some condition But I think there is none can say there is no condition Therefore it remains that we confess there is necessarily some condition Which of what manner it is let us examin by the Scriptures But in the mean while perhaps some Man will object If the promise of God be confined to certain conditions how then shall we with Paul make the mercy of God free whereby he freely justifies the Wicked Yea verily I both judge and hold that the Mercy of God is most free Free I say in Christ. Otherways without Christ there can be no hope of Mercy nor promise of Salvation nor remission of Sins And the Sons of the Papacy will not deny this that all the riches of the Divine promise and of our Salvation stand in Christ. And indeed in so much they are in the right For hereby I understand the Mediatour by whom God dispenses his Heavenly gifts to us That 〈◊〉 Christ. But I do not yet perceive well enough how he dispenses by this Mediatour For tho I acknowledge him to be Mediatour to whose merit only we are beholden for all our Salvation yet because this Salvation by the Merit of Christ is not Communicated unto all neither is it derived to us but upon a certain Condition I would gladly learn of those Men what is that Condition prescribed unto us by God to obtain Salvation or how this meritorious Efficiency of the Mediatour Works in us And here presently Answers Lombard and others that favour the Lombardick Discipline that it comes to pass this way To wit by Charity infused through the Merits of Christ which being received by our voluntary taking it in we are incontinently not only named just but are really so O Divines As if Christ had been given to us and had come from the Father for no other purpose but that he might procure unto us the Divine Infusion of Charity as they call it And why could he not by Prayers obtain this same infusion from his most bountiful Father when he was present here what was the Father so hard and so inexorable that he could not be mitigated by any Prayers to communicate the benefit of grace to any Man without the death and Blood of his own dearly beloved Son But what hindered Because he was not willing who by nature is Charity it self Or because he was not able who is in Majesty Omnipotent But now being endued with the gift of Charity what will you obtain by that You say Salvation and Righteousness Upon what account will you obtain that Because Charity being the fulfilling of the Law thereby it comes to pass that Charity being spread abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost and inflaming us to the Obedience of the Law it easily performs all those things which are the duties of life so that we are now not only accounted but in reality are called and are indeed Righteous That is right indeed Therefore if I am not mistaken this is it which I see those Men drive at that all our hope of Salvation is placed in the performance of the Law And that the Summary of the Divine promise is contained in that condition if we perform the things that pertain to the Law Which because they cannot be performed without Supernatural Infusion of Charity therefore Charity informing the mind with the love of the Divine Law is called by them Righteousness Ingenuous Reader you have the Summary of this Sophistical Divinity briefly described Concerning which that you may judge more rightly look now at this wonderful Order of Causes Concerning the Threefold cause of Iustification 1. Conditional 2. Formal 3. Meritorious 1. FIrst they place the end of all Righteousness and the Salvation promised to us in the observance of the Law upon this condition that if the Law be performed we may live but if not there should remain no other way of obtaining Life 2. But because this perfect performance of the Law according to the due manner of doing as they speak is not in the power of Nature nor in the Law it self without a special Supplement of grace as they call it therefore they necessarily require Charity spread abroad in our Hearts which they define the formal cause of Iustification 3. But now by what ways and means this infusion of Grace and Charity is obtained they assign two causes chiefly of which the one is placed in the Death of Christ as the Meritorious cause The other they place in the voluntary acceptance of our Will which because it could reject this grace which it accepts according to its liberty therefore they Attribute unto it the Merits of Meriting at least de congruo or Agreeableness and in the mean while Faith amongst those Men is nothing valued or accounted of And it is no wonder for they do not understand by the Gospel what Gospel Faith is neither do they seem to have had any experimental knowledge what the power and efficacy thereof is But that I may answer the Sophistical talks of these Men First as touching the next and last cause of Iustification which they say consists in the perfection of the Law how false it is and contrary to the Gospel who is so void of the knowledge of the Gospel but clearly perceives it For tho' the voice of the Law confines us by a most rigid necessity to the perfect condition of performing all Righteousness yet the meek voice of the Evangelical promise sounds far otherways Which requires no other condition to obtain Salvation but Faith only whereby we believe in the Son of God But what should you say to those Men who know scarcely any more difference between the Law and Gospel than Night Owls that are dimsighted at Noon-day Concerning the Formal cause of Iustification AND that is no less false which they most vainly dream concerning a formal cause which is easily confuted after this manner First that we may grant this that Charity should be reckoned amongst the chiefest gifts of God which being so often praised by the Apostle cannot be praised enough by any Man yet never was there given to any Man in this life so great an excellency therein that he should fulfill all the Righteousness of the Law Whence because charity of life as they call it is imperfect for we love in part according to theMagisterial Sentence that can neither be called Righteousness nor be the form of Faith Unto this there is added another reason because when it is given most largely yet Charity is never given for this end that it may justifie us in the sight of God nor that it may inform faith but rather that it self may be informed by faith and may be subservient to faith for Works of Charity are fruits of faith not the cause of faith they follow but do not go before faith For Magdalen did not therefore believe in Christ because she loved Christ but because she
thus define Faith unto us that they place its Object in the Mercy of God only For thus is Faith defined by most of our Divines at this day to wit That it is a firm and constant relyance on the Mercy of God promised freely for the sake of Christ. Which definition if it be true by this means it appears that the Object of Faith is placed no otherways nor in any other thing but in the free Mercy of God laid hold upon which neither I my self deny to be true in this sense as Faith in this place is taken for a relyance as it is often used in this signification because it hath a respect to Mercy and brings forth Assurance in the mind of Believers But whether this relyance properly justifies us before God it may here be enquired not without profit A Question Whether only relyance on Mercy justifies of it self Verily as for my part I am not nor ever was the man that would be prejudicial to another man's Opinion I allow that every man should be persuaded in his own mind I hinder it not But if I am permitted freely to profess in a free Church what my Opinion is my reason leads me to think that this relyance on Mercy and assurance of Salvation promised must be a thing very nearly joyned with Faith and which every man ought to apply to himself but then when it is most applied it is not that which properly and absolutely unloads us of our sins and justifies us before God but that there is some other thing proposed in Gospel which by Nature should in some respect go before this assurance and justifie us in the sight of God For Faith in the person of the Son which reconciles us to God doth necessarily go before And then relyance on most assured Mercy follows this Faith concerning which none of those that believe in Christ can doubt Objection But you may say What doth not Mercy promised in Christ go before the vocation of Faith doth not the same Mercy freely justifie Believers Moreover seeing the Promises of God are most sure may not the same be safely and constantly trusted in That I may answer these men Indeed the Mercy of God moves first no man doubts of that which is the cause and original of all good things But it is not that which is matter of Controversie in this place Whether Mercy on God's part is the Mother of our Iustification but what that is on our part which hath power with God for our Reconciliation whether relyance on Mercy or Faith in the Person of the Son I know that the Mercy of God is immense and infinite in which is comprehended all the Election of the Saints Neither am I ignorant that those things are most sure which are proposed to be believed in the Articles of the Creed than which as nothing is more sure so neither is there any thing which any man ought to doubt of about the assurance of those things which are promised or concerning the faithfulness of the Promiser For what is more sure than the Promises of God what more stable than the faithfulness of the Promiser what more free than Mercy freely proposed in Christ Wherefore the rather this unsavoury and no less reproachful barking of Hosius Andradius and such like men should be hissed away out of the Society of Christians who kicking against the pricks bring all things into doubt and uncertainty with the Academicks and they look upon it as a thing unsufferable for a man to take upon him to rely upon the promise of Salvation which they of Trent condemn with an Anathema Hosius detests it as vain and unprofitable arguing as if this assurance of Divine Grace did nothing but open to the Consciences of men a door to a certain slothful laziness and dissolute life Therefore saith he as prudent Fathers and Masters sometimes do they hide their Love towards their Children and Servants that they might keep them the more in fear and in their duty So God doth also towards his Servants that being kept wavering between hope and fear he may by that means the more easily drive them from security and negligence c. Concerning the Assurance of Christian Reliance against Hosius A Worthy comparison for sooth of God and Men which disannuls and destroys all the Promises of God the whole Doctrine of the Gospel yea and the foundations of all Religion For to what purpose should God promise by his Word if he would not have us assured of those things which are promised A Son was promised to Abraham and he believed not at all distrusting him that promised and it is accounted a praise to him What then Do you praise the undaunted confidence of Abraham and do you dispraise ours In like manner the Seed to come was promised to miserable Adam To what purpose that he might stick in a trembling wavering diffidence or rather that he might support his mind with the expectation of the promised consolation There are so many engagements of promises in both Covenants which if the Divine Truth would not have made sure unto us why then would he have them written in the Word and recorded in Books Briefly why are we commanded in the Christian Articles of Faith to believe the remission of sins the Resurrection of the flesh and Life Eternal but that we might reckon those things to be most sure unto us which are inserted in the Articles Therefore that is false which Hosius affirms That no man is bound to believe firmly or to hold assuredly either concerning himself or this man or that man that his sins are forgiven him for Christ's sake that he is in a state of grace and that he is assuredly to possess the Kingdom of Heaven c. And again neither is that less false which he fathers upon men of our persuasion as if we held thus that every man is a partaker upon that account only because he hath determined himself to be a person that will be accepted of God which is not true and is not without an impudent calumny For we are not of such an Opinion as to believe that an assured persuasion of Mercy should by any means be separated from Iustifying Faith which the Divines of the Popish way do abominably neither again do we transfer properly the very cause of Iustification into this confidence and naked application of Marcy as they falsly slander us Why so because yet some other thing is wanting which must needs go before this application of the Promise and which is necessarily required to the true cause of Iustifying The cause of Iustification depends not on confidence or the application of Mercy only YOU will say What then Is not the free Promise of God a most true cause on which our whole Iustification depends If you say on God's part it is true if you ask on our part you must go further and something seems to
be necessarily joyned with the Promise Now that we may set the thing more evidently before your eyes God promises Salvation to his own and that freely and for Christ's sake That indeed is most certain and beyond all controversie Go on And you put trust in the Promise of God You do very well in doing so and I commend the constancy of your confidence When Salvation is promised freely for Christ's sake shall therefore an absolute Promise save all men promiscuously for Christ's sake without any restriction of condition I suppose God will not save all promiscuously Now then this Promise belonging not to all but some certain persons only upon some certain condition I would know who those are to whom this Promise properly belongs You say Believers and in that you say well but how or believing in whom Are they not those that believe in Christ himself Is it not he only for whose sake only Salvation is promised to Believers Doth not this Faith only in the Person of the Son of God make us partakers of the promise Doth not this Faith only justifie before God Moreover is not this the only condition which every where the voice of Christ and the Apostles in the Gospel and the voice of the Prophets inculcate which the appointment of the Father especially requires that we should hear his beloved Son that we should receive Christ that we should believe in his Name that we should flie to him by Faith and betake our selves wholly to him that we should believe in him whom he hath sent whom the Father hath sealed that we should digest him inwardly in our minds that we should be ingrafted into him and should grow in him that we should know Iesus and him crucified only that we should behold him only as the Israelites of old beheld the Serpent in the Wilderness that we should put on Christ. Hence come these so frequently repeated Sermons in the Gospel concerning the Person of Christ He that believeth in me hath Life Eternal As many as received him They that believe in his Name He that believes in the Son of God That every one that seeth the Son and believes in him He that believeth in me shall never Die Do ye believe in God Believe also in in me We believe and know that thou art Christ the Son of the living God He that believes in him who justifies the Ungodly Iustifying him that is of the faith of Iesus Christ. If thou confess with thy Mouth the Lord Iesus c. That we may believe that 〈◊〉 is the Son of God and believing may have Eternal Life If thou believe with all thy Heart c. Believe in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saved and thy House The Righteousness which is of the Faith of Christ. We have access through the faith of him The promise of the faith of Iesus Christ. By faith which is in me By his Name all that believe in him If ye do not believe that I am he Except ye eat my flesh Except ye abide in me If ye abide in me Ibid. Ye are all the Sons of God by Faith in Iesus Christ. What is the True and Genuine Definition of Faith BY Which so many and so evident places of Scriptute there is no Man that cannot be most sure what is properly the Object of that Faith which justifies us To wit no other thing but the person of the Son of God As again the object of Confidence is the promise of God Which things being so it will not be difficult to gather from these Notions of Scripture what is the true and genuine definition of justifying Faith concerning which we are making enquiry which seems that it ought to be defined according to the right rule of the Gospel after this manner To wit That it is a right knowledge of the Son of God planted in our minds whereby we acknowledge a promised Christ and receive him being held forth and with our Mouth profess him to have dyed for us and rose again Worship him in Spirit and embrace him with all our mind together with all his benefits And this Faith as it is a singular gift of God so of all the gifts of God we believe this faith is that only which justifies believers in the sight of God To which though assurance and confidence of the grace of God is most nearly joyned which is it self also sometimes called by the name of Faith yet this confidence doth not properly infer the cause of Iustification but receives it being brought neither doth it cause Iustification but is rather caused by it and renders those assured who are justified by the Faith of Christ but doth not it self justifie For God doth not therefore forgive thee and receive thee for a Son because thou embracest the Mercy of God with a Holy confidence but because thou embracest his Christ with a right Faith and confessest and lovest him he loveth thee neither do we therefore believe in Christ because we are assured of Salvation and trust the promises but because we believe in Christ therefore we attain unto a certain hope of those things that are promised in Christ for Eternal Life is promised to him that believes in the Son And from hence arises that clear Distinction between Faith and Assurance for they differ in Subjects and Objects The Faith of Christ which brings forth Righteousness takes its place in the higher part of the Soul wherein the understanding is Assurance hath relation to those powers of the Soul in which hope and the like affections are placed As touching the Objects Assurance hath respect to the Mercy or the promise in Christ faith is directed to Christ himself because he obtains Mercy for Believers But perhaps too much hath been said of those things which being clear enough of themselves would not at this time need any Explication unless I were forced thereunto by the Calumnies of Hosius Osorius and such Others whose Opinion seems to me to be faulty upon a Twofold account First in that they think this Doctrine of Christian Assurance which we Establish in Christ should by no means be endured in the Church and which they call Confidence and Presumption than which they affirm that nothing is more hurtful and pernicious to the Salvation of the Godly Hosius adds his own Iudgment that to him no Abomination as he expresses himself seems greater in the sight of God than this so great presumption of the Hereticks Neither wants he here his Authorities wrested from the Scriptures What saith he doth not the command of the Gospel teach us to confess our selves to be unprofitable Servants in all respects yea when we have performed all that God commanded us From whence Hosius presently gathers that he who assures himself that he is in a State of Grace he doth as much as if contrary to the command of the Lord he called himself a profitable Servant O Wise Headpiece
