Treatise I haue expresly shewed the contrary For first touching the Negatiue that Faith is not Assurance I vouched therein the authority of that reuerend and worthy man of God M. Foxe whose words anon you shall heare at large In the meane season it behooueth you if you will bee beleeued in this point to produce the cloud of witnesses you so much boast of that wee may heare whether they will depose the contradictory hereunto namely that Faith is Assurance For howsoeuer you say you haue no fewer then All yet it may bee when all comes to all you will proue as ill stored of testimonies as the wise man of Athens was of shipping who being not worth the poorest shallop in the harbor bare himselfe notwithstanding for owner of all the gallies that arriued therein And surely hauing throughly searched your Answer to this purpose I find the nūber by you cited so small that I need not much skill in Arithmetike to summe them vp for the totall amounts to no more then an Vnity and all your Authors are but one Caluin once alledged in the front thereof Vnto whom I denie not but you might haue ioyned some other of the later Writers but what are they to all both old and new for 1600. yeeres For as for the ancient Fathers not one of them so farre as I can learne affirmeth the iustifying act of Faith to be Assurance and among the Moderne it is more then manifest that a good part of them flatly denyeth it So that being backed of so few and yet craking so loudly of All Ter. Eunuch act 4. Scen. 7. you play right the glorious Souldier in the Comedie who hauing but foure men in all the world bestirred himselfe so busily with three of them as if hee had been mustering a whole Legion and at length missing the fourth gallantly demaunded where all the rest were Againe touching the Affirmatiue that Faith is Affiance I quoted that passage of S. Augustin To beleeue is to loue ad by louing to moue vnto God In my Treatise De morib Eccl. ca. 15. Now Loue by which that Father vsually defineth Vertue properly is not an act of Faith because of Charity Charity Faith being two different and distinct Habits 1 Cor. 13.13 And therefore by Loue you are to vnderstand generally an act of the will it being an affection of that Facultie as if in plainer tearmes he should haue said To belieue is that act of the Will whereby we moue vnto God Which elsewhere he expresseth more clearly saying He that commeth vnwillingly beleeueth not In Ioh. 6. tract 26. and he that beleeueth not commeth not for we run not vnto Christ by walking but beleeuing neither come we by the motion of the body but by the wil of the heart So that Faith being in S. Augustins iudgement an act or motion of the Will what other can it bee then Affiance 12. q. 40. a. 2. ad 2. For as Thomas sayth that motion in the appetite which immediately followeth Desire to obtaine that good which wee esteeme possible to be obtained is Affiance Adde vnto him Theophylact Hee that with great affection beleeueth In Marc. 11. stretcheth out his heart towards God And what doth it It is vnited vnto him and the heart enflamed gathereth great certainty that it shall obtaine his desires Where by the way obserue that certainty is concluded out of Faith and therefore can no more bee Faith then the Conclusion can bee one of the Premises Serm. de Sancto Andr. So Barnard To beleeue in God is to set all our hope in him And our Diuines in the Conference of Altemburg define it by Affiance in the Heart and Will In a word all those who seat it only or principally in the will Colloq Altemb accord with mee For although defining it popularly they put vsually into their Descriptions Assent vnto supernaturall verities which is an act of the mind yet making not that but Affiance only the proper act that iustifies they doe in effect fully accord and agree with me So that you see I am not driuen to so neere an exigent but vnto your one I can oppose more then you are aware of And yet had I farre more I would not vpon presumption either of their number or authority say vnto you Ep. 11. inter ep Aug. as Hierome sometime wrote vnto Augustin Suffer me I pray thee to erre with such men and sith you see I haue so many companions in error with mee you ought to bring forth one at least that ioynes with you For who is he that would willingly erre with whomsoeuer or how many soeuer 2 Pet. 1.19 But hauing as S. Peter speaketh a more sure word of the Prophets for my warrant I rather conclude with that free and ingenuous answer of Augustin to Hierom More testimonies I thinke might I easily haue found if I had read much Epist 19. but the Apostle Paul shall bee vnto mee insteed of them all yea aboue them all N. B. Let vs therefore see what you affirme and wee agree to be our iustifying Faith and how you impugne it Fides iustificans in adultis quae sit Iustifying Faith agreed vpon vs both as holden by the Church We agree both in this that iustifying Faith as we hold it and you deny it is A certaine knowledge infused into the hearts of the elect by the Holy Ghost by which they constantly agree to all things reuealed in the Word of God and also a firme Assurance whereby euery one of the Elect relieth vpon the Promises of Christ fully resoluing that Christ with all his merits are giuen to him for iustification and eternall life Now as you deny this to bee iustifying Faith so againe let vs see what you count iustifying Faith to bee M. Downes iustifying Faith Iustifying Faith is a rest of mans will vpon Christ and his merits of Iustification and Saluation The validity of your definition wee will view anon by Gods help in the meane season let vs see with what engins of rare wit and solid Syllogismes you endeuour to ouerthrow the former definition of ours consisting vpon the generall Word the causes the effects the proper Subiect and Adiuncts or essentiall Properties I. D. Your second cogitations I see are wiser then the first and now you shoot with far better aime then erewhile missing not much of the right state of the Question For the Definition here attributed vnto me is I confesse that which I defend and the other assumed vnto your selfe is that also which I impugne I meane so farre forth as it makes Knowledge the Generall Word and Particular Assurance the Act or as you tearme it the adiunct or essentiall Propertie For otherwise that causally it is from the Holy Ghost subiectiuely in the elect and effectuall vnto Iustification is not questioned by mee but equally acknowledged of vs both Now the validity of my definition you say you will view
