sense given by the Church of Rome and therein by the Pope who is as they say the supreme and onely authenticall interpreter of the Word from whom it is not lawfull to dissent So that in his sense any portion of the Scriptures though obscure must bee acknowledged the word of God but urged in any other sense it is the word of the Devill rather than the Word of God Now it is the sense of the Scriptures which is the Word of God rather than the letter the sense being the soule and life of the letter Non enim in legendo Scripturae sed in intelligendo consistunt saith Hierome The words saith Bellarmine are as the sheath the sense is the sword of the Spirit Thus hath the Church of Rome revolted from the generall doctrine of faith which is the written word of God or the holy Canonicall Scriptures The speciall doctrines of faith are the severall articles taught in the Scriptures which are the speciall objects of faith either quae justificat onely or qua justificat The justifying faith beleeâ—…h all the articles and doctrines of faith which are taught in the Word of God but the peculiar object of faith quatenus justificat is the doctrine of the Gospell As touching the speciall doctrines of Christian faith there are divers bundreds of errors wherein the Church of Rome hath revolted from the faith not at once but at diveâ—…s times and by degrees The number whereof is so great as that Popery or the Catholicisme of Papiâ—…ts may justly bee called the Catholike Apostasie But from the peculiar doctrine of faith quatenus justificat which is the doctrine of the Gospell concerning justification by faith in Christ alone the Church of Rome chiefly erreth as I have shewed in this Treatise and by their Antichristian doctrine in this point they are revolted from the Gospell which is Verbum fidei the Word or Doctrine of faith they are fallen from the comfortable doctrine of this grace and to them Christ is made of none effect as I have proved This assertion concerning the Apostâ—…sie of the now Church of Rome I â—…ppose as an antidote against the poison of their impudently depraved article concerning the Catholike Church wherein there is a double imposture or poysoâ—… both in respect of the object and also of the act of faith which two in every article of the Creed are to be considered For first in respect of the object whereas the Apostles Creed hath The holy Catholike Church they understand the Catholike Romane Church the mother for soâ—…th and mistresse of all Churches which they call â—…atholike not as it is one particular Church as every Orthodox Church was wont to bee called as the Catholike Church of Smyrna c. but as it comprehendeth all particular Churches which live in Communion with and in subjection to the See of Rome all which are as they say but one Church because they are subject to one visible head the Pope of Rome And they adde that out of this communion with the See of Rome and without this subjection to the Pope of Rome as the universall Bishop there is no salvation With this one nâ—…t they coâ—…y-catch those seduced soules which either they draw to their side or detaine in Communion with them Howheit it is a most shamelesse imposture For first can it bee imagined that the Apostles by Catholike understood the Romane Church which when they composed the Creede was not extant nor for divers yeeres after No doubt the Apostles meant that Church which then had a being and whereof themselves were members which also had been from the beginning of the world and was to continue for ever viz. the universall company of the Elect and that is the meaning of the word Catholike Secondly for the first sixe hundred yeares the Bishop of Rome did not challenge unto himsâ—…lse the Title or authority of universall Bishop but was onely the Archbishop or Patriarch of Rome unto whom the foure other Patriarches of Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Ierusalem were no more subject than hee to them every one of them having the primacy within their severall Patriarchicall jurisdictions And although after the grant of the Tyrant Phocas in the yeare sixe hundred seven the Pope challenged for himselfe to be the universall Bishop and for his See to be the head of all Churches yet by the Greeke and other Churches which were and are the better and greater part of Christendome this claime never was nor is at this day acknowledged All which Churches notwithstanding wherein were innumerable Saints and Martyrs and the most holy Fatheâ—…s of the Church by this Romish article are most wicâ—…edly and schiâ—…matically excluded from Salvation because they acknowledged no subjection to the See of Rome But if the now Church of Rome be the Apostaticall Church having revolted from the ancient Religion of Christians by their idâ—…latry will-worship and supersâ—…ition and from the Ancienâ—… faith of Christians contained generally in the holy Canonicall Scriptures and more particularly in the Gospell as by other almost innumerable errours of Popery so more especially by those which I confute in this booke and if the head of this Catholike Apostasie that is to say the Pope be Antichrist then let all Christians who have any care of their soules consider whether it bee safe for them to live in the Communion of that Sect and in subjection to that See where they must have the apostaticall Church even the whore of Babylon to be their mother from whom they are commanded to separate Apoc. 18. 4. and the Antichrist to be their father their head their universall Bishop who prevaileth in them onely that perish 2 Thes. 2. 10. 2. As touching the act of faith their coozenage in respect thereof is worse if worse may be For where the Apostles Creed hath Credo sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam they understand this article as if the words were not Credo Ecclesiam I beleeve that there is a Catholike Church and that there is a Communion of Saints the members of that Church c but credo Ecclesiae or in Ecclesiam I give credit to the Church or I beleeve in the Church making the Church whereby they understand the now Church of Rome not onely the materiall but also formall object of faith in which they beleeve and for which they beleeve whatsoever it beleeveth or propoundeth to be beleeved And in this exposition they are growne so impudent as that they say that the Church Catholike meaning the now Romane Church is the very principle of our faith for which we are to beleeve the holy Scriptures and all other articles that it is the chiefe priâ—…ciple wheron the authority of the Scriptures dependeth and the last principle into which their faith is to bee resolved that in this article is summarily contained the whole Word of God not onely written but also unwritten that Christ propounded unto us the
A TREATISE OF IVSTIFICATION BY GEORGE DOVVNAME DOCTOR OF DIVINITY and Bishop of Dery IEREMIAH 23. 5 6. I will raise unto David a righteous branch and this is his name wherby he shall be called Iehovah our righteousnesse 2 CORINTH 5. 21. Him that knew no sinne God made sinne for us that we might become the righteousnesse of God in him LONDON Printed by Felix Kyngston for Nicolas Bourne and are to be sold at his shop at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange 1633. REVERENDISSIMO IN CHRISTO PATRI AC DOMINO D. GEORGIO ABBATO ARCHIEPISCOPO Cantuariensi dignissimo totius Angliae Primati ac Metropolitae amplissimo GEORGIVS DOVNAMVS EPISCOPVS DERENSIS HOC QVICQVID EST VOLVMINIS DE JVSTIFICATIONE Peccatoris ceu grati Animi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 summaeque observantiae amoris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicat consecratque A Preface concerning the Apostasie of the now Church of Rome THis ensuing Treatise as it cleareth the Doctrine of the Gospell in that high point concerning our title to the Kingdome of Heaven so it helpeth to discover the Apostasie of the now Church of Rome from the faith For though the Papists doe vaunt that their Church meaning especially the See of Rome is so farre from falling away from the faith that it cannot fall into errours in matters of faith yet they cannot deny but that in the latter times and namely in the time of Antichrist there should be a great defection from the faith and as it were a Catholike Apostasie whereof Antichrist was to bee the head Of this Apostasie the holy Ghost hath prophesied in divers places of the Scriptures as 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Thess. 2. 3. Mat. 24. 24. Apoc. 13. 12 14 15 16. And hath also set downe the notes and markes whereby they may bee knowne who make this Apostasie from the faith As 1. to forbid marriage 2 To command abstinence from meates both of them for religion and conscience sake 3 Idolatry for that is by spirituall fornication to fall from God Psal. 73. 27. Hos. 1. 2. 9. 1. which by the Septuagint is thus expressed Hos. 4. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. Ostentation of miracles the proper badge of the Antichristian Apostasie in these latter times 2 Thess. 2. 9. Mar. 24. 24. Apoc. 13. 14. All which notes I have proved in my Latine Treatise of Antichrist properly to agree to the now Church of Rome the forbidding of marriage and commanding abstinence from meates part 1. lib. 3. cap. 2. 3. Idolatry ibid. cap. 3. § 5. Miracles lib. 6. cap. 1. § 5. whereby it is evident that the new Church of Rome hath made this Apostasie Now let us consider in what respects the Church of Rome is revolted from the faith By faith in this question we understand not the habit or grace of faith but the Doctrine of faith Non id quo creditur not that by which we beleeve sed illud quod creditur buâ—… that which we doe beleeve In which sense the word faith is often used both in the Scriptures and also in the monuments of Ecclesiasticall writers Now the Doctrine of faith is either generall or speciall The generall are the whole canonicall Scriptures or the written Word of God in generall which is objectum fidei adaequatum the even object the rule and foundation of faith so that whatsoever doctrine is contained in the Scriptures either expressely or by necessary consequence is to bee received as a doctrine of faith and whatsoever is not so contained in the Scriptures is not dogma fidei From the holy Scriptures which God hath propounded to be the only rule of faith they are revolted unto the doctrines devices of men by changing the rule of faith which they have done divers wayes For first whereas the rule the foundation and chiefe principle of faith whereinto it is last resolved is the authority of God speaking in the holy Scriptures they have set up another rule which is the authority of the Romane Church and therein of the Pope which they make the superiour rule from which the authority of the Scriptures themselves dependeth and into which their faith is last resolved For the Pope is as they say virtually the Church and what they say in this kinde to magnifie the authority of the Church is specially to bee under stood of the Pope who onely for sooth hath an infallible judgement and not subject to errour for if you will beleeve them a generall or oecumenicall Councell without the Pope may erre but the Pope alone without a Councell cannot erre yea the authority of the Pope and Councell together is no greater than the authority of the Pope alone from whom all Councels have their authority for ab arbiâ—… pontificis tota conciliorum authoritas pendet quae tantam habent quantam Papa indulget and thus Bellarmine denieth this assertion aliquid majus est concilium cum pontifice quam pontifex solus If therefore the authoritie of the Church be greater than that of the Scriptures as they teach and if the authority of the Pope be absolutely above the Church universall as they also teach then much more is the authoritie of the Pope above the Scriptures Now whosoever taketh upon him authority above the Scriptures which are the undoubted Word of God hee is undoubtedly Antichrist whose judgement to make as the Papists plainely doe the chiefe principle of faith into which their faith is last resolved is no better thâ—…n to revoli from Christ to Antichrist Secondly they change the rule of faith by making their traditions that is such doctrines and observations as are taught and observed in the Church of Rome having no ground nor warrant in the holy Scriptures to bee the Word of God the word unwritten and a rule of faith which also they doe not onâ—…ly match with the holy Scriptures but even in many respects preferre before them and acknowledge them to bee the more entire and perfect rule of faith Thirdly they have changed the rule of faith by making those bookes canonicall which all antiquity almost yea and all succeeding ages untill the Councell of Trent following therein the judgement of Hierome did hold Apochryphall or at the most but Eeclesiasticall which might bee read in the Church for morall instruction but not as rules of faith Fourthly they change the rule of faith when in stead of the originall Text of the old and new Testaments which were penned by the Prophets and Apostles themselves they make a corrupt and that sometimes a barbarous translation of I know not whom to be the authentike text and the rule of faith preferring the vulgar Latine translation before the originall text which the penmen of the holy Ghost did write Fifthly they change the rule of faith when in stead oâ—… the true sense and mâ—…aning of the holy Scriptures expounded by the Scriptures according to the analogâ—…e of faith they obtrude the
whole Word of God when he commanded us to heare the Church Mat. 18. 17. Luk. 10. 16. and which surpasseth all impudencie that the Fathers sometimes in this sence do say that all the doctrines of faith are contained in the holy Scriptures to wit as in a generall principle quatenus illae monent credendum esse Ecclesiae in that they admonish that the Church is to be bâ—…leeved in all things And further that the implicite faith which is implied in this one article I beleeve the Romane Church and whâ—…tsoever that Church beleeveth or propoundeth to be beleeved is the most entire faith and most safe not onely for the lay people though they know or beleeve no more but also for the learned For whom it is not so safe when Satan contendeth with them to defend their faith by the Scriptures as to professe onely that they beleeve as the Church beleeveth But indeed this implicite faith whereby men doe beleeve or professe themselves to beleeve as the Church of Rome and therein the Pope beleeveth or propoundeth to be beleevâ—…d acknowledging him to be the principle yea the chiefe and last principle into which there is ultima resolutio fidei upon which the authority of the Scriptures dependeth is to take upon them the very marke of the beast and to revolt from Christ to Antichrist which is the miserable condition of all resolute Papists For Antichrist prevaileth in them only that perish whose names are not written in the booke of life See Mat. 24. 24. 2 Thess. 2. 10. Apoc. 14. 9 10 11. and 17. 8. Let not therefore the popish priests and Iesuits the Emissaries of Antichrist like egregious imposters terrifie any longer the people with these bug-beares that there is no salvation but in the communion with the Church of Rome and in subjection under the Pope untill they have proved which they will never be able to doe that their Church is not Apostaticall and that their Pope who is the head of the Catholike Apostasie is not as about twelve yeeres agoâ—… I proved him to be Antichrist To conclude let the popish Rabbins either vindicate their Church from Apostasie and their Pope from Antichristianisme or else for ever hereafter hold their peace A Table of the places of Scriptures alleaged expounded or vindicated in this Treatise Genesis 15. 6. ABRAHAM beleeved God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Lib. 7. Cap. 8. § 11. Exodus 28. 36. 38. Lib. 1. Cap. 4. § 22. Lib. 4. Cap. 3. § 11. Of â—…he golden plate which the high priest did weare on his forehead Deutronomie 30. 6. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart c. Lib. 5. Cap. 7. § 7. Ioshuah 11. 14 15. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses Lib. 7. Cap. 6. § 13. 1. Chronicles 21. 8. Take away the iniquity of thy servant Lib. 2. Cap. 8. § 2. Iob. 1. 22. In all this Iob sinned not Lib. 4. Cap. 4. § 1. 2. Psalmes 4. 4. Sinne not Lib. 4. Cap. 4. § 7. 7. 4. 9. 16. 1 2 3. 18. 21. 261. 119. 121. in which David pleadetâ—… his owne innocenciâ—… Lib. 4. Cap. 4. § 5. 10. 15. And he shall not be found Lib. 2. Cap. 8. § 5. 32. 1 2. Blessed is hee whose transgression is forgiven and whose sinne is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not 〈◊〉 Lib. 5. Cap. 3. § 2. 3. c. ad 14. 37. 40. Hee shâ—…ll save thâ—…m because they trust in him Lib 6. Cap. 11. § 7. 51. 2. 7. Wash mee throughly from mine iniquity purge me with bysope and I shall be cleane c. L. 2. C. 8. § 4. 62. 12. To thee O Lord mercie Lib. 8. Cap. 2. § 1. for thon rendrest to every man according to his worke Lib. 8. Cap. 5. § 13. 78. 34. When hee slâ—…w them they sought him Lib. 6. Cap. 11. § 4. n. 3. 91. 14. Because hee hath loved me therefore I will deliver him Lib. 6. Cap. 11. § 7. 111. 10. The feare of the Lorâ—… is the beginning of Wisedome Lib. 6. Cap. 11. § 3. Proverbes 1. 7. The feare of the Lord â—… the beginning of Wisedome Lib. 6. â—…ap 11. § 3. 14. 27. The feare of the Lorâ—…â—… a sountaine of Life Lib. 6. Cap. 1. § 4. n. 5. 28. 25. Hee that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made â—…at Vulg. lat qui sperat in Domino salvabitur Lib. 6. Cap. 11. § 7. Ecclesiastes 7. 20. There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and â—…inneth not lib. 4. cap. 3. § 12. Esay 7. 9. If you will not beleeve you shall not be established Lat. cited by Bellarm. non intelligâ—…tis l. 6. â—… 1. § 6. 26. 18. From thy â—…eare as Bellarmine readeth wee have conceived and brought forth the Spirit of salvation lib. 6. c. 11. § 4. n. 4. 53. 11. My righteous servant by his knowledge shall justifie many lib. 2. cap. 5. § 7 8 9 10. 55. 1. Buy without mony and without price lib. 8. c. 2. § 4. 64 6. Our righteousnâ—…sses are like menstruous clouts l. 4. c. 3. § 4 5 c. Ieremie 23. 6. This is his name wherâ—…by hee shall be called Iâ—…HOVAH our righteousnesse lib. 1. cap. 3. § 5. lib. 4. cap. 2. § 2. Ezechiel 18. 21. If the wicked shà ll turne from all his sinnes hee shall live lib. 7. c. 4. § 17. Daniel 9. 18. Wee doe not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies lib. 8. cap. 2. § 4. 12. 3. They that justifie mâ—…y lib. 2. cap. 5. § 6. Habakuk 2. 4. The just by faith shall live lib. 1. c. 1. § 1. l. 6 c. 2. § 11. Malachy 3. 4. The offerings shall bee pleasant to the Lord. lib. 4. cap. 4. § 8. Apochrypha Ecclesiasticus 1. 28. Lib. 6. cap. 11. § 2. Lib. 6. cap. 12. § 1. 16. 14. Lib. 8. cap. 1. § 1. 18. 21. Lib. 2. cap. 4. § 2. 3. 47. 8. Lib. 5. cap. 7. § 7. Matthew 5. 16. That they seeing your good workes lib. 4. cap. 4. § 9. 5. 20. Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes c. lib. 7. cap. 4. § 14. 5. 48. Be you therefore perfect c. lib. 5 â—…p 7. § 9. 6. 10. Thy will be done c. lib. 7. cap. 7. § 12. 6. 22 If thine eye be single the whole body shal be full of light lib. 4. 〈◊〉 4. § 4. 9. 2. Bee of good cheere thy sinnâ—…s are fâ—…rgiven thee lib. 6. cap. 11. § 8. 11. 30. My yoke is easie and my burden is light l. 7. c. 6. § 8. 15. 28. O Woman great is thy faith c. l. 6. c. 15 § 12. 16. 27. Hee shall reward every man according to his workes l. 8. c. 5 § 13. 19. 17. If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements l. 7.
