ab illo in iustificatos Christs righteousnesse doth not really passe from him into those that are iustified nor by it are we formally iustified But imputation is of God which ioynes the merits of Christ vnto vs and makes them ours after a sort in as much as for his merits sake hee giueth vs righteousnesse whereby wee are righteous Cum enim per iustitiam Christi c. For seeing by the righteousnesse of Christ mankinde hath satisfied for their sinnes and by it is reconciled to God and the gates of Paradise are thereby vnlocked and all that are iustified or satisfie or merit at Gods hand seeing by his merits they are iustified and reconciled to God and satisfie for themselues and merit increase of grace and blessednesse surely it cannot be denied but that to mankinde and all so iustified Christs righteousnesse is or may be imputed to satisfaction and merit So Vega I neede passe no other censure vpon this Romane-Catholicke doctrine than that of Gregory Deo maledicunt cum se ab illo accepisse vires intelligunt sed tamen de eius muneribus propriam laudem quaerunt They blaspheme God when they acknowledge they haue receiued strength from him and yet from his gifts seeke their owne praise And St. Augustine in his Soliloquies saith sweetly Vnde gloriabitur omnis caro Nunquid de malo Haec non est gloria sed miseria sed nunquid gloriabitur de bono nunquid de alieno Tuum Domine est bonum tua est gloria Qui enim de bono tuo gloriam sibi quaerit non tibi quaerit hic fur est latro similis est diabolo qui voluit furari gloriam tuam Qui enim laudari vult de tuo dono non quaerit in illo gloriam tuam sed suam hic licet propter tuum donum laudatur ab hominibus à te tamen vituperatur quia de dono tuo non tuam sed suam gloriam quaesiuit Qui autem ab hominibus laudatur vituperante te non defendetur ab hominibus indicante te nec liberabitur condemnante te Whereof shall all flesh reioyce Of euill This is not glory but misery But shall hee glory of good What of anothers good Thine O Lord is the good thine is the glory For he who of thy good seekes glory to himselfe and not to thee hee is a theefe and a robber and like the deuill who would haue robbed thee of thy glory For he that would be praised for thy gift and doth not therein seeke thy glory but his owne this man though for thy gift hee be praised of men yet hee is dispraised of thee because of thy gift he sought not thine but his owne glory But hee that is praised of men being disallowed of thee shall not be defended of men when hee shall be iudged of thee nor absolued when condemned of thee I haue been the more copious in citing these two authors Vega and Soto because both they were grand-Sticklers in the Councell and vndertooke to write these things as Commentaries vpon this sixt Session of Iustification as we haue sufficiently noted before So that what the Councell hath couched in the Text in fewer words these haue amplified and expressed more at large to the end that no man might mistake the Councels minde and meaning no not in the middest of her mistiâ— and cloudy equiuocations Thus they haue learned to doe with imputation the very name whereof had so startled the Councell for the time as men doe with the Serpent The Serpent with her very aspect at first affrights the beholder but being taken and her teeth pulled out men are then not affraide to carry her in their bosomes So the imputation of Christs righteousnesse was at the first sight terrible to the Church of Rome assembled in the Councell of Trent no lesse than the gastly Owle was to the Pope and his Cardinalls in the Councell of Lateran which appeared to them in steede of their holy Ghost but finding meanes to take Christ the Antitype of that health-giuing brasen Serpent and to pull out his teeth to wit the truth of the imputation of Christs righteousnesse whereby sinne and death are bitten and stung to death lest it should bite and sting all their merits to death they dare now freely and familiarly carry the Serpent in the bosome of their bookes handling imputation at their pleasure without any perill at all to Papall satisfaction Bellarmine hath also learned to play with the word imputation Homo tustificatus non egit imputatione alienae iustitiae qua iniustitiâ— propria inhaerens tegatur A man iustified needeth not the imputation of anothers righteousnesse whereby his owne inherent vnrighteousnesse may be couered And in the tenth Chapter of the same booke Christus nostra iustitia non quòd iusti simus ea iustitia quae est in Christo nobis imputata Christ is our righteousnesse not that we are iust by the righteousnesse which is in Christ imputed vnto vs Sic igitur nobis imputatur iustitia eius quoad satisfactionem quam pro nobis praestitit sed non propterea nos iusti id est mundi immaculati haberi possumus si verè in nobis peccatorum maculae sordes inhaereant So therefore is Christs righteousnesse imputed to vs in regard of satisfaction which he performed for vs but for all that we cannot bee holden for iust to wit cleane and immaculate if the spots and staines of sinne be yet truely inherent in vs. So this is the generall voyce of the Councell of Trent and the Church of Rome to allow of no other imputation of Christs righteousnesse but such as by his merits wee haue aâ—â—â—usion of grace whereby we merit and satisfie God in our iustification And so they admit of no other formall cause of iustification but an inherent righteousnesse in themselues and out of Christ. Thus we haue seene what the Romane-Catholike faith is touching Iustification and the formall cause of it CHAP. V. The Catholike Faith concerning iustification and of the termâ— and forme of Iustification NOw to know the true nature of Iustification it much imports vs to consider in what sense this word Iustification is to be vsed and taken in the iustification of a sinner The Pontificians or Papists would restraine the sense of it to the etymologie of the Latine word Iustificare as much say they as Iustum facere from whence they would conclude their inherencie of selfe-iustification wherein they doe as some Lawyers that by the mistaking or misapplying of a word can ouerthrow the whole right of a mans cause Indeede St. Augustine saith Quid est aliud iustificati quam iusti facti ab illo scilicet qui iustificat impium vt ex impio fiat iustus Aut certè ita dictum est iustificabuntur ac si diceretur Iusti habebuntur iusti deputabuntur What else is it to be iustified but to be made
of Esay cals his new Couenant or Testament and doth anathematize and curse to the pit of hell all those that haue or shall place our iustification in the onely imputation of Christs righteousnesse or in the remission of sinnes without our inherent righteousnesse as appeareth in the former Chapter What needes more testimony in such a cloud of witnesses Among all which not a word of any inherent righteousnesse not a word of infusion of grace not a word of hope and charity ioyned with faith as equally concurring much lesse precurring and out-stripping faith in the worke of iustification not a word of imputation so to bee vnderstood as if Christ did therefore merit that we might haue grace inherent or of our owne whereby to bee iustified in Gods sight Although true it is that the same ancient Fathers doe often call our inherent righteousnesse which is our sanctification by the name of iustification but they neuer say that hereby we are iustified in the sight of God In a word the consideration of the true difference betweene the first couenant and the second doth easily conclude the truth of this doctrine The first couenant made with Adam in Paradise was the couenant of workes Doe this and liue but the second couenant opposite to that is of grace Beleeue and liue as the Apostle doth notably oppose faith against workes in our iustification Therefore vnlesse wee would bring man againe into the estate of Adam in his earthly Paradise before his fall and so shut out Christ the second Adam to pleade iustification by workes is a monstrous dreame Therefore it was not for nothing that our first Parents were banished out of that earthly Paradise typically to teach them that now they had no more to do with that first condition of their creation the happinesse whereof depended vpon the couenant of workes but now they must seek a new Paradise that is a heauenly and that by a new and liuing way to wit by faith in Christ which is that couenant of grace opposite to the couenant of workes So opposite that as the Apostle saith If it be of grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace But if it bee of workes then is it no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke Rom. 11. 6. CHAP. VI. Of the instrumentall cause of iustification and first of the Romane Catholicke doctrine herein THE Councell of Trent puts no other instrumentall cause of iustification but the Sacrament of Baptisme which saith she is the instrument of faith without which faith no man could euer obtaine iustification Where notwithstanding shee would seeme not altogether to exclude faith as a party-instrument But because Baptisme is so vnderstood as an instrumentall cause as will require rather a particular discourse by it selfe wee will shew here what allowance they giue to faith in iustification That which the Pontificians ascribe to faith in the worke of iustification is either that it is a worke of grace preparing and disposing a man to receiue the grace of iustification as being the beginning of other graces and going before iustification as appeareth out of the Treâ—â— Councell Ses. 6. cap. 8. or else that it is a grace concurring with other graces infused and inherent as hope and charity and such like by which ioyntly a man comes to be iustified otherwise they allow faith no hand at all in iustification As may appeare in the Councell of Trent the sixth Session the ninth and eleuenth Canons Si quis dixerit sola fide impium iustificari c. If any man shall say that a sinner is iustified by faith alone c. And if any man shall say that men are iustified either by the onely imputation of Christs righteousnesse or by the onely remission of sinnes excluding grace and charity which is shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost and is inherent in them or also that the grace whereby we are iustified is onely the fauour of God let him bee Anathema or accursed Whereupon Vega in his glosse vpon this place sets this downe for his prime conclusion Certissima fide est tenendum fidem solam absque operibus alijs neque satis esse ad iustificationem acquirendam neque ad tenendam acquisitam Wee are to hold by a most certaine beliefe that faith alone without other workes is neither sufficient to procure iustification nor being procured to preserue it And what those other workes bee hee telleth vs to wit first Baptisme secondly the Eucharist or the Masse thirdly Penance fourthly Confession and Absolution fiftly the keeping of the Commandements c. And againe Multipliciter posse hominem iustificari prima quidem ac communior magisque protrita via est per poenitentiam secunda dilectio Dei super omnia c. Wee say that a man may be iustified many waies The first and more common beaten way is by penance the second by the loue of God aboue all the third by martyrdome the fourth by prayer no doubt so many Pater-nosters and Aue-maries vpon beades and obseruing Cannonicall houres the fift by the Sacraments of the Church and especially by Baptisme Penance and the Eucharist Penance you must note is in great request in the worke of iustification being here againe repeated and rancked in the middest betweene Baptisme and the Eucharist because in Penance there is not onely Confession to know what is in the conscience but satisfaction to tell what is in a mans purse if hee will deale by commutation And in the last place Probabilis est etiam sexta vt videtur via nempe per fidem It seemeth also probable that there is a sixt way namely by Faith But this way of faith comes lag in the reare and it is but probable neyther nay it doth but seeme probable The other wayes therefore are their common high-wayes of iustification this of Faith is onely a way of sufferance and that in some case of Necessitie yet with speciall restriction too as iustifying a man onely from originall sinne as Vega there addeth Videtur enim probabile c. For it seemeth probable that if a man be infected only with originall sinne and so soone as he should come to the vse of reason hauing heard the preaching of faith and seene miracles to confirme it should be willing to receiue it for the sauing of his soule by this onely that he giues credit vnto it hee should be iustified and haue his originall sinne pardoned But here mee thinkes Vega forgets himselfe in two things first that he puts faith in the last place which elsewhere he puts in the first Secondly that he attributes that to faith to wit the taking away of original sinne which eyther was taken away before in the baptized or if the party were not yet baptized Faith is not sufficient to iustifie him from originall sinne without Baptisme eyther infacto or in voto in deed or in desire Yea in the
conclusion he saith peremptorily Non fides sed poenitentiâ— primas partes tenet in reconciliatione peccatoris Not faith but penance hath the chiefe place in the reconciliation of a sinner For saith hee Penance is the immediate cause or immediate disposition and as it seemeth sufficient with Gods grace to our iustification yea it perfecteth and consummateth our iustification But Faith is not such a neer disposition to iustification and it remaineth in sinners and our iustification is but as it were initiated by it It is euident therefore that the most potent cause of our iustification is penance and therefore that we are iustified it is to be imputed to it and not to faith So he Nay such is the Pontifician hatred against Faith that Vega Trents Interpreter denyes euen Faith that is formed by grace and charity as they say to bee sufficient to iustification As he saith Quamuis eo ipso quod aliquis per fidem iustificetur fiat fides illius formata tamen non sequitur quod per eam vt formatam acquiratur iustitia Et ideo neque debent loca quae â—ribuunt iustitiam fidei restringi ad fidem formatam Although a mans iustification by Faith implyeth that his Faith is formed to wit a true Faith yet it followeth not that by it as it is formed righteousnesse is obtained And therefore neyther those places which attribute righteousnesse to Faith ought to bee restrained to true Faith or Faith that is formed Such a hard conceit haue the Pontificians of Faith formed or vnformed But now forasmuch as the Scriptures doe euery where ascribe so much to faith in the point of iustification how doe they answer the Scriptures in this point Surely Vega according to his rare dexteritie vndertakes that taske too c produceth fiue reasons why the Apostle hath done most prudently oftner to attribute iustification to faith than to any other vertue The first is Because faith is the foundation and fountaine the prime cause and roote of our saluation which saith he St. Augustine hath shewed in his Booke of the Predestination of Saints alledging Cornelius for an example whose Prayer and Ames-deeds were done in faith that by them saith Vega he might be brought to the Faith of Christ. Now note here I pray you a notable tricke of legier-demain in this Tridentine Champion who was of one spirit with that Councell For doth he giue these titles to faith calling it with the Councell the fountaine and foundation the roote and originall of our saluation for any good will hee beares faith or that herein he preferres it before other graces Nothing lesse For a little before hee had giuen faith such a blow and that with Aristotles philosophicall fist as that hee hath made this very foundation to stagger againe Plus enim quam omniâ— c. For saith he this is of more weight than all that are brought for the commendation of faith towards God that we are more straitly vnited to him by our louing of him and by sorrow for offending of him and a purpose to our vtmost endeauour to please him for the time to come then we are vnited by faith Which being the formost in our iustification it comes hindmost and furthest off from perfection according to that axiome in Philosophy Priora generatione posteriora perfectione The first in generation the last in perfection But passe wee to his second reason which is much like the former Because saith he all our workes which concurre to iustification haue their meritorious force from faith and faith from none else besides Thirdly Therefore is our saluation fitly attributed to faith because there is no stronger cause to moue a sinner to those things which on his part are requisite to his iustification Fourthly It was conuenient that the Apostles in their Epistles and Sermons should commonly impute and attribute our iustification vnto faith Indeede Vega's copie hath sanctification haply mis-printed sauing that they confound iustification and sanctification together But why so commonly impute iustification to Faith namely because forsooth the Apostles had to doe with sundry sects and therefore were so to attemper their exhortations as to draw them from their sect to the Christian Faith Nor is