after the spirit And to this purpose our Lord himself speaks though not in the same words Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven For what is it to do the Will of the Father but as Paul expresses it to walk not after the flesh but after the spirit In which place a perfect obedience to the whole Law is not required to Iustification but the meaning of our Lord's words is this that he requires a Faith which is not counterfeit nor hypocritical but upright and sincere which doth not only outwardly and with the mouth make mention of the name of the Lord or the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord as the Pharisees and Hypocrites did of old but heartily endeavours to walk in the fear of God and though it cannot perform all things commanded in the Law yet it strives as much as in it lies to shun all things that are contrary to the Will of God that at least sin may not have the dominion if it cannot be wholly excluded or rooted out Thus I understand these words of Christ To do the Will of his Father which is in Heaven For God requires us to do his Will but does not exact a compleat perfection of Obedience in this Mortal Life On the contrary he that makes an outward shew of Faith and an external profession of the Name of Christ whilst he takes no care to lead a Life suitable to his profession but runs on in sins against his Conscience it is certain that such a Faith according to the saying of Christ profits him nothing though he boast in the Name of the Lord as much as he will not that Faith without Works doth not justifie before God provided it be true and not counterfeit that is if it is received into a heart truly humbled as seed into good ground But because that Faith which doth not provoke unto Love and good Works though it may be boasted of at a high rate yet in reality it is no Faith at all but only a shadow and false resemblance of Faith And the same Answer may serve for all their Arguments which they have wrested out of the Sermons of Christ in the Gospel to defend their Doctrine of Iustification by Works Of which sort are these next following Argument Matth. 7. Many shall say to me in that day Lord we have prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name we have cast out Devils and in thy Name we have done many mighty works Then shall I profess unto them I know you not depart from me ye that work iniquity From these words they draw this Argument Ce. Whosoever is rejected of Christ is not justified La. Every one that works iniquity though he hath the Faith of Miracles is rejected of Christ. Rent Therefore he that works iniquity tho' he hath Faith he is not justified Or thus We are approved by Christ after the same manner that we are justified By Works ofRighteousness we are approved of Christ. Therefore by Works of Righteousness we are justified Answer I answer to the first The Minor must be understood with a distinction He that works iniquity is taken two manner of ways in Scripture Sometimes godly men work iniquity and likewise wicked men for both of them sin but they differ in their manner of working iniquity Godly men commit many things which they hate and which are truly sins But because they delight not in them in their inner man but in their love to Christ they endeavour with all their might to return unto God by Repentance God doth not impute their sins to them wherefore those sins that are done away by remission are not reckoned for sins But the case is far otherways in those that are wholly bent upon the fulfilling of the lusts of the flesh and continue in them with delight and satisfaction And unto them belongs that sentence of Christ whereby he commands all that work iniquity to depart from him As touching the second Argument it is a fallacy a non causa pro causa as we call it if our Vertues were of sufficient efficacy to merit the Grace of God there would be some ground for that which they infer Now our Works being such as have always need of Mercy and never satisfie the Law of God nor bring Peace to the Conscience nor support us under the stroke of Death or the weight of Iudgment How evidently doth it hence appear what we should answer to this Argument Good Works are pleasing to God I grant their assumption But first the person must please God and be reconciled to him that so his works may please and be acceptable for the person being once reconciled the works from thence derive their dignity I acknowledge therefore that works of Piety are pleasing to God but yet only as they are performed by persons reconciled and justified But if the manner how they that do good works are reconciled be enquired into they do not obtain Reconciliation by works but before all merits of works for works go not before him that is to be justified as a cause thereof but always as an effect follow him that is justified As fruits if they be good they receive their goodness from the Tree whence they grow but they are not the cause why the Tree is good So in like manner we grant with Augustine that the righteous have great merits But it comes not from their merits but from another caufe that they are righteous So Iacob was beloved of God before he had done either good or evil What did David before he was anointed King to deserve so great a dignity The same may be said of Abraham of whom we read in sacred Records how great things were promised to him when first he was called away from his Fathers house But the Scripture gives us no account of any merits of his as if thereby he had Right unto so great preferments What shall I say of Adam did he not first lose Paradise before he received the promise of recovery And God had respect unto the Sacrifice of Abel What is your Opinion concerning this Did the worth of his Oblation procure him this favour Or shall we say there was some other thing that made his person acceptable to God before he had any regard to his Sacrifice If you cast your Eyes about upon all the Histories of the holy Scripture and take a view of all the Generations of the People of Israel when God in his great goodness did bear with all the provocations of that People can you discern any thing in their works that merited so great long-suffering and patience or should we say that it was only for the sake of Christ that was to be born of that Nation In like manner it may be said of the Church which though it hath been
are far from Righteousness None need the Physician but they that are Sick neither doth Christ invite any to come unto him but such as are heavy laden Come unto me saith he all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest But what is coming to Christ but believing in him according to the saying of Augustin Therefore as Christ rejects none that come unto him that is such as return to him by believing but revives and justifies them so faith in Christ in which only our Salvation consists is no where of a saving efficacy but only in those whom it finds burdened and afflicted Another Objection If Faith only were sufficient to Iustification it would follow that good Works are not necessary But the Consequent is false And Therefore the Antecedent also is false That Faith ony is sufficient Vega confirms the Minor with this Argument Unless good Works had been necessary in all respects Paul had not so carefully given Instructions about Vertue and rebuked Vice and so mightily commended good Manners and Integrity of Life but we shall afterwards enquire into the Minor I come now to the Argument And First I deny the Major for this is not a necessary Consequence Salvation is obtained by Faith in Christ only Therefore good Works are not necessary The necessity of Vertue and honest discipline is and always hath been very great in all respects both private and publick yet this necessity doth not at all detract from the peculiar dignity of Faith that it should not be the only cause of Iustification as on the other side the Iustification of Faith doth not take away the necessity nor lessen the care of a Godly Life Therefore both Faith in Christ and the practice of Holiness are necessary the one to justifie Sinners in the sight of God and the other to exercise them that are justified in this World Therefore There is need of a distinction in this case for according to Philosophy a thing is said to be necessary two manner of ways First Absolutely and simply when one thing is so necessary to another that it cannot be done or consist without it Secondly In respect of Consequence when a thing is of such a Nature that as soon as it begins to be other things also are joyned with it or at least soon follow after and thus good works in persons justified are necessary to Salvation not simply but in regard of Consequence By what I have said any Reader that is not void of Sense may easily discern that we seek not to banish good Works out of the World that they should not be necessary but we only remove them from being a cause of Iustifying That so both Faith and Works may be put each of them in their own place and contained within their own bounds For Paul did not in vain nor without great necessity exhort with much vehemency to the Godly practice of a Christian Life For what is more glorious in it self or more worthy of the profession of Christianity or fitter to adorn the Doctrine of the Gospel than that those who are called by the Name of Christ should resemble him exactly in their manners and the practice of their lives And as they profess themselves to be Citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom they should according to their power endeavour to lead a Life like Heaven upon Earth On the contrary what is more abominable or odius than if those who have been engaged by so many benefits exalted to so great dignity and are joyned to him into so near an union by so many Covenants and Obligations if yet they do not follow his Foot-steps nor imitate him in the practice of their lives Therefore in this we and they agree that Works of Piety are very necessary but we must consider wherein this necessity lies For they are effects which of necessity depend upon their cause from whence they proceed but the cause hath no dependance upon them by any necessity By the like Consequence we call many things necessary in common Offices of Civility and Humanity as when Kindnesses are received what is more necessary and according to Iustice than a thankful remembrance of a Favour received and a readiness of Mind to give evidence of thankfulness not only in Words but also by repaying Kindness with Kindness if there be Opportunity Which thankfulness was nevertheless no cause of the Kindness that was done Let us here compare other kinds of Offices Who knows not that a Son and Heir ought of necessity to be dutiful to his Father But again who can be ignorant that this is no cause in him why he should receive the Inheritance The same also may be observed in Marriage where the Wife being tyed to her own Husband of necessity owes Subjection to him which nevertheless she shews to him not so much for any Law of necessity that extorts it as of her own accord and willingly being provoked by a Principle of Love moreover when she shews him the greatest Subjection this necessity is no cause of the Marriage bond Iust so it is in the performance of Godly Works which Paul commands us to maintain for necessary uses not that necessity of Works is any cause of Iustification but because it cannot otherways be but that where true Faith is there of necessity good Works are required and yet they are not so much required as they are a necessary Consequence for who was ever endued with the true Knowledge of Christ the Son of God or had the secret breathings of his Spirit or had a lively sense of his unsearchable Power and the unspeakable Glory of his Majesty but is drawn after him with the Cords of Love and cleaves unto him with all his Heart setting light by all the Vanities of this World Moreover who hath a true savour of Christ but he dispises the World and all the things of the World as the dirt under his Feet So that now there is no need of any Law to exact Works of Righteousness of him who is truly planted in Christ because he is a Law to himself and does more of his own accord than can be commanded by any Compulsion An Argument of the Iesuites The Word only is not found in the Holy Scripture therefore Faith only doth not justifie Though it is not true that this exclusive Word is no where found in the Holy Scriptures yet suppose we should grant it to be true what would be the Consequence Verily those things that follow from a necessary Consequence though they are not expressed yet they are implied And therefore ye also your selves admit many Words into your Confession of Faith of which the Scripture makes no mention But let us proceed you say this Exclusive Word is not found in Canonical Scripture I confess it is not in so many Letters and Syllables But seeing we meet with so many other things in sacred Writings that exclude all these Accessory
words seems to be this That Salvation is prepared for all without grief without the lessening of Riches by communicating to the Poor without the detestation of a fault committed And after the interval of a few words But if you think that a Wicked Man though be flyes not at all from his wickedness obtains righteousness by Faith only who hath been more absurd who hath been more out of his wits than thou since the Creation of Mankind That I on the other side Osorius may answer to these things but in a few words If that were true which you falsly say of Luther perhaps you might gainsome praise both of a Learned Orator and an Honest Accuser But now seeing he never so much as dreamed of these things neither can you bring forth one word from so many of his Sayings and Deeds to maintain your unjust accusation I say not in your words Who hath been more absurd who hath been more out of his wits than you since the Creation of Man But if I may be allowed to say this speaking very modestly that you are too much forgetful not only of your duty but also of the argument in which you are exercised and whilst you are writing of Righteousness you do so far against all Righteousness most basely bespatter and shamefully lash a Godly Man a Servant of Christ that never deserved ill at your hands with feigned Lyes and Reproaches and all kind of abuses either through ignorance finding fault with the things you have not read or wresting those things to a wrong Sense which you are not willing to understand in a right Sense What if the Eternal possession of Salvation must not be hoped for from any thing else but works of Righteousness as chiefly you Osorius do teach that I may comprehend also Hosius and your familiar Friend Andradius in the same Category What hope can you have of your own Salvation from these works of yours to wit your most false Accusations and reproachful Libels in which against Law and Right breaking the bonds of all Righteousness you vomit forth those lying slanders against your Neighbour and that in the publick Theatre of the World for no valuable cause nor for any true reason nor upon any other account but because perhaps you are stirred up with your own immoderate passion Luther indeed did write of Faith I know and confess it but what then What fault I pray you did he commit in so doing What hath he deserved Why might not he as well write of Faith as you of Righteousness but perhaps that displeases you not that he did write of Faith but because attributing too much thereunto he refers the whole of our Righteousness to this Faith Be it so and you on the contrary refer all to the works of the Law which of you two is worthiest to be accused Which comes nearest to Evangelical Doctrine You who refer all to and comprehend all in the observance and study of the Law or he that refers unto and comprehends all in the Faith of Christ Let Paul be called for a Witness and Umpire between you who though he himself was very careful in observing the Law of God in his Epistle to the Philippians proposing a twofold manner of Righteousness the one of the Law and the other of Faith he judges the latter to be so much better and prefers it so far before the other that he esteemed all those other things of his own though otherwise excellent and praise-worthy things being placed in the study of the Law of God yet he esteemed them all as loss yea as dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Iesus Christ that he might be found in him having on the Righteousness not which is of the Law but which is of the Faith of Christ which is the Righteousness of God by Faith c. What then shall you bring us away from this faith which is placed in Christ and call us back to that dung contrary to the will of Christ and the Doctrine of Paul that by your teaching and guideance we may be found to possess a righteousness not that which is placed in Faith but that which is only placed in the Law And are you upon this account so outragiously invective against Luther because he chose rather to follow Pauls opinion than yours in this point of Salvation No but there is some other thing in the wind which puts you in such a heat of contending not because Luther attributes Righteousness to faith to which you your self use sometimes to attribute very much but because he so shuts up our Salvation in this faith alone that he seems wholly to exclude and despise the excellent works of Charity and labours after Piety in the point of Iustification and Righteousness before God In Academical exercises where arguments are examined according to the Rules of Logick those conclusions are justly found fault with that proceed from a thing said in particular to prove a thing said in the general which thing there is no man that is in any degree exercised in these matters but he may easily perceive in your Sophistry But if Luther had ever been a Man that had simply condemned the commendable diligence in good works or honest actions of vertues I should not save him from your lashes or from being accounted worthy of such Ornaments as your modesty puts upon him that he might be judged the plague of his Countrey a turbulent Person and disturber of Religion Add hereunto if you please the other flowers of your Satyrical Eloquence under which you expose him in such an appearance or disguise as one of the most cruel and dreadful Monsters that ever was in the World An Answer to the Accusations of Osorius in defence of Luther BUT now passing by your Reproaches let us consider the matter it self and the strength and finews of your Discourse For this is your Opinion that for the obtaining of righteousness the godly fruits of good works should by no means be removed from a Communion with faith which otherwise cannot be lively and saving being without charity And because Luther does this you conclude after this manner that he condemns all works of good men that he is an enemy and destroyer of all honest Discipline an Author of prophane impurity and licentiousness a plague of his Countrey a troubler and disturber of all Religion yea and a Monster and what not But I beseech you Sir bethink your self and have a care what you belch forth against any man with an unbridled rashness the Law commands you to shun leasing And do you who are so great an extoller of righteousness against all righteousness tear honest and innocent men in pieces with false accusations for if a Man doth not attribute unto works the chiefect efficacy and preemince in the point of Iustification is that sufficient cause to suppose that therefore he utterly condemns good works Verily it is
unreasonable so to do as if a man disputing concerning Osorius should thus conclude that because he hath no power of governing in the Kings Chamber therefore he hath nothing he can do at home amongst his own family Or because he is not at all excellent in military vertue to gain a victory that therefore he hath no faculty or dexterity in managing the affairs of his own business Luther separates charity from faith and the Law from the Gospel and does it not without cause But it must be considered where in what place and for what cause he does it Not to cause the godly works of good men to be despised nor to discourage the exercise thereof but that the power of justifying should not be attributed to the performance of them Not that faith should not work by love before Men but that it should not work before God For it is one thing to work before Men and another thing to work before God Therefore one and the same faith acteth both ways but one way before God and another way before men for before men it works by love that it may perform obedience to the will of God and be serviceable for the benefit of our Neighbour but before God it works not by any love but by Christ only that it may obtain the pardon of sins and eternal life By which you see what is the difference between faith and vertue and wherein they both agree and how different the working of both is How faith is alone without works and again how the same is not alone for in the mean while Godly works are not therefore condemned because they are not admitted to the justification of life but the trusting in works is only overturned Here then a wise and suitable division should be used that things may be distinguished each by their own places and bounds lest one thing should rashly rush into the possession of another and disturb the order of its station Therefore let the praise-worthy merits of the greatest vertues have their own honour and dignity which no man withholds from them Nevertheless by their dignity they will never be so available in the presence of the Heavenly Iudge as to redeem us from our sins to satisfie Iustice to deliver us from the wrath of God and everlasting destruction to restore us that are so many ways ruinated unto grace and life to unite us as Sons and Heirs to God and to overcome Death and the World These things cost a far dearer price than that we should ever be able to pay so many and so great debts by any works or merits or means of our own For so great is the severity of Iustice that there can be no reconciliation unless Iustice be satisfied by suffering the whole punishment that was due The wrath is so very great that there is no hope of appeasing the Father but by the price and death of the Son And again so great is the mercy that the Father grudged not to send his own Son and bestow him on the World and so to bestow him that he gives Life Eternal to them that believe in him Moreover so great is the loving kindness of the Son towards us that he grudged not for our sakes to bring upon himself this infinite load of wrath which otherways our frailty however assisted with all the help of moral vertues had never been able to sustain Whence Faith hath received its efficacy BEcause Faith alone with fixed eyes looks upon this Son and Mediator and cleaves unto him who only could bring about this Atchievement of our Redemption with the Father therefore it is that it alone hath this vertue and power of justifying not with works nor for works but only for the sake of the Mediator on whom it relies Therefore that is false and worthy to be rejected with disdain which some unhappy and wicked School-Divines affirm in discoursing of Charity to wit that it is the form of Faith and that it must not by any means be separated from faith no more than the vital Soul can be separated from the body or the essential form from matter which otherwise is a rude and unweildy Mass. In answering of whom I think there is no need of many words seeing the whole meaning and drift of Scripture if rightly understood the very end of the Law seeing Christ and the instruction of the Apostles and the whole nature of the Gospel seem to be manifestly against them and wholly to overturn that most absur'd Opinion by so many Oracles so many Signs Examples and Arguments to the contrary Now if that be form which gives subsistence to a thing how much more truly must it be said that faith is the form of charity without which all the works of charity are base and contemptible as again the form of faith is not charity but Christ only and the promise of the word But what say they are not the pious works of Charity acceptable to God being so many ways prescribed unto us and commanded by him Are not these also remunerated with plentiful fruits of Righteousness and heaped up with manifold Rewards in the Gospel I was hungry says he and ye fed me I thirsted and ye refreshed me with drink so that not so much as a cup of cold water shall want a reward when it is given in the name of Christ besides an infinite number of other things of that kind which being taken out of the Scriptures are enlarged upon to the praise of Charity Indeed no man denys that pious and holy works of Charity are greatly approved of God and it is an undoubted truth that the love of God and of our Neighbour as it comprehends the Summary of both Tables and is the greatest complement of the whole Law so it hath excellent promises annexed unto it Neither is there any Controversie between us about that But when we affirm that Charity pleases God we ask this how it pleases whether simply of it self in respect of the very work or upon the account of faith and the Mediatour and then whether the same Charity so pleases that it justifies us before God and obtains the pardon of sins and overcomes the terrours of death and sin that it may be opposed to the judgment and anger of God Moreover whether it hath the promises of Eternal Life annexed unto it If without a Mediatour and the faith of him there is nothing which can please God and it is impossible that works should please him before the person of him that worketh be reconciled it follows that Charity depends on Faith and not Faith on Charity But that it rather goes before Love and is so far from being joyned with it for justification that it also justifies Charity and makes all the works of Charity acceptable to God The matters appear more evident by Example Suppose a Iew or Turk does daily bestow great gifts upon the poor with very great cost