fifth Capitall errour of the Papists in the Article of justification is concerning justifying faith which hath many branches 1. Concerning the nature of it viz. what it is and therein also they erre diversly 2. Concerning the subject of it both â—… and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the parties whose it is and the parts of the man wherein it is 3. Concerning the object of Faith 4. Concerning the act or effect of it which is to justifie where are three questions the first concerning the act it selfe whether it doth indeed justifie or onely dispose to justification the other two concerning the manner how it justifieth the former whether instrumentally as the hand to receive Christ who is our righteousnesse or formally as part of inherent righteousnesse The other whether faith doth justifie alone § II. As touching the first what faith is they hold justifying faith to be but a bare assent to all or any truth revealed by God which as it is in their opinion without speciall apprehension of Christ so it may be void of knowledge and severed from charity as they teach That faith in generall is an assent and that it may be defined to bee a firme and willing assent to every truth revealed by God grounded on the authority of God revealing it we willingly agree For hereby faith is distinguished from all other acts or habits of our minde And first from doubting in that it is an assent for in doubting the assent is withheld which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as contrariwise to assent is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that faith is assent it is evident because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith is a perswasion derived from the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to bee perswaded or to beleeve and a man is said to assent unto or to beleeve that of the truth whereof he is perswaded hence it is that the act of faith which is to beleeve is expressed sometimes by the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17. 4. 27. 11. Heb. 11. 13. but most plainely Act. 28. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some beleeved the things which are spoken but some beleeved not Secondly from opinion in that faith is a firme assent or as Basil speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an undoubted assent for he that beleeveth the truth of God hath as it were put his seale unto it But opinion is the judgement of things contingent which may happen to bee false Sed fidei falsum subesse non potest but the subject of faith cannot be false Thirdly in that it is a willing assent from the forced beliefe of Devils and some desperate wicked men who beleeve that which they abhorre or as Saint Iames speaketh beleeve and tremble Iam. 2. 19. Mat. 8. 29. Fourthly from all other knowledge in that it is an assent to truth revealed or related by God and grounded upon the authority of God speaking in his Word for faith commeth by the hearing of the word So saith Saint Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith therefore is an undoubted assent of things heard in the assured perswasion of things preached by the grace of God And that is it which Bellarmine citeth out of Augustine quòd intelligimus aliquid rationi debemus quòd autem credimus authoritati that we understand any thing we owe to reason but that wee beleeve to authority All other firme assent is given to things either in themselves evident to sense or reason or to such as are manifested by discourse But the object of faith is not discerned by sence nor sounded by reason such as is the mystery of the holy Trinity and of the incarnation of Christ c. neither is faith of things seene Eye hath not seene nor Eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him And wheras the certainty of all other knowledge is grounded upon sence or experience and reason the certainty of this knowledge is grounded upon the authority of God speaking in his word For which cause the certainty of faith is greater than of any other knowledge For howsoever sense and reason may be deceived yet the ground of faith is unfallible which is the authority of God who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that cannot lye a God of truth yea truth it selfe whereupon Clemens Alexandrinus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore it selfe is a firme demonstration because truth accompanieth Faith those things which are delivered God and Basill what is the property of faith an undoubted plerophorie or full perswasion of the truth of the words inspired of God which is not shaken with any reasoning either induced from naturall necessity or formed to piety And such is the certainety of faith that the Apostle defineth it that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the subsistence which giveth a being to things which now have not a being which is nothing but an assured beleefe as the word is used 2 Cor. 9. 4. 11. 17. Heb. 3. 14. and the evidence of things not appearing or not seene which the Greeke Sholiast in mine opinion very well explaneth Faith it selfe is the subsistence or substance of things hoped for For because those things which are in hope are without subsistence as yet not extant faith becommeth the substance and subsistence of them making them after a sort to exist and to be present because it doth beleeve they are Faith also is the evidence and demonstration of things not seene And faith sheweth things to be visible which are not seene How in the minde and in hope beholding things which doe not appeare § III. But howsoever faith is an assent and is in generall so to be defined as I have said yet justifying faith is not a bare assent either destitute of knowledge or severed from charity or without speciall apprehension and application for these are three errors of the Papists now in order to be confuted As touching the first The Papists doe not onely hold that justifying faith may be without knowledge but that also it may better bee defined by ignorance than by knowledge This faith which is without knowledge they call implicite faith because they beleeving some one common principle as namely I beleeve the bâ—…ly Catholicke Church doe thereby beleeve implicitè whatsoever is to be beleeved that is whatsoever the Catholicke Church beleeveth and propoundeth to bee beleeved And therefore this they call also an entire faith because thereby a man doth not onely beleeve the written word but also unwritten verities which are the traditions of the Church of Rome and both of them not for themselves but for the authority of the Church propounding them to bee beleeved Now they teach that not only for Lay men it is sufficient to beleeve as the Church beleeveth which was
not the faith of Abraham nor yet of Rabaâ—… Thirdly Saint Iames there concludeth yee see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only but a 〈◊〉 faith which Calvin calleth umbram fidei justifieth neither alone nor at all Ans. As I said before out of ver 14. by faith we are here to understand faith professed or the profession of faith And to be justified is here understood declarativè Now to declare a man before men to be justified before God two things are required the profession of the faith and a Christian life answerable to his profession and thus faith professed cooperateth with workes to declare a man to bee justified For neither works alone without the profession of the faith will doe it for workes without faith are dead nor the profession of the faith without workes for such a profession is also dead but both must goe together Fourthly saith he this is proved by two comparisons which hee calleth examples The former vers 15. 16. which hee doth very sorrily expresse first saith he he compareth a man having faith without workes to him who seeing the poore wanting food and rayment is content with that knowledge and giveth them no almes For even as it profiteth nothing the poore that the rich know their want although it be a most true knowledge unlesse according to that knowledge they bestow upon them necessaries so true faith 〈◊〉 nothing unlesse a man doe study and endeavour to live according to it Frigidè admodum dilutè For where doth Saint Iames compare true faith to these rich mens idle knowledge But the comparison plainely standeth thus As the profession of charity in giving good words to the poore that want food and raiment depart in peace be ye warmed and filled is vaine and unprofitable if men do not accordingly give them somewhat to supply their necessities so the profession of faith without workes is dead As therefore that charity which is in word and not in deed as Saint Iohn speaketh is counterfeit so that faith which is in profession only severed from good workes is counterfeit and dead Secondly saith he Saint Iames compareth faith without works to a body without Spirit which certainely is a true body though it be dead Answ. this also is contrary to the intendment of Saint Iames who therefore pâ—…oveth that faith which is without works to be no true justifying faith because it is dead For the profession of faith without workes is like to a mans body that is without Spirit yea but saith Bellarmine a dead body is a true body and a dead faith is a true faith I answere as before A dead carcase though it bee a true body in respect of his three dimensions and of his composition of the Elements yet it is not the true originall body of a man for a man is a living creature no more than a dead branch or bough is a true member of a living Tree § VI. His fourth argument is taken from those testimonies which teach that in the Church there are both good and bad in the floore both Wheate and chaffe in the net fishes both good and bad in the flocke sheepe and goats c. His reason standeth thus Some in the Church are wicked and void of Charity and other graces But all in the Church have faith Therefore some that have faith are void of Charity Answ. The assumption is most false for not all that professe faith who from thence are called fideles in opposition to Infidels are endued with true justifying faith which is not of all but of the Elect neither be all of the Church that be in it 1 Ioh. 2. 19. Non existimo quenquam ita desipere saith Augustine ut credat ad Eccesiae pertinere unitatem eum qui non habet charitatem But saith Bellarmine if the wicked who are in the Church did want trut faith then should they chiefly bee reprehended for their unbeleefe but they are reprehended non de amissione fidei sed de omissione operum not for the amission or losse of faith but for the omission of good workes Ans. when their want of faith doth appeare they are reprehended for it But because that is many times hidden and we are in the judgement of Charity to judg them faithfull who professe the faith untill the contrary appeare therfore hypocrites escape reprehension which open sinners do incur Bellarm. conclusion that true justifying faith may in the same party concur with sin and that it may be found in sinners none deny but pharisaicall Papists who hold themselves being after their fashion as namely by Baptisme or absolution justified to be no sinners professing that there is no sin in them nor any thing that God can hate And wheras Bellarmine taketh it for granted that all in the Church have faith and that none want it but such as have lost it as it is lost they say by every act of infidelity hereby is discovered the most pernicious doctrine of the Church of Rome whereby innumerable soules are nuzzled in ignorance infidelity and impenitencio to their utter ruine and perdition For they teach that all that are baptized are ex opere operato justified by infusion of Faith Hope and Charity in which estate they remaine untill they commit some mortall sinne then indeed they lose their charity and their justification but they retaine their faith which was infused in Baptisme and still are to be accounted faithfull men and women though they know nothing nor actually beleeve any thing unlesse to their Baptisme be added popish education by which for the most part they are taught to beleeve as their Church beleeveth that being the safest course which faith disposeth them to justification directing them after the losse of their charity wherein their justification consisted to seeke to the Sacrament of penance that thereby they may recover their justification Once a yeere therefore they goe to their priest to him they formally confesse their grosser sinnes formally they professe themselves sorry for them the priest absolveth them from eternall punishment enjoyning them some petite penance whereby they are to satisfie for the temporall penalty which remaineth after their absolution from the eternall by the priests absolution they all stand actually justified the priest refusing none though in truth they neither have knowledge nor faith nor Repentance or amendment of life nor any other Grace without which for all their sacramentall justifications and other they have none they live and die in a most wofull state of damnation § VII His fifth argument is taken from the proper nature of faith and charitie for saith he if faith and charitie cannot be disjoyned either it is because one is of the nature of the other or else because one necessarily ariseth or springeth from the other but neither of these may be said therfore faith and charitie may be severed Ans. First I deny the disjunctive
with which many come to baptisme and to shew that faith which justifieth is commanded by the will to note the difference of forced faith such as is in Devils and was in those men who beleeved in Christ compelled by the miracles but Christ did not concredit himselfe to them for such a faith doth not justifie For as science is begotten by virtue of demonstrative reason so faith is not demonstrated but is undertaken by the virtue or power of the will captivating the understanding unto the obedience of Christ who doth infuse it wherefore Augustine tract 26. in Ioan. other things saith hee a man may doe against his will but none can beleeve but he that is willing § VI. Thus have I proved against Bellarmine that to beleeve is an act of the will as well as of the understanding and that the seat of faith is neither the understanding alone nor the will alone but the mind which comprehendeth both Howbeit I cannot altogether subscribe to the judgement of the Schoole-men and other learned men whether Protestants or Papists who teach that the understanding is commanded by the will to assent unto divine truthes and that it doth credere ex imperio voluntatis For I doe not conceive how the will which is intellectus extensus and followeth the judgement of the practike understanding in so much that it willeth nothing but what the understanding approveth and judgeth to be willed how it I say should command the understanding Neither doth their reason satisfie which is this that the understanding of man in matters pertaining to Science is determined to one thing by the evidence of the thing or necessity of reason not by the Will but the understanding of man in matters belonging to faith which sometimes surpasse the capacity of humane reason cannot be determined to any particular either by the evidence of the thing or by necessity of reason both which are wanting in the objects of faith which are things hoped for and things not seene And therefore say they there can no assent bee given unlesse the understanding be commanded by the will to assent But I answere as the ground of knowing things by Science is the evidence of the thing or necessity of reason so the ground of beleeving things is the authority of God speaking in his word which is infallible and in certainty surpasseth the grounds of Science and by it the understanding is determined to such particulars as it conceiveth to be revealed of God As therefore in things of science which the understanding doth judge to bee evident and of necessary truth the will doth readily embrace them following therin the judgment of the understanding and so the mind which containeth both faculties doth willingly and yet necessarily assent therto moved therunto by the evidence of necessary truth so in matters of faith which the understanding though it comprehends them not yet doth judge infallibly true moved thereto by the authority of God revealing those truthes the Will as I conceive being captivated by the understanding and submitting it selfe to the judgement thereof the mind doth willingly and yet necessarily assent to such truthes revealed by God moved thereunto by the infallible authority of God speaking in his Word Which in certainty of truth doth farre surmount all grounds of science and doth captivate the understanding and it the Will Why therefore the assent to divine truthes which are grounded upon a most certaine and inâ—…allible soundation which perswadeth the understanding should more proceed from the Will than the assent to humane sciences I cannot conceive or why the Will should command the understanding in them more than in matters of science CAP. VI. Of the object of justifying faith § I. SO much of the subject now wee come to the object of justifying â—…aith where the question ought not to be made coneeming the object of faith at large but of that object which is proper to faith as it justifieth For we doe freely confesâ—…e that the object of faith is all and every truth revealed unto us by God and that the word of God is objectum fidei adaquatum the even object of â—…aith that is we are bound to beleeve whatsoever is contained in the word but what is not contained in the word of God we are not to beleeve it as a matter of â—…aith And that therefore by the â—…ame faith by which we are justified we beleeve whatsoever is contained in the written word of God whether expressely or by necessary consequence So that Bellarmine might have saved a great deale of labour idlely spent in proving that which we confesse that by faith we beleeve the creation and all other truths revealed in the word yea we professe him to have no true justifying faith who denieth credit to any thing which hee findeth revealed by God Howbeit the Papiâ—… extend this object not onely to the Canoâ—…icall Scriptures but also to those which we according to all almost antiquitieâ—… call Apocryphall and not onely to the written word but also to their unwritten verities as they call the traditions of the Church of Rome that is such doctrines and ordinances as that Church doth teach and observe having no ground nor warrant in the Scriptures The which notwithstanding whiles they doe not onely match but also preferre them before the written word doe evidently prove the Pope who by their doctrine is above the Church and the Church above the Scriptures to bee Antichrist But this is another controversie whereinto I may not now make an excuâ—…sion Onely I desire the Reader to take notice of this marke among others of the Catholike Apostaâ—…ie of the Romane Church which hath not onely departed from the ancient doctrine and rule of faith which is the Scriptures but also have set up a new rule the last resolution of their faith being into the infallible judgement and irrefragable authority of the Bishop of Rome and to this purpose let him consider these two testimonies of Saint Bâ—…sil it is a manifest falling away from the faith and conviction of pride either to reject any of those things that are written or to bring in any of those things that are not written The other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that is without the Scripture inspired of God being not of faith is sinne § II. But howsoever by that faith which justifieth wee beleeve all and every truth revealed by God yet the proper and formall Object of justifying faith quatâ—…nus justificat and by beleeving whereof it doth justifie is not every truth but that onely which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called the Truth that is Christ with all his merits Ioh. 14. 6. or the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ or the Promises of the Gospell concerning justification and salvation by Christ which often times in the Scripture is called the Truth as Ioh. 1. 17. 5. 33. 8. 31 32. and as some thinke Ioh. 8. 44. and by Christâ—… owne
