lay hold of any thing and to receiue a gift but the hande hath no propertie to cut a peice of wood of it selfe without saw or knife or some like instrument and yet by helpe of them it can either deuide or cut Euen so it is the nature of faith to goe out of it selfe and to receiue Christ into the heart as for the duties of the first and second table faith cannot of it selfe bring them forth no more then the hand can deuide or cut yet ioyne loue to faith and then can it practise duties commanded concerning God and man And this I take to be the meaning of this text which speaketh not of iustification by faith but onely of the practise of common duties which faith putteth in execution by the helpe of loue III. Reason Faith is neuer alone therefore it doth not instifie alone Ans. The reason is nought and they might as well dispute thus The eye is neuer alone from the head and therefore it seeth not alone which is absurd And though in regard of substance the eye be neuer alone yet in regard of seeing it is alone so though faith subsist not without loue and hope and other graces of God yet in regard of the act of iustification it is aloue without them all IV. Reason If faith alone doe iustifie then we are saued by faith alone but we are not saued by faith alone and therefore not iustified by faith alone Ans. The proposition is false for more things are requisite to the maine ende then to the subordinate meanes And the assumption is false for we are saued by faith alone if we speake of faith as it is an Instrument apprehending Christ for our saluation V. Reason We are saued by hope therefore not by faith alone Ans. We are saued by hope not because it is any cause of our saluation Pauls meaning is onely this that we haue not saluation as yet in possession but waite patiently for it in time to come to be possessed of vs expecting the time of our full deliuerance that is all that can iustly be gathered hence Nowe the doctrine which we teach on the contrarie is That a sinner is iustified before God by faith yea BY FAITH ALONE The meaning is that nothing within man and nothing that man can doe either by nature or by grace concurreth to the act of iustification before God as any cause thereof either efficient materiall formall or finall but faith alone All other gifts graces as hope loue the feare of God are necessarie to saluation as signes thereof consequēts of faith Nothing in mā concurrs as any cause to this worke but by faith alone And faith it selfe is no principall but only an instrumentall cause by we receiue apprehend and apply Christ and his righteousnes for our iustification Reason I. Iohn 3. 14. 15. As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life In these wordes Christ makes a comparison on this manner when any one of the Israelites were stung to death by fiery serpents his cure was not by any phisicke surgery but onely by the casting of his eye vp to the brasen serpent which Moses haderected by Gods commandement euen so in the cure of our soules when we are stung to death by sinne there is nothing required within vs for our recouery but onely that we cast vp and fixe the eye of our faith on Christ and his righteousnes Reason II. The Exclusiue formes of speach vsed in scripture proue thus much We are iustified freely not of the lawe not by the lawe wiihout the lawe without workes not of workes not according to workes not of vs not by the workes of the lawe but by faith Gal 2. 16. Alboasting excluded onely beleeue Luc. 8. 50. These distinctions wherby works and the law are excluded in the worke of iustification doe include thus much that faith alone doth iustifie Reason III. Very reason may teach thus much for no gift in man is apt and fit as a spirituall hand to receiue and applie Christ and his righteousnes vnto a sinner but faith Indeede loue hope the feare of God and repentance haue their seueral vses in men but none serue for this ende to apprehende Christ and his merits none of them all haue this receiuing propertie and therefore there is nothing in man that iustifieth as a cause but faith alone Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church Ambr. on Rom. 4. They are blessed to whome VVITHOVT ANY LABOVR OR VVORKE DONE iniquities are remitted and sinne couered NO VVORKES OF REPENTANCE required of them but ONELY THAT THEY BELEEVE cap. 3. Neither working any thing nor requiting the like are they iustified by FAITH ALONE through the gift of God And 1. Cor. 1. This is appointed of god that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shalbe saued without any worke BY FAITH ALONE freely receiuing remission of sinnes Augustine There is ONE propitiation for all sinnes to beleeue in Christ. Hesyc on Levit. lib. 1. c. 2. Grace vvhich is of mercy is APPREHENDED BY FAITH ALONE and not of workes Bern. Whosoeuer is pricked for his sinnes and thirsteth after righteousnes let him beleeue in thee who iustifieth the sinner and beeing iustified by FAITH ALONE he shall haue peace with God Chrysost. on Gal. 3. They said he which resteth on faith alone is cursed but Paul shevveth that he is blessed vvhich resteth ON FAITH ALONE Basil. de humil Let man acknovvledge himselfe to want true iustice and that he is iustified ONELY BY EAITH in Christ. Origen on c. 3. Rom. We thinke that a man is iustified by faith without the works of the law and he saith that iustification by faith alone sufficeth so as a man onely beleeuing may be iustified And Therefore it lieth vpon vs to search who was iustified by faith vvithout workes And for an example I thinke vpon the theefe who beeing crucified with Christ cried vnto him Lord remember me vvhen thou commest into thy kingdome and there is no other good worke of his mentioned in the Gospell but for this alone faith Iesus saith vnto him This night thou shalt be with me in Paradise III. Difference The third difference about iustification is concerning this point namely how farforth good works are required thereto The doctrine of the Church of Rome is that there be two kindes of iustification the first and the second as I haue saide The first is when one of an euill man is made a good man and in this workes are wholly excluded it beeing wholly of grace The second is when a man of a iust man is made more iust And this they will haue to proceed from works of grace for say they as a man when he is once borne can by eating and drinking make himselfe a bigger man though he could not at the first make himselfe a man euen so a sinner
