our iustification is the materiall cause vvhich is the death and passion of our Saviour Christ Ps 49.78 by vvhose obedience fulfilling of the lawe perfect righteousnes is purchased for vs the third cause is the formall cause or instrumentall cause which is faith alone without good workes which faith only appreheÌ„deth Christ our righteousnesse These three causes the Apostle coÌ„preheÌ„deth in one verse saying So God loved the world Ioh 3.16 1. Ioh 4.9 that he seat his only begotteÌ„ son that who so beleeveth in him shold not perish but haue life everlasting VVhere you see the efficient cause to be Gods mercie the materiall cause to be the incarnation of Christ redeeming vs by his satisfaction of the law sustaining the punishment due to our sinne Rom. 2.23 24.25.26 and faith the instrumentall cause apprehending the righteousnes of Christ The finall cause the fourth and last is the glory of God as the Apostle saith Ephes 2.7 that his goodnes and kindnesse might bee shewed Heere you see the scripture teacheth that these foure aboue mentioned are the only causes of our iustification good works haue no place among them Now albeit wee thus teach beeing so taught by the vvorde of God Iuel in apo Par. 2. cap. 20. Calvin instit libr. 3. cap. 14 sect 21. Zanch. de attributis dei Reinolds Apol. p. 263 Buchan instit theo de bonis oper p. 344. Pet Mart. coÌ„mon plac classe 3 de conf christ sect 8. c. 11. Rom. 10.10 Fox de christo gratis iustifi lib. 2 pag 398. Fulk annot in 2. Iacobi 12. Remenses in annot ad Collos cap. 1 24. yet we doe not as the Papists slaunder vs vilifie good workes or make no account of them wee ascribe vnto them as much as truth will permitte vs we hold they are secundary causes of our glorification nay wee stand more for the necessity of them to salvation then doe the Papists wee hould that no man can bee saved without them according to the ordinary dispensation of the graces of God VVe hold he that delighteth and continueth in sinne shall be condemned according to that of the Prophet Ezechiel 18.20 The soule that sinneth that soule shall die But the Papists hould not this necessitie of good works but if a maÌ„ want good workes he may be saved notwithstanding provided alwaies that hee giue sufficient money to the Pope for his generall * The more mony you giue the more sins shal be paâ—doned GraftoÌ„ it the 6. yea of Richarâ— the 2. Anâ— Do. 1382 Froistart Fabian Gall. 6.5 Ps 49.7 pardon for they teach that al the works of supererogation are in the custodie of the Pope at whose sole pleasure they may be disposed of vvhich works of supererogation such foolish virgins that want oyle in their lamps may buy of the Pope Thus teach the divines of Rhems contrary to the word of God vvhich saith every one shall beare his owne burthen and in another place the redemption of a mans soule is so precious a thing that no man can redeeme it by any meanes or giue a ransome to god for it This doctrin of the scripture which overthroweth the Popes pardons indulgeÌ„ces they cannot beare with it brought Luther much trouble yea daunger of his life because he vvas so bolde to discover this conicatching tricke of pardoning malefactors with Popes Buls and such trash nay to increase the Popes gaines they faine that he hath authoritie to free meÌ„ from tormentes after they are departed this life flat against the vvorde of God and what els is the cause why they so impudentlye affirme that manye of their Saintes haue done many vvorkes of supererogation yea haue sustained greater affliction then their sinnes dâ—served but onely to make the simple beleeue that these works and these afflictions are laide vp in store vvith the Pope for those that haue no works and that hee may make them rich in good works yea though they be dead already Whereas if in deede they stood so much for good works for zeale to good works not for filthy luker they would not secretly vndermine the doctrine of the necessity of good vvorks to salvation as they do seeking secretly to root out this necessary point of doctrin to salvation cleane out of the mindes of men That they would not haue this doctrine taught it is manifest though they woulde not haue their practise known in their Index expurg in which they discover their minde where shewing amongst other thinges vvhat they wold haue blotted out in Froben Index to S. Austines workes they commande that these words must be blotted out opera et siâ—con iustificent sunt tamen ad salutem necessaria to 4. Col. 599. b. c. These wordes must be blotted out for say they Augustinus hoc non dicit sed tantum excludit merita iustificationis Where first you see they like not this doctrin of the necessity of good works to salvation Secondly you may see that heere secretly they acknoweledge that S. Augustine is against them in the matter of iustificatioÌ„ excluding works to haue any strok in it which publikely they wil not confesse Pap. What tell you me of a blinde book I never heard of any such booke before neither can I beleeue that there is anye such book Sc. If you doubt of it if please you I wil let you see it You might easily disprooue me if it vvere not true but the book is common now in every stationers-shop