faith of all the faithfull though unequall in degrees in some greater in some lesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a-like precious in the righteousnesse of God and our Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 1. which is an evidence that faith doth not justifie in respect of its owne dignity or worthinesse but in respect of the object which it doth receive which being the most perfect righteousnesse of Christ unto which nothing can be added is one and the same to all that receive it Of this see more lib. 1. cap. 2. § 10. § IV. Here now the Papists because wee deny faith to justifie in respect of its owne worthinesse and merit take occasion to inveigh against us as if we made it Titulum sine re and as it were a matter of nothing Which is a malicious and yet but a frivolous cavill For first in respect of justification we acknowledge it to bee the onely instrument or hand to receive Christ to be the condition of the Covenant of Grace to which the Promises of remission of sinnes and of Salvation are made without which the promises of the Gospell doe not appertaine unto us and without which our blessed Saviour doth not save us Secondly in respect of Sanctification wee attribute all that and more which the Papists ascribe unto it in respect of their imaginary justification That it is the beginning the foundation and root of all inherent righteousnesse the mother of all other sanctifying Graces which purifieth the heart and worketh by love without which it is impossible to please God without which whatsoever is done is sinne § V. But howsoever here the Papists would seeme to plead for faith yet the truth is that as they have abolished the benefit of justification as it is taught in the holy Scriptures so with it they have taken away the justifying faith For though they retaine the name yet in their doctrine there is no such thing For first to faith they doe not ascribe the power to justifie but only to be a disposition one among seven even such a one as servile feare is of a man unto inherent righteousnesse or to the grace of Sanctification it selfe being not as yet a justifying or sanctifying grace Secondly that faith being infused becommeth the beginning and a part of formall inherent righteousnesse But so small a part they assigne unto it that they say that the habit of formall righteousnesse differeth not from the habit of charity so that in justification it hath no use at all and in sanctification charity is all in all which is a manifest evidence that the Church of Rome is fallen away from the ancient doctrine of the faith For both Scriptures and Fathers every where ascribe justification to faith and not to Charitie to faith and not to workes but the Papists ascribe the first justification to charitie which they make to be the onely formall cause of justification which as themselves teach is but one and the second justification they assigne to workes CHAP. VIII Whether we be justified by Faith alone The state of the Controversie and some reasons on our part § I. NOw I come to the third question which is the principall concerning faith whether we be justified by faith alone as wee with all antiquity doe hold or not by faith alone but also by other habits of grace as charitie and the rest and by the workes of grace which the Papists hold to concur in us to the act of justification as the causes thereof Where first we are to explaine our assertion and afterwards both to prove and to maintaine it And great reason there is that wee should explaine it because the Papists most wickedly against their owne knowledge calumniate our doctrine in this point I will therefore explaine all the three termes Fides justificat sola Faith doth justifie alone for by Faith wee doe not understand as I have shewed before neither the profession of faith or faith onely professed which S. Iames doth deny to justifie nor that faith which is a bare assent which is the faith of Papists and is common to them with the Divels and with other hypocrites and wicked men for such a faith we deny to justifie either alone or at all but a true lively and effectuall beleefe in Christ being a speciall apprehension or receiving and embracing of Christ and of the promises of the Gospell joyned with application or at least with a true desire will and endevour thereof The which faith also wee deny to be true if in some measure it doe not purifie the heart if it doe not worke by love if it cannot be demonstrated by good workes § II. Now for the word justifie shall I need to tell you that by justifying we doe not meane sanctifying And yet such is the blinded malice of the papists as that because they wickedly confound justification and sanctification which we carefully according to the Scriptures distinguish they beare the world in hand that our assertion is this in effect that faith alone doth sanctifie and that nothing concurreth to sanctification but faith onely and consequently that wee teach the people so they can perswade themselves that they have faith they need not take care either for other graces or for a godly life But howsoever we hold that faith doth justifie alone yet wee doe not hold that it doth sanctifie alone but that our sanctification is partly habituall unto which with faith concurre the habits of other sanctifying graces as hope charity c. and partly actuall which is our new obedience in the practice of good workes § III. But the word sela alone doth most displease the Papists who will needs part stakes with Christ in their justification This therefore is to be explaned And first when we say that faith alone doth justifie we doe not meane fidem solitariam that faith which is alone neither doe we in construction joyne sola with fides the subject but with justificat the predicate meaning that true faith though it bee not alone yet it doth justifie alone Even as the eye though in respect of being it is not alone or if it be it is not a true and a living but a dead eie which seeth neither alone nor at all yet in respect of seeing unto which no other member doth concurre with it it being the onely instrument of that faculty it is truely said to see alone so faith though in respect of the being thereof it is not alone or if it bee it is not a true and lively but a counterfeit and dead faith yet in respect of justifying unto which act no other grace doth concurre with it it being the onely instrument of apprehending and receiving Christ it is truely said to justifie alone wherefore as the brazen Serpent which was a figure of Christ was life up and set on high in the wildernesse that whosoever was bitten by the fiery serpents might by looking onely
the holy Ghost perpetually making such an opposition betweene them as that they cannot stand together If therefore we be not justified by the righteousnesse of workes prescribed in the Law as all inherent righteousnesse is then we are justified by the righteousnesse of faith alone Or thus The righteousnesse whereby wee are justified is either inherent in our selves and performed by our selves which the Scriptures call the righteousnesse of workes or that which being out of us is inherent in Christ and by him performed for us which is the righteousnesse of faith A third cannot be named and by both wee cannot be justified If therefore we be not justified by the former which I have sufficiently or rather abundantly proved heretofore then are we justified by the latter alone For if of two and no more but two you take away one you leave the other alone So is it in all dis-junctions consisting of two opposites sine medio The one being removed the other only remaineth § IX That by which alone the promise of justification by which alone justification by which alone Christ himselfe who is our righteousnesse is received that alone justifieth By faith alone the promise by it alone justification by it alone Christ himselfe is received For that is the proper office of faith For if faith receive the Promise and justification and Christ himselfe which no other grace in us can doe then it is the proper office of faith But faith receiveth the promise wherein justification is offered Gal. 3. 22. it receiveth remission of sinnes or justification Act. 10. 43. 26. 18. 13. 39. it receiveth Christ himselfe Ioh. 1. 12. which no other grace can doe as it is evident therefore faith alone doth justifie § X. That which is the onely condition of the Covenant of Grace by that alone we are justified because to that alone justification is promised Faith is the onely condition of the Covenant of grace which is therefore called lex fidei therefore by faith alone we are justified If against the assumption it be objected that charity and obedience and other virtues are also required I answere that these are not the conditions of the Covenant but the things by Covenant promised to them that beleeve If we beleeve God hath promised to justifie us and being justified or redeemed to sanctifie and to save us See Luk. 1. 73 74 75. Ier. 31. 33 34. Heb. 8. 10 11 12. Gal. 3. 9. 14. 22. Charity obedience c. are the conditions of the Covenant of workes Doe this and thou shalt live but the condition of the Covenant of grace is Beleeve and thou shalt bee inabled to walke in the obedience of the law thou shalt receive the gift of the Spirit and finally thou shalt bee saved For being by faith freed from sinne and become Servants to God you have your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. § XI The holy Scriptures wheresoever they speake of that by which wee are justified mention nothing in us but faith not workes nor other graces unlesse it bee to exclude them from the act of justification Which is a plaine evidence that faith doth justifie alone Bellarmine answereth that it doth not follow that because faith onely is mentioned therefore it justifieth alone For sometimes other things as not only other virtues but the Sacraments also are mentioned which notwithstanding doe not justifie alone Whereunto I answere first that in the point of justification faith is mentioned alone and no other grace with it even where the holy Ghost treateth ex professo of justification and of the causes thereof Secondly that to no other grace mentioned either alone or with others is justification any where ascribed Neither are the Papists able to produce any testimony out of the holy Scriptures to prove it As for those which Bellarmine alleageth out of Tit. 3. 5. Ephes. 5. 26. they are not to the purpose as speaking of the outward meanes which we deny not to concurre with faith That out of Luk. 7. 47. hath already beene cleared that love there noteth not the cause but the signe of forgivenesse That out of Rom. 8. 24. sheweth that in this life we are not saved re but spe not in fruition but in expectation Which hope or expectation as it is termed vers 23. is no cause either of justification or of salvation Thirdly that the justification attributed to Sacraments doth not hinder justification by faith alone For when wee say that faith doth justifie alone we meane that nothing in us doth concurre to the act of justification as any cause thereof but faith onely as hath beene shewed As for the Sacraments we acknowledge them to be externall meanes and as it were manus offerentis as faith is manus recipientis And that the Sacraments bee so farre srom hindering justification by faith alone as that they doe confirme it as being the sealâ—…s of that righteousnesse which is by faith CHAP. IX Testimonies of the Ancient Fathers and of others in all ages for justification by faith alone § I. NOw that this Doctrine is no novelty but that which in all ages hath been the received Doctrine of the Christian Churches I will prove by the Testimony of the Christian Writers in all ages but chiefly of the ancient Fathers I. Iustin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To see God it is granted men by faith alone And by what alone wee see God by that alone wee are justified Againe what other thing could cover our sinnes but his righteousnesse In whom could we being sinners and impious bee justified but in the onely Sonne of God By the righteousnesse therefore of Christ onely which is received and put on by faith onely are our sinnes covered In Christ alone those that are sinners in themselves are justified therefore not by righteousnesse inherent but onely by the righteousnesse of faith II. Irenaeus whom I finde cited and approved by Augustine Men can no otherwise be saved from the stroke of the old serpent but by beleeving in Christ Even as the Israelites who were bitten by the fiery serpents could no otherwise be healed but by looking on the brasen serpent III. Clemens Alex. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith alone is the Catholike salvation of mankinde Againe the power of God alone without demonstrations is able to save 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith alone IV. Origen more plainely The Apostle saith that the justification which is by faith alone is sufficient so that a man beleeving only is justified and instanceth in the examples of the penitent theefe Luk. 23. and of the penitent woman Luk. 7. both which were justified by faith alone And in that place as hath beene observed by others Origen useth the exclusive particle sola seven times Bellarmine answereth that Origen only excludeth externall workes when power and occasion is wanting as in the
Photius apud Occumenium in Rom. 4. 1. speaking of Abraham you see that he hath not so much as any footstep of works unto so great gifts from God whence then was he vouchsafed them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of faith alone 2. In Gal. 3. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherefore by faith alone they are able to obtaine the promises XXVIII Smaragdus In Gal. 3. Necesse est sola fide Christi salvari credentes XXIX Oecumenius in Gal. 3. 11. Because the righteous shall live by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for there is but one way saith hee to justifie and that is by faith 2. In Col. 2. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it is fufficient saith he to beleeve onely XXX Theophylact in Rom. 4. 5. Doth he that is to be justified bring any thing Faith onely 2. In Rom. 9. ult Fides itaque sola est faith therefore is alone and not workes with it it worketh all things and it justifyeth 3. In Gal. 3. 11. Now hee doth plainely demonstrate that faith it selfe alone hath in it the power of justifying Bellarmine answereth for this is the third place which hee would seeme to afford us out of his owne store that his meaning is that without faith nothing doth justâ—…fie But the meaning is plaine not that other things cannot justifie without faith but that faith alone without the helpe of other things is able to justifie 4. In 2 Thes. 2. 17. that God pro sola fide for faith alone will give yea those eternall good things XXXI Anselmus Cantuariensis in Rom. 4. 5. but to him that doth not the workes of the Law but without any precedent worke doth come to faith sufficit ipsa fides adjustitiam faith it selfe sufficeth unto righteousnesse 2. In 1 Cor. 1. 4. For grace is given in Christ because this is ordained of God that he which beleeveth in Christ should be saved without worke sola fide gratis by faith alone and freely receiving remission of sinnes XXXII Rupertus Tuitiensis lib. 2. in libros Regum cap. 39. The obstinate Iew persisteth in contention and contemning the faith of Christ qua sola justificare potest which alone can justifie arrogateth to himselfe numerous justice out of his workes XXXIII Bernard out of whom Bellarmine in the fourth place produceth a twofold testimony in our behalfe the former in Canticles serm 22. Whosoever hauing compunction for his sinnes doth hunger and thirst after righteousnesse let him beleeve in Thee who dost justifie the sinner solam justificatus per fidem and being justified by faith alone he shall have peace with thee 2. The other Epist. 77. speaking of Mark. 16. 16. Courteously he did not repeate but he that is not baptized shall bee condemned but onely he that beleeveth not intimating that faith sometimes alone is sufficient to salvation but without it nothing doth suffice To the former hee answereth that Bernard speaketh de viva fide of a lively faith c. as though we spake of any other If hee confesse that a lively faith doth justifie alone it is all that wee seeke For as for the dead faith wee confesse that it justifieth neither alone nor at all And therfore attribute lesse unto it than the Papists themselves To the other hee answereth that the word solam excludeth onely the necessity of Baptisme in the case of necessity Reply if sometimes it doth suffice alone to salvation then much more to justification and if baptisme which is manus dantis bee excluded then by the like reason all other things which are in us are excluded from the act of justification XXXIV Thomas Aquinas in 1 Tim. 1. lect 3. there is not therefore any hope in the morall precepts sed in sola fide but in faith alone 2. In Gal. 3. 26. Sola fides faith alone maketh men the adoptive sons of God Now that which alone maketh men the sonnes of God by adoption that alone doth justifie them XXXV Boâ—…aventure in 4. Sent. dist 15. part 1. q. 1. because man could not satisfie for so great offence therefore God gave unto him a Mediatour who should satisfie for the offenee whereupon in sola fide in the only faith of his passion all fault is remitted and without faith therof none is justified XXXVI Nicholas Gorrham in Rom. 4. If hee beleeve onely in Christ though he doe not worke his faith alone is reputed for sufficient justice XXXVII Couradus Clingius loc commun lib. 5. cap. 42. Deuâ—… justos nos reputat propter solum fidem in Christum and in the old edition cap. 117. sola fides bene sufficit adjustificationem XXXVIII The judgement of Cardinall Contarenus we heard before that wee are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to those that beleeve whereupon it necessarily followeth that in us nothing is required unto justification before God but onely faith Thus in all ages of the Church justification by faith alone was a received Doctrine untill the accursed Councell of Trent which denounceth a curse against all those who shall say that a man is justified by faith alone And yet even since that Councell the force of this truth hath expressed from the professed enemies of the Gospell a confession thereof Ben. Iustinianus in his paraphrase on Gal. 2. 16. hee rendreth it thus And yet wee are not ignorant that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law sed per unum Iesu Christi fidem but by the only faith in Christ and in his explanation he giveth this sence because we who are by nature Iewes cannot be justified by the Law sed per solam fidem but by faith alone it followeth that no mortall man can obtaine righteousnesse by the workes of the Law sed solâ—…m ex Iesu Christi fide but only by the faith of Iesus Christ. Yea Bellarmine himselfe saith that to us the merits of Christ are applyed by the Sacraments Hebrâ—…is per solum fidem to the Hebrewes by faith alone But the faithfull among the Hebrewes were justified no otherwise than Abraham was justified And as Abraham the Father of all the faithfull who was the forme and samplar of this thing was justified so are wee But Abraham was justified by faith alone therefore wee also are justified by faith onely Neither is the justification by Sacraments repugnant to justification by faith alone the meaning of our assertion being this that in us nothing concurreth to the act of justification as any cause thereof but faith onely For being justified by faith alone as Abraham was the Sacraments are added as circumcision was to him as seales of that righteousnesse which we have by faith So that faith onely justifieth before God as the hand of the receiver but the Sacraments serve to justifie the faithfull in the court of their Conscience by sealing and assuring unto them their justification CHAP. X. Bellarmines arguments that faith
