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A10556 Faith and good vvorkes vnited in a sermon preached at the Spittle vpon VVednesday in Easter weeke, 1630. By Richard Reeks minister of the word at Little Ilford, in Essex. Reeks, Richard. 1630 (1630) STC 20828; ESTC S115772 46,778 68

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But they say therefore of grace because of works Not of works lest any man should boast saith the spirit But of workes and yet a man shall boast in the Lord saith Bellarmine This may seeme to sound well to an ignorant eare to say God hath giuen this to me whereby I am iust but well considered vnder pretence of piety spoiles Christ of his glory Why doth not the Papist as well say he hath giuen me wherewith to redeeme my selfe for by the same wherewith we are iustified wee are redeemed as it is written being iustified by his blood Rom. 5.9 Behold the blood of him that is God and man iustifies vs and that redeemes vs for in vaine had Christ died for vs if by meat and drinke we our selues might haue purchased the Kingdome of God But the matter is farre otherwise for all saith S. August which are iustified by Christ are iust not in themselues but in him That which is Christs because it is his is most perfect that which is ours because ours is weake and vnperfect Iustly doth Hierome deride C●esiphon in the like case as we may these merit-mongers O blessed O happy men if that iustice which can be found no where but in heauen may be found with you only vpon earth Therefore let them boast of their good works of arrogance and superarrogance let vs in humility take vp that notable speech of Saint Ambrose I will not boast because I am iust but because I am redeemed I will not boast because I am voyd of sinne but that my sinnes are forgiuen Contrary boasting for that wee haue nor can finde iust cause in our selues nor warrant from the word we shall leaue to Enagrius Priscillian Iovinian the Messalians Pelagians and the rest of that rout which magnifying their own foolish fancies make the word of God of none effect The humble confession of the poore publican liketh vs well O Lord bee mercifull vnto me a sinner But for the further opening of the difference betweene the Papists and vs and for the more full cleering of our selues from their false accusation of vs you shall vnderstand that the Rhemists haue gathered two princip all conclusions against vs both out of these words of Paul If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mountaines and haue not charity I am nothing 1 Cor. 13. The first is that True faith may bee without loue works The second that Faith alone doth not iustifie without good works To the first we answere them that speech of Paul is nota categoricall proposition but an hypotheticall supposition as if it were possible that faith could bee without workes it were nothing Secondly the faith which Saint Paul here speaketh of is not a iustifyng or a sauing faith but a miraculous faith of which our Sauiour in the Gospell If yee had faith as much as a graine of mustard feed c. This he spake to the beleeuing Apostles and therefore cannot be vnderstood of a sauing faith as also S. Ambrose interpreteth that Text to doe wonders and to cast out Deuils by faith is nothing worth except a man be a follower of God by good conuesation thus he thus we There is a dead faith Iam. 2.20 There is a liuely faith Gal. 2.20 There is a faith of Deuils Iam. 2.19 There is a faith of Gods elect Tit. 1.1 There is an enduring faith Iohn 3.15 There is a perishing faith Luke 8.13 There is a faith which the world destroyeth 2 Tim. 2.18 There is a faith which destroyeth the world I Iohn 5.4 There is a faith whereby we beleeue a God Iam. 2.19 There is a faith whereby we beleeue in God Ioh. 14.1 According to the differences of faith in scripture there is a faith without workes and a faith with workes hence Diuines haue a fourefold consideration of faith as it is historicall miraculous temporarie iustifying Three of which kinds may be in the reprobate but that other iustifying faith can be in none but Gods eiect whereby we doe not only beleeue a God nor beleeue God only Credere 〈◊〉 Deo Deum in Deum but beleeue in God to which the promise of iustification of saluation is made of this faith once againe if they will heare vs we say it cannot be separated from charity but wheresoeuer it is it bringeth forth good works to the praise and glory of God of this in S. August words we conclude Inseparabilis est bona vita à fide quaper dilectionem operatur imo verò ea ipsa est bona vita in his booke de fide operibus Whereunto accordeth Irenaus lib. 4. cap. 14. to beleeue is to Doe as God will To the second conclusion viz. That faith alone iustifieth not We answere Although faith be not solitaria yet in our iustification it is sola A worthy Diuine of ours hath a worthy saying to this purpose Euen as the eye in regard of being is neuer alone from the head yet in respect of seeing it is alone for it is the eye only that doth see So faith subsisteth not without other graces of God as hope loue c. yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without all considered by it selfe To make this plaine we must know that the separating of things is or reall in subiecto the subiect mentall in anime the vnderstanding The first reall separation of faith and charity wee really wholly deny and Bellarmine honestly eleereth Luther Melancthou Chemnitius Calvin and other learned Protestants herein who he confesseth teach good works to be necessary to saluation de iustificat lib. 4. cap. 1. § ac primum confessio c. The second mentall separation which Is negatiue when in the vnderstanding one thing is denied another affirmed Is priuatiue when of things that cannot bee parted yet a man vnderstands one and omits the other Viz. Light and heat cannot be separated in fire yet a man may consider the light and not the heat Briefly negatiuely we doe not separate good works from fayth but priuatiuely we make them not concurring causes but effects and consequents of our iustification our assertion then faith considered without good workes doth iustifie Operasunt via non causa regnandi sayth Bernard and with Aug. Opera non pracedunt iustificandum sed sequuntur iustificatum not goe before but after iustification Euen as our Church speaketh the wheele turneth round Homily of good works nor to the end to be made round but because it is first made round therefore it turneth round so men are sanctified because first iustified not iustified because first sanctified neither is this conclusion ours alone but the Fathers and the Reformed Churches yea of some of the Papists and those also of the greatest Clerks among them as it may appeare viz. If we cast our eies backe to the ancient Doctors they are all for vs in this point Not according to the worth of our workes saith Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