it lawfull saith Vega hence to inferre that there are no other things better than those which are more often commended So by this reason we are to vnderstand that the doctrine of iustification by Faith so often commended and preached by the Apostles in their Epistles was not therefore so much and so often pressed and preached as if it were the best doctrine but that other doctrines according to Vega's estimate might be better but as if the Apostles only temporized with those times and persons with whom they had to doe As if it appertained not to all Abrahams seede by promise to whose Faith righteousnesse was imputed nor was it written saith the Apostle for him onely that it was imputed to him but for vs also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeue on him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead Therefore it is by Faith that it might bee by grace to the end the promise might bee sure to all the seede both Iewes and Gentiles which walke in the steps of that Faith of our Father Abraham O Vega be not so impiously iniurious yea sacrilegious to rob vs of the inheritance of our Faith vnder a colour as if iustification by Faith had beene a temporary purchase and merchandize for those Apostolicall times and as if now the intaile were quite cut off from Abrahams race Or if yee Pontificians will bee such malignant enemies to iustifying Faith whereby Abraham and all his seede are and shall bee iustified to the worlds end then confesse your selues to bee quite cut off from being Abrahams seede His fift reason why iustification is most commonly ascribed to faith is because Faith is that only disposition to which among all our workes it might principally bee attributed without perill of our pride and the iniurie and derogation of Gods grace For seeing faith is the gift of God and a kinde of testimony of Gods grace towards vs in as much as it is attributed to our faith it is attributed to the grace and mercy of God and not to our strength that no flesh shall glory in his presence But why then Vega do you teach the doctrine of iustification another way and the onely way to puffe men vp with pride and so to empty them of all grace As Bernard saith Non est quo gratia intret vbi iam meritum occupauit Grace findes no way to enter where merit hath already taken vp the roome And againe Deest gratiae quicquid meritis deputas That is detracted from grace whatsoeuer is imputed to merits Dost thou commend the admirable wisedome of God in teaching man to ascribe the iustification of Faith to the mercy and glory of God and yet dost thou adde iustification of
thine owne workes to robbe God of his glorie and thy selfe of all grace puffing vp thy selfe with pride in steade thereof But leaue we these puddles of errour and come we to the Chryst all fountaines of Christs truth CHAP. VII The Catholike Faith of the Doctrine of Faith as the sole immediate Instrument to apprehend and apply the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs to our Iustification as beeing the effectuall meane of our vnion with him HAuing seene what credit Faith carryeth among the Pontificians in the work of Iustification which at the best is allowed no more but eyther to dispose and make a man the more apt that also with the helpe of other disposing graces to receiue Iustification which notwithstanding for all his Faith he may faile and come short of or else to come in for a share but must be content with the least share or none at all among other graces as Charity Penance Martyrdome and such like all which take place of Faith in Iustification Let vs now come to take an estimate of Faith according to the standard of Catholike Doctrine weighing it in the most vnpartiall ballance of the Sanctuary Nor doe we purpose in this place to speake particularly and punctually of the propertie and kinde of Faith whereby a man is said to be iustified as referring that to the more proper place but wee will content our selues so to speake of faith here in generall as the only immediate instrumentall cause in vs whereby we come to bee made righteous in the sight of God For as our Iustification is by the Imputation of Christ and his righteousnesse vnto vs so the only instrumentall meane comming betweene to apply and effectually to worke this imputation of Christ to vs is the act of beleeuing which is the property of Faith As Augustine saith Fidelis est à fide fides à credendo A beleeuer hath his name of Faith and Faith of beleeuing As the Apostle saith With the heart man beleeueth to righteousnesse Faith is the hand of the soule which applyes the sacrifice of Christ for sinne It is the hand that puts on the Robe of the righteousnesse of Christ our elder brother vpon vs by the sweete smell whereof God being well pleased bestoweth the blessing of heauen and earth vpon vs of grace and glorie and all Yea faith hath another singular propertie that it is as it were the ligament or sinew which fasteneth and vniteth euery faithfull member to the head Christ Iesus from the influence of whose fulnesse we receiue and grace for grace And the Councell of Trent seemeth to professe as much though with limitation and restriction to her owne reserued sense saying Nam sides nisi ad eam spes accedat charitas neque vnit perfectè cum Christo neque corporis eius viuum membrum efficit For Faith say they vnlesse hope and charitie bee added vnto it doth neither perfectly vnite with Christ nor make a liuing member of his body The Councell neede not here equiuocate for the matter as if she did admit of our spirituall vnion with Christ by Faith indeed but such a Faith as hath hope and charitie ioyned with it whereas in truth her meaning is that not Faith so much as Hope and Charitie doe vnite vs to Christ sith Hope and Charitie make the vnion perfect which faith doth not Yea Charity and Penance as her intimous Vega saith doe more closely vnite vs to Christ than Faith doth But we shall discusse and discouer this mysterie more cleerely when we come to speak of the kinde of Faith required in Iustification In the mean time suffice it vs that we haue the Councels confession That Faith at least with the helpe of Hope and Charitie doth vnite vs to Christ. And though Vega preferre Charitie and Penance before Faith in this worke of vniting with Christ yet thereby hee doth not altogether exclude Faith Faith therefore according to the Pontificians confession hath at least a share though the least according to their allowance in working our vnion with Christ. But the Catholicke beliefe ascribeth this worke of vnion with Christ primarily yea and solely to Faith namely as the immediate and onely instrument of Gods spirit in vs. Now our iustification by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse stands in our vnion with Christ. This is confessed of all That whatsoeuer we receiue from Christ it is by vertue of our mysticall vnion with him And faith it is that worketh this vnion not Faith as Pontificians teach before it bee formed by Charity To which Faith only Vega ascribeth a certaine vnion with Christ Comparamus enim nobis Spiritum sanctum iustitiam facimusque vt Christus inhabitet in nobis per Fidem informem aut saltem per fidem vt prius est natura quà m formetur For saith he wee get vnto our selues the holy Ghost and righteousnesse and doe cause Christ to dwell in vs by Faith vnformed or at least by Faith as it is by nature before it bee formed So that by this doctrine a dead Faith or that which differeth not from the Faith of Diuels doth cause our vnion with Christ or Christ to dwell in vs. But let vs see how Vega cleereth this doctrine from this imputation A little after in his second question of faith and workes taking vpon him as he is very venterous to answer an argument brought to proue that Paul excludes no beleeuer from saluation where he saith The righteousnesse of God by the Faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue To this place saith Vega many commonly say that Paul said not Vnto all and vpon all that beleeue him but in him which is onely proper to those that haue charitie and by loue tend vnto him Aliud enim inquiunt est credere Deo quod est ei fidem adhibere aliud credere Deum quod est credere Deum esse aliud credere in Deum quod est credendo amare credendo diligere credendo in eum ire eius membris incorporari For it is one thing say they to beleeue God that is to giue credit vnto him another thing to beleeue God that is to beleeue that God is and another to beleeue in God that is by beleeuing to loue him by beleeuing to affect him by beleeuing to goe into him and to bee incorporate into his members They are the words of St. Augustine vsed by him very frequently throughout his workes and by name in his nine and twentieth Tract vpon Iohn which Vega quoteth Well how doth Vega auoyde this Argument concerning Faith in Christ bringing saluation vpon all that beleeue Nihil valet hoc refugium commune Non enim habetur grace â—i neque in eum sed absolute dicitur In omnes super omnes qui credunt This common refuge saith hee is nothing worth For it is said absolutely Vnto all and vpon all that beleeue the Greeke hath not him or in him Note
Whence art thou called faithfull Is it not therefore because thou art sanctified by the death of Christ Is it not therefore because thou beleeuest in Christ And againe Fidelis propterea vocaris quoniam credis Deo ab eo creditam ipse iâ—stitium habes sanctitatem munditiam animae infiliâ—m adoptionem regnum coelorum Thou art therefore called faithfull because both thou beleeuest God and hast from him granted vnto thee righteousnesse sanctity purity of soule adoption of a sonne and the kingdome of heauen Seeing therefore by the Doctrine of Scriptures and Fathers faith and saluation cannot bee separated mee thinkes the Councell of Trent had done more politickly if with the losse of charity they had suffered faith quite to be lost too rather than retaining it to be damned with it Further for as much as the Pontificians admit of no other faith to Iustification but an historicall faith wee easily grant that which they so much desire That their faith doth not iustifie them at all but may be in them though they go to hell for it as themselues do teach Whereas the faith of beleeuers which beleeue in Christ hath the property to saue not suffer any to perish For Christ saith if we may beleeue Christ rather than the Popes infallibility in the Councel of Trent Whosoeuer beleeueth on the Sonne of man or the Sonne of God shall not perish but hath eternall life And v. 18 He that beleeueth on him is not condemned Yes saith the Councel of Trent he that is a beleeuer may bee condemned though still hee continue a Beleeuer Lastly sith for all this that their Faith cannot iustifie nor saue them yet notwithstanding they wil haue this to be a true Faith though a dead faith Let vs yeelde them this also that the Romane faith is a true dead Faith or a true Faith of the Diuels and damned Else what true Faith is it Gregory once Bishop of Rome â—â—ith â—â— Vera fides est quae in hoc quod verbis dicit â—oribus non contradiâ—iâ—â— That is true faith which in that it professeth in words it contradicteth not in maners And a little after Fidei nostrae veritatem in vitae nostrae consideratione debemus agnoscore tunc enim veraciter fideles sumus si quod verbis proâ—ittimus operibus compleâ—â—â— We ought to acknowledge the truth of our Faith in the consideration of our life for then are we truly faithful if that which we promise in words we performe in deeds And St. Ambrose saith Nunquam fides vera turbatur True faith is neuer troubled How is then the Pontifician faith a true faith albeit a dead faith seeing according to Gregory what it professeth in words it contradicteth in deeds and according to Ambrose it is not free from trouble being ouer-whelmed with horrour of Conscience yea St. Hierome saith Cum dilectio prâ—â—â—l abfuerit fides parâ—â—â— absâ—â—â—â— When charity is a way there faith also is gone with it To summe vp all in a word that hath beene said of this point the Notes of difference betweene the true Catholick sauing Faith and the Romane-Catholicke faith are these and such like 1. The true Catholicke iustifying Faith bringeth euery one that hath it vnto saluation and such shall neuer perish Iohn 3. 16. 18. and 1. Pet. 1. 9. The end of sauing Faith is the saluation of our soule But the Romish faith doth not by their owne confession bring euery one of them that hath it vnto saluation Therefore the Romane Catholicke faith is not the true Catholicke iustifying Faith Secondly the true Catholicke sauing Faith is a free gift of Gods grace giuen for Christs sake as Phil 1. 29 Ephes. 2 8. But the Romish faith is no free gift of Gods grace as being in the very Diuels which faith also the Councell of Trent separateth from grace Concil Trid. Sess. 6. cap. 15. saying that grace may bee lost though not faith Therefore the Romish faith is not the true Catholicke sauing faith Whereupon Bellarmine as the mouth of all Pontificians saith 1. Fides infusa non perit gratia recedente vt Catholici omnes fatentur Infused faith perisheth not when grace is gone as all Catholickes confesse So that Pontifician faith is no grace with them and no maruaile then if iustifying faith be in no grace with them also But how is their faith infused This may seeme to make faith a gift of God Let Bellarmine himself resâ—â—ue it he saith That all men may beleeue if they will when the Euangell is preached and so the Pontifician faith is of them disclaiâ—â—d to be a speciall gift of Gods sauing grace Thirdly The true Catholicke sauing saith is a confidence in the promises of God in Christ it being the foundation of things hoped for in Christ the speciall obiect of it Heb. 11. 1. But the Romish faith beeing no other in its owne nature but that which is common with the very Diuels by their owne confession is altogether without hope hauing no respect to things hoped for no more than the Diuels for all their faith haue Therefore the Romish faith is none of the true sauing iustifying faith There bee many other differences which follow in this Treatise Instead of adding more to this place it shall suffice to conclude this Chapter with the definition of sauing and iustifying faith which may fitly bee thus defined Iustifying faith is a speciall free gift of God his grace whereby a sinner beleeuing in or into Christ being thus vnited vnto him is made partaker of all Christs merits and righteousnesse and is by the same faith certainly and infallibly perswaded that all his sins are remitted and himselfe in Christ perfectly iustified in Gods sight this faith also as a liuing roote containing in it all other graces as hope loue patience humility c. For the proofe of each part of this definition we neede not here stand vpon as referring both to the foregoing and ensuing Chapters where they are amply proued Now that I call iustifying Faith a gift of God I note the efficient cause of it to be God whereby it is also distinguished from the faith of Diuels which cannot bee called the gift of God Secondly that I call it a free gift of Gods grace as Phil. 1. 29. this excludes all precedent workes in man as merits of congruity or of any preuious repentance making a man acceptable to receiue Faith in Christ which jumps with the merit of congruity Thirdly that I call it a speciall gift I exclude all reprobates from hauing any communion with this Faith it is specially and peculiarly and solely giuen to the Saints Iude 3. speciall also in regard of the nature of it being a gift of grace flowing from Gods special loue in Christ vnto his elect Saints Fourthly whereby a sinner c. I note that whoso hath this Faith is empty of all inherent righteousnesse of his own he must be a sinner the