true â—…aith may bee severed from charity lib. 6. cap. 3. The first oâ—…t of Ioh. 12. 42 43. § 1. The second out of 1 Cor. 13. 2. § 2 3. 4. The third out of Iam. 2. 14. § 5. The fourth because in the Church there are both good and bad § 6. The fifth from the â—…ature of faith and charity § 7 8 9. The sixth from an absurdity § 10. The seventh Testimonies of Fathers § 11. Whether iustifying faith may be without speciall apprehension of Christ. lib. 6. c. 4. No iustifying faith but that which laieth hold on Christ. § 1. To beleâ—…ve in Christ is to receive and embrace him § 2. Two degrees of faith the former specially apprehending the other actually applying Christ. § 3. Of the former degree § 4. Of the latter § 5. The necessity of this speciall apprehension to iustifioâ—…tion § 6 7. The Popish obiections against speciall faith lib. 6. cap. 4. § 8. Their obiections concerning fiducia affiance § 9. By alively assent men beleeve in Christ. § 10. That affiance is not faith § 11. The subiect of faith lib. 6. cap. 5. vid. subiect The obiect of faith lib. 6. cap. 6. vid. obiect Of the actor effect of faith which is to iustifie First whether indeed it dâ—…th iustifie or only dispose to iustification lib. 6. cap. 7. § 1 2. Secondly whether faith doth iustifie formally § 3. The Papists cavill that we debase faith § 4. which themselves have 〈◊〉 § 5. Thirdly whether faith doth iustifie alone lib. 6. cap. 8. the state of the â—…troversie § 1. The explanation of the three termes Fides ibid. Iustificat § 2. Sola § 3 4 5. Our proofes § 6. Testimonies of Scripture § 7. Reasons § 8 9. 10 11. Testimonies of Fathers and other â—…ters in all ages lib. 6. cap. 9. Bellarmines arguments that faith dâ—…th not iustifie aloue lib. 6. cap. 10. This question he disputeth three waies ail which are impertinent § 1 2. The first that it doth not iustifie alone by way of disposing which bee proveth by five principall arguments the first because there are seven dispositions whereof faith is one which discourse of the seven dispositions is idle and impertinent lib. 6. cap. 10. § 3. VVhether any preparative dispositions be indeed required § 4. Of the first disposition which is faith lib. 6. cap. 10. § 5. His argument because it but beginneth iustification and therefore dâ—…th not instâ—…fie alone § 6. His first proofe Heb. 11. 6. § 7. His second Rom. 10. 13 14 § 8. His third Ioh. 1. 12. § 9. Testimonies oâ—… Fathers that faith is the beginning § 10. His reasons § 11. Of feare the second disposition lib. 6. cap. 11. § 1 2. ad 6. Of hope the third disposition lib. c. 11. § 6. c. Of love the fourth lib. 6. cap. 12. 1 2. c. ad 9. Of 〈◊〉 the fifth lib. 5. cap. 12. § 9. 10. The sixth disposition a purpose and desire to receive the Sacrament lib. 6. c. 12. § 11. The seventh a purpose of a new life lib. 6. cap. 12. § 12. His second principall argument because faith being alone and severed from charity and other graces cannot 〈◊〉 lib. 6. cap. 13. His third principall argument from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the causes which may bee given why faith doth iustifie alone lib. 6. cap. 14. which are â—…hree First authority of Scriptures § â—… 3 4. Secondly â—…he will and pleasure of God § 5. Thirdly because it is the property of faith alone to receive Christ. § 6. that is to 〈◊〉 and to apply him § 7. 8. His â—…ourth principall 〈◊〉 from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith dâ—…th 〈◊〉 lib. 6. cap. 15. I. Because it iustifieth as a causâ—… â—… â—… c. ad 7. II. As the beginning of righteousnesse § 7 8 9. III. As the merit § 10. c. ad finem capitis His fifth principall argument from two principles viz. first from the formall cause of iustification Lib. 6. cap. 15. § 17. Secondly from the â—…ecessity oâ—… good workes for if faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would 〈◊〉 alone lib. 7. 〈◊〉 5. § 1 2. That good workes are necessary by way of efficiency § 3. VVhether faith doth save alone lib. 7. cap 5. § 15. Bellarmines reasons to the contrary § 16. Feare The second disposition iâ—… iustification according to the councell of Trent lib. 6. cap. 11. The finall cause of iustification see End Forme The formall cause of iustification the imputation of Christs righteousnesse l. 1. cap. 3. § 1. 7. lib. 5. per totum Private opinions of some Divines concerning the forme of iustification lib. 1. cap. 5. Their depravation of our assertion as if wee held that wee are formally iust by Christs righteousnesse lib. 1. cap. 5. § 2. Their errours § 3. The private opinioâ—…s concerning the matter and the forme of iustification very dangerous lib. 1. cap. 5. § 13 14. G God The principall cause of iustification lib. 1. cap. 2. § 1. c. The righteousnesse of God by which we are iustified is the maine doctrine of the Gospell lib. 1. cap. 1. § 1. It is called the righteousnesse of God because it is the righteousnesse of Christ who is God lib. 4. cap. 2 3 4. Gospell The difference betweene the Law and the Gospell lib. 7. cap. 4. § 3. The acceptions of the words Law and Gospell either more large or more stâ—…ict § 3 4. Bellarmines disproofe of the difference by uâ—… given § 5. Because in the Gospell is contained the Doctrine of good workes ibid. Whether the promise of salvation made to our obedience doth prove the merit of good workes Eternalll life promised in three respects First as a free gift lib. 7. cap. 4. § 6. Secondly as our inheritance § 7. Thirdly as a free reward § 8. The Example of Gods dealing with Abraham § 9. Though eternall life bee the reward of our obedience yet it is not merited by it § 10. Some places of Scriptures which the Papists understand of causes are to bee understood as notes § 11. Or evidences § 12. Three other answeres § 13. Testimonies wherein upon condition of obedience eternall life is promised in the Gospell alleaged by Bellarmine § 14. The I. Matth. 5. 20. lib. 7. cap. 4. § 14. II. Matth. 19. 17. § 15. III. Testimonies out of the Apostles § 16. IV. Out of the Prophets Ezec. 18. 21. § 17. V. From the condition of faith § 18. Bellarmines second argument from the differences betweene the Law and the Gospell § 19. Eight differences betweene the Law and the Gospell assigned by Bellarmine § 19. 20. Grace The moving cause of iustification l. 1. cap. 2. § 2. VVhat is meant by the word Grace lib. 3. The Papists by the grace of God by which we are iustified understand the habit of grace inherent in us lib. 3. cap. 1. § 1. The divers acceptions of the word Grace § 3. The distinction of Grace § 3. The state of the question concerning Grace
what Pharisaicall conceit the Papists have of themselves that being once ex opere operato justified by their Sacraments though they neither have knowledge nor faith nor repentance nor any sanctifying grace in them yet they are not truely and indeed sinners in themselves neither is there any sinne in them And therefore unlesse they will play the hypocrites and dally with God they ought not to pray as Christ taught his owne Apostles to pray forgive us our sinnes But by saying there is no sinne in themselves it is evident that there is no truth in them 1 loh. 1. 8. § VIII His eighth argument is taken out of the Canticles where Christ is compared to the Husband or Bridegrome the Church or justified soule to the Spouse which Spouse is said to bee most faire and beautifull yea tota pulchra viz. by beauty inhereâ—…t in her selfe and not by the beauty of her Husband imputed to her Answ. From allegoricall Scriptures no sound argument can bee drawne especially when they are not understood But be it that by the Spouse is meant the Church of Christ. Is it the Church triumphant as it mayseeme when she is said to be tota pulchra then is it to no purpose alleaged As for the Church militant that commendation cannot be verified of it by reason of many deformed members which be alwayes in the visible Church besides which the Papists acknowledge no other But if the Church militant bee meant then of what time for it may not be thought that what is spoken in the Canticles doth agree to the Church at al times The Spouse which somtimes is said to be tota pulchra in other places is said to be blacke sometimes She enjoyethher Beloved somtimes She is at a losse sometimes she adhereth to her Love sometimes She neglecteth him But suppose she be alwaies and altogether beautiful which me thinks should hardly be verified of the Church of Rome besides which they acknowledg no other true Church especially when the visible Head therof the Popes have beene monsters of men their Clergie Sodomiticall their Laity void of all truth and power of Religion their whole Church in respect of her faith hereticall in regard of her religion idolatrous and in respect of both apostaticall but suppose I say the true universall Church which is the company of the elect to be wholly beautifull This totall beauty cannot be understood of her inherent righteousnesse which is stayned and unperfect but of that righteousnesse which her husband hath imputed and imparted to her as we heard before out of Gregory Nyssen § IX Yea but Bellarmine will prove that this beauty is inherent first because her beauty is described as that which is proper to women and his as that which is proper to men and therefore that his beauty is one and hers another Secondly because it is absurd to imagine hee absurdly chargeth us that the Spouse of Christ is deformed in herselfe being onâ—…ly adorned outwardly with her Husbands garment But this labour Bellarmine might have spared For wee doe acknowledge that the true Church is beautifull and that by a twofold beauty the one the perfect beauty of her Husband communicated to her by imputation the other unperfect and inherent which being but begun in this life is to be perfected in the life to come but howsoever this inward beauty be unperfect yet because it is upright her Husband is delighted therewith and in regard of this inward uprightnesse and integrity she is said to be glorious within In which respect the Tabernacle of the Congregation was a fit type of the Church militant which in outward appearance is black and brown like the tents of Kedar but within faire and beautifull like the hangings of Salomon even as the tabernacle which outwardly made but a homely shew being covered with Rams skinnes and Badgers skins was inwardly glorious wee acknowledge therefore that there is inherent righteousnesse in the true Church and in all the true and lively memâ—…ers thereof In regard whereof in the Creed we professe our selves to beleeve that she is holy and that the communion of her members among themselves and with their head is the communion of Saints But that by this inherent righteousnesse either the Church or any member thereof is justified before God we doe utterly deny § X. His ninth and tenth arguments I will put together because one answere may serve for both His ninth reason is this by justification the heart is cleansed that it may be prepared for the vision of God for untill it be cleane it cannot see God The tenth Christ suffered and gave himselfe for his Church that he might sanctifie it Heb. 13. 12. Ephes. 5. 26. Tit. 2. 14. loh. 17. 19. which is not done by imputation c. Both those objections arise from the wilfull ignorance of the Papists who will not distinguish justification from sanctification The righteousnesse of sanctification of which these places speake wee acknowledge to be inherent though that of justification be imputed and that which I have shewed heretofore as wee are by justification entitled to the kingdome of heaven so by sanctification we are fitted and prepared for it We confesse that the heart must be cleane and pure before it can see God and that by sanctification begun in this life the heart is prepared but never fully cleansed untill it come to see God wee acknowledge that our sanctification is the end not onely of our redemption but also of our Election Ephes. 1. 4. of our creation and recreation according to Gods image Ephes. 4. 24. of our vocation 1 Thes. 4. 7. of our justification and reconciliation Col. 1. 22. Luk. 1. 74. 75. That sanctification is the way wherein men being elected called justified are to walke to their glorification But though it bee via regni yet it is not causa regnandi that our Saviour by his Spirit doth truly really and inherently worke the worke of sanctification in all those that are justified But I beseech you what is the force of both these arguments Our hearts must be cleansed by inherent purity therefore we are not justified by imputed righteousnesse Christ dyed and gave himselfe for us that wee might bee sanctified with true inherent grace therefore we are not justified by righteousnesse imputed Christ gave himselfe for us that he might redeeme and justifie us that being reedeemed and justified wee might worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him Finally Bellarmine telleth us that many other arguments might bee produced but these he saith were the principall which notwithstanding for the most part were such as deserved with scome to bee rejected rather than to bee in good earnest refuted which neverthelesse argueth not the insufficiencie of the disputant but the badnesse of the cause which admitteth no better proofes A TREATISE OF IVSTIFICATION THE SIXTH BOOKE Concerning Faith CAP. I. What Faith is and that it is not without knowledge § I. THâ—…
the Colliars faith so much commended by Cardinall Hosius and others for he being examined by a learned man what he beleeved answered I beleeve that which the Church beleeveth and being asked what the Church beleiveth answered againe that which I beleeve and so in a round that he beleeved what the Church beleeved and that the Church beleeved as he beleeved but also that it is the safest for all even for those that are learned to rest in this faith Especially when they are assaulted by Satan with whom they say it is not safe to contend by Scriptures but rather to oppose that onely article against him As the said learned man who had opposed the Collyar found by experience For he being afterwards assaulted by Satan when he was deadly sicke and being not able to defend himselfe by Scriptures he was faine to bâ—…ake himselfe to the Colliars faith which no doubt is the readiest way for them who professe a faith not conformable to the Scriptures to put the Devil to silence who will rest well content with such an answer whereas if they should stand to the Scriptures the Devill would be able to confute them As he did Luther whiles hee was a Papist in the question concerning the private Masse which he did not to teach him the truth but by true accusations to bring him to despaire § IV. This doctrine of the Papists concerning implicite faith is both absurdly false and notoriously wicked False in diverse respects First in that they say justifying faith may be without knowledge when as first of all faith it selfe is a kind of knowledge yea a kind of certaine knowledge yea of all others the most certaine knowledge as I have already shewed proving that it is that knowledge which we have by Divine relation or report grounded on the authority of God speaking in his word Secondly because faith oftentimes in the scriptures is called knowledge or acknowledgment as Ioh. 17. 3. This is eternall life to know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Now we know God in the life to come by vision in this life by faith as their owne writers testifie Maldonat on that place what is the cause saith he that he seemeth to place eternall life in knowledge alone that is in faith onely And Ianseniâ—…s vita aeterna inchoativè imperfectè hic habetur cognoscendo Deum per fidem habetur autem in 〈◊〉 perfectè cognoscendo Deum per visionem Esai 53. 11. My righteous servant by his knowledge or acknowledgement that is by faith in him shall justifie many So 2 Pet. 1. 2 3. Eph. 1. 17. Col. 1. 10. 2. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 25. 3. 7. Tit. 1. 1. where by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the knowledge or acknowledgement of Christ and his truth is meant nothing else but faith 1 Ioh. 2. 3 4. hereby we doe know that we doe know him that is beleeve in him if we doe keepe his Commandements he that saith he knoweth him namely by faith and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Heb. 11. 3. By faith we understand or know that the worlds were formed by the Word of God where the act of faith is expressed by this term of understanding that which we beleeve 2 Cor. 5. 