to the glory of God to the good of our selves or of our brethren wee shall doe more than is commanded in respect of the particular thing it selfe which is simply neither commanded nor forbidden but not more in respect of the generall lawes of piety and charity which as they command us to love God with all our soules and our neighbour as our selves and forbid the contrary vices so they command all the meanes and helpes which may bee used for the pâ—…formance of these duties of piety and charity and forbid both all impediments of the dueties commanded and also all provocations to the evils forbidden Now in these things which are neither simply commanded nor forbidden counsels have place either for the using or refusing of them as shall bee most for Gods glory the benefit of our brethren and our owne spirituall good which counsels as it is a vertue to obey so to disobey them is a sinne and consequently the observer of them doth no more than hee ought to doe And therefore the Papists whiles they enjoyne the observation of the counsels onely to them who would seeme to live in a state of perfection they teach all others to sinne by disobeying them as not being tyed to the observation of them As for example not to sweare in ordinary communication not to revenge nor to resist evill to blesse them that curse us to pray for them that persecute us and many such like among which they reckon the eigth beatitudes Matth. 5. 3. c. In which a good part of the power of Religion consisteth So that to sweare ordinarily in common talke to seeke private revenge and such like are no sinnes with the Papists § III. But let us come to his proofes The first whereof is Mat. 19. 21. If thou wilt bee perfect Goe and sell all that thou hast c. upon which place they ground their counsell of voluntary poverty But it is evident by that which before I have said that this was not a precept or counsell given to all that would aspire towards perfection which is the duety and property of all true Christians but a precept of triall directed in speciall to that rich Iustitiary to discover unto him his owne imperfectionâ—… Or if it had been but a counsell according to the popish coâ—…ruction given to one that had already fulfilled all the Commaâ—…ements which no man can bee said to have fulfilled untill he â—…ave fulfilled his course then had it been no sinne for him not to obey this counsell nor any hinderance to his salvation For having fulfilled all the Commandements as the Papists conceive of him he might enter into life though he did not this which here hee is advised unto But he sinned in disobeying this precept of triall which if he had obeyed hee had done no more than in duety he was bound to doe having received a speciall Commandement to that purpose Neither had hee fulfilled those Commandements which hee saith hee had kept from his youth otherwise than according to the interpretation of the Scribes and Pharisees and consequently according to their righteousnesse which whosoever doth not exceed shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven and much lesse had he fulfilled all the Commandements of God For by disobeying this Commandement of Christ he plainely bewrayed himselfe to be a transgressour of the first and last Commandements yea that he did not truely affect and prize his owne salvation but being a meere worldling preferred the love of his pelfe to the love of God and desired rather to enjoy his worldly wealth for a short time than to obtaine and for ever to enjoy the heavenly treasures which Christ promised him if hee would follow Him And for this his sinne in disobeying Christ his entrance into heaven was hindered Insomuch that of him and all such as he was our Saviour giveth this censure that it is easier for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle than for a rich man that setteth his heart upon riches as this man did to enter into the kingdome of God § IV. As for their counsell and vow of voluntary poverty though I will not insist thereupon it being another controversie yet thus much briefly will I say First that it hath no ground in the Scriptures and therefore being obtruded as a matter of Religion it is meere will-worship which is neither acceptable to God nor availeable to themselves Secondly as it is practised among the Papists it is nothing worth being done neither out of the love of God nor of their neighbour but out of a Pharisaicall conceit by their works of supererogation to make God their debtour For as the Apostle saith If I should bestow all my goods to â—…eed the poore and have not charity it would profit me nothing 1 Cor. 13. 3. Thirdly it is repugnant to the Scriptures and namely to the eigth the fifth and second Commandement In the eigth Commandement as I could shew there is required a moderate desire of temporall blessings avoiding the contrary extremes of coveâ—…ing too much or of affecting voluntary poverty And accordingly wee are to frame our prayers and our practice Our prayer as our Saviour hath taught us to begge of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that portion of temporall blessings which God in his wisedome doth know to bee expedient for us that is as Agur prayeth Prov. 30 8. Give mee neither poverty or beggary as the Latine rendreth it nor riches feed mee with food convenient for me Where Lechem châ—…qqi is the very same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our practice not to live idlely upon the sweat of other mens browes as Friars mendicants and other lusty beggars doe but every mans duety is to worke with his hands the thing that is good that is to earne his living by the lawfull workes of his lawfull calling not onely that hee may eate his owne bread which our Saviour teacheth us to begge of God and the Apostle to labour for that we may eat our owne bread 2 Thes. 3. 12. And the Psalmist promiseth as a blessing to him that feareth God Psal. 128. 2. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine owne hands but also that hee may have to give to others Ephes. 4. 28. Therefore the Apostle Act. 20. 34 35. exhorteth the faithfull by labouring in their lawfull callings to support the impotent and to remember the words of our Lord Iesus for though the Papists esteeme them to live in a state of perfection who live in voluntary beggary yet our Saviour was wont to say it is a more blessed thing to give than to receive And therefore a more blessed estate it is to be able to give than to live upon the almes of others The fifth Commandement teacheth us to honour our private and our publike parents in the Church and common wealth and the common mother of us all that is our Country all which we are to honour with
curse Thirdly Whatsoever is not agreeable or conformable to the Law is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sinne But that which is besides the Law is not conformable unto it therefore it is a sinne and a transgression of the Law which whosoever committeth hee doth not fulfill the Law Fourthly Things forbidden in the Law are against the Law Those which they call veniall sinnes are forbidden in the Law For either they are forbidden or commanded or neither forbidden nor commanded If they be commanded then are they duetyes and not sinners if neither commanded nor forbidden then are they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things indifferent it remayneth therefore that they are forbidden § XXIV Now because the proofe of this point that the fulfilling of the Law is not possible unto us is a matter of great consequence for thereby the popish doctrine of justification by inherent righteousnesse in generall and by workes in particular is evidently confuted I will to those arguments heretofore used adde the testimonies of antiquity in requitall of Bellarmines allegations out of the Fathers First Therefore Iustin Martyr saith that never any man did accurately performe all the things that are commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly Eusebius Caesariensis demonstrates that things required in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all men impossible Thirdly Ambrose Tanta mandata sunt ut impossibile sit servari ea so great things are commanded that it is impossible they should be kept whence Peter in the Acts of the Apostles saith why doe you impose a yoke upon the brethren which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare Fourthly Chrysostome what did the Law intend to make a man just but it was not able 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for no man did fulfill it 2. No man could be justified by the Law unlesse hee fulfilled all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But this was not possible to any man therfore that righteousnesse it self is quashit 3. That the Apostle by Testimony cited out of Deut. proveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no man hath fulfilled the Law Hierome and Augustine in this point deliver the same things against the Pelagians which wee doe against the Papists Fifthly Quoniam a. saith Hierome nemo potest implere legem that no man can fulfill the Law and doe all things that are commanded the Apostle testifieth also elsewhere For that which was impossible of the Law in that it was weake through the flesh Rom. 8. 3. c. 2. This is the onely perfection of men if they know themselves to be unperfect And you saith hee when you have done all say wee are unprofitable servants wee have done what was our duety to doe If hee be unprofitable who hath done all what is to be said of him who was not able to fulfill 3. And againe thou saist the Commandements of God are easie tamen nullum proferre potes qui universa compleverit and yet canst bring forth none that hath fulfilled them all 4. God saith the Pelagian hath given possible Commandements and who denyeth this but how this sentence is to bee understood the vessell of election most plainely teacheth that which was impossible of the Law in that it was weak through the flesh c that is that the Law is not simply impossible but by reason of the flesh that which was possible before the fall is since the fall impossible by reason of mans coruption 5. When the Pelagians said that although no man bee without sinne yet he might be without sinne what kinde of arguing saith he is this posse esse quod nunquam fuerit that that may be which never was posse fieri quod nullum fecisse testeris that that may be done which your selfe testifie never any man did and to attribute that I know not to whom which you can never prove to have beene in the Patriarches or Prophets or Apostles 6. That which our Saviour Christ saith if thou wilt be perfect is said to him who could not yea would not and therefore could not 7. Then are we just when we confesse our selves to be sinners and our righteousnesse consisteth not of our owne merit but of Gods mercie 8. If wee doe not that which we would but worke that which wee would not how say ye that a man may be without sinne if he will Behold the Apostle and all beleevers are not able to accomplish what they would 9. Having cited many testimonies to prove that no man is justified by the workes of the Law all these saith he I runne through ut ostendam a nullo legem esse imâ—…letam that I might shew that the Law is fulfilled of none meaning by the Law all the Commandements which are contained in the Law 10. If you can shew the man who hath fulfilled all then may you shew a man who needeth not Gods mercie 11. The Law is made weake quoniam nemo potest iâ—…plere eam nisi Dominus because none but our Lord can fulfill it VI. Augustine saith that to that immortall life appertaineth that precept thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy might but to this life let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies to obey the lusts thereof to that life thou shalt not lust to this thou shalt not goe after thy lusts 2. God doth so worke righteousnesse in his Saints labouring under the temptation of this life that notwithstanding there remaineth both what he may largely adde to them when they aske and also what he may mercifully forgive when they confesse 3. In the same chapter hee had said that the two Commandements of loving God with all our heart and our neighbours as our selves wee shall fulfill when we shall see face to face But saith he the same is now commanded us ut admoneremur quid fide exposcere quò spem praemittere ut oblivisâ—…endo quaeretro sunt in quae anteriâ—…ra nos extendere debeamus that wee might be admonished what by faith to desire whether to send before our hope unto what things which are before we should preasse forward forgetting what is behind 4. That the virtue which now is in a just man is so farre to be called perfect that to the perfection thereof there belongeth the acknowledgment of its imperfection in verity and the confession thereof in humility for then this petite justice is according to its small measure infirmely perfect when it understandeth what is wanting to it selfe And therefore the Apostle saith both that he is unperfect and that hee is perfect unperfect considering how much he wanted unto justice the fulnesse whereof he did as yet hunger after and thirst perfect both because he is not ashaâ—…ed to confesse his imperfections and goeth forward well that he may attaine unto it 5. Surely hee that is renewed from day to day which is the cause