I am so far from slighting that I desire they may remain most firmly fixed in the minds of men for as nothing appears in the most holy manners of Christ which is not very worthy of imitation so no part of duty seems more agreeable to every Christian than that all of us should endeavour with all our might to resemble the image proposed unto us especially seeing Paul so gravely and that in more places than one calls us hereunto who making a Comparison of both Fathers Adam and Christ declares what we received of both By Man saith he came death and by Man came the Resurrection from the dead And presently after proceeding on that matter the first Man was of the earth earthly the second Man is the Lord from Heaven And afterwards concluding with words to the same purpose and exhorting us to imitate the example of his obedience he subjoyns as we have born saith he the image of the earthly let us bear also the image of the heavenly And the Apostle Peter not differing much from Paul proposes Christ for an Example of all long suffering for saith he Christ also suffered for us giving us an Example that ye should follow his footsteps who did no sin who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed all judgment to his Father c. Therefore that you contend so earnestly with the Blessed Apostles for following the footsteps of Christ herein we do very willingly both hear you and assent unto you But that you place all the dignity of our Salvation in this that you refer all the promises of God to this one head as if there were no cause of Salvation but that which is placed only in precepts and instructions of Life herein your discourse seems to pass far beyond the bounds of sound and Apostolick Doctrine For though it is a thing of very great concernment that we should frame all the endeavours and Offices of Life to the imitation of him yet Salvation is not therefore promised because our actions agree to this rule of Righteousness neither is the title of Righteousness given us because we live vertuously but because he was made Righteousness for us For we do not become just before God by imitation but by Regeneration As of Old not through our fault but Adams not by Imitation but by Birth and Propagation the pollution of his Sin was imputed to us unto Condemnation So by vertue of the Second Adam not by any power of our own by being born again not by imitating is Righteousness imputed to us unto the Iustification of Life Neither doth it therefore follow that the examples of Christ are not proposed to us for Imitation It is one thing to reason from causes to effects another thing to reason from effects to causes What if the cause is enquired into that makes us righteous before God Paul will answer That Christ is the external cause who was made Sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God through him But the Internal is our Faith in Christ which is imputed to them that believe forRighteousness But if you ask what are the the effects of this cause Who knows not that they are the Fruits of Pious Works and this very imitation of Christ which you so greatly yea and so deservedly cry up and extol For who can rightly call himself a Christian as you say very well who doth not apply his mind as much as he can to separate himself from all society of the Earthly Father and frame and conform himself wholly to the example of the Heavenly I grant this to be very true as indeed it is For I do not disallow of that which you do rightly assume but I confute that which you would falsly gather from hence For thus you conclude To wit that the whole Magazine of our Salvation is placed in this that by our Pious Labour and Industry we should purchase the Kingdom of God for our selves That they who affirm Faith only is sufficient for Salvation are mad and singularly serviceable to the Old Serpent and that every action we undertake is wholly unprofitable if Faith only is sufficient This is the summ of the Epilogue of this whole debate of yours In which what do you else but by an unskilful huddle of things and without order in disputing turn causes into effects and again effects into causes What when the Apostle Admonishes that Wives should be subject to their Husbands and acknowledge their Authority as the Church is subject to Christ her Husband shall she therefore that is by a Lawful Covenant Married to her Husband not be a Wife before there is added a testimony of due obedience So Children born of Creditable Parents use to resemble them not only in the Lineaments of their Bodies but also in the likeness of their Manners of whom they are begotten What if in some part their resemblance fails What if their manners are dissolute What if they have such a Son as the parable of the Gospel represents to us Who leaving his Father doth no part of his duty shall he therefore cease to be a Son Or shall any Man by the merits of his Life attain to be a Son who is by nature a Servant You may say to what purpose are these things That by these examples you may understand that effects depend on causes and causes are not governed by effects An honest Matron carries with that subjection to her Husband that becomes her and he on the otherside performs his duty in cherishing his Wife These things follow the Conjugal bond but they do not make it just so it is in the Spiritual descent which like another nature regenerates us to Christ and transforms us as new Creatures into the Sons of God Of which thing if the cause be enquired not Works not Hope not Charity but only Faith in Christ Not any Imitation but Baptism being the Sacrament of Faith performs it Concerning which let us hear Paul testifying in very evident Words All of you saith he are the Sons of God through Faith in Christ Iesus Whosoever of you are Baptized in Christ have put on Christ. He that walks being Cloathed with Christ What can be wanting to him unto all Glory and Beauty of Righteousness What can any Man desire more for the security of Eternal Life What is more boundless than Sublimity What is more Sublime than Nobility of Birth What is more excellent than the dignity of high degree Than to be received not only for Servants or Dependents of the Mighty God who comprehends all things by his Power but also as Sons yea and Heirs But if you design to be taught how these so many and so great good things come to us Paul makes Answer By Faith saith he ye are all Sons If Sons then Heirs according to promise And if you ask when that comes to pass whether after the
believed in Christ therefore she loved much Now if that be called the formal cause by Philosophers which furnishes matter with Life and Soul and if Divines account this the life whereby we live to God what then will they say to the Prophetical Scripture whereby the Iust is said to live not by Charity but by faith What also will they answer to the Words of Christ in which he teaches that life Eternal consists in this that we should know the Father the true God and Iesus Christ whom he hath sent And again where in very evident Speech he Attributes life to faith only and not to Charity He that believeth in the Son faith he hath Eternal Life Concerning the Meritorious cause of Iustification BUT in the mean while because these things have been already largely discoursed of there follows after this that which is next in this Series of causes that we should now examine with the like briefness the Meritorious cause of Iustification which those Men by the Authority of Trent comprehend only and wholly in Christ. And now what then will those Scribes and Disputers of this World answer here What do the Works of the Iust Merit nothing in the sight of God Do they help nothing towards the obtaining of Righteousness And where then is that Merit de Gongruo and condigno Where are the Works of Supererogation that are above due Where is that grace which the Sacraments confer upon us ex opere oper ato By what Argument now will Andrew Vega defend this Axiom of his Faith says he and other good Works whereby we are disposed unto grace that makes us acceptable and whereby we are formally justified and made acceptable to God are Meritorious by the way of agreeableness of such grace and of our Iustification c. Whence it is evident that either Christ is not the only Meritorious cause of such grace or that all the other helps of Merits are of no value Though in the mean while I do not deny that the death of Christ is truly Meritorious but let the adversaries consider diligently what it hath merited That the spiritual help say they of Divine Grace and Charity to perform the Law might be diffused into us What then Dyed Christ for no other cause but that he might obtain the gift of Charity for Mortal Men to perform the Law Did he not rather dye upon this account that he might blot out the Hand writing which was against us in the Law having nailed it to his 〈◊〉 that he might take away the Enmity and might destroy Death for ever might dispossess the Devil of his Kingdom that there might be food and sustenance for our hunger that he might make Principalities and Powers subject to his Triumpham Dominion that he might take possession of all Power in Heaven and in Earth What if the power of Charity to perform the Law is so great as they preach could not this Charity otherways get entrance unless the Son of God dyed Yea were not the Patriarchs Prophets and many others of the Saints adorned with the same supernatural gifts Moreover since the Death of Christ is there so great an influence of Grace present with any man that he is able to fulfil all Righteousness Because the Merit of Christ is perfect it is necessary that those things also should be perfect which he hath merited for us by his most perfect price But on the contrary my Opinion is that I think Christ to be indeed the meritorious cause of our Iustification and that he is not so much the meritorious as the efficient cause of our Renovation seeing it is he that baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with Fire Suppose we grant that this Charity flows in upon us by the Merit of Christ yet I do not therefore call this same infusion of Grace a cause of meriting Iustification nor any part of a cause thereof but it seems rather fit to be reckoned amongst the effects and fruits of Iustification which follow from thence neither doth it follow because the works of Grace and Charity come to us by the Merit of Christ that therefore the same do merit Iustification before God for it relies upon no condition of works at all but only the promise and that a free one also and so free that it implies no condition except one only And because in this place we enquire what is that only and peculiar condition the Doctrine of the Gospel will easily teach us if so be we are more willing to hearken to the Gospel than to the Opinions of Trent On what condition properly doth the Promise of Iustification rely BUT the condition whereby we are properly justified is this That we should believe in Christ and adhere to him by a constant confession In which Faith in the mean while a diligent Caution should be observed that this Faith should be directed unto a proper and legitimate Object which I wonder that it hath not yet been taken notice of by those School Doctors hitherto Of whom some place the Object of Faith in the first Truth Others take for its Object all things that are written in the holy Scriptures Others do esteem for the Object of Faith all things that are laid before us to be believed by the Authority of the Catholick Church And they say not amiss for I deny not that all these things are both truly and necessarily to be believed by every man For he that believes the whole Architecture of this World was framed by the handy-work of God in the space of six days he is indeed led by a right Faith as all Truths are to be believed with a most sure Faith whatsoever are mentioned in the Books of the Scripture which Faith of every particular Truth as I suppose doth not therefore justifie a man For the sense of our question is not what is truly believed by us but what Faith that is which justifies the wicked before God from his sins and that we should search by the Gospel what is the proper Object of this Faith In the mean while that is a very ridiculous thing and too barbarous that the Pope in his Decretals reduces the Object of Faith to the Keys and Succession of the Roman Chair and that as necessary to Salvation but away with this Deceiver and his Cheats Concerning Faith and Assurance and what is the proper Object of Faith NOW let us discourse of others who reasoning with more sound Iudgment about Faith do not fetch the proper and genuine Object of Faith whereby we are justified so far off from the very first Truth as Thomas nor reduce it to every particular Truth of Scripture as the Colonienses nor define it by the Decrees of the Church as the Duacene Doctor and Iesuits of that Place and Order nor place it in the Infallible Authority of the Roman Chair as Boniface but coming much nearer to Evangelical Truth do
As if this Assurance and full Perswasion which we maintain did rely on any Dignity of ours and did not wholly depend upon the certainty of the promise of God I come to their other Calumny no less absurd whereby they most unjustly slander us as if we referred the whole cause of our Iustification to nothing else but only an opinionative assurance so that to obtain the Remission of sins we taught that no other thing is necessary but that every Man should by a special faith be perswaded in his own mind that his sins are forgiven him which is most false as there is almost nothing true in the Books of Hosius For though we confess this to be most sure that nothing is more sure than our Iustification by Christ yet if the cause be enquired for which properly justifies us from our sins we answer It is faith not whereby we believe that we are Iustified as Hosius chatters but whereby we believe in Christ the Son of God who only is a propitiation for our sin Concerning the Word Iustification what it signifies in the Scriptures Whether it consists of Remission of Sins only or not And by what ways and means Iustification is obtained NOW ye Papists ye have our Opinion of Iustifying Faith and the true Nature thereof explained unto you what its power is and what its object Moreover ye understand how this Faith is distinguished from Hope and Assurance And wherein the true and next cause of Iustification is taken up whereof if ye enquire for the Internal cause it is faith only whereby we belleve in Christ If ye enquire for the External Matter thereof it is Christ only whom we embrace by Faith But because ye do by no means allow thereof that we should be Iustified by Faith only that we may confute your Calumnies in this matter or amend your errour I see there remain two things to be unfolded by me and to be considered by you First What the Scripture properly understands by the word Iustification And then Who and what manner of persons they are who are Iustified by Faith As touching Iustification they of Trent deny that it consists only in the Remission of sins unless there is joyned therewith a voluntary receiving of grace and some other things go before by which as preparatories Men are disposed to receive Iustification But Pious Reader If you have not yet heard what this Preparatory Disposition is and by what degrees it arises and into what order it is digested by these Men it is worth while to take notice of it For Men are disposed unto Righteousness whilst being helped by the preventing grace of Divine Vocation without any Merits of Works going before they receive Faith by hearing Now what this Faith is it hath been shewed above for according to the opinion of the Papists it is a firm assent unto those things that are revealed and discovered by God And yet they plead that a Man is not presently Iustified by this naked assent or faith But it behoves that other Dispositions be added by Divine grace whereby men are prepared for Iustification Faith Fear Hope Love Repentance Hatred and Detestation of Sin Love of Righteousness Prayer and the like so that indeed the beginning of Iustification is the free calling of God Whence Faith comes by hearing Whereby Men believe those things to be true that are revealed by God Whether they be such things as belong to the free mercy of God towards sinners through the Redemption which is in Christ Iesus Or whether they be such things as belong to the fear of Divine Iustice from which Faith by consideration of the Divine Iudgment fear ariseth whereby Men are terrified to their advantage that they may forsake