1. we know that is we beleeve for otherwise it cannot be known but by faith that after the dissolution of our earthly tabemacle we have an eternall habitation in heaven Thirdly because in the Scriptures faith and knowledge are so linked together that what we acknowledg we beleeve what we beleeve we know Ioh. 6. 69. we beleeve and know that thou art that Christ Ioh. 10. 38. that you may know and beleeve that the Father is in me and I in him Ioh. 17. 8. they have knowen surely that I came out from thee saith Christ unto his Father and they have beleeved that thou didst send me Eph. 4. 13. till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God 1 Tim. 4. 3. to bee received with thankesgiving of them which beleeve and know the truth 1 Ioh. 4. 16. we have knowne and beleeved the love that God hath to us Fourthly it is not possible that a man should beleeve acknowledge or assent firmely to that which he doth not know so much as by relation or hearesay how can they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and by hearing knowen Rom. 10. 14. And who knoweth not that the assent of faith determineth the judgement to that particular which is beleeved As for example if I beleeve the resurrection my judgement actually assenteth to that particular But if I never have so much as heard or understood that God hath revealed such a thing that there shall be a resurrection how can I possibly beleeve it or actually assent unto it And therefore implicite faith is so farre from being a justifying faith that it is not so good as the bare historicall faith which not onely wicked men but the Devils themselves have For historicall faith hath in it an actuall assent and implyeth a knowledge at least by relation of that which is beleeved But implicite faith hath neither Fifthly to the implicite faith the definition offaith Heb. 11. 1. doth in no sort agree for as it is so farre from being the substance of things hoped for that it doth not so much as know what are the things hoped for so it is further from being an evidence of things not seene which implyeth a certaine knowledge of things by relation which are not seen or knowne by sence or reason Sixthly that which implyeth a contradiction is false and absurd but the profession of the implicite faith made by a simple man viz. that hee beleeveth whatsoever the Catholicke Church beleeveth implyeth a contradiction not onely because hee doth not beleeve every yea scarce any particular but also through his ignorance sometimes doth actually beleeve that which the Church doth not beleeve or doth deny credit to that which the Church beleeveth But here now is the speciall priviledge of implicite faith that although a man beleeve an errour as that God the Father is greater than the Sonne or ancienter than he or that the persons of the Trinity are divided by locall distance one from another it is no offence so long as he thinketh the Church beleeveth so and so saith Gabriel himselfe If any man doe beleeve thinking that the Church doth so beleeve though it bee erroneous he sinneth not so that hee doe not obstinately adhere to his errour as was said before notab 2. Yea saith hee that which is more this faith is meritorious for such an one should not onely not sinne but also by so beleeving that which is false hee should merit Thus not onely hee is said to beleeve who indeed doth not beleeve nor give assent to the truth but also he
who dissenteth from the truth even from that which the Church doth hold § V Secondly they are absurd in saying that faith may better be defined by ignorance than by knowledge For notitia knowledge is the genus both of faith and of science whereas ignorance is a privation of knowledge It were therefore very strange if faith which is an habit of the mind should be defined by a privation and namely of that habit which is the genus of it Yea but saith Bellarmine faith is opposed to science and therefore better to be defined by ignorance than by knowledge I answere it is opposed to science not as a privation that it should bee defined by ignorance but as a species of the same kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contra divided for notitia as the genus is divided into science and faith the former being a knowledge of things either manifest in themselves which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or made manifest by discourse of reason which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter being a knowledge of things neither manifest to sence nor reason but knowne onely by relation from God where by the way you are to observe that the knowledge required in faith is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the cause such as is in science but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to beleeve the relation to be true and that whatsoever God revealeth is infallibly true And therfore by faith our judgements are captivated to yeeld assent to divine revelations though either they may be above reason or may seeme to be against sence or reason For though sence and reason may bee deceived yet the ground of our faith which is the authority of God cannot be deceived nec fidei falsum subesse potest neither can the subject of faith be false As for example the mysteries of the Trinity and of the incarnation of our Saviour bee above our reason the articles of the creation of all things from nothing and of the resurrection of the body seeme contrary to reason the article of eternall life contayneth such things as never eye did see nor eare heare neither did they ever enter into the heart of man and so of other articles of Christian religion which notwithstanding we doe firmely beleeve and undoubtedly know to be true as God hath revealed the same grounding this our faith and knowledge on the authority of God speaking in his Word This distinction of knowledge being acknowledged that the knowledge of faith is neither the certaine intelligence of things in themselves manifest to sense or reason nor that science which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the causes or attained by discourse of reason but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the things revealed by God are infallibly true by reason of his authority who is Truth it selfe might serve as a sufficient answer to so many of Bellarmines arguments and allegations as seeme worth the answering But I will briefly examine his proofes which are allegation of Scriptures reason and testimonies of Fathers § VI. As for his allegation of Scripture the first place alleadged out of Esa. 7. 9. is not as Bellarmine alleageth it unlesse you beleeve you shall not understand but if you beleeve not you shall not be established or as the vulgar Latine which Bellarmine ought to stand to non permâ—…nebitis as contrariwise 2 Chron. 20. 20. if you beleeve in the Lord you shall be established or as the Latine securieritis Neither doth it follow that faith is not knowledge because without faith we cannot come to the certaine intelligence of that which we beleeve For as knowledge of the thing revealed goeth before faith so faith goeth before the exact understanding and comprehension In the two next places 1 Cor. 13. 2. 12. 9. where faith as he saith is distinguished as a severall gift from knowledge by faith is not meant justifying faith but the faith of miracles as I have else where shewed Neither doe wee deny but that knowledge may be a distinct gift from faith As that knowledge which is either principiorum or conclusionum which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither is knowledge alwayes joyned with acknowledgement which is faith though acknowledgement implyeth knowledge alwayes Knowledge therefore may be without faith but faith cannot be without knowledge To the fourth out of 2 Cor. 10. 5. that where knowledge is there needs no captivating of the understanding I answere that faith being onely notitia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and giving firme assent to that whereof it knoweth no reason yea though perhaps it seeme above or against reason subjecteth or captivateth the understanding to the authority of God The last is from those places wherein the obedience of faith is mentioned For saith he obedience in beleeving were not needfull if by faith knowledge were given to men I answere that in those places faith doth signifie the doctrine of faith that is the Gospell the truth which men are then said to obey Rom. 10. 16. Gal. 3. 1. Act. 6. 7. when they beleeve and professe it As contrariwise those who doe not beleeve are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to disobey and that in opposition to beleefe Ioh. 3. 36. Act. 14. 2. 17. 5. 19. 9. Rom. 11. 30 31 32. 15. 31. Heb. 3. 18 19. 1 Pet. 2. 7. Neither should it seeme strange to Bellarmine that by faith men attaine to knowledge I meane to greater knowledge when he urging even now that place Esai 7. 9. said faith is a degree and way to knowledge § VII To the Testimony of Irenaeus if it were entirely cited I would subscribe For speaking of those words 1 Cor. 8. Scientia inflat dilectio autem adificat and having thereupon inferred that it were better to know but a little and to love God than in a conceit of great knowledge to bee found blasphemous against God hee repeateth the same againe Melius itáque est sicuti predixi nihil omnio scientem quempiaâ—… ne quidem unam causam cujusllbet eorum quae facta sunt cur factum credere Deo persever are in ejus dilectione quae honorem vivificat nec aliud inquirere adscientiam nisi Iâ—…SVM Christum filium Dei qui pro nobis crucifixâ—…s est quà m per quaestionum subtilitates multiloquium in impietatem cadere Where first observe that the knowledge whereof he speaketh is that whereby the causes or reasons of things are knowne And wee doe confesse that a man may and ought simply to beleeve God without such knowledge and secondly that he speaketh by way of comparison that it is better for a man to content himselfe with the knowledge of Christ alone joyned with love which is not to be accounted implicite faith for the Apostle himselfe determined to know nothing among the Corinthians but Christ and him crucified than affecting the knowledge of subtile and curious questions to fall into
or reason nor manifested by discourse and yet we doe know and are undoubtedly perswaded of the necessary and infallible truth thereof moved theâ—…unto by the divine authority of the propounder which is the Spirit of truth that is called faith which is as you heard out of Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an undoubted assent or full perswasion or assurance eui falsum subesse non potest the subject whereof cannot be false Where fourthly you see indeed that faith is distinguished against Science and evident intelligence but as a speciall under the same generall which is notitia knowledge And therefore the mysteries of saith which surpasse our reason though we doe not understand them by that knowledge which is of propositions either manifâ—…st in themselves or manifested by discourse yet wee know them to be undoubtedly true because of the authority of the propounder knowing whom we doe beleeve And therefore fifthly very absurd was he who said that faith may better be defined by ignorance than by knowledge § XV. Thus have wee seene the salshood of the popish doctrine concerning implicite faith now let us shew the wickednesse of it which consisteth in this that it is an horrible couzenage of the people to their perdition Here therefore two things are to bee shewed first that it is an egregious imposture and couzenage Secondly that it is extremely pernicious to the people Their cozenage stands in this that when they say that the faith required iu a lay man as sufficient to his justification is to beleeve or rather to professe himselfe to beleeve whatsoever the Catholike Church beleeveth though in particular he know not what the Church beleeveth their meaning is that the church of Rome and therein the Pope is not onely the whole materiâ—…ll object but also the formall object of their faith I say the whole materiall object For they teach that whatsoever is to bee beleeved is reduced to this one article of the Creed I beleeve the holy Catholike Church and that this faith is a more 〈◊〉 faith than if a man should say I beleeve the whole Scriptures For hee that beleeveth the Catholike Church beleevâ—…th whatsoever the Catholike Church propoundeth to be beleeved Now their Church propoundeth to be beleeved not onely tho whole written word both Apocryphall and Canonicall but the unwritten also which are the traditions of the Church They make the Church also the formall object of saith not onely which wee beleeve but also for which wâ—… beleeve whatsoever is to bee beleeved and so make the Church to be the rule and the principium or principle of their faith These are the grounds of their imposture But their cozenage especially consisteth in this that whatsoever excellencie they ascribe to the Catholike Church that they attribute wholly and onely to the Church of Rome and therein to the Pope For thâ—…s they expound that Article in their new Creed I beleeve the holy Catholike Apostolicall Church of Rome the Mother and Mistris of all other Churches out of which there is no salvation So excluding from salvation all those that have beene are or shall bee who live not in communion with and subjection to the Church and Pope of Rome This is the principall Nâ—…t whereby the greatest number of silly soules are cony â—…ch'd § XVI No doubt the Apostle by Catholike understood the Vniversall and not any particular Church fuch as the Church of Rome which was not then extant when the Creed was made as themselves doe â—…each And thereâ—…ore the Apostles themselves when they made the Creed were not of that Church And by holy Vniversall Church being an object of faith and therefore not seene they understand the universall company of the Elect which is the body of Christ containing not onely the Militant Church but also the Triumphant and not onely the Church after the ascâ—…ion of Christ but also before from the beginning of the world And not onely those who were or are under the Pope but also â—…hose who never acknowledged any subjection to the See of Rome such as were the Churches under the other foure Patriarâ—…es of Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Ierusalem and such as are the greatest part of Christâ—… at this day But if by Vniversall must be meant particular and if by Catholike must be understood Romane then by their doctrine from the company of them that are and shall be saved are excluded first the Church Triumphant secondly the Church which was from the beginning untill the Church of Rome was planâ—…d thirdly the foure 〈◊〉 Churches and others which acknowledged no subjection to the See of Rome in which were many Holy Martyrâ—… and the most of the godly and learned Fathers In all which time the Bishop of Rome was at the most but a Patriarch as others were untill 〈◊〉 that barbarous Tyraâ—…t in the yeare of our Lord 607. made him Vniversall Bishop and Head of the Vniversall Church the proper titâ—… of Antichrist fourthly all those Churches which since that time and at this day acknowledgâ—…â—…o subjection to the Pope as their Head which is the greater and better part of Christendome Now what a 〈◊〉 is this to perswade men that there is no salvation for those who doe not acknowledge the Pope to be their head that is who are not limmes and members of Antichristâ—… especially when the Scriptures teach that Antichrist prevailâ—… in them onely â—… that perish § XVII But although this be a grand imposture as a right reverend learned man hath shewed to teach men to beleeve that the Church of Rome alone is the Catholike Church out of which noâ—…e can be saved yet this is but halfe of their cozenage For 〈◊〉 article of the Church they expound as if it were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I beleeve that there is a Church as when it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I beleeve the commâ—…ion of Saints there mission of â—…nnes c. but as if it were said eredo Ecolâ—…sia oâ—… rather in Ecclesiam I beleeve the Church or in the Church as that which cannot 〈◊〉 and consequently beleeve whatsoâ—…er the Church teacheth or propoundeth to be beleeved making thâ—… Church 〈◊〉 formall object of their faith and principall rule or principle into which their faith is last resolved for which they give credit to the Scriptures themselves which receive their credit and authority from the Church Now by this Church they meane not the universall company of Catholikes for they are compared to Iobs Asses but the Prelates of the Church of Rome and among them the Pope who virtually is the Church in whom alone the prerogative of not erring resideth For a generall or Oecumenicall counsell which is the whole Church representative they say without the Pope may erre but the Pope himselfe alone without a councell cannot erre And therefore the authority of a generall councell and of the Pope together is no more
