Matth. 20. But the day-peny is the just hire of the dayes labour So is eternall life The day-peny which was given to those that wrought but one houre doth signifie eternall life which is thereby proved not to bee an hire rendred as due to equall labour but as a free reward bestowed by the bounty of the Lord who â—… may doe with his owne what he pleaseth For if it were the just wages for the whole dayes labour then he that wrought but one houre should have had but one twelfe part of the wages His fourth Reason Seed in vertue physicall is equall to that thing wherof it is the seed and containeth it Grace is the seed and eternall life that whereof it is the seed therefore iâ—… vertue morall Grace is equall to glory Answ. This argument is grounded upon a similitude of grace and seed which are not like in those things for which this comparison is brought For neither is seede the meritorious cause of that whereof it is the seed as hee supposeth grace to bee nor grace the seminall cause of eternall life for seed is the materiale principium But grace meaning grace inherent is neither the materiale principium nor the meritorious cause nor any other cause of salvation unles it be 〈◊〉 sine qua non which is no cause Yea but gracâ—… saith he is called the seed of GOD 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Answ. The seede of God properly is Gods word sowne in our hearts as the seede of our new and spiriâ—…uall life in this world This seede conceived by the power of the Spirit is the grace of regeneration as the materiale principium of our spirituall life meant in that place of S. Iohn which alwaies abideth in the childe of God who being once borne of God is never unborne againe The fruits in respect whereof it is called seed are the fruits of a godly life For the seed of Gods Word being sowne in our hearts and there conceived and taking root fructifieth and bringeth forth increase in some thirty in some sixty in some aâ—… hundred fold The grace of regeneration therefore is called seed in respect of the fruit of good works which it bringeth forth in this life And further the doing of good workes is compared to sowing of seede which hath relation to the great harvest as also the committing of the dead bodies of the faithfull to the earth For even as he that casteth his seed into the ground doth it in hope of increase at the next harvest or as hee that committeth the dead body to the earth as seede doth it in hope of increase at the great harvest so hee which soweth in righteousnesse to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape everlasting life And as the seed cast into the ground is not cast away but is recompenced with increase at the harvest And as the body though sowne in corruption doth not perish but riseth in incorruption at the great harvest so he that soweth the seed of good workes though hee may seeme to cast them upon the waters as Salomon speaketh hee shall not lose thereby but hee shall bee rewarded an hundred-fold and at the great harvest hee shall inherit everlasting life But as the increase in harvest is not to bee asscribed to the merit of the sower but to the blessing of God and as the raising of the dead body to incorruption at the last day is not to bee attributed to the merit of committing it as seed to the earth but to the merit and power of CHRIST in whom wee are made alive againe so the reaping of everlasting life at the great harvest is not to bee asscribed to our merit but to the merit of Christ who hath purchased it for us and to the undeserved mercie of God who crowneth his owne graces in us So if wee sowe to our selves in righteousnesse wee shall reape in mercie as the Prophet speaketh § IX His fifth argument concludeth nothing to the purpose Eternall life saith hee is a certaine supernaturall action in respect of the Object and of the principles bâ—…th efficient and formall But merit which consisteth in love is also a supernaturall action in respect of the Object and of the principles both efficient and formall therefore they have aproportion betweene themselves and the one leadeth to the other as the right way to the end Answ. I grant that the grace of sanctification is the right way to glorification but no meritorious cause thereof That there is a proportion of likenesse in the respects mentioned but no proportion of equality And