Flesh and the Flesh lusting against the Spirit So that though Will be present with us that wee cannot doe what we would and much lesse after what manner wee would that is with our whole soules with our whole mind heart and affections For what good wee minde or will as wee are Spirit the same wee will as wee are Flesh. This concupiscence the Apostle had not knowne to bee a sinne had not the Law said non concupisces that is thou shalt have none evill concupiscence neither habituall nor actuall Neither is it onely a sinne as the Apostle oftentimes doth cal it but also it is the mother-sinne Iam. 1. 13 Rom. 7. 17. which taking occasion by the Law to produce ill concupiscences therein forbidden is convinced not onely to bee a sinne but exceedingly sinnefull Rom. 7. 13. But of this I have spoken before and proved by the testimony of Augustine that concupiscence against which the good Spirit lusteth viz. in the regenerate for in the unregenerate the Spirit is not is both a sinne and the cause of sin and a punishment sinne § XIII And as touching the second the summe of the Law is that we should love God with all our heart and with all our soule c. but where is any defect of love there God is not loved with all the heart c. it being legally understood and therefore every defect is an aberration from the Law and consequently a sinne I have also proved out of Augustine that it is a fault where love is lesse than it ought to bee from which fault it is that there is not a righteous man upon earth which doth good and sinneth not For which also though wee bee never so good proficients wee must of necessity say forgive us our debts Therefore every defect is a debt that is a sinne whereunto wee may adde that of the same Augustine It is a sinne either when there is not charity where it ought to bee or is lesse than it ought to bee whether this may or may not bee avoided by the Will § XIV And as to the third If those which the Papists call veniall sinnes bee not contrary to the Law then they are not forbidden in the Law and without doubt they are not commanded therein Now if neither they bee commanded nor forbidden then they are things indifferent but that is absurd yea but saith hee veniall sinnes hinder not justice And the Scripture absolutely calleth some men just and perfect notwithstanding their veniall sinnes I answere they hinder not imputative justice nor evangelicall perfection which is uprightenesse for to them that beleeve and repent they are not imputed Neither can it be denied but that the most upright men have their imperfections infirmities and slippes which though in themselves and according to the Law are mortall sinnes for if they should not bee forgiven they would as Bellarmine himselfe confesseth exclude men from heaven yet to them that are in Christ Iesus thâ—…y become veniall by the mercie of God through the merits and intercession of Christ. § XV. His second reason is taken from divers absurdities which hee conceiveth doe follow upon our assertion when as indeed they follow not upon our doctrine but upon his malicious misconceiving and misreport thereof as if wee held that all even the best workes of the righteous are mortall sinnes But wee acknowledge that the good workes of men regenerate are truly good and so to bee called notwithstanding the imperfection thereof Onely wee deny them to be purely good wherin we have the consent of holy Scriptures and of the ancient Fathers some whereof I before alleaged to whom I added Gregory and Bernard Gregory in the conclâ—…sion of his Moralls saith thus Mala nostra pura mala sunt bona quae nos habere credimus pura bona esse uequaquaÌ„ possunt Our evill things are purely evill and the good things which we suppose our selves to have can by no meanes bee purely good Bernard t Our lowly justice if we have any is perhaps true but not pure Vnlesse peradventure wee beleeve our selves to bee better than our fore-fathers who said no lesse truely than humbly all our righteousnesses are as it were the cloth of a menstruous woman wee doe not say that the good workes of the faithfull are sins and much lesse mortall sins For we hold that the sins of the faithful become to them venial But this we say with Salomon that there is not a righteous man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not which in effect is the same with that assertion of Luther Iustus in omni opere bono peccat § XVI Now let us examine the absurdities which hee absurdly upon his owne malitious misconceit objecteth against us In all which it is supposed that wee call the good workes of the righteous sinnes yea mortall sinnes The first if all the workes of the faithfull bee sinnes then the worke of faith whereby we are justified and that prayer whereby we begge remission of sinne should be sinnes Answ. The worke of faith and the act of prayer are good but not purely and perfectly good Neither are we justified by the worthinesse or by the worke of our faith but by the Object which it doth receive nor obtaine our desires by the merit of our prayer but by the mediation and intercession of Christ our Saviour Our faith is such that wee have need alwayes to pray Lord increase our faith Lord I beleeve help mine unbeleefe and our prayer such that when wee have performed it in the best manner we can wee have neede to pray that the wants and imperfections of our prayer may bee forgiven us § XVII The second If all the works of the righteous be sinnes with what face could the Apostle say that hâ—… knew nothing by himselfe And what boldnesse was that for his good workes that is for his mortall sinnes to expect a Crowne of righteousnesse Answ. Though the Apostle had no doubt sometimes offended after his conversion yet he was not conscious to himselfe in particular of any actuall sinne or crime committed by him for as the Psalmist saith who can understand his errors No man saith Basil is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free from sinne but God for of those many things wherein we offend the most wee understand not for which cause the Apostle saith I know nothing by my selfe but in that I am not justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in many things I offend and doc not perceive whence also the Prophet saith who understandeth his trespasses But though hee was not conscious to himselfe of his slippes and oversights yet hee was not ignorent of his owne corruptious and infirmities against which when hee had prayed to God hee received this answere My grace is sufficient for thee and in weakenesse my power is made perfect Neither did the Apostle expect the reward for the
God then are they fooles who repose affiance in their owne workes And no doubt but they are fooles who trust in their owne heart as Salomon saith Prov. 28. 26. For as Adrian saith who after was Pope Our merits are like astaffe of reed which not onely breaketh when it is leaned upon but also pierceth the hand of him that leaneth on it To trust in a mans owne righteousnessâ—… is the property of a proud Iustitiary and hypocrite Ezec. 33. 13. Luke 18. 9. and of one that is accursed because hee removeth his heart â—…rom God and putteth his trust in man that is to say hâ—…mselfe for as Bernard well faith for a man to trust in himselfe Non fidei sed per â—…dem est nec confidentiae sed diffidentiae magis in semetipso habere fiduciam But the true and upright Christian renouncing all confidence in his owne righteousnesse as being a beggar in spirit Matth. 5. 3. resteth wholly on the mercies of God and merits of Christ Psal. 130. 3 4. 143. 2. Dan. 9. 18. 1 Cor. 4. 4. Phil. 3. 8 9. according to the advice of our Saviour Luk. 17. 10. If it be objected that the godly in many places of Scripture doe alleage their owne innocency and integrity as seeming to put some affiance therein 2 King 20. 3. Nehem. 5. 19. Psal. 18. 21 24. 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I answere first it is one thing to place affiance in our good works as causes of our salvation as merit-mongers use to doe another from our good workes as tokens and signes of our election vocation justification and as presages of our glorification to gather comfort assâ—…rance and hope to our selves of our justification and salvation which the faithfull use to doe and to that end are they commanded to practise good workes that they make their calling and election sure 2 Pâ—…t 1. 10. This distinction is acknowledged by Bellarmine Sciendum est saith hee aliud esse fidâ—…ciam nasci ex 〈◊〉 aliâ—…d fiduciam esse ponendam in meritis It is one thing out of our good workes to gather assurance and affiance in God which the faithfull doe as they are exhorted in the Scriptures 2 Pet. 1. 10. Iob 11. 15. Rom. 5. 4. Probation worketh hope 1 Ioh. 3. 21. If our heart condemne us not then have wee confidence towards God and it is another thing to place affiance in our merits which none but proud Iustitiaries and Pharisaicall Hypocrites use to doe Secondly we must distinguish betwixt the innocency and justice of a mans cause and the innocency and justice of his person For the same men in the Scripture who for the justification of their persons desire the Lord not to enter into judgement with them for the justification of their cause have not feared to appeale to Gods judgement § XIII Our sixth reason those who cannot fully discharge their duety much lesse can they merit For they that merit must doe more than their duety For they that doe but their duety though they doe all that is commanded must acknowledge themselves to be unprofitable servants But if they faile in their duety and come short of that which is commanded then can they merit nothing but punishment at the hands of God But no mortall man is able fully to satisfie his duety Our duety is to abstaine from all sinne yea to be 〈◊〉 from all sinne and to doe the things commanded to doe all and to continue in doing all and that in that manner and measure which the Law requireth But those things no mortall man is able to doe as hath beene proved heretofore So farre is every mortall man from meriting any thing but punishment at the hands of God Our seventh reason If good workes doe merit salvation then wee are saved by them but we are not saved by good workes Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. therefore they doe not merit salvation Eightly the last reason The heavenly Canaan is a land of promise as the earthly Canaan was which the Lord gave to the Israelites not because of their merits Deut. 9. 5. Nor for the merit of their forefathers Iosh. 24. 2. but because he loved them and that for no other cause but because hee loved them Deut. 7. 7 8. In which love as hee freely promised it so in the same undeâ—…erved love he did freely bestow it And yet hee was just in giving it because hee had promised it Nehem. 9. 8. The same wee are to conceive of the heavenly Canaan whereof the other was a Type that it is a land of promise and noâ—… of merit freely promised and freely bestowed on the heires of promise CAP. IIII. Testimonies of Fathers disproving merits and first those which Bellarmine hath sought to answere and then others § I. TO the former testimonies and proofes I will adjoyne the testimonies of Fathers and other writers And first those which Bellarmine hath endeavoured to answere of which Hilarie is the first Spes in misericordia Dei in sâ—…culum in seculum seculi est Non enim illa ipsa justitiae opera sufficient ad perfectâ—… beatitudinis meritum nisi misericordia Dei etiam in hac justiâ—…ae voluntate hâ—…manarum demutationum motuum vitia non reputet hinc illud Prophetae dictum est melior est misericordia tua super vitam In tantum misericordia Dei muneratur ut miserans justitia voluntatem aeternitatis quoque suae justum quemque tribuat esse participem His intendement is that the hope of salvation is to bee placed in Gods mercy which is better than our righteous life For the workes of righteousnesse without Gods mercy in forgiving of sinnes will not suffice to obtaine the reward of blessednesse which the mercy of God pitying our will of righteousnesse bestoweth on the just But Bellâ—…mine maketh him speake what pleaseth him for to omit that for sufficient hee readeth Sufficerent Hilary saith hee doth teach that with our goodworkes are mingled certaine sinnes which though they make not a man unjust as being light â—…nd veniâ—…ll yet they need pardon and mercy because nothing that is defiled can enter into the kingdome of heaven Bellarâ—…ines meaning is that at the day of judgement the faithfull shall need Gods mercy for the pardoning of veniall sinnes as heretofore â—…ee hath taught But there is no such matter in Hilary neither is it tâ—…ue as I have shewed beforâ—… that at the day of â—…udgement the faithfull shall need remission of veniall or any other sinnes neither doth Hilary say that the sinnes which are forgiven by the mercy of God are light and such as the Papists call veniall Neither is it true that there bee any sinnes which doe not make them sinners in whom they are seeing Bellarmine here confesseth that men are so defiled by them that they being not remitted exclude them from heaven neither doth hee say with good merits are mingled sinâ—…es neither doth he
being certaine that he is faithfull râ—…joyce where observe that those are faithfull not that are baptized but that keep their vow of Baptism and that those that live wickedly are falsi fideles falsly called faithfull Againe qâ—…antum crediâ—…s tantum amamus Ansâ—…lm fides quâ—… non habet charitaâ—… opera bona fidâ—…s Dâ—…monum est non Christianorum Faith which hath not charity and good workeâ—… is the faith of Divels not of Christians And againe fides sine operibus noâ—… est vera fides Bernard faith maketh a true Catholike not that which iâ—… common to Devils and men but that which is common to men and Angelicall Spirits and which is that that which worketh by love CHAP. III. Bellarmines proofes that true faith may bee severed from Charity first from the Scriptures and then from Fathers § I. NOw let us examine Bellarmines proofes And first out of the Scriptures 1. Ioh. 12. 42 43. Many of the princes or rulers beleeved in Christ but they did not confessâ—… for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God Herâ—… saith â—…ee the Evangelist testifieth that in these Princes there was Faith without Charity His reason is thus to be framed The Princes which did not confesse Christ were void of Charity The same Princes beleeve in Christ. Therefore some that beleeve in Christ are void of Charity The proposition is proved because they loved the glory or praise of men more than of God Answ. If they did absolutely and altogether preferre the glory of men before the glory of God then hâ—…d they neither love of God nor faith in Christ see Ioh. 5. 42 44. But if by force of temptation or by humane frailty as feâ—…refulnesse and too much love of the World which are corruptions incident to the best they were for a time hindered from professing Christ I dare not say they were void of Charity For Saint Peter when he both loved Christ and beleeved in him did deny him which was worse than not confessing him And it may be that among those rulers were reckoned Nicodemus and Ioseph of Arimathâ—…a who though they had not for â—… time openly professed Christ yet when there was greatest cause of feare and of doubt and least encouragement to professe him they expressâ—… their love towards him Ioh. 19. 31 39. To the assumption I aâ—…swere those princes who being void of Charity loved the glory of men more than the glory of God by the testimony of Christ neither did nor could beleeve Ioh. 5. 42 44. Neither did all they truely beleeve in Christ who in the Scriptures are said after a sort to have beleeved in him For Ioh. 2. 23. many are said to have belâ—…ved in his name to whom our Saviour would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concredit himselfe because hee knew what was in them vers 24. 25. § II. His second proofe is out of 1 Cor. 13. 2. If I had all faith so that I could remove mountaines and have not charity I am nothing therefore faith may bee severed from Charity Answ. This place is either generally understood of all faith or particularly of the whole faith of working miracles but in neither sense doth it favour the popish sancie If generally then the Apostle must bee understood as speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of supposition and not as positively affirming that either he or any other having all faith wanted Charity therefore this supposition quâ—… nihil ponit proveth nothing Yea in suppositions and fained comparisons a man may suppose things incredible and impossible and much more improbable as in this place it selfe if I should speake with the tongues of men and Angels and have not love if I had all faith so that I could remove mountaines and have not love and though I bestow all my goods as it were by morsels to free the poore and though I gave my body to be burnt and have not Charity and yet those suppositions whether improbable or incredible are of no lesse force in arguing than if they were absolutely true Indeed if the adversary could from this hypotheticall proposition truly assume the antecedent as he cannot then might hee urge this place to some purpose but if it may more truely be denied or taken away as for example if I or any other had all faith and yet had not love as nâ—…ver man yet had then is this allegation to no purpose To this Bellarmine replyeth that the Apostle doth not argue from a condition impossible but usâ—…th an hyperbolt when notwithstanding it is most evident that the Apostle speaketh not in a simple hyperbolicall speech as Bellarmine maketh him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if I had which I have not but this supposall or fiction of a condition incredible doth no lesse prove the necessity of Charity than if it were absolutely true If the place be understood particularly of the faith of miracles the particle all being not universall but integrall as if it had beene said the whole faith including all the degrees of it which is very probable not onely in respect of the authority of the Fathers heretofore mentioned but also by the words themselves first because he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as speaking of a particular secondly because hee doth instance in a high degree of that particular so that I could remove mountaines then this alegation is impertinent For the question is not of the faith of miracles whether it may be severed from Charity which we confesse but of the true justifying faith which not all they have who have the faith of miracles For that hath beene bestowed upon Iudas and other reprobates Matth. 10. 1. 7. 22 23. which plainely overthroweth Bellarmines conceit that the faith of miracles is the same with jâ—…stifying faith but excelling which is false in two respects for first it would then follow that all they who have had this faith should have beene endued with justifying faith and that all who have excelled in the greatest measure and degree of justifying faith should have beene adorned with the faith of miracles Both which are untrue Secondly the Schoole men when they distinguish grace into gratia grâ—…tum 〈◊〉 which is the justifying and sanctifying grace tending to the good and Salvation of the party who hath it and gratia gratis data tending to the good of others the faith of working miracles is reckoned in the later ranke 1 Corinthians 12. 8 9 10. § III. Yea but it is promised Mark 16. 17. that signes should follow them that beleeve namely by a justifying faith whereof is mention vers 16. But not say I that all beleevers should be workers of miracles but some for all From whence nothing can be proved but that to some which did beleeve the gift of working miracles should bee granted for the confirmation of the faith Yea but by saith in forâ—…r times the faithfull stopped the mouths of Lyons quenched the
according to the perfection of it and as it is in it selfe considered in the abstract Otherwise we acknowledge degrees of assurance And if any of our Divines have held the speciall faith to be the onely justifying faith they are to be understood as speaking of justification in the court of conscience and as judging them onely to be justified and to have remission of sinnes who are in their owne consciences perswaded and in some measure assured thereof But besides and before the speciall faith whereby wee are justified in our owne conscience applying the promise of the Gospell to our selves a formall degree of faith is to bee acknowledged being the condition of the Evangelicall promises by which we aprehend receive and embrace Christ as hath been shewed and by which we are justified before God This degree of faith in order of nature goeth before repentance though in time repentance seemeth to goe before faith as being sooner discerned But in order of nature as well as of time repentance goeth before speciall faith Because no man can be assured of Gods favour in remitting his sinnes who hath not repented thereof CAP. XII Of foure other dispositions viz. love penitencie a purpose and desire to receive the Sacrament the purpose of a new life § I. HIs fourth disposition is Love for so soone as a man doth hope for a benefit from another as namely justificacation from God hee beginneth to love him from whom hee doth expect it In which words there is some shew that hope disposeth to love but that love doth dispose to justification not so much as a shew But that some love goeth before justification and disposeth thereto he endeavoureth to prove which if he could performe were to little purpose â—…or so long as this love doth not justifie his assertion doth not disprove justification by faith alone but indeed he proveth it not though to that purpose hee produceth besides foure testimonies of Scripture the authority of the Councell of Aurenge His first testimony is a supposititious senrence of an Apocryphall Booke For neither is the sentence in the originall Greeke nor the Booke canonicall neither is the sentence it selfe to the purpose Yee that feare the Lord love him and your hearts shall be he doth not say justified but enlightened that is as Iansenius expoundeth comforted For they that feare God and love him are already justified by faith from which both feare and love doe spring § II. His second testimony Luk. 7. 47. Many sinnes are forgiven her because she loved much therefore love is the cause of forgivenesse I answer by denying the consequence For here in the Papists are many times grossely mistaken who thinke that in every aetiologie the reason which is rendred is a cause so properly called when as indeed it may be any other argument or reason as well as the cause For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause in a large sense doth not onely fignifie that which causeth the effect which properly is called the cause of a thing or action but also any reason which proveth the thing propounded which is a cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of the action or thing it selfe but of the reasoning or conclusion or as wee use to say consâ—…quentiae non consequentis of the consequence not of the consequent Thus it is called the fallacie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non causa pro causa when that is brought for any argument which it is not So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is traÌ„slated redditio causae is the rendring of any reason from any argument whatsoever For in any syllogism that which is the medium though it bee the effect of the thing is the cause of the conclusion because it is the reason which proveth it and in this sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for which cause and wherefore is all one Thus the Papists prove Christs humiliation to have beene the cause of his exaltation as wee heard before because â—…he Apostle saith therefore God exalted him c thus they prove the workes of mercie to bee the cause of salvation because our Saiour saith for I was hungry c so here that love is the cause of forgivenesse because it is said for she loved much when indeed our Saviour argueth not from the cause to the effect but from the effect to the cause as is most evident First by the parable of a creditour who having two debtors whereof the one owed him five hundred pence the other fiftie and neither of them having any thing to pay he freely forgave them both their debt Our Saviour therâ—…fore demanding of the Pharisee who had invited him which of these debtours would love the creditour most the Pharisee truely answered I suppose he to whom he forgave most which answer approved by our Saviour plainely proveth that love was not the cause of forgivenesse but forgivenesse of love and the forgiveing of more the cause of greater love and the forgivenesse of lesse the cause of lesse love and consequently that the greater love was not the cause of greater forgivenesse but the effect of it This parable our Saviour applying to the Pharisee that invited him as the lesse debtour and to the woman which had been a notorious sinner as the greater debtor to both which he had forgiven their debts they having nothing to pay sheweth that her greaâ—…er love was an evidence of her greater debt forgiven Secondly by the antithesis in the same verse but to whom little is forgiven hee loveth but a little It is therefore plaine that the forgivenesse is the cause of love and the forgiving of more of more love and the forgiving of lesse of lesse love And as lesse love is a token of the lesse debt forgiven so greater love of more forgiven hee speaketh therefore of her love not as the cause going before but as the effect following after justification § III. And such is Bellarmines argument out of 1 Ioh. 3. 14. we are translated from death to life that is we are justified because we love the brethren therefore the love of the brethren is the cause of justification I deny the consequence the love of the brethren is not the cause but the fruit of our justification whereby it may be knowne And this appeareth manifestly out of these words which Bellarmine hath fraudulently omitted Nos scimus quia translati sumus c. wee know that wee are translated from death to life because wee love the brethren Our loue then is not the cause of justification but a manifest signe and evidence whereby it is knowne that we are already justified for so he saith speaking in the time past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we are already passed or translated from death to life And to the like effect our Saviour speaketh Luk. 7. 47. as if hee had said hereby it appeareth that many sinnes are forgiven her because shee loved much But that it was not her love
renounceth speciall faith For canst thou love Christ and rejoyce in him as thy Saviour if thou be not by speciall faith perswaded that thou shalt be saved by him Seeing then unto our justification before God we are to receive Christ as hath beene said by a true and lively assent and unto justification in the court of our owne conscience by a plerophory or assured perswasion we are to apply the promises to our selves which are the peculiar acts of faith and cannot be attributed to any other grace it followeth therefore from the proper nature of faith that by it alone we are justified § VIII His second cavill is taken from the Sacraments which by our confession as he saith doe apply the promises and justification it selfe to the receiver therefore saith he faith doth not justifie alone after the manner of an instrument applying In this argument he greatly pleaseth himselfe but without cause For first when we say that faith alone doth justifie we meane that in us nothing concurreth to the act of justification with faith but without us we acknowledge many things to justifie Secondly faith justifieth alone ut manus accipientis the Sacraments ut manus dantis Thirdly faith doth actually justifie before God the Sacraments doe not justifie before God but serve to seale our justification to our owne consciences neither doe they actually conferre grace but confirme it as the seales of that righteousnesse which is by faith When as therefore the termes of washing cleansing sanctifying saving are attributed to Sacraments these phrases are to be understood Sacramentally And this is our answere as for those which Bellarmine frameth for us hee hath good leave to make or to marre them at his pleasure CHAP. XV. Bellarmines fourth principall argument taken from the manner how faith doth justifie and the fifth from the formall cause of justification § I IF Faith saith hee doth justifie as a cause as the beginning as the merit of justification then faith doth not justifie alone for love and penance and other good acts doe the like but the antecedent is true therefore the consequent I deny first the consequence of the proposition and the proofe thereof For neither love or penance nor other good acts doe either cause begin or merit justification And therefore though faith did justifie as a cause as the beginning as the merit whereby justification is obtained it might for all them justifie alone This were sufficient to overthrow his whole Dispute But all his care is to prove the assumption which hee endeavoureth in all the parts thereof And first that faith is a cause of justificatition which we doe not deny yea we affirme that nothing in us doth concurre to the act of justification as a cause thereof but faith onely But you will aske what cause We say the instrumentall onely If Bellarmine meane any other cause as no doubt but he doth he should have done well to have named it and to have proved it § II. He proveth faith to be a cause by the prepositions ex and per by and through attributed to faith whereto I answere that these particles sometimes are used to signifie the instrumentall cause As namely when we are said to be justified or saved through or by the word or the Sacraments Rom. 6. 4. Tit. 3. 5. Ioh. 17. 20. 1 Cor. 1. 21. 15. 2. Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 17. Preachers are Ministers by whom you doe beleeve 1 Cor. 3. 5. Ephes. 3. 6. And first for those plà ces wherein it is said that we are justified by faith or saved by faith Rom. 3. 28. 30. 5. 1. Ephes. 2. 8. In these and the like places saith he the preposition by or through doth signifie a true cause But he should have done well to have set downe what cause for an instrumentall cause is also a true cause The preposition per saith Bâ—…llarmine in another place is not fitly accommodated to the favour of God which is the efficient cause of justification but either to the formal as per gratiam or meritorious as permeritum filii or instrumentall cause as per fidem Sacramenta where you see by Bellarmines confession per is attributed to faith as to the instrumentall cause It is also attributed to the matter and merit as Rom. 5. 10 19. When as therefore it is also attributed to faith it cannot be attributed in the same sense as to the death and obedience of Christ in propriety of speech but of necessity it is to bee understood by a metonymy faith being put for the object of faith which is Christs righteousnesse And this manifestly appeareth when justification by the preposition is attributed both to Christ and to faith as Rom. 3. 24. 25. wee are justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the redemption which is in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith in his blood by Christ we have accesse to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith in him Eph. 3. 12. By the name of Christ we have remission of sinnes by faith in his name Act. 10. 43. 26. 18. As it is said of the cure of the creeple Act. 3. 16. that the name of Christ by faith in his name had healed him Thus I have shewed before that the same benefits of justification and salvation which properly we receive from the death and obedience of Christ are attributed to faith not properly but relatively and metonymically Not that faith it selfe worketh them but the object which it as the instrument apprehendeth § III. But Bellarmine will prove that in these and such like places the prepositions by and through doe signifie a true cause first by the contrary For when the Apostle Rom. 3. 4. Gal. 2. 3. and elsewhere doth prove that a man is not justified by workes nor by the Law without doubt he excludeth the force and efficacie of workes and of the Law in justifying and not a relative apprehension alone For no man could doubt but that the Law and works did not justifie by apprehending righteousnes relatively And therfore the saying of the Apostle had been very foolish if his meaning had beene that justice is apprehended by faith and not by the Law or workes Even as a man should speake foolishly who should say that the almes is received by the hand and not by the heele Neither did they whom the Apostle confuteth looke to be justified by their workes relatively but by the merit of them And therefore that which the Apostle denyeth to works he ascribeth to faith Answ. This manifestly proveth that the question of justification by faith or by workes is thus to bee understood whether wee are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ alone apprehended by faith which is the righteousnesse of the Gospell the righteousnesse of faith or by a righteousnesse inherent in our selves which is the righteousnesse of the Law or of workes For if the question should bee understood of faith