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
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
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
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
without any disadvantage to our Cause For suppose we grant that Faith is Dead which is not moved with a desire of doing good Works according to the saying of St. Iames yet it doth not therefore follow from hence that no Faith Iustifies without Works From which two things do follow worthy of consideration First That no Faith justifies that is not lively And next though it abounds in good Works and never is without them yet it only without Works Iustifies This will appear evident by the Example of St. Paul Who though he was not conscious to himself of any Wickedness yet he durst not affirm himself to be thereby Iustified I think nothing hinders but the whole Argument may be yielded unto if so be the terms are rightly placed The Adversaries gather out of the Apostle Iames that Faith is dead which is without Works and herein we do not much oppose them But what follows from hence Therefore as they say dead Faith without Works doth not justifie And I deny it not But what Conclusion flows from this manner of Arguing Therefore only Faith doth not justiste Why so If no Faith but that which is lively justifies and if it receives Life only from Works then this is the consequence that Faith justifies only upon the account of good Works I Answer First though we grant it is true that the Faith which justifies us in the sight of God is lively and always joyned with a Godly Life Yet that this Faith justifies and reconciles us no other ways but upon the account of good Works is most false For this is not a good consequence from the premises Because Faith is not alone in the Life of the Believer therefore Faith is not alone in the Office of justifying Or because the Faith that justifies is not a dead but a lively Faith therefore it doth not justifie alone without Works For herein is a fallacy of the Consequence But you may object Whence then is Faith said to be lively and not Dead but from Works Which if it be so of necessity it must draw all its Life and Vertue from Works Nay the matter is quite contrary For though in the sight of Men Faith is not discerned to be Lively and Vigorous but by Works yet Faith receives not Life from Works but rather Works from Faith As Fruits draw their Life and Sap from the Root of the Tree but not the Root from them Iust so external actions proceed from Faith as the Root which if they be good they evidence the Root to be sound and lively and this is all they do but they communicate no Life thereunto And this Life and Vertue of Faith is not one but Twofold And it acteth partly in Heaven and partly in Earth If you ask what it doth amongst Men upon Earth It does good to its Neighbour working by Love But before God in Heaven it justifies the Ungodly not by Love but by the Son of God whom it only lays hold of Therefore those Men seem not to have got a clear insight into the Vertue and Nature of the Grace of Faith that suppose the whole Life thereof to consist in Love as if Faith of it self could do nothing but as it receives Vertue and Efficacy from Charity Indeed both may seem to be true in the External Actions of Human Life in which Faith lyes like a dead thing unless it be enlivened by Charity to the exercise of good Works And hereunto belongs that saying of Paul whereby he so much commends Faith working by Love understanding such Works as Faith working by Love brings forth to the view of a Human Eye Yet with God Faith hath a far different operation for it only without any reliance upon Works or assistance of Charity but trusting to the naked promise of God and the dignity of the Mediatour climbs up to Heaven and gets access into the presence of God where it does great and wonderful things combating with the Iudgment to come fighting against the terrours of Death Satan and Hell pleads the cause of a Sinner obtains his pardon absolves and justifies him from the accusations of a guilty Conscience takes away all Iniquity reconciles God to the Sinner appeases his wrath subdues the power of Death and the Devil and procures Peace yea and Paradise it self with theThief that had led a wicked Life and yet at Death was justified by Faith in the Redeemer Who would desire more or greater things And now so many and great things being done by Faith let us enquire After what manner it does them Not as it lives and works by Love but as it lives only by Christ and relies on the promise for the Life of Faith which lives before God is not Charity but Christ not receiving Life from Charity but communicating life unto it and justifying Works that they may be acceptable to God which would otherways be abominable Unto the truth of this we have a sufficient Testimony given us by Paul When he says my Life is Christ and again the Life that I now live in the Flesh I live not by the Love but by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me And elsewhere speaking of himself he says That he was not conscious to himself of any VVickedness and yet he denies that he is thereby Iustified as the same Apostle discoursing about the works of Abraham though they were never so Eminent for Holiness yet he saw nothing in them which that Great Patriarch might make a matter of Glorying before God Hereunto may be added the Arguments of others that have been strangely wrested out of Scriptures There are six Reasons principally which they pretend the Evangelists furnish them with against the Righteousness of Faith First they draw an Argument from these words of Christ Come ye blessed of my Father to the Kingdom prepared for you For I was an hungred and ye gave me Meat Argument Da. That which is the cause of blessedness is also the cause of Iustification Whom he hath Iustified them he hath also Glorified c. Rom. 8. Ri. Works of Mercy are the cause of blessedness for I was an hungred and ye gave c. Mat. 25. I. Therefore Works of Mercy are the cause of Iustification Answer I deny the Minor For Works of Mercy as they are considered in themselves are not the cause of Iustification or blessedness but rather effects and furits of Iustification for they are no otherways pleasing to God but as they are performed by persons in a justified state and it is by the Faith of Christ that they become acceptable For unless Faith go before and justifie the person of him that worketh his works are not at all regarded by God because they do not satisfie the Law of God being tainted with the corruption of depraved Nature and come far short of that perfection which Divine Iustice requires Wherefore if we will Reason aright about
these consequences from them Seeing such a Iudgment is approaching as will bring every one to render an account of their Lives therefore no Man should flatter himself with hopes that any of his offences either in words or deeds will go unpunished but every Man should so frame his Life that Faith and Holiness may be jointly united together and not separated from one another And this is a truth which many now a days have need to be admonished of not only Papists but also Protestants who make profession of the Name and Faith of Christ but yet notwithstanding they so behave themselves as if they thought an-outside shew of Religion were sufficient and as if they did not look for Iudgment to come they are so void of care to walk worthy of that Holy profession giving themselves up against their Conscience to all uncleaness with greediness whereby they both greatly provoke the wrath of God and put themselves in dreadful danger of the loss of Eternal Salvation Against such Men as run on into open wickedness without measure or remorse we may by better consequence draw this inference We must appear all of us before the Iudgment seat of God where account will be taken of all the Actions and Practice of our Lives Therefore let every one that hath regard to his own Salvation endeavour according to his power to lead a Life suitable to his Profession and without Hypocrisie to join a good Conscience with a good Faith For the word of Truth hath told us They that have done Evil shall come forth unto the Resurrection of Damnation But are such Scriptures contrary to Iustification by Faith in such as together with the profession of faith in Christ joyn the fruits of Obedience which though it is not perfect upon all accounts yet it is yielded in sincerity and uprightness of Heart according to their weak power and capacity Which though it comes far short of the compleat perfection of the Law yet nevertheless our Iustification is full and perfect in the sight of God For what is defective in our Works he supplies by his own imputation thro' faith in his Son which Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness not for our working but for our believing for though the abominable rebellion of wicked Men who walk not after the Spirit but after the flesh brings upon them the Iudgment of Condemnation yet this continues to be a truth The Iust shall live by Faith And he that believeth in me shall never perish But you may say The Sentence of the Iudge remains evident and uncontroulable which promises the Resurrection of Life to them that lead a Godly Life I answer It is very true which the Lord says but the conclusion drawn from hence is very false For in these Words Christ joyning the Fruit and the Tree Persons and things together gives the comfortable hope of Eternal Life unto his own Servants who according to their power labour diligently in the Gospel Not thereby determining what their Works deserve but shewing with how many and great rewards he will crown their labours who have suffered any thing for his Name But those Men contrariways arguing from the concrete to the abstract and dividing things from persons conclude amiss by this Enthymema They that are believers in Christ exercising themselves diligently in all Holiness shall be received into Eternal Life Therefore Good Works are the cause of Eternal Life To this I may make a brief and easie Answer Answer I deny the consequence for it is a Fallacy a non causa pro causa for in the antecedent the works of the godly are brought in as effects but in the conclusion as a cause whence there is no sound conclusion from the concrete to the abstract For it is no rational arguing because believers living Holily receive the gift of Eternal Life therefore their deeds merit Eternal Life Iust as if a Man should reason on this manner a Wife being Obedient to her Husband is admitted to be a partaker of all his Goods Therefore her Obedience is worthy of a share in all his Possessions A Son being Obedient to his Father is received for his Heir therefore his Obedience deserves the Inheritance VVorks are evidences of faith in Christ but not the cause of Salvation Iust as a Tree that brings forth Fruit if it hath any goodness in it receives it not from the Fruit but the Fruit hath all its goodness from the Tree In like manner the works of the Godly have nothing that they can claim a right unto in Iudgment If they find any favour or reward that is not due to them but partly to Mercy and partly to Imputation for the sake of the Mediatour to Mercy which pardons Evil deeds to Imputation which puts a great value upon good VVorks though of very little worth in themselves and crowns them with rewards So that all the praise belong not to Men but to God Not to Righteousness but Grace not to Works but Faith not to Iudgment but Mercy But you will say Shall we not all come to Iudgment Must we not all appear before the Tribunal of God It is true we shall all come But Augustin tells us of a twofold Iudgment one of condemnation and another of discretion whereby the Goats shall be separated from the Lambs and not Lambs condemned with the Goats It is an Article of my faith that we shall all of us come to Iudgment but I do hope the Elect of God will not come into the Iudgment of Condemnation And here we must carefully distinguish between the Lambs and the Goats between those that are united to Christ by Faith and the damned crew of Unbelievers For though in this just Iudgment of God every one shall give account to God of all their Works And there is no doubt but a reward will be given suitable to every man's Works but in a far different manner to the one and the other For they who seek for Salvation not by Faith nor the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness only but by the Works of the Law they shall receive a reward according to the desert of their deeds upon this condition that they shall live by the Sentence of the Law if they fulfil the Law as they ought but if not what else must they expect but that according to the just Decree of the Law no violation thereof should be found so small as not to make the sinner liable to Condemnation and justly so For he that hath no power in himself to obtain Righteousness and is not willing to receive it when it is offered by another if he suffer the punishment due to his sins let him not accuse the Law of unjustice but himself of unbelief On the contrary they that by sincere Faith are converted unto Christ if they have committed any evil thing for who among the holiest that is can run through his Race without a fall Their sins
whole Wherefore there can be no surer demonstration that Faith only justifies than is held forth in these very words of the Sacrament whereby the flesh and blood of Christ is represented in that holy Banquet under the similitude of Bread and Wine Another Argument Unless your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Therefore not Faith only but also Works of Righteousness exalt us to the Kingdom of Heaven I answer By these words the Lord gives us serious Instruction what manner of lives they ought to live that are justified But he doth not thereby signifie what is the proper cause of Iustification one Iudgment should be made of the causes of things and another of their effects If you enquire for the cause of Iustification the Lord hath resolved that doubt Thy Faith hath saved thee This is Life eternal that they should know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent In like manner Paul expressed himself If thou confess the Lord Iesus with thy mouth and believe with thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved But if you enquire what manner of lives they ought to live that make sincere profession of the Faith of Christ we are taught in this place and many other sayings of Scripture that they ought to differ much from the lives of the Scribes and Pharisees to wit that they who are created in Christ Iesus should behave themselves without a Pharisaical Vizard of external Holiness or a proud conceitedness of their own Righteousness but that they should be adorned and beautified with sincerity and uprightness of mind and persevere in the practice of good Works which God hath prepared that we should walk in them he said not that we should be justified by them but that being justified by his Grace we should walk in them bringing forth fruits worthy of our Vocation Another Argument Every Tree that bears not good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire Luke 3. Therefore Faith only is not sufficient to Salvation without Repentance I acknowledge the Divine Authority of that Prophecy which is true as it is generally known to all that have heard of the Gospel For who would endure an Unfruitful Tree that cumbers the ground and beares either no Fruit at all or such as is hurtful to the Husbandman But suppose it brings forth good Fruit and beautiful to look upon I would ask them whether the abundance of Fruit be the cause or whether it is not rather the demonstration of the Tree's Fruitfulness and whether the Fruits do not rather receive their growth from the Root whence they come Therefore if Repentance is reckoned amongst Fruits it doth not make the Man in whom it receives its first beginning perfect and good but only evidences what manner of Man he is now and hath formerly been For unless a wicked Life had gone before no Repentance had followed after Moreover Repentance could do no good unless Faith be joyned therewith by which a broken hearted Sinner may get access to the Throne of Grace But you may say Are not grief and remorse for Evil deeds and resolutions to the contrary things very acceptable to God and are not only conducible to the amendment of former miscarriages but also a great cause of future Reformation I Answer The sorrow of an afflicted Conscience which we call Repentance is a lovely effect but it proceeds from an Evil cause yet I deny not that it is a very excellent thing and never too late but always acceptable to God if so be it is accompanied with Faith in Christ. Neither do I deny that by means thereof Men are deterred from their customary Evil courses and stirred up to the exercise of Vertue Which though we grant to be true what doth all this avail towards the justifying of a sinner from those Sins that he hath formerly committed If a Man hath transgressed the Laws of the Commonwealth and being arraigned before a Iudge is forced to give account of all the actions of his Life will it be enough for him to say I was in an errour or I repent of my fault Will fear of judgment or shame set a Man free from the condemnation due to sin unless the Righteousness of a bleeding Saviour apprehended by faith do interpose and ward off the stroke of Divine vengeance from the guilty Sinner Without shedding of Blood saith the Apostle there is no remission Now then if neither Holiness of Life nor Prayers nor Tears nor the Blood of all the Saints can avail any thing towards the mitigation of the bitterness of this Iudgment and the only remedy be the death of the only begotten Son of God what will your Repentance do in this case Indeed I acknowledge that the Scripture attributes much to Repentance and there are glorious promises annexed thereunto but two things must be considered here First Of how large an extent the Promises are and next to whom they do belong for there are some rewards given in this Life and others that are reserved for Life Eternal Verily Eternal Life which is the benefit of Redemption as it could not be purchased by any works of ours so likewise it is not promised as the reward of Repentance or if in any Scripture it seems to be so promised it is not simply upon the account of Repentance but for another cause To wit the faith of the worker and not the work it self Therefore these things should be put each of them in their own places and comprehended within their own bounds That it may be understood aright what Faith does and what Repentance and what efficacy is in both and how they are distinguished from one another and also how they being joyned together do contribute mutual assistance to one another in the Iustification of the Ungodly For though we deny not that both are very pleasing to God yet the one is acceptable to him one way and the other another way For faith is acceptable through Christ but Repentance only upon the account of Faith And it is also a certain truth that though by faith only as the procuring cause we obtain Iustification in the sight of God Yet this very faith doth not put forth its power of Iustifying upon any but penitent and broken-hearted Sinners and therefore in the Gospel we are so often invited to Repentance Not that it is not true faith only which justifies without Repentance but because faith if it be true justifies no others but them that have turned from their Sins in sincerity and are converted unto God by Repentance For such as have no trouble of Conscience nor sorrow for Sin but run on obstinately against their Conscience and continue in their Evil courses it is a vain thing for them to hope for Iustification by Faith whereof they falsely boast for all such stout-hearted Sinners
