lay hold of any thing and to receiue a gift but the hande hath no propertie to cut a peice of wood of it selfe without saw or knife or some like instrument and yet by helpe of them it can either deuide or cut Euen so it is the nature of faith to goe out of it selfe and to receiue Christ into the heart as for the duties of the first and second table faith cannot of it selfe bring them forth no more then the hand can deuide or cut yet ioyne loue to faith and then can it practise duties commanded concerning God and man And this I take to be the meaning of this text which speaketh not of iustification by faith but onely of the practise of common duties which faith putteth in execution by the helpe of loue III. Reason Faith is neuer alone therefore it doth not instifie alone Ans. The reason is nought and they might as well dispute thus The eye is neuer alone from the head and therefore it seeth not alone which is absurd And though in regard of substance the eye be neuer alone yet in regard of seeing it is alone so though faith subsist not without loue and hope and other graces of God yet in regard of the act of iustification it is aloue without them all IV. Reason If faith alone doe iustifie then we are saued by faith alone but we are not saued by faith alone and therefore not iustified by faith alone Ans. The proposition is false for more things are requisite to the maine ende then to the subordinate meanes And the assumption is false for we are saued by faith alone if we speake of faith as it is an Instrument apprehending Christ for our saluation V. Reason We are saued by hope therefore not by faith alone Ans. We are saued by hope not because it is any cause of our saluation Pauls meaning is onely this that we haue not saluation as yet in possession but waite patiently for it in time to come to be possessed of vs expecting the time of our full deliuerance that is all that can iustly be gathered hence Nowe the doctrine which we teach on the contrarie is That a sinner is iustified before God by faith yea BY FAITH ALONE The meaning is that nothing within man and nothing that man can doe either by nature or by grace concurreth to the act of iustification before God as any cause thereof either efficient materiall formall or finall but faith alone All other gifts graces as hope loue the feare of God are necessarie to saluation as signes thereof consequēts of faith Nothing in mā concurrs as any cause to this worke but by faith alone And faith it selfe is no principall but only an instrumentall cause by we receiue apprehend and apply Christ and his righteousnes for our iustification Reason I. Iohn 3. 14. 15. As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life In these wordes Christ makes a comparison on this manner when any one of the Israelites were stung to death by fiery serpents his cure was not by any phisicke surgery but onely by the casting of his eye vp to the brasen serpent which Moses haderected by Gods commandement euen so in the cure of our soules when we are stung to death by sinne there is nothing required within vs for our recouery but onely that we cast vp and fixe the eye of our faith on Christ and his righteousnes Reason II. The Exclusiue formes of speach vsed in scripture proue thus much We are iustified freely not of the lawe not by the lawe wiihout the lawe without workes not of workes not according to workes not of vs not by the workes of the lawe but by faith Gal 2. 16. Alboasting excluded onely beleeue Luc. 8. 50. These distinctions wherby works and the law are excluded in the worke of iustification doe include thus much that faith alone doth iustifie Reason III. Very reason may teach thus much for no gift in man is apt and fit as a spirituall hand to receiue and applie Christ and his righteousnes vnto a sinner but faith Indeede loue hope the feare of God and repentance haue their seueral vses in men but none serue for this ende to apprehende Christ and his merits none of them all haue this receiuing propertie and therefore there is nothing in man that iustifieth as a cause but faith alone Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church Ambr. on Rom. 4. They are blessed to whome VVITHOVT ANY LABOVR OR VVORKE DONE iniquities are remitted and sinne couered NO VVORKES OF REPENTANCE required of them but ONELY THAT THEY BELEEVE cap. 3. Neither working any thing nor requiting the like are they iustified by FAITH ALONE through the gift of God And 1. Cor. 1. This is appointed of god that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shalbe saued without any worke BY FAITH ALONE freely receiuing remission of sinnes Augustine There is ONE propitiation for all sinnes to beleeue in Christ. Hesyc on Levit. lib. 1. c. 2. Grace vvhich is of mercy is APPREHENDED BY FAITH ALONE and not of workes Bern. Whosoeuer is pricked for his sinnes and thirsteth after righteousnes let him beleeue in thee who iustifieth the sinner and beeing iustified by FAITH ALONE he shall haue peace with God Chrysost. on Gal. 3. They said he which resteth on faith alone is cursed but Paul shevveth that he is blessed vvhich resteth ON FAITH ALONE Basil. de humil Let man acknovvledge himselfe to want true iustice and that he is iustified ONELY BY EAITH in Christ. Origen on c. 3. Rom. We thinke that a man is iustified by faith without the works of the law and he saith that iustification by faith alone sufficeth so as a man onely beleeuing may be iustified And Therefore it lieth vpon vs to search who was iustified by faith vvithout workes And for an example I thinke vpon the theefe who beeing crucified with Christ cried vnto him Lord remember me vvhen thou commest into thy kingdome and there is no other good worke of his mentioned in the Gospell but for this alone faith Iesus saith vnto him This night thou shalt be with me in Paradise III. Difference The third difference about iustification is concerning this point namely how farforth good works are required thereto The doctrine of the Church of Rome is that there be two kindes of iustification the first and the second as I haue saide The first is when one of an euill man is made a good man and in this workes are wholly excluded it beeing wholly of grace The second is when a man of a iust man is made more iust And this they will haue to proceed from works of grace for say they as a man when he is once borne can by eating and drinking make himselfe a bigger man though he could not at the first make himselfe a man euen so a sinner
