yeares But because the Roomish harlot hath approued this fable and the Rhemists do but sooth her in that which she hath affirmed you will rather then yâ—eld say that the supposed reporter of this storie being a Counsellor of Athens and this being done in Iudea was there for that purpose thrée or foure yeares before he was conuerted to Christianitie I shewed you the sophisâ—ry of the same honest men in peruerting the place before alleaged out of the tenth to the Hebruâ—s but because they haue set it down in fauour of the Romish Masse you will not goe from it though it be without shewe of reason and contrary to common sense To shewe the plaine euidence of scripture as touching our doctrine of iustification I cited those words That a man is iustified by faith without Rom. 3. 2â— Iam. 2. 21. 24. the workes of the law You crosse it with S. Iames his words That Abraham was iuâ—â—ified by workes and not by faith only I answere directly out of S. Paul If Abraham were iustified by workes he had Rom 4. 2. to reioyce but not with God by which place Oecumenius accordeth Oecumen in Rom. 4. the former two and by which conference it appeareth that whosoeuer is iustified by faith before God doth also approue his true faith by workes of righteousnesse before men but yet that no mans righteousnesse of workes is such as wherby he may stand holy blamelesse and without fault in the sight of God but that all are in this respect to cry out Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight no man liuing shal be iustified Wherupon S. Austen saith August in Pâ—al 142. saith Let the Apostles say forgiue vs our trespasses c. And when it shall be saide vnto them Why say you so what are your trespasses Let them answere because no man liuing shall be iustified in thy sight but you beléeue because your loue hath told you so that men are by the righteousnesse and merits of workes to be iustified in the sight of God Take héede M. Spence deceiue not your selfe There is but one heauen and one faith that bringeth thither God only hath reuealed that faith Séeke it there where he hath reuealed it Your ground is now only vppon men yet neither will Popery stand vppon that ground if you tie not your selfe to your new builders Bishop Iewel amongst others hath detected the vanitie of their building in many points But you say that one Steuens beyond the sea declared his bad dealing in his writing to that purpose But were you so simple to credit what Steuens said Doe you not know that many when they come to your Seminaries will haue some what to say whereby to commend themselues and to discredit vs and therefore when they want truth must néeds coyne lies One alleaged to me when I was in Oxford how Iewell had falsified a place out of Thomas Aquinas He spake it by heare-say as you do I went into a Library of verie auncient copâ—es and found it word for word as it was cited It was maruell that M. Harding could not finde that kinde of dealing It would haue giuen him good matter for a far more substantiall answere But I might as well vpon report tell you that Harding perplexed in mind néere his death wished that his soule might haue place with Bishop Iewels soule I haue heard that Hart the Iesuite being demanded thereof in the Tower could not make any great deniall of it But the truth lieth not in these matters As for Bishops Iewels writings I will lend you the booke if it please you It were maruell that no sillable or sentence should be mistaken in that multitude of allegations the sight whereof troubled M. Hardings minde as I conceiue by the Preface of his fond detection but for the substance of the cause and iustifying the points defended I will vndertake to make good vnto you the allegations for so many of the auncient Fathers as I haue and some of the principall you know I haue and can quickly get more And what I haue here written I will be readie to approue vnto you and to make plaine whatsoeuer is here for want of conuenient leisure briefly and therfore perhaps obscurely collected The God of peace guide vs in the way of peace and graunt vs to know his truth and to perseuere in the knowledge thereof vnto the ende A DEFENSE OF THE AVTHORITIES ALLEAGED IN THE REplie against the answere of P. Spence P. Spence Section first IN respect you wish me good and well M. Abbot I thanke you for it knowing it cannot proceed of an ill ground but at least of good nature which I do accept with desire of no lesse good to you then you to me but I hope rather much more Although there be choice oddes in our seuerall iudgements what is truly and indeede good which the one wisheth to the other For as from God who is essentially good all goodnesse proceedeth whatsoeuer so what faithfull seruant of God soeuer hee be that in God wisheth or willeth my good any way that may be called good indeed to him I thinke my selfe more beholding then for treasures of kingdomes of this world if he had them to beâ—â—ow vpon me If such good could be found in you as touching this cause betweene vs I would most thankfully accept it with no lesse estimatioÌ„ of your zeale and your person then pure affection to your charitie and care c. R. Abbot 1. SVch is the frowardnesse of mans nature that as S. Austen well noteth we are most commonly a Aug de nat grat cont Pelag. cap. 2â— more readie to seeke what we may answere to those things that are obiected against our errour then to consider how wholesome and good they are that thereby we may be freed from errour Which as it is generally true wheresoeuer the selfewill and pride of nature is not subdued ouerruled by good conscience and the feare of God so it is more particularly approued in you M. Spence by your vntowardly answere to that which I wrote vnto you which it séemeth you would néedes returne vnto me not as being perswaded that you could answere that that was alleaged vnto you but b August contra Gandentium lib 3. only for this cause least if you had holden your peace you should haue bene said to be conuicted as Austen told Gandentius the hereticke vpon the like occasion For to write somewhat or to say somewhat is not alwaies to answere and you though you haue taken paines to write much yet in your whole pamphlet haue answered nothing Which I call your pamphlet not because I take either the collections of the matter or the forme of enditing to be yours but because it came to me in your name and vnder your hand When I perused it I straightwaies perceiued that it was none of yours but that you had gotten the helpe of a secret friend who
some space professors of the faith of Christ the false Apostles had perswaded to ioyne with their beléeuing in Christ the kéeping of the law thereby to be iustified Concerning these men and the like conuerted to the faith of Christ baptised into Christ being Disciples and brethren the Apostle determineth this matter that c Gal. 2. 16. Rom. 3 21. 28. they must be iustified by faith and not by the workes of the law yea without the workes of the law and that not of the ceremoniall law onely but of that law also d Rom. 3. â—0 by which commeth the knovvledge of sinne which saith e Cap. 7. 7. Thou shalt not lust which pronounceth f Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is euerie one that continueth not in all thinges that are vvritten in this lavve which saith g Rom. 1 5. Gaâ— 3. 1â— Hee that doth these things shall liue in them that is to say of the morall law as S. h Augâ—st de spir â— ca. 8. 14. Austen also gathereth by the same places Therfore not onely ceremoniall workes nor onely workes of nature and fréewill but all workes whatsoeuer either before baptisme or after baptisme either before grace or in grace are secluded from iustification and onely faith in Christ is our righteousnesse before God Yea and that so as that the Apostle against that distinction of workes done in the grace of Christ saith expresly i Gal. 5 4. Ye are abolished from Christ yee are fallen from grace whosoeuer are iustified that is doe séeke iustification by the lavv So that hee which being come to the grace of Christ shall thenceforth séeke to be iustified by the works of the law done in the state of the same grace voideth himselfe of Christ and falleth away from the grace of God And therefore Abraham himselfe is set forth vnto vs as a paterne of iustification by faith wthout workes not in his first iustification as the Roomish language hath taught men to speake but k Gen. 12. â— 5. 6. 7. 8. c. after that he had obeied the voyce of God to depart out of his owne countrey had trauailed many countries as God directed him had built many altars vnto the name of the Lord had called vpon him and serued him a long time as appeareth in Genesis from the twelfth chap. to the fiftéenth Euen then was it said l Gen. 15. 6. Abraham beleeued the Lord and he counted that to him for righteousnesse Whence the Apostle thus reasoneth m Rom. 4. 