hauing his first iustification may afterward by grace make himself more iust Therefore they hold these two things I. That good workes are meritorious causes of the second iustification which they tearme Actuall II. that good workes are means to increase the first iustificatiō which they call Habituall Now let vs see how farreforth we must ioyne with them in this point Our consent therefore stands in three conclusions I. That good workes done by them that are iustified doe please God and are approoued of him and therefore haue a reward II. Good workes are necessarie to saluation two waies first not as causes thereof either conseruant adiuvant or procreant but onely as consequents of faith in that they are inseperable companions and fruits of that faith which is indeede necessarie to saluation Secondly they are necessarie as markes in a way and as the way it selfe directing vs vnto eternall life III. We hold and beleeue that the righteous man is in some sort iustified by works for so the holy Ghost speaketh plainely and truly Iam. 2. 21. that Abraham vvas iustified by works Thus farre we ioyne with them and the very difference is this They say we are iustified by works as by causes thereof we say that we are iustified by workes as by signes fruits of our iustification before God and no otherwise and in this sense must the place of S. Iames be vnderstoode that Abraham was iustified that is declared and made manifest to be iust indeede by his obedience and that euen before God Nowe that our doctrine is the truth it will appeare by reasons on both parts Our reasons I. Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the vvorkes of the lavv Some answer that ceremoniall works be excluded here some that morall workes some works going before faith But let them deuise what they can for themselues the truth is that Paul excludeth all works whatsoeuer as by the very text will appeare For v. 24. he saith We are iustified FREELY by his grace that is by the meere gift of God giuing vs to vnderstand that a sinner in his iustification is meerely passiue that is doing nothing on his part whereby God should accept him to life euerlasting and v. 27. he saith iustification by faith excludeth all boasting and therefore all kinde of workes are thereby excluded and specially such as are most of all the matter of boasting that is good workes For if a sinner after that he is iustified by the merit of Christ were iustified more by his owne workes then might he haue some matter of boasting in himselfe And that we may not doubt of Pauls meaning consider and read Eph. 2. 8 9. By grace saith he you are saued through faith that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of vvorks least any man should boast himselfe Here Paul excludes all and euery worke and directly workes of grace themselues as appeares by the reason following For vve are his workemanship CREATED in Christ Iesus VNTO GOOD VVORKS VVHICH GOD HATH ORDAINED that vve should vvalke in them Nowe let the Papists tell me what be the workes which God hath prepared for men to walke in and to which they are regenerate vnles they be the most excellent works of grace and let them marke how Paul excludes them wholly from the worke of iustification and saluation II. Gal. 5. 3. If ye be circūcised ye are bound to the vvhole lavv and ye are abolished from Christ. Here Paul disputeth against such men as would be saued partly by Christ and partly by the workes of the lawe hence I reason thus If a man will be iustified by workes he is bound to fulfill the whole law according to the rigour thereof that is Pauls ground I now assume no man can fulfill the lawe according to the rigour thereof for the liues and workes of most righteous men are imperfect and stained with sinne and therefore they are taught euery daie to say on this manner forgiue vs our debts Againe our knowledge is imperfect and therefore our faith repentance and sanctification is answerable And lastly the regenerate man is partly flesh and partly spirit and therfore his best works are partly frō the flesh in part onely spirituall Thus then for any man to be bound to the rigour of the whole law is as much as if he were bound to his owne damnation III. Election to saluation is of grace without workes therefore the iustification of a sinner is of grace alone without works For it is a certen rule that the cause of a cause is the cause of a thing caused Now grace without workes is the cause of election which election is the cause of our iustification and therefore grace without workes is the cause of our iustification IIII. A man must first be fully iustified before he can doe a good worke for the person must first please God before his workes can please him But the person of a sinner cannot please God till he be perfectly iustified and therefore till he be iustified he can not doe so much as one good worke And thus good works cannot be any meritorious causes of iustification after which they are both for time and order of nature In a word whereas they make two distinct iustifications we acknowledge that there be degrees of sanctification yet so as iustificatiō is onely one standing in remission of sinnes and Gods acceptation of vs to life euerlasting by Christ and this iustification hath no degrees but is perfect at the very first Obiections of Papists Psal. 7. 8. Iudge me according to my righteousnesse Hence they reason thus if Dauid be iudged according to his righteousnes then may he be iustified thereby but Dauid desires to be iudged according to his righteousnes and therefore he was iustified thereby Ans. There be two kinds of righteousnes one of the person the other of the cause or action The righteousnes of a mans person is whereby it is accepted into the fauour of God into life eternall The righteousnes of the action or cause is when the action or cause is iudged of God to be good and iust Now Dauid in this psalme speaketh onely of the righteousnes of the action or innocency of his cause in that he was falsly charged to haue sought the kingdome In like manner it is said of Phineas Psal. 166. 31. that his fact in killing Zimri and Cosbie was imputed to him for righteousnes not because it was a satisfaction to the lawe the rigour whereof could not be fulfilled in that one worke but because God accepted of it as a iust worke and as a token of his righteousnes and zeale for Gods glory II. Obiect The Scripture saith in sundrie places that men are blessed which doe good workes Psal. 119. 1. Blessed is the man that is vpright in heart and walketh in the law of the Lord. Ans. The man is blessed that endeauoureth to keepe Gods commandements Yet is he not