hauing his first iustification may afterward by grace make himself more iust Therefore they hold these two things I. That good workes are meritorious causes of the second iustification which they tearme Actuall II. that good workes are means to increase the first iustificatiō which they call Habituall Now let vs see how farreforth we must ioyne with them in this point Our consent therefore stands in three conclusions I. That good workes done by them that are iustified doe please God and are approoued of him and therefore haue a reward II. Good workes are necessarie to saluation two waies first not as causes thereof either conseruant adiuvant or procreant but onely as consequents of faith in that they are inseperable companions and fruits of that faith which is indeede necessarie to saluation Secondly they are necessarie as markes in a way and as the way it selfe directing vs vnto eternall life III. We hold and beleeue that the righteous man is in some sort iustified by works for so the holy Ghost speaketh plainely and truly Iam. 2. 21. that Abraham vvas iustified by works Thus farre we ioyne with them and the very difference is this They say we are iustified by works as by causes thereof we say that we are iustified by workes as by signes fruits of our iustification before God and no otherwise and in this sense must the place of S. Iames be vnderstoode that Abraham was iustified that is declared and made manifest to be iust indeede by his obedience and that euen before God Nowe that our doctrine is the truth it will appeare by reasons on both parts Our reasons I. Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the vvorkes of the lavv Some answer that ceremoniall works be excluded here some that morall workes some works going before faith But let them deuise what they can for themselues the truth is that Paul excludeth all works whatsoeuer as by the very text will appeare For v. 24. he saith We are iustified FREELY by his grace that is by the meere gift of God giuing vs to vnderstand that a sinner in his iustification is meerely passiue that is doing nothing on his part whereby God should accept him to life euerlasting and v. 27. he saith iustification by faith excludeth all boasting and therefore all kinde of workes are thereby excluded and specially such as are most of all the matter of boasting that is good workes For if a sinner after that he is iustified by the merit of Christ were iustified more by his owne workes then might he haue some matter of boasting in himselfe And that we may not doubt of Pauls meaning consider and read Eph. 2. 8 9. By grace saith he you are saued through faith that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of vvorks least any man should boast himselfe Here Paul excludes all and euery worke and directly workes of grace themselues as appeares by the reason following For vve are his workemanship CREATED in Christ Iesus VNTO GOOD VVORKS VVHICH GOD HATH ORDAINED that vve should vvalke in them Nowe let the Papists tell me what be the workes which God hath prepared for men to walke in and to which they are regenerate vnles they be the most excellent works of grace and let them marke how Paul excludes them wholly from the worke of iustification and saluation II. Gal. 5. 3. If ye be circūcised ye are bound to the vvhole lavv and ye are abolished from Christ. Here Paul disputeth against such men as would be saued partly by Christ and partly by the workes of the lawe hence I reason thus If a man will be iustified by workes he is bound to fulfill the whole law according to the rigour thereof that is Pauls ground I now assume no man can fulfill the lawe according to the rigour thereof for the liues and workes of most righteous men are imperfect and stained with sinne and therefore they are taught euery daie to say on this manner forgiue vs our debts Againe our knowledge is imperfect and therefore our faith repentance and sanctification is answerable And lastly the regenerate man is partly flesh and partly spirit and therfore his best works are partly frō the flesh in part onely spirituall Thus then for any man to be bound to the rigour of the whole law is as much as if he were bound to his owne damnation III. Election to saluation is of grace without workes therefore the iustification of a sinner is of grace alone without works For it is a certen rule that the cause of a cause is the cause of a thing caused Now grace without workes is the cause of election which election is the cause of our iustification and therefore grace without workes is the cause of our iustification IIII. A man must first be fully iustified before he can doe a good worke for the person must first please God before his workes can please him But the person of a sinner cannot please God till he be perfectly iustified and therefore till he be iustified he can not doe so much as one good worke And thus good works cannot be any meritorious causes of iustification after which they are both for time and order of nature In a word whereas they make two distinct iustifications we acknowledge that there be degrees of sanctification yet so as iustificatiō is onely one standing in remission of sinnes and Gods acceptation of vs to life euerlasting by Christ and this iustification hath no degrees but is perfect at the very first Obiections of Papists Psal. 7. 8. Iudge me according to my righteousnesse Hence they reason thus if Dauid be iudged according to his righteousnes then may he be iustified thereby but Dauid desires to be iudged according to his righteousnes and therefore he was iustified thereby Ans. There be two kinds of righteousnes one of the person the other of the cause or action The righteousnes of a mans person is whereby it is accepted into the fauour of God into life eternall The righteousnes of the action or cause is when the action or cause is iudged of God to be good and iust Now Dauid in this psalme speaketh onely of the righteousnes of the action or innocency of his cause in that he was falsly charged to haue sought the kingdome In like manner it is said of Phineas Psal. 166. 31. that his fact in killing Zimri and Cosbie was imputed to him for righteousnes not because it was a satisfaction to the lawe the rigour whereof could not be fulfilled in that one worke but because God accepted of it as a iust worke and as a token of his righteousnes and zeale for Gods glory II. Obiect The Scripture saith in sundrie places that men are blessed which doe good workes Psal. 119. 1. Blessed is the man that is vpright in heart and walketh in the law of the Lord. Ans. The man is blessed that endeauoureth to keepe Gods commandements Yet is he not
