question Gregory in another place speaketh excellently to this purpose Omnis humana iustitia iniustitia esse conuincitur si districtè indicetur Prece ergo post iustitiam indiget vt quae succumbere disoussa poterat ex sola indicis pietate conualescat Dicat ergo qui etiamsi habuero quippium iustum non respondebo sed meum ludicem deprecabor Vâ—lut si apertiùs fateatur dicens etsi ad opus virtutis excreâ—ero ad vitam non ex meritis sed ex venia conualesco All humane righteousnesse saith he if it bee strictly iudged is conuinced to be vnrighteousnesse Therefore a man after his workes of righteousnesse had neede to pray that his righteousnesse which being discussed might sink down vnder the burthen may recouer strength againe by the only clemency of the Iudge Let him say then that though I haue done any thing that is iust yet I will not answer but will supplicate my Iudge As if he should more plainly confess saying Although I attaine to neuer so great a proficiency in the way of vertue yet I come to obtaine life not of merits but of mercy This was the constant doctrine of the Church of Rome in this Bishops dayes We will conclude this point in setting downe the iudgement of Cardinall Contarenus who writ of iustification a little before the Councell of Trent where hauing before of set purpose examined the Protestants doctrine of iustification confesseth ingenuously as he had iudiciously according to his learning and piety scand and compared it that Luthers doctrine together with the Protestants was consonant and agreeable to Catholicke doctrine For as yet the Councell of Trent had not decreed against the Catholicke faith which had beene maintained by all the Fathers of the Church in all ages euen downe to Contarenus his time who writ some three or foure yeares before the first Session of this Councell although the Schoole-men specially the Scotists had according to the Authors name darkened and dimmed the truth whose new doctrine notwithstanding proued not as yet Catholicke before the Councell of Trent wherein the Scotists bore no small sway would needes make it Romane-Catholicke in despite of all Catholickes Where also we may note by the way the falshood of that scandall which Pontificians cast vpon the Protestants Religion as being a doctrine of nouelty broached first by Luther Whereas a Cardinall of the Church of Rome of learning and piety after due examination found and confessed that the Protestant doctrine of iustification being the maine fundamentall doctrine of Christian Religion did consent with Catholicke doctrine But let vs see what this Cardinall saith concerning iustification Attingimus ad duplicem iustitiam alteram nobis inharentâ—m quâ— incipimus esse iusti essiâ—imur consortes diuinae naturae habâ—â—â—â— charitatem diffusam in cordibus nostris alteram verò non inharentem sed nobis donatam cum Christo iustitiam inquam Christi omne eius meritum simul tempore vtraque nobis donatur vtramque attingimus per fidem Quòd autem Deus donaâ—erit nobis Christum omnia cum eo est Textus Apostoli expressus in Epâ—stola ad Romanos Qui filio suo non popercit c. His reor 〈◊〉 posse contradicere Restat iam inquirere vtranam dibeamus â—iti existimare nos iustificaricoram Deo id est sanctos iustos haberi ea inquum institia quae deceat filios Dei ac oculis Dei satisfacias an hac iustitia charitate nobis inhaerente an potius iustitâ—â— Christi nobis donata imputata Ego prorsus existimo piè Christianè dici quòd debeamus niti niti inquam tanquam restabili quae certò nos sustentat iustitia Christi nobis donata non autem sanctitate gratia nobis inharente Haec etenim nostra iustitia est inchoata imperfecta quae tueri nos non potest quin in multis offendamus quin assiduè peccemus ac propterea indigeamus oratione qua quotidiè petamus dimitti nobis debita nostra Idcirâ—o in conspectu Dei non possumus ob hanc iustitiam nostram haberi iusti boni quemadmodum deceret filios Dei esse bonos sanctos sed iustitia Christi nobis donata est vera perfecta iustitia quae omnino placet oeulis Dei in qua nihâ—l est quod Deum offendat quod Deo non summopere placeat Hac ergo sola certa stabili nobis nitendum est ob eam solam credere nos iustificari coram Deo id est iustos haberi dici iustos Hic est preciosus ille Christianorum the saurus quem qui inuenit vendit omnia quae habet vt emat illum Haec est preciosa margarita quam qui inuenit linquit omnia vt eam habeat c. Inde est quòd experimento videmus viros sanctos qui quanto magis in sanctitate proficiunt tanto minus sibi placent ac propterea tanto magis intelligunt se indigere Christo iustitia Christi sibi donata ideoque so relinquunt soli Christo incumbunt Hoc non ob eam accidit causam quòd facti sanctiores minus videant quà m prius neque quoniam facti sint animo dimissiori viliori imò quanto magis in sanctitate proficiunt tanto maiori sunt animo tantò sunt perspicaciores Quamobrem facti perspicaciores magis intuentur sanctitatis iustitiae ipsis inhaerentis tenuitatem cum qua perspiciunt multas maculas quae corum oculos factos perspicaciores magis offendunt ac propterea reipsa cognoscunt non sibi nitendum esse sanctitate charitate gratia sibi inhaerente sed confugiendum sibi esse ad Christum ad gratiam Christi ipsis donatam quae nitantur incumbant We attaine saith hee to a double righteousnesse the one inherent in vs whereby wee begin to be iust and are made partakers of the diuine nature and haue charity shed abroad in our hearts the other not inherent but giuen vs with Christ the righteousnesse I say of Christ and all his merits Both are giuen vs at one time and we attaine both of them by faith And that God hath giuen vs Christ and with him all things it is the Text of the Apostle to the Romanes These things I suppose none can contradict It remaines then to enquire whether of these two we are to trust vnto and to bee esteemed iustified before God For my part saith hee I thinke it agreeable both to Piety and Christianity to say that we ought to relye to relye I say vpon the righteousnesse of Christ giuen vnto vs as vpon a most firme foundation which doth surely sustaine vs and not vpon holinesse and grace inherent in vs. Thus Contarenus And againe in the same book Hac sola inquit certa stabili nobis nitendum est ob eam solam credere nos iustificari coram Deo id est
iustos haberi c. We are saith he to relye vpon this only certaine and stable foundation and for the same onely to beleeue that we are iustified before God that is accounted iust This is that precious treasure of Christians which who so findeth selleth all that he hath to buy it Thence it is that by experiment we see holy men who the greater proficients they proue in holinesse the lesse they please themselues and therefore doe so much the more perceiue they stand in neede of Christ and of his righteousnesse giuen vnto them and therefore they renounce themselues and relye onely vpon Christ. Neither doth this come to passe that becomming more holy they see lesse than before or are now more degenerous and base minded yea rather the more they grow in sanctity the more generous and quicke sighted they bee Wherefore becomming the sharper sighted they do the more looke into the weaknesse and slendernesse of their inherent sanctity and righteousnesse which they obserue to bee infected with many spots and speckes which doe so much the more offend their eyes the more sharpe sighted they grow and therefore they acknowledge that they are not to relye vpon any sanctity charity and grace inherent in them but to flye to Christ and to his grace giuen vnto them whereupon they wholly relye and repose themselues These and many other excellent sayings hath this Cardinall left recorded beseeming a learned godly and pious Diuine setting forth the true nature of the iustification of a sinner before God So that by the authority and testimony of this learned and iudicious Cardinall Gods wisedome and prouidence so disposing it it is euident that this doctrine of iustification which the Protestants teach and maintaine was not a new doctrine inuented by Luther but the same which the Catholicke Doctors and Diuines taught vntill Scotus and his Sectaries began to broach a new and contrary doctrine which this learned Cardinall by solid arguments from Scripture confuteth neuer created nor decreed for Catholicke vntill the Romane-Catholicke Councell of Trent CHAP. XI Of the Romane-Catholicke faith it selfe what kinde of faith that is which the Church of Rome admitteth as their Christian faith or the faith of Romane-Catholicke beleeuers BY that which hath beene already declared of the Romane-Catholicke doctrine touching the iustification of a sinner it is more than euident that they haue quite barred vp the beautifull gate of the Temple of Heauen blocked vp the way to saluation beset the Tree of life with their Seraphicall flaming sword of Anathema fire and fagot lest neuer a Mothers sonne of Adam should put forth his hand to taste of it and so liue for euer in the heauenly Paradise So that the Romish Doctors specially the Trent-Fathers are iust like those Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites which shut vp the Kingdome of Heauen and for all Peters pretended keyes take away the key of knowledge neither going in themselues nor suffering others to enter in Or they are like to the Philistims who stopped vp those Wels which Abraham had digged for his flockes filling them with earth and rubbish So these Romish Philistims enuying Isaacs riches the riches of Gods grace in the children of the promise Abrahams seede haue with the earth and rubbish of humane inuentions and of Satans Sophistry stopped vp those Wels of saluation which Abraham by faith had digged and found enioyed left also to his faithfull posterity to enioy to the worlds end And in stead therof they haue hewed to themselues Cisternes broken Cisternes that will hold no water hauing forsaken the Lord the fountaine of liuing waters as Ieremy speaketh But yet say that the Romane-Catholicke Church had not thus stopped vp the Wels of saluation but that as the promiscuous Samaritans who were a perfect type of the Popish Church for they meddled not with the Iewes the true Church they had a mixt Religion of the true God and of Idols false gods they had built a Temple in Mount Garizim not onely in imitation but in emulation and opposition to the Temple in Ierusalem So the Romish Church will not meddle with the true Christian professors and true Iehudahs praysers of God vnlesse it be by treachery and treason by powder and poyson fire and fagot and sword their Religion is mixt and so mixt as their Idols haue quite shouldred out the seruice of the true God and against Christ the true Temple whose Religion is Catholicke and spred ouer the whole world as Christ told the Samaritan woman they haue built an Antichristian Church vpon the Romane Hils whose imaginary foundation is Peters Chaire and whose gates are opened and shut with Peters keyes Say I say if as the Samaritans retained Iacobs Well intire so the Pontificians did preserue the Wels of saluation pure not hauing despitefully stopt them vp as the Philistims did Abrahams Wels yet as the woman of Samaria said to Christ The Well is deepe and thou hast nothing to draw withall so the Well of saluation is deepe what is there then to draw withall that as Esay faith yee may with ioy draw water out of the Wels of saluation This may therefore be fitly obiected to the Church of Rome which the Samaritan woman foolishly obiected to Christ The Well is deepe and thou hast nothing to draw withall Nothing yea nothing not so much as a small sheard to take water withall out of the pit as Esay speaketh For there is no line to reach no bucket to take the liuing waters out of Gods Well but onely Faith With this it was wherewith the Samaritan woman her selfe both drew and dranke of the true liuing water out of Iacobs true liuing Well and the Wel was Christ. With this Faith it was wherewith the woman with the bloudy issue drew the liuing water out of Christ which washed away the running bloudy issue of her sins For it was her faith that made her whole and that by Christs own testimonie With this faith it was that the blinde man in the Gospell went and washed in the Poole of Siloam yea in the soft running waters of Shilo Iesus Christ by vertue wherof he returned seeing But the Church of Rome doth not deny faith True Yea but euery faith will not reach this Well nor comprehend this Water let vs see therefore what that faith is which the Pontificians hold and whether it will hold water as we say And now are wee come to the maine point of the matter of our iustification as Soto confesseth that this doctrine of faith it selfe is the princeps Controuersia the head controuersie betweene the Pontificians and whom they call the Lutherans But as the same Soto saith ibid. Est lis haec de sola fide adeo tum à suis exordijs abstrusae tum ob diuturnam vtrinque pugnam obuoluta ac implexa vt ad eruendam veritatem vix nobis alicunde pateat aditus This controuersie of sole faith saith
a man that is not iustified Seuenthly that a man hauing this Faith whereby he is made a Christian and a beleeuer yet for all that hee may goe to Hell Lastly notwithstanding all this yet this Faith is a true iustifying Faith though it bee dead This is the expresse perplext doctrine of the Church of Rome concerning Faith without any equiuocation at all Come wee now to examine the truth of this doctrine CHAP. XII Wherein Romane-Catholicke Doctrine concerning the kinde of iustifying Faith is confuted and the Catholicke Doctrine confirmed also of Faiths obiect and subiect FIrst whereas they allow no Faith in Scripture but one which they ground vpon that of the Apostle Ephes. 4. 5. One Faith it is euident they build vpon a wrong ground That there is but one Faith in the Apostles sense it is true that is but one sauing and iustifying Faith but that this faith is that which the Romane Catholicks only allow of is vtterly false and fabulous And yet they cal this the iustifying faith which Vega describeth thus Fides cui sacrae literae nostram tribuunt iustificationem c. That Faith to which the holy Scriptures attribute our iustification is for the most part and specially the Faith of the only Mediator betweene vs and God or to speake more plainely it is the Faith of Iesus Christ to wit a credulity or perswasion whereby we certainly and vndoubtedly beleeue that we may possibly be saued by him alone and also other things which are deliuered eyther by himself or by his Church or by his Apostles which we are to beleeue concerning his life death resurrection glory and dignity and grace Note here the nature of the Pontifician Faith They call it the Faith of the only Mediatour between vs and God This is well said but it is with limitation it is but vt plurimum for the most part Therefore this is not the true Catholicke faith as we shall see anone Then they call this Faith a credulity or perswasion wherby we certainly and vndoubtedly beleeue How Certainly and vndoubtedly beleeue This may passe for good Catholike doctrine But what do we certainly and vndoubtedly beleeue namely Per cum vnum nos posse saluari That we may possibly be saued by him alone So they place their faith in a possibility of saluation by Christ. But is this all No this faith hath for its full and adaequate obiect as the entire rule of it whatsoeuer is reuealed or deliuered by writing or tradition either by Christ himselfe or by his Church or by his Apostles So that this faith must bee regulated as well by that which the Church saith and what he meaneth by the Church we all know as what Christ and his Apostles haue said as well by traditions Romes vnwritten word as by the written Word of God Nay the Councell of Trent goes farther making the maine rule of faith to be that sense and meaning which the Church alwayes vnderstand of Rome hath or shall set downe concerning all things written and vnwritten And this is the Romane-Catholike faith Now if this faith of theirs bee the iustifying faith how comes it to passe that they that haue this faith are not iustified by it And if men hauing this faith may notwithstanding be damned and carry it with them to hell how is it a iustifying faith But with Romes good will we must not touch vpon particulars Suffice it there is one faith and this is the Catholicke faith of Romane-Catholicke beleeuers There is but one faith say they whether it be formed or vnformed which they take from the Scoria of the Schooles forge For Aquinas saith that faith formed or vnformed is one and the same in kinde and in number as the Logicke terme is Indeede Aquinas might speake his pleasure of faith formed and vnformed as being the first Forger of the forme of faith Whereas if this Scoria be but cast into the Test it will presently fume into the ayre For according to Philosophy Aquinas his profest and pretended proper element a thing without forme is non ens if it be Tohu it is Bohu too Gen. 1. 