ann 1059 that the Pope shall afterward be created by the suffrages of the Cardinall bishops of Rome with the consent of the rest of the cleargie and people and the Emperour himselfe and all Popes are excommunicate accursed as Antichristes that enter otherwise as al now doe Ioachimus Abbas saith Antichrist was long since borne in Rome and shall be yet aduanced higher in the APOSTOLIC◠SEE Petracrh saith Once Rome now Babylon And Ireneus booke 5. chap. last said before all these that Antichrist should be Lateinus a Romane Again this cōmandemēt must not so much be vnderstoode of a bodily departure in respect of cohabitatiō presence as of a spirituall seperatiō in respect of faith religion And the meaning of the holy Ghost is that men must depart from the Romish Church in regard of Iudgememt and doctrine in regard of their faith and the worship of God Thus then wee see that the words containe a commandement from God inioyning his Church and people to make a separation from Babylon Whence I obserue That all those who will be saued must depart and seperate themselues from the faith and religion of this present Church of Rome And whereas they are charged with scisme that seperate on this manner the truth is they are not scismatikes that doe so because they haue the commandement of God for their warrant and that partie is the scismatike in whome the cause of this separation lieth and that is in the church of Rome namly the cup of abomination in the whores hand which is their hereticall and scismaticall religion Nowe touching this dutie of seperation I meane to speake at large not standing so much to prooue the same because it is euident by the text as to shew the manner and measure of making this separation therin I will handle two things First how farforth we may ioyne with them in the matter of religion secondly how farforth and wherein wee must dissent and depart from them And for this cause I meane to make choice of certaine points of religion and to speake of them in as good order as I can shewing in each of them our consent and difference the rather because some harpe much vpon this string that a vnion may be made of our two religions and that we differ not in substance but in points of circumstance The first point wherewith I meane to beginne shall be the point of Freewill though it be not the principall 1. Our consent Free will both by them and vs is taken for a mixt power in the minde and will of man whereby discerning what is good and what is euill he doth accordingly choose or refuse the same I. Conclus Man must be considered in a foure-fold estate as he was created as he was corrupted as he is renewed as he shalbe glorified In the first estate we ascribe to mans will libertie of nature in which he could will or nill either good or euill in the third libertie of grace in the last libertie of glorie All the doubt is of the second estate and yet therein also we agree as the conclusions following will declare II. Conclus The matters where about freewill is occupied are principally the actions of men which be of three sorts naturall humane spirituall Naturall actions are such as are cōmon to men with beasts as to eate drinke sleepe heare see smell taste and to mooue from place to place in all which we ioyne with the Papists and holde that man hath free will and euen since the fall of Adam by a naturall power of the minde doth freely performe any of these actions or the like III. Conclus Humane actions are such as are common to all men good and bad as to speake and vse reason the practise of all mechanicall and liberall artes and the outwarde performance of civill and ecclesiasticall duties as to come to the Church to speake and preach the worde to reach out the hande to receiue the sacrament and to lende the eare to listen outwardly to that which is taught And hither we may referre the outward actiōs of civill vertues as namely Iustice temperance gentlenes liberalitie And in these also we ioyne with the church of Rome say as experience teacheth that men haue a naturall freedome of will to put them or not to put them in execution Paul saith Rom. 2. 14. The Gentiles that haue not the law doe the things of the law BY NATVRE that is by naturall strength and he saith of himselfe that before his conuersion touching the righteousnes of the law he vvas vnblame able Phil. 3. 6. And for this externall obedience naturall men receiue rewarde in temporall things Mat. 6. 5. Ezech. 29. 19. And yet here some caueats must be remēbred I. that in humane actions mans will is weake and feeble and his vnderstanding dimme darke and thereupon he often failes in them And in all such actions with Augustine I vnderstand the wil of man to be onely woūded or halfe dead II. That the will of man is vnder the will of God and therefore to be ordered by it as Ieremie saith chap. 10. v. 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke or direct his steppes IIII. Conclus The third kind of actions are spirituall more neerely concerning the heart and conscience and these be two fold they either concerne the kingdome of darknes or else the kingdome of God Those that concerne the kingdome of darknes are sinnes properly and in these we likewise ioyne with the Papists teach that in sinnes or euill actions man hath freedome of will Some peraduenture will say that we sinne necessarily because he that sinneth can not but sinne and that freewill and necessitie can not stand togither Indeede the necessitie of compulsion or coaction and freewill can not agree but there is another kinde of necessitie which may stand with freedome of will for some things may be done necessarily and also freely A man that is in close prison must needes there abide and cannot possibly get forth and walke where he will yet can he mooue himselfe freely and walke within the prison so likewise though mans wil be chained naturally by the bonds of sinne therefore cannot but sinne and thereupon sinneth necessarily yet doth it also sinne freely V. Conclus The second kind of spirituall actions or things concerne the kingdome of God as repentance faith the conuersion of a sinner new obedience and such like in which we likewise in part ioyne with the Church of Rome and say that in the first conuersion of a sinner mans freewill concurres with Gods grace as a fellowe or co-worker in some sort For in the conuersion of a sinner three things are required the word Gods spirit and mans will for mans will is not passiue in all and euery respect but hath an action in the first conuersion and change of the soule When any