blessed simply because he doth so but because he is in Christ by whome he doth so and his obedience to the lawe of God is a signe thereof III. Obiect When man confesseth his sinnes and humbleth himselfe by praier and fasting Gods wrath is pacified and staied therefore prayer and fasting are causes of iustification before God Ans. Indeede men that truely humble themselues by praier and fasting doe appease the wrath of God yet not properly by these actions but by their faith expressed and testified in them whereby they apprehend that which appeaseth Gods wrath euen the merits of Christ in whome the father is well pleased and for whose sake alone he is well pleased with vs. IV. Obiect Sundrie persons in Scripture are commended for perfection as Noe and Abraham Zacharie and Elizabeth and Christ biddeth vs all be perfect and where there is any perfection of workes there also workes may iustifie Ansvv. There be two kinds of perfection perfection in parts and perfection in degrees Perfection in part is when beeing regenerate and hauing the seedes of all necessarie vertues we endeauour accordingly to obey God not in some few but in al and euery part of the law as Iosias turned vnto God according to all the law of Moses Perfection in degrees is when a man keepeth euery commandement of God and that according to the rigour thereof in the very highest degree Nowe then wheras we are commanded to be perfected and haue examples of the same perfection in Scripture both commandements and examples must be vnderstood of perfection in parts and not of perfection in degrees which cannot be attained vnto in this life though we for our partes must daily striue to come as neare vnto it as possibly we can V. Obiect 2. Cor. 4. 17. Our moment any afflictions worke vnto vs a greater measure of glorie now if afflictions worke our saluation then workes also doe the same Ansvv. Afflictions worke saluation not as causes procuring it but as meanes directing vs therto And thus alwaies must we esteem of workes in the matter of our saluation as of a certen way or a marke therein directing vs to glory not causing and procuring it as Bernard saith they are VIAREGNI NON CAVSA regnandi The way to the kingdome not the cause of raigning there VI. Obiect Wee are iustified by the same thing whereby we are iudged but we are iudged by our good workes therefore iustified also Ans. The proposition is false for indgement is an act of God declaring a man to be iust that is already iust and iustification is an other distinct act of God wherby he maketh him to be iust that is by nature vniust And therefore in equitie the last iudgement is to proceed by workes because they are the fittest meanes to make triall of euery mans cause and serue fitly to declare whome God hath iustified in this life VII Obiect Wicked men are condemned for euill workes therefore righteous men are iustified by good workes Ans. The reason holdeth not for there is great difference betweene euill and good workes An euill worke is perfectly euill and so deserueth damnation but there is no good work of any man that is perfectly good and therefore cannot iustifie VIII Obiect To beleeue in Christ is a worke and by it we are iustified and if one worke doe iustifie why may we not be iustified by al the works of the law Ans. Faith must be considered two waies first as a worke quality or vertue secondly as an Instrument or an hand reaching out it selfe to receiue Christs merit And we are iustified by faith not as it is a worke vertue or qualitie but as it is an instrument to receiue and apply that thing whereby we are iustified And therefore it is a figuratiue speach to say We are iustified by faith Faith considered by it selfe maketh no man righteous neither doth the action of faith which is to apprehend iustifie but the obiect of faith which is Christs obedience apprehended These are the principall reasons commonly vsed which as we see are of no moment To conclude therefore we hold that works concurre to iustification and that we are iustified thereby as by signes and effects not as causes for both the beginning middle and accomplishment of our iustification is onely in Christ and herevpon Iohn saith If any man being alreadie iustified sinne vve haue an Aduocate with the father Iesus Christ and he is the propitiation for our sinnes And to make our good workes meanes or causes of our iustification is to make euery man a Sauiour to himselfe The U. point Of merits By merit we vnderstand any thing or any worke whereby Gods fauour and life euerlasting is procured and that for the dignitie and excellencie of the worke or thing done or a good worke done binding him that receiueth is to repay the like Our Consent Touching merits we consent in two conclusions with them The first conclusion that merits are so far forth necessarie that without them there can be no saluation The second that Christ our Mediatour Redeemer is the roote and fountaine of all merit The dissent or difference The popish Church placeth merits within man making two sorts thereof the merit of the person and the merite of the worke The merite of the person is a dignitie in the person whereby it is worthy of life euerlasting And this as they say is to be found in Infants dying after baptisme who though they want good workes yet are they not voide of this kinde of merite for which they receiue the kingdome of heauen The merit of the worke is a dignitie or excellencie in the worke whereby it is made fitte and inabled to deserue life euerlasting for the doer And workes as they teach are meritorious two waies first by couenant because God hath made a promise of reward vnto them secondly by their owne dignitie for Christ hath merited that our workes might merit And this is the substance of their doctrine From it we dissent in these points I. We renounce all personall merits that is all merits within the person of any meere mā II. And we renonuce al merit of works that is all merit of any worke done by any meere man whatsoeuer And the true merit whereby we looke to attaine the fauour of God life euerlasting is to be found in the persō of Christ alone who is the storehouse of all our merits whose prerogatiue it is to be the person alone in whō God is wel pleased Gods fauour is of infinite dignitie no creature is able to doe a worke that may countervayle the fauour of God saue Christ alone who by reason of the dignitie of his person beeing not a meere man but God-man or Man-God he can doe such workes as ate of endlesse dignitie euery way answerable to the fauour of God and therefore sufficient to merit the same for vs. And though a merit or meritorious worke agree onely to the person of Christ