2. If Abraham vvere iustified by vvorkes he had to reioyce but not vvith God For vvhat saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and that vvas counted to him for righteousnesse Wherein he inferreth that because the scripture pronounceth of Abraham after his long seruing of God and many good workes done yet that not his workes as n Chrysost in Epist ad Rom. hom 8. Chrysostome rightly gathereth but onely his fayth was counted to him for righteousnesse therefore that howsoeuer he might with men by works yet with God hee was not iustified by workes but onely by faith Abraham was the o Rom. 4. 11. Father of the faithfull and therefore all that are iustified must be iustified according to that patterne which the word of God hath set forth concerning him and therefore not by workes but by faith onely Now that the true iustifying faith is not separated from charitie and good workes we willingly confesse because it p Gal. 3. 14. receiueth the promise of the spirite the effect whereof is noted in the declaration of the promise q Ezec. 36. 27. I vvill put my spirite vvithin you and cause you to vvalke in my statutes and yee shall keepe my iudgementes and do them Yet notwithstanding as the diuers members of the bodie necessarily concurring for the perfecting of the whole haue euery one their seuerall office so these vertues of the soule namely faith and charitie though they alwaies méete in the regenerate man yet in office and function are distinct ech from other The office of iustifying belongeth only vnto faith euen as the office of séeing belongeth onely to the eie the office of hearing onely to the eare c. And therefore the defining of beleeuing in God by the hauing of faith hope and charitie as the Answ setteth downe is a verie preposterous and vnorderly definition and no other then as if a man taking in hand to tell what it is to sée should say it is to haue eies eares and nose Beléefe in God is set forth by the Créede charitie and workes by the ten Commaundements they may not be confounded one with the other Doubtlesse it were verie strange to thinke that when a man saith I beleeue in God the father c. he should meane thereby I haue faith hope and charitie or that Christ when he said to the blinde man in the Gospell r Iohn 9. 3 5. Doest thou beleeue in the sonne of God did intend to aske him whether he had faith hope and charitie Cyprian telleth vs what it is to beléeue in God namely Å¿ Cypria de dup martyr to place the confidence of our whole felicitie in God onely which though it neuer be without the loue of God yet euerie mans vnderstanding may giue him that the act of beléeuing is one the act of louing is another Whereas hee saith that faith without works though it be dead yet it is a true faith he speaketh indéed Roomishly but that is ignorantly and absurdly For that onely is the true faith whereby a man is called truely faithful so that the saints of God in whom it is are by a speciall and proper name termed t Ephes 1. 1. the faithfull and u col 1. 2. faithfull brethren which it selfe is called by the Apostle w Tit. 1. 1. the faith of the elect by which he saith x Gal. 3. 26. we are the children of God which hath this promise y Ioh. 3. 3â— that euerie one that beleeueth in Christ hath eternall life which hath no place in the carnall worldling as our sauiour noteth saying z Ioh. 5. 44. How can ye beleeue which receiue honour one of another and seek not the honour that commeth of God onely whereby a man not onely beléeueth that God is or that God is true in that which he saith but also aplieth vnto himselfe the promises of God assuring himselfe of the benefite thereof to the forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life by the mediation of Iesus Christ S. Bernard therefore saith that a man a Berna ser 1. in Annunc Mar. hath but the beginning of faith vntill hee come to this to beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen him by Iesus Christ and that this is that which the Apostle saith that a man is freely iustified by faith Ferus the preacher of Mentz as he smelled diuerse corruptions in the doctrine of the Church of Roome so hee noted the misconstruing
of true faith for one b Ferus in Mat. 8. It is not alwaies faith saith he which we call faith For we call it faith to assent vnto those things which are proposed in the diuine histories and which the Church teacheth to be beleeued This the schoolemen call an vnformed faith and S. Iames a dead faith But what faith is that which is dead and wanteth his forme Verily this is not faith but a vaine opinion Farre otherwise doth the Scripture speake of faith For according to the scripture faith is no◠without confidence of Gods mercie promised in Iesus Christ This he sheweth by examples and places and concludeth thus To be short the faith which the scripture commendeth is notliing else but to trust vpon the free mercie of God This saith he is the true faith and in c In Mat. 27. another place To beleeue is to trust that God for Christ sake will not impute thy sinnes Thus the light of trueth caused Ferus to speake and to controll that senslesse fancie and imagination of faith which the schoolemen and Iesuites haue deuised and defended to delude the true doctrine of Christian faith His saying that faith is quickened and formed by charitie should haue béene prooued because I take not his saying to be a sufficient answere The d 1. Cor. 13. 13. Apostle reckoneth that faith whereby a man is called faithfull as a vertue distinct from charitie and therefore not formed by charitie but hauing a proper act and being by it selfe And so by it selfe it doth iustifie and though in the iustified man there be not onely faith but charitie and good works doe also necessarily follow yet in iustifying no work but faith onely taketh place e Aug. de fide oper cap. 1◠Good works saith Austen followe the iustified man they goe not before while he is yet to be iustified And therefore y◠which he addeth that works done by a iustified man do iustifie and as he saith anon after doe make more iust or encrease our iustice is méerely absurd For to speake of morall or inherent iustice of which he speaketh séeing that the iust man is as the trée and iust or good workes are as the fruite it is alike absurd to say that the good workes of a man do iustifie him or make him more iust as to say that the fruites do make the trée good or encrease the goodnesse of the trée f Mat. 7. 17. The good tree bringeth forth good fruite saith our sauiour Christ and the better the trée waxeth the better waxe the fruites but who euer heard that the betternesse of the fruits did worke the bettering of the trée But such vnreasonable fanties are fit enough to possesse the heads of vnreasonable men Yea but faith is made perfect by workes as S. Iames saith of Abraham that by his workes his faith was made perfect We graunt the same and expound it by the like phrase vsed by S. Paul g 2. cor 12. 9. The power of God is made perfect in weakenesse not for that the weaknesse of man addeth any perfection to the power of God but because in the weakenesse of man it is perfectly declared and approoued to be indéed the power of God according to that which he sayth in another place h 2. cor 4. 7. We haue this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellencie of this power might be of God and not of our selues So faith is made perfect by workes that is it is perfectly shewed or declared to be true and perfect as S. Iames teacheth vs to expound it when he saith I will shew thee my faith by my workes Thus doth Beda expound it manifestly i Beda in epist Iaco. cap. 2. His faith was made perfect by workes that is to say it was prooued by the practise or execution of workes that his faith was perfect in his heart Whereas it is vrged out of the same place of S. Iames that Abraham was iustified by workes I haue alreadie answered by the exception that S. Paul hath set downe k Rom. 4. 