2. For the forme giues the being to the thing Now the faith of Deuils and of the wicked wanting a forme as Pontificians say is no faith at all But the faith of Deuils is not no faith a faith it is therefore a forme it must haue What forme Indeede as Scaliger saith the formes of things are hard to be found out But euery thing that hath but a name must haue a forme that giues the being Now that the faith of Deuils hath a forme proper vnto it is manifest because it hath a speciall act and motion in beleeuing which springeth from the proper forme of it The act of the Deuils faith is to beleeue that God is and that he is true in his word and iust in his iudgements so as it maketh the Deuill to tremble withall If therefore the Deuils faith hath a speciall forme to giue being vnto it then this forme puts a specificall difference betweene the Deuils faith and the Saints faith For euery thing is differenced in kinde from another by its proper forme As therefore the Saints faith hath a speciall forme to difference it from the faith of Deuils so the Deuils faith hath a proper forme to difference it specifically from the faith of Saints as the beasts soule is by the forme of it differenced from a mans soule And the forme makes the maine difference But this by the way to shew how these Philosophicall Doctors defile their owne nest To proceed That there is but one faith whereby we are saued all Catholike Diuines haue euer taught but that the liuing faith which they call formed and the dead faith which they say is vnformed should be all one faith in kinde this is a mysterie neuer known nor I suppose euer so much as dreamt of by any of the ancient Catholick Doctors of the Church Leo sirnamed the Great who was Bishop of Rome about the yeare of Christ 440. while as yet the faith of that Church was truely Catholike he saith Vna fides iustificat vniuersorum temporum Sanctos ad eandem spem fidelium pertinet quicquid per Mediatorem Dei hominum Iesum Christum vel nos confitemur factum vel Patres nostri adâ—rauere faciendum A sentence worthy to be written in golden letters One faith saith he doth iustifie the Saints of all times and it appertaines to the same hope of the faithfull whatsoeuer eyther we confesse already done or our Fathers adored should be done by the Mediator of God and men Iesus Christ. Note here this good old Bishop of Rome acknowledgeth one faith What faith A iustifying faith What A faith common to reprobates No such as iustifieth the Saints What Saints Those of the Popes Canonizing No The Saints of all times such as were long before the new order of Saints instituted by the Pope long after
they are iustified how can this Faith bee in the Diuels or Damned And St. Augustine to the same purpose speaking of Peters Faith proper to the Elect saith Dic quae fides Quae per dilectionem operatur Hanc daemones non habent fidem quae per dilectionem operatur sed soli serui Dei soli Sancti Dei soli fide filij Abrahae soli filij dilectionis filij promissionis ideo est charitas dicta Tell me what faith had Peter That which worketh by loue This faith which worketh by loue the Deuils haue not but only Gods seruants only Gods saints onely the sonnes of Abraham by faith onely the sonnes of loue the sonnes of the promise therefore it is called also charity Note here how St. Augustine puts a distinct difference between that kinde of Faith of Gods saints which is neuer separated from charity but alwayes working by loue and that in the Deuils and damned which is not capable of charity no more than the Salamander of heat Discernenda est ergo fides Daemonum à fide Sanctorum Plane discernenda vigilanter diligenter Therfore saith he the faith of the Diuels is to be discerned from the faith of the Saints Yea it is to be heedfully and carefully discerned Yea the whole current of ancient Fathers runne mainly to proue that sauing and iustifying Faith is a Faith proper to the Elect and Saints of God and meerely distinct in kind and nature from that faith which is common with reprobates and deuils Hence it is that they giue sauing and iustifying Faith such Epithets and Attributes as doe distinguish it from the faith which is in the reprobate and damned As they call it Sancta integra vera viua non reproba fides c. A holy intire true liuing not a reprobate faith Origen saith Certum est quod remissionem peccatorum nullus accipiat nisi detulerit integram probam sanctam fidem per quam mercari possit Arietam cuius natura haec est vt peccata credentis abstergat It is certaine that none can receiue remission of sins vnlesse he bring an entire godly and holy faith wherewith he may buy the Ramme the nature whereof is this to take away the sins of the beleeuer And againe Si fidem obtuleris tanquam precium hoc est Siclum sanctum Christo velut Ariete immaculato in hostiam dato remissionem accipies peccatorum If thou shalt offer thy faith as a price that is the holy Sicle hauing Christ as an immaculate Ramme offered vp in sacrifice thou shalt receiue remission of sinnes This ancient Doctor of the Church cals faith a price as Peter cals it a precious faith Chrysostome vpon the third Chapter to the Romanes saith What is the Law of Faith To be saued by grace Hee declareth the power of God that not only he saueth but also iustifieth and glorifieth without the helpe of any workes but requiring only faith If therefore God do saue and iustifie and glorifie vs by faith without the helpe of any workes concurring in our iustification then surely wicked and godlesse men so remaining whatsoeuer other faith they may haue they haue nothing to doe with this iustifying Faith by which most properly we are called Fideles Theophylact saith Qui credit in Filium non iudicatur Nunquid si immundam egerit vitam non iudicatur Maximè quidem Non eâ—im verè fideles sunt eiusmodi Hee that beleeueth in the Son is not condemned But if a man leade an impure life is he not condemned Yes doubtlesse For such men are no true beleeuers St. Basil saith What is the property of a Christian Faith working by loue The Faith then of a Christian is not separate from loue for it is alwayes operans working by loue And the same Father addeth What is the property of Faith A ful perswasion without reasoning c. where the same Father sheweth other common properties of faith as it apprehends the truth of Gods Oracles and is true it selfâ— without adding or detracting Our Sauiours words in the third of Iohn v. 16. are very powerfull God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Whence issueth this conclusion Whosoeuer beleeueth in Iesus Christ shall neuer perish But wicked men by the confession of Pontificians although they beleeue do perish Therefore that faith or beleefe which wicked men haue is not that faith or beleefe in Christ which will not suffer any man to perish St. Augustine to this purpose vpon these words Credo in Deum c. saith Non dicit Credo Deum vel credo Deo quamuis haec necessaria saluti sint Aliud est enim credere illi aliud credere illum aliud credere in illum Credere illi est credere vera esse quae loquitur credere illum credere quia ipse est Deus credere in illum diligere illum Credere vera esse quae lâ—quitur multi malipossunt credere autem ipsum esse Deum Daemones possunt credere vero in Deum soli nouerunt qui diligunt illum qui non solum nomine Christiani sunt sed factis vita quia sine dilectione fides inanis est cum dilectione fides Christiani sine dilectione fides Daemonis I beleeue in God c. He saith not I beleeue that God is or I beleeue God although also these are necessarie to saluation For it is one thing to beleeu him another to beleeue that he is and another to beleeue in him To beleeue him is to beleeue those things are true which he speaketh to beleeue that he is is to beleeue that he is God or that God is to be beleeue in him or into him as the Scottish Dialect or Phrase doth more liuely expresse it is to loue him To beleeue those things to bee true which he speaketh euen many wicked men may doe it and to beleeue that God is euen the Diuels can also doe it but to beleeue in God they only can skill which doe loue him which are Christians not onely in name but also in their deeds and life because faith without loue is vaine with loue the faith of a Christian without loue the faith of Diuels So this holy Father As elsewhere throughout his workes he teacheth this as the Catholik doctrine constantly maintained in the Church of Christ That sauing and instifying faith is a faith meerely distinct and different in kinde and nature from that faith which is in wicked men and in Diuels cleane contrary to the Romane Catholicke doctrine as the like place we alledged before in the sixt Chapter out of his 29. Tract vpon St. Iohn And it is also vsed by the Glosse vpon Rom. 4. Vega citeth the place by way of obiection but leaues it vnanswered as we haue formerly shewed For indeede it is vnanswerable And therefore but only in that one place and that
whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen to the glory of God the Father yet withall it doth not restraine its generall influence of beleefe from any part of Gods Word no more than the eye of the body doth shut it selfe from seeing any other thing present before it than that particular obiect to which the radius or beam directly pointeth What need more testimonies yet the ancient Fathers of the Church haue not left vs without witnesse in this point I will vse but one or two for breuity Chrysostome saith This is the propertie of true Faith when aâ— the promise being made not after a manner customary or familiar with men we confidently beleeue the power of the promiser Thou seest how euen before the euent and accomplishment of the promises Abraham in as much as he beleeued receiueth a sufficient reward For to beleeue the promise of God was imputed to him for righteousnesse Therefore to beleeue Gods promise is both able to make vs iust and shall cause vs to obtaine the promises By Faith we procure righteousnesse and obtain the good promises And the same Father vpon the tenth to the Romanes saith Hoc potissimum peculiare est fidei vt promissa Dei cunctacomplectamur This is chiefly peculiar to Faith that we embrace all the promises of God Thus we see this holy man placeth the promises of God in Christ as the prime obiect of iustifying Faith St. Ambrose saith Si exclusa fuerit promissio sine dubio frustratur Fides Abrahae Quod ne audire quidem se patiuntur Iudaei scientes quia promissio ex Fide est Abrahae Quae promissio ex Fide iustificat non per Legem sicut Abraham iustificatus ex Fide est Hi ergo haeredes sunt promissionis Abrahae qui illi succedunt suscipientes Fidem in qua benedictus iustificatus est Abraham Testimonium ergo promissionis Abrahae testamentum appellatur vt post mortem eius Haeredes essent in promissione Filij eius factiper Fidem That is If the promise be excluded without doubt the Faith of Abraham is made voyde which not euen the Iewes themselues endure to heare knowing that the promise is of the Faith of Abraham Which promise doth iustifie by Faith not through the Law as also Abraham is iustified by Faith They therefore are Heires of the promise to Abraham which succeede him by entertaining the Faith wherein Abraham is blessed and iustified Therfore the testimonie of the promise to Abraham is called a Testament that after his death they might bee Heires in the promise beeing made his Sonnes by Faith So Ambrose Thus wee haue the testimonies of two faithfull witnesses testifying this most Catholicke doctrine of Faith not onely of Abraham but consequently of all the faithfull That the promises of God in Christ are the maine obiect of sauing and iustifying Faith And these witnesses shall stand in stead of many Hence it is that Faith in Scripture is called Confidence or Assiance because it embraceth the promise of God in Christ as the proper obiect of it as we touched before In a word those famous ancient Creeds vniuersally receiued in the Church especially the Apostolicall the Nicene and Athanasius his Creede all of them called the obiect of Faith as being the abridgement of the Word of God what do they commend vnto vs as the maine and sole obiect of sauing and iustifying Faith but Iesus Christ his incarnation passion resurrection ascention session at Gods right hand c. together with the fruits we reape from this tree of life as to bee made his liuing members beleeuing the holy Catholicke Church the Communion of Saints the Remission of sinnes the Resurrection of the body and the life euerlasting all the effects and fruits of Gods promises in Christ. But say the Pontificians faith is an act of the vnderstanding as being seated in the intellectuall part of the soule and not in the will and therefore it is but a bare assent to the truth of Gods word in generall and so also of the promises contained therein and no speciall affiance in the goodnesse of God particularly towards a mansselfe And so they make onely the truth of God reuealed as being apprehended and assented vnto by the vnderstanding to be the obiect of faith and not the goodnesse of God contained in his promises as being entertained and embraced by the will But for the clearing of this point we may first obserue how the Church of Rome as in other points of doctrine so in this maine point of Faith doth most pitifully interfeere For which cause let me here insert a passage in the Prouinciall Councell of Colen celebrated Anno 1536. some nine years before the Councell of Trent which will partly confirme what hath beene formerly said concerning the nature of true Faith and confront this Pontifician obiection now in hand This Prouinciall Synod setteth downe a three-fold kinde of beleeuing following therein St Augustine vpon the Creed Credo in Deum which we haue a little before cited We will set down the very words of the Synod which acknowledgeth Duplicem seu triplicom esse fidei sâ—u credendi rationem Siquidem vna est qua Deum esse ac caetera quae Scriptura commemorat non aliter quam historica quadam fide recitata vera credimus Vnde historica fides appellatur quam nobiscum Damones communâ—m habent Altera qua Deo credimus quae persuasio constans opinio est quae fidem promissionibus comminationibus diuinis adhibemus quam habent iniusti cum iustis communem Tertia fidei ratio est qua in Deum credimus solis pijs peculiaris quae certissima quaedam fiducia est qua tâ—tâ—s nos Deo submittimus totique à gratia misericordia Dei pendemus Haec spem complectitur charitatem indiuiduam comitem habet Prima credendi ratio seu fides illa Historica si solam accipias informis est veluti adhuc mortua Altera verò qua Deo tantum credimus nec dum tamen erga Deum religiosa pietate assicimur manâ—a Sedtertiâ— qua in Deum credimus pioque affectu in â—um tendimus ea demum viuida atque integra fides est c. That is There is a two-fold or three-fold sort of faith or beleeuing One is whereby wee beleeue that God is as also other things which the Scripture relates wee beleeue to be true no otherwise than by a kinde of Historicall faith recorded whence it is called an Historicall faith which the Deuils haue in common with vs. The second is whereby wee beleeue God which is a perswasion and constant opinion whereby wee giue credit both to Gods promises and threatnings which faith the wicked haue in common with the righteous The third sort of faith is that whereby wee beleeue in God which is peculiar onely to the godly being a kinde of most certaine confidence or affiance