conuersation honest and harmelesse that the name of God may not be blasphemed among the Gentiles and not only so but that they may winne those that are without by their holy cariage and conuersation according to that of the Prophet Isaiab 61.9 Their seed shal be known among the Gentiles and their of spring among the people All that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed that the Lord hath blessed And if this reason bee not sufficient let me lead you yet further Reason 4 Because this is the commandement of God to the performance whereof we are inuited à praemio from the reward à periculo from the danger That God commands it without further reason why is sufficient reason for vs to do it And that it is the command of the highest it appeareth in many places Eschew euill and doe good To doe good forget not Date eleemosynam Luke 11.41 Charge the rich that they bee fruitfull in good workes and heere be doing good And in many places which command implies obedience if we go no further then the command it selfe for he that commanded it to be done is that mighty one high aboue all men and angels by whose command all things were made for dixit factuns est but that the Lord might leaue vs inexcusable and that euery mouth might be stopped he hath enforced the same by a double reason For hoofac vines do this A praemi● and thou shalt liue There is a reward greater then our seruice Againe he that looketh in the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein being not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke the same shall bee happie in his deed which happinesse is no lesse then eternall life then which what reward can be greater Againe wee are exhorted by good workes on earth to lay vp for our selues treasures in heauen to bring somewhat into Gods exchequer as the Israelites to the Tabernacle whereof in singular confidence clayming an especiall interest in Gods fauour and expecting the promised recompence we may say with Nehemiah Remember me O God concerning this For albeit the glory of God bee the vltimus terminus of our cogitations actions well doing and principall motiue of our good workes and as it were the primum mobile of our obedience yet as Aquinas in the actions of our obedience whilest we seeke the aduancement of Gods glory in the first place we may as a secondary obiect or adiunct respect our owne commodity and haue an eie to our owne reward for shall Iob or any one serue God for nothing But as S. Augustine saith in Pal. 100. Nisi Deus per misericordiam parceret non inueniret quos per iustitiam corenaret Except God should spare in mercy he should finde none to crowne in iustice For as conscious to our selues of our many imperfections in our best actions of defects and faults in the end matter maner or measure of our obedience we must supplicate and say misericordia tua meritum meum thy mercie is my merie pardon me according to thy great mercy In hope and expectation of which infinite reward we must in our seuerall callings dailie be doing good exercising our selues in works of piety and pity that so our soules as fields of sincerity being daily more and more charged with the deeds of mercy we may at length be accomplisht with the erest and crowne of eternall glory as himselfe hath promised Matt. 5. Blessed be the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy Luk. 6.35 Iohn 14.1 They shall be called the children of the highest and therefore haue a dwelling place in their fathers house For Quimiseretur proximo soeneratur domino he that casts his bread vpon the waters shall after many daies find for a crumme a crowne for one mite a million for a drop of cold water a full draught of that heauenly water wherof hauing tasted he shall neuer thirst any more and in a word for the gleanings and refuse of our vintage a ful measure pressed and running ouer saithfull is he that promised to performe it But if we cannot be wonne by reward let vs be wrested by danger for feare of punishment for feare and anguish shall be vpon euery soule that doeth euill and take and bind that vnprofitable seruant and cast him into vtter darknesse there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth this is their portion for euer ignorans ignorabitur Primos●●● Aquin. hee that will not know God by doing good shall not be known of God among those to whom he shall shew himselfe good These forenamed reasons first to shew our loue to God in walking as his children secondly to shew our loue to our selues In quieting our consciences In making our election sure Thirdly to shew our loue to our neighbours In witnessing our faith In winning them by our godly conuersation Fourthly in yeelding obedience to the commandement of God In respect of the reward In respect of the danger These reasons I say as a cord diuinely twisted are sufficiently able to moue vs to and to confirm vs in the doing of good Vse 1 First then let vs sling this stone into the brazen foreheads of our Aduersaries which in their shamesse chalenges of our Religion dare tell the world that we are all for faith nothing for good workes all for saying but nothing for doing And that we hold workes to saluation as a Parenthesis to a clause that it may bee perfect without them Heauen and earth shall witnesse the iniustice of this calumniation and the consciences of all which heare vs shall bee our compurgators which testifie that there is no lesse necessity of doing good workes then if you should bee saued by them and th t though you cannot be saued by them as the meritorious cause of your glory yet that you cannot be saued without them as the necessary effects of that grace which brings glory We say and maintaine that fides nuda is fides nulla a naked faith is no true fayth to the conuiction of that lewd slander of Solifidianisme For although we doe not wee dare not make inherent righteousnesse the cause of our iustification yet wee say it is the effect thereof though with the Papists we make it not the Vsher yea rather the Parent of iustification yet we require it as the companion at least the Page thereof But some man may say what matters it if both ascribe the whole worke to God For comes it not all to one if one pay a summe for me or giue it me to pay my selfe These things may seeme little dissonant to some mens cares yet the spirit of God hath made them vtterly incompatible For it is written To him that worketh the wages is not imputed of grace but of debt if by grace now not of works for else grace should be no more grace Rom. 4.4 Ephes 2.8 for neither is it grace any way if it bee not free euery way saith Aug.