that sainct Paule sayeth that a man is iustified by fayeth and not by the vvorkes of the lavve vvhich is all one as if hee had sayed that a man is iustified by faithe only and not by good vvorkes But to this I ansvvere that if sainct Paule had sayed that a man is iuste by faithe and not by vvorkes adding noe more then Luther had had some argument but hee sayeth not soe but only that a man is iuste by faites and not by the vvorkes of the lavve excluding only the Iudaicall sacramentes and ceremonies vvhich he calleth vvorkes of the lavve and vvhen in other places he excludeth vvorkes he meanethe the selfe same vvorkes Rom. 4. Gal. 2.3 or else those vvorkes vvhich proceed not from faithe and grace suche as vvere the vvorkes of the gentils Nether is faithe sayed to iustifie bicause that only iustifieth but bicause it is the beginning and ground vvorke of iustification or bicause it concurreth to iustification or bicause by that faithe vvhich iustifieth is vnderstood not a naked faithe but a faithe ioyned vvith charitie and good vvorkes such as saint Paule speaketh of vvhen vvriting to the Galathians hee excludeth the vvorkes of the lavve Gal. â— saying that in Christe Iesu nether Circumcision is of any vvorth nor the Prepuce but faythe vvhich vvorketh by charitie Vvherfore sainct Paule is so farre from thinking that only fayth iustifieth that hee auoucheth that if hee had all the fayth in the vvorld and so great a faithe that hee could moue mountaines 1. Cor. 33. yet if hee had not charitie hee vvere nothing And if Luther and Caluin bicause scripture sometymes sayeth that faithe iustifieth vvill therfore inferre that faith only iustifieth then bicause scripture sayeth that by hope vve are saued and that blessed is the man that hopeth in God Rom. â— Psal 83. I vvill inferre that only hope iustifieth and bicause scripture also affirmeth that the man is happie that feareth our lord Psal 111. I vvill conclude that feare only iustifieth Or if they vvill ansvvere that hope and feare are sayed to iustifie and to make man happie bicause they concurre to iustification and happines the same I vvill say of faithe to vvit that it is sayed to iustifie not bicause it only iustifieth but bicause vvith charitie it concurres to our iustification For to charitie allso is attributed our iustification and more then vnto faith For as Christe told saincte Marie Magdalen that her fayeth had saued her so he sayed that many sinnes vvere forgiuen her bicause she loued much Lue. â— and Scripture attributeth those effects to charitie vvhich are necessarilie linked vvith iustification As for example Mat. 22. Rom. 11. Col. â— 1. Tim. â— charitie is called the fullnes of the lavv the end of the lavve the obseruation of the lavv and the bond or knot of perfection Charitie also is sayed to make vs children of God â— 10 â— Rom. 3.1 Pet. â— 1. 10.4 by it the holy ghost is sayed to be diffused in our hartes charitie is sayed to hide and couer our sinnes and to make God to dvvell in our hartes Sainct Ihon pronounceth boldly that vvho loueth his brother by charitie is in the light 1. 10. â— and that vvee are translated from the darkenes that is of sinne to the light that is of iustification bicause vvee loue our bretherne Ibidem c 3. c. 4. yea hee sayeth that vvhoesoeuer loueth not remaineth in deathe And againe euerie one that loueth is borne of God By vvhich it is plaine that ether charitie is allvvayes ioyned vvith the grace of iustification as S. Th â— 2. q. 210. â— 1. â— Thomas sayeth or that it is all one vvith the sayed grace Sâ—â—t 2. d. 26. Our ibidem as others saye and so is the formall cause of iustification and then faith only concurrethe as a disposition as hope also and feare doe At least heÌ„ce it follovveth that only faith iustifieth not bicause hee that hath not Charitie as saint Ihon sayeth remaineth in death and if a man haue all the fayth in the vvorld as saint Paule sayeth vvithout charitie hee is so farre from being iuste that he is nothing and no body Supra Novv vvheras they saye that faithe only iustifieth but not vvithout charitie and good vvorkes bicause it can not bee vvithout them it is another absurde heresie â— Cor. â—â— For saint Paule vvhen hee sayeth that if he had all the faythe in the vvorld and yet haue no charitie hee is nothing supposeth that faithe may be separated from charitie 〈◊〉 2. And S. Iames supposing that it may be vvithout good vvorkes sayeth that faithe vvithout good vvorkes is dead and diuers parables as of the