which we shall be judged at the last day at which time God will judge men according to their workes For wee must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ that wee may receive according to those things which we have done in the body whether it bee good or evill Those that have done good shall goe into everlasting life and they that have done evill into everlasting punishment For good workes though wee are not justified by them nor saved for them yet they are the evidence according to which our Saviour will pronounce the sentence of salvation Matth. 25. 34 35. According to that Psal. 62. 12. And to thee Lord mercie for thou rewardest a man meaning the godly man according to his workes § IX Lastly they are necessary necessitate medij and as that which though it be no cause is called causa sine qua nâ—…n And thus they are necessary first as the way which leadeth to life eternall via qua nos perducturus est ad finem itsum quem promisit the way by which hee will bring us unto that end which he hath promised saith Augustine For those that are justified and by justification entituled to the Kingdome of heaven they are to goe in the way of sanctification towards their glorification Eâ—…h 2. 10. good workes therefore though they bee not the cause of raigning yet they are the way to the Kingdome And so saith Bellarminâ—… himselâ—…e that although God in predestination hath determined to give the Kingdome of heaven to certaine men whom he loved without any prevision of workes notwithstanding hee did withall ordaine that in respect of the execution the way to come to his Kingdome should be good workes I say then with the Prophet Esay this is the way let us walke in it Secondly as necessary fruits of our election for wee are elected to that end that we should bee holy Ephes. 1. 4. as necessary fruits of faith without which it is judged to bee dead â—…am 2. 26. as unseparable consequents of our redemption and justification Luk. 1. 74. And as they are necessary consequents of our justification so they are necessary forerunners of salvation by which wee are fitted for Gods Kingdome because no uncleane thing can enter into the Kingdome of heaven Apoc. 21. 27. and finally so necessary is a godly life that without it no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. I conclude with Bernard that good workes are occulia predestinationis jndicia futurâ—… fâ—…licitatis presagia via regni non caâ—…saregnandi tokens of our secret predestination presages of our future happinesse the way to the Kingdome but not the cause of our obtaining that Kingdome For howsoever good workes are necessary in many respects as I have shewed necessitate presentiae yet they are not necessary necessitate efficientiae as causes of our justification § X. Secondly the Papists calumniate us as if wee taught that good workes are not necessary to sanctification which slander as all the rest ariseth from their willfull and pernicious errour in consounding justificâ—…tion and sanctification In the question of justification we hold according to the Scriptures that if our owne workes or righteousnesse should bee obtruded unto the Lord as the matter or merit thereof whereby wee should bee both acquitted from our sinnes and so delivered from hell and also entituled to the Kingdome of heaven they are not onely to bee rejected but also detested as menstruous clouts as dung as losse But in the question of sanctification where they are considered both as fruits of faith and the Spirit as consequents of justification whereby wee testifie our thankefulnesse to God gather testimonies to our selves of our justification benefit and edifie our brethrenâ—… and also as necessary forerunners of glorification whereby we are fitted and prepared for Gods Kingdome unto which by justification wee are entituled and as the way wherein we are to walke towards our heavenly countrey and as the evidences according to which our Saviour will judge us at the last day c. wee doe acknowledge they are highly to be esteemed of as those things wherein our sanctification doth in good part consist For wee doe teach that our sanctification is partly habituall consisting in the habits of sanctifying graces faith hope charity humility the feare of God c. which is the first justification of the Papists and partly actuall consisting in our new obedience or which is all one in good workes which is their second justification This then is that which we doe hold that although good works doe not concurre with faith unto the act of justification as any cause thereof yet of necessity they must concurre in the subject that is the party justified as necessary fruits of faith as necessary consequents of justification as necessary antecedents of salvation And this is that which not only we but Bellarmine himselfe often citeth out of Augustine Bona opera accedunt justificato non praecedunt justificandum or thus bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequantur justificatum good workes doe not goe before but follow after justification which is a pregnant proofe that they are no causes thereof CAP. II. That we are not justified by Workes § I. HAving thus avoided the calumniations of the Papists wee are now to dispute the question which is to bee understood not of justification before men whereby we are declared or knowne to bee just but of our justification before God whereby hee maketh us just nor of workes as fruits and consequents but as of causes of justification For we doe confesse that men are justified declarativè that is declared and knowne to be just to themselves or others by good works as the proper fruits of faith and undoubted consequents of justification but wee deny that we are justified before God by good works as any causes therof And this our assertion we will first prove by necessary arguments and then defend the same against the objections of the Papists § II. And first I prove it by all the arguments which I used before to prove the five severall points already handled For first if justification is not to be confounded with sanctification as if it consisted in a righteousnesse inherent in our selves or performed by our selves then are we not justified before God by workes But the former hath beene clearely proved therefore the latter is to be confessed .2 If wee bee justified by the meere grace of God and that freely without respect of any workes done by us then are we not justified before God by works For the holy Ghost maketh such an opposition betweene grace and workes that if we be justified by the one we cannot be justified by the other But the antecedent hath beene formerly proved therefore the consequent cannot be denyed 3. If we be not justified before God by righteousnesse inherent in or performed by our selves but onely by the righteousnesse
VII Because no man is iustified by his owne fulfilling of the law Ibid. VIII Not both by faith and by works lib. 4. cap. 8. § 10. IX The righteousnesse by which 〈◊〉 are iustified is imputative § 11. X. The true doctrine taketh away boasting § 12. XI The popish doctrine maketh the promise of none effect § 13. XII Because remission of siâ—…ne is a part of instification which affordeth three arguments § 14. XIII From the examples of Abraham David and Paul § 15. XIV Because we are all iustified by the obedience of one § 16. Our assertion that wee are iustified by Christs righteousnesse proved by five arguments lib. 6. cap. 9. I. Because God accepteth of Christs righteousnesse in our behalfe § 1. II. Because it aloâ—…e is of infinite valow § 2. III. Because our righteousnesse is in Christ aud wee are righteous in him and he is our righteousnesse § 3. Bellarmines obiection First that Christ is called our righteousnesse because he is the authour of it § 4. Righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. to be distinguished from sanctification § 5. Bellarmines second obiection Christ is called our righteousnesse because he satisfied for us § 6. Bellarmines confession overthroweth the popish doctrine of iâ—…stification § 7. IV. Because we are iustified by the bloud of Christ and by his obedience § 8. V. Because by Christs righteousnesse our sinnes are covered § 9. Bellarmines two answeres refuted lib. 6. cap. 9. § 10. 11 12. Bellarmines eight allegations to prove justification by inherent righteousnesse answered lib. 4. cap. 10. The 1. out of Rom. 5. 17. 18 19. § 1. c. ad 7. II. and III. Rom. 3. 24. and 1. Cor. 6. 11. § 7. IV. Tit. 3. 5 6 7. § 8. V. Those plaoes which speake of men iust § 9. and perfect § 10. 11. VI. Rom. 8. 29. cum 1 Cor. 15. 49. § 12. 13 14. 15 16. VII Rom. 6. 4 6. § 17. VIII Rom. 8. 15. cum v. 10. 23. § 18. 19 20. Bellarmines oblique and indirect proofes for inherent righteousnesse First because faith is not the entire formall 〈◊〉 of iustification lib. 4. c. 11. Whether charity doth concurre with faith unto iustification § 2 c. ad finem capitis Secondly because iustification doth consist in renovation and not only in remission of sinnes lib. 4. cap. 12. for proofe whereof he produceth I. Sixe allegations of Scripture § 1 c. ad 9. II. The Testimony of Augustine § 9. III. Three reasons § 10. 11 12 13. IV. Testimonies of Fathers § 14. Merit lib. 8. The contrâ—…versie of merit is in a manner the same with that of the necessity of efficiencie of works lib. 8. cap. 1. § 1. The state of the controversie l. 8. c. 1. § 23. Merit ex congruo or ex solo pacto not truely and properly merit lib. 8. cap. 1 § 3. Of the word merlt § 4. The use of the word in the latiâ—…e Fathers § 5. The verbe mereri used sometimes in the generall sense of obtaining or finding favour ibid. Sometimes in a more speciall sense First Of impetrating by request § 6. Secondly Of doing a rewardable work ibid. n. 2. Of the nowne meritum lib. 8. cap. 1. § 7. Of the thing it selfe what mâ—…rit is § 8. Arguments against merits taken from the conditions of merits And 1. In respect of the parties God and man lib. 8. cap. 1. § 9. God § 9. 10. Man § 11. II. In respect of the thing meriting § 12. it must be our owne ibid. it musâ—… bee free § 13. it must be pure perfâ—…t § 14. III. Inrespect of the thing meritod that is the reward § 15. IV. In respect of the rule whereby the reward is to be rendred § 16. All these conditions of merit are found in the obedience of Christ. ibid. Testimonies of Scripture disproving morits lib. 8. cap. 2. I. Those which ascribe the reward to Gods mercy and not to our meritâ—… § 1. 2 3. II. Esa. 55. 1. Dan. 9. 18. § 4. III. Luk. 17. 7 8. 9 10. § 5. c. ad 9. 4. expositions of the Fathers brought by Bellarmine § 9. c. IV. Rom. 6. 23. § 13 c. V. Rom. 8. 18. § 18. VI. Three places allâ—…ged Pbil. 3. 8 9. Eph. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3 5 7. § 22. A new supply of arguments lib. 8. cap. 3. I. Thopopish doctrine of merit doth not take away boasting § 1. II. It derogateth from the merit of Christ. § 2. The exceptions of the Papists 1. Bellarminesâ—…re â—…re 〈◊〉 § 3. 4 4 6 7. 2. That they derogate no more than we § 8. 3. That we extennate Christs merit in denying our 〈◊〉 § 9. III. We cannot merit temporall blessings at the hands of God much lesse eternall blisse § 10. IV. Because we come to heaven by right of adoption § 11. V. Because works are not the causes of salvation § 12. VI. Because we cannot sully doe our duety and much lesse merit § 13. VII Because we are not saved by workes ibid. VIII The land of 〈◊〉 a land of promise and not merited ibid. Testimonies of fathers against merits lib. 8. cap. 4. First those which Bellarmine hath endevoured to answere § 1 c. ad 8. Then others which the Irish lesuite sought to answere § 8. c. Bellarmines dispute first concerning the name Merit which he would prove to be grounded on the Scriptures lib. 8. cap. 5. 1. Out of Eccl. 16. 14. § 1. 2. Out of Heb. 13. 16. 3. From the wordâ—… Dignity and Reward § 3. 2. Concerning the thing which he would prove first by testimonies of Scriptures which be reduceth to seven heads First those where eternall life is called merces lib. 8. cap. 5. § 4. 5. specially the parable of the labourers in the Uiâ—…e-yard Matth. 20. 1. c. ad 16. § 6. 7. Bellarmines cavils against Melancthon and Calvin answered § 8. Maldonats exposition § â—… 2. From those places where the reward is said to be given according to the measure and proportion of the works l. 8. cap. 5. § 10. 11. Bellarminesâ—…vill â—…vill at our answeres § 12. The places of Scripture 〈◊〉 and answered § 13. 3. From those which place the reason of the reward in workes lib. 8. cap. 5. § 14. The places of Scriptures examined l. 8. c. 5. § 15. that good workes be causes of salvation Bellarmine proveth by the causall particles § 16 17. 4. From those where the reward is said to be rendred in justice lib. 8. cap. 5. § 18. Gods iustice distinguished none proving merit § 19. 20. 5. From those plâ—…ces where eternall life is promised to good workes lib. 8. c. 5. § 21. 6. From those places where â—…ention is made of dignity or worthinesse l. 8. c. 5. § 22. 7. Because God is a righteous Iudge § 23. Bellarmines corollary that those who deny merits deny the future iudgement § 24. Two Testimonies of Fathers alleaged for merits answered l. 8. c. 6. viz. â—…ight of the
Greeke Fathers § 2. and eleven of the Latine Fathers § 3. The authority of foure Councils § 4. Bellarmines reasons to prove merits § 5. Other questions concerning merits discussed l. 8. c. 7. whether trust is to bee reposed in merit § 2. De intuitu mercedis § 3 4 whether it bee lawfull to doe a good worke with intent to merit thereby lib. 8. cap. 7. § 5. The seven conditions required in merit l. 8. c. 8. whereof three are not contrâ—…verted § 1. The fourth that it bee liberum § 2. Fifthly that it be the worke of a man in state of grace § 3. Sixthly that it have the promise of God § 4. Seventhly that it proceed from charity § 5. All these conditions concurring doe not make a worke meritorious lib. 8. c. 8. § 6. Bellarmines dispute that good workes are condignely meritorious non solum ratione pacti but also ratione operis examined l. 8. c. 9. His seven arguments to prove condigne merits ratione operis l. 8. c. 9. § 5. c. What things may be merited l. 8. c. 9. § 13. N Necessity of good workes urged by us l. 7. c. 1. By Bellarmine c. 4. O Obiect of Faith Lib. 6. cap. 6. The proper obiect of iustifying faith is CHRIST § 2. The obiect of Abrahams faith § 3 4 5. Christ the proper obiect of faith in two respects § 6. Bellarmines dispute first that the obiect of faith is not speciall § 7. By virtue of the iustifying faith all other articles may become the obiect of speciall faith l. 6. c. 6. § 7. Whether every man is bound to beleeve that he is elected c. § 8. Secondly whether a man may be iustified without speciall faith § 9. Thirdly whether a man is iustified by speciall faith l. 6. c. 6. § 10. Osiander His errour that the righteousnesse of God by which we are iustified is the righteousnesse of the Godhead dwelling in us l. 1. c. 3. § 2. P Papists They take away iustification l. 1. c. 1. § 1. l. 2. c. 6. § 22. From iustification they exclude remission or forgivenesse of sinnes lib. 2. cap. 7. § 2. They confound the Law and the Gospell and make void the covenant of grace l. 4. c. 8. § 5. They deprive Christians of the chiefe part of their christian liberty § 6. They are fallen from grace lib. 7. c. 3. § 9 10 11 12. Their maine errours in the article of iustification l. 2. c. 1. § 1. Paritie Parity of righteousnesse l. 4. c. 13. Parts of iustification Lib. 1. c. 4. § 16 17. c. 6. § 5. Passive righteousnesse of Christ. Whether we be iustified by it onely l. 1. cap. 4. Paul Not iustified by inherent righteousnesse l. 4. c. 8. § 15. Pelagians Their errours concerning grace lib. 3. cap. 6. § 2. Perfect Whether any such lib. 4. c. 10. § 10 11. l. 7. c. 6. § 15. 16. Penitencie Bellarmines fifth disposition to iustification l. 6. c. 12. § 9 10. Purpose to receive the Sacrament Bellarmines sixth disposition to iustification l. 6. c. 12. § 11. Purpose of a new life Bellar. 7th disposition l. 6. c. 12. § 12. R. Remission of sinne is not that onely thing wherein iustification consisteth lib. 1. cap. 4. § 16. 17. 18 21. n. 3. Obiect It is as well of the sinnes of omission as of commission lib. 1. cap. 4. § 19. Obiect 2. By it men are made innocent therefore iust § 20. Three arguments of I. P. § 21. of I. F. § 22. 23. Some make remission the entire forme of iustification lib. 1. cap. 5. § 1. 4. It is not that righteousnesse which is imputed lib. 1. cap. 4. § 1. cap. 5. § 5. 6. Remission of sinne and acceptation as righteous the two parts of iustification lib. 1. cap. 6. § 5. Remission of sinne is by the Papists excluded from iustification lib. 2. cap. 7. § 1. 2. Remission of sinne is not the utter extinction of it lib. 2. cap. 7. § 3. It is as the forgiving of a debt § 4. What it signifieth in the Scriptures ibid. Three questions I. What that is which is remitted § 5. whether the Macula § 6. 7. II. The bookes out of which God doth wipe or blot our sinnes § 8. III. By what act of God are our sins remitted § 9. The utter deletion or extinction not granted in this life § 10. The guilt and punishment not taken away by infusion of righteousnesse § 11. Remission doth not worke a reall change § 12. Absurdities which follow this assertion that remission is the utter extinction of sinne § 13. and are necessary consequents of their doctrine of iustification by inherent righteousnesse § 14. lib. 5. cap. 5. § 6. 7 8. Bellarmines proofes out of the Scripture that remission of sin is the utter abolition of it lib. 2. cap. 8. those places of Scripture mention either the taking away of sinne § 2. or the blotting out of sinne § 3. or the purging of sinne § 4. or the not being of it § 5. or the perfection of righteousnesse § 6. Other arguments from the efficacie of Baptisme § 7. 8. his unanswereable argument out of Rom. 5. 19. answered lib. 2. c. 8. § 10. See more of this question lib. 5. cap. 5. § 6 7 8. Reward Reward merces is either gratuita free or debita due l. 8. c. 5. § 3. 4. 5. The reward of eternall life equall but not of glory l 4. c. 13. § 2. How farre foorth good workes are rewarded l. 8. c. 9. § 12. VVhether good workes may bee done with an eye to the reward l. 8. c. 7. § 3. 4. VVhether they may bee done with intent to merit § 5. Righteousnesse The righteousnesse of God a moving cause of iustification l. 1. c. 2. § 2 3. Righteousnesse of Christians twofold l. 1. c. 1. § 2. Bellarmines distinction of righteousnesse of the Law and in or by it l. 4. c. 8. § 2. 3 4. l 7. c. 2. § 8. The righteousnesse of God is the matter of iustification not the righteousnesse of the Godhead lib. 1. c. 3. § 2. But the righteousnesse of the Mediator the man CHRIST IESVS § 3. His whole righteousnâ—…sse both negative and also possitive § 3 4. Which is truely called the righteousnesse of God § 5. The comfort arising out of this doctrine § 6. Righteousnesse inherent Not perfect l. 4. c. 2. § 8 c. and c. 3. Reasons proving the works of the faithfull not to be purely and perfectly good I. Out of Esai 64. 6. Lib. 4. cap. 3. § 4 c. ad 11. II. Because there is a mixture in them of sinne out of Exod. 28. 36 38. § 11. Eccles. 7. 20. § 12. III. The fruâ—…t is as the tree § 13. IV. Actions purely good may stand in iudgâ—…ment § 14. an instance in prayer § 15. Testimonies of Fathers § 16. Bellarmines proofes I. Allegation of Scriptures And I. Iob 1. 22. l. 4. c. 4. § 1 2. II.
Psalm 7. 4 9. c. § 3. III. Matth. 6. 22. § 4. IV. 1 Cor. 3. 12. § 5. V. Iam. 3. 2. § 6. VI. Psalm 4. 4. Esai 1. 16. Ioh. 5. 14. in which wee are exborted not to sinne § 7. VII From those places which teach that the workes of the faithfull doe please God § 8. VIII From these places which absolutely call them good § 9. Two Testimonies of Fathers § 10. Three Reasons I. If good workes are impure then either by reason of concupiscence l. 4. c. 4. § 12. or for want of charity § 13. or because of veniall sinnes concurring § 14. II. From six absurdities § 15 16. By righteousnesse inherent the Law is not fulfilled l. 4. c. 5. § 3. 4. 4. None are able to fulfill the Law first because all are transgressours § â—… Secondly because none can be iustified by it § 7. Thirdly because none can fulfill the first and the last Commandements § 8. Fourthly out of Act. 15. 10. § 9. Fiftly out of Rom. 7. 18. § 10. Sixthly Rom. 8. 3 § 11. By righteousnesse inherent we are not iustified proved by foureteene reasons l. 4. c. 8. vid. matter of iustification S Sacraments They are seales of iustification l. â—… c. 2. § 6. l. 6. c. 14. 8. Whether they iustifie ex opere operato l. 6. c. 10. § 3. The purpose and desire to receive the Sacrament Bellarmines sixâ—…h disposition to iustification l 6. c. 12. § 7. Satisfaction The imputation of Christs satisfaction acknowledged by the Papists l. 1. c. 3. § 8. Sanctification Not to be confounded with iustification l. 2. per totum How it is distinguished from iustification l. 2. c. 6. Sinners All men are sinners l. 4. c. 2. § 9. c. 8. § 7. l. 5. c. 2. § 2. Subject of faith Viz. the party to whom it belongeth lib. 6. c. 5. § 1. and the parts of the soule wherein it is sealed § 2. viz. the minde that is both the understanding and the will proved by Testimonies § 3. 4. 5. Whether the â—…nderstanding be commanded by the will to beleeve lib. 6. c. 5. § 6. T Truth The doctrine of iustification and Salvation by faith in Christ is called the Truth lib. 1 cap. 1. § 1. lib. 6. cap. 6. § 2. V Veniall Whether veniall sinnes doe contaminate the good works of the iust lib. 4. cap. 4. § 14. VVhether they doe â—…inder the fulfilling of the Law l. 7. c. 6. § 23. Whether they be onely besides the Law and not against it ibid. Vprightnesse It goeth under the name of perfection and upright men are called perfect lib. 4. c. 10. § 10. W. Word The word an instrumentall cause of iustification l. 1. c. 2. § 5. Workes Good workâ—…s â—…re the fruites and effects not causes of 〈◊〉 l. 1. c. 6. § 7. The necessiâ—… of gâ—…od works urged of us by better 〈◊〉 than the Popish doctrine doth 〈◊〉 c. 1. In what 〈◊〉 we deny good workes to iustifie l. 7. c. â—… § 1. That good workes doe noâ—… iustifie men before God prove by all the five 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 7. â—… 2. § 2. by foure other reasons § 3. 〈◊〉 thâ—…se that are iustified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by their owne obedience of the Law § 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is 〈◊〉 to the Scriptures § 5. Bellarmines preamble to his answere in which hee considereth three things first what is meant by the Law of workes and by the Law of faith lib. 7. cap. 2. § 6 7. Secondly the differences betweene the iustice of the Law and in or by the Law § 8. Thirdly what is meant by workes which are excluded from iustification whether the workes of the Ceremoniall Law § 9. 10. or also of the morall and whether all or onely those which goe before faith § 11. Bellarmines proofes that those onely 〈◊〉 before or without faith are excluded l. 7. c. 2. § 13. Bellarmines dispute concerning the necessity of good workes l. 7. c. 4. his method § 1. He proveth them necessary not to iuâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 2. His first proofe is from the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell § 3. c. ad 19. Eight differences by hire propounded l. 7. c. 4. § 19 20 21 22. His second proofe from the doctrine of Christian liberty l. 7. c. 4. § 23. That good workes are necessary by way of efficacie Bellarmine proveth by three sorts of arguments first from Scriptures I. Testimoniâ—… Heb. 10. 36. lib. 7. c. 5. § 3. II. 1 Tim. 2. 14 15. l. 7. c. 5. § 4. III. Phil. 2. 12. § 5. IV. 2 Cor. 7. 10. § 6. V. 2 Cor. 4. 17. § 7. VI. Rom. 8. 13. § 8. VII Rom. 8. 16 17. § 9. VIII Rom. 10. 10. § 10. IX Matth. 25. 34 35. § 11. X. Iam. 1. 25. 2. 14. § 12. XI The Epistles of Peter Iames Iohn and Iude. l. 7. c. 5. § 13. Secondly from testimonies of Fathers § 14. Thirdly from reason § 19. because faith dâ—…th not save alone lib. 7. c. 5. § 16. 17. Of the verity of the â—…ustice of good workes l. 7. c. 6. § 1. VVhether they be sinnes l. 7. c. 7. § 17. That they be sinnes it followes upon the doctrine of the Papists lib. 4. c. 4. § 9. in fine 21. Bellarmines proofes that good workes doe iustifie l. 7. c. 8. The first Iam. 2. 24. lib. 7. c. 8. § 2. c. ad 19. Sixe other testimonies I. Eccl. 18. 21. § 19. vide l. 2. c. 4. § 2. 3. II. Rom. 6. 19. l. 7. c. 8. § 19. III. 2 Cor. 7. 1. l. 7. c. 8. § 20. IV. 2 Cor. 9. 10. § 21. V. Iohn 14. 23. § 22. VI. Apâ—…c 22. 11. § 23. The Papists high opinion of their works l. 8. c. 9. § 14. Our estimations of them § 15. Y Yoke Christs yoke easie lib. 7. cap. 6. § 4 5 6 7. FINIS Errata Page 2. line 20 even our juâ—…if p. 4. l. 9. â—…sadiq p. 6 â—… antepen speciall p. 9. marg l. 2. â—… 〈◊〉 2. 1. 2. l. 15. justificaâ—…i p. 13. l. a fin 19. VIII 〈◊〉 second p 15 l â—… 〈◊〉 6. concur l. penulâ—… standeth 〈◊〉 p. 16. marg l. 6. lib 1 cap. 2 p. 17. l. af 11. herâ—… l. 〈◊〉 7. men p. 18 l. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 28. 〈◊〉 is p. 19 l 1. breake l. 15 16. dele So the righteousnesse of our Meâ—…iator who is God p. 21 marg l 2. Ier 23 6. l af 5. dele sect p. 22. l. af 14. then he intendeth p 24. l. 6 〈◊〉 l. 11 partam l. 18. nothing else p. 26. l af 8 we are p. 27. l af 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no p. 28. l. 20 and sâ—…condly l. af 13. id eâ—…t compl p. 29. l. 1. receivâ—…d l. af 4. in us p. 31. l. 3. 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 l. af 12. yâ—…t we p. 32 l. 26. ad 〈◊〉 p. 38. l. 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 22. scales p. 43. l. antep upon Christ 〈◊〉
our justification and sanctification to both And therefore as we are first above all things to desire that God may bee glorified so that hee may bee glorified wee are first among those things which wee desire for our owne good to seeke his Kingdome and his righteousnesse that his Kingdome of glory and the Kingdome of Grace which consisteth in the righteousnesse of justification and the two companions thereof peace and joy in the holy Ghost may come upon us and next that his will may be done upon earth as it is in heaven by our new obedience for this is the will of God even our sanctification Salvation I say is the end both of our justification and sanctification for being made free from sinne and become servants to God we have our fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life The end of our faith by which we are justified is the salvation of our soules unto which by justification wee are entituled and saved in hope that being justified by his grace wee should bee made heires according to hope of eternall life for all that be justified shall be glorified And this also I noted in the definition when I said that those whom the Lord doth justifie by imputation of Christs righteousnesse he accepteth as righteous in Christ and as heires of eternall life for by faith we have remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified § III. But we are justified by faith not onely that in the end wee may be saved but also that in the meane time our salvation being of Grace might be certaine and sure and that being justified by faith we might have peace and joy in the holy Ghost Whereas if it depended upon our workes or worthinesse it would be uncertaine For the promise of this inheritance was not made to Abraham and his seed through the Law in respect of any righteousnesse therein prescribed but through the righteousnesse of Faith And therefore it is of faith that it might bee by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4. 13. 16. § IV. The other end which is subordinate not onely to Gods glory but also to our Salvation is our sanctification as being the way to eternall life for though we be saved by grace through faith and not of workes yet we are the workmanship of God created in Christ Iesus unto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in them We are therefore justified First that God may be glorified Secondly that wee may bee saved in the life to come Thirdly that in this world we may lead a godly life See Luk. 1. 74 75. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Tit. 2. 11 12 13. So much of the causes § V. There remaine the essentiall parts of justification which I expressed in the definition when I said that God doth justifie a beleeving sinner when imputing unto him the righteousnesse of Christ he doth absolve him from his sinnes and accepteth of him in Christ as righteous and as an Heire of Eternall Life The parts therefore of justification are two absolution from sinne and acceptation as righteous in Christ both which the Lord granteth by imputation of the full and perfect satisfaction of Christ whereby he fully satisfied the Law both in respect of the penalty which he satisfied by his sufferings and also in respect of the precept which he satisfied by his perfect righteousnesse both habituall and actuall As therefore there were two branches of the Law to be satisfied the commination and the Commandement and two parts of Christs satisfaction answerable thereunto so there are two parts of justification absolution from the curse of the Law by imputation of Christs sufferings wherein he became a curse for us and acceptation as righteous in Christ by imputation of Christs most perfect righteousnes both habituall actuall in respect of both which parts of his satisfaction Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes that is doth justifie all that truly beleeve in him § VI. And hereby it may appeare that those three benefits of Redemption Reconciliation and Adoption are all comprehended under this maine benefit of justification the two former being all one in substance with the former part for as touching the former In Christ wee have Redemption through his bloud even remission of sinnes Eph. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. And as touching the latter God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing unto them or remitting their sinnes 2 Cor. 5. 19. and therefore all three Remission of sinnes Redemption and Reconciliation are ascribed to the bloud and to the death of Christ. The third is all one in substance with the second part For what is it to be adopted but to be accepted of God in his beloved as righteous and as an Heire of Eternall Life and this is ascribed to the righteousnesse and obedience of Christ both in his life and death For therefore was the Sonne of God made under the Law namely to obey and to fulfill and to satisfie it that hee redeeming us from the yoke of the Law requiring perfect obedience in us to justification we might receive the Adoption of sonnes § VII Now follow the consequents and fruits of justification which are the Grace of Sanctification and the parts therof consisting partly in righteousnesse inherent and partly in outward obedience called good workes which I doe the rather mention in this place because the Papists though they cannot deny that they are the effects and fruits of justification which as they use to alleage out of Augustine Non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur justificatum not goe before as causes but follow as effects yet notwithstanding most absurdly contend that they concurre with faith unto justification as the causes thereof wee acknowledge them to be necessary in the subject that is the party that is justified and to bee saved necessitate praesentiae as the necessary fruits and consequents of justification and as necessary antecedents to glorification but we deny their necessity of efficiencie as causes concurring to the act of justification or merit of salvation We acknowledge them as the necessary fruits of Redemption and Iustification as the markes and cognizances of them that shall be saved the necessary forerunners of glorification the onely true way to our heavenly countrey the evidence according to which wee shall be judged at the last day yet we are not justified by them nor saved for them as hereafter I shall plainely and plentifully prove but onely by and for the righteousnesse and merits of Christ apprehended by Faith A TREATISE OF IVSTIFICATION THE SECOND BOOKE That Justification and Sanctification are not to bee confounded CAP. I. Setting downe the heads of the Controversies the first whereof is that Iustification and Sanctification are not to be confounded The first proofe
God the formall cause in the word Grace the meritorious cause in the word redemption the disposing cause in the word faith all of them almost depraved or misapplyed by Bellarmine For neither is the true efficient cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he calleth vocabulo nimis diluto Gods liberality signified by the word gratis but the false 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or meritorious cause is by this word excluded and the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the merit of Christ included in the word redemption As if he had said we are justified gratâ—…s in respect of us that is without any cause or desert in us without any worthinesse of ours but not gratis in respect of Christ by whose pretious death and merits we are justified Neither by Grace is meant iustice given and infused of God which hee saith is the formall cause of justification but the grace of God as I have shewed signifieth the gracious favour of God which is not the formall cause of justification but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the efficient or moving cause Neither is redemption passively understood the meritorious cause of our justification for that as well as reconciliation or justification it selfe is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruit and effect of Christ his death and obedience which as they are the matter and meritorious cause of our justification so also the price and merit of our redemption How then are we said to be justified through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus either by a metonymy of the effect for the cause redemption being put for Christs satisfaction or paying of a price of ransome for us by which we were redeemed or else we are said to be justified by his redemption as we may be said to be justified by remission of sinnes For by Christ wee have redemption that is remission of sinnes Col. 1. 7. Ephes. 1. 14. and so Occumenius expoundeth these words by the redemption c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But how is he justified by the forgivenesse of sinnes which wee obtaine in Christ Iesu. Neither is faith the disposing cause as he saith for then a man might have a true lively justifying faith and not bee actually justified which is contrary to the Scriptures Act. 13. 39. Ioh. 5. 24. 6. 47. but the instrumentall cause which is therefore said to justifie because the object which it receiveth doth justifie in which sense the same benefits which wee receive from Christ are ascribed to faith Now the object of faith being the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him it is evident that when wee are said to bee justified by faith it is meant that wee are not justified by righteousnesse inherent but by that righteousnesse which faith doth apprehend § II. Yea but Bellarmine will prove by divers arguments that Grace in this place doth not signifie the gracious favour of God first because the favour of God was sufficiently signified by the word gratis For hee that justifieth freely doth it out of good will and liberality therefore that addition by grace doth not signifie the favour it selfe but some thing else that is to say the effect of that favour I answere that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Hebrew Chinnam is a particle exclusive of any cause price worth or desert in us which may be shewed by many examples Where it signifieth first without cause or desert As where it is said they hated me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without any cause in me or desert of mine Ioh. 15. 25. ex Psalm 35. 19. and vers 7. where Symmachus readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalm 69. 4. So Ezech. 14. 23. 1 Sam. 19. 5. 25. 31. 1 King 2. 32. Psalm 109. 3. 119. 161. Lam. 3. 52. Secondly freely without paying any price as Exod. 21. 11. Numb 11. 5. 2 Sam. 24. 24. Esai 52. 3. 5. Mat. 10. 8. Apoc. 21. 6. 22. 17. So that this exclusive particle was inserted not to set downe the true cause of justification but to exclude the false that we are justified freely without any cause in us or desert of ours or price paid by us meerely by the grace of God through the redemption which is in Iesus Christ. And thus is the word expounded by all Writers almost both Old and New and those as well Papists as Protestants Ambrose as you heard gratis saith he quia nihil operantes nec vicem reddentes sola fide justificati sunt dono Dei freely because working nothing nor making any recompence they are justified through faith alone by the gift of God Augustin Prorsus gratis das gratis salvas qui nihil invenis unde salves multum invenis unde damnes Altogether freely thou givest and freely thou savest because thou findest nothing for which thou shouldest save and thou findest much for which thou maist condemne Oecumenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely that is without any good deeds of thine thou art saved and againe as bringing nothing else but faith and after because all have sinned therefore all that beleeve in Christ are justified freely bringing onely faith to their justification Hugo Cardinalis glossa interlin gratis i. sine meritis So Thomas Aguinas and other Popish Writers yea Bellarmine himselfe to bee justified freely is to bee justified without merit without workes This particle therefore sheweth not by or for what wee are justified but by or for what wee are not justified § III. His second reason because the preposition per when it is said per gratiam being not a note as hee saith of the efficient cause is not rightly applied to the favour or good will of God which is the efficient cause but either to the formall cause or to the meritorious cause or to the instrument For wee could not well say that God doth justifie us per favorem aut per suam benevolentiam by his favour or by his good will but wee say well by grace inherent though not very well by his grace inherent for that which is inherent is ours though from him by the merit of his sonne by faith by the sacraments First I answere that the preposition is not in the originall text where the Apostle doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as noting in Bellarmines conceit the formall cause but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as noting the antecedent or moving cause which is principium actionis as is usuall in the like actions which the efficients working per se are done naturâ arte consilio or voluntate c. in which wee doe not say per naturam per artem c. And therefore this objection is very frivolous Secondly I answer that per in Latine and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke are very often applyed to the efficient cause whereof even in the New Testament there are as I suppose more examples than there bee leaves whereof some are attributed to God as Rom. 11. 36.