source of all Rebellion and Disobedience N. B. Your Genus is that Faith iustifying is a Rest which is false when you speake more learnedly I will deigne you farther answer I. D. That Rest is not the Genus of Iustifying Faith I easily grant you for as appeares manifestly in my Treatise I make Affiance or which is all one Rest to bee the Act or Forme of Faith and not the Genus thereof If I had thought it fitting to haue troubled the Definition therewith I was not so ignorant but I could haue called it either an infused grace or a gratious habit or a Theologicall vertue but because the Philosopher taught me that Habits are sufficiently defined by their Acts in reference vnto their proper Obiects I held it needlesse to expresse it But suppose I had made it to be the right Genus how doe you disproue it Forsooth it is sufficient for such a Pythagoras as you are to say it is false an inexpiable wrong would it be to demand a reason of your sayings Onely you adde Plut. in vitâ Alex. that when I shall speake more learnedly you will deigne me farther answer Brauely againe spoken and Alexander-like for neither would hee being a King contend with any but Kings neither may you being so transcendent for your learning and surmounting the most of men as farre as the Sun doth the lesser lights without impeachment of honour vouchsafe disputation with any but your Peers much lesse with such a one as is scarce to bee found in any Predicament Yet seeing the Sunne so surpassing in glory is no way enuious of his light but imparteth bountifully of his beames to the enlightning of the rest of the starres it may please you also with whom wisdome must liue and dye Ioh. 12.2 out of your benignity to send forth some influence of your learning vpon mee that I may more cleerely discerne at least in this question betweene truth and that which is onely seeming so N. B. Shew mee for your warrant one place of Scripture that so tearmeth it any one Father of the Church old or new for these 1600. yeeres Greeks or Latins that will auouch it and I will yeeld to your Genus The Hebrew word for Faith and the Greek word whereof you haue heard before doe vtterly condemne you they both signifying a perswasion and an Assurance and neuer a Rest I maruell you will teach the Holy Ghost to speake and the Church now to vnderstand what Faith is and that by such a woodden Definition which may rather moue to choller then consent I. D. If by denying vnto mee the warrant of Scriptures of Fathers old and new Greeke and Latin for 1600. yeeres and of the Greeke and Hebrew words for Faith you intend to proue that Affiance or Rest is not the Genus of Faith it shall without more a-doo bee yeelded vnto you for as appeares in the former section I make it to bee not the Genus but the Act or Forme thereof But if you would thereby perswade that Rest or Affiance is not the Act of Faith I must tell you that these reasons are cleane out of date and that you doe too much abuse your Readers patience setting againe before him these Coleworts now more then twice sodden For both in the beginning of this disputation and in the last section saue two before this I haue throughly scanned cleered this businesse shewing that I am so farre from teaching the Holy Ghost to speake and the Church to vnderstand what Faith is as you vnchristianly lay vnto my charge that I vse no other tearme but that which the Spirit of God hath in Scripture sanctified to this purpose and the Holy Church hath euer spoken and vsed But because I am loth to pester my paper with so many Tautologies and needles repetitions as you vse to doe thither must I entreate the courteous Reader to repaire for satisfaction In the meane season seeing both by expresse testimony of Scripture and cleere euidence of reason I haue warranted euery part of my definition and yet you without disprouing the weakest of my proofes tauntingly call it a woodden Definition you must pardon mee if I tell you plainely that this wood-kinde of answering deserues to bee reformed with a little woodden correction But where you say my Definition may rather moue to choler then consent a man would thinke reading this your answer that either your principles were so incurably hurt or your braine dam'd and ram'd vp with such a deale of dull and tough flegme that it were as easy almost to remoue a mountaine as to moue you either to the one or the other And yet indeed I find you of a cleene contrary complexion euen the most pettish and waspish gentleman that euer I met withall euery small petty occasion stirs your choler and works you presently out of temper But because I see it is your impotency disease I beare with you the more praying you notwithstanding to haue as much patience as you may if at times for the purging of this humor I play the Physician and minister some small quantity of rheubarb vnto you N. B. For alas Master Downe what Rest can a man haue vpon Christ without Assurance to bee saued by his death and Passion and knowledge of his Lord and Sauiour A full assurance therefore as a cause worketh Rest vpon Christ as an effect and is therefore the Generall word in the Definition of Iustifying Faith I. D. Your argument if I mistake not standeth thus That which is an Effect of Assurance cannot be the Act of Faith But Resting vpon Christ is an Effect of Assurance Ergo it cannot bee the Act of Faith I distinguish of Assurance for it is either of the generall proposition or of the Speciall and indiuiduall of the Generall when wee are assured that Whosoeuer Belieueth on Christ shall bee iustified and saued of the Speciall when wee are certainly perswaded that We are iustified and shall bee saued If you meane the former then I deny the Maior for such Historicall Assurance is a necessary pre-requisite vnto Iustifying Faith and is the cause without which wee cannot belieue on Christ and therefore that which is such an effect of Assurance may bee the Act of Faith If you vnderstand the latter then doe I grant the Maior for if such Assurance be as I haue demonstratiuely proued it selfe the Effect of Faith it is more then manifest that That which is an effect of such Assurance cannot bee the Act of Faith But then I deny the Minor that Resting vpon Christ is an effect of such assurance affirming that contrarily Resting vpon Christ is the cause of such Assurance and Assurance is the Effect of that Resting But what rest say you can a man haue vpon Christ without Assurance to be saued by his Death Passion Surely vnlesse wee know his Death and Passion to bee the onely meanes of saluation wee cannot rest vpon him for it but to