corne Mat. 1â— ibidem Mat. 22.25 and cockle in the same barne of good and bad fishes in the same nette of good and bad gestes at the same supper yea of the sheep and goates also argevve that men maye bee in the Churche by faithe and yet be badde Christians for vvant of charitie and good vvorkes vvhich the good Christians haue Yea reason teacheth that it is one thing to beleeue and to knovv our dutie by faithe and another thing to doe our dutie Yea if there vvere no other argument then the euil life of Lutheranes and Caluinistes vvho bragge that they haue true faithe and yet liue most viciously it vvould conuince them that faithe if there bee any in them may bee seuered from good vvorkes and ioyned vvith euil But to come to a conclusion if faith only iustifie then it follovveth that the gappe is opened vnto all vice and villanie For vvhen they come to the definition of this faithe vvhich only iustifieth Supra they say that it is an assurauÌ„ce by vvhich vvee are fully persuaded that Christes iustice is ours by vv ch faith also they saye Christes iustice is so applyed vnto vs that it is ours and couerethe our sinnes and maketh vs appear iuste in the sight of God Out of vvhich doctrine I deduce this argumente If faith only iustifie then if vvee retaine that faithe thoughe vve commit all the villanies in the vvorlde they can not hurte vs bicause so longe as vvee hold that faithe vvee are iuste and so the gappe is opened to all vice For if a man bee once persuaded that faithe only iustifiethe and that this faithe is noe other thinge but an apprehension that Christes iustice is ours if hee persuade him selfe that Christes iustice is his as hee must bicause Caluin and Luther affirme that euery man must beleeue so if hee vvilbe a Christian then needs hee only care to retaine that faithe and apprehension For if that only iustifie then retaining that hee is assured that he is still iuste though hee commit all the sinnes in the vvorld and so by this doctrine he hathe good leaue to sinne And for more confirmation of this argument it must be noted that Luther and Caluin affirme that Christes
coÌ„teÌ„ned Li. 2. doct Christ c. 6. knovvledg hardly gotteÌ„ is highly priced And therfore as S. Austine noteth the holy ghost in scripture hath prouided easie things to satisfie our honger obscure places also to take avvay lothsomnes Bicause our vnderstaÌ„ding vvith easie things only vvould be soone cloyed vvith obscuritie only vvould easilie be deterred Thirdly this difficulcie imprinteth in our memorie the vvord of God more deeply For as the iroÌ„ is more harde to receue impression then vvax or vvater yet keepeth it more firmly so that vvhich vve learn hardly vve forget not easilie Fourthly it controleth our high-clyming and deep searching vvittes maketâ— vs to acknovvledge the vveaknes of our intellectuall eye-sight vvhich if it bee so dim ne that it can noe more susteyne the blazing spleÌ„dour of naturall verities theÌ„ can the night-crovves eyes the beames of the sonne much lessâ— can it behold vnlesse it be by a glimse and glimmering the splendent rayes of supernaturall verities revealed throughe the darke veale of holy scripture Fiftly this difficultie increaseth merit and deserte vvhen so constantly vvee beleeue those verities vvhich in scripture are rather vealed them reuealed Sixthly this difficultie preserueth scripture from prophanation and is the cause vvhy euerie one can not babble of scripture as they do of easie thinges and as the heretiques of this tyme do bicause they imagin scripture to be easie Seauenthly it hides our sacred mysteries froÌ„ ê“phane infidells vvhoe are noe more vvorthy of this diuine knovvledge then are the beastly svvine of preciouse pearles Orig. li. 1. in Leâ—it Eightly as Cirill or rather Origen very vvell obserueth these obscure phrases and figures vvherin the diuine veritie is cladde are as it vvere a seemly habit vvhich graceth the vvorde of God and makes it seeme the better vnto our vveakish eyes For more are vve delighted to see the veritie of the sacred Eucharist vnder the figure of Manna and of the Sacrament of Baptisme in that shadovve of the redde sea then if vve savve the same sett forth to ourvevve in bare vvordes though neuer so playn But novve let vs see vvhat our ghospellers can saye to this experience and reason by vvhich I haue proued scriptures to bee hard and difficile It is true sayeth Luther scriptures are in many places harde but vvhere they treat of thinges necessarie to saluation