must freely receiue that which is from aboue of Gods free gift bringing with thee of thine only this one thing namely that thou beleeue Then which words what can more plainly impugne the doctrine of our aduersaries or shew what was the iudgement of this auncient father concerning this point But that consent and consenancy which we find in many of the Fathers as in Origen Hierom Ambrose Isichius Basil Athanasius Primasius Hillary Theodoret Bernard giuing that work to Faith only to saue or iustifie may sufficiently perswade vs how fast they held this old Religion or Romish faith that a man is iustified by faith without the works of the Law I may therfore I trust with Cyprian conclude that If Abraham beleeued God and it was accompted to him for righteousnes Euery one also that beleeueth God and liueth by Faith is found iust and is declared to be alreadie made happy and righteous in faithfull Abraham But the new Romish Religion is this That good works do merite iustification and eternall life So that by their good works they say they can satisfie for their sinnes And for this cause when at shrift they haue confessed their faults their ghostly father for so they terme him will inioine some penance vnto them wherby they tell them that they may satisfie for their sinnes and make recompence to God for them For almes and fasting saith one doth easily carie men into heauen And thus in this their new Religion they do not only expresly set themselues against that old Roman faith wherin we are taught that good workes cannot iustifie before God but also blasphemously they rob Christ of his office who is in truth onely that Lambe of GOD that taketh away the sinne of the world and is the propitiation for the same Who with one offering by offering himselfe a Sacrifice for our sins hath made perfect for euer them that are sanctified CHAP. V. ANd as this ancient faith which was then y e faith of the Romans when their faith was commended doth put vs past hope of béeing saued by our workes sait doth teach vs that this saluation is without our merit fréely bestowed vpon vs that beléeue Wee are saith S. Paule iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Whome GOD hath set forth to be a propitiation by faith in his bloud in declaring his righteousnesse by the forgiuing of sinnes that are past c. In which wordes wee see againe that our iustification is free therefore not for our workes but by grace Wée sée the meanes of this our saluation euen the redenption that is in Christ Iesus We are also taught the meanes how it is applied to vs by faith And that not simply by faith as if it were frée for vs to repose this our faith and confidence according to our owne fancy vpon any helpes that we can deuise but by faith in his bloude Then also we learne héere what is this iustification the forgiuenes of sinnes But is Christ onely profitable to them that were in his time and to vs that haue béene or are since Yes verily He declareth his righteousnes in forgiuing the sins that are past such as his chosen seruantes haue committed since the world began for so both S. Ambrose and their owne friend Tho. of Aquin séeme to vnderstand the sins that are past Which former sins or sins that are past seing it is receiued by so generall a consent of the olde translation and the interpreters I maruell that the Rhemists do leaue it out If we had so done we should haue beene cryed out vpon for falsifyers of the worde of God and deprauers of the same I woulde also aske why in translating into English they would rather retaine the Latin worde Gratis then set downe the English word Freely What was the English so plain that you could not deuise any colour that might seeme plausible to your fauorits for the maintenance of your new heresie If you thought so why giue you not glory vnto God confessing your errour that others might learne by you not to be deceiued any longer If you saw not your misliking why when you should translate and make the worde plaine doe you so hide this light vnder the close bushell of your wordes vnknowen to them that shoulde read your booke For thus our newe Masters of Rheimes do translate Iustified gratis by grace caet what these mean by translating thus let the world iudge But the summe of the auncient doctrine is this that we are iustified fréely without deseruing euen by the forgiuenes of our sinnes through faith in Christ his bloud which is gathered not onely out of the words of S. Paule by me alledged but also through out all his Epistles Which testimonyes I omit because that which is already said is so plaine and my especiall purpose is to shew what hath béene the auncient faith of the Romans As therefore we see what S. Paule taught them so let vs see if S. Peter in that his Epistle which they say he wrote from Rome haue said any thing for that point Hée saith That we are kept by faith vnto saluation And that The reward or end of our faith is the saluation of our soules And againe that Christ was shewed in these last times for your sakes saith he which by his meanes doe beleeue in God And whosoeuer shall mark how the Apostle S. Peter in that first Chapter of his first Epistle doth set forth the excellency of our hope and the redemption that we haue in Christ which is the end or reward