definition this Relying vpon Christ is Iustifying Faith but that this Resting vpon Christ is vnto Faith as the fruite is to the tree proue it sufficiently and in Gods Name take the victory But you must not thinke that affirming is prouing or facing arguing and very meanely doe you conceiue of your Readers iudgement if you thinke that your weake asseuerations can more preuaile with them then the strength of my reasons For if by Rest you vnderstand as you should not Quiet and peace of Conscience which I confesse is not complete without Assurance but that Affiance by which wee stay our selues vpon Christ accepting him to bee our Mediator in such sort as is aboue described I haue both plainely and soundly demonstrated that Faith is such a Rest and such a Rest Faith and not the fruite of Faith N. B. And to be plaine with you when you say Iustifying Faith is not a Knowledge or an Assurance Tom. 3. de Iustif ca. 7. you speake pure Bellarmine as appeareth in his Booke de iustificatione I pray you therefore though you mislike M. Perkins turne not pure Papist I. D. And to bee plaine with you also if your kind of reasoning may passe for currant when you say Iustifying Faith is not a Rest or Affiance you speake pure Bellarmine Cap. 5.6.9 for in the same Booke by you quoted as hee denieth Faith to bee Assurance so hee denieth it also to be Affiance I pray you therefore though you mislike my Definition yet turne not pure Papist But Master Baxter you mistake the matter very much if you thinke all is Popish or erronious whatsoeuer either a member of the Church of Rome or the whole Church of Rome holdeth for by this rule wee should with the Arrians of Poleland renounce the very Faith of the Trinity as a branch of Antichrists Religion of whom it is reported that therefore and for this reason specially they hold the Pope to bee the misticall beast spoken of in the Reuelation and his triple Crowne a visible marke thereof because hee maintaineth the doctrine of the Trinity As therefore erewhile you said vnto mee Let vs not be bound to defend the errors of our Brethren so say I now vnto you Let vs not bee bound to reiect the truths of our aduersaries For truth is Gods wheresoeuer it bee found though it were in the mouth of him who is the father of lies and if Ticonius the Donatist speake with better reason then Cyprian an orthodox father Retract lib. 2. ca. 18. S. Augustin will not sticke therein to preferre the Hereticke before him that is Catholike But notwithstanding all this I would haue you to know that all the agreement betweene mee and Bellarmine is onely in this what Faith is not for in question what it is we differ the whole heauen one from another he defining it by Assent vnto diuine truths I by Affiance on the person of Christ N. B. Now Master Downe to make an end and returne to my other affaires from whence you haue vnkindly drawne mee I pray you read a few Positions to the which oppose what you can I. D. What your affaires are I am not well acquainted withall but what they should bee I wot full well Among the rest maintenance of Gods truth and conuincing of contrary errors are both by the rule of Christianity in generall and the office of the Ministry which you haue taken vpon you in particular required of you Wherein if you bee sure that all this while you haue beene employed you discredit your action exceedingly when you say you are vnkindly drawne from your other affaires vnto it Plut. Apophth Remember you not what the woman replied vnto Philip of Macedon denying to heare her sute because he was not at leisure Hast thou not quoth shee leisure to bee a King So say I vnto you either doe the worke if you will bee a Minister of Christs Gospell or else bee no Minister if you bee vnwilling to doe the worke To what end you should offer vnto me these Positions following requiring mee to oppose what I can against them I cannot well coniecture for what stuffe haue you here brought vs besides that which either is already sufficiently answered or whereof there is no question at all betwixt vs And therefore I see no cause why I should vouchsafe to bestow any time or labour about them Neuertheles to satisfy your request a word or two touching them N. B. True Iustifying Faith defined 1. Iustifying Faith is an assured knowledge or knowing assurance by the which euery one of the elected relieth vpon the Promises of the mercy of God in Christ Iesus firmely holding that Christ and eternall life together with all the merits of Christ are giuen to him to righteousnesse and eternall saluation Fides vnica indiuidua specie Haec Fides differt numero gradu 2. There is but one onely speciall iustifying Faith 3. This Faith differeth in number and degree 4. It is manifest there bee so many seuerall Faiths in number as there bee seuerall persons elected 5. One man is not saued by another mans Faith Mat. 26.74.75 17.17 Mat. 9.24 6. This Faith differeth in degrees small in one man and mighty in another Mat. 13.23 14.31 Act. 2.8 ca. 4. Mat. 15.28 Fides imperfecta Ad resistendum tamen diabolo sufficiens quare 7. The greatest Faith in this life is imperfect 1 Cor. 13.9 12. 8. Though it bee small and infirme yet it is sufficient to resist the Diuell by reason of the prayers and promises of Christ. 2 Cor. 5.1 Esa 53.11 Causa efficiens material 9. This Knowledge or Faith for they bee conuertible Ioh. 17.3 passeth all vnderstanding Eph. 3.14 c. 10. The Efficient cause of this Faith is the Spirit of God 11. The instrumentall ordinary cause is the preaching sincerely of the Word of God 12. God may worke extraordinarily Faith in the Elect without preaching by his Spirit Obiectum Fidei in genere specie 13. The obiect of Faith in generality is the whole Word of God in speciality the promises of God in Christ and his Merits 14. The formall cause is a confident relation to all the Word of God and certainty of saluation Formalis 15. The finall cause subordinate Finis subordinatus summus is the saluation of the Elect the chiefest end is the celebration of the mercy and iustice of God 16. The effects are concerning God our selues Effecta our neighbour God in truly seruing him our selues in wholy resting vpon him our neighbour in truly louing him 17. The subiect where Faith resteth is the heart Subiectum in quo residet Fides Adiuncta duo the vnderstanding and the will of man 18. The properties are two first that Faith bee aliue and not dead secondly that it bee perpetuall I. D. The first the thirteenth and the foureteenth I wholly and absolutely deny hauing fully
