doe beleeue as is the faith of the Elect. For as they are compelled to beleeue euidentia signorum by the euidence of things so are we compelled to beleeue euidentiâ Spiritus by the euidence of the Spirit the holy Ghost vrging pressing opening and altering our vnbeleeuing heart and drawing vs euen against nature as it were against the haire to the obedience of faith yea no man can obey the Spirit herein but he offereth violence as it were to himselfe and to his owne carnall and vnbeleeuing soule On the other side when they or we doe come to beleeue whither they by sence or we by instinct certainely the faith it selfe must needes be voluntarie For Fides in potestate est saith S. Augustine Faith when we haue it is a thing in our power Cum vult quisque credit qui credit volens credit Euery man beleeueth when hee willeth to beleeue and not before and he that beleeueth beleeueth willingly the finger of God altering our vnwillingnes thereunto The same S. Augustine saith in another place that faith consisteth in voluntate credentium in the will of the beleeuers And rightly for no man howsoeuer induced to beleeue beleeueth when he doth beleeue against his will â—â—des est voluntaria certitudo absentium saith that same Destructorium vitiorum which is ascribed to our learned countriman Alexander Alensis Faith is a voluntarie certentie or a certentie consisting in the will This without all question is true among men how the Deuills should beleeue against their will though it be against their liking my reason doth not conceiue But of these false distinctions and differences betweene the faith of the Deuills and the faith of the Elect inough if not too much Yet yee know that error must be remooued out of the way if we will make cleere passage for truth as weeds must be pulled vp that the corne may growful Omnis error in vitio est saith Nazianzene Euery error is a fault and so would be corrected Now come we to describe the true differences of these two faiths and so in a few words lightsomely to open all that Saint Iames speaketh in this Chapter of a dead faith without workes which can not saue a man and yet no whit therein crossing S. Paul who in his two worthie Epistles to the Romanes and Galathians teacheth and prooueth that Only faith sufficeth to saluation Thus therfore I proceed The Faith of the Elect apprehendeth as many other things so namely and particularly The mercie and loue of God the Father per Deum mediatorem by Christ the Mediator Finding and feeling that God loueth him he in naturall affection turneth to God to loue him againe For gratia gratiam parit Louing God againe he laboureth to serue and honour that God who hath loued him first and that by doing his will and commandements Hereof he bringeth forth good works to the glorie of God and the benefit of his Church And thus faith worketh by loue that is of loue it is fruitfull in good works Quantum credimus tantum amamus quantum amamus tantum de spe praesumimus Quisque enim fidelis tantum credit quantum sperat amat tantum operatur quantum credit sperat amat And this is that which we call fides viua a liuing or a liuely faith because it sheweth the power and life of it selfe by operation as a tree sheweth it selfe to liue by the leaues blossomes and fruit which it bringeth forth And of this faith is all S. Pauls treatie when he maketh it the hand or instrument of our Saluation On the otherside the faith of deuills apprehendeth many things as hath beene before declared but among all it apprehendeth not nor can apprehend no mercie fauour loue or pardon from God as from a Father but all Iustice and seueritie as from an angrie and offended iudge Not beleeuing that God loueth them they haue no inclination to loue God againe Louing him not they haue no care to honour him not seeking his honour they are not carefull to please him by performing any dutie to him or his people And this is that same fides mortua of which S. Iames intreateth in this chapter and is so called because it bringeth forth no more fruit then a dead blocke or rotten tree nor will it saue a man no more then it will the deuills Of whome the Apostle notwithstanding all that their faith professeth here that they tremble in the presence of God This I take to be the true naturall and essentiall difference betweene the faith of the Deuills and the faith of the Saints And here now my shippe must passe between two dangerous rocks the bodies whereof though they be cliuen asunder yet the feete and foundation ioyne both together The good breath of the Spirit of God blow vpon my sailes and the holy wisdome of God set steersman at my helme that I may discouer both and auoid both and saile euen betweene both and so arriue happily in the hauen of truth with the safetie of my selfe and of my hearers There are at this day two dangerous opinions about our Sauing faith The one is the doctrine of our English Libertines which of my knowledge are neither few in number nor small in account And these men doe not onely professe themselues but also teach to others that to beleeue the starie of Christ and what the Scripture hath written of Christ is all-sufficient to Saluation God they say requireth no further faith at our hands And these I call my bare Historians The other is the doctrine of them of the Church of Rome who seclude confidence in the mercie of God from the nature of Iustifying faith Lindane saith Fides illa quâ quis firmiter credit ceriò statuit propter Christum sibi remissa peccata seque possessurum vitam aternam non fides est sed temeritas That saith by which a man assuredly beleeueth certainly concludeth that his sinnes are forgiuen for Christs sake and that he shall inherit euerlasting life is indeede not faith but rashnes Bellarmine whose very name breatheth out nothing but wrath can not abide in this caâ—e to heare of mereie He hath many chapters to prooue by the Scriptures by the tradition of the Church by reason c. that Iustifying faith hath not for his obiect the speciall mercie of God yea and he saith plainly that The Catholiques doe affirme certam promissionem specialis misericordiae non tam ad fidem quam ad praesumptionem pertinere that a certaine promise of speciall mercie belongeth not so much to faith as to presumption Thus for a Christian to professe by faith assurance of his owne saluation is among our Pseudo-Catholiques no better then headie rashnes and haughtie presumption As for that same priuate Couent as the French Kings Ambassador called it openly of the Patres Minores in the Councel of Trent which the
vs from hell his ascending into heauen will carrie me vp thither also What can be spoken in words more patheticall in sense more applicatiue in faith more apprehensiue Thus spake the Greeke Fathers now turne wee to the Latine Cyprian disswading from the feare of death and rebuking in men their vnwillingnes to die If saith he some graue man of good report promised thee any thing thou wouldest surely beleeue his promise nor wouldest thou doubt that he would deceiue thee knowing him to be a man that will be as good as his word or will stand to his promise well then Nunc deus tecum loquitur iâ— mente incredula perfidus fluctuas Now doth God speake to thee and giue thee his promise and doest thou with an vnbeleeuing heart doubt of performance Deus tibi de hoc mundo recedenti immortalitatem pollicetur atque aeternitatem tu dubitas God promiseth to thee when thou departest out of the world immortalitie and eternitie and doest thou doubt of possession Hoc est Deum omnino non nosse hoc est Christum credentium Magistrum peccato incredulitatis offendere hoc est in Ecclesia constitutum fidem in domo fidei non habere This is not to know God â—t all this is by vnbeleefe to offend Christ the master of the beleeuers this is for one to be in the Church and to haue no faith in thâ— house of faith I gather from hence these conclusions 1. First Gods promises made to vs must be beleeued now they are promises of mercie 2. Secondly God promiseth to vs immortalitie and eternitie they therefore by faith must be assuredly expected 3. Thirdly to doubt of the performance of these is not to knowe God yea it is to haue no faith at all The same Father in the same place Qui spe viuinâ—u in Deum credimus in Christum passum esse pro nobis resurrexisse confidimus in Christo manentes per ipsum atque in ipso resurgentes quid aut ipsi recedere istinâ— de seculo noluâ—â—us aut nostros recedentes quasi perditâ—s plangimus Wee which liue in hope and beleeue in God and put our trust in Christ that he suffered and rose againe for vs abiding in Christ and by him and in him rising againe why are we our selues so loth to depart hence or why doe wee lament our friends departed as if they were vtterly lost Here is beleefe in God here is trust in Christ here is beleeefe that he died for vs and rose againe for vs here is an exhortation built vpon this beleefe to die comfortably and to take the death of our friends patiently doth not this manifestly inferre a faith apprehending mercie Arnobius vpon the Psalmes if that booke be his The meanest Christian saith he and the vilest sinner shall be preferred before that seruant that beareth himselfe aloft and neglecteth his masters honour qui se credit per fidem ad misericordiam peruenire eius qui regnat in secula seculorum euen that sinfull Christian who beleeueth by faith to attaine to his mercie who liueth for euermore Marke that sinner shall be saued who beleeueth to finde mercie Beleefe of mercie therefore bringeth to saluation Tertullian Vt certum esset nos esse filios Dei misit Spiritum suum in corda nostra clamantem Abba Pater That we might be certaine that we are the sons of God he hath sent his spirit into our hearts crying Abba Father Here obserue 1. It is certaine that we are the Sonnes of God How is it certaine Not by reuelation ergo by faith 2. To be the Sonne of God is speciall mercie ergo to beleeue that is to beleeue mercie 3. The Spirit teacheth vs in assurance hereof to call God our Father the name of a Father is a name of â—ercie The Spirit therefore teacheth vs to beleeue mercie S. Ambrose by his faith thus applyeth Christ vnto himselfe Non gloriabor quia iustus sum c. I will not glory saith he that I am righteous but I will glorie that I am redeemed froÌ„ mine vnrighteousnes I will not glorie that I am free from sinne but I will glorie that the sinnes which I haue are forgiuen me Then he addeth Non gloriabor quia profui neque quia profuit mihi quispiam sed quia pro me Advocatus apud Patrem Christus est sed quia pro me Christi sanguis effusuâ— est that is I will not glorie that I haue profited any man nor that any man hath profited mee but I will glorie of this that Christ is an Aduocate for me with the Father and that Christs blood was shed for me Marke Bellarmine here is a notable presumptuous Heretique I am redeemed my sinnes are forgiuen Christ is mine Aduocate Christs blood was shed for me What Protestant euer applyed Christs benefits neerer to his owne vse verily not Luther himselfe when he professed a little before his death I haue taught him I haue knowne him I haue loued him as my life my health my redemption But I returne to the Fathers for neither Luther nor any of Luthers side are olde enough though learned enough to stoppe the Aduersaries mouthes S. Augustine saith thus The deuills beleeued Christ but they did not loue Christ. And therefore though they beleeued yet they said what haue wee to doe with thee Iesu thou Sonne of God But let vs beleeue so as wee may beleeue in him and loue him Et non dicamus Quid nobis tibi est Sed dicaâ—â—us potiùs Ad te pertinemus Tu nos redemisti And let vs not say as the deuills said what haue we to doe with thee as desirous not to come neere him But let vs say rather We are thine we pertaine to thee thou hast redeemed vs as drawing him and his merits home vnto our selues Now let a Papist tell me how a man shall cheerefully goe to Christ and say vnto him I belong to thee thou hast redeemed mee without a faith laying hold of speciall mercie Bernard hath a notable and comfortable saying Si credis peccata tua non posse deleri nisi ab eo cui soli peccâ—sti in quem peccatum non cadit bene facis If saith he thou beleeuest that thy sinnes cannot be wiped away but onely of him against whom onely thou hast sinned and into whom no sinne falleth therein thou doest well Sed adde adhuc vt hoc credas quia per ipsum tibi pecata donantur But yet goe on further and beleeue this also that thy sins are forgiuen to thee Hoc est enim testimonium quod perhibet in corde nostro spiritus sanctus dicens demissa sunt tibi peccata tua For this is the testimonie or record which the holy Ghost beareth in euerie one of our hearts Thy sins are forgiuen to thee A golden sentence To beleeue that God onely can forgiue sinne is well but not sufficient To