2 If Abraham were iustified by workes he had to reioyce but not before God The Gréeke Scholiast out of the Gréeke fathers sayth thus vpon those wordes l Oecumen in Rom. 4. What then Had not Abraham workes Yes But did they iustifie him God forbid Indeede he had workes so that if hee had beene brought in iudgement with the men with whom hee liued he should easily haue been iustified and preferred before them but to be iustified by his workes before God as worthy of the kindenesse and bountifulnes of God towards him he should neuer haue attained c. By what meanes then was he accompted worthie heereof By fayth onely c. Heereby saith he the answere is manifest how S. Paule saith that Abraham was iustified by faith and S. Iames that he was iustified by workes A man then we say is iustified by workes and must be iustified by workes but not before God Thus saith the Apostle manifestly and thus hath the auncient Church subscribed the wordes of the Apostle Now against these the Answ telleth me vpon his owne bare word that we are iustified by works in the sight of God but I cannot beare his word against the worde of God Further I must adde that that iustification before men by workes is nothing else with S. Iames but a proofe and declaration that a man is the same that he professeth himselfe to be a true christian man a true seruaunt and friend of God He speaketh to this effect Thou sayest thou hast faith but I would haue thée shewe it me For I beléeue it not except thou iustifie and prooue it to me by thy workes And that there is no other iustification by works let Thomas Aquinas himselfe teach vs m Thom. Aqui. i◠epist ad Gala cap. 3. lect 4. Workes saith he are not the cause that any man is iust with God but they are the practising and manifesting of iustice For no man is iustified by works with God but by the habite of Faith And anon after obiecting to himselfe the wordes of S. Iames was not Abraham iustified by workes he sayth that iustification is heere vnderstood as touching the exercise and declaration of iustice and that thus a man is iustified that is declared iust by his workes This iustification we require in all the faithful and affirme that there is no man a true professor of true pietie and religion but he that iustifieth himselfe so to be by the carefull ordering of his life and conuersation Yet he obiecteth that as touching onely faith S. Iames saith The deuils beleeue and tremble It is manifest héereby say I that S. Iames speaketh not of that faith which S. Paul meaneth when hée saith that a man is iustified by faith without workes For S. Paul speaketh of such a faith as n Act. 15. 9. whereby the heart is purified whereby o R◠10. 13. 14
God is inuocated and called vpon whereby p Bernar. ser 1 in AnnuÌ„c Mar. we beleeue that our sinnes are forgiuen vs by the bloud of Iesus Christ which is not a faith incident to deuils or vngodly men But S. Iames speaketh of such a faith as is incident not onely to euill men but euen to the deuill himselfe This difference of the vnderstanding of fayth is obserued by Oecumenius of whom I spake before that q OecumeÌ„ in ep â—ac cap. 2. S. Iames speaketh of a bare assent according to which we know the deuils beleeued that Christ was the sonne of God but that S. Paul by faith importeth some further consequence arising out of the affection of man ioyned with a firme stedfast consenting to that which he is said to beléeue The one speaking of iustification before God teacheth vs that we are iustified by faith onely according to the true meaning of fayth which the scripture intendeth The other speaking of iustificatioÌ„ before men teacheth that a man is not iustified or shewed to be a true christian man by a naked and bare assenting vnto some points of religion which hypocrites call faith but hee must by his fruites testifie and shew that he is a true follower of Iesus Christ For men doe not accompt a man religious for a bare profession of faith but they estéeme of a mans faith and profession as they sée it appeare in his conuersation and doings And therefore as Abrahams fayth wrought with workes to iustifie him to be the friend of God so must our profession of fayth also haue good workes concurring with it to shew vs to be the true Disciples of Iesus Christ Otherwise as the bode without the soule is dead So Faith without workes is dead also Where hee compareth faith to the bodie and works to the soule not as faith importeth vnfained trust and confidence towardes God but as it is a profession of faith and religion before men as he himselfe teacheth vs in saying What auaileth it that a man saith he hath Faith c. For if we will consider faith and workes as touching the eyes of God then faith is the soule and workes are the body so that no workes are liuely and acceptable vnto God séeme they neuer so beautifull before men except they be quickened and made aliue by a true and liuely faith so that as S. Austen r August de nupt â—ouen li. 1. cap. 3. cont 〈◊〉 â—el l. 4 c 3. Retract 〈◊〉 c. â— oftentimes affirmeth and the Å¿ Heb. â—1 â— Apostle to the Hebrewes confirmeth they deserue not those names of vertue and iustice by which they are vsually called so long as they grow not from this roote But if we will speake of faith and workes as they are referred vnto the eyes of men there faith is indéede the body and works are the life and soule so that no wordes or profession can make men beléeue that thou hast in thée faith or religion so long as sinne and filthinesse hath sway and dominion in thy life Such a faith therefore or rather a saying that thou hast faith as S. Iames termeth it is dead and so farre are men from approouing it or thée for it as that they rather abhorre and loth it as a rotten and stincking carion and take occasion thereby to blaspheme and speake euill of that faith and religion which thou takest vpon thée to professe Thus I haue the more at large discoursed this place of S. Iames because the Answerer and his fellowes thinke they haue greatest hold therein for their iustification by workes From iustification he choppeth to merite and there defieth Pelagius which said that we might merite the first grace and forgiuenesse of sinnes But let him take Pelagius by the hand be friends with him againe for hee knoweth that it is the doctrine of his part that though not ex condigno yet ex congruo a man may merite the first grace As touching merite we are satisfied by the wordes of Christ that wee haue none at all t Luc. 17. 10. When yee haue done all that is commaunded you say We are vnprofitable seruants wee haue done that that was our duetie to doe But the Answ expoundeth these wordes as not making against merite We are called vnprofitable seruauntes not because we merite nothing but because we doe not yéeld any profite vnto God who was as happy and glorious before the foundation of the world as euer since And héere like a drunken man depriued of wit and reason and not knowing whither he goeth he bringeth Christ as man within the number of vnprofitable seruantes because he doth not profite God anie way nor yéeld him any benefite or good But that very example should haue put him in minde to séeke another meaning of vnprofitable seruaunts Christes owne wordes would haue taught it him if hée would haue listened thereto Doth the maister thanke his seruant because he did that that he commanded him I trow not So likewise when you haue done all that is commaunded say we are vnprofitable seruaunts c. Whereby Christ giueth vs to vnderstand that though we did all which is commaunded vs which no man doth yet that we cannot require so much as thanks at the handes of God because in doing all we do but our duetie and that that we are bound vnto and in that respect are vnprofitable seruauntes And therefore if he giue vs thankes or any reward or call vs not seruaunts but friends it is of his owne kindnesse and goodnesse not of any merite or desert of ours whereby hee should stand bound vnto vs. Thus did Chrysostome take it u Chrys in Epist ad colos hom 2. No man saith he sheweth such conuersation of life as that he may be worthy of the kingdome but it is wholly the gift of God Therefore he also saith when yee haue done all say we are vnprofitable seruauntes So doth Beda expound it w Beda in Luc. 17. We are vnprofitable seruauntes because the sufferings of this time are not worthie of the glorie to come as in another place Which crowneth thee in mercie and compassion He saith not in thy merites because by whose mercy we are preuented that we may humbly serue him by his gift we are crowned to reigne with him on high So is it vnderstood by Marke the heremite x Marc. HereÌ„ lib. de his qui puâ—ant se operibus iustificari Our Lord willing to shewe that wee are debters of the whole law that the adoption of children is freely giuen vs by his bloud saith when ye haue done all say wee are vnprofitable seruauntes Therefore the kingdome of heauen is not the wages of vvorkes but the grace of our maister prepared for his faithfull seruauntes This is then our vnprofitablenesse that we do not merite or deserue any thing at Gods handes for any thing that we doe which I hope agréeth not to Christ who though hee