of the most regenerate is not yet wholly renewed and how much he is not yet renewed so much he is in his old estate c. 6. It is the fulnesse of virtue which the Law saith thou shalt not covet hoc modò impleri non potest this now cannot bee fulfilled 7. So long as love may and ought to bee increased as in this life alwayes it may and ought certainely that which is lesse than it ought to be is faulty by reason of which faultinesse there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not By reason of which faultinesse no man living shall be justified in Gods sight c. VII Sedulius upon those words for Christ is the end of the Law c that is saith he perfectionem legis habet qui credit in Christâ—… hee hath the perfection of the Law who beleeveth in Christ. For seeing no man was justified by the Law quia nemo impleâ—…at legem because none did fulfill the Law c. VIII Oecumenius for this cause they who adhere to the Law are accursed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they are not able to fulfill the Law IX Bernard neither was the Law-giver ignorant that the weight of the Commandement did exceed the strength of men but hee judged it profitable that by this meanes they might bee admonished of their insufficiencie and that they might know unto what end or perfection of righteousnesse they ought according to their ability strive wherfore mandando impossibilia by commanding things impossible hee made not men transgressours but humble c. 2. Therefore he hath straightly comanded his Commandements to be kept that seeing our imperfection to be defective non posse implere quod dâ—…bet that it cannot fulfill what it ought we might flee to mercie X. Thomas Aquinas on those words Gal. 3. 10. For it is written Cursed c. he proveth saith hee his purpose viz. that no man can be justified by the workes of the Law quia nullus potest servare legem because no man can keepe the Law in that manner that the Law prescribeth Deut. 27. because every one is accursed who doth not continue in all things which arâ—… written in the booke of the Law to doe them that is who doth not fulfill the whole Law Sed implere totam legem est impossibile but to fulfill the whole Law it is impossible XI Cardinall Câ—…sanus Nemo vunquam adimplevit legem never any man fulfilled the Law which consisteth in love but Christ only who came not to breake the Law but to fulfill it Against all these the sacred Councell of Trent denounceth Anathema CAP. VII Bellarmines sixe reasons to prove that the Law of God is absolutely possible answered and refuted § I. NOW I come to Bellarmines Reasons which are in number sixe The first A man may doe more than is commanded therefore much more hee is able to fulfill the Commandement The antecedent hee proveth by three testimonies The first of Christ Matth. 19. Who after he had said if thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements and the party had answered all these I have kept from my youth he saith unto him againe if thou wilt be perfect goe and sell all that thou hast c. The second of Chrysostome who saith that many exceed the Commandements The third of Augustine who saith no great burden is imposed upon Virgins greater love hath imposed a greater weight As if they should say what dost thou command that we should not bee adultresses Is this that which thou commandest In love to thee we doe more than thou commandest I answere by distinction For when he saith a man may doe more than is commanded that more may be understood either extensivè to things not commanded at all or inteâ—…sivè in respect of things commanded but done in greater perfection than is commanded And thus he meaneth either some speciall Commandement or the whole Law If he meane the whole Law I deny the antecedent For I have proved that no mortall man is able to fulfill the whole Law and much lesse to doe more The Law of God is a perfect rule of righteousnesse unto which nothing can or ought to bee added And to him that goeth about to adde to Gods Law God will adde his judgements because hee addeth nothing but will-worship and sinne And to such it will be said Who required these things at your hands Neither is that obedience to God which God hath not required And this is the case of all the religious Orders among the Papists who professe greater perfection than God hath required the severall Religions being so many by-wayes misleading them from that way which leadeth to heaven And this overthroweth all their superarrogant workes of supererogation For there can bee no workes of supererogation over and above the Law unlesse first the whole Law be fulfilled and then more bee added thereunto Neither of which can bee done If hee meane either things not commanded or the duties of any one speciall Commandement then I deny the consequence For as touching things not commanded it is manifest that they who are addicted to will-worship doe many things not commanded who notwithstanding neglect the things commanded making the Commandements of God of none effect through their traditions And this is the condition of all popish Votarles who though they should fully observe the rules of their severall Orders yet would bee very farre from fulfilling the whole Law of God If hee meane some speciall Commandement as by his proofes it seemeth hee doth then also I deny the consequence For though â—… man should doe more than is required in some speciall Commandement yet hee would bee defective in respect of others and hee that faileth in any is guilty of all § II. But I suppose it would be hard for any Papist to shew that in respect of any necessary morall duety more can bee laudably performed than is by duety required For whatsoever can be done it is either commanded of God or forbidden or neither commanded nor forbidden If it be forbidden it is evill and not to be done If it bee commanded it cannot bee done in greater perfection than God in his Law doth require it to be done If it be neither commanded nor forbidden then it is in it owne nature indiâ—…erent and therefore in respect of our Christian liberty free either to bee done or to be left undone But because our liberty is not a loose licentiousnesse but a true liberty bounded with the Lawes of piety and charity therefore we are so to use or forbeare the use of these things as that therein wee doe not offend against either piety or charity If therefore wee shall use these things as meanes or helpes to performe the dueties either of piety or charity or refuse them as impediments to either having either in the using or refusing respect
the other part of justification Reply we doubt not but the Scriptures make mention of both these benefits sometimes severally and sometimes joyntly which though in use and practice they alwayes goe together yet they must bee carefully distinguished And howsoever the Scriptures often make mention of Sanctification as well as of justification yet no where doe they make Sanctification a part of justification This Bellarmine should have proved and not have craved Neither is it to bee doubted but that if forgivenesse of the guilt and punishment concurre unto justification as a part thereof renovation or infusion of righteousnesse being the other part as Bellarmine here affirmeth theâ—…e are two actions and two formall causes of justification which themselves utterly deny And therefore they must bee forced to acknowledge these two actions having distinct formes to bee justification whose forme is imputation and sanctification whose forme is infusion of righteousnesse § VIII Finally saith he from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses signifieth that the observation of the Law neither by the strength of nature nor by helpe of the Law alone presumed doth justifie not because the true observation of the Law is not righteousnesse but because before remission of sinne the Law cannot be kept Reply By the observation of Law is meant all obedience and righteousnesse inherent whatsoever prescribed in the Law whether it goe before faith and justification or follow after For before as Bellarmine truly saith the Law cannot be fulfilled neither can there be any true righteousnesse And that obedience which is performed after though it be a righteousnesse begun in us and be not onely accepted in Christ but also graciously rewarded yet it cannot satisfie for our former sinnes nor justifie us from them That which Bellarmine addeth I admit with some small qualification as making for us For God saith he when by the merits of Christ he reconcileth any man hee doth withall forgive his sinnes so saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 19. which is all one as if Bellarmine had said when God justifieth a man not imputing his sinne and accepting of him as righteous in Christ then hee infuseth charity by which he may keepe the Law which is all one as if he had said when God hath justified a man he doth also Sanctifie him This saith he is that which Saint Augustine so often repeateth and wholly maketh for us opera non prâ—…cedere justificandum that workes goe not before as causes of justification sed sequi justificatum but follow after as effects and fruits thereof And this Augustine speaketh not of such workes as perfectly fulfill the Commandements for such there are none whiles they are stained with the flesh but of all good works which notwithstanding their defectivenesse are accepted of God in Christ that which he addeth out of Rom. 8. 4. I have discussed elsewhere § IX But to returne to the proofe of my proposition to that place of the Acts I adde for the further proofe of the first branch Rom. 4. vers 5 6 7 8. where the Apostle useth these words promiscuously justification and blessednesse and proveth out of Psal. 32. 1. that this blessednesse consisteth in remission of sin or as he also speaketh in the not imputing of sinne and imputation of righteousnesse without works from whence this is proved by what righteousnesse we have remission of sinne by that we are justified and by what wee are justified we have remission of sinne The second branch by what righteousnesse we are redeemed by that we are justified and è converso by what we are justified by that we are redeemed The benefit of redemption is explained by the Apostle Ephes. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. to bee remission of sinne and expressed by the phrase of redeeming from all iniquttie Tit. 2. 14. Psalm 133. 8. The third branch by what righteousnesse wee are reconciled to God by it we are justified and by what we are justified we are reconciled The Apostle Rom. 5. 9 10. useth these words promiscuously to bee justified by the bloud of Christ and to bee reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne and 2 Cor 5. 19. God is said to reconcile men unto him in Christ when hee doth not impute untio them their sinnes but imputeth unto them righteousnesse even the righteousnesse of God that is of Christ that they only may be made the righteousnesse of God in him vers 21. The fourth branch for what righteousnesse wee are saved by that wee are justified and è converso that which is the matter of justification is the merit of salvation for which cause justification and to be justified is many times expressed by salvation or to bee saved for they that are justified are saved in hope and by what they are justified by that they are intituled to salvation and by what we receive remission of sinnes by that also we receive our inheritance Iustification may bee compared to the institution of a Minister unto a benefice which giveth jus ad rem glorification to induction which giveth possession and jus in re § X. I come to the assumption the first branch whereof is that we are absolved from our sinnes by the righteousnesse of Christ and not by any righteousnesse inherent in usâ—… both wich are plainely averred Act. 3. 38 39. The former also is every where testified that the bloud of Christ was shed for the remission of sinnes and that it doth cleanse us from all our sinnes that he is the propitiation for our sinnes c. The latter is also evident that we cannot be absolved from our sinnes by righteousnesse inherent first because it cannot satisfie for our sinnes secondly because it cannot stand in judgement If wee should plead it before God we could not be justified thereby Psal. 143. 2. Neither are we able to answere him one of a thousand Ioâ—… 9. 3. Thirdly because our obedience though it were totall as it is never in this life yet it were a debt and we cannot be absolved from one debt by the payment of another when ye shall have done all things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to doe Luk. 17. 10. The second branch that we are redeemed by the merits of Christ and not by our owne righteousnesse needeth no proofe neither in respect of the affirmative that by his bloud we have redemption even the remission of our sinnes that he gave himselfe to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a full price of ransome to redeeme us from all iniquity Nor in respect of the Negative unlesse it may be thought that we who were held captives under sinne and Satan to doe his will could deliver our selves which God doth sweare to bee his gift Luk. 1. 73 74. Neither could we be delivered out of the hands of the strong man but by him that is stronger than he The third branch also