not of our workes but of our faith yea how that Christ is shewed for vs that beléeue and that the Apostle in speaking of our saluation doth not make our workes any cause thereof but on the contrary ascribeth it wholly to Gods mercy euen to his abundant mercy apprehended by faith he must needs confesse that S. Peter hauing so good occasion to haue spoken of iustification by works yet not hauing once mentioned the same had not any purpose to deliuer that doctrine that our own works may iustify vs. But our new Romish Rabbies that haue nothing to vant themselues of but the rotten ruines of auncient Rome can abide no doctrine worse then this that wee are iustified by faith in Christ his bloud It is heresie with them to say that wee obtayne forgiuenesse of our sinnes by faith in Christ But to attribute that which onely Christes merites by his death and bloudshedding and faith apprehendeth to holy bread holy water pardons Agnus deis blessed graynes pilgrimages monkes bookes and cowles candels crossings and such like trifling trash is good deuotion and sound religion That which they call heresie we teach word for word out of the auncient doctrine of the Romans But that which they would haue the people beleeue concerning these toyes S. Paul S. Peter and S. Marke
vnto them were not onely more secure of their own estate then was for their safety but also despised the Iewes as a people so reiected as if God vnmindfull of his promise would neuer be reconciled to them again Against al which the Apostle in this Epistle teacheth that al people that beleeue of whatsoeuer cuntry or nation are freely iustified by faith in Christ And first he proueth that neither Iew nor gentile vnder which two al are comprehended can be iustifyed by doing the works of the Law because none can fulfil the Law neither the gentiles by that light of nature the Law written in their heart neither the Iewes by that knowledge of the Law that they so much bragged of And this the Apostle performeth as the diligent Reader may obserue from the xvii verse of the first Chapter vnto the xxi of the third chapter So that he flatly concludeth Therfore by the works of the Law shal no flesh be iustified Now this place being so plaine as it is against iustification by works the doctrine of merits is quite ouerthrown if some color be not deuised to auoid the force of this testimony The Romish Catholiks therfore indeuor as much as they can to make vs beléeue that those wordes must haue another sence and vnderstanding then we take them to haue but what sence that is they are not yet resolued For some say that the Apostle by the workes of the Law meaneth the works of the Ceremonial Law and in déed many of the Papists do so expound it But Master Bellarmine liketh not of that answer confesseth in plain termes that not onely the obseruation of the Law of ceremonies but also the kéeping of the moral Law is excluded from iustification but yet he would haue vs to imagine that onely such workes as are done before we beléeue are denied to iustifie vs. As for the workes that we doe after they doe iustifie and merit as they teach vs. And this their absurd opinion procéedeth of their ignorance of the intent and meaning of the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans For Master Bellarmine in the place before alledged doth affirme that the Apostle there as also in his Epistle to the Galathians goeth about to proue that none can be saued without faith or without Gods mercy which is in déed the trueth but it is not the whole trueth For he is also as carefull to take away the confidence that any had or might haue in their owne workes And because he writeth to them who had faith already for Their faith was published throughout the worlde and teacheth vs that all our reioycing by this iustification by faith in Christ is taken away but where is merit there is reioycing in our selues therfore it is plaine that the Apostle excludeth here from iustifying al works This also appeareth by the setting down the true cause of iustification By faith and remouing the wrong cause in so general termes Without the works of the Law that also the Apostle doth after in the example of Abraham All which may teach vs that S. Paule héere indeuoreth to take from all workes when soeuer we doe them all hope of being saued thereby to the end that our pryde in our owne workes being abated and our boasting taken away He that reioyceth may reioyce in the Lord. For this cause also the Apostle doth afterwards so set workes and merit against grace as if the one of them doth quite ouerthrow the other If by grace not now by workes for then grace is no more grace but if it be of workes then is it now no grace for then worke is no worke We sée then that S. Paule teaching that we cannot be iustified by workes to the end that our Iesus may be indeed a true onely and perfect Sauiour and fully saue vs from al our sins taketh away from all our doings the hope of meriting and deseruing the same And to this end the Apostle S. Peter also in the beginning of his first Epistle doth make mention of Gods aboundant mercy wherby we are not onely begotten to a liuely hope but also Kept by the power of GOD through faith vnto saluation Therefore I say hee teacheth vs that we obtaine this