than of the Pope alone It is the Pope therefore alone that cannot erre who hath an heavenly and infallible judgement who is the supreame Iudge in all controversies the chiefe and onely authenticall interpreter of the Scriptures so that no point of religion is to be held for truth but what he determineth no text of Scripture to be held the word of God in any other sense than hee holdeth yea that a text of Scripture urged against them in another sense than he holdeth is not the word of God but rather of the devill By which meanes the Pope is stept into the roome of Christ and and is undoubtedly become Antichrist So that the implicite faith of the Papists whereby they professe themselves to beleeve what is propounded by the Church meaning especially the See of Rome that is to say the Pope to be beleeved and consequently whereby they professe themselves to beleeve in the Pope as the principall rule principle and foundation of their faith is the very character and marke of the Beast whereby men are branded to destruction § XVIII The which doth also prove the other point viz. how pernicious the doctrine of implicite faith is as tending to the perdition of the seduced people which I will also prove by other reasons For under the name of implicite faith they commend unto the Laity damnable ignorance that having blindfolded them they may lead them as it were by the nose whither it pleaseth them To them it is sufficient to beleeve what the Church beleeveth though they know little or nothing of the Churches beleefe If one of them be called before the Commissioners hee shall say enough and defend himselfe sufficiently when he answereth that he is a Catholike and that he will live and dye in that faith which the Catholike Church doth teach and that this Church can give them a reason of all those things which they demand And thus according to Christs promise Luk. 12. 12. the holy Ghost for sooth teacheth every unlearned Catholike to give sufficient reason of his faith But it is evident that those who live in ignorance doe live in a state of damnation or as the Scripture speaketh doe sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death First because they live without God as it were Atheists in this world For they that know not God have not God Secondly because they are void of all grace whereby they might hope to be saved For knowledge being the first of all graces where that is wanting all the rest are absent Againe without faith there is no saving grace for faith is the mother and roote of all other graces and without knowledge there is no faith as I have already shewed For how can t they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and by hearing knowne Knowledge is as it were the first step towards faith and all other graces and therefore he that hath not that in some measure hath not made one steppe in the way that leadeth to eternall life Thirdly because they are not Christs sheepe nor Gods children For I saith our Saviour know mine and I am knowne of mine Ioh. 10. 14. They shall know me every one of them saith the Lord from the greatest to the least of them Ier. 31. 34. All Gods children shall be taught of God Esai 54. 13. Ioh. 6. 45. every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth to mee saith our Saviour and none else All Gods children have the unction from the holy One and they know all needfull things 1 Ioh. 2. 20. 27. Ioh. 16. 13. Fourthly because it hath all the respects of evill in it For it is not one ly a sinne but the cause of all sinne and errour a punishment and the cause of punishment both in this life and in the world to come A sinne repâ—…oved and condemned Ier. 4. 22. 9. 3. Hos. 4. 1. â—… Cor. 15. 34. For it a sacrifice was ordained Levit. 4. 2. yea all the sinnes for which sacrifices were offered were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… that is ignorances Heb. 9. 7. The cause of sinne Errant qui operantur mulum They erre that sinne and none erre but by ignorance as Augustine saith Non erratur nisi per ignorantiam whence sinners are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are ignorant and doe erre Heb. 5. 3. Ignorance is the mother of all errours Regnum ignorantiae saith Augustine regnum erroris Ignorance also is a fearefull punishmentâ—… when God doth punish men with blindenesse of heart Esai 6. 9 10. and sendeth upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the efficacy of errour 2 Thâ—…s 2. 11. It is also the cause of punishment for the people that understandeth not shall bee punished Hos. 4. 14. as of captivityâ—… Esai 5. 13. of destruction Hos. 4. 6. it maketh men subject to the curse of God Psal. 79. 6. Ier. 10. 25. and to eternall damnation 2. Thes. 1. 8. If our Gospell bee hid saith the Apostle it is hid to them that perish 2 Cor. 4. 3. For if it bee eternall life to know God and Christ our Saviour then not to know God and our Saviour is to misse of eternall life Qui ea quâ—… sunt Domini nesciunt a Domino nesciuntur saith Gregory Paulo attestante qui ait si quis autem ignorat ignorabitur The Councell of Rhemes denyeth that they can bee saved who doe not understand the Creed and the Lords Prayer And againe no man can bee saved without faith and no man can beleeve that which he doth not know nor hath heard Augustine ipsa ignorantia in ets qui intelligere noluerunt sine dubitatione peâ—…catum â—…st in eis autem qui non potuerunt pâ—…na pecâ—…ati Ergo in utrisque non â—…st justa excusatio sed justa damnatio Hierome Ignoratio Scripturarum ignoratio Christi Origen â—…aith the Devills possesse all those that live in ignorance § XIX All this notwithstanding the popish Impostors detaine the people in ignorance they have taken away the Key of knowledge and shut up the Kingdome of Heaven against their followers for neither they goe in themselves neither suffer them that faine would enter to goe in They forbid them to reade the Scriptures which are able to make them wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. which our Saviour therefore commandeth them to search Ioh. 5. 39. They suffer them not to heare them nor yet the divine service otherwise than in an unknowen tongue contrary to the rule of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. and wherefore all this partly that their errours and abominations should not be seene for he that evill doeth hateth the light and as theeves by night wish the light of Gods Word to bee put out or at least to bee hid under a Bushell and partly that they may bee Lords over the peoples faith and may make them beleeve what they list
those who have not Charity have not faith who as the same Apostle saith professe themselves to know God but in deeds deny him which also is against himselfe for how saith Chrysostome can such a man be said to beleeve that denieth God Therefore saith he the wicked deny the faith not in heart or mouth but indeed and of them saith he writeth Saint Gregory whose testimony he alleageth directly against himselfe Eos non veraciter credere non habere veram fidem quinon bene operantur that they doe not truely beleeve nor have a true faith who doe not worke well And therefore those that worke ill as those doe who are without Charity and namely those who provide not for their domesticks shew that they have no true faith But this he salveth with another testimony of the same Gregory that many enter into the Church because they have faith and yet want the wedding garment because they have not Charity Where by faith we are to understand the profession of faith which many make who have not Charity But by the wedding garment we are according to the Scriptures to understand rather Christ and his righteousnesse as I have shewed heretofore put on by a true and lively faith for he that was without the wedding garment wanted faith as well as charity The Authour of the unfinished Worke in Chrysostome faith Nuptiale vestimentum est fides vera quae est per Iesum Christum justitiam ejus the wedding garment is the true faith which is by Iesus Christ and his righteousnesse But will you heare one of their owne Writers upon Matth. 22. what is saith he that wedding garment to wit that whereof Paul speaketh when he saith put on the Lord Iesus Christ. This garment is inwardly put on by faith when thou puttest on Christs righteousnesse to cover thy sinnes c. § VII The second out of Ioh. 6. 64. Iudas though he professed the faith is yet said not to have beleeved because he wanted Charity and therefore they who want Charity want faith Bellarmine answereth that he is said not to beleeve because at that time he had lost his faith I reply Iudas though he professed the faith yet he never had true faith and therefore never lost it For from the beginning Iesus knew who they were that beleeved not and who should betray him for this cause saith he in the next verse I said unto you that no man can come to me that is beleeve in me vers 35. and 64. unlesse it be given unto him of my Father which hee insinuateth had not been given to Iudas whom from the beginning he knew to be no beleever § VIII Hee that saith hee knoweth God namely by faith and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar Bellarmine answereth that he speaketh of the knowledge of familiarity and friendship of which the Lord speaketh to the wicked Matth. 7. 25. I know you not whereunto I reply that if he speake of such knowledge it is the knowledge of faith and cannot be had but by faith and so the argument standeth in force Howbeit unfitly doth he alleage the Lords not knowing of the wicked to prove the meaning of our knowing of him If he speake not of the knowledge of faith the argument is the stronger for if he be a lyar that only saith that he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandements then much more is hee a lyar that saith hee knoweth God by faith and keepeth not his commandements Beda indeed expoundeth this knowledge of God of the love of God which is a fruit and consequent of our faith hocest Deum nosse quod amare but others of faith as Gregory speaking of this place notitia quippâ—… Dei ad fideâ—… pertinet Oecumenius maketh this verse to bee of the same signification with the sixth verse of the first Chapter If we say that we have fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we are lyars and that which Saint Iohn there calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communion here hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commixtion or conjunction Thus therefore hee saith Saint Iohn having said before that those which beleeve in the Lord have communion or fellowship with him here hee setteth downe evidences of our communion with him In this wee know that wee know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that which hee had said before that wee have conjunction or communion with him if wee keepe his Commandements And this saith hee hee more fully sheweth by the contrary but hee that saith I know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or I have communion with him and keepeth not his Commandements he is a lyar This then is â—…is meaning he that saith I know God that is I have Communion with him by faith and doth not keepe his Commandements hee is a lyar But whether wee understand the words of communion by faith or of faith according to the usuall pâ—…rase of the Scriptures puting knowledge for faith as I noted before or of knowledge it selfe the argument is unanswerable For if wee cannot truely bee said to know Christ that is to beleeve in him unlesse wee keepe his Commandements then it is evident that true faith cannot be severed from Charity For this is love if we keep his Commandements 1 Ioh. 5. 3. againe if hee that saith hee knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandemenes bee a lyar much more he that saith hee beleeveth in God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar as I said before To this adde Tit. 1. â—…6 which Bellarmine cited against himselfe those that professe themselves to know God but in workes deny him they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unbeleevers Ioh. 3. 36. or as the vulgar Latine incredibiles or as Thomas Aquinas non apti ad credendum § IX Fourthly 1 Ioh. 5. 1. Every one that bâ—…leeveth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of God and therefore undoubtedly hath charity Bellarmine answereth that he speaketh de fide formata as Saint Augustine expoundeth and so doe wee for whosoever truely beleeveth hath fidem formatam For the Apostle no doubt speaketh of a true lively saith and such there is none but that which the Papists call formatam which worketh by love And therefore the argument holdeth that whosoever hath a true lively iustifying faith is borne of God or regenerated by the Spirit of sanctification and therefore is undoubtedly endued with charity § Fifthly Iam. 2. That faith which iâ—… without workes is dead A true lively justifying faith is not dead Therefore â—… true livâ—…ly â—…ustifying faith is not without works Bellarmine saith he hath explaned this in his third argument that faith is said to be dead not as a mâ—… is said to bee dead who after death is not but as a body is said to bee dead which after death is but liveth not For saith he Life is not of the
by Faith Act. 15. 9. We overcome the world by Christ Ioh. 16. 33. We overcome the world by Faith 1 Ioh. 5. 4 5. We are the Sons of God by Christ Ephes. 1. 5. We are the Sons of God by Faith Gal. 3. 26. We have an heavenly inheritance by Christ Gal. 4. 7. We have an heavenly inheritance by Faith Act. 26. 18. We attaine to Eternall life by Christ 1 Ioh. 5. 11 12. We attaine to Eternall life by Faith Ioh. 3. 16. 5. 24. 6. 47. We are saved by Christ Ioh. 3. 17. Matth. 1. 21. We are saved by Faith Ephes. 2. 8. All which benefits are attributed to faith not absolutely but relatively in respect of the object which it doth receive being no otherwise caused or procured by faith but as it is the hand and instrument whereby we receive Christ who is our life Ioh. 14. 6. Col. 3. 6. our righteousnesse Ier. 23. 6. 1 Corinth 1. 30. our propitiation Rom. 3. 25. 1 Ioh. 2. 2. our peace Ephes. 2. 14. our sanctification Tit. 2. 14. our victorious conqueror of all the enemies of our salvation Col. 2. 14 15. our Redeemer and Saviour who also is eternall Life 1 Ioh. 5. 20. whom whosoever hath he hath eternall life 1 Ioh. 5. 11 12. § VII But if we doe not receive and embrace Christ by a lively assent at the least working in our hearts an unfained desire to be made partakers of him and in our wils a settled resolution to acknowledge him to bee our Saviour and to rest upon him alone for Salvation without this speciall apprehension and application at least in desire and intent Christ and his merits doe not availe them that are adulti and come to yeeres of discretion unlesse it be to their greater condemnation who not caring to lay hold upon Christ and to apprehend and apply his merits unto them suffer as much as in them lyeth his precious blood to be spilt in vaine as it is in vaine to them who doe not apprehend and seeke to apply it to themselves For though the obedience of Christ both active and passive bee a robe of righteousnesse and our very wedding garment to cover our nakednesse and our sinnes yet it will not cover us unlesse it bee put on Though his stripes and sufferings be a soveraigne salve to cure our soules yet it will not cure them unlesse it be applyâ—…d Though his Body be meate indeed and his Bloud bee drinke indeed to nourish us unto eternall life yet they will not yeeld nourishment unto us unlesse we eate his Body and drinke his Bloud all which is done by faith apprehending and applying Christ whereby we put on him and his righteousnesse apply the salve of his sufferings eate his Body and drinke his Bloud The which because the Papists want and wanting reject they are faine to flee to their outward formalities wherein their religion consisteth and to their opus operatum in the Sacraments as if they without a true and lively faith were able to justifie and to save them without which notwithstanding our blessed Saviour himselfe doth not availe men to salvation He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not being adultus though hee bee baptized and receive all the Sacraments of the Romance Church hee shall notwithstanding be condemned Mar. 16. 16. Ioh. 3. 18 36. It is therefore plaine and evident that the faith which doth justifie must not bee a bare assent but a lively beleefe or assent specially apprehending and embracing and in desire at the least and purpose applying Christ unto us For actuall application cannot bee made untill wee finde our selves to have the condition of the promise which is that former degree of faith which being had and finding our selves to have it wee are actually to apply the promise and by application to gather assurance which some call speciall faith § VIII Now let us see what the Papists can object against this cleare truth There are two things or rather names which they dispute against viz. fides specialis and fiducia speciall faith and affiance which dispute notwithstanding hindreth not anything which I have spoken of the nature of justifying faith as it justifieth us before God For of justification taken in a large sence there are two degrees though of that which properly is called justification before God there neither are nor can bee any degrees as I have shewed The former is the justification of a sinner before God in the Court of Heaven by imputation of Christs righteousnesse apprehended by a lively assent or beleefe The second is our justification in the Court of our owne Conscience when wee are perswaded and in some measure assured of our justification which assurance of some is called fides specialis by which wee are not first justified before God but is then wrought in us when being already justified by faith the holy Ghost the Spirit of promise shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts sealeth us after wee have beleeved Eph. 1. 13. How beit the former degree of faith is also truely called speciall both in respect of the speciall object which is Christ and in regard of the speciall effect which is the speciall apprehension or embracing of Christ not onely in the judgement by a lively assent but also in the heart that is the will and affections by a desire to bee made partaker of him and his merits and by a setled will and resolution to acknowledge him to bee our Saviour and to rely upon him alone for salvation And in this sence that faith by which we are justified before God is a speciall faith But if that onely be called speciall faith by which we are justified in our owne Consciences that is assured of our justification that assurance arising from the actuall application of the promise to our selves then I say and avouch that this speciall faith is not that by which we are justified before God For we must have a justifying faith being the condition of the promise before we can proceed to application and first wee must bee justified before God before wee can have any assurance thereof in our owne Consciences when as therefore the Papists dispute against tâ—…is speciall faith proving that by it we are not â—…ustified before God they plead besides the purpose And yet for all their proofes it is truely called a justifying faith because by it we are justified in the Court of our owne Conscience § IX The like is to be said of Fiducia or affiance which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against which the Papists hotly dispute proving that it is not of the essence of justifying faith when notwithstanding divers of their owne Writers as well as of ours have expounded credere by fidere and fides by fiducia But they should understand that many of our Writers by affiance meane assurance which is the plerophorie of faith unproperly I confesse but