Works which ye intrude from having a share with Faith in justifying a Sinner what hurt is it to sound Doctrine if the Word only is not expressed when you read such Scriptures as these being justified freely by his Grace Rom. 3. By the Works of the Law no Flesh shall be justified The Righteousness of God is manifested without the Law Rom. 3. a Man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Christ Gal. 3. Not of Works Rom. 11. Without Works Rom. 4. Not of Works Tit. 3. Not of Works Eph. 2. Not according to Works 2 Tim. 1. Without Works Rom. 9. What is the Signification of such Expressions but that all Works being excluded it should be understood that Faith only is the procuring cause of Iustification for what else is Faith without Works and without the Law but Faith only Therefore by the necessary Law of Consequence we may argue thus we are justified by Faith and are not justified by any other thing inherent in us according to the Scriptures Therefore we are justified by Faith only Or we may Confute the Adversaries with this Argument Argument That from which all other things are excluded must of necessity remain alone The Scripture excludes all other things in Man from Faith Therefore of Necessity it is Faith only that justifies But whereas they deny that this exclusive Word is found in the Scripture let them read Mark 5. and Luke 8. where the Lord says Only believe and thou shalt be saved I come now to the Greek and Latin Doctors of the Primitive Church Basilins Nazianzen Hilarius Ambrose Augustin Hierom Chrysostom Theophylact Oecumenius Photius Bernard to whom if you please you may add Thomas Aquin. who all Commenting on the same Words of Christ and Paul do not only agree with us in the same Opinion but also in the same exclusive Word as hath been evidently proved in our former Answer to Osorius Thought it be manifest that we assert nothing here which the Orthodox Divines of the Primitive Church have not confirmed unanimously and in the same Words yet nevertheless these things so evident in themselves do not satisfie those perverse Sophisters who when they cannot deny the very Words of learned Men yet they take occasion to contend with us about the Sense of the Words in which they pretend that we do greatly err for they have found out a curiously contrived Distinction Saying That by Faith only is understood the first Iustification but not the second Thus these cunning Artificers of Words have turned one Iustification into two one that is obtained by the first Grace as they call it before all Works as in Infants when they are Beptized And another which is in Persons come to Years by the practice of good Works That I may Answer this frivolous Distinction First I object this saying of Augustin good Works that follow him that is justified do not go before him that is to be justified which if it be true what remains but that they should either Confess that there is no such thing as this second Iustification which they have devised or else that good Works go before him that is to be justified contrary to the Doctrine of Augustin Moreover if they think there is sufficient cause why Faith only should not be admitted because it is not expresly mentioned in the Holy Scriptures why should not also this Distinction of theirs about a second Iustification by the practice of good Works be rejected upon the same account which is no where expressed in the sacred Oracles But by a manifest Contradiction is opposice to Heavenly Truth It is an Ancient and Famous Rule of Lawyers That there is no occasion of distinguishing where the Law makes no Distinction In what place of Scripture can those Sophisters find this Distinction between a first and second Iustification whereby Infants Baptized are otherways justified than they that are come to years for both were alike dead in their Sins and they are both alike regenerated and live by Faith in Christ the Son of God That we may briefly Consute this Sophistry whereas neither the Holy Scriptures nor the Godly Doctors of the Primitive Church ackonwledge any manner of justifying but one only How comes it to pass that those men have devised a twofold Iustification making two of that which is but one So that the first Iustification consists of Faith only and the second is made up of Works But it is easie to withstand this absurd device by the Authority of sufficient witnesses amongst whom Ambrose comes first into Mind who hath expressed himself thus Because there is one God of all he hath justified all after the same manner and what that manner is he shews in these Words He justifies them no otherways but as they are Believers And presently after he excludes all Merit of Works For nothing saith he is the cause of Dignity and Merit but Faith only And again Seeing that a Man is not justified before God but by Faith only c. Therefore let us inferr from these Words of Ambrose if there is one manner of justifying as there is one God Then no Distinction can make two Iustifications of that which is one only As no Distinction can make the one only God that justifies to be two Again if Believers are no otherways justified before God but by Faith according to the Testimony of Ambrose and there is no other Dignity nor Merit that God regards but only Faith what place is there for a second Iustification made up of the Merits of Works Hereunto let us add the Testimony of Gregory which is very seasonable to confute the Forgery of those vain Sophisters concerning their second Iustification These are the Author's Words Grace begot me being naked in the first Faith and the same Grace will save me being naked at my Reception Thus Gregory spake of Nakedness And what Nakedness is that but the want of Vertue and good Works as he himself Interprets which is the Condition of every gracious Soul not only of Men come to Years but also of Infants when they are Baptized in their first Regeneration If we are found Naked in our Reception into Glory where then is that second Iustification made up of good Works but if it is not so where is that Nakedness whereof Gregory speaks How can these things so much disagreeing consist together that we should both be Naked and void of good Works and also cloathed with good Works and thereby Merit a second Iustification In the mean while this should not be omitted which the same Gregory mentions of Grace which he divides not into a first and second as the Papists do now adays but he shews that it is one and the same Grace which both first regenerates us and also afterwards receives us into the Kingdom of Glory By which it is evident that there is but one manner of justifying which
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
King of Israel the Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not be afraid of evil any more c. How then doth this so great Peace and Tranquility of Conscience so often repeated in the Prophets consist with that trembling fear and doubtfulness which the Papists plead for For what encouragement is there for Hope when the Mind is restless through fear and all thingsly at an uncertainty For how can Hope avoid being uncertain if Salvation must be hoped for by Works and not by free Donation Howbeit we are not ignorant nor deny that Sanctification and Renovation and the practice of good Works that flow from hence are Benefits bestowed upon us by Christ which of necessity all good Christians must endeavour to attain unto But that is not the state of this Controversie for the debate here is not about governing the Life in this World but about Eternal Salvation and the cause thereof Nor whether Offices belonging to Christian Piety should be performed but whether when they are performed they are so much accounted of by God that they Merit Salvation and reconcile an offended God to Mankind Whether Vertues and good Works are able to stand before the Iudgment Seat of God without being condemned according to the rigid Sentence of the Law Whether under great Terrours of Conscience when Salvation hangs in doubt we may safely rely upon them that we may become the Sons of God and inherit Eternal Life And yet it is not therefore false that as long as this Life endures it is very requisite that Believers should be careful to lead Holy Lives and utterly abhor all wickedness But it must be considered how it is requisite In respect of the necessity of Obedience it is true but if you say that it is requisite in respect of our obtaining a right unto Eternal Life and Salvation nothing is more false or pernicious because it is not purchased by our Merits but is given to us that deserve not and are unworthy and it is given then whilest we are yet Sinners that it may evidently appear that all the Glory of our Salvation is due to the Mercy of God and not to our Works which follow Reconciliation to God as Fruits thereof but do not procure it Therefore as I have already admonished I must again renew this Admonition that in this course of Obedience the godly practice of Charity should not be separated from us but should of necessity accompany Faith but yet it must be so admitted that it shut not out Faith from its own Office and Dignity nor justle out the glorious Riches of the Grace of God which is in Christ Iesus Nor darken the Glory of the Cross of Christ nor take away Consolation from troubled Consciences nor corrupt the sound Doctrine which the Apostles have taught us which seeing it places all our Salvation in nothing else but the Benefit of Redemption by Christ let men of understanding and Piety iudge which of the two Opinions is in the right whether they that place all the Hope of their Salvation in Faith only or they that place it in the Righteousness of inherent Works only and call Faith if alone a Presumption Verily if the Spirit of Christ could not endure those Laodiceans who were puffed up with a false Imagination of their own Righteousness and understood not how wretched and miserable and naked they were I suppose it may easily appear what should be judged of Popish Catholicks and all this Divinity of theirs I beg of Christ the infinitely Glorious and only begotten Son of God King of Kings Preserver of Life the Merciful Author and Defender of our Salvation the Glory of Heaven the brightness of his Father's Glory according to his Infinite Goodness unto whose Everlasting Dominion all things are subject that are in Heaven and in Earth that we miserable Men whom Nature hath brought into this wretched Condition who are Poor and Needy Naked and Blind and utterly destroyed being restored by his Bounty and having Salvation bestowed upon us by his free Gift and being cloathed with his Ornaments and enriched with his Wealth and carried on by the safe conduct of his Spirit we may grow in him daily more and more and never fall from him being strong in the Faith and fruitful in good Works until at length at the coming of his Kingdom we be received into those blessed Mansions of Immortality where he Lives and Reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit in Eternal Glory Amen FINIS Acts 10. The necessity of this Defence against Osorius The Enemies of the Grace of God under the Title of righteousness The Books of Osorius concerning righteousness The Title of the Books concerning righteousness The image of righteousness described by Osori us The praise of righteousness The Platonick Catholick righteousness Osorius in Writing of Righteousness doth greatly oppose Christian Righteousness A twofold manner of righteousness The righteousness of the Law Human Reason understands not the Doctrine of Free Iustification Osorius de justit lib. 1. pag. 3. Lib. 10. de Iustit pag. 232. Lib. 2. p. 44. Lib. 6. pag. 148. All have finned and come short of the glory of God The Idea of the Osorian righteousness can be more easily found in his Books than in his Mauners The Son of God only was perfectly Holly Pals. 14. Rom. 3. 1 Io. 1. Iacob 3. Oso 1. 5. p. 21. Osorius confounds the righteousness of faith and works without any distinction Phil. 3. It is one thing to be justified by faith and another thing to be justified by the Law There are no performances of the most perfect men that are without some imperfection in the sight of God We are all as unclean and all our righteousness as a menstruous cloth Isa. 64. All we like Sheep have gone astray Isa. 5. 3. A frivolous exception of Osorius The Papists do not clearly enough explain why Works are called good What good works do essect according to the opinion of Papists Lib. 9. 233. What sort of righteousuess is that of Osorius Lib. 9. p. 232. Lib. 9. p. 232. what way men come to Heaven according to the opinion of Osorius Adam De justit lib. 4. pag. 90. Lib. 3. p. 68. The right way to Heaven consists in the Exercise ofChuity according to the Opinion of Osorius An answer to things alledged Paul a great 〈◊〉 of Charity Paul a great Preacher of Charity Not Charity but Faith opens a way to the Kingdom of Heaven Rom. 3. 4. A twofold manner of Righteousness of the Law and of the Gospel or Faith The Righteousness of Faith The necessary distinction of Legal and Evangelical Righteousness The Office of the Law How the Righteousness of the Law and Christ is one and not one The strength and operation of the Law The Law as out of Christ is confidered what it doth The difference between the Law and Christ. Christ the only Antidote against the Stings of the Law A question by what
much more cause to fear than his vertues give him to hope And what remedy then shall remain for the perplexed consciences of Men if the Righteousness of Christ being hid from their Eyes you leave nothing for hope or consolation but the righteousness of the Law Or with what comfort will you raise up the Spirit of a fallen and afflicted Sinner when the Law useth to shew what every Man should do aright but can pardon no Man what is done amiss must you not here of necessity be compelled to leave the Righteousness of the Law and presently to appeal to the Righteousness of Christ And I think you will not at all deny that but say you seeing this righteousness of Christ is no other but that which is the righteousness of the Law yea and the very perfection of the Law therefore it is not necessary that we should make a twofold Righteousness but one only both of Christ and of the Law But 't is not a difficult thing to answer to this objection Indeed it must be confessed if you consider the things by themselves and compare the one with the other by a mutual relation there seems not to be any difference between the Righteousness of Christ and of the Law Because there is nothing in the Law so Holy and perfect but it appears as evident in the Life of Christ But if you consider the efficacy and manner of working which the Righteousness of Christ and of the Law exercises in others if you consider the effect and end of both there is a great difference For though Christ is no otherwise just in himself than the Law it self is Holy and Iust But yet this which is called the Righteousness of Christ acts in us much otherwise than that which is called the Righteousness of the Law so that nothing seems more unlike or more contrary The difference between the Righteousness of the Law and the Gospel FIRST as touching the Law what the Nature Vertue and Efficacy thereof is it is unknown to no Man To wit that it is of it self a Holy and Perfect Rule and Mistress to teach how to lead the Life made for this purpose by the most Holy God that Creatures might certainly know what they should fly and what they should follow as it contains in it self the very Rule of all perfection in all respects compleat so it requires perfect obedience in all respects and upon all accounts upon this condition that he that doth these things shall live in them But on the contrary he that doth otherwise and abides not in all the Law pronounces a Curse against him and inflicts the vengeance of Death and heaps up anger and indignation upon him For by the Law the Wrath of God is declared from Heaven being justly kindled against all Men that are wicked and unjust upon any account Whereby it comes to pass that the Law indeed being it self Holy and Good was not given for this that it should bring Destruction but Salvation but yet the same being hindred by the infirmity of our flesh it cannot but kill us but cannot at all save us by its own means not for any default or tyranny of its own but by taking just occasion from the refractory rebellion of our flesh which as it naturally hath an enmity against God so it cannot avoid being contrary to his Sacred Will and Divine Institutions And hence break forth so many and so great calamities that fall upon this sinful Nature of ours hence so many proofs of the Divine Indignation and Anger hence also that dreadful and unavoidable necessity of dying which when it passes promiscuously through all ages and kindreds which none of the most Holy Men could ever drive away from themselves verily that one thing proves us all to be guilty of unrighteousness and that there is not any perfection of righteousness in our most righteous works for if the Wages of Sin be Death it cannot be that there should be any extinction of Life there where no unrighteousness is seen Therefore O Osorius if the Law cannot defend thee in this Life with all thy works from Death will the same save thee after Death and restore thee to Life when thou art Dead Concerning Evangelical Righteousness AND hitherto these things have been explained by us concerning the Righteousness of the Law as it is considered out of Christ. Now let us again turn our eyes unto Christ and consider what his Righteousness without the Law worketh in us And here first of all a wonderful and most manifest difference between the Law and Christ presents it self unto us For seeing the Law as hath been said can give no Life according to the rigour of its Iustice but only to perfect Men Therefore it comes to pass that because it finds nothing perfect in us it being hindered through the infirmity of our flesh can give no help nor work any thing in us but wrath Therefore being repulsed by the Law and destitute of the help of Works let us seek another Patron of Salvation whosoever he be who may help us But there is none who doubts that He is no other but Christ the only Son of God whom we all alike profess through all Churches There is therefore no Controversie remaining between us and our Adversaries concerning the Author of Salvation Nevertheless there remains here another ambiguity or question perhaps not yet cleared enough by all Divines For whereas there is no man but confesses that Righteousness is in Christ in its highest perfection And we have already heard from the Law that there is no fellowship of Righteousness with Unrighteousness here some difficulty comes in how it comes to pass that the Lord Christ all whose Iudgments are most just can or ought against Righteousness favour those who having forsaken their duty have turned aside to Unrighteousness For if the Law of God according to the nature of Righteousness cannot avoid condemning of those that are guilty of wickedness some perhaps may ask What way Christ who doth not any thing but what is most righteous can procure Salvation to those without the violation of his Righteousness whom the Law of Righteousness justly condemns Or if he do it how for what cause and in what manner he does it by Faith or by Works If by Faith whether by Faith only or by the help of Works joyned with it if upon the account of Works whether before Works or after Works or in the very Works But if by Faith only without Works hence ariseth a threefold question 1. What then do good Works avail 2. What Faith that is and of what sort it is which is said to justifie 3. Whom this Faith justifies for they must be either sinners or righteous if sinners they are either penitent or stubborn if you say both you will speak against Righteousness which cannot be well called Righteousness unless it reward according to every mans deeds and merits But