by Gods greate goodnesse because hee woulde not haue vs any thing to trust in our merites but in that God of all grace who will make vs perfect for our workes cannot do that that we may ascribe To him glory and dominion for euer and not to our selues or our goodnes But if any man replie that this doctrine séemeth contrarie to that which Saint Paule writeth to the Romans That God will reward euery man according to his deedes Or to that Saint Mark reporteth that our Sauiour Christ promised That he who in his name gaue a cup of cold water to drink to his seruants should not leese his reward thus I aunswere God in mercie promiseth reward to such as do his will and in mercie he likewise performeth the same not waighing the work but remembring his mercie So that herein wee may rather commend Gods faithfulnesse in kéeping his promise alwaies then estéeme of our works For who will think that a cup of cold water gyuing may be worthy of eternall life And the words of Saint Paule are plaine enough if we wrest them not out of their naturall sence For we denie not that GOD rewardeth men According to their workes And the place proueth not that GOD rewardeth them For their works and that sence onely can establish their doctrine of merites but thapostle saith there onely thus much that good workes shall haue a good reward of eternall lyfe glorie honor and peace Euill workes their due reward of wrath indignation tribulation and anguish So that according to the qualitie of their workes the qualitie I say and not the merite GOD in mercie according to his promise shall giue honour and immortalitie to them that séeke to serue him This therefore standeth still the vndoubted old faith of the Romans That by the workes of the Law there shall no flesh bee iustified in Gods sight For howsoeuer Abraham was iustified by workes before men as others also are Iustified that is declared and accompted before men iust by workes and not by Faith onely For euen Saint Bede expoundeth that place of Saint Iames for the approuing of Abrahams faith or making it to appeare yet I say Before God workes cannot iustifie And this is the auncient Roman faith receiued also and taught of the auncient Fathers both writing of this Epistle to the Romns and else where Chrisostome saith that this righteousnes is called Gods righteousnes because man cannot work it but God only And after That the Sonne hath perfected it wholie with his bloud And in another place verie notablie For thou shalt not obtaine this righteousnes by thy trauels and labours but thou
from thence And for proofe héereof let vs looke vpon some good worke and with indifferent iudgement let vs trie whether as it commeth from vs it can be perfect or not And what better worke can we finde then prayer which is that sweet sacrifice of perfume that God delighteth in If any man will say that he can offer vp vnto GOD his sacrifice without any wante or imperfection he proclaimeth thereby vnto the worlde that hee knoweth not what it is to pray or hath no feeling of his owne weakenes I speake not heere of popish prayers which are full of horrible blasphemies both in respect of him to whome they pray and of the mediatours by whome they seeke to obtaine and of the merite which they looke for because they haue numbred vp a certaine number of prayers Let the Church of Rome affoorde vs but one man that iustly and truely can say that he can at any time with sincere heart and vnpolluted lippes so earnestly and confidently as God requireth being lifted vp from earth and earthly cogitations talke with God and sue vnto him for necessarie graces onely or especially respecting Gods glorie without wauering in fayth or wandering in affections or forgetting that hee is talking with GOD and then we will yeelde that our works there may be perfection But if in so holy a worke wherunto our owne wantes may stirre vp vs to be the more sincere yet wee shall alwaies finde imperfection how then can our other workes be voyde of sinne But if any man in his excesse of folly and depth of ignoraunce eyther of that he can doe or of that he shoulde doe woulde make the worlde beleeue that he is able to offer vnto GOD the sacrifice of prayer without faulte or blemish his owne thoughtes will testifie against him his knowledge will accuse him and his conscience will condemne him that hee deceaueth himselfe and that there is no trueth in him For this is the perfection which we can looke for and which Saint Paule desireth to bring the Romans vnto not that they shoulde haue no sinne for that he knewe was impossible but that they should not let sinne raigne in this their mortall body that they shoulde thereunto obey by the lustes of it And that our prayer cannot be altogether voyde of wantes what can be more playne to proue then that which S. Paule himselfe teacheth the Romans that Wee knowe not what to desire as we ought For how can wee performe that perfectly which thing we knowe not howe to doe as we ought The spirit of GOD sendeth vp I confesse in deed requests for vs that is maketh vs to request with groninges vnspeakable But what is that to vs and to our nature to the perfection of our worke We are like bad tooles in a good hand I speake of the regenerate The toole being sharpened by the workeman hath