the will and ends in the will So that we see this good Cardinall held the will to be the prime subiect of sauing Faith But now a little to illustrate the former point concerning the subiect of Faith and the manner of inherency which it hath in a beleeuer and to cleare the truth of it by Scriptures and by ancient Fathers of the Church The Romane-Catholicke doctrine is no lesse absurd and erroneous in the obiect of sauing Faith than in the subiect of it They run from one extreame to another as the Poet saith Dum virant stâ—lâ—â— viâ—iâ— in contraria currunt Fooles from one extremity of folly runne into the contrary But as the true Catholicke doctrine although it exclude no part of Gods Word as the obiect of Faith in generall but yet restraineth the speciall obiect of sauing Faith to Christ and the promises of God in him so though it deny not Faith to haue a place of inherency in the vnderstanding yet it intitleth it not onely to the vnderstanding but â—o the will to the memory to the affections and all the faculties of the soule as so many Mansions to intertain this noble Queene Faith where she may keepe her Court of residence for her selfe and all her train of Graces that attend her Or wee may compare the seuerall faculties of the soule to so many roomes or chambers in the soule wherein as in a magnificent Palace Faith resideth whose presence as a Prince puts life into euery part whose prerogatiue it is to prescribe to each of her virgin hand-maide Graces their proper taskes her selfe putting her owne hand to euery work acting directing assisting adorning the office of each Grace whereby it is made both acceptable to God and profitable to men The Catholicke Doctrine then concerning the subiect of Faith is That Faith inhereth or resideth not onely in the vnderstanding but also in the will in the memory in the affections and in euery faculty of the soule This is the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures and therefore Catholicke The Scripture saith Corde creditur ad iustitiam With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse And againe it saith Ephes. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith And againe Acts 8. 37. Philip said to the Eunuch If thou beleeuest with all thy heart And againe Acts 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by faith By these and such like places of Scriptures it is euident that the proper subiect of Faith is the heart of man Now by the heart is meant euery power and faculty of the soule and not onely the vnderstanding as Aquinas vnderstandeth the forenamed place of Acts 15. 9. that by purifying of the heart is meant the illuminating of the vnderstanding but also the will the memory the affections and euery faculty of the soule of man First the Sriptures of tentimes by naming the heart meaneth the vnderstanding As Ephesians 1. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar Latine rendreth it word for word Illuminatos oculis cordis vestri The eyes of your heart being illuminated but our English translation hath it The eyes of your vnderstanding being enlightened thereby giuing the true meaning of the place that by the heart there is meant the vnderstanding So the Lord faith Matth. 13. 15. Ne corde intelligant Lest they vnderstand with their heart In 1. Kings 3. 9. Salomon askes an vnderstanding heart In 2. Cor. 3. 15. the vaile ouer the lewes heart was a note of their blindnesse and ignorance in the mysterie of Christ. Secondly heart in Scripture is often taken for the will As Acts 7. 39. The Israelites in their hearts turned back into Egypt that is their will was so if they had had power So Acts 11. 23. Barnabas exhorts that with purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord that is with a ready will and constant resolution So 1. Cor. 7. 37. He that stands firme in his heart hauing power ouer his owne will and hath decreed in his heart Thirdly the heart is taken for the memory Luke 1. 66. All that heard laid vp those things in their hearts that is in their memory So Deut. 4. 9. Take heede to thy selfe lest thou forget the things which thine eyes haue seene and lest they depart from thy heart that is from thy memory And Deut. 11. 18. Ye shall lay vp these my words in your heart c. that is ye shall remember them continually as signes bound vpon your hands and as front-lets betweene your eyes Hence it is that the Latines vse Recordari for to remember or to record implying that remembrance is an act springing from the heart Hence also doth our Sauiour call the heart the treasury Matth. 12. 35. which agreeth with the memory called Thesaurus rerum the Treasury of things Fourthly heart in Scripture is also taken for the affections and passions of the soule Matth. 6. 2â— Where your treasure is there will your heart be also that is your affection So Rom. 1. 24. God gaue them vp to their owne hearts lusts And Psal 62. 10. If riches increase set not your heart vpon them Thus all the motions and inclinations and cogitations in man are referred to the heart as the prime fountaine whence they all originally flow So all the vertues intellectuall and morall are said to be in the heart we say A wise heart a good heart a valiant heart an humble heart an honest heart c. And the contrary as wee say A foolish heart a wicked heart a faint heart a proud heart a deceitfull heart c. Of a valiant man we say He hath a Lyons heart and of a coward He hath the heart of a Hare and of a meeke man He hath a Lambes heart As Nabuchadnezzar for his pride had a Beasts heart giuen him that is a bruitish disposition to liue like a Beast as hee did Now the issue of all this is that faith is that same radicall grace wherein the whole life of the Saints of God all holy graces haue their being and existence of holinesse and from whence they grow and flow euen as all the branches from the roote and the streames from the fountaine For as the heart is the fountaine of all the faculties of the soule of the vnderstanding of the will of the memory of the affections motions cogitations c. all which are signified by the heart in Scripture so Faith beeing in the heart as in the proper seate and subiect and being said to purifie the heart it giues vs to know the excellent nature of Faith which is to diffuse its vertue to the purifying and possessing of euery part and faculty of the soule For possessing the heart it possesseth and filleth the whole soule It illuminates and informes the vnderstanding it reformes and conformes the will it confirmes it with hope it inflames it with loue it prompts the memory with holy meditations and remembrances of Gods loue and goodnesse it moderates and tempers all the
it be said that the Doctrine of the faith of the Church of England is any other than the Doctrine of the Catholick faith which is built vpon the holy Scriptures the onely adaequate obiect and rule of Catholike faith Now the ground and foundation of perseuerance in grace vnto the end is the eternall decree and act of Gods good pleasure and will in predestinating and electing a certaine number of men out of the corrupt masse of mankinde to be saued in and through Iesus Christ. So that the certainty of perserance of the elect Saints depends vpon the immutability of that foundation of God which stands sure and hath Gods seale vpon it The Lord knoweth who are his And it is worth the noting yea very materiall for the vnderstanding of the scope of the Apostle in that place to obserue the words immediatly going befoee vers 18. where speaking of the heresie of Hymeneus and Philetus by whose meanes the faith of some was ouerthrowne and ieast some hereupon might conclude that therefore Gods elect may fall away from faith the Apostle preuents or at least remoues that obiection inferring in the next words Neuerthelesse the foundation of God stands sure c. Yea this foundation of God stands so sure as that it stands not idle and empty but still in all ages in all places where Christ is preached the elect are effectually called and built vpon it vntill the full and finall consummation of the holy and heauenly Temple of God So that as the Apostle saith Whom God did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also iustified and whom hee iustified them hee also glorified Note here the golden chaine of mans saluation Our glorification is chained to our iustification our iustification to our effectuall vocation our effectuall vocation iustification glorification begunne here in grace and consummate hereafter in glory are all chained inseparably to predestination Gods foundation Whereupon S. Augustine saith Quos praedestinauit ipsos vocauit illa scilicet vocatione secundum propositum non ergo alios sed quos praedestinauit ipsos vocauit nec alios sed quos ita vocauit ipsos iustificauit nec alios sed quos praedestinauit vocauit iustificauit ipsos glorificauit illo vtique fine qui non habet finem Whom he predestinated them he also called to wit with that calling which is according to his purpose therefore none else but whom hee predestinated them he also called nor any others but whom he so called them he also iustified nor any others but whom he hath predestinated called iustified them he hath also glorified vnto the end that hath no end And De fide ad Petrum Diaconum cap. 3. Illi cum Christo regnabunt quos Deus gratuita bonitate sua praedestinauit ad Regnum quoniam tales praedestinando praeparauit vt Regno digniessent praepatauit vtique secundum propositum vocando◠vt obediant praeparauit iustificandos vt accepta gratia rectò credant bene viuant praeparauit etiam glorificandos vt Christi cohaeredes effecti Regnum coelorum sine fine possideant They shall reigne with Christ whom God of his free goodnesse hath predestinated to the Kingdome for because by predestinating he hath prepared such that they should be worthy of the Kingdome he hath prepared them to be called according to his purpose that they should obey hee hath prepared them to be iustified that hauing receiued grace they should beleeue aright and liue well he hath prepared them also to be glorified that being made coheires with Christ they might possesse the Kingdome of heauen without end Thus we see the maine reason of the Saints perseuerance in grace vnto the end is grounded vpon the immutability of Gods election So that the enemies of the truth and of Gods glory and louers of their owne glory know well enough that their Doctrine of vncertainty and of falling away from grace cannot stand so long as Gods foundation remaineth sure therefore they haue laboured tooth and nayle to vndermyne and blow vp this foundation of God that so men might be as a tottering house built vpon the sand or as a Ship without an anchor tossed vp and downe and running vpon the danger of euery rocke and shelue as St. Iames compares the faithlesse man to the winde-driuen waue Iames 1. 6. Now as God hath preordained and elected vs as to the end of our saluation so to the meanes ordinary and conditionall the Word and Sacraments whereby wee should be in time effectually called to imbrace by faith the onely absolute meanes of our saluation Iesus Christ in whom we are elected and by whom we are mightily saued So also hee hath ordained and appointed vs vnto holinesse of life and conuersation wherein we should walke and perseuere vnto the end of this life as it is in the definition For good workes being the proper immediate and necessary fruits of iustifying Faith they become also the ordinary high-way to the Kindgome They are via Regni though not causa Regnand◠the way of the Kingdome but not the cause of making vs Kings Hereupon the Apostle saith Ephes. 1. 4. That God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue And Chapt. 2. 10. We are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in them Here the Apostle speakes of the new creature of the regenerate man created or re-created in Christ Iesus created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes that we should walke in them For the good workes of a regenerate man as they are euidences of true faith so they are excellent meanes to preserue vs from falling and to make vs perseuere in grace vnto the end Therfore St. Peter saith 2. Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore Brethren the rather giue diligence to make your calling and election sure for if yee doe these things ye shall neuer fall These things namely such as hee spake of in the fift sixt and seuen Verses to wit all kinde of good workes For so saith he an entrance shall be ministred vnto you aboundantly into the euerlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Obiect But some will here obiect that for as much as the Apostle doth vse If here as putting the assurance of our election vpon Ifs and And 's therefore if a man continue not to doe these things he shall fall and so consequently the assurance of our perseuerance is only conditionall So that it rests in vs eyther to stand or fall from grace Answ. For answer hereunto True it is that the aduersaries of this truth catch at all shadowes whereby they may any way obscure this cleare Doctrine that so all men might remaine still in the shadow of death as Adam would haue done when he thought to hide himselfe from God by taking shrowd vnder the shadowie trees