Christ invites unto himself Consciences that are afflicted and burdened with sin Isaiab calls all that are athirst to come without price or any exchange to the Fountains of Christ that they may be refreshed Osorius will bestow the Kingdom which God hath promised upon none but righteous men and eminent good works I beseech you Sir according to your righteousness what excellent good work brought that sinful Woman with her in the Gospel out of whom seven Devils were cast What righteousness appeared in the Thief on the Right Hand of Christ except faith only why he should after the commiting so many evil deeds enter in together with Christ on the same day into Paradise what other thing did the Woman of Canaan that was a stranger bring to Christ but an importunate cry of faith so that she carried home not Crumbs but whole Loaves of Divine Grace What deserved the miserable Woman with the bloody Issue or Iairus the Governour of the Synagogue or Zacchaeus of Matthew or other Publicans with them why they being perferred before the Pharisees who seemed so much more righteous should obtain the benefit of free favour being so obvious and exposed unto them There is almost an infinite number of others of the like condition that may be discoursed of after the same manner in whom you can find nothing worthy of so great bounty of Divine Grace but faith only Blind Bartimeus cried the Lepers cried Iesus Master thou Son of David have mercy on us and they were heard For nothing cries louder than faith nothing is more effectual to prevail Let Osorius also cry and let us all cry with the like noise of Faith and we shall be heard alike I speak of that faith which is in Christ Iesus besides which there is not any passage into Heaven nor access unto God nor way of prevailing with God Therefore that we may be heard let us come and knock but let us do it aright to wit by Faith and in the name of only begotten Otherways it is in vain to cry to God who hears not sinners but drives them away who regards not servants and guilty persons unless they come to the Son or in the name of the Son Now by what way we are heard by the same we are Iustified For the Divine reward is always joyned with righteousness Seeing then all of us mortal men are by nature sinners and servants of sin therefore we must see what that is which makes us of servants free men of guilty persons sons of sinners righteous For this is the whole subject matter of the debate this is the question on which the whole controversie depends which is not so difficult to be judged of if the authority of Sacred Scripture may prevail upon impartial judgments For the testimony of the Gospel remains sure and eternal which no mortal man can weaken at any time instructing our faith thus As many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God and that he may teach what it is to receive him he presently explains the same to them saith he that believe in his name c. Whereby it appears evidently what it is to which we are beholden for all that splendor and dignity wealth and riches yea and the possession of Heaven and Life I know that in those excellent offices of good works which you so much cry up in the exercise of charity and observance of Righteousness there is great weight and also great benefit as I consess also that the law it self hath great efficacy if a man use it lawfully Now the use of the law consists in this that it should bring us to Christ and be subservient to his glory But when you have heaped all these things together into one whatsoever were by God either prescribed to us in his Law or written within us they are far from restoring perfection to a mans deeds that are altogether imperfect or to a mans person that is wholly destroyed and ruinated They are far from making us of servants freemen of Slaves of Satan Sons of God heirs of his Kingdom co-heirs of Christ fellow Citizens of the Saints and Domesticks of the highest Father Verily that is not the Office of the Law but of Christ And it is not righteousness but grace that does this This is not the efficacy of works but of Faith which relying not upon works but being strengthned only by the promise of God brings us from bondage to liberty from death to life adopts us being reconciled unto God makes us Sons of the promise which is so far from being joyned with Charity and Works that it reconciles Charity it self and all works of life unto God and justifies them without which they could not have place in Heaven in the presence of the great God Upon what account and how Faith justifies Fallen Sinners NOW because I have demonstrated what the power of Faith is and what it performeth I must of necessity explain upon what account and for what cause Faith procureth unto it self so great efficacy and power of Iustifying how it is said to Iustifie alone without Works and what Men the same Iustifies whether the righteous or the wicked If the righteous what need is there now of Iustification or Faith when the Law is sufficient If the wicked whether those that are penitent and converted or the impenitent and rebellious If the Faith of Christ justifies the penitent frees them from guilt and makes them righteous of unrighteous which neither you your self can deny Why then do you inveigh against Luther so unmodestly and undeservedly Does Luther either say or teach any other thing Where does he at any time let loose the Reins to sin or promise liberty to the wicked or preach Iustification otherways than to those who being reformed by Repentance breathe after Christ and joyn themselves to him by Faith What Will you shut out those from all hope of pardon I trow not And what remedy then will you shew them Will you send us to the Faith of Christ or to the Sentence of the Law to heal our wounds What if the Law gives no help here and there is not any other thing in man that can help righteousness once violated except Faith only placed in Christ which neither you your self can deny And if this very Faith brings Salvation to none but those that deplore the sins they have committed which together with you Luther affirms to what purpose are those out-cries against Luther so Tragical and raised without any cause Wherefore then dost thou deceive us O Luther For when thou d'dst condemn pious tears and didst cast reproaches upon wise sorrowfulness and didst plead that all works were not only unprofitable but pernicious And presently going on in the same stile and waxing more violent For when say you thou didst put so much in faith that thou saidst there was help enough in that only the sense of thy
and damage to his estate and again that a Christian gives only a cup of cold Water to a thirsty man in the name of Christ in the things themselves if merits only be valued there seems a very great disproportion But there is much greater inequality in the distributing the reward Though a Turk bestows many thousands of Talents upon the poor he gains not any thing at all thereby with God A Christian by one Cup not of Wine but of cold Water loses not his reward yea he finds Life What is the cause What should you think O Osorius but because those things are not valued by merits but by faith not by the condition of the work but of the worker not by the price of the thing but by the dignity of the person In Iustification not so much the Condition of the Deeds as of the Persons is regarded SEE I beseech you of how great concernment it is that a person should first be reconciled to God which unless he be received into his favour it is not possible that his works should please him at any time As in the civil and politick nature it is of no small concernment whether a Son or a Servant acteth upon the account of reward in like manner in the Heavenly generation there is a great difference between Sons and Servants The Heirs of God and Mercenaries For one thing is regarded in Servants and another thing in Sons and their condition appears to be far different It belongs to Servants to be compelled by fear but they that are Sons are drawn by love and they do so much the more in the performance of their duties how much the more gladly they endeavour to please their Father They that serve go about their business only for reward and it is given unto them no otherways than according to their merits Who when they have done all they remain nothing but Servants and unprofitable they never do any thing worthy of an Inheritance On the contrary they who are Heirs and Sons though they shew themselves no less obedient and observe the will of their Father yet they do not therefore obey that they may be made Heirs by Works but because they are Heirs Therefore they work Again they that are in a servile condition do not come but when called by their Master and perform his commands by the impulse of the Law But the case is contrariways in Sons who have always access with boldness into the presence of their Father and cry Abba Father performing much more of their own accord than by the incitement of anothers prescription Servants after they have done their task have their wages paid them according to their merits but they receive no reward of Inheritance But they that are Sons and Heirs an Inheritance is made sure to them not according to their obedience nor by their deeds nor after their deeds but by the faith of the promise and a free donation before all obedience concerning which Faith Paul said It is therefore of Faith that according to Grace the Promise should be firm to all the Seed Moreover in those that are Sons it is only the dignity of the person and not the merits of good life it is the birth and not the works that are regarded But the case is contrariways in Servants for it is not regarded what the person is but what the manner of life In short the Servant as Christ witnesseth abides not in the house for ever But the Son to whom the House is delivered wholly and for ever is never driven out of the House And here Christ only is a Son by Nature we only by the Grace of Adoption He by Birth we by Deliverance of which he himself testifies if the Son saith he shall make you free ye shall be free indeed he being partaker of his Fathers Nature is not made a Son by his life but is born a Son we being Servants by Nature are not born Sons but are born again not by works but by faith But by Christ our Deliverer we are changed from Servants into Sons Not that we cease now to be the same that we were in this life sinners miserable weak mortal for this transformation from servants into sons is not so much performed in us or in the change of our qualities but chiefly in the love of God to us For he hath so high an esteem and puts so great a value on Christ his only begotten that with a fatherly love and affection he embraceth all those of mankind throughout the world that believe in this Son of his and looking upon them now as Sons adopts them for his Sons out of their servile estate yea and makes them coheirs together with his Son Whence St. Paul said ye are not now servants but sons and if sons then also heirs of God through Christ for ye are all the Sons of God by Faith which is in Christ Iesus Whosoever of you are baptized ye have put on Christ. Ye are all one in Christ Iesus But if ye are Christs then are ye the seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise Concerning which also Iohn speaks to this purpose see what love the Father hath given us that we should be called the Children of God And again presently repeating the same Dearly beloved saith he now we are the Sons of God and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be c. The Absurdities that arise from the Osorian Righteousness WHich things seeing they are guarded with most sure confirmations of Evangelical Scripture hence it necessarily follows that all this Discourse of yours about righteousness falls down from the foundation For if there is no union with God the eternal father but to those who by on exact observation of the law conform and direct all their actions to the will of God which is the law of equity and rule of Iustice you make us not now to be Sons nor Heirs according to the promise but mercenaries according to the condition of the law Moreover by this means also it will come to pals that the promise is sure to no man in his life time which is directly oppofite not only to the mind of Paul but also to the genuine condition of Sons For who in the time of this life lives so exactly according to the commands of God that hitherto he hath never passed the limits thereof or knows what he will do in the remainder of his life Whereby it will come to pass that the mind must needs waver hither and thither with a perpetual uncertainty Moreover if that be accounted sure by the word and promise of the Gospel that they are heirs as many as are ingrafted into Christ then the Kingdom of God must of necessity be an inheritance If an inheritance then it is not a recompence nor a reward but a Patrimony which is not due to deeds but to the spiritual birth-right If to the
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
Religion and trampled upon all Actions worthy of Praise and exercises of Eminent Vertue as things of no worth and condemned Pious Tears and judged those Men abominable and Wicked who wept and mourned for their Iniquities or upon any account lamented the Sins they committed And as if he taught a certain new way of Salvation and such a one as neither requires works of vis nor any sorrow neither occasions any trouble to sinners but teaches that confidence alone is sufficient to wit such a confidence whereby every Wicked and Ungodly Man may be supposed acceptable to God tho'he himself do not at all endeavour to restrain his wickedness or pretend to any desire after Piety but only so supposeth in his own mind that he is dear to God That the favour of God is prepared for all yea for the unclean and Wicked though sin rules and reigns with an universal dominion over them Moreover that Luther should think it a great Wickedness to lament Mans first ruine or fall and to fear punishment c. Besides other things also of the like sort no less absurd than false which being wrested by you to a wrong sense you use to lay to his charge not that they are really true of him but they are puposely feigned by you that by any means possible ye may render him odious to the ignorant People But these cunning attempts of yours avail nothing for the Writings and Sermons of Luther are publickly known There are also extant the publick Confessions of the Saxon. Churches first presented unto Carolus Caesar in the Assembly of Augusta Anno. 1530. And afterwards Anno. 1551. Shewed and offered to the Council of Trent in which what they teach concerning the true way of Iustification according to the Word of God what they Iudge and Preach of repentance and the Holy Fruits of good Works by all which they do sufficiently defend themselves against your frivolous calumnies and most vain accusations that there is no need of any other defence besides The opposite Assertions of the Adversaries against the Free Imputation of Righteousness produced and examined WHich things seeing they are so and sufficient defence hath been made for those of our Profession let us proceed to that which remains We will then first declare the opposite assertions and decrees of the Adversaries what they say and judge concerning Righteousness Faith Grace Repentance and Works and next we will compare their Opinion with ours and both together with the holy Gospel of God that it may be the more evident to the Reader what should be judged of both And here first come forth unto us Osorius none of the meanest Champions in this Cause all whose contention against Luther drives at this to destroy all imputation of Righteousness and to leave no other way of Righteousness but that which consists in works and observation of the Law and which might maintain according to the Decrees of Trent that we are not only esteemed righteous but also are really or inherently Righteous in the sight of God even unto justification In which way of justifying he doth not exclude Faith and Grace but he so mingles these together that the praise it self of Righteousness is founded on works and all else so subservient that Faith first goes before that it may only prepare and make way for the obtaining of Grace And Grace afterwards follows which brings forth good works in us and then works themselves perfect and compleat Righteousness For after this manner doth Osorius dispute in his Third Book And this is the sum of what he says therefore seeing the Law either written on Tables or received by Revelation cannot take away the unbridled lust of the mind and whilst lust remains in its vigour no man can by any means obey the precepts of the Law which are given for our attaining Righteousness Therefore it is that no man relying only on the help of the Law can be holy unless he be furnished with the immediate help of the Holy Spirit against lust and farther because we obtain this Divine help not by the Law but by Faith Therefore it is that all actions of Charity are called works of Faith not of the Law both by other Divine Writers and also by Paul who frequently by the name of Faith understands all Offices of Charity c. You have here a Specimen of the Osorian Righteousness so described by him that Righteousness seems to consist not at all in Faith without Works but in Works which are called Works of Faith not of the Law Which Righteousness whoso wants he denies that it is possible for him to be received into the favour of God 〈◊〉 chiefly upon this Argument Because that Divine Nature being most holy and most pure and which can endure no filthiness of Iniquity it behoveth him therefore that would enjoy the presence thereof to conform himself unto the same Image for there is no Communion between light and darkness there is no union between the holiness of righteousness and the wickedness of unrighteousness Which seeing it is so he therefore concludes that Luther they of Luther's Party do err first in this that they dare assert that sin in those whom that infinite purity hath united unto it self by a most Holy Love is not wholly removed nor altogether abolish'd and pluck'd up by the roots nor all its fibers quite extirpated And also that they affirm that a Law is laid upon us by God which cannot be kept In the one of which the Divine Clemency and Bounty is distrusted In the other abominable reproach is cast upon his Infinite Power and Godhead Concerning Righteousness and its definition given by Osorius and others THou hast ingenuous Reader the whole Model of Osorian Righteousness described in a short compend in which what is true and what is faulty it remains that we should examine with like brevity according to the Rules of Evangelical Doctrine beginning first at the very definition of righteousness because thereupon depends the substance of the whole Controversie For so Osorius defines Righteousness that it is a state of Soul founded on the Law of God and that bears a clear resemblance to the immutability of the Divine Vertue In like manner also Andradius not much differing from him Righteoufness saith he is an unmoveable equity and government of mind which measures all its actions and counsels by the Law of God And the same again presently Righteousness is a habit of mind fashioned by the Divine Law to obey that Divine Law and Will as it perswades to perform the Offices of every vertue C. So that I need not here gather together the definitions of others of the Party of whom I find so many to be of the same Opinion that they think a Righteous Man should be defined from works of Righteousness just as a wise Man from Wisdom a Musician from Musick and other Artificers are formally denominated from
empty On the contrary the Publican who emptied himself and took care to bring an empty vessel received the more plentiful grace By these things I suppose it is sufficiently evident what this Righteousness is and of what sort which makes us righteous before God whether it is Christs or ours If it is Christs it is not ours How then of works of our righteousness If it is ours it is not Christs how is a man of wicked made righteous If of wicked he is made righteous that I may speak in the words of Augustine what are the works of wicked men Let the wicked man now boast of his works I give to the Poor I take nothing away from any man c. then thou art in this thy boast wicked and thy works are none These things said he therefore it is a false Opinion which men plead for to wit that a man cannot be called righteous by an external righteousness Neither is it less Ass-like which those Balqamites do bray who say that it is the same thing for a man to be thus Righteous as if a man should say an Ass with the form of an Ass is a Mon for by Faith we are called faithful and by righteousness weare called righteous c. Be it so indeed that no Man should rightly be called righteous but upon the account of Righteousness what then seeing Christ is our righteousness is there not sufficient cause upon that account why we should be called righteous should any man require a better righteousness than that which is Christs And what form of expressing though external can hinder but that the righteousness which is peculiar to Christ may also be called ours and may be common both to him and us especially seeing he is wholly ours with his merits vertues benefits and all his goods which qualities though they are not properly in our selves yet being received from him they pass likewise into our possession As the Bodies of the Stars and Planets though dark of themselves yet they shine and are made bright not with their own but anothers light to wit being inlightned with the light of the Sun just so it comes to pass to us that we are made Righteous Kings Priests Sons and Heirs of God not by any property of our nature or condition of works but because the Son and Heir himself is said to be made Sin and a Curse for us not for any sin inherent in him but imputed to him Argument But here again and again those impure Sophisters object that this was never heard from Aristotle and that it is not agreeable to reason that he should be called learned that hath no learning or righteous that is not endued with righteousness And perhaps that may seem true in moral vertue Now seeing there is a twofold righteousness as I have said one which they call Ethick another which is Theological that consists in manners this in faith we must judge far otherwise of this than of that For the righteousness of which Aristotle treats as it is a moral vertue distinguished from prudence courage and temperance thus it is referred to the habits of the mind and internal qualities according to which men are denominated of what sort they are by Philosophers And though we confess this to be true in some respect it doth not at all hurt our cause nor discourage our enterprize in clearing this point For all this Controversie undertaken by us drives at this that we should search for a righteousness which is no moral humane vertue but which is a Spiritual Grace and gift of God which is not ours but which is proper to Christ whence he only is called holy and just and we are called justified in him not upon the account of works but faith which God imputes for righteousness unto them that believe in his name And hence it is rightly called the righteousness of faith and therefore faith it self is righteousness whereby we are accounted righteous before God being endued not with that external righteousness about which those men Philosophize but being beautified and adorned with a peculiar and most internal righteousness which being so who sees not that it is false and sophistical which those men take out of Aristotle that we are justified by works or should upon no account be called just why so because no man can be called just but upon the account of the righteousness which every man possesses for his own in himself For thus do those sharp-witted Men argue who cannot endure the free justification of Faith To whom that I may make answer let us hear this first from them Whether faith whereby we believe in Christ seems to them a vertue or not If they judge so I ask whether it is a moral vertue or a theological And then whether it is internal and inherent being inwardly placed or whether it should be called external If faith is an internal thing and the same is our righteousness in the fight of God Why then should not this seem an allowable form of arguing against the Iesuites who deny that we are otherwise justified than by internal and inherent righteousness Argument Ma. Our Faith is Righteousness before God Mi. Our Faith is an internal and inherent vertue Concl. Therefore we are made righteous before God by an internal and inherent vertue But here again the Adversaries object that they do not at all deny but that Faith is an internal vertue in us which nevertheless makes us faithful but makes us not just Why so because we are said to be faithful from faith but we are said to be righteous only from righteousness O sweet and understanding men as if those who are faithful in Christ Iesus were not also just before our God or as if these things should only be looked upon in their names and needed not to be considered rather in their causes and effects And what will they then say to these words of Paul being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ What if the cause being granted the effect also must necessarily be granted and faith is a justifying cause as the Apostle witnesseth how can it be that those who receive the name of faithful from faith should not also upon the same account receive the cause of righteousnes whence they are not only called righteous but made so also in reality And these things we have said by the by against the objections of the Iesuits who seeing they so strictly examine the Divine Theorems of our Religion according to the Logical forms of arguing it is reasonable that we also should keep them entangled and expedite our selves out of their nets as much as may be Here therefore seeing they require of us Arguments conformed unto the modes of Aristotle let them so receive them Argument Ma. Men from Righteousness are rightly and formally called Righteous Mi. The Faith of Christ is Righteousness imputed to us by God