an edge and can cut So we when God hath reformed our will by the spirit of regeneration haue a readines or desire to doe good But this edge if it méete with any thing that is harde as iron or stone is broken and made blunt or dull So is this our willingnesse or readinesse taken away when our carnall affections and desires doe oppose themselues So that although Gods spirite that worketh in vs and by vs is holye yet because it worketh by such euill instrumentes as we are looke howe much wee want of the perfection of our regeneration which heere cannot be perfected for whilest heere we liue we are but children and are not come to our perfect groweth so much must needes our worke want of the cleare light of the minde to direct it or of the sincere obedience of the heart to performe And because the Apostle â—newe thus much therefore that wee shoulde not be altogether discouraged in respect of the imperfection of our actions or the corruption of our nature he telleth vs that The lawe of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus marke that this Law of the spirit of life is in Christ not inherent in vs hath freed vs from the Lawe of sinne and death So that we haue no other remedie for our wantes and imperfections then that that holines which is in Christ shoulde by imputation become ours By the which in the ende that sanctification which by the spirit is heere begotten in vs shall be also fulfilled in vs as is promised afterwards For that righteousnes of the Law that there is spoken of that it is not or cannot be fulfilled of vs so long as we cary about vs this body subiect to sinne and correuption experience teacheth and I thinke the papists themselues that haue any shame will not deny For so long as we haue any lust or concupiscence which so long as we liue we shall haue Admit that lust were not sinne as the patrons of lust the papistes woulde haue vs to beléeue and falsly teach yet whilest that remaineth no body can say that the very righteousnes of the Law or whatsoeuer the Lawe required is fulfilled of vs. For euen themselues confesse that lust is aswaruing from the Lawe and is not according to the direction thereof Whereby it appeareth that these wordes of righteousnes of the Lawe that must be fulfilled in vs are to be vnderstoode of that that shall be performed in vs héereafter and not of that righteousnesse that we can now attaine vnto I cannot therefore but maruell at our Rhemistes that by these wordes woulde prooue that we may fulfill the Law For besides that which I haue said that it must be vnderstood of the perfection which we shall haue the wordes themselues also teach vs that this is done not by vs for we cannot attaine to that holines but in vs now if Christ in vs fulfill the Lawe it is not thereby proued that our selues fulfill the Law or that it is possible that we should attaine to the perfect obedience therof I trust that it appeareth that the ancient faith of the Romans which was commended by S. Paul doth so proclaime our vnworthinesse and debase our owne workes if we will consider them how God in his iustice may iudge of them that we may iustly confesse with the people of God Wee haue all beene as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnes as filthy cloutes we all doe fade as the leafe and our iniquities as the winde haue taken vs away So that we alwaies haue good cause to pray that God whatsoeuer thing we take in hande should Forgiue vs our trespasses For as saith Saith Bernard we want trueth charitie and courage Yea and the more we looke into and the better we knowe our selues the more plainely shal we see that these will alwaies be heere vnperfect Reason saith hee fayleth through ignoraunce of the trueth will is weake because affection fainteth the flesh is vnable through scante of courage In so much as reason doth not well vnderstande what it
his glorie is nothing in comparison of mine And this is not onely by the pride of the Popes themselues but wheras stories teach that the godly Christians prayed for infidell Emperours now their diuines doe affirme it to be lawfull to disobey to rebell against and to depose such kings or princes as they will call heritickes yea to kill such is with them an action godly and honourable yea meritorious too Would any man haue thought that S. Peter who so humbly as a fellowe elder intreateth the elders to feed the flocke which God hath committed to them not as Lords ouer Gods heritage could euer haue had so degenerate a successour to haue sit in his chaire as they say the Pope doth and yet in pride of heart doth not onely aduance himselfe aboue al bishops but also ouer all creaturs Or would a man haue imagined these holy fathers would euer haue hatched so barbarous treasons Let this then be recorded of a memoriall to all posteritie and for a perpetuall staine to that bloudy Church of Rome the mother of all treasons and tretcheries of al vnnaturall and villainous practises that shee doth not onely directly oppose herselfe to the worde of God the doctrine of the Apostles and the very Law of nature and nations but also shee and her deere darlinges by their most vile practises doe crie it out vnto the world more shrill then the sound of any trumpet that they quite haue abandoned the affections of men