TRUTH' 's TRIUMPH OVER TRENT OR THE GREAT GVLFE BETWEENE SION and BABYLON THAT IS The vnreconcileable opposition betweene the Apostolicke Church of CHRIST and the Apostate Synagogue of ANTICHRIST in the maine and fundamentall Doctrine of IVSTIFICATION for which the Church of ENGLAND Christs Spouse hath iustly through Gods mercie for these manie yeares according to Christs voyce separated her selfe from Babylon with whom from henceforth she must hold no Communion By H. B. Rector of S. Mathews Friday-Street 2. COR. 6. 14 15 16. What fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darkenesse And what concord 〈…〉 Christ with Belial Or what part hath the Beleeuer with an Infidell And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols LONDON Printed for MICH. SPARKE 1629. To the High and Excellent who inhabiteth Eternity IESVS CHRIST the Lord our Righteousnesse the faithfull witnesse the first begotten of the dead the Prince of the Kings of the earth who hath loued vs and washed vs in his owne bloud and hath made vs Kings and Priests vnto God and his Father Glory Dominion Blessing Honour Power for euermore Amen MOst High and Holy Lord Iesus to whom should a sinfull wretch and worthlesse abiect presume to approach but to thee his gracious Sauiour and mercifull Redeemer Vouchsafe then O Sun of righteousnes to stretch thy healing wings ouer my fainting and feeble soule now prostrate at thy beautifull and blessed feet and so bathe wash me in the fountain of thy precious bloud as that I may be presented spotlesse before thy Fathers Throne clad in the robes of thy perfect righteousnesse Thou art that faithfull witnesse to confirme yea that souereigne King and supreme Iudge to maintaine the cause of thine eternall truth against all Antichristian aduersaries Vouchsafe therefore to patronize this poore labour which the weakest vnworthiest of all thy seruants is bold here to consecrate to thy Name It is but that small fruit and rivulet which hath sprung from thee the liuing Roote and Fountaine of all grace so as by iust right it is thine Let thy power protect the worke and workman from all iniury of time and thy grace blesse the worke both to the confirming of thy people in the sauing truth and to the conuincing of the gain-sayer Thou seest O Lord the presumption of Antichrist and of his seduced seducing Apostles Thou beholdest these Apostatizing luke-warme times how many looke backe to Egypt to Babylon Thou numbrest and weighest Antichristian Aduocates and Baals Pleaders and Babylons Reconcilers as if they would in despight of thee and thy blessed Word re-erect Babels Tower within the borders of thy Sion O Lord are not thine eyes vpon the truth And do not thine eyes runne to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew thy selfe strong in the behalfe of them whose heart is perfect towards thee Art not thou He that in former times hast saued vs from our enemies hast put them to confusion that hate vs But now Lord if we may dispute with thee and seeing thy seruant who is but dust and ashes hath begun to speake to my Lord wherefore hast thou cast thy people off and goest not forth with our Armies Wherefore doest thou make vs to turne our backe from the enemy that they which hate vs spoile our goods Wherfore doest thou make vs a reproach vnto our neighbours a scorne and derision to them that are round about vs Or can wee plead for our selues as once thy people by the mouth of thy seruant Dauid did Though all this be come vpon vs yet haue we not forgotten thee nor behaued our selues falsly in thy Couenant Or can wee say Our heart is not turned backe nor our steps declined from thy way Or That wee haue not forgotten the Name of our God nor stretched out our hand to a strange God Alas O Lord our confusion is still before vs our iniquities are with vs they testifie against vs so that how can wee hold vp our heads before thee or stand before our enemies And yet O Lord all our smart and shame cannot teach vs to beleeue thy Prophets who haue often told vs The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if yee seeke him he will be found of you but if yee forsake him hee will forsake you And wherein are we conuinced of our forsaking of thee O Lord but by beholding with lamentable experience how thou seemest now of long time to haue forsaken vs For else if thou Lord wert with vs how should so many calamities and disasters fall vpon vs and vpon thy people round about vs How should England formerly a terrour to her neighbours become now their scorne and derision The truth is O Lord we must needs confesse to our great shame that with the Church of Ephesus wee haue declined from our first loue O teach vs to remember from whence we are fallen and to repent and do the first works left thou come against vs quickly and remoue our Candlesticke out of his place except we repent And hast thou not at least a few things against vs that the woman Iezebel which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse is suffered to teach and to seduce thy seruants to commit fornication with Idols For this thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloud that our prayer should not passe through For this thou hast made vs as the refuse in the midst of the people For this all our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs yea thy fierce windes haue fought against vs wasted and wracked our forces Yet doe not O Lord cast vs off for euer Thy people put their mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope O teach vs to search and trie our waies and turne again to thee our God O pleade for vs to thy Father when in thy name wee lift vp our heart with our hands to God in the heauens And lest our praiers be turned into sin O strengthen our hearts and hands from the highest to the lowest to cast our from among vs our Idol-sins and sinfull Idols the abominations and prouocations of thy iealousie O blesse thy seruant our gracious Soueraigne King CHARLES double vpon his royall person the spirit of vpright Dauid and of zealous Iosiah to purge and repaire thy Temple that vpon himselfe his Crown may long flourish his righteous Scepter may cherish and support thy people his victorious Sword may suppress and vanquish thine and his enemies Showre down thy grace into the heart of his royall Queene that shee comming to partake with him in the onely and blessed means of saluation thy Word Sacraments may become also a ioyfull fruitful nurcing Mother to thine Israel Multiply the Spirit of wisdome counsel vpon his Maiesties Honorable Counsellers that taking all their counsel at thee thy word all their consultations and resolutions may prosper and procure peace and prosperity to these Kingdomes and thy Churches therein and abroad Double the
opposition to this truth or any other by me deliuered in speciall against the Synagogue of Rome I shall be ready to maintaine if occasion require in ampler maner if I may haue alike liberty with my Antagonists I say no more for the present but commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and to giue you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Thine in Christ H. B. TRVTHS TRIVMPH Ouer TRENT CHAP. I. Of mans workes done before grace or of preparation in man vnto Iustification commonly called the merit of Congruitie The Romish Faith THE title of the fift Chapter of the sixt Session of the Councell of Trent is Of the necesitie of preparation to Iustification in men of ripe age where they say That by their free-will stirred vp and helped by grace they are disposed to conuert themselues to their Iustification by free assenting and cooperating with the same grace The ground of which disposition to Iustification is freewill which cooperating with grace produceth fixe seuerall workes of preparation laid downe by the Councell here and reckoned vp by Vega one of the Councels chiefe champions First an Historicall â—aith conceiued by hearing beleeuing the truth of Gods promises to a sinner in generall Secondly a feare of Gods iustice arising from the apprehension of their sinnes whence they arise thirdly to a hope by conuerting themselues to the consideration of Gods mercy trusting that God for Christs sake will be fauourable vnto them whom they then begin fourthly to loue as the fountaine of all righteousnesse and therefore are moued by a hatred and detestation against sinne that is fiftly by that Penance which they are to doe before Baptisme while sixtly they resolue to receiue Baptisme to begin a new life and to keepe the Commandements of God And Can. 1. If any man shall say that a man may be iustified before God by his owne workes which are done either by the power of mans nature or by the doctrine of the Law without diuine grace by Iesus Christ let him be accursed CHAP. II. Wherein the doctrine of Romish preparation is examined IT being the maine drift of this Councell to establish a righteousnesse inherent in a mans selfe and not finding how to dimme the bright sun-shine of truth against this doctrine but by an artificiall shadow of the second beames of grace medled and mingled with blinde or at the best bleare-eyed nature therefore the iudicious Reader may obserue how while this Councell would seeme in part to ascribe the worke of Iustification to Gods grace it doth in deed and in the maine attribute it to mans nature as may appeare in laying the first stone of this Baby lonish building Of the necessitie of preparation to Iustification The whole frame of which preparation composed according to the modell of their Schoole-diuinitie as Gabriel Biel one of their chiefe Sententiaries who liued about fifty yeares before this Councell hath laid it downe as That the Act of the will presupposeth the Act of the vnderstanding and the Act of faith goes formost to apprehend the abomination of sinne and the wages of it hence a feare of Gods wrath and of hell fire hence a dislike and detestation of sinne And this saith he is a disposition of Congruity neither immediate nor sufficient but very remote Then faith turnes it selfe to the consideration of Gods mercy and resolueth that God is ready to remit sinne through the insusion of charity to those that are sufficiently prepared and disposed Vpon that consideration followeth the act of hope whereby a man begins to couet after God as the soueraigne good and from this act of hope he riseth to loue God aboue all things euen out of pure naturals From this loue issueth another dislike and detestation of sinne not for feare of damnation but for God finally aboue all things beloued And all these acts are followed with a purpose of amendment And so at length this comes to be a sufficient merit of Congruity being the immediate and finall disposition to the infusion of grace And this is such a preparation as doth necessarily as by a chaine of so many infolded linkes draw after it the infusion of grace whereby a man is iustified Thus wee see by what perplexed pathes they would leade men towards their iustification But note here what a power they giue to this preparation as euen to necessitate and inforce the infusion of grace because saith Biel to a man that doth as much as lyes in him God hath determined infallibly to giue grace And Aquinas saith it is a merit of Congruity that when a man doth well vse his vertue God according to his super-excellent vertue should worke more excellently in him Videtur Congruum saith he It seemes Congruous and agreeable to reason that a man operating according to his vertue God should recompence him according to the excellencie of his vertue Yea such is the force of this merit of Congruity that according to Thomas it will merit not onely grace for a mans selfe but also for another man for because saith he a man in the state of grace doth fulfill the will of God it is Congruous or fitting that according to the proportion of friendship God should fulfill mans will in the saluation of another man Such is the nature of their doctrine of Congruitie of which sort are their workes of preparation disposing and fitting a man for grace And this is the sense and summe of the Trent doctrine touching preparation Now to cut off this Goliahs head we neede no other than his owne sword First concerning the title it selfe of the necessity of preparation in the Adulti or men growne as we call them note here the vanity of this doctrine how therein they confound themselues For I would aske them whom they meane by their Adulti or men of yeares Those within their owne Church such as are baptized or Heathens and Pagans without the pale of the Church such as are not yet baptized as Turkes Iewes or Indians Surely they mention those Adulti that are not yet baptized But it must needs be that they include their owne Adulti for else what vse is there in their Church of this doctrine of preparation which they so highly aduance commend vnlesse it be among the barbarous Indians But their Adulti haue already according to their doctrine receiued the grace of Iustification in their Baptisme conferring grace as they say ex opere operato which grace being once by any mortall sin afterwards lost there can be no more merit of Congruitie to merit a reparation of grace as it is in the preparation vnto grace as Thomas teacheth But leaue we the title and let vs come to the thing Popish preparation vnto grace hangs vpon two speciall hinges First free-will secondly that this free-will is moued by grace which their Schoole-men call the first grace implyed
Chrysostome So soone as a man beleeues hee is iustified And St. Augustine Praedestinatio est praeparatio gratiae Predestination is the preparation to grace to wit of iustification And further he explaines himselfe thus Inter gratiam praedestinationem c. Betweene grace and predestination this is the onely difference that predestination is the preparation of grace and grace is the gift or donation of predestination Or as a little after Grace is the effect of predestination But will the Pontifician say Mans free-will is not for all this excluded from being an ingredient at least in preparation Augustine in the same place shuts free-will quite out of doores yea from setting one foot vpon the threshold or entry to iustification Ideo ex fide vt secundum gratiam firma sit promissio omni semini non de nostrae voluntatis potestate sed de sua praedestinatione promisit Promisit enim quod ipse facturus erat non quod homines quia etsi faciant homines bona quae pertinent ad colendum Deum ipsa facit vt illi faciant quae praecipit non illi faciunt vt ipse faciat quod promisit Alioquin vt Dei promissa compleantur non in Dei sed in hominum est potestate quod à Domino promissum est ab ipsis redditur Abrahae Non autem sic credidit Abraham sed credidit dans gloriam Deo quoniam quae promisit potens etiam facere non ait praedicere non ait praescire nam aliena facta potest praedicere atque praescire sed ait potens etiam facere ac per hoc facta non aliena sed sua That is It is therefore of faith that according to grace the promise might be sure to all the seede he promised not out of any respect to the power of our will but of his predestination For he promised not that which men but which himselfe was about to doe because though men doe those good things which belong to Gods worship hee causeth them to doe those things which hee hath commanded they doe not cause him to doe that which hee promised Else that the promises of God should bee performed it is not in the power of God but of men and that which the Lord hath promised is by them performed to Abraham But Abraham did not so beleeue God but hee beleeued giuing glory to God because what he had promised he was able also to doe he saith not to fore-tell he saith not to fore-know for hee is able to fore-tell and fore-know other mens workes but hee saith hee is able to doe meaning hereby not others workes but his owne So this holy man For otherwise saith he a little after Per hoc vt promissa suae Deus possit implere non etiam in Dei sed in hominis potestate hereby it should come to passe that it rested not in Gods power to bee able to fulfill his promises but in mans power St. Augustine therefore admits of no mixture of mans free-will concurring with Gods grace in preparing him to receiue the promise of God touching iustification as being built vpon the eternall decree of Gods predestation as an effect springing from the cause And Epist. 