satisfaction and that is when any hauing giuē offence to the church of God or any part thereof do make an open publike testimonie of their repentance Mirian for murmuring aganst Moses was striken with leprosie and afterward by his prayer shee was clensed and yet for all that shee must go seuen dayes out of the tent and congregation that shee might make a kinde of satisfaction to the people for her trespasse And in the old testament sackcloth and ashes were signes of their satisfaction Conclus III. We hold that no man can be saued vnles he make a perfect satisfaction to the iustice of God for all his sinnes because God is infinite in iustice and therefore will either exact an euerlasting punishment or satisfaction for the same The dissent or difference The points of our difference and dissent are these The Church of Rome teacheth and beleeueth that Christ by his death hath made a satisfaction for all the sinnes of men and for the eternall punishment of them all yet so as they themselues must satisfie the iustice of God for the temporall punishment of their offences either on earth or in purgatorie We teach and beleeue that Christ by his death and passion hath made a perfect and all-sufficient satisfaction to the iustice of God for all the sinnes of men and for the whole punishment thereof both eternal and temporall Thus we differ and herein we for our parts must for euer stand at difference with thē so as if there were no more points of variance but this one it should be sufficient to keepe vs alwaies from vniting our religions and cause vs to obey the voice of Christ Come out of her my people For as in the former points so in this also the Papists erre not in circumstance but in the very foundation and life of religion Our reasons I. A satisfaction that is made imperfect either directly or by consequent is indeede no satisfaction at all But the Papists make Christs satisfaction imperfect in that they do adde a supply by humane satisfactions thus much a learned schoolman Biel in plain words confessed Although saith he the passion of Christ be the principall merit for which grace is conferred the opening of the kingdome and glorie yet IS IT NEVER THE ALONE AND TOTAL MERITORIOVS CAVSE it is manifest because alwaies vvith the merit of Christ there concurreth some vvorke as the merit of congruitie or condignitie of him that receiueth grace or glorie if he be of yeares and haue the vse of reason or of some other for him if he want reason For that which admitts a supply by an other is imperfect in it selfe Therefore humane satisfactions cannot stand Learned Papists make answere that Christs satisfaction and mans may stand well togither For say they Christs satisfactions is sufficient in it selfe to answer the iustice of God for all sinne and punishment but it is not sufficient to this or that man till it be applyed and it must be applied by our satisfaction made to God for the temporall punishment of our sinnes But I say againe that mans satisfaction can be no meanes to apply the satisfaction of Christ and I prooue it thus The meanes of applying Gods blessings and graces vnto man are twofold some respect God himselfe and some respect man Those which respect God are such whereby God on his part doth offer and convay his mercies in Christ vnto man of this sort are the preaching of the word baptisme and the Lords supper and these are as it were the hand of God whereby he reacheth downe and giueth vnto vs Christ with all his benefits The other meanes of applying on mans part are those whereby the saide benefites are receiued Of this sort there is onely one namely faith whereby we beleeue that Christ with all his benefits belong vnto vs. And this is the hand of man whereby he receiueth Christ as he is offered or exhibited by God in the word and sacraments As for other meanes beside these in Scripture we finde none Foolish therefore is the answere of the Papist that make mens satisfactions meanes to apply the satisfaction of Christ vnto vs for by humane satisfactions Christs is neither offered on Gods part nor yet receiued on mans part let them prooue it if they can Others not content with this their former answer say that our satisfactions doe nothing derogate from the satisfaction of Christ because our works haue their dignitie merit from Christs satisfaction he meriting that our workes should satisfie Gods iustice for temporall punishments But this is also absurd and false as the former was For if Christ did satisfie that man might satisfie then Christ doth make euery beleeuer to be a Christ a Iesus a Redeemer a Priest in the same order with his owne selfe But to make sinfull man his owne redeemer though it be but from temporall punishments is a doctrine of deuils For the holy Ghost teacheth that the priesthood of Christ is incommunicable cannot passe from him to any other Nowe to make satisfaction for sinne or any part of the punishment thereof is a dutie or a part of Christ his priesthood and therefore to make satisfaction is a worke that cannot passe frō his person to the person of any man Againe if Christ by his satisfaction giue power to man to satisfie then man doth satisfie by Christ and Christ beside his owne satisfaction vpon the crosse must daily satisfie in man to the ende of the world but this cannot be for Christ vpon the crosse when death was vpon him said It is finished that is I haue fully satisfied for all the sinnes of mankind both in respect of the fault and punishment As for Christs buriall and resurrection which followed his death they serued not to satisfie but to confirme and ratifie the same Againe Paul saith 2. Cor. 5. 12. He that knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that is the punishment of sinne for vs but if the Church of Rome say true that Christ doth daily satisfie then Paul spake too short and should haue saide further that Christ was made sinne for vs and in vs too and that God was not onely in Christ but also in vs reconciling the world to himselfe But Paul neuer knew this learning and therefore let them turne themselues which way they will by putting a supplement to Christs satisfaction they doe indeed annihillate the same Reason II. In sundrie places of Scripture especially in the Epistles of Paul we are are said to be redeemed iustified and saued Freely which word freely doth import that we are iustified and saued without any thing done on out part or by our selues in the matter of our saluation and if this be so then can we doe nothing at all that may satisfie the iustice of God for the least punishment of our sinnes If we satisfie in our own persons we are not saued freely and if we be saued freely we make no satisfaction