of eating and drinking Iob. 6. are not to be vnderstood properly but by a figure sect 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 30. That the Doctours of the Romish church by the defence of Transubstantiation haue bene driuen to most impious and damnable questions and assertions sect 29. That the place of the Gospell Luc. 22. 20. which they so much cauil vpon out of the Greeke maketh nothing at all for Transubstantiation as by diuerse other reasons so by the confession Bellarmine himselfe sect 31. That the assumption of the virgin Mary is a meere fable sect 33. That the Church hath no authoritie after the Apostles to authorize any scriptures and that we seclude no other bookes from the canon of the bible then the old church did sect 34. How wickedly the Papists deale in mangling and martyring the writings of the Fathers sect 35. That our doctrine of iustification before God by faith onely is the verie trueth which both the scriptures and out of them the Fathers haue manifestly taught that it maketh nothing against good workes that the place of S. Iames cap. 2. maketh nothing against it sect 36. May it please thee gentle Reader first of all to take notice of these two places of Chrysostome Gelasius which haue bene the occasion of all this controuersie for thy better satisfaction I haue noted them both in English and Latin though otherwise to auoyd both tediousnesse of writing and vnnecessarie charges of printing I haue thought good to set downe the places alleaged onely translated into English The place of Chrysostome against the vse of water in the cup of the Lords table CVius rei gratia non aquam sed vinum post resurrectionem bibit Chrysost in Math. hom 83. Perniciosam quandam haeresin radicitùs euellere voluit eorum qui aqua in mysterijs vtuntur Ita vt ostenderet quia quando hoc mysteriuÌ„ tradidit vnum tradidit etiam post resurrectionem in nuda mysterij mensae vino vsus est Exgenimine ait vitis quae certè vinum non aquam producit In English thus But why did Christ after his resurrection drinke not Water but Wine He would plucke vp by the rootes a certaine pernicious heresie of them which vse water in the Sacrament So that to shew that when he deliuered this Sacrament he deliuered wine euen after his resurrection also he vsed wine at the bare table of the Sacrament Of the fruite of the vine saith he which surely bringeth foorth wine and not water The place of Gelasius against Transubstantiation CErtè sacramenta quae sumimus corporis sanguinis Christi diuina Gelasius cont Eutych Nestor res est propter quod per eadem diuinae efficimur consortes naturae tamen esse non desiuit substantia vel natura panis vini Et certe imago similitudo corporis sanguinis Christi in actione mysteriorum celebrantur Satis ergò nobis euidenter ostenditur hoc nohis in ipso Christo domino sentiendum quod in eius imagine profitemur celebramus et sumimus vt sicut in haenc scilicet in diuinam transeunt sancto spiritu perficiente substantiam permanent tamen in suae proprietate naturae sic illud ipsum mysterium principale cuius nobis efficientiam virtutemque veracitèr repraesentant ex quibus constat propriè permanentibus vnum Christum quia integrum verumque permaenere demon strant In English thus Verily the Sacraments which we receiue of the bodie and blood of Christ are a diuine thing by reason whereof we also by them are made partakers of the diuine nature and yet there ceaseth not to be the substance or nature of bread and wine And surely an image or esemblance of the bodie and blood of Christ is celebrated in the action of the mysteries It is therefore euidently inough shewed vnto vs that we must thinke the same in our Lord Iesus Christ which we professe celebrate and receiue in his image that as these namely the bread and wine do by the working of the holie Ghost passe ouer into a diuine substance and yet continue in the proprietie of their owne nature so they shew that that principall mysterie the efficiencie vertue wherof these do represent vnto vs doth abide one Christ because whole and true those natures properly remaining whereof he doth consist M. Spence hauing had my bookes to peruse these places sent me in writing this answere to them SIr I right hartily thanke you for the willing minde you hauâ— towards me Truly I should be verie vnkinde if I knew mâ— selfe vnaffectioned to so much good will I am in prison and pouertie otherwise I should be some way answerable to your friendlinesse In the meane season good will shall be readie for good will Touching the words of S. Chrysostome He would plucke vp by the rootes a certaine pernicious heresie of them which vse water in the Sacrament c. Read the 32. Canon of the sixth Councell holden at Constantinople and there you shall find vpon what occasion this golden mouth did vtter these words and not only that but also mention of S. Iames and S. Basils masse or sacrifice left to the church in writing The words of the Canon begin thus Because we know that in the country of the Armenians wine onely is offered at the holie table c. The heresie therefore against which he wrote was of the a Vntruth For neither doth Chrysostome intimate any thing against the Armenians or such as vse wine only neither was it heresie in theÌ„ that did so Armenians and the Aquarians the first whereof would vse onely wine the other onely water in the holie mysteries Against which vse being so directly against both the scriptures and custome of the primitiue church he wrote the same which he saith of pernicious heresie as before I cannot doubt of your hauing the Councels or some of them Your other booke conteining the words of Gelasius I wil not yet answere being printed at Basil where we suspect many good works to be corrupted abused But if it proue so to be yet the whole faith of Christs church in that point may not be reproued against so many witnesses of scriptures and fathers b Neither scripture not Father auoucheth the contrarie auouching the contrarie Nay what words should Christ haue vsed if he had meant to make his bodie blood of the bread and wine as we say he did other then these This is my bodie which shall be giuen c. And gaine for this is my blood of the new Testament which shal be shead for many for remission of sinnes Marke well the speeches and they be most wonderfull as most true All the world and writings therein c The Gospell it selfe is sufficient to perswade him that will be perswaded â—nforming vs of a true and naturall bodie of Christ and not of a fantasticall bodie in the fashion quantitie of a wafer cake cannot
declaration of S. Austens meaning that we eate the flesh of Christ in a figure not in a figure of Rhetoricke or Grammer but in a diuine figure he may haue that iustly returned to him which S. Austen said of a forefather of his g Aug. cont aduer leg proph lib. 2. cap. 9. Imperita peritia de figurarum qualitate tractat He would seeme skilfull but talketh verie vnskilfully of the qualitie of Figures For if he were required a meaning of this his diuine figure no doubt it would prooue to be a verie disfigured and mishapen thing He had a fancie in his head wherein hee thought he had gone beyond al his fellowes he was glad y◠he had gotten occasion héere to vtter it But the Figure of which S. Austen speaketh is figurata locutio a figuratiue speech a Rhetoricke figure called a metaphore which is not to be vnderstood h August de doctr Christ lib. 3. cap. 5. 16. proprie or ad literam properly of according to the letter and as the wordes do barely signifie as before hath béene said because by the said figure the word is translated from his own proper signification to expresse another thing which in some respect is fitly and conueniently resembled thereby As for example because by beléeuing we do as it were lay hold vpon Christ apply him vnto our selues make him ours assure our selues of his body crucified and his bloud shed for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes to the reliefe comfort of our distressed and afflicted soules euen as in eating we take meate and receiue it into our stomacks and incorporate it into our selues to the cherishing and strengthning of our weake and féeble bodies therefore the word of eating which properly belongeth to the body is vsed to expresse the effect of beléeuing in Christ which appertaineth onely to the soule And thus doth S. Austen meane that there is a figure in these wordes of eating and drinking the flesh and bloud of Christ as appeareth both in the place aboue mentioned as touching this figure and by his exposition of the same words vpon the sixth of Iohn P. Spence Sect. 26. GOdly men haue noted vpon these wordes Tradetur effundetur shal be giuen shal be shed that Christ vsed them by an Energie to signifie that the blessed Sacrament that he gaue to his Apostles was not his phantasticall or imaginatiue bodie but that verie bodie of his that was to be crucified tormented and slaine on the crosse I confesse those wordes not strong enough to compell a repining aduersarie but yet verie well able sweetly to allure a A seely foole that without tryall will beleeue whatsoeuer the church of Roome doth lewdly perswade him an obedient childe of the Catholique Church to beleeue her in this point hauing so many other infinite reasons ioyned thereunto But remember I oppose not neither will I neither may I by the laws but only much against my will I am drawne by you to answere your obiections according to my small talent Otherwise you should heare whether the fathers be ours or not or what wee might say to this effect R. Abbot 26. OF the words of Christ This is my bodie which shal be giuen This is my bloud which shal be shed The Answerer confesseth that that additiē which shal be giuen which shal be shed is not an argument strong enough against a repining aduersarie but yet able to allure an obedient childe of the Church It is vsed in corners indéede to seduce and be guile the ignorant but alas simple soules that suffer themselues to be deceiued with those argumentes which their seducers confesse to be no substantiall proofes I hold you one of those simple ones M. Spence who alleaged it to me for a verie good reason If Campion tooke it not to be so then was it great want of discretion in him a Camp Rat. 2 to alleage it as an argument to vniuersitie men who hee might know would soone take notice of his folly in that be halfe And héere I may not omit to note the peruerse dealing of the Answ godly men forsooth in this matter who when they are in hand with Transubstantiation will prooue it by the words of Christ thus that he said this is my bodie which shal be giuen This is my bloud which shal be shedde as the vulgar Latin readeth Lo say they Christ nameth the verie bodie and bloud that was after to be giuen and shed vpon the crosse therfore the sacrament is the verie body of Christ Thus M. Spence and his godly fellowes reason But when they are in hand with sacrifice they wil haue it thus My body which b Hard. Answ art 17. Di. 4. Rhem. Annot. Luc. 22. 