of Christ through fâ—…ith then are we not justified by workes But the first I have demonstrated by many undeniable arguments therefore the second must be granted 4. If we be justified by imputative righteousnesse that is to say by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to them that beleeve the Lord imputing righteousnesse unto them without workes then it is evident that wee are not justified by workes but that is most true as hath plentifully beene proved therefore this 5. If we be justified by faith alone then not by workes But we are justified by faith alone as hath beene proved therefore not by workes The arguments reduced to these five heads which were very many and impregnable might satisfie any reasonable man who is not wilfully addicted to his owne erroneous conceits though I should adde no more but because wee have to deale with men unreasonable I will adde some § III. And first out of Rom. 4. 4 5 6. He that worketh not is not justified by workes he that beleeveth worketh not as the Apostle there sheweth And againe to whom faith is impured unto righteousnesse without workes they are not justified by workes to all the faithfull faith is imputed unto righteousnesse without workes therefore none of the faithfull are justified by workes The assumption is thus proved If to Abraham his faith was imputed for righteousnesse without works then are all the faithfull justified without workes for Abraham is by the Apostle propounded as a patterne therefore as he was justified so are we Rom. 4. 22 23. 24. But to Abraham his faith was imputed for righteousnesse as the Apo stle teacheth Rom. 4. 3 4 5. Therefore all the faithfull are justified without workes 2. The true doctrine of justification is taught in the Scriptures justification by workes is not taught in the Scriptures for the justification taught in the Scriptures is an action of God justifying a sinner but this by workes is neither an action of God neither is it the justification of a sinner but the action of the justitiary himselfe who by the exercise and practise of good workes increaseth his inherent justice or fanctification which hath no affinity with that justification which is taught in the Scriptures 3. None that are justified by faith are justified by workes all the faithfull are justified by faith therefore none of the faithfull are justified by workes The proposition is evidently proved by that opposition which the Apostle constantly maketh betweene faith and workes in the question of justification asfirming that men though abounding with works of grace are justified by faith without workes and saved by faith and not by workes Rom. 3. 28. 4. 3 4 5. Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. 4. If any be justified by workes then either the regenerate man or the unregenerate but neither the unregenerate as the Papists confesse nor the regenerate for they are justified already Neither doe the Scriptures acknowledge any sorts or degrees of justification before God § IV. 5. All that are justified by workes are justified by that obedience which they performe to the Law But none are justified by the obedience which they performe to the Law therefore none are justified by workes The proposition is manifest Because the Law being a perfect rule of all inherent righteousnes there neither are nor can be any good works which are not prescribed in the Law Yea whatsoever worke is not conmable to the Law is sinne The assumpâ—…ion may bee proved by many undeniable arguments First by all those places which plainely testifie that by the workes of the Law that is by obedience done to the Law no man living shall be justified Rom. 3. 20 28. Gal. 2. 16. For by the workes of the Law wee understand all duties prescibed and all that obedience which is required in the Law 2. Those that are accursed by the Law are not justified by their obedience of it For to bee justified is to bee blessed Rom. 4. 6. and therefore to be justified and to be accursed are things repugnant But all men whatsoever even those which seeke to bee justified by their obedience to the Law are by the Law accursed Therefore no man is justified by his obedience performed to the Law And this is the Apostles argument Gal. 3. 10. as I have shewed before All transgressours of the Law are by the Law accursed All men since the fall are transgressours of the Law Christ onely 〈◊〉 excepted this assumption the Apostle omitteth because hee taketh it for granted as being a truth received among the faithfull in those times though in these dayes denied by the justitiaries of Rome but elsewhere it is by the Apostle expressed as Rom. 3. 23. all have sinned Wherefore as God hath concluded all under sinne Rom. 11. 32. Gal. 3. 22. so the Law hath concluded them under the curse 3. All that are justified by their obedience to the Law doe perfectly fulfill it by a totall perfect and perpetuall obedience for he that doth not so fulfill it by doing the things commanded though he did nothing that is forbidden by doing all though he did the most by continuing in doing all and in that measure and degree which the Law requireth though he sinned but once in all his life and that either by omission or comming short of his duety is a transgressour of the Law and therefore subject to the curse of the Law because hee hath not continued in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them And he that offendeth in one is guilty of all Iam. 2. 10. To whom the perfect fulfilling of the Law is impossible by reason of the flesh they cannot be justified by their obedience performed to it To all even the most regenerate the perfect fulfilling of the Law is impossible by reason of the flesh Rom. 8. 3. Gal. 5. 17. as elsewhere I prove at large Therefore none though regenerate can bee justified by their obedience performed to the Law § V. Sixthly That Doctrine which is repugnant to the Scriptures is false The Doctrine of justification by workes is repugnant to the Scriptures Therefore it is false The assumption is thus proved because the Scriptures in all places where they treat of justification before God doe from the act of justification exclude workes The places of Scripture which we produce to this end Bellarmine reciteth at least some of them with purpose to answere them Rom. 3. 27. Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law Of workes No but by the Law of faith Verse 28. Therefore wee conclude that a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law to which hee might have added verse 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified Rom. 4. 2. If Abraham were justified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God To which he might have added vers 5. 6. To him that worketh not but
those words of the Apostle Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. To avoid this evident truth Bellarmine coyneth a twofold distinction First that the word gratis may bee understood as opposed to merits of condignity going before justification and so it excludeth not the dispositions and preparations which the Papists teach goe before justification which according to their doctrine are but merits of congruity But it is evident that not onely merits of condignity but all merit whatsoever yea and all respect of our owne worthinesse and well doing is excluded so that gratis is as much as without any cause in us or any desert of ours or worthines in our selves And thus the councill of Trent it selfe expoundeth this word We are therefore said to be justified gratis freely because none of those things which goe before justification whether faith for workes deserve the grace of justification for if it be grace then is it not of workes for iâ—… it were of workes then grace were not grace as the same Apostle saith Secondly saith he it may bee understood as opposed to our owne merits or good workes done without grace for those that proceed from grace are not opposed to grace and therfore not excluded Whereunto I reply we cannot have any good thing but by gift from God and what good thing we have from God that is called ours as our faith our Charity our Hope our good â—…orkes Neither can wee without grace merit any thing but punishment It is therefore absurd to understand the Apostle as excluding merits without grace when as if we should doe all that is commanded which cannot be done without grace we must confesse that we deserve not so much as thanks because we have done but what was our duty to doe Neither can wee bee said to be justified gratis if there be any meritoriâ—…us cause of justification in our selves though received from God In regard of our selves indeed wee are justified gratis but it is not gratis in nor without paying a great price in respect of Christ. And therefore to those words justified freely by his grace is added through the redemption whiâ—…h is in or by Christ. By the word gratis therefore the Apostle signifieth thaâ—… in us there is no materiall cause no merit of justification but onely in Christ. And where he saith that grace cannot bee opposed to grace I say it may as in that opposition which is of relatives as of the cause and the effect For the effect cannot be the cause of its owne cause and therfore works which are the fruits and effects of justification cannot bee the causes thereof The other argument is from the word grace For if our justification be of grace then not of workes as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 11. 6. and if of workes then not of grace So Ephes. 2. 8 9. you are saved by grace not of workes For to him that worketh the reward that is justification or salvation is not imputed of grace but it is rendred as of debt but to him that worketh not but onely beleeveth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is imputed namely of grace to righteousnesse Rom. 4. 4 5. Even as David also describeth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes verse 6. CHAP. IV. Bellarmines arguments proving the necessity of good workes and first from the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell Secondly from the Doctrine of Christian liberty § I. NOW I come to Bellarmines arguments concerning good works which when he should prove they concurre to justification as causes thereof hee proveth them to be consequents thereof rather than causes And having little to say to the question it selfe he intermingleth many impertinent discourses Impertinent I say to the question though not to his purpose which was to calumniate us as though we held all those assertions which he laboureth to confute In his fourth booke therefore which is de justitia operum he propoundeth two maine questions to be disputed unto which divers others are coincident The former concerning the necessity of good workes the other concerning the truth of them As if we either denied that good workes are necessary or that they are truely good To the former hee referreth three questions the first whether the faithfull are bound to keepe the Law of God as though wee taught they were not the second concerning the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell as if we taught that the difference standeth in this that by the Law good workes are necessary by the Gospell not The third concerning Christian liberty as though we taught that the faithfull in their conscience and before God are subject to no Law Concerning the truth of the righâ—…eousnesse of good works after hee hath disputed the question whether the Law be possible whether the workes of the righteous bee sinnes he commeth at length to handle the controversie it selfe whether good workes doe justifie or not Concerning the former questions it shall suffice to shew what our tenet is in every of them and to defend our assertions against his cavils â—…o farre as concerneth this present controversie of justification by workes passing by the rest as impertinent As touching therefore the first principall question which concerneth the necessity of good works the Reader will beare me witnes by that which before I have delivered that we hold good workes necessary in many respects and that we urge the necessity of them by better arguments than the Romish doctrine doth afford we confesse that they are necessary necessitate presentiae for persons come to yeeres that are already justified and are to bee saved as necessary consequents of justification and as necessary forerunners of Salvation onely we deny them to be necessary necessitate efficientiae as causes either of justification or Salvation § II. That good workes are necessary to Salvation which we deny not Bellarmine greatly busied himselfe to prove but that they are necessary to justification as causes thereof which is the question betweene us for ought that I can discerne he goes not about to prove in his whole discourse of the necessity of good workes wherein he spendeth nine Chapters For after he had in the first Chapter calumniated us as if wee denied good workes to bee necessary to Salvation in the Chapters following hee proveth they bee necessary because as hee propoundeth his proofes in the Argument of his booke we are bound to keepe the Law of God And that he proveth by discussing the other two questions concerning the difference betwixt the Law and the Gospell and concerning Christian liberty But by these arguments Bellarmine neither proveth his owne assertion nor disproveth ours His assertion is that good workes doe concurre unto justification as a cause thereof which we deny He argueth they be causes why because they are necessary As if every thing that is necessary were a cause But whereto are they necessary to salvation saith Bellarmine Why