Peter will beleeue he shall be saued but whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued Now then comes the minister of the word who standing in the roome of God and in the stead of Christ him selfe takes the indefinite promises of the Gospell and laies them to the hearts of euery particular man and this in effect is as much as if Christ himselfe should say Cornelius beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued Peter beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued It is answered that this applying of the Gospell is vpon condition of mens faith and repentance and that men are deceived touching their owne faith and repentance and therefore faile in applying the word vnto themselues Answ. Indeede this manner of applying is false in all hypocrits heretickes and vnrepentant persons for they apply vpon carnall presumption and not by faith Neuerthelesse it is true in all the Elect hauing the spirit of grace and praier for when God in the ministerie of the word being his owne ordinance saith Seeke ye my face the heart of Gods children truly answereth O Lord I will seeke thy face Psal. 17. 8. And when God shall say Thou art my people they shall say againe The Lord is my God Zach. 13. 6. And it is a truth of God that he which beleeueth knoweth that he beleeueth and he that truly repenteth knoweth that he repenteth vnles it be in the beginning of our conuersiou and in the time of distresse and temptation Otherwise what thankfulnes can there be for grace receiued Obiect II. It is no article of the Creed that a man must beleeue his owne saluation and therefore no man is bound thereto Ans. By this argument it appeares plainely that the very pillars of the Church of Rome doe not vnderstand the Creed for in that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede euery article implieth in it this particular faith And in the first article I beleeue in God are three things contained the first to beleeue that there is a God the second to beleeue the same God is my God the third to put my confidence in him for my saluation and so much containe the other articles which are concerning God When Thomas said Ioh. 20. 28. 29. My God Christ answered Thou hast beleeued Thomas Where we see that to beleeue in God is to beleeue God to be our God And Psal. 78. v. 22. to beleeue in God to put trust in him are all one They beleeued not in God and trusted not in his helpe And the articles concerning Remission of sinnes and Life euerlasting doe include and we in them acknowledge our speciall faith concerning our owne saluation For to beleeue this or that is to beleeue there is such a thing and that the same thing belongs to me as when Dauid said I should haue fainted except I had beleeued to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liuing Psal. 27. 13. It is answered that in those articles we onely professe our selues to beleeue remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to be vouchsafed to the people and Church of god Ans. This indeed is the exposition of many but it staÌ„ds not with common reason For if that be â—ll the faith that is there confessed the deuil hath as good a faith as we He knoweth and beleeueth that there is a god that this god imparteth remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to his Church And to the ende that we beeing Gods children may in faith goe beyond all the deuils in hell we must further beleeue that remission of sinnes and life euerlasting belongs vnto vs and vnlesse we doe particularly apply the said articles vnto our selues we shall little or nothing differ from the deuill in making confession of faith Obiect III. We are taught to pray for the pardon of our sinnes day by day Math. 6. 12. and all this were needlesse if we could be assured of pardon in this life Ans. The fourth petition must be vnderstoode not so much of our old debts or sinns as of our present new sinnes for as we go on froÌ„ day to day so we adde sinne to sinne and for the pardon of them must we humble our selues and pray I answer againe that we pray for the pardon of our sinnes not because we haue no assurance thereof but because our assuraÌ„ce is weake smale we grow on from grace to grace in Christ as children do to mans estate by little little The heart of euery beleeuer is like a vessell with a narrowe necke which being cast into the sea is not filled at the first but by reason of the straight passage receiueth water droppe by droppe God giueth vnto vs in Christ euen a sea of mercy but the same on our parts is apprehended and receiued onely by little and little as faith groweth from age to age and this is the cause why men hauing assurance pray for more Our reasons to the contrarie Reason I. The first reason may be taken from the nature of faith on this maner True faith is both an vnfallible assurance and a particular assurance of the remission of sinns and of life euerlasting And therefore by this faith a man may be certenly and particularly assured of the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting That this reason may be of force two things must be prooued first that true faith is a certen assurance of Gods mercy to that partie in whome it is Secondly that faith is a particular assurance thereof For the first that faith is a certen assurance Christ saith to Peter Mat. 14. 31. O thou of litle faith wherfore diddest thou doubt Where he maketh an opposition betweene faith doubting thereby giuing vs directly to vnderstand that To be certen To giue assuraÌ„ce is of the nature of faith Rom. 4. 20. 22. Paul saith of Abraham that he did not doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in faith and gaue glorie to God being fully assured that he which had promised was able to doe it where I obserue first that doubting is made a fruite of vnbeleefe and therefore vnfallible certentie and assurance being contrarie to doubting must needes proceed from true faith considering that contrary effects come of contrarie causes and contrarie causes produce contrary effects SecoÌ„dly I note that the streÌ„gth of Abrahams faith did staÌ„d in fulnesse of assurance for the text saith he was strengthened in the faith being fully assured againe Heb. 11. 1. true saving faith is said to be the ground and subsistance of things hoped for the euidence or demonstration of things that are not seene but faith can be no grouÌ„d or euidence of things vnles it be for nature certentie it selfe thus the first point is manifest The second that sauing faith is a particular assurance is prooued by this that the propertie of faith is to apprehend and applie the promise and the thing promised Christ with his benefits Ioh. 1. 12. As many saith S. Iohn as receiued