God grounded upon the infallible authoritie of God the relator and finally not being ignorant that we hold the proper object of faith to be the truth But we hold that it is seated both in the understanding and in the will and my reason brieâ—…ely is this because it is a voluntary assent and is so defined not onely by some of the ancient Fathers but also by the ancient Philosophers who as Thcodoreâ—… reporteth doe define it to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a willing assent of the soule Thâ—…refore to beleeve is an act both of the understanding and of the will Of the understanding as it is an assent of the will as it is voluntary Even as liberum â—…rbitrium as it is arbitrium belongeth to the understanding and as it is liberum to the will not that we seate it in two divers parts of the soule but onely in the mind that is the reasonable or intellectuall part though it worketh upon the affections also For the better understanding whereof wee are to know that when the holy Ghost is pleased to worke the grace of faith in the soules of any of the elect which ordinarily he doth by the ministery of the Gospell he openeth their hearts as he did the heart of Lydia to assent to the Gospell which he doth first by illuminating their understanding and opening the eyes of their minde that they may rightly conceive and judge of the doctrine of salvation and secondly by opening as it were the eares of the mind and enclining the will to affect and embrace what the understanding hath judged and approved to be true and good The understanding therefore approving and the Will which is intellectus extensus and ordinarily followeth the judgement of the practick understanding embracing the doctrine of the Gospell which promiseth salvation by Christ to all that beleeve the mind which containeth both these faculties being thus opened by the holy Ghost doth williugly assent to the doctrinâ—… of the Gospell concerning salvation by Christ. Faith therefore is a voluntary assent of the mind to the promise of the Gospell unto which the acts of both the faculties of the mind concurre of the understanding to judge that the thing propounded to be beleeved is true and good I meane that the promise is true and the thing promised good of the Will to accept and to embrace that for true and good which the understanding hath judged to be such Out of both which ariseth the voluntary assent of the minde which wee call faith This faith thus wrought by the holy Ghost the Spirit of regeneration being lively and effectuall worketh upon the heart and affections which also being renewed by the holy Ghost readily follow the willing assent of the minde both to affect Christ to desire to bee made partakers of him to love him and torest upon him for salvation and also to dis-affect and to detest those things which are repugnant to the Doctrine of the Gospel the chiefe whereof is Sinne. § III. Now that the act of the will doth concurre to faith and that faith which is an habit of the minde is seated as well in the will as in the understanding is a thing testified by the Fathers and confessed by the Schoole-men and by the Moderne Doctors of the Romane Church And first for the Fathers Clemens Alexandrinus saith that faith it the willing assent of the soule and so Theodoret doth define it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ambrose Fides non necessitatis sed voluntatis res est Faith is a matter of will and not of necessity therefore the Apostle saith not that wee domineere over your faith for dominion is cause of necessity and againe â—… to beleeve or not to beleeve it is an act of the Will Augustine Grace therfore preventeth or goeth before faith otherwise if faith prevent it then also the will prevenâ—…eth it quia fides sine voluâ—…late â—…on potest esse because faith cannot be without Will Againe what is it to beleeve but to consent that the thing is true which is said consensio autemutique volentis est and consenting undoubtedly is of him that is willing Every man when he willeth beleeveth cum credit volens credit and when he doth beleeve hee doth willingly beleeve Voluntate utique credimus verily we beleeve with our will Fides in credentium voluntate consistit faith standeth in the will of the beleevers And writing upon Ioh. 6. 44. What say we here brethren if we be drawne unto Christ then wee beleeve against our wills No saith hee A man may enter into the Church nolens against his will hee may come to the Altar nilling hee may receive the Sacrament nilling credere non potest nisi volens hee cannot beleeve unlesse hee bee willing And lastly in the elect the will is prepared of the Lord that therefore belongeth to faith quâ—… in voluntate est which is in the will § IV. Bonaventure it were not virtuovs to beleeve if it were not voluntary ipsum velle credere est essentiale ipsi fidei to beleeve willingly is essentiall to faith it selfe Vnto the being of the vertue of faith with the act of reason or understanding concurreth the act of the Will Faith never should be a vertue though it did enlighten the understanding never so much if it did not also rectifie the will Thomas Aquinas writing on Rom. 10. 10. Signanter autem dicit corde creditur id est voluntate he â—…peaketh remarkeably men beleeve with the hearr that is with the Will For all other things which appertaine to the outward worship of God 〈◊〉 potest a man may doe them nilling sed credere non potest nisi volens but none can beleeve that is not willing for the understanding of him that beleeveth is not determined to assent unto the truth by necessity of reason as of him that hath science but by the Will Againe Intellectus credâ—…ntis determinatur ad unum non per rationeâ—… sed per voluntatem Credere est actus intellectus assentientis veritati divinae ex imperio voluntatis à Deo motae per gratiam Credere est actus intellectus secùndum quod movetur a voluntate ad assentiendum procedit autem hujâ—…smodi actus à voluntate ab intellectu Actus fidei dicitur consistere in credentium voluntate in quantum ex imperio voluntatis intellectus credibilibus assentit Gabriel Biel the act of faith is to beleeve which is an act of the understanding assenting to the truth proceeding from the command of the will quiâ—… nullus credit nisi volens because no man beleeveth that is not willing as Saint Augustâ—…e teacheth § V. Cardin all Contarenus actus fidei quam vis sit elicitus ab intellectu est tamen imperatus à 〈◊〉 Salmeron Paul saith men beleeve with the heart to exclude fayning
upon it be cured And although their eye could not properly bee said to cure them yet because it was the onely instrument to apprehend that object which God had ordained as the onely remedy to salve them it is truely said that by onely looking upon that object they were cured Even so our Saviour Christ was lifted up upon the Crosse it is his owne similitude Ioh. 3. 14 15. that whosoever being stung by the old serpent doth but looke upon him with the eye of faith Ioh. 6. 40. may be justified and saved for although this eye of the of the soule which is faith cannot be said properly to justifie them who are sinners yet because it is â—…he onely instrument to apprehend that object which God hath ordained as the onely remedy and propitiation for our sinne it is truely said that by beleeving onely in Christ we are Iustified § IV Secondly whereas faith it selfe doth not justifie properly but the object which it doth apprehend which is Christ and his righteousnesse our meaning therefore when wee say that faith alone doth justifie can be no other but this that the righteousnesse of Christ alone which is onely apprehended by faith doth justifie us And forasmuch as this is a necessary disjunction that wee are justified either by that righteousnesse which is inherent in our selves or by that which is out of us in Christ for by some righteousnesse wee are justified and a third cannot be named it followeth therefore necessarily that if we be not justified by inherent righteousnesse then by Christs righteousnesse alone because a third righteousnesse by which we should bee justified cannot be named § V. Thirdly where wee say that Christs righteousnesse alone which is apprehended by faith alone doth justifie wee doe not meane absolutely that nothing else doth justifie but nothing in that kind viz. that the righteousnesse of Christ is the only matter of our justification and faith the onely instrument on our part by which wee are justified For otherwise as hath before beene shewed wee confesse that many things else doe justifie viz. God as the Author and principall efficient of our justification who imputethunto us the righteousnesse of his Son The holy Ghost also doth justifie us by working in us the grace of faith hy which he applyeth Christs righteousnesse unto us The Ministers also doe justifie as the instruments of the holy Ghost both by the ministry of the Gospell by which faith is begotten in us and of the Sacraments whereby the promises of the Gospell are sealed unto us And lastly good workes doe justifie as the signes and evidences whereby our faith and justification is manifested But as the matter nothing doth justifie but Christs righteousnesse and as the instrument on our part nothing but faith And in this sense wee doe constantly affirme that by Christs righteousnesse alone apprehended by faith alone wee are justified § VI. For the demonstration of our assertion I shall not need to bring many new proofes seeing that all those arguments which before I have produced but especially those which concerne the matter and forme of justification doe invincibly prove that wee are justified by the righteousnes of Christ alone being apprehended by faith alone and imputed to them that beleeve For if we be justified by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ alone and if in us there bee nothing which receiveth or maketh us partakers of Christs righteousnesse but faith onely then there is nothing in us by which we are justified but onely faith But because the Papists object heresie and novelty against us in this point I will besides some few places of Scripture and some other reasons briefly propounded produce the testimonies of the Fathers and others who have in all ages lived in the Church before these times § VII First therefore Rom. 3. 24. the word gratis freely being an exclusive particle doth import that we are justified by the grace of God and merits of Christ through faith without righteousnesse in us and therefore by faith alone Secondly Gal. 2. 16. We know that by the workes of the Law that is the righteousnesse and obedience prescribed in the Law in which all inherent righteousnesse is fully and perfectly described a man is not iustified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no otherwise but by faith non nisi per fidem as Bishop Iustinian or by faith onely as Henry Steven who well understood the Greek translateth it sed tantùm per fidem Thirdly Rom. 4. 5. the exclusive is implyed To him that worketh nor but hath beleeved that is hath onely beleeved in him who justifieth sinners his faith is imputed unto righteousnesse and so the Syriack Paraphrast readeth but hath onely beleeved Fourthly Mar. 5. 36. Luk. 8. 50. Onely beleeve To this Bellarmine answeareth That Christ speaketh of the miraculous raising of a dead body and not of the justification of a sinner for as for the obtaining of a miraculous cure he confesseth that faith doth suffice alone Thus Bellarmine in that place to serve his present tume But in the seventeenth Chapter of the same booke where hee would prove that faith doth justifie not relatively in respect of the Object but by its owne efficacie hee alleageth that the woman of Canaan procured her daughters health by the efficacie of her faith and rejecteth his owne answere in the other place Neither may it bee answered saith he that it is one thing to speake of justification and another of the curing of a bodily disease For our Lord by the very same words attributeth Vtramque sanitatem the health both of the body and the soule to faith For as he said to the woman who was a sinner Luk. 7. 50. thy faith hath saved thee so to the woman which had the bloudy issue Mat. 9. 22. thy faith hath saved thee and to the blinde man whom he restored to sight Mar. 10. 52. thy faith hath saved thee And further it is to bee thought that our Saviour when he telleth them whom he cured that their faith had saved them that is himselfe through faith had saved them looked higher than to the cure of their bodies as Mat. 9. 2. sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiven thee for sinne being the cause of their maladies the Lord to cure them tooke away the cause thereof which was the guilt of sinne § VIII All those places which exclude workes from justification doe by necessary consequence teach justification by faith alone For that we are justified by some righteousnesse is confessed of all This righteousnesse is either the righteousnesse of faith or of workes that is either the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith and that is the righteousnesse of God which without the Law is revealed in the Gospell or that righteousnesse which is inherent in our selves prescribed in the Law For neither can a third righteousnesse bee named by which we should be justified neither can wee be justified by both
no man lay besides that which is laid which is Christ Iesus By foundation saith hee Augustine and other interpreters understand faith in CHRIST But Paul himselfe say I in expresse termes saith that this foundation is Christ himselfe who most properly is called the foundation of his Church If therefore saith bee but the beginning and a part of justification because in Bellarmines conceit it is called the foundation then Christ himselfe the author and finisher of our faith and our perfect Saviour who most properly is the foundation shall afford us but a beginning and a part of our justification But be it that faith is called the foundation yet I would rather thinke that it is called the foundation relatively because Christ whom it apprehendeth is the foundation than that Christ should bee called the foundation because faith is Sometimes faith is put for the object of it and so is hope and thus some understand Gal. 3. 23 25. But that Christ should bee put for faith I suppose is not usuall But whereof is it the foundation it is the foundation the beginning the root the fountaine of Sanctification and of all inherent righteousnesse yet of justification it is not but Christ onely who alone is the foundation of all our happinesse Augustine indeed by foundation understandeth not onely Christ himselfe but faith also working by love which as Bellarmine said in the last argument is not as here he speaketh the beginning but the perfection of justice Chrysostome and Theophylact whom hee quoteth speake not of faith but of Christ onely Howbeit if faith must be held to be this foundation I doubt not but that according to the Scriptures we are to understand the doctrine of faith concerning Christ which often times is called faith which foundation the Apostle laid when hee preached the Gospell and whereupon other preachers are to build This argument therefore was farre fetched and cannot be brought to conclude the point The foundation is Christ and not faith Or if faith then either the habit of faith working by love which is not the beginning or foundation of justification but of sanctification or the doctrine of faith of which the question is not understood § IX His third testimony is Act. 15. 9. purifying their hearts by faith which plainely speaketh not of justification but of sanctification For we having received Christ by faith hee dwelleth in our hearts by faith and by his Spirit applying unto us not onely the merit of Christ his death and resurrection to our justification but also the virtue and efficacie of his death to mortifie sinne in us and of his resurrection to raise us to newnesse of life The testimonies of the Fathers serve all to prove that saith is the foundation and beginning of a godly life which because we doe freely confesse he might have forborne to prove § X. The third part of his assumption was that faith doth obtaine remission of sinnes and after a sort merit justification and therefore justifieth not by receiving and apprehending the promise Answ. In the antecedent of this reason Bellarmine contradicteth the Councill of Trent which hath decreed nihil eorum quae justificationem precedunt sive fides sive opera ipsam justificationis gratiam promeretur None of those things which goe before justification whether faith or workes doe merit the grace of justification But here Bellarmine ought to have proved three things which because he could not prove he taketh for granted The first is that by other things besides faith we doe merit justification which notwithstanding God doth grant us gratis that is freely and without merit For if faith did merit it which nothing else in us can doe it would follow that faith doth justifie alonâ—… The second that faith doth not obtaine remission of sinnes by receiving and apprehending the object which is Christ. But the Scriptures say plainely that by beleeving in Christ that is by receiving of him we receive remission of sinne The third that impetrare est quodammodò mereri to impetrate is after a sort to merit for then what by faithfull prayer we begge of God we should be said to merit and in like manner the beggar should by begging merit his almes But what saith Bellarmine elsewhere Multum inteâ—…esse inter meritum impetrationem that there is great difference betweene merit and impetration and Thomas Impetramus ea quâ—… non meremur Meritum nititur justitia Dei impetratio benignitate wee impetrate those things which we doe not merit Merit relieth upon Gods justice Impetration on his bounty But let us examine his proofes § XI The first out of Luk. 7. 50. where our Saviour telleth the Woman to whom he had said thy sinnes are forgiven thee that her faith had saved her for saith he it could not wel be said that her faith had saved her from her sinnes that is justified her if it conduced no more to justification than onely to receive the pardon For who would say to a poore man who onely put forth his hand to receive the almes thine hand hath releeved thee or to a sicke man who received a medicine with his hand thy hand hath cured thee Answ. Bellarmine before Chap. 13. alleaged this place to prove that the great love of this Woman towards Christ had procured the remission of sinnes which if it had beene true would have proved that not her faith but her love had saved her Secondly when our Saviour saith thy faith namely in me hath saved thee his meaning is that himselfe being received by faith had saved her As for the similitude of the hand I say thus that if releefe by almes or cure by Phyâ—…cke were promised upon this condition onely that whosoever would but put forth his hand to receive the almes or the Physicke should be releeved or cured it might truely be said that by the hand as the instrument â—…elatively the party is releeved or cured For such gracious promises hath God made to us that if we shall but put foorth the hand of faith to receive Christ wee shall bee justified and saved from our sinnes And such is the accompt that he maketh of this instrument by which onely we receive Christ that for our comfort he may say unto any true beleever as hee did to the woman thy faith hath saved thee For as when the people of Israell were bitten by the fiery Serpents the Lord having promised safely to all that should but liâ—…t up their eyes to behold the brasen Serpent which Moses had set on high to that purpose it might then have beene said of those that were saved that their eye had cured them So our Saviour was lift up upon the crosse that whosoever doth but looke upon him with the eye of faith shall be saved Not that the hand absolutely doth releeve or cure but relatively in respect of the almes or of the medicine which it doth receive Nor