have thereby not onely remission of sinnes but also the inheritance or at least the right and title to it in respect whereof it is said in the Scriptures of so many as truely beleeve that wee are saved Ephes. 3. 5 8. that we are passed from death to life and that we now have eternall life Ioh. 5. 24. 6. 47. 1 Ioh. 5. 12 13. And in this respect eternall life is our inheritance which Christ hath purchased â—…or us And according to this tenure Christ will put us in possession thereof at the last Day when hee shall say unto us Come yee blessed of my Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world Matth. 25. 34. for you I say who before the beginning of the world were in Christ elected to be heires of this kingdome which is not to he attained unto by any purchase or merits of ours but shall bee given us as an inheritance intended from the beginning and prepared for the elect for whom Christ by his merits hath purchased it § VIII Now to those who by Gods speciall grace doe beleeve in Christ and by faith receive him by whom so received they are justified and adopted and by their justification and adoption are in such â—…ort entituled to this kingdome as heires apparent thereof that they are allready said to bee saved and to be set in heavenly places with Christ to these I say that they might be fitted and prepared for this inheritance unto which no uncleane thing can come hâ—…e hath in the covenant of grace freely and out of his undeserved mercie promised the grace of sanctification by his holy Spirit whereby wee are enabled according to the measure of grace received to worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him And to the end that we might be moved to performe the dueties of sanctification hee doth not onely in his word seconded and made effectuall by his Spirit invite by exhortations and precepts to these dueties but also that hee might encourage us thereunto in his redoubled and multiplied mercies he hath promised not only the blessings of this life unto us but also eternall life it selfe as a gracious reward of our piety and obedience Here therefore in admiration of Gods bounty towards us we have just cause to exclaime with Augustine O the great goodnesse of God to whom when in respect of our condition we ought to render unto him the duties of obedience as servants to our Lord and God as subjects to the Almighty as captives saved to our redeemer he doth promise unto us the rewards of friendship that hee might draw from us the dueties of service which wee doe owe unto him It was of Gods free grace that hee elected any of us that being elected hee called us that being called and endued with faith hee justifieth and adoptetâ—… us and thereby giveth us right to his kingdome it was also of his free grace that to them whom hee redeemeth and justifieth hee hath promised to bestow his graces upon them whereby they are enabled to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse and are fitted for his owne kingdome But this is a multiplication of his grace upon us that to encourage us to the Practice of Piety whereby wee are fitted for the kingdome of heaven he doth promise to reward our good works with everlasting happinesse and in the end doth crowne his owne blessings with blessednesse which though hee bee pleased for our encouragement to call a reward yet is it not deserved by us but freely bestowed by him as his free gift granted unto us in Christ before all times as our inheritance purchased by Christ as his bountifull reward of his owne gifts which as hee freely promiseth so in his good time hee freely bestoweth as his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is free gift § IX To this purpose let us consider the Lords dealing with Abraham to whom the Lord at his first comming towards the Land of promise made divers gracious promises which afterwards hee often repeated But when upon that Commandement of tryall to offer up his onely sonne Abraham had by Gods speciall grace notably approved his faith and obedience hereupon the Lord doth sweare that he will bestow upon him the things which before hee had promised as the reward of that his obedience for so hee saith because thou hast done this thing and againe because thou hâ—…st obeyed my voice Can any man hereupon inferre that Abraham by his obedience had deserved these promises which God long before had made unto him and oftentimes repeated Nothing lesse so God in his eternall Counsell hath to the Elect designed eternall life as his free gift by Christ Christ by his merits hath purchased it to bee our inheritance God hath graciously promised to bestow freely this inheritance on them that beleeve in Christ when as therefore God doth promise to reward our piety with eternall life wee may not thinke that by our piety it is deserved which God long before had decreed and promised and Christ our Saviour had purchased for us But though it bee a reward yet it is a most free and undeserved reward § X. When the Papists therefore object that if eternall life be the reward of our obedience then our obedience doth deserve it I answere first thou canst deserve nothing at Gods hand by that which he hath freely given and much lesse that which hee freely bestoweth on thee Secondly if thou shouldest doe all that is required of thee thou couldest deserve nothing thereby for where is debt and duty there is no merit Luk. 17. 10. Thirdly we doe not all that is commanded but come short of our duty and that which we doe is unperfect and defective in respect of manner and measure and therefore in justice deserveth punishment rather than reward and consequently the reward when it is given is to bee ascribed to Gods undeserved mercie and not to our merit Fourthly Sanctification and the duties thereof are not causes of Salvation and therefore in serie causarum in the chaine of the causes of Salvation Rom. 8. 30. they are left out and where they are mentioned they are inserted not as a cause of Salvation but either as the way unto it Ephes. 2. 10. or as the markes and cognizances of them that shall be saved or as the evidences according to which God will judge As marks I say for they are occulta praedestinationis indicia futurae faelicitatis praesagia as Bernard speaketh Our Saviour setting downe the end of the ministery of the Gospell saith that a man being thereby called may by faith obtaine remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified Act. 26. 18. so also Act. 20. 32. § XI And thus are wee to expound many Testimonies of Scripture as speaking of notes which the Papists expound as speaking of causes Thus Rom. 8. 16 17. The
siâ—…e qâ—… nâ—…n For as the Apostle saith without holinesse no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. And for this cause we seriously exhâ—…rtall men who professe themselves to beleeve and to be iustified by faith to be careful that they may be precedents of good works for these are good and profitable and necessary as I shewed before when I propounded those arguments which wee doe use to move men unto good workes So much of his first testimony § XIX To that place of Saint Iames he addeth sixe other testimonies to which a short answer will suffice To the first out of Eccles. 18. 21 I have fully answered in the first controversie 2. His second testimony is Rom. 6. 19. As you have exhibited your members to serve uncleannessâ—… and iniquity unto iniquity so now exhibit your members to serve justice unto sanctification Where unto sanctification doth not signifie to get the first holinesse sor he speaketh to them who were holy and just but to increase sanctification But that by sanctification is meant justification and by sanctity justice it is plaine by the antithesis for he opposeth sanctification to iniquity His argument is thus framed Sanctification may and must bee increased by good workes which is proved by this text and not denyed by us Iustification is sanctification And that he proveth because what is opposed to iniquity is justification sanctification is here opposed to iniquity Therefore here sanctification signifieth justification Ans. That justification and sanctification are by no means to be confounded I proved at large in the first question for this is the source of all their errours in the doctrine of justification The Apostle doth carefully distinguish them For having in the former chapters treated of justification by faith without works that men should not abuse that doctrine to licentiousnesse of life in this and the next chapter he treateth of sanctification shewing in this chapter that sanctification is a necessary companion of justification And therefore exhorteth those that are justifiâ—… to the dueties of sanctification The abuse he preventeth vers 1. and 15. for wheras he had taught in the doctrine of justification that where sinne abounded grace did superabound he maketh this objection what then shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid So againe by Iustification we are freed from the curse of the Law and from the rigour and terrour or dominion it what then shall we sin because wee are not under the Law but under Grace God forbid The unseparable conjunction of these two benefits is shewed by the Sacrament of Baptisme for as it is a seale of that righteousnesse which is by faith unto us being baptized into the remission of sins so it is the laver of regeneration wherin as the Apostle saith we are baptized into Christs death and resurrection that as he dyed so we should dye unto sin and as he rose againe never to dye any more so wee should arise from the grave of sinne never to dye any more for how should they that are dead to sinne live any more therein And hereupon followeth his exhortation that we should not let sinne reigne in us nor give our members as instruments of unrighteousnes unto sin c. And as he doth dehort us from suffering sinne to relgne in us so he assureth the faithfull that sinne shall no more haue dominion over them because they are not under the Law but under grace and having prevented the abuse of that doctrine vers 15. he reneweth both his dehortation from suffering sinne to reigne in them because if it did reigne in them they must needes be the servants of it when as in their redemption they were freed from the bondage of sinne that they might become the servants of righteousnesse and also his exhortation vers 19. that they would yeeld their members as seruants to holinesse c. To his reason that by sanctification here is meant justification because it is opposed to iniquity I answere that both justification and sanctification are opposed to sinne and iniquity but with this difference In sin there are two things the guilt and the corruption or pollution By justification which is opposed to accusing and condemning Rom. 8. 33. wee are freed from the guilt of sin and damnation by our sanctification which is opposed to pollution wee are freed in some measure from the corruption that it is to say from the dominion of sinne § XX. His third testimony is 2 Cor. 7. 1. where the Apostle exhorteth that having these promises of our justification and adoption chap. 6. 16 28 wee should cleanse our selves from all pollution of the flesh and spirit perfecting or accomplishing our sanctification in the feare of God The Apostle doth not exhort us unto justification for that is never done in all the Scriptures but being justified and adopted wee are exhorted with our justification and adoption to joyne the dueties of sanctification and therein to grow and increase untill wee come to a perfect man in Christ. § XXI His fourth testimony 2 Cor. 9. 10. he will multiply your seed and will augment the increases of the fruits of our justice Where we are taught saith he that by almâ—…s-giving our wealth is diminished but our jâ—…stice is increased Answ. We answere that by the Christian practice of vertues our justice but not our justification is increased Howbeit the Apostle doth not speake of justice it selfe to be increased but of the fruites of justice by justice in this place meaning as vers 9. and Matth. 6. 1. liberalitie in almes-giving and by the fruites of righteousnesse almes Unto which that they might bee more and more enabled the Apostle prayeth that their seed may be multiplyed meaning thereby their store which in the faithfull is as it were the seed of almes that having alwayes all sufficiency in all things they might abound to every good worke being enriched in every thing to all bountifulnesse veâ—…s 8 11. so farre is the Apostle from signifying that by their almes-giving their wealth should be diminished § XXII His fifth testimony Ioh. 14. 23. If any love me hee will keepe my word and my Father will love him This new living after the fulfilling of the Commandements what is it sath he but the increase of love and thereby of righteousnesse which by observing the Law of God is required Answ. Wee confessè that by the observance of the Law of God our love of God is exercised and our righteousnesse increased though it be not proved out of this place For this love after the keeping of Christs word here mentioned is Gods love to us not ours to him § XXIII His sixth testimony is Apoc. 22. 11. hee that is just let him be justified yet Answ. The word yet or still doth not signifie increase but continuance or if increase were meant it could not bee understood of the righteousnesse of justification but of sanctification