confesse our selves to be sinners But the pharisaicall Papist if he be once justified as by their doctrine all are for a time at the least who either are baptized or absolved hee must thinke that in him there is no sinne nothing that God can justly hate And therefore farre bee it from him to make such a confession as this or to cry out with the Apostle Wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7. 24. § IX His second reason to prove this allegation to bee imperitnent is this Because although Esay should speake of all that is of that whole people yet hee doth not speake of all at all times but onely of the people of the Iewes at that time who for their extreme wickednesse were delivered into captivity as appeareth by the words following verse 10. Zion is a wildernesse Ierusalem a desolation the Temple burnt c. Answ. These words doe prove that the Prophet in this place doth not speake in the person of the wicked Iewes that lived in his time before the desolation of Ierusalem but of the remnant of the faithfull and penitent Iewes who being in captivity bewaile their sinnes and lament the desolation of the Temple and City And therefore what is said of them may be extended to the faithfull in all times being as these were humbled before God for their sinnes as penitent suppliants § X. His third reason because the Prophet speaking onely of the wicked of that time meaneth not all their workes as though all were sinnes for then Bellarmine must confesse that the best workes of the unregenerate are but splendida peccata but such as they accounted to bee their righteousnesse as their sacrifice and new-moones and other ceremoniall observatious wherein they placed their righteousnesse which because they were not 〈◊〉 with a good intention nor as they ought are worthily compared but not by them to a menstruous cloth and are rejected by God Esa. 1. 11. Answ. Here Bellarmine taketh for granted that the Prophet speaketh of the workes of the wicked onely of that time which I have disproved Or if hee had spoken of the wicked it were more probable either that they should place their righteousnesse in morall workes if they had any rather than in ceremoniall or if they placed the top of their righteousnesse as hypocrites many times doe in ceremoniall observations that they would compare those things which they so highly esteemed to menstruous clouts But hee speaketh of all the persons All wee and therefore including the righteous if there were any at all among them as some there were both before the captivity and in it and of all their righteousnesses and therefore not of their ceremonials onely but also of their morals Neither might they performe the chiefe of their ceremonials during their captivity being in a forraine land § XI Secondly that the good workes of the faithfull in this life are not purely and perfectly good I prove because in all our best actions there is a mixture of evill either by the absence or defect of some good thing which ought to bee therein or by the presence of some fault or corruption which ought not to be in them And this I prove first out of Exod. 28. 36. 38. where the high Priest who was the figure of Christ is appointed to weare on his forehead a plate of pure gold which is also called an holy coronet Exod. 29. 6. Levit. 8. 9. engraven with this inscription Holinesse of the Lord and so the 72. translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord that is of Christ who is the Lord our righteousnesse The end wherefore he was to weare it was that Aaron might beare the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel should hallow in all their holy gifts And it was alwaies to be on his forehead that they the holy gifts might be accepted before the Lord where we are plainly taught that in all our best actions and holy services which wee performe to God there is iniquity which must bee taken away by the holinesse and righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us otherwise they cannot in themselves be accepted of God § XII Secondly out of Eccl. 7. 20. There is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not that is who in doing good sinneth not For if the meaning were onely thus as Bellarmine would have it that none are so just but that sometimes they sinne according to that 1 King 8. 46. those words that doth good were superfluous for there is no just man that doth not good But his meaning is that there is no just man upon earth who doing good sinneth not that is which doth good so purely and perfectly as that hee doth not sinne therein For to the perfecting of a good worke many things must concur the want of any whereof is a sinne The truth of this doth best appeare in the particulars Prayer is a good worke and so is the hearing of the word c. but there is no man doth so pray or so heare the word but that when hee hath done he hath just cause to pray unto God to forgive his defects and defaults both in the one and the other And in this sense Luther did truly hold that justus in omni opere bono peccat that a just man sinneth in every good worke Not that the worke in respect of its kind or per se is a sinne as if wee said that prayer c. is a sinne but per accidens because in that good worke there happeneth a defect which defect is a sinne not mortall to them who are in Christ but veniall And thus Augustine also seemeth to understand this place For speaking of the imperfection of charity in this life hee saith that so long as it may be increased profectò illud quod minus est quà m debet ex vitio est ex quo vitio non est justus in terra qui faciat bonum non peccet assuredly that which is lesse than it ought to be is out of vice by reason of which vice there is not a just man upon earth who doth good and sinneth not by reason of which vice no living man shall bee justified before God and in another place more plainely hee saith peccatum est cum charitas minor est quà m esse debet it is a sinne when charity is lesse than it ought to bee § XIII Thirdly such as is the tree such is the fruit The tree is corrupt in part For even in the best there is the Old man and the New the flesh and the Spirit betwixt which there is a perpetuall conflict so that wee cannot doe the things wee would and much lesse as we would but all even our best actions are stained with the flesh which is such a law in us that when wee would doe good evill is present with us
merit of his works but for the truth and fidelity of God who is just in keeping his promise made to the upright though unperfect indeavers of his servants And therefore the reward whereby God doth crowne his owne gifts in us is called a crowne of righteousnesse not of ours but of Gods righteousnesse as Bernard saith § XVIII The third If all the works of the righteous were mortall sinnes then God himselfe should sinne mortally because it is God that worketh in us when we doe any good works Phil. 1. and 2. Answ. If all good workes were absolutely sinnes yea mortall sinnes as they malitiously charge us to hold then indeed God who is the author of them might perhaps bee said though not to sinne and much lesse to sinne mortally for he is not subject to the precept of the Law and much lesse to the curse of it yet to be the author of sinne But wee hold that the good works of the faithfull are truly good though not purely good and that what goodnesse is in them is the worke of God and what impurity is in them it is from the flesh which staineth the workes of grace in us Neither are the defects of the secondary causes to be imputed to the first cause That which God worketh in us no doubt is good but this good worke hee hath but begun in us as in the place by him quoted Philippians 1. 6. for our in regeneration wee are not wholly renewed and at once for then wee should bee wholy spirit and no flesh Neither doth the leaven of grace season the whole lumpe at once but the inward man is renewed day by day And what is not yet renued is a remainer of the old man and what is not Spirit is flesh Now betweene these two there is a perpetuall conflict the spirit lusting against the flesh and the flesh lusting against the Spirit So that a man regenerate cannot with full consent of will doe either good or evill there being a reluctation of the Spirit against the evill which the flesh affecteth and a rēluctation of the flesh against that good which is willed by the Spirit By reason of this conflict it comes to passe that as the sinnes of the faithfull are sinnes of infirmity more or lesse and not wilfull sinnes committed of meere malice so the good works of the faithfull are not purely good but stained with the flesh § XIX The 4. that our assertion is greatly injurious to our Redeemer who as the Apostle saith gave himselfe for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity might purge unto himselfe an acceptable people zealous of goodworks For neither should he truly have redemed us from any iniquity nor truly cleansed his people nor made them zealous of works truly good but of mortall sinnes namely if all their good works be mortall sinnes which we utterly deny But I answere Our Saviour Christ gave himselfe for us both that he might justifie us by redeeming us from all iniquity and also that hee might sanctifie or as the Apostle speaketh that hee might purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zelous or studious of good works The iniquity from which he redeemeth us is not onely of those transgressions which are absolutely sinnes but also of those unperfect and defective workes which wee indevour to performe in obedience to God And herein as I have said the high Priest was a notable type of our Saviour Christ who did weare in the forefront of his Miter a plate of gold in which was ingraven this inscription Holinesse of the Lord meaning of Iehovah our righteousnesse which he was appointed to weare that he might beare the iniquity of the holy things which the Children of Israell should hallow in all their holy gifts that notwithstanding the iniquity of them they might be accepted before the Lord by imputation of his holinesse who is Iehovah our righteousnesse And the like is to be said of the incense of the Saints upon earth that is of their prayers and all other their good works which have need to bee perfumed with the odours of Christs sacrifice that so being defective in themselves they may be accepted of God in Christ. As for our sanctification it is true that Christ gave himselfe to sanctifie us But this sanctification is but begun and in part in this life and is to be perfected in the life to come So saith the Apostle Ephcs. 5. that Christ loved his Church and gave himselfe for it that hee might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himselfe viz. at the mariage of the Lambe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish which last words as I have shewed out of Augustine are to bee understood not of the Church militant on earth but of the Church triumphant in heaven The workes which we are to be studious of are workes not onely truly but also as much as is possible purely good For though wee cannot in this life attaine to full purity and perfection yet we must aspire towards it affecting and desiring to performe good works in a better manner and measure than wee can indeed attaine unto Howbeit we must say with the Apostle to will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I finde not for the good that I would I doe not but the evill which I would not that I doe and lest it should bee said that the Apostle speaketh all these things in the perof a carnall man he concludeth thus so then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even I my selfe with the minde that is the Spirit serve the Law of God but with the flesh the Law of sinne § XX. The fifth If all good workes are mortall sinnes then some mortall sinnes are good works and then we may conclude thus All good works are to be done some mortall sinnes are good works therefore some mortall sinnes are to be done Againe no mortall sinne is to bee done all good workes are mortall sinnes therefore no good worke is to bee done Conclusions worthy of the Lutherans that some mortall sinnes are to bee done and that no good worke is to be done Answ. we deny good workes to bee mortall sinnes though in every good worke the most righteous doe sinne The worke it selfe is good though the defect or imperfection which goeth with it is evill The good worke therefore is to bee done the defect we are to strive and to pray against and to crave pardon for it To which deprecation we are to expect this answeare or the like My grace is sufficient for thee and in thy weakenesse my power is perfected Againe wee must distinguish betwixt workes which are sinnes absolutely and per se and those which are onely by accident For those which are good per se are to be
able to fulfill the Law of God CAP. VI. Our fiftâ—… argument containing foure branches By that wâ—…e are justified by which we are absolved redeemed reconciled and for which wee shall be saved § I. THe fifth argument By what righteousnesse wee are justified by it wee are absolved from our sinnes redeemed from our iniquities reconciled unto God and for it we shall bee saved And againe by what righteousnesse wee are absolved redeemed reconciled and for which wee shall be saved by it we are justified By that righteousnesse which is inherent in our selves wee are not absolved from our sinnes nor redeemed from our iniquities nor reconciled unto God nor for it shall bee saved But by the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him wee are absolved from our sinnes redeemed from our iniquities c. Therefore we are not justified by that righteousnesse which is inherent in our selves but by that righteousnesse which is out of us in Christ. The proposition in both the parts thereof containeth foure branches The first by what righteousnesse we are justified wee are by it absolved from our sinnes and a converso by what righteousnesse we are absolved from our sinnes by that we are justified This is proved from the signification of the word justifie as being a judiciall word opposed to condemnation which I have at large proved before For this doth invincibly demonstrate that by what wee are justified by that wee are acquitted and absolved and by what wee are absolved by that we are justified But more specially it may bee proved out of Act. 13. 38 39. where as I have shewed before not onely the word justification and remission of sinnes are promiscuously used but the phrase also of being justified from sinne signifieth plainely to be absolved from sinne where also the maine question itselfe is concluded Bee it knowne unto you saith S. Paul to his brethren the Iewes who feared God that through Iesus Christ is preached unto you forgivenesse of sinnes And by him all that beleeve are justified from all those things meaning sinnes from which yee could not be justified by the Law of Moses From our sinnes therefore we are justified or absolved by the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith from which we could out be acquitted by any obedience which we could performe to the Law § II. But of this place we are further to speake in defence of Calvins allegation thereof against Bellarmines cavils Calvin prooving that God doth justifie us when hee absolveth us from our sinnes and accepteth of us in Christ alleageth this place Through this man that is Christ is preached unto you remission of sinnes and by him all that beleeve are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses You see saith Calvin that justification is here set after remission of sinnes by way of interpretation r you see plainely that it is taken for absolution you see that it is denied to the workes of the Law you see it is meerely the benefit of Christ you see that it is received by faith and finally you see that there is a satisfaction interposed where hee saith that through Christ wee are justified from our sinnes Bellarmine pretending to answere this argument relateth it thus as if Calvin had said First By this man that is by Christ we are justified and not by any vertues or qualities of ours Secondly is preached that signifyeth that the very preaching or declaring of the promise if it bee apprehended by faith doth justifie for so the Apostle presently expoundeth himselfe by him every one that beleeveth is justified Thirdly forgivenesse of sinnes that signifieth that justification consisteth in nothing else but in remission of sinnes wherefore tâ—…e inward renovation is not the other part of justication for that renovation is not so much justificaâ—…ion as an effect thereof And lastly these words from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses doe signifie that justification doth not consist in the observation of the Law but onely as hath beene said in remission of sinnes for or through the righteousnesse of Christ imputed Thus as you see hee maketh Calvin speake what hee pleaseth But because the things which he inforceth in Calvins name upon this place be for the most part our assertions it shall not bee amisse to weigh the answeres which he maketh to them And first where it is said per hunc by this man hee saith this doth not exclude our vertues or qualities infused of God For by Christ wee are justified as the efficient which is signified by the preposition per by vertues and qualities infused as the formall cause Now if Christ or his righteousnesse bee the efficient cause then it cannot be the formall cause for the forme is the effect of the efficient nor can the same thing be the cause and effect of the same thing Neither may they say as they are wont that this is a mystery of faith that reason cannot attaine unto For mysteries though they surmount reason yet are notrepugnant to reason Neither ought we to faine mysteries as the Papists use to doe where the Scriptures have an easie and perspicuous meaning Râ—…ply This were a good caveat to the papists As for us we faineno such mysteries neither doe we say that Christ or his righteousnesse is both the efficient and formall cause of our justification But this we say that the righteousnesse of Christ is both the matter of our justification and also the merit both of our justification and salvation and that Christ himselfe as he is Mediatour is the secondary efficient of our justification affording unto it both the matter thereof and the merit § IV. That word is preached doth not signifie saith hee that by the onely preaching of Scriptures apprehended by faith men are justified For then Peter would not have said Act. 2. 38. Doe peâ—…ance and bee every one of you baptized for remission of sinnes But it signifieth that remission of sinnes is preached to all that beleeve in Christ as they ought that is in doing whatsoever he commaâ—…deth to be done according to that Mat. 28. 20. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you In this sence every one that bâ—…leeveth is justified that is whosoever beleeveth as he ought namely by fulfilling all things which faith doth declare ought to be fulfilled For not he that beleeveth a Physician though he be never so skilfull and one that infallibly curâ—…th is healed unlesse he receive such medicines as hee doth appoint Reply Wee doe not say that preaching alone apprehended by faith doth justifie but wee say that a true and a lively faith which is begotten by the preaching of the Word doth justifie a man before God and that wicked is that aphorisine collected out of Bellarmine that by the preaching of the Word of God faith is stirred up and so sinnes are forgiven is a
an heire of eternall life Christs sufferings and obedience being imputed unto him and accepted of God in his behalfe as if he had suffered and performed the same in his owne person But the doctrine of justification by inherent righteousnesse is as it were a racke to mens consciences For when a man being summoned to appeare before the judgement seat of God shall seriously consider with himselfe what he shall oppose to the accusations of Satan to the conviction of the Law to the Testimony of his owne Conscience confessing himselfe to be a most wretched sinner to the judgment of God the most righteous judge If he looke backe to his owne conversation as having nothing to trust to but his owne righteousnesse he shall finde sufficient matter of despaire He may say with Anselme Terret me vita mea c. my life doth terrifie me for being diligently examined my whole life almost appeareth either to bee sinne or barrennesse and if there seeme to bee any fruit therein it is either so counterfeit or unperfect or some way or other corrupted as that it can doe no other but either not please or displease God And summoning himselfe before the judgement seat of God hee findeth himselfe to bee in great straits On this side saith he will be accusing sinnes on that side terrifying justice under will lye open the horrible gulfe of hell above an angry Iudge within a burning conscience without a flaming world where shall I be hid how shall I appeare to be hid is impossible to appeare is untolerable To avoide these straits there is no way but to renounce the doctrine of justification by works or inherent righteousnes and to fly to the doctrine of the Gospell teaching justification by the grace of God freely without respect of works through the merits of Christ received by faith and to appeale from the tribunall of Gods justice to the throne of his mercy For whiles a man retaineth this opinion that he can bee no otherwise justified than by his owne good workes or inherent righteousnesse he can never be soundly perswaded that his righteousnesse is sufficient for that purpose but ever hath just caufe not onely of doubting but also of despaire And this is the cause of that Popish opinion that no man without speciall revelation can be assured of the remission of his sinnes or of salvation § VI. The eleventh and last argument shall be taken from experience For when men seriously considering of their justification before God as a judiciall act of God as the word it selfe importeth shall sincerely and in the feare of God set themselves before his judgement seat where they must receive the sentence either of absolution or condemnation and shall bethinke themselves what they being accused of Satan and convicted by the testimony of their owne Conscience have to oppose to the just judgement of God why sentence of condemnation should not passe against them they would utterly disclaime their owne righteousnesse For as Augustine and other of the Fathers observe as before I have noted out of the eight and nine verses of Prov. 20. joyned together cum Rex justus sederit in solio quis potest dicere mundum est cor meum when the righteous King shall sit upon his throne who can say my heart is cleane yea the best of the Papists when By deadly sicknesâ—…e as Gods messenger they have beene summoned to come before Gods judgement they have beene forced to leave their schoole-trickes and sophisticall distinctions and plainely renouncing their owne righteousnesse to rest wholly upon the mercies of God and the merits of Christ. Insomuch that many who have lived Papists have in this most weighty point died reformed Catholicks And to this purpose there is extant among them in divers Bookes a forme of visiting the sicke wherein both the Pastor is directed what to say and the sicke person is instructed what to answere The Pastor therefore having demanded these questions Brother dost thou rejoyce that thou shalt dye in the faith doest thou confesse that thou hast not lived so well as thou ought Doth it repent thee hast thou a will to amend if thou hadd'st space of life Dost thou beleeve that our Lord Iesus Christ dyed for thee doest thou beleeve that thou canst not bee saved but by his death and having received affirmative answers to every question he inferreth this exhortation that whiles his soule remaineth in him he should place his whole affiance in the death of Christ and in no other thing and that if God will judge him if hee shall say unto him thou art a sinner that thou hast deserved damnation that hee is angry with thee he should say O Lord I interpose the death of thy Sonne betweene me and thy judgement betweene my sinnes and thee betweene mee and my bad deserts betweene me and thine anger In the edition printed at Venice there are these two questions dost thou beleeve that thou shalt come to glory not by thine owne merits but by the vertue and merit of Christs passion And a little after dost thou beleeve that our Lord Iesus Christ died for our Salvation and that no man can bee saved by his owne merits or by any other meanes but by the merit of his passion unto both which an affirmative answere was made but both blotted out in the Index expurgatorius set forth by Cardinall Quiroga CAP. VIII The disproofe of the Popish assertion affirming that we are not justified by righteousnesse inherent § I. NOw we are severally to disprove the Popish assertion and to prove ours As touching the former that wee are not justified by righteousnesse inherent Our first argument may bee this That righteousnesse of God by which we are justified is not prescribed in the Law as before hath beene proved Rom. 3. 21. nor is that righteousnesse which is of the Law Phil. 3. 9. All inherent righteousnesse is prescribed in the Law and is that which is of the Law Therefore inherent righteousnesse is not that righteousnesse of God by which we are justified That all inherent righteousnesse is prescribed in the Law it is manifest first because the Law is a perfect rule of all inherent righteousnesse whether habituall or actuall secondly because charity wherein they place their inherent righteousnesse even that charity whereby they are to love God withall their soules and their neighbour as themselves that charity which proceedeth from a pure heart from a good conscience and from faith unfained is prescribed in the Law as the summe and complement thereof Matth. 22. 37. 39 40. 1 Tim. 1. 5. § II. To avoid this most evident truth Bellarmine bringeth a frivolous distinction as he applieth it to wit that there is justitia legis and justitia in lege or exlege The justice of the Law the justice in the Law or of the Law The justice of the Law is that very justice which the Law prescribeth or that justice
flesh is communicated unto us by imputation and accepted of God in our behalfe as if we had performed the same in our own persons To conclude therefore it is not the image of Christs righteousnesse and obedience by which we are justified But we are justified by the righteousnesse and obedience of Christ it selfe § XVII His seventh Allegation of Rom. 6. 4. 6. is scarce worth the answering wherein hee proveth which no man denieth that the godly doe truly and not putativè dye unto sinne and rise unto righteousnesse even as Christ whose death and resurrection is represented in Baptisme did truly dye and rise againe For this dying unto sinne and rising unto righteousnesse are the two parts of our sanctification which never any denied to bee inherent But that justification and sanctification are not to bee confounded I have before proved at large If hee would have said any thing to the purpose he should have said any thing to the purpose hee should have proved that our justification consisteth in our mortification and vivification and then might he well have concluded that we are not justified by imputation but by inherent righteousnesse But I cannot sufficiently wonder at the blind malice of these men who either would perswade themselves or would goe about to perswade others that we hold the righteousnesse of sanctification and the parts thereof which we acknowledge to be wrought in us by the holy Spirit not to bee inherent but imputative As for these words vers 7. he that is dead is justified from sinne the meaning is as I have shewed before that he is freed from sinne as our translation readeth and as Chrysostome and Oecumenius expound it the speciall sense of freeing from guilt opposed to condemnation which is the proper sense of the word Act. 13. 38 39. extended to the generall signification of freedome he that is dead is freed from committing of sinne according to that place of Peter 1 Epist. 4. 1. which Bellarmine paralelleth with this he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne § XVIII In his eighth allegation hee patcheth divers places of Scripture together as it were invita Minerva out of which nothing can be concluded but that the Papists have not one found Argument to prove their justification by inherent righteousnesse The places which he patcheth together are these Rom. 8. 15. That wee now by Christ have received the Spirit of Adoption of the sonnes of God quoad animam saith he in respect of the Soule the which as it is there said viz. vers 10. liveth by reason of justification although the body be dead that is be mortall as yet by reason of sinne But saith he â—… little after viz. vers 23. he addeth that wee having the first fruits of the Spirit doe groane within our selves expecting the adoption of the sonnes of God even the redemption of our body For as the same Apostle saith Phil. 3. 20. 21. wee expect our Saviour who shall reforme the body of our humility configured to the body of his glory But the adoption of sonnes which wee expect in the redemption of the body shall be most true and inherent in the body it selfe that is to say immortality and impossibility not putative but true Therefore the adoption which now we have in the spirit by justification must also be true not putative otherwise as we expect the redemption of the body so also wee should expect the redemption of the soule Answ. See what poore shifts so learned a man is put unto according to the ancient profession of Sophistres noted by Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make good a bad cause This is Bellarmines whole dispute word for word where with much travell he hath brought forth this conclusion that our adoption which now we have by justification is true and not in conceit onely which we freely confesse For whoever denied that our adoption is as true as our justification But doth it from hence follow that wee are justified by inherent righteousnesse A good syllogisme concluding that assertion from those premisses had beene worth his labour The most that can bee said in this matter as I suppose is this That when our gracious God by his holy Spirit doth regenerate us he doth beget in us the grace of faith As soone as faith is wrought in us wee are engrafted into Christ to us being in Christ the Lord communicateth the merits of his Sonne by imputation of whose righteousnesse unto us hee remitting our sinnes doth not onely accept of us as righteous in Christ but also in him hee adopteth us to bee his Sons and heires of eternall life § XIX Let this proposition then tanquam commune principium bee agreed upon betweene us Such as is our adoption such is our justification and let us see what either of us can inferre thereupon Bellarmine assumeth thus but our adoption is not imputative for that I suppose is his meaning by that odious word putative as though if it were imputative it were but putative which is most false For he that either is a sinner by imputation of Adams transgression is as truely a sinner as by transfusion of the corruption yea if he had not beene truely a sinner by imputation of Adams guilt hee should never have beene punished either with the transfusion of the coâ—…ruption or with death unto which by the guilt he was bound over or hee that is righteous by imputation of Christs righteousnesse is as truely righteous before God yea more truely than by infusion of inherent righteousnesse For that is perfect this is stained with the flesh and therefore is but a sinnefull righteousnesse which cannot stand in judgement before God judging according to the sentence of his Law But Bellarmine assumption as I was saying is this Our adoption is not imputative but by grace inherent therefore our justification is not imputative but by righteousnesse inherent The assumption which is utterly false hee endevoreth to prove because the Apostle Rom. 8. 15. saith that now by Christ wee haâ—…e received the Adoption of the sonnes of God quoad animam saith Bellarmine that he might patch with it vers 10. in respect of the soule which as it is there said liveth prâ—…pter justificationem although the body bee dead that is to say mortall by reason of sinne These places Belâ—…mine alleaged before to prove that the grace by which wee are justified is inherent and namely charity because charity is that by which wee cry in our hearts Abba Father Secondly because it is said that the Spirit liveth by reason of justification though the body bee dead by reason of sinne to both which I have before answered § XX. But here Bellarmine maketh a twofold Adoption the one of the soule patched out of Rom. 8. 10. 15. the other of the body pieced out of Rom. 8. 23. and Phil. 3. 20 21. when as indeed Adoption is not of either part but of
what Pharisaicall conceit the Papists have of themselves that being once ex opere operato justified by their Sacraments though they neither have knowledge nor faith nor repentance nor any sanctifying grace in them yet they are not truely and indeed sinners in themselves neither is there any sinne in them And therefore unlesse they will play the hypocrites and dally with God they ought not to pray as Christ taught his owne Apostles to pray forgive us our sinnes But by saying there is no sinne in themselves it is evident that there is no truth in them 1 loh. 1. 8. § VIII His eighth argument is taken out of the Canticles where Christ is compared to the Husband or Bridegrome the Church or justified soule to the Spouse which Spouse is said to bee most faire and beautifull yea tota pulchra viz. by beauty inhereâ—…t in her selfe and not by the beauty of her Husband imputed to her Answ. From allegoricall Scriptures no sound argument can bee drawne especially when they are not understood But be it that by the Spouse is meant the Church of Christ. Is it the Church triumphant as it mayseeme when she is said to be tota pulchra then is it to no purpose alleaged As for the Church militant that commendation cannot be verified of it by reason of many deformed members which be alwayes in the visible Church besides which the Papists acknowledge no other But if the Church militant bee meant then of what time for it may not be thought that what is spoken in the Canticles doth agree to the Church at al times The Spouse which somtimes is said to be tota pulchra in other places is said to be blacke sometimes She enjoyethher Beloved somtimes She is at a losse sometimes she adhereth to her Love sometimes She neglecteth him But suppose she be alwaies and altogether beautiful which me thinks should hardly be verified of the Church of Rome besides which they acknowledg no other true Church especially when the visible Head therof the Popes have beene monsters of men their Clergie Sodomiticall their Laity void of all truth and power of Religion their whole Church in respect of her faith hereticall in regard of her religion idolatrous and in respect of both apostaticall but suppose I say the true universall Church which is the company of the elect to be wholly beautifull This totall beauty cannot be understood of her inherent righteousnesse which is stayned and unperfect but of that righteousnesse which her husband hath imputed and imparted to her as we heard before out of Gregory Nyssen § IX Yea but Bellarmine will prove that this beauty is inherent first because her beauty is described as that which is proper to women and his as that which is proper to men and therefore that his beauty is one and hers another Secondly because it is absurd to imagine hee absurdly chargeth us that the Spouse of Christ is deformed in herselfe being onâ—…ly adorned outwardly with her Husbands garment But this labour Bellarmine might have spared For wee doe acknowledge that the true Church is beautifull and that by a twofold beauty the one the perfect beauty of her Husband communicated to her by imputation the other unperfect and inherent which being but begun in this life is to be perfected in the life to come but howsoever this inward beauty be unperfect yet because it is upright her Husband is delighted therewith and in regard of this inward uprightnesse and integrity she is said to be glorious within In which respect the Tabernacle of the Congregation was a fit type of the Church militant which in outward appearance is black and brown like the tents of Kedar but within faire and beautifull like the hangings of Salomon even as the tabernacle which outwardly made but a homely shew being covered with Rams skinnes and Badgers skins was inwardly glorious wee acknowledge therefore that there is inherent righteousnesse in the true Church and in all the true and lively memâ—…ers thereof In regard whereof in the Creed we professe our selves to beleeve that she is holy and that the communion of her members among themselves and with their head is the communion of Saints But that by this inherent righteousnesse either the Church or any member thereof is justified before God we doe utterly deny § X. His ninth and tenth arguments I will put together because one answere may serve for both His ninth reason is this by justification the heart is cleansed that it may be prepared for the vision of God for untill it be cleane it cannot see God The tenth Christ suffered and gave himselfe for his Church that he might sanctifie it Heb. 13. 12. Ephes. 5. 26. Tit. 2. 14. loh. 17. 19. which is not done by imputation c. Both those objections arise from the wilfull ignorance of the Papists who will not distinguish justification from sanctification The righteousnesse of sanctification of which these places speake wee acknowledge to be inherent though that of justification be imputed and that which I have shewed heretofore as wee are by justification entitled to the kingdome of heaven so by sanctification we are fitted and prepared for it We confesse that the heart must be cleane and pure before it can see God and that by sanctification begun in this life the heart is prepared but never fully cleansed untill it come to see God wee acknowledge that our sanctification is the end not onely of our redemption but also of our Election Ephes. 1. 4. of our creation and recreation according to Gods image Ephes. 4. 24. of our vocation 1 Thes. 4. 7. of our justification and reconciliation Col. 1. 22. Luk. 1. 74. 75. That sanctification is the way wherein men being elected called justified are to walke to their glorification But though it bee via regni yet it is not causa regnandi that our Saviour by his Spirit doth truly really and inherently worke the worke of sanctification in all those that are justified But I beseech you what is the force of both these arguments Our hearts must be cleansed by inherent purity therefore we are not justified by imputed righteousnesse Christ dyed and gave himselfe for us that wee might bee sanctified with true inherent grace therefore we are not justified by righteousnesse imputed Christ gave himselfe for us that he might redeeme and justifie us that being reedeemed and justified wee might worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him Finally Bellarmine telleth us that many other arguments might bee produced but these he saith were the principall which notwithstanding for the most part were such as deserved with scome to bee rejected rather than to bee in good earnest refuted which neverthelesse argueth not the insufficiencie of the disputant but the badnesse of the cause which admitteth no better proofes A TREATISE OF IVSTIFICATION THE SIXTH BOOKE Concerning Faith CAP. I. What Faith is and that it is not without knowledge § I. THâ—…
