Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A19331
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A short dialogue, wherein is proved, that no man can be saved without good vvorkes
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Corderoy, Jeremy, b. 1562 or 3.
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1604
(1604)
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STC 5756; ESTC S115604
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42,072
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138
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our iustification is the materiall cause vvhich is the death and passion of our Saviour Christ Ps 49.78 by vvhose obedience fulfilling of the lawe perfect righteousnes is purchased for vs the third cause is the formall cause or instrumentall cause which is faith alone without good workes which faith only appreheÌ„deth Christ our righteousnesse These three causes the Apostle coÌ„preheÌ„deth in one verse saying So God loved the world Ioh 3.16 1. Ioh 4.9 that he seat his only begotteÌ„ son that who so beleeveth in him shold not perish but haue life everlasting VVhere you see the efficient cause to be Gods mercie the materiall cause to be the incarnation of Christ redeeming vs by his satisfaction of the law sustaining the punishment due to our sinne Rom. 2.23 24.25.26 and faith the instrumentall cause apprehending the righteousnes of Christ The finall cause the fourth and last is the glory of God as the Apostle saith Ephes 2.7 that his goodnes and kindnesse might bee shewed Heere you see the scripture teacheth that these foure aboue mentioned are the only causes of our iustification good works haue no place among them Now albeit wee thus teach beeing so taught by the vvorde of God Iuel in apo Par. 2. cap. 20. Calvin instit libr. 3. cap. 14 sect 21. Zanch. de attributis dei Reinolds Apol. p. 263 Buchan instit theo de bonis oper p. 344. Pet Mart. coÌ„mon plac classe 3 de conf christ sect 8. c. 11. Rom. 10.10 Fox de christo gratis iustifi lib. 2 pag 398. Fulk annot in 2. Iacobi 12. Remenses in annot ad Collos cap. 1 24. yet we doe not as the Papists slaunder vs vilifie good workes or make no account of them wee ascribe vnto them as much as truth will permitte vs we hold they are secundary causes of our glorification nay wee stand more for the necessity of them to salvation then doe the Papists wee hould that no man can bee saved without them according to the ordinary dispensation of the graces of God VVe hold he that delighteth and continueth in sinne shall be condemned according to that of the Prophet Ezechiel 18.20 The soule that sinneth that soule shall die But the Papists hould not this necessitie of good works but if a maÌ„ want good workes he may be saved notwithstanding provided alwaies that hee giue sufficient money to the Pope for his generall * The more mony you giue the more sins shal be paâ—doned GraftoÌ„ it the 6. yea of Richarâ— the 2. Anâ— Do. 1382 Froistart Fabian Gall. 6.5 Ps 49.7 pardon for they teach that al the works of supererogation are in the custodie of the Pope at whose sole pleasure they may be disposed of vvhich works of supererogation such foolish virgins that want oyle in their lamps may buy of the Pope Thus teach the divines of Rhems contrary to the word of God vvhich saith every one shall beare his owne burthen and in another place the redemption of a mans soule is so precious a thing that no man can redeeme it by any meanes or giue a ransome to god for it This doctrin of the scripture which overthroweth the Popes pardons indulgeÌ„ces they cannot beare with it brought Luther much trouble yea daunger of his life because he vvas so bolde to discover this conicatching tricke of pardoning malefactors with Popes Buls and such trash nay to increase the Popes gaines they faine that he hath authoritie to free meÌ„ from tormentes after they are departed this life flat against the vvorde of God and what els is the cause why they so impudentlye affirme that manye of their Saintes haue done many vvorkes of supererogation yea haue sustained greater affliction then their sinnes dâ—served but onely to make the simple beleeue that these works and these afflictions are laide vp in store vvith the Pope for those that haue no works and that hee may make them rich in good works yea though they be dead already Whereas if in deede they stood so much for good works for zeale to good works not for filthy luker they would not secretly vndermine the doctrine