Haue not we in England good cause to detest such doctrine and doctours who haue wrought so effectually in the heartes of many of our English fugitiues that their treasons haue no ende their crueltie hath no measure but that they desire and attempt to lay violent handes vpon the Lordes annoynted which the Godly of all times haue feared to purpose or thinke against the most wicked Yea doth not the Catholicke Tyrant that calleth himselfe by the name of a king but is in deede a reproch and shame to the verie name that he so hath dishonoured doth he not corrupt with gold and intice by all fayre promises subiectes to kill their princes and to murther them whome they ought to defende obey and reuerence It is too true it is too playne What kingdomes hath he not tempted what princes hath he not indaungered Howe many hath he gotten destroyed So that I am often times driuen to wonder and maruell what sluggishnesse or security possesseth the heartes of Christian kings and princes that they ioyne not their powers together against that common enemie not to princes onely but euen to mankinde His ambition increaseth as doe his daies his cruel purposes cannot be numbred He incrocheth cōtinually as he can vpon other mens right and vniustly if his might will serue dispossesseth the iust heires of their kingdomes and dominions His doings declare that he enuieth all your glory O you potentates and aspireth to euery of your inheritances and principalities And will you thus stand gazing on as men amazed at his strange attemptes whilest hauing preuailed against your neighbors he also take you in hand when his power shall be increased and yours diminished Doe you not know that it is high time for you to looke about you when your neighbours howse it set on fire Bande therefore and combine your selues together to reforme or restrayne his vnbrideled affections I doe not wishe his subiectes to rebell against him for that we see is vnlawfull but I pray God to put such a hearte and courage into his neighbours and equals that they woulde teach him to knowe that his omnipotente minde made proude with his might and wealth shall not alwaies be satisfyed with the spoyle of other But to leaue this Romish Catholicke to his Catholicke practises vntill God shall eyther conuert his heart or confound his power what cause hath the Pope so to magnifie himselfe and to claime such soueraigntie ouer them whom he ought to obey we see the Apostles would haue all without exception subiect to princes The Popes supremacy is not once mentioned although S. Paule writing to the Romans might haue had good occasion to haue commended the glory of that seate if any such thing had beene and S. Peter if he had any such soueraignty had iust cause to haue required submission to himselfe as wel as to kings and should haue made more accompt of himselfe then to be but a fellow elder with others But the Apostles haue bin taught to speake by the spirit of God The Popes haue done according to the pride of their owne heart And it is a verie strong presumption against the supposed soueraigntie which they say S. Peter had ouer all that S. Marke his fauorit and follower who also if stories be true wrote his gospell at Rome at the request of Peters wel-willers yet the same his gospell neyther maketh any mention of the great miracles which they woulde haue vs to Imagine that he wrought against Simon Magus which is one of their principall argumentes to proue Peters being at Rome neyther hath one worde more then the rest whereby we may gather any such superioritie in him And if he make any mention of Peter it is without any signification of his iurisdiction ouer others Yea when he speaketh of his calling he thus barely deliuereth it vnto vs. And Iesus passing by the sea of Galile hee sawe Simon and Andrew his brother c. And reporting the contention that was among the Apostles which of them should be chiefe he taketh no occasion to commend to them or to vs that soueraignty although the later time Iames and Iohn desired the same from him and the rest reporting how Christ reproued him he vseth no excuse no mitigation of the offence Now seeing neither when he setteth forth his calling neither in pointing to his infirmity neyther in noting these contentions he hath so much as any way signifyed his superioritie it followeth that eyther S. Marke was iniurious to his master in not giuing to him his due place or vnmindefull of his duetie to Gods Church in concealing from it so necessary an Article of religion as nowe they holde it or else that there was rather no such matter and therefore he coulde not write of it For after Christ was once ascended and the holy Ghost sent in visible forme then was it time to knowe all the Articles of religion so that our abuersaries cannot tell vs that S. Marke for modesties cause did not write of these thinges For not to write of that which is necessary to be beleeued if hee knewe it had beene greate wickednesse Subiection therefore to Princes was of the auncient faith of the first faithfull Romans But this soueraignty and Supremacy of the bishoppes of Rome is but a poynte of the newe learning or else the dregges of Simon Magus his pride CHAP. XVI THE Apostle hauing exhorted vnto such Christian dueties as we may not omit