107. Vital The will is prepared of the Lord saith he How Quia praeuenit hominis voluntatem bonam nec eam cuiusquam inuenit in corde sed facit For God preuents the good will of man nor doth hee finde this good will in anie mans heart but makes it so And the same Father in his exposition of the Epistle to the Galathians vpon these words Induerunt Christum They haue put on Christ saith thus Filii fiunt participatione sapientiae id praeparante atque praestante Mediatoris fide quam fidei gratiam nune indumentum vocat Vt Christum induti sint qui in eum crediderunt They are made sonnes by the participation of wisedome which is prepared and performed by faith in the Mediator which grace of faith he now calleth aputting on So that they haue Christ put on them which haue beleeued in him Faith then so prepares as it also performes the worke of iustification whereas Popish faith may as they say prepare and yet faile to performe And writing to Simplicianus he comes directly to the point Quaeritur vtrum vel fides mereatur hominis iustificationem an verò nec fidei merita praecedant misericordiam Dei sed fides ipsa inter dona gratiae numeretur Misericors Deus vocat nullis hoc vel fidei meritis largiens quia merita fidei sequuntur vocationem potius quam praecedunt It is demanded whether faith doe merit mans iustification or else neither the merits of faith do go before the mercie of God but euen faith it selfe is reckoned among the gifts of grace The mercifull God calleth bestowing this grace no not vpon any merits of faith because the merits of faith rather follow vocation than goe before it And againe in another place Ante fidem non debentur homini nisi mala pro malis retribuit autem Deus indebitam gratiam bona pro malis Before faith nothing is due to a man but euill for euill but God doth reward a man with vndeserued grace to wit good for euill Where hee speakes of sauing faith iustifying not of common faith preparing And in his one hundred and fifth Epistle to Sixtus his fellow Priest Restat vt gratuitum Dei donum esse fateamur si gratiam veram id est sine meritis cogitamus Wee are to confesse that to bee a free gift of God if we consider the true grace that is without merits Now the true grace is that whereby a man is iustified and saued but this grace is a free gift without merits therefore no merits goe before the grace of iustification And Bernard sweetely Non est quò gratia intret vbi iam meritum occupauit Et deest gratiâ— quicquid meritis deputas Grace hath not where to enter where merit hath already taken vp the roome And you detract from grace whatsoeueryou attribute to merits And againe Ergo iam plena confessio gratiae ipsius gratiae plenitudinem â—ignat in anima confitentis Now then a plenary acknowledgement of grace is a signe of the fulnesse of grace it selfe in the soule of him that thus confesseth it And thus consequently out of the Fathers wee conclude as the Catholicke doctrine of the Church in those primitiue times That there is in man no worke of preparation whereby to merit by congruitie the grace of iustification which is the freegift of God without our merits And St. Augustine plainely discouers vnto vs the puddle whence this doctrine of merit of congruitie first issued namely from Pelagius Qui eos remunerandos dicit qui bene vtuntur libero arbitrio ideo mereri Domini gratiam debitum eius reddifatetur who saith they are to bee rewarded which vse well their
free will and thereby merit the grace of God which he confesseth to be rendred as due to their free will This accordeth with Romish Schoole diuinitie teaching That homini operanti secundum suam virtutem videtur congruum vt Deus recompenset secundum excellentiam suae virtutis To a man working according to his naturall power and vertue it seemeth meet that God render a recompence according to the excellencie of his vertue Therefore the Catholicke Church of Christ whereof the Church of England is a member reiecteth this Pontifician preparation to iustification as a doctrine repugnant to the holy Scriptures and to the Writings of the Catholicke Doctors and Fathers in the Primitiue Church This doctrine of Rome tending also howsoeuer they would dissemblingly disclaime it in words to a flat derogation from the glorie of Gods grace while it would make man an equall sharer with God in the atchieuement of so great a worke for though they seeme to ascribe the glory to God because say they he stirreth vp the will whereby it beginneth to prepare and dispose it selfe to grace yet this is nothing else but a mocking of God As deuout Bernard speaking of this diuine stirring vp of free will saith Nefas est Deo quod minus nobis quod excellentius sit attribuere It is iniquitie to attribute to God that which is lesse and to our selues that which is the more excellent Now to stirre vp what is it else but as it were to awaken one from sleepe The will is asleepe and God must awaken it before it can do any thing that is good and being thus awakened it sets it selfe a working As Sampson awakened by Dalilah shewed his great strength the glorie of which action is it to be ascribed to Dalilah for awakening and stirring him vp or to Sampson who being asleep wanted nothing but stirring vp to giue him occasion to exercise his strength Mans will therefore beeing but stirred vp of God and Sampson-like doing workes of wonder euen aboue humane strength and naturall force as to prepare and dispose it selfe for that great worke of iustification how shall it not bee honoured much aboue God by how much mans worke herein is greater than Gods worke The Church of Rome is very nice and strait laced in setting out the manner of Gods mouing of mans will in the first grace as they call it as fearing lest more glorie might bee giuen to God than to man for they ascribe no more to God but a certaine stirring vp and helping of the will whereby it should freely dispose it selfe to iustification Whereas Bernard speakes home and like a downe-right honest man in this point Facit Deus voluntarios quatenus dum de mala mutat voluntatem in bonam God makes men willing whole of euill he changeth the will into good So it is one thing to stirre vp and helpe another to change the nature of a thing from euill to good St. Ambrose Voluntas nihil habet in suis viribus nisi periculi facilitatem The will hath no power at all but a propension to perill And St. Chrysostome Omnes homines antequam peccâ—mus liberum quidem habemus arbitrium si volumus sequi voluntatem Diaboli an non Quod si semel peccantes obligauerimus nos operibus eius iam nostra virtute â—uadere non possumus Sed sicut Nauis fracto gubernaculo illuc ducitur vbi tempestas voluerit sic homo diuinae gratiae auxilio perdito per peccatum agit quod non vult ipse sed quod Diabolus vult nisi Deus valida manu misericordiae soluerit eum vsque ad mortem in peccatorum suorum vinculis permanebit All men saith he before sinne haue free will to follow the Diuels will or not When once by sinne wee haue captiuated our selues to his workes wee cannot now by our owne power free our selues But as a Ship the Rudder being broken is carried whither the tempest will â— so 〈…〉 â—â—uing by sinne lost the helpe of diuine grace doth not that whâ—â—â— himselfe willeth but which the Diuell willeth 〈…〉 God with a strong hand of mercie loose him hee shall abide in the bonds of his sinnes euen vnto death So then this strong hand is more than a bare stirring vp St. Augustine here seemeth to allude to that in the Gospell where our Sauiour resembleth the state of sinfull man to a house kept and possessed by a strong man when the will is wholly capituated by Sathan and cannot befreed but by the power of Christ a stronger than that strong man But the Councell of Trent wants the ingenuitie to acknowledge the mightie power of God in freeing mans captiue-wil from the tyrannie of the strong Diuell Also St. Chrysostome in the prosecution of that his former Treatise compareth mans will before sinne to wit in the state of innocencie to a free-people or state in whose power and election it is to chuse what King they wil but hauing once elected such a one for their King it is not now in their power vpon any dislike to depose him againe although he tyrannize ouer them neuer so much none can free them from this grieuous bondage but only God So it being once in the power of mans will in the free state of innocencie to choose a King God or the Diuell hauing once by the consent of sinne made choyce of the Prince of darkenesse who tyrant-like ruleth in the children of disobedience taking them captiue at his will it appertaines only to the mightie power and infinite goodnesse of God to set free these miserable Captiues out of that Tyrants more than Egyptian bondage A worke no lesse if not infinitely more miraculous than the deliuerance of those Israelites through the middest of that Red Sea Howsoeuer the Trent Fathers mince the matter and obscure the power of Gods mighty worke in mans conuersion parting the glorie of it betweene mans nature and Gods grace as wee haue heard Like the Whoore that would haue the child diuided between her selfe and the true Mother But that the glorie of Gods powerfull grace in mans conuersion may not lye thus smoothered vnder the dampe of earthy and deepe hypocrisie let vs see a little what this free-will of man is in the state of corruption Vega highly commends that saying of Richardus as we noted before Doctè Richardus inquit Cum audis liberum arbitrium esse captâ—â—um nihil aliud intellige quam infirmum natiuae virtutis potestate priuatum Learnedly said Richardus saith he When thou â—e arest that free-will is a captiue vnderstand it no otherwise than that it is weak depriued of the vertue of its natiue power I wote well these Pontifician spirits would gladly bring mans free-will into credit by filing and smoothing that rougher language which the Fathers haue left vpon it And I dare be bold herein to gratifie the Trent-Councell Let free-will in mans corrupt heart be not
seruile that we may perform he cooperates with vs. And c. 16. vpon Phil. 2. Deus est qui operatur in vobis c. Certum est nos facere cum facimus sed ille facit vt faciamus praebendo vires efficacissimas voluntati And Epist. 107 to Vitalis Carthaginen vpon that of the Apostle Phil. 2. God worketh in vs euen to will he saith Vera Dei gratia praevenit hominis voluntatem bonam nec eam cuiusquam inuenit in corde sed facit The true grace of God preuenteth mans good will neither findes he it in any mans heart but makes it good Whereupon in his second booke against Iulian the Pelagian hee calleth it Seruum arbitrium saying Hic vnltis hominem perfici atque vtinam Dei dono non libero vel potius seruo propriae voluntatis arbitrio You would haue a man perfected and I would it were by the gift of God and not by the free or rather seruile arbitrement of his owne will Thus according to St. Augustine mans liberum arbitrium is by Adams fall turned into seruum arbitrium seruing onely to sinne and to turne it to good it must not onely bee moued stirred or helped but freed by Gods grace which is a worke of power in disarming the strong man And what this grace is hath beene shewed afore to wit Gods sauing grace The true grace of God saith Augustine not a common grace Deuout Bernard vnderstands by free-will a meere will in man without respect to the obiect good or euill Velle inest nobis ex libero arbitrio non etiam posse quod volumus Non dico velle bonum aut velle maelum sed tantum velle To will is in vs proceeding from free-will but not to performe what we will I say not to will good or to will euill but onely to will And againe Corruit homo de posse non peccare in non posse non peccare amissa ex toto complaciti libertate Man fell from a possibility not to sinne to an impossibility of not sinning hauing altogether â—ost the liberty of delight Per propriam quippe voluntatem seruus peccati factus meritò perdidit libertatem consilij for by his owne proper will being made the seruant of sinne hee hath deseruedly lost the liberty of his election or counsell Now how shall all this be repaired againe The same Bernard resolueth it Velle homini vt esset creans gratia fecit vt proficiat saluans gratia facit vt deficiat ipsum se deijcit That man should haue a will is from creating grace that this will should profit is from sauing grace that it should decay is of its owne voluntary defection It is therefore a worke not of common grace as they vnderstand by the first grace whereby they say the will is moued but of effectuall sauing grace to restore the will of man and fit it for Christ. Habet igitur homo necessariam Dei virtutem Dei sapientiam Christum qui ex eo quod sapientia est verum ei sapere re-infundat in restaurationem liberi consilij ex eo quod virtus est plenum posse restituat in reparationem liberi complaciti Man therefore hath the necessarie vertue of God and wisedome of God which is Christ who as hee is wisedome doth re-infuse wisedome to know the truth to the restauration of the freedome of election and as he is vertue doth restore a full power to the reparation of the freedome of delight and happinesse which saith he is begun here in grace and consummate hereafter in glory And again concerning free-will he saith Nemo putet ideo dictum liberum arbitrium quod aequa inter bonum aut malum potestate aut facultate versetur cum cadere per se quidem potuerit non autem resurgere nisi per Domini spiritum Ergo si à Domini spiritu iam non à libero arbitrio Let no man thinke that free-will is therefore so called as hauing an equall and indifferent power or faculty betweene good and euill seeing it could fall by it selfe but not rise againe but by the spirit of the Lord. And if it bee by the spirit of the Lord it is not now of free-will And St. Augustine tells vs plainly what that grace is whereby the will is freed to wit Gratia Dei per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum in qua nos sua non nostra iustitia instos facit c. That grace whereby the will is freed is the grace of God by Iesus Christ our Lord wherein hee maketh vs iust by his owne not by our righteousnesse c. But saith the carnall minde If man haue not free-will to accept grace offered what cause hath God to complaine or to condemne man for that which is not in his power to performe I might answer with the Apostle O vaine man who art thou that repliest against God But I answer againe Though man haue no will of himselfe to receiue grace offered yet he hath a will to reiect grace offered for which he is 〈◊〉 condemned So that mans corrupt will is sufficient to conuict him though no way able to conuert him after that manner which Pontificians teach And thus God needeth not mans carnall wit to pleade for the equity of his iustice sith God doth not simply condemne men for that which by nature they are inuincibly vnable to performe as by the vertue of free-will to receiue grace offered but for that which is in their power and will to doe namely when they not only not willingly receiue but wilfully and contemptuously reiect and put from them the grace of God offered them in the Gospel And iustly doe all such obiecters come within the compasse of Iobs censure Iob 13. 7. Will yee speake wickedly for God and talke deceitfully for him c. As Saint Hierome Concede Deo potentiam sui nequaquam te indiget defensore Let God be Master of himselfe he needes not thee to pleade for him Now by the former testimonies as by a cloud of witnesses the Church of Rome is sufficiently conuicted of grosse absurditie and of grieuous impiety in her doctrine of preparation to iustification wherein her Gordian knot of manifold errours while the Romish Harlot would haue the liuing childe diuided betweene her and the true Mother Gods grace is cut asunder and dissolued by the sharpe sword of Salomons wisedome First because the worke of preparation is rather the worke of iustification it selfe and that so soone as the vnderstanding is inlightened and the will inflamed to apprehend Christ by faith Secondly because that grace of God whereby the will of man is prepared to iustification as they say is no common grace receiued as well by the reprobate as the elect but the sauing and iustifying grace of God which whosoeuer receiueth is more truly said to bee already actually iustified than disposed and prepared thereunto Thirdly because the work of Gods grace