Pap. S'r pray sir holde the Scholler vvith some talke whilest I slip behinde for I am weary of him Gall. I will I pray sir what pretence make they thus to deale with ancient writers For I doubt not but they will pretende some reason of their doing Scholl So they doe they pretende that heretikes corrupted the ancient writers and that they do now but rectifie them againe but vnder the name of rectifying them they make them speak as pleaseth theÌ„ Out of some writers they take out whole tracts sometimes they alter their words sometimes they leaue out words sometimes they blot out words and sentences lest forsooth they might be a scandâ—ll to the weake But where is the other gentlemaÌ„ Gall. He is behinde Scholl What 's the matter Is he not well pray let vs stay for him Stay pray it may bee he may neede our helpe Gall. Come come he would not haue vs stay Scholl Why why Gall. Since you will needes know you haue put him out of his humour He stayes of purpose Scholl If that be the matter I am not sory for that I haue done if he never come againe to his humor he will never be the worse man for albeit he said he woulde but repeate that which hee had heard amongst the Catholikes as hee tearmed them yet me thought he spake not without some passions as if he had spoken froÌ„ his hart Gall. Well sir since vvee are novve come to Oxford I thanke you for your coÌ„pany when
in Christ Now least the wicked as many of them do should challendge a part in Christ hee shevveth who are in Christ saying who liue not after the flesh but after the spirite that vvholly yeelde not themselues as slaues to their carnal lusts but such as delighte in a spirituall life conformable to the vvorde of God They then that shal be saved must haue some inherent sanctification And in an other place he shevveth that they vvho are appointed to inherite the kingdome of God are by the goodnes of God preordained that they shall liue a godly life before they shall enter into the kingdome of God saying we are the workemanship of God created in Iesus Christ vnto good vvorkes which God hath ordained Eph. 2.10 that vve should liue in them If God hath preordained that they who shal inherit his kingdome shal liue a godly life bringing forth good works so that as our Saviour saith by their fruits you shall know them Mat. 7.16 howe can anye hope to bee saved vvithout good vvorks This point that they vvhich shall bee saved shall liue a godly life is so manifest in the scripture as nothing more The Lorde himselfe protesteth concerninge these That he will put his feare in their heartes Ier. 32 4â— Ezec. 11.19.20 cap. 36.26 that they shall never depart from him and that he will put a new spirit in their bowels take away their stony harts out of their bodies will giue them a heart of flesh that they may walke in his statuts Yea the care of observing the wil of God in the elect shal be such and so eminent that whosoeuer seeth them shall knowe them therby Esay 61. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud and the garden causeth that which is sowen in it to grow so will the Lord cause righteousnes to grow in them saith the Prophet And our Saviour saith Ioh. 14.2 24. â—f any loue mee he vvil keepe my commandements but he that loveth me not keepeth not my commandements And againe he saith â—oh 13.35 by this shal all men know that yee are my disciples if yee keepe my commandementâ—s A second reason Second reason may be giveÌ„ why God will not receiue those vvho defer their conversion to God by newnesse of life vntil the last gasp hoping that that will be sufficient if they cal for mercy then Because our Saviour doeth pronounce this general proposition Mat 10.33 that he that deâ—ieth him before men he will denie him before his father in heaven now such as liue vngodly vvithout a care of doing the wil of the Lord though they professe him in their mouths 1 Sam 2.12 Tit 1.16 They professe thâ—y know god but by their work they deny him 2. Tim. 3. â— yea though they beleeue and acknowledge all the Articles of the Creed yea haue knowledge of the Scripturs yet if they liue vngodly they deny God and therefore shal be denied if you will bee tryed by the Scripture vvho so defineth of them as denyers of God A thirde reason why they shal not be received Third reason who deferre their conversion vnto God vntill their departing out of this life is because it is not possible that then they can haue a true repentance Mark 1.4 Calvinsti lib 3 cap 3 seâ—t 3 5. sequent For a true repentance cannot be without his essential parts one essential part whereof â—â— â—ewnes of life what newnes of life can they haue vvho are departing this life That this newnes of life is an essential part of true repentance it is manifest by the doctrine of Iohn the Baptist preaching repentaÌ„ce Mat 3.8 Act 26.1.19.20 who wheÌ„ he saw the Pharisies resort to his baptism of repentance men reposing theÌ„selues wholy on the faith of their father Abraham saith vnto them say not within your selues we haue Abraham to our Father but bring forth fruites worthy amendement of life for every tree that bringeth not foorth good fruite is hewen downe cast into the fier it is not sufficient to feare God for so did Pharaoh It is not sufficient to be sorie for that which is past for so was Caine Esaw and Iudas nay Iudas went farther he was not only sorie for that which was past but also coÌ„fessed his sinne acknowledged the Innocencie of Christ and restored his vnlavvfull gotten goods having heerein a better conscience theÌ„ many cruel oppressors in these daies vvho come shorte of him in this point yet was it not a true repentaunce so did the Emperour Maximinus who tyraÌ„nically dealt with the Christians Euseb lib. 8. c. 17. 