19. is giuen my bloud which is shed in the present tense according to the gréeke and wil prooue héereby that Christ did euen at that present offer a sacrifice of his body and bloud that he gaue his body and shed his bloud because he saith not shal be giuen but is giuen nor shal be shed but is shed Thus they tosse the words of Christ as it were a tennise ball from one wall to another and suffer them not to rest in anie certaine meaning but turne them and winde them as their fickle and vnstable fancies giue them occasion The meaning of the wordes is one and certaine that the sacrament is a figure and signe of the body and bloud of Christ giuen and shed for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes His infinite other reasons and authorities of the Fathers which he baunteth hee could alleage are all of the same stampe as these are They are but wordes of course that he vseth to that purpose seruing to fright his obedient children but the children of God haue good experience that it is but foolish and idle talke P. Spence Sect. 27. I Confesse all that you say next following of the wonderfull speeches and also of the effectes of the blessed sacrament by our coniunction with Christ wrought thereby also of our resurrection iustification and sanctification sauing that you imagine with Caluine which before him no man imagined that wee receiue these effects and graces by a conduct of faith that sucketh a verie reall vertue flowing out of his verie flesh in heauen which to do needeth a Vntrue for God hath appointed both the one and the other to be meanes whereby our faith should more more lay hold vpon Christ and feed vpō him to eternal life no Sacrament at all but only to preach vnto vs and so Caluin saith himselfe that if our faith were quicke enough we might without the sacramentall signes receiue the Sacrament at all times and minutes of the day An imagination very metaphysicall bred in his own braine and hatched vp only by himselfe tending to the contempt and ouerthrow of the Sacrament But we say that we receiue all the said graces and effects most diuine by our spirituall receiuing of him in faith
an auncient and vndoubted copy two Franciscan Friars came by authoritie and cancelled many shéetes thereof some in part some wholly and caused them to print other in their stéed not agréeing to the true bookes to Frelonius his great losse both of time and charges The like dealing b Ibid. he noteth of TurriaÌ„ that vnshamefast Iesuit in a Gréeke edition of the Canons of the Apostles In a print of Chrysostomes workes by Stelsius at Paris they haue razed out a most notable and vnanswerable place c Oper. imperf in Mat. hom 49. testifying that in the time of Antichrist there can be no warrant of true Christianitie nor other refuge for Christians being desirous to know the truth of faith but only the scriptures of God that they which would know cannot otherwise know which is the true Church of Christ but onely by the scriptures that Christ knowing the confusion that should be in the last daies did will that Christians desiring to haue assurance of true faith should flee to nothing else but to the scriptures because if they looke vnto other things they shall stumble and perish not knowing which is the true Church and hereby they shall light into the abhomination of desolatioÌ„ which standeth in the holy places of the church This whole place they haue falsly and treacherously left out And why because they take it to haue bin put in by an Arian hereticke as d Bellarm. to 1 cont 1. lib. 4. cap. 11. Bellarmine saith But what wretchednesse is there in this pretence when as they haue left in stil those places which make for the Arians indéed haue only taken away this which was not for the Arians turne but serued to confound themselues in a matter of controuersie betwixt them and vs. Thus e See Doct. Rainolds confer with â—aâ—t cha â— diuiâ— 2. Manutius and Pamelius in their editions of Cyprian the one at Rome the other at Anwerpe haue notoriously falsified a place in his Treatise de vnitate ecclesiae And whereas Cyprian expresly auoucheth by the vniuersall consent of all approued copies that the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was endued with equall fellowship both of honour and of power they haue foisted in other words importing a supremacy giuen by Christ vnto Peter and so make him in one sentence with one breath to speake contrary to himselfe Which impudencie and unpietie of theirs is so much the greater for that against the common consent and credit of so many copies both written and printed they would presume to alter the text of Cyprian vpon the warrant of two or thrée such copies as they themselues euidently saw knew to be corrupted so corrupted that they were faine euen for shame to varie in some things from that reading which they found in theÌ„ Thus haue the Spanish censurers vsed Bertram also as hath bene before shewed nipping him paring him where they haue thought good that he may not séeme too strong against their fantasticall conceit of TransubstantiatioÌ„ Now we may not wonder that they who haue bene thus bold with the auncient Fathers should presume a great deale further with later writers And therefore it néedeth not that I stand here to shew how they haue maimed the writings and censures of f Index Expurgat in castigaâ— operum August Tertul Hierony passim Beatus Rhenanus Ludouicus Viues Erasmus and other famous learned men whersoeuer they haue with great aduisement and iudgemeÌ„t noted the corruptions abuses of the Roomish church either in matters of maners or of doctrine This is that godly charitable dealing which the Answ commendeth and thinketh to be a very Christian and necessary course But were he not too much bewitched with the loue of a harlot he would not be so easily brought to flatter her in such vnhonest and hatefull doings Hereby it appeareth what confidence and hold Papists haue in the writings of the Fathers and that the Fathers if they were now aliue in the church of Rome and should speake as they haue written should be condemned for heretickes and their bookes carried to the fire to be burned with them P. Spence Sect. 36. YOu chop in the end to the matter of iustification A verie large race to course in To be short we say Faith iustifieth but that faith which worketh by loue We yeeld with S. Paule Not to him that worketh that is not to him that worketh with the respect of the law or by his free-will without the faith of Christ and his grace as the Iewes and Gentiles But to him that beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly c. Here you see he talketh of one that not only beleeueth God or that God is but in God which is to haue faith hope charitie And that we require in iustifying a Here we haue we say and we say but no prâ—ofe for that which they say and so they may say what they list We say Faith without workes is dead and yet being dead it is a true faith neuerthelesse We say this faith so quickened and formed with charitie doth iustifie that is maketh of wicked iust and withall we say that good workes done by him that is iustified or else they could not be good do iustifie that is as S. Iames saith they make faith perfect By Abrahams workes his faith was made perfect And not only before men as you would haue S. Iames to meane thereby to elude this cleare testimony for he telleth you as for only faith the diuels beleeue and tremble and hee saith faith to bee a ioynt-worker with workes in our iustification which is not by faith only but by workes and they do make a man more iust or increase our iustice They b An absurd contradiction they deserue it and yet it is â—â—eely â—iuen them â—f it be â—â—eely thâ—n it is not of desert deserue the reward though giuen them by Gods free mercie for Christes passions sake yet novv made their vvages and hyer by Gods ordinance and by the proportion and relation betvveene grace Sap. 3. 15. Eccl. 16. 2. Rom. 2. 6. and glorie We defie Pelagius that said vve might merit the first grace or remission of sinner yet vve say vvith S. Augustine that the kingdom of heauen is both gratuite or free because it is of grace purchased by Christs blood and yet vvithall saith he it is a thing deserued because it is due to workes vvhich vvorkes come of grace that vvas giuen freely by Christ We desire no better iudge of the true sense of Gods vvord in this point then S. Augustine himselfe to whom we appeale We say vvith S. Iohn Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world We say vve must put off the old man and put on the new We say vve must be noua conspersio Azimi We say vve must be c Yet the Answers owne conscience doth tell him that he is not