they vtterly renounce all Certainety of Faith and of Saluation For what certainty of Faith can there bee if the holy Scriptures the obiect and ground of Faith be not certaine And what certainty can there bee in the Scriptures if they must depend vpon the authority of the Church for their certainetie And what certainty can there be in the Church if this Church be no other than the Church of Rome And what certainety can there bee in the Church of Rome when it wholly depends vpon a the only breast of a sinfull man vpon whose infallibilitie notwithstanding the whole Pontifician Church cannot finde no not the least footing for any Certainty of Saluation to stand vpon But to remoue this heape of Rubbish although for multiplicity of Controuersie it be growne to a mighty Mountain which may seeme to exceede the strength and labour of Hercules himselfe to remoue yet I trust with one small graine of Faith to ouerturne this Mountaine into the Sea For first whether was the Word of God or the Church more ancient Was not Gods Word For by the voyce thereof was the Church first called Where was the Church when the Gospell began first to be reuealed Gen. 3. 15. As yet the whole world in Adam and Eue lay buried in Apostacy and now totus mundus in maligno positus the whole world lay in wickednesse till this Word of the Gospell of the promised and blessed seede of the woman made a separation and did constitute a Church So that the first ground and foundation of the Church is the Word of God as it was also of the first frame of the Creation Hereupon the Apostle saith That the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the chiefe corner stone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord. The foundation of the Apostles and Prophets is the Old and New Testament whereof Christ Iesus is the chiefe corner stone Away with the blasphemy of the Councell of Lateran that calleth the Pope Leo the tenth the corner stone and the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda and many such blasphemous titles which are proper and peculiar only to the person of Christ. But that eyther the Church or the Pope of Rome had any such authority and power ouer the Scriptures it was neuer known in those purer times of the Church when the sweet and salutiferous streames of the waters of life were not as yet poysoned and imbittered with that Luciferian wormewood starre that fell from heauen It was in those primitiue and virgine times the Catholicke Doctrine of the Church That the Church was to be ruled by the Scriptures and not the Scriptures by the Church much lesse by any one man St Augustine saith De Catholica Ecclesia id credant homines quod Diuinae Scripturae dicunt non quod linguae humanae maledicunt Let men beleeue that concerning the Catholicke Church which the Diuine Scriptures doe say and not which mens tongues doe mis-say By which place we see that the Catholicke Church is to bee estimated according to that which the Scriptures testifie of it Therefore not contrary And in his Booke of the vnity of the Church Ecclesiam suam demonstrent c. Let the Donatists shew mee their Church not in the tales and rumours of the Affricans not in the Synods of their Bishops not in the learning of their disputants not in their deceitfull signes and prodigies for wee are fore-warned and fore-armed against such things by the word of the Lord but in the prescript of the Law in the predictions of the Prophets in the songs of the Psalmes in the Shepheards owne voyce in the preachings and labours of the Euangelists to wit in all the Canonicall authorities of the holy Bookes Nor so saith hee as that they collect and quote such places as are obscurely or ambiguously or figuratiuely spoken which euery man interprets at his pleasure according to his owne sense For such places cannot be truly vnderstood and expounded vnlesse first those which are most plainely deliuered bee by a firme Faith entertained Note here the Catholicke doctrine of those times teaching that the authority and sense of the Scriptures depended not vpon the Church but the authority of the Church vpon the Scriptures and the Scriptures were to bee interpreted by themselues to wit the more obscure places by the more plaine as he speaketh often elsewhere in his Bookes De doctrina Christiana I will adde one place in steed of many Quit autem nesciat c. Who can bee ignorant saith hee that the holy Canonicall Scripture as well of the Old as of the New Testament is contained within its owne fixed limits and that it is so preferred before all the latter writings of Bishops as that it may not bee disputed or doubted off whether it bee true or salse whatsoeuer is found written in it and for the writings of Bishops which eyther haue beene or are written after the establishment of the Canon of Scriptures they haue beene subiect to the wiser iudgements and grauer authorities of some more skilfull and learned Bishops and might bee censured by Councels if ought therein swarued from the truth and those very Councels themselues which are prouinciall doe without scruple submit to the authority of plenary Councels assembled from the vniuersall Christian world of those plenary generall Councels often times the former are corrected by the latter when by some better experiment of things that which was shut is opened and that which was hid is made known without any swelling of sacrilegions pride without any strouting of arrogancy without any contention of bleake enuie with holy humility with Catholicke peace with Christian charity So that Bishops are corrigible by prouinciall Councels these by generall Councels and these also by some latter Councels as being all subiect to imperfection But the holy Scriptures come vnder the fâ—rula of no Bishop or Councell to bee censured Nay as Augustine saith Titubabit fides si diuinarum Scriptunar â—â—â—â—cillat authoritas Faith will stagger and stumble if the authority of the diuine Scriptures doe wauer And hee taxeth the Manicheans of this impiety and sacriledge that they went about quite to take away the authority of the Scriptures approuing any thing not because they found it written in that supreame authority but because their fancy tooke a liking to it therefore they approued the Scriptures And so their priuate sâ—â—sâ— must giue authority to the Scriptures which they frame to their owne fancy and not the Scriptures giue authority to their Doctrines What difference then is there betweene the Pontificians and the Manicheans in this maine point But the Pontificians of old obiect vnto vs one speciall authority out of St. Augustine to ouerthrow all that hee hath said for the supreame authority of the Scriptures aboue the Church His words are which they obiect and wherein
he might also be his betrayer as the Scriptures had foretold But the rest of the Apostles were giuen to Christ as men elect and predestinate in Christ to life eternall So was not Iudas giuen to Christ euen the enemies being witnesses St. Augustine hereupon saith vpon the words of Christ Iohâ—6 â—6 Haue not I chosen you Twelue and one of you is a Deuill Vt non ad electionem etiam ipse pertinere videatur That saith he Iudas might not seem to appertaine to the election Non enim facile c. For the name of Elect is not easily found in an euill man vnlesse when euill men are elected by euill men Quod si put auerimuâ— c. If we shall thinke that he also was elect that by his treason the Lords Passion might be accomplished that is that his malice was elected to some purpose sith God can make a good vse euen of the wicked Illud c. Let vs attend to that he saith Iohn 13. 18. I speake not of you all I know whom I haue chosen Vbi declarat c. Where he declareth that none but good men appertaine to the election Ac per hoc c. And hereby that which is said I haue chosen you Twelue is spoken by a Figure Syneâ—doche that by the name of the greater or better part that also might be said to be fulfilled which doth not belong to the name it selfe So Augustine And also vpon the same words of Iohn 6. in his exposition of the 55. Psalme Nonne vos c. Haue not I chosen you Twelue and one of you is a Deuill Ergo â—â— Diabolus electus est Is euen a Deuill then elected Aut si electus non est c. Or if he be not elected how did he elect Twelue and not rather Eleuen Electus ille est sed ad aliud Electi vndâ—â—im ad opus probationis electus vnus ad opus 〈…〉 Iudas was also elected but to a diuers purpose The eleuen were elected to the worke of approbation that one was elected to the worke of temptation So Augustine So that as the election of the Twelue was for diuers ends of the Eleuen to their saluation and of Iudas to become an instrument of Christs death to his damnation So Gods giuing of the Twelue to Christ was for different purposes for though all of them were chosen to be Apostles yet Eleuen of them were also chosen to be vessels of grace not onely to conuey it to others but to conserue it in themselues but Iudas a Deuill a sonne of perdition was chosen not only to be an Apostle but the betrayer of Christ God well vsing an euill instrument as Augustine saith In the meane time let it not seeme strange that the Pontificians so highly dignifie Iudas as to giue him once a place in the state of grace for as St. Augustine reporteth the Deuill wanted not a sort and sect of Heretickes called Cainites because they worshipped Cain who murthered his brother who also held Iudas in very high esteeme as some certaine diuine creature euen for betraying of Christ because say they he knew it was a worke that would 〈…〉 profitable to the world But seeing Vega with his Pontificians will needes make Iudas an example of a man once in the state of sauing grace let them take him as Christ cals him a Deuill such was elect Iudas and so wee shall not enuie but pitie the case of these men that confesse themselues to bee in no better state of grace than Iudas once was But Vega in behalfe of the Councell of Trent prosecutes his arguments to proue the vncertainty of predestination and perseuerance in fiue whole Chapters together from the third to the seuenth shewing himselfe a true Pontifician in doubling and iuggling with the truth But his arguments are so sleight and his instances so impertinent that I will not spend time in the reciting of them Onely I will name the head of them that the Reader may thereby estimate the whole body As That some predestinate haue sometimes been out of the state of grace as namely before their effectuall calling and some after their effectuall calling as falling from grace by euery mortall sinne as the Pontificians teach And as they may fall from grace so the wicked he must needes meane the reprobate as opposite to the elect for else all men by nature are wicked and there is no difference as the Apostle speaketh the wicked saith Vega may bee receiued into grace as the predestinate may fall from grace And so wee yeeld vnto him that the wicked that is the reprobate may bee as well receiued into grace as the predestinate and elect may fall from grace totally or finally But we still affirme and shall by and by confirme it that the elect of God cannot fall totally and finally from grace and no more can the reprobate be euer receiued into grace But Vega's seuenth Chapter seemes to be full of moment the title whereof is De consensu Doctorum Ecclesia totius in Iouinianum Vicelâ—um Of the consent of Doctors and of the whole Church against Iouinian and Wiclefe Note here a point of Pontifician brauery and serpentine subtilty together First a goodly flourish of the consent of Doctors and of the whole Church and then to disgrace the Doctrine of predestination as a nouelty and an opinion of singularity he fastens it vpon Iouinian and Wiclefe as the prime authors of it Now because the Chapter is long and full of allegations as his manner is in his serpent-like gate let it suffice vs to take the contents of the whole in a few words And because we will not be our owne caruers we will take Vega's owne words in the beginning of the Chapter Praedestinates iustificatos posse cadere à Dei gratia necessariam esse omnibus perseuer antiam vsque ad mortem vt pâ—rueniatur ad palmam satis potest ex praedictis constare sed vt constet consensisse semper huis veritati Ecclesiam quod nos vbique ostensures esse sumus polliciti adiungam ijs quae iam citaâ—imus aliquot alia testimonia Doctorum quae hanc veritatem luculenter nos docent that is That the predestinate and iustified may fall from the grace of God and that perseuerance vnto death is necessary for all that they may come to the Crown it may sufficiently appeare by that wee haue said before but that it may appeare that which wee haue euery where promised to shew that the Church hath alwayes consented to this truth I will adde to those already cited some other testimonies of Doctors which doe clearly teach vs this truth These words are the ground of the whole Chapter wherein obserue that the maine thing Vega shootes at in this Chapter is to proue that therefore the predestinate and those that be iustified may fall away from grace because forsooth perseuerance in grace vnto the end is necessary