there are they playn and perspicuouse Is it true Luther that so me partes of scripture are harde Supra then must thou eate that vvorde of thine in vvhich thou sayedst Ego de tota scriptura dico nullam eius partem obscuram dici volo I say of all scripture I vvill haue no part of it called obscure And vvilt thou stand to it that vvhere scripture treateth of thinges necessarie to saluation ther it is plain and easie I aske then of thee vvhether the doctrine of Baptisme bee not necessarie to saluation And if thou say yea then is some parte of scripture vvhich treateth of thinges necessarie harde and difficile for othervvise Caluine vvould neuer haue cauilled so much about those vvordes of Christ Io. â— Vnlesse a man be borne agan of vvater and the holy ghoste Is not the doctrine of the blessed Sacrament necessary to bee beleeued And yet vvho seeth not hovv many diuerse expositions the ghospellers haue deuised vppon those fevv vvords Mat. 26. Luc. 22. This is my bodie Is not the doctrine of iustification necessarie And yet it is so obscurely set dovvn in scripture that Osiander a voucheth Ex Bol to 3. l. 3. l. 2. de Iustif initio that amongest the confessionistes there are tvveÌ„tie different opinions about the formall cause of iustificatioÌ„ and euery one is deduced out of scripture At least they vvill graunt mee that the doctrine and fayth of the blessed Trinitie and of Christes diuinitie and humanitie is of necessitie to bee beleeued yet the Ebionites Arrianes Nestorians Eutichians Valentinians Monothelites and Appollinaristes vvho helde diuerse heresies concerning the Trinitie and IncarnatioÌ„ proued theÌ„ all to their thinking out of scripture Vvhich is a signe that scripture is not easie for vvher al is playne all men commonly aggree and if scripture vvhere it speaketh of those mysteries vvere perspicuouse they vvould neuer haue banguered so grossely in expounding them But rather then my aduersarie vvill stand out he vvill bee content to play smalle play If sayeth hee thou bee a good GraÌ„marian all vvill seeme easie vnto thee And vvas not I pray thee S. Austin vvho read Rhetorike in Millan vvas not S. HieroÌ„vvhoe vvas excellent in all the three tongues a Grammarian They vvere They vvere and yet they coÌ„fessed as I haue declared that scriptures vvere full of difficultie Yea in England our ministers haue the Bible in English and so haue no need of any helpe of Grammer and yet can they not aggree about the scriptures meaning Yea in all sciences it is one thing to be a grammarian another thing to attayn to the knovvledg of the science for many a school maister in England can constrevv Aristotle vvhich yet can not vnderstand him and if grammer vvere sufficieÌ„t then after grammer vvee should need no studie nether in diuinitie nor philosophie nor any other science And to vse no other argument then experiens let our GraÌ„marians in Ingland after they haue constrevved the psalmes tell me vvether they do yet vnderstand the psalmes But my aduersary vvill shevv that hee is not tongue tyed and therfore vvill not bee put to silence If sayeth hee you confer one place vvith another one vvill explicate another This is another starting hole vvhich hee hath found out But this also is but a poore shifte For although one place conferred vvith another many tymes giueth a great light to both yet doth it not so allvvayes fall out For diuerse haue conferred the same places and yet haue gathered diuerse meaninges yea somtymes conference of places augmenteth the difficultie and maketh a shovv of contradiction vvhich before appeared not Novv gentle reader thou vvouldst think that this man vvere satisfied or else that his mouth vvere stopped but yet he desireth one ansvvere more and if that vvill not serue he vvill ether yeeld or hold his peace If you pray to God sayeth he to illuminate you he vvill reveal the meaning of scripture vnto you or if you haue the spirit be not carnall but spirituall or if you be praedestinate you shall finde all as playne in scripture as the kinges high vvay This ansvvere is so poore that it vvell argueth that our aduersarie is put to an harde shift and to a last reply bicause in this ansvvere hee declareth ignotum per ignotius an vnknovven thing by that vvhich is more vnknovven As for example I vvould haue him to assure vs vvhether that vvee expound scripture rightly or vvrongly hee telleth vs that if vve praye as vve ought to do or if vvee bee of the electe or if vvee bee spirituall