thou hast all Although faith he a man may perhaps seeme to render more to his neighbour than hee oweth yet never any man reâ—…dreth to God all that hee oweth Aristotle said well that to God and ouâ—… Parents wee cannot render as they deserve of us especially to God For as Pereriâ—…s a learned Iesuire saith Besides the debâ—…s or duties of thankefâ—…lnesse which none can sufficiently render unto God those debts also which by Gods Commandements we are bound to discharge no man perfectly dischargeth Wee therefore being no way able to render what is due to God but on the contrary by our â—…innes making our â—…elves debtours to him owing unto him deserved punishment is it any lesse than antichristian insolencie or rather blasphâ—…my for â—…infull men to professe themselves aâ—…le to merit any good thing at the hands of God and to make him their debtour Neither can I â—…ufficiently wonder how men whose conscience if it be not cauterized doth tell them that they sinne daily against God and by sinne provoke his judgements can speake or thinke of meriting any thing injustice at the hand of God but punishment For as Augustine faith Si Deus velleâ—… prâ—… meritis agere non inveniret â—…isi quos damâ—…aret i. If God would deale according to merits he should finde none but whom he should condemne § X. If it be said that the Lord by promising any thing maketh himselfe a debtour for the performance of it I answer first with Augustine he is become a debtour not by receiving any thing of us but by promising what hee pleased and therefore no debtour to us For God is not debtour to any not so much as by covenant for hee covenanteth Non de debitâ—… sed de gratuiâ—… not for rendring a due debt but for freely bestowing his owne free gift nor according to debt but according to grace To whom â—…hen should he be a debtour by his promise I answer in the second place with Thomas that the Lord who is faithfull and just in performing his promises maketh himselfe a debtor not to us but to himselfe for the gracious performance of his free and undeserved reward which hee had freely and graciously promised Thirdly with Bonaventâ—…re he hath made himself a debtor not to men to whom he could owe nothing but to himselfe that he might bee faithfull in his promises For if God be a debtour to man then Debet dare ei vitam aeternam then hee ought to give him eternall life But Hoc verbum debet veneâ—…m hâ—…bet saith the Master of the sentences therefore saith hee Ratio debiti secundùm quod obligationem dicit propriè in Deo non cadiâ—… Some famous Writers saith Cassaâ—…der among whom is Duranduâ—… deny that God by his promise is bound to us Fourthly Gods fidelity and justice in giving the reward according to his promise that is to say freely doth not argue our merit but Gods trueth who â—…annot lie nor deny himselfe Fifthly that reward which is due onely ratione pacti is not deserved â—…x ratione operis and that which is rendred Non redditur ex debito operis sed ex promissione And therefore as it was freely promised so it is freely and undeservedly given § XI Secondly in the party that is to merit it is requisite that he should be his owne man aâ—…d not the other parties man of whom he would merit For if he be his â—…ond-servant all that hee can doe is duety not merit Nay as hee is not his owne man but his Lords so his workes are not his owne and for his owne advantage but for his Master Et quicquid suo labore acquirit saith Bellarmine Domino suo acquirit non sibi and whatsoever he getteth by his labour he getteth it for his Lord not for himselfe But wee are all the servâ—…nts of the Lord not onely by right of creation but also of redemption in regard whereof wee are not our owne men but his that bought us 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. And therefore a servant when hee hath done his duety deserveth not so much as thankes of his Lord Luke 17. 9 10. Even so when we have done all that is commanded which wee are never able to doe but our Saviour speaketh by way of supposition wee must confesse that wee are unprofitable servants we have done but what our duety was to doe and indeed not so much § XII Thirdly the thing by which a man should merit ought to bee thus qualified First that which meriteth quatenus meretur it must be our owne and from our selves and not his nor from him of whom wee would merit But all our good workes as they are good and 〈◊〉 as the Papists hold them and all those virtues and graces which we have with their uses are not our owne as from our selves but they are the free gifts and graces of God Moritò debetur merces to merit wages is due saith Bellarmine Debitum autem non oritur nisi ex â—…o quòd unus dat alteri quod suâ—…m eraâ—… Nam si rem non suam sed alienam daret nihil ei deberetuâ—… Now debt ariseâ—…h not but from this that one man giveth to another that which is his owne for if he should give any thing which is not his owne but the other mans nothing should be due unto him Origen Vix mihi suadeo ullum opus esse posse quod ex debito remunerationem Dei depâ—…scat cum etiam hoc ipsum quod agere aliquid possumus vel cogitare vel proloqui ipsius dono largitione faciamus I can hardly perswade my selfe that there can bee any workes which can require as debt a reward from God seeing also even this that wee can doe or thinke or speake any thing we doe it by his gift and bounty Dona Dei non merentur apud Deum Gods gifts doe not merit of God By them perhaps we may merit of others but not of him who gave them for it is against sense that the doer should by the gift received from the doner merit of him All the good that a man hath is from God and by consequent God cannot owe any thing to man Gods gifts are his merits of us not ours of him It is strange that by his gifts hee should bee obliged to give more As if by the receit or use of an hundred pounds we should merit a thousand Non talia sunt hominum merita saith Bernard ut propter â—…a vita â—…erna debeatur ex jure Nam merita omnia Dei dona sunt it a homo magis propter ipsa Dâ—…o debiâ—…or est quà m Deus homini Anastatius Scinaita for when we shall offer all the good things whatsoever we have he doth not owe to us a reward for all are his But no man receiving his owne things is a debtor to give a reward to them who offer unto him
the same Whereunto I will adde that of Durandus both that which wâ—…e are and that also which we have whether they be good acts or good habits or uses all is in us from the liberality of God freely giving and conserving And because by a free gift none is bound to give more but the receiver rather is more bound to the giver wherefore by the good habits good acts and uses given unto â—…s of God God is not obliged to us out of any debt of justice to give more as if he did not give he should be unjust but we rather are obliged to God And it is a rash or blasphemous thing to thinke or speake the contrary If it be said that by the good use of Gods gifts wee may deserve greater I answere that as the good gift it selfe so the good use of it is also the free gift of God which if God reward hee doth not reward our merits but crowne his owne gifts as Aâ—…gustine often speaketh § XIII Secondly that which meriteth is free not onely from the necessity of coaction which condition the Papists acknowledge but also of duety for Quod est debitum non est meritum that which is duâ—…ty is not merit In rendring that which is due wee may satisfie perhaps our debt but not merit reward This is a certaine trueth if the worke bee due the reward is not due ratione operis for the workes sake Quid meriti apud Deum poterimus obtrudere qui debemus omnia How can wee plead merit before God who owe him all things Of that which we doe owe we are not owners the money which is owed is Aes alienum nihil propriè nostrum est nisi quod pro arbitrio possumus facere vel omittere saith Bellarmine Nothing is properly our owne but that which we can upon free choise doe or omit All the good things which wee can doe are due from us to God Luk. 17. 10. So that if we should doe all that is commanded we were but unprofitable servants because we have but done that which was our duety to doe But indeed wee doe not nor cannot performe all that is due so farre are we from merit Againe there is no good thing which wee can doe but it is commanded of God and therefore due Not to doe it is a sinne to doe it is not merit but duety Saint Bernard doth demonstrate for many causes that all our good workes are due unto God saith Bellarminâ—… so that he may exact them all though he would give no reward O if thou didst know saith Bernard how many things and to how many thou doest owe thou shouldst see how they are nothing which thou doest and how not to bee reckoned among the least in comparison of thy debts All that thou art thou owest to him from whom thou hast all And after who then will grumble any more saying Wee labour too much wee fast too much wee watch too much when hee is not able to answere the thousand yea not the least part of his debts Object But it will be said Doth not he well that payeth his debt Answ. In not paying it hee should sinne but in paying hee satisfieth onely his debt he doth not merit a new reward § XIV Thirdly that worke which meriteth must bee pure and perfect and not stained with any corruptions and imperfections for otherwise it will not so much as satisfie our debt but rather make us obnoxious unto punishment every defect and imperfection being a sinne and much lesse will it merit at the hands of God eternall life But all our best obedience is unperfect and stained with the flesh as I have heretofore proved at large all our righteousnesses being as polluted cloutes Gregory saith Omne virtutis nostrae meritum esse vitium Object 1. Yea but the imperfection is taken away by the bloud of Christ. Answ. Where is remission of sinne there can bee no merit of condignity Object 2. Veniall sinnes may stand with perfect righteousnesse Answ. True in respect of imputed righteousnesse by which sinnes are made veniall but in regard of inherent righteousnesse it is absurd Fourthly that which meriteth is more than is due for Debitum non est meritum for debt is not merit but all that we can performe is lesse than that which is due § XV. The thing that we are to merit that is to say the reward first it must bee proportionable to the merit For justice standeth in equality But betweene the best works or sufferings of this life yea martyrdome it selfe and eternall life there is no proportion For the one is finite the other infinite as being the everlasting fruition of God the infinite and chiefe good Wherefore Bernard Quid sunt saith he omnia merita ad tantam gloriam What are all merits to so great glory And Augustin How great labor is that rest worthy of which hath no end If you will make a true comparison and judge truely Eternall rest is rightly bought with eternall labour for eternall rest eternall labor should have been undertaken Thou who art to receive eternall happinesse thou oughtest to beare eternall sufferings Though our labour and tribulations were for a thousand yeares weigh a thousand yeares with eternity Why doest thou weigh that which is infinite with a thing that is finite be it never so great Non valent vitae praesentis obsequia aeternae vitâ—… gaudiis comparari Tantum ubi gratiae divinae retributionis exuberat ut incomparabiliter ineffabiliter â—…mne meritum qâ—…vis bonâ—… ex Deo datae humanae voluntatis operationis excedat Secondly it should bee due upon just desert and not bee given of grace Rom. 4. 4. The day-peny given to the worke of one houre is from bounty Matth. 20. 15. But eternall life is given freely by Gods grace Rom. 6. 23. Of the wicked Chrysostome saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are justly punished but of the godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they are crowned according to grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For although they should performe ten thousand workes it is the munificence of grace that for such small and vile workes such an heaven and kingdome and so great an honour should be given them Thirdly the rule by which rewardis rendred to condigne merits is not meere grace but justice and that either commutativè which standeth in equality or distributivè which respecteth dignity the former observing an arithmeticall the other a geometricall proportion But neither is their equality betweene â—…he merit and the reward neither are the things which wee doe or suffer condigne or any way comparable to the glory that shall bee revealed But the reward of eternall life is given of meere grace in respect of us Rom. 6. 23. According to the good pleasure of God Luke 12. 32. Who crowneâ—…h us with mercies Psal. 103. 4. For by grace