of the necessity of good vvorks to salvation as they do seeking secretly to root out this necessary point of doctrin to salvation cleane out of the mindes of men That they would not haue this doctrine taught it is manifest though they woulde not haue their practise known in their Index expurg in which they discover their minde where shewing amongst other thinges vvhat they wold haue blotted out in Froben Index to S. Austines workes they commande that these words must be blotted out opera et siâ—con iustificent sunt tamen ad salutem necessaria to 4. Col. 599. b. c. These wordes must be blotted out for say they Augustinus hoc non dicit sed tantum excludit merita iustificationis Where first you see they like not this doctrin of the necessity of good works to salvation Secondly you may see that heere secretly they acknoweledge that S. Augustine is against them in the matter of iustificatioÌ„ excluding works to haue any strok in it which publikely they wil not confesse Pap. What tell you me of a blinde book I never heard of any such booke before neither can I beleeue that there is anye such book Sc. If you doubt of it if please you I wil let you see it You might easily disprooue me if it vvere not true but the book is common now in every stationers-shop Pap. S'r pray sir holde the Scholler vvith some talke whilest I slip behinde for I am weary of him Gall. I will I pray sir what pretence make they thus to deale with ancient writers For I doubt not but they will pretende some reason of their doing Scholl So they doe they pretende that heretikes corrupted the ancient writers and that they do now but rectifie them againe but vnder the name of rectifying them they make them speak as pleaseth theÌ„ Out of some writers they take out whole tracts sometimes they alter their words sometimes they leaue out words sometimes they blot out words and sentences lest forsooth they might be a scandâ—ll to the weake But where is the other gentlemaÌ„ Gall. He is behinde Scholl What 's the matter Is he not well pray let vs stay for him Stay pray it may bee he may neede our helpe Gall. Come come he would not haue vs stay Scholl Why why Gall. Since you will needes know you haue put him out of his humour He stayes of purpose Scholl If that be the matter I am not sory for that I haue done if he never come againe to his humor he will never be the worse man for albeit he said he woulde but repeate that which hee had heard amongst the Catholikes as hee tearmed them yet me thought he spake not without some passions as if he had spoken froÌ„ his hart Gall. Well sir since vvee are novve come to Oxford I thanke you for your coÌ„pany when
me a crowne of righteousnes which the Lorde the righteous iudge at thaâ— day shall not only giue me but also to al theÌ„ that loue his appearing Surely he claymeth it as his tight for that he had kept the faith and hee saith not the mercifull iudge will giue mee but the righteous iudge vvill giue mee not as of mercy but of right Scholl True it is that life everlasting is promised as a rewarde of good works and as a due debt vnto godlynesse but no where is it said that good works do merite eternall life the word merit cannot be found in all the scriptures eternall life is the reward for godlynes of life not because good works deserue it but by the savour of God through Christ life everlasting is a due debt to those that keep Gods commaundementes perfectly because God hath promised life everlasting to such as doe keepe it but none ever absolutely kept it therfore of due vvithout the grace of God by Christ who only of right hath purchased it no maÌ„ can challendge it of due and right yet are goods works all rewarded but not of desert for what can we do vnto God whereby we may make God a debter vnto vs since all that wee can do is but our duty to him nay not so much in duety as we ought If then it pleaseth him to promise good workes a rewarde it proceedeth of his goodnes so to doe and not our desert he doth binde himself by his promise to reward good workes but good workes doe not deserue either the promise or the reward it is a debt of a bountifull promise not of a due desert CoÌ„cerning that of Paul who as you say claymeth a crown of righteousnes not as a gift but as due vnto him for his desert it may be you wil accept of the answer to this if I bring it out of a father Heare then what S. Augustin saith commenting vpon these words of Paule Aug. homil 14. Aug de gratia libero arbiâ—rio cap. 6 7. He crowneth thee saith S. Augustine O