speakes properly and iudiciously in applying the Scriptures none is more cleare than hee in this matter So that in the very same Sermon out of which Vega pickes so much matter as he thinkes makes for him Bernard doth confute Vega's mis-conceit of his meaning confirming that truth which wee auouch For where Vega leaues off Bernard goes on and saith Propter hoc data sunt sign a quaedam indiâ—ia manifestas salutis vt indubitabiâ—e sit eum esse de numero Electorum in quo ea signa perman serint Propter hoc inquam ques praesciuit Deus praedestinauit conformes fieri imaginis Filij sui vt quibus certitudinem negat causa sollicitudinis vâ—l fiduciam praestet gratia consolationis For this cause saith he there are certaine signes and manifest tokens of saluation giuen that it might be indubitable out of all doubt that he is of the number of the Elect in whom these signes doe abide For this cause I say whom God foreknew he also predestinated to bee made conformable vnto the image of his Sonne that to whom the cause of sollicitude or fearfulnesse doth deny certainty the grace of consolation might giue euen a confident assurance So Bernard Whence we see that whereas immediatly before he had said that which Vega alledgeth for his owne purpose alledging authorities of Fathers as Satan did the Scriptures by peece-meale Generationem istam quis eâ—arrabit c. Who shall declare that Generation to wit of Gods Children whereby they are both begotten and preserued in grace that they cannot fall away as Bernard there excellently sheweth Quis potest dicere Ego de electis sum c. Who can say I am one of the elect I am one of the predestinate to life I am of the number of Sonnes Quis hâ—t inquam c. Who I say can say these things the Scriptures gain-saying Nescit homo c. Man knoweth not whether he be worthy of loue or hatred Whereupon he addes Certitudinem vtique non habemus sed spei fiducia consolatur nos ne dubitationis huius anxietate penitus cruciemur We haue not certainty but God doth comfort vs with a confidence of hope lest we should be altogether tormented with anxiety of doubting Thus farre Vega alledgeth out of Bernard But note here Bernard speakes not of vncertainty in regard of faith but in regard of humane frailty which he cals the cause of sollicitude or fearfulnesse and so he concludes not leauing Gods Children in a miserable vncertainty sith they haue many infallible and manifest signes and tokens of their saluation that they are without all doubt in the number of Gods elect hauing the grace of consolation to make them confident that they are predestinate to bee made conformable to the Image of the Sonne of God although they want not in the meane time the clogs of carnall infirmities that doe often impeach and checke their Cheery and Christian confidence while the beames of faith are ouer-clouded with the vanishing vapours of fleshly feare vntill the storme of the afflicted and conflicting conscience be ouer and the cloud wasted by the prepotent sunne-beames of grace which will not long be eclipsed or suspended from shining vpon the faithfull soule But of Bernards authority for the point of certainty more clearely anon where his eyes are not dazeled or deceiued by a false light at least by a mis-apprehension and mis-application of the true light Now to conclude Vega's arguments from the 11. Chapter to the end of his 12. Booke he yeeldeth thus farre That a man may come by some signes to haue some probable coniecture and opinion of his predestination and perseuerance in grace The title of his 11. Chapter is in these words Ex beatitudinibus Euangelicis probabilis potest colligi nostrae alâ—orum praedestinationis seu perseuerantiae opinio By the Euangelicall beatitudes there may bee gathered a probable opinion of our owne and others predestination or perseuerance And those seuerall beatitudes hee mustereth vp in so many Chapters to the end of the Booke as Humility Meeknesse Mourning Hunger and Thirst after righteousnesse c. as they are laid downe Matth. 5. in all which Chapters Vega doth but fight with his owne shadow where wee leaue him and come to the Catholicke truth CHAP. XVII Of the certainty of Catholicke and true iustifying Faith in regard of the certainty of predestination vnto grace and perseuerance therein vnto glory BEing now by Gods grace to speake of the certainty of sauing Faith in regard of predestination and perseuerance that we may not seeme to build without laying first a foundation it is requisite first of all to lay downe the true state of the Doctrine of predestination as wee finde it reuealed in the Scriptures And so much the rather because the Pontificians haue so miserably mangled it seeking by their cunning vnderminings to blow vp wherein they are very expert Pioners and so to throw downe the most goodly frame of Christian Faith like those their typicall Babylonian Edomites who said of Ierusalem the type of Gods Church and Chosen Raze it Raze it euen to the foundation thereof For the Church of Christ consisting of all the Elect is mainly founded vpon the eternall decree of Gods predestination So that in this case wee are not to forbeare to speake the truth because carnall minded men haue from time to time carped and cauelled at this Doctrine as wee reade in the Councell of Trent For as St. Augustine saith Nuâ— propter malâ—s vel frigidâ—s huius sententiae nempe praedest â—â—ationis veritas deserenda aut ex Euangelio delenda putabitur Dicatur verum maximè vbi aliqua quaestio vt dicatur impâ—llâ—t capianâ— qui possunt ne forte cum tacetur propter eos qui capere non possunt non solum veritate fraâ—dentur verumetiam falsitate capâ—â—â—tur qui verum capere quâ— capiatur falsitas possunt that is Is the truth of this Doctrine â—o wit of predestination to bee for saken or shall it be thought worthy to be cancelled out of the Gospell because of those that are wicked and cold Let the truth bee spoken especially where any question doth inforce it to be spoken that they may receiue it who are capable of it leâ—t haply when it is concealed in regard of those that are not able to receiue it they who are capable of the truth whereby falshood may be detected be not only defrauded of the truth but may be taken with falshood And a little after Nonne potius est dicendum verum vt qui potest capere capiaâ— quam â—â—cendum vt non solum id ambo non capiant verâ—â—â—eâ—iâ—m qui est intelligentior ipse sit peior Instat inimicus gratiae atque vrget modis omnibus vt credatur secundum merita nostra dari ac sic gratia iâ—â— non sit gratia Et nos nolumus dicere quod teste Scriptur◠〈◊〉 dicere timemus enim videlicet
hath raised vs vp together c. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards vs through Christ Iesus What greater loue what greater grace what richer mercy thaâ— for God to cast his eye of fauour vpon vs euen when we were dead in â—â—â—es As the Apostle saith also Rom. 5. 8 God câ—â—mendeth his loue towards vs in that while we were yet sinners when we were enemies Christ dyed for vs. And in the vulgar Latine set forth by the Dinines of Louain printed at Antwerpe 1584. in the fourth to the Romanes Verse 5. wee finde these words in the Text Ei verò qui non operatur credenti autem in eum qui iustificat impium reputatur fides eius ad iustitiam secundum propositum gratiae Dei Now to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is reckoned for righteousness * according to the purpose of the grace of God Now these last words are not in our vulgar translations nor in most Greeke Copies but the Louain Doctors haue noted in the margent that they are found in some Manuscripts and Greeke Copies And it were to be wished that they had added no worse than this into that their translation for it is but that which is the generall Doctrine of the Gospell of Christ. For the preaching of the Gospel what is it but a beame of this grace of God shining vpon sinners as Tit. 2. 11. The grace of God that bringeth saluation hath appeared vnto all men And the Gospel is the Gospel of the grace of God Act. 20. 24. And the Word of God is the word of his grace vers 32. And Acts 14. 3. Yea we finde the very same words in the Apostle 2. Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but marke according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs in Christ Iesus before the world began but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Sauiour Iesus Christ c. So that the ground of our saluation by Iesus Christ is the meere grace of God by this grace we are saued by this grace we come to inherit eternall life for eternall life is of the grace of God it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free gift of his grace And wee are heires of the grace of life 1. Pet. 3. 7. The Apostle Paul was so in loue with this grace that all his Epistles are perfumed throughout as it were with this precious oyntment Hee nameth it not so little as a hundreth times The salutation of each Epistle hath grace in it yea the Apostle sets it as his marke at the end of euery Epistle and would haue all his Epistles knowne by that marke to bee his As hee saiâ—h 2. Thes. 3. â—7 18. The salutation of Paul with mine owne haâ—â— which is the â—okeâ—â—n euery Epistle so I write The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ bee with you all So that besides other probable arguments I finding this marke at the end of the Epistle to the Hebrewes I conclude it to bee Pauls Epistle No one Apostle ends his Epistle with the prayer and wishing of grace but onely Paul Indeede the Râ—â—â—lation endeth so The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Amen Thus Gods gracious eternall purpose in electing to saluation such as in his speciall fauour hee was pleased to foreknow being the prime and originall cause whereon depends the whole frame of our effectuall saluation it teacheth vs a maine difference between the first Couenant and the second The first Couenant was made with the first Adam in Paradise which indeed did meerly depend vpon mans â—iâ—l to keep it or to break it Doe this and thou shalt liue This wâ—â— that first Couenant which Man failing to keep so forfeiting his estate God now makes a second Couenant in the second Adam which he will not as he did in the first hazzard vpon mans will or ability in the keeping of it Gods wisdome weâ—l weighing that if Adam in his perfection so easily and quickly brake the first Couenant though hee had both will and power to keepe it how much more man now corrupt and weake would neuer bee able to keepe the second Couenant And therefore to make sure worke God takes a contrary course in the second Couenant which that it may for euer stand firme and immutable hee hath established it vpon the sure foundation of his owne good pleasure and will wherein is no shadow of change Well the conclusion is Gods free grace and fauour is the ground of our election it is the foundation whereon depends our whole saluation wee are elected wee are saued all by grace according to his purpose and grace This grace of God the Pontifician Church cannot away withall as being an enemy to all their Doctrine And therfore the Councell of Trent hath excluded yea and condemned the grace of God as the sole efficient cause of saluation for Sâ—s 6. Can. 11. the words be Si quis dixerit c. gratiam qua iustificamur esse tantum fauorem Dei anathema sit that is If any shall say that the grace whereby we are iustified is onely the fauour of God let him be Anathema or accursed If Romes Curse were of force then wofull were the case of St. Paul that doth so often mightily magnifie the grace of God in our iustification yea the only grace and fauour of God excluding workes as not hauing the least share with Gods grace therein Nay the whole Word of God which is the Word of his grace and the Gospell of his grace must fall vnder Romes Curse Howsoeuer the equiuocating Romanists would foyst and shuffle in their workes by the name of grace by which indeed they destroy and ouerthrow the grace of God Obiect But say some It is sufficient that wee grant that Gods grace doth manifest it selfe in prouiding for vs and offering vnto vs meanes whereby we may be saued without which meanes because we cannot be saued therefore we are said to be saued by the grace of God Answ. Is that sufficient O enemies of the grace of God and of your owne saluation Will you so limit Gods grace Will ye so eclipse the glory of his grace as to confine it within such narrow bounds Indeede great and infinitely great was Gods loue in so louing the world that he gaue his only begotten Sonne that all that beleeue in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting But did his gift depend vpon mans acceptance that it might be effectuall if man would otherwise not Then as Esay saith Who hath beleeued our report Had not then this great loue of God beene vtterly lost Had not this gift beene such as no man would receiue it For what saith the Scripture All haue sinned and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come short of the glory of God The naturall man
of the elect But here it may be obiected that St. Augustine confesseth that those that fell away were once in the true faith and therefore a man may fall away from true faith and consequently from grace finally and totally But Saint Augustine cleareth this in many places of his Bookes shewing that a man cannot fall away from the faith of the elect As Fides Christi fides gratiae Christianaeâ— id est ea fides quae per dilectionem operatur posita in fundamento neminem perâ—â—e permittit The faith of Christ the faith of Christian grace to wit that faith which worketh by loue being built vpon the foundation permitteth none to perish And therefore where hee speakes of such as were once in the faith and fall from it hee meaneth not the proper faith of the Elect but the common faith of Christians As he also saith Appellamus nos electos Christi Discipulos Dei Filios quia sic appellandi sunt quos regeneratos piâ— viuere cernimus We doe call men euen the elect Disciples of Christ and the Sonnes of God because they are so to bee called whom we see to be regenerate and to liue godly but if they haue not perseuerance they are not truely called sith they are called that which they are not And therefore Quia non habuerunt perseuerantiam sicut non verè Discipuli Christi ita nec verè Filij Dei fuerunt etiam quando esse videbantur ita vocabantur Because they had not perseuerance as they were not truely Christs Disciples so neyther were they truely the Sons of God euen when they seemed to be so and were called so Of this sort and sense is another place of St. Augustine to bee taken which the Author of the new Gagge for the old Goose for haste as Charity may deeme rather than eyther of malice or ignorance not easily incident to a man of such rare and extraordinary learning hath perhaps casually in such a swift flowing current of discourse dropped from his Goose-quill His allegation out of St. Augustine is in these words Credendum est quosdam de filijs perditionis non accepto dono perseuerantiae vsque in finem in fide quae per dilectionem operatur incipere viuere aliquandiâ— fideliter iustè viuere postea cadere neque de haâ— vita priusquam hoc eis contingat auferri The author of the Gagge seemeth to alledge this place to proue that a man may totally fall away from grace sith from faith working by loue And the words as he alledgeth them seeme to fauour that opinion as if it were Augustines definitiue conclusion for all peremptorily to beleeue it Credendum est But as a guelt man though he haue all the other signes of a man hath lost his virility the chiefe difference of his Sexe so this sentence being but a little guelt how much is it made to degenerate from the Masculine stile of St. Augustine For Augustine speaking there of the gift of perseuerance inferreth this sentance thus Propter huius vtilitatem secreti credendum est quosdam c. For the benefit of this secret to wit of perseuerance credendum est where wee are to note that these first words left out by the Author are a speciall qualification and limitation of our faith herein namely how farre forth and in what respect Augustine would haue vs thinke so that men may fall from that faith which worketh by loue to the end that thereby they should bee more carefull to keepe their standing therefore he saith Propter huius vtilitatem secreti A clause in no case to bee neglected for little though it bee it leaueneth and seasoneth the whole lumpe As the same Augustine elsewhere saith Deus melius esse iudicauit miscere quosdam non perseueraturos certo numero Sanctorum suorum vt quibus non expedit in huius vitae tentatione securitas non possint esse securi God iudged it better to mingle some that should not perseuere with the certaine number of his Saints that they for whom security in the tentation of this life is not expedient might learne not to be secure Now that Augustine by that faith working by loue mentioned in the former allegation from whence he would haue vs beleeue for our owne profit and proficiency in perseuering that the reprobate fall did not meane that true reall faith of the Saints and Elect which worketh by loue but onely such a faith in appearance and common account besides many other places and those also which we haue forecited that one may conuince it where he saith vpon 2. Tim. 2. 