cleane nor white as snow cleane and whiter then snow and not haue a curtaine only dravven to couer our sinnes onely Wee say that vve haue inherent iustice not imputed vvhich vve thinke to be but d A leaude wretch that derideth that which the holy Ghost hath expresly set downe an ape of iustification We say that iustification standeth of these integrall parts First e An vntowardly description of iustificatâ—on wherein remission of sinnes and reconcilement to God is put before faâ—â—h besidâ— dâ—uerse other peeuish follies that might therein be noted forgiuenesse of sins 2. Reconcilement to God 3. Renuing in faith hope and charitie 4. Charitie not vnperfect and begun but childelike and of another more diuine nature which wholy in kind differeth from that which is but begun 5. The ascribing to the inheritance of heauen And because you mention here S. Augustine vnderstand you that he noteth three sorts or degrees of iustification The first to make of vngodly iust The second He which is iust let him yet be iustified and feare not to be iustified vnto death that is to be made better and more iust The third Not the hearers of the law but the doers shall be iustified that is to haue the last finall revvard end and perfection of iustice Thus doth S. Augustine speake of it First concerning the tvvo first degrees thus he saith contra Iulianum li. 20. Iustification is giuen vs in this life by these f In which three things there is nothing at all to make for inherent iustice in this life but altogither and wholly against it For if there be iustice what place is there for forgiuenesse of sinnes or fighting against sinne three things first by the vvashing of regeneration vvhereby all sinnes are forgiuen After by fighting vvith vices from the guilt vvhereof vve vvere discharged and assoyled Thirdly vvhile our praier is heard vvherein vve say Forgiue vr our trespasses Thus far S. Augustine in that place So that here S. Augustine himselfe telleth you vvhat hee meaneth by Forgiue vs our trespasses the continuall veniall slips vvhich the verie best and iustest many times in the day fall into and yet iustice g Vntruth for the trespassing of iustice taketh away the name of being iust not taken away therby though their alacritie abated Veniall sinnes are beside charitie but not h He that is not with me is against me saith Christ so must we say alâ—o as tovching charitie against charitie And remember that no man of his owne state can assure himselfe but that he may feare and must crie out Enter not into iudgement c. and why i The very shift of the Pelagian heretickes See the answere in respect of the puritie of God no man neuer so good no nor Angell nor heauen is pure Man euen the best man of himselfe must say I am vnprofitable seruant Yet God calleth the iust not his seruants but his friends We must say we be vnprofitable seruants in very deed not profiting God a myte who was as happie and as glorious before he laid the foundation of the worlde as euer sithence Neither could k Christ as touching his humanitie is made an vnprofitable seruant Christs blessed humanitie or all he did in the flesh profit God any way who before wanted not any perfection nor could receiue any more benefit or good then before he had Thus I say must a man euen the best man humbly thinke of himselfe Yet S. Paul 2. Tim. 2. saith If any man cleanse himselfe from these he shal be a vessell sanctified to honour profitable for the Lord and why profitable Prepared or readie to euery good worke Reconcile therefore these places rightly and learne that Profitable is not ment to be profitable to God who receiueth no profit by all our vttermost endeuours but it is as much as seruing to such a good vse as God hath created vs too to his glorie and our saluation to honour him with our glorification A iustified cannot nor must not boast of his state which he is ignorant of but yet in good hope and therefore must abase himselfe before Gods Maiestie l VVe must abase himselfe to the center of the earth and yet thinke it may be that he is worthie inough to lift vp his head as high as heauen A preposterous and doubtfull humilitie to the very center of the earth But we supposing another man to be iustified may say that of him which himselfe cannot say of himselfe Now of the third degree of Iustification which is the end and perfitting of our iustice S. August epist 106. saith our hope shall be fully accomplished in the resurrection of the dead and when our hope shall be fulfilled then shall our iustification be fulfilled and accomplished So that you see by S. Augustine in these places our iustification hath a beginning an encrease and end R. Abbot 36. AS touching iustification hée fendeth me a deale of paltrie stuffe patched out of the heresie of the Pelagians the vain presumptions of the Schoolemen without any sounde argument out of the word of God neither maketh he any direct answer to that that was vrged against him The scripture is plain that a Rom. 3. 20. Gal. 2. 16 by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified in the sight of God b Rom 3. 28 that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law that c Gal. 3. 10. whosoeuer are of the works of the law are vnder the curse because it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to do them and no man continueth in all d Iam. 3. 2. for in many things we offend all saith S. Iames. The Answ sheweth not he cannot shewe that the inherent righteousnesse of any man in this life is such as that thereby he can be presented holie and blamelesse and without fault in the sight of God which is the thing required The consciences and confessions of all the godly are against it S. Austen to whom the Answ referreth himselfe saith e August epist 29. The most perfect loue or charitie which cannot now be encreased is founde in no man so long as he liueth here and so long as it may be encreased surely that that is lesse then ought to be is of a default or vice By reason of which default or vice there is not a man iust vppon the earth which doth good and sinneth not By reason of which default no man liuing shall be found righteous in the sight of God And this is so true that f Pighius otherwise a heauy and deadly enemy to the Gospell is forced to subscribe to our f Pighi contro de iustificat doctrine in this point and to confesse that the righteousnesse whereby we stand iust before God is not our inherent righteousnesse according to the law but the imputed righteousnesse
of Iesus Christ which he illustrateth by the storie of g Gen. 27. 15. 27. Iacob who came in the apparell of his elder brother Esau to receiue the blessing of Isaac his father For so are we presented before God to receiue the blessing of eternal life not in the ragged cloathes of that righteousnesse which is in our selues which is full of imperfection and weakenesse full of blots and staines and vnable to abide the triall of the iudgement of God but cloathed with the full and perfect obedience and righteousnesse of Iesus Christ which by the dispensation of the wisedome and mercy of God is reckoned vnto all that are Christs for theirs as effectually as if they themselues in their owne persons had performed the same Neither ought this to seeme strange vnto vs who know the like to haue befallen in the person of Iesus Christ For he knew no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth yet h 2. cor 5. 21. He was made sinne for vs he i 1. Pet. 2. 2â— bare our sinnes the k Esa 53. 