18. vntill he fel into a sore disease as he thought past recovery then in his sicknesse bethinking himselfe how cruelly hee had handled the Christians perswading himselfe that he was punished with that soare disease for his cruelty against them presently he commaunded edictes to be given out vvith all expedition that the Christians should bee dealte with in al curteous manner and their goods shoulde bee restored them their Temples reaedified and desired them that they vvould pray for him vvhich beeing done hee vvas restored to his former health being recovered to health hee falleth as hotely to persecute them as ever he did So that you may see though the vvicked in such cases of extremity shew some token of repentance 1. Kings 21 27. Fourth reason Prov. 15 â— Esay 1.14 Psa 66.18 Psa 62. â—2 Mat. 16 17 Rom 2.6 Rev. 22.12 as also did Ahab Yet it is but a bastarde repentance it proceedeth only of feare and not of loue and therfore cannot bee accepted as a true repentance A fourth reason why such shall not be receiued is because their praier is an abhomination vnto the Lord much lesse accepted of as it hath beene proved before The fift reason The first reason Rom. 2. is because God wiâ—â— iudge every man according to hiâ— works And lastly true repentaÌ„ce is not in the power of man but a special gift of God The sixt reason Iames 1. bestowed onlie on the elect vvho alway haue his true feare in them so that they â—un not into such excesse of siâ— as the wicked doe 1. Ioh. 3.9 because they are borne of God and haue alwaies his seed in th m Gal. You say wel repentance is the gift of God it is not in my power it is God say you that putteth his spirit in his elect which causeth theÌ„ to liue a godly life far better then other meÌ„ If theÌ„ I liue â—ot as they do blame me nor when God shâ—l put that holy spiâ—it in mee vvhich will make me willing to keepe his law I shall then lâ—ue as honestly as they but yet I haue it not Scholl It is said in the scripture Prov. 19.3 the foolish â—erverteth his own waies his hart freeteth against the Lorde when Adam had foolishly consented to his wife â—o eate the forbidden fruit he concealeth his owne fault
like maÌ„ner doth our Saviour vse these wordes for or because in the place you alleage for the merit of good works namely he signifieth the necessary consequution of good workes to abound in those that are predestinated to eternal life Mat. 19.28 â—oh 14.23 For as a badge or cognizaÌ„s point out the maÌ„ that weares it whose man hee is or as a Friers weede be it blacke or gray causeth men to take theÌ„ that weare them to be a black or a gray Frier because it is a vveede peculier to their order So are the charitable workes of the elect so eminent in them that thereby as by badges they are distinguished from other men for hee will glorifie none but whom he first sanctifieth Coloss 3.10 Ezech. 44.7.10 Rom. 12.1 1. Thess 5.23 Ioh. 13.35 1. Ioh. 3.9.10 Eph. 4.24 Ioh. 8.39 by their fruites you shall knowe them By this charitablenes one towards another are the true Disciples of our Saviour knowne from other men By this our Saviour Christ disproveth the vvicked Ievves not to be the sonnes of faithfull Abraham If saith he ye were the sonnes of Abraham you would do the workes of Abraham herevpon is it that our Saviour saith come inherit the kingdome prepared for you by your good workes charitable deeds as by badges you haue shevved your selues to be those men for whom it was prepared Your deedes haue shewed that you are the right sons of Abraham the right cause why they enioy it our Saviour setteth downe in the same chapter namely the free mercy goodnesse of God only Mat. 25.34 saying come yee blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world this kingdome then was predestinated vnto them before they were borne before they had done good or badde neither can any maÌ„ imagine that God chose out such as he foresaw wold do good as some haue vainely imagined for in that one man liveth better then another it proceedeth of the speciall grace of God Iob would haue bin as bad as Iudas or Iulian the Apostata if the grace of God had not bettered him For not onely to do wel Phil. 2.13 but also wil wel is of the Lords speciall grace Yet further for your better satisfactioÌ„ in this point that it may plainly appeare that we caÌ„ no way ment any thing with god much lesse eternall life you must consider that in a merite there are these three things necessarily required First that that wherewith we merite Iames 1.17 be a thing of our owne not his with whom we woulde merit but good works are not our own but the graces gifts of God bestowed on vs. Secondly it is