Concl. Therefore from Faith men are rightly and formally called righteous before God Again Ma. They that do justly should be called just before God Mi. They that believe in the Son of God do most justly Concl. Therefore they that believe in the Son of God are deservedly called just For what can any man do more justly or more holily than to believe in the only begotten Son of God and to embrace him with all his faith as the Gospel bears witness This is the work of God that ye should believe in him whom he hath sent And what Doctrine is more excellent than to know Christ the Son of God aright and the power of his Death and Resurrection Which knowledge how much it is valued by God above all other disciplines and arts it may appear by this which is foretold unto us of Christ by the Divine Prophet and my Righteous Servant saith he by his Knowledge shall justifie many What if our Iustification is placed only in the knowledge of the Son of God and the Faith of the Son is nothing else but knowledge Divinely Inspired what credit then should be given to those Iesuitical Sophisters who neither admit of any external cause of justifying nor acknowledge any other but this which they themselves place in Works And now what will they answer to this Argument of Augustin Ma. Whence we are saved thence we are just Mi. By Faith we are saved and reconciled to God and become Conquerors according to that saying of the Gospel This is the Victory which overcomes the World our Faith Conclu Therefore by Faith the name of Righteousness is rightly given to us according to the Testimony of Augustin But those Praters will not yet hold their Peace neither do they endure any either Internal or External Righteousness but this only which they describe in Works and the observance of the Law And they endeavour to prove it by this caption First then as touching Faith though that is an internal Vertue yet they plead that it doth not otherways justifie but upon the account of Charity But thus they dispute concerning the righteousness of Christ Because it is not our own but is peculiar to Christ. There is no cause why a Man should take upon him the Name of Righteous from that Righteousness which is anothers to wit according to the Law of Aristotle Which how frivolous it is and contrary to the Faith of the Gospel it will not be difficult to demonstrate by very clear words of Scripture for to what purpose is the Divine Love Preached in the Gospel and in the Prophets to have given Christ his only begotten Son unto the World Unless he had been willing to make us partakers together with him of all his Wealth Vertues Merits and whatsoever good things belong to him Whence Paul He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things What if Christ was given to us byhis Father poured forth exposed and is wholly made ours with all his goods and gifts is there any thing in him whether Wisdom or Iustice or Sanctification or Life or Victory or Death or any other thing besides which we may not by a due right lay claim to as our own If it is ours upon what account then do those Gymnosophists Preach that it belongs not to us Of which thing we may reason thus Ma. Whatsoever Christ did for us is esteemed ours just as if it had been done by our selves Mi. Christ fulfilled all Righteousness for us Conclu Therefore all the Righteousness of Christ is ours by Faith just as if it had been fulfilled by us It is 〈◊〉 by the Example of Adam that Christ's Righteousness is ours PErhaps the thing will appear more evident by Example Let us look upon Adam and in him let us behold the publick calamity of our Nature And also let us contemplate Salvation restored again by the second Adam from the ruine received by the first For if the Doctrine and Force of contraries be the same according to Philosophers it will be more easie by that means from the Evil of the one to judge of the advantages of the other Then let us compare both Adams with one another The first Earthly of the Earth with this second Heavenly from Heaven Who though in their whole Nature they are most different one from another Yet by the singular Wisdom of God it so comes to pass that there is a wonderful resemblance between things that differ very much and the reason of our Salvation being restored agrees most aptly with the reason of the ruine received First in this that both were Originally Princes and Authors of our Propagation one of the Earthly and the other of the Heavenly And then afterwards there was added another thing in which he was a wonderful Type and Image of Christ who was to come a long time after How that came to pass we shall very well learn of Paul himself As saith he by the Disobedience of one Man many were made Sinners So by the Obedience of one many shall be made Righteous and doubling the same again and again in many words As faith he by one Man Sin entred into the World and by Sin Death came upon all Men in that all have Sinned c. And presently If therefore by the Sin of one Man Death came upon all Men to Condemnation in like manner by the Iustification of one Man good is propagated unto all Men to the Iustification of Life What is more clear than these words of the Apostle The whole force and summ of the Argument drives at this that the true Nature of our Righteousness is not due to our Vertues but we must be beholden for it to the merit of another Setting before us such a sense as this by Argument Argument Ma. In what manner Unrighteousness is propagated in the World in the same manner also Righteousness comes Mi. Unrighteousness is propagated by the Sin of one Man Only Conclu Therefore also Righteousness by the merit of one only is derived unto all that are allied to Christ by Faith Otherways Ma. As the matter is between Adam and us after the same manner is the matter between us and Christ. Mi. The sin of one Adam is imputed to all his Posterity yea all those who transgressed not with him Conclu Therefore The Righteousness of one Christ is imputed to all his Posterity to wit that believe in him though they did not obey with him Which things seeing they are of themselves clear and conspicuous the Point calls us to return to you O most excellent Osorius who seem either not to head carefully enough or else perniciously to deny that which Paul Discourses of Imputation so copiously and weightily Wherefore again and again beseeching you I appeal to this sacred Righteousness whereof you write and also to the equity of your own humanity that having
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
vain They according to their subtilty divide the manifold efficacy of grace most of them into two parts and some of them into three or more To wit into grace freely given and that which makes acceptable And again they subdivide this latter as it were by an Anatomical Dissection into more Veins into Operative grace which again they divide into three Rivulets Preventing Beginning delivering and afterwards into cooperating which likewise is threefold Following promoting assisting O holy Christ with what study with what labour what Cobwebs do these Praters here weave that they may darken the wholesome Doctrine of Grace with Smoke and Soot of their idle Talk for if we speak of that Grace unto which our whole Salvation is referred who is there but understands by the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles that it is thus described to wit that it is the only thing which being placed in the free Indulgence of God towards miserable sinners doth with dear Love in Christ the Son of God embrace all that believe in him and forgive their sins and for the sake of his own Son bestows his Spirit and Eternal Life and Felicity upon them tho' otherways they are unworthy And tho' the Operation of this Grace is not one and the Effects are divers and the Gifts various according to the diversity of donations yet the Divine Grace it self is only one which is both freely given to us for Salvation and makes those acceptable to God whom it saves and is one and the same Cause both of Salvation and Renovation Wherefore their distinction is justly found fault with who by grace making men grateful or acceptable understand habits and gifts communicated by God and they do most frivolously conclude that men are made acceptable to God by these whereas it is only Mercy in Christ the Mediatour which doth not only account us dear to it self but also chose us before we were adorned with any Ornaments of gifts Moreover if the matter be so as those men define that not only Faith in Christ but gifts and habits of vertues infused by God make us acceptable to God What then shall be said of those who also out of Christ have possessed many such excellent gifts as well as we in which many of them are not only equal to us but some of them also excel us such as are variety of Tongues gifts of Healing Prophecy excellent Powers sharpness of Wit strength of Body Ornaments of Mind The Iews have a strong hope in God The Turks maintain Love towards one another But what shall we affirm that those men also are by these things made acceptable to God which is absurd and unreasonable Therefore that we may conclude we confess that such gifts are things which adorn this Life beautifie Nature and declare the liberal Bounty of God but which nevertheless neither regenerate nor justifie us in the sight of God For that is due to Christ only by Faith neither is it convenient to attribute it to any other Creatures whatsoever According to that of St. Paul Being justified therefore by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Though in the mean while I am not ignorant what they answer here that they treat not of those Works which the Heathen perform by the strength of Nature nor those Works which are done by the Iews without Faith by the guidance of the Law only but those Works which are of the Faith of Christ. What then say they are not such excellent performances of Works pleasing to God Is not that very pleasing and acceptable to God whatsoever is right whatsoever is joyned with vertue and honesty whatsoever being undertaken with Faith is rightly performed according to Duty and Piety That I may answer this three things by the by must be observed First What manner of Works these are which are discoursed of whether perfect or not And then how they please of themselves or upon the account of Faith Thirdly How much they please whether so much as to deserve Eternal Life and obtain the pardon of violated Righteousness and being set against the wrath of God to turn away all vengeance and be effectual to satisfie Iustice without any remission of sins For all these must be regarded with necessary attention First Because God the great Creatour of the World is perfectly holy in his own Nature and the Perfection of all Goodness it is evident that nothing is of it self acceptable to him and well-pleasing which being defiled with any spot of imperfection doth not agree in all respects to the most exact Purity But now seeing it is most true which neither Osorius himself denies That there is no man hath led his life so exactly that in the whole course of his life he hath not been guilty of any gross offence And that there is not any state of Mind so framed by Divine Grace although it abounds with Divine Benefits in which nothing was ever violated by perfidiousness or offensive through errour of mind or omitted through negligence or which doth not more consist of the remission of sins than the perfection of vertues What remains then but that it should either be false which this Osorius of ours cracks of an humane perfection or at least it behoveth that something should be searched for besides the vertues themselves which may commend these first beginnings of our imperfections to the Divine Perfection and reconcile them to his favour And now then this remains to be searched into What it is that reconciles sinners to God and restores them to his favour and because this Reconciliation cannot be perfected by the Righteousness of our vertues therefore we must confess that all the Office of reconciling consists in the Grace of God only which the Papists themselves will not deny unto us who agree with our Party in this That Man is justified by Grace for so we hear it testified expresly by Osorius himself in these words Therefore saith he They that give Heaven to the Merits of holy men do not weaken the Grace of God as some ignorant men say but they celebrate the wonderful effect of his Grace with due praises for we are such as judge all the Morits of the Saints should be referred to the Bounty and Grace of God so that it should always be said Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glory c. I hear indeed very good words if you had not already imposed upon us sufficiently with words O Osorius But he that will with judicious attention consider the matters themselves and the Arguments and the whole tenour of your discourse will find it to be far otherways that you do not at all intend what your words pretend and that you drive at nothing more in all your endeavours than to hide under the plausible title of grace so hidden an adversary of grace that I may speak with Augustin together with the other
what manner of consequence is this Because habitual influences of Works which make us acceptable to God proceed no otherways but from cooperating Grace Therefore Faith without inherent Righteousness doth not justifie neither doth Salvation consist of any other thing but good Works But because there is a twofold sort of Works one of those which go before Faith another of those which follow Faith I would know of which of those rwo parts they understand it If of the preoedent they will not deny those to be Sins For that which is not of Faith is of Sin But if they understand it of Works subsequent to Faith they will say that those are either perfect or imperfect If perfect and of such a sort that they answer the things commanded in the Law not only according to the substance but also according to the manner of doing To what purpose then is that daily saying of the Church made mention of Forgive us our debts Or what will they answer to Augustine who evidently confutes what they maintain On the contrary if they are Imperfect Languid and Lame upon what account will they make us acceptable to God the Iudge which are of themselves defective and besprinkled with faults and spots and need another Grace by the commendation whereof they may be pleasing to God What if that infinite and Eternal purity for the most part in the Levitical Sacrifices did not endure whatever seemed any way defective or deformed or defiled with the least pollu on and which was not exquisitely entire and blameless in all respects if so great integrity of all parts was required in the Levites and Priests that it was not lawful to suffer any one to enter into the holy place of the Sanctuary who was wounded in any member of his body or deformed in any part or had a Wen Do you think that you can endure the presence of the most holy God with that half-torn and ragged Imperfection Wherefore seeing it must needs be perfect and unblameable upon all accounts which by Iustification indemnifies and frees us from all sin before the dreadful Tribunal of most perfect Righteousness surely no man can believe that it consists in our works but only in the works of the Son of God not those which his habitual grace works in us but those which he himself hath both graciously undertaken to do for us and also having undertaken them hath performed them to the full What Benesits come to us from Christ and what should be chiefly regarded in these Benefits NOW this is it in which chiefly the unspeakable amplitude of Divine Grace towards us doth evidently shine forth that God the Almighty Governour and Creatour of the World according to his fingular Mercy wherewith he hath loved the World having given his Son sent him to us and so sent him that he for us hath fulfilled all Righteousness for there was no need that he should fulfil it for himself and if he hath fulfilled it for us what hinders now but that may be ours which was done for us or to what purpose should he do that for us which he knew was necessary to be done by our selves for our Salvation But what if according to the saying of Thomas Whatsoever things we can do by Friends we our selves are said to be able to do it in some respect How much better then may we our selves be supposed both to be able to do and also to have done those things which a Friend is not only able to do for us but hath also done for us and this is that grace chiefly which every where the Evangelical Writings sound sorth unto us unto which all our both consolation salvation should be referred which Paul the Apostle having received from Christ did propagate it with so continued labour among the Gentiles and taught it with so great fervour of spirit and made it evident with so many Signs and Miracles and also confirmed it with so many Scriptures and most sure Testimonies Wherefore those Papists are the more worthy to be abhorred as being Enemies to Antiquity and Enemies to Paul who seem to be busied about nothing else but to abolish the Gospel of Christ and to overturn the Foundations of the Doctrine of the Apostles that have been long since very well laid by our first Fathers and to sow another Gospel in the minds of Christians For what else doth all their Doctrine drive at who disputing about Grace Faith and Righteousness do so handle the matter by their Philosophical Principles that he who observes their Collections Distinctions Corollaries and Opinions will perceive that they do not teach as Christians out of the Gospel out of Christ out of Paul but that the Antient Philosophers of the old Academy or the Thalmudists of the Law of Moses are again risen up and alive except that this only difference is between them and the Antient Philosophers that these do palliate with the name of Grace and Faith in words at least in some manner but in reality as touching the signification of the word Grace or the force of the word Faith they seem to be so very blind as if they had read Paul little or at least had not at all understood him I do not rail at the men themselves whom I rather account worthy of pity but it is not at all convenient to endure the Errours of men because they cast no small blot upon Religion and are injurious to Christ and do violence to Paul overthrow the simplicity of the Christian Faith moreover they adulterate all the sincerity of Evangelical Doctrine with their Niceties and after a certain manner subdue it unto humane Philosophy Which that it may appear the more evidently to the Minds and Eyes of beholders let it not be tedious to you to hearken a while first what Divine Truth and then what Humane Opinions teach us But because there are two things chiefly in which the whole sum both of our Salvation and Religion is contained Grace and Faith of which the one belongs to God towards men the other agrees to men towards God It very much concerns Christians that their Minds be very well instructed in both And Grace indeed is discerned in those good things that are given to us and promised by God Faith is exercised in those Offices which are chiefly due from us to God and are greatly requisite Therefore that we may rightly apprehend the nature of Grace we must see what and how great those gifts are which the bounty of God hath partly bestowed upon us and partly promised Concerning which thing it remains that we should examine what the Scriblers of Popish Divinity do hold Now what they teach about this matter is for the most part to this purpose They place the end of humane Life in blessedness and the School-Divines dispute about this very blessedness just after such a manner as the Philosophers of old did of their chiefest good unto