which they are iustified and so come to eternall life But what say I vnto the Minor deliuered in other tearmes thus Knowledge of Christ apprehendeth eternall life I say first it is not the same Proposition because the tearmes are changed neither are they equipollent Secondly I grant it to bee true whether you meane by knowledge Dogmaticall Faith or Particular assurance for by the one doe we apprehend that there is an eternall life by the other that wee haue speciall interest in it Well then if it apprehendeth eternall life doth it not follow that therefore also it apprehendeth iustification No by no meanes for as wee haue aboue demonstrated it is not necessary that that which apprehendeth the latter should apprehend the former also And yet though I disallow the consequence the consequent I readily yeeld you that Particular knowledge apprehendeth iustification for so haue wee defined Faith of promise to be a perswasion or assurance that the promise of God made in Christ to wit iustification remission of sinnes adoption regeneration finally election it selfe and eternall saluation doe particularly pertaine vnto mee and are mine What gather you now of this Ergo say you it is iustifying Faith How so Because whatsoeuer apprehendeth iustification is iustifying Faith Nay contrarily whatsoeuer apprehendeth iustification it not iustifying Faith for apprehension followeth iustification no man apprehending himselfe to bee iustified vntill hee be iustified but Iustifying Faith is in nature before iustification that being the cause and this the effect And therefore vnlesse you will say that that which followeth is that which goeth before you cannot say that that which apprehendeth iustification is that which iustifieth To conclude therefore neither is Faith knowledge nor knowledge Faith but particular knowledge for ought you haue yet said or can say commeth in time after Faith But whereas finally you inferre that Faith is knowledge in the beginning knowledge in proceeding knowledge in the end besides that the foundation vpon which it is grounded is vntrue it is cleane contrary also to that which erewhile you affirmed that Faith is but one compounded of my three nice distinctions the first being the beginning the second the progresse the third the end For the third is Faith of Person and in the Will and is by your confession there the end of Faith yet here you say faith is knowledge in the end which things how they can stand together I see not vnlesse you will say that knowledge is in the Will and so confound the faculties and operations of the soule N. B. In Ioh. 1. Ep. c. 5. to 13. The place of Saint Iohn by you cited to proue your Minor in your argument maketh nothing for you because the Apostle speaketh of their increase of knowledge and not of the originall begetting of knowledge and so saith M. Caluin I. D. The text in the clearest tearmes that may bee distinguisheth betweene Belieuing and knowing and vnto that giueth the priority before this but your glosse confoundeth their natures and saith that the Apostle here speaketh onely of increase of knowledge Wo to the glosse that corrupteth the text for if this bee S. Iohns meaning it is as if hee should say I write vnto you that know that yee are iustified haue eternall life that yee may increase in knowing that yee haue eternall life and that yee may know yee are iustified and haue eternall life which how vnworthy it is the pen of an Apostle euery one easily seeth But Caluin you say interpreteth the place as you doe Bee it so yet is it not the name of Caluin how venerable soeuer that may sway this matter For seeing I professe to differ from him in the definition of Iustifying Faith hee defining it by knowledge I by Affiance you may not thinke it vnreasonable if in this point and the explication of such scriptures as may seeme to concerne it I desire rather to bee pressed with his reasons then borne downe with his authority But what saith Caluin Because there ought to bee dayly proceedings in Faith therefore he writes to them that belieue already that they may more firmely and certainly belieue Whereunto I willingly assent if you apply it as Beza in his annotations doth vnto the last clause of the verse and that yee may belieue for then the meaning without forcing or constraining the words will bee as if hee should say I write vnto you that belieue that belieuing yee may know yee haue eternall life knowing the same may constantly perseuere and proceed on in Belieuing For as the clouds poure downe raine to moisten the earth and the earth moistned sendeth vp vapours againe to make clouds so likewise Faith begets Assurance and Assurance being gotten doth againe confirme and strengthen faith And thus doe the Century-writers expound this place Cent. 1. l. 2. c. 4. p. 276. gathering from it that Cetainty of Saluation is an Effect of Faith and so euidently distinguishing knowledge from Faith Treatise 3. Arg. That which in nature comes after iustification cannot bee iustifying Faith This appeares because Faith is the Efficient Instrumentall cause of Iustification and euery Efficient by the rule of Logicke is in nature before the Effect But this knowledge or assurance is in nature after Iustification Ergo it is not Faith N. B. Your Minor is very false and so proued by my former arguments For particular knowledge and assurance of our saluation is not in nature after Faith but is Faith and wholy infused by the Spirit of God and begotten by hearing of the Word preached and commeth to act by degrees according to the measure of grace giuen of God For it is in Habitu sometime not in actu Faith habituall in power actuall in the deed of belieuing as when one sleepeth his beliefe is not in actu and yet hee liueth vnto God by his faith which liueth powerfully in him though not actually I. D. The Maior of my Syllogisme is vndeniable because as I haue said Faith is the cause of iustification For as D. Fulke saith vnto Bristow excluding it from Efficient causes Reioinder to Bristow p. 172. Seeing Scripture often affirmeth that God worketh in vs by Faith faith must needs be an instrumentall efficient when you haue said all that you can except you will teach vs new Grammar and Logicke The Minor therefore you say is very false and so proued by your former arguments But those arguments are already answered and thus I proue the Minor For as for the rest of your idle and wilde talke touching the infusion begetting degrees habit act of Faith I willingly passe ouer lest pursuing you in this course I seeme to run riot and play the wanton with you Treatise The truth of a Proposition is alwayes in nature before the knowledge of the truth for Propositions are not therefore true because they are knowne so but they are first true and knowne so Therefore this Proposition I know I am iustified spoken