required in a true merite that that vvherevvith we woulde merite be profitable to him with whom vve would merite but there is nothing in the power of man that God staÌ„deth in neede of Luk. 17.9.10 Thirdly it is required that the thing vvherewith we would merit be of equal value with that which we would merite but there is no coÌ„parison between the best works of any of the Saints in this life Psal 16.2 and the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen Now if all these three are necessaryly required in a merite and not so much as one of these three can be found in our good vvorkes I may safelye conclude that it is impossible vvee shoulde merite anye thing at Gods hands especially seeing we are bound by the right of creation sith we are his creatures to obserue and doe his will and no man ever perfectly kept his coÌ„mandements as hee ought to do but came short of his duety much lesse did more then was his duety vvhereby hee might merite Pap. No Did never any man perfectly keepe the lavv of God This is plaine against the scripture vvhich you make the only rule of truth Iob. 1.8 God himselfe gaue testimony of Iob that hee vvas a righteous man and it is saide that David was a maÌ„ according to Gods ovvne hart Psalm 7. Yea David himselfe is not afraid to say vnto God try mee and examine mee and if there bee any fault founde in mee then let mine enemie prevaile against mee and laie mine honour in the dust surely if hee vvere not very confident that hee had perfectly kept his lavve hee would never haue spoken so boldly And is it not said of Zacharias and Elizabeth Luk. 1 6. that they were iust and without faulte The scripture is full of such speeches it is a shame for you to denye that vvhich the scripture so plainely affirmeth and yet pretende that you holde nothing but that vvhich the Scripture teacheth Scholl Stay be not too confident that the scripture is on your side and against vs that you may â—ee you haue small cause heare your places alleadged answered then vaunt if you haue iust occasion First concerning your first reason you say that God himselfe gaue testimony of Iob that he vvas a iust man therefore he absolutelie observed thâ— lavve In citing the testimonie of God of Iobs righteousnes or iustice you leaue out halfe the testimonye vvhich God giveth of him vvhich if you had recited al it would much haue made for the vnderstaÌ„ding of that place The whol testimony or title vvhich God giveth of him is this None is like Iob in all the earth Iob. 1.8 an vpright man iust one that feareth God escheweth evill Now these words import not so much as you woulde make them for they are spoken coÌ„paratiuely as if he had briefly said none on the earth is so iust or so vp right a man as Iob is This doth not import that either Iob or any else was perfectly iust yet was Iob tearmed iust and vpright not because there was nothing amisse in hâ—m Iob 9 23. 39.37 but because without hypocrisie in sincerity he feared God eschewed evil not because he had the perfect feare and loue of God but because he had the true fear of Gods by reason of his true affection in godlines not by reason of the perfection of his inhereÌ„t righteousnes A youÌ„g infant is a perfect man because he hath al the essential parts of a man body and soule yet is he farre from the perfection of a maÌ„ but daily he increaseth in perfection So had Iob true righteousnes but not the perfection of righteousnesse Concerning your second obiection that David appealed to the iustice of God if he found any fault in him theÌ„ he desired no pardon but punishmente If you had read it your selfe you would haue perceiued these vvords vvere not spoken of his whole life but onely of one falsely supposed action for being falsely accused that he went about some conspiracy against the person of king Saule he pronounceth these words Lord try me and examine mee if there be any fault found in mee speaking of the false supposed conspiracie against king Saul of the vvhich hee was altogither
me a crowne of righteousnes which the Lorde the righteous iudge at thaâ— day shall not only giue me but also to al theÌ„ that loue his appearing Surely he claymeth it as his tight for that he had kept the faith and hee saith not the mercifull iudge will giue mee but the righteous iudge vvill giue mee not as of mercy but of right Scholl True it is that life everlasting is promised as a rewarde of good works and as a due debt vnto godlynesse but no where is it said that good works do merite eternall life the word merit cannot be found in all the scriptures eternall life is the reward for godlynes of life not because good works deserue it but by the savour of God through Christ life everlasting is a due debt to those that keep Gods commaundementes perfectly because God hath promised life everlasting to such as doe keepe it but none ever absolutely kept it therfore of due vvithout the grace of God by Christ who only of right hath purchased it no maÌ„ can challendge it of due and right yet are goods works all rewarded but not of desert for what can we do vnto God whereby we may make God a debter vnto vs since all that wee can do is but our duty to him nay not so much in duety