man is conuerted this worke of God is not done by compulsion but he is conuerted willingly and at the very time when he is conuerted by Gods grace he wils his coÌ„uersion To this ende saide Augustine He vvhich made thee without thee will not saue thee without thee Again that is certen that our wil is required in this that we may do any goodthing wel but we haue it not from our owne povver but God workes to will in vs. For looke at what time God giues grace at the same time he giueth a will to desire will the same grace as for exaÌ„ple when God works faith at the same time he workes also vpon the will causing it to desire faith willingly to receiue the gift of beleeuing God makes of the vnwilling will a willing will because no man can receiue grace vtterly against his will considering will constrained is no will But here we must remember that howsoeuer in respect of time the working of grace by Gods spirit and the willing of it in man goe togither yet in regard of order grace is first wrought and mans will must first of all be acted and mooued by grace then it also acteth willeth and mooueth it selfe And this is the last point of consent betweene vs and the Romane church touching freewill neither may we proceede further with them II. The dissent or difference The point of difference standeth in the cause of the freedome of mans will in spirituall matters which concerne the kingdome of God The Papists say mans will concurreth worketh with gods grace in the first conuersion of a sinner by it selfe and by it owne naturall power and is onely helped by the holy Ghost We say that mans will worketh with grace in the first conuersion yet not of it self but by grace Or thus They say will hath a naturall cooperation we denie it say it hath cooperation onely by grace beeing in it selfe not actiue but passiue willing well onely as it is mooued by grace whereby it must first be acted and mooued before it can act or will And that we may the better conceiue the difference I will vse this comparison The Church of Rome sets forth the estate of a sinner by the condition of a prisoner and so do we marke then the difference It supposeth the said prisoner to lie bound hand and foote with chaines fetters and withall to be sicke and weake yet not wholly dead but liuing in part it supposeth also that being in this case he stirreth not himselfe for any helpe yet hath abilitie and power to stirre Herevpon if the keeper come and take away his bolts and fetters and hold him by the hand and helpe him vp he can and will of himselfe stand and walke and goe out of prison euen so say they is a sinner bound hand and foote with the chaine of his sinnes and yet he is not dead but sicke like to the wounded man in the way betweene Ierico and Ierusalem And therefore doeth he not will and affect that which is good but if the holy Ghost come and doe but vntie his bands and reach him his hand of grace then can he stand of himselfe and will his owne saluation or any thing els that is good We in like manner graunt that a prisoner fitly resembleth a naturall man but yet such a prisoner must he be as is not onely sicke and weake but euen starke dead which cannot stirre though the keeper vntie his boltes and chaines nor heare though he sound a trumpet in his eare and if the said keeper would haue him to mooue stirre he must giue him not onely his hand to help him but euen soule and life also and such a one is euery man by nature not onely chained and fettered in his sinnes but starke dead therein as one that lieth rotting in the graue not hauing any ability or power to mooue or stirre and therefore he cannot so much as desire or doe any thing that is truly good of himselfe but God must first come and put a newe soule into him euen the spirit of grace to quicken and reuiue him and then beeing thus reuiued the will beginneth to will good things at the very same time wheÌ„ god by his spirit first infuseth grace And this is the true difference betweene vs and the Church of Rome in this point of free will III. Our Reasons Now for the confirmation of the doctrine we hold namely that a man willeth not his owne conuersion of him selfe by nature either in whole or in part but by grace wholly and alone these reasons may be vsed The first is taken from the nature and measure of mans corruption which may be distinguished into two parts The first is the want of that originall righteousnes which was in man by creation the secoÌ„d is a prones and inclination to that which is euill and to nothing that is truely good This appeareth Gen. 8. 21. The frame of mans heart saith the Lord is euill euen from his childhood that is the disposition of the vnderstanding will affections with all that the heart of man deuiseth fâ—rmeth or imagineth is wholly euil And Paul saith Rom. 8. 5. The wisdome of the flesh is ENMITIE against God Which wordes are very significant for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated vvisdome signifieth that the best thoughts the best desires affections and indeauours that be in any naturall man euen those that come most neare to true holines are not onely contrary to God but euen enmitie it selfe And hence I gather that the very heart it selfe that is the will and minde from whence these desires and thoughts doe come are also enmitie vnto God For such as the action is such is the facultie whence it proceedeth such as the fruite is such is the tree such as the branches are such are the rootes By both these places it is euident that in man there is not onely a want absence or deprivation of originall righteousnes but a prones also by nature vnto that which is euill which prones includes in it an inclination not to some fewe but to all and euery sinne the very sinne against the holy Ghost not excepted Hence therefore I reason thus If euery man by nature doe both want originall iustice and be also prone vnto all euill then wanteth he natural free-will to will that which is truly good But euery man by nature wants originall iustice and is also prone vnto all euil Ergo Euery man naturally wants free-will to will that which is good Reason II. 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man PERCEIVETH NOT the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neither CAN HE KNOVVE them because they are spiritually discerned In these wordes Saint Paul sets downe these points I that a naturall man doeth not so much as thinke of the things reuealed in the Gospell II. that a man hearing and in minde conceiuing them