upon it be cured And although their eye could not properly bee said to cure them yet because it was the onely instrument to apprehend that object which God had ordained as the onely remedy to salve them it is truely said that by onely looking upon that object they were cured Even so our Saviour Christ was lifted up upon the Crosse it is his owne similitude Ioh. 3. 14 15. that whosoever being stung by the old serpent doth but looke upon him with the eye of faith Ioh. 6. 40. may be justified and saved for although this eye of the of the soule which is faith cannot be said properly to justifie them who are sinners yet because it is â—…he onely instrument to apprehend that object which God hath ordained as the onely remedy and propitiation for our sinne it is truely said that by beleeving onely in Christ we are Iustified § IV Secondly whereas faith it selfe doth not justifie properly but the object which it doth apprehend which is Christ and his righteousnesse our meaning therefore when wee say that faith alone doth justifie can be no other but this that the righteousnesse of Christ alone which is onely apprehended by faith doth justifie us And forasmuch as this is a necessary disjunction that wee are justified either by that righteousnesse which is inherent in our selves or by that which is out of us in Christ for by some righteousnesse wee are justified and a third cannot be named it followeth therefore necessarily that if we be not justified by inherent righteousnesse then by Christs righteousnesse alone because a third righteousnesse by which we should bee justified cannot be named § V. Thirdly where wee say that Christs righteousnesse alone which is apprehended by faith alone doth justifie wee doe not meane absolutely that nothing else doth justifie but nothing in that kind viz. that the righteousnesse of Christ is the only matter of our justification and faith the onely instrument on our part by which wee are justified For otherwise as hath before beene shewed wee confesse that many things else doe justifie viz. God as the Author and principall efficient of our justification who imputethunto us the righteousnesse of his Son The holy Ghost also doth justifie us by working in us the grace of faith hy which he applyeth Christs righteousnesse unto us The Ministers also doe justifie as the instruments of the holy Ghost both by the ministry of the Gospell by which faith is begotten in us and of the Sacraments whereby the promises of the Gospell are sealed unto us And lastly good workes doe justifie as the signes and evidences whereby our faith and justification is manifested But as the matter nothing doth justifie but Christs righteousnesse and as the instrument on our part nothing but faith And in this sense wee doe constantly affirme that by Christs righteousnesse alone apprehended by faith alone wee are justified § VI. For the demonstration of our assertion I shall not need to bring many new proofes seeing that all those arguments which before I have produced but especially those which concerne the matter and forme of justification doe invincibly prove that wee are justified by the righteousnes of Christ alone being apprehended by faith alone and imputed to them that beleeve For if we be justified by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ alone and if in us there bee nothing which receiveth or maketh us partakers of Christs righteousnesse but faith onely then there is nothing in us by which we are justified but onely faith But because the Papists object heresie and novelty against us in this point I will besides some few places of Scripture and some other reasons briefly propounded produce the testimonies of the Fathers and others who have in all ages lived in the Church before these times § VII First therefore Rom. 3. 24. the word gratis freely being an exclusive particle doth import that we are justified by the grace of God and merits of Christ through faith without righteousnesse in us and therefore by faith alone Secondly Gal. 2. 16. We know that by the workes of the Law that is the righteousnesse and obedience prescribed in the Law in which all inherent righteousnesse is fully and perfectly described a man is not iustified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no otherwise but by faith non nisi per fidem as Bishop Iustinian or by faith onely as Henry Steven who well understood the Greek translateth it sed tantùm per fidem Thirdly Rom. 4. 5. the exclusive is implyed To him that worketh nor but hath beleeved that is hath onely beleeved in him who justifieth sinners his faith is imputed unto righteousnesse and so the Syriack Paraphrast readeth but hath onely beleeved Fourthly Mar. 5. 36. Luk. 8. 50. Onely beleeve To this Bellarmine answeareth That Christ speaketh of the miraculous raising of a dead body and not of the justification of a sinner for as for the obtaining of a miraculous cure he confesseth that faith doth suffice alone Thus Bellarmine in that place to serve his present tume But in the seventeenth Chapter of the same booke where hee would prove that faith doth justifie not relatively in respect of the Object but by its owne efficacie hee alleageth that the woman of Canaan procured her daughters health by the efficacie of her faith and rejecteth his owne answere in the other place Neither may it bee answered saith he that it is one thing to speake of justification and another of the curing of a bodily disease For our Lord by the very same words attributeth Vtramque sanitatem the health both of the body and the soule to faith For as he said to the woman who was a sinner Luk. 7. 50. thy faith hath saved thee so to the woman which had the bloudy issue Mat. 9. 22. thy faith hath saved thee and to the blinde man whom he restored to sight Mar. 10. 52. thy faith hath saved thee And further it is to bee thought that our Saviour when he telleth them whom he cured that their faith had saved them that is himselfe through faith had saved them looked higher than to the cure of their bodies as Mat. 9. 2. sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiven thee for sinne being the cause of their maladies the Lord to cure them tooke away the cause thereof which was the guilt of sinne § VIII All those places which exclude workes from justification doe by necessary consequence teach justification by faith alone For that we are justified by some righteousnesse is confessed of all This righteousnesse is either the righteousnesse of faith or of workes that is either the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith and that is the righteousnesse of God which without the Law is revealed in the Gospell or that righteousnesse which is inherent in our selves prescribed in the Law For neither can a third righteousnesse bee named by which we should be justified neither can wee be justified by both
doth not justifie alone first because it doth not dispose alone to justification there being seven dispositions whereof faith is but one and namely the first § I. NOw let us see what arguments Bellarmine doth bring to prove that we are not justified by faith alone Which question in his opinion may bee disputed three wayes either with relation to the time going before justification or to the time of justification or to the time following our justification In respect of the first the question which he maketh is whether faith doth justifie alone by way of disposing unto justification In respect of the second whether faith be the onely formall cause of our justification In respect of the third whether for the retaining and preserving of righteousnesse good workes be not required but faith onely sufficeth The first he disputeth De justif l. 1. c. 12. and in the twelve chapters following to the end of that booke The second that faith is not the onely and entire formall cause of justification he disputeth in the second booke The third he disputeth in the fourth booke Chap. 18. 19. where he endevoureth to prove that good workes doe justifie But in mine opinion hee should rather have disputed this question whether faith doth justifie at all or not For whereas they make two justifications the first habituall whereby of a sinner a man is made just the second actuall whereby a man of just is made more just by their doctrine faith doth not justifie as a part either of the one or the other but is required as a necessary companion and as it were causa sine qua non which is no cause For they make the formall cause of their first justification which they say truely is but one to be charity and the meritorious cause of the second to be good workes Onely that charity and those good workes must not be without faith All which they ascribe to faith is that they make it the beginning of justification and a disposition to it Neither doe we deny but that true faith is the beginning and the root of sanctification and of all inherent righteousnesse insomuch that from it both charity it selfe 1 Tim. 1. 5. and all other both internall graces and externall obedience doe spring but the act of justification neither in the first nor second doe they ascribe to faith Onely unto the first justification they require it as a preparative disposition for the habit of grace to bee infused which doth not differ from Charity and when it is infused to be a companion thereof And to the second as causa sine qua non without which workes doe not justifie § II. But to come to Bellarmines large discourse the greatest part thereof seemeth to bee impertinent and besides the purpose But to make all seeme pertinent he maliciously calumniateth us as if we held all those assertions which hee with such eagernesse doth confute But if we doe hold that faith doth not justifie by way of disposing either alone or at all and that it is not the formall cause of justification either alone as the entire cause or at all as any part thereof and that it is not a consequent of justification at all as works indeed are to what end doth all this dispute serve unlesse it be to make their seduced Catholiks who never are permitted to read any of our writings to beleeve that he hath doughtily confuted us § III. And that faith doth not justifie alone by way of disposing he endeavoureth to prove by five sorts of arguments The first from those seven dispositions required by the Councell of Trent to justification among which he reckoneth faith for one Whereunto in generall I answere that this whole discourse besides that it is impertinent for wee doe not hold as I have said that faith doth justifie by way of disposition either alone or at all it is also an idle speculation disagreeing from their practicke theologie and that in two respects First to their speculative justification they require foregoing preparations and dispositions but to the obtayning of justification in deed and in practise no such things are required For the efficacie of justifying a sinner they ascribe to their Sacraments which they say doe conferre gratiam gratum facientem that is justifie ex opere operato requiring as I conceive no preceding preparation or disposition in the party to be justified so hee doe not interpose the obstacle of any mortall sinne For if foregoing dispositions were required before the Sacraments then they should not justifie as I have said before ex opere operato but ex opere operantis Secondly they doe teach that in their first justification Charity and with it Faith and Hope are infused whereby a man that before was a sinner is made righteous And that therefore a man is first justified when these are infused and that these are first infused when a man is justified and yet they tell us of a true Faith true Hope true Love going before justification Which by their doctrine though they goe together I meane Faith Hope and Charity accompanied with other good dispositions are neither graces nor gifts of grace infused For before or without the Sacrament there is no justification which they have tyed to the Sacrament and before justification as themselves say there is no grace For if they were graces indeed as no doubt but they are where they are true and goe together accompanied with other good dispositions then men might be justified before the receit of the Sacrament as Abraham was and then the Sacrament to men so qualified should not conserre grace but seale it Thus to mainetaine their pernicious errour concerning the efficacie of the Sacraments justifying ex opere operato whereby they have turned religion into an outward formality that Faith that Hope that Charity which goe before the Sacrament as namely in Cornelius before his baptisme should be no true graces because all true justifying and saving grace is insused in the administration of the Sacrament and this infusion of grace is that which they call justification By their doctrine therefore justifying faith is that which in the very act of justification is infused and being infused doth justifie not by way of disposing but formally it selfe being informed by Charity And therefore according to their owne doctrine that faith which disposeth to justification is not justifying Faith And consequently all this discourse concerning six other preparative dispositions concurring with faith to prove that we are not justified by faith alone is besides the purpose For that faith which they make their first preparative disposition is not justisying faith neither doth justifie otherwise by Bellarmines owne confession than its next companion viz servile feare doth But wee when we say that faith alone doth justifie speake not of a bare and naked assent which is common to the wicked which cannot justifie either alone or at all but of a true
to three heads The first is the authority of Gods word For if the Scriptures any where expresly say that faith alone doth justifie it must he beleeved though no other cause could be rendred The second is the will of God justifying namely because it hath pleased God to grant justification upon the onely condition of faith The third is the nature of faith it selfe because it is the properâ—…y of faith alone to apprehend justification and to apply it unto us and to make it ours Besides these I have rendred other causes the chiefe and principall whereof is this because we are justified not by any righteousnesse inherent in our selves but onely by the righteousnesse of Christ which being out of us in him is imputed onely to them that beleeve and is received onely by faith § II. But these three causes or reasons which he mentioneth will not easily be remov'd the first the authority of the Scriptures this being the maine doctrine of the Gospell Yea but saith Bellarmine it is no where said in expresse termes that faith alone doth justifie when we saith he have expresse termes that a man is justified by workes and not by faith onely Iam. 2. 24. Answ. To the place in the Epistle of Iames I shall answere fully in his due place Onely here I say thus much That Saint Iameâ—… speaketh not of the justification of a sinner before God by which he is made or constituted just of which our question is but of that whereby a just man already justified before God may be approved declared and knowne both to himselfe and others to be just And that the Apostle Iames speaketh not either of workes as causes but as signes of justification or of the habit of true faith but of the profession of faith or faith professed onely and concludeth that a man is justified that is knowne and approved to be just not onely by the profession of the true faith but by workes also a godly conversation being as it were the life and soule of the profession and without which it is dead But though in expresse tearmes it be not said in so many words and Syllables that faith doth justifie alone yet this doctrine is by most necessary consequence deduced from the Scriptures And what may by necessary consequence be deducted out of the Scriptures that is contained in the scriptures as all confesse Wherunto may be added that the Fathers so conceived of the doctrine of the scriptures who with one consent as you have heard have taught according to the scriptures that by faith we are justified alone And the Papists must remember that by oath they are bound to expound the scriptures according to the coÌ„sent of the fathers § III. Now that this doctrine is contained in the Scriptures I have plentifully proved before and something here shall bee added There are but two righteousnesses onely mentioned in the Scriptures by which wee can bee justified either that which is prescribed in the Law which is a righteousnesse inherent in our selves and performed by our selves or that which is taught in the Gospell which is the righteousnesse of Christ inherent in him and performed for us The former is the righteousnesse of the Law or of workes the latter is the righteousnesse of faith A third righteousnesse by which wee should bee justified cannot be named And betweene these two there is such an opposition made in the Scriptures that if wee bee justified by the one we cannot by the other If therefore the Scriptures teach that wee are justified by faith and not by workes it is all one as if they said that wee are justified by faith alone If it bee all one to say by faith and not by the workes of the Law or by faith alone then saith Bellarmine I demand whether all workes and every Law be excluded or not For if all workes be excluded then faith it selfe which Ioh. 6. 29. is the worke of God and if every Law then the Law of faith and consequently faith it selfe and so to be iustified by faith shal be nothing else but to be justified without faith Answ. it is plaine that by the Law is meant the Law of workes and by the workes of the Law all that obedience which is prescribed in the Law Now in the Law which is the perfect rule of righteousnesse all inherent righteousnesse is prescribed Then saith Bellarmine faith it selfe and the act of faith is excluded from the act of justification I answere first in this question the Apostle opposeth faith to workes and therefore faith is not included under workes Secondly faith as it is either an habit or an act and so part of inherent righteousnesse doth not justifie but as hath beene said relatively in respect of the object which being received by faith doth justifie as it was the brâ—…sen serpent apprehended by the eye which did heale and not the eye properly § IV. Againe the Scriptures teach that we are justified gratis gratiâ per sanguinem Christi per fidem Gratis that is freely without respect of any good workes done by us no not by the workes of righteousnesse which wee have done Tit. 3. 5. but by his meere grace and favour when we had deserved the contrary through the bloud and alone satisfaction of Christ received onely by faith To the word gratis Bellarmine answereth that it excludeth our owne merits which indeed can be none but not the free gifts of God as love and penitencie and the like for then faith also should be excluded That followeth not for when wee are justified by faith onely we are justified gratis gratis saith the Apostle freely by his grace through the merits of Christ by faith bringing onely faith to justification as the Fathers have taught and that not to bee any essentiall cause of our justification but onely to be the instrument and hand to receive Christ who is our righteousnes and therfore it is the condition required on our part in the covenant of grace The rest as love and hope and repentance c. being not the conditions of the covenant but the things by covenant promised to them that beleeve Vpon the condition of faith which is also the free gift of God the Lord promiseth remission of sins and justification and to those who are redeemed and justified by faith he doth by oath promise the graces of sanctification So that faith only on our part is required to the act of justification besides which we bring nothing else thereunto but love and the rest of the graces as Augustine saith of workes non precedunt justificandum sequuntur justificatum and therefore wee are justified by faith alone § V. And by this the second head is also proved namely that it is the good pleasure of God to grant justification upon the condition of faith alone If ye looke into all the promises of the Gospell ye shall find that they interpose only the
of sinnes and his obedience for the acceptation unto life of us who receiving him by faith desire to be made partakers of his merits to our justification For as in our mindes we receive Christ by a lively assent or beleefe as hath beene shewed so in our hearts we receive him by an earnest desire expressed in our prayers to be made partakers of him and his merits Neither doth it follow that if by faith we impâ—…trate or obtaine remission of sinnes that therefore faith is the meritorious cause of justification unlesse it bee understood relatively in respect of Christ who is the onely meritorious cause both of our justification and salvation whom faith as the instrument doth apprehend § XV. His fifth and last reason is out of Heb. 11. Where the Apostle by many examples teacheth that by faith men doe please God and consequently that faith is of great price and merit with God Answ. That faith doth please God and is of high account with God I meane a true lively justifying faith not the faith of Papists hypocrites and Devils wee freely acknowledge to the honour of God the giver of it and to the shame of the Papists who for all their saire pretences here doe much vilifie it Howbeit merit wee ascribe none to it unlesse it be relatively by apprehending Christs merits to our justification and salvation That Abel Henoch and others mentioned Heb. 11. did please God by faith doth not disprove our justification relatively but proves it For God is pleased with none but in Christ in whom he is well pleased He is pleased with none in Christ but with them only that by faith receive him § XVI To these places of Scripture Bellarmine addeth tenne testimonies out of Augustine nine whereof doe testifie that by faith righteousnesse is impetrated that is by request obtayned and the righteousnesse which hee speaketh of is not the righteousnesse of justification but of sanctification Neither doe they prove any thing in this point but what wee confesse that by faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by love wee obtaine for that Augustine meaneth by merits both the graces that is the habits and the fruits that is the acts of sanctification which we call good workes The testimonies are these fides inchoat meritum ut per munus Dei bene operâ—…tur where by merit he understandeth the grace of living well that faith doth merit that is obtaine the grace of working well Lex adducit ad fidem fides impetrat Spiritum largiorem diffundit Spiritus charitatem charitas implet legem Quod factorum lex minando imperat hoc fidei lex credendo impetrat Per legem cognitio peccati per fidem impetratio gratiae contra peccatum per gratiam sanatio animae Violentia fidei Spiritus sanctus impetratur per quem diffusa charitate in cordibus nostris lex non timore poenae sed justitiae a more completur In novâ—… testamento fides impetrat charitatem Ex fide ideo dicit Apostolus justificari hominem non ex operibus quia ipsa prima datur ex qua impetrentur caetera quae proprie opera nuncupantur in quibus justè vivitur Fidès non potita conceditur ut ei potenti alia concedantur His tenth testimony which in order is the second Nec ipsa remissio peccatorum sine aliquo merito est si fides hanc impetrat neither is the remission of sinnes it selfe without any merit if faith doe obtaine it Neither is there no merit of faith by which faith hee said O God bee mercifull to mee a sinner and worthily did that faithfull man being humbled goe home justified because hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Where Augustine abusively useth as other Latine Fathers often doe the word merit in the sence of obtaining and that by request and that appeareth by Bellarmines owne confession that Augustine doth use to call merit any good worke in respect whereof we obtaine some other thing and by the place it selfe In which sence hee saith the Publican by his humble and faithfull prayer having obtained remission of sinnes went home justified For if merit properly so called did goe before remission of siune then men should merit before they bee in state of grace which Bellarmine denyeth then should wee not bee justified either gratis that is as all even Bellarmine himselfe expound it sine meritis or by the grace that is the gracious and undeserved favour of God when wee deserved the contrary Againe beâ—…ore remission of sinnes and justification all men bee sinners and unjust Now as Augustine saith in the very next words going before quid habere boni meriti possunt peccatores What good merit can sinners have and a little before that meritis impii non grattam sed poena debetur To the merits of a wicked man not grace but punishment is due Finally the Papists themselves ordinarily confesse that their first justification cannot be merited which is grace onely and not reward Though some of them sometimes doe talke of merits of congruity which properly are no merits or if they be Pelagius his maine errour must take place gratiam secundum merita dari that grace is given according to merits Bellarmine here saith that hee hath proved elsewhere that faith and contrition and other dispositions doe merit the grace of justification which the Councill of Trent expressely denieth § XVII His fifth principall argument to prove that faith alone doth not justifie consisteth of two arguments drawne from two principles which he will but point at now but hereafter demonstrate The one is from the formall cause of justification the other from the necessity of good workes unto salvation For if the formall cause of our justification bee a righteonsnessâ—… infused and really inherent in us and not the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith then faith alone doth not justifie but the former is true therefore the latter The consequence of the proposition we grant for unto sanctification faith alone doth not suffice but there must be a concurrence not onely of other habituall graces thereunto but also of actuall obedience But justification is not to be confounded with sanctification Neither doe we say that the righteousnesse of Christ is the formall cause of justification but the matter by imputation whereof we are justified The assumption namely that we are justified by a righteousnesse infused and really inherent in us he saith hee will fully prove in the next booke But all his proofes I have already fully answered and confuted in the third and fourth controversies concerning the matter and forme of justification and have by necessary arguments both disproved the negative to wit that wee are not justified by any righteousnesse inherent in us or infused into us and proved the affirmative viz. that we are justified onely by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us
From whence I have also demonstrated the truth of this assertion that we are justified by faith alone that is by the righteousnesse of Christ alone apprehended onely by Faith A TREATISE OF IVSTIFICATION THE SEVENTH BOOKE Concerning good Workes CAHP. I. To avoid Popish calumniations it is shewed that we doe hold the necessity of good works and doe urge the same by better arguments than the Popish religion doth afford § I. AS touching his last argument which he bringeth to prove that faith doth not justifie alone drawne from the necessity of good works I am now to treat For this is the sixth capitall Errour of the Papists in the controversie of justification in that they stiffely hold that good workes are necessarily required unto justification as causes thereof and to salvation as the merit thereof But before I dispute the question I am to meet with some calumniations of the Papists The first that wee by denying the necessity of good workes as being neither causes of justification nor merits of Salvation doe disâ—…ourage the people from wel doing and by teaching that by saith alone we are justified and saved doe animate and encourage them to the practise of all sinne and iniquity I answere that we doe not deny the necessity of good workes and that wâ—… use better arguments to deter the people from sin and to encourage them to well doing than the Papists by their doctrine can doe For to teach men to do good works with an opinion either of satisfaction propitiation or of merits which are the three chiefe arguments of the Papists that they are satisfactory propitiatory and meritorious is to teach men to mar good works rather than to make them Because a good work undertaken with an opinion either of satisfaction or justification by them or of merit though otherwise it were good becomes abominable unto God as derâ—…gating from â—…he alone and al-sufficient merit and satisfaction of Christ. Neither can they encourage men to well doing by these arguments that by their good workes they are justified and for them shall be saved whiles tâ—…eir conscience must needs tell them that besides the guilt of their manifold sinnes their good workes are impure and that they can merit nothing at the hands of God but punishment These therefore who have just cause to doubt or rather to despaire of justification by their workes and of salvation by their merits cannot by these arguments receive true encouragement to well doing but rather discouragement there from But although wee deny good workes to be either causes of justification or merits of Salvation yet we affirme them to be not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good and profitable but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessary The which I will shew to prevent both the malitious slanders of the Papists and also the prophane abuse of carnall Gospellers who turne the grace of God into wantonnesse Good I say as being commended and commanded of God and therefore to be ensued Phil. 4. 8. Rom. 12. 17. Psalm 34. 13. Profitable as being rewaâ—…ded both beatitudine vice with the blessednesse of this life and beatitudine patriae with the blessednesse of the life to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. § II. Necessary though not necessitate efficientiae as causes yet necessitate presentiae as necessary consequents of justification and as necessary antecedents of glorification They are necessary I say by a necessity not onely privative if I may so speake but also positive Privative because without them the profession of faith is not onely vaine and unprofitable but also hurtfull and pernicious Vaine because such a â—…aith is dead and counterâ—…eit justifying neither alone nor at all Hurtfull because being planted in the vineyard of God that wee might become trees of righteousnesse if we bring not foorth good fruit wee must looke to be cut downe or stocked up or like the figtree which having greene leaves but no fruit Christ accursed Such professours are like the barren ground which receiving the raine often falling upon it and bringiâ—…g forth thornes and bryars is rejected and nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Like to the foolish Virgins who having a lampe of an externall profession but wanting the oyle of saving grace when the Bridegroome commeth are to be shut out Like the chaffe in the floore which is to be winnowed from the wheat Like goates in Christs flocke which are to bee separated from the sheepe Like bondservants in Gods house which are not there to abide but with the bondwoman and her sonne are to bee cast out who having a formall profession of religion but denying the power of it which is the faith of hypocrits must looke to have their portion with hypocrits where is weeping and gnashing of teeth § III. They are necessary also by a positive necessity and that manifold As first by the necessity of infallibility in respect of Gods Decree Word Oath In respect of of his decree For whom God hath predestinated to salvation hee hath predestinated unto sanctification that they may be conformable to the image of his Sonne And therefore whosoever doth hope to become like unto Christ in glory he must endeavour in some measure to resemble him in grace We exhort therefore our hearers that they doe not abase the doctrine of predestination with those who were called predestinatiani as to thinke that either because they suppose they are elected they shall be saved howsoever they live or because they thinke that they are not elected they cannot be saved though they should live never so godly as if godlinesse if they be elect were needlesse or if not bootlesse But forbearing to prye into Gods secret counsels which are to be adored and not searched into to have recourse to Gods word For the secret things belong unto the Lord our God but the revealed things to us that wee may doe them For there we shall finde these two things first that where God hath ordained the end hee hath also ordained the meanes And therefore as it is necessary that the end should be accomplished because decreed by God so it is as necessary in respect of the same decree that the end should be atchieved by the same meanes which God hath preordained Now whom God hath elected them he calleth whom he calleth according to his purpose them he justifieth by faith whom hee justifieth by faith them he sanctifieth by his Spirit whom hee calleth justifieth and sanctifieth them and no other he glorifieth Therefore as it is necessary in respect of Gods decree that those who are elected shall be saved so it is as necessâ—…ry in respect of the same decree that they should attaine to salvation by these degrees that is first they must be called and converted unto God they must bee justified by a true faith they must in some measure be sanctified by the holy Spirit
those words of the Apostle Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. To avoid this evident truth Bellarmine coyneth a twofold distinction First that the word gratis may bee understood as opposed to merits of condignity going before justification and so it excludeth not the dispositions and preparations which the Papists teach goe before justification which according to their doctrine are but merits of congruity But it is evident that not onely merits of condignity but all merit whatsoever yea and all respect of our owne worthinesse and well doing is excluded so that gratis is as much as without any cause in us or any desert of ours or worthines in our selves And thus the councill of Trent it selfe expoundeth this word We are therefore said to be justified gratis freely because none of those things which goe before justification whether faith for workes deserve the grace of justification for if it be grace then is it not of workes for iâ—… it were of workes then grace were not grace as the same Apostle saith Secondly saith he it may bee understood as opposed to our owne merits or good workes done without grace for those that proceed from grace are not opposed to grace and therfore not excluded Whereunto I reply we cannot have any good thing but by gift from God and what good thing we have from God that is called ours as our faith our Charity our Hope our good â—…orkes Neither can wee without grace merit any thing but punishment It is therefore absurd to understand the Apostle as excluding merits without grace when as if we should doe all that is commanded which cannot be done without grace we must confesse that we deserve not so much as thanks because we have done but what was our duty to doe Neither can wee bee said to be justified gratis if there be any meritoriâ—…us cause of justification in our selves though received from God In regard of our selves indeed wee are justified gratis but it is not gratis in nor without paying a great price in respect of Christ. And therefore to those words justified freely by his grace is added through the redemption whiâ—…h is in or by Christ. By the word gratis therefore the Apostle signifieth thaâ—… in us there is no materiall cause no merit of justification but onely in Christ. And where he saith that grace cannot bee opposed to grace I say it may as in that opposition which is of relatives as of the cause and the effect For the effect cannot be the cause of its owne cause and therfore works which are the fruits and effects of justification cannot bee the causes thereof The other argument is from the word grace For if our justification be of grace then not of workes as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 11. 6. and if of workes then not of grace So Ephes. 2. 8 9. you are saved by grace not of workes For to him that worketh the reward that is justification or salvation is not imputed of grace but it is rendred as of debt but to him that worketh not but onely beleeveth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is imputed namely of grace to righteousnesse Rom. 4. 4 5. Even as David also describeth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes verse 6. CHAP. IV. Bellarmines arguments proving the necessity of good workes and first from the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell Secondly from the Doctrine of Christian liberty § I. NOW I come to Bellarmines arguments concerning good works which when he should prove they concurre to justification as causes thereof hee proveth them to be consequents thereof rather than causes And having little to say to the question it selfe he intermingleth many impertinent discourses Impertinent I say to the question though not to his purpose which was to calumniate us as though we held all those assertions which he laboureth to confute In his fourth booke therefore which is de justitia operum he propoundeth two maine questions to be disputed unto which divers others are coincident The former concerning the necessity of good workes the other concerning the truth of them As if we either denied that good workes are necessary or that they are truely good To the former hee referreth three questions the first whether the faithfull are bound to keepe the Law of God as though wee taught they were not the second concerning the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell as if we taught that the difference standeth in this that by the Law good workes are necessary by the Gospell not The third concerning Christian liberty as though we taught that the faithfull in their conscience and before God are subject to no Law Concerning the truth of the righâ—…eousnesse of good works after hee hath disputed the question whether the Law be possible whether the workes of the righteous bee sinnes he commeth at length to handle the controversie it selfe whether good workes doe justifie or not Concerning the former questions it shall suffice to shew what our tenet is in every of them and to defend our assertions against his cavils â—…o farre as concerneth this present controversie of justification by workes passing by the rest as impertinent As touching therefore the first principall question which concerneth the necessity of good works the Reader will beare me witnes by that which before I have delivered that we hold good workes necessary in many respects and that we urge the necessity of them by better arguments than the Romish doctrine doth afford we confesse that they are necessary necessitate presentiae for persons come to yeeres that are already justified and are to bee saved as necessary consequents of justification and as necessary forerunners of Salvation onely we deny them to be necessary necessitate efficientiae as causes either of justification or Salvation § II. That good workes are necessary to Salvation which we deny not Bellarmine greatly busied himselfe to prove but that they are necessary to justification as causes thereof which is the question betweene us for ought that I can discerne he goes not about to prove in his whole discourse of the necessity of good workes wherein he spendeth nine Chapters For after he had in the first Chapter calumniated us as if wee denied good workes to bee necessary to Salvation in the Chapters following hee proveth they bee necessary because as hee propoundeth his proofes in the Argument of his booke we are bound to keepe the Law of God And that he proveth by discussing the other two questions concerning the difference betwixt the Law and the Gospell and concerning Christian liberty But by these arguments Bellarmine neither proveth his owne assertion nor disproveth ours His assertion is that good workes doe concurre unto justification as a cause thereof which we deny He argueth they be causes why because they are necessary As if every thing that is necessary were a cause But whereto are they necessary to salvation saith Bellarmine Why