and detest their sins And afterwards from the same faith through consideration of free Mercy purchased fo penitent sinners by Christ assurance proceeds whereby they are perswaded that God will be gracious to them for Christ's sake And thus by this consideration of so great goodness they begin to call upon God as the Fountain of all Righteousness and to love him and to cast away sin and to endeavour after newness of life and to keep the Commandments And by this means we obtain a perfect disposition or preparation to Righteousness whereby we are commanded to prepare our Hearts to the Lord. And afterwards Iustification follows this preparation which is not only the Remission of sins but also Sanctification and Renovation of the inner Man by a voluntary accepting of grace and gifts whence a Man of unjust is made just and of an Enemy a Friend that he may be an Heir according to the hope of Eternal Life c. But now from what part of the Apostolick or Prophetick Scripture have they taken this Doctrine From none neither is there need of any The Tridentine Oracle is sufficient for Scripture Amongst the Doctors Canisius endeavours a valiant defence of this Decree but he gains nothing at all For tho' we acknowledge with Augustin and the Doctors that which cannot be deny'd that we are Debtors to the grace of God for all we receive both for those things which belong to the forgiveness of sins and also those things which belong to new Obedience Yet what makes this for the matter we are now treating of For the Subject matter at present is not what the efficacious power of Divine grace performs in us without which Augustin justly pleads against the Pelagians that all our strength is wholly ineffectual but what that is which justifies a wicked Man before God What that 〈◊〉 wherein this our Iustification whereof I speak consists in the Remission of sins only or in the possession of Vertues Moreover what that is which is properly signified in the Scriptures by the word Iustification Though in this also the Adversaries are not very well agreed with one another but in this one thing they are wonderfully agreed to oppose Saint Paul with all their might First they of Trent as I have said do thus divide their opinion that they make two parts of Iustification The one in Remission which they attribute to Faith The other in new Obedience and Works meritorious of increase as they speak by which the Righteouness of Faith is perfected of which opinion Tilet an is the Author Again there are Others who are so far from explaining what is signified by the word Iustification that referring all to the Righteousness of Works they think that Iustification is not worthy to be mentioned in Books Of whom and the chief amongst many is this Osorius of ours Thomas Aquinas discoursing of many things about Iustification as also about many other things seems to have described it after this manner To wit according to the nature of Motion which is made in Man from one contrary to another So that it is a kind of Transmutation from a State of unrighteousness to a State of Righteousness And he explains the
exhort unto Works of Piety and by the Authority of Scripture thunder the Iudgments of God against Harlots Adulterers Covetous Persons Highway-men Sorcerers that they may know there will be no place for such in the Kingdom of God and Christ except they amend their lives Who was more zealous than Paul in exalting the Righteousness of Faith And who was more Holy in Life than he or more fervent against the sins of those that walked not after the Spirit but after the flesh The Books of our Divines do evidence the same in which they discourse no less of Repentance and good Works than of Faith joyning always the one with the other Therefore as touching the manner of Teaching you will find that it is not Faith only which is Treated of in the Churches and Books of Men of our perswasion But if the matter of debate between us be about the cause of Salvation and Iustification there is nothing more agreeable to sound Doctrine than that an ungodly sinner is Iustified before God by Faith only without Works But you may object this Doctrine hardens the People in their sinful courses If you understand it of all it is false If of evil doers that run on in sin against their Conscience and take no care to restrain their Lusts As for such who ever said or taught that they are Iustified by Faith only And yet nevertheless the Truth of this Assertion remains invincible whereby we affirm that a wicked Man is Iustified by Faith only without Works if the Scope and meaning thereof be well understood Which will be easie if by adding that which supplies the room of a predicate the proposition be made entire As when Faith only is said to Iustifie add unto the Subject of this Enunciation it s own proper predicate or I may rather say add the proper Subject of Iustification and understand aright who they are whom Faith only Iustifies without Works according to the saying of Paul For herein chiefly lies the difficulty of this Controversie Neither is there any thing wherein the Adversaries are more grosly mistaken And herein they follow the Foot-steps of those concerning whom Cyprian justly complains saying They look at that which is said in the first place but regard not what follows after They catch at that which we assert of Faith only Exclusively and think there is injury done to good Works if Faith only is sufficient to Salvation But they take no notice what manner of Persons they are to whom this Iustification by Faith belongs It is the Advice of those School Divines to consider the reasons of things proposed according to their Subject matter and why then do they not observe their own Rule in this Evangelical Assertion Christ affirms it Paul confirms it yea the common practice of life natural Reason and Experience and the Conscience of all good Men proclaim that Ruine comes only from our Works and Salvation only from Christ. And because we receive this only Mediatour Christ by Faith only hence it is that we assert it is Faith that justifies believing sinners before God But let us see what manner of Sinners they are whom Faith Iustifies Is it the Rebellious and Impenitent No verily Then it must be such sinners as are Converted and Humbled and have the fear of God before their Eyes But there is no fear that such will continue to wallow in their former filthiness but on the contrary they are hereby so much the more stirred up to amend their lives All Ages have abounded with Examples of those to whom the Doctrine of free Iustification by Faith in Christ as it conduced much to their necessary consolation so it was no hinderance to their leading an holy life If Charity according as the Adversaries themselves do testifie is the perfection of the Law which is the Rule of Life I would ask such men whether he to whom more or he to whom fewer sins are forgiven hath the strongest obligation to love either God or his Neighbour which of these two mentioned in the Gospel loved Christ with the greater ardency of affection Simon the Pharisee or Mary that brought with her no good works at all but a great multitude of sins And why was her Love to the Lord more vehement but because she had more sins forgiven her But let us proceed Wherefore were so many and so great offences forgiven her but for her Faith which guided her Love for she did not therefore believe in Christ because she loved him but because she knew him to be the Son of God her Faith being thereby incited to act the more vigorously she loved much For Love proceeds from Faith and not Faith from Love Because we believe therefore we Love but we do not believe because we Love-Whence the Lord regarding more her Faith then her Love said unto her thy Faith not thy Love hath saved thee How Love and Repentance are concerned in Iustification BUT You may say Is Faith alone here Is it not joyned together with Love and Repentance I grant indeed that they are all three together in the person of the Believer But in the Case of Iustification Faith only is regarded And the other do follow as Fruits and Effects thereof For as that Woman unless she had believed in the Mediatour made known unto her by Faith she had nevor loved him So she had never come unto him as her Physician unless the Disease of her Troubled Conscience had driven her Wherefore if we reason aright about Causes these things follow 〈◊〉 as Effects and Fruits thereof but they are no causes of obtaining Salvation We have spoken of Mary Magdalene let us now behold the Pharisee and compare the one with the other If the Woman that was a Sinner by her love mericed as they speak Iustification What shall we say of the Pharisee Did not he also love the Lord Would he have gone to him so Courteously or invited him so lovingly or received him into his House so kindly or entertained him at Dinner so honourably unless he had been moved with some Affection of Love What shall I say of his Faith Did he not believe being instructed by the Holy Scriptures in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth Did he not receive Christ as a Prophet Now he believing in the Father and receiving the Son with Affectionate Love What could be wanting to him that was necessary to Iustification If so be all our Iustification is perfected by Charity And yet I suppose no Man will say that this Pharisee was justified by Christ that is set free from all Condemnation by this love of his Why Because Faith in Christ as a Saviour was wanting But suppose he had Faith and he trusting to his own Righteousness and being puffed up with Pride upon that account had begged no help and imagined he needed no Pardon would this Faith have availed him to Iustification I do no not believe it But
thereof is not placed in the works of men but it depends upon the free favour of God and the like we may say of Iustification for those whom he justifies he justifies in Christ but if you ask why doth he justifie in Christ the cause appears evident which cannot be found in our VVorks but before all VVorks in the favour of God only But you may say Those things are not well compared with one another which disagree in Nature for Election and Vocation and Glorification are such things as being once determined of God cannot be disannulled But the Case is otherways in Iustification which may sometimes be lost and sometimes retained according as it is hindered or not hindered by the Grace of God For thus spake Vega and Scotus and others That I may Answer such Men I confess indeed if the manner of our Iustification were such as those Men feign to wit if its chief reliance were upon Works and the increase of Vertues it would be true which they assert concerning the uncertainty of losing or keeping Iustification But seeing all the stability of our Iustification depends not at all upon our Works but upon the Merits of Christ by Faith and the Remission of Sins by his Righteousness therefore it is that as there is one Election and Vocation and that sure and firm so also Iustification is not twofold but one and the same and such an one as endures for ever I call it one because there remains always one and the same cause and manner of Iustifying which relies not on the Merits of Works but consists of Faith and the Remission of Sins And though the Sins from which we are justified are not all of the same kind but are distinguished by times and variety of Actions yet nevertheless Iustification that is the Remission of Sins in respect of the form and manner is not divers but one Not twofold but simple as Faith also which is the procuring cause of Iustification is not which though it is daily increased yet it remains always one and the same Moreover as this Iustification which increases together with Faith is only one so also the same being firm and stable no less than the Promise of God on which it relies undergoes no change but continues firm and constant and the cause thereof is because it relies not on Works but Faith only whence the Apostle said It is therefore by Faith that according to Grace the Promise may be sure to all the Seed On the contrary they who make a twofold Iustification and assign divers causes of both of which the one confists of Faith only without Works going before which they call the first and the other which they call the second is increased by Works of Grace as they speak I see not what they can find in the Scriptures for the defence of their Opinion for Paul writing to so many Churches acknowledges no cause of Iustification but one which he professes to be Faith in Christ and that without Works What need is there of better evidence Can you not be perswaded to believe the Truth which hath been so often and so perspicuously demonstrated by so great a Master as Paul But to what purpose hath Christ appointed him to be a Teacher to us Gentiles if we despise his Instructions and chuse to our selves other Masters that teach another Gospel And what else do those Men who reject the Apostle's Doctrine and hearken to such as teach contrary thereunto Paul says Without Works Man is justified Will you then dare to plead for Iustification by Works in Opposition to the Apostle Dare you deny what he affirms But you say I detract nothing from Works in opposition unto Paul but I add Grace from whence they receive the power of Meriting and Iustifying Then according to your Opinion Works being assisted by Grace do justifie but without Grace they avail nothing But what will you answer to St. Paul who without making any Distinction of Works says not of such or such Works only but indefinitely and in the general of all Works It is of Faith and not of Works lest any should boast And again to the Romans If by Grace then it is not of Works and elsewhere To him that worketh not c. And how often doth he in all his Epistles Attribute all Power of Iustifying to Faith shutting out not only such or such Works but all Works of what kind soever concerning which Paul speaking indefinitely and absolutely utterly excludes them from any concernment in Iustification Which would be false if any Works whether performed by Grace and in Faith or without Grace were conducible to Iustification And hence this Argument arises An Argument against inherent Righteousness We are justified without Works by Faith as Paul testifies VVorks of Charity infused by Grace are VVorks Therefore without these Works also that consist of Grace we are justified The Adversaries Answer to the Major Paul asserts that we are justified without Works but with this Exception unless they be planted in us by Faith and the influence of Grace for the Apostle excludes not such kind of Works because they please God and procure Iustification Contrarily those VVorks only are excluded that are of the Law or of Nature without which we are said to be justified But this Answer doth not satisfie the VVords of Paul who without making any such Exception or Distinction of VVorks teaches simply and indefinitely that we are justified without Works By what Logick then have these Sophisters learned to make a definite and particular Proposition of that which is Indefinite and Universal Or what Reason have they to confine that unto a particular Case which Paul speaks of Works in the general Let us consider the Words of the Apostle Who if he had believed that Works of Charity infused procure Iustification in the sight of God it cannot be doubted but he would have expresly said so much Now he says expresly without any Exception By Works shall no Flesh be justified Whence we may form this Argument If Works performed by Grace and in Faith were meritorious of Iustification then some flesh would be justified by Works seeing there are many Believers that Work by Grace But no flesh at all shall be justified by Works as Paul bears witness Therefore it is false that good Works performed by Grace have any Power of justifying Let us confirm the saying of Paul by Scriptural Examples That which Paul here preaches of free Salvation without Works the same Isaiah foretells will come to pass though in other Words yet to the same purpose under the Symbols of Wine and Milk All ye that thirst saith he come without Money and without Price and buy Wine and Milk What is signified here by Wine and Milk but the glorious Mystery of our Iustification and what is the signification of these Words wherein we are commanded to eat without Money and without Price but that