thousand such like being all but vntempered mortar to build their Castle of Vncertainty in the Ayre The conscience in this case being like the vncleane spirit in the Gospell which seeking rest and finding none in the wauering Vncertainty of Pontifician faith taketh vnto himselfe seuen other spirits worse than himselfe and so the conscience becomes more vncleane more vnsettled than it was before Now in the further laying open of this mysterie of Vncertainty if wee should follow the infinite perplexities and windings which we find in their most authenticke Commentaries vpon this point we should tread an endlesse Maze as tracing them in their vncertainties Vega writes a large Commentary vpon the forecited ninth Chapter of this Councell of Trent And Soto spends foure large Chapters vpon it No maruaile to see men wander wide in a wildernesse of vncertainty But wee will deale with them as the Prophet saith concerning the wilde Asse A wilde Asse vsed to the wildernesse that snuffeth vp the winde at her pleasure in her occasion who can turne her away All they that seeke her will not weary themselues in her moneth they shall finde her So these Pontificians wandring in the wilde disconsolate desert of doubtfulnesse and distrust snuffing vp the winde of vaine opinions at their pleasure cannot bee auerted from their aberrations and for a man to pursue them by the foote were to weary himselfe hee shall easily finde them out in their moneth when and where they disburthen themselues of the fruit they trauailed withall We will therefore onely touch those weighty reasons which they bring for the establishing of their vncertainty Soto hath reserued and marshalled this point of Vncertainty together with the arguments of it in the latter end of his third and last booke de natura gratia as being his Romane Triarij to helpe at a dead lift And indeede the maine doctrine of iustification hath such an inseparable relation to this point of Certainty as this being denied and remoued the whole doctrine of Faith falleth to ground And therefore comming to this point we may well apply the Prouerbe Ad Triarios iam res redijt The matter comes now to be tryed by the Triarij in whom resided the maine shocke dint and vpshot of the battaile As Soto saith Sentio ego pro mea exiguitate ingenij c. I am of opinion according to the slendernesse of my capacity that if there were no other argument that wee are not iustified by faith alone than that hence it would follow that a man is certaine he is in the state of grace wee should for this onely cause deny iustification by sole faith such is the euidence saith he that faith makes no man certaine of his saluation Et tamen aduersarij c. And yet the aduersaries saith hee by their peruerse argumentation doe euen hence especially reason and conclude that we are iustified by faith alone because otherwise no man were sure of his iustification for such a strong euidence do they take it that euery one ought to be certaine of his saluation Thus Soto And on the other side Luther saith Etiamsi nihil praeterea peccatum fuisset in doctrina Pontificia c. Although there had beene no other fault in the Pontifician doctrine than that they taught that we ought to stagger and wauer mis-deeming and doubting of the remission of sinnes of grace and our saluation yet we had iust cause to separate our selues from that Infidell and mis-beleeuing Church So he The case therefore standing thus betweene Certainty and Vncertainty in the matter of saluation that thereupon depends the winning and losing of the field it concernes both sides to bee no lesse sollicitous of the well managing of their forces if not much more than the ancient Romanes and their opposite enemies the Albanians when both sides resolued and concluded to pawne their perpetuall liberty and state to each other vpon the successe of one conflict betweene three twin-brethren called Horatij on the one side and other three twin-brethren called Curatij on the other First therefore let vs take a view of the state and strength of the Pontifician party To omit their many distributions of certitude as eyther in regard of the obiect or of the subiect or some diuine some morall c. wherein both Soto and Vega doe infinitely confound themselues take wee notice first in generall what kinde of certitude they admit and allow of and what they reiect and disallow The certitudes or certainties which they allow of are these First a certitude of Catholicke Faith to wit a generall Faith concerning the truth of all things reuealed in the Word of God c. which certitude they call a firme and certaine assent though obscure to the generall truth of Gods Word And this they call the certitude in regard of the obiect the assent whereof cannot be deceiued So that they confesse a certaine generall certainty And this is suitable and proportionable to that kinde of Faith which they hold namely a generall Faith So that their generall certainty stands vpon very good reason for how can their certainty be any other but generall when their faith is no other but generall for as he said As the man is so is his strength So as the faith is such is the strength of it Certitude therefore being the property of faith as wee shall shew hereafter then faith being generall the certitude thereof can be no other than generall Secondly they doe also seeme to admit of a certaine particular certainty of faith but with such limitation as they make it to bee a most vncertaine certainty such as may be either true or false To this purpose Vega defining certainty to be a certain assent void of all doubting whose proper obiect is truth hereupon he thus inferreth Itaque licet certi nequeant propriè dici de suae gratia nisi qui se certò verè credunt esse in gratia tamen certò assentiri se esse in gratia omnes illos possumus debemus asserere qui absque vila cunctatione trepidatione id sibi de se persuadent siue vere hoc seâ—tiant siue falso Therefore saith hee though none can properly be said to be certaine of their grace but those that certainly and truly beleeue that they are in the state of grace yet we may and ought to affirme that all they doe certainely assent they are in the state of grace who without all doubt or feare doe perswade themselues hereof whether their opinion herein be true or false Et non nunquam c. And oft times saith hee Philosophers and Diuines doe so abuse these termes as that they affirme that all that haue a certaine assent of any thing are absolutely and simply perswaded thereof Quamobrem c. Wherefore the Fathers to wit of Trent in this ninth Chapter doubted not to say that Heretickes and Schismatickes doe boast of the certainty of the
in mouing the vnderstanding and the will to â—mbrace Christ is no weake and common worke but a worke of power in loosing the workes of the Diuell that strong man Fourthly because mans will doth not cooperate with Gods grace as a co-agent and fellow-worker in the first act of mans conuersion but Gods grace is the Agent and mans will is the Patient that effectually calleth and wee effectuously come that strongly drawes vs and we by the vertue thereof sweetly not compulsarily freely not frowardly and not now passiuely but actiuely do runne after Christ as St. Augustine saith The will to beleeue God worketh in man and in all his mercie preuenteth vs. And againe If we be drawn to Christ then we beleeue vnwillingly But none can beleeue vnlesse he be willing for he is drawne to Christ to whom it is giuen to beleeue in Christ. He is the mightie Agent in conuerting vs and wee thereby become meeke Patients in being conuerted Turne thou me saith chastised Ephraim and I shall bee turned Thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote vpon my thigh c. And it is a thing not vnworthy the obseruation that euen in their vulgar Latine Translation which they preferre before all others yea before the originals themselues wheresoeuer any is exhorted to conuersion to God the Verbe is alwaies put in the passiue signification as Conuertere or Conuertimini Be thou Conuerted or be ye Conuerted and neuer in the actiue Conuerte te or Conuertite vos Conuert thou or Conuert you your selues which might sufficiently conuince all Pontificians that the worke of our conuersion is not a matter of cooperation shared betweene mans will and Gods grace but passiue in vs and actiue in God Hee conuerteth by his grace and wee are thereby willingly conuerted Contrary to the Trent Doctrine saying That a man is disposed by grace to conuert himselfe Fiftly because the whole glorie of our conuersion to Christ is to bee ascribed to Gods grace alone not as the Trent Fathers professe in a few Hypocriticall words while they deny it in the maine dint of their doctrine but in sinceritie and truth without equiuocation of any merit of congruitie in vs preparing and disposing vs to be capable of iustification Finally because they ranke faith among those other workes of preparation as if it had no other hand in the worke of iustification but onely as a disposing cause So as a man may haue faith before he come to be iustified yea and such a faith also as a man may haue it and yet neuer attaine to iustification Contrary to St. Augustine Iustificatio ex fide incipit Iustification beginnes at faith as hereafter more fully For these causes the Catholicke faith abhorreth the Romane-Catholicke-doctrine touching their preparation to iustification But say some who may claime kindred either with Pelagians or Pontificians although the merit of congruitie bee not admitted as an inducement to iustification yet there are some workes required of vs as matter of preparation to faith in Christ which though it bee not meritorious yet it is acceptable to God For example Repentance is a worke necessarily proceeding and so preparing a man to faith in Christ which Repentance being in vs before faith in Christ it is notwithstanding acceptable to God Indeede I deny not but the Pontifician forge can affoord vs such scoria enough But what Repentance is this A true Repentance say they It had neede if it bee acceptable to God Wherein consists it It is say they a sorrow for sinne past and a purpose of amendment for the time to come But is this sufficient to true Repentance Yes say they Ahab and the Nineuites repented and was not their Repentance true sith God accepted it and thereupon reuoked or at least reiourned the sentence denounced Indeede Ahabs Repentance was a true hypocriticall Repentance so the Nineuites Repentance was a true carnall Repentance as the faith of diuels is said to be a true faith which the Pontificians challenge for their onely true faith Is this true faith therefore acceptable to God But was the Repentance of Ahab and of the Nineuites acceptable to God because God for the present forbore to punish them It followes not because God forbare them that therefore their Repentance was acceptable to him For how can the action bee acceptable when the person is not But their persons were not acceptable to God For Ahab was a damned Idolater and a most wretched wicked person who had sold himselfe to the diuell and the Nineuites were heathenish infidels out of Christ. But till wee be in Christ our persons are not accepted of God for in him only God is well pleased And before faith in Christ wee are not in Christ therefore before faith in Christ no action of ours is acceptable to God yea no way acceptable not onely as these would haue it not acceptable to saluation as such obiecters themselues confesse but not acceptable towards it as these affirm For while we are out of Christ all our actions are abominable before God much lesse acceptable to him And so much the more abominable they bee and so much the lesse acceptable by how much the more wee esteeme them acceptable or endeauour to please God by them As God himselfe saith Matth. 3. 17. This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased With whom is God well pleased in his Beloued The Apostle applyeth it Ephes. 1. 6 To the praise of the glorie of his grace wherein hee hath made vs accepted in the Beloued Therefore no acceptation with God but of those that are actually in the Beloued to wit in his sonne Iesus Christ. Nor doe wee feare Trents Canon here thundring out her Anathema to any that shall say that all workes done before grace are sinnes or that the more a man endeauoureth to please God before faith in Christ the more deepely he endangereth himselfe to Gods high displeasure for we affirme this again and againe That all workes done before faith in Christ the more wee thinke therein to please God the more damnable they be because herein we set vp an Idoll of our handy-work in stead of Christ whereby to please God Much lesse as some haue dared to vent that before sauing faith in Christ there may be and afore begun in a mans heart by the meanes of preparatory graces as repentance and the like the worke of sanctification of regeneration of cleansing of the heart c. Than which doctrine what can bee more derogatory to Christ And what more contrary to the Scriptures which say If any man be in Christ he is a new creature therefore out of Christ no new creature no not inchoatiue in the least degree For if regeneration or sanctification or newnesse of life or cleansing of the heart may be begun without Christ what hinders that it may not bee also perfected without Christ Nay
if regeneration bee but begun then there is a childe of God at least newly conceiued if not newly borne and brought forth Such conception is a false conception of winde not of Gods spirit but of mans spirit so that if such proue all abortiues and dead borne it is no maruaile But the sons of God we cannot be till we be in Christ which is till we beleeue in Christ as Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Iesus Christ therefore before this faith in Iesus Christ we are not the children of God no not so much as the Embrio in the first conception But the new creature must bee in Christ Iesus as the Apostle saith Gal. 6. 15. So when Christ himselfe speakes of regeneration to Nicodemus Ioh. 3. instructing him therein how it is begun in a man hee tels him in the continuation of his speech that this appertaines to those that beleeue in the son of man vers 15. and vers 16. For a man to be regenerate or made the son of God by adoption he must be in the son of God by beleeuing in him Where Christ also opposing faith to vnbeliefe saith those are condemned already that beleeue not hauing no part in the regeneration therefore before faith in Christ no regeneration at all no cleansing no sanctification but all condemnation Againe Christ is made vnto vs sanctification 1. Cor. 1. 30. vnto vs in him Of him are ye in Christ Iesus therefore while out of Christ no sanctification So the adoption of children is by Iesus Christ Ioh. 1. 5. therefore no sons no regeneration but in Iesus Christ. Likewise Ioh. 15. 2. Euery branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away So vers 4. As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in mee For without me yee can doe nothing Therefore while a man is out of Christ vntill by faith he be ingrafted into Christ the true Vine from whom hee receiueth the liuely sappe of a new life hee can doe nothing nothing that is good nothing that is acceptable to God no worke of new obedience or sanctification But some may say Regeneration is wrought by the Spirit of God in vs and so may be before faith in Christ and consequently before we come to be actually in Christ. To which I answer True it is that the Holy Ghost is the immediate efficient cause of our regeneration But how doth he worke regeneration in vs namely by working in vs faith in Christ which faith is the very immediate instrument whereby the Holy Ghost doth regenerate sanctifie and cleanse vs sith the Holy Ghost by this faith ingrafteth and vniteth vs into Christ in whom we are regenerate and made the sonnes of God Now that faith is the instrument of our regeneration and sanctification it is euident Acts 15. 9. 26. 18. So that the very first and prime act of Gods sanctifying spirit in vs is to worke faith in vs by which faith in Christ as by a noble instrument the Holy Ghost vniting vs to Christ as members to the head doth regenerate vs and so makes vs the adopted sons of God And before faith in Christ we cannot say wee haue Gods sanctifying spirit in vs I say in regard of prioritie of time For this sanctifying spirit in the same moment that he sanctifies vs he workes faith in Christ in vs by which he regenerates and sanctifies vs. But they re-ioyne by a distinction and say that this repentance which prepares the way to faith and layes the foundation of regeneration is not acceptable to saluation but only to fit prepare vs thereunto and to make vs the more capable of it In this distinction they do much please themselues but they confound themselues in their distinction For they affirme againe that this precedent repentance of theirs is regeneration and sanctification and newnesse of life inchoatiue begun at least in part A bold assertion Is it regeneration begun and in part and being acceptable is it not acceptable to saluation Is not regeneration a worke of our saluation And though regeneration should be begun in this repentance in neuer so small a degree a worke it is of our saluation if it bee true regeneration Logicians know that Magis minus non variant speciem A man in the first conception is a man though imperfect and inchoatiue But they reply again That they do not say this preuious repentance is acceptable to saluation of itself but as i◠hath relation to faith cōming after whereby it becomes acceptable A pretty shift And yet they say again That repentance goeth before faith not in the precedency of time but in nature only in the order of causes Now if this repētance go before faith in the order of causes then repentance must cause faith so this absurdity wil follow That the effect must giue a form being at least a well being vnto the cause if so be faith the effect consequent of repētance as they say make the same acceptable But how doe they proue that this their repentance goes before faith in Christ in nature and in the order of causes They proue it out of Matth. 21. 32. where Christ taxing the infidelity of the Pharisees wherein they came behinde the very Publicans saith Iohn came to you in the way of righteousnesse and ye beleeued him not but the Publicans and the Harlots beleeued him and ye when ye had seen it repented not afterward that ye might beleeue him Hence they conclude That repentance must goe before faith as the cause of it alledging Christs words thus Ye repented not that ye might beleeue But leauing out him That ye might beleeue Him to wit Iohn Baptist as it is in the text which implieth what kinde of faith Christ there meaneth to wit an assent to the truth of Iohns doctrine The place thereby comes to bee preuerted For Credere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ei is the faith of assent but Credere in eum that is in Christum is the iustifying faith So that by that place alledged if repentance goeth before faith in the order of causes then certainly that repentance is the cause of no other faith but the faith of assent there spoken of which is not all one faith with the iustifying faith But they which affirme thus yet confess that repentance doth not go before the faith of assent which they terme also the Euangelical faith but that its an effect consequent therof And here by the way I might take iust occasion to shew the absurdity of those that distinguish betweene Euangelicall faith and the faith of Christ as if Euangelicall faith were onely a generall assent to the truth of the Gospell whereas a generall assent and Euangelicall faith are as different as this and the faith of Christ are all one for Euangelicall faith looketh vpon the Gospell not onely as