that a man may be assured of his saluation by hope euen hence it followes that he may be vnfallibly assured thereof For the propertie of true and liuely hope is neuer to make a man ashamed Rom. 5. 5. And true hope followeth faith and euer presupposeth certenty of faith neither can any man truly hope for his saluation vnlesse by faith he be certenly assured thereof in some measure The popish doctors take exception to these reasons on this manner First they say it cannot be proued that a man is as certen of his saluation by faith as he is of the articles of the creed I answ First they proue thus much that we ought to be as certē of the one as of the other For looke what commandement we haue to beleeue the articles of our faith the like we haue inioyning vs to beleeue the pardon of our owne sinns as I haue proued Secondly these arguments prooue it to be the nature of essentiall propertie of faith as certenlie to assure man of his saluation as it doth assure him of the articles which he beleeueth And howesoeuer commonly men doe not beleeue their saluation as vnfallible as they doe their articles of faith yet some speciall men doe hauing Gods word applyed by the spirit as a sure ground of their faith whereby they beleeue their owne saluation as they haue it for a ground of the articles of their faith Thus certenly was Abraham assured of his owne saluation as also the Prophets and Apostles the martyrs of God in all ages wherevpon without doubting they haue bin content to lay downe their liues for the name of Christ in whome they were assured to receiue eternall happines And there is no question but there be many nowe that by long and often experience of Gods mercy and by the inward certificate of the ho◠Ghost haue attained to a full assurance of their saluation II. Exception Howesoeuer a man may be assured of his present estate yet no man is certē of his perseuerance vnto the end Ans. It is otherwise for in the sixt petition lead vs not into temptation we praie that God would not suffer vs to be wholly ouercome of the deuill in any temptation and to this petition we haue a promise answerable 1. Cor. 10. That God with the temptation will giue an issue and therefore howsoeuer the deuill may buffit molest and wound the seruants of God yet shall he neuer be able to ouercome them Againe he that is once a member of Christ can neuer be wholly cut off And if any by sinne were wholly seuered from Christ for a time in his recouery he is to be baptised the second time for baptisme is the sacrament of initiation or ingrafting into Christ. By this reason we should as often be baptised as we fall into any sinn which is absurd Againe S. Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 2. 19. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. Where he taketh it for granted that such as be once in Christ shall neuer wholly be seuered or fall from him Though our communion with Christ may be lessened yet the vnion the bond of coniunction is neuer dissolued III. Exception They say we are indeede to beleeue our saluation on gods part but we must needs doubt in regard of our selues because the promises of remission of sinnes are giuen vpon condition of mans faith and repentance Now we cannot say they be assured that we haue true faith and repentance because we may lie in secret sinnes and so want that indeede which we suppose our selues to haue Ansvv. I say againe he that doth truly repent and beleeue doth by Gods grace know that he doth repent beleeue for els Paul would neuer haue said Proove your selues whither you be in the faith or not and the same Apostle saith 2. Cor. 12. We haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit vvhich is of God that we might KNOVV THE THINGS VVHICH ARE GIVEN OF GOD which things are not onely life euerlasting but iustification sanctification and such like And as for secret sinnes they cannot make our repentance voide for he that truly repenteth of his knowne sinnes repenteth also of such as be vnknowne and receiueth the pardon of them all God requireth not an expresse or speciall repentance of vnknowne sinnes but accepts it as sufficient if we repent of them generally as Dauid saith Psal. 19. Who knowes the errours of this life forgiue me my secret sinnes And whereas they adde that faith and repentance must be sufficient I answer that the sufficiencie of our faith and repentance standes in the truth and not in the measure or perfection therof and the truth of both where they are is certenly discerned Reason VI. The iudgement of the auncient Church August Of an euill seruant thou art made a good childe therefore PRESVME not of thine ovvne doing but of the grace of Christ it is not arrogācy BVT FAITH to acknowledge what thou hast receiued is not pride but deuotion And Let no man aske an other man but returne to his owne heart if he finde charitie there he HATH SECVRITIE for his passage from life to death Hilar. on Math. 5. The kingdome of heauen vvhich our Lord professed to be in himselfe his vvillis that it must be hoped for VVITHOVT ANY DOVBTFVLNES OF VNCERTEN VVIL Otherwise there is no iustification by faith if faith it selfe be MADE DOVBTFVLL Bernard epist. 107. Who is the iust man but he that beeing loued of God loues him againe vvhich comes not to passe but by the SPIRIT REVEALING BY FAITH the eternall PVRPOSE OF GOD of his SALVATION to come Which reuelation is nothing els but the infusion of spirituall grace by which when the deedes of the flesh are mortified the man is prepared to the kingdome of heauen Togither receiuing in one spirit that whereby he MAY PRESVME that he is loued and also loue againe To conclude the Papists haue no great cause to dissent from vs in this point For they teach and professe that they doe by a speciall faith beleeue their owne saluation certenly and vnfallibly in respect of God that promiseth Now the thing which hindereth them is their owne indisposition and vnworthines as they say which keepes them from beeing certen otherwise then in a likely hope But this hindrance is easily remooued if men will iudge indifferently For first of all in regard of our selues and our disposition we cannot be certen at all but must despaire of saluation euen to the very death We cannot be sufficiently disposed so long as we liue in this world but must alwaies say with Iacob I am lesse then all thy mercies Gen. 32. and with Dauid Enter not into iudgement vvith thy seruant O Lord for none liuing shall be iustified in thy sight and with the Centurion Lord I am not worthie that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe Matth.