all temptations of the Deuill as Gerson well aduised that his Roiall Auditorie Granatensis is another of good note among them He dedicated his bookes to Sixtus Quintus and is of him greatly commended for a teacher of Sanctimonie Let vs here what he writeth of faith In one place he saith Fides proponit nobis beneficia diuina Faith propoundeth or tendereth vnto vs as it were to be fedde vpon the benefits or mercies of God It is therefore exercised about mercie and tendreth mercie to the heart In an other place Fidei atque spei sinum quaâ—ntum poterimus expandamus certi de immensa Domini benignitate nunquam frustrà nos in eo spem collocâ—turos Let vs set open the bosome of our faith and hope as wide as possibly we can beeing assured of the infinite goodnes of God that we shall neuer repose our trust in bim in vaine Here is an assurance of Gods goodnesse which the Papists call presumption and here is a perswasion that God will neuer faile vs which can arise of nothing but from faith in his mercie The same Author in another place Omnes qui a peccato ad gratiam vocantur propter illius gratiam merita vocantur All that are called from sinne to mercie are called thereto for the grace and merits of Christ for of him there hee speaketh A notable speach against Opera praeâ—isa But it followeth In cuius rei signum inter ea quae ad impâ—â— iustificationem requiruntur fides in Christum cum prâ—mis numeratur Qua profiâ—emur atque testamur nos ob eius merita a Deo Patre vocari iustificari In testimonie whereof namely that those which are called are called for the grace and merits of Christ among those things which are required to the iustifying of a sinner faith in Christ is reckoned with the chiefe By which faith we professe and protest that we are called and iustified of God the Father for his merits and fauour Did euer Protestant affirme more of faith then this that it maketh a man in the assurance of his heart to protest that he is called and iustified of God the Father for the merits of Iesus Christâ— What greater mercie can faith seale vp vnto vs For my part I shall neuer begge better faith then this of the Lord. Sâ—â—lla writing vpon that in the Gospel of Luke When he sawe their faith c. saith that There is duplex fides a double kind of faith Altera qua â—reditur haec est virtus Theologica One kind of faith is that by which we beleeue and this is a Theologicall vertue Altera est fides quae confidentia quaedam est scilicet qua credimus quod donabit Deus id quod ab eo petimus There is an other kind of faith which is a certaine confidence or assurance by which we beleeue that God will giue to vs what we begge of him Viraque autem requiritur ab eo cui peccata dimittenda sunt And both these kinds of faith are required of him whose sinnes are forgiuen Of the first kind of faith he saith that he which beleeueth not the things that belong to God cannot bee forgiuen yet therein excepteth the case of infants which cannot knowe them and so not beleeue them De alterae autem â—ide id est de confidentia dicendum est quòd sine illa non possunt peccata dimitti Of the other kind of faith which is confidence or assurance it is absolutely to be said that without it sinnes cannot be forgiuen But marke well what followeth Nam quamvis aliquis credat omnia quae in sacra Scriptura continentur quae Ecclesia credit si non confidit Dominum ei remissurum si ipse doluerit non vâ— ique dimittentur For although a man doe beleeue all that is contained in the holy Scriptures and all that which the Church beleeueth there is iumpe Bellarmines faith yet if he do not beleeue that the Lord will forgiue him if he sorrowe for his sinne there is apprehension of mercie they shall neuer be forgiuen him Imo etiamsi peteret illa dimitti si non confideret certissimè crederet illa sibi dimittenda nunquam dimittentur yea though a man do pray that his sinnes may be forgiuen if hee trust not and most certainely beleeue marke that against doubting that they shall be forgiuen him they shall neuer bee forgiuen him The words are long but neede no long glosse There is a faith which is confidence or assurance of Gods mercie towards vs. And without this faith of obtaining mercie it is not possible to finde mercie at the hand of God Well fate say I then that kinde of faith which â—aieth hold of Gods mercie and beleeueth it to belong vnto himselfe for that shall finde mercie and none but that Guilliandus Bellijâ—â—nâ—is commenteth vpon the Gospel of S. Iohn his booke printed at Paris dedicated to the Cardinall of Guise approoued by the facultie of Diuinitie there Writing vpon those words of Christ This is the worke of God that yee beleeue in him whome he hath sent speaketh in this manner Opus Dei vacauit sidem quâ—â— est certâ— de boniâ—ate Dei persuasio confidensque saâ—utis ab eo expectatâ—o Christ calleth faith the worke of God which is a certen perswasion of the goodnes of God and a confident expectation of saluation from him What can bee more plainâ—e The same man speaking of those words of our Sauiour Whilest you haue the light beleefe in the light Obserua non ait Credite in bâ—ce sed credite in luceâ— Marke saith hee that Christ saith not beleeue in the light with an abâ—â—tiue case but beleeue in the light with an accusatiue case So it is in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if we would say Beleeue into the light what that phrase meaneth hath beene before declared But heare his inference from Christs speaking in that manner Vâ— distingâ—at Christus inter fidem vt simplicem historiâ— de Christo notitiam inter fidem viâ—nas seâ— salutarem Quae est certa fiducia qua quis sine dubitatioâ—e statâ—it apud se Christum esse sibi lumen adsalutem Christ saith hee spake in that manner that he might distinguish and put a difference betweene that faith which is a simple or bare knowledge of the historie of Christ and betweene a liuely and sauing faith which liuely and sauing faith is an assured confidence by which a man without doubting mark how verie Papists seclude vncertaintie from Faith resolveth with himselfe that Christ is vnto him light vnto saluation Me thinkes I see Bellarmine here fretting and fuming with the Diuines of Paris for autorizing this book But poore old man what can he do where the Pope himselfe dâ—â—eth not stirre the coales It is best that they suffer France still to approoue our applying faith I shall dispatch some others more shorâ—ly Goâ—ran citeth out of
the glosse seauen mannerâ— of wayes how there is made transiâ—â—s à â—ide ad fidem a passage from faith to faith of which S. Paul speaketh in his Epistle to the Romanes The fourth of them he nameth to be ex side promissionis in fidem completionis from the beleefe of the promise to the beleefe of the performance of the promise He seemeth to say that there is one sâ—eppe of faith to beleeue the making of the promise and a further steppe of faith to beleeue the performance of the promise Howsoeuer hee meane this I collect certainely from him that faith is occupied about the promises of God and the performance of them which cutteth the throates of our bare Historians Iâ— an other place the same Author sheweth that the name of faith is taken diuerse manner of wayes and among the rest sometimes it signifieth certâ—â—udo comprehensionis And in that acception hee expoundeth the forenamed place of S. Paul By it the righteousnesse of God is reâ—eated from faith to faith Now S. Paul speaketh there of that faith which is preached in the Gospel and by which The iust doth liue And therefore if that faith be certitudo comprehensionis then it certainely comprehendeth what the Gospell offereth and those are the promises of mercie Wekelius saith Fide Christum â—angis sentis meritum pasfionis incaâ—â—ationis sine omni praeâ—io mertio gratis tibi daâ—um By faith thou touchest or â—aiest hand on Christ by faith thou feelest the merit of his passion and incarnation freely giuen to thee without any desert of thine going before to purchase it Faith therefore giueth a sense and feeling to a mans heart that the benefits of Christ doe belong to him And againe Fide â—â—quam huâ—t Deâ—ergate maximam charitatem qua cum adhue iâ—imicâ—s esses proprium â—â—um Filium prote dedit sentis â—angistque Christum By â—aith I say thou â—eelest that great loue of God towards thee of which loue hee gaue his owne Sonne for thee when as yet thou wert his enemie thou feelest and touchest Christ. Sed non nisiâ— charitate possides yet thou doest not possesse him but by loue Guadalâ—â—â—nfis writing vpon Hoseâ— and expounding that place Desponsabâ— te â—ihi in â—ide which we translate I will marrie thee to mee in faithfulnesse but he expoundeth there of our faith towards God Fide anima desponsaâ—â—r Deâ— By faith the soule is betrothed to God And againe Fides est arrha desponsationis anime cum Deâ— Faith is the earnest or paunâ— or pledge or gage of our espousing vnto God For the high and righteous God to take vs base and sinnefull men as it were in marriage so neere and so deere vnto himselfe this is a speciall yea and an vnspeakeable mercie Now faith is as it were the marriage ring by which this mercifull contract is assured to our hearts Espensaeus saith that S. Paul in his discourse of Faith non quamlibet fidem qua Deo creditur sed â—am salubrem plâ—neque enangelicam definiuit He doth not define or intreate of euerie kind of faith by which we beleeue God but a sauing faith and altogether Euangelicall or Gospel-like So then in his opinion there is a faith more perâ—it and exquisite then that which beleeueth the truth of God and which more fully answereth the scope and drift of the Doctrine of the Gospell Now what the pith and vigor of the Gospel is hath beene alreadie declaredâ— euen Christ and all that is Christs giuen for our salâ—â—tion But among all the rest giue me leaue largely to make report of that same honest Frier Ferâ—s the honestest Papist I thinke that euer wrote He speaketh so like a Calvinist in this case that it is a wonder his books are not condemned for Hereticall He discoursing of the Centurioâ—s faith which Christ so commendeth in the Gospell I haue not found so great faith no not in Israelâ— â—â—iteth in this manner Non semper â—ides est quod nos fidem dicimus That saith he is not alwaies faith which we call faith How so Fidem nos dicimus assentâ—â—i ijs quae diuinis historijs produntur quae Ecclesia credendo proponit we commonly call this faith to assent to those things which are recorded in the diuine histories and which the Church propoundeth to bee beleeued This the Schoolmen call an vnformed faith or faith wanting a forme and S. Iames a dead faith marke well then of what faith Ferus expoundeth the discourse of S. Iames and which is without workes euen plainely of that which doth onely Credere Deo But to the point he addeth Secundum Scripturam fides non est absque fiducia misericordiae diuinae promissâ— in Christo According to the Scriptures faith is not without confidence of the mercie of God promised in Christ. A grosse Lutheran yet hee prooueth this by diuerse examples out of the holy Scripture It is said of Abraham Abraham beleeued God and that was iâ—puted vnto him for righteousnes What beleeued he No more then that there was a God Yes he beleeued the promise of God when God said to him Feare not Abraham I am thy buckler and reward Abraham relying vpon this promise went out of his owne land c. and he trusted in the mercie and goodnesse of God nothing doubting but wheresoeuer he liued he should finde God his Protectour Credunt ergo qui pro Protectore pro Patre Deum habent non pro Iudice O worthy speech They beleeue which account God for their Protectour and for their Father not for their Iudge But he proceedeth and of this kind of faith he expoundeth these places Yet you did not so beleeue the Lord. And that of Moses and Aaron because you beleeued me not And that in the Gospel He that beleeueth in him shall not bee condemned Non hîc loquitur de historica aut informi fide sed de fiducia misercordiâ— per Christum praestaudae He speaketh not there saith Ferus of an historicall or vnformed faith but of a confidence in the mercie of God to be yeelded by Christ. Many other instances hee there giueth but at length concludeth thus Summa fides quam Scriptura commendat non aliud est quà m fidere graâ—uita miserecordia Dei Hâ—c vera fides est qua iustus viuit hanc vnam à nobis Deus requâ—â—it ad â—anc confirmandam etiam Filium dedâ—◠〈◊〉 de bona voluntate sua erga nos dubitemus sed vt ponamus in Deo spem nostram In English thus The summe or conclusion of all is this The faith which the Scripture commendeth is nothing else then to trust in the free mercie of God This is that true faith by which the iust man liueth this faith onely doth God require of vs and for the confirmation of this faith he hath also giuen his Sonne that we should not doubt of his good will towards vs but that