propitiation of all and yet paganes and infidels and many of the reprebate are not iuste and therfore must not beleeue assuredly that they are iuste or electe if they should they should beleeue that vvhich is not so Christ therfore is our propitiation bicause hee hathe payed by his passion a sufficient price for our iustification and redemption but yet if that price by faithe in Christe together vvith hope charitie Sacramentes and obseruation of the lavve for all these are commaunded bee not applyed to vs vve are neuer a vvhit the better Thirdly suppose only Caluins faithe by vvhich he beleeues Christs iustice to be his vvhich not vvith standing is allready refuted vvere sufficient to applie this propitiation Supra yet for as much as Caluin sayeth that good vvorkes do necessarily follovve a found faithe I demaund of him vvhether that he and his haue not iuste cause to doubte or at least to feare their ovvne iustice and faithe also vvhose euill deeds are so many and so manifeste Fourthly euery one of them sayeth hee is assured that hee is iuste and shal be saued yet some of them are deceiued bicause some of them haue contrarie faithes and some of the same faithe are damned vvhy then may not Caluin also feare least hee bee deceued seing that Christs dyed for all and yet all are not iuste nor elect thoughe they assure then selues of the same Lastly this doctrine openeth the gapp to all manner of vice and vvickednes For if it bee sufficient to iustification to beleeue vndoubtedly that I ame iuste or that Christes iustice is mine then dothe it follovv that as after I haue sinned I may apprehend Christes iustice to bee myne and my selfe to bee iustified by the same soe vvhen I ame moued to sinne by the deuil or my ovvne concupiscence yea euen then vvhen I ame in the acte of sinne I may apprehend that thoughe ther is noe goodnesse in me of myne ovvne yet Christes iustice is myne of vvhich if euen in the acte of sinne I assure my selfe I maye assure my selfe also that noe sinne can hurte mee bicause that assurauÌ„ce iustifieth mee And so the fornicatour may thus discourse vvith him selfe I confess ô Lord that there is no goodnes in me and that this acte to vvhich I ame novv tempted is a sinne but Christes iustice is myne if I vvill apprehend it so am I ame iuste if I vvill beleeue so and from this faithe I vvill neuer bee dissuaded but vvill hold it faste euen in the acte of sinne and so I need not feare this sinne bicause if I hold fast by this faithe noe sinne can hurte mee bicause by this faithe I me iustified And so the vvay is open to all vice and vvickednes bicause if a man vvill beleeue that he is iuste and hold faste by this faith noe sinne can hurte him bicause that assuraunce of iustice dothe iustifie him The fourth chapter shevveth hovv in saying that faith maketh no sinne to be imputed to a faithfull man thei giue good leave to all faithfull men to commit all sinne and vvickednes THe reformers are of opinion as anone I shall relate in the next chapter that all our vvorkes are sinnes in vvhich least they may seeme to contradicte them selues for they saye also that true faithe can not bee separated from good vvorkes vvhich seemeth to allovve of all the vvorkes of a faithfull man they haue found out this vvay to escape a contradiction True saye they all the vvorkes euen of faithfull men are sinnes and yet true it is that faithe can not bee separated from good vvorkes bicause faithe makes God to impute nothing as sinne but rather to esteeme of all the actions of a faithfull man as good laudable Vvherfore Luther in a certain sermon vttered these vvords Vbi fides est Ser. super Siâ— Deus dilexit nullum peccatum nocere potest Vvher faith is noe sinne can hurte And so sayeth hee a Christian man is so riâ—ch that he can not damne him selfe but only by incredulitie Sup. l. de capt l. 3. Inst c. 14. sect 17 c. 1â— sect 8. Caluin also sayeth plainly that all iust and faithfull mens vvorkes are of them selues sinnes but are by faith reputed as good Vvhich doctrine if it be true then needeth not a faithfull man feare any sinne be it neuer so great bicause God vvill neuer impute it vnto him and consequently it shall neuer be brought to examination at the later day nor punished in hell bicause God imputes it not as sinne and consequently makes no reckening of it Psal 50. Vvherfore Dauid vvho vvas a faithfull man in vayne cryed God mercie for his adoultrie and murder bicause if hee vvas faithfull as certes hee vvas those sinnes could not be imputed as sinnes vnto