become of that which is written And thou shalt render to every one according to his workes If it be rendred according to works how shall it be accounted mercie Whereunto he giveth two answeres both of them making against merit The first Sed aliud est secundum opera reddere aliud propter ipsa operareddere It is one thing to render according to workes another to render for the workes themselves for in that which is said according to workes the quality of the workes is meant that whose workes shall appeare to be good his retribution may be glorious according to workes therefore is according to the quality of them whether good or evill For if good then he will reward them with blisse if evill then will he condemne them For to that blessed life saith he wherein we live with God and of God no labour can bee matched no works can be compared especially seeing the Apoâ—…tle saiâ—…h the sufferings of this life are not condigne to the future glory which shall be revealed in us His other answere howbeit in this respect also it may be called mercie because it is given for such workes as no man can attaine unto without mercie It is evident therefore saith hee that to whom God in mercie giveth grace to worke well in this life to them in greater mercie he granteth that in eternall blisse they shall be rewarded with an hundred fold this is that grace which for grace the Apostle saith shall bee given to the Saints of God that unto whom in this life the grace of sanctification is given of God to them the grace of eternall happinesse is given in the life to come which also maketh strongly against merits both because eternall life is a free gift and also because that righteousnesse to which it is given is a free gift and because greater mercie is shewed in giving glory than in giving gracc § III. The second exposition which he assigneth to Augustine is a fiction of his owne braine viz. that in the crowning of the Saints mercie is necessary for the remission of veniall sinnes Not that thâ—…s mercie saith hee is the Crowne of life but because it doth accompany it the Crowne of life being given to their merits and the remission granted to their venial offences which fiction as it is falsely fathered upon Aug. so it is not agreeable to the doctrine of the Church of Rome nor consonant to the truth it self For seeing in the faithful sin according to the truth both in respect of the guilt and also of the corruption is wholly taken away in the end of this life or according to the Church of Romes doctrine is purged and taken away by the fire of Purgatory it is a greaâ—… absurdity to imagine that the faithful whose soules before the resurrection enjoy as they also teach the beatifical vision should after the resurrection need remission of venial sins § IV. For our second argument Bellarmine propoundeth in our behalfe two object out of Esa. 55. 1. and Dan. 9. 18. which he saith might be made The former wherof is availeable against the merit of grace not only the first which he confesseth but the second also and not onely against merit of grace but of glory for that also is promised without price the later against affiance reposed in our own merits For if we are not to trust in them for the obtaining of temporall benefits wherof Bellar understands the Prophet to speak then much lesse eternall between which and our supposed merits there is a farre gâ—…eater disproportion § V. Our third argument is â—…aken out of Luk. 17. 7 8. 9. 10. Which of you having a servant plowing or feeding cattell will say unto him by and by when he is come from the field Goe and sitdown to meat and wil not rather say unto him make ready wherwith I may sup and gird thy selfe and serve me till I have eaten and drunken and afterwards thou shalt eate and drink Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him I â—…row not So likewise you when you shal hâ—…ve done all these things which are commanded you which is spoken by supposition and is all one with this connexive If you shall doe all things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants wee have done that which was our duety to doe Which place affordeth three unanswerable arguments against the merit of condignity taken from three of those conditions required in merits which before were mentioned The first in respect of God who is our absolute Lord. The second in respect of us who are his bondservants the third in respect of our workes because all that we can doe though we should doe all that is commanded is but our duety § VI. For the first if earthly Masters who with their servants are fellow servants to one heavenly Master doe not owe so much as thanks to their servants for doeing that which they command then much lesse our heavenly Master who is our absolutâ—… Lord doth owe the heavenly reward to his servants when they doâ—… that which hee commandeth though they should doe all that is commanded which they are never able to doe For the second Iâ—… bondservants who are not their owne but their masters men for a servant as the Philosopher saith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and altogether his man another mans man doe owe themselves and all that they can doe to their master and cannot deserve so much as thankes at his hands for doing what hee commandeth though they doe all that is commanded and although their service be profitable to their master and finally though they receive not from him either the will or power of yeelding obedience to him but all that they can desire or expect by their uttermost endevour is to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wâ—…ll pleasing to their master when if their service be any way defective are wel apayed if they escape the whip as Theophylact speaketh how much lesâ—…e wee who are the Lords mancipia and bondservants both by the right of creation and by the right of redemption being in regard thereof servi quia servati and consequently not our owne men but his who hath made and redeemed us and therefore doe owe our selves and all yea more than all we can doe doe wee or can we deserve at the hands of God the reward of eternall life by doing what he commandeth though we should doe all that is commanded which we never doe Especially seeing and also seeming that wee doe not all that is commanded and lastly seeing that our service bringâ—…th him no profit Iob. 22. 2 3. 35. 7. for that which we doe wee receive both the will and power from him Wherefore all that in reason we can desire or expect in regard of our obedience is that wee may bee well pleasing unto him Yea forasmuch as our service is alwayes defective and unperfect
wee ought to thinke our selves mercifully dealt with if wee escape the punishment which by the Law of God is due unto us But here it will bee said if the master shall bee pleased to promise rewards unto the servant for his service well performed may not the servant expect the promised reward I answere that what reward soever shâ—…ll in this kinde be either promised or given it is wholly to be ascribed to the Masters bounty and not to the servants merit § VII For the third That which is done of meere duty by a servant to his Lord there belongeth no reward in justice as deserved by him But all that we who are the servants of God can doe though we should doe all that is commanded is done of meere bounden duety to our Lord. Therefore to all that we can doe though we should doe all that is commanded there belongeth no reward as justly deserved by us But when we have done all that is commanded I speak by supposition as our Saviour doth we must no lesse truely than humbly confesse that wee are unprofitable servants that is as is manifestly gathered out of the parable such as cannot deserve so much as thankes of our Lord. If therefore our gracious Lord shall be pleased out of his bounty freely to promise and according to his promise graciously to reward our imperfect obedience which he might justly punish it is not our merit but his great mercie that he doth not punish it more that he doth accept of it as well pleasing unto him in his welbeloved but most of all that he doth most graciously and undeservedly reward it From whence I reason thus Whosoever are unprofitable servants they doe not merit noâ—… deserve the reward of eternall life of their Lord. All the faithfull though they should doe all that is commanded are unprofitable servants Therefore none of the faithfull though they should doe all that is commanded doe merit or deserve at the hands of God the reward of eternall life And if they who doe all that is commanded cannot merit then much lesse they whose obedience is defective as the obedience even of the best is So saith Hierome si inutilis est qui fecit omnia quid de illo dicendum qui explerenon potuit § VIII The assumption is proved first because our Saviour commandeth his Apostles to confesse as the truth is that when they have done all that is commanded they are unprofitable servants and therefore they who neither doe nor can doe all are impudent lyars when they professe themselves to be profitable servants Secondly by a comparison of earthly Lords and servants For if earthly Lords and masters owe not so much as thankes to their servants who are indeed their fellow servants for all the service which they can doe though they doe not give them the will and the power to doe them acceptable service how much lesse doth God who being our absolute Lord doth also give us will and power to serve him owe unto his servants the reward of the kingdome of heaven And if servants by doing all possible service to their earthly masters who are but their fellow servants cannot deserve so much as thankes at their hands how much lesse can wee who serve the Lord of Lords deserve the kingdome of heaven at his hands by our unperfect and defective service of him Thirdly from the antithesis or opposition that is betweene debitum and meritâ—…m duety and merit For hee that doth but his duety though he performe his whole duty cannot merit a reward of his Master but must confesse himselfe to be an unprofitable servant how much lesse can they merit an heavenly reward at the hands of God who performe not their whole duty but faile in many particulars both by omission and commission as the very best of us doe § IX To avoid the force of this unavoidable argument Bellarmine seeketh many evaâ—…ions which he would gladly father upon the Fathers of the Church For he saith there be foure egregious expositions given by the Fathers none whereof make against the merit of good workes The first of Saint Ambrose that of our selves and by nature we are unprofitable servants â—…apt and unable to fulfill Gods Commandements which our Saviour would have us humbly to acknowledge though by grace we become profitable and therefore as he saith agnoscenda est gratia sed non ignoranda natura Reply Ambrose doth not speake of our corrupt nature neither is it his meaning that by nature wee are unprofitable servants by grace profitable but that by nature wee are servants and by grace sonnes For by nature corrupted wee are not the servants of God but of sinne and Satan But he understandeth the meaning of our Saviour to be that the children of God who are in the state of grace should not glory in their workes as if by them they did merit any thing of God quia jure Domino debemus obsequium because by right we owe obedience to God Neither should we thinke our selves exempted from continued obedience because we are sonnes for as we are sons by the grace of adoption which we are to acknowledge so by nature and creation whereof we are not to be ignorant we are servants As therefore thou who art a master dost not content thy selfe with one worke of thy servant and then biddest him sit downe and eate but having done one worke thou exactest of him another vers 8. So God doth not require the use of one worke in thee but whiles we live we must alwaies work Secondly our Saviour doth not speake of naturall men as being unprofitable because unapt to fulfill Gods Commandements but directeth his speech to the faithfull and namely to his owne Apostles and Disciples who study and endeavour to keepe all Gods Commandements which without grace cannot be done requiring them to make this humble and true confession that even when they have done all that is commanded they are but unprofitable servants such as are described in the parable who deserve nothing at the hands of their master because in doing all that is commanded they doe but their bounden duty and that excludeth merit For debitum non est meritum Yea but Bellarmine proveth out of 2 Tim. 2. 21. that by grace men become profitable to God For he that purgeth himselfe shall become a vessell profitable unto the Lord. Answ. The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fit for the master of the house to use for the benefit of the houshold and fitted for every good worke But that our piety or obedience bringeth no profit to God I have shewed before And this is the very second exposition of this place which though repugnant to this present assertion Bellarmine himselfe doth commend in the second place For so hee saith § X. We are commanded as Bede expoundeth this Text to acknowledge that we bring no profit to God but that what good thing