but the question is of justification Now many things are required to salvation which doe not concurre to justification as namely confession holinesse of life patience perseverance c. which though they goe before salvation yet they follow after justification and therefore cannot be causes thereof In all this discourse therefore Bellarmine is farre from concluding the point in question Notwithstanding it will not be unprofitable if I shall make a short excursion to follow him in his discourse but not to answere every particular which is not worth the answering That therefore he may confute our most pernicious errour as he calleth it he saith he will prove three things first that in the Gospell is contained the doctrine of workes and divers Lawes and that the promises thereof require the condition of fulfilling the Law Secondly that the just are not free from the observation of the Law of God Thirdly that good workes are simply necessary to Salvation § III. His intent in the first is to disprove that difference which we make betweene the Law and the Gospell from whence he had collected in the former Chapter that we deny the necessity of good works The difference was this That the Law propoundeth justification and salvation upon the condition of our fulfilling the whole Law But the Gospell promiseth justification and salvation upon the condition of faith only excluding works as the causes by which we are justified or for which we be saved which difference if it be true as it is most true plainely proveth justification by faith only and disproveth justification by workes For the better understanding whereof wee are to distinguish the termes both of the Law and Gospell which are used sometimes more largely sometimes more strictly and properly More largely Thorah the Law signifieth the whole doctrine of the old Testament whether written and contained in the bookes of Moses the Prophets and the Psalmes or Preached Written thus it is said to have beene written in the Law Ioh. 10. 34. which is written Psalm 82. 6. so Ioh. 12. 34. which is written Psalm 110. 4. so Ioh. 15. 25. which is written Psalm 35. 19. The Law saith those things Rom. 3. 19. which are cited out of the Psalmes and out of the Prophet Esay vers 10 11 12. Thus 1 Cor 14. 21. out of Esai 28. 11. thus Gal. 4. 21. out of Gen. 21. 10. And thus by the Law in many places is understood the whole doctrine of God contained in the Scriptures of the old testament and is often used in the same sense promiscuously g with Gods word insomuch that the Septuagints sometime translate Dabar which signifieth the word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preached as Esai 30. 9 10. Psalm 78. 1. Ier. 18. 18. Prov. 28. 9. 29. 18. In this large sense the Evangelicall promises made in the old testament are contained in the Law though properly belonging to the Gospell as Bellarmine confesseth the promises of remission of sinnes though they be in the Prophets they doe not belong to the Law but to the Gospell And so the covenant of grace it selfe which the Lord made with Abraham in making whereof he is said Gal. 3. 8. to have preached before the Gospell to Abraham Of the Doctrine of the Gospell which was to begin at Ierusalem Luk. 24. 47. it is said Esai 2. 3. Mic. 4. 2. out of Sion the Law shall goe foorth So more largely the Gospell is taken for the whole Doctrine of the new Testament whether written by the Apostles and Evangelists or preached Mark. 13. 10. Rom. 10. 16. Gal. 2. 5 14. Ephes. 6. 19. Col. 1. 5. Phil. 1. 27. 2 Thes. 1. 8. Thus the histories of the life and death of CHRIST are called Gospels Mark 1. 1. Mat. 26. 13. Preached Rom. 2. 16. 16. 25. 1 Cor. 4. 15. 9. 18. Gal. 2. 7. 1 Thes. 1. 5. 2. 4. 2 Thes. 2. 14. 2 Tim. 2. 8. In respect of this large sense it is truely said that the Precepts Promises and Comminations of the Law are contained in the Gospell § IV More strictly and properly the Law signifieth the Covenant of workes which is also called the Law of workes Rom. 3. 27. which upon condition of perfect and perpetuall obedience promiseth justification and salvation to the observers thereof Rom. 10. 5. Gal. 3. 12. Levit 18. 5. Ezek. 20. 11. Act. 13. 38. Rom. 3. 20 28. Likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospell which importeth good tydings signifieth more strictly and properly the Covenant of Grace which is also called the Law of faith Rom. 3. 27. and the word of faith Rom. 10. 8. which freely promiseth justification and right of salvation to all that beleeve in Christ Ioh. 3. 15 16 36. 6. 47. 11. 25. 20. 31. Act. 16. 31. Rom. 3. 24. 10. 6 9. Eph. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. 1 Ioh. 5 13. This doctrine of God concerning Salvation by Christ through faith which properly is the Gospell Luk. 4. 18. Matth. 11. 5. Rom. 1. 16 17. Act. 15. 7. Gal. 1. 6. 3. 8. Act. 10. 36. is called the Gospell of grace Act. 20. 24. the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 18. the Gospell of peace Ephes. 6. 15. the Gospell of salvation Ephes. 1. 13. the Gospell of glory 1 Tim. 1. 11. the Gospell of the glory of Christ that is the glorious Gospell of Christ 2 Cor. 4. 4. the Gospell of the Kingdome Matth. 4. 13. 24. 13. This doctrine teacheth us that our gracious God out of his meere grace having elected his children in Christ before all times did in the fulnesse of time send downe his Sonne to save us and that the benefit of the Messias might be applyed unto us vouchsafeth unto us the Gospell of grace by which according to the purpose of his grace given unto us in Christ before all secular times he calleth us working in us the grace of faith being endued with faith hee imputeth unto us the righteousnesse and merits of Christ making us partakers of redemption reconciliation justification and adoption and so freeing us from hell and from all the enemies of our salvation hee entituleth us unto the kingdome of heaven And that wee may be fitted and prepared for his Kingdome into which no unholy thing may enter Apoc. 21. 27. hee hath promised to them that beleeve that being redeemed reconciled justified adopted and so entituled to the kingdome of heaven hee will give them grace to worship him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life that is in the voluntary upright and constant obedience of his Law Luk. 1. 73 74 75. It is true that the things which God in this Covenant of grace hath promised to give as namely faith and new obedience are also required of us Deo dante quod jubet God giving to us what he requireth of us the one as the antecedent condition
forbeare swearing in ordinary talke not to give a mans goods to the poore and to follow Christ when hee is thereunto required Mat. 19. 23. Mar. 10. 23. These things are so manifest that Bellarmine in the end of the next Chapter doth confesse them viz that our Saviour doth not say except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Law and the Prophets but of the Scribes and Pharisees to signisie that his meaning was not so much he should say not at all to adde to the burden of the precepts as to take away the corruptions of the Scribes Pharisees And again those things which seem to be most heavie in the new Law are to be found in the old as the loving of our enemyes the restrayning of concupiscence such like For proofe wherof he quotes Augustine lib. contr Adimant cap. 3. lib. 19. contr Faustum c. 28. In the former place Augustine saith Nulla in Evangelica atque Apostolica disciplina reperiuntur quamvis ardua divina precepta promissa quae illis etiam libris veterib desint In the latter Vel omnia vel penè omnia quia monuit sâ—…u praecepit Christus ubi adjungebat Ego a. dici vobis inveniuntur in illis veterib libris And so much of the first difference § XXI The second difference is that the Law commeth alone but the Gospell is accompanied with grace Which is not a difference of the doctrine and letter of the Gospell from the Law but of the covenant of grace from the covenant of works For in the covenant of grace as justification is promised to them that being called doe beleeve so sanctification to them that are justifyed Which as it proveth the concurrence of Good workes with faith in the party justified as consequents thereof so it excludeth them from being any causes of justification But as touching this second difference two popish errours are to bee avoided First in respect of the covenant of workes For though that covenant doth not promise nor afford the grace of sanctification wherby a man should be enabled to performe the covenant which grace is promised in the covenant of grace and given to them that beleeve yet wee are not so to conceive that they who lived in the time of the law were void of grace nor all that live under the Gospell are endued with grace For the covenant of grace hath alwayes bene in force from the beginning so that to the faithfull who beleeved in the Messias which was to come the grace of sanctification was given according to the covenant of grace so that in the old Testament even under the Law there were as excellent examples of holynesse as have bene in the time of the new under the Gospell So also the Law hath its use even among those that live under the Gospell insomuch that untill men doe beleeve they are under the Law and not under grace Secondly in respect of the grace of the new Testament that it is not promised in such perfection in this life where wee receive but the first fruits of the Spirit as that wee may expect to be justified by it or saved for it § XXII From these two difference the rest as hee saith arise viz. from the first arise the third the fourth and the fifth The third is this that the Law of Moses was given to one Nation the Law of Christ to all Nations The fourth that the Law of Moses for the most part contayned shadowes and figures of things to come the Gospell exhibiteth the body and truth The fifth that the Law of Moses because it was not perfect was to be changed by the Law of Christ but the Law of Christ was not to be changed by any succeeding Law These three differences of the Law doe not agree to the Law Morall which belongeth to all nations which did not consist of shadowes and figures which was not to be changed no not by addition because it was and is a perfect immutable and perpetuall rule of righteousnesse The other three viz. the sixth seventh and eigth arise as hee saith from the second The sixth that the Law of Moses had no power to justifie neither was it given that it might justifie but that it might shew the disease and stirre up men to seeke the physitian But the Law of Christ that is the Gospell hath power to justifie and was given to that end For as hee alleageth out of Rom. 1. 16. it is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth he doth not say that worketh For therein is revealed the righteousnesse of God from faith to faith as it is written the just man shall live by faith This is a true difference of the Law of faith from the Law of workes but agreeth not to Bellarmines new Law which is a Law of workes as well as the old conteyning the very same morall precepts with the morall Law in the observation whereof not our justification but our sanctification consisteth prescribing also the same righteousnesse viz Charity which is the summe of the Law The seventh that the Law of Moses is a Law of fearefullnesse and bondage but the Gospell the Law of love and of liberty which is true For the obedience of men who are under the Law is forced by the terrour and coaction of the Law working servile feare in them But the obedience of men who are under grace that is of men justified is voluntary and cheerfull proceeding from faith and from some measure of assurance of Gods love and favour to them in Christ. Therfore this voluntary obedience is no cause but a consequent of justification not onely before God but also in the court of our owne conscience that is not onely of justification it selfe but also of the assurance thereof in some measure Of the eigth which confuteth the first I have already spoken § XXIII So much of the first thing which Bellarmine undertooke to demonstrate for the proofe of the necessity of good workes which we hold as well and urge as much as he Now followeth the second which is to prove that the justare not free from the observation of the Law of God For hee saith that we place Christian liberty in this that we are not subject in our conscience and before God to any Law and that the decalogue it selfe doth not belong unto us Which is a most devillish slander We professe that we so many as truly beleeve are by Christ freed from the curse of the Law from the rigour and exaction of the Law requiring perfect righteousnesse in us unto justification from the terrour and coaction of the Law from the irritation of the Law as I have shewed in my treatise of Christian liberty but not from the obedience of it For freedome from obedience is the servitude of sinne But wee being freed from sinne become the servants of righteousnesse And we doe
freely professe that by how much wee have received the greater favours from God in redeeming us and bringing us into the liberty of his children in freeing us from sinne and from the yoake of the Law by so much the more are we bound to obedience not to be justified or saved by it but to testifie our thankefulnesse and to glorifie God who hath beene so gracious unto us c. Much more might be said concerning Christian liberty but this is as much as is pertinent to the question in hand If any desire to bee better informed in this point I referre them to my treatise of Christian liberty which I published many yeaâ—…es agoe CAP. V. That good Workes are not necessary by necessity of Efficacie § I. ALL this while Bellarmine as we have seene hath wandred from the question but now he saith he will come neerer unto it For now hee will prove the necessity of good workes not onely by way of presence but by wâ—…y of efficacie But to what will he prove them necéssary to justification no such matter But yet that is the question which hee ought to prove if hee will disprove justification by faith alone that good workes doe concurre to justification as causes thereof For though they were as they are not causes of Salvation yet it is manifest that they are consequents and therefore no causes of justification So that Bellarmine though hee be come neerer the question yet he is not come home to it But perhaps it will be said that Bellarmine prevented this objection when he first propounded this as his fifth principall argument to prove that faith doth not justifie alone because good workes are necessary to Salvation His argument may thus be frarned If faith did justifie alone then it would save alone but faith doth not save alone without good workes which are necessary to Salvation in those that are come to yeares Therefore faith doth not justifie alone without good workes which are so necessary to Salvation etiam hominibus justificatis even to them that are justified that without them faith alone doth not save Answ. The proposition is denied first by Bellarmine himselfe who teacheth though falsely that not all who are justified shall bee saved when notwithstanding the Apostle saith â—…hom the Lord hath justified he also hath glorified And further he holdeth that they who are justified may utterly and finally lose their justification though they lose not their faith and farther that they may also lose their faith which as he absurdly teacheth is lost by any act of infidelity and consequently both their justification and Salvation Yea but saith Bellarmine their justice cannot be lost nor their Salvation whiles they have faith if they be justified by faith onely But Bellarmine himselfe saith though falsely that the faith of them who are justified may be lost and with it their Salvation and therefore by his doctrine a man bee justified by faith and yet not be saved by it Secondly it is denied by some of the Fathers who though they teach that faith alone sufficeth to justification as you have heard yet deny that it alone sufficeth to Salvation because some other things as namely good workes are thereunto required To the assumption that saith alone doth not save If such a faith be meant as is alone severed from Charity and void of workes I doe confesse that it neither saveth nor yet justifieth I doe not say alone but not at all But if he speake of a true lively faith in Christ which purifieth the heart and worketh by love of which onely we speake and understand it relatively as we doe then I constantly affirme that faith in Christ alone that is Christ alone received by faith is the onely meritorious cause of our Salvation and that neither workes nor any other graces are causes of salvation unlesse hee meane caussas sine quibus non which are no causes § II. But for the further proofe of his consequences Bellarmine saith that we cannot deny them because Luther teacheth that a Christian man cannot lose his salvation unlesse he will not beleeve and that the Lâ—…therans affirme that salvation as well as justification is to bee ascribed to faith alone Answ. Wee can deny what either Luther or those that are called Lutherans doe affirme without warrant of Gods word therefore this was but a slender proofe Howbeit we doe not deny that assertion of Luther nor the like which though full of true comfort yet are most maliciously calumniated by the Papists as if hee taught men not to care what sinnes they commit so that they can say they have faith Whereas Luther delivereth speeches of that kinde to comfort the distressed consciences labouring under the burden of sinne assuring them that although their sinnes bee many and great yet they ought not to despaire if they can finde in their heart to beleeve in Christ. Which is most true For though our sinnes be many the mercies of God are more though great yet the merrits of Christ are greater And though the Lutherans doe say that salvation as well as justification is to bee ascribed to faith alone yet that is no proofe of Bellarmines consequence but a flat deniall of his assumption which it behoveth him to prove Upon these things thus premised Bellarmine inferreth that all the testimonies which afterwards namely in his fourth Booke he was to alleage out of Scriptures and Fathers to prove that good workes are so necessary to salvation even to men that are justified that without them faith alone doth not save them doe also prove that faith alone doth not justifie which is the thing saith hee which wee have undertaken to prove which notwithstanding wee doe constantly deny protesting against this inference of Bellâ—…mine and affirming that although good workes be so necessary to salvation as that that faith which is without them doth not save a man yet that doth not hinder our assertion that faith doth justifie alone because they doe not concurre to the act of justification at all and much lesse as the causes thereof for they follow justification though ordinarily they goe before salvation and howsoever that faith which is alone severed from charity and destitute of good workes doth neither justifie as I have shewed heretofore nor save yet notwithstanding faith relatively understood that is Christ received by faith doth save alone § III. But to returne to his fourth Booke though Bellarmine still doe wander yet I must be content to follow him To prove therefore that good workes are necessary to salvation by necessity of efficiency as causes thereof hee useth three kindes of proofes testimonies of Scriptures sentences of Fathers and reason Out of the Scriptures hoe produceth tenne testimonies besides some whole Epistles The first testimony Heb. 10. 30. For patience is necessary for you that doing the will of God ye may receive the promise Here first saith he wee have the terme necessary and
servant doing or rather but endeavouring to doe his duety is rewarded In these two the arguments are not the same A servant that doth not his duety deserveth punishment and his disobedience is the meritorious cause of his punishment But by doing his duety especially if it bee done unperfectly which is alwayes our case he doth not deserve reward and therefore if hee bee rewarded it is to be ascribed to his masters bounty and not to his desert Such an Antithesis the Apostle maketh betweene the reward of sinne and of godlinesse Rom. 6. 23. Death is the due wages of sinne but eternall life which is the reward of godlinesse is the free gift of God And further as I said before when I formerly answered this allegation In this and many other such conditionall speeches the antecedent is not the cause but a signe token or presage of the consequent If God have given you grace to mortifie the deeds of the flesh it is an evident token that you shall live If God hath adorned you with his grace it is to be presumed that he will crowne his owne grace with glory § IX And such is his seventh testimony p as before I have shewed Rom. 8. 17 18. The Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the sonnes and heires of God and coheires with Christ if we suffer with him that wee may also bee glorified with him where is no relation at all of efficiency betwixt our sufferings and glory But Bellarmine will prove it first by the conditionall particle of which I spake in answere to the last argument which doth not as hee saith point out the cause but the evidence by which the holy Ghost doth assure us that wee are the sonnes and heires of God and coheires of Christ who shall bee glorified with him namely if we suffer with him Secondly from the reason which is added concerning the excesse of glory to our sufferings which to my understanding doth plainly confute it For if the sufferings of this life be not condigne as the Vulgar readeth it to the glory that is to come how should they merit it ex condigno as they arrogantly speake But the scope of the Apostle in this place is to encourage the faithfull to suffer for Christ which he doth by two arguments the one from the happy event which is assurance of glorification testified by the holy Spirit who testifieth unto us that if we have grace from God to suffer with Christ that we are the sonnes and heires of God and coheires of Christ who shall bee glorified with him Not that ouâ—… sufferings doe make us the sonnes and heires of God c. but that they are the signes and evidences by which the holy Ghost doth assure us that we are so The other from the disproportion betweene our sufferings from him and the glory which we shall have with him For the Aposâ—…le having weighed both resolveth for so hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that all the sufferings of this life are not comparable to that glory but of this place more hereafter § X. His eighth testimony Rom. 10. 10. with the heart wee beleeve unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation We see here saith he that faith sufficeth not to salvation because it is not true and entire in the heart unlesse thereto be added externall confession And it seemeth that the Apostle alludeth to that speech of our Saviour Matth. 12. 32 33. Him that confesseth me before men will I confesse before my Father and him that denyeth me before men will I deny before my Father that is in heaven Answ. All this we confesse that besides faith confession and many other graces and duties are necessary to salvation not as causes but as causae sine quibus non as I have often said which are no causes § XI His ninth testimony Matth. 25. 34 35. Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the kingdom prepared for you before the beginning of the world For I was hungry and you gave mee to eate c. Surely saith hee the reason which is rendred doth plainely shew that good workes are aliquo modo some way causes of salvation and that for them the kingdome of heaven is given Answ. Of this place I have spoken before when I shewed that the causes of salvation were noted vers 34. Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world And the reason which is rendred is taken from good workes not as the cause for which salvation is given but as the evidence according to which our Saviour judgeth § XII His tenth testimony is out of the Epistle of Saint Iames and it is twofold the former Iam. 1. 25. He that is not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke this man shall bee blessed in his deed the latter Iam. 2. 14. what will it profit my brethren if a man say that he hath faith and have not workes will faith save him But how saith hee out of the former is a man blessed in his deed if his deeds have no relation to happinâ—…sse but affoâ—…diheir idle presence Answ. Wee confesse that good works have relation to happinesse as they are necessary unto it as the way as the causa sine qua non Neither doe I conceive how good works can be idle where they are present though they doe not merit that which infinitely exceedeth their worth And as touching the other place Iam. 2. We confesse also that that faith which is in profession onely and is void of good workes doth not save a man because it is an idle and dead faith This therefore proveth good workes to be necessary necessitate praesentiae but for necessity efficioncie there is no shew nor colour § XIII After those severall testimonies he appealeth to the whole Epistles of Peter Iohn Iames and Iude whose chiefe intention was to prove that to justified men good workes are necessary to salvation and that faith alone doth not suffice as some in these times out of the Epistles of Paul not well understood began to preach I answere that as the Apostles whom he nameth urge the necessity of good workes so doe all true preachers of the Gospell at this day yea Paul himselfe did urge it as much as any of them if not more But the necessity of efficiencie he may as soone prove out of our sermons as out of the writings of the Apostles § XIV To the Scriptures hee addeth the testimonies of the Fathers who as they censured for heretickes those which denyed workes to bee necessary unto salvation so themselves taught that they bee necessary To which both censure and doctrine of the Fathers wee doe most willingly subscribe And wee should greatly wonder how this great Master of Controversies could bee so idle so impertinent so frivolous a disputant but that as I said before these his discourses proving
For what will it profit a man saith St. Iames if hee shall say that hee hath faith and hath not workes will that faith save him For as the body without the Spirit is dead so that faith which is in profession onely and is without workes is dead § XVII But this reason of his hee doth illustrate by two unlike similitudes For saith hee even as fire because by its heat alone it heateth if from the fire were taken away all other qualityes which are by accident joyned with heat it would still without doubt heat And as a father because by the onely relation of paternity hee hath reference to his sonne if from him who is a father all other attributes were removed as knowledgen â—…bility power health beauty and in stead os them there should succeed ignorance basenesse weaknes sicknes deformity and among all these attributes paternity should remaine yet still that father should have relation to his sonne Even so because a Christian apprehendeth salvation by faith alone and unto it is referred by our adversaryes surely it followeth that faith remayning hee may be saved although hee have no good workes and have many ill Answ. In the former similitude hee compareth a Christian man to fire faith to heat and other graces and good workes to such other qualityes as in fire by accident concurre with heat In which similitude nothing is like For neither doth a Christian man justifie or save others by faith as fire by his heat doth heat other things neither is hee justified or saved by his faith as it is a quality inherent but as it is the hand to receive Christâ—… neither are other graces or duetyes of sanctification which wee call good workes to be compared with I know not what accidentall qualityes concurring with heat but to those unseparable qualityes of fire viz light and drynes For even in the fire that is inflamed there doe concurre necessarily with heat drynesse and light neither were it a true fire without them and yet the act of heating is to be ascribed to the heat of the fire properly and not to the light or drynesse of the element so in a true Christian that is justified there doth concurre necessarily with faith both other sanctifying graces answerable to the drynesse of the fire and also the light of a Christian conversation without which hee is not to be held a true Christian or truely justified and yet the act of justifying or saving is not to be ascribed either to other graces or to good workes but onely to faith receiving Christ or rather to Christ onely received by faith In the other similitude he compareth the reference which faith hath to salvation unto that relation with is betweene father and sonne But faith and salvation are no such relatives Neither are the graces of the sanctification or good workes to be compared to those accidentall adjuncts attributed to a father which may come and goe as being not necessary to the being of a father but rather to those properties of the humane nature as reason will understanding wit c. For although a man cannot become a father without these yet his being a father is not not to be ascribed to these § XVIII And whereas hee would seeme to take away the answeare of his adversaties who alleage that his supposition is impossible both because in his first booke he had proved that saith may truely and indeed be severed from charity and good workes and also because at least in conceit it may be severed from them which he saith is sufficient for the confirmation of an hypotheticall prâ—…position neither can his adversaries deny it who teach thah faith and workes have that relation which is betweene the cause and the effect Hereunto I reply First that I have formerly not onely answered his arguments which hee produced to this purpose but also proved by unanswereable arguments that true justifying faith cannot be severed from charity and good workes Secondly as I said even nowe his supposition implyeth a contradiction and therefore is impossible Impossible I say that workes being supposed to bee present necessitate presentiae should in the same speech be truely supposed to be absent Thirdly If Bellarmine can conceive that true justifying and saving faith may be without charity and good workes then hee may also conceive that that faith may save which is severed from charity and destitute of good workes His assumption I grant for wee teach according to the Scriptures that that faith which is alone severed from charity and good works doth justify or save neither alone nor at all and doe ascribe lesse to such a faith than the Papists themselves doe But his conclusion is faulty as contayning more than can be inferred upon the premisses that good workes are necessary not onely in regard of presence but also of some Efficiencie which was not so much as mentioned in the antecedent of the proposition which the conclusion should gainsay and say no more Thus much of the necessity of good workes CHAP. VI. Of the verity of the justice of works and of the possibilitie of fulfilling the Law § I. NOw Bellarmine will discourse of the truth of the justice of workes or of actuall righteousnesse And in this dispute he spendeth eigth Chapters But to what end for I feare hee wandreth still Hee had in the first booke propounded five principall arguments to prove that faith doth not justifie alone The Fifth and last was that good workes also doe justifie and therefore not faith alone This assertion hee laboureth to prove by divers arguments The first from the necessity of good workes which I have answeared The second from the verity of the justice of workes namely that the good workes of the faithfull and regenerate are truely good which wee doe not deny wee say indeed that the seeming good workes of men unregenerate are not truely good because an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit But the good workes of the regenerate being the workes of grace and the fruits of the Spirit wee acknowledge to be truely good But will it hereupon followe that therfore they are or may be justified by workes Nothing lesse Hee must prove that the workes of the regenerate are not onely truely good but also purely and perfectly good and not onely that but that they are also perpetually and universally good For if they faile in any one particular as in many things we saith Iames the just offend all they cannot be justified by their obedience For hee that offendeâ—…h in one is guilty of the breach of the whole Law and is so farre from being justified by his obedience that by the sentence of the Law hee is accursed because he hath not continued in all the things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them unlesse therfore he can prove that not onely some but all the workes of the faithfull are not onely truely but
the servants of sinne in whom sin reigneth yet they are penitent and beleeving sinners in whom sinne remainteh who often sinne through humane frailty There is no man that sinneth not saith Salomon yea there is not a righteous man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not in many things we saith Iames the just doe offend all If we say that wee have not sinned or that wee have no sinne saith the most holy Apostle Saint Iohn wee deceive our selves we make him a lyer and there is no truth in us And therefore desperate againe is Bellarmines assertion that whosoever is justified or regenerated sinneth not that is never sinneth and on the other side whosoever sinneth is not a man regenerate nor justified which is to exclude all men from Iustification and consequently from Salvation § XVI And thus have I answered Bellarmines arguments concerning the possibility of the Law Now it may be expected that I should propound and mainetaine ours But this taske I have already performed in handling the third question of this controversie concerning the matter of our justification where among many other arguments proving that we are not justified by any righteousnes inherent in us or performed by us but onely by the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him we used this for one By what righteousnesse we are justified the Law is satisfied By Christs righteousnesse alone the Law is satisfied and not by that which is inherent in us or performed by us And this assumption wee prove because wee are not able to sati fie the Law neither in respect of the Commandement it being by reason of the flesh impossible unto us nor in respect of the penalty which cannot be satisfied by us but with endlesse torment So that as I said before all this discourse of the possibilitie of the Law is nothing but a defence against a piece of one of our arguments Now I should follow him to the second point which hee propounded to prove that the workes of the righteous are simply and absolutely just and after their manner perfect Which may also seeme to be an answere to another piece of our argument For that righteousnesse by which wee are justified is perfect such onely is the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him such is not that which is inherent in us as the habituall or performed by us as the actuall Bellarmine therefore in opposition to that breach concerning perfect actuall righteousnesse propounded the proofe of this point But that our best righteousnesse is unperfect and stained with the flesh I have fully proved before and have answered all the arguments which Bellarmine produceth here in my fourth Booke whereunto I referre the reader Here onely I signifie againe that Bellarmine falleth very short in his proofes for where he should prove that the workes of the faithfull are simply and absolutely just and perfect as hee propounded the question hee now seemeth to prove this that the good workes of the righteous are truely good which we deny not § XVII Yes but you Protestants will they say doe teach that the best workes of the faithfull are sinnes c. Ans. We doe not say that their good workes as namely their prayer or their almes c. are sinnes but that in them they being otherwise good there are some imperfections and staines which are sinnes in respect whereof the faithfull man in doing that which is good sinneth according to that Eccl. 7. 20. We doe confesse that the duties which the faithfull performe are good workes and so called in the Scriptures though not purely and perfectly good but having their imperfections and being stained with the flesh Even as we call a man regenerated a just or a good man though he be not perfectly just being partly flesh and partly spirit Thus a vessell wherein there is wax mixed with hony before it be clarified is truly called a vessell of hony though not sinceri mellis of pure or sincere honey A cup of wine wherein is a mixture of some water with wine is truely called a cup of wine though not vini meraci of pure wine In like manner a wedge of gold wherein there is some drosse is truely called a wedge of gold though not of pure gold An heape of corne in the floore wherein there is perhaps as much chaffe as wheat is truly called an heape of wheat A field wherein are tares and other weeds as well as corne is notwithstanding called a corne field the denomination being taken from the better part Verily whiles we live in this world we are as gold wherein there is much drosse and never are fully refined untill wee are to bee translated into the celestiall house of God Whiles we are in the Church militant as it were in Gods floore we are mingled with much chaffe and are never perfectly cleansed from the chaffe of our corruptions untill we are to be translated into the Lords Granaries And such as wee are such also are our actions such as the tree is such is the fruit But if hee will prove that men are justified by their workes hee must prove not onely that they are truely good but also purely and perfectly good and not onely that some of their workes are truely and purely good but that all their workes are truely and perfectly and not that onely but also perpetually good For if any of his workes bee sinnes he cannot be justified by his workes But this can never be proved Neither doth hee goe about to prove that all the actions of justified men are good but some onely and these not purely and perfectly but truely good To which purpose he spendeth three whole Chapters which I have fully answered in my fourth Booke CHAP. VIII Whether good Workes doe justifie Bellarmines proofe but especially that Testimony of Saint Iames Chapter 2. fully discussed and clared § I. AFter so many wandrings Bellarmine at length commeth to make good his fifth Argument which he propounded to prove that faith alone doth not justifie because good workes doe also justifie though here as I have noted this Argument is brought in to prove the truth of actuall righteousnesse The Title of this Chapter is that good workes are not onely just but that also they doe justifie In stead whereof he presently propoundeth this assertion to be proved that by good workes a just man is more justified and made more just But this is not the Question For we doe confesse that a man already justified before God by the practise of good works increaseth in righteousnesse inherent and is made more holy and just The thing which we deny is this that good workes doe not concurre with faith unto the act of iustification before God as any cause thereof Against this assertion he ought to have disputed if he would seeme to contradict us But he hath altered the question because he is not able to