that would not gloze nor dissemble in the matter It was spoken here now tenne yeares agoe let the performe those same decennalia to that peerelesse Qâ—eene who is worthie to haue her vicenalia yea her centenalia in this and all other our greatest assemblies I find it in that Sermon reported that Queene Elizabeth lying vpon her death bed M. Watson then Bishop of Chichester and her Almoner rehearsed to her the grounds of Christian faith requiring some testimonie of her assenting to them which she readily gaue both with hand and eye And when hee proceeded to tell her that it was not inough generally to beleeue that those things were true but euery Christian man must beleeue that they were true to them that they were members of the true Church truely redeemed by Iesus Christ that their sinnes were forgiuen c. shee did with great shew of faith lift vp her eyes and hands to heauen and staied them long as in testimonie of her assent thereunto O bessed Queene that liued so gloriously that died so Christianly that was optima iâ—dole in her prosperitie by the iudgement of the Papists her enemies that was optima fide in her deepest distresse in the heaâ—ing of the Protestants her â—oiall Subiects that maintained this applying faith while she liued to the good of so many thousands that professed this applying faith when she died to the honour of the Gospell and the sauing of her selfe Thanks be to God for his vnspeakeable grace The Truth beeing thus taught and proouedâ— good order of proceeding would that the contrarie Error and the Arguments which tend to the establishing thereof should be confuted And there is furniture inough in the word of God to dispatch that also for the Scripture is aâ— able to improoue as to Teach But this must be some other mans labour or mine aâ— some more leisure for this were a webbe that would aske three houres weauing more Bellarminâ— hath made vs a world of doe if a man would stand vpon euery Obiection Hee hath soâ—re seuerall Chapters fraâ—ght with Scriptures and Reasons and Fathers alleadged after his manner against faith of speciall mercie To name many were enòugh to confute them but they are vncooth and let them be vnkissed to vse olde Chaucers phrase Two places of Scripture there are which two English Knights once when it was pressed vpon me at the table and that so eagerly as they gaue mee no space to eate they beeing two to one sounded out their own triumph as if their Arguments were inuincible Them I will now indeauour charitably to satisfie by these presents Obiect 1. It is written Ioh. 17. 3. This is life eternall that they may knowe thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ From hence they would conclude that The sole knowledge of God and of Christ is sufficient to eteranall life Resp. The Answer must consist of many branches which I will first seuerally display and then conioyne all together 1. First Aliquandâ— cognoscere pro eo quod est credere pâ—nitur Sometimes to knowe is put for to beleeue saith S. Augustine speaking of those words That the world may knowe that thou hast sent mee And there he alleadgeth an other like place out of the same Chapter They know that I came out from thee and they haue beleeued that I was sent of thee 〈◊〉 crediderunt Hot dixit posterius crediderunt quod prius dixerat cognouerunt The latter expoundeth the forâ—mer they knowe that is they beleeue So may it be taken also in the third verse and well may knowing be taken for beleeuing contra quia illud noâ—imus quicquid fide non ficta etiamsi nòndum per speciem contuendo iam tamen inconcussè credendo retinemus because we know all that which now wee hold without waâ—ering by faith vnfained though yet we doe not sensibly behold it Take that first though this well I wore doth not fully satifie the purpose 2. Secondly To knowâ— doth not euer signifie bare vnderstanding sed quandâ—m animi adid quod gratuâ—â— nobis est affectioneâ— But to know signifieth sometimes a certaine affection or inclination of the minde with loue and liking to that which is acceptable vnto vs. There is in man as there is in God Dâ—plex notitia a double kind of knowledge one is simplicis speculationis of simple vnderstanding so God knoweth all things both good and euil The other is notitia approbationis that is to know with approouing So God knoweth the way of the righteous that is he knoweth it with liking and approbation And on the other side he neuer knewe thâ—â—icked that is to loue theâ— and their doings Hoc enim loco charitas cognitio dicitur saith Theophilact In that place loue is called knowledge Read more for this distinction if it seeme strange to any August in Psal. 118. Teth. Elias Cretensis in Nazian â—rat 11. Sotto Maior in 2. Tim. 2. I apply it thus to this matter To knowe God and Christ with a bâ—re and simple vnderstanding what they are what they haue done c. this is not nor cannot be eternall life as hath beene before declared But to knowe God and Christ with approbation affected with them louing them taking delight and ioy in them for being such as they are and for doing that which they haue done this is and this must needes bee eternall life For why This affectionate and approouing knowledge is euer ioyned with confidence in the mercie of God and of Christ and in truth is a comfortable Effect of the same The Deuills and the Reprobates knowe God and Christ what they are and what they haue done for mans saluation as well as we but they affect not with liking thaâ— which they know because they are not perswaded of any loue mercie or kindnesse in God towards themselues But the true beleeuer as he knoweth them so hee liketh to know them and is affected to them in loue as perswaded that all the goodnesse loue mercie and fauour which is in God and in Christ doe belong vnto him and thus to know God and Christâ—â— eternall life Thirdly Sciendum duplicem esse Deinotitiam saith Peter Martyr we must know that there is in a man a double kind of the knowledge of God Vnam efficacem qua immutamur ita vt quae nouimus opere conemur exprimere alteram frigidam qua nihilo reddimur meliores There is one an effectuall kind of knowledge by which we are so changed in heart and affection as we striue to expresse in our deeds that which we know Of which kind I take that to be spoken of S. Paul to the Colossians Yee haue put on the new man which is renued in knowledge after the image of him that created him Now this is such a knowledge as ariseth of faith and by faith ioyneth vs to
I haue had many meditations But by discoursing of them I should not attaine to the principall ende of my thoughts I will therefore deliuer onely so much of them as maketh to the opening of the Text and that euen in three words and so proceede to that which followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is necessarie that we vnderstand what kinde of persons or creatures the Apostle intendeth in this word and the more because the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hath beene vsed in diuers significations Therefore thus I vnfold it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tertullian Nescitis geniâ—s daemonas dici inde diminutina voce daemonia Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or daemon signifieth properly Deus diuinus sapiâ—ns sciens fortunatus faelix as euery meane Scholler that hath read either Greeke Lexicons or Greek Authors easily vnderstandeth And therefore in old time and among the Heathen Daemon was a word of good intendment and vsed to the better part For who knoweth not this distinction betweene Plato and Aristotle that the one was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea Plutarch calleth Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which yet Xâ—lander translateth Diuinus Homer was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the superexcellenciâ— of his wit and knowledge Homer himselfe calleth all his gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato called vniuersi modereatorem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesiâ—â— calleth the Worthies of the golden age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libâ—nius extolleth 〈◊〉 after his death ô 〈…〉 The Athenians say of Paul that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Beza translâ—â—eth Asetteâ— forth 〈…〉 of new gods Thus hath the word beene vsed But now Post Christum nâ—tum nomen dâ—mâ—â—is suspectum fuit â—diâ—sum tanquam rei maleficae atque imprâ—bae Euer since Christs time the name of Daemon hath beene suspitious and odious as the title or note of some euill and wicked thing Augustine saith that in the Scriptures we haue Angels good and bad â—â—â—quam verò bonâ—s dâ—mones legimus but neuer any good Deuils Sed vbicunque illâ—rum literarum hoc nomen positâ—â— reperitur â—iâ—e dâ—mones â—iâ—e dâ—monia dicuntur non niss maligni significaâ—ntur spiritus But Daemones euer signifie the wicked Spirits Of that I might giue infinite instances Read Matth. 7. 22. Matth. 8. 28. 31. Matth. 9. 33. and other places too long to recite Therefore must Iohannes Eudâ—mon lately come from Rome flie to the Popes omnipotencie for the Canonizing of his name For nor Scriptures nor Fathers allow any good Deuills now to be named in the Church of God No wicked men euer take it in the worse part The Iewes obiect it to Christ in disgrace daemonium habes thou hast a deuill etiam vulgus indoctum in vsâ—â— maledâ—ctis frequentat saith Tertullian The ignorant people vse it only to cursing and banning The Deuill is on thee the Deuil take thee c. No there is none so learned and in learning so well vnderstanding what signification Daemon hath in it selfe and hath borne in former times which dareth now say by way of commendation to his seruant Daemonem habes Thou hast a deuill Sed â—â—ilibet hoc voluerit dicere non se aliter accipi quam malediceâ—e voluisse dubitare non possit But when soeuer he vseth it he can not doubt but to be conceiued as one that meant to reuile him to whome he speaketh So then gather from hence of what kind of persons Iames intendeth his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of the Heathen gods not of the wise Philosophers not of the valiant Worthies to whome former ages ascribed that name but of the wicked Angels which stoode not in the truth which kept â—ot their beginning those same Apostaâ—a angeli which as Cyprian speaketh ad terrena contagia deâ—oluti è coelesti vigore recesserunt which turning themselues to earthly corruption lost that heauenly excellencie wherein they were created Of these S. Iames hâ—re speaketh and saith that They beleeue and tremble Of these Deuills or wicked Angels the Apostle here auerreth two things the first that They beleeue the second that they tremble 1. They beleeue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The verb vsed in the Original hath diuers significations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know to whome I haue trusted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Râ—lie not vpon the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He committed not himselfe to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We prooue or confirme all things But most commonly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth in the Scriptures to beleeue to assent vnto to be perswaded of As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the heart we beleeue vnto righteousnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abraham beleeued God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In part I beleeue it to be true And so mâ—st it of necessitie be taken in this place the whole drift of the Apostle beeing here to intreat of true and false faith and beleefe So the meaning shortly is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Deuills that is to say the euill Angels and damned Spirits doe beleeue that is are perswaded and in their persâ—asion doe assent to many things to be true And this may â—ppeare by diuers reasons 1. Omnia quae credimus vel visu credimus vel auditu saith Saint Ambrosâ—â— All our beleefe ariseth either from sight or hearing Now the Deuills can not 〈◊〉 see much partly by that eminencie of place beeing seated in the aire from whence as from a watch tower they look down round about them partly by their wandâ—ing vp and downe the world 〈◊〉 so great 〈◊〉 as no man no beast no 〈…〉 〈…〉 â—les est saith Tâ—rtâ—â—lian Hoc Angeli daeâ—â—â—eâ— All Spirits both Angels and deuills are like a flying bird Igitâ—r momento vbique sunt Totus orbis illis locus vnus est They are here and there and euery where in a moment all the world is vnto them as one certaine place Not by vbiquitie filling all places at once but by Celâ—ritiâ— moouing to a thousand places in the turning of a hand And therefore if that be true of Augustine Dicuntur credi quâ—â— videntur sicut dicit vnâ—â—quisque aculis suis se crâ—dere Things that are seene are said to be beleeued as euery man saith hee will beleeue his 〈◊〉 eyes then the Deuils seeing so much â—â—ust needs also beleeue much and be perswaded of the truth of much according to this here of S. Iames The Deuils doe beleeue 2. As the Deuills see much so also they â—eare exceeding much Now Fides est assentiâ—i 〈◊〉 to approoue for truth what we â—eare another man speake this is beleefe The Deuills then heare God himselfe speake much when they stand before him And all that they cannot but beleeue to be true because
they know that God◠〈◊〉 liâ— Dicta Iehoue dicta pâ—â—a They heâ—â—e the good Angels speake much when they come among them and all thaâ— also they cannot but beleeue to be true For they know that the holy Angels are established in the state of grace Angeli 〈◊〉 sun◠〈…〉 grà tiâ— and so cannot fall by lying and that they were euen from the beginning supported of the holy Ghost ne à veritat◠〈…〉 that their will should neuer decline from the â—ruth Againe they hâ—are much spoken from the 〈◊〉 of God and all that also they 〈◊〉 but beleeue to â—e true For they know that the 〈◊〉 of God is 〈◊〉 veritatis the word of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 God is the teacher of truth and â—hereis 〈…〉 because the Deuills haue beheld in the doing therefore they cannot but beleeue them to be true in the relating The Deuills therefore doe most certainely beleeue 3. From seeing much and hearing much and obseruing much ariseth their abundant and in a manner their inâ—inite knowledge And that not onely about all kind of creatures and secrets of nature but also concerning God himselfe and his diuine mysteries For first They know there is a God Daeâ—oâ—es Deum Pagani credunt Deuils and Infidels acknowledge so much 2. They know there is but one God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One God of himselfe One God in all 3. They know this God to be such a one as he is for they call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The most high or almightie God 4. They know that in this one God there are three distinct persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. They knowe Christ Iesus I know 6. They know Christ to be the Sonne of God 7. Yea to be God himselfe O lignâ—â—m fâ—â—lix in quo Deus ipse pependiâ— A verse ascribed to one of the Sybills by the Genâ—iles of whom S. Augustine said they were prophetâ—â— non â—psius none of Gods Prophets 8. They know the Scriptures for they alleadge them to Christ and Anthonie the Eremite often heard them sing impuro oâ—e sacrae scriptuâ—aâ— rum eloquiae meditari and with their vâ—cleane mouthes talke and conferre of the holy Scriptureâ— 9. They know the Gospell and the nature thereof for they call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the way to saluation 10. They know many things to come either as they are reuealed vnto them of God or as they foresee