soever wee doe is profitable to our selves but not to God Reply Beda giveth two reasons though Bellarmine conceale the better why we doing that which is commanded are notwithstanding called unprofitable servants The former quia Dominus bonorum nostrorum non indiget because the Lord hath no need of our good things Which though true yet doth neither so well fit the comparison wherein the servant though usefull to his master both abroad and at home could not by all his endevour deserve to himselfe so much as thankes neither agreeable to the reason which our Saviour rendreth because we have â—…one what is our duty to doe The latter we are unprofitable servants because saith he Non sunt condignae c. The sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be reavealed that is because we cannot deserve the reward of eternall life by our service But as it is elswhere said saith he who crowneth thee in mercie and loving kindenesse hee doth not say in thy merits and workes because by whose mercie wee are prevented that we may in humility serve God by his gift we are crowned that in sublimity we may reigne with him So Bede § XI The third exposition he saith is Augustines viz. That we may be called unprofitable servants when we have kept all Gods Commandements because we doe no more than our duty which indeed is the reason which Christ himselfe doth render neither can wee from thence demand any just reward unlesse God had made a liberall Covenant with us For by our condition we are the bond-servants of God and if he will he may bind us to performe all manner of workes as it pleaseth him without reward This our condition Christ for the preservation of humility would have us to acknowledge Howbeit by his gracious covenant we may expect reward 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Matth. 20. 13. Which God in his great bounty hath promised to this end that thereby he might draw us to performance of our duety as Augustine teacheth Replpy This answere of Bellaamine is worthy to be observed or rather admired first for the impudencie of it in that he fathereth this exposition upon Augustine who in the place by him quoted doth not once mention this Text of Luk. 17. 10. nor hath one word to that purpose for which this exposition is alleaged excepting the clause of Gods bounty which as it proveth this to bee that very testimony of Augustine which he quoteth so doth it evidently exclude merit Secondly for the force of truth which forceth him to contradict his owne assertions both here and in other places For first hee confesseth that hee which doth no more but his duty doth not merit and that wee doe no more but our duty Whereupon it followeth that we doe not merit Secondly where hee confesseth that wee can doe no more than our duty he renounceth all workes of supererrogation And thirdly in that he confesseth that for the same cause wee are unprofitable servants he taketh away all merit of condignity Fourthly he confesseth that without Gods gracious promise we could expect no reward Which proveth that the reward is due onely ratione pacti and not ratione ipsius operis which afterward he denyeth Fifthly he confesseth that such is the bounty and goodnesse of God that to allure us to the performance of our duty hee doth freely promise a reward Now what God doth freely promise to give he giveth freely and without desert For eternall life which in his word hee hath promised as a reward in his eternall counsell hee purposed freely without any respect of our worthynesse to bestow upon us and what in mercy hee either purposed or promised Christ by his merit hath purchased for us So that we attaine to heaven by a threefold right By Gods free donation electing us in Christ as his free gift Secondly by Christs merit as our inheritance Thirdly by Gods free promise as his gracious reward whereby he crowneth not our merits but his owne gifts and graces in us God indeed hath promised freely to reward our workes but that our workes should merit the reward he hath no where promised or taught § XII His fourth exposition is of Chrysostome that the Lord doth not say ye are unprofitable servants but biddeth them say so which is true But what will Bellarmine inferre therefrom that therefore they were not so God forbid For then our Saviour should have taught his Disciples to lye Neither doth God allow of counterfeit humility But the meaning of our Saviour was to teach his Disciples in humility to confesse the truth that because they had but done their duty if they had done all that is commanded they should not bee lifted up with a proud conceite that thereby they had merited but should no lesse truly than humbly confesse that they were unprofitable servants who by doing no more than their duty could not merit of God And this objection is also answered by Bernard Sed hoc inquies propter humilitatem monuit omne dicendum Planè propter humilitatem numquid contra veritatem But you will say that for humility sake hee admonisheth them thus to say No doubt for humilitie But did hee bid them speake against verity And the same is taught by Chrysostome elsewhere No man saith hee doth shew foorth such a conversation as to be worthy of the kingdome but it is wholly of his gift therefore hee saith when you shall doe all that is commanded say we are unprofitable servants we have done what is our duty to doe And againe in another place where he sheweth that what the Sonne of God did for us hee did not of duty but what good we doe wee doe it of duty Wherefore himselfe said when you shall have done all say ye are unprofitable servants for wee have done what was our duty to doe If therefore wee shew foorth love if we give our goods to the poore we performe our duty c. Object Yea but the servants which imployed their Talents well were commended as profitable servants Answ. They were commended as good servants and faithfull to their master And of him because they profitably imployed their Talents were graciouslie rewarded But of their merit nothing is said If they had not imployed their Talents well they should have beene punished And in that they did imploy them well they did but their duty and that also by assistance of Gods grace who both gave them the Talents and grace to imploy them well and therefore though they had reward yet they did not merit it § XIII Our fourth Testimonie is Rom. 6. 23. For the stipend of sinne is death but the free gift of God is eternall life through IESVS CHRIST our LORD where is an antitheâ—…is or opposition betweene death meaning eternall death the reward of sinne and eternall life the reward of righteousnesse that death is the stipend of sinne justly merited by it but
God then are they fooles who repose affiance in their owne workes And no doubt but they are fooles who trust in their owne heart as Salomon saith Prov. 28. 26. For as Adrian saith who after was Pope Our merits are like astaffe of reed which not onely breaketh when it is leaned upon but also pierceth the hand of him that leaneth on it To trust in a mans owne righteousnessâ—… is the property of a proud Iustitiary and hypocrite Ezec. 33. 13. Luke 18. 9. and of one that is accursed because hee removeth his heart â—…rom God and putteth his trust in man that is to say hâ—…mselfe for as Bernard well faith for a man to trust in himselfe Non fidei sed per â—…dem est nec confidentiae sed diffidentiae magis in semetipso habere fiduciam But the true and upright Christian renouncing all confidence in his owne righteousnesse as being a beggar in spirit Matth. 5. 3. resteth wholly on the mercies of God and merits of Christ Psal. 130. 3 4. 143. 2. Dan. 9. 18. 1 Cor. 4. 4. Phil. 3. 8 9. according to the advice of our Saviour Luk. 17. 10. If it be objected that the godly in many places of Scripture doe alleage their owne innocency and integrity as seeming to put some affiance therein 2 King 20. 3. Nehem. 5. 19. Psal. 18. 21 24. 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I answere first it is one thing to place affiance in our good works as causes of our salvation as merit-mongers use to doe another from our good workes as tokens and signes of our election vocation justification and as presages of our glorification to gather comfort assâ—…rance and hope to our selves of our justification and salvation which the faithfull use to doe and to that end are they commanded to practise good workes that they make their calling and election sure 2 Pâ—…t 1. 10. This distinction is acknowledged by Bellarmine Sciendum est saith hee aliud esse fidâ—…ciam nasci ex 〈◊〉 aliâ—…d fiduciam esse ponendam in meritis It is one thing out of our good workes to gather assurance and affiance in God which the faithfull doe as they are exhorted in the Scriptures 2 Pet. 1. 10. Iob 11. 15. Rom. 5. 4. Probation worketh hope 1 Ioh. 3. 21. If our heart condemne us not then have wee confidence towards God and it is another thing to place affiance in our merits which none but proud Iustitiaries and Pharisaicall Hypocrites use to doe Secondly we must distinguish betwixt the innocency and justice of a mans cause and the innocency and justice of his person For the same men in the Scripture who for the justification of their persons desire the Lord not to enter into judgement with them for the justification of their cause have not feared to appeale to Gods judgement § XIII Our sixth reason those who cannot fully discharge their duety much lesse can they merit For they that merit must doe more than their duety For they that doe but their duety though they doe all that is commanded must acknowledge themselves to be unprofitable servants But if they faile in their duety and come short of that which is commanded then can they merit nothing but punishment at the hands of God But no mortall man is able fully to satisfie his duety Our duety is to abstaine from all sinne yea to be 〈◊〉 from all sinne and to doe the things commanded to doe all and to continue in doing all and that in that manner and measure which the Law requireth But those things no mortall man is able to doe as hath beene proved heretofore So farre is every mortall man from meriting any thing but punishment at the hands of God Our seventh reason If good workes doe merit salvation then wee are saved by them but we are not saved by good workes Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. therefore they doe not merit salvation Eightly the last reason The heavenly Canaan is a land of promise as the earthly Canaan was which the Lord gave to the Israelites not because of their merits Deut. 9. 5. Nor for the merit of their forefathers Iosh. 24. 2. but because he loved them and that for no other cause but because hee loved them Deut. 7. 7 8. In which love as hee freely promised it so in the same undeâ—…erved love he did freely bestow it And yet hee was just in giving it because hee had promised it Nehem. 9. 8. The same wee are to conceive of the heavenly Canaan whereof the other was a Type that it is a land of promise and noâ—… of merit freely promised and freely bestowed on the heires of promise CAP. IIII. Testimonies of Fathers disproving merits and first those which Bellarmine hath sought to answere and then others § I. TO the former testimonies and proofes I will adjoyne the testimonies of Fathers and other writers And first those which Bellarmine hath endeavoured to answere of which Hilarie is the first Spes in misericordia Dei in sâ—…culum in seculum seculi est Non enim illa ipsa justitiae opera sufficient ad perfectâ—… beatitudinis meritum nisi misericordia Dei etiam in hac justiâ—…ae voluntate hâ—…manarum demutationum motuum vitia non reputet hinc illud Prophetae dictum est melior est misericordia tua super vitam In tantum misericordia Dei muneratur ut miserans justitia voluntatem aeternitatis quoque suae justum quemque tribuat esse participem His intendement is that the hope of salvation is to bee placed in Gods mercy which is better than our righteous life For the workes of righteousnesse without Gods mercy in forgiving of sinnes will not suffice to obtaine the reward of blessednesse which the mercy of God pitying our will of righteousnesse bestoweth on the just But Bellâ—…mine maketh him speake what pleaseth him for to omit that for sufficient hee readeth Sufficerent Hilary saith hee doth teach that with our goodworkes are mingled certaine sinnes which though they make not a man unjust as being light â—…nd veniâ—…ll yet they need pardon and mercy because nothing that is defiled can enter into the kingdome of heaven Bellarâ—…ines meaning is that at the day of judgement the faithfull shall need Gods mercy for the pardoning of veniall sinnes as heretofore â—…ee hath taught But there is no such matter in Hilary neither is it tâ—…ue as I have shewed beforâ—… that at the day of â—…udgement the faithfull shall need remission of veniall or any other sinnes neither doth Hilary say that the sinnes which are forgiven by the mercy of God are light and such as the Papists call veniall Neither is it true that there bee any sinnes which doe not make them sinners in whom they are seeing Bellarmine here confesseth that men are so defiled by them that they being not remitted exclude them from heaven neither doth hee say with good merits are mingled sinâ—…es neither doth he