them that are justified but these things have no union with Faith in the concernment of Iustification And first as touching Repentance abundance hath been said before for seeing Repentance is nothing but a mourning for sins committed it may indeed of it self afflict the guilty person and fit him for receiving of Grace but it cannot obtain a pardon for the sins committed before a Secular Iudge and much less before the Iudgment Seat of God For that is the Office of Faith which as it only obtains a pardon so it obtains it for none but them that are afflicted and repent and believe in Christ. For for their sakes chiefly Christ was sent by his Father into this World that he may help all them that being in distress flie to him by Faith In which three things are to be considered and placed each of them in their own bounds and territories First that we may see what the Mediatour does what Faith performs what sorrow for sin produces All our Salvation flows from the Mediatour as from a Spring and Fountain But if you ask how or for what cause he saves I answer by Faith And if you ask whom he saves I answer those that repent of their wickedness or whom he draws unto himself by an inward Call Doth the Lord then save those for their Repentance No verily Suppose a man is greatly grieved at the remembrance of his by-past life but yet comes not to Christ will grief for his sins save him No surely Yea who can come to Christ unless he first hear and understand who he is from whom Salvation must be sought Now it is Faith and not Repentance that does this For it is not the grief and sorrow of a broken hearted sinner but Faith that discovers a Saviour to us and guides us to him and obtains Salvation from him Yea which is Salvation to them that are in distress for thus it is written This is the will of God That every one that seeth and believeth in him should have Eternal Life By which it is evident enough what should be attributed unto Repentance and what to Faith in the case of Iustification for sin is not therefore pardoned because he that sinned hath repented but because he that sinned not at all hath died for sin therefore the sinner is forgiven not for his Repentance but for Faith whereby he believes in him that died for our sins rose again for our Iustification Where Faith is joyned with Works and where it is not joyned AND hitherto we have been speaking of Repentance But as touching the Reformation of the Life in other respects though I know that nothing is more convenient than that Faith which is rightly instructed in Christ should have Charity and other Offices of Piety suitable to the Christian Profession joyned with it Yet it must be considered what manner of Union this is and of how large an extent for Faith and Charity have that wherein they are of necessity united And they have that also wherein they must of necessity be separated Where we deal with God about Salvation Iustification and the Expiation of sins here Faith only without Works is powerful and overcomes But in dealings with men in the Lives of the Iustified in popular duties in the exercise of Vertue there is a very near Union between Faith and Vertue of which the one cannot consist without the other Therefore these things should be measured by their own bounds that we may attribute unto Faith its due and to Works their due and unto both that which is meet For as that poisonous Errour of Eunomius should be abhorred who is reported to have been so great an Enemy to godly works that he thought it was not a matter of any concernment how any man led his life So also great care should be taken lest in shunning the Soylla of Eunomius we fall upon the other Carybdis of the Papists which is no less pernicious being mis-led by the Popish Doctors who make such a confused Union between Faith and Works that neither Faith without Works nor Works without Faith procure Iustification But this Union is easily confuted by the Authority of Scripture For if Faith only doth not bring Believers into a state of Salvation unless it be joyned with great Holiness of life why did not Christ joyn these together when he said simply He that believeth in me hath Eternal Life Why did not Peter joyn them together when according to the Testimonies of the Prophets he proclaimed remission of sins to all that believed in his Name Why did not Paul joyn them together when instructing the Iaylor in the Faith he said unto him Believe in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saved and thy house Many other such like things may be mentioned The History of the Galatians is well known who being led aside by the false Apostles did not wholly cast off Christ nor excluded Faith in Christ but they would have had the good Works of Believers joyned with Faith in the Article of Iustification before God unto Eternal Life for which cause how angry the Apostle was at them his Epistle bears witness But here again a place of St. Paul out of the same Epistle is objected where writing to the Galatians he speaks of Faith that works by Charity From hence the Tridentine Divines infer a necessary connexion between Faith and Charity so that Faith without Charity like matter without form avails nothing to the perfection of Righteousness And they say of Charity which they call Righteousness inherent in us That it is so impossible that it should be separated from Faith in the concernment of Iustification that they assert it only to be the formal cause of our Iustification But it is not difficult to answer to this place of Paul For in that Epistle the Apostle endeavours with great diligence to call back his Galatians to the Righteousness of Faith from which they had swerved In the mean while lest they should be seduced by a counterfeit Faith by these words he intimates what Faith it is that he speaks of Not such a Faith as is idle and dead without Works but which worketh by Love And in this sense we deny not that Faith is not alone But what consequence is that Lively Faith is not alone without Charity It is a lively Faith that justifies Therefore in Iustifying Faith is not alone without Charity This Argument is disproved in the Schools of Logicians for it is a Sophism a non causa ut causa Therefore I answer to the Major The Faith that is lively is not alone without Charity That is true in working but not in justifying Therefore as touching the Cause and Office of Iustifying this is not the consequence thereof Therefore in Iustifying Faith is not alone without Charity But as for the the Minor though Faith that justifies is called lively in respect of good Works yet it doth not justifie in respect
not how great Faith and Hope is but how true The difference between confidence hoping and Faith justifying Confidence or Hope looks properly at the promise Faith looks at the Person of the Redeemer Not every Faith Iuifies 〈◊〉 3. Sentent distinct 23. I believe a God I believe God I believe in God Hebr. 11. Andreas Vega Hisp. De Iust. q. 1. Nine Significations of Faith in Vega. It is no wonder if Faith as it is defined by the Papists does not Iustifie The definition of Faith in Osor. lib. 2. Numb 46. 〈◊〉 lib. 3. Dist. 23. What Faith is according to Osorius and the Papists Osor. lib. 1. pag. 7. Not every Faith apprehending true things justifies What manner of Faith is this which is 〈◊〉 Hebr. 11. Faith looks upon the promise but yet not upon this only but rather another object whence it receives Iustification Osor. lib. 6. Nu. 150. Lib. 5. Num. 21. A Question How the promise is free if it is confined by a condition Answer The Mediatour The Promise with a Condition Lombard For what 〈◊〉 Christ was given to us of the Father according to the Papists Trident. Concil 〈◊〉 6. c. 7. Andrad Orthod explic lib. 6. pag. 471. The order of causes according to the Papists in the manner of justifying The nextand last cause of Iustification is the perfection of the Law The cause of procuring grace is the Merit of Christ and the voluntary acceptance of free will Merit de congruo A Refutation of the Popish Division as touching the order of causes The condition of Iustification depends not on the perfection of the Law as the next and ultimate end Charity is in part as the Saints often teach Sentent lib. 3. dist 31. Charity does not go before Faith but follows after it neither doth it form Faith but it is informed by Faith In what respect the Meritorious cause of Iustification should be placed in Christ. Merits of congruo and condigno Merits of Superrogation that are undue ex opere oper ato Ephes. 2. Colos. 2. Charity infused into the holy Patriarchs and Prophets before the Death of Christ. Christ only is the meritorious cause of Iustification The promise of God unto Salvation relies upon one condition only Faith consists of two parts inward knowledge and outward confession The Object of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 Bonifacius in Decretals The Object of Faith according to the more sound Orthodox The definition of Falth according to the more reformed Divines Faith often taken for trust in mercy Whether only relyance on mercy properly justifies us before God Assurance of Salvation is necessatily joyned with Faith An Answer to the objection Mercy the first cause of our Iustification on God's part On our part are considered relyance on the Mercy promised and Faith in the Person of the Mediatour The Opinion of the Papists concerning the uncertainty of our Salvation in Christ exploded Hosius lib. 3. confut p. 140. An Answer against the Hosian uncertainty Hosius lib. 1. confut p. 15. Hosius ibid. Osor. de Iust. l. 2. p. 32. The cause of Iustification in respect of God is Mercy in respect of us Faith in the Mediatour Faith only in the person of the Son of God justifies Ioh. 6. Ioh. 1. Ioh. 3. Ioh. 6. Ioh. 11. Ioh. 14. Ioh. 6. Rom. 4. Rom. 3. Ioh. 20. Act. 8. Act. 16. Philip. 3. Ephes 3. Galat. 3. Act. 26. Act. 10. Ioh. 8. Ioh. 6. Ioh. 15. Galat. 3. The Object of Faith that justifies The Object of Faith which certifies The definition of faith whereby we are justified Perswasion of Mercy follows the faith of Christ in Order Wherein Iustifying faith and assurance do differ The Subject of Faith The Subject of Assurance A twofold Calumny of the Papists Hosius in confut lib. 1. pag. 14. What it is to be Iustified in the Scriptures Trident. Conc. cap. 7. Sess. 6. By what ways and means Men are prepared for Iustification Trident. Concil Sess. 6. cap. 6. Tiletanus in Apol. pag. 250. 241. Free Will cooperating Wher ein Iustification consists according to the Tridentines Tiletanus in Apol. pag. 237. 〈◊〉 12. q. 113. arti 1. What the Iustification of the wicked is according to Thomas A 〈◊〉 al motion in Iustification The Term to which The opinion of Thomas is examined Whether Iustification consists in Remission only or in change of qualities 2 Cor. 5. Hierom. cont Pelag. Dial. 1. Phil. 10. 23. Out of Alphonsus and the Tridentines The Pharisaical Righteousness of the Roman Catholicks Works not of the Law but of Grace No Man is Righteous 〈◊〉 by inherent Righteousness according to the Roman Divinity A twofold Errour of the Papists Formal Righteousness Iudicial Righteousness To justifie according to the Papises is nothing else but to make righteous Two parts of Iustification of which the first consists in remission the other in works of Faith Alphonsus in 〈◊〉 Christ. Relig. p. 456. The other part of Tridentine Iustification Aug. de perfect Iust. For that is not sin which is not imputed for sin ibid. Whosoever says that after the remission of sins received any man hath lived or doth live so righteously in the flesh or that he hath no sin contradicts the Apostle Iohn who says If we say we have no sin c. for he says not we had but we have For Inherent righteousness A twofold manner of keeping the Commands Psal. 39. August lib. Retract c. 19. Oecumenius in cap. 3. ad Rom. Oicumen ibid. Oicumen ibid. Out of the Roman Missal Isai. 5. 53. Dan. 9. Abraham and Sarah Genes cap. 17. Moses Aaron Psal. 143. peter Mat. 15. Paul Philip. 3. 〈◊〉 Tiletan in defence of the Council of Trent pt 1. Alphonsus in 〈◊〉 Cant. 3. Grace Charity Charity was given to renew us not to justifie us 2 Cor. 10. Ephes. 4. 1. Cor. 13. The Church of God in this life is never so perfect but that she hath need of the Mercy of God Ioh. 7. 1 Tim. 3. A Bishop must be 〈◊〉 the Husband of one Wife Vigilant Sober Modest given to Hospitality apt to teach no Drunkard not greedy of filthy Lucre but Meek not a 〈◊〉 not Covetous one that ruleth well his own House having his Children in subjection with all decency Not a Novice not puffed up having a good testimony of them which are without Hierom. ad Ctesiphon Dial. 1. Hierom. ad Ctesiphon Dial. 2. Precepts of Evangelical Righteousness Mark 9. Hierom. Mat. 19. Popes Cardinals Bishops Governors or the Church The Orders and Rules of Monks The strise about Primacy in Churches Psal. 31. Blessedness the highest degree of all good things Lorichius cap. 8. Of the Remission of Sins A Twofold kind of Sin Reigning Sin 1 Iohn 3. Sin not reigning Romans 8. The Saints themselvessin sometimes They that sin finally The Saints though they fall sometimes into sin they do not continue in sin 2 Cor. 12. 1 Iohn 3. A Fallacy from that which is said in a certain sense to that which is said simply
Prov. 24. Prov. 24. 1 Iohn 1. August de Civitate Dei l. 19. c. 17. August in Ioan. Tract 4. Aug. Epist. 54. ad Macedon Andrad lib. 6. Lorichius c. 8. A brief summary of the things treated of before Iames 3. Faith only justifies sinners but whom Iames a Servant of Iesus Christ and Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ reconciled Hosius in confut 〈◊〉 140. Canis in praefatione in Andrad 〈◊〉 Andrad Vega de justificat in Epist. Osor. de just 〈◊〉 7. Osor. ibid. 〈◊〉 2. An Answer to the Objections The consequence is denied The abuse of good things should be taken away but the things themselves should be continued Mark 16. Esa. 52. Hosius 〈◊〉 lib. 3. pag. 140. Against the assurance of Christian Salvation Objection Faith only Answer In Sermons frequent Exhortations are used to Pious Works An Answer to this Objection Ambiguity Faith only Iustifies but not all kind of Sinners The Love of Mary Magdaline Love rises from Faith not Faith from Love Charity is no cause of Iustification Psal. 34. Isa. 57. Andrad Vega. De Iustif. pag. 833. Coming to christ is believing in him Esa. 16. 9. Esa. 9. Ps. 107. Ioh. 1. If we confess our Sins he is faithful to sorgive us and the Blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all Sin Faith only justifies the Uogodly but not unless he be first humbled by Repentance A Fallacy in the terms The Life of Faith is not begotten of Charity but only is evidenced thereby A twofold Life and Operation of Faith What Faith Works with God and what with Men. A twofold Opperation of Faith After what manner doth 〈◊〉 only Iustifie 〈◊〉 Life of Faith is not Charity but Christ. Gal. 2. 1 Cor. 4. Rom. 4. Ex Andrad Viga de Iustificatione Quaest. 1 Ex Canisio aliis August we are justified by that by which we are saved Psal. 32. Rom. 4. Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven c. Iacobus Cartusiensis de Authoritate Ecclesiae An. 1440. Works withoutFaith thoeminent in themselves are of no value with God yet on the contrary the Works of believers that are mean in themselves lack not their reward How the name of reward in Scriptures is attributed to works Works imputed for Merits by Grace Andr. Vega. Iohn 6. Romans 8. Matth. 25. A notion of Bucer It is one thing to do the Will of the Father and another thing to obey it without any imperfection A feigned and hypocritical Faith An Answer to the first Argument Answer to the second The strength of our Vertues is weak Works please for the sake of the perfon being first reconciled Aug. de fide operibus Iacob David Abraham Adam Abel Iames 1. Romans 2. The Argument retorted upon the Adversaries Iames 2. The words of Christ are considered Matth. 7. A good Conscience and Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1. Ex Andrad Vega. Mat. 25. A bad Consequence 1. Timoth. A good Conscience and Faith unfeigned 2. Iames. Let him ask in Faith not wavering Mat. 14. O thou of little Faith wherefore didst thou doubt 3. Ephes. 4. One God one Faith 4. Habbac The Iust lives by Faith 5. Mat. 15. O Woman great is thy Faith c. 6. Mat. 14. Luk. 17. If ye have Faith as a grain of Mustard Seed 7. Iames. 3. Faith without Works is dead c. 8. Coloss. 2. The confirmation of Faith 9. Ephes. Taking the Shield of Faith Act. 10. 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 10. The inevitable severity of Iudgment should stir us up to care watchfulness Ioh. 5. Coloss. 3. As we are Workers but as we are Believers Rom. 4. Habbac Ioh. 17. A Fillacious Sophismfrom the concrete to the abstract A Fallacy Mercy forgiving Evil deeds Imputation puttidg a great value upon finall things The Iudgment of God is twofold according to Aug. de confut Evang. lib. 2. cap. 30. The Iudgment of damnation the Iudgment of discretion The Righteousness of condemnation The Mercy of separation A twofold kind of sinners Romans 8. Who are liable to the Iudgment of Condemnation The Rule of Right Iohn 5. Luke 21. Why the day of Iudgment is called a day of Redemption The Saints shall judge the World Pit Canis in opere Catechistico de Iudicio cap. 3. Psalm 142. Iob 31. It is incident to the greatest Saints to be in donbt sometimes concerning their spiritual graces and to be afraid of their sins Romans 8. Galat. 4. Philip. 1. Apoc. 22. 2 Tim. 4. For them that love his appearance Iohn 5. Of the wedding garment Answ. Rom. 13. Galat. 3. Apoc. 7. The Parable of the Marriage and Marriage-Garment considered and explained Isa. 25. The Marriage of the Lamb of God with his Bride The Guests of the Marriage The Guests of the Marriage Feast Luk. 14. Who are the Blind and the Lame that are invited to the Marriage Rom. 9. Against the Righteousness of Works The Wedding-garment Philip. 3. Agreeableness should be every where observed according to the circumstances of places times and things The Kingdom of the Law and the Kingdom of the Gospel The difference between the Law and the Gospel What the wedding garment signifies Matthew 5. The sense of thatScripture I came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it A twofold Office of Christ the Mediatour The Errour of those who take Christ for theirLawgiver Christ is not a Law-giver but a Redeemer Christ is one way under the Law and we that are in Christ another way Andr. Vega de Iustif. pag. 741. The glorious resemblance between the Bread of the Sacrament and the Lords Passion Isa. 25. Iohn 6. Iohn 6. Iohn 2. 38. Luke 8. Matth. 4. Iohn 17. Romans 9. Repentance doth not make a Sinner perfect but evidences what he is The material of Repentance Heb. 9. How far the Promises reach and to whom they belong What Faith does and what Repentance August de 〈◊〉 gratia cap. 7. To come to Christ is to believe in him for he himself says No Man cometh to me unless it be given him of my Father Andrad Vega de Iust. 2. p. 741. A twofold necessity 1. Absolute 2. In respect of Consequencee How are good Works are necessary to Salvation Paul was a Zealous Exhorter to a Holy Life Necessity of Consequence Tit. 2. Rom. 3. Ibid. Gal. 3. Rom. 11. Tit. 3. Eph. 2. 2 Tim. 1. Rom. 9. 〈◊〉 Rom. 3. now he demonstrates that Faith only hath in it self the Power of justifying Oecumen photi in Cap. Rom. 3. only believing Origen Cap. 3. The only just cause of Glorying is in the Cross of Christ. August de verb. domini Serm. 4. He would have this one thing imputed whereby the others are gathered by Consequence Amb. 1 Cor. 1 It is appointed by God that a Believer should be justified by Faith only Chrysost. Serm. 5. in Cap. 2. Eph. Paul professes him to be Blessed who is supported by Faith only Basil. de humil by Faith only which is in Christ. Hierom. in Epist. ad Gal. cap. 1.