a true history but as the mysterie of God in Christ it embraceth it as the Gospell preaching Christ the Sauiour yea preaching Christ to euery beleeuer of this Gospell in particular As Luk. 2. 10. 11. The Angels said to the Shepheards Feare not for behold I bring You good tidings of great ioy that shall be to all people For vnto You is born this day in the City of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Note here is the Gospel preached to who I bring You good tidings And what is the tidings To you is borne this day a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Here we haue an exact summe of the Gospell which is Christ the Sauiour borne to vs. Now to beleeue this Gospell is an Euangelicall faith but such as cannot diuide betweene the Gospell Christ and such also as must needes apprehend and applie Christ by beleeuing in him For To You is borne this day a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. To You this is a necessary relatiue part of the Gospell for Euangelium or good tidings imply not onely the party sending but also the party or parties to whom it is sent So that the faith of the Gospell must so beleeue the truth of the Gospell as that it leaue out no part of it But one part of it is that this Gospell is sent to You that is to all beleeuers For as much as the Gospell containeth the couenant of grace betweene God and vs God and man being the parties interessed in this Couenant mutually in Christ the Mediator Therefore the Euangelicall faith is not a bare generall assent to the truth of the Gospell but a particular affiance in Christ the summe of the Gospell and so it apprehendeth and applieth this good tidings which is to beleeue the Gospell indeed For that generall faith which they call an assent when it goes no further it makes no difference betweene the Gospell and the Law and other parts of the word of God but beleeueth them all indifferently as a true history when it is called an historicall faith But when faith comes to put a difference pitching vpon the speciall obiect the Gospell and so this faith becomes an Euangelical faith then it is so the faith of the Gospell as it is also necessarily the speciall faith of Christ whom it apprehendeth layeth hold vpon vnlesse a man can so diuide between Christ the Gospel as the Gospel may be Gospel without Christ or so diuide the Gospell from it self as that we may beleeue it to be good tidings not to vs in particular Whereas the beliefe of the Gospell consists in the apprehending and certain applying of the good tidings therof vnto vs To You is born this day a Sauiour to You is this word of saluation sent This is the Gospell and this is to beleeue the Gospell by applying it to vs to whom it is sent If we do not beleeue it sent to vs we do not beleeue the Gospell for it is so far a Gospell or good tidings to vs as we beleeue it to be sent to vs in particular Nor is this faith of the Gospell a certain or rather vncertaine swimming in the brain that perhaps or probably or possibly God may be merciful vnto vs in Christ A doctrine bred of the spawne of Trent This is a wandring imagination hatched in mans braine hauing no ground of truth or agreement with the faith of the Gospell Thus we see if Euangelicall faith be none other but the faith of Christ and in Christ as we haue sufficiently proued then it followeth that the distinction betweene Euangelicall faith and faith in Christ being vnsound and groundlesse the whole doctrine of the precedency of repentance before faith in Christ as a necessary and acceptable preparatiue thereunto doth euen mole sua of it selfe fall to the ground For the authors of such a doctrine must needes confesse if they will be guided by reason that there is no repentance but faith must goe before it for to cause it as either Legall faith must go before it to cause Legall repentance or Euangelical faith must go before to cause Euangelicall repentance Now if there be no Euangelicall faith to goe before and cause Euangelicall repentance but the faith of Christ then in vaine is any repentance deuised to goe before and cause faith in Christ. This Eagle-eyed faith of Christ hath no sooner glanced vpon the Sun of Righteousnesse but instantly by the force thereof a dreery cloud being raised causeth a gracious but sad shower of repentance to descend from those windowes and floud-gates of the now heauenly Soule to refresh the poore sinner now hungring and thirsting after the liuing waters They say also that the faith to wit Euangelicall faith which is the cause of their Repentance going before and causing the faith of Christ is a generall assent or a generall faith of the truth of the Gospell But how can this generall assent beget in mee a particular Repentance vnlesse with this assent I haue also a particular affiance in the promise of the Gospell of Christ applying it to my self The Gospell saith To you is borne a Sauiour Christ the Lord. I beleeue this to be true But how shall this beliefe moue me to Repentance vnlesse I beleeue that this Sauiour is borne to me in particular Ahab had not so easily repented if Gods iudgements being layd neuer so close to him hee had not beleeued the truth of them in particular towards himselfe So the Nineuites For particular Repentance in euery man must arise from a particular apprehension and application of the Word of God towards himselfe As for their reasons forcing Repentance to goe before Faith in Christ they are very poor and beggarly as that otherwise it leades me to presumption A very friuolous and false surmise For sauing Faith doth no sooner lay hold on Christ with the one hand but withall it layeth the other hand vpon the sinner the subiect wherein it is arraigning him at Gods Tribunall iudging condemning him for that sinner whom Christ came to saue Faith doth no sooner looke on Christ with the right eye but it presently reflects on the sinner with the left eye The reason is because it is impossible I should beleeue Christ to be my Sauiour but withall I must beleeue and acknowledge my selfe to bee the sinner which I cannot truely do but it will necessarily breed in mee that Repentance to saluation not to bee repented of For a Sauiour and a wretched sinner are relatiues which not euen the thought of man can diuide or sunder one from another And so here their reason why such Repentance must needes goe before faith is found faultie which is say they because if Repentance went not before faith in Christ then faith in Christ would proue to be presumption Therefore we haue shewed that in true faith in Christ there is alwaies true Repentance as the prime and immediate fruite of Faith So that rather the
must it bee inherent In vs No but in iustification which is the subiect of this inherent formall cause For if inherent grace bee the formall cause of iustification then by way of relation iustification is the subiect of inherent grace For wee speake here of the formall cause of iustification not of the formall cause of man as if hee were the subiect wherein iustification is a quality inherent But to answer their mis-applyed philosophicall diuinity The forme of a thing is not alwayes a quality inherent as in the subiect where it is but sometimes it is onely inherent and extrinsicall by way of relation As that I am the sonne of such a man the formall cause hereof is not inherent in me but it is originally and relatiuely from my father that begate mee giuing a being to my sonship respectiuely to him So a man set at liberty by the fauour and meanes of another the very forme of his freedome was the others act in freeing of him not inhering in him that is freed but rather adhering vnto him Yea the Pontificians themselues confesse and Vega for one that the formall cause of mans redemption is a thing extrinsicall to wit the oblation of Christ on the Crosse and that the free fauour of God for the merit of Christ is the formall cause of remission of sinnes If therefore the forme of our redemption and remission of sinnes is not within vs but without vs why not as well the forme of our iustification the cause whereof is Christs redemption and the effect of it remission of sinnes In a word it is not with a forme as with an accident the being of an accident is the in-being of it Not so of a forme where being or modus essendi consists not necessarily in the inhering in the subiect whose formall cause it is but it may as well be extrinsicall by conferring a vertue and power whereby the Causatum receiueth the formality of its being But to leaue Philosophy and return to Diuinity it is yet in question whether the matter of this iustification be within vs or rather without vs. The Romane-Catholicke faith teacheth that it is within vs but the Catholicke faith concludeth that the formall cause of our iustification is without vs not within vs. This is that Catholicke doctrine which the Scriptures teach when they ascribe our iustification to faith apprehending that which is without vs where by apprehending is not meant a bare vnderstanding or knowing as Soto in the name of his Romane-Catholickes would haue it but it is also a laying hold vpon and applying of the thing beleeued We haue shewed afore how the Pontificians take the word Imputation namely for a participation of Christs righteousnesse so farre forth as thereby some other righteousnesse being merited is infused into vs and inherent in vs. But the true Catholickes hold otherwise that imputation is of a thing without vs being apprehended and applied by faith So that the thing imputed is that which is by faith apprehended As it is said of Abraham that hee beleeued God and his faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse Rom. 4. 3. Now the obiect of Abrahams faith was God yea God promising in regard of which obiect Abrahams faith is imputed to him for righteousnesse Not the act of Abrahams faith being but an instrument but the obiect of it is imputed As we may say we are iustified by the act of faith relatiuely to the obiect Christ not for the act of it Abraham beleeued God and his faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse But how is this sufficient to iustifie a man to beleeue God or the promise of God that it should be said to be imputed to man for righteousnesse I answer To beleeue Gods promise is to haue an eye of faith vpon Christ who is the substance of all Gods promises and in whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen 2. Cor. â— 20. So that God in Christ is the obiect of faith imputed to the beleeuer for righteousnesse But here an obiection crosseth my way cast in by the aduersary of the truth Vega who saith Dixi c. I said that this faith of the Mediator is that to which for the most part and chiefely the Scriptures doe attribute our iustification yet we beleeue also saith he that faith taken generally as it relieth vpon diuine truth may also iustifie a man Nor are wee in that errour wherein some are to thinke that the onely faith of iustification promised or of saluation in Christ doth iustifie vs or is imputed vnto vs for righteousnesse For saith he Noahs faith of the future deluge as Paul witnesseth was imputed to him for righteousnesse and he was appointed the heire of righteousnesse which is by faith in that he beleeued God fore-telling the floud and a hundred yeares before it came began to build the Arke for the safety of his house And to Abraham also as the history of Genesis plainely teacheth it was imputed for righteousnesse because hee beleeued that his posterity should bee multiplied as the starres of heauen So that hence hee concludes that not onely to faith in Gods promisâ—â— in Christ is righteousnesse imputed but to faith in generall beleeuing Gods truth such as is not in the compasse of Gods promises in Christ but either speculatiue precepts or morall doctrines or other Propheticall predictions or historicall relations So that by the Pontifician doctrine other faith besides that in Gods promises in Christ may be imputed to a man for righteousnesse As Noahs faith in building the Arke against the floud and Abrahams faith in beleeuing Gods promise concerning the multiplication of his seed I answer that no faith is or can bee imputed to a man for righteousnesse but that which hath respect vnto Christ and the promises of God in him But Noahs faith in preparing the Arke to saue himselfe and his family from the floud was imputed to him for righteousnesse True this confirmeth the Catholicke doctrine of the imputation of faith as it lookes vpon Christ for what was the Arke but a Sacramentall type of Christ as Augustine saith Christus figuratus est in Noe in illa Arca orbis terrarum Quare enim in Arca inclusa sunt omnia animalia nisi vt significarentur omnes gentes Christ is figured in Noe and in that Arke of the whole world for why in that Arke were included all creatures but that all Nations should be signified by them And there hee applies that promise to Abraham Gen. 22. 18. In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed And for Abrahams faith in Gods promise what seed of Abraham was this in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed Was it not Christ Yes Christ so saith Augustine in the forenamed place Christus in â—a prophetia occultus erat in quo benedicuntur omnes gentes Christ saith he was hid in that prophesie in whom all the Nations are
blessed But the Apostle or rather the holy Ghost by the Apostle is the best interpreter of that prophecie Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made Hee saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed which is Christ. And this was that promise of God which Abraham beleeuing his faith was counted to him for righteousnesse as it is there in the sixt verse euen as Abraham beleeued God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse Therefore Vega's diuinitie hath very much failed him in propounding these two examples of Noah and Abraham to proue the iustification of his generall Faith whereas we plainely see both these Patriarches faith had speciall and principall reference and respect to Christ Iesus And therefore their faith was reckoned to them for righteousnesse For the other examples which Vega there addeth in generall out of the eleuenth to the Hebrewes they are all of the same nature and all confirme this infallible and vndeniable truth That the promises of God in Christ and Christ alone with all his righteousnesse is the obiect of that Faith which is reckoned to Abraham to Noah and to euery beleeuer for righteousnesse Here then comes in the true formall cause of our iustification namely Christ himselfe with all his righteousnesse which being apprehended by faith it is imputed vnto vs for righteousnesse This is it that giues a true being to iustification Iustification therefore consists in the imputation of Christ and his righteousnesse comprehending also all the promises of God in him apprehended by faith Now concerning this Catholicke doctrine of imputation of Christs righteousnesse by faith the Scriptures are very pregnant in the proofe of it This Gospell hath testimonie before the Law in the Law and in the Prophets and is confirmed by Christ and his Apostles Before the Law to omit other examples wee haue two famous ones that of Noah and Abraham of whom wee spake euen now who are layd downe for exemplary patterns yea and liuely types to all beleeuers Noah before the floud and Abraham after the floud and before the Law which St. Paul doth especially note to put a difference betweene faith and the workes of the Law in the point of iustification In the Law also we haue two principall types liuely shadowing this doctrine of imputation The first we finde in Leuiticus 1. 4. And hee shall put his hand vpon the head of his burnt-offering and it shall bee accepted for him to make attonement for him The burnt offering waâ— a figure of Christ sacrificed for vs vpon the crosse the man that brings this burnt-offering is a type of euery true beleeuer and the hand which hee putteth on the head of the sacrifice is faith laying hold on Christ and as it were owning him for our proper sacrifice which God accepteth to bee an attonement for vs a sacrifice of a sweet sauour vnto the Lord. The Apostle applies this sacrifice with the fruits of it to Christ Rom. 5. 