blessed simply because he doth so but because he is in Christ by whome he doth so and his obedience to the lawe of God is a signe thereof III. Obiect When man confesseth his sinnes and humbleth himselfe by praier and fasting Gods wrath is pacified and staied therefore prayer and fasting are causes of iustification before God Ans. Indeede men that truely humble themselues by praier and fasting doe appease the wrath of God yet not properly by these actions but by their faith expressed and testified in them whereby they apprehend that which appeaseth Gods wrath euen the merits of Christ in whome the father is well pleased and for whose sake alone he is well pleased with vs. IV. Obiect Sundrie persons in Scripture are commended for perfection as Noe and Abraham Zacharie and Elizabeth and Christ biddeth vs all be perfect and where there is any perfection of workes there also workes may iustifie Ansvv. There be two kinds of perfection perfection in parts and perfection in degrees Perfection in part is when beeing regenerate and hauing the seedes of all necessarie vertues we endeauour accordingly to obey God not in some few but in al and euery part of the law as Iosias turned vnto God according to all the law of Moses Perfection in degrees is when a man keepeth euery commandement of God and that according to the rigour thereof in the very highest degree Nowe then wheras we are commanded to be perfected and haue examples of the same perfection in Scripture both commandements and examples must be vnderstood of perfection in parts and not of perfection in degrees which cannot be attained vnto in this life though we for our partes must daily striue to come as neare vnto it as possibly we can V. Obiect 2. Cor. 4. 17. Our moment any afflictions worke vnto vs a greater measure of glorie now if afflictions worke our saluation then workes also doe the same Ansvv. Afflictions worke saluation not as causes procuring it but as meanes directing vs therto And thus alwaies must we esteem of workes in the matter of our saluation as of a certen way or a marke therein directing vs to glory not causing and procuring it as Bernard saith they are VIAREGNI NON CAVSA regnandi The way to the kingdome not the cause of raigning there VI. Obiect Wee are iustified by the same thing whereby we are iudged but we are iudged by our good workes therefore iustified also Ans. The proposition is false for indgement is an act of God declaring a man to be iust that is already iust and iustification is an other distinct act of God wherby he maketh him to be iust that is by nature vniust And therefore in equitie the last iudgement is to proceed by workes because they are the fittest meanes to make triall of euery mans cause and serue fitly to declare whome God hath iustified in this life VII Obiect Wicked men are condemned for euill workes therefore righteous men are iustified by good workes Ans. The reason holdeth not for there is great difference betweene euill and good workes An euill worke is perfectly euill and so deserueth damnation but there is no good work of any man that is perfectly good and therefore cannot iustifie VIII Obiect To beleeue in Christ is a worke and by it we are iustified and if one worke doe iustifie why may we not be iustified by al the works of the law Ans. Faith must be considered two waies first as a worke quality or vertue secondly as an Instrument or an hand reaching out it selfe to receiue Christs merit And we are iustified by faith not as it is a worke vertue or qualitie but as it is an instrument to receiue and apply that thing whereby we are iustified And therefore it is a figuratiue speach to say We are iustified by faith Faith considered by it selfe maketh no man righteous neither doth the action of faith which is to apprehend iustifie but the obiect of faith which is Christs obedience apprehended These are the principall reasons commonly vsed which as we see are of no moment To conclude therefore we hold that works concurre to iustification and that we are iustified thereby as by signes and effects not as causes for both the beginning middle and accomplishment of our iustification is onely in Christ and herevpon Iohn saith If any man being alreadie iustified sinne vve haue an Aduocate with the father Iesus Christ and he is the propitiation for our sinnes And to make our good workes meanes or causes of our iustification is to make euery man a Sauiour to himselfe The U. point Of merits By merit we vnderstand any thing or any worke whereby Gods fauour and life euerlasting is procured and that for the dignitie and excellencie of the worke or thing done or a good worke done binding him that receiueth is to repay the like Our Consent Touching merits we consent in two conclusions with them The first conclusion that merits are so far forth necessarie that without them there can be no saluation The second that Christ our Mediatour Redeemer is the roote and fountaine of all merit The dissent or difference The popish Church placeth merits within man making two sorts thereof the merit of the person and the merite of the worke The merite of the person is a dignitie in the person whereby it is worthy of life euerlasting And this as they say is to be found in Infants dying after baptisme who though they want good workes yet are they not voide of this kinde of merite for which they receiue the kingdome of heauen The merit of the worke is a dignitie or excellencie in the worke whereby it is made fitte and inabled to deserue life euerlasting for the doer And workes as they teach are meritorious two waies first by couenant because God hath made a promise of reward vnto them secondly by their owne dignitie for Christ hath merited that our workes might merit And this is the substance of their doctrine From it we dissent in these points I. We renounce all personall merits that is all merits within the person of any meere mā II. And we renonuce al merit of works that is all merit of any worke done by any meere man whatsoeuer And the true merit whereby we looke to attaine the fauour of God life euerlasting is to be found in the persō of Christ alone who is the storehouse of all our merits whose prerogatiue it is to be the person alone in whō God is wel pleased Gods fauour is of infinite dignitie no creature is able to doe a worke that may countervayle the fauour of God saue Christ alone who by reason of the dignitie of his person beeing not a meere man but God-man or Man-God he can doe such workes as ate of endlesse dignitie euery way answerable to the fauour of God and therefore sufficient to merit the same for vs. And though a merit or meritorious worke agree onely to the person of Christ