God that Christ did merit that our workes should merit it is a dotage of their owne deuising He died not for our good workes to make them able to satisfie Gods anger but for our sinnes that they might be pardoned Thus much saith the Scripture no more And in that Christ did sufficiently merit life eternall for vs by his owne death it is a sufficient proofe that he neuer intended to giue vs power of meriting the same vnles we suppose that at some time he giues more then is needefull Againe Christ in the office of mediation as he is a King Priest and Prophet admitteth no deputie or fellow For he is a most perfect Mediatour doing all things by himselfe without the helpe of any And the ministers that dispence the word are not his deputies but reasonable and voluntarie instruments which he vseth But if men by workes can merit increase of grace and happines for themselues then hath Christ partners in the worke of redemption men doing that by him which he doth of himselfe in procuring their saluation Nay if this might stand that Christ did merit that our works should merit then Christ should merit that our stained righteousnes beeing for this cause not capable of merit should neuertheles merit I call it stained because we are partly flesh and partly spirit and therfore in our selues deseruing the curse of the law though we be regenerate Againe for one good worke we doe we haue many euil the offence whereof defaceth the merit of our best deedes and makes them too light in the balance of the law Obiect III. Our workes merit by bargaine or couenant because God hath promised to reward them Ans. The word of God sets downe two couenants one legal the other euangelicall In the legall couenant life euerlasting is promised to workes for that is the condition of the lawe doe these things and thou shalt liue But on this manner can no man merit life euerlasting because none is able to doe all that the lawe requires whether we respect the manner or the measure of obedience In the euangelicall couenant the promises that are made are not made to any worke or vertue in man but to the worker not for any merit of his owne person or worke but for the person and merite of Christ. For example it is a promise of the Gospell Be faithfull vnto death and I vvill giue thee the crowne of life Revelat. 2. 10. Here the promise is not made to the vertue of fidelitie but to the faithfull person whose fidelitie is but a token that he is in Christ for the merit of whose obediēce god promiseth the crowne of life and therefore Christ saith further I come quicklie and will giue to euery man according to his workes marke he saith not to the worke or for the worke but to the worker according to his workes And thus the bōd of al other promises of the Gospel in which god willingly bindes himselfe to reward our workes doe not directly concerne vs but haue respect to the person and obedience of Christ for whose sake alone God bindes himselfe as debter vnto vs and giues the recompence or reward according to the measure of our faith testified by our workes And therefore it cannot be truely gathered that workes doe merit by any promise or covenant passed on Gods part to man Some may say if workes merit not why are they mentioned in the promises I answere not because they merit but because they are tokens that the doer of the worke is is in Christ for whose merite the promise shall be accomplished Obiect VI. Good works are perfect and without fault for they are the workes of the holy ghost who cannot sinne therefore they merite Ans. If workes did proceed onely and immediatly from the holy ghost there could not be any fault in them but our works come from the holy ghost in and by the will and vnderstanding of man by this meanes they are tainted with sinne as water in the fountaine is both cleare and sweete yet the streames there of passing through the filthy channell are defiled thereby Againe they reason thus That which we are bound to doe hath no fault in it but we are bound to doe good workes therefore they are perfect Ans. The proposition must be expounded that which we are bound to doe in it selfe according to the intention of the commander hath no fault or that which we are bound to doe according as we are bound to doe it hath no fault yet in regard of the intention of the doer or in regard of our manner of doing it may be faultie Obiect V. Christ saith Revel 3. 4. that the faithfull in the Church of Sardis shall walk with him in white for they are worthy therfore beleeuers merit Ans. Euery beleeuer is worthy to walke with Christ yet not worthy in himselfe but in Christ to whome he is vnited and made bone of his bone flesh of his flesh And by reason of this coniunction `it is that men are said to be worthy ' because they are inriched with Christs merits and righteousnes Obiect VII 2. Tim. 4. 8. Euerlasting life is tearmed a crowne and a crowne of righteousnes to be giuen of a iust iudge therefore man for his part by his workes deserues the same Ans. Euerlasting life is called a crowne onely in resemblance For as he which runneth a race must continue and runne to the ende and then be crowned euen so must we continue to walke in good works vnto the end and then receiue eternall life And it is called a crowne of righteousnes not because it belongs to any man by due and desert but because God hath bound himselfe by a promise to giue it in performing whereof he is tearmed iust and by vertue of this promise it is obtained and no otherwise These are the principall obiections by which we may iudge what the rest are And thus we see what is the truth namely that merit is necessarie to saluation yet neither merite of mans worke or person but the merit of Christ imputed to vs whereby we beeing in him do procure and deserue the fauour of God and life eternall The sixt point Of satisfaction Our consent Conclus I. First we acknowledge and hold Ciuill or Politike satisfaction that is a recompence for iniuries and damages offered any way to our neighbours This Zacheus practised when at his conuersion he restored foure-fold things gotten by forged cauillation Againe by ciuill satisfaction I vnderstand the imposition of fines mulcts and penalties vpon offenders and the inflicting of death vpon malefactours For all these are satisfactions to the lawe and societies of men when they are wronged All these we maintaine as necessarie for neither Church nor common wealth can well be without them considering they are notable meanes to vphold ciuill peace and otherwhiles they are fruites of true faith as the satisfuction of Zacheus was Conclus II. We acknowledge canonicall or Ecclesiasticall