11. Wee reioycein God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue receiued the attonement Also Ephes. 5. 2. Walke in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a sacrifice to God of a sweete smelling sauour Christ is then this burnt-offering our attonement with God and an offering of a sweete sauour vnto the Lord. Now the instrument or hand whereby Christ is apprehended and applyed to euery true Beleeuer is Faith It was the hand of Faith which the diseased woman in the Gospell touched Christ her Sauour with and fetched vertue out of him To whom the Lord said Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole goe in peace This the Apostle doth also liuely setout Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to wit Iesus Christ to be apropitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the Remission of sinnes that are past through the forbearance of God to declare at this time his righteousnesse that hee might be iust and a iustifier of him that beleeueth in Iesus How fully doth the Apostle parallel and compare this truth with that type A second type of our righteousnesse or iustification by imputation of Christ vnto the beleeuer in the time of the Law is set downe Num. 21. 8. 9. The Lord said vnto Moses make thee a fiery serpent and set it vpon a pole and it shall come to passe that euery one that is bitten when he looketh vpon it shall liue and Moses did so and the serpent-bitten-man looked and liued The brazen Serpent was a type of Christ the serpent-bitten-man is euery sinner whom that old serpent hath already stung with sinne as he did our first Parents The looking on the brazen serpent so lifted vp vpon a pole is the faith of the beleeuer beholding Christ lifted vp vpon his Crosse. This Christ Iesus himselfe applyeth Ioh. 3. 14. 15. As Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the wildernesse euen so must the sonne of man be lifted vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life A most sweet collation of the truth with the type shewing that as faith is the hand of the soule laying hold vpon the bloudy sacrifice of Christ for our atonement with God so faith is also the eye of the soule so to looke vpon Christ crucified as to bee thereby cured of all the deadly wounds of sin and so to liue eternally The Prophets also are full of testimonies to confirme this doctrine of iustification by imputation Esa. 53. 4. Surely hee hath borne our grieses and carried our sorrowes yet we did esteeme him stricken smitten of God and afflicted as if hee had beene a malefactor But hee was wounded for our transgressions hee was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes are wee healed All wee like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of vs all And vers 8. he was cut off out of the land of the liuing for the transgression of my people was he stricken Though he had done no violence neither was any deceipt in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to griefe when thou shalt make his soule an offering for sinnes he shall see his seede c. Here wee see most liuely set downe a mutuall imputation of our iniquities vnto Christ and of his merits vnto vs. And then the Prophet vers 11. sheweth by what meane or instrument this righteousnesse of Christs obedience is imputed to vs By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many for hee shall beare their iniquities By his knowledge or by the knowledge of himselfe that is by faith in him knowing and acknowledging seeing and beholding him with the eye of faith to bee that Lambe of God before the shearer taking away our sinnes for hee
haue done by the word Communication whom Vega hath quoted to shew how thereby the righteousnesse of Christ is made wholly ours his sufferings our sufferings as if we our selues had suffered But yet let vs see a little further into the language of the Fathers concerning this point Onely by the way seeing Vega cannot finde the word Imputation once mentioned among the ancient Fathers let him looke but St. Augustines Epist. 106. to Bonifacius or as some copies haue it to Paulinus and there hee shall finde these words Cur meritis praeueniri gratia perhibetur quae gratia non esset si secundum meritum imputaretur Why is grace said to be preuented by merits which should not be grace if it were imputed according to merit Yea how often doth Augustine mention the Apostles words where he saith Fides imputaretur ad iustitiam Faith is imputed vnto righteousnesse But let vs contend not so much for the word as for the thing it selfe which wee shall finde the Fathers to abound in St. Ambrose writing vpon the 39 Psalme saith Totus ex persona Christi iste Psalmus est Iustitiam meam dicit licet non arroganter homo dicere possit Iustitiam suam qui Deo credit fidem suam sibi reputari ad iustitiam confitetur This whole Psalme is of the person of Christ therefore hee saith My righteousnesse though also a man that beleeues in God and confesseth that his faith is reputed to him for righteousnesse may without arrogancy say his righteousnesse Now although Ambrose say speaking of Christ Iustitiam meam in stead of Iustitiam tuam as it is in the originall and also in the vulgar Latine he following some other copy yet hereby wee may see his vnderstanding in the mysterie of Christ namely how Christs righteousnesse comes to bee our righteousnesse our faith being imputed to vs for righteousnesse as the Scripture saith Sauing that Ambrose vseth the word Reputing for Imputing differing very little in the sound but nothing at all in the sense The same Ambrose writing vpon the Epistle to the Galatians where hee opposeth the righteousnesse of the Law and that of Christ one against the other vpon these words for if there had beene a Law giuen which could haue giuen life verily righteousnesse had beene by the Law saith Iustitiam hauâ— dicit quae apud Deum imputatur iustitia id est fidei quia lex habuit iustitiam sed ad praesens quia non iustificaret apud Deum remittere enim peccata non potuit vt de peccatoribus faceret iustos he saith that righteousnesse which of God is imputed to wit the righteousnesse of faith sith the Law also had a kinde of righteousnesse but temporary that could not iustifie with God for it could not forgiue sinnes and so of sinners make men to bee iust So that here is another ancient Father vsing the very word Imputation And a little after vpon these words As many as haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue put on Christ saith Hoc dicit quia credentes dum immutantur Christum induunt quando hoc appellantur quod credunt This he saith because beleeuers while they are changed doe put on Christ when they are called that which they beleeue So that by St. Ambrose his doctrine our iustification is by imputation of grace by faith in the putting on of Christ. And St. Austine besides the former alledged place where he defineth iustification to be a making of one iust by accounting him so or by deputing reckoning him iust saith in Psa. 32. Nolâ— vos interrogare de iustitia vestra â—ortassis autem nemo vestrum audeat mihi respondere iustus sum sed interrogo vos de fide vestra Sicut nemo vestrum audet dicere Iustus sum sic nemo non audet dicere Fidelissum Nondum quaero quid viuas sed quaero quid credas responsurus es credere te in Christum Non audisti Apostolum Iustus exfide viuit fides tua iustitia tua I will not aske you of your righteousnesse for haply none of you dare answer me I am righteous but I aske you of your faith As none of you dare say I am iust so you dare not but say I am a beleeuer I demand not yet how thou liuest but how thou beleeuest thou wilt answer me thou beleeuest in Christ. Hast thou not heard the Apostle The iust shall liue by faith Thy saith is thy righteousnesse And vpon the 30. Psalme the same Father doth further cleare his minde touching imputatiue righteousnesse vpon these words of the Psalme Rid mee and deliuer mee in thy righteousnesse Nam si attendas ad iustitiam meam damnas me In tua iustitia erue me est enim iustitia Dei quae nostra fit cum donatur nobis Ideo autem Dei iustitia dicitur ne homo se putet à seipso habere iustitiam For if thou lookest vpon my righteousnesse thou condemnest mee In thy righteousnesse deliuer me for it is the righteousnesse of God which is made also oure when it is giuen vnto vs. And therefore is it called Gods righteousnesse lest man should thinke that he hath righteousnesse of himselfe Now what righteousnesse doth this holy man meane here The righteousnesse of God made ours by infusion of grace into vs So I know the Pontificians would be ready to interpret this place But let St. Augustine be his owne interpreter who addeth in the very next words Sic enim dicit Apostolus Paulus Credenti in eum qui iustificat impium So saith the Apostle Paul To him that beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly Quid est Qui iustificat impium Qui ex impio facit iustum deputatur fides eius ad iustitiam What is that Which iustifieth the vngodly Who of vngodly and wicked makes iust his faith is deputed for righteousnesse Yea this holy man is so farre from ascribing the least part of iustification to any inherent righteousnesse in vs as that he excludes euen faith it selfe as it is a worke from being any meritorious cause of our iustification For elsewhere speaking of Gods election and vocation of grace and not of workes alledging the examples of Iacob and Esau the one loued the other hated euen in the wombe before either of them had done good or euill c. that the election of God might stand not of workes c. Si autem verum est quod non ex operibus inde hoc probat quia de nondum natis nondumque aliquid operatis dictum est vnde nec ex fide quae in nondum natis similiter nondum erat And if it be true that it is not of works and from thence he proues it because it was said of them before they were borne and before they had done any thing whereupon neither was it in respect of faith which likewise as a worke was not as yet in them being yet vnborne And againe Iustificati gratis
erant ad vtendum venerati sunt ad colendum They are become inexcusable who of Gods gifts haue made Gods to themselues and those things which were created to bee vsed they adore them as an Idoll Onely Christ is that sacred and mysticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that fish in whom is found our tribute-money to satisfie the Maiesty of God This money must bee stamped no where but in Gods owne Mint as the pure siluer Oare of it is no where found but in Gods owne Mynes the holy Scriptures no other Image or Superscription must be vpon it but that of Iesus Christ and none may tender or offer it vp to God but onely Christ. 1. Tim. 2. 6. There is one God and one Mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a ransome for all This pure ransome more pure more precious than gold will endure no mixture no allay of any other mettals much lesse of any drosse But inherent righteousnesse in vs though dipped in Christs bloud as hauing receiued a tincture from it as they say if wee offer it to God for currant payment hee will easily perceiue it counterfeit coine of our owne mynting of our owne inuenting no better than Alcumy little siluer but much drosse in it euen the drosse of humane inuention and corruption which if it bee brought to Gods touch turnes colour if put in the Skale of the Sanctuary is found too light if cast into the Test of Gods fiery iustice it is blown all away in smoke As Esay saith Thy siluer is become drosse thy wine mixt with water And as Ieremy saith Reprobate siluer shall men call them because the Lord hath reiected them Our inherent righteousnesse call it Christs merits or what you will is at the best but as Piscis in arido The fish while it is in the sea liueth moueth is full of strength and agility but vpon the dry land it straight loseth all his vigour motion and life it selfe and quickly putrefieth euen so the merits and righteousnesse of Christ being in him as in their proper element are most liuely and vigorous strong and auaileable to satisfie Gods iustice and to plunge all our sinnes into the deepe bottome of the bottomlesse deepe of his mercies by that sweete smelling sacrifice of himselfe once offered but take any part of these merits of Christ out of him and put them into our dry and parched sandy soules and they become of no life of no validity to make the least satisfaction for the least sinnes yea in this respect they stinke in the nostrils of God Our soules are but broken Cisternes to contain this pure water of life God could neuer yet finde any thing in vs in vs I say but onely faith whereby to iustifie vs and this faith not as a worke of ours iustifying vs but as an instrument applying Christ by whom in whom and for whom wee are iustified If God iustifie vs for righteousnesse inherent or dwelling in vs then God should bee said to iustifie the godly but the Scripture saith otherwise That God iustifieth the vngodly Rom. 4. 5. Now to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse where faith being opposed to working cannot be said to iustifie as it is a work A notable testimony to proue that our iustification is not from within vs but from without vs not in vs but on vs not of him that worketh but of him that beleeueth in him that iustifieth Whom the godly Nay but the vngodly As Augustine saith Tu Domine benedicis iustum sed eum prius iustificas impium Thou Lord doest blesse the iust but first he being vngodly thou iustifiest him As if hee had said Being first vngodly thou diddest iustifie him and then being iust thou Lord doest blesse him How then comes this forraine righteousnesse vpon an vngodly man The Apostle sheweth His faith is counted for righteousnesse How His faith layes hold on Christ who is the Lord our righteousnesse being made vnto vs of God wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. But will the Pontifician say Doe you call the graces of Christ in vs counterfeit coyne drosse reprobate siluer c. Yes if ye reckon it for pay to satisfie Gods iustice withall in this sense in vs it is meere counterfeit drosse reprobate siluer coyned in the Mint of Satans forgeries It is but as the Sunne-beame vpon a dung-hill raysing vp a stinking vapour in stead of a sweete odour in Gods nostrils But the graces of God in vs flowing from our head Christ Iesus in whom wee are first iustified by faith are the matter of our sanctification and the consequent fruits and effects of our iustification Thus they are a Well of liuing waters springing vp in vs vnto eternall life Thus they are a garden of spices yea of costly Spicknard yeelding a fragrant smell while the Sunne of righteousnesse shines vpon them Thus are they more pure and precious than gold yea than much fine gold Thus are they so many precious stones to paue our way that leades to the Kingdome of Heauen Yea thus so many peerelesse Pearles which adorne our Crowne of grace here and shall much more gloriously imbellish and beautifie our Crowne of glory hereafter Thus all our good works and words and thoughts are precious euen in Gods sight through Christ. They will stand before his mercy seate but they dare not stand before the Tribunall of his strict and seuere iustice They dare come before God as a proofe of our faith and obedience but not as a price of our sinne and disobedience And at the best cause we haue to pray Gods mercy for them but in no case to pay his iustice with them Now there be many reasons why inherent righteousnesse is no formall cause of our iustification in the sight of God First because it is a meere humane inuention It hath no warrant in Gods Word and consequently no warrant at all Will the Pontificians herein as they are willing in other things stand to the iudgement of their father Aristotle Hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are better determined according to the Law than according to mans will for it is no sure rule Tertullian said of an errour of Hermogenes about the creation of the world of a pre-existent matter Scriptum esse doceat Hermogenis officina Si non est scriptum timeat Let the shop of Hermogenes shew this to be written If it be not written let him feare Now iustification is a fundamentall doctrine that cannot stand but vpon the Scriptures Iustification is by faith and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God The word is neare thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach for with the heart man beleeueth to