when we doe things prescribed in the way of counsell we may profit our selues and merit therby But this answer doth not stand with reason For things commanded in that they are commaunded are more excellent then things left to our libertie because the will and commaundement of God giues excellencie and goodnes vnto them Againe counsells are thought to be haâ—der then the commandements of the law and if men can not profit themselues by obedience of moral precepts which are more easie much lesse shall they be able to profit theÌ„selues by counsells which are of greater difficultie Reason IV. If it be not in the abilitie and power of man to keepe the law then much lesse is he able to doe any worke that is beyond and aboue all the law requireth but no man is able to fulfill the lawe and therefore no man is able to supererrogate Here the Papists deny the proposition for say they though we keepe not the lawe yet we may doe things of counsell aboue the lawe and thereby merit But by their leaues they speake absurdly for in common reason if a man faile in the lesse he cannot but faile in the greater Now as I haue said in popish doctrine it is easier to obey the moral lawe then to performe the counsells of perfection Obiections of Papists I. Isaie 56. 4. The Lord saith vnto Eunuches that keepe his sabbath and choose the thinge that pleaseth him will he giue a place a name better then the sonnes and daughters Now say they an Eunuch is one that liues a single life and keepes the vow of chastitie herevpon he is said to deserue a greater measure of glory Ans. If the wordes be well considered they prooue nothing lesse for honour is promised to Eunuches not because they make and performe the vowe of single life but because as the text saith they obserue the Lordes Sabbath and chose the thing that pleaseth God and keepe his couenant which is to beleeue the word of God to obey the commandements of the morall lawe Obiect II. Mat. 16. 12. Christ saith There are some which haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen therefore the vowe of single life is warrantable and is a worke of speciall glorie in heauen Ans. The meaning of this text is that some hauing receiued the gift of continencie doe willingly content themselues with single estate that they may with more libertie without distraction further the good estate of the Church of God or the kingdome of grace in themselues and others This is all that can be gathered out of this place hence therefore cannot be gathered the merit of euerlasting glorie by single life Obiect III. Math. 9 21. Christ saith to the young man If thou wilt be perfect goe sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen Therefore say they a man by forsaking all may merit not onely heauen but also treasure there that is an exceeding measure of glorie Ans. This young man beeing in likelihoode a most strickt Pharise thought to merit eternall life by the workes of the law as his first question imporieth Good master what shall I doe to be saued and therefore Christ goeth about to discouer vnto him the secret corruption of his heart and herevpon the words alledged are a commandement of triall not common to all but special to him The like commandement gaue the Lord to Abraham saying Abraham take thine onely sonne Isaac and offer him vpoÌ„ the mountaine which I shall shewe thee Gen. 12. 2. IV. Obiect 1. Cor. 7. 8. Paul saith It is good for all to be single as he was and v. 38. he saith it is better for virgins not to marry and this he speakes hy permission not by commandement v. 26. Ans. Here single life is not preferred simply but onely in respect of the present necessitie because the Church was then vnder persecution and because such as liue a single life are freed from the cares and distractions of the world V. Obiect 1. Cor. 9. 15. 17. 18. Paul preached that excelled in faith in the times of the olde and new testament II. They are to be honoured by giuing of thankes to God for them and the benefits that God vouchsafed by them vnto his Church Thus Paul saith that when the Churches heard of his conuersion they glorified God for him or in him Gal. 1. 13. And the like is to be done for the Saints departed III. They are to be honoured by an imitation of their faith humilitie meekenesse repentance the feare of God all good vertues wherin they excelled For this cause the examples of godly men in the old and new testament are called a cloud of witnesses by allusion for as the cloud did guide the Israelites through the wildernes to the land of Canaan so the faithful now are to be guided to the heauenly Canaan by the examples of good men that haue beleeued in God before vs and haue walked the strait way to life euerlasting Concl. II. Againe their TRVERELIQVES that is their vertues and good examples left to all posteritie to be followed we keepe and respect with due reuerence Yea if any man can shewe vs the bodily relique of any true Saint and prooue it so to be though we will not worship it yet will we not despise it but keepe it as a monument if it may conueniently be done without offence And thus farre we consent with the church of Rome Further we must not goe The dissent Our difference stands in the manner of worshipping of Saints The Papists make two degrees of religious worshippe The highest they cal Latria whereby God himselfe is worshipped and that alone The second lower then the former is called Doulia whereby the Saints and Angells that be in the speciall fauour of God and glorified with euerlasting glorie in heauen are worshipped This worshippe they place in outward adoration in bending of the knee and bowing of the bodie to them beeing in heauen in invocation whereby they call vpon them in dedication of Churches and houses of religion vnto them in sabbathes and festiuall daies lastly in pilgrimages vnto their reliques images We likewise distinguish adoration or worship for it is either religious or civill Religious worship is that which is done to him that is Lord of all things the searcher and trier of the heart omnipotent euery where present able to heare and helpe them that call vpon him euery where the author and first cause of euery good thing and that simply for himselfe because he is absolute goodnes it selfe And this worship is due to God alone being also commaunded in the first and second com mandements of the first table Ciuill worship is the honour done to men set above vs by God himselfe either in respect of their excellent gifts or in respect of their offices authoritie whereby they gouerne others The right ende of this worship is to testifie and declare that we