of the Doctrine whether you meane thereby either this Doctrine that God commands him to belieue or this that it is absurd hee should command him to bee assured I confesse indeed that neither is the cause why the Reprobate cannot belieue but that either of them is false you shall neuer bee able to shew and I haue sufficiently proued the contrary N. B. Ex. 14.4 Rom. 9. If you aske who hath hardned him I answer God who hath power ouer the vessels of his owne making to shew his Iustice or mercy vpon them as pleaseth his diuine Maiesty If you will demand the cause why God would not giue him a fleshly heart to belieue Ioh. 12.39.40 I answer I know not Est enim aliqua docta ignorantia there is a certaine learned ignorance as well teacheth Master Caluin neither can our shallow wits search out the cause of his doings But this I know that it is so and the cause thereof principally to be his good pleasure To conclude therefore this point this Doctrine bringeth no blasphemous absurdity as you impurely and impiously affirme neither is the Doctrine false or implieth contradictories though our blind natures cannot vnderstand the things that bee of God Of this matter and argument let these places bee well weighed and by you either answered or reuerenced Rom. 11.23 Gal. 3.22 Act. 13.48 2 Thess 3.2 Mat. 13.11 Prou. 16.4 Rom. 9 1â— 19 20. and from henceforth leaue off to greeue the Spirit of God wherewith the elect are sealed vnto the day of Redemption I. D. This is right that Sophysticall place which Aristotle in his Topicks calleth Apagogen Lib. 2. c. 5. See Muret. var. lect l. 7. c. 10. that is Abduction For whereas I goe about to proue that God commandeth not a Reprobate to bee assured because so doing hee should command him to belieue a manifest falshood which implieth contradiction and affirmeth errour to bee truth you not knowing what answer to make vnto the argument deriue the attention of the Reader another way and runne out into the common place of Gods secret counsels and the cause of Induration and the Reprobates inability to belieue discoursing too and fro of these things at pleasure hauing no other reason for so doing but onely because in my argument you read the word Reprobate and that I told you in this point you had no iust cause to say vnto mee as in our priuate conference you did who art thou that disputeth with God And yet as if all the while you had been in the very bowels of the cause and had not wandred so much as a haires breadth from it you conclude very soberly and sadly Therefore this Doctrine bringeth no absurdity neither is false nor implyeth contradiction But faine would I know what the Premisses are whereupon you inferre this Therefore or whether by the rules of your Logicke you may conclude without them Vnlesse this bee the sequele I know not what to make of it Our shallow wits cannot search out the cause of Gods works Ergo wee may not thinke it absurd that God shoulâ— command a Reprobate to belieue and assure himselfe of that which neither is nor neuer shall be true Vaine man proue once that God commandeth so and I will presently grant it is not absurd to thinke so Why dispute you so earnestly of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why it is when I flatly deny the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is And why doe you thus alwayes grate vpon the Conclusions and make so little reckoning to answer the proofes I bring for it Well not to wrestle with words any longer nor so fruitlesly to beate the aire because you thinke like the Cuttle-Fish to escape the net by casting about you a filthy inke of foule speeches telling me I speak impurely impiously and charging me with Presumption and Curiosity for inquiring into the Counsels of God giue mee leaue by distinguishing matters to cleare the water which you wittingly and purposely haue pudled and withall to let the Reader see how basely and cowardly you seeke out starting holes to shift your selfe aside from my arguments rather then Schollerly to answer them by some conuenient solutions Consider therefore I pray you these few Positions 1. The secret Counsels of God are those matters which hee hath treasured vp in the closet of his owne knowledge and doth not disclose vnto mankind but what truth soeuer it hath pleased him in wisdome to reueale vnto vs and hath registred in his Word is not to bee esteemed nor taken for a secret 2. As to search into the hidden and secret Counsels of God is damnable Presumption so not to search and inquire into his reuealed will is damnable Negligence For as Moyses saith The secret things belong vnto the Lord our God Deut. 29.29 but the things reuealed vnto vs and our children for euer De vocat Gent. l. 1. c. 7. Whereupon Prosper The things which God would haue hidden must not be searched and the things which hee hath made manifest must not bee neglected lest in them we be found vnlawfully curious and in these damnably vngratefull 3. They therefore that painfully and diligently trauell to find out such truths as are either expressed or infolded in the written word are not to bee tearmed Curious but Studious So distinguisheth Saint Augustin Although both De vâ—il credendi ca. 9. saith hee bee carried with a great desire of knowing yet the curious man inquireth those things which nothing concerne him and the Studious man contrarily inquireth those things which doe pertaine vnto him 4. This is a reuealed truth that There is no contradiction in God and that Hee cannot doe those things which imply contradiction 2 Cor. 1.17.18.19.20 Heb. 6.18 or are repugnant vnto the nature and definition of a thing For in God as saith S. Paul there is not yea and nay but yea and Amen neither is it possible that hee should lie or deny himselfe and it is rather impotency then Power so to bee able to doe whereas contrarily De Trin. l. 15. c. 14. as elegantly Saint Augustin saith Powerfully hath hee not power to doe this neither is it infirmity but firmity because that truth cannot bee false 5. These two Propositions are contradictory The Reprobate is iustified The Reprobate is not iustified and The Reprobate shall bee saued The Reprobate shall not bee saued God therefore cannot make that they should be true at once For as Saint Augustin saith Contrà Faustum Man l. 26. c. 5. Whosoeuer saith if God bee omnipotent let him make that those things which haue been haue not been sees not that he faith if God be omnipotent let him make that those things which are true in that they are true be false 6. One part of the Contradiction is necessarily false namely this The Reprobate is iustified Rom. 8.30 The Reprobate shall bee saued for they onely who are Predestinated vnto life are as Saint Paul