formerly that sole faith is not sufficient but a good life must be added and it will plainly appeare that he speakes of faith alone as sufficient to iustifie vs in the sight of God and to procure vs the possession of heauen yet hee meanes not a solitary and dead faith but such a faith as is a liuing and sauing faith working by loue which hath as well a worke of sanctification in a holy life amongst men as of iustification by a holy beliefe in the sight of God For there is frequent mention of a twofold righteousnesse in the workes of ancient Fathers The one of iustification before God which is the righteousnesse of faith the other of iustification before men which is the righteousnesse of workes This second is via regni the way to the kingdome that other of faith is causa regnandi the cause of our reigning in this kingdome Saint Paul also disclaimeth all his former Pharisaicall life which as touching the Law was vnreprouable calling and accounting it but drosse and dung Nay now after his conuersion hauing walked holily and faithfully in his Apostolicall vocation and Ministery so that he knew nothing by himselfe yet what saith he Although I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not therby iustified but he that iudgeth me is the Lord. And renouncing all his inherent righteousnesse all his desire was to bee found in Christ not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith To omit the multitude of testimonies of holy men of God the fathers of the Church from time to time who in their writings doe renounce their own inherent righteousnesse as iustifying them in the sight of God Let vs for conclusion of this point adde a few memorable sayings vttered by dying men such as were of a holy life conuersation now agoing to appear before the dreadfull Tribunall of Gods most strict and vnpartiall iudgment now sealing vp their faith with their last breath Possidonius in his 27. Chapter of the life of Augustine tels a memorable story Augustine saith he told vs that hee heard a most wise and pious answer of Ambrose of blessed memory drawing neare his end which he much praised and commended for when that venerable Father lay vpon his death-bed and was desired of the faithfull standing about his bed with teares that hee would aske of the Lord a longer time of his Pilgrimage here he answered them * I haue not so liued as that I am ashamed to continue amongst you nor yet am I affraid to dye because we haue a good Master And herein saith Possidonius our Augustine now aged did admire and praise his words as refined in the fire and weighed in the ballance For therefore is hee to be vnderstood to say Nor doe I feare to dye because wee haue a good Master lest he might be thought to trust and presume too much vpon his most sanctified life But I haue not so liued that I am ashamed to liue among you this he said in regard of that which one man might know of another for knowing the tryall of diuine iustice he said he relyed more vpon the goodnesse of his Lord than vpon his owne merits to whom also he prayed daily in the Lords Prayer Forgiue vs our debts c. Bernard when hee seemed to drawe his last breath being in a trance he thought he was presented before the Tribunall of his Lord And Sathan also stood opposite against him charging him with many wicked accusations And when hee had prosecuted all to the full then the man of God was to pleade for himselfe And being no whit terrified or troubled he said I confesse I am vnworthy nor can I obtaine the Kingdome of Heauen by mine owne merits But my Lord obtaining it by a double right to wit by the inheritance of his Father and by the merit of his passion contenting himselfe with the one hee bestoweth the other vpon mee by whose gift claiming it as mine owne right I am not confounded At this word the enemy went away confounded There is extant an exhortation of Anselme to a dying brother set downe in most sweet words When any brother seemeth to be extremely oppressed it stands both with piety and prudence that he be exercised by a Prelate or some other Priest with these questions and exhortations vnder written And first let him be demanded Brother doest thou reioyce that thou shalt dye in the faith and let him answer I do Confesse that thou hast not liued so wel as thou shouldest I confesse it Doest thou repent of it I doe repent Hast thou a will and purpose to amend if thou shouldst haue time to liue longer Yes Doest thou beleeue that the Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God dyed for thee I beleeue it Doest thou beleeue thou canst not bee saued but by his death Yea. Doest thou from thy heart thank him for this I doe Giue therefore while there is life in thee alwayes thankes vnto him and put thy whole trust in this his onely death Commit thy selfe wholly to his death Couer thy whole selfe with this death and wrap thy selfe wholly in it And if the Lord goe about to iudge thee say Lord I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene me and thy iudgment otherwise I will not contend with thee If he shall say that thou hast deserued damnation say thou I set the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene mee and my illdeseruings and assigne me the merit of his most precious passion for my merit which I my selfe should haue had but alas haue not Let him say againe I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene mee and thy wrath Let him also say three times O Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit And let those that stand about him answer Into thy hands O Lord we commend his spirit And he shall dye secure and shall neuer see death The same Anselme in his meditations as it were setting himselfe before the Tribunall of Gods iudgement whereby he declareth that neither the life of the regenerate nor good workes can stand against diuine iustice but onely Christ the Mediator saith My life doth terrifie mee for my whole life being exactly discussed and sifted doth appeare to me either to be sinne or meere barrennesse And if any fruit appeare therein it is either so counterfeit or imperfect or one way or other corrupt as it cannot but displease God for all of it is either sinnefull and damnable or vnfruitfull and contemptible But why doe I separate or distinguish vnfruitfull from damnable For if it be vnfruitfull it is damnable For euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cast into the fire O therefore drie and vnprofitable tree worthy of eternall fire what wilt thou answer in that day when it shall be required of thee euen to a
he is both from the first originall of it so abstruse as also by reason of the continual contentions on both sides so inuolued and intricate that to cleare the truth we can scarce finde where to beginne And herein he saith perhaps too true But the Pontificians treading this endlesse maze may thank their owne Shoolemen who first drew this Labyrinth filling it full with the many meanders of their manifold distinctions whereby they haue so intoxicated euen their strongest brains with often turnings as it is no maruaile if subtile Soto himselfe and others of his society doe so much busie themselues in vaine to finde the right doore of faith as the blinde Sodomites were puzled in seeking the doore of the righteous Lot which they could not finde out So that for a man to go about to tread this Pontifician Maze may seeme an endlesse labour But if wee repaire to the Councell of Trent therein wee shall finde the whole spawne of the errours of faith compact in one lumpe together The Councell of Trent or the Church of Rome which you will acknowledgeth and admitteth only one kinde of faith namely an Historicall faith which say they is common to all men good and bad yea common to the very Diuels themselues The summe whereof is set down in the fifteenth Chapter of the sixt Session and in the twenty eight Canon Their words are these Aduerâ—us etiam hominum quorundam callidaingenia qui per dulces sermones benedictiones seducunt corda innocentium asserendum est non modè infidelitate per quam ipsa fides amittitur sed etiam quocunque alio mortali peccato quamuis non amittatur fides acceptam iustificationis gratiam amitti diuinae legis doctrinam defendendo quae à regno Dei non solum infideles excludit sed fideles quoque fornicarios adulteros molles masculorum concubitores fures auaros ebriosos maledicos rapaces caeterosque omnes qui laetalia committunt peccata à quibus cum diuinae gratiae adiumento abstinere possunt pro quibus à Christi gratia separantur That is Also against the cunning wits of certaine men which by sweet words and benedictions seduce the hearts of the innocent wee are to affirme that not onely by infidelity whereby euen faith it selfe is lost but also by any mortall sinne whatsoeuer although faith bee not lost yet the grace of iustification being receiued is lost maintaining the doctrine of Gods law which excludeth from the Kingdome of God not onely vnbeleeuers but also beleeuing or faithfull fornicators adulterers effeminate abusers of themselues with mankinde theeues couetous drunkards raylers extortioners and all other that commit deadly sinnes from which they might haue abstained by the helpe of Gods grace and for which they are separated from the grace of Christ. In which words we may obserue two remarkeable things concerning the Popish faith first that it hath no coherence with the grace of iustification seeing as they teach the grace of iustification may be lost and yet faith remaine stil in a man the second is that this faith of theirs is coÌ„mon to whoor-mongers to adulterers and all kind of lewd persons whom they cal beleeuing or faithfull though shut out from the kingdom of God To this they adde also the twenty eight Canon Si quis dixerit amissa perpeccatum gratia simul fidem semper amitti aut fidem quae remanet non esse veram fidem licet non sit viua aut eum qui fidem sine charitate habet non esse Christianum anathema sit If any man shall say that grace being lost by sinne faith together with it is alwaies lost or that which remaineth is not true faith though not a liuing faith or that he who hath faith without charitie is not a Christian let him be accursed So that according to Romes doctrine a man may haue faith and want grace and a dead faith with them is a true faith and faith without charity may serue to make a Christian. According to which doctrine the Diuell should haue a true faith and consequently not to bee denyed to bee a Christian Euen as the Turkes call their circumcised Mussel-men that is true Beleeuers such true Beleeuers may the Pontificians be allowed to be Vega giues the reason of this Quod sancta Synodus fidem peccatorum fidem veram appellauit c. That the holy Synod of Trent called the faith of sinners true faith surely she did it being compelled of you O ye Lutherans being desirous by a fit terme to make plaine to all men the Catholicke doctrine of the identity of faith vnformed and formed And lest any hereby should bee deceiued therefore shee hath put this qualification licet non sit viâ—a although it be not a liuing faith And yet the same Vega saith there Quod si Lutherus c. If Luther had only said that which he writ in his Commentary vpon the Galathians Si vera fides est c. If faith be true and if a man be truly a Sonne charitie shall not be wanting we had neuer opposed him Yea Vega but take Luthers meaning withall That wheresoeuer true faith is there is charity and then you will retract your words and hold on your opposition not against Luther but against the truth Soto also puts the matter out of doubt saying That fides mortua propriè est fides the dead faith is the proper faith And chapt 8. ibid. That this faith doth not only fictè fainedly or falsly as Lutherans say saith hee sed propriè legitimè verè but properly legitimately and truly make a man a Christian and the member of Christ according to the Text. But thus we come to discouer the Councels reasons why she cals a dead faith a true faith as also her meaning where she saith That the instrumental cause of iustification is the sacrament of Baptisme which is the sacrament of faith sine qua without which faith no man euer came to be iustified This might giue some colour to iustification by faith sauing that they say They may haue faith without iustification And againe in the same Chapter whereas they equiuocate egregiously saying That faith vnlesse hope and loue be added to it doth not perfectly vnite vs vnto Christ alledging that of Iames Faith without workes is dead and fruitlesse and that of Paul That in Christ Iesus neyther circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue yet they meane no other faith but that which is by nature voyde of loue and hope seeing it can subsist without them And so consequently the faith that they hold and maintaine is no liuing but a dead faith which may bee in the damned yea which is in the very Diuels And for the further opening and confirming of the Councels minde â—â—â—his maine point let vs heare further what her two Champions and Expositors Vega and Soto in their learned Commentaries vpon this Session
whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen to the glory of God the Father yet withall it doth not restraine its generall influence of beleefe from any part of Gods Word no more than the eye of the body doth shut it selfe from seeing any other thing present before it than that particular obiect to which the radius or beam directly pointeth What need more testimonies yet the ancient Fathers of the Church haue not left vs without witnesse in this point I will vse but one or two for breuity Chrysostome saith This is the propertie of true Faith when aâ— the promise being made not after a manner customary or familiar with men we confidently beleeue the power of the promiser Thou seest how euen before the euent and accomplishment of the promises Abraham in as much as he beleeued receiueth a sufficient reward For to beleeue the promise of God was imputed to him for righteousnesse Therefore to beleeue Gods promise is both able to make vs iust and shall cause vs to obtaine the promises By Faith we procure righteousnesse and obtain the good promises And the same Father vpon the tenth to the Romanes saith Hoc potissimum peculiare est fidei vt promissa Dei cunctacomplectamur This is chiefly peculiar to Faith that we embrace all the promises of God Thus we see this holy man placeth the promises of God in Christ as the prime obiect of iustifying Faith St. Ambrose saith Si exclusa fuerit promissio sine dubio frustratur Fides Abrahae Quod ne audire quidem se patiuntur Iudaei scientes quia promissio ex Fide est Abrahae Quae promissio ex Fide iustificat non per Legem sicut Abraham iustificatus ex Fide est Hi ergo haeredes sunt promissionis Abrahae qui illi succedunt suscipientes Fidem in qua benedictus iustificatus est Abraham Testimonium ergo promissionis Abrahae testamentum appellatur vt post mortem eius Haeredes essent in promissione Filij eius factiper Fidem That is If the promise be excluded without doubt the Faith of Abraham is made voyde which not euen the Iewes themselues endure to heare knowing that the promise is of the Faith of Abraham Which promise doth iustifie by Faith not through the Law as also Abraham is iustified by Faith They therefore are Heires of the promise to Abraham which succeede him by entertaining the Faith wherein Abraham is blessed and iustified Therfore the testimonie of the promise to Abraham is called a Testament that after his death they might bee Heires in the promise beeing made his Sonnes by Faith So Ambrose Thus wee haue the testimonies of two faithfull witnesses testifying this most Catholicke doctrine of Faith not onely of Abraham but consequently of all the faithfull That the promises of God in Christ are the maine obiect of sauing and iustifying Faith And these witnesses shall stand in stead of many Hence it is that Faith in Scripture is called Confidence or Assiance because it embraceth the promise of God in Christ as the proper obiect of it as we touched before In a word those famous ancient Creeds vniuersally receiued in the Church especially the Apostolicall the Nicene and Athanasius his Creede all of them called the obiect of Faith as being the abridgement of the Word of God what do they commend vnto vs as the maine and sole obiect of sauing and iustifying Faith but Iesus Christ his incarnation passion resurrection ascention session at Gods right hand c. together with the fruits we reape from this tree of life as to bee made his liuing members beleeuing the holy Catholicke Church the Communion of Saints the Remission of sinnes the Resurrection of the body and the life euerlasting all the effects and fruits of Gods promises in Christ. But say the Pontificians faith is an act of the vnderstanding as being seated in the intellectuall part of the soule and not in the will and therefore it is but a bare assent to the truth of Gods word in generall and so also of the promises contained therein and no speciall affiance in the goodnesse of God particularly towards a mansselfe And so they make onely the truth of God reuealed as being apprehended and assented vnto by the vnderstanding to be the obiect of faith and not the goodnesse of God contained in his promises as being entertained and embraced by the will But for the clearing of this point we may first obserue how the Church of Rome as in other points of doctrine so in this maine point of Faith doth most pitifully interfeere For which cause let me here insert a passage in the Prouinciall Councell of Colen celebrated Anno 1536. some nine years before the Councell of Trent which will partly confirme what hath beene formerly said concerning the nature of true Faith and confront this Pontifician obiection now in hand This Prouinciall Synod setteth downe a three-fold kinde of beleeuing following therein St Augustine vpon the Creed Credo in Deum which we haue a little before cited We will set down the very words of the Synod which acknowledgeth Duplicem seu triplicom esse fidei sâ—u credendi rationem Siquidem vna est qua Deum esse ac caetera quae Scriptura commemorat non aliter quam historica quadam fide recitata vera credimus Vnde historica fides appellatur quam nobiscum Damones communâ—m habent Altera qua Deo credimus quae persuasio constans opinio est quae fidem promissionibus comminationibus diuinis adhibemus quam habent iniusti cum iustis communem Tertia fidei ratio est qua in Deum credimus solis pijs peculiaris quae certissima quaedam fiducia est qua tâ—tâ—s nos Deo submittimus totique à gratia misericordia Dei pendemus Haec spem complectitur charitatem indiuiduam comitem habet Prima credendi ratio seu fides illa Historica si solam accipias informis est veluti adhuc mortua Altera verò qua Deo tantum credimus nec dum tamen erga Deum religiosa pietate assicimur manâ—a Sedtertiâ— qua in Deum credimus pioque affectu in â—um tendimus ea demum viuida atque integra fides est c. That is There is a two-fold or three-fold sort of faith or beleeuing One is whereby wee beleeue that God is as also other things which the Scripture relates wee beleeue to be true no otherwise than by a kinde of Historicall faith recorded whence it is called an Historicall faith which the Deuils haue in common with vs. The second is whereby wee beleeue God which is a perswasion and constant opinion whereby wee giue credit both to Gods promises and threatnings which faith the wicked haue in common with the righteous The third sort of faith is that whereby wee beleeue in God which is peculiar onely to the godly being a kinde of most certaine confidence or affiance