Apostle because hee crowneth his giftes and not thy merits proving it out of the Psalm where it is said he crowneth them in mercy coÌ„passioÌ„ proceeding farther saith not thee only O man whatsoever thou art but eveÌ„ thy self ô thou Apostle howe great soever thou mayst bee I haue fought a good fight it remaineth I should receiue the crown of righteousnes that is the wages nay saith Augustin for the wages thou hast no power to coÌ„mand the same at all for in thee thine ovvne vvorke goeth not alone the crovvne belongeth to God to giue it to whom he list the worke is of thee but not without his aide and helpe When as therefore thou sayest he recompenceth good deeds this is as if that he having prevented himselfe in giving of good things should retribute make recompence for them by giving fresh and new good thinges he rewardeth them but vnto such good things as he already hath given For if he hath not given them wherfore saiest thou 2. Tim. 4. I haue travelled more then they all and yet not I but the grace of God in me if he haue not given thee to finish thy race wherefore saiest thou it is not in him that vvilleth nor in him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Beare with me O Apostle saith S. Augustine I see not any thing of thine owne but that which is evill and nought pardon mee Apostle thus we affirme teach because thou hast so taught I heare thee confessing and acknowledging GODS goodnes I doe not heare thee vnthankful I do not see thee to haue any thing that thou hast prepared and gotten of thy selfe but what is evill therfore when God crowneth thy merites he crowneth nothing but his owne giftes You see now that Austen differs farre from you he plainely affirmeth Aug. de gra lib. ar 6. 7. Aug. in 141 serm de tempo Psa 16. de verbis Apost serm 5 in Psal 51. Epist. 105. that this crowne of glory or righteousnes is not of due desert but a reward given of grace he affirmeth in many other places of his workes that no man can merite of God sith all â—he goodnes that is in men are the giftes of God Pap. Well then you will not haue good workes to satisfie for any sin you deny that they merit any thing at al you deny also that any hath or may possiblie obserue the lawe of God thus you make godlinesse not to be of anie worth therfore little to be set by or regarded which is as if you shuld disswade men froÌ„ it But since now you haue discovered your opinioÌ„ of good works I will tell you what talke passed betweeen this gentlemaÌ„ me before you overtook vs he told me you stood highly vpoÌ„ good workes at which I marveiled much coÌ„sidering this age wherein all preach nothing but faith onely without good vvorkes presuming that you shoulde not much differ from other of your religion I was boulde to lay a small vvager vvith him that ere I had done with you you would speake as much against good workes as you haue done for them the which you see you haue done making theÌ„ of no value my worse then nothing even doung Scholl If you haue laide any such wager theÌ„ you haue lost For vnto him I spake so of good works that according to the ordinarie course that God vseth in saving men no man shall be saued without them but since I beganne to argue with you I haue spokeÌ„ no one word against good works but only against that false accouÌ„t you make of theÌ„ placing them in too high a roome in the place of christ ascribing that vnto them which is due only vnto Christs merites robbing Christ of his due ascribing that to vs our workes which is no way due vnto vs vvithout iniurie done vnto our Saviour Gall. As I am true gentleman well saide scholler Sir he aunswereth you right For he that saith that siluer is not as good as gold doth not discoÌ„mende silver He hath denied that false estimatioÌ„ and too high rare you make good workes to be of He hath not denied them their due praise therefore you see I haue vvonne Scholl Sir you say I account good vvorkes worse then nothing even doung blame not me for so tearming theÌ„ S â— Paule so tearmeth theÌ„ Phil. 3.8 not simply in theÌ„selues but in the matter of iustification before God vvhich only I affirme that to iustifie vs before GOD they are of no greater force theÌ„ I haue spoken The which that you may the better vnderstand you must consider that the Scripture maketh but foure causes of our iustification of the vvhich good vvorkes are none the first is the efficient cause which is only the mercy and goodnes of God in giving his only begotten sonne for the redemptioÌ„ of the world The second cause of