with him But if you vnderstand Faith in the second Act and as it is in operation and action then may you iustly call it a labour for as our Sauiour saith Ioh. 6.29 to belieue in him whom the Father hath sent is a Worke which God requireth vs to doe in regard whereof the Apostle Paul calleth it the Worke of Faith 1 Thess 1.3 And because Faith iustifieth not as it is in the first but in the second act that is not as it is an Habit but as it is in action accepting and applying vnto vs Christ and his merits hence is it saith Bucer that Protestants vsually define it by a motion De iustific Let the Maior therefore in this sense bee granted vnto you The Minor which you thinke to bee so cocksure I flatly deny confidently affirming that Rest is a labour prouided you vnderstand no other Rest then that which in my Treatise I haue expressed and declared For if by Rest you meane Quiet such Rest without all question is not Labour for it is the end of labour and a cessation from it and therefore well did you say that when eternall rest is wrought then the labour of Faith ceaseth But you cannot bee ignorant that by Rest I vnderstand not Quiet but Affiance in as much as I render the Latin word Fiducia by it and make the Act thereof to bee Inniti which as I haue shewed in some of our English translations is oftentimes turned by Resting and Staying vpon And this Rest that is this Relying this Reposing this Trusting or Belieuing on Christ is not a Quiet but a motion or operation and therefore a labour True it is that whosoeuer commeth vnto Christ and setteth his whole Affiance vpon him shall thereby finde refreshment and Quiet vnto his soule yet neuerthelesse it is apparant that Affiance it selfe is an act or motion of the Will and not a Quiet euen as the inclination of a mans selfe vpon his staffe or the laying of him downe vpon his bed is an action of the body In a word remember what a little before I haue deliuered to cleare this tearme from all ambiguity and take it in the same sense which there I giue vnto it and vnlesse you will say that light is darknesse you cannot but confesse that such rest is a labour and so that notwithstanding this argument Faith may be a Rest But now giue mee leaue to take vp the weapon which you are forced to lay downe and to trie whether a blow therewith from my arme will pearce any deeper for thus I retort your owne reason against you Faith is rather a labour then a rest Assurance is not so but rather a rest then a labour Ergo Faith is not Assurance The Maior is your owne and you may not deny it The Minor I proue thus Intellection or knowledge saith Aristotle is more like vnto rest and quiet then vnto motion for although the mind while it is inquiring seeking for knowledge is euer in motion and so laboureth yet when the Habit of knowledge is once acquired and gotten then is there no farther motion of the vnderstanding thereunto but a sweet rest and Quiet therein Whereupon saith the same Philosopher By the quieting setling of the soule doth a man become intelligent and wise meaning by Quiet as Iulius Scaliger expoundeth him Exerc. in Card. 307. 13. nothing else but the assent of the minde I assume But Assurance is such intellection or knowledge for it is an habituall assent vnto this truth that wee are in the present state of grace and shall infallibly bee saued Wherefore I conclude that Assurance is rather a rest or quiet then a labour whence also it farther followeth that Faith being as you confesse rather a labour then a rest cannot be Assurance Againe Faith you say ceaseth when eternall pacification and rest is wrought I grant for the Obiect of Faith as the Apostle saith are things which are not seene whereupon Saint Augustin elegantly Heb. 11.1 Si vides non est Fides Beholding is not Belieuing As therefore while we liue here in these earthly tabernacles and are absent from the Lord wee walke not by Sight but by Faith so when wee shall be clothed vpon 2. Cor. 5.4.7 Vers 4. and mortality shall bee swallowed vp of life then shall wee walke not by Faith but by Sight Neither is the ceasing of Faith any losse or disaduantage but an exchange for the better namely vision for Seeing vnto Belieuing is as the full brightnesse of the Sunne is to the glimmering light of a candle I assume then But Assurance ceaseth not when eternall pacification and rest is wrought for then the certainty of our Election of our adoption of our acceptation into grace and finally of our Saluation is so farre from ceasing that it is by so much the more confirmed vnto vs as intuitiue apprehension and the sight of the eye is more infallible then heare-say or seeing by reflexion I conclude therefore out of your owne principles that Faith ceasing and Assurance not ceasing Faith is not Assurance But as touching Affiance or Resting vpon the mediation of Christ for iustification and Saluation it is euident that that ceaseth when wee shall haue obtained eternall rest and pacification For being perfectly quitted of our sinnes and in full possession of Saluation how can wee farther set out Affiance vpon him for it Especially seeing hee shall then cease to bee vnto vs a Mediator of Redemption and Reconciliation in regard whereof only hee is the Obiect of Affiance or Iustifying Faith and shall bee vnto vs no otherwise then he is vnto the Elect Angels a Mediatour of Conseruation to confirme preserue vs eternally in the most blessed state of glory For neither shall hee Prophecy any more vnto vs by the ministry of the Gospell nor propitiate for vs by the sacrifice of his death and Passion nor gouerne vs by the scepter of his word as here hee doth 1 Cor. 15.24 but in this respect shall hee deliuer vp the Kingdome vnto his Father and the Godhead in the holy Trinity shall without all meanes bee immediately vnto vs all in all N. B. Rest therefore in Christ is the Effect of Faith and Faith is the cause of Rest and so consequently Faith is not Rest nor Rest is not Faith I. D. If say you Faith bee the cause of Rest and Rest bee the Effect of Faith then is not Faith Rest nor Rest Faith This I yeeld you But Faith is the cause of Rest and Rest is the effect of Faith How proue you this It seemeth by the illatiue particle Therefore that you referre vs for this vnto some former premisses What then haue you formerly said That a full assurance as a cause worketh rest vpon Christ as an effect But neither is Assurance Faith and I haue sufficiently proued that Assurance is not the cause of Rest nor Rest an effect of Assurance Againe you say that Faith