the effects in their causes For they foretold the death of Saul and the ouerthrow of the Idols temples in Egypt and Alexandria 11. Yea many times they discerne the secret motions thoughts and affections in the heart ex signis in corpore illos sequentibus so farre as they make impressions in the bodie and bewraied by â—he passions thereof And therefore of their abundant knowledge is it that they take this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is full of skill full of learning full of knowledge Now then the Deuills knowing so much of God of Christ of the Scriptures of the Gospel of things preâ—ent of things passed of things to come of open actions of priuate thoughts and so forth how can it be but they must also beleeue exceeding much For Fides est cognitio eademque certiâ—â—ima faith is knowledge and a most certaine kind of knowledge yea and that euen in the iudgement of the great Schoolman in quantum intellectuâ— determinatur per fidem ad aliquod cognoscibile Therefore Peter Martyr expoundeth these words of S. Iames of the Deuills knowledge Credere posuit prâ—â—â—sse The deuills beleeue that is the deuills doe know that there is one God c. But the Conclusion is if beleeuing â—e here put for knowing yea if beleefâ— it selfe be knowledge and then the deuills know so much as hath beene before declared it must needs be out of question vnto vs that S. Iames speaketh truly The Deuills 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Doctrine is cleere descend 〈◊〉 to Vse â—nd Application Now the vser of this Doctrine are manifold 1. S. Iames here in the word of an Apostle affirmeth plainly and directly that The deuills beleeue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is sufficien◠〈…〉 needlesse and friuolous for Schoolâ—â—â—â— so long after to enquire vtrâ—â—s in 〈◊〉 â—it fides whither the Deuills haue faith or no And yet a thousand and a thousand such Questions they mooue of which a man may say with the Disciples in the Gospel Ad quid haeâ—perdiâ—io To what ende serueth such waâ—t of time and labour A right learned graue and godly Diuine and a man of famous memorie gaue this censure of them in my hearing He saide they had plus argutiarum quà m doctrinae plus doctrinae quà m vsus a goodly kind of learning forsooth that whetteth the wit with quaint deuises and filleth the head with nice distinctions with which when a man hath stuffed his note books they are like the Staphylodendron that Plinie writeth of whose wood is faire and white like the maple whose leaues are broad and beutifull whose fruit is coddes with nuâ—ts sweet as the filberd and yet Dodoneus saith of it that it is good for nothing I would therefore intreat and perswade all young Diuines to beginne their race with trauersing the worthie writings of Luther Melancthon Calvin Beza Zanchius Musculus and the like bookes some thirtie or fourtie yeares agoe in the onely request and of them to take their chiefe repast vsing only the other like sweet meats after a feast rather to close the stomacke and to delight with varietie then to satisfie the appetite or to support nature For my part I refuse not wholly to vse them as will appeare by this Treatise but in many cases as namely in this of the Deuills beleeuing I hold both their Obiections and Solutions so needeles and friuolous as I doe not vouchsafe them so much as a bare relation This may suffice the bodie of this Auditorie that the Apostle here affirmeth and reason from the Scriptures confirmeth the same that there is faith and beleefe euen in the Deuills Secondly this sheweth that the very Deuils of hell haue some thing in them that is good For they beleeue Now true and right beleefe is of it selfe the good gift of God Indeed the Deuills as bad as they are haue in them many good parts For 1. their naturall substance is good it is the creature of God and all that God made was exceeding good 2. Their naturall qualities are good their knowledge their vnderstanding their wisedome their immortalitie their inuisibilitie their agilitie and the like are all good properties in themselues 3. They often speake that which is good As when they professed Christ to be the Sonne of God and Paul and Barnabas to be the seruants of God For all truth hath correspondencie to God the fountaine
so as that withall they hate him in their hearts knowing that he will be and shall be their confounder These feare God so as withall they loue him in their hearts as feeling that he is and beleeuing that he will be their carefull preseruer And if at any time mistrustfull or carnall feare doe take hold vpon the Saints yet it is neither totall nor finall as it is in the Deuills For the regenerate partie will euer cleaue to Gods mercie by faith and the spirit of adoption will at length get the victorie and make them crie with comfort Abba Father whereas the Deuills feare euer totally without one droppe of faith and finally without one moment of comfort Therefore as it is no comfort to the Deuills to know that the Saints doe feare as well as they so it need be no discomfort to the Saints to see that they feare as well as the deuills Mâ—dus agendi actum distinguit They feare punishment these feare losse they feare and â—ate these feare and loue they feare and despaire these feare hope they feare and sinne still these feare and amend they feare and are damned these feare and are saued For there is a feare and reuerence with which we please God the fruit whereof is euerlasting saluation Hitherto I haue spoken of the Deuills beleefe and trembling seuerally and asunder and deriued vses from either necessarie to our instruction Now consider we of them iointly and together They beleeue and yet they tremble They tremble and yet they beleeue What Pugnantia loqueris Iacobe Good S. Iames doest thou not speake contraries How will these two stand together beleeuing and trembling If they beleeue why doe they tremble If they tremble how doe they beleeue for on the one side timor hostilis infidelitatis filius hostile feare is the ofspring of infidelitie Why were the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why are yee fearefull O yee of little faith If therefore the deuills tremble it is a signe that they beleeue not On the other side if they beleeue then what need they tremble For first Faith maketh attonment with God Beeing iustified by faith we haue peace toward God If they be at peace with God what cause haue they to feare For If God be on our side who can be against vs Secondly Faith purifieth the heart Now if the Deuills be mundi corde then they are blessed and see God with comfort What then need they feare Thirdly faith giueth boldnes and confidence By whom we haue boldnesse and entrance with confidence by saith in him Boldnes and Confidence are plaine opposites to feare and trembling Fourthly faith worketh by loue Now loue casteth out feare Ergo. If they beleeue they loue if they loue they feare not One of the Fathers expounding that place in the Song of Salomon Thy cheekes are comely with rowes of stones and thy necke with chaines maketh one of those chaines wherewith the Churches necke is adorned to be religiosa sanaque fides a sound and religious â—aith facta de puro diuinae cognitionis auro beaten and composed of pure gold of the diuine knowledge And to this pure and golden chaine of faith he applieth that of Salomon in the Prouerbs Coronam gratiarum accipies vertice tuo â—umellam aurâ—am circa caput tuum Thou shalt receiue a crowne of grace or a gracefull crowne vpon thy head and a chaine of gold about thy necke Now then if the Deuills haue such a crown of grace vpon their heads and such a rich coller of Sss about their necke as faith is a man would think they were adorned and bewtified sufficiently to appeare with iolliâ—ie in the most roiall presence euen of the glorious God himselfe How then saith S. Iames here that they beleeue yet they tremble The answer is this The deuills beleeue much many things as hath bin before declared but yet they beleeue not that which should keepe them from trembling What is that M. Bucer setteth downe in three words Reconciliationem non credunt They beleeue no atonement or reconciliation made or to be made between them and Almightie God Therefore all that which they beleeue will not keepe them from trembling Take for an example of them in this case a malefactor a felon a murderer or traytour conuicted and condemned to death This malefactor knoweth the King who he is he knoweth his prerogatiue royall that he can and is able to pardon him he knoweth and beleeueth further that the King of his naturall disposition is mild kind bounteous pitiâ—ull mercifull as thanked be God our King Iames is at this day The same malefactor knoweth yet further that the King out of his royall bountie and grace hath pardoned many yea some capitall offendors But now withall he hath no meanes nor friend to make to the King to obtaine his pardon he hath neither word not writing from the King to warrant his pardon nay he hath no hope that if he sought for it the King would graunt his pardon nay his heart is so besotted as that he can not thinke of seeking a pardon Here all the knowledge of the King of the Kings mercie of the Kings mercifull dealing with others will not put him out of feare of death but he trembleth daily hourely expecting his execution So is it with the Deuill He knoweth God be knoweth the omnipotent power of God that God can forgiue him and he can say with the leper Master if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane He knoweth the infinite mercie of God that he is mercifull gratious flow to anger and abundent in goodnes and truth that the whole earth is full of the goodnes of the Lord that his mercy reacheth to the heauens his truth vnto the clouds yea that the Lord is good to all and his mercies are ouer all his workes He knoweth further that God hath extended his mercifull pardon towards hainoâ—s offenders As to Dauid for adulterie and murder To Salomon for idolatrie To Peter for Apostacie To Paul for persecution and to thousand thousands whose names are not recorded All this the Deuill knoweth well and beleeueth all that he knoweth as hath beene before declared But now the wretched fiend hath neither means to make for his pardon for Christ is but Mediator dei hominum a Mediator betweene God and man not betweene God and the deuills and the goodnes of God which appeared in Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a loue of men not a loue of deuills neither hath he one title or iotte of a promise from God that he shall be pardoned neither hath he the hope that if he begge it God will giue him pardon neither hath he an affection to desire pardon but is shut vp as are all reprobates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto a heart that knoweth not how to repent Therefore for all his beleefe he trembleth for feare in the expectation of eternall torments Againe take another example of this A man is deepely indebted non est solvendo he hath not to pay he heareth he knoweth he beleeueth that his Creditour is a verie honest and mercifull man that he hath dealt very honestly and mercifully with others giuing day to some remitting to others a third part a halfe part yea to some the whole debt But he hath neither promise from his creditor nor perswasion in himselfe that he will deale so patiently and bountifully with him In this case all the knowledge that he hath of his creditors gentlenesse towards others will no whit satisfie his minde but he will feare daily to be vnder arrest and to kisse the goale Now thus standeth the case betwixt God and the Deuill Hee is runne deepely into debt by his sinnes for sinnes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debts Debitum quod perindè iudicio debeatur ab eo exigatur for which we are subiect to conuention and conuiction and exaction as Tertullian speaketh euen as one man is for debt vnto another He knoweth that God many times dealeth with men as the kind householder with his beggerly seruant who when he had nothing to pay his Master forgaue him all But now he hath neither promise from God not beleefe in himselfe that those debts shall be remitted vnto him therefore he liueth dayly vnder feare to bee cast into prison euen into hell fire from which he shall not be deliuered till he hath paid the vtmost farthing And hence it is that not beleeuing mercie from God though he beleeue a great deale more then hundred thousands doe yet he is not at peace with himselfe in his owne heart but as S. Iames saith here doth beleeue and tremble And here now commeth fitly to be examined and discussed the true and essentiall difference between the dead vnprofitable faith of the deuills which will not keepe them from trembling and the liuely sauing faith of the Elect as the Apostle calleth it which causeth their saluation Some conceiue the difference to be this that Alia est vera alia ficta fides The faith of the Saints they say is a true faith the faith of the deuills a false or faigned faith Absurd for we haue heard before out of S. Augustine that the deuills faith was as true a faith as Peters And certen it is that if they haue any faith that must needes be true For quicquid est verè est And that faigned faith which they gather out of the Apostle fide non ficta is none otherwise to be called faith then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of likelihood or similitude because it beareth some resemblance of faith As a king in a play is called a king and the image of a man is called a man when indeede and truth they are neither so nor so Therefore when Harding affirmeth that A true faith may be idle and vtterly without good workes this is certainly true of some kind of faith which notwithstanding is faith indeede as we see in the Reprobate yea and in the deuills And when the reuerend