him And so if Christians vvill holde faste by Caluins faithe and beleeue that Christes iustice is theirs they shall not need to feare ether theftes or adulteries bicause Luther and Caluin haue giuen them a vvarraunte sealed and signed vvith their ovvne handes that if they hold their faithe noe sinne can hurt them bicause it is not imputed vnto theÌ„ And vvhy then make vvee scrouple any longer of sinne let euery man if this doctrine bee true follovv his hcoÌ„cupisceÌ„ces For althoughe hee commit all the sinnes vvhich ether the deuill puttes into his mynd or the fles he and vvorld suggestethe hee is assured that they can not hurte him biause they are not imputed The fifte Chapter shevveth hovv the reformers auouch that all our actions are of them selues mortall sinnes and hovv this doctrine looseth the bridle to all vice VVoe be to them sayeth God vvho affirme bad to be good and good to be euib Isai 5. vvhich curse must needs light vppon our ghospellers vvho condeÌ„ne the iuste mans good deeds as mortall sinnes and accounte the faithfull mans euil deedes as good honest or at least as such that are not reputed euill but rather good in c vlt. ad Gal. Luther sayeth that the best vvorkes vvhich infidels doe are sinnes these are his vvords Vvhosoeuer out of Christe vvorketh prayeth suffreth dothe vvorke pray and suffer in vaine bicause vvhat soeuer is not of faith is sinne And in his coÌ„futation of Latomus reason thus he speaketh Omne opus bonum peccatuÌ„ est nisi ignoscat Dei misericordea euery good vvorke is a sinne vnless Gods mercie forgiue it And in the same place hee sayeth that God pardons it in that he imputeth it not to the faithfull And a litle before that hee sayeth that sainct Paule neuer did good vvorke in his life that the best vvhich euer he did vvas a sinne though God imputed it not to him bicause he vvas faithfull And yet again before that he sayeth that euen our iustice is vncleanes and all our good vvorkes are sinnes Likevvise in one of his propositions collected and condemned by the famous vniuersitie of Paris he hath these very vvords Omnes
ovvne hearbes and planted and pruned also his trees vvith his ovvne hands if the Romaine dictatours taken from tillage and husbandry retourned againe to the same exercise after the tyme of beariÌ„g office vvas expired much more might Adame in the state of innocencie and the garden of pleasure haue laboured Perier l. 4. in Gin. and vvorked for his recreation and pleasure thâ—â— God delte vvith Adam to signifie by this corporall exercise vvhich hee appointed him the taske and labour vvhich is necessarie for the soule in the exercise of morall and supernaturall vertue vvhose operations are called vvorkes And truly vvho soe considereth the end of man and his felicity Th. c. 2. q. 3 a. 2. 4. vvhich consisteth in the perpetuall vision and contemplation of God vvhich is the most noble operatioÌ„ vvhich man hath vvil not meruail that the meanes to attaine to this ende should be good vvorkes and operations Vvherfore scripture all most in euery place exhorteth vs to the obseruation of the coÌ„maundementes to vvorkes of charitie iustice mercie temperaunce fortitude patience and such other vvorkes of vertue And for this cause our life is some tymes compared to a vvarfare in vvhich vve must allvvayes be fighting or arming or fortifying our selues or obseruing the enemie as souldiours doe somety mes vve are compared to labourers in the vinyard vvhoe vvorke for vvages some tymes to runners vvrastlers vvho ronne and striue for a gole crovvne or revvard So that our persection also consisteth in action labour and operation And truly vvhoe considereth hovve vnvvorthy a man idlenes is vvill neuer dreame that in it should consiste a Christians perfection For idlenes is the mother of all vice the very bane of vertue and no lesse pernicious to mans soule and body also then it is to the grounde of the gardener or husband man For as the earth not tilled nor laboured bringes forthe nothing but vveedes as the tree not pruned beares nought but leaues and at the length not so much as leaues so if by continuall exercise of vertue and good vvorkes the seed-plotte of our soule bee not continually manured and tilled the seede of Gods inspirations inclinations to vertue vvhich are neuer vvanting in our soule bring for the noe frute of good vvorkes and vertuouse actions but only the breres brambles and vveedes of vices do ouergrovv the soule And as the poole that standeth and moueth vvith noe streame