or word Rest you shall hardly perswade mee that hee will take it for any other then the effect of true Iustifying Faith I. D. Neither is it your vaine surmising what Master Perkins would say Neither his expresse and direct saying that may be the decider of this controuersie How well that worthy man deserued of the Church of God wherein hee was like another Baptist both a shining and a burning torch Ioh. 5.35 I cannot bee ignorant who knew him so well and very vngratefull were I if I should not acknowledge to haue receiued a good part of that little skill I haue in my profession from his mouth hauing beene for sundry yeeres his ordinary auditor Yet because hee was not a Peter or a Paul nor so preserued from error by the Spirit of truth that hee could mistake in nothing I hope I may without arrogance and with reseruation of due reuerence honor vnto his worth in some points dissent from him And if you may seat Faith both in the vnderstanding and the will notwithstanding that M. Perkins place it only in the vnderstanding On the Creed affirming that it scarce standeth with reason that one single grace should inhere in two distinct faculties why may not I take the same liberty vnto my selfe and define Iustifying Faith by Affiance although M. Perkins would take it for no other then the Effect of Iustifying Faith for so indeed hee doth and I deny not but freely confesse that vpon the reasons aboue rendred I doe in this point altogether differ from him Neither yet did I say that I blanked him with my rare and cunning disputes for this is but the renewing of your old slander the vanity of which I haue already detected Onely it seemes that your best wine is wel-nie spent seeing now you serue your guests with these dregs and that you are driuen to a very narrow strait when you are faine to arme against me such base calumniations and fictions of your owne braine N. B. When you send me to Master Foxe in his Booke de Christo gratis justificante without citing the place where or the words what of mee your speech deserueth none answer but this I dare vndertake you abuse the writings of so reuerend a man I. D. The authority of Master Foxe was not vouched by me to iustify my Definition that Faith is Affiance but to ouerthrow yours who affirme that Faith is Assurance and therefore was placed as was fitting after those arguments which I vrged against you Neuerthelesse here it pleaseth you after your desultory and disorderly manner of disputing in a very vndue place to giue answer vnto it And the reason why with such violence you hale it hither as I guesse is this that not appearing where it should it may seeme to giue no euidence at all against your Assurance and being ordered where it should not it may seeme to bee but idly alledged as being of no force to maintaine my Affiance But yet let vs see what exceptions you take to eleuate this authority Because I cite not the place where nor the words what my speech you say deserues no answer I wisse M. Baxter that booke is not of such bulke but that perusing the titles of each Chapter you might soone haue found out the places by me intended and you know that the schedule I sent you being endited at Bristoll where I was farre from my bookes I could not possibly referre you vnto the very page and line as otherwise I would haue done But now because I haue the booke at hand I will set you downe his direct words and quote you the page where you may read them and then leaue you to bee iudge your selfe whether as you charge mee I abuse the writings of that reuerend man or hee agree with mee in this that Faith is not Assurance Foxe Master Foxe therefore in his booke de Christo gratis iustificante pag. 246 saith thus My iudgement and opinion is that this confidence of mercy and certainty of Saluation promised is a thing which ought to bee very neerely conioined with Faith and which euery one ought necessarily to apply vnto himselfe yet being most applied is not that which onely by it selfe properly and absolutely dischargeth vs of our sinnes and iustifies before God but that there is some other thing propounded in the Gospell which in nature goeth before this certainty and iustifieth before God For Faith vpon the Person of the Sonne of God whereby wee are first reconciled vnto God necessarily goes before Againe pag. 253. Although saith hee certainty and assurance of diuine grace which it selfe is sometime commended vnder the name of Faith bee very neerely ioined with Faith yet this assurance doth not properly import the cause of iustifying but receiueth it being brought neither worketh iustification but is rather wrought by it and maketh them certaine who by the Faith of Christ are iustified but it selfe iustifieth not And yet againe pag. 255. If the question bee of the cause which properly iustifieth from sinne I answer it is that Faith not whereby wee belieue that wee are iustified but whereby wee belieue in Christ the Sonne of God Thus M. Foxe and thus by M. Foxe it appeareth as I affirmed that in this point I am not singular and alone Yet to preuent captious cauils you may bee pleased to vnderstand that the Latin word vsed by Master Foxe to wit Fiducia I haue in my translation englished Confidence and Assurance not that I was afraid lest rendring it Affiance hee might seeme to exclude my affiance also from the Definition of Faith for had hee done so it were nothing to mee hauing shewed that hee denies Faith to be Assurance which was all I there affirmed of him but because if you marke his words attentiuely you shall find that by Fiducia hee vnderstands not Affiance but confident Perswasion or Assurance for hee doth euer confound it with Certainty and expresly defines it to bee that whereby wee are assured of our iustification by Christ So doth Melancthon also and Kemnitius and many others vnderstanding by Fiducia a firme Perswasion that our sinnes are certainly remitted by the propitiation of Christ and all the benefits of the promise of grace giuen communicated and applyed vnto vs. So that vnlesse I would haue depraued my authors meaning I could not translate otherwise then I haue done N. B. Now thinke not that I hold that a man ordinarily saued may be saued without relying vpon Christ Iesus for I hold the cleane contrary viz. that true Iustifying Faith assuring a man in spirituall knowledge of his owne saluation in Iesus Christ worketh and causeth a sweet rest and reposing of the whole soule vpon Christ and his Merits But I deny that this Rest is Faith or this Faith Rest no more then the tree can be the fruite or the fruite the tree I. D. That no man can ordinarily bee saued without Relying vpon Christ I grant for according to my