Bishop the peerelesse Iewel of his time replieth that The faith of the deuills indeede and verily is no faith this is euidently false if it be spoken generally of the nature thereof But as the intention of controuersie is there betweene them for they speake of a profitable and liuely faith So Harding lieth in his throat for a true faith can not be idle and Bishop Iewels position is most vndoubtedly true The faith of Deuills in this sense is no faith at all that is no sauing or iustifying faith as after shall appeare And this I thought good to note least either any School-Papist should thinke to finde aduantage in that worthie mans doctrine or that I in this opinion doe dissent from so Reuerend a Diuine But to returne to the purpose Others make this the difference between the faith of the Deuills and the faith of the Elect that the one is informis and the other formata They say that the faith of the deuills is without forme because it wanteth loue the faith of the Saints is perfected and formed for it worketh by loue A common distinction among the Schoolemen and a common opinion to say that charitas est forma fidei charitie is the forme of faith Against which idle and vnlearned opinion of which the Schoolemen are full Peter Martyr disputeth fully and learnedly in his Commentaries vpon the Corinthians whither I send them that will be satisfied in that Question I hold my selfe to my purpose and I say that the School-distinction is absurd of faith formed and vnformed for who can imagine any thing to be without a forme when as this is our principall in nature forma dat esse Qualis est illa fides saith one of their owne quae mortua est formaque sua caret what manner of faith is that which wanteth both life and forme And if that be true of Aquinas that fides informis formata are not diuersi sed ijdem habitus in which notwithstanding the wittie man was grossely deceiued then either the faith of the Deuills hath the same forme that hath the faith of the Elect or some other forme at least it must haue to make it Habituall and without a forme it cannot exist There be others yet that make this the difference betweene them They say that the one is Extorta or Coacta the other is Voluntaria The deuills faith say they is extorted from them ab ipsa rerum euidentia from the verie euidence of that which they see and vnderstand But the faith of men euen of euill men is free and voluntarie Nos enim non credimus contremiscentes id est inuiti coacti sed sponte libenter For we beleeue not trembling saith Bellarmine that is against our wills and by compulsion as doe the Deuills but willingly and of our owne accord Marke by the way how learnedly the great Clarke expoundeth S. Iames The Deuills beleeue trembling that is saith blind Bellarmine by compulsion But let him goe This distinction of faith voluntarie and compelled hath I confesse somewhat more in it then the former For it may be that is true of Thomas Aquines Hoc ipsum daemonibus displicet quòd signa fidei sunt tam euidentis vt per ea credere compellantur The Deuills are grieued at this that the signes of faith are so euident as they are compelled to beleeue whither they will or no. But if I may be bold to interpose my opinion herein reseruing the iudgement therof vnto the learned I hold that the faith of the Elect is as much compelled as the faith of the Deuills and the faith of the Deuills is as voluntarie for that which they
Preachers of the Augustine confession rightly tearmed stercus Romani Pontificis the very base excrements of the Bishop of Rome they haue with their deepe wisdome wholly missed the cushion and little hath their Anathema maranatha hurt vs or our Churches as they intended in the chiefe point of controuersie now in hand For when they determine thus Si qui dixerit fidem iustificantem nihil aliud esse quà m fiduciam diuinae misericordiae peccata remittentis propter Christum vel eam fiduciam solam esse qua iustificamur anathema fit That is If any man shall say that iustifying faith is nothing els but a confidence in the mercie of God forgiuing sinnes for Christs sake or that this confidence or assurance is alone that faith by which we are iustified let him be accursed In this determination I say they hit not the bird in the eye nor crosse not the Doctrine taught by the Protestants We are not in the heresie of Apelles which saide a man might hold what faith he would otherwise eos enim qui in Christum crucifixum spem coniecissent saluos fore c. so as they reposed their hope in Christ crucified for then they should be saued We doe not say as they suppose that a iustifying faith is nothing els but an assurance of mercie or that this assurance alone ioyned with nothing els doth iustifie No we say that Obiectum fidei adaequatum The generall obiect of faith which is as large as the extent of faith it selfe est omne verbum Dei in genere is vniuersally the whole word of God We say that it is officium fidei veritati Dei subscribere quoties quicquid quocunque modo loquitur to subscribe to all the truth of God how often soeuer whatsoeuer and in what manner soeuer he deliuer it But we say that proprium principale primum proximum obiectum fidei iustificantis the proper and principall the chiefe and neerest obiect of iustifying faith is among all other things which it apprehendeth Christ crucified with all his benefits as he is offered vnto vs in the Word and Sacraments and in Christ and through Christ the mercie of God the Father We say further for the opening of this matter that whereas there are tres partes fidei as Musculus calleth them three parts or three degrees or three saculties or three acts of a true faith Credere Deum Deo In Deum The one to beleeue there is a God the second to beleeue all that God saith to be true the third to beleeue in God with confidence this same tertius fidei gradus to trust in God with confidence of mercie doth ex duobus prioribus emergere arise from the two former and as Chemnitius speaketh praesuppâ—nit includit presupposeth and includeth the former For no man can by faith assure himselfe of the mercie of God who doth not first beleeue that there is a God and that all is true which proceedeth from him Therefore doe not we imagine such a iustifying faith as beleeueth nothing but mercie to himselfe or that beleefe of mercie alone that is ioyned with no beleefe els is sufficient to iustification But we say that a Iustifying faith hath for his Obiect all that God would haue to be beleeued and among all other things principally the mercie of God I make this plaine by a similitude The vegetatiue soule is the soule of plants and is a true soule in his kind though it hath neither sense nor reason The sensitiue soule is the soule of beasts and soules and fishes it is a distinct kind of soule by it selfe including vegetation but void of reason The reasonable soule is the soule of men is a distinct kind of soule by it selfe yet such a one as includeth both vegetation and sense Applie this to the three kinds or degrees of faith Credere Deum to beleeue there is a God is the faith of Infidels and Pagans and is a true faith though it neither beleeue the Word of God nor mercie from God Credere Deo that is to beleeue all that God saith to be true is the faith of Deuills and Reprobates and includeth in it the faith of Infidels and is a true faith in the kind though it apprehend no mercie Credere iâ— Deum that is by faith to relie vpon the mercie of God is the faith of the Elect and comprehendeth both the faith of the Infidels and the faith of the deuills and is a distinct kind of faith in it selfe And this compleat faith consisting of all these three we Protestants say to be that onely faith that iustifieth in the presence of God Against therefore both Historians and Papists I make these foure conclusions 1. True Christian sauing faith doth not onely beleeue God and Christ the word of God and the Word of Christ the storie of God and the storie of Christ but also it doth beleeue and apprehend the mercie of this God per deâ—mmediatorem by Christ the Mediator 2. True Christian sauing faith differeth from the faith of the Deuills only in this and the consequences thereof that the Elect apprehend the mercie of God to them in Christ which the Deuills can not doe 3. To beleeue only the Word of God and the Storie of Christ is to beleeue no more then the Deuills 4. To beleeue all that the Deuills doe beleeue and not by faith to applie the mercie of God to thy selfe in Christ will â—o more keepe thy soule conscience from despaire then it doth the Deuills from trembling of which S. Iames saith here that though they beleeue yet they tremble Now that the word of God is cleare in this case and that God requireth in the Scriptures not only the faith of the storie but also by faith an application of mercie to a mans owne soule I will make manifest vnto you by foure principall arguments whereof The first shall be drawn from the doctrin of the Gospell which is the foundation of truth and is called in the Scriptures verbum fidei the word of faith The second from the Sacraments annexed to this Doctrine which are called sigilla fidei the seales of faith The third from the forme of our Creed which is regula fidei the rule of faith The fourth from the definition or description of faith laid out Heb. 11. 1. Of which their owne canonized Schooleman who is among them as an other Oracle of Delphos saith that though some affirme that it is no perfect definition because it sheweth not the quidditie or essence thereof as the Philosopher speaketh yet if a man rightly consider of it Omnia ex quibus fides potest definiri in praedicta definitione tanguntur licet verba non ordinentur sub forma definitionis that is All things required to the definition of faith are touched therein though the words be not placed in a logicall forme of a definition Therefore that
definition we wil examine in his place But first of the doctrine of the Gospell 1. No man can doubt but faith is built vpon Doctrine for faith is by hearing viz. of the doctrine which is taught vnto vs. Now vpon what doctrine hath faith his foundation vpon the doctrine of the Law By no means for The Law is not of faith It neither describeth the faith nor requireth the faith by which we are iustified but rationem iustificandi hominis a fide prorsus alienam habel it prescribeth a meanes of iustification cleane contrarie to faith that is obedience and workes of the Law It is therefore built vpon the doctrine of the Gospel faith must apprehend the Gospel Repent and beleeue the Gospell Againe Goe preach the Gospel to euery creature Then it followeth He that beleeueth the Gospell shall be saued hee that beleeueth not the Gospell shall be damned The matter therefore to be beleeued is the Gospell Now what is the Gospell A bare Historie only or a bare historicall narration of things done and passed By no meanes Euangelium est forma vitae ex resurrectione saith S. Basile The Gospel is a doctrine of a new forme of life following vpon our regeneration or spirituall resurrection And S. Augustine speaking of Philips preaching to the Eunuch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoe est euangelizaro Christum non tantum dieere quae sunt eredenda de Christo sed etiam quae obseruanda ei qui accedit ad compagem corporis Christi This is to preach the Gospel of Christ or Christ in the Gospel not only to teach what things are to be beleeued concerning Christ but also what things he must obserue and practise which commeth to ioyne himselfe to the bodie of Christ. The Gospell therefore is a Doctrine of admonition of exhortation of practise of reformation not a narration only A note which I would not omit because if you marke them either Protestants or Papists which content themselues with the faith of the historie yee shall find little of spirituall death or resurrection in them that is little mortification of the flesh or viuification of the Spirit by the power of the death and resurrection of Christ wherein notwithstanding confifleth the very vigour and marrow of the doctrine of the Gospel But I come nearer to the purpose What may we call the Gospell Euangelium est raedicatio salutis 〈◊〉 â—aith Nazianzene The Gospell is the preaching of a new kind or meanes of saluation viz. brought into the world by Iesus Christ and differing from that olde of Moses which who so doth shall liue in them The Gospel then preacheth a new saluation and to whom preacheth it to vs. And must we beleeue the Gospell Then must we beleeue this new saluation Theophylact sheweth a reason why that which we cal the gospel is called in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evangelium dicitur eò quòd nunciet nobis res prosperas bene se habentes id est bona It is called the Gospell as we would say a Gods spell or a good spell or as the Greeke etimologie giueth a message of good newes because it telleth vs of things going well on our sides and prosperously with vs that is of things good and commodious vnto vs. What are those Nempâ— remissionem peccatorum iustitiam reditum in coelos adoptionem in filios Dei The gospel relateth vnto vs the remission of sinnes righteousnes or iustification our restoring vnto heauen our adoption to be the sonnes of God All this the Gospell telleth vnto vs and this I trowe is a great deale more then the narration of the historie of Christ. But let me adde a little more out of that Father against our meritorious workemungers Nunciat autem quam facilè ac gratis haec accepimus neque nostro labore assecuti sumus haec bona neque ea ex nostris acceperimus bonis operibus sed gratiâ misericordià Dei talia bona consecuti sumus that is to say The Gospell telleth vs withall how easily and freely we haue receiued these things that is remission of sinnes iustification restitution to heauen adoption to be the sonnes of God For it telleth