them subject to his own command what will those furious and importunate pleaders for Works say here May we not enjoy the bounty of another because we have no ability of our own what will they say that no payment is just but what is paid with a man 's own money That which is done by a Friend for the sake of a Friend is it not just as if it had been done by himself If that which was due from us be paid by the price of Christ is there any Law so cruel as to exact the same debt of us again and what will the Adversaries require more here that he should be condemned for unjust whosoever hath no Righteousness of his own And indeed I acknowledge this to be true in Iudicatories if no Redemption intervene which may satisfie in the room of another But now seeing our Affairs are in such a condition that the condemnation of the Law hath nothing that it can demand of us I think that is a sufficient Plea for us which was done by him who made satisfaction for us But these men do again cry out against us saying that it cannot be by Nature and that it is no less contrary to all natural Reason that any thing should take its being from that form which is not its own but another's I answer That it is true indeed formally as to the essence of a thing but not judicially For tho' the Righteousness of another which is not inherent in us cannot render us essentially just who are by Nature unjust But nothing hinders but the Righteousness of another may help our Righteousness according to Iudicial Imputation just as nothing hinders but the Riches of another may be cast upon anothers Poverty by a certain Communion or Imputation of good things so that he who in himself is poor yet may be esteemed rich in another And not unlike unto this is our Communion of mutual Imputation with Christ for as our sins being imputed to Christ were hurtful to him even unto the damage of punishment so by the like Mystery of dispensation the Righteousness of Christ being adjudged and imputed to us though it doth not inhere in us essentially yet in respect of possession and dispensation of Iudgment it is profitable to us for a reward of Life just as if it had been our own Righteousness for otherways to what purpose is Christ said to have done and suffered all these things for us if what he did and suffered serve not for our advantage But if they serve for our advantage why cannot those things be justly accounted for ours which were undertaken in our name and for our sake If the name of Imputation doth so greatly offend them which they think doth not well agree with Christian Piety wherefore then doth Paul so often seem in his Writings not only to use this word Imputation but to delight in it But afterwards Christ willing we shall discourse of this matter more largely in its own place THE Second Book CONCERNING Faith and the Promise YE have heard then of Grace and Merits of free Imputation and Remission of sins on which depends all our Iustification and Salvation But now seeing this Remission whereof I speak must be received by Faith only it remains that we should in this place treat somewhat of Faith especially for this cause either that we may confute the Calumnies of Adversaries or that if it be possible we may help the Errors of those that are so great Enemies to this manner of Iustifying which we affirm to consist of Faith only without Works Upon which kind of Doctrine if we only or first of all Men should stand I should less wonder at so great Tumults of these Men. But seeing Christ himself and Paul and the Prophets and Apostles profess themselves to be not only Witnesses but also the Authors and Leaders in this Opinion whereby we are taught that we are justified only by Faith in the Son when every one of the most Learned Writers and Interpreters who were of the Primitive Antiquity attest the same with unanimous consent from whose Instructions we our selves also have learned the same what is come to those Popish Wits why they should oppofe themselves so unreasonably and so fiercely And now let us consider what that is which so much offends them Luther disputes that Faith is imputed unto Righteousness without Works Paul the Apostle taught the same before Luther What will Osorius say to me here what will the Pope of Rome himself say what will the Senatours of Trent say To wit that good Works must be joyned with it What must all good Works be joyned with it or not if they shall say all where will they find those that have compleated this exact cyclopedy of Vertues in this Life except the Son of God only But if they understand it of most or some good Works at least yet that will not be sufficient For unless every one of the Vertues joyned together as it were in a mutual Bond are united for Righteousness they cannot profit at all being separate Who ever loved his Neighbour as himself according to the Prescript of the Law But suppose there were some such Man What if such a Man rages with Concupiscence of the Flesh or Eyes though the inward mind doth not consent what if the mind swells with self-love or overflows with the pride of Life what if it is enslaved unto Covetousness or some where fails in its duty what advantage will it be to be observant of Charity Briefly what if it be so that thou aboundest with all other vertues but only failest in one command doth not the Sentence of the Scripture condemn thee for the Violation of the Law Moreover we may speak in the words of Thomas himself That if the mind is inwardly guiltless as to any consent unto the sin yet such is the condition of our Nature saith he that though through grace it is healed in respect of the mind yet in respect of the flesh by reason of which it serves the Law of sin corruption and infection remain in it Rom. 7. The obscurity of ignorance remains also in the intellect concerning which Rom. 8. we we know not what to pray for as we ought c. and Wisd. chap. 9. The thoughts of Mortals are frightful and uncertain of our being provided for c. Hitherto hath Thomas spoken From all which it remains that Iustification confists either in Faith only as in the next cause Or that the Accession of our Vertues which are neither perfect nor intire do not at all avail to Righteousness before God but rather to accusation For Cursed is every one that abides not in all things that are commanded in the Book of the Law to do them c. What is the proper Nature and Definition of Faith whereby we are justified before God is enquired into from sure and true Foundations of Scripture By the many things which
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
manner by what Instrument by what hands must he be received but Faith only And what absurdity is it then for us to profess that we are justified by Faith only An answer to those that say the 〈◊〉 of Faith is 〈◊〉 pretending that it opens a door to Irreligion and Licentiousness BUT they pretend that this Doctrine is pernicious and contrary to a Pious Life and good manners For as they say it encourages Men that are weak by nature and prone to evil to sin with the greater boldness Canisius confirms this Wheresoever saith he Iustification by Faith only is taught it comes to pass that usually in such places Men sin without any fear or shame And vain Men to encourage themselves in living profanely flatter themselves with hopes to go unpunished because they lay hold on Christ by Faith And it is no wonder says Vega for what should he be afraid of yea what should he not despise and make light of who is once perswaded that Faith only is sufficient for his Iustification And that the Kingdom of Heaven is not shut up from any sin or wickenness if it were never so great Osorius adds his Vote to theirs If Faith only is sufficient and if every Action that we do is unprofitable and defiled it follows that all who embrace this imaginary Faith do altogether neglect good Works c. And elsewhere Therefore you cannot by such Doctrine exhort a Harlot to forsake her Lust nor a Thief to refrain his covetous desire of other Mens Goods nor a wicked Man to depart from his 〈◊〉 but that he should 〈◊〉 this naked and empty Faith only which is void of all works of Charity for by such instructions he will conceive a strong perswasion that by this Faith only he is very dear to God Than which what can be more absurd Though I grant this to be true that nothing can be more absurd than if we say that Harlots Highwaymen and Outragious Cut-throats who breaking the bonds of natural Modesty give themselves up willfully to all impurity are acceptable to God by Faith only I say suppose we grant this to be true what follows from hence Then Faith only as you say doth not justifie O ingenious arguing worthy of the Roman Mitres It is true that such as your Description sets forth to us are not Iustified by Faith But what a Connexion is this there are many who by the Preaching of free Iustification are encouraged to a greater Licentiousness in sinning Therefore that which is taught concerning justifying Faith is false As if the Truth or Falshood of things depended on the using or abusing of them What hath ever been so right or good but evil Men have made it the occasion of Destruction to themselves or others by the abuse thereof If this Argument were reasonable the Sun might cease to shine because there are some that abuse his light to commit the vilest Enormities And healthful Herbs may cease to be planted in Gardens because the venimous Spider sucks the worst poyson out of them The Physician also may cease to Administer Medicines because there are some found who after they have recovered their Health do sometimes commit such things that it had been better if they had still lain sick in Bed Yea on the Lord's days there are not a few that through idleness commit many sins What then because they that know not how to use good things aright take occasion to abuse the time of the Lord's Day to Gluttony and Drunkenness and to open a door to Licentiousness should we therefore reject the Lord's institution No verily Human things must give place to Divine and the usual custom of Men of wicked Lives must not be your rule to walk by but that which God hath commanded to be done Christ commands the Gospel to be Preached to every Creature Will ye forbid it though many abuse the Gospel But what is this Gospel of Christ that he commands to be Preached He that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved Do you hear that Salvation is simply promised to Believers and that it consists of nothing else but Faith and that Sacrament of Faith Will you deny it Whether then shall we believe Christ or you So it pleases him to open unto sinners the Treasures of his abundant grace And will your envy shut up that from us which he hath opened do you neither enter your self nor suffer others to enter Christ also speaks thus by the Prophet ye have been sold for nought and ye shall be redeemed without price What is the sense of these words without price but this without any Merits of Works at all that is your own Merits but not the Merits of another What then If the procurement of another hath brought you to death may not also the procurement of another restore you to life again And in the same Prophet the Holy Spirit proclaims how beautiful the feet of those are upon the Mountains that bring good tidings that publish peace And yet do you endeavour to stop the comfortable course of Gospel Preaching and in the room thereof do you obtrude your old erroneous Doctrine of mournful Sorrow and heartless doubting You will say Why not For it will be better for Men to be kept in fear for who will be anxious about the Fruits of Repentance or his progress in grace if every Man be sure of his own Iustification and of the favour of God And therefore Masters and Fathers conceal their love towards their Sons and Servants that by this uncertainty they may be the more obliged to their Duty And it must be believed that God deals just so with his Creatures c. Thus said Hosius Where then is that peace and joy in the Holy Ghost if no Man must be assured of the favour of God Where are those feet of them that run upon the Mountains and bring glad tidings of Peace if it is not lawful to publish the Righteousness of Peace We are not against the Preaching of Faith say they but we would not that Faith only should be Preached That is the only thing that we require for the cause that we mention'd because when this form of Doctrine is taught of necessity the consequence thereof is the Ruin and Destruction of all honest Discipline That I may answer this Objection though it hath been sufficiently answered already two things must be considered one whereof belongs to the manner of Preaching and the other to the truth of the Doctrine And first as touching Preaching their Objection is very false For though we teach that Faith only Iustifies yet we neglect not to use strong motives to the practice of good Works and sharp Admonitions and not only Admonitions but also severe threatnings yea and moreover Excommunications if need be to restrain wicked practices The frequent Sermons that are Preached in our Churches bear witness to this in which according to our power we
the cause of blessedness this manner of arguing will appear to be more forcible by an evident Testimony of Scripture Argument Ma. That which is the cause of blessedness the same is the cause of Iustification Mi. Remission of Sins is the cause of blessedness and Salvation Con. Theresore Remission of Sins is the cause of Iustification But you may say What must then be answered to the Words of Christ who seems to promise the blessedness of the Kingdom as a reward of Works You may find an answer to this objection in the Book of Iacobus Cartusiensis who hath written on this manner Men do accept and love the persons of others for their Works that are acceptable and profitable to them but God accepts the Works for the sake of the person c. Therefore here there is need of a distinction between the Work and the person of the Worker But you may say Are not Works that are performed in Charity for the relief of the Poor pleasing and acceptable to God We deny not that our selves But we enquire into the cause wherefore they become acceptable Which that it may appear the more evidently let us examine these words of Scripture I was an hungred said Christ and ye gave me Meat I was thristy and ye gave me Drink c. I ask in the first place who is it here that was an hungred You will say Christ either himself in his own Body or in a Member of his Body Did you then feed Christ when he was an hungred That was Piously done indeed Therefore I see and commend what you have done But I ask what was it that stirred you up to do it Whether was it Charity setting Faith a work or was it not rather Faith setting Charity a work But what if some other that was no Member of Christ whether Heathen or Turk had need of your Meat Would you in your Charity have fed him I doubt of that But suppose you your self had not believed in Christ but had been an Enemy to him if you had seen one that belonged to Christ almost ready to perish for hunger would you have relieved him I do not believe so Why Because it is only believers that feed Christ but Infidels persecute him The Lord was thirsty on the Cross and he had Vinegar given him for drink which was a Hellish wickedness But why did they give him Vinegar Was it want of Love or was it not rather want of Faith in those unbelieving Pharisees Who if they had not wanted Faith they would not have wanted Charity to administer help and Charity would not have been unrewarded But let us proceed Suppose one that is not a believers whether Turk or Heathen should refresh a hungry Christian by giving him of his Meat as old Simon the Pharisee entertained Christ with a Dinner And many of the Heathens have been Eminent in offices of kindness and Love Can the giving of Meat and Drink by any such without Faith merit Eternal Life Surely not But if a believer gives his Christian Brother so much as a Cup of cold Water in his necessity shall he lack his Reward Christ himself says he shall not Hereby you may see whence it is that our Vertues and good deeds are acceptable to God and dignified with Rewards not for themselves but for the Faith of him that works them which first justifies the person before all works And after the person is justified his performances are accepted and though they are of small value in themselves yet they are looked upon as great and rewarded plentifully Wherefore we deny not that sometimes in the Scriptures the name of Reward is joyned with Eternal Life and that the works of Brotherly Charity may in some sense be called meritorious if so be these works are performed by persons who are already justified and received into favour by remission of sins and have obtained a right unto the promise of Eternal Life Not that their works are of such value that they should make satisfaction to the Law of God or merit any thing with God ex congruo or condigne as they phrase it either by congruity or worthiness But they are imputed as Merit by Grace Not that Eternal Life is due to the works themselves but because there are consolations laid up in Heaven for Saints and persons in a justified state to support them in their afflictions Eternal Life not being due to them for their works but by right of the promise just as a Son and Heir to whom his Father's Inheritance is due doth not merit the right of Sonship by any duties that he performs but he being born a Son his duties upon that account are meritorious so that he wants not a due reward and recompence Therefore in this Popish Argument there is a fallacy Another Argument taken from the words of Christ Matth. 25. Da. HE that doth the will of the Father shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Ti. It is the will of the Father that we should do good works that are commanded in his Law Si. Therefore an entrance into Heaven is obtained by the works of the Law Answer Suppose we grant all contained in this Argument what will these Roman Iusticiaries infer from thence Therefore as Vega speaks Faith is not sufficient to Salvation without the keeping of the Commandments It is easie to answer him in a word Let him keep the Commandments according to the exact Rule of the Divine Will and he shall be saved But neither he nor any other man can perfectly keep the Commands of God in this Life From whence we infer this by necessary consequence That either there is no hope of obtaining the Kingdom or else that it lies not in the works of the Law Now if it be so what remains but that finding this is not the way to Heaven we should seek for another way and because there is no door of Salvation opened to sinners in the Law of Commandments therefore we must flie to another Refuge But what that Refuge is appearing to us from Heaven it self the Divine Will declares unto us which is not set forth in the Old Law but in the New Testament of the Gospel And this is his Will that every one who believeth in the Son should not perish but have Eternal Life For whereas the Law was weak because of the flesh God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Objection But here some may object Will the Faith of Christ justifie us in such a manner that there may be a Legality and Impunity for us to disobey the Will of his Father God forbid The Liberty of the Gospel allows not that for it openly affirms That they who are justified by the Faith of Christ walk not after the flesh but
in so many dangers and compassed about with so many troubles and snares yet it continues firm notwithstanding all this opposition in spite of the very Gates of Hell Wherefore is it thus Is it for its own merits or should we account the Grace and Power of Christ to be the only procuring cause thereof and no strength nor merit of ours Now it is evident to every reasonable man that the same thing which is the cause of Preservation is also the cause of Salvation to the Church which consists not in our Works but only in the Faith of Christ and his free Bounty An Argument out of St. Iames. Not the hearers of the Law but the doers shall be justified Not the hearer of the Law but the doer shall be blessed Iames 1. Mat. He that heareth my words and doth them c. Therefore not Faith only but Deeds do justifie I answer The Argument may be granted if the Minor be rightly added with the Inference which we shall set down here that the Argument may appear in its perfect form He is righteous that by deeds fulfils the Law No man by deeds fulfils the Law in this life Therefore no man is justified by deeds in this life The Minor is evident by the Authority of the same Apostle Iames Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and offend in one thing is guilty of all There is none in the Land of the Living but fails in some thing Iames 2. Yea there is no man that offends not in many things Therefore no man in this life fulfils the Law of God no not Iames himself Let us now consider the words of Christ that are cited out of the Gospel He that heareth my words and doeth them c. Who doth not clearly apprehend the mind of Christ in these words for it is manifest that his design was to rebuke the counterfeit pretences of Hypocrites and thereby to stir up the minds of his own Disciples to the power of Godliness and sincerity in their profession which he doth in more than one place and not without weighty reasons For as nothing is more detestable so nothing is more usual than for false Hypocrites to be covered with a Vizard of Holiness who having no experimental knowledge of the things which they profess nor drawn unto God by Effectual Calling nor taught by his Spirit being ignorant of God and strangers to the practice of Holiness do make a great shew amongst all men outwardly pretending to that which they are not indeed but would seem to be who take little or no care at all to be any way instrumental for the Glory of God But their chief endeavours are to encrease their gain and satisfie their ambitious desires that they may be great in this World and get applause and renown amongst men Such a frame of spirit is in most Hypocrites But the great searcher of hearts who looks into every dark corner of the Soul and discerns all the most hidden imaginations is not unacquainted with their Hypocrisie and there is nothing more abominable unto him Therefore our Lord in giving Instructions of Piety to his Disciples strictly commands that such as take upon them the profession of Faith in his Name should not only make shew of it in words or account it enough to encline their Ears to his Doctrine but also practise it in their Lives and endeavour as much as in them lies to walk suitable to their profession By what I have said it may evidently appear that these words do not express the way how we are justified but they only declare what manner of men they ought to be who are Iustified and have obtained a right to the Heavenly Inheritance by Faith and free Grace Another Argument The Foolish Virgins were shut out of Heaven not because they wanted Faith but because they neglected taking Oyl in their Vessels Mat. 25. The same appears in the slothful Servant Therefore The Kingdom of Heaven is due to good Works and not to Faith Answer The Consequence must be denied For this is the true consequence thereof Therefore Men are justly shut out of Heaven for Evil deeds and Impiety For though a slothful and lazy Servant ought to be shut out of the House yet it doth not therefore follow that the Inheritance must needs be due to him that faithfully and diligently performs his duty The Kingdom of Heaven is given to faith not to duties by way of gift not by way of bargain not for merits but freely And though faith in the mean while is not idle but diligently exercises it self in the ways of Holiness yet the possession of this great benefit should not therefore be attributed unto Works suppose an adopted Son in managing well his Father's Goods shews himself a faithful Steward in his Father's House is not his Father's Inheritance bestowed upon him of free gift notwithstanding all this care and industry Moreover that is not true which is denied in the Antecedent that the foolish Virgins were not shut out for want of Faith For had they had true Faith they would not have wanted provision of Oyl For Faith that is lively cannot be slothful Therefore in Scripture these Epithets are given to Faith 1. That it is true and not feigned 2. It is sure and not wavering 3. One and not diverse 4. Lively and not dead 5. Great 6. Fervent and not luke warm 7. Laborious and not Idle 8. Strong 9. Couragious and not fearful 10. Stable and not unconstant Another Objection taken out of Iohn 5. They that have done good shall come forth unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation and again Rom. 2. Every Man shall be rewarded according to his Works The Argument of the Adversaries taken out of Ioh. 5. Rom. 2. Therefore the Salvation or Destruction of Men depend on their Works and not Faith only If any Man desires to see this Argument in a Syllogistical term he may take it thus There is no Iustification without Works where there is a reward given according to Works The Iudgment of God rewards according to VVorks Therefore there is no Iustification in the Iudgment of God without VVorks Answer As there is nothing more sure than the Words of Peter in which he affirms that Christ is appointed Iudge of the Living and the Dead so also that is a truth which is asserted by Paul That we must all appear before his Iudgment Seat who will render to every Man according to that which he hath done whether Good or Evil. Therefore you say Not Faith but Works do justifie which are the procuring cause either of Salvation or Destruction But this is not the consequence of the Words of the Apostle nor the sense of that Scripture But if we Reason according to the mind of the Holy Ghost in these places of Scripture we must rather draw