worketh eternall rest and peace But how doth this follow Faith is the cause of eternall quiet and resting from our labours in the Kingdome of Heauen Ergo it is the cause of Affiance and Resting vpon Christ here in this life for it is not necessary that that which causeth the one should also cause the other But if in your Conclusion when you say Faith is not a Rest you meane it is not that eternall rest what is that to mee who define not Faith by such a Rest So then your therefore either concluding beside the Question or being inferred vpon no Premisses deserueth of mee no answer at all Yet to take away all scruple let vs see what may be said for it Bellarmine to proue that Affiance is an Effect of Faith De iustif lib. 1. cap. 6. and consequently not Faith alledgeth and vrgeth three passages of Scripture but withall I must tell you that if hee dispute to the purpose hee must meane by Affiance no other then confident Perswasion or Assurance For his aduersaries as himselfe there saith defining Faith by Affiance vnderstand thereby that Speciall Faith whereby euery one applying to himselfe the diuine Promise belieueth or rather confidently trusteth that all his sins are forgiuen him by Christ So that if as he ought hee argue vnto the meaning of his aduersaries hee concludeth not against my Affiance but onely against your Perswasion or Assurance Neuerthelesse let vs examine those places seuerally and particularly The first is that of the Apostle to the Ephesians Eph. 3.12 In whom wee haue boldnesse and entrance with confidence by the Faith of him whence it followeth saith hee if confidence or Affiance be by Faith that Faith is not Affiance but the cause thereof for otherwise the sense would bee we haue entrance with confidence by confidence which is absurd To this I answer first that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Confidence oftentimes signifieth Perswasion or Assurance being deriued of a verbe that signifieth firmely to be Perswaded as where the Apostle saith Rom. 2.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou strongly perswadest thy selfe that thou art a guide of the blind Phil. 1.25 and againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this am I well assured of and therefore it is not necessary here to vnderstand it of my Affiance Secondly grant that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Affiance is meant yet doth it not follow that it is an effect of Iustifying Faith seeing by faith not Iustifying but Historicall Faith may bee vnderstood which is the meanes by which wee grow vnto Affiance Lastly let it be farther yeelded that both by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Affiance and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iustifying Faith are meant yet may Affiance this notwithstanding bee that Faith neither will any such absurdity ensue thereon For as when you say wee are assured by Faith you would thinke your selfe wronged if I should inferre thereupon that Faith is not Assurance but the cause thereof or that otherwise the sense would bee wee are assured by assurance so when the Apostle saith in Affiance by Faith why should he not also count himselfe as much abused if you gather from hence that Faith is not Affiance but the cause thereof or that else the speech would be absurd as if hee should say in Affiance by Affiance The reason of all in a word is because this forme of words may import that Affiance is the next and immediate Act of Iustifying Faith The second place is that saying of our Sauiour vnto the woman diseased with an issue of blood Mat. 9.22 Bee confident daughter thy Faith hath saued thee where saith hee Faith is againe in like sort distinguished from Affiance for the woman is moued to conceiue and entertaine Affiance who was already healed by Faith To this I answer that the word which our Sauiour vseth to the woman is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to be bold or couragious whence commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boldnes courage Exerc. 317.4 which as Iulius Scaliger saith is the motion of Fortitude vnto some worke and is opposed vnto Timerousnesse or Fearefulnesse Neither was it without speciall reason that our Sauiour chose that word rather then any other for finding that vertue proceeded from him and demanding who had touched him Luc. 8.47 the woman seeing that shee could conceale it came vnto him trembling and fell at his feet and declared what shee had done whereupon hee said vnto her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tremble not Daughter nor be dismay'd but cheere vp and bee of good courage for I assure thee thy Faith hath saued thee goe thy way in Peace Now this Boldnesse or courage I confesse is an effect of Faith nay oftentimes an effect of the effect of Faith namely Hope for as Despaire of victory causeth Fearefulnesse and deiection of Spirit so contrariwise Hope of victory maketh a man to bee bold and confident But vnlesse you can proue that this Boldnesse is the same with my Affiance which with all your skill you can neuer doe they being of so different natures you can neuer conclude from hence that Affiance is an effect of Faith The third and last place is that of the same Apostle vnto Timothy They which minister well shall get vnto themselues a good degree and much affiance in the Faith which is in Christ where saith hee 1 Tim. 3.13 Affiance is said to be acquired and gotten by Faith because Faith may bee without such Affiance Whereunto I answer that the word vsed in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which no way signifieth Affiance but libertie and freedome of speech whether wee vtter our mind vnto God by prayer as where the Apostle saith Heb. 4.16 Let vs come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with boldnesse and freedome of Speech vnto the Throne of grace or make profession of our Faith before men as where the same Apostle saith Cast not away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your free profession Heb. 10.35 as Beza translateth it And because this libertie and freedome proceedeth from the testimony of a good conscience and assurance of the loue and fauour of God Heb. 3.6 therefore is it sometimes vsed for Assurance as where the Apostle saith Whose house wee are if wee hold fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that confidence and reioycing of Hope vnto the end meaning by Confidence saith Beza that most worthy effect of Faith whereby wee crye Abba Father Prou. 28.1 and sometimes for that Lion-like boldnesse which Salomon saith alwayes attendeth a good conscience and so doth the same Beza in this present place of Timothy vnderstand it Heb. 3.6 vide annot Tremel ad Heb. 4.16 And hence it is that the Syriacke oftentimes rendreth this word by Retection or Reuelation of the face because a good conscience lifteth vp the head and boldly sheweth the face whereas a guiltie minde hangeth downe the head and as one confounded and ashamed dares