mainetaine the contradictory of our assertion and maketh the question to be this whether by good workes men are justified that is to say made more just viz. in respect of righteousnesse inherent But we deny that there are any degrees of justification or that a man may be more justified or that justification doth ever signifie increase of righteousnesse wee reject their new found distinction of justification into the first and second and acknowledge no other justification but that which in the Scriptures and Fathers is called the justification of a sinner and thereby wee understand a continued act of God who as when we being sinners did first beleeve did justifie us so remaining sinners in our selves he doth still justifie us by imputation of Christs righteousnesse acquitting us from our sinnes and accepting of us as righteous in Christ. And this justification which is onely acknowledged by the Scriptures and Fathers is every where ascribed to faith Whereas the first justification of the Papists is ascribed to charity as the onely forme the second to workes as to the merit thereof But all this ariseth from their erroneous and wilfull confounding of justification and sanctification For their first justification is that which the Scriptures call regeneration and is the first act of Sanctification by which we are habitually sanctified for they make it to be nothing else but the infusion of the habits of grace Their second justification is their actuall fanctification or exercise of good workes whereby their inherent righteousnesse or sanctification is increased But the question is not of sanctification but of justification which the Papists by their wicked doctrine confounding it with sanctification have wholly abolished it being the maine benefit of the Messias by which we are both freed from hell and entitled to heaven Neither is the question understood of justification before men but before God For before men we doe confessâ—… that by good workes men are justified that is declared and knownâ—… to be just as by the fruits effects consequents and signes of justification by faith but before God we are not justified that is made or constituted just by workâ—…s as any cause thereof for good workes goe not before justification but follow after which is a plaine evidence that they are no cause of it § II. But let us examine his proofes the first and principall is out of Iames 2. which being the onely place of Scripture whereupon with any shew of probability they ground their doctrine of justification by workes I will not content my selfe to answere Bellarmines cavils alone but I will endevour to stop the mouthes of all the Papists who use to vaunt of this place especially of the 24. verse where they bragge that their assertion is expressed and ours confuted in plaine termes yee see then that a man is justified by workes and not by saith onely Which words are a consectary or conclusion deduced from the example of Abraham who though he were justified by faith without works as Saint Paul teacheth yet was hee also justified by workes and not by faith onely as Saint Iames affirmeth A conclusion therefore in shew of words contradictory to that of the Apostle Paul Rom. 3. 28. wee conclude that a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law and Gal. 2. 16. we know that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is but onely by faith which no doubt was the Apostles meaning For as I have shewed heretofore if this be a good disjunction that we are justified either by faith or by works that is either by the righteousnes of Christ which is out of us in him apprehended by faith or by the works of the Law that is by righteousnes inherent in our selves all which is prescribed in the Law as undoubtedly it is for a third thing cannot be named whereby we might be justified and by both we cannot for if by faith then of grace and if of grace then not of works and contrary wise Rom. 4. 4 5. 11. 6. then it followeth necessarily that if we are not justified by workes we are justified by faith alone Hence ariseth this great controversie between the true Catholiks and the Papists we affirming that we are justified by faith without works or by faith alone The Papists contending that wee are justified by workes and not by faith only we alleaging the authority of Saint Paul in his Epistles to the â—…omanes Galatians Ephesians the Papists this Testimony of Saint Iames. § III. The way to determine this weighty Controversie is to reconcile the seeming difference betweene the two Apostles Some a when they were not able to untye this Gordian knot have sought with Alexander to cut it by questioning without just cause the authority of that Epistle of Saint Iames. But the Papists and wee are thus farre agreed First as they doe not deny those Epistles of S. Paul which were never questioned so we acknowledge this of Saint Iames though it hath beene questioned to bee canonicall Secondly that the two Apostles acted by the same Spirit of truth in penning their Epistles could not possibly deliver contrary assertions and consequently that they onely are to bee esteemed to hold the truth who fitly reconciling the seeming variance betweene the two Apostles doe teach that doctrine which is agreeable to both Here then I am to demonstrate both against the Papists and for our selves against the Papists three things First that the doctrine which they ground upon this place of Saint Iames is contrary to that of Saint Paul Secondly that their exposition of Saint Iames they make him contradict the Apostle Paul Thirdly that their doctrine cannot be grounded upon this Text. For our selves two things First that by our exposition the two Apostles are easily reconciled Secondly that the assertion of the two Apostles according to our doctrine not onely may well stand together but also of necessity must goe together For the first wee have the same controversie with the Papists as I have noted before which the Apostle maintayned against the justiciaryes of his time And their opposite doctrine to Saint Paul which they would gladly father upon Saint Iames standeth in those six maine errours which I have plainely and fully confuted in this treatise And namely in this particular they affirming that men are justified by workes which the Apostle every were constantly denyeth To the second whiles they understand the two Apostles to speake in the same sense of faith of workes of justifying as namely that both speake of a true justifying faith of workes as causes of justification of justifying as making just by righteousnesse inherent they make the one directly to contradict the other For if Paul affirme that men are justified by a true faith without workes and Iames deny it If Paul deny that we are justified by workes as the causes of justification and Iames affirme it If Paul deny that wee are
workes Saint Iames having to deale with carnall Gospellers vaine men turning the grace of God into wantonnesse who having heard that faith doth justifie without workes did cast off all care of good workes thinking it sufficient to professe themselves to beleeve though their life were dissolute Against these Saint Iames proveth that vaine is the profession of faith without good works â—… that the faith which is without works is not a true liuely justifying faith but a dead and counterfeit faith that whosoever is justified before God by faith must also be justified that is declared and approved to bee just not onely by profession of his faith but also by the practise of good workes Wherefore in this respect there is no more difference betweene the two Apostles Paul and Iames than betweene Lâ—…ther and us who are Preachers of the Gospell at this day For as Luther having to deale with Popish justitiaâ—…ies who taught justification by workes urgeth most zelously justification by faith alone and in the question of justification after the example of Saint Paul speaketh contemptuously of workes so we having to dâ—…le with Libertines and carnall gospellers insisting in the steppes of Saint Iames urge the necessity of good workes § XVII Secondly wee are to consider the divers acceptions of the words faith workes justifie in the writings of the two Apostles Paul speaking of a true lively faith which worketh by love saith in effect that faith alone doth justifie Iames speaking of the faith of hypocrits which is in profession only sâ—…vered from the grace of sanctification and destitute of good workes â—…aith that such a faith doth neither justifie alone nor at all as being not a true but a dead and counterfeit faith Paul speaking of the câ—…uses of justification before God denyeth workes to concurre to the act of justification as any cause thereof Iames speaking of the effects and â—…ignes of justificatiâ—…n whereby it may beâ—… knowne affirmeth that workes must concurre in the parties justified that by them our faith may be demonstrated â—…nd our justification manifested Paul therefore rejecteth workes obtruded as causes of justification Iames urgeth thâ—…m as effects and signes thereof Paul speaking of Iustification in the proper sense as it signifieth that gracioâ—…s action of God whereby wee are made or constituted just affirmeth that wee are justified by faith without workes Iames speaking of thâ—…t justificâ—…tion whereby we are not mâ—…de just before God but declared and 〈◊〉 to God our 〈◊〉 and our conscience to bee just and indued with a true faith 〈◊〉 that we are so justified not onely by the profession of faith but also by good workes Now these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very well stand together For although it be most true which Saint Paul affirmeth that true faith doth just fie alone yet it is 〈◊〉 true which Saint Iames faith that the faith which is alone doth not justifie neither â—…lone nor at all because it is not 〈◊〉 true and a lively but a 〈◊〉 and dead faith For 〈◊〉 the living eye though it see alone yet is not alone so a liuely fâ—…ith though it justifie alone yet never iâ—… alone though it justifie without workes yet it is not without workâ—…s Though good workes doe not 〈◊〉 to the act of justification aâ—… any cause therâ—…of according to Saint Pauls doctrinâ—… yet they must concurre in the same subject that is the party justified as necessary fruitâ—… and 〈◊〉 of â—… true justifying â—…aith 〈◊〉 Saint Iaâ—…esâ—…cheth â—…cheth Though we be justified before God that is both absolved from our 〈◊〉 and accepted in Christ as righteous by faith alone without respect of workâ—… as Saint Paul teacheth yet according to the doctrine of â—…aint Iames weâ—… are to bee justified that is declared and approved to be just not onely by faith professed but also by good workes Finally though good workes nâ—…n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet 〈◊〉 justificaâ—… as Augustinâ—… useth to speake or as he also saith non prâ—…edunt iustifiâ—…andum sed justificatâ—… 〈◊〉 though they doe not goâ—… before justification as causâ—…s 〈◊〉 Pâ—…l teacheth yet they must follow in the parties justified as effects according to Saint Iames his doctrine § XVIII But the assertions of the 2. Apostles not only may wel stand togeâ—…her but also according to our doctrine they must necessarily goe together For if we shall be altogether conversant in setting forth the commendation of good works and in urging the necessity thereof not informing the people in the doctrine of justification by faith alone they will be ready to place the matter of their justification and the merit of their salvation in themselves as the Papists doe And so being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and seeking to establish their owne righteousnesse they doe not submit themselves to the righteousnes of God But wee must so urge the necessity of good workes in the doctrine of sanctification that wee remember that in the question of justification they are of no value On the other side if wee shall be wholly taken up in the doctrine of justification by faith alone teaching that in the question of justification they are of no worth and doe not withall informe the people of the profit and necessity of good works in other respects how ready will they bee to cast off all care of good workes and content themselves with a bare profession of faith But wee joyne these assertions together after the doctrine and practise of the Apostles in their Epistles Wee teach that justification and sanctification are unseparable companions And theresore as they who are sanctified may bee assured of their justification so without sanctification none can bee assured of their justification It is true that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus but who are they that live not after the flesh but after the Spirit Râ—… 8. 1. that are new creatures 2 Cor. 5. 17. that crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. It is true that a true lively faith doth justifie alone but what manner of saith is that that purifieth the heart Act. 15. 9. and worketh by love Gal. 5. 6. and may be demonstrated by good workes Iam. 2. 18. It is true that wee are not justified by our workes nor saved for them yet those are neither justified nor saved that are without them for as they are necessary consequents of justification so they are necessary antecedents of salvation For though they be not the cause of our salvation yet they are the way by which we are to come to salvation though they be not causa regâ—…andi as Bernard saith yet they are via regni Though they bee not the merit of salvation yet they are the evidence according to which God will judge us By faith wee have our inheritance and our title to Gods Kingdome but it is to be inherited among those that are sanctified A godly conversation though it be not properly a cause of our glorification yet it is causa
But to this allegation I have answered twice before To conclude in these six places wee have seene scarce any colour of proofe either of justification by workes or of increase of justification and yet these besides Iam. 2. are all the testimonies which he hath alleaged out of the Scriptures which being compared with those plentifull and pregnant Testimonies that plainely deny justification by workes doe manifestly shew the cause of the Papists to bee most desperate But it may bee you will say that although the Scriptures faile him yet hee hath store of testimonies of the Fathers and plenty of reasons Out of the Fathers he produceth not one testimony Neither doth he give any reason but such as have beene already confuted § XXIV To these testimonies saith he two reasons may be added out of those things which have been proved in the former Chapters concerning the possibility of the Law and the truth of actuall righteousnesse for saith he if a just man can fulfill the Law as before it hath beene demonstrated then â—…ay he also without doubt be justified by workes Againe If a just man can performe workes truly good which are polluted with no vice as we have shewed before then he may worke righteousnesse and consequently may by multiplying of just workes increase his justice Answ. He should say his justification But in both hee disputeth a posse ad esse it is possible for a man to fulfill the Law and consequently to be justified by workes it is possible that a righteous man may performe some workes truely and purely good by multiplying whereof he may increase his justice But the question is not whether some choise man one of a million can fulfill the Law and bring forth workes purely good but whether every one that is justified doth fulfill the Law that is doth continue in all the things which are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them Whether the workes yea all the workes of every one that is justified be purely good For if he should transgresse in any one particular though it were but by omission he hath not fulfilled the Law If any of his workes were not truely and purely good or if all his workes be not pure then hee cannot be justified by workes But he is so farre from proving these things as it were the esse that he is not able to prove the posse that any one mortall man is able to fulfill the Law or that any one action of any one regenerate man is purely and perfectly good The contraries of both which I have plentifully proved before A TREATISE OF IVSTIFICATION THE EIGHTH BOOKE Concerning the Merit of good Workes CHAP. I. Setting downe the state of the Controversie and propounding our arguments against the merit of good Workes § I. THere remaineth the last though not the least errour of the Papists in this controversie which is concerning the efficacie of good workes For the Papists not contented to affirme that good works doe justifie doe also teach that at the hands of God they doe merit or deserve the reward of eternall life And this in effect is the same with that which Bellarmine laboured to prove when he disputed of the necessity of good workes unto salvation not onely necessitate praesentiae as the way to Gods kingdome which we confesse but also necessitate efficientiae as causes thereof For by the Efficiencie which they ascribe to workes they meane no other but morall which is as they say by way of meriting Howbeit the former assertion of the necessity of efficiencie seemeth to containe a further degree of damnable errour viz. that not onely good workes doe merit or deserve salvation but also that none can be saved without their owne merits for so much is implyed in the terme of the necessity of efficiencie § II. But first we are to set downe the state of the controversie in setting downe whereof the Papists are very sparing because in this point they differ much among themselves But yet in this they do agree that all the good works of the regenerate are truly meritorious of eternall life Now for the explacation of the termes by good works which they say are meritorious they meane all such works as are qualified according to those seven conditions which Bellarmine requireth First that they be materialâ—…y good or good in their kind Secondly that they be done in obedience to God Thirdly by such as are viatores way-faring men in this life Fourthly that they be free that is as they expound it voluntary proceeding from their freewill Fifthly persormed by men who are in the state of grace Sixthly having the promise of eternall reward Seventhly proceeding from the virtue of Charity Secondly by all such workes they doe not onely meane all joyntly but every one in particular affirming omne opus bonum that every good worke proceeding from Charity is meritorious of eternall life Thirdly by truely meritorious the word used by the Councill of Trent wee understand that which properly and absolutely and for it selfe deâ—…erveth the reward thereby excluding first merita ex congruo merits of congruity which indeed doe not deserve and therefore are not veri nominis merita truely and properly merits Notwithstanding Bellarmine and others retaine the name giving it chiefly to those dispositions and preparations going before justification according to which grace is given wherein they have rewarded the old assertion of Pelagius gratiam secundum merita dari For if those dispositions be merits and if according to them grace is given as the Councill of Trent in plaine termes defineth doe they not hold that grace is given to men according to their merits Secondly by this phrase truly and properly meritorious are excluded these workes which arâ—… said to merit onely ex pacto which ever happeneth when there is a great disproportion between the worke and the promised reward As if a man should for a daies labour which in commutative justice deserveth but denarium diurnum the day-penny promise an hundred pound this reward were due ex pacto but yet not deserved by the labourer The halfe of Herods Kingdome was due to the daughter of Herâ—…dias ex pacto if shee had asked so much but no way deserved by her By truely and properly meritorious therefore is meant that which is condigne merit or merit of condignity that which is absolutely meritorious and not onely ex pacto by reason of the promise which happeneth when there is an equall proportion betweene the worke and the promised reward sed ratione â—…peris ipsius for the workes sake and for the worthinesse thereof § III. This point is duely to bee observed For there are some tergiversators that dare not professedly take upon them the defence of condigne merit who notwithstanding would seem as stiffe defenders of merits as the best of them As for that qnestion whether works deserve heaven â—…x condâ—…gno or not and such
like they say they are but schoole points which not being yet determined by the Church may freely bee disputed of pro con Yea but thus much your Church hath determined that the faithfull who are the members of Christ doe by their workes truely merit or deserve eternall life and denounceth a curse against those who shall deny that a justified man doth by his good workes truely merit eternall life But there is nothing which can truly and properly be called merit but that which is of condignity and doth for it selfe and for its owne worth absolutely deserve the reward That which is said to merit by way of congruity is not truely and properly meritorious nor that which is said meerely to merit ex pacto as where is no proportion betweene the merit and the wages For neither of these doth truely deserve that which it is said to merit Wherefore the most and the most learned of the Papists hold that there is a due proportion betweene the workes of the faithfull proceeding from charity and the heavenly reward and that they condignely merit eternall life not only in respect of Gods promise but also for the worthinesse of the workes which are so dignified they say by the merit of Christ that they become truely meritorious and doe in Iustice according to their worth deserve the heavenly reward even as justly as the sinnes of the wicked deserve the punishment of hell In so much that our Rhemists say good workes be meritorious and the very cause of salvation so farre that God should be unjust if he rendred not heaven for the same unjust they meane for not rendring a just and equall reward Where fore howsoever some like snailes when they are touched doe pull in their hornes yet this undoubtedly is the Tenet of the learned Papists at this day Opera bona justorum meritoria esse ex condigno non solum ratione pacti sed etiam ratione operum that the good workes of the righteous are condignely meritorious not onely in regard of the covenant but also in respect of the workes themselves As for those who heretofore have denyed the absolute merit of condignity and have held either merits of congruity onely or onely ex pacto they are censured by some of the learned among them to have differed from us in words but in deed to have agreed with us But as for us we acknowledge no merits of eternall life but the merits of Christ onely and wee doe constantly hold and confidently professe that no meere man can merit that is deserve at the hands of God the reward of eternall life by any thing or by all the things which hee can doe or suffer in this world § IV. For the handling of this controversie I will observe this order first I will propound our arguments and maintaine them and then I will answere the objections of the Papists And first I will speake of the name and then of the thing neither of which hath any ground in the Scriptures and therefore both the name and the thing of all true Christians who desire not in matters of such moment as concerne our eternall inheritance to bee wisâ—… above that which is written are to be rejected The word mereri properly signifieth to deserve and meritum desert or that which deserveth a reward and that which doth not deserve is not properly and truely called merit Now there is neither in the canonicall Scriptures nor in the Greeke Fathers any word or phrase truely and properly translated which being ascribed to good workes doth signifie or import the deserving of eternall life at the hands of God There are words and phrases importing the reward of workes both good and bad but with this difference that the eternall reward of good workes as it was according to the purpose of grace given unto us in Christ before all secular times and freely intended and preordained and according to the Covenant of grace to them for whom Christ hath merited the same freely promised so it is freely bestowed as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free gift of God But the eternall reward of sinne as it is justly deserved so it is in justice rendred as the iust stipend or wages of sinne Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sinne is death but eternall life is the free gifâ—… of God § V. The Latine Fathers indeed doe often use the words mereri and meritum both in the better sence and in the worse but with this difference that in the worse sense they use it properly for deserving and desert For sinnes duely and in justice deserve punishment But in the better sense they doe not use the word properly for deserving and desert which every man knoweth to be the proper signification but in other significations and therefore unproperly if not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The verbe is used by them sometimes and indeed very often in the generall sense either of obtayning joyned commonly with the accusative case or of finding favour to have or to get any thing joyned with the infinitive without respect of merit and worth or relation to wages Vocabulum merendi saith Cassander the word meriting among the ancient Ecclesiastical writers for the most part signifieth to obtaine or to be made fit to obtaine The which among others appearâ—…th by that one place of Cyprian For where Paul saith 1 Tim. 1. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but I obtained mercie as the vulgar Latine and Erasmus Cyprian readeth misericordiam merui And so doth Augustine also Thus you see how joyned with an a accusative it signifieth to obtaine First So Ambrose Minus autem mirari debeâ—…us quòd tantam Ioannes gratiam in nascendo meruerit Secondly Ipsa etiam post usum vota fastidio sunt quae mereri optavimus postquam meruimus abdiâ—…amus Thirdly Iniqueus Cain longaevam dâ—…xit aetatem duxit uxorem â—…c meruit promissione divina Fourthly â—…ratiam â—…um ordinareris Episcopus non suscepisti quia gratuitò â—…am non meruisti Hierome Quanto magis egâ—… mereri debeo veniam 1. Aug. confugerunt ad fidem qua misericordiam indulgentia mererentur 2. Talem se Apost confitetur fuisse peccatorem ut omnis peccator propterea dese non desperet quia Paulus peccatorum scil primus meruit indulgentiam Primasius Magna beatitudo est sine labore legis vel poenitentia fidem per solam gratiam promereri But oyned with an infinitive it signifieth for the most part to finde favour Ambrose O aquâ—… quae Sacramentum esse Christi meruisti quâ—… lavas omnâ—…a 〈◊〉 lavaris 1. Augâ—…stine 〈◊〉 â—…vix in illo populo qui de servitute decem miraculis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. And in the samâ—… booke spâ—…aking of Saint Paul prâ—… persecutionibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meruit appâ—…llari 3. Of Dâ—…vid 〈◊〉 saith Qui Râ—… Prophetâ—…
the same Whereunto I will adde that of Durandus both that which wâ—…e are and that also which we have whether they be good acts or good habits or uses all is in us from the liberality of God freely giving and conserving And because by a free gift none is bound to give more but the receiver rather is more bound to the giver wherefore by the good habits good acts and uses given unto â—…s of God God is not obliged to us out of any debt of justice to give more as if he did not give he should be unjust but we rather are obliged to God And it is a rash or blasphemous thing to thinke or speake the contrary If it be said that by the good use of Gods gifts wee may deserve greater I answere that as the good gift it selfe so the good use of it is also the free gift of God which if God reward hee doth not reward our merits but crowne his owne gifts as Aâ—…gustine often speaketh § XIII Secondly that which meriteth is free not onely from the necessity of coaction which condition the Papists acknowledge but also of duety for Quod est debitum non est meritum that which is duâ—…ty is not merit In rendring that which is due wee may satisfie perhaps our debt but not merit reward This is a certaine trueth if the worke bee due the reward is not due ratione operis for the workes sake Quid meriti apud Deum poterimus obtrudere qui debemus omnia How can wee plead merit before God who owe him all things Of that which we doe owe we are not owners the money which is owed is Aes alienum nihil propriè nostrum est nisi quod pro arbitrio possumus facere vel omittere saith Bellarmine Nothing is properly our owne but that which we can upon free choise doe or omit All the good things which wee can doe are due from us to God Luk. 17. 10. So that if we should doe all that is commanded we were but unprofitable servants because we have but done that which was our duety to doe But indeed wee doe not nor cannot performe all that is due so farre are we from merit Againe there is no good thing which wee can doe but it is commanded of God and therefore due Not to doe it is a sinne to doe it is not merit but duety Saint Bernard doth demonstrate for many causes that all our good workes are due unto God saith Bellarminâ—… so that he may exact them all though he would give no reward O if thou didst know saith Bernard how many things and to how many thou doest owe thou shouldst see how they are nothing which thou doest and how not to bee reckoned among the least in comparison of thy debts All that thou art thou owest to him from whom thou hast all And after who then will grumble any more saying Wee labour too much wee fast too much wee watch too much when hee is not able to answere the thousand yea not the least part of his debts Object But it will be said Doth not he well that payeth his debt Answ. In not paying it hee should sinne but in paying hee satisfieth onely his debt he doth not merit a new reward § XIV Thirdly that worke which meriteth must bee pure and perfect and not stained with any corruptions and imperfections for otherwise it will not so much as satisfie our debt but rather make us obnoxious unto punishment every defect and imperfection being a sinne and much lesse will it merit at the hands of God eternall life But all our best obedience is unperfect and stained with the flesh as I have heretofore proved at large all our righteousnesses being as polluted cloutes Gregory saith Omne virtutis nostrae meritum esse vitium Object 1. Yea but the imperfection is taken away by the bloud of Christ. Answ. Where is remission of sinne there can bee no merit of condignity Object 2. Veniall sinnes may stand with perfect righteousnesse Answ. True in respect of imputed righteousnesse by which sinnes are made veniall but in regard of inherent righteousnesse it is absurd Fourthly that which meriteth is more than is due for Debitum non est meritum for debt is not merit but all that we can performe is lesse than that which is due § XV. The thing that we are to merit that is to say the reward first it must bee proportionable to the merit For justice standeth in equality But betweene the best works or sufferings of this life yea martyrdome it selfe and eternall life there is no proportion For the one is finite the other infinite as being the everlasting fruition of God the infinite and chiefe good Wherefore Bernard Quid sunt saith he omnia merita ad tantam gloriam What are all merits to so great glory And Augustin How great labor is that rest worthy of which hath no end If you will make a true comparison and judge truely Eternall rest is rightly bought with eternall labour for eternall rest eternall labor should have been undertaken Thou who art to receive eternall happinesse thou oughtest to beare eternall sufferings Though our labour and tribulations were for a thousand yeares weigh a thousand yeares with eternity Why doest thou weigh that which is infinite with a thing that is finite be it never so great Non valent vitae praesentis obsequia aeternae vitâ—… gaudiis comparari Tantum ubi gratiae divinae retributionis exuberat ut incomparabiliter ineffabiliter â—…mne meritum qâ—…vis bonâ—… ex Deo datae humanae voluntatis operationis excedat Secondly it should bee due upon just desert and not bee given of grace Rom. 4. 4. The day-peny given to the worke of one houre is from bounty Matth. 20. 15. But eternall life is given freely by Gods grace Rom. 6. 23. Of the wicked Chrysostome saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are justly punished but of the godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they are crowned according to grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For although they should performe ten thousand workes it is the munificence of grace that for such small and vile workes such an heaven and kingdome and so great an honour should be given them Thirdly the rule by which rewardis rendred to condigne merits is not meere grace but justice and that either commutativè which standeth in equality or distributivè which respecteth dignity the former observing an arithmeticall the other a geometricall proportion But neither is their equality betweene â—…he merit and the reward neither are the things which wee doe or suffer condigne or any way comparable to the glory that shall bee revealed But the reward of eternall life is given of meere grace in respect of us Rom. 6. 23. According to the good pleasure of God Luke 12. 32. Who crowneâ—…h us with mercies Psal. 103. 4. For by grace
the merit of Christ. This assumption may thus bee demonstrated That which a man hath already he needeth not to merit For to merit is to obtaine by desert that right which a man hath not yet Nullus meretâ—…r saith Thomas quod â—…am habet and againe meritum non est nisi ejus quod nondâ—…m habetur Therefore the faithfull if they have already right to Gods kingdome they need not merit it or if they must merit then have they not as yet that right by Christ but must purchase it by their owne deserts which is greatly to derogate from the merits of Christ. But the faithfull before they produce any good works have right to Gods kingdome Nâ—…m hoc ipsâ—… saith Bellarmine quòd incipiâ—… esse filiâ—… Dei 〈◊〉 jus habere ad hareditatem falicitatis â—…ternae Rom. 8. 17. Gâ—…l 4. 7. 〈◊〉 â—…utem esse filii Dei â—…ntequam incipiâ—…mus benè operari Igitur jus habemuâ—… ad aternam bareditatem per gratiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benè operari For in that very respect that wee bâ—…ginne to bee the sonnes of God wee beginne to have right to the inheritance of the eternà ll feliciâ—…y Rom. 8. Gâ—…l 4. Now wee beginne to bee the sonnes of God before wee beginne to bring forth good workes Merâ—…it igitur Christus saith hee Christ therefore merited the inheritance it selfe whiles he merited the grace of adoption and againe unto him who is the Sonne of God by grace the inheritance is due by the right of adoption before all workes In which place Bellarmine teacheth another point of doctrine whereby is excluded the merit of good workes Ex eo quod aliquis saith hee est filius Dei per gratiam meretur ex condigno haereditatem vitae aeternae sine alio pacto sed merito personae non merito operis By this that any man is the sonne of God by grace hee doth merit condignely the inheritance of everlasting life without any other covenant for if sonnes then heires but hee doth merit it by the merit of his person not by the merit of his worke what needeth then the childe of God bring forth good workes with purpose to merit heaven by them seeing before hee produceth any good workes hee hath right unto the kingdome of heaven by the merit of his person in that hee is the Sonne of God Why forsoooth as it is an inheritance hee meriteth it by the merit of his person but as it is a mercenary reward or stipend or wages hee must earne it by the merit of his workes which is absurd for if it bee a free gift intended in our election without any relation to our desert a free inheritance purchased for us by Christ and freely promised to all that beleeve and free reward of our obedience which is therefore by Augustine and others called Gratia because it is freely given it cannot without absurdity be made the mercenary reward or wages of hired servants Thirdly to attribute that honour to every member of the body which is peculiar to Christ alone the Head is to derogate from the honour of Christ our Head But to merit eternall life is an honour peculiar to Christ alone our Head For eternall life in heaven being of infinite worth as being the eternall fruition of God who is infinite cannot be condignely merited but by that which is of infinite value and price Such are the merits of Christ and of him alone such neither ours nor any meere creatures are or can be For the infinite merit of eternall life dependeth on the infinitenesse of the person who meriteth it such an one is Christ such are none of his members Therefore to Christ alone it belongeth to merit heaven for his members and not to his members who are not to merit but by faith to apprehend the merit of their Head Fourthly that which taketh from Christ the glory of being the onely meritorious cause of salvation doth greaâ—…ly detract from the al-sufficiency of Christs merits The Popish doctrine concerning the merit of workes taketh from Christ the glory of being the onely meritorious cause of our salvation Therefore it doth greatly derogate from the al-sufficient merit of Christ. Fifthly they who ascribe the condigne merit of heaven to their owne good workes and to salve the matter doe faine that Christ hath merited for their good workes that they may condignely merit heaven doe indeed robbe Christ of the honour of meriting for us eternall life and doe arrogate it unto themselves Thus doe the Papists who ascribe the condigne merit of heaven to their owne works and to bleare the eyes of the simple they faine that Christ merited for our workes that they might be meritorious of eternall life for neither by the Scriptures nor Fathers nor any sound reason doe they so much as goe about to prove this fiction this novelty Christ did not save us to make us our owne Saviours but in his owne person and as the Apostle speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by himselfe he performed the worke of our redemption and the merit of our salvation Object 1. But you will say did Christ merit for us that we should be idle I answere wee are the Workemanship of God created unto good workes which God hath preordained that we should walke in them not to merit by them but to glorifie God by them to testifie our thankefulnesse and to make our calling and elâ—…ction sure and for many other reasons which I delivered when I proved the necessity of good workes Object 2. It is not fit that Christs merits should bee applyed to men without workes Answ. The merits of Christ are applyed to us that is wee are justified by them without workes as the Apostle teacheth howbeit in them that are justified good workes doe follow but not as causes of justification or as merits of salvation Object 3. But it is necessary we should be like unto Christ. Answ. Wee must bee like to him in the graces of sanctification which we receive from his fulnesse even grace for grace Rom. 8. 29. 1 Ioâ—…n 3. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 16. But wee cannot bee like unto him in office of Mediation or in the power of meriting which is proper to the Head § III. This argument that the doctrine of merits is derogatory to the al-sufficient merits of our onely Saviour is worthy to bee insisted upon and defended against all exceptions and cavils of the Papists which indeed are many but may be reduced to these three heads for either they serve to shew that their doctrine doth not derogate from Christs merits or that their doctrine setteth forth the glory of Christs merit no lesse than ours or that wee by denying their doctrine doe extenuate such is their impudency the merit of Christ. To the first purpose Bellarmine hath foure evasions The first that The merits of just men are not opposite to the merits of Christ but spring from them And what commendation soever our