6. Lord laid vpon him the iniquities of vs all Could our sinnes by imputation take hold vpon Christ to put him to death to inflict vpon the curse pronounced by the law shall not his righteousnesse by imputatioÌ„ stand auaileable for vs to yéelde vnto vs the blessing of euerlasting life Shall our sins be stronger against him then his righteousnesse is for vs God forbid Nay S. Austen truly saith l August Psal 21. He made our sinnes his sinnes that hee might make his righteousnesse our righteousnesse In humane things we sée and know that the suerties paiment is imputed vnto the debter for his discharge as if he himselfe had paide the debt Christ hath taken vpon him to be our suertie he hath made ful paiment of our debt both in bearing the punishment of sinne and performing the fulnesse of all righteousnesse What should let that his paiment also should not be imputed vnto vs God offering this fauour vnto man and man by grace accepting the offer of God Verily Christian religion hath taught vs thus to estéeme that whatsoeuer Christ did or suffered he did all for vs. For what néed had he to be made vnder the law so to worke to deserue for himselfe who from the beginning was the Lord of glorie to whom by right and inheritance did belong the kingdome of life and peace Therefore as his obedience in dying is imputed vnto vs to iustification from sinne so his obedience in working is imputed vnto vs to iustification vnto eternall life And therefore the scripture as it calleth him the m 1. Ioh. 2. 2 propitiation for our sinnes so it calleth him likewise n Iere. 23 6 the Lord our righteousnesse To which purpose the Apostle S. Paul saith that o 1. cor 1 30 he is made vnto vs of God wisdome righteousnes sanctificatioÌ„ and redemption Wisedome to couer our errour ignorance weaknesse of faith Righteousnesse in whose obedience we stand here iust and righteous before God and are accepted for his children being as yet sinners vnrighteous in our selues sanctification to purge vs from sinne and to restore in vs the image of God by litle and litle p 2. cor 3. 18 from glorie to glorie q Psa 84. 7 from strength to strength in this life till we â—e fully perfected at the resurrection of the dead Redemption in whom only we haue full and perfect attonement and satisfaction for all our sinnes by meanes whereof there is r Rom. 8. 1 no codemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus No lesse plainly saith he againe to the same effect Å¿ 2. Cor. 5. 21 Him which knew no sinne God made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Wherof S. Austen saith thus t August Enchiri ad Laurent cap. 41 He then was made sinne that we might be righteousnesse not our owne righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of God neither in our selues but in him euen as he in the similitude of sinfull flesh wherein he was crucified shewed foorth sinne not his owne sinne but our sinne neither being in him but in vs. Where first the Apostle and then out of the Apostle S. Austen giueth to vnderstand that as Christ was punished as a sinner for those sinnes which were not in him but in vs so we are accepted for righteous before God by that righteousnesse not which is in our selues but in him Yet it is so in him as that it is imputed vnto vs as being performed for vs and in our name and therefore by faith in Christ it is made ours euen as Christ himself is wholly ours By reason wherof it is called u Rom. 3. 21 22. The righteousnesse of God through the faith of Iesus Christ standing and being without the law and the refore by faith only Therfore is faith said to be reputed vnto vs for righteousnesse as in those words of S. Paul w Rom. â— 5 Oecum ibid. To him that worketh not that is as Oecumenius expoundeth it of Photius To him that hath no confidence by workes but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is imputed or counted for righteousnesse Not workes then but faith is counted for righteousnesse to the beléeuing man and as the Apostle x Gal. 2. 16 elsewhere saith We haue beleeued in Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the law because that by the workes of the lawe no flesh shall be iustified Either there is not at all any iustification of man before God and so Christ shall haue died in vaine or this is his only iustificatioÌ„ which I haue described because as partly hath bene shewed and shall be shewed further there is no righteousnesse extant in man in this life whereby he can stand iust and blamelesse before the iudgement seat of God But that exclusion of works which I haue mentioned out of the Apostle the Answ restraineth onely to workes done by fréewill and by the law without the faith and grace of Christ A vaine exception the falshood whereof he that séeth not is altogither blinde albeit it is the onely starting hole which the Rhemists vse to auoid the euidence of the text The question of iustification by the lawe was moued concerning y Rhemi Annot Act 1â— 13 the conuerted gentiles as the Rhemistes confesse concerning the z Act. 15. 1. 10. brethren and Disciples as the text calleth them Of them the beleeeuing Pharisees required for iustification and saluation to a v. 1. â— be circumcised and to keepe the lawe of Moses The Apostle S. Paul handleth it concerning the Galathians which had b Gal 1. 6. 9. 3. 2 4. 27. receiued the Gospell which were baptised into Christ which had receiued the spirite which had suffered many things for the Gospell Them hauing béene for
defiled clothes Our cleannesse then is in Christ not in our selues in his innocency we appeare before God vndefiled and whiter then snow Not but that God cleanseth vs inwardly also but this clensing is yet but in part and therefore we haue still néed of a couer to hide the remaines of our vncleannesse Therefore howsoeuer the Answ scorneth a curtaine as he speaketh to be drawne before him to couer his sinnes yet S. Bernard embraceth the righteousnesse of Christ as a cloke or garment for that purpose O Lord saith he r Bernard â—â— Ca 〈…〉 〈◊〉 I will make mention of thy righteousnesse onely for that is mine also For thou art of God made righteousnesse vnto me Should I be afraid least that one righteousnesse be not enough for vs two It is not a short cloke or garment which caÌ„not couer two Thy righteousnes is for euer It is large and euerlasting and shall largely couer both thee and me And in me surely it couereth a multitude of sinnes but in thee O Lord what but the treasures of pietie the riches of goodnesse With this garment we desire to be clothed and to be found in Christ as Å¿ Phil. 3. 9. S. Paul saith not hauing our own righteousnesse which is by the law but the righteousnesse which is by the faith of Christ as knowing that otherwise we can neuer endure to stand before the face of God But we say saith the Answ that we haue inherent iustice If he haue so let him reape the benefite thereof but if a sinfull man haue opened his mouth against heauen and said I am iust his own conscience shall scourge him for it in due time Contrariwise he derideth imputed iustice as an ape of iustification but let him remember that therein he hath reuiled tâ—e spirite of God who in the fourth to the Romanes hath by that word expresly set forth the iustification of man before God t Rom. 4. 5. 6. 3. 23. To him that beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is imputed for righteousnesse Dauid declareth the blessednesse of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnes without works Abraham beleeued God and that was imputed to him for righteousnesse And this is not written for him onely that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but for vs also to whom it shal be imputed beleeuing in him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead c. Where saying in the future tense It shall be imputed to vs after that he had béen now a long time a worthy Apostle of Christ hee giueth to vnderstand that that imputing of righteousnesse without works as he hath before termed it was not only in the beginning but still to be his and our iustification in the sight of God and so excludeth that friuolous and shifting distinction of first and second iustification But thus doth the Apostle expresly auouch imputed righteousnesse And I maruell that the Answ and his fellowes thinke so strangely of imputing the righteousnesse of Christ vnto vs who yet defend the like imputing of the righteousnesse and merites of other men This they teach and practise as u Rhe. Annot. 2. Cor. 8. 14. concerning their own beggerly and sinfull deâ—otions their moonkish and frierly obseruations their workes of supererogation whereby they merite further then is néedfull for themselues and appoint this ouerplus to serue for the helpe and benefite of other being dispensed applied and imputed vnto them by a pardon from the Pope or from such as to whom he giueth commission in that behalfe So the Friars héere in England made men beléeue that w Out of the copy of a pardon graunted by the armelâ—te Friers in London in the yeere 1527. they gaue them participation of all the masses praiers fastinges watchinges preachings abstinences indulgences labours and al good workes that were done by the brethren of that order being heere in England Now with what face do these men denie that to the righteousnesse of Christ which thus blasphemously they yéeld to the supposed righteousnesse of sinfull men But so drunke are they with their owne fansies that whatsoeuer the holy Scripture saith it is but apishnesse if it be contrarie to their conceipt His description of iustification is but his owne and his fellowes deuise the bastard of the Iesuites and schoolemen Let him burie it where it was borne S. Paul by the spirite and word of God purposely treateth of iustification to the Romanes and Galatians to teach vs what it is and wherein it consisteth Him wee followe and out of him describe and set forth iustification in that maner as I haue declared before But to countenance his matter he nameth S. Austen againe in this place The best is hee doth but name him I must tel him that either he neuer read S. Austen or else vnderstandeth him not We confesse according to the word of God and the doctrine of S. Austen taken from thence that God iustifying vs and receiuing vs into his fauour by faith in Christ doth giue vnto vs his holy spirite to renew vs to holinesse and righteousnesse of life wherein wee are to encrease from day to day But yet this newnesse is not such in this life as whereby we can stand iust before the iudgement seate of God Nay we haue still to crie out x Rom. 7. â— 4 Vnhappie man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death and againe y Mat. 6. 