which the authors themselues were carefull to commit to print vpon this argument would scarce beleeue how many things were discussed about this Article and with what ardency not onely of the Diuines but also of all the Bishops who were perswaded that their opinion was right that they had hit vpon the truth So that the Cardinall of St. Crosse saw that many had more neede of a bridle than of spurres and by frequent digressions from the purpose and passages to other questions he often would expresse his desire of putting an end to this controuersie It was twice propounded in the Synod of the Prelates to relinquish altogether this question as being ambiguous long and tedious yet affection bearing sway they fell backe vpon it againe Thus farre the History which though somewhat long yet I hope the Reader will not thinke it more tedious in the reading of it than I haue done in the inserting of it which I haue the rather done that it might the more appear how this point of certainty hauing on the one side euidence of truth to confirme it and on the other humane wit and affection to oppugne it did puzzle and perplexe the whole Synod and fill them full of vncertainties Wee see those reasons and authorities alledged by the aduerse faction who were for vncertainty very acutely and pregnantly answered by Catarinus and those with him Also whereas they catched here and there at some passages of the Fathers seeming to fauour their doctrine of vncertainty it is well noted by the History that the Fathers might sometimes by accommodating their exhortations to the people as the occasion required represse the insolency of such as were presumptuous and vainly confident in the assurance of their saluation howsoeuer they continued in sinne whereas the Fathers in their maine discourses of faith speake most clearely in the confirmation of the certainty of iustification as we shall see hereafter Come wee now to Vega's incounters with the certainty of faith he takes great paines to beate the ayre what with answering what with vrging arguments for his Pontifician Goddesse Vncertainty now an Article of Romes faith Hee vndertakes according to his rare dexterity to answer all opposites and to expound or moderate the meaning of such authorities as are alledged out of the Scriptures or Fathers making them by some pretty quaint distinction to speake iust as him listeth The first place he bringeth for his vncertainty is out of Iob 9. 20. If I iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne mee if I say I am perfect it shall also proue me peruerse Vega makes much adoe about this place fending and prouing but the very sight of the Text is sufficient to confute his folly in applying it to his vncertainty of iustification when as this place doth giue such a deadly wound to their iustification it selfe by their inherent righteousnesse which holy Iob here vtterly disclaimeth But doth Iob here vtter one syllable of the vncertainty of his faith in God his Sauiour and Redeemer Nay doth he not protest the contrary Though he slay mee yet will I trust in him And vers 18. Behold now I haue ordered my cause I know that I shall be iustified Who is he that will pleade with mee What clearer testimony could this holy man giue of his strong confidence and assurance of his iustification by faith in God So that I maruaile Vega would at all meddle with the example of Iob who throughout his booke is such a cleare mirrour of a true beleeuer whose faith is fortified with all confidence and assurance sauing that hee can easily impute Iobs certainty to a speciall reuelation and not to the property of faith But let not Vega with his iugling by casting a false myst think so easily to eclipse the clear beames of truth With the like successe he is tampering with Dauid and Salomon He alledgeth that of Dauid Who can vnderstand his errors Hereupon he inferreth if a man doe not know his sins how can he be sure of his iustification To this allegation we neede vse no other answer but Bernards exposition which Vega himselfe both obiecteth and takes vpon him to answer that these words of Dauid are vnderstood onely of veniall sinnes not of mortall This Vega confessing to be verisimile very probable and likely to be true yet answereth that seeing mortall sinnes are more truely and properly sinnes and do more defile the soule than veniall sinnes why should these words bee restrained onely to veniall sinnes I will not now enter into a discussion of veniall and mortall sinnes a distinction most grosly and impiously abused by the Pontificians but this I say that according to the iudgement of Pontificians of veniall sinnes they must needes confesse that these words of Dauid must bee meant onely of veniall sinnes that is such as the Pontificians call veniall The very word in the vulgar Latine will beare no other sense Delicta which signifieth slippes or errors or certaine defects and omissions such as the Pontificians ranke amongst their veniall sinnes But this place of Dauid makes nothing at all against certainty of faith For what if a man yea the holiest man if Dauid doe not know his sinnes his slippes and errors yet while he complaines hereof and confesseth them in generall vnto God praying O cleanse thou me from my secret faults what hindreth but that God cleansing him from all his faults should seale vnto him the certainty of the remission of all his sins apprehended by a liuely faith As Dauid saith in the 32. Psalme Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered c. But how shall a man come to be certaine of this his blessednesse Dauid instanceth it in himselfe vers 5. I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquity haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne How did Dauid know that God had forgiuen his sinnes seeing he saith peremptorily Thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne Did not Dauid know this by the certainty of faith Vega I know hath his answer at his fingers ends and will say that Dauid came to know this eyther by speciall diuine reuelation or else by Nathans pronouncing Dauids absolution saying The Lord hath put away thy sinne Yea but Dauid tels vs in the next words that this was not his case alone but it was common to euery godly man in particular For this saith Dauid shall euery one that is godly pray vnto thee in a time when thou mayst be found that is Euery godly man should haue the like comfortable successe vpon his repentance as Dauid had and say with confidence as Dauid did Thou forgauest the transgression of my sinne But Vega suspecting the strength of the Father's authority he addes thereto the Sonnes to wit Salomons Pro. 20. 9. Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am pure from my sin Quis Who
And hereby wee know that wee are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him And vers 14. We know that we haue passed from death vnto life because we loue the brethren Yea this is such a badge as all men may know vs to belong to Christ Iohn 13. 35. By this shall all men know that yee are my Disciples if yee haue loue one to another Another seale of the certainty of Faith is affliction for Christs cause Hereupon the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 1. 5. As the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And hereupon hee groundeth the certainty of his hope not onely touching himselfe but also the Corinthians themselues vers 7. And our hope of you is stedfast knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings so shall you be also of the consolation Yea the afflictions which Gods children suffer for Christ are occasions and meanes to fasten our faith the more surely vpon God as vers 9. We had the sentence of death in our selues that we should not trust in our selues but in God which raysed the dead The Apologue of the Traueller may be a Morall vnto vs in this matter The Sun and the Winde plaid each their part by turnes to see which could first cause the wayfaring man to cast his cloake off The Winde blowing and blustring vpon him caused him to buckle it closer to him but the Sun working vpon him with his warme rayes at length made him weary of his weede and to cast it aside So preualent are the blasts of afflictions to cause the Christian Pilgrim to buckle his mantle of Faith closer vnto him when as the flattering gleames of outward prosperity doe cause often times a feeble fainting in the soule To this purpose the Apostle saith excellently 2. Cor. 4. 8. We are troubled on euery side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despaire persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but not destroyed Alwayes bearing about in the bodie the dying of the Lord Iesus The Apostle keepes his Cloake close about him for all the storme that the life also of Iesus might be made manifest in our mortall flesh And vers 16. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for vs a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glorie For our suffering with and for Christ is a sure token of our reigning with him Rom. 8. 17. If so be that we suffer with him we shall also bee glorified together with him Hereupon the Apostle reioyceth yea and glorifieth in this behalfe 2. Thes. 1. 4. We our selues glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye indure which is a manifest token of the righteous iudgement of God that yee may bee counted worthy of the Kingdome of God for which ye also suffer seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall be reuealed from Heauen with his mighty Angels c. And Rom. 5. 1. c. Therefore being iustified by Faith wee haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also we haue accesse by Faith into this grace wherein we stand and reioyce in hope of the glory of God And not onely so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. So that by these places of holy Scripture wee may note what a strong euidence and assurance of saluation a faithfull man receiueth from the vse of afflictions such as he suffereth especially for Christs cause They are infallible tokens vnto vs of Gods righteous iudgement to come yea they are the very Characters of Christ. As the same Apostle saith Gal. 6. 17. From henceforth let no man trouble me for I beare in my body the markes of the Lord Iesus As if the Apostle had said Let no man go about to disturbe my Faith or to trouble and blunder the clear chrystall fountaine of that Euangelicall Doctrine which I haue both preached and practised with the mixtures of legall Ceremonies and carnall Rites for I am ready to seale vp with my dearest bloud this my Faith and Doctrine bearing already about in my body the ignominious markes as the world accounts them of the Lord Iesus as the most certaine seales and testimonies of my reioycing in Christ Iesus by which reioycing I dye daily In a word the afflictions of Christ are the Christians high-way to Heauen Acts 14. 22. Paul confirmed the soules of the Disciples by exhorting them to continue in the Faith concluding that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdome of God So that a Christian asking the way by which he must trauell to the Kingdome of Heauen his Country and being told that the way through which he must passe is a very narrow and strait passage incumbred with many difficulties and dangers strowed with thornes and bryars beset with band-dogs and wilde beasts crawling with serpents and snakes and lying through a barren and desolate desert where hee must looke to finde but hard entertainment suffer much hunger and thirst cold and nakednesse c. will not this Christian Traueller meeting with such signes and tokens of his way chawked out vnto him aforehand perswade himselfe that he is now in the right way to his Countrey Whereas if hee meete with pleasant pathes through fertile fields and bespangled meadowes and pleasant groues and chrystall riuelets to refresh and delight him and in stead of saluage wilde beasts and serpents finde courteous entertainment and kinde vsage of the Natiues and Patriots of the Country may he not iustly suspect he is out of his way For as one saith Non est ad astra mollis è terris via The passage from earth to Heauen is not strowed with Roses Afflictions then being the way to Gods Kingdome the Christian mans Country it is a strong euidence that he is one of Gods Sons and Children whom the Father thus chasteneth as the Apostle saith Another meanes to strengthen our Faith in the certainty of it concerning saluation is our manifold infirmities a thing not more strange than true For as the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 12. 10. When I am weake then am I strong Therefore saith he I take pleasure in infirmities most gladly therefore will I reioyce in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may rest vpon me Now the reason why our infirmities and weaknesses doe tend to our further strengthning in Grace and Faith is not out of the nature and property of infirmities but because they driue vs from