whereof he is just in justifying us Rom. 3. 25 26. and in remitting our sinnes Psal. 51. 14. 1 Ioh. 1. 9. and accepting of us as righteous in Christ unto eternall life and to this justice of Christ and not to ours doth the Lord in justice as a just Iudge render eternall life being no lesse just than mercifull in saving us And in this justice of God as well as his mercie are wee to repose our affiance both for our justification and salvation For if wee truely beleeve in Christ we have in him satisfied Gods justice in him we have fulfilled the Law and therefore remission of sinnes and eternall life is in justice due unto us not for any merits of ours but for the merits of Christ. There remaineth the remunerating or distributive justice of God as a just Iudge judging the world in righteousnesse Psal. 9. 4 8. and rendring to every one according to the quality of their works Psal. 62. 12. Rom. 2. 6. Ier. 32. 19. For it is just with God to reward the righteousnesse of the righteous and to punish the sinnes of the wicked as in the place alleaged 2 Thess. 1. 5 6. and Psal. 18. 20 24. Mat. 10. 41 42. 2 Tim. 4. 8. Exod. 34. 7. And this justice is distinguished according to the quaâ—…ity of the persons towards whom it is exercised for towards the godly it is justitia liberans beans of which Psa. 31. 1. 71. 2. deliver me in thy righteousnesse and towards the wicked vindicans or puniens Psal. 94. 1 2. Exod. 34. 7. 〈◊〉 1. 2 3. The proposition therefore is not true unlesse it bee understood of commutative justice which belongeth not to God For the reward which God giveth to good workes if it bee according to his universall justice it is to bee ascribed not to our merits but to his goodnesse If according to his justice in word not to our merits but to his fidelity If according to his justice as he is absolute Lord not to our merits but to his good pleasure If according to his justice as he is Creator c. not to our merits but to his bounty If according to his justice as hee is the God of our righteousnesse not to our merits but to the merits of Christ. If according to his remunerating justice not to our merits but to his liberality Answ. 2. God may bee said in justice to render reward either in respect of the worthinesse or desert of the worke or in some other respect If not in that respect or if in any other respect it argueth not merit But not in that respect for all our workes are unperfect and stayned with the flesh and no way in worth comparable to the reward but in other respects as first in regard of his promise which it is just with him to performe secondly in regard of Christs merit applyed to us § XX. I come to the assumption which understood of commutative justice is not true of others it is to no purpose Let us then examine his proofes whereof not one doth prove the question For as touching the first viz. 2 Thes. 1. 6. we have said that it is just in respect of Gods remunerative justice by which hee rendreth to every one according to the quality of their workes to recompense tribulation to the wicked which persecute the Church and to the godly who are troubled rest with the Saints The second 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. It is just with God when the faithfull have fought a good fight have finished their course have kept the faith that he should render unto them the crowne of righteousnesse both according to his fidelity in performing his promise for it is just that the crowne which hee hath promised to the faithfull hee should give them having kept the faith and also according to that righteousnesse as he is the God of our righteousnesse that is the justifier and Saviour of all that beleeve For it is just that the righteous judge should give to the Apostle having kept the faith that crowne of righteousnesse which God hath promised and which Christ hath purchased and which in respect of Christ his merit and righteousnesse imputed is in justice due not onely to the Apostle but to all the faithfull who are described by this note that they love his comming If it bee demanded why it is called the crowne of righteousnesse Bernard shall informe us Est ergo quam Paulus expectat corona justiâ—…iae sed justitiae Dei non suae It is therefore a crowne of justice which Paul expecteth but of Gods justice not his owne For it is just that he should render what he oweth and he oweth what he hath promised And this is the justice whereof the Apostle presumeth the promise of God The third Heb. 6. 10. God having promised that he would be mindefull of his servants he is not unfaithfull to breake his promise nor unjust to forget them But what is this to the purpose or that which followeth Iam. 1. 12. that when a man is by bearing affliction found to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 approved he shall receive the crowne of life which God hath promised to all that love him or that Apoc. 20. 10. where to him that is faithfull unto death the Lord promiseth to give out of his gracious bounty a crowne of life As touching those places which concerne loane the prize and the depositum in all three it is presupposed in the very nature of the contracts that a promise is made by the borrower by the master of the game by the depositary that the thing borowed is at the day of payment to be restored the prize is to bee given to him that winneth it and the depositum is to be rendred when the depositor doth demand it and therefore that it is just that the promise in every one should be performed And even so Paul in the last place as Bernard hath well observed Dei promissum suum appellat depositum quia credidit promittenti fidenâ—…er promissum repeâ—…it promissum quidem ex misericordia sed jam ex justitia persolvendum calleth Gods promise or that which he promised his deposâ—…um and because he beleeved the promiser he doth confidently call for the thing promised promised indeed in mercie but now in justice to be rendred § XXI His fifth argument is taken from those Testimonies wherein eternall life is promised to good workes as Maâ—…th 19. 17. If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements and vers 29. Every one that shall leave house or father c. hee shall receive an hundred fold and shall possesse eternall life 1. Tim. 4. 8. Godlinesse is profitable for all things having the promise of this life and of that which is to come Iam. 1. 12. he shall receive the crowne of life which God hath promised to them that love him Now saith hee a promise made with the condition of a
reason 1. 2. 3. i â—… Tim. 1. 12. The wickednes of the doctrine concerning implicite faith How the Papists understand the Article of the Catholike Church k Gordon câ—…ntr 1. cap. 27. l Bulla Pij 4. super forma iuramenti professionis fiâ—…ci How the Apostle understood the Article 1 2 Thes. 2. 10. Mat. 24. 24. Apoc. 17. 8. D. Morton Bishop of Lichfield and Covenâ—…y The second part of their cozenage m Thom. 2. â—…â—… â—… 9. 2. 6. Minores qui significantur per asinos de bent in credendis adhâ—…rere maioribus qui per boves signi fican tur n Turrecrem sum â—… 3. c. 41. o Hosius de express Dei verbo The doctrine os implicite faith pernicious p Rhemists in Luk. c. 12. 11. q Ibid. in Marg. r Luk. 1. 79. s Ephes. 2. 12. 4. 18. b Rom. 10. 14. u Prov 14. 22. Mat. 22. 29. * Concil Tolet. 4. c. 24. Conc. Arelat 4. can 3. y Iob. 17. 3. z 〈◊〉 l. 1. cap. 1. 1 Cor. 14. 38. vulg a Can 8. b 〈◊〉 chard decâ—…et lib. 2. c. 62 c Ad Sextum 〈◊〉 pisl 105. d Prâ—…em ad Eustoch in commenâ—… in Esai e In Num. hom 27. They detaine the people in ignorance and why f Luk 11. 52. g Mat. 23. 23. h Ioh. 12. 35. i Iud. 16. 21. k In Ioan. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l 1 Cor. 14. 35. 1 Pet. 3. 7. In the true Church plenty of Knowledge m Theodoret. Therapeut serm 5. pag. 81. n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o Ier. 9. 23. 24. Our first reason because he that hath true faith is regenerate Our second reason because he hath the Spirit of Christ. a Gal. 5. 22. b Heb. 10. 29. c Rom. 8. 11. 1 Cor. 3. 16. 6. 19. 2 Tim. 1. 14. d 2 Cor. 13. 5. 1 Ioh. 3. 24. Eph 3. â—…7 e Gal. 3 26. Ioh. 1. 12. 13. 1 Ioh. 3. 24. 4. 13. Our third reason because he is sanctified f Luk. 1. 73 74 75. Five other reasons Seven other Arguments out of Iam. 2. 24 c. g 1 Ioh. 3. 18. h In epistolam Joan. tract 10. Sixe other arguments defended against Bellarmine First out of 1 Tim. 5. 8. i Tit. 1 16. k Homil. 29. in Evang. l Homil. 38. m Iâ—… Matth. 22 hom 41. n 1. Ferus in Matib 22. o Rom. 13. 14. Gal. 3. 27. p Cum tuis peccat is supâ—…r in duis Câ—…risti iâ—…stitiam tu is demerit is ipsius merita tuae in obedientia ipsius obedientiam The second out of Iohn 6. 64. q Vers. 6â—… The â—…hird out of 1 Iohn 2. 4. r In Ezek. hom 22. s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t C. 1. v. 6. u Cap. 1. S. 4. The fourth out of 1 Joh. 5. 1. * Tract 10. in epist. Ioan. The fifth out of Jam. 2. 17. 20. x Respons ad obiect 4. The sixth out of Hâ—… 2. 4. Testimonies of Fathers first Chrysostome y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. de side lege t. 6. 838. 1 De side operib c. 23. 2 In epist. Ioan. tract 10. De fide operib c. 16. 3. Aug. in Ioan. tract 9. Sent. lib. 3. dist 23. August in Psal. 130. epist. 85. 4. De paenitent dist 2. c. 14. De verbis Dominum serm 61. a Lib. 3. epist. 73. b In Jac. 2. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d In evangel hom 29. e Ibid. f Tit. 1. 16. g Hom. 22. sup Ezek. Sent. dist 25. C. h In Gal. 5. i Ibid. k Serm. ad pastâ—…res in synâ—…do De iustif l. 1. c. 15. His first proofe out of Ioh. 12. 42 43. a Ioh. 19. 38. His second proofe out of 1 Cor. 13. 2. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bellarmiâ—…s instances c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two other instances d Sup. Ezek. bom 22. e De Trinit l. 5 â—… 18. His third testimony Iam. 2. 14. f Cap. 2 â—… 5 g 2 Thes. 3 2. h Tit. â—… 1. i In evang hom 29. k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. Theoph. Oecum Theod. in 1 Cor. 12. 9. Gennad apud Oecum in 1 Cor. 13. 2. l Chrysoft de fide lege m 1 Ioâ—… 3. 18. His fourth proofe because in the Church there are both good and bad n 2 Thâ—…s 3. 2. Tit. 1. 1. o Contr. Crescon l. 1. c. 29. p Mat. 17. 17. His fifth proofe from the nature of faith and charity Whether Charity doth necessarily follow faith q Ioh. 5. 35. Luthers similitude r Prafat in Ep. ad Rom. Bucers similitude s 1 Ioh. 4. 19. t Lib. 3. c. 2. §. 8. Calvins similitude u 1 Cor. 1. 30. * Gal. 3. 26. Ioh. 1. 12. 1 Ioh. 5. 1. x Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 11. y Rom. 8. 9. z Cap. 2. §. 2. a Rom. 3. 24. b De justis l. 1. cap. 15. §. Accedat septimò Gregor in Evang homil 29. No iustifying faith but that which layeth hold on Christ. a Heb. 11. 3 c. b Ioh. 3. 16 18. 36. 6. 29 40 47. Act. 8. 37. 16. 30 31. c Ioh. 3. 14 15. d Ioh. 6. 40. e Sent. lib. 3. dist 19. â—… f Act. 20 21. 24. 24 26. 18. Gâ—…l 3. 26. g Rom. 3. 22. 16. Gol. 2. 16. 20. 3. 22. Phil. 3 9. h Esâ—…y 53. 11. To beleeve in Christ is to re ceive him i August in Ioan tract 50. k In epist. Ioan. tract â—…0 l In Iam. 2. The degrees of faith l 1 Ioh. 5. 1. Ioh. 1. 12 13. m Eph. 1. 13. n Act. 16. 14. o Rom. 4. 11. p Ioh. 5. 10. The use of this distinction q Covenant of grace cap. 8. The former degreâ—… The speciall faith The speciall receiving of Christ necessary to justification Without it Christs merits availe us not to justification The Papists objections against speciall faith r Rom. 5. 5. Their objections concerning fiducia By a lively assent men beleeve in Christ. s Act. 8. 37 38. That asâ—…iance is not faith t Covenant of grace cap. 8. The Subject of faith 1. The parties a De justiâ—… li. 3. cap. 14. 2. The part b Therapent li. 1. pag. 18. c Rom 10. 14 17 d Act. 16. 14. Testimonies that to beleeve is an act of the Will as well as of the Vnderstanding e Stromat lib. 5. pâ—…g 251. f Therapeuâ—… l. 1. pag. 16. g In 2 Cor. 1. 24. o â—…n Rom. 4. i De bono persever l. 2. cap. 16. k De Spirit litera cap. 31. l Ibid. c. 3â—… m Ibid. c. 33. n Epist. 23 de Baptism parvulorum o In Ioan. tract 26. p De predestin sanct lib. 1. c. 5. in sine Schoole-men q In Sent. 3. dist 23. art 1. q. 2. in resâ—…l r Ibid. s In Rom. 10. lect 2. t 2. 2. q. 2. art 1. ad 3 um u Ibid. art 9. c. * 2. 2. q. 4. art 2. c. x Ibid. art 2. adâ—… â—… um y Iâ—… Sent. 3. dist 23. q. 2. art 1. z In Iâ—…an Doctors of the Rom. Church
a De justif b In Rom. 10. 10. c Ioh. 2. 23. Whether the Vnderstanding be commanded by the Will a De justif l. 1. c. 8. 9. b Heb. 1â—…3 c Basil. Ascet. de fide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Ethic. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 80. The proper object of justifying faith Obj. concerning the object of Abrahams faith e Gen. 3. 15. f Psal. 72. 17. The two other promises He beleeved in the Lord and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse that is because he beleeved in the Lord he was reputed a righteous mâ—…n â—…nd so Vatablus iâ—… Gen. 15. 6. Rom. 4. 10. The latter g Heb. 4. 9. h Ioh. 8. 56. i Heb. 11. 13. k Heb. 11. 8 9 14 16. Iam. 2. 23. m De justiâ—… l. 4. ca. 18. Possunt enim illa verba applicari adomneâ—… insignes actus fidei ejusdem Patriarchae Christ the proper object of faith in two respects n Covenant of grace Bellarmines objections De iustif l 1â—… c. 8 c. The first that the obiect of faith is whatsoever is revealed by God Father Almighty n Deut. 33. 26. Eternall Immutable Omniscient Omnipresent True and faithfull â—…ust Good and Gracious Loving Creatour and Provisour o Psal. 119. 75. p Deut. 8. 16. Christ God and Man Conceived of the holy Ghost borne c. Suffered Was crucified Dead Buried Descended to hell Rose againe Ascended Sitteth at Gods right hand He shall come againe to judgment The Holy Ghost The holy Ca. tholike Church Communion of Saints Forgivenesse of sinnes The Resurrection Life Eternall Whether every man bee bound to beleeve that hee is elected c. Ioh 3. 18. Whether a man may be justified without speciall faith Whether a man is justified by speciall faith r 2 Pet. 1. 10. s Covenant of Grace Whether justifying faith doth onely dispose a man to justification a Sess. 6. c. 6. Seven dispositions required before justification of which vide infra ca. 10 11 12. b Conc. Trid. Sess. 6. cap. 7. c Sess. 6. ca. 7. d In Rom. 10. 4. e Conc. Trid. sess 6. cap. 4. Secondly whether faith doth justifie formally f Lib. 4. g Lib. 4. 5. h Supr cap. 4. §. 6. The Papists cavill that we debate faith i Bellar. De justif l. 1. c. 12. §. Itaque sensum The state of the Controversie What wee meane by faith What is meant by the word justifie Of the exclusive particle alone That the object of faith doth justifie properly That nothing in that kind doth justifie but the righteousnesse of Christ as the matter and Faith as the onely instrument on our part Our prooses a In Gal. 2. 16. b De justif l 1. cap. 20. c §. Consirmat d Mat. 15. 28. Mar. 7. 29. e Act. 3. 16. his name through faith in his name Reasons 1. Rom. 8. 28. Gal. 2. 16. Eph. 2. 8. The second Reason containing a threesold argument The third reason because faith is the condition of the Covenant f Ioh. 3 16. Act. 10. 43. Gal. 3. 9. g Rom. 3. 27. The fourth reason because faith only in the question of justification is mentioned in the Scriptures h De justif l. 1. c. 20. §. Quod attinet i L. 6. c. lz § 2 â—… a AdDiogNetum Iustin. Martyr Ann. Dom 160. b Ibid. c Advers Iulian. lib. 1. c. 2. Irenaeus An. 180 lib. 4. ca. 5. Clemens Alex. An. 200. d Paedag. l. 1. c. 6. e Stromat l. 5. Origen An. 230 f In Rom. 3. l. 3. g De justif lib. 1. cap. 25. h Luk. 23. 40 41 42. i Luk. 7. 37. Cyprian An. 250 k Ad Quirinum l. 3. c. 42. l De eccl Theol. l. 1. ca. 12. m Hilar. An. 360 In Mat. can 8. n Can. 21. o De Trinit li. 6. Basil. An. 370. p Serm. De humilitaâ—…e q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aâ—…brosc A. 370. Greg. Nazianz. A. 370. r Bâ—…bliothec lib. 4. De consecrat dist 4. c. 99. Hieronymus A. 380. s De scriptorib in Hieronymo t Alitâ—…r ut Hieronymus exponiâ—… Chrysostome A. 390. u Homil. 2. * Homil. 7. x Homil. 8. y Homil. 14. z Homil 5. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Homil. 3. c In Rom. 3. 28. d Tom. 6. p. 838. c Lib. 4. â—…n c. 14. Hesycbiusa 400 f De civit D. August an 400. g Grat de poenitenâ—…iâ dist c. 14. h Initio i Tract 42. k Lib. 1. cap. 21. l Quâ—…st 76. m in â—…oan l. 10. c. 18. Cyrill Alexandr An. 430. n Lib. 9. c. 30. o Sedulius in Collectanes p in Rom. i. 17. Theodâ—…ret An. 430. q De Curand Grac affectib lib. 7. r Epigram 8. De doctrina Evangelica r In Gen. lib. 3. Prosper An. 440. Cl. Mar. Victor t Pet. Chrys. An 440. sâ—…rm 34. Primisius An. 440. Theodulus Gennadius A. 490. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Venantius A. 570. Beda A. 720. Haymo A. 840. Photius A. 860 Smaragdus A. 950. Oecumenius A. 1050. Thâ—…ophylact A. 1070. Anselmus A. 1080. Rupertus an 1120. Bernard an 1130. Tho Aquinas an 1209. Bonaventure an 1260. Nic. Gorrham Cour. Clingius Car. Contarenus â—…n 1541. u Sess. 6. Can. 9. * De Sacrament lib. 2. cap. 3. in fine x Rom. 4. 23 24. y Ambrose in Gal. 3. 18. qui sorma jus rei est z Rom. 4. 11 Bellarmine disputeth the question three waies De justis l. 1. c. 12 Bellarmines dispute impertinent That faith doth not iustifie alone by way of disposing Bellarmines proveth by five sorts of arguments First from the seven dispositions which discourse is idle and impertinent Preparative dispositions to justifying faith The first disposition Faith Bellarmines argument faith doth but begin justification and therefore doth not justifie alone a Rom 5. 2. b Hab. 2. 4. Gal. 2. 20. c Rom. 1. 17. d Gen. 15 6. His first testimony Heb. 11. 6. c Esa. 21. 12. His second testimonie Rom. 10. 13. 14. f Esa. 56. 7. g Concord Evang. capâ—… h Strom. lib. 2. i Catech. 1. k Homil. 2. de symb l De fide spe charit m Lib. 4. in Ioan. cap. 9. n De sacramentis lib. 1 o In Eph. 3. p August in Gal. 3. q De praedestin S. c. 7. r De bono persever c 2. s De spiritu litera c. 30. t De verb. Apostoli serm 2. u Prosper de vita contempl l. 3. c. 21. * Respons ad dub 8. Gen. x Moral l. 2. c. 33 y 1 Pet. 1. 5. Bellarmines reasons De iustif l. 1. c. 13. § secunda a Luk. 18. 14. Bellarmines allegations impertinent The first Eccl. 1. 28. b Eccl. 1. 14. 16 1â—… c Iam. 1 20 d Prov. 14. 26. Bellarmines proofes from Scripture His Testimonies and Reason His third disposition Hope e 1 Cor. 9. 10. Testimonies of Scripture The three first f Prov. 28. 25. g Vers. 26. Psal. 37. 40. h Psal. 2. ult i Bellarmine in Psal. 90. 14. Testimonies of Fathers k Ambros. de poenit l. 1. c.