as we ought If then it pleaseth him to promise good workes a rewarde it proceedeth of his goodnes so to doe and not our desert he doth binde himself by his promise to reward good workes but good workes doe not deserue either the promise or the reward it is a debt of a bountifull promise not of a due desert CoÌ„cerning that of Paul who as you say claymeth a crown of righteousnes not as a gift but as due vnto him for his desert it may be you wil accept of the answer to this if I bring it out of a father Heare then what S. Augustin saith commenting vpon these words of Paule Aug. homil 14. Aug de gratia libero arbiâ—rio cap. 6 7. He crowneth thee saith S. Augustine O Apostle because hee crowneth his giftes and not thy merits proving it out of the Psalm where it is said he crowneth them in mercy coÌ„passioÌ„ proceeding farther saith not thee only O man whatsoever thou art but eveÌ„ thy self ô thou Apostle howe great soever thou mayst bee I haue fought a good fight it remaineth I should receiue the crown of righteousnes that is the wages nay saith Augustin for the wages thou hast no power to coÌ„mand the same at all for in thee thine ovvne vvorke goeth not alone the crovvne belongeth to God to giue it to whom he list the worke is of thee but not without his aide and helpe When as therefore thou sayest he recompenceth good deeds this is as if that he having prevented himselfe in giving of good things should retribute make recompence for them by giving fresh and new good thinges he rewardeth them but vnto such good things as he already hath given For if he hath not given them wherfore saiest thou 2. Tim. 4. I haue travelled more then they all and yet not I but the grace of God in me if he haue not given thee to finish thy race wherefore saiest thou it is not in him that vvilleth nor in him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Beare with me O Apostle saith S. Augustine I see not any thing of thine owne but that which is evill and nought pardon mee Apostle thus we affirme teach because thou hast so taught I heare thee confessing and acknowledging GODS goodnes I doe not heare thee vnthankful I do not see thee to haue any thing that thou hast prepared and gotten of thy selfe but what is evill therfore when God crowneth thy merites he crowneth nothing but his owne giftes You see now that Austen differs farre from you he plainely affirmeth Aug. de gra lib. ar 6. 7. Aug. in 141 serm de tempo Psa 16. de verbis Apost serm 5 in Psal 51. Epist. 105. that this crowne of glory or righteousnes is not of due desert but a reward given of grace he affirmeth in many other places of his workes that no man can merite of God sith all â—he goodnes that is in men are the giftes of God Pap. Well then you will not haue good workes to satisfie for any sin you deny that they merit any thing at al you deny also that any hath or may possiblie obserue the lawe of God thus you make godlinesse not to be of anie worth therfore little to be set by or regarded which is as if you shuld disswade men froÌ„ it But since now you haue discovered your opinioÌ„ of good works I will tell you what talke passed betweeen this gentlemaÌ„ me before you overtook vs he told me you stood highly vpoÌ„ good workes at which I marveiled much coÌ„sidering this age wherein all preach nothing but faith onely without good vvorkes presuming that you shoulde not much differ from other of your religion I was boulde to lay a small vvager vvith him that ere I had done with you you would speake as much against good workes as you haue done for them the which you see you haue done making theÌ„ of no value my worse then nothing even doung Scholl If you haue laide any such wager theÌ„ you haue lost For vnto him I spake so of good works that according to the ordinarie course that God vseth in saving men no man shall be saued without them but since I beganne to argue with you I haue spokeÌ„ no one word against good works but only against that false accouÌ„t you make of theÌ„ placing them in too high a roome in the place of christ ascribing that vnto them which is due only vnto Christs merites robbing Christ of his due ascribing that to vs our workes which is no way due vnto vs vvithout iniurie done vnto our Saviour Gall. As I am true gentleman well saide scholler Sir he aunswereth you right For he that saith that siluer is not as good as gold doth not discoÌ„mende silver He hath denied that false estimatioÌ„ and too high rare you make good workes to be of He hath not denied them their due praise therefore you see I haue vvonne Scholl Sir you say I account good vvorkes worse then nothing even doung blame not me for so tearming theÌ„ S â— Paule so tearmeth theÌ„ Phil. 3.8 not simply in theÌ„selues but in the matter of iustification before God vvhich only I affirme that to iustifie vs before GOD they are of no greater force theÌ„ I haue spoken The which that you may the better vnderstand you must consider that the Scripture maketh but foure causes of our iustification of the vvhich good vvorkes are none the first is the efficient cause which is only the mercy and goodnes of God in giving his only begotten sonne for the redemptioÌ„ of the world The second cause of