merits have that wholly redoundeth to the praise of Christs merit For hee is the Vine wee are the branches And as a branch caâ—…not bring forth fruit unlesse it abide in the vine even so we without Christ can doe nothing And as never any man was so unwise as to say that the fruitefulnesse of the branches detracteth from the glory of the Vine so no man that is not a very foole would say that it is a derogation from the glory of Christ if his servants by his Grace by his Spirit by faith and charity inspired from him bring forth good workes which are so truely just that unto them is due from the just Iudge a crowne of Iustice. Repl. To which answere I assent in some particulars First that it is indeed a great honour to Christ if his members doe bring forth much fruit Iohn 15. 8. As contrarywise it is a great dishonour to him when any of his members defile themselves with any crime 1 Cor. 6. 15. Secondly that having union with Christ as his members wee have also communion with him both in his merits to our justification and salvation and also in the vertue of his death to mortifie sinne in us and of his resurrection to raise us unto newnesse of life By influence of which virtue from Christ our Head the holy Spirit enableth us to bring forth the fruites of good workes But that these good works though wrought by the Spirit though proceeding from faith and charity though acceptable to God in Christ though graciously rewarded by him are so perfect and of such value that they should bee either satisfactory to Gods justice or meritorious of eternall life that we utterly deny these being prerogatives peculiar to our Head who onely hath both satisfied the justice of God and also merited heaven for us and that to this end that neither satisfaction should be required of us for our sinnes for which wee cannot satisfie but by eternall punishment nor merit of eternall life expected from us which cannot bee merited but by a price of infinite value For if there be need of either then either Christ hath not fully satisfied or not sufficiently merited for us And as it is a certaine trueth that Christ did not to this end satisfie for us that wee should satisfie which to us is impossible but that we should be freed from the necessity of satisfying Gods justice as being already satisfied so it is no lesse true that Christ did not to that end merit heaven for us that we should merit it which to us is impossible but that wee should bee freed from the necessity of meriting it which Christ hath al-sufficiently merited and should rely wholly and onely on the satisfaction and merit of Christ. If they say that Christ hath merited for us those graces and works by which wee are to merit heaven I demand whether Christ himselfe did merit heaven for us or not If so then need not our merits If not then doe they not onely part stakes with Christ but assume the greater merit which is of glory to themselves and leave the lesse which is of grace to Christ and that not entire neither For the obtaininig of righteousnesse as they doe not wholly ascribe to their owne free will so neither to Gods grace but partly to God offering grace and partly to their owne free will which willingly accepteth of grace when it might refuse it And this willingnesse whatsoever they pretend to the contrary is in mine opinion the very root from whence their conceipted merit doth spring § IV. His second evasion That merit of men are required not becaâ—…se of the insufficiency but because of the great efficacy of Christs merits which merited with God not onely that wee shâ—…ld obtaine salvation but that wee should obtaine it by our owne proper merits or which is all one that they merited not onely eternall salvation for us but also the virtue or power of meriting Repl. This answere is nothing but a meeâ—…e begging of the question taking for granted that which wee utteâ—…y deny and none of them shall ever bee able to prove that Christ merited for us that wee our selves should merit eternall life For first the power of meriting heaven at the hands of God is Christs peculiar neither can â—…ny meere man no not in the state of innocency nor any Angell not any meere creature merit any reward at the hands of God because when they have done all they have done but their duety Much lesse can wee who never doe all and that which wee doe is stained with the flesh and is mingled with manifold transgressions if not of commission from which none are free yet at least of omission Secondly that Christ died for our sinnes to free us from hell and that hee in his owne person performed all obedience both passive and active that thereby we might be justified and saved wee read in the Scriptures But that he dyed for our good workes to make them meritorious or that he merited for us the power of meriting heaven which power is proper to himselfe alone and presupposeth infinitenesse of merit and worth we reade not The similitude which Bellarmine useth of the Sunne whereby God doth illuminate the world and of other secondary causes which God doth use as meanes whereby to worke which argue not Gods inability but his omnipotencie in giving such power to his creatures to prove that God his saving us by our owne merits doth not argue the insufficiency of Christs merit but the sufficiency in giving such power to our merits is as meere a begging of the question as the former taking for granted that as God doth enlighten the world by the Sunne c. which all men know by experience so hee doth save us by our owne merits when as the Scriptures in plaine termes deny us to bee saved by our workes but wholly and onely by the merits of Christ. Besides the similitude is altogether unlike For God doth not illuminate the inferiour world by himselfe but by the Sunne nor performe those other actions by himselfe immediately for which he hath ordained secondary causes as his instruments working ordinarily by meanes But Christ by himselfe hath merited for us giving the virtue and power of meriting to nothing out of himselfe § V. His third Evasâ—…on That they doe not part the glory betweene Christ and themselves becaâ—…se they acknowledge their merits to be the gifts of God and that there is no good thing in themselves which is theirs and not Gods from whose grace the force of merit dependeth Which answere altogether taketh from our workes the power of meriting with God For how can we merit of God by that which is his But indeed this evasion which here is used to serve the present turne is not suitable with the Popish doctrine which teacheth men to part stakes with God as I have said First in respect of grace the efficacy whereof they divide
to give us wherewith to merit then would he have infused most perfect righteousnesse into us which should not have beene stained with any sinfulnesse neither should need remission or indulgence But we are so farre from having this power to merit heaven that the best of us had need to pray with David as being not more just than he Enter not into judgement with thy servants O Lord c. for if thou shouldest marke what is amisse who should stand and with the Apostles as being not more holy than they forgive us our trespasses c. our chiefe righteousnesse in this life consisting as Augustine truely saith in remission of sinnes rather than in perfection of virtues Now whiles we are sinners in our selves as all are wee cannot merit any thing but punishment at the hands of God and whiles wee deserve hell how can we possibly merit heaven § X. These were the arguments which Bellarmine tooke upon him to answere but could not satisfie Now wee are to adde some others Our third reason therefore is this If we cannot merit so much as temporall blessings at the hands of God then much lesse eternall But wee cannot merit so much as temporall blessings at Gods hands and therfore much lesse eternall 1. The assumption I prove thus first by the confession of Iacob Gen. 32. 10. that he was lesse than the least of Gods mercies Of David concerning mankinde in generall Psal. 8. 4. and concerning himselfe in particular 2 Sam. 7. 18. Secondly if by all our labours and endevours wee are not able to merit of God so mâ—…ch as a piece of bread but must beg it at Gods hands then can wee not merit eternall life of him But the former is true for therefore our Saviour hath taught us to make this daily praier that God would give us day by day our daily bread To this purpose Saint Hierome saith well that a man could not suffer any thing worthy the heavenly glory though it were such as this present life is But Chrysâ—…stome goeth further if we should dye ten thousand times c. as he was before Anastasius for what good things soever we doe we are not answerable to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the aire alone which we breathe Basill Those which are esteemed retributions are granted to men onely for the Lords bounty sake for all the righteousnesse of mortall men doe not match the gifts already vouchfafed much lesse those which are to come which exceed our thought But most agreeable to our doctrine is that assertion of Gregâ—…rius Ariminensis quòd â—…dum aeâ—…erna vita c. that no act of man though proceeding from never so great charity doth condignely merit with God not onely eternall life but not so much as any other reward whether eternall or temporall § XI Our fourth reason That which we attaine unto by right of adoption as our inheritance purchased by Christ and prepared for us from the beginning of the world without any respect to our merits that we doe not obtaine by our merits Vnto eternall life we doe attaine by right of adoption as our inheritance purchased by Christ and prepared for us from the beginning of the world and that without any respect of our merits Therefore we doe not attaine to eternall life by our merits The assumption is manifest for therefore in many places of Scripture the Kingdome of heaven is called our inheritance Act. 20. 32. 26. 18. Gal. 3. 18. Ephes. 1. 14. 18. 5. 5. Col. 3. 24. and that an eternall and incorruptible inheritance Heb. 9. 15. 1 Pet. 1. 4. And of this kingdome the faithfull are heires Iam. â—… 5. For therefore are we adopted the sons of God that we may be heires heires of God and fellow heires of Christ Rom. 8. 17. Gal. 4. 7. and to the same end are we justified by his grace that we might according to hope bee made heires of eternall life Tit. 3. 7. Bellarmine himselfe hath taught as we have heard that we are entituled to the Kingdome of heaven jure adoptionis And in that we begin to be the sons of God wee begin â—…o have right to the inheritance of the eternall â—…elicity now we begin to be the sonnes of God before wee begin to bring forth good workes And hereby appeareth the truth of the proposition for we have our right of adoption not by merit but by the free grace of God who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved And this inheritance was prepared for us from the beginning of the world Mat. 25 34. If it be objected that as it is called an inheritance so also a reward and reward presupposeth merit for so the Councill of Trent teacheth that eternall life is to be propounded to the godly both as grace that is a free gift promised by Christ and as a reward duely to be rendred to their merits according to Gods promise I answere that eternall life is no such reward as presupposeth merit for it is a free reward freely promised freely given Neither can those things stand together which the Councill of Trent hath conjoyned that eternall life should both bee gratia a free gift graciously promised and freely bestowed and also a due wages to be rendred to desert neither if it be the reward of inheritance as it is called Col. 3. 24. which is freely bestowed on the sonnes of God it cannot be a mercenary wages which is due to hired servants § XII Our fifth reason If good workes doâ—… merit eternall life then are they causes of it for merits be the causes of that which is merited But good workes are not the cause of eternall life therefore they doe not merit it The assumption I prove first from that received testimony of Bernard that good workes are via regni non causa regnandi Quid autem hac conclusione firmius saith Cassander who also saith that Thomas Bradwardin and divers other Schoolemen deny good workes to bee the cause of the eternall reward and that some who call them causes doe meane Causam sine qua non which properly is no cause Secondly true causes of salvation may bee trusted in for the obtaining of salvation Our good workes are not to be trusted in for the obtaining of salvation Therefore they are not true causes thereof The proposition is Bellarmines Licet confidere in omni vera causa The assumption also in effect is his For if it be most safe as he truly saith by reason of the uncertainty of our owne righteousnesse which none of them can be certaine of without speciall revelation and danger of vaine glory not to trust in our owne merits but to repose â—…ur whole affiance in the only mercy and bountyof
calleth merits yet because these good works or merits unto which it is rendred are not from our selves but from grace it selfe therefore is called grace non ob aliud nisi quia gratis datur for no other cause but because it is freely given nor for that it is not given to merits or good works but because they themselves are given to which it is given And againe that eternall life is the reward of true righteousnesse to which righteousnes if it were from our selves and were to bee found in us the reward should be due as the stipend thereof but being not from our selves but from the grace of God therefore to us eternall life is grace as being the free reward of grace to which as it is freely promised so it is freely given And the like is to be said of the other places some wherof I have before alleaged as being pregnant to our purpose Wherein as in innumerable other places Augustine doth not speake of the workes of naturall men but of the workes of the faithfull and regenerate proceeding from grace to which not as to merits but as to the free gifts of God eternall life is freely given And it is apparent that he speaketh of the faithfull who are in the state of salvation even then when they are to be saved ut intelligeremus non pro meritis nostris Deum nos ad eternam vitam sed pro sua miseratione perducere And againe cum pr aemium venerit sua dona coronabit non merita tua And againe pro nihilo salvos facies illos nihil invenis unde salves multum invenis unde damnes To these three I will out of very many places which might be alleaged out of Augustine against the condigne merit of our workes adde a few more 4. For writing on those words Psal. 142 Propter nomen tuum Domine vivificabis me in justitia tua spoken in the future tence of a faithful and regenerate man viz. the Authour of that Psalme in â—…ua justitia saith he non in mea non quia egâ—… merui sed quia tu miser eris nam si meum ostenderem meritum nihil abs te mererer nisi supplicium In thy righteousnesse not in mine not because I have merited but because thou hast mercie For if I should shew my merit I should deserve of thee nothing but punishment 5. Againe writing on those words of the 62. Psalme Melior est misericordia tua super viâ—…as he saith multa sunt vitâ—… humana sed Deus unicam vitam 〈◊〉 noâ—… illam dat nobâ—… qâ—…asi propter merita nostrâ—… sed propter misericordiam suam 6. Si vellet pro meritis agerâ—… non inveniret nisi quos damnaret 7. Promisit enim bâ—…minibus divinitatem mortalibus immortalitatem peccatoribâ—…s 〈◊〉 abjectis glorificationem quicquid promisit indignis 〈◊〉 â—…t non quasi operibâ—…s merces promitteretur sed gratia à nomine sâ—…o gratis 〈◊〉 quta hoc ip sum quòd justè vivit in quantum â—…mo potest justè vivâ—…re non meriti â—…ani sed beneficii est divini 8. Meâ—…itis suis niâ—…il tribunt justâ—… non tribuerat â—…tum nisi misericordia 〈◊〉 O Deâ—…s 9. Noâ—… pro merito quidem accipies vitam aterâ—…am sed tantum pro gratia 10. Debita redditur poena damnato indebita gratia liberato ut nec ille se indigâ—… quer atur nec dignum se iste glorietur Si autem gratia utique nullis meritis reddita sed gratuita bonitate donata 12. And againe Gratia evacuatur si non gratis donatur sed meritis redditur § IV. In the fourth place he citeth for us Prosper by the halves or not so much for in the beginning of that Chapter which Bellarminâ—… citeth he speaketh of those who having lived in wickednesse are converted a little before their end and saith this happeneth ut indubitanter agnoscas gratuita esse Dei munera â—…icut nulla sunt tam detestanda faeinora quae possunt gratiae arcere donum ita nulla posse tam praeclara opera existere quibus hoc quòd gratis tribuitur per retributiâ—…nis judicium debeatur Therefore no debt due to us from God no merit in us afterwards he saith that those who were sent into the vineyard at the eleventh houre did represent those who are called in the end of their life and that the Lord did make them who came at the eleventh houre equall with those who wrought all day non lâ—…bori pretium solvens sed divitias bonitatis suae in eâ—…s quos sine operibus elegit â—…ffundens ut etiam hi qui in multo labore sudarunt nil amplius quà m novissmi acceperunâ—… intelligant donum se gratiae non operum accepisse mercedem not paying an hiâ—…e to the labour but powring forth the riches of his bounty on them whom hee chose without workes that they also who tooke great paines and received no more than the last should understand that they received a gift of grace and not the wages of their worke By the day-peny the equality of eternall life is signified as Prosper teacheth as Bellarmine himselfe confesseth And therefore it is not rendred as an hire or wages to mens labours for then the reward should have beene proportionable to the labour but as a gift of grace which the Lord bestoweth according to his good pleasure Matth. 20. 15. Heâ—…e Bellarmines threed-bare answere that Prosper denieth eternall life to be the wages of such workes or merits as goe before grace but granteth it to be wages of those which proceed from grace is not worth the refuting for the workes to which the day-penney was given were the workes of the labourers which they performed after their calling Unto which notwithstanding it was given not as the price or hire of the labour but as a gift of grace for if the reward was not the deserved wages of their workes but the free gift of their Lord then their workes were not merits of their reward But that Prosper did not deny true merits which proceed from grace Bellarmine saith it is plaine by the same place where he saith Bona merita sequi in homine post adeptam gratiam non autem praecedere I answere If hee had said so his meaning had beene the same with that which he learned of Augustine that good workes doe not goe before but follow grace But indeed there is no such saying of Prosper in that place § V. The fifth is Gregory the great On those words of Iob Si habuerâ—… quippiam justum non 〈◊〉 sed meum judicem depreâ—…abor which it selfe is an excellent testimony against merits commenteth thus Velut si apertius fateaâ—…ur dicens si ad â—…pus virtutis excrâ—…'vero ad vitam non ex meritis sed ex venia convalesco as if he should more plainely confesse and say though I grow up to the worke of
reward of their labours who are Gods workemen vers 9. labouring for him and not for themselves is the blessing of increase which God giveth thereunto Even as the harvest is the reward of the earing not to be asscribed to the merit of earing but to the blessing of God And so it is here plainely said though the Planter and the Waterer shall have their owne rewards yet their reward is not to bee asscribed to the merit of their labour but to the blessing of God I have planted saith Paul and Apollâ—… hath watered but God gave the increase So then neither he that planteth is any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase Or if the place should generally be understood oâ—… all workes both good and bad the meaning would be that the reward would be answerable either good or bad That of the Psalmist Psal. 62. 12. To thee Lord mercie for thou rendrest to every man according to his worke is not generally to be understood of the workes of all men both good and bad for the bad works of the wicked hee doth not reward in mercie but judgement without mercie shall bee executed upon them but of the good workes of the godly onely which though they bee good and acceptable to God in Christ yet he rewardeth them not according to merit but according to his mercie The place Apâ—…c 22. 12. may be an exposition of the rest For whereas in the rest it is said that God will judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their dâ—…eds here Christ saith he will render to every one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his worke shall be viz. good or bad But here the Papists would seeme to bring a reason à pari that as the wicked are damned prâ—…pter peccata for their evill workes so the godly are saved propter opera bona for their good workes And as â—…vill workes merit hell so good workes pari ratione merit heaven Answ. it is impar ratio there is no equality in the comparison For first the Scripture plainely teacheth that by and for their evill works men are condemned and as plainely denieth that by or for good workes men are saved Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. Secondly any one sinne meriteth death because it is a breach of the Law yea of the whole law Iam. 2. 10. but not any one good worke can merit heaven because it is not the fulfilling of the whole law for there must be a concurrence of all duties In so much that if a man should performe all the Commandements and faile in one the breach of that one maketh him guilty of all Thirdly evill workes are purely and perfectly evill and therefore absolutely deserve death but the good workes are not purely and perfectly good as I have heretofore prooved therefore death is the due stipend of sinne but eternall life is the free gift of God Fourthly sinne is absolutely meritorious of damnation but so is not our obedience of Salvation For though we could performe all the commandements by a totall perpetuall and perfect obedience yet wee must acknowledge our selves unprofitable servants and much lesse could we merit thereby because we have done but our duety and where is no more but duety there can bee no merit Debitum non est meritum § XIIII His third argument is taken from those places which do so testifie eternall life to be rendred to good workes that they place the very reason why eternall life is given in good workes The places bee these Matth. 25. 34 35. Come ye blessed of my Father possesse the kingdome prepared fâ—…r you from the beginning of the world For I was hungry and you gave mee meat c. and in the same chapter vers 21. because thou hast beene faithfull in few things c. Apoc. 7. 14. These are they who came out of great tribulation c. therefore they are before the Throne of God In which places the particles enim quia ideo for because therfore are all causall His reason standeth thus To what things the causall particles are applied they are causes of that to which they have relation as namely of Salvation To workes of charity the causall particles are applied Therefore workes of charity are causes of Salvation To the proposition I answere that causall particles doe not alwaies nor for the most part signifie causes so properly called For that is a grosse erâ—…our of the Papists as I noted before The word cause sometimes is used properly to signifie that argument which hath relation onely to its effect by virtue whereof the effect hath its being either as from the efficient or as of the matter or as by the forme or as for the end Sometimes it is used generally to signifie any argument or reason whatsoever which is not the cause of the thing or of the being of that whereof it is said to bee a cause but of the consequence or conclusion and thus the rendring of any reason is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rendring of the cause though perhaps it bee from the effect or any other argument And forasmuch as persons are discerned and knowne by their effects for as our Saviour saith By their fruits you shall know them therefore it is usuall in the Scriptures from the effect to argue and declare the cause As thus God is mercifull for hee rewardeth the godly according to their workes God is just for hee rewardeth the wicked according to their sinnes This man is elect because he truely beleeveth and repenteth this man truely beleeveth because hee is fruitfull of good workes This is a good tree for it bringeth forth good fruite To the woman that was a sinner much was forgiven for shee loved much In those and infinite more examples the cause or reason which is rendred is from the effect Therefore the proposition is false § XV. Now let us consider the places of Scriptnre which hee alleageth and first Matth. 25. 35. for when I was hungry c. This reason which is alleaged is not from the cause as if good workes were the meritorious cause of our inheriting the kingdome of heaven but from the effect to prove the cause which is expressed Verse 34. as I have shewed before For for what cause are men to be saved First because they are blessed of the Father that is justified and therefore entituled to this kingdome Secondly because they are elected and therefore this kingdome was prepared for them from the beginning Thirdly because they arâ—… the heires of God for whom our Saviour purchased this inheritance noted in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ—…rit But how shall it appeare who they are that are blessed and justified for whom this kingdome is prepared for whom this inheritance is purchased By the fruits of justification election redemption and namely by the workes of mercy and chariâ—…y towards the poore members of Christ according to which as the evidence our Saviour
Christ will judge And thus his reasoâ—… standeth those who are blessed of God that is justified for whom this kingdome waâ—… prepared and this iâ—…heritance purchased they are to inheriâ—… this kingdome But you are such as appeareth by the fruits for your excercising the workes of charity and mercy towards my poore members and that for my sake is a plaine evidence of your election justification and redemption and accordiâ—…g to this evidence I judge of you come therefore inherit the kingdome c. But to this allegation I have answered twice before The second place is out of the same Chapter Verse 21. In which there is no causall particle eâ—…pressed in the originall neither is it any desert but duety of the servant to be faithfull neither any debt or duety of his Lord but his houâ—…y and largesse in rewarding of his fidelity in few things with making him ruler over many things The third place is Apoc. 7. 14. Thesâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…hey who came out of great tribulation c. therefore they are 〈◊〉 the Throne of God In alleaging whereof Bellarmine leaveth out that which is most maâ—…riall that they had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore they are before the Throne of God which sheweth that they stood before the Throne of God not in their owne merits but in the merits of Christ by which they were justified That which is said of their tribulation doth not insinuate their desert as though thereby they had deserved to bee before the Throne of God but the order of their afflictions going before their glorification and the consecution of eternall life following thereupon for as it is said of our Saviour Phil. 2. that hee having humbled himselfe unto death the Lord did therefore exalt him Verse 9. and Luke 24. 26. that hee was first to suffer those things and so to enter into his glory so of the faithfull it is likewise said that through much tribulation they must enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. And this is the answere which Calvin giveth to some of these places that they signifie ordinem consequentiae magis quam causam For whom God haâ—…h appointed to salvation for them he hath prepared the way of obâ—…dience and patience that therein they make walke towards their Countrey which is â—…eaven good workes therefore and afflictions are not the cause of salvation but the way to it § XVI But saith Bellarmine Christ could not more plaiâ—…ely have expressed that good workes are the causâ—…s of salvation than when hee said for when I was hungry you did c. especiâ—…lly seeing hee â—…seth the same forme of fpeech against the wicked for I was hungry and you did not c. In which the cause of damnation is noted I answere that our Saviour if hee had meant that good workes are the meriâ—…orious cause of salvation hee was able to have expressed it in as plaine termes as Bellarmine dothBut his intent in these reasons which hee giveth was not to set downe the causes of salvation or damnation but the notes and markes of them who are to bee saved or condemned as the evidence according to which hee pronounceth sentence Yea but Bellarmine will prove that the particles for and because are truely causall By what reason Forsooth by a circular augmentation becâ—…se good workes are causes And how did hee prove good workes to be causes Because these particles are causall To prove that workes be causes meaning meritorious causes he alleageth three Texts of Scripture 2 Cor. 4. 17. Gal. 6. 8. Phil. 2. 12. Two whereof I discussed before in their due place where he endevoured to prove that good workes aâ—…e necessary necessitate efficiâ—…tiae as causes of salvation viz. 2 Cor. 4. 17. lib. 7. cap. 5. § 7. and of this eighth booke cap. 2. § 21. and Phil. 2. 12. lib. 7. cap. 5. §5 That of Gal. 6. 8. he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape life everlasting maketh against him rathâ—… than for him For as in the naturall harvest the increase is not to be ascribed to the ploughing and sowing but to the blessing of God so much more in the spirituall § XVII But that these particles are not alwaies truely and properly causall Calvin sheweth by a notable instance God had promised Abraham when hee first called him out of Vr that in him that is in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed This promise the Lord often renewed as appeareth in his story which againe hee confirmeth by oath Gen. 22. 16. 18. When Abraham had upon tryall in an excellent manner and measure approved both his faith and obedience unto God By my selfe have I sworne saith the Lord that because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy sonne thine onely sonne in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed becausâ—… thou hast obeyed my voice Here both in the beginning of the oath and in the end the causall particle is used shall wee therefore say that Abrahâ—…ms obedience did merit that all the nations of the earth that is Abraham himselfe and all the faithfull in all nations should bee blessed in the promised seed God had long before made this gracious promise to Abraham without respect of this or any other his workes and had this act of obedience never beene the promise of the promised seed in his posterity would have beene performed so that the grace and love of God was the onely cause why hee promised to send his owne Sonne who should take on him the seed of Abraham and not Abrahams obedience All that can truely bee said is that upon this obedience God tooke occasion to renew his promise and to confirme it by oath for the further confirmation of Abrahams faith So that his obedience was so farre from being the cause of the thing promised as it was but the occasion of renewing the promise But Bellarmine in this example mentioneth onely that inferiour promise concerning the multiplication of Abrahams seed and saith that as God did promise it so he would have him to merit it by his good workes even so the Lord having predestinated all the Elect unto Glory yet his pleasure is that they should attaine unto it by their owne merits Which cleane overthroweth the grace of election which which was without respect of workes and also of salvation For if our election or salvation be of workes or merits then is it not of grace And if this answere of Bellarmine be good then may it in like manner bee applyed to that part of the Oath concerning the promised seed namely that Abraham by his obedience had merited that in the promised seede the faithfull of all nations should bee blessed which is no better than blasphemy It is true that God hath elected us that wee might bee holy and that by the
sanctification of the Spirit we might bee fitted for his kingdome and receive the inheritance among those that are sanctified And this holinesse is so necessary a property and cognizance of them that shall bee saved as that without it no man shall see God wherefore â—…hough it bee not the cause as I have shewed heretofore yet it is the way to the Kingdome and consequently causa sine quâ—… non And therefore that wee may bee stirred up to seeke after holinesse which is so necessary the Lord in aboundant mercie hath promised eternall life thereunto as the reward whereby hee doth superaboundantly recompence all our service and obedience and most graciously crowne his owne gifts and graces in us Yea but saith toâ—…saack â—…saack yet his pleasure was that hee should obtaine them by the merit of prayer Reply that a man should merit by prayer is as absurd as to imagine that a poore man who hath nothing doth by his begging merit almes It is true that when God promiseth good things unto us as the end wee are to use those meanes which God hâ—…th preordained whereof prayer is a principall and to walke in that way which leadeth to that end but those meanes are no merits nor that way no cause of obtaining that which God as hee hath graciously promised so hee freely bestoweth § XVIII The fourth argument is from those testimonies where the reward is said to bee rendred to good workes out of justice as 2 Thess. 1. 4. we glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faâ—…th in all your persecutions and tribulations which you sustaine for an example of the just judgement of God and after vers 6. If yet it bee just with God to repay tribulation to them that vexe you and to you that are vexed rest with us 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good sight I have consummate my course I have kept the faith Concerning the rest there is laid up for me a crowne of justice which our Lord will render to me at that day a just judge Heb. 6. 10. God is not unjust that hee should forget your worke Iam. 1. 12. Blessed is the man that suffereth tentation for when he hath beene proved he shall receive the Crowne of life Apoc. 2. 10. Bee thou faithfull untill death and I will give thee the Crowne of life Hereto also saith hee belong those places Pro. 19. 17. foeneratur Domino he lendeth as it were upon usury to the Lord who hath piâ—…y on the poore 1 Cor. 9 24. Know you not thâ—… they which runne in the race all runne indeed but one receiveth the price so runne that you may obtaine 2. Tim. 1. 12. I am sure that he is able to keepe my depositum unto that day For he should doe wrong who should either not repay that which was lent or not pay the prize to him that overcommeth or not restore the depositum that is the thing which is committed to his trust For all these include justice His argument is thus to be framed That reward which God in justice rendreth to good works is merited by them Eternall life is a reward which God in justice rendreth to good works Therefore eternall life is merited by them The proposition he taketh for â—…ranted the assumption hee proveth by all those testimonies which he hath alleaged § XIX But first I answere to his proposition by distinguishing the word justice which is taken either universally comprehending all morall virtues and so it is all one with Gods goodnesse both as hee is good in himselfe and as hee is good to his creatures comprising the bounty and therein the love the grace and mercie of God as well as that which more properly is called his justice So that what good things is rendred accorâ—…ing to this justice is not therfore merited More particularly justice is either in word or deed God is just in his word both in respect of his precepts which are just as a just Law-giver and also in respect of his promises in performance whereof hee is faithfull and just For it is a just thing for any to stand to his promises yea as the Oratour saith fâ—…ndamentum est justitiâ—… fides Hence in the Scriptures faithfull and just are sometimes joyned as synonyma 1 Ioh. 1. 9 If wee confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes And in this sense God is said to be just when hee doth render unto us that which he hath promised So in the places alleaged 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Heb. 6. 10. Iam. 1. 12. Hee is just also in his workes Psal. 48. 10. 145. 17. For God doth whatsoever he willeth and whatsoever he willeth that is just This justice by Philosophers is distinguished into distributive and commutative both observing equality the former geometricall the later arithmeticall But this distinction doth not agree to the justice of God in respect of the later branch which consisteth in commutation that is in mutuall giving and receiving For God giveth all things to all Act. 17. 25. but receiveth not any thing from any Rom. 11. 35 as I have said before and therefore cannot be a debtour to any but to himselfe in regard oâ—… his promise Thus then the justice of God which is in fact may more fully be distinguished that it is either disponens or remunerans disposing either as a just but most free and absolute Lord of all or as he is the just God the Creatour Governour and Preserver of all things Remunerating as he is the just judge As a most free and absolute Lord hee disposeth things according to his absolute will and pleasure Who possessing all things by full and absolute right may according to his pleasure dispose of them doing with his owne what he pleaseth Rom. 9. 18 21. Matth. 20. 15. As hee is the just God that is the Creatour Preserver and Governour of all hee disposeth of all things according to his goodnesse Mat. 5. 45. 48. giving all good things to all not universa singulis but such as are agreeable and fitting to all according to their severall kind nature and quality And from this justice the order of the whole Vniverse dependeth This goodnesse os God sometimes in the Scripture is called his justice Psal. 116. 5. and so translated by the 72. Gen. 19. 19. 32. 10. Exod. 34. 7. Esai 63. 7. and this justice is by the said 72. rendred mercie Deut. 6. 25. 24. 13. Psal. 24. 5. 33. 5. 103. 6. Esai 1. 27. Dan. 4. 24. 9. 16. And as he is God of all and just to all in giving to all those good things which belong to them so is he after a more peculiar manner the God of the faithfull Gen. 17. 7. even the God of their righteousnesse Psa. 4. 1. as their justifier and Saviour by the righteousnesse of God and our Saviour Iesus Christ by imputation