stinketh and engendrethe nothing else but frogges snakes serpents so the soule of man vvhich is allvvayes idle and vnoccupied and neuer moued vvith the exercise of vertue putrifieth in her ovvn corruption and bringeth forthe nothing but monstrouse vices Truly vvhen man is idle he is vnarmed and exposed to all danger Then the deuil takers his tyme the fleshe aslaultes him the vvorld molestes him and he becomes slaue captiue to them all bicause by operatioÌ„ he makes no resistaunce And vvhereas much hurte hath proceeded from idlenesse neuer yet any exploit or entreprise vvorthy a man Hence proceed fornications adulteries robberies for vvhen the mynde is not occupied in good cogitations it is occupied in euil bicause it can not be altogether idle but ether it is vvell or ill occupied Vvherfore the Poet demaundethe vvhy Aegistus became an adulterer he ansvvereth thus In promptu causa est desidiosus erat The cause is easily to bee tolde hee vvas an idle person Vvhen a man is idle and not exercised in vertuouse actions vvhich produce good habits by vvhich our sensualitie is boidled and our passions are moderated then the flesh vvaxeth vvanton sensualitie becomes effeminate the passions are vnruly and the man impotent to all vertue Vvherfore Scipio in one thing vvas vviser theÌ„ Cato bicause Cato vvould haue had Carthage destroyed that Rome might enioy a freer peace and libertie but Scipio counted it more profitable for Rome to haue Cathage stand that Rome might haue an enemie to exercise her vvhich opinion of Scipio tyme proued truest for vvheÌ„ Carthage vvas aftervvards ruined Rome thinking her selfe secure became careles and idle and the Romaines by idlenes lost their former force provves and became altogether effeminate and impotent slaues to sensualitie vvho before hand beene Lords of the vvorld And yet according to our nevv reformers doctrine idlenes is the accomplishment and perfection of morall and Christian life For they first of all vvill make vs to beleeue that a naked farthe by vvhich vvee appreheÌ„d Christes iustice to bee ours is that vvhich iustifieth and vvhich is sufficient to saluation vvithout good vvorkes or obseruatioÌ„ of the lavve Vvhich if it be true Christian perfection shall consiste in an abstracted and idle apprehension of Christes iustice but in no practise nor exercise of vertue in noe labour or good vvorke at all and so vvheras all other creaturs attain to their end by action motion and labour man only by idlenes that is by apprehending only and doing nothing shall purchase his felicitie The artificer shall come to perfection in his arte by labour exercise and operation not of one or tvvoe but many dayes yea of his vvholle life bicause by coÌ„tinuall practise he augmenteth his skill but the arte of a Christian shall require no practice at all no labour no vvorking bicause according to this opinion on only acte of faith before a man dyeth is sufficient to iustifie him from all his former sinnes and to make him as iuste as holy as Christe him selfe vvho is the holy of holyes and so eternal felicitie vvhich is an operation by vvhich vvee see God face to face enioie our summum bonum shall be gotten vvithout operation and vvee shall vvinne our gole vvithout running atcheue our victorie vvithout fighting and gaine our vvages vvithout vvorking that is by an idle faythe vvhich apprehendeth only but doeth nothing They teach vs also that since Adames fall our nature is so corrupte that all our actions euen those that go for best are mortall and daÌ„nable sinnes in so much that you may as vvell and as soone get oyle out of a marble stone as vvring one good vvorke froÌ„ the nature of man vvhich if it be true then certes sleeping and idlenesse is our greatest perfection For if in euery acte vvee sinne mortally better vvere it to sleepe then to vvatche and praye better to sitte idle to do nothing then something bicause in doing nothing vve doe no harme in doing some thing vvhatsoeuer it bee bee it prayer and almes deeds vvee sinne mortally so idlenesse is our perfectioÌ„ bicause better it is to be idle theÌ„ ill occupied Vvhence follovveth my intended coÌ„clusion to vvit that according to the reformers doctrine idlenesse is the perfection of a Christian mans life and the best and surest meanes to attaine vnto his felicitie and to purchasse his SaluatioÌ„ The fourtenth Chapter shevveth vvhat an enemie the reformers doctrine is to Chastitic euen that vvhich is required betvvixt man and vvife CHastitie is a vertue