vs that we haue not obtained these things either by our owne industrie or by our owne good workes but by the grace and mercie of God O comfortable Gospel here is a verie Gods spell indeede here are glad tidings indeede here is a doctrine that passeth all ioy comprehensible with the deepest vnderstanding But now gather we this together Doth the Gospel bring good tidings to vs of good things that haue betided vs Are these good things remission of sinnes iustification and the rest Doth the Gospel tell vs that wee haue receiued these benefits without our labour and without our merit freely of the grace of God And must we beleeue the gospel Why then we must beleeue that these glad tydings are sent to vs that remission of sinnes and saluation is giuen to vs that we are saued by mercie without our owne deserts Is not this to beleeue more then the storie Nay is not this to take home the Gospel to our selues Is not this by faith to beleeue that the saluation which Christ wrought for man mentioned in the Gospel noâ— accepimus we haue receiued No doubt it is and so without doubt it must bee For if faith be built vpon the doctrine of the Gospel then Qualis causa talis effectus such doctrine such faith But the doctrine of the Gospell is a doctrine of remission of sinnes of iustificationâ— of adoption of saluation by Christ vnto vs. Faith therefore must be a faith of remission of sinnes of iustification of adoption of saluation by Christ to vs which I trowe is an applying of Gods mercie and Christs merits vnto our selues And here let none obiect vnto me that a man may beleeue there are glad tidings in the Gospel that a man may beleeue that the Gospel preacheth remission of sinnes and saluation by Christ and yet not to apply them to himselfe as doe the deuills and thousands of Reprobats for this indeede say I is to beleeue the storie of the Gospel but this is not to beleeue the Gospel For the Gospel is a doctrine animant ac offerens ingentiabona ad ea accipienda blandissimè iâ—â—itans a doctrine that hearteneth vs on Comfort yee comfort yee my people A doctrine that offereth vnto vs infinite good I will be their God and they shall bee my people I will forgiue their iniquitie and I will remember their 〈◊〉 no more A doctrine that kindly inuiteth and allureth vs to entertaine the goodnes offered therein Hâ— euery one that thirsteth come to the waters And againe Come vnto me all yee that are wearie Yea that which is most of all the Gospell preacheth mercie vnto meâ— appâ—â—catiue as it were thrusting it into their bosomes and pinning it vpon the hearets
sleeues Thy sins are forgiuen thee Saluation is come to this house The promise is made to you your children who was deliuered to death for our sinnes rase againe to our iustification As he hath chosen us in him who hath predestinated vs to bee adopted To him that loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood and made vs Kings and Priests vnto God and a thousand like So that the Gospell doth not onely preach remission of sinnes and saluation vnto men but it preacheth it with application vnto the hearers And therefore to beleeue the Gospel is to beleeue it with application and so to apply and appropriate the benefits contained in it vnto thine own selfe that hearest it This say I is to beleeue the Gospel And so much for the Gospell which is The word of faith 2. Now as touching the Sacraments which are The seales of faith What manner of faith doe they seale vp and confirme in our hearts Doe they seale vp vnto vs the truth of the storie Are they confirmations vnto vs that Christ was about 30. yeares olde when he was baptized that he was tempted in the wildernesse that hee raised Iairus daughter that hee preached in the Synagogue that he washed his disciples feete or such like Noâ— but they seale vp that which is a great deale more consequent to vs and that is The mercie of God and the benefits of Christ to belong vnto vs. As for example In the Sacrament of baptisme there is first water which Pindarus said was reruns optima the best creature that is a worthy representation of the blood of Christ which Peter calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pretious blood for the inestimable effects Secondly there is the vnseparable proprietie of water which is to wash and cleanse a representatioÌ„ of the power and vertue of the blood of Christ which cleanseth from all sinne Yea and thirdly there is the applying of this water vnto the body of the person baptized a signe of the appropriating of the blood of Christ and the vertue thereof vnto him that doth receiue it And so baptisme carrieth with it not onely a representation of Christs blood and the power thereof in generall but also a particularizing of them both vnto the person which is made partaker of that holy Sacrament Hereof S. Paul calleth Baptisme a putting on of Christ All ye that are baptised into Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue put on Christ. They haue put him on as their owne garment vpon their owne backs to couer their nakednes to shrowd them from the parching heat and from the pinching cold Hereof againe it is that Peter saith baptisme saueth vs that is shadoweth to vs the power of Christ by which wee are saued Hereof Tertullian said In baptismo tingimur passione Christi In baptisme wee are dipped in the passion of Christ. Hereof said Nazaanzenâ— spiritus sanctus me deisicat per baptismum The holy Ghost deifieth me by baptisme that is by holinesse maketh vs partakers of the godly nature as Peter speaketh Yea hereof is that high commendation which S. Basil giueth to the Sacrament Baptismus est captiuorum aeris alient remissio peccaâ—â—tmors animae regeneratio amictus splendens character indiprensibilis coeli iter regni coelestis conciliatio adoptionis gratia Baptisme is goaldeliuerie to the prisoners discharge to them that are in debt the death of sinne the regeneration of the soule the gorgeous arâ—y the indeprehensible badge the passage to heauen the obtaining of the kingdome of heauen the grace of adoption And such a thing is Baptisme not ex opere operato which the Fathers neuer dreamed of that knewe that wicked men also were baptized as wee haue heard before out of Augustine but by representing yea exhibiting yea applying Christ and his graces vnto vs and sealing vp to our faith the exhibition and the application and so the proprietie and benefit thereof Baptisme therefore applieth to the receiuer the mercie of God in Christ Iesus and the vertue of his blood to remission of sinnes Then to proceed to the Sacrament of the Lords supper there is first Bread and Wine a representation of the bodie and blood of Christ. There are secondly with them the naturall qualities of bread and wine which are to strengthen and make gladde the heart Apprime panis reficâ—â— Bread is a speciall nourisher And wine is sanguis terrae the blood of the earth as Androcides wrote to Alexander Sanguis vnae the blood of the grape A liuely image of the vigor of the bodie and blood of Christ of which himselfe affirmeth My flesh is meate indeede and my blood is drinke indeede Yea and that such meate and such drinke that whosoeuer eateth this flesh and drinketh this blood hath eternall life But all this is Historicall There is therefore yet farther in this Sacrament a giuing of bread a taking and eating of this bread there is also a giuing of this wine a taking and a drinking of this wine by the communicants This Action as it is most liuely so it is most significant it representeth the giuing of the bodie and blood of Christ to the receiuer the taking of the bodie and blood of Christ by the receiuer the eating on the bodie of Christ the drinking on the blood of Christ by the receiuer And so assureth our faith not onely that Christs bodie was broken and Christs blood was shedde but that it was also broken and fâ—â—ed for vs to whom the sacramental signes thereof are there tendered and reached out and so sealeth vp vnto vs our spirituall nourishment by him vnto euerlasting saluation Gregorie Nissene speaking of those words in the Gospell of Iohn There came out of his side blood and water maketh them two images of the two Sacraments Quoniam tum per diuinum baptisma tum per sancti sanguinis participationem vsum consecrari nos ac diuinitatem induore credimus For both by diuine baptisme and by the participation and vse of his holy blood we beleeue that we are consecrated to God and doe put on vpon vs the diuinitie that is the diuine qualities of God And he alleadgeth there Chrysostomes monition vpon the Exposition of those words Cùm ad horrendum poculum accsdis tanquam ab ipso dominico latere bibiturus accedas When thou commest to drinke of this fearefull cuppe in the Sacrament come as if thou shouldest there drinke blood running out of the very side of the Lord. So applicatiue should be our faith in communicating these holy misteries And indeed in such an applying maner did our Lord Iesus institute this Sacrament Take yee eate yee this is my bodie which is giuen not for others only but for you And againe This cuppe is the new Testament in my blood which is shead not for others only but for you
Euery man therefore that taketh these misteries must beleeue that Christs bodie was broken and that Christs blood was shead for him which I trow is a great deale more then to beleeue the storie S. Bernard hath a notable saying expresse to this purpose hoc designat illibatum illud altaris sacrificium vbi dominicum corpus accipimus And this doth that holy and vndefiled sacrifice of the altar signifie vnto vs where we receiue the Lords bodie vt ficut videtur illa forma panis in nos intrare sic nouerimus per eam quam in terris habuit conuersationem ipsum intrarein nos ad habitandum in cordibus nostris per fidem that euen as in that Sacrament the forme of bread is seene and sensibly discerned to enter into vs and our bodies so we might know that Christ himselfe doth enter into vs according to that flate which hee had here amongst vs to dwell in vs and in our hearts by faith The name of the Sacrifice of the Altar I refuse not Our right reuerend and right learned Bishop of Winchester hath abundantly shewed how that tearme was vsed of the Fathers and how it may be receiued of vs. The carnall eating of Christ if S. Bernard any such is also notably confuted by the same man in the same treatise But this is that I would prooue and that pregnantly from the words of the Father that the Sacrament of the Lords supper which hee there calleth the sacrifice of the Altar is not only a bare signe and representation of Christs bodie and blood broken and shead vpon the Altar of the Crosse but also that the receiuing in of the bread and wine into our selues doe seale vp vnto vs that doe receiue them Christs owne entering into vs and dwelling within vs euen in our hearts by a liuely faith And hereof it is that we call the Sacraments signa exhibitina signes that doe exhibite reach forth and tender the things which they figure and represent And our Church rightly profeffeth of the SacrameÌ„ts that they are non tantùm notae pâ—â—fessionis Christianorum not only markes or badges of Christian profession sed certa quaedam potius testimonia efficacia signa gratiae atque bonae in nos voluntatis Dei but rather also and much rather certaine assured testimonies and effectual signes of the grace and good will of God towards vs. In so much that when I come to the Lords table and there the Minister reacheth forth the holy mysteries to mee and I receiue them at his hand Nihil dubito quin ipse vere porrigat ego recipiam saith Calvin I nothing doubt but that Christ doth verily reach out vnto me and I doe verily receiue his bodie and blood to become the food and nourishment of my soule Such a faith therefore doe the Sacraments seale vp vnto vs as doth not only acknowledge al that Christ hath done to be true but also doth applie the merits of Christ and thorough them the mercie of God vnto euery worthy receiuer thereof And so much of the Sacraments which are the seales of faith 3. It followeth to speake of our common forme of Creede which is not amisse called regula fidei the rule or square of our faith Because it containeth the most principall points of our Christian religion to the proportion whereof other particulars must be reduced Blind Bellarmine for who so blind as he that will not see vseth this for the first and as it were principall reason that iustifying faith is not confidence of mercie because that In symbole fidei in the common rule of our faith many things are contained which are necessarie to be beleeued if a man will be iustified by faith of the vnitie of the Trinitie of the incarnation passion and resurrection of Christ c. De speciali autem misericordia ne verbum quidem but in all the Creede or Creedes for hee ioyneth the foure knowne Creeds together there is not one word of speciall mercie And therefore he there striueth to confute Luther and Melancthon that would include the apprehension of speciall mercie in the Creed the one vnder that Article I beleeue the holy Catholique Church the other vnder that Article I beleeue the remission of sinnes Well let the controuersie stand betweene them as it doth for I will not meddle with the latter part of the Creed I will vse a new argument out of the former part which concerneth God and our beleefe in him And touching that I say that not only particular words but the whole tenure of our faith as we professe it in the Creed doth implie apprehension of speciall mercie to the professor Marke how the forme of the Creed runneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I beleeue in God the Father And I beleeue in Iesus Christ. And againe I beleeue in the holy Ghost which if we could properly expresse in our English tongue and ioyne the preposition to the Accusatiue case should signifie thus much I beleeue towards God or into God the Father I beleeue towards or into Iesus Christ and so forth For Credo in Deum is more essentiall and effectuall then our language will fully expresse And this is no small matter in the eye of the Papists for Master Harding holdeth this forme Credo in Deum so authentike and materiall as that he deeply challengeth the Church of England for professing their faith in another forme Credimus vnam quandam naturam c. Credimus Iesum Christum c. And hee alleadgeth against this that the vtterance of our faith is strange to Christian eares who haue beene accustomed to heare Credo in Deum c. He saith that That other forme of words which we vse soundeth not so Christian like I beleeue there is a God I beleeue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of the Father I beleeue that the holy Ghost is God He rendreth this reason of his rebuke Although this forme of words I beleeue there is a God c. doe expresse a right faith yet beeing such as may be vttered by the Deuills and hath alwaies beene vttered by Heretikes their ministers the auncient and holy Fathers haue liked better the old forme and manner after which euery Christian man saith I beleeue in God I beleeue in Iesus Christ I beleeue in the holy Ghost for this importeth a signification of faith with hope and charitie that other of faith only which the Deuills haue and tremble as S. Iames saith Very well then Omen accipio let M. Hardings speach for this time goe for currant which notwithstanding the good Bishop fully answered in that place let the most auncient most authentique forme of professing our Creed be thus Credo in Deum c. I beleeue in God I beleeue in Iesus Christ c. The Question is now what it is Credere in Deum to beleeue in God Let the Fathers answer S. Augustine saith De Apostolis ipsâ—s dicere