when they are dying they should hold practise euery day while they are liuing In the last cōclusiō they teach that we must not onely beleeue in generall but also apply vnto our selues the promises of life euerlasting But they differ from vs in the very manner of applying They teach that the promise is to be applied not by faith assuring vs of our owne saluation but onely by hope in likelihood coniecturall We hould that wee are bound in dutie to apply the promise of life by faith without making doubt thereof and by hope to continue the certentie after the apprehension made by faith We doe not teach that all and euerie man liuing within the precincts of the Church professing the name of Christ is certen of his saluation and that by faith but that he ought so to be and must indeauour to attaine thereto And here is a great point in the mysterie of iniquitie to be considered for by this vncerten application of the promise of saluatiō and this wauering hope they ouerturne halfe the doctrine of the gospell For it inioynes two things first to beleeue the promises therof to be true in themselues secondly to beleeue by faith to applie them vnto our selues And this latter part without which the former is voide of comfort is quite ouerturned The reasons which they alleadge against our doctrine I haue answered before now therfore I let them passe To conclude though in coloured tearmes they seeme to agree with vs in doctrine concerning faith yet indeed they deny abolish the substance therof namely the particular certen application of Christ crucified and his benefits vnto our selues Again they faile in that they cut off the principall dutie office of true sauing faith which is to apprehend and to applie the blessing promised The XXI point Of Repentance Our consent Conclus I. That repentance is the conuersion of a sinner There is a twofold conuersion passiue and actiue passiue is an action of God whereby he conuerteth man beeing as yet vnconuerted Actiue is an action wherby man beeing once turned of God turnes himselfe and of this latter must this conclusion be vnderstood For the first cōuersion considering it is a worke of God turning vs vnto himselfe is not the repentance whereof the Scripture speaketh so oft but it is called by the name of regeneration and repentance whereby we beeing first turned of God doe turne our selues and doe good works is the fruit thereof Conclus II. That repentance standes specially for practise in contrition of heart confession of mouth satisfaction in work or deede Touching contrition there be two kinds thereof Legal and Euangelical Legal contrition is nothing but a remorse of conscience for sinne in regard of the wrath and iudgement of God and it is no grace of God at all nor any part or cause of repentance but onely an occasion thereof and that by the mercie of God for of it selfe it is the sting of the law and the very entrance into the pit of hell Euangelical contrition is when a repentant sinner is greeued for his sinnes not so much for feare of hell or any other punishment as because he hath offended displeased so good mercifull a God This contrition is caused by the ministerie of the Gospell and in the practise of repentance it is alwaies necessarie and goes before as the beginning thereof Secondly we holde and maintaine that confession is to be made and that in sundrie respects first to God both publikely in the congregation and also priuately in our secret and priuate prayers Secondly to the Church when any person hath openly offended the congregation by any crime and is therefore excommunicate Thirdly to our priuate neighbour when we haue vpon any occasion offended and wronged him Mat. 5. 23. If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee goe first and be reconciled to him now reconciliation presupposeth confession Lastly in all true repentance we holde and acknowledge there must be satisction made first to God and that is when wee intreate him in our supplications to acecpt the death and passion of Christ as a full perfect and sufficient satisfaction for all our sinnes Secondly it is to be made vnto the Church after excommunication for publike offences and it stands in duties of humiliatiō that fitly serue to testifie the truth of our repentance Thirdly satisfaction is to be made to our neighbour because if he be wronged he must haue recompence and restitution made Luc. 19. 8. and there repentance may iustly be suspected where no satisfaction is made if it lie in our power Conclus III. That in repentance we are to bring forth outward fruites worthie amendment of life for repentance it selfe is in the heart and therefore must be testified in all manner of good workes whereof the principall is to endeauour day by day by Gods grace to leaue and renounce all and euery sinne and in all things to doe the will of God And here let it be remembered that we are not patrones of licentiousnes and enemies of good workes For though we exclude them from the acte of our iustification and saluation yet we maintaine a profitable and necessarie vse of them in the life of euery Christian man This vse is threefold in respect of God of man of our selues Workes are to be done in respect of God that his commandements may be obeied 1. Ioh. 5. 12. that his will may be done 1. Thess. 4. 3. that we may shew our selues to be obedient children to God our father 1. Pet. 1. 14. that we may shewe our selues thankefull for our redemption by Christ Tit. 2. 14. that we might not grieue the spirit of God Eph. 4. 30. but walke according to the same Gal. 5. 22. that God by our good workes may be glorified Math. 5. 16. that we may be good followers of God Eph. 5. v. 1. Againe workes are to be done in regard of men that our neighbour may be helped in worldly things Luc. 6. 38. that he may be wonne by our example to godlines 1. Pet. 3. 14. that we may preuent in our selues the giuing of any offence 1. Cor. 10. 32. that by doing good wee may stop the mouthes of our aduersaries Thirdly lastly they haue vse in respect of our selues that we may shew our selues to be new creatures 2. Cor. 5. 17. that we may walke as the children of light Eph. 5. 8. that we haue some assurance of our faith and of our saluation 2. Pet. 1. 8 10. that we may discerne deade and counterfait faith from true faith I am 2. 17. that faith and the gifts of God may be exercised and continued vnto the ende 2. Tim. 1. 6. that the punishments of sinne both temporall eternall may be preuented psal 89. 32. that the rewarde may be obtained which God freely in mercie hath promised to men for their good works Gal. 6. 9. The