thy wayes and sinners shall be conâ—erâ—â—d vnto thee So that this is the vp-shot of all this discourse of Salomon to giue God the glory in Salomons repentance and in his choosing of him to bee both a Patterne and a Preacher of repentance to the world If I haue beene longer herein than perhaps may seeme sutable to the present purpose I must craue pardon although I shall not repent me if by this means I shall be any occasion of conuerting any young Alipius from the Circensian pleasures of this vaine world to the imitation of Salomons repentance as St. Augustine thanked God for hauing beene a meanes of conuerting Alipius from the Circensian games wherewith he had been so bewitched Which saith Augustine was vpon this occasion Alipius being present at one of my Rhetoricke Lectures in Carthage I tooke occasion being offered to delight my Auditory with a Simile taken from the Circensian games wherewith Alipius being taken Augustine confesseth Tu scis Deusnoster quod tunc de Alipio de illa peste sanando non cogitauerim Thou knowest O God that at that time I did not so much as think of curing Alipius of that pestilentiall disease Or as the same Augustine contrary to his vsuall manner hauing made a digression besides his intention from his purpose was as it were by Gods all-directing prouident hand led out of his owne way to reduce a wanderer into the right way For by his digression hee was a meanes to conuert one Firmus a Merchant but a Manichee vnto the true Faith Possid in vita August cap. 15. But to returne to our purpose Notwithstanding the Book of Ecclesiastes bee a most cleere euidence of Salomons repentance sith it cannot be denied to be his both by the title of it and the whole passage of the booke yet Vega labours tooth and naile to make a Reprobate of him One of his reasons is because the Scripture makes no mention of his repentance as of Dauids But I hope the booke of Ecclesiastes he will allow to be Scripture But shall we take all those for Reprobates whose sinne the Scripture recordeth but makes no mention of their repentance What then shall become of holy Moses whose infidelity at Meribah in not honouring the Lord by his obedience and faith is recorded in Scripture yea so as there is not onely no mention of his repentance but as if his sinne remained vnpardoned and hee deceased in Gods displeasure he was not suffered to come into the land of Canaan for that very cause Did not therefore Moses repent him of his sinne or dyed he in Gods displeasure or must hee not come into the Kingdome of Heauen whereof Canaan was a type But Vega prosecuting the matter very eagerly alledgeth also his proofes not onely out of Ecclesiasticus to no purpose but not a word of Ecclesiastes but also out of St. Augustine Cyprian who indeed doe speake somewhat difficultly and doubtfully of Salomon as making his example a matter of terrour and so it is no doubt But there are also other Fathers to counterballance them for the Doctrine of small falling away from grace we shall see their iudgements at large Yet at length Vega himselfe is willing to condeseend so farre to indifferency herein as he is content to waue the matter so it be granted that though Salomon did repent whereof there are such pregnant proofes yet at least his example of falling may confute as hee saith Iouinian that denyed the iust could once fall away from the grace receiued Another example he brings of Iudas who saith hee had once grace and fell away from it For Iudas was in the state of grace at what time he was chosen to be an Apostle else he had not bin admitted to that dignity And that hee both had and lost this grace Christ proueth saying Of those whom thou gauest mee haue I lost none but the sonne of perdition So Vega. But tell mee Vega what grace had Iudas when he was chosen to be an Apostle Had hee the true grace of iustification whereby he was accepted with God Where proue you this You might remember your Schoole distinction which may well enough be admitted to wit of gratia gratis data and gratia gratum saciens the first a grace freely giuen to enable men to the worke of the Ministery and such like whereof Christ speaketh Freely you haue receiued freely giue but the other is that grace which makes a man accepted with God through Christ whereof the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 1. â— where hauing spoken in the Verse before of Gods predestinating vs vnto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will he addeth To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made vs accepted in the beloued c. Now Iudas being made an Apostle had the former grace giuen vnto him to enable him to preach and doe miracles and to discharge the duety of an Apostle but the other grace to make him accepted in the Beloued according to Gods eternall purpose in predestination whereof the Apostle there speaketh we deny that euer Iudas had that grace Yea Vega himselfe confesseth that Iudas was not of the number of the predestinate to life eternall but that notwithstanding he had the grace of iustification Vnlesse Vega equiuocates in the word Grace meaning onely a certaine fauour of God towards Iudas in making choice of him to be an Apostle If Vega meane so we grant that it was a great fauour indeed but that Iudas was so in the grace and fauour of God as to be adopted for one of his Children and so accepted in his beloued Sonne we vtterly deny nor can Vega with all his Sophistry euer proue it Christ saith indeed Of them whom thou hast giuen mee I haue lost none but the sonne of perdition Was Iudas then giuen to Christ by his Father in such a speciall manner as the rest of the Apostles were who were also holy and elect vessels of mercy Gods giuing there vnto Christ is in a twofold respect to be considered First as all the Twelue were Apostles so God gaue them all to Christ without difference to serue him in the ministery of the Gospell For the wickedest Apostle or Minister of the Gospell hath as great power and authority giuen him to execute his function as the holiest of all The wicked Scribes and Pharisees must bee heard with all attention and reuerence sitting in Moses Chaire that is teaching Moses Doctrine But secondly the Twelue were giuen to Christ as men and so they were giuen in a most different respect and to a diuers end Our Sauiour saith Haue not I chosen you Twelue and one of you is a Deuill Iudas was a Deuill that is a deuillish man a Deuill incarnate as we vse to say of a most wicked man when God gaue him to Christ and as a man a wicked man hee was giuen to Christ to be his Minister that
speakes properly and iudiciously in applying the Scriptures none is more cleare than hee in this matter So that in the very same Sermon out of which Vega pickes so much matter as he thinkes makes for him Bernard doth confute Vega's mis-conceit of his meaning confirming that truth which wee auouch For where Vega leaues off Bernard goes on and saith Propter hoc data sunt sign a quaedam indiâ—ia manifestas salutis vt indubitabiâ—e sit eum esse de numero Electorum in quo ea signa perman serint Propter hoc inquam ques praesciuit Deus praedestinauit conformes fieri imaginis Filij sui vt quibus certitudinem negat causa sollicitudinis vâ—l fiduciam praestet gratia consolationis For this cause saith he there are certaine signes and manifest tokens of saluation giuen that it might be indubitable out of all doubt that he is of the number of the Elect in whom these signes doe abide For this cause I say whom God foreknew he also predestinated to bee made conformable vnto the image of his Sonne that to whom the cause of sollicitude or fearfulnesse doth deny certainty the grace of consolation might giue euen a confident assurance So Bernard Whence we see that whereas immediatly before he had said that which Vega alledgeth for his owne purpose alledging authorities of Fathers as Satan did the Scriptures by peece-meale Generationem istam quis eâ—arrabit c. Who shall declare that Generation to wit of Gods Children whereby they are both begotten and preserued in grace that they cannot fall away as Bernard there excellently sheweth Quis potest dicere Ego de electis sum c. Who can say I am one of the elect I am one of the predestinate to life I am of the number of Sonnes Quis hâ—t inquam c. Who I say can say these things the Scriptures gain-saying Nescit homo c. Man knoweth not whether he be worthy of loue or hatred Whereupon he addes Certitudinem vtique non habemus sed spei fiducia consolatur nos ne dubitationis huius anxietate penitus cruciemur We haue not certainty but God doth comfort vs with a confidence of hope lest we should be altogether tormented with anxiety of doubting Thus farre Vega alledgeth out of Bernard But note here Bernard speakes not of vncertainty in regard of faith but in regard of humane frailty which he cals the cause of sollicitude or fearfulnesse and so he concludes not leauing Gods Children in a miserable vncertainty sith they haue many infallible and manifest signes and tokens of their saluation that they are without all doubt in the number of Gods elect hauing the grace of consolation to make them confident that they are predestinate to bee made conformable to the Image of the Sonne of God although they want not in the meane time the clogs of carnall infirmities that doe often impeach and checke their Cheery and Christian confidence while the beames of faith are ouer-clouded with the vanishing vapours of fleshly feare vntill the storme of the afflicted and conflicting conscience be ouer and the cloud wasted by the prepotent sunne-beames of grace which will not long be eclipsed or suspended from shining vpon the faithfull soule But of Bernards authority for the point of certainty more clearely anon where his eyes are not dazeled or deceiued by a false light at least by a mis-apprehension and mis-application of the true light Now to conclude Vega's arguments from the 11. Chapter to the end of his 12. Booke he yeeldeth thus farre That a man may come by some signes to haue some probable coniecture and opinion of his predestination and perseuerance in grace The title of his 11. Chapter is in these words Ex beatitudinibus Euangelicis probabilis potest colligi nostrae alâ—orum praedestinationis seu perseuerantiae opinio By the Euangelicall beatitudes there may bee gathered a probable opinion of our owne and others predestination or perseuerance And those seuerall beatitudes hee mustereth vp in so many Chapters to the end of the Booke as Humility Meeknesse Mourning Hunger and Thirst after righteousnesse c. as they are laid downe Matth. 5. in all which Chapters Vega doth but fight with his owne shadow where wee leaue him and come to the Catholicke truth CHAP. XVII Of the certainty of Catholicke and true iustifying Faith in regard of the certainty of predestination vnto grace and perseuerance therein vnto glory BEing now by Gods grace to speake of the certainty of sauing Faith in regard of predestination and perseuerance that we may not seeme to build without laying first a foundation it is requisite first of all to lay downe the true state of the Doctrine of predestination as wee finde it reuealed in the Scriptures And so much the rather because the Pontificians haue so miserably mangled it seeking by their cunning vnderminings to blow vp wherein they are very expert Pioners and so to throw downe the most goodly frame of Christian Faith like those their typicall Babylonian Edomites who said of Ierusalem the type of Gods Church and Chosen Raze it Raze it euen to the foundation thereof For the Church of Christ consisting of all the Elect is mainly founded vpon the eternall decree of Gods predestination So that in this case wee are not to forbeare to speake the truth because carnall minded men haue from time to time carped and cauelled at this Doctrine as wee reade in the Councell of Trent For as St. Augustine saith Nuâ— propter malâ—s vel frigidâ—s huius sententiae nempe praedest â—â—ationis veritas deserenda aut ex Euangelio delenda putabitur Dicatur verum maximè vbi aliqua quaestio vt dicatur impâ—llâ—t capianâ— qui possunt ne forte cum tacetur propter eos qui capere non possunt non solum veritate fraâ—dentur verumetiam falsitate capâ—â—â—tur qui verum capere quâ— capiatur falsitas possunt that is Is the truth of this Doctrine â—o wit of predestination to bee for saken or shall it be thought worthy to be cancelled out of the Gospell because of those that are wicked and cold Let the truth bee spoken especially where any question doth inforce it to be spoken that they may receiue it who are capable of it leâ—t haply when it is concealed in regard of those that are not able to receiue it they who are capable of the truth whereby falshood may be detected be not only defrauded of the truth but may be taken with falshood And a little after Nonne potius est dicendum verum vt qui potest capere capiaâ— quam â—â—cendum vt non solum id ambo non capiant verâ—â—â—eâ—iâ—m qui est intelligentior ipse sit peior Instat inimicus gratiae atque vrget modis omnibus vt credatur secundum merita nostra dari ac sic gratia iâ—â— non sit gratia Et nos nolumus dicere quod teste Scriptur◠〈◊〉 dicere timemus enim videlicet
it be said that the Doctrine of the faith of the Church of England is any other than the Doctrine of the Catholick faith which is built vpon the holy Scriptures the onely adaequate obiect and rule of Catholike faith Now the ground and foundation of perseuerance in grace vnto the end is the eternall decree and act of Gods good pleasure and will in predestinating and electing a certaine number of men out of the corrupt masse of mankinde to be saued in and through Iesus Christ. So that the certainty of perserance of the elect Saints depends vpon the immutability of that foundation of God which stands sure and hath Gods seale vpon it The Lord knoweth who are his And it is worth the noting yea very materiall for the vnderstanding of the scope of the Apostle in that place to obserue the words immediatly going befoee vers 18. where speaking of the heresie of Hymeneus and Philetus by whose meanes the faith of some was ouerthrowne and ieast some hereupon might conclude that therefore Gods elect may fall away from faith the Apostle preuents or at least remoues that obiection inferring in the next words Neuerthelesse the foundation of God stands sure c. Yea this foundation of God stands so sure as that it stands not idle and empty but still in all ages in all places where Christ is preached the elect are effectually called and built vpon it vntill the full and finall consummation of the holy and heauenly Temple of God So that as the Apostle saith Whom God did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also iustified and whom hee iustified them hee also glorified Note here the golden chaine of mans saluation Our glorification is chained to our iustification our iustification to our effectuall vocation our effectuall vocation iustification glorification begunne here in grace and consummate hereafter in glory are all chained inseparably to predestination Gods foundation Whereupon S. Augustine saith Quos praedestinauit ipsos vocauit illa scilicet vocatione secundum propositum non ergo alios sed quos praedestinauit ipsos vocauit nec alios sed quos ita vocauit ipsos iustificauit nec alios sed quos praedestinauit vocauit iustificauit ipsos glorificauit illo vtique fine qui non habet finem Whom he predestinated them he also called to wit with that calling which is according to his purpose therefore none else but whom hee predestinated them he also called nor any others but whom he so called them he also iustified nor any others but whom he hath predestinated called iustified them he hath also glorified vnto the end that hath no end And De fide ad Petrum Diaconum cap. 3. Illi cum Christo regnabunt quos Deus gratuita bonitate sua praedestinauit ad Regnum quoniam tales praedestinando praeparauit vt Regno digniessent praepatauit vtique secundum propositum vocando◠vt obediant praeparauit iustificandos vt accepta gratia rectò credant bene viuant praeparauit etiam glorificandos vt Christi cohaeredes effecti Regnum coelorum sine fine possideant They shall reigne with Christ whom God of his free goodnesse hath predestinated to the Kingdome for because by predestinating he hath prepared such that they should be worthy of the Kingdome he hath prepared them to be called according to his purpose that they should obey hee hath prepared them to be iustified that hauing receiued grace they should beleeue aright and liue well he hath prepared them also to be glorified that being made coheires with Christ they might possesse the Kingdome of heauen without end Thus we see the maine reason of the Saints perseuerance in grace vnto the end is grounded vpon the immutability of Gods election So that the enemies of the truth and of Gods glory and louers of their owne glory know well enough that their Doctrine of vncertainty and of falling away from grace cannot stand so long as Gods foundation remaineth sure therefore they haue laboured tooth and nayle to vndermyne and blow vp this foundation of God that so men might be as a tottering house built vpon the sand or as a Ship without an anchor tossed vp and downe and running vpon the danger of euery rocke and shelue as St. Iames compares the faithlesse man to the winde-driuen waue Iames 1. 6. Now as God hath preordained and elected vs as to the end of our saluation so to the meanes ordinary and conditionall the Word and Sacraments whereby wee should be in time effectually called to imbrace by faith the onely absolute meanes of our saluation Iesus Christ in whom we are elected and by whom we are mightily saued So also hee hath ordained and appointed vs vnto holinesse of life and conuersation wherein we should walke and perseuere vnto the end of this life as it is in the definition For good workes being the proper immediate and necessary fruits of iustifying Faith they become also the ordinary high-way to the Kindgome They are via Regni though not causa Regnand◠the way of the Kingdome but not the cause of making vs Kings Hereupon the Apostle saith Ephes. 1. 4. That God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue And Chapt. 2. 10. We are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in them Here the Apostle speakes of the new creature of the regenerate man created or re-created in Christ Iesus created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes that we should walke in them For the good workes of a regenerate man as they are euidences of true faith so they are excellent meanes to preserue vs from falling and to make vs perseuere in grace vnto the end Therfore St. Peter saith 2. Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore Brethren the rather giue diligence to make your calling and election sure for if yee doe these things ye shall neuer fall These things namely such as hee spake of in the fift sixt and seuen Verses to wit all kinde of good workes For so saith he an entrance shall be ministred vnto you aboundantly into the euerlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Obiect But some will here obiect that for as much as the Apostle doth vse If here as putting the assurance of our election vpon Ifs and And 's therefore if a man continue not to doe these things he shall fall and so consequently the assurance of our perseuerance is only conditionall So that it rests in vs eyther to stand or fall from grace Answ. For answer hereunto True it is that the aduersaries of this truth catch at all shadowes whereby they may any way obscure this cleare Doctrine that so all men might remaine still in the shadow of death as Adam would haue done when he thought to hide himselfe from God by taking shrowd vnder the shadowie trees