possumus credimus Paulo sed non credimus in Paulum Credimus Petro sed non credimus in Petrum We may say of the Apostles themselues I beleeue Paul but I beleeue not in Paul I beleeue Peter but I beleeue not in Peter But of God we say both I beleeue God and I beleeue in God Then belike to beleeue God is one thing and to beleeue in God another thing What is then to beleeue in God S. Augustine sheweth it in the same place opening those words This is the worke of God that you should beleeue in him whom hee hath sent Thus hee saith Quid est ergo credere in eum what is it therefore to beleeue in him Hee answereth Credendo amare credendo in eum ire eius membris incorporari By or in beleeuing to loue Christ by or in beleeuing to goe to Christ by or in beleeuing to be incorporated into the members of Christ this is to beleeue in Christ. I demand then Can any man heartely and soundly loue Christ who hath not some perswasion that Christ loueth him Can any man with comfort goe towards Christ who is not aforehand perswaded that Christ will looke comfortably towards him Can any man be incorporated into the members of Christ that doth not by faith entertaine Christ for his head If not then it followeth that to beleeue in Christ implieth an affiance and perswasion of his loue and mercie Cyprian hath a treatise which is censured I confesse by Peter Martyr to be none of his and his reasons are somewhat in that behalfe yet is that Authoritie good against the Papists for Constantius there alleadgeth it yea and it is not nothing to me that our iudicious Fulke quoteth it for Cyprians But howsoeuer auncient it is and none of ours it is and thus he speaketh Non credit in deum qui non in eo solo collocat totius faelicitatis suae fiduciam Hee doth not beleeue in God who doth not repose vpon God alone the affiance or assurance of his whole felicity Now who can by faith repose vpon God the confidence of his happinesse which is not by the same faith assured of his mercie Heare another S. Bernard very notably Credere Deo est verbis eius fidem adhibere To beleeue God is to beleeue his words to be true Credere Deum est confifâ—â—eri vbique esse To beleeue a God is to beleeue him to be euery where Credere in Deum est onmenâ— spem suam in illum dirigere To beleeue in God is to cast all our hope vpon him which no man can doe nor will doe which hath no perswasion of his fauour Hee addeth further which maketh much to my present Text and this cause Deum Deo credunt daemones sed in illum non credunt in quem qui credit non confundetur quiae spem suam non ponunt in illum The Deuills beleeue there is a God and that God is true but they beleeue not in God in whom whosoeuer beleeueth shall not be confounded because they put not their hope or trust in him This S. Bernard expoundeth to beleeue in God and thus he disseuereth it from the beleefe of the Deuills I adde the fourth to make vp the messe Eusebius Emissenus Aliud est credere Deo aliud in Deum credere It is one thing to beleeue God an other thing to beleeue in God And againe it is one thing Credere Deum to beleeue there is a God another thing to beleeue in God For the Deuill is found to beleeue that there is a God but to beleeue in God none is prooued but he which hath deuoutly trusted in him I conclude then Is to beleeue in God to beleeue and loue him Is to beleeue in God to repose vpon him the confidence of our happinesse Is to beleeue in God to cast our hope vpon him Lastly is to beleeue in God deuoutly to trust in him And doth our creed teach vs to professe our faith thus I beleeue in God I beleeue in Iesus Christ I beleeue in the holy Ghost then let Bellarmine goe and reconcile himselfe to Mr. Harding his Auncient who saith that to beleeue in God importeth a signification of faith with hope and charitie and let him confesse that the creed intendeth such a faith as apprehendeth speciall mercie I am not ignorant that this distinction of Credere Deum Deo in Deum is somewhat disputed against Peter Martyr saith that The holy Scriptures doe not alwayes and exactly obserue it and he alleadgeth these examples The people feared the Lord and beleeued the Lord and his seruant Moses Credebant in Dominum in Mosen and againe that The people may beleeue thee for euer In te credant And in the newe Testament many beleeued in his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notwithstanding is spoken of an imperfect faith And Salmeron the great Iesuite challengeth S. Augustine by name for vsing the distinction of Credere Deo and Credere in Deum shewing that they are vsed alike in the Scriptures yea and then he bringeth an instance from the forme of our Creede Omnes fideles siue iusti siue peccatores instituuntur per symbolum apostolicum dicere Credo in Deum c. Et tamen non omnes qui dicunt Credo in vnum Deum charitatem habent All the faithfull saith he whether righteous men or sinners are taught by the Apostles Creed to say I beleeue in God c. And yet not all that sing or say I beleeue in one God haue charity But now obserue wee first that The seruile letter in the Hebrewe or the Hebrewes phrase in those places of the old Testament and the like ought not in Greeke or Latine to be translated with the preposition that ruleth an accusatiue or ablatiue case but with a Datiue case And so Tremelius and Iunius translate it Crediderunt Iehovae Mosi seruo eius And vt tibi fidant in seculum yea and the olde translation readeth in the 14. of Exodus Crediderunt Domino Mosi seruoâ—ius And so in the Chronicles credite Prophetis eius They beleeued his seruant Moses Beleeue the Prophets as M. Fulke hath also well alleadged against the Papists Yea in that place of Iohn the olde translation readeth Crediderunt in nomine eius ioyning the preposition not with an Accusatiue case but with an Ablatiue Secondly though in the newe Testament Credere in Christo is often taken for the same that Crederâ— in Christum as we know that A man is not iustified by the workes of the Lawe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by the faith of Iesus Christ we also haue beleeued in Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet often also they are taken differently and so doe minister iust occasion of distinction in the deliuerie of doctrine fit for the seuerall places As for example In the 14. of Iohn within the compasse of
three verses there is a manifest difference of these three titles Credere Christum Credere Christo Credere in Christum As thus Dost thou not beleeue that I am in the Father and the Father in me He speaketh of a beleefe what Christ is Then in the next v. Beleeue me that I am in the Father and the father in me that is Beleeue that I speake truth therein It followeth immediately 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that beleeueth in me that is with confidence the workes that I doe hee shall doe and greater also He therefore that will rightly expound these 3. verses must of necessitie intertaine this threefold distinction Thirdly the Iesuites Argument is like the Logique and other Popish learning of their Schooles Is not the distinction good betweene Credere Deo and Credere in Deum because that many professe in the Creede I beleeue in God which haue no charitie Why The Creede giueth noâ— faith that is the worke of God But the Creede teacheth what true faith is and how we should professe it And if any man will in the Creede professe that he doth beleeue in God when as he doth only beleeue a God or beleeue God to say true this is but the hypocrisie or vnbeleefe of the professor not a defect of the profession For the sauing profession of faith is beleefe in God with hope of mercie And that the very lesuite himselfe confesseth in the selfe same place Credere in deum est fidei per spem dilectionem operantis to beleeue in God is such a faith or the fruit of such a faith as worketh by hope and loue which is as much as all that I haue spoken of faith about the Creede Fourthly and lastly say that S. Augustine and others had erred in this distinction as the Iesuite will and so I had not soundly built vpon them yet let no Papist that braggeth of the Fathers barke against the argument for besides those which I haue alleadged I can also bring forth Hierome Ruffine Theophilact Primasius The M. of Sentences Thomas Aquinas Nicolas Gorran Granatensis and a number of others of their owne side more or lesse alleadging admitting expounding these three degrees or kinds of faith and euer exalting the latter as the most high perfect and cheife of them all Therefore doth the Creede professe an exact and compleat faith which farre exceedeth the faith of the Deuills which is the purpose that I propound in this place So much therefore of our Creede 4. It remaineth now that I discusse that definition or description of faith which the Apostle giueth in the Epistle to the Hebrewes and that I doe from thence prooue also that Iustifying and sauing faith applyeth to the beleeuer the fauour of God in Iesus Christ. The definition is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith is the ground of things that are hoped for The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Schollers knowe is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persuadeor and so of the praeter perfect tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persuasus sum I am perswaded And fitly for as Peter Martyr saith well non solemus credere nisi quod habemus persuasâ—ssimum we are not wont to beleeue any thing but that whereof we are most fully perswaded A good note by the way against the Scholemens doubting or wauering faith whereof Musculus rightly calleth them Doctores dubitationis not dowtie Doctors but Doctors of doubting For as they mooue doubts of euerie thing so they teach men alwaies to doubt of their saluation whereas S. Paul vsing the same verbe whereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued protesteth without doubting in the same case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principallities nor powers nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Yea and our Alexander of England one of the learnedest among them to whom is ascribed that Destructorium vitiorum of which I haue spoken before faith that Faith is a kinde of thing infra scientiam supra opinionem lesse then science more then opinion Scientia enim habet cognitionem opinio dubitationem inter hâ—c dâ—â— est fideâ— media quoniam fides non habet cognitionem nec dubitationem For saith he Science hath knowledge and opinion hath doubting and between these two faith is the meane because it neither hath demonstratiue knowledge nor vncertaine doubting Let them goe now and bragge of their doubting faith God giue me that which carieth with it assured perswasion But â—â—â—turne to the purpose This perswasiue or perswaded faith iâ— there of the Apostle called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is somewhat diuersly translated But the old translation which they must not refuse tearmeth it substantia Faith is the substance of things which wee hope for The Substance how is that How is faith the substance of those things Heare one of their owne who is no small man among them For Abbote Tritenhemius writeth of him that hee was nobiliter eruditus a noble or notable learned man It is Nicolaus de Gorran and what saith hee Faith is the substance id est causa subsistendi in nobis res sperandas scilicet bona futura that is it is the cause or meanes or instrument that the things which we hope for that is to say the good things to come haue an essence or beeing or subsistence in vs. But how that Et hoc vel in futuro quod faciet in nobis subsistere res sperandas in patria per apertam visionem vel in praesenti quod iam facit eas in nobis subsistere per spem expectationem that is to say Faith giueth a beeing or subsistence in vs of those things which wee hope for either in this life or in the life to come In the life to come it will giue vs existence of them per apâ—am visiâ—nem then we shall openly see them yea really possesse them by the benefit of this faith In this present life it giueth an existence of them also for euen now faith causeth a subsistance of them in vs by hope and expectation Is it so doth faith euen while we liue here giue a certen kind of being to those things in our hearts the fruition whereof we afterward expect And what are those things which hereafter we expect A ioyfull resurrection discharge in the day of iudgement the comfortable beholding of God the fruition of his glorious and euerlasting kingdome Why then faith giueth a present existence of these things vnto vs which it cannot giue without the assurance of the mercie of God But looke we a little from this old to some new translation Hemingius turneth it thus Fides est fiducia rerum sperandarum faith is the confidence of things that