worke doth not onely make the thing promised a debt for he that promised is bound to stand to his promises but also causeth that hee who shall fulfill the worke may be said to have merited the thing promised and may by right require it as his reward His reason briefly is this Eternall life is promised upon condition of good workes therefore good workes are meritorious of eternall life I deny the consequence though eternall life bee promised upon condition of good workes yet good workes are not the meritorious cause thereof First The reasons of my deniall are these first because eternall life before we had a being was freely intended to all of us that shall be saved not according to our workes but according to Gods owne purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before all secular times 2 Tim. 1. 9. Secondly Because Christ hath merited it for all the elect and there is no other meritorious cause of salvation besides him Thirdly Because in Christ it is freely promised to all the faithfull as their inheritance purchased by Christ and therefore not to bee obtayned by their owne merit Fourthly As it was a reward freely promised so it is freely given as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the free gift of God Fifthly Because as it selfe is the free gift of God so the graces and good workes to which it is promised as a reward are the free gifts of God of which the more we have the more are we indebted to God so sarre are wee from meriting any thing at the hands of God by them Sixthly Because all our workes are debita debts or dutyes which we owe unto God and therefore when we have done all wee must say we are unprofitable servants Seventhly Because there can bee no merit of condignity where is not an equall proportion betweene the worke and the reward Eighthly Because our best workes are stained with the flesh Ninthly Because God is our absolute Lord and wee are his bond-servants to whom we owe our selves and whatsoever wee can doe Neither are we able to render unto him so much as is due and much lesse can we merit any thing from him Tenthly Because God to all his creatures giveth all good things but receiveth nothing from any and therefore cannot be made a debtour to any of his creatures Therefore though eternall life bee promised to good workes yet it is not merited by them Yea but saith Bellarmine the promise made with a condition of workes doth make the thing promised due Answ. First where the condition is fully performed there the thing promised is due But wee all faile in the fulfilling And therefore if reward bee given to such as come short of their duety as all doe it must be acknowledged to bee of Gods grace and not of our merit Secondly the thing promised is due not by merit but by promise not in â—…espect of the worke done which is a dutie and that not so perfectly performed but that it needeth pardon but onely in respect of the promise because hee who hath promised hath bound himselfe to keepe his promise But Gods promise was dâ—… gratuitâ—… non de debito I say his promise was freely to give eternall life and so according to his promise he freely bestoweth it Yea but saith he by performing the condition not onely the thing promised becommeth due but he also that hath performed may truely be said to have merited the reward promised But this say I should have beene proved and not taken for granted being denyed by us and disproved by all the tenne arguments even now produced § XXII His sixth argument is taken from those places wherein mention is made of dignity or worthinesse For as before hee had said in his second Chapter to be worthy of reward and to merit it is all one according to that saying of our Saviour Luk. 10. 7. the labourer is worthy of his hire The places are these Wisd. 3. 5. God proved them and found them worthy of himselfe 2 Thes. 1. 5. that you may be counted worthie of Gods kingdome for which allso ye suffer Luk. 20. 35. They that shall be accounted worthy of that world and the resurrection from the dead Apoc. 3. 4. they shall walke with me in whites because they are worthy His reason may thus bee framed whosoever are worthy of eternall life they doe merit or deserve it Those that doe good workes are worthy of eternall life Therefore they doe merit or deserve it I answere by distinction For there is difference betweene these two to be worthy and to be counted worthy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be worthy by a mans owne worth or merit or by acceptation and grace or favour vouchsafed by another to be esteemed worthy to be worthy in our selves or to be accepted as worthy in Christ. If the word be understood in the former sense I deny the assumption if in the latter I deny the proposition For to be worthy or rather to bee accounted worthy of eternall life by mercie and grace not dignitate sua sed dignatione divina not in themselves but in Christ which is the case of all the faithfull and yet to merit and to deserve it by a mans owne worth implyeth a contradiction Against the assumption I say that none of the faithfull though fruitfull of good workes is in himselfe or by his owne worth or merit worthy of eternall life This hath beene the confession of the faithfull in all ages as I partly noted before Iacob confesseth Gen. 32. 10. that hee was lesse than the least of Gods mercies that is unworthy of them though but temporall what would he have said of eternall David professeth himselfe unworthy of those temporall honours which God had vouchsafed unto him 2 Sam. 7. 18. 1 Chron. 29. 14. Iohn the Baptist confesseth that hee was not worthy to carry Christs shoes Mat. 3. 11. or to loose the latchet of them Luk. 3. 16. Iohn 1. 27. The Centurion whose faith is so highly commended professeth himselfe not to bee worthy that Christ should come under his roofe Mat. 8. 8. The afflictions of this life though one man did beare them all are not worthy of the future glory Roman 8. 18. Adde to these the confessions of the Fathers though cited many of them before Ambrose Quid pâ—…ssumus dignum pramiis facere coelestibus Hâ—…erome Nullum opus dignum Dei justitia reperietur Againe Rever a nihil posset 〈◊〉 condignum pati glâ—…ria coelesti etianisi talis esset illa qualis modò est vita 〈◊〉 No man sheweth forth such a conversation as to be worthy of the Kingdome of Heaven No though a man should die ten thousand deaths and should performe all virtuous actions The Author of the worke not finished upon Matthew what doe we in this world worthy that wee may deserve to bee made
Lord who freelygiveth what he had freely promised Thirdly when a superaboundant reward is promised to a small worke and the party to whom it is promised is no way able either to doe or so much as to will the performance of it but receiveth wholly his will and ability to performe it from his Lord the thing promised cannot be ascribed to his merit but to the gracious bounty of his Lord. § V. The seventh and last condition is that a meritorious work must proceed from charity which we acknowledg to be required in every good worke But in the proofe hereof he falleth into a nice dispute proving against Guihielmus 〈◊〉 that the vertue of meriting is to be ascribed more principally to Charity than to faith And although this bee but an idle dispute seeing neither faith nor charity doth truely and properly merit yet I durst be bold to affirme that if to either merit were to be ascribed that it were rather to bee attributed to faith For by faith the merits of Christ are applyed unto us and not by charity By faith we are entitled to Gods Kingdome by 〈◊〉 wee are not By faith wee obtaine the inheritance which by charity we doe not By faith we are saved and not by charity Faith is the condition of the covenant of grace upon which and no other grace salvaâ—…ion is promised Those that truly love are also saved it being the proper cognizance and as Basiâ—… speaketh the character of the faithfull and none are saved without it but yet they are not saved by it nor for it but onely by the merits of Christ which are apprehended by faith alone Salvation which is purchased by the merits of Christ is promised to faith as that whereby we are made partakers of Christs merits and are therefore said to be justified and saved by faith alone but charity and the fruits thereof are the evidence according to which God will save us Christ is the foundation of our happinesse yea he is eternall life Faith is the onely instrument wherby wee are made partakers of Christ all other graces are but notes and signes of our union which we have with Christ and of happinesse by him By faith we have this inheritance but it is had among those that are sanctified When it is said happy is shee that beleeved there the cause of happinesse is noted but when it is said happy is he that loved orfeared not the cause of happinesse is signified but a note or signe of it Both faith and charity must concurre to every good act for as a worke without charity is not good so without faith it is sin But if you compare the graces together it is certaine that charity proceedeth from faith 1 Tim. 1. 5. and according to the measure of our faith such is the measure of our love for faith is the Mother-grace from which charity and all other graces as from the root and fountaine doe spring and flow It may seeme indeed that sanctification and inherent righteousnesse doth more principally consist in love because charity is the fulfilling of the Law yet sanctification it selfe doth flow from faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by love But as for the grace of justification whereunto merit if wee had any ought to bee referred for justification is the entitling of us to the kingdome of heaven neither charity nor any other grace in us doth concurre unto it but faith is all in all I will not follow him in his idle dispute I confesse the point that to every rewardable or as he calleth it meritorious worke charity is required § VI. Now let us recapitulate his seven conditions And because he shall not finde me refractary I doe confesse that all and every of these conditions are required to every rewardable worke For first it must be good Secondly it must be done in obeysance to God Thirdly it must be done by men in this world Fourthly it must bee voluntary and not forced Fifthly it must bee performed by a man who is in the state of grace Sixthly the expectation of the reward is to bee grounded on Gods promise And lastly it must proceed from charity But now say I that not any one of these conditions nor all of them put together can make a worke meritorious of eternall life before God They are common notes and markes of all good workes whatsoever but the proper notes of merits are such as I set downe in the beginning of this discourse concerning merits For workes are not therefore meritorious because they are materially good nor because they are in obeysance to God for that is our duty and debt which wee owe to God nor for that they are performed by such as are viatores and pilgrims in this world nor because they are wrought by men in state of grace nor because the expectation of the reward is grounded on Gods promise which is of a free reward and not of wages merited by us nor lastly because they proceed from charity For our charity by reason of the imperfection thereof cannot stand in judgement to satisfie the justice of God and much lesse to merit And whatsoever or how great soever it is it is not only a duety which we owe to God but the onely debt which wee owe or ought to owe to our brethren and that for Gods sake to omit that we receive it as a free gift from God and therefore by it we cannot merit of him CHAP. IX Bellarmines dispute that good workes are meritorious ex condigno not onely ratione pacti but also ratione operis examined § I. IN the fourth place Bellarmine discourfeth how farre forth good workes are either meritorious or are rewarded Meritorious whether ex condigno and if so whether ratione pacti solum or ratione operis also That good workes are meritorious ex condigno which is the matter that hitherto hee hath proved hee now maintaineth against Durandus affirming that his Assertion as it is refuted by the common consent of all almost Divines so also by all the arguments which formerly hee hath used against us to prove that the workes of the godly are truely and properly meritorious which I desire the Reader to take notice of because some draw-backs who notwithstanding would seeme stiffe defenders of merits doe beare the simple in hand that it is but a Schoole-point to say that workes are meritorious either ex condigno or ex congruo When as in very trueth it is the received Doctrine of that Church that the good workes of the godly are truely and properly meritorious of everlasting life Now it is evident that meritum ex congruo is not truely and properly meritorious § II. In the next place Bellarmiâ—…e now taking it for granted that good workes are meritorious ex condigno hee disputeth whether they bee so ratione pacti tantum or ratione operis tantum or ratione utriusque whereunto I answere that
they are not ex condigno meritorious at all as I have sufficiently proved before That they are condignely meritorious in respect of the worke it selfe onely and not in respect of the Promise or Covenant was the opinion of Cardinall Cajetan and of Dominicus à Soto That they are condignely meritorious not ex ratione operis but ex raâ—…ione pacti acceptatiotis divinae was the opinion of Scotus and some other Schoolemen and of Andreas Vega. But both these opinions Bellarmine rejecteth and embraceth the third that good workes are condignely meritorious not onely ratione pacti but also ratione operis Howbeit the former part of this Assertion seemeth to imply a contradiction For that which is due ratione pacti gratuiti cannot also bee due ratione operis ipsius unlesse there bee an equall proportion betweene the worke and reward If I promise to a Labourer in the vineyard for a dayes worke an hundred pounds the summe is due in respect of the promise or covenant but not deserved by the Labourer Such or rather greater is the disproportion betweene our workes and the heavenly reward Besides that which is due ratione pacti gratâ—…iti is freely and undeservedly bestowed but the reward which is rendred to condigne merit is justly deserved § III. And whereas Bellarmine propoundeth a distinction of eternall glory or happinesse saying that it may be considered either as it is an inheritance or as it is a reward and saith as it is an inheritance it is due to the persons of the faithfull by right of adoption but as it is a reward it is due to their workes by promise or covenant first I answere that this distinction is unperfect for eternall glory may be considered three waies either as a free gift given unto us in Christ before all secular times without respect of workes and prepared for us from the beginning of the world or as the inheritance purchased by Christ or as a reward of our piety Secondly this distinction contradicteth three of his assertions first the maine assertion which in this placâ—… he laboureth to prove viz. that the good workes of the godly doe condignely merit eternall life even for the workes sake For as it is our inheritance or as it is eternall life which hee calleth the first degree of eternall glory himselfe confesseth both here in the seventeenth Chapter as also before in the fourteenth that it is not rendred to the merit of our workes but is due to the persons of the faithfull jure adoptionis by the right of adoption as they are the sonnes and heires of God which right they have before they bring forth good workes which as hee truely saith doth manifestly appeare in regenerated infants which dye in their infancy And therefore it is evident by Bellarmines owne confession both in this place and also in the fourteenth Chapter that our heavenly inheritance which is eternall life it selfe is not merited by our workes but is purchased by the merits of Christs our Saviour and therefore is one and the same to all that are saved For as I have said heretofore as the merit of Christ is equally imputed to all that beleeve so the reward of Christs merit in respect of the substance as it is the eternall inheritance or eternall life shall equally be given to all that beleeve § IV. Againe as it is a reward it is given ex pacto gratuito by a free promise and therefore not merited by our workes but according to the promise freely given and not ratione operis as deserved thereby Secondly in explication of this distinction Bellarmine saith that whereas there are divers degrees of heavenly glory or happinesse yet the first onely which is our heavenly inheritance it selfe or life eternall is due to the persons of the sonnes of God by right of adoption the rest are due to workes by promise or covenant which contradicteth two other assertions For that which truely hee saith here and in the fourteenth Chapter that the first degree which is our heavenly inheritance or eternall life it selfe or salvation is due to the persons of the faithfull by right of adoption and not to their workes confuteth that assertion of his in his twentieth Chapter that eternall life even in respect of the first degree is rendred to the merit of good workes And againe that which he truely saith in his nineteenth Chapter that God doth reward good workes supra condignum above their desert and that incomparabiliter ineffabiliter as he citeth there out of Fulgentius confuteth that which here he laboureth to prove good works doe condignely merit the rewards of heavenly happinesse meaning thereby the degrees of eternall glory and that not onely ratione pacti sed etiam ratione operis It is true that there bee divers degrees of heavenly glory wherewith God doth crowne his children in mercie and loving kindnesse neither is it to be doubted but that to those whom God hath endued with greater measure of grace causing them to bee more fruitfull of good workes and making them more excellent instruments of his glory and of the good of his chosen he will give them a greater measure of glory crowning as I have said before his greater graces with greater glory For as all that beleeve in Christ are equally justified but not all equally endued with grace so all the faithfull shall bee equally saved but not all equally made partakers of glory And as the greater measure of grace is the free gift of God and not our merit so is the greater measure of glory wherewith he crowneth his greater graces wholly to bee ascribed to his grace and not to our merit § V. Now let us briefly examine his seven arguments which hee bringeth to prove that every good worke of the righteous in respect of the worke it selfe is condignely meritorious of eternall life Briefly I say for they are not worthy to be stood upon nor yeâ—… indeed to be mentioned but onely to shew the weakenesse of the Popish cause which admitteth no better proofes which evidently appeareth by this that our challenging Ieâ—…uit when hee taketh upon him to prove the merit of condignity contenteth himselfe with the very same arguments for want of better His first Reason Because life eternall is grace for grace Ioh. 1. 16. that is the grace of reward for the grace of merits or charity of our countrey for the charity of the way But betweene grace and grace sine dubio without doubt there is great likenesse and proportion No doubt but there is some likenesse betweene grace and glory for grace is gloria inchoata glory is gratia consummata But where is the equality on which condignity of merit should be grounded and which hee propounded to prove in the next words going before And if both the worke bee grace and the reward bee grace how can there bee merit of condignity in the one to
c. 12. §. secunda ex epist. decret Clem. 6. qâ—…ae incipit uâ—…igenitus De justif l. 5. c. 5. a 1a 2â—… q. 114. art 5. b De gratia lib. arbitr lib. 1. cap. 1. initiâ—… c In Cantic serm 67. Bellarmines objections that eternall life is to be ascribed both to mercie and merit d Epist. 105. ad Sixtum e Jn Psal. 7. poenit vers 8. Dâ—… corrept gratia c. 13. f Epist. 105. ad Sixtum p. 298. g In Psal. 62. h In Psal poenit 7. vers 8. i 2 Cor. 5. 10. Augustines second exposition Esay 55. 1. Come buy without silver Not in our righteousnesses but in thy great mercicâ—… Dan. 9. 18. Our third arg Luk. 17. 7 8 9 10. Three arguments from hence collected The first and second Luk. 17. 7 8. k Tâ—…ophyl in Luk. 17. Necessity is lâ—…id â—… on a servant to fulsill the Commandements of his Lord. If therefore he doe not performe he is to be accounred worthy of stripes but if he doe performe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let this suffice him that hee hath escaped the whippe l Phil. 2. 13. The third m Ad Ctestphont contr Pelag All the faithfull are unprofitable servants Bellarmines evasions by foure expositions n In Luc. l. 8. cap. 17. The first of Ambrose 2 Tim. 2. 21. The second evasion the exposition of Bede His third evasion the exposition of Augustine De verbis Domi serm 3. His fourth evasion the exposition of Chrysost in illu delatum est coâ—… Oziâ—… 2 Cbron. 26. 16. o De â—…riplici custodia p In Coloss. 1. 12. â—…om 2. q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 homil 7. in Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r Mat. 25. 21 23. Our fonrth testiâ—…ony Rom. 6. 23. s Ep. 105. p. 302. t De gratia lib. arb cap. 9. u In Rom. 11. * Contra Pelag. Coelest de orig pec lib. 2. cap. 24. Bellarminâ—…s answere out of Augustine The second Assertion x pag. 301. y Psal. 103. 4. z pag. 302. a Encâ—…id cap. 107. b Degratia liâ—… arb cap. 8. c De gratia Christi cap. 23. d Conc. Trid. Sess. 6. cap. 7. Can. 9. e De hares lib. 7. tit Gratia f De Resurrect carnis cap. 47. The exposition of other Fathers g In locum h In locum i In Rom. 6. k In Rom. 6. homil 12. l In Rom. 6. m Apud Oecum in Rom 6. n In locum o In locum p In locum q In locum The fifth tesâ—…imony Rom. 8. 18. De interpell l. 1. cap. 1. in Psal. 118. sâ—…rm 20. r De Iacob lib. 1. cap. 6. s Epist. 22. De bono mortis l 83. quâ—…st 67. De Civit. Dâ—…i lib. 5. cap. 18. t De justif l. 5. c. 2. §. alia lâ—…ca cap. 3. arg 6. The former sense contradicteth merit of condignity u De Civit. D. l. 5 cap. 18. * De justif lib. 5. cap. 2. 3. x Oecumen in Rom. 8. y Epist. 22. z Homit ad Moâ—…ach 3. a De justif l. 5. c. 14. b In Psal. 93. c In Psal. 7. poeâ—…it vers â—… Popish exceptions Bellarmines objection out of 2 Cor. 5. 17. d Lib. 7. cap. 5. §. 7. e Rom. 5. 4. Iam. 1. 3. f Iob 1. 11. 2. 5. g 2 Cor. 4. 17. Rom. 5. 3. Iam. 1. 3. Rom. 4. 15. h In 〈◊〉 i In annunciat serm 1. k De compunct adstolochium lib. 157. i De mensurat crucis §. B. Nascitur Three Testimonies alleaged by Bellarmine for us The first Phil. 3. 8 9. Eph. 2. â—… 9. Tit. 3. 5. Reason 1. the true doctrine taketh away all cause of boasting a 1 Cor. 1. 31. b Luk. 18. 11. Our second reason that â—…heir doctrine derogateth from the merit of Christ. c Conc. Trident. sess 6. can 33. d Ioh. 5. 24. 6. 47. 1 Ioh. 5. 12 13. e Th. 1. q. 62. art 4. c. f Tâ—… part 3. q. 19. art 3. c. g De justif l. 5. c. 14. S. quinta ratiâ—… h De justif lib. 5. cap. 17. i Lib. 5. cap. 17. §. 〈◊〉 k Heb. 1. 3. The exceptions of the Papists against this argument l De justif lib. 5. cap. 5. respondeo ad octâ—…vum argumentum Bellarmines first evasion Bellarmines second evasion m Rom. 5. 9 16. n Act. 20. 2â—… Gal. 1. 4. 2. 20. Ephes 5. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 6. Tit. 2. 14. Heb. 1. 3. 7. 27. 9. 14. 10. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Apoc. 1. 5 6. The third evasion that they doe not part stake with Christ. o Psal. 115. 1. pEsay 42. 8. Bellarm. that we are saved by our owne merits because that is a more honourable way The evasions of other Papists First that it is no lesse honour to Christ to give us where with to pay our debts than himselfe to pay them for us q â—… Tim. 2. 6. r Heb. 1. 3. Fishers recrimination thâ—…t we derogatâ—… from the merits of Christ. s Psal 143. 2. Psal. 130. 3 4. t De Civit. D. l. 19. c. 27. Our third reason u In Rom. 8. 18 * De câ—…mpunct ad 〈◊〉 * Anastas sin aita quaest 135. y In Psal. 23. 5. z In 1. â—…ent dist â—… q. â—… art 2. The fourth reason becâ—…ise wee attaine to eternall life as our inheritance by right of adoption a De justif l. 5. c. 17. § sed quanquam b De justif l. 5. c 14. §. quinta ratio c Eph. 1. 5. 6. d Sess. 6. cap. 16. His fifth reason because good workes arâ—… not causes â—…f eternall life e Degratia lib. arb f Epist. 19. 1109. g De justif lib. 5. cap. 7. propos 2. §. posse a. h Ibid. propos 3. i Adrian de Trajecto in 4. Sent. k Ier. 17. 5. l In vigilia natalis Domini serm 5. m Bellarm. de justif lib. 5. c. 7. Bona merita sunt vera salutis causa licet autem confidere in 〈◊〉 nivera causa n Lib. 5. cap. 7. § Sciendum o Psal 143. 2. 130. 3. 4. p Psal. 7. 3 4 8. Three other reasons q Luk. 17. 10. a De justif lib. 5. cap. 6. Hilary b In Psal. 51. c Ad object 1. cap. 5. d Cap. 2. §. Basil in Psal. 114. alias 11â—… Augustinâ—… a In Psal. 70. conc 2. b De verbis Apostoli serm 15 c De gratia lib. arb cap. 9. d Epist. 105. c In Psal. 10â—… f Epist. 105. g De gratia lib. arb cap. 9. h De verb. Apostoli serm 15. i In Psal. 142. k In Psal. 62. l In Psal 94. m In Psal. 1 c 9. n Psal. 139. o Tract 3. in Iâ—…an p Epist. 105 Prosp. de vâ—…t Gent l. 1. c. 17. alias 5. q Denario vitâ—… aeternae significatur â—…qualitas Grâ—…g 〈◊〉 lib. 9. cap. 14. r Psal. 143. Bernard s Nec si unus omnes sustinâ—…at t Infr. adargum 4. In Psalm 91. serm 15. In cantic serm 61. In attercat cum Diabolo u In Cantic
serm 23. * In Cantic serm 61. Other testimonies not touched by Bellarmine x Answer to thâ—… Iesuits challenge pag. 500. c. y Malone pag. 692 c. * In Rom. lib. 4. c. 4. 1. 2. Hilar. iâ—… Matth. can 20. In Mat. can 5. 9. z Matth. 20. 16. 3. Ambrâ—…s exâ—…ort ad virgines a Psal. 130. 4. 32. 1. b In Psal. 118. serm 20. 4. Basil in Psal. 32. c 〈◊〉 â—…8 9. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e In Psal 43. V. ult f Adv. Pelag. lib. 2. 5. Hierome g Adv. Pelag. lib. 1. h Jbid. i Ad Demetriadem k Lib. 17. in Esaiam c. 64. 8. l In â—…sai lib. 6. cap. 13. 7. 7. Macarius and Marcus m Hom. 15. pag. 206. n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o Sent. 2. p Sent. 3. q Sent. 17. r Sent. 18. s Sent. 19. 8. Chrysostome t In Col 〈◊〉 â—… 9. u Athanas. in vita Antonii August in Psal. 36. conc 2. * In Psal. 32 conc 1. Iâ—… Psal. 83. De verbis Apostoli sâ—…rm 16. In Psal. 109. x Quicquid promisi indignis promisit ut â—…on quasi operibus merce promitteretuâ—… se gratia a nomiue suo gratis dareâ—…ur y Theodoret in Sophoniam c. 3. in fine 11. z Iâ—… Rom. 8. 18. a De vocat beat lib. 1. c. 17. 12. Prosper b Bede in Psa. 23 c In Dominic septuages d In Ioan. 1. e Photius apud Oecumen in Rom. 6. 23. f Oecumen in Col. 1. 12. g Oecumen in Rom. 8. 18. h De Mensurat Crucis B. De justis lib. 5. c. 2. Of the name Merit The first prooâ—…e Eccl. 16. 14. a In Psal. 7. poenit b Deut. 7. 10. Iâ—…s 11. 20. Iuâ—… 20. 10. 2 Chroâ—… 19. 2. Esib. 16. 18. Iâ—…b 6. 2. 11. 6. Heb. 10. 29. His second testimony Heb. 13. 16. c Cap. 3. d In Dedic Eccl. serm 5. For the thing Bellarmines proofes out of the Scriptures De iusâ—…if l. 5. c. 3. e Epist. 1. l. 1. f 1 Tim. 5. 18. g De iustif l. 1. c. 21. §. Deinde h Prâ—…sat in Psal. 31. i De vâ—…rb Apost serm 1. 3. k Cap. 2. Assumption eternall life is the reward of good workes Of the parable Matth. 20. First thâ—…t this â—…rable maketh not for the Papists l Regul cont 255. 256. m Matth. 5. 41. This parable maketh against the Papistâ—… n De vocat Gent. l. 1. c. 17. o Dominic in septuag hom 2. p In Matth. 20. q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 4. u Vers. 4. 7. Bellarmines cavils with Melaâ—…on and Calvin s Câ—…l 3. â—…4 Mâ—…nats cavill Matth. 20. 15. t De juâ—…tis l. 5. cap. 19. u In Mat. 20. Bellarmines second argument The answer * Vid. Lib. 4. cap. 13. §. 2. Bellarm. cavils The places of Scripture weighed Mat. 16. 27. Rom. 2. 6. Apoc. 22. 12. â—…uk 6. 38. x Lex tâ—…lionis y Iam. 3. 1. 1 Cor. 3. 8. Iam. 2. 13. z Greg. Moral lib. ult cap. ult a Luke 7. 47. b Lib. 7. cap. 4. §. 12. cap. 5. §. 11. c Lib. 7. cap. 4. §. 12. cap. 5. §. 11. d Matâ—…h 25. 21. e Inst. lib. 3. c. 18. §. 1. f Ephes. 2. 10. g Matth. 7. 14. Act. 14. 22. Heb. 12. 1. That good workes be causes Bellarmiâ—…e proveth from the causall particles These particles not alwaies causall Gen. 12. 1. 3. h Itaque ex eo quod Deus absolutè promisit Abrahae multiplicationem posteritatis and so blessednesse to all the faithfull in his seed non sequitur ut Abraham eam non verè mer â—…erit immo sequitur ut meruerit cum Deus per â—…jusmodi medium promissioâ—…em suam implere decreverit i Eph. 1. 4. k 2 Thess. 2. 13. l Act. 26. 18. m Heb. 12. 14. Bellarmines fourth argument from the reward rendred in justice The first answerh to the proposition a Deut. 32. 4. Psal. 145. 7. Psâ—…l 11. 7. Rom. 9. 14. b Psal. 19 9. Psal. 19. 137 138. c 1 Thes. 5. 24. d Nehem. 9. 8. e Cic. de offic f Eph. 1. 11. g Gen. 14. 22. h 2 Pet. 1. 1. The alleagedplaces examined 1. 2. i De gratia lib. arb 3. k Esai 49. 15 16. 4. 5. l 2 Tim. 1. 12. m De graâ—…ia lib. arb His fifth â—…rgument that life is promised on condition of workes n Act. 17. 25. o Rom. 11. 35. â—…ellarmines sixth argument from those places which mention worthines p In Psal. 118. â—… serm 20. q In Esai l. 6. in cap. 13. 7. r In Rom. 8. 18. s In Colos. hom 2. t De compunct ad stelecli u Homil. 53. * Epistâ—…05 â—…05 ad sixtum x Conc. 3â—… y In Psal. 109. z Homiâ—… 3. ad Monachi a In Psal. 7. poenitent b Quaest. 135. c In Rom. 8. 18. d De mensurationâ—… Crucis B. e In altercatione cum Diabolâ—… f In Dedic eccles serâ—… 5. g Ibid. h In Psal. 43. 26. Bellarmines seventh argument because God is a righteous Iudge i Matth. 20. 15. Bellar. cololary that weâ—… who deny merits deny the article of the last Iudgement Epist. 46. ad Valentinum k Retract l. 2. c. 66 67. ep 46 47. lib. degrat li. arbitr lib. de corrept gratia a De iust l. 5. c. 4. In what sense the Fathers use the word â—…erit Greek Fathers Ignatius in Epist. ad Romanos a Inter 〈◊〉 pag 98. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Iustin Martyr Apolog. 2. anâ—…e medium 3. Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 72. Origen in Rom. 2. lib. 2. c Rom. 2. 6. Basil. d De Spiritu sancto cap. 24. e In Epist. dedicat ad Episc. Culmens f Homil. in initium Prov. g 1 Tim. 6. 18 19. h 2 Pâ—…t 1. 10. i Rom. 8. 24. k Matth. 25 26. Chrysostome De Lazarâ—… Hom. 4. Nazianzen Orat. in S. Baptism â—…regory Nyssen orat de pauper amandis The Latine Fathers IOpuscul qu. 4. m De gratia lib. 〈◊〉 l. 1. c. 14. §. 〈◊〉 esse 〈◊〉 n De 〈◊〉 rect carnis cap. 48. Cyprian o De unitate Ecclesiae De Opere Elâ—…mos Hilarie In Mat. can â—… p â—…al 682. s. q Mat. 6. 33. r 1 Cor. 10. 31. s 2 Pet. 1. 1. t Iâ—… Mal. can 6. Ambrose De â—…ffic l. 1. c. 15. Hierome Advers â—…ovinian lib 2. Paulinus ad Victricium u Uid supr cap. 4. §. 15. Augustine Epist. 105. * Sicut merito peccatitanquam stipendium readitur mors ita merito justitiae tanquam stipendium vitu aeterna which is repugnant to that of the Apostle Rom. 6. 23. if it be not understood of a free stipend as indeed Augustine doth understand it x Ibid pag. 302. y De gratia lib. arb c. 9. z Ad Sixtum a Supr cap 2. §. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. b De merib Ecclesia cap. 25. c Retractat l. 1. c. 7. Minus memorem scripturarum in quibus non dum assuetus eram d Deut. 28.
call those workes which are mingled with sinnes good merits for that implyeth a contradiction but hee saith they doe not suffice to merit or obtaine the reward of blessednesse and therefore indeed denyeth the workes of righteousnesse to merit eternall life § II. The second is Basil Maneâ—… sempiternâ—… requies illos qui in hac vitalegitimè certaverunt non ob eorum merita factorum sed de munificentissimi Dei gratia in quem sperârunt which is a pregnant testimony But Bellarm taking advantage at the Printers fault in the old Edition of Basil leaving out the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which since hath bin supplyed answereththat Chemnitius did not rightly translate the words of Basil for in the Greeke neither the words Non ob eorum merita are found nor the word Gratiâ—… The words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is propounded an eveâ—…lasting â—…est to them who lawfully strive in this life not rendred according to the debt or due of works but according to the grace of the most bountifull God in whom they have trusted where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it were not expressed is of necessity to be understood and the rather because he seemeth by allusion to invert the words of the Apostle Rom. 4 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For with Bellarmine in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to repeate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he had said according to the duety or debt of the most bountifull God or great giver it is absurd gift and debt being contrary And also by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debt or duâ—…ty to understand as hee doth measure which becommeth the bounty of God that is much greater than is due to the workes is no lesse absurd For neither doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 siignifie measure neither is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repeated in the latter clause which signifieth rendred but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is exhibited which Bellarmine leaveth out Neither doth hee say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Bellarmine absurdly understandeth him to speake for there is no debt or duety of God Neither would it hinder our cause if the word rendred were repeated in the latter clause for what is promised is to bee rendred But in plaine termes Basil saith that eternall rest to them that live well is not rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the merit of their workes but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the grace of the munifiâ—…nt God exhibited But his second Evasion is more grosse that Basil speaketh of the reward as rendred not according to the merit of workes which men have done by their owne strength but such as are done by grace Repl Basil plainely speaketh of those who fought a good fight in this life and have trusted in God and saith that the eternall rest is laid up for them and that it is rendied not according to the merit of works but given according to the gâ—…ace of God the great Giver Neither doth he speake of naturall or gâ—…acelesse men of whom he never dreamed that the eternall rest is pâ—…epared for them but of godly men such as David was whose woâ—…ds Returne unto thy rest O my soule were the occasion of this speech Besides if the rewâ—…rd bee rendred as Bellarmine saith Supra condignum how is it merited â—…x condignâ—… Or if it be merâ—…ted ex condigno how is it supra condignum § III. The third is Saint Augustines out of whom hâ—… reciteth onely three places as â—…ited by us the firlâ—… 〈◊〉 sunt 〈◊〉 Dei sunt The sinnes are thine the merits are Gods Supplicium tibi debetur cum praemium vâ—…nerit â—…ua dona corâ—…abit non meriâ—…a 〈◊〉 Punishment is due to thee And when the reward shall come hee will crowne his owne gifts not thy merits 2. Pro nihilo salvos facies illos nihil invenies unde salves multum invenis vnde damnes thou wilt save them for nothing thou findest nothing for which to save and thou findest much for which to condemne 3. Maluit dicere gratia Dei vita â—…terna ut intelligeremus non pro meritis nostr is Deum nos ad aeternam vitam sed pro sua miseratione perducere he chose rather to say that life eternall is the grace of God that wee might understand that not for our merits but for his owne mercie hee doth bring us unto eternall life Which are most plaine and pregnant testimonies Bellarmine answereth in grosse wheresoever Augustine condemneth merits he speaketh of such merits as be in us from our selves that is to say without the grace of God And to this purpose he quoteth August Epist. 105. ad Sixtum in two places and his Book de gratia lib. arbitr c. 6. 7. 8. Reply Augustine by merits understandeth good workes which hee considereth either as going before grace wrought by the strength of our owne free will which against the Pelagians he denyeth tâ—… merit either grace or glory or he speaketh of them as proceeding from grace which he acknowledgeth to be rewarded with eternall life But these though he call them merits because they are to be rewarded yet every where he saith that the reward is given to them not as to our merits deserving it but as to the free gifts of God And therfore that the reward it selfe is called gratia both because it is freely given and because those workes to which it is given are wholly to bee ascribed to Gods grace and consequently that the Lord when he rewardeth our workes with eternall life doth not reward them as our merits but as his owne gifts Than which what can be spoken more effectually against the merits of condignity For if our good works be not our owne as from our selves how can â—…hey merit of him whose gifts they are If they were our owne and from our selves and were also perfect as they are not then perhaps it might be said that when God rewardeth them he rewardeth our merits but not being from our selves but meerely by his gift when he rewardeth them hee doth not reward our merits but crowne his owne gifts It is plaine therfore that whereas August considereth good works two wayes either as our merits or as Gods gifts he both constantly denyeth eternall life to be rendred unto them as to our merits and also affirmeth that it is given to them freely as to the free gifts of God And this is proved out of those very places which Bellarmine alleageth in the first place he saith Cùm Deuâ—… coronat merita nostra nihil aliud coronat quam muner a sâ—…a When God doth crowne our merits so hee calleth good works he crowneth nothing else but his owne gifts and in another place Ergo coronat te quia dona sua coronat non merita tâ—…a and againe in the same epistle he saith that howsowever eternall life is rendred to our good workes which hee therefore