distinctly knowne Though Christ coÌ„mended the faith of his disciples for such a faith against which the gates of hell should not preuaile yet was it vnexpressed or wrapped vp in regard of sundrie points of religion for first of all Peter that made confession of Christ in the name of the rest was at that time ignorant of the particular means wherby his redemption should be wrought For after this he went about to disswade his master from the suffering of death at Hierusalem whereupon Christ sharply rebuked him saying Come behinde me Sathan thou art an offence vnto me Againe they were all ignorant of Christs resurrection till certaine women who first sawe him after he was risen againe had told them and they by experience in the person of Christ had learned the truth Thirdly they were ignorant of the ascension for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome at the very time when he was about to ascende saying Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Israel Act. 1. 6. And after Christs ascension Peter knew nothing of the breaking downe of the partition wall betweene the Iewes and Gentiles till God had better schooled him in a vision Acts 10. 14. And no doubt we haue ordinary examples of this Implicit faith in sundry persons among vs. For some there be which are dull and hard both for vnderstanding and memorie and thereupon make no such proceedings in knowledge as many others doe and yet for good affection and conscience in their doings so far as they know they come not short of any hauing withall a continuall care to increase in knowledge and to walke in obedience according to that which they know And such persons though they be ignorant in many things yet haue they a meaning of true faith and that which is wanting in knowledge is supplied in affection and in some respects they are to be preferred before many that haue the glibbe tongue and the braine swimming with knowledge To this purpose Melancthon said well We must acknowledge the great mercie of God vvho puts a difference betvveene sinnes of ignorance and such as are done vvittingly and forgiues manifold ignorances to them that know but the foundation and be teachable as may be seene by the Apostles in whome there was much want of vnderstanding before the resurrection of Christ. But as hath bin saide he requires that we be teachable and he will not haue vs to be hardned in our sluggishnes and dulnes As it is said psal 1. he meditateth in his law day and night The second kinde of implicite faith is in regard of Apprehension when as a man can not say distinctly and certenly I beleeue the pardon of my sinnes but I doe vnfainedly desire to beleeue the pardon of them all and I desire to repent This case befalls many of Gods children when they are touched in conscience for their sinnes But where men are displeased with themselues for their offences and doe withall constantly from the heart desire to beleeue and to be reconciled to God there is faith and many other graces of God infolded as in the little and tender budde is infolded the leafe the blossome and the fruit For though a desire to repent and to beleeue be not faith and repentance in nature yet in Gods acceptation it is God accepting the will for the deede Isai 42. v. 3. Christ will not quench the smoking flaxe which as yet by reason of weakenesse giues neither light nor heate Christ saith Math. 6. 6. Blessed are they that HVNGER AND THIRST after righteousnes for they shall be satisfied where by persons hungring and thirsting are meant al such as feele with grief their owne want of righteousnes and withall desire to be iustified and sanctified Rom. 8. 26. God heares regards the very grones and sighes of his seruants yea though they be vnspeakeable by reason they are oftentimes little weake confused yet God hath respect vnto theÌ„ because they are the worke of his owne spirit Thus wheÌ„ we see that in a touched heart desiring to beleue there is an infolded faith And this is the faith which many of the true seruants of God haue and our saluation standes not so much in our apprehending of Christ as in Christs comprehending of vs and therefore Paul saith Philip 3. 12. he followeth namely after perfection if that he might comprehend that for vvhose sake he is comprehended of Christ. Now if any shall say that without a liuely faith in Christ none can be saued I answer that God accepts the desire to beleeue for liuely faith in the time of temptation and in the time of our first conuersion as I haue saide Put case a man that neuer yet repented falls into some grieuous sicknes and then beginnes to be touched in conscience for his sinnes and to be truly humbled hereupon he is exhorted to beleeue his owne reconciliation with God in Christ the pardon of his owne sinnes And as he is exhorted so he endeauoureth according to the measure of grace receiued to beleue yet after much striâ—ing he cannot resolue himselfe that he doth distinctly and certenly beleeue the pardon of his owne sinnes onely this he can say that he doth heartily desire to beleeue this he wisheth aboue all things in the world and he esteemes all things as dung for Christ thus he dies I demand now what shall we say of him surely we may say nothing but that he died the child of God and is vndoubtedly saued For howsoeuer it were an happy thing if men could come to that fulnesse of faith which was in AbrahaÌ„ and many seruants of God yet certen it is that God in sundrie cases accepts of this desire to beleeue for ttue faith indeede And looke as it is in nature so is it in grace in nature some die when they are children some in olde age and some in full strength and yet all die men so againe some die babes in Christ some of more perfect faith and yet the weakest hauing the seeds of grace is the child of God faith in his infancie is faith Al this while it must be remeÌ„bred I say not there is a true faith without all apprehension but without a Distinct appreheÌ„sion for some space of time for this very desire by faith to apprehend Christ his merits is a kind of apprehension And thus we see the kindes of implicite or infolded faith This doctrine is to be learned for two causes first of all it serues to rectifie the consciences of weake ones that they be not deceiued touching their estare For if we thinke that no faith can saue but a full perswasion such as the faith of Abraham was many truly bearing the name of Christ must be put out of the role of the children of God We are therefore to knowe that there is a growth in grace as in nature there be differences degrees of true faith and the least of them al is this Infolded faith This