beleeue further that God hath forgiuen thy sinne to thee this is necessarie This is the testimonie of the holy ghost in thee which cannot deceiue thee Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee He therefore which hath receiued true faith which is the gift of the holy Ghost and by which the holy ghost testifieth to the conscience he by this faith beleeueth forgiuenesse to himselfe which is a speciall application of mercie Sedulius shall make vp the iust dozen Disposuit Deus propitium se futurum humano generi si credant in sanguine eius se esse liberandos God hath determined to be mercifull to mankind if they beleeue that they shall be deliuered by his blood Short and sweete Hope well and haue well Beleeue deliuerance and take deliuerance But without beleefe of that there is no deliuerie It is therefore no new Doctrine as say our right Worshipfull Masters of the Historie no nor rashnesse and presumption as say Lindane and Bellarmine and other Papists by faith to applie in particular mercie to thy selfe No heare S. Augustine challenging such presumption from noueltie Praesume non de operatione tua sed de gratia Christi gratia enim saluati est is inquit Apostolus Non ergo hic arrogantia est sed fides Praedicare quod acceperiâ— non superbia est sed deuotio Could any thing be spoken more contrary to the doting Papists They dubbe applying faith with the name of Presumption and vnder that name condemne it for a sinne But what saith S. Augustine Presume so it be not of thine own workes but of the grace of Christ. For by grace are yee saued saith the Apostle Herein thus to presume is no arrogancie but faith To professe or acknowledge what thou hast receiued is not pride but deuotion So then there is an holy presumption or confidence in the grace and mercie of God the profession wherof is the fruit of faith We see then what note the olde Fathers song Now if I shew that a number euen of Popish Writers haue taught this applying faith and apprehending by faith of speciall mercie I shall not onely cut the combes of our audacious Englishmen who of grosse ignorance if not of secret malice ascribe the fountaine of this Doctrine to Geneua but I shall also turne the edge of the Papists swords vpon themselues and cause them first to answer their owne before they proceede so peremptorily against strangers Thus therefore I goe on in that course and will summon also an Inquest of them Arnoldus de noua villa was a Spaniard a man famously learned He liued about the yeare of our Lord 1250. two hundred yeares before Luther and Calvin were borne He wrote against many errours of the Romish Church Among the rest he said That the faith which then Christian men were commonly taught was such a faith as the Deuills had Meaning belike saith M. Foxe the reporter hereof as we now affirme that the Papists do teach only the historicall faith which is the faith historiâ— non fiduciae A shreud more in a Papists dish but the Author himselfe were right worthy the seeing which my poore librarie affordeth not Gerson was a great man in his time both for learning and place Chancelor of the Vniuersitie of Paris He making the distinction of fides mortua fides ficta and fides viâ—ae saith that fides viâ—a est credere Dei veritatem â—bin hoc â—um amare timere per affectionem A liuely faith is to beleeue the truth of God But that is not all Besides beleeuing of Gods truth to be truth a liuely faith doth also loue God and feare God in affection as a naturall and louing child loueth and feareth his naturall and louing father for of a seruile feare I trow no Papist is so simple as to expound him Now how shall he affectionately loue and reuerence God as a Father which is not by faith perswaded that God carrieth a fatherly affection towards him The same Gerson preaching to the French King and directing his speach to the King by name exhorteth him against all the temptations of the Deuill to arme himselfe with the sheild of faith in te ipso per bonam dicas credulitatem and saith hee say thus to the Deuill in thy selfe or in thine owne heart by a steadfast faith O humani generis inimice hoc non me vinces pacto nec me falles O Sathan thou enemie of mankind thou shalt not thus ouercome mee nor deceiue mee Quia cùm credam Deum esse illum Deum meum esse Patrem meum Dominum meum c. Thou shalt not ouercome me for why Because I beleeue there is a God and that this God is my God my Father my Lord and all good things to me Marke how he teacheth the King the art of application and by a faith applying the goodnesse of God vnto himselfe to resist the Deuill Now no man can say God is my God my Father my Lord c. but by a speciall confidence in his mercie And for the manifestation thereof let me here insert a saying of S. Augustine though he be none of that band which now I am mustering to shew what manner of faith that is which maketh a man to crie with S. Thomas My Lord and my God So shall we see with what kind of faith Gerson perswaded his Soueraigne to resist the Deuill S. Augustine speaking of that in the Psalme Beâ—tus vir cuius Dominus Deus ipsius Blessed is the man whose Lord is his God saith thus Super omnes est Deus tamen nescio quo modo non facile quisque audet dicere Deuâ— meus nisi qui in eum credit qui illum diligit ipse dicit Deus meus God saith he is God ouer all men and yet I cannot tel how it is that not euery man dareth redily say My God only he that beleeueth in him in eum and loueth him hee saith boldly My God Tuum tibi fecisti cuius es hoc ipse amat Thou hast made God thine owne whose thou art by faith and loue and this God himselfe loueth Then he addeth Prorsus dulcedine affectus tibi secura praesidenti dilectione dic Deus meus Beeing affected in thy selfe with the sweetnesse of God and with a secure and verie confident loue towards God say My God It was obiected to the Protestants in Queene Maries dayes as a note of an Heretike to say my God my Father my Sauiour c. Indeed S. Augustine saith Euery man cannot say so and no maruaile if those bloodie persecutors durst not speake so For a man to say with a good conscience God is my God or God is my Lord hee must haue by faith feeling of Gods mercie and as a fruit of this faith loue towards God for his mercie and then he may comfortably applie God and as it were appropriate God vnto himselfe as his peculiar owne and with this faith resist
God and beeing vnited to him transformeth vs into his image There is an other kind of knowledge vneffectuall which maketh a man neuer the better Such a one as S. Paul saith was in the Gentiles When they knew God they glorified him not as God Againe As they regarded not to know God c. This the Deuills and reprobates haue and are neuer the better But to know God effectually so as we are by faith vnited to him whom we know and by our vnion with him doe communicate his Spirit and by that Spirit are renued vnto his image in holines this is a knowledge which necessarily draweth after it eternall life Fourthly I would haue this well marked as materiall Duplex est cognoscendi Christi modus There is a double manner or sort of knowing Christ. Primus est annexus fidâ—i c. The one is an appendix to faith the other consisteth in a liuely or experimentall feeling Faith carrieth with it that knowledge by which hee that beleeueth in Christ knoweth him to be the true Sonne of God sent into the world crucified put to death for our sinnes c. This faith and this knowledge are both historicall There is an other kind of knowing Christ by which we feele and haue experience of his power in vs which feeling is by the operation of the holy Ghost working in our hearts And this S. Paul desireth yet more and more to know Christ and the power of his resurrection Hee knew Christ and all things belonging to the Historie of Christ in an abundant manner but hee desired to know him more in his owne sence and experience by feeling in himselfe the vertue of Christs resurrection that is synechdochice redemptionis complementum the accomplishment of his redemption purchased by Christ. For indeed Tunâ— ritè cognoscitur Christus dum sentimus quid valeat morâ— eius resurrectio qualiter in nobis â—it afficax Then onely is Christ rightly knowne when we feele what Christs death and resurrection can doe and how it is operatiue or effectuall in vs. To haue this feeling knowledge of Christ is an inuincible argument that Christ dwelleth in vs by his Spirit and so is an assurance vnto vs of eternall life Now to conioyne all these together So to know God and Christ as to beleeue to know and beleeue them with affectionate liking with effectuall working with sensible feeling this knowledge certainely is eternall life as our Sauiour Christ speaketh in that place of the Gospell But on the otherside to make our sâ—â—uation to depend vpon a bare inaffectionated ineffectuall and vnfeeling knowledge this is to expose the apprehension of it to the deuills and reprobates and indeed to deceiue our selues Vos vosmet ipsos seducit is saith Iustine Martyr to Tripho the Iew you Iewes deceiue your selues and others which say that God will not lay their sinnes to their Charges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though they be grieuous sinners so that they know God For let a man know neuer so much if he be not renued in knowledge and purged from his sinfulnesse there is no remission belonging to him But as the same Father elswhere speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the formâ— of diuine doctrine is gathered into two heads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into diuine knowledge and diuine worship Know therefore and worshippe and liue know and worship not and perish Scientia est Deum noscere virtus colere saith Lact In illo sapientia in hoc iustitia continetur To know God is learning but to worship God is vertue In that is contained wisedome but in this righteousnesse First therefore learne to know God and Christ and then worship them aright by faith and obedience as thou art prescribed in the Law and Gospell and this effectuall knowledge will be vnto thee eternall life Obiect 2. There is a second argument vsed drawne from the example of the heathen Eununch conuerted and baptised After that Philip had preached Christ vnto him and hee had desired baptisme Philip telleth him If thou beleeuest with all thy heart thou maiest The Eununch replieth I beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God A confession say they meerely historicall yet vpon this is hee engraffed into the Church Respâ— 1. I might here answer with Gualter that this confession of the Eunuch though it be short yet by implyment omnes symboli Apostolici articulos contineâ— it comprehendeth all the articles of the Apostles Creede He sheweth it there in particulars read him that list 2. But I turne mee to S. Augustine and will shortly frame mine answer from him It was one of the Obiections which those made in his time that held Onely faith without workes to bee sufficient to saluation Spado inquiunt ille quem Philippus baptizauit nihil plus dixit quam Credo Filium Dei esse lesum Christum in hac professione continuò baptizatus est The Eunuch say they whom Philip baptized said nothing but this I beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God and by and by hee was baptized vpon this confession What then saith S. Augustineâ— Num igitur placet c. Will you therefore that men comming to baptisme shall answer nothing else and presently be baptized Shall they professe nothing of the holy Ghost of remission of â—â—nes c. yes no doubt Philip taught him more then that for he preached Christ to him which Austâ—n sheweth there comprehended a great deale more then the Euâ—uches confession expresseth And beginning at that place of Esay he could not but preach much of Christs sufferings yea and apply them to the Eâ—â—uch as the Prophet doth to vs He hath borne our infirâ—ities hee hath carried our sorrowes he was wounded for our â—ransgressions c. But now Siautem Scriptâ—ra tacuict atque intelligendâ— admisit caeâ—â—ra quae cum illo Spadonâ— baptizando Philippus egit c. The words are many the summe is that both Philip and the Eunuch did more and said more then the Scripture hath expressed that the scripture hath omitted many things therein breuitatis gratia and therefore that is no good argument to prooue that the Eunuch made none other profession because there is no more recorded The Scriptures are delighted Laconica breuitate How shortly are the Sermons of Ionah of Iohn the Baptist yea of Christ himselfe reported setting downe as it were letters for words and words for sentences yea one sentence for the effect of a long Oration This is manifest that S. Augustin doth else where ascribe to the Eunuch fidem in Christum Admonitus Philippus accessit ad currum exposuit lectionem instruâ—it fidem eâ—â—ngelizauit Christum Credidit Euâ—uchus in Chrâ—stium aijt Ecce aquâ— c. Philip beeing admonished of the Angel â—anne to the chariot expounded that which he read taught the faith preached Christ the Eunuch beleeued