heads for joy of the approaching Redemption and yet dares Canisius command us to hang them down for fear of Iudgment Doth Paul promote the Saints unto so high a pitch of dignity that he places them on the Seat of Iudgment together with Christ. as his Assessours and Assistants And yet must Canisius thrust the godly down as low as the ungodly to render a strict account of all the transactions of their Lives The holy Spirit in the Souls of Believers with fervency breaths after Christ crying Come Lord Iesus come quickly Should Canisius then endeavour to quench those holy desires by unbelief and distrustful fears The Sacred Writings of the holy Apostles call the Spirit of the Saints a Spirit not of bondage to fear but a Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father and yet hath Canisius the Iesuit the impudence to call back the Saints from a Spirit of Liberty to a slavish Spirit of Bondage Is this any society with Iesus Paul desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ. All Believers in Christ desire the same being afflicted in this Life For all that desire to live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer Persecution in this present evil World The Souls of them that were slain under the Altar are greatly longing for the coming of this Iudgment But as for Canisius he would persuade us to be afraid of this day and not to wish for it and love it as the Apostle Paul teaches us Iohn in the Revelation bids us rejoyce because the Marriage of the Lamb is approaching but the Iesuit bids us mourn The Lamb's Wife cloaths her self in fine Linnen in token of her joy but Canisius would have her cloathed in Sackcloth Nevertheless I deny not the truth of that which he gathers out of Bernard Gregory and Augustin concerning the dreadful severity of this Iudgment than which I know that nothing can be more terrible to them that seek Salvation by the Righteousness of the Law without flying to Christ for refuge But on the other side we ought not to abate the comfort nor discourage the fiducial reliance of Believers in Christ who are planted in him by Faith Though they acknowledge their own imperfections yet they strive against them and endeavour daily according to their power to make some progress in Holiness And therefore as there is nothing in their good Works whereof they may boast So also there is nothing in their evil Works being now forgiven which they have cause to fear Let us now proceed to the other Arguments of the Adversaries Argument If there are no merits of Works then that saying is false Thou shalt render to every one according to his Works But the Consequent is false therefore also the Antecedent The Minor hath been answered already by making a distinction of persons For there being a twofold sort of men to wit Such as are in Christ and such as are out of Chrst there must be a different Iudgment made of the one and the other First Those that are in Christ being united unto him by Faith the Iudgment of God uses to begin with them in this Life As touching the Life to come the Lord hath made this Promise concerning every Believer He shall not come into Iudgment but hath passed from Death to Life Secondly Suppose we grant that the Elect of God shall be called to Iudgment the account that they shall then make will be very easie who have Christ for their Righteousness Whence it follows by necessary consequence that this Iudgment will be to them a Iudgment not of Condemnation but of Absolution Thirdly Sentences of the Law belong properly to them that are under the Law but as for such as are regenerate by Faith in Christ because they are not under the Law but under Grace the Law hath no dominion over them Fourthly Whereas it is said That every man shall receive according to his works those works are either good or evil If good they are good upon the account of Faith only for what is not of Faith is sin and so they are beyond all danger But if evil either they are forgiven or not forgiven If they are forgiven through Faith and Repentance they are not called to Iudgment If not forgiven it is because they want Faith and so they are the works of the Unregenerate Whence it follows that this Iudgment of Condemnation doth not at all belong to them that are regenerate by Faith but them that are unregenerate Another Objection That place in Mat. 22. concerning the wedding garment is objected The King entring into the Marriage Feast saw a man not having on the wedding garment c. I wonder what those Papists can find in this place of Scripture to cover the shame of their own nakedness when there is nothing that less advantages their cause or weakens it more The wedding garment say they signifies Charity from whence they form this Argument They that have on the wedding garment are admitted to the Marriage Feast Charity only is the wedding garment Therefore they that are adorned with Charity are admitted to the heavenly Marriage Feast An Explication of the Parable of the Wedding Garment THE Minor must be denied Though works of Charity are of no small advantage to adorn and beautifie faith in the exercise fo Civilty and Morality yet a Garment suitable to the Heavenly Marriage-feast cannot be made of such Cloth but of other Materials What that is whereof this Garment must be made Paul the Apostle teaches us Put on the Lord Iesus Christ. And again whosever of you are Baptized ye have put on Christ. Because we put not on him by Charity but by Faith only Therefore faith is the Garment made white with the Blood of the Lamb which Cloaths us for this Marriage-feast not Charity nor the filthy ragged apparel of our Works Which that it may appear the more evident let us diligently consider both the Parable and the signification thereof First He that compares our great happiness in Christ to a Marriage-feast How could he more significantly set forth that which is the most joyful of all things For what is more joyful or suitable to Mirth than a Marriage-feast Where all things resound with Ioy and Dancing where there is no sign of Sorrow where no Lamentation is heard no Tear is seen yea all Tears are wiped away from the Eyes Unhappy is he that partakes not of the great felicity and unspeakable Ioy of this blessed Marriage-feast He that unworthily dishonours it deserves to be abhorred and he that disgraces it with Sackcloth and Ashes or any other Garment and comes to it without the wedding-garment is not worthy to enjoy so great a blessedness Now consider besides the joyfulness of the time the greatness of the benefit both which are Infinite and Eternal For as there is no firmer nor nearer Bond amongst Men than that of Marriage So nothing is more Divine
for Mercy and cast himself wholly upon Christ what would the Apostle Iames say in such a case Will not Faith only without Works justifie such a man as this The penitent Malefactor is an evident proof of the truth of this who had no other thing but Faith only to commend him to Christ and so to be admitted into Paradise Like unto which there are many Examples daily of them that die on Gibbets so that the Iudgments of God are very wonderful who hath mercy on whom he will have mercy But now let us return to what we were saying of Abraham If we look upon his Faith what was more sincere If we consider his Works what was more glorious and wonderful Therefore upon both accounts he was certainly an admirable man Now let us compare his Faith with his Works And because it is evident that he was justified before God let us enquire whether he was justified by Faith 〈◊〉 Works because he could not be justified upon both accounts as the Apostle witnesseth If it is of Faith then it is not of Works but if it is of Works then it is not of Faith What shall we say then to these things let the Scripture answer Abraham believed God when he promised and it was accounted to him for Righteousness And the same Abraham obeyed God when he commanded and why doth not the Scripture in like manner add That this was imputed to him for Righteousness Let us hear what the Apostle answers The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Gentiles by Faith he first told the glad tydings to Abraham and what glad tydings was this That he and his Seed should be Heirs of the World A great Promise indeed But how did he obtain this Promise by Faith or by Works There is an answer ready made to our hand by the Apostle The Promise came not by the Law to Abraham or to his Seed that he should be Heir of the World but by the Righteousness of Faith Why so Paul why not by the Law and why by the Righteousness of Faith That he might be the Father of all the faithful who walking in the footsteps of the Faith which was in the Uncircumcision of our Father Abraham shall have Faith in like manner imputed unto them But here St. Iames is represented as fighting with all his might against this Doctrine For the Adversaries say thus Did not the Apostle Iames assert with great Authority That Abraham was justified by Works and will ye deny it God forbid that any man should undervalue the Authority of that holy Apostle And yet I suppose St. Iames would not have us to disbelieve the Scripture which teaches us far otherways attributing the Iustification of Abraham not to Works but to Faith For Abraham believed God and we read it was imputed unto him for Righteousness But God hath not said in his Word concerning Abraham's going to sacrifice his Son That it was imputed to him for Righteousness Or let us grant the assertion of St. Iames That Abraham was justified by Works But where and how was he thus justified before God St. Iames says not so Then it is before men And Paul himself denies not that So that there is no real disagreement between Paul and Iames. But this doth not satisfie some Sophisters who account it is not enough that the holy Patriarch is justified by Works before men as Paul teaches unless he be also thereby justified before God For though he was first justified by Faith as they say yet nothing hinders but that afterwards he might be yet more justified by Works and this they call a second Iustification But Reason shews that to be an utter impossibility for it implies a manifest contradiction for it is a contradiction not to be justified by Works and again to be justified by Works And seeing one of those is denied by the Apostle How can they maintain and plead for the other But hereunto may be added another Reason If there is a twofold Iustification one by Faith and another by Works it would follow that there is a twofold manner of Iustifying But there is one and the same manner of Iustifying as there is one God as hath been proved out of Ambrose Therefore it appears that there is not a twofold Iustification A third Reason is this seeing Iustification consists of the Remission of Sins and God forgives no Man his Sins to whom he doth not perfectly forgive them Therefore it follows that the Iustification of those that are justified is compleat and perfect and cannot be made more perfect than it is already Now in the next place let them prepare to answer this Argument of Paul Whosoever is justified by Works hath whereof he may Glory before God Rom. 4. Abraham hath not any thing whereof he may Glory before God Therefore Abraham is not justified by Works before God By these things which we have quoted out of Paul and other sacred writings I suppose it appears evident enough what we should judge of the Works of Abraham Which though they were excellent and worthy to be admired before men yet they found no place for glorying before God according to the Testimony and Interpretation of the Apostle We need not be at any great trouble to find out the cause thereof Tiletan and other Iesuits produce a cause thereof out of Augustin Because the Works of Abraham were not of the Law but of Faith not of the Flesh but of Grace which because they were not done by the Power of Free-will only but in the Faith and expectation of Christ therefore all Praise and Glory was due to Christ and none to them which Invention of theirs though it savours more of Wit than Solidity yet though we grant all this to them there is no inconvenience in it seeing both of us acknowledge with Paul that the Patriarch Abraham found neither matter of glorying nor Iustification before God by Works and therefore that he had no cause of glorying because he was not justified by Works for otherways if he had been justified by Works he should have had wherein to Glory as the Apostle Paul speaks But now he hath not any thing wherein he may Glory before God therefore he was not justified by Works And thus hitherto we have treated of the Arguments of the Adversaries as much as may suffice not only to discover but also confute their Sophistical Wiles and captious Deceits who fight with so great eagerness for their inherent Righteousness against the Testimony of the Holy Scripture and the Sacred Gospel of Iesus Christ and the bright shining Light of Grace yea and against their own Salvation It remains in the next place that we should hear what those Men on the other side answer and oppose to the Arguments and most approved Reasons manag'd not only by us but by St. Paul and with what Cavillings and fraudulent Devices they darken and baffle the clear meaning of the
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
any human industry or strength of our Nature nor any precedent obedience to the Law or works and merits of our own but only by Faith in the merits of Christ. Therefore Paul says well That we are justified by faith without works speaking of such works as belong to nature but not to grace which are a man 's own works and not God's and are called the works of the Law not of Faith But by the works of the Law the Apostle understands such works as are performed by a man 's own free will or by the direction of the Law and Nature only without the assistance of Grace And this is the meaning of Paul as those Popish Doctors would have it when he distinguishes between Iustification by Works and Iustification by Grace or Faith So that if it be by grace then it is not of works to wit such works as are done by Nature and not by Grace but if it is of works then it is not of grace for then grace saith he would not be grace which opposition must be thus understood according to the Opinion of those Popish Teachers so that grace doth not wholly overthrow all works but those only that are performed by the strength of Nature without the assistance of Grace But contrarily the pious works which proceed from Grace and Faith their Righteousness is so far from being made void by Grace or the Righteousness of Faith that it is rather thereby confirmed For the Law as Augustin speaks is not made void by Faith but rather established for Faith obtains the Grace whereby the Law is fulfilled Therefore whereas Paul distinguishes between the Righteousness of Works and the Righteousness of Faith This is the Answer the Catholick Faction gives to this distinction In this place the Righteousness of the Law and the Righteousness of Faith are not set in opposition one against another as they express themselves but Righteousness by the Law or in the Law is that which is opposed to the Righteousness of Faith And they say The Righteousness that is in the Law or by the Law is that obedience which is performed to the Law by natural strength without the assistance of Grace For these things differ not a little from one another for the Righteousness of the Law is one thing and the Righteousness by the Law or in the Law is another thing From which distinction they draw this Inference That the Righteousness of Faith or by Faith doth not exclude the Righteousness of the Law but is exercised about it and fulfils it In as much as the Law signifies Obedience to the Commandments which faith by obtaining grace performs And because the Grace of God performs the Law that is the certain cause why the works of the Law which are the gifts of God ought not to be excluded from Iustification just as Faith it self cannot be excluded because it is the gift of God as much as the Works of the Law and Charity which are infused by the Grace of God This is the entangling Sophistry whereby Andraeas Vega and others of his Association persuade themselves that they can break through the force of all the former Arguments An Answer to the Adversaries wherein their Frivolous Exceptions and Sophistical Subtilties are confuted BUT these Sophistical Distinctions which they make use of as antidotes in difficult cases are so absurd and unreasonable that there is not any Poison more deadly and injurious to the Doctrine of Salvation And I greatly wonder at the power and efficacy of Errour that so stupifies their undestanding that in the light of Noon-day they can be so blind and err so perniciously and betray their own Ignorance so shamelesly It is a Rule of Lawyers as I formerly have said Where the Law distinguishes not we ought not to distinguish What need then is there in a thing so evident of so many by-ways of distinctions and Labyrinths of perplexities for Paul hath spoken expresly and given many weighty Arguments whereby he makes it very clear that it is theGrace ofGod only to which we are indebted for all our Iustification But those men are of another mind saying That this Grace consists not in the favour of God only whereby he receives sinners for the sake of Christ but also in Moral Vertues and Charity whereby the Law is fulfilled Tho' I deny not that the excellent gifts of honest actions are bestowed upon us by the Grace of God Yet our Iustification before God depends not upon this grace of working Therefore we do not utterly reject the distinction that they bring of pardoning and renewing grace if they keep them duly within their own bounds But that which they conclude from hence we altogether disapprove I know and confess it is the Grace of God which both sanctifies and justifies which both pardons renews For we are daily renewed unto new obedience by the influence of Divine Grace But though this be so we are not renewed for this purpose that by this newness of obedience we may be justified But before Renovation we are sirst justified by Faith in the Son of God all the sins of our former life being blotted out for the sake of Christ in whom we believe Unto which Iustification succeeds the renovation of imperfect Obedience but not such as justifies a man from his sins in the sight of God for good works go not before him that is to be justified but follow him that is justified For whereas hence they make a twofold Iustification a first as they call it and a second of which the one is before works and the other after works whereby it is perfected it is a vain imagination not derived from the fountains of sound Doctrine but from the filthy Cisterns of Sophistry and vain jangling For the Gospel acknowledges no Iustification but one only and such a one as endures for ever As Christ whom he loves he is said to love unto the end And as God hath once chosen and called those unto Salvation whom he will justifie for ever so also he likewise once justifies those whom he will glorifie For I see no such difference between these things but that what agrees unto Election and Vocation may also be attributed to Iustification Wherefore as God's election and calling of those who are justified is one and not twofold it must follow by necessary consequence that there is but one Iustification of those who are chosen Therefore if God hath once chosen those that are to be justified why may not one Iustification be sufficient for them whom Election hath called unto glory especially because there is one and the same cause and manner both of electing and justifying He chose them in Christ first whom he predestinated unto life And in like manner he justifies in Christ those whom by the sacred Decree of his Election he appointed to glory But if you ask the cause why God chuses his own in Christ I answer That the cause
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
the Lord would intimate unto us by the Prophet the same thing that the Apostle declares to wit that we attain unto so great Felicity by the free Gift of God only and not by Works or Merits of Works For what can be the sense of these Words of the Apostle Without Works but the same that the Prophet expresseth in these Words without Money and without Price What hole can the Papists find here to creep out at Without our own Works say they or without those that go before Faith as Campian says or without the Works of the Law as Osorius speaks but not without the Works of Faith or those Works which flow from the Grace of God but this vain Sophistry is overthrown by the similitude of the Prophet which would be utterly absurd unless upon all accounts Salvation were freely offered without any Condition of Works For otherwise what will they answer the Prophet or how can they interpret his Words where he commands to eat without Money and without Price Will they distinguish Money in this place just as they distinguish Works So that they reject that Money as unprofitable which is our own being purchased by our own labours but what is given us of God they are so far from excluding this that unless we have it it is in vain to come and eat O vain janglings of Sophisters not so fit to be confuted by Arguments as to be hissed away and accursed by an Apostolical Execration Suitable hereunto is that saying of the same Prophet Ye were sold for nought and ye shall be redeemed without Silver What else can be understood by these Words but the freeness of the Infinite Mercy of God towards us without any Merit of ours Where then are the Merits of inherent Righteousness which the wicked bring before God if none obtain Iustification as they plead but those who are first endued with Charity and thereby are rendered just and worthy of Life Eternal For the Confirmation of what we assert let us add also the Example of Abraham From whence we may argue thus Argument Rom. 4. The VVorks of Abraham were done in Faith and Grace The VVorks of Abraham have no Praise or Glory before God Argument Therefore VVorks done by Faith and Grace Merit nothing before God I am not ignorant what these Interpreters Answer absurdly wresting these Words of Paul to another Sense contrary to the Mind of the Apostle For thus they comment upon this place If Abraham by VVorks c. The good VVorks of Abraham done in Faith are not by these Words excluded from Iustification neither is he declared to be justified by Faith only But the VVorks of the Law done without Faith are excluded which sort of VVorks because Abraham did not therefore he is truly said to be justified by his VVorks before God Moreover as they say it is not proved by these Words that the good Works of Abraham being a renewed Man and righteous though done in Faith did not justifie but that Abraham was not justified by Works only without Faith Thus they say What should I answer then but that their Interpretation doth not agree with the Mind of the Author Paul writing to the Romans when he had proved it by many and weighty Arguments That a Man is justified by Faith without Works being about to confirm the same by an Example He enquires concerning the Works of Abraham What shall we say that Abraham our Father according to the flesh found For if he was justified by Works he hath whereof to Glory but not before God c. First let us see what these Works were of which Paul treats and next whose Works they were The Adversaries Answer and amongst those Campian our Countrey-man who a while since when he was urged by this place of Paul concerning the Works of Abraham is reported to have answered thus like his own Iesuits the Works of the Law as they are done without Faith and Grace avail nothing to Iustification but because the Works of that Holy Man were not such being replenished with Faith and Grace therefore he is truly said to be justified by his own Works before God yet not as his own Works What do you say Was he justified by Works of whom Paul says expresly that he had no cause of glorying in his Works before God Was the Apostle ignorant of the Holiness and Excellency of the Works of the Godly Patriarch which were not without Faith and the Grace of God And yet Paul denies that these Works though excellent in themselves availed any thing before God in respect either of glorying or of Iustification And it is evident by the Authority of Paul that it was of Faith and nor of Works that he was justified before God for Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for Righteousness How then will those Interpreters agree with the Apostle in affirming he denies for they contrarily do plead that Abraham was justified by his Works Whereas in opposition thereunto the whole scope of this Epistle is to remove the works of the Saints though excellent in themselves from Iustification not that pious works should be contemned but that the free Bounty of God towards sinners may evidently appear who liberally communicates his Righteousness not to the dignity of Merits but to Faith not to him that worketh but to him that believeth in him that justifies the ungodly who justifieth the ungodly saith the Apostle But here Campian objects after his former manner pleading first That Abraham was justified by Works and next he renders the reason why he was justified by Works because that his Works were not done in Circumcision nor in the Law but before Circumcision and the promulgation of the Law by Faith and Grace And therefore they were acceptable to God Thirdly Commenting upon the scope of the Epistle he affirms that we misunderstand the words of the Apostle because his whole drift through all that Epistle is to separate from Iustification the Ceremonies of the Law and the Works that were done before Faith in the Law or by the Law only without Grace For thus he reasons and such are all Camplan's Objections To all which I answer that they are most false 1. Whereas he affirms That Abraham was righteous by Works Paul expresly denies it Reason openly confutes it and the thing appears evident of it self For what need had he of the promised Seed and a Redeemer if already he had been righteous by Works or what need was there that Faith should be accounted unto him for righteousness who was afterwards to obtain the praise of Righteousness by Works Moreover death being the wages not of righteousness but of sin by what right could he be subject to the dominion of death if he had not been a sinner If he was a sinner how then was he righteous by works 2. Whereas he says That these works were not done according to the Law nor under the Law but before the