birth-right then the bestowing of the Inheritance goes before all deeds Afterwards Pious deeds follow according to the saying of Augustine which is no less true than firm Good works follow him that is justified but go not before him that is to be justified Wherefore if that most pure and eternal Nature account us for Sons as it was proved above in which there sticks not any stain of unrighteousness upon the like account it follows that the cause which joyns us to God as Sons the same also makes us just in the sight of God But that we may rightly examine what that cause is first the degrees of causes must be distinguished of which some are related unto God and others to men On Gods part in the first place comes his infinite Mercy Predestination Election the Grace of the Promise and Vocation of which Paul speaks in more places than one Who hath Predestinated us saith he unto the adoption of Sons by Iesus Christ whom he hath Predestinated that they should be conformed to the Image of his Son them he hath also called whom he hath called them he hath also justified c. In the next order follows the Donation of his Dear Son his Obedience Death Sufferings Merits Redemption Resurrection Forgiveness of Sin As for those things which proceed from God there is no great controversie between us But our Opinions differ concerning those things which are called causes on Man's part to wit whether there is one cause only or more Whether Faith only without Works or Works joined together with Faith And this is the thing about which now we contend O Osorius for in these Books you do dispure about the righteousness of works at such a rate that you suppose Faith only without these additions so Insufficient to perform any thing towards the purchasing Salvation that it is your Opinion That this Faith of Christ only if it be separated from the help of Works deserves not to be called the Faith of Chrit but a head-strong rashness an insolent confidence an impudent boldness an outragious madness an execrable Wickedness Which sort of Words how little modesty they savour of it is needless here to inquire But how far they differ from truth and the inviolable authority of Sacred Scriptures it will be requisite to take notice because at present this is the matter of debate between us And first if you understand it concerning this common Fellowship of Men with one another and Offices of mutual obedience between Man and Man there is no man so unreasonable as to separate Faith from the operation of Charity in that sense For thus Faith Hope and Charity have a necessary connexion But if the 〈◊〉 is applied beyound the publick society of Human Life to those things that peculiarly belong to Salvation and have a relation to God himself That if now the cause should be erquired for which gives us a right to the adoption of the Sons of God and which purchases us righteousness before him Herein Paul in Disputing against you doth so far take away all righteousness from works and leaves Faith alone that he judges him that mingleth any thing besides for the obtaining Salvation to be a destroyer of Faith an Enemy of Grace and consequently an Enemy of the Cross of Christ. For if those saith he that are of the Law are heirs Faith is made void the promise is made of none effect And also elsewhere If righteousness comes by the Law then Christ dyed in vain Thus you hear Paul manifestly asserting what it is that makes us heirs of the Inheritance and Salvation not the Law but Faith And that these two are so contrary in the Office of Iustifying that if the Law be admitted Faith is wholly overturned the Death of Christ is made void the grace of the promise fails Now let us compare Osorius disputing of righteousness with Paul He affirms that Man is justified by Faith without Works Your opinion on the contrary pleads that righteousness doth so much consist of Works without Faith that Faith doth nothing else but prepare for Holy Works He asserting a twofold righteousness of Works and of Faith of Grace and of Merit so distinguishes between both that he sets the one against the other by a mutual opposition as if they were things that could by no means consist together but the one destroys the other And he makes that evident by the example of the Israelites and the Gentiles of whom those grasping at righteousness by Works fell from true righteousness These because they sought after righteousness by Faith solely and simply obtained it You on the contrary being neither deterred by their fearsul example nor regarding the Apostolical Instruction and making no distinction between these so different kinds of righteousness you seem to comprehend all in that one righteousness of the Law as if the righteousness of Faith were none at all The Words of Paul are very manisest To him that worketh the reward is reckoned to be not of grace but of debt But to him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is imputed unto him for righteousness What can any Man say more expresly Afterwards he adds freely denying that it could be imputed freely if it were due for Works On the contrary Osorius seems to be of such an opinion that he acknowledges no imputation of righteousness at all He who afferts we are justified by the Faith of Christ and not by Works What doth he else but remove Works utterly from the justification of Faith Your assertion which makes the Faith of Christ if works are shut out to be no Faith but 〈◊〉 and execrable Wickedness What else doth it in these words but bring a Gospel not from Heaven but from Portugal wholly differing from that which we have received from Paul Which seeing we are commanded by the Apostle not to suffer so much as in an Angel without wishing him accursed what may be answered to you in this case I commit to your self to consider Paul reasons thus If of Grace then not of Works otherways Grace is not Grace If of Merit then not Freely For in that which is free there can be no merit or debt The Arguments of Osorius whereby he attributes Righteousness to Works are answered NOW it must be enquired by what arguments Osorius pleads for his opinion And first he brings that out of the Psalms The Lord saith he is Righteous and loveth Righteousness his countenance beholds the upright And again The Wicked saith David shall not dwell with thee the Unrighteous shall not remain before thy eyes and thou hatest all those that work Iniquity thou shalt destroy all them that speak leasing c. And now what is gathered from these testimonies To wit That the Wicked have no society with the goodness of God For seeing God is himself the very Law of Equity and Rule of Righteousness according to which
contained in Christ only who is the only begotten Son of God And because our Faith only lays hold on him and he cannot profit any but Believers therefore it comes to pass that faith only without works that is without any merits of works compleats all our Righteousness before God Concerning the Praise of Repentance the Dignity and Benefit and Peculiar Office thereof BUT you will say to what purpose then is it to repent and to amend evil deeds or what shall be answered to these Scriptures which promise in more places than one the pardon of all sins to those that lament their sins and are converted unto a better life That I may answer these I would have you take notice of this in the first place When we attribute the vertue of justifying to Faith and in this case place it alone being helped by no addition of our works Let no man so mis-understand as if we did drive away and 〈◊〉 all saving Repentance and other holy Offices of Duty and Charity from every action of life as Andradius falsly gathers against Chemnitius For that we may openly confess the truth what else is this whole life of Godly Men but a continual repentance and a perpetual detestation and condemnation of sin whilst we are forced by the Gospel with daily groans to breath forth this Petition Forgive us our sins as if we were conflicting in a continual place of wrestling in which sometimes we stand by the Spirit sometimes we fall through the infirmity of the Flesh and sometimes we again make new repentance yet we always overcome and triumph by Faith to wit obtaining the pardon of our faults and we obtain true righteousness for ever Therefore away with impudent slanders let just judgment be exercised and let things be comprehended each in their own places and bounds Pious tears a serious deploring of former destruction and a just care of living a better life with all other pious exercises are things which we do not thrust away nor put out of their place only we search what is the place what is the peculiar office of those things And in the first place this is a thing that should not be doubted of by any Man that Repentance as it is an excellent gift of God so it brings forth fruits not to be repented of according to its Office the Office or duty whereof I reckon to be twofold The first is that which duly detests the sins committed The other that which diligently endeavours the Reformation of the life from which follows both great praise and greater fruits and also very great incitements to vertue For he that being weary of his former wickedness applys his mind wholly to amend his ungodly Life by a future reformation verily he hath made a great progress towards Salvation but he is not therefore as yet put into a certain possession of Salvation or because of that taken up with the Penitent Malefactor into Paradise For it is one thing to weep for the things that one hath done amiss and another thing to obtain the pardon of them Verily he that seriously purposes with himself to amend his life I judge that he ought justly to be praised but yet that is not enough as I suppose to turn away the anger of an offended God to put away the heinous nature of Sin to procure a clear tranquility of Conscience and to shake off the tyranny of death for to obtain that Victory we will need another Panoply or compleat Armour than Repentance or the forces of our vertues for nothing that we can do is sufficient to bring this to pass but only faith in the Son of God And therefore Repentance with Charity and other Offices of that kind have a necessary connexion with faith not that they may give form to this as to a dead matter but that rather they may receive life and Spirit from it not that Faith hath need of these for justification but that they themselves may be justified by the value received by Faith in Christ which unless they were recommended upon the account of that Faith would all be abominable in the sight of God and though they may be call'd works yet cannot be call'd good works in Gods account unless they are supported by Faith Whence Augustin admonishing not without cause commands us to believe in him that justifies the Wicked that our very good works may be good works for those deserve not to be called good as long as they proceed not from a good root c. But here you object approved Testimonies and Examples rehearsed out of the Sacred Oracles of Divine Scripture in which without any mention of Faith Salvation is assuredly promised to them that Repent as in Ezekiel I de sire not the death of a Sinner but that the wicked should turn from his way and live There are set before us the Examples of the Ninivites of David Manasseh and others and lest I should weary you with Rehearsing of every one of them which are infinite I will make a short Collection of the whole inatter You say that thus the Prophets proclaim and openly avouch this thing that there is no hope of Salvation shewed unto any but only those who are with their whole heart brought back from an unclean and wicked life to the practise of Holiness c. And presently concluding with this Opinion you teach us that there is no other way at all either to avert destruction or procure salvation Lest I should speak many things in vain there is one Answer abundantly sufficient for all such Objections that there is indeed necessarily required a sincere reformation of heart and life in these who are to obtain life as in an Heir for whom there is appointed the possession of an Inheritance to be enjoyed there is necessarily required dutifulness towards his Father which dutifulness nevertheless when it is most exactly performed is not any cause of obtaining the inheritance And in like manner there is nothing that can be more certain than that Repentance and Renovation do much commend the life of Christians to God yet it makes them not Christians neither doth it so much commend the person of the Penitent as it is it self commended by the dignity of the man who if he is a Christian his Repentance is approved But if he be an Alien from the faith the lamenting of sin doth not at all profit for the obtaining of Righteousness neither doth it take away Sin But as you say Repentance hath Divine Promises and indeed I am not against your Opinion in that for God doth not desire the death of a Sinner promising also life to him that repents That 's right But let us see how he promises it and by pondering the Circumstances of things times and persons let us consider what is promised and to whom and what is the true cause of promising Indeed the old Law hath dark promises the Gospel
than this large honour of his Kingdom which the Lord himself promises us in the Gospel Fear not saith he little Flock for it is the good will of your Father to give you the Kingdom Which Paul also makes mention of writing both elsewhere and also to the Colossians Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us unto the Kingdom of his dear Son c. Of which also Daniel a most famous Prophet hath given an ample Testimony The Kingdom saith he and the Dominion and the largeness of the Kingdoms under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High c. In which one benefit seeing the whole Sum of our Felicity is comprehended to wit reconciliation with God imputation of Righteousness remission of Sins Peace with God access with boldness hope the glory of God eternal blessedness and salvation the Inheritance of Eternal Life freedom from the accusation and condemnation of the Law What can any Man either by desires wish for or by Faith conceive more glorius For he that is promoted unto the possession of a Kingdom what more can be added to him unto the highest splendour of Glory and the degree of the most honourable Dignity Therefore we have as you see O Osorius the hereditary Mansions of the Eternal Kingdom promised to us and that not of Works but of Faith not according to Bargain but according to Grace and therefore according to Grace that the Promise may be firm and sure to all the Seed It is a very weighty Cause and Authority not to be contemned For what is more firm for all manner of security than that which relies on the certain faithfulness of God and a free promise On the contrary what is more unstable than that which depends on the most uncertain condition of our Works which are either for the most part evil or always uncertain Why then wilt thou cast us again out of the most firm safeguard of most sure confidence proposed to us which rests most safely in the free bounty of God promising as if thou drovest us out of a Haven of Tranquillity procured for us to be tossed in the tempestuous Waters and Straits of Diffidence and Desperation And do you make those things doubtful and uncertain which through the bounty of God we do as it were hold in our hands with a most assured Faith so that now there is not any thing certain which a man may satisfie his own Soul about touching Salvation for I pray you what can be certain if so be the Grace of the Promise being taken away if Imputation of Righteousness being neglected which is placed in Christ for us the whole matter is brought to the account of our actions and you plead that we are not otherways righteous before God than by performing the Offices of the Divine Law Objection But you will say What hath not God promised in Iereremiah and Ezekiel to those that come to God by Faith that they shall have his Law written in their mind that they shall have the very presence of the Holy Ghost within their mind and defile their life with no sin but govern it by the Law of God and walk in the Precepts of God and perform excellent and holy works and moreover that they shall be righteous c. Ans. 1. As touching the promise of the Spirit of God it is very true what you cite out of Ieremiah For God in his bounty hath promised that he will write his Law not only in Tables of Stone as before but in the inward Tables of their minds and indeed accordingly he hath performed and doth perform daily what he hath promised And what doth your Logical reasoning gather thence Therefore say you seeing we have the Law of God put into our inward parts it comes to pass that giving credit to the promises of God we do presently obtain the help of God that we may very easily do all things that are commanded us and so be saved c. Therefore by these many things which have been hitherto mentioned by you concerning the Law and its Office I perceive you have two Opinions both of which are false First That you affirm that we being supported by the Grace of God and guarded by his help can very easily perform all things whatsoever are commanded by the Law of God Secondly Because you plead that all the nature of our Righteousness and Salvation consists in performing God's Commands and that there is no other way to Heaven but that which is contained in the Law of God Both which Reasons of yours how absurd they are how contrary to the Grace of God and the Gospel and how much disallowed and confuted not only by all Authority of Divine Scripture but also long since contradicted by the sayings of the most Antient Fathers and how void of all support of reason and experience there is no Man that hath so little Reason or Religion but evidently perceives it and clearly takes notice of it For though we do not deny that by the help of the grace of the Divine Spirit there are wonderful various and manifold effects produced and great gifts are shed abroad in the minds of the Regenerate for governing all parts of Life piously and holily but whence I pray you will you teach that so great strength and so great power to observe Righteousness is given by God and committed unto mortal Man which may be sufficient for performing all things that are prescribed in the most holy Law of God Concerning the Perfection of Righteousness and compleat Obedience of the Law You proceed to press again and again that Antient Song out of the Prophet I will put saith he my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And also out of the other Prophet And I will give them a heart of flesh that they may walk in my Precepts and keep my Iudgments and also may do these things which are just c. I hear the Oracles of the Prophetical Promise uttered with great evidence from whence certainly works of New Obedience do proceed which necessarily follow Faith so that if any Man do now enquire for the cause of good works presently he learns hence that it should not be attributed to the strength of Man's Will but the Gift of the holy Spirit but now whence does this Gift proceed but from the Merits of Christ or to whom is it given but to them that believe in Christ For the holy Spirit is received by Faith according to that of Paul That we may receive the promise of the Spirit by Faith Wherefore seeing Faith is the only thing which procures unto us the holy Spirit therefore it cannot otherways be but that having received the Divine Spirit of Sanctification a new Life and spiritual motions do follow in the hearts of the Regenerate For a mind rightly qualified with the Faith of Christ