touching the meanes of purgation They say that men are purged by suffering of paines in purgatorie whereby they satisfie for their veniall sinnes and for the temporall punishment of their mortal sinnes We teach the contrarie holding that nothing can free vs from the least punishment of the smallest sinne but the sufferings of Christ and purge vs from the least taint of corruption sauing the bloode of Christ. Indede they say that our sufferings in themselues considered doe not purge and satisfie but as they are made meritorious by the sufferings of Christ but to this I oppose one text of scripture Hebr. 1. 3. where it is saide that Christ hath purged our sinnes BY HIMSELFE where the last clause cuts the throat of all humane satisfactions and merits and it giueth vs to vnderstand that whatsoeuer thing purgeth vs from our sinnes is not to be found in vs but in Christ alone otherwise it should haue bin saide that Christ purgeth the sinnes of men by themselues as well as by himselfe and he should merit by his death that we should become our owne Sauiours in part To this place I may well referre prayer for the dead of which I wil propound two conclusions affirmatiue and one negatiue Conclus I. We hold that Christian charitie is to extend it selfe to the very deade and it must shew it selfe in their honest buriall in the preseruation of their good names in the helpe and releefe of their posteritie as time and occasion shall be offered Ruth 1. 8. Ioh. 19. 23. II. Conclus We praie further in general manner for the faithfull departed that God would hasten their ioyfull resurrection and the full accomplishment of their happinesse both for the bodie and soule and thus much we aske in saying Thy kingdome come that is not onely the kingdome of grace but also the kingdome of glory in heauen Thus farre we come but nearer the gates of Babylon we dare not approch III. Conclus To pray for particular men departed and to praie for their deliuerance out of purgatorie we thinke it vnlawfull because we haue neither promise nor commandement so to doe The eighteenth point Of the supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall Our consent Touching the point of supremacie Ecclesiasticall I will set downe how neare we may come to the Romane Church in two conclusions Conclus I. For the founding of the primitiue Church the ministerie of the word was distinguished by degrees not onely of order but also of power and Peter was called to the highest degree Ephes. 4. vers 11. Christ ascended vp on high and gaue gifts vnto men for the good of his Church as some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and Doctors Now howsoeuer one Apostle be not aboue another or one Euangelist aboue another or one pastour aboue another yet an Apostle was aboue an Euangelist and an Euangelist aboue all pastours and teachers And Peter was by calling an Apostle and therefore aboue all Euangelists and Pastors hauing the highest roome in the ministerie of the new Testament both for order and authoritie Conclus II. Among the twelue Apostles Peter had a threefold priuiledge or prerogatiue I. The prerogatiue of authoritie II. Of primacie III. Of principalitie For the first by the priuiledge of authoritie I meane a preheminence in regard of estimatiō wherby he was had in reuerence aboue the rest of the twelue Apostles for Cephas with Iames and Iohn are called pillers and seemed to be great Gal. 2. v. 6 9. Againe he had the preheminence of primacie because he was the first named as the forman of the quest Math. 10. 2. The name of the twelue Apostles are these THE FIRST IS Simon called Peter Thirdly he had the preheminence of principality among the twelue because in regard of the measure of grace he excelled the rest for when Christ asked his disciples whome they said he was Peter as beeing of greatest abilitie and zeale answered for them all Math. 16. 16. I vse this clause among the twelue because Paul excelled Peter euery way in learning zeale vnderstanding as farre as Peter excelled the rest And thus neere we come to popish supremacie The difference The Church of Rome giues to Peter a supremacie vnder Christ aboue all causes and persons that is full power to gouerne order the catholik Church vpon the whole earth both for doctrine regiment This supremacie stands as they teach in a power or iudgement to determine of the true sense of all places of Scripture to determine all causes of faith to assemble generall councells to ratifie the decrees of the said councels to excommunicate any man vpon earth that liues within the Church euen princes and nations properly to absolue and forgiue sinnes to decide causes brought to him by appeale from all the parts of the earth lastly to make lawes that shall binde the conscience This fulnes of power with one consent is ascribed to Peter and the Bishops of Rome that follow him in a supposed succession Nowe we holde on the contrarie that neither Peter nor any Bishop of Rome hath any supremacie ouer the Catholike Church but that all supremacie vnder Christ is pertaining to kings and princes within theire dominions And that this our doctrine is good theirs false and forged I will make it manifest by sundrie reasons I. Christ must be considered of vs as a king two waies First as he is God and so is he an absolute king ouer all things in heauen and earth with the Father the holy Ghost by the right of creation Secōdly he is a king as he is redeemer of mankinde and by the right of redemprion he is a soueraigne king ouer the whole Church and that in speciall manner Now as Christ is God with the Father and the holy Ghost he hath his deputies on earth to gouerne the worlde as namely kings princes who are therefore in scriptures called gods But as Christ is Mediatour and consequently a king ouer his redeemed ones he hath neither fellow nor deputie No fellow for then he should be an imperfect mediatour No deputie for no creature is capable of this office to doe in the roome and stead of Christ that which he himselfe doth because euery worke of the Mediatour is a compound worke arising of the effects of two natures concurring in one and the same action namely the godhead and the manhood and therefore to the effecting of the said work there is required an infinite power which farre exceedes the strength of any created nature Againe Heb. 7. 24. Christ is said to haue a priesthood which cannot passe from his person to any other whence it followes that neither his kingly nor his propheticall office can passe from him to any creature either in whole or in part because the three offices of mediation in this regard be equall Nay it is a needlesse thing for Christ to haue a deputie to put in exequution any part of his mediatourship considering a deputy