12. O Lord forgiue vs our trespasses and againe z Psal 143. 2. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt For in thy sight shall no man liuing be found righteous Thus hath Christian wisedome taught vs to confesse but what meaning doth Popish wisedome teach vs to make of this Christian confession We say forgiue vs our trespasses saith the Answ for veniall slips which hinder not iustice And this he falsly collecteth out of a place of S. Austen where there is no mention or word of any such thing But I alleaged to him that S. Austen affirmeth that the very Apostles themselues were to say so for this reason a August in â—sal 142. because no man liuing shal be found iust before God The Answ saith we say so for veniall slips which hinder not but that a man is iust S. Austen saith the Apostles themselues were to say so for this cause because no man liuing shall be found iust before God Why doth hee passe ouer this without answere and without proofe affirme that which is héereby ouerthrowen As for veniall sinnes we knowe none as touching their own nature because the scripture absolutely saith b Rom. 6. 23. The reward of sinne is death and c Gal 3. 10. Cuâ—sed is euerie one that continueth not in all thinges that are written in the law Therefore he that offendeth in any thing whatsoeuer is accursed by the lawe and the end of the curse is d Mat. 25. 41. euerlasting fire as our Sauiour Christ
of God The wordes of Christ agrée to it c Iohn â— 29. They that haue done good shall rise to the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill shall rise to the resurrection of condemnation The true faithfull man worketh according to his faith and as he is by his new birth made a good trée so he bringeth forth new and good fruites As he doth good so shall he receiue good though his goodnesse be neither of that valure that thereby hee can deserue that which he shall receiue nor so perfect as that thereby hee may stand iust and without fault in the sight of God as I haue before declared But to reason from this place in this sort God rendereth vnto the good man according to his good workes therefore a man is iustified by his workes is an vntowardly kinde of reasoning and the like as if a man should say The louing father requiteth good vnto his childe according to his obedience and good seruice therefore by his obedience and good seruice he is become his childe It is the birth that maketh the childe a childe Our iustification consisteth in this that God accepteth vs for his children This hee doth in our newe birth by d Gal. 3. 26. Iohn 1. 12. 13 faith in Christ Iesus Vnder the couerture of this iustification and new birth wee stand still before God as his children and e Rom. 8. 17. if children of God then heires of God and ioint-heires with Iesus Christ vnto euerlasting life Though afterward by his gace and as his children we do good and according to this good do receiue good yet it is absurd to say that by these our good doings we are iustified that is to say made the children of God and the heires of life which is a matter of birth and not of a working P. Spence the conclusion BVt what meane I to wade in this large sea Good sir forbeare â—e in this and all other controuersies hereafter which now I knowe not how your curtesies and good nature hath drawne me on to runne into I protest vnto you I am most vnwilling thereunto knowing my want of learning fearing therby to scandalize our most sound good Catholicke cause and being loth to exasperate the magistrate or to transgresse lawes or to endanger my selfe which you cannot help me out of if it be ill taken And therfore I professe I haue written to you and then to the fire fit to be seene of none and not ware to make any muster with I charge you therefore in the bowels of brotherly charitie and in friendly sort to hide this Pamphlet and keepe it from all mens eyes and eares as being written to your selfe alone and wrested out of me by your selfe and as it were exacted such a force hath the loue of you and your curtesies shewed vnto me haue such an interest in me I vvill not meddle vvith those odious comparisons of M. Ieweâ—l and D. Harding and of his vvishing at his death to be vvith M. Iewels soule vvhich I dare assure you by the report of those that vvere at his death vvas not so as it vvas told you Such fabulous reports are not too much to be leaned vnto by the vvise As for M. Steuens I stand not vpon the truth of his report yet the man vvas honest and then a fauourer of your side and a seruant vvith the Archbish of Canterbury Do. Parker vvho sent him vvith a Letter as he reported to M. Iewel to admonish him of certain slips in his booke to be reuoked But vvith those things as vvith his falsifyings of places of Fathers vvriters in euery leafe and almost in euery line charge him I say nothing as hauing litle to doe vvith the matter And so vvishing to you as to my selfe I most heartily rest here your vnfained vvel-vviller and vvil daily pray for you Only this I request you that if any vvord in this our scholasticall conflict be misplaced or breed occasion of offence as seeming ouer bitter I most humbly craue pardon For the force of arguing sometime breedeth heate of vvordes vvhere the minde meaneth vvell inough I vvrote this trifle to your selfe and to Vulcane to no bodie else You see tvvo Lavviers pleade egerly and angerly and as it vvere chide at the barre and yet dine togither full merily Once again I pray you suppresse this Pamphlet that neither others may be offended thereat nor let your Pulpit sound reproach of mee about it I beseech you And thus I commend you to the highest Your assured but vnable to do you good saue with my praier the poore prisoner Paul Spence The answere to the conclusion HE that euill doth hateth the light a Ioh. 3. 20. saith our Sauiour Ioh. 3. 20. neither commeth to the light least his deeds should be reproued If you haue spoken truth why are you so loth to haue it knowne what you haue spoken If your cause be iust why should it flie the light You are afraide you say least through want of learning you should scandalize your sound good Catholicke cause Your cause M. Spence is not sound Catholicke No no M. Spence it is a leaud cause and leaudly defended Your answer doth prooue so much not through your want of learning as you pretende but through the badnesse of it in it selfe Whatsoeuer excuse you pretend of your want of learning the truth is that for the substance of your answere it is the best learning that Bellarmine and the best of your side can yéeld vnto you and your excuse doth but argue a conscience and feare in you that the best learning of your side is naught easily ouerthrowne Albeit your learning M. Spence is not to be spoken of in the matter Your own fellowes haue giuen it out that though your learning be but small yet some other haue had the matter in handling that were able to say somewhat to the purpose You remember that you your selfe confessed so much to me in effect when you told me that you sent abroad for the collections of it and did not plainly deny but that another man was the Authour of the whole Now therfore séeing you would not conceale to your selfe that which I wrote priuately to you but would néeds send it abroad to haue it answered by others what reason haue you to require of me yâ— which you haue not done your selfe Verily if the matter had rested only in priuate betwixt you and me or if it had but only priuately concerned me I would neuer haue taken this course no nor if you would haue come forth to receiue mine answere in writing when I vsed meanes to that purpose But since that by meanes of you and your fellowes it hath gone abroad and hath touched the credit of the doctrine which I teach publickly both God and the world and my calling and conscience haue required of me not to suffer my concealing hereof in priuate to lye as a stumbling blocke