good Work Not that the Work it self being appointed by the Law of God is a sin but because according to the saying of Augustin whatsoever is less than it ought to be is faulty From whence it appears evidently that in this Life there is no Work so perfect but something is wanting in it that is there is Sin in it if it be judged according to the strict rigour of the Law Concerning the Grace of God how it is defined by Osorius with a confutation of his Definition ARguments increase because here mention falls in of the Grace of the regenerate It is shewed though against the Rules of Logick that the Grace of God is nothing else but Iustice and Vertue upon this account because it being that chiefly which makes us acceptable to God and nothing can be acceptable to God which is not like unto him be thinks he prevails sufficiently by this conclusion That because nothing 〈◊〉 us like God but Righrecusness and Vertue Therefore Grace is nothing if it is not Vertue and Iustice. Why do I use many words on this matter If that Grace be understood by Osorius which St. Paul so often commends to us in all his Epistles both are false which here the Bishop assumes against the Apostle For Grace is not rightly defined after this manner that it is nothing else but Vertue and Iustice and first that it is a Vertue Thomas did flatly deny in his sum of Theology Part. 12. Quest. 110. Artic. 3. where disputing of the Grace of God though he denies not that it may be reduced to the first species of quality yet he wholly denies and confutes its being a Vertue concludeing at length after this manner that it is a certain habitude presupposed to infused Vertues as the Principle and Root of them c. Moreover in Sentent lib. 2. dist 26. Art 4. proving concerning the same thing that Grace and Vertue are not the same If Vertue saith he should hold from the same both that it was a Vertue and that it rendred a Man acceptable to God it would follow that all Vertue would do the like And so seeing some Vertues are acquired by acts and not by infusion it would follow according to the Pelagian heresie that a Man should be made acceptable to God by his free will But if it holds from another and not from the same from one that it is a Vertue and another that it renders acceptable to God it must needs be that Grace and Vertue are not the same in reality For so divers principles necessarily are suitable to divers effects that are found in division from another Now if so be Grace is denied to be a Vertue verily upon the same account also it cannot be called Iustice seeing Iustice is necessarily comprehended under the general name of Vertue and what wonder is it in the interim that this Antagonist of ours is so ill agreed with the Lutherans who is not well enough agreed with the Angelical Doctors and Leaders of his own Sect in such evident Heads of Divinity But now let us consider his Reasonings and the Confirmations of his Arguments of what sort they are Argument Ma. That reconciles us and makes us acceptable to God which makes us like unto him Mi. It is only Righteousness which makes us like unto God Con. Therefore Righteousness only reconciles us and makes us acceptable There follows also another consequence of these things being first pre-supposed built upon the same foundation Argument Ma. Grace makes acceptable to God and unites unto him Mi. Righteousness makes us acceptable to God and unites us to him Con. Therefore Iustice is either Grace and a Vertue or it is nothing First Both these Arguments are equally lyable to the same reprehension Because contrary to the Lawful Rules of Reasoning they conclude Affirmatively in the second figure as they are placed by Osorius lib. 5. but let us help the defect of the worthy Mans Logick For if I am not mistaken he would rather gather thus from the definition of Grace Argument Ma. To whatsoever the definition agrees the thing defined well agrees unto the same Mi. The definition of Grace doth very well agree to Righteousness Con. Therefore the thing defined agrees to Righteousness I answer to the minor by denying for that which is the proper definition of Grace doth not agree to Righteousness seeing the things themselves do very much differ from one another both as to their Effects and as to their Causes For if we believe Thomas Grace is the Principle and Cause of Iustice and of all Vertues Iustice is not the cause of Grace but rather an effect thereof Yea Albertus Ratisponensis does not much differ from the opinion of Thomas who commenting upon the same sentence in the same Dist. Ar. 4. saith thus Grace is a habit of Life universally well ordered not according to the degrees of things ordered but as it is called a Relation of the whole Life to the obtaining of the End But Iustice doth not this nor Vertue for Iustice doth not necessarily make worthy of Eternal Life upon the account that it is Iustice or Vertue c. What if the proper and true cause which reconciles us to the love of God and makes us worthy of Eternal Life should be searched for We shall find that it lyes not in the Works of Iustice but that it proceeds from another cause And what that cause is Christ himself the best Master will teach you in the Gospel Whom I request and beseech you not only to hearken unto but to believe For these are his words in the Gospel For the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father By which you see that it comes to pass not for the sake of our Iustice or Vertue but for the sake of his own dearly beloved Son that God the Father cares for us and loves us What then say you doth not Iustice make Men that live holily and justly in this World acceptable to God Which if it is so it cannot be judged to be any other thing but Grace For whatsoever renders us acceptable to God is justly esteemed to be Grace Iustice makes us acceptable to God therefore it is Grace As touching the minor I deny not that Iustice as it is very acceptable to God so it renders acceptable to God if it is perfect and agreeable to the Divine perfection which not being given to us in this Life another altar must be sought there is need of other helps Therefore if we would find any favour in the sight of God we must betake our selves to Christ and embrace him by Faith Though I am not Ignorant what this good Disputant drives at and what Masters he follows and on what foundation he builds For he builds upon that old and stale distinction of the Schoolmen as much used as it is light and frivolous and
yours deserves You only look at how much you proceed in running but you do not also take heed how much you fail in your race And after all these things do you yet boast of your merits as if the reward of the Everlasting state were due to your Labours In which assertions I do not drive at this to dissolve the Pious endeavours of making Progress or to dishearten them by desperation For the Admonition of the Apostle is not in vain so run that ye may obtain And again no Man is Crowned except he strive Lawfully Let us therefore so strive that we may be Crowned let us so run that we may obtain But we do not therefore obtain because we run but we do therefore run because the promise is made to them that run not to them that slumber So that the running is not the cause of the promise but the promise stirs up to running and adds alacrity to the runners Therefore the Apostle that he may make them the more valiant in striving adds this promise your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. And speaking of himself I have fought saith he the good fight and a Crown of Righteousness is laid up for me c. What then do you not see that labours well performed have their own reward due to them Be it so indeed But we treat not here of the labours of Men but of the merits of Labours we do not ask with what rewards the goodness of God dignifies us but what we our selves deserve to receive For there is no small difference between Gift and Merit If Merit is called that to which a recompense of reward is due by reason of its equality it is certain there is no equality between those things which we do here on Earth and those things which being promised we expect in Heaven The Inheritance of the Everlasting Kingdom is promised not that which upon the account of hire is due to our Works but which is promised to our Faith by the free gift of God Whence Paul when he said the wages of Sin his Death he doth not add next thereunto the reward of them that live Godly is Life Eternal But the grace saith he or the gift of God is Eternal Life And why doth he not as well say the reward of Righteousness is Eternal Life But that the difference between gift and reward between grace and recompence might be evident For if it is of grace than it is not of works If of works than it is not of grace But now that he might manifest the Infinite Riches of Divine Grace towards us through Christ Iesus He Proclaims openly that we are saved through Grace by Faith And that not of our selves it is the gift of God not of Works lest any Man should boast Which also elsewhere inculcating more clearly He says not by works of Righteousness which we have done How then But according to his mercy hath he saved us And now what is that mercy but the favour and loving kindness of God which remitting the rigour of Iustice spares those that are unworthy pardons the penitent receives them that are undone into favour which favour or mercy also glories against Iudgment All which being so what should be said of the Hypocritical Fathers of Trent who by the publick decree of their Senate pronounce those accursed whosoever dare say that the grace of God whereby we are justified is only the favour of God The Absurd Paradox of the Tridentines whereby they deny that we are justified by the favour of God only BUT Now by what other thing then will they say that we are justified if we obtain it not by the favour of God only By the Law But that works Wrath By the works of the Law But the Apostle expresly excludes those Not of works lest any Man should boast But here I call to mind the ordinary Glosse which doth resolve no difficulty but makes one by it's subtile comment partly affirming that we are justified by works and partly denying it For thus it says our works as they are ours have no power to justifie yet consider them as they are not from us but are wrought by God in us through Grace they merit Iustification And for that cause the Apostle would not say the wages of Righteousness is Eternal Life But chose rather to say the grace of God is Eternal Life Why so Because saith this device those merits to which Eternal Life is rendered are not from us but they come from grace whence they receive the vertue of meriting O wise yea rather wild talk to vilifie grace What if the Spirit of Christ influencing the Hearts of his own stirs up the Holy Offices of Charity and excellent motions to Piety What doth not the same Spirit also vouchsafe all other gifts to his Church bestowing on some gifts of Prophesie on others divers kinds of Tongues on others admirable Vertues of Curing and Healing and on others of Teaching for the Edification of the Saints What shall we therefore place our whole Iustification in those gifts received from Christ I know that there are both many and eminent vertues wherewith the Spirit of Christ always adorns his Church but it is one thing to adorn another thing to justifie the Church The gift of Sanctification is one thing the cause of justifying is another both whereof though Christ perform by his grace yet he Sanctifies one way and Iustifies another for he Sanctifies by his Spirit but he Saves and Iustifies only by his Death and Blood But you will say if Salvation is not placed in Grace why then is the grace of God called by Paul Eternal Life Verily it is certain and must be confessed which Paul teaches that our Life must be attributed wholly unto grace to which also it behoves us to attribute all other things But we must look what way this grace saves and justifies for it is that on which the whole controversy depends In which the generality of the adversaries are greatly deceived Against the Tridentines It is Demonstrated by the Scriptures that the grace of God whereby we are Iustified consists only in the free favour of God and Remission of sins not in the Merits of Works or Infusion of Charity THomas Aquinas and they that follow him according to the gloss which they call ordinary do not deny that which the Apostle affirms That we are saved by the Grace of God But if you ask after what manner they answer that it comes to pass upon the account of good Works For these are the words of the Gloss Grace says it is called Eternal Life because it is rendered to those Merits which grace hath conferred And to the same Sense are the Comments of Orbelius Bonaventure Halensis and others because say they without grace no Man can observe the Commands of God And Thomas adds elsewhere that to fulfill the Commands of the Law according to the
due manner Grace is necessarily requisite to wit to fulfill them with that Charity that ought to be by which the fulfilling of them becomes Meritorious Which Comment of theirs we having formerly explained how false and frivolous it is there is no need now of any new Arguments Verily the Christian Doctrine teaches us far otherways for though we confess that which is reasonable That the Divine Grace is never idle but always stirs up the minds of the Regenerate to the best things yet these Works are never of so great value as to promote them unto Eternal Life which is freely promised by God not to them that Work but to them that Believe or if Salvation is premised to them that Work it is not therefore promised because they Work But they that truly believe do therefore Work because Salvation is promised Therefore Iustification first proceeds in the most direct Order as the cause of good Fruits but that is not effected by these But it consists only of the free favour of him that confers it upon them not upon the account of them that Merit but upon another account to wit That whereby the most bountiful Father of his own Will hath given to us Meriting nothing his only begotten Son who hath fulfilled the Law for us and hath satisfied the Iustice of God for our Unjustice For herein consists all our Salvation and the Efficacy of Divine Grace and the praise thereof appears very evidently Not that we in the mean while being idle should do nothing but that doing all things we should Attribute nothing to our selves imputing all to the Mercy of God Which things that they may be confirmed with the greater evidence and certainty let us compare them with the most sure Oracles of Sacred Scripture And First beginning at the very first Head of that Book let us consider Adam that Miserable Progenitor and Overturner of our Nature Who when he had both privately and publickly destroyed both himself and us all by an abominable Wickedness received at length the most Blessed Tidings of the promised Seed What could the bounty of God have promised more firmly or given more largely to any Man though he had been most Holy And what did that first and chiefest sinner deserve to receive Abraham was commanded to leave his Native Country and to go out whither God called him thereunto was added a very glorious promise of giving him an Inheritance and he obeyed him that called him The promiser did not fail he was increased and enriched above measure but if I ask by what Merit of his own what can the Admirers of Works answer me here Afterwards Ifaac was born to him when his Father and Mother were so Old that there was no hope remaining of their begetting Children Why so But that God might make it manifest that in the benefits of God there is not left any thing for Human Pride wherein it may glory Ioseph very kindly helped his Brethren who were in danger to Perish for Hunger though they had very inhumanly Conspired his Destruction neither did he only furnish them with plenty of Corn but also promoted them to great Honours And now what Merits did they bring with them that they should be so Honourably Entertained The same may be asked concerning the Israelites who having slain a Lamb without blemish were delivered from most grievous Bondage for what Vertues of their own Whether for keeping the Law But the Law was not yet made at least it was not yet written Was it because they obliged the Prophet Moses with kindnesses whom rather they endeavoured to betray by most unjust ways and complaints After they had endured so many laborious Travels and Iourneys they came at length to the promised Land of their Inheritance in which First the Town of Iericho is Besieged the Walls fall down not by strength but by sounds Afterwards having slain and subdued so many Kings in one day the People is placed in their Habitations It was verily a great Miracle of Victory but whence happened this Victory What shall we say Because the Israelites were more in number I suppose it was not so was it because they were stronger Neither was that the cause What did they then excell all the other Nations in Vertues Yea what Nation was ever more perverse But you will say they obliged God to befriend them by observance of his Worship Yea how often and how grievously did they exasperate God with their sins How wickedly did they murmur against their Leaders and so provoked the anger of God against themselves How often was the Clemency of God by their Perfidious Rebellion Wicked Contrivances Untractable Stubbornness Murmuring Concupiscence and Perverseness not only provoked but also almost overcome so that he would have utterly destroyed the Rebellious People with all their Posterity unless Moses the meekest of Men by Humble Prayer with hands lifted up had turned the provoked Anger of God into Mercy But it is better to take notice what the Lord himself speaks against this People with his own Mouth Say not saith he in thy Heart when the Lord thy God shall destroy those Nations before thee For my Righteousness the Lord brought me in to possess this Land whereas those Nations were destroyed for their own Abominations For thou shalt not enter in to possess their Lands for thy own Righteousness nor for the uprightness of thy Heart but because they did wickedly they were destroyed at thy entring in And that the Lord might fulfill the Word which he promised by Oath to thy Fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob Know therefore that the Lord thy God hath not given thee this Land for thy Righteousness for thou art a stiff-necked People c. Ye have heard the naked and simple History but yet true of the thing that came to pass and not only true but also much more Mystical If all things happened to them as the Apostle witnesseth under a figure what else should we judge concerning this History but that under the History lies hid a more hidden Mystery For it can not be doubted that this Land of Canaan that was promised to the Israelites Represents those Celestial and Immortal Mansions of the inheritance above which if it be true let us compare the truth with this figure and shadow the Antitype with the Type Iust as they not being helped by any Merites of their own yea contrary to all their Merits neither for any peculiar cause in them but through the singular favour of God promising and for the sake of the Fathers to whom it was promised by Oath received by gift the possession of the Country that flowed with Milk and Honey So also we should Iudge of the Heavenly Country of Immortality That it is not due to any Vertues or Works of ours but that it comes to us by the free promise of God for the sake of his Son into whose hands all things are given that