our selves to bee sinners and our righteousnesse consisteth not in our owne merit but in the mercy of God 4. God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble but where is grace it is not the retribution of workes but the largesse of the giver that the saying of the Apostle may be fulfilled it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy 5. Writing on those words Esai 64. 8. thou art our Father hee saith Si nostra consideremus merita desperandum est si tuam autem clementiam c. If wee consider our merits wee must despaire but if thy clemency who doest scourge every sonne whom thou receivest we dare powre forth our prayers 6. When the day of judgement or of death shall come all hands will bee dissolved because no worke shall bee found worthy Gods justice and in his sight shall no man living be jâ—…stified namely if he enter into judgement with him whereupon the Prophet saith in the Psâ—…lme If thou Lord observe iniquities who shall abide To these two that thred-bare answere is given that they speake of humane workes not assisted by grace when it is plaine that the former words are spoken in the person of Gods children whose good workes are alwayes assisted by grace the latter of all men even of the best whose workes though proceeding from grace are stained with the flesh and therefore not worthy of Gods justice § XIII The same answere is given to the testimonies of Macaâ—…ius and Marcus the Eremits which cannot bee so eluded Macarius speaking of the dignity of Christians for whom God hath prepared a kingdome writeth thus As touching the gift therefore which they shall inherit a man might well say that if any one should â—…ven from the creation of Adam to the consummation of the world fight against Satan and should suffer afflictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee should doe no great matter in respect of the glory which he shall inherit Marcus among his twenty two sentences concerning those who thinke to bee justified by workes which in the first â—…entence hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath divers against merits whereof I will cite a few Our Lord saith he when he would shew that the keeping of the whole Law is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debita to bee performed as a debt and that the adoption of sonnes is given by his blood hee saith when you shall have done all things that are commanded you say wee are unprofitable servants we have done what was our duety to doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore the kingdome of heaven is not wages or a mercenary reward of workes but the Grace or free Gift of the Lord prepared for his faithfull servants The servant doth no require liberty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a deâ—…erved reward but receiveth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as given by grace Some not doing the Commandements thinke they beleeve well Others doing them looke to receive the kingdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as due wages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both sorts misse the heavenly Canaan From Lords no reward is due to servants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither doe they obtaine liberty unlesse they serve well If Christ dyed for us according to the Scriptures and wee live not to our selves but to him that dyed for us and rose againe surely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee are bound as debtours to serve him uâ—…till death how then shall we esteeme the adoption or inheritance of sonnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 due unto us § XIV Out of Chrysostome many pregnant testimonies are alleaged first In Coloss. homil 2. Why doth hee call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lot or inheritance by lot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he sheweth that no man by his owne good workes doth obtaine the kingdome for no man sheweth forth such a conversation that hee should bee worthy of the kindgdome but this is altoâ—…ether of the gift of God wherefore he saith when you shall have done all say we are unprofitable servants for what things wee ought to doe wee have done The same hath Theâ—…philact To this you may adde that which I cited before out of his Treatise De compunctione ad Stâ—…lochium and that which hee writeth in Psal. 4. 5. and in his sermon De primâ—… homine praelato â—…mni creaturâ—… In which it is said though we should die ten thousand deaths and should shew forth all virtue though we should performe ten thousand good workes yet we cannot performe any thing worthy of those honours bestowed upon us worthy of that heavenly kingdome or correspondent unto it but it is of his mâ—…rcie of his love of his grace that we are saved than which nothing can bee spoken more plaine against the merit of â—…ondignity To all which a senselesse answere is given that heaven is the free gift of God and yet is purchased by our merits which implyeth a contradiction within it selfe and is expressely repugnant to the Scriptures Rom 4. 4. 11. 6. And the reason which is given to prove it doth overthrow it because the good works which they call merits are the free gifts of God and therfore cannot merit of God as I have shewed before § XV. To that which is alleaged out of the life of Saint Anthâ—…ny and out of Augustine in Psal. 36. Conc. 2. in both which places is notably expressed the infinite disproportion betweene that we can doe or suffer which the Papists call merits and the heavenly reward which evidently overthroweth the Popish doctrine of meriâ—…s as I have heretofore proved it is answered that notwithstanding all this disproportion eternall life is given and justly given as the reward thereof But the question is not whether God doth justly give the reward which he hath freely promised but whether we doe merit and deserve it This answere therefore is frivolous Out of Augustine I have before produced manifold and manifest testimonies but yet because the Papists alleage out of him two Assertions which to them seeme contrary to that wee hold to wit that God is our debtour in respect of eternall life and that in justice he doth render it unto us I will brâ—…efly cleare them For first Augustine every where professeth that God is not a debtour unto us in respect of out desert but in regard of his gracious promise which proveth not our merit but the contrary For what he freely promised without respect of our worthinesse or desert that hee also promised to give freely And therefore eternall life when it is given according to his promise it is given freely and without our desert God is a debtour onely in respect of his promise a debtour unto himselfe as I have said before in respect of his trueth and fidelity it being impossible that he should lie or deny himselfe but not a debtour to us in respect of our
so called gratia non â—…b aliud nisi quia gratis datur as I have shewed before As for the other three Popish Councels viz. Lateranense Florentinum Tridentinum they are not to bee accepted as witnesses but to be excepted against as parties § V. Wee have heard Bellarmines testimonies both of Scriptures and Fathers now wee should heare his reason but that wee have heard and confuted it before In the last place saith hee there may bee added one evident reason from those things which were prooved in the former booke For it hath beene demonstrated that the good workes of the just are truely just that they satisfie the Law of God that they justifie a man whereupon it followeth that they are truely meritorious Whereunto I retâ—…rne this answere First to the Antecedent that it hath beene sufficiently demonstrated that the worke of just or justified men though they may bee said to bee truely good yet they are not purâ—…ly good that they doe not satisfie the Law of God that they doe not justifie a man before God so farre are they from being truely meritorious Secondly to the consequence that although they were truely good although by them men did satisfie the law of God by doing all that is commanded yet so long as men do but their duety they must confesse themselves to bee but unprofitable servants neither doe they merit any thing at the hands of God For Debitum non est meritum that which is debt is not merit And if they could which they cannot by their obedience satisfie the commandement for the time to come yet how shall they satisfie the penalty for their sinnes past wherefore a servant is well apaied as Theophylact said if he escape the whippe though hee cannot deserve so much as thankes which is but a verball reward But hee prooveth the consequence because the chiefe reason why wee poore heretikes deny merits is because wee thiâ—…ke that no worke in this life is truely just or doth satisfie the law but that all our workes are mortall sinnes in their owne nature c. Answ. Though wee were heretickes which hee with all his complices shall never bee able to prove yet would it not become him to belie us For neither doe wee denie the good workes of the faithfull to bee truely just neither doe wee say that they are sinnes and much lesse mortall sinnes neither is that the chiefe reason why wee deny them to bee meritorious as you may perceive by the reasons before alleaged neither if that reason doe as it doth prove them not to bee meritorious doth it follow that therefore the contrary doth prove them to bee meritorious at the hands of God For though they were not onely truely but also purely good though they were not sinfull nor stayned with the flesh as all are yet so long as they are our duties so long as they are Gods free gifts so long as there is no proportion betweene them and the reward so long as they are accompanied with manifold sinnes and infirmities and so long as all the reasons before alleaged against merits stand in force it followeth necessarily that we neither doe or can by all the workes wee can performe merit any good thing and much lesse the eternall reward at the hands of God CHAP. VII Other Questions concerning merits discussed as of trust in merits and of an eye to the reward § I. ANd yet here is not an end For still ac ording to his Methode such as it is hee hath certaine quâ—…stions to discusse In mine opinion hee being to dispute of merits if hee had meant to deale plainely and sincerely should first have shewed what merit is and what is required to a meritorious worke Secondly what sorts of merits there are and what thereby is merited Thirdly whether the good workes of the faithfull bee meritorious or not and if they be how farre forth and then in the last place the two questions might have beene propounded â—…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that seeing as hee teacheth good workes doe merit reward whether it bee lawfull to doe a good worke having an eye to the reward Secondly whether men may trust in their merits But he first disputeth against us that the good workes of the faithfull bee truely meritorious of eternall life which hitherto hee hath endevoured to prove in his first sixt chapters In the second place hee disputeth the tâ—…o accessary questions the one whether and how farre forth men may trust in their merits cap. 7. the other whether it bee lawfull in doing good workes to have an eye to the eternall reward cap. 8 9. Then hee commeth to shew against some learned men of their owne side among whom there is great dissention in this question of merit First what is required to make a worke meritorious and sheweth that to a merit seven conditions are required cap. 10 11 12 13 14 15. Secondly how farre forth good workes are either meritorious or rewarded Meritorious whether ex condignâ—… cap. 16. and if so whether in respect of the promise onely or also in regard of the worke it selfe cap. 17 18. And as touching the reward whether GOD doth reward good workes supra condignum cap. 19. In the last place what those things are that are merited ex condigno viz. eternall life c. 20. and the increase of justice but not the grace of justification cap. 21. nor reparation after a fall nor perseverance to the end which three are merited ex congruo as he saith cap. 22. § II. His discourse concerning trust and affiance whether it be to bee reposed in merits and how farre forth serveth to no other purpose but to answere one of our arguments and therefore I handled this question so farre as was needfull in our eleventh argument Neither shall it now bee needfull to insist thereupon first because having as I hope sufficiently prooved that wee have no merits it is needlesse to prove that wee are not to trust in them Secondly because Bellarmine confesseth that by reason of the uncertainety of oâ—…r owne righteousnesse and danger of vaine-glory for how can a man trust in his owne merits when he knoweth not whether hee hath any or not which is the condition of all Papists or how is it possible that a man who is guilty to himselfe of sinne should without pharisaicall pride trust to bee saved in his owne merits and therefore to say it is lawfull to trust in our merits modo superbiâ—… caveatur is as if I should say it is lawfull to worship idols with divine worship modò idâ—…lolatria caveatur it is most safe to repose our whole affiance in the mercie and bounty of God whereunto hee might have added the merits of Christ by trusting in which wee are taught also to rerepose affiance not onely in the Mercie but also in the justice of God And if our whole affiance be to be reposed in Gods goodnesse then no part thereof is