19. Horum fides quae per dilectionem operatur profectò aut omnino non deficit aut si qui sunt quorum deficit reparatur antequam vitaista finiatur deleta quae intercurrerat iniquitate vsque in finem perseuerantia deputatur The faith of those which worketh by loue eyther doth not faile at all or if there be any whose faith doth faile it is repaired before this life be ended and the inquity which came betweene being blotted out perseuerance is deputed euen vnto the end Yea he saith definitiuely Fides eius qui aedificatur super Petram pro qua etiam orauit Christus ne deficiat non deficit His faith that is built vpon the Rocke for the which also Christ prayed that it should not faile faileth not And Christ saith expresly That the house built vpon the Rocke faileth not but standeth firme against all windes and waues of tentations The Rocke is Christ and the house vpon this Rocke is euery true beleeuer But say that former allegation out of Augustine had beene altogether set downe by him eyther in those termes or in that sense as the Author citeth it what if one such speech tending that way should haue fallen from that excellent holy man shall that one preponderate the whole tenure of St Augustines workes Nay rather let it bee interpreted by his other sayings than they be ouerthrowne and euacuate by this And let the learned Author of that booke of the Gagge so maintaine the truth of Christ in the maine current of his other writings as they may not only extenuate but wholly expiate and expunge to omit other things at least this blot dropping from his penne Augustine though a most excellent light in Gods Church yet wherein he saw his errours such was his rare humility and dextrous ingenuity hee writ a Booke of Retractations But for his Doctrine in the point of the Saints perseuerance in the state of grace vnto the end it is so cleare and consonant to the Scriptures that it needes no retractation and as vneasie it is almost by any wit to bee peruerted as subuerted Onely let not a misalledged place or a mis-conceiued allegation out of Augustine stand as the Rest whereon the state of the Doctrine of the Church of England must lye at hazzard Nor euer let
him Vega de meritis ex congruo iustif q. 7. Vega de argum pro â—â—ces bapt cap. 15. Vega lib. 8. cap. 11. de argum contra iustif merit ex congruo * He should say Romane-Catholickes Pontificians make Philososophy a rule for Diuinitie A promonition Aug. de praed grat tom 7. Aug. tract 3. in Ioh. 1. Ambros. de vâ—lat Gent. lib. 2. cap. 8. ibid. lib. 1. cap. 9. Chrysost. in Rom. hom 5. 17. Aug. de praedest sanct cap. 12. Aug. in ex pos Epist. ad Galat Aug. ad Simplicianum l. 1. q. 2. tom 4. Aug. in Psal. 118 concio 7. Aug. Epist. 105. ad Sixtum Com-praesbyt Bern. in Cant. ser. 17. Ibid. August Aqu 82. q. 11â— Note the practice and common opinion of the Church of Rome in the point of merit of workes w câ— is nothing else but the fruit of this their doctrine which snake-like lurketh vnder the greene leaues of subtile hypocrisie Bern de gratia libero arbit Concil Trid. Sess. 6. cap. 5. 6. What free will is left in vs in the state of corruption Bern. Ambros. de vocat Gentium l. 1. cap. 2. Chrys in Matth. 21. hom 37. tom 2. 1 Kings â— â—6 â— Free-will in corrupt nature Matth. 16. 17. 1. Cor. 2. 14. Aqu. 12. qu. 114 cap. 2. Aqu. Suâ— q. 22. art 6. cap. â— Acts 16. 14. Iohn 17. 3. Esa. 53. 11. Aug. Enchir. ad Laurent tom 3. Libero arbitrio â—alè vâ—ens homo se perdidit ipsum Ezech. 11. 19. Obiection Aug. contra duas epist. Peâ—ag ad Bonif. â—ib 2. Bern. de gratia libero arbitrio What Free-will is Aug. de peccat orig contra Pelag Celest. lib. 2. tom 7. Obiect Hier. ad â—teâ—â—phon epist. 13. part 1. tract 2. Reasons ouerthrowing Popish preparation Ioh. 3. 8. Luke 11. 20. 21 Cant. 1. 4. Aug de spiritu litera ad Marcellinum tom 3. Ipsum velle credere Deus operatur in homine in omnibus misericordia eius praeuenit nos And Tract 26. in Ioh. 5. tom 9. Si trahimur ad Christum ergo inuiti credimus At credere nemo potest nisi volens And I lle quippe trahitur ad Christum cui datur vt credat in Christum Aug. contra duas Epist. Pelag. ad Bonif. l. 1. Ier. 31. 18. 19. Obiect Ans. Concil Trid. sess 6. can 7. Obiection Answ. Obiection Answ. Obiect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Obiect Ans. Iames 4. 6. â— Kin. 4. 35. Matth. 25. Oleum opera per diderunt Rom. 11. 24. Gen. 19. 11. Reu. 11. 8. Concil Trid. Ses. 6. cap. 7. * What they meane by sanctification and renouation may be seene chap. 13. to wit pilgrimage vigils almes specially to the Friars Pater nosters Auemaries oblations fastings vowes of chastitie c. also sacramentall confession and satisfactions chap. 14. â— Hist. Concil Trid. Soto de nat grat lib. 2. c. 20. Soto de nâ—t grat lib. 2. c. 6. quo termini controuersiae exponuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iames 2. Rom. 3. 28. Vega de descript iustif l. â— in c. 4. decreti de iustificatione cap. 11. Soto de nat grat lib. 2. c. 20. Vega de vera ficta iustif lib. 25. cap. 2. * Latinè dicere Ibid. Greg. moral lib. 1. cap. 37. Aug. Soliloq lib. cap. 15. tom 9. â—â—llar de iustif â— â— 6. 8. Aug. de spiriâ— litera ad Marcellinum tom 3. This place makes amenâ— for that otheâ— De praed sanâ— l. 1. c. 7. Bern. de aâ—â—â—â— ciat Maria. Ser. 1. Iob. 38. 40. Condemnation by way of opposition implyeth iustification Templer Metaph lib. 3. cap. â— probl 9. Soto de nat grat lib. 2. cap. 5. in fine Obiect Vega de iustif quast 1. 〈◊〉 11. Aug. expos in Ioh. 11. tract 9. Luke 8. 46. * Cognitione â—ui 2. Cor. 5. 2â— Aug. Enchirid. cap. 41. Bern. epist. 190. ad Innocent Rom. 6. 20 Esay 53 Lyra vpon â—his place Pet. 2. 24. â—say 53. 12. Zach. 3. 3â— Chrys. ex vatii in Mat. lociâ— hom 6. Esa. 61. 10. Glos. ordin Ambros. lib. 2. de Iacob vita beata Aug. de temp â—arb serm c. 7. Luke 4. 29. O admirable concourse of Gods wisedome and iustice 2. Chron. 19. 6. Prou. 28. 27. â—enec in Medea Matth. 27. 18. Matth. 27 24. Ambroâ— in Psal. 39. tom 4. Esay 53. 9. Rom. 5. 9. 1 Thes. 1. 10. Imputation negatiue and affirmatiue Psal. 32. 1. 2. Rom. 4. 7. 8. Esa. 9. 6. Christs both actiue and passiue obedience imputed to vs. Esa. 26. 12. Phil. 2. 7. Mar. 10. 45. Luke 17. 19. Ioh. 17. 19. Ioh. 17. 19. Rom. 4. 6. The righteousnesse of his life was as a perfume to to make his passion a sweet-smelling sacrifice Stella in Luc. cap. 4. init Luke 11. 24. 1 Cor 1. 30. Rom. 10. 6. Hist. Coâ—cil Trid. lâ— p. 157 Latina editiâ—â— Vega de vera ficta iustis lib. 15. cap. 2. Ambros. in Psal. â—9 Ambr. in epiâ— ad Gal. cap. â— Aug de spirâ—liter ad Marâ— tom 3. Aug. Psal. 32. â—xâ—â— â—g ad Simâ— lib. 1. qu. 2. Aug. epist. 106. Bonifacio out Paulino Aug. expos epist. ad Galat. lib. Iust. Mart. in epist. ad Diog. Bern. serm ad milit temp c. 11 Ibid. Bern. epist. 190. ad Innocent Ambros. â—râ—t ad Auxent pest epist. 32. Cyril in Esai lib. 5. cap. 59. in fine Corde creditur ad iustitiam ore autem fit confessio ad salutem Accepimus itaque à Deo verbum fidei confessionem Quod quidem salutare est iustitiam conciliat Iustificat enim sic impium Christus quod palam clamitat Ecce deleui vt nubem iniquitates tuas vt caliginem peccata tua Hoc enim verbum fidei in nobis erit perpetuò de ore nostro non cessabit sed illud ad posteritatem vsque transmittemus sie enim iustificabuntur posteri Si enim semper Christus sit Deus Dominus nunquam definet fidei eius confessio apud eos qui illius apparitionem ag nouerunt Concil Trid. Ses. 6. cap. 7. Can. 11. Concil Trid. Ses. 6. cap. 7. Concil Trid. Ses. 5. cap. 8. Can. 9. 11. Vega de iustisgrat fide c. qu. 2. Prima conclusio Vega de pracipua causa iustific qu. 3. Vega de iustifgrat c. qu. 1. propos 2. Vega de praecipua causa iustif quaest 3. Vega's fiue reasons why iustification is by the Apostle oftner attributed to faith than to other vertues Aug. ibid. c. 7. Popish vnion Rom. 4. 24. Vers. 16 Vers. 12. â—â—rn in Caâ—t ser. 17. Aug. de verbis Apost ser. 14. tom 10. â—â—ncil Trid. â—â—s 6. cap. 7. Vega de lust 〈…〉 grat qâ— 1. Ibid. q. 2. Aug. in Iohan. Tract 29. Aug. in Psa. 77. Aug. de verbis Dom. in Euangsecund Ioh. ser. 61. Aug. secund â—oh ser. 60. de â—erbis Dom. Aug. epist. 120. ad Honâ—rat cap.
20. â—ern de consid â— 5. cap. 8. Bern. super Cant. ser. 71. Ioh. 15. 5. Phil. 2. 13. Esa. 10. 15. Esa. 26. 12. â— Sam. 9. 2. Sam. 19. Horace Pro. 20. 6. Gal. 2. 20. 1. Cor. 12. 12. Psal. 13 â— Ephes. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 17. Psal. 104. Psal. 145. â—hes 2. 20. 21. â—hn 15. 4. 5. â—om 11. 24. â—hes 5. 25. â—hes 4. 15. 16. â—euel 1. 6. Vega l. 10. de iâ— aqual grat gloriae iustoruâ— cap. 8. The title whereof is De pulcherrima via concilian dâ— Paulum cum Iacobo quae â—â—bis ex doctrinâ— sancta Synodi illuxit Of the most beautiful way of reconciling Paul with Iames which was intimated vnto vs from the holy doctrine of the Synod Greg. in 7 Psal. poenit in Psa. 5â— If it be not a misprinting â—e the Indexâ—â—ted â—â—ted at Maâ—d by publick â—thority Ann. â—â— See also â—ctor Iames â— Popish corâ—ptions of the â—thers â—mes 2. 21. See Deut. 6. 25 the Geneua translation amisse See the vulgar Latine pro Eritque isstitia nostra Erit nostri misericors si custod * In the Pontifician sense Conferre here the term Lawâ— opposed to Faith not the Ceremoniall Law to Moral Obiect Luke 1. 74. Exod. 15. 25. Psal. 149. Luke 18. â—ug de peccatorum meritis remiss l. 2. c. 5 â—ug de verbis â—omini ser. 36. Aug. de vtilit necess poenit â—om 50. Ambros. in Psal. 118. serm 3. Colos. 2. 19. Matth. 18. Psa. 43. 1â— â—â—b 9. â— Ambr. de vocat Gent. lib. 1. ca. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esa. 1. 22. Ier. 6. 30. â—om 4. 5. Aug. confesdib â—0 cap. 2. 〈…〉 Cor. 1. 30. Arist. polit lib. â— cap. 8. Tertul. aduers. Hermog lib. â—om 10. 1. â—sa 43. 11. â—â—ella in Luc. â—ap 4. Rom. 11. 6. Concil Trid. Ses. 6. cap. 8. â—an 2. 33. Rom. 6. 1. 2. Baron an 107 n. 33. Baron an 107 n. 7. Mat. 23. 13. Iob 31. 5. Ambros. in Psalme 4â— â—â—â— Canaan which is as much as to shew grace fauour or mercie Ambros ibid. Ambros. in epist. â—d Hebr. cap. 4. Ambr. in Rom. 9 Ambr. de Iacob vita beata lib. 2. cap. 2. Ambr. in Apol. Dauid Ambros. in Rom. cap. 1â— Note 1. Cor. 14. 4. Phil. 3. 9. â—ossidonius in â—â—e beginning â—f St. Auguâ—â—ines workes â—â—â— Chemnitiâ—s his Examenâ—f â—f iustification The like â—peech did veâ—erable Bede â—tter at his â—eath saying â—o his friends â— haue so liued â—mong you â—hat I am not â—shamed of my â—ife neither â—eare I to dye â—ecause I haue almost gracious Redeemer Remaines Guil. Abbas in vita Bern. lib. 1. cap. 13. 〈…〉 â—ensis 〈◊〉 Heb. 12. 29. Esay 33. 14. Iames 2. 10. Gal. 3. 10. Esay 29. 13. â—at 7. 22. â—â—ellarm de â—â—stis l. 5. c. 7. Aug. manual â— 22. tom 9. Greg. Moral l. 35. c. 26. Luther l. artic art 35. Sixtus Sene. bibl sact l. 5. annot 45. Greg. Moral lib. 9 cap. 24. Gasper contarenus lib. de iustif 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—om 8. 32. Mat. 23. 13. Gen. 26. 15. Ier. 2. 13. Ioseph de Antiquit Iud. lib. 13. cap. 17. Iohn 4. 21. 23. Esa. 12. 3. Esa. 30. 14. Mat. 9. 22. Iohn 9. Dom. Soto de nat grat l. 2. c. 5. Concil Trid. Sess. 6. c. 15. can 28. * Note the sugar-tongued serpent proâ—aning Scripture by an hypocriticall mis-applying it to others when it directly taxeth seducing Pontificians themselues Vega de mortal venial peccat l. 1. c. 14. Soto de nat grat l. 2. c. 7. Coâ—cil Trid. Sess. 6. can 28. Soto de nat grat l. 2. c. 7. Soto ibid. Vega de iustif grat c. qu. 1. Ibid. qu. 2. rat 1. His meaning is by grace inherent as hope loue c. â—â—rodot lib. 1. Ibid. quaest 1. Acts 26. Esay 47. 10. Vega de iustif â—rat c. q. 1 â—ropos 5. This beeing â—hat faith which some nouelists call Euangelicall faith which they distinguish in kinde from faith in Christ. Aqu 2. 2. qu. 4. 4. qu. 19. 5. 1. The vanity of the distinction of faith formed and vnformed â—â—o serm 14. in â—atiuit Leo ibid. serm 10. Aug. de peccat merit remis lib. 2. cap. 29. Aug. de nat grat lib. contra Pelag cap 44. Pet. 1. 1. Greg. Moral â—b 16. cap. 13. Greg. super Ezech lib. 2. hom â—7 Aug. contr duâ— Epist. Pelag. aâ— Bonific l. 3. Obiectâ— Greg. dialog l. 4. c. 2. Fulgent de incarnat gratâ— Dom. nostri Iesu Christi c. 22. Aug. l. 50. homiliarum hom 17. Ibid. Origen in Leuit. c. 3. hom 3. 2 Pet. 1. 1. Chrys. in Rom cap. 3 serm 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. in Iohan cap. 3. S. Basil. dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Basil. regul contract definit 80. A comparison Aug. tract 29. in Iohan. Obiection Answ. Soto de nat grat l. 2. c. 7. Concil Trid. Sess. 6. c. 6. Soto ibid. 1. Ioh. 3. 3. Rom. 4. 13. Marke 1. 15. Aug. Enchiri cap. 5. a Chrysost. in Genes cap. 15. hom 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—rys in Rom. â—p 10. hom 17. â—mbrose in â—â—ist ad Galat. â—p 3. Soto de nat grat l 2. c. 7. Designatur subiectum fidei essintellectiuam potentiam c. Enchirid. Concil Colon. Prouincial de sacramento poenitentiae pag. 87. Printed at Paris 1554. Bellar. de iustif lib. 1. cap. 7. The subiect of â—â—ing faith Recordari à Corde dicitur Rom. 11. 18. Rom. 11. 16. Bern. de ordin vita lib. Heb. 11. 6. â—ug de cognit â—erae vitae c. 37. Aug. in Iohan. â—ract 45. ex cap. â—1 Iohn 17. 3. Aug. in Iohan tract 29. Aug. de verbiâ— Apostoli ser. 3 Aug. contra duas Epist. Pâ— lagio ad Bonifac l. 1. c. 3. Bern. flores dâ— fide Hieroâ— Osoriâ— de iustitiâ— l. â— lib. 2. â—rat de conseâ—at distinct 4. â—loss Cap. vlt. Aug. de verbis Apost serm 33. â—â—m 10. Aug. Eâ—cbir c. 8 Aug. in Psa. 13 Praefatio Chrysost. de fiâ— Abraâ—ae serm Ambros. in Psal 118. serm 22. Aug. in Psal. 32 Euang. Rom. 5. 1. c. Concil Trid. Sess. 6. cap. 15. 1. Sam. 19. Rom. 2. 28 29. Bern. serm ad Pastores Aug in Epist. Iohan. tract 10. Aug. in Psal. 56. Aug. Epist. 23. Bonifacio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysâ—â—â— in Epist ad Colos. 1. Chrysost ad populum Antioch homil 21. Iohn 3. 16. Greg. in Euang. homil 29. tom 2 Ambros de incarnationis Domini sacramento lib. cap. 1. Bellar de libero arbit l. 1. c. 6. Bellar in his fift generall controuersie lib. 2. cap. 31. â—t maior Caâ—ech Nowell â—e sinitur fides â—iâ— This the Church of Engl. doctrine â—oto de nat grat l. 2. c. 7. Vega lib. 13. de lapsis eorum reparatione c. 31. Sotoibid Concil Trid. Sess. 6. cap. 6. Ibid. Can. 14. Vega lib. 6. de praepar