we have hitherto discoursed of grace and its gifts I think there is a sufficient defence made against the assaults of Sophisters for the guarding of this principle which assigns all the power of justifying to Faith only through the free mercy of God But because I see it is not clear enough amongst Divines what that Faith is whereof we speak I thought it requisite to speak something of it in this place To wit that having surveyed the Opinions of others and rightly explained those things which seem to need distinction about the manifold homonymy of this Word we may at length be led as it were by the footstepsof the word of God to that true Faith which truly and simply justifies us But because the word Faith is used in various Senses and there are many things that are believed by us for whatsoever things we find to be true and sure we presently give credit to them but yet any sort of perswasion setled in the mind though it be true or any sort of truth about things conceived doth not therefore upon that account justifie before God Therefore in this so great diversity of things to be believed we must see what that Faith is whereof all our Salvation and Righteousness before God consists and what is the proper and simple definition thereof whence it receives its power to justifie to whom it belongs and in what Notions it differs from that Faith which our Adversaries hold Which state of Faith if it had been rightly and definitively seen into by our Divines I am either deceived or else those boasting admirers of Works would wholly change that Opinion or at least moderate themselves more in this matter of disputation But now I know not how it comes to pass that whereas no kind of Doctrine either more admirable for dignity or more excellent for use or more happy for the Salvation of Men hath shined forth or that moreover appears more perspicuously to the Eyes of all Men by manifest Testimonies of Evangelical Scripture yet there is no opinion that hath more numerous or more bitter Adversaries Which whence it comes to pass I can not be satisfied in wondering unless that whereof I spake be the cause thereof because they seem not to have discerned aright by the Gospel what that Faith is to which free Iustification is proposed Which may appear evidently by many Arguments and such as are not at all obscure unto him that reads their Writings Collections Articles Councils and Disputes And in this very Rank Osorius comes first and next Hosius one of his nearest Allies who opposing the Faith of Luther doth not so much consute that as betray his own ignorance For what ignorance is this What kind of intemperance that drawing your pen against your Adversary whom you cannot run down by true Reasons you carp at things not understood and you wound the Innocent with false Accusations where I beseech you did Luther either Teach or Dream of this Faith which you feign he holds To wit that every one obtains Righteousness or is justified upon that account only because he determines himself acceptable to God for these are your words and not yours only For Hosius also harps no less upon the same string together with you and the whole hundreds of almost all the Divines of that Class I know that Luther hath discoursed many things gravely and excellently of Faith and freely saving Righteousness of Faith But he understands this Faith which justifies us much otherways than your accusation pretends Who was ever so mad as that he judged Faith to be confined within these limits and that it is no other thing but that every Man should have a very good opinion of his own Salvation and should be strongly persuaded thereof in his own mind Though in the mean while I deny not that there is always joined with Faith a confidence of good hope yet if we will rightly examin the proper Natures and Causes of things we will find that there is no small difference between Hope and Faith For every Man doth not obtain Righteousness upon the account that he is very couragious in hoping well For otherways what Turk or Iew is there who doth not in his own mind catch at a goodly persuasion about his own Salvation and the gracious favour of God We may also add unto these the Pope of Rome who by a certain Magnifical but most vain hope flattering himself doubts not of his being the only Successour of Peter So also the Papists doubt not but as soon as they have whispered their Sins into the Ears of a Priest by a silent Confession that immediately they go away Pardoned after the performance of this Work and when they put the Innocent Servants of Christ to Death or the Faith they do not at all distrust that they do God Service whereas the matter is far otherways Therefore it is requisite to see not what every Man hopes but how rightly he hopes nor how great his hope is but how true The same also must be done in Faith But that it may appear true it should not be measured by Human Opinion but according to the right Rule of Scripture Neither is it only requisite to look what any one promiseth but to whom and for what it is promised There are wonderful and infinite things which the bounty of God promises in the way of free gift For Salvation and Life Eternal is promised Yet these good things are not therefore promised because they are hoped by us but we therefore hope because they are promised So then Hope doth not go before the promise as a cause and make it but follows it as an effect and it depends upon the promise and not the promise upon it By which you see that it is not Hope no not when it is most right that justifies us and renders us capable of the promise of God But some other thing What is that I beseech you but Faith to which properly the promise is made For the Covenant of Eternal Life is made properly with us believing and not only hoping that is not for the sake of that which is hoped but for the sake of that on which Faith relies Not every Faith Iustifies BUT What I just now said of Hope the same also again must be said of Faith that it must be true and right and not only that it must be great For every Faith doth not avail for Iustification because there are many and divers kinds of believing First there is a Faith whereby we both know that God is and fear him and the Devils themselves are not without this Faith There is another Faith whereby we believe God and give certain credit to his promises The Schoolmen add unto these a third kind of believing whereby we are said to believe in God And this Faith they divide variously into a formed and formless Faith into an habitual and actual faith There is
also a faith that is often taken for hope and so defined As in the Epistle to the Hebrews Where Faith is called the substance of things not seen but hoped for and the evidence of things not appearing but future Moreover there are those that divide the use of this Word into many forms Andreas Vega reckons in the general Nine Significations of the word of Faith Put because in these which I have hitherto reckoned there is no mention made of that person from whom all the Vertue of Iustifying proceeds therefore I see not how it can be that Iustification should rightly agree to the same VVherefore this seems less strange to me in Osorius Hosius and others of that School if their Opinion is not so right about the Iustification of Faith for they seem not to have clearly enough discerned or at least not to have fitly defined that Faith which the Evangelical VVritings propose unto us But if this Faith that we profess contained no other thing in it but that which they pretend to in their Books I would be of the same Opinion which they Preach To wit That it avails little to the procuring of Righteousness That this may be the more evident I would have Pious Readers listen to what those Men teach concerning Faith and how they define it And so they define it that either through blindness they know not or by dissimulation they make as if they knew not what is the true Faith proposed to us in the Gospel for Righteousness And that we may begin first at the Tridentines they so define it That it is a firm assent unto those things that are revealed and made manifest by God And Osorius following these Men Collects the Universal Nature of Faith after a manner not much differing from them That it is a firm and constant assent of the mind stirred up by the Authority of the Speaker But what this Faith is which Osorius describes after this manner let him look to that Verily any Man may think it is not this Faith which Paul speaks of in disputing of Righteousness or to which we from the Authority of Paul affirm that Righteousness should be attributed properly Though in the mean while we deny not that this Faith is true which is asserted by Osorius and others whereby for the Authority of the Church teaching we believe whatsoever things belong to Religion which though they are not seen as Lombard says yet they are believed whether they are past or expected to come As he that gives credit to the things contained in the Articles of the Creed and that are expresly mentioned in the Scriptures He that believes and professes that the World was made by the Word of God and that God is and that he Created all things of no thing Moreover that he believes and professeth that he is powerful and very good That I may proceed in the very words of Osorius endued with boundless and infinite virtue and bounty watching over all parts of the World and passing through them beholding and taking notice of all things and looking well to every thingaccording as the dignity and condition of each thing requires and whatsoever else belonging to the profession of Faith is taught in the Writings of the Prophets Verily that Man is not at all mistaken in believing For the things that are seen by an Internal light of Faith are very true though they are very remote from the Senses But yet this is not the Faith though it be true that justifies us who are miserably defiled and wretched Sinners before God For what Circumcised Iew or hateful Turk is there but believes all these things which Osorius with a long multiplication of words Preaches of God and his Power and Iustice and Immensity For they together with us confess one God and rely on his promises with great hope call upon his Name observe his commands as well as we and also flatter themselves with the Title of the true Church Yea also they are not Ignorant that the Dead shall be restored to Life and promise Eternal Life to themselves Moreover many things which they see not with their Eyes they retain by Faith and pursue by hope Briefly they do no less believe God themselves and confess God But if the Christian Faith according to the Magisterial position of Lombard should be placed in nothing else but a solid apprehension of things to be hoped for and a sure expectation of those things which do not appear what hinders but that both Iews and Saracens may be reckoned faithful upon this account What then you will say Doth not Paul writing to the Hebrews expresly comprehend Faith in that same definition To wit That it is the substance of things hoped for c. Verily I neither reject Paul the Author of this Epistle nor disapprove the definition neither do I examin that nor do so much as enquire for it which is enquired for in Lombard Whether this description be more agreeable to Faith than Hope But this I answer That we may confess this Faith to be true which is here defin'd But surely that is not the Faith which properly justifies the wicked in the sight of the Lord. Why so Because there is wanting to the definition the Genus Property and difference which distinguishes Faith from Hope Also there is wanting the true and proper object of Faith which should by no means have been omitted To wit The person of him in whom only all the promises of God and the whole cause of our Iustification is contained Who unless he comes in in vain other things are either believed or hoped for by us neither will all that substance of things hoped for avail us any whit unto Salvation What then you will say Hath not the most gracious Father promised us his mercy Hath he not engaged himself by an inviolable Covenant that he would pardon our Sins Must we not give credit to those things which are promised by God He hath promised indeed I confess but how Only in Christ his Son To whom Only to them that believe in the Son I know and acknowledge that the promises of God are most sure in which he promises as Osorius rehearses Infinite Riches excellent Pleasure an immortal Kingdom great Dignity everlasting Glory But yet these good things are neither so promised or given by God that in the mean while he exacts nothing of us for the obtaining of these good things which he promises Therefore this is not the state of the question whether we should believe God promising which is common to us with the Iews themselves and Turks Neither do I ask that what the Lord hath promised For Salvation is promised Pardon of Sins is promised But this is it which properly comes in question here Upon what account and for what cause this Salvation and Pardon of Sins is promised whether there is no condition interposed Or whether there is
nothing is more Glorious than that Bond whereby the Miserable and Mortal Daughter of Adam is joyned unto the Immortal Son of God the frail Church to the Heavenly Bridegroom that they both become one flesh and have God to be one Father to them both and have the same Family the same House the same society of Life and the same possession of all Goods Which thing is so exceedingly wonderful that it surpasses all human understanding Iust as if a great King being desirous to shew forth the Riches of his munificence should invite Beggars and the Blind and the Cripple and every one that was least worthy and entertain them with a Feast and enrich them with abundance of his best gifts Is it possible that any Man among them durst imagine that this was due to his own Vertues or Merits It remains that we should view the Guests themselves and also the garments of the guests whom he invites to this Marriage banquet and not only invites but compels them to come in Call the Poor saith he and the Lame and the Blind and compel them to come in that my House may be filled Who are these Poor and Blind and Feeble and Naked but such as have no provision of their own Works Who have nothing in themselves whereof to Glory but only in the Lord. Such as were the Publicans of Old and Sinners of the Gentiles and Pagans concerning whom Paul Discourses in words of great weight The Gentiles that followed not after Righteousness laid hold on Righteousness that is the Righteousness that is of Faith But contraryways Israel that followed after the Righteousness of the Law attained not thereunto Wherefore Because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the Works of the Law How great stupidity then and abominable impudence is this in vain glorious Men who being by Nature wretched and Blind and Naked and most miserable Beggars notwithstanding all this are exalted to the highest dignity of union with God and that not for any merit of their own but the free donation of Christ that yet they neither acknowledge their own nakedness nor testifie their thankfulness to God for the Riches of his Grace but think themselves abundantly beautified with their own ornaments and sufficiently furnished with merits to attain unto Righteousness But what a Righteousness is this of theirs If it be the Righteousness of Works Who then are those poor and needy that are admitted to the Marriage They that are adorned with the beauty and glory of Merits and abound with Riches of good Works How can we account such to be poor and blind and lame And if they are said to be compelled to come in where is the free will of the Tridentines Or its co-operation But on the contrary if by the poor here be understood such as have no good works that can commend them nor any help of free will that are decked with no ornaments but are admitted or rather drawn to the Marriage-feast by the grace of Christ only How then can Charity abounding with the works of the Law be truly called the Wedding-garment Howbeit I know there are some great Divines that rather approve of this interpretation that the wedding-garment here mentioned Should signifie Charity But when I consider exactly the circumstances of the Parable if without offending those that have better Iudgments I may freely profess what is my Opinion I do rather suppose that our Lord's design was to signifie the same that Paul the Apostle expresly speaks of himself that I may be found in him not having my own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the saith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith And if we are not blind we all see evident proof of the same not only by words but by the example of the Israelites Wherefore if none are entertained in this Marriage-feast but they that have on the wedding-garment and if Israel that followed after Righteousness is said to be rejected upon no other account but because they sought it by works and not by faith can it be doubted that this Nuptial ornament consists not in works but in the faith of Christ I know there are many kinds of garments as also there are many differences of things of Men and of places But all things agree not with all places nor with all Kingdoms One thing is suitable to a Court of Iustice another thing to a banquet Iudges sitting on the Bench and Guests at a Marriage feast do not only differ in the frame of their Spirits but also in their outward Garb. A suitableness of things places and times should be observed The Law hath its own Kingdom and Christ also hath his and both have their own Inhabitants As the Kingdom of the Law receives none but the righteous so the Kingdom of Christ rejects none though they be wicked if they are brought to Repentance by believing And though both Kingdoms belong to God and are under his dominion yet the manner of administration of both Kingdoms is not the same For in the dominion of the Law God was pleased to manifest his Righteousness but the Kingdom of Christ is the gift of Grace and Mercy And as by the free gift of God it is offered to all that believe so it receives none but such as are glad freely and willingly to embrace the Grace offered And for the same reason chiefly this Kingdom of Christ is by a very fit similitude compared to a Marriage Feast and a wedding garment And not without cause for if in a Marriage Feast all things abound with mirth and joy how much more should we rejoyce and be glad in Christ by whose procurement we obtain the manifold riches of Everlasting Salvation and Glory Therefore what remains but that we should with thankful hearts gladly receive these great benefits of our dear Saviour and especially because by the wedding garment in this place nothing else can be understood For as a wedding garment is a token of the joyfulness of the mind at the Marriage Feast so by this weding garment is signified with what joy and gladness with what holy reverence and thankfulness the Guests of this Banquet will enjoy the heavenly benefits Whereunto the Apostle exhorts more than once with so much vehemency that we should not be over-sollicitous for any thing but always rejoyce in the Lord and glory in nothing but in the Cross of our Lord Iesus Christ praising God in our hearts as it is expressed in that sacred Hymn Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glory But how do those superstitious Papists glory in the Lord who trust to their own Works whose rugged and burdensom Religion consists wholly in Watchings Vows Ordinances of Men sleeping on the ground and such like hardships and an affected austerity of life But let us proceed to the Arguments that remain Another