promulgation of the Law I would ask him What the Law is which if it is nothing but the Rule of Righteousness how can any man be just where there is no Law But what man was there ever in the World but he carried about with him the Law of God if not written in Tables yet written on his heart and engraven on his conscience But the Decalogue was not yet engraven on Tables of Stone But what was contained in the Moral Decalogue which that holy man did not already comprehend within his own heart both of loving God and his Neighbour of not Murthering of not committing Adultery or honouring Parents c. 3. As touching the scope of this Epistle how greatly is campian mistaken For who is so void of sense that he doth not clearly perceive that the drift of the Apostle is not that which those Iesuits dream of to attribute our Salvation or Iustification to any Works either going before or following after Neither was this Office of an Ambassadour committed unto him that he might contend with the Iews about Ceremonies or with the Gentiles about Moral Duties but as Peter was entrusted with the Apostleship of the Circumcision so also the Preaching of the Gospel to the Uncircumcision was committed unto Paul not that he should Preach the Law but the Faith which before he opposed Not that he might declare the Righteousness of Works in which there is no Salvation but that God by him might reveal his Son amongst the Gentiles and might manifest unto the World that heavenly Trophy and glad Tydings of Peace and Victory obtained in Heaven by Christ and spread abroad far and wide through the Churches the boundless riches of Divine Grace which he had experienced in himself For he was called for this purpose to the Apostleship that the infinitely gracious Lord and Redeemer Christ Iesus might first exercise his Mercy towards him and afterwards by him declare his great Mercy towards Sinners not only by hisExample but also by his Ministry For thus he bears witness of himself that the Ministry of Reconciliation was committed to him for which he was appointed to be a Preacher and Apostle and Teacher of the Gentiles in Faith and Truth that he being an Ambassadour in Christ's stead might invite all men yea and beg of them that they would be reconciled unto God And this seems to be the principal scope that Paul aims at not only in the Epistle to the Romans but also in all his Doctrine to proclaim amongst the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and that he might set before the view of all men what is the Communion of the Mystery that was hidden with God in former Ages c. But now in the Righteousness of Works no such Mystery lay hidden with God from former Ages Therefore it is false and abominable which Campian the Iesuit and such like Sophisters assert concerning the scope and sense of Paul's Epistle to the Romans For by the Law which Paul excludes from Iustification they understand that part thereof which comprehends Ceremonial and Iudicial Works wherein the Iews gloried or Works purely Moral performed before Faith on which the Gentiles relied Yea on the contrary when Paul removes the Law from Iustification he doth not only exclude it upon the account of Iewish Ceremonies or Moral Works performed before Faith but also upon the account of its weakness through the flesh both in Iews and Gentiles both in the regenerate and the unregenerate so that it cannot make sufficient satisfaction to the Iustice of God And Paul affirms That for this cause God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh What did God do but what flesh could not do For sin he condemned sin in the flesh In what flesh ours or his own Sons Who of all the Regenerate though endued with great habitual Faith and Grace hath so led his life walking not according to the flesh but according to the spirit but he always carries about with him flesh that is weak in many respects and vicious and subject to sin Concerning which every one may complain with the Apostle I know that in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing And again I find a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me c. For what they speak of Works following Faith and Grace how little that helps their cause appears not more evident by any Argument than by the Lives of those that maintain this Controversie if they be strictly enquired into If that be true which Campian with his Iesuits pleads for That Righteousness is not obtained in men come to years but by Works that follow after Faith Let us behold then what excellent Works this Faith of the Mother Church of Rome brings forth seeing they so much glory in the Title of Catholick Faith and Preach so many things about Charity which is the fulfilling of the Law Let us look into the Life and Works of the Roman Popes Cardinals and Bishops and the whole Crew of the Monks and Iesuits Where can you find more of the flesh or less of true holiness than in those false-hearted and painted Hypocrites whose whole profession of Religion consists in Purple Gowns high topped Mitres Purple Caps Rings adorned with Iewels solemn Vows Ceremonies which in reality are rather Stage-playes than Exercises of Piety This appears to be too true by the unhappy Tumults raised in the World the Wars and Persecutions that are stirred up by none more than by those very men that call themselves Spiritual and Catholick whom it should become to be the chiefest encouragers of Concord and Messengers of Peace But having so much enlarged upon this sort of men with their Works and Merits let us return to the Examples of those of whom we spake before who were freely admitted unto Baptism and received into favour by Faith without any commendation of Merits at all yea without mention of any Works except such perhaps as were evil Amongst which number those Iews may be reckoned of whom three thousand at one time were Baptized by Peter Likewise also the Eunuch whom Faith only without Works made not only meet for Baptism but also an Heir of the Heavenly Kingdom And the Iaylor whom Paul Baptized Moreover Paul himself and all the Apostles and Publicans the family of Cornelius Zacehaeus Mary Magdalen and the Thief on the Cross If Faith without Works was sufficient to them for the Grace of Baptism why not also for the obtaining of Iustification and Life Eternal Vega and those of his Association answers after his usual manner that in all these Repentance was joyned with Faith and other things also belonging to good Manners and a godly Life But it easily appears how vain and insignificant this Answer of Vega is He says Repentance and other Vertues are joyned with Faith Which tho' I confess to be in some sense true in the lives and persons of
and Sinners insa different account Sinners in our selves Righteous in Christ. Isaiah 9. Whole Christ is ours Christ bears our publick person before the Father What is our Righteousness according to Paul Osor. de just lib. 2. lib. 7. p. 187. lib. 9. p. 228. Osor. de just lib. 2. lib. 7. p. 187. lib. 9. p. 228. God commands not any thing which cannot be observed by men according to the opinion of Osorius it is no fault in God if he command those things which cannot be kept by us Rom. 3. There had been no need for God to Iustifie us by Faith if we could be justified by works de justit lib. 4. pag. 90. Pag. 105. Preparation for Righteonsness Mat. 5. Whatsoever things the law 〈◊〉 it saith to those that are in the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the World may be guilty before God R. 3. Rev. 15. 4. The Ecclesiastical Hymn thou only are holy Hierom. ad Ctesiphontem Dial. 2. Aug. in Io. Hom. 49. Rom. 3. Rom. 9. Gal. 2. 1 Cor. 1. Rom. 4. Rom. 11. Hab. 2. Rom. 4. Gal. 3. 2 Tim. 1. Ephes. 2. Tit. 3. Rom. 11. Phil. 3. Rom. 4. Rom. 9. Concil Trident Sess. 6. A definition of rig hteousness according to the Iesuits of Colonia Censur Coloniensis 186 frat Alpbonsus Philip 4. p. 34. Argum. ex Topicis Aristot. 1 Cor. 1. 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 4. 3. Answer to the Iesuitical quibbles Men judge by qualities but God judgeth otherwise 2 Cor. 5. Prov. cap. 8. Aug. ad Boniface lib. 3. cap. 7. Bernard in Dominic Serm. 3. By what Righteousness they are justified before God by Christs or our own Aug. in Psal. 31. Christ is wholly ours with all his good things As Christ was made sin so we are made righteous But Christ was not made sin by inherent sin Therefore we also are not made righteous by inherent rightcousness The Righteousness of Faith Internal and inherent righteousness whereby we are justified according to the Gospel Faith is a most internal and inherent righteousness This is the work of God that ye should believe in him whom he hath sent Iohn 6. Augustine Iohn 3. So God loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that all that believe in him c. Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 1. A rule of Law that which a Man doth by another he seems to have done by himself A comparison of Adam and Christ. The former Adam a Type of the second Rom. 5. As Evil was 〈◊〉 ed by the Sin of one so good is propagated by the Iustification of one by the Disobedience of one many were made Sinners Rom. 5. As many dyed by the Sin of one so by the grace of one many are justified Rom. 5. After what manner the sin of one is imputed unto all in like manner also the Righteonsness of one is imputed to all Otherways there would be no resemblance between Christ and Adam Adam a Type of Christ. Wherein the similitude of Adam and Christ consists A Imitation of Life Christ to be seen in Adam The severity of the Iudgment of God in Adam again the excellency of Mercy in Christ. The Type is compared with the Archetype Death took its beginning of making havock from the Sin of one not of many The heaviness of Iustice was again made amends for and over-balanced by as great mercy 2 Cor. 5. Isaiah 53. The Blood of Redemption encountering with Righteousness yet not violating Righteousness but Redeeming it An Answer The singular providence of the Eternal God in governing the business of our Redemption Rom. 6. Christ Iustifies Sinners but what Sinners Oso dejust lib. 7. The whole nature of our Salvation consists in nothing else but in the imitation of Christ and expressing a resemblance of him according to Osorius In what respect the similitude of Christ and Adam agrees Death and Sin from Adam Osor. de just lib. 7. p. 179. Osorius is opposed to Osorius Only by being propagated from Adam we perish And why are we not as well saved by being born again from Christ Object Osor. pag 180. Answer The imitation of Christ is very necessary for all Matt. 11. Charitv the bond of perfection Colos. 3. How no sign of Charity appears in the Roman Tyranny The Laws of the Popes are written with blood 1 Cor. 15. 1 Pet. 2. The promises of God are not tyed to the imitation ofChrist but to Faith A comparison of the First and Second Adam Christ the external cause of justification Faith in Christ the Internal Effects causes De just lib. 7. pag. 186. An argument from like things Luk. 18. Baptism a Sacrament of Faith Galat. 3. what Faith in Christ performs according to Paul Galas 3. Chrysostom Oso de just lib. 7. de just 1. 9. p. 232. de just 1. 6. p. 148. Iames. 2. Mat. 12. What the renewing of the Holy Ghost makes in us Oso de just lib. 9. P. 233. De just lib. 9. P. 234. Rom. 5. Ephes. 3. Rom. 4. De just lib. 9. pag. 234. We are beholden to the grace of God for all benefits and what that is which his singular favour towards us is ehiefly seen Luke 12. Daniel 7. Romans 5. Romans 4. Titus 3. Romans 8. On what foundation doth the free Promise of God chiefly stand Theassurance of confidence and persuasion from the free promise of God Osor. de just 1. 9. pag. 234. Ibid. p. 233. Lib. 9. p. 232. Two Paradoxes of Osorius both of which are false Ier. 31. 〈◊〉 11. Osor. l. 9. No man denies that the works of new Obedience proceed from the fountain of Divine Grace and the Merits of Christ. Every faithful man that is truly born again in Christ is a Law to himself or ought so to be Works of Faith Osor. de Iust. lib. 3. p. 71. Ier. 32. Ezek. 11. How far the Spirit of renovation promised and given by God reaches Ier. 31. Ezek. 36. Deut. 30. Hier. cont Pelag. Dial. 1. A twofold perfection or a twofold righteousness according to Hierome August cont duas Epistolas Pela l. 3. cap. 8. A twofold sort of Obedience according to Augustine Aug. de peccat merit remiss lib. 2. cap. 15. Aug. de peccat merit remis lib. 1. cap. 7. Aug. ad Bonifac lib. 3. cap. 7. Hierom. Advers pelag lib. 1. Hierom. ibid. Prover 18. Hierom. ad Ctesiphontem Deut. 30. I will Circumcise the Foreskin of thy Heart that thou mayst love me with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul Pelagianism August of the Perfection of Righteousness By whom Righteousness is obtained When Perfection is attained Aug. of the Spirit and Letter Aug ad Bonifac. lib. 3. cap. 7. Begun Obdience Imputation of Righteousness according to Augustine Augustine to Hierom. Epist. 29. Cpprian cited by Augustine Hierom. adversus Pelagi Ambros. lib. 10. Epist. 84. Aug. lib. 10. Epist. 84. Bernard super Cantic Serm. 50. Why God commanded things impossible Hieron Augustin Cyprian Orig. hom 21. on 〈◊〉 Cyprian de
Church which they by a false Name boast to be Catholick which broaches amongst the common People these so great monsters of errours and tares of Opinions defends them in Schools Preaches them in Churches which sends forth into the midst of us such Dogmatists and Artificers of deceits who not only corrupt the small Veins and Rivulets of sincere Doctrine but also proceed to the Fountains themselves and Invalidate the Foundations of Apostolick Institution and cut and tear the very sinews of the simple verity For what greater injury can be done to the Scriptures of God What more cruel against the Grace of Christ what more Hostile against the mind of Paul and more gross against the soundness of the Christian Faith can be said or devised than what those Roman Potters have contributed by their commentitious deceits to the plague and ruine of the Christian Common-wealth For what may we judge should be hoped for concerning the common Religion the Sins of every one and the state of the Christian Common-wealth if the matter come to this that this largeness of Evangelical mercy being taken away or contracted we must be called back again to the account of good Works Concerning the Vertue and Efficacy of Divine Grace a more enlarged dispute against the Adversaries Answering their Objections BUT Those Men will deny that they detract any thing from the Grace of God yea they say that this is the common Sin of the Lutherans not theirs because all that they drive at is to maintain the mercy of God and to celebrate it with due praises Why so I pray for what say they Do not the Pious Works of the Saints please God Well and what next Should not the same Works having proceeded from God himself the Author be referred to his bounty and mercy Why not Now then Catholick Reader receive a conclusion Roman Catholick enough as I suppose Therefore he 〈◊〉 detracts from good works wrought by Christ 〈◊〉 from the Grace and Mercy of God Well said but pray who detracts from those Who denies good Works which Christ living and dwelling in us Works to be good Works Does any Man take away due praise and dignity from those Now Hosius talks Osorius pleads Andradius crys out that the Lutherans do it eagerly Why so I beseech you Because they do not attribute unto the performance of good Works the Salvation that is due to them but translate it to Faith only What then such as do not attribute Salvation to good Works should they be therefore supposed to attribute nothing to Works or to cast reproach upon the grace of God On the contrary they that detract the promise of Eternal Life from the Christian Faith Shall they be accounted Friends to Grace By the same reason we may turn Light into Darkness and Darkness into Light Let Christ remain in his Sepulcher let Moses rise again to be Iudge of the Living and the Dead But now what Arguments do they rely upon in disputing thus Because say they Works of Righteousness flow from the Fountain of Divine Grace But what Is not Faith in Christ the Mediatour as singular a gift of God and does it not proceed from the Election of Divine Grace But now let us hear an Argument more than Catholick Argument Ma. We are justified by the Grace of God only Mi. Our good Works have their rise from the Grace of God only Con. Therefore all our Iustification consists in good Works The deceit of this Paralogism must be drawn forth And again the word Grace must be explained Which is taken one way in the major and another way in the minor for there it is taken for mercy and the free good will of God whereby he hath redeemed us freely whereby he loves us in Christ Iesus and forgives us our Sins and whereby also he imparts his Spirit and Life Eternal to us And this is peculiarly called Grace of forgiveness of which the writings of the Apostles speak aloud in many places It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy And again Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace And what the same Apostle cites out of a Psalm Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose Sins are covered c. And also that which elsewhere he testified very evidently They are justified freely by his Grace moreover that none should be uncertain what is understood by the word Grace presently subjoining and as it were explaining himself he infers next By the Redemption which is in Christ Iesus But what other thing does this adding of Redemption signifie but the Remission of all Sins That this may be the Argument We are justified by that Grace whereby we are redeemed But Grace by renewing us doth not redeem us Therefore we are not justified by Grace renewing us I come now to the minor in which the word grace is taken otherways than in the major For there it is put for remission or redemption here for renovation That is for the effectual energy of the Divine Inspiration in communicating Gifts and Endowments wherewith he afterwards adorns those whom first he hath justified Whence arises a twofold manner of distinguishing Grace according to the twofold diversity of effects on this side and on that side of which one consists in the remission of evil Works the other in the operation of good Works And that is called pardoning Grace and this is called renewing Grace From the one whereof proceeds the Salvation and the Iustification of the Ungodly and from the other come the good Works of the Godly and yet those are not full nor perfect Therefore I answer the Argument proposed which hath more errours than one Moreover it is made up of mere particulars Also in the minor contrary to the manner of Disputants the case is changed whereas the same case should be kept that goes before in the major and the minor should follow thus But our good Works are by the grace of God only or at least in the major the same case of the minor should have been kept after this manner Our Iustification arises twice from the grace of God Therefore all our Iustification flows from good Works So that the true nature of this Pseudosyllogism belongs not to the first but the second figure simply concluding both affirmatively and also most absurdly just as if a Man should argue thus Our corporeal Nature was made of the slime of the Earth Earthen-Pots are made of the slime of the Earth therefore our corporeal Nature was made of Earthen-Pots What need is there of words Whatsoever way these Men form their Argument or reform it they shall never be able to prove that the works of the Law whether such as we our selves have wrought or such as the Divine Grace works in us do contain in themselves any cause of Salvation For