Apostle's Words and with what deceit they wilfully wrest and deprave the genuine Signification of his Words by their most absurd Interpretation to the intent they may maintain their own erroneous Doctrine If they did this only in Ignorance they should not be so much the Objects of our Anger as of our Pity and Commiseration as being Men misled into Errour But they behave themselves as if they were unwilling to be undeceiv'd And though they cannot but see the Truth in such a clear Light of the Scripture yet they wilfully shut their eyes because they are not willing to see or at least believe the clear shining Light of the Truth which that it may appear the more evident unto all Men let us now produce the Answers and deceitful Shifts of the Adversaries whereby they maintain their own Cause against our Arguments And because there are eight Arguments out of St. Paul which we oppose against the Papists we think it is not unprofitable in this place to set down what the Papists answer unto these The Answers of the Adversaries which they oppose against the eight Arguments of St. Paul together with a Refutation of those Answers BY the Works of the Law shall no flesh be justified before him for by the Law comes the Knowledge of Sin But now the Righteousness of God is manifessed without the Law being testified by the Law and the Prophets to wit the Righteousness of God by the Faith of Iesus Christ upon all that believe c. Which is also confirmed by these Words Gal. 3. Knowing that a Man is not justified by the Works of the Law for by the Works of the Law no flesh is justified c. I Appeal unto thee Courteous and Pious Reader what Man is there if he duely consider these Words of Paul that can gather any other thing from them but what their genuine Signification holds forth Which is this That the Works of the Law should be utterly excluded from having any hand in Iustification And if Works are excluded what can be a more undoubted Truth than that we are justified by Faith only What is more solid than this Argument of Paul What can be more plainly expressed What Words are more familiar if so be they are not darkned by a Sophistical Interpretation If according to the Testimony of Paul we are not justified by Works or obedience to the Law but by Faith without Works who can deny that our Iustification consists of Faith only unless he desperately oppose himself not only against Paul the Apostle but also the Holy Spirit God But behold here the Deceit or rather the Malice of sinful Men. They do not openly reject the Words of the Apostle but wrest the sense and meaning of them to serve their own purpose They deny not that Works should be excluded but pray take notice of the captious Snares of Sophisters who endeavour by a cunning way of distinguishing to baffle the simplicity of Apostolical Doctrine For they divide asunder Works and their Iustification into two parts calling the one Works of the Law and the other Works of Grace And they say the Works of the Law are unprofitable to Iustification but the other they account very necessary Therefore they Answer to the Words of Paul with this Distinction By the Works of the Law shall no Flesh be justified c. The meaning of these Words say they is this No Man shall be justified before God for his own Works which he hath done as by the Vertue and Merit thereof but by the Vertue and Merit of Grace infused For according to Paul's manner of speaking then a thing is said to be done by Works when it is done by Works when it is done as a due Debt or for the Works Wherefore there being a twofold Iustification as they say one by Grace infused and another by the Obligation of the Law without Grace In this Case Iustification by VVorks and every thing that is contrary to Iustification by Grace is excluded And so the saying of the Apostle holds true as they Interpret to him that worketh the Reward is not imputed according to Grace but according to Debt as if he should say that what is given by VVorks or for them is not given according to Grace but according to Debt therefore that Iustification which is separated from Grace is excluded but not the Iustification that comes by VVorks with the Assistance of Grace c. VVhat else should I Answer to these Sophisters but that I pray God to give them Repentance and a better frame of Spirit that they may not always resist the Holy Ghost and overspread the Truth with darkness VVhat Man is there but clearly perceives that it is altogether contrary to the VVords and Meaning of the Apostle to build the Hope of Salvation upon any VVorks when he doth so manifestly teach and protest against it denying that we are justified any other way but by Faith without the VVorks of the Law Yea they themselves deny not that the exclusive VVord is understood of the Works of the Law though not of the Works of Grace but now what are these Works of Grace those forsooth which the influence of the Grace of Christ performs in the Souls of the regenerate but were not the Romans to whom the Apostle wrote regenerate in Christ VVere they not partakers of the same Grace Did they not abound in the VVorks of Grace VVhom yet the Apostle denies to be justified by their own VVorks It is true indeed say they if you understand it of their own VVorks which are called VVorks of the Law but not those VVorks which are Christ's How ridiculous is this as if those things that are planted 〈◊〉 us by the Spirit of Christ were not also oftentimes called ours Yea Faith it self which is most especially reckoned amongst those Gifts it is usual to Scripture to give it the Epithet of ours and yours Paul expresses himself thus By the Communion of my Faith and yours and again Hearing of your Faith and in another place Your Faith which is in Christ c. Is it not evident that he speaks of that Faith which we have in Christ through the free gift of God How much more then may this be understood of VVorks which when Paul excludes from Iustification it cannot be doubted but he understands it not only of VVorks that are ours wholly and done by our own Strength but also of those VVorks that are done by the help of Grace operating in us so that there is nothing in the Works either of the Law or of Grace except Faith only but what rather contributes to Destruction than Iustification What is commanded in the Law of God that we can do without Grace Therefore seeing Paul removes all Works from the Office of justifying it must needs be that he understands it of the Works of Grace as well as of our own Works or the Works of the Law What shall we say
by grace then it is not of works and if it is of works then it is not of grace 4 Assertion Rom. 10. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and believest with thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation For the Scripture saith Whoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed There is no difference between Iew and Greek For every one that calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved 5 Assertion Acts 13. Be it known unto you Brethren that through this Man remission of sins is preached unto you that through him every one that believes may be justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses 6 Assertion Acts 10. To him all the Prophets bear witness That all that believe in him do receive through his name remission of sins 7 Assertion 1 Cor. 3. For other foundation can no man lay than that which is already laid that is Christ Iesus But if any man build upon this foundation Gold or Silver c. If any man's work is burnt he shall suffer damage but himself shall be saved yet so as through fire c. 8 Assertion The eight Argument is gathered from many Examples of those who were justified by Faith only and admitted unto Baptism As three thousand of those that believed at the Preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecost were baptized Acts 2. and the Eunuch whom Philip baptized Acts 2. The Iaylor and his family whom Paul baptized Acts 16. c. By which Examples it may be rationally proved that the Apostles judged Faith to be sufficient to qualifie a man for the receiving of Baptism and therefore also for receiving of Iustification By these proofs of Scripture this Doctrine is sufficiently confirmed which attributes the Iustification of the ungodly not to Works joyned with Faith but to Faith simply without Works But because I am not now dealing with men of moderate Principles but with cunning Sophisters let us for a while bring the Apostle out of the Church into the School that he may fight hand to hand against them with their own weapons and confute them with their own Arguments The Righteousness of the Law or of Works and the Righteousness of Faith are so contrary to one another that they cannot consist together but the one of necessity makes void the other But we look for Righteousness by Faith Therefore not by the Righteousness of Works Again If according to Grace then it is not according to Debt But according to Grace it is imputed to us for Righteousness Therefore not according to Debt Again That whereunto blessedness is ascribed to the same also is ascribed Iustification Our blessedness is attributed unto the remission of sins Therefore our Iustification also is attributed to the same Another Argument If Works are necessary to Salvation then Salvation would not consist in the belief of the heart and the confession of the mouth But our Salvation consists in confessing the Lord Iesus with the mouth and believing in him with the heart Therefore Works are not necessary unto Salvation Another If Works had been conducible to justifie Abraham before God then he should have had cause of glorying before God Rom. 4. But Abraham had nothing wherein he could glory before God Therefore Works do not avail to Iustification Another By the Law of Moses no man can be justified All Doctrine of Works belongs to the Law of Moses Therefore no Salvation comes by any Doctrine of our Morals or Works Another Whosoever builds upon Christ the Foundation Gold or Hay or Stubble shall be saved either without fire or through fire Therefore Faith only without Works procures Salvation An Induction from Examples The Scriptures tell us of many that were justified and baptized without making any mention of Works On the day of Pentecost three thousand were baptized Acts 2. The Eunuch was baptized by Philip Acts 8. The Iaylor with his family Acts 16. The sinful woman whom faith saved Luke 7. The prodigal Son Luke 18. The Thief on the right hand Luke 23. The Publican Luke 18. And a multitude of others obtained Salvation without any condition of Works Therefore only Faith in Christ justifies the humble and broken hearted sinner Unto these things so very evident and clear what do the Adversaries object with what subtilties and distinctions do they defend their Popish Errour of Inherent Righteousness Be pleased to hearken though what they say is fitter for laughter and derision than instruction And first as touching the distinction that Paul makes between him that worketh and him that worketh not between Mercenary works and Iustification imputed without Works between Debt and Grace between the Righteousness of the Law and the Righteousness of Faith let us observe how those Sophisters cloud and darken it with their vain janglings For whereas the Apostle argues on this manner from the Rule of contraries If it is of grace then it is not of works but if it be of works then it is not of grace c. If the Inheritance is by the Law then it is not of the Promise c. And again distinguishing between the Righteousness of the Law and the Righteousness of the Gospel he so divides the one from the other that difference appears evident Of the Righteousness that comes by the Law saith the Apostle the Law it self speaks on this manner He that doth these things shall live in them But what saith he of the Righteousness that is of Faith If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and believe with thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved What is more evident than this distinction what words are more perspicuous But what is there that can be so well conceived in the mind or expressed in words but it may be wrested by the wrong Interpretations of such men as take delight to set themselves in opposition against the Truth for thus they speak Are not pious works the gifts of God Doth not Charity shed abroad in the hearts of the Saints by the Holy Ghost inflame the minds of Believers and provoke them to all things that are honest and agreeable to the Will of God Which Works of Charity when God crowns and rewards them in us they are not so much our works as his gifts for they are not our works or performed by any strength of our own but they are the works of God which we perform by his help and they should be wholly attributed to his Grace Whence also they oft-times are called in the Scriptures by the name of Divine Grace As Paul also bearing witness of himself says By the grace of God I am what I am for this grace of working not being attained unto by
Nazianzen de moderatione Our Righteousness is Faith only Bernard our Righteousness is no other thing but the Indulgence of God Thom. Aquin. in 1 Tim. 1. Therefore there is no hope of Iustification but in Faith only A twofold Iustification 〈◊〉 to the Papists The second Iustification of Papisis overturned A Rule of Law Ambrose in Cap. 3. ad Rom. It is proved out of Ambrose that a twofold manner of Iustificatoin is impossible Gregor 2. lib. Moral Cap. 40. Gregor ibid. There is a twofold consideration both of good and Evil Works An Answer by way of Instance Every Union of things doth not confound their Offices Erasmus censurus Parisiensium Tit. 7. They of Paris argue that Faith can be without Charity 1 Cor. 13. Chrysostom A cavilling about the Word all An Argument out of a place of 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 13. Mat. 11. In the Kingdom of Heaven Faith is greater than Charity 1 Cor. 13. The Offices of Charity Charity commended from its duration How great things Faith doth in Heaven How Charity is greater than Faith and how Faith is greater than Charity Iustification before God Iustification before men What the Iustification is whereof Iames speaks Human Iustification which consists in the shewing of good works An outward appearance is often deceitful Gen. 15. Gal. 3. Romans 3. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason Tiletan Free Iustification by Faith is proved by the Words of Paul Andr. Vega de just pag. 751. Rom. 4. The Distinction of the Papists is idle and Impertinent Rom. 1. Eph. 1. Colos. 2. Wherein the difference between the Law and Grace consists A Similitude The Distinction of Hosius 2. Arg. out of Paul Rom. 3. Andraeas Vega Isa. 1. Aug. de perfect just But when the highest Lord shall sit on the Throne who will boast that he hath a clean Heart And who will boast that he is pure from his Sin Unless it be those that Glory in their own Righteousness and not in the Mercy of the Iudge What manner of Gospel Paul preached Rom. 3. The popish comment about the universal Sign is overturned Aug. de praedest Sanct. lib. 1. cap. 8. Hab. No Man denies Works to be necessary Basil. in Psal. 32. Nazian 3 Argum. St. Paul Rom. 4. 4 Argum. Rom. 10. 5 Argum. Acts 13. 6 Argum. Acts 10. 7 Argum. 1 Cor. 3. 8 Argum. Arguments out of S. Paul Rom. 4. Rom. 10. Romans 4. Acts 13. 1 Cor. 3. An argument taken from Examples Acts 2. Acts 8. Acts 16. Luke 7. Luke 18. Luke 23. Luke 18. Inherent Righteousness Rom. 10. Gal. 3. Rom. 10. A Sophistical Pretence A Sophistical Objection How Grace justifies according to the Opinion of the Papists Works considered in a twofold respect as they are either of grace or of nature Aug. de spirttu litera cap. 30. What is righteousness by the Law The righteousness of the Law righteousness by the Law or in the Law A Rule of Lawyers Aug. de fid oper c. 15. The cause why we are chosen and justified in Christ only Vega de fide operibus q. 2. pa. 754. It is sufficient that we by believing only be justified unless we do otherways hinder the Grace of God by our Sins One manner of justifying and that perpetual The Distinction of a first and second Iustification is confuted The cause of Iustification is not twofold but one Eph. 2. Rom. 11. The Caviling of the Papists An indefinite Proposition Rom. 3. Isa. 55. A frivolous Trick of the Sophisters Isa. 52. The VVords of Paul wrested by the Papists Tarrianus Iesuit pro epist. pent lib. 4. An Answer to the first Objection An Answer to the Objection An Answer to the third Objection 1 Tim. 1. 1 Tim. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 2 Cor. 5. Ephes. 3. The blind Errour of the Papists about the sense and scope of Pauls Epistles Romans 7. Vega de Iustificat p. 771. Iohn 3. Romans 4. Aug. de Haeres Haeres 54. Iohn 6. Acts 10. Acts 16. Gal. 5. Tridentine Counc 1. Sess. 6. cap. 7. Objection from the words of Paul Answer Why Faith is alone in Iustifying How Faith Charity and other vertues are joyned together What where how Faith works by Love Trid. Concil cap. 11. If any say that a man is justified by the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness only or by the remission of sins only excluding Grace and Charity which is spread abroad in the hearts and inheres in them Or if any say that the Grace whereby we are justified is only the favour of God let him be accursed If any say that Iustifying Faith is nothing else but a fiducial relyance on the Mercy of God forgiving sins for Christ's sake or that this fiducial relyance is the only thing whereby we are justified let him be accursed Sess. 6. cap. 2. Rom. 4. 11. Rom. 3. Rom. 4. Testimonies out of the Prophets Ierem. 23. Ezek. 34. Isa. 41